Multiparenting Cayen & Cayson

Yesterday , Cayen woke up and willingly brushed his teeth. After that, he asked for bread and kaya. Looks like he remembered the screaming spectacle yesterday and how he could only get his way if he brush his teeth first. Thereafter, we went to town to have some breakfast . Once again, he was very cooperative - he played with Lego and ate the eggs and sausages without making any fuss.  Thereafter, I went for yoga and I heard he walked all the way to Orchard Tanglin (from Scotts Square) without a fuss or wanting to be carried. It then struck me that his stamina and willingness to walk has increased a great deal in the last two weeks.  Thereafter, we went over to Praelum for a wine tasting of South African vs Italian wines - a most interesting experience. Serious drinkers try their best to identify which is which, and which they think paired better with the food served.  We headed home thereafter and again, Cayen was very obedient and cooperative so we let ...

Dining out with kids can be a real hassle and for a long time we went for the easy way out of giving him the iPhone. Nowadays , I decided to get more creative. Hence, this is my Doremon bag of tricks. I try to keep it light so usually I will take 1-2 of these combi. 1) interactive games like matching games 2) lego ( I will bring the mini ones)  3) book for tracing ABC 4) sticker books  5) crayons and paper (there's a little risk of making a little mess) 

Cayen's favourite toy is still the mop and the broom .. It has remained his obsession for the last one year and is perhaps the toy with the highest return on investment. Well, this is perhaps the best toy to introduce to your household. After all , you get to train the motor skills and you end up with a cleaner house. Anyway, apart from diligence, this boy has always nurtured a sense of diplomacy.. We liked to tease him .. " who do you like more? Ah Pa or Ah Ma ?" "Who is your favourite? Ah Ma or ah Pa?" He would always say "ah pa , ah Ma", "ah Ma, ah pa" or sometimes "ah pa, ah ma, cayen" He appears to know that we are a family unit and that we are all equal to him. Or perhaps he's just very politically correct ! Also, recently he likes to play pretend. Pretending to eat as though something is real delicious (imagine the slurps and all , pretending to fall asleep and pretending to make coffee .. YouTube Video - Posted using B...

In the last 19 months, I have come to realise that there are very little toys that can be relevant to a toddler for long. The ironic thing is that the ones that can attract the baby's attention for the longest time in a session and over a period of time tends to be the most unexpected .. And often the cheapest options: 1. IKEA stool When upright like this , it can serve initially as a table when toddler is and also as a seat when he's able to walk. When flip upside down, it serves as a great support tool for the baby who's just learning to walk. It's much sturdier than most toys in the market (as it doesn't have wheels so it doesn't glide too fast) and it's hard to topple when the centre of gravity is on the floor. I have three walkers/ pushcart of sorts, this is his favourite. 2. Plastic cups, spoons , containers, bottles (empty of course) He loves stacking them up, putting and transferring things using these, and pretending to feed hims...