Author: Din Bautista

Hello! Welcoming you to my life through words and photos. My name is Din Real Bautista. I am proud full-time Homemaker. Most of the time, I am busy raising a kind-hearted and strong human being named Monica together with the most amazing husband, Beejay. The rest of my time, I am making sure my life is better outside social media.

MORE FUN WITH GROLIER’S MORPHUN

Play. Play. Play. Let our kids play all day!

Monica loves to read and write; draw and color — all of those she considers as play. You know why? Because she really enjoys it! She also creates a mess, talks to her Legos and Shopkins and makes a story out of Paw Patrol and My Little Pony toys.

And lately, she has started to enjoy building and creating, too! Since outdoor play is not really doable at the moment, she now focuses her energy on building. Perfect timing because Grolier PH sent her a “toy” called Morphun – a set of building blocks that fosters creativity and independent play and learning! Not only that, it also does the following (got this from http://grolier-asia.com/our-products/morphun/):

  • Develop children’s fine manipulative skills and hand eye co-ordination.
  • Allow children to explore flexibility of form and movement.
  • Develop children’s social, communication, teamwork and ways of working skills by providing opportunities for children to work together in teams and share their ideas.
  • Develop both generic and special problem solving skills.

Sounds amazing, right? It really is! But more than the benefits mentioned above, what I liked about it the most is that, it develops patience and perseverance. Both lifelong skills that I want Monica to have.

At first, she got really intimidated with the blocks as it’s not how the usual blocks look like plus she didn’t really want to follow the building directions. Each Morphun set comes with a guide-book with easy to follow instructions on how to build age-appropriate models. So I let her just freely build whatever she felt like building.

In this photo, Monica built the 4 towers of Jazz Residences with a sun above. This was her first time trying Morphun!

A few weeks after, she tried again and this time, she wanted to build the Fire Engine she saw in the guide-book. I was hesitant to let her because I thought it was too complicated. But good thing she insisted. I saw how determined she was — kept asking me questions on how, asking me to show her, but ultimately doing it all on her own. I saw her get frustrated whenever she gets the wrong block and won’t work with another; and I saw how her face lit up every time she would discover how it should be done, all on her own.

I am getting better, mommy!”

The words I really want to hear. I am so glad I let her and trusted that she can do it on her own. The reward is not really the newly-built Fire Engine, but the confidence she gained after. The next day, things are easier for her and she enjoyed it even more. I love how Morphun can really develop many skills and even values we can carry on. Yes we – because I myself am learning too. I learned to be patient in waiting for her and not to intervene.

Drama ba? Hahahaha. That’s really how I feel about Morphun. Clearly, it’s more fun with Morphun, plus it also grows with them; the older they get, the more complex it becomes.! Haha. I love that Grolier has really evolved over time. It has become really interactive and allows kids to discover on their own. Hey, we still have those Grolier Encyclopedias at home! And it’s good to know that my daughter has her own Grolier products, too, but definitely a better one.

You can check Monica’s videos playing with Morphun here: https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4MDQ1MjM5MDU5MjU5NTc2?igshid=vsdri6wvzvud&story_media_id=2368013119229216773

To know more about their products, you can send them a message here: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialGrolierPH/

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School Set-up in a 27-sqm Home

Adjusting to this “new normal” is very much challenging for all of us, including the young ones. If it’s hard enough for adults, think about the children and how this whole pandemic has affected their socialization, routines, outdoor time, and a lot more.

I am speaking based on our experience. Monica is an only child. We live in a small condo unit. Enrolling her to school at an early age was our way for her to meet friends, be exposed to different cultures, and such. School definitely helped improve her empathy, socialization, and self-expression. This whole community quarantine has greatly affected our immediate plans for her.

What choice do we have? I see a silver lining in all these; it is a way for us to strengthen her foundation at home — that’s where everything starts anyway. This new normal gives us a chance to become more mindful and more present as parents. It also reinforces our partnership with the school to help Monica develop her skills and abilities. Her school is offering 100% online curriculum for this school-year. This means she gets to be in a class with 30 to 45 minutes per session thrice a week. Everything will be purely virtual. And the rest of the time, we learn about practical skills. Why did we still enroll her if I can teach her on my own? I want to, because Monica loves her school and I respect that.

PREPARATION FOR ONLINE SCHOOLING

These are the things that so far worked for us. I understand it’s not the same for everybody — but sharing still in case somebody wants to know.

  1. We enrolled her to an online summer class for a month just to see if she’ll get a hang of it. Luckily, she did and she adjusted well. So my advice if you want to continue formal schooling, go ahead and look for free trial classes and see how your child will respond.
  2. Online schooling requires a “venue” for a child to feel that he/she is in school. Focus matters. In our case since we don’t have a spare room, I make sure to clear a space just for her classes. Then we just revert to the original setup after each class is done.
  3. Inasmuch as I want all her school supplies to be in just one storage, we only have a limited room space. So I made sure she knows where her things are (all within her reach) so she’ll be the one to get and return those. This way, it gives her responsibility in keeping her things together. So far, so good.

OUR HOME AS HER NEW SCHOOL

At first I was really worried on how our setup will be. We don’t have much area so a “study room” is not possible. But then again, I realized why not make our whole space a place for her learning? Since she’s already able to understand and perform small chores, I make sure to involve her. Learning is not only done in school so it’s now the perfect time to teach some life skills while maximizing every corner in our home!

  1. KITCHEN: She helps me prepare the ingredients for a recipe, arrange utensils, and a lot more. During our time in the kitchen, I make sure to engage her in different conversations, which improve instant vocabulary and confidence level enhancement.
  2. LIVING ROOM AND DINING ROOM: Since we have the same space for both, we do activities here together. Her daddy works at home so it teaches her how to respect time and how to focus on one area for play, at least for a certain time. This is why routine and schedule really play a big part.
  3. BATHROOM: I also let her help me do the laundry. It’s all play for her. Yes, it often results to added mess for me to clean, but it yields extra happiness for her. She also knows she needs to wash her hands thoroughly after every bathroom use.
  4. BEDROOM: This is where her toys and books are, so play happens here most of the time. She knows she has to pack away and clean-up on her own every time.
  5. BALCONY: Luckily, we have a small balcony and it’s been our source of “outside world” ever since this whole quarantine started. We started growing plants recently and this experience is giving Monica simple lessons on biology. I get to explain things such as why we should wait, why we should water them, and the like, as she sees development on the plants each day.
  6. Even though she has a small space for physical activities, I think of ways to make it fun. We exercise, jump, or just do silly things together. We may have missed the fun outside but it doesn’t mean we cannot improvise.

My description above feels like we live in a big house, but really, it’s just a 27-sqm. one-bedroom unit. So you see, just because we have a small place does not mean we cannot make it conducive for learning. I love the idea of going to school, but I also love that our home is where she can learn the basic values first — quarantine or not. 🙂

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Reading at 3 Years Old

I remember a conversation I had with Beejay 3 years ago, Monica was just less than a year old; “Love, bibili tayo ulit ng books, parang ang dami na?” Beej answered “Love, ‘wag na ‘wag tayong manghihinayang sa books.”

Since then, books became a staple in Monica’s routines; she would choose books over her toys. We read books everyday, no fail. She would point at something and we will tell her what it was. She learned about letters. numbers, shapes, and colors at 1 year and 3 months; with no pressure nor force. Monica was just really interested which made it easy for her to absorb and understand.♥️

So How Did We Enable Monica To Read?

I’ve always believed that reading doesn’t start and end with just plain “reading”. At 2 years old, Monica can already “read” traffic and road signs and that’s good enough for us. We just continued with storytelling, nurturing her interests, and so on without the pressure on making her read early.

When she entered preschool at 3 years old, her interest on letters became more evident; I noticed she can already read sight words but I didn’t really make a big deal out of it because I know that kids learn fast. As days went by, Monica got better with phonics. Credits to her Teacher Lex of Golden Values School because I know she played a big part as Monica will always tell me about school and how she enjoyed making the “letter sounds”.

It was middle of the school year when I confirmed she’s really trying to read on her own; she has gotten better with sight words and she would try to read the words based on how they sound. That’s when we became involved – we practiced and read things together. Until one day, she started reading in sentences all on her own and she would read 5 books every night before she sleeps. What makes it more special? She understands what she reads and she enjoys doing it. It is very important that she’s not only reading but comprehending as well. How do I know? We will talk about the book as soon as she’s done reading it. And voila, she can answer my questions correctly.



Fast forward to these days, she keeps reading and reading – I would give her anything with letters and she would read it. Just recently, she has started reading in Filipino. I was so surprised to witness her reading and finishing the Bahay Kubo book. She is turning 4 years old next month and her reading and comprehension is improving everyday. I can’t be more excited to witness the things she will do and discover.

Alongside her developing reading skills is the improvement on how she writes and spells words. Whatever she reads, she can easily translate into writing. Note that she doesn’t have correct spelling all the time. But we just let her do inventive spelling as it helps her decipher sounds and understand words better. I guess these things work hand in hand because Monica’s vocabulary grows each day.

Tips on How to ENABLE Your Child Read

These tips are based on our experience; I am not in any way a formal educator and I don’t claim to be one. Haha. Just sharing what worked FOR US.?

  1. DON’T PRESSURE, DON’T FORCE. WHEN THE CHILD IS READY, IT WILL JUST BE EASY. I can’t stress this enough. A lot have been asking me on why and how Monica is able to read already and I keep answering that “because she likes it, that’s why it’s easy for her.”
  2. Make the books accessible. Monica’s books are just within her reach; I guess this is why a day doesn’t go by without reading or holding a book. This helped Monica in getting interested.
  3. Master the phonetics. Monica’s school did a really great job on this. I don’t really teach her at home, I just do some follow-through’s. All her lessons came from school and I think they have a big impact on Monica. If you can’t enroll your kid yet, I guess, you can learn the phonics together. Again, ONLY WHEN YOUR CHILD IS READY.
  4. Practice Most Common Sight Words. This is easy to do, just make sure you don’t overdo it as your kid might get tired of this. Start with simple and rhyming words. Read aloud.
  5. Don’t correct right away. Build your child’s confidence. When Monica doesn’t read some words correctly, I would ask her to repeat and she will figure out on her own. I only correct when she asks me to.
  6. Make reading a fun experience for you and your child. In our case, we maximized different activities to nurture her reading skills. We tried Word Hunt, Match The Words, Color the Word, Reading and Comprehension activities and so on. (Tip: Check @thecrafterteacher on IG for free worksheet printables) ?
  7. Zero to Less Gadget Use. THIS WORKS FOR US but of course I cannot force this on anyone. Monica has not had any gadget use for over a year now. I noticed that her focus is very good and that she can handle her emotions well. I think this helps in her being interested in reading as her energy gets diverted into learning instead of just watching and playing with a gadget.

More than all these things, what really matters is how your child responds to whatever we teach them. Let’s respect when they are ready; I tell you, when that time comes, everything will be easy.

I hope you find this useful or helpful. On my next blog, I will share about Monica’s progress in writing and spelling. ☺️

Thank you for reading. ?

Din

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Monica’s Recognition Day – ECQ Style ?

It may not be the Recognition Day that we expected, but it still felt special nevertheless. Congrats to our little girl for finishing her first-ever preschool year with flying colors.

    These could have been photos from a legit Recognition Day, but we’re not complaining; this shoot at home will do.

    • This is Monica smiling from ear to ear when I told her she’s one of the Star Kids! Iba talaga ang word na “star” sa kids. Haha
    • T. Vanessa asked us to be creative and celebrate this moment even at home 🙂
    • Feels like a legit Recognition Day!
    • Thank you GVS.
    • I am never the creative and artistic type of mom, but for Monica, I will try to be. HAHA

    So this is how it is! Nakaka-proud pala talaga. Haha! I know grades and awards should not define a child, but I can’t help being proud. She’s awarded as Star Kid 2nd place, Best in Reading, Best in Number Identification, and was given the Golden Ring award as well! Not only that, her behavioral recognition made me equally happy; Most Thoughtful, Most Cooperative, and Best Teacher’s Helper! Cuuute! That’s my baby!♥️

    But more than her awards and recognition; what matters most to us is that she’s happy and enjoys being in school and that she goes along well with her teachers and classmates. That’s the very reason we enrolled her in preschool as early as 3 years old.?

    Monica showed interest in learning letters, numbers, shapes, and colors at 1 year old – that’s without pressure nor force from our end. And bringing her to school nourished her interest further. Aside from that, she became more social, more expressive, and more emphatic. I really am convinced that half of what Monica is showing now is an influence from her school. ?

    Thank you GVS for one whole year of being our partner in raising a happy child. Monica would always talk about her teachers and classmates every time I will pick her up and she always gets excited whenever we talk about her school. It was really a good move that we enrolled her there. ?

    Thank you also for recognizing Monica’s efforts and acknowledging the her strengths both in behavior and academics. Even though we didn’t have a proper recognition day, you still found a way to make it special for the kids and parents.♥️ It may not be on a legit stage, but it sure felt like it and more.?♥️

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    Oreo Cake Balls

    A little bit of sweets, color, and smile.♥️

    We enjoyed making these Oreo Cake Balls – easy and fun! Yum! But more than output, it’s the experience that made it better! Monica enjoyed helping me roll the balls! 🙂


    Side story – when we were putting the food color, Monica screamed “Mommy, wow that’s the same color we put in the colorful rice last time!” I was like huh? Then I remembered, it’s the same food color we used last year when we made some colorful rice.

    I thought I was the one teaching Monica on how to make Oreo balls, but here she is, teaching me a more important lesson instead. The things we say or do have impact to our kids; it’s really vital to be mindful because we never know what will stay with them forever. Kids may forget a lot of things, but they sure keep in their heart, those that made them sooo happy (or sad). <3

    Recipe (thanks to Fide, Lara, and Iam ?):

    Try this, too!❤️

    Crushed Oreos
    Magnolia Cream Cheese
    Goya White Chocolate
    Sprinkles or food color (optional)

    Mix crushed oreos and cream cheese
    Freeze for 30mins
    Melt white chocolate and use as coating
    Add sprinkles
    Freeze for 15mins

    Thanks again Fione Megan, Aila Martha, and Lara Tanya for the idea!!?

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    Choco Banana Muffin using Air Fryer

    Choco Banana Muffins anyone? ECQ made me do this. Haha.

    Beej and Monica seemed to like it so, all good! Thanks to our AIR FRYER (because we don’t have an oven), naging baker ako at least once in my life! Haha.

    I love that it became an instant bonding for Monica and I. She helped me in the whole process; she mashed the banana and put on the sprinkles! She was so excited the whole time haha. As a result of that excitement, she eagerly ate one whole muffin! “I baked it mommy!” Super win! <3

    #SharingIsCaring

    Ingredients:

    Mix/whisk together in one bowl:

    • 3/4 cup brown sugar
    • 6 tbsp melted butter
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Mix/whisk together in a separate bowl:

    • 1 cup mashed banana (3 bananas)
    • 1 cup all purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • choco bits or sprinkles

    Mix two bowls together and put in airfryer at 180 deg for 12mins. You’re welcome.

    PS: Thanks to my mommy friend Shula for teaching me how! Will try more! #ByeLowCarbDiet#NoDietThisECQ#WhatIsDiet

    What about you, what’s your #ECQMadeMeDoThis story? <3

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    Day 21: Quarantine Life

    How are you all keeping up? Day 21 and it seems unreal to be locked up at home for this long. I know it’s not the same for everybody; each one of us have battles and just winging it day by day.

    “Mommy I miss swimming, I miss the beach” said Monica. So yesterday, I asked Beej to look for a small inflatable pool when he went to the grocery. I was hesitant at first because we have limited space but this lockdown has taught me to make use of what we have and appreciate even the smallest of things. For 21 days, our small balcony has been a source of sunshine, literally and figuratively. And now it has become an additional source of joy for my little girl.

    Thank you Lord for the opportunity to see things differently through these challenging times

    #LifeUpdate: Monica’s doing okay, even though she misses going outside, she has not thrown any tantrums yet. I’ve been really blessed to have her. She would just play all day; do some worksheets, read and draw, and of course watch Paw Patrol. She would hug us every now and then and will say I Love You out of the blue.

    Beej has been really productive while working from home. I’ve seen a different aspect of him – he does his work really well! Not only that, he helps in the house chores, too aside from being the runner to the grocery. He does the sanitizing and the washing of his clothes every after supermarket trip. So far he still allows me to watch KDrama till dawn and even shares my kilig and happiness (until when kaya HAHA). Most importantly, he’s doing a good job in keeping us alive, well-fed, and happy. <3

    As for me, my days seem to be the usual except that I don’t get to go out often. Most of my time is spent on binge-watching K-Dramas to be honest and that’s okay. It takes my mind away from worrying too much so why not, right? I’ve also come to appreciate Monica’s teachers even more. Everyday, she would ask for activities and I have no choice but indulge her interest in learning. Teaching is really a noble job! Mahirap ha! Haha. Thank you to the people who send out activities for her, it means a lot. At least I get to observe how she is learning and how much she enjoys it. I’ve been enjoying waking up at around 7-8am, going to the balcony with Monica and get some vitamin D while listening to Shout To the Lord worship song. It’s ironic that while things are chaotic outside, things are getting better inside our home. And it’s okay to think that way.

    Every night I pray that this pandemic comes to an end soon. My heart breaks for the patients and their families; for the brave frontliners who keep the society going; for all of us who have been confined to this new season of normalcy. This, too, shall pass.

    Keep safe and do your best to find happiness amidst sorrow. Donate and/or help if you are able. Post happy thoughts, happy photos. Share useful information. Speak what’s on your mind but please be careful with the intent. Lastly, do things that keep you sane, whatever floats your boat, I’d say. <3

    Din

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    House Quarantine 101

    This quarantine season is honestly not so new to us. Since I am a stay-at-home mom, I am with Monica 24/7; the only thing that changed is, she doesn’t have 2.5-hrs in school and we can’t just go outside to go to the mall or park.

    I’ve been seeing so many kiddie activities from my mommy friends and I really admire them for the creativity and the will to spend quality time with their child/children. As for me, I don’t really have a set of activities planned out for Monica to be honest. I am not built for that, I dont have the creativity lol. But if I may share, here are the things that keep Monica busy (because these make her happy) and mommy, sane. Haha.?

    ▪️PLAY. I let her play all day. Since we are confined in a small condo unit, I allow her to play and make a mess. She can play with any toy she wants. I would often catch her making up stories and characters.

    ▪️DRAW AND COLOR. Monica’s pencils, crayons, and papers are all on her reach. I don’t give schedules but I would see her stop playing and go to her table to draw and color. All on her own. Most of the time she would draw what happened with her toys during her play (lately, it’s all about Paw Patrol). Or at times, she would draw something about a memorable experience, in our case, the recent travel to Cebu.

    ▪️WRITE. Another thing that she loves nowadays is to write. This is a sensitive period and a great opportunity to learn (as per teacher nanay Iam). I would ask her to write what’s on her mind, what she wants to do, who her friends are, what our menu for the week is, what color does she like, etc. Inventive spelling on the works and even though words are mispelled, I know that she is learning without force. I can see how much she is willing and how much she can comprehend, and that’s enough for me.

    ▪️READ. Monica has started reading already, both sight words and phonetics. She would spend time reading her books or even the papers or receipts that she sees at home. She would ask us when she can’t seem to read anymore then will continue reading again.

    ▪️ WATCH TV. No iPad or cellphone, but she’s allowed to watch TV. She wouldn’t stay glued for a long time though, she will just watch for a few minutes then play. And watch again then play.

    ▪️CHORES. Let her help in the chores. In the photo above, I let her organize her books. She arranged via size. I had to help her in the end because matatabunan naman kami hahaha!

    ▪️EAT. Well, she snacks a lot nowadays haha.

    ▪️ Lots of hugs, kisses, I-love-yous, and argument in between.?

    So what role do I play in all these? I OBSERVE. I will intervene if she wants and if she asks me to. I realize it works better for her when she has control on what she can do. She thinks on her own and acts on it. This way I can do chores and watch my KDrama hehe. #SaTrueLang.

    This method has been working well for us. Sharing with you in case you also want to know. Stay safe, happy, and healthy! <3

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    Trendy Home with Classic Blue: Learn from Peaches De Guzman-Grey

    Do you also feel relaxed when you look at the sky or when you’re at the beach just staring at the blue water? I asked because I do. Looking at anything blue just makes me calmer and at ease. Luckily, this year, Pantone announced that Classic Blue is the color of 2020 and experts say it gives the feeling of calmness and confidence, “highlighting one’s desire for a dependable and stable foundation as we go on to the new year.”

    So for a homemaker like me, incorporating the Classic Blue in our little home is a need, to help us get thru crazy or stressful days. For me, a clean and organized home makes my day really sunny, adding a touch of blue will surely drive the stress away!

    Peaches De Guzman-Grey, KDG Interior’s Principal Interior Designer, said that “classic blue is very interesting because it symbolizes many things and gives impression of stability and honesty which can be associated with many objects.”

    Peaches, generously shares and expertise and advice in decorating homes with Classic Blue:

    1. GO BACK TO BASICS — Peaches said it’s very important to consider preferences and lifestyle before deciding what style works better. I agree with her; we have a small condo and with a 3-year old toddler, space has always been a challenge. We want her to have enough space to play and walk around and at the same time I want our things to be organized especially now that we have lots of toys and books to think about. So our home is very minimalist just so it can accommodate our needs.
    Photo by KDG Interiors


    2. DESIGN ACCORDING TO FUNCTIONALITY — She mentioned that it’s important to design spaces according to its use. Each space is used for specific tasks hence details are very much a requirement. Peaches said “if you are going to decide specifics such as furniture or lighting, always consider the room’s function…” Based on experience, every space in our little home serves specific purpose, so choosing furniture and even as simple as kitchenware requires so much deliberation.

    Photo by KDG Interiors

    3. INCORPORATE CLASSIC BLUE IN PLACES WHERE YOU WANT TO BE RELAXED. As mentioned above, looking at classic blue can help us relax so I agree when Peaches said that we need to incorporate Blue in spaces we want to be relaxed. It can be in the bedroom or living room; I guess a simple piece such as blue clock or blue display or blue blanket is fine.

    Photo by KDG Interiors

    4. USE NEUTRAL COLORS AND JUST INJECT THE BLUE AS AN ACCENT. Peaches shared that she always sticks to natural palettes especially in “walls and furniture.” She advised that we can get classic blue throw pillows, accent chairs, or even carpet.

    Photo by KDG Interiors

    5. UNDERSTAND THAT DESIGNING IS A PROCESS. It’s normal to have a lot of designs in mind. Sometimes it depends on your mood or depends on what you see when you visit a store, but Peaches reminds us that we have to think of how the designs will work for us for a long time and not just follow a specific trend. She also said that “practicality plays a big role.”

    Photo by KDG Interiors

    6. BE FLEXIBLE. While Peaches believe that Classic Blue is the lucky color this year, she still wants us to be flexible in decorating our homes, meaning we can’t overdo it as these types of trend changes easily. So it’s best to accentuate using classic blue through accessories and not make drastic changes and decorate accordingly.

    Photo by KDG Interiors

    I love the simple tips that Peaches provided for us – doable and at the same time, relatable. It’s important to come home to a place where you can really feel at ease and relaxed after a long and tiring day. It also feels nicer if we have this feeling in a home we call our own.

    If you are thinking of buying a new home, a place where you can apply all these tips, you can check out RCBC’s Home Loan Plus and enjoy flexible payment terms up to 20 years. It comes with an automatic fire insurance coverage from Malayan Insurance for the entire loan term with easy to pay 0% monthly interest installment on fire insurance. For more information, you may visit www.rcbc.com

    Din Bautista1 Comment

    “Anak, fight back.” When do we need to say that?

    This question has been bugging me the whole day. So let me ask you, when do we urge our kids to fight back and how? I honestly don’t know. I want to raise a kind human being but I don’t want her to be a push-over. It’s so much easier said than done. How do we discern?

    I attended a mom and baby event yesterday – kids playing everywhere. It was fun of course. But then, Monica cried twice. Yes twice, different kids but same scenario. Inagawan ng laruan si Monica.

    I was just observing as always – I know I am not in the position to meddle. Bata yan, syempre mag-aagawan sila ng laruan. Very normal. But observing how my Monica helplessly cried that time was just heartbreaking. I heard her say “hey that’s mine. Hey, can you please give it back to me? I am still playing.” She kept begging the other kid. Nakakaawa tapos umiyak na sya at lumapit sa akin when she saw me looking at her.

    I don’t blame the other kid, what do they know right? Well Monica, as far as I know, never pa nang-agaw ng ganon and never rin naman sya nanakit pag may ginagawang hindi maganda sa kanya. Pero syempre bata sila. Sisishin ko ba yung isang bata? Hindi, diba?

    But on the second instance, nangyari ulit. She kept saying “please give it back to me, I am still playing” tapos naiyak na naman at lumapit sa’kin. I told her, “Monica, you already asked them nicely, this time, you get it from them. Get it, it’s yours!” Tama ba ako? Mali ba? I don’t know.

    In my mind, I should teach her how to assert herself and that she shouldn’t let others make her cry like that. That she can fight if she must. BUT mabait syang bata. She would rather cry and go to me kesa lumaban or manakit or whatever. Hay.

    What do you do, moms, dads? Haha. I honestly don’t know. I want her to fight but I don’t want her to think it’s always good to fight. She’s 3 years old and whatever I teach and show her, she easily absorbs so I am extra careful. I don’t want her to be the kid moms are worried about. Gets?

    Am I right? What is the better way to deal with this?

    Thanks in advance! <3

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