How I Teach My Boy More Than And Less Than

By teaching my boy on my own, I can work on his weakness and often I will need to think creatively on how to teach him, especially Math.

One of the crazy methods I have thought him is Number Bonds when he was Primary 1.

Now as he is learning 2 to 3 digits, question like this: 92 = __ + 15, he will follow my method and it works on him most of time (there are times when he gets answer wrong due to carelessness)

However, beginning of this year, I realise he has problems doing more complex question like:

1. __ more than 85 is 99

2. 100 is 12 less than __

Most of the time, when he sees "more", he will add. But for question #1, it is supposed to subtract, for question #2, it is supposed to add.

So how to teach him to do such questions?

I thought of the method which I have taught my daughter when she was in P2. Before we can conclude which number to add or subtract, we must write out the number sentence first.

My formula for such question is "Dad Love Mum Equal Family". He must follow the steps in sequence when writing out the number sentence.

Step 1: Dad sounds like "Than", the number beside "than" should be placed first. If it is a blank in the question, just draw a square box or underline.

      #1  85

      #2  __

Step 2: For the word Love, if you see "more" put the + sign, or - sign for the word "less"

      #1  85 +

      #2  __ -

Step 3: As for mum, look for the number beside more/less. If it is a blank in the question, just draw a square box or underline.

      #1  85 + __

      #2  __ - 12

Step 4: "is" represent equal

      #1  85 + __ =

      #2  __ - 12 = 

Step 5: For family, it is quite tricky. Like question #2, it could be 100 or 12. But look, you have written 12 for mum (in Step 4), so left 100 for the family. 

In the end, the number sentence for #1 & #2 will look like this

        #1  85 + __ = 99
     
      #2  __ - 12 = 100

Afterwhich he will continue the number bond method which I have taught him. It could look like a long method for him, but after having several practices, he can easily do such questions.

Wow, I must really credit myself for thinking such crazy method. HA!

My daughter, who had Math paper yesterday, told me that she had used this method yesterday. Though my formula "Dad Love Mum Equal Family" may sound crazy to some parents, glad that it works on my kids!

A Pampered Mother's Day For Me

It can be considered appreciation meals for me. I felt so pampered....by food and love from the kids and hubby. The day started off with wishes from the kids in the early morning followed by cards.

Front

Message from her

It was goals set for her SA1 after a discussion with her. So hope by studying on her own she is able to obtain 70 marks.

Short note from him

My boy loves to write small notes to me occasionally and this is his message for me.

Where else can we go? Nowhere as the kids had their swimming lesson as usual. In addition, the weather was too hot. I didn't really feel like going anywhere. Afterwhich we went home for lunch as hubby ordered pizza!

Mother's Day Lunch - Pizza

This is not the only food he had for me. He also bought durian puffs.

Mother's Day Tea Break - Durian Puffs

He wanted to stay home, not accompanying us to the pool because he wanted to prepare a supper treat for me. I found out when we returned home =)

Mother's Day Supper - Bird Nest

The kids wanted to have some but daddy had instructed that this was specially for mummy and promised them to make specially for them next week.

Before supper, we had dinner with my family. One of the highlight of the dinner is chilli crab!

Mother's Day Dinner - Chilli Crab

My dad has high cholesterol and has to cut down alot of seafood, but because of my mum, he had ordered a big crab for the dinner.

I ate alot for the day, which explained why I can never reduce weight. LOL. My kids kept teasing me when they saw their mummy kept eating. My girl pinched on the fats on my arms and my boy kept beating my flabby tummy while we were at the restaurant. I am not sure to laugh or to cry....

Before their bedtime, the kids ended my day by singing a song created by themselves. Thank you children, thank you hubby, thank you! I have a great day !

First Time Wearing Pyjamas To Swim

I have received this work plan done by the swim coach back in December 2012 when I first signed up the kids for swimming. During today's lesson, the kids were informed by the swim coach that they are in Stage 1 now.

Swimming Work Plan

Before leaving the house, the kids were so excited that they wanted to wear their pyjamas out on our bus journey to the pool. LOL....but I did not let them because the weather was super hot!

During the lesson, they wore it to swim. After a few lengths, they were asked to remove. However, not removing in the pool yet as they were still not able to tread in deep pool without swim belt.

Then both were taught how to tie a knot at the end of the trousers and make it into a float. Afterwhich, they had to practise blowing bubbles while on the float.

I was quite a distance from them, tempted to walk nearer to take photos/videos but refrained myself as I did not want to distract their attention, especially my boy who is very opposing the idea of taking photos/videos.

In this group, there are 7 of them including my children and they are theonly ones having the swim belt. By training together with them, hope it will motivate them to learn better to swim without the swim belt. Looking forward to this day!

Excited About Kids Wearing Pyjamas

I have never been so excited about the kids' wearing pyjamas as all along they do not wear pyjamas to sleep. 

But this time, I am really excited because they are not wearing to sleep but to swim with it !

On Tuesday, I had received an sms from swim coach and he had requested me to buy pyjamas for the kids and to bring for this coming sunday lesson.

I think this further confirms their crossover from beginner to intermediate level!

Hubby has bronze award and he had been to the level whereby he will learn to swim with pyjamas before. 

For me, I learnt swimming before but still at beginner stage when we moved house and after which I did not continue to learning. So I never learn to swim with pyjamas before.

Therefore I am really excited about this Sunday's lesson. Praying for a good weather!

At Intermediate Level Now

The weather was not good today. It kept raining and stop, raining and stop. Fortunately when it's time for the kids' swimming lesson, the sky cleared.

Today was their first intermediate lesson and also the day whereby the coach will assess if they are able to switch from beginner to intermediate.  It was supposed to be on 21 April 2013 but it was raining heavily and the pool was closed due to thunder alert. And on 28 April 2013, due to boy's first soccer tournament and heavy rain again, they had to miss the lesson again.

The kids started their first swimming lesson on 2 Dec 2012. During the 4 months plus of beginner stage, they learn breathing technique, practise froggie style and most of the time they are swimming half breath in the middle pool.

For intermediate, they will be at the deep pool, no more going to the middle pool. 

Today, with swim belts on their waist 

1. They had to swim a few lengths (with swimming boards too) 
2. They had to tread water for 5 mins 
3. They had to learn to submerge in water 

As an onlooker, I enjoyed myself watching them. It's more interesting and challenging than the beginner stage. As for them, they gave a thumbs up too. I could see they enjoyed themselves very much. 

So are they able to continue at intermediate level? 

I was waiting anxiously for the coach to tell me the news and he simply said to me: Ok, see you next sunday at 11am!

I gladly announced to the kids that they are in the intermediate level now! Yeah!

Fire Acupuncture Needle

This was his first time experiencing Fire Acupuncture Needle. 

The purpose is to dot on the pimples on the knee and hopefully the pimples will subside and disappear.

He was a brave boy letting out a few soft "ouch".

TCM doctor curiously asked if he played in field. We said he played soccer once a week. He did not say much...only advise better to avoid playing in the field as field could be very dirty with germs/bacteria.

Soccer is his favourite sport and if he really cannot play, I think he will be very disappointed.

We informed boy what TCM doctor had advised and he said: "ahhh....like that I cannot play soccer anymore?"

We told him we shall monitor the condition after each soccer training. Hopefully, it is not due to the germs from the field.

Please, No Rash Nightmare Again

On 11 April 2013, I felt that my boy had recovered 90% from his mysterious rash attack.

A week later, he recovered totally from it. Even the TCM doctor was delighted on his speedy recovery and during the consultation on 18 April 2013, he said boy did not need to consult him anymore unless he feels itch again, else that day would be the last consultation.

We were so glad and relieved.....but the joy was short-lived.

On 21 April 2013, we discovered two or three pimple-like dots on his knee. It became more few days later.

left knee

Now a few dots have appeared on his right knee, left and right elbow too.

Previously, his rashes started this way (on the knees only) too. Then suddenly, red rashes appeared few days and the itch nightmare began.

We were quite worried and I kept praying silently that it would not be the same as before. We kept monitoring his condition and kept asking if he felt any itch. Fortunately he said no itch. So keeping our fingers crossed.

The high fever he had on last Friday really freaked me out. I was so worried that I would see horrible rashes like what had happened when he had high fever in March (read here). Kept myself awake by chanting prayers while monitoring his temperature. Am really thankful that it did not happen.

Ever since the previous rash attack, we have been very strict with his diet at home but we cannot control what he eats in school. As we are trying to find out which kind of food he may be allergy to, we ask him to avoid his favourite Steamed Sticky Glutinous Rice With Chicken during recess.
 
But he still buys it! 

The good thing is he does not lie about it when asked what he has for recess. So we are able to record down the food he has taken.

Hubby had made an appointment with TCM doctor tomorrow, so hope we can find a solution to get those dots disappeared soon. Really dislike to see awful happening again!