How to Start Your Pre-K / Kindergarten Home Program

This post is here because I wanted to re-plan for P who's now 2 y.o.
I also have a few friends who're considering homeschooling their kids
who're in the Pre-K / Kindergarten years.

M has gone of to Year 1 at a regular school. He's adjusted quite well.
Of course there are still areas for improvement. But nothing out of
the ordinary for a 5y.o.

Let me start by saying you don't really need to do much. Maintain
a child-friendly home and your child will have plenty of opportunity
to learn and explore at his/her own pace.

Pam has a great post on this.

10 Things we focused on:
1) Love, being and doing good, and living our Catholic faith.
2) Learning good health habits.
3) Learning self care.
4) Reading books.
5) Doing practical math.
6) Learning other age-appropriate skills.
7) Watching educational videos.
8) Using assorted materials for learning: colouring books, paper,
print outs, blocks, puzzles, crayons, etc
9) Exploring personal interests.
10) Play play play.

It really was quite random and ordinary. In a way, I envy those who
have pinterest-worthy pictures. M didn't stay interested in something
long enough so we never had one particular curriculum / activity /
etc. Not enough for me to say that we had a theme. We really just
went along doing our thing - learning and growing as best as we could.

Game changers:
1) Keeping things consistent.
- We blocked off time in the morning just for homeschooling. We made
sure to do 30 minutes of reading plus a learning activity or two.
2) Planning.
- We referred to book lists, maintained a decent monthly "book basket",
always had interesting activities available, ensured that supplies were
adequate, reviewed what worked or not, etc.
- We did basic math in the beginning. We used Early Bird Kindergarten
Math books (Singapore Math) when M turned 4y.o.
3) Choosing a less tech lifestyle.
- We invested in toys so the kids had something to play with. Rotating
the toys was necessary because kids easily tire of a toy. Sharing toys
was always a requirement.
- We kept the t.v. off until it was late afternoon. No hours and hours
of mindless t.v. The kids had no choice but to do something.
4) Playgroup / Outdoor play.
- The children and I would go to playgroup twice a week, weather
permitting. It was a chance for us to go out. The playgroup had toys
and an outdoor playground so they were able to play in a different
environment.
- There are other children in the compound and all the kids just play
in the garden. Free weekends would include a trip to the playground.
5) Valuing happy memories.


Additional Resources for you:
- Mother Hubbards Cupboard
- ABC Jesus Loves Me
- DTLK Letter Crafts
- Twisty Noodle Printouts
- Catholic Letter Crafts
- Tot School


Is that all there is to it? Well yes and no. There's more that we'd like
to do. I'm sure we'll never get to doing it all. But as a whole, it's all
been good.


Click here for Book Lists. (future update)
Click here for Supplies List. (future update)

Click here for Organizing Tools. (future)

Are you a working mom? Check out How to Get Your Child Ready
for Kindergarten / Year 1 for a simplified home school program.

Photo Credit: Dennis S.

3 Tips on How to Successfully Complete the VA Seminar Assignment

*** December 2014 Update ***

Technology changes and so must we. Use the tools that are recommended in
the VA Seminar. Yes, Blogger may not even be there anymore. Good luck! :)

--------------------------------------
After more than a year of dilly-dally and delay, I am FINALLY doing the VA
Assignment for the Virtual Assistant Seminar. You see, I attended the VA
Seminar last year and I've been working as a Virtual Assistant for more than
a year now. It's been really great. Now, it's time for better and brighter things.

So what's the VA Assignment for? Well, it's supposed to serve as my online
portfolio. Of course, if I had done the VA Assignment last year, like I was
supposed to, I would now just easily send my resume to prospective clients.
Unfortunately, I didn't. Soooooo, I've been working on it lately, again.
Reality bites huh.


3 Tips on How to Successfully Complete the VA Seminar Assignment:

1. Plan
    Most people dont finish the VA Assignment because they feel overwhelmed
    by what needs to be done. STOP! Affirm yourself that you're going to
    get it done.
 
    That being said,
    a. Decide on when you will work on the assignment. Daily? Weekly?
        I suggest scheduling this to coincide with your inspired moments.
    b. Decide on which tasks to work on first. Don't expect to do it all at the
        same time.
    c. Look at what others have done. Gain some inspiration and get some tips
        on how to go about doing it all.
    c. Join the FB Group and ask questions from others as needed.

2. Do
    Just do it. One step at time. Rest when you feel tired. Afterwards, work on
    it again.

3. Check then Act
    If you noticed, Check then Act are nicely bundled together. Why? Avoid
    the common mistake of analysis by paralysis; move move move.

    At the end of each week, assess what you've accomplished. Check to see
    if you're progressing as planned. Make the necessary adjustments so that
    you can work better towards completing your goal of submitting your
    VA Assignment. Stop only when you're done.


My Progress
I'm probably 15% done; still have a looooooong way to go. I am terribly
resisting the urge to just get the VA Assignment done and over with.
It's important to do a good job because completing the assignment will
result in more online mileage; it will show if you put in the effort or if you
did things half baked. Patience truly is a virtue.


Need a little more motivation? You might want to read this and this on why
I use blogger.


Want to know more about the VA Seminar I attended?
Click here for details on the Online Virtual Assistant Seminar:
           http://bit.ly/onlinevaseminar

Go here for more details on the Virtual Assistant Seminar (Live Event):
           http://bit.ly/vaseminarlive


Image courtesy of bludgeoner86

Start Now and Use Blogger

Starting something new is a difficult thing. You may have your reasons, here are some

of mine:

- There's always tomorrow.

- It's too hard.

- What if?!?

- It's gonna explode!

- Do I really have it in me to do this?

And on, and on, and on....

Yesterday, I asked everyone to make a wild guess on what The Sartorialist, 

Vosgesparis, and Ode Boutique had in common.

The usual answer: fashion, style, artistic and black + white. Okay these

are all true. But....

THE ANSWER:  Blogger.com

Whaaaaaat?!? Yes, this is a "technical" post of sorts...

The Sartorialist

Yes, The Sartorialist has been using blogger since time immemorial. You don't believe

me? Use the original URL: http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com and see where you'll end 

up. Okay, he recently switched to Wordpress. But there's no denying that he did really 

well when he was still using blogger; think Time Magazine 2007 Style and Design 100
and paid advertisements from fashion brands.

VosgesParis

I love VosgesParis for its minimalist zen type approach to home design. VosgesParis 

is obviously an artist. But I love the fact that that she mildly tweaked her blogger theme

to make it all her own. 

Ode Boutique

Who would have guessed that Ode Boutique is running on Blogger. Even more

surprising is the fact that web developers now get paid to do Blogger design and 

development. I'm sure hard core developers will be screaming in protest. In the
end, it boils down to what works for the client. Interesting!!!

And so, to all who've been deliberating and delaying on starting their 1st website,

my suggestion to you is this: Start Now and Use Blogger. Blogger really is the

simplest thing to use. You can always move on to other platforms. What's most

important is that you take that first step and get yourself online. And......

May that first step bring you to better and brighter things!

Image courtesy of Blogger.com

How to Conquer Overwhelm

The cheque is in the bank. The kid is tucked in. The hubby is prepared for our big 

move. And yet I can't shake off the feeling that something is amiss. Why why why?

3 Things Im doing to conquer the Big Overwhelm:

1. Revisiting my Goals and Priorities.

Im blessed because I can still afford to be a WAHM. However, being a WAHM

doesn't mean I have all the time in the world to do the stuff that I want to do. 

Yes I've managed to get rid of the travel time but I'm just as busy as when I had the 

corporate job. 

One activity I've had to rethink is homeschooling. My homeschooling attempts

have been on and off. It seems more realistic to do it less frequently but more

consistently for a longer period of time. Meaning, I should ditch the grand plan

of homeschooling everyday because 3x a week is really more sustainable. Then

when we do our big move; M will probably attend school; I will just focus on

providing quality after school activities. This makes more sense than me worrying

that M isn't getting the education that he needs.

2. Embracing my humanity.

I am not a superwoman. And it's okay that I am not. So some things are not

working out in the way that I'd want them to. No use kicking myself on things

that are clearly unrealistic. I can accept that certain things don't fit. I can adjust. 

I can create new plans. I can do other things to achieve the same end goals.

3. Recharging my spirituality.

I definitely need to get my prayer time back into gear. I need God to enlighten me

on what needs doing and what needs pruning. I need Him to provide me with

courage and strength for the challenges up ahead. And I need Him to teach me

to appreciate the blessings and opportunities that I'm overlooking. Oh yeah, only 

He can assure me that things will work out.

I guess I'm like most women; trying hard to be a superwoman when all I really 

need to be is myself.

Image courtesy of daedalust

How to Praise a Child

Image courtesy of Kneff Photography

Did you know that when it comes to praising --- you can have too much of 

a good thing? 

I'm sure you've heard parents and teachers say this one too many times, 

"Great job!" Heck, I do this too! However, if not done properly, adults
could be producing "praise addict" children. A praise addict child is one
that needs constant praise. This can turn into an insecurity when pleasing
others becomes the child's main motivation. The need for praise can become
a hindrance for learning when the child avoids challenging activities because
he/she feels the outcome will not be praised.

Let me emphasize that nobody is contesting the need to praise a child. 

Instead, we're being asked to reconsider the way we praise a child. Aha!

Back then, we were told that a child should be affirmed of his/her innate 

goodness. The child is praised for a job well done --- "Great job!" This is
to emphasize that being a good person and accomplishing a task well are
two independent things.

Nowadays, parents and adults are encouraged to help a child appreciate
what he/she has accomplished. "Start by focusing on what a child is doing 
rather than how you you feel about what the child is doing." - Teach Preschool

Here are some examples:
- When a child asks, "Do you like my painting?" turn it back to the child 
and ask him/her, "What do you like about your painting? or ask him/her 
to describe what they like about their painting to other children

- When a child asks, "Do you like my tower?" get the child to discuss the 
process of making it, "How did you make that tower?"

- Describe by stating the details you observed, for example,"You decided 
to use green paint", "You started at the top of the paper"

- Focus on the process rather than the end result, for example letter grade, 
"What did you have to do to get that grade?" "How does getting that grade 
make you feel?"

- Acknowledge a child by stating what they have done, "Look how you are 
climbing up the ladder?" "I remember when you could not kick, now you 
can kick. Kick this box". - Dan Hodgins

Hmmm, I know it sounds a bit like extra work. However, it's nothing more
than just paying attention to the child and what he/she is doing. Aha! That
is something we really should be doing. 

What's HEALTHY, ORGANIC and FREE?

Image courtesy of USDA


Nature is an unforgiving lover. Treat her well and she is loving and
generous. Disrespect her and she will make you wish you never
met her. We experience this when we enjoy good health, clean air
and nutritious food. We also experience this when we have landslides,
red tides, droughts and cancer. Nature was and is meant to be loved
and cherished.

I was brought up to take good care of my health. True good genes help.
But being proactive about one's health was a big thing in my family.

I have long been a non-pork eater. I started even when it was NOT
politically correct to say so. I can still remember the weird stares!!!
Yeah, I sometimes eat hotdog, bacon bits and salami. YUM!!! But these
are exceptions not the rule. My meat is mostly chicken, fish and beef.
I eat fruits and veggies. I drink lots of water (people expect to see
me with a water bottle). Soymilk and tofu are staples in the fridge.
Farmer-grown, non-gmo and organic ---- love it!

Nowadays, I am considered normal. Yeah, it's been great that more
and more people have a healthy lifestyle. The popularity of running,
cycling and pilates is proof. Taking natural supplements is another.
And the list goes on.

I think it's about time people gave 
natural family planning
a second thought too.

I know people who are on the pill. They complain about irritability
and migraines. They complain their hormones have gone ballistic.
They complain they're bloated and fat.


Maybe your body is telling you something.


I do look forward to the day when Natural Family Planning becomes
THE intelligent option. It's HEALTHY, it's ORGANIC and it's FREE.


p.s.
The Billings Ovulation Method is one of the most preferred natural family
planning methods. You may want to try it too if you're "trying" for a baby.
Click on the link or go here: http://www.billingslife.org/

p.p.s.
If you're on the pill for medical reasons, please make an informed
decision based on what you and your doctor have discussed. This is
not what I am talking about here.

p.p.p.s.
Im sure it would be exciting to see everyone's rants and raves on
this matter. However, I'd hate to see this turn into a mudslinging
contest. I am exercising my right to turn off all comments on this
matter (pro and anti). Thank you for respecting my request that
you hold your discussion elsewhere.

-------

ETA 2016: This came about because Baranggay A's controversial
PROLIFE Baranggay Ordinance created quite a media buzz. These
were my thoughts back then.

How to Get an NBI Clearance for an OFW

**28 Sept 2013 Update**

I am updating this post as people still drop by in search of answers.

Let me start of by saying that I have NOT requested for an NBI Clearance
in years.

A year or so ago, a friend did get his NBI Clearance. If I remember correctly,
the new procedure is such that the OFW needs to go to the nearest embassy /
consular office for an imprint of his/her 10 digits (all fingers). This will then
be authenticated. The OFW will then send the document to a family
member in the Philippines. The family member will then have to bring
the document to the NBI for the issuance of the clearance.

Things to remember:
- The OFW should call in advance and make an appointment for this: find out
what documents need to be brought, what fees are involved, what method of
payment is accepted, etc. Take note that not all consular offices can
process this request.
- The OFW should make an authorization letter for the family member who
will process the NBI Clearance.

Good luck and God bless!

=======================

Original Post

Hubby is currently somewhere out there. I on the other hand still reside in
THE KAMAO country. Lately, I had the good fortune of having to obtain an
NBI Clearance for H. Yes, no personal appearance is required. BUT BUT BUT,
I had to go to the Victory Mall in Caloocan to get it done.

The fastest way to get there is by LRT. Traffic is terrible from all directions.
Forget parking! The mall doesn't have one?!?!? Remember to alight at the
Monumento Station. When you leave the LRT, turn left then cross the road.
Voila! You have made it to the Victory Mall.

The NBI office is on the 5th Floor. When you enter the building, walk over
to the other end of the mall. This is where the elevator is at. You can
disregard this part. But that would mean taking the scenic route. You see,
the Victory Mall escalators have been strategically placed so that you have
to walk past everyone and everything to get to the 5th Floor. Not that bad
if you're looking for a bargain.

When you get to the 5th floor go to Rm 504. Tell them that Hubby or Wifey
is out of the country and that you need to get an NBI Clearance for him/her.
You then proceed with processing the NBI request (the entrance of which is
at the other end of the 5th Floor). The NBI Clearance comes out around a
week after.

Things to Bring:
1. The OLD NBI Clearance - this is for the NBI's reference. It also
comes in handy when hubby or wifey has the same name as
someone else.
2. Copy of the husband / wife's passport - include the page with
the stamp that shows that your spouse is elsewhere.
3. The CURRENT ADDRESS of the huband/wife - they will put this
on the NEW NBI Clearance.
4. The Authorization Letter - 'nuff said.
5. Official I.d. - this is for the one processing the Clearance.
6. 2pcs 2x2 Photo (White Background) - this is for the NBI Clearance's
owner -- this will be scanned and used for the NEW NBI Clearance.
7. Money for the fees.
8. A black ballpen.
9. "Mr. Magtanong" for the questions you might be too shy to
ask yourself. LOL

Please do not expect a picture. This is the last place you'd want to be
bringing the camera.


NBI Clearance Center
5th Floor Victory Central Mall
Monumento, Caloocan City
Tel 351-4149, 351-0619
www.nbi.gov.ph




Note: This NBI Facility ceased operations on June 2011.

More TV Equals School Trouble Later

http://www.flickr.com/photos/treehouse1977

"Toddlers who watch too much TV may struggle in school later,
with measurably lower scores in math, and they may get bullied
more than other children, Canadian and U.S. researchers reported
on Monday.

Less surprisingly, children who watched more TV at age 2 weighed
more by the time they were 10 and ate more snacks and soft drinks,
the researchers reported in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent
Medicine.

They said children who spend more time watching TV and less time
playing with other kids may lose valuable chances to learn social
skills.

Every additional weekly hour of television at 29 months corresponded
to a 7 percent drop in classroom attention and a 6 percent drop in
math skills, the researchers found.

"Despite clear, age-specific recommendations from the American
Academy of Pediatrics that discourage any screen media exposure
during infancy and less than two hours per day beyond 2 years of
age..." the researchers wrote." - Yahoo Health


Here's some interesting news. What's more interesting is that this
concept probably applies to other "high tech" kiddie gadgets that
were not yet available at the time that this research was made.

So what's the alternative? Good old-fashioned activities: tummy
time, singing songs, reading books and playing with toys are
just some examples.

Yes, you read that right. As parents, we have to relearn the lost
art of using one's creativity to come up with fun -- and educational
-- activities for our kids.

* This post first appeared here.