Posts in category: Kids & Family Time

So many choices of preschool near me … How to choose the right one?

As a parent, choosing a preschool for your child can be a daunting task. With so many options available, how do you make the right choice?

Preschool education is essential to a child’s overall development as the first five years are a crucial period for learning to take place. A preschool with adequate support and resources helps provide them with a strong foundation for future success in academics and personal growth.

In general, here are some factors that you should consider when choosing a preschool:

• Determine your child’s needs
• Research and visit your preschool choices
• Assess the preschool environment and teachers
• Understand the cost and payment options

The search can be overwhelming but fret not, we will provide you with a detailed guide on how to choose the perfect preschool for your child! 

1. Determine your child’s developmental needs 

First, think about what kinds of things your child likes to do and how they like to learn. Do they like to explore and discover new things? Or do they prefer more structured activities?

You can look up different types of preschools and curriculums offered, such as Montessori or Reggio Emilia. It’s best to first understand the types of preschools available so you can determine the best fit for your child to develop physically, socially and emotionally!

Along with location and distance in mind, you can then start your search by typing ‘Montessori preschool near me’ into your search engine, and it will bring up a list of preschools in your local area. Next, consider the schedule and operating hours to ensure it fits you and your child’s routine.

With these factors in mind, you can start narrowing down your choices and find the perfect preschool that caters to your child’s needs.

2. Research and visit your preschool choices 

Before visiting any of the preschools, make sure to do some research beforehand! Now, don’t just pick a random preschool with the thought “as long as it’s a preschool near me”.

For starters, take a look at their social media and online reviews to find out more about the preschool. With your list of preferred preschools in mind, schedule a visit to the preschools to observe the environment, the facilities and amenities, such as the playground, classroom, and washrooms.

Remember to also assess the safety and security measures put in place to ensure your child’s well-being. More importantly, engage and get to know the educators there! Make sure they are qualified and experienced with great interpersonal skills.

Once all these are checked, you can also check if their teacher-child ratio is optimal for your child to get the best learning experience possible.

3. Understand the costs and payment options

Preschool fees can vary greatly depending on location, curriculum, and other factors.

Some preschools charge a monthly fee, while others may require a lump sum payment for the entire academic year. The good news is, some preschools may offer discounts for siblings or early enrolments, so make sure you keep an eye out for these savings!

After carefully reviewing all the cost and payment options, take the time to compare and evaluate each one. When making your final decision, prioritise selecting an option that offers not only good value for your money but also the highest quality of care and education for your child.

Remember, by choosing an option that provides the best possible start in life, you are investing in your child’s future success and well-being.

4. Making the final decision

With all the necessary information gathered, you should have just a few preferred options at the top of your head. Once you have a shortlist, weigh the overall pros and cons of each option.

Think about what each preschool has to offer, and how it aligns with your child’s and your family’s needs. It’s also important to trust your instincts and listen to your gut feelings. If you have doubts about a particular preschool, it may be best to look for other options instead.

By following these steps, you can find the right preschool that will provide your child with a solid foundation for their future education and personal growth!

More than just a preschool near me

As you search for a perfect preschool for your child, we invite you to explore The children’s house — A child-centred, Montessori preschool established in 1986.

Carrying three decades of experience and a lifelong passion for early childhood education, we are committed to providing children with a strong foundation for learning and development. We believe that this foundation is built through fostering independence, self-directed learning, and practical life skills.

The early years of a child is the golden age for learning and development so give your child the gift of education that will benefit them for a lifetime!

Visit the nearest centre today to find out more about our exceptional programmes:

• The children’s house preschool in Ampang, KL
• The children’s house preschool in Bangsar, KL
• The children’s house preschool in Batai, KL
• The children’s house preschool in Bruas, KL
• The children’s house preschool in Mont Kiara, KL
• The children’s house preschool in TTDI, KL
• The children’s house preschool in TTDI 2, KL
• The children’s house preschool in U-Thant, KL
• The children’s house preschool in Bukit Jalil City, KL
• The children’s house preschool in Ara Damansara, Selangor
• The children’s house preschool in Cyberjaya, Selangor
• The children’s house preschool in Puchong (16 Sierra), Selangor

How often do you find yourself in a situation when you have no idea what to tell your child? 

“Mommy, why is the sky blue?”

“Daddy, why do we have to cook the food before we eat it?”

Children have a naturally curious mind and it’s normal for them to ask bountiful questions! 

But, there comes a time when even parents become speechless at the questions posed by their child. 

“Mommy, why does that person look like that?”

“Daddy, what is that *political* sign talking about?”

In a research conducted by a nonpartisan fact tank, The Pew Research Centre, found that 48% of parents with children under the age of 5 years say that their child has interacted with a tablet computer while 55% of them have used a smartphone. The same group of parents are both relieved and concerned with the amount of screen time as it provides both entertainment and education for their children but also, age inappropriate content. 

Young children are impressionable and observe through their daily interactions. Some parents might find it difficult to digest how fast their child is growing, while others may be more shocked about the information they bring home. 

Speaking on difficult subjects such as racism, global warming and environmental issues and the current pandemic can be a difficult issue in itself for parents. First and foremost, we want our children to be safe and feel safe but our parental instincts naturally kick-in and we want to shelter our children from the calamity of the world. And as much as we try our hardest to shield our children’s innocence from the realities of today, we cannot elude these sensitive topics for long. 

As parents responsible for raising the next generation of leaders for the new world, it’s vital that we prepare our children for a better future, and not our own world. 

Tackling these subjects would take a different approach with children of the appropriate age. As young children do not have the life experiences to relate with some of the more complex topics, it further becomes a barrier when explaining these topics. 

What can you do? 

• Limit their media consumption. 

While the news can be very informative, it is targeted towards an audience that can readily digest information and not towards children who have yet to have a firm grasp of the world. 

• Provide a safe space.

Reassure children that they are safe while speaking on the subject. If you are more open to having a conversation with your child with regard to these topics, first and foremost, ensure the child that they are safe and it’s always okay to speak with mom and dad (or a trusted family member) about troubling issues. While some children are more open to speak with their parents, some children are more quiet and tend to shy away from having a conversation. 

• Acknowledge feelings and validate them.

You might think that a certain reaction is to be expected from a certain situation. Children, on the other hand, may think otherwise. A child’s social prowess is shaped by their environment. Guide your child to the appropriate reaction but allow them a safe space to feel what they may feel. 

• Breakdown an issue into simpler terms 

The pandemic is a perfect example of breaking down an issue into simpler terms as the school, government and many public areas are educating children about the importance of hygiene and social distancing. Build the information up from the small foundation of knowledge they may have and perhaps, you can pique their interest in sciences and medicine. 

• Reflect on yourself. 

Are you yourself using biased terms? When it comes to sensitive issues such as races, religion and the likes, it’s best to avoid describing a person’s ethnicity, sexual identity, weight, financial status, and so on unless it’s relevant to the issue. 

Talking about difficult topics is not a breezy task! But it’s our responsibility to be our children’s guide to the universe (or perhaps, just their universe). 

It is completely normal to feel frustrated to stay home for long periods of time. Humans are social creatures after all. The children’s house wants to support you as best we can despite the situation. Here are a few suggestions to help improve you and your family’s well being. 

1. Exercise 

This may sound like a cliche but exercise is good for you! Which is why we suggest not to avoid moving your body and sweating where you can. 

Make it a family activity and be as creative as you want to be! Chores around the house, dancing from room to room, some yoga practice or just a short play-session with your family ought to release endorphins (happy hormones). 

Our Family Fun article on Stay Home activities has a simple guide video for you and your child! 

2. Quiet time 

Children are curious beings and tend to be restless at times. However, discipline is still an important part of learning. Parents can calm the child down and allow them to learn to appreciate quiet time. Just a few minutes spent breathing or reading a few pages of a children’s book can be a great way to introduce said “quiet time”.

3. Expression 

How does your family express love to one another? 

Have you tried writing a letter? Try sitting down together as a family and write about anything you want (experience during lockdown, what makes you happy, what you want to do once quarantine is over). 

Writing is a form of self-expression and in this case, a great way to let your child be more confident forming thoughts and putting them to paper. 

Good luck! 

Your child throws a tantrum in public, making a scene that attracts unwanted attention from people around you. You hand over your smart phone and let your child watch a cartoon. Suddenly he is not crying anymore. Even better, he actually sits still and watches cartoons for hours without disturbing you. Sensing great relief, you proceed to attending to your chores while enjoying a moment of silence.

Sounds familiar? You are not the only parent doing this. Parents nowadays are making it a habit to distract their children with smart phones or tablets by letting them watch cartoons or play games with the devices. In fact, a research on Children’s Media Use in America in 2013, reveals that 38% of children who are less than 2 years old have used a mobile device for media, hence, gaining exposure to screen time. Two years ago, the percentage was only at 10%. With more parents feeding their children with more screen time to keep them calm, we know that this method is considered as one of the best ways to keep children distracted. It may seem like a great short-term relief for parents, but have you considered the side effects this method would bring to your child in the long run?

Blue Light Damages Eyesight

 Screen devices are such handy entertainment for children. One device is enough to keep them occupied for hours without a hint of a meltdown. However, along with convenience comes great consequences that will affect children’s health. Excessive exposure to blue light that is emitted from the screens affects children’s eyesight. Blue light is a light spectrum that makes up the illumination visible to the eyes. An article written by Troy Bedinghaus that was reviewed by a board-certified physicians, mentions that besides providing the usual glow we see on screen devices, blue light also amplifies the mood of a person. This may be the reason why children love staring at these devices for a long time. Prolonged exposure to blue light is damaging to a kid’s eyes. Children are still growing and are yet to attain full maturity of their eyes. At the growing stage, children’s eyes do not have fully developed pigments that protect the eyes by filtering harmful blue light emitted from the screens. Studies have also shown that long exposure to blue light causes retinal stress that will potentially result in a chronic eye disease.

Lack of Sleep

Blue light exposure also causes the suppression of the release of melatonin. The hormone functions as a reminder that tells us when to sleep. As blue light withholds the release of this hormone, children lose sleep and hence, causing more problems to follow like irritability, behavioural issues and weight gain. Researchers at the Penn State College of Medicine discovered that “using any device at bedtime was associated with a statically significant increased use of multiple forms of technology at bedtime and use in the middle of the night, reducing sleep quantity and quality.”

 Changing Brain Structure

Too much screen time also affects the brain structure of children. As they are so used to the presence of screen devices in their lives, all they have seen and understood about their world is done through a two-dimensional screen. In real-life situations, they might have a hard time transferring and applying what they have watched and learned from a 2D screen to a 3D environment. For example, stacking building blocks on a screen is way different from stacking real-life blocks in an actual play area. All your child has ever experienced is swiping those blocks on a screen instead of actually touching them, feeling each texture and stacking them in real-life.

Deteriorating Social Skills

The impact screen time has on children’s social life is more severe than you think. With screen devices largely used, children slowly inch away from the actual form of communication: face-to-face interactions. As children are so caught up with their tiny world on lit screens, they lose the connection with people in the real world. This will cause children to not feel remorse when they make remarks because when they are online, they do not see actual people feeling hurt or offended by mean comments. Psychologist Jim Taylor says that “Kids are spending so much time communicating through technology that they’re not developing basic communication skills that humans have used since forever. Communication is not just about words.”

Social skills should be developed at a young age so children will not be nervous when it comes to face-to-face interaction, but people are now replaced with screens and these children seem to be happy to avoid direct communication by focussing on screen devices – a serious issue that leads to social anxiety. Excessive screen time means that children will have less time and opportunities to interact with their peers and family members, reducing chances for them to recognise facial expressions, body language and learn empathy.

Triggering Tantrums

Lastly, contrary to parents’ belief that letting children use smart phones works as a good distraction, allowing children more screen time actually sparks more tantrum, especially when it is time to part with their much-loved ‘toy’. Some parents would give in and hand their smart phones back to their child to stop them from crying – and the cycle continues.

How much screen time is optimal?

It is best to limit the screen time of children aged between two to five years. The ideal screen time for children between these ages is one hour a day, as suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics. When implicated, this method will bring positive benefits to children. They will physically participate in games and play outdoors with their peers, gaining a good amount of sunlight and fresh air – an element that is so crucial yet obsolete among children nowadays who are too immersed into screen devices. A study led by an associate professor of psychology, Douglas Gentile, Ph.D. from Iowa State University shows that a controlled screen time for children has affected their social, academic and physical development. By allowing children to screen time for a limited amount of time, children have more sleep, were less aggressive, received better results in school and have achieved lower body mass index.

It is understandable that a child born in this fast-paced world needs to keep up with growing times, which means exposure to screen devices is inevitable especially when they are in school where these devices are largely used in lessons. However, at home, you can control your child’s screen time instead of letting him fully conquer it. Implicate a strict rule and make sure your child understands the importance of having controlled screen time. It takes time and a lot of patience to make this happen but the difference is prominent and you will be glad your child is not another kid glued to a smart phone or tablet during a family dinner. In the future, you don’t want to text your child who is sitting right next to you just to talk to him, do you?

School holidays are here and just like any other year you are looking for ideas to keep your little one engaged. School holidays are a great way to bond with your children. You get to spend quality time with them and be an active part of their world.

To make your life easier, we have compiled a few ideas of things to do this time and make the year-end memorable for your family.

Enjoy the sun at KLCC Park

Just head to KLCC park and let your children enjoy the children’s park and the water park. You can laze around in the cool shade of trees with a book in your hand. If you feel hungry, head to the Suria KLCC food court and treat your kids to whatever they like, life cannot get better than this. If you stay till evening, you can enjoy the Lake Symphony at the KLCC fountain too. We’re sure the kids will love it.

Take them for a cultural performance

Exposing children to culture is important and what better way than to take them to some local performances. Malaysia Tourism Centre Matic holds hour-long dance performance every day at 3pm from Monday to Saturday. There is also a cultural show at Central Market every Sunday at 8 pm. A little culture will go a long way in giving them fresh ideas and create a different perspective for them.

Spend some quality time at KL Eco-Forest Park

Spend a few hours enjoying the greenery at the KL Eco Forest, formerly known as Bukit Nanas. Acclimatise your children to different kinds of trees and enjoy a nice canopy walk. You will be able to see many types of birds and monkeys. You can also take your kids to the mini zoo inside. There are many trails and walks to enjoy. The Eco-Forest Park is easy to access from Menara KL and Jalan Raja Chulan.

Reach for the stars at the Planetarium

A visit to planetarium can be mesmerising especially if you are a kid. The idea of new stars and a whole new world out there can open the floodgates to the imagination. Although the KL Planetarium is not the best in Asia, yet, there’s much to learn here and definitely deserves a few hours. They run 3D films that are fun for enjoying the 3D experience. A really cool place to visit during the holidays.

Cycle around the city

Do your kids love to cycle? If the answer is a big yes, then head to the many cycling areas in the city such as Taman Tasik Titiwangsa or Desa Park City. On Sundays, Publika Shopping Centre becomes a cycling path. Cycling is not only healthy and fun, it is also a great way to spend time with your little ones.

Take them to a skate park

If your children love skateboarding or rollerblading, you can visit the skate parks in Mont Kiara, Putrajaya and Shah Alam. Nothing like a little adrenaline to get the blood pumping and create some excitement and competition within the family. Some places also offer free informal skating lessons such as the Wheel Love Skateshop. You can find them on Facebook.

Spend a crafty weekend

The Islamic Art Museum Malaysia organises art and craft workshops every weekend for children aged 4 to 12 years. Children under 6 years of age have to be accompanied by an adult. Each workshop has a specific theme and starts with a storytelling session. They are ideal to enhance your child’s imagination. The timing of these classes is from 3pm to 4.30pm every Saturday and Sunday.

Volunteer for gardening

Planting trees are so important and it is imperative that the young ones learn this from an early age. Visit the Free Tree Society in Bangsar and volunteer at their nursery. They will provide all the tools. You will be planting new plants, rearranging pots or be a part of the landscaping. It’s a fun activity and definitely a great lesson for your kid.

Take a trip out of the city

There is no better way to bond than going on a trip together. More so if you are a family. Pack-up, get the map out (or Waze!) pick a location and go on a roadtrip for a weekend away.  We are spoilt for choice when it comes to travelling in this country. Pack your kids’ favourite snacks, play car games, sing songs and enjoy the beautiful scenery. They are going to love it.

Visit the National Science Centre

To merge fun with learning, take your child to the National Science Centre. It has innumerable exhibits and mini-activities to keep children engaged and excited. Tickets are priced reasonably at RM6 for visitprs over 13 years of age and RM3 from children from 7 to 12 years. Children below 3 years can enter for free. They hold a science show every day at 12pm and 3pm where they involve children to exhibit scientific experiments. It’s completely fun while you learn.

Hope these ideas helped you plan a range of fun activities to keep your child engaged. Enjoy the holiday season before another round of school days starts.

Have fun!

Helping children cope with curiosity about elections

As parents, we all want our children to grow up to be responsible citizens of the country, actively participating in the growth of the nation. We can often resort to over protecting them from various ideologies instead of educating them in a way that helps them differentiate between the positive and the negative.

They already know ‘elections’

Whether you like it or not, children have overheard and picked up a lot of information from the conversations happening around them. Be it small discussions with friends, learning about parliament in the classroom or listening to your conversation at the lunch table, kids ‘know’ a lot more than you realise.

Most often than not, kids are also aware of many political issues because of the news doing its rounds on the television and through social media. Hence, instead of picking up bits and pieces of information from elsewhere, it is good to engage kids in useful topics and stories, age appropriately of course. In this way, they will learn how to discern and differentiate between fact and fiction.

Ease fears through awareness

There is much activity that comes along with every election. People organise rallies, protests and the media covers all the excitement and confusion 24/7. We all know that these topics often induce a feeling of fear and bewilderment in kids who may not be so comfortable with a politically charged environment.

Younger children may get worried as they have a short attention span and often pick up only the alarming bits of information from a conversation. There are many things they do not know and when they are unable to understand the matter, it might create unnecessary distress in their minds. Telling them about the situation creates context and it will help them understand some important issues of today without being fearful or anxious.

Present views respectfully

A lot of time we watch election candidates engaging in heated debates where they choose poor communication methods when disagreeing with each other. Such instances can be used as opportunities to explain to kids about respecting the views of others and teaching them how to express their discontent in the right way.

Kids need to understand that we are bound to disagree with each other on certain issues but what matters the most is the way we choose to disagree. In this way, kids will learn how to have an opinion and at the same time respect the view of others.

A sense of social responsibility

Teaching them about politics doesn’t mean you should indoctrinate your kids, it is about inculcating a sense of responsibility in them. While they learn concepts like justice and equality in the classroom, answering their questions about the importance of voting can help them become socially responsible citizens in future.

Young children might find it difficult to understand the complexity of the political system but they do understand the basic concepts of fairness or justice, which form an important part of  democracy.

You can teach the children little facts about the role of a parliamentarian or prime minister. Voting can also be made easy and fun to understand by creating opportunities for children to learn the mechanism; they can vote for the location of the next family holiday or what game to play on game night.

With older children, who understand about the government and different political parties, you can teach them about democracy, history of the nation and patriotism.

Fun activities with kids

Young children mostly learn through imitation. Hence, you can take them with you when you go to the polls (just not inside the voting booth!) or for a visit to historical sites and museums where learning can be fun. Get involved in issues which affect the lives of others such as conservation of natural resources, improving education for the less privileged or other volunteering activities that you are interested in.

Though these things do not relate directly to politics or voting, children learn a lot about how small acts can make a big difference in the lives of others. In older children, the learning deepens as they read stories and explore the history of their nation. Eventually, they will also participate in debates or discussions at school and develop an interest in volunteering for various activities and causes.

Learning about politics or history doesn’t have to be dull or inflict fear. Engaging your child in conversations that are interesting and thoughtful, and visits to historical sites and museums, will make them aware of their social responsibility as citizens of the country and they will eventually understand the different facets of politics.

Why should family time be on your priority list?

You love your family and you spend so much time and effort in giving them the best of every material thing that you can afford. You count every minute as precious and make investments to secure the financial future of your family. But you still find that sometimes the family may not be as close or happy and that makes you think, what have I have missed?

Perhaps, you missed the most important thing that your family needs, your time. Spending time with your loved ones is the best investment you can ever make. We’ve heard it a hundred times before – quality trumps quantity every time.

It creates memories to cherish forever

How clearly do you remember the first bicycle that dad bought you or perhaps it was a video game? But the most fun was the time spent with him learning to ride the bike or shooting down demons in some fantasy universe. Be it the memories of helping your mother bake goodies for Christmas or your grandma telling you bedtime stories, every memory of the time you spent with your loved ones is something you cherish. Spending time with family creates memories for both parents as well as children, and these are the very memories that influence and inform choices as children grow into adults.

Makes your children feel loved

It’s a tough world to grow up in. Hence, sometimes we get so anxious in raising successful children that we often forget the real meaning of spending quality time with them. Spending time with children doesn’t include rushing them to school, followed by coaching classes, extracurricular activities and homework supervision. It means being fully engaged with your child in any activity that makes him feel loved and wanted. When children feel loved and valued by parents, they feel positive about themselves and grow up to be confident individuals.

Helps in the all-round development of children

Research indicates that early parent-child interactions contribute positively to the brain development of the child. Ninety percent development of a child’s brain takes place during the first three years. Hence, when parents engage in small activities with their toddlers like peek-a-boo, playing catch, puzzles and filling a bucket with toys, they are helping their child to learn and develop.

Develops a sense of security in the child

What a child at any age seeks the most is a sense of security. Family time assures your child of that security. You don’t need to wait to find time for luxurious activities to make it meaningful for your children. Take a short walk to the shops, help your child build a lego spaceship, or give tips to your son while playing a backyard game of football with him. Children tend to share more about their day while they are enjoying an activity with mum and dad.

Eat together

A natural way of spending time with your family is to have dinner together. The US National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) conducted a study and found that teenagers who do not have frequent family dinners are “twice as likely to use tobacco, nearly twice as likely to use alcohol, and one and a half times more likely to use marijuana.” Teenagers usually like to spend more time with their friends. So, family mealtime can be a natural way to connect with them without making them feel interrogated. You can use this time to talk, share your own childhood stories, connect with them, observe any changes in their behaviour and spot the cause of any potential issues. Do not worry if you have a packed schedule and cannot be present regularly for family dinners. Aim for 2 to 3 family dinners a week. Also, try to engage the entire family from adults to children in menu preparation, grocery shopping and cooking on a weekend.

Go for outings

If you are an adventurous parent, then taking your family on excursions or short holidays is not only a good way to refresh yourself but also a good time to strengthen your family bond. Studies reveal that families that enjoy activities together have strong emotional ties and greater ability to overcome adverse situations as a family. Spending time with the family and understanding each other also helps in the development of the child’s emotional intelligence. Your child is likely to develop a positive behaviour and learn social skills by regularly interacting with parents and siblings.

Invite parents home

Not only your children but even your parents and spouse need your time. If your parents stay with you, having meals together can be a fun time for sharing family anecdotes and other valuable lessons that inculcate a sense of belonging with the family. Family members of all ages tend to eat better if they have meals together. It is also a good time to try new food. Children are more likely to enjoy the food that parents like to eat.

If your parents stay away, invite them home on weekends or visit them. Loneliness is also a reason for their ill health or sickness. Spending quality time with parents is very important for their mental and emotional well-being as well. Take your children with you to visit your parents. Grandparents love to share stories and play with their grandchildren. The lessons passed on by grandparents are the ones children remember forever. They also learn to live a balanced life and value their parents when they see you doing the same to your parents.

Last but not least, make time for your spouse and keep working on the marriage. Appreciate each other and take the time to discuss your day. A good understanding between a husband and wife is the foundation of a strong family. Always remember, happy parents raise children who grow up to be happy adults.