Innholdsfortegnelse for July - August 2019 i Young Parents

When I asked my children about the government’s initiatives to reduce the number of exams in primary school, I expected them to say: “These kids are so lucky!” Instead, my teenagers told me they weren’t in favour of it. Exams are necessary to gauge where you stand, they reasoned. I do agree with them, especially since the primary school years still culminate in the dreaded PSLE. But don’t get me wrong; I’m no Tiger Mum. I want my kids to be disciplined and motivated to do their best, but not be obsessed about being top in class. I want them to learn to pick themselves up after failure, and have the grit to persevere. Most of all, I want them to know that their self-worth is never about their grades.…

WHAT TO SAY “I BELIEVE IN YOU”/ “WE’RE PROUD OF YOU AND THE WORK YOU’VE PUT IN”/ “GOOD WORK SO FAR” Reassure your kid that you’re proud of him no matter what, and that you are pleased with the time and effort they have put in for revision. “REMEMBER TO TAKE DEEP BREATHS – IT HELPS YOU BRING OXYGEN TO THE BRAIN.” Practise deep breathing with your kid. This not only reduces heart rate and tension, it also alleviates stress, and has a calming effect – great for managing anxiety when tackling tough exam questions. WHAT NOT TO SAY “SHOULDN’T YOU BE STUDYING?!” This only induces anxiety and gets your kid into panic mode. “SEE HOW WELL YOUR SISTER/ BROTHER/COUSIN/ CLASSMATE DID FOR THE EXAMS. JUST BE LIKE THEM!” Don’t…

YOU COMPARE HIM TO OTHER KIDS, like his classmates, siblings or cousins who have already done those exams or are of the same age. Junior may pick up on those comparisons – no matter how subtle – and feel that he needs to beat the other kids’ scores, says Freda Sutanto, an educational and developmental psychologist. YOU EXPRESS YOUR OWN ANXIETY ABOUT HOW YOUR KID WILL DO. Clinical psychologist Carol Balhetchet advises you to monitor your language and tone, and not to show any fear when discussing the exams with your child. If you do feel stressed, talk to your spouse rather than unload your emotions on your child. YOU NAG OR ARGUE WITH YOUR CHILD ABOUT WHAT OR WHEN TO STUDY. Freda says that respectful communication is important. Otherwise,…

BABIES YOUNGER THAN ONE YEAR OLD • No screen time at all. Read or tell stories instead. • Be physically active several times a day in a variety of ways, especially through interactive floor-based play. More play is better. • At least 30 minutes of tummy time a day for younger babies who aren’t mobile yet. • Don’t restrain your child for more than one hour at a time, whether it’s in the stroller, high chair or baby carrier. • Sleep recommendations - Newborns to three months: 14 to 17 hours, including naps. - Babies aged four to 11 months: 12 to 16 hours, including naps. TODDLERS UP TO TWO YEARS OLD • No sedentary screen time for one-year-olds such as watching TV or videos, and playing computer games. • Up to one hour of screen time…

Micheal Lim, senior clinical exercise physiologist and head of the Sports Medicine Programme, Family Medicine Service at KKH, shares tips on keeping kids safe when they are involved in sports and physical activity. INTRODUCE SPORTS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GRADUALLY The sports programme must be appropriate for Junior’s age and development, as well as his physical, mental and social abilities. It should also account for his growth, maturity, learning ability, skills and fitness level. ENSURE THAT YOUR CHILD LEARNS THE PROPER TRAINING TECHNIQUES He also needs to be educated on proper warm-up, cool-down and flexibility exercises to prevent potential injury. ENCOURAGE HIM TO ENGAGE IN TWO TO THREE TYPES OF SPORTS The activities should focus on a broad range of motor skills. Specialising in a single sport early and intensive year-round…

Send us your child’s best photo & win! Each child featured on this page wins a Kindermusik with Love hamper. Worth $75, it contains a pair of Kindermusik egg shakers, Kindermusik zig zag blocks, a hardcover Kindermusik book, sensory ball, CD and $20 voucher. Visit www.kindermusikwithlovestudios.com.sg to find out more about its programmes. To take part in What A Cutie, hashtag #ypcutie when you post your child’s photo on Instagram. Make sure your account is public so we can see your photos. Terms and conditions apply.…

EDUCATION Dr Cynthia Lim is a senior lecturer in the Early Childhood Education Programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. She has a 12-year-old son. Brian Caswell is the dean of Research and Program Development at Mindchamps. He has 15 grandchildren. Dawn Lim is the curriculum advisor at Star Learners. She has four children aged eight to 16. PSYCHOLOGY Dr Carol Balhetchet is a clinical psychologist with more than 20 years of experience in schools, the social services sector and the private sector. She is the author of Dr Delinquent: A Guide To Decoding The Teenage Years, and has three children in their 20s. PSYCHIATRY Dr Cornelia Chee is a psychiatrist and director in the Women’s Emotional Health Service at the National University Hospital. Her daughters are in their…

Want your little one to do well in school? Don’t underestimate the power of play as well as her ability to perform simple everyday tasks, such as opening doors, zippers and getting out of bed independently. Movement and physical activity are crucial for brain development, says senior occupational therapist Hepsi Priyadharsini. They also have a positive impact on your child’s ability to learn, as well as confidence and self-esteem. Kids grow and develop rapidly in their first five years, so it is important to start early. “Parents can support young children’s motor development by planning play activities at indoor and outdoor playgrounds, as well as play dates that provide opportunities to move their bodies,” she adds.…

Aping here and a notification there. Mobile gadgets, social media and electronic screens have become a huge part of family life. However, research has painted a scary picture of how excessive screen time is affecting kids’ development. Being constantly connected can also affect concentration and academic performance, experts say. Child development expert Dr Jennifer Kiing has seen her fair share of kids who are exposed too much screen time. “I have seen parents who place mobile devices into cots to help their child sleep,” shares Dr Kiing, a senior consultant at the Child Development Unit of the National University Hospital (NUH). “Of course, the child never slept, but played with the device until the battery ran out. Then, they come to see me with concerns about speech delays and no…

Two years after a freak horse-riding accident almost left her daughter Abby (not her real name) permanently paralysed waist down, Marina Bhandari is still struggling with overwhelming guilt and regret. On that fateful day in September 2017, the 44-year-old senior administrative manager did what many mums would do when her daughter wanted to skip her riding lesson because she “wasn’t in the mood”. “That day, I insisted that she go for her lesson,” Marina says. “I told her to be fair to her coach, because every time she cancelled, lessons would be affected. Plus, she had been missing her training sessions regularly and wasn’t feeling unwell or particularly flooded with homework that day.” Abby, who was 14 years old then and a confident rider, was practising a new move inside…

When kids over-train or specialise only in a particular type of sport, they run the risk of getting overuse injuries. Your child may experience muscle imbalance and tightness, painful inflammation of the bone-tendon junction and even stress fractures, says Dr Mohammad Ashik, a senior consultant at KKH’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “Overtraining can cause overuse injuries as the growing bones and ligaments are subjected to undue stress, with repetitive loading without sufficient recovery,” he adds. Watch for some common signs of overuse injury listed in the Orthoinfo website by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:…

Stress, a poor grasp of concepts and insufficient revision may be some reasons why your child did not perform as well as expected, explains Therese Cheng, academic director of The Learning Lab at Marine Parade Central. Try her practical tips to motivate and support your kid in the term ahead. But always remember, there is no standard revision strategy as every child learns differently. BRIDGE THE FOUNDATIONAL GAP A strong foundation in each subject will help your kid master answering techniques more efficiently. Take time to sit down and identify areas that he may need help with. LEARN FROM PAST MISTAKES  Review mistakes made in the exam paper, and give the questions a second go. This helps him become aware of where he went wrong and learn from it. ADJUST…

Is it better to write down notes, make flashcards, watch educational videos or read out loud when revising school work? The truth is, every child learns differently. There is no “good” or “bad” way to do it, shares Lee Sue Lynn, academic director for the Early Years and lower primary programmes at The Learning Lab. Part of it has to do with your kid’s personality and lifestyle. “If we consider the range of personalities among children, surely it is logical to look at each child’s learning profile as unique, too,” she explains. Figuring out how your kid learns best and playing up his strengths can make a huge difference. Researchers say that children acquire and retain knowledge better when they learn in their preferred learning style, she says. A word…

Make sure he has a healthy lifestyle Good lifestyle habits go a long way towards helping kids manage anxiety. “Regular cardiovascular exercise – 20 minutes, three times a week – helps the mind function better and reduces stress and anxiety,” says psychiatrist Dr Lim Boon Leng of Dr BL Lim Centre for Psychological Wellness. “It also boosts confidence and, because it’s time away from studying, is a good way to relax.” Adequate sleep and time for hobbies are also useful strategies to overcome exam pressure. When your kid gets back to revising, he’ll be able to concentrate better and retain more information. But, don’t wait until the last minute to make sure your child is getting enough sleep or exercise or taking regular breaks from studying. “It’s difficult to address…

Why does your kid throw a tantrum when you take his iPad away? It is much harder for a young child to disengage from a screen device than any other toy or book, says child development expert Dr Jennifer Kiing from NUH. Apps that have fast-moving or changing sounds and images tend to keep your kid engaged for longer. “A developing brain is programmed to seek out sounds, visual images and stay locked onto the source of this, especially if the images and sounds change frequently,” Dr Kiing explains. A young brain will stare at a screen which produces sound and moving images because it causes a dopamine (feel-good chemicals) release in the brain, and this is associated with reward. “The brain is chemically rewarded for looking at the screen,…

Experts from the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) are seeing more cases of sports-related injuries in children. “This is likely due to the increased participation of sports activities among children as well as initiation of such sporting activities at a younger age,” says Dr Mohammad Ashik, a senior consultant at KKH’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Injuries can occur in any type of sports. They range from minor conditions, like overuse injuries, to the more serious types like fractures and dislocations, he says. “High energy” trauma injuries are on the rise, says Dr Ashik. They occur in high contact and riskier sport activities such as gymnastics, trampoline jumps, skiing and mixed martial arts. “This type of injuries results in complex fractures and joint dislocations, akin to injuries sustained from a…