Psychpros Manila Review

I don’t want to write bad reviews but I feel this can help save and correct lives.

A friend of mine has a child battling an eating disorder. When she asked around, a friend of hers said she got pretty good results with Psychpros in Greenhills. Eager to address the eating disorder before it gets worst, she brought her child there.

Child and mom, was interviewed by Dra. Ho, and was then recommended for the child to undergo a series of written and interview tests to determine the psychological state of the child. Results of which will be provided in full upon completion of tests. [Read more...]

Let your ”Little Stars” Shine Now!

What do these kids have in common? All of them are now making their own names whether on print, TV, or other performing arts.

They all also have supportive parents who believe in their talent and decided to bring them into auditioning for SM Little Stars few years back.

The good news is: auditions for SM Little Stars 2017 are ongoing and our own budding little stars can have their chance, too!

Now on its 11th year anniversary and with its biggest prizes ever, SM Little Stars continues to help countless kids show off their talent, inspire new ones, and propel winners to their journey of becoming the next kid stars!

Parents of bright and talented kids, with ages 4 to 7 years old, are all invited to sign up in select SM Supermalls nationwide. Preliminary screenings is ongoing until May 28, 2017. Details here. [Read more...]

Are your Kids Ready for Mars? (Talk Points with Kids on this Epic Mission)

The start of the interviews for applicants, for the one-way journey to Mars, has my 13 year old daughter all excited.  "Imagine!  A life in space.  What can be more awesome than that? "

The thought of humans establishing a permanent colony in Mars is just as my daughter said, mind-blowing! Since I was a kid, [Read more...]

Probiotic: Buzzword in my Mommy Circles

Probiotic is the buzzword nowadays in mommy circles when it comes to tummy care for our little ones.  I have mommy groups and when we compare notes, some are into it already, some are getting into it and others are reading up already about it.

When my teen son went on a 6 week trip to China for school purposes, most of the moms sent probiotic as supplement.  When there was a spread of diarrhea cases for my kindergartner, a number of moms commented they give probiotics to their kids to protect their kids from any tummy related problems.

So, what is probiotic exactly?
[Read more...]

Different Parenting Styles, One Goal

child-playing-in-playgroundWe hear everyone dropping the word every time. Progressive school, progressive style, progressive parenting. I tried checking the internet and everyone has their own take on what it is. In a nutshell, among the articles I have read, it is parenting through modelling instead of exacting discipline measures on children. I would not exactly say I am a progressive parent because I do exact discipline measures but I try to walk the talk so I guess I’m half and half.

One thing is for sure, whatever parenting style we practice, however differently we do it, the intention is always to help our children become adults who are balanced, responsible, kind and all the other wonderful characters a human should embody.

And as much thought we give on our parenting style, so it goes for our child’s nutrition. Because every child is a complete package we have to nourish inside. Thanks to the internet we have access to tons of information and can make better choices, from the toys that will help in their brain development to the milk that would provide the proper nutrition for our child.

Friso Four’s brand heritage that marries Nature and Science advocates a GRASS-to-GLASS single process treatment of milk to preserve milk protein closer to its natural structure. Friso Four, through its LockNutri process, makes it easy to digest. Moreover, because it has undergone minimal processing, our kids can get the full nutritive value of milk.

friso-four

Find Friso Four at selected Mercury Drugstores in GMA, Luzon, and Cebu. You can also visit them on FB: https://www.facebook.com/FrisoPhilippines/ and their website: https://friso.com.ph/

With the nutritional needs of our children down pat, we can focus on helping our kids grow up to be happy, wonderful people.

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Disclosure: Thanks to Friso Four for sponsoring this post.

 

Parents as Digital Home Managers: 10 Practical Parenting Tips in this Wired World

pldt-mommy-day-out-cover

We worry about it yet we can’t live without it. How do I manage the kids’ gadget use? Is it turning them into little monsters? What to do when they complain “I’m bored 10 minutes after you take the gadget away?”

A few days back, PLDT Home organized a “Mommy Day Out.” Celebrity moms, Denise Laurel and Isabel Oli Prats in the presence of Camille Prats and Issa Litton engaged the moms in an afternoon of chika about Parenting in the Digital World. Psychologist, guidance counselor and co-author of Growing Up Wired, Michele Alignay also gave a talk on the role of parents in managing the whole family’s use of technology ergo the term Digital Manager, or if I may alter it a bit, Digital Home Manager.

pldt-mommy-day-out-group-shot

Michele was such a delightful speaker as she shared very practical tips on how to be a good Digital Home Manager. She said, statistics shows that kids who are unmonitored in their gadget use are easily bored, exhibit information overload and have a harder time controlling their emotions. Sharing with you her 10 tips.

1.Develop external regulations.

We have to provide kids external regulations in terms of length of usage time, content they view and appropriate use, etc.   Once you have set the rules and discussed these with the kids, it should strictly be followed.

As for usage time, you can use the recommendations of American Association of Pediatrics as a guide. It is good for kids to share one device, they learn to share while limiting their electronic time since they only have one.

Set a gadget-free time and gadget-free zone. All moms agree that meal times and dining areas should be gadget-free and that rule should be extended to parents as well. Some implement ‘no-gadgets’ during vacations. While other parents allow limited gadget use on school days others strictly enforce the ‘zero-gadget’ rule. Determine which works best for your child.

Agree on a device curfew at night, yes, even on weekends. Some parents turn off the wifi at a certain hour of the night. [Read more...]

5 Things to Consider in making a DIY Costume for your Child

starfish costumeToday is Word-Robe day in my son's school. Kids come in DIY costumes of their assigned word. My son’s assigned word is easy, starfish.  Others were assigned to be a bison or a mollusk so a starfish is a no brainer, or so I thought.

I just used a good quality cartolina to make his costume and it looked great! Unfortunately, it did not hold up and it was broken even before he reached his classroom. As his classmates paraded with their hand sewn costumes and some heavy duty board costumes, his broke into pieces. The garter on the head piece came off and the cartolina tore! Widening his eyes to fight off the tears, he exclaimed, “mommy it’s broken.” I wanted to cry, too.

Another one of those bad mommy moments that made me feel so awful because I knew I could have done it better.

Sharing with you my learnings in today’s DIY costume experience:

  1. Consider Structure and Design. I was all design, without considering structure and durability of the costume. Cartolina does not hold and won’t make for a sturdy costume. You have to back it up with a thick carton at the back. Cartolina is just for the design element but not for structure.
  2. Consider how you connect parts of the costume. Tape, even the sturdiest one, doesn’t hold garters well. I just used garters to hold the costume, my son wore the head piece and the garter came off immediately. He wore the leg and the garter didn’t hold up and it kept on falling down. Next time I’ll sew the garter. Or I can put holes on the thick carton and insert the garters from there.
  3. Consider maneuverability. Make sure your kid can sit with the costume. I didn’t think of that. He needs to remove his costume if he wants to sit because he can’t bend his knee.
  4. Test the costume at home. Make sure it can withstand not just standing but also walking, sitting, sit to stand and the playful pokes from eager classmates. By testing at home, I could have found out it won’t hold up and made adjustments.
  5. Don’t cram the DIY. I crammed and made the costume just yesterday! Well, because we just got back from a 6 day vacation, so I didn’t have time to make it better or even test the costume! Excuses! Excuses!

In addition, if the child can already help, let him help in making the costume. My son helped in sticking the yellow suctions and helped cut some of the fringes on the side. He enjoyed it and he was happy to say that he helped make it.

5 lessons to be used in the next DIY. Thank God! there is another one next year! Next year, it will be better.

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Safeguard Moisture Shield: Keeping the Colds Away

Safeguard Body Wash Manila Launch

The Exploreum in Mall of Asia was in a flurry of activity a few weeks back as Safeguard launched the Safeguard Body Wash. Celebrities, from Aubrey Miles to social media icons like Christine Dychiao were there with their kiddos.

Unfortunately, my 5 year old couldn’t make it that day because he was nursing a cold. Maybe if we were more diligent in ensuring cleanliness he would have been able to join me.   Ever since my kid started pre-school and now that he is in big school, colds has been a constant visitor in our household. In school, they are exposed to other kids who may be nursing a cold. And we know kids, they touch everything! That is why personal hygiene, at this time when viruses are extra potent, is getting more and more important.

Safeguard, the brand we are sooo familiar with (“Ako ang iyong konsensya” Oh no! Did I just date myself?), introduces Safeguard Body Wash to protect our big kids. Safeguard Body Wash comes with the same 99.9% germ protection but is gentle enough for our kids’ young skin, as it has the same PH level as that of water.

Safeguard Body Wash also maintains our skin’s moisture to protect us from germs.

Trivia (I love Trivia!):

Did you know that your skin, and its natural moisture shield are your body’s barrier to the outside world? When a person’s skin is dry, it is a sign that this moisture shield has been damaged. Invisible to the naked eye, this dry and cracked skin makes it easier for harmful germs to attach to your skin more easily.

I didn’t know that! Now, that gives moisturizing a deeper meaning;-)  I tried the Safeguard Body Wash myself and it builds up a very nice lather paired with my loofah.  And plus since it is Safeguard,  I get that feeling na I'm Spartan clean after.

Safeguard bodywash

Try Safeguard Body Wash it provides extra germ protection with moisture shield especially during this “colds” season.

Disclosure: Thanks to Safeguard for inviting TheGoMom to Exploreum and for sponsoring this post.   The views and opinions expressed are solely from TheGoMom.

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Should we Send our Kids to School if they Have Colds?

coldsEveryone I meet nowadays has a cold, just got out of a cold or is about to have one. The colds and cough virus is so bad, the school of one of my kids even released a reminder to keep kids at home when they are sick.

My rule of thumb for my kids’ absence is [Read more...]

Hard Work over Talent: When a C is better than an B+

C grade“It’s unfair!” One of my kids shouted out when I reacted negatively over his grade.   As a parent we know the word “unfair” makes us reach for the oxygen and brace for a long and emotional talk with the kids.   My innately smart child is complaining why I can’t be happy for his B+ and won’t even mention a thing over his sibling’s C. [Read more...]

5 Practical Ways to Raise Unprejudiced Kids

Careful the things you say children will listen quote

“Mom, look at the poor kid,” my son anxiously pointed to the scruffy looking, emaciated street kid. True, it was a poor kid but there was something in the way he said it, that made me feel uncomfortable. It felt like we were passing by an aquarium and he saw a fish, instead of a little boy just like him.

I cautioned him not to call people poor because that is rude and he reasoned out but he is really poor, isn’t he? I’m at a loss, he was correct but it is not right to be casting labels on people. I am deeply bothered and as I processed, I realised, that my kid wouldn’t know those labels had I not used them myself. [Read more...]

Smiling your Way to Good Oral Health Care with The Right Tool

Smiling FaceWhen I was a child I wasn't too keen on brushing teeth (aren't all kids) as a consequence plaque slowly built up and by the time I hit my late teens I lost 2 of my side teeth (one on the left and one on the right). It wasn't a nice childhood memory plus not having your original tooth isn't healthy not to mention pretty! I never want my kids to experience the same, that is why im vigilant in stressing the importance of good oral hygiene on them. I always tell them, once you get rid of your milk teeth, those adult teeth will serve you till your gray old years so better take care of it. Sometimes my daughter wants to take a short cut [Read more...]

Colds Prevention: Should I go for Ascorbic Acid or Sodium Ascorbate?

_FernC---Bad-ColdIf there is anything more valuable to any mom right now, I think it is TIME. We need time to accomplish things in our workplace. We need time to keep our house orderly and the meals yummy. We need time to spend with our kids because sniff, sniff, they grow up too fast. We need time to nurture relationships with other family members, friends and our husbands. And we need time for ourselves.

So when we are down with a cold and can't function well, it's like we are on a stop mode but everything around is moving fast. Even my kids, with the fast paced lessons of today, skipping a day or two in school affect their learning schedule and would need to play catch-up the rest of the week.

Colds is a great downer for my family. [Read more...]

#SmilePilipinas with Oral B

Smile!

Did that make you smile? I love smiling. Sometimes, when I'm not in my sunny best, I try to fake my way to happy by smiling. A huge wide smile that sets crinkles up my eyes then catapults back to my heart and mind.   It's my instant upper!

Smiling is actually a trait inherent to us Filipinos. No wonder we were dubbed as the "Smiling Nation." We smile and laugh our hearts out like silly. And we smile despite difficulties. It is truly endearing how we show our resilience with the way we smile.

Smiling while covering mouth

Notice however that after a few minutes though from the initial call to smile, we also begin to get conscious and try to hide our smile by covering our mouth. You see it happening when reporters interview the regular Juan and Juana, flash a beaming wide smile, followed by a cover of the mouth.   Make a Manang in the market smile with a joke, flash smile, followed again by a hand covering the mouth.

It turns out, we Filipinos have underlying oral health issues. [Read more...]

Facebook Envy: Parenting in the Social Media Age

Don't let posts define your joyAs a mother in the digital age, parenting is much easier. Hundreds of websites are dedicated to helping parent children, with easy solutions on how to get kids to brush their teeth to help on how to deal with stubbornness. However, it has also reared the green-eyed monster in me and I guess in some parents as well.  It is sad but I do admit I feel a pang, ok a wave, of envy when I see Facebook posts of friend's whose life is filled with those to die for travel photos while I'm stuck at home. Or when I see posts of kids who excel in academics or sports while I struggle [Read more...]