The Barney Song

Yesterday night, I suddenly gave Ivan a big hug just for fun. Valerie, standing nearby saw it and decided to join in. She walked towards us and demanded to be hugged as well. So Ivan carried her up and three of us hugged together. Then we moved in circles and I thought of the Barney Song and sang.

After that, we put Valerie down and I went into the bathroom. Ivan told me Valerie was turning round and round while singing 'Ma Mi Mu (I love you), Ba Ba Mi (You love Me), Ma Mi Ba Ba Mu Me Mo (We are happy family)'. And in the correct tune!!!

We were so amazed. This is the first time Valerie is able to carry a tune. And being vocab limited, she played with all the B's and M's sounds she could muster. What a cute girl... :)

Valerie showing her violent side

I know all parents will say their kids are the best, and I'm no exception. I feel overall Valerie is a pretty well-mannered child. She hardly fusses or throw a tantrum (maybe she hasn't reach the terrible two age?). When we say 'no' to something she wanted, she will curl her lips and show she's unhappy for a while and forget about it. Sometimes, when she want something like a balloon or a toy that is not hers, she will point and look at me for approval. Even if I say 'yes', she will not dare to take it, unless I take the toy and give it to her myself. So she has some sort of a boundary control.

But yesterday, while we were at MIL's place for dinner, Valerie was playing at the living room while both of us had our dinner. As usual, grandma would watch over her and her cousin brother who is 5 months younger, she known as 'Didi'. But Didi, always like to walk up to her and snatch her toys. Whatever she is playing. Even if both have exactly the same toy, Didi still like to take hers. When the toy is snatched, she will not dare to take it back from him. Instead, she will curl her lips, and run to grandma and whine, pointing and saying some words that we don't comprehend.

So I supposed this 'unhappiness' must have bottled up in her for a while until yesterday, she finally went forward and hit Didi twice on the face. Didi then tried to do the same to her but his mom step in to stop him. All this while, both of us were at the back washing dishes so we didn't see what happened. When we left later and seated in the car, I tried to talk to her.

Me: Valerie, why did you hit Didi?
Valerie: *start hitting mommy instead*
Me: *I hold her hand* Valerie, you know you can't hit Didi...
Valerie: *start hitting mommy again*
Me: *I hold her hand* Valerie, you can't hit Didi...and stop hitting mommy...
Valerie: *start hitting mommy again*

 
At the mention of Didi, Valerie would start hitting me again. So after a few times of trying to 'discipline' her, I thought what actually led to her behaviour. Then I asked her this 'Valerie, are you angry because Didi took your ball away?'. This time she didn't hit me, instead she hugged me and put her head on my shoulder.

I hugged her back and stroked her back reassuring her it's ok. I guess she must be upset that her toys are always snatched away, that she finally hit him back instead. At that moment, I saw no room for further disciplining and let it go. I then remembered something I read from the Shichida book about the importance of listening to your child. Going down to her level to understand where she is coming from. Have I not done that, I would have just spanked her till she cry and scold her to not repeat the same thing.

When I told nanny the next day, she said I should have given her a good spanking so that she won't repeat this. Well, I understand where she's coming from. But I don't feel spanking her would have solved anything. Perhaps if she repeat hitting Didi again, I may have to do so.

Effects of Heguru

After attending a month's class at Heguru, I'm reflecting if this program is good for Valerie. Comparing the weekends before we started the class, she used to be at home just walking around, playing toys and lots and lots of TV!! Mainly because, turning on the TV is the best babysitter around so that both of us have time to do our own things. It was after a few months that I started to feel bad. I felt Valerie is at the stage of learning and we are not doing much except giving her a few toys to keep her quiet while we catch up on our downloaded shows. Or turning on channel 613 for her while we get our chores done.

And at that time, we have also stopped reading her books from Dr Seuss and one-picture books because she was no longer interested. We tried buying her some other story books but she would just take a look at the book and run away.

So what are the changes in Valerie after the classes? I find that she loves flashcards a lot. Initially I have no idea what I'm supposed to flash or how fast I should flash them. So I made a few flash cards that are most relevant to her eg. apple, flower, bear. Her favourite words. When I started flashing the word and then the picture flash card, she would smile and repeat after me. (she can only say words that start with 'b' or 'm' at this moment).

After that I progress to making more and more flash cards on the powerpoint. Hehe.. E-flash is a lot more convenient for me, save on printing, buying the flash cards, cutting and sticking them. I'm not sure if there is difference in effects with manual flash though. One thing I notice, I need to flash the cards really fast in order to capture her attention. If I do it slow, she will lose interest and walk away. Another thing is, when I started, Valerie does not pay attention to it, but I just keep flashing regardless of where she is in the room, after a while she comes back, sit down and look at the flash cards. Slowly she starts to love them.

Then I started the dot cards, after a while, she will try to say 1 - 10 after me as I flash the cards. And it's very funny, those she can't say, she will replace with what she can. So I will hear 'mama, mimi, momo.. etc.. ' and then I will hear 'eighch, nan, dan' (8, 9, 10).

Ivan doesn't believe she will remember anything from the sessions. But occassionally, I couldn't help but to test her (I know it's a no-no to test babies) with 2 picture cards and ask her which one is 'grapes', or which one is 'elephant' and she will always point to the right one. But I have not seen much success with words yet. As for dots, she can point to the right one when she's willing to participate, otherwise she will just ignore you or pick the wrong one and play other things. I now flash about 110 objects to her at one go, about 0.5 - 1 sec per card.

I've also bought the Level 1 non-i-Pen series from Popular. I have to say these are the best for Valerie. Each page has a 1-2 liner of narration story with colourful illustrations. So it's short enough to capture her attention. Now she has 5 of these books. And she wants them all read to her before going to sleep. Those that she likes, sometimes she wants to be read twice, or more. I have to put a stop to her requesting me to repeat so many times (it's tiring). Her favourite now is 'The Flying Tortoise' (used to be Red Riding Hood). I don't know why she likes it so much, but this will always be the first book she picks. Ivan tries to hide the book last, but she will always manage to find it and give it to us as the first book to read and we will giggle.

Overall, I'm pretty happy to have started sending her to Heguru, although a lot of people will conclude instantly that only kiasu parents want to send their kids to school at this young age, trying to make genius out of them. But it's clearly not. I start to understand now why some parents will squeeze out the extra budget to send their kids this early to school. Because they are at this stage of wanting to learn so much, and we as parents should not deprive them. I was surprised when I started the flash cards to see how much she craves to learn. Now every night, when I say 'flash card' she will run quickly to me and sit down to watch. When it's done, she will (without fail) cry every night, wanting more. And I'm not making those flash cards fast enough.

My Shichida Books arrived!

Woohoo... the Shichida books I ordered from Japan has finally arrived!! I was so excited and relieved that they passed through the custom with no problems. The reason I ordered the books was because I was desperate to find out more about this right brain training.

Personally I believed Shichida is the original right brain training. And then followed by Tweedlewink which improvised it and created it's own range of courses and products. And then you have Heguru, where the selling point is the MD used to be managing Shichida for 14 years and have also improvised it's method based on Shichida. But like most review from mommies in Malaysia, the standard of teachers in Shichida have dropped (I don't know how true is that) and a lot prefer teachers at Heguru. Heguru schools in Japan is said to be so popular that it has exceeded the number of Shichida schools (again not sure how true is that). I chose Heguru mainly because it's 30 mins away from my house and it's the closest method to Shichida. There's a Tweedlewink in Puchong, even nearer but I'm not convinced to pay RM100 to watch DVD in class :P

You see, I've registered Valerie in the waiting list in Shichida when she was 6 months old, and while waiting, I brought her to Musikhaus in Mutiara Damansara to test out if she would adapt well in a class. Something I've learned from mommies forum. Test the child in a cheaper class first and also to train her to sit through a class before sending her to expensive classes like Shichida / Heguru.

But after trying out 6 weeks we were exhausted because of the distance. Puchong to Mutiara Damansara on a Saturday afternoon takes like 1 hr + to get there and another 1 hr to get home. When the total journey time is double of the class time, you know it's far. So we didn't continue with Musikhaus after 6 weeks. And when we get the call from Shichida in January about enrolment, we declined. Wisma Lim Foo Yong in KL or Centrepoint. Both are about the same distance as going to Musikhaus. With all the rushing and jam, we knew we couldn't survive.

That's until we found Heguru at Midvalley. It's 30 mins from home and Ivan could do shopping while I attend the class with Valerie. The combination is just perfect :D Sometimes I would give Ivan a list of things to buy from Jusco during that 1 hr. That's like killing two birds with one stone. hehe...

Ok, I've diverted again. Back to the books. Well, after joining Heguru for a month. I like the classes and the sensei. But I'm concerned that I don't have much information on what is right brain training all about. And there is no workshop for parents to attend and all the books are in Japanese. I don't even know what home training I should be doing. If given a choice, I would prefer to join Shichida instead because I get to attend parents' workshop and they provide worksheets and guidance how to do home training.

I guess I'm the type of person that needs to know everything from top to bottom. Otherwise, there's no point in paying a bomb for a class if you don't know what is going on. I have to understand what each activity is all about and most importantly, how to train the right brain. So after finding out that there are some books by Dr Makoto Shichida in English, I was so excited.

The only problem is you need to email them and then call them up to give your credit card details. So yes, you need to call to Japan. But no big deal, it's a short call. I actually enjoyed listening to them speaking Japanese. They are just so polite and sweet.

I bought 3 books. Since I'm paying the same delivery charges, I thought why not grab all the relevant books. So here is the list:

1. The Shichida Method
2. Children Can Change Through Right Brain Education
3. Right Brain Education in Infancy

I have to say they are really good books if you want to fully understand what right brain training is all about. And I'm glad I got all 3 because they complement each other. The Shichida Method is like a handbook showing you the methods to train a child in right brain. Straight to the point and no nonsense. The 2nd book focuses on how we should raise a child in right brain education like showing a lot love and positive affirmation etc.. The last book may be a bit boring for some, it's more on the theory side of right brain education. Understanding how the right brain works, the principle.. etc.. All 3 books have overlapping testimonials but very inspiring. Basically the books say once the right brain is unleashed, you can do almost anything as long as you put your mind to it.

The only caution I have is finding a balance in between believing in yourself too much and having the dependency in God. Because there is one example quoted where people of one community praying to God for changes and when the changes came through, the author believed it was more of the power of the right brain willing the change to happen rather than God working the miracles.

Other than that, great books to have. Will explain more in the next post.

Heguru Class

After 1 month of attending Heguru, Valerie is recognised as the most 'active' one in class. She likes to go to the front every now and then and turn in circles next to sensei during the flash card session. I have to drag her back every now and then. Here is the snapshot of the activities in the Heguru class:



1. Telling the Time - At the start of the session, sensei will teach the kids how to read the time on the clock by turning the hands of the clock very fast. I think it is also to train the eye. Valerie pays attention to this.

2. Follow the picture - Sensei will have a small picture tied to a string and display it around the class, the kids will follow the picture and try to see what it is. Is this eye simulation?

3. Self-intro session - This is Valerie's favourite where sensei will display the name card and call her name. Valerie will quickly stand up and walk to the front and hold her card while sensei say her name. Her name used to be called last and can see she's always wanting to go to the front when it's not her turn yet. But in the recent classes, her name comes up first. I wonder if it's new strategy by the sensei because of her 'activeness'?

4. Relaxation Time - Sensei will dim the lights and play soft music with narration. We're supposed to close our eyes to relax and try to imagine based on the narration. Now when the lights is dimmed, Valerie will put her hands to cover her eyes. But she won't stay still as usual. After few seconds she will open her eyes and see her other classmates also staring or doing something else. But I notice if I try to close my eyes and relax, Valerie will not walk around so much cos mummy is not looking at her. And she always want mommy to look at her :P

5. Breathing & Affirmation - Valerie will try to follow every now and then.

6. Spot the Difference - Sensei gives 2 - 3 photos for Valerie to spot the difference or to guess which shadow is the shadow of the picture shown.

7. Mandara (diagram on left) - Picture is flashed on the screen for a while and we have to put the right color on the picture. Then next session, we have to draw the shape and colour as well. This is more like a test for mommies as the kids are too young to understand. Most of them will grab the colour pencils and happily doodle on the paper. Starting last week, we now have to memorise previous week's mandara and be tested.

8. ESP - Valerie fails miserably in most of the ESP sessions. She will point to the wrong answer or try to take the entire card away without choosing the answer. Sometimes she doesn't want to choose at all. But there are the rare times where she got the answer correct. This is more like a guessing game to me. Either that or my baby really doesn't have much 'sensing' power :P

9. Flash card - Lots and lots of flash cards session on various topics, ie. objects, action words, opposites, numbers, malaysia flags, world knowledge, paintings, music, emotions, colours, foreign language and chinese chars. Halfway through, Valerie will start turning rounds next to the sensei. I noticed there's a circle pattern on the carpet next to the sensei. LOL, maybe they should change carpet. :D There's also the super flash sessions on the screen on japs words, just very very fast until it catches Valerie's attention.

10. Maths - I read in forums where mommies shared the more home practice they did with their kids on certain sessions, the more they will pay attention in class. I find this very true. Initially Valerie doesn't really pay attention to the dot cards and keep wanting to have her hands on the big abacus. After I bought the dot cards and practiced with her on weekdays, now she will pay attention to the sensei. Maybe it's because now the session makes sense to her so she's interested?

11. Linking Memory - Sensei will form a long story as she places each card on the floor. I think there's about 30 cards or so. Each kid / parent will need to take part forming a sentence for 3 pictures. After that sensei will cover each card in sequential number. Then we have to remember each picture in the order. Same as the Maths, after I practiced this with her using 4-6 cards at home, she actually start to pay attention in class instead of trampling on the cards.

12. Tangram (diagram on left) - One of her favourites, most likely because she can get her hands on the various shapes and study them, rather than trying to piece them together to form a picture. So another session where mommy does most of the work.

13. Peg Numbers (diagram below) - There's a song that links the pictures together and each picture represent a number. For eg. 61 - sea shell, 62 - sea horse etc.. and this is being repeated a few times. The sensei told me peg numbers is to associate objects with numbers so that you can remember a very large number like 467936 by remembering the objects.

14. Other hands on activities - Many other quick hands-on sessions to keep the kids interested in the class. It is no joke trying to captivate a small kid's attention for 1 whole hour. So I'm glad they have all these hands-on stuff to keep them busy. Things like matching a row of objects after seeing the one on the screen, plucking red berries from a tree and putting them in a basket ( I think this is so cute) and many more which I cant remember now. Valerie will always cry a bit when the things are taken from her end of the session.

15. Song and dance time - I find this very funny. When Valerie is supposed to sit through the flash card sessions, she will go up to the front and turn rounds next to the sensei. When it's time for her to actually follow the sensei to dance along to a song, she will sit down and stare at the sensei dancing without moving an inch. Brrrrrhhhh....

16. Outdoor activity - This is Valerie's favourite. The minute the door is open, she will run straight out of the room. At the open area, there's usually a short physical activity for the kids. Valerie loves this very much and I personally think she excels in this session. Once there was bowling session, the kids are supposed to roll the ball into the 'goal' area. Valerie just went and kicked the ball straight in... Haha... Another time, kids have to walk through a tunnel. Valerie went first and when she's done, she went back to the queue, so she did it twice compared to other kids. Oh oh.. another time, they have to hold a spoon with a pingpong ball and walk around the room. Valerie only dropped the ball twice and when she's done, she managed to drop the ball into the basket and the spoon in another.

17. Hiragana / Japs session - Towards the end of the class, there will be the hiragana song which Valerie loves to hear (maybe because I tried to sing to her at home every now and then but out of tune of course :P ). And then there will be another japanese song, Valerie will climb up the table and move around to the song. And then all kids will start to be on the table, moving around. Aiyoo... Lastly, tracing of japanese chars and chemistry element. Valerie loves to trace with my hand guiding her. She always pay attention to tracing although she cant write yet but she's very good with scribbling on the paper (notice the 'conteng' lines in the diagram). She started off with straight lines, now I start to see her drawing curves. I think she's progressing.

18. Story telling - This is not so happening for Valerie mainly because I think the pictures and words are too small for the kids. Plus the sensei pronunciation on english is not that fluent and the intonation does not capture the kids. (well, you cant expect too much from someone who speak english, mandarin and japs). I think my story telling is more interesting :P Maybe it's the end of the 1 hr, so most kids don't really listen to the story and start figiting.

There are many other mini activities which I can't recall at the moment. But I'm surprised to list so many here, I guess it is quite a well-spent 60 mins in the class, provided Valerie pays attention of course.

Toothbrush

Recently I've added tootbrush picture into the flash card collection to teach Valerie. Now whenever I brush my teeth, she will point to the toothbrush to indicate she knows what it is and wants to have her hands on it.

So I washed her tiny toothbrush which I've bought months ago and showed it to her, she was so excited. But I kept it away and told her to drink her milk first, then water n then we will brush her teeth. (Currently I used a wash cloth with the baby toothpaste to wipe her teeth before sleeping.

Valerie seemed to understand and she quickly lie on my arm n drank her bottle of milk. When she's done, she point to her toothbrush. Then I said, 'Drink water first'. She opened her mouth and gulped down some water from her water bottle. Then again, she pointed to her toothbrush.

I put a little toothpaste on and slowly guided her how to brush her teeth from top to bottom. She smiled and I could see she felt a bit funny hearing the 'slush slush' sound of brushing. Then she tried it on her own. Valerie seemed to enjoy it, so I'm planning to try the brushing teeth routine with her.

MaMen!!

I'm inspired by a mommy's blog where she posted a video of her daughter saying prayers at the age of 2 years! After that I showed it to Ivan and he was impressed as well. So that night itself, I thought why not start praying with Valerie?

I taught her to put her hands together when I say 'Pray Pray', and then I said a simple prayer like 'Thank you God for nen nen (milk), Amen!'. Valerie quickly catch on and say 'MaMen!!'. As she said it, she will also nod her head. Haha.. so cute.

Then I said 'Praise God'... and she said 'Pis God'. Ah well.. almost close. So now, after the night feed and before going to bed, I will say 'Pray Pray' and she will put her hands together and after a short prayer, she will say 'MaMen!!!'.