BOOK Fairs

[hquek]

my mum takes care of him, so a bit difficult to enforce. One book he/I/my mum can manage. I think he’ll rebel if there is more.


if it’s english, he can do many many at one go. But come to chinese…it’s like pulling teeth from a shark. maths still ok, but I tread carefully cos he may not have learnt the topics (me don’t teach new things).

[Charmaine_chong]

hi mummy of two and hquek,


Your children are well behaved. :celebrate:

I always tell him, ok dun want to do homework, then no sweets, not bringing you out to play. He would get agitated and do it unwillingly.

Can your kids do fun activities eg:maze, dot to dot, colouring on their own?

My son loves maze. Whatever he does, mommy has to be there to guide him. Otherwise, my book will end up missing few pages or scribble till i dont know what it is.

So far, he needs to do from mon to fri. Sat & sun, a lot of reading and playing. He reads from mon to sun. If he doesn;t feel like reading, i will stop for few days.

I have been given him home work since since he turned 3 yo, is one year liao.

Now he goes to PCF nursery every morning. When my maid guide him on homework, he would cry n cry and asking why he needs to do it in school and at home.

Now, feel like minimising his homework for a week. Then start again.

[hquek]

hi charmaine_chong,


My personal take is that my kids will probably have loads of homework to do in future, so I don't want to load too much on him now.

I made the mistake of bringing him for too many enrichment class when younger - now he is quite anti-new classes.

We don't do many fun activities, he doesn't do it by himself - only if I ask him to. But my sis will play 'lifestyle' with him (Sunday Times) - crossword puzzles, spot the difference. he loves it and will ask for it.

Now DS2 is starting the academic front. HOnestly, compared with DS2, DS1 is really a breeze to him. I can foresee many 'happy' days ahead.

[hquek]

Charmaine_chong:

Now, feel like minimising his homework for a week. Then start again.

If you want to cut down, and increase again, I think it could be good to give a valid excuse. For me, when he has other homework, he doesn't have to do mine. So at least he can't negotiate when i give him, and he's happy when I announce holiday.

[Charmaine_chong]

Hquek,


Haaa, usually there will be one more challenging to manage.

My son doesn't like to attend enrichment too. I brought him to Montessori for one to one phonics. He told me he didn't like it when i signed him for the course. I didn't bother him and at the end i got hard time sending him there. We have stop it after a term. What a relief!

Since then, he does not want to attend any enrichment. He cry out loud whenever i bring him to new class. Currently he attends only a class to recite chinese classic and lapbooking. That is all.

I hope he will be more mature and willing to try out arts and piano, Abacus and Chinese next year.

No choice, i ended buying lots of assessments and arts books to do with him.

He got to finished 10 pages a day last year. Since he cried so much, i reduce it to 5 pages. Few weeks ago, i slowly increase to 8 pages but split in 2 timings. He still complain.

Wow. your DS1 likes crossword puzzles & spot differences. How i wish my son likes it.

Wow, you spent 300 on MPH. What do you buy?

For Enid Blyton, those like 3 stories in a book, selling $13.90, is it worth to buy? The best place to buy is MPH or oversea site?

Haaa. You are book hunter, nice to have you here.

I just ordered $180 inclusive freight of chinese books from dangdang. Can't wait to see my books.

[mummy of 2]

Charmaine_chong:

Can your kids do fun activities eg:maze, dot to dot, colouring on their own?

Yes, he loves mazes and dot-to-dot. He will take out and do when he wants to. I leave it entirely up to him. There was once he finished an entire book on mazes, and asked me to take out another one for him the enxt day. Told him mummy does not have so many books on mazes. I bought two maze books by Patrick Merrell, and he loves them. They are by Scholastic.

When I first started, I was over-zealous and would ask him to do assessment book every single day :!: I have since taken a more measured approach whereby he gets to rest on Sat and Sun, as well as during school holiday. Nowadays he gets homework from school every Fri, so I do tell him we only need to do his school homework. But he will insist on doing the usual assessment books too.

[hquek]

Charmaine_chong:

Wow. your DS1 likes crossword puzzles & spot differences. How i wish my son likes it.

Different folks different strokes.

Charmaine_chong:

Wow, you spent 300 on MPH. What do you buy?

2 Sabuda (Narnia, and Disney A,B,C), some hardcovers (mainly for xmas presents), a lot of usborne young readers, some paperbacks (found 1 magic school bus chapter book, My Naughty Sister books by Dorothy Edwards), Enid Blyton's mystery collection (3 in 1 jumbo), and a lot of reference stuff (I think mostly usborne/DK).

my kids are a bit grown for that sabuda a,b,c, but the pictures inside were so beautiful I cannot resist.

Charmaine_chong:

For Enid Blyton, those like 3 stories in a book, selling $13.90, is it worth to buy? The best place to buy is MPH or oversea site?

If you are looking for 3 in ones, I would recommend to wait for mph sale. Based on past 2, there ARE titles available - Mysteries collection, Family Collection, Wishing Chair, Faraway Tree. Each going for $8 at 'list' price - the Dec sale was $5.40 after discount, this one that just past is a bit more ex at $6.30. But still cheep cheep.

Charmaine_chong:

Haaa. You are book hunter, nice to have you here.

I just ordered $180 inclusive freight of chinese books from dangdang. Can't wait to see my books.

hee hee, it's nice to be around fellow hunters - I usually kena brickbats for being so crazy around bookfairs. I have not gotten around to buying direct from dangdang, but look forward (already got list of what i want), just waiting to action only.

[mummy of 2]

Charmaine_chong:

I just ordered $180 inclusive freight of chinese books from dangdang. Can't wait to see my books.

You are another book lover/buyer

Do share if the books you bought are suitable, and your recommendation Thanks.

[Charmaine_chong]

The mummy of two,


I think your kid is very obedient type. Sooo good, ask for more homework.

I will share if it is good. Haaa.

Hi Hquek,

I dont know it can be soooo cheap. is more than 50% disc. Ok. I shall wait for MPH DEC10 sales.

Aside books, do you spend much on other stuff?

When i have no children in the past, my $$ always spent on clothings.
Since i have kids, i slowly move my focus on booksss.

Just love it.

[hquek]

Now the bulk of my frivolous expenses go into books. Used to be toys and clothes for the kids - now moderate. Pre-kids, I think I did spend on clothes - but it was never excessive.


oh, don’t worry, I’m foreseeing another mph sale in months to come - perhaps June? or probably Sept.

You may like to cater for your child’s interest. Enid Blyton is a good author, but no point if your child doesn’t like. DS1 expressedly told me not to get more enid blytons.

BTW, my friend bought a winnie the pooh set in the last mph sale - it’s the original WTP book (2 in 1 book comprising titles - Winnie the Pooh, and House at Pooh Corner) with "When we were very young" book by A.A. Milne. Both are hardcopies and in a box set and only $15. Good deal.