Hi - I interviewed a counsellor who works with kids with picky eating habits here in Singapore. She has great tips and works often with kids like this. You can read about it at my blog, at http://sneezywheezy.com/?p=955 and another article at http://sneezywheezy.com/?p=1002. Some of the info is about kids with food allergies, but don't mind that -- the advice IS THE SAME for any kid who is a picky eater!!


One other tip: stop giving them those follow on 'growing up' milk formulas that are sold all over Singapore for even big kids. They are full of carbs and fill your child up, ruining their appetite for regular food. Just give him normal cow's milk, and his appetite may improve.

Good luck!

Hi -- there is a seminar (free) on eczema on Sunday, Oct 2 at EZY Health's Qualities of Life seminar, Suntec Convention Centre, Hall 404.


A panel of doctors will be talking about allergies, and there is a session on eczema. The allergy seminar is from 11- 1. You can find out more at http://sneezywheezy.com/?p=1384.

cheers!
Cris

Kids, like dogs, need to be taken outside and exercised. My two eat better, sleep better and behave better when they’ve spent a good chunk of time out of doors.


The challenge in Singapore is the searing sun: most parents take their kids outside only before 10 or after 5. The rest of the day, their brood is confined inside. There is another way! I’m committed to finding (and sharing!) cool, shady spots you can hit up any time of the day.

http://sneezywheezy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/sunsetbayA.jpg\">My favorite is “Sunset Bay” on the East Coast. Ok, I don't know if it’s formally called Sunset Bay, but there’s a Cafe with that name nearby. It’s at that big bougainvillea tower you drive by on the ECP, not far from the turnoff to Bayshore. There’s a nice little bay that’s lined with massive trees that cast shade over most of the beach the entire day. I take my kids down there regularly to build sandcastles – and at all hours of the day. We’ve had shade at 11:30, shade at 2 p.m and shade after school, at 3 p.m.

Click here for pix & to read more on my blog! http://sneezywheezy.com/?p=1293

Hi; I co-author a Singapore blog on allergies and we've interviewed some of SG's top doctors about eczema.


There are some great tips from Dr. Mark Tang at National Skin Centre at
http://sneezywheezy.com/?p=580.

Also, an NUS study found that the stress of caring for a baby or child with eczema can have a negative emotional impact on the mom. The moms in the study felt down, isolated and stressed out. We wrote about that this week, at http://sneezywheezy.com/?p=1060.

One mom, meanwhile, shares her story - on how taking care of her baby induced stress in her life & marriage, and how she ultimately learned to treat and cope her child's condition. To read her story, click here: http://sneezywheezy.com/?p=1036.

There's help out there! You are not alone..

Hi


For great tips on how to get your baby/toddler to eat, please read this blog post! Tips provided by expert here in Singapore who deals with fussy eaters!
http://sneezywheezy.com/?p=1002

I’m having similar issues, and had same with my older child around the same age (1.5 yrs).


They get sick of eating the same thing with the same texture. My daughter suddenly refused porridge and never touched it again.

Try giving him foods he can self-feed with. Get him a small plastic fork, cut stuff up and let him go at it! Roast chicken and roast veg is easy to make and soft to eat. You can get baby recipe books like Annabel Karmel’s series, which give ideas for 'finger food" that baby can manage on his own.

Also, try getting him OFF the follow on formula. Do you know that in Canada this stuff doesn’t even exist? People just go to cow’s milk at 1 year old. Formula is very filling --extra carbs and stuff – and kids don’t feel that hungry and are less interested in moving onto solid foods or feeding themselves. In Asia, these companies prey on insecurities and market this stuff like crazy; but you should know that in some parts of the world nobody uses follow on formula at all!

When I took my older daughter off formula (at 18 months) her appetite shot right up and she began eating more solids, and bigger portions too.

Don’t let that stuff become a crutch! They don’t eat, so you fall back on formula… so they don’t eat… and on and on.

good luck!

The maids are all well aware of changes in phils law and changes on base salaries for new maids. Just ask yourself how you’d feel if all new college grads joining your company were getting paid a starting wage that was same as your salary… Now imagine there was a shortage in yr industry and if you changed jobs you’d get paid more for your experience…


No matter how much they like you, the maids will look for new job at higher market rate when their contract is over. They are here to save $ for home and love their kids more than their boss… Makes sense to go where they can earn more for their kids. So better to do what it takes so they a. Don’t feel resentful and b. Want to renew.

Its a good suggestion, given earlier, to have a talk and ask what your maids thoughts are. You may find out that giving a proper day off each week would help. You would want one from your job, right?

In short, treat your maid, who is yr employee, as you would expect to be treated as an employee.

Good luck!