The last post in this blog declared an end to a quarter full of challenges to our family and posed a question as the new quarter began- "Will it be a quarter for writing and blogging?"
As I reviewed the past three months, I still can answer the above question in the affirmative mostly because of Mama Sez's writing and blogging that contributed majority of our combined efforts. Here's a rundown of her output in the past 110 days or so, starting with the latest:
Hubs for the Holiday Season
Gifts that Tickle Your Senses
Buy Christmas Decorations Online
Gift Ideas for Men: Buy Mens Leather Belts Online
Buy Halloween Costumes for Toddlers, Kids, Teenagers and Adults Online
Hubs in response to requests for information on infant care
Dos and Don’ts in Introducing Solid Food to your Baby
How to Successfully Switch Infant Formula Milk
A Hub in response to the alarming increase in Dengue Fever cases
Practical and Effective Ways to Treat Thrombocytopenia and to Prevent Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever
A tribute to her sister's 21st Birthday
Free Apprenticeship to Motherhood
As for me, I only published two articles in Hubpages: Top 5 Reasons Why Eating Insects is Better for Us and Globe WiMAX, Smart Bro, PLDT myDSL: Broadband Service Comparison. The latter received fairly good traffic as many people are looking for reliable internet service providers in the Philippines.
In Parenting Journey, of the 11 postings, eight were written by Mama Sez:
About the candidacy of my father-in-law for Barangay Chairmanship
Campaign Jingle with Lyrics
Barangay and SK Elections 2010
About the joys and challenges of caring for four kids
Moments
Every Child is a Blessing
LEVEL UP in Parentingville
About how proud she is with her kids' achievements
It's a Gold Medal for Leon!
Fashion- Don't You Wanna See Those Clothes on Me
About spreading information on a practical remedy for Dengue
Sharing Information about Dengue Herbal Medication
As for me, the three blogs were about my disappointment with PLDT's customer service or lack thereof, a tribute to the late Dr. Eliseo P. Cadapan, and fun dance exercise videos that Mama Sez and I occasionally use to fulfill the minimum requirements for health benefits.
In Island Travel, there were only five postings:
About living again in a typhoon-prone area
Typhoon Basyang Reminded Us about the Downside of Living in Laguna
Road Trips during the Typhoon Season in the Philippines
About a long-postponed trip to the far north
We're off to Central and Northern Luzon
Insect Adobo and Exotic Foods in Northern and Central Luzon
About the Banamos Festival
It's Banamos Festival here in Los Banos
Posted in our other blogsites are:
DAILY HAPPINESS TIP - Look Beyond the Dark Clouds
DAILY HAPPINESS TIP - Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
DAILY HAPPINESS TIP - Put a Smile on a Sad Face
Happy Quote of the Day
Happy Image of the Day
I hope the writing and blogging continues this last quarter of the year. Our ten-year-old daughter seems to be interested in writing some articles and book reviews this semestral break.
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
I can't believe that the second quarter of 2010 is gone. The first quarter ended in a frenzy as the family embarked on our island travel adventure with an early good start. However, plans got off-tracked when we encountered a bump in the road, literally and figuratively speaking, on the first day of the second quarter.
Not a good start and as Mama Sez pointed out, we better listen and open our eyes as there's an important message in this incident that we cannot afford to ignore.
The month of April went by with us dealing with the consequences of the accident as well as trying to keep the kids and ourselves occupied with summer activities that did not involve long travel. Indeed the kids got to spend more time with the relatives in Laguna and got to do summer stuff as well. Blogging activities slowed down to almost a complete halt but we managed to published these:
UPLB Museum of Natural History and IRRI Rice World
Papa’s 73rd Birthday Celebration, a belated post on an event that happened before we left Davao City.
DAILY HAPPINESS TIP #68- Keep Your Word, which reflects my exasperation in our dealings with parties involved in the accident.
Happy Quotes Happy Images and Daily Laughs continued to post as scheduled. But it was zero posting in Parenting Journey and Hubpages.com. Our circumstances really did not allow us to sit down and do any writing.
The month of May found us walking our talks about keeping one's word as we went on with the awarding of prizes to the winners of our promos/contests despite the interruption of our travel plans. In the final days into the 2010 National Elections, I decided to go public with my preferences for certain candidates for the national posts primarily on the issue of trust, and exhorting readers to go out and exercise their right and duty to vote.
The decision to stay in Los Banos, Laguna was also finalized in May brought about by developments that opened up as we interacted more with relatives and friends in the area. So blog posts In Island Travel became more about what's happening in Los Banos as the month of June arrived:
The First Rain
Top Five Signs that the Rainy Season is Here in Los Banos, Laguna
An Extended Vacation
These were later followed by features on the Romualdez Museum as we start to write about our summer travel, and a post about southern bias of certain travelers.
The month of June, of course, saw articles/blogs about school (School has Began, School Bag Designs and Style Trends, Is a Trolley Bag Really Necessary for School? and Fear of Failure), Father's Day (Fatherhood is a Blessing), and change as President Noynoy Aquino takes the country's top leadership position (Inertia and Change in a New Philippines and Taking Small Steps towards Change).
The second quarter was challenging not only because of the disruption to our original plan and the stretch it demanded of our impatient selves, but more so because of the decisions that had to be made and immediately implemented. Change always brings discomfort as new situations had to be dealt with, particularly the unexpected ones. But we look at the second quarter as a necessary phase, a transition to better quarters that we can look forward to down the road.
Today, a new quarter begins. Will it be a quarter for writing and blogging? We'll soon find out.
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*A response by Bogs Nartatez to the blog Fatherhood Thoughts about Manny Pacquiao, Boxing and the Like.
Contact sports will stay whether we like it or not. In fact, more violent genre, which was quite taboo a decade or two ago, are now becoming main stream (UFC, PRIDE, URCC, etc). I have to confess that I enjoy contact sports (basketball, boxing, also did a little karate myself), I am even attracted to MMA (mixed martial arts). I like the concept and the art but not necessarily the violence in it (ironic?). I just try to follow fighters that I like and sometimes watch their fights (e.g. Georges St. Pierre, Vitor "the Phenom" Belfort).
http://www.free-sport-wallpapers.comThere is something in the male gender that is prone to such activities to "prove" one's physicality. I think this has been Divinely designed in us males and is a real distinctive of the masculine species (of course, this in no way makes us superior to our better half
In terms of Manny and our kids, my personal conviction is that our kids should know about him; who Manny is, and milk his persona for all he's worth to encourage and challenge our kids. For instance, his story from a nobody to becoming somebody; his work ethic and discipline; the lessons he learned along the way (from an extremely cocky dude to a more humbled and God-honoring person--he is still not an angel though
However, I will definitely not let my nine-year old daughter sit through the whole 12 rounds of a Pacman fight. This is just not profitable for her. I will have to explain to her that this is sports pure and simple, and that this sports is for grown ups. Of course, she can come and take a peek at the fight as I'm watching and perhaps I can engage her in some conversation about it, but I will be clear that she can't watch the whole thing with me.
. Violence is a reality in this world. We are not to be ignorant of violence and its many manifestations. However, we must not become so familiar with it that it loses its really ugly reality. Moreover, let's make sure that we don't lust for it like the ancient Romans did (apparently this is becoming a scary reality these days)!As for The Pacman going in politics, away with such a thought!... But perhaps it's inevitable. However, I'm praying Manny will "see the light" and give up political ambition. He's moneyed enough and influential enough to do a lot of good without the trappings of politics.
In Photo: Bogs Nartatez with UFC legend
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Would you allow your kids to watch the bout with you? How old is old enough?
On one hand is the argument against the culture of violence boxing, wrestling, and other full contact sports tend to promote. Add to this category sports/hobbies/recreational activities centered on guns, weapons and firepower. Some people I know dreams of a society devoid of guns and violence of any form. Although this utopian dream is improbable to achieve if one considers human nature and complexities of human interactions, I see the logic and sound reasoning in approximating this ideal if only for our species own good.
Between me and my wife, she is more decidedly against such sport and recreation. So when I broached the idea of no toy guns for our children early in our parenting journey, she readily agreed.
On the other hand, Manny Pacquiao is an acknowledged hero, Philippine icon and boxing legend. Someone the kids should know something about, at least his excellence in his profession brought about by talent, discipline and determination. However, much is to be desired in his other interests, particularly in politics... hmmm well, he deserves some slack.
Perhaps it’s also gender-biased to enjoy physical, full contact sports (at least watching it, in this case, and speaking for myself, I usually root for the underdog… huh?). I grew up being able to watch “Andre the giant” slam his smaller wrestling opponent on TV as my father enthusiastically cheer “go for the kill!” My brothers and I also had a good set of toy guns and combat paraphernalia, and were able to watch war movies/TV series and the like. We even had two sets of gloves and a punching bag hanging in the middle of our common bedroom.
I don’t see myself as a violent person or wanting to be in this kind of activities, never mind a career! This is in spite of exposures during my childhood years (well, violence on TV that is) and to toy guns, boxing gloves, etc. None of my brothers have violent streaks, too. Perhaps genetics had more profound impact in this case as my father is not a violent man himself.
My older son is averse to violence and tends to not respond aggressively to provocations from other kids. My younger son, a toddler, tends to bully his more docile older brother now and loves to toy around throwing his tiny punches on his grandpa’s behind, my tummy and (unfortunately) his brother’s body or head, whatever is the easiest target at that time. He learned about it in the news, while the family is talking about it, and/or when horsing around with me.
Though I am also confident that for him it’s just play, sometimes it unintentionally hurt someone who is already averse to such roughhousing. By the way, he seems to only do it with the three other males, and not with the more numerous females in the household (interesting, isn’t it?).
There you go. Should such sport, recreation or profession where the goal is taking down and knocking out the opponent before he does you (which are fortunately more regulated now by international professional bodies to prevent deaths and serious injuries) be tolerated and perpetuated (hey, it’s a billion dollar industry!) in the next generations?
Can it really be stopped? Perhaps like many other sports, men (and women) just need an avenue for occasional adrenaline rush or testosterone pumping; especially with the modern sedentary lifestyle most of us have! What do you think?
Or is this just making much ado about nothing, and the answer is really just to go with the flow? Hmmmm…
Certainly, it can be Pacman’s final match before his complete shift to a much challenging (more violent?) world of Philippine politics as congressman in 2010. Hmmm, I am just playing it by ear then. Any opinions? Violent reactions?
Subscribe in a readerAt last, after a couple of failed attempts and many unrealized plans, the family finally saw the insides of the famed People’s Park at the center of Davao City. The failed attempts had to do with our failure to take note of the park’s schedule, which is 5-8 AM and 1-10PM. These are periods one would not likely see us in the downtown area.
This time, the plan was to go to church at 7-8AM and play at the park afterwards. We almost completely missed it when we arrived five minutes before closing, again only taking our chances and not knowing what the schedule was. When we realized that it was already closing time, my wife and the baby in her arms got off the car in front of the gate and inquired. To everybody’s delight, the “park rangers” led us in and even allowed us to park inside the parking area reserved for officials.
Here’s a slideshow of our short but enjoyable stay inside the People’s Park.
It needs to be mentioned that developing a park at the heart of the City is laudable. Considering that this was not in the original set-up (the area was an open, poorly maintained athletic field, more bare soil than turf) like most towns/cities in the country where parks are negligible, almost bereft of trees and poorly maintained. Also, the area is prime location, near commercial establishments and tourist spots of the traditional center of the City. Concerts and other shows had been staged and regular events such as early weekend morning aerobics classes are open to the public.
There’s much to admire about the concept and the intention of providing for recreational and cultural services to the people…contributing to the livability of the City.
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In these difficult times (and even during times of aplenty), nobody would refuse opportunities to reduce cost and yet get as much benefits as possible. It’s almost like “getting your cake and eating it, too.” Well, why not?
It’s amazing when convergence happen…when what we believe is right also presents bonuses on top of the expected benefits or primary reason for doing it.
This is the case for our resolve that our kids’ wellbeing is of primary consideration in what we do as a family. By doing what we think is right for the kids, we all benefit, including our pockets.
Here’s a short list of things we do for our kids’ wellbeing that also reduced our medical bills:
- Boost natural immunity. In an earlier blog, my wife listed her top six natural immunity builders that conferred to our children generally healthy bodies and minds. These natural immunity boosters did not only spare us much from worries, heartaches and stress associated with caring of a sick child, but also made a great positive impact on our family’s financial bottom line. I am now going to refer you to the blogs on the natural immunity builders and the economics of implementing it, so I can expound more on the other items below.
- Immunize. True to the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, we follow at least the minimum immunization requirements set by the government, which include vaccines against tuberculosis (BCG), diphtheria, pertussis or whooping cough, and tetanus (DPT), Hepatitis B, polio, and measles.
These vaccines provide protection for the above common childhood diseases by exposing the child’s body to mild (or more benign) strain of the pathogens, which allows it to develop immunity against future infection. The shots are administered in a staggered manner and provided for free by local health centers.
There is also the combination vaccine option that cuts the number of injections (and visits) to as few as six to satisfy all of the above minimum requirements. The cost of the combination vaccine, however, is considerable. Optional vaccines are also offered by pediatricians depending on circumstances such as disease prevalence, location and preferences.
These investments had been proven to have tremendous payoffs as occurrences of these common childhood diseases are at their lowest in history worldwide. But it does not mean one can skip vaccination altogether because of these low incidence because these diseases are debilitating and life-threatening. It is just not worth the risks (i.e. of losing a child or its future jeopardized).
- Exercise/play. This refers to child’s play involving physical exertion and preferably outside. I emphasize these twin requirements as it has become easier for today’s children to avoid them because of television, computer and video games. This trend of living in the virtual world and limited physical activities had resulted in obesity, impaired vision, and other problems in children.
Exercise and exposure to the sun release the happy hormones, serotonin and endorphin, that makes for a vibrant immune system. Vitamin D, which is important for immune response, is also synthesized in the skin when exposed to sunlight.
My wife and I have designed our abode to allow children to move about and provide safe, pleasant and enticing environment to playing or exploring the world outside. Another blog to give you a glimpse of our garden full of butterflies and edible plants is in the drawing board.
Our “no or minimum television” policy as well as minimal Nintendo and computer time for our kids had also encouraged them to explore other activities such as chasing flying and jumping insects, observing ant trails, digging the soil and collecting a kind of weed seed to watch it explode in water. This point is related to the sixth natural immunity builder listed in this link.
- Lead a positive, well-balanced life. What I am referring to here is an emphasis on the essentials in life (teaching kids about satisfying basic needs and giving in to a few wants once in a while), exposure to positive stress to enhance development as a person and minimizing unhealthy unhelpful ones, recognition of multiple intelligences and acceptance of the uniqueness of each child, and provision of an environment where each one can become the best s/he can be.
It is also on this framework that the Montessori approach to education fits well for us. Another blog will be devoted to Maria Montessori’s philosophy in the near future.
We must remember that a happy child is a healthy child. The happy hormones, endorphin and serotonin, boost the immune system, whereas the stress hormone, cortisol, has the opposite effect when always at high levels. Therefore, a child’s experiences in the family and community, which affect the level of happiness and stress, are important for his/her health. So our decision as individuals should always take into consideration our responsibilities as parents and our big impact to our children’s wellbeing.
- Keep safe. Safety is a primary concern of parents because kids do not know better! However, this does not mean we go overboard and disallow them to be free to explore. I know it’s difficult to overcome our fear that the child might get hurt, nobody wants that. It’s just that we also do not want him/her to miss out on opportunities to learn and grow up to be a confident healthy adult. My wife took pity of a preschooler who was restricted by her nannies (who were in all likelihood merely following her parents’ instructions) and was not allowed to play in a playground full of boisterous kids! Read about it here.
For me, keeping our children safe means keeping them away from no uncertain danger and preventing them from actions with fatal consequences. The exact circumstances depend on each parent’s judgment. As for me, tumbles, scratches, bumps, bruises, few insect bites, dirtied fingernails, muddied shoes and many reversible consequences of mishaps during learning and exploration are acceptable. Pain is a good teacher.
Those that can be fatal such as electrocution, vehicular accidents, falling off balconies or trees, falling/stepping on sharp objects, and drowning are, of course, unacceptable. Preventing these must always be in our mind, and foresight and common sense are valuable allies.
It’s basically choosing a healthy lifestyle and focusing on prevention rather than cure. In other words, it’s a preference for long-term benefits over short-term convenience that makes for happy and healthy kids and parents, plus decreased medical expenses.
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In the past Halloween seasons, our family sees to it that we spend time together doing activities that we can only do during vacations and holidays because my wife and I were then starting our respective careers in the industry. ‘Tis the time for movie/tv series marathons, beach frolics and park/mall hangouts. The most Halloween participation we had was to prepare goodies for neighbor trick-or-treaters.
Because of many invitations from their classmates this season, the whole family (except for the baby) got a taste of this popular western tradition. It’s our kids’ first time to have fun with scary creatures and another chance to confront issues about death and afterlife in not so serious way. My two eldest kids had known the concept of death when their puppy died in a road accident a few years ago, followed by the death of their grandmother about a month later.
For most of the younger trick-or-treaters, it was just a costume party involving many houses with scary decors, and then getting candies just for showing up. Sweating it out at the village’s playground with friends afterwards seemed to erase the creepiness of the whole ritual.
The movies my older kids watched in separate occasions had more impact than the scary decors they saw. My daughter and her friends specifically asked not to have a bad dream in their prayers before hitting the sack during their sleepover. My son was not satisfied with a prayer, and insisted on sleeping in our bed last night. Twice I attempted to transfer him to his room and twice he came back.
In my time, my family did not have this Halloween tradition and I grew up eventually liking horror flicks regardless of the season. What’s my take on this tradition? Making the idea of death fun might help children deal with it better when it occurs in the family. Uhmm…maybe. But at the very least, for me it’s a social event that promotes community spirit and interaction among neighbors and friends, which should be encouraged as many now prefers to spend more time online to the detriment of the good ‘ol days of good-neighborliness.
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The semester had just ended with the school’s Foundation Day show. I’ve started thinking about what the kids can do during the break as early as last month. Careful planning is needed as budget is tight, and we’ve also been itching to go on a road trip (once the baby is easier to handle).
Pressure built on me as classes was increasingly devoted to rehearsals for the show. Nothing concrete happened until the last day when we saw parents of other kids and invites for parties started turning out.
Pressure built on me as classes was increasingly devoted to rehearsals for the show. Nothing concrete happened until the last day when we saw parents of other kids and invites for parties started turning out.
So it won’t be boring after all. Here’s the list so far:
- The semestral breakers hit off with two birthday parties in separate days but coincidentally in the same restaurant of a global fast food chain.
- A sleepover for my eldest together with her small group of friends.
- Halloween trick-or-treating for everyone. It will be our kids’ first to actually roam about house to house, as we were contented with preparing candies and handing out treats to neighborhood kids in the past. So with an old dress and crown for our eldest, a hand-me-down superhero costume for our toddler, and a cheap mask, paraphernalia and costume used in the show for our son, my wife and I came up with an activity that our kids could look forward to in the next few days.
- A get-together with some friends and their kids that we’ve been putting off is finally going to happen on Sunday. It’s also an opportunity to try a barbecue recipe my wife got from an online friend across the globe.
- A family gathering to celebrate my brother’s birthday and a visit to my mom’s grave are scheduled for tomorrow.
So what I feared to be a long and expensive semester break might not be too bad after all. I still have a few more days to fill before school is back again, so some more ideas not involving travel and a lot of spending would be greatly appreciated. Would you be so kind to let me know?
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Today is another Sunday and I am reminded of the first Sunday of this month when my family deviated from our Sunday routine. Just like what happened in my blog the previous Sunday when we attended mass in a new church, we went to the Cathedral instead of the usual chapel inside the village.
It was quite a big deal for me because it was my father’s insistence on having his haircut that morning that led us to the Cathedral at the heart of the city. A haircut when in fact he just had it a couple of weeks ago and his white hair had not grown that much anyway (well at least in my opinion).
My father had been living with us for a few months now ever since he suffered an asthma attack. An earlier mild stroke that left him limping on his right leg did not force him to change the routine he had for years. He was resolute in living alone in his house at the center of the city to enjoy all the freedom he’s been accustomed to.
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It all changed one morning as he went about supervising a small project at the third floor of his property. According to him, he already felt heaviness in his breathing as early as eight o’clock but only decided to seek assistance from one of his tenants a couple of hours later. Instead of going straight to the hospital less than one kilometer away, he instructed the tenant to bring him to my house, which is a good 15-20 minutes drive from his house.
My initial reaction was to rebuke him about his decision to come all the way to my house at the other side of town only to take him back to the hospital close to his house. But I later realized that my father was afraid and just needed me to be there for him. Moreover, he must have felt that there was no way to contact me as he already tried desperately to call the whole morning but to no avail (I imagine panic must have contributed to this).
The incident made him more acquiescent that led to the current living arrangement. My wife and I speculated that as he recovers and gains more confidence, he would want his independence back.
There were already a number of instances prior to that Sunday wherein he made some demands to go to certain places and do certain errands. It was becoming clear that he’s feeling well enough and slowly becoming restless. But for now, let us leave those stories - our (mis)adventures as he regains his confidence to venture by himself in a future blog.
Giving in to my father’s wishes did not come easily as we interpret them as merely excuses to go out of the house. However, it occurred to me that I may not always have such opportunity to bring him where he wants to go. I was just probably afraid it might become too frequent to handle. Anyway, he and I can always come up with certain compromises on how and when to do them should some conflicts emerge.
To accommodate his wishes to go to his barber, we went to the Cathedral and found it overflowing with people. The kids, my wife, my father and I content ourselves standing on the stairs leading to one of the three or four Cathedral entrances. We literally “heard” mass as we saw neither the priest nor the altar.
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The Cathedral was just across the street from a park where a children’s playground was recently added. So while my father was having a haircut, the three kids had a blast with the animal statues.
It was particularly exciting to our toddler as he’s been learning to sing “Mr. Rhino…got one tail, four feet, twelve toes” much to our amusement, especially with his cute rendition and all. He proudly got on to each of the animals: the rhino, the tiger, the giraffe, the elephant, the zebra, but not the monkeys as they were literally on a tree, while the crocodile, tortoise and eagle were fenced and beyond reach.
I thought we would run out of things to do as it might turn out to be a long wait. But what a relief! It really takes so little to please these kids. I guess it was the fact that they were all there together to enjoy the rides and each other's company that made it fun, plus a chance to each demand from me a lift onto the back of the statues.
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The baby happily watched us from her mother’s lap, while the latter got a chance to play catch up with a couple of long-distance friends over the phone. My father was of course happy not only because of his new haircut, but I guess also the importance he must have felt when we worked around our schedule to accommodate his needs (or whims).
The new week witnessed our toddler talking incessantly about the animal statues as he vividly recalls the giraffe’s long neck and the elephant’s big ears. It was the same excitement when he first rode a horse in a merry-go-round and the many other “firsts” that never fail to remind me how inconsequential the price I had to pay for the joy my children brings me.
Thanks in no small part to my father’s insistence and my decision to give in that the day became one of the family’s best Sundays. It turned out that giving in to make someone happy is actually a gift we give ourselves.
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In Bequeathing a Dangerous World to our Kids, I argued for a common ground for all parents…the proposition that we do not want our children (and theirs) to inherit a harsher world than what our generation faced. Climate change is contributing so much to this increased unpredictability and instability, and while it affects everyone, the impact is unevenly felt between rich and poor peoples as well as between developed and developing nations.
Peoples in island or archipelagic nations like the Philippines
We’ve heard of local politicians crying victim of climate change, and looking to the culprits (foremost are the developed nations) for restitution. While I do not dispute the fact that the developed nations had the biggest contribution to greenhouse gas problems and that they have the moral obligation to make amends and at least cushion the impact of climate change, I do not subscribe to victim mentality and finger pointing to hide our own failings.
Recognizing that although we, the people in island and archipelagic nations have but little impact in reducing (or increasing) greenhouse gas emissions, we would still get the brunt of the impending calamity. Therefore, it makes sense to take all and any actions to hopefully avert it, as it is indeed a matter of life and death for us.
Let us leave it to those with the capability to address the technological and political solutions such as clean energy sourcing and international pacts, respectively, among others. But there are those that we can realistically do at the household and community levels that would make a dent in the global scheme of things.
Here’s my list of concrete actions for parents to help mitigate climate change:
- Reduce energy consumption. Modern living relies so much on electricity, which is basically derived from burning fossil fuels- the main contributor of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Reducing our electric bill does not only make an immediate impact on our wallet, but a long-term global impact on human well-being as well.
The following are examples of easy to do energy conservation tips at home:
- Turn off lights, computer, fans and appliances after use; unplug appliances as electricity is still consumed even when turned off.
- Use energy efficient bulbs and appliances, as well as CFC-free cooling units.
- Whenever possible, share the use of appliances. Listening to music, watching television and eating together (to lessen the need to reheat food) not only makes for an efficient use of energy but promotes interaction and togetherness in the family as well. In my family, we also pack ourselves in one room when the need to use the air-conditioning unit comes, especially during summer months. Now that’s bonding time that is both fun and economical.
- Eat less meat, more vegetables. Meat production consumes more energy per calorie than crop production. Energy derived from corn can be more efficiently used if fed directly to humans than consumed by animals that would in turn be eaten by humans. Livestock production is also a major contributor of methane, a greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere. The health benefits derived from eating less meat and more fruits and vegetables is an additional incentive. Eating habits and preferences are developed young so now is the time to influence our kids' future health. But it's never too late for everyone else who are determined to remain healthy and positively contribute to earth's health as well.
- Buy local foods and products. Depending on distance and crop, energy expenditure to transport imported foods (and products) may exceed the energy used to produce them. Buying locally is not only ecologically sound, but helps improve the lives of local communities as well. Furthermore, food security is also enhanced by making sure the locale can adequately support its population. Shorter transport times of goods may also translate to less packaging materials used, which means less energy expenditure.
- Travel less, travel efficiently. Besides moving closer to the workplace, technological advances that made it possible for certain types of work to be performed offsite not only dramatically improves productivity but significantly reduces fuel consumption as well. Carpooling, cycling and walking to work also helps; the latter two are healthy lifestyle choices as well.
- Educate, communicate. Talking to our kids about the above ecologically sound and healthy practices and the impact it has on the global scheme of things is last but certainly not the least of concrete actions we parents can take. Communicating and campaigning about what can be done in the community, workplace, church, schools and other local institutions to help moderate climate change is also within our capacity as parents.
We also must speak up in various forums, cast our votes, write blogs, and send letter/emails to those concerned to let the world know where we stand on this critical issue that affects the well-being of our kids.
We must push for bigger reductions in the carbon footprints of those who spends energy the most, particularly in the United States and other more affluent societies. This is particularly pressing as Americans' belief in global warming is declining.
We have the most to lose on this issue if the world continues in the path of business as usual. So speak up and speak out! The world needs to know!
We must push for bigger reductions in the carbon footprints of those who spends energy the most, particularly in the United States and other more affluent societies. This is particularly pressing as Americans' belief in global warming is declining.
We have the most to lose on this issue if the world continues in the path of business as usual. So speak up and speak out! The world needs to know!
This International Day of Climate Action, I am hearten by the relatively good number of activities in the Philippines
I just hope that the movement can be sustained locally and globally for as long as it takes.
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There are probably those among us wondering why on earth would someone want to spend time cleaning after a child’s mess that could range from the mildly annoying toys scattered all over to the stomach turning mishaps during potty training? It appears counter-intuitive because fathers used to be secured in their designation as the breadwinner of the family and were happily oblivious of the fine points of child-rearing. Back then life is definitely simpler.
The tide has turned and the norm seems to portray modern dads to be engaged in both providing for food and shelter as well as nurturing of children. Many factors contributed to this shift, and modern moms gaining opportunities to work and earn is among the most important ones.
But for me, expecting dads to share child-rearing responsibilities is a welcome trend. I can see many benefits not only to children and mothers, but also to fathers as well. On the personal level, men can count on the following benefits in getting more involved in raising kids:
- We become better men. This is not just the psychological high we associate with being loved and loving, and being needed and needing someone in return that we feel like better persons. According to recent research findings, men do not merely endure child-rearing activities (i.e. because we had to). There are actual physical and cognitive rewards or benefits derived from taking care of a child (and the wife).
The sight, sound and smell of babies trigger biochemical changes in men that results in increased motivation, heightened problem-solving skills, greater resilience and enhanced stress-handling abilities. These explain improvements seen in relationships and in work performance among fathers. To know more about the scientific bases of how dads become better men, you can start with this news article.- We secure the continuance of our family line. Again, this is not merely perpetuation of our genes by fathering a child. The likelihood of a child surviving and succeeding as an adult is dramatically improved with the support of a nurturing father compared to an absentee one. Remember that the environment plays as important a role as do genes in our offspring’s success.
- We become happier men. It could be a function of being better men as explained in #1 above as we perform, able to handle stress and relate with others better. But the mere scent of a baby, the kiss goodbye or the “hey Papa” hellos elicit instant pleasure and lightness in spirit that I don’t need any explanation or convincing that being close to our kids brings joy to men.
One of the keys to living a happier life is the maintenance of at least two good relationships, i.e. with someone a generation older and another one of a younger generation. These relationships do not necessarily involve parents and offspring, as it holds true with non-blood relations. Therefore, when we are able to do it with our own kids, we are hitting two birds with one stone as we foster better current and future relationships down the line to our grandchildren and generations beyond, and we ensure the maintenance of our family line at the same time.
- We understand ourselves better. I don’t know if it comes with maturity (or living through a mid-life crisis), but as I began to see myself in my kids’ physical attributes, tendencies and behavior, I also began to fully accept my own biases, strengths and weaknesses.
Genetics is indeed a wondrous thing, and so is the social influence into a person’s personality. With understanding comes the conscious effort to commit to become better with what I have for my own and my family’s sake. Who then is best to coach kids through life? It’s none other than their parents if and when they have arrived at understanding their own selves first. Being with our children facilitate such understanding as they mirror us in so many ways.
- We get a second chance. This could mean getting many opportunities to be kids once more and play ball, lego and computer games in the guise of teaching or spending time with the kids (wink wink). Or it could also be another shot at something we’ve wanted to be or do but never got a chance, or did so but blew it. This desire to live our dreams through our kids is a powerful drive, but can lead to disastrous results if not handled right. While it can be good to want our kids to be better than us, it has to be in the context of what they are and what they want to be (and not necessarily what we parents want them to be).
So with the above caveat in mind, let us welcome our second chance at getting better results, whether at playing Nintendo or taking on the path towards virtuosity.
Lastly, don’t despair if you haven’t seen some of the above benefits accruing on you. There’s a learning curve and it may be slower in certain people than others. In my case, I only fully appreciated all these in the second batch of our kids and that came seven years after our eldest daughter was born. Lucky me I got my second chance.
I won’t be surprised if there are other rewards or benefits of being a father that I failed to cover here, so please let me know about them.
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Today was quite different from our Sundays in recent months. A need to meet my students in a local university necessitates some adjustments in our Sunday routine; adjustments that turned a usually slow, simple day with limited things to do into a day teeming with energy and activities but restful at the same time.
Everyone in the household turned in early last night so it was no surprise that there was no trouble waking the kids up about an hour earlier than a normal Sunday. Our toddler was first to demand a bottle of milk who then cheerfully woke his older siblings up in the next room. Without much ado, they were up and inside the bathroom to shower.
The baby waited a bit for her cue, quietly looked around and listened to the activities from her crib. As my wife calls out from downstairs for a breakfast of champorado, anchovies and hotdogs, the baby also cooed to remind me to pick her up, too.
With much cooperation from everyone, we made it to church a few minutes into the mass (even though it was still on time according to my watch). It was our first time to attend service in this university chapel. Beautiful music, a serene atmosphere, and a homily about servant leadership were our immediate rewards for attendance.
In the three hours I spent fulfilling my work duties, my wife managed the needs of my father, our kids and a relative. The kids were freed to explore the university grounds, my father was taken to see my brother and his family, and a relative got a chance to see the kids.
As boredom sets in a couple of hours, a change in venue was needed. The nearby mall was a welcome solution. There was an organic produce fair to hold the kids’ attention for a few minutes and the kiddie rides took care of the remaining time that allowed my wife to leave them with their nannies to fetch me and my father from our respective appointments.
Much to her delight, we allowed our eldest child to decide which restaurant to dine in for lunch. My father also happily took care of the bill with an added incentive for him to take advantage of senior citizen discount.
After a hearty meal of chicken-based dishes, the kids and I went to the bookstore to check out children’s books, while my wife accompanied my father in buying a few clothing articles. It was then I realized how books became natural companion to our kids as our toddler eagerly feasted on various titles as did the older ones.
As we drove back home, the kids were as boisterous as they were early in the day. They were all talking and singing, including the baby who seemed to be making the loudest noise. The same degree of enthusiasm that got her booted out from the church during the homily as her “singing” started distracting elder churchgoers seated next to us.
The afternoon found most of us sleeping to later wake up to our regular Sunday game of scrabble. With much bravado, our eldest finally beat her parents after many Sundays of disappointment. It was indeed the greatest Sunday ever, she exclaimed.
As we perform our nightly gratitude ritual, everyone recognized how especially blessed this day had been. The kids enjoyed the sun as well as the modern amenities of a mall. The boys got to ride a “robot’, a “horse” and a “duckboat”.
Our nine year old showed leadership as she gave way to her younger brothers and let them enjoy the rides (and not herself) so she can stick to her “budget” and return the “emergency funds” in full to her mother. Allowing her to decide on the restaurant for lunch and winning scrabble over her parents later in the day also gave tremendous boost to her confidence.
My father got his wish to see my brother's family and to buy some new articles of clothing for himself. A relative was happy to see the kids once again. Our nannies got to see places they’ve never been.
I got to do my job and instead of ruining a Sunday, we were blessed with a great family day. Thanks to my wife who showed flexibility and turned an otherwise sticky issue to an opportunity to do something different: a Sunday with the usual activities we look forward to and a lot more.
With a wife and children like these, fatherhood is indeed a breeze…
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