Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

… my sister’s Tigger headband for a liiiittle while.

Not sure if you’ve heard about this but studies show how women in general talk a lot more than men. I mean, like, three times more or something.

And from what I can share, I personally find that after having my first kid, I do talk more.

AND, after my second one, I do talk even MORE.

*gasp*

But really.

It’s like, ‘Anya … can you please finish your food now’, followed by, ‘Vai … don’t touch the rubbish bin please. It’s dirty.’

There. In just 10 seconds, I’ve uttered SEVENTEEN words.

When our kids grow up being used to NOT doing what’s been asked of them immediately, it’ll somehow become a habit that they’ll carry with them throughout their adult livesThe problem is, kids being kids, they often don’t immediately do what we parents ask them to do. And we (usually) end up repeating our requests.

It’d be like:
Kid jumps on the bed.
Mom waits in the bathroom and asks her to come over for her shower.
Kid keeps jumping on the bed.
Mom repeats.
Kid still plays and laughs.
Mom repeats her instruction.

Frankly I often remind myself that when I ask Anya to do something, I should avoid repeating my requests for too many times (like, … for more than than three times?)

[I’d usually give an early warning, ‘This is the last time I’m going to ask you’, and if she still doesn’t listen, I’d carry out the consequence I’ve told her earlier, eg. I’d leave the room or take her unfinished plate and put it in the fridge]

…

I want my kids to develop a habit of doing something from the very first time they hear it (well, realistically it’s not always possible right now, of course, but it’s a habit that I’d like to build on my kids as they grow)

You see, when our kids grow up being used to NOT doing what’s been asked of them immediately, it’ll somehow become a habit that they’ll carry with them throughout their adult lives.

A habit of unconsciously (or consciously!) delaying things. NOT being an alert, proactive and quick-to-act person.

When I was little, I used to delay stuff.

Like when we’re getting ready to go out and it’s my turn to use the shower, I’d toss and turn on my bed and say, ‘In five minutes…’. Or when there’s a chore, I’d choose to do it later than having it done now. My ears somehow were just used to hearing repeated instructions, and I’d end up completing them at a later time.

[And I wasn’t rebuked much by my parents at the time]

Now that I reflect on it, all THAT is not doing any good on me as person today. I know I’ve changed over time, but a trace of that habit still lingers.

And so as I’m teaching my kids on this principle on a daily basis, I too am constantly teaching myself.

After all, kids do what WE do.

Someone said that it’s when we leave this world that the ‘real us’ comes to surface.

And I guess it’s because that’s when we stop talking. And other people start remembering.

Whether we’ve lived honourably. Whether we’ve touched other people’s lives in ways that have changed them positively. Whether we’ve put the well being of others ahead of ourselves, sacrificed and given our all for a greater purpose. For our Creator’s glory.

Or. Whether we’ve spent most (or all of) our lives, focusing on just … ourselves.

Ensuring that WE always live comfortably, WE are the centre of everything. Even the centre of other people’s lives. Ensuring that WE are important, even though it means that other people need to sacrifice themselves FOR us.

The passing of our Pastor two days ago left me with many thoughts. Too many. And I think I’d need to write a few posts on it. And even then, I don’t think I could possibly cover half the thoughts in my mind.

Rev. Amin Tjung is no longer with us. But the story of his life continues to change people’s minds and touch people’s lives.

An ordinary man, living his life with a firm understanding of who he is, his life’s purpose and what he’s going to do with his life.

He lived a simple life, putting others ahead of himself. Always helping, teaching, encouraging others and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, although he himself battled the pain of cancer and many side effects of his chemotherapy.

And when an old friend came a few weeks ago and asked, “How are you doing?’, he answered, “HIS grace is sufficient for me.”

*pause*

He’s 41 years old and he’s no longer in this world. He’s now at home with GOD. A much better place.

And now that I’m still here, still receiving God’s grace and kindness every single day, I feel I’m continually asked, “So now, what are YOU doing with the rest of your life?”

A question we all need to answer.

For we will be held accountable for the kind of life we live during the lifetime given to us by GOD above.

… mealtimes are not so much of a challenge anymore.

Note:
Used to be: 90 minutes.
Now: 40 minutes. On average.

… during mealtimes, one kid eats quite well, but the other is more keen on practising his acrobatic movements than munching his food.

As of yesterday, Vai is officially one month away from hitting the big ONE year old mark.

[And looking at this photo, I think he’s giving it a lot of thought too!]

“Life without purposes is worse than life without a purse”.

Too often we put so much focus on money issues. On materialism. Treating it as if it’s the MOST important thing in life. As if it’s the reason why we wake up in the morning. The only reason why we … live.

Someone once said, babies’ fists are clenched at birth (and for a few weeks afterwards). But when one leaves this world, both their palms are always opened. And it’s because we can no longer hold onto anything from this world. Because it’s time to let go.

Really. With empty hands we enter this world, and we’ll one day leave bringing nothing tangible along with us.

There’s a time for everything. There’s a time for us to be born. And there will be a time for us leave.

And the question we should then ask ourselves… what is our life’s main purpose? How have we lived our lives so far?

Let’s take time to look within ourselves.

And let’s look beyond our limited lifetime and start looking into things that are eternal.

…

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.
Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost
but will have life that lasts forever.
John 3:16