Tag Archives: daddyhood

conversations with Yui: candy

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I could probably count with one hand the times I allowed you to eat candy which probably makes you one of the least entitled kids in the world when it comes to candies. 

Yesterday you were watching this educational video about counting using candies. And hence during dinner, with a bubbly air, you raised the candy topic. 

Yui: Candies are so sweet! (Insert cute expression here). And they come in different flavours too. 

Me: U-huh. 

Yui: it would be good to eat them together  with Daddy (at this point your Dad looked at you to see where this is heading). 

Me: U-huh. 

Yui: (with a sweet expression on your face) Mommy can we buy, for me and Daddy. 

Me: Just as I thought! That’s the next line I was expecting. 

Yui: Sou da ne (You may be right).

To the tune of “No more monkey jumping on the bed”, I said

Me: No no candy for Yui-chan

Yui: those lyrics are not correct Mommy! It should be “No more monkey jumping on the bed!” desu yo?!

And so you didn’t have your candy. But I told you as well that I appreciated the fact that you tried to work your way, by reason, to what you wanted. I know and saw that you needed courage to say it so I appreciated that. 

Grow up well, honey. 

baby diaries: that one powerful word

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You probably caught a bug at day care yesterday in that when I picked you up, you again have a runny nose with some colour. Late evening, you were coughing. Past midnight, you vomitted twice; as is your usual style ever since you were a baby whenever you have a cough. 

And so for 45 minutes I changed our bedsheets and cleaned up our bedroom. Daddy gave you a change of clothes for you to wear (after I’ve washed you up), gave you a glass of water and snuggled with you while I cleaned up our side of the bed. 

To be honest anak, those 45 minutes were very tiring; you know me, you know how miticulous I am with cleaning. I was still meticulous, even at almost 1am. I was easy to drop with tiredness. 

But then you got up from Daddy’s hug, saw our side of the bed already clean and saw your baby bed with new sheets. Then in the sweetest voice,

Ah! Kereinatta! (It got clean!). Mommy, arigatou! (Thank you!)

Right there and then all the tiredness was drained out of my body. I never expected that that word that we always say could have such powerful effect in rejuvenating me. Totally forgot the tiredness, especially after Daddy said thanks too. 

Looking back, I’m not too sure anymore if I ever said thank you sweetly to Mama and Papa after they had a tiring time taking care of me. 

I am so blessed to have you as my daughter, Yui and I would always be thankful. 

life with a toddler: conversation between oyabaka/overdoting parents

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Hubs: Have you seen Yui’s latest drawing that got posted at daycare wall? It already looks like an illustration; with composition; not like a toddler’s impromptu drawing anymore. There’s a pond, fish. And tree too. ….oyabaka desu ka ne……

Me: Er….. if you are pertaining to the drawing I saw yesterday, you certainly are oyabaka hehe. I’ll check later if we’re talking of the same drawing. 

~a couple of seconds~

Me: hmmm. I haven’t interpreted it as you do but I actually think Yui’s drawing is the best in her class. Haha, fine, I admit I’m oyabaka. Admit you’re oyabaka too. 

I checked at daycare. We were really talking of the same drawing. I have to have some crash course though in arts appreciation. 😀   

life with a toddler: perseverance

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I have been on hiatus for some time now and it’s not because of some writer’s block or whatever you may call it. On the contrary, I have several drafts on queue (including those which I’ve promised to friends!), all waiting to be posted, but that which I couldn’t because for some reason, I could not post any photos on my mobile WordPress app – the only place I can blog these days since I could only get near our desktop once in a blue moon.

Anyways, I’m posting this now, albeit sans any photo (WordPress, any help, please?) because of the lessons learned we had today as parents.

Even from way before when Yui was just a few months old and she was learning to reach out for things, we’ve been encouraging her to persevere, to work hard and give her best effort. Now that she’s a toddler and is starting working on her own projects and toy buildings and crafts, instilling the virtue of perseverance even when faced with a tough challenge is even more important.

This evening, I read this parenting article on how to teach your child to persevere. Funny timing because just earlier this evening, our daughter taught us a lesson in perseverance.

We were doing puzzles then. After putting together and completing a few shapes, she lost interest and moved to the other end of her play room to get her Lego set – a lidded bucket with the pieces inside and a square mat. The thing was, she was also holding a towel (her security object). With the towel on one hand, she was having difficulty lifting the bucket whilst holding the mat. With only two tiny hands, of course it was difficult! So we were telling her “muri, muri” (Japanese for impossible, impossible) and we told her that she needs three hands to accomplish her feat. But the beautiful thing that unfolded was that our daughter didn’t listen to our discouraging words. She persisted. The bucket fell. She picked it up. The mat fell. She picked it up. Bucket fell again. And before she picked it up, mat also fell (yes, towel didn’t fall at all). I was already about to spring and help her. But I forced myself to stay put and watch. Thankfully Hubs stayed put as well. And so we watched how our daughter re-adjusted her hands so that she can hold all three and carry all three across the room, near Daddy and Mommy, where we could play and build towers.

It was a lessons learned for us. A reminder for us to persevere and to teach our daughter to persevere instead of saying discouraging words. Thank you for the reminder, Anak. You did (and are doing) a good job.