Countdown to school

Last Friday Jo San said goodbye to her pre-school for the last time. Marking the start of her journey to 'big school'.

But there's actually 57 days to go before she starts for real. So who's counting?

Jo San thought bye bye to pre-school meant starting in reception class on Monday but alas there's over 8 weeks of summer holiday fun to be had.

We are only on day 2 and already I'm feeling the pressure of planning meaningful things to do with our time....

But maybe I should just let Jo San take the lead, her gang of toys look like they are enjoying themselves at the theatre today.   

Life is a PIN

Our lives are dictated by numbers. Even my daughter has put a door code on her bedroom door!!

I need a wee

Why do men hate asking for directions? Just saw a man dragging his son around a department store. The little boy obviously needed a wee but the dad continued to drag him around looking desperately for a loo. Why didn't he just ask the staff? There were plenty of them standing around.

Poor boy. Hope he held on!

Talking about asking and toilets, last week at the school meeting we were reminded that all children should be able to go to the toilet by themselves. Whilst Jo San is fine going to the loo by herself I just hope she will be confident to ask when she needs to go and remembers to actually go when engrossed in her activities.


Another reason why her PE Kit lives at school... back up clothes for days when accidents happen.

Happy Meals

Hong Kong's obsession with Hello Kitty has reached new heights it seems. Now there is even a Hello Kitty Dim Sum restaurant.

Like many young girls my daughter is fascinated with places that are branded with Princesses, cartoon characters etc. Will this place encourage her to try more foods? 

On a recent trip to a local dim sum restaurant she ate three Lotus Paste buns and little else. (She calls these buns 公公飽飽(grandad buns) because the first time she ate them she was at grandad's house.)

I wouldn't call my daughter a fussy eater but she is definitely a grazer. She snacks all day long, mainly on fruit I should add, and then just picks at her main meals. I wonder what will happen come September when she begins school lunches. 

At four years old she is expected to use a knife and fork, sit still and eat a roast dinner. I have witnessed this only a couple of times at home, although the nursery she once attended assured me she was quite capable of doing all that. I have my doubts but peer pressure may prevail.

So, shall I go for the packed lunch or the free school dinners? I do not envy the school having to serve 300 meals in one hour. I would prefer the school dinners as she would get something 'hot' but how do I know if she has eaten anything? So do I go for the packed lunch? What do I put in it? Sandwiches are a miss most days .... So many things to think about.

As September approaches the more emotional I get thinking about my little girl walking through those school gates in her new uniform and starting a whole new life. Watch this space to see who cries first.

4 years on

Superman is still flying but this time zooming around the Nurburgring circuit. Whilst our baby girls have become little princesses in every sense!

I miss Poddy!

Just got back from a weekend of camping with our friends. In our case glamping, as we opted for the luxury version of hiring a pod - a wooden wigwam style hut with carpets, heating and TV. Not exactly camping, as we were well sheltered from the elements, much to our relief when the heavens opened in the early hours of Sunday, but we did get into the spirit of camping - barbecues, toasted marshmallows and sitting around the open fire in our assortment of folding camp chairs!

For most of our group this was a new experience and despite our reservations it appears that the great outdoors still has its appeal. The kids had a fantastic iPad-free time, feeding the ducks and geese, dancing with Olaf, running around the well-equipped playground and my little girl has even asked if  she can stay in poddy and go crayfishing again!!!

The onsite entertainment and facilities were great, a vast improvement on those I remember having to endure as a teenager when I went on a school camping trip.

Looks like this group of happy campers and glampers will be coming to a campsite near you very soon!

You mustn't say Win!

"Mummy the man said win.... We don't say win!"

Feeling a bit bleary eyed today having got out of bed at 530am as I was curious to see what had happened to our political landscape.

Without getting into that topic I am struggling to explain to Jo San why the people on the TV are saying win and lose a lot today.

As adults we all know about losing and winning but children these days are constantly told that it's the participation that counts and the result is not important. Try telling that to Ed Miliband and David Cameron!

When exactly did 'win' become a bad word?

It certainly was not the case when I was growing up. I clearly remember trying to beat my fellow classmates in the annual sports day and setting my sights for first place in the Chinese school exams every year. Surely healthy competition is good for us. After all they can only be setup for disappointment if they are led to believe they can never fail.

I strongly believe that kids should be taught to compete and, just like learning to share their toys, children should also know they can't always get what they want. Just like real life, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Sometimes the choices you make might lose you the game but if you aim to win and achieve you will have more fun and gain more than those that are just there for the ride.