Parenting Tips Archives - Truly Rich and Blessed

Truly Rich Tips {And note to self!}: Find Your Balance as a Wife and Mother

September 16, 2012 by Tina Leave a Comment

I am supposed to be sleeping, I know! (Sorry, baby! Mama loves you!) BUT a sudden turn of events disrupted my weekend plans to get some work and homeschool planning done and I was left with no choice but to “burn the midnight oil” again! *sighs* These are the days when I wish with all my heart that I was “just” a fulltime stay-at-home-momma (NOT a working one). Oh well. In God’s time, I know! 🙂

Anyway, hubby’s sick and it’s one of the reasons why my schedule got out of whack (he’s been so since my birthday, but I honor him for being such a trooper and even organizing a simple dinner with immediate family for me that night). Not that I’m complaining! It’s very rare for him to fall ill and I’m just thankful to God it’s nothing serious, and that he’s on the mend already! This is also a time for me to step up and take care of him, something I (and he!) know that I’m not very good at sometimes. (I love you, honey!)

Which brings me to my truly rich tips for today, on finding your balance as a wife and mother. At last weekend’s Mompreneur Summit, one of the speakers, Krie Reyes-Lopez of (an AWESOME social enterprise, by the way!), said something like this:
“There’s never gonna be a balance. And it’s OK.”

She was pertaining to balancing everything as a wife, mom, mompreneur, etc. When she said that, I found myself nodding in agreement. I often find myself trying to balance so many things and activities and advocacies, and it can all seem too much. Thank you, Krie, for the reminder! 🙂

Of course, we can try our best to find a balance somehow. But we need to remember that even if we don’t, it’s perfectly fine.

To end, please allow me to share with you a slide show I made for a pre-Mother’s Day event at Fundline Philippines. I was asked to speak to the employees who are moms.

Before you click through it, please note that I don’t claim to be a life coach nor counselor in any way, and I wrote the talk based on my experience as a wife and mom. Please take note that I also don’t claim any rights to ownership to any of the images used in the presentation, except those of me and/or my family. 🙂

Anyway, I hope this helps somehow! 🙂 Have a blessed week, everyone!
Women and Family Life for Fundline – Finding Your Balance as a Wife and Mother

Truly Rich Tips: On Smart Parenting — How to Teach Kids Phone Manners

August 24, 2012 by Tina Leave a Comment

*This is part of an article I wrote recently for Smart Parenting. I hope it helps us parents somehow! 🙂 Happy weekend, folks! I’m off to the now! 🙂

Many parents reading this would probably agree with me that good manners are a sign of being “civilized,” and that showing respect and consideration towards other people is a crucial social skill that children should learn.

Marian Wright Edelman, an American activist for the rights of children, president and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, and author of several books, including I Can Make a Difference: A Treasury to Inspire Our Children, even said: “Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree.”

Truly, when it comes to teaching our kids manners and respect, we parents have an important role to play. The way our children behave when they are at home or visiting other people’s homes, and yes, even “simple” things like using the phone, can be an indicator of how they will be as adults.

To help all the parents out there (including me), here are a few tips for teaching phone manners to children:

Homeschool mom Sim Casalme Dumlao, says she teaches her kids — Mark, 11, and Monica, 10 — how to be courteous on the phone by setting a good example for them. “Kids will only do what they see and hear from the adults at home,” she shares. “Especially (when it comes to) answering phone calls, including on cellphones. This is one of their favorite ‘mimic play’ activities, so make sure you demonstrate how to take calls during playtime.”

Marge Aberásturi, an independent virtual assistant and owner of VASupportPro.com, says her kids Xia, 12; Bea, 8; and Jude, 7 answer the phone for her most of the time. She always reminds them to “use po and opo and ask who the caller is politely.”

“If the caller refuses to identify himself or herself, I tell them to just put down the phone without any fuss,” Marge continues. “If the caller does identify himself or herself though, the kids ask who he or she wants to talk to politely, then ask him or her to wait for a minute while they get Mommy.”

Marge says she also taught her kids to never give other information, such as what people in the house are doing. “Dati kasi nakikipagkwentuhan pa sila sa caller,” she explains.

To continue reading this article, please click here.

Truly Rich Tips: How to Make Reading an Effective and Lasting Habit (Tips from the Free Parenting Seminar by The Learning Basket and The Learning Library)

August 20, 2012 by Tina 2 Comments

A few weekends ago, the kids and I were blessed to have attended a free parenting seminar organized by The Learning Library and The Learning Basket. It was titled “Make Reading an Effective and Lasting Habit.” I meant to post this earlier on my homeschool blog (it was just in my drafts folder, waiting to be edited), but I decided to post it here instead. 🙂 (I really need to update that blog, though! LOL!)

Anyway, during the seminar, Mrs. Vanessa Bicomong of the Learning Library gave the talk.

She was a very good speaker — energetic and engaging with the audience. 🙂 I’ll try to explain what we learned through the photo captions (sorry, I’m not much of a photographer, so do forgive the dark, blurry pics — I turned off the flash so as not to be distracting). 🙂

The seminar had three main points:
1. Choosing the right book for your child
2. Read to and with your child
3. Make it part of your routine.

Choosing the Right Books for Your Child

Consider the child’s reading ability and comprehension level, including too, his age and interests.
DON’T let your child choose his own books all the time.
DO read the book yourselves first, to assess whether the book is suitable for your child.

Consider the length of the story and the type of book. Chapter books or novel-type books may be too long for both YOU and your child. Make sure you will be willing to read the story, no matter how long it is.

Studies show most boys prefer books on dinosaurs, cars, etc.
Most girls prefer books on princesses, fairies, etc.
THEREFORE, make sure you choose other books, too.

When choosing books that your child will read by himself, consider his ability to read by looking at the sentence length per page.

Consider, too, the word difficulty within sentences. Take the five finger test! 🙂
I tried researching a bit on it and this is what I found via Google: click here, here and here.

The way Ms. Vanessa explained it was a bit different from what is written in the articles noted above.
1. Place your hand on the lines of one of the pages of the book.
2. Make sure that you place one finger on each line.
3. Check what words “fall” under each finger.
4. If your child is unable to read the words indicated under each finger, the book may be too difficult for him.
(Please correct me if I’m wrong, Ms. Vanessa! Teehee!)

Also, www.LEXILE.com is a great resource to help you determine if the books you want to buy or already have are ok for your child. 🙂 You can just enter the book’s name (if it was published in the US) and you can find out the book’s Lexile score. 🙂 You can use the Lexile score to “match” books to your child’s reading ability/level.

Consider also your child’s experiences and background knowledge. For example, Ms. Vanessa said she personally doesn’t buy a lot of books that talk about snow, since we in the Philippines have never experienced snow. 🙂 Of course, it’s up to you to decide.

Ms. Vanessa reads Drummer Hoff. 🙂
I must get a copy for the kids! 🙂

When buying baby books, look for simple text and art, repetition and bouncy rhymes. Kids will LOVE it, too, if you read with “feelings”! 🙂 The David series is good, according to Ms. Vanessa. (We got the “No, David!” book from The Learning Basket and Tim loves it!)

Babies also should have books that have photos of actual objects, not illustrations.

Of course, if you want your books to last till your child grows, choose books that are sturdy, the right size and shape for your baby’s hands and those that YOU will enjoy reading, too. 🙂
Some of our favorites are Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny, the board book versions.

For preschoolers, choose books that clearly cover the concept you are trying to teach. For example, if you want to teach him about Philippine Independence Day, you can look for books related to it (like the ones here!)

We love Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter books!
We also enjoy reading “Click, Clack, Moo” and books by Dr. Seuss.

Ms. Vanessa recommends books by Shel Silverstein, too, for fun poetry books for kids, and more!
Other tips for choosing books for preschoolers:
Choose books with:

What to look for when buying picture books

Don’t force your child to “enjoy” the stories you enjoyed as a child, though! You should BOTH enjoy reading the books together! 🙂

Tip: Buy leveled readers that will challenge NOT intimidate your child. Most readers are already classified by level or Lexile score.

More tips on buying leveled readers. 🙂 You can also buy books on non-fiction subjects if your child is interested in them. 🙂

We have BOTH these books! 🙂 From Book Sale. 🙂 VERY nice!
We were able to talk about Africa, myths, legends, etc. 🙂

This is THE MOST IMPORTANT tip of all! 🙂

AMEN! 🙂

The importance of reading to your child. Ms. Vanessa said that FATHERS play a crucial role in developing good reading habits, especially among BOYS. 🙂

Tips for reading to your child. 🙂

Track from Left to Right. 🙂 Use punctuation marks to emphasize statements as needed. 🙂 Make sure you read books you are willing to read all the way. 🙂 (And that your child is willing to listen to!)

This slide is self-explanatory. 🙂

AMEN! 🙂 Hehe!

Parents should incorporate reading time in their children’s schedule.

A suggestion is to take turns selecting what book to read. 🙂

LOVE this quote! 🙂 LOVE Roald Dahl! 😉

Everyone swarmed over to The Learning Basket’s booth afterwards to get their own quality children’s books! 🙂 It’s a good thing I didn’t bring any money with me; else I would have spent it all! LOL!
You can find more photos of the seminar .

Well, I hope y’all learned a thing or two from my ~~sorry~~ attempt at documenting the seminar! 🙂 In case you missed it and would like to attend a similar event, there’s a second round coming up this Saturday, with an additional talk on raising bilingual children. 🙂

Here are details from :
Good news! To those who missed the first run of our event MAKE READING AN EFFECTIVE AND LASTING HABIT, we have another one scheduled on August 25, 1 to 3PM, at THE LEARNING LIBRARY in Loyola Heights. This time, we have an additional talk on

HOW TO RAISE TRULY BILINGUAL CHILDREN AT HOME.

Email us at with your name, and ages of your kids.

We hope you can share this and also tag your friends who might be interested to join. See you there!

Truly Rich Tips (Esp. for Parents): How to Reap the Seed You Sow

April 2, 2012 by Tina 1 Comment

I was inspired yesterday to try to post a special series of reflections-cum-tips for parents this Holy Week, starting with this one about “hugging it out.” I am a bit ashamed to say though, that, even after writing that post and this one on using your words to bless your children, I’ve still been guilty of being snappish with the kids — and struggling to practice what I’ve been preaching. *sighs* Lord, forgive me!

Anyway, reading this article by my friend and former co-missionary and relatively newbie mom blogger Vania on Smart Parenting really made me think again whether I am/we are actually practicing positive parenting — it’s a super big challenge, since we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) — not just me and my husband, but our kids, too. We are all sinners in need of God’s perfect grace (Ephesians 2:8).

So, receiving this Family Minute reminder in my inbox earlier all the more drove home the point: we reap what we sow. Especially us parents. (I highlighted the part which REALLY struck me!)

Image source here.

How to Reap the Seed You Sow

If you plant tomato seeds, you’ll get tomatoes, right? If you plant cucumber seeds, you’ll get cucumbers. You reap what you sow. In the same way, the seeds you plant in your relationships determine what you’ll get in return. Do you want your children to be patient, kind and respectful to you? Then sow seeds of patience, kindness and respect to them. Want your spouse to be understanding, loving and loyal? Then sow those same seeds yourself. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Come to think of it, this is so true. Especially for me. (It’s kinda scary and sobering, actually!) Only by God’s grace can parenting bear good fruit (Colossians 1:10).

Lord, help me/us to sow only what is Godly and good in our children’s lives!
Thank You for the loving reminder this Holy Tuesday!
Please help me practice what I preach, not just this Holy Week, but every day of my life!
In Jesus’ name I pray, through Mama Mary’s intercession.
Amen.

Truly Rich Tips (Esp. for Parents): Use Your Words to Bless Your Kids

April 1, 2012 by Tina 1 Comment

I have been so blessed this past week — I was given six of Bo Sanchez‘s books to proofread, as part of my job at Shepherd’s Voice.

Our family with Bro. Bo (I was newly employed then — my, how time flies!)

At first, though, I looked at this task as a burden, especially because supposedly to check on her sister in the province, and hasn’t come back since (it’s been a week!). Believe me, it’s been a struggle to catch up on work and house chores (thank God for my husband and kids, who have been quite helpful!). I’ve also been very impatient (hence, this reflection I wrote yesterday).

Anyway, I digress. (Sorry about that, I tend to do that sometimes).

I’m currently proofreading Bo’s book, “How Your Words Can Change Your World.” (Shameless plug: Get your copy here!) There are SOOOO many inspiring lessons from this book, but I felt I had to stop proofreading first and share this one that struck me to the very core of my being (mostly because I have been guilty of doing the very opposite of what it says).

It’s from Chapter 24 of the book, and especially addresses parents:

If you don’t tell your kids who they are and what their destiny is, someone else will.

In other words, Bo says:

You can shape the destiny of your children, of your friends, of your loved ones by your words.

Remember, if you don’t tell your kids who they are and what their destiny is, someone else will. The television will tell them. The Internet will tell them. Bullies in school will tell them.

Don’t let that happen. Honor your kids!

Or, as this striking image says:

Image source here.

Powerful stuff, right?! Just a tip for us to remember, especially during this sacred time of reflection and prayer on Jesus’ immense love for us, and our kids (for those of us who are parents). (Note to self: Remind yourself to apply this tip every day!) Though I believe this applies to ALL our relationships!

Anyhow, back to proofreading for me! Have a blessed Holy Week, folks!

P.S. If you want to get your own copy of Bo’s life-changing books and other inspirational materials (even for your little kids!) log on to www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph now! 🙂 Or, subscribe to Bo’s Soulfood Newsletter FOR FREE! (Just log on to www.bosanchez.ph).