Does your little one needs an ipad?

Do you let your little one play with your smartphones? Or ipad? Or any other similar electronics gadgets such as Nintendo? Psvita? Do you babysit your baby with electronics gadgets?

Me and JY agree that we won't let lil pumpkin expose to electronic gadgets before she turns 2yo. And it will be limited screening time after 2yo too. So we always keep her away from our smartphones. But this does not work too well as everyone in the house is holding a smartphones with them everyday and lil pumpkin start her curiosity of what it is that we adults have to carry with us all the time. So whenever she sees any phones that is near to her she would grab it very quickly. And by the time she is 6mo she loves our phones as she likes to see herself using the front camera. Other than that, she wouldn't understand what's the gadgets are for. As lil pumpkin understands more and she started to observe us while we are using our phones. Sometimes when we watch videos from our phone, she would crawl very fast and wanting to see what's on the screen too. I usually would let her see some interesting videos once in a while too. 

A lot of young parents often get very annoyed by kids throwing tantrum when they are outside. And when letting kids playing with ipad/iPhone are so useful and most often could quiet down a child easily, parents get even more relied to this method. They even bought an ipad specially for the kids to play around all day!! I'm not saying these are bad parents as I myself sometimes have to give in and let lil pumpkin settle down with some singing and dancing videos too during special occasion for example when we brought lil pumpkin for her first osteopath treatment, she was crying and it's hard for us to get it done. So we put some Mickey videos on for her.

How to entertain your little one without using help from electronic gadgets? 

I'm gonna share what lil pumpkin usually do at home nowadays. 

Some wooden blocks toys and Lego blocks.

Some books. Other than her bedtime story books, we got some activity books too for her to explore herself.

Some educational puzzle blocks. 

There are some really good books that I personally like them too.

DK noisy book. This is a very interesting book because there are a lot of hidden noises when u flip up some pages. 

For example when the pages lift up to show a lion. There's a lion's roaring sound. If u noticed there is a sensor dot above the lion so that when the page is lifted up. Lion will Roar!!! 

Snakes rattle!! Lil pumpkin will follow and repeat the szeeeee sound too!!! This teaches her animal's sound!! 

Eric's touch and feel play book.

Lion's fur!! 

Lulu's clothes. This teaches lil pumpkin how to wear all types of clothes like zip up a jacket. 

And also how to tie a lace! 

Lulu's loo even teaches little one how to go to the loo. Lil pumpkin isn't toilet trained yet and I'm not toilet training her till she can walk and express herself by using words. So this book actually let her understand what she will be learning in the future~ 

Flip flap books from preschool prep. 

Lots of alphabets to flip up and review the words that the alphabet representing. ;) 

While electronic gadgets have a lot of educational apps and videos for babies and children. I personally think that as a parents we have no right to take away their chances of getting to touch and feel the real world. Kids have to be out to the greens and sea to feel the fresh air instead of hiding in the room with their apps all day. Isn't that the way we live our lifes before all these gadgets are invented? I'm not saying high technology do no good to us, but before they have all the chances to touch these gadgets, why not let them live with the natures and be contented. 

The last thing you should imply to your child. A competition!

From learning to sit, crawl, stand till walk! I let lil pumpkin to achieved all in her own pace. I don't force her to be the earliest among her peer. I don't feel left out if every other same age kids had done their milestones first before mine. Saying this, it's very difficult for me as a SAHM to not getting worried when ppl around me keep telling me lil pumpkin is too slow in her development and I should seek medical advice. I remembered lil pumpkin can't even sit by her own at the age of 8mo. We had an appointment with paed and were send back home telling us everything was fine for her reflex and she's just slow and every baby is different in their growing stage. They made us an appointment for review 6 months later just in case no improvement in between this period of time. Immediately 2 days after that, lil pumpkin can sit by her own. And she even put strength in her legs when we put her to stand. In just 2 days time she improved. So I keep telling myself not to rush her anymore. She have her own pace.

Fast forward 6 months later I forgotten the appointment made to review at the paed. And we did not go back for the review. At the age of 14mo she then stand up by herself without help. But this did not impressed anyone except us(me and hubby) because everyone thought she was too late for this milestone to be achieved. When lil pumpkin turn 1yo I was asked by many "is she walking yet" obviously my answer would be no. Surely there would be so many suggestions for me to digest all the time. And in order to respect lil pumpkin's own learning pace, as a mother of her, I tried my best to filter all these feedback from others. It's in deed the hardest job I had. 

There was once I got very stress up and keep pushing lil pumpkin to stand up and walk. I've been saying things like "b, when are u gonna walk? Every other kids younger than u can walk by their own already, why are you so slow?" "Can u start walk soon? I can't wait anymore I'm worried." After quite sometimes I started to observe her everyday. And I'm super regret to say things like this to her. I know I shudnt do this because from what i see from lil pumpkin's attitude. She's a very quiet and gentle girl. She do things softly and slowly but very firmly. She don't do things that she's not confidence of. From then onwards, I stop rushing her to get up and walk, instead I follow her pace and help her in every steps she wants to go forward.

5mo. tummy time.

  

5mo. trying to grab toys in front of her.

 

 6mo. sit with support.

 8mo. sit unsupported frog style.

 

9mo. sit unsupported with help.

  

 11mo. sit unsupported by self.

 

14mo. self training to sit and stand in the cot till fall asleep.

 

17mo. trying to stand by herself without support.

 

17mo. Stand by holding furnitures. 

18mo. crawling everywhere with light speed.

 

19mo. Cruising around furniture.

On the 12th of Oct. Lil pumpkin turns exactly 20mo. As usual when I hold both her hands and start walking her to the backyard to see the dogs she let go 1 of my hand and start walking holding only 1 hand of mine. Walking slow but steadily.

Dear parents/parents to be, your child doesnt need any competition in her learning year. So spare them some patients and let them grow happily and you will have a wonderful perfect little one.