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Kate turns 7 – A DIY party

After 20 years, I’m so done with big exhausting parties. I’ve decided to cut myself some slack and do simple, meaningful parties which takes half the effort, but double the fun!

 Now that she’s in P1, it’s time for Kate to start learning to plan her own party, with guidance.

 First rule: She’s allowed to invite a maximum of 7 friends as she turns 7 this year. But I advised her to be mindful of the dynamics of the group because we don’t want anyone to feel excluded.

 She decided to invite 5 of her best friends from school.

I asked what she had in mind and she came up with this:

 1. Meeting
2. Lunch
3. Movie
4. Cut cake
5. Giving out of goodie bags
6. Farewell

 Meeting?? haha wow, so democratic. She said they can discuss as a group what they would like to do.

 I told her we need to add in some games and activities. I suggested clay or playdoh, which is my go-to activity for entertaining kids. Something which kids love but hardly get a chance to play with. I was half expecting Kate to say, “Huh? So childish!” but luckily she was fine with it.

 The trick is in presenting it attractively to the children. (The wooden boards were from spotlight and trays from Diaso).

Playdoh is not just for little ones as it develops creativity, fine motor skills (our kids have lost dexterity in their fingers with too much gadget use), and it is a wonderful thing to be able to make something from nothing!

We had extra playdoh at work as we made them for our Children’s day gifts, so that saved me the trouble of mixing up a new batch. Just nice!

 I was further affirmed after attending a talk by Esther Wojcicki, who raised 3 successful daughters, one of whom is Susan, CEO of Youtube and she stressed that the biggest 21st century skill to nurture in our kids is CREATIVITY. Yes, right through secondary school.

I upped the appeal by offering simple things like coloured crystals I had on hand for them to blink up their creations if they wished.

 Kate went one step further and added on a couple of rules!

“Each person can choose 1 colour. If you need other colours, you can ask your friends nicely.”

Kate’s jewel box

It was heartwarming to watch how they were so polite and generous with one another and I was really happy to get to know the kids whom she spends her time with at school.

 I prepared empty containers for them to take their creations home. One adorable friend made a “sweet shop” and said it was a gift for the birthday girl.

This kept them occupied for almost an hour. I loved how engrossed they were because I wasn’t sure how they would take to it. Some kids who are exposed to too much screen time can’t come up with any ideas and may say things like “so boring”. In fact, they are the ones who need more guidance to rekindle their creativity.

 After a sit-down activity, it was time for them to get physical. What better way than to take out this ultra-unique, hand-painted Snoopy themed twister mat which Kate’s older sister upcycled.

This game never fails to elicit roars of laughter, and it is not always the strongest or most flexible one who emerges as champion but often the most resilient!

 The kids were going “woah” and “so cool” and I hope this sparked in them ideas that art can be done on different mediums, besides drawing or colouring on a piece of paper.

 They noticed that it was an old bedsheet and the recycle message sunk in. Haha, they might go home a look around for items to re-purpose.

Time for lunch!

 When we were discussing lunch, Kate said, “Can we have my favourite tomato and spring onion quesadillas?”

Great suggestion. Only problem, I was quite certain not all of her friends would like that combination.

 I set up a DIY station and the kids had fun choosing their own fillings.

Kate guided her friends along:

Step 1: Fold wrap in half
Step 2: Put filing only on one side
Step 3: Top it with cheese

 What she forgot to mention was that it had to go into the oven and before we knew it, one child took a bite of it 😉

 Don’t forget to give them full instructions if you are planning to do this!

I love hosting drop-off parties because not only is it really fun to be with the kids, but I don’t have to plan another menu for the adults and I can be fully present for the kids.

After lunch… it was movie time! The only thing Kate requested for was to have a movie screening and she asked her sister for permission to watch it in her room. We did the cake-cutting before starting the movie so that the kids were ready to leave when any of their parents came to pick them up.

 I set up a snack station in case anyone was hungry before lunch or if they were peckish after the movie. The most popular were the tortilla chips, seaweed and sugary gem biscuits!

I allocated a pocket of free time to see what they would come up with and someone suggested a drawing competition. I loved how they naturally transferred their school rules here and one was the “discipline monitor” who issued warnings when the noise level got too loud. We had a whole half hour of silence as the kids concentrated hard on their drawings.

 They ended the party with ring popsicles made with orange juice & everyone left happy!

Really, a perfect party indeed. Loads of fun, stress-free, and the most wonderful, well-behaved bunch of children!

 Kate received a shiny unicorn lockable diary and immediately wrote in it that night. She reported to her “dear diary” that it was the best birthday party she’s ever had!

 I really enjoyed myself too! Hosting the party and getting to know the kids.

 Happy Birthday my dear Kate! Keep your childlike faith, surround yourself with genuine friends and know that we love you just the way you are!

 About MummyWee

Michelle is an Occupational Therapist by day and mum of 6 by night. Besides the already very demanding job of managing 5 teenagers and one 6-turning-16 tween, she is also Founder of The Little Executive, a nurturing centre to develop children in their 4Qs to survive today’s volatile world. She also makes time to volunteer with children and the elderly in her community.

 Kate turns 1 – A lucky 6th child
Kate turns 2 – A kampung affair
Kate turns 3 – A blessed child
Kate turns 4 – Family and close friends
Kate turns 5 – All that glitters is not gold

 How I scaled down their parties from $1000 affairs to $100

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Kate turns 4!

This is the first time we had a low key birthday.

 I mean, really, really, low key.

 After 6 kids, I’ve had enough of OTT birthdays. Of inviting the whole kampung, hiring magicians, jumping castles, and game hosts. That was before Instagram and extravagant dessert tables.

 It didn’t help that we used to live in a condo and that became the norm and our kids expected it. I had a whole cupboard filled with presents which I could whip out when an invite came from one of the neighbours, which happened every weekend or so.

 With Kate, I have stopped doing things just because and now I think through why we do what we do, so much so that one of my teens remarked recently, “Mum, Kate has such a different childhood experience from us!”

 Last year, I tried to keep her birthday cosy, but I guess it wasn’t small enough. When too many guests arrived, she was overwhelmed and burst into tears. We thought inviting 10 kids was a small number, but add to that the accompanying adults, and it was all too much for a 3-year old.

This year, I decided to go old school and keep it simple. Nothing fancy, nothing lavish.

 Thankfully, Kate seemed to have the same thoughts.

I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday and she counted off her closest friends from school whom she wanted to invite home.

 Each time I asked her (just to be sure), she mentioned the same 4 names, and she was very firm about it.

 I was amused, because after 16 years of elaborate parties with 30-40 kids, with unhappy kids at the end of every party, I finally read that the number of guests should correspond to the child’s age.

 So 4 years = 4 friends.

Perfect.

 After handing out the 4 invites, I was slightly nervous. What if only 2 could make it? What a strange, boring party it would be.

 Luckily, all 4 accepted our lunch invitation.

Birthday in school

The day before her party, she celebrated her birthday in school and was overjoyed that I turned up to celebrate it with her and her friends.


She was clearly excited that her best friends were coming to her party and she tidied up the living room without me asking.

 I have been extremely busy the past 3 weeks, and couldn’t put one more thing on my plate. The night before her party, with nothing planned, I asked myself, how hard is it to keep 5 little kids entertained for 2 hours? It took me just 30 minutes to get everything ready for her party, compared to previous years where it took us a full day to cook and prep the house and activities!

Kate turns 4!

Just look at this photo.

 I love how old school it is. Reminds me of the photos we had of our childhood!

 Normally, I would be busy flitting around, keeping guests entertained and seeing to everyone’s needs.

 This time, I could actually sit down and have decent conversations with the other mums.

Clay fun

#3 cooked up a batch of clay and they had fun adorning their creations with sparkly bits.

 I came up with the brilliant idea to get the girls to make their very own DIY party bags! Ok, with a lot of guidance from the mummies.

 I filled some baskets with snacks and little knickknacks such as stationery and girlie craft items.

 After they were done making their bags, they chose what they wanted from the baskets to fill their party bags.

 It was nice to see the girls give in to one another and no one fought for the same items.

DIY party bags

And of course, after lunch, the real fun began when the girls ran off from the adults’ prying eyes and made up their own games.

After her friends left, the rest of our extended family streamed in and I allowed Kate to skip her nap. She opened her presents and continued playing into the evening with her cousin.

Look what I made!
I am a convert.

 No more big parties if I can help it.

 My recent decluttering of our house using the minimalist KonMarie method might have something to do with my desire for simplicity.

 Such an eye-opener. Less is indeed more. In many areas, with less frills, we can go deeper and enjoy better, the things which matter and bring happiness.

 Happy birthday to my littlest!

 May you always know where to find real joy and happiness.

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~

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A new era in Education

Ever since starting my enrichment centre 3 months ago, the focus of my days have taken on a new dimension. Besides seeing to the needs of my kids, I’m immersing myself in rich research and surrounding myself with other people’s children. Life couldn’t be more enriching!

During our September holiday Astronaut camp, I was hanging around making sure everything ran smoothly. Even though I wasn’t teaching them, the kids came up to me with comments and questions.

 I was drawn in and became more and more involved, as it was impossible to resist these innocent faces and incessant questions, and found myself thoroughly enjoying being with them.

As an incidental discovery, I’ve found the answer to a contradiction which had baffled me for years. At every PTM, my daughters’ teachers would tell me how well-behaved they are, what a delight it was to teach them, and all of them won model student awards.

 Yet at home, they came nowhere close to this brilliant picture painted and the hubs and I concluded that they had the Dr Jekyll-Mr Hyde syndrome.

 Now that I’m on the other end, I tell parents what a pleasure it was to have their child with us, how well-behaved and well-mannered they were, and the parents are surprised and divulge that such is not the case at home.

 Ah! I’m concluding that children know how to be on their best behaviour in front of teachers they like. I had some of the P1 and P2 girls coming in half an hour before camp started because they wanted to see if there was anything we needed help with. Such sweet darlings. It is such a joy to teach other people’s children! I’m one of those mums who find it impossible to teach my own kids. Tempers will flare and the relationship risks being ruined, so I don’t even try anymore.

What’s that machine?

When you have a bunch of riveted, absorbent minds watching you (notice how Kate is the only one not bothered with me) knowing that what you say and what you do will have a great impact on them, that knowledge and responsibility is at once astounding yet humbling.

 Of all the sayings I’ve come across about teaching, this one struck me greatly.

 “To teach is to stand on hallowed ground.”

How sacred. We have the potential to mold hearts and minds.

Memory work
Children at every age present so much for us to marvel at. The pure emotions of the little ones, the wide eyes and the quick smiles. The inquisitive minds of the older kids and their desire to do their best. Facilitating them, encouraging them to work together, to go beyond their comfort zone, seeing them grow in a short span of a few days, there was a tangible reluctance all around when it was time to part.

 Besides the holiday camp, Kate has been following me down to my centre and she enjoys the weekly classes. Although I wish our team could churn out curriculum fast enough to include #4 and #5, I’m glad that at least 1 of them gets to benefit from this whole new approach towards learning.

 After 10 years of disappointment at our education system for being mostly concerned with teaching to the test (although now I understand the constrains), and believing that there must be more that can be done to impart real education to our children alongside content delivery, I am finally heartened to discover that there is a way, and we can bring that to a new generation of children.

 In the process, I have been learning a lot (embracing life-long learning!), reading voraciously, and picking the brilliant minds around me. My dear partner, Michelle, never fails to inspire me with her passion and dedication towards the development of children, and her generosity of mind to share with us her special gift of deciphering every child’s learning needs and identifying how gaps can be closed and potentials stretched, so that as a team, everyone grows along and becomes strengthened as educators.
Patterning activity

Our activities may look random, but each activity is backed by scientific research and careful thought has been put into designing it for the best learning outcomes, while disguising it as play as that is the form kids learn best.

 Take for example this activity at last week’s session, where Kate was developing her sequencing skills. It might look simple, but patterning and sequencing is such a critical skill. By encouraging kids to spot patterns, they can create and use patterns to make sense of the world where there is none; by providing order in chaos.

 All about patterns. Patterns are one of the first ways we see predictability, hence allowing us to make educated guesses. In school, patterns are essential for Math (basic patterns), Science (life cycles), English (reading) and social relationships (cause and effect), to highlight simple examples.

 Do you know that out of all mental skills, pattern recognition is said to have the highest correlation with general intelligence? Imagine that.

Ever wondered why IQ tests and the GEP tests are full of patterning questions?

 Although patterning is taught in school, here it is taught as a skill, instead of being part of a subject.

 Therein lies the difference. As such, our children understand that patterns exist in an infinite number of situations, vis a vis being exclusive to a particular subject. They also come to the realization that their actions can affect and impact patterns, and create or break them. Powerful realizations.

 The problem in schools is that we teach too specifically, hence students are not able to apply theories across subjects and their knowledge does not expand past the classroom walls.

 Mastering pattern recognition requires persistence and practice, and the younger the child starts, the better. Experts go so far as to predict that the younger the child is able to observe patterns in his environment, the stronger their future thinking skills will be. (I’m going to expect great things from Kate!)

Besides that, with each activity, not only are we developing the essential skills, we incorporate positive learning habits and encourage a growth mindset; core tenets of our approach. Kate’s teacher noticed that whenever she is presented with a task which she found challenging, she would use avoidance tactics and ask to go to the toilet or ask for permission to look for me (what a convenient excuse).

 Her teacher makes a conscientious effort to guide Kate to adopt a different approach to facing challenges, and by gradually building up her confidence and sense of achievement by small successes while praising her efforts, Kate will be on the path to a more positive learning attitude.

Analogies worksheet

When Kate moves on to K1 next year, she will work on analogies, which is more than just an advanced form of patterning.

What is analogical reasoning? Analogical reasoning is one of the quickest way we learn new concepts and make sense of things by comparing them to what we already know. It is a core cognitive skill that contributes to general fluid intelligence, creativity and adaptive learning capacities.

 In fact, studies have proven that analogical reasoning is a significant predictor of mathematical reasoning. Thus we can think of these as the building blocks for a strong foundation in academic studies. More compellingly, analogical reasoning may help students become more innovative, adaptive and intelligent; qualities our children require to forge ahead in future.

I don’t know if this fascinates you, but the fact that there are activities which can be done and approaches which can be applied to shape our children’s brains and learning in such a powerful way, simply blows me away.

 It is as though I have uncovered some hidden treasures that I have almost lost hope searching for. The more I am discovering, the more I want to delve deeper, and the journey is doubly exciting with a team of like-minded educators as we deconstruct findings and reflect on the processes.

 Looking back on how my life has unfolded, there were times when I was in two minds about whether to go back to work as an occupational therapist or become a stay-at-home-mum and relatives talked about how my overseas education was ‘wasted’ as I stayed home to care for my 6 kids. Fortunately, my parents were 100% behind me and never once complained.

 On hindsight, education is never ‘wasted’ and coupled with the experience and wisdom gained through my parenting journey, I am where I am today, and although never planned, it feels so right doing what I do, and everyday I am energised and ready to go! Life has turned out marvellously.

I have also had the opportunity to meet some of my readers and work with their children, and that has been wonderful as well.
More: Reviews of our holiday camp.

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~
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Kate’s antics: An ice-cream to make your day

I haven’t posted any of Kate’s antics in a really long time!

Have been busy with other ‘more important’ things that I’ve forgotten to watch out for the little things in life, let myself go, and laugh with abandon.

A simple thing like savouring a good ol’ fashioned ice-cream can bring so much joy.

It takes a little child to put things in perspective, doesn’t it?

Ooh, looks yummilicious
Let me give it a lick..
Woah! Super c-o-l-d!
Just kidding…

She’s at the age where she’s soaking up everything like a sponge, especially from her 5 older siblings and their friends who come over to our place frequently, and constantly surprises us with the things she says and does.

Cheek to cheek smiles

Many of the friends I have known through my children have kids the same age as my 3 older teens and we feel the yearning of the “Empty Hands”. They haven’t quite flown the nest, but want their space.

We no longer have to feed them, change their diapers nor carry them till our backs break.

But we miss their chubby arms around our necks and their cheeky faces looking up earnestly at us.

When they are little, we can’t wait for them to grow up so our job will be less tiresome. And when they grow up, we wish they were cute and little again.

The irony of it.

So.

Hug your little ones more often.

Hold your tongue and listen to what they have to say.

For the day will be gone too soon.

And you would wish you had held them more, nagged at them less, and found time to laugh with them a lot more.

It is not too late.


~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~
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Kate’s 1st Show & Tell

Last week, Kate’s Chinese teacher was briefing them about their Show & Tell and asked who was ready to present on Friday.

A few of the older kids raised their hands and the teacher noted down their names and instructed them to go home and practice their lines.

Kate also raised her hand to indicate her interest although I am quite certain she did not fully understand the requirements of presenting a Show & Tell.

In fact, she might have raised her hand just because the other kids were doing so, not knowing what was going on.

As she is new to the class, her lao shi told her that she will have her turn the following week to allow for ample time to prepare.

Kate nodded her head even though she probably only understood half of what her lao shi was saying.

Friday came, and the kids who were allocated to do their Show & Tell deposited their items in the basket at the front of the class.


Kate followed suit.

As the kids were called one by one to go up, Kate kept bobbing up to look at her lao shi and at the basket.

After all the kids on the list were done, there was still 1 item sitting in the basket.

As the lao shi turned to scan the students, Kate looked straight at her and raised her hand.

She asked Kate if the toy was hers and Kate said yes and went up to the front.

Of course she had no idea what to say as her command of Mandarin is limited to songs and simple words, but she gamely stood there holding her toy.

I am glad her lao shi did not turn her down because of a lack of time but allowed her to have a go.

She asked Kate to repeat after her in Mandarin, “My name is Kate. Today I have brought a toy, etc etc.”

Kate repeated sentence after sentence loudly and confidently.

I could still see the lao shi’s amusement while recounting the story.

She said Kate has courage and a willingness to learn which should be encouraged.

For some children, the greatest hurdle is to get them to stand in front of the class while for others, it is to speak up audibly so that everyone can hear.

Kate doesn’t seem to have any problem with both!

At home, I told the older kids what had happened and we were all tickled by the story.

I simply had to find out what was going on in her mind.

Me: Did you do Show & Tell today?

Kate: Yes!

Me: How do you do it?

Kate: You raise your hand to tell lao shi, bring your toy, put it in the basket and wait for your turn.

Me: That’s it?

Kate: Uh-huh. Very easy.

We all burst out laughing.

Kate’s idea of Show & Tell is “Bring your toy to show your friends” and lao shi will do the rest.


~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~



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Kate’s morning routine

One of the most important traits I had to instil in my kids to save my own sanity was to make them independent.

As I do not have octopus arms, I needed to figure out a way to stop the constant cries of “Mameeeee!” coming from all corners of the house.

With Kate, I was surprised that she is even more independent than the older kids.

One day, it dawned on me that she had been doing the same thing morning after morning while I was still lazing in bed and had formed her own routine before she was even 3!


She wakes up by herself at 7am, give or take 10 minutes.

She comes over and gives me a peck on the cheek.

That’s my cue to wake up and make her milk.

I promptly return to bed for more shut eye while she gets herself ready for school.

She goes into the bathroom, takes off her pyjamas and diaper and has a quick shower.

She is able to reach for the towel which is hung on a low hook.

She does a pretty decent job of drying herself and hangs the towel back.

She goes over to the sink, fills up her cup, rinses her toothbrush, squeezes some toothpaste on and brushes her teeth.

I know at this age, we should still be supervising her brushing, but I only do that with her at night! She just visited the dentist and her teeth are looking good.

Kate’s closet drawer

Ever since I noticed her picking her own clothes at about 2 years of age I have moved her clothes to the lower drawer to facilitate her independence and free myself of 1 more task. 


She chooses her outfit for school and even matches them in her own style, so much so that #3 asked me, “Who has been dressing Kate?”

After she’s done, she will close the door softly and make her way downstairs and look for our helper.

She has a light bite of breakfast and plays with the puppy for a few minutes before putting on her socks and shoes and heading to the door to wait for her ride to school.
The effort I have invested in constantly talking through the steps when she was 1 and 2 years old have paid off and she’s by far the easiest to manage.

No need for nagging, scolding, reward stars. Nothing! Just plain and simple routine.

I wish I had known then what I know now and the daily grind of getting the 5 of them to school would have been way easier!

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~
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Kate said “I love you” to a stranger?!

One weekday afternoon, I took Kate and #5 to our neighbourhood playground.

As usual, she would go on her balance bike while I brisk walked next to her.

She tries to cycle as much as possible on the pavement, but for most stretches, it is hardly possible and she ends up having to cycle at the side of the road.

From afar, we saw a car turning in and she stopped.

I instructed her to come closer to me as we tried to find a space between the parked cars to nip in.

The car slowed right down, and the elderly man wound down his window.

Uh-oh.

I could see what was coming.

The man started telling me how dangerous it was to allow a little girl to ride on the road, and that she should be on the pavement, that sometimes drivers can’t stop in time, are not concentrating fully, or their reflexes might be slow.

I kept quiet and allowed him to go on.

Yes, I could have answered back with all my excuses.

That I’m sure he has never tried cycling on the pavements in our area, as he would have noticed that they are blocked by dustbins, flower pots or cracked pavements due to the tree roots.

When both sides of the lanes are clear, she is able to keep close to the pavement and if any car passes by, they have enough space on the other lane.

However, right where we were, cars were parked on one side of the road, which left only one clear lane.

Even though she looked like she was riding in the middle of the road, she was actually trying her best to keep to the side.

No, no, she doesn’t go to the playground in a frock

But I knew where this man was coming from.


He was concerned about the little girl on a bicycle.

After he was done with his little tirade, Kate waved to him and said “Ok uncle. Thank you uncle. Bye bye uncle. I love you, uncle.”

The elderly man broke into a smile, waved back and told her to take care.

#5 who had watched in silence exclaimed incredulously, “Who says I love you uncle to a stranger in a car!”

“I mean, who does that?!”

Kate passed him with a big smile on her face.

She could smell care and concern from the elderly stranger.


What struck me was how I felt after that.

If I had had any altercations with him whatsoever, it would have left everyone in a negative mood.

Instead, by biting my tongue, listening in humility, and acknowledging the concern the other party had, the exchange ended peacefully and none of us had to walk away with an unpleasant feeling in our hearts.

Kids have so much to teach us, don’t they?

Other lessons

Lesson #15: What are we worth, mums?
Lesson #16: What do you do when you get sick of parenting?
Lesson #17: The tragedy of our society


~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~
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How Kate gave up her pacifier

Like many new parents, we tried not to give #1 and #2 the pacifier. However, they ended up sucking their fingers. That was much worse as they had access to it anytime of the day, and would pop it in their mouths whenever they felt sleepy. Yikes, the germs! It was also very tough to get them to stop sucking their thumbs.

We made sure the rest of the kids did not suck their thumbs, and had to resort to using the pacifier. I know there are many mums who manage without the pacifier or allowing them to suck their thumbs, and I don’t know how you do it!

For us, it was hard enough to manage so many kids, and I used the pacifier to help them fall asleep by themselves.

Her last photo with a pacifier!

When #3 was around 2 years old, we told her it was time to get rid of her pacifier, and threw all of them away. She cried for a few nights, and seemed fine after that.

However, little did we know that it bothered her so much. When she was about 6 and had her own pocket money, she bought herself a pacifier! I guess we should not have done it in such a harsh and abrupt manner as she must have been rather attached to it.

With Kate, we gave her a pacifier but ensured she only used it at bedtime and nap time. She had two to rotate, and when one had a tear in it, I did not replace it and made it known to her that she was down to the last one.

A few months before her third birthday, we felt it was time she gave it up. We explained to her that pacifiers were for babies to help them to sleep and she doesn’t need one now as she is no longer a baby.

She fluctuated between being ready to give it up and being adamant that she needed it. When she saw her baby cousin, she would fetch her pacifier and offer it to the baby. She even whispered to the baby that she is now a big girl and doesn’t need it anymore (so adorable hearing her try to convince herself). However at bedtime, she would change her mind.

We prepped her for many weeks, and told her that we would throw it away on her 3rd birthday. We talked about the lovely party that she was so looking forwards to, and the presents she would receive.

I intended to keep aside a couple of the presents unopened, and when she whined for her pacifier, I would whip out one present per night to wean her off it smoothly.

A few days before her 3rd birthday, her pacifier had a slight tear in it, and she didn’t want to suck it. She asked for a new one, but I told her no. She thought about it, then walked to the dustbin and threw it in herself.

That was it! No fuss, no crying. I was quite surprised, really. No need for my sneaky plan.

It took her about 30 minutes longer to fall asleep, and when she woke up in the middle of the night, she lay in bed for a long time before falling asleep.

The next day, she asked for it at nap time and at bed time, but did not make a fuss when I reminded her that she had thrown it away.

After that, she had no problems falling asleep without it.

The end 🙂

Do share with us if you had managed to wean your child off at a younger age, and what method you used as many new parents are keen to find out.

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~