My father used to work in an American military installation. He became and still is a stickler for being on time.

From him I learned about the importance of time and time management.

Being a special ed teacher and a full-time homeschooling mom to my two younger children, time management is one of the most important things I have to teach myself otherwise I would not be able to accomplish anything. With house work thrown in between these full schedule, I really have to squeeze couple time and time for me.

My day starts early. Wait, make that, my eldest daughter’s day starts earlier than I do for she wakes up around 4.30 am to prepare for school. Without me waking her up.

I wake up after her. Cook her lunch to bring to school, if I am early enough. If not, she gets lunch money to buy lunch in school.

After she leaves for school, I do several things:

• if I have to go to work, I prepare the things we have to bring like food and homeschooling stuff.

• If we just stay at home, I go online first to do stuff like read the news, write blog posts, check e-mails and play my favorite online game while the children are still in bed. One of those days, a hired help comes to clean the house and another to do stuff in the backyard.

When the children are up, we go about our homeschooling tasks. These lessons have been scheduled in advance, with a per-day schedule taped on the notebooks. They cross out the lessons that have accomplished and see how far they still have to go.

(Do you know that a lot of mothers spend so much time online that by doing so, a lot of time supposedly spent with the family is taken away?)

Anyway, back to my schedule: If they finish early, then we have complimentary lessons like watching DVD related to their lessons, or they get to play their toys. If the weather is fine, we go outdoors to play for a bit.

If they don’t finish early, then they have to do better the next day and reap the rewards waiting for them.

I believe that time management is one of the best lessons to be taught to our children. Among the other life lessons are taking the time to hug your children and learning to take things slow.

How do you teach the importance of time management? Share your experiences here and get a chance to win a watch from Kids Watch Central.

Here is how to win:

1. Share the most effective time management techniques you us with your children.
2. Share short anecdotes on how these are implemented and what the outcomes were.
3. Share why teaching children about time and telling time gives them an opportunity to learn about discipline and time management.
4. Share these by posting a comment with your email address to qualify.
5. The three (3) MOST UNIQUE AND INTERESTING ANSWERS will be given one (1) Kids Watch Central watch.
6. Deadline for submission of entries will be July 20, 2009.
7. Winners may claim their prizes at GeiserMaclang c/o Arbee Panga, Unit 7D Tuscan Building, 114 V.A. Rufino St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.
8. Open to residents in the Philippines only.

Thank you GeiserMaclang and Kids Watch Central for this contest that not only will enable us to learn more about time management but have us win watches for our children

This is still an undeveloped beach front property in Panglao, Bohol, home of talcum soft and powdery white sand beaches. The owners of this property have no plans yet to do something about the parcel of land.

No, it is NOT for sale, as far as i know.

Photo taken by my daughter.

Credits to: Shabby Princess

Pink is a color I associate with flowers, which were featured in a PH pink theme almost two years ago.

I have a pink flower again:

I am guessing those purple things are the leaves

Happy 4th of July to those in the USA!

The kids and I were fortunate to have been invited to join the launching of TriNoma Mall’s DIgital Cinema to watch an advanced screening of Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

The movie was fun, fun fun!

The TriNoma Digital Cinema is also a great venue for movies like these because the Digital 3D experience was simply wonderful and unforgettable!

continue reading this entry »

Do you consistently peek at what your child(ren) are up and about?

Do you feel you have to be there for them?

Do you have to tell them reminders that they already know?

Do you make a fuss over everything and the more you do, the more you feel your child(ren) is resenting your fussing?

Do you have to notice every facial expression, every sigh, every twitch, everything your child(ren) makes?

If the answer is “YES” or “ALWAYS” or “OF COURSE”, then you are a hovering parent.

Nothing wrong there except of course, you have to consider the age of your child. If you hover too much on your pre-teen child(ren), tweens and teeners, chances are, they will resent you moving too close for them to spread out their wings so to speak, and see if they can do things independently.

In fact, isn’t it that toddlers resent being given help and they would yell when they are not allowed to have their own way at times?

To hover during college times is a bit too much although there are situations when these are welcome, especially to those who need proper guidance. Who would properly guide these child(ren) if not their parents who have “been there and done that”? But, parents need to know when they are needed and when they are getting too close for comfort.

Click here to read about how they feel.

Oh, one more thing, hover over them too much and they will hang on to your apron strings too long even if they should have been functioning independently.

Lesson to be learned? Teach them independence and as much possible, take care not to foster helplessness and dependence.

Note to self: i should learn to do this