Parenting

August 31, 2012

Weekend Reflection: Deciphering Language Preferences

Dominique Parenting and Kids, Parenting Views, Weekend Reflections Multilingual, Parenting

Tiger girl

Raising our kids to be multilingual has been my aim since they were born. Being an educator I know the importance of introducing them to languages from birth. We have been introducing English, Mandarin and Cantonese to the kids as both of us speak them fluently. It’s not enough to know just English and Mandarin as being bilingual is the norm here in Singapore. We want our kids to know more about their culture and heritage and thus the importance to know their own dialect- Cantonese.

It is our aim to get them speaking all 3 languages fluently too before learning other languages like French and Japanese to make them more competitive in the global market once they graduate from school.

I have been using the same method of teaching languages to the kids since Monkey boy was born. They are introduced to all three languages simultaneously through speech, media and other teaching resources.

It is interesting to know that all three of them have different preference to their chosen language for speech. Clarity in pronunciation in different languages also varies from child to child. The kids speak more English at home as compared to Mandarin and Cantonese as most people around us speak English. However it’s fascinating to know that Monkey boy speaks more clearly in English, Doggie boy in Mandarin and Tiger girl in Cantonese.

I have been teaching Tiger girl to count from 1-10 in all 3 languages and surprisingly she is able to say 1-10 in Cantonese the most accurately and without any prompting. It seems that she has more incline to speaking in Cantonese rather then English or Mandarin. She switch effortlessly between the three languages when spoken to and is able to reply in the correct language. She laps into English when she is unable to find the correct word to use in Mandarin or Cantonese like her brothers do.

I hope that all the kids will be equally eloquent in all 3 languages and more in time to come.

Do your kids have a preference for one language over another?

August 20, 2012

Guest Post: What it Means to be a Full Time Mom

Dominique Guest Post, Parenting and Kids Motherhood, Parenting

Today we are having a fellow SMB(Singapore Mum Blogger) mum sharing her thoughts on motherhood here at Dominique’s Desk. Let’s welcome Regina Moo of MummyMoo to the blog

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I race to him at the end of the work day, and am usually greeted with a squeal and a staccato hug. He then takes his shoes out, and prepares to come home with us. The routine works well for him… he has his cousin to play with in the day (as opposed to being an only child) and at the end of the day, he comes home with the two people who love him more than anything else in the whole wide world. It’s been working out, so far.

Weekends are sacred. Try to take him away from me. I bite.

I don’t know if this will be a permanent arrangement. I think that work is good for me and my family. It keeps me sane, and ultimately, the pay check also helps in meeting the escalating costs of having and maintaining a child in Singapore. I am doing what feels best for everyone… and we shall see how it goes as the boy gets older.

I am not justifying my decision to be a full time working mum. I read through what I’ve written so far, and I’m reminded again as to why I think that this is a course of action which I feel that we are comfortable with. I have had the luxury to make a choice, and for this I’m grateful.

That said, I really take my hat off to all Stay At Home Mums. It’s not easy handling everything, and juggling everything else atop of handling one, two or more! children who are usually more needy and demanding than many adults. I’m constantly amazed by the Stay Home Mum’s ability to keep everything together – and even though there are days when things could be better, they still solder on, for heart and home.

I still wish to have more time with my son, especially when I’m reminded over social media about the events of the day as recounted by the SAHM and on days when I’m missing him so much at work that it hurts. However, I have made my choice, and for now, it’s working out in all our favour.

I’m a Full Time Working Mum but it doesn’t make me a lousier mum than those who stay home with the kids. The time I have with my child is precious, and I have learnt the true value of it only because I don’t have the luxury of spending as much time as I am able to with him. We spend quality time together, as a family, and as much as the boy has brought us joy… we think that he’s happiest when he spends these precious moments with us, too.

Author’s Bio:

Regina documents her little family as they grow as one, charting everyday mundane events to milestones that will chart the shape of their future. She is enjoying being a wife and mother, two personae that she has never thought of becoming – in the past. She takes pride in being a working class stiff trying to be a first class Mum! She hares her thoughts about parenting and personal experiences at: MummyMoo