weekend reflections

March 8, 2013

Weekend Reflections: Earn Your Keep Monkey Boy’s Updates.

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Monkey Boy’s side profile

It has been a while since I last updated about Monkey boy’s progress with his job as a budgeting accountant. It has been slightly more then a month since he started his job and it hasn’t been all that rosy for him.

Twice he had his weekly pay docked by $2 as his accounts were not in order. He didn’t not keep the receipts that were given to him and missed out recording some items. Through these episodes he has learned how important it is for him to do proper recording and keeping a tab on his work. Being slip-shot and not completing task when given a deadline is also not tolerated in the working world.

Monkey boy learned first hand that being diligent and efficient is essential to getting his work task done promptly. He has to have good time management to be able to complete both his school work and his budgeting assignments within the given week.

Dollars and Sense Book

We visited the library and borrowed this book for Monkey boy to read. It gave him a general guideline about what types of Money habits we wish to inculcate in him. We also read up online on how money came into existence and evolved to today’s dollars and cents.

In the coming months I’ll be teaching him how to do cost analysis and how to handle the usage of cash based on various case scenarios given to him.

In the next post on Holistic Learning I’ll be sharing what I have done with Doggie boy so far.

If you are interested to read all the post that have been posted in this series so far click on the button below and it will lead you to the consolidated list.

What has been on your mind this week? Do share in linky below with your post.

March 1, 2013

Weekend Reflections: Cycling with Bike School Singapore

Dominique Parenting and Kids, Weekend Reflections Cycling, weekend reflections

Learning to cycle

Last Sunday Doggie boy went for his first riding lesson. He had been riding with trainer wheels for quite awhile and it was his first time riding without them attached to the bike.

Doggie boy the eager student

He has been watching his elder brother Monkey boy ride his bike without trainer wheels and couldn’t wait to upgrade to a normal bike for a while. He was really excited when we told him that Singapore Bike School had offered to sponsor him bike lessons and he will be taught how to ride a bike properly.

Doggie boy getting ready to start.

After being introduced to instructor K, Doggie boy was given a helmet to wear. He was also given a height appropriate bike without wheels.

Lesson 1: Learning how to balance

Balance is very important in learning how to write a bike. If one is unable to balance on the bike there will be a higher chance that he may fall off or lose control of the bike if it was going to fast or round the bend.

Doggie boy was taught how to remain seated on the bike when it was in motion and turn properly by leaning to the right or left depending on which direction he was going.

Once he could balance the bike , move a distance and turn left and right with it it was time to move on to Lesson 2.

Lesson 2: Learning how to start off properly, stop and brake

Learning where to put his feet before starting off.

The pedals of the bike were placed back before this lesson started. Doggie boy learned how to positing both feet before he starts of cycling. He had to put his dominant feet on the pedal and use both feet to kick off.

Coming to a stop he had to gently squeezing the brakes. If he were to suddenly squeeze on the brake there will be a high chance that he may get thrown off the bicycle when it suddenly jerks. The instructor commented that most of the time kids use their feet to brake when they want to stop. They are not used to using the brakes and have to be constantly reminded. I agreed as they feel almost by instinct to use their feet instead of the brake.

Lesson 3 :Tackling the obstacle course

Now that Doggie boy could handle the bicycle quite confidently he was given the task of trying to ride through the obstacle course set by the instructor.

I manage to take a video of him riding the bicycle.

Doggie boy attempting to ride on the road.

Before long he was riding on the road within the road safety park. He wasn’t that stable and kept bumping into the curb. I guess it will take a while for him to be more seasoned with riding a bicycle.

It was a great achievement to go learn how to ride a bicycle within 1 lesson and we were extremely proud of him. Now is the time to get him a new bicycle.

Disclaimer: We were offered two consecutive free lessons from Singapore Bike School however we only managed to have one as the instructor is away for the month of March and we are only free on weekends.

What are you reflecting on this week? Join in our linky and link up below.