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Abel Cheng's Archives

Traveling with Kids: How I Survived an 8-Hour Road Trip

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I just came back from visiting my parents and in-laws over the weekend. My wife and two young kids were with me.

On a normal day, the trip takes us 4 hours. But due to heavy traffic, it took us 6 hours to reach and 8 hours for the round trip respectively.

One would admit that a 6-hour (or 8-hour) trip with kids is no easy task.

In hindsight, I was amazed at myself how I survived the LONG road trip with my two young kids tagging along.

This was not the first time we traveled that far. But this was the longest.

It dawned on me that maybe it’s useful to share with you what my wife and I did that helped us pull through the trip.

Please note that we are no experts in road trips. But with our own experiences traveling long distance with kids in a car, we learned some useful tips along the way.

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Have a Great Weekend with Kids – Fun of Hiking and Checklist for Beginners

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I always try new weekend activities with my children. I want them to have weekends that are different from the rest. One more reason is to let them expose to different kinds of activities and see what they prefer.

One of the weekend getaways that my whole family loves is hiking.

We are lucky to get to know about a local Hash Harriers club through a friend. And this club organizes hikes/runs once a month for young participants.

For the first-time hiking that I joined, I felt so good after the walk. It was my first since many years back. It’s good to get connected to Mother Nature again after all these years.

My elder daughter was delighted, especially when she got a chance to play in a stream. Even though she was hesitant at first, but now she can’t wait to jump into the water when she sees one.

Likewise, my younger son dared not to even come down and walk for the first trip. He held tight to me throughout the journey. Now, when I carry him, he asks me to let him down on the trek and go into the stream.

Compared to the first trip, my kids have “improved” a lot.

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Life Lessons Your Child Can Learn from Playing Snakes and Ladders

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It’s about time my preschool daughter, J, is ready to play board games. So I had an excuse to buy a set of 14-in-1 board game package the other day.

J was so excited when I presented her the package. She couldn’t wait to play.

Since she’s still young and that was probably the first time she played a board game, Snakes and Ladders would be a better place to start.

My wife and I were playing with her. Initially, I thought J had beginner’s luck because she almost won the game.

But, as in everything, the game had ups and downs. J suddenly dropped to the lowest among all. Thanks to the snakes.

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A Girl Gets A New Heart

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I couldn’t stop my tears (of excitement) from flowing for a couple reasons.

I read about a story of a 14-year old girl, Tee Hui Yi, getting a heart transplant after waiting for the right donor for more than a year.

Definitely it’s good news for Hui Yi who has been using a luggage-like mechanical heart all this while. It’s also an exciting moment for her parents who have never stopped praying for her fast recovery.

As a parent, I share in the joy too. The transplant gives a huge relief to her parents.

But what really touched me was more than that.

I feel so proud for the father of the donor – a 15-year-old boy who has been confirmed brain-dead after a road accident.

It really touched my heart when he said this after he received a telephone call from a doctor telling him that his son’s heart had been successfully transplanted to Hui Yi:

Tee Hui Yi“Although I have lost a son, I now feel like I have a foster daughter.”

On why he agreed for his son to be an organ donor, he said: “My son was God’s gift to me. Now, it is time to return the gift to God.”

The moment I read this, my tears started to flow uncontrollaby.

I truly believe that Hui Yi would agree with me that this is a gift of life that is so full of love and selflessness.

I wish more people would pledge to donate their organs to save more lives and help others live a better life.

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Why You Shouldn’t Stop Your Child From Crying, And What To Do Instead

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It occurred to me when I was young, my mom always asked me to stop crying whenever I cried.

Now that I am a dad myself, it’s only natural that I follow my mother’s footsteps. But I realize there’s something wrong to ask a child who is genuinely sad to stop crying.

Men don’t cry mentality is a misconception. We should throw it out of the window. Crying won’t make men a sissy. Rather it makes you stronger.

If you have cried before as I did on a few occasions, you know the “high” feeling that comes after a good cry. Not to mention the feeling of relief. Hard to describe but it’s such a great feeling!

Now let’s talk about crying children.

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