What a week!

I have just recovered from vomiting and diarrhea. I got it since Monday. Trust me, you don’t want to go through this (forgive me if it sounds gross but that’s what happened):

First day: Vomited several times 8-10 times.
Second day: Diarrhea, 7-8 times. Mainly watery stools. Completely knocked out. Took a 3-hour nap.
Third day: Diarrhea, 3-4 times. Vomited once.
Forth day: Diarrhea once.
Fifth day: Hooray, solid stools. Started to crave for foods.

Sounds bad huh? There’s more.

Have you seen Nurin Jazlin?

I don’t usually post negative news here (rape, murder, assault... you know what I mean). I think we have had enough everywhere else. I just want to send out positive vibes here.

But I CAN’T give this a skip. As a parent, I know how heart wrenching it is to have lost your beloved child. By posting a story about Nurin, I hope I could help in the search of this 8-year old Malaysian girl.  

Nurin, a Year Two pupil at SK Desa Setapak, failed to return home after going to the night market in Section 1, Wangsa Maju, at 8.30pm on Aug 20.

There has been no inkling of where eight-year-old Nurin is despite a massive nationwide search.

If you have seen this girl, call +6 (03) - 2031 9999 (Malaysian Police).

Let’s pray for the safe return of Nurin.

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Follow on update:

September 21:  Bad news. The police have confirmed that the body found in a sports bag is Nurin. But the parents denied that it's their daughter yesterday. However, with overwhelming scientific proof produced, the parents have to accept the sad news. According to this blog, the body will be claimed this morning and funeral (burial) would probably be held after Friday prayers today.

Our deepest condolences to Nurin's family. RIP, Nurin Jazlin.

"No man is an island."

Does teaching children social skills really matter? You bet.

Helping your child develop social skills at an early age is something parents must do if you want your child to thrive later in life.

Why teach children social skills?

1) They become more people friendly and people oriented.
2) They learn to get along with people.
3) They learn how to share, not being self centered.
4) They learn to care for other's feelings.
5) They learn there are things beyond family members.
6) They become more confident.
7) They learn to cope with differences.

I saw a vast improvement in my preschool daughter last weekend. During our visit to my friend’s house, for the first time, J played with my friend's daughter without our company.

I would like to share some interesting (and useful) posts with you. You may want to add them to your reading list.

• Cool Chalkboards Your Kids Will Love – Here’s an excellent tip if you don’t want your kid mess things up during art time. While you’re there, check out other posts by Dr. MOZ, mainly on gadgets.

• Stop bleeding the Cuban way – Tried and tested natural way just by using sugar. Handy for family accidents.

• Build a Reading Family: How to Share Reading with Your Kids – I can’t emphasize more on the importance of cultivating reading habits in children. Some awesome tips on making reading fun with your children.

Today I was in the post office, hurrying to mail off my books to Amazon. I was annoyed at the long line, and slow service. My anxiety heightened, and annoyance set in, until two little angels, disguised as young boys, crossed my path. 

One of them, 14 months old, with wild red hair, a Latin accent, and a cleft chin said, ”Hi!”, emphatically with a gleam in his beautiful blue eyes.

He laughed, as another one nearby heard the exchange and joined in. “What’s your name”, he asked? 

I told him and he worked hard to pronounce, Sally. He giggled and told me that he had an older brother, named Thomas. His eyes lit up as he told me all about him. 

Then he turned to the little angel (boy), and said, “Would you like a hug?” The little one said, “Yes”, and the two of them engaged.

I was mesmerized.

It may be good for frugal families, as the title suggests. But after reading the article by Maine Mama, wealthy families can put theses ideas to use if they don’t want to have spoiled children who do nothing but ask for money.

Maine Mama shares her three strategies:

• First, involving kids in our financial goals.
• Second, letting the kids make a lot of financial decisions themselves.
• Third, try to say "yes" as much as we can.
  

The students focus too much on academic excellence than other soft skills. The system produces students who go for zero-sum more than win-win.

The current system is not efficient in helping children develop their own unique talents. If you get an "F" in school, you’re doomed to fail. At least that’s how the teachers think.

But in reality, that’s not the case. Name three entrepreneurs who were school drop outs? You can give me the answers easily.

Note-taking is one of those skills that rarely gets taught. Teachers and professors assume either that taking good notes comes naturally or that someone else must have already taught students how to take notes. Then we sit around and complain that our students don’t know how to take notes.

I figure it’s about time to do something about that. Whether you’re a high school junior or a college senior or a grad student or a mid-level professional or the Attorney General of the United States, the ability to take effective, meaningful notes is a crucial skill. Not only do good notes help us recall facts and ideas we may have forgotten, the act of writing things down helps many of us to remember them better in the first place.

Read full: Lifehack.org

This is something I hardly tell people. But since there’s a lesson for every parent to learn from my experience, I decided to “reveal” the secret.

It turned out to be a guest article I wrote for Dumb Little Man – a highly successful site that I admire very much.

In this article, I share with you 6 lessons that I learned to turn myself from an impatient dad to a patient one. Go read it now and it will keep you from insanity.

How I Turned Myself From An Impatient Dad To A Loving One