Stop Shushing Me!!

My gosh... Have you ever had that annoying librarian shush your 2 year old at the children's section of the library and you're like...he's a kid, he doesn't know that he can whisper!

Thankfully though, libraries are evolving... as are the librarians.

The Jurong Regional Library has just opened an amazing children's section down in Basement 1 (Yup, keep them noisy buggers underground whilst the rest of the world reads some Deepak Chopra in blissful and tranquil armchairs upstairs).

I have yet to bring the twins to go "Tasmanian Devil" on their gorgeous set up, but truly, this was a space that showed acceptance and love for children to be children. Check out these pictures of the space you can enjoy with your kids this weekend.

So here's what it looks like on the outside... you can get there by taking the MRT to Jurong East and walking through the JCube Mall. (look out for the exit after Yamazuki bakery. The library's just across the road from there>)

Extra points for the designated stroller bay in basement 1 just before you enter the main reading area.

Then you see wonderful spacious areas for different activities and literacy enhancing activities, like this dramatic-play theaterette, where your kiddos can don costumes and use hand puppets to act out the stories you're reading to them.

I love the theaterette ambience... 

All I could think of when I saw the puppets and costumes was, "I wonder how much cleaning up the librarians are going to have to do. How are they going to disinfect these things anyway?"

BUT the kids will definitely love them!

Lots of space for adults to make themselves comfy too...

Little fingers will enjoy the activity boards on the walls

Love the toys on the wall :) 

They even have a section to encourage literacy in Mandarin, Malay and Tamil... I particularly liked the cubes suspended from the ceiling with the characters from the different languages.

Kid sized toilets and sinks are great to have. So that you needn't be livid when your toddler has to go and you've got to prop him up onto the adult-sized toilet and he plops in and his bottom touches the water in the bowl and the ensuing growl of OCD disgust makes people stare at you like you're a mad woman... just saying... *ahem*

And then you can enjoy lunch at the Cafe Galilee on Level 1, which has a great selection of easy eats at prices that aren't too bad for the generous portions. I think the drinks and desserts are a little over priced though but they are good.

So enjoy this new kid-friendly library down at Jurong Regional Library soon...before all the puppets get grubby and have fun reading and playing without being shushed!

Awesome parents read to their kids. Have a good one!

Dolls that last and last and last...

If you have any sort of commuting to do with toddlers, you know you have to be armed with something to keep them occupied along the way.

The Double-G tag team

Today, Giselle (from the Disney movie Enchanted) and toddler Gingerbread boy (lets just call him George) are our chaperones. I know, I know...Giselle has really let herself go since settling down in "normal life". 

Gingerbread boy is about 10 years old and Giselle, only 7. Grandma had bought George for my two older girls when they were maybe 6 or 7 years old. He's held up pretty well because he was hardly played with really. 

Giselle on the other hand was a doll my husband bought for the second oldest (Miss N) when the movie came out and she loved it lots. 

Once the girls evolved from tweens into teens, the Barbie dolls and toys gradually got packed away. When they were growing up, they even had hand-me-down Barbies from my own childhood. These things just last and last! So now, the twins have hand-me-downs from their older sisters which obviously doesn't bother them one bit. 

But it did get me thinking about how much plastic goes into making these dolls and how many millions of these childhood playthings get tossed into the trash once their once loving owners outgrow them. The S$20 (or US$10) that's spent on one of these dolls is really billions of dollars worth of landfill cost and environmental hazard costs. Those Barbies my mother had kept for my older girls were "recycled" to a family in Indonesia after sifting out the ones my youngest girl wanted. I do wish I had straightened out the old dolls' hair first. Learn how to refresh your old Barbie doll's matted hair here. I'll be trying it on Giselle soon so that she doesn't look so raggedy and will be rightfully restored to her royal princess beauty. Right now she looks like dumpster princess.

I came across some other interesting upcycling of Barbie dolls at Waste Connect such as making jewellery out of Barbie doll parts... um, okay. Creepy much? 

 

(Photo credits to © Margaux Lange 2014. )

But oh well, just try to remember that these toys that bring our children but a moment's pleasure in their whole lifetime really chalks up a huge lot of plastic waste. So, before you go to the toy department, try to find some hand-me-downs or "recycled toys" (Or more recently termed "pre-loved toys") from sellers who haven't the heart to bin them and do your part in saving our earth AND appeasing your fussy toddler at the same time (at a fraction of the retail price, I might add!) 

Awesome parents Save the Earth!! Happy Weekend everybody!

Things I wish I could do for my kids

I subscribe to plenty of early childhood education and home schooling blogs, websites and Facebook pages - everything ranging from teaching the Reggio Emilia way to funtastic art & craft ideas from preschool aged children.

I get so many wonderful, awesome articles and ideas everyday but except for making play dough and cornstarch goop I haven't really gone far with doing anything more. Sound familiar? I'm so glad we're on the same wavelength here. 

I would love to hear how you cope as working parents, parenting toddlers... did I mention that my toddlers are twin 3 year olds? Like, how do you get to work on time? How do you have enough energy to wake up at the crack of dawn to get your kids ready for school AND get to work on time? How do you even have time to eat? Or do you eat at all?? I know some days it feels like this but to those of you coping without help at home, you are my idols! Making these DIY toys and crafts are waaaaay down the list...

Despite the lack of energy, time and resources to do more, we can always admire and dream of the creativity and handiness these "super craft moms" possess. 

However, with the weekend soon upon us maybe we could gather a few things on lunch break or on the usual marketing trip to make these super duper amazing fun Discovery Bottles by Familylicious and buy ourselves that 15 minutes of peace to have lunch... at 5 o'clock in the afternoon... 

Magical Science Discovery bottles by Familylicious... Heck, I'd love to play with these to destress!

:) Happy days awesome imperfect parents! Keep on keeping on.