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8 LAST MINUTE IDEAS FOR KIDS HALLOWEEN COSTUME

Hey yeah!! Who doesn’t excited for Halloween?! Anyone’s ready with their pumpkins? What about Halloween costumes?

Honestly, I am SO pumped for Halloween, but thinking about the preparation heading to the D-day was a bit too much now this time round, especially with our second boy, Asher, on board. Time is very crucial for me. Everyday I am challenged to think and do things more creatively; to save my time and energy.

And who knows that preparing a kid costume is a mountain work and effort?! But, do not worry. I have prepared some easy ideas for busy moms like us. You don’t need to spend any dollars on it, look around some stuffs inside your house you wouldn’t ever thought will be a life-saver for this Halloween season.

8 LAST MINUTE HALLOWEEN KIDS COSTUME IDEAS

1. Baby Burrito

who can resist this deliciousness in a wrap? So dayummm… Also a good way to keep your baby warm and calm during trick & treats.

2. Smurf

this photo was taken on Halloween 2014, when Jared was 4 months old. I woke up that day feeling discouraged cause I realised I haven’t had any costume prepared for my little one. Then suddenly, an idea came into my mind the moment I skimmed through Jared’s wardrobe (mostly blue and white – the theme of his nursery room). But, how cute it turned out at the end aye! Do you agree with me?

3. Baby Skeleton

My favourite invention this year. 1) Get white mask tape / 2) Cut them equally in size / 3) Stick them on the a black onesie (baby/toddler) or top & pant (kid)

Yes! Who would ever thought that white mask tape can do all the job for you busy momma. This is the way to go when you’re running out of time. Perfect for boys or girls.

4. Baby Tarzan

Do you have an old leopard or pattern scarf? It may not sounds so trendy today, but do not throw them away yet. Cause this could be a life changer for this particular Halloween season. Turn your baby into mini Tarzan. This outfit is perfect for the warmer weather in souther hemisphere too.

5. The Mummy

Tissue Roll takes a big part in my life. It cleans almost everything around the house, and it does me a favour in time in needs for Halloween season. Roll them all over the body and stick them with white tape. Trick or treat ready in 10 minutes. LET’S GO SPOOKY!!

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6. Pumpkinlicious

you can never go wrong with pumpkin costume right? 1) Get an orange onesie / 2) double tap – cut it into some shapes / 3) Stick them all onto the dress

Above are some costumes I made for the boys. BUT, girls..don’t you worry. I have asked my 2 favourite talented momma of girl to share one spook-tacular costume for their girls. Let’s take a peak.

Black Swan – by Elizabeth Veth (@elizabeth_veth)

Can it be any cuter than this? This moment made me wishing to have one little girl in the family. gahhh… oh please zoom in to those bad bats on the wall and floor. Aren’t they gorgeous?! And yes you guessed it, this lady made them all. Quick tutorial below:

8. Black Riding Hood – by Ivone Hendarta (@ivonehendarta)

Bringing the dark side of Red Riding Hood this Halloween. why not?! Such a genius idea. Spooky yet girly. Imagine this tiny munchkin knocking on your house door, can’t you not give them your whole bag of candies?

So, which one is your favourite? Do you find some hope this Halloween? I hope these ideas help you getting Halloween ready this year. We can all do this and let’s have fun together!! Creating memories together with our little ones. HAPYY HALLOWEEN FRIENDS>>

Love,

Kenny

#FASHIONFRIDAY – DENIM GANG FEATURING ERGOBABY OMNI 360

The colder weather is officially hit. And we’re just done with packing our shorts and summer tanks. However, there’s this one item which always stay in our closets; denim jacket. Who doesn’t love a good piece of denim? It is one of the best buy of my life; I can pair it with almost anything – when in doubts wear denim. So, clearly, this week we had no idea what to wear for the photoshoot, so let it be denim. Gah. Hahahaha

It was such a nice warmer day yesterday and thank God for hubby’s day off. He took me and the kids out to Bicentennial Park to get some fresh air. Jared’s enjoying the walk with his scooter and mommy with her koala featuring the new range of Ergobaby Omni 360 – all positions baby carrier improved with new design and cool air mesh fabric.

Cooler for parents and baby with breathable full body mesh.
One-handed adjustment to switch from baby facing in to facing out.
Ergonomic seat grows from newborn to toddler (7-45 lbs)
Crossable shoulder straps & lumbar support waist belt for long-wearing comfort.
Cushioned head & neck support and baby hood for sun protection & privacy.
Detachable storage pouch

Also, it comes in 4 new gorgeous colours; oxford blue (as pictured), midnight blue, khaki green, pearl grey

Ergobaby has been a part of our family since Jared was born. He travelled in it pretty much. But I have to admit, the old fabric is way too thick and heavy. Then, I got a chance to try new range of Omni 360 and super love with it. Even hubby proved it loud, “this piece is amazing.” I love the new fabric, it is thinner and breathable; it keeps baby comfortably close to parents for a long period of time. The improved neck support is perfect for newborn, which means saying good bye to infant insert. Plus point – detachable pouch is quite generous in size, fit in for some mom’s essentials; phone, purse, key and dummy.

Happy baby. Happy mommy. Asher’s sleeping really well under my Ergo, letting my both hands free to catch Jared when it’s needed. 😉

Do you have any favourite baby wearing for exploring or travelling? Leave them on the comments below.

Kenny: Denim Jacket (an op-shop in Japan), white pants (Topshop), Shoes (Stradivarius), Earrings (Colette by colette hayman)

Andri: Denim Jacket (Pull & Bear), Pants (Topshop), Shoes (Adidas Stan Smith)

Jared: Denim shirt (Cotton On Kids), Hooded Grey Tee (BONDS), Triangle leggings (Etsy), Shoes (Adidas)

Love,

Kenny

6 TRICKS TO DECORATE YOUR ROOM ON BUDGET

Who doesn’t want to live in a “pinterest” decorated room? Huh.

But, how much will it cost me? How much effort we need to pay for this?

Wait….decorating your room won’t be necessarily costly or time consuming. Perhaps, you only need a little tweak or good catch around the house.

As a growing family with single income, we always find ourself adjusting our lifestyle again and again. We moved houses several times, but it doesn’t mean we buy new things every now and then. We love to keep things minimal yet liveable. So here are my tips in decorating a house on budget.

6 TRICKS TO DECORATE A ROOM ON BUDGET

Regular Declutter – How often do you do decluttering? I used to be a person who was very unorganized plus irresponsible to my belongings. If I can’t find things, I will straight away buy a new piece or set. I piled up so many junks around the house that will eventually become an eye-pinching wall art in my room. Till I met my organized husband, and he inspired me to be his clone. Nowadays, decluttering has become a part of my life. We do declutter every trisemester. First, the house feels light. Second, it freshen your soul. Third, ease you to find and move things around the house. Once you get cleared your house, you might find some old forgotten bits and pieces which will suit your house theme. Such as, a cute family caricature, an old newborn book journal, a traditional wooden music instrument, a handmade plate you bought overseas, etc.

Move around your furniture – Every now and then, you need to re-arrange the furniture around the house to freshen up your mood. Who would ever think that changing position of your sofa or dining table could give a different vibe in the house. Do you realize that visual repetition is boring? But changes boost your interest? Most importantly, it’s my favourite zero cost hacks in decorating a house.

Featured wall – It is so trendy nowadays. But sometimes paintings can cost much of our money and time. Another way to keep your wall on trend is by sticking a wall sticker / paper. Easy to apply on dry surface and easy to peel off without damaged. Perfect for those of you who are living in an apartment like our family. Top hack for all mums; decorate your kids wall room using duck tape/round label from officeworks. It cost less than A$5 for the entire wall in the room.

Frame the kids’ artwork – ha. This is obviously my favourite hack. We all know that a pretty wall art can be pricy sometimes. And definitely we need more than one wall arts to fill the house. Alright….why not skimming through your kids school artwork and find some best one which match the colour theme of the room. Next step is….. FRAME IT!! Voila… your new Picasso wall art is ready to hang.

DIY – One of the thing I love to do as a stay at home mum is DIY. When the house is silent, I love to express my creativity through some art and craft. Most of the time, it cost less than the off-shelf bundles. More than that, I love how DIY bundles add a personalized touch to the room. (eg: DIY Dreamcatcher)

Light it up – Invest in a good light fixtures. Light fixtures work as a vital element in decorating any room. As per the experts, the decorative lightings are the architectural jewelry pieces. So, to have the best home decoration, it is necessary to consider the shape, style, size, and color of the lights. A creative use of lighting can actually enhance any home décor project a lot. Its the hero in the room.

Hope you enjoy above articles. And be encouraged to start a new room decor project for your own house.

My last tip is to be creative. Stylish does not always pricy. Find small precious things in the house and make them stand out.

See you on the next post! X

Love,

Kenny

6 COMFORT SAVVY TIPS WHEN CHOOSING MATERNITY SWIMSUIT

Swimwear season is here and you are pregnant. I SURE AM….

Du-uhhh.. I feel you. sorry not sorry.

But there’s no reason to worry, take pride in your pregnant body. And find comfortable suit for your body type.

6 Comfort Tips – when choosing maternity swimwear

Go Upsize – NO. I am not only talking about our Maccas meal size. I am talking about our suit size. Ha. As your breasts, busts and hip grow, it is very important to find the right size suit for you too – make sure it is not squeezing and pinching.
Go Higher – a suit with higher – cut leg openings will make your legs seem longer because of the higher cut draw he eye upward, and in revealing part of your lower hip it creates the illusion of length.
Avoid High Neck – high neck suits tend to press breasts down.
Enough Coverage – make sure your suit provides you with enough coverage which will comfortably cover your bottom and bust as you move, bend, and sit. There’s nothing more annoying than a suit that keeps riding up or shifting, and that you have to tug at constantly.
Layering – doesn’t make you larger if you do it right. A long tunic will help elongate you. And it gives an extra stylish factor to your summer shots.
Don’t be ordinary – go for some patterns and colors. Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you should fade into the background! But be careful with your choices. Avoid bold and large patterns, because they will zoom in your body parts. Instead go with smaller patterns when you’re pregnant. Go with smaller prints, piping, and horizontal stripes along or just under the bust. Color wise; choose a suit with blocks of color, or one solid bright color rather than wild patterns that overwhelm. Dare to stand out among the crowds. because you are beautiful.

Top Picks

color block

one color suit

horizontal stripes

small bold pattern

high cut leg briefs

all time favourite top

adjustable top

cloud dancer maxi kimono

Which one is your favourite? whatever you pick, one thing we all should remember; to embrace our own bodies for a miraculous life is being knitted inside your growing belly. You are beautiful and powerful woman.

Enjoy the season!! X

Love,

Kenny

EASY RECIPE // CHIA PUDDING RECIPE (WORTH TO TRY)

I am a big fan of chia seeds. Apart from its tasty taste, they are my mini dietary powerhouses. They are packing more calcium than milk, more antioxidants than blueberries and more Omega-3 than Salmon.

A tablespoon (15gr) of chia seeds equals to 3gr of omega3, 6gr of dietary fibre, 3gr of complete protein.

There are so many ways to consume chia seeds; you can mix it to your yoghurt, add them to soup, or top them on your salad. But the house favourite is chia pudding. Oh yeah! who can resist this sweet indulgence. But, take a note, that today we’re talking about a healthy pudding. So, guilts go away!!

Here is my 5 minutes legit healthy pudding recipe:

Ingredients

2 cups of coconut milk (homemade or natural)

1/2 cup of chia seeds

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup manuka honey

How To (5 minutes)

Blend coconut milk, vanilla extract and manuka honey together in a high speed
Whisk in chia seeds
Pour the mixture onto jars, and stir them well occasionally within the first hour.
Store them in the fridge for at least 4 hours until the chia seeds get gelled.

To Serve

Add some toppings: whatever you prefer, blueberries, strawberries, granola, almond flakes, biscuit crumbs, maple syrup, honey drizzle.

Kids Matter / Get Creative

Most of the kids are not impressed by the appearance of chia seeds on their bowl, so let’s make a smoothies version of chia pudding. By blending all the ingredients above in a high-speed blender. Or you might want to give more appealing colour to your pudding, by adding 1/4 cup cocoa powder and blend them all together. Pour them into baby food container or any jars. Lastly, store them in the refrigerator and let the chia seeds do its magic.

Alright, you are just finished reading through my recipe and thinking “that is so easy”. Let me answer you… “hell yeahhhhh!!” It is easier to make it than to read it.

Chia puddings can be stored in the fridge for 5 days. Batch some up on Sunday evening for the coming week, and make your life easier. AMEN…say all mums ever. 😉

Chia puddings can be served as breakfast or snack.

This is a revolutionary way of staying healthy anytime anywhere.

HEALTHY LIVING IS SIMPLE, IS DOABLE AND IS POSSIBLE to all busy moms.

So, give it a shot today! and share some comments below. Or maybe share some recipes with me too. X

Love,

Kenny

EASY RECIPE // WINTER KIDS MEAL

Dinner time in the house is my favourite time. We all called it “family dinner” simply because this is the only moment where ALL of the family members are able to gather on a table to enjoy the meal after a busy day of individual routines. Perfect time to engage and interact to one another. Sounds perfect aye! (to me at least)

Until I realised, that this toddler is sitting on the same table at the same time with us. Well, that is another story, isn’t it? Often times dinner would be the most unpleasant time of the day. mayday, mayday, mayday….My body was drained out after full day of babysitting/working, cooking dinner and now grumpy toddler is refusing to open his mouth because the plate looks “greeny”. I mean….Seriously?! It is because I have no blue/red clean plate at the time little fella, so just bare with me and pick that god damn beef sausage, and put it in your mouth. Gah.

Then I got a revelation somehow one day, that I gotta prepare meal which comforts their “eyes” and their “tummy”

Comforts their eyes – basically, what they see is what they get. If the presentation itself does not satisfy their sight, the wrong information will directly send to the brain commanding them to lock their mouth. Once they’re happy with what they see, they would surely open their mouth and give it a go. Be mindful to make their favourite element stands out on the plate. In my case, noodles, soup, chicken, and meatballs are the thing that J loves the most. So, I put extra effort on that piece and make them as visual as it can be. Hiding veggies is always wise to do, add them to your homemade meatballs mixture. It’s a winner for the whole family. Yeahhh!!
Comforts their tummy – Next step is making sure that they consume enough nutritions intake to their tummy for the day. Eating together increase healthy eating habits and provides a model for children to carry with them into adulthood. Studies show family dinners increase the intake of fruits and vegetables; families who eat dinner together tend to eat fewer fried foods and drink less soda; and family meal frequency is linked to the intake of protein, calcium, and some vitamins. I am struggling to get my protein son to consume veggies, but after I implement this new family dinner rule for a while, I am glad to report you that he slowly improving his tolerance for veggies. And for this colder season, I am using a lot of in-season produce too, like carrots, orange, citrus, lemon, garlic, ginger (they are powerful to boost your immune system).
Spend less time on the kitchen – please do not spend too much energy and time on the kitchen (unless for special occasion). 30-45 minutes max would be the ideal time from preparation to presentation. Spend more time to sit down and have a nice conversation with one another. Here are some killer recipes you can do under 30minutes. They are super delicious healthy on low budget.

Ginger Beef Soup With Rice Noodles and Mixed Veggies

Meatballs

250 gr chicken or veal mince

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp grated garlic

1 cup of chopped shallots

Soup

4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock

3 cups of mixed veggies (carrots, baby bok choy, white cabbage)

90g rice noodles

½ cup of enoki mushroom

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

salt & pepper to taste

How to make:

To make meatballs, mix all the ingredients to food processor, blend it well.
Divide into 12 even portions. Squish and roll in your hands into a tight ball (grease your hands for easier process). Set aside for a minute at room temperature is fine.
Place homemade chicken stock and veggies in a large saucepan and bring into boil over high heat.
Gently pop in the meatballs. Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for further 8 minutes.
Add rice noodles to the soup and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Turn off the heat.
Season with salt & pepper.

Honey Soy Orange Glazed Chicken with Soba Noodles And Miso Soup

250 gr of chicken thigh

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce

1 handful mixed herbs

1 crushed garlic

1 tsp grated ginger

good pinch of salt & pepper

1 carrot

1 navel orange

1 knob of unsalted butter

90 gr soba noodle (gluten free)

miso soup package

How to make:

Marinate chicken thighs with honey, reduced salt soy sauce, mixed herbs, crushed garlic, grated ginger, salt & pepper. Leave them aside at room temperature.
Heat up your oven at 210C
Heat a good knob of butter on the pan, fry the marinated chicken thigh, carrot and oranges on the pan for 3-5 minutes (both sides) at medium heat.
Transfer the pan to the oven for another 10-12 minutes.
Cook the soba noodles over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Put miso soup package on a small bowl and pour boiling water onto it.
Place the roasted chicken, soba noodles and miso soup next to each other.
Make a fun way to eat the soba noodles (dip it or soup it)

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Those two are our family favourites, rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals, and all could be done under 45 minutes. Have a try and comment for any feedbacks or suggestions. X

Love,

Kenny

DIY GOLDEN RUSTIC EASTER EGG

WHO’S EGGCITED FOR EASTER?! WE ARE!!

While my boy is so freaking excited to eat tons of chocolate eggs, mommy is so NOT agree on this matter. So, I decided to shift his attention by asking him to decorate foam eggs to add extra details touch to our wooden dinner table in house.

Talks about wood, I am going to create something rustic for this easter. I decided to make a DIY: GOLD RUSTIC EASTER EGG. A perfect decoration for both indoor and outdoor easter festive. A pretty little touch to your dining table and to the tree too.

Let’s get into business now. We’re gonna get a little messy here. These activities are full of splish and splash, I would say the messier the merrier. I didn’t get a chance to take picture during the painting process because we were both soaked up in paint and too afraid to take the camera with me 😦 It was a messy process but again FULL OF FUN! J loved it too. Yeahhh.. who doesn’t like making a mess?! huh.

so….Here are some of the stuffs you need to prepare (you may get most of them on the art & craft shop nearest your place)

foam egg

white poster paint

brown poster paint

gold poster paint

black poster paint

kids paint brush

comb

cleaned egg cage

toothbrush

And here’s step by step – how to make GOLDEN RUSTIC EASTER EGG:

Mix white poster paint with a dash of brown poster paint to create cream colour.
Dip in the foam eggs into the mixture (cream colour) – leave them to a complete dry.
Use the kids brush, paint roughly some lines on the coloured cream egg with gold poster paint. Leave them to dry.
Cover your table surface with newspapers, cause we’re going messy now. Splish splash the black poster paint on the foam egg by brushing the toothbrush onto the comb until the whole egg covered with black dots. Leave them to dry
Place the eggs on cleaned egg cage.
Voila!! They are ready to beautify your dinner table.

What an easy way to make your DIY rustic eggs, huh? It is rustic yet sophisticated. One easy way to sweeten your dinner table and impress your guests this weekend. Now, clean your house, get the chicken roast and find some unexpected spots to hide the eggs. Hope you all had an amazing Easter Celebration with beloved ones.

Oh and Easter is not complete without an easter bunny right? Say hello to our companion this year, this white bunny worth for $1.96, bargain sale on Bed Bath & Table. Mommy is happy! So, how do you like my new creation? Comment below for your opinions.

Bye for now. See you on my next DIY project. Cause mama makes things happen on any budget. X

Love,

Kenny

#THANKYOUPARTNER – ZAIBOB : KIDS WINTER MUST HAVE ACCESSORIES

Another series continued today, I would like to thank you my next partner for my current RELAUNCH PROJECT (www.mamaonrepeat.com); Zaibob THANK YOU!

Zaibob was launched in December 2015 when owner/designer Kalee Abdollahi started the label inspired by her son Zai. Zaibob is all about creating fashion forward clothing and accessories for your little ones. We like to create clothes that allow kids to be kids without having to sacrifice style.

As you’ve read above, Zaibob is focusing on kids fashion. And who can skip a mini fashion section. hey?? Oh lawd….you know you’re a mom, the moment you started to load your shopping basket with kids stuffs and clothes, aren’t you? But, sometimes shopping on shelf is impossible for me. The demands of my toddlers are way beyond my ability to shop. So, again I ended up in the kinder egg surprise stalls. Thus, I do a lot of online shopping at home, which gives me more time to pick and drop on my cart. And, YES! I love shop small, they are amazingly talented and quality driven.

So, I have been connecting with Zaibob since 2016, it was Jared’s first brand repping. And the moment we received their goods. We fell in love straight away. Kalee has a divine sewing skill. I love how neat the finish product was. I remembered that winter was approaching the time we rep for Zaibob, and I was in need for some winter accessories for boys, because they don’t have much in store other wool beanie. Jared is suffering from eczema, so he can only wear cotton fabric. Yeahhh..wool beanie is NOT an option for us. Thank God, Zaibob delivered me such a right product for us; slouchy beanie. And it’s stylish too. Jared wears them every single day during winter/autumn until now. It is a great way to hide a “pillow hair” for the kids too. 😉

And I am super thrilled to hear the news that Zaibob just relaunched their new range of slouchy beanies with a thicker fabric + more range of colours selection. So ready for a chilly spring and freezing under here. Are you?! Check out their website for more range of kids fashion http://www.zaibob.com

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SO….WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOR? xx

Love,

Kenny

#THANKYOUPARTNER – THE HOOD STORE : SAY IT WITH YOUR SWEATERS THIS SPRING SEASON

Wow! I am still in awe of my new blog relaunched mamaonrepeat.com (used to be thetjungsquad.com) few days ago. Still can’t believe that finally I braved myself for a change. And I couldn’t do this without the support from some of other #bossmama. Their support and generosity were beyond measure. They helped me out celebrating this milestone by hosting a GIVEAWAY to our audiences. For those of you who missed it, don’t worry, more giveaways are coming up in couple months. (stay tuned on my IG and blog for updates). So, today, I would like to send my gratitude to all my partners.

First up, The Hood store. The Hood is a premium lifestyle brand that gives a knowing nod (and a cheeky wink) to motherHood and the greater sisterHood. It is an understanding and respectful nod to the joys of parentHood but also to its challenges. Most of all, The Hood aims to celebrate and support the sisterHood (whether you’re a mother or not) – and have some fun doing it. Founded by twin sisters/mummas: Natasha and Rachel Wells. They make some amazing statement sweats that empowers my daily roller coaster ride. Not to forget, to nail the top quality on point. I love how soft the fabric cotton is and how light it weight on your body – I mean it does not make you looks bulky.

And because my favourite season of the year is here. SPRING. So I chose sweater for my day to day outfit. Oh, and I prefer oversized one too. So, I always order one size up than my original size. Here are my Top 3 choices – SAY IT WITH YOUR SWEATER

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And here I am styling the “YOU GOT THIS” sweater by The Hood. oh yes! cause no matter what storms the day may throw at you, let me remind myself and wear it proud on my chest that “I GOT THIS”. XX

Head out to The Hood website for more ranges of statement tanks, tees, and sweaters. Perfect option for any mama occasions; planning day to snuggle night!! ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU NAT & RACH for supporting us. We love you heaps. X and congratulations to @mum2noel for winning this sweater. You’ll gonna rock this!!

Love,

Kenny

NEW WAYS TO DEAL WITH TANTRUMS & REBELLIOUS TODDLER

Attention to bad behavior increases bad behavior (yelling, lecturing, scolding, spanking and punishing are all forms of negative attention), while attention to good behavior increases good behavior.

I was struggling to deal with a two year old J. He becomes fussier, more demanding, more fractious, more resistant, more stubborn. I freaked out whenever the tantrums hit. Especially ON PUBLIC, when I’m doing groceries or coffee catch-ups. When all eyes are ON me; all fingers are pointing AT me. Yelling, spanking, bribery, I literally unload all stuffs inside my bag. I did everything I could, but he went more hysterical and rebels against me.

And then I read above quote : Attention to bad behavior increases bad behavior (yelling, lecturing, scolding, spanking and punishing are all forms of negative attention), while attention to good behavior increases good behavior.

Then I realised that I’ve been give a wrong approach to J’s tantrums and bad behaviours. The harder I push myself on fixing his bad behaviour, the more efforts he will hardened himself to change. It’s just the nature of growing. So, I’ve learned from my mistakes.

And here are my successful tips in dealing with tantrums and rebellious toddler:

Try to BE CALM in every situation : your kids are able to sense your feelings/emotions. If they see you’re panicking, they will become one too. But, if they see your calm face, then they will calm down themselves too. When they hear you yell or scream, they will cry even harder.
Learn to IGNORE – or walk away from annoying behaviour : when you stop giving attention to the annoying behaviour, there’s nothing in it for the child. They may start to throw more tantrums at first for not getting what they want as it used to be, but eventually they will realise that tantrums won’t work anymore.
DISTRACT their focus to their favourite things : this trick is the best magic we could ever do to Mr. J, this guy loves his snack time, and whenever he cries in the car, in the laundry, under my feet, I always straight away offer him food. And as soon as he hears snacks, he stop crying. Do not focus on saying “don’t cry, stop crying” cause it makes them more focus on the crying itself, cause that’s the only word they could hear from us.
Give an instruction only ONCE : Don’t foster greater disobedience by giving it a lot of attention. If you focus on their defiance, it will actually increase. With J, I try to tell him once and then watch his following reaction from a far. Most of the results surprise me.
CHANGE our language – find the “positive opposite” of “stop” and “don’t” instead of saying “do not use your shoes at home”, change it to “please take off your shoes before you enter the house”
REWARD every positive good behaviours they do : after all, this thing matter the most, they learn and grow become a better person. So, every little praise, smile, high five, word of encouragement counts. Give extra attention to the positive behaviour they do and give them an assurance that they are on the right track.

These methods NOT only works well for Jared, but for me too. It gave me a big change. To be ease on myself, cause after all, I can’t change people according to my time and will. I can expect them to change the way I want them to be in such period of time. I gotta remind myself that I’m dealing with a 2.9 feet tall human being that see things differently than what I see. One way to understand their perspective is by kneeling down on their shoes and become a mature version of them. So, mommies, let’s take a deep breath and be easy on ourself and to our kids more. As long as we live on this earth, we are all still on the run of learning process. This is called the SCHOOL OF LIFE. xx

Love,

the Tjungs