Patiently Handling Fussy Eaters
Posted by Editor in Lifestyle Hacks on Feb 4th, 2017 | 0 comments
They say that when you have a child that eats almost anything on the table without complaining, you are lucky. That is true because not all children here in Singapore are versatile. Some children are fussy eaters and parents are oftentimes stressed because of this. Have you heard about fussy eating? It is time that you know it.
There is a difference between picky eaters and fussy eaters. Picky eaters are very choosy about what they eat. In fact, they are often called “food neophobia” which refers to an individual’s unwillingness to eat sew foods to the point of rejecting it. As a result, children just eat limited range of foods. Fussy eaters describe those you reject foods one day then like it the next time.
Fussy eating is normal for kids but it doesn’t mean you have to let it be. Here are some ways on handling fussy eaters:
- Make mealtimes different: For fussy eaters, mealtimes are boring and ordinary. If they can hide away from it, they would have. As a parent, the best thing that you can do is to make their mealtimes happy. That sounds easy but in fact it is not. Whenever you serve new dishes, praise your children for giving it a chance.
- Be realistic: You just want what is best for you children but sometimes you have to set realistic goals so it is easier to handle. In this case, do not demand that your children eat the vegetables or new food. If they considered it, do not forget to praise them for tasting it.
- Ignore it most of the time: Kids will fuss about their food to see if you can yield. You have to stand firm on your ground so you will not be shaken. If you see that your children are fussing about the food, do not mind them.
- Make it fun and creative: Sometimes kids just look at the food and they think it is boring and not tasty hence the fussing. If you make it fun and creative for them, they will surely look forward to every meal time. For example, cut vegetables into fascinating shapes. You can also ask your kids to help during preparation.
When eating, as much a possible no distractions should be present like TV, smartphone, tabs and the like. As a parent, it would be wise not to tolerate your kids’ fussiness over food because it can often arise to difficult things. Let it slide once or twice but never all the time.
Reintroducing a Set Bedtime Routine
Posted by Editor in Lifestyle Hacks on Jan 30th, 2017 | 0 comments
You are not a child anymore so the bedtime routine do not apply to you now. It is not like your parents will scold or punish you because you are not following the set bedtime routine ever since you were small. You are old enough to know the importance of sleep and how lack of it can affect your productivity and relationships. Many Singaporeans however fail to recognize the importance of setting a bedtime routine.
You just know that sleep is essential as it can improve physical, mental and emotional well-being. Setting bedtime routine is truly beneficial however the challenge here is consistency. It is crucial that you have same snooze rituals so your body will stick to it. Consistency will no longer be the problem.
Remember that the lack of routine will cause fatigue and lethargy as the body is still confused and at times it can result to weight gain. In the case of people who oversleep, they have the tendency to exercise less and follow poor dietary patterns. To help re-introduce a set bedtime routine, here are some tips that you can consider:
- Set an alarm: The body has a biological clock (also called circadian rhythm) but it can be distorted if you abuse it. It is high time that you consider a nocturnal deadline. For example, if you want to sleep at 10pm, you should set your alarm at 9:30pm so it will remind your body to get ready.
- Maintain bedtime rituals: Others take a bath while some read a book. Whatever activity that can help you doze off is good. It is important that you establish a regular bedtime ritual so it will become a habit. It is crucial that you prepare the mind and body for rest. Actually, you will have a restorative sleep if you allow the body to relax before actually sleeping.
- Avoid blue lights: As much as possible, do not touch your smart phone when you are about to sleep. The blue light emitted from the device will stimulate dopamine which in return disrupts the biological clock. If you can, turn off everything after leaving the office but if it cannot be help, check emails or the social media ninety minutes before you go to bed.
Remember that if you are consistent and used to it, you will not need any alarm to wake you up every morning. Your body will serve as your clock and it can never go wrong. Sleep should be prioritized and you have to implement a set bedtime routine for the family.
5 Reasons to Leave Your Phone at Home
Posted by Editor in Lifestyle Hacks on Dec 9th, 2016 | 0 comments
In our tech-obsessed era, you might think that there’s no reason for you to go out without your phone. Grabbing our phone before heading out the door has become as automatic to us as grabbing our keys and wallet. However, there are several reasons why we should not always have our mobile phones with us. Here are some of them.
- Get to Interact with People More
One of the reasons why it’s better to leave your phone at home every once in a while is that it’s good for your manners. When you’re out with friends, colleagues, or even with your significant other, not having your phone with you urges you to interact with them with your complete attention, instead of constantly checking your mail or scrolling through social media.
- Heightened Senses
When we’re in a restaurant or in an event, we tend to take pictures of it so we can show them off to our social media friends. However, because we’re so busy taking remarkable photos and are always on the guard for more photo opportunities, we easily take for granted the current situation. While your photos may all be Like-worthy, can your friends and followers help you savour the crispiness of your garden salad or feel inspired by the immaculate view of the Singapore skyline? You won’t fully experience all these wonderful things unless you give your full attention to it.
- Curb Addiction
People today seem unable to get through the day without their phone, and can’t resist checking it even though no one’s texting or calling them. This is a kind of addiction. If you see yourself doing the same thing, it’s time to cut back on your tech dependency. Phones are, unarguably, useful tools but not absolute essential. Let the gadget work for you, not the other way around.
- Avoid Work
One bad side about phones is that they make us easily available for work 24/7. If your boss thinks that you should be within reach when you’re not at work, do not let him disturb your leisure time. When you go out on weekend, leave your phone at home. They can always leave you a message on your email or voice mail.
- Safety
If not all, most people of Singapore have smartphone today. And since smartphones are valuable belongings, they are quite attractive to thieves. If you go clubbing or just need to go somewhere else, leave your phone at home so you won’t have to bother keeping an eye on it.
Mobile phones can be incredibly useful, but we have just become too dependent on them. Have you imagined how we would be today if there are no cell phones? Do you think we would be better off if they had never been invented?
4 Tips to Make Your Home Appealing to Guests
Posted by Editor in Home Improvement on Dec 5th, 2016 | 0 comments
A home that’s well put together appeals to visitors and lingers in their minds long after they have left. Visiting your place will be memorable and easily make them feel at home. Plus, there’s a bonus benefit to making your home look appealing: it’s more inviting for you as well. You look forward to going home after work, and it encourages optimum relaxation at the end of each day.
To achieve this, here are some decorating tips that will help you decorate your home. Though warning, it may make your guests never want to leave.
- Start With the Front Door
Do not underestimate the ability of your front door to greet your guests a warm welcome. If your door mat is already worn out, get a brand new one and a cute welcome sign to hang on the door. On the inside, place a large potted plant by the door, if you have extra space. Bringing the nature in is a sure-fire way to get that warm vibes throughout your home.
- A Personalized Piece of Decor
If most of your furniture or decor is purchased, featuring a personalized piece adds interest to the space. It brings personality into the room and will surely be a good conversation starter for your visitors. Having a unique piece of decor makes a house look and feel more like a home.
- An Inviting Smell
Inviting or neutral smell is the way to go. If you have pet dogs, make sure to be extra mindful of your cleaning habit as dog smell can dominate the smell of your home. Likewise, remove major culprits of bad odour, like rotten fruits and vegetables, dirty laundry and days-old garbage. Don’t just mask the odour with air fresheners, remove them first before using any artificial scents.
- Tidy Bathroom
The bathroom and toilet should be tidy and should smell good with subtle scents. There should be enough toilet paper and a hand towel ready for use. Liquid soap should also be readily available for the entire duration of your guests will be around, and a clean garbage bin for any sanitary items that your guests may need to throw away.
Keeping your home organized and clean will make you less anxious about having company around, allowing you to relax and enjoy their presence. Your home does not have to be big and extravagant; it just needs to be clean, warm and inviting for your visitors to appreciate the beautiful abode you live in.
How to Keep Calm Amidst Stressful Situations
Posted by Editor in Lifestyle Hacks on Nov 12th, 2016 | 0 comments
Remember that the difference between success and failure is your ability to keep calm amidst stressful and difficult situations. It is normal to panic and be anxious when faced with stressful and difficult situation but if you continue to act like that and no actions taken, you will surely fail. Successful people here in Singapore already mastered the art of keeping calm amidst stressful situations.
It is time that you know how to keep calm. According to a research, the brain will work best if it is in a “moderate state of arousal”. In this state, the brain is not too calm or not too stressed. In the workplace, you will encounter stressful situations all the time and the fact that you are still in the company proves that you already mastered the art of keeping calm.
For newbies, here are some tips on keeping calm amidst stressful and difficult situations:
- Settle down in the moment: If you already feel stressed, you need to stop what you are doing in the moment and take deep breaths. Try counting to ten and take three to five deep breaths at the same time. After, you should take your break. While on break, try to relax muscles. When you are stressed, muscles tend to tighten and tense.
- Identify the stressor: One effective way to deal with any stressful situation is to identify the stressor first. From there, you can infer and stop whatever that is causing it. Once you identified the stressor, you can eliminate it and focus on the job at hand.
- Take it easy: You tend to stress out and feel anxious because you constantly challenge yourself to be better. There is nothing wrong if you constantly beat yourself but it can be a cause of everything unpleasant.
- Choose your response or situation: When you face stressful situations, you can choose to change your response or the situation. If you have to power to change the situation, you should do it at once. However, if you are powerless to change any, the least thing that you can do is to choose your response. Should you succumb to it or focus on other pleasant things? It is always up to you.
- Stop delaying: You procrastinate because you feat the results or the outcome then this will lead to anxiety and stress eventually failure. Do not get too wrapped up with your fears and begin taking actions. You have to remind yourself that sometimes you cannot control situations or outcomes. Instead of sulking, take actions.
How to Continue Learning in Your Old Age
Posted by Editor in Everyday Learning on Nov 8th, 2016 | 0 comments
Learning and growing should not end when you graduate or when you stop working. Life is full of learnings and lessons that can lead to self-growth. It is important that you realize learning and growing doesn’t stop regardless of the age and the circumstance.
Here are ways to make sure that you do not stop learning and growing:
- Try new things. You are busy that you have no time to try new things. Every day is a gift that you cannot take back. Why not try new things instead? Having many hobbies can make a difference at the end of the day. Learning new things for thirty days can help learn new skills. They say that it takes 30 days to acquire new skill. 30 days or not, the possibility are endless.
- Don’t be afraid to fail. Remember that you cannot learn if you cannot fail. It is true that getting it wrong can help you to get it right the next time – that is how you perfect things. This tells you that making mistakes is normal and it is crucial for self-improvement.
- Have a support system. There is no use if you have a decaying environment. By decaying it means having unsupportive people – people that destroy your vigour and life. It is important that you have your group of supporters. If your group is not, it is time to change your crowd. Your supporters should include your mentor.
- Make long-term plans. There is a big difference between long-term and short-term. If you want a lifetime impact, you have to consider long-term plans. Short-term plans will only give you temporary answer. It should be long-term if you want a positive progress and improvement.
- Have a positive attitude. When you do something, you have to think that it is fun – regardless of the activity. There are thousand ways to improve and be better but the reality is that you are not going to be successful if you think that it is not fun. Making things enjoyable is not that easy but you only need to look for your inspiration to make things easier for you.
Here in Singapore, many people are so engrossed with getting the job done that they fail to stop learning and eventually growing. The world has a lot to offer if you give it a chance. Do not just sit in your cubicle and wonder where you went wrong because you failed to have a good time and learned from it.
