Nope, this entry has nothing to do with my darling cat, Knight.
This is about my kids, my two little miracles (I have to remind myself đ).
I havenât written in a while, thanks to the pandemic that had the whole of Singapore on lockdown â COVID-19. With the Circuit Breaker in place, we were all stuck at home, meaning I had my kids with me 24/7.
Me alone. With the kids.
Keeping them fed, entertained, and on time for their home-based learning (yes, Kaitlyn too!) was just the tip of the iceberg. I also had to deal with the attitude, the moods, the tantrums, and the extra cleaning!
So letâs see, attitude you ask? Yes, Joshua is now a teen so that is somehow expected. But youâd think a sweet little toddler wouldnât have such issues right?
Wrong.
Kaitlyn has recently also shown some sass, especially in obeying instructions. She is in her terrible twoâs stage and is trying to assert her independence by challenging my rules. Itâs hard to keep cool, and a straight face, when you see that cute angelic face mimicking an angry look and responding in a rather rude tone or demanding for something. And when she doesnât get what she wants, she brings on the waterworks and plonks down on her butt refusing to move.
When this happens, I usually tell her, âMommy canât talk to you when you are acting like this. So I will leave the room and come back when you stop crying/are ready to listen and behave.â
This leads to more screaming of course. But in about 10 minutes, I hear this tiny voice calling, âStop crying already.â I was so amused the first time I heard her say this and had to finish laughing before going over to her. Then weâd talk it out and she nods her head in understanding (I think), then we hug and make up.
Despite being in a terrible twoâs phase, Kaitlyn is still eager to please. Sheâs always calling âMommy Mommy!!â and tries to make me smile, be it drawing a picture for me, giving me a hug, or âcooking a dishâ for me in her toy kitchen. She relishes in any praise given, and often seeks my attention and basks in it when she gets it.
On the other hand, Iâm beginning to forget how Joshua looks likeâŚjust kidding! But the way he keeps staying in his room, only emerging for food and bathroom breaks, is something that takes getting used to. Even now after heâs returned to school, once home, he just goes into his room and I donât see him till dinnertime. Although I should be glad that I still get the occasional hugs (thankfully!) and he does ask me to play a game with him or to read together before bedtime.
I do wonder what he does when cooped up in his room. I have to constantly remind him not to keep staring at his phone, laptop or Nintendo 3DS/Switch. Heâs known from a young age that too much screen time isnât healthy, especially for the eyes. He does diligently wear the blue light glasses I got him though.
I do notice there are times when he canât seem to stop playing these online games or gets too worked up over a game with loud exclamations coming from his room. I let it go the first few times, but when it went on, I spoke to him about keeping his cool and how he was getting into the unhealthy habit of screen addiction. I told him to find other ways of entertaining himself, like reading his books, playing with Lego, or working on his previous hobbies like drawing and origami. I even told him to play with Kaitlyn too, and how he could teach her how to build Lego or draw etc. Kaitlyn looks up to Joshua, and she loves it when he plays with her.
I tried creating family time as well, like enticing Joshua out of the room with board games â we particularly like Game of Life and Harry Potter Cluedo. Thankfully, he actually likes game time and would participate without any nagging from me.
For Joshua, I know itâs the teenage years where he discovers himself and asserts independence, so I can expect more moodiness and monosyllabic responses from him. All I can do is just be here for him when he needs me. Iâll try to keep an open channel for him, so he knows he can always come to me, and that I wonât judge but just listen and give advice whenever he needs or asks for any.
Many have said that having children is like having cats and dogs, depending on the age group theyâre in. Right now, Kaitlyn is my eager puppy, wanting to please, is teachable, and totally adorable.
And Joshua? Well, teens are like cats, trying to be independent while relying on us to provide their needs. Yet ready to hiss when we intrude in their territory. So, Iâll just wait for him to approach me and not be pushy, and let him know that Iâm always here for him.
Live in the moment and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.
Fanny Crosby
—
