Crayons & Pencils » Education

On business mindedness…

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:33:04 +0000

Reading is one of the most cherished things I do in a day, because the knowledge that I learn from it. While my children were growing up, they are showered with educational books and toys, not a single day that we fail to read a book. Books are written to encourage, opening up our eyes, and lately I’ve been addicted to reading Business Articles because of this dream of someday owning mine, whatever God leads me to. Putting up your own business and teaching your children to become industrious takes a lot of guts and determination, you also have to maintain a healthy general disposition to expect the best in all things, despite being in the midst of a gloomy financial woes. Having your own business can be tricky if you’re not careful on your investments and money.

Just why am I posting this?
Two days ago, I accompanied my daughter to the basketball court near our place. As she glides on her new wave board, I realized; she’s all grown. Aside from the obvious fact of her body’s development, she’s gone from plastic pots and pans, from crayons to clay, from sappy cartoons to anime, from Pet Society to Petville, from Farmville to Fishville and yes, even my bil-bil. Now, she’s learned a new hobby that tells me, “the baby is now a lady.”

I wish I could give more, provide more and do more. And right now, education is what I can give her. I just enrolled her earlier and the teacher was amazed and told me that my daughter is a reader, good to know!

Who's responsible?

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:24:39 +0000

As part of our activity for Values Education, we grouped ourselves into three and went out to seek beggars that we can feed and interview. Our goal is to reflect on the love of God, which is linked to the passage 34 “I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. (John 13:34 (Amplified Bible).” While doing our round-up, we saw this child, at the staircase of our local wet market. His name is Alfredo.

We approached the boy, and asked him if he would like to have a meal at Jollibee, he agreed and went with us. We ordered him Chicken Joy, and let him eat first. After he’s almost done eating, we carried on to interview him. Alfredo is one among four siblings, and he’s only 7 years old. His parents are Lando and Anna, his father is a pedicab driver and the mother stays at home, while he and his other siblings go out to beg for money. Alfredo needs to acquire PHP40.00 before going home, this way they can buy rice to eat, when he accumulates his quota and comes home early, he will still be told to go back to the wet market –which is two rides away from their home, but he does this by walking, to beg for more money. His eldest brother, which is only 10 years old, need to come up PHP100 for his contribution to the family. Alfredo was supposed to be in first grade, but his father decided to pull them out of school so they can continue begging instead. Their father’s wage from being a pedicab driver goes to his drinking habits. His mother drinks too. This is how our conversation/interview went:

Interviewer: Madami ka bang kapatid? (Do you have other siblings?)
Alfredo: Opo. (Yes.)
Interviewer: May nag-aampon bas a inyo? (Are there anyone who wants to adopt you?)
Alfredo: Opo, pero ayaw ko. (Yes, but I don’t want to.)
Interviewer: Palagi ka bang pinapalo? (Are you often spanked?)
Alfredo: ng walis tambo (of reed broom)
Interviewer: Dahil? (Because?)
Alfredo: Hindi kami naghuhugas ng pinggan. (We don’t wash the dishes.)
Interviewer: Anong trabaho ng tatay mo? (What does your father do?)
Alfredo: sidecar
Interviewer: Bakit ka nanghihingi? (Why do you beg?)
Alfredo: dinadala ko sa bahay. (I bring it home.)
Interviewer: Magkano inuuwi mo? (How much are you bringing home?)
Alfredo: PHP40.00 (Fourty pesos).
Interviewer: Anong ginagawa nyo sap era? (What do you do with the money?)
Alfredo: Binibili ng bigas. (We buy rice.)
Interviewer: Lahat kayo namamalimos? (Does all of your siblings beg?)
Alfredo: Opo.
Interviewer: Anong trabaho ng nanay mo? (What does your mother do?)
Alfredo: Wala. (None).
Interviewer: Umiinom ba papa mo? (Does your father drinks alcohol?)
Alfredo: Opo.
Interviewer: Mama mo? (Your mom?)
Alfredo: Walang trabaho. (No work.)
Interviewer: Anong oras ka na umuuwi? (What time do you get home?)
Alfredo: Gabi na. (When it’s dark.)
Interviewer: Anong oras kayo umaalis ng bahay? (What time do you go begging?)
Alfredo: Tanghali. (Lunch time)
Interviewer: Pano kung kaunti lang ang nalimos mo? (What if you only have few?)
Alfredo: Pinapalo ako, kaylangan PHP40.00. (I get a spanking, it needs to be PHP40.00)
Interviewer: Ilan kayong magkakapatid? (How many siblings are you?)
Alfredo: Apat. (Four.)
Interviewer: May kapatid ka bang babae? (Do you have a sister?)
Alfredo: Opo
Interviewer: Pati sya namamalimos? (And she also begs for money?)
Alfredo: Opo.

My group consists of three; two mothers and a mother-to-be. Half of us wanted to cry at the state of this child; he was filthy and hungry. He longed for school, but this too was taken away from him by his own parents. Since we only have four hours of class, two which we spend for discussion and two more to look for this child to interview, we we’re sad that we had to cut our time short with Alfredo, we all had to go home.

Back in school, we talked about his situation and we’re amazed at how these parents are able to put up with something like that, when it’s getting dark and not knowing where your child is. Nowadays, you will find a lot of dangers out in the streets, if adults can get victimized, how much more an innocent child. And there’s also the concern of the child learning other vices, or becoming a rugby boy (children sniffing solvent).

21 Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or fret your children [do not be hard on them or harass them], lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior and frustrated. [Do not break their spirit.] – Colossians 3:21 (Amplified Bible)

(Original Post transferred) Cyber Safety

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:15:48 +0000

The internet is a bottomless mine of vast information, and this can be also an opening to offensive and polluting materials that can get to your unknowing children, you may have also heard of stalkers and phedophiles who might try to victimize our kids, or anyone who might try to lead your children to commit things that we very instructed them not to do. The only way we can combat this is to be vigilant in keeping our children safe not just from the outside dangers but also from that square screen that they stare at for four hours or so. We need to educate ourselves and there are a lot of information that would help us, for example b4usurf.org, it’s a nonprofit organization that puts up a resource for us parents and youths to learn helpful tips and guidelines in keeping our children safe in this digital world.

Original Post transferred to:Ako si Mariz

Cancer can be prevented too

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:19:34 +0000

On the 4th of February, we celebrate the World’s Cancer Day with the theme “Cancer can be prevented too,” promoting the prevention of cancer through healthy habits. The International Union Against Cancer (UICC) is focusing on reducing the risk of developing cancer, by raising cancer awareness, it should encourage people to get checked for early detection, treatment and prevention. It is said that each year, over 12 million people are diagnosed with cancer, and most of them feels so helpless. But UICC aims to change this mindset by promoting simple measures by stopping tobacco use and avoid second-hand smoke exposure, limiting alcohol consumption, and forget about getting too much tan as it can cause skin cancer, balanced diet and regular exercise. This should address future challenges in preventing acquiring cancer.

I think, most of you will agree that prevention is better than cure if we advocate within ourselves a healthy lifestyle. Which reminds me today’s teaching in church; Pastor Bon mentioned about the revival of herbal medicines but in a more improved technology because we can now find Lagundi in capsule. God is truly amazing, he knows what we just need!

Drug addiction and the damage it can do.

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:19:31 +0000

My son was talking to me about one of his classmate who doesn’t go to school anymore because of drug addiction. He relates that, this classmate learned how to use Methamphetamine because of the child’s father, he would always come home high on drugs and beats his mother and abuses his sister; and being the youngest in the family, he could do nothing but endure the situation; that also drove him to become a user in order to forget this misfortune in his life. My son feels that it’s unfair for parents, especially to fathers who do this kind of horror to his family, but as sad and moving as the story was, all I could do is to console my child. In the article Drugs and Teens: What can parents do, we learn that even to the most caring and careful parents there will always be danger of their children getting hooked on drugs, and the only way we can win this battle is to learn to decipher the signs of drug addiction in their behaviour, and to learn how to communicate with a defiant teenager. Another schoolmate, who’s parents is in the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage business also fell into this prey when this girl got hooked up with the wrong crowd and started to learn “experimenting.” Most parents would be in denial; “Not my little Johnny?!” but doing so and keeping a blind eye, won’t help your child, severe drug addiction often leads to a more tragic result, like suicide. Parents should be regarded for their undying love and devotion to their children, and the hard work they put in taking care of the family and meeting their needs, but we should not fall into the trap of being too busy to even talk to them everyday, when they most need our counsel before everything goes out of hand.

Educating yourself about Fertility Issues

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:01:33 +0000

One of my students mentioned to me about my being blessed for having my children, even if it was at an early age of 19, at first I thought it was absurd. But through our conversation, I learned that she’s been having problems having a baby, and this has been a cause of the strain in her marriage. I felt bad about her, because she could have been a wonderful mother and also that she’s still young.

Almost 10% of women experience problems with conception and the most common cause is poor egg quality. Understanding this condition will help both husband and wife to cope with their inability to conceive a child, with the help of information that can also be found at Fertility Articles, you can read a lot of helpful topics that would also serve as a guide before making a decision and there will be no need to spend expensive consultations because you can have everything you want to know about fertility problems with just the click of the mouse, or if you want to get some knowledge first before going to the doctor. The site is very user friendly and you won’t be lost in navigating the site, because everything is properly placed, and the color is not straining to the eyes.

Most of the time couples who are unable to conceive would think of trying out artificial procedures to increase their egg production to give them the chance to have a baby, informative articles will help you understand other alternatives such as In Vitro Fertilization, a procedure that will increase your chances of having a baby of your own.

Our conversation ended with baby topics, and I wished that I could really lend her my ability to conceive a child (no pun intended), but she’s not losing hope because she’s going through medical procedures to make her dream of having a child possible.