Family & Life Magazine Issue 11 | Page 17

c. Ask him if he is okay and if he wants to continue playing or go home (S) d. Run to him immediately with your first aid kit (T) d. School can wait a few more years as you prefer to let your child learn from his surroundings (Y) 9. It’s time to start thinking of playschool/ kindergarten for your child. What would you do? a. You will do whatever it takes to enrol him in the top ranking playschool/kindergarten regardless of distance (T) b. Ask your friends for their advice on schools and programs (S) c. Conduct extensive research to compare and analyse various criteria before reaching a decision (M) 10. Your child is getting frustrated by his inability to do something, e.g. feed himself or hold a toy. How will you react? a. Ask your mummy friends on the parenting forum for their advice (S) b. Step in and hold his hand to show him how to do it correctly (T) c. Allow him to learn through trial and error (Y) d. Refer to books or online resources for tips (M) As your child grows, support your child’s active mind and body not just by filling his day with activities, but also by nourishing the soul. Calculate Your Scores! 10 – 12 The High-achieving Mountaineer Mum when perfection is elusive. Do remember to take the time to reward yourself and appreciate the fun moments with your child. As your child grows, support your child’s active mind and body not just by filling his day with activities, but also by nourishing the soul. You can do this by finding opportunities for both you and your child to relax together. Mountaineers are known to be goal-oriented and meticulous planners. You too embody these qualities in life and in parenting your child. You track your child’s developmental goals religiously. You know all about enrichment classes to maximise your child’s talents and give him that added advantage. You read the latest research on parenting and try to incorporate these insights into your parenting style. In short, you make very concerted efforts to give your child the greatest chance of success. 23 – 32 The Easy-going Sailing Mum Relaxed, easy-going and chilledout describe your parenting style best. You appreciate the opinions and advice of others as and when you need to make important decisions regarding your child. Because of your easy-going nature, you are socially in demand and enjoy organising play sessions for your child with other children. You like the idea of community and make every effort to include your child in community activities. FOOD FOR THOUGHT While it’s great to plan and be prepared for everything, know that it’s okay to sometimes take a step back. Not every outing needs to be about learning and development. Do find opportunities to have fun with your child. Remember that every child is different. As your child grows, it can get challenging to get everything 100 percent right, so give yourself and your child plenty of opportunities for unstructured fun. FOOD FOR THOUGHT Acknowledging your child’s individuality at a young age is important as it reaffirms his confidence in himself. However, it’s equally important for you to believe in yourself and be confident in the decisions you make for your family. Use playtime with others as an opportunity to talk about sharing with and learning from peers. 13 – 22 The Goal-Getting Tennis Mum 33 – 40 The Zen-like Yoga Mum You are free spirited and place trust in the motto – life is for the living. This is a mantra that you also apply to motherhood and the raising of your child. You don’t believe in constricting your child with strict rules and an inflexible schedule. Instead, you believe in helping him develop by encouraging him to explore the world. You see yourself as your child’s best friend and want nothing more than to raise a happy and healthy child. You believe in empowering your child to negotiate and make choices from an early age. You are partial to good quality products and place your trust in pure and great-tasting ingredients to suppo