Earphones or Headphones?

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Whether my son is using his Kindle Fire, my netbook or iPod, he still likes to use earphones or headphones, instead of just turning on the device's build-in speaker. I am worried that he's abusing his ears by turning on the headphone's sound full blast.

I should buy a Pro-Ject Pro Audio speaker or an earphones /headphones that wouldn't destroy his eardrums even with the sound on full blast. It will all boil down to my son to be responsible in adjusting the volume that's not too loud for his ears.

Positive Parenting Style: Dolphin Parenting

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It takes a village to raise a child. ~African Proverb

Raising a child is not an easy task. I only have one and it has not been an easy journey for us. I am a semi-tiger mom which I also combine with other positive parenting style to balance the tiger's strictness with something that's laid back.

I read an article about this new parenting style called Dolphin Parenting. Shawn Achor, a Harvard-trained psychologist who teaches at Wharton Business School and author of The Happiness Advantage and Before Happiness, said that parents should try out dolphin parenting. So why is it supposedly the parenting style that everyone should follow instead of Tiger or Helicopter Parenting?

Dolphin Parents are those who raise playful, sociable and smart kids because they're flexible, playful and kind parents.

I will stick though with my own parenting style, a combination of all the parenting styles mentioned above. My son needs the strictness that only a tiger mom can give, the playfulness of the dolphin mom and the "hovering" of the helicopter mama.

Time print postcards while my son is asleep. Good night!

Philippine Science High School Entrance Exam

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The Philippine Science High School (PSHS) is now accepting applications for its National Competitive Examination (NCE). PSHS is a public high school that offers scholarships to Filipino students who are gifted in the sciences and mathematics. According to Wikipedia, graduates of the PSHS are bound by law to major in the pure and applied sciences, mathematics, or engineering upon entering college. 

If you're good in tinkering with how stuff works, like the tv or maybe bar knobs, maybe you would like to become a PSHS scholar. 

You can send in you're application, not later than August 12, at any DOST regional or field office or at the PSHS Main Campus, Agham Road, Diliman Quezon City, if you: 

• are a Grade 6 pupil; 
• belong to the TOP 10% of the batch for SY 2012-2013 with no grade below 80% OR; do not belong to the TOP 10% but have a final grade of at least 85% in Science and Math and 80% in all other subjects; 
• are a Filipino citizen with no pending application as immigrant to any foreign country; 
• were born on or after June 1, 1999; 
• are in good health; 
• are of good conduct and behavior; 
• have not taken the NCE previously

For a more detailed instruction on the application process, vist the PSHS NCE page. You may also call (02) 924-0614.

Summer Break Activities

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My son’s summer break this year is so laid-back. Yes, he just laid, on his back, on the bed for the most part of his summer break. He wanted to go to the beach but the summer heat is just so – well, HOT! And the humidity is not tolerable. Going out under the heat of the sun Ra (bear with me, I’m in the middle of finishing up The Kane Chronicles book) is just not my thing.

He didn’t want to play with the guitar anymore, such a waste of money because we just bought him his third guitar. But he did enroll in basketball camp, learned how to code in javascript and practice his drawing/ sketching skills. So it’s not that an unproductive summer after all.

Drawing Lessons for Kids

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My son has lots of talents. And drawing is one of them. But sadly, he doesn’t want to acknowledge his talents because he’s more interested with Minecraft and everything related to it - searching for Minecraft mods, whatever that is, watching YouTube Minecraft videos.

He drew this wonderful Jack Sparrow portrait two years ago. As his mom, I will not allow him to waste his God-given talents.

I have tricks up my sleeve to make him practice sketching and drawing, as well as all other talents that I think he has, even for just a few minutes each day.

This summer vacation, I bought these how-to books on drawing, sketching and shading. I let him practice a few minutes a day, sometimes as simple as how to sketch and shade household items, and he’s doing a good job.

Here’s his latest:

He’s 11 years old, turning 12 this June, and he has an amazing talent. I’m so proud of him.

National Achievement Test 2013

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The National Achievement Test (NAT), which is an annually administered nationwide test, by the Department of Education (DepEd), will be given to select levels of elementary and high school students of public and private schools, with permit to operate from DepEd, this March.

The NAT test is given to gauge the academic performance in key subjects of elementary and secondary students in both public and private schools.

"Our goal here is to update information and resolve issues and concerns in the conduct of tests,” said Secretary of Education Armin A. Luistro in a press release.

The NAT for fourth year students of public and private schools is scheduled on March 6, 2013, March 12 for Grade 3 pupils of public and Madrasah schools and March 13 for Grade IV pupils of public and private schools.

Programming for Kids

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Finally, I was able to find a way to steer my son away from his video games. Although it's just for a short period of time each day, some days not, but still it's a few hours. Okay, sometimes just for a few minutes but I'm confident he'll like it more in the next few weeks.

Computer programming. Coding for kids.

Yes, he's learning how to code. Not Java but simple codes that even a preschooler will enjoy doing.

Out of the many online and downloadable programming tools that teaches coding for kids, here's two that worked for him:

Codecademy.com - a web-based programming platform with basic to advanced programming tutorials. The platform is very interactive.

Kodu - is a visual, drag and drop, programming language for creating games made by Microsoft.

I just found out about codecademy's codeyear, a perfect project for RJ's summer break. I'll sign up too! I might have an e-commerce site up and running before the end of summer vacation! Wish us luck!

National Bible Week 2013

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Unlike our usual 1030AM mass in a mall in Makati, the family attended the 830AM mass today at St. Joseph the Worker Parish.

The priest announced during his homily that 20 lucky people will each get a free Bible because today culminates the week-long celebration of National Bible Week 2013. The theme for this year's celebration is "Proclaim the Word, Profess the Faith" with Psalm 119:105 and 2 Timothy 2:4a as reference verses.

After church, churchgoers lined up to get a piece of paper from a can. If "congratulations" is written on the paper, a Bible is given to that person. No one in our family though was lucky enough to get one. Probably it's God's way of telling us that we already have a Bible so he's giving it to those who doesn't have one yet.

Grom Social, Social Networking for Kids

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I was watching the early morning news a few weeks back, after dropping off RJ in school, while finishing off some blogging tasks and a report caught my attention. The report was about a social networking website for the youth. It's called Grom Social.

Here's an excerpt from their Grom Social Story page, "I am 11 years old, and one of six children. My brothers, sisters, close friends, and I created a social networking site for young kids and teens. It's a place to chat, make new friends, learn interesting things, and play games. I started Grom Social in November of 2011. It has been hard work."

RJ hasn't tried the site yet so I'm not sure if they allow all kinds of advertisements like they do on Facebook. Kid-friendly ads is ok but some ads from other social networking sites are not really too kid-friendly.

Have you or any of your kids joined this social networking site already? What do you think of it?

Earning a living on the streets of Manila

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During a red traffic light on our way home from the family house in Makati, I saw a few girls who are about RJ's age dancing in front of stopped cars. I guess the knocking on car windows to beg for money doesn't work that much anymore? Or maybe they've thought of this new trick for them to be different from all other beggars on the street.

It was a bit dark already. I wonder if the parents know these girls are still on the street, dancing in front of cars to earn a few coins?! I'm sure they won't earn that much, not even enough to buy cheap things from an 88 pesos store (philippine version of a dollar store).

Does DSWD know about this? Since it was night time already, car headlights were already on. The young girls can be seen by everyone because the headlights serve like a spotlight. These girls will get in trouble if they encounter bad people. I hope someone can put a stop to this.