Easy Basic Pancake Recipe

Merryn Tan
August 08, 2021
2 min

My boys love eating pancakes. Pancake is one of our common breakfast or tea break meal. Making pancake batter from scratch is so simple that you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it yourself before.

I’ve shared my all-time favourite chocolate pancake recipe back in April and I’ve received requests for basic pancake recipes, too. You can refer to my chocolate pancake recipe here - Chocolate Pancake.

Today, I’m going to share a super simple basic pancake recipe. It is almost similar to my chocolate pancake but without the chocolate.

My youngest son loves it when I make a face or something out of the ordinary pancake and I’m going to do just that. In conjunction with International Cat Day that falls on the 8 August every year (Yes, there really is such a day. I did not just make this up :D), I’m going to make a cat-shaped pancake. Meow!

Make mealtime interesting for the little one with pancakes in interesting and unique shapes.

There are two ways to get a cat-shaped pancake. First, you spend some money buying a cat-shaped pancake mould. This is highly advisable if you are a cat person that lives and breathes everything felines but for the average person like me who simply love cats but is not overly crazy over them, then shaping a cat pancake with my free hand will have to do.

Draw eyes and whiskers with chocolate syrup and serve with fruits for fun and balance meal your child will love.

This easy recipe will help you whip fresh pancakes in mere minutes, you'll never need premix pancake mix or frozen pancakes anymore. Here's the tutorial video for a fun breakfast with the family.

https://youtu.be/XQaFvWqI74c

For more interesting stories and fun recipes, stay tuned to Motherhood Story!

Teaching Swimming at a Young Age: Yay or Nay?

Sarah
July 07, 2021
3 min

How does swimming at a young age enhance children’s physical and mental health?

Is our water environment safe for our children to learn swimming?

Swimming has always been one of the most-loved activities for everyone, especially in Malaysia where the weather is hot and humid all year round, and Malaysia itself is surrounded by beautiful beaches and swimming pools. Not to have the young ones missing out, swimming lesson for children and even infants are gaining popularity so that they do not develop a fear of water from young and enjoy swimming safely with their friends and family. However, there are still a number of parents who balk at the idea of exposing their little ones to the chemical substances and chilly water in pools and, most importantly, safety. Especially with the current pandemic, most parents are still concerned that it may not be safe for children to even get involved in any water-related activities. However, as sanitisation now plays a very vital role in a children’s safety and health in any area that they may be exposed to, most swimming schools and centres such as The Happy Fish Swim School would not only ensure the sanitisation of the swimming pool, but also to ascertain that the water pool level adheres to the guidelines set by the government.

Here's why starting swimming from young can be a sustainable skill to kids:

1. Swimming at early age helps them to cope with fear of water and also a gentle exercise to their body

The most significant advantage of children learning to swim at a young age compared to when they are older is to prevent them from having the fear of water. Comfort is the very first developmental component of swimming. Children will be taught the proper form and breathing techniques that instil confidence in them while they swim. While most young children do not naturally fear water, they will be able to adapt to the water environment more easily and progress further instead of growing with a fear that may worsen as they age. The earlier that children start swimming, the shorter the transition period for them to get comfortable in the water and thus, less difficult to progress.

Children that start swimming at a younger age can adapt faster and enjoy playing in the water more

2. Swimming brings health benefits and improves coordination

Swimming is great for cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular is the circulatory system to supply blood to the entire body. Through swimming, children’s bodies will be trained to use oxygen more efficiently which further helps strengthen the heart, blood vessels, brain and lungs. Swimming is suitable for children suffering from asthma too, for when children are holding their breath in water, the action not only helps to expand their lung capacity, but also gains a greater ability to control their breathing.

Other than that, when children are required to move their arms and legs together during swimming, they are working out their muscles for stronger strength and control, which will also contribute to the improvement of body coordination and balance. It is not an easy task for your little ones to put their body movement together. As they practice more, they will strive in other activities in their daily life, be it running, jumping, writing and more!

3. Swimming improves cognitive functioning

Body coordination and muscle development can be boosted through swimming

When swimming, children move their arms and kick their legs at the same time, promoting bilateral cross-patterning movements. The movement of using the opposite arm and leg will help children’s brain growth by building neurons especially in the corpus callosum, which acts as a connector to transfer complex information between two halves of the brain. Hence, swimming will help facilitate children’s communication and digestion of information and, in the long run, enable them to better cope with academics in terms of reading skills, language development and also spatial awareness. Most commonly, corpus callosum will have finished developing at the age of 12, so why not take this opportunity to boost your little one’s brain development earlier?

Brain connectivity is also vital for better hand-eye coordination. The brain is responsible for exchanging signals for coordinating the eyes and hands to ensure they are fixed on the same target. Exercises such as swimming can increase brain volume and further improve this skill.

4. Boost self-esteem and social confidence

By learning swimming, children will learn to move both sides of their body and learn to coordinate their movements better

Swimming is a great way to socialise. As attending swimming classes is usually accompanied by other children, instructors and parents or caregivers, children are able to interact with people out of their comfort zone and therefore learn to function in groups. By making new friends and learning together, the positive social interactions and fun learning environment will help to improve children’s socialisation skills and also boost their self-esteem—enabling them to be more comfortable in talking and meeting new people. Just like other exercises, swimming can also help children to release anxiety and negative feelings, thus improving their emotional health.

Not only does swimming bring lifelong benefits to children and imbue in them an essential life skill, but also teaches them about water safety and the importance of sanitisation. Knowledge about water safety is important for children to learn the safety measures that they need to know when in water to avoid them from placing themselves in danger and remain calm during unwanted situations. Hence, with all adequate safety measures and pool water guidelines in place, there is no fear to get your child to be in the swimming pool and encourage them to start swimming at a young age to better progress the exercise—appreciating the benefits it brings them in later years.

Although we are still in the MCO stage, it is not too late to start planning to incorporate swimming into your little ones’ daily routine when MCO is over, and it could even be one of the family activities to jump into post-MCO for a meaningful parents-child bonding experience (and a healthier lifestyle)!

Read more interesting stories and fun recipes on Motherhood.com.my!

Da Men USJ Donates Food Essentials to 100 Needy Families

Sarah
July 23, 2021
1 min
Da Men USJ has provided essential food aid to 100 underprivileged families in Sri Tanjung Apartment USJ16 low-cost flats to help keep food on their tables during Phase 1 of the National Recovery Plan.

Da Men USJ donated food packs of kitchen staples including rice, sugar, salt, cooking oil, chocolate malt beverages, instant noodles and various canned food to help single-parent families, people with disabilities and families faced with chronic health issues. These families have faced financial hardship during the pandemic, resulting in an insufficient food supply.

A mall with the community always in mind, Da Men USJ is doing its part to help those in need through the #DaMenCares campaign, the mall’s corporate social responsibility initiative. Da Men USJ has supported various communities and NGOs over the years, and has recently donated books to underprivileged children through Buku Jalanan Chow Kit and hosted a number of fundraising charity bazaars at the mall in partnership with NGOs like Kiwanis Club Kota Kemuning.



The food packs donated by Da Men USJ were received by councillor Lee Jen Uyin on behalf of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MBSJ) who distributed them to several low-cost flats in Subang Jaya.

Lee noted that the B40 and foreign worker community in Subang Jaya have been greatly impacted, especially those who have lost their jobs or suffered a loss of income. MBSJ will continue identifying and helping families in need in the Subang Jaya community.

Da Men USJ continues its efforts to cultivate kindness within the Subang community by setting up a #DaMenCares Kindness Bank in conjunction with MBSJ for shoppers to donate essentials to the needy. Items requested include baby milk formula, baby and adult diapers, household cleaning products (laundry detergent, floor cleaner, dishwashing liquid), hand sanitisers, and face masks. Items can be dropped off at the #DaMenCares Kindness Bank on Level LG, in front of Jaya Grocer.

Read more interesting stories and fun recipes on Motherhood.com.my!

 

Cats, The Misunderstood Creatures: 8 Reasons Why They Make Great Pets

Carol Low
August 08, 2021
3 min
All around the world, cats are often compared to dogs as pets (the two being the most common kinds of pets), and are sometimes misunderstood to be the “lesser” pet. Some families choose dogs over cats because from afar cats may seem more aloof or unaffectionate compared to dogs. They are also deemed to be more arrogant by some, too! However, this assumption could not be more wrong.

We can’t blame these impressions if we put them up against dog behaviours. Dogs are known to be eagerly waiting at the door and wagging its tail when you come home. Or jumping happily and slopping you with “kisses” after a long absence.

Whilst dogs have earned themselves a spot as “man’s best friend,” cats, on the other hand have left us with this impression, “a cat is a cat’s best friend.”

Well, to be fair, these are common misconceptions and these kitties have been sorely misunderstood as less responsive and loving pets. So, in conjunction with International Cat Day, here’re some highlights on the joy of having cats as pets, and why they make great companions.

8 Reasons Why Cats Make Excellent Pets

1. Cats are highly independent creatures

Image credit: Pexels

Whilst cats love the attention you shower on them, they are also happy to have time to themselves. They do not demand for your undivided attention, and are happy to sit quietly by your side or play by themselves. When you do make time to play with them, they're always up to it too, chasing endlessly what you dangle at them!

2. It’s easy to house or toilet train cats

These felines are super easy to train to use their litter box to relieve themselves. You don’t need to walk them out of the house if you prepare a litter box for them to use. Generally, they are also cleaner and more fussy about keeping themselves and their litter boxes clean after use.

3. Easily contented and adaptable

Just scratch a cat under its chin or on the head and you’ll hear the cat purring like a motorboat. A little affection shown to them goes a long way. Furthermore, cats can adapt easily to their environments, making it easy to adopt or train them to get settled.

4. Cats clean and groom themselves

Image credit: Pexels

Cats are probably one of the rare kinds of pets that fuss over their own cleanliness, and go about cleaning themselves regularly. They do so by licking their coat and grooming themselves. A cat’s tongue is full of papillae, an element that helps to keep animals clean.

5. Cats learn quickly

Being an intelligent animal, cats learn new things quickly, even when all they do is simply observing. They are also instinctive which helps them to learn better. Teach them a trick or two and they would quickly get it, even without offering treats to go with it.

6. Loyal companions

Image credit: Pixabay

They make wonderful loyal companions, and can be very affectionate and sociable. Whilst it’s true that they may not always be at your beck and call, they are loyal nevertheless. They can also be rather protective and on-guard when sensing danger. As with dogs, cats can also sense our emotions and can be a source of comfort to their masters.

7. They are good house pets for smaller dwellings

Cats are rather low maintenance in many of the above ways, and they also make good pets for smaller living spaces like apartments or condominiums. They don’t need large spaces to run about and they are rather quiet pets, too. 

8. Cats are calming

Unlike dogs, cats are less jumpy and active. They ask little of their human companions, and they have a more gentle and calmer disposition, too. These Zen-like qualities rub off on their masters too in times when we need our quiet time to unwind.

All Cats Deserve Love And Affection

Image credit: Pexels

So you see, a cat can be man’s best friend once we understand their traits, too. If you are on the lookout for a pet cat, there are avenues like SPCA and PAWS to adopt rescued felines.

There are many benefits to having pets, and pets make wonderful companions for children too. However, adopting a pet is a life-long commitment as we will be responsible for them for their entire lifespan. Thus, it is not a decision to take lightly, as we remain their caretakers for life, just as they remain our loyal companions for life.

Got Restless Kids at Home? Encourage them to Self-Learn and Here’s How!

Christine Tjahjadi
August 20, 2021
4 min

The ongoing pandemic has upended family life around the world, reshuffling our daily work, home and school routines.

On and off Movement Control Orders (MCOs) since last year have forced families to stay at home most of the time and this new normal is hard for children and likewise, for the parents.

The current remote working arrangement does offer a certain extent of flexibility in completing work while doing other chores at home and encourage more parent-child bonding moments. Despite these perks, however, many parents are grappling with anxiety and weariness as a result of having to home school and ensure their children’s education are on track whilst they work from home (WFH) during lockdown.

Parents and Children's Experiences during Stay Home Period: Which One Are You?

Image credit: xFrame

With work life, home life and school life during a pandemic blurring into one, parents typically describe contrasting experiences of their stay home period.

Some parents are happy and have not much problem staying at home as they get to spend more quality time with their family. To them, lockdown has certainly strengthened their relationships with their children.

On the other hand, some parents struggle more than the others. They frequently suffer from burnout as they have to juggle WFH while keeping their restless children entertained and supervised day in, day out. At the same time, they feel exceedingly concerned and stressed about their children’s online study and piling homework as well.

The Root Cause of Vast Difference in Remote Learning Experience

Image credit: Pexels

Some children tend to misbehave at home, particularly when it is time for online school. Yours, too?

They are unable to focus, show no discipline nor great interest during study time, have no schedules and often struck with boredom at home. Because of these, children get cranky and ensue all sort of mischief at home to channel their energy and restlessness, making it hard for parents to deal with. Done several days a week, domestic naughtiness and different emotions mayhem from the children will surely drain and frustrate any parent.

With no prior experience, parents now have to wear the hat as their children's makeshift teacher or tutor at home. Some of them face difficulties in making the most of their children's online learning opportunities due to lack of time to attend their children's study, and do not know how to structure or educate their children appropriately at home.

Conversely, there are also children who are well-behaved during study time at home. Did you know that well-behaved children commonly have their hands full? Their days are packed schedules and established with routines; as a result, they display better focus and generally learn better.

In fact, some parents reported that their children learn even more effectively and independently with the current online learning setting during this pandemic because they are more focused to carry out their academic study and other activities at home.

Self-Learning is the Key Difference!

Image credit: xFrame

The key difference between the two scenarios above is actually self-learning/self-directed learning.

Self-learning is a desired learning that occurs naturally and the ability to study proactively on children. The opposite type of learning is usually forced upon them hence children are reluctant and agitated to do what they are told.

Self-learning is important for children and it will eventually lighten parents' burden in educating their children at home, especially during lockdown periods.

Image credit: xframe.io

Here is why you should foster self-learning on your children:

1. Help children to be more proactive

Self-learning encourages students to discover how to solve problems for themselves independently, without asking for the answer. Once children gain more confidence in their studies, they are motivated to advance their learning further.

2. Promote independence

Self-learning nurtures independence in children because they are not quickly given answers by their teachers. Children are taught to be aware of the focal point on hand and solve problems by themselves; thus develops the ability to comprehend the problem on hand and finds solutions on their own.

3. Empower children to pursue their potentials

By learning something that is beyond the current school grade level as soon as possible, children greatly develop their academic ability. With confidence and ability to study proactively, children will be able to maximise their potentials in their future studies. In addition, through self-learning, children are trained to come up with solutions on their own accord when faced with difficult challenges.

Unleash Your Child's Self-Learning Ability with Kumon!

Some parents of preschoolers would like to teach their children at home but lack of a systematic approach to do that.

If you are one of those parents who have issues with teaching or getting your kids focused during study time at home, introduce your little one to Kumon!

Kumon Method emphasises on self-learning and it offers a step-by-step approach to help children self-learn. Kumon helps students master self-learning, which supports them to become more disciplined, independent and proactive in their learning.

Image credit: Kumon

Once your child becomes a self-learner, learning becomes automatic and it lessens burden of the parents especially during MCO.

Here’s how Kumon will be able to help busy parents like you!

• Kumon methods increase your child's concentration through worksheets that are appropriate to your child's individual ability.


• Kumon programmes are designed to motivate children to continually progress to the next level.


• Kumon methods allow your child to work at his or her own pace.


• Kumon's instructors provide just enough guidance for their students to be able to do the exercises independently.


• Kumon students are encouraged to be proactive and solve problems themselves without asking for the answer.


• Kumon methods challenge students to grow by gradually increasing the level of difficulty of the worksheets assigned.


• Kumon study makes it possible for students to accelerate their study to higher school level material at an earlier age.

Image credit: Kumon

Register Your Child to Join Kumon Now!

Image credit: Kumon

Many Kumon parents ultimately find their children mastering concepts that put them grade levels ahead of their peers. Watch how Kumon can build and advance your children's important skills by registering your child to Kumon classes today!

Sign up now for either Kumon's Mathematics/English programmes and get 2 weeks of classes FREE*!

Kumon currently offers online classes to cater to your child’s needs during the pandemic. Enroll here before 15th September 2021 to enjoy the trial classes!

https://youtu.be/MDs1hDgS9Mc

Learn more about Kumon visit their official website, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.