Children, health and wellness, lifestyle, parenting 101

Parenting 101: 5 Activities To Help Children Cope With The Pandemic

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The past year has been one of the most challenging years we have ever had. The Covid-19 pandemic has been difficult to grown-ups and  children alike. The pressure of the quarantine has also taken its toll on our our little ones. It has disrupted their routines in the most profound ways. It has also restricted them from spending time outdoors, which is very essential for growing children.

As we all ride out what hopefully would be the last waves of this health crisis, it is best that we help our children cope well with being cooped up at home for longer periods of time. I have listed a number of activities that would help the little ones thrive and maintin their well-being and good disposition even in this difficult of times.

parenting 101, health and wellness, children, on raising children, reading, online games, free online games, fun activities for children, children issues

Play online games at plays.org

Children absolutely love playing online games and they can spend many hours exploring different worlds with different characters. Some would even find new friends through their favorite interactive games. While they do enjoy this activity, it is a must that we let them play only age-appropriate games. Make sure to limit their daily screentime, as well.

If you are looking for a safe space for your children to play online, do check out plays.org. They have a wide assortment of online games for both seasoned and rookie gamers alike. Our little ones can choose from hundreds of games available and free of charge. These are conveniently categorized by genre, so it is very easy for any child to pick a game. What’s even better is that they also have educational games about Math for younger and older kids. And to top that, they even have Arcade Classics and Cartoon Games, which feature some of my little man’s favorite characters, like The Smurfs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Teen Titans.

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mum reads

Mum Reads: Rurouni Kenshin Volume 1 {#1-3}

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We are huge Samurai X fans and we still watch its re-runs at a local kids’ channel. We absolutely love Kenshin and enjoy watching his adventures with his friends over and over. {Hint: there is also an English-dubbed version available on Netflix ;)}. Of course, it would be awesome to read about his story, too. Good thing my sister has copies of these manga so this mum does not need to buy her own copy! :D

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announcement, books, Children, events

Mum Reads: Celebrate National Reading Month With Adarna House + The Gateway Gallery

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Do you love reading and want to teach your children to do the same?

The Gateway Gallery, managed by the J. Amado Araneta Foundation {JAAF} ~ the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of the Araneta Group, strongly believes in the importance of reading and literacy. In June 12 this year, the Gallery unveiled its “Liwanag Reading Corner”, a 7-piece mobile wooden sculpture inspired by the story of the Lamp and the Moth told by Teodora Alonzo to the young boy Jose Rizal. This one-of-a-kind art piece aims to promote our Filipino heritage and encourage reading by showcasing select books on Philippine history, culture and arts for all ages.

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Gateway Gallery Program in a nutshell

Reading has insurmountable benefits that cannot be neglected. It fosters individual growth that can spur national development. Encouragingly, the Philippines do not log behind on basic literacy. In 2013, 96.5 percent of 74 million Filipinos 10 years old and over were basically literate. Basic or simple literacy – is the ability of a person to read and write with understanding a simple message in any language or dialect. Furthermore, nine out of every ten Filipinos 10 to 64 years were functionally literate. Functional literacy includes not only reading and writing but also numeracy skills. The skills must be sufficiently advanced to enable the individual to participate fully and efficiently in activities commonly occurring in his life situation that require a reasonable capability of communicating by written language. A functional literate person is one who can at least read, write, compute and/or comprehend. Also, persons who graduated from high school or completed higher level of education are classified as functionally literate.

Though the statistics look good, the number significantly drops when comprehension or higher level of literacy is considered. Only 5 out of 10 elementary graduates can read, write, compute and comprehend. While this number improves as the students reach high school, only about 60% of the population actually reaches high school thus, attaining this level of literacy. Employment/ looking for work {28.8%}, Family income not sufficient to send child to school {15.7}, and lack of personal interest {14.9} are top 3 reasons for not attending school/ dropping out.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE

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Mum Reads: Scholastic’s The Path to Possibilities: How Stories Can Reach A Global Audience

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books, events, children, mum reads, reading, book fair, tips on writing, writing, writing tips

It was a weekend well-spent with like-minded people who share my passion for reading and Harry Potter at the National Bookstore’s Philippine Readers and Writers Festival 2017. It was even better that I tagged my budding little reader and siblings along. The event was a 3-day affair with each day filled with meaningful talks about writing and reading, meet and greet opportunities with famed authors, as well as a chance to purchase books at a discount. I was able to participate in Scholastic’s The Path to Possibilities: How Stories Can Reach A Global Audience.

The key topics discussed during the event include:

  • How Harry Potter started as a children’s book and ended as a book for all ages
  • The maturity of Rowling’s writing through the years and how her characters matured with the readers
  • The reading trend in the Philippines
  • The type of books that children and young adults read
  • How can writers tell stories that will be appealing to a global audience and children
  • How important it is for a writer to include local content and Asian elements into a story and how does it impact our children’s identities

J.K. Rowling is and always will be the epitome of impeccable writing skills and her creation, Harry Potter, lives on to be one of the most beloved children’s book character the world over, enjoyed and appreciated both by adults and young readers alike. The way Rowling made her hero ordinary and take on and do extra-ordinary things are what probably captures the readers’ hearts, but more importantly the excitement of how Harry and his friends grew along with the readers is what captivated the readers for years. The first book of the series, Harry Potter and Sorcerer’s Stone, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, but the world will probably never have enough of Harry Potter and his world long after his adventures at Hogwarts ended.

Exclusive Recorded Video By Barry Cunningham

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