Breastfeeding for Working Moms- Yes, It’s Possible!

May 9th, 2011

I started to write about this topic two months ago… right about when I started marveling about the wonders of breastfeeding- and how you can sustain it even while working.
Honestly, if I had known this was possible, I would not have stopped breastfeeding my two older kids. I love breastfeeding! However, my adoration towards it (if ever anybody is interested in reading it) is detailed in another article Musings of A Happy Breastfeeding Working Mom. Also, in a separate article, which I hopefully would be starting to write soon, I will be reviewing a breastfeeding mommy’s bestfriend- the one and only breast pump. I’ve had a few experiences about them and I am dying to start sharing my stories to other mommies out there… well, that’s for next time.
Let me stay right on the topic and talk about how mommies can continue to breastfeed, even after your maternity leave. Of course, the only solution here is to have a reliable and handy breastpump. I, for one, have regarded my breastpump as a necessary accessory. I never leave for work without it because I know I have to pump for three important reasons:
1) I need to store milk for my baby.
2) I need to keep my milk supply and pumping milk out enables the breasts to produce more.
3) It will hurt like hell if I don’t (Sometimes, I even experience horrible flu-like symptoms!).
Yes, a breastpump is the one and only thing that you will need to enjoy the best of both worlds- working and being a mom.
Just recently, I was fascinated by what my working mom friend has shared about their company. She said, that she breastfed her daughter for quite a long time and instead of becoming a hindrance, her company even supported her in this endeavor. This one-of-a-kind Philippine company strongly advocates breastfeeding- surprisingly even suggesting that formula milk is taboo and a no,no… In fact, they have set up breastfeeding stations for lactating mothers… so cool! Thankfully, even if I do not work in this company, I still am privileged in a way. We own the school where I work at and so I can have a flexible pumping schedule. Also, I get to go home for lunch breaks sometimes and breastfeed my baby directly.
For mommies who are interested to embark on the same journey, I suggest talking to a certified breastfeeding counselor. Mi Ann of babymama.ph has helped and encouraged me a lot and I am sure she is willing to be of assistance to other mothers, too… Check out babymama.ph for great advices and fab finds!




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Newlyfound Teaching Resources for Think Ahead

April 21st, 2011

After 7 days of teaching the kids of Think Ahead, I am getting the hang of it! Honestly, I am loving it… :-) One of the things that I include in my planning is sourcing the internet for worksheets and other activities related to my topic. The program for Think Ahead is basically composed of reading and math skills. To make it more organized, we made it literature-based. Anyway, I will be talking more about Think Ahead in the coming days and might share some of the cool worksheets I made for the program. For now, I want to highlight the great websites that I found in the last few days… Check them out, too!
http://www.englishforeveryone.org/
This website contains cool reading comprehension worksheets to sharpen the thinking skills of kids who are already starting to read!
http://bogglesworldesl.com/
This website has plenty of wonderful worksheets catered to children with varying abilities!
http://www.kidslearningstation.com/
As a pre-nursery and now a Think Ahead teacher, this website will forever remain to be one of my favorites!
http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/
This website is my newfound love! Super loaded with cool and amazing worksheets, flashcards, and so much more!
I urge teachers like me to browse through these wonderful sites! Until my next post… Ciao!

Posted in A Preschool Venture, About Preschoolville, Teacher Talk, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Thinking About THINK AHEAD

April 6th, 2011

Think Ahead is one of the offerings we have for this summer.  Just like our other programs, it will run for about a month, 22 days to be exact.  As per what I’ve written in the brochure, Think Ahead will offer advanced lessons in Reading and Math, in a stress-free and encouraging learning environment.

Teachers at this point might say, yeah right, easier said than done.  Yup, I admit that this program is not going to be a walk in the park.  On the contrary, it will be complicated and tricky.  It will involve a lot of thinking and planning.  Reading and Math encompass a lot of skills.  Hence, time pressure is imminent.  I have to produce evident results in less than a month.  To make matters more challenging, I’ve been handling toddlers for quite some time now and suddenly, I am to make a 360 degree turn, and teach the oldest preschoolers.  Honestly, I am nervous as hell… but, thankfully, the adventurous me is all hyped and excited.  I am looking forward to planning and conceptualizing the program.  It will be tough but I am ready to face it.  Hence, I started this topic to document my activities as I go through the whole Think Ahead process.  Hopefully, the end-product of it all is an effective and reliable program for reading and math.

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Musings of A Happy Breastfeeding Working Mom

April 6th, 2011

Work and my new baby have kept my hands full these days… less time, therefore, to blog.  As baby sleeps, I thought I’d sneak in a few notes about my breastfeeding experiences.

Why did I choose to breastfeed?

I’ve been breastfeeding my third baby for three months now and it’s been great. I love it and want to continue doing it because of varied reasons.  First and foremost, of course, is because of its health benefits.  I breastfed my eldest for six months and I saw how that helped her grow healthy and strong.  I was unemployed back then so I had all my attention focused on my baby. Sadly, it was a different story for Amber, my second child.  I was working as a teacher and after my maternity leave, I went back to work and had to quit breastfeeding.  Also, as embarrassing as it to say, I’ve been dying to go back to an old and unhealthy habit of smoking. Because of my experiences with my children, I have a basis for comparison.  Amber, at about 6 months acquired pneumonia.  She was hospitalized for a week and that experience was so tormenting.  I hated seeing my tiny, fragile baby, go through several painful procedures.  Things were different for my eldest, though.  She stayed healthy and immune to many diseases until her toddler years.

My second reason for wanting to breastfeed might sound silly to some people.  I want to totally kick out smoking in my life.  I am 33 years old and was a heavy smoker for 15 years.  I only stop when I am pregnant and lactating.  Breastfeeding gives me a justifiable reason to keep off that nasty habit.

Thirdly,  it’s because of financial reasons.  Imagine giving your child the best milk possible at virtually no cost?  Amazing, really… Also, I am glad to see more mommies breastfeeding nowadays.  Before, I cringed at the thought of breastfeeding in public but now, because of the invention of nursing bibs (which just actually looks like a small-sized blanket for me), I can proudly nurse anywhere and anytime my baby needs it.

But of course, my ultimate breastfeeding bestfriend would have to be my ever reliable electric breast pump which I got from babymama.ph.  Because of this God-sent device, my baby is able to drink the best milk ever, even when I am at work. Babymama.ph also provides mommies like me, some helpful advices about lactation, milk storage and production, and etc. etc.  Also, I love the feeling of leaving milk for my baby to drink.  It’s like I’m leaving something of me behind, something valuable, even when I am away at work.

I urge moms out there to breastfeed… this is the best and priceless gift that we can give to our babies.:-)

Posted in Crazy Ramblings, Mommy Thingies | 1 Comment »

High 5′s for Summer! – Preschoolville’s Summer Programs

March 23rd, 2011

Keep your child busy this summer by enrolling them in our fun-filled and exciting programs!
For inquiries, PM us or call us at 6245922.
Check out our brochure for more information –> summerbrochure

**School transportation is available.

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We Made It!: Preschoolville’s Recognition and Graduation Program

March 22nd, 2011

Last March 18, 2011, we finally put a close to School Year 2010-2011! That day, which we celebrated with a Recognition/Graduation program, was unbelievably great! It was a happy and tearful event… An unforgettable moment that has surely left an indelible mark in the hearts of all of those involved. I could not help feeling proud of our team… It has been a tough road to take but we managed to do it and, surprisingly, even elevate it to incredible heights!
As always, the preparations have been rigid… the planning thorough. Like our other programs, we wanted it to be perfect—if possible, make it the best of them all. Conceptualizing the whole thing was not an easy process. Our dilemma involved synchronizing two programs (The Recognition of Pre-Nursery, Nursery, and Kinder and the Graduation of Prep) in one- without making it very long and dragging. The presence of creative minds in our team made everything possible. It was a lot of hard work but we were able to pull through- with flying colors.
The whole thing was not an easy process. A program as big as this involved a lot of coordinating, planning, budgeting, and brainstorming!! Limited manpower resources prompted us to multi-task and work double time. Adding up to the mounting stressor is the presence of one parent who refused to join because he felt it was not necessary to recognize small children… But even so, we still had our happy ending… Thank you to our parents (who were very cooperative!) and kids (who seemed extra-behaved that day :-) )…
Already, we are gearing up for the next school year… We will continue putting our heads together to come up with nothing but the best!

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My Epidural Free Labor and Birth

February 15th, 2011

The last time I had an epidural free birth was 11 years ago, that was when my eldest was born. All I could remember was that it had been overwhelmingly painful. After several years, my memory of that pain became hazy. After all this time, I cannot really describe my agony in detail. If I had perfect recall of the ordeal I’ve been through, I would have insisted again to take epidural.
Labor is probably the most agonizing kind of pain in the world. Too bad, only women experience it. That is the reason why I opted to try epidural during my second pregnancy. The only scary thing about it is the big needle that they insert in your spine, while you are in fetal position. Good thing I had a good anesthesiologist that’s why I did not experience any after effects. I knew that a natural and anesthesia-free birth would be painful… But given my age and maturity, I thought I was ready for it… I was prepared to take the challenge again… this time, in a more composed manner ( I was wailing and kicking when I was giving birth to my eldest). But you know, nothing can really prepare you for that terrifying and insane blow of pain. You experience this when it’s about to end… like the big climax or something. I wanted to cry, to shout, to bite something or some one. I was terrified because all of a sudden, it’s like I was experiencing all of these for the first time… It was all so new to me! However, amidst all these agony, I am glad because unlike other people, I get to be with my mother again. For the third time, she has watched me, encouraged me, held my hand, and supported me. Having to go through all that ordeal with my mom made everything better somehow. I felt her strength as she firmly held my hand- urging me to be strong and to tough it up. Amazingly, her strength seemed to have radiated towards me- so much so that I decided to end this misery by embracing and accepting it. At this moment, after two pushes, my baby was out. This has been a record breaker for me. I felt so proud of myself. Now, my happiness is not only because I now held a beautiful baby in my arms but also because I have in fact, gotten better in giving birth!

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Hello 2011!

January 4th, 2011

I can feel it in my gut… 2011 will be a phenomenal year for me, my family, and our very own PLC.
This year is going to be a year of love… as we welcome another baby in the family.
This year is going to be a year of peace… as we mend old wounds and start anew.
This year is going to be a year of bounty… as we slowly gain what we have lost.
This year is going to be a year of harvest… as we reap the rewards of all our hard work and persistence.

Ahhh… I am so hyped… Thank you Lord! We bring back all the glory and success to You!

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Preschoolville’s White Christmas Party 2010

December 18th, 2010

From a school owner’s perspective, preparation for our first ever Christmas Party has been truly daunting, but wonderfully rewarding.  As with our other programs, we had to do everything- from the planning, backdrop making, designing, etc. etc.  I am glad that we complement each other in terms of strengths and skills.  It seems easy to be the best if you are with the best. :-)


For this school year, our theme was “White Christmas”.  We wanted our program to be subtly explosive- choosing white as the main color because of its simple elegance and purity.  Having the kids dress in white complemented other Christmas colors.  Everything- from the physical set-up to the children’s attire has been perfect.  It was truly a sight to behold.

Of course, physical appearance is nothing without a well-planned and organized program.  Our party, which revolved around the idea of sharing was surprisingly easy to conceptualize.  First the kids ‘shared’ their talents to their parents in a form of a dance number. Then, we proceeded to the traditional gift-giving, led, of course, by our jolly old friend, dear ol Santa Claus.

Being placed in the super tight schedule of the most popular Santa Claus in Angeles City was not a breeze.  Schools, malls, and other events book him as early as January.  Because we were a bit late, we got an earlier date.  Regardless, the program went well and as always, Santa has been adorable and charming.

We beefed up our gift-giving activity by pondering, again, on the idea of sharing.  Now, we are aware that Santa conducts his own charity program with the less fortunate kids.  What we did was that we asked the kids to give Santa a gift, also… He was truly touched and surprised by this gesture.  I do not know but I think this move earned us a soft spot in his heart…:-)  Then, the kids also shared simple tokens and small gifts to their classmates.  There was really so much love in the air!

The day ended with snacks and refreshments that were donated by the parents.  Indeed, joy and love have been the fitting adjectives for that day!  Merry Christmas dear preschoolvillers…. God bless You!

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Preschool Worksheets: Animal Friends Theme

November 16th, 2010

Animal Friends is a wonderful theme that children truly enjoy! You can inject lots of activities to make the topic more engaging for the kids. In our school, we organized a field trip to Hansa Toys Factory, Animal Show and Tell, and Animal Puppet Show. The kids had a blast!
Here are the coloring and general readiness worksheets I made for my pre-nursery babies!


Worksheet 1: Farm and Farm Animals Coloring Pages

Worksheet 2: Match the Same Farm Animals

Worksheet 3: Animal Coloring Pages from Supercoloring.com

Worksheet 4: Animal Coloring Pages from Supercoloring.com

Worksheet 5: Circle the Correct Number of Animals

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