It's story time at Allez Hop Stretch 'n Grow

Kids sat silently as they listened intently to the story being played on the tarpaulin stage about a fierce dragon who lived in a cave who is very sick because of eating too much junk food. Now come the real heroes of the story, the four characters who represent the 4 basic food groups, who, in time, convinced the dragon to eat healthy.

I can’t recall the many times my mom used to tell me to eat my greens when I was a kid. Only when I became an adult did I finally realize the benefits of eating healthy and maintaining proper weight.  At Allez Hop, they believe in starting ‘em young.

The activity is part of Stretch ‘N Grow program of Allez Hop Wellness and Balance Center, a boutique studio dedicated to building and maintaining over-all wellbeing thru a wide variety of physical fitness programs such as pilates, spinning and P.T. classes in individual, couples (for married couples who want to work out together) and group sessions. Classes are tailored to individual fitness needs. They also offer rehab therapy and pre- and post-natal pilates classses by physiotherapists board-certified by  American Fitness Practitioner Association (AFPA).
With Stretch ‘n Grow, kids as young as 4 years old get started on health and fitness consciousness thru fun activities such as storytellig session, show and tell and movement activities. After the initial group meet at the center, the trainers then come to the school on a twice-monthly basis.

Kids are never allowed inside fitness gyms, especially around eqipment as they may cause injury. But at Allez Hop, they have one such activity where trainers introduce gym equipment and use in a fun way. Mr. Treadmill and Mr. Bike makes your heart strong, while Mr. Dumbell builds big, strong muscles. At this point, terms such as biceps and triceps are introduced and how muscles and bones work together.

Mr. Cadillac and Mr. Reformer elongates the muscles and makes you flexible so you may reach your toes. After each introduction kids are given a strong reminder never to come near them as they are “for your parents’ use” only.

Allez Hop, (means “let’s go” in French) opened in August 2008 and is the first of its kind in the country, located at the heart of Makati, a stone’s throw away from Makati Medical Center. Francesca Ballmer, its owner and general manager, is a Pilates practitioner specalizing in wellness and nutrition.

To many parents all over the world, the name Glenn Doman is synonymous to amazing babies — babies who can read, do math and tons of advanced physical activities

Can a ten-month old baby start learning how to read? According to a study by physical therapist Glenn Doman, they can. His pioneering work with brain-injured children and early development of well children from around the world spawned a series of books which includes How To Teach Your Baby To Read (1964), How To Teach Your Baby Math (1979) and How To Teach Your Baby To Be Physically Superb (1988).

The most famous from the Doman method of teaching is thru the use of Doman’s Flash Cards, available through their website. Such learning tools were developed based on Doman’s belief that the infant brain evolves(as with evolution of the species) through stages of development similar to a fish, a reptile, a mammal and finally a human.(source:Wikipedia).

We all know that toddlers absorb knowledge like a sponge. According to developmental psychologists, a child at 2 to 4 months may have a vocabulary of 10 words. The pace of word learing quickens dramatically between 18 and 24 months, the so called naming explosion,  when tolddlers may add 10 to 20 words a week. At this age,toddlers seem to arrive at the wonderful realization that everything has a name  and they want to learn as many names as they can. Doman says that the younger the child, the easier the learning process. Thru his method, you could flash your baby’s brain and make him learn to read. Visit the  official site of the Glenn Doman Method to read the detail information.

A child learns the fun way to make a pizza at Yellowcab

We are wise to take our children’s play seriously, because how children play has everything to do with how children work.  Whether they will explore the world with energy, ingenuity, resourcefulness or be enterprising, tenacious, optimistic or confident — qualities that are nurtured first and most efficiently through our children’s play. For many parents, it’s new to consider that we might actively, thoughtfully support the quality of our children’s play. More and more children are restless and out of sorts unless they are plugged in to television, the videogame or computer.

How then can we influence children’s play? To start, we can think carefully about helping our children to be resourceful when they play. We can be at our best as parents when we can truly “live off the land”  — when we can take what is available in our life and make something of it: when we create trains out of cereal boxes, turn socks into dinosaurs, puppets and blankets into curtains;  when we draw, color and spin stories together while looking up at the clouds and the different formations we see out of them. 

When we do these, we are authoring worlds of meaning, which is fundamental to all that we will do in our lives. Thus, if we want our children to be able to “live off the land”, then it is not only the playthings we give them that matter, it’s the playthings that we do not give them that matter too. The best playthings are those that teach kids that anything can become a source of adventure and inquiry. So when you are tempted to buy your child an expensive toy, think first. More often than not, it doesn’t take much for kids to enjoy play. Remember the philosophy: less is more!

Nintendo DSi
If you have the budget and your kid is doing great in school, then by all means get the new DSi. The new DSi unit retails at Php11,500 but the package, which includes 4 games and accessories, will cost you Php14,000. You may otherwise settle for the older version since it’s a lot cheaper at Php 9,000-9,500 (all in). The only feature that differentiates the new from the old version is the two interactive digital cameras that can be both incorporated into gameplay and used as a standalone camera feature. It also includes connectivity with an online store (Nintendo DSi Shop) for game downloads as well as internal and external storage of content. A new larger model with bigger screens, called the Nintendo DSi XL was released in Japan on Nov. 21 and will not be available until first quater of 2010. Toys R Us offers 6 months zero interest payment terms.

Love and Berry album
So popular with tweens these days is Love & Berry, a coin operated,card dispensing game at Timezone branches. Built around the concept of playing dress up as well as having dance competitions with your best friend, this newest videogame for kids, also a game downloadable for DSi, is fun. With each game play, a fashion magic card is dispensed by the machine. These collectible cards at then used again ang again, inserted into a slot so Love & Berry, the two fashion divas, can change outfits to match the dance atmosphere. Players must hit the buttons in synch to the rhythm of the tambourine beat to make their character dance the best.
Gather enough fashion cards and keep them in good condition in the special Love & Berry album available at Powerbooks and Comic Alley.

Geronimo Stilton series
It’s a recent addition to the many bookfairs held in schools. Originally writtten in Italian in 2000, Geronimo Stilton became one of the best-selling children’s books worldwide when it was translated to English in 2004. The books are intended for readers in the 9-12 year old age range.
In the series, the title character is a talking mouse who lives in New Mouse City on Mouse Island. A best-selling author, Geronimo Stilton works as a journalist for the fictional newspaper The Rodent’s Gazette.He has a younger sister named Thea Stilton, a cousin named Trap Stilton, and a favorite little nephew, nine-year-old Benjamin Stilton. Geronimo is a nervous, mild-mannered mouse who would like nothing better than to live a quiet life, but he keeps getting involved in far-away adventures with Thea, Trap, and Benjamin. The books are written as though they are autobiographical adventure stories.

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen series
Watch the movie, get the toy. Such marketing ploy has worked so well with the kids. Smaller versions of the Transformer toys retail for Php400 but the largest, which stands at 12 inches, is the Optimus Prime Power-Up model at Php3,000, Toys R Us.

Here are some tips on how to feed a finicky eater:

As long as your child  is healthy and is of normal height, relax your attitude toward food. The more you worry and scold, the more battleground food will be.

Serve smaller portions. Your child’s stomach is about the size of a clenched fist — smaller than you ever thought. If you serve meals on smaller plates and include just a small amount of each food, the meal won’t appear so intimidating to your child.

If your child refuses to eat vegetables, increase the amount and types of fruits your child eats to balance the lack of nutrients from the vegetables. You can “sneak” other vegetables into other foods too. Finely grated or choppes vegetables can be hidden addition to many foods like meat loaf or spaghetti sauces.

Many children will eat junk food it’s available to them. Make junk food less accessible. Keep only a minimum amount of treat on hand. Habit is a powerful force. Children tend to have favorite foods that they eat over and over. Try to replace old favorites with a similar but healthier choice.

Encourage your child to be mor active.  Bored kids who aren’t staying busy may fill their time by eating. Replace old habits, such as munching infront of the TV, with a more productive activity.

Learning an instrument is all about right timing

I was at Powerbooks the other day and this book seems to be calling out to me. I started piano lessons at age five  and stopped at ten years old. I had a good ear for music, and learned to play ouido on my own. For some unexplained reason, I just gave up  my lessons and my dream of becoming the next Cecile Licad, much to my mom’s consternation. She had bought me a big real piano on installment basis, a Zeitter and Winkelmann, which now sits in my living room.

I still play when I’m in the mood.  I see myself in my daughter who started taking violin lessons at age 5 and now, at eight years old, has shown disinterest in her lessons. After reading this book, I gained a few insights on why children who seem more musically talented than the rest become lackadaisal in later years, outlearned and outpaced by the less talented yet diligent students who start late yet carry on, some even becoming more accomplished musicians in adulthood.

A child prodigy himself, the author says that the right moment for a child is not simply a question of age, but a coincidence of physical, mental and emotional development. One of the most common factors in musical failure was starting to early. He says the right time for a child to start lessons is between the age of seven and eleven.

Here are a few tips I gathered from the book that may help parents who want to start their children on music lessons:

Encourage your child. Try to make a wider range of music available to the child to listen to, watch musical programs on TV or go to concerts, from circuses to brass bands to school concerts. Discuss favorite tunes or which sounds are liked or disliked and why.

Find out how inclined your child is and gauge his interest. A six-year-old may want to play an instrument yet not be really interested in taking  it on so he invents a specific achievement fantasy and tells his parents “I want to be like Vanessa Mae.”  Although this may sound like a mature decision, it should be treated along the lines  “I want to be a nurse or a doctor.”   The instinct will naturally ebb and return more strongly in a year or two. Unless you have funds to start lessons early, it is wise to wait until he is seven or eight before enrolling him in music lessons.

Take this simple readiness test. Has your child:

- attended full time school for at least two and a half years?
- carried on any hobby or belonged to an out-of-school activity or interest group for three months or more?
- know the difference between work and play?
- have the spare mental energy (after schoolwork is done) to begin a demanding new activity?

If you answer yes to all of these questions, then the child is ready to begin lessons.

Check if the instrument is physically comfortable for the child to hold and play. Physical pleasure from playing an instrument is the most powerful reason of all why the child should carry on learning.  Some instruments are too heavy, or too large and require too much energy for a child. Only three instruments are made in sizes: the violin, guitar and cello. Other instruments will not function properly when their sizes are reduced.

Profile your child. Certain instruments suit certain kinds of children. Some instruments are solitary. A sociable, outgoing child who is learning guitar or piano is bound to be frustrated and unhappy because he will have no chance of playing with others for many years to come. Conversely, a truly solitary child will be miserable in a brass instuments which is for making music only in bands and orchestras. Hyperactive children are a nightmare for violin teachers but a dream for percussionists.

Practice is necessary. When lessons start, parents should monitor the child’s progress and continue motivating the child. Ten minutes’ practice a day is enough for most children; a longer period may produce boredom. What is vital is to make practice a habitual part of the child’s day like cleaning teeth or getting dressed.

My two children are lefthanded, a trait they share with their dad and their lolo (grandfather). The eight-year-old has gotten used to being a lefty, and plays tennis using her left arm, which we encouraged because it is an advantage in the sport. When she learned to play the violin at age four, my mother-in-law ordered a violin specially made for lefthanded musicians from an online store. A relative from the US handcarried the instrument when she came here to visit.  (see video of Lefthand violin player).

For a while, people were curious about the child who plays on the rightmost side of the stage during violin recitals. The teachers had to put her there because the other righthanded students would constantly bump instruments with her. Even Sister Placid, Predis founder and music department head at St. Scholastica’s College, once called her “bale” (for “baligtad”).

With this special trait running in our family, we have made a few other adjustments at home and in school. When studying, the reading lamp should be placed on the left so as not to cast shadow on the page when they read. Because I am the only righthand person at home, I found it disconcerting to be always putting food items in the fridge on the right side only to find it being constantly moved to the left. When my daughter and I play tennis, I get stumped whenshe lets fly a topspin from the left, so I had to make adjustments. The writing pad on her school chair is placed on the left so my daughter can write comfortably.

I have taught my child time and again to embrace her lefthandedness and not fight it as I have learned through research that making a lefty do things with her right undermines self confidence. A lefty who is forced or “conditioned” to do things with his right not only becomes clumsy and ineffective as she is using the weaker and less coordinated hand, she also tires more easily. Simple tasks become a burden, less enjoyable and unrewarding.

My four-year-old son has shown preference for his left hand as well but at this age, his teachers say he is still ambidextrous, switching from the left hand to right hand with regularity. He crayons and moves objects with his right hand but writes and holds his feeding bottle or cup using his left. His development pediatrician,Dra. Vilma Bagay-Salcedo,  says it is not surprising for a child to have no distinct hand preference at age three to four but if he still shows a strong preference for the use of this left hand at age five, then that will be his handedness throughout his life. My son was diagnosed with delayed speech at age 2 and has been attendig speech therapy at Skillbuilders. Experts say speech impairment usually occur more often in lefthanders.

Fortunately, my son’s condition has improved. Why does handedness exist at all? Handedness is determined by the brain, not the hand. According to scientific theory, right-handed people use the left hemisphere of the brain and process information using “analysis”, which is the method of solving a problem by breaking it down to its pieces and analyzing the pieces one at a time.By contrast, left-handed people use the right hemisphere and process information using “synthesis”, which is the method of solving a problem by looking at the whole and trying to use pattern-matching to solve the problem. With this ability to process information faster, left-handers are able  to multi-task. In a recent study, it was found that there are more left-handed people with IQs over 140 than right-handed people – which is the “genius” bracket. This is perhaps why there are more “lefties” in creative professions such as music, art and writing. There exists a long list of famous personalities who are left-handed. Among these are United States President Barack H. Obama (politics), Henry L. Ford (automobile manufacturing), Mark Twain (literature), Jimi Hendrix (music), Michelangelo (art),Rafael Nadal (tennis), and our very own Rafael “Paeng’’ Nepomuceno (bowling) and Emmanuel “Manny’’ Pacquiao (boxing).

Here are a few tips for parents who have left handed kids:

- Since many lefties smear what they write as a resultof moving their hand through the words, it is best they use darker lead pencil or fast drying ink pen

- Observe and see what left handed tools he needs such as left handed scissors, fast drying ink pens, school chairs, etc. Inform your child’s teacher so adjustments like seating arrangements are made.

- At any time, your child becomes vulnerable to teasing from classmates or playmates. Encourage the child to embrace his handedness.

- Encourage your child to engage in sports such as tennis, baseball, swimming (left handers adjust more easily to seeing underwater) and fencing because being lefthanded is an advantage in these sports.

An overly high intake of sodium, which is a component of salt, has been linked to high blood pressure particularly in susceptible individuals.

Did you know that Filipinos eat more salt than required? It is estimated that the typical Filipino diet contains about 2,800 to 6,000 milligrams of sodium.  Selecting brands of foods with lower sodium content and eating fruits and vegetables without adding salt, can lower the sodium in your diet considerably. The use of herbs, spices and salt-free seasoning blends can add flavor without exceeding your ideal sodium intake. 

Daily nutritional guide for Filipino children:

fats and oils: 6-8 tsps.

Sugar and sweets: 5-6 tsps.

fish shellfish, meat, poultry, dried beans and nuts: 2 1/3 to 2 servings

egg: 1/2 piece

milk and milk products: 1 glass

vegetables:  3/4 to 1 cup serving

fruits:  2 medium servings

rice, rice products, corn, root crops, bread, noodles:  4-6 servings

water and beverages: 6-8 glasses

For would-be parents, this is very welcome news as newborn screening is a valuable tool in catching congenital diseases at its early stages. The process, introduced by a group of pediatricians and obstreticians in 1996, has come a long way as now every hospital in the country has been mandated by law to implement this program. The first week of October in fact, was recently declared as Newborn Screening Week through Presidential Proclamation 540.

What is newborn screening? Newborn screening (NBS) is a simple procedure to find out if your baby has a congenital metabolic disorder that may lead to mental retardation and even death if left untreated.  Most babies with metabolic disorders look normal at birth. One will never know that the baby has the disorder until the onset of signs and symptoms and more often ill effects are already irreversible.

What are the disorders included in the Newborn Screening Package?

1. Congenital Hypothyroidism (CH)

CH results from lack or absence of thyroid hormone, which is essential to growth of the brain and the body. If the disorder is not detected and hormone replacement is not initiated within (4) weeks, the baby’s physical growth will be stunted and she/he may suffer from mental retardation.

2. Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)

CAH is an endocrine disorder that causes severe salt lose, dehydration and abnormally high levels of male sex hormones in both boys and girls. If not detected and treated early, babies may die within 7-14 days.

3. Galactosemia (GAL)

GAL is a condition in which the body is unable to process galactose, the sugar present in milk. Accumulation of excessive galactose in the body can cause many problems, including liver damage, brain damage and cataracts.

4. Phenylketonuria (PKU)

PKU is a metabolic disorder in which the body cannot properly use one of the building blocks of protein called phenylalanine. Excessive accumulation of phenylalanine in the body causes brain damage.

5. Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency (G6PD Def)

G6PD deficiency is a condition where the body lacks the enzyme called G6PD. Babies with this deficiency may have hemolytic anemia resulting from exposure to certain drugs, foods and chemicals.
Newborn screening is ideally done on the 48th hour or at least 24 hours from birth. Some disorders are not detected if the test is done earlier than 24 hours. The baby must be screened again after 2 weeks for more accurate results. All it takes is a simple heel prick method. A few drops are taken from the baby’s heel and blotted on a special absorbent filter card. The blood is dried for 4 hours and sent to the Newborn Screening Laboratory (NBS Lab). Results are available within three weeks after the NBS Lab receives and tests the samples sent by the hospital.A negative screen mean that the result of the test is normal and the baby is not suffering from any of the disorders being screened.

In case of a positive screen, the NBS nurse coordinator will immediately inform the coordinator of the hospital where the sample was collected for recall of patients for confirmatory testing. Babies with positive results are referred at once to a specialist for confirmatory test and further management.

In his keynote speech, DoH Undersecretary Alexander Padilla reiterated the commitment of the DoH in the full implementation of R.A. 9288. National coverage has increased from 21% in 2008 to 50% in 2009. By 2010, all hospitals and birthing facilities shall have ensured 85% of the department’s target coverage. Part of the strategic plan is the recent opening of a newborn screening center in Mindanao.

Today, Linggo ng Wika (Language Week) has become an extended to a month-long event we call Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa (National Language Month). It is that month of the year when all students, including government employees, are encouraged to use the native tongue; when teachers, students, and government employees are mandated to wear native attire and costumes; when patriotic posters plaster school bulletin boards and street billboards; and when students are not penalized by their teachers for speaking in Filipino. Most of us see it as a noble cause that furthers the growth and promotion of national pride, as language is a primordial pillar of national identity.

As we move towards the 21st when all nations converge and become a global village, the challenge is to raise global pinoy  kids imbued with the sense and pride of being pinoy.  “Yabang Pinoy,” a group founded by young, nationalistic students and yuppies, who realize that the gravest threat faced by the Philippines today is Filipinos not believing in their own nationality and identity, is hammering this home with “The Mark Peckson Project,” a four-part reality webisode series that revolves around a 29-year-old Filipino, who lives here and studies here yet strangely enough, has never learned the language. “Yabang Pinoy” is a project of Children’s Environmental Awareness and Action Foundation (CEAAF) whose thrust is environmental education on the richness of biodiversity in the Philippines. CEAAF is a beneficiary of the “Yabang Pinoy” project.

Coinciding with this initiative is the recent arrival of a group of Fil Am artists. Remember our lessons about the famous Galleon Trade that brought riches to Europe by navigating routes around Mexico, California and Manila? Last July 24-August 16, a Galleon Trade ship docked in Manila, carrying loads of contemporary art instead of spices and stoneware of the olden days. The  ship captain is Filipino-American artist Jenifer Wofford, who organized the exhibit, together with twelve Filipino-American and Mexican-American visual artists based in California. The artists exhibited paintings, sculptures, photography, installations, video art and performance art in three locations – Mag:net Gallery Katipunan, Mag:net Cafe High Street and Green Papaya Art Projects at UP Teachers Village in Diliman, Quezon City.

The modern-day Galleon Trade seeks to initiate a continuing art exchange program between Filipino-American and local artists, which Rock Drilon, Mag:net gallery owner, says is very encouraging.  “The term “brain drain” connected to their migrating parents is no longer applicable to these Fil-Ams.In fact, from “brain drain” the integration of arts and culture may even lead to relocation.”
With these two recent events, the trend towards Filipinization is indicative of our growing need to teach our kids the importance and value of our cultural heritage. How then do we do this by not just one month of the year but throughout their lives? By starting them young when they are most open to ideas and concepts through daily practice not only in school but at home. Here are some tips from parents and teachers:

1. Expose kids to Philippine literary classics by starting with Jose Rizal’s works such as Noli Me Tangere. Schedule trips to the library or bookstore. There are fun comic illustrations of these literary gems that are easy reading fare for little kids. Make time for role play games and have fun as well. Cecile, a 32-year-old preschool teacher says, “My two sons and I were calling ourselves Crispin, Basilio and Sisa for a whole week after we did an impromptu role play one night while they were studying Noli Me Tangere. That was crazy fun.”

2. Junk the usual fairytale stories at bedtime. One parent said her daughter’s favorite is Ibong Adarna by Jose dela Cruz and Nick Joaquin’s Summer Solstice, which she would tell and retell each night Kuya Bodgie style (of Batibot fame). “I started doing that when she was three years old. Imagine how surprised her 1st grade Filipino teacher was when she told her how she knew Nick Joaquin. My daughter stood up and related that story in front of the class, all from memory.” 

3. Encourage the use of Filipino-made products. “I like using Ilog Maria products at home and my 8 year old son asked why I like it so much. That got me started on telling him about how patronizing organic Filipino products can help the poor and underprivileged because part of the proceeds of the sale are given to charities. I also told him how manufacturing these products generate jobs for the poor,” says Rina, a 34-year-old advertising executive.

4.”Kids nowadays are so glued to videogames and internet that they rarely come out and play the usual games we used to play back then such as tumbang preso, piko, taya, even jolens,” says Jenny, a 28-year-old stay at home mom. She says she encourages her kids to play out in the sun during weekends. No computer or Wii.They jog at the CCP complex and she makes a running commentary on the art pieces on display at the park.
 
5. Teach your kids how to treat “kasambahays” with respect and love. Remember, these are the people we leave our kids with 24/7 when we are out working or enjoying adult stuff. Tell your kids that calling them kuya, ate or manang is a sign of respect and that they are not just servants but part of the family. The use of “po” and “opo” should also be encouraged.

These are just some of the ways to teach kids to love and live Pinoy and provide them with a solid cultural grounding. For, as one author puts it, it is with a strong sense of identity that will one day propel and inspire them to do more and be more. Happy parenting!

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