Black Whale

In school now, I am going into all the P3 to P6 classes to get the children to know me and allow them to know that in school there is always someone whom they can turn to when in need. I'm mindful that among all the children, there will be some out there who will have a sad, inner story to share, some unhappy feelings that need healing, and some negative emotions that need reconciling. And my message to the children.. "Mrs Chiam is most willing to listen and understand your story'.

This is a short clip which I shared with the children. It reminds us how an act of a child can often be misunderstood by adults, and perhaps, how as adults, we need to really learn to see things from the child's perspectives.

Yule's art work

Since about 2 years old (or even earlier), Yule likes to doodle... perhaps also because of my training in art therapy, I have also encouraged free doodling since young to develop a means to express herself.

Lately, as she is still struggling to get used to the routines at child care, not comfortable about sleeping there etc, I also encouraged the use of art to express her frustration. It works! One of the day when she came back from child care, she was frustrated, seemed to have oppressed feelings the whole day, was throwing tantrums back home, and was constantly nagging and whining about not wanting to go child care. She even stood near at the window, looking out and talked to herself about not wanting to go child care. I was sad to see such a sight. Such a young child, and having such feeling of oppression is probably unbearable. To manage that, I took out the oil pastels and taught her to use different colours and strong strokes repeatedly to translate the frustration on the drawing paper. I stayed beside her to watch her (while Yuxi was sitting on my lap of course) and encouraged her to continue the process with minimum guidance from me. It works! At the end of that 15 minutes of heavy strokes, I did not see any trantrums, and neither the repeated whining 'I don't want to go child care' for that day.

Since Yule has my influence and is very much into art as a form of expression, I thought I should begin to record some of her 'art pieces' to record her milestones. And as in art therapy, its the process of engaging, fulfilment, creativity and emotional learning that matters.




One of her first drawings of 'potato' persons. This was drawn on the flight
back from New Zealand. Yule was 2 and half years old then.



A drawing done on the MRT ride with me to Funan Centre. She said she is drawing herself and Daddy holding hands. Dated 10/12/2010.

 

The use of oil pastels to release negative energy. Done in Jan 2011.

A recent drawing of family, on her little white board. This should be the first time she just randomly drew a family and really surprised us!

One of her proudest work! This was one time where I was busy with bathing baby etc, gave her her crayons and ask her to draw anything she wants, and there she drew our family playing hopscoth outdoor. Really delighted us with a first complete drawing.

Just a random silly collage piece. All I did was give her drawing paper, an unwanted brochure, glue and scissors and she just started cutting and gluing on her own. She's kinda proud of her final product though.

Another self-made silly collage piece, using cotton wool, colour paper, paper plate, scissors and glue. She said its a birthday cake she's making!





"Your baby has Eczema"

"Your baby has Eczema" is what the PD said to us on few days back. Sigh.... I can only give a long sigh... Just like Jie Jie, Yuxi also has Eczema, at 8 months old.

I know how frustrating this rough, itchy, dry, red patchy skin condition is like for the child and for the parents and caregivers. Yule had Eczema since birth.. we never get to use nice smelling bath soap for Yule since young, we spent a lot of money to see different doctors (PD, GP and Chinese Physician), we used many different type of moisturiser and treatment cream, we struggled to put the cream on and moisturiser for her since she was not always cooperative, we put up with her temper tantrums knowing that she could be frustrated due to the itch, we scratched her hands and legs for her so that she could sleep, we went for skin prick test to find out any allergies.. etc etc... the list goes on... the frustration remains, and the hope lingers.. that one day she will outgrow it...

So now, we found out that Yuxi also has eczema... there goes Yuxi's beautiful and fair skin...(hubby says at least she has beautiful skin for the past few months) there goes nice smelling bath soap and nice smelling moisturiser... money to buy expensive soap-free bath and moisturiser, time and patience to carefully apply these stuff for her to prevent any flare up...

While I'm kinda sad that Yuxi also has Eczema, I'm reminded to count my blessings... I have 2 healthy and beautiful girls. That is all that matter isn't it? Well, Daddy also says at least its economy of scale when the not-so-cheap bath soap and moituriser that we buy can be shared between the 2 sisters... Ha... see how Daddy never fails to delight me with his pragmatic perspectives, and the ability to reframe the situation.. =)

Little Yuxi with the eczema flare-up on her face.