Kidzania Bangkok

If you’re ever in Bangkok, be sure to check out Kidzania. Located at Siam Paragon, Kidzania Bangkok is the largest Kidzania in Asia at the moment.

It can get very crowded during weekends and school holidays, Ally and I were lucky that the crowd was manageable. We visited Kidzania on a weekday afternoon, the entry fee isn’t cheap and accompanying adults are required to pay as well.

At the entrance you’re greeted by a real AirAsia plane, once you walk into the park, your senses are assaulted by the lights, sounds and sights. There is a lot to take in and it can seem overwhelming and confusing at first.

Each person is given a map which shows you where the various shops are. Children can choose to either work at the store and earn “money” or be a customer at certain stores and “pay” for a service. Each child starts off with 50 in kid currency,

The Theater which had shows at various times of the day

The all important Bank where kids cash cheques and deposit cash

One of the many stores where kids get work

Ally took awhile to warm up, she was initially hesitant to try out the various jobs. Part of the issue was the language. Staff mainly spoke Thai which is understandable, but it made her slightly nervous .

 

One of the first jobs she tried was being a fire fighter. The children were taught basic fire safety and then rode on the fire engine to put out a fire! Riding the fire engine was the highlight for Ally.

It’s really cute to see the kids dressed up in the different uniforms. parents are required to stay outside each ” building” .

Once Ally did a few jobs, she started to get into the swing of things and enjoyed reading the various job descriptions to see which job would pay her the most money.

The photography job was a brilliant concept, let down by a less than enthusiastic staff member .

I personally loved the Courier job, the kids looked so cute pushing the kid size trolley around delivering goods!

A few tips from my own experience at Kidzania Bangkok.

• Avoid local school holidays and weekends if possible
• The flight simulator seems to be the most popular attraction, plan to do that first if you don’t spot a queue.
• Bring your own food and drink, there are food options inside, none of which were really fantastic.
• Plan to reach Kidzania early. I never understood why people could spend up to 6 hours there, having been there myself I now know its easily done. Let me explain, each job takes about 6 participants and jobs don’t start till they have 6 children. If the park is relatively empty, there can be a lot of waiting to fill up those spots. Each job takes about 20-25 mins, some shorter, add that into waiting time and yes, you CAN spend 5 hours there. There are over 40 jobs for the children to try out.
• Go with a friend or siblings. Even though Ally enjoyed herself, she did mention that it would have been more fun with her brothers or a friend.
• Remind your child to let staff members know that they don’t understand Thai. Most of the staff spoke in Thai but happily translated for Ally when she told them she couldn’t understand.
• Avoid the bank 15 mins prior to closing time, the lines get very long.
• The kids need a minimum of 100 kids currency to exchange for something in the shop. They don’t get a lot for 100 so adjust your kids expectations accordingly.

We spent 3 1/2 hours there and Ally commented that it’s the most fun indoor playground she’s ever been to. She didn’t get to do all the jobs she wanted but left happy as she earned enough to redeem a small gift.

Kidzania Bangkok

Siam Paragon, 5th Floor Tel: 0 2683-1888

OPENING HOURS

Mon –  Fri :    10.00 AM –  5.00 PM
Sat, Sun & Public hol.:   10.00 AM – 3.00 PM,

4.00PM- 9.00PM

Tickets:

	Babies	Toddlers	Kids (4-14)	Adults	Seniors
THB	Free	฿350.00	฿850.00	฿480.00	฿400.00

Missing…… and lots of Updates

I’ve been busy lazy to write which accounts for the long silence.

Updates:

Ally has started Primary 1 , the transition was as expected, difficult. She attended a small kindergarten, where the kids knew all the teachers and vice versa. It was a very friendly place and she loved her 3 years there. We enrolled her into a big primary school, with kids from age 7 all the way to 16.  The sheer size of the school buildings were enough to scare her, not to mention going from a class of 20 children to one of 32 kids. It was as much a learning experience for her as it was for us. We had to learn to let go, to let her find her own feet and yet gently support her without being overly anxious or pushy. I can now confidently say that she has settled into school, I can’t say she’s 100% happy but I think she’s accepted that this is what primary school is going to be like.

Some people have commented that we have sheltered her during her kindergarten years by enrolling her in a small school. If I could do it all again , would I have done it differently? Nope. She has had 3 years with teachers who care about her, who understood her as an individual and made her feel like she’s important and worth their time and attention. Most importantly, she was happy and carefree.

Max has found his passion for …. Dance! We would have never imagined that he would take to dancing but he has. We enrolled him in tap classes late last year and he took to them immediately. His dance teacher ignited his love for dancing and he hasn’t looked back since. I am really happy that he has found something he really likes to do, something just for him. It’s not easy being the middle child.

Our dear Luke turned 2 this February and his speech has taken off. He talks to everyone and everything, half the time we’re not quite sure what he’s saying. He’s a bundle of energy and you can’t seem to keep his little hands away from anything. Food is still is first love followed by our dog Neesha.

This photo was taken on Luke’s 2nd birthday, Grandma managed to find matching outfits for all 3 kids.  Life with the 3 kids has been one huge roller coaster ride, more ups than downs but definitely a ride. I have to admit there were times I felt like pressing the emergency evacuation button and I think I would have certainly have if I didn’t have my stellar husband along with me for this crazy ride.

 

Raising My Dancing Boy

Max has been asking for dance classes for awhile now, yes you read it right, dance classes. Ever since he saw a tap dancing segment on TV, he was hooked. At that time he was 3 and way too young. I thought it was a passing phase and didn’t act on it either.

More than a year later and once again he said ” Mama, remember you said you will find me a tap class?”  I did remember and so I rang dance schools to try and find a class for him. I knew it was a next to impossible task, we had such a tight schedule as it is and furthermore, I wanted a male teacher for him. I knew in a sport dominated by girls, he would need a good male role model.

We have no issues with Max wanting to dance , even if he had wanted to learn ballet I would have found a class for him. Some people might ask if he’s soft or a sissy, to those people I would calmly say, no he isn’t. Taking up dancing isn’t going to make him girly or soft. In the same way signing my daughter up for football isn’t going to turn her into a tomboy.

Right now Max is  young, he is at that cute stage where most people would still feel its acceptable for him to learn dancing. If he continues his lessons as he gets older, I know he is going to run into his fair share of ignorant people who will question him or give him strange looks.

In case you want to know why we are supportive of his dancing, the answer is simple. As his parents, we will support and encourage him in whatever interest he shows. It isn’t our job to judge his choices, it is our job to help him explore those choices and find his passion.

It wasn’t short of a miracle that I found a class which suited our timing and to top it off, was taught by a male teacher. I took Max down for a trial and though he was apprehensive at first, he was beaming with joy by the end of the class. He said to me ” I love it Mama and I want to come back.”

I don’t know how long Max’s interest in dance is going to last, but as long as it does, we will support him all the way.

Luke and Neesha

Luke has a very special relationship with our dog Neesha. He loves her to bits and she is always gentle and patient with him.  Here are the adventures of Luke and Neesha

Singapore’s First Trampoline Park

I took Ally to the trampoline park the other night and we had a blast! It’s newly opened and for now they only operate in the evenings.

It took me awhile to find the place and I was surprised that it was smaller than I expected. Rates are $12/hour for both children and adults.

The highlight of the place was definitely the foam pit. Daredevil Ally tried forward flips into the pit , we even tried to do a mother/daughter synchronise flip.

It’s a fantastic workout, the place is well ventilated and even then we were drenched with sweat by the time the hour was up. I would recommend taking children 4 years and older, adult supervision is needed at all times as there are other people trying out tricks and flips all around. Socks are to be worn at all times, if the kids have non-slip socks, I highly recommend it. We wore regular socks and it was slippery. Adult non-slip socks at sold at there at $3.80 per pair.

I didn’t manage to get any photos since we were too busy bouncing!

Check out their website for more details, we’ll definitely be heading back again.

AMPED Trampoline Park

Address: 369 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 437126 (#02-01, above the foodcourt)

Free Parking at location

Email: info@ampedsingapore.com

Tel: 983.983.95

The Homestretch

Ally had to undergo surgery nearly 3 weeks ago. We had prepped her beforehand, letting her know what the procedure would be like and explaining about the post-op care. We knew there would be a substantial amount of pain post-op and we told her so as well.

The surgery went smoothly and she was home the very next day. We were extremely relived and the boys were happy to have her home. Little did we know that she had picked up a virus, we assumed that her high fever was surgery related. She was weak, tired and extremely irritable for about 4 days. She neither ate or drank very much and lost weight rapidly. It was no surprise that she soon became depressed, she couldn’t do much besides rest and this didn’t sit well with her active nature. We were very concerned, it was unlike Ally to get so down. We tried our best to cheer her up and I helped her put her feelings down into a story. It was a difficult week for everyone at home.

3 weeks on and I can confidently say that the worst is over. Ally is back to her old self and her surgical wound seems to be healing nicely. We had fantastic support from family, friends and medical staff, for which we are extremely grateful. Ally can know talk about the whole experience without bursting into tears and I think she’s come out of it an even stronger person.

A Weekend Away And A Cautionary Tale

We spent the weekend at the Ritz, it was an extremely special treat for the family and the children loved every minute of it. I made the booking directly with the hotel who were ever so helpful. They noted our request for a crib and children ameneties . When the kids walked into the room they were delighted to find little gifts for them.

A gift from the hotel

Checking out the view

 

Ally wanted to go swimming IMMEDIATELY, even before we had unpacked the bags. We changed the kids and headed down to the pool.

Despite it being a weekend, the pool was empty. It was also COLD! The children didn’t seem to mind and were happily playing. This is when my worst nightmare nearly happened. I had gone to pick up some swim toys and the next thing I knew, I saw one of the staff about to jump into the pool fully clothed. Turns out Ally swam too far out and couldn’t reach the steps. She had misjudged the depth of the step, found that she couldn’t reach it and started to panic. Matt turned around in time to fish her out. The poor girl was very shaken, her eyes had that look of fear and desperation. As I hugged her close to me, I could feel her heart beat racing. The scariest part for me was the fact that it happened so quickly and quietly. You always read about drowning being quiet and yes, it’s true. In Ally’s own words ” I wanted to shout for help but I couldn’t because I couldn’t get my head out of the water”  Matt and I remained calm after the incident and Ally continued to swim, this time, she asked for arm bands and a float. I didn’t want to let my true feelings show but the thought of what could have happened shook me to the core.

The gentleman who nearly jumped in to save Ally. We couldn’t thank him enough for his attentiveness towards our children.

The staff stayed close to our kids thereafter. He definitely went above and beyond for us, for that we are truly thankful.

Our brave Ally who continued to swim after her huge scare

Luke our water baby

 

Max finally feeling comfortable in the pool

Luke checking out the surroundings

He decided it was much better to sit and eat spring rolls

The kids love staying in hotels because they can splash about in a bath tub. We only have a standing shower at home so a bath tub is a great novelty for them. The bathroom has the signature Ritz octogon windows which gives you a stunning view of the city.

Exhausted from his swim

Our stay ended all too quickly and the children, especially Ally were reluctant to leave. All 3 fell asleep in the car on the way home.

Tired out after a weekend of fun

 

 

 

 

Empowering My Kids and Building Self Confidence

Ally turns 6 this year and Max will be 4. They are both at the age where we feel they can make certain choices on their own. A recent trip to the supermarket made me think about how I can empower my children and build up their self confidence.

We usually do a weekly supermarket run, this involves a long list and a huge shopping cart. When I do this run alone with the three kids, I need to plan and be strategic ie: be as quick as I can. Now that Luke wants to grab everything off the shelves, I need to shop even faster. Usually all the kids follow along and I ask them to grab items off the shelf as and when I see it. It occurred to me the other day that since Ally can read, why not break up the list and get her to help? After all we were in our local supermarket, one that she knows very well and it was quiet.  She looked at me with questioning eyes, and I said ” Don’t worry you can do it, I trust you”  When she heard that I trusted her, she took the list from me and walked off with confidence.

In fifteen minutes she was back, with all the items on the list. More importantly, she was so proud of herself! Soon after that shopping trip, she offered to order our lunch from the waiter and even queued up at the post office to buy stamps all on her own.

I hope small accomplishments like these will help build their self-confidence and teach them to be independent.

 

 

Not A Pretty Sight

Poor Luke has been plagued with eczema and allergies for some time now. It recently got worse when I gave him some cherry tomatoes for a snack. His palm started to swell and later his forearm as the juice of the tomatoes dripped down.

* The photos below are quite graphic, if you’re having a meal it might be best not to scroll down. You’ve been warned

Thankfully they look worse than he feels. Besides the occasional scratch , he doesn’t seem to be bothered by them. We are about to embark on two week’s of steroid therapy plus tons of moisturizer. Between Ally’s enormous appetite and Luke’s supply of creams, these kids are bursting our piggy bank! Let me just put it on the record, when I grow old and incontinent, they better not put me in generic brand adult diapers.

 

 

Max And His Twin

Max has started school this year and I am happy to say that he has settled in extremely well. His teachers have commented that he is well-behaved and attentive during lessons. Unfortunately, while he is an angel in school, his mischievous twin rears its head at home.

As a baby, Max was a dream, easy-going, always happy. He blended into our family seamlessly and was an absolute delight. Even at age 2 where many parents experience the terrible 2s, he was still the same placid easy going boy. When he hit 3, his twin appeared. One minute he would be sweet as pie, the next he would be screaming murder.

As he got older, his temper became worse. Whenever he is angry, he would hit out at the nearest object/person next to him. He would have these screaming fits where you can just see his anger and frustration. Honestly , I felt lost. I never experienced such things with Ally and really didn’t know what to do. So I tried to be more firm with him, that didn’t work, I tried to be less firm with him, that didn’t work. I deliberately kept him home with me an extra year to spend time with him and to hopefully work on helping manage his emotions.  After a whole day of tantrum throwing and screaming fits, I felt like I have failed.

He is by far a horrible child, in fact when his temper is in check, he is such fun to be around. The problem is his evil twin appears without warning and just as quickly as it appears, it then disappears. The whining and defiance really gets me upset and then I start fighting his anger with mine which we all know, never works.

I am at a loss at what to do, I do hope that this is really just a phase that he would outgrow as he matures and learns to control his temper and emotions.