by William Freeman

5 Tips for Preparing Your Child for the Transition to Nursery School

Starting nursery school is a big deal for both kids and parents. It’s a new adventure full of excitement and learning. To help your child get ready for this exciting journey, here are five easy steps you can follow:

  1. Stick to a Routine:

    One of the best ways to prepare your child for nursery school is by establishing a routine. Start by setting regular times for waking up, eating, and playing. This will help your child get used to a schedule similar to what they’ll experience at nursery school. Consistency is critical, so stick to the routine even on weekends. A routine helps your child feel comfy and sure about nursery school.

  2. Visit the School Together:

    Take your child on a tour of the nursery school before their first day. Let them explore the classrooms, playground, and other facilities. Introduce them to their teachers and show them where they’ll spend their time. This will make your child feel more comfortable at school and help them worry less about starting school. If you can, attend any orientation sessions or open houses the School offers. This will help your child get to know their new school better.

  3. Positively talk About School:

    Talk to your child about nursery school happily. Tell them about the fun stuff they’ll do, like painting and playing. Share stories about your school days or friends who loved nursery school. Children should be encouraged to ask questions and express any concerns they may have. Talking openly helps you understand your child’s worries and excite them about nursery school.

  4. Practice Time Apart:

    Many kids find it hard to start nursery school because they must be away from their mom, dad, or whoever usually takes care of them. It’s a significant change from being with someone familiar all the time to being in a new place with new people. They might feel scared or worried about being away from their loved ones. It’s okay to feel this way, and it’s a normal part of growing up. But as they spend more time at nursery school, they’ll get used to being apart and start feeling more comfortable and confident. It just takes a little time and patience for them to adjust to this new routine. Help your child get used to being apart from you by gradually increasing the time spent apart. Start with short separations, such as leaving them with a trusted family member or friend for a few hours. As your child gets used to being away from you, try leaving them for more extended periods. Tell them you’ll always return and praise them for being brave and independent.

  5. Encourage Independence and Self-Help Skills:

    Encourage your child to do things independently, like dressing and tidying up. Practice these tasks together at home so they feel confident. When kids can do things independently, they feel more prepared for new experiences, like going to nursery school.

    Getting your child ready for nursery school doesn’t have to be complicated. Just do these five things:

    • Make a routine.
    • Visit the School with your child.
    • Talk about School in a good way.
    • Spend Time apart.
    • Could you help your child do things on their own?

     

With your love and support, your child will feel confident and excited about this new adventure.

 

by William Freeman

Who Will Look After My Preschool Toddler?

When we talk about preschools in Singapore it refers to child care centres and kindergartens throughout the island country. Hence, preschoolers are those cute kids ranging between the age of 18 months to 6 years old, who stays under the care of preschool teachers either for half-day programme or full-day programme. Government-operated and -regulated preschool service provided through Ministry of Education and Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) is very popular among parents.  Other options they have is to send their preschool-aged children to private institutions, but they will need to scrape extra money for tuition fees.

By 2020, it is estimated that Singapore needs 3,000 more teachers to handle its government-operated and -regulated preschool sessions. In 2018, the number is already high at 17,000. However, it is still insufficient to cater to higher demands of parents who prefer government-operated centres over other options. The lack of teachers is partly due to low retention rate caused by many reasons. One of the child care service providers shared that currently only 25% of their teachers and staff stay with them more than five years.

Preschool teachers are well-trained to look after the children

So, who are these 17,000 teachers now attending and looking after these preschoolers in child care centres and kindergartens?

Despite less than encouraging perception about this career among parents and job seekers, children who stay at preschools are under the care of trained and certified professionals. They have great passion about their careers and enjoy being with children.

Among their skills are dealing with children and planning lessons based on children’s different needs and learning styles. Not all children are learning the same way. Some of them are auditory learners, while others are kinesthetic and visual. Preschools try to cater to all of them.

The duties of the teachers are far from exhaustive. Their long-term goal is not only to prepare the children for primary school but also to build the children’s interests in learning early on, hoping that the children will be independent life-long learners, a skill they must possess, being born in information-laden 21st century. More information about renowned preschool education in Singapore can be found here.

The bright future of preschools depends on high quality teachers

Fortunately, the government, its agencies and other stakeholders are taking all necessary steps to prepare for the higher demands of early childhood education in the near future. Career opportunities are created for students from different backgrounds including technical education. Those who are already in mid-career, but interested to join, can also do so from scratch within a conversion scheme that allows for working while undergoing training. To celebrate the positive side of the industry, it is good to know that a preschool service provider set aside $20 million for programmes that can help develop skills and knowledge of preschool teachers. This shows the commitment to provide high quality teachers in preschool.

All these efforts are in place to ensure the children will get the best early education experience that allows them to gain balanced growth in all aspects, either physical, psychological, cognitive, and emotional. A country that invests heavily on their younger generation cannot be wrong. They are investing for their great future.

by William Freeman

Simple Steps To Get Kids Energised In The Real World

It is not an easy task keeping kids energized in the classroom or even at home. While many of them are quite happy with their remotes to watch television and probably a Smartphone to keep them geared with something interesting, life is not only about gadgets. Here are simple ways and steps that keep kids energised in the real world (read classroom).

If you are looking for a Nursery School in Singapore, do consider Chiltern House School Nurseries. They not only provide a holistic curriculum comprising linguistics, Mathematics and Science topics but also prepare your child for primary school. Do visit their website above to find out more.

For a good review of Chiltern House, you can read about Chiltern House Review here.

1. Methodology plays a vital role in keeping kids on the right track in the classroom. In fact, it helps them in the learning curve as they are fed with information right from reading and writing to counting and sums. The way the educator encourages children in the next step towards learning helps the child down the line.
2. Adding something interesting through pictorial content gears anyone to feed off information. Kids always prefer this medium. Take the stage of learning the letter of the alphabet, each letter has a picture to drive home the point associated with the letter. This helps them in wanting to know more and identifying with something that is relevant and not so relevant to the subject.
3. A simple sense of reasoning power harnessed in the classroom by the educator helps children find their favorite subject. While the idea is not to have affiliations toward a subject what constitutes the framework here is a deep sense of reasoning power that is capitalized in the classroom. This ultimately resonates with the mind of the child to get her/him geared towards a deep sense of learning.
4. Some time in the open is another method that has been proven to be advantageous to anyone, more so kids, who need time away from the drudgery of information and studies. As they take in the beauty of nature and her wonder, they learn to adapt their minds towards another element in the pattern of learning.
5. At a nursery school Singapore children are provided with varieties of subjects that energize them to learn and understand more than what is on the plate. Extracurricular programs like craft, art, some exercise, theatre, music, and dance, bring out their hidden talents. Education is not primarily concentrated on subjects, something the other activities also help.

An Overview
Not everyone is cut out to be a teacher. Providing a platform for children is not an easy ride, it takes time, effort and capability to get them to be appreciative and energized to deal with life outside the classroom and home.

by William Freeman

Why Tolerance Should Be Encouraged In Every School Today

Practically every single country seems to be going through the rigors of intolerance which seems to be religion-centric. Myriad other factors also contribute to the reasons why intolerance has become a social menace. The preschool education system must ensure that subjects made available to students are not always concentrated on the bottom line. Chiltern House’s website lists out many ways for children to be themselves instead of being influenced by the negativity spewed across various mediums.

If you are a parent looking to send your young one to a preschool, check out this Chiltern House Review for an honest review of preschools in Singapore.

Here are a few reasons why tolerance must be encouraged in every school today.

1. Given the fact that the world has become quite globalized, the need to be understanding towards classmates and peers should be encouraged. If children are expected to deal with negativity in the early years, the seeds of hatred will influence them as they get into the groove of studying.
2. Respect is another social skill that must be driven home with every child. As kids learn to respect their teachers, and the elders they become better people. It does not end there, as they get to be respectful of their peers too, they will stand to gain.
3. The use of language and the mode of speaking should be factored in with care. Kids tend to imitate elders. If the educator uses derogatory language in the classroom or speaks in an obtrusive manner to others, children will pick this up. Therefore, the teacher must ensure that the right methodology is in place and be a good role model.
4. Faith is personal. People tend to identify with others based on their beliefs. From the point of view of a child, it is necessary to make very sure that they are taught to be mindful of the needs of their peers. Providing children with a platform to speak about their cultures, traditions, and beliefs breaks down barriers.
5. Understanding and learning something new every day is the hallmark of the pedagogy. Along the way, social skills and etiquette help kids understand the finer aspects of life away from the medium of learning.
6. Racism seems to be on the rise and curbing this is necessary by starting this from the early years. It keeps kids away from negativity as they better their way of thinking and influence others to be better people.

Summary
In a nutshell, it has been proven that the education system has changed over the years. Regular schools must ensure that they bring levels of tolerance in the system. At the end of the day, even if people spew venom, children can set the tone for a better society.

by William Freeman

Measures for Hygiene in a Nursery

In a nursery school, it is the job of the teachers to make sure that the environment is hygienic for the child. Proper hygienic control has a great impact on almost everything.

Parents will choose a place where their kids are kept healthy and safe, teachers and staff members want the child to be healthy so that they can be healthy themselves. It is also a child care centers moral as well as legal obligation to ensure that the child is healthy in their institute.

If you intend to send your child to a nursery, do consider Chiltern House School Nursery. They prepare your child for formal education, and their activities include lessons in linguistics, Mathematics, Science and social group learning. If you are serious about a Singapore Nursery School for your child, do check their website above.

If you are keen to send your child to a quality preschool, do check out this Chiltern House Review for an honest review of the school.

While it is important that parents start to teach their children about hygiene right from home there are certain precautions that the school needs to take to ensure that the school is hygienic for the child.
Make sure that the entire school is free of pests and is made pest proof.
There should be washbasins present in strategic locations that are clean and safe for the kids as well as the adults to use.
There should always be enough light as well as ventilation for any room in which the children would spend a lot of time.
The school should have a proper system for waste disposal and waste management.
The surfaces around the school should be easy to clean and they need to be cleaned often.
Any dangerous places or something that can cause harm to the child should be blocked off with barriers that are secure.
There should also be a hygienic baby changer in case it is used in your school.

Along with this, it is essential that the school promotes good hygienic habits in their school hence. They can do this by
Encouraging the children to wash their hands often using an antibacterial hand wash or soap.
Ensure that the child knows where waste goes and is able to throw it out when needed. They should also know how to segregate the waste and throw it in the appropriate bins.

In addition, it is important that any child or staff member who is sick and contagious is removed from the other children as that would put the children at risk of getting the illness. Staff members who are sick or have infected wounds can leave the premises and come back once they are better, while sick children should be encouraged to stay home and come home once they are feeling better.
If the manager of the daycare suspects that any area of the school is compromised they should ensure that it is cleaned and decontaminated as soon as possible.

by William Freeman

Does Lutein Really Help Improve your Eyesight and Cut Back the Years

The time has come where people prefer to eat the right food. Fast food has definitely made its mark felt across the board but an overdose of this causes serious health problems. Over the years with an emphasis made on mixing things up in the kitchen by including fruits, greens and vegetables in the diet many have realized the importance of getting back to basics. By including the carotenoid antioxidant Lutein found in dark green vegetables, red and orange veggies and fruits and eggs, one can actually cut back the years and improve eyesight.

The human body cannot simply adjust itself to this basic diet without the additional add-on of protein, carbohydrates, minerals and many others. Most often than naught having the veggies in the fridge may not be possible and in this regard a supplement also provides lutein benefits. Pill popping randomly however is not the right approach; the advice is to follow doctor’s orders and take the right dose.

As we age, the eyes feel the strain and anyone over 40 or 50 may experience age related eye ailments. There is considerable research and adequate proof that this natural remedy improves the quality of your sight. Cataracts and macular degeneration are prevented from forming in the elderly if they include the right amount of carotenoids in their diet.

As the dark green vegetable improves and hydrates the elasticity of the skin, there is almost no damage as we age. Lipids, fats and oils secreted in the body are prevented from peroxidation. The antioxidant also acts as precautionary and preventive measure in protecting the skin caused by harmful UV rays and a variety of pollutants noticeably in the air.

The heart also enjoys tremendous lutein benefits as it prevents any plaque building up and causing blockages to the arteries. In fact, it also slows down the process considerably of atherosclerosis. The basic fact therefore as detailed on the website http://alces.com.sg/ is that including the natural foodstuffs in our diet plan, weighs heavily on how we want our bodies to work.
The obvious route to follow would be to include the right mix on the plate every day. Without the right food, skin will suffer, weight piles on, stress is at an all time high, age creeps up faster, depression takes center stage, the eyes suffer as do the rest of the organs in the body. Supplements from a reliable source will also give you the boost if you are unable to buy the natural products.

by William Freeman

Science Behind Lutein Supplements

It is a well-known fact that lutein is one the nutrients that are essential for good vision and eye health. It is a xanthophyll and one of the 600 naturally occurring carotenoids. Although it is produced in leafy vegetable and other plants, it is very difficult to calculate exactly how much lutein is absorbed by the body. In this case, taking lutein supplements in the form of capsules can be very helpful especially if you are suffering from any vision related problems.

There are two important functions of lutein in humans:

i. A high energy blue light filter

ii. An antioxidant that scavenges and quenches photo induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)

As mentioned earlier lutein is very good for vision, hence the consumption of lutein supplements is inversely proportionate to eye-related disease such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and also cataracts, in some cases. There is evidence that lutein along with zeaxanthin are deposited in the eye lens and an area of the retina macula lutea, which is responsible for high acuity and central vision. Studies have shown that there is an increase in macular pigmentation and a reduction in ocular diseases in individuals who consume lutein supplements on a daily basis.

Crystalline lutein can be absorbed into the bloodstream readily, whereas lutein esters require a process of de-esterification by enzymes in the intestine. As compared to hydrocarbon carotenoids that can be found mainly in the LDL fraction, xanthophylls such as lutein and zeaxanthin is incorporated in both the HDL and LDL.

Lutein can be introduced into the diet in various ways. However, consuming it as a capsule is the most preferred way as the exact amount that is consumed can be known. Various animal toxicity tests have been carried out on this supplement before it was deemed as a safe nutrient. With the help of these tests, the purified crystalline form of lutein was classified as GRAS (generally recognised as safe). The observed safety levels (OSL) for lutein in the body is around 20 mg/day; however, some studies have also shown higher amounts without any adverse effects. The achievement of this GRAS status is a testament to the quality and the safety of purified lutein and hence it can be taken as a supplement in the form of capsules or can also be introduced in other foods and drinks to increase the nutritional value of that food.

Due to the various uses for this supplement for improvement of vision, lutein supplements have become a hot topic in most ophthalmology studies.

by William Freeman

Anti-Oxidants can protect the eyes from age related degeneration

Globally, there is a rise in chronic disease as a result of the increase in the number of senior citizens. Although certain aspects of chronic disease are still obscure, researchers are confident that the chief cause of these chronic ailments is oxidative stress. How does this process take place?

Our bodies use oxygen for many vital functions. Although life is sustained by oxygen, chemical reactions involving oxygen produce free radicals, a class of molecules that can cause significant damage to the body. As these free radicals have unpaired electrons, they become stable by taking an electron from another molecule and making that molecule a free radical. The same process continues as each free radical becomes stable by creating more free radicals. As a result of this process, the cells in the body get damaged, leading to many chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.

Anti-oxidants are compounds that neutralize these free radicals and as a result, prevent oxidative stress. Owing to this particular feature, health professionals are recommending a diet rich in anti-oxidants to avoid chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

The eyes are also damaged by oxidative stress. Two of the most common chronic ailments of the eyes are cataracts and macular degeneration. A cataract is a cloudy area on the lens of the eye that is formed when oxidative stress causes the proteins of the eye to cluster on the lens. If left untreated, it can lead to blindness. In macular degeneration, the macula, the small central area of the retina, becomes damaged as a result of aging. As the macula enables us to view the fine details of objects, the consequence of macular degeneration is a loss in the ability to perform tasks like reading and watching television.

Fortunately, many anti-oxidants present not only in food but also in nutritional supplements can fight the oxidative stress and as a result, prevent conditions like macular degeneration and cataracts from occurring. The list below describes these anti-oxidants.

The Zeaxanthin and Lutein benefit is that the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration can be reduced. Both these compounds are present in significant amounts in the macula.

Vitamin E: There is considerable evidence that Vitamin E, a powerful anti-oxidant, can reduce the damage caused by free radicals and as a result, reduce the effects of aging. The degenerative conditions of the eyes can be prevented by consuming adequate amounts of this Vitamin.

Zinc: By enhancing the absorption of Vitamin A, a nutrient responsible for keeping the cornea healthy, zinc is a necessary component of a diet that boosts eye health.

It is recommended that the public includes these anti-oxidants as a regular part of the diet to improve eye health.

by William Freeman

Top Myths about Causes of a Sagging Face

There is hardly anyone who feels attractive when her skin droops and her cheeks seem to be hanging. When your skin sags, it is a sure symptom of aging and many if you may not feel quite comfortable about it. However, there are several myths about the causes of a sagging face that are often found on the net and other sources.

Your face may sag due to excessive running

This is a myth for sure. Running will not lead to the sagging of your skin as your body’s movement does not have any adverse effect on your body’s collagen level. In reality, your facial skin may sag because of two different reasons. When the facial fat is lost and when your body’s collagen level reduces.

Sagging may occur if you sleep on your stomach

There is no truth in this statement at all even though many doctors do not recommend you lie down on your stomach. But when you continue to sleep on your stomach, you might have wrinkles on your face.

Doing facial exercises can lower the chances of a sagging face

This statement is partially true. Facial exercises enlarge your facial muscles’ size and this could reduce your slacking skin to some extent and may also show expression lines according to some medical experts.

Losing weight may make your facial skin sag

This statement is correct since your facial skin gets stretched with that additional padding on your face like in other parts of your body, in case you shed those extra pounds of your body, you will perhaps observe slack jaw, as well as, eye bags. As you start growing older, your skin becomes less elastic. So, when it is stretched out, there is difficulty in its bouncing back in a way it happened when you were younger.

Certain products could help to combat a sagging face.

This statement is correct. It is possible to slow down the process of your sagging face. There are products for increasing the production of your body’s collagen level through fillers, as well as a Vitamin C based serum that can help in restoring the elasticity of your facial skin.

Facial sagging may happen due to getting exposed to sun’s UV rays

Sun’s ultraviolet rays can be harmful, leading to skin damage and your facial skin getting saggy. Overexposure to sun’s rays due to tanning beds may also cause a saggy face. Fillers in Singapore are quite effective when it comes to solving such problems.

by William Freeman

Lasers and the Spectacular Transformation of Medicine

The Laser, an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, has become ubiquitous in the medical fields of ophthalmology and dermatology since the first working laser was built in 1960. Its usefulness in other medical streams such as oncology and diagnostics is on the rise and the future of laser based treatments in medicine and surgery looks very exciting indeed.

When one talks about lasers in medicine, the first thought that comes to many people’s minds is LASIK or Laser Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. The surgery involves making an incision in the cornea to create a thin flap on the eye, raising the flap and cutting the tissue beneath the cornea to correct the flaw in the vision. Finally, the flap is repositioned. LASIK and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), another procedure that uses a laser, are remarkably advanced when compared with radial keratotomy, an older surgical treatment that corrected refractive errors of vision using a diamond knife.

Other uses of lasers in ophthalmology include the reattachment of detached retinas and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The latter is an imaging technique that can produce three dimensional images with a very high resolution. The best part is that these images are produced in real time. An example of the use of OCT is to develop cross-sectional images of the cornea that help ophthalmologists diagnose retinal disease and glaucoma more accurately. In other medical fields, the use of OCT is increasing and it has incredible potential to have a major impact on medicine and surgery in the future.

Lasers are being used in different cosmetic procedures and the scope for new and innovative methods of tackling skin related problems is huge. Even though the consumer might be a bit sceptical about a laser treatment for the face , procedures such as laser resurfacing are increasing in popularity. The technique involved in laser resurfacing involves a controlled burning of the skin, with the laser resulting in the vaporizing of superficial layers of facial skin. Owing to this procedure, wrinkles, lines, acne scars and even precancerous growths are removed. The term “Laser Facial” is used to describe a laser based procedure that provides benefits similar to a regular facial.

Based on the many wonderful applications of lasers in medicine in the last fifty years, we can be sure to witness a spectacular transformation in medicine and surgery owing to new laser procedures.

by William Freeman

Drinking water as an antioxidant

What is an antioxidant?

An antioxidant helps in inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. So, basically an oxidant is a protector molecule. It protects the human cells from damage that may be caused due to the chemical reaction called oxidation that facilitates chain reactions that are very harmful for human cells. Antioxidants may be of two type: the chemical type that is added to food to preserve the food by preventing oxidation, and the antioxidants that are found in the nutrients in our daily diet. The latter is needed for the healthy functioning of the human body.

In biology, the most talked over word is ‘antioxidant’. The pressing question remains: which antioxidant is the best? A water ionizer has the ability to produce the OH-, which contains a very powerful antioxidant. This is mainly because it is the smallest of the elements and hence can penetrate the body very fast. Water in its purest form, such as the water gushing out of glaciers or in lakes has high antioxidant effects. This is mainly because of the velocity at which water moves down the mountains, facilitates the ionization of water, while absorbing minerals at the same time. Izumio drinking water is a very powerful antioxidant.

Water as antioxidant:

There are many types of food that have an antioxidant effects. Such food often forms a major part of the dietary supplements of those who are very conscious about their health. However, hydrating the body with enough water is one way of inhibiting the oxidation process. Thus water is an antioxidant. Doctors are often seen prescribing water along with medicines for digestive problems, irritable bowel movement, diabetes, skin problems, eczema, high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, and asthma and even for high stress levels. Water is also good for DNA protection.

Izumio drinking water helps prevent all the above mentioned ailments. It is very important to drink an adequate amount of water every day. This helps to reduce one’s appetite and facilitates metabolism. This in turn helps one to keep in shape and prevent obesity. Apart from this, it helps in better cardiovascular function and keeps the blood pressure in balance. Drinking water rejuvenates the skin and helps in reducing signs of ageing. This is done by removing the free radicals from the body that cause ageing to happen. Hence for all-round functioning of the body, drinking water is important.