A mother posted a question in the forum recently. She was asking what the recommended milk intake is for a toddler. I was thinking something like 500ml, but I wasn’t sure. So, I googled for the answer and here are my findings:
What is the ideal milk intake?
According to the guidelines stated in Dumex website, a toddler (1-3 years old) needs a minimum of 350ml of milk but not exceeding 600ml so that they don’t fill up too much.
The Health Promotion Board recommends that children between 3 to 6 years old consume 500ml of milk each day. Milk is a great source of important nutrients essential for keeping our toddlers healthy and most importantly calcium for strong bones and teeth.
So, I’m right. It’s 500ml!
But not too much!
Excessive cow’s milk can cause an imbalance in two ways. Firstly, it is high in energy (calories). Secondly, it contains a lot of calcium. This energy-dense milk can fill a little tummy quickly. As a result, they might turn away from meals and thereby causing them to become deficient in other nutrients. Too much calcium can also interfere with iron absorption, which in turn has been link to fussy eating. Finally, too much milk can increase the risk of tooth decay due to milk sugars. (Information depicted from Huggies website)
Argh! This is so tricky. When Little Edison refuses to take his meal, we usually supplement him with milk so that he won’t go hungry. But when he drinks more milk, he becomes full and his next meal may be affected again. It’s a chicken-and-egg situation.
Anyway, the above information really shed new light on Little Edison’s fussy eating behavior. Perhaps, he has been overfilling with milk or he is low in iron due to too much calcium.
What is the RDI of Calcium anyway?
The recommended daily allowance (RDI) of calcium for children between 1–3 years is 400-500mg. When I take a look at Pediasure that Little Edison is taking, one feed of 225ml has 212mg of calcium. So, just two feeds (450ml) provide 424mg of calcium. Obviously, with three feeds, it will exceed the RDI. Not forgetting other calcium-rich food that he is taking, such as cheese and yoghurt, I realized that he has over-reached his calcium needs.
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As Father’s Day is approaching, it’s high time to pay special tribute to the countless contributions of our dear husbands and daddies.
Fathers of yesteryear were often uninvolved in childcare, as the mothers did them all. But these days, our husbands are a much more hands-on bunch of caregivers. We should be grateful to them.
I realize just how lucky I am when I hear stories of mothers losing sleep because their husbands expect their maids, or worse, their wives to do everything. Come on, marriage is between equals. How can they expect the working mother with a demanding job or even a stay-at-home mother to do everything, from managing the household to ferrying the kids to school, preparing for their meals, coaching them in their studies and so on?
Daddy V is pretty good about managing the household, cooking and grocery shopping. Give him the list and he’ll get it all sorted. Most importantly, he knows where to get the cheapest brand! So, I leave this task in his good hands and we never run out of stocks.
I must also applaud him for his calm and patience in dealing with Little Edison’s tantrums. I get irritated easily and I keep telling myself not to shout at Little Edison especially in the public. But it’s not easy. On the other hand, Daddy V never raises his voice and he will try all means to calm him down.
The last and most important point to highlight is his determination to get something for Little Edison. I’m talking about important issues like health and education. For instance, when we managed to find his current pre-school in Sept last year, its name list was already full. We were at number 10+ in the waiting list.
I almost wanted to give-up but Daddy V worked his way to secure the place for Little Edison. We feel that this pre-school is the best among the few that we’ve visited. It took him almost three months to complete his mission. We were confirmed a place in the morning session (also our first choice) just two weeks before the school started. He continually amazed me with his strong determination.
He is certainly a better daddy today than three years ago. Through the ups and downs, he continues to learn and improve. He ought to get a big pat on his back.
Dear – thanks for being such a wonderful daddy! We really do appreciate it.
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Frizzy hair is a pain in the butt; I know what a nightmare it can be to find suitable nourishing hair products to save our frizzy and unmanageable hair.
Do you know what actually causes the frizz? High humidity, dryness, split ends, static, product build-up and a bad haircut are the primary causes to frizzy hair. To prevent frizz, using the right shampoo, conditioner and leave-in treatment or serum are crucial.
These are the products that I’m using, and they are the best frizz-fighting products that I’ve ever tried:
From left:
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L’OREAL Professional liss ultime shine perfecting serum
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L’OREAL Professional liss ultime smoothing treatment for unmanageable hair
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Cure Pod home leave-in treatment (from Phase Hairdressing)
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Hair Rebuilder (from Phase Hairdressing)
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HERGEN Hair Salon Concept leave-in treatment for color, treated, permed and stressed hair (from Jean Yip)
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BIO TRAITMENT Repair Mask (from Jean Yip)
I use BIO TRAITMENT repair mask (#6) as my hair conditioner. This mask is amazing and I would highly recommend it. Since it is a hair mask, the texture is thick. I mix it with water in another tub (80% mask + 20% water) and I use it as my daily hair conditioner. It really nourishes and moisturizes my long hair.
I also use it as hair mask during the weekends. I apply a generous amount onto my hair and leave it for 30 minutes before rinsing it off. Note: when I use it as hair mask, I don’t mix it with water. Hair mask is meant to be thick so that it will not drip when you leave it on your hair.
I guarantee you will love this hair mask! My hair feels so soft after shower and with minimal tangles. Easy to comb and also less breakage! This hair mask is available at Jean Yip salon, priced at $92 for a 1000ml bottle. One bottle lasts me for about 3 months with daily use.
I have four different types of leave-in treatment that I use on alternate days (#2 to #5). The best of among the four brands is Cure Pod home leave-in treatment (#3) that I bought from Phase Hairdressing salon. It provides moisture without weighing my hair down. My hair remains soft, frizz-free and light throughout the day! Alternatively, you can also try HERGEN Hair Salon Concept leave-in treatment (#5), $28 per bottle, from Jean Yip salon.
Leave-in treatment is the most important step in my hair care routine that I’ll never leave the house without it.
As the final step, I apply one pump of L’OREAL Professional liss ultime serum (#1) onto my hair for a shiny and polished finished.
Hopelessly frizzy hair? Bad hair days? Er, not me. 
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I bet not many companies in Singapore provide free lunch for its employees. My company is just one of the very rare.
This ‘free meals’ program started about three to four years ago, I cannot remember the exact year. At the start, three meals were provided free-of-charge to all employees on weekdays that include breakfast, lunch and dinner.
However, this benefit was terminated last year due to the economic downturn. Two months ago, the management has decided to offer free lunch again when economy showed signs of picking-up. It’s only free lunch for now, no breakfast and dinner yet.
By taking free lunch in the office canteen, I save at least $100 a month. For two months, I saved $200. I decided to spend this $200 to get myself a Kate Spade wallet. Sounds good?
Now, let’s meet this babe! Kate Spade Classic Noel Sander wallet in chocolate brown. Love it to bits!
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When I was tidying up pictures in my laptop, I found this picture of my first Indonesian maid, Niti and our Little Edison, taken in Christmas last year. Niti returned home four months ago. I wonder how she is doing now. I hope that she has reunited with her family and she is able to find a better job in her own country.
I still think of her once in a while. She is a very good helper, and I admit it’s our loss for not keeping her and renewing her contract. She likes to take pictures when we go out. She told me that she wants to bring these pictures home as remembrance. I feel so sorry for not being able to fulfill such a small request from her. Sigh.
Our new helper, Pin, has been with us for four months now. She is not as good as Niti – I know I shouldn’t compare. Pin is generally a slower worker and her safety awareness is not as good. Apart from these, she is okay. She is hardworking and obedient. Little Edison started to develop a liking for her after three months.
When Pin just came on-board, Little Edison rejected her totally. It was a nightmare to me. Changing a maid when our kids are 2 to 3 years old is a serious business. REALLY. These toddlers are hard to accept changes. It takes three months for our Little Edison to slowly accept Pin. I wouldn’t want to change another helper, unless really necessary.
Overall, Pin’s performance is still meeting our expectations. I’ve accepted the fact that she is slower than Niti. Thus, I will allow more time for her to finish her works. Her spoken English has improved tremendously too. It’s perhaps due to watching Dora the Explorer with Little Edison everyday. She can sing the Dora song too. It’s amazing how a cartoon show can teach English!
Recently, Little Edison allows her to shower him at night (even though I’m around). This is a good sign. I can finally take a break, relax and watch the 7pm show! That’s the way to go!
I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully, Pin will continue to work with us diligently.
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