Your baby can read

Like every mommies out there, I wanted to teach Maya reading as early as I can. I started with phonics when she was 6 months old, and she loved to listen to the alphabet songs. Gradually, I picked up some alphabets flash cards and tried to teach her using the cards, while saying the alphabet out loud to her during nappy change. However, Maya has a very short attention span. She will pay attention to those cards for 10 seconds before she decided it was a boring session. Sigh.

Maya at 6 months old.

Her favorite learning videos are those from Super Simple songs. I love them! But I wanted something a little more educational, a little more towards her learning the alphabets. But it was hard to get her to sit down to my lessons (yeah yeah who am I kidding? Me? Giving lessons?) Anyway I had the chance to visit Kak Siti's newly appointed place for early education learners, called Thinker Space (will blog about this amazing place), and asked for her opinions. She told me to try Your Baby Can Read to Maya. And since Maya is the kind who wouldn't focus on one thing for too long, she suggested to play the video while she is about to sleep. Try to say the words out loud and follow the act as well. I have been playing the video at night to her for the past 3 days and she seems to enjoy it before she dozed off. First time I was actually surprised when the word tongue came up and the baby in the video shows her tongue, Maya actually followed it by sticking out her own tongue! 

If you have a baby with short attention span like Maya, maybe you can try out this method.

Year 1.

Maya turned 1 a few days ago. How time flies. Holding her tiny body the first time seems like forever ago. I still can't believe I am a mother. Part of me feels like the experience's a stranger; I can't look at myself and associate the face with a mother chasing her toddler. The other part on the other hand; the part I found so easily happened at night after a rough day; her sleeping in my arms and me stroking her hair softly; and I pray for nothing but she's loving me above anyone else, and me her.

Tuhan, please don't take away this feeling from me ever. Maya, if you ever read this, know that you are loved, so much that it hurts Mama's heart. May you become a Solehah girl, a lady of Taqwa, and love Mama and Papa everyday without fail, even after we are gone.

this blog is dedicated to

being mothers.

I hope it is not too late to start documenting my daughter's life and my journey through motherhood while juggling a family, a PhD, and a small business. Being a mother is not a decision I made overnight, but rather a mission I would like to plan precisely one by one, minute by minute. So when she arrives one fine morning, I thought I was ready. Boy, was I wrong. She was a bucket full of brimming surprises. And she still is.

I hope one day I can look back and smile through all the ups and downs of raising my daughter. I really don't want to miss a single thing.

To Maya, my dearest.