Tag: kids

Posted in Life & Happiness

Silliness

Posted on by Jinavie

When we play with children and babies, we become silly. We make faces, use made-up words and play make believe. It seems that we have an innate drive to make as much of our interactions with children positive and fun. Perhaps this stems from a protective instinct; we wish to shield the innocent from the harsh realities of life. So instead of teaching cynicism and negativity, we encourage children to enjoy life and to be happy.

Yet we see adults doing the complete opposite. Acting silly is deemed immature and unseemly. Many cultures even condemn smiling and laughter because they believe it is the sign of an insincere fool. So instead of breaking into song and dance like any child would, many of us put on our most serious face and try to look “mature” and professional. In fact, this is beaten in to us so much during our twenties and thirties that a significant number of people forget the joy of being silly.

Why is it that we can only be silly in the company of children? Why do we forget that deep inside every adult, there hides an inner child wanting to enjoy life? So many people lament that they are unhappy while they deny themselves the infinite source of happiness they hold within.

It takes a very deep level of unhappiness for you to be incapable of smiling at the sight of a laughing baby. Remember that we were all happy children at one point in our lives. That child still lives in on us as we age – all they long for is for you to play and be silly with them.

Try singing a cliché pop song in the shower. Pretend you are in a musical and put a skip in your step while you listen to your favourite song. Laugh at how ridiculous you look while playing air guitar in front of the mirror.

Life is so much more enjoyable when you see it through the eyes of your inner child.

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Posted in Simple Pleasures of Life

Simple Pleasures of Life #3

Posted on by Jinavie

Seeing a mother hold her newborn baby for the first time

Okay so this one isn’t really “simple” to come across, but when you do, it’s one of the most touching moments you’ll see. There’s something in the mum’s (and dad’s) smile that cannot be described by words. Definitely one of the (few) perks of OBGYN run. Man I can’t wait to have kids some day (I’ll regret saying this in the future).

Posted in Psychology & Medicine

Question

Posted on by Jinavie

The word that children say the most as they grow up is probably “why?”. Children always ask this and that, seeking knowledge as if they want to understand every object and everything happening around them. This is an extremely important developmental step that trains the most powerful weapon a human being possesses: the brain. Children can use their brain’s amazing information processing abilities to start building a massive knowledge tank, absorbing information like a sponge. Furthermore, they never ask a question just once but love to repeat the same question over and over, driving an adult crazy. This is not because the child wants to frustrate the adult. Just like how you cannot fully understand all of the meanings in a good book on the first read, a child learns through repetition and ruminating knowledge. If you do not repeat something, the knowledge only lasts in short term memory and is soon deleted, making it a very inefficient study process. Ergo, famous children’s educational programs such as Sesame Street and Blues Clues teach children things by constantly repeating the same thing. After that, the children watch the same episode over and over again to acquire knowledge.

As children do not know much about the world, they need to inherit knowledge from adults. Because adults possess a vast amount of knowledge, children need to ask a series of specific questions to build their knowledge base slowly and steadily. As their basic knowledge base builds, they can start to learn through other means such as books and encyclopaedias. However, whether you are a child or an adult, if you have something that you want to know, there is no faster and effective way of finding out than asking someone that knows. If you do not ask, you cannot learn and your brain will atrophy. Curiosity is a sign that there is still something you can learn. Thus, no matter how old you are, you should have the courage to ask a question. Curiosity is progress.

On the other hand, if someone (especially a child) asks you a question, do not brush them away; calmly answer their question and try to pass on as much of your knowledge to them as possible. That is your responsibility as a member of society; a sacred duty of feeding and nurturing the future generation.

Posted in History & Literature

Teddy Bear

Posted on by Jinavie

In 1902, former United States president Theodore Roosevelt went on a bear-hunting trip to Mississippi. Although his competitors had already killed a beast, Roosevelt remained unsuccessful. To help their dear president, some of his men hunted down a black bear, captured it and tied it to a tree so that Roosevelt could come and shoot it. However, he declared such an act unsportsmanlike and refused to shoot the animal (but he did order it to be killed to be put out of its misery).

A pair of New York toymakers by the names of Morris and Rose Michtom had a brilliant idea of exploiting this story and created a stuffed bear, nicknaming it a “Teddy” bear in honour of Theodore Roosevelt. At the same time, a German toymaking company called Steiff also began making teddy bears and exported them to America. Both are considered the original teddy bears.

Today the teddy bear is one of the most popular, classic toys for children, offering them a soft, fluffy object to hug and love (often growing attached to it). It also created a new image of cuteness, as evidenced by characters such as Winnie the Pooh, to an otherwise ferocious beast that is capable of mauling a person to death within minutes.