Queenie Foong Kwin Tan

  Hi there! Queenie Tan here, Asia's Premier Parenting Coach. And today I'm gonna review another book. This is like my favorite. I can't really say it's my favorite because I got a lot of favorites, so this is one of my absolute favorites. I think I just witched the English language, but yes, it's called Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal. Okay, so I'm gonna read this book to you, and you can decide if you like it, but I think that every child should be read this book because it helps them understand why the names are... …

One of my biggest struggle as a teacher is finding the right books (if any at all) about Chinese New Year. Fortunately, there are more out there now compared to when I first started teaching back in the 1990’s.   I’m going to share my favourite 4 books that you could read to preschoolers that are really fun and easy to understand. Here are the other 3: 1.My first Chinese New Year by Karen Katz Karen Kats has lots of board books for toddlers and I particularly love her books about appropriate behaviours. The thing about this book is that it’s not for the little …

“Mum! Why is broccoli good for me?” “But why do I need vitamins and iron?” “What is vitamin anyway?” “Do you need it?” “But what if I don’t want it?” “Can I get my vitamins from other foods?” “Can I have my vitamins once a month?” “But why?” “My friend at school doesn’t have his vitamins and he’s OK. Maybe you should ask him about it?” “No mum! He’s still alive and he doesn’t take food with vitamins and he’s still not dead yet. Can you come to class early tomorrow? I’ll show you! He’s really still alive!” This is very typical of a preschooler who asks two dozen questions …

As some of you may know, I am Malaysian Chinese and I am the third generation of Chinese born in Malaysia. My grandfather came by ship to Malaysia decades ago to start a new life there because he saw the direction that China was heading and he didn’t see a future there. So he got on a trading ship, left all of his family members behind, came to Malaysia alone and started a new life from scratch, with nothing. He has to learn a whole new language, culture, adjust to the way Malaysians did things and behaved, and adapt very …

I’ve heard this a million times… well, OK, maybe not a million times… but more like 3 million times! And I’m sure you have heard this too… “So long as you are trying your best, you are being a great parent!” “I need to have a bit more patience to be a good parent.” “All you have to do is to tell your children you love them every day and give them lots of hugs and kisses and they will turn out fine.” But really, is this the recipe for being an effective parent? Is it enough to be trying hard, to be loving …

If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering if there’s even a difference … and there is … a huge one in fact!   Child-focused parenting is when the parents do everything they want (for themselves), for their children. It may sound like the child is at the center of it but actually, they’re not. The parents are making parenting decisions for their children based on what THEY WANT for their children.   Child-centered parenting is when parents do everything that THE CHILD NEEDS based on THE CHILDREN’S unique needs. These parents put a lot of effort into finding out what is best for their …

“I can’t get my child to feed himself because my in-laws feed him so now he’s spoilt” “My children won’t listen to me because even my husband doesn’t listen to his parents” “My children can’t cope well in preschool because they have a lousy teacher” “I can’t get them to eat dinner without putting a device in front of them or they will be running around” “I’m struggling to manage my son’s behaviors because he has special needs, he is learning disabled and he is difficult to manage” Sounds familiar? Yup! That’s what it means by ‘parenting with a victim mentality’ where everything is everybody’s …

I get lots of messages and pm’s from parents who are looking for help……but this one really got me thinking. I’m sharing this here so that we can start a discussion about the importance of parenting right. … Hey Queenie, I need some parenting advice. But firstly, I need to let you know that you are a huge advocate for worldschooling or homeschooling and that I can’t do that. (Hihi, you are right, I am a big fan of worldschooling and why my boys and I are bending over backward to make that a reality. However, I don't expect others to do what …