Nicole loves to sing. If not the songs that she knows already, she will 'invent' a new song. With all the festivity up to Christmas, it was Christmas songs everywhere. On TV, in the supermarket, on the radio, everywhere.
One night as she was ready to go to bed, eyes half closed, feeling sleepy, she still managed to sing. But it went like this, "We wish you a sleepy Christmas, we wish you a sleepy Christmas, and a Happy New Year.. oh yeaahhh..."
I couldn't stop myself from laughing. She started smiling and then laughed with me. She sang it again and again.
And I was back to square one trying to wind her down before bedtime. Again.
"Ayo, Nicole mandi dulu..." I tried to speak Indonesian to Nicole as much as possible.
"Mummy, why are you speaking Spanish?" she asked (Daddy speaks Spanish).
"No, baby, I'm talking Indonesian to you, that's my language".
"Okay,... mummy,.. asppaher kdeehoo donk abulfa adkielm...."
And I burst out laughing at her ingenuity.
"Mummy, don't laugh when I am speaking Spanish.." she was still trying to be serious, but soon both of us were laughing our heads off.
We are now introducing the rewards chart to Nicole. So if she does what she's asked to do and does it nicely, she gets a star. If she eats in the dining room instead of in the living room watching TV, she'll get a star.
The first day we introduced this system, we asked if she understood and my husband said, "Well, since you have been nice, I'll give you a star now to start."
She was so excited to see the red star on the board.
Then she turned to me, smiled and said very sweetly, "Mummy, I always like to play seesaw with you.."
I tried to see where her thoughts led, "Of course, sweetheart, I like that too, but the playground is frozen now. Next time, ok?"
"It's only a pretend seesaw, mummy.."
"Oh, okay then, let's pretend"
Then she ran to her daddy and said, "Daddy, I spoke nicely to mummy."
My husband said, "Well done, okay... another star."
Now she had two stars on the board.
Then (again), she turned to me, smiled and said sweetly, "Mummy,.. I really like to play hide and seek with you..."
By this time both my husband and I were roaring with laughter. Apparently she understood the reward system too well.
One night as she was ready to go to bed, eyes half closed, feeling sleepy, she still managed to sing. But it went like this, "We wish you a sleepy Christmas, we wish you a sleepy Christmas, and a Happy New Year.. oh yeaahhh..."
I couldn't stop myself from laughing. She started smiling and then laughed with me. She sang it again and again.
And I was back to square one trying to wind her down before bedtime. Again.
"Ayo, Nicole mandi dulu..." I tried to speak Indonesian to Nicole as much as possible.
"Mummy, why are you speaking Spanish?" she asked (Daddy speaks Spanish).
"No, baby, I'm talking Indonesian to you, that's my language".
"Okay,... mummy,.. asppaher kdeehoo donk abulfa adkielm...."
And I burst out laughing at her ingenuity.
"Mummy, don't laugh when I am speaking Spanish.." she was still trying to be serious, but soon both of us were laughing our heads off.
We are now introducing the rewards chart to Nicole. So if she does what she's asked to do and does it nicely, she gets a star. If she eats in the dining room instead of in the living room watching TV, she'll get a star.
The first day we introduced this system, we asked if she understood and my husband said, "Well, since you have been nice, I'll give you a star now to start."
She was so excited to see the red star on the board.
Then she turned to me, smiled and said very sweetly, "Mummy, I always like to play seesaw with you.."
I tried to see where her thoughts led, "Of course, sweetheart, I like that too, but the playground is frozen now. Next time, ok?"
"It's only a pretend seesaw, mummy.."
"Oh, okay then, let's pretend"
Then she ran to her daddy and said, "Daddy, I spoke nicely to mummy."
My husband said, "Well done, okay... another star."
Now she had two stars on the board.
Then (again), she turned to me, smiled and said sweetly, "Mummy,.. I really like to play hide and seek with you..."
By this time both my husband and I were roaring with laughter. Apparently she understood the reward system too well.
