Taught Sunday School Today on Christ's Atonement

The privilege of being the Sunday School President was to take the class whenever the assigned teacher was not available to teach. My lesson focus today was on 2 Nephi 9 a discourse by Jacob. I told Elaine about it and she gave me a very good idea on how to describe the role of Jesus Christ and the Atonement. This is how I shared it in the class...

Like all the super heroes in the action movies, the hero would do great sacrificial things to save the others. One example was Captain America when he was the scrawny guy who jumped on the grenade. All heroes would do that in movies. Jesus Christ was a hero who had done that for us. In this case, it was not just a grenade. It was a thermal nuclear bomb that He had jumped on using His body to cover  the explosion shielding us from the full impact.  All we experienced was just the aftershock of our sins if we accepted His Atonement. Otherwise, we would have to suffer the full impact of the explosion all by ourselves.

Clayton's 1st Award

Friday (24 Feb 2012) started off just like any other day.  Early in the morning, I sent Clayton to school.  On the way, we talked about things.  I can't exactly remember what the topic was, but I could have told him about assets and liability with some examples.

While walking towards the classroom, I saw Darion looking lost while walking towards our direction.  I stopped him to enquire what was he up to?  He told me that he was looking for his Mom (Shoei) and he began to cry.  I told him to come with me and I tried to give his Mom a call.  After a few tries, I had no success in getting through to Shoei.  I brought him back to the classroom and gave him assurance that I would send his Mom a SMS, and he was okay after that.

I went back to my own son to make sure that he is okay before I make my exit.  As usual, he wanted to me stay until 7:15am and I agreed.  While I stood by to ensure that everything would be fine before I leave, Clayton's co-form teacher, Mrs. Tang, came to him and seked him to follow her.  That aroused my curiousity.  I decided to hang around to see what was it about.  Earlier on, I noticed that there was a table lay out infront by the flag with rows of awards to be given out today during assembly.  Clayton was with Mrs. Tang all along while she went around to call different boys to follow her.  Finally, Clayton was told to sit behind the school scoccer team who were going to receive some kind of award.  Racing through my mind were all the possible awards that Clayton could be getting?  But I really had no idea of what could be the possible thing that he had done that deserves an award.

All the parents had already left by then.  I was the last one standing on the floor overlooking the parade square.  The scoccer team received the championship recognition award.  Clayton was asked to stand.  He was the 3rd in line.  The announcer decided to use Chinese to conduct the award ceremony.  With the combination of poor PA sound system and Chinese language, I only managed to catch a few words here and there that Clayton had been awarded something that he had done.  He classmates clapped the loudest when it was his turn.

Since I couldn't hear what was it all about, I decided to go off and wait for him to tell me later what it was all about.  It was already 7:30 am and I need to go home to pick up the 2 younger ones to send them to their pre-school.

When Clayton got back in the afternoon, he told me that it was an award for the Dragon Dance coloring contest that he did in school during the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration last month.

Later on he told us about how he had colored the details because he had a keen eye for details.  We congratualted him and recognized that he did have a talent in art and we plan to groom him in this area.

Ryan's first response when he knew about Clayton's award was to congratulate him for his good job.  Next, he too wanted an award and wished that he can win one instantly.  We told him that it is not possibile to get an instant award.  Then he asked Clayton to win one for him.  Again that doesn't make any sense.  We told Ryan that he had to wait till in gets into Primary one in 2 years time where he can join the competition himself.  In the mmean time, he will need to start practicing his writing and drawing skills.

As for Clayton, his head seemed to be 2 size larger after getting the award and started to have some rude behavior towards Mommy saying that he knew what he was doing.  With that, we have to knock some sense into him and get him down to size again.

A FATHER’S RULES FOR FINDING FULFILLMENT

I found this on yahoo some time ago and thought that the message has some really good stuff for everyone.  I am keeping it here so that I can look at it for future reference.

"Be courteous, be punctual, always say please and thank you, and be sure to hold your knife and fork properly. Others take their cue on how to treat you from your manners.

Be kind, considerate and compassionate when others are in trouble, even if you have problems of your own. Others will admire your selflessness and will help you in due course.

Show moral courage. Do what is right, even if that makes you unpopular. I always thought it important to be able to look at myself in the shaving mirror every morning and not feel guilt or remorse. I depart this world with a pretty clear conscience.

Show humility. Stand your ground but pause to reflect on what the other side are saying, and back off when you know you are wrong. Never worry about losing face. That only happens when you are pig-headed.

Learn from your mistakes. You will make plenty so use them as a learning tool. If you keep making the same mistake or run into a problem, you’re doing something wrong.

Avoid disparaging someone to a third party; it is only you who will look bad. If you have a problem with someone, tell them face to face.

Hold fire! If someone crosses you, don’t react immediately. Once you say something it can never be taken back, and most people deserve a second chance.

Have fun. If this involves taking risks, so be it. If you get caught, hold your hands up.

Give to charity and help those who are less fortunate than yourselves: it’s easy and so rewarding.

Always look on the upside! The glass is half full, never half empty. Every adversity has a silver lining if you seek it out.

Make it your instinct always to say ‘yes’. Look for reasons to do something, not reasons to say no. Your friends will cherish you for that.

Be canny: you will get more of what you want if you can give someone more of what they desire. Compromise can be king.

Always accept a party invitation. You may not want to go, but they want you there. Show them courtesy and respect.

Never ever let a friend down. I would bury bodies for my friends, if they asked me to .?.?. which is why I have chosen them carefully.

Always tip for good service. It shows respect. But never reward poor service. Poor service is insulting.

Always treat those you meet as your social equal, whether they are above or below your station in life. For those above you, show due deference, but don’t be a sycophant.

Always respect age, as age equals wisdom.

Be prepared to put the interests of your sibling first.

Be proud of who you are and where you come from, but open your mind to other cultures and languages. When you begin to travel (as I hope you will), you’ll learn that your place in the world is both vital and insignificant. Don’t get too big for your breeches.

Be ambitious, but not nakedly so. Be prepared to back your assertions with craftsmanship and hard work.

Live every day to its full: do something that makes you smile or laugh, and avoid procrastination.

Give of your best at school. Some teachers forget that pupils need incentives. So if your teacher doesn’t give you one, devise your own.

Always pay the most you can afford. Never skimp on hotels, clothing, shoes, make-up or jewellery. But always look for a deal. You get what you pay for.

Never give up! My two little soldiers have no dad, but you are brave, big-hearted, fit and strong. You are also loved by an immensely kind and supportive team of family and friends. You make your own good fortune, my children, so battle on.

Never feel sorry for yourself, or at least don’t do it for long. Crying doesn’t make things better.

Look after your body and it will look after you.

Learn a language, or at least try. Never engage a person abroad in conversation without first greeting them in their own language; by all means ask if they speak English!

And finally, cherish your mother, and take very good care of her.

I love you both with all my heart.

Daddy x"

Ref:  http://sg.yahoo.matchmove.com/news/article/a-fathers-message-from-beyond-the-grave

Is there a best way to discipline your child?

I found this in Yahoo and it is a very useful piece of article to keep us reminded on how to discipline our kids.

No two children are alike. That is why parents sometimes adjust the way they discipline their kids based on what works for each child.

“Unfortunately, there is no one recipe,” says the mother of a 5-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter. “My son is so easy to discipline. I just have to talk to him about the incident and its consequences. [My daughter], on the other hand, is such a whiner! It’s so hard to discipline her. Up to now, I still don’t know how to best deal with her!”

It is possible, too, that you and your spouse will not agree on what tactic to use. The key is to understand what it is you want your children to learn and then agree on the best way both of you can follow through. Read up on different methods to see what works for you. Then, once you have decided, always, always be consistent.

Here’s how other parents (whose names have been changed to protect their privacy) discipline their kids.

1. Positive reinforcement and withdrawal of privileges

Doreen used to put her 7-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son on timeouts, but now she says they’re too old for this. So what she does is “heap praises for jobs well done.” In addition, “I try to show how their hard work has paid off when they really accomplish something noteworthy.”

When that doesn’t work and reminders are ignored, she and her husband resort to withholding privileges like TV and playtime.

2. Explanations and disappointment

Paulina, 9, responds well to a good talk and a disappointed scowl, says her dad Michael. “For us, the best and most effective way is telling her the truth,” he says. “We just explain things why Paulina can and cannot do some things.”

He also sets the example by apologizing to her when he gets mad and letting her know why. “In that way, I hope that in the future, she will not be afraid to tell us what she did. At the same time, it will help her develop critical thinking about what is right and wrong.”

It helps that Michael doesn’t lose his temper easily. “So so she knows that when I do get mad, what she’s doing is wrong.”

3. Spanking

While corporal punishment is controversial, Veronica and her husband ascribe to it. “[We] believe that till a certain age, like say, 6 or 7, a child needs to feel a bit of punishment. Never hard and always just on the buttocks with the hands, not a rod/stick/belt. Not on the other parts of the body too like the arms, legs, and face—just the bottom. That way, we feel the stinging sensation too and get hurt by the gesture as much as our children.”

She believes that very young children are really unable to understand reprimands. A little spanking—and the threat of it—makes enforcing disciple a lot easier, Veronica says. “All we have to do to make our kids follow us is ask, ‘You want “palo”?’ and they get it right away. They know they have to behave and follow their parents, otherwise, they will get a smack on the butt.”

4. Timeout

For Therese, mom to three boys, having her extremely active 4-year-old stand on the corner gets results. “[It’s] really difficult for him,” she explains. “If he misbehaves more, he stands on a stool in a corner.”

5. All for one, one for all

Therese has also implemented a rule that if one of the boys gets into trouble, everybody else will. “When the 8-year-old misbehaves, we turn around and head home instead of going on our planned TimeZone trip,” she says. “They now remind each other to behave or as they say, ‘Quit it before mommy finds out or hears us fighting!’"

In the same manner, all three boys get rewarded when one does well. “My eldest did very well at school, so everyone got a prize,” she recalls. “My second son kept thanking his older brother for studying well. It was nice hearing them talk like that.”

6. Getting grounded

Sheila’s 11-year-old daughter gets grounded when she misbehaves. “She has always, always, always loved to push me to the limit, hence, she gets grounded a lot! Because she apologizes instantly, I still ground her. Sometimes, I believe her apology is sincere, then I let her off easy, but when I know it’s because she wants something, she gets a longer punishment.”

Ref:  http://sg.news.yahoo.com/is-there-a-best-way-to-discipline-your-child-.html

Kick Starting

I have been wanting to start this blog since a long time ago, but perfectionism and procrastination got the better of me.  I wanted to make this a perfect blog to benefit all fathers out there.  Regardless you are a Penguin Daddy or not, I intend to share with you all the little tricks I used for my family to keep them in good healthy condition.

As I've mentioned that I am a perfectionist, what I am doing now is very imperfect.  I am just going to write about everything that comes to my mind and along the way I will do touch-up to make this blog more perfect.

As of now, I have 3 kids, age 6+, 4+ and 2+.  They are in Primary 1, Kindergarten 1 and Nursary 1 respectively.  The two older ones are boys and the youngest one is a girl.  Over the years I have developed many BKM (Best Know Methods) and SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) just to survive.  I am very sure that all fathers and mothers will be interested to find out.  Some times my method may not be the best, so please do feel free to share your opinions as well.

So, I hope whoever is interested to find out more about fathering, please stay tune.