Kid's Play - Enterprise

There is this trusting little girl who never locked her school locker. Nothing had been lost, until one day when she left some sweets in it. The sweets disappeared, but some money was left there, presumably, by the taker.

Curious, she again left sweets in the locker, and then again found some money left there the next day, apparently in exchange for the sweets. 

Amazed, she repeated the process, but this time , leaving more sweets there, and voila, she found more money left in her locker.

She then thought this could become a business and bought more sweets to leave them in her locker, and true enough,  money flowed in and a business quickly flourished. Her locker soon became the popular de-facto candy store.

Then came a new student from a financially poor family who needed money. Realising that, she transferred her business to the new student and even bought the new stock.

And so, a social enterprise and micro-economy is born.

For more posts on Kid's Play, click here.

Kid's Play - Acting

It takes longer to act with kids, as their cooperation depends on their moods, and if you happened to hit on their lows, then your production will be stuck there for a while.

I was acting with a kid two days ago, in a scene which the kid character was supposed to have just gotten a severe scolding from me and that he was to sulk and to look miserable. However, he didn't play to instruction, and was instead, cheerful and restless. There were two ways for us to proceed: One, which was to scold him and make him really miserable (on and off-reel); or the second option, which is to persuade him.

We went for the second option, as we didn't want to run into the risk of putting him off acting permanently.

So the persuasion went:

Director: Imagine your teacher gave you a big scolding and you are now so sad.

Boy: But she didn't.

Director: Imagine if your most favourite toy is broken and you can no longer play with it! Forever!!!

Boy: But it is not!

Director: Ok, let's play a game. If you do what we tell you to do later, you will get a chocolate cake.

Boy: Ok.

Then we went for the shoot, but it still didn't quite work. He was still moving around and not looking sad at all.

So, the persuasion continued:

Director: Who else wants to play the game? But only the best person can get the chocolate cake as there is only one chocolate cake!

Everyone in the set quickly raised their hands. The boy then went into the set and performed!!! He saw competition! :)

For other articles on Kid's Play, click here.

If you like to visit my actor's blog, click here.

A Child's Prayer

Prayer for Dad

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Dear God,

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Please send clothes for all those poor ladies on Dad's computer.

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Amen

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[Sent to me by a friend. Author unknown, but thanks for such refreshing humour.]

Kids Play - Nice Teacher

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Zee is a gutsy little 8 year old talking to her teacher...

Zee: I like Miss Tan, she is gentle, sweet and nice to me. I like her. You (referring to her teacher), you are mean, and I don't like you!!!

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Teacher (paused, and gently replied): Yes, but sometimes the mean ones are the ones that love you most...

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Fat Hope

"My son loves his slimmer mummy more!" so the ad says.

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Can this possibly be so?

In the story, the little boy merely said that his mum looked more beautiful when she was slimmer, not that he now loves her any less. Besides, children are still pure. They love their mum regardless.

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Slimming clinics should not taint the innocence of children and exploit the fears of anorexic mothers, or women in general, just to get more customers. I wonder what the Media Development Authority say about unethical claims like these.

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Kids Play 17 - Belief

Vic (12 years old) believes that he will be super rich. He believes that it is already happening and the path ahead of him is already laid. He shows enthusiasm for everything and therefore always get what he wants. As to why he thinks like this, it surely beats me. He is just a natural optimist. He told me he is going to make money and love people.

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The other day, he told me he is going to be rich selling oxygen to space going vessels, as fuel. He will make CO2-O2 converter machines, and they will have to buy from him because rockets need oxygen, as fuel. Though I know rockets run on hydrogen rather than oxygen and also that he will have to face the tedium of commercialising such technologies, among many other problems, I encouraged him with his dream.

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I know that with a strong belief, he will overcome all associated problems and also will sort out the technicalities and find out that he needs hydrogen instead, or may be he will discover a technology that uses oxygen. We don't know what may come in the house that the children of today will live in, in their future. We can't even see this house in our dreams now. So what we can do is only to encourage them to do their best and believe in what they want to do.

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Actually, if you look into it, it is not very far off from the way religious people place their absolute trust in God, in whatever they do. Replace the word 'God' with 'Self' and the concept is identical.

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This is very different from how I was brought up. For some reason, Chinese parents love to discourage their children and make them feel small. Subconsciously, they are transfering their fears to their children. May be to them, it is also a way of protecting their children - that just in case they do not make it, it won't be so hard on the kids, since they have been 'forewarned'. So, unless such parents have very strong minded kids, they would succeed in cowing the children's dreams into oblivion.

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That's probably one reason why I had such a bad temper. I had many ideas and things that I love to do as a kid, but was always discouraged. Even after I had my driver's licence, I was consistently spoken into fear about the dangers of driving. And eventually, they succeeded, and I almost got into a serious accident, which becomes a self-fulfiling prophecy that proved that driving a motor vehicle was dangerous.

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We must always be careful with what we burn into the minds of people, especially young minds. Once burned in, they will be conditioned to be fearful instead of feeling the omnipresent and mighty glory to succeed, which is our true nature. So nowadays, I choose my words carefully when I speak. I would always ask, "Does this encourage Love or Fear?"

Kids Play 15 - Colours

It's difficult to teach Hadri about colours when he was two and a half.
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Me (pointing to a leaf): Hadri, this colour is green. Now what is the colour?
Hadri: Colour.
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Me: No, I mean, what is the colour? The colour... is it 'green', 'blue' or 'red'?
Hadri: Colour.
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Haiz. I was a little concerned. It is one thing getting confused with colours, but yet another not understanding even the concept of colours!!! Alarms!!!
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As we strolled down the path in the woods, I saw some bramberries and decided to use them to illustrate to Hadri.
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Me (pointing to the black bramberries and very slowly...): Now this bramberry is BLACK.
Hadri (suddenly interested): Yes, black ones can be eaten, red ones can't be!
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I was stunned and speechless! So he knew it all along!!! It all comes down to 'motivation' isn't it?
Sometimes I wonder what goes on in their little heads.
It would be wonderful if we know exactly what goes on.
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Bramberries.

Kids Play 13 - Heaven Knows

Zee (6 years old) asked her father what a funeral is, as they passed by one...
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Zee: What is a funeral?
Daddy: It is a ceremony for someone when they die.
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Zee: Where do people go when they die?
Daddy: They go to heaven.
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Zee: So is grandpa in heaven?
Daddy: Yes.
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Zee: Where is heaven?
Daddy: Oh... it's far away.
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At this point, Chris, a friend of her dad was also with them. She wanted to say to Zee that heaven is in her, but thought she'll let it pass. Then to her surprise...
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Zee: No, heaven is everywhere....
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As Zee went up the bus, she touched the bus and said...
Zee: Heaven is here, (then she touched the seats) and here, and here... (as she touched everything around her).
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Then, she started to say "hello" in the open.
When Chris asked her why she is saying "hello" to seemingly no one, ...
Zee: I am saying hello to grandpa. Grandpa is in heaven and heaven is everywhere. We cannot see grandpa, but he can see us.
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kids play 11 - Politics

Vic's (12yo) conversation with mum after his exams.

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Mum: How are your exams?

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Vic: Very simple. I don't know why they bother setting such questions. I think the Ministry doesn't know what they are doing... Anyway, it's all politics (to pass many). If you are clever you won't end up being a politician. It is when you can't do anything that you go there to hide. That's what you call political refugees!! :)

Kids Play 10 - Satan

A religious teacher told a group of children, 3 to 4 years old, that they should not leave any gap in between them when they pray, so that Satan will not come in between. Afraid, the kids packed themselves close to each other.

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When we asked one of the kids if he believed if Satan will come in between, he said he didn't think so, but after what the teacher had said, he admitted that he is afraid when he prays alone at home, as now Satan can be everywhere around him.

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"But then, if Satan wants to pray with us in the mosque or at home, then isn't it great too?" he added lovingly.

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Kids Play 9 - The Broken Shed

Hadrien was upset because the garden shed was broken into in the night and his little bicycle was stolen. What was surprising was that nothing else was stolen. There were bigger bikes, power tools, ...etc, which were more valuable but they were left untouched.

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"The thief must have wanted the bicycle for his child so much but couldn't afford to buy one for him," Hadrien's mother explained.

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After that Hadrien didn't feel that bad. He thought that perhaps the bicycle must have meant more for the thief and his child, and in that moment of madness had fallen into temptation and then stole the bike.

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Kids Play 8

This is a conversation I have recently with an 11 year old boy called Vince. It gave me an interesting insight into how a child would view religion in their own instinctive way and also the sad reality with the current state of religions in the world.
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Vince: I hate religion class.
Me: Why?
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Vince: It's boring. During religion class, I would sit behind, put up my book on the table, put my head down and sleep. Once, the teacher came and asked me what I was doing and I told him I was praying.
Me: What did you say you were praying about?
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Vince: I didn't say. He didn't ask too. He believed me. He thought I was an angel.
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Me: But why do you say religion is boring?
Vince: They kept saying out loud that they love Jesus and so on.
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Me: What's wrong with that?
Vince: Loving Jesus is fine, but why must they close their eyes, stretch out their arms and hands wide, and go on a trance-like state when they sing in the church?
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Me: Do you know that when you were three years old, you would stop the car and ask to go into the cathedral? And you will get all of us to go with you.

Vince: Yes, I know, but that's because the cathedral is such a beautiful architecture.

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Me: Ok. So do you believe in Jesus?
Vince: No. I don't believe in any religion.
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Me: Why do you not believe in any religion? Do you know that not believing in any religion is also a religion in itself?
Vince: Yes, but at least you don't get killed.
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Me: What do you mean?
Vince: Many people get killed because of religion. When you don't have a religion you don't get killed.

Kids Play 7

I wanted to punish Vic (3 years old) and asked him to stand at the corner of the room. Instantly, he responded resoundingly, "Yes, but can I face outwards?"

ECHO

Got this video from a friend...

Kids Play 6 - Maths

(Got this story from an email. Don't know the source, but whoever he (or she is) a "big thank you" for such an amusing story.)

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Once upon a time, there was a little boy who was very weak in mathematics in class. He hated the subject and his results in the subject was very very bad. The mother had hired maths tutors, brought him books to aid him, brought him to child psychologists, etc, but they did not make any difference to the child.

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Then someone advised her to enrol in a nearby Catholic school which was known for turning weak students into gems. As her mother had exhausted all other avenues, she thought, "Why not? There is nothing to lose." So she enrolled him in the school.

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After the first day from the Catholic school, the little boy came back home, greeted his mum and went straight upstairs to his room to study. Not a noise. He only came out of his room for dinner and after dinner again went upstairs to his room to study. The mother was impressed!

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The next day, the same thing happened. Straight from school, went upstairs to study, came out only for dinner and then back to studies. This went on for days after days, and soon, it was the first maths test in the Catholic school.

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When the results were out, the son came back took the report card gave it to his mum and without a word again went upstairs to study. The mum looked at his report card and was amazed to find that he scored a 100 marks for the maths test! It was a miracle! "What did the school do that made the change?" she wondered.

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So she went upstairs to the little boy's room to asked him,
"Son, what happened in school? How did you get such good marks all of a sudden?"

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The little boy replied, "On my first day in school hall, when I saw this man nailed to the plus sign on the wall, I knew they meant business!"

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Past posts: Kids Play, Kids Play 2, Kids Play 3, Kids Play 4, Soar above the clouds, Kids Play 5

Kids Play 5 - Clever Boy

There was a tree rotting in its core and might fall and crash onto the neighbour's house. The insurance does not cover third party damage due to falling trees. Cutting down the tree is expensive as it has to be cut slowly part by part, instead of doing it in one fell. Vic seeing that his mum is concerned with the costs, said, "Mum, just report that the tree has fallen after an unusually heavy storm, the insurance will cover that."

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Surprised at what the 11 year old had said, mum went to check the insurance papers and true enough, compensation will be meted out if damage is caused by heavy storms. "How did this little boy know so much?" mum wondered, delighted at his quick mind.

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Much as mum knew that Vic meant well, she went over to him and said, "Vic, you are right about the insurance, but that's not the point. If the tree falls on the house, the little kids there will not have a house. So it is not just about the money, much as I would like to save this money."

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Vic listened intently, reflected deeply for a while, then nodded in agreement.

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Whilst many mums aspire their kids to be smart, it is also important to teach them about love. In this cut and thrust market economy amid the intricate webs of commerce and contracts, the clever mind usually wins against many odds. Many times, this mean disadvantaging the weak and slow. Teaching kids to love their neighbours as they love themselves at an early age is therefore crucial.

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Past posts: Kids Play, Kids Play 2, Kids Play 3, Kids Play 4, Soar above the clouds, Usury

Spiritual Parenting - Nurturing Spiritual Growth For Children

Dear Parents,

The purpose of this 1-day seminar on Spiritual Parenting is to provide you with action-based ideas for raising happy, kind children who remain connected to their spirits and their families. By intending to become a spiritual parent, not only will your children flourish, but your own soul will be fed.

We are trying to be good parents and give our children all they need to develop into well-rounded and successful adults. We may, however, be missing the very core of our child's being, his spirituality. Spirituality is the base from which grows self-esteem, values, and a sense of belonging. It is what gives life direction and meaning.

Spiritual Parenting occurs when we expand our awareness to include our children’s vivid inner lives. When we approach our kids as grand spiritual beings housed in rapidly changing bodies we are parenting spiritually. Spiritual parenting is an authentic, honest way of interacting with our children day to day.

Spiritual Parenting isn’t a scientific approach to parenting or a formula to follow but rather an attitude and consciousness to acknowledge, connect, love, and honor your child’s very being.

When children are spiritually parented, their self-esteem increases, they feel empowered, they have a belief system to count on, they feel connected to something greater than themselves, they have hope, they articulate their dreams and follow them, they begin to ask of themselves: “What is it I might give?” rather than “What is it I might get?”

You have the potential to live a balanced, alive, joy-filled life. You can make a difference in your children’s futures, manifest your own dreams, and create a soulful home.

I invite you to attend this life-changing seminar to discard the burden of perfect parenting but explore the exhilarating honesty and joy that comes through nourishing your child’s spirit and seeking balance in your life.

With warmest best wishes,
Aaron
Dr. T. Aaron Lim

Registration

Don’t wait another minute to live a more joyful, prosperous and abundant life. Call and register NOW! Seats Are Limited - So Do Register Early !

Date : Saturday May 26, 2007
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Venue: Parkroyal on Kitchener Road

181 Kitchener Road , Singapore 208533
( formerly known as New Park Hotel, nearest MRT Farrer Park Station )

Contact: Finella Lim @ 98359197 (mobile)
Email: treeoflifesg@gmail.com
Contribution: S$70 per pax ( a sumptuous lunch and tea breaks are included )

( All surplus arising from this seminar will be donated to Bodhi Fellowship’s Miracle Children’s Home as its support of orphaned / unprivileged children in Batam, Indonesia; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Kashmir, India; Cuzco, Peru and Bedong, Malaysia)

Kids Play 3

I have been thinking about how to teach Victor, on how to invest his money eversince he popped the question to me. I am very pleased and impressed that he asked the question as I had wished somebody had taught me how to invest when I was a kid.
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So one Sunday, at a lonely quiet road junction, I thought it was my chance to teach him one of the basic components of investments. Our conversation went like this...

Me: Let's cross the road.
(The lights was showing red man, but since there were no cars around, I thought we would do that.)
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Me: Do you know why I made us cross the road now?
Vic: Dunno

Me: Because I want you to know that in business, you need to learn how to take risks.

(Instantly) Vic: But you risk with money, not with life....
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At this point, I was dumbfounded! How sharp he is for an 11 year old boy!
Vic: Isn't it! (looking at me in the eye!)

Related posts: Kids Play, Kids Play 2, Soar above the clouds

Kids Play 2

Got a 9 year old child's view of a comic strip...

[For those of you who doesn't follow Peanuts cartoons, this is the usual scene of the dog sitting on his kennel visited by this bird speaking his language comprising of only "l l l l l l l l ...". The dog almost always have grave difficulties understanding the bird, amid hilarious moments.]

In this comic strip, the wind blew away the "l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ..." that the bird was trying to say... I thought that was funny as it involves the surreal characters falling off the dialogue box.

I showed it to a 9 year old boy and was surprised that he didn't laugh. I was even more surprised when he asked why the wind only blew away the words of the bird and not the dog's. Have you ever wonder why we stop looking at the world the way children do? We all have been kids before! :)

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In a more sombre mood, I also found this other comic strip about a chain saw...

While this comic strip is sarcastic of the chain saw hastening the felling of precious trees, it also reminds me of psychics having far more powerful abilities and the correspondingly bigger impact that can befall them if they do not exercise their abilities responsibly.

For past post of how technology influence our lifestyle, click here

Past Post: Kids Play

Kids Play

Story 1:

This story is set in the background of a scandal involving the poultry industry - where chicken feed was wilfully contaminated with dioxines in Europe. A mother was shopping in the supermarket with her chatty 4 year old son. Taking the opportunity to educate her son, she took each item to ask him what he thought about the item and whether they should buy them.

Mother (takes a chicken): Should we take this?

Boy (jaw dropped astonished): No, it has dioxines.

Mother (smiles smugly and satisfied): Good

Mother (takes some chocolates): How about these?

Son: Yes, but not too much.

Mother happy and amused with her son's wisdom, nodded her head in approval.

Mother (takes some apples): How about apples?

Son (now really astonished with big eyes): No!!!!! God said "Cannot". :)

Story 2:

Mother is tutoring her nine year old son at home to prepare him for the next day's test, and came across, "La bise", which means in French, cold and dry northerly winds.

When the mother explained to her son. The son was furious! He disagreed with the meaning of the word.

The boy exclaimed, "It's wrong! The wind is not dry at all. I have felt it before, it is wet too!"

Then the mother said, "Yes, but this is a definition of La Bise, it is not up to you to say it's wrong".

The boy insisted, "Yes, it is wrong!"

Mother: "Look you have to learn this properly otherwise you are going to get it wrong for your test tomorrow."

Son: "No, I refuse to study."

Mother (insistent): "Yes, you should study"

Son (shouting): "But, what's the point of studying when what they say is all wrong?"

Mother: "There are 6 billion people around the world and they agree with this definition."

Son: "Yes, but all of them are wrong!!!!!"

At this point, the mother is dumbfounded and burst out laughing!