Quality Family Time

[updated: 1st April 2010] Quality family time should be expected to be one that is relaxed and free of conflict. It is an opportunity to have meaningful conversation and do worthwhile things with our loved ones. Activities need not be specific or planned and quality family time can be spontaneous and varied length. It is through having quality family time that you are able to inculcate the right values and attitudes in your child, impart knowledge and provide proper guidance while cultivating a strong and affectionate bond that will last a lifetime.

Spending time such as hobbies, sharing experiences, walking in the park, visiting places, playing games and reading together are some of the numerous meaningful and enjoyable activities and provide your child with experiences in seeing, hearing, touching and feeling things that are new, different, beautiful and unique. Stimulate your child's curiosity and interest by asking alot of why and how questions. All these will help to build an environment where your child is free to discuss any topic of concern, learns to verbalise thoughts and feelings and is encouraged to express his or her own creativity. Above activities encourages your child's interest and builds an open and honest relationship and an environment of trust and acceptance.

Spending quality time as a family is very important. The FAMILY is the most precious institution in our lives. The family unit represents the basic building block for any civilization and is a vital of a child's life especially the first 5 years being the most important. Be there for your child and show your love, support, care and appreciation as you will be laying the cornerstone for meaningful lives of tomorrow. You only have one opportunity in this life to do so and it is going to be the greatest gift you can ever give to your child. Choose to balance your commitments with careful consideration on the effect on your family life.

Take time to enjoy your family and cheerish those moments for a lifetime.

Early Literacy Important For Children And Nation

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) -- Early literacy is one of the most important elements in shaping the life and future of children, the Prime Minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, said Monday.

She said this was important because early literacy was an imperative human capital investment that was fundamental for the nation's progress and prosperity.

"In the context of Malaysia, since independence, the government had embarked on various programmes to improve the literacy rate of our young nation as part of the nation-building strategies.

"Systematic education programmes have been put in place in order to create an information-rich society and to achieve the national literacy goal of 100 per cent literacy rate by 2020," she said in her keynote address at the official launch of the 4th International Children's Book Conference 2010, here.

Also present was Director-General of Education Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom, who is also the chairman of the National Book Council of Malaysia.

According to Unesco statistics, in 2008 more than 93 per cent of Malaysians were able to read and write, with only 1.5 million people considered as illiterate.

"This achievement could be attributed to the government's efforts in ensuring that the number of illiterate in the country's population is reduced substantially," she said.

Rosmah said literacy had been continually changing with the advent of the new modes of communication and information dissemination. New technologies presented new forms of medium such as audio books, websites, blogs, podcasts, audio streams and photo streams, she added.

"With these technologies, literacy instructions are changing rapidly and, today, children need to prepare for much more than just the traditional literacy.

"With the recent development of network information and communication technology, I feel there is a need for Malaysians, and especially children, to keep themselves abreast with these changing technologies," she said.

The two-day conference, with the theme "Children's Literacy in the Changing World", is held in conjunction with the 29th Book Fair 2010 from March 19 to 28 at the Putra World Trade Centre.

03 Mac 2010 - Art & Craft