Estella: I can do it, there is nothing to it... I can do it by myself

Our darling girl has turned 5 last month. With that, we are witnessing a whole lot more of understanding and development in her. Here are some things that we are so proud of her...

1. Making her own bed every morning.

She will nicely fold her 3 blankie/blankets, out them nicely on her pillow, arrange her 2 favourite soft toys (Wuff Wuff & Sheriff Woody) next to pillow, and finally, lay her bolster across. As she folds her blankie, she will recite the simple rhythm that I always used while demonstrating the process in her younger days... 'Corner to corner, put them together... corner to corner, put them together!' This big hearted sister will also help her meimei to fold her blanket, but always leaving the final fold to meimei so she can 'help' in the process. :)

2. Packing her own school bag.

I learnt this method from a dear friend Yushan. By packing all the shower needs into a ziploc bag, it's so much easier to check if all items are in, and the bags can be compressed to save space in their rather small school bags. The usual items include a fresh change of uniform, panty, towel and a plastic bag for damp clothes. As it is, Estella takes great pride in making sure all her items are packed as she unpacks her bag each evening. (Of course this is provided the fresh change is available for packing, i.e., already washed and dry...) No just for herself, she will also prod meimei along to do the same. Yes, I would like them both to be more independent such that they can do these chores themselves.

3. Changing into her uniform and hanging up her pyjamas nicely.

Well, it used to be that the pyjamas were strewn on the floor/bed as we hurried through the morning drill. Now, Estella will hang up her pyjamas on the hooks on her wardrobe (simple but effective solution). That also helps me determine the wash load.

4. Using the adult toilet and cleaning herself after each visit.

Yes, this includes passing motion too!

5. Returning plates and cups to the kitchen sink, and helping meimei to do likewise.

These mark some new milestones for her... 真是我的小大人!!

Darling, Mama is so proud of you! :)