Tot Can't Cut It?

Is your child having a hard time handling scissors? Is your child holding the scissors incorrectly, with the thumb pointing downwards? Is he or she cutting for all its worth, but still unable to make any kind of cut on the paper? Join the club! After trying out some cutting exercises with my 3-year-old daughter - who was near tears when she realized she just couldn't cut the paper on her own - I turned to Google for help. Thankfully, the ever-faithful search engine did not disappoint. Here's how my child learned to cut on her own within 1 week:

(1) Have your child hold the scissors the proper way. The thumb should go in one of the holes. The other hole should have the middle and ring fingers. The pointer or index finger should be outside, helping the middle and ring fingers push the lower part of the handle. The thumb should always be on the top side. Sometimes it helps to put a sticker on the lower part of your child's thumb as a guide - he/she would know she's holding it right side up if he/she could see the sticker.

(2) Use thin cardboard paper first. Calling card paper sold in National Bookstore or any Office Supplies store would do. Because the paper is firm, it will be easier for the child to cut through (i.e., most of the time ordinary paper would crumple easily or follow the scissors if the child does not yet have the proper grip or control). Because it's thicker than ordinary paper, it's also good for strengthening your child's grip and control of the scissors.

(3) Draw lines on the board paper for your child to follow. Start with simple straight lines, then slanted, then curved. Practice everyday, but stop when your child says he or she is tired.

After a week of practicing on at least one board paper a day, my daughter gained confidence. Her face simply lit up when she cut her first board paper! On the fifth day, I gave her the paper exercises again and this time, she finally had the proper hand grip and was able to cut through the lines without any problems.

Another good tip I found was in teaching the proper way to hold the scissors. Teach your child to grasp the blades (when closed) within their fist. Do a simple march after the cutting exercises to help them remember the proper way of holding scissors while walking.

Lastly, make sure you are using scissors appropriate for your child's size and age!

Get a Dash of Fun

Dash of Fun is a novelty toy store for "kids and kids at heart." It's branches are located at Eastwood Mall and Greenbelt 5. I didn't think we'd need more toy stores what with Hobbes, Toys R Us, Toy Kingdom, and Rustan's...but this novelty shop proved me wrong! They have an interesting selection of educational toys, a lot of which can't be found anywhere else. One of my recent finds in their shop was a set of magnetic letters.

My 3-year-old daughter enjoys playing with the letters on the fridge and using them to create words. Unfortunately, her current set only had one of each letter. After reading how much damage swallowing a magnet could do, I have not been a big fan of the cheaper plastic letters with the really small magnets at the back that tend to fall off over time. The really expensive magnetic, wooden alphabet sets at Hobbes and Rustans did not work for my pocket either! Dash gave me a solution I could work with - packs of magnetic letters (available in both upper and lower case) with the duplicates of common letters. The front end of each letter is a thick and colorful with a foam-like texture - easy for little hands to handle! The back part is fully covered with a magnet so it's not likely to come loose and even if it does it's not likely to be swallowed. The best part was that each pack of full 26 letters + additional common letters comes to just around ~P500. Half the price of its wooden counterparts! Sold!

oDesk - Is It For You?

What is oDesk?

oDesk is a website (https://www.odesk.com/) that allows freelancers (potentially you) to create profiles/resumes and apply for jobs posted by employers. Here's an FB page for Filipino oDesk freelancers (http://www.facebook.com/thefreelancepinoy)

 

Is it a scam?

No, it's free to join/register and once you've been contracted you will get paid based on your agreed price or hourly rate. Of course, there might be unscrupulous employers out there, but every job posting includes an employer rating. If you're careful about only applying for those with good ratings and verified payment schemes you should be okay. I have not yet gotten a job where I wasn't paid.oDesk earns by getting 10% off your rate once you are hired and paid.

 

How do I get paid?

You either apply for a fixed-rate or hourly job. You propose your rate when you apply and if you get hired that would be the basis for payment. Payment is in USD. There's about a week or two to process each weekly payment. Once done, the $ are put in your oDeskaccount. From there, you can either withdraw to a local bank account (I haven't tried this yet) or withdraw to PayPal and from there, withdraw to a local bank account. Note that the bank may charge for every withdrawal - for BPI it is P150.

 

What kind of jobs are available?

Main categories are Web Development, Software Development, Networking & Information Systems, Writing & Translation, Administrative Support, Design & Multimedia,  Customer Service,  Sales & Marketing, Business Services. If you're computer savvy (especially with Microsoft Office) and have good English communication skills, one of the higher paying jobs is that of a Virtual Assistant (similar to being a secretary for someone in US, UK, or Australia). To learn more about this kind of work, you can research "virtual assistant" via Google or drop by this website http://www.filipinova.com/ which offers VA training for Filipinos (I haven't tried this myself).

 

What are the benefits?

You get to work from home and at your own pace/time. Pay is good once you get a regular job.
 

What are the drawbacks?

In the beginning, it will be hard to get a job because there are so many people applying. Be sure to complete your resume and portfolio, take the oDesk exams, and apply for as many jobs as you can. It might also help to lower your rate for the first few jobs and then make it higher as you gain more feedback.

Unlike in an office, there are no benefits (medical, leaves, etc.) and jobs aren't stable. If an employer chooses to end your contract, you'll have to find another job.