Saturday, February 03, 2007

Take care of your young kids!

While I was in the middle of a meeting, Lorentz called. He wanted me to bring him to the hospital as he has a sharp pain in his right knee and he is limping. So I had to end the meeting early and go down to school to pick him. The adorable Lorentz at KK Women's & Children's Hospital, Singapore.

I brought him to KK Hospital to see Dr Kevin Lim, an Orthopaedic surgeon. While we were in the waiting area, I noticed there was an exceptional number of young children who have either broken their limbs or hurt themselves somehow.

In the 2 hours I was there, I counted 6 kids with broken arms in slings, 5 with at least a finger bandaged, 4 kids with legs in casts, a few with ankles bandaged up and several with their heads bandaged. One 11-yr-old boy had a steel plate riveted to his calf! And there were more girls than boys. And surveys showed that such accidents tend to happen at home. What is it with their parents or care-givers? How did these poor kids get injured?

It is not easy to keep your eyes on your kid all the time but how did the kids ended up this way? I didn't usually keep an eye on Jaymes when he was young, but I would make sure he was within my sight and there should be minimal danger lurking around.

It really upsets me to hear small children crying in pain. One toddler, whose injured leg was probably hurting too much, was screaming in agony as the doctor examined him in a closed room. He cried until he vomitted. And when he emerged from the room, he was still wailing and he looked very frightened. It is traumatic for a young child to go through this.

Lorentz had to go for an ultrasound to investigate the pain. Fortunately for Lorentz, there was nothing wrong with his knee.

Lorentz is from the Philippines, I am looking after him and his 2 brothers who are studying in Singapore. I am a 'mother' to another 23 foreign students in Singapore. Most of them are my foreign friends' children or children of friends' friends.

Oops, got another call. Wen, from Henan, wants me to go with him to buy a laptop..........

21 comments:

  1. Yer a busy woman.. my dear..! I'll send chloe back to singapore.. when she is ready to start primary one..?? how's that..?? kekkeke!

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  2. waahhhh! you willing meh? Education in Canada is free for its citizens and not too bad also lah.

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  3. Mother East taking care of all the children in the world, ADMIRABLE! You are sooooo amazing babe!

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  4. Hey there Tisha darling!
    You would love kids when they are so sweet... eh, well, sometimes. hehehe...........

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  5. I think the education here is too slack. Plus in this town.. the teenage pregnancy is so high.. i am very worried too. There is definitely a great cultural difference. And yes.. if it is for the good of chloe .. i would.. :)

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  6. Woah, you 人民保母 arh you! Maybe I happened to be your friend's friend's friend's friend's friend's child leh! Muahahhahah....
    Can you take me out to makan ?

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  7. mamabok,
    hmmm, I heard many stories of Canada and its schools too from other Asian parents who sent their children there.

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  8. walau tigerfish!
    I not so old la.

    Got quite a number of places(makan haunts) to recce. Call me when you come back to Singapore huh.

    Oh better, make a list of the food you want to eat. I do the planning. ok?

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  9. Wah are you sure you can handle so many children? All put up at your place ah? How many more before it's declared full house?

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  10. I salute to you for having the energy and dedication to 'mother' so many foreign students. I think that having someone to look for for these foreign students do help them to adapt to a new environment, and provide them with the moral support when it is needed.

    Hmm, does your book have any record of your secrets of being 'mother' to these students, while juggling with your other commitments? I still have no idea when your book would be published...

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  11. Victor,
    no lah! How to put so many in my place? Most of them are in their late teens or early twenties, so either they stay in the hostels or share a room with their friends. I just lend a hand whenever I'm needed.

    Also their parents send money to my account and I hand them their allowance every week. So have to meet them weekly. See how much trust they have in me.

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  12. oceanskies,
    It's something I do for my foreign friends.

    The book I'm publishing is about the problems I have with the various ministries and the untold things that are done behind the backs of Singaporeans. I intend to sell it before the next General Election.

    I do meet some parents and students who gave me so much problems. So the next book I'm writing is Parents & Children from Hell.

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  13. ok, please keep me informed when your book is published and ready for sale.

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  14. Good. Then you can charter a mini-bus and bring your 23 children on an educational night tour of Geylang.

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  15. oceanskies,
    I'll give it to you. Just dun get depressed reading it.

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  16. Victor,
    Done that oredi la. Wait for you to tell meh. This type of attraction must let them know wan.

    Brought them for great food. A signboard says,'叫鸡 S$10'. hahaha.....

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  17. you are one great lady, eastcoastlife. do you sleep?

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  18. Yes I do sleep, Bunny Beth.
    It's just that I'm getting older and don't require that much of sleep. hahaha.......

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  19. Aiyo, fren's fren's fren's fren's child does not mean you are old , right ? And also dun mean I'm young :p
    Call you? how to ? You thot I am one of those 十兄弟 (or 妹 ) that can shout very loud arh ? or you got 千里耳 ?
    dun even know got time this round or not...very rushed....

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  20. What!? No time for me? 过(我)家门而不入。 How many days would you be here?

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  21. No time for myself even :(...only 4 days lah! Hey, I interested in "untold things that are done behind the backs of Singaporeans"...:D

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