Great Expectation: How To Plan For Your Family’s Future (Part 2/3)

How To Plan For Your Family’s Future (Part 2/3)
No matter what your income level is, early planning for financial security is always the best course of action. Here, some tips on how to get started!

Click here to read Part 1

FIVE TIPS TO BASIC FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR YOUR FAMILY

TIP 1: PREPARE AND STICK TO A FAMILY BUDGET TO KEEP EXPENSES IN CHECK

A budget is a useful tool for families to monitor their income and expenses. Without a budget, we may not be able to keep track of the many bills and expenses we incur.

Steps to prepare a family budget:
1. Create a list of all monthly income, e.g. salary and wages.
2. Create a list of planned or targeted expenses and a list of all actual monthly expenses. If an expense is not incurred monthly, pro-rate it on a monthly basis.
3. Set aside a fixed amount of savings every month. You should aim to save at least 10 per cent of your monthly income and have savings equivalent to six months of your salary as emergency funds at any point in time.
4. Make sure your expenses and the amount set aside for savings do not exceed your income. If you are overspending, reduce your expenses accordingly.
5. Review your budget regularly.

You may also wish to consider involving your family members in drawing up the family budget so that it becomes a shared responsibility.


TIP 2: DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN “NEEDS” AND “WANTS”
Our decision to spend is usually motivated by “needs” and “wants”. “Needs” relate to the essentials in life, something you cannot live without, e.g. rent or mortgage or food. “Wants” are usually things that we desire, such as the latest IT gadget or a new fancy handbag. Do a reality check before taking the plunge. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do we really need the item?
2. Is it worth waiting and saving up for?
3. Is there a cheaper alternative?

TIP 3: IDENTIFY FINANCIAL PRIORITIES
Priorities change at different life stages. For example, a family with young children may have the following priorities:
1. Ensuring sufficient income to maintain household expenses
2. Saving for the children’s education
3. Retirement planning

Do review your priorities regularly, especially at different stages of your life and whenever your family circumstances change. These could include events such as starting work, getting married, buying a home, having children or reaching retirement.

TIP 4: TRANSLATE PRIORITIES INTO FINANCIAL GOALS
Once we have identified our priorities, we can proceed to take steps to make them our financial goals. For each goal, determine how much funds you need to accumulate and the time available to accumulate the funds.

For example, if your priority is to ensure adequate income for your family in case of unexpected events, you may wish to review your insurance policies and calculate the optimal level of insurance coverage required.

Similarly, if your goal is to save for your children’s education needs, you may wish to start by projecting how much tuition fees might be by the time your children start university and the time available to accumulate such funds.

NEXT: TIP 5 – TAKE CONCRETE STEPS TO ACHIEVE YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS

This information is provided by the Insurance and Financial Practicioners Association of Singapore (IFPAS) and Life Insurance Association (LIA) as part of the MoneySENSE national financial education programme.

Source: Great Expectation: How To Plan For Your Family’s Future (Part 2/3)

Help, My Son Still Can't Read! (Part 2/2)

Help, My Son Still Can't Read!
(Click here to read previous chapter)

Don't worry, there's a number of reasons and steps to overcome this

By Vanessa von Auer | reprinted with permission from Today's Parents Magazine

ONCE you identify one or more of the core problems affecting your son, you can now be proactive:

Social/Emotional: Involve your son’s school, teachers and peers. Provide him with much encouragement to strengthen his confidence and sense of self-worth. Help make going to school enjoyable to him.


Psychological: Motivate your son by making reading enjoyable. Some examples of turning a boring reading exercise into an exciting one would be “flashcards baseball”. Put some words he struggles with on a flashcard. Get him to try and read or sound them out. When he is able to complete this, he is allowed to move to the next base (which could be parts of the home environment i.e. the couch, the chair, etc.).


If he is able to read a complex word or sentence, he gets a homerun. This is just one example of adapting something very mechanical into something stimulating. The extra “mommy time” will also be very much appreciated! Get creative, folks! The more fun your son has the faster he’ll learn.


Developmental: If it does seem that your son is struggling more than usual with his words and has no other emotional or psychological challenges, then it is time to seek a psychoeducational assessment from your friendly neighbourhood clinical or educational psychologist.

This professional will be able to provide you with detailed insight into your son’s developmental difficulties. Identifying his core weaknesses are important so that he can receive appropriate intervention.

It is best to do so at an early age because as your child enters primary school, he will notice at some point that he is not able to keep up with his peers and feel “different”. Without further appropriate intervention, he will grow up thinking that he is not as good as his peers and his self-esteem will plummet.


Vanessa von Auer is a clinical psychologist whose passion consists of working with children and their families to ensure a healthy and happy family environment. She runs the VA Psychology Centre (VAPC), a centre that offers a variety of psycho-socio-emotional services to children, teenagers and adults.

Source: Help, My Son Still Can't Read! (Part 2/2)

Help, My Son Still Can't Read! (Part 1/2)

Help, My Son Still Can't Read!
Don't worry, there's a number of reasons and steps to overcome this

By Vanessa von Auer | reprinted with permission from Today's Parents Magazine

FIRST thing’s first – don’t panic! There are a plethora of reasons why your son may not be reading yet. The other tidbit you should know is that your son is not the only one who may not be reading at his age yet.

Being able to calm yourself is essential so that you can be the best “researcher” you can be.

You now need to proactively examine what is delaying your son’s reading development. There are the following possibilities: social/emotional, psychological and developmental.


Social/emotional: If he is not reading because he is having a difficult time at school (i.e. with peers, teachers, separation anxiety, etc.) then this is something that can be easily remedied by involving teachers (integrating him more effectively in the classroom cliques) or his peers (i.e. by inviting them to a sleepover, taking them to an amusement park, etc).


Psychological: Your son maybe averse for some reason to reading. It may not be stimulating or fun enough. Then, when we add the constant reminders that parents often do e.g., “it’s time to do your homework”, or “you can’t go swimming until you finish your reading comprehension”, he may wish for you to believe he can’t read at all to delay the unpleasant consequences of having to read.


Another reason may be related to attentional issues. If he has younger siblings who need more attention, he may temporarily regress to get mommy to sit with him while he reads.


Developmental: Your son may be coping with a learning difficulty. The causes of such difficulties are not well established but it seems to be a real biological/developmental problem. Your son is not being a rebel but he truly has difficulty with stringing sounds together, reading sentences or making sense of the words on his book page.

Click here to read Part 2: Once you identify one or more of the core problems affecting your son you can now be proactive.

Source: Help, My Son Still Can't Read! (Part 1/2)

Help, My Son Still Cannot Read (Part 1/2)

Help, My Son Still Can't Read!
Don't worry, there's a number of reasons and steps to overcome this

By Vanessa von Auer | reprinted with permission from Today's Parents Magazine

FIRST thing’s first – don’t panic! There are a plethora of reasons why your son may not be reading yet. The other tidbit you should know is that your son is not the only one who may not be reading at his age yet.

Being able to calm yourself is essential so that you can be the best “researcher” you can be.

You now need to proactively examine what is delaying your son’s reading development. There are the following possibilities: social/emotional, psychological and developmental.

Social/emotional: If he is not reading because he is having a difficult time at school (i.e. with peers, teachers, separation anxiety, etc.) then this is something that can be easily remedied by involving teachers (integrating him more effectively in the classroom cliques) or his peers (i.e. by inviting them to a sleepover, taking them to an amusement park, etc).

Psychological: Your son maybe averse for some reason to reading. It may not be stimulating or fun enough. Then, when we add the constant reminders that parents often do e.g., “it’s time to do your homework”, or “you can’t go swimming until you finish your reading comprehension”, he may wish for you to believe he can’t read at all to delay the unpleasant consequences of having to read.

Another reason may be related to attentional issues. If he has younger siblings who need more attention, he may temporarily regress to get mommy to sit with him while he reads.

Developmental: Your son may be coping with a learning difficulty. The causes of such difficulties are not well established but it seems to be a real biological/developmental problem. Your son is not being a rebel but he truly has difficulty with stringing sounds together, reading sentences or making sense of the words on his book page.

Click here to read Part 2: Once you identify one or more of the core problems affecting your son you can now be proactive.

Source: Help, My Son Still Cannot Read

Help, My Son Still Cannot Read (Part 2/2)

Help, My Son Still Can't Read!
(Click here to read previous chapter)

Don't worry, there's a number of reasons and steps to overcome this

By Vanessa von Auer | reprinted with permission from Today's Parents Magazine

ONCE you identify one or more of the core problems affecting your son, you can now be proactive:

Social/Emotional: Involve your son’s school, teachers and peers. Provide him with much encouragement to strengthen his confidence and sense of self-worth. Help make going to school enjoyable to him.

Psychological: Motivate your son by making reading enjoyable. Some examples of turning a boring reading exercise into an exciting one would be “flashcards baseball”. Put some words he struggles with on a flashcard. Get him to try and read or sound them out. When he is able to complete this, he is allowed to move to the next base (which could be parts of the home environment i.e. the couch, the chair, etc.).

If he is able to read a complex word or sentence, he gets a homerun. This is just one example of adapting something very mechanical into something stimulating. The extra “mommy time” will also be very much appreciated! Get creative, folks! The more fun your son has the faster he’ll learn.

Developmental: If it does seem that your son is struggling more than usual with his words and has no other emotional or psychological challenges, then it is time to seek a psychoeducational assessment from your friendly neighbourhood clinical or educational psychologist.

This professional will be able to provide you with detailed insight into your son’s developmental difficulties. Identifying his core weaknesses are important so that he can receive appropriate intervention.

It is best to do so at an early age because as your child enters primary school, he will notice at some point that he is not able to keep up with his peers and feel “different”. Without further appropriate intervention, he will grow up thinking that he is not as good as his peers and his self-esteem will plummet.

Vanessa von Auer is a clinical psychologist whose passion consists of working with children and their families to ensure a healthy and happy family environment. She runs the VA Psychology Centre (VAPC), a centre that offers a variety of psycho-socio-emotional services to children, teenagers and adults.

Source: Help, My Son Still Cannot Read

Authentic Fengshui for Modern Living

Learn about authentic fengshui from premier fengshui consultant, Adelina Pang.



Adelina Pang is one of Singapore’s foremost Feng Shui consultants and has had an active and respected presence in the field since 1995. Over this period, her expert application of authentic Feng Shui has been invaluable to organizations ranging from multinational companies to hotels and banks right down to football clubs, retail outlets and private homes. Her clientele includes prominent entrepreneurs and professionals as well as celebrities and members of royalty. Her no-nonsense professionalism in her job has established her as a respected professional worldwide.

Adelina studied under several renowned Feng Shui masters in Asia before venturing out on her own. Her brand of authentic Feng Shui, which goes back to original concepts of positive and negative Qi, has been greatly impactful to those who seek her feng shui consultations.

Listen to her at the 88DB City Events workshop. Click here for more details about the feng shui workshop.

3 Characteristics Of A Good Tutor

How to find a tutor who is a good fit, knowledgeable and passionate?
By P. Sabrina

AS parents, the ultimate goal for your child is to see them improve both their grades as well as self-esteem. However, in today’s society, with the high cost of living, parents are required to go out to society and work. In other words, they are no longer able to put in just as much effort to educate and groom their child to achieve that ultimate goal.

What’s the alternative solution? Get a tutor!

Tutors are those who teach a specific educational subject or skill to an individual or small group of students. Such attention allows the tutor to improve knowledge or skills far more rapidly than in a classroom setting.

However, you can’t just get any tutor, you need the “right tutor”. But the question, really is how to pick the right tutor for your child?

Parents usually have a couple places they can turn to. They either ask a neighbor who might then refer them to someone down the street they heard was a teacher, or they will ask the guidance office at the school that will give them a list of twenty tutors or tutoring services.

They might even ask the teacher as well, but most schools will not allow teachers to tutor students from the same school for compensation and the time the teacher gives after or before school just isn't enough.

Alternatively, in the age of the internet, parents can also plough through the list of Classifieds websites such as 88DB.com, which has its own Tuition category.

So exactly what should you look for in a tutor? Read more for some tips on finding a good tutor.

88DB City Events presents: Learn To Belly Dance

Learn one of the oldest social dances in world history with our belly dancing workshop, sponsored by Claribel’s Raks Sharki Studio.



What is belly dance?
Many experts say belly dancing is the oldest form of dance, having roots in all ancient cultures from the orient to India to the mid-East. Probably the greatest misconception about belly dancing is that it is intended to entertain men.

Throughout history, this ritualized expression has usually been performed for other women, generally during fertility rites or parties preparing a young woman for marriage. In most cases, the presence of men is not permitted.*

Read more and register for your spot at 88DB City Events.

*source: BellyDance.org

[88DB City Events] Healthy Cooking Made Easy

An exclusive get-together with Home Concepts



Home Concepts invites you to a special day with Chef Lynette Foo and Chef Bertrand Cheo. Get the insider scoop on how to whip up special gourmet dishes with little effort in your very own kitchen!

At this engaging and interactive culinary class, learn how to use Brandt’s quality cooking appliance to prepare healthy recipes like Zucchini Parcel – King Oyster Mushroom with Mesclun Salad, Pan Seared Wild Ocean Trout with Tofu & Honey Kumquat Sauce and Chocolate Mousse with Strawberry Jelly. Following Chef Bertrand’s presentations, with special annotation by Chef Lynette Foo, you will get to sample the 3 menu items, specially prepared using Scanpan’s PFOA-free non-stick cookware.

Visit 88DB City Events to find out more and register for this cooking workshop!

It’s Playtime Again This June!

Modeling courses, Kooky Cookies, Financial Education, and everything your child can possibly want
by Mavis Ang

GONE are the days when Singaporean kids spend their holidays cycling along East Coast Park, having sleepovers and building ‘tents’ out of blankets and laundry clippers, and having five stone marathons with friends.

Our children now are highly intelligent little bundles with endless amounts of curiosity and energy which need to be nurtured well lest they end up frustrated, pent-up, or restless. You can search and pick the most interesting summer programmes for your kids this June holidays with 88DB’s extensive list of children enrichment programmes, or browse through the most interesting ones we’ve spotted below.

Find out more about children enrichment programmes.

Cooking Tips From Master Chefs for $48

Great deal for foodies and closet cooks
By James P. Ong

IF YOU’RE a closet cook like most of us, the type who regularly surfs the Web for recipes and cooking lessons, then you’ll be thrilled to hear this news: five top chefs from all over the world are holding culinary lessons this Saturday at the Singapore Tourism Board, as part of the World Gourmet Summit.

According to the organisers, “each chef will be conducting a cooking demonstration and prepare two of their signature dishes.” And taste portions of the food! This is a superb deal especially for those who were unable to attend these chefs’ private dinners because of the tummy-growling prices.

For only $48++ per class, you can “witness the best of the culinary finesse of these international master chefs.”Each chef will share their secrets to the great cuisines as well as answer he enquiries.

Read more for cooking lessons from master chefs.

Design Your Own Cupcakes

Learn to make cute animal faces and more at Bake It Yourself’s pre-Easter cupcake decoration classes
By Mavis Ang

FORGET Easter egg hunting. Cupcakes are the way to go this Easter. And if you’re the type who wants to design their own cupcakes, then you should sign up for Bake. It Yourself’s cupcake decoration classes where you can learn to make cute animal faces and more.

Although it targets children, adults are welcome to join the class, but only if you’re an inexperienced baker like myself (and I enjoyed it tremendously), or you might get bored while the entire class goes crazy designing cupcakes using beginner-level ingredients and techniques.

Learn more about how to design your own cupcakes.

Crash Course On How To Draw

Make someone's portrait in less than a minute, using either numbers or doodles
By James P. Ong

IF abstract is the closest thing you can get to producing art, then you would have been clapping your hands in glee if you were at Momentous Arts last Friday. The international artist Rene Robles, who founded the painting style called "assertionism", entertained the crowd attending the opening of his exhibit "The Art Of Making Visible" by showing us some neat tricks he's picked up in his over 40 years of being an artist.

These tricks are best for people who've never drawn anything in their entire life, or those who've always wanted to attend children's art classes but never found time to.

Learn more on how to draw.

Drama Classes Are Good For Your Child

Arts and drama courses impart life skills to children, thereby setting the stage for them to believe that they can fulfill their dreams and be the person they want to be
By Jae Tan

DRAMA classes yield numerous long-term benefits to a child through his growing years. Picking up life skills — like learning to think on one’s own feet, problem solving and putting forth creative ideas by acting on them — is one of them.

Good oratorical skills, essential in working life, can also be developed from a young age through drama.

SAVASkool, which organises kiddie classes for children at the Fort Canning Park, combines the dynamics of theatre, class presentations, speech training and art exposure programs to help student develop their communication skills and self-expression.

Read more on why Drama Classes Are Good For Your Child.

How To French Kiss A Woman

The skill of kissing involves the entire mouth — the lips, tongue, teeth, and the rest of the body
By Joshua Wong

IT IS an experience that most people would remember: their first French kiss. Some people would say it was a great experience while some would prefer not to mention it. But, we all know that French kissing is a very delicate and sensual experience.

Research shows women's lips are one of their erogenous zone, so it's important for men to leave a lasting impression with women. And if you French kiss her like no one else, you'll most likely to kiss something else of her next.

The skill of french kissing does not simply consist of knowing how to move your tongue inside a woman's mouth without hitting her tonsils. It involves the entire mouth — the lips, tongue, teeth, and the rest of the body.

Read more on How To French Kiss A Woman.

Cheap Learning Courses In Singapore

‘Modern Living’ workshops can teach you many things — including what to cook for Christmas and New Year’s
By Jae Tan

SO YOU think you have a knack for mixing it up at the turntables and getting the crowd pumpin’ at the mercy of your beats?

Or maybe you prefer to groove on the dance floor? How about sharpening those moves while picking up new ones to help you stand out from the pulsating crowd?

Or would you like to learn what and how to prepare a sumptuous Christmas feast?

Look no further than your nearby community centre or club for “Modern Living” — a series of training workshops designed with the urban city dweller in mind.

Read more on Cheap Learning Courses in Singapore.

Understanding Dyslexia

Children with dyslexia may appear to be bright and articulate, but they fall way behind their same-aged peers in terms of reading, writing and/or spelling.
By Jae Tan

MAKE a guess. What do Albert Einstein, Walt Disney and Bill Gates have in common? Apart from being leaders in their respective fields, these people have also prevented dyslexia from hindering them in their personal success.

Probably the most common of all learning disabilities, dyslexia affects the reading, writing and spelling skills of individuals that suffer from it.

Read more on Understanding Dyslexia.

Men And Orgasm: Can You Have Too Much Of It?

Tantric Sex coach Christina Low thinks so and wants men to keep it on hold — why, she’ll even teach you how to do it!
By James P.Ong

WHEN Christina Low speaks, men listen. For three years now, she’s been holding sex courses on something that men over 13 years old tend to take for granted: the Big O. “Women have enormous difficulties in reaching any kind of satisfying orgasm,” explains the 30-something sex and intimacy coach who’s founded the company Tantra Path. “Ironically, men face the completely opposite problem — orgasm or, rather, ejaculation, is uncontrollable.”

Read more on Men And Orgasm: Can You Have Too Much of It?

Succeed In A Freelance Writing Job

Students cum writers share invaluable tips based on their own experience
By Mavis Ang

Brand Yourself
Just like any company, begin by branding yourself. Set up a blog that highlights your freelance services, or be a little more creative and upload a video promoting your part-time business.

A professional looking website can impress a potential client, and it’s also easier for interested companies to understand more about you, and your works. A website is an excellent space to compile your portfolio, and you can buy a domain with APC at a rate of only $30 per year. Even a well-written (and well read) blog can attract potential employers. Juliana Lau, currently a first year student at Murdoch University in Perth, keeps a personal blog which gets around 300 hits a day. Although she receives offers from media firms from time to time, she thinks it’s not a medium to be counted on if one is considering serious employment.

Read more on how to Succeed In A Freelance Writing Job.

How To Structure And Write A Resume

By Fayola Peters

After a thirty (30) second glance lots of resumes get thrown into the wastebasket. One of the reasons this happens is because the resume writer has failed to use the appropriate resume format.

Each individual has different work experiences and objectives. You may have gaps in your work history. You may be changing careers or have had jobs progressively in the same field. You need to choose a resume format that is to your advantage and shows you as the best candidate for the job.

Read more on How To Structure And Write A Resume.