Zayne dropping by

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

IT'S been several months that I've posted something about my five-year-old ward/friend Zayne Mojica and for followers of my Nanny Stories blog, I duly apologize because of the many personal events that I've had to deal with.

Rest assured I still have so many nanny stories to tell and share. I haven't seen Zayne for a month now. For those who haven't read, Zayne is my five-year-old ward at Charlotte, North Carolina and I met him ever since I first set foot in this place.

I’ve been with him when his first tooth came out and when he took his first step. I've seen his first year of existence in this planet so I guess you can imagine the joy I've felt in seeing him recently.

I haven't visited him since Ronnie had surgery last July 28 and I got holed up in home taking care of him so I was unable to visit Zayne. My surprise then when Zayne visited me with his dad and his aunt Maddy.

Zayne brought with him his new toys, “a shark and escovibido.” I asked him the name of the shark and he told me it was “shakie.” Shakie is colored white on the body and had funny teeth.

“Nanay (mother) look I have something for you,” Zayne said. I know that he meant the toys and he showed them to me. He then gave me a big hug and I choked back tears because I don't want him to see me crying.

Then while the others were talking we distanced ourselves and talked. 

I asked him how he is doing and he said “I am pretty good.” I asked him what he's doing aside from playing and school and he said “exercising.”

I nearly laughed at what he said but then I remembered that his daddy has this tread mill. It is wide and huge and I think he can use it safely with an adult close by for supervision.

Knowing Zayne I know he literally meant it. I remembered before he used to do it and he can even lift things. Then we went to the bedroom and our conversation took place.

Zayne: Why are you not visiting me Nanay?

Me: I don’t have someone to drive me to your place?

Zayne: Why?

Me: Papaw not driving

Zayne: Why Papaw not driving?

Me: He had surgery remember?

Zayne: But daddy can drive you over to the house?

Me: And Papaw would be alone here I could not leave him.

Zayne: We can bring Papaw to the house Nanay.

End of conversation.

Lesson learned: Don’t play with the feelings of a child .A five-year-old can remember a previous conversation. I remembered that I told him “okay baby I am not leaving you I would be back.”

You see a nanny has way more responsibility than a babysitter. Especially with a boy like Zayne whom you would learn to love as your own.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas.

Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.

You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)

Angels as doctors

Taken from women.thenet.com

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Angels come in whatever form to our lives. My recent experience with grand daughter Susane Lorete Palmes showed that angels also come wearing the crisp, white uniforms of doctors.

I'm talking about doctors who take an active role in caring for their patients like my grand daughter Susane who got sick with dengue recently. Like Dr. Roque Patriana, the pediatrician of my grandchildren Christian Mejorada, Susane and Arianne Jaden Baesas.

Dr. Patriana works at the Sabal hospital which should be proud of him as he represents the best things about their institution. Then again, the institution doesn't reflect on the individual doctors who must earn their reputation through their care of their patients.

Dr. Patriana was recommended by my younger sister Aida Pacana (congratulations to her for being the new principal at Rizal High School at Claveria town after her 20 years at the Misamis Oriental General High School or MOGHS).

Dr. Patriana is the doctor of her two boys Matmat and Macoy and the kids of nephews and nieces including the kids of Ezrah Eslabon (Bitoy and Diday). The good doctor is a byword to the family in child care. 

Concern
There were several times in the past when I would be with the mothers of my grandchildren and I'm still astonished that I can remember all their names. 

My granddaughter Susane

Dr. Patriana is really an angel, a soft spoken soul that can make kids feel at ease, and is compassionate, patient and fully empathizes with the concerns of his patients and their families.

I talked to him over the phone last week when Little Susie was confined at the intensive care unit of Sabal hospital and explained her condition to him. He listened well and offered me advice and that was so caring of him, I told myself. 

I think I overheard my daughter Honey saying that “Dr. Patriana's concern is always in dealing well with his little patients.”

One could just imagine that if one has fever you can text and he would answer. This is seldom done by doctors, though I knew a few like Dr. Caroline Orimaco who would do the same.

Standard
There was a time I knew Honey was texting Dr. Patriana on what to do about Christian aka Sam who at that was having his asthma attack. And true enough, the caring doctor would answer.

In this society now where privacy is now becoming an issue professionals like the doctors tend to distance themselves from the patients for all the reasons they can justify. Or other doctors would just use distance to justify their need for privacy  and ignore their patients because they don’t care at all or they could be tired. 

But not with Dr. Roque who grew up with the kids under his care through the years and it is amazing. If he's a gardener, I can see that he has tended his garden well.

You can see the long line morning through early evening outside his clinic at Sabal Hospital down Apolinar Velez Street at Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. 

A pediatrician is a doctor who treats children from birth to about 19 years of age. Trainings for pediatricians vary across the world. Dr. Patriana's training shows that he empowers and cares for his patients.

I don’t know much about Dr. Patriana, only that he is married to a gynecologist, who like him is very accommodating. I remembered inviting her for an interview and even if she was unable to make it, she did send a message to me explaining that she had prior engagements.

Dr. Patriana's care of little Susie shows the standard by which all doctors must adhere to. It should be absolute for all doctors, some of whom have become uncaring due to a lot of factors. God speed, Dr. Roque Patriana. 

Taken from www.nymomsworld.com

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.

You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)

Going for #2: Zayne’s bouts with constipation

Me with Zayne in a photo taken in Oct. 2012

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Yesterday I told you about my reunion with my five-year-old ward Zayne Mojica; I forgot to tell you that I would be with him for two days. 

So on Tuesday, I was with Zayne and all went well except for some old issues that I’ve discussed in the past. 

Today I discovered that he’s still having problem with his poop or as we call it between me and Zayne “the #2” or “number two.”  

Those who follow “My Nanny Stories” blog would recall that  Zayne would usually ask me to pray to God whenever he’s about “to go” and say my prayer out loud so God could hear my prayers. (See “(All About) Zayne’s World here). 
I guess when he asks me to do this, he’s really in pain. 

Late this afternoon, I accidentally saw his face grimace in pain which signaled to me that he’s about to go for a “#2.”  In the three months that I was away I thought Zayne’s problem of defecating had already been solved and so I told him to go to the bathroom.

He didn’t answer and instead continued grimacing, trying to let “go.”  I went near him and told him to hold my hand and together we went to the bathroom. While he sat on the toilet bowl, he again asked me if I can pray. 

I was surprised so with a smile on my face, I prayed loud so he can hear what I was asking. Luckily he had no problem, so we finished cleaning up and we went back watching TV. 

I asked him what he’s eating and he answered “Daddy told me to eat honey raisin brand so that my poop would be soft.” I told him what foods to eat. 

“Baby, listen to me- these you should eat- okay. Carrots- remember you like eating baby carrots- remember. Brocoli, remember you bring to school broccoli- that is good for you so you can release your poop. Also eat celery,” I told Zayne.

Taken from healthdoctrine.com

He also told me “Nanay (mother) I eat strawberries too,” and I said, that’s good, that’s the best for making it easy to release your poop. 

Indeed there are children, like adults having problems with their “# 2” and it should be addressed immediately with home remedies because the pain can sometimes be unbearable. 

It pays for the babysitter or nanny to inform the parents about the possibility of their child suffering from constipation and they should consult a doctor in order to deal with the situation. 

The Constipation Home remedies blog offers the following remedies: 

• One of the best remedies for children is to give them a nice warm glass of milk mixed with 2 tbsp of Castor oil. This is a great way to help with the constipation.

• Also you may want to give them milk with a little bit of honey so it will help loosen them up whenever they have to go; 

• Put lemon juice in a glass of water and have them drink that about 2 to 3 times a day;

• It’s also time for your child to undergo potty training.  Have them sit on the toilet bowl for at least 10 to 25 minutes. It can be hard to encourage a child to do this but it will be very helpful to them should they suffer from constipation;

• Boysenberry juice can be a very good natural laxative for the child and help them free up the clog in their system. 

We all had to deal with constipation in one way or another when we grew up and so we need to pass on what we know to our children and wards.

Strawberries can aid in excretion. Taken from amillionlives.net

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Visit and read her website at www.susanpalmes-dennis.simplesite.com. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis).


You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063) 

My reunion with Zayne

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

It’s been quite a long time since I last posted about Zayne Mojica, my five-year- old ward here in Charlotte, North Carolina.

But last Monday, June 23, I was reunited with him after a three-month hiatus following some changes in my work schedule and circumstances. For those following my blog, you may recall that I was with Zayne since he was a year old.

Even if I wasn't with him I got informed about how he's doing from my daughter GG who took over babysitting duties from me. We would talk frequently about Zayne since he always has a special place in my heart.

On arriving at his home, my husband Ronnie said “look who's here” and a happy Zayne answered “Nanay (mother).” I hugged him and there was a brief moment of awkwardness before our eyes met and we smiled at each other.

I started he day by asking him “what do you want to do today babe?” and he didn't answer. In the old days, he would act indifferent every time we meet on Mondays. But this time he was all smiles.

He was still in his pajamas and was watching Disney Channel while eating Kellog's mini-wheats strawberry flavor and I sat at the floor not mentioning a word. Then I heard him say “Nanay I have a surprise for you.”

I was really surprised because he used my game of surprise every time we see each other; I have small or big things to remind him that he was in my thoughts even when I wasn't around.

It was my idea of showing people I care even if it is only a piece of “candy.” Usually when I say that I have a surprise for him, Zayne would close his eyes and when he opens them, he would see my small or big gift and he would kiss and hug me.

This time, he held my hand and told me to close my eyes as he led me to the other side of the living room. When he told me to open my eyes, I feigned surprise when he showed me his new helicopter made of Lego tiles and a new car.

“Wow this is new,” I told him and Zayne proudly answered that he got his gifts from his father and GG helped him assemble the Lego tiles into a helicopter.

“Get up Nanay I have another surprise for you. Close your eyes again,” Zayne said and as we climbed up the stairs he excitedly showed me his other new toys and clothes.

Simple gestures like teaching Zayne about appreciating the gifts given to him and of giving back fills me with a sense of fulfillment. 

It's showing the unexpected little things that often do matter. Anyone can give a grand gift but making it feel special to the recipient is something different altogether.

These simple gifts, these gestures of thoughtfulness and care go a long way towards building a happier, kinder and more optimistic Zayne as he continues on his life journey.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Visit and read her website at www.susanpalmes-dennis.simplesite.com. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.

You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)

Connecting with Zayne

Zayne in his disciple costume with cast mates.

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

I am presently occupied with another “job” that keeps me away from my little friend Zayne Mojica.

But I still see him a lot as he stays with my daughter GG. In fact today he is here with us. Even now, when we’ve spent quite a bit of time with each other, Zayne still feels shy and awkward towards me.

It would take 20 minutes before he warms up and approaches me. This is a late post because of my second job so let me tell you about the Holy Week presentation that I attended where Zayne played one of the Lord’s disciples.

The teacher read the stories in the Bible to the audience and the stories transported me back to the times when I read the Holy Book in my childhood. 

These are the Biblical stories of David and Goliath, Cain and Abel, Elijah being fed by ravens and the story of Daniel as well as Jesus of course. 

Teaching children the Word of God early helps prepare them in their journey in life. “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” said Proverbs 22:6

It is so important to shape and guide children but as adults we help to shape the children in what they do even in early age. Children by nature believe what adults tell them anyway so this is the best time to teach them.

I remember when Zayne was three years old, I mentioned the name Jesus out of nowhere and he asked me “where is Jesus Nanay (mother)?”

I was taken aback with his question and it took me sometime to tell him that Jesus is “in heaven.”  I should have answered that Jesus is here with us always. 

I enjoyed the Holy Week play. Tomorrow Zayne goes back to school and I resume my other job. Hope you continue to enjoy my nanny stories and see you soon.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. 

She also has her own website at susanpalmes-dennis.simplesite.com. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis).

How Zayne took to swimming

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Today I'll tell you something about how Zayne Mojica learned swimming. As if you didn't know by now, Zayne is my five-year-old ward and best friend.

Zayne was already working the pool when he was three years old. He takes private swimming lessons and his daddy has a family pool. Now that he's five years old, he's doing well in his swimming class.

But his bath tub was his first pool and I have a separate story about this. As far as I can remember, he's always a water boy which means he's unafraid of the water. 

However Zayne is afraid of taking a bath in the late afternoon because it means he's going to bed. 

When he does land in his bath tub, he would play and swim in the water, splashing and spilling it in all directions so I usually prepare the rug or paper towels to wipe the floor tiles dry.

Since his considers the bath tub his pool I think his daddy placed toys and other objects there on the side so Zayne would enjoy bath time especially during summer.

On the side of the bath tub are cups and scoops for filling and dumping, boats and fish, sponges and cloths, bath crayons and paints, soaps and bubbles. 

There was a time when I nearly had a heart attack seeing the paint splashed all over the bath tub and wondered how I can clean it up, only to learn that it can easily be wiped away.

Now when he does take a bath he doesn't want to use the shampoo because the liquid easily stings his eyes just like most adults. I also have trouble soaping him because he's so frenetic.

A typical dialogue between us goes this way:

Zayne: Nanay (Mother), Come we soap (places the baby bubble bath liquid on the water)

Me: Okay

Zayne: (When I try to soap him up) I do it- I can do it.

Then he soaks himself in the water, which means he's done soaping himself up.

I have to be creative in persuading him to soap himself up by cutting a deal with him; I would shampoo and soap him up and after that, we play race, tag or hide and seek. He would usually be fine with it.

I try to bathe him fast otherwise he would throw a tantrum and he would really make a mess of the bathroom. I ready the rug in case he really spills water over the bathtub. Otherwise he can really swim in his bathtub. 

By the time he was five, Zayne has outgrown his bath tub and is now comfortable taking the shower. In the school pool, I noticed that he's making progress making friends with the other boys in the class.

There are four boys in his swimming class, a 30-minute session once a week. I think Zayne is ahead of the boys. It is said that swimming lessons provide the child with many benefits such as socializing.

It's also a sensational learning experience for your child. As Zayne, my young scientist friend splashes, and giggles, he's observing the cause and effect, experimenting with the water and studying what floats and what sinks.

It is fascinating to see Zayne, my young friend, now floating on the pool and it reminded me how I learned to swim in the riverbank of my native Tagoloan town in Misamis Oriental, northern Mindanao in the Philippines. 

Back then, I just waded deep into the river and swam through the waters as if  swimming was and always had been a part of my being.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.  You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063. )

Running with Zayne

My daughter GG, Zayne at the center when he was still a toddler and me at a playground.

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

You thought I’ve forgotten all about Zayne Mojica, my ward and little best friend with all the other blogs I’ve written about. It’s just that we’ve been busy running for a race that I forgot to update you about his story and mine.

Well, today I’d be talking about running through the eyes of a child, specifically Zayne’s eyes. Nearly everyday, Zayne and I have to run inside the second floor of his family’s house.

The house is carpeted so there are no worries about any stone, dirt or sharp object that may hurt our feet. As to how we race, it goes something like this.

Usually it would be him who’d say “we have to do a race Nanay (mother).”
Like any other games with him, I treat this race like a game. When he runs I would run. You can just imagine me trying to keep up with him, lightning fast as he is.

It starts with the usual “ready, on your mark, get set, go” or “let’s start our engines.”  There are times when I would pretend that I am panting and out of breath and he would ask me if I’m all right.

“You need a booster Nanay,” he would say.  “Oh yeah--okay pretend I got the booster,” I’d reply. “Come on, you can do it,” he would say. This is the usual dialogue between us. 

In running or playing games with any kids, I learned some basic truths.

1. Play when he plays. Meaning if he runs, run with him. Times like this the child thinks you are a child.

With Zayne I taught him little moral values while running and there are times when he would cry when I run ahead of him.  While he’s energetic due to the sweets he eats, I can still outrun him when I want too.

I would tell him ”Don’t cry baby, there are times when you run you lose- not all the time you win. In life, baby, sometimes you win sometimes you lose- but remember it is how we run that makes us win.”

I think he gets my point because he would tell me “okay you win nanay.”

2. Teaching children moral values would help you develop their moral compass in life. You can shape how they would look at the world and behave towards others. And learning these lessons early would shape their character.

While it seems impossible to explain the importance of winning or losing in life, showing your children how good morals affect others can be a great influence on them.

As a nanny who takes the role of guiding her ward seriously in the absence of his parents, it’s my duty to teach morals to Zayne and other children to help transform into capable, responsible and mature adults in society.

My daughter GG and Zayne. 

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.  You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063. )

Zayne's sweet side

Zayne finishing a sketch 

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

It's when you're not feeling okay that you would know how kind and caring some people would be. Especially if it comes from a child. 

In the past few days I’ve been under the weather with coughing and a runny nose. My primary doctor said it is a sinus infection. Whatever, it brings me down and I don't like it.

A week before that, Zayne was sick with cough and colds and he went to the doctor for treatment. For those reading this blog for the first time, Zayne Mojica is my five-year-old ward and is the hero of “My Nanny Stories.”

We’ve been together for four summers now and his doctor told me that Zayne's coughing was caused by a virus. 

Me showing Zayne's name and part of his schoolwork

Since it wasn't the flu I took care of him just the same, keeping my distance and always covering my nose when I sneeze or cough as part of Sanitation 101. 

But yesterday I was coughing so hard that I wet my pants. 

This is the sweet part—Zayne went near me and twice rubbed my back and said “I'm sorry I gave you my cough and cold.”

I was surprised and I replied “No, baby—this is mine, not yours.”  Zayne said “It's mine and I know you don't like it.”

My gosh, it was so sweet of him. The little boy who drives me crazy at times is quite tender and sweet. I actually noticed that quality since he was two years old.

In a child's eyes, one finds sympathy and caring. One afternoon, Zayne looked at me and said “Don't be sad, nanay (mother).” I replied “no, I am not sad baby.” 

It taught me this lesson: The purest form of empathy come from kids. 

Zayne during a class presentation

(The blogger/author is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis. 



You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063. )

Zayne and his medicines

Zayne at play with other kids

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

THERE are good days and bad days with my five-year-old ward Zayne Mojica. Of course, you know him as the hero in My Nanny Stories. 

The rough days are when he's got a cold or fever because of an infection in his ears due to his love for swimming in either the family pool or in his swimming class.

But one thing good about Zayne is he doesn't have any problem taking his medicines so long as it's colorful. If it isn't colored, he needs some cajoling to take it. 

He would just take it in either small or big tablespoons. When Zayne is sick he doesn't need to be persuaded a lot to take them unlike other kids whom you have to sweet talk into taking them.

I have some stories to tell about this. In the US, medicine bottles are hard to open though there are directions on how to open them. 

Usually when Zayne is sick I give him a lot of attention. If he's playing with the Kindle I've got to sit down and be interested in what he's playing otherwise he would stop doing it. 

Actually, even if he is not sick or feeling okay when he plays I play with him but more so when he is sick. He doesn't want to be rubbed or touched. As a rule I think Americans are like that, they consider being rubbed or touched as an intrusion or violation of their privacy. 

You see Filipino mothers have a habit of rubbing the backs of our kids as a sign of love and communication. I think American mothers also do that though not as frequently. 

 I think there is a clinical explanation to a mother rubbing her child's back; it's to warm them up. So I avoid doing that with Zayne. I only do that when he's sick but when I do, he would hesitate and say “don't touch me.”

Now at five years old, Zayne participating in a school program

But his coughs would persist and I would insist on rubbing his back. 

Eventually he ended up on my lap viewing his Kindle, playing with a toy or watching the TV and there are times when he would sleep while I rubbed his back.

I usually used Vicks Vapor Rub. Yes, they also have it here in the US. Vicks Vapor Rub makes me remember my own Nanay (mother).

To my mind Zayne needs tender loving care through my ministrations. When he is really sick I would put him in bed and he wants me to lay beside him.

I tried to sing him a lullaby but he would stop me---I think I am out of tune but there are times he would just hum to himself also. I would just tap his behind like I usually do to my children when they were little.

I pretend I am asleep and snore a little. I knew he is making some movements and checking on me too---he would get up and go to the counter top to get the cough medicines to try to open it.

Of course he couldn't open them since even I find it hard to open. “Waking up”, I asked him why he's opening the medicine bottles. You can't open them Zayne, I told him. Yes I can, he said. 

“Why?,” I asked him. “I want to get well fast,” Zayne replied. Lesson learned; Zayne knows the medicines would make him well. Of course it helps that US medicines are flavored for kids.

(The blogger/author is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis. 


You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063. )

'My name is Ela'

Zayne with my daughter Gg

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

My ward Zayne Mojica wants to change his name to Ella. I couldn't understand why he keeps on insisting that his name is Ella. 

I told him “Zayne, your name is Zayne.” I asked him where he got the name Ela and he replied “Ella as in elephant.” I guess he got it from “show and tell” in class but he looked dead serious that he wanted to be called Ella.

Then it occurred to me that afternoon that I asked him to practice writing his name. His name is Zayne so he has to learn how to write Zayne. 

I told him to write Z first by making a straight line then going down to the center until it reached the bottom where he has to draw another small line to make a Z.

There were times that I guided his hand in writing the letters that make up his name. He is easily bored doing this and I couldn't insist because that would start another word war between him and me. 

By that he would just scream “you are not my friend anymore.” I don't have the time to engage in that word war and so I would wait patiently until he gets interested enough to resume writing.

He would write the A above and Y above the line to complete his name. I can sense that he's laboring on it. But actually he started early learning to write his name when he was two years old with my daughter Gg as his teacher. 

My concerns on his difficulties in writing his name finally came true when a note from his teacher Sha came with the words “Try harder Zayne.” So the people around Zayne had to try harder teaching him to write his name.

After that teacher's note, I had to guide him in writing his name and trace the letters Z A Y N E. That was the time when he said that his name is Ella. 

He asked how Ella is written and indeed it was easy for him to write Ella instead of Zayne even though it was either ascending or descending

Teaching children how to write the letters of the alphabet is very important to their growth in writing and reading for their future.

Children can start learning to write as early as two to years years old. It is important to teach them slowly, at their own pace. Providing encouragement and a positive attitude are always best in helping children learn their letters in a healthy manner.

For more information on this, read http://www.ehow.com/how_4914074_teach-children-write-letters.html#ixzz2uwYJAJMq.


(The blogger/author is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis. You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063. )

Zayne and his favorite TV programs

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Television has become such a part of our lives that it cannot be ignored as a teaching tool for kids at home. There's no doubt that kids learn a lot from TV programs, about how they speak and act towards people. 

There's no telling how the TV programs that are supposed to be for kids have evolved from casual entertainment to ones that actually teach a thing or two about character and knowledge. 

Many programs incorporated the values of being respectful, honest, team building and politeness. Today I am going to mention some of these TV programs watched by my ward Zayne Mojica which really stand for me for reasons I've mentioned.

Zayne watching TV with an Amazon Kindle tablet on the side

Even me as an adult is reminded of these values that we first learned from our parents and were reinforced in school. 

Max and Ruby: When Zayne was two, I think he loved watching the siblings Max and Ruby. The characters are actually bunny rabbits. 

Max is a toddler who like any other toddler would do mischievous things while Ruby is the adorable sister who always cares for Max first before herself.

It's so fun watching their adventures with bunny friends. I remember that series where Ruby was with her scout master and they had a problem with a boat and and it was Max who solved the problem and at the end of the show Ruby was pinned with the star award. 

It was a simple gesture of helping and at the end of the show both Max and Ruby would resolve their petty squabbles. In actual life any elder brother or sister would always attend to their younger siblings.

Sometimes the elder sister acts as a little mother and would teach her younger siblings what's best for them. I learned that this animated series is designed for pre-schoolers and is based on the best-selling children's books by Rosemary.

Zayne had outgrown Max and Ruby since then and I don't know  if it's still in the Nickelodeon channel or is moved to another time slot.

The Octonauts: Oh, how Zayne loved this series that he doesn't want to turn off the TV the whole day if I do give in to his wants every once in a while. Aside from “Daddy”, the words “explore, rescue and protect” were the other words Zayne first learned and spoke in his first year or so. 

Zayne watches entranched an episode of "The Octonauts."

The Octonauts are on a mission to rescue sea creatures at risk and I am amazed by the underground sea photography and what lies underneath it. It is beautiful and I see firsthand how people damage the sea with their carelessness.

Zayne likes the character of Captain Barnacles because he's a leader and Quincy as well. 

The program also teaches team work to achieve a goal as shown by the challenges the Octonauts always solve together. For me, it's the program's emphasis on caring for the environment that I love. 

Children and even jaded adults do learn a lot about TV at home. As I write this, I have to fetch Zayne in school at 12 pm and since it's a Friday, his class would be dismissed early today. More stories to follow. 

Not just for kids

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

I became a child again by watching the TV cartoons Zayne watched on a daily basis. Zayne, in a way, became the adult when we watched his cartoons together. 

Life works in weird ways, doesn’t it? (a quote from Lauren Willig in her book The Passion of the Purple Plumera).

I'm not ashamed to tell you I have never watched a cartoon on TV while growing up. I was busy growing up and we don’t have TV that time. 

As a kid, I watched cartoon characters play in my mind through the books I read which was a lot. In the past four years here in the US, I've been watching kid TV programs five times a week.

I've memorized all the characters and the programs like Peter Rabbit and Mouse. I love the lessons they give during their stories. But this story isn't about me. It's still about my five-year-old ward Zayne Mojica. 

A year old and and Zayne knew which TV program he wants to watch. Usually he watches TV while eating. His favorite cartoons were Mickey Mouse and Little Einstein. 

Zayne's parents have this app on their TV which can record his favorite programs so if he's in the mood to watch some Disney it can play the episodes several times until he's tired and seeks to play a game with me or just rest.


Hot Dog Song
Good thing he's no TV coach potato. At most he watches 15 minutes of TV unless the TV program catches his fancy. He knows Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy, Chip and Dale, and the rest of the Disney studio gang depending on the episode. 

Who doesn't love Daisy Duck with her big shoes and the funny antics of Pluto and Goofy? Not to mention their colorful dresses or suits. These cartoon creators really know how to create visuals that attract kids. 

Zayne is familiar with the magic words "Meeska, Mooska, Mickey Mouse"  and that's the cue for me to do some magic act.  

I have to watch it because there are times he would ask me to imitate a TV scene and he would be upset if I couldn't act along. 

The two of us would dance to the tune of the "The Hot Dog Song.” Sometimes the adult in me knows already what is next and I think that after a while Zayne just lost interest in the program.

Zayne also watches Little Einstein which is completely different because it features classical music. I was amazed and I completely fell in love with it. 

It just doesn't play classical music, it also tells who's the composer and the basics of  music like adagio, forte, diminuendo and crescendo in terms simple enough for kids like Zayne to understand.

Values
I love all the characters of Quincey, Annie, Leo and June (?). Zayne would say he would be Quincey or Leo if these two would lead a team to the rescue of some character.

He role plays either of the two characters and we pretend that we are in a plane and he was the pilot and I have to hop in. But I love the music in Little Einstein best. It was as if I was learning classical music again.

While the music is played, the featured kid characters are on an adventure that keeps Zayne's interest. One other thing I really like about this show is that it does not talk down to the children watching it

I like Little Einstein because it treats a child with respect and not as if they're stupid. It's one thing to talk simple to a child; it's another to talk down to them. Times have changed indeed that values can be learned in TV. 

It is imperative for the nanny and the parents to select and recommend which TV programs can best teach their children positive values.  There are still a lot of programs both Zayne and I like that I can tell you about. 

He still watches some programs that he patronized as a one-year-old and there are silly programs that I don’t want him to watch. Who says kids TV program is only for the kids?  What TV programs does your kid/s or ward/s watch? Tell me.

(The blogger/author is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis)

Zayne's tiny kingdom

Me with a perky Zayne Mojica, comfy in his seat

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

I have to shelve the story of Peter Rabbit and Bubble guppies as I am excited to tell you about the crib/bed of my ward Zayne.

Yes, at the end of the day, Zayne's bed/crib is his kingdom just like our bed is our own refuge and haven where we rest our tired backs from the day's hard labor.

As you can see Zayne has a brown colored crib with a white, transparent mosquito net hanging over it that is zipped outside which allows me to see what he's doing inside.

Since he was one year old I have to put him to bed or crib at 2 p.m and take him out at 4 p.m. No fuss, no drama, just set him on his bed and he'd fall asleep.

I usually come to his house at 9 a.m and sometimes he's still sleep and I have to get him out when he slept more. He loves his crib; it is very soft and fluffy and his room is conducive to sleeping.

The music of Mozart or Tchavoischy often plays in the background. There are times he doesn't want to leave the crib which he considers his sanctuary from the world. I guess we all have that feeling when we were kids.

Even when I change the beddings and linings of the crib I have to ask his permission because he would mumble that it is his crib. I have to explain well that his bed needs to be cleaned.

Then the day came when he wouldn't fit in his tiny kingdom anymore as his legs got big. When he sleeps he has to curl up his feet to fit in. I can see he was uncomfortable already but still he clings to the crib.

Then finally it was decided that they have to get a new bed for him. I learned that the new bed, light brown colored with a blue cover/tent over it was made by IKEA.

The blue cover has stars and a moon on it. It has a stair when he climbs. At first I thought it was a toddler bed but it wasn't. It can also be used by an adult.

He was excited and the old crib was placed at the garage. But come night time he won't sleep on it unless there's someone there with him.

Zayne's fine with the bed at first but he won't sleep on it. The first week was hell as it was maddening for me to convince him to sleep during his regular period so he won't get cranky.

Then I finally got him to sleep on the bed one afternoon with minimal drama by sleeping with him in the room. Unknown to the family then he told me to bring back his old crib/bed.

An older and bigger Zayne during a school program

I explained to him he is already big and he has to sleep in a new bed that fits

his size. He would get cranky and his tantrums would get quite loud.

Right there, I thought that kids should be transitioned into sleeping in their new bed before letting them use it permanently. I guess Zayne missed his old bed badly.

Again as the Nanay (Mother) Nanny, I have to do research on this and found out that any sudden change would take the kid out of his or her comfort zone. It wasn't easy but thanks to his comfortable room which included venetian blinds, the transition wasn't too hard.

In fact in one of the readings I had I learned about this baby sound machine.

Transferring from one bed to another is a harder habit to break as time goes on.

But now that he is five he is okay sleeping with his own bed. I was told though that there are nights when he would just wake up early in the morning and join his daddy in bed.

Next time, I would tell you the story of how Zayne watches TV and how he changed his viewing preferences from Little Einstein to Team Umizoomi to Bubble Guppies and finally Benjamin in Peter Rabbit as his friend. Till then, have a good day.

(The blogger/author is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com)