Nothing bad or major happening at work, but I'm feeling like I need to get my shit together because I started the new lunar year feeling a little out of sorts and a little frazzled.

The combination of going on a holiday + Chinese new year celebrations + 大姨妈 visit + One-woman show at work this week (My boss and reportees are on leave) is making me feel really exhausted even though things are mostly under control.

(Taking a cab home now because I cannot fathom the idea of taking the train.)

And then I got an email from Clarissa’s school informing us about one of her classmates who caught a gastric flu.

Last day of school was yesterday, sigh I hope Clarissa won't catch it from him/her.

According to our helper she's been telling her "I want Mummy" in the afternoons when I'm out at work. 😢

The hubs called home to check on her after receiving the email from school and she told him the same.

"I want Mummy."

Awww.

So I called home too and she told me the same.

Told her I would be going home soon but couldn't make out what else she was saying.

And then the hubs told me that our helper has given her phone to the bubs while she's having dinner.

Sigh.

I know it's a choice we make but this is really one of the woes of being a working mom.

We make the conscious choice to keep the tablet away during weekdays so she wouldn't rely on it to eat her meals.

But we are too far away to stop the helper from giving her own phone to the kid.

Erm, hi there. 😂

So my solution to the situation is to tell her stories.

Tonight I told her the story of one little girl called Clarissa who eats very well on her own when she is in school. But at home, she'd demand for the tablet or phone before she eats dinner. Because of that she doesn't chew her food properly. And because of that she gets a stomachache and finds it difficult to poop. 😂😂😂

She listened to my story so intently!

I actually spoke to her when I got home.

I asked her if she used Yaya's phone during dinner time. She said yes. I asked her why. She said, because I want to watch the YouTube. 😂

So I asked her if she watches the YouTube when she eats lunch in school. She said no.

I told her that means she doesn't need to watch YouTube in order to eat. And she shouldn't be using Yaya's phone anyway.

I said she could ask for the tablet AFTER she finishes her food, when we get home.

And we might let her watch for 10 minutes before we play with something else or read.

She took it very well!

Looked at me in the eye and said OK! No tablet when baby eats. After baby finish dinner, can ask Mummy, can I have the tablet please?

😊😊😊

But I guess it'd take a while for the message to sink in, hence the story telling.

I told her the story about one little girl who loves swimming and takes her vitamins everyday so that she can go swimming.. for a few weeks straight.

And now she takes her vitamins very willingly.. and doesn't need much bribery except an occasional reminder that she needs to take it so that she won't catch a cold, so that she can go swimming.

She's stopped asking me to tell her the swimming story but she's still taking her vitamins. 😄

I guess I'll have to keep telling her the tablet story until she gets it. 💪💪

#yesterdayre

👶: "I want to carry my bag!"

#todayre

👶: "I'm a little student!"

😁😁😁
#thingsclarissasays