My Best Blog Posts in 2013

I have started my blog since 2011, however, only since August 2013 have I started getting active in the blogging community. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to do what you like and know many other like-minded bloggers at the same time. Reading the thoughtful comments and even encouragement from my readers during some down period really touches me greatly. I wish to, from time to time, thank my readers in various ways. Now, here is one way where I consolidate my 5 best posts in 2013 to thank you again! Why 5 posts you might ask? I think 10 would be too long a list and end up boring you to scroll quickly to the last number! So, here’s your votes and favourites!

1. Getting Kids to do morning routines without nagging

This is almost a sure-to-succeed way to implement a reward/behaviour chart to instill discipline and independence in your kids in a fun way. Opps.. disclaimer of course, if you are not consistent, it may backfire, otherwise, it has been working in my family (2 months and counting) and I am enjoying the fruits of it now: house chores being shared automatically and morning routines get done without too much nagging. Yes, I still need to nag a little from time to time when the kids forget or get a little lazy.

2. Sibling rivalry – An important phase of growing up

I confessed that no matter how hard I try to build up a harmonious sibling relationship, my kids still do quarrel, fight over whose cookie is bigger, irritate each other, etc. I finally convinced myself that normal kids have sibling rivalry, so, my kids are normal. Ok, point taken. I poured through books, blogs, logic, parenting instinct and came up with a few tactics to tackle the situation when sibling rivalry arises in this blog post. If you have better ways, please share with me, I need more ideas too!

3. Thank you letter to my children’s pre-school teachers and staff

I am quite surprised this blog post get lots of page views. I wrote this letter in appreciation to my children’s pre-school teachers and those who guided and took good care of them. I want my kids to grow up and remember their pre-school days and remember how it was for them on their first days in school and how they grew up and graduated from the pre-school. It is a very precious memory for me which I want them to have too. I guess many parents do want to thank their kids’ teachers too and hence this blog post came up in many search engines.

4. Can mums really travel without kids?

This post is about my first business travel to Canada and Houston and away from my kids for a week. My kids were taking it badly and missed me very much even weeks before I left. It affected me greatly and I decided to make it easier for my kids by coming up with a few ideas that I have shared here. I find the ideas useful and they really helped them to cope with my absence better, which in turn makes me feel better too.

5. 10 fun outdoor activities for the kids

Here is a compilation of 10 outdoor places and activities for the kids to do in sunny Singapore. It’s more useful for Singapore readers and overseas readers who would like to visit Singapore and check out some fun places to bring their kids to. Most of them are free or do not cost a bomb. Most importantly, they are fun!

I am linking up with Bronwyn from Journeys of the Fabulist, one of my favourite bloggers in her Pro-Retrospective 2013. She is a witty and humorous blogger. If you are have done a “Best of the Blogs 2013“, feel free to link up in the comments or link up your most viewed post! I would love to check them out and I am sure the readers here would love to read yours too!

Here are the links of some very interesting bloggers on their 2013 BEST!:

1. Kate from Did That Just Happen Blog writes humourous, insightful and touching blog posts, check out her 5 top posts in “It’s the end of the year as we know it“. One more thing to add, she brings up her son really well, and is a model mum to me!

2. Vilma from Free But Fun has many super simple craft ideas and shares good write-ups on Finland and other countries. She’s usually a good source for some of my craft ideas with the kids. Check out her Best 5 posts in “Best of this blog this year“.

3. Jennifer from Three To Go is amazing with travelling with a young toddler. They have been travelling for 8 months and going strong. She writes about kids and travel and life in the country that they are staying. Read her adventures and how she manages her young one. Her first part of three posts of Memories of 2013 is in “Monday Montage: Memories of 2013“.

Enjoy and Happy New Year to all of you!!