For Papu Bal on World Teachers' Day 2021

When Papu made it to my book launch in 2017

Today is World Teachers Day. 

Today, I remember my father, a retired public school teacher who served in the public school system for thirty years, more or less. He is 72 years old now and is recovering from a stroke from four years ago. Such things recur when untended. With the pandemic barring him from regular medical check up, therapy and consultations, the symptoms seem to be compounding. We keep faith and hope afloat. We pray and dream of better days to come.

While he is still able to text me, to call me and chat through Mamu online, my Papu has lost so much weight and his joyful personality has dimmed. In his younger days, he was full of life and the sun lived through his eyes. I seldom saw him upset. He was very good with his hands - wood work, handy repairs, gardening, caring for animals and raising pigs and poultry. When I was six, he made me a wooden swing inside our house and I became the envy of all my cousins. I did not know that it was called love back then. The work he did. The tasks he could do. It was his language of love. 

As an elementary teacher, he was strict. He was very traditional and yet, he earned the respect of students, peers and the entire school community. I knew it because when I visit him at work, his students and co-teachers treated me special. I have always loved the attention. I basked in it. Recently, a high school friend sent a PM on Messenger. He was my Papu's former student. Although we chatted about publishing and the book industry, he asked about "Sir Calimag" before closing on the convo. I told him how he is. No sugar coating. My classmate offered help in anyway he can. I, of course declined but thanked him for the generous gesture.

Two years ago, he made an effort to see me and my family. He stayed with us for a while. He repaired the old bike. He cleaned the yard. He made the plants grow. Those days were golden. 

Reality caught up on Papu and he had to return where he started. I made a promise to myself to walk with him despite the distance in small steps. I do not know if I am fulfilling the promise only that, when he calls, I respond. I wonder if this is enough.

Learn From Home Episode 2 - Parent Preparedness in Pandemic Times

Grace and Wonder with Magis Deo Kids

As far back as I can remember, my family and I had facilitated sessions with the kids and the youth of Magis Deo. Domeng and I led the singing in talks designed for them on several occasions. Afterwich, we assisted in activities of the assigned facilitators. A year ago, our eldest, Nico, joined me in the clay workshop for Magis Deo Kids. Last month, it was couple power time again as Domeng and I led a pop-up card making activity for the children.

The grace in taking part in these activities is plentiful. As a family, we get the opportunity to work together outside the comforts and confines of our home. To be called upon by friends and companions in the community to serve and to share our talent is another. We grow as persons when we share and serve the community. This is an experience I personally value. The love and devotion we learn and apply in the family should spread out to the bigger society and to the world in general. Often, parents need the help of others in teaching their children. I am thankful that Magis Deo, in its own way, has helped us raise our children well.

Lastly, it is also a wonderful experience knowing the young children of Magis Deo members and companions. They are diversely talented, confident and respectful kids. Being with the Magis Deo children fills me with hope. Imagine the programs we can design for them. Think about continuity and formation as a developmental program. The fish and bread is multiplying before our eyes and we only need to discern more to know what to do with these graces and wonderment. 

Prayer for the New Year

New Year’s Prayer for the Family

God, thank you for a new year. May everyone in our family be willing to begin anew with a clean slate. We know that you are always ready to forgive us. Help us to be willing to forgive ourselves and to forgive one another.

As we begin a new year, remind us of our truest values and our deepest desires. Help us to live in the goodness that comes from doing what you want us to do. Help us to put aside anxiety about the future and the past, so that we might live in peace with you now, one day at a time.

Amen.

On Reading and Parenting (1 of 3)

Here is full transcript of my talking points on Reading and Parenting which I presented in the LibTalk Conference 2017. Parts 2 and 3 will be posted in the coming days, so watch out for it!

Reading and Parenting: 10 Talking Points

1. The home is the child’s first school.

In the story Lizard’s Song, Bear learned from Lizard that knowing one’s identity is tied to a knowledge of one’s home. When you know who you are and where you come from, you will always find your way in the world. Should you get lost or confused, go back home and there, you will find yourself. Once the self is found again, a new cycle of living, loving and learning begins.

It is in the home, as nurtured by the family, where a child builds and forms his or her self worth and self concept. These are two important things that parents can provide and bestow in their children. Psychologist Dr. Honey Carandang, in her book, The Filipino Family Surviving the World (Anvil Publishing, 2008), emphasized the impact that parents and significant adults have on children when influencing and  modeling positive values. Positive self concept and self worth develop when children interact and engage with adults in their family circles. Their parents are their first teachers.

Where to begin then? It is essential to always respect the child’s personhood.(Carandang, 2008)

For my talk, I will focus on the child’s developmental contexts and the cognitive signs that are attributed to reading skills. We will use  two lenses. Lens number one is focused on the child’s reading growth. Lens number two looks at books and reading materials appropriate for his or her needs.

2. Reading begins at home.

Dr. Quenna Lee Chua, co-author of the said book, conducted a study among scholars of the Ateneo De Manila University. It included their families and the variables that contribute to their academic success. This research was done back in 2005.

    Remarkable findings are as follows:    

• The scholars are successful both in academics and in the application of life skills.
• Their parents set goals and realistic disciplinary measures to meet them.
• The parents are hands-on in helping them develop habits of learning.
• Their parents believe in strong family bonds, self-reliance, and perseverance. Even before Angela Duckworth learned about grit, Dr. Quenna Lee Chua already discovered its relevance in lifelong learning.
• The parents value learning and at home, it is encouraged among the children to apply and live out in their daily lives. Many of the parents who were interviewed prioritize two things from the family budget, food and books. Nourish the body and nurture the mind.
   

3. Create an environment that promotes and fosters a genuine love for books and reading.

   

As a parent, how do you create a home environment that encourages learning?

My top five tips are as follows:

1. Listen to your child. Hold your own truth lightly in your hands and focus on what your child is saying. You will understand him or her better when you put aside yourself, your own dreams for them and what you wish them to be. Your child is yours to take care and love, but they belong to the world.

2. Talk to them as often as possible. Keep the lines of communication open at all times.

3. Allow them to ask questions. Accommodate even the tough questions that you have no answer for. Discover these issues and questions your child have. Avoid put downs, labels and blocks to their thought processes. Learn from them too. One of the graces I discovered in being a parent is that, I grow and learn from my children.

4. Develop a family reading time, model the reading habit and manage the use of technological gadgets. I think this would require another session all together since technology is another variable we have to understand. But, the important thing is, your children see you reading a book, food labels, social media pages, mobile phone messages, billboards, TV ads and teleradio announcements etc.

If you can teach your child how to read different media formats, well and good. If not, leave it to the formal instruction of teachers. Cooperate and collaborate with them. Teachers are your allies.

5. Invest on books. And I mean the print book that children can touch, smell, turn the pages over and embrace. The print book has the physical landscape that enables the brain to remember more information. Memory plays an important role in learning.

A lot to do, yes! But this is what parenting is all about. It will be all worth it. Trust

the process. To quote Dr. Lee Chua, genuine learning requires reflection, patience  and perseverance. (Carandang, 2008)

A Peaceful Christmas From Us, the Gagatigas!

Book Review: Mommy Loves You Just The Same

Today is the virtual launch of Mommy Loves You Just The Same, an ebook about a family's anticipation of a new baby in the family. The ebook is written by Ma. Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag and illustrated by Jia Rubio Montserrat. This is Ms. Dumadag's first book intended for children. Read about my interview with her.  Mommy Loves You Just the Same is published by Full Life Cube.

The ebook is created by mothers. Both Ms. Dumadag and Ms. Montserrat are parents of young children. That is why, it is not surprising that the book is meant to impart to children family values that any parent wishes their children to carry on in life. Such is the primary purpose of stories in our culture. We believe that by telling stories, through book format, it is the best way to approach the communication of these values like respect, sibling love and personal responsibility to our children and others too.

In Mommy Loves You Just The Same, the adult voice is very strong in emphasizing these values. Even the child character is very happy to be anticipating a new sibling. Love is a strong driving force to amplify acceptance and a new responsibility. There is no room for anxiety and jealousy in this book because the message is clear: mother does not play favorites since she loves each child the same way. Each sibling went through a period of growth and development and mother and father were there to care for each. Older siblings are part of this care taking having cared for when they were younger. Such a proactive stance on child care and parenting.

In the real world, however, this ideal can be marred by fears and insecurities. Sibling rivalry happens and the green eyed monster is just waiting on the wings! There have been Filipino picture books written about this. The "infanticipation" process is never easy, much more, the relationship between siblings. But, responsible parents can make the transition and the struggle a little less stressful for the children as well as for themselves. It is no joke raising kids these days and parents need all the help they can get.

Mommy Loves You Just The Same is that book! It is not only meant for the child reader. It is for parents who are going through the peaks and valleys of parenthood.

Since the format of the book is digital, I felt constricted by space. There is wonder in opening a book's page. The ebook does not work that wonder for me as far as illustrated ebooks are concerned. There are exceptions though. I will share an example, in a future post.

The drawings are playful and the accompanying color scheme promotes a happy mood. There is a texture felt and seen in Montserrat's illustrations. In a printed format, it would look more sensorial. Anyway, ebook publishing is the trend. What better way to make it grow, but to dive into this medium and explore! I suppose, the accompanying coloring book fills in this multi-sensory aspect of the book and further extends the engagement of digital text to the actual material.

For a copy of the book, go to this Hands On Parenting. For freebies and special giveaways, visit the book's Facebook Page.

Congratulations to Ms. Dumadag and Ms. Montserrat! It is my hope to see Full Life Cube take on more materials to publish for children and parents.

Author of the Month: Ma. Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag

I have the pleasure of interviewing Ma. Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag, author and breastfeeding advocate, about her new children's book, Mommy Loves You Just the Same. She shares with us her recommended books for parents to read aloud to their kids and the books that inspired her to become a better mom. Her thoughts on the pros and cons of self publishing lend insight for other authors out there who contemplate on taking this route.

Mommy Loves You Just the Same is an ebook published by Full Life Cube and will have a launching online on May 19, 2016.

Mommy Loves You Just the Same is your first children's book. Congratulations! You have written non-fiction books for adult readers. What was the experience like for you to move from this genre and into children's story writing?  

I was more comfortable writing for adults because I was used to speaking and teaching adults in my line of work as a Consultant for management, human resources and training solutions, as a Career Coach and Counselor and a Speaker. But as I grew more confident in caring for my children and raising them, I entertained the thought of publishing my own children’s book more and more.

It has been my dream to write for children since I became a parent. I loved reading to my kids. It’s one of my favorite bonding moments with them. I have read countless books for them in the past years. These wonderful books that we found inspired me to write my own story about our family life. These books also inspired me to create stories that carry the lessons I want them to learn. Stories are very powerful in bringing our message across. Being a homeschooling mom further strengthened my desire to teach through children’s stories that I myself wrote.

Many Filipino writers are experimenting and migrating into self-publishing online. What are the pros and cons of this business model?

 The pros of this business model are the following: 

• It’s easier and faster to have your book published because you don’t need to wait for traditional publishers to like your work or to wait for publishers to include your book in their publishing schedule.
• You can earn more if you know how to reach a wider audience or a bigger number of people.
• You have more freedom on how your book would look like or how it would be marketed.

The cons are:

• All costs would be on you.
• You need to do all the work or you need to find a good and reliable team who will help you achieve your goals for your book.
• You don’t have the connections or network that the traditional or established publishers have.

What are your top 5 recommended picture books or story books for parents to read aloud to their kids?

Oh, there are so many wonderful books for children! It’s hard to choose only 5. It also depends on what lessons you’d like them to learn from the books you’ll read.

• My top of mind picks are I’d Choose You by John Trent, PhD and Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.
• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein  
• For babies and very young children, my favorites are the books written by Sandra Boynton like The Going to Bed Book and Hey! Wake Up! My kids love these books so much that they were able to memorize these books right away after reading these to them daily for 1 week when we first bought these books.
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is also one of our favorites. The kids love this simple story with colorful illustrations.
• We also love the Oh Mateo series of books, especially Book 5: The Growling Tummy.

 What are the top 3 books that shaped who you are as a mother?

• Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
• The Power of a Praying Mom and The Power of a Praying Parent both by Stormie Omartian
• The Parent Map by Dr. Harold Sala

If you were to leave your kids a book to read for the rest of their lives, what is it?

The Holy Bible would be that book. 

2013 New Year Greeting

Happy New Year! From my family to yours, here's wishing all of you a grace-filled and blessed 2013!

A Christmas Greeting

Merry Christmas From Us!

My family and I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you to all who helped us see through the peaks and valleys of 2009!

When it rains it pours!

My family and I would like to continuously thank all the people who sent donations in cash and kind to lift our spirits and help us rebuild and recover. The prayers and encouraging text messages of friends from KUTING, MAGIS DEO, Vibal Foundation and my friends in the library profession are greatly appreciated. The moral support is enormous!

Right now, I'm praying for strength and wisdom as my family and I work out plans and ways to rise from our Ondoy ordeal. We are still pleasantly displaced at my in-laws. We have not gone back to Pasig since water has not subsided yet. We have accepted what has happened and with the rain coming in every week (God forbid!) we have decided to completely let go of the house. We will go back and clean up when water dries up. Whatever state the house shall be in when we see it weeks from now is something we have to brace ourselves for.

For now, life goes on.

Our call for help is still on going. Donations are very much welcome. If you can lead me to sponsors and donors for my storytelling workshops, email me at zarah.gagatiga@gmail.com or send SMS via 09209602884 / 09182293587. Thank you so much!