Finding the Perfect Preschool

When I had my first baby, I had planned on homeschooling him at least until elementary. I felt that schools demanded way too much energy from young children. From waking up early, to long hours spent on the road, to hours spent on homework...

Also, I wanted to shelter my child from all the negative influence that being in a school could potentially bring. I didn't want my child to be bullied or become a bully. I also did not want my child to be rude, materialistic, or conceited the way some school-age children are.  Worse, I did not want my son to feel neglected, unheard or swallowed up in a system where there are simply too many students competing for a teacher's attention.

More importantly, I was operating on the notion that I am my child's best teacher. Nobody could possibly care for my son's welfare as much as I do. And nobody would be as invested in my son's future happiness as I would be. Therefore, I am the best possible teacher my child would ever have.

Then I had baby number 2. Childcare duties suddenly grew exponentially, and reality slowly dawned upon me. I cannot possibly raise my kids, continue working AND teach them everything all at the same time. Maybe sending kids to school WASN'T such a bad idea.

I grew up at a time when we started school at age 4. Then I started hearing about kids going to school as early as 2. So the summer before my son turned 2, I started asking around. Since he would be spending most of his waking hours in the school that we would eventually choose, it was a big decision to make. I wanted a school that we could trust with our son's education. And since he was just shy of turning 2, it was important that we find a place where he can be happy.

One of the schools that were highly recommended by many Filipino-Chinese families was Yu Ming School. One family heaped high praises on Yu Ming for being a very values-oriented school. Another commended it for having an excellent Mandarin program. Still another family recommended it for having good, experienced teachers who are really good with their children. Though I wasn't aware of it at that time, those three things ARE my top considerations for picking a preschool to send my son to. I was definitely intrigued. I called to inquire and schedule a school visit.

Located at the corner of Lee and Ideal Streets in Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City, Yu Ming is easily accessible from Shaw Blvd. or Greenhills. This is a definite plus since that meant travel time for us would be an easy 15-20 minutes. Though centrally located, the street itself is relatively quiet which makes for a safe and hassle-free drop-off and pick-up.

Upon entering the school, one is greeted by a spacious, grassy yet shady quadrangle on the right. Surrounding the beautiful grounds is a single-story row of classrooms. No stairs meant fewer accidents, if at all. The place was very inviting and looked very child-friendly and appropriate.

At the back of the school is yet another grassy area, this one shaded by an old Mango tree. A slide, two swing sets and a basketball hoop complete the picture-perfect playground.

The playground was empty on the day that we visited. But it wasn't difficult to imagine the fun that kids have there - playing with the swings, stomping on fallen leaves, chasing butterflies, watching a beetle, or simply running around. The grounds are airy, cool and breezy, shaded by the big trees even in the hot noontime sun. Needless to say, my husband and I fell in love with the place. Having been a city dweller all my life, I even felt a pang of envy why I was not able to attend preschool in such a nice environment.

We were met by Teacher Leah Montes, the school directress. She gave us a tour of the school, of the different classrooms, and gave us a brief background. The school had small and very manageable classes, an average of 5 to 10 students per class with 1 teacher and 1 aide. Mandarin is taught starting at the Nursery level. Parents are welcome to stay in school while their children are in class if they wish, but the kids are usually fully-adjusted by the end of the second week. Weekly progress reports are given, and a more thorough write-up given at the end of each term. PTCs are scheduled 3x a year, but parents are welcome to confer with their child's teachers at any time - usually during drop-offs or pick-up. Upon 'graduation', most kids would eventually go to Xavier, ICA, Saint Jude, Ateneo, La Salle or Poveda.

Towards the end of our meeting, I casually expressed my concern that kids were going to school a little too early. She explained to me that at age 2, it's really more a 'Toddler Playgroup' than a formal class. Classes are held only 4x a week because the kids needed a longer rest period during weekends. They already had a number of enrollees my son's age, BUT, she also assured me that there was NO HARM in waiting some more if I felt we were not ready to send our child to school just yet. We could wait until he was 2-1/2 or even 3. I deeply appreciated her sincere and honest advice. In todays's world where everything is about closing the sale NOW, Teacher Leah was advocating NOT to secure our enrollment, bur for us to do what was best for our family. And from that point on I knew Yu Ming was a school I could trust, that they would put my child's best interests above all else.

5 months later, I felt that my son was getting restless at home and needed to be exposed to new experiences and learn new things. At this point, we knew exactly where to go and who to talk to.

Yu Ming School is now known as Bright and Cheerful Preschool
15 Ideal Street, Mandaluyong City
717-0498 / 717-0499
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bright-and-Cheerful-Preschool/184260021610298

How Dorothy Taught Me How to Bake (and Much Much More)

When I was a newlywed half a lifetime ago, I didn’t know how to cook a single thing. I didn’t know how to cook rice, or how to fry an egg, or that hotdogs had to be removed from their plastic casings before being cooked. I was lucky to have a husband who could actually cook and didn’t mind making breakfast. The rest of our meals were either donated by our respective families, or eat outs. At that time, it didn’t seem logical to go through the trouble to preparing our meals since there was just the two of us. Besides, I was completely, utterly clueless in the kitchen.

This is one of the first cookbooks I ever owned. It was actually a gift from beloved friend and mentor, Chef Dorothy Ferreria. She even wrote a personal message inside…

I was inspired to at least give it (cooking) a try. The first recipe I tried from this book was the Old Fashioned Potato Salad. Boiled potatoes, hard boiled eggs, and some condiments mixed together, it looked easy and straightforward enough. I started by boiling my potatoes (which husband had to chop for me because I had absolutely no knife skills), and hard-boiling my eggs. When I opened my eggs, the insides were still soft… not hard and crumbly as would be ideal for a salad. I shrugged, ate the eggs, and started boiling again. When I opened my second batch of eggs, they were still not hard enough. Not wanting to admit to husband that I couldn’t properly hard-boil my eggs, I ate them again to get rid of the evidence, and promptly started boiling again. When the third batch of eggs still weren’t hard enough, I figured I couldn’t keep on stuffing myself with that many eggs and finally asked my husband if he wanted any. He then asked my quizzically why I was giving him 2 eggs  - didn’t I want any? Only then did I admit that I had already eaten 4 eggs and couldn’t eat any more.

When I was finally able to get 2 good hard boiled eggs, I made the salad, and it turned out, well, pretty good. My husband and mom both enjoyed it and it felt nice to have successfully made something on the first try.

I now own many cookbooks, but my go-to guide has always been Dorothy’s cookbook. From her cookbook, I have learned to make Gambas, Beef  Kaldereta, Chicken Barbecue, Chicken Teriyaki, and many others all from scratch. Her recipes are easy to follow, the instructions clear and thorough. But best of all the recipes from the cookbook that I’ve tried so far ALL yielded great results.  It gives a novice cook great confidence to try a recipe knowing that they are kitchen-tested and will actually work. Sometimes, even if I don’t follow the recipe to the letter, just the instructions on procedure helps me understand how the cooking should be done and I am empowered to experiment on my own.

One day a few years ago, my sons and I tried to bake Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting from the same book. It was my first time to bake a cake, and my assistants were 2 jokers, ages 4 and 2.  My heart swelled with pride when the cake came out of the oven – we actually baked our own cake! And the looks on the boys’ faces as they licked every last bit of cream cheese frosting from the bowl – absolutely priceless! And the cake turned out so well that we have made it numerous times since. To this day, my boys refuse to eat store-bought carrot cake. They think Mama’s carrot cake is the best. But really, I take no credit for it except that I faithfully followed Dorothy’s recipe word for word.

All these years, the book has been my kitchen companion, my trusty guide. It has been a quiet presence in my kitchen, perhaps like a wise elderly aunt, patiently teaching, revealing secrets, sharing tips, wisdom and experience whenever needed.

This year, I was fortunate enough to attend some of her cooking classes held in her studio in New Manila. And boy, has my repertoire expanded! From the Thai class I learned to make Chicken in Pandan Leaves the authentic way. The chickens are so fragrant, flavorful and juicy that after eating it my dad declared that he’s apparently never eaten the real deal before. A chicken class taught me Chinatown Fried Chicken and Chicken Bulgogi, now standard fare in our home. Today’s Weekend Cook class taught a fantastic oven-baked Lechon that I intend to replicate at home very soon.

Aside from learning all these wonderful recipes, the greatest gift is the joy and satisfaction of making something the family truly enjoys. We now look forward to Sundays not as a day for eating out, but as a day when we make something together to enjoy at home. When my sons say that they want me to cook their meals rather than get the packed lunches at school, I roll my eyes at the work that will entail but feel warm and happy inside. Also, it feels great to be part of a vast community of moms and homecooks, who like me, are happy to share tips and learn something new everyday.

Dorothy gave me this bag as an early Christmas gift. I absolutely love it because in my case, nothing could be more true.  I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by fantastic cooks and chefs who generously share their knowledge with me, but it was really Dorothy and her cookbook who first inspired me to cook and bake for my family.

For more information on Dorothy's cooking and baking classes, visit
www.midlifekitchen.com