My grown-up son was going through his childhood toys one day when he was cleaning his room. He wanted to have more space for his school things now that it appears his dorm days will not be back just yet because of the pandemic. I detected a sense of melancholy as I watched him. Not sure though if it is coming from me or him. So do we keep his toys or not?

Keep the Toys that...

1. Have specific sentimental value

Be selective as it will be very difficult to choose. Let's face it, every piece has its sentimental value. You have to choose or else you will end up keeping everything.

2. You like to pass on the next generation

There are toys that can be passed on like family heirlooms. Make sure that its condition and make can last through time. Otherwise, it might be a good idea to have another child play with it today unless of course you have abilities to preserve it and good reason to keep it.

3. Younger kids in the family can play with now

Consider if you have younger kids who can play with the toys. In this case, it will just be a question of transferring the toys to another room. 

My Say

You may have other reasons to keep your kids' toys and that's fine. The memories they represent are yours. That said, if you feel you can give them to other children who can still enjoy them, do so. Memories will remain with you and you will be happy knowing other kids are enjoying them like your kids used to. 

Joy Philippines gave mothers all over the country the Panalong Lasting Challenge to see if a single Joy Kinsenas Pack can last for 15 days for regular home dishwashing needs. I was one of those who joined. Let me share with you the results.

I bought the Joy Kinsenas Pack for P10.50 per sachet. Frankly, I was in doubt whether the contents would actually last for 15 days. Nevertheless, I proceeded as I don't back out from challenges that would be helpful to our household. At times like these, I believe all households have become more careful with their expenses. Thus, any opportunity for savings is greatly appreciated.

Seventh Day

My family loves eating so you can just imagine the amount of pots, pans, plates, and utensils we have to wash daily. From day 1, I followed the instruction to mix a 25 centavo coin-sized drop of Joy Dishwashing to Liquid to 1 cup of water. Although I saw how bubbly it was, I still wasn't sure the Joy Kinsenas pack would last as promised.

Fifteenth Day

The day for the final verdict came. It was truly a surprise that it did last enough to manage our dishwashing needs for 15 days. I'm happy that my doubts were put to rest and gained a lot of savings in the process.

My Say 

It is really true that we should not judge before even trying. If I just relied on my initial thoughts that a small pack cannot possibly last for several days, I would not have discovered how budget friendly the Joy Kinsenas Pack is. That said, this challenge will be a daily routine in our household.

For the average Canadian, thinking of Calgary brings to mind cowboys on horseback and modern players playing hockey.  Although this rugged energy is a tradition that the city prides itself on, sitting at the oil capital of Canada: people are never really sure what to expect when they arrive.

School awards have made schoolyear endings fulfilling or disappointing to many parents and children. Whether the resulting feeling will be the former or the latter depends on whether a recognition was awarded or denied. The impact of school awards is undeniable but should it be so?

Signals of Approval

Whether or not parents voice out their expectations on their children bringing home school awards, the pressure is there. It is but natural that parents feel proud of their children's accomplishments, no matter how small. Recognition of such accomplishments by teachers and peers fulfills to a certain degree the human need for acceptance and validation.

Awards can serve as signals of approval and receiving them feels good. Does it follow then that not receiving one represents disapproval? Of course not, but it may sometimes seem so especially to young children who may relate getting an award to their "worth" as they perceive it. 

Sibling Comparison

What should parents do when one child excels in school and another is not doing as well? Should they dim the light of the academically successful child to pre-empt possible feelings of jealousy and resentment? It might be construed by the other child as creating pressure to up the ante. 

Should they "celebrate mediocrity" as others would call celebration of seemingly trivial achievements to avoid assumptions of playing favorites? Let us try to look at this based on standard measurements of success. After all, there is no such thing as small achievements for parents when it comes to their children. 

My Say

Wanting to get awards is not bad, actually not at all. It only becomes so when it becomes a major basis for parental approval. It becomes bad when it is the sole goal of students, regardless of how it was obtained. 

That said, awards should not be the only reason for doing our best. It is simply a bonus that we get along the way of reaching our dreams. In the family, we celebrate achievements and acknowledge failures. Like it or not, awards have a big impact in the family and it is up to its members to make sure that it will not be a source of pressure, or basis for measurement of value.