Mama Papa Disco Dancing

Hi Grandchildren,

Want to see your mama/papa/auntie or uncle dancing to disco music? Here they are:

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Baby sign language

Specialized sign language is sometimes used to communicate with infants and toddlers. While infants and toddlers have a desire to communicate their needs and wishes, they lack the ability to do so clearly because the production of speech lags behind cognitive ability in the first months and years of life.[citation needed] Proponents of baby sign language say that this gap between desire to communicate and ability often leads to frustration and tantrums.[citation needed] Hand-eye coordination develops sooner than acquisition of verbal skills, allowing infants to learn simple signs for common words such as "eat", "sleep", "more", "hug", "play", "cookie", "teddy bear", before they are able to produce understandable speech.[1]

Proponents say that teaching sign language to infants improves communication skills between the child, parent, and other caregivers.[2] Infants also quickly learn to match an item with a certain gesture, thus communicating what they are truly thinking, feeling, and needing.[3]
Proponents say learning sign language promotes the development of language skills and reinforces language skills already developed.[4] It increases the speed of spatial reasoning development as well as increasing early literacy skills.[5] Babies who communicate through signs are much happier than babies or infants who do not.[6] They are less likely to throw tantrums and in some cases develop a higher IQ.[7] Giving children the power to communicate their wants and needs can help them develop self-esteem, social-emotional skills and an ability to communicate effectively. Proponents say it teaches infants how to start as well as engage in a conversation.[8] Proponents say it creates feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction.[9]

Source: Wikipedia: Sign language in infants and toddlers

Baby sign language in infant and toddlers according to Wikipedia

Is Lewis Chew the world youngest pianist?

Lewis Chew is just one and a half year old and here he is playing the piano with "style", so is Lewis Chew the youngest pianist in the world?

Yes you can swim standing up

Here is Lewis Chew to prove to you that one can swim standing up and still have plenty of fun:

Gestures develope infant speech and vocalbularies

Researchers who studied the influence of gestures on infant speech found that infants of parents who uses gestures while talking with their babies have larger vocabularies at four-and-a-half years and are thus better prepared for school. So parents if you want your children to do better in school do use gestures while talking with your children, my grandchildren.

Source: BBC News (Health)

Chinese New Year Lion Tiger Dance

Hi grandchildren,

I hope all of you had enjoyed this Chinese New Year 2009 family gathering where we had nice food, lion dance and probably the first ever tiger dance all to the beat of an improvised drum:

Lion Dance Videos

Ah Lewis, I saw you carrying another improvised drum - a tin can, in this video:

World First Tiger Dance

Ah Isaac, I wished you were older so you can enjoy this world's first - tiger dance!!!

Lewis Chew training hard his drumming

And here is Lewis practicing drumming.

Isaac has eczema

I used to suffer from allergic rhinitis and probably still does. Such allergies are related to eczema and Isaac's mother unfortunately does suffer from occasional suffered eczema attacks. Unfortunately this has passed on to Isaac. Here is a photo of Isaac taken a few months ago and if you examine the photo closely you will see those red rashes on his face: