“Play is the highest form of research” – Albert Einstein
Most of us are familiar with this phrase coined by the world’s most famous scientist who developed the theory of relativity. In fact, it is this simple liner that has led early childhood experts to advocate for children to play as much as they can while growing up. After all, with limited skills and experiences, that is possibly the only way that they can learn about how things work around them.
Some might even link the beginnings of this phrase to the toy-buying habits of most parents today – something that mum of two Adeline Peng can attest to.
As an early childhood teacher in a school for special needs kids, Adeline loves creating activities for her students to engage them in learning through play. So when Adeline and her husband Zhi Kai welcomed their first child, buying toys for their little one became almost a daily affair for Adeline as she scoured the various shopping apps and toy stores at malls.
Every toy picked by Adeline seems to serve a specific purpose and her eager toy buying habits made Zhi Kai just a little concerned. And that inspired him to dream up a solution for mums like Adeline to get their monthly dose of toys for their little ones without going overboard.
And so Kaiby Baby Box was born in 2018 to to provide an overflowing variety of toys for parents to buy for their babies at various developmental stages. In short, Kaiby Baby Box is Adeline and Zhi Kai’s second baby (back then – before their second child was born) which takes out the guesswork of figuring out the right types of toys that are beneficial for kids during the first years through boxes of curated toys.
But how does Adeline juggle the demands of being a mum and a blossoming business to take care of? And how has her experience as an educator helped in her journey as a mumpreneur?
Here, Adeline shares her story and experiences with us.
Read also: 16 Types of Play for Children That Are Great For Their Development
What’s the greatest challenge you’ve encountered in juggling motherhood with Kaiby Baby Box?
Time management has always been the biggest issue. Luckily for myself, my husband is into digital marketing and so he handles all aspects of the website and marketing works while I focus on being the Chief Toy Officer of Kaiby. Working with toys also works well with motherhood as my son and daughter are our toy beta-testers.
How has your experience as an early childhood educator for special needs kids helped in your parenting journey?
Through my profession, I’ve come to realise that children develop and learn differently. And so I’ve learnt to take things as they come and let my children grow at their own pace instead of rushing them.
I tend to observe what they do or how they react to their surroundings and I let them take the lead. At the same time, I take note of their strengths and support them along the way to help them reach their greatest potential.
While learning and academics are important, character-building is as essential – which is why I feel very strongly about teaching my children to be a better version of themselves each day.
Read also: 8 Most Common Learning Challenges in Children – How Parents Can Help
Some parents struggle to explain to their children why special needs children are a little “different” from them. Having worked as a special needs educator for years, what advice can you give to help parents get this conversation started?
It’s a lot simpler than what most parents make the situation to be, really. First and foremost, we need to be their role model by showing them how to make friends with kids who might be a little different than them.
It is okay to talk about the differences so your child can understand better. But try to balance this out by highlighting the similarities too (for example, how those kids could be the same age as your kids, or they could go to the same school, or that they love playing with cars too).
For parents with special needs children, what are some ways that they can help their kids to make friends and socialise with peers?
Likewise, parents play the important role of being their child’s role model – so make the first move by helping them initiate in joining a group of new friends. For example, you could start with “Hello, can I join you?”.
Most importantly, be your child’s advocate by explaining to the people around your child about some of the difficulties that he/she is facing and might need help with. As the circle opens us, join in together with your child and guide him/her along. In no time, your child will let go of his/her self-consciousness and gain the confidence to make friends and meet new people.
A big thank you from Wonder Years to Adeline for sharing her journey in parenting and as a mumpreneur and educator with us!
