My First Love--- For Real!

Funny how I always go through photo hosting sites checking out the food shots. No denying it, I am a pig-arotti-- that's the way it is and that's how it's always gonna be. One thing I've loved all my life: fried chicken. I'm sure many can relate.

During my recent hunt for the most sleep-depriving photo of fried chicken, I realized that so many kids are involved in making this trans-fat transmitter very popular. Babies were holding on to chicken nuggets, fingers, tenders--- there was even a couple of kids that gnawed the chicken legs dry!

Yeah, fried chicken is my first love. I couldn't remember loving anything so much before that, not even sleep. My five year old displays the same obsession with fried chicken now, and even if so many people are concerned about its health hazards, I still let her have some fastfood chicken though not daily. I live in the Philippines, the pediatricians here won't dare say how awful fried chicken is for kids. That day will never come in a land where people cannot survive without ample cholesterol running through their systems. Saying, "Avoid eating fried chicken as much as possible," is the same as saying avoid breathing near a running car or exhaust or a dusty place, or.... you get what I mean.

Honestly, I pity the children of vegan families. I respect their philosophies, but I feel bad that the kids are robbed of the experience to enjoy food like fried chicken. It's just not normal when a child is not familiar with the taste and texture of something that is loved by almost everybody in the world. This is a dish that answers the prayers of moms with kids who are finicky eaters. This is a dish that spells celebration. This is a dish that reminds us of home, and no matter what others say, to me, this is a dish that heals a broken heart.

Virtually all restaurants here have fried chicken or a dish resembling it. The local Chinese fastfood, Chowking, has straight-up fried chicken instead of lemon chicken, which is certainly more Chinese. There is even a streetfood variety of it, and I have tried its goodness quite a few times.

The groceries are a fantasy to be in now with all the new kinds of chicken breading available. There's the Japanese variety, or the one with cajun spices, or even the kind that has the batter, bread crumbs, and gravy mix in one package. It's such a long way from the version I was taught which is calamansi, salt, cornstarch, and then banana catsup after it is fried.

Whatever form it may come to me now, with or without that crispy breading, with or without unstable elements sure to give me a heart attack soon, my feelings for fried chicken won't change. I fell for it as a child, I am still in love with it at my age, and I don't plan to forget about it--- because that's just pointless, you don't forget you first love. It's just so arresting to see and smell, just like a dream guy should be. And you can rely on it whatever time of day, again, like a guy you want to be with the rest of your life.

Does Your PreSchooler Dislike Reading?

Most children do not read until first grade. Thanks to television, our kids have become dependent on moving images to explain everything they need to know.

If you are lucky enough to send your child to a tutor or school capable of making preschoolers actually read a string of 3 or more letters, then you probably have nothing to worry about. However, if your child is already in early elementary and still encounters difficulty in properly reading 5-or-more lettered words, consider this:

1. Limit television and play time. There should be enough time for these two things as well as training for academic skills.

2. Use labels around your house (i.e., ‘cupboard’ or ‘drapery drawer’ or ‘toxic agents’) so that your child could retain these words and develop a better liking for reading. This, of course, means that you have to involve your child in your house chores so that he or she may be forced to read the labels you have dutifully placed all over your house.

3. Take your child shopping for books. Perhaps he or she dislikes reading because the books you buy do not interest him or her? Ask your child about his or her interests, and don’t impose any reading that he or she admits is “too thick” for him or her.

4. Allow your child one hour of solo internet surfing a day. It does not even matter if your child only ends up playing on-line games. He or she will have to read everything alone just to get to the playing stage.

5. If it is your sort of thing, karaoke could guarantee you some family bonding time and lots of reading, although not exactly singing perfection, but that can be addressed later.

6. Play reading games where you child gets a prize each time he or she reads a challenging word correctly. The prize doesn’t have to be material, it can be a simple but relaxing 1-minute back rub. Now, if he or she can read 60 difficult words a day, I don’t think you’d mind doing an hour-long massage.

A normal child would find reading fun because “all the grown ups do it.” It is important that you share your time in developing your child’s reading. If you still detect much difficulty after giving these tips a run for a few weeks or even months, I suggest immediately consulting a doctor if in the worst case your child has reading disorders.