Everyday Adventures: Bento by Kat

Prime Mom Club Launches Series of Workshops

By Mommy Donna and Kib - July 30, 2018

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I'm An Expert Mom!

By Mommy Donna and Kib - April 06, 2016

Ahmm....I am not really claiming that I'm an expert mom, but when people tell me that I'm doing a great job in raising my son, I feel proud of myself and give myself a pat on the shoulder. Kib is one of the greatest gifts that I received from God. He is truly a gem, he is the one who brightens my day especially when the things get tough. He is my reason that I continue to live, to survive, and to fight the daily struggles in life.

We're not dysfunctional, we're unconventional ❤️ #soloparenting #singleparent #ohana

A photo posted by Donna Donor (@donababe) on Mar 22, 2016 at 7:38am PDT

Let's say...all of us have our own expertise. I have high admiration to mommies who can raise multiple number of children. I am not sure if I can still raise another child, giving the same affection and attention that I currently have for Kib (although Kib begs me to have a baby brother or sister but the problem is I'm a single mom, hahaha. It'll be an immaculate conception if that happens, lol).

Kidding aside, I was blessed to attend another event by Glaxo SmithKline (GSK) encouraging moms to be more proactive in raising their children. The campaign is called GSK Expert Moms. The campaign is led by Ms. Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio.

Ms. Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio with her son Philip and the mascots (Allergenius and Barry the Berry)

GSK Expert Moms campaign seeks to educate mothers on how to correctly and promptly address cough and allergies for the entire family.

"Being an Expert Mom is all about ensuring that the whole family is happy, healthy, and free from disease. I'm happy to be part of the Expert Moms campaign because I think it's exciting to meet other moms who are keen on keeping themselves healthy in order to take care of their families," says Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio.

During the event, we were challenged to create a bento lunch box for our children. This activity was led by Ms. Kat Maderazo, who is also known as Bento by Kat. Her Instagram account showcases all of her bento lunch box creations and she said that prettifying the lunch boxes of her kids encouraged them to eat healthy food and finish everything inside their lunch boxes.

Ms. Kat Maderazo of Bento by Kat giving a short lecture on bento making

My son is an aspiring chef. If you can see my Instagram posts, he is into cooking and food preparation. He would ask me that we cook certain dishes together. Since he is already adept in using knives and turning on the stove, he can already cook simple dishes without my supervision. He even prettifies his dinner plate! One thing that he has to learn is to clean-up his workstation after cooking, haha!

#kib made his own #breakfast again, he calls it Woodland Breakfast #cooking #kidchef

A photo posted by Donna Donor (@donababe) on Mar 24, 2016 at 6:08pm PDT

My young kitchen apprentice once again ruled the kitchen. Cutting garlic, onions, and tomatoes for the sauteed pink salmon that he will cook #kib #lifeskills #kidchef

A photo posted by Donna Donor (@donababe) on Mar 7, 2016 at 1:07am PST

Once again, my young kitchen apprentice cooked for today, ginisang pechay #kib #kidchef #lifeskills #cooking

A photo posted by Donna Donor (@donababe) on Mar 23, 2016 at 1:32am PDT

Kib and I jointly did the bento box during the activity.

Dr. Sheila Chua, Ms. Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio and Ms. Kat Maderazo having fun during the bento lunch box making activity

Kib helped me decorate the bento box

And that is me, making a rice ball

Tada! This is our bento lunch box creation!

When school vacation is coming near, one thing that parents think of are the activities that the family can do during this period. Families go on vacations or enrol their children on some extra-curricular activities to keep them productive for the rest of the vacation. We also like treating ourselves with food that will quench our desire to freshen up and keep cool.

One thing about summer (actually we really don't have summer season, but we consider the months of April and May as 'summer' because children are on school vacation and we experience the highest temperatures during this time) in the Philippines is that it also brings a variety of diseases and exposes us and our kids to a lot of environmental triggers that can ruin our fun in the sun. The hot temperature can either trigger cough or allergies for each member of the family. Recently, my son and I got sick due to the sudden change of the temperature in our country.

Getting Tough on Cough

Since Kib is into homeschooling, we usually study all year long--or some people will say that he's on vacation all year round, haha. I make sure Kib has the balance of technology and physical activity. He has all gadgets (iPhone, tablet, laptop computer, PSP, Wii, PS 2 and 3) but I limit his gadget use so that he will also pay attention to his books and toys. I also let him play with the neighborhood kids. I strongly believe that physical activity is a great way to get children to be more active and it also serves as an opportunity to socialize with other children. However, moms should be cautious with their children's playmates especially if one or several of them are coughing.

Cough and colds are common diseases in our country. Anyone can have this disease anytime of the year because we have an erratic weather patterns that causes a shift in temperature.

Coughing is a natural reflex and is usually a sign that your child's body is trying to expel an irritant, such as mucus or a foreign object. The most common cause of cough in kids is an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) from one of more than 100 cold viruses. Other common causes of cough include infection, asthma, allergies/sinusitis or pollution.

Although cough is an common illness, we must not take it lightly. Cough can be passed on to other children with weakened immune systems. Cough caused by viral infections may result in fever, headache, and pains. Cough can be transmitted through a direct contact with an infected individual, or on infected surfaces such as doorknobs, computer keyboards, and gadgets, and by touching their nose and mouth.

Generally speaking, there are two kinds of cough: dry cough and productive cough (the one with phlegm).

Ambrolex (generic name Ambroxol) is one of the pertussives that pediatricians can recommend to patients with productive cough. This is an over the counter (OTC) medicine which can be bought in all leading drugstores nationwide. This will enable the cough to get rid of the excess mucus in the airways. It makes the phlegm thinner, less sticky, and therefore easier to transport out of the lungs.

Ambroxol's mascot, Barry the Berry and the different variations of Ambroxol (infant drops, syrup and capsule)

Most medicines available in the market do not have a pleasant taste. We cannot blame kids not taking the prescribed medicine because of their bitter taste. I am thankful for Kib not having selective taste in medicine, medicine time has never been difficult for me. Ambrolex has a sweet blackcurrant flavor that kids will love, making medicine time easier for moms, lesser drama and struggle for mommy and kids.

Ambrolex has also a formulation for adults. Ambrolex for adults comes in either tablet (taken thrice a day )or capsule (taken once a day) forms.

Ready for Allergies

Allergy is also a common disease for children and adults. When someone has an allergy, the body's immune system overreacts to foreign substances or even a change in the environment. Thank God Kib and I don't have any allergies.

Do you know what happens to our body when we are experiencing allergy attacks?

When the body detects a foreign or potentially harmful substance, it produces antibodies and histamine, which are then released into the blood stream to fight it off. At that point, an inflammatory reaction happens. Some of the common symptoms of allergy are asthma-like symptom such as rapid, shallow breathing, wheezing, and cough. Other symptoms that can also be observed when someone is having an allergy attack are sneezing, itchiness, or development of rashes.

Allergic reactions may also be triggered by allergens or substances that can be found in food such as peanuts, milk, eggs, seafood, etc. A lot of children also develop allergies to plants, pets, house dust mites, mold spores, or medications, especially antibiotics.

When allergy attacks, use antihistamines to relieve you from the symptoms. Virlix (generic name Cetirizine) is one of the trusted anti-allergy medicines available in the market. Virlix is a second-generation antihistamine that works by reducing inflammation, swelling, congestion, mucus production, and other symptoms of allergies that are caused This medicine is trusted by doctors for 20 years. Virlix is for both children (syrup and infant drops) and adults (once a day tablet).

Virlix' mascot, Allergenius and the different variations of Virlix (infant drops, syrup, tablet)

One thing that I also learned from this event that it is really a necessity to bring an anti-allergy medicine wherever you go. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Be an Expert Mom! Don't hesitate to share your parenting tips to everyone!