My Little Girl's Imaginary Friend

Does your child ever talk about someone very fondly but you don't know of? Chances are, your child has an imaginary friend.

I really am enjoying the stage where my little girl is right now. She has come to have an imaginary friend she calls "Baby" and she usually comes out before we go to bed or everytime we come inside the bedroom. It started a few weeks back when husband and I decided to be strict on our little girl's TV-time. We have observed that she had been watching too much cartoons since the Christmas break and it was getting difficult to get her to sleep at night so we had to firm with her. Thankfully, it worked thanks to Baby. She was actually the one who imagined "Baby" and she would take care of her as if it were her own child. Before we sleep, she would change Baby's diapers, telling me, "Mommy, Baby Kaka macht." Kaka means poop and macht means made or did. She would make faces as she removes the diapers, an indication that for her, the poop stinks and it really is so funny. Then she would lay the Baby on her pillow and then pretend that she is setting the dining table in time for lunch. This scene is familiar to her from the Kindergarten so I can make the connection.

If ever your child has an imaginary friend, just let her be. It is part of their growing up and is an indication that your child is very creative. It could be a venue for you to understand how her mind works too, if you only observe at how she relates to her imaginary friend. Don't contradict your child by saying "stop pretending". Nor should you go all the way and include her imaginary friend in your world. Just let her enjoy the company of her friend; she'll probably grow out of this common childhood phase by around age 5.

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Friendships Never End

Last weekend, a good friend of ours visited us for the weekend. We knew him from college and we were involved in the same organizations. He is connected with the Australian National University where he is taking up his Ph.D. and is doing medical research. He is "on tour" to give a talk in various medical universities all over Europe and he decided to drop by since it's on the way. He came with a friend and it was nice to see an old face again. 

It was raining last Saturday morning when we fetched them at Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof (Stuttgart Main Train Station). We had breakfast at home and let them stretch and refresh. Thankfully, it stopped raining in the afternoon and so we were able to show them around the city. Our itinerary: visit to the Mercedes Benz museum, walk around downtown Stuttgart and show them some of the popular landmarks, drop by the vineyards, stop by Porsche Museum, Filipino dinner at home.

It was an eventful day and I am hopeful that they enjoyed their stay with us. Dinner was quite long but worthwhile. We caught up with each other's lives over green mungo soup and shrimps, rice, two bottles of wine and ice cream for dessert. I can say that it was a long day but a great one nonetheless. 

Truly, no matter how far we may have gone, no matter where fate may have taken us, friends will always be friends.

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Baby Steps into Life as an Adult

Growing up and heading out into the world can be scary, but it does not have to be paralyzing. Many soon to be or recent graduates cringe at the thought of the new responsibilities that they will have to deal with as they enter the real world and have to take care of themselves. The most powerful lessons will be ones that they learn along the way, usually resulting from major mistakes or failures but those are the foundational fortifying building blocks that can lead to life’s greatest successes and talents. Going into the fear is the fastest way to move through it, or else you will spend your life and most of your energy always running.

One aspect of adult life that can be terrifying is finances, especially if one never had to be responsible for them before. The thought of rent, let alone a home mortgage, can seem daunting. A naïve fledgling may not be aware of utilities like power, water, sewer and any other fees that may be mandatory in your residence. Those are just the bare bones. Cable, Internet, and cellular service can add up quickly. Add to that food, a car payment, auto insurance, health insurance, fuel, and various sundries (things like batteries, paper towels, cleaning supplies are things that many kids take for granted at home but when you need them, you need them).

It does seem like a lot to take on initially, but dealing with it one step at a time makes it manageable. First of all, live within your means. That may mean that you can’t initially have every little extra that you want but knowing that you can eat and pay for a place to call home means you’ll be able to sleep at night. Credit card debt just adds one more bill to the pot making it that much harder to pay for your essentials.

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