Dutch Lady Mak Kata......

I have been procrastinating to write on this topic for a while. Well, good that I did as just last week I am invited by Dutch Lady to participate in ‘Mak Kata, Saya Anak Bijak’ bloggers contest on the principles and best advice given by my mother as I was growing up.

The phrase ‘Mak Kata’ (which means ‘Mom Says’) was first used in a classic Dutch Lady TV commercial released in 1983, featuring two boys quoting their mother’s pearls of wisdom. Inspired by the iconic ‘80s commercial, Dutch Lady introduced the first ‘Mak Kata’ campaign in 2014. Today Dutch Lady Malaysia is bringing back the familiar ‘Mak Kata’ campaign with a twist to reflect the smartness of kids these days.

So, here it goes...

My mother's advice was fairly simple but it does shape the person I am today. Advice #1, always be nice to people. Treat people with respect as I wish others would to me. Advice #2, be grounded and always help people. Most important advice of all is to be honest with an exception of several white lies to survive and be trustworthy. It goes a long way :)

Mom & Dad

Growing up, I did not get the luxury from my parents and they always thought us to be independent. That was the best advice of all. Mak kata "life is hard and if you don't know how to survive, you will always be invincible". I started being an entrepreneur at the age of 12, selling DIY charm bracelets and custom label sticker name cards to my classmates. I would keep a week's worth of sale to treat myself with cute stationary and scented rubber balls that I usually put in my pencil case. I know some of you might be able to relate to this obsession of scented rubber beads :)

I miss you sweet smelling beads!

Anyway, fast forward to today. She has shaped me to be the person I am today. I make sure that i treat people with respect, I stay grounded and I always make sure that I keep my manners in tact though i can be a bit loud sometimes :p

Many of her advice, I am passing onto my son. Respecting people is key but I also taught him to speak with respect.It is important for him to say "please" when asking for a favour, to always respect women more than anything and to always help people in need. I hope one day Tintin, you can initiate a cause and be well respected.

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I remember an incident, I was cooking breakfast and Tintin asked "Mommy, I don't know how to cook. Would I know how to cook when I grow up?" I said "Yes baby, you will know how to cook and you can always help me in the kitchen if you want to learn". He replied "I will let you do all the cooking for now but I will cook for you when you are not able to anymore and maybe I will cook for those who doesn't know how to cook as well". Future chef this one! Matin, if you read this article one day...please remember to always be generous okay baby?

Another funny story happened in Bangkok. I gave him some pocket money for him to spend, he is only allowed to spend the money in his little cute cat coin purse (he named the cat "precious"). Knowing he had very little to spend, he was very stingy with his purchase. Kept asking me if his money is going to grow (LOL) but there was just one incident that really touched my heart. We were at a street market and he saw a man with no leg. The weather was hot and the man looked very dehydrated sitting at one corner. My stingy son, my Tintin offered to buy him an ice cream with his limited pocket money. Obviously the man smiled and thanked him for the kind gesture. I guess he felt good after doing a good deed, he asked me again "can we buy him medicines for his leg so that it can grow back? Well...you tell me how to answer that one :p

Another important advice is mak kata  "Money does not grow on trees. It is either you work hard or you marry a Millionaire". The latter is more of a fairy-tale and I am an independent woman. So, work hard it is hahaha. It is very important for me that my son understands this teaching. I always tell him, if he wants something, he has to work for it. Every time he asks me to buy him something, I would tell him the amount of hours i need to be at the office for him to get what he wants. We would negotiate. Sadly my negotiation skill needs brushing :p but regardless, he knows it is not easy :)

Anyway, raising a child is a challenge. They are mischievous in their own way but it is a reward that money cant buy. They can give you pure indescribable happiness and joy. 

This is what we call "Love Hate relationship" :p

I get people asking me how does he get so clever? umm...hello? from me? but since that answer needs a lot of convincing, I usually share with them the nutrition I feed him. 80% of his intake is actually from his milk. I wasn't given the opportunity to breastfeed him therefore selecting the best formula is essential. You may think I am simply sharing this to advertise but this is not a paid post. Just so happen, I do feed Matin Dutch Lady Create 4-6 years old when I was approached by Dutch Lady to write ‘Mak Kata, Saya Anak Bijak’ bloggers contest. So, writing this is fairly easy. 

ART attack! Perfectly blue for Dutch Lady ;)

So, yes! Good nutritional value is important. The Dutch Lady 4-Step Nutri Plan contains 5X DHA*. 

It is a tailored nutrition program for children from 1 to 6+ years of age to encourage child’s smart milestones and learning. Here is an article from PubMed and it confirms that DHA plays a big role.

"Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is essential for the growth and functional development of the brain in infants. DHA is also required for maintenance of normal brain function in adults. The inclusion of plentiful DHA in the diet improves learning ability, whereas deficiencies of DHA are associated with deficits in learning" source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10479465 

Never letting go!

My pillow substitute

Anyway, the only problem i have now is to get him off bottle feeding! He doesn't want to switch to a regular cup. As much as i want him to quit bottle feeding, he loves his milk and baby bottle too much! I got back fired when he said "Mommy kata kalau nak tinggi and strong kena minum susu. Tintin nak big like daddy!" hahaha and today he told me that he wants to have his own baby so that his baby can grow big and strong with MILK! 

He is already thinking of getting his own baby, should I be worried? :p 

Watch the video if you don't believe me!

So, what is your ‘Mak Kata, Saya Anak Bijak’ story?

The ‘Mak Kata, Saya Anak Bijak’ contest is the perfect platform for mothers to share funny, interesting or touching snippets from their daily lives that are related to their child’s quick thinking and smart imaginations. A total of nine lucky winners and their family members will stand a chance to spend an afternoon with celebrity mom, Scha Alyahya and her daughter, Lara Alana at a tea party, and to also receive one instant camera to capture their happy moments together. 

Additionally, the first 250 weekly submissions will receive RM50 cash prizes each from 1st August till 30th September 2016.

Joining is simple, all you have to do:

a) Purchase any pack of Dutch Lady Nutri Plan with 5X DHA* formulated milk powder for children (650g or 900g);

b) Go to Dutch Lady Malaysia’s website (www.smartmoments.com.my);

c) Enter your favourite ‘Mak Kata’ quote and upload a photo of your child (above 1 year old); and

d) Click ‘SUBMIT’ and retain your receipt!

PROMOTION!

Dutch Lady Malaysia is currently running a promotion! Purchase 2 packs of Dutch Lady Nutri Plan 900g and get a set of food ware for FREE! Available in 2 colors! Get it while stocks last!

The food ware comes with a plate, a cute boat shaped bowl and a cup

I got mine today! Watch the video of #nikmatin unboxing his FREE gift!