According to the statistics in 2017, Singapore has a 97.2 percent literacy rate among residents aged 15 years and older. That doesn't mean, though, that our reading culture looks as promising. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information, highlighted that more can be done to encourage locals to pick up reading.

In my family, we strongly believe that good reading habits will bring our kids far, so we encouraged reading when each kid was between 1 to 3 months old. You can certainly start earlier, but for us, the mad routine of breastfeeding and changing diapers took more of our attention. As things got calmer at home, the reading journey also began.


When we were rookies in the parenting world, we picked up books based on instincts - colourful pictures, big words, interesting and simple storyline etc. We didn't know if the books were "good" books and if they were at a suitable reading level. We also only relied on the choices available at bookstores like Borders and Kinokuniya. Sometimes, we would ask our friends for recommendations of good titles to get.

OWL READERS CLUB

OTHER GOOD STUFF FROM OWL READERS CLUB

There are many more great features of Owl Readers Club which I'll leave you to uncover. Here's highlighting a few which I'm keen to explore further!

4. Be an Owl Star member (paid membership) for as low as $8.17 a month to get double the points and be included in the exclusive club events and benefits!

5. Join the Owl Readers Club events and meet with other families. In this way, we can encourage one another in this journey to cultivate the love for reading in our families.

Our present for K's birthday

As Hal Elrod said, "The quality of our life is impacted by the quality of our habits." so why not raise an avid reader in your child from young? For a peace of mind that the books you get for your child are of high quality, carefully curated by a team of parents who love books and wants to inculcate the same love to every child, it is worth visiting the Owl Readers Club and see the good stuff for yourself.

 SPECIAL GIVEAWAY! (15 Mar - 20 Mar) 

In conjunction with World Down Syndrome Day 2018 on March 21st, Owl Readers Club is spreading the love for books by giving a $50 store credit to ONE lucky reader!

In the earlier days, children with Down syndrome were assumed to be incapable of learning to read at all by most professionals and there was very little research to find out reasons for their spoken language difficulties. Now, we know that this can be achieved with appropriate strategies, patience and with the family's support.

Melissa, a founding member of Owl Readers Club, shared her take on inculcating reading habits for children with me, "We wholeheartedly believe that all children will benefit from being read to starting from a young age, and it is important to help them nurture a love for reading from young!

Some may sit still earlier than others, some may learn to communicate earlier than others, but one thing for sure, all children love sitting on their parents’ laps and love being read to.

It shouldn’t, therefore, come across as a surprise that children with Down Syndrome will enjoy this wonderful family bonding activity that can be carried out at any of their waking moments and anywhere!. As they say, reading (or being read to) calms the mind!"

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

My Man with our vibrantly-coloured vegetable bouquet

I chose the 5 to 10 pm standard delivery time slot, hoping that the vegetable bouquet would reach our place later than Hubby (tried my luck and indicate a preferred timing). It arrived around 7pm but thankfully, I was prepared for that and cleared part of my fridge to maintain its freshness. The bouquet was heavy with every item firmly attached, so there is no need to worry about a loosened vegetable. The kids pinched off a grape and exclaimed that it was very sweet and fresh. 

"Congratulations! You are a lucky winner of the AirAsia's T4 Changi Open House Contest! You have won for yourself 2 x flight vouchers to Kuching!", I read aloud.

Woohoo! We won air tickets! ... Wait ... to Kuching? Sounds like a boring place for kids. What can we do there? Honestly, that was my first reaction after knowing that our Instagram photo (below) won us two return flight tickets. A little disappointed, I left the vouchers aside as I was hoping to win a more exciting getaway.


IMO, it is not easy to plan for family holidays with 3 kids ranging from 6 to 12 years old, whose idea of a good holiday is staying in a hotel all day and eating the same food for every meal if they find one that they like. Also, K's walking ability is currently that of a 2yo so we still need a pram if we want to venture out for a few hours. Thus, the places we visit must be interesting enough to draw them away from their "ideal holiday" and easy to get around.

It was two months later that a chat with a friend piqued my interest in Kuching again. He remarked that Kuching is a place worth visiting for its cultural attractions and local food. I recall my unclaimed prize and was inspired to find out more about this place, other than it is the capital of Sarawak (East Malaysia), the hometown of one of my aunts and that the name means "cat" in Malay. Based on recommendations from my aunt and her brother (Thanks for your help, Uncle Alfred!), as well as a few top-rated family travel websites, here is our list of the best things we want to do in Kuching with our children. Be ready to get charmed by Kuching's unique beauty!

Kuching welcomes visitors warmly, but it does not put on an act for them. Instead it goes about its own business in a relaxed manner that hasn't changed in 160 years of vibrant culture, crafts and cuisines. - Sarawak Tourism Board

Best Food to Eat in Kuching

Haha, American food writer, Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, nailed the Singaporean's love for food when she said this -


hence, let's talk about Kuching food first! Being a multi-racial city, you would expect Kuching to have the typical Malaysian cuisine from various ethnic groups. Sarawak Laksa, Kolo Mee, Kek Lapis (a layered cake), rojak, prawn fritters, jungle fern (midin) and seafood are some of the "must try" local delicacies.

Sarawak Laksa at Choon Hui Cafe

Midin, a jungle fern. Best stir-fried with belacan or garlic

Local Aboriginal Food

Although Western fast-food joints are commonly found in this city, looking at the long list of recommendations from well-known food blogger Thanis Lim and travel blogger Christine Ka'aloa, I am sure there is no need for these backup meals for my kids.

Best Places to Visit in Kuching

Kuching Waterfront 

Golden Anniversary Bridge (inaugurated on 11 Nov 2017)

Spacious walkway on the Golden Anniversary Bridge

Described by writer Derek Kho as the "DNA of this city", the Waterfront is a testament to Kuching's history. Take a leisure walk on the newly opened Golden Anniversary Bridge (also known as Danu Hana Bridge) across the Sarawak River to enjoy in recreational activities at the north part and soak in the beautiful riverfront view of old and new Kuching. Or walk along the riverside and enjoy the bustling of food stalls and restaurants in the evening. 

You can also get across the Sarawak River on a sampan (RM1 per person per trip) to the opposite side or cruise along the river in style for a relaxing introduction to Kuching.

Sampan ride along Sarawak River

Sarawak River Cruise

Main Bazaar

A shop at Main Bazaar

Semenggoh Wildlife Centre

Damai Beach

Things to take note

:: There are many interesting events and festivals held in Kuching. Uncle Alfred recommends visiting in August as the annual Kuching Festival is usually held to boost local tourism and food industry. The food fair is one of the main attractions of this festival where you can savour the local delicacies.

:: Public transport is almost non-existent but it is easy to get around with a pair of walking shoes. Else, just Grab as the fares are very affordable.

:: Kuching also has a few shopping malls and kids entertainment near the Waterfront. Modern civilisation is not that remote in Kuching.

Conclusion

Writing this post has changed my initial impression of Kuching and I really hope to visit with the family one day. It is very cheap and easy to fly to Kuching, thanks to Air Asia Malaysia, and the journey takes about 1h 30m from the new Changi Airport Terminal 4. Get your flight tickets here.

Do you know of any other fun things that families with young kids can do in Kuching? Let me know in the comments.

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Disclosure: All the photos used have been given permission by the photographers for the purpose of this article.