My Coins.ph mobile wallet allows me to buy load

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I love the convenience of my Coins.ph all-in-one mobile wallet especially when buying cellphone load. Try it yourself. Create a Coins.ph account with my promo code “momblogger” and get an exclusive 100% rebate on your first load purchase (up to Php 50).

Communication is important in my household especially if I am away on business or events.  It used to frustrate me whenever my helpers give me the following reasons for not communicating with me on important matters that needed my attention:

Me: So why didn’t you send a text?
Helper: Ma’am, I ran out of load.
Me: Then why didn’t you buy load?
Helper: Ma’am, I don’t have money anymore.

Or the following conversation:

Helper: Ma’am, I will just go out to buy load.
Me: It’s 9:00 PM. Why didn’t you buy earlier?
Helper: This is an emergency.

Communication is also important among my loved ones.  Whenever my balikbayan sister or my daughters visit the Philippines, I always have to google the syntax to get the text/call or internet bundled package.

All these challenges are a thing of the past now that I can buy load using my Coins.ph all-in-one mobile wallet. I was aware that Coins.ph allowed me to send or receive money, pay 80+ bills online, or load a Beep card, but the first useful thing I did was give load to my helpers, all from my phone. No need to step out of the house to buy load or queue at a loading station.

Let me share the same convenience I experienced by giving you an exclusive rebate during your first load, just so you can see it for yourself.

How to get 100% rebate on your first load purchase at Coins.ph

When I buy load and load promos through Coins.ph, I receive it in seconds and get a 10% instant rebate. But for you my dear readers, you are getting an exclusive 100% rebate during your first load. Here are the steps.

1.Download the coins.ph app from Google Play store or iTunes, and create an account

– Use the promo code “momblogger”  to get an exclusive 100% rebate and referral bonus

2. Once you create an account, get ID and selfie verified.

How? Watch this video:

Getting ID and selfie verified allows you to do more with your coins.ph wallet.

3.  You will receive a Php 75 referral bonus in your Coins.ph wallet once you are ID and selfie verified.

4. Make your first load purchase! The 100% load rebate is only valid for 7 days after you create your account. After that, the rebate is 10%.

Please see the terms and conditions:

  •  You must sign up for a Coins.ph account with the referral code “momblogger” to qualify for this promo
  • Your Coins account must be ID and Selfie verified before you can avail of this promo
  • Rebate is 100% (up to Php 50) of your 1st load purchase
  • To get the rebate, you need to make your 1st load purchase within 7 days of creating your account
  • Processing of ID verification may take up to 3 business days
  • Load promo is open to Philippine mobile numbers only
  • You may avail of the rebate only once
  • Rebate will be credited to your Peso wallet after your transaction has been successfully processed
  • Only one (1) Coins.ph account per person
  • Promo runs from May 25, 2018 until 11:59pm on June 8, 2018

Let me show you the “buy load” feature of the coins.ph wallet

1. Cash in to your Coins.ph wallet

coins.ph wallet

2.  Choose your cash in method. I prefer over the counter banking, but you can cash in at 7-Eleven, Gcash or M Lhuillier.

3. Once the cash is reflected in my Coins.ph wallet , I just select the “buy load” in the app menu.

Type the cellphone number.  After the load is sent, you will be able to save the number.

4. Choose the load or load promo  from Globe, Smart, Sun, Talk ‘N Text, or Touch Mobile .

coins.ph wallet

I just love how the load promos are already set. There is no need to google for the right syntax or create a promo.

coins.ph wallet

5. Select the load amount and slide to send.

6. Coins.ph requires you to add a  verification code from Authy or Google Authenticator.

I use Authy for this extra layer of protection. Find out how to do the two-factor authentication through the 2FA tutorial video or through the step-by-step guides.

coins.ph wallet

I just click “open authy” to get the token

coins.ph wallet

7.  The load is sent within seconds, and the best part is getting an instant rebate. (But if you sign up with the “momblogger” promo code and buy load in 7 days, you get a 100% rebate up to 50 pesos on your first load purchase.)

coins.ph wallet

It is that simple, fast and convenient. You also get a history of yourtransactions as well as the rebate.coins.ph wallet

Now, isn’t that convenience?

Create your coins.ph wallet today. Just download the coins.ph app from Google Play store or iTunes.

Homeschooling or traditional education?

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Homeschooling or traditional education

Our eldest daughter just turned three last March but she was already showing signs of interest for school as early as age 2. Her grandmother’s house is right in front of a public school and our own neighborhood is near three schools so it is understandable that her excitement builds up every time the academic year starts as uniformed youngsters dragging along their bags and lunch boxes are fetched by school buses.

But a lot of things are making my husband and me think twice about taking the traditional route to learning. Money-wise, a good pre-school demands tuition fees as high as universities so I started kidding about saving up for college by home schooling our kids now. What started as a joke took a serious turn when a friend bewailed about the stress her son went through as they scouted for a pre-school.

At the age of 4, he was already expected to know how to identify the alphabets and colors, count one to ten, read simple words and write his name. My friend was confident her son would breeze through all the pre-acceptance tests with all the home-training she did with the yaya and he almost did. There were practices that scared the wits out of the little boy. One school made him enter an empty room without proper orientation so when the time came for a teacher to appraise his skills, he made an excuse to see his mother. He said he pooped and had to go to the toilet but actually, all he wanted was to run to the comfort of his mom and convince her to go home. Another school did not like the child’s confidence and branded him disobedient. He was told to count one to ten but he proudly insisted on counting one to twenty. My friend was asked to bring her son back for debriefing to teach him to follow rules. Something is amiss here. A child’s learning has endless possibilities. Why clip his wings before he could even learn to fly?

There goes the dilemma. How do I explain to my excited tyke that school will be home and not in a big building just like where the rest of the kids go? Will we deprive her of the excitement of trudging with her backpack and lunch bag in tow? How will she develop social skills if we take her away from the classroom set-up?

But then again, we see that our daughter is smart for her age (modesty aside) and has great potential for advanced learning. What if conventional school does not meet her needs and limits her enthusiasm to explore? Think with me as the search begins.

PREPARATIONS FOR HOME SCHOOLING
Requirements for the parent. The ideal set-up is for one parent to work for sustenance while the other focuses on the tutelage. It could be more challenging for single parents or couples who are employed since she or he has to juggle work with the child’s education. The key is focus and dedication. There are even academies that assist Overseas Filipino Workers to home school their children on line. Dedicating two to three hours of quality time daily is a good start. It becomes easier if the child learns to self-study as she/he grows older.

The Department of Education requires home schooling parents to be college graduates. If the parent feels ill-equipped, guidance for teaching difficult subjects could be drawn from parent support groups, teachers and academic consultants of schools that offer home schooling. In fact, many parents who do not have teaching experiences successfully home school their kids.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Check out learning institutions that offer home school programs accredited by the Department of Education and study their approaches and curriculum to see if it fits your family. Enrolment dates may vary for every school. Before the child is enrolled in the home school program, parents are required to attend the orientation to prepare them for the task.

Home schooling may start when the child reaches 3 ½ years old. For the first grade, the child should be at least 6 years old. Initially the child is assessed by the home schooling academy to enter the Grade 1+ level.

Upon assessment of the child, an academic consultant recommends an appropriate curriculum for the year which will be used as basis for buying materials. Parents may provide another option subject to approval of the academic consultant.

The curriculum will then be furnished by the school. The schedule and place of teaching and creativity in handling the lessons is up to the parent. Preacher Bro. Bo Sanchez capitalized on his son’s passion for horses. From there, lessons on anatomy, arts, culture and even business sprang.

WHAT IF WE DECIDE TO TRANSFER TO A REGULAR / CONVENTIONAL SCHOOL?
Children are tested annually through a standardized achievement test which serves as a basis on how the kids are faring compared to their peers. The test could also be used as diagnostic tool for the child’s next level. The achievement test measures the child’s proficiency in language, arts, science, math and social studies. Aside from this, there is the regular portfolio review with the academic consultant to monitor their progress.

Dep Ed requires records from Preparatory School to High School. These are usually honoured in conventional academies and universities before accepting the home-schooled child provided he/she passes the entrance examination.

WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES?
Most of the apprehensions about home schooling are based on the fear that children will be deprived of opportunities for socialization. This is a fallacy. The best socialization happens at home where the child builds his self-confidence on the feeling of security around his family. Home schooling academies also offer opportunities to relate with their contemporaries through weekly meet-ups, summer camps, retreats, field trips, clubs and on-line organizations.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HOME SCHOOLING?
Less Expense. Although parents who decide to teach their kids at home have to spend for curriculum materials, field trips and out-of-town excursions, the expense for home schooling is way lower than the tuition fees, miscellaneous fees, transportation and daily allowances.

More peace of mind. With all the headlines on crimes committed against children and bullying occurring in schools, we could not help but be more wary and protective of our little girls. Home schooling seems a better option to shield them from the exploitations of the world and unnecessary bad experiences that may scar them for life.

More time for building relationships. My chum Tess confesses that home schooling her two boys could really be so physically taxing especially now that she is pregnant with their third child but the joy of deepening bonds with her sons is definitely priceless.

More edge. Studies show that home schooled children excel more since their learning is designed one-on-one and the parent adjusts to the readiness of the child to learn.

Some of the home schooled children are scientist Albert Einstein, most of the US presidents including Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, writer Mark Twain, nurse Florence Nightingale and the list goes on. Who knows? Your child may just be the next in the long line of achievers and shakers.

Photo: “Olivia working on homeschooling” by Ann, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved

by Jasmine Barrios

How parents can get involved with homework

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“Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life.”Lawrence Kasdan

homework_parents

““Grades matter,” I often told my little girls, “but only as a stepping stone to getting to your college choice. Those grades are yours, not mine.” I often reminded them as they poured over their books. When my eldest daughter stopped receiving honors in her third grade, I asked her, ““Do you want to be an honor student?” She folded her arms and shook her head miserably. No, she didn’t want the pressure. ““Okay, fine. Get the best grades you can achieve.” My other girl seemed more driven, wanting to achieve higher grades. That’s the reality of school. Grades are needed to bring you from one level to another. How involved was I with my children’s homework?

I made it a priority to establish good and effective study habits starting at six years old. I bought study tables during their first grade, complete with book and paper organizers. The sturdy table lasted them till their early college years when I decided to discard it when we moved to a new home.

A study routine was set between dinner and bed time. It was early dinner at 6:00p.m. and study hours from 6:30 p.m. till 9:00 p.m. I stressed that they had to finish their homework or studies within that time frame so they could sleep at exactly 9:00 p.m. Television time was definitely out of the picture except for Friday night and the weekend. The girls never complained. They knew that television time will eat up their study hours. I also believed that once used to a study routine, it will be mutually beneficial for both of us. They learn good study habits and in turn , I will not get stressed out with their homework.

During their first till third grades, monitoring their homework was necessary to set the routine. If my child faced a difficult lesson, we both tried to solve it. I felt that I shouldn’t stress out over my children’s tasks. I also believed that parent involvement need not interfere with learning. For example, even if I am good in math, I did not want to confuse my children with the teaching techniques offered in the classroom. Their school used finger math, which is alien to me. Though the school taught the parents on the proper use of finger math, it seemed quite inefficient to me.

Parent involvement in homework can turn into parent interference if parents complete tasks that the child is capable of completing alone. Independence was what I wanted them to achieve. ““Try to solve it first,” I’d suggest. Much later on, I discovered that one of my girls had a weakness in numbers during her fifth grade. I resisted the idea of getting a math tutor. She used to be so smart in math. So what is the tutor for? I asked the school guidance counselor. I learned that if a child needs help, give it. So I asked my girl, ““Do you need extra help with math?” She nodded ““I find math so difficult. I need help.” I know now that If a child is having difficulty with homework, parents should become involved by paying close attention. She practically grew up with her math tutor until her last math course in college. By the time my girls reached their intermediate and high school years, they were pretty much on their own, following the study routine set since their first grade.

Maybe my second daughter loved studying or she just had many assignments but she asked for more extension on her study hours. I gave in to her wishes because I could see she was determined to ace her subjects. Unfortunately, her dad thought otherwise and would tell her to sleep if he caught her: ““That’s enough studying. You need to sleep”.

I never believed in giving material rewards whenever a child gets a good grade. My rationale was that the achievement of a good grade is incentive enough. Of course, there was the occasional surprise food treats at home. I wanted my girls to take personal pride in their achievement and that material gifts are not the main goal for studying.

Did the good study habits help? Their high grades surely brought them to their colleges of choice. More than that, the discipline and time management established by good and effective study habits helped them hurdle challenges in life. Mommy didn’t have to always solve every little problem. I smile as I watch my grown-up ladies from afar, now financially independent and making life decisions with our blessings.
Photo source: credit here