Our Youth Have Lost The Plot

Almost a month ago there was total uproar, at a school here in South Africa where students were demanding that their current school uniform pants be changed to a "skinny pants." They actually protested and boycotted classes to prove their point.

I must say as a parent I am disgusted. As an ex student (okay it was some time ago, but still), I cannot believe what is going on.

I mean our education system has come along way. And one of the things about going to school here in South Africa, is the pride in one's school uniform. But more importantly is the fact that many people fought and even died for the right to be able to get a decent education.

And how much is it going to cost to design and make these new "skinny pants?" And since "skinny pants" are not designed to fit all our figures, especially here in Africa where we are known to be more curvier, what then? Is this not discrimination?

The problem with our youth today is that they are too entitled. They feel like they have the right to do anything and everything their heart's desire. I mean for Pete's sake, SKINNY PANTS!!! Do we not have more pressing, important issues to focus on?!!

There are kids out here who have to walk (yes walk, and yes it is still happening in 2017), kilometers to get to school. There are households that are run by kids. There are kids who aren't even afforded the luxury of being able to go to school due to the difficult circumstances that they face at home.

And yet the very people who are soon going to be the adults of this country, who are going to be our leaders and teachers, are the one's who are disrupting learning, in order to make a fashion statement.

It is disgusting and sad. The worst part is these children don't even grasp that their parents have spent alot of money for the current uniform they are wearing. Now they have to spend more money just to apease their kids who clearly do not appreciate the fact that they are fortunate enough to be attending school in the first place!!!!!

The ironic thing is in alot of jobs these days you have to wear a uniform, or at least adhere to a dress code. So what are you guys going to do when you start working? Boycott your job because you don't like the uniform?

We will support you guys, when you actually have something worth supporting. In the meantime, maybe you guys should focus on studying.

xoxo T.

Preemie Diaries - Apne What???

Apnea. I have come to fear that word, and please Lord I hope to never hear it again.

A large number of premmie babies suffer from apneas of prematurity. Due to their brains being so underdeveloped it sometimes forgets to send out the signal that they need to breathe. Yep, you read correctly,your baby (or in this case my baby) would stop breathing, often. Caffeine is administered to help the brain "stay wake."

The first time it happened I didn't quite understand what was going on and of course when they explained it to me I had an emotional breakdown.

When he stopped breathing he would have to be stimulated. So we would rub his chest, tap his feet or lift him up.

I became paranoid. I would literally sit and watch the monitors and stare at his chest, to see if it was going up and down. I remember there was a day when there was a city wide strike in our town. People would not be able to get to work. All major highways were being closed off.

That day I was going to become a "nurse". (Not literally of course) but I had decided that I would stay at the hospital all day and even all night if need be to make sure my child was okay. (Turns out it wasn't necessary as all the nurses and doctors were at work), but in my mind my child's life depended on it.

My child was one of few who actually had a lot of apneas. The highest recorded in a day was 14. That is a scary number if you think about.

The funny thing with apneas is one day they just stop. Well normally by the time the baby reaches full term they should stop. But that doesn't mean that you, as a paren,t are still not wary that your kid might stop breathing. I mean even today, although we have been home for almost 2 months, I still worry that he may stop breathing. I'm always checking on him, I never leave him alone for long periods, (even if he is asleep I'm there watching, making sure.)

I remember the first time he got transferred to the normal ward. God I was petrified. You see in ICU each child has their own personal nurse, there to specifically watch over your child 24/7. In the general ward there are 10 babies to 2 nurses. I was freaked out. I wanted to move into the ward (which unfortunately due to our government facilities is not permitted).

My son did well...for 3 days. On the third day he had an apnea, a major one...and I froze. I literally froze. But luckily I didn't freeze for long and managed to call a nurse. But I was scared, extremely scared. I could've lost my son in that moment. Next minute there were doctors and nurses all over and he was being rushed backed to ICU.

He ended up staying in ICU for another 3 weeks. The second time round when he was transferred to the general ward I was less apprehensive, and believe it or not he never had another apnea again.

To all the parents out there experiencing the same thing at this moment all I can say is I feel your pain. And honestly, with time, it does get better.

XOXO, T.

*Accreditation: Image is from Preemie Support and Awareness
https://www.facebook.com/PreemieSupportandAwareness/

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Proudly South African - Welcome Mshuuka

Hey everyone. Today I'm doing one of my favourite posts, music. But not just any old music, nope. Today we back down south of the equator, in my own homeland, South Africa.

A while back I started the Proudly South African feature. I haven't paid much attention to it but I'm back at it. I mean afterall there's no place like home.

Today I would like to introduce you to Sizwe Mashiyane aka Mshuuka.

MSHUUKA

He recently released his very first single titled: "Noma Yini Bozza Yam" - loosely translated as "Anything Big Homie".

Coming from very humble beginnings, from the streets of Soweto (one of the largest townships in South Africa), Mshuuka always wanted to be an artist. Unfortunately as the age old story of music goes, it has been nothing but a struggle.

You see here down south, unless you are mainstream, there is no making money from music, which is so sad. There is not enough emphasis on up and coming artists and there aren't many places where you can perform to get yourself noticed.

This track has a dope beat and some catchy phrases in it. It has a mixture of languages (as we are a nation with 11 official one's), it caters to a large audience. It has an easy to learn chorus and currently has everyone jamming to this track. I firmly believe that there is nowhere to go from here but up for Mshuuka. He's more than a rap artist, he's a lyricist.

Mshuuka is already making waves down here and has had a featured post on SA Hip Hop Magazine Downloads as well as Zhikipani.co.za Top 3 Underground Artists. He has also been quoted as saying: " I want my name carved in stone and have the stone rolling with the legends."

He has also teamed up with a group of local guys representing the South of Johannesburg (South Africa), to showcase their talents. Their first sampling is AMAZEBALLS!!! You can check out the track from the South Syndicate here South Syndicate - Winning

But hey guys, don't just take my word for it, go and download the track and see for yourself. (See links at the bottom of the post).

Sound off in the comments section to let us know what you think.

XOXO, T.


@mshuuka

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=mshuuka

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.datafilehost.com%2Fd%2F94240a31&h=ATMw0H_btmy08QXOyq9YOjRqrIz9yz3qC41ChLzTkwgboK96xSCFnh2ryCxuOOW8WqfKwjLIQCxYFHL323uGQOBD8kgey3l7ZEH-EGcb7wzbuIJ4unRbVB7u3FMCpYcmAnx9nKmXSTc


https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.soundcloud.com%2Fmshuuka%2Fnomayinibozzayam&h=ATMw0H_btmy08QXOyq9YOjRqrIz9yz3qC41ChLzTkwgboK96xSCFnh2ryCxuOOW8WqfKwjLIQCxYFHL323uGQOBD8kgey3l7ZEH-EGcb7wzbuIJ4unRbVB7u3FMCpYcmAnx9nKmXSTc

Preemie Diaries-Our First Week

I was so excited when I found out I was pregnant. Finally!!! I would do everything different this time. I mean after having a miscarraige I think you pay way more attention to your body and to every ache and pain than you usually would.

I made sure I ate right, got plenty of rest, didn't allow myself to get upset by anything. I was on the right path. Then on February the 14th my husband and I were involved in a car accident. I have never been more afraid in my whole life. I really thought we were all dead, and that my son would be left without parents. Luckily enough at the time everything seemed to be fine and life continued as we knew it, and then out of nowhere, my worst fear came true. I started bleeding.

My husband rushed me to hospital. I was booked in and after a few hours the bleeding stopped and everything looked good. 2 days later just when it looked like I would be going home, I started bleeding again and was immediately rushed in for an emergency C-Section.

I was in shock, I started crying, I started praying...it was too soon. I just managed to phone my husband to let him know that our baby would be coming out before I was rushed into theatre.

And then our miracle arrived....born at 28weeks, weighing 1,080kg, our second son was born.

Having a premature baby was never something I ever thought would happen to me, or should I say having a premature baby that soon, was something that I thought would never happen to me.

My eldest son was born at 8 months, but although he was born a month before his due date, he came out perfectly fine and was able to come home with me once I got discharged.

Baby number 2 is a whole different story. I didn't get to see my son immediately. Infact it was only 7 hours later that I got to see him. He was the tiniest thing I had ever seen. I started crying immediately. The first few days were so tough. If I did not have the husband that I have, the family that I have, I have no idea how I would've made it. Never have I seen a man that is so dedicated to his family, like my husband is to us. He has been my strength throughout all of this. And even though it has been just as hard for him as it has for me, he has never allowed himself to give up or be weak. He has kept the faith going when mine had faltered.

Along with having a prem baby comes alot of complications. My boy could not breath on his own and was put on a ventilator. Then he kept having episodes where he would just stop breathing (even while being on the ventilator). Then he got jaundice. Then they found that he had a bleed on the brain, but thank God it was one that could be non-life threatening. He received a blood transfusion and then things started turning around. He was removed from the ventilator and put on a less strong breathing machine. The jaundice went away. All this in the first 7 days of his life!!!

And that's when I knew although this road that we were forced to walk upon, was given to us, it was something that we could manage. God did not bring us this far to leave us to drawn.

So even though it has been hectic physically and emotionally (I still cry at the drop of a hat) I know that soon you guys will see that our baby boy has come home and is continuing to thrive.

Sound off in the comments section about your experience with having a prem baby.

XOXO T.

The Blog Corner - Sam Avery Comedian

I've recently decided that I would like to do my bit in promoting bloggers. Since hosting link-up's is really time consuming, I decided that it would be cool, when I do find a blog that I like that I share about that blogger, and hence the birth of the Blog Corner.

So recently I was pleasantly surprised when one of my girlfriends re-shared a blog post titled "20 Things I Learned As A Parent Last year." That title alone had me captivated. I mean how often do parents share the things that they have learned good and bad. Oh yes everyone is willing to tell you about the good, the rainbow and sunshine. But nobody wants to tell you about the the bad, the straight up God's honest truth. And that was what was so enriching about this particular post. The first item on the list told me that this is definitely my kind of post and this author is a guy after my own heart.

So after reading the post I immediately liked his Facebook page. But with not having much time to do any more reading I just left it at that. But then one day during the course of the week he posted again, and once again this guy was speaking straight to me. And I just felt immediately that I wanted to share his work. I mean how often do you come across such brutal honesty put so funnily, so in-your-face??!!!

Said guy is none-other than Sam Avery Comedian. He is a father to twin boys and uses his blog to share this crazy, tiring, funny, loving experience that is parenthood. Who by the way won the MADS best new blogger award last year. (I am so jelly!!!) He is also a comedian and host. In fact he sort of sounds like superdad to me.

I feel that alot of you will relate to and love Sam Avery's unique wittiness. Also how often do you find a dad that does a blog? I know for me its a first and I absolutely love it.

So when you get a chance do head over to his Facebook page or website and have a look. I promise you, you will be pleasantly surprised.

XOXO T

*Accreditaion:https://www.facebook.com/samaverycomedian/
**Accreditation: http://www.samaverycomedian.co.uk/p/home.html

Cost of Education In South Africa

Happy New Year to all our readers. I wish nothing but all your heart's desires being fulfilled for this year.

With the new year comes the new school year. And having spoken to other parents I realised that we all have the same common complaints. Cost of a good education is extremely high in South Africa.

It's so sad that a basic human right is not easily accessible to the average person. And what is even more sad is that the gap in the education system is so vast. There are so many different "levels" (for lack of a better explanation). You have basic schooling which only offers the bare minimum. You have what they used to refer to as model C schools, which also have the different levels (believe it or not), and then the elite Private Schools.

The strange thing for me is that all schools (except for the private schools) sit and write the same matric exam. So why can we not all get the same type of education at an affordable rate?

South Africa recently launched a new online registration system, which I felt was such a good thing because it was not as time consuming as going to the actual school, collecting the forms, going home filling them out and then returning them at a later stage. However I was quite upset that the system only gives you the schools within a 1km radius. And because the school that my son was in is 1.2km's away it would not allow me to register.

I recently came across an article about a Private School which costs the same amount as the upper class Model C schools. I could not believe it!! Someone else was just as fed up as I was but actually decided to do something about it. And you get the same level of education as a private school at the price of a Model C school.

There are alot of basic issues that this country faces namely Health, Education, Housing and Food. These are all basic human rights, human needs, and yet they are at the best of times unaffordable.

The average person cannot afford to live close to where they work as rent is too expensive. So you end up staying on the outskirts of the city because it is cheaper, and travelling 1.5 - 2 hours via public transport to get to work. Hell the average person will never afford to buy their own house or car. It's just ridiculous!

As a nation we need to stand up and say enough is enough.

There are 9282000 employed South Africans. Are you telling me that our taxes cannot be used towards making these basic human rights accessible?

I can fully understand why university students across the country decided to start the #feesmustfall campaign last year. I don’t support the manner in which it was done, but I definitely support the cause.

So I think that this year our government must really take a step back and re-evaluate all their policies that they have in place. I mean at the end of the day we all want to live a good life, send our kids to great schools, live in decent houses and afford to buy food. Are we asking for too much?

XOXO T

Proudly South African - The Legend That Will Always Be...Mandoza

It was a sad day for all South Africans on Sunday when we heard the heart-breaking news that one of our greatest Kwaito Legends had passed away.

Mduduzi Tshabalala better known by his stage name Mandoza was one of the most realist artists I have ever seen. We were all fortunate enough to get a closer look at the Kwaito sensations life when he had his reality show "Rolling with Mandoza." We got to see the man behind the music, the father, the husband. This show really made everyone love him that much more.

Mandoza had had many difficulties through his life, but somehow he always managed to turn a negative into a positive. After being released from jail he formed a group called Chiskop before deciding to go solo. With a one of a kind voice he took South Africa, and later, the rest of the world by storm.

The hit record that brought South Africa together was his infamous"Nkalakatha."(loosely translated as Top Dog). Till this day you can hear that song being played at soccer games and rugby games.

He again made history when he teamed up with another South African Musician Danny K on the award wining album "Same Difference". These two, together, broke racial barriers and made our nation once again feel united. (Please see Danny K's hearfelt tribute to Mandoza here http://www.timeslive.co.za/entertainment/2016/09/19/MUST-READ-Danny-K-pens-emotional-tribute-to-his-friend-and-hero-Mandoza )

My husband is such a huge Mandoza fan and we have at many a family get-togethers heard him playing his songs. Infact yesterday he made a Mandoza playlist and we had to listen to all his greatest hits. From Nkalakatha to Godoba to 50/50. You name it he played it.

I was very shocked when last year I found out that Mandoza had cancer. But we were so glad to hear that he was on the road to recovery. Just the other day I asked my husband how Mandoza was doing (like he personally knew him or something.)

And to think just last weekend (against all odds) Mandoza had his last performance, which he insisted on doing even though he was not feeling well and could not see.

May his music live on forever.

Hamba Kahle Nkalakatha!! (translation: "Go well Top Dog")


XOXO, T

*Accreditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=788DVzhJ-qQ
**Accreditation: Times Live http://www.timeslive.co.za/entertainment/2016/09/19/MUST-READ-Danny-K-pens-emotional-tribute-to-his-friend-and-hero-Mandoza
***Accreditation: @dannykmusic