Go forth and multiply OH FATHER !

 

From left) Cannon, Baldwin and Musk-  PhotosAFP, Reuters and TNS

Nick Cannon, Elon Musk, Alec Baldwin and other celebrities who have fathered many children.

AMERICAN billionaire entrepreneur and Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, 51, made jaws drop several months ago when it was revealed that he secretly welcomed twins in November 2021, taking his kid count to nine.

The mother is Shivon Zilis, a 36-year-old Canadian project director at his Neuralink company.

The twins’ arrival came just weeks before Musk and his former partner, Canadian singer Grimes, welcomed a baby girl, Exa, via a surrogate in December 2021.

They also share a two-year-old son, X.

Musk already has five children with his first wife Justine Wilson, including Griffin, 18, and 16-yearold triplets Kai, Damian and Sax.

Another of their children, 18, legally changed her name to disassociate herself from Musk earlier this year.

In 2002, their first child, a boy, died at 10 weeks of sudden infant death syndrome.

Musk has strong opinions on increasing the birth rate.

At Wall Street Journal’s annual CEO Council in December last year, he stated that there are “not enough people” in the world.

In what seemed to be a response to his latest baby news, he tweeted: “Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis. A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilisation faces by far.”

He added in a follow-up tweet: “I hope you have big families and congrats to those who already do.”

Musk is ranked by Forbes as the world’s richest person with an estimated net worth of US$237.1bil (RM1.1tril).

He recently announced plans to “significantly” increase childcare benefits at his companies.

He tweeted: “Kids are worth it if at all possible.” Here are several celebrities sowing their seeds with wild abandon. 

OH FATHER!

Here are several celebrities sowing their seeds with wild abandon.

Nick Cannon, 41 Kid count: 10

Also sharing Musk’s fatherhood goals is American actor Nick Cannon, who chimed in after Musk’s tweet, saying: “Right there with you, my brother.”

Cannon has had kids with six different women, only one of whom he married but eventually divorced.

And none of them was an accident, he has claimed.

Cannon shares twins Moroccan and Monroe with ex-wife Mariah Carey, twins Zion and Zillion with DJ Abby De La Rosa.

In July, he and model Bre Tiesi welcomed their first child, Legendary Love, together.

On Sept 14, he and model Lanisha Cole welcomed daughter Onyx Ice Cole.

Cannon shares son Golden and daughter Powerful Queen with model Brittany Bell. On Oct 30, they welcomed their third – Cannon’s 10th – child, Rise Messiah.

He also fathered a son, Zen, with model Alyssa Scott, but the child died in December 2021 at five months old after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

After the tragic loss, Cannon, who has said that he does not feel monogamy is healthy, announced he would be celibate for a while and reportedly went for a vasectomy consultation.

Obviously, that was short-lived. You really cannot keep a man like Cannon down. At least, not until he turns 45, the age when he feels he “should chill”.

On the Big Tigger Morning Show, he got candid about what it is like to co-parent with multiple women.

Asked if “all the baby mamas get along”, he replied: “They don’t have to, they all get along with me.”

When the radio host brought up that Cannon takes maternity photos with each of the mothers, Cannon said he believes “everyone deserves that”.

“I don’t keep secrets. They know how I move. I multitask,” he added.

As for whether he sees any additional kids in his future, he quipped: “Isn’t there always? I just want to be responsible as a father... The best I can possibly be, and lean into it.

“I love children, but I wasn’t setting out to be Father Abraham, I just embrace it.”

On Instagram, Cannon jokingly hyped up his profile piece in a recent issue of Men’s Health magazine by posting: “We discuss that there is nothing more healthy than a virile man. Go forth and multiply.”

In the article itself, he opened up about how he stays present in each of his kids’ lives and takes immense pride in it.

He said: “Contrary to popular belief, I’m probably engaged throughout my children’s day, more often than the average adult can be. If I’m not physically in the same city with my kids, I’m talking to them before they go to school via FaceTime.

“When I am (in the same city, I’m) driving my kids to school, making sure I pick them up.”

He added that he is present for their extracurricular activities. “I’m involved in everything - from coaching to having guitar lessons with my daughter every week.”

Alec Baldwin, 64 Kid count: Seven

The Baldwin bunch sure is getting bigger, with American actor Alec Baldwin and his yoga instructor wife Hilaria, 38, welcoming their seventh child, a girl, on Sept 24.

Ilaria Catalina Irena joins her siblings Carmen, nine, Rafael, seven, Leonardo, six, Romeo, four, Eduardo, two, and Maria, one (via surrogate).

Baldwin posted a clip of Maria on Instagram in April and captioned it: “People ask why. This is why. Being a parent is the ultimate journey.”

He also shares model-daughter Ireland Baldwin, 26, with his former wife, actress Kim Basinger.

The new baby comes at a stressful time for the sexagenarian, who has found himself embroiled in a wrongful death lawsuit.

In October last year, he accidentally misfired a prop gun on the set of western film Rust, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

At the time of the new pregnancy announcement in March, the couple told People magazine: “We have ‘somos un buen equipo’ engraved on our wedding bands.

“We say that to each other all the time at home – that we’re a good team.

“One of the most beautiful things our children have experienced with a big family is how the heart can grow with every new sibling.

“Our capacity to love continues to expand and we can’t wait to embrace our new little one this fall.”

Taylor Hanson, 39 Kid count: Seven

The American singer-musician and one-time teen heartthrob was the face of 1990s pop boy band Hanson, alongside his brothers Isaac, 41, and Zac, 36.

Today, the trio of young dads – who are the elder three of seven siblings – have 15 children between them.

Taylor has the most, having welcomed seven children – Ezra, 19, Penelope, 17, River, 15, Viggo, 13, Wilhelmina, nine, Indiana, three, and Maybellene, 18 months – with wife Natalie, 38.

But his notoriously prolific progeny will cease to increase.

He told ET Online: “We’ve all been incredibly blessed with amazing kids and families. I’ve always taken it one at a time, that led us to seven, so I’m just going to hold right now.”

For now, the group – best known for their catchy 1997 hit MMMBop – are celebrating 30 years together.

They released their latest album Red Green Blue in May, but have still managed to prioritise family life while on the road touring.

Taylor told People magazine: “The job of being a dad is to sacrifice everything you want for that kid.

“I may be in the middle of meeting some famous musician but, sorry, I’ve got to call my daughter and talk to her about her day.”

Eddie Murphy, 61 Kid count: 10

When it comes to quantity, the Hollywood star can tell everyone else to hold his beer.

Like Cannon, Murphy co-parents his whopping brood with five women.

He had two sons back to back with two then-girlfriends around the end of the 1980s – Eric, 33, with Paulette McNeely, and Christian, 31, with Tamara Hood.

Meanwhile, former wife Nicole Mitchell is the mother of five of his children: Bria, 32, Miles, 29, Shayne, 27, Zola, 22, and Bella, 20.

Murphy then fathered Angel, 15, with former Spice Girl and British singer Melanie Brown, and has a six-year-old girl Izzy and four-yearold son Max with his current fiancee, Australian model Paige Butcher, 43.

The comedian is used to getting split reactions when people learn he has 10 kids.

He quipped on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2019: “Men look at me like, ‘He’s crazy. How much did that cost?’

In an interview with British newspaper The Mirror in 2021, he said his kids always come before his career, calling them the “centre of everything”.

He added: “The idea of being out there and doing three movies a year, that’s over... I realised that if you put your children first, you never make a bad decision.

“I am so blessed with my kids, I don’t have one bad seed. I don’t have any like, ‘Oh, you are the one.’

“My kids are so great, normal people and nobody is like the Hollywood jerk kid.”

– The Straits Times/Asia News Network 

 

Why we’re so shocked, bothered, by Nick Cannon’s growing family

 

SURPRISE! Or maybe not – Nick Cannon has welcomed another child, Rise Messiah Cannon, to his rapidly growing family – his 10th child, and third with Brittany Bell.

— Nick cannon/Instagram cannon with six of his 10 children.

“Another Blessing!!!” he announced in a lengthy Instagram post, which expressed gratitude for “a family dynamic that to some is unimaginable.”

Cannon, an actor, musician and TV host, has been making headlines for having multiple babies with different women in a short period of time, which he has said is “no accident”.

Each pregnancy was planned and intentional, and his relationships with the mothers of his children are healthy and consensual, Cannon says. Yet his choice to father these children has been treated as comedic fodder while raising a plethora of concerns.

Untraditional families exist all around us every day. But when it comes to a celebrity like Cannon, we tend to judge them more harshly.

Everyone has something to say, including fans, critics and even fellow stars like Vivica A. Fox (“I don’t like it,” she said in August. “The foundation of Black families, especially a strong father figure is needed.”)

“The public loves to express their opinions, because it makes them feel like part of the story,” says Donna Rockwell, a clinical psychologist and CEO and founder of Already Famous.

“When we see behavior outside the norm in the lives of celebrities, we shake our heads, pass judgement... and write it off as ‘typical’ celebrity entitlement.”

But does this make our judgements justified?

Is there a problem with Nick Cannon’s take on fatherhood?

When asked about his emotional involvement as a father, Cannon has insisted “if I’m not physically in the same city with my kids, I’m talking to them before they go to school via FaceTime and stuff. And then when I am, I’m driving my kids to school, making sure I pick them up”.

A quick scroll through his Instagram page exemplifies the love and pride he holds for his kids, and many of the mothers have praised Cannon’s presence.

This fixation on his family is unsurprising to Rockwell.

Any time someone in the public eye behaves in a way that deviates from the norm, like having many children from different households, “we as the public hang onto every detail” and treat it as gossip.

But aside from it being unconventional, some experts worry this dynamic is detrimental.

If his 10 kids, ages 11 and younger, live in different households, many wonder how Cannon can possibly be there, physically and emotionally, for each child.

Barbara La Pointe, a relationship coach who primarily works with families dealing with divorce and separation, worries Cannon is “unconsciously creating a legacy of generational trauma”.

Though there is less research on Cannon’s approach to fatherhood, studies have shown that a child’s emotional well-being is influenced by a secure relationship with their parents, as well as by the quality of that relationship.

In addition, relationship strategist Zakiya Knighten worries for his children’s mothers who, despite going into these relationships willingly, may also be at risk for higher stress levels and mental health problems. In a now-deleted Instagram story, one of Cannon’s partners said she had been awake for three days taking care of their baby, raising questions on social media about Cannon’s whereabouts.

Are we being too judgmental of Nick Cannon?

Contrary to popular belief, Cannon is not the first celebrity to father multiple children with different women.

Actor Clint Eastwood is thought to have eight known children with six different women, his daughter told The Sunday Times.

Similarly, Elon Musk has joked about “(helping) the underpopulation crisis” with his 10 children, two with singer Grimes, two with Shivon Zilis, an executive at Musk’s Neuralink, and six with his first wife, Justine Wilson.

The difference, however, is that Cannon proudly embraces his lifestyle of nonconventional fatherhood and rejects traditional monogamy, even challenging those who are skeptical.

“That’s a Eurocentric concept when you think about the ideas of you’re supposed to have this one person for the rest of your life,” Cannon said in August.

“I understand the institution of marriage if we go back to what that was about . ... I don’t have ownership of any of the mothers. We create families in the sense of we created a beautiful entity.”

It’s tempting to speculate about a phenomenon that makes little sense to many.

But, as Rockwell reminds, the reality of celebrity culture is that we only catch a glimpse of their personal lives.

Without knowing the intimate details, we as outsiders will never truly know how worrisome – or how functional – Cannon’s family of 10 actually is - 

. By JENNA RYU 

Elon Musk Wants You to Go Forth and Multiply - InsideHook

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Malaysian teens are shorter than the rest

 

 

 

Undernutrition among our adolescents is causing them to be stunted, making them shorter on average than some of our regional neighbours.

` MALAYSIAN teenagers are a short lot – and not because of genetical predisposition.

` One in six local teens are considered stunted at 6-7cm shorter than the World Health Organization’s (WHO’S) standard height reference for adolescents between 10 and 17 years old.

` This is as they are not consuming adequate amounts of the nutrients needed for growth.

` Given that the window for the adolescent growth spurt is very short, yet provides the biggest growth opportunity during our lifetime, this problem of undernutrition needs to be addressed so that our teens can attain their maximum potential height.

` Stunted growth and development caused by undernutrition is common in many regions, especially poorer ones.

` Data from our 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) showed that one in five Malaysian children aged five and under are stunted.

` This reflects an increasing trend, with 21.8% in 2019 from 17.7% in 2015 and 16.6% in 2011.

` Meanwhile, data from the 2017 NHMS revealed that the adolescent stunting rate was at 8.5%, or one in 12, in the 10- to 17-years-old age group.

` Increased risk of disease

` “This is a high percentage for an upper middle income country like ours.

` “For developed countries, we want to keep this figure below 5%,” comments Universiti Malaya Faculty of Medicine Department of Paediatrics head Professor Dr Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin.

` The average final adult height of Malaysians is 164.7cm for men and 153.3cm for women.

` “If we plot this on the growth chart, we are in the bottom 10th percentile, which means our average height is at the lowest out of 100 countries for both men and women, i.e. we are 8-9cm shorter than the rest.

` “The fact that we are not achieving as much height as other Asian men and women is worrying.

` “We have fallen behind Singapore, Japan and South Korea, although in the 1940s and 1950s, we were around the same height,” he says.

` The average male height is 170.6cm in Singapore, 171.2cm in Japan and 175.3cm in South Korea. For females, it is 160cm in Singapore, 158.8cm in Japan and 162.6cm in South Korea.

` Interestingly, females in South Korea have recorded one of the biggest height increases among the world’s female population over the last century.

` Prof Yazid adds: “Of course, we also have to look at the parents’ height – teens should be plus or minus 8cm from their dad’s or mum’s height.”

` Studies have shown that countries that consume more dairy products and animal proteins have a taller population, compared to countries that rely on rice and wheat, like most Asian countries.

` Some consequences of stunting include poor cognition, poor educational performance at school, lower income and lower economic opportunity.

` And when stunting is accompanied by excessive weight gain later in childhood, the person will develop an increased risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases in adulthood, including obesity, diabetes and heart diseases.

` “A number of them become obese, as when they start to grow older, they get better nutrition and cannot satisfy their hunger, so they eat a lot,” he says.

` However, stunting recovery intervention may enable undernourished children to catch up on height and other developmental markers.

` The crucial years

` Puberty is the time in life when a boy or girl becomes sexually mature.

` This is also when the growth spurt occurs.

` This short period of rapid growth development in children typically lasts around two to three years.

` Prof Yazid explains: “Boys and girls start at different ages.

` “In girls, puberty is when the breasts develop, which can be as early as eight years old, until menarche, i.e. their first period, which is around two or three years after breast development.”

` He adds that the growth spurt usually occurs at the early stage of puberty, so for girls, it occurs around the time of breast development.

` “Once they get their menses, they don’t grow much until the end of the total pubertal period – the gain is only around 2-5cm.

` “During the first two to three years of puberty, most will gain between 17-22cm in height,” he says.

` For boys, puberty begins later, with testicular enlargement that can begin as early as nine to 10 years of age, although it typically occurs around 12 years of age.

` It then takes another two to three years before puberty ends.

` “Only after puberty will boys have a growth spurt and can achieve a 20-25cm height gain.

` “This is when they start having acne, pubic hair, etc

` `

Start them young

 “They can grow really fast, but to help them grow, we need to intervene immediately and cannot wait until their voice changes,” Prof Yazid points out.

He also notes that nobody usually knows when a boy starts puberty as no one checks for testicular enlargement under normal circumstances.

Only a visit to a paediatric endocrinologist is likely to see their testes size being examined.

Where growth happens

All children have growth plates – areas of smooth, elastic cartilage found at the end of each long bone in the body.

This is where growth takes place. When the bones finish growing, the growth plates close.

Girls generally stop growing and reach their maximum height around the age of 14, and boys, around 16.

Doctors can estimate when growth will be completed by determining a child’s bone age.

They do this by taking an X-ray of the left hand and wrist to see if the growth plates are still open.

The bone age may be different from the child’s actual age.

Prof Yazid says: “Bone age is not the same as chronological age.

“For those that go into early puberty, their bone age may be more advanced than chronological age.

“Height gain should really begin before puberty.

“If the girls are short at the start of puberty, we like to delay puberty, because if they were to start their menses with the height of 130cm, then we cannot do much.

“That’s why it’s important to start nutrition, adequate caloric intake and caloric expenditure from a young age for bone lengthening and thickening, so that the child can gain enough height.”

The adolescent phase contributes to 15-20% of adult height, 45% of adult bone mass increase, and 40-50% of adult weight gain.

Nutritional needs

During early adolescence, children require up to twice or more key nutrients to support accelerated growth and development, compared to a younger child.

These include:

> Calcium – up to 85% increase > Protein – up to 154% increase > Magnesium – up to 200% increase

> Phosphorus – up to 170% increase)

> Zinc – up to 75% increase, and > Vitamin K – up to 133% increase.

Results from the 2017 NHMS showed that:

> 89.4% of adolescents did not meet the required nutritional intake (RNI) for calcium

> 98.8% did not meet the RNI for vitamin D, and

> Over 60% did not meet the RNI for vitamin E.

In addition, the survey found that seven out of 10 adolescents habitually skipped breakfast, while another one in two skipped lunch and dinner.

“I’ve encountered a number of adolescents (13-18 years) who have growth issues; they are underweight so they don’t gain much height.

“At this age, physical activity is important for boys, and if they don’t eat much, they lack energy.

“Three out of four kids also don’t take adequate dairy products,” laments Prof Yazid.

A lack of sleep also affects height.

This is as growth hormones are secreted the most between 10pm to midnight before dropping, then rising a bit between 2am to 4am.

He says: “Most of our adolescents sleep late and have poor quality of sleep, so they don’t get the spurt of growth hormones.

“Another factor is physical activity, which enables the secretion of endorphin and serotonin hormones to make you feel good about yourself. “When you feel good and sleep better, it increases the growth hormone secretions.

“Our adolescents love to sleep late, don’t do regular physical activity and skip meals, so how can they grow well?

“With Covid-19, all kids are equally affected as they don’t do much physical activity and spend more time on gadgets.”

Adolescents should aim to incorporate 30-60 minutes of moderate physical activity daily.

“Walking lazily doesn’t count.

“It’s best to exercise in the evening so they can sleep better at night,” he says.

Parents as role models

Prof Yazid says about half of adolescents perceive that their parents don’t know what they do in their free time.

“What and how you eat matters. “Parents need to try to understand their adolescents’ perspective and look into the kinds of food, timing of their food intake/sleep and exercise patterns.

“It’s better to show than to say, because bugging them doesn’t help when parents themselves don’t lead by example.

“So, when food is put on the table, show them how you would eat it.

“Similarly, exercise with them and sleep early.

“Parents are really the best supporters to encourage their children to do all these,” he says.

In terms of dairy products – which are important for development and bone strength – a number of parents think their children don’t need milk beyond the ages of five or seven, and thus, stop serving it to them.

This is incorrect.

Prof Yazid says: “From dairy products, they can get good nutrients.

“They need at least 600ml of milk a day – 400ml can come from milk and the other 200ml can be obtained from other sources such as cheese or yoghurt.”

When regular meals alone do not meet the increased nutrient requirements for their child’s growth, parents can seek advice from their child’s physician and consider nutritional supplements to help improve nutritional intake during this important growth period.

“The height at the start of puberty is so important to determine the final height.

“If we can reduce stunting rates before the age of five, we can definitely reduce its prevalence among adolescents,” concludes Prof Yazid.

The Star Malaysia 

When parents make mistakes 

 One common parenting mistake is jumping to conclusions about your child’s guilt without even giving them a chance to explain first. — Positive Parenting

 

It may be hard to put aside your pride and apologise to your kids, but it will make you a better parent and show your children good values.

IF you have ever mistakenly raised your voice towards your child or blamed him for something he did not do, you must know how awful that feels like.

Parents commit mistakes too, but as authority figures and role models in the family, they may find it hard to right their wrongs.

Mistakes are bound to happen, whether due to stress, overwork, lack of sleep, poor judgement or carelessness.

However, this is not an excuse to be ignorant or dismissive of one’s missteps.

What we can do is to learn from our mistakes today so that we can be better parents tomorrow.

It may not be easy to overcome our ego and admit our mistake to the kids.

But by role-modelling such behaviour, we can teach our kids (and ourselves) to be better human beings.

Common parenting mistakes

To learn from your mistakes, you will first need to accept that a mistake has been made.

It may occur unintentionally or due to past ignorance.

Here are some common mistakes:

> Breaking promises

You promised to take your daughter to her favourite restaurant after she did well in her test, but you were too busy and ended up not going.

Parents promise all kinds of things to their kids, but it can be hard to fulfil all of the promises made.

> Telling lies

White lies are common for various reasons – as an excuse, to avoid difficult topics, and often, to calm children.

Parents may also tell a lie to another person in front of their kids.

Even if the lie seems harmless, it teaches the kids that it is okay to lie – and this is not okay.

> Jumping to conclusions

Some parents tend to blame or scold their kids without giving them a chance to explain things first.

By assuming that our kids’ past behaviours and choices dictate present and future ones, it limits how we view our kids and can cause us to judge them unfairly.

> Using bad words

Rising anger tends to blind us. You may not realise the bad words being uttered and there is no way to retract them once they are said.

It is bad enough when said to another person, but worse when said to your own kids.

> Comparing and criticising

Constructive comments are okay, but belittling your child, comparing him with others, and criticising his weak spots, all with the intention of “building up his character” are not.

> Too much teasing

Joking, teasing and kidding with your kids are some of the ways to have a laugh and fun with them.

However, you may be taking things too far if they are not laughing.

Even worse is if you press them for not being able to take the joke. > Forgetting things

Having a busy schedule may lead to occasional slip-ups, causing you to forget simple errands (e.g. to pick up your child from tuition), or even important events and dates (e.g. your child’s birthday or school sports day).

> Being hypocritical

Parents are the main role model for their kids.

When parents do not practise what they preach, they risk confusing the kids with conflicting messages.

> Hurting them physically

Parents may accidentally inflict physical harm onto their children, e.g. injuring your daughter’s finger while closing the car door.

Some parents also tend to take out their anger or frustrations on their kids (including yelling, cursing and hitting).

Righting the wrong

After realising that you have made a mistake, what can you do?

> Don’t be too hard on yourself

No parent is perfect, so do not beat yourself up too long for being a “horrible parent”.

Instead, focus on correcting your mistake and finding a solution. >

Admit mistakes and apologise

Once you and your child have calmed down somewhat, gently talk about what you regret and apologise for your mistake.

Ask for a “do over” and try to make things right.



This can be a great opportunity to demonstrate forgiveness and humility to your child. > Reconnect with your child

Let your child express how he feels.

Be open, present and willing to listen and engage with him.

Try to put yourself in his shoes and see (and feel) from his point of view.

This will build empathy and a deeper understanding to reconnect with one another.

> Aim to be better

Focus on self-improvement as a person and parent.

Learn to regulate your own emotions by practising self-compassion and learning to stay centred whenever there is a crisis in your household.

Loving your child starts with loving yourself.

It is part of human nature to make mistakes.

In our lifetime, we will (or should) exchange apologies and forgiveness countless times, including as a parent.

The important thing is to acknowledge that a mistake has been made and to learn from it, make amends, reconcile and gradually develop to be a better parent and individual.

- Alexius Cheang is a behavioural psychologist. This article is courtesy of the Malaysian Paediatric Association’s Positive Parenting programme in collaboration with expert partners. For further information, please email starhealth@ thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader’s own medical care. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information. 

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Covid-19 Cases going down; top priority – keep the kids safe

 Malaysia's Cases going down to below R1  

 

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is seeing a dip in the Covid-19 infectivity rate. Though this is encouraging, health experts caution the public against taking their foot off the pedal.

Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman said the downward trend proved that the preventive measures put in place were effective.

“Our steps to control the outbreak are on track but we have to continue this effort to reduce it further.

“It is a good sign, but if we loosen our grip, the number of infections is set to potentially increase, ” she said.

Dr Malina added that while the country’s R value was showing a decline, the aim would be to push it down to near zero.

The R value, or reproduction number, refers to the infectivity rate of a virus at a particular point in time.

It represents the average number of people an infected person could spread the disease to, so an R value of lower than 1 means that the number of people being infected on average will be fewer over time.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the R value had dropped to below 1 during the first week of the lockdown.

Yesterday, it was recorded at 0.99.

On May 31, before the two-week lockdown was implemented, it was 1.09.

Previously, the R value was also recorded at levels of 1.21 and 1.16, on May 23 and May 29, respectively.

International Islamic University Malaysia epidemiologist Prof Dr Jamalludin Ab Rahman said while the R value did show a positive impact, it was not enough.

Malaysia was not out of the woods yet, he said.

“R alone is not enough. For example, we should look at fatality rates, or the number of new clusters.

“Should we be happy with an R value that is lower than 1?

“Yes. But is the effort enough? Not yet, ” Dr Jamalludin pointed out.

“The R value has to be persistently low. Until when? There is no precise answer.”

He said that while the MCO and lockdown had reduced mobility among the general population considerably, Malaysia was still seeing transmissions in factories.

“The government really needs to settle this source of infections.

“The movement control order can solve sporadic cases in the community but if factories are still operating and close contact in crowded spaces is not being controlled, we will continue to have cases from factories, ” he added.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Azmi Mohd Tamil agreed.

He said that unless a relational database – where all secondary cases were mapped out to each primary case – it would not be possible to get the accurate average number of secondary persons infected from a single primary case.

“What we have is only an estimate based on a mathematical model.

“As long as we have cases in the community, the outbreak will continue – until the majority of the population is immune to the disease.”

At present, Dr Azmi said, “all possible cases of Covid-19 need to be screened, identified and isolated from the susceptible population”.

He reckoned that the lockdown should not be lifted on June 14.

“The number of cases does not support that – even though the R value is currently below 1, ” he added

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Top priority – keep the kids safe

PETALING JAYA: Spending almost two weeks in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 last year is something housewife Sharifah Farah Ayuni Syed Rosli does not want to go through again – ever.Now, she and her husband have only one important thing in mind – to look after and protect their three children from being infected.

“That harrowing experience was enough to jolt us. We hope neither we nor our kids get infected by the disease,” said the 30-year-old from Kota Baru.

Recalling her stay, Sharifah said she spent about 13 days in hospital with her businessman husband Mohd Azlee Che Mohd Zaid and their son, Mir Ali Zafar, who was three months old at the time.

While she was well cared for by medical workers there, the housewife said she was mentally exhausted thinking about her two other children, who tested negative and placed in their grandmother’s care.

“Nowadays, I get a little anxious if I feel unwell, worrying if I contracted Covid-19 again.

“Thankfully, we are all healthy. We understand that we must stay at home to guard against getting infected,” she said.

Recently, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said there was a rise in infections among younger children, some of whom had to be treated at intensive care units.

Sharifah said she and her husband tried to set good examples for their three children, now aged six, four and one-and-a-half, and remind them to wash their hands and wear their face masks properly.

She said her children understood that they could not go for outings because of the pandemic.

“We are grateful that they are obedient and follow our advice.

“There are times when they get upset and sulk, as children sometimes do, but they listen,” Sharifah said.

Kiranjit Muniandy wonders if she is doing enough to protect her 19-month-old daughter from getting infected.

“The number of kids getting infected of late is alarming. It’s tougher now because she is at that age where she just wants to touch everything,” she said.

Kiranjit, 39, was also worried about the high number of new cases daily.

“My husband and I have decided not to go out and stay at home.

“We have also stopped receiving visitors. We take care of our daughter while we work from home.

“Thankfully, we work on shifts. My husband works in the day while I work at night so we take turns,” said the banking executive.

Kiranjit said she would take every precaution to protect her family from being infected and hoped that the pandemic would end soon as she misses her family in Sabah.

“My daughter has not met her grandparents for over a year,” she said.

Faster herd immunity if kids are jabbed too - PressReader

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Didik TV home-based teaching and learning

DidikTV goes on air to fill education gap in a world ravaged by a pandemic.  

PM: Students affected by pandemic can keep up with their studies 

 

The all-day educational television channel DidikTV Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM) will help ensure more students who cannot resume face-toface learning can keep up with their studies, says the Prime Minister.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this is especially necessary for students who do not have access to the Internet or possess electronic gadgets to use for learning.

He added that the government understands that online home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) could not reach every one of Malaysia’s 5,000,000 school students in the short time since it was introduced on March 18, 2020.

“The Education Ministry always emphasises that whatever teaching and learning method used must be suitable for teachers and students,” he said when launching DidikTV KPM yesterday.

Muhyiddin said this is the first time a channel is being dedicated to educational content in Malaysia and is among the ministry’s efforts to increase access to quality educational content for all students.

“I believe that DidikTV KPM will help students with their PdPR, especially those who do not have access to online PdPR,” he added.

He said that the content is based on the Education Ministry’s curriculum and co-curriculum.

“This channel will also broadcast news about the education world from preschool until Form Six, and edutainment,” he said, adding that there would also be lifelong learning programmes that emphasise character development and moral values.

Separately, Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said DidikTV differs from the previous TV Pendidikan, totalling 11 hours of content on different channels, in that it is now 17 hours in one dedicated channel, aired on ntv7 from 7am to midnight.

Previously TV Pendidikan was broadcast on TV Okey RTM, Tutor TV Astro and DidikTV@ntv7.

Top teachers will be delivering the content to the students, said Radzi, adding that right now, with the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2020 looming, they are focusing more on programmes to prepare the candidates for the examinations.

He also said the ministry decided to create a dedicated television channel with educational content based on the positive feedback on its Road To SPM 2020 programme, which catered for SPM 2020 candidates.

Based on available data, about 95% of Malaysian households have a television set, making this a suitable medium to deliver PdPR to everyone, he said in an interview with TV3 yesterday.

“The content is not limited to the national curriculum or co-curriculum,” he said, adding that there will be programmes to build character, improve general knowledge, and showcase students’ talents.

Radzi also said that the ministry will be monitoring feedback on the programmes to identify areas that need to be improved.

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Learning at home: Azza Azrin Juri (left), 33, guiding her sons Arrizqy Izzran (centre) Arruzain Izzul, as they follow a lesson on Didik TV. - IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

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Don’t just leave it to the teachers

Sheer joy of parenting

 What the writer and his wife love about being parents is that their children have enhanced their lives in so many ways

To the writer and his wife, parenthood is their greatest achievement although they have experienced difficult trials along the way.

FINANCIAL reasons is the normal excuse given by some who are not willing to have children. This is shocking.

Sure, having kids will affect our budget but that should not be the reason for not having children, or at least one child. To those who do not want to have children, I have reasons to change your mind.

When my wife, who was then earning as much as I did, decided to forego her job as a bank officer and concentrate on being a mother, it was our decision to prioritise our children’s upbringing rather than focus on our financial standing. We knew then that we really had to tighten our belts, but with careful planning, we survived.

Nothing else can produce the joy that parenthood offers. I can’t imagine going through life without feeling that spectrum of emotions. Feeling it all, good and bad, gives our lives as a married couple more purpose and challenges.

There is the pure joy of just watching our children be kids and reliving all those first moments when they discover how to do things on their own. Their smiles, giggles and pride in new accomplishments, even though some may be mischief in nature, were a sheer pleasure to watch.

As the sole income earner in the family, I could have had the worst day at work, but to come home and listen to our children, discuss their day with my wife, or to overhear them giggle while playing or watching television makes the worst day disappear.

I was 33 when I had my first kid. Though my first child wasn’t born normal, having children was such a life-altering experience. My wife and I were always looking for a purpose in our lives and when we had our children, we found it.

We love being parents. Seeing them do well in their studies and behaviour-wise, we know we are doing right thus far. That doesn’t mean we don’t have our share of mistakes but we are better persons for knowing our children and are very honoured to be their parents.

My wife and I love being parents because of the hugs, giggles and grins. When our kids are happy, so are we. As they grew, they amazed us every day with their new words, behaviour and discoveries. They have taught us to be more patient, more loving and much more appreciative of every moment we have together as a family.

Parenthood is a joy. Even while experiencing the hardest trials of our lives, we have learned to rise to all occasions. We’ve found ourselves lifted to new heights while stretching ourselves beyond our limits once we put it upon ourselves to guide them. With rarely a dull moment, we’ve experienced more adventures from parenting our children than we ever imagined.

Parenthood is our life, our passion and our greatest achievement. We also love watching our kids evolve into empathetic, kind human beings who can think for themselves, like spending their money thriftily and being involved in various school activities. You don’t realise the progress until far down the road but the wait is so worthwhile.

We don’t deny that parenthood is a hectic life filled with schedules, diaper changes, feedings, spendings and much more. There are so many things we love about being parents, but the one that stops us dead in our tracks is when each of our children turn to us and say, “Ayah Mi” (referring to me) and “Mak” (referring to my wife).

We love the fact that when our children were growing up to be adults, we were beside them every step of the way, teaching, helping, moulding and loving them.

Life may be great for those who do not want to have children but life will be even better once they have been blessed to become parents.

What we love about being parents is that our children have enhanced our lives in so many ways. We are a better husband, a better wife, better employees, neighbours, relatives and friends. We would rather have our worst days with our kids than to have our best days without them.

By DR ARZMI YAACOB

VR gaming gears up for the mainstream

A group of gamers wearing VR headsets at Zero Latency Singapore. The VR arcade in Singapore is the latest to pop up around the world as backers of the technology seek to shake off teething problems and break into the mainstream. — AFP

Arcades seek to take virtual reality gaming mainstream

SINGAPORE: Gamers wearing headsets and wielding rifles adorned with flashing lights battle a horde of zombies, letting out the occasional terrified shriek.

The virtual reality arcade in Singapore is part of a wave of such venues being opened as backers of the technology seek to shake off teething problems and break into the mainstream.

The buzz around virtual reality (VR) gaming has seen Taiwan-based HTC, Sony and Facebook-owned Oculus VR battling to woo consumers with a range of headgear.

But it has been slow to really take off, partly due to the hefty price of top-end headsets, beginning at around US$350 (RM1,362), and the challenges in setting up complex VR systems at home.


But VR arcades, which have been springing up around the world, particularly in Asia, are now giving people the chance to try it out more easily and for a fraction of the price.

“Given the complications of at-home, PC-based VR systems, pay-per-use, location-based entertainment venues can fill the gap,” said Bryan Ma, from International Data Corporation (IDC), a consumer technology market research firm, in a recent note on the industry.

Several VR gaming companies have made forays into Singapore, seeing the ultra-modern, affluent city-state that is home to hordes of expatriates as a good fit.

The zombie fight-out was taking place at a centre where participants stalked a room with a black floor and walls.

“I did paintball before, it’s quite fun... but I think the whole scene is much more interesting here,” said Jack Backx, a 55-year-old from the Netherlands, who was playing with colleagues from the oil and gas industry on a work day out.

The location is run by VR gaming group Zero Latency, which started in Australia and has expanded to nine countries. It uses “free-roam” virtual reality – where gamers move around in large spaces and are not tethered to computers with cables.

It’s not all intense, shoot-’em-ups – VR group Virtual Room has an outlet in Singapore that transports gamers to scenarios in the prehistoric period, a medieval castle, ancient Egypt and even a lunar landing.

Asia leads the way

VR arcades have been springing up in other places. China was an early hotbed for virtual reality gaming although the industry has struggled in recent times, while they can also be found in countries across the region including Japan, Taiwan and Australia.

Many key industry milestones over the past two years have been in Asia but arcades have appeared elsewhere – London’s first one opened last year while there are also some in the United States.

Consumer spending on virtual reality hardware, software and services is expected to more than double from US$2.2bil (RM8.56bil) in 2017, to US$4.5bil (RM17.51bil) this year, according to gaming intelligence provider SuperData Research.

For the best-quality experience, it can be relatively expensive – a session in Singapore costs Sg$59 (RM175).

“The equipment here is not cheap,” said Simon Ogilvie, executive director of Tomorrow Entertainment, which runs the Zero Latency franchise in Singapore.

The industry faces huge challenges.

China offers a cautionary tale – according to IDC, VR arcades have struggled there after expanding too quickly.

There have also been warnings that improvements in home-based technology may eventually lead to VR gaming centres suffering the same fate as traditional arcades that were once filled with Pac-Man and Street Fighter machines.

“The rise and fall of coin-operated videogame arcades in the 1980s suggests that such VR arcades may eventually fade in relevance as home-based computing power and prices fall within mass consumer reach,” said the note from IDC’s Ma.

Rebecca Assice, who runs Virtual Room in Singapore, said one challenge was getting people interested in the first place as many still did not know about the arcades.

“VR is still a really new industry,” she said. “A lot of people just don’t know this sort of activity exists.” — AFP

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What parents need to know about VR ?

The hottest tech in videogames is virtual reality. Find out its potential effects on kids before buying a headset.

 

VR can make you think and feel things you know aren’t real. ——Dreamstime/TNS

EVERYONE who’s tried it agrees: virtual reality is mind-blowing. Once you strap on that headset, you truly believe you’re strolling on a Parisian street, careening on a roller coaster, or immersed in the human body exploring the inner workings of the oesophagus.

But for all its coolness – and its potential uses, from education to medicine – not a lot is known about how VR affects kids. Common sense Media’s new report, Virtual Reality 101: What You Need to Know About Kids and VR, co-authored by the founding director of stanford University’s virtual Human Interaction Lab, offers a first-of-its-kind overview of the expanding uses for the technology and its potential effects on kids.

Now that VR devices from inexpensive viewers to game consoles to full-scale gaming arcades are finally here – with lots more coming soon – it’s a good idea to start thinking about how to manage VR when it comes knocking at your door.

VR can make you think and feel things you know aren’t real. Other media can give you the sense of “being there” – what’s called psychological presence – but not to the extent that VR can. This unique ability is what makes it so important to understand more about the short- and long-term effects of the technology on kids. Here are some of the key findings from the report.

Even though we don’t yet have all the answers to how vR affects kids, we know enough to consider some pros and cons. And whether kids are using vR through a mobile device like Google Cardboard, on a console like the Playstation vR, on a fully tricked-out desktop rig like the Oculus Rift, or at a mall arcade, these guidelines can help you keep any vR experience your kids have safe and fun.

Pay attention to age ratings. Check the recommended age on the headset package and don’t let younger kids use products designed for older kids. The minimum age isn’t based on medical proof of adverse effects on the brain and vision, but it’s the manufacturer’s best guess as to who the product is safest for.

Choose games wisely. Because the vR game experience can be more intense than that of regular games, it’s even more important to check reviews to make sure the gameplay, the content and the subject matter are appropriate for your kid.

Keep it safe. A few precautions: Once you have the goggles on, orient yourself to the room by touching the walls; stick to short sessions until you know how you’re affected by vR; stay seated if possible; move furniture out of the way; and have a second person as a spotter.

Pay attention to feelings – both physical and emotional. If you’re feeling sick to your stomach, dizzy, drained, or sad, angry, or anxious – give it a rest for a while.

Talk about experiences. since vR feels so real, it’s an excellent time to talk through what your kid has experienced in a game. Ask what it felt like, what the differences are between vR and regular games, and how vR helps you connect to other people’s experiences by putting you in someone else’s shoes.

Find opportunities; avoid pitfalls. Don’t let your kids play vR games that mimic experiences you wouldn’t want them to have in real life, such as using violent weapons. On the other hand, take advantage of vR that exposes kids to things they wouldn’t normally get to see, feel, and learn, such as visiting a foreign country.

Keep privacy in mind. Devices that can track your movements – including eye movements – could store that data for purposes that haven’t yet been invented. — Common sense Media/Tribune news service.

Star2 Technology  by Caroline Knorr

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