What better gift for parents than a book on parenting, nutrition and recipes.
This all-in-one gem may sound too good to be true, but it is exactly what Daisy Ng, the proprietor of two children’s schools in Malaysia, has done through her book Right From the Start.
It offers practical advice on what to feed toddlers, preschoolers and families as well as recipes and home remedies.
Ng may have left her job as an investment banker some years ago, but she is still helping others invest. However, now the investment is in children and their future.
She is the founder and owner of Trinity Kids Malaysia, which has won several awards from local magazine BabyTalk Readers’ Choice, including Best Kindergarten 2015 and Best Infant & Toddler Programme 2015.
“Through my role at Trinity Kids, I found myself repeating information during parent consultations and in talks,” says Ng. That’s when she thought of approaching MPH Publishing.
The book, which is an easy-read and offers tips and anecdotes in a digestible format, is perfect for busy parents who want quick information in one book. She even uses references to research and scientific studies to back up some of the information.
Ng explains that she has adapted what she has learnt over time, localised the information and delivered it in an accessible and practical manner.
Despite being a first-time author, Ng relished her new role and applied the same efficiency she normally uses in her school. She completed the book in six weeks, although she admits that some information in the book comes from articles she has written before for parenting magazines and websites.
Right From the Start may include facts from medical journals, but it reads more like a parent sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience from years of working in the child education sector.
Ng is indeed a strong believer in knowledge sharing, even if it means her competitors may learn the secrets of her school’s success.
“I have always been an open person and I freely share information on our Facebook page and website. When parents visit us, we spend as much time and share as much information with them as possible. Hard-selling and being secretive are what we never do. Frequently, we would share a tip or what we do on social media, and our competitors blatantly follow suit. I have met fellow industry practitioners who are so obsessed with competitors’ behaviour that it consumed them, making them unhappy. I don’t want to become this way.
“I don’t rely on consultants or what peers are doing currently to tell me what to do. Instead, I let my children and students be my muse. We look at market gaps, analyse how to make kids learn better, how to optimise their development and continuously innovate. That’s how I keep coming up with new programmes, service offerings and products.
“I love what I do, and I believe that I am making a difference in every way. I honestly do not mind the copying that comes from me being open. I think this raises awareness of both parents and competitors, and elevates the standard,” says Ng.
As an avid reader and one who has taken many courses and certifications over the years it only makes sense that she wants to help others learn. Ng is a Dr Sears Health Coach in family and pre-natal wellness. She is also pursuing her doctoral degree in holistic nutrition.
She may advocate good nutrition and eating healthy, but that doesn’t mean Ng’s recipes are boring. In fact, they are anything but that. She has many fun recipes, not surprising considering many of them were conceived with her two young children in mind. They are now aged three and six years.
She even endorses the Kawan brand of food products in her book. The food company is sponsoring the book.
Big Breakfast Fry-Up.
The recipes are original and they are food that she cooks and bakes daily at home and in school. All the ingredients are available in Malaysia. As for the natural remedies, many of them are the result of her studies and self-reading as a Dr Sears Health Coach.
Those struggling to get their kids to eat will be glad to find out that Ng’s children were picky-eaters and she has included some creative dishes among the recipes.
“I am very glad that they overcame this and are both good eaters now. They are the main source of my inspiration. They go through phases and keep me on my toes,” quips Ng.
Her family favourites, which are found in the book, are the Big Breakfast Fry-up, Grilled Salmon with Spinach, Breakfast in a Cup, Roast Chicken, and Fish Curry.
“I have been blessed with positive responses, and far better than I expected. I have been stopped in malls by strangers who recognise me from my book. Mums tell me they love the wealth of information, the localised recipes and how pretty the pictures are. I have heard comparisons to Annabel Karmel, Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver. For this, I am very thankful to the team at MPH and the photographer, Sammie Tan, for making the book turn out so awesome,” says Ng, who admits to struggling to keep the number of recipes in the book down to just 40.