Family Times - Winter 2019

We’ve Got Parenting Covered

Wi nter I s s u e 2 019

FREE! =take me home

JULY SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

When we remember to breathe

Nathan Wallis Let children PLAY

Is your precious cargo

safely secured?

Take your kids to see the world’s rarest & smallest dolphins these school holidays. Board the big Black Cat catamaran and explore Akaroa Harbour. See dolphins, penguins and seals in majestic surroundings.

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Winter / 2019

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editor’s note

Welcome It's inevitable that this time would come. When my one and only would start school.

It’s not like he hasn’t gone to daycare, to play with other children and experience what it’s like in another environment.

And it’s not as though we haven’t spent hours apart from one another, so he’d know what it’s like to go to school. So why am I feeling a little sad?

One mum I spoke with recently said when she dropped her child at school for the first time she thought, “right, that’s done,” and off to work she happily went. Gosh, I'd love to be brave like that.

Each time I see the book title When we remember to breathe (page 6) it helps, because I find myself holding onto my breath everytime I think of Austen starting school. But, I’m finding that mindful breathing is working for me.

Another thing that is helping is my group of mum friends, whose children are all starting school around the same time. We have a Messenger group and meet up socially once a month, and bump into each other with our little ones countless times in between.

Having a supportive team around you is important, because we’re all going through this together.

Emily Writes talks about her son’s first day of school in this issue (page 20), and she says, “That the agony of labour is so physical but then rushing from the classroom door on their first day of school so they don’t see your tears is some other kind of deep pain.”

Oh, Emily, I hear you… “some other kind of deep pain”. What I’m hoping, is that I’ll get all my sadness out of the way before he even starts school, so I can share in his happiness and feel some kind of joy on his first day, rather than just pretending.

I should say, at home, we always talk positively about school and the great experiences he’s going to have. And I know Austen’s looking forward to his new adventure, and seeing all his daycare buddies who started before him. My feelings of woe is the only handbrake in this situation.

Emily goes on to say, this is the “hard stuff of parenting – that you must somehow encourage your heart out of your body to beat on its own”.

And, she’s absolutely right. It’s time for me to let my little heart go and be the great learner he’s destined to be.

Kineta

Kineta Booker / Editor kineta@27publishers.co.nz

@familytimesnewzealand

in the places you love, with the people who matter the most For over 30 years and in 50 spectacular locations throughout New Zealand, including 24 in the South Island, we have been carefully creating settings to provide you with your very own unique, quality holiday experience.

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Winter / 2019

3

Contents

13

FEATURES 6

4

When we remember to breathe

38​

Foster parenting

12​

Egg donation

39

Sleep easy

13​

DIY Heuristic baskets

40​

Perfect bread

3​

Welcome Note

14​

Nathan Wallis: Let children play

46

In the spotlight: Jeff Clark

5​

Help is at hand

18

Is your precious cargo safely secured?

8​

Books and Beats

19

You child’s orthodontic treatment

20

Emily Writes: The first day of school

23

Why tweens and teens are amazing

27

Winter blues and winter hues

28

Safety net

32

Eco: Toys for hire

33

Flick: Choice app

35

Kite: Give your life wings

36

I believe… in me!

Winter / 2019

REGULARS

On holiday

10​

We love...

29

Awe-inspiring Tekapo

24​

What’s On Christchurch

30

Unmissable Mackenzie

26

What’s On Dunedin

34​

Interior Trends

42

Fun Zone

43

Giveaways

44

Christchurch Marketplace

23

PLUS, make sure you LIKE our Facebook page to stay up-to-date with happenings and advice, and for plenty of chances to WIN! familytimesnewzealand

contents

familytimes.co.nz is delighted to be a long-term sponsor of The Canterbury Special Children’s Christmas Party, an event that has been giving underprivileged and special needs children the opportunity to celebrate Christmas.

PUBLISHER Twenty Seven Publishers Ltd Lisa Phelan lisa@27publishers.co.nz 021 782 228 EDITOR Kineta Booker kineta@27publishers.co.nz SUB-EDITOR Melissa Reimer melissa@27publishers.co.nz DESIGN & Production Rachel Brodrick designer@27publishers.co.nz ADVERTISING Shelley Eccleton shelley@27publishers.co.nz 027 631 3288

General Enquiries hello@27publishers.co.nz CONTRIBUTORS Barbara Williman, Claire Gullidge, Christina Buckland, Crissi Blair, Emily Writes, Grahame Dutton, Hannah Hardy-Jones, Hayley Marshall, Holly Nahu, Jane MacKay, Jeff Clark, John Parsons, Julia Lomas, Kate Barber, Kelly Eden, Michele Powles, Nathan Wallis, Rachel McFedries, Renee Liang, Dr Sarah Wakeman, Siubhan Green, Suzy Cato, Victoria Crockford, Wonita Woolhouse PRINT Blueprint, Christchurch

Family Times is published quarterly and is a registered trademark. While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretations of the subject matter contained herein. The reader of this publication assumes all responsibility for the use of these materials and information. Any perceived slight of any person or organisation is completely unintentional. Family Times asserts copyright on all material published within Family Times and none of it shall be reproduced, wholly or in part, without the prior written consent of this publisher. Family Times reserves the right to edit or abridge all letters or other material, whether solicited or otherwise, prior to publication.

familytimesnewzealand

@familytimesnewzealand

Help is at hand

Sometimes you need some information or an answer to a curly question – all you need to do is pick up the phone and ask for help.

After Hours Counselling Services Providing counselling and relationship services.

027 694 5275 afterhours-counselling services.co.nz

Canterbury Speakeasy A stuttering support group who meets at the University Speech Disorders Unit every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at 7.30pm.

Seabrook McKenzie Centre For Specific Learning Disabilities provides solutions and hope. Our team includes registered psychologists who provide assessments and intervention suggestions.

03 381 5383 seabrookmckenzie.net

Christchurch Resettlement Services Free social services for people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Interpreters are provided.

03 338 8628

03 335 0311 | crs.org.nz

SIDS and Kids

Parent Helpline

Dedicated to saving the lives of babies and children; and supporting bereaved families.

0800 164 455 sidsandkids.org.nz

For all parenting issues, from those everyday situations to the most serious issue of child abuse.

0800 568 856 parenthelp.org.nz

ISSN NO. 2324-450X

Winter / 2019

5

POS I T I V E PARENT I NG

Positive Parenting By

Michele Powles

and

Renee Liang

I

t’s a charged phrase, positive parenting. Am I parenting positively when I grab my Lego engineer’s “wand” and “suggest” he not poke his brother in the eye with it? Or am I setting him up to feel he’s done the wrong thing, and, so chastised, he dampens his imagination?

There are so many opinions around parenting, so readily available, so relentlessly ‘positive’, that it’s easy to get caught up in feelings of guilt and inadequacy and fear. Am I the only one this isn’t working for? Is it me?

Guess what? You’re doing great.

You’re building amazing brains with your Lego engineer; chaos specialist; unicorn trainer and/ or genius offspring. There are no ‘eight easy steps’ to anything.

There’s just you and your kids, getting to know each other.

And the kids haven't read the parenting books (unless they are actual geniuses). There’s a principle taught to young doctors: the parents are the biggest experts on their own children and they’re usually right. Find your instincts and trust them, because every parent/child combination is different.

whether they be spoken, or written. Research has shown that children who are secure in their relationship with their parents will do well.

Telling the story of ourselves is important, too. In much the same way you teach your child to see themselves in new ways – ‘look, you took a step!’; ‘you used the toilet!; you’re so grown up!’ – you need to capture yourself parenting brilliantly. Maybe that’s in the form of conversations with other parents, or a quiet word to a friend or partner at the end of a long day. Maybe it’s just to yourself. Maybe you need to share what you do with others, or maybe not. But the stories are important. Especially when you are changing and developing as much as your children.

Find your instincts and trust them, because every parent/ child combination is different.

It’s a little like reading a picture book. Deep at the heart of the pictures is the story, the feeling, the spark of what makes us connect with what’s on the page. When it works, we feel like we’re inside the story. We feel like we’re in the right place. That feeling of belonging is what we believe is so important to capture for our children in our words,

6

Winter / 2019

As writers, we use writing as a tool. We grab the threads of things that happen throughout the day and weave them into multicoloured memory cloaks. On good days, we play dress ups in these cloaks; on bad days, we hide under them and hold our loved ones close. We let our imaginations run under the table for dinner and lick up the crumbs. When the kids are finally asleep, we try and spill out the time we’ve had with our children all over the page. Other people might talk, or draw, or move, or film. But for us, words are the key to the past – and the future. These notes and stories are something our children have already started to read.

And smile at. And remember the feeling of being alive and fun and held and secure.

When We Remember to Breathe is co-written

by Michele Powles and Renee Liang, published

by Magpie Pulp.

wonderful windmill

work shop

Make your own working windmill FREE these school holidays 8 – 21 July, 10am – 4pm daily Located near Muffin Break

*See northlands.co.nz for terms and conditions. While stocks last.

Winter / 2019

7

Books and beats

Books

Bibliophile and school librarian, CRISSI BLAIR shares her top picks for different ages and interests.

Twinkle Twinkle Matariki

TOP PICK

Rebecca Larsen

Read to your baby every day

Imagination Press, $20

Chloe Giordano, illus. Rachel Williams

Quarto, $28 “Science tells us that babies develop best when they are spoken to, sung to, and read to.” [back cover] This beautiful hardback book is a treasure for the family of any new baby and a great encouragement to begin reading aloud to the youngest of babies.

It features traditional nursery rhymes like ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’ and ‘Mary had a Little Lamb’ and is illustrated with charming embroidered artworks. A very special treasure.

Pukeko, Kiwi and Hoiho take off in a rocket to explore the stars of Matariki, each representing a different aspect of our world, such as freshwater lakes and rivers, and the creatures therein.

They walk through the forest, find food in the garden, and fish in the river. Join them while they explore, perform actions and sing in English and te reo Māori. There’s a bonus CD so you can sing along too. The bright pastel illustrations and abundance of words, numbers, colours and vocabulary will keep young minds busy.

Suitable for ages 4-10 Whetū Toa and the Magician

Suitable for ages 0+

Steph Matuku

Huia NZ, $25

There’s Only One Mum Like You Jess Racklyeft

Affirm Press Kids, $25 A paean to mums everywhere, told in simple but lyrical rhyming text and accompanied by gorgeous watercolour illustrations of all kinds of animal mothers and their young. Mums of all sorts are included, along with the many things they do that make their offspring love them so. As well as a lovely read, snuggled up on mum’s lap, there will be much time devoted to identifying all the animals.

Whētu and her mum move into a magician’s house where her mother has a job. Whētu takes responsibility for the odd assortment of animals, including a terrified bull and a bad-tempered rabbit, Errant, who is the magician’s assistant but has serious problems with his spells and creates a dangerous carnivorous lamb. Whētu is smart, bold and resourceful and finds creative and funny solutions to her magical problems.

The Dog Runner Bren MacDibble

Everyone Walks Away Eva Lindstrom

Gecko Press, $30 A quiet, quirky story about friendship, belonging, and not being like the others.

Frank is on his own, the others are playing together. They notice Frank, but he’s on his way to do something special of his own. He puts his tears into a pot and does some cooking, finally inviting the others to afternoon tea. There is plenty of room for thinking and discussion about being alone, friends, and possibilities.

Suitable for ages 4-10 8

Winter / 2019

Allen & Unwin, $19 A fast-paced adventure set in a dystopian future Australia, where a fungus has killed all grasses bringing desperate times of worldwide hunger and poverty. Ella and her half-brother Emery leave the city, with their big doggos who pull a dog cart, to cross dangerous territory seeking hope on a family farm. An exciting and heartwarming eco-drama.

Suitable for ages 10-14

Win!

By

Suzy Cato

Kath Bee’s USBees kathbee.nz

This little ray of sunshine contains Kath Bee's entire collection of songs. That's 61 MP3s! Pop this on in the car and keep the kids happy whenever you’re on the move. It includes everything from Dad I Wanna Be a Camel, to Dragons Under My Bed and Sprinkle a Little Sunshine.

Songs for Kids

Marian Burns and kids marianburns.co.nz/shop Marian Burns has spent 30 years as a music teacher and conductor. In 2018 she received the NZ Order of Merit for her services to music. Songs for Kids is Marian’s sixth album but debut children’s release and sees Marian’s students performing these fabulous songs with her.

The Peter the Pukeko Album Dave Butler davebutler.co.nz

Dave Butler's first album is full of awesome animal fun and more.

Collect chickens, get your animal sounds wrong and even hang out in the garden. An honest little album that Dave hopes will put a smile on your face!

Sing Along With Tony

Tony Wyeth singalongwithtony.com

Suitable for ages 7-10

Suitable for ages 3-8

Music for little ears

Tony Wyeth has created an exciting new online resource for ESOL preschool learners. The YouTube channel, Sing Along With Tony, has a new video uploaded every fortnight. Original songs nestle amongst traditional songs, like Row Row Row Your Boat and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Levity Beet Season 1

Levity Beet youtube.com/levitybeet Levity Beet creates. He creates great music and he creates great instruments to play his music on. Levity’s web series on YouTube is the perfect blend of both new music and new instruments. The aim is to get kids investigating and experimenting with sound.

We have one copy of There’s Only One Mum Like You, Everyone Walks Away, Twinkle Twinkle Matariki, Whetū Toa and the Magician, The Dog Runner, Read to Your Baby Every Day to giveaway! To enter, visit familytimes.co.nz.

SHIFT to a career

in tech “

Adding tech to my health science degree really boosted my career options. You don’t need to know where in tech you are going right from the start, you can find your way throughout SHIFT. Absolutely do it!

Jess, SHIFT Graduate

”

Not all tech careers are about coding Tech jobs exist in every industry and the tech sector is NZ’s third largest export earner.

Christchurch and Dunedin

Talk to us today

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WRITTEN BY JEFF CLARK DIRECTED BY DAN BAIN

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Combine ANY DEGREE with the innovative SHIFT programme and kickstart your new career today.

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Your child may see well – we assess HOW they see

Create your own

15TH TO 19TH JULY 10AM, 11AM, 12PM, 1PM ®

TODDLER SESSION 10AM

Get creative these holidays by making your very own moving art robot! Create and then decorate your robot with some crazy hair, arms and eyes and then watch it draw for you! ®

Bookings essential at www.makeevents.co.nz

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AvonheadShoppingCentre www.avonhead.co.nz Cnr Withells Rd and Merrin St Avonhead

Winter / 2019

9

we love...

Things we’re

buzzing about Take a ride!

Kids go FREE on the Christchurch Gondola for KidsFest! Plus, check out the great value Tram & Gondola Annual Pass for unlimited rides on both attractions for an entire year.

Cool off!

christchurchattractions.nz

Pounce, hop and crawl like an Arctic animal as you explore one of the planet’s harshest environments. Arctic Voices, a Canadian touring exhibition with interactives, runs until 3 November at Canterbury Museum. canterburymuseum.com/whats-on

Stuck on you

Unleash your inner wordsmith or designer with our Personalise My Bento Pack. Get creative with placement, nicknames, or snappy inspirational quotes. Brand your own Bento! stuckonyou.nz/personalise-my-bento

Bee gone, plastic wrap!

An eco-friendly alternative to cling film. Buzzy Thingz make beeswax food wraps, perfect for school lunches. Use them just like normal wrap but they can last up to one year.

Eggs-ellent!

facebook.com/buzzywraps

Give it a whirl!

Reading Eggs is the award-winning programme that makes learning to read fun for ages 2–13.

For a limited time, they’re offering a FREE threeweek trial at readingeggs.co.nz/familytimes.

Hurry, offer ends soon!

Make your own working windmill in a FREE workshop at Northlands these school holidays. 8-21 July, 10am-4pm daily. Located near Muffin Break. northlands.co.nz

Wheriko – Brilliant!

Drama Queen: Violet the Pirate

Check out Wheriko – Brilliant!, a contemporary art experience for all ages, full of sculptures, photography, videos and more! Be dazzled as acclaimed artists play with shadows, throw glittering shards of colour and transform the familiar into the extraordinary.

iticket.co.nz/events/2019/jul/

christchurchartgallery.org.nz/exhibitions/family-light-show

10 Winter / 2019

Violet’s life has been planned out for her.

But Violet wants to become a pirate! Join her as she sails the seven seas and beyond! violet-the-pirate-queen

Winter / 2019

11

Bump to Bundle

EGG

donation talks with Dr Sarah Wakeman about egg donation in New Zealand and what’s involved in the process of becoming a donor.

KELLY EDEN

M

any couples and individuals struggle with infertility in New Zealand.

Starting a family is not always straightforward or easy. Adoption is rare and for those who don’t have success with IVF there are few options. Egg donation is a beautiful gift that gives hopeful parents another chance to have a baby of their own.

“It means a huge amount. It means they are still having their own baby with the genetic input from the father. They get to go through pregnancy and that means a lot to these women,” says Dr Sarah Wakeman.

Women look for an egg donor for a number of reasons. Some are over 40 and have a low chance of getting pregnant using their own eggs. Others have entered menopause early or have low egg numbers for their age. Some couples have tried for quite some time to become pregnant naturally or using IVF treatment and have been unsuccessful.

Egg donation has a fairly high success rate with around 70 per cent of donations resulting in

a baby. More than one egg is taken at a time, usually 8-10 or more, and as the embryos can be saved for up to 10 years, many families are able to have more than one child from the same batch of donated eggs.

“There’s always a shortage of egg donors,” says Dr Wakeman. “With the rise in people freezing their own eggs this may be a future source of donor eggs. Some people are pleased to know that is a possible option.” However, currently there are just not enough donors to meet the need.

12 Winter / 2019

+ A medical examination from a fertility specialist, including a family medical history and an explanation of the risks involved + Donors are then linked with a recipient based on your requirements and theirs + Profile information is swapped and there is an option of meeting + A series of injections are then needed over a two week period

What’s involved in egg donation?

If you are under 36 and interested in becoming an egg donor, the first step is to fill in the online criteria form at fertilityassociates.co.nz – just search egg donor. Then one of the donor coordinators will be in touch.

CALL US ON

+ Screening blood tests including one to check the number of eggs in your ovaries

+ Speaking with a fertility counsellor

Dr Wakeman and her team try to make the process as easy as possible for egg donors. She is aware that egg donation is a big decision.

Hopeful mums seek egg donors.

If you decide to go ahead it will involve:

+ Scans and blood tests, followed by a minor surgical procedure to collect eggs from the ovaries + A number of eggs are collected and fertilised.

One successfully fertilised egg is then placed inside the recipient’s uterus, with a 45 per cent chance of the recipient having a baby. fertilityassociates.co.nz

HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED THAT AMAZING LOVE? We know that being a mum is the best feeling in the world. Imagine being able to give that experience to another hopeful mum. Every day at Fertility Associates we see women who are hoping to have a baby of their own but, after working through all the options, need the help of an amazing egg donor.

COULD THAT BE YOU?

0800 4 fertility

It is a very rewarding process and we support you every step of the way.

TO FIND OUT MORE, VISIT OUR WEBSITE

fertilityassociates.co.nz/eggdonor

T e n Ti n y T o e s

DIY By

Heuristic play

Rachel McFedries

B

abies don’t need many toys. A lovely way to provide a rich learning experience for your baby or toddler is with a heuristic play basket – also known as a treasure basket.

A heuristic play basket is a collection of items found in our everyday life and environment. These items don’t have push buttons or loud electronic noises, and baby is left to explore the items at his or her own pace. The word “heuristic” means enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves.

A heuristic play basket needn’t be expensive to put together. And you can create this resource yourself. By simply combining easily found objects and textures, it will be all your baby needs to explore and nurture their naturally curious mind.

What items might you include?

+ Everyday objects from the home: e.g. wooden spoon, metal measuring cups, silicone pastry brush, jar lids, empty glass pottles, cardboard tubes. + A variety of textured fabrics: pieces of corduroy, leather, sheepskin, shiny fabric, heavy curtain fabric, sheer fabric. + Items from nature: large smooth stones, pinecones, crunchy leaves, pieces of driftwood, pumice, large shells, feathers. + Op shop items: op shops are a treasure trove of resources for heuristic play! Look for napkin rings, paper towel holders, bangles, small metal teapots, tea strainers, small whisks, small zipped coin purses, and any other random items that you think your wee one might enjoy exploring.

How to use it:

Keep the items in a low sided basket so that baby can easily access them. If you have quite a few items (20+), you might like to store extras away and swap them out every week.

Keep the basket in a cupboard or on a high shelf where baby can’t always access it, and bring it out when baby is in an exploratory busy mood and needs to be occupied. Like when you’re cooking dinner and baby is trying to get into the kitchen cupboards!

Put the basket within baby’s reach, turn off the TV, and watch them become engaged exploring the items. How they use them might surprise you.

The benefits of heuristic play:

Using heuristic play baskets is beneficial for baby because it engages all of their full senses: learning through touch, smell, sight and listening to the way different items sound when banged together! Of course, because they put all the items in their mouths – as that’s part of exploring and learning – be mindful of this when choosing items and only use under supervision.

Give your baby time and space to explore the basket of their own accord. It can be a delightful experience sitting at a distance and quietly watching how they use the objects in their own way. In the words of famous child development expert Magda Gerber, “do less, observe more, enjoy most.” We need more opportunities to slow down and “just be” with our tamariki, and watching them use a treasure basket can be one of those moments.

Baby Sensory classes

Loving parents all want the best for their babies.

Baby Sensory classes are award winning and researched based, enabling you, as caring parents, to give them the best start to their life from the very beginning.

Baby Sensory’s programme is designed to enhance global development through carefully selected, research-based activities. Whether it’s gross motor and fine motor skills, language and cognition or social and emotional development, their classes have it all.

Activities include light shows, bubbles, puppet shows, books and stories, music, movement, treasure baskets and ideas to do at home, things to help with tummy time, textures, baby signing, elements of messy play, tips for settling, and so much more. babysensory.co.nz/christchurch

Winter / 2019

13

little wonders

Let children play Neuroscience educator Nathan Wallis explains why child-led free play is fundamental to the optimal development of the brain. By Kate Barber.

As adults, we understand the word ‘play’ to mean the opposite of serious work. The idiom ‘child’s play’ refers to something that is easy and trivial. Often grown-ups use the ‘P word’ to dismiss what children are doing as unimportant – when it’s time to tidy up or do some ‘real’ learning. Yet, for kids, play is challenging and important: it’s how they learn.

THE DEVELOPING BRAIN NEEDS TO PLAY

In his presentations on the development of the brain Nathan Wallis underscores the important message that “play isn’t a precursor to ‘real’ learning. [Rather], it is a method of evolving that facilitates higher intelligence.”

To understand why play is vital, it is important to first get a handle on the neurosequential development of the brain – how it is built from the bottom up, with the development of different ‘brains’ taking centre stage at different times. + The development of Brain 1, the brain stem, takes centre stage from 0-6 months, with Brain 2, the centre of movement and coordination, developing the most from six months to two years of age.

14 Winter / 2019

+ Brain 3, the limbic system or emotional brain, “comes online” between 18 months and two years. Until they are around the age of seven or eight, Brain 3 is in control: dictated principally by their feelings, young children see the world quite differently from Mum and Dad, who have fully mature brains. + Finally, Brain 4, the frontal cortex, moves into centrestage development when a child is around the age of seven or eight. “Everything that makes you brainy, plus everything that makes you a nice person happens in Brain 4,” explains Nathan.

As Nathan says, “you can’t skip the stages”. One of his key messages for parents is that it is important that the needs of the emotional brain (Brain 3) are met if a child is to develop key dispositions like creativity, perseverance and resilience, and so access the higher executive functions of their frontal cortex (Brain 4).

And how are these needs met? Through responsive, loving and empathic relationships, and through opportunities for free play.

little wonders

Playcentre Aotearoa – Welcome to our Village

Free play is an open-ended, child-led process where the child is in charge of the play. It is not ‘free’ play if an adult continually problem-solves for the child, or imposes their agenda on or interpretation of what’s happening.

‘FREE’ IS THE KEY

Rather than dismissing children’s play as unimportant, or taking over and making it part of an adult’s agenda for learning, grownups need to understand a few things about play, says Nathan.

The key word is “free”, he says: that is, “child-initiated, child-led play that evolves without the imposition of an adult’s agenda or purpose. It is about the process, not some predetermined outcome.”

Open-ended, free play enables children to follow their own thought processes and to sustain their attention and focus, he says – both of which are fundamental for brain development. When being taught numbers or words, a child might sustain their focus for one or two minutes. Yet, when pretending to be a hairdresser, they might easily sustain their focus for an hour or more.

THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE WITH PLAY

Operating as we do in our frontal cortex (our rational brain), grown-ups tend to focus on order – don’t mix the Lego and Playmobil; on time – we have to be out the door in half an hour; on safety (avoiding accidents) – that is too high, you’ll fall; and on answers and outcomes (avoiding failure) – that is the wrong shape, try this one.

It is fair to say that free play can threaten these objectives – especially as we watch the products of a day’s play spreading throughout the house.

However, a more fundamental problem some adults have with free play is their belief that it is not ‘real’ learning.

O

ur village becomes your village at Playcentre: fun and friendship for you and your children in endless experiences that last a lifetime.

Nathan challenges our thinking around ‘real’ learning, noting our cultural preoccupation with the “early attainment of cognitive skills” in young children – naming all the colours, identifying letters, counting to 20…. “It’s not that literacy and numeracy aren’t important,” he emphasises. “They’re wonderful – when they are embedded in child-led free play for children under the age of seven. The problem is that focusing primarily on numeracy and literacy when a child is under seven can mean that the developing brain isn’t getting what it really needs.”

Do you want to see and be part of how your child learns and develops through play?

Playcentre is your village. See children delight in their surroundings – play with them, alongside them, encourage them to interact with others while you meet other parents and educators, too.

Focusing on a narrow set of learning objectives, we may be blinkered to the stuff that really matters in the long run: how our kids relate to others, their creativity and their perception of themselves as learners – all of which develop naturally through self-initiated, self-directed free play, says Nathan.

Naturally, we may worry that our children will fall behind, or not be ‘school ready’, if we stop explicitly teaching them their letters and numbers. Fear not, says Nathan: if we meet the needs of our children at the stage of neurodevelopment they are at (and let them play!), then our kids will easily pick up these cognitive skills later on.

“A child who knows their alphabet at the age of three or four may have better literacy skills than their peers at age six, but the advantage doesn’t stay with them,” says Nathan. “For most kids, the advantage disappears in the first year of school” – which means, by the end of the first year, the other kids have caught up.

Parents are children’s first educators, and Playcentres around New Zealand foster whānau involvement through early childhood education.

The curiosity and creativity of our children is nurtured in a way that allows them to learn about themselves and their world.

As a family, and as a community, you’ll build your own village with Playcentre: making lifelong friends along the way.

Playcentre caters to families with children aged 0-6 years.

A focus on child-led learning means that each day Playcentres offer a variety of learning and play experiences, such as building, baking, painting, dressing up, singing, and sand and water play. The activities change every day as Playcentre parents all bring different skills, interests, and cultural backgrounds to the rich learning environment.

Each Playcentre around New Zealand is cooperatively managed by parents and supported

by Playcentre Aotearoa and Federation staff at a national level.

There are over 420 Playcentres throughout Aotearoa and they all offer three free visits. So come along for a visit and see what we’re all about!

We would love to meet you and your family. playcentre.org.nz

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Winter / 2019

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little wonders

Neuroscience educator, Nathan Wallis is determined to support parents and educators to get their heads around the fact that child-led free play drives the development of children’s brains. facebook.com/ nathanwallisxfactoreducation

PLAY PROMOTES A POSITIVE DISPOSITION TO LEARNING

“We can very accurately predict future outcomes for young children – and it has nothing to do with the alphabet,” says Nathan. “It all comes down to their disposition about themselves as a learner: what really matters for a child under seven is how clever he thinks he is – how he feels about learning.”

To illustrate, Nathan presents the picture of two kids. Child A (five years) has “early cognitive attainment”, knowing his numbers to 100 and his alphabet. He has been brought up in an environment where he has been extended: when he has shown Mum that he can count to 100, she has tended to say “great, and what comes next?” When he has got the wrong answer, he has been told the correct one. The message he has received is that he is not quite competent enough.

Child B has been brought up in a child-led, free-play environment, and frankly he would sooner be out building huts or riding his bike than practising his numbers. He loves stories and imaginary play, but he doesn’t really care about writing his name. When Child B is asked about himself as a learner he responds, “I’m great: I keep trying and work it out, or I just ask Mum and Dad and they help me.” Statistically, says Nathan, Child B is far more likely to get a degree, and far less likely to develop depression and anxiety.

FAILURE IS IMPORTANT

Contrary to expectations, failure doesn’t make a child develop a negative disposition about himself as a learner. In fact, failure (and trying again) is fundamental to the (free) play process.

When it comes to play, it is not the outcome that matters, but the process. Nathan explains that “creativity is the capacity to generate different solutions,” and it goes hand-in-hand with dispositions such as perseverance and resilience. Nathan talks about making a “waste-of-time Lego tower” – through the process of failing and trying new strategies, the child develops creativity.

Yet, if the well-intentioned parent ‘helps’ by continually telling them, “there’s no way that’ll work”, the message that the child receives is that he isn’t competent. As Nathan says, “right and wrong answers [when a child is surrounded by these] thwart creativity,” and with this the development of dispositions like perseverance and resilience.

PLAY ALONGSIDE, BUT DON’T TAKE OVER

Free play does not by definition exclude adults from being involved. Far from it, says Nathan.

The best sort of free play occurs, he says, when an interested, responsive adult is there to lend support, but doesn’t take over.

Standing back and leaving kids to it has its merits, says Nathan – who often extols the benefits of allowing children to be bored and create their own fun. But it is best to be there to offer assistance, without leading them. Through playing alongside a trusted adult, the child’s sense of agency is validated as they test theories and solve problems, but they also know that they have support when they need it. “Good early childhood teachers know when to jump in,” he says.

The challenge for us as parents? To offer assistance and support – I am here if you need help, love – but to refrain from taking over (or getting cross), even as we register the imminent collapse of the Lego tower and, infuriatingly, the need to start from square one.

16 Winter / 2019

Te Whāriki Te Whāriki is the curriculum for early childhood education in New Zealand. It’s a socialemotional curriculum which aligns with the research that tells us that: the development of the social and emotional brain takes centre stage between the ages of two and seven years; that the development of this brain is critical in terms of future outcomes for children; and that “respectful, reciprocal and responsive relationships” (‘TW’), as well as opportunities for free play, are fundamental to its development. “Te Whāriki is the most robust and research-based early childhood curriculum I have ever seen,” says Nathan.

Founded on the following aspirations for children – that they “grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society” – Te Whāriki does not prescribe what teachers/kaiako must teach and children must learn.

Rather, Te Whāriki acknowledges that children “learn by engaging in meaningful interactions with people, places and things” (‘TW’), and focuses on promoting the “dispositions” that are valuable for supporting lifelong learning, such as “courage and curiosity and trust and playfulness.”

If Nathan has one criticism of this document it is that recent changes to Te Whāriki, which place more emphasis on literacy and numeracy, represent a “top-down imposition that actually downgrades Te Whāriki overall, and makes it less in line with international research.

Literacy and numeracy are only wonderful when they are embedded in child-led free play for children under seven.”

Winter / 2019

17

little wonders

Is your

precious cargo safely secured?

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional death for New Zealand children, so car seat safety is absolutely imperative, writes KINETA BOOKER.

E

nsuring children are safely in their carseats, isn’t just to stop them roaming around in the car while you’re driving, it’s actually the law.

According to the Automobile Association, on average each year about four children aged under 10 lose their lives as a passenger in a crash. More than 200 are injured. There is no clear data on how many of the children killed or injured in a crash were not properly restrained but recent Ministry of Transport surveys found 3-5 per cent of children under 10 were completely unrestrained while in a vehicle.

The AA says that a compounding issue is whether children are using an appropriate child restraint for their age and size. The law requires children up to the age of seven to be in a child restraint but the ideal is for young people to use some type of booster until they reach 148cm tall. People shorter than this risk injuries from a standard seatbelt if they are in a crash.

“We know parents want to do the best they can to protect their babies but, unfortunately, we see many situations where carseats are either not properly installed, or are not properly adjusted for the child’s size and age. These factors may cause a car seat not to perform as it should, if involved in a crash,” says Jane.

She says that when purchasing a car seat, it’s really important for parents to consider how often they will need to move it from car to car, how easy or difficult it will be for them to install, whether or not it is a good fit for their vehicle, and how it will adjust to suit their child as they grow.

Baby On The Move's top safety tips

Auckland Transport checkpoints found that 68 per cent of child restraints they inspected in vehicles had some type of fault and it can be difficult for parents to know if they have installed a child seat correctly.

+ Rear-facing: internationally-recognised best practice is to keep babies’ car seats rear-facing until a minimum of two years of age, or until they reach the rear-facing limits of their car seat. Research indicates that rear-facing children are up to five times better protected from serious injury in a crash.

Car seat specialist Jane MacKay at Baby on the Move is a certified NZ Transport child restraint technician, and has worked alongside police at road stops, to check car seats. Jane owns one of two Baby On The Move stores in Christchurch, which employ six child restraint technicians between them.

+ Safest position: the safest place in the car is the middle of the back seat, away from the sides of the car; however, it’s often not possible to use this position, if the carseat interferes with the position of the driver’s seat (as most car seats are not permitted to touch the seat in front).

+ Seek help from a qualified child restraint technician if you’re unsure of whether your childrens’ seats are properly installed or adjusted.

The importance of boosters

Booster seats are important to protect older children, as seatbelts are designed to fit the average adult male, and can cause serious injury in a crash if not fitted correctly. The purpose of a booster seat is to safely position the seatbelt over the hips and shoulder of a child. Using a full booster (with a back and headrest) is also very important as it provides all-important sideimpact protection, and correct positioning of the seatbelt over the child’s shoulder. Good boosters will have a headrest that grows in height along with your child. "Seatbelt boosters are generally suitable for children from about 4-5 years of age, who are reliable enough to take on board some responsibility for sitting safely in the seat. They will be able to easily move around or undo the seatbelt, so you need to be sure that they will sit safely for the entire journey," Jane says. Half boosters or booster cushions are really only suitable for older children who just need a small “boost” in height, to correctly fit the seatbelt.

They are seldom safe or suitable for children under seven or eight years of age.

Need help selecting a car seat, or installation advice?

Christchurch

Our team of qualified child restraint technicians can help you with selecting the correct car seat for your child, offer installation advice and when you hire or buy with us we’ll install it for FREE. Your local child restraint experts.

0800 222 966 / www.babyonthemove.co.nz

CHRISTCHURCH CENTRAL / 03 421 3243 87a Gasson Street, Sydenham, Christchurch 8023. central.christchurch@babyonthemove.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH NORTH / 03 960 9752 Unit 3 & 4, 515 Wairakei Road, Burnside. north.christchurch@babyonthemove.co.nz

18 Winter / 2019

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100 ealand New Zed and own rated ope

A Class of their own

FAQs: Your child’s orthodontic treatment Does my child need orthodontic treatment? When is the right time to start treatment? What are the options? And what is involved? GRAHAME DUTTON of Duxton Dental answers some of the most common questions parents have about their child/ren’s potential orthodontic treatment.

Shouldn’t I wait until my child is a teenager before they have orthodontic treatment?

It is commonly thought that you are best to wait until all your child’s baby teeth have fallen out before beginning orthodontic treatment. But in some cases, starting treatment as early as 8-9 years old is very beneficial. So it makes sense to assess your child at that young age to intercept some problems early on. This may be to develop young jaws to make room for incoming adult teeth or to prevent pre-existing bite issues from becoming worse.

Occasionally early treatment prevents the need for teenage braces or makes that treatment phase shorter.

Why do you take x-rays to do an orthodontic assessment of my child’s teeth?

We often take a jaw scan x-ray at the 8-9 year old assessment to check for missing teeth, impacted teeth, or to check for any pathology. We need this information so there are no surprises later on in treatment. If we know the issues early on we can guide tooth eruption, growth or development.

This can lead to decreased treatment times and less costs in the long run.

Is Invisalign suitable for children?

Two new initiatives, called Invisalign Teen and Invisalign First, have been specifically designed to correct issues in 8-12 year olds who still have baby teeth present. As a child grows, their smile grows with them.

Compliance with these removable appliances is proving excellent, even in quite young patients – it is much easier to keep the teeth clean than with conventional braces and it is better for contact sports as a normal mouthguard can be worn. And the kids love that there are no food restrictions whereas there are with conventional orthodontic braces and wires.

We also treat early where the teeth don’t look great in the smile.

The psychological trauma of poorly positioned teeth can be significant. Straightening the smile early can be life changing to kids who are getting teased or have low selfimage due to their teeth.

Grahame Dutton and wife Christine Duxbury established Duxton Dental in 1996.

Their team of dental surgeons have an avowed commitment to researching and implementing new technologies and techniques to provide optimal dental care that is minimally invasive and that will stand the test of time.

03 348 5488 / duxtondental.co.nz

FREE ORTHODONTIC CONSULT COME SEE US SO WE CAN START DEVELOPING YOUR CHILD'S BEAUTIFUL SMILE “The aligners are wonderful and have helped me so much.

I wonder what I would have looked like in the future if I hadn’t had them.

Everyone at Duxton Dental is so friendly and it’s a fun place to visit.”

Orthodontic treatment is performed by Grahame Dutton who is a General Dentist with a special interest in Orthodontics.

Winter / 2019

19

A Class of their own

Emily Writes:

The first day of school

I

’m breaking my rule of not writing about mothering without letting my thoughts sit for a while.

It’s a thing I try to do, a luxury for a blogger/internet writer type person. Most people in – I don’t know what to call it … “online media” – don’t get much time to think things through because of deadlines and all that. Being first. Luckily, nobody is desperately waiting for my hot takes on the inanity of my life.

So usually I wait and let things percolate. I don’t want to embarrass my kids. I want to make sure the story I’m telling is mine to tell – important stuff when you write about your whanau for a little corner of the world to see. But not today. So if you want coherence maybe stop reading now. But I figured it was useful to share these raw feelings since I’m sure we will be feeling differently in a week or maybe even days. That’s parenting. And I suppose there’s always the edit function, just don’t tell my editor.

Today was the big day. The first day of school. I couldn’t sleep last night. I was excited for him. But also terrified. But, really, mainly excited. He’s been ready for this day. His “Big Tomorrow”. We didn’t rush into it, wanting to wait until he was ready-ready. My neurosis was probably behind that, which I hope he’ll forgive me for.

If I ever have to explain these things to my firstborn child – maybe when he’s holding his firstborn child – what will I say? Can you ever explain it? This weight?

20 Winter / 2019

A Class of their own

Will I tell him that I feel a physical pull toward him, always? That the depth of love you have for your child is so extraordinary it steals you from yourself? How can I explain to him that there are moments when you think it’s literally impossible to love your child more, but then they turn and look at you – it could be a year or more from then – and you can’t breathe all over.

How do I tell him birth is just one of a thousand beginnings? That the agony of labour is so physical but then rushing from the classroom door on their first day of school so they don’t see your tears is some other kind of deep pain. For me, at least, just as raw, just as frightening, just as unfathomable?

I had planned the morning, of course I had. He would excitedly wave us off, my husband and I would celebrate, high five each other for a job well done, and then I’d go off to work. The best laid plans and all that, because instead I caught a vicious vomiting bug just days beforehand.

The joy of children (I never had gastro before I had kids). Though I’d finally stopped puking a day before, I hadn’t yet eaten properly. I was weak and feeling pretty vulnerable. And when he whispered, “stay” and called me “Dear Mama” even though he hasn’t called me that for so long, of course I did.

He was overwhelmed – a mother knows, can see it in that furrowed brow, the flushed cheeks, the hands that won’t stop moving. He looked so confused by it all. In his mind he’d been to school many times and this wasn’t how it was there. And so he retreated back to his father and I. Small again.

And this I suppose is the mundane hard stuff of parenting – that you must somehow encourage your heart out of your body to beat on its own.

The pain of that separation, even as symbolic as it sometimes feels, cuts deep. I remember once hearing that sacrifice must hurt, that it must empty you to be real. And I didn’t grasp it. But today as I walked away from his school with my heart inside those classroom walls, I felt so hollow.

This is the goal. Every step they take into the world we take with them, until they can walk on their own. What was once described by another mother as “the highest and hardest sacrifice of motherhood – to encourage the one we love above all else to be happy and confident without us, and all of this as every day we love them more.”

I’d imagined I’d leave proud and happy and I was struck by my fear as I said to one of the teachers “Please, look after my baby” my tears threatening to overflow. The only advice that had being repeated to me ahead of today – “Don’t cry in front

of them!” – churned in my head. I was shocked and quite horrified by the intensity of the grief I felt.

I mean, it’s only school, right? I will see him in literally hours. The day is barely longer than kindy. Shorter than a work day. And as my husband said: “This is not something to be upset about, it’s what is meant to happen. They are meant to grow up.”

Yes. Yes, I know.

I can’t explain that I’m not upset in that way. I am not sad. I am everything. A thousand screaming neurons on fire. I’m sending my heart into the world and I have to rely on everyone else to protect this heart. I have to protect this heart.

And then I saw another mother in her car crying too. First day of kindy? First day of school? On her way to a specialist appointment? Carrying a new life? Just overwhelmed? I don’t know her story. But I knew her heart was somewhere.

I know that there are tiny hearts outside of the bodies of their mothers. And we are holding them, and holding them, and hoping that our little hearts grow big and strong. These hearts of ours that must live outside of us.

All these little hearts. emilywrites.co.nz

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Tweens and Teens

The adolescent years have a bad reputation for turning our sweet little children into hormonally-driven, impulsive, lazy, moody teens, but according to new research the tween and teen years are really a time we can be excited about.

By

Kelly Eden.

Why Tweens and Teens

are amazing

A

Because of this, studies have found, teens are far more wired to learn from experience than adults are.

Dr Daniel Siegel, author of Brainstorm: The power and purpose of the teenage brain, is one advocate for celebrating the teenage years more.

He says that the idea of raging hormones causing teen behaviour is really outdated. We now know a lot more about brain development.

Adolescent brains have a remarkable ability to learn and change which makes these years a potential opportunity for incredible growth for our kids.

dolescence is a really important period of our children’s lives: they are growing in their independence, creativity, ability to think, and sense of identity. It ranges from puberty (around age 12) until our kids get their adult brain (somewhere from their late teens to early 30s).

The brain rewires itself at an incredibly rapid pace during the teen years. As parents, it’s important that we try to understand the remodelling the brain is doing in these years. Then we can enjoy the benefits (such as creativity) and, at the same time, better help our teens reduce the risks that come along with these changes (like poor decision-making skills).

So, what are some of the things that make tweens and teens so amazing?

Creativity

Sensitivity to emotions

Tween and teen brains are set up to be far more sensitive to their own and others’ feelings in these years. Our children are also developing a sense of their own identity at this time (which doesn’t become very stable until early adulthood, so don’t worry if they try on a few different identities!).

The brain rewires itself at an incredibly rapid pace during the teen years.

During the teen years creativity and innovation are at a high, according to Siegel. Because of the remodelling happening in their brains, teens are not limited in their thinking as much as adults are. This age group, unlike younger children, are also able to think in more abstract ways.

This combination of creativity and abstract thinking leads to some very original ideas.

As parents we can encourage our tweens and teens to use their creativity, think outside the box, and develop their ideas. Not all of them will be practical of course, but keep encouraging them to explore ideas and they might come up with something surprising.

Wired to learn

Neuroscientist Daphna Shomany, of Columbia University, in her research found that teenagers were not only quicker learners than adults but they were also better at remembering small details.

During the adolescent years, our children’s developing brains become incredibly active in the area that seeks reward.

Tweens and teens also become very aware of moral ideas and issues at this age. This is a chance for us as parents to really enjoy exploring these ideas with our children. We can listen to them, gently challenge their thinking, and help them develop empathy for others and their ideas.

Growing independence

We often think of the typical boundary pushing and risk-taking behaviours that comes with teen years as a bad thing. According to Siegel though, our teens’ strong emotions, push for independence, and willingness to take risks are actually necessary. Risk-taking and independence can lead to meeting new people, trying new sports or activities, and discovering things they are passionate about.

If developed well, these aspects are incredibly important for our children to become independent from us. They lead to great adult lives, full of adventure and purpose.

Winter / 2019

23

Celebrate Matariki 2019 with

Matariki, The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora

Until 7 July

christchurchartgallery.org.nz

Wheriko – Brilliant!, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū A contemporary art experience for all ages, with sculptures, photography, videos and more. Be dazzled as acclaimed artists play with shadows, throw glittering shards of colour and transform the familiar into the extraordinary.

Until 16 February 2020

CHRISTCHURCH

cso.co.nz

7 July, 4pm

The Early Early Late Show,

Peter and the Wolf, The Limes Room, Christchurch Town Hall

9-11 July

9-17 This classic musical tale remains one of history’s most beloved adventures. Peter and the Wolf is a symphonic fairytale for children that introduces listeners to classical music and helps them to recognise the distinct sounds produced by various instruments of the orchestra.

kidsfest.co.nz

Kick off KidsFest with a day of FREE movies at Hoyts EntX. 10am: Toy Story 4.

12pm: Secret Life of Pets 2. 2:30pm: Detective Pikachu. You need a separate ticket for each session.

KidsFest free day at the movies, Hoyts EntX

July

riccartonplayers.co.nz

drbugs.co.nz/tour

facebook.com/ferrymeadnightmarket

kidsfest.co.nz

July

11

Join the Park Rangers and learn about forest survival. Build a bivouac and a bug motel, learn how to spot pests and, for the very brave, eat a huhu grub!

A day out with Park Rangers, Bottle Lake Forest Park, Waitikiri Drive

11 July, 1-3pm

Badjelly the Witch encapsulates the humour Spike Milligan became known for: far-fetched stories, bizarre characters, surreal comedy and wordplays as well as silly sound effects.

Learn what makes popcorn ‘pop’ at Christchurch’s own popcorn factory. In this tour, your kids will taste, learn and watch as hot caramel popcorn is made.

Bookings essential.

The Ferrymead Night Market is on the first Saturday of each month. An evening for the whole family, and entry is just a gold coin per person.

6 July, 10am-5pm

Badjelly the Witch, The Drama Theatre, Rangi Ruru School

Dr Bugs Popcorn Factory Tours, 89 Sturrocks Road, Casebrook

Ferrymead Night Market, Ferrymead Heritage Park, 50 Ferrymead Park Drive

10-21 July

Join the evening of

Ferrymead Night Market, Ferrymead Heritage Park

3 August, 4-8pm

kidsfest.co.nz

KidsFest presents this FREE show to wrap up this year’s festival. Join the fun from 10am with pre-show action in Victoria Square. There’ll be prizes galore and a chance to meet Peppa and George!

Peppa Pig and George – free interactive stage show, Christchurch Town Hall

21 July, 11am and 1pm shows

TOP PICK

If you have an event you’d like to add to our spring calendar, email kineta@27publishers.co.nz.

9-17 July

this winter

6 July, 4-8pm

What’s on Brrrrrrr, it’s cold out there but there are plenty of things to keep the kids entertained throughout the winter school holidays, and beyond.

Pull me out and pin me up

CHRISTCHURCH EVENT CALENDAR

blackcat.co.nz

Join the magical Akaroa Harbour Nature Cruise. Spot a Hector’s dolphin or cruise again for free.

Black Cat Cruises, Akaroa Harbour Wharf

stmargarets.school.nz

St Margaret’s College presents the original dark tales by the Brothers Grimm.

Grimm Tales, Charles Luney Auditorium, St Margaret’s College

13 July, 7pm

reddevils.co.nz

Third home season round for the fourtime National Champions Canterbury Red Devils. Watch them take on their arch rivals Botany Swarm from Auckland in what will be an epic battle of ice hockey.

Canterbury Red Devils vs Botany Swarm, Alpine Ice Sports Centre, 495 Brougham Street

29-30 June, 4.30pm

ccc.govt.nz

Explore one of Christchurch’s newest parks by night at this family event. Your guides will point out the special features and creatures that reveal themselves only under the cover of darkness. Bring your own handmade lantern or a torch.

Matariki Night Walk at the Styx, Styx River, 303 Radcliffe Road

29 June, 6.30pm

rnzb.org.nz

Step into the shadows to witness one man’s struggle with love and betrayal as the Royal New Zealand Ballet presents Mário Radačovský’s Black Swan, White Swan, a daring retelling of ballet’s most enduring classic, Swan Lake.

Black Swan, White Swan, Isaac Theatre Royal

27-29 June

artscentre.org.nz

a variety of activities – workshops, mākete (market), speakers, performance, family activities and more.

07

imaginetheatre.co.nz

Imagine Youth Theatre brings dynamic family entertainment in The Snow Queen.

A rollercoaster of song, dance and colour featuring professional performers on stage with local children.

The Snow Queen, Elmwood Theatre, Merivale

9-20 July, 11am and 1pm every day except Sunday

writelikeanauthor.com

Held in a fun and supportive setting at St Margaret’s College in Christchurch, this camp will see children aged 10 to 14 years create, develop and write awesome stories with help from award-winning author and writing coach Maria Gill.

Holiday Creative Writing Camp, St Margaret’s College

8-11 July, 9am-4pm

July

courttheatre.org.nz

willowbank.co.nz

Willowbank is great fun for the whole family with lots of animals to hand feed, and a great cafe. Grab an annual pass and visit as many times as you like!

Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, 60 Hussey Road

kidsfest.co.nz

Join the Port Hills Rangers on a search for wildlife in Victoria Park. Learn about unique birds, hunt for creepy crawlies, build a bug house and plant a tree on this amazing day out.

A day out with Park Rangers, Victoria Park, Dyers Pass Rd

10 July, 10am-12pm

10-20

July

courttheatre.org.nz

In this brand new adaptation of the fairytale classic, the princess and the frog must team up to defeat a sneaky robber!

The Princess and the Frog (and the Robber!), The Court Theatre

10-20 July

southernballet.co.nz

Two delightful ballets in one show featuring the Intermediate and Junior Ballet Companies. Come along to Southern Ballet‘s boutique theatre and enjoy these special performances.

Peter and the Wolf & Carnival of the Animals, Southern Ballet Theatre, 108 Carlyle Street

The Early Early Late Show is unmissable comedy for tweenagers – and their grown-ups.

Learn how to make, feed and harvest a worm farm. Help make the worm bedding, find out what to feed worms, and how to harvest and utilise castings and worm wee.

kidsfest.co.nz

July

13

Action sports on wheels, bouncy castles, face painting, fairies and heaps more!

Plus a FREE Hellers sausage sizzle. If wet, head to Linwood Library at Eastgate Shopping Centre.

The Big Chill, Linwood Park

13 July, 12-3pm

popupglobe.co.nz

After playing to over 600,000 people across Australasia in just three years, Auckland’s smash-hit sensation Pop-up Globe hits the road in New Zealand for the first time, taking their critically-acclaimed productions of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Measure for Measure to theatres around the nation.

Pop-up Globe NZ Tour, Isaac Theatre Royal

12-14 July

17-18

Father’s Day!

1 September

mitre10cup.co.nz

Canterbury Rugby, Christchurch Stadium Soak up the exciting atmosphere as Canterbury takes on Tasman.

18 August, 2.05pm

August

disneyonice.co.nz

For the first time ever, Disney’s Moana will come to New Zealand in Disney On Ice, and one performance at each tour stop will present the Moana segment in te reo Māori.

Disney On Ice Celebrates Mickey and Friends, Horncastle Arena

17-18 August

courttheatre.org.nz

The Early Early Late Show, Court Theatre

kidsfest.co.nz

4 August, 4pm

Building a Mini Worm Farm, EcoDrop, 40 Metro Place

facebook.com/ferrymeadnightmarket

fun at the Ferrymead Night Market.

Enjoy dinner from the food vendors, browse the stalls, and be entertained with live music. Gold coin entry per person.

15 July, 10am and 1pm

kidsfest.co.nz

Join the Park Rangers at South New Brighton Beach Park and discover how to care for our natural backyard. Build a tree hut, explore the estuary edge and learn about the plants and animals in the park.

A day out with Park Rangers, South New Brighton Park, Beatty St

The Early Early Late Show is being performed on the first Sunday of every month, bringing the fun and chaos of Scared Scriptless to an all-ages audience. The clever Court Jesters cast are the masters of fast, funny, improvised comedy.

9-13 July

12 July, 10am-12pm

Court Theatre

DUNEDIN CALENDAR

What’s on

this winter

DUNEDIN

28 June, 10am

30 August, 7.35pm

Toddler Time, Toitū Otago Settlers Museum

Otago vs Manawatu, Forsyth Barr

Until 29 September

Join us for stories, songs and activities at Toitū OSM. This programme is proudly sponsored by the Otago Settlers Association.

It’s the South versus the North! Get behind Otago at Forsyth Barr as they take on Manawatu in the Mitre 10 Cup.

In Motion: The Moving Parts of Contemporary Art, Dunedin Public Art Gallery This family-friendly, hands-on exhibition invites audiences to explore kinetic sculpture, including two recent acquisitions that use movement and automation as a means of experiencing colour, light and space. dunedin.art.museum

Brrrrrrr, it’s cold out there but there are plenty of things to keep the kids entertained throughout the winter school holidays, and beyond.

If you have an event you’d like to add to our spring calendar, email kineta@27publishers.co.nz.

mitre10cup.co.nz

toituosm.com

30 June (and every Sunday), 10.30am-2pm

TOP PICK

Locals Special Albatross Tiki, Royal Albatross Centre, Harington Point Rd

18 July, 10am

For Dunedin locals and students. See what visitors rave about and grab the chance to visit the world’s only mainland Royal Albatross breeding colony. Three of the 29 chicks are on view from the observatory, and there’s the chance of sightings of the other 20+ species that breed here.

Teddy Bears Big Day Out! Dress your Teddy Bear in a costume you've made at home. Fun games, including pass the parcel, egg and spoon race and a teddy bear fashion parade. Prizes for costumes and games and random spot prizes, too.

albatross.org.nz

larnachcastle.co.nz

Teddy Bears Picnic, Larnach Castle, 145 Camp Rd

Until 9 July Puaka Matariki Festival, Various locations citywide The Puaka Matariki festival is unique to Ōtepoti Dunedin, marking the Māori New Year through community events. Join us in celebrating this midwinter season of wānaka (learning) and whanaukataka (community spirit). matarikidunedin.co.nz

From 21 July

June

30

3 July, 7.30pm

Black Swan, White Swan, Regent Theatre, 17 The Octagon Ballet presents Mário Radačovský’s Black Swan, White Swan, a daring retelling of ballet’s most enduring classic, Swan Lake. rnzb.org.nz

Until July

09

Rialto Cinemas, 11 Moray Place Join up at Rialto Cinemas during the school holidays for the cheapest family passes in town – no limit on the number of kids you bring! rialto.co.nz

27-29 June Pop-up Globe NZ Tour, Regent Theatre, 17 The Octagon

James Cameron’s Challenging the Deep Challenging the Deep takes visitors to the depths of our oceans through the lens of James Cameron’s underwater cameras, and his other incredible technological innovations that have made it possible to explore some of the most mysterious parts of our planet. otagomuseum.nz

Dunedin Street Art Trail Take the kids on a hunt throughout the city for once-bare walls that have been transformed into works of art. facebook.com/dunedinstreetart

13-14 July, 1-5pm Magical Winterland, Meridian Mall

17 August, 4.35pm

Discover a magical Winter Land at Meridian Mall these school holidays.

Explore the beautiful lantern displays, search the mall for the Snow Queen and create your own crown. meridianmall.co.nz

13-14 July

Otago vs Southland, Forsyth Barr

1 September Father’s Day!

1 September Dunedin Marathon, Forsyth Barr Stadium There are events for all ages and abilities, from the full marathon along our stunning peninsula, to our new 5km run or walk. dunedinmarathon.co.nz

8 September, 4.35pm Otago vs Taranaki, Forsyth Barr See Otago take on Taranaki in this Mitre 10 Cup home game. mitre10cup.co.nz

Penguin Place, 45 Pakihau Rd, Harington Point Penguin Place is the world’s first entirely tourism-funded conservation programme. The funding they receive provides habitat restoration, predator control, a research programme and on-site rehabilitation care for penguins that are sick, starving or wounded. penguinplace.co.nz

Hare Hill Horse Treks, 207 Aramoana Road Suitable for beginners right through to advanced riders, meander across farmland and through the bush, on short jaunts or overnight adventures. horseriding-dunedin.co.nz

The battle of the South! Soak up the exciting atmosphere as Otago takes on Southland. mitre10cup.co.nz

Escape Dunedin Challenge your code-cracking skills in this totally unique, immersive experience where 2–6 people are locked in a room with 60 minutes to find a way out. escapedunedin.com

Royal Albatross Centre, Otago Peninsula

Auckland’s smash-hit sensation Pop-up Globe hits the road in New Zealand for the first time, taking their criticallyacclaimed productions of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Measure for Measure to theatres around the nation.

Every Saturday Otago Farmers Market Otago Farmers Market is a thriving community hub, where foodies gather for their weekly treats.

Visit the only mainland breeding colony of Royal Albatross in the world. On a breezy day you may even see them fly by with their huge three metre wingspan.

popupglobe.co.nz

otagofarmersmarket.org.nz

albatross.org.nz

26 Winter / 2019

Health & Wellbeing

Winter blues

and winter hues Does winter bring you down? A little or a lot?

By

LARNACH CASTLE New Zealand’s Castle

Regular private clinics held in Dunedin & Central Otago

Email: info@larnachcastle.co.nz Ph: 0800 527 6224 www.larnachcastle.co.nz

mhc.co.nz/Services/Paediatrician

Term & Conditions apply Valid for New Zealand School Holidays only Children must be accompanied by one paying adult

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A

s the cooler months set in, we tend to reach for foods higher in starch.

We may feel more fatigued and some of us are in our pjs by 4:30pm! Is this the onset of the ‘winter blues’ or something more serious? Are we okay to feel this way, embrace Mother Nature’s ‘permission giving’ and attend to our wellbeing? Is there a cause for concern with the felt need to hibernate?

I think there is room to recognise both extremes and all the ‘hues’ in between.

For some people, winter does induce a persistent low mood, known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is triggered by changes in the amount of light between seasons, with symptoms beginning often in autumn and remitting in spring. It is characterised by depressive mood, lack of energy, hypersomnia and increased appetite (Rosenthal et al., 1984). Recommended treatment includes Vitamin D, some medication and light therapy. Others relish rugging up, crockpot stews, red wine, and Netflix.

Wherever you fit, notice your own ‘hue’ and notice if it becomes persistent and pervasive, impacting on what you do and who you are. Notice and be informed by your mood and your children’s moods. If you are feeling low – because it happens to all of us – allow yourself to feel. Allow yourself to tend to what you might need. Normalising feeling low teaches tolerance of one’s emotional state and to regulate ‘hues’ of mood. Emotional regulation is a physiological process, not only a cognitive one. By being able to do this as parents, we are offering ‘permission’ to our children about managing their moods – the highs and the lows. Emotional regulation develops at an early age, with an attuned caregiver.

It is only through connection with another, that we develop the neural processes involved in managing overwhelm, developing self-compassion, building resilience and inaugurating resources for managing oneself.

To manage winter blues, or hues, connect with others, in person – not merely ‘liking’ a post, or sending a text. Genuine connection with another provides validation – that you matter. So, connect with your child if their mood seems low. Let them know they matter. Get a dialogue going and keep it going – the content often isn’t important; the warmth of connecting and conversing IS. We all need to pay close attention to what is happening to ourselves and our children, and watch for ‘red flags’: signs that may mean seeking additional support through your GP or other health professionals. Various organisations and websites offer ‘symptom checklists’ and recommendations, and your own intuit knowing will guide you to seek professional help.

Present this voucher at Rialto Cinemas to purchase two small popcorns for only $5 - save $4!

Limit one per customer. Valid until 15 September 2019.

Winter / 2019

27

technology

Safety net JOHN PARSONS,

New Zealand’s leading authority on cyber safety for children, responds to fears around the impact of the Christchurch shootings and our kids’ exposure to distressing material on the internet. By Kate Barber.

T

he Christchurch shootings, and in particular the images and commentary that have circulated online since, have certainly stoked parents’ fears around the harmful influence of digital media on young people. Many parents are asking, what can we do to protect our kids and control what they see?

However, rather than letting fear drive us to ‘prevent’ and ‘stop’ and ‘control’ what our kids do and where they go online, John says we need to be focusing on our connection with our children – online and off.

The strength of your connection

Ultimately John’s message for parents is that keeping kids safe both online and off, and helping them to cope if they see something distressing or get into trouble somehow, comes down to building a trusting, loving, non-judgmental relationship with them. “Expressed regularly, our love, compassion and guardianship will help our kids cope with whatever the world exposes them to,” he says. By contrast, the urge to ‘control’ our kids will only deny them self-agency and undermine our relationship with them, both of which leave our kids vulnerable.

When your child needs help

Building a loving, non-judgmental relationship means not overreacting when a child tells you they have done something wrong or seen something they shouldn’t have seen, says John.

“If we overreact, they learn to not talk to us when they need help, which is dangerous,” he says. “It is imperative that you keep your ‘Cyber-Tooth Tiger’ under control and not let your anxieties become your child’s anxieties.”

“If a child approaches you and indicates they are worried about what they have seen online or on TV or heard through conversations with friends, never dismiss or downplay their reaction,” John stresses. “Let them know that how they are feeling is normal. Explain to them that they can talk to Mum or Dad, a teacher, a guidance counsellor or their ‘Lighthouse’ if they need help to process it.”

28 Winter / 2019

“It is also important to emphasise that under no circumstances should they forward or deliberately expose other people to any objectionable or harmful content they have accessed,” he adds.

The lighthouse

Regardless of how open a child is about issues in their world, as John says, “there are occasions when it is simply too hard for a child to talk about a problem with their parents” – if they feel stupid, ashamed, embarrassed or fearful. This is where the ‘Lighthouse’ figure comes in: a person the child knows and trusts, who will “be there for your child at any time, day or night – to listen to them, and help them when they need it.”

John invites all parents, and children, to consider the people in their lives who could be guiding lights, and for children to nominate their own Lighthouse person. “When you actively provide this opportunity for a Lighthouse with your child, you build a safe passage for them back to you and give them permission to get help when they need it.”

Limiting exposure

“Events [like the Christchurch shootings] challenge a young person’s belief that the world is predictable and safe,” says John, adding that the younger the child, the harder it is to emotionally process what has happened. He emphasises that primary-aged children should have limited exposure to social media, especially following major traumatic events. “Aside from the possibility of seeing the actual violence, there is also the outpouring of grief and commentary often played daily sometimes for weeks through online media outlets. This can cause young children to re-live the event every day and think it is occurring every day.”

Older children have educational commitments to maintain, so limiting their exposure to harmful content is not so easy, says John, adding that “it is important to remember that the same technology also connects them to friends who can be excellent support networks when life gets challenging.”

Guardianship applications

There are parental controls you can use to set up access to acceptable online platforms, how much time your child spends on a device and at what times of the day, says John. They can also provide you with a history of where your child has gone online and what they have tried to access. Instead of ‘controls’, John calls these “Guardianship Applications” – to be used to support you in your relationship with your child, not as a substitute for this connection.

Concerned about your child?

There are a number of agencies you can contact for advice and support: + LIFELINE: 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE), or free text 4357 (HELP), lifeline.org.nz/ services/suicide-crisis-helpline (available 24/7) + YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633 + NEED TO TALK? Free call or text 1737 (available 24/7) + KIDSLINE: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7) + WHATSUP: 0800 942 8787 (1pm-11pm) + DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757 or TEXT 4202 + New Zealand Police John suggests that parents create a list of these support agencies, along with the child’s self-chosen ‘Lighthouse’, and stick this on the side of the refrigerator – a place where children frequently go. Parents could also text this list to their kids so that it’s always available to them should they need it. This will give them advance knowledge of who to call and what to do if they need help.

Keeping Your Children Safe Online: A Guide for New Zealand Parents, by John Parsons, published by Potton & Burton, RRP $34.99

ON HOLID A Y

Awe - inspiring Tekapo

I

t’s obvious from the moment you arrive there’s something special about Tekapo. The charming church with the picturesque backdrop of the snow-capped mountains and breathtakingly blue lake is (quite fittingly) out of this world.

Tekapo has long been regarded as a family favourite, boasting numerous activities for young and old. But many Kiwis don’t yet fully appreciate just how highly regarded the region is, especially when it comes to stargazing.

The township and its surrounding areas make up the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the world’s largest and first gold tier Dark Sky Reserve. It’s an impressive accomplishment, and one that we shouldn’t be complacent about. Since establishing its Dark Sky Reserve status in 2012, the region has become somewhat of a stargazing mecca, attracting tens of thousands from around the world each year.

In July this year the region takes its next big step as a stargazing haven when it opens a new astronomy centre on Tekapo lakefront, courtesy of Dark Sky Project (formerly Earth & Sky Stargazing).

A truly world-class facility, the Dark Sky Project base will proudly host a unique indoor daytime experience that combines science and Māori astronomy. Aptly named The Dark Sky Experience, it is a world first and perfect for families. The 45-minute experience features multimedia installations, floor projections and interactive

globes, offering a seamless blend of science and tātai aroraki (Māori astronomy). English tours run every hour, so it’s accessible for families staying in the region, or just driving through.

“We’re so excited to launch this unique experience which brings to life stories about the night sky and about the region in a way that has never been done before,” says Dark Sky Project co-founder Graeme Murray. “Our partnership with Ngāi Tahu Tourism has enabled this to be truly authentic, unique and of its place,” Graeme says.

The centre is also home to the newly restored Brashear Telescope which stands at an impressive nine metres. This Victorian masterpiece, with its 46cm lens, pushed the limits of science when it was created over 125 years ago. Visitors can view the Brashear through glass from the foyer, or get up close with this magnificent feature on the Dark Sky Experience.

The Dark Sky Project centre also includes an all-day and evening diner with food and beverage offerings to suit all. It is undoubtedly Tekapo’s best positioned eatery, boasting spectacular views of the Southern Alps, lake and the Church of the Good Shepherd.

Dark Sky Project and Dark Sky Experience open to the public Tuesday 2 July, in time for the school holidays. Don’t miss the special family offer available during July. darkskyproject.co.nz

Winter / 2019

29

ON HOLID A Y

Unmissable

Mackenzie

Snow-capped mountains, breathtaking turquoise lakes and adventures galore.

The Mackenzie Region is stunning in any season.

N

estled in the heart of the South Island, the Mackenzie Region is renowned for its turquoise lakes, golden grasslands and snow-capped mountains. Far from the bright city lights, the Mackenzie also presents some of the darkest skies in New Zealand – perfect for viewing the stars.

Added to the magnificent landscapes, the region boasts a range of activities and attractions. But it’s the friendly locals and relaxed vibe of its towns that makes the magical Mackenzie an ideal area to map out your next family holiday.

From snowy peaks to starry skies, here are a few highlights from the heartland.

Dreaming of a white winter

With the spectacular Southern Alps shaping the region, the Mackenzie is one of New Zealand’s truly breathtaking arenas for

30 Winter / 2019

Tekapo Springs

skiing and snowboarding. Roundhill, Ohau and Mt Dobson offer slopes for all abilities and adventure levels, making them ideal for family ski adventures.

Do you have your sights set on the peaks? Or is building snowmen the type of fun you’re after? Winter adds a whole new snowy layer of enjoyment to be had.

Just be sure to layer up warmly. Winter temperatures overnight can drop below 0 degrees Celsius – climbing to 8 degrees Celsius during the days, on average – although the region is known for its clear sunny days throughout the year.

ON HOLID A Y

Best of the South:

YHA New Zealand When exploring the best the South Island has to offer, you really can’t go past Lake Tekapo for a family holiday or weekend trip. The ice-blue lake, beautiful walks, hot springs, skiing in the winter or swimming in the summer, and stunning views all round – Tekapo has it all. And when you’re looking for accommodation, you really can’t go past YHA.

High Country Salmon

Tekapo Star Gazing

Far from the bright city lights, the Mackenzie also presents some of the darkest skies in New Zealand – perfect for viewing the stars.

Fish to fry

Looking for a delicious meal and a unique experience?

High Country Salmon floats on the glacial waters of Wairepo Arm, and is situated on State Highway 8, just south of Twizel. Families can enjoy standing on the platform to watch and feed salmon, while taking in the atmosphere of the farm around them.

The cafe offers an array of fare to tempt all tastes – including, of course, a variety of delicious salmon meals, from smoked salmon sandwiches and bagels, to teriyaki salmon and salad, to salmon burgers and pies. There is also a range of non-salmon items, and quality coffee. For the complete experience, you can also take away delicious fresh salmon wrapped in ice. highcountrysalmon.co.nz

Tekapo winter escape Winter is a great time to escape to Tekapo Springs!

Relax in the hot pools, ice skate on the outdoor rink and try the thrilling snow tube. Refuel at the cafe or indulge yourself at the day spa.

Tucked just behind Tekapo’s main street of restaurants and shops, the brand new, $9 million dollar YHA Lake Tekapo offers stunning views of the lake, mountains, and the Church of the Good Shepherd.

With all the comforts of home at an affordable price, YHA Lake Tekapo offers a fully-equipped kitchen, laundry, free WiFi, movie room, and a comfortable lounge overlooking the lake. Take a short walk to the supermarket and whip up a family favourite in-house, or grab a bite at the adjoining gourmet burger bar, Our Dog Friday.

Best of all, with a YHA membership you can fit even more into your Lake Tekapo escape! Save on your accommodation so you can enjoy more stargazing, gourmet burgers, hot pools and scenic flights, because with YHA you see more, do more, pay less. yha.co.nz

By night, join a tour of Tekapo Star Gazing, the only hot pools, virtual reality or stargazing experience in New Zealand. Be dazzled by the amazing skies using telescopes and a unique fusion of storytelling and astronomy, or take a fascinating virtual reality tour through the universe. Then relax in a 38 degree Celsius hot pool and soak in the stars! tekaposprings.co.nz tekapostargazing.co.nz

www.roundhill.co.nz Winter / 2019

31

eco living

Live, love, lend Reducing waste and our personal environmental footprint is a goal many of us aspire toward. However, sometimes it can feel overwhelming, difficult and even expensive, to make meaningful change. This is especially true when coupled with the daily chaos of being a parent.

T

o help combat the cost and environmental impact of parenting two mothers, Hayley Marshall and Tess Fabian, have launched a new online community where parents can lend, buy, sell and give away baby gear and accessories. “By borrowing baby items or buying secondhand you are not just saving yourself money but helping the environment by extending and better utilising the life of an item,” Hayley says.

Tess and Hayley are both passionate about the environment and regularly borrowed baby items from each other. The idea for Live Love Lend was born when they realised that their baby items could be put to much better use. We had a lot of items like bassinets, play gyms and bouncers that can be expensive and are often only used for a short time. “I was just storing items away for our next child or until someone I knew needed them, it just made sense to me that if someone

Toys for hire

Providing children with toys, while being mindful of waste and cost, can be a struggle.

And with children’s interests and development continually changing it’s easy to accumulate a lot of toys, much of which can’t be recycled.

By joining a Toy Library you’re giving your children the opportunity to explore new interests and develop new skills at each stage of development from birth to school age (5-8 years old).

32 Winter / 2019

else could benefit from them then I’d be happy to share them,” Hayley says.

“Our hope is that Live Love Lend will help create a community of sharers giving parents more affordable and environmentally friendly options,” she says. Their lifestyle blog also inspires ecofriendly living by providing easy tips and ways to reduce your impact on the environment.

While renting items is not a new concept they found that many sites only catered for travellers or were very expensive which meant that sometimes it would be cheaper to buy an item rather than rent. The key difference with Live Love Lend is that members rent out their own items and can set prices as they wish, which are usually significantly lower than other sites. Many of the items on the site, such as cots, baby carriers and play gyms, are priced between $1-3 per week, making them very reasonable.

Their toys are high quality, durable and whenever possible made from natural products.

Through hiring, rather than buying, we can reduce the amount of unwanted toys that end up in landfill.

To join the Live Love Lend community of families making big inroads into parenting sustainability visit the site today livelovelend.co.nz

Re-loved

marketplace

N

ew Zealand re-loved online marketplace, Little Outfitters, launches 1 July to provide parents with a one-shop platform to cycle their children’s designer clothing and accessories, saving and making money in the process.

The platform encourages parents to sell their pre-loved children's clothing and, in so doing, enables other parents a lower-cost, more environmentally friendly alternative to buying new.

Fifty-five per cent of NZ retailers failed to meet targets this quarter due to the growing belief in more conscious consumption and sustainable practices. Secondhand shopping, renting and sharing is becoming more popular and Little Outfitters is attempting to reshape this cycle of consumption, for children. “We’re not adding more materials to the world. We’re consciously cycling better ones,” says founder Lucy Kirkwood, who saw a gap in the market for cycled designer children's clothing.

We recommend you visit Christchurch South Toy Library, Pegasus Toy Library Parklands, Waimairi Toy Library, Papanui Community Toy Library, Seaside Community Toy Library, and Opawa St Martins Plunket Toy Library.

From Kenzo to Nature Baby, designer children’s brands for 0-10 years will be bought, sold, and re-loved from July this year.

This makes coveted labels and higher-quality micro-fashion accessible.

toylibrary.co.nz

littleoutfitters.nz

eco living

CHOICE

app

T

he electricity sector has a significant role to play when it comes to how we take those big, positive steps towards a more sustainable society. This is especially true when it comes to carbon emissions. While New Zealand has hit its stride with renewables – over 80 per cent of our electricity now comes from renewable sources of electricity like wind and hydro – energy still accounts for about 40 per cent of our total carbon emissions, according to the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

But I thought my retailer provided green electricity?

The fact is that, unless you’re off-grid, it’s difficult to know exactly how green your electricity is (even if a company tells you otherwise). Our electricity production is much like vege soup, where everything is thrown into one big pot – the clean and the dirty. Just because a company generates green electricity, that doesn’t mean that it turns up at your house.

This is what makes the ‘how you use it’ part of the green equation important. But how can we take action in our homes that’s meaningful, especially on top of everything else there is to think about on a daily basis (laundry, nappies, dentist, hockey, dinner-time battles)? That’s the question that Flick Electric Co. has been working on answering with their carbon-counter, CHOICE.

Giving Kiwis a CHOICE

Flick is still a relatively small electricity retailer, but they’ve been aiming for big impact since the day they were founded.

A lot of that impact comes down to empowering all Kiwis – whether or not they are currently Flick’s customers – to understand what’s going on when it comes to the carbon emissions of their electricity.

The Flick app has always had a carbon counter that sends live updates about the carbon impact of electricity in the national grid. Flick realised that while those updates helped guide people as to when they should turn off electricity, it was still almost impossible for people to understand how their household power use contributes to New Zealand’s overall carbon emissions. And that’s how CHOICE was born.

Since July 2018, CHOICE has provided customers with a personalised calculation of emissions from the electricity they use at home. Customers can login to their app and check out how many kilos of carbon emissions they produced in the previous week (currently measured in goat farts – something which may resonate with parents of babies and toddlers!).

Making consumer choices that count

Flick has also partnered with the charity Trees That Count – the charity that our Prime Minister used to provide a gift to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new baby – to give customers the opportunity to offset their emissions by funding the planting of native trees.

Chief Marketing Officer, Anita Watson says that, “We understand that, as a company, we're only as strong as our community and the natural environment that supports that community. This is particularly true when it comes to our role as a power retailer. The way energy is produced and consumed is a really critical piece of the carbon puzzle, and we want to do everything to help our Flicksters not only be conscious consumers, but also active contributors. CHOICE is our first step on the path to making that possible.” flickelectric.co.nz

Winter / 2019

33

interior trends

Mocka Locka

Brighten up your rooms and add valuable storage space with these great Double Lockas from Mocka! mocka.co.nz

Plantosaurus The Plantosaurus will keep your green friends safe from extinction.

It's the perfect home for all your succulents. boltofcloth.com

Felt the aroha?

For the utmost in luxury, Cavalier Bremworth has recently added a trio of carpets to its high-end designer Bremworth Collection range. The exclusive carpets, Aroha, Untouched, and Transpire, feature felted wool yarns made from 100 per cent pure New Zealand wool. cavbrem.co.nz

Bedroom

inspiration Wish list: the latest creative and fun bedroom ideas.

Fur a good night's sleep

Snuggle into bed with the playful Top & Tail duvet set

by MM Linen from McKenzie & Willis. Featuring adorable furry friends soundly sleeping, this playful design will liven up the bedroom of any child, or child at heart. mcw.nz

Resene’s Smalltalk Wallpaper Collection Dive into the jungle and go searching for wild animals. Climb trees, count stars, fly into space and dream. Make friends with dogs and rabbits. Whatever story you want, you’ll find it with Resene’s Smalltalk Wallpaper Collection. Smalltalk nurtures creativity and turns every nursery into a room full of discovery. Cute and contemporary? Or rough and tumble? With Smalltalk it’s easy to combine pictures, patterns and matching plains, and children can have the space they dream of. resene.co.nz/colorshops

34 Winter / 2019

Health & Wellbeing

Give your life

wings

Mum, blogger, HR professional and sufferer of postpartum mental illness, HANNAH HARDY-JONES created The Kite Program, a personal development app for women challenged by the pressures of mum life: from sleep to stress management, to relationships to mum guilt. There’s even an ‘on the go’ mindfulness button.

“How hard can it really be?”

“We are so organised, it will be fine.”

“I am used to juggling a stressful job – motherhood will be so much easier.”

And the ultimate naivety:

“I studied psychology – I feel like I understand mental illness and that’s just not me.”

B

ut that is exactly what happened to me after my baby was born; just as it affects one in five women. No amount of organisation or university study would have been enough to prepare us as a family for the challenges we faced because of my mental health, postpartum. It took over a year before I started feeling like the old me again. And it took a huge toll on both me and my family.

Just like so many women who struggle with their mental health after having a baby, I battled with low confidence for a long time. I felt like I was never going to be able to return to work and perform at the level I once had. Until it occurred to me that maybe I could make a difference and use my experience to bring about change, even in a small way.

That I could share my story and break some of the stigma around mental illness, and help other mums.

Eighteen months after my first baby was born I returned to my high-pressure career in Human Resources, working at a busy women’s hospital. I went on to have another baby a few years later. But I just didn't feel the same way about my professional career as I once had.

It became obvious to me that there was a complete lack of support for mothers to deal with the everyday challenges

which faced them. That so many aspects of being a mother was just accepted as being “part of the job”. Mum guilt, feeling disorganised, feeling disconnected from their partners and lack of confidence, to name but a few. I wanted to use my HR skills to create a resource for all mothers, not just those struggling with their mental health. It needed to be something accessible and affordable, that could easily fit into a busy mum’s life.

I surveyed several hundred mothers to identify what their biggest challenges were. Collectively, mums were facing the same issues, and this became the basis for the content.

It also became clear that for time poor and often financially restrained mums a mobile app was the most logical choice to deliver this program.

So I started the journey of developing the Kite Program.

And it turned out that it is the world’s first personal development app for mothers. I was surprised to discover that other apps designed for mums were focused on parenting, weight loss or shopping. There was nothing available that focused on mothers as individuals.

The Kite Program is made up of 14 topics (Kites). One manageable and simple activity is delivered each day; however it is completely user led and activities will wait patiently until completed.

Hannah lives in Christchurch, New Zealand with her husband and two children, aged five and two. Kite launched at the beginning of March and is available on both the App Store and Google Play. Hannah also blogs about her postpartum bipolar story. Check it out: thekiteprogram. com/blog

Kite offers a free 7 day trial. A one-off payment of $14.99 gives you full access to the entire program.

Kite is like a beautiful book, broken down in to micro activities, as we know that small steps can lead to great change. It is also really empowering when you have a practical idea to tackle a challenge you are facing. So often as mums we are just expected to get on with it and muddle along. That becoming a mother automatically means you forfeit your own wellbeing and identity. There absolutely needs to be a shift in this way of thinking.

Winter / 2019

35

Health & Wellbeing

I believe… in me!

Author SIUBHAN GREEN reveals that our children’s futures — their careers, relationships, every aspect of their lives — depend on their sense of self belief. So what can we do, from the get-go, to ensure we raise ours to believe in themselves?

N

early seven years ago, I embarked on a journey. I left an unhealthy relationship and wondered why?

Why had I made the choices I made in my life?

There were things I loved to do, things I was actually pretty good at, but something kept holding me back. I stayed put.

I stayed stuck in relationships that didn't serve me. I stayed in jobs that didn't fulfil me. I had great ideas but was scared to follow through. I took courses and passed with flying colours then sat on my trembling hands and did nothing.

I felt unfulfilled and dispassionate. I felt like I had untapped potential yearning to break free but never quite felt good enough to pursue the things I loved to do.

And I wondered, why?

Leaving my relationship with two young children was perhaps the bravest thing I have ever done. Had it not been for them, I doubt I would have ever delved so deep into the 'whys'; but I am so grateful I did. My discovery that everything comes down to our internal belief system hit me like a smack upside the head. Life started to make sense and I read and researched more and more. What I learned is that we have inbuilt 'wiring', for want of a better word, that is ingrained in our mind in the way that water, over time, leaves grooves down a rock face. Wiring created by everything we experience in life, but most especially growing up. It is this reason that so many of us find ourselves in the same situation, time and time again.

From the second our children are born, every single event and experience is stored in their subconscious, creating their belief system. And it’s this very thing that will dictate how they view the world, what they believe they can achieve and who they believe they can be.

It will decide whether or not they follow their passions, how successful they are in life; it will determine their sense of self-worth. Unless they truly believe in themselves, our children could easily fall into the trap of growing up and living the mundane; worse, they could end up being abused, or abusing themselves.

Too many adults are unhappy; leading lives they don’t particularly enjoy; working in a job that pays the bills but doesn’t inspire them, fulfil them or give them a sense of purpose; trapped in unhealthy relationships, popping antidepressants and seeking out answers in therapy sessions.

Too many teens are choosing to end their lives prematurely.

Armed with this knowledge I determined to create awareness for both children and parents; sadly those who love us the most can instil doubts and fears without even realising.

We have TWO copies of I Believe… In Me! to give away! Each copy comes with a silicone wristband with the words I Believe… In Me!, to serve as a constant reminder. To enter, visit familytimes.co.nz.

b HELEN CLOKE

Let’s break the cycle and raise children who believe in themselves, who will then become teenagers, who believe in themselves, and ultimately adults, who believe in themselves!

SIUBHAN GREEN

36 Winter / 2019

I Believe... In Me! was written to help children discover the power of self belief.

It was also designed to demonstrate to parents and caregivers alike, that our words hold considerable power. Every child should grow knowing that with enough self belief they can be whoever they choose; no matter what someone tells them, no matter what their situation, it is all possible.

ME!

Win!

Once you know something, you can never not know it. If you knew that your children’s futures, their careers, their relationships, their entire lives, depended on their sense of self belief, what would you do?

I BELIEVE… IN

I grew up in Scotland, an only child to parents who wanted a better life. And so we emigrated to New Zealand when I was six years old. My parents held down five jobs between them and I grew up at a time when ‘children should be seen and not heard.’ My parents loved each other deeply and fought one another passionately. A large part of my childhood was spent living in silence when arguments were followed by prolonged periods of grudging silence, often weeks at a time.

And so as I reached adulthood, I believed that I didn’t have a voice and that conflict should be avoided at all costs.

I was terrified of being abandoned and therefore allowed the men in my life to treat me badly and I never spoke up.

My boundaries were crossed time and time again and I felt powerless.

I Believe…

In Me!

By Siubhan Green Illustrations by Helen Cloke

Order copies of I Believe... In Me! through facebook.com/ dragonflypressltd

Creating Attractive Face Shapes and Smiles!

“The Non-Surgical, Non-Extraction way” Before

Dr.Ruchika Sachdev of Smilesville Dental commonly gets asked -

After

why do teeth get misaligned and will this affect my facial appearance, confidence to Smile, jaw position, teeth and it’s function , gum health and overall well being?

Many adults, teenagers, and children experience malocclusion/ misalignment in their lifetime which can be corrected by both a preventative approach and a reactive approach.

An early intervention ( preventative approach) allows to focus on the growth , development and wellbeing of our younger patients along with straightening teeth thereby bringing balance and Facial Symmetry. “By way of this early approach usually 6-8 years of age our goal is to provide and maintain space for permanent teeth so they naturally fall into their allocated space in a

“non-surgical, non-extraction way.” This minimises the need for

Face & smile improvement of a Smilesville patient

Before

more extensive and painful intervention later, at the same time brings facial balance and symmetry to your child’s face and smile - helping them look and feel their best. If the muscles are out of balance the teeth, jaws,face and smile will be affected.”-says Dr. Ruchika Sachdev of Smilesville Dental.

After

Do I or any one in my family need treatment?

- If you are unsure of whether or not you require treatment , take a look in the mirror and answer these questions: - Do your top front teeth stick out (bucked teeth)?

- Is there a visible space between your bottom and top teeth when you bite together (open bite)?

- Do your top teeth cover more than 25 percent of your bottom teeth when you bite together (overbite or deep bite)?

- Are your bottom teeth in front of your top teeth (under bite)?

Face & smile improvement of a Smilesville patient

- Do any of your teeth overlap (crowding)?

- Do the centres of your top and bottom teeth line up (midline)?

What Smilesville patients are saying

- Do you accidentally bite your cheek or tongue a lot?

- Are your teeth wearing unevenly?

Ruth Morrison: “Very happy with the good care taken of my children

- Are there gaps or spaces between your teeth?

during their orthodontics. Some nervous moments as the treatment involved an ‘ugly duckling’ phase but as a result they have fabulous smiles and we are all very pleased. Rusheka is very patient with people and accommodating and I recommend coming when your children are as young as 8 to be able to take advantage of the most options for their treatment.”

If one or more of these applies to either you or your child then Talk to the friendly staff at Smilesville Dental to transform your face, jaws teeth and life!

Smilesville Dental can not only help your children but you as a parent as well if you notice any of the above signs.

Smilesville Dental focuses on the growth, development, and proper alignment of the teeth, jaws, and face. Dr. Ruchika Sachdev and her team at Smilesville Dental are known for providing a unique type of treatment that not only works to give you straight teeth but also corrects the underlying causes of abnormal development creating well balanced faces and attractive smiles.

Grant: “Competent , professional care with a laugh and a smile. Ruchika looks after myself and two of my children. She is great with the kids, especially my youngest who can be a testing patient.”

Anita Kamat: Excellent Service. Top notch treatment and most important of all Dr Ruchika knows how to handle challenging patients ... like my 13 year old boy who has poor dental hygiene. His previous dentist brought him to tears with her reprimanding every time he went in to get his braces tightened and I could take it no more. I approached Dr Ruchika who kindly agreed to take up the case and today my son has the most beautiful smile ever. For me as a Mum the visits to the clinic was a pleasant stress free experience. Everyone at the clinic are extremely friendly and accomodating . Lots of good conversation, hot cup of tea for for my 78 year old dad who insists on tagging along and most important of all a very happy 13 year old teen who cannot stop showing off his dazzling new smile. Many Many Thanks Smilesville Dental :-)

Smilesville Dental was the first Invisalign platinum provider from Christchurch (and the whole of the South Island) having more than 10years Invisalign Experience.

Smilesville Dental exclusively offers expert advise and treatments in advanced cosmetic dentistry, smile design and full mouth reconstruction, implants, Invisalign and Orthodontics to give you an amazing Smile not only to smile ... but to Smile with Confidence.

GEt a FREE CoNSuLtatIoN NoW and see how Smilesville Dental can transform your child’s face, jaws, teeth and potentially lifestyle going forward!

talk to the friendly staff at Smilesville Dental to transform your child’s face, jaws, teeth and life!

Call 0800 INVISIBLE (0800 468 474)

Call 0800 INVISIBLE (0800 468 474)

Leaders in Appearance dentistry • Orthodontics for adults, youth and children • Invisalign – The Invisible way to straighten teeth - First Ever Platinum Provider of the South Island treating with Invisalign for 10 years + • Free dental treatment for 13-18yr olds (OHSA conditions apply)

• Extreme Dental makeovers • Whitening • General Dental and complete Hygiene services • Implants • A specialist referral might be required in some cases • Best price Guaranteed

CaLL NoW 0800 INVISIBLE (0800 468 474)

Shop 201, Westfield Riccarton Mall 131 Riccarton Road, Riccarton, Christchurch

Located above ASB bank (best access via Lift in Farmers store)

0800 INVISIBLE (0800 468 474)

smilesville.co.nz Winter / 2019

37

Health & Wellbeing

Foster parenting

Become a

Foster parent KELLY EDEN discusses focusing on a child’s strengths rather than their difficulties to help build self esteem, and emotion coaching to enable them to better manage their feelings.

W

hen I became a foster mum a number of years ago, I quickly saw that parenting a child with a neglect or abuse background needed a planned approach. When fostering, there are a number of difficulties that draw your attention – your child’s health, dental care, social skills, schooling and their development are all areas that have possibly been impacted. Many of these areas couldn’t be ignored, but I was also faced with a choice. Do I make these difficult areas my main focus as a parent, spending time and money on tutoring and counselling, or do I focus instead on building my foster daughter’s strengths?

foster carer “Being a foster carer is the hardest job you will do but it is also one of the most rewarding,” says a Key Assets foster carer.

Often, children who come in to care have experienced trauma and abuse. As a result the way they see and make sense of the world is different and can bring challenges that will show in their behaviour. Because fostering can be a tough road Key Assets offer support to foster carers, to get the best outcomes for children in care.

The support Key Assets offers includes: + A generous fostering allowance

I realised that the decisions I made about her after-school activities were going to have a big impact on her. I noticed that she wasn’t doing so well in the classroom and, being a teacher, my first instinct was to sign her up for tutoring but I worried about the effect that would have on her self-esteem.

+ A dedicated social worker

Whether you are parenting your own or other people’s children, it is sometimes easier to spot their problems rather than identify their strengths. Researcher Peter Benson in book and TEDx talks discusses finding your child’s spark: the thing that gives your child energy, joy, hope, direction and purpose. Strength-building and finding what sparks your child – rather than trying to fix them – is better for you and your child.

My foster daughter is a talented sportsperson, so instead of tutoring, I encouraged her to join the local swim club.

+ Support group with other Key Assets carers

+ Ongoing training and development, including trauma informed training helping carers understand the impact of abuse on the brain and development

+ Respite + Therapeutic support from a Key Assets therapist + Youth work for the child in your care

Secondly, emotion coaching is crucial for fostering. Children who have experienced neglect, abuse, or dysfunction of some kind often have limited emotional skills. As a foster parent, learning to be an emotion coach helps our children to name, understand and, eventually, manage some of their strong feelings better.

Children and young people come into foster care for many reasons. If you have been thinking about becoming a foster carer and you can provide a safe and stable home to children and young people aged 8-18 contact Key Assets to find out more.

Learn more about emotion coaching through the Gottman Institute.

0800 525 437 / iwanttofoster.co.nz

38 Winter / 2019

Health & Wellbeing

Sleep easy

If energy levels or moods are low, worries are high or if a good night’s sleep doesn’t come easy, SleepDrops provides support for the whole family.

manage to fall asleep quickly, we may experience restlessness and wake up feeling more tired than when our head hits the pillow. And, as we all know, sleep deprivation can turn the most relaxed parent or child into an irritable ball of stress and fatigue.

or a healthy, happy life, getting enough sleep and relaxation is vital – not just for parents, but for the whole family. However modern life places big demands on our time. As we try to juggle a career with raising a family – not to mention eating well, getting enough exercise and maintaining a healthy social life – life can easily become unbalanced.

There is a unique formula for children who find it difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep. For toddlers through to pre-teens, SleepDrops for Kids is a gentle, non-habit forming, non-toxic formula that helps calm kids before bedtime.

For children with high levels of energy and overactive minds, SleepDrops will help relax and settle them for a good night’s sleep – right through the night.

When this happens and things become a bit too much, our sleep patterns are disrupted: even if we

For those parents who find sleep elusive at the end of the day, SleepDrops for Adults supports

F

going to sleep and getting back to sleep faster.

If you have trouble falling asleep, this all-natural solution combines 13 of the most scientifically recognised medical herbs with 11 homeopathic sleep remedies – designed to switch off your busy mind so you can get to sleep and to support the normal phases of sleep.

SleepDrops Daytime Revive is a herbal formula to help you regain balance by improving energy levels, mood, concentration, and resilience, so you can get the most out of your day while handling with ease the everyday ups and downs of parenting. It’s also great for kids who seem to worry a lot.

The SleepDrops family value 25ml spray range is now available in selected supermarkets. sleepdrops.co.nz

Winter / 2019

39

FOOD

Perfect bread Recipe by

Rachael

What you need 1kg high grade flour 15g yeast 15g salt 15g sugar 30ml oil 650ml warm water

TIP: To check if your bread is cooked, tap on the bottom of the loaf – it should sound hollow.

What to do 1. Add all of the ingredients in the order they are listed above, to the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix, using the dough hook attachment on the ‘dough kneading’ setting, until it comes together. Continue to mix for 10 minutes – this develops the gluten in the flour.

2. After 10 minutes, remove the dough hook, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave the dough to rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size – around 60-90 minutes. ©God's True Beauty Photography

Bread rolls - Roll the dough into balls, place into greased muffin trays and bake at 180°C for 15 minutes, or until they are golden and sound hollow when tapped.

Pizza bases - Divide the dough into fist-sized balls. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to the thickness you like your pizzas to be. Place on greased trays and top with your favourite toppings. Cook in a preheated oven at 180°C, until your toppings are cooked through and the crust is golden.

Comfort

Bread loaves - Divide the dough into two and shape into loaves, then place onto a greased tray and bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes.

Focaccia - Use half the dough recipe.

Oil a baking pan and place the dough in the pan. Push the dough into the pan and leave to rise until doubled in size. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with rock salt, rosemary and tomatoes. Push your fingers into the dough to get the dimple effect and bake at 190°C for 15-20 minutes.

food

I

One Mother to Another EATS is a collation of recipes from household names, chefs and everyday mums designed to fund the ongoing support of mums and carers in hospital with sick children. onemothertoanother.org.nz

has a delicious new range of winter soups to warm your family’s chills and keep colds at bay.

HELLERS

t’s that time again! Time to rug up and brace for the winter weather ahead. The frosty, wet days of winter, cramped up together indoors, also mean it’s the flu and cold season.

For a happier, healthier winter we need to ensure our family has all the nutrition they need to fight off winter bugs. Great food equals strong immune systems, and what easier way to get a dose of vitamins and minerals than a healthy bowl of soup?

Hellers has two new additions to its soup range this winter. As usual, their new flavours are full of great quality meat and plenty of vegetables.

Just what the family needs to stay warm, full and healthy.

And just because it’s winter doesn’t mean family life slows down. That’s why Hellers try to make it as easy as possible for us busy mums and dads to run our lives and feed our families well, even

40 Winter / 2019

3. Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a clean, floured bench. From here your bread dough is ready to use!

when we’re not feeling 100 per cent. “Soup is a quick and easy meal for after the kids’ sports practices or even on the sidelines,” says Brydon Heller. “The soups are meaty and hearty.” Exactly what kids need to refuel after a busy morning.

There are now six delicious soup options: Chicken and Smokey Bacon, Pumpkin and Smokey Bacon, Sweet Corn and Bacon Chowder, Spicy Tomato and Chorizo, and the new Mushroom and Bacon, and Pea and Ham soups. “Our soups’ oldfashioned flavours are ones that the whole family will enjoy,” says Brydon. It’s all the classics we love, with the added bonus of delicious premium meats that Hellers are known for.

Soups are a winter staple and great for everyday snacks, meals and just to warm up after school or soccer! Ideal too for stocking up the pantry with a few extras for snow days, or to grab as an easy, comforting meal when the family is sick.

Winter / 2019

41

KIDS’ time

ACTIVITIES AND colouring in FOR ALL AGES

Anyone looking for trouble better watch out for Captain Snowball’s two partners. Use the code above to find out who they are?

Rooster is top dog on the farm. He can stop anything with one woof. How many times can you find the word WOOF, in the puzzle below?

ANSWER: Paw and Order.

O W O O F W O

W F O O W O O F W F W O O F O F O O W O O F O O W O O F W O W F O O W

The Secret Life of Pets 2 and related characters are trademarks and copyrights of Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Rooster is top dog on the farm. He can stop anything with one woof. How many times can you find the word WOOF, in the puzzle above?

ANSWER: 10.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 and related characters are trademarks and copyrights of Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 and related characters are trademarks and copyrights of Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Win!

4 x The Secret Life of Pets 2 prize packs Includes: A tote bag, sticker book,

activity roll, stationery set, head band and a double in-season pass to see The Secret Life of Pets 2. Ts and Cs apply.

To enter, visit familytimes.co.nz

42 Winter / 2019

$12

$2 $8

$2

$12

The Secret Life of Pets 2 and related characters are trademarks and copyrights of Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Fun Zone

giveaways

2

3

Beyblade Rail Rush Battle sets Rail Rush Beystadium features a dual rail system that propels tops through the rails and into the Battle Ring for intense head-tohead clashes.

Mānuka Health supplements

With winter upon us, let Mānuka Health’s new immune supplements for adults bring you back into balance with the power of New Zealand Propolis.

NZ Music prize pack Win this awesome pack jammed full of the latest in NZ kids music. Pack includes a Kath Bee USB, Marian Burns CD, Peter the Pukeko CD, Sing Along with Tony download CD and a Levity Beet colouring book.

2

Dark Sky Experience

Experience Dark Sky Project’s new familyfriendly daytime astronomy experience in Tekapo. (Prize is a Family Pass for two adults and two children, valid until 30 November 2019.)

Be in to

Win!

8

Moana – sailing on ice

For the first time ever, here’s your chance to see Disney’s Moana in Disney On Ice celebrates Mickey and Friends. We have A Reserve tickets to both the English and te reo Māori shows at Horncastle Arena, 17-18 August, 5.30pm. (Each set contains two double passes).

Simply head to our website: familytimes.co.nz

Tekapo family fun

Win one of two family winter combo passes to Tekapo Springs and enjoy hot pools and ice skating, plus a onehour pass to the snow tube!

2

2

KidScents packs

Brand your own Bento!

Unleash your inner wordsmith or designer with a Personalise My Bento pack. Get creative with placement, nicknames, or snappy inspirational quotes. Brand your own Bento!

2

Dr Bugs prize packs

To celebrate opening their factory for school holiday tours, Dr Bugs is giving away prize packs bursting with popcorn and a family pass to the factory tour!

2

Young Living’s gentle all natural children’s products are made with safe, mild essential oil formulas. The prize packs include KidScents TummyGize, KidScents Bath Gel, KidScents Slique Toothpaste (citrus flavour).

Three bilingual books!

My Body for Kiwi Babies and Animals for Kiwi Babies introduce babies to animals as well as parts of the body, in English and in Māori. And The Girls in the Kapa Haka is one of New Zealand’s favourite stories celebrating kapa haka.

Winter / 2019

Terms and conditions can be found at familytimes.co.nz

2

43

CHRISTCHURCH M A RK ETPL ACE WaiSwim is an award winning quality swim school. Lessons are available for children aged 6 months through to adults.

20% oFF

03 344 2446

106A Carmen Road Christchurch

Dudley Park Aquatic Centre 47 Church Street, Rangiora

when using promo code: Valid July school holidays - online FAMILYWInTER19 bookings only,

megaair.co.nz While learning very important skills children are having

Kaiapoi Aquatic Centre 9 Cass Street, Kaiapoi

general session passes only, Ts & Cs apply.

Fu n

Term 3 starts 22 July Free trial class!

0800 WaiSwim

New Zealand

An invitation to all girls aged 5 to 18 Come join the fun and friendship at any of our nationwide locations

Canvas Bag Drama School Merivale • South Brighton • Halswell info@canvasbag.nz • 021 222 7273 • canvasbag.nz

Birthday Tram Canterbury

Speakeasy

is a stuttering support group We meet at the University Speech Disorders Unit every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at 7.30pm

Barry Hay P: 03 338 8628 E: bazzah1918@xtra.co.nz

For More InForMatIon

E-mail: info@girlsbrigade.org.nz

Parenting Helpline support, advice and practical strategies

A tram just for you for your party.

Then have fun exploring the rest of the Park.

Contact us now

03 384 1970

info@ferrymead.org.nz 50 Ferrymead Park Drive | ferrymead.org.nz

44 Winter / 2019

girlsbrigade.nz

anonymous, non-judgemental, confidential

Call 0800 568 856 9am - 11pm Monday to Sunday

CHRISTCHURCH M A RK ETPL ACE

WINNIE BAGOES

Winnies Ferrymead is your local family friendly restaurant. The perfect place for family dinners, birthday parties and functions. With a great kids’ menu, amazing pizzas, bar and friendly staff, it is the place to bring your family.

Christchurch’s favourite

2 Waterman Place Ferrymead

family restaurant

03 376 4900

winniebagoes.co.nz

FREE HOUR S that stimulate ACCEPT • Activities • Exciting & LEARN • educational Highly professional teachers PLAY • Assists individual development Childcare subsidy HAPPY • may be available 20 ECE hours ACHIEVE • available

Award Winning Before & After School Care & Holiday Programmes AVAILABLE NOW! OSCAR and MSD Approved Family Discounts Available

Early Childhood Educational Centre

Ph 385 6319 CALL AND SEE US TO ENROL

www.busybumbles.co.nz

45 Randall St, Richmond (Close to The Palms)

(03) 347 3031 | manager@busybumbles.co.nz

Rangiora New Life School A Christian Integrated Area School for New Entrants to Year 13 www.rnls.school.nz

Stimulation Challenge Early Learning Skills Language Development Co-ordination Sight & Hearing

HOURS Tues & Thur 10am - 4.30pm Sat 10am - 1pm 109 Huxley Street Christchurch Tel: 03 332 0733

Applications for 2020 have closed.

Enrolment applications for 2021 onwards are welcome. admin@rnls.school.nz Stephen Walters, Principal

specialneedslibrary.co.nz

find your groove in a fun supportive environment

C l a s s e s ava i l a b l e at :

Papanui | Sumner/Ferrymead | Halswell/Selwyn

contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip hop, preschool Preschool through to advanced Annual recitals and performances Optional exams and medal tests Enhance your confidence and co-ordination Make life long friendships anna lee Registered teacher (RAD, NZAMD, JDNZ)

03 354 6228

annaleeschoolofdance.co.nz

0274 836 265 office@annaleeschoolofdance.co.nz

Winter / 2019

45

In the spotlight

9with

questions

Jeff Clark

From crooning as Gary Starlight at Bread & Circus World Buskers Festival, to spinning yarns as The Story Vending Machine at KidsFest, this stayat-home writer/performer dad juggles all his roles beautifully, writes KINETA BOOKER .

What sort of dad are you?

I’m probably a cross between stay-at-home-dad, funny dad, cringey dad, grumpy because-I-have-a-deadline dad, and (occasionally) cool dad.

What thing surprised you most when you became a parent?

How much they take in and reflect back at you. You learn a lot about yourself when you see it in your kids.

How different are you now from before you had children?

My days are more structured, I’m more choosy about the work I say “yes” to (which almost always turns out to be a good thing), and I have less hair.

Your top parenting tip?

It’s also one of the top rules of improvisation: say “yes, and...” as much as you can. Which is just another, fancier way of saying “listen, pay attention and don’t try to block things” – it’s easier to add to an idea and steer it somewhere than stop everything and start over.

do is ask some social media questions: What do your kids think about being on social media? Where did this latest study/advice/article come from? Who will be able to see this? How long will it be out there? Why are you looking at your phone?

How do you juggle being a working dad?

Juggling is a good word for it. Writing is a reasonably flexible job, but there’s nothing like having the deadline of 3pm to motivate you to get it done. It can be impossible to get anything done with the kids around, and other times it’s really easy – and occasionally better (since I can ask them for ideas). Most of my performing work happens in the evenings or weekends when I can generally get away for a bit without too much trouble.

The thing you enjoy most in everyday life with your family?

Introducing them to a hobby, or a book, film, or game that I love and seeing it light them up too.

Favourite family tradition?

You’re known for entertaining kids and parents alike. How entertaining do your own kids find you?

What social media advice do you have for parents?

Let’s just say my family are very patient. But seriously, I think my kids are much the same as anyone else’s: they think I’m cool some of the time and totally embarrassing the rest. I’m lucky in that sometimes when I perform they get to hear other kids say they think I’m cool and then they can say “that’s my dad.”

The game Cluedo is always an epic production. We have theme music, we play our characters throughout (often with silly voices) and an accusation is truly a dramatic event.

I think parents already get a HUGE amount of advice they don’t ask for, so I’m not going to pile on there. What I will

46 Winter / 2019

Jeff Clark has been making things up for as long as he can remember. He joined Christchurch's Court Jesters in 1996 and has been working ever since as an improviser, actor and writer. In July, his kids play The Princess and The Frog (and the Robber!) debuts at The Court Theatre and Jeff will be making up stories around Kidsfest as The Story Vending Machine.

Winter / 2019

47

Pop in for a visit to experienc e the Kindercar e difference .

e r a c r e d n i K At s d n e s & n i g it all be e r a c g n i v o l with res children u s a e tr t a th e r a c Child families and partners with

48 Winter / 2019

Visit www.kindercare.co.nz to find a centre near you