Child Magazine | Joburg August 2012

J O B U R G ’ S

b e s t

gu i d e

f o r

p a r e n t s

the

education issue

www.childmag.co.za

August 2012

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help, my child hates his teacher making a success of maths, music, reading and writing slow parenting – the fast way to grow an independent child bossing, biting, lying and stealing – what’s really going on?

health

education

entertainment

Fifteen minutes of reading with your child each day can expose them to one million written words in a year.

An inspiring thought, and just one of the statistics I picked up on the Nal’ibali website, which has the sole purpose of getting children everywhere to read. Encouraging children to read is really important, but so too is reading to and with our children. It all starts with a story…

Storytelling is an art that teachers, parents and children should explore and develop, even in educationally barren parts of South Africa.

Some of my happiest moments have been watching my daughters listen to my husband telling them stories of when “he was a little girl”. Seven years apart, yet they both fell for it over and over again and would shriek with laughter. Once they had settled down, he would regale them with the naughty things he and his brother got up to as children. The thought of having a mud fight inside Granny’s pristine lounge horrified my little girls – they could picture these naughty boys running amok and their Granny’s shocked face on returning home. And so the love of stories began in our family and grew as my husband progressed to the Harry Potter series, reading them all from cover to cover, in character, twice.

We owe it to our children to help them discover the joy of storytelling. Encourage them to make up stories, write them down and tell them. At the end of each day, why not also take 15 minutes to read or tell a story? You will be giving your child so much more than just a tale…

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Hunter House P U B L I S H IN G

Publisher Lisa Mc Namara • lisa@childmag.co.za

Editorial Managing Editor Marina Zietsman • marina@childmag.co.za Features Editor Anél Lewis • features@childmag.co.za Resource Editor Simone Jeffery • joburg@childmag.co.za

monthly circulation Joburg’s Child magazineTM Cape Town’s Child magazineTM Durban’s Child magazineTM Pretoria’s Child magazineTM

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355 321 205 261

to advertise Tel: 011 807 6449 • Fax: 011 234 4971 Email: jhbsales@childmag.co.za Website: childmag.co.za

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Art Designers Nikki-leigh Piper • nikki@childmag.co.za Alys Suter • studio2@childmag.co.za Mariette Barkhuizen • studio@childmag.co.za Mark Vincer • studio3@childmag.co.za

PUBLISHER’S PHOTOGRAPH: Brooke Fasani

Advertising Lisa Mc Namara • lisa@childmag.co.za

Client Relations Renee Bruning • renee@childmag.co.za

Subscriptions and Circulation Helen Xavier • subs@childmag.co.za

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Joburg’s Child magazineTM is published monthly by Hunter House Publishing, PO Box 12002, Mill Street, 8010. Office address: Unit 5, First Floor, Bentley Office Park, cnr Rivonia and Wessel Rd, Rivonia. Tel: 011 807 6449, fax: 011 234 4971, email: info@childmag.co.za. Annual subscriptions (for 11 issues) cost R165, including VAT and postage inside SA. Printed by Paarl Web. Copyright subsists in all work published in Joburg’s Child magazineTM. We welcome submissions but retain the unrestricted right to change any received copy. We are under no obligation to return unsolicited copy. The magazine, or part thereof, may not be reproduced or adapted without the prior written permission of the publisher. We take care to ensure our articles are accurate and balanced but cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage that may arise from reading them.

August 2012

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contents

august 2012

upfront 3

a note from lisa

6 over to you readers respond 11 reader’s blog

Claudia Eicker-Harris says her little girl

is thrilled with having two moms 41

dad’s blog Marc de Chazal shares how his love of reading from a young age has created a life-long passion for words

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reader’s blog even though Leonora Found’s four- year-old is a robust, sport-loving little boy, he still has a favourite doll

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features 20 naughty or needy?

c hildren sometimes bite, bully and steal. Glynis Horning finds out what is age-appropriate behaviour and when parents should worry

24 giants and mermaids there is a time and place for fairytales in a child’s education.

By Ruth Rehbock 26 deal with it

Ruth Rehbock gives you advice on what to do when your child dislikes his teacher 28 out-the-box lunches

some of South Africa’s favourite chefs present their creative lunchbox ideas 32 harried no more Kim Maxwell introduces you to the slow parenting approach

regulars 8 wins 15 upfront with paul

if you want your children to be well-behaved, you need to be the example, says Paul Kerton 16 best for baby – big enough for

a big-boy bed

when should your child move from a cot to a bed? Kim Maxwell finds out

18 dealing with difference

Lisa Lazarus looks at a genetic link to ADHD

44 resource – an added advantage

Simone Jeffery has compiled a list of learning centres that will help your child excel at school 54 a good read

36 extra! extra!

don’t underestimate the value of newspapers, says Tamlyn Vincent. It’s a very useful educational tool

new books for the whole family

62 what’s on in august 82 finishing touch

38 sobering truths

teenage drinking stunts your child’s emotional growth. By Gary Koen

maternity leave is not an extended holiday, says Anél Lewis.

It’s hard work

health

classified ads

14 fact or folklore?

77 family marketplace

Lucille Kemp looks at the latest research done around parabens

79 let’s party

this month’s cover images are supplied by:

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Joburg

Cape Town

Durban

Pretoria

St Mary’s School grahamdelacy.com

shutterstock.com

shutterstock.com

shutterstock.com

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August 2012

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letters

over to you

my child labelled a bully I was summoned to the principal’s office as my child was supposedly fighting with other children. I was shocked and saddened to hear that a parent called in to complain and did not want her child playing with mine, because my child was “horrible”, “nasty” and “a bully”. How can a parent judge a child without getting to know them?

The other child has told my daughter that she can’t play with them anymore. My daughter is six years old and a bit on the wild side, but will never hurt someone on purpose. Because of the situation she no longer enjoys going to school. The teacher has already punished her for fighting and now the children are punishing her. Why do we teach children to dislike one another? My child has come home with scratches after playing at school, but I have never called the school to complain about it.

Children sometimes have scuffles when they play, but soon order is restored. I am not saying fighting is okay, but parents should not make it worse by interfering.

There are so many teenagers who take their own lives because of being treated as outcasts at school.

Sandra

be prepared, parents I recently took my 14-month old daughter to a local play park and was chatting to a mom of a 13-month old boy; in less than half an hour, the little boy started choking on the lid of a water bottle. I am aware of the terms and conditions in these places, but not one staff member hurried to help the mom, who by now was frantic and asking for anybody’s help. I stood there helpless. I have had no CPR training whatsoever and was scared I might do more damage. While I am angry at the establishment for not having a person to assist with this matter, I am also angry with myself and the other parents who also stood and watched. I want to urge parents to go on a CPR course.

They could save a life. I know the little boy is fine, but I apologise to the mom for not being able to assist. I have now signed up my whole family for a CPR course.

Samantha Wilson

vive le barge!

Having been on pension for just over 12 years, I was somewhat surprised when my wife handed me the July 2012 issue of Child magazine.

“What”, I thought, “could there be of any interest to me in this publication? It was only when I opened to the article “a trip down the countryside”, by Louise Brouard, that the penny dropped.

My wife and I have been avid canal boaters since 2000, and have completed seven wonderful cruises to date. Our first cruise was with my wife’s sister and her husband, as novices from a base on the Midi Canal.

Everything from choosing a boat to operating the locks was new to us, and we made many mistakes, but the bug had bitten.

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the dolly debate continues In reply to the letter by Ingrid Dekker, in the July issue of Child magazine: I also have a 5-year-old girl who thinks that straight, blond hair is beautiful and she believes her Afro is ugly. I have been looking for a black doll to try and change her perceptions of herself.

Karabo Mabe There are hardly any black or coloured dollies in our toyshops. My daughter has asked me “why do all

Our next cruise took place days later on the Nivernais canal. My wife and I travelled in the opposite direction to the Brouards, from Corbigny to Joigny on a Penechette boat in lousy weather, starting on a Sunday – a huge mistake, as we soon found out. The French word ferme suddenly took on a new meaning. We were unable to buy any food and water in Corbigny on Saturday evening, as all of the shops were closed when we got there, and on Sunday everywhere we stopped along the canal to shop, was closed for the day. Our last meal had been a continental breakfast in Paris early on Saturday morning, and our next meal took place on Monday evening.

The Brouards will be sad to hear that the two boats that they and their friends hired were removed from the CBL/Connoisseur fleet, and no longer feature in the new “Le Boat” brochure or website. We used a Ha’Penny 900 for our cruise on the Saone River in 2006, and it proved to be a good choice for two people. If anyone wishes to make use of our experience on the canals in planning a cruise, they can contact me on cheetah@ telkomsa.net Alastair Johnstone

the dollies have yellow hair? I don’t want a yellowhaired dolly, I want a brown doll.” This is the new South Africa and every little bit of change helps.

Mischka Spies I am a black woman who has searched high and low for black dolls for my eight year old daughter to no avail. I want so much for her to love her curly, kinky hair.

Gabisile

son who needs to get his motor-skills developed so that he can attend Grade 1 next year. Where can we find a list of occupational therapists in our region?

Lekgolo Mayatula Childmag says... visit childmag.co.za and under resources click on health care practitioners.

left-hand woes My left-handed daughter tires easily when writing, and often has an aching hand and fingers. Exams and tests are the worst, because she struggles to finish within the allocated time. Shouldn’t these children be given extra time to complete their tasks? Teachers must also remember to seat a left-handed child on the left side of a two-seater desk.

Anonymous

child magazine on the net I’m a mom of two girls, aged seven and five. I’ve been reading Child magazine for a while now. It’s just so much easier now to be able to access the content on the go.

Siphokazi Tchalieu

control internet access all-in-one magazine There is no doubt at Saheti School that your publication is superb. The articles are highly informative, the layout of your pages are stylish and our parents and staff simply love reading it.

Christine Papademetriou I just picked up the latest copy of Child magazine and am so thrilled to have found such a wonderful resource to get entertainment, education, décor and other fun ideas. My daughter is turning two shortly, and I am amazed at all the creative things available out there.

Kim Bower Thank you so much to your team for providing us with such a fantastic magazine. You are one of my trusted resources when it comes to parenting issues, always helping me realise that I am not alone in this wonderful experience of raising children. We have a five-year-old

I would like to share my horrific story. A fellow classmate has sexually abused my eight-year-old daughter on play dates. It came to our attention that this girl has been accessing porn via internet searches at home and then role-playing on my daughter. Due to negligent parents, this child has now infringed on my child’s rights. My daughter is going for therapy because she is extremely uncomfortable and anxious. Please parents, pay attention.

Anonymous

thanks for the donation On behalf of all involved in the Xanthia Library Project, I would like to extend an enormous thank-you to Child magazine for the generous donation of books. Also, thank you for the advert placed in the magazine. It created so much awareness about our project and the response from your readers has been fantastic.

Nicola

write to us childmag.co.za or PO Box 12002, Mill Street, 8010. We reserve the right to edit

You can also post a comment online at

and shorten submitted letters. The opinions reflected here are those of our

childmag.co.za

Let us know what’s on your mind. Send your letters or comments to: marina@

readers and are not necessarily held by Hunter House Publishing.

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August 2012

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wins

giveaways in august win with ZOOB This moving, mind-building, modelling toy encourages children to learn, explore and create, using the most important tool of all, their imagination. Zoob has five pieces that snap together in 20 different ways, making it an easy, versatile and educational toy. Zoob is available at Toy Zones and leading independent toy shops. Load pictures of your children’s Zoob creations on the Zoob Facebook page by visiting the Zoob website. For more information or to find your closest store; visit zoobza.co.za.

Three readers stand a chance to each win a Zoob hamper valued at R1 000. Each hamper consists of a box of 55 Zoob pieces, a Zoob bot with pull back motor and wheels, a Zoob mini four-wheeler and a Zoob Alien creature with 200 Zoob pieces and light-up eyes. Simply enter via childmag. co.za/wins-jhb and use the code “Zoob JHB”. Your details will be made available to Zoob.

toddler talks The Pediasure Toddler Sense seminars cover important issues for raising your toddler, including potty training, discipline, nutrition and more. Ann Richardson, author of Toddler Sense, is joined by guest speakers. Contact: 082 467 8236, bookings@toddlersense.co.za or visit toddlersense.co.za One reader stands a chance to win a Pediasure hamper, parenting books, a Toptots hamper and two tickets to the Toddler Sense Seminar in October, all valued at R3 500. Simply enter via childmag.co.za/wins-jhb and use the code “Toddler Sense JHB”. Your details will be made available to Toddler Sense.

the magic of toys Chasing Fireflies is an exclusive children’s toy shop that specialises in high quality imported and wooden toys. Their name represents the magic of childhood and they strive to offer something different and special. They are based in Hobart Grove Centre in Bryanston. Contact: 011 463 5025, info@chasingfireflies.co.za or visit chasingfireflies.co.za Four readers stand a chance to each win a voucher from Chasing Fireflies valued at R500. Simply enter via childmag.co.za/wins-jhb and use the code “Chasing Fireflies JHB”. Your details will be made available to Chasing Fireflies.

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wins

stylish comfort Hush is a stylish range of girls’ clothing. Geared towards girls two to 12 years old, the range uses beautiful, soft cottons and voiles for comfort and elegance. Stockists are available nationwide or you can shop online. Contact Robyn: 083 303 5747 or visit hushclothing.co.za Four readers stand a chance to each win a Hush voucher, valued at R500.

Simply enter via childmag. co.za/wins-jhb and use the code “Hush JHB”.

Your details will be made available to Hush.

special memories Edugrafix’s unique expandable albums provide parents with a fun, easy way to capture their children’s keepsakes and memories. The My First Years and My School Years albums provide space for photos, certificates, reports and titbits. Albums are available in 13 colours, English or Afrikaans and can be personlised. For more info: 012 361 3576 or visit edugrafixalbums.com Four readers stand a chance to each win a prestige expandable My School Years album, valued at R550. Enter via childmag.co.za/wins-jhb and use the Code “Edugrafix JHB”. Your details will be made available to Edugrafix.

to enter simply visit childmag.co.za

or post your entry to PO Box 12002, Mill Street, 8010. Entries close 31 August 2012. Only one entry per reader.

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August 2012

congratulations to our June winners Bianca Campbell, Zienette Lawson, Martine Baker and Jo Judnick-Wilson who each win a wardrobe from Sticky Fudge; Burnese Bakos who wins games from Garden Games; Ceri Gunning, Lauren Steen, Lucille Jacobs, Therese van Wyk and Laura Daniels who each win a Babaderm hamper; Julie Stevens, Bianca Bianchi, Nadia Dal Lago Nell and Shelina Samujh who each win a four-week camp from Adventure Boot Camp and Karen Williams who wins a Beatrix Potter book hamper from Penguin Books. The 25 readers who each won a SupaChewz hamper from Arctic Health have been notified.

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blog

twice as lucky CLAUDIA EICKER-HARRIS says her daughter has no qualms explaining why she has two moms.

Illustrations: shutterstock.com

a

s the child of a same-sex couple, our daughter is quite often confronted with unusual questions.

I’ve been astounded to hear her answer some of these with confidence and aplomb on many occasions.

When she was just three, one of her friends asked her why she has two moms. She smirked and said, “Because I’m lucky.” That night we had to have the twomoms chat again, just as a refresher. And then, the other day, one of the trickiest ones came flying at her and, at four and a half (or, as she insists, four and three quarters), she handled it beautifully. As we sat enjoying a milkshake with friends, their son (seven and six eighths) said, “If one of your moms was your dad, who would it be?”

She thought about this, took a long slurp of her milkshake, nodded sagely and then launched into the following explanation: “Well, Mom has shorter hair so it

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might be her, but when they got married they both had long hair, so no it wouldn’t be her. Mama is taller, so maybe she would be the dad, but she’s not as strong as Mom. Mom grew me in her tummy, but Mama wears lots of dresses. Mom is naughtier and she always drives when we go on holiday so she could be the dad, but Mama isn’t scared of snakes and spiders, so it might be her...”

Then she stopped, looked at the little boy and, very sympathetically and as though he were a little slow, she said, “But you do know that they’re both girls, hey?”

He said he did. “Well then, they couldn’t be dads could they, because they don’t have...”, and you know how that one ended.

A couple of weeks ago, a different seven-yearold boy asked my daughter why she doesn’t have a dad. “Because I have two moms,” she said again and carried on drawing. Then she repeated the two-moms briefing that she’s had to so often. “Some people have two moms, some people have two dads, some people have a mom and no dad, some people have a dad and no mom, some people haven’t got any parents, some people have two dads and two moms because their

parents got unmarried and then got married again to someone else, some people...” At this point, just as his eyes were glazing over, something in the little boy clicked and he said, “Yes, and some people have one dad and, like, four moms.”

They both turned and looked expectantly at me.

I have to admit that I did skip a beat. But then I said, “Yes, and that’s called polygamy.” Satisfied, they carried on with their drawing. A few seconds later, the little boy said, almost to himself, “That pygmy man must go out a lot to get away from all the talking.” And for the millionth time since our divine daughter came along, I realised that children just need an answer – an honest answer.

No more, no less. By the way, although it’s not common, there is such a thing as pygmy polygamy.

Readers, this is your column – it’s a space to air your views, share a valuable parenting lesson, vent your frustrations or celebrate your joys. Send your writing to features@childmag.co.za

August 2012

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health

The proposed dangers of parabens may be the product of paranoia or there may be some truth to the tale, but only time and science will tell. By LUCILLE KEMP

fter asking one of the most discerning people I know when last they consciously bought a paraben-free product and I got the answer, “Never. I only heard about parabens three months ago,” I was intrigued to find out more about this fear of the preservative found in makeup, moisturisers, hair care products, shaving products, and deodorants and antiperspirants.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an independent agency responsible for protecting and promoting US public health through regulating and supervising everything from foods to cosmetics, received inquiries on the safety of parabens, and after an investigation, went on record stating, “Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in cosmetic products to safeguard against microbial growth, meant to protect consumers and to maintain product integrity.”

so what of it, then?

Parabens brought about controversy when research revealed that these preservatives were found in breast cancer tumours. Some studies found that parabens have the ability to mimic a weak form of oestrogen, a hormone known to play a role in the development of breast cancer.

There’s also been concern that the oestrogen-mimicking aspect of parabens may be a factor in the increasing occurrence of early puberty in girls.

Investigations have refuted these claims and this stance was backed by the American National Cancer Institute. The

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FDA says, “Studies and reviews on the safety of parabens used in cosmetics have been conducted over the years, with particular research being carried out in December 2005 to assess the safety for women and infants being exposed to parabens, and it was determined in all these instances that parabens are safe for use in cosmetics.”

Perhaps this is true, but many researchers refer to the research as “ongoing”, leaving enough room for concern to grow. The continuous need to review the facts through safety assessments dating as far back as 1984 to as recently as 2008, may seem like a smoking gun for many.

There are, however, no natural alternatives that can do the job that parabens do. Parabens are widely used simply because they’re effective, and they’re cheap and reliable, having been used for many years.

Perusing the South African National Regulator for Compulsory Specification’s (NRCS) website, there seems to be no red flag declared on parabens nor does it come up on Cansa’s watchdog list of dangerous substances.

Professor Michael C Herbst of Cansa confirms this, saying, “Cansa’s research operations committee has not yet accepted a position statement on parabens.”

control what you can Given that medical research has us constantly progressing, seeing to it that we know more today than we did yesterday, we may be correct in inquiring. While you might

be called alarmist, you’re certainly within your rights to take precautions. Cape Town-based pharmacist Peter Kruger says while there are currently no alarm bells ringing over the presence of parabens, there is awareness out there. “It is in the legislation that companies list their ingredients, so read the labels and look for parabens in the products that you buy and avoid them if it makes you feel comfortable to do so. There are many retailers that prefer to stock natural, preservative-free products.”

In the same token, as parabens aren’t officially harmful, make informed decisions when buying so you can be sure you’ve not been duped by clever marketing tools.

what to look for The most common parabens found in cosmetics are butylparaben, ethylparaben, heptylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben.

further reading • NRCS visit nrcs.org.za • FDA visit fda.gov • Journal of Applied Toxicology visit onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

a

fact or folklore?

upfront with paul

synergy PAUL KERTON says that harsh discipline is not needed when you install that moral compass and practice what you parent.

t PHOTOGRAPH: MARIETTE BARKHUIZEN

Saskia, Paul and Sabina

he mere word “discipline” is negative.

The very need to administer it suggests bad behaviour on the part of the child and lack of control from the parents. But there is good discipline – the setting of achievable moral and practical standards, and bad discipline. Bullying Victorian house masters stalking quadrangles in dark cloaks, brandishing canes and lashing out at measly minded pupils are long gone; now it’s the polar opposite – an acute lack of any discipline that has created a rash of lawless classrooms where little teaching is going on.

As parents we need to lay out the rules of the game as determined by our particular household, age, culture and religion, and let our children know why these are important. Once they can hold

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a proper thought, children need, and deserve, to know why they shouldn’t do something and should do something else.

Most of us use an arsenal of tried and tested psychological tricks to squeeze the best out of our children – a ruthless cocktail of telling-off, blackmail, light humiliation, threats to remove privileges and the sympathy ploy: “You made Daddy feel sad”. Teachers are advised to praise the positives and suggest smart alternatives to mischievous behaviour, although good old-fashioned detention still works. It is telling that we are keen to say “No” and “Don’t” but forget praise when a child does good, and I don’t mean just winning a race. A comment like: “Thanks for being so patient with your sister”, shows you noticed and genuinely appreciated it.

The best route is to instil respect for people and property (and themselves) by providing a loving, trusting, kind family environment from the word go, with yourself, hopefully, as role model. Children are watching and imitating everything you do, so it is no surprise that the child who hits and scratches at school, experiences heavy manners at home, whether from siblings or parents. Many a preschool play session reveals alarming as well as pleasing domestic scenarios to the teacher.

I don’t buy it, but some experts feel we should never punish, although any punishment should certainly fit the crime and the age. You can’t tell a 15 year old to go and sit in the naughty chair, but you can stop them from going to their BF’s party at a nightclub... which also illustrates

how you as a parent need to adapt your parenting style as children get older.

And while you might need to scream at a toddler to stop them wandering into traffic or striding towards a hot flame, that should be followed by a big hug, not a slap across the legs, and an explanation (at any age, for that matter), that you shouted because you cared for their safety.

You can’t fault children for singlemindedly wanting to do what they want to do and exerting their personality and influence over any situation. It is, after all, the survival of the fittest. Children generally are intrinsically good and want to please. They just need a sensible road map.

Paul Kerton is the author of Fab Dad 2: From Walking to Talking (... and Beyond).

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best for baby

big enough for a big-boy bed KIM MAXWELL explores whether there is a right time to move your child from a cot to a bed,

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odern parenting dictates that as soon as we’ve mastered the transition from babies to toddlers, we’re allowed a short reprieve to be entertained by our blossoming little people, before we’re subtly pressured by fellow parents or family members to think about the next milestones. For toddlers, these include building vocabulary, mastering fine and gross motor skills and the biggies: tantrums, toilet training and moving from a baby cot to a big bed.

each baby is different As a parent to a happy 20-month-old son, I haven’t given much thought to the timeline for our move. We have a bed available, but my son is a good sleeper who

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seems comfy in his wooden cot. Also, his cosy extra-length baby sleeping bag keeps his body covered, but it would be impractical in a single bed. Joburg-based midwife Barbara Constantinou says that weighing up the individual needs of a toddler is important when making the move. Children’s and family’s habits aren’t universally alike. “From a year onwards children are fine to switch to a bed, but there‘s no rush,” she says. Possible triggers that spur on the move to a bed include the imminent arrival of a sibling, or a toddler that outgrows their cot or becomes more adventurous about climbing out. “A lot of bigger babies have sleeping problems because they turn and knock into the sides of the cot, waking themselves up. If they

have problems sleeping, rather move them to a bed.”

Constantinou says babies can sleep in cots until they are two years old if they are comfortable and sleep through the night. “But many two-year-olds can pull themselves right up from the sides of their cots, and might try to balance on their soft toys to get out,” she cautions.

smooth move Do move your child to a big bed if your family is expanding, but plan in advance.

Constantinou suggests making the transition two to six months before the arrival of a new baby, to ensure the older child feels settled. “If they’re under three years old, it should take less time to adapt.

But if the child is three years or older with a sibling on the way, they could be jealous of being kicked out of their bed for a new baby.” Another good time to move your child to a bed is if the family is moving house. “This is a good time to introduce a new routine as they’re going to be unsettled anyway,” says Constantinou.

Toddlers crave predictability, so maintaining a consistent bedtime pattern is important to ease them into the new bed.

Durban-based mother of two Tamsin Laight moved her son into a bed between the age of 16 and 18 months when he outgrew his cot. “He was more comfortable there, and excited about being in a bigboy bed,” she recalls. She used bed rails with both her children. Tamsin’s daughter

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PHOTOGRAPHs: shutterSTOCK.COM

and what can make the transition easier.

Ella moved to a bed when she was just over one year old, as they didn’t have space to store both a cot and a bed in the room. In retrospect, Tamsin believes her daughter wasn’t emotionally ready.

“Ethan took a few nights to settle properly, and we haven’t had a problem since. Ella, on the other hand, took a few months to finally stop climbing out of her bed at night. We just kept putting her back; never in our bed, otherwise she wouldn’t get the message. I don’t know if the age difference or their different personalities caused that behaviour,” she says.

Durban-based nursing midwife Kerry Hodgson says toddlers should be sleeping through the night before the move. “It’s much easier to do sleep training in a cot than trying to sleep train and settle your child into a big bed at the same time, when they can get out of bed and come looking for you,” she warns. Make moving a happy event for your toddler; allow them to help select new bedding in their favourite theme by all means, but keep some familiar blankets or toys in the new environment.

Buying a big-bed sleep toy for the transition is another option. “Children are amazing in

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what they understand at this age so don’t ignore them during the process,” reminds Hodgson. “Explain in detail how things are going to work. Establish ground rules around waking up – do they come through to your bedroom or call you?”

And if you need to delay the big bed for practical reasons – your children are sharing a room temporarily and there isn’t space for two beds, don’t stress. Find an age-appropriate solution that’s a good

fit with your family’s living arrangements.

“If something is working for you, there’s no reason to change it and mess it up,” says Constantinou. “Only when you notice your child behaving differently, or their actions impact on others, do you have to make changes.”

safe and sound For your peace of mind, pushing the bed against the wall on one side is a

sensible and practical consideration, but Constantinou doesn’t believe special safety rails are worth spending money on.

“Children get their bearings quickly in a new bed. I’d just prop up pillows initially or push an old mattress near the bed. It takes three or four nights for most children to learn not to fall out,” she says. “Some moms worry that their toddlers are going to get out of bed, but that’s about setting boundaries around what is acceptable behaviour. Parents need to put their child back in bed, and repeat it until they learn.”

Hodgson says most children move to a bed between 18 months and two-and-ahalf years, and she is a fan of installing bed rails. “Moms come to me for consults until their children are two years old, and my cotto-bed advice is quite individual because I see moms as individuals,” she says.

for professional help For baby routine therapists that can help you in the comfort of your own home, visit, childmag. co.za/resources/home-help

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dealing with difference

mean gene LISA LAZARUS discusses the recently

f

or Tamsyn*, the most frustrating thing about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is “that feeling of your head never quite switching off.”

She should know. Like her 13-year-old son, this stay-athome Pretoria mother of two children, aged 16 and 13, also has ADHD, though Tamsyn was only diagnosed as an adult. Tamsyn knew from early, probably around the time her son started pre-school, that he suffered from ADHD. “This may sound presumptuous,” she says, “to know so soon, but I grew up in a house with an older sister who was diagnosed with ADHD. My folks didn’t simply put this down to middle-child syndrome or to being difficult or insolent. Instead, from the outset, they found help for her.”

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making the connection Although she initially believed that the condition had passed her by, Tamsyn realised that this wasn’t the case when she started doing intense therapy with her son. She says: “They asked him, ‘do you count things in your head?’ and I answered ‘Yes’ for myself. After that, I started doing some research.” Looking back on her own childhood, a lot of things make more sense now – for example, the frustration of not being able to finish a task immediately.

According to the Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Support Group of Southern Africa (Adhasa), between eight percent and 10 percent of the South African population have ADHD – a term used to include ADD (Attention Deficit

Disorder) as well. The disorder appears to be almost twice as prevalent amongst boys as girls.

Mental health practitioners differentiate between three sub-types of ADHD: • predominantly inattentive with little or no sign of impulsivity and hyperactivity; • predominantly impulsive and hyperactive with little or no attention difficulties; • t he combined type – distractible, hyperactive and impulsive.

an “Aha!” moment In 2010, The Lancet, a medical journal, claimed to have found a genetic link to ADHD. Those with ADHD, they

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discovered genetic link to ADHD.

said, had more chromosomal structural abnormalities, specifically more copy-number variants. In other words, on certain chromosomes, genetic material had either been deleted or duplicated. Dr Lynda Albertyn, child psychiatrist and head of the Child, Adolescent and Family Unit at Johannesburg Hospital, adds that even before the growing genetic evidence, which has been reported in the journals for several years now, there was convincing evidence from twin and adoption studies that ADHD is largely inherited.

Nine-year-old Tom* has Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and so does his mother Helen, a graphic and fashion designer who lives in Port Elizabeth with her three children.

Like her son, Helen would go “into a daze and then wake up in a panic” at school. Frequently, teachers would report that she was not applying herself and was capable of more.

“I know what it’s like for Tom with the kind of daily battles he has to face at school,” she says. Yet Helen has made great strides with Tom: she has changed his medication (overly high doses of Ritalin were making him depressed, weepy and paranoid), she moved him to a more nurturing school and found two mentors to motivate him – Richard Branson and reality TV personality Ty Pennington, who also suffer from ADHD. According to Jessica Cheesman, a recent Masters graduate from the University of Cape Town, studies show that the average heritability of ADHD is 0.75. That means that approximately 75 percent of the cause of this disorder is genetic. During Jessica’s research on how mothers of children with ADHD experience stress, she found that many moms had an “Aha!” moment about their own mental health when their children received their ADHD diagnosis. “Often mothers would express how they saw features of themselves in their children, and this gave them some solace in their child’s diagnosis,” she says.

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The argument in The Lancet, however, has come under some fire. The BBC’s online medical correspondent Fergus Walsh says: “There is a danger in reading too much into The Lancet’s new research on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.” Supposedly, children with ADHD were “twice as likely to have chunks of DNA missing or duplicated.” However, drilling down into the numbers, around 15 percent of the ADHD children actually had the genetic variant – in other words, 85 percent did not, which “hardly justifies confident assertion that ADHD is a genetic disease.”

In response, Professor Thapar, the spokesperson for the research, said that the study aimed to remove the stigma associated with ADHD. The condition “could not be dismissed as being down to bad parenting or poor diet.”

does your child have ADD/ADHD? Attention Deficit Disorder: • Often fails to pay close attention to details or makes careless mistakes.

• Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or activities.

• Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.

• Often does not follow through on instructions.

• Often has difficulty organising tasks and activities.

• Often avoids tasks that require sustained attention.

• Often loses things necessary for tasks.

• Easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.

• Is forgetful in daily activities.

getting a handle on it Albertyn states that there is promising research on the effects of the environment on genes. “Certain environmental factors such as birth damage or an adverse childhood can act on genetic vulnerabilities, which then lead to the development of a disorder. So, someone with a genetic predisposition for ADHD, who has firm and structured parenting, will manifest fewer symptoms than a child with the same genetic predisposition who is raised in a chaotic household.”

Despite the fact that the cause of ADHD is complex – most probably a subtle blending of genetics and the environment – parents of children who suffer from ADHD may benefit from looking at their own childhood. It’s possible that they will identify with what their children are experiencing. *Names have been changed.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: • Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat.

• Often leaves seat in classroom or other situations.

• Often runs or climbs excessively in situations where it is inappropriate to do so.

• Often has difficulty playing quietly.

• Is often “on the go” or often acts as if “driven by a motor”.

• Often talks excessively.

• Often blurts out answers before questions have been completed.

• Often has difficulty waiting their turn.

• Often interrupts or intrudes on others.

• Often engages in dangerous activities.

From the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition.

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parenting

naughty or needy?

From biting and bossing to lying and cheating, our children’s behaviour can embarrass us, and worse. What should we do about it, asks GLYNIS HORNING, and when should we worry?

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Hurting, bossing, lying, stealing – all inappropriate behaviour that seems especially disturbing in children, who we think of as innocent and sweet, yet is common.

“In the early years especially, children can struggle to separate fantasy from reality and accept family and social rules,” says Patricia Tau, an educational psychologist in Brakpan. They are self-absorbed and can’t always express or control emotions and impulses.

Is it hormones, or have I raised a delinquent?

Thankfully, with the right guidance and maturity most grow out of it, says Tau and Durban clinical psychologist Ros Lowry agrees. “The key is to understand the reasons behind it and find and model appropriate ways to deal with it,” says Lowry.

hurting: biting, hitting, pinching Why they do it: Children between four and seven months often bite simply because they are teething and it feels good. They are too young to grasp the difference between chomping on a toe or a toy, says Tau. At around 12 months they discover cause and effect, and biting, hitting or pinching can be a way to get attention. This may also be a way to express anxiety or anger, she says, such as when they are separated from their mothers. For toddlers, who are learning independence, these behaviours can also be a way to control others – to make them move, or give them the toy they want. Older children using them tend to have trouble expressing feelings in words and asking for help.

They may also be acting out to relieve stress from family conflict, bullying, abuse, moving home or a death.

What you can do: “Never shout or lash out; it makes things worse,” says Tau. Comfort the victim then turn to the biter, speaking firmly but calmly. Just tell a baby “No”, and remove

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still recall the day a friend’s toddler sidled up to my sleeping four-month-old and sank his teeth into one plump pink toe. My son’s yowls were soon drowned by the toddler’s as my outraged friend planted several sharp smacks on his behind. “We don’t” – SMACK! – “hurt” – SMACK! – “people!” she admonished him. The contradiction between her words and actions stayed with me, raising a rueful smile.

Ten years on, her toddler had turned into a teen of distinctly bossy bent, who on his last visit reduced my quiet, easy-going son to seething frustration by dominating every game and insisting on having his way.

Later his mother called, voice tight with tension.

“Did your boy give Max* two music DVDs and a pack of Yu-Gi-Oh cards?” she asked.

A quick check showed them missing from his room.

“I don’t know what to do,” she sighed. “Is it hormones, or have I raised a delinquent?”

them from their victim. Look a toddler in the eye and say: “It’s not okay to bite/pinch/hit; it hurts.” Lead them away by the wrist and let them cool down for a few minutes. “There needs to be a consequence to any negative behaviour, a time-out or taking something away from the child,” says Lowry. “And whatever your family chooses, it needs to be consistent.” Explain to your child that you love them, but what they did was unacceptable. Give a hug and move on.

Best prevention: Be sure to notice good behaviour and reward it with attention. “Children have an emotional need to be acknowledged, heard and understood, and would rather have negative attention from being reprimanded or even physically punished than no attention,” says Lowry.

“Reward systems such as star charts are a great form of positive reinforcement that young children usually enjoy; they contribute to your child’s sense of competency and selfesteem.” If the behaviour stems from stress (divorce, moving home, death), provide the security of a predictable routine.

Teach children to recognise and name their feelings, and express them appropriately using words, exercise, sport, dance or art. Explain: “It’s okay to be afraid, sad or angry; it’s never okay to hurt others.” If deliberate hurting continues, get professional help. (See “when should you worry?”)

dominating: bossing, bullying Why they do it: Domineering behaviour can come from an absence of authority, where a parent is away often or

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abdicates the leadership role. The oldest child or the one with the strongest personality will often play this part with siblings. This may not be a problem if the child has balance and maturity, but without these the child may use bossing and bullying. Busy, working parents or single parents can come to rely on the bossy child to keep order and may be reluctant to rein them in, leaving younger children feeling unprotected, cautions Tau. Bossing and bullying can also stem from authoritarian parenting – a child who feels dominated can vent feelings of resentment, helplessness, anger or fear by dominating others, she says. Bossiness is often a sign of insecurity, but sometimes it simply signals an assertive personality. If you help shape it, it can give your child useful leadership skills. But left unchecked it will alienate others and cost your child friends.

What you can do: If a child or adolescent is trying to run your family, even if you are a single parent and secretly welcome it, give them clear, consistent boundaries.

“Boundaries make a child feel safe and secure,” says Lowry. Tell them, “You’re a great help, but you’re not a parent, you’re my child.” If the rules are broken, enforce them quickly and calmly.

Best prevention: Watch interactions with siblings or during playdates, and if your child always dominates, take her aside and explain they could lose friends and respect.

Have a signal such as tapping her arm. Explain and calmly enforce the need to consider others’ feelings and

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parenting

needs, to ask nicely, take turns, and to not always have to win. Above all, says Lowry, model them yourself.

deceiving: lying, stealing, cheating Why they do it: Children under three years old don’t deliberately deceive, says Tau. They are experimenting with words, and may lie to avoid punishment, but they don’t fully appreciate the difference between “yours” and “mine” when they take things and have yet to develop a moral code. Three to six years is the age of imaginary play, and children may make things up as part of this rather than intentionally deceiving. They’re beginning to respect things that belong to others, but may take or trade them without being aware of their real value. From around seven years old, children generally know lying and stealing is wrong and can be strictly moralistic, but may do it anyway to test adults’ limits or to copy other children or fit in with them.

Lying, stealing or cheating often signals that they feel insecure or inferior, says Tau. They may not be receiving the praise or attention they need, and may be afraid of not measuring up, and try to “buy” status or affection. They may also be depressed, she says, stealing to vent feelings of fear, anger or guilt over family conflict, poor school performance or losing a loved one.

What you can do: After age three it’s important to confront your child, says Tau. “Don’t overreact, simply say: ‘You’re not allowed to take what’s not yours,’ or it

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can become a habit.” Focus on uncovering their reasons and work with them on those. If they lie to avoid a chore or punishment, stick to the punishment and explain it would have been lighter had they been honest. If they steal to keep up with or impress friends, have them return the item and apologise, and give appropriate punishment.

Tell them, “We treasure trust and honesty.” Explain that values don’t rest on material possessions. Talk about what your family can afford, and help them budget, save or do chores or jobs to earn something they truly want, says Tau. Best prevention: It’s ironic that lying, cheating and even stealing is often rooted in children not wanting to disappoint us. “Make sure your expectations are realistic and that you aren’t being too pushy, looking to them to meet your needs,” Tau says. Tell them often that you love them no matter what, and that you value the effort they put into things more than the end result. When they make mistakes, break things or fail tests, don’t berate them. Calmly help them sort out the problem, help them understand what went wrong and learn from it. When they own up to something, tell them you admire their honesty and courage. Above all, model these qualities yourself.

If you’re caught speeding, let them see you admit it, apologise and accept the fine with good grace. If a cashier gives too much change, let them see you return it. And tell them how good it feels to do the right thing. * Name has been changed.

when should you worry?

“It’s important to sift out what is developmentally appropriate behaviour from what is inappropriate,” says psychologist Ros Lowry. “The best advice is to trust your parental intuition – when things don’t feel right, they usually aren’t, and it’s useful to get the opinion of a professional who works with children.” Difficult behaviours may be symptomatic of underlying feelings or emotional difficulties that they don’t know how to express or that don’t make sense to them, she says. But if the behaviour is accompanied by the following, it can indicate depression or psychological problems, and you should speak to your doctor, school counsellor or a psychologist: • tearfulness, anxiety • irritation, anger • sleep problems • change in appetite or weight • hyperactivity • few or no friends • skipping school • shoplifting • damaging property • hurting animals

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education

RUTH REHBOCK reminds us how wonderfully stimulating fairytales, old and new, are for our children.

they learn as they dream “Children need to be encouraged to develop fantasy as part of their intellectual and social development; imaginative play is crucial because it enables children to be creative,” says Durban-based educational psychologist Tammy Brink Styles. “Creative thought in turn enhances mental resourcefulness and language development, which enables them to articulate inner thoughts and feelings.” This, she says, is critical, as it allows children to develop a sense of mastery over their world.

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Phillipa Warren, a teacher from Milkwood Pre-Primary School in Fish Hoek, explains that the children in her Grade R class have already been exposed to traditional fairytales such as the fantasy and adventure stories by Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl or Julia Donaldson who wrote The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom, and don’t want to hear them read aloud at school. But, the experts say, we must realise these stories are still a valuable part of our cultural and literary heritage, and can illustrate good values and behaviour. Brink Styles adds that these stories must be mediated by parents.

“We have to choose appropriate tales for our children, considering their age and level of development, and we have to make sure they know these are fantasy and not reality. But don’t burst the bubble completely. Let them believe wishes come true and good always triumphs in a story,” she says.

Brink Styles says you can start reading fairytales to a child as young as 18 months, even if you only read a page and start talking about the story instead. “I love Aesop’s Fables because its simplicity means children of three years and even younger can enjoy them according to their level of understanding. With preschoolers you can often take their lead, but make sure you have read the story first to see whether it will be upsetting in any way,” says Warren.

a creative spin on learning There are simple ways in which you can deal with the more frightening, violent aspects of fairytales. Lindsay Grubb from Joburg usually tones down these aspects as her daughter is frightened by some of the characters in the original stories. “I changed Little Red Riding Hood as I read it to my daughter Ciara, who’s four; so the granny hid away from the wolf in the cupboard and the woodcutter chased the wolf away so he would never return.”

On the other hand, older children can find classic fairytales captivating and stimulating. Celia Fleming, mom to Jonathan, eight, and Daniel, six, who lives in Cape Town, says her children are quite intrigued by things like dwarves and wicked stepmothers and very often they end up chatting about these stepmothers. “When the scene is upsetting I hurry through it but in general I find fairytales are a good starting point for a discussion about evil or jealousy or how to behave in specific situations.”

Of course, there is also the argument that they teach traditional roles for men and women, which holds us back from reaching our potential. A few educators, however, have found creative ways to utilise these stories. “We use all sorts of stories to illustrate and instil the 7 Habits of Happy Kids and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective

People, both by Stephen Covey (Free Press), in order to develop every child’s potential, such as teaching skills like leadership and learning to be proactive,” says Jacky Bellon, librarian at King David Junior School in Linksfield, Joburg. For instance, The Little Red Hen is a good example of Habit no. 3, “Put first things first” or “Work first, then play”.

We have to keep in mind today’s children know so much more than we did at their age and have so much technological savvy that the enchantment of classic fairytales may just not be enough. It is still up to us, however, to inspire them with these humorous and interesting stories. Writers, film-makers and educators weave these archetypal characters into our contemporary culture through new stories like Tangled and books like Princess Smartypants (Putnam Publishing Group) by Babette Cole. The science fiction, and fantasy books and movies, if you think about it, illustrate many of our human endeavours in much the same way as classic fairytales do. Venturing into new territory, whether a dark forest or a mysterious planet, the adventure yields many of the same hurdles and personal growth experiences.

In the end it’s really a personal choice whether you read your children traditional or adapted fairytales, but remember that traditional tales have their origins mainly in Europe and Russia. Why not try a few alternatives, like folk tales from India, China, Japan and Africa (see “tales of a different kind”), where you will find similar studies of human behaviour, covering man’s interaction with nature and the battle between good and evil. In fact, if you look into any culture you will find human experience transmitted into oral tradition and later, written down as folk- and fairytales.

tales of a different kind • T he Lost Horse: A Chinese Folktale by Ed Young and Tracey Adams (Voyager Books, 2004) • The Berry Basket: Three African Folktales by Dinah M Mbanze (Kwela Books, 1999) • Elephant Prince: The Story of Ganesh by Amy Novesky and Belgin K Wedman (Mandala Publishing, 2004) • Nelson Mandela’s Favourite African Folktales

by Nelson Mandela (W W Norton & Company, 2007) • Peachboy: A Japanese Folktale by Eric Metaxas and Jeffrey Smith (Simon & Schuster, 1995) • T he Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales by Joyce Cooper Arkhurst and Jerry Pinkney (Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 1992)

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was afraid of magicians and clowns, and of anything I couldn’t see or touch. Magic disturbed me, witches, dark forests and wicked stepmothers terrified me, and I was shocked by tales of children abandoned by their parents. Still, I had dreams of dressing up like a fairy or princess, and of being whisked away by my handsome prince one day. Those stories had a powerful influence on my ideas and beliefs about femininity and relationships.

Listening to friends and family, it seems that many of my generation were influenced by these fairytales.

Fortunately, today’s children who are enchanted by magic landscapes filled with talking animals, giants and fairy godmothers can have access to these tales in a re-worked format, which convey contemporary characters and popular storylines that are more relevant to our 21st-century culture.

New types of “fairytales” are created all the time, with writers and film-makers constantly reworking old tales that go way back in time, starting out as stories transmitted from generation to generation in the oral tradition.

Many parents today face a challenge: how do we encourage our children’s sense of wonder and belief in the mysterious and the magical, and promote a love of reading, while making sure they acknowledge and understand the difference between fantasy and reality?

The good news is that experts believe fairytales have a valuable and important role to play in childhood.

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25

education

deal with it RUTH REHBOCK says that when your child tells you they don’t like their teacher, you’ll need to dig a little

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decided I wanted to study medicine at age 12 and cherished the dream until I found myself in Mrs McCarthy’s science class. She was impatient, strict and unforgiving and, worst of all, we had already heard the story of the flying watch – she had thrown a watch out of the window after a pupil had glanced at it in class. I was terrified of her; I didn’t always grasp what she was saying the first time round and I didn’t tell anyone how I felt or what was happening. My dream of becoming a doctor started to recede and I felt wretched. Looking back, I realise that if I had only voiced my feelings and asked for help, I might have achieved my goal.

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It’s quite disconcerting, after talking to other parents, to find out a few people had similar experiences – teachers leaving scars on their psyches in some cases, but luckily, times have changed. Now teachers and parents are encouraged to build a working relationship so that none of our children “fall through the cracks” at any stage of their school career.

One trick that makes parenting less stressful is not to over-identify with your child’s emotions when they start to have problems. Try to remain objective so you can soothe your child first and then find out the facts before taking action. Melanie Hartgill, an educational psychologist in

Joburg says, “Parents must take their children’s complaints about school seriously, but also realise this is a child’s reaction to an event. Young children, and sometimes even those in senior primary, can’t always identify exactly what has upset them. Nor do they always tell the truth. The way to look at the situation is to be the ‘psychologist’ in order to find out what’s really going on.”

start talking If your child comes home and says “I hate my teacher”, the best thing to do is start a conversation with your child and get as many details about the situation as possible. Ask for examples of the teacher’s behaviour – it shows your interest, that they are being heard, and it gives you an idea of what really happened.

Parents need to realise that “I hate my teacher” is very often a cry for attention.

If your child is battling with schoolwork, feels stressed or has problems socialising at school, they could express it in this way.

Annalene Drapala, who teaches Grade 4 at Sunlands Primary School in Cape Town, is aware this kind of statement usually masks more complex emotions. “Children are impulsive and spontaneous so they blurt out something that will hook you – and teachers are an easy target. It could mean a child feels isolated, is being bullied, or is really struggling with the work or school routine.”

Drapala, who’s been teaching for more than 25 years, says parents must dig deeper into what is upsetting their child.

“I once had a parent who said hurtful and damaging things to me instead of talking to me about their child who was very

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deeper to find out what’s really going on.

sensitive and felt neglected at home. The child was crying out for love and attention because Mom was getting married for the second time.”

However, according to experts, you have to adapt your responses, depending on your child’s stage of development.

Young children, those in preschool and a little older too, don’t often say “I hate my teacher”, but if they do it’s a fairly serious thing, say the experts. “You have to act swiftly if a preschooler doesn’t want to go to school and complains of aches and pains or drags her feet in the mornings.

Go immediately and speak to the teacher.

Children of that age ought to enjoy going to school,” says Hartgill.

In junior primary your child could still use physical “ailments” to get out of going to school, but may also say things like “my teacher is mean” or “my teacher is stupid”.

“Remain calm, start a conversation with your child by getting details and targeting your questions,” says Hartgill. “If your child says ‘I hate my teacher’, ask what happened before the teacher was mean to her and what happened afterwards. In this way, you will hopefully find out what really occurred. Then you can calmly decide what to do next.” Don’t push your child to open up, either. Allow your child the space

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to talk when they feel the need to do so.

Bedtime might be a good time because they are relaxed.

In senior primary, however, it may prove easier to find out the real story. At this age a child is more likely to relay the facts, often with less emotion. However, it doesn’t let you off the hook – it’s always your responsibility to listen to all sides of the story. Remember, teachers want the best for your child, so support your child without undermining the teacher’s authority.

was really struggling with Grade 1 but told her mom the teacher “always picked on her”. “I found out my child didn’t have the skills she needed for Grade 1 and was actually anxious and depressed.

After consultation with the teacher and the principal we agreed to send her for extra lessons with her teacher, and for OT, to get her up to speed. With support from me she started to feel more confident and has passed Grade 1.”

make it work been there One mom got the facts as best she could from her five-year-old and was able to help her son. In the last year of preschool, he got very anxious about going to school because his teacher shouted a great deal in the classroom. “I asked my son why he thought she shouted a lot and he replied that she was cross with the naughty children,” says Lesley Morgan from Joburg. “I made sure he understood she wasn’t shouting at him because he works hard and is a good boy. This made him feel more confident and secure and he gradually became less and less anxious.”

Another mom, Annemarie Simpson from Pretoria, discovered her daughter

Hartgill says it’s imperative to give children the confidence to cope with difficult situations. “We need to empower our children; simply removing them from the problem doesn’t teach them to cope with

problems or difficult circumstances, which are really important life skills.”

“Research has shown that children who acquire the right skills to cope with tough situations grow up to be more successful than those who don’t,” says Hartgill. “It’s usually not a good idea to move a child to another class because the situation will most likely repeat itself. It’s much more constructive to find out what’s not working in the relationship first.”

Experts also advise parents not to upset any of the teachers at school. Go to the class teacher first, then the head teacher and so on; going straight to the principal will cause animosity. You can also enlist the help of a school counsellor to assist in resolving the situation.

digging deeper Children may have other issues when they say they hate their teacher. Some of the problems may include: • Struggling with work or homework.

• An overly critical or highly strung teacher.

• B ig changes in their life that cause high levels of anxiety – moving house, death of a family member, divorce.

• Low self-esteem.

• Being bullied or having been the victim of abuse in one form or another.

• Your child’s and teacher’s personalities clash.

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ideas

out-the-box

lunches

CHILD MAGAZINE asks some of our favourite South African chefs for their winning lunchbox ideas.

Bonello’s Biltong, Leek and Asparagus Quiche

The principle behind a quiche is simple: pastry crust filled with an egg custard, flavoured with whatever you have in the fridge.

For the pastry crust • 300g flour • 4ml salt • 100g butter • A splash of water Mix it all up until you have a stiff dough. For an extra boost in protein, add half a cup of grated Parmesan to the mix. Once your dough is ready, grease a round baking tin with butter. Take a ball of the dough and press it down with your fingers until you have an even base all round and up the edges of the baking tin. Blind bake for 5 minutes at 180°C to set the pastry. This will prevent the pastry from going soggy when you add the custard mixture. To stop the pastry from rising while you’re blind baking it, weigh it down with dried beans. I didn’t have any, so I just used a couple of baby potatoes – so much of my cooking life is ’n boer maak ’n plan.

Filling • 3 free-range eggs • 250ml cream • 250ml milk • Pecorino cheese – grated • A bunch of asparagus • A couple of leeks – chopped • A handful of moist biltong – torn into pieces • Crushed salt and black pepper to taste Crack the eggs into a bowl, pour in the cream and milk, and whisk it up until you’ve got a rich custard. Grate in a handful of pecorino cheese and mix it around loosely. (The pecorino has a lovely dark and salty flavour that goes well with

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the biltong, but if your children don’t enjoy strong flavoured cheese, substitute it for one they’ll prefer.)

Trim the asparagus stalks and cook for a couple of minutes in salted water. Drain off the hot water, and refresh the asparagus in iced water for a minute or two to stop them cooking before chopping them up. Add the asparagus and chopped leeks to the custard and then take a handful of moist biltong and sprinkle on top.

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Pour the custard into the blindbaked pastry case and bake it in the oven at 180°C for half an hour or until golden on top.

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When you think it’s cooked, you can do the wobble test to check if the custard has set. Take the quiche out of the oven with oven gloves and give it a gentle shake. If the centre wobbles, it needs more time in the oven. The quiche is ready when the custard is firm but not dry.

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This is delicious served warm or cold with a dollop of chutney.

Justin’s latest reality TV cooking series, Ultimate Braai Master, is airing on SABC 3 on Thursdays at 8pm from 13 September 2012.

Reuben’s Ricotta Fritters Reuben Riffel’s contribution is great for children’s lunchboxes as they’re picky morsels; and children love bite-sized finger foods. It’s also a fantastic way to introduce them to the strong, exotic flavours of parmesan and chives.

• 500g fresh ricotta • ¼ cup (20g) finely grated parmesan • 2 Tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra, for dusting • ¼ cup chopped chives • 1 egg • Sea salt and cracked black pepper • 1 egg white • 1 tablespoon olive oil • Tomato, mint and onion salad, to serve

¼-cupfuls of the mixture into fritters and dust with the extra flour. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook the fritters, in batches, for 2–3 minutes on each side or until browned. Serve with a tomato, mint and onion salad.

Reuben recently released his second cookbook Reuben Cooks Local (Quivertree Publications). Reuben has three outlets for his restaurant Reuben’s: Franschhoek, Cape Town and Robertson. He has a daughter who is almost three years old.

Place the ricotta, parmesan, flour, chives, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well to combine. Whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form. Fold through the ricotta mixture. Shape

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PHOTOGRAPH: shutterstock.com

Justin Bonello chose to share his quiche recipe in particular because it’s so versatile and there are literally no rules – almost any filling will do, and you can give it a twist by adapting this recipe to mini quiches, which can be made in muffin tins. These fit perfectly into lunchboxes and make for an attractive way to get your children to tuck into their lunchbox grub. Also this particular flavour combo will double up as a clever coax to get them to eat their veggies. This recipe is from Justin’s latest cookbook Justin Bonello Cooks… for Friends (Penguin Books).

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ideas

The Giggling Gourmet’s Lamb Wraps Jenny Morris has come up with the ultimate in leftovers for lunch. As stipulated in the recipe, you can take lamb out especially for a few lunches or you can use leftovers from a roast lamb as you’re clearing up after Sunday lunch.

As you’re busy cleaning, scoop up the lamb remnants; create, wrap and pack it in the lunchboxes and pop it in the fridge overnight.

Rub the lamb slices with olive oil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and press into the cumin seeds.

The lamb • 1kg deboned leg of lamb, cut into 6 slices • Olive oil • Salt • Freshly ground black pepper • 1 Tbsp cumin seeds • 6 tortilla wraps

Mix all the salad ingredients together and place onto a platter. Top with sliced lamb.

1

Heat a non-stick frying pan and add a little olive oil, sear the lamb slices on both sides, and cook till slightly pink.

Rest the meat and slice each of the 6 pieces thinly when the salad is ready.

2

3

Warm the wraps in a dry pan, place them onto a wooden board and let everyone fill their own with lamb salad.

4

Serves 6 The salad • 1 red onion, thinly sliced • 3 spring onions with tops, sliced • 2 cloves garlic, crushed • 1 medium English cucumber, cubed • Zest of 1 ripe lemon • 1 green chilli, chopped (optional) • ½ cup freshly chopped mint • ½ cup freshly chopped coriander • ½ cup freshly chopped flat leaf parsley • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 cup Greek yoghurt

Sandy’s Sports Lunchbox: Fillet Pasta Sandy Harper came up with a lunch perfect for the active, carbo-loading child with the massive appetite. While the pasta is a complex carbohydrate, the addition of the fillet and pesto provides valuable protein, and the lemon juice renders the fillet easy to digest, as the lemon partly breaks down the fibres in the meat.

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Jenny, the owner of CooksPlayground studio in Cape Town, is a Food Network host and her show is on DStv channel 185. Her third cook book, Cooking with Jenny Morris (Sunbird Publishers), is available at all good book stores.

• Four or five ( +/- 250g) slices of leftover cold beef fillet – sliced into thin strips and drizzled with some fresh lemon juice, olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste • +/- 10 Rosa tomatoes sliced in half and marinated in a sprinkling of sugar, olive oil and a few chopped purple spring onions.

• Cooked penne, al dente, moistened with ready-made basil pesto. (Don’t be shy; the pesto adds huge value in terms of flavour and nutrition.)

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Jane-Anne’s Little Tuna Salads The hook to Jane-Anne Hobbs’ winning idea is that there is not a single frothing and overwhelming green to be found in this salad. These neat, individual tuna salads convinced her own children to give green stuff a try, and they’ve become dedicated eaters of salads into their teens.

You can pack these pretty salad rings with everything from carrot sticks and cheddar cubes to nuts, seeds and any other nutrient-packed food.

• 2 large free-range eggs • 1 English cucumber • Iceberg lettuce, torn into small pieces • A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved • A can of tuna, drained of its oil and flaked • 8 Calamata olives, destoned and halved • 75g feta cheese, cubed • Chives, finely snipped For the dressing: • 4 Tbsp (60ml) olive oil • Juice of a lemon • A pinch of salt • 1 tsp (5ml) honey First make the dressing: whisk all the ingredients together and set aside. Slide the eggs into gently boiling water and cook for 9 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and set it under a trickling cold tap for 3 minutes.

1

Rinse the cucumber and cut a 5mm horizontal slice off the long side to expose the flesh. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, cut the cucumber into very thin horizontal slices, each about 1–2mm thick. Cut any leftover cucumber into matchstick-sized pieces, and peel and quarter the eggs.

2

To assemble the first salad, place a large sheet of cling film on a dampened chopping board.

3

On top of the cling film place a metal food ring (if you don’t have one, cut off the bottom of the empty tuna tin and use that).

4

Firmly press the cucumber slice around the inside to form a circle (you may need to use two overlapping slices, depending on the length of your cucumber).

5

Fill the cucumber ring with a mixture of lettuce, feta, cucumber sticks, tomatoes, tuna, olives, egg quarters and chives.

6

Now very gently slide the food ring up and off, and pull up the sides of the cling film to make a neat parcel. Repeat with the other three salads. If you’re serving these immediately, assemble the salads on individual plates (without the cling film) and trickle the dressing over them. If you’re sending these to school in a lunchbox, put a little dressing in a small tub so your child can dress the salad just before she eats it.

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Makes 4 salads.

Jane-Anne is a renowned, independent food blogger and released her first recipe book Scrumptious (Random House Struik Publishers) in July this year.

It can be found at all good book stores. She has three children aged 13, 18 and 20 years old.

• Parmesan shavings • Fresh rocket Combine basil pesto penne, with Rosa tomatoes (use all the juice) and fillet.

Top with shavings of Parmesan or feta cheese and fresh rocket.

Tip: This pasta salad is really delicious if the fillet is medium rare to start off with. It is equally great as a warm dish, if preferred.

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Sandy authored The Lunchbox Book (New Holland), which is available at amazon.co.uk.

She has two children, aged 13 and 16.

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31

parenting

harried no more Are you guilty of helicopter parenting, hovering over your child? KIM MAXWELL asks you to take a moment to consider how you can create a happier

w

hen the Smith family in Cape Town orders pizza, a sevenyear-old and his five-year-old brother walk into a busy pizzeria, place their order and hand over cash. The boys sit quietly in the waiting area where waiters sometimes chat to them. The older boy is physically protective, brotherly behaviour he doesn’t often display at home. When the pizza is ready the boys walk out with beaming smiles and their change, and get into the car. They feel grown up; unaware that mom Karen has observed them from afar.

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On another occasion these boys have handed out flyers and answered questions about a community event they were involved in. They knocked on a few doors, spoke to mothers at a park, and to strangers inside a coffee shop. Again Karen watched from a safe distance.

it’s not easy, agreed In security-conscious South Africa it’s more common for parents to do the talking on behalf of their children. Yet Karen made a decision to empower her sons with small tasks, after reading how

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PHOTOGRAPHS: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

outcome with a slower parenting approach.

many children, especially boys, struggle to make decisions later in life. “Through over-protective parenting some children never get a chance to speak to a stranger, even if it’s ordering off a menu. I wanted to encourage my boys to be interactive and confident and to make decisions for themselves. It’s also important they learn that not all strangers are bad,” she says.

She reflects that many modern moms don’t allow their children to make any of their own decisions; they put clothes out for them, make their sandwiches, tell them what to order in a restaurant and say who they may or may not speak to. And because mom has always told them what to do, when they’re teenagers and are offered a drag on a cigarette, they’re more inclined to make the wrong choice.

warming to the idea Karen’s approach is a form of slow parenting, a subtle backlash against the over-involved but well-intentioned “helicopter” parent who hovers, ready to assist with homework, interferes in squabbles and ferries their child to a host of activities. Slow parents try to take a step

parents sometimes take issue with the passiveness of television or limit toys, encouraging independence, interaction and free play outdoors.

The need to achieve is squeezing modern children into being busy from a young age, with parents believing it’s good for their development. Not so. British author and slow parenting advocate, Carl Honoré rethought his parenting style after his sevenyear-old son showed an aptitude for art.

Carl wanted to channel this talent but his son just wanted to draw, querying why grown-ups always take over.

At that point, Honoré silenced his inner hyper-parent and started researching. “We are doing a great disservice to our children by pushing them so hard to learn things earlier and earlier, and by keeping them so busy. They need time and space

A balance of styles is needed with rules, boundaries and limits in place. Allowing children age-appropriate choices is important. They learn to be strong by dealing with consequences.

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back to consider the real needs of their child. Also called free-range parenting, it’s about encouraging children to develop physical talents and social skills at their own pace, not through treating them as projects that need to be packaged and managed. Characteristically, free-range

signs of parenting too hard You may be over-parenting if you regularly do your children’s homework, shout constant instructions from the sideline and spy on their Facebook page.

Other warning signals: children falling asleep en route to their next extramural activity or eating most meals in the car.

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to slow down, to play, to be children,” he says. Honoré and his wife now resist the temptation to enrol their children in multiple extramurals, limit computer time and they try not to push academic learning too early.

balanced approach Cape Town consulting school counsellor and author of Children Need Boundaries, Anne Cawood, says the number of helicopter parents is increasing. She says there is a tendency to be either of the two extremes – the over-controlling and overprotective parent or a parent that is too permissive with their children. A balance of styles is needed with rules, boundaries and limits in place. Allowing children age-appropriate choices is important.

to neighbours and causing mischief. It’s easy to blame crime for children’s lack of independence. New York mother Lenore Skenazy was labelled the “worst mom in America” for allowing her nine-yearold daughter to ride the subway alone.

Author of a book about raising self-reliant children, Skenazy is a fan of children’s safety in the form of helmets, seat belts and car seats, but doesn’t believe they need “a security detail” every time they walk outside. “Otherwise the message the children get is that they’re too vulnerable to be alone or to do things without their parents’ help,” she says. Skenazy says parents should train and then trust their children to make the right decisions with strangers. Cawood says that parents need to learn to let their children go, knowing

Lenore Skenazy is a fan of children’s safety in the form of helmets, seat belts and car seats, but doesn’t believe they need “a security detail” every time they walk outside.

They learn to be strong by dealing with consequences. “If a two-year-old bites another toddler, mom and dad will be close by to intervene. If a 10-year-old has a squabble with a friend, hopefully the parents will be good listeners and say: ‘Gosh I can see that was hard for you,’ without rushing to solve it,” says Cawood.

Cawood says too much free-range parenting can instil insecurity, whether dealing with toddlers or teenagers. “It’s about saying to children: this is the rule.

If we don’t put away toys we won’t watch TV. Or if we fight with that child we won’t be invited to their party.”

Many South Africans feel more secure if their children are supervised, or play with friends in enclosed complexes while our own childhoods were spent riding bikes

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they’ve taken precautions such as car seats or contact numbers. “You don’t want to instil anxiety in your children through your own anxieties,” she adds.

letting them be Joburg work-from-home and single parent Nina Ligeti focuses on sports participation, and on not over-scheduling her eight-year-old son. “He said he wanted to play tennis. So now he does one sport at school, tennis privately, and attends one art and crafts class. We haven’t added piano lessons as well,” she says. At tennis practice, Nina, overheard another mother express her frustration that the coach still hadn’t taught the children how to serve. “She seemed only interested in her child playing tennis to perfect the magazine joburg

game. But what is important is that they’re participating and having fun.”

When spending time with your children, it’s important to remember the difference between encouragement and praise. “We encourage the process; we praise the outcome. In childhood the process is far more important than the outcome,” reminds Bush. Nina’s son loves indoor wall climbing with tightropes and Tarzan swings at varying heights. “One day he asked me to go up with him, but at one point I became quite anxious,” Nina recalls. “He went ahead, and then told me that when I crossed to the other side he’d give me a big love. It was so nice he could see me struggling, and

encouraged me to work through it. I want him to understand that failure is okay as long as he gets up and tries again.”

So what should parents do to slow down? “There is no single formula for childrearing,” says Honoré. ”But children need to feel safe and loved; they need our time and attention with no conditions attached; they need boundaries and limits; they need space to take risks and make mistakes; they need to spend time outdoors and occasionally need to be ranked and measured less; they need healthy food; they need to aspire to something bigger than owning brandname gizmos and they need room to be themselves.”

tips from the experts

1 2 3 4 5

Instilling independence. At age three, walk with your child to a neighbour. At age six, stand at the door and watch from a distance. By age 10, let them walk independently.

Free play. Give children space in the afternoons to just be. That’s the time when you build a relationship, with old-fashioned activities like climbing a tree, running around and perhaps getting a skinned knee. Sit and watch them play and listen to them – they’ll learn social skills through simply talking to you about their day.

Play games. Start young and prompt children to learn age-appropriately what they can do. Don’t say, “never get in a car with somebody.” Instead ask your child what they will do if somebody stops their car and says your mommy said they can fetch you in their car. Teach them your phone number at an early age, but make it into a game without instilling fear. Say, “let’s play ‘telephone’ and practice this number.”

Family time. Create quality car time by playing word and observation games. Create special family celebrations and rituals. Invite children to help with kitchen prep from a young age, increasingly giving them more responsibility. Don’t squeeze children in between emails. Be fully present for 15 minutes, for instance, so you fill their emotional cups and they’re happy to go off and occupy themselves.

Creativity. Organise play dates for children until age 12. Give older children a dedicated space to be creative.

further reading • F ree-range Kids: How to raise safe, self-reliant children without going nuts with worry by Lenore Skenazy (Jossey-Bass, 2010) • Under Pressure: Rescuing Our Children from the Culture of Hyper-Parenting by Carl Honoré (HarperCollins Publishers, 2009) • Children Need Boundaries by Anne Cawood (Metz Press, 2007)

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education

extra! extra!

Newspapers have educational and entertainment value, which make them a nifty learning resource at home and in the classroom. By TAMLYN VINCENT

an unlikely teacher For parents and teachers in particular, the newspaper can be an especially powerful tool as it is like a living textbook. There is something new to read, look at, think about and discuss every day. Newspapers can add to the lesson in a classroom, form part of a child’s research material and add interesting ideas to daily discussions. As in a school day, a newspaper will typically cover a variety of disciplines, from business and finance to politics, entertainment and sport. Through the journalist’s required knowledge and understanding of the subject matter coupled with their flare for language and communication, your child will be constantly introduced to new words, terminology and concepts by reading the newspaper.

While 10-year-old Sadie was eating breakfast with her mom, she happened to pick up a section of the paper and read about how a government official used the opening of a hospital as a platform to talk about alcohol issues in the community. “Mom, what does platform mean?” Without trying to, the newspaper article raised the bar for Sadie and got her thinking about a word she likely would not have come across in her daily life.

Here are some creative ways to use the newspaper to teach:

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word games

Most newspapers feature crossword and sudoku puzzles, while some may offer easier games for younger children. They could also make their own crossword from words they find in the newspaper, and you could make it more challenging by giving the crossword a theme or telling them to only use verbs. Other word games include word searches, cryptograms – use a key to solve the puzzle – and word polygons, which is the use of set letters to make as many words as possible.

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scavenger hunts

4

Children can use the paper to identify different types of punctuation. A useful activity is to give children a rewritten paragraph from the newspaper with all the punctuation removed. They can then punctuate the paragraph for themselves.

Compare this to the original, see if the meaning has been changed anywhere and give them feedback.

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pictures paint a thousand words

Children who can’t yet read can have fun looking at the pictures, “shopping” from adverts or looking for different items, shapes or colours. They could also make collages from pictures they find, illustrating things like meals they like or things they enjoy doing. School-going children can tell a story from what they see in an article’s photo. Political cartoons and caricatures often offer social commentary that older children can learn to appreciate.

2

Get children to search for different letters or words in an article.

Older children can learn to identify words from word classes by being asked to highlight all of the nouns or adjectives on a page.

ABCs

full stops and commas

5

make your own newspaper

This class activity will task children with exploring newsworthy events in their class, school and community.

Interviews, columns, cartoons and entertainment news can all be included.

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geography lesson

Most newspapers will cover national and international news, so find articles from around the country or the world and mark these places on a map.

This will also give children a better understanding of current affairs in other places.

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talk about it

Newspapers offer plenty of discussion points, from current affairs to how headlines use certain words. You can look at why popular sports, entertainment or celebrity figures are always making headlines.

Also, discussing the advertising and how it works will make for an interesting conversation.

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adopt a pet Use the classifieds as a resource too. Children can find a pet they want to adopt, a house they want to “buy” or a career they would like to pursue. This gives children a chance to learn about themselves and their goals.

Ask children to find and cut out the letters of the alphabet from headlines. They can then find words or pictures that start with each letter and create an alphabet chart.

August 2012

To download these ideas, go to childmag.co.za/content/extra-extra

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PHOTOGRAPHS: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

t

he first real newspapers were printed about 500 years ago. Back then the content was mostly local, but as production became cheaper, newspapers became more popular and expanded their reach. Today we have daily, weekly and weekend editions that cover local, national and international news.

While advances in technology mean the online newspaper has grown in popularity, the hard copy newspaper still has its place for many of us and is being adapted to suit modern living – you might have noticed that the Cape Argus has exchanged the cumbersome broadsheet for a compact A3 format. Other compact newspapers are Mail & Guardian and East London’s Daily Dispatch.

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straight talk

sobering truths Underage drinking has debilitating long-term effects, including the stunting of your child’s

with themselves. What they are also about to discover is their relationship with their own brain.

a

dolescence refers to the period in our children’s lives that stretches from pubescence to self-sufficiency.

It is a monumental journey, packed with developmental tasks and expectations, all of which our children need to negotiate and fulfil if they are ever to properly feel in control of their lives. Learning to cope with change is one of their greatest challenges.

Everything changes during adolescence, and the biggest test for teenagers, and parents, is how they deal with them.

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alcohol and the brain

These changes usually begin with the transformation that is taking place inside their growing bodies, which then ripples out and influences every other area of their lives. They signal the beginning of a range of new, important, complex and elaborate relationships that will dominate and influence the rest of their lives.

These include their relationship with their body, their friends, their boyfriends and girlfriends, the outside world, their parents, and, most importantly, their relationship

In the past, researchers believed that by the time children reached adolescence their brain was fully developed. However, more recent discoveries have shown that this is not true. Conclusive evidence suggests that the teenage brain undergoes several dramatic structural changes, which continue until about the age of 20. During adolescence large sections of grey matter gets shed and faster, more efficient synaptic pathways for the conduit of information are established.

In simple terms, this describes the process of learning which, for a short period during adolescence, is quite fluid and adaptable.

This explains why it is much easier for

teenagers to learn a new language, to play an instrument or to understand technology.

At the same time though, it also makes teenagers more susceptible to picking up negative and debilitating habits.

The reason for this is that the prefrontal cortex – the seat of all our later executive functions which, among other things, regulates our judgement, our impulse control and our capacity to discern wrong from right – is painfully exposed and underdeveloped during adolescence. It is therefore impossible to expect teenagers to be in control of their lives at this stage, making the role of the parents crucial.

developmental implications As parents you have to remember that adolescence is the gradual movement from a state of dependency towards being able

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PHOTOGRAPH AND Illustrations: shutterstock.com

emotional growth, says GARY KOEN.

to function independently. There are a whole range of developmental tasks along the way, but the goal is for them to be able to function as independent people who are in charge of their lives. The last thing they need is to be fooling around with a substance that is actually going to keep them helpless and dependent forever, which alcohol does. Research confirms that alcohol is a powerful drug that has debilitating effects on motor, memory, perceptual, executive and developmental functions. This applies particularly to teenagers whose brains are still developing and evolving. The value of this research is that it enables parents and

Teenagers who start drinking from a young age may carry on growing mentally and physically, even cognitively, but their emotional growth may be severely compromised.

If teenagers start drinking frequently at the age of 15 and then stop drinking at the age of 28, their emotional age when they finally stop drinking will be approximately that of a 15-year-old. Giving up drinking is invariably the easy part; getting on with their lives afterwards is an entirely different proposition. The real reason these people find it so hard to stay off the drugs and the alcohol is because they have the maturity,

Alcohol is deceptive, because you often find that the people who drink copious amounts of alcohol tend to be incredibly bright and talented, and full of potential. educators to tell teenagers that drinking alcohol at a young age will be bad for their mental health. The earlier teenagers start drinking, the greater the likelihood of them developing a debilitating alcohol dependency in their adult years. A lessacknowledged, but profoundly disturbing, consequence of underage drinking is its ability to stunt emotional development.

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self-control, insight and judgement of a 15-year-old. All the important lessons they were supposed to have learnt when they were a teenager, now have to be learnt when they are in their 20s, 30s or even their 40s. Things that come naturally when you are 15 become difficult and painful when you are starting to do them as an adult.

Alcoholics and drug addicts in countless rehabilitation centres around the world are still trying to find the boundaries and limits they were supposed to have learnt while growing up.

long-term effects Alcohol is deceptive because you often find that the people who drink copious amounts of alcohol tend to be incredibly bright and talented, and full of potential.

Despite their binges, they usually still manage to complete difficult degrees and carry on to achieve brilliance. Their intellect has not been compromised; it is their emotional capacity that has been limited by alcohol. It is their capacity to grasp and understand themselves and

how best to live their lives without selfdestruction that they really struggle with.

They never fully come to terms with the values of integrity, morality, reliability and commitment. Alcoholics and drug addicts can be the nicest of people – kind, frank, open, spontaneous, disarming and engaging. Unfortunately, they can also become the most unpredictable and unreliable people, especially when put under pressure or placed in a situation that requires them to act with uprightness and responsibility.

This will only manifest later, and not immediately when teenagers steal a bottle of beer to drink behind the tool shed. However, when they start regularly stealing bottles of hard spirits and

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straight talk

splitting it with their friends, there is cause for concern.

Drinking half a glass of wine occasionally with the family at a Sunday lunch will hardly have any effect, but downing two or three beers or ciders every night of the weekend, most certainly will. Further danger comes in the form of associating alcohol with socialising. Somehow, going out with friends is not complete unless they are also having a drink.

Teenagers need to develop a capacity for self-reflection and independent thought, but alcohol cuts right through this process, making them believe they are someone they are not. The characteristics: comfort, insights and confidence that come from being drunk are short-lived and gone the following morning. Any self-discoveries made while they were drunk, will be lost in the aftermath of the hangover.

what is the appeal?

What makes alcohol so lethal is that initially, in even the smallest of quantities, it does seem to have positive effects. It can relax teenagers and fill them with confidence, making them less self-conscious. If they can keep it together while drinking, they may find there are sides to themselves that they never knew were there. This is all well and good, but those aspects

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of themselves will only reappear when they next drink. They may find that they need more alcohol to find that comfortable place. The problem with more alcohol is that the line between funny and stupid becomes very thin, while the gap between who they are, and who they want to be, starts to widen.

I recall listening to a 15-year-old boy explain to me why he drank. “I do it”, he said, “because I feel too embarrassed to go and talk to girls.” This from a boy who the previous weekend had gone to a party where he had gotten so drunk that among other things, he had vomited all over the host’s lounge, then started a fight before passing out at the bottom of the garden, where some friends eventually found him. They wrestled him into a car before dumping him over the wall of his house into the garden where his parents discovered him the following day.

I stared incredulously at him. “Are you really telling me that talking to a girl could be more embarrassing than all of that?”

Apparently so.

The real message for those teenagers who have enjoyed the benefits of alcohol, and found themselves more relaxed and spontaneous, less self-conscious and more willing and able to speak about themselves, would be to find a way of

being “drunk” while sober. They basically need to be able to be themselves while they are still themselves. As I have already stated, the danger of alcohol is that it can alter your reality, so what would be the point of being somebody that you are not?

What teenagers really have to be able to do, is to discover who they are without

the use of alcohol or any other stimulant.

That way, not only do they stand a better chance of overcoming social hurdles and learning how to handle themselves in uncomfortable situations, but the things that they discover about themselves makes their growth real and not simply the spurious by-products of a drug.

Gary Koen recently won the Brandhouse Responsible Drinking Media Award for Best Online Entry 2012. To read the article, which originally appeared in the April 2012 issue of Child magazine, visit childmag.co.za/content/think-youlet-them-drink. Other articles by Gary can also be found at childmag.co.za

Gary Koen is a clinical psychologist in private practice with over 20 years’ experience, working mainly with adults and adolescents. He also does presentations at schools on a range of teenage-related topics. These include all the general aspects of normal adolescent development. He developed and successfully runs a course, “An introduction to adolescence”, aimed at parents. He is also working on a book that deals with the challenges facing parents and teenagers and, as a father of three, he is heavily invested in everything he says.

For more information, visit garykoen.co.za

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dad’s blog

it’s not just words You’ll be amazed at how a bit of encouragement can inspire a child to reach for the stars, says Marc de Chazal.

PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

i

have loved words for as long as I can remember.

I could spend hours and hours alone as a child, quietly immersed in the world an author had created.

Granted, this was often a comic-inspired universe where Batman was fighting the thugs of Gotham City, but I was still reading. My imagination was kicked into high gear.

I probably would have spent a lot more time reading as a child if TV had not come along to distract me with its flickering images.

Fortunately, I was not only encouraged to read at school, but also to write comprehensive pieces that utilised my imagination. My Standard 5 English teacher, Mr Harris, who sported a bushy moustache, tweed jacket and smoked a pipe, especially inspired me to enjoy the story form. He would begin a tale for the class, usually a spy drama with a James Bond flavour, and then he would task us to write our version of the story. After he’d marked our essays, he would then read us his version.

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It was always mesmerising and hugely entertaining. One memorable day, he chose to read an essay I’d written as an example to the class of good literary flow. Initially I was just embarrassed at being singled out, but later I would look back at this incident as a landmark in my life – an authority figure thought I’d achieved a measure of greatness. This is all very relative – the story was no Pulitzer Prize winner, but in a young school boy’s life, it was incredibly significant. I didn’t grow up to be the next Stephen King (not yet, anyway), but I’ve worked in publishing all my life… reading, writing, and still in love with words.

So, inspire a child today. Who knows what he or she will do with that word of encouragement.

Read more of Marc’s weekly parenting blogs on childmag.co.za/dad-blog

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blog

well, hello dolly LEONORA FOUND treasures her son’s softer side,

i

am very proud of the fact that my son has a doll and, what’s more, that he loves his companion (named “Dolly”) passionately. Dolly has been a very real part of our lives for nearly four years now and we have pretty much accepted the fact that Dolly accompanies us on most outings. Admittedly, one toy company makes a fantastic Springbok rugby jersey that just happened to fit Dolly and which we just happened to feel was more suitable than Dolly’s original patchworkpink baby grow. This made Dolly far more of an acceptable travel companion for all of us.

One needs to understand Josh to realise why I love Dolly so much. Josh

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is a tough three year old who, from a very young age and of his own accord, came to the decision that he didn’t like girls, the colour pink or anything that resembles the fairer sex. As Dolly has been with him since before he could crawl, it has never occurred to him that Dolly is in fact the baby doll of his big sister, now 12, and hence representative of the fairer and softer sex.

Josh, however, is a typical, tough South African rugby-loving male who, despite his young age, doesn’t come close to being considered soft. He is mad about anything that involves kicking or hitting a ball and has many cuts and bruises, or “bleeds” as he calls them.

It was Josh who taught a nine-yearold boy how to tackle or rather, how to handle being tackled. He fights for what he wants and loves swords, shields and knights. Many of his pretend games involve someone getting “crashed”, “zoomed over” or “died over”. He always has dirty knees and is constantly finding something around the house that needs fixing. Inevitably, this involves lots of loud banging, sawing or drilling. He has never been the kind of child to engage in sweet baby talk and very seldom allows anyone to cuddle or kiss him.

And yet, he loves Dolly. He cuddles Dolly, swaddles “him” in his arms, caresses “him” and tells Dolly how much he loves “him”. Dolly is a regular guest at many of our meals and he worries about Dolly if we have left him at home and return too late. When he leaves for school

in the morning, I am given instructions on how to care for Dolly and to remember to strap the doll in if we travel in the car.

At night, after kisses and hugs, loves and prayers, it’s Dolly that he wraps in his little arms and says his goodnights to.

Why do I love Dolly? I love her because she reminds me that beneath the tough exterior that so many boys seem determined to display, lies a sweet, gentle and caring softness that I truly treasure and am determined to nurture.

Readers, this is your column – it’s a space to air your views, share a valuable parenting lesson, vent your frustrations or celebrate your joys. Send your writing to features@childmag.co.za

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Illustration: shutterstock.com / Alys suter

even if it means sharing mealtimes with his Dolly.

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an added advantage Whether your child is looking to boost their upcoming exam results, they need to grasp a difficult concept or want to wrap their head around the work load, these learning centres will help your school-goer make a success of each term. By SIMONE JEFFERY

Computers 4 Kids Offers integrated computer training for learners at aftercare centres, preprimary schools, primary schools and Computers 4 Kids Training Centres across Gauteng. The handson lessons cover South African school content (maths, English, Afrikaans, social studies, EMS and others) as well as IT skills aimed at your child’s academic level.

The learners are awarded an approved qualification at the end of the course and are exposed to the latest technologies such as laptops, tablets and smart phones.

Area: centres across Joburg Contact: 0861 C 4 KIDS (245 437), info@computers4kids.co.za or visit computers4kids.co.za

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Computer Crèche Qualified instructors visit your school in the mobile computer tutoring facility to teach children aged 3–7 years the general principles of computing, emphasising what children are capable of achieving using computers. Lessons are given in English and Afrikaans.

Area: across Joburg and the Vaal Triangle Contact Lezaan: 083 525 3806, info@computercreche.co.za or visit computercreche.co.za Engenius Toys The centre offers fun workshops to children 4–14 years old, which create an interest and build foundation knowledge in robotics, computer programming and engineering. Learners work as part of a team and are exposed to tasks that will have them thinking logically

while building structures, and applying basic mechanical and engineering principles by using pulleys, gears, axels and wheels.

Area: Fourways Mall Contact: 011 465 5386 or visit engeniustoys.co.za Future Vista A Junior IT academy for children aged 5–18 years old. The weekly classes are led by an attentive instructor who guides learners through the six levels to achieve a locally and internationally recognised certificate. Learners can progress at any time depending on their ability; they aren’t restricted to a level based on their age. Learners are motivated with “nano” money, which is awarded for reasons such as good behaviour, and can be used to purchase Future Vista merchandise.

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PHOTOGRAPHS: shutterSTOCK.COM

computer and IT centres

Area: Joburg Contact: 011 435 5427, info@futurevista. co.za or visit futurevista.co.za Stimu-Zone Offers effective computer training to learners aged 3–12 years old.

The focus is on educating the pupils in becoming computer literate and at the same time stimulating their perceptual and educational skills. They provide computers, a CAPS orientated syllabus and educators to any educational institution. Learners receive a progress report each term and a yearly certificate.

Area: zones across Gauteng Contact head office: 014 533 2513, 082 564 3608, stimuhoza@yahoo.com, or visit stimuzone.com Trophy Computers and Robotics This is a science and technology club where learners in Grade 1–12 learn how mechanics work and how to build and programme a robot. Children with an interest in new technologies, gadgets and robotics will be introduced to the fundamentals of technology and learn about the school subjects they need to take for a future in robotics. Grading takes place in June

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and November, with official and unofficial competitions taking place throughout the year.

Area: Vaal Triangle, Alberton, Joburg and Pretoria Contact Zelda: 082 851 8892, z.pret@ mweb.co.za or visit trophyrobotics.net

languages and reading centres Active English Offers beginner to advanced English language lessons for children from the age of 3–12 years old.

Classes involve a fun and intelligent element with English songs, exercises, literature and books. Learning to read and grasping the English language effectively gives your child an advantage at school, expands their vocabulary and improves their language skills.

Area: Roodepoort and Kempton Park Contact Antoinette: 082 714 1155 or visit activeenglish.co.za Alliance Française of Johannesburg Whereas most programmes rely on repetitive workshops with limited material, the nature of Alliance Française courses allow

children to evolve from complete beginners to advanced. The extensive programme offers rigorous academic objectives while entertaining children with games, activities and cultural immersion. Classes are for learners aged 8–12 years old.

Area: Parktown Contact: 011 646 1169, info@alliance.org. za or visit alliance.org.za

Bright Start Right Start This centre offers reading, writing and study skills workshops for children in Grade 1 who are falling behind and need some extra help to strengthen their dexterity.

Area: Saxonwold Contact Harriet: 011 447 2202, info@ brightstartrightstart.co.za or visit brightstartrightstart.co.za

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Edublox Reading and Learning Clinic Children can attend weekly classes to improve their reading and learning capabilities through developing and practicing foundational skills such as concentration, perception, memory, logical thinking, speed reading and spelling ability.

Study skills classes are also offered to learners from Grade 4 and up.

Area: West Rand, Kempton Park, Krugersdorp and Vaal Triangle Contact Henk: 012 345 1480, info@ edublox.com; West Rand (Monique): 011 764 5824; Kempton Park (Alison): 011 391 3215; Krugersdorp (Nicolene): 011 954 3867; Vaal Triangle (Marietha): 016 423 7215 or visit thereadingclinic.co.za Fundanjalo Fun, conversational Zulu lessons are offered to children from 3 years and older. During a lesson, children learn poems, play games and sing songs.

When the learners are able to read and write, the lessons progress to incorporate these elements.

Area: centres in Randburg, Midrand, Bryanston and Cresta Contact Charmaine: 011 805 1591, 083 292 2956, enquiries@fundanjalo.co.za or visit fundanjalo.co.za Greek Lessons SAHETI School SAHETI School is the examination centre for the Certificate of Attainment in Greek. The annual exams are offered on different levels for children 8–12 years, from elementary (A1) and basic knowledge (A2) through to average (B1), and good and excellent knowledge. Free workshops are offered to candidates who have applied to write these examinations. Greek language lessons and folk Greek dancing lessons are also available for adults.

Area: Senderwood Contact: 0861 724 384, admin@saheti. co.za or visit saheti.co.za

Area: nationwide Contact: 0800 002 775, info@kumon. co.za or visit kumon.co.za Mandarin Time Although Mandarin is seen as one of the more difficult languages to learn, children will attain the language relatively quickly because they simply imitate what they hear and remember the language itself rather than memorising the complicated rules of grammar. During these classes children ages 5–10 years engage in fun activities, sing songs and watch a language programme that keeps their attention through the use of animation. The teacher assists with pronunciation and guides the learners through the programme.

Area: Lonehill Contact Faye: 082 565 8958, info@mandarintimes.co.za or visit mandarintimes.co.za Societa’ Dante Alighieri This Centre offers Italian language courses to children from the age of 5 years. The regular classes are fully integrated into the school curriculum, with learners being awarded an attendance certificate at the end of each course; official certificates are issued upon request. Along with the classes you are able to attend rich cultural events, borrow Italian books and DVDs from the library, and make use of the translating services.

Area: Houghton Contact: 011 728 6782, dantea@ netactive.co.za or visit adantejhb.co.za The Shine Centre An innovative programme that provides support in literacy and language enrichment for children in Grades 2 and 3. The programme consists of four parts: shared reading, paired reading, “have a go” writing and word play. Children are paired with a learning partner who builds up a detailed profile of each child and

Kip McGrath Education Centres Kip McGrath’s English programme covers reading, spelling, grammar, comprehension, vocabulary and writing skills as well as early reading for the younger children.

They accommodate children from Grade R to matric.

Area: nationwide Contact: 031 903 5352, info@kipmcgrath. co.za or visit kipmcgrath.co.za Kumon English programme The focus is on instilling a love of reading, and on developing comprehension, how to summarise and listening skills. Children start from as young as 3 years and progress from letter recognition through to poetry and literature appreciation in Grade 12. When enrolling, each child is assessed to establish their starting level and as they progress they are carefully monitored by the instructor so that the class work and home work matches their level.

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reports on their learning behaviour and their physical and emotional status.

Area: Joburg Contact: 084 615 4680, shinecentrecapetown@gmail.com or visit theshinecentre.org.za The Workshop Reading Centre The centre is dedicated to assisting children aged 5–18 years with their reading difficulties. A psychometric evaluation is conducted to assess problem areas, reading level, and the most appropriate course of remediation. Thereafter, the team aims to rapidly close the gap between your child’s potential and his performance, with strong emphasis on developing a positive outlook toward reading and boosting confidence. Remedial sessions are conducted one-on-one.

Area: Fourways, Randburg, Bedfordview and Sandton Contact: Fourways: 011 467 2193, Randburg: 083 379 2801, Bedfordview: 082 379 1100, Sandton: 083 655 273, angela@the-workshop.co.za or visit theworkshop.co.za Tina Cowley Reading Centre Using a computer programme and one-on-one interaction, children improve their reading skills through improving letter recognition, distinguishing foreground (black letters) from the (white letters) background and phonological processing. The reading therapy programme is available in English and Afrikaans.

Area: centres across Gauteng Contact Tina or Linda: 013 656 5748, 087 941 5411, tinacow@mweb.co.za, linda@ tinacowley.co.za or visit tinacowley.co.za Wise Eye Reading Academy Computer and home-reading therapy are provided to improve tracking, spelling and comprehension. After an initial reading evaluation, reading therapy takes place under the guidance of a qualified Wise Eye Therapist and on the individual reader’s level. The programme improves effective left-to-right eye movement, short-term memory, length of eye span, vocabulary, comprehension and concentration. The home therapy is available in both English and Afrikaans.

Area: branches across Gauteng Contact: 012 751 2830/1/2/3, headoffice @wiseeye.co.za or visit wiseeye.co.za magazine joburg

maths centres Kip McGrath Education Centres They help with maths basics, homework and more advanced maths problems as well as with the understanding of new concepts introduced in Grades 8, 9 and 10. The programmes cater for pupils from Grade R–Matric.

Area: nationwide Contact: 031 903 5352, info@kipmcgrath. co.za or visit kipmcgrath.co.za

Kumon Math programme The Kumon method not only improves maths and English skills, but learners develop confidence, self-esteem and self-discipline throughout the process. When enrolling, each child is assessed to establish their starting level and as they progress they are carefully monitored by the instructor so that the class work and home work matches their level. Children attend a Kumon Centre twice a week, and complete 20 to 30 minutes of work at home on free days. The understanding and skill level is built up incrementally so as to not overwhelm or stress the learner. Certificates of achievement are awarded on successful completion of a level.

Area: nationwide Contact: 0800 002 775, info@kumon. co.za or visit kumon.co.za Master Maths Maths tuition is provided for Grade 4–12 pupils. Through individual lessons that make extensive use of interactive computer graphics to illustrate principles, learners are monitored by tutors so that problem areas are identified and appropriate lessons are allocated. Master Science is available for Grade 10–12 pupils. Tuition is given in English and Afrikaans and is SA-curriculum based.

Area: nationwide Contact: 021 851 5660, info@ mastermaths.co.za or visit mastermaths. co.za or masterscience.co.za August 2012

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Minimatics A maths-based extramural programme developed for children 3–6 years old. Children are taken in before they reach primary school to help them cultivate a positive attitude towards maths at an early age. Maths activities for this age group help young children learn numeric concepts by exploring the concrete world through their senses, through practice and repetition of activities.

Area: northern suburbs Contact: Kelly: 082 877 8348, Pippa: 082 772 4763, info@minimatics.co.za or visit minimatics.co.za UCMAS SA (Young Minds Education) Children ages 4–13 years old learn the basic mathematical skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division while using the Chinese abacus, an ancient Chinese technique that coordinates brain and body development. This system enables whole brain development and, along with teaching traditional mathematical concepts, improves your child’s ability to memorize, concentrate and process information, which in turn boosts their IQ. Area: centres across Joburg Contact: 011 447 6714, info@ucmassa. co.za or visit ucmassa.co.za

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music centres Band Stars Music School Offers group or one-on-one music lessons where your child can learn to play the guitar, drums, keyboard, piano and bass guitar, attend vocal training or learn music theory.

Courses follow the Trinity Rock School Graded Syllabus, with exams taking place once a year. Although the course is fairly formal, contemporary music is also taught.

Area: Kyalami Contact: 011 702 3075, 083 567 2817, bandstar@bandstars.co.za or visit bandstars.co.za Drumkidz They offer djembe drumming to preprimary and primary schools up to

Grade 2 either as an extramural or as part of the school curriculum. The learners drum along to stories and songs, which in turn develops their auditory perception and builds a foundation for an understanding of music.

Area: national Contact head office: 021 434 7610, info@ drumkidz.co.za or visit drumkidz.co.za Fontaine Music & Art Studio The studio offers children from 4 years old individual music lessons in guitar, piano, recorder, violin and vocals. The instructors enter and prepare students for Trinity Guildhall, Royal Schools and Unisa exams, as well as entries and preparations for eisteddfods.

Area: Fontainebleau Contact Wilmari: 082 960 7731

Guitar 4 All Fun, group guitar lessons for children 7–12 years old could have your child playing guitar in 12 weeks.

Lessons take place on Saturdays at the studio and follow a set syllabus that consists of four junior levels. At the end of each level, learners perform with the adult classes in a concert for friends and family. Children need to bring their own instruments.

Area: Kyalami Contact Sandy: 011 702 3075, 083 350 5376, sandy@guitar4all.co.za or visit guitar4all.co.za Junior Jive A music and movement programme for children from birth to 6 years old. The focus is on developing school readiness skills using the effective medium of music. The programme is presented by qualified teachers to stimulate and develop children, and tap into their natural music ability.

Area: western, central and northern suburbs Contact Jennifer: 072 738 9391, jenni@ juniorjive.co.za or visit juniorjive.co.za Key Players Music Tailor-made music lessons in piano, guitar, drums, the violin

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and singing are offered at the centre in Douglasdale or conveniently at your home. Based on demand, learners can be prepared for Trinity Guildhall exams, however, should a student desire formal training a definite commitment has to be made to practice a certain amount of hours per week in order to walk away with good results. Holiday workshops take place throughout the year, and online lessons are also available.

Area: Douglasdale Contact Magda: 011 465 3390, 082 768 3906, magdagunter@keyplayersmusic. com or visit music-lessons.co.za Keys to Music Individual tuition is offered to children from 6 years and older in piano and keyboard, theory of music, harmony and composition. Tuition caters for beginners through to advanced level and is for pure enjoyment, or for learners who are preparing for the examinations of the Royal Schools of Music, Trinity College and Unisa. Eisteddfods and other competitions are included for those who are interested.

Area: Sandton Contact Monique: 082 852 2828, moniqm @mweb.co.za or visit keystomusic.co.za

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keyboard, violin and vocals. One-on-one tuition by passionate teachers will assist learners in progressing to their desired skill level at their own pace. The five soundproof studios where the lessons take place are fully functional and set within a music store where you can receive assistance when looking for the instrument that your child feels most comfortable with.

Area: Allens Nek, Roodepoort Contact: 011 675 6249 or visit mattsmusic.co.za Kindermusik Therapeutic, whole-brain development music classes expose your child (from birth–7 years) to music, while giving parents a chance to bond and have fun with their children. Starting out with singing, dancing, playing with instruments, balls, scarves, and hoops, children then progress to a stage where they read and write music, and play glockenspiels, keyboards, dulcimers and recorders.

Certificates of attendance are awarded once you have completed the course.

Area: centres across Joburg Contact head office: 018 468 5143, ksa@ kindermusik.co.za or visit kindermusik.co.za

Merry Music Individual piano and keyboard lessons are offered to children from 4 years of age. Children start out by learning to play music-by-numbers until they are able to read and then they progress to conventional music notation. The familiar numbers rather than the more complex notation create stress-free classes where children quickly take to playing popular tunes and participate in fun musical games.

Area: Oakdene Ext. 1 Contact Gaynor: 011 683 2811, 082 575 9976, merrymusic@cutiescorner.co.za or visit cutiescorner.co.za

Matt’s Music Contemporary music lessons are offered in guitar, drums, piano,

Rock Star Music School Learners from the age of 6 are put through a practical

and theory-based syllabus designed by full-time musicians and teachers. Learners are taught how to master their instrument through learning modern rock, pop and classical music. Individual and group lessons on the various instruments are available. Workshops for different levels are held twice a year, and might cover anything from the process of putting together your own band, to the ins and outs of a recording studio.

Area: Blairgowrie or at your home Contact Gerhard: 084 856 1971, gerhard@rockstarmusicschool.co.za or visit rockstarmusicschool.co.za Shine School of Music The school offers lessons in most instruments as well as singing and musical theory and history.

You are able to attend lessons at the school or via emails and Skype (for select instruments). Daily practice is encouraged and should a learner not maintain adequate practice the principal can choose to discontinue his or her lessons. Preparation for exams is available.

Area: Randburg Contact: 011 787 5852, 073 825 1522, info@shinemusicschool.com or visit shinemusicschool.com

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study skills centres All-in-one Focus and Learning Centre A fun centre where learners are taught revolutionary study skills, are assisted with exam preparation, focus sessions, scheduling and reading for exams.

Each child’s unique learning style can be assessed, with advice given on how best to approach study material.

On completion of certain programmes the learners receive a certificate.

Remedial education is also on offer with a focus on dyslexia and ADHD symptoms and allowing children to work through educational challenges to build up their confidence and skills and return to school with a new-found love for learning.

Area: Greenside Contact Ashton: 084 625 5658 or ashmountfort@gmail.com Equal Zeal Research has shown that providing learners with tools and strategies that build both emotional skills and healthy physical habits when preparing for a test can help them overcome test anxiety and the associated symptoms. Children learn to identify and manage emotions such as anxiety, self-doubt, anger or frustration while covering topics such as organising your study space, memorisation strategies, time management and study techniques.

science centres Edukits Offers fun science workshops and kits that teach children from 1–12 years old how to build volcanoes, experiment with slime and magnets, and learn about their environment and much more.

Area: Randpark Contact Lauryan: 082 331 5273, lauryan@ edukits.co.za or visit edukits.co.za

All participants get a certificate at the end of the four-week programme.

Area: nationwide Contact head office: 011 467 9754, info @equalzeal.com or visit equalzeal.com Lighthouse Coaching and Youth Development Learning how to study is often more important than knowing what to study. A qualified youth life coach and learning specialist provides full-day workshops, which cover areas of study and learning including learning styles, summary techniques, how to keep a timetable, study routine and exam visualisation. For children in Grade 3–12.

Area: Rivonia Contact: 011 026 3866, simone@ lighthousecoaching.co.za or visit lighthousecoaching.co.za Mind Moves After neuro-developmental and genetic dominance assessments of your child, instructors are equipped to address developmental issues to remove barriers to learning, and offer tailored recommendations and programmes to support school readiness, optimise learning efficiency, and guide subject and career choice. For learners in Grade 1–12.

Area: nationwide Contact: 021 461 3716, institute@mindmoves. co.za or visit mindmoves.co.za

programmes teach children about the solar system, planets, stars and constellations.

Shows cater to children 5–8 years old with Thomas the astronomer taking learners in his rocket on a journey across planet Earth and beyond. There are shows that cater to families and more advanced astronomy courses are available for older learners.

Area: University of the Witwatersrand Contact: 011 717 1390, planet@planetarium.co.za or visit planetarium.co.za

Experi-Buddies Children learn that the world of science can be fun by taking part in interactive projects, demonstrations and experiments. By exposing children to science when they are young and impressionable, you feed their natural curiosity and get them to think logically and scientifically. In the weekly classes, learners wear lab coats and safety glasses while they learn about chemistry, physics, geology, biology, meteorology and astronomy.

Area: Parkview, Kempton Park, Boksburg, Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, Sasolburg, Midstream, Victory Park, Rooseveltpark, Linden, Fairland, Melville, Fontainebleau and Muldersdrift Contact: madrie@experi.co.za Johannesburg Planetarium The centre reveals the mysteries of space as the

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My Tutor & Teaching Centre Offers tutoring and support for Grade 1–9 as well as Grade 10–12 pupils, in all subjects. Tutors make use of a variety of teaching strategies to meet the varied learning styles of the learners and assist with homework, preparation for tests and examinations, mapping out of projects and assignments, and in developing effective study methods.

Area: Linden, Greenside Contact: 011 782 3309, info@ mytutorcentre.co.za or visit mytutorcentre.co.za

Sci-Bono Discovery Centre This is an interactive science museum that provides installations where learners are able to conduct their own experiments with informative plaques alongside to explain the scientific theories that are being demonstrated. Workshops, science shows, talks and demonstrations for children and adults are held regularly at the centre.

Area: Newtown Contact: 011 639 8400, info@sci-bono. co.za or visit sci-bono.co.za

all subjects Dot Z Education Centre A new, revolutionary concept that provides quality tuition and lecturing to Grade 1 students right through to university students. Tuition can take place either in groups or one-onone and covers most subjects.

Area: Linksfield Contact Gary: 011 485 5359, 083 759 7279, info@dot-z.co.za or visit dotz. wozaonline.co.za EmaraLife Education Centre The Centre offers extra lessons in all subjects, either as one-on-one sessions or as a group, for learners in Grade 0–12. The classes not only stimulate the child’s mental ability magazine joburg

Study Boost The centre teaches learners in Grade 4–12 comprehensive techniques for approaching studying.

The instructors assist learners by covering topics such as active reading, mind mapping and memory techniques to make them confident and independent learners.

Area: Glenhazel and Elma Park Contact: Glenhazel (Margie): 083 414 0508, info@studyboost.co.za; Elma Park (Giovanna): 083 227 9388, giovanna@studyboost.co.za or visit studyboost.co.za

but keep them physically fit and active by concluding each session with some sort of physical activity or martial art.

Area: Rivonia Contact: 011 234 9975, mark@emaralife. co.za or visit emaralife.co.za FasTracKids The school offers fun enrichment programmes after school hours in science, maths, English and music for children 2–8 years old. The interactive and hands-on programmes help children to think critically while building on their confidence and communication skills.

Area: Sandton and Fourways Contact: Sandton: 083 716 5086, sandton@goftk.com; Fourways: 011 467 0230, reception-fourways@fastrackids. com or visit fastrackids.com Opti-Learn A learning centre geared towards supporting learners in gaining a better understanding of their work and method of studying to ultimately improve their results at school. Dedicated and experienced tutors are available to provide focused and flexible solutions in the form of one-on-one tutoring sessions for learners in Grade 1–12.

Area: Robindale Contact Marli: 011 782 1302, 082 374 4302, marlimerwe@gmail.com or visit opti-learn.co.za August 2012

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Penguin Tutoring Qualified tutors come to your home offering extra lessons in all school subjects, including criminal law, electronics, Jewish studies and agricultural science for children ages 5–21 years old. Exam preparation and revision, and homework supervision are also included.

Tuition in various languages such as Zulu, Sepedi, Afrikaans, French, German, Latin and Greek is also available.

Area: across Joburg Contact: 071 288 8919, enquiries@ penguintutoring.co.za or visit penguintutoring.co.za Teach Me 2 A nationwide tutoring agency that specialises in finding and placing Grade 1–12 learners with tutors.

The agency’s vast database of tutors covers school subjects, languages and even musical instruments. The tutors are screened, have reliable references and have achieved excellent results in the subjects they tutor. Tuition takes place at your home or at an agreed upon public place, such as a library.

Area: nationwide Contact: 0861 832 246, info@teachme2. co.za or visit teachme2.co.za

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online learning Brainline Learning World Offers distance education for Grade 1–12 pupils in both English and Afrikaans. The quality learning units meet the requirements of the national curriculum as set by the Department of Education, and are adaptable to meet the needs of the learners. Additional material and online support are available.

Contact: 012 543 5000, info@brainline. com or visit brainline.com Computer Skills for Africa Children have fun while learning to use computer programmes such as Microsoft Word or Excel. The activities can be done in the comfort of your own home under the guidance and supervision of parents.

At the end of the programme learners are awarded an International Computer Driving License.

Contact: 034 326 4624 or visit cs4a.co.za E-Classroom This is an online portal, which provides support worksheets for learners in pre-primary and primary school,

to use either in the classroom or at home.

The worksheets are developed in line with the new CAPS curriculum and follow all curriculum subjects. Online education offers unlimited access from any location and exposes learners to new technologies and global methods of education. All the activity worksheets are designed so that they can be easily downloaded, with new content being uploaded monthly.

Contact: 021 789 0191, e-classroom@ mweb.co.za or visit e-classroom.co.za Future 4 Kids Supplier of the CAMI maths programme that ensures that mathematical concepts and skills are properly understood and mastered by the learner before they are able to move onto a higher level, thus ensuring that gaps in understanding do not form. The programme is suitable to learners in Grade R–12. The programme includes tutor support where children can make contact via phone, Skype or email.

For more info: visit camiweb.com or future4kids.co.za IQ Smart This educational software programme offers learners from preschool

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through to Grade 12 with interactive lessons and exercises that follow South Africa’s standard curriculum in maths, English, science and computer literacy.

Learners are able to work at their own pace, going quickly through material that they easily grasp, and taking their time to master concepts that they find difficult.

Contact Rick: 083 256 9696 or visit iqsmart.co.za IXL Learning A fun and easy-to-navigate website that offers maths exercises and games that are aligned to the South African national curriculum for preschool to Grade 9 learners. Members receive access to IXL’s national curriculum reports where you’re able to monitor your child’s progress.

For more info: visit za.ixl.com Kids @ Work A child-friendly website that provides research articles that are easily understood by learners and, as the information follows the national school curriculum, learners are able to use the articles for their primary school assignments. The articles are available in life orientation, social and natural science,

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Readers are Leaders This reading and language software allows learners to work independently and at a pace that suits their processing speed. As the learner progresses through the many reading passages, each with a sequence of exercises testing grammar, vocabulary and spelling, their reading speed, comprehension and visual memory gradually improves. The software is available in English and Afrikaans, and caters for learners in Grade 1–12 as well as those at tertiary level.

Contact: 021 975 6800, info@fbms. co.za or visit readersareleaders.co.za or lesersisleiers.co.za

EMS, art and culture, and technology. The site is in Afrikaans and English.

For more info: visit kidsatwork.co.za MathsBuddy An independent online maths tutoring programme based on the South African curriculum for Grades 1–12.

MathsBuddy is available for purchase by both schools and parents. The programme

was developed by experienced teachers, and features over 1 600 animated and narrated maths lessons, and more than 65 000 interactive questions. The content is constantly being updated to meet curriculum changes.

Contact Jeanette: 011 275 0444, 083 469 3886, jeanette@mathsbuddy.co.za or visit mathsbuddy.co.za

The Happy Handwriter By using letter formation books, fine motor kits and letter cards the activities, based on current motor learning theory, are specifically designed to target the muscle groups and movement patterns for improving pencil control for handwriting. The programme was designed by an occupational therapist with 25 years’ experience in the field of learning difficulties, with a special interest in handwriting.

Contact: 021 715 6719, info@ thehappyhandwriter.co.za or visit thehappyhandwriter.co.za

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a good read for toddlers Bear Takes a Trip

By Stella Blackstone and Debbie Harter

Bright Baby Touch and Feel (Published by Priddy Books, R43) This three-book set, with exciting textures to touch and feel, is perfect as an interactive first book for babies. The book provides the child with their first words while stimulating their senses. In book one, entitled Bathtime, your baby can learn words like “bath”, “duck”, “towels”, “splash” and “potty”. In Mealtime, babies are introduced to “cheese”, “biscuit” and “treat” and in Bedtime your toddler will see photos of a mobile, a cuddle, night time and a teddy bear. The books are illustrated with real photos and in each book babies have something they can feel and touch like teddy’s furry belly, shiny stars in the night, a strawberry, shiny cutlery, the bath duck’s smooth belly and they will see water splashing.

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(Published by Barefoot Books, R70) Bear and his friend are taking a trip to the mountains. Tell the time with them as they make their way to their destination via different modes of transport. The story is told in snappy rhyme: “Bear has a very long journey to make; there are lots of things for him to take.” At the back of the book are fun time-telling exercises. This sturdy board book is recommended for children from the age of two to five. Other books in the very popular Bear series include Bear’s Busy Family, Bear in Sunshine, Bear’s Birthday and Bear on a Bike.

Animal Fun

By Brenda Apsley and Jeannette O’Toole (Published by Human & Rousseau, R60) Children from the age of two to five can have fun with all the animal friends by opening the foldout pages and turning the picture wheel. They can help the cat find her ball of wool or see which animals have spots and which have stripes. They can see who is big and who is small and join in and growl like a tiger or honk like a sea lion. With the clever use of real-life photographs, young children can look for ladybugs, learn about colours and marvel at a baby panda and koala.

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for preschoolers

Winnie-the-Pooh Bumper Activity Sticker Book Educational consultant: Betty Root

We all went on Safari

By Laurie Krebs and Julia Cairns (Published by Barefoot Books, R80) Children can learn to count in Swahili and discover all kinds of African animals with this exciting children’s safari through the grasslands of Tanzania. The lively, rhyming text is supplemented by a map and facts about Tanzania and the Maasai people, notes about each of the animals and an illustrated guide to counting in Swahili.

The absolutely stunning illustrations will draw your child in to want to learn more and experience a different part of Africa.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each book is donated to the African Wildlife Foundation to aid in their wildlife conservation and community building efforts in Tanzania.

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ss in cla h Poo with r Bea

(Published by Egmont UK Limited, R91) This enjoyable, confidence-building activity book will help your child learn while having fun with Winnie-the-Pooh and all his friends. Toddlers as young as two can enjoy colouring-in activities and follow the actions of the quirky characters. The book also comes with four certificates for mom or dad to sign after each group of tasks has been completed successfully. There are colourful stickers that can be placed throughout the book, which include badges that say “Top Marks!” and “Good Work!” Activities include practicing writing words and letters, writing out numbers, differentiating shapes, finding pairs, drawing and counting.

The Lorax: Colour and Create and The Lorax: Sticker and Activity Book Illustrated by Jan Gerardi (Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, R57 and R55) The classic tale of the Lorax by Dr Seuss has been made into a movie, and now children from the age of five can join in the magic and colour-in and create with doodle activities and a sheet of stickers. These books are the perfect companion for little eco-warriors where they can have hours of fun and use the stickers to confirm their eco-credentials. In the colourand-create book, your child is rewarded with a certificate, confirming him to be a friend of the ultimate eco-warrior – The Lorax.

Freddy and Frieda’s Traveling Tales: Meet the Families

By Claudia Eicker-Harris and Marina Shupik (Published by My Family!, R173) This is the first book in a series where Freddy and Frieda the field mice travel the world meeting different kinds of people, teaching tolerance and sharing heartwarming stories. Meet the Families is about some of the children and families that they have come to know on their travels. Written in rhythmic style, this story celebrates the different family structures, and helps children see that every family is special in their own way, and also shows that despite their differences they all have one thing in common: love, and as Freddy and Frieda will tell you: “One of these families will be just like yours. They might just be living on faraway shores.” It is available at book stores and at myfamilyproducts.net

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for preschoolers

The South African Alphabet

By Alex Latimer

the A–Z in South African

(Published by Puffin Books, R120) Alex Latimer’s splendidly South African illustrations make learning the alphabet as easy as 1-2-3. A is for aloe, B is for braai, C is for Currie Cup… your child will learn their letters by identifying familiar South African objects throughout this book.

Monstersaurus

By Claire Freedman and Ben Cort (Published by Simon and Schuster Children’s Books, R156) From the creators of Aliens Love Underpants, comes another madly illustrated and colourful book for young children. Monty loves inventing but things don’t always work. His walking toaster ran away and his robot went berserk. Then Monty finds a book on rare inventions.

With some bright, green slime, a smelly sock, mouldy cheese and some strawberry jelly he creates a green wobbly Bogablob. As poor Monty tries to get things back to normal he only creates more havoc. This is the perfect book for little boys that love weird creatures.

for early graders

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MapsBox – Africa & World Wall Maps + Inflatable Globe

Creepy Crawlies: A Pocket Pop-Up

(Published by MapStudio, R99,95) The box set contains a clear and easyto-read map on a large format sheet. The colours on the map are bright with legible text. All the countries of the world and their capitals are listed, with bright colours highlighting each country. It also has a map legend and a north point and scale bar. The African map is in the same format and also has a locator map, showing the position of Africa on the continent and the major connecting roads. The inflatable globe is learner-friendly with colourcoded countries and their capital cities.

It also shows international boundaries, international time zones, international date lines, physical features, the oceans and seas as well as drainage.

(Published by Walker Books, R94) Discover 12 of the world’s favourite creepy crawlies with this 1,5 metre unfolding pocket pop-up book. These creatures are some of the most successfully evolved. They can live anywhere on earth and there are more than a million different species. With pop-out illustrations, children can learn about the different types of arthropods, get to know the world’s largest hornet, the harmful Asian Giant Hornet and learn that the Anopheles Mosquito, which causes malaria, can carry more than twice her own weight in blood.

There is information on the Army Ant, which lives in colonies of up to a million strong as well as the American Cockroach, one of the toughest insects that can survive in almost any environment. magazine joburg

for early graders Horrid Henry’s Author Visit

By Francesca Simon and Tony Ross (Published by Orion Children’s Books, R135) With full-colour illustrations on every page, the Early Reader series of books have short and accessible chapters, which is ideal for new confident readers. There are 16 Horrid Henry Early Reader books, and in this book, Horrid Henry’s favourite author in the whole world, TJ Fizz, writer of Ghost Quest, Mad Machines and Skeleton Skunks, is coming to school. So when Miss Battle-Axes sends him out of the class in disgrace, Henry knows he has to get back in, but how? Children from as young as five years old will enjoy this book.

100% Unofficial Danny Baker’s Silly Olympics – The Wibbly Wobbly Jelly Belly Flop

By Steve Hartley (Published by Macmillan Children’s Books, R85) Cheer Danny on as he bravely attempts to break the world record for the wibbliest, wobbliest jelly belly-flop. The competition is tough, but Danny is determined to hop, skip and bounce his way to a gold medal and a new world record. This book contains five hilarious stories in one; stories that all try to be sillier than the next.

Especially young boys will find The Toxic Toes, The Baffled Brain Boffins, The Pain in Spain and The Super-Secret Ingredient hilarious. Danny’s attempts to be a worldrecord holder include wearing the same socks and shoes for months, every day, the whole day to get the smelliest feet, and sitting in a bath filled with worms for four hours and 50 minutes.

don to Lon with rhyme

Yoga Pretzels

By Tara Guber, Leah Kalish, Baron Baptiste and Sophie Fatus (Published by Barefoot Books, R157) Here are 50 fun yoga activities for children and adults, which presents a great way to spend quality time with your children. Each card describes in detail a yoga exercise and covers breathing, playful and creative games, balance, practicing standing to become stable, strong and grounded, the forward bend, the back bend, twists and stretches as well as tips to have fun and how to unwind, rest and revive. Each exercise is accompanied by an explanation of how you will benefit and there are clear guidelines that you can follow to plan your practice. Baron Baptiste is a father of three boys and has transformed yoga teaching in the United States and Europe. He worked closely with Tara Guber from Yoga Ed to put together this effective, playful and easy way to teach and learn yoga.

100% Unofficial Olympic Poems

By Brian Moses and Roger Stevens (Published by Macmillan Children’s Books, R71) This is a brilliant, funny and inspiring collection of poems about sport and sporting events of every kind for children from the age of seven.

There are poems about PE lessons, sports days and the final of the men’s 100m race.

There are poems about winning and about taking part; poems about having all the right kit but no talent; poems about being a team player and poems about being a hero. This book is packed with sporting gems of all kinds and even includes a poem about an egg-andspoon race.

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for early graders classic ure literat

Exploring Fynbos

By Margo Branch (Published by Random House Struik, R95) Exploring Fynbos, now updated and with a fresh design, is a dynamic introduction to the richest floral kingdom in the world. Both interactive and informative, the book encourages discovery of the fascinating plants and animals in this unique ecosystem. Beautiful illustrations and photographs make this a lively guide that will appeal to the curious of all ages. It’s the perfect companion for walks through Table Mountain National Park and other scenic reserves in the region. Margo Branch, an award-winning author and illustrator, believes in developing skills and a conservation ethic through practical first-hand experience.

August 2012

Danny Danger and the Space Twister

By Adam Frost

The Annotated Wind in the Willows

By Kenneth Grahame

(Published by W W Norton & Company Inc., R201) This is an authoritative edition of a classic work, which was published to honour the author’s 150th birthday three years ago. This version includes the complete text of the original letters that inspired the novel. There are hundreds of full-colour illustrations, many rare and previously unpublished. More than 1 000 annotations on the historical and literary context of the novel are included as well as dozens of previously unpublished documents including letters, lists and other Grahame artefacts.

There is also a selection of critical responses and the complete text of many early reviews. This classic work of children’s literature needs no introduction, and this version of the book is a brilliant family keepsake for generations to come.

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for preteens and teens

The Paradise Trap

By Catherine Jinks (Published by Quercus, R111) Eleven-year-old Marcus loves video games and hates the beach, so he is not happy when his mom Holly drags him to Diamond Beach.

Once there, Holly meets her childhood friend Coco, who is on holiday with her electronicsobsessed husband, Sterling Huckstepp, and their children. Opening a door into the basement of Holly’s caravan, the Huckstepp’s son Edison discovers the most amazing amusement park – whoever opens a door in the basement finds themselves in their very own dream vacation. But then it becomes impossible to escape, and it all begins to feel like a nightmare: Marcus, Holly and the Huckstepps find themselves trapped in a matrix of terrifying dreamscapes peopled with strange characters that will allow them to do anything they want, except leave.

(Published by Nosy Crow, R95) It’s Mia’s birthday and Danny’s forgotten all about it. She’s going to kill him. Danny panics for a bit, but then remembers his brilliant cosmic remote. He can pause time while he gets her a present and she’ll never know he forgot. But then Danny’s remote is stolen by the evil Space Twister who immediately starts using it for his own dastardly purposes. Can Danny’s new gadget, the timetable, untwist everything? And what if, with one touch of the screen, Danny could delete the Space Twister forever? Preteens from the age of nine to 11 will love the Danny Danger series, which started with Danny Danger and the Cosmic Remote.

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for us My Sister the Vampire – Twin Spins!

By Sienna Mercer

Spilled Blood

By Brian Freeman

(Published by Egmont Books, R85) This is the ninth book in the very popular series for girls from the age of nine. When a Hollywood strike puts Olivia’s movie aspirations on hold, she distracts herself from thoughts of her long-distance actor boyfriend Jackson, by throwing herself into organising the school dance. Little does she know, her twin Ivy is keeping a secret from her: she’s off to Wallachia Academy, the finishing school for vampires. When the surprise wedding announcement of Prince Alex and Tessa comes, the truth is out. But Olivia misunderstands... Ivy will just be gone for the summer, right? Wrong.

(Published by Quercus, R118) On a March night outside the river town of Barron, Minnesota, three teenage girls gather in a ghost town to play a terrifying game of Russian roulette. By morning, one girl will be dead, and another in jail. Olivia Hawk claims she didn’t pull the trigger on Ashlynn Steele, but no one believes her. Olivia’s only hope is her estranged father, an attorney from the city, who she barely knows anymore. And if he’s going to prove Olivia’s innocence, he’s going to have to learn everything about her public, and private, life, however much she might like to keep it hidden.

The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science

By Sean Connolly

science for the brave

(Published by Workman Publishing, R138) Children between the ages of 10 and 13 can sink their teeth into this science fest. There are 50 experiments that demonstrate the principles behind the greatest scientific breakthroughs in human history. They can learn how to launch a bottle rocket into the air, peer through a microscope made out of water, prove atomic theory with food colouring, recreate the Large Hadron Collider using marshmallows, parachute an egg from an upstairs window, distil DNA from a half-eaten banana and spark lightning in their mouths. Warning: great science means taking risks and these experiments may get messy. Adult supervision is recommended.

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The Ghost Roads

By Eoin McNamee (Published by Quercus, R131) The much-anticipated and exhilarating third and final book in the Ring of Five trilogy for children aged 10 and up, has arrived.

Ambrose Longford, leader of the Ring of Five and the Lower World, is determined to control the Upper World by any means possible. Only Danny Caulfield, brilliant trainee spy, and his friends at Wilson’s Academy, stand in Longford’s way. As Longford launches a terrifying campaign into the Upper World, he is determined to hunt down Danny, unless he can find a more deadly use for him. The Ring of Five series is full of surprises as well as intriguing questions about loyalty, destiny, and what it means to be a spy. The Irish Independent called it “an adrenalin pumping, an excellent Harry Potter/Robert Muchamore mash-up.”

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for us Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

By Jamie Ford (Published by Ballantine Books, R153) Henry Lee encounters a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. This takes Henry Lee back to the 1940s, to his father who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. While “scholar-shipping”, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student.

Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship and innocent love. After Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end, and that their promise to each other will be kept.

inspir

ation

Steve Jobs – The Man who thought different

By Karen Blumenthal (Published by Feiwel & Friends, R87) From the start, his path was never predictable. Steve Jobs was given up for adoption at birth, dropped out of college after one semester, and at the age of twenty, created Apple in his parents’ garage with his friend Steve Wozniack. Then came the core and hallmark of his genius – his exacting moderation for perfection, his counterculture life-approach, and his level of taste and style that pushed all boundaries. A devoted husband, father and Buddhist, he battled cancer for over a decade, became the ultimate CEO, and made the world want every product he touched.

Healing Foods

By Margaret Roberts (Published by Briza Publications, R236) With Healing Foods, prolific author Margaret Roberts brings nature’s pharmacy into our homes and lives. Step by step, and easily accessible, Margaret showcases the super foods and warns against the danger foods.

She lists the ailments we suffer from, offering comforting natural ways of correcting and rebuilding our health and regaining our vitality. More than 150 common and lesserknown vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices and other plant foods that are the building blocks of good health are described in full, covering aspects such as the plant’s history and origin, instructions on how to grow the plant, medicinal uses and major nutrients and ideas on how to include the plant in your diet, along with recipes.

parenting books Let’s Get Ready!

By Renee Lighton (Published by New Voices Publishing, R150) Renee Lighton has a BA degree and diplomas in Specialised Education for the Mentally Handicapped, Foundation Phase and Montessori Preschool Education. Her love of learning through play will inspire and motivate you to have fun with your child. Simple, practical ideas, which make use of what you have at home, will encourage and develop the maths, phonics, reading and writing skills your child will need for Grade 1. The book has a handy reference section that explains terminology and records outcomes for literacy and numeracy should these be required. The activities and ideas are comprehensive, fun and simply described. And the resources and equipment required for the majority of activities are found in most homes or are easily acquired at very little cost. For copies of the book, visit reneelighton.co.za

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parenting books The Antenatal Guide Presented by Leanne Manas (Published by Rooftop Productions, R249,95) The guide comes with a nine-session DVD with leading professionals including Dr Blaine Robson, Donah Rosser, Dr Ruth Greeff, Sr Natalie Guscott, Dr Michael Greeff and Dr Natascha Andrews. Part of the package deal is a pregnancy journal, sections on taking care of your body during pregnancy, planning the birth, what to expect during labour, how to prepare for the birth and coping with labour, as well as when labour and birth need assistance and how it works. There are tips on Caesarean birth, what to expect when your baby has arrived, your bond with your baby and your baby’s development. The book also comes with journal stickers as well as an exercise chart. To order, visit antenatalguide.com or sms TAG to 43366 and they will contact you.

Top 100 Meals in Minutes

By Annabel Karmel

Hooked on Books

By Jay Heale

(Published by Random House Struik, R165) Time with your children is precious for every parent, so you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen preparing food. This book comes to the rescue with recipes that require minimal time and effort, but are still delicious and nutritionally balanced.

Annabel Karmel, a leading authority on how to feed children, takes away the stress of what to cook to keep your children healthy and happy, providing ageappropriate, delicious meals for babies and toddlers. Easy-to-follow instructions, combined with great photography, and handy time guides for each recipe, make this the go-to book for any parent who has to juggle their time but also wants the best for their children.

(Published by Metz Press, R145) This dip-in book of ideas contains invaluable advice and suggestions for parents and caregivers to ensure that their children develop a love of reading from a very young age starting with babies, then first readers, primary readers, tweens and teens. An avid reader and book reviewer, Jay Heale enthusiastically shares knowledge gained from a lifetime of intimate involvement with books. Included is a treasury of specially recommended books for your bookshelf, with several specific examples and classics introduced along the way. Also included are information on books about books, electronic reading material and the way in which technology has shaped the format we read in.

win with Ladybird Books and Penguin Books

win

Penguin Books is giving away a one-of-a-kind Ladybird table and chair set as well as eight Ladybird books to keep your little ones reading. The books included are First Skills Counting, Letters Sticker Book, One Little Mermaid, The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Favourite Stories for Boys and Favourite Stories for Girls.

Three readers each stand a chance to win a Ladybird table and two chairs, as well as the eight Ladybird books, valued at a total of R2 040. Simply enter via childmag.co.za/wins-jhb and use the code “Ladybird JHB”. Your details will be made available to Penguin Books.

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calendar

what’s on in august

You can also access the calendar online at

childmag.co.za

Here’s your guide for what to do, where to go and who to see. Compiled by SIMONE JEFFERY

4 sat

special events

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FUN for children

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only for parents

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bump, baby & tot in tow

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how to help

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SPECIAL EVENTS

FUN FOR CHILDREN

ONLY FOR PARENTS

bump, baby & tot in tow

how to help

Tea at the farmyard Willow Feather Farm’s resident animals are eager to meet you.

A Slice in Time A solo exhibition of sculpture and painting by Paul du Toit, running at two separate venues.

Ladybugs Play Group Moms gets to bond with their toddlers while doing fun exercises.

Donate toiletries and underwear Help PINC support boys and girls in underprivileged communities.

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PHOTOGRAPHS: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

International Marimba and Steelpan Festival Players from across South Africa and beyond are participating in competitions, workshops and concerts.

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SPECIAL EVENTS 2 thursday Nestle Healthy Kids Programme Teaching children the importance of healthy eating, good nutrition and physical activity through fun theatre and workbook activities. Space is limited. For children 6–12 years. Also 21 August. Time: 10:30am–11am. Venue: Johannesburg Zoo, Jan Smuts Ave, Parkview. Cost: adults R58, children R36 (included in the zoo’s entrance fee). Contact: 011 514 6018, 082 671 5530, nhw.nestle@za.nestle.com or visit jhbzoo.org.za

4 August – Unity College’s birthday

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3 friday Reach for your slippers Today, wear your slippers everywhere to show your support for children with life-threatening illnesses. Purchase tickets directly from Reach for a Dream or through Milady’s.

Cost: R10 a sticker. Contact: 011 781 0133 or visit reachforadream.org.za

4 saturday A cave of wonders A treasure trove of fossils is embedded in the rocks around this 1,4-million-year-old cave. Booking essential. Time: 9am. Venue: Sterkfontein Caves, Cradle of Humankind. Cost: R350, includes a light lunch. Contact: 014 577 9000, childmag@maropeng.co.za or visit maropeng.co.za Broadacres Nursery’s birthday carnival Celebrate their 30th year with a carnival filled with plenty of activities for parents, children and teenagers. Ride a camel, pony or mechanical bull, enjoy a mini parachute jump, roll on water or get a stylish henna tattoo, plus lots more. Time: 9am–4pm.

Venue: 28 Syringa Rd, Broadacres, Fourways.

Cost: free entry. Contact Lisa or Nigel: 011 465 3810/11, info@broadacres.com or visit broadacres.com International Marimba and Steelpan Festival Players from across South Africa and beyond are participating in competitions, workshops and concerts, and you are welcome to participate.

There is a fleamarket and national art

3 August – Reach for your slippers

and photographic competition too. Also 5 August. Time: 8am–9pm, Saturday; 8am–5pm, Sunday. Venue: Bishop Bavin School, Healey Rd, Bedfordview. Cost: R60 per day; pre-booked weekend pass R85, on-the-day weekend pass R100. Contact Joan: 082 266 4229, joan@educationafrica. org or visit internationalmarimbafestival.org Ukhozi FM Gospel Music Festival The stadium is set to erupt with songs of praise from South Africa’s biggest names in gospel music. Proceeds from the festival are going to the Arnie Williams Foundation for abused women and children. Time: 10am–7pm.

Venue: Coca-Cola Park (Ellis Park). Cost: R80–R130. Book through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 or visit computicket.com Unity College’s birthday Celebrate the 22nd birthday of Unity College with a potjie competition and many other fun-in-thesun family activities. Potjie entrants need to book in advance. Time: 9am–12pm.

Venue: Unity College, 126 Cedar Rd,

Witkoppen, Fourways. Cost: free entry.

Contact Michelle: 011 465 2422/3 or advancementofficer@unity-college.org.za

5 sunday Music in the Gardens with Mi Casa Stake your spot on the lush lawns in front of the stage with picnic baskets, chairs and blankets and enjoy the chilled melodies and soulful lyrics. Time: 11am–4pm, main act 2pm. Venue: Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, at the end of Malcolm Rd, Poortview, Roodepoort. Cost: online R80, on the day R100, children under 13 free. Contact Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden: 086 100 1278 or visit ticketbreak.co.za

9 thursday Mandala art therapy Spend a morning indulging relaxation, self-awareness and workshop includes a gentle

workshop in creativity, insight. The visualisation

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session followed by painting and drawing your own mandalas (Sanskrit for “sacred” or “magic” circles). No art experience required. Bookings essential. For all women from 16 years. Time: 9am–12:30pm. Venue: Glenhazel. Cost: R850 (includes canvas, all art materials and brunch); full cost claimable from medical aid. Contact Samantha: 083 326 6655, sami@arttherapy.co.za or visit arttherapy.co.za

9 August – Mandala art therapy workshop

Women’s Day picnic Revel in a day of picnics and courtyard entertainment by the Lipizzaner horses. Bring your own picnic baskets or place an order. Time: 12pm. Venue: Lipizzaner Centre, 1 Dahlia Rd, Kyalami. Cost: R80. Book through Computicket: 0861 915 8000, 082 457 2276 (picnic baskets: Marianne) or visit computicket.com

11 saturday A galactic dinner date A 60-minute illustrated talk on basic astronomy,

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presented by Vincent Nettman. Booking recommended. For children 10 years and older. Time: 6:30pm–10pm. Venue: Eagle’s Fare, Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, Roodepoort. Cost: adults R175, children R120. Contact: 082 671 8382, eat@eaglesfare.co.za or visit eaglesfare.co.za Zoo snooze Grab your camping gear and head to the Joburg Zoo where you will be lulled to sleep by the roar of lions, hoot of owls and general chatter of the many other nocturnal animals. Ends 12 August.

Time: 2:30pm. Venue: Johannesburg Zoo, Jan Smuts Ave, Parkview. Cost: from R130. Contact Lebo: 011 646 2000, lebo.moalusi@jhbzoo.org.za or visit jhbzoo.org.za Refilwe Indoor Soccer Put together a six-a-side team with friends and family and have fun competing for the trophy.

If you’re not able to physically take part you are welcome to sponsor the Refilwe boys with T-shirts, shorts, socks and caps or lunch and snacks. Time:10am–2pm.

Venue: 12 Commerce Crescent, Eastgate Ext 12, Sandton. Cost: R100 for yourself and a Refilwe child. Contact Sheilagh: sheilpvt@gmail.com

12 sunday Zoo trot Whether you run to improve your health, or simply to socialise, the fun 5km or 10km trot is a great way to start your Sunday. Time: 7am. Venue:

17 fri

National Transplant Games Athletes who have received organ and bone marrow transplants are competing in sport events. 17 and 18 August. Time: 9am–11am, Friday; 9am–5pm, Saturday.

Venue: 17 August: Kings Park Aquatic Centre, Durban; 18 August: Kings Park Athletics Stadium, Durban. Cost: free. Contact: 042 298 0014 or visit transplantsports.org.za

Johannesburg Zoo, Jan Smuts Ave, Parkview. Cost: R40. Contact: 011 646 2000 or visit jhbzoo.org.za

19 sunday Slithery creatures Get a closer look at the amazing reptiles that we have in South Africa with a live reptile display. Enjoy an informative talk as well and get something to eat from the tea garden. Time: 10am–4pm. Venue: Lory Park Animal and Owl Sanctuary, 181 Kruger Rd, President Park, Midrand. Cost: adults R60, children R40. Contact: 011 315 7307, education@ lorypark.co.zaor visit lorypark.co.za

24 friday Baba Indaba An expo of everything you need for you, your baby and your toddler.

The Speaker’s Lounge offers daily talks.

Children can enjoy musical acts from the daily Takalani Sesame shows. There is bottle- and baby-food warming stations as well as breast-feeding stations and baby changing facilities. Ends 26 August. Time: 9:30am–5pm.Venue: Johannesburg Expo Centre, cnr Nasrec Rd and Rand Show Rd. Cost: adults R40, children free, online ticket purchases R35. Contact: 021 689 3262, sevices@babaindaba.co.za or visit babaindaba.co.za

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25 saturday In shoes made for running The King’s School in the West Rand challenges you to dust off those winter cobwebs and tackle a 10km or 5km run. Time: 7am. Venue: 61/63 Malcolm Rd, Poortview, Ruimsig.

Cost: 10km: R36; 5km: R16. Contact Andrew: 011 475 6084 or visit entrytime. com or kswr.org.za Journey to the edge of the universe Guest speaker Jerome Jooste takes you on a fascinating voyage of discovery to the edge of the universe. Booking essential.

Time: 5pm. Venue: Tumulus deck, Maropeng, on the R400, just off the R563 Hekpoort Rd. Cost: adults R190, children R90, includes the stargazing presentation and a buffet dinner. Contact: 014 577 9000, childmag@maropeng.co.za or visit maropeng.co.za Photos for Hope An outdoor photographic exhibition, packed with live entertainment, prizes and giveaways. Buy a photo from renowned photographers through to novices for as little as R100, and save a life. Also 26 August. Time: 12pm–5:30pm, Saturday; 10:30am–5:30pm, Sunday.

Venue: Brightwater Commons, Republic Rd, Randburg. Cost: free entry. Contact Lauren: 011 781 4200, lauren@sunflowerfund.org. za or visit sunflowerfund.org.za Pop-up restaurant at the polo South Africa takes on India in the sport of kings, polo. Dress to impress and get into the spirit of the affair by enjoying a threecourse dastarkhwan (spread of food) in a lavish setting, taking you back to the days of the Raj. Also 26 August. Time: 7pm for 7:30pm, Saturday; 1pm, Sunday.

Venue: Waterfall Polo Park, Sunninghill.

Cost: R380, Saturday; R18 000 per table of 10, children R200, Sunday, includes entertainment, a three-course meal and a welcome drink. Contact: 087 310 3888 or underground@theforum.co.za Chess tournament A primary school tournament where participants play at least four matches and the top eight players advance to the knockout stage. For children 6–13 years. Time: 10:30am–1pm.

Venue: Killarney Mall, 60 Riviera Rd, Killarney. Cost: R50. Contact: 011 646 4657 or visit killarneymall.co.za

25 August – Chess tournament

26 sunday Celebrate life Toddle around Zoo Lake for the Revlon Choc Celebration of Life fun walk to raise awareness for children suffering with cancer. Time: registration 6am, start 8am. Venue: Zoo Lake, cnr Jan Smuts Ave and Westwold Way, Saxonwold.

Cost: 4km R60, 8km R70, children under 12 for all distances R30, babies and toddlers free. Contact Zinzi or Steffi: 0861 113 500, bdu@choc.org.za or visit enteronline.co.za

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Chimpanzee Conservation walk/ run Show your support for the Zoo’s Chimpanzee Conservation Project by participating in an invigorating walk around the grounds. Time: 7am. Venue: Johannesburg Zoo, Jan Smuts Ave, Parkview. Cost: R45, children under 3 free.

Contact Ioanna: 011 646 2000, Ioanna@ jhbzoo.org.za or visit jhbzoo.org.za

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Realise your dreams Talented artists, musicians, dancers and actors are invited to audition today and secure their place at this prestigious school. Visit the website for audition requirements. By appointment only. For children in Grades 8–11. 18 and 25 August. Time: 8am. Venue: The National School of the Arts, 17 Hoofd St, Braamfontein. Cost: audition fee R50. Contact: 011 339 6539, admin@artschool. co.za or visit artschool.co.za

includes entrance, parking, refreshments and a bonfire. Contact Lebo: 011 646 2000, lebo.moalusi@jhbzoo.org.za or visit jhbzoo.org.za

26 August – Chimpanzee Conservation

FUN FOR CHILDREN

walk/run

art, culture and science Prospecting in Kloofendal Explore Confidence Reef Goldmine and learn about the two brothers who discovered the mine in 1884. Bookings essential. For 6–16 year olds. Time: 2pm. Venue: Kloofendal Nature Reserve, Galena Ave, between Topaz Ave and Argent Ave, Roodepoort. Cost: R90.

Contact: 011 674 2980, 072 595 6991 or visit kloofendalfriends.org.za

Beauty against crime Miss Rivonia is a beauty pageant being held to take a stand against crime. Spectators of all ages are welcome to watch the contestants, aged 13–25 years old, compete for the title. 5 August. Time: 10:30am. Venue: Indaba Hotel and Conference Centre, Fourways.

Cost: R80. Contact Valria: 072 626 4042 or events2@telkomsa.net

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classes, talks and workshops

Open Moonlight Tour The eyes of nocturnal animals twinkle as they catch the light from your torches on the guided sunset, moonlight, or night tour around the zoo. Booking essential. Time: 4pm–9pm. Venue: Johannesburg Zoo, Jan Smuts Ave, Parkview. Cost: from R95,

Ceramic painting and mosaic fun Add a splash of colour and an intricate pattern or tile to a piece of raw pottery and voilà, you’ve created a masterpiece.

Time: 9am–5pm, daily (closed 9 August).

Venue: Color Café, shop 14, Hyde Square Shopping Centre, cnr North Rd and Jan Smuts Ave. Cost: varies. Contact: 011 341 0734, office@colorcafe.co.za or visit colorcafe.co.za Child-parent relationship training and parenting group This course is aimed at helping parents use play to develop a better relationship with their children. Booking is essential. For children under 10 years. Time: 9am–11am, every Saturday. Venue: Ladybird Corner, on the Linksfield Hospital grounds. Cost: R1 600.

Contact Hope: 011 485 3057 or info@ ladybirdcorner.co.za Chocolate Fever Set within the market, children can learn to make a sinfully delicious chocolate treat. For children 3 years and older. 16 August. Time: 10am.

Venue: Tots n Pots, Bryanston Organic Market, Culross Rd, Bryanston. Cost: R50.

Contact Jotika: 083 265 5515 or jotika@ totsnpots.com Cooking with mom Time to pass down all those tried and tested cooking techniques that your mother taught you in a fun cooking class with your little one, where you’ll be making some yummy treats. For

The Amazing World of Gumball Use your imagination to draw the newest and wackiest student to join Gumball at Elmore Junior High School in this year’s Animation Generation competition, brought to you by Cartoon Network. The top three entries stand a chance of winning iPads, Blackberry cellphones and iPods; with the school that submits the most entries being awarded R10 000.

Entries close 3 September. For 6–14 year olds. Download the entry form online and hand deliver to: HDI Youth Marketers, The White House, 168 Grosvenor Rd, Bryanston, or post it to: Animation Generation Competition Entries, Postnet Suite 331, Private Bag X 51, Bryanston, 2012. For more info: visit cartoonnetworkafrica. com/animationgeneration

children 3–12 years. 11 August. Time: 9:30am–11:30am. Venue: Taste Bud Cooking Studio, 3 Waterford Place Rd, Paulshof. Cost: R200 per pair. Contact Nicola: 082 331 9987, nicola@tastebudstudio.co.za or visit tastebudstudio.co.za Cupcake Mania Master the recipe of the irresistible red velvet cupcake. Booking essential. For children 3 years and older.

18 August. Time: 10am–1:30pm. Venue: Hirsch’s Fourways. Cost: R100, includes a goodie bag and certificate. Contact Jotika: 083 265 5515 or jotika@totsnpots.com Painting ceramics Get creative with your children in either a morning or afternoon class. As your child paints a ceramic trinket box or ornament with acrylic paint, you can paint a piece of ceramic with underglaze.

Time: 10am–1pm or 1:30pm–4:30pm, Monday–Friday. Venue: 34 CR Swart Dr, Strydom Park, Randburg. Cost: one adult and one child R290. Contact Jill: 076 393 6211, info@clayze.co.za or visit clayze.co.za Pendant workshop At today’s workshop you can learn to create a precious pendant out of millefiori beads and small ceramic, glass or metal inserts. 18 and 21 August.

Time: 2pm–3pm. Venue: Seedpod Studio, Broadacres Garden Centre, Cedar Rd. Cost: R100. Contact: 011 465 0375 or info@ seedpodstudio.co.za Rhymes and recipes Enjoy baking recipes and making edible crafts from some of your favourite nursery rhymes. Booking essential.

For children 2–10 years. Time: varies to suit you. Venue: Tots n Pots Randburg, 12 Tony Place, Northwold. Cost: tbc. Contact Tilana: 082 304 4491, tilana@totsnpots.com or visit totsnpots.com

11 August – Cooking with mom

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Spring pot-and-plant Children can paint their own little seedling in a pot that they have planted by themselves.

4 and 11 August. Time: 10am. Venue: Garden World, Beyers Naudé Dr, Muldersdrift. Cost: R40, includes the pot, paint and seedling. Contact: 011 957 2545, nursery@gardenworld.co.za or visit gardenworld.co.za Upcycle your trash Parents can join their children in a fun creative morning where they’ll be turning an ordinary tin can into a colourful piece of art using mosaic tiles. 24 August. Time: 9am–12pm. Venue: Seedpod Studio, Broadacres Garden Centre, Cedar Rd. Cost: R180. Contact: 011 465 0375 or info@seedpodstudio.co.za

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A week of art No parents are welcome during this childrenonly creative week. It’s a chance for your children to learn, express, create and have some fun with their peers. 13–17 August.

Time: 9am–12pm. Venue: Seedpod Studio, Broadacres Garden Centre, Cedar Rd. Cost: R180 per morning, R720 for the week, 10% discount for siblings.

Contact: 011 465 0375 or info@seedpodstudio.co.za

family outings A-Maize-ing moonlight Unravel the clues posted in the five secret gardens and make your way through the elemental maze by the silvery light of the moon.

Booking essential. For children 12 years and older. 11 and 25 August. Time: moonlight maze: 5:15pm–8pm; 10am–5pm, day maze every Saturday and Sunday. Venue: Honeydew A-maize-ing Mazes, Boland St (off Beyers Naudé Dr), Honeydew. Cost for moonlight maze: adults R100, children R80; day maze: adults R90, children R65, family ticket (two adults, two children) R280. Contact Peter or Judy: 073 795 2174, enquiries@maizemaze.co.za or visit honeydewmazes.co.za

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Coffee and board games Pop in for a cup of coffee and spend the afternoon playing various board games with a few friends. Ends 31 August. Time: 10am–10pm, Tuesday–Sunday. Venue: 69 11th St, Parkhurst. Cost: free. Contact: 072 189 3012, jacobspopup@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/JacobsKronungSouthAfrica Floating in the Aquadome You’ll love this indoor water wonderland, complete with slides, a shipwreck, spa and six pools.

The average room and water temperature is around 25 degrees, making it a great place to escape the cold. Time: 10am–6pm, daily. Venue: Emerald Resort and Casino, 777 Frikkie Meyer Rd, Vanderbijlpark.

Cost: adults R65, children R45, family (two adults, three children) R230. Contact: 016 982 8175, info@emeraldcasino.co.za or visit emeraldcasino.co.za Spring garden festival Beautiful and fragrant designer gardens, including 10 children’s gardens, have been created to celebrate the coming spring, give you a few fresh ideas and hopefully inspire you to improve your own garden. Ends 2 September.

Time: 8am–5pm, Monday–Saturday; 8am–5:30pm, Sunday. Venue: Garden World, Beyers Naudé Dr, Muldersdrift. Cost: adults R20, children free. Contact: 011 957 2545, nursery@gardenworld.co.za or visit gardenworld.co.za

finding nature and outdoor play Tea at the farmyard Set within the wholesale indigenous tree nursery, children can run and play in a large established garden and meet the resident animals at the farmyard. There is a tea garden on site in case you get hungry, or prepacked picnic baskets can be purchased. Time: 8am–5pm, daily. Venue: Willow Feather Farm, portion 37, Doornklooof, Irene. Cost: entry: R10 (after 10 entries/stamps you receive a free River Bushwillow tree). Contact: 073 265 9342, info@willowfeather.co.za or visit willowfeather.co.za The Ultimate Outdoor Adventure Working as a team, or individually, you can take part in mental and physical challenges that will get you off that couch and learning useful life skills. Booking essential. Time: 9am, 12pm or 3pm; every Saturday and Sunday.

Venue: Pelindaba, Hartbeesport Dam. Cost: adults R220, children R165. Contact Debbie: 082 895 2513, admin@surviveorrace.co.za or visit surviveorrace.co.za

holiday programmes Anyone for tennis? A fun tennis clinic with small classes to ensure individual attention. Booking essential. For children 3–16 years. 13–17 and 27–31 August. Time: mini-tennis: 8:30am–9:30am; tennis clinic 9:30am–1:30pm. Venue: Craighall Park Tennis Club, St Alban’s Rd, off Jan Smuts Ave, Craighall Park. Cost: mini tennis R240

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for five days, R80 per day; half-day clinic R900 for five days, R200 per day. Contact Michele: 083 443 3391, michele@itatennis. co.za or visit itatennis.co.za A Wild Kids holiday A physical outdoors programme for children to use their own bodies and sensory systems, within the natural environment, to develop essential skills and experience the “wild” side of life. For children 3–6 years. 13 August–7 September. Time: 9am–12pm, Monday and Friday. Venue: Field and Study Centre, Parkmore. Cost: R250, includes a healthy snack. Contact Troye: 083 457 4106, troye@ wai.co.za or visit wild-kids.co.za

13–17 and 27–31 August – Anyone for tennis?

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Basic robotics and machines Children can enjoy an introduction to basic robotics and machines and spend the morning making Lego models come to life. Booking essential. For children 7–9 years. 13, 15 and 17 August. Time: 9am–12pm. Venue: Engenius Toys, shop L23, Fourways Mall.

Cost: R200. Contact: 011 465 5386 or visit engeniustoys.co.za Cooking like a Masterchef Children can enjoy some fun and games as they whip up a delicious lunch and dessert, Masterchef style. Booking essential. For children 3–12 years. 13–16 and 20–23 August. Time: 8:30am–12pm. Venue: Taste Bud Cooking Studio, 3 Waterford Place Rd, Paulshof. Cost: R200. Contact Nicola: 082 331 9987, nicola@tastebudstudio.co.za or visit tastebudstudio.co.za Cooking up a feast In every class, children learn to create one savoury and one sweet dish. Booking essential. For children 3 years and older. Time: 1:30pm–2:30pm, 3–6 years old; 2:30pm–3:30pm, 6 years and older, every Thursday. Venue: Feastt, Parktown Quarters, 7th Ave, Parktown North. Cost: R650 for the term, R70 per lesson. Contact: 011 447 8001, info@feastt.co.za or visit feastt.co.za Creative in the kitchen During this holiday programme, children can get their fingers sticky as they make chocolatechip biscuits, chocolate cake in a mug as well as healthy snacks. Booking essential.

For children 2–15 years. 13, 15, 20, 22,

13–16 and 20–23 August – Cooking like a Masterchef

27 and 29 August. Time: 2pm–5pm.

Venue: Little Cooks Club, 231 Trichardt Rd, Cinderella, Boksburg. Cost: R230 per child, R210 per sibling. Contact Erika: 072 271 8904, erikab@litttlecooksclub.co.za or visit littlecooksclub.co.za Early simple machines Enjoy a morning building simple Duplo structures. This week’s themes are fire engines, racers, Disney’s Madagascar, Lego city and The Pirates. Booking essential. For children 4–6 years. 13–17 August. Time: 9am–12pm.

Venue: Engenius Toys, shop L23 (next to the cinema), Fourways Mall. Cost: R150. Contact: 011 465 5386 or visit engeniustoys.co.za “Ek het dit self gemaak” cooking class Children can learn Afrikaans while preparing a variety of sweet and savoury recipes as they learn new cooking methods. Booking essential. For children 5–12 years. Time: 9am–12pm,

every Saturday. Venue: Roosevelt Park, close to Cresta, Randburg. Cost: R200. Contact Jeanri: 083 408 8802, jeanri@cookingupastorm.co.za or visit cookingupastorm.co.za Fastrackids Broadacres From discovering dinosaurs to African safaris and a trip into space, children can remain happy and stimulated this holiday. For children 18 months–7 years. 13 August–7 September.

Time: 9am–12:30pm, Monday–Friday.

Venue: Fastrackids, Broadacres Ext 7 Cedar Rd, Shop 7 Broadacres Shopping Centre.

Cost: R650. Contact: 011 467 0230, reception-fourways@fastrackids.com or visit fastrackids.com/fourways Fastrackids Sandton This holiday’s hands-on educational programme has children travelling to many countries of the world, setting off into space, and learning about human anatomy. For children 18 months–7 years. 13 August–

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13 August–7 September – Holiday care at Kids@Play

7 September. Time: 7:30am–12:30pm, with aftercare available until 5:30pm.

Venue: 98 4th St, Parkmore. Cost: R90 per day (includes meals). Contact Bernadine: 083 716 5086 or sandton@goftk.com Holidays at Hilltop Friends Every day during the holidays, there are various craft activities and games to keep your children happy and stimulated. Booking essential.

For children 18 months–12 years. 13–31 August. Time: 7am–5pm, Monday–Friday.

Venue: Hilltop Friends, 354 Kornalyn St, Douglasdale. Cost: R60–R100 (includes materials and meals). Contact Kelly or Paula: 011 023 0101, 083 627 4043, info@ hilltopfriends.co.za or visit hilltopfriends.co.za Holiday care at Kids@Play Qualified staff entertain children throughout the school holidays, getting them involved in fun activities and supervising while they play and climb on the jungle gyms. Transport can be arranged. For children 2–8 years. 13 August–7 September. Time: 8:30am–4pm, Monday–Friday. Venue: 193 Longleat Ave, Chartwell, Fourways. Cost: from R100 per day (includes snacks and refreshments).

Contact Katherine or Barry: 082 413 9843, 084 670 3546, kath.kidsatplay@gmail.com or visit kidsatplayza.weebly.com Mechanical mania In this course, children learn to build different models

Teaching a man to fish The fly-fishing lessons are suitable for everyone, with no prior fishing experience necessary.

Time: 9am–1pm, daily. Venue: Barbus Haven, Magaliesburg.

Cost: adults R300, children R200, non-fishing adults R50. Contact: 011 315 4503, 083 414 0391, sundowncorporate@gmail.com or visit sundowneradventures.co.za

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such as motorised cars, catapults and a working clock. Booking essential. For children 7–13 years. 14 and 16 August.

Time: 9am–12pm. Venue: Engenius Toys, shop L23 (next to the cinema), Fourways Mall. Cost: R200. Contact: 011 465 5386, 074 141 4330 or visit engeniustoys.co.za Ranger for the day A fun and interactive programme that’ll have children exploring the zoo and learning more about the animals that inhabit it. Advance booking essential. For children 8–16 years.

14–16, 20–23 and 28–29 August. Time: 7am–4pm. Venue: Lory Park Zoo, 181 Kruger Rd, President Park, Midrand. Cost: R150. Contact: 011 315 7307, education@ lorypark.co.za or visit lorypark.co.za Zoo holiday programme Each day offers different activities, from animal Olympics and fairy fun to live animal interaction. Booking essential. For children 7–13 years. 15–24 August. Time: half-day: 9am–12:30pm; full day: 9am–4:30pm; Monday–Friday. Venue: Johannesburg Zoo, Jan Smuts Ave, Parkview. Cost: half-day R70, full day R120. Contact Lebo: 011 646 2000 ext 216, info@jhbzoo.org.za or visit jhbzoo.org.za

markets Fine Art and Craft Fair Go bargain hunting among the many stalls as you search to find unique treasures, or get some inspiration from the talents of the artisans displaying their wares. 11 and 12 August. Time: 10am–4pm. Venue: 305 Long Ave, Ferndale, Randburg. Cost: free entry. Contact: 011 673 6592 or nina@ outofthebox.org.za REEA River Market The farmers’ market comes to the city. Make the most of the children’s entertainment, pony rides, organic food, craft market stalls, live music and much more. 11 August. Time: 8:30am–2pm. Venue: REEA Foundation, cnr Richmond Ave and Marlborough Ave, Craighall Park. Cost: free entry.

Contact Alex: 011 788 4745 or admin@ epilepsycarecentre.za.net

on stage and screen Dance for a Cure Some of South Africa’s top performers in music and dance come together to raise money for a life-saving vaccination against cervical cancer. No children under 3 years. 17 August. Time: 8:30pm. Venue: Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City, take the M1 South, Booysens exit. magazine joburg

Cost: R180. Book through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 or visit computicket.co.za JYB’s Hansel and Gretel The Johannesburg Youth Ballet presents a charming production of this Brothers Grimm fairytale. 16–19 August. Time: 7:30pm, Thursday–Friday; 6:30pm, Saturday; 11am–3pm, Saturday– Sunday. Venue: UJ Arts Centre, cnr Kingsway Rd and University Rd, Auckland Park. Cost: R110–R130. Book through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 or visit computicket.com Tinkerbell’s Pirate Adventure An adventurous pantomime, where a young noblewoman disguises herself as a cabin boy and boards the good ship, Lolly Pop, in an effort to escape an arranged marriage.

4 August. Time: 11am, doors open at 10am. Venue: Barnyard Theatre, Cresta Shopping Centre, cnr Beyers Naudé Dr and Weltevreden Rd, Cresta. Cost: R50. Contact: 011 280 4370 or visit barnyardtheatre.co.za

playtime and story time Yeesh! Fun for kids A large two-level structure offers children, 4–12 years old, a space to expel all their pent-up energy, while children under 4 can enjoy the miniature option. Time: 9am–5pm, Tuesday–Sunday. Venue: Yeesh! Bryanston, 5 Main Rd, Bryanston; Yeesh! Woodmead, Woodmead Commercial Park, Waterval Crescent, Woodmead. Cost: adults free; children R50 for the first hour, R45 for every hour after; art and crafts vary. Contact: Bryanston: 011 463 5847; Woodmead: 011 656 9669, info@yeesh.co.za or visit yeesh.co.za

sport and physical activities Capoeira classes A Brazilian martial art form that combines rhythm, music, acrobatics and self-defence. The classes are suitable for beginner through to advanced students. Booking essential. Time: 10am, every Saturday; 6pm–8pm every Tuesday and Thursday for adults. Venue: Emara Life Wellness and Remedial Centre, 15 Wessels Rd, Rivonia. Cost: R450 per month.

Contact Amilcar: 084 810 1959 or visit dore.co.za Climb to the top Conquer your fears and climb all the way to the top of the climbing wall in the outdoor entertainment area. Time: 9am–4:30pm,

daily. Venue: Emerald Resort and Casino, 777 Frikkie Meyer Rd, Vanderbijlpark.

Cost: R15 for two climbs. Contact: 016 982 8000, info@emeraldcasino.co.za or visit emeraldcasino.co.za Slip-sliding away Children can get a taste of what it’s like to be on a ski slope as they bumboard, slope surf and slide down the 20m long, slightly wet surface. For children 3 years and older. Time: 10am–2pm, every Tuesday and Thursday. Venue: The Ski Deck, 74 Bond St (entrance on Elgin Rd), Ferndale. Cost: R80 for two hours. Contact: 011 781 6528 or visit ski.co.za

only for parents classes, talks and workshops A new meteorite impact site An interesting talk by Carl R Anhaeusser on the possible new meteorite impact site that has been discovered near the village of Setlagole, in North West Province. 25 August. Time: 9am. Venue: meet at the Nestlé Environmental Education Centre, Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, at the end of Malcolm Rd, Poortview, Roodepoort. Cost: members R30, nonmembers R60. Contact Karen: 011 958 5177, botsoc@sisulugarden.co.za or visit sanbi.org A spoonful of romance An evening filled with love and great food where you and your partner learn to create fun, aphrodisiac recipes. Booking essential. 22 August. Time: 6:30pm. Venue: Taste Buds Cook Club, 3799 Jan Frederik Ave, off Dolfyn St, Randpark Ridge. Cost: R300 per person. Contact: 083 600 9096 or info@ taste-buds.co.za Cooking for children Learn how textures influence your child’s speech and the best way to cook for young ones.

Only for moms. Booking essential. 25 August. Time: 12:30pm–3pm. Venue: Green Genes, 39 St Albans St, Craighall.

Cost: R200. Contact Kamani: 071 646 5028, kamani@fabmomslifecoaching.co.za or visit fabmoms.wozaonline.co.za Domestic childcare course Have your domestic worker trained on an accredited “results guaranteed” course. 30 August–27 September. Time: 8.30am–2pm, every

Blubird Wholefood Market The exotic flavours of French, rainbow-coloured macaroons, Indian and Thai curries and prawn rissoles await. Time: 9am–2pm, every Sunday.

Venue: Blubird Shopping Centre, Athol Oaklands Rd, off Corlett Dr, Birnam. Cost: free entry. Contact Robyn: 083 311 4768

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9 August – Growing an edible garden

Thursday. Venue: 235 Jan Smuts Ave, Parktown North. Cost: R1 950. Contact: 011 447 5517, 083 525 4992 or visit domesticbliss.co.za Elementary cooking course Change your life and have your domestic worker trained on an accredited “results guaranteed” cooking course, covering family favourites and home-cooked meals. 29 August–26 September. Time: 8:30am–2pm, every Wednesday. Venue: Domestic Bliss, 235 Jan Smuts Ave, Parktown North. Cost: R2 250.

Contact: 011 447 5517, 083 525 4992 or visit domesticbliss.co.za En-Core launch A new workout is offered at their studio, combining ballet and Pilates to elongate and strengthen your body effectively. 4 August. Time: 9:30am. Venue: 41D Gleneagles Rd, Greenside. Cost: free.

Contact Victoria: 084 312 4059 or visit en-core.co.za

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Filling your cup with love This is a guide to practising the act of self-care so that you regain your enthusiasm for life. Booking essential. 15 August. Time: 9am–11am.

Venue: PsychMatters Family Therapy Centre, 9 Park St, Bedfordview. Cost: R500. Contact Linor: 011 450 3576, info@psychmatters. co.za or visit psychmatters.co.za Growing an edible garden Attend this talk about the basics of organic gardening, and learn about time-saving techniques and space-saving tips from Jane Griffiths. 9 August. Time: 11am. Venue: Garden World, Beyers Naudé Dr, Muldersdrift. Cost: R100, includes a light luncheon. Contact: 011 957 2545, nursery@gardenworld.co.za or visit gardenworld.co.za Inspiring Women makeover celebration Learn more about style, make-up and hair to suit every woman at a champagne breakfast with interesting speakers. Booking essential. 22 August.

Time: 8:30am–11am. Venue: 77 Monument Rd, Kempton Park (use the ReMax entrance). Cost: R170. Contact Cindy: 084 569 9590 or cindy@inspiringwomen.co.za In tune with nature This is a fun morning filled with music, led by conductor Richard Cock, and an interesting talk about plants

by Tanya Visser. 26 August. Time: 11am.

Venue: Garden World, Beyers Naudé Dr, Muldersdrift. Cost: R80, includes refreshments. Contact: 011 957 2545, nursery@gardenworld.co.za or visit gardenworld.co.za

Learning to sign Today’s basic sign language training covers workshop one and two in which you learn about food, animals, clothing, family and more. Classes are presented in English and Afrikaans.

Booking essential. 4 and 8 August. Time: 8:30am–3:30pm. Venue: Sandton. Cost: R350–R700, excludes refreshments.

Contact Monita: 082 218 7339, contact@ tinyhandz.co.za or visit tinyhandz.co.za Love yourself and heal your life A personal development tool to help you re-evaluate your life by looking at your

mental and physical wellbeing and to free yourself of negative thought patterns.

Booking essential. 11–12 and 25–26 August.

Time: 8:30am–5pm. Venue: Buccleuch, Sandton. Cost: R650. Contact Laurinda: 076 135 7601, bridgetranswork@gmail. com or visit bridgetranswork.webs.com Montessori Teacher Training Information session for 2013 enrolments.

25 August. Time: 8:30am–10am. Venue: Little Star Montessori, 57 15th Street, Parkhurst. Cost: tbc. Contact: info@ montessorisa.co.za

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Learning and behaviour challenges workshop This Parents, Take Charge! workshop gives you the skills you need to help your children overcome their learning, behaviour and mood challenges, preferably without the use of drugs. 4, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19 and 22 August. Time: 8:30am–12:30pm.

Venue: Grayston Preparatory School, cnr North Rd and Gilliard St, Sandown. Cost: R695 per person, R995 per couple. Early bird discount applies. Contact Nicole: 082 464 7948, nicole@neoncrown.co.za or visit parentstakecharge.com

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Original Play Grab this opportunity to learn about the art of play from Dr Fred Donaldson, world renowned for developing his workshops through playing with bears, wolves and children. 18–19 August. Time: 8:30am–5pm. Venue: Insight Training Centre at The Centre of Light, plot 109 Scorpion Trail, Kyalami Ext. Cost: R1 500 for the two–day workshop.

Contact Anna-Mari: 083 445 0412 or amari@humantysteamsa.org Paediatric CPR and first aid course A practical course that teaches parents how to react to childhood emergencies like suffocation, electrocution, bleeding, drowning and choking as well as child and infant CPR. 26 August. Time: 10am–2pm. Venue: Rivonia Sports Centre, Morningside Manor, Sandton. Cost: R480.

Contact Carmen: 072 574 7832, carmen@ supernannies.co.za or visit supernannies.co.za Parenting 101 Get advice on raising children in today’s changing environment so that they’re happy, healthy and welladjusted. For parents of children aged 12 years and older. 22 August. Time: 8:30am–12:30pm. Venue: Saint Stithians College, Peter Place, Lyme Park, Sandton.

Cost: R230. Contact Tracey: 083 564 6644, pr@jhbchildwelfare.org.za or visit jhbchildwelfare.org.za Planning for summer Learn about companion planting with flower and vegetable crops in pots or hanging baskets.

18 August. Time: 10am. Venue: Garden

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The magic of colour Marguerite discusses auras, the colours we radiate, and explains how they tell our stories. 4 August. Time: 10am. Venue: Ngwenya Glass Village, off Beyers Naudé Dr and R114, Muldersdrift.

Cost: R75, includes refreshments and a contribution to charity. Contact Athalie: 083 285 8383 The power of play This workshop equips you with the information you need to provide age-appropriate stimulation and play for the development of your child’s first four years of life. 25 August. Time: 9am–2pm. Venue: Parkhurst Recreation Centre, cnr 4th Ave and 13th St, Parkhurst.

18–19 August – Original Play

World, Beyers Naudé Dr, Muldersdrift.

Cost: R65, includes refreshments. Contact: 011 957 2545, nursery@gardenworld.co.za or visit gardenworld.co.za Supporting learners with dyslexia This facilitators’ training course better equips teachers of learners with dyslexia.

30 July–1 August. Time: 8:30am. Venue: Bellavista School Hall, 35 Wingfield Ave, Birdhaven. Cost: R1 800. Contact Imogen: 011 447 4110 or secretarybatu@ bellavistaschool.co.za

Cost: R540, includes manual and lunch.

Contact Shannon: 074 102 6200 or shannoneggers@vodamail.co.za The START course It’s a practical training programme aimed at supporting professionals, caregivers, communities and families in their stimulation and development of children with disabilities.

Booking essential. 13–17 August. Time: 9am–5pm. Venue: 3rd floor, TMI Building, 13 Joubert St Extension, Parktown. Cost: R2 400. Contact: 011 642 2005, training@ sunshine.org.za or visit sunshine.org.za Time for tureens Customise your own soup tureen with underglaze painting, which will undoubtedly impress your dinner guests this winter. 4 August. Time: 2pm–4pm.

Venue: Seedpod Studio, Broadacres Garden Centre, Cedar Rd. Cost: R180. Contact: 011 465 0375 or info@seedpodstudio.co.za

Unlimited You workshop The programme runs for a half-day and aims to challenge your beliefs and shift your comfort zone. 18 August. Time: 9am–1pm.

Venue: Melrose Place Conference Centre.

Cost: R650. Contact Mia: 083 451 4594, mia@transformationalcoaching.co.za or visit transformationalcoaching.co.za/ workshops.html Urban greening the vertical way Landscape designer Leon Kluge discusses modern urbanised living and working with vertical gardens. 4 August. Time: 9:30am–10am. Venue: Garden World, Beyers Naudé Dr, Muldersdrift . Cost: R80, includes refreshments. Contact: 011 957 2545, nursery@gardenworld.co.za or visit gardenworld.co.za Women in business Terry Volkwyn, CEO of Primedia Broadcasting and a driving force behind the Lead SA initiative, gives an inspiring talk. Booking essential. 31 August. Time: 7:30am–10am. Venue: The Rand Club, cnr Fox St and Loveday St. Cost: R350. Contact Tracey: 083 564 6644, pr@jhbchildwelfare.org.za or visit jhbchildwelfare.org.za Working mom’s workshop Working moms are able to gain a few tools and tips on balancing work life and quality time with their children without feeling guilty. Booking essential. 19 August. Time: 9am–11am.

Venue: Ladybird Corner, on the grounds of Linksfield Hospital. Cost: R80. Contact: 011 485 3057 or info@ladybirdcorner.co.za

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on stage and screen Burn the Floor Feel the passion, drama and excitement of the 20 sexy ballroom and Latin-American dancers as they tango, waltz and samba around the stage. 1–19 August. Time: 8pm, Tuesday–Saturday; 3pm, Saturday; 2pm and 6pm, Sunday.

Venue: Joburg Theatre, cnr Simmonds St and Stiemens Rd. Cost: R190–R270. Book through the Joburg Theatre: 0861 670 670 or visit joburgtheatre.com Naked truth about childbirth Through the stories of eight women, the audience begins to understand the truth behind how low-risk women give birth today.

18 August. Time: 8pm, Saturday; 3pm, Sunday. Venue: National School of the Arts, 17 Hoofd St, Braamfontein. Cost: R120. Contact Sally: 082 584 0666, sally@ birthsupport.co.za or visit boldbirth.wix. com/southafrica National Ballet of Cuba Don’t miss a passionate and uniquely Cuban performance of extracts from classics such as Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. No children under 3 years. 30 August–2 September. Time: 8pm, Thursday–Saturday; 2pm, Saturday– Sunday. Venue: Montecasino, cnr William Nicol Dr and Montecasino Boulevard, Fourways. Cost: R80–R350. Book through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 or visit computicket.com Pipe organ concert Enjoy the wide variety of sounds produced by New Yorkbased John Scott when he performs on the 1 984 pipes. 13–15 August. Time: 7:30pm, St George’s; 8pm, St Mary’s. Venue: 13 and 15 August: St George’s Anglican Church, 7 Sherborne Rd, Parktown; 14 August: St Mary’s Cathedral, Wanderers St. Cost: R175.

Book at the door or through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 or visit computicket.com Red Explore the creative process and the inner conflicts of Russian-American painter Mark Rothko. 17 July–11 August.

Time: 8:15pm, Tuesday–Saturday; 6pm, Saturday. Venue: Old Mutual Theatre in the Square, West St, Sandown. Cost: R120.

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Superstar violinist Joshua Bell delights Joburg audiences in a solo performance with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. 29–30 August. Time: 8pm. Venue: Linder Auditorium, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown.

Cost: R150–R400. Book through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 or visit jpo.co.za and computicket.com

Book through Strictly Tickets: 082 553 5903 or visit theatreonthesquare.co.za Rose Red A different take on the classic fairytale, Snow White, told through the eyes of the Evil Queen. 14 August–1 September.

Time: 8:15pm, Tuesday–Friday; 6pm, Saturday. Venue: Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton.

Cost: adults R120, students and pensioners R80. Book through Strictly Tickets: 082 553 5901 or visit theatreonthesquare.co.za Soiree at Foxwood Cellist Jessica-Bailey Clarke performs along with her string quartet. Space is limited. 26 August. Time: 3pm. Venue: Foxwood Theatre, 13 5th St, Houghton. Cost: R175. Contact: 011 486 0935 or visit foxwood.co.za The Chris Luke Jazz Art Quintet Enjoy the musical conversation presented by

17 July–11 August – Red

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this quintet as they perform compositions of original and standard jazz. 9 August.

Time: 5:30pm. Venue: UJ Arts, Con Cowan Theatre, Bunting Rd Campus. Cost: R70, students, pensioners and groups of 10 or more R40. Contact: 011 559 4674 or visit uj.ac.za The Waltz King Dutch violinist, conductor and composer André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra return to South Africa to entertain audiences with his melodramatic stage performances and rock-star demeanour. 17 August. Time: 8pm. Venue: Coca-Cola Dome, cnr Northumberland Rd and Olivenhout Ave, Northriding. Cost: from R450. Book through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 or visit computicket.com Topsy Turvy The one-man show features a wealth of ridiculous characters performed

by Jonathan Roxmouth of Phantom of the Opera and JC Superstar fame. Ends 5 August. Time: 8:15pm, Tuesday–Saturday; 3:15pm, Sunday. Venue: Pieter Toerien Theatre, Montecasino, cnr William Nicol Dr and Montecasino Boulevard, Fourways.

Cost: R150. Book through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 or visit computicket.com

Topsy Turvy

Volunteer Man This is a controversial Israeli play about the right of a patient with an incurable illness to choose to end his life. 14 August–1 September.

Time: 8:15pm, Tuesday–Saturday; 6pm, Saturday. Venue: Old Mutual Theatre in the Square, West St, Sandown. Cost: adults R120, students and pensioners R80. Book through Strictly Tickets: 082 553 5903 or visit theatreonthesquare.co.za

out and about An active palaeontological dig One of the Cradle’s richest fossil sites offers a guided tour around the active dig, where the earliest evidence of the use of controlled fire in Southern Africa was discovered.

Booking essential. 18 August. Time: 9am.

Venue: Sterkfontein Caves, Cradle of Humankind. Cost: R350, includes a light lunch. Contact: 014 577 9000, childmag@ maropeng.co.za or visit maropeng.co.za

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5 August–1 September – Black Like Us 9

A Slice in Time This solo exhibition by Paul du Toit is running at two separate venues concurrently. At Gallery Momo you can view paintings and works on paper; while at Nirox Sculpture Park you can appreciate a series of richly coloured monumental sculptures. 23 August–17 September at Gallery Momo; 26 August–15 October at Nirox Sculpture Park. Time: 9am–6pm, Monday–Friday; 9am–5pm, Saturday. Venue: Gallery Momo, 52 7th Ave, Parktown North; or Nixon Sculpture Park, near Maropeng. Cost: free entry. Contact Gallery Momo: 011 327 3247, info@ gallerymomo.com or visit gallerymomo. com; Nirox Arts: 082 854 6963 or visit niroxarts.com/directions.htm Black Like Us 9 Many of the artists at this exhibition started as amateurs or emerging artists nine years ago. They are now internationally recognised names in the art world. 5 August–1 September. Time: 11am, opening 5 August; 10am–4pm, Tuesday–Friday; 10am–2pm, Saturday.

Venue: Manor Gallery Norscot Centre, Penguin Dr, Fourways. Cost: free. Contact: 011 465 7934 Cake Alchemy evening Pair cake with alcoholic beverages to bring out the subtle flavours in both. 2 August. Time: 6pm–10pm. Venue: Annica’s, cnr Main Ave and Bond St, Ferndale. Cost: from R265.

Contact: 011 884 9445, annicas@mweb. co.za or visit annicasdeli.co.za Cap Classique & Champagne Celebration Put on your glad rags and head out to sip on the finest bubblies.

18–19 August. Time: 12pm–5pm. Venue: Country Club, 1 Napier Rd, Auckland Park.

Cost: R250, includes a tasting glass and coupons. Contact: 011 710 6400 or visit webtickets.co.za Crime intelligence International masters of crime fiction are taking part in Jenny CrwysWilliams’ Bloody Book Week, discussing their novels and opening themselves up for

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18–19 August Cap Classique & Champagne Celebration

Q&A sessions. 3 August: Yusuf Abramjee and Trevor Corbett; 5 August: Jeffrey Deaver and John Connolly. Time: 2pm–4pm, Friday; 10am, Sunday. Venue: Indulgence Café, 225 Beyers Naudé Dr, Northcliff ext 5. Cost: R90, includes talk, refreshments and snacks. To book, contact: lollipops@telkomsa.net HeronBridge open mornings This college in the Nietgedacht countryside is open this morning. Parents are invited to view the facilities. For parents of children from Grade 000–Grade 12. Time: 9am, every Tuesday. Venue: HeronBridge College, No 36 on the R114, Nietgedacht.

Cost: free. Contact: 011 540 4800 or visit heronbridgecollege.co.za

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Kumon franchise information session Find out more about becoming a franchisee with Kumon Education, the supplementary education provider in maths and English.

There are two sessions. 14 August. Time: 9am–12pm and 1pm–4pm. Venue: Kumon Education head office, 132 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood. Cost: free. Contact: franchising@ kumon.co.za or visit kumon.co.za Mindfulness in eMotion This practical workshop is designed to help you reach a state of emotional balance, serenity, mental strength and clarity to allow your mind to focus clearly on life goals, desired results and effective problem solving. 3, 10, 25 and 26 August. Time: 9am–3pm.

Venue: Roosevelt Park. Cost: from R2 115. Contact Rick: 082 825 5294, ricka@yemanya-centre.co.za or visit yemanya-centre.co.za

Open day at Dainfern College Meet the teachers and view the facilities of the college. This is a co-educational college, catering for Grade 0–Grade 12 pupils. For parents with children 5–18 years. 2 August.

Time: 9am–10am. Venue: Broadacres Dr, Dainfern. Cost: free. Contact Caroline: 011 469 0635, cgrobbelaar@dainferncollege. co.za or visit dainferncollege.co.za Open day at Elma Park Pre-primary Interested parents can use this opportunity to meet the teachers, ask questions about the curriculum and see the facilities.

Applications are open for parents wishing to enrol their child at the school for 2013.

For parents of children 3–6 years. 4 August.

Time: 9am–12pm. Venue: Elma Park Preprimary School, 17 Adjutant Rd, Elma Park, Edenvale. Cost: free. Contact Glynis or Carla: 011 453 9388 or elmaparkpps@mweb.co.za

Open day at Cuties Corner Montessori

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sat Meet and greet the caring teachers of Cuties Corner Montessori and hear what they have to offer your child.

The school is also launching the Bamboo Homework and Study Club with Merry Music. For children 2–6 years. 11 August.

Time: 9am–12pm. Venue: Cuties Corner, 19 Waterberg Dr, Oakdene Ext 1. Cost: free.

Contact: 011 683 2811, info@cutiescorner. co.za or visit cutiescorner.co.za

Solo parenting A social club for single parents, where they meet every month and take part in different activities along with their children. You can also sign up of their free newsletter. 18 August.

Time: 2pm–4pm. Venue: varies. Cost: free membership. Contact Jean-Marie: 076 054 5510 or soloparenting@talc.co.za Spring Sauvignon Blanc Festival Straight from the vineyards of the Western Cape, there’s a host of zesty, crisp and fruity white wines on offer to welcome in the first days of spring. 31 August–2 September.

Time: 6pm–9pm, Friday; 12pm–8pm, Saturday; 12pm–4pm, Sunday. Venue: The Pivot Courtyard, Montecasino. Cost: R120, includes a wine tasting glass and unlimited tastings. Book through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 or visit computicket.com The Wedding Expo This event bursts with practical advice, daily fashion shows and suppliers set to inspire the table settings, floral arrangements, cake and more for a special day. 25 and 26 August.

Time: 9am–5pm. Venue: Coca-Cola Dome, cnr Northumberland and Olivenhout Dr, Northriding. Cost: R100, bridal workshop R450. Contact: 086 111 3997 or visit wedding-expo.co.za Totalsports Ladies’ Race Runners, walkers and even moms with prams can compete in the 5km or 10km race. Early entries receive an official race T-shirt with medals being awarded to all finishers.

Friends and family are welcome to cheer

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Working moms’ breakfast Author Joanne Fedler gives an inspiring talk about the challenges of juggling work and motherhood, and sustaining ourselves throughout the process. 19 August. Time: 9am. Venue: Sydenham Community Centre, 24 Main St, Rouxville. Cost: R200.

Contact Tali: 072 492 0664 or tdfranky@ absamail.co.za

bump, baby & Tot in tow

classes, talks and workshops 30 August – Unity College Golf Day

the competitors along the route. 9 August.

Time: 8am. Venue: Rooseveldt High School, Emmerentia. Cost: R50. Contact: 0860 051 021, info@topevents.co.za or visit totalsports.co.za Unity College Golf Day Miss South Africa, Melinda Bam, joins in the day’s festivities, which includes a raffle and auction to assist with the building of a new and improved school, adequate for college learners with physical and learning barriers.

The college caters for pupils that are 6–20 years old and they currently have over 100 learners. 30 August. Time: 9am; teeoff 11am. Venue: Randpark Golf Course, Setperk St, Randpark, Randburg. Cost: R2 500 per four-ball. Contact Michelle: 011 465 2422/3, advancementofficer@unitycollege.org.za or visit unity-college.org.za

Antenatal classes Get advice and tips on how to have a healthy pregnancy.

Get information on delivery methods and options, and how to look after your newborn baby. Time: 6:30pm–8:30pm, every Tuesday. Venue: Ladybird Corner, on the grounds of Linksfield Hospital, 24 12th Ave, Linksfield West. Cost: R1 100. Contact: 011 485 3057 or info@ ladybirdcorner.co.za Breast-feeding workshop Whether you plan to breast-feed for a week, a month, a year or more, this workshop teaches you about the challenges you may encounter and how to overcome them. Time: 9am–12pm, every Saturday. Venue: Mother Instinct, 127 Wilson St, Fairlands. Cost: R350 per couple.

Contact Laura: 083 301 2826, lsayce@ gmail.com or visit motherinstinct.co.za Introducing solids Get advice on how and when to introduce food, correct

eating postures and stimulation as well as information on spice and herb properties.

17 August. Time: 10am–12pm. Venue: Ladybird Corner, on the grounds of Linksfield Hospital, 24 12th Ave, Linksfield West. Cost: R80. Contact: 011 485 3057 or info@ladybirdcorner.co.za Learn to massage your baby Learn how to soothe your babies’ colic, and manage sleep and bonding issues through this four-week massage course. For parents of babies 2 weeks–1 year. Starts 13 August.

Time: 11:30am–12:45pm. Venue: The Children’s Therapy Centre, Petervale. Cost: R480. Contact Joanne: 083 303 1190 or joannebradley@global.co.za Pregnancy yoga Learn about an holistic method of pregnancy yoga, yogic principles and birth preparation from a qualified instructor. Time: 8:30am–9:45am, every Saturday. Venue: Green Genes, 39 St Albans St, Craighall. Cost: trial lesson R100.

Contact Claire: 082 338 8001 Stimulate your baby Every week you learn tips on how you can stimulate your baby to ensure whole brain development and prevent any future learning problems.

For parents of children 2 weeks–1 year.

Starts 27 August. Time: 9:30am–10:30am.

Venue: The Children’s Therapy Centre, Petervale. Cost: R630. Contact Joanne: 083 303 1190 or joanne.bradley@ babygym.co.za Thirsty Thursdays Make a few new friends and share your experiences as you

get some useful advice on breast-feeding.

Time: 10am–12pm, every Tuesday. Venue: Ladybird Corner, on the grounds of Linksfield Hospital, 24 12th Ave, Linksfield West. Cost: R60. Contact: 011 485 3057 or info@ladybirdcorner.co.za Welcoming a sibling Get tips and advice on how to make the transition from an only child to having two children as easily and painlessly as possible. Booking essential. 3 August. Time: 10am–12pm.

Venue: Ladybird Corner, on the grounds of Linksfield Hospital. Cost: R80. Contact: 011 485 3057 or info@ladybirdcorner.co.za

playtime and story time Ladybugs play group A toddler-andmom play group where moms can bond with their toddlers while doing fun exercises. Booking is essential. For children 2–3 years. Time: 1pm–3pm, every Monday.

Venue: Ladybird Corner, on the grounds of Linksfield Hospital. Cost: R100. Contact: 011 485 3057 or info@ladybirdcorner. co.za Larney Ladybirds playdays These happen at a country manor house. Time: 10am–4pm, every Wednesday (closed 8 August). Venue: Valley Rd, Broadacres, Fourways. Cost: adults R25 (cake/muffin and bottomless tea/coffee); children R15 (includes packet of chips, juice, fruit stick and a small surprise). Contact: 083 770 7702, info@larneyladybirds.co.za or visit larneyladybirds.co.za

family marketplace

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The Stars in Education

Mini Maestro Music Educational and fun-filled music classes for babies and toddlers. The 30-minute classes are divided according to age. For children 6 months–5 years. 2 August–20 September. Time: 2:30pm–4:30pm, Monday and Thursday.

Venue: Field and Study Centre, Parkmore.

Cost: R50 per class. Contact Estea: 071 245 0055 or minimaestrosa@gmail.com

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Playdays at Elf’s Hill There are jungle gyms, trampolines, tree houses, a Wendy house, bike track, sandpit, toadstool house, cricket pitch and much more. 15, 22 and 28 August. Time: 1pm–5pm. Venue: Elf’s Hill, plot 29, Sandspruit Rd, Farmall. Cost: adults R20 (includes cake, tea/coffee), children R15 (includes a packet of chips and juice). For more info: visit elfshill.co.za

Cost: R70. Contact Jean-Marie: 076 054 5510 or soloparenting@talc.co.za The Family Life Centre Families and individuals in need of counselling can get help there. Contact: 011 788 4784/5, famlife@iafrica.com or visit familylife.co.za

support groups

Become an organ donor August is organ donor month. For more info and to register as a donor, visit odf.org.za Family Africa Runs a Sunday club that feeds 300–500 children (2–16 years), collects and re-distributes second-hand clothing, and assists malnourished, abused and sick children from Diepsloot. They welcome donations of money, goods or volunteers’ time. For more info: visit familyafrica.com Little Fighters Cancer Trust The trust was started to give financial relief to families of babies with cancer. You can help by donating money or purchasing a Bag of Hope, which is given to children in paediatric oncology wards around South Africa. The bags are filled with blankets, pyjamas, books, puzzles, snacks and more.

For more info: visit littlefighters.org.za SOS Children’s Village For 30 years they have been caring for orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children who have lost or are at risk of losing parental care. At the centre are the “mothers” – women who devote

Hi Hopes Provides home-based support for families with deaf or hard-of-hearing infants. Contact: 011 717 3750, info@ hihopes.co.za or visit hihopes.co.za Moms-and-babes gathering Spend some time in the company of other new moms and share your experiences. Time: 10:30am–1pm, every Wednesday. Venue: Mother Instinct, 127 Wilson St, Fairlands.

Cost: R60. Contact: 083 301 2826, lsayce@ gmail.com or visit motherinstinct.co.za Parenting through play A workshop and support group where parents bond with their children and learn to address various issues through play. For parents of children under 10 years. 18 and 25 August. Time: 10am–12:30pm. Venue: The Family Life Centre, 1 Cardigan Rd, Parkwood. Cost: R1 600 per parent, R2 850 per couple.

Contact Kirstan: 083 663 3639, kirstan@ facp.co.za or visit familylife.co.za Single parent support group 4 August.

Time: 10am–11am. Venue: Parkview Medical Suites, 63 Dundalk Ave, Parkview.

how to help

their lives to caring for and raising children whose own biological mothers are unable to do so. To find out how you can help: visit sosvillages.org.za The Stars in Education This is an inspiring annual competition, which recognises the achievements of teachers who have gone the extra mile and changed lives through their actions. Fellow teachers, parents, pupils and the general public can nominate someone. Entries close 31 August. Contact Argo: 021 865 2813, info@argo.org.za or visit ed.org.za Toiletries and Underwear People Investing in Needs of Communities (PINC) are collecting brand new bras, panties and toiletries for girls and boys from age 2 to teens. PINC is involved in cancer awareness, predominantly breast cancer and cervical cancer, and in feeding underprivileged communities. Contact Lisa: 073 953 6771 or lisa@smart-art.za.net

don’t miss out!

For a free listing, email your event to joburg@childmag.co.za or fax it to 011 234 4971. Information must be received by 3 August 2012 for the September issue, and must include all relevant details.

No guarantee can be given that it will be published. To post an event online, visit childmag.co.za

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it’s party time For more help planning your child’s party visit

childmag.co.za/

resources/birthday-parties

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it’s party time continued...

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finishing touch

working from home It’s time to set the record straight about what stay-at-home moms and those on maternity leave really do all day, says ANÉL LEWIS.

i

spotted a fantastic “what society thinks I do/what I actually do” photo story about stay-at-home moms on a parenting website that really struck a chord. It has six frames, starting with “what society thinks I do” – an image of a woman sitting on the couch, in comfortable slippers, reading a magazine. The next frame, “what my mom thinks I do”, is of a mother working on her computer, while her angelic baby plays quietly next to her. In another frame, “what my husband wishes I did”, a beautifully-groomed wife is making a delicious home-cooked meal. And then, in the final frame, “what I actually do”, there is a harried-looking mother with a baby in each arm.

I can relate. Except in my case, the final image would be me with a soggy Vienna stuck in my unwashed hair and curdled

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milk vomit on my shoulder; a crying baby in one arm and a toddler clinging to the other. Although I am not a stay-at-home mom, I have been at home for the past few months on maternity leave and the photo story, or meme, is just as apt.

There is a gross misconception out there that maternity leave is a glorious three-month break from work, where mothers get to spend idyllic hours bonding with their babies.

A friend, who happens to be male, remarked recently when I complained about being tired, “But you’re on maternity leave. Don’t you just lie in bed all day with your babies?”

Er... not quite.

Firstly my “day” starts early, like 2am in the morning kind of early. Conor, my twomonth old, has his day and night confused,

so he does most of his feeding in the wee hours of the morning. He usually dozes off at about 5am, but Erin is awake by 7am, so there is no chance of that supposed lie-in.

Secondly, as I am not technically “working”, I do most of the night-time feeds so that my husband can get a decent night’s sleep. But even though I may not spend my day in an office, doing an eightto-five job, I don’t think I have ever worked harder. My day is a seemingly endless slog of bottles, laundry and cleaning.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s a job that I love doing. I really do enjoy spending this precious time with my children. My beef is not with the work load as such, but with the perception that moms who stay at home are on some kind of sabbatical.

There is definitely no time for lazy lie-ins or daytime TV. The closest I come

to watching television is checking the screen on Conor’s baby monitor while he’s having a nap. Also, that notion of “sleep while your baby sleeps” is a fallacy. I have more chance of qualifying for the London Olympic Games than I have of getting Erin and Conor to sleep at the same time, just so that I can catch forty winks.

I also don’t get much opportunity to break away for mid-morning sessions at the gym, or afternoon coffee dates with friends, despite what my husband sometimes thinks.

No, maternity leave is definitely not a holiday. In fact, I am thinking of cutting mine short, so that I can go back to work for some rest.

Anél Lewis is Child magazine’s features editor. She’s back at work after a wonderful, but busy, four months on maternity leave.

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PHOTOGRAPH: SUSIE LEBLOND

Anél and Erin