Winter 2017
Healthy family eating
KATE RITCHIE:
MUM’S THE WORD
Winter fashion
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contents
winter
6
THE CONTRIBUTORS
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EDITOR’S NOTE
BABIES STYLE
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10 LITTLE CHARMERS From patterned pieces to eccentric bold artwork, fashion for babies has never been more inspirational.
GIRLS STYLE
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SOPHISTICATED LITTLE LADY With tones of grey, light pink, black and white, there is an abundance of sophisticated fashion for little ladies this autumn.
BOYS STYLE
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READY TO RULE Mix and match with camouflage and navy and let the boys be boys with attitude to rule the world.
20 WINTER READS Our top picks for young readers this season.
WOMEN STYLE
22 KATE RITCHIE, IS MUMMY AND ME Kate Ritchie opens up about Radio, Writing, Raising daughter Mae and the courage that comes with it.
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ON-TREND AUTUMN ESSENTIALS With three simple essential pieces, Soft and feminine florals paired with masculine distressed denim bring a fresh approach to autumn styling.
BEAUTY 18
WAKE UP LOOKING AND FEELING FABULOUS Our list of beauty products for your hair and skin that will help you wake up looking and feeling fabulous.
BOOK REVIEW
COVER STORY
REAL LIFE
28 SAVING IZZY Isabella Crosby fights a rare, life-threatening disease that has ravaged her liver and a transplant may be her only chance for a future.
HUMAN INTEREST 32 PARENTING WIMPS Australian author and parenting expert Michael Gross advises that parents should remember clever techniques must be aimed at crafting a child’s success, not at increasing parental convenience.
FUNNY MUMMY
26 CAT TALES Funny Mummy Ari’s resolve for collecting strays is challenged as her son yearns for a pet.
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Join Buddy with his friends, in the Australian Premier of Dinosaur Train, as they ride the train and embark on ‘A Rainforest Adventure’.
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sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
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38
ACTIVITIES
36 ZACCARIA CONCERTS Get ready to hop on board the Dinosaur Train as it prepares to come to Australia for the very first time.
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HEALTH 38 SUSPICIOUS MINDS Ann Marie Bradstreet casts light on a shadow of male vulnerability, as a school dad is labelled ‘suspicious’.
MATERNITY CARE
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A MATERNAL CHOICE We look into options to consider when it comes to deciding on the right maternity care option for you and your baby.
FOOD AND NUTRITION
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52 PORTION SIZES Test your knowledge on portion sizes and understand the effect increased meal sizes have on the intake of unnecessary kilojoules.
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EDUCATION
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66 LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION Our guide provides options for engaging your children in dancing, singing, acting and more.
SCHOOL’S IN Our comprehensive guide will assist you in considering your children’s education
PERFORMING ARTS
ISSUE 33 WINTER 2017
Kate Ritchie by Marie Ramos Photography
Produced and published by Offspring Magazine Pty Ltd. ABN: 95 159 474 245 Website www.offspringmagazine.com.au Editorial enquiries editorial@offspringmagazine.com.au Advertising enquiries Phone 02 4326 1178 Mobile 0415 267 414 advertising@offspringmagazine.com.au Subscription enquiries subscription@offspringmagazine.com.au
Editor in Chief Kate Durack Contributing writers Ari Chavez, Gary Ausbruch, Kate Bullen, Ngala Parenting Education Team, Brooke Evans-Butler, Elise Papamihail, Claire Armstrong, Tania Connelly, Lisa O’Rourke, Emma Saurus, Colleen Willis Graphic Designers Steven Lillywhite, Anna Drake Printed by Offset Alpine Printing
Offspring magazine is an independent magazine published quarterly by Offspring Magazine Pty Ltd. Opinions represented are not necessarily those of the publisher. Offspring magazine contains general information and does not claim to substitute for health or parenting advice. All content is subject to copyright, and may not be reproduced without permission.
110,000
Average Net Distribution per issue.
This publication has been independently audited by the Circulations Audit Board.
Audit Period: September 2015 - March 2016
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Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
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our contributors
ARI CHÁVEZ COLUMNIST has had work published in Australia, England, Japan and Singapore. She has a delightful toddler, Gabriel, who was born with coffee in his veins. She is currently completing her first novel as part of a PhD project.
ELISE PAPAMIHAIL FASHION & STYLE is Mummy to Chloé and Olivia and is a passionate stylist and fashion writer, embracing the latest trends without compromising on timeless style.
ANN MARIE BRADSTREET WRITER Is a mother of three who has been contributing articles to Offspring Magazine for the past two years. A background in the Arts and teaching, coupled with a passion for family and community drives her to wax lyrical about issues close to her heart. She writes fiction in her spare time.
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Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
GARY AUSBRUCH ACCOUNTANT/COLUMNIST is financial controller for a Perth-based mining company. He has had columns published on the challenging subject of the lighter side of accountancy, and has written for SBS TV. He is married to Sue and has two young children, Ella and Sebastian.
NICOLE COX JOURNALIST has worked in print and online media for 15 years in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Now she has the most adventurous job of her life - mum to energetic toddler, Matteo. Nicole says the flexibility of freelance journalism allows her to combine her two loves, motherhood and writing.
CLAIRE ARMSTRONG JOURNALIST of 10 years across a range of mediums and publications from mining and financial to bridal and pregnancy. She has a passion for all things parenting and a love of sharing stories about the parenthood journey. She is also a busy mum of three beautiful girls and is a trained post-natal doula.
DEVON PLUMLEY MIDWIFE believes her work is most satisfying when she can empower a woman and her partner to birth their baby naturally; and the new little human being thanks his mummy with a squeal!
KATE BULLEN DIETITIAN runs www.dietitianonline.com. au and is mum to three young children. Kate has translated her love of all things online to providing expert nutrition coaching online – it works well for anyone who is busy! Kate’s passion lies in making healthy eating simple and enjoyable.
BROOKE EVANS-BUTLER JOURNALIST has written for home improvement, bridal and women’s lifestyle publications, but says Offspring enables her to combine writing with her new favourite hobby, being a mum to her boys Caleb and Jonah.
JANE MILLINGTON INTERIOR DESIGNER has over 15 years’ experience in all facets of the design industry including Interior Design, Styling, Sales and Business Development. Jane specialises in colour design and styling of children’s bedrooms and nurseries with her biggest fans being her two children, Samson and Liv.
COLLEEN WILLIS TRAVEL WRITER has roamed the world for many years on her own and with her husband and daughter, Rebekah. During this time, Colleen has been a teacher and an award-winning travel advisor for Australia and overseas. Colleen will guide you through family travel the way she knows best!
TANIA CONNOLLY JOURNALIST Tania Connolly is a freelance writer who has been published in a variety of magazines. Her passion is people and sharing their inspirational journeys. With a husband and two teenagers life is hectic but she wouldn’t want it any other way.
www.offspringmagazine.com.au
EDITOR’S NOTE autumn/winter 2017
Superwoman Syndrome Despite Depression now having a colossal army of recruits, it is the loneliest place in the world. In my experience, this is a result of Superwoman Syndrome and something only healed by Love, understanding and self-acceptance.
I
wonder who noticed we skipped an edition? In nearly eight years of publishing Offspring Magazine, to simply not produce an issue was a big deal. It wasn’t just a blip to my staff either who rely on a regular income. The reason? A Big. Fat. Meltdown. I shouldn’t understate the reality … that’s what got me into strife in the first place … glossing over things. Celebrating 2017 New Year’s Eve and the ensuing 11 days in Royal Perth Hospital’s mental health ward was a Superpowered meltdown. Otherwise known as BREAKDOWN. So I won’t skirt around, in a misguided attempt at Superwoman heroism. Mind you, I was never under any such delusions of grandeur, but I guess trying to meet some self-imposed, perfectionistic ideals of running a company and having aspirations of becoming a Mary Poppins-style mother Celebrating (albeit in her forties, and single…) - and Managing with LIFE - was trying to utilise 2017 New Year’s Eve superpowers I simply didn’t inherit. As my and the ensuing 11 days therapist points out, “Doing a 60% job is in Royal Perth Hospital’s Doing Great”. Flagellating the self for failing at mental health ward was attempts to live up to an ideal which saw a Superpowered a Good Mum BAKING not BUYING Coles meltdown”. $10 cupcakes; Or, that my kids could become maternal orphans for spending more time at their dad’s than mine during press deadlines; contributed to the malady. I did have real pressures. Being a single mum is tough – emotionally and financially. I personally find the burden of having to Provide the hardest part. As well as not having that special someone to confide in the stresses of each day. The isolation and load is taxing. I had also been running flat tack for a while, 8
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
expanding Offspring during a relentless and fastpaced era of communications changes, in a cutthroat industry, while adapting to life as a single parent, in a new town with no family or friends. Isolation exaggerates everything. It has been grueling, lonely and stressful. Background: Several years after launching Offspring Perth, I packed up my then-five and two-year-old children and husband, and moved interstate to launch our Sydney edition and then earlier last year launched Offspring Melbourne. The digital side was somewhere in between, and of course the requirements for that area are expanding all the time. The timing was unusual though. It could have happened earlier, like years before. Depression can be like that…sneaking up on you while you’re convincing yourself you’re ‘doing fine’. I thought I was doing everything right: I took time off work. I was running 6km every day. I meditated two hours a day. I had regular counselling sessions with a great psychologist. Had invested in a personal library dominated by Hay House Publishing; I think I could write a PhD thesis on positive affirmations! Hell, I even gave up alcohol. No mean feat given it was the Festive Season. But, still, I could not keep the Black Dog at bay. I lost all interest in life. Including eating, I weighed 45kg. I wanted to escape the pain. It was excruciating – in the gut, it was physical. I prayed to God for help. And help came. I was lucky in that I had tremendous reprieve relatively quickly, and without medication. I was prescribed Prozac and told I would be committed to a life-long dedication to a medication and counselling program. It would be about ‘managing’, not ‘curing’. As someone who hates to be
My daughter’s special card she made me when I was in hospital.
labelled or confined to any dogma, this prognosis irked me, and I resisted. One afternoon, two days before I was due to be released back into to the Wild, er, world again, and five days into the administered anti-depressant regime, and hungover from Temazepam as the only means of sleep while battling mental train wrecks and sharing a dormitory with three other emotionally-fraught, insomniacs, I had a whim to do what, any rational, and very, very desperate person, seeking Hope, might also do. Go see an alternative healer. It was in arcade in Fremantle, I met Yvette. Yvette could relate. She read my soul. She could feel my agony without me saying a word. She understood my pain and offered help. She cared. Yvette referred me a Body Talk healer, Brenda, and while I didn’t know anything about this practice, I was too exhausted and hopeless to care, judge or enquire. What the hell? I’d take a gamble on anything to relieve the pain. Placebo will do. I went and saw Brenda and WOW. I went to sleep that night and awoke the next As my morning to have ALL PAIN REMOVED. therapist points THE DEPRESSION HAD GONE. out, “Doing a And it hasn’t returned. I am not advocating against traditional 60% job is medicine. This is very necessary for many, Doing Great”. but for me I had tried several times over the years and it hadn’t worked. This time, I received help and love from a couple of women in a way I needed that was not prescribed by traditional medicine. I think this was what helped me: understanding, compassion and love, which they were able to translate into a specialised form of energy healing. Sounds miraculous, and it was. And I am extremely grateful. I am grateful to the whole experience, not just the healing, but the events and people that surrounded that event. I am also grateful to now grasp the damage this ridiculous Superwoman notion causes. Not just the angst and pressure we put upon ourselves, but to those around us. My family, friends and staff suffered too, but were there of course when I was ready to come back, and get back on with things. Ironically, in my bid to ‘have it all’, I felt I had nothing. I had forgotten the real stuff: Real relationships and acceptance of myself being just good enough, plus putting a bit more attention into the internal realm, rather than just the external. So, Superwoman can superzoom off into the ether. Superordinary will have to do. I think if my loved ones are happy with that, then I will have to be too. Thank you to my amazing staff and beautiful family and friends for your love, support and patience. It’s good to be back! xxx
Kate X
If you, or someone you know, is experiencing Depression please contact Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636. sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
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By Elise Papamihail
Dollcake Vintage $53 dollcake.com.au
Acorn $49.95 littlestyles.com.au
Bonds $14.37 bonds.com.au
LITTLE CHARMERS
Sookibaby $28.95 sookibaby.com.au
Elves in the Wardrobe $15.95 elves-in-the-wardrobe.com.au
A
utumn time means cuddling up the newborns and bubs in just enough beanies and booties to keep them warm, and lose fitted onesies when it isn’t so cool. From patterned pieces to eccentric bold artwork, fashion for babies has never been more inspirational. We also love a good educational toy to kick start their play-time.
Marquise $44 marquise.com.au Wilson & Frenchy $69.95 littlestyles.com.au
Tiger Tribe tigertribe.com.au 10
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
Nununu nununuworld.com
www.offspringmagazine.com.au
Tired of being tired? *
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F R E E F R O M A L C O H O L , A RT I F I C I A L C O L O U R S a n d P R E S E R VAT I V E S AVAILABLE AT ALL GOOD HEALTH STORES, SELECTED PHARMACIES AND SUPERMARKETS Enquiries Nature’s Synergy Pty Ltd
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By Elise Papamihail
Bardot Jnr bardot.com/junior Clarks $74.95 clarks.com.au
Scotch & Soda collection scotch-soda.com
Eenimeeni collection eenimeeni.com
Alex and Ant collection alexandant.myshopify .co
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SOPHISTICATED
LITTLE LADY
Bardot Jnr bardot.com/junior
W
ith tones of grey, light pink, black and white, there is an abundance of sophisticated fashion for little ladies this autumn. Military blazers paired with pretty lace dresses are super cute and stylish. Girls also love shoes, and whether your little one is more princess pink or edgy hip-hop, sneakers go with everything!
Country Road $59.95 countryroad.com.au
Country Road $89.95 countryroad.com.au Witchery $99.95 witchery.com.au
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Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
Witchery $99.95 witchery.com.au Adidas $83.95 dressinn.com
Scotch & Soda $99.95 scotch-soda.com www.offspringmagazine.com.au
By Elise Papamihail
Witchery $89.95
Witchery $59.95 witchery.com.au Witchery $99.95 witchery.com.au
Nununu $34.95 alittlebitofcheek.com.au
I Dig Denim $139.95 hipkin.com.au Eenimeeni collection eenimeeni.com
READY TO RULE
Scotch & Soda $209.95 scotch-soda.com
Band of Boys $50 sodashop.com.au
M
ilitary blazers, combat boots and hoodies bring a strong look to autumn fashion for boys. Mix and match with camouflage and navy and let the boys be boys with attitude to rule the world.
Rock your Kid $44 rockyourbaby.com.au
Witchery $34.95
Clarks $99.95 clarks.com.au Indie Kids by Industrie $54.95 davidjones.com.au Akid akidbrand.com Band of Boys $50 sodashop.com.au
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Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
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M OLLY & MOO
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Women
STYLE
Witchery $119.95 witchery.com.au
By Elise Papamihail
With 3 simple essential pieces, Soft and feminine florals paired with masculine distressed denim bring a fresh approach to autumn styling. LUXE Sass and Bide $425 sassandbide.com
SOFT BLOUSE Steele $169 steelelabel.com
Not only does a soft blouse look and feel ultra feminine, it’s also a practical throw on piece as an alternative to a basic tee or knit. Pair with denim or a pleated maxi skirt and finish with a pair of kicks for a causal vibe.
LUXE DENIM Always a winner! Skinny denim in a luxe dark shade enhance curves and lift to shape and sculpt. Distressed denim is still in full swing this Autumn. Pair with a soft blouse and a bomber jacket for next-level, everyday styling.
Anine Bing $199 aninebing.com
LUXE Gucci $2,700 net-a-porter.com
Atmos & Here $89.95 theiconic.com.au
BOMBER JACKET Bandana $6 Levis $119.95 urbanoutfitters.com levis.com.au
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One Teaspoon $140 oneteaspoon.com.au
Throw a bomber jacket over a simple tee for an updated Autumn look with a touch of edge. Floral bombers brighten soft layered shirt dresses and simple block colours add a chic look to denim.
Steele $299 steelelabel.com www.offspringmagazine.com.au
Wake up looking
Mask Tube $29 Black-head remover BLAQ www.blaqmask.com
and feeling fabulous BEAUTY REVIEW
We’ve road-tested these lovely products and recommend adding them to your daily skincare and hair routine for a fresh, luminous finish.
Lipstick $37 Hydrates and soften your lips for a smooth, matte long-lasting finish
Matte Foundation $58 Matte full coverage finish Serum $50 Fights visible signs of ageing, dryness and dehydration Primer Serum $49 Targets fine lines and wrinkles
TMF www.themakeupfactory.com.au
Paula’s Choice www.PaulasChoice.com.au
Pure Rhassoul Clay $30 Eliminates dead skin cells and rejuvenates skin Organic Prickly Pear Seed Oil $60 Fights visible signs of ageing Akhal www.akhal.com
Straightening Hairbrush Dafni Black $259 If you’re sick and tired of damaging your hair and spending hours styling it with flat irons, this innovative hairbrush is the perfect gift that is useful all year-round. With a unique 3D surface and evenly spaced bristles combined with the most advanced hair care technologies, hair can be styled in 3-5 minutes Shaver Shop
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Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
Gentle Exfoliant $61.10 Smooths and nourishes skin Realive Serum $178.30 Revitalises your skin Herbal Face Mask $16.30 Bio-active face mask that tones and hydrates AEOS www.aeos.net
www.offspringmagazine.com.au
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Book REVIEW
Here are our top picks for young readers this Winter season. 0-6 years
DINOSAUR ROAR
THE LEAKY STORY
This wonderful rhyming text by award-winning author Jeanne Willis, follows Tyrannosaurus Rex on his journey after he is approved by the Department of Earth Sciences at the Natural History Museum in London Dinosaurs. Dinosaur Roar is suitable for the very youngest of children, is funny, great to read aloud and full of dinosaur facts and a helpful pronunciation guide.
This is an action-packed adventure into the wonderful world of books, the power of imagination, the art of storytelling and the importance of family. It follows the journey of the Blossburn family who band together to return escaped fictional characters back inside a book. A fun and riveting read!
Jeanne Willis
0-7 years
Devon Sillett and Anil Tortop
4-12 years
WITH MY DADDY
AN AUSSIE YEAR
A touching celebration of the special relationship between father and child. Warmly told in gentle rhyme and brought to life with charming illustrations. This a heart-warming picture book that is perfect for 0-7 year olds to help them celebrate and embrace their special relationships with their fathers.
Through five school children, these authors explore what it means to be ‘Australian’ and the importance of multiculturalism. This book is a great educational read for 4-12 year olds, that will teach youth the importance of having a strong sense of national culture, identity and belonging, as well as pride in being Australian.
James Brown and Cally Johnson-Isaacs
8+ years
HIGHEST MOUNTAIN DEEPEST OCEAN Page Tsou
Do you know how tall the tallest mountain on Earth is? Or how deep the deepest ocean goes? Learn all this and more in this exquisite book of comparisons full of bright, colourful and detailed illustrations and cool facts by artist Page Tsou. This is an unforgettable book with a vintage aesthetic style that will attract any curious child. 20
4-8 years
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
Tania McCartney and Tina Snerling
FOR ADULTS
LITTLE PIP EATS THE COLOURS OF THE RAINBOW Amie Harper
Amie Harper acknowledges that it can be hard to get your toddler to try new things. Harper shows you how to create visually aesthetic recipes that are simple, quick and easy to make, and ones that the whole family will love, regardless of their age. www.offspringmagazine.com.au
Enrolling now for 2019 Open Day Sunday 28th May 2017 10am-2pm All welcome
Kate Ritchie
e m d n a y m m u M s i Australian national darling, Kate Ritchie, whose roots in Home and Away, have lead to a high-profile career in radio and writing, chats with Ann Marie Bradstreet about managing the Spotlight and being Mum to her precious daughter, Mae.
M
ost Australians feel like they own a little
horror night’s sleep spent writhing with my three year
share in the life of Kate Ritchie. For 20 years,
old, I start by asking how she copes with work after
the nation watched her grow up in a record-
a rough night. With a degree of tongue-in-cheek,
breaking stint as the beloved character, Sally
she points out that her radio gig at Nova isn’t exactly
Fletcher, in the popular soap Home and Away.
rocket science and sleep deprivation probably aids the
One moment she was an eight year old with an imaginary friend called Milco, the next a grown woman with her own family, and the country was with her, every step of the way. An adaptable stalwart of the entertainment industry, from child
desired headspace for the studio’s afternoon antics. “It’s probably the perfect job for it. An awful sleep is not such a bad thing and a hard night with Mae (her daughter turns three in August) is nothing
star to AFI nominated actress and with a cache of Logies, two of
on dealing with Tim and Marty and their childlike
them Gold, she currently makes up one third of Nova’s highly
behaviour,” she says with a chuckle.
successful National Drive Show. Recently, Kate added the feather of author to her bow releasing
My mind drifts, she had me at “afternoon” and I yearn, longingly for Kate’s charmed life, where being
her first children’s book I Just Couldn’t Wait to Meet You. Although
drunk with fatigue is considered a strength. The myth
Kate has thrived in the spotlight, she reveals it’s not always been
is slightly dispelled as she lets on that it’s not so great
easy basking in it, yet continues to manage a lifetime’s attention
on a photo shoot as the face of QV Skincare: “I’m sure
with perennial grace. Sharing the story of her new book and strong
they don’t want me coming in with bags under my
bond with daughter Mae a discerning depth emerges from her
eyes,” she says.
endearing affability. Nervous and fearing I may sound lobotomised conducting my interview with Kate Ritchie off the back of a
I take a quick glance at the state of myself and piously offer thanks that school drop-off was my only public appearance for the day, no amount of airbrushing could rescue this, I decide, as Kate quietly concedes, Mae is, “a pretty good
Scribblings on scraps of paper evolved into a letter to her unborn child as a way to quell the anxiety and excitement she was feeling in anticipation of the birth. 22
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
sleeper most of the time.” She is reticent to expound on the attribute for fear of tempting fate or driving those of us less fortunate over the brink. I note down “Sensible” as a useful adjective to describe
her later, I’m running on an hour and a half’s shut eye and have already cut my finger making lunches. Having concluded that sleep is not essential job criteria at Nova and parenting skills are deemed an asset, in light of her colleagues, Kate admits it’s hard to write when she ‘s tired, with that I can concur – where’s the coffee?! The recently published children’s book I Just Couldn’t Wait to Meet You, released by Penguin Random House Australia, is Kate’s first public offering as a writer. She tells me she has always filled notebooks and exercise pads with various tales in the hope of one day being published. She has been asked to write things in the past, fending off several requests for her memoirs, wondering if she should be offended and quite certain she’d need at least another 20 to 30 years rustling up enough grit for a worthy one, we both chuckle that it would be prudent to check out soon after dishing the dirt and Kate Ritchie states she’s not going anywhere yet. Kate began writing while pregnant with daughter Mae Webb, born in August 2014. Scribblings on scraps of paper evolved into a letter to her unborn child as a way to quell the anxiety and excitement she was feeling in anticipation of the birth. “It was a way to write down my feelings. I had a good pregnancy generally, physically good but it was a challenge mentally and there was fear attached. I was writing to silence that.”
Kate before Mae belonged to lots of people in some way and I wouldn’t change that for the world, for the lady at the supermarket to tell me she feels like my grandmother and is proud of me. Wondering if others felt the same, she decided to share her writing and, with the guidance of her publishers at Penguin, was partnered with illustrator, Hannah Sommerville, who captured all the tenderness of Kate’s words to create I Just Couldn’t Wait to Meet You. The collaboration resulted in a beautiful book about pregnancy, birth and a mother’s connection to her unborn child. Kids love hearing about their birth and the time spent in their mummies’ tummies and the book provides an opportunity for precious discussions. But Kate also wrote the book for expectant mothers who may be processing similar emotions to what she experienced. Through book signings Kate has connected with a range of people and says, “You don’t know what people are going through, what their individual story is and I have been so overwhelmed by the response. Everyone has been so warm and lovely, which has been important because the book came from a Photo: Marie Ramos Photography, www.marieramosphotography.com.au
good place within me.” sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
23
story means to her and I’m responding to that in my writing.” When asked about Kate’s bond with daughter Mae, with husband Stuart Webb, she becomes pensive: “I do think that we are the parents and are meant to teach and guide her but Mae has equally if not more been a teacher to me. She’s made me more me than I’ve ever been.” When asked to elaborate, Kate reveals a sensitive insight into the realities of a lifetime devoid of anonymity. Kate describes being moved
“I’m thinking of taking
by a woman sharing her IVF story
her somewhere tomorrow
who bought the book in hope of
- just the two of us. Stuart
reading it to her child one day.
will be at work, it’ll just be
A nurse revealed she’d used the
us. Years ago, going out in
book as a resource, guiding young
public by myself and buying
teenage mothers struggling to
tickets to somewhere and
bond with their babies. “I’m really
exposing myself in that
proud of the book and it makes me
way, well, my anxiety
feel this is the way I was meant to
levels just couldn’t have
be published,” Kate says.
handled it but since Mae
Further collaboration with
has arrived, I just get on
Sommerville hasn’t been ruled out
with it. Being a parent is a
and Kate is being inspired by the
great leveller, everyone’s
books she’s reading to Mae. “I’m learning so much from the beautiful books I’m reading to her and she is teaching me so much, I see what’s she’s feeling and what the
lives and stories are so different but as parents we are all on the same team or at least we should be.” I read something Kate wrote about Mae being the only person to come into her life who has no preconceived idea about who she is; When Kate discusses this she is emotional, generous,
Mae and I are a team. I have my extended team, Stuart, parents, siblings but sometimes when she’s giving me a hard time I’m like ‘we’re doing this together, it’s ok, we’re in the same boat’.
open and apologetic. “Kate before Mae belonged to lots of people in some way and I wouldn’t change that for the world, for the lady at the supermarket to tell me she feels like my grandmother and is proud of me, I wouldn’t change that, but to Mae I am just Mummy and she adores me purely because I’m her mummy, for all the right reasons, everything about her is so true and good, nothing is tainted, she has no agenda.”
24
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
Being a parent is a great leveller, everyone’s lives and stories are so different but as parents we are all on the same team or at least we should be.
“Mae and I are a team. I have my extended team, Stuart, parents, siblings but sometimes when she’s giving me a hard time I’m like ‘we’re doing this together, it’s ok, we’re in the same boat’,” she laughs, “one of my favourite parts of the book is the line ‘although sometimes you challenge me, I know we will be okay’. And she does challenge me, it’s meant to be challenging but hopefully, we come out the other side.” Kate’s writing aspirations reach beyond children’s literature and she tells me, “I’m working toward writing for young teens. I want to write fiction that makes young girls feel great, body confident, willing to try anything.” She states self-effacingly that she has a lot to offer in this genre and I wonder from what inspiration she will draw. Perhaps this will be the case for her daughter, Mae
more children,” she offers. “I don’t think
Webb, who shares her birthday and name with Mae
I’d make it to four though!” she laughs,
West, a fearless woman also willing to try anything.
“unless I to get a hurry–on.
When asked how she would feel if Mae wanted
“I am very grateful for everything
to be an actress, Kate says, “All I want is for her
my mum and dad gave me and it wasn’t
to be brave, I don’t want her to be crippled by
everything we wanted or big holidays,
feelings of low confidence or fear, right now she
it was simple things: Christmases
has no fear, you see that when she jumps
together, a loving childhood. We all
from the dining table into my arms or
have our moments but we turned
struts around the supermarket with my lipstick on without a care. It’s a good reminder of who we should be, I want to protect that.” I add “Fierce” and
out ok. So, as a result of how I was brought up, I think simple things are best. “When I was pregnant I just couldn’t wait to meet Mae and when she was born
“Passionate” to my
Stuart and I just couldn’t wait
list of descriptors and
until she was on her own two
ask Kate what are
feet and could climb up into
her important family values. “I have very fond
to bed with us. So, the most important things are the simple
childhood memories. My
things, when Mae climbs into
brother and sisters (Kate
bed with us and says, ‘Mummy I
has three younger siblings)
want a snuggle.’”
are all such great friends and I would love to have
Photo: Marie Ramos Photography, www.marieramosphotography.com.au
sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
25
FUNNY MUMMY with Ari Chávez
Cat Tales Ari’s resolve for collecting strays is challenged as her son yearns for a pet.
T
here are children who love animals, and wish for nothing more than a lion on the bookcase and a crocodile
under the bed, and there are those who run screaming at the sight of a dog. It goes without saying that I have the first
kind of child. In very many spades. The other day, he picked up a feather and ate it – I know – and then told me he was now able to grow his own feathers and turn into a bird. He would soon fly far away from me, he confided. Far, far away. Despite my preoccupation with possible feather-eating-
skittish as a colt and as destructive as a hurricane. My own mother
diseases that the Child was no doubt incubating then and there, I
found me a great trial in this regard, clearly not wanting anything
was fascinated.
else to look after other than the four children she already had who
“What colour are your feathers?” I asked, wondering if he would choose to be a brightly coloured parrot, or perhaps a peacock.
I have, of course, become my mother. Once a collector of strays
“Grey!” the Child said, eyes sparkling.
and lost things, I now DO NOT WANT anything else that requires my
Ahem. A practical choice, grey. It seemed out of character. The
time, care, attention, money or organisational skills. I do not want to
child would, if he could, festoon our house with dinosaurs and
pick up more poop. I do not want to be woken at un-Godly hours for
cows and pigs and penguins. Tigers in the garage. Otters on the
food, cuddles, a heater, a blanket or just because. Nope, I do not.
roof. That sort of thing.
I stared at the letter, the longing in it. My heart remained
But most of all, the Child wants that most mundane of animals. A cat. Last year he brought home a letter from school, a letter to Santa, in fact, which he’d deigned to write for his teacher, whom he loves fiercely and who has a rather enviable Way with him. In sloping letters he asked for a cat like Slinky Malinki, no less, who would sleep on his bed, play hide and seek with him, and whom he would, unceremoniously, call Kitty. Obviously, this was terrible news. When I was young and stupid, I brought home a kitten and insisted on a dog, whom my parents had to look after when I went travelling. When I was older, and should have known better, I turned up with a ridiculous Labrador puppy, who was as 26
were, just quietly, a Packet of Headaches for many, many years.
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
stone but maybe not stone enough. I called my husband,
“In sloping letters he asked for a cat like Slinky Malinki, no less, who would sleep on his bed, play hide and seek with him, and whom he would, unceremoniously, call Kitty”
and put it to him. At this point, I should mention that the crazy Labrador puppy I bought is still with us, but she falls apart if left alone for more than an hour, so we have had to hire a Doggy Nanny for her for when we are at work. “NOT A GODDAMN HOPE IN HELL!” he bellowed. “ARE YOU CRAZY??!! WE ALREADY HAVE TO EMPLOY A NANNY FOR THE DOG!!!” Right then. Quite. Thank God one of us is being sensible. I stared at the Child, all spider legs and innocence. “Did you write this beautiful letter to Santa?” I asked, heart sinking.
“NOT A GODDAMN HOPE IN HELL!” he bellowed. “ARE YOU CRAZY??!! WE ALREADY HAVE TO EMPLOY A NANNY FOR THE DOG!!!”
“Yes,” he said. “I want Santa to bring me a cat like Slinky Malinki. He will sleep on my bed.” “Hmmm,” I said. “I also want a goldfish,” said the Child, shamelessly. “The goldfish will sit on my bookcase and watch me while I sleep.” “That isn’t in your letter,” I said, worriedly. “I also want a rabbit,” said the Child, eyeballing me. “I will play with my rabbit outside.” I stared at the Child, and saw myself. This is a Bad Thing. “I think,” I said, “that Santa may have run out of animals this year. That’s what I’ve heard, anyway.” “No, he hasn’t” said the Child, his bottom lip jutting out. “He HAS NOT run out of animals.” I looked at his beautiful sun of a face, his bottom lip quivering, and sighed. “Let’s talk to Daddy about it when he gets home,” I said. “Daddy might have some bright ideas.” “Really,” said the Child, hopefully. “Really,” I said. HA! I kissed the Child’s soft head and told him to run outside and play. I grabbed an old shoe box, and tucked his letter to Santa safely inside for later.
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sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
27
Saving BY TANIA CONNOLLY
IZZY
Twenty-month-old Isabella Crosby acts like an average toddler; babbling constantly, moving around at lightning speed and keeping her mother busy with her demands. However, a large scar, which snakes across her distended abdomen and around her back, indicates her life has already been far from normal. A rare, life-threatening disease has ravaged her liver and a transplant may be her only chance for a future.
I
sabella scoots across the timber floorboards on her bottom, pulls herself up by the edge of the coffee table and grins mischievously. Her 29 year old mother, Yani, watches intently. Her eyes are full of love but a sadness lurks in their depths.
Yani yearned to be a mother but thought falling pregnant would prove
extremely difficult, if not impossible, due to polycystic ovary syndrome. She buried hopes of ever holding her own child, until she conceived “a very amazing mistake”. She tells me how her dream pregnancy turned nightmarish. From 14 weeks she battled constant nausea; at 16 weeks her blood pressure began to climb; and by 18 weeks she weighed an extra 20kg. Diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, her blood pressure soared and dipped, causing her to faint several times. This resulted in regular hospital stays, increasing in length when her baby appeared to cease growing. Yani’s placenta also began to rupture so at 27 weeks, her baby girl was born via emergency caesarean. On 21st March 2015, 13 weeks premature, Isabella weighed just 750g. After her dramatic birth, a ‘very yellow’ Isabella spent 108 days in a Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Paediatric Gastroenterologist, Dr Madhur Ravikumara, who treated Isabella, confirms jaundice is common in newborns but should be investigated if it persists beyond two weeks. Isabella’s jaundice hadn’t dissipated and scans revealed issues with her liver. A needle biopsy showed Isabella’s bilirubin levels (pigments in her blood) were extremely elevated, revealing her liver was not functioning properly. Doctors confirmed she 28
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
She buried hopes of ever holding her own child, until she conceived ;a very amazing mistake’.
suffered from biliary artresia – a condition where malformed
Seeing her tiny baby in a crib surrounded
bile duct openings trap bile, forcing toxins to build up and
by tubes and ‘beeps’ she says was, “probably
damage the liver.
the most confronting thing that I’ve ever been
Yani says once Isabella’s weight reached one kilogram surgeons
Real Life
faced with …”
performed the Kasai Procedure (a portion of the intestine is used
Dr Ravikumara states that the majority of babies born with
to surgically bypass blocked bile ducts to allow bile to drain to the
biliary atresia require a Kasai procedure but achieving bile flow is
gut). The surgery took around eight hours.
not always attainable and the liver may continue to deteriorate.
“I panicked the whole time,” Yani recalls. “We left the hospital
Yani believes Isabella’s liver was too damaged for the surgery to
because my anxiety got a bit too much. The nurses kept me in the
be successful, explaining her daughter already has cirrhosis and
loop about what was going on and then I came back and just sat in
portal hypertension (partially blocked blood flow
the waiting room … and waited … and waited, until she came out.”
increasing pressure to the portal vein, which can cause gastrointestinal bleeding). This is evident by the venous pattern on her swollen belly. Bulging tummies, explains Dr Ravikumara, are due to enlarged livers and spleens and possibly fluid accumulation. In her daughter’s instance, Yani views the Kasai as “just a preventative, it’s kind of
I think we’ve got to the point now it’s very factual instead of being emotion-based … It’s too hard. I think if I cry every time I get upset about it or something, I wouldn’t get up in the morning ...
like a Band-Aid.”
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sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
29
Isabella undergoes regular blood tests to assess her bilirubin levels and ingests a “tonne of different medications” including vitamins (as her body struggles to absorb them) and a daily antibiotic to prevent infection. Fortunately, her premature birth hasn’t manifested in other physical or developmental health issues and for that, Yani says, “We’re so blessed. She’s an absolute miracle.” However, in August 2016, doctors advised Yani
The last two and a bit years have been the greatest years of our life but they’ve also been the most horrific years.
that “a transplant is inevitable” and will need to be done within the next 12 to 18 months. “I think we’ve got to the point now it’s very factual instead of being emotion-based … It’s too hard. I think if I cry every time I get upset about it or something, I wouldn’t get up in the morning ...” Apart from watching for yellowing eyes - the first sign Isabella’s liver is failing - Yani has purposely not researched the transplant operation. “It’s hard enough hearing all these words that no parent
She may need to remain in Sydney for up to six months depending on the outcome. Although medical costs, flights and living arrangements are met by the Government, Yani says the emotional strain of being away
from her support network, and the financial burden of losing one wage, will weigh heavily. With support from her husband, Joe, and an au pair, Yani returned to full-time work in January 2016, looking to seek solace in keeping busy. She admits working and placing Isabella into day care has been the “best thing” for their family, and her daughter has thrived. Interacting with others also gave Yani the impetus to become
should ever have to hear in their life … it gets to that stage where you
proactive in campaigning for a transplant facility in Perth, and to
just don’t cope, and I didn’t for a long time. [For] a long, long time I
raise awareness of Isabella’s plight - and those of other children in her
didn’t cope at all.” Yani’s voice quietens and tears glisten in her eyes
position - by fundraising for the liver foundation. “This is going to be
but she blinks them away and continues. “I think it benefits us this
our life. It’s going to be Izzy’s life. Why should another family have to
time not to know anything about it. I just sleep a little bit better at
go through what we, and families before us have gone through?”
night. I’m sure it’ll come and I’m sure they’ll start telling me about it in the new year. But until then, no, I don’t want to know anything.” Dr Ravikumara’s comment justifies her fears, “Liver
30
transplants to be performed on children.
She adds, “The last two and a bit years have been the greatest years of our life but they’ve also been the most horrific years.” She admits that if her pregnancy had run smoothly she would definitely
transplantation is a major undertaking, associated with significant
have planned to have more children. Although biliary artresia is
morbidity and even mortality. In general, the bigger the child, the
not hereditary there is no known cause and Yani is reluctant to try
better the outcome.”
to become pregnant again as Isabella requires so much attention.
To add to Yani’s distress, Isabella must fly to Sydney for
Currently she must be taken to regular appointments, follow a diet,
the surgery as no paediatric liver unit in Perth exists to enable
and Yani isn’t sure how much care she will need after the transplant.
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
After everything she’s been through, [I hope she’s] a happy, healthy, compassionate, kind little girl.
“I wouldn’t want another child to miss out or to feel like everything is dedicated to Izzy and not to them.” Yani no longer relaxes with a glass of wine as she has chosen to give up alcohol, hoping that Isabella will notice and abstain as well. Before her daughter needs to worry about peer pressure, Yani hopes her toddler sails through the next 12 months “as unscathed as possible” and her memories of this time fade with her scar. “I don’t want her to grow up and remember being poked and prodded. I want her to grow up like any other kid. After everything she’s been through, [I hope she’s] a happy, healthy, compassionate, kind little girl.”
To help raise funds toward a liver transplant unit in WA, please contact The Liver Foundation of WA on +618 9336 3178 or contact@liverfoundation.org.au
sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
31
Celebrated Australian author and parenting expert Michael Grose tells Chris Pritchard parents should remember clever techniques must be aimed at crafting a child’s success, not at increasing parental convenience.
Are we parenting a nation of wimps? “T
hat’s putting it a bit strongly,” laughs Michael Grose
brought up in a large family means children continually hone
when asked whether Australian parents are producing
conflict-resolution skills on their siblings, which is great preparation
a nation of wimps. “Mind you,” he quickly adds, “it’s a
for negotiating in the many social situations that children encounter
very fair conclusion.”
at childcare, preschool, school - and beyond.”
Grose has been doling out parenting advice for 30 years since
Big families are rare nowadays, he sighs. Children in large families
first conducting classes at Melbourne’s Monash Parent-Teacher
have more “emotional space” than those in small units to resolve
Education Centre, a facility attached to the Victorian state capital’s
problems without constant parental intervention and control.
esteemed Monash University. What’s more, he’s the author of 10
A lesson for parents: even with a small family, develop a “big-
books focused on how to be a better parent. The latest of these,
family mindset” to aid children’s independence and resilience.
Spoonfed Generation, How To Raise Independent Children was
Don’t be too ready to drop in and resolve situations. “The real art of
published by Bantam Australia in February.
raising kids to be independent is giving them opportunities to solve
Parenting may be natural - but for many people it isn’t easy.
their own problems - without parental involvement.” Being a parent
Potential pitfalls are numerous. Grose himself was fortunate. A
shouldn’t mean always being there, ready to butt in. Sometimes
father-of-three, he watched his own offspring blossom into “welladjusted independent adults who no longer live at home”. As Grose sees it, they’re solid evidence that he’s “practised what I’ve preached”. From talking to many thousands of parents over three
it’s better to keep out.
“Sometimes you have to take risks, whether you’re an adult or a child, in order to have memorable experiences.”
decades, he reveals “one common thread: parents treat kids as if they’re three years younger than they actually are - and kids think of themselves as three years older than they really are.” He recalls the case of his own daughter. “When she was 15 and wanted to join a group going on a visit to Denmark I was horrified. I
smaller, children stick around longer. “Whether it’s free or cheap accommodation - to enable saving for a house or a long trip - or not having to shop for food, children often live with their parents well into their twenties,” Grose observes. These days, childcare centres
expose young children to socialising and learning opportunities - but small families make good parenting all the more important. “Kids who do best at childcare and school understand this ‘bigger
believed she wasn’t ready to travel without her parents. She, on the
family’ concept,” Grose says, adding that they do this even when
other hand, believed she was ready - and should go. It turned out she
they come from small families. “They learn when to wait, when to
was correct. Everything turned out to be fine.”
follow. When they don’t get what they want, they don’t fall apart or go
There’s always a risk of disaster, Grose agrees. “But sometimes you have to take risks, whether you’re an adult or a child, in order to have memorable experiences.” Most Australian families now have a maximum of two children.
32
While families are mostly
home and complain - that’s what we call resilience.” Grose notices parents often worry obsessively that they’re “over-parenting” - which he defines as “always being ready to make decisions for the child when decisions could just as easily
Often, adds Grose, there’s only one child. This is a fact of life in
be made by the offspring themselves and are part of the learning
current times and isn’t likely to change. As Grose explains: “Being
process.” Such parents agonise over whether others consider them
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
“Parents treat kids as if they’re three years younger than they actually are - and kids think of themselves as three years older than they really are.” sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
33
Five keys to raising a well-adjusted child
n MANAGE a child visually rather than verbally. Have
rosters pinned up that include Mum and Dad, stating clearly whose turn it is to put out the garbage or whatever. Stick strictly to rosters so kids respect them. at home should be unpaid, not a way to earn pocket money. This shows kids they belong - they’re part of a family where everyone pitches in to do chores such as emptying the dishwasher and no-one expects rewards.
n HELP
n DEVELOP self-help skills as a parent. This means taking time to work out solutions to problems that inevitably present themselves. Once you’ve announced your decision, stick to it. n FREEDOM
is important. Give a child freedom to explore the local environment. Kids don’t routinely get sent to the corner store anymore - because there isn’t a corner store. There’s possibly a mall or strip of shops nearby. Tragic incidents get plenty of publicity - but they’re very, very rare. Not everyone’s bad out there. Walking home from school is a possibility for some. n MAKE time for your own interests. (Grose played basketball.) These give you something additional to talk about – so the child isn’t the focus all the time. You’re less likely to be an over-protective parent.
Source: Michael Grose, parenting expert.
“neglectful parents”. Worse, do friends and neighbours consider them “too strict” or “not strict enough”? Worry about “over-parenting” is common in Australia, Grose reveals. “Parents are often over- protective.” He recalls thinking of this in an Italian village where children were visiting each other’s homes on their bicycles. “That doesn’t happen nearly as often here in Australia.” Becoming a successful parent is a trial-and-error process, says Grose. “It means not obsessing about what other people think and then changing your approach. All children are different and if you want to raise an independent, resilient child you need to back off from being over-protective. “Always remember, it’s the child’s future we’re talking about - not yours.”
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34
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
FRANCHISEE AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO OWN A STAKE IN OFFSPRING MAGAZINE! We’re looking for business partners and advertising executives to Join the Offspring Team. Spring 2015
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Having a Baby?
Birth story real life
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Please send all expressions of interest to the Publisher, Kate Durack. kate@offspringmagazine.com.au Or for further enquires please contact Kate on 0415 267 414.
Dinosaur Train on stage!
Get ready to hop on board the Dinosaur Train as it prepares to come to Australia, out of the USA, for the very first time in theatres across the country and it’s coming to a station near you!
J
oin Buddy with his friends, in the Australian Premier of Dinosaur Train, as they ride the train and embark on ‘A Rainforest Adventure’.
See Don, Shiny, Tiny, Mr Conductor, Tank and King, as they sing
creative curriculum.
and dance their way through the deep canopies of tropical trees
Dinosaur Train promises to be a colourful, thrilling and
whilst exploring and discovering all the beautiful plants, animals
exciting adventure for the whole family, larger than life and live
and different levels of the ecosystem.
on stage with all the famous Dinosaur Train characters in a First
Dinosaur Train, a co-production between The Jim Henson
Class production. Already a major
Company and Sparky Animation, is set in a whimsically realistic,
television series, Dinosaur
prehistoric world of jungles, swamps, active volcanoes and
Train now comes to life on stages around Australia in
oceans,
June and July 2017, thanks
aimed at
to touring partners and
children
producers X-System
aged three to
International and
six. It allows kids
Zaccaria Concerts
to apply scientific
and Touring.
thinking as they
“DINOSAUR
discover new types
TRAIN LIVE”
of dinosaur species,
A RAINFOREST
compare and contrast dinosaurs to today’s creatures and embrace the living sciences of palaeontology and natural science. Based on input from palaeontologists, science educators and early childhood education experts, Dinosaur Train promotes 36
critical thinking skills for pre-schoolers based on an engaging and
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
ADVENTURE. Tickets on sale now! For full tour information, please visit: www.zaccariaconcerts. com.au
! E V I L
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Adventure JULY SCHOOL HOLIDAYS LIVE STAGE THEATRE SHOW FULL COSTUMED CHARACTERS
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Suspicious Minds
On this particular afternoon as the
Ann Marie Bradstreet, paddling in the shallows of investigative journalism casts light on a shadow of male vulnerability, as a school dad is labelled ‘suspicious’.
A
the footpath for school pick up, past my friend’s car, he caught sight of a police officer in his rear view mirror. Shortly after, his driver’s side window was tapped and he found his car surrounded by three more officers. After being prompted for identification
friend was parked outside our local primary school
and asked to justify his presence he
recently waiting to pick up his kids as he does every
questioned, in understandable panic, what
school day. He arrived at his regular bay nice and
was going on? He was told a member of the
early, unlike me who generally shows up after the bell, ducking
public had alerted them to a suspicious person
and weaving corridors against the exiting tide, jostled by
outside a primary school and his number plate had been
excited, emancipated kids and harried parents stuffing errant
given. The suspicious person was him!
objects into forgotten school bags, as I claw my way to my son’s
38
punctual parent population idled up
After a relatively reasonable, yet humiliating exchange the
classroom and his teacher’s inevitable disapproval. This dad,
matter was resolved and he left to collect his sons, albeit shaken
however, is a good time-keeper, it’s a noble trait.
and confused.
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
When he told me this story he was emphatic
Real Life
After some thorough probing on my part a police
for anyone who may have seen or heard about the
spokesperson provided the following statement.
incident to be aware of his innocence. My response
“Police take all reports of suspicious persons
was to laugh, heartily; I even cackled until I saw his face sink
seriously and investigate appropriately.”
and mutter indecipherable disappointment. It didn’t take long,
Phew! Thank goodness I cleared that up, we can now rest easy
thankfully (empathy intact: check!), to realise he was devastated.
knowing that it’s appropriate to be accosted by no less than four
I’d laughed because it was Him! Let’s call him – Rhett. It
officers on the odd chance a person reports you as suspicious. I
was ridiculous to me that he’d been considered suspicious. His
don’t make light of children’s safety or dubious activity around
wife works long hours and even though he balks at the “Stay at
schools but I think it’s sensible to recognise that a dad waiting to
Home Dad” tag because he has a job and is half-hearted with
pick up their kids is not an emergency.
housework (I keep good company on that point), he does a large
To be fair, though, after some off the record chit chat with my
portion of the child care. He’s at school in that park - on time,
new contacts in Blue it was clear they were only doing their job
every day, except weekends – that would be weird.
and I concede innocent dads are not regularly targeted by police,
I’m angling toward an argument of comparison, bear with
not in my world at least - but there’s another story.
me. Rhett’s duties mirror mine, he makes the lunches, performs the minor miracle each morning of having his kids dressed - with shoes on even, prying them from the Lego pile and depositing them to class on time. Long before me, I might add, who feels it necessary to get creative at the front office with my excuses, “Why was your child late this morning?” the clerk enquires with minimal interest, poised over her keyboard ready to enter “Overslept” into the system and get on with her day before I foil her with, “There was a philosophical difference within the
A member of the public had alerted them to a suspicious person outside a primary school and his number plate had been given, the suspicious person was him!
family about whether or not the knobbly seam of a particular pair of socks was or was not a bearable cross to endure,” or “My son took a toilet break like an octogenarian with a newspaper just as we were about to leave the house.” I think she’s sick of me. Rhett doesn’t need to sign in late at the office, he’s a better parent than I in that regard but then, I’ve never courted the steely eye of the law at school pick up so I must be doing something right… right? Or is it, shock horror, that he just had the audacity to turn up too early and too male (whoops, I mean suspicious) for school that day? It proved a curious question for me and an anxious one for Rhett, as to why his presence warranted not one but four police officers to investigate. “Do I look dodgy? Maybe my car looks dodgy, does my car look dodgy? Maybe someone dodgy owned my car before I bought it, do you reckon?” he questioned. I didn’t have a clue about his last query, nor did I relish considering the unjust prejudices that people endure based solely upon some aspect of their appearance, but Rhett just looks like Rhett to me, a decent looking forty year old with a Mazda and a penchant for boardies and T-shirts, who, like the rest of us at school drop off, can often be seen clutching a morning coffee with the reverent tenderness you may normally bestow on a newborn puppy – nothing dodgy there. These questions continued to fuel Rhett’s anxiety, however,
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so in the spirit of hard hitting journalism I sought some answers. sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
39
He caught sight of a police officer in his rear view mirror.
ife Real L
What it did reveal, however, on further discussion with Rhett and other dads, including my husband, was a common fear of
to call the police while he waited for his children, it wasn’t funny.
being perceived as a threat or a perpetrator. On one occasion, at
A deep fear had been realised, one that he’d combatted against.
an indoor play centre, Rhett saw a child fall over and start crying
He’d been deemed a threat, thought of as a perpetrator, someone
and despite wanting to help her, he didn’t. He was worried that
who might cause harm. It was distressing and humiliating and he
his actions could be misinterpreted. Rhett felt conflicted at not
worried that mud would stick.
going to the child’s aid but said he often found himself in similar
“At first I was embarrassed and then angry that it’d happened
situations and his sentiments were reiterated in the anecdotes
and now walking through the school I’m really anxious about
given by the other men I spoke with. They relayed encouraging
people thinking – there’s the guy,” he explains.
their kids to call them Dad loud enough for others to hear and thus, hopefully, find them less threatening.
When Rhett says, “There’s the guy”, I ask for a slight exertion in imagination to consider a rumour mill in overdrive after
A 2013 report on Personal Safety by the Australian Bureau of
an unmarked police car with four officers spring into action
Statistics revealed 95 per cent of all victims of violence in Australia
at the school gate. “There’s the guy” could mean any number
report a male perpetrator. I dare to suggest that such statistics
of embellished assumptions. I believe rumours become more
hold a place within our cultural psyche
colourful in direct correlation with the gossip’s need to boost their
that gives weight to the vulnerability
ego by how much they know and are
described by Rhett. I admit to being that
willing to share. I heard unsubstantiated
mother eyeing the man hanging at the fringes of the playground, relinquishing my vigilance only when some doughy little toddler calls out for Dad. I considered the heavy stigma being carried by nurturing non-violent gentlemen and potentially, in future by my three caring sons. As a woman and a victim of violence, I’m not unfamiliar with strategies used to avert, avoid and survive (too many times in vain) the level of violence within our society. It is sobering, however, to understand that it’s not only women and girls who must brace against it. 40
When someone within Rhett’s community felt strongly enough
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
“At first I was embarrassed and then angry that it’d happened and now walking through the school I’m really anxious about people thinking – there’s the guy.”
claims of “known paedophiles” being on school grounds. With that in mind I empathise with Rhett’s anxiety. “It was how it looked that bothers me. All these things are going through my head as to who called, why they called? There are people out there who’ll say ‘toughen up mate’ but it affects you,” Rhett shares. I suggest we aren’t in need of more tough guys. Good (punctual) Guys like Rhett, though, they’re in high demand! All names have been changed in the article to protect privacy. www.offspringmagazine.com.au
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41
a maternal Having a baby? Before you start shortlisting names or preparing the nursery it is important to work out where you are going to bring your bundle of joy into the world. We look into options to consider when it comes to deciding on the right maternity care option for you and your baby. BY BROOKE EVANS-BUTLER
W
is involved at each step,” he says. “This relationship is important
hen I walked into my GP’s office (positive
equally for the most straightforward and complex of pregnancies.
pregnancy test in-hand) the first questions
Issues of primary elective Caesarean Section if desired tend to be
I was asked was regarding my choice of
more easily accommodated in the private sector.”
maternity care. ‘Congratulations! So, do you
have health insurance? Do you have a preference of obstetrician
have the option of a private room (having a bathroom to
and hospital?’ I must admit, my head was spinning…I had found
yourself after birth is always an added bonus!) and many
out I was going to be a parent an hour prior, and was already
private hospitals give you the option of having your
being asked about how and where I wanted to have my baby.
partner stay with you. The rooms (and meals) are
However, it is a big decision – and is ideally something that you
usually of a higher quality than at a public hospital
should research even before you get pregnant. But what is the
(some rooms are like lovely hotel rooms) as a general
right decision for you? We look into the options – whether you
rule, allow new mothers longer stays after birth than
are considering public or private care or a home birth.
public hospitals or some have arrangements with 5 star
Public or private?
hotels for part of the post-partum stay.
Dr Gary Swift, Vice President of National Association of
with private care, so find out your chosen obstetrician’s
Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (NASOG), says all
fee schedule and check with your health cover provider
who are involved in the area of pregnancy and childbirth strive
exactly what is covered so you can be prepared.
There is often some out-of-pocket costs associated
for optimal care and outcomes – however the public and private
Mother-of-three Monique Wilson chose private care for
models are inherently different.
all three of her children and says she would highly recommend
Private care
this care option. “I chose to have my baby in a private hospital because I had cover and liked the idea of having the same
If you choose private care, you get to choose an obstetrician to care for you throughout your pregnancy and for the birth of your child. Dr Swift says private care is based on a one-to-one relationship between the woman and her specialist for antenatal care, detection of problems and ultimately safe and timely delivery. “Personal wishes and concerns are easily addressed when the same clinician
42
An advantage of choosing private cover is that you usually
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
obstetrician through my pregnancy and
Note
picking one that I felt comfortable with,” she says. “I ended up having my first child six weeks premmie and it was at my obs appointment
will Most private health providers that the obstetrician picked up an ics tetr obs for iod have a waiting per irregular heartbeat. The bill for his nths, so if (pregnancy) of around 12 mo r you on ion opt stay in hospital was $15,000 and this e hav you will need to e anc adv in icy pol ce we didn’t pay a cent. I also enjoyed health insuran (before you get pregnant) if you having my own room and we were h want private care. (Check wit given a choice from a buffet for all meals. ce ran insu lth hea r you I loved the treatment we received.” provider about their waiting periods). www.offspringmagazine.com.au
Choosing an obstetrician
An advantage of having private care is you can choose the obstetrician who will be caring for you throughout your pregnancy. “The choice of obstetrician will be an individual one and is often based on several factors – GP recommendations, advice of friends and family and in modern times internet based research probably figure prominently,” Dr Swift says.
Note
“Women who have undergone IVF or other assisted reproductive options may stay with the same doctor if it is an option and many will see the same specialist for gynaecological issues prior to pregnancy and
It is important to remember that obstetricians are human too (they take holidays and can get sick) so it is not guaranteed that your chosen obstetrician will be present at your baby’s birth.
will have already established rapport. For some, the gender of the specialist will be important for personal, religious or cultural reasons. Ultimately it will be a personal choice and for a successful professional relationship, issues of personality, trust, experience and professionalism will be foremost. “Some hospitals in capital cities will have a list of
accredited specialists so that if the choice of hospital is important
they will have to choose one from the list and some may not be available if they have reached capacity and closed their books. “Women in Australia can be confident that specialists who hold the FRANZCOG qualification are suitably trained and credentialed to provide the highest quality specialist services. The prices charged may vary but will generally reflect the level of experience and training and the costs of running a private practice in a particular area.”
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43
PRIVATE CARE PROS l You
have one-on-one care of your chosen obstetrician
l Many
private hospitals offer private rooms so your partner can stay overnight with you
l Generally,
private hospitals allow new mothers to stay longer after the birth of their baby for recovery.
PRIVATE CARE CONS Having a baby at a private hospital is more expensive than in a public hospital (check with your health fund about what you are covered for).
l
Public care
“Public hospitals fundamentally have to deliver the best service possible to a larger population within the government prescribed
Private Obstetricians must have visiting rights at the hospital where you choose to deliver your baby.
budget,” says Dr Swift. “Hence, antenatal care is delivered in a clinic format in which a different attendant is seen on each occasion and varying levels of qualification from intern to specialist. Specialists tend to see the more complex and high risk cases. Long waits are not uncommon in these clinics. “Labour and delivery management will depend on level of risk and complexity with staff allocated accordingly. Midwives
primarily care for low risk women for normal birthing and junior doctors attend
for suturing of tears or episiotomies. Trainee specialists provide the majority of services under the supervision of qualified specialists. “Short stays are the norm with home visit services often covering breast feeding issues as lactation may not have been established before early discharge. Primary elective (maternal request) Caesarean Sections are not usually available in the
OUR NATURAL SECRETS... THE BEST INGREDIENTS NATURE HAS TO OFFER
naturalsecrets.com.au 44
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
www.offspringmagazine.com.au
public system. There is no cost
PUBLIC CARE PROS
for Public Hospital Services for
l You
Australian Medicare Card holders so
do not get a choice of carer and often will see many staff throughout your pregnancy and birth
this will be the only affordable option
l Often
for many, especially without private
l Partner
health insurance.”
l Short
Jodi O’Callaghan decided on a birthing centre (through a public hospital) for the birth of her daughter. “After falling pregnant I looked in to my options for birthing and decided
have shared rooms cannot stay overnight
hospital stays for the new mother and baby after birth.
PUBLIC CARE CONS There is usually no cost when you have your baby through the public system
l
with as little intervention as possible,”
with low risk pregnancies may have the option of giving birth at associated birthing centres, adjoined to the hospital
she says. “I also did a hypnobirthing
l Public
I wanted to be in control of my birth,
course to help me overcome any fear of
l Mothers-to-be
hospitals usually have lower intervention rates (such as caesareans etc).
birth and to empower me to bring my daughter in to the world with the help of my husband and a midwife.
“I was in the Birth Centre for no more than three hours
“When you go through a Birth Centre you are encouraged
and then spent one hour in surgery, under what I found to be
to labour at home as much as possible and attempt drug free
excellent care. I was then transferred to a private room in the
if the labour progresses as it should be. That coupled with my
maternity ward where I spent five nights being supported by
hypnobirthing techniques to draw on meant that by the time I
midwives to get the hang of breastfeed and get to know my baby.
got to the Birth Centre I was 8cm dilated. Two and a half hours
I had not requested a private room, so it was a lovely surprise. I
later my daughter Stella was born! I had some tearing and
received excellent care from the public system and was not out
needed surgery, but I had achieved my birth plan goal of being
of pocket for any expenses. If I have another baby, I would not
drug free for the birth.
hesitate to go through the public system again.”
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45
Choosing a hospital
When choosing a hospital, there are various things to consider including:
Location
The location of your hospital is an important factor (remember you will be going to various appointments including your obstetrician appointments and antenatal classes) – and of course, no one wants
Some selected hospitals offer the ‘Look @ My Baby’ service. For a small fee, this service enables you to invite family and friends to see your baby without even coming to the hospital! Your family (even those interstate or overseas) can see the baby via a secure live video stream (straight from a special ‘cot cam’) to capture those first yawns and stretches and special moments. To find out more information go to www.lookatmybaby.com
a long drive when they are in labour. Some women will choose a hospital close to their workplace (or close to available babysitters for older children). If you are going through the public system, you usually cannot choose which hospital you would like to go to –
Obstetrician
Private obstetricians must have visiting rights at the hospital where you choose to deliver your baby. So if you have a
because due to high demand,
preference of obstetrician, this will limit the hospital you
some hospitals will only be able to accept mothers-to-
can choose from because you will have to have your
be who live locally.
baby at the hospital where the obstetrician practises.
Facilities
Is labouring in a big bath or birthing pool part of your birth plan? If you have any specific requirements or wishes, check with the hospital
Most hospitals offer tours Rooms of their maternity wards, Many private hospitals will have the option of your so take a look around partner staying with you overnight in a private room, so you are familiar with but it is best to check the possibility of this with your the facilities before hospital if this is important to you. Usually you will share a you are in room in a public hospital, although some public hospitals will labour.
regarding their facilities so you make
also offer private rooms, but if they do, this is usually dependant
the right choice.
on availability.
safer materials, whole learning, and natural health
www.forbabyandup.com.au 46
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
www.offspringmagazine.com.au
Home birth
Some women choose to give birth at home with the support of a midwife – and Cherie Nixon, coordinator of Homebirth Australia, says being in the comfort of your own home with a good support team can create a calming birth experience. She says being in familiar surroundings can be good pain relief in itself – and at home women can also use a birth pool, TENS machine, massage and natural therapies like aromatherapy. Cherie says choosing a home birth offers great
Most midwives recommend a one-on-one care – offering woman book into a hospital support throughout your prior to the bir th, so if in the event the pregnancy, labour and woman needs to be transferr birth, as well as postnatal ed to hospital during the labour, care, with some visits until the hospital already has the baby is six weeks old. “You have your own midwife caring the mother-to-be’s for you throughout your pregnancy – details on-hand. your midwife knows your past and your
medical history. They come to your house for appointments, which is great if you have other
www.offspringmagazine.com.au
children, and it is a good relationship offering one-on-one care,” she says. Cherie says that word-of-mouth is the best way to find a midwife – however, you can go to the Homebirth Australia website, www.homebirthaustralia.org and find a midwife using their ‘search for a midwife’ search option. Cherie says most midwives recommend a
woman book into a hospital prior to the birth, so if in
the event the woman needs to be transferred to hospital during the labour, the hospital already has the mother-to-
sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
47
HOME BIRTH PROS l You
are able to stay in the comfort of your own home
l You are under the care of a midwife throughout your pregnancy and birth l You
get to choose who is present at your birth.
HOME BIRTH CONS Aside from natural measures, pain relief (such as an epidural) is not available if you decide you want it
l
If there is an emergency you will have to be transferred to a hospital.
l
cannot be reliably predicted or catered for in the out of hospital environment. It is possible to understand the desire of women to birth in an environment which is secure and familiar, be’s details on-hand. It should be noted that a midwife cannot administer an epidural or perform a caesarean section, so if the
however the potential for tragedy in NASOG’s view supersedes this. “Every child has the right to a safe birth and every mother
mother wants pain relief or if complications arise, they will have to
the right to survive labour and delivery. As clinicians we have
be admitted to hospital and their midwife can go to hospital with
the responsibility to provide this. We know that despite our best
them as a support person.
efforts adverse outcome occur in hospitals, but we at least have the
Dr Swift says NASOG does not support home birth. “The
opportunity and potential to rescue adverse events and monitor
intrinsic nature of childbirth is that although it is a wonderful
babies to prevent hypoxic injuries. We know from data in countries
event for most, it is intrinsically dangerous and unpredictably so
where out-of-hospital births occur that the maternal and neonatal
in some women,” he says. “Low risk can become high risk with
mortality is more than 10 times higher than it is in hospital births.
minimal notice. There are so many potential problems which can
Ultimately it comes down to compromising the birth environment
occur and lead to the loss of the mother of baby or both which
for safety for the mother and child.”
North Shore Private Hospital wins JOHNSON’S® NSW State Midwife of the Year North Shore Private offers maternity services aimed to make your experience as special as the birth of your baby.
N
orth Shore Private Hospital has a lot to celebrate this May. On International
Midwives Day the 5th May, North Shore Private and Johnson’s announced, Midwife, Barbara
themselves on the quality
maternity team. North Shore Private offers
Maguire won Johnson’s NSW
of midwifery care for
comprehensive services on site including a
Midwife of the Year award. Barbara,
women. Offering patients
number of Obstetricians and other relevant
was nominated by many families
an Emotional Wellbeing
services on site. North Shore Private Hospital
with one family quoted as saying:
program, parenting
certainly aims to make your experience as
suites for families who
special as the birth of your baby.
“Barbara was amazing during my
wish for their partners to stay following the
made my hubby and I calm and focused.”
birth of their baby and an onsite parenting
Private Hospital’s website www.
support clinic, Helping Hands.
northshoreprivate.com.au or call their
This award highlights the importance of midwives caring for mothers and advocating
48
You can visit North Shore
labour. She took a painful experience and
You and your partner are welcome to
Maternity Customer Relations Officer
for the health and well-being of families
a personalised maternity tour and the
on 02 8425 3387 to book a maternity tour
in their care. The midwifery team prides
opportunity to meet with their experienced
today.
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
www.offspringmagazine.com.au
As a nurse, Jackie says
“Also at home it is your
choosing a homebirth was
environment, you are in
an easy decision. “I guess
control of every part of it,
this has come from my
you have invited people
experiences professionally
into your home to help you
and my knowledge through
have your baby, as opposed
my profession of all the
to hospital where midwives
benefits that come with a
are assigned to you, people
homebirth,” she says. “It
wander in and out of the
was really very important
birthing rooms and it can
to me to have a drug free birth, not
become a bit of a circus
because I wanted to be perceived
at times, this I knew wouldn’t At home it is your en vironment, work for me. I knew I needed you are in control of ev er y pa rt than a woman having a baby, but privacy, quiet and control. And of it, you have invite d people because of the benefits that a drugthen finally because my partner into your home to he lp yo u free, natural birth brings. felt like he could be a bigger part of have your baby, as opposed to “There are less bonding and the experience at home rather than hospital where mid w iv es breastfeeding issues with mums who hospital, especially afterwards, he wasn’t are assigned have fully connected with their bodies going to be rushed out the door because to you and babies throughout labour. The best place it isn’t visiting hours, he can help care for as a superhero or anything other
to have a drug-free birth is at home, as there are no temptations to be had. The gas isn’t in the corner as a constant reminder of what you could have, the doctors
our new baby in the comfort of our own home and bond with our baby 24/7 like me. “I personally don’t have anything to compare to as this was
and midwives are not in your face saying things like “well the
my first baby but my homebirth water birth was the best experience
anaesthetist is here now so if you think you might want an epidural
of my life. I was never once scared, I never considered transfer to
later you best have one now so he doesn’t have to come back!”.
hospital, I never thought I couldn’t do it.”
www.offspringmagazine.com.au
sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
49
The best start for Mum and Bub The brand new, state of the art, maternity unit at Hurstville Maternity welcomes you to the penthouse level of the hospital, with stunning views of either Sydney City, Blue Mountains and Hurstville City.
I
f you are planning your pregnancy or are already pregnant, you will want to
give your baby the best possible start in life. Hurstville Maternity has a long and proud tradition in the delivery of family focused approach to maternity care.
experienced and compassionate team, which
Hurstville Maternity has an
consists of:
expression, “big enough to deliver,
✓ Obstetricians
small enough to care”. And that’s never
by facilities that ensure you can feel
✓ Paediatricians
been more true than at Hurstville Maternity.
confident and at ease.
✓ Midwives
Having a baby is a very personal experience
Their brand new, state of the art,
✓ Lactation consultants
and a very important time of your life. You
maternity unit welcomes you to the
need to feel confident in all your care givers
penthouse level of the hospital, with stunning
excelling in patient care is the focus of their
and the environment you will birth in. The
views of either Sydney City, Blue Mountains
experienced staff. They are known for their
Maternity staff working within their unit are
and Hurstville City.
unique approach to Maternity care, as well as
experienced and they care about you and your family needs. They are well supported
Every mum and newborn gets personalised healthcare from their
HAZEL Registered Nurse Special Care Nursery
Commitment to continuing and
the home-like atmosphere they aim to create for you and your family.
25 YEARS AT HURSTVILLE. 20,000 BABIES CARED FOR. hurstvilleprivate.com.au
Together we care
50
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
www.offspringmagazine.com.au
Supporting baby bonding A new birth is usually a time of excitement and happiness but for some it brings up concerns about abilities to cope.
S
t John of Burwood work closely with
They help
mothers, partners and families to
mums and babies
optimise emotional health and bonding
bond, and infants
with baby and minimise anxiety at this
develop a secure
potentially overwhelming time.
attachment to their primary carer, as
someone you know has postnatal
well as provide assistance with sleep and
depression consult a doctor urgently.
The Mother and Baby Unit at St John of God Burwood provides specialist care from doctors, psychologists, Mothercraft
feeding issues. Upon discharge mums can continue
A GP referral letter is required for admission to the Mother and Baby Unit.
nurses and parent-infant therapists for
with group sessions which include
Most health insurance funds cover the cost
mums and babies in a purpose-built, home-
cognitive behavioural therapy, attach-
of these programs depending on the level
like, environment. Mothers can stay with
ment-based groups, anxiety management,
of individual cover.
their babies up to the age of 12 months and
mindfulness, Mothercraft groups,
partners can stay overnight for a nominal
relaxation and art therapy.
charge.
If you have concerns that you or
Visit www.sjog.org.au/burwood to learn more about the Mother and Baby Unit.
Research tells us... SYMPTOMS
1in 5 women experience a mental health issue within the 1st year after child birth.1
For more information on the referral process please contact:
T: 02 9715 9200
T: 02 9715 9200
Feeling sad, anxious, angry, lonely or hopeless Not bonding with baby Inability to cope or make decisions Sense of panic Distressing thoughts Sleep and appetite disturbances Exhaustion
TREATMENT With proper support and treatment most women recover fully. Holistic practical and psychological support from a perinatal specialist team is vital. Contact St John of God Burwood Hospital specialist inpatient and outpatient services.
1. Gavin N, Gaynes B, Lohr K, Meltzer- Brody S, Gartlehner G, & Swinson T, (2005) Perinatal depression: A systematic review of prevalence and incidence. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 106 (5, Pt. 1), 1071–1083
sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
51
FOOD & NUTRITION
How much is too much? BY KATE BULLEN
Meal sizes have increased and consequently our bodies are getting consuming extra kilojoules that we usually don’t need. Take the quiz to see how switched on you are about knowing the right portion to eat?
L
et’s look at portions and how much we eat. Have you noticed that portion sizes of food have increased over the last few decades? The size of a slice of white bread has
increased by 11 per cent, blocks of chocolate are now readily
1. A serve of nuts is:
available as 350g giant blocks while 10 years ago the standard
a. 10g
block was 250g. Even the size of the standard dinner plate has
b. 30g
increased!
c. Unlimited as nuts contain good fats
When eating out, there is often the option to upsize your
a. True
a soft drink and there are those ginormous buckets of popcorn
b. False
at the movies – I don’t remember those when I was a kid!
3. A 600ml bottle of regular soft drink has around 16 teaspoons of
Unfortunately what our bodies are getting is extra kilojoules that
sugar and over 1000 kilojoules. This is equivalent to:
we usually don’t need.
a. 3 Tim Tams b. 3.5 whole apples
kilojoules (about one-third of an apple) each day for us to gain
c. 1 cup of ice cream
one kilogram of fat each year. It all adds up!
d. All of the above
It is easy to overdo food portions, so rather than avoiding the food, know your portions. Here are a few quick quiz questions to help you get your portions right:
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
4. One serve of pasta or rice is: a. One cup b. Half a cup c. Two cups
Quiz Question Answers 1 b. 2a. 3d. 4a. 5a. 6c.
Research out of America shows that it only takes an extra 82
52
2. A muffin bought from a shop can contain 10 teaspoons of sugar:
takeaway coffee, smoothie or soft drink. Meal deals come with
MEATBALLS Ingredients: l
1kg lean beef mince
l
Ground pepper
l
l
1 red onion, finely chopped
l
4 teaspoons Dijon or honey
mustard
4 tablespoons
l
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
sundried tomatoes,
l
1 teaspoon tabasco sauce
chopped
l
2 egg yolks
Method: Mix all ingredients in a bowl and make into balls. Cook on a BBQ or frypan over medium high heat until browned and cooked through.
plain wholegrain bread roll. Soft drinks just don’t provide any value to our diet at all. They are high in sugar and kilojoules, and they are easy to drink too much of. Diet soft drinks are an option, but your health is going to thank you if you reach for a large water – still or sparkling. While on the subject of drinks, energy drinks, cordial, juice and sports drinks all fall into pretty much the same category as soft drink. They don’t offer any nutrition and can easily just add unnecessary extra sugar and kilojoules. Pasta and rice are very easy to over serve. One cup – or about the size of a tennis ball – is one serve. Instead load your plate up with green leafy vegetables such as rocket, broccoli or spinach. If you are cooking up a BBQ then this analogy of a meat serve is a good one to keep in mind – a deck of cards is all we need as a serve each day. Keep your meat trim and add flavour with marinades. Avocado is a brilliant summer food – but it is easy to overeat. Certainly a fantastic choice and I would rather you chose avocado over soft drink, but always a good reminder that eating that one quarter of an avocado is a portion. And I
quite like adding avocado to a greek salad – it’s a great flavour
5. A serve of meat is:
a. About the size of a deck of cards
addition.
b. The size of your hand c. The size of your foot
Here are a few tips to help control your portions: l
Share a meal – halve your meal when eating out and your
6. A serve of avocado is:
portion will be much closer to what it should be. And you will save
a. 1 whole avocado
money – another bonus!
b. ½ avocado c. ¼ avocado Nuts are a great source of healthy fat – but they are easy to over eat. Limit the amount of nuts to a small handful and bulk it up with some freshly popped corn or puffed rice. Store bought or even packaged cakes and biscuits often contain as much sugar as you need for the entire day. Choose a healthier option such as a punnet of berries, a banana or even a
l
Research out of America shows that it only takes an extra 82 kilojoules (about one third of an apple) each day for us to gain one kilogram of fat each year.
Use a smaller plate – we eat with our eyes
first. A smaller plate will look full, but you will be eating less. l
Skip second helpings – slow down your
eating and be more mindful of when you are feeling full. l
Don’t finish everything on your plate
– most of us have been brought up to eat everything served to us. Instead, eat slowly and stop when you are full. And enjoy!
sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
53
School’s In Choosing a school for your child is a big decision – so how to you ensure you make the right choice for your child? BY BROOKE EVANS-BUTLER
A
ll parents want the same thing from their child’s school – for their child to be happy, learn and thrive in
a supportive environment. There are many wonderful government schools but there are many other options available, from schools providing a religious-based education, to schools
Why I chose a public school for my child For Mel Hearse, the choice to send her boys Max and Sam to her local government school was an easy one because she says they live in a great school district. “We plan to send them onto the high school as well as we are lucky enough to be in the school district for a high school with a lot of quality programs that many kids apply for out of district, so there was no need to get them into a feeder private school in primary school,” she says. “If we weren’t living here and guaranteed a spot at the high school, I would have explored more private schools but as we do, it became unnecessary.”
that have a teaching philosophy that differs from the mainstream. Do your research and talk to the schools and other parents to help make your decision – and remember that you know your child best so you will make the best decision for your child and family. We take a look at the range of schooling options available for your consideration.
GOVERNMENT/PUBLIC According to ABS Schools Australia, in 2015, 65.4 per cent of students in Australia attended government schools, while 34.6 per cent of students attended non-government schools. If you want to enrol your child into a local government school, you should note that each school has an ‘enrolment zone’, so you will have to check which school zone your address falls into. However, even with these school zones in place you do still have some choice when it comes to choosing a Government school for your child. If you wish to enrol your child in a government school that is outside of your local government school zone or district (for example, you might wish to enrol your child in a school that is close to a grandparent’s house or to your workplace) you can apply – but a place is not guaranteed. In addition to your options if you are considering government schooling, there are also independent public schools, which are government schools that have increased autonomy to make decisions at a local level. Like government schools, independent public schools do not charge tuition fees to parents or have selective enrolment processes.
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Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
Why I chose a christian school for my child Karen Morton chose a small private Christian school for her girls Laura and Emily. “Although we do not practise religion at home, we do believe in Christian values and are happy for our children to learn about God. We love
the close ‘family’ atmosphere that our school has, and the smaller class sizes mean more individual attention for students. While we understand that there are always going to be some bad influences wherever they go, we think that in a Christian school they are far more likely to learn in a gentle and positive environment.”
INDEPENDENT According to the Independent Schools Council of Australia, in 2015, the Independent school sector enrolled 586,800 students – (that is 16 per cent of total school enrolments in Australia). The independent sector represents a large range of schools including Christian, non-denominational Christian schools, Jewish, Steiner, Montessori, Islamic and Community schools “For parents, the wide range of independent schools means they have more say on the type of education they want for their child,” says Valerie Gould, executive director of the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia. Dr Geoff Newcombe, executive director of the Association of Independent Schools of NSW, says parents often choose an independent school because the school’s ethos and
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55
values reflect those held in the home. “This may relate to the religious faith or other cultural factors that are important to the family. For students, a significant element of an independent school education is the focus on pastoral care provided by many schools, which helps to develop a very strong sense of community and inclusion for students and their families.” “Many independent schools also provide a very wide range of subject choices or extra-curricular activities, such as music, drama and sports programs,” he says. “Another significant attraction of independent schools is that many are combined K to 12 schools –allowing a student to start and finish their entire schooling in the same school.” For information on independent schools, go to The Independent Schools Council of Australia’s website, www.isca.edu.au
STEINER Tracey Puckeridge, CEO Steiner Education Australia, says every school has to meet the same curriculum requirements – the difference with Steiner schools is the way they teach.
Why I chose a steiner school for my child Karen Lacey spent a lot of time researching different styles of teaching and decided on a Steiner school for her daughter Chimaera for a number of reasons. For starters, the sense of community was something Karen wanted for her children. “We don’t have a very large extended family and after moving lost regular contact with most of our friends. The Steiner school lifestyle seemed (and has so far proven to be) almost like joining a family. It’s a holistic approach that is not just about learning, but a way of life in which cooperation and contribution is promoted and relied upon, freely given and never demanded. I wanted my daughter to grow up feeling like she is part of something bigger than just herself and her immediate family because I believe that tie, which exists for everyone but seems so rarely felt, is crucial to positive mental health and wellbeing.” Karen says this is particularly important to her because Chimaera is on the autism spectrum. In addition, because Chimaera is face blind, Karen felt that having a class teacher that stays with the child throughout their schooling instead of changing every year was a great advantage.
In the early childhood sector, experience is based on play in a Steiner school. The children do not use computers or iPads, but learn through imitation. All toys are made from natural materials and the space is set up like a home environment.
z
An Anglican School
Barker College will transition to a fully coeducational school by 2022. Places now open for girls for Pre Kindergarten and Kindergarten commencing 2018. Welcoming girls in Year 3 from 2019 and for Year 7 girls from 2020. For more information or to book a tour and see how we inspire every student, every experience, every day, visit our website.
www.barker.nsw.edu.au
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Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
Why I chose a catholic school for my child Aimee Waller says she will be sending her son, Riley, to a local Catholic school. “We are Catholic and I like the community spirit of a Catholic school,” she says. “I am a Catholic school teacher as well so that helped make the decision.”
Pre-kindy programs “The curriculum is based on the developmental needs of the children in each year to engage the child at each stage of their development,” Tracey says. “A unique feature of Steiner education is that children will have the same teacher throughout their primary years,” Tracey says. “This creates the opportunity for strong relationships between teacher, student and the student’s family. One of the highest indications for excellent learning outcomes involves positive student/teacher relationships.”
In Western Australia, it is bec oming popular to enrol your child in pre-kin dy or ‘threeyear-old kindy’ programs. The se privately-run programs offer a gentle introduction to schooling and many parents believe they give the ir children a head start in their schooling life. Note: some non-government schools offer three-year-old programs, but your child attending this program does not mean you automatically hav e a place in kindergarten or pre-primar y at that school – you still have to ensure you put in your enrolment application forms.
For information on Steiner schools, go to www.steinereducation.edu.au have to be Catholic to attend a Catholic school, but enrolment
CATHOLIC According to the National Catholic Education Commission, more than 760,000 students are attending Catholic schools in 2016. Ross Fox, executive director of the National Catholic Education Commission, says Catholic schools are very inclusive. “In recent years the fastest growing student groups in Catholic education have been indigenous students and
priority is usually given to Catholic students. However, Catholic schools are very inclusive, so ask your local school about their enrolment procedures. According to Ross, Catholic schools focus on the development of the whole child. “They are more than just test results,” he says. “Catholic schools strive to meet the unique needs of every individual student.” “Catholic schools are animated by the mission and tradition of the Catholic Church stretching over more than 2000 years,” Ross adds. “In their work they exhibit a deep commitment
students with special needs,”
to Christian values, the
he says.
example of Jesus Christ and his
If you want to enrol in a Catholic school, you must
teachings. This means Catholic schools, among other
contact the individual school to
things, often display a deep
put in an application. Submitting
commitment to social justice
an application does not guarantee you placement, and you will usually be asked to attend an interview. You do not
and prioritise the needs of their local community.” For more details about Catholic schooling, go to www.ncec.catholic.edu.au sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
57
Why I chose a montessori school for my child Eva Schmalkuche was a Montessori student herself, so with fond memories of her time there, it was a simple decision to send her son Jaxon to a Montessori school. “I like that the class sizes are much smaller with a mix of ages, so the older students help the younger students,” she says. “Their philosophy is attractive because it allows the child to choose what they want to do, and they learn
MONTESSORI
things other than the curriculum including sharing, socialising with older students and responsibility.” “There is a lot of misperception surrounding Montessori – but it’s a fantastic grounding,” Eva says. “Why not give it a try? Parents considering Montessori should not fear something that is not main stream – the Montessori community is open for discussion and is very welcoming.”
materials in a prepared environment, and allowing children to work to their own capabilities adds to their
The Montessori philosophy is different to ‘mainstream’
concentration and self-esteem, and encourages them to
education, with an emphasis on independence, by providing an
think creatively and independently. “Montessori has been around
environment of activities for children to use at their own pace.
for over 100 years and it is proven to help the whole child in a
Christine Harrison, president Montessori Australia Foundation, says Montessori thinks about the whole child.
holistic way,” she says. She recommends parents go to a Montessori school to see for
“Our view of education is as an aid to life – to help them grow
themselves the philosophy in action and to see how Montessori
from childhood to maturity. Each child is individual… and we
can benefit their child. Christine also says there are also
encourage each child to follow their own path of learning.”
Montessori long day care centres with programs for babies and
Children are in classes of ‘multi-age’ groups. For example, children aged three to six years will be in the same class. Christine says children work to their ability with sets of
toddlers, which may appeal to parents of younger children who want to get a taste for the Montessori philosophy. For more information go to www.montessori.org.au
Experiential learning at Glenaeon
T
he Glenaeon Learning Journey is an integrated academic education, providing a balance of intellectual, creative and technology skills. The curriculum emphasises teaching through the arts and experiential learning, preparing students for a successful life in the 21st century. Their graduating high school class demonstrates the benefits of this approach, consistently placing in the top 10 per cent of NSW high schools based on HSC results. Glenaeon is located on three campuses on Sydney’s lower north shore. Years 3-12 are on three hectares of bushland grounds in Middle Cove, Kindergarten – Year 2 are at Castlecrag, and the Preschool is in Willoughby.
GLENAEON SCHOOL TOURS Middle Cove campus Tuesday 2 May 9.30am – 11.30am Castlecrag campus Saturday 13 May 9.30am – 11.30am Preschool Monday 1 May 9.30am – 11.30am
To register visit: www.glenaeon.nsw.edu.au Middle Cove and Castlecrag tours call 02 9932 2325 Preschool tours call 02 9412 4457 CHERISHING CHILDHOOD. EDUCATING FOR E XCELLENCE.
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Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
GRS068
• Walk around our three beautiful campuses • Visit our classrooms • Hear presentations and join the Q&A • Enjoy a delicious morning tea
FINDING OUT MORE INFORMATION
A great way to find out about a school is to go see it in the flesh. ‘Open days’, conducted by some schools, offer an opportunity to view its resources and meet staff. If you can, talk to parents of students already attending the school that you are considering. Of course, not everyone is going to have the same opinion of a school, but speaking to a few parents is a good way to get a feel of the school culture. Go to the My School website, www.myschool.edu. au – This website enables you to search profiles of schools, as well as statistical information and resources and performance indicators.
MAKING A DECISION
HOME SCHOOLING
There are so many school options, so you ensure you do your research and ask lots of questions to ensure you make the best decision for your child.
Parents are the first educators of their children – so why not consider home schooling and extend this important role to their everyday schooling? Stuart Chapman, director of Homeschool WA, says parents chose home schooling for a number of reasons including: • Bullying. • Not being happy with the academic progress of their child at
school. • Concerns about behaviour. • Concerns with the culture of the school. • Deciding to home school their child with a learning difficulty. Stuart says there is a lot of support available for parents wanting to take the plunge, however, they need to consider the time they can commit. “Home education involves a huge commitment on (the parent’s) behalf,” he says. “In some cases they will need to drop, reduce or reschedule work commitments, and they need to come to grips with some negative attitudes from family and friends who may question a parent’s ability on being able to educate their child.” However, he says the advantages are many. Although some people
when choosing a school. If the best school choice for your child is the government school across the road from your house, then that will be very convenient! If your preferred school is further afield, you will need to take into consideration travel time and public transport (if required). • The school’s uniform requirements. • If your child has a special interest, such as music, sport or languages. Ask the school what programs they offer. • The school’s policies on homework and bullying. • The cost. The expense of uniforms, fees or additional costs can vary greatly between schools so it is best to find out these details when enquiring about enrolment to ensure they fit within your budget. When you put in your application to a school, you may need the following:
worry about the opportunity for home schooled children to socialise with other children, Stuart says home schooled children learn better
• Your child’s birth certificate • Proof of address • Court orders (if applicable) • Emergency contacts • Immunisation records
social skills because they interact with children and adults of different ages instead of only their same-age peers in the school yard. There are also advantages to the child’s education, including the opportunity for increased parent/child interaction and ensuring your child gets lots of one-on-one attention. “A parent is a highly motivated educator,” he says. “A teacher is a paid employee who will never make the sacrifices a parent will. Parents will always make the extra effort.” For details, go to www.homeschoolwa.com.au or the Home Schooling contact in your state.
Some things to consider include:
• Location. As in real estate, location is very important
If your child has any medical conditions, allergies or special requirements it is important to tell the school.
Note: If you want to enrol your child into a private school, call the school for their enrolment requirements. Also ask how far in advance you will need to submit your child’s enrolment application – some parents will put their child’s name down at prestigious or in-demand schools when their child is a newborn!
Why i chose home schooling for my child Nancy Van Ross decided to home school daughter Mackenzie when Mackenzie developed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). She now also home schools her son, Pheonix. “Initially the adjusting period was quite intense as I had a young baby who wasn’t keen on sleeping at the time, however after a couple of months things really
started to fall into place,” she says. “Our family loves the flexibility of home schooling and how it caters for each child individually. If parents are considering it to take the plunge my only advice is to let your children be your guide, work at their pace and with their interests. We love the home schooling lifestyle and are thrilled we took the plunge.” sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
59
Languages right from the word Go! I
nternational Grammar School (IGS) was founded in 1984 upon Professor Reg St Leon’s vision to create a multilingual place of learning. The independent, secular and co-ed school is situated in the cosmopolitan hub of Ultimo within a stone’s throw of the Universities precinct. Five languages – French, German, Italian, Japanese and Chinese (progressively) – are offered at IGS from Preschool right through to Year 12 and a sixth language, Spanish is offered in High School. IGS’s Director of Languages, Rosalba Genua-Petrovic, says studies have long shown students with more than one language can cognitively outstrip their peers and find it easier to understand the world and its many cultures through a global lens. “National research in 2016 (University of Canberra and AIS) determined that IGS is the forerunner in teaching of languages in NSW independent schools,” Ms Genua-Petrovic says. “Our Preschoolers spend time in their chosen Language class every day, Kindergarten children spend 40 minutes a day immersed in their language and this increases to 80 minutes a day in Primary School.
“It is just delightful to hear chatter and song in our many languages throughout the corridors of the School. “IGS is now thrilled to be adding a fourth Kindergarten class to the School’s intake in 2019.” Book a tour or find out more by going to: www.igssyd. nsw.edu.au
Extra KindErgarten class 2019
IGS is excited to be expanding the School’s Kindergarten intake with an additional class in 2019. Our unique Languages offering from Preschool to Year 12 includes Chinese, French, German, Italian and Japanese and all years enjoy a dedicated music program under the Orff Shulwerk method. IGS is a secular, co-educational school from Preschool to Year 12
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Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
aPPLY NOW!
To find out more or to book a tour: igssyd.nsw.edu.au | 9219 6700 admissions@igssyd.nsw.edu.au 6-8 Kelly St Ultimo
R
oseville College is an established, independent Anglican day school for more than 800 girls in Kindergarten to Year 12. The School has a proud history of providing girls with a contemporary, relevant education that empowers and readies each individual for a meaningful, fulfilling future beyond the school gates. Academically, students attain consistently high HSC results that rank Roseville College among NSW’s top schools. The College’s unique attributes ensure every girl is well known and inherently valued, a quality often described as a distinctive characteristic of the School. www.rosevillecollege.com
Roseville College | An Anglican School for Girls 27 Bancroft Avenue, Roseville Registrar 02 9884 1109 E registrar@roseville.nsw.edu.au
www.rosevillecollege.com
At Roseville College, where every girl in Kindergarten to Year 12 is known and valued, students engage in enriching learning experiences that challenge and empower them to pursue and attain their personal best. Established in 1908, our School ranks among NSW’s best in HSC achievement, while also delivering world-class learning initiatives such as the IB Primary Years Program and Cambridge Courses in Years 9–10. Our girls are given opportunities to flourish as learners through a dynamic academic program that promotes curiosity and wonder, and is underpinned by Christian values. Foundational skills are taught, giving the girls a solid basis upon which to build, as they confidently engage in learning, and develop into articulate and independent young women who embrace life’s opportunities with enthusiasm and passion.
The College Principal, Ms Deb Magill, invites families with daughters to visit our campus for a personalised tour with our Registrar. Tailored to your daughter’s needs and interests, tours are held weekdays in term time.
OFFS0517
PERSONALISED TOURS AT ROSEVILLE COLLEGE
Roseville College is a school within the Anglican Schools Corporation
sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
61
Raising a connected child? When we hear the term ‘a connected child’ we often jump to the idea of connection through a screen, to digital information and applications. However, real connection is personal and is a skill that needs to be learnt. And it’s often not given the focus it deserves in our surface-based society.
A
t John Colet School, each child from Kindergarten right through to Year 6 dedicates time to developing self-
knowledge and understanding. Learning to be connected is
standard such as classical languages, music and literature. For
achieved through mindfulness exercises, philosophy classes
example the Shakespeare program explores enduring themes
and the development of a growth mindset. The students are
and connects students on a deep level to the history of the
encouraged to reflect regularly, act with honesty and take
human condition and by reflection, their own lives.
risks with their learning to become their very best self. The
As a multi faith school, John Colet focusses on the elements
development of character and self-knowledge is critical to
within the various religions that unite rather than divide us.
becoming lifelong learners.
The students look at the similarities of many faiths and how
The school also believes the connection between each
they hold essential common elements on how people can
child and his or her teacher is paramount. The teachers stay
work to together within a community. It is an important world
with their classes for three to four years. In a typical school,
outlook that is needed to offset the perception of a fractured
classes slowly close down towards the end of each school
world in the media.
year. Likewise at the start of term, much time is spent on
A John Colet student is aware of their strengths and areas
getting to know new students and parents. But at John Colet,
for improvement, confident in their ability to grow and able to
because each teacher remains with their class for several years,
connect, with true attention, to a range of situations.
students enjoy greater continuity and stability. The teachers build a strong relationship with their students and become very aware of their needs, strengths and particular learning styles. This leads to much greater progress for students and more connected pastoral care. Children will learn from whatever material you place in front of them. John Colet aims to ensure that this material is of a high
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Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
John Colet School is enrolling now for Lower First (Kindy) for 2019 and 2020. Visit classrooms and meet the teachers and students at the Open Day on Sunday 28th May, 10am -2pm.
What a difference Years 5 & 6 can make!
S
witching schools in Year 5 offers new friends, new teachers and new learning opportunities that can keep your son engaged and challenged. The Waverley College Junior School understands that boys this age are preparing for the transition to high school and need to grow their confidence and independence. New Year 5 students often comment on the high expectations of their teachers and the confidence they feel after achieving – or often exceeding – expectations. Find out more at waverley.nsw.edu.au or call Registrar, Terese Kielt, on 02 9369 0698.
St Ives ideal for lively boys S
ydney Grammar School St Ives Prep is a unique place which caters especially for lively boys who are intellectually curious, creative and display an enthusiasm for learning. Their aim is to provide a learning environment that is both rich and challenging and encourages independence and deep thinking. St Ives boys lead very busy and productive school lives. They participate in a variety of programs including Music, Science, Drama, Debating, Visual Arts, Languages, Chess and of course, Sport. The swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts are in constant use as are the two main ovals for Cricket, Rugby and Football. Please get in touch on 8302 5218.
Enrolling now for 2018
Come an d to us at thtalk e Mona Va le Schools ’E Sydney Grammar School on 7 May xpo and Chatswo St Ives Preparatory School od Expo on 5, 6 A Frequently asked questions ugust Can I see the school at work? Yes. Regular tours are held throughout the year – 5 June, 31 July, at 12.15pm. The next Open Day will be held on Friday 5 May, 9.00am–12noon What age can my son enter? The main points of entry are Preschool, Kindergarten, Year 3 and a small intake in Year 5
“Our Junior School provides challenge, opportunity and fosters a love of learning these are the key to future success at school.”
Do you have a school bus? Yes, a dedicated bus covers a large area of the North Shore
TONY BANBOUKJIAN DIRECTOR OF JUNIOR SCHOOL
A Catholic School for boys in the tradition of Edmund Rice
waverley.nsw.edu.au
11–21 Ayres Road, St Ives NSW 2075 Telephone +61 2 8302 5200 www.sydgram.nsw.edu.au/stives
sydney | winter 2017 | Offspring
63
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Putting faith into action T
wenty Year 11 students from St Leo’s Catholic College in Wahroonga created the Lion Heart Ministry to help homeless teenagers of Sydney. Last year, the then Year 10 Commerce students set up the Lion Heart Ministry as a business to help those less fortunate. The first project was to create thermal kits containing a blanket, beanie and gloves. Students volunteered their time outside school hours to negotiate with suppliers, raise funds and market the business. Under the guidance of Mr Nathan Smith, the HSIE teacher, students learnt what it takes to run a small business – and help others at the same time. “From a teaching and learning perspective, the aim was to introduce students to three of the main functions of business – Operations, Marketing and Finance – in order for them to gain an
understanding of what it is like to operate a real life business,” says Mr Smith. Students raised money to finance the project through donations from businesses and the general public, raising close to $3,000. “Students gained knowledge and experience on how a business operates, and also put their faith into action to assist
those who are in need,” says Mr Smith. The thermal kits will be distributed this autumn to the homeless. The students are now brainstorming their next project. Should anyone wish to donate to the cause, they can visit the Lion Heart Ministry on Facebook or Twitter @LionHMinistry.
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65
SPECIAL FEATURE
Lights, camera, action
Most children delight in taking part in some sort of performing art, whether it is dance, drama or music, but did you know it is good for their wellbeing? And there is plenty you can do to harbour your child’s enthusiasm without the need to enrol them in formal classes.
Finding a teacher
driving force behind many parent’s desire to
Word-of-mouth is always a great way to start looking for a teacher is any art form. Check with your child’s primary school to see if they offer a music program. Check the qualifications of the teachers and find out costs, expectations and ensure they match your child’s desires, some will be more casual and others will expect participation in examinations and recitals. Ask for a free trial class and the ability to hire instruments before committing.
encourage their offspring in performing arts isn’t
BRING IT INTO YOUR HOME:
BY CLAIRE ARMSTRONG
The
to create starlets of the future or precocious brats, it is about stimulating the body and mind and the wrath of emotional, social and educational paybacks including:
Confidence – Performing in front of an audience whether it
be parents or peers will help a child get comfortable stepping out of their comfort zone, allow them to make mistakes and learn from them and give them a voice to speak up for themselves.
Team work - Through the arts, children work together,
• Construct your own musical instruments such as shakers, drums and cymbals from pots and pans, household and craft items
Concentration - The ability to listen, retain and
share responsibility as well as accept responsibility, problem solve,
contribute involves a great deal of focus. The ability to
experience empathy for others and learn to compromise to achieve
concentrate for extended periods in an artistic setting will not
a common goal. By learning collaboration kids begin to see their
only assist when it comes to school work, it will also encourage
contributions have value even if they don’t have the biggest role. It
creative thinking and help a child be able to think on their feet and
is also a great way to make new friends with similar interests.
‘outside of the box’.
practice, patience and persistence. On the journey to success
performance is astounding, dating as far back as ancient Greek
children learn that receiving constructive feedback is a regular part
philosopher Plato who said, “I would teach children music,
of any arts instruction with a goal to improve skills, not personal
physics and philosophy; but more importantly music for in the
attacks, which will prove a vital skill in later life. Once completed,
patterns of music and all the arts are the keys to learning.”
Perseverance – Learning an instrument or dance requires
the sense of accomplishment will drive perseverance in the next endeavour. 66
• Have the radio or CD playing during the day instead of the TV. It will encourage you and your child to sing and dance along.
Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
The link between performing arts and improved educational
With so many benefits, how can we most effectively engage our children in these activities? www.offspringmagazine.com.au
Wales this year, was designed to entertain and inspire kids to make positive, healthy choices
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Queensland and launching into New South
for themselves through dance, puppetry, magic and song. “There is nothing more important than our children’s health, well-being and happiness. Nothing more valuable than their sense of spirit.” McColl says. Dancing has recognised social and psychological advavntages to a child’s development from problem solving and
Dance D
critical thinking to developing resilience and empathy for others. Another wonderful attribute of dance is its suitability to a wide range of ages, interests and abilities. Many
ance is active and a great way to improve fitness, body awareness, motor skills, strength, posture and flexibility.
“Dance, laughter and exercise trigger the release of endorphins
dance schools offer classes from toddlers to adults. “Dance can cross all social and cultural barriers,” McColl says. Dance classes focused on enjoyment and movement are perfect
which help reduce stress, prevent illness and relieve pain. It is
for younger children where technique, routines and costumes are
proven that people who exercise are happier, and that goes for
not so important. For older children looking for more structure
children as well,” former fitness instructor and founder of the
and the opportunity to become involved in concerts, there are so
Happy Feet Fitness program Donna McColl told Offspring.
many options including: ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, acrobatics,
Her program delivered primarily through child care facilities to around 10,000, 2-5 year olds in Western Australia, Victoria,
cheerleading and hip hop. Talk to your child about their interests, visit a few studios and
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Drama D
rama puts children in exciting, funny, thought-provoking and interesting circumstances to expand their view of the
world and the people within it. It is not just limited to stage shows but encompasses circus acts, illusions, puppetry and theatre sports. “Not every child that takes drama will become a famous actor, but they will walk away with the tools to speak in public and speak up for themselves. They don’t have to be the best, they just have to be involved,” Australian Performing Arts Centres Association (APACA) Executive Director Bronwyn Edinger says. There is a healing power in drama. Edinger describes the success of an initiative by the Bell Shakespeare theatre company, of which she is a former General Manager, of providing theatrical opportunities to those of social and geographic disadvantage, including remote indigenous communities and juvenile detention observe a class or two and ask about trial options. Local dance
facilities, who would otherwise not experience the power and
schools will often advertise in parenting and local papers or can be
magic of Shakespeare or live theatre.
found online listed according to locality.
“The programs, like drama itself, are designed to develop life skills including decision-making, empathy, conflict resolution and
BRING IT INTO YOUR HOME:
self-confidence. After taking part in the program there is a notable
• Y our little one doesn’t need to attend a formal dance class to
improvement in behaviour and school attendance, interest in
start moving, there are plenty of free online tutorials to follow, computer games specifically designed to get you dancing in your lounge room. Or just put on some music and jump around!
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Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
education and feelings of self worth,” Edinger says. Drama, like dance, is suitable to a range of ages and abilities from three years through to adults. Many primary and high
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schools offer a drama program and some local youth centres provide opportunities to be involved in regular theatrical productions. Otherwise, ask for recommendations of a good drama club.
Performing isn’t for everyone so don’t push too hard, there are other ways to expose your child to the wonders of the art form:
BRING IT INTO YOUR HOME:
• A trip to the circus - there is nothing quite as awe inspiring as aerial acrobatics.
• S et up a box of dress-ups and props to help children create imaginative scenarios, include a large sheet
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Not keen on the spotlight?
• A dance performance - seeing classical ballet at the theatre or a local dance school’s concert is a lively and colourful experience.
to use as the stage curtain. • C reate your very own sock puppets. • I nstead of simply reading a story
• A balloon twisting, puppet or magic show; the illusions will captivate your child’s imagination and open them to the possibilities within performing arts. Activities like these are easy to create at home and occasionally local c ouncils and libraries run demonstrations or workshops.
with your child, why not role play and act it out?
• A concert - there are many touring music acts specifically designed for young ones especially around school holiday times. • Local community events - whether it is the local choir, carolling, a drama production or a idol contest there are often opportunities to see an array of performances in your own community.
Nurturing dance for littlies South Sydney’s most family-oriented Dance Studio - TK Dance Stars, run by Tamara Kate, provides a nurturing and inspirational environment which promotes personal achievement and commitment to students.
T Join the TK DANCE STARS family today Call Miss Tamara on 0478 964 722 107 Ramsgate Road, Ramsgate NSW 2217 www.tkdancestars.net www.offspringmagazine.com.au
K Dance Stars offers a variety of opportunities for children of all ages. With a highly qualified teaching team, TK Dance Stars provides classes in many disciplines of dance including Jazz, Hip Hop, Acrobatics and classes for students with special needs. Babies don’t miss out either with Wiggle & Dance classes for parents and bubs and Pre-Primary Tap, Jazz and Baby Ballet for toddlers aged two and a half to four years. For more information visit www.tkdancestars.net
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Music R
esearch indicates that the earlier music is included in a child’s development, the better. This does not need to be
limited to structured lessons. You can sing with your child at home, play music and expose your child to live performances. Music educator and conductor Richard Gill believes physical education and arts education should book-end the Australian curriculum, with music being at the forefront, as early as possible in the life of a child. “The impact this type of education would have on children, with respect to creative thinking, imaginative problem solving, resulting in classrooms full of engaged and interested minds with the capacity to think, perceive, analyse and act upon ideas, would turn the educational decline on its head,” he said during a speech to the Collegiate of Specialist Music Educators. Vicki King, Artistic Director at the Australian School of Performing Arts, says, “The educational value placed on music and song seems less of a priority in Australian schools compared to some European countries, which is a great shame. And sadly, parent’s singing to their children from infancy appears to have also declined somewhat in the past 20 years. Life seems so
music with a child, unstructured musical play is so important
much busier, plus lots of people don’t have the confidence to sing
because that is where children’s inspiration will come to life
even if it is at home with their child.
because they aren’t having to sit and learn the notes, they are
“You don’t need to be a wonderful singer or musician to share
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Offspring | winter 2017 | sydney
simply enjoying the experience.”
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doesn’t have to be a prodigal musician to get involved either, King suggests a group participation activity such as a choir or a band is a great place to start a child as it removes the pressure and stresses associated with solo performances. “For many of our senior students the Australian Girls Choir provide a beacon of light in their otherwise chaotic lives. A place to park their brain for a while and ignore homework and the politics of home and school life. Music gives them enormous stress relief, comradery and confidence,” King told Offspring.
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Most formal music lessons start between the ages of five to nine, group classes are recommended for younger children. The Forte School of Music gives these ages and instruments as a guide:
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Your child
choosing an instrument • The piano is highly recommended as a child’s first instrument, it can be played as soon as a child can reach the keys and has enough strength to press them down. Recommended age: 5+ • The recorder is a common choice in a school setting. It is cheap, children can play it easily and it provides a good introduction to making music. Recommended age: 5+ • Stringed instruments often come in smaller sizes specifically for kids. Some children can handle a violin from the age of four. Recommended age: 5+ (violin); 9+ (viola and cello) • Other wind and brass instruments should not be attempted before your child’s permanent teeth come in because of the pressure on the teeth when they are played, the actual size of the instrument, the lip strength required and the “puff” needed to make a noise. Recommended age: 8+ (flute, clarinet); 9+ (saxophone, trumpet, trombone, french horn) • Drum and guitars tend to be a big favourite among kids. Recommended age: 7+ • Singing is something that can be enjoyed at all ages, but it is best not to start learning formally until 9+ years.
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