September/October 2010
www.family-club.ie
Divine dinners
The playground jungle
Back to school bugs
Plus
It’s time to get the family back around the table
Beat the sniffles and stay well this season
Helping your child make friends
A colouring competition for the kids and money saving discounts for you – inside!
Introducing the exciting new magazine for parents and kids that’s absolutely free
It’s always thrill time at the wild and wonderful world of Dublin Zoo. Come and experience the excitement of animal adventure at first hand and get ready to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells and even splashes of some of the world’s most amazing creatures.
It’s thrilling to go wild !
Dublin Zoo • Phoenix Park • Dublin 8 • Tel 00353 (0)1 474 8900
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the first ever edition of Family Club, the exciting new magazine created especially for you – the parents and guardians of young children in childcare. With a new issue every two months, we’ll be covering hot topics from your children’s health, social development, to helpful tips for busy parents. We also aim to make Family Club a whole lot of fun too, with competitions and discount coupons, hints and recipes for everyone to enjoy.
Family Club is brought to you in association with the National Children’s Nurseries Association (NCNA), so keep an eye out for each new copy at your local NCNA-registered childcare facility. In the meantime, if you have any feedback, or ideas regarding topics you’d like to see us cover in these pages, please get in touch on info@family-club.ie – we’d love to hear from you!
The Family Club team. 2
4
6
CONTENTS
8
NATIONAL CHILDREN’S NURSERIES ASSOCIATION
2
FUSSY EATERS
4
ORAL REHYDRATION
5
HEALTHY FAMILY DINNERS
6
ENCOURAGING FRIENDSHIPS
8
A PARENT’S GUIDE TO FEVER AND PAIN
9
9
1
NATIONAL
CHILDREN’S NURSERIES ASSOCIATION
The National Children’s Nurseries Association (NCNA) was established in 1988 to promote high standards of quality childcare. We are a nationwide organisation that has membership of over 800. Members of the NCNA promote the physical, intellectual, emotional and social development of the children in their care, in a warm, welcoming and safe environment. The work of the NCNA mainly concentrates on providing advice, support and training for member childcare services as well as raising public awareness regarding issues affecting the early childhood sector. As a national early childhood organisation, we also aim to support parents by offering advice, information and guidance on best practice in early years facilities.
2
The Main Aims of the National Children’s Nurseries Association are: • Emphasising the importance of early childhood experiences by working consistently to increase the quality of day-care in Ireland, through education, information and support of all involved in this sector; • To highlight the need for, and value of, childcare services in providing support for families; • To increase the standards of provision by educating owners, staff, parents and legislators; • To maintain high standards by developing awareness of the importance of high quality care, through the development and dissemination of information.
So why are we here in Family Club? NCNA is committed to supporting our 800 members to deliver high quality childcare to your children. Childcare providers who choose to be a member of NCNA do so because they are committed to providing a quality ECCE (early childhood care & education) service, and because they recognise the importance of keeping up to date with all aspects of care and education nationally and internationally. NCNA member nurseries are supported in providing a quality ECCE experience for your child. Management and staff in member nurseries welcome the advice and support provided by a national organisation, through the NCNA Advisory Team and Siolta co-ordinators. NCNA also has a dedicated Childcare Communications Officer who provides phone support and professional advice and ensures that the most up to date information is available to our members. All these are advantages of being an NCNA Member. As part of our ongoing commitment to quality childcare, NCNA will be publishing articles in Family Club specifically aimed at parents. We will discuss issues that you will encounter whilst your child is attending nursery, crèche or pre school, and we will consult with our members to ensure that current and topical issues are being addressed.
NCNA look forward to contributing to Family Club and hope you enjoy our articles. If you wish to contact NCNA, you can reach us at the address or phone number or email address below. Or simply check us out on www.ncna.ie.
Parents/Carers are children’s first educators and should be valued as such. We know that there are many reasons why parents choose childcare in a centre-based service for their children. For some it facilitates a return to work, training or education while others may simply want to see their child enjoy the socialisation and developmental benefits associated with quality childcare. As a parent you will have access to up-to-date articles and parenting advice through this magazine because the nursery which you choose is an NCNA member, committed to striving towards constantly providing quality ECCE experiences for the most important people in your lives, your children.
National Children’s Nurseries Association (NCNA) Unit 12c, Bluebell Business Park, Old Naas Road, Bluebell, Dublin 12
Tel No: 01 460 1138 Fax No: 01 460 1185 www.ncna.ie info@ncna.ie 3
Brought to you by Fyffes Fuelling Active Kids
FUSSY EATERS? Nutrition and feeding are emotive topics from day one. One of the first decisions parents make is whether to breastfeed or bottle-feed their baby. Nutrition is not just a matter of preparing and serving food to a child. It will be influenced by many things, including a parent’s own childhood experiences.
For many parents, one of the visible indicators of how well they are doing as parents is how good an eater their child is. Children who eat a wide variety of foods and finish all their dinner make their parents feel proud and successful. Children who only eat dry Weetabix and orange juice leave parents feeling frustrated and embarrassed. These emotions will have a knock-on effect on the child and may, in the case of the fussy eater, cause the situation to deteriorate.
Going through a phase One of the basic facts about childhood is that almost all children will go through a stage of fussy eating. This usually happens during their toddler years when they can be quite obsessive about most things in their lives. They might only wear clothes of a certain colour or eat only one type of food. Experts regard this as a normal developmental stage, which will pass for most children, as long as parents avoid falling into the trap of panicking and focusing too much on the ‘problem’. The best approach to fussy eating is to stay calm – the chances of your child starving are slim! – and trust that it will pass. Most children grow out of this phase and, even for those who continue to be fussy or picky eaters, highlystressed parents will not help the situation. Experts advise that the most important thing is to keep tension and fights over food to a minimum.
Practical tips
• Toddlers should drink one pint of milk a day. At the beginning of each day, measure out a pint for your child and use this throughout the day. Toddlers who drink a lot more than this may be filling up on milk, so don’t need to eat many solid foods during the day. Try to limit them to a pint a day, as this will leave room for other foods. • At mealtimes, don’t give children a drink until the end of the meal to prevent them from filling up on fluids. This should encourage them to eat what’s on their plate. • If your child refuses to eat a meal, react calmly, take away the food and offer an easy alternative. If they don’t want that, just leave it. (Try to avoid getting into the situation of preparing different meals for different children.) • Expect to make gradual progress with this phase. • It is now accepted that young children can adequately satisfy their nutritional requirements by having regular nutritious snacks like bananas. If your child accepts healthy snacks at regular intervals during the day, these will help provide the range of nutrients needed. • Anyone seriously concerned about a child’s fussy eating should seek a doctor’s advice. The doctor may recommend giving your child a supplement during this period, to provide some of the missing nutrients. Seek advice from a GP or pharmacist, as not all supplements are the same. Author: Anne O’Connor is a clinical child psychologist and founder of the parenting website, www.RollerCoaster.ie
Baked Fyffes Banana Puffs Servings: 4 Fyffes banana puffs Preparation time: 15 minutes Ready in: 15 minutes Ingredients: 4 Fyffes bananas, peeled 1 sheet puff pastry, cut into strips to wrap the bananas 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, mixed 3 tablespoons milk, for brushing Ice-cream to serve 4
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C. 2. Wrap a strip of puff pastry firmly around the Fyffes banana until it is fully covered. Repeat with the rest of bananas. 3. Brush the pastry-wrapped bananas with milk, and then roll it in the cinnamon sugar mix. 4. Place the pastry-wrapped bananas on a tray (laid with tracing paper). 5. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. 6. Serve warm with ice-cream or syrup.
ORAL
REHYDRATION Kids are always getting up to something. That something sometimes means getting tummy troubles which may lead to dehydration. This article explains about diarrhoea and dehydration, how to treat them and how to help prevent tummy troubles in the future.
What is diarrhoea? Diarrhoea is the abnormally frequent passage of loose stools. Usually, it’s caused by something called gastroenteritis, which is often due to a bacterial or viral infection or perhaps some types of medicines. The biggest cause of diarrhoea in young children is a virus called rotavirus. When gastroenteritis occurs, organisms are swallowed which damage the gut and cause diarrhoea. What is dehydration? Dehydration means that the body has insufficient fluid or water to allow it to function normally. Because the body needs enough water and salts to function properly, the replacement of these is really important when your child is dehydrated. How do you know you or your child is dehydrated? The symptoms commonly found with dehydration are: • Thirst • Dry mouth • Less frequent passing of urine • Headache • In babies, sunken eyes and fontanelle (the soft spot on the top of the head) How do I treat dehydration? Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) is a very effective way of treating dehydration and replacing the lost body salts. These therapies contain essential salts and are formulated to maximise absorption of water and salts when they are made up in water. Can’t I just use fruit juice or fizzy drinks to rehydrate? Fruit juice and fizzy drinks are not recommended for rehydration. These usually contain too much sugar and the wrong amounts of essential salts, and can actually worsen dehydration. If your child is very thirsty, give plain water between glasses of oral rehydration treatment. Do consult your pharmacist of doctor for advice on using Oral Rehydration Therapies (ORT) for your baby.
TIP! TOP r hands h you eparing s a W ur re pr befo eding yo wn , fe ro food ting you t , ea ea s child d and br foo ing. feed 5
HEALTHY FAMILY
DINNERS After a hectic day at work and school, get the family together for a rewarding evening meal that’s ultra-easy to prepare. Nutritious and most definitely delicious, you’ll get all the ingredients at your local EUROSPAR supermarket. The leftovers – if there are any! – are just as tasty tomorrow for lunchtime sandwiches. Roast Chicken with Vegetables The classic family dinner that goes down a treat with all ages. Recipe Key Facts • • • •
Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour and 20 minutes Low in sugar Low in salt
Dairy free | Egg free | Gluten free | Shellfish free Serves: 4 Calories: 680 Kcal per serving
Method
Ingredients • • • • • • •
1 fresh whole chicken 2 tbsp olive oil 1 kg potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs 225g (8oz) carrots, trimmed 225g (8oz) parsnips, peeled and quartered 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into large chunks (optional) • 2 onions, peeled and quartered (red onions will give added colour) • Sea salt and black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/gas mark 4. Pour some oil into a non-stick roasting tin, place in the oven for 5 minutes. 2. Add the potatoes to the tin and shake it. Add the chicken, sprinkle with herbs. Roast for 15 minutes. 3. Remove the tin from the oven and turn the potatoes. Add the carrots, parsnips, squash (if being used) and onion to the roasting tin. Roast for 45 minutes, basting the chicken with the juices occasionally. 4. Remove the chicken from the oven, cover and rest for 10 minutes. 5. Return the tin to the oven and cook the vegetables for 10 more minutes. Return the chicken to the tin and serve.
SPECIAL OFFERS FROM YOUR LOCAL EUROSPAR:
FREE
CHRISTMAS DECORATION
While Stocks Last!
EUROSPAR – Locally owned – Supporting local suppliers – Supporting local jobs. 6
FREE
CHRISTMAS DECORATION
www.eurospar.ie
While you’re doing the cooking why not get your little ones to colour in the EUROSPAR / CARI colouring competition. You could win tickets to this year’s Christmas Panto, Beauty and the Beast. To enter just bring your completed entry into your local EUROSPAR store. For more information log onto www.eurospar.ie.
7
ENCOURAGING
FRIENDSHIPS One of the joys of life for children should be the fun they have with their friends. For some children, making friends is very easy and seems effortless, whereas for others it is more difficult.
The role of parents Children have to master a lot of social skills to form and keep friendships. Like all close relationships, childhood friendships can have their ups and downs, and children can, at times, be very mean to each other. To some extent parents do have to know when to step in to help, but having said that, it is very important that parents do not make a habit of being too involved in managing their child’s friendships and stepping in too soon to sort out difficulties. Childhood friendships serve an important function in preparing children for their adult life. Children learn many of their social skills in these friendships, including how to manage conflict. For the toddler, this means not grabbing that interesting toy from their fellow toddler; for the primary school pupil, it may involve learning how to find their voice within a group, or how to say no to their friends if they want to stay out of trouble. For the teen, these skills are all about the need to belong to a group, but also the conflicting need to be seen as a separate individual. While children do learn many social skills at home, they learn just as many in their peer group. These can be tough lessons and painful for the parent looking on – but sometimes parents need to stand back and let their child manage these situations. As parents, we are used to being in control of many aspects of our child’s life and for some of us, this may include choosing our children’s friends. But again we need to be careful not to be too controlling here. Children naturally show preference for some children over others, and where possible parents should allow this process to evolve naturally. While your child’s friend may not be the one you would ideally choose, if there are no major problems with this, you should respect your child’s choice. Over their childhood, your child will have many ‘best friends’, and the child you don’t approve of may be replaced by someone else in the natural course of events.
Problems with friendships It can be painful for parents to watch their socially unskilled child struggle with the whole area of friendships. If your child is finding it difficult, you need to get involved. For the younger child this may entail setting up and monitoring play opportunities so they get plenty of practice with other children. For the older child it may entail the practice of role-plays at home to help them develop skills to deal with the real-life situations they are encountering. Looking at extracurricular activities that play to their strengths would also help these children – they may meet other like-minded kids and it’s an opportunity for them to show off their talents. Even with very sensitive parenting and great support in school, some children continue to find friendships difficult. There are some conditions that can affect children’s abilities to form and maintain friendships, such as Asperger’s syndrome and ADHD. If you feel that your child is really struggling with these issues, I would advise you to seek professional advice.
Author: Anne O’Connor is a clinical child psychologist and founder of the parenting website, www.RollerCoaster.ie 8
A PARENTS GUIDE TO
FEVER AND PAIN Over the next few issues of Family Club we will be providing you with information and some helpful tips on managing the most common childhood illnesses your baby or toddler will experience. Babies in crèche may get sick more often as they are exposed to a greater number of germs from other children. This is not necessarily a bad thing as early exposure to germs can actually boost your baby’s immune system.
In this first issue we will be covering the topic of fever which can often be the first sign that your baby is ill. A high temperature or fever is one of your baby’s natural ways of fighting infection. It can be caused by a cold or flu or quite often after your baby has an immunisation jab. Fever is regarded as having a temperature usually over 37.8 degrees Celsius. You can spot a fever, as your baby will have flushed cheeks, and the skin will feel hot to the touch.
Normal 35 – 37°C
High Temperature 37.5°C
Very High Temperature 38.6°C Seek medical help
Other common signs to look out for include: • Irritability and lethargy • Restlessness during the night • Pale with cool hands and feet but hot forehead, tummy and back The easiest place to check a fever is the back of the neck or chest. The most accurate way is to measure by mouth or by rectum. Many parents use an ear thermometer, although this is the most convenient way it can be less accurate especially in children under 3 years of age.
• Vomiting suddenly • Loss of appetite • Shivering uncontrollably • Hot and flushed all over • Febrile convulsion
How to treat fever Keeping your baby hydrated is really important as replacing lost fluids can bring down a temperature rapidly. You may want to help reduce the fever by giving your baby a fever reducing medicine such as Ibuprofen or paracetamol if the temperature is very high. Nurofen for Children which contains Ibuprofen has been clinically proven to bring down higher temperatures (over 39 degrees C) more quickly than Paracetamol. Always check the correct doses, warnings and age requirements on pack. You should consult your pharmacist or GP if you are unsure or need any help or advice. This is not to scare you but there are times when you should be concerned and need to see a doctor: • The fever is accompanied by a stiff neck, confusion or irritability • Your child is between the age of 6 months – 1 year and has a fever for longer than 24 hours • The fever stays about, or above 38.5 degrees Celsius despite treatment Remember you know your baby better than anyone. Know what to look for, be confident and trust your instincts. Never be afraid to consult your GP or pharmacist for advice – that’s what they are there for!
9
GRAND MÉGANE
MÉGANE HATCHBACK
MÉGANE COUPÉ
RENAULT IRELAND OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF THE 2012 IRISH PARALYMPIC TEAM
MODEL (ROYALE)
LIST PRICE
TRADE-IN ALLOWANCE
RENAULT SCRAPPAGE (CAR 8 YEARS OR OLDER)
GOVERNMENT SCRAPPAGE (CAR 10 YEARS OR OLDER)
SPECIAL NEW PRICE
NEW GRAND MÉGANE 1.5 dci MÉGANE HATCHBACK 1.5 dci MÉGANE COUPÉ 1.5 dci
�21,100 �20,300 �20,900
�3,300 �2,500 �3,100
�1,500 �1,500 �1,500
�1,500 �1,500 �1,500
�14,800 �14,800 �14,800
Renault National Scrappage offer is restricted to customers buying a New Renault sourced only from Renault Ireland and registered by an authorized Renault Dealer in the Republic of Ireland before 31st December 2010. Renault National Scrappage offer applies to vehicles aged 8 years and older. Trade-in registered on 31st December 2002 or before qualifies for Scrappage Allowance. Customers must provide Vehicle Licensing Certificate in his/her name to qualify for the Scrappage Allowance. Any customer buying a New Renault registered before 31st December 2010 can benefit of the Trade-in allowance available across the range. Terms and conditions apply to the government scrappage scheme. Trade in value is at the discretion of the participating Renault dealership. *Prices stated exclude delivery & related charges. Offer only valid while stocks last. Picture for illustrative purposes only.