Kiddo Mag Issue 21 by Kiddo Mag

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S E P T–D EC 2021 . # 21

Take me home

kiddomag.com.au

Ohhh Mikki

you re so fine!

Mikki Fisher, changing the game of mental health for mums

THE WELLNESS ISSUE

SHE WILL Within a Wilderness girl lies an unshakeable self-belief. Anywhere she wants to go, anyone she wants to be—she can, and she will.

As she grows, so too does her understanding of the world and the respectful relationships that bind it together.

Because at every opportunity she’s encouraged to celebrate her adventurous spirit in the empowering environment of Wilderness School—a world leader in girls’ education.

Nurtured by non-denominational Christian family values, she matures into a compassionate friend to her day and boarding peers, an esteemed member of her community and a responsible world citizen—just as generations have before her and generations will after.

In her early years, a spirit of joy underpins all teaching and learning. It is here she explores her interests by actively engaging in her education in an environment where her dispositions, experience and knowledge are enriched and respected. Continuing through the junior, middle and senior years, dedicated and progressive educators guide her learning journey, seeing her for who she truly is and working collaboratively with global experts to wrap evidence-based academic frameworks around her unique strengths. With their support, her potential is boundless.

wilderness.com.au

She will experience obstacles. Pioneers always do. But she is resilient, a trait learned from those who have raised her, taught her, and studied alongside her. Courageously she enters the unknown, confident she will create the life she wants to lead—both personally and professionally. This is the lifelong imprint left by Wilderness School, and the underpinning of her extraordinary future. At Wilderness, she will.

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT EACH GIRLS’ JOURNEY FROM ELC TO YEAR 12 TODAY

Finding time for yourself can be an elusive quest... ...especially when you’re a mother! In this issue we are honing our self-love, wellbeing and wellness vibes in an effort to manifest the feel-good into our lives. We speak with nutritionists, well-being coaches, sleep experts and movement specialists to find out more about our bodies and our minds—and how focusing on ourselves occasionally might just mean we don’t end up hiding from the kiddos in the walk-in wardrobe in desperate need of some alone time... quite so often. Gracing the front cover of this issue is the funny, talented and generous of heart @themikkifisher2.0 who created @the.redtent, a space for new mums, women and basically the entire rainbow of humankind to come together, feel safe sharing their struggles and connect. Mikki wants to shine the spotlight on mental

health, get rid of the longheld stigma attached and celebrate healing, and in a world where the saying “women are expected to work like they don’t have children, and parent like they don’t work” seems to ring true more than ever before, we couldn’t love this movement more! We hope you take a moment to yourself to read this issue (even if it happens to be in the silence of your own walk-in wardrobe), inhale KIDDO and exhale positivity!

Charlotte + Liv

Plug in on the commute to work, feeding your bubba, walking to school pick up or even when you’re vacuuming the house – the KIDDO chats episodes just keep coming! In the last few months we’ve been getting serious about empowerment. We tackled the important issue of teaching our kids about consent with body safety educator Jayneen Sanders, how early we should be starting these conversations and some practical ways we can model consent to our children.

Content Manager Olivia Williams

Cover Cover Star: Mikki Fisher Photographer: @meaganwillisphotography The Project Company PO BOX 1083 Glenelg South SA 5045 Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of the publisher. Whilst all care is taken, the publisher accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions. KIDDO Mag is a team effort and if you have any suggestions or questions, make contact! We would love to hear from you. hello@kiddomag.com.au

Editor Olivia Williams Art Director Caroline Gliddon Sales Katie Brown Katie@kiddomag.com.au

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And for something different, Aussie parenting expert Michael Grose joined us to chat about how understanding birth order theory can make us better parents! If you have a topic you'd like us to cover on KIDDO chats, email us at hello@kiddomag.com.au

CRICOS No 00368A

Prince Alfred College provides a unique learning environment for boys, with programs and approaches that are tailored

Start your journey at pac.edu.au

Distribution passingout.com.au

Editorial Contributors Rebecca Morse Madhavi Nawana Parker Helen Connolly Jana Rushforth Oliver Loshiavo Henry Williams Jan Macfarlane Brooke Michell Jacqui Watts Bridie Walker Simon Blacket George Archontidis

Aussie dad and children’s author committed to creating content that empowers young kids to be themselves.

We also dove into teaching our kids self acceptance with Scott Stuart who is an

to their specific needs.

Publisher Charlotte Chambers

Printing Newstyle Printing newstyleprint.com.au

LISTEN UP — KIDDO CHATS PODCAST

kiddomag.com.au

KIDDO CHATS EPISODES Episode 17: Teaching kids about consent Episode 18: Understanding birth order Episode 19: Empowering kids with self acceptance Listen on your podcast app

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The Mum Hustle with SA Mums in Business When the original founder of SA Mums in Business stepped aside from running the networking community and business directory for SA women, members Jess Engleson and Sandra Senn knew they couldn’t let that be the end of SA Mums in Business, but rather a new beginning. Both running their own businesses alongside the juggle of motherhood, they also knew they couldn’t do it alone. Blessed with complementary skill sets, Sandra and Jess were a match made in heaven to run SA Mums in Business together. We chat with self described “mouth” of the pair, Sandra, about what SA Mums in Business is all about, their plans to reinvigorate the brand and what mums can expect when they sign up.

Tell us about SA Mums in Business. In the time since Jess and I have taken over, we’ve totally revamped what SA Mums in Business looks like and how it will run. Essentially, SA Mums in Business is a membership for women and mothers in business to help remove some of the overwhelm that can happen when you’re trying to run a business, a family and a household all at the same time. One night a week we bring a different expert in for live Q&A sessions, we have resident experts on board; a business coach, a lawyer, accountants, marketing, copy and PR people, you name it. Every term will have a different theme that all draws back to helping women work on things that will make them money and not cause more overwhelm in their lives. That includes talking about managing relationships external to the business, dealing with kids… the business side is one of the main aspects yes, but we also want to work with mums on their life as a whole. There are a range of ways to be involved, from basic membership right on through to our centre stage membership which is primarily for mums who want to move into their business full time.

What’s the vision behind SA Mums in Business? When I started my business I made so many mistakes; I trusted the wrong people, paid the wrong people for things that I shouldn’t have. All of our experts have been vetted so you’re not paying money ten times over to get to the right person, all the ladies will get is quality. Getting people to connect with each other is the main vision. We want to connect as many mums in their own business and help them get to where they want to be, to give them financial freedom. It’s all about helping women be successful in their business, removing the overwhelm, and getting where you want to be.

What can mums expect when they attend an SA Mums in Business catch up? When you sign up you’ll be beautifully welcomed into the group. You’ll have access to our experts, as well as the timetable of what’s happening and when so you can make the most of what’s coming up on the calendar. We’re currently working with Funtopia to set up a one day a month co-op working space where mums can come with their child. The Nanny Diaries will be there to look after the kids, and mum can sit, get some work done, have a coffee, network, do whatever they need to do at that time.

Tell us how SA boss mums get involved? Go to the website. DM us on Instagram or Facebook. Send it in a smoke signal, carrier pigeon, anything! Just get in touch! Mums are always welcome to come to a coffee catchup prior to signing up.

QUICK DRAW WITH SANDRA I cant live with out... coffee. The most obvious answer. But also bread and potatoes. I’m Irish, you try to take a potato away from me I will bite your hand off. Jess would probably say French champagne! My morning starts with... a foot in the face. My son is just about to turn 3, he is such a cuddly boy, and he comes and climbs into bed with us every morning. I just love it. Female role model... I have so many. But I have to say Robyn Verrall who runs Bully’s Meats, is also on basically every important board in SA and does a lot of charity that she doesn’t talk about. She has balls of steel and a heart of gold. Women are... under pressure! My legacy will be… my legacy will hopefully be two kind children that I leave to the world. I want a son that understands that a woman's place is right next to him – that sees women and treats them as equal. I want to leave behind kids who know the joy of giving rather than constantly receiving. Two children that are phenomenal, that's really it.

To find out more about the supportive community of business savvy boss mamas: samumsinbusiness.com @samumsinbusiness

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GETTING READING RIGHT FROM THE START

Meet us at Camp Reo!

WORDS – Fiona Howat Literacy Coordinator, Prince Alfred College Learning to read is one of the greatest ‘life changing’ skills your child will undertake. Unlike oral language, which we know develops through exposure, learning to read is a skill that needs to be taught. Ensuring our children become skilled readers requires patience, practise and a clear and explicit plan to get there. As children learn to read, they are connecting the sounds they hear every day to a visual representation, creating new neural networks and connections in the brain. Learning to read is a complex and refined set of skills, interweaving language comprehension with word recognition to build comprehension, knowledge and essentially the ‘gift’ that is reading.

Like the excitement of Raaaage on a Saturday morning —it’s fun, chaotic, bold and nostalgic. It’s time for roll call at Camp Reo! Tracky dacks With tracky dacks that’ll have your little camper looking as sweet as a packet of Hubba Bubba bubble gum, they’ll be off on their sunny adventures with the wind in their hair and a pocket full of snacks. Not to be confused with normal trackies, these are your GOOD tracky dacks. Shop your regular size and expect them to look cool and baggy.

Corduroy Slouchy retro 80’s inspired happy pants, with nice deep pockets, perfect for filling with sand. An elastic waist for growing bodies and elastic ankle band to assist with puddle jumping. Styles well with the Camp Reo cord jacket or with any old thang in lil babes wardrobe.

Snug Noggin Beanie Nits for your noggin’—wait we mean KNITS. Scrumptious beanies for those frosty days. In a range of ice-cream inspired colours. campreo.com @camp_reo

Developing new neural networks does not happen by chance. It is a process built over years. An explicit, planned and sequenced development of skills that slowly entwine to develop fluent and confident readers. Reading with your child is one of the most obvious ways to strengthen their skills as lifelong readers, in fact research shows that regular reading to your child starts firing neurons in the brain and the stronger they become the faster they fire.

Setting your child on a positive reading trajectory Read books that are fun and play with words. Choose books with a strong rhyme, alliteration, repetition, beat or subtle changes to the sounds in words (children love them because they can be a little bit rude!!). A strong phonological awareness is the biggest early predictor of long-term reading success. Read books that connect knowledge and extend vocabulary. Good quality picture books allow our young readers to make connections to their knowledge, experiences and understanding of the world. Exposing young readers to books with a varied vocabulary strengthens and builds a wide repertoire of words that will support their success now and in the future. The correlation between high level vocabulary and academic success are strong.

Books to read with your child Room on the Broom Julia Donaldson Magic Beach Alison Lester The Coloured Echidna Eunice Day Ella and the Ocean Lian Tanner Pirates Don’t Read Robyn Adolphs

Read books that have a good narrative (story structure). These books appeal to us as adults as they connect to our own knowledge and experiences. Spend time discussing characters, setting, how the story made us feel and why. As independent readers we need to be discerning in what we read, and we must teach our children to be the same. Value your role in sharing thought provoking books that allow provocative discussion and challenge our children to think beyond their experiences and what they know. Read favourite books again and again. Help your child understand that re-reading helps us to enjoy and improve our comprehension. When we feel comfortable with a text we can experiment with fluency and prosody, important aspects of reading comprehension. Finally, when your child is learning the mechanics of reading give them time and confidence to build and strengthen their skills. Play games that identify the building blocks of words and be explicit when helping ‘map’ the code to the sounds they hear. Importantly, as they are mastering the mechanics of reading, our role is to maintain the connection, the joy and love of reading.

Scientifically developed - 100% Australian grass-fed, cow's milk Available in Foodland - Drakes - National Pharmacies /7

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Mask up… but make it fashion

Join the

Kuddle Huddle

Let’s face it, masks are a reality of life at the moment, so why not be comfortable, safe and stylish all at the same time? The Bebe Luxe face mask is made in Australia from silky soft bamboo fabric in all your fave patterns—hand drawn by Bebe Luxe founder Katie and just about as bright and happy as it gets! Made double sided so you can swap and change depending on your mood or your outfit and with adjustable ear loops for a comfy fit for all face sizes.

On the double, it’s time to get your kipper a Kuddle! Kip&Co have introduced to their range the coolest wearable craze: a planet hugging, super duper oversized hoodie, aka the Kuddle. Not only does this giant hug make you feel and look great, it’s made from recycled plastic water bottles, so unlike others out there, now you can warm up without warming up the planet.

bebeluxe.com.au @bebeluxe.aus

Stay cool in one of four signature Kip&Co prints, in two huggable sizes (small for 3 - 8 years and large for 9 years and up). Small is made of 35 recycled water bottles, and large is made of 60 recycled water bottles. Available exclusively online from September! kipandco.com.au

@kipandco

Cool kicks for kiddos Sisters Natalia and Aleksandra Miletic come from very different career backgrounds, but have managed to combine their expertise to create an innovative, sustainable and ‘cool’ kids shoe, literally from the ground up! Aleks, completed a degree in “Footwear and Fashion Accessory Design” at a leading Italian design University in Florence and Natalia, a Chiropractor, has a key interest in children’s health. “Natalia would constantly get asked by parents what shoes she recommended for kids,” Aleks told us. “When we did our research, we found there wasn’t much in the Australian market, especially for new walkers. The only thing we could find were soft soled shoes, which are great, but we didn’t find them durable enough. These parents were on the hunt for shoes under $100, that

wouldn’t break after a few wears...and of course they had to look cool”. Together, the sisters had the courage —in the midst of a global pandemic no Piccolini Sisters less— to create a Natalia & Aleksandra children’s footwear range that was not only developmentally supportive for children’s growing feet, but also forward in its design and sustainability. Piccolini shoes allow new walkers, active toddlers and early school children’s feet to grow and develop naturally, whilst still receiving support in all the right places! Every part of the shoe has been considered when it comes to supporting and maintaining comfort for little feet.

“We launched our first line in March 2021 and it has been a huge hit, selling out sooner than we anticipated”. Piccolini will launch their subsequent range in mid-October, introducing new styles and a fun multicolour high-top, and we just know they’re going to walk out the door! piccolinishoes.com.au @piccolinishoes

UNLEASH YOUR POTENTIAL! BOOK A FREE TRIAL TODAY! ballet jazz tap hip hop

contemporary singing acting acrobatics

musical theatre all boys classes private tuition from ages 2.5+

staracademy_adelaide staracademy5000 www.staracademy.com.au | 100 Grote Street, ADL 5000 | 8211 9384 /8

Primary School Education Reimagined No one is born with a “maths brain”, and no one is born without one Seymour College believes in the intelligence of every student, ensuring they thrive through the support and differentiation offered within their unique Junior School small group teaching and learning model. This innovative approach to primary school education is underpinned by the latest neuroscience surrounding brain flexibility and plasticity. This research has shown the incredible capacity of brains to grow and change in a really short space of time. Head of Junior School, Katharyn Cullen, firmly believes that, “any differences students are born with are transcended by a teacher's belief in their potential, their exposure to explicit teaching and the laying of strong foundations in English and Mathematics from as early as Reception. Our students respond to positive messages about their potential and ability. Therefore our approach to teaching and learning is underpinned by our belief in the intelligence of each and every one of our learners.”

are challenged, supported, and learning for extended periods of time, because we know that’s how girls learn best,” says Katharyn.

It’s all in the PREParation

“My group is quiet because there are not many people so the teacher can listen to me individually.”

As the springboard for their innovative teaching and learning model, Seymour College offers an exciting boutique Prep Program for 4-year-old girls. The carefully crafted curriculum develops each girl’s knowledge, identity, connection and wellbeing. Students engage in a range of early literacy and numeracy activities providing solid foundations and preparation for the commencement of school. This is achieved through intentional teaching moments, handson activities, play, investigations and trial and error. The Prep teachers identify specific opportunities unique to each child to challenge, collaborate, encourage and explain early literacy and numeracy concepts.

“It means that we can have one-on-one learning.”

Seymour Prep, Reception and Year 1 students love:

“My teacher can focus on everyone.”

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Taking part in instrumental lessons with lots of girls choosing violin or piano lessons from as early as 4 years old.

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Being involved in our French Enrichment Pathway. Currently, 11 Reception students benefit from learning a third language (Chinese lessons are already built into the timetable)

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Lunchtime Drama lessons, or after school Gym, Ballet or even Highland Dancing

To learn more about the benefits of Seymour’s small group model on girls’ learning, we asked the Seymour girls “I really love learning in small groups! It helps me ask questions easily and quickly!” “They are small, and you can focus on what you need to work on.” “l am learning lots more.” “I feel so comfortable and that my teachers will always care about me.”

Improving the achievement of girls A clear way of improving achievement and promoting equity as we future-proof girls, is to broaden the number of students who are given high level opportunities. Uniquely to Seymour’s Junior School, this is achieved through an individualised, targeted, supported, and connected small group model with specialist English and Mathematics teachers. Research states that any form of smallgrouping whether teacher-selected or mixed ability – is better than the traditional ‘whole class instruction’. Seymour Junior School girls work in small English and Mathematics groups for extended periods of time every day. “Individual growth and student success are monitored closely, with small groups ensuring that no child falls through the cracks or goes under the radar. Our girls

GIRLS First Seymour’s unique small group model puts GIRLS first, right from the beginning. It builds strong academic foundations, setting girls up for a future of success, and options. Underpinned by a culture of kindness and friendship, Seymour girls just simply love school!

To find out more about Seymour’s exciting and innovative Junior School, please contact Sally Penn on 8303 9000 or sjpenn@seymour.sa.edu.au

Small groups. Big impact. Seymour College’s ground-breaking small group model has reimagined primary school education. • Strong foundations in English and Mathematics • Expert teachers • Extended learning time • A culture of kindness and friendship To learn more, register for a personal tour of the Junior School with Sally Penn, Director of Enrolments and Community Relations, at sjpenn@seymour.sa.edu.au.

CRICOS No 00628G

KID D O F EATU RE

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DANCE BENEFITS FOR LITTLE PEOPLE

Not sure what class to do? Mini Program Ages 2.5-4 Ballet, Hip Hop Petite Program Ages 5-6 Ballet/Tap, Hip Hop, Singing, Jazz, Acrobatics, Musical Theatre Junior Program Ages 7-9 Ballet/Tap, Hip Hop, Singing, Jazz, Acrobatics, Acting, Musical Theatre Youth Program Ages 10+ Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, Singing, Jazz, Acrobatics, Acting, Contemporary, Musical Theatre Intermediate Program Ages 12+ Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary All Boys Program All ages Hip Hop, Singing, Acting What advice would you give to parents who have a child who loves to dance but is too shy to try? Have a go – bring your child to a complimentary trial lesson! Students may take a few weeks to settle into class but it does get easier and the more parents persevere the better the results. We find that by week three they are starting to get truly comfortable in their new environment, building friendships and developing relationships with our teachers. Classes are performed in a relaxed, non intimidating environment so that students feel safe and supported. We also find a buddy system works well, especially with the little ones!

There’s nothing better than seeing the joy of your little one twirling in circles or busting a move with the free abandon only children seem to possess… I mean, why walk when you can dance, right?! Getting kiddos into dance classes is about so much more than just dancing the right steps at the right time. We asked the team at Star Academy to talk us through what benefits can come from dance classes and why we should be signing up our kids to get their groove on. Tell us about the different dance styles offered at Star Academy? You name it, we dance it! We offer Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Tap, Acrobatics, Musical Theatre, Singing and Acting, with all classes available either in a group format and one on one. What are the benefits of dance classes for kids? There are so many benefits to getting your kids involved in dancing. They get to enjoy the fun, confidence, fitness, coordination, discipline, self esteem and friendships as well as having a safe space to express themselves (something we hold super dear). Dance fosters individuality and creativity as well as the obvious physical development of improved balance, flexibility, strength, stamina, endurance, agility. The benefits of dance are just endless! What kind of skills will parents see in their children? It’s about so much more than just the actual physical improvement in dance skills. Dance also teaches children resilience, confidence, perseverance and discipline. It encourages them to explore their creativity, build self esteem, improve time management and really understand the importance of teamwork, setting and reaching new goals.

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What’s the main philosophy at Star Academy? Star aims to release the inner potential of its students by providing quality education in all facets of performing arts in a safe and professional environment. We aspire to instill confidence, develop self esteem and build lifelong friendships for our participants, whether they wish to pursue a career in entertainment or just have fun and get fit! Star Academy 100 Grote St, Adelaide Staracademy.com.au @staracademy_adelaide

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MRS SUNSHINE LOVES Owner - Amy Zanotti

If you’ve ever wondered what a sunshiney rainbow would look like if it exploded itsmagical-self into a bonnie little boutique, then you just need to get yourself to The World’s Cutest Store (™) which just so happens to be in a happy corner of Goodwood. We’re talking about the most colourful collection of quirky bits and bobs and home to the most heavenly homewares you ever did see… at Mrs Sunshine Loves. “Colour is my jam and I’m obsessed with quirky things and homewares! I have always dreamt of owning my own little store which would be filled with colourful things that I really love and would want to style in my own home” Amy, owner of Mrs Sunshine Loves, told us. “The impact of COVID-19 has allowed me to think about my long term career goals and finally pursue my passion so I’m now a qualified florist and the owner of The World’s Cutest Store!”

Mr Sunshine Loves offers a truly unique shopping experience as the store is in a room of Amy’s Circa 1879 family bluestone cottage in Rosa Street Goodwood which she and her husband renovated over three and a half months in 2020. “I love to support independent artists and do my very best to source beautiful things that you don’t see in many other places”. Mrs Sunshine Loves is open Monday – Saturday including Thursday late night shopping and online. 6 Rosa St, Goodwood mrssunshineloves.com @mrssunshhineloves

Kids spend a lot of time in their school shoes, so it’s important they are comfy and well supported.

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O PINI O N

You can’t pour from an empty cup. It’s my take-out message for you in this issue of KIDDO focusing on health and wellbeing. WO R D S

—

be cc

o r se aM

I’m parenting three daughters through very different stages. If I’m not well-rested, hydrated and operating at optimum core strength they will eat me alive. Our youngest at 10 is relatively low maintenance. We just have to drag her off Tik Tok, find her lost library books and try to stop her walking into furniture as the clumsiest child to inhabit the earth. We did however discover the hard way that she does in fact require at least some degree of maintenance when I had to make an emergency hair appointment after her favoured top knot hairstyle sprouted a dreadlock that had to be cut out. Poor third child. The middle child has started high school and requires constant contact with her friends. As a result they are always on speaker when I walk into her room to yell at her to tidy it/ do her homework/unpack the dishwasher, meaning they all think I am constantly angry. Not far from the truth to be honest. Then there’s the biggest challenge. The year 12. This makes the newborn stage seem like a walk in the park. Although they both cry themselves to sleep. Here’s a tip to parenting a child through their final year of high school that you can have for free if this challenge is ahead of you…

The “I did Maths, Physics, Chemistry, English, Legal Studies so why are you so stressed with a couple of subjects and some sort of research project that I don’t understand?” argument is always met with a storm-off and door slam. Pointing out what time one’s 18 year old gets home from da club on a Saturday night when an assignment is due is also a no-go zone apparently. You’re welcome. In fact no experience that you have gained during your own life can be drawn upon as a parent of teenagers because they already know everything there is to know from watching the Insta-famous do unboxings.

What I need is sleep, exercise and alcohol-free days. Oh, and treats.

Comparing their experience to yours will not be well-received. So how do we look after our own health and wellbeing while we navigate these parenting challenges? Everywhere I look the advice is to journal and meditate. I have tried meditation. I understand the benefits and I’d like to persevere. But I can’t keep my mind clear for even a minute. It’s VERY busy in there. Then there’s the journaling. I kept a diary as a kid that pretty much just listed whose friend’s house I wanted to have a sleepover at. These days they call that manifesting. Mindfulness and gratitude I get. I just don’t feel the need to write it down. / 12

You have to find what works for you and not what Oprah or Gwyneth’s latest guru tells you works. What I need is sleep, exercise and alcohol-free days. Oh, and treats. Sleep is the toughest box to tick for me, working breakfast radio hours. But watch me nap for Australia. That’s my meditation. Exercise has always been a big part of my life. I know how bloody annoying that sounds, sorry. It’s ok, I don’t do it every day, I’m not a monster. But on the days when I force myself to do it I never regret it. They’re onto something with that endorphin gear. As for alcohol-free days, well that’s selfexplanatory if not always achievable. Then there’s the treats. I found myself home alone for an hour on a rare Sunday afternoon recently. The washing and dishes were done. Also rare. Thanks to Nicola’s lockdown tips my drawers were decluttered. I lit a candle that smelled like success, hopped under a blanket with some salt and vinegar chips and watched The White Lotus. If I had a gratitude journal that would have gone to the top of the list for sure. So whatever it is you need to fill up your cup, do that. Do it without guilt or excuses or explanations. Be unapologetic about the volume of your cup.

X e s r o M Rebecca

@rebeccamorse107

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l Dir e c t or O

Dino Mennillo said the expansion of this third site was realised because of the sheer numbers of families in the community seeking therapy options from trusted organisations. “The need for OT services is higher than ever, with more than 41,000 active NDIS participants residing in South Australia and approximately 2000 providers trying to service them. These numbers are huge, and it would be easy for organisations to base their business model on this demand alone. “In our business, the purpose is to help as many children and young adults learn the skills needed to thrive within our communities and be the best versions of themselves they can be. We want to make a difference through influencing their lives positively by creating possibilities that weren’t there before” he said.

Customised approach The needs of young people with special needs vary throughout their life span. Critical to the success of any therapeutic approach is also understanding the specific requirements of each individual person. “A cookie cutter therapeutic approach only goes so far in helping our young people with disabilities, learning difficulties, sensory concerns or behavioural issues – at the OTFC Group we want to do more than that. It’s why we have created and invested in globally recognised certified programs, research, and our customised therapy equipment and spaces,” Dino said.

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The OTFC Group have recently launched their $5M Occupational Therapy (OT) facility in Parkside, making them one of the biggest and most dynamic private service providers in the country.

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New OTFC facility in Parkside

CREATING POSSIBILITIES

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A collaborative effort

State of the art facilities

The OTFC Group has an open-door policy to parents, other OTs around the globe, medical and allied health professionals, educators and anyone else wanting to thrive in this industry.

The OTFC Group currently paves the way in Occupational Therapy services not only in South Australia, but across the country with custom state of the art facilities, intensive professional development for their team, educators and other allied health professionals.

“We collaborate with schools and other allied health professionals and welcome them to spend the day with us at our practices to understand our therapeutic approach and the outcomes we are working towards.

In our business, the purpose is to help as many children and young adults learn the skills needed to thrive within our communities and be the best versions of themselves they can be. We want to make a difference through influencing their lives positively by creating possibilities that weren’t there before.

“We always strive to reinvent ourselves with each new practice and we can only do this through robust collaborations with like-minded people and organisations. We are here to service our families and that means ensuring anyone working in this industry within all three therapy spaces has access to ideas, training, research, supervision and professional development opportunities,” he said.

They have designed and created equipment and are in the process of entering the manufacturing market to help OT’s and schools globally access the equipment that is essential to their therapy.

Child led therapy They use Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy method – a globally trademarked and celebrated treatment that has an emphasis on ‘child led’ therapy and is researched worldwide in treating children with various complex developmental conditions including Autism Spectrum Disorder. OTFC celebrates a culture that continually reinvents itself to always do better, have created practical initiatives to combat long wait times that can be experienced across the industry, like; quality free information, informative podcasts and video explainers, worksheets for parents to do at home with their kids, group therapies and other initiatives to give parents peace of mind as a trusted source. The Parkside facility will help to reduce wait times and see more children and young people assessed and engaged in therapeutic programs in the clinics, the schools and the community. This new $5M dynamic and purposebuilt facility in Parkside joins the other two sites in Mile End and Adelaide with a total investment of $11m across all three sites Adelaide, Parkside and Mile End. otfcgroup.com.au @otfcgroup

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Hours of fun with a Westfield kids pass WORDS – Carla Caruso

Let Westfield help you entertain your kiddos and enjoy hours of fun with the newly launched Westfield Kids Pass. That’s right, Westfield Kids Passes are HERE, just in time for school holidays, with offerings across all three Westfield centres giving you access to all the entertainment and dining options you and your crew could ever need (and a few more for good measure)! We sent resident KIDDO reviewer Carla along with her twin boys to take some Kids Passes for a spin at their local Westfield. Shopping centres are my happy place. But I never realised exactly how much fun they could be until I went on an epic adventure at Westfield with my twins. Westfield has just unveiled new Kids Passes, which let you unlock a world of entertainment and delicious food offers at a discounted bundled rate. They make the perfect school holiday treat and birthday gift. Each Westfield – Marion, Tea Tree Plaza, and West Lakes – offers different specials with its passes. We headed to Tea Tree Plaza for our escapade and here’s what’s included there.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN First, we stopped in at the Concierge Desk (located on level 2 near Harris Scarfe) to pick up the boys’ passes. They were pretty excited to have them in their hot, little hands and see just what was ahead of them that day. Each Westfield TTP pass costs just $35, though is valued at over $64. Wowza.

SWEETS AND TREATS You don’t need to trek to the city to enjoy Blackeby’s Old Sweet Shop. There’s one right at TTP. Alessio and Sebastian were in ‘Willy Wonka’ heaven, displaying their pass in exchange for an assorted lolly bag. Blackebys is steeped in history. In 1883, William A. Blackeby was the first indentured apprentice to be registered in SA in any trade at just 14. His trade was confectionery. Three generations of the Blackeby family have since worked at the company and many of its early lines are still produced, like coconut ice, rainbow jellies, toasted marshmallow, and rocky road. Also available are British sweets, American candies, and Dutch liquorice. Yum! / 14

KI D D O F EATU RE

MUNCH TIME

ENTERTAINMENT

After the sweet treat, we headed to Grill’d, in the dining precinct, for lunch. Bonus: ‘Healthy Burgers’ is in its name.

After Alessio and Seb had run around the covered playground, it was time to catch a flick. Each TTP Kids Pass includes a child’s movie voucher.

Grill’d prides itself on fresh, local ingredients, RSPCA-approved chicken, and Aussie grass-fed beef and lamb. As its site says, “No cages, no nasties, no added hormones, no exceptions.” Tick, tick.

We’d been wanting to see Disney’s Cruella for a while. (Hello, Emma Stone.) So, off we went to HOYTS Cinemas a hop, skip and a jump away.

Thanks to the Kids Passes, the boys got to tuck into a Dynamic Duo (a chicken or beef burger with chips).

Our lolly bags from Blackeby’s came in handy, though you can also stock up on extras at HOYTS’ open-plan Treat City.

They also enjoyed getting to pick a community group to give a token to. With every burger ordered, a Local Matters token is handed over for you to drop in the jar of your choice. At the month’s end, $500 is donated by the eatery, split between the groups ($300 for first and $100 for second and third). Nice.

The movie was a visual feast, and better yet, we got to absorb it all from plush, reclining seats. HOYTS Tea Tree Plaza has powered recliners in every seat of every cinema! It also boasts big sound and vision with HOYTS Xtremescreen (waaaay better than our loungeroom).

The movie was a visual feast, and better yet, we got to absorb it all from plush, reclining seats.

D A Y, SE E R T

LAY! ,P

WESTFIELD Kids Pass for the October School Holidays WESTFIELD MARION

Kids Pass: $40 (Valued at $68) • • • • •

Event Cinemas: 1 x children’s general movie ticket and a small popcorn Bowland: 1 x game of bowling and shoe hire and 2 x tokens for the arcade games Grill’d: 1 x Mini Me Meal (choice of beef or grilled chicken mini-burger with small chips and drink) San Churro: 1 x Churros for One with a milk chocolate dip cup Funworks Lolly Shop: 1 x Kids Lollybag

Westfield Plus Member bonus: Choice of a LEGO Kit or Fidget Popper

WESTFIELD TEA TREE PLAZA

Kids Pass: $35 (Valued at $64)

JUST DESSERTS The day wasn’t done yet! On a high from the movie, the boys got to cleanse their palates with double-scoop ice creams from Golden North. (I was a little full, so just went for a single scoop!) What’s especially awesome is Golden North has been proudly South Australian made and owned for over 95 years. It’s been producing ice cream at the same factory in the tiny town of Laura since 1923. The premium ice cream’s made from the highest quality, locally sourced ingredients, and is free of palm oil, gluten, and nuts. Yay. I’d highly recommend the sorbets – mango, raspberry, or lemon … take your pick! They totally hit the spot. Golden North is also known for its delish hot dogs, shakes, ice cream cakes, smoothies, and more. For the final stop on our epic quest, we dropped by CupKates Desserts. For a take-home, after-dinner treat, the boys scored a four-pack of cupcakes, care of their Kids Passes.

Established in 2018, CupKates Desserts Bakehouse is all about making your oldschool favourites from quality, local ingredients – importantly, by hand. The namesake ‘Kate’ has been a qualified chef for over 12 years, with a background in French and Italian fine dining. She’s passionate about sharing how rewarding it can be making something from scratch.

• • •

• •

HOYTS: 1 x child movie voucher Grill’d: Dynamic Duo: Chicken or beef burger with chips Blackeby’s Old Sweet Shop: Assorted lolly bag including Candy watch, Vimto Chew Bar, Sweet World Fairy Floss, Wacky Bubblegum tape, and more Golden North: Double-scoop ice cream cone CupKates Desserts: 4-pack of cupcakes

Cupcake flavours range from Caramilk hokey-pokey to red velvet, funfetti, Biscoff, and Oreo. Drool. The store also does cheesecakes, chocolates, tarts, fudge, and even handcrafted doggy treats. (I’ll be returning to the store for a Louis Vuitton-themed cookie ASAP.)

Westfield Plus Member bonus: Fidget Toy

What a day! And so close to home!

• •

As you can see, for an abundance of dining, cinema, and quick-stop options, you can’t go past a Westfield Kids Pass. Limited quantities are available, so get in quick.

WESTFIELD WEST LAKES

Kids Pass: $30 (Valued at $47) •

• • •

Reading Cinema: Ticket with a small popcorn Cafe Brunelli: Kids’ meal Boost Juice: Kids’ sized Boost Juice including a kids’ cup San Churro: Churros for One Baker’s Delight: 1 x finger bun Charlesworth Nuts: Lotsa lollies lolly bag

Westfield Plus Member bonus: Fidget Toy

WESTFIELD PLUS MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

If you’re a Westfield Plus Member you can redeem a bonus gift by showing your Member ID at Concierge when you purchase your Kids Pass. Not a member? Simply download the Westfield Plus app. For more information about the Westfield Kids Pass: westfield.com.au/marion westfield.com.au/teatreeplaza westfield.com.au/westlakes

KID D O F EATU RE

/ 15

BLACKFRIARS

Early Learning Centre Giving boys and girls a head start on their education. Children at Blackfriars Priory School’s Early Learning Centre are benefitting from a vital head start to their school life. Blackfriars’ ELC is a key part of the Prospect school, offering boys and girls, aged from 3, a unique opportunity to access specialist staff and facilities in the areas of music, art, drama, physical education, ICT, languages and sciences. Acting director Jacqui Ballestrin said the collaboration between the ELC and the rest of the school made good sense. “Our ELC students get to experience all the great things the wider school has to offer,” Mrs Ballestrin said. “Whether that is science in the Secondary School labs, music, art or drama, sport, or just a visit to the library, our children have access to specialist staff and facilities across Blackfriars. “It’s a pretty special thing to be able to offer our ELC boys and girls.”

A smoother transition Mrs Ballestrin said the connection the ELC students had to the older Blackfriars students also made the eventual transition to school much easier.

“The ELC boys and girls have spent time with the students in the Primary School and the Secondary School,” she said. “They have friends from the Primary School who look out for them and, even if their schooling journey takes them to another school, they have developed a real understanding of how to relate to, and work with, the older students. “That first day of ‘big school’ is then far less daunting than it may otherwise be. It’s so important for a young person to have that positive transition to school.

Our ELC students get to experience all the great things the wider school has to offer “For those boys staying at Blackfriars, they are familiar with the campus, the classrooms and the teachers.” Every ELC student is presented with a “Blackfriars Hound” toy, to symbolise their belonging in the Blackfriars family.

Collaboration in action The ELC is not simply a pre-school on a school site – it is an integral part of the Blackfriars community with connections across the campus. For example, as part of National Science Week, ELC students joined a Year 11 chemistry class. The students – little and not-so-little – learnt about static electricity, with the help of a Van de Graaff generator and a special “wand”. They were also shown some colourful Bunsen burner flames and learnt how they related to fireworks. Then there was the “Elephants’ Toothpaste” – a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, food colouring and dishwashing liquid that produced spectacular, volcanic-like results. The ELC students also worked with the Year 11 boys to create colourful chromatography butterflies, which the younger students took home as a memory of their day. / 16

Register for a personal tour to discover the wonder of Blackfriars’ Early Learning Centre for yourself. “It’s great for our students to be able to be part of something like National Science Week in a secondary school environment like that,” Mrs Ballestrin said. “It’s just one of the many ways the Blackfriars’ ELC helps children explore, investigate and discover through play while preparing them for ‘big school’ life.” The ELC students visit the school library, have access to the oval and are part of whole-school events and celebrations.

A special space Blackfriars’ Early Learning Centre is located in a spectacularly renovated church hall in the south-west of the school’s Prospect campus. It has three learning spaces, each with a qualified teacher and a qualified education support officer. With a broad curriculum developed using the Reggio Emilia approach, the children enjoy learning through play, investigation and exploration. It offers programs for boys and girls, aged 3-5, including pre-school, early and late care and vacation care. The Federal Child Care Subsidy enables the ELC to offer reduced fees to families. The ELC is also Inclusion Aware Centre certified, meaning it has consistent and considered thought about environments, resources and planning to support children and families with a diverse range of abilities, interests and backgrounds.

For more information: elc.blackfriars.sa.edu.au KID D O F E ATU RE

Get ready to blast off at Beam Camp. Have you got a STEM superstar or a coding whiz looking to keep their brain busy and stretch their science skills in the school holidays? Look no further than Beam Camp, an innovative, out of this world school holiday camp run by the education team at Lumination! Suitable for kids aged 7-12, Beam Campers are introduced to a new world of imagination, innovation and creativity by expert leaders in the field. They’ll make new friends while building digital literacy, problem solving and design thinking— skills that will be vital for their future. At Beam Camp, kids will soar past the boundaries of everyday life while exploring coding, immersive virtual reality, robotics and drones. Beam Campers even get a chance to make extended reality creations of their very own!

Beam Campers will build their own base model rover, design their own add-ons and get familiar with how the vehicle operates, before using their rover to perform essential tasks in their very own space colony! This includes collecting rock samples for testing, driving up to the communications tower to send a message to home base, and transporting vital water, food and first aid supplies to the residential areas.

Red Planet Rescue Drone Coding Camp At Red Planet Rescue drone coding camp, campers will navigate their own drone around the model Mars colony using block coding, learning core concepts such as iteration, functions and variables while they’re at it! It’s all about teaching students to explore, empathise and ideate.

by people who like the same things as me... space and science and intergalactic adventures! core concepts like functions, variables and iteration, campers will continue growing their block coding skills so they can add even more interactivity to their virtual space colony.

Countdown to Mars Robotics Camp

Once projects are ready for launch, campers will be hooked up with the immersive VR tech so they can step into their space colony and experience it as if they were really there.

Strap yourselves in for a mission to Mars! At Countdown to Mars, Beam Campers are hired to design a new vehicle for travelling around on the rocky surface of the red planet! Campers will learn all about rovers and be asked to consider things like fuel source, weight, durability, size, special features, flexibility and which characteristics of Mars would present issues for a surface exploration vehicle.

Race Through Time & Space Game Development Camp

The Beam Camp team will introduce campers to a core problem: Humans are outgrowing Earth and have been terraforming Mars in an attempt to carve out a new home for our species. But we've overdone it! We accidentally melted too much ice on the big red planet; a flood is imminent. Students are given scaled maps of the colony on Mars and asked to predict what might happen when it floods, explore the implications of the emergency on the humans living on Mars (considering safety, rescue, food, communication and more) and have to work together to brainstorm, problem solve and plan what their emergency response could be using drones.

Beyond 2021 Virtual Reality Coding Camp At Beyond 2021 VR coding camp, campers will use fully immersive virtual reality technology to explore the solar system and beyond and discover what challenges will be facing the colonists of the future. The best way to learn is to experience things for yourself, so campers will code and create their own space colony before stepping inside their virtual world. By looking at

KID D O F EATU RE

I loved being surrounded

Calling all gamers! At Beam Camp’s twoday game development experience, kids will develop their Roblox game design skills and be tasked with bringing their creative vision to life. They’ll add details and hidden challenges to their environment to create the ultimate game experience, picking up problem solving, coding and 3D modelling skills along the way! After navigating their way through time and space to create their own racing Roblox game, they’ll test out, play and share their game with their Beam Camp buddies.

What to expect at Beam Camp Camps run from 9.00am to 3.30pm, with drop off from 8.30am onwards. Each day includes 30 minutes for recess and 60 minutes for lunch, so your bright spark has plenty of time to eat, relax, and play with their new friends! Each Beam Camp is run by passionate educators who will make sure you have an awesome experience and learn lots of new skills! Camps are led by qualified teachers and university tutors, and all staff have first aid training and current working with children checks. Ready for Mission Launch? Book now for school holidays: beamcamp.com.au @beamcampau

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O PINI O N

WORD ON THE STREET Noticing your child’s career interests early When it comes to jobs, skills and the future, South Australian children have told me there are three key things that matter to them most – getting a good job, helping others, and keeping on learning. These responses are significant in that they tell a story about the understanding primary school children have of their place in the world, how important work will become in their lives, and what they understand it means to belong to a community that has each other's interests at heart.

With Helen Connolly Commissioner for Children and Young People My Student Voice Postcard initiative is currently being rolled out across South Australia. So that I can find out what matters to them most, I’ve been asking South Australian children aged 8 – 12 years to respond to four key questions about their lives. One of these relates to what job they would like to do ‘when they grow up’. Their responses reveal more needs to be done to balance some old gender biases, but also that they’re already thinking about what career will suit them best.

South Australian children have told me there are three key things that matter to them most – getting a good job, helping others, and keeping on learning. South Australian children have told me they want to work in sports, with animals, in education and teaching, and in art, design and creativity. They’re also very interested to work in health and STEM areas. They wrote about wanting to become police officers, firefighters and paramedics, so that they could help people feel safe, especially after environmental disasters such as the summer bushfires. Others told me they want to build things, be creative, and fix problems to make people happy.

Gendered differences, stereotypes, and expectations were reflected in children’s broader aspirations around their future family and working lives. Girls were more likely to write about “being mums” and wanting to “prove” that women can be successful, while boys were more likely to want to be athletes, farmers, tradies and builders, engineers, YouTubers or gamers. Although a higher proportion of boys wanted to be YouTubers and gamers, being a YouTuber also came in the top ten job aspirations for girls. Many parents might be surprised to know that children start thinking about their careers so early. Their ideas come from interactions they have with adults working in different settings – health providers, educators, law enforcement, sports coaches, art and performance teachers. Their choices are impacted by what parents, teachers and other adults tell them they’re good at, what they themselves think they’re good at, and what captures their imagination as they navigate the hyperconnected, fast-paced world they find themselves growing up in. Parents and grandparents have a huge influence on what children see as worthwhile work. Providing them with exposure and information about what is involved in different careers early can really help set young imaginations on fire. ccyp.com.au @ccyp_sa

Top 10 tips to being a

WINNING DAD Wanna be a winning dad? There’s now a manual for that, thanks to Symon Jarowyj! It didn’t take long for Symon Jarowyj to realise he didn’t feature high on his daughter’s popularity list. Despite being primary nappy changer during the first six weeks of Neko’s life during his partner Natalie’s recovery from a caesarean, the Grace Emily pub part-owner soon learnt that when it comes to a kid’s priorities, it’s 1) mum, and then 2) everyone else.

He started to think it would actually make a pretty funny book, something for expectant dads to have to prepare for what was coming. “I liked the idea of a manual that was illustrated to look like an airport emergency landing card – something small and tonguein-cheek, but something half-serious that identified those areas for dads on how they could do a better job,” Symon says.

“I was getting a bit jealous and thinking, I’m not even in the top two in popularity anymore! So I started jotting down ideas of ways I could make things around the house more fun for her so she’d think I was a bit less boring.” As Symon’s list grew, chats with punters over the bar revealed more stark lessons dads learn in their little ones’ first years of life. / 18

Being a Dad begins in the first trimester not at birth.

If you have a 2 door car, sell and replace with something “family orientated”.

Shopping for baby gear requires compulsory attendance.

Make sure vehicles always have more than half a tank of petrol so mum need not concern herself with this task.

When in public make sure you keep an eye on surroundings just in case you need to deal with a nappy blowout.

If heating milk, always check temperature before giving to child.

Try and turn household chores into fun or else your kids may think you are boring.

Keep an eye on Grandma and Grandpa. They don’t love you as much anymore and are targeting to be very popular with your kids.

Nothing wrong with using 15 baby wipes to get that tush super clean.

THE WINNING DAD MANUAL RRP $10.95

“When Neko was about two I started realising that whenever my mum or mother-in-law would come over, she’d show a lot more excitement than when I came home from work,” Symon explains.

Symon gives us his Top 10 Tips to being a winning dad!

Enter The Winning Dad Manual. It’s the 60-page life saver for any newly anointed father. With straight-forward instructions that take you from baby bump to toddler phase, this illustrated guide book prepares dads (and mums) for the little known battles that present themselves in parenthood. The light weight and slim shape of The Winning Dad Manual fits snugly in your shirt or jacket pocket to go with you wherever the dad adventure takes you. @thewinningdadmanual thewinningdadmanual.com

10. Purchase the winning dad manual.

There have been a lot of career highs for leading legal firm Partner Amy Nikolovski. From being made Partner, to Managing Partner at DBH and President of the SA Law Society, Amy’s worked hard to make it happen... But her proudest career achievement to date has been the positive impact she’s had on the legal profession by bringing change to the industry with respect to sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination. Amy has been a staunch advocate for women in business and law in all aspects of her professional life, having chaired the sexual harrassment, bullying and discrimination working group of the Law Society and subsequently seeing recommendations she pushed in her term of Presidency resulting in real change for the profession. All the while starting a family and occasionally waking up with a little foot in her face. We chat with Amy about the pressure on women to have children, the expectation versus reality of being a working mum and her advice to other women working in law.

As you were progressing through life and career goals, did you feel pressure to have babies? I definitely felt pressure to have babies as I progressed through my life and career goals. My husband and I started dating when I was 16, and got married in 2009, shortly after I turned 27, the pressure was almost immediate. What made it worse was that we had difficulty conceiving, and it felt like every person that I encountered would ask me about when I was planning to have babies, little did they know the struggle I was dealing with. Eventually after 6 years of trying I fell pregnant with my son with the help of IVF at 36 years old, and almost as soon as he was born, people were at me again about when I would have another. As a woman of a certain age, it is like there is no reprieve from baby making!

How would you describe the 'expectation vs reality' of having a baby and being a working mother? I had my son during my Presidential term in 2019, when I was President of the Law Society of South Australia. I look back now and am still unsure how I got through that year, on next to no sleep, traveling all over Australia with a breastfed babe in arms.

O N VS I T A T C XE PE

PRO F IL E

Lawyer Mum

Y T I AL

I have been very lucky though, my mum is an absolute godsend, she looks after Niko and even travelled with me as my “nanny” as did my two sisters in 2019 when I had my first interstate trip to speak at a National Conference in Port Douglas when he was only 9 weeks old. They say it takes a village, and I have been very lucky to have the support of my village over the last two years to be able to support me and my journey as a working mum. My husband also retired in late February 2021, to be a full time stay at home dad, which has again provided more flexibility to me. Being your own boss also makes a difference, in that I was able to work from home (before we were all working from home post covid), and really pick my own hours, which not all mums have the luxury of. I am very fortunate to have a really strong support network around me and supportive Partners, who have not seen my young child as a hindrance to my ability to be a leader and a top lawyer.

having a little person means sometimes you just have to move at toddler speed, and that’s ok What has becoming a mother has taught you? Patience. I have never been one to have a lot of patience, my A-type personality meant that I was constantly on the go, however having a little person means sometimes you just have to move at toddler speed, and that’s ok, not everything has to happen immediately or be perfect all the time.

What’s the most rewarding thing about being a mum? Seeing him grow, from his first smile, to crawling, his first steps and first words, I look at him and still can’t believe I grew him inside of me. The sense of love and pride is overwhelming some days.

What advice would you give to other women in law thinking about motherhood? Do it! Don’t let your career get in the way of having a family, the law will always be there, but your opportunity to have a family may not.

What’s your proudest career achievement? Seeing a shift in the profession—that I have played a role in—has been inspiring, to know that future women won’t or will be less likely to suffer from the sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination which was running rampant when I first joined the profession.

What does being a trailblazer mean to you? I actually feel uncomfortable with that term, I think I am just doing my part as a woman in a position of power. I am aware of the privilege that I have and want to ensure as many women are able to access the same opportunities that I have had available to me.

QUICK DRAW WITH AMY I can’t live without... Niko, coffee and my phone! My morning starts with... usually with a tiny foot in the face (yes I co-sleep, it's the only way I get any sleep!)

Have you found your negotiating and communication skills being a lawyer has helped to manage a toddler?

Female role model... in the law, my friend the honourable Judge Jo-Anne Deuter.

Ah, no! He wins every argument, because can you really negotiate with a toddler? Maybe as he gets a little older my skills will become more useful, but as it currently stands, Niko is in charge, I am just his lowly handmaiden!

My legacy will be... at 39, it is still being written.

Women are... powerful.

@lawyermum_sa / 19

Giving mother nature a helping hand With over a decade helping South Australian families and with a hand in more than 2000 babies being welcomed into the world, the team at Fertility SA understand making the decision to have a child is one of the biggest steps people take in their lives. One that doesn’t always go exactly to plan for one reason or another. Living through a once in a lifetime pandemic has led many women and couples to consider their options and what they want in life. While we’ve been in lockdown Fertility SA have continued their dedicated mission to offer the right treatment for patients, acknowledging that everyone has a different journey and completely individualised treatment plans are the best way forward. This means honest and intelligent advice about the treatment options, costs and potential success. There are many causes of infertility for both men and women and at Fertility SA specialists work with you to give you the best possible chance of conceiving a healthy baby, as well as options to think about before you even start trying.

FREEZING YOUR EGGS FOR LATER You can choose the option to freeze your eggs even without having a life partner in tow or knowing exactly what the future holds. If you’re a single woman in your 30s still searching for Mr or Ms Right, you’ve probably been asked “when are you going to settle down and have kids!?” more times than you care to remember. Trying to find your match can be stressful, particularly if you’re holding out for someone special to start a family with. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help that time isn’t on your side. As a woman, your chance of having a baby decreases with age. Your most fertile years are when you’re in your early to mid twenties, after which, your fertility begins to decline. Despite the huge advances in technology our basic biology hasn’t changed. Women are born with all the eggs we are ever going to have and they reduce in number every year. Egg quality also starts to reduce around the age of 32 and then more rapidly after 35. By 40, it’s quite difficult to have a baby using your own eggs and there's a higher risk of pregnancy complications as well. Increasingly, this important health message is getting out there and women are making appointments to see their doctors to talk about options to preserve their fertility. Options include planning to have a baby without a partner (through the use of donor sperm), or more commonly, freezing eggs for when the right partner does come along. The decision to use fertility preservation treatment, or to create a family without a partner is a complex one, and no good fertility clinic will embark on treatment lightly.

FERTILITY TREATMENT If you haven’t been successful in conceiving naturally or you’d like to look into your fertility before you start trying, Fertility SA have specialist doctors you can talk to about the way forward.

1 in 25 Australian births is the result of IVF

/ 20

Offering a range of services from low impact intervention, IVF and ICSI treatments, fertility preservation as well as counselling services and genetic testing, Fertility SA specialists will look at your unique circumstances and help you make the plan that suits your situation.

If it is taking you longer to fall pregnant than expected, specialists are able to discuss each unique situation and making an appointment is the next step. At Fertility SA your first appointment will be with an expert fertility specialist.

PLANNING FOR PREGNANCY Optimising health before you’re pregnant is an increasingly important factor in improving the chances of natural conception. Lifestyle choices can make a big difference! Considering both partner’s current lifestyles and making even small adjustments can drastically improve chances of a healthy pregnancy. Making a baby at home is obviously a lot more fun than having to face the ‘rollercoaster’ of fertility treatments! Sometimes all it takes is the correct advice and being as healthy as you can be. It’s not rocket science and it may be boring – but simple things like eating well and getting regular exercise are essential. More and more research shows that the health of parents in the months leading up to conception not only impacts on the health of their child, but also on the health of the next generation as well. Sperm and eggs take three months to fully develop – so it’s ideal to really work on lifestyle for the months before trying to conceive. Fertility SA can help guide you on some of the changes you might need to make to your lifestyle to improve your chances of success. To find out more about the clinic: Level 9, 431 King William Street. 8100 2900 fertilitysa.com.au @fertilitysa KID D O F E ATU RE

PoppiE Study Q&A SAHMRI Senior Research Fellow and Midwife, Dr Karen Best, has dedicated her career to helping women and children through pregnancy as both a clinician and a researcher. These days she spends her time striving to find the answers to help women give birth to healthier babies.

A: PoppiE is the first randomised controlled trial to look at the amount of iodine in supplements for pregnant women who may be getting enough iodine from their food intake. This study will provide the evidence we need to pinpoint how much iodine women should be taking during pregnancy to help with baby’s brain and nervous system development.

This study will provide the evidence we need to pinpoint how much iodine women should be taking during pregnancy to help with baby’s brain and nervous system development.

Q: Why is it so important to investigate this?

Q: What’s the criteria?

KIDDO caught up with Dr Best to find out about the PoppiE Study, a one of a kind trial aiming to discover the optimal level of iodine pregnant women should consume to assist with baby brain development

Q: What’s special about the PoppiE Study?

A: Finding out the ideal amount of iodine to have during pregnancy is important because studies have shown that not getting enough iodine can lead to lower developmental scores in children, as can having too much iodine.

A: Women must be less than 13 weeks of pregnancy in order to take part. This is because iodine intake can start to make an impact in early pregnancy.

Recent studies suggest that some women get enough iodine from the food they eat and may not need the amount of iodine in common prenatal supplements. More is not always better, we need to find out what the optimal amount of iodine is for pregnant women.

A: Firstly, just scan the QR code on this article and it’ll take you to the SAHMRI website to answer a few questions about your pregnancy.

Q: How many participants are you looking for? A: We’re looking for 750 women from around Australia to join the study and we’re really eager to hear from potential participants as soon as possible!

KID D O F EATU RE

Q: How do we check if we’re eligible?

If your answers meet the study criteria, you’ll then be asked to fill out a 10-minute online food frequency questionnaire that estimates how much iodine you have in your diet based on what you eat. We’ll notify you straight away of what your iodine intake is and if it’s above 165 micrograms per day, SAHMRI will contact you to explain the study and ask if you’re willing to take part.

Q: What does participation in the study involve? A: We’ve made it really simple and straight forward to be involved. There are no face to face visits until your baby is 24 months of age. Women who enrol will be given prenatal multivitamin supplements (similar to leading brands) with a standard amount of iodine or a reduced amount of iodine, to take daily until they give birth. They will be asked to answer some questions via text message or phone call as their pregnancy progresses and then every 6 months until their baby is 24 months. We will ask mums to bring their baby to a clinic for a developmental assessment when they’re 24 months of age. We will reimburse families for their attendance and give them a report of the assessment.

Q: What would you say to those who might be on the fence about signing up? A: Please don’t underestimate the difference you can make! The reason we’re able to continually improve health outcomes for mothers and babies is due to the willingness of people to take part in important studies like this one. By taking part in PoppiE you’re really helping us gather the evidence we need to be able to safely guide women and children towards the kind of healthier future we all want.

Scan this code

to check if the PoppiE iodine study is right for you

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H E A LTH

Sleep tips for tired Mums Quality and quantity

WORDS Brooke Michell Lead Psychologist at Calm Space Psychology and Mum of 4

The arrival of children in our lives impacts us in so many ways, most of them really wonderful! An area that people are often nervous about is the impact of children on their sleep. Research tells us that 40% of people with young children report poor sleep because of their children. When we have a newborn baby we expect that our sleep will be disturbed, but we may not feel so accommodating of this as our children get older! So whilst parenting is a 24-hour a day position, there are absolutely things we can do to help our children sleep well, and also to maximise our own sleep as parents.

Sleep well and everything else follows Sleep is an absolutely fundamental part of our overall health and wellbeing. When we sleep well we support our immune function, our brain function and our emotional wellbeing. Poor sleep makes us more vulnerable to anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. Sleep also interacts with our diet by impacting the hormones that control our appetite. Research has shown that when we are sleep-deprived we crave different types of food to when we are well-rested. This may not come as a surprise, but the kinds of food we crave when we are exhausted are not of the leafy green variety! And having enough energy to exercise is often contingent on the quality of sleep we achieve. After a terrible night’s sleep, who feels like going for a run? According to Matthew Walker, Neuroscientist and Sleep Researcher, ‘Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day’.

To maximise the benefits of sleep, it’s important to give ourselves the opportunity to achieve a good sleep. This means sleep of good quality and also the ideal quantity. Aim for 8 hours of continuous sleep each night; this has been shown to be the right amount of sleep for the vast majority of adults. This may not always be possible, but keep this as your goal! The first 3 to 4 hours of our sleep is where we experience our deepest and most restorative sleep, so ideally this sleep is uninterrupted.

Bedtime routines are important for adults too To prepare your mind and body for sleep it's helpful to develop a consistent, relaxing and enjoyable routine in the lead up to bedtime. We know about the benefits of creating bedtime routines for our children, but may not realise the value of this for ourselves! A nightly ritual is a wonderful way to wind down in preparation for sleep. We love quiet activities, a warm bath, a cup of herbal tea and reading in bed before lights out. These nightly rituals help our brain to enter a calm state, which in turns allows our biological sleep drives to work their magic.

Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day The ideal sleeping environment for adults looks a little different to that for children. While children may feel more comfortable sleeping in a room with a night-light so that they can orientate themselves when they wake up, find their comfort object/dummy etc, adults sleep better in a dark room. Being exposed to natural light after waking up in the morning is also useful to help regulate our circadian rhythm (body clock). It is important not to overheat your bedroom; a temperature of around 180C is ideal for adults. Think cooler bedroom and warmer bed, layering with blankets and bedding in winter. We also know that maintaining a consistent bedtime and morning wake time is better for our bodies. While sleep-ins are lovely and feel so luxurious as a parent, they can confuse our circadian rhythm. So where possible, try to keep your bedtimes and wake times to within a half-hour range.

A nightly ritual is a wonderful way to wind down in preparation for sleep.

Switch off

If you are struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep overnight, there are some simple changes that can help. Research shows us that the light from screens can interfere with the production of our sleepy hormone, melatonin, so we recommend avoiding all screens in the hour before bed. The other things to avoid before bedtime are strenuous exercise, alcohol, and large meals. Avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening can also help us fall asleep more quickly, as caffeine overrides the feelings of tiredness we experience as our bedtime approaches, tricking the brain into staying alert. Removing clocks from bedrooms can help those who feel anxious about falling asleep and find themselves monitoring the time. Clockwatching often increases the anxiety around sleep, which in turn impacts on the ability to fall asleep. We need a calm mind to sleep! Be assured that for both you and your children, sleep is something that can be improved. Poor sleep doesn't need to be a chronic condition! There are some wonderful resources online, along with some fabulous professionals who specialise in improving sleep for children and adults. It is worth prioritising sleep as a really important part of our wellbeing and mental health. Calm Space Psychology is a therapeutic haven dedicated to infusing calm into your mind, body and life with a proven approach to sleeping and living well. Sleep is their specialty. The team’s responsive and proactive approach to improving sleep acknowledges that the skill of sleep is a basic human need fundamental to creating a life-long, contented mind space. calmspacepsychology.com.au @calmspacepsychology / 23

Your mental health matters Owner of mental health space, The Red Tent, Mikki Fisher wants to change the game of mental health. The business owner, mother of three and strong advocate for mental health found herself inundated on her social media platform with women who wanted to open their hearts to her. Instead of leaving these messages unopened in favour of prioritising sponsored content like so many influencers may have done, Mikki decided she wanted to make a difference. On a mission to create a safe space where women could openly discuss mental health struggles, Mikki believes that by changing our attitude towards mental health, we can get rid of the stigma attached and instead celebrate healing. We chat with Mikki about her online mental health space, The Red Tent, how it evolved and how women can get involved.

What prompted you to launch The Red Tent?

How does The Red Tent tie into your life/work/family?

I found myself attracting people (especially women) who felt comfortable enough to share their traumas, struggles and feelings with me. I always have for some reason! Strangers have always opened up to me in a really beautiful and vulnerable way! Once I started to create a bit of a platform I was finding myself inundated with women sharing their hearts with me.

I’ve created The Red Tent to essentially be able to run itself. Or at least it will be able to soon. The joy of creating a business is that YOU get to decide how it will look. How will it support your clients? How will it support your staff? How will it support you? I wanted to create a business that was essentially an extension of myself. I wanted it to be able to support a life of freedom and flexibility! For not only myself, but also for my staff and for my clients. Freedom and flexibility are at the forefront of my mind. I want to be able to be there for my family whenever they need me. I want to work smarter, not harder.

I love helping people so much! I love being a safe space! And I want to give everyone every second of my time and energy, but I can’t. Plus it’s also not productive of me to be that person. I was constantly recommending women to seek help, because I know from my own personal experience how effective it is. I have always believed that nurturing your mental, spiritual and emotional health should be treated the same way we treat our physical health. I became a bit of an evangelist for healing. I just wanted everyone to know how empowering and life-changing it was to heal! I wanted them to know that they didn’t have to have a diagnosis to be worthy of healing. If you felt a bit sh*t, that was enough, and in fact, you don’t even need to feel sh*t! We all have healing and discovering to do! So I decided to create a space for people to do that. Somewhere they felt safe and welcome. I wanted the language to be real and relatable, and the branding to be colourful and inviting! I’m so passionate about what I do and all I want is for that to translate through my business.

Tell us about The Red Tent The Red Tent is an online mental health space for women*. We provide a safe space with online therapy, workshops, resources and more. We want to change the game of mental health! We believe that healing should be for everyone. We want to get rid of the stigma by changing our attitude towards mental health. We want to remove the shameful, white-coat feel about it and instead celebrate healing. *We are a safe space for everyone! We have a rainbow of clients! The Red Tent will be the women’s section but we are growing on that.

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I have always believed that nurturing your mental, spiritual and emotional health should be treated the same way we treat our physical health.

I can’t encourage people to look after their mental health and live a life of balance, but create an environment that doesn’t mirror that.

I NTE RVI E W

What do you envision for The Red Tent in the future? SO much! We have a podcast launching soon, products that will be available, a membership/subscription, courses and so much more. I also want to take it on the road! Do in-person events! We are also creating a Men’s Tent and Rainbow Tent, which will be safe spaces specifically for men and the LGBTQIA+ community. They will all be under The Red Tent umbrella, but I think it’s important to have a safe space for these individual communities to heal together. I honestly have huge plans! I am probably an absolute pest to work for haha. This is why I work with A-type personalities who take all the open tabs in my brain and put them in an Excel sheet.

Why do you believe mental health is so important for women specifically? The short answer is that I don’t. I think it’s important for everyone. But the reason that I created it for women originally is because the feminine energy is the Mother energy. The carer and the nurturer. I truly believe that women are more likely to seek help because (thanks to the patriarchy) there is slightly less stigma attached. I could write a trillion words on this subject, but essentially I believe that if we heal women, we can heal the world. I’ve seen it happen with our clients. A woman will come to us for help and then before you know it, their husband/partner/brother/ son has booked five sessions. If we heal our women, we create space to heal everyone else. We heal generations! We create an emotionally healthier world for our children! I also want to reiterate that the word *women* is being used as a blanket term for anyone who feels strongly led by their feminine. It has nothing to do with what bits and pieces you were born with.

Your child chose you for a reason. Don’t worry about being the best Mum, and instead channel your energy into being the best YOU. What have been some of the biggest challenges faced in launching The Red Tent? I am definitely the biggest challenge without a doubt haha. Imposter syndrome has reared its head often. I’ve been pregnant twice and had a baby in the last year. I’ve had to balance creating and running a business while parenting two (now three) kids. I also work for myself outside of The Red Tent, which I’ve needed to do to fund TRT (starting a business of this size is NOT cheap). God, there are so many challenges! Creating/ running a business is like having another child. It challenges you in so many ways. A giant mirror! The irony of creating a mental health business that has challenged my mental health is not lost on me. It has forced me to heal and grow even further! It has challenged my ego! Which it has needed to, because I’m just a silly little human with the expectations of a robot. The business really has gone through (and will continue to go through) it’s own healing journey. And I love that. The business embodies its purpose.

What would be your go-to piece of advice for new mums? Your child chose you for a reason. Don’t worry about being the best Mum, and instead channel your energy into being the best YOU. Kids don’t do as we say, they do as we do.

What is your favourite thing about The Red Tent and why? Its heart. This business has been created from a deep, deep passion to heal the world. I know this because I am the heart. The Red Tent won’t ever be perfect. It’s human. It doesn’t judge. And it says the 'f' word occasionally. Because, don’t we all?

Who can access The Red Tent services and how can they do this? Anyone and everyone! So long as you have the Internet and a phone or computer, you have access to our services! Regardless of where in the world you are. Our website is still being finished, but at the moment you can check us out and book a session with one of our incredible therapists on Instagram at @the.redtent

How have your priorities changed since you first started The Red Tent? Oh, great question. I think I’ve shifted from aiming to achieve perfection to embracing my humanness. I started out trying to create a business from my masculine. I was trying to keep up with the masculine entrepreneur energy and it was exhausting and continued to defeat me. I love the quote “women are expected to work like they don’t have children, and parent like they don’t work”. Well, I kind of hate that the quote has to exist because it’s so true. BUT, unfortunately it is very true. I decided to unsubscribe from that idea. I didn’t want to work like I didn’t have children. I wanted to work like a real life human. I wanted to slow down, create from intuition and trust the timing of everything. I still kind of suck at this, but I’m learning. Follow The Red Tent: @the.redtent @themikkifisher2.0 / 25

PRO FI L E

What about you? Why parent wellbeing is where great parenting begins. Wellbeing is a lifelong commitment and process, growing with time, practice, encouragement and self-compassion. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1.Find a hobby. Remember having a

WORDS Madhavi Nawana Parker Director at Positive Minds Australia

hobby when you were a kid or young adult pre kids? Hobbies allow you to engage your mind in something that sends you into a state of flow (a wellbeing state where you fully immerse yourself in what you’re doing - and because you’re loving it so much, time passes quickly and happily.

2.Give up as much of what’s not

useful, helpful or causing stress as you can and replace it with things that are useful, helpful and joyful.

Parents, this caring for and raising other people thing can be a tough gig. We love our children so much and what a precious and wonderful gift they are. For the sacrifices we make to tend to them, we gain love, wisdom, purpose, resilience, courage, psychological flexibility, perspective and much more.

3.Practice gratitude. It works. Think of

Amongst all the gains (and it’s mostly gains), there are also losses. Those moments we’re at capacity, trying to respond to and meet the competing demands of our lives – and their lives. Moments of overwhelm and desperation for a moment alone or uninterrupted time with another adult. That longing for an actual day off you don’t use for chores, getting your children to appointments or recovering from a cold or flu.

Your state of mind and your health are the best gift you can give your family

I’ll spare you the oxygen mask analogy but you know it’s true. Every parent who comes to me mad at themselves for being mad at their kids, isn’t putting their oxygen mask on first. They’re putting everyone else first (and suffering because of it).

5.Rest. I know how hard this is – especially

Your state of mind and your health are the best gift you can give your family.

to the gym or doing yoga (nothing against either of them – I love and do both) but find your way that you like to move that works for you. Movement helps discharge stress from your body and improves wellbeing.

Building in small, frequent bursts of effective, personalised and ‘doable’ Wellbeing tools into your day – every day – will help you avoid burnout. Without Wellbeing, you’ll feel exhausted, overwhelmed and maybe even a little grumpy.

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8.Listen to music. Whack it on from the

start of the day when you get up and keep it on as much as possible. Listen to your favourite songs. Singing along is great for your state of mind and happiness. For those of you with little ones at home, having your music in the background (or on your airpods) can be energising and uplifting.

9.Laugh. Listen to funny stuff, watch funny stuff, talk about funny stuff.

10.Be intentionally kind. Our wellbeing improves when we extend out towards something meaningful that’s bigger than ourselves. Being kind to others feels good for the giver and the receiver.

11.Watch TV. You read that right. I’m

three things that went well during the day. This helps the stressed, negativity part of your brain settle down and allows the more poised and hopeful mindset emerge.

recommending TV…Netflix…Movies. Stepping away from your real life, into someone else’s pretend life, can help you relax and escape, enhancing your wellbeing. Immersing yourself in a great book can do this for you too.

4.Pay attention to your thoughts and

12.Hang out with friends. This can be

feelings. Next time you’re struggling, ask yourself, ‘What am I feeling right now?’ Acknowledge that feeling, accept it and then do one small thing that brings you joy to help move the feeling through constructively. (That could be watching something funny, reading a couple of pages of a book or magazine you love, playing your favourite song or having a cup of tea).

when they’re little and you’re sleep deprived and rest is going to the bathroom while they sleep. But it’s important to rest.

6.Move. This doesn’t have to mean going

7.Congratulate yourself. Write yourself

a list of all the things about yourself that inspire you. If this makes you cringe, pair up with another parent (preferably one you know) and do this for each other. We often focus so much on what’s on our to-do list and celebrate everyone but ourselves…it’s important to celebrate your ‘done’ list.

hard when you have young children – or a child who struggles with their social and emotional skills. Parenting can be isolating. It’s important to have your ‘people’ and be one of those people who welcome and include others – especially the ones who have children who struggle that don’t get many invitations. Try and find help where you can or exchange babysitting with friends so you can go out and connect with other adults. If you aren’t hugely social, then use this time to connect with things you love and care about – or to relax alone.

13.Get it out of your head and onto

paper, through journaling. Uncomfortable thoughts and worries often hang around and churn around if they’re not given safe passage. Releasing them out of your mind and onto paper can help stop or at least reduce the cycle of overthinking. Wellbeing is a skill that takes time to grow through daily habits. As parents, you can’t do this alone and at different seasons of parenting it will be more difficult. With the support of family, friends and your community I hope you can make time for your wellbeing. Love, Madhavi Nawana Parker positivemindsaustralia.com.au @positivemindsaustralia

H E A LTH

Why PMS is not Normal

WORDS Jacqui Watts Healthful Wellness

For centuries women have been led to believe the monthly PMS prior to a period is normal, well what we know is that it is not normal, and it may be a sign of an underlying hormone imbalance. With PMS so common amongst friends and family as women we have become to believe it is almost an expected thing that we just have to deal with each month. But what if we didn’t have to struggle with the bloating, the mood swings and cramps and our cycle just arrived without any drama?

Let’s look at PMS a bit closer PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome) is a set of symptoms prior to your period that can occur due to many factors. It can be a mix of hormonal imbalances that can contribute to PMS encouraging the body to behave in a way that can often feel hard to control. Because our hormones directly work on our brains, we can have symptoms such as irritability, feeling overly teary or moods, depression, anxiety, anger, and the list goes on. Now as mums this can be amplified by the fact that we are also dealing with young children, work life balance and relationships. The juggle and increased stress already put extra stress on our brain health, and then on top of that when women have a hormone imbalance it can really cause havoc. Every woman has a slightly different hormone profile, once you can identify your hormone type it can be easier to start taking action with your symptoms and say goodbye to PMS for good. Common symptoms of PMS can start up to two weeks prior to a period and are often due to a drop in progesterone and commonly an increase in oestrogens. This is known as oestrogen dominance and is the main hormone imbalance in women struggling with PMS, heavy periods, fibroids, endometriosis, and hormonal weight gain. When these two hormones are behaving badly there can be a whole mix of PMS symptoms such as: • Breast tenderness • Bloating • Mood changes • Headaches • Cramping • Bowel changes • Sleep disturbances • Fatigue • Sugar cravings With hormone imbalance being the main driver behind this, let’s look at what the factors are that cause so many women to suffer from PMS Stress – an increase in stress can decrease the bodies’ ability to make progesterone, and more specifically a metabolite of progesterone called allopregnanolone. Allopregnanolone binds to receptors in the brain promoting calm and ease. Without adequate amounts of this women can suffer with many of the mood related disorders prior to a period, such as the insomnia, irritability, and anxiety. Poor gut health – alongside stress a woman’s gut health can be a huge driver in PMS and hormone imbalance. The gut microbiome is heavily responsible in the processing of our oestrogens. When we see women struggling with bloating, irritable bowels, reflux, constipation, or bacterial overgrowth there is an increased chance that the oestrogen cannot leave the body as it should. This higher load of oestrogen can contribute to bloating, breast tenderness, infertility, weight gain and even heavy periods.

Liver congestion – the liver is one of our main organs responsible for hormone detox. There are two main pathways in our liver that help to ensure all toxins and hormones are moving out through the body correctly. If one of these pathways is imbalanced it can promote oestrogens to re-circulate back through the body promoting oestrogen dominance.

Self-care can be as easy as going to bed early, having a bath, taking some deep breaths, or laying with your legs up on the wall to activate your de-stress system.

How to find out what your hormone profile is Advanced DUTCH hormone testing (Dried Urine Testing for Comprehensive Hormones) can be a useful way to identify which hormone profile a woman has. It not only identifies your hormone levels, but also the way the hormones are dealt with in the body. This gives us an in-depth picture to determine what is driving the hormone imbalance. Such as liver health, stress, inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and neurotransmitter levels. With dried urine testing we can get a more accurate picture than blood as it includes our free hormones. Unlike blood testing which can only identify hormones bound to a protein, urine testing can see our “free” hormones. This is a great way to truly see what hormone profile you have and where the problem lays.

Where to start with reducing your PMS and balancing your hormones Self-care – we hear a lot about self-care nowadays but the more we support our stress the better we can make progesterone. Self-care can be as easy as going to bed early, having a bath, taking some deep breaths, or laying with your legs up on the wall to activate your de-stress system. Support your gut – cut down on the foods that promote gut imbalance such as sugars, alcohol, and excess gluten. Adding collagen powder to your smoothies to support gut healing, take a good quality pre and pro biotic and keep your water above 1.5L to aid hydration for the bowels. Consult a naturopathic practitioner to help you understand your hormone profile. Healthful Wellness Clinic healthful.net.au @healthful_wellness / 27

Physiotherapy at all stages of life

Jenny’s top 3 tips for getting through pregnancy and the postpartum period in the best shape possible: Do your pelvic floor exercises! If you don’t know how (or you are having problems) see a Women’s, Men’s and Pelvic Health Physio.

Pregnancy and the first six months after birth bring massive changes for women physically, mentally and emotionally. With all the information on the internet at their fingertips, you’d think women would be going into this time more prepared than ever. Yet some women are still uncertain when it comes to questions like “what exercise is safe for me?”, with conflicting advice found online. Many women are also surprised by unexpected changes that occur in this time.

Keep moving! Exercise helps prevent many problems and is great to keep you and your baby healthy. Look after your mental health. Peri and postnatal depression are more common than you may think but help is available.

Navigating through all stages of life That’s where Life Cycle Physiotherapy comes in. Founder Jenny Phillips is passionate about helping women navigate through all stages of life – from pregnancy, through to postpartum and beyond. As a Titled Women’s, Men’s and Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, Jenny has extensive experience treating all sorts of pelvic health concerns, including incontinence, prolapse and pain with intercourse. These are common problems for many women and can often crop up for the first time during pregnancy or after having a baby. But many women feel embarrassed to talk about these issues and will not seek help. Jenny feels it is important for women to know they are not alone. Getting the right treatment and advice can make a huge difference to help overcome these problems.

Expert advice, treatment and classes Life Cycle Physiotherapy also treats more than pelvic health problems. From low back and pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy, diastasis rectus (abdominal separation) after birth or back and neck pain related to breastfeeding or caring for your baby, Jenny has years of experience treating all sorts of issues that women can encounter through their lives. As a qualified Pilates instructor, she can also give expert advice on exercise. In fact, Life Cycle Physiotherapy also offers both Pregnancy and Mums & Bubs exercise classes, helping you to exercise safely and effectively during your pregnancy and recover after birth.

Contact Jenny at Life Cycle Physiotherapy to make a booking. Level 1, 18 Dequetteville Tce, Kent Town 92 Carrington St, Adelaide Ph: 0404296069 lifecyclephysio.com.au @lifecyclephysio KID D O F E ATU RE

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H E A LTH

Keep it Cleaner

Get it on your phone.

Join the inspiring KIC community and get ready to live your happiest healthiest life, without the fuss! Keep it Cleaner is a world class wellness app offering a fitness program, wellness hub, run tracker, daily meal plans, hundreds of recipes, playlists, interval timer and goal setting. Think of KIC as all of your fave fitness and mindfulness apps together in one inspiring place!

I Am – Daily Affirmations How many negative thoughts have been endlessly repeating in your mind? Daily affirmations help rewire our brains, build self esteem and change negative thought patterns. I Am allows you to choose from many daily intentions and set affirmations to be delivered to your phone throughout the day; simple but powerful statements that will remind you of what you are truly capable of!

Swipe away your health slump with 5 of our fave wellness apps that will get you on your way to feeling fabulous! Calm

Flo Period & Pregnancy Tracker

Couch to 5K

Calm is an award-winning mindfulness app that has calming exercises, soothing music and breathing techniques to help you relax. It even includes a Calm Kids section with meditations for kids aged 3 to 17. The Sleep Stories section features a mix of voice talent—even Harry Styles has lent his voice on a 30 minute bedtime story— to help you drift off….dreamy!

Co-created with over 80 leading health and medical experts, Flo helps you monitor your cycle, fertility or pregnancy accurately. As a one stop solution for all things female health and wellbeing, you can track it all; period start date and length, fertile window, peak ovulation days, PMS symptoms, flow intensity, birth control, water intake, sleep and step counter!

This is one of the best apps for running if you’re starting your training from scratch. Over nine weeks you’ll be eased into running using the interval training method. The goal is for you to be able to complete a full 5K run with no walking breaks needed by week eight. The app also provides plenty of helpful running tips and advice.

Live the life you deserve

Treatment from the inside out At Healthful we work with our clients to determine the cause of the imbalance and treat from the inside out

Healthful is here to support women with their hormone health to ensure they can live the life they truly deserve. The Healthful Team believes that when the body displays symptoms it’s often an indicator of a hormone imbalance. Educating women on all the things they’ve once been told are normal. The period pain, PMS, heavy periods, irregular cycles and even the fatigue of just “being a mum”. We’ve been led to believe we should expect these things as part of the busy lives we lead, but they’re signs that something more might be going on in the body. They can be a sign of hormone imbalance.

Getting your hormones back on track Owner and head Naturopath, Jacqui, has been in clinical practice for over 14 years and opened the Healthful Women’s Wellness Clinic to help women get to the underlying causes of their symptoms. Specialising in endometriosis, fibroids, IVF, fertility support, PCOS and hormonal acne Jacqui and her team has helped hundreds of women with balancing their hormones with the use of natural therapies, acupuncture and functional medicines.

Advanced Hormone Testing Using advanced hormone testing methods through a test called DUTCH test, which is a urine and saliva test, that helps determine KID D O F EATU RE

With a rise in stress, we have seen a huge rise in hormone-based conditions. The stress that our bodies now take on heavily impacts how our body functions, including gut health, energy, menstrual cycles, and our fertility. When the ovaries and brain detect stress, hormone imbalances can occur. The Healthful practitioners work with their clients to determine the cause of the imbalance and treat from the inside out.

Gut health and your hormones

the whole picture with female hormones, including cortisol and DHEA to determine how your stress is impacting on your hormonal symptoms. Not only does it give accurate hormone levels, but also the metabolite readings which helps achieve the quickest health results. With this method the practitioners can design a treatment plan based on your exact needs, using herbal medicine, functional medicine, acupuncture, and lifestyle changes.

Live the life you deserve At Healthful Jacqui, Gemma and Ulyana work with their clients to determine the cause of the imbalance and treat from the inside out.

Alongside stress, gut health is a huge driver for hormone imbalances. If our gut is experiencing sluggishness, bloating, reflux, pain, or gas it’s often a sign of an imbalance within our gut. Our gut bacteria directly influence our oestrogen levels, which can be a huge promotor of oestrogen dominance. Oestrogen dominance is a driver in heavy periods, weight gain, PMS, period pain, acne, endometriosis, fibroids, and even thyroid imbalance. The Healthful Clinic has a range of practitioners including Naturopathy and Acupuncture to help support women so they can feel vibrant and hormonally balanced to ensure they can live their best life. Healthful Women’s Wellness Clinic New clinic coming to Glenelg soon, currently located in Somerton Park @healthful_wellness hello@healthful.net.au healthful.net.au / 29

HE ALTH

Slow and simple: exercise in the first 8 weeks postpartum WORDS – Bridie Walker, She Moves

The first weeks with a new baby is a beautiful and wild ride. I don't think another time of life rivals the emotional ups and downs of those first weeks. Depending on the birth experience you may feel excited and impatient to get moving or you may wonder how on earth you will ever manage exercise again. No one woman, body or baby is the same so everyone's experience will be different.Regardless, when it comes to movement in the first 8 weeks, less is more.

Start by just walking When you're feeling ready and your doctor or midwife gives you the thumbs up, start with some walking. Start with simply walking to the end of the street, then take it around the block, then to the local coffee shop. If you are pushing the pram it gives a little support while also providing a bit of gentle resistance so your core and arms are working more than you might think. Be sure to listen to your body for when to rest.

Core and Pelvic Floor Book into a women's health physio at around 6 weeks to talk about core and pelvic floor activation. I know it is easier NOT to do this but it will make such a difference to your recovery long term if you have great allied health professionals in your corner – It takes a village after all!

Self care Outside of movement I believe that some self nurturing is really important in this time too. This may not be for everyone but massaging some beautiful body oil into your skin after a shower and taking a minute to really look at your body with love and awe can create a "bond" with your postnatal body. Thanking it, nurturing it and admiring what a miraculous feat has occurred. Basically, I am encouraging you to take it slow. You have the rest of your life to get and be fit! For now you are fit for the purpose of looking after that sweet baby and this can be an amazing time to slow down and really tune into nurturing not only the baby but YOURSELF. You can come onto @she_moves_ and I'll take you through my post natal recommendations in real time and head online to learn to love and move your body shemovesonline.com

Soul Health Massage and Fitness

Get comfy When feeding (bottle or breast cause #fedisbest!) take an extra minute to sit up straight, grab a ton of pillows or lay down and get into a comfortable position to feed. It’s estimated a woman can spend up to 30 hours a week feeding a newborn (mind blown right!?) so a little bit of propping up will save your back and help slowly encourage those abdominal muscles to wake back up. There are some gentle leg extensions you can do to help slowly activate the core. These are super gentle simple laying on the ground on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Inhale to prepare and as you exhale, drag one heel out in front of you along the floor. Slowly bring it back in and alternate sides. Using the breath and core to stabilise you through this movement is a really gentle and effective exercise to start building core awareness and generally start getting to know this new body of yours.

Give yourself the chance to rest, recover and reconnect. Our fully qualified Therapists, who are Mothers themselves, will tailor a massage treatment just for YOU. Combined we have over 20 years experience and pride ourselves on being able to listen to what the body and mind needs. Whether it is remedial massage, hot stone therapy, relaxation massage, reflexology or pregnancy massage, you can be assured that you are being supported by the nurturing hands of one mother to another. Our studio is situated just off of Broadway in the heart of Glenelg South, make sure you take all the time you need and treat yourself to a peaceful lunch and coffee, the ultimate in ‘self-care’! Massage appointments are available mornings, afternoon, evenings and weekends. To book contact Nikki 0421 715 025 @soulhealth_massage_fitness soulhealthandfitness.com

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H E A LTH

Energy Balancing 101 for Mums

My Greenie Goddess Power Smoothie recipe

Today I thought I’d share an important part of energy balancing, along with a couple of time saver tips I’ve seen help my mummy patients immensely. Oh, and my morning power smoothie that can be used as a snack at any time of the day!

Increase your energy, improve your mood

WORDS Jan Marie Macfarlane Clinical Nutritionist

We all know it so well, we become parents and we put ourselves last. Staying up late washing, making school lunches, rushing off to do the school run with a greasy top knot, no breakfast and just a coffee in hand. And let’s not even talk about taking time for self-care to destress. Because it never seems to happen for us. My beautiful clinic patients who are mothers come to me with one common denominator. They are all stressed. They are all exhausted. And they all put themselves last. This constant state of chronic stress over time can lead to gastrointestinal disorders, and autoimmune conditions. Cortisol, the stress hormone, when chronic and long term, plays nasty havoc on our bodies. It throws out our blood sugars (which in turn throws out our energy balance), alters the immune system responses, suppresses the digestive system and the list goes on. Look, I get it. Everyone sings the same song. “Just do more self care” –and we all know we have to– but it feels so hard to make the time. Or we’re just too bloody tired to! Well I’m here as a friend in arms. Not to judge. Not to preach. But as a gentle reminder to say, if we don’t fit our own oxygen mask first, we’re no good to anyone else. Stress definitely got the better of me over my parenting years, with an autoimmune onset for me before I knew I had to make changes. I can’t tell you when and where to schedule your self care, but I can say... whether it’s going for that wine with the friend you’ve been planning for months, or just putting on your runners and taking a walk – you deserve it.

One of the most effective ways to increase your energy and improve mood is by balancing blood sugars. Insulin, a hormone that regulates our sugar levels, heavily impacts how we feel throughout the day. When you wake up in the morning –after fasting all night– your insulin levels are at their lowest while cortisol (the stress hormone) is at a peak.

So what throws out our blood sugars? Yep you know it, not eating breakfast. And what raises our cortisol? Yep you know it, not eating breakfast. While fasting works for some to help decrease calories, rest the gastrointestinal system and help aid cell regeneration, I find for most of my mummy patients who are in high stress mode in the morning, unfortunately fasting is not their friend. If fasting is something you would like to do, I recommend tapering off meals at night earlier instead.

While fasting works for some to help decrease calories, rest the gastrointestinal system and help aid cell regeneration, I find for most of my mummy patients who are in high stress mode in the morning, unfortunately fasting is not their friend. What balances blood sugars? Not every food is blood sugar balancing. Carbohydrate-only meals such as cereal or toast are burnt up too quickly and therefore create a “spike” and a “drop”, creating dysregulation and will result in an energy slump shortly after. However, proteins, good essential fatty acids, and fibre all help smooth that spike and are burnt up at a nicer even rate, resulting in longer lasting energy.

1 cup organic almond milk, coconut water or filtered water 1 cup of baby spinach/cucumber or greens of choice ½ – 1 banana fresh or peeled & frozen 1 tbsp vanilla protein powder (I like raw Amazonia protein, Keep it Cleaner plant protein, Bondi Vegan protein) ¼ avocado This can easily be played around with. Swap greens for berries, or cacao for a choccy smoothie.

One of the best breakfasts I recommend is a power smoothie, containing a nice digestible form of protein, a good essential fatty acid, along with various fruits and veg for fibre and antioxidants. This can also be used as a snack at any time of the day. Eating every 3-4 hours will also help to keep a nice blood sugar balance going (3-4pm after school pick up slump be gone)!

My top two timesaver tips for busy mums Online grocery shopping: Some people love going to the shops. I’m not one of them. Once you get the hang of shopping online, it can be done on your phone from anywhere (sitting in the car at school pick up) and takes 15 minutes. Pre-made meals: These have evolved so much these days, there are actually healthy options now! Here in Adelaide we have our local Bowlsome stocked at Foodlands (frozen or fresh) and Soulara is a plant based delivery service. Both great for your lunches on days when things just get too hectic. Jan Marie Macfarlane Clinical Nutritionist Nutrition with Jan Marie @nutritionwithjanmarie

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FO O D

Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Bars

Method

Ingredients

2. Chop cacao butter into small pieces or pulse lightly in a food processor.

1 cup (165g) raw cacao butter 3 cups (500g) raw hazelnuts or 1 ½ cups nut butter* and 1 ½ cups whole nuts ½ cup (100g) Virgin coconut oil ½ cup + 2 tbsp organic cacao powder ½ cup honey or stevia 2 tsp natural vanilla extract ¼–½ tsp Himalayan salt

1. In a high powdered blender, blend 1/2 the nuts until a smooth consistency forms.

Recipe from janmarie .com.au

3. Over a double boiler, melt cacao butter and stir until it's melted. 4. Add in all remaining ingredients (except the remaining whole hazelnuts) and stir well over the heat until well combined. 5. Line a baking tin with baking paper or silicone moulds with coconut oil, and pour the chocolate mixture into it. Sprinkle remaining whole hazelnuts over the chocolate mixture. 6. Place into the fridge or freezer to set for around 30 minutes to an hour, store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Warm Spring Salad with Goat Cheese & Walnuts

Ingredients

Method

100g cherry tomatoes sliced in halves – yellow and red

1. Blanch all of the vegetables (except red onion and radish) in boiling salted water for 1 minute, or until soft. Quickly transfer to iced water and then drain.

¼ bunch baby carrots – orange, yellow, purple ¼ bunch baby beetroot ½ large sliced red onion ¼ bunch sliced baby red radish ½ bunch baby swiss chard 100g goat cheese 40g crushed walnut 30ml balsamic glaze 30ml olive oil

2. Arrange all the blanched vegetables on the plate and layer with the red onion, red radish, goats cheese, crushed walnuts and cherry tomato halves. Sprinkle the salt & cracked black pepper to taste. 3. Drizzle balsamic glaze and olive oil over the top and serve. Note: All the hard vegetables can be roasted in the oven or char-grilled instead.

Recipe from @adelaides finest supermarkets

Bought to you by Adelaide’s Finest Supermarkets – Frewville and Pasadena

Supporting your journey to health and wellbeing

Physio and exercise for all ages

SA Integrated Therapies (SAIT) is a very special place where the amazing team offers a wide range of therapies to support you and your kids on your journey to health and well-being. The team works closely together to provide you a truly holistic treatment approach, giving you the best possible results.

My Little Physio Family is here to help guide you and your family through all of life’s stages. From pre and postnatal care and paediatrics through to the older adult with all of life’s experiences.

The services SAIT currently provides are: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Cosmetic Acupuncture, Cupping, Counselling & Psychotherapy, Nutrition, Naturopathy, Podiatry, Physiotherapy, Musculoskeletal Therapy, Bowen Therapy, and Myotherapy. • • • •

Acupuncture (for Fertility, Pregnancy, Chronic Health, Headaches, Pelvic Pain and much more) Nutrition (for Endometriosis & Menstrual Health) Various treatments for Acute and Chronic Pain, & Mental Health Kids’ Health (Podiatry, aches & pains, Naturopathy – meal plans for picky eaters/dietary needs)

The people are super friendly and the space is welcoming and filled with natural light, upcycled timber, a jungle of plants, interactive chalk walls, books, and a tea station. You might even have the privilege of meeting their clinic dog, Fugee! 225 Grote Street, Adelaide saintegratedtherapies.com.au @saitherapies / 32

We have designed our Mums and Bubs group exercise sessions as a fantastic way for you to meet other mums, be guided through safe and appropriate exercises tailored to your needs, all while having your little one engaged and supported (sometimes bubs just need a cuddle!). Think mother’s group, playgroup, and exercise all rolled into one. Classes utilise the beautiful facilities within Körpermotus Pilates and are individually programmed. My Little Physio Family is located on Unley Road (great place to catch up with other mums for coffee!). We offer a range of other services including pre and postnatal physiotherapy, and paediatric physiotherapy. Private health rebates available. 123 Unley Road, Unley 5061 0467 601 501 mylittlephysiofamily.com.au @mylittlephysiofamily

FO O D

Method

Bacon, garlic & chive spud lite potato bake

CAL LO LO

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 1.5 litre baking dish with butter.

Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes Serves: 4-6

Ingredients 1kg Spud Lite potatoes 200g smoky bacon, finely chopped 300ml tub sour cream 1 cup (250 ml) milk 3 cloves garlic, crushed ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg 2 bay leaves cup finely grated parmesan 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped Salt & freshly ground black pepper Topping ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs cup finely grated parmesan 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

OUR MARKET To

2. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, slice potatoes with skins on 1-2mm thick. Place in a medium mixing bowl and cover with boiling water, allow to stand for 5 minutes. Drain well. 3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add bacon and cook for 4 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside until required. 4. Combine cream, milk, garlic, nutmeg and bay leaves together in a medium saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally until mixture comes to the boil. Add drained sliced potatoes, stirring until well coated and cook for 10 minutes or until potato is just tender, stirring mixture often to prevent the bottom sticking. Remove bay leaves, then add two thirds of the cooked bacon, parmesan, chives and season with salt and pepper, stirring gently to combine. 5. For the topping, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, chives and remaining bacon in a small mixing bowl, stirring to combine. 6. Carefully pour potato mixture into prepared baking dish and evenly sprinkle over the topping mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until top is golden and potato is cooked through. SPUD LITE are available at all good supermarkets. For more recipes head to zerellafresh.com.au @spud.lite

your door

CMY

ORDER NOW FOR HOME DELIVERY EVERY T U E S D AY, T H U R S D AY & F R I D AY S H O P. A D E L A I D E C E N T R A L M A R K E T. C O M . A U

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kiddo corner! Henry Reads

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nr y

W il lia m s

Hi, I’m Henry. I love reading (I always have a book in my hand, except when I’m eating dinner but that’s only because my mum won’t let me!), playing Minecraft and cricket. I have a twin sister and a little sister who drive me kinda crazy but I love them anyway (shhh...don’t tell them that).

Sometimes I think when I finish one book series, I’m never going to like another one as much so I don’t even want to start a new one. This is how I’ve felt after I finished basically every series I’ve recommended in my column, but every time I do end up coming across a new collection that I love. The recommendation for The Magician by Raymond E. Feist actually came from my DAD, which is weird because he’s not much of a reader. He told me it was the one book series that he REALLY loved as a kid. Which means it’s pretty old if my Dad read it when he was a kid – it was actually written in the year my Mum was born! Yikes! But even though it’s a really, really, REALLY old, ancient book written basically forever ago, it’s actually become probably my FAVOURITE book, and book series that I’ve read so far. Mum says it’s not often Dad’s right about something so there’s a first time for everything. HAHA!

The Magician is a fantasy novel, and the first in a series (after reading The Magician, I went on to read them all) called the Riftwar Saga. The main character is Pug, an orphan boy who becomes the apprentice of a master magician. A magically created rift in space brings together two worlds, the world that Pug has always known and the world of an invading alien species, the Tsuranuanni. Pug is swept up in the war between the two worlds and led through the rift in space to find powerful, strange new magic. I loved this book because it was such an incredible adventure with so much magic and twists and turns in the storyline. It’s an oldie, but a goodie! The Magician RRP $19.99

Kids Quiz 1.

What is the world’s largest ocean?

How many bones does a shark have?

Where did the Olympic Games originate?

Who was the first Disney Princess?

What is the name of Harry Potter’s pet owl?

How many days in December?

Which planet is known as ‘The Red Planet’?

Which fairytale character slept for 100 years?

What is a baby bear called?

10. Finish this sentence:

“One fish, two fish, red fish, ”

Answers: 1. Pacific Ocean, 2. Zero, 3. Greece, 4. Snow White, 5. Hedwig, 6. 31, 7. Mars, 8. Sleeping Beauty, 9. A cub, 10. Blue fish

WO R He

Resident Kiddo Book Reviewer: Henry Williams, 9 yrs

Meet this months doer “Not one of us really believed our quirky little film about cardboard could take out the top award, regardless of how hard we worked on it. There were so many great films that were equally worthy. So what was the factor leading to success? Luck, privilege, sheer coincidence, could be many things”, says Director Samoda Silva. “Therefore, I think understanding that sometimes things just fall into place regardless of what you do is an incredibly valuable attitude to possess. Same with the contrary, the belief that regardless of your efforts, things might not go according to the plan you conceptualised, and that’s just a part of life.”

MEET Darley’s Angels, a filmmaking group comprised mostly of first-year university students from a variety of disciplines including law, film & television, engineering, and music. The majority of the Darley’s Angels team are still in their teenage years, most having graduated from Adelaide High School in 2020. This is where most of them met through their involvement in the school’s Media Club, which is where they developed their passion for media and content creation. In June this year, the team participated in the Adelaide 48 Hour Film Project, an annual film competition where, as the name suggests, the goal is to write, film, score and edit an original short film in just 48 hours. Utilising their pre-existing collaboration skills, Darley’s Angels teamed up to create their mockumentary À la Carde, which tells the story of an annual, fictional competition where competitors dress up in costumes of food made entirely of cardboard.

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To the group’s surprise the film picked up four awards through the 48HR Film Project competition, including Best Use of Genre, Best Actor (Harry Passehl), Best Directing (Samoda Silva) and Best Film. This means À la Carde is an official selection for the International Film Festival Filmapalooza in 2022, with an opportunity to also screen at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. The team hopes to travel to America to attend the festival next year if at all possible.

Keep up to date with Darley’s Angels @darleys_angels where you can find a link to view their film À la carde. Follow @getaaroundit_sa on Instagram to see what other young South Australians are up to in their own backyards, or DM to submit a candidate! Why not nominate yourself, or another young person you know who you think would make a great addition to the Get Around It showcase?

kiddo corner! George’s Jokes WO R

Give your loved ones a lol with these giggleworthy gags!

DS —

What did one wall say to the other wall? I’ll meet you at the corner!

rg e

A rc h o n ti d

What animal needs to wear a wig? A bald eagle.

Send your LOLs to hello@ kiddomag .com.au

Why did the maths book look so sad? Because it had so many problems! Why did the picture go to jail? It was framed. What has hands but can’t clap? A clock! What kind of room doesn’t have doors? A mushroom!

Spot the Difference Find 11 differences in the scenes below:

I LLUSTR ATIONS Jana from @wordfindersclub

Silly Science with Simon

Step 1 Carefully pour some full cream milk onto a plate. Keep adding the milk until it's about 2 cm from the edge of the plate.

Moo-ving Milk!

Step 2 Add eight drops of food colouring to the middle of the plate. Each drop of food colouring can be a different colour!

Step 4 Place the coated end of the cotton tip into the middle of the drops of food colouring. Leave it there for a few seconds and watch what happens! Try dipping the cotton tip in the milk around the edges of the plate as well!

o a cotton tip

—

Items checklist o full cream milk o food colouring o dishwashing detergent o a plate

Step 3 Coat one end of a cotton tip with dishwashing detergent. WO R

This colourful experiment is easy to do and uses items you may already have in the kitchen. It's also relatively "mess free"... depending on how careful you are with the bottles of food colouring!

n B la

cket

What's going on? Full cream milk contains water, fats and a few other molecules and minerals. When we add dishwashing detergent to the milk, the detergent molecules move through the milk to try to find and “capture” all of the fats. Adding food colouring makes it easier to see all this movement and can give us some really cool patterns! Cleaning up The milk, food colouring and detergent mixture can be safely washed down the sink. Be careful not to spill it when moving to the sink! To see this experiment in action, or to learn more about what's going on, check out the video on the Silly Science with Simon YouTube channel. @sillysciencewithsimon / 35

BO O K S

well read From fiction to non fiction, from adult titles to kids' picks, from hot new releases to under-the-radar gems, these are the 2021 books our nightstands right now!

TREASURE IN THE LAKE By Jason Pamment

kids

A mind-boggling expedition into the secrets of the Animal Kingdom with only an invisible map of the human heart as a guide. (Unless, of course, you count the talking parrot.) What on Earth could possibly go wrong…?

Grand adventures often begin where you least expect. Iris knows this because she's read them all. But when she and her best friend, Sam, stumble upon an unusually dry riverbed on the outskirts of town, they make a discovery beyond anything Iris has read about: a hidden city, lost in time and shrouded in mystery. Storm clouds gather as secrets begin to surface. Can Iris and Sam uncover the truth in time to keep their friendship afloat, or will history repeat itself and pull them apart forever?

RRP $16.99 – Puffin

RRP $16.99 – Allen & Unwin

HAPPY By Emma Dodd

RRP $19.99 – Frances Lincoln Children's

adults

RRP $14.99 – Nosey Crow

OTTOLENGHI TEST KITCHEN: SHELF LOVE By Noor Murad, Yotam Ottolenghi

RACE CARS By Charnaie Gordon

Race Cars is a picture book that serves as a springboard for parents and educators to discuss race, privilege and oppression with their kids. It tells the story of two best friends, a white car and a black car, that have different experiences and face different rules while entering the same race. Filled with bright, attentiongrabbing illustrations, a notes and activities section at the back helps to further discuss these issues with children. For ages 6-9.

Little owl loves playing games, trying new things and singing, but what makes little owl happiest of all? Why, when he cuddles close with his mummy and whispers, "I love you". Exploring the loving relationship between animal parents and their babies, and featuring a tenderly-told rhyming text and heart-warming illustrations, this beautifully designed board book makes the perfect gift and will soon become a bedtime favourite. For ages 2-5.

THE WHAT ON EARTH INSTITUTE OF WONDER By Lisa Nicol

This is Ottolenghi, unplugged. The Ottolenghi Test Kitchen team takes you on a journey through your kitchen cupboards, creating inspired recipes using humble ingredients.

THE WEIRDEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD By Joseph Henrich

An exhilarating new account of how psychology, culture and institutions co-evolved to produce the Western mind. Do you identify yourself by your profession or achievements, rather than your family network? Do you cultivate your unique attributes and goals? If so, perhaps you are WEIRD: raised in a society that is Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic. RRP $65.00 – Penguin

Relaxed, flexible home cooking from Yotam Ottolenghi and his superteam. RRP $49.99 – Penguin

THE SEX ED YOU NEVER HAD By Chantelle Otten

For too long, talking about our anatomies and our experiences has been taboo. Normal functions have been deemed embarrassing and even shameful, impacting people's mental and physical health. In this amazing and comprehensive guide, filled with accurate facts and helpful illustrations, Chantelle refuses to leave these conversations languishing on the fringes any longer. RRP $32.99 – Allen & Unwin / 36

BEAUTIFUL WORLD, WHERE ARE YOU By Sally Rooney

Alice, a novelist, meets Felix, who works in a distribution warehouse, and asks him if he'd like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, her best friend Eileen is getting over a break-up, and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood.Alice, Felix, Eileen and Simon are still young-but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they get together, they break apart. RRP $29.99 – Faber

A L L INCLUSIVE

The Invisible Life of Us Kate Jones and Mandy Hose have experienced the highs and lows of parenting – and they wouldn't change a thing. The pair met a decade ago and bonded over their premature twins with additional needs and their remarkable capacity for love, laughter and swearing like a trooper. As the mothers grew closer, however, they confided that they felt 'on-the-floor lonely' sometimes because nobody was talking about what it was like for families like theirs. It was time to give their community a voice. So began the Too Peas in a Podcast, a weekly conversation in which they discuss the surprises, the challenges and the joys of parenting twins with additional needs. Now, Kate and Mandy are sharing their story on the page, delving deeper into the issues they care about and offering reassurance for those navigating a child's disability. They write candidly about what it's like to receive the initial diagnosis, how they perceive their children's lives have been impacted by their additional needs, how their own lives have changed, and those of their family and friends. Above all they convey their immense love for their children and the happiness they have brought into their lives. We chat with Kate and Mandy about their new book and the importance of finding your tribe.

Tell us about your new book and what parents can expect to find in The Invisible Life of Us. Our new book is a literal labour of love, I mean not like actual labour...no one offered us drugs or ice to sip on, or even told us to breathe deeply but apart from that, very similar. Also unlike our amazing twins who arrived early, this book was delivered on its due date. If you read our book, you will learn about love, acceptance, pooey nappies and diversity. All the best things really. This is a book about friendship, nachos on a bin and diverse mothering. It is not a parenting book, but it is a book about parents.

IMAGE: Amy Oliver

Why did you decide to write the book and how do you hope sharing your stories will help others parenting kids with additional needs?

Have you found telling the story of neurodiverse families through the book and through your podcast has created a community of inclusion for other parents?

We wrote this book, because we knew the world needed it (a bit up ourselves we know), we wanted to talk about premmie births, friendships that lift you up over the ditch, and how amazing kids with disabilities and additional needs are. We wanted people and parents to know you are not alone, we all have different stories but they are great stories and so worth telling.

This book and podcast has created the kindest, most accepting non judgemental community on the planet. If the world had more peas, it would be an extraordinary place. We all have a place, everyone is welcome in the pea tribe. We all belong, it is outstanding, well maybe “instanding” all in!!!

If you have a child with an additional need or disability, you need a buddy that gets you and doesn’t judge. We need a group of parents and women to carry us through the bad days and we in turn will carry them through their bad days.

You just need one friend, one person who is on the parenting path less travelled, Mandy and I have that, it has changed our lives and the flow-on effect changed the lives of thousands of other people. If you have a child with an additional need or disability, you need a buddy that gets you and doesn’t judge. We need a group of parents and women to carry us through the bad days and we in turn will carry them through their bad days. It’s like that old saying “it takes a village” well turns out it actually takes a packet of peas!

Tell us about the importance of finding your tribe, particularly for those with neurodiverse families.

The Invisible Life of Us published by Penguin RRP $34.99

You can listen to their podcast on Apple Or Spotify toopeasinapodcast.com.au

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A L L IN C LUSI VE

All is possible at TreeClimb Little Jude had his 7th birthday party at TreeClimb in June. Jude is vision and hearing impaired but that didn't stop him from conquering the Kids Course! Assisted by the TreeClimb crew every step of the way, Jude and a few of his friends— who wore blindfolds to give them a sense of Jude’s experience—conquered the obstacles without their vision. It was a very emotional afternoon for the TreeClimb crew who had the opportunity to climb with these little legends! TreeClimb Adelaide Cnr Greenhill Road & Unley Road treeclimb.com.au @treeclimb.adelaide

A Different Sort of Normal A Different Sort of Normal by Abigail Balfe explores the diverse world of autism, designed for children aged 9+. This book is the beautiful and highly illustrated true story of Abigail, who grew up without an autism diagnosis until she was an adult, and how she learned to navigate the 'normal' world around her. Important, funny and informative, A Different Sort of Normal is the book the world needs right now and will warm the hearts of anyone who feels like they don't quite fit in (which really, is all of us). A Different Sort of Normal published by Penguin RRP $19.99

SPOT PAEDIATRICS

Speech Pathology & Occupational Therapy for Children Contact us today! 08 7228 6825 www.spotpaediatrics.com.au

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How to be an ally for autistic people Listen Create a safe space for them to express themselves, using whatever ways of communication works best for them. Give Be prepared to change your plans for them. Their need for structure or comfort may be greater than yours. Know their boundaries Make sure they have control of their timetables and events. Their need to leave a situation is likely to be crucial to their health for the rest of the day or week. Help them expand their horizons Encourage and support them in their developing relationships and in their research around autism. Allow them to take a break Space and silence are crucial for an autistic person. Their need for these doesn't reflect how they feel about you.

A L L INCLUSIVE

MUMMA’S OWN When Naturopath Sonia Tzerefos’ was pregnant with her second child, she and her husband thought they were pretty well prepared for the next challenges life would bring. They just didn’t realise how big the challenges that presented themselves were going to be. “My husband and I had been living overseas for a number of years and had decided to return home to Australia to start a family. On returning we had our daughter who was of course ‘perfect’ and I began my journey into Naturopathy. It was when we had our son that our world was turned upside down. Initially I didn’t know what was happening, everything about him was just so much more difficult than it had been with our daughter. People kept saying things like ‘he’s a boy, they’re harder, he’s fine’. But mother’s instinct knows best and I wasn’t satisfied with that”. Just before he turned 3 years old, Zac was diagnosed with autism.

When we did finally get the diagnosis it made me cry and feel relief all at the same time. Finally I knew what we were dealing with. At this stage, Sonia’s business, Mumma’s Own, was still very general. Sonia was treating a variety of illnesses with Naturopathy, but wasn’t focussing on anything in particular. Once Zac was diagnosed that all began to change. “I threw myself into my son's therapy. I was treating him Naturopathically with nutrition and supplements and I was determined to have success. Slowly but surely our son went from a 3 year old boy with no communication or speech, would melt down multiple times per day for hours on end, who was constantly distressed and made it virtually impossible to leave the house... to a little boy who was calm, had developed some speech and was starting to communicate, was affectionate, making eye contact and suddenly going to the supermarket wasn’t such a stressful exercise.” Sonia knew she wanted to share this success with others, so shifted the focus of Mumma’s Own and started treating children on the spectrum and their families. “I trained to become Adelaide’s first GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Practitioner and implemented this nutritional protocol within our family before starting to use it with my patients. The results were mind boggling, with many of Zac’s therapists asking what it was that I was doing.

Naturopath, Sonia Tzerefos

Since then the way I practice has completely shifted towards gut health and nutritional healing first and foremost. Gut health has a huge impact on our overall health and can be the difference in how we’re feeling and how we manage our day to day lives. Some of my patients started following my protocols and changing their children’s diets with a few following The GAPS Diet, but for those that couldn’t, I tailor made nutritional plans that would work for their family. Kids were improving and parents were thankful that they could see things changing.”

Dwyer Road Reserve Adelaide’s first hi-tech playground, Dwyer Road Reserve, has an interactive playground that is vision impaired friendly. The interactive activities have audible feedback that can help promote sound localisation skills as well as gross motor skills like stepping, jumping, balancing and climbing. Dwyer Road Reserve 5 Dwyer Road Oaklands Park

Mumma’s Own offered healthy nutritional recipes the whole family could enjoy but still addressed their individual health concerns. Watching her patients have success over and over again led Sonia to release the Mumma’s Own 6 Week Gut Reset Program.

Working with my families who have children on the spectrum, they’re experiencing the same things I have experienced and I have the unique perspective of totally understanding what it’s like... “Working with my families who have children on the spectrum, they’re experiencing the same things I have experienced and I have the unique perspective of totally understanding what it’s like when you’re unwell or are struggling with a child that’s either unwell, has autism or is living with some other type of disability. There were times when I just couldn’t see clearly and thought that things were always going to be hard and I was never going to have a ‘normal’ life. I’m here to tell you that things can change and they can get better. Our own experience of what is ‘better’ will be different, but when you feel like you’re at your lowest point there’s no way but up.” To join the Mumma’s Own tribe or for more information on the Mumma’s Own 6 Week Gut Reset Program: mummasown.com

Rainmaker Sensory Toy Sensory toys provide particular sensory information needed by children with autism or special needs. A rainmaker is a fun toy that can help a child relax when playing and listening to the soothing sounds of “rain”. The bright colours and cascade of falling beads allow your kiddo to engage with multiple senses at once without it being overwhelming. Gripping, shaking, and tracking the beads develops coordination, engagement of mental skills, and the building of fine and gross motor skills. RRP $20 brightautism.org / 39

South Australia's own 100% Australian made grass-fed toddler milk (made by mums). Because who you buy from matters

FOODLAND DRAKES NATIONAL PHARMACIES

mumamoo.com.au @mumamoo.au