April/may 2017 - issue thirty four
Plus Easter gifts, crafts, recipes & more!
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eight amazing mums supporting mums - mother’s day gift guide - self care for breastfeeding mums
shop where the cool kids shop
With the plethora of online businesses popping up all over the web, knowing where to shop can be the hardest decision you need to make. We’ve done the leg work for you and tracked down some of the hippest places to shop for you and the kids. Whether you are after funky party supplies, new maternity clothes, a fabulous photographer or toys for the kids, you will find it all plus more in the new Kid Magazine DIrectory. Want to find out how you can join the directory? Email sara@kidmagazine.com.au for the details on our affordable packages.
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Editor’s letter
Cover image: Sara Keli
Image by D Images, dimages.com.au April/may 2017 - issue thirty four
hi!
M
y little babe is now five months old and I’m officially back at work. Well, as much as I can be with a baby and an active toddler. And it’s a good thing I’m back, because I wanted to throw everything I had into this issue.
Plus Easter gifts, crafts, recipes & more!
e v o l y n n bu
eight amazing mums supporting mums - mother’s day gift guide - self care for breastfeeding mums
I know that bragging isn’t cool but I am so extremely proud of this issue. There are stories from mums doing amazing things to support other mums, fun non-chocolate Easter gift ideas, the story of the three generations of mothers in my own family plus a few new experts who have joined the Kid Magazine team.
Pretty collar body, $32, www.bodenclothing.com.au; Dusty pink bonnet with bunny ears, $44, www.topknotgirl.com.au; Boppy the Bunny breathable toy, $19.95, au.gro-store.com
The lead up to this issue was actually quite challenging and just one of those times when mum life takes over. Hubby caught the flu and then my big girl came down with tonsillitis, just as hubby was recovering and heading away for work for the week. But, as we all so often have to do, I had to put on my mum hat and give lots of cuddles and love. I hope you all have lots of gorgeous celebrations ahead. Whether it is Easter or Mother’s Day, take time to enjoy your family and the moments that matter. Until then, you can find even more great content on the blog at kidmagazine.com.au.
Copyright © Kid Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher, Kid Magazine. The publisher accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions within. Opinions expressed by authors are not necessarily those of the publisher. For all editorial and advertising enquiries please email sara@kidmagazine.com.au
Sara
Editor and Chief Kid sara@kidmagazine.com.au kidmagazine.com.au
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take a peek inside
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08 40 mums supporting mums
easter crafts
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teaching kids to manage money
49 reasons to love being a mum at easter
self care for breastfeeding mums
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30 nailed it
52 mother’s day gift guide
the hunt is on
36 some bunny loves you
68 mumlife across the generations hot cross buns and food jagging
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PLUS... Editor’s Letter Celebrating ourselves as mothers The unboxing obsession New Kids on the Block Time for Tea Kid Magazine Loves Teaching kids organising skills The Parental Leave work test The family business Rise & Shine
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Satu r May day 2 2017 0
Don’t miss the Brilliant Biz Mum Conference! Sat, May 20 15 speaker sessions featuring special guest Olivia White from House of White Over 30 stallholders all with products/services to help you in your business journey Network with over 150 other mums in businesss Sat, May 20 – 10am – 4pm incl. tea, coffee and refreshments Victorian School of the Deaf, St Kilda Rd, Melbourne Tickets from: $52.50 inc GST click here to book now
“Just a quick note to congratulate you on the conference over the weekend. I felt the talks, exhibition and overall presentation was fantastic! I even loved the set-up at the Victorian School of the Deaf. Parking was no problem and was easy to get to. So a big pat on your back!!!” Bernadette Walsh, Goolie Goolie
Contributors
Dr Kristy Goodwin
Renee meier, neesayer
@drkristy
@neesayer
Lauren hunt, teacher types
simone emery, play with food
@teacher_types
@playwithfood_au
Jo & Carl violeta, violeta finance
amanda lecaude, organising you
Lisa Levison, Your Family BUdget
Olivia williams,eenie meenie miney mum
@yourfamilybudget
@eeniemeeniemineymum
@violeta_finance
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@organisingyou
Mums supporting mums
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They are the mums doing amazing things to support other mums in their respective industries. They are dedicated to building mums up and draw on their own experiences to connect, motivate, empower, educate, and inspire. The beautiful thing is that they are just a handful of the thousands of mums out there working tirelessly to improve the lives of other mums. To all of you, thank you, because when we lift each other up, magical things can happen. These eight gorgeous mamas share their stories of love, life, motherhood and the strength and power of mumkind.
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Helping mums tell their story
Mellissa baker steering the mothership project
Before I had kids I had all these ideas about what I thought motherhood should be and what kind of mother I would be. My boys are now four and seven and looking back, I can say that I most likely had a case of postnatal depression in the six months following both of the boys’ births. I thought the struggles would resolve on their own. Look at all the women who have been mothers before me, what makes me any different to them? Overtime, as my kids grew older, I have become more accepting of the feelings of motherhood that can go from overwhelm to total joy. I have also realised that we are each on our own journey, there is no manual that is going to apply to everyone. I have been a portrait photographer for many years and taught photography courses to mums and I wanted to combine my skills and passion for capturing emotion through images into something really special. To date I have had over 100 women express interest in being involved in the Steering the Mothership Project. As more women are sharing so deeply their own stories of motherhood, I know that I am helping to raise awareness of the many circumstances, challenges and emotions that can arise in the journey of motherhood and help mothers band together, instead of against each other. It is about embracing the unique differences of mothers and finding comfort in the shared struggles. When a woman expresses interest in participating in the project, I send out a questionnaire. It covers questions like how they felt when they first found out they were pregnant; do they have any fears around motherhood; their challenges, their highs and lows and the relationship with their parents since having their own kids. Some women will answer each question, or the ones that apply to them, while others will just write pages of their personal journey and experience as a mother.
I have witnessed the true depths of love that mums feel for their children. It’s a love like no other and at the end of the day, we all want the same thing for our children – to be happy and healthy. Balance is a big theme that keeps coming up and finding a way to be your own person as well as being a good mother. One of the participants wrote that “motherhood is like walking on a tightrope balancing my children in one hand and myself in the other hand. Most of the time it tips towards my children’s side and I have to consciously lean back towards my side.” I have also noticed that a lot of mums fear that they’re not good enough and there are some feelings of resentment, not all the time but just towards certain things within their role as a mother. Feelings of guilt and shame seem to be very common and a lot of women seem to resonate with that. One of my most recent participants said that the most important lesson in parenting is learning to roll with the punches and adapt on the fly. That one instantly grabbed me because it is so true. But this project isn’t just about women with children. I want to include the point of view of daughters, aunties, women that want to be mothers that aren’t yet, or going through IVF, women that can’t have children for medical reasons, step mothers, mothers who have lost a child or adopted a child and women who have chosen not to have children. Although it’s about motherhood, it’s bigger than that. My vision is to travel and take the project to look at other cultures. I’m particularly interested in the difference between Western and Eastern cultures. I feel that as Western mums there is so much pressure on us to do it all. To be that perfect wife, mum, housekeeper, with a social life and a career. I think we could learn a thing or two from each other. I would also love to publish a book or have a gallery exhibition. At the moment, my problem is time, I have to keep myself a little grounded and remember that I’m a mum.
So far 22 women have completed the questionnaire and I have photographed 15 of them. I have actually had some of these women tell me what a weight has lifted off their shoulders after sharing their story.
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Mellissa and her boys Below: Images from Steering the Mothership Project Mell’s tips for taking family photos 4 Actually being present with your child and talking to them about something they genuinely love will give you genuine expressions rather than forced smiles. They will relax and you will be able to capture a really authentic photo rather than just sitting down with the camera and asking them to smile. 4 When your kids look back at family photos in 20 years time, you want to be present in them. Don’t worry about whether you have done your makeup or if you want to lose ten kilos, just be in the moment and be in the photos. Even if it is a selfie, or the camera set on a timer to capture you reading with your kids. 4 Talk to your partner about taking spontaneous photos of you and the kids doing those every day things. Often as soon as you ask “can you take a photo?”, the kids become disinterested and run off. Try and capture the moments as they happen.
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Helping mums meet and connect lucia de mello babes + picnics
For me, my motherhood journey started in July of 2011, when I found out I was pregnant for the first time. I honestly loved being pregnant, I was feeling great, watching what I ate and absolutely loving my new baby bump! You could say I had a picture perfect pregnancy. That was, until I reached 20 weeks. Unknowingly, I was already very, very sick. My body was slowing switching off and at just over 20 weeks I gave birth to my son Leo, silently and peacefully. Post birth, I continued to fight for my life for four weeks. I was advised never to fall pregnant again, as I was an extremely high-risk carrier. Not only high risk for me, buy my unborn child.
that had reached out to me attended. It was only my friends and I, with our babes. A lovely morning, but it was constantly on my mind as to why these mums didn’t turn up?
I have an incredibly strong intuition and I knew that there would be a time where the timing would be right and I would once again experience the joy of being pregnant, to hold my baby in my arms and take him home. That time came unexpectedly in September 2015. The scariest and yet happiest day of my life. During my pregnancy I was monitored vigilantly. I had scans every two weeks, weekly blood tests, weekly specialist appointments. I was in out of hospital visits 2-3 times a week from 12 weeks. I ended up on some precautionary medication and ultimately a planned induction at 37 weeks. My pregnancy should have been quite anxious really, but I actually felt an overall calmness. On the 2nd June, 2016 my rainbow baby Luca graced our world. He was perfect.
So instead of feeling like I had wasted my time organising Babes + Picnics, I instead organised another picnic for November. I also decided that if I was to continue hosting picnics, it needed to have a meaning and purpose to me too. So I had a few thoughts over lunch one day and shared them in the Facebook group. Being the humanitarian dreamer that I am, my vision for future
When Luca was around three months old, other mums were starting to ask me about mummy catch ups and mothers groups. They wanted to know where I went, what it was like and if I could recommend any to them. To be honest, I had no idea. I was loved up in my family and friends I didn’t seek out any other mum and baby interaction. It wasn’t until Luca was almost 5 months old, that I received an email from yet another mum and this was when my thoughts were screaming at me “these mums are seeking a connection and for some reason they are reaching out to me!?”. So I put the call out on my social media, created a Facebook Page and named the group “Babes + Picnics” and organised a picnic for October, in Brisbane. The response was positive and the group started to grow quickly. On the day of the event, not one of the mums facebook.com/babesandpicnics
Over the next couple of days I received messages from some of the mums that first reached out to me. They were all along the lines of “I’m so sorry I didn’t turn up, I wanted to come so much, but I became overwhelmed with anxiety, I was scared and I stayed home.” I felt like I needed to do some research into this and I very quickly realised how many women, especially mums, face daily challenges with anxiety/depression. It honestly, blew. my. mind.
“I received an email from yet another mum and this was when my thoughts were screaming at me “these mums are seeking a connection and for some reason they are reaching out to me!?”.
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picnics was to chose a local charity each month, ask the charity what items they were in need of and ask the mums to bring their donations to the picnic. I also reached out to a few local businesses to support the picnic with products and vouchers for a free raffle on the day. I explained to them the Babes + Picnics “Paying it Forward” initiative and the support from the businesses was overwhelmingly positive. The response from all the mums on the Facebook Page was incredible! At the November picnic we had 25 mums attend and we were able to fill 40 handbags for our charity of the month, Share the Dignity. It was incredible. The vibe was electric. Our hearts were full of love. After sharing the Brisbane picnic on social media, I became flooded with comments/emails from other mums around Australia who wanted this initiative in their home town. It got me thinking, “ why can’t they!?”. I contacted some of my mum friends in different cities to see if they would be interested in becoming a Babes + Picnics Ambassador for their hometown. Each and every one of them without any hesitation said “YES! I’m in!” This got the ball rolling and by the next month, December 2016, we had 12 picnics Australia wide. We are now in April and we have over 30+ locations with new locations launching each month. We have tiny picnics in remote towns and some larger picnics in our capital cities. Our biggest turn out to date was actually in the town of Singleton, NSW with over 80 mums attending.
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I am literally so taken back with how this simple concept has been embraced by so many mums, businesses and charities around Australia. I have even had enquires from Europe, NZ and the USA! Creating a space that is positive, free of judgement and safe is important to our mums. Bringing meaning and purpose to the picnics is equally as important. We are all about Supporting ~ Connecting ~ Giving Back. In some very exciting news, Babes + Picnics is holding its very first nationwide collaboration with PANDA and Olivia White (PANDA ambassador). On Friday, 12th May, all B+P locations will be gathering on the same day to raise money and awareness for PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia).
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Lucia and Luca
A Babes + Picnics event
Helping mums grow their biz
Alli Price motivating mum
I never wanted to have kids. When all my friends were planning their futures – married at 25, two kids by 30 – a boy and a girl, of course – I was resolute in the fact that I was never going to get married and never have kids!! (I have still managed to avoid the getting hitched part). I became pregnant with Amelie when I was about 32 and it wasn’t so much planned, as it was a ‘leave it to the gods’ kind of thing. When I saw the two pink lines I checked in with myself to make sure I was all good and realised I was very happy – and thus the journey began. All through my pregnancy, and after having her, I realised I was actually very lucky that I hadn’t ever thought about kids at all as it meant I had no expectations or ideas of how it should be. I could just cruise through; tackling whatever came up, as I hadn’t set myself up with dreams and scenarios of how it should be. Her Dad and I separated when she was two and I managed to get myself up the duff again a few years later – this time, to my new boyfriend of three months (who I’d known as a friend for a lot longer) and little Freya was born when I was about 38 years old.
time as having my first daughter, so knew I wanted to help biz mums. If they were feeling anything like me – isolated, alone, lacking in confidence and out of their depth – then I knew they needed help and I wanted to be the person to offer it. So I started Motivating Mum with a crappy website and even crappier biz cards and not a clue in the world how to run a business! The main offering of Motivating Mum are my monthly Bizmums Clubs – where mums can meet once a month for ongoing support, brainstorming for their business, networking and more. I am hugely passionate about running these meetings as there are mums in biz all over Australia who sit in their workshops or on their computers, are isolated and alone, every day. They may not even realise how dull they’re feeling as they’re so used to it. Getting together with like-minded mums who GET IT ensures these women walk away feeling reinvigorated, refreshed, brimming with new ideas and motivated. No matter how engaging a Facebook page or group you will NEVER get that feeling from a computer screen.
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Not long after we moved back to Australia from the UK and have been living here ever since (seven years or so) and then at the ripe old age of 43 I moved on from BF#2 – so now it’s an all-gal house (including the cat).
Upcoming events
We are an extremely weird family in that BF#2 takes my oldest two nights a week (even though he’s not her Dad) and the youngest goes to him three nights a week. I also share custody of my oldest with BF#1, who still lives in the UK, and she travels there (on her own since she was six) approx. three times a year for a month at a time.
The Brilliant Biz Mum Conference is coming up on Sat, May 20 with a huge day of great biz topics, stallholders providing services/products for biz mums and networking with 150 other biz mums. http://www.motivatingmum.com/events/ brilliant-biz-mum-conference
The crazy thing is that we all get along great. When BF#2 travelled with Freya to see his family last year, he stayed at BF#1’s house with his new family! And I love that I get the best of both worlds – time with my lovely kids who I adore and also time off to hang with friends or learn the drums.
The Mummy Mentoring Festival is coming up later in the year, where mums can bid on sessions with high profile/successful Oz biz women. http://www.motivatingmum.com/mentoringmum/mummy-mentoring-festival
Professionally, I trained as a life coach after realising the corporate world wasn’t for me, and what I really wanted to do was help people. I actually graduated at the same facebook.com/MotivatingMumOz
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Alli’s advice for mums wanting to take the biz jump: 4 Get realistic about what you will be able to achieve in your first years in business – you most likely will not match your corporate wage 4 Read as many blogs and articles as possible and educate yourself on social media, marketing, SEO and more 4 Join a group that will help you so you are not on your own and hopefully, you’ll even get information to help you circumnavigate common start up mistakes 4 You have to expect to spend money to make it. Yes, it’s great to build your own website but will it look professional and convert sales? Ditto for your logo and so on… 4 Do a time audit so you know exactly how much time you have and when you have it 4 It’s ok to outsource business work or even the cleaning or some cooking or the school pick up – you can’t do it all x Alli, Amelie and Freya Images: www.kyraboyer.com
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Helping mums discover their stre Jen Dugard Body Beyond Baby
I was very fortunate when my first baby was born that he was a really good sleeper. I went back to the gym when he was very young and while I didn’t know anywhere near what I know now, I would look around at the other mums at the gym and see that often they really didn’t know what to do. I was also selfish about making the time to go to the gym but noticed that other mums weren’t doing that. They didn’t have support or they didn’t ask for support and they didn’t know what to do even if they got the support. I wanted to create an environment where mums could bring their babies with them to their training sessions. I wanted to give mums a space to exercise and to teach them how to do it, do it well and do it safely. And that is how Body Beyond Baby was born. Often a woman can walk away from having a baby feeling like she’s supposed to feel grateful because she’s now mum to her beautiful baby. But she feels lost because she doesn’t quite know what happened to her during the birth and also how to move forward from that. She may have suffered a birth trauma or she has had an emergency Caesarean and she doesn’t know what is happening with her body. She goes back to the gym and she tries to do things that she used to do before having a baby but her body isn’t the same and won’t do the same things as before. We start by asking women about their life before kids, about their birth and about any abdominal separation to get a picture of where they have come from and where they are right now. I can’t see what’s happening on the inside with things like their pelvic floor, so we encourage women to see a women’s health physio. We then tailor the training sessions to where each woman is at right now. For a lot of women, when they have a baby they become much more in tune with their bodies. We can teach them to activate their core from the inside out and potentially build stronger abdominal muscles than they had pre-kids. We see women who have never exercised previously who end up fitter than they have ever been; running half marathons and other events. They start out just wanting
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to get active and take some mental time out but they end up discovering a new strength they didn’t know they had, both physical and mental.
“They start out just wanting to get active and take some mental time out but they end up discovering a new strength they didn’t know they had, both physical and mental.” But the more time I spend working with mothers, the more I realise that what I do is a really awesome vehicle that I can use to help women maintain who they are, as a woman and not just a mother. A lot of the mums that attend our training become friends and will go out for coffee after training session. Some of the mums with a higher level of fitness will go away for weekends and compete in obstacle races together. At one point we had a mum in our group in a difficult financial situation in a legal case. The other mums banded together to raise some money to support her. It is about more than exercise. It is about finding your tribe and not getting lost in motherhood. We can’t get lost.
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Above: Jen at work Below: Jen with her kids
Jen’s tips for getting it right post-baby 4 If I wanted to go get knee surgery, I wouldn’t go to see an eye doctor, I’d go to the knee surgeon. It’s the same with the fitness industry. If you want to build your body, you go to the trainer that knows how to build bodies. If you’re a mum, you need to find a trainer who knows how to work with your body and the changes it has been through. 4 Research tells us that 50% of women who read how to activate their pelvic floor through written material or given verbal instruction are doing their pelvic floor exercises incorrectly, which can potentially do even more damage. Go and see a women’s health physio to determine if you have any pelvic floor weakness. The physio can give you some guidelines for training safely to prevent any further damage. 4 Have respect for your body. Look at what you are eating and make sure you are eating healthy, clean food at regular intervals throughout the day.
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4 Be kind to yourself and know that some days you will be exhausted and not able to do the workout you want to do. But don’t let that become a cycle of doing nothing. Treat each day separately and get into a cycle of movement respecting when your body needs rest.
Helping single mums discover the Lucy good beanstalk single mums
I met my now ex-husband on Fraser Island while I was travelling around Australia. We were both from England and got married there and had our two daughters who are now 13 and 10. We had a lot of issues in our marriage and tried many different things to fix it, one of which was to emigrate to Australia, which we did eight years go. So here we were in Australia, faced with the fact that moving all the way across the other side of the world doesn’t actually save your marriage. We ended up breaking up about five years ago. I suppose it was a good thing but it was also quite sad and of course the end result is that I am now a single mum. And as we don’t have any family here in Australia I have very little support. My ex-husband lives just a fifteen-minute drive away and is a very hands-on dad. We have a 50-50 custody arrangement and while that has been very hard to adjust to, I am now used to it. And looking back, I have been able to take a bad experience and put a positive spin on it, which was to launch Beanstalk.
other group members actually took her in for two weeks. At Christmas time we had the mums who didn’t have their kids on Christmas Day organising to meet up with each other to support each other for the holiday. One of the most important things for single mums is to rediscover themselves. The single mum journey is quite difficult in the beginning and you come out the other side as a different person. But a lot of mums don’t realise that they are different or just don’t think about the person they’ve become. In my Beanstalk eCourse, the very first thing we do is a process called “facing the mirror” and it is basically about asking yourself who is the person left after the relationship breakdown. Often the women don’t realise they have a whole new skill set and have developed strength, resilience, tolerance, independence and new capabilities. They can then start asking themselves what they want from their life now. Often the aspirations they had in married life are no longer relevant but they are still following those same dreams. They just haven’t taken the time to stop, reassess and develop their own dreams and aspirations.
Just over a year ago I decided to leave my full-time job because I was finding it too difficult working full time and needing to be there for my girls. I had always wanted to start my own business and had started noticing a lot of negativity surrounding single mums. In reality, being a single mum has made me a stronger person because I have had to overcome so many challenges. So I wanted to take those messages of strength and empowerment and share them with other mums in the same position.
It’s getting harder and harder for all mums in today’s society to be able to do everything that’s expected of us. I don’t ever say that single mums have it harder than partnered mums. We have different challenges. We face unique challenges in single motherhood but we all have it hard being mums today where we’re expected to do everything and to do it all perfectly, and to do it all with a smile on our face.
One arm of Beanstalk is my private Facebook group, Single Mum Vine. It is spellbinding when you bring together a group of women and it’s extremely empowering what you can do for one another. The group has now exceeded 3,000 members and we talk about everything from single mum issues, like how to handle situations that arise to just general topics about mum life. The group is a positive space only so we have a rule of no slagging off anyone, including our exes.
We live in a hugely fast paced world but just every now and then I get these really golden moments together with my girls when it’s just three of us. We’re not the complete family we once were but just the three of us is ok. It has taken us a long time to realise that. One quote I love is “I didn’t aspire to be a single mum, I aspired to be the best mum I could be.” And this is what I am still doing. Whatever happens, we are mums and we do whatever we can to continue being the best mums we can be.
I am proud that the group is amazingly supportive both with advice and also helping each other out in real life. One of our mums was made homeless and one of the facebook.com/beanstalkmums
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Helping women transition to moth Cherie Pasion Connected mama
When I fell pregnant I was a busy IT professional flying around the country implementing technology solutions. I guess I expected that I would somehow be mentored spiritually and emotionally to prepare for the transition to motherhood and it quickly became apparent that that wasn’t the case in the conventional care models. So I set out on a bit of a journey to prepare myself for my transition into motherhood. I found hypnobirthing and it was a great help. A part of that was affirmations and visualisations that you listen to every day. I loved them and felt quite prepared for my son’s birth. But just days away from giving birth to my son I realised that I wasn’t prepared for motherhood. Therefore, because I had found affirmations so useful in birth preparation, I went searching for affirmations to place around the house to help once my son was born. I expected to be able to buy some online, but didn’t find any available. So a couple of nights before my son was born I sat up creating affirmations to replace the birth affirmations when my son came home. Eventually they evolved into the Affirmations for Mothers packs that are now available for other mums to use (and are even used by Hollywood A-List celebrity mums). But affirmations are just one tool to help women make that leap from career to motherhood. I realised that there were many women who are looking for help to prepare for motherhood, especially in those early days when you are making that move from your career into being a mum. I realised that the professional environment many of us operate in prior to motherhood is quite masculine, and by that I don’t mean that there are lots of men, it’s that the systems are masculine. It is results and performance driven, measured on success and key performance indicators. But motherhood doesn’t work like that. Motherhood is a time when we really need to stretch into our feminine energy, which is about nurturing, intuition, feeling and emotion. Preparing for motherhood isn’t about letting go of the masculine energy, but bringing forward feminine traits facebook.com/connectedmama
and qualities into alignment. And one way to do this is through the power of connection.
“Preparing for motherhood isn’t about letting go of the masculine energy, but bringing forward feminine traits and qualities into alignment. And one way to do this is through the power of connection.” So after some thought and research I developed the ‘Connection Compass’ method to help mothers consider different aspects that will help them step into their feminine and prepare for the transition to motherhood. Some of the key elements of the Connection Compass are: Looking inwards: for example, connecting in yourself and your new role as a mother – and exploring other aspects of who you are. Many women find they ‘lose themselves’ in the transition to motherhood, as for many of us our profession is tightly woven with our identity. Also explore your fears, motivations and expectations around motherhood. There can be feelings of disappointment and failure if your expectations (which
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herhood were never real in the first place) don’t meet reality. Fears can hold us back. For example, I had huge anxiety around driving when I was pregnant. I would find myself lying in bed worrying about how I would be able to drive my son around and to school. So at exactly 40 weeks pregnant I had a driving lesson as I knew I couldn’t give birth unless I had dealt with this fear. Connecting with your baby: Bonding with your baby helps set up lifelong positive attachment and helps your mothering instinct develop. Music and stories are a beautiful way to connect with baby and start the bonding process. It’s lovely to carry songs and stories through from pregnancy to when your baby is born. Babies recognise the voices, the songs, the stories that they heard while they were in the womb and it brings them comfort when they are out in the world. Some ideas to connect include talking to your baby, writing them letters and telling them how much they are loved.
Cherie and her son Below left: Affirmation cards for new mothers Below right: “It’s your birth right” book
Connecting with your tribe: It takes a village to raise a child but it also takes a village to raise a mum. There is a lot of wisdom to be gained from your grandparents, parents, friends etc. The modern village is all those people in your life like family, mothers group, playgroup etc., but also the professionals that are there to help. It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help so build a support structure into your village. Also the transition to parenthood can be tough on relationships as two become three. Now is a good time to communicate your expectations with your partner and identify your core parenting values to help keep your relationship solid in the transition period. Connecting with nature: Nature is the ultimate feminine energy and the wonderful thing about it is that you don’t even have to try. Just being in nature will give you amazing healing benefits. Countless studies show that spending five to twenty minutes a day in nature helps reduce stress and instils a feeling of calm. Ideas to connect with nature include walking barefoot in the garden, visiting a local park, looking up at the stars or the sky. You will receive the benefits of Mother Nature such as being nurtured, calmed and comforted. Your baby will also enjoy being in nature and receives the same benefits. Connection is so important in preparing for the transition to motherhood. A top tip outside of the compass is to be aware and understand how you are feeling without judgement. Give yourself permission to feel the way that you do. Also learn to be comfortable with change. In motherhood, things are constantly changing and you are always learning. So bringing forward feminine energy will allow you to be fluid and in flow. And I want to leave you with one message. That you are enough. Everything you are is enough. Managing to get through the day with your baby is absolutely enough. And if you need to get some help, that’s truly OK.
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Helping mums rock motherhood
sarah morrissey the rocking motherhood show
When my kids were young I was surprised that no one had come up with the idea to create a radio station for kids. I had the idea to build one and sat on it for a few years before sitting down one day to Google and typing “how do you start a radio station”. People laugh at me when I say I still don’t really know how to run a radio station! But it is actually all of the other things that go along with a radio station for kids that I’m most passionate about – children’s physical and mental health and the ability to support a charity. My stepsister, my sister-in-law and I were all pregnant at the same time with our first children. One was born in December, one in January and then my son in February. When the eldest passed away from SIDS at sixteenmonths-old it was heart wrenching. For a while I had this fear that every time I would put my son to bed that he wasn’t going to wake up. As we have passed each milestone; birthdays, first day of school first game of football, I’m obviously happy for my son, but it always tugs at the emotional heartstrings. I always wanted to start a business that could raise funds and awareness for Red Nose in memory of my nephew. And Little Rockers Radio has been able to do all of these things that I am passionate about. Through the Little Rockers Red Nose Disco event, the music, meditations, yoga, lullabies, and physical activity messages. Along with the stations growing success came emails from PR agencies offering me interviews with people doing amazing things. I don’t play interviews on-air (what toddler wants to listen to an interview on Motherhood?), and I knew that I wanted to be able to talk about important topics that mums face each day so that’s where the Rocking Motherhood Show stemmed from as a series of live videos and podcasts interviews.
great things, but I wanted something that also offers different advice and perspectives too, so Mums can choose what works for them and feel like they are also getting good advice. When you have a newborn, you just doubt yourself so much especially when it’s your first child. You are sleep deprived and unsure of everything you are doing. Social media hasn’t helped as people only share the images that they want people to see, which can be very different from reality. It wasn’t until my children got older that I started to realise that I’ve got this. I want to talk about the real topics to empower other mums with knowledge and support to know that they’ve got this too. I have interviewed Bridget from the Midnight Mums Facebook group about running an online mothers group and the struggles she sees mums going through each day. I have also interviewed Dr Joanne Orlando, a children’s technology expert who works with Apple and used to write for Play School, about children using technology and focussing on the benefits of technology rather than making mums feel like crap. We’ve covered first aid for children, mumlife in general, raising resilient kids and I also have an interview with an expert in child sexual abuse coming up on how to have those conversations with children about what is appropriate touch and what isn’t. First and foremost it is about rocking motherhood in any way you want with no judgement. There is so much judgement out there. Who cares how we feed our kids, or what time we put them to bed. I want the Rocking Motherhood Show to be filled with positive messages for mums, not about what they should and shouldn’t be doing.
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I wanted something real and informative. There’s lots of mummy bloggers talking about their journeys doing
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Sarah and her kids
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“I want to talk about the real topics to empower other mums with knowledge and support to know that they’ve got this too.”
Helping mums celebrate the siste natasha and rachel wells the hood
Tash became a mum first. I always wanted to be a mum. I would see mums pushing prams and thought how idyllic it looked. When I became a mum, it was a lot harder than I expected. I had quite an unsettled baby so my anxiety was heightened at that time. Talking to other mums and neighbours who had been there and done that. Just a kind word or piece of advice from them made such a difference. Rachel had her son a few years later. Obviously I knew that it was a tough journey. But I don’t think I realized until I had my own how difficult it was. It was one of the toughest times of my life and a time when I really did need that support around me when I first became a mum. Once we had that shared experience of motherhood we both felt so fortunate to have each other, but we started talking about what we could do to support the broader sisterhood. We wanted to spread that support beyond the friendly neighbourhood chat. One of the big things for us when we created The Hood was about honesty and telling the story of motherhood as it really is. We want to be honest about our own experiences and for other mums to know that it is ok to find it difficult at times. A reminder that we are all in this together and that you’ve got this.
“We want to be honest about our own experiences and for other mums to know that it is ok to find it difficult at times.” facebook.com/The-Hood-858068797614033
It’s like at mothers group when one of the mums opens up and says, “God I’m finding this hard” and all of a sudden everyone’s walls go down and they start sharing their own stories. It feels like such a weight is lifted off your shoulders when you know you are not alone, whether it be because your baby isn’t sleeping through the night of is a fussy eater. When you are struggling it is so easy to forget that other people are going through the same thing. We like to call our range a “wearable pep talk”. It is a nod to the struggles of motherhood and a way to support but they are also quite tongue in cheek. We originally launched with our “You Got This” and “On Duty” slogans, acknowledging the fact that motherhood is a 24/7 gig. The “Winning” design is either the motivation you need in your day or when things are going pear shaped and you are obviously not winning. For us it’s about supporting and encouraging each other but also having a bit of fun along the way. One of our newest designs is “Ok, but first, kindness” and that is about being kind to ourselves and each other but also a broad message about general kindness. We were raised with values of kindness and we want to share that around. So we also donate a percentage of our profits to COPE and the work they do in supporting the emotional needs of women and fathers. We wanted to not just contribute to supporting other women through our own means but pass it on to COPE as well to help them do their thing. We missed out on something as a generation of women because we might not have our mothers or aunties or grandmothers close by to help us raise our children. In the past it really was a tribe of women raising children together. So as women and mothers we need to help each other out as much as we can to try and build those tribes around us.
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thehood.net.au
erHood
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L-R Natasha Wells with her girls Avie, Edie and Bonnie and Rachel Wells and her son Jack.
Self care for brea More than just about feeding your baby, breastfeeding can be a beautiful bonding experience between mother and baby. But you may have heard the saying that you can’t look after a baby if you don’t look after yourself first. Follow these simple tips for self care while breastfeeding. Hydration Breastfeeding is thirsty work. Your body uses extra fluids to produce your breast milk so staying hydrated is key. Keep a water bottle with you for all feeds or grab a glass of water before you sit down. Nipple care A sore or cracked nipple is a breastfeeding mum’s nightmare and it can make feeding your baby extremely painful. To prevent damage you need to ensure that the baby is latching correctly to the breast. In the case of damage, a product such as Lansinoh® HPA® LANOLIN, which has been clinically proven to accelerate healing, will help soothe, heal and protect your nipples while you sort out the underlying issues. Managing challenges From engorgement to mastitis, or trouble getting the milk flow to start, breastfeeding can bring more than its fair share of challenges. If you feel like you need help with breastfeeding, don’t be afraid to ask. Reach out to your GP or call the Australian Breastfeeding Association. There is so much support out there, you don’t have to feel like you are alone. Lansinoh® THERA°PEARL® 3-in-1 BREAST THERAPY provides hot or cold therapy to help you manage some of these common challenges.
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astfeeding mums
Lansinoh® understands the challenges that can arise with breastfeeding and is there to support you with a range of products to address these challenges and help you breastfeed for as long as you’d like.
Lansinoh® THERA°PEARL® can be frozen to be used cold between feeds to help reduce the pain or swelling associated with engorgement or mastitis. Used hot before a feed, Lansinoh® THERA°PEARL® encourages let-down and milk flow. Nutrition A healthy diet should be part of any self-care regime, but as breastfeeding uses extra energy and nutrients, this is even more important. The Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council, 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines give indications of how many serves of each food group breastfeeding women should be eating each day and it might be more than you think (hello, 7.5 serves of vegetables and 9 serves of grains!). Meal planning and keeping healthy snacks on hand will help but if you are unsure of what you should be eating for optimal health, speak to your GP or a qualified nutritionist. Rest As if carrying a baby for 40 weeks and then labouring for hours to bring them into the world isn’t hard enough! When they are born is where the challenges really start. Not only are you caring for them around the clock, if you are breastfeeding, your body is also working overtime to produce breastmilk. As much as you can, you need to rest to let your body do its thing. Sleep while the baby sleeps or ask a trusted friend or family member to watch baby for an hour while you nap between feeds. It will get easier but listen to your body and be kind to yourself.
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Lansinoh® HPA® LANOLIN soothes, heals and protects sore, cracked nipples. Apply a peasized amount after each feeding to soothe and protect sore, dry, or cracked nipples. The product is 100% natural and contains only ultra-pure lanolin, which means it contains no additives or preservatives! There is no need to remove before breastfeeding! Lansinoh® THERA°PEARL® 3-in-1 BREAST THERAPY can help manage common breastfeeding hurdles, such as trouble getting the milk flow to start, plugged ducts, engorgement or mastitis. The unique design allows the packs to gently conform to your breast for 360° relief. Includes two reusable packs that can be used cold to help reduce pain and swelling associated with engorgement or mastitis, or hot to encourage let-down and help the milk flow. It can also be used hot with a breast pump to reduce time spent pumping. Lansinoh® ULTRA THIN, STAY DRY NURSING PADS are designed to offer super absorbency, comfort and discretion. Thanks to the BLUE LOCK™ core, which quickly captures and disperses moisture, these pads will help you and your clothes stay dry – day or night! The super absorbent pads absorb 20 times their weight in liquid, are naturally contoured and stay in place with two adhesive tapes. The only person who will know you’re using a pad is you! Always read the label. Use only as directed. If symptoms persist, see your healthcare professional. www
www.lansinoh.com.au
Celebrating Ourselves As Mothers Renee Meier, Nee Say
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iStock.com/ivan101
As mothers we celebrate our children so much. We cheer them on when they take their first steps, kick their first goals and have their first band recital. A first place ribbon is worthy of a celebratory ice cream after the race or a social media post bursting with motherly pride. Yet every milestone, every achievement, every hurdle overcome, they are really our victories as well. Mothers feel the struggles and successes of our children as strongly as if they are our own. After all, our children are extensions of ourselves and we invest so much energy and emotion into them. We feel their pain, their worries and their joy as keenly as if it were our own. Why, therefore do we not celebrate ourselves more? After all, we are the ones who pick our babies up when they stumble, get them to sports practice every week and find their lost sheet music for the umpteenth time. We facilitate their successes and help them get back up to try again if they fail. It’s a common saying that mothers are also coaches, taxi drivers, cleaners, cooks, psychologists, social coordinators and teachers, to name but a few of the many roles we fill. How often do we pat ourselves on the back for the myriad of things we do to support our families? The truth is we do not celebrate ourselves as mothers enough. We are raising the next generation of society. We need to recognise what an achievement that is. And while we are doing this, we are also juggling our own lives, careers, relationships, health and whatever other challenges come our way. Modern mothers spread themselves so thin across all aspects of life. Then we are plagued by guilt for the things we haven’t done or the things we think we should be doing.
serving up a nutritious, home cooked dinner that is one of their favourites. And it just so happens to be pasta. There are quite a few wins just there. They might not seem earthshattering or award winning but they are the little everyday achievements that we need acknowledge. Because the reality is motherhood is relentless, all consuming and darn exhausting. If we don’t celebrate ourselves regularly, quite frankly, no one else is going to. Granted, Mothers’ Day is coming up and it’s lovely to have our families take the time to show their appreciation for all we do. Undoubtedly, there will be burnt toast and cold tea in bed with handmade cards scrawled with love. There will be extra cuddles and lots of I love yous. It will be a day filled with love, dedicated to us. But chances are we will also spend the day appreciating our mothers, our grandmothers and other people’s mothers on “our” special day. Yet another reason why we need to add celebrating ourselves to our lengthy to do lists (if you want a job done properly, it’s best to do it yourself, right?) As mothers we have a responsibility to our families to take care of ourselves as well. We are no good to anyone if we are a sobbing, burnt out mess in the corner. So next time you have a little motherhood win, take a moment to celebrate yourself. Do something special like have a bath, put on your favourite perfume just because or treat yourself with a nice glass of red. You could even grab your favourite mum pal and go for a coffee so you can pat each other on the back. After all, you are raising little humans and you are doing a darn good job.
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Take today for example. Today I feel guilty for not baking something for my children’s play date this afternoon. I feel guilty for leaving my daughter crying at daycare this morning because I left in a rush to get to her brother’s parent-teacher interview on time. I feel guilty because I haven’t planned meat and three veg for dinner and we will probably have pasta. Again. But then I force myself to think about what I did do for my children today. Apart from the usual hustle and bustle of organizing everything to get out the door, I made my weekly visit to my son’s class to help with reading. I sent a lengthy letter of concern to my other son’s teacher about potential bullying. I will be bringing home three extra children for them to play with after school. I will also be
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Renée Meier is a freelance writer, aspiring novelist and mother to three rambunctious children. When she’s not being distracted by social media or drinking copious amounts of coffee, Renée can be found wandering along one of her beautiful local beaches with her two dogs. Her lifelong dream is to earn enough money to afford a housekeeper.
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mother’s day gift guide
Because as much as we all love those special gifts made from tiny hands and full of heart, who doesn’t want to be a little bit spoilt on Mother’s Day! If you can never think of what you want when the family asks, take your pick from these gorgeous buys!
If you are looking to expand your hair styling repertoire beyond the “mum bun”, the Dessata brush, with it’s 440 triple length flexible bristles, might be the answer! The limited edition Bright Metallics are not only an amazing detangling tool but they are also a must have fashion accessory! from $29.95, www.dessata.com.au
Fancy a good coffee on the run? The Minipresso Portable Handheld Espresso Machine produces a quality cup of espresso coffee with just hot water and ground coffee. With built in cup and scoop this is a must have for sitting on the sidelines at weekend sport. $84.95, www.gyrofish.com.au
With w a stylish have an the Fran Podiatr designe are pac cushion those k $299.9 No more awkward fumbling to find your keys or noisy jingling in your handbag. Orbitkey Active, made from durable and lightweight rubber, is a compact way to keep your keys together. Anything that helps keep things organised is a winner in my books! $34.95, www.gyrofish.com.au
Update your home with this gorgeous and modern brass flower frame from Rainy Sunday. The frame hold two mason jars with lids designed especially for flower arranging. Make sure they don’t forget the flowers as well! $74, www.rainysunday.com.au kidmagazine.com.au 30
Monogram is the word of the moment and you can’t look past The Daily Edited for the most luxurious monogram goodies. The mini travel case is perfect for the mum on the go with two compartments perfect for storing cosmetics, toiletries and jewellery. $119.95, www.thedailyedited.com
100% of the proceeds from this divine Samantha Wills ‘Bohemian Bardot’ ring will go directly to the McGrath Foundation. If pink, bling and a good cause are your thing then this is the gift for you. $79, samanthawills.com
winter fast approaching, h pair of boots is a must nd you can’t go past nkie4 IZZY in Gunmetal. rist and physiotherapist ed, these leather boots cked with support and ning to keep you chasing kids all day long. 95, frankie4.com.au
Fancy a new do? For every person who colours their hair pink from now until the end of May and uploads a photo of their pink hair to Instagram with #goldwellgopink and @goldwellaus, Goldwell will donate $100 to the McGrath Foundation. And for every bottle purchased in the Kerasilk color retail range during April and May will also see $2 donated by Goldwell to the McGrath Foundation. $34.95 - $42.95, www.goldwell.com.au
The convenience of a sturdy basket, with double strap leather handles for shoulder or hand carrying, combined with the glam of silver sequins make this basket the ultimate market companion for stylish mamas who won’t compromise on functionality, quality or style. $105, www.2ducktrading.com.au
If you have any dry skin on your feet, do yourself a favour and add Milky Foot to your Mother’s Day wish list. Within a week or so of application, the dry and dead skin on your feet will peel off to leave your feet feeling silky smooth, it’s not pretty but it’s most definitely worth it! $29.95, www.milkyfoot.com.au
Why is my child obsessed with watching chocolate eggs being opened on YouTube? Dr Kristy Goodwin Watching a You Tube clip of a Kinder Surprise toy egg very slowly being opened by a pair of tiny hands (or sometimes even a pair of manicured adult hands) is not exactly what most parents would consider riveting viewing. But for our kids, especially our toddlers and preschoolers, they’ve become infatuated with these “unboxing videos”. Yes, many of our little ones have formed a digital obsession over toys being opened from boxes. So in this article, I’ll explain exactly what “unboxing videos” are, why our kids become obsessed with these videos (there’s actually a neuroscientific explanation as to why they find it hard to switch them off ) and finally I’ll share some practical tips for managing these videos (so your child’s digital obsession doesn’t turn into an unhealthy habit.) Basically, I want to help you understand this bizarre trend and help assure you that you can manage your child’s latest digital infatuation, without having to ban You Tube. What are “unboxing videos”? Imagine an enthusiastic, adult voice announcing that they’ll unveil a new toy and a pair of manicured hands laboriously opening a toy box… sometimes for up to 20 minutes. This is an “unboxing video”. Unboxing videos, where children literally watch videos of other children, or sometimes even adults, unwrap toys on You Tube, have become increasingly popular amongst young kids. They become mesmerised by manicured or tiny hands that hover over toy boxes and slowly unwrap packages and toys. In essence, these are lengthy advertorials, targeted directly at kids. They’re very different to traditional 15-second TV commercials. As parents we need to be wary of this indirect form of advertising and the consumerism behaviour it can foster. The unboxing trend actually started amongst adults with tech enthusiasts unboxing phones and computers and it has now spread to kids’ toys being opened.
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This is a strange yet very lucrative business. Disney once had an 18 hour unboxing marathon! The kids’ unboxing “industry” is reported to be worth millions of dollars. The Disney Collector channel has over 2 million subscribers and some videos have been viewed more than 94 million times! For the video creators (many of whom are now paid by toy manufacturers for their marketing efforts) it can sometimes be a full-time job (for adults and kids!). Unboxing videos have attracted thousands, even millions of viewers and are a lucrative business for some video creators. It’s been suggested that some unboxers have been paid up to $4/1000 views (I’ll let you do the sumscha-ching!). Children’s toy marketers see You Tube and particularly You Tube Kids (where many of these unboxing videos are housed) as an effective marketing tool. As parents we all know how irritating and draining pester-power can be. Why do kids love those unpacking/unboxing videos? Many parents admit that they’re worried that their little one’s interest in watching unboxing videos quickly turns into a digital obsession. In some instances, parents have acknowledged that they’re concerned that their child’s habit has actually turned into an “addiction” and that turning off these videos always results in the dreaded techno-tantrum. So what’s going on? Why do children become obsessed with online videos and find them so hard to switch off? I want to clarify that your young child is unlikely to be “addicted” to these videos. However, there’s little doubt that their brain is having a strong neurobiological response and this is what’s driving their behaviour. // Dopamine Watching these fun videos is pleasurable for our little ones so their brain releases dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter. So kids naturally want more and more of that feeling and this is why they find it hard to switch
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off these videos and why you often also get the technotantrum! Young children can become very dependent on these videos because of the pleasurable state it yields (often with very little effort on their part). // Adrenaline and endorphins The anticipation associated with watching a toy being unwrapped actually releases adrenaline and endorphins in the brain. The videos strategically build a sense of anticipation. So when kids are viewing these types of videos they’re having a neurobiological response, which makes it difficult for them to switch off. // State of insufficiency Kids find it hard to switch unboxing videos off because they enter the “state of insufficiency”. That is, they never feel like they’re “done” or “complete” when they’re watching You Tube. There’s always another clip they could watch because of the menu of choices on the right-hand side of the screen. So our young kids don’t get that feeling of completion, like they do when they read a book with a parent and get to the end of the book, or finish a jigsaw puzzle. They literally feel incomplete. How do parents manage unboxing videos? Basically, you need to establish and enforce boundaries around your child’s viewing of unboxing videos. Small doses are likely to be okay, but if they’re not carefully managed, your child will find it hard to switch off. // Have strict limits regarding the exact number of videos they can watch. Don’t use time-limits with little kids, as they don’t understand the concept of time, as it’s an abstract concept (kids don’t typically understand the concept of time until around 6-8 years of age). Tell them directly, “You can watch two videos today and then you need to turn off the iPad.”
access. Alternatively, you could use iTube List app and curate videos. // If you use the You Tube Kids app be mindful that this may be a direct form of advertising for your child. Yes, it’s a more kid-friendly experience and there’s less chance that there’s age-inappropriate content here, but it’s not completely safe and the targeted ads are often directly related to your child’s interests (based on their viewing habits). // Subscribe to quality channels. Watch (endure) a couple of unboxing clips and if they’re appropriate, subscribe to the channel. // Encourage your child to make their own videos of their toys. This develops their language skills and also helps them to appreciate the toys that they have (and hopefully curb the consumerism behaviour that unboxing videos promote). // If you really don’t like your child watching unboxing videos, or if it really drives their pest-power capabilities, don’t allow your child to watch these clips. Remember, you’re in control over what your little one can watch. Find other alternatives that you’re comfortable with them watching or simply tell them that you don’t want them watching these videos. Whether we love it or loathe it, technology is here to stay. So we need to teach our kids the best ways to use technology and minimise any potential harmful effects. Digitally-amputating kids is not a solution.
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// Try to co-view (i.e. watch the unboxing clips with your child). I’m a Mum and I know it’s not always possible to sit down and watch You Tube with your little one. So as they’re watching these videos, ask them questions about what they are viewing and discuss the subliminal ways the toys are being advertised. // Turn on safety mode in You Tube. Sadly, there’s a new trend of “digital doctoring” where You Tube clips are being edited after about two or three minutes and inappropriate content is being inserted into kids’ content (for example, violent and pornographic content has been inserted into some clips designed specifically for a youth audience). // Create playlists in You Tube and You Tube Kids to counteract the state of insufficiency. This allows you to control the quantity and quality of the videos they can
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Dr Kristy Goodwin is on a mission to solve parents’ digital dilemmas by arming them with facts (not fears) about raising kids in the digital age (without telling you to ban the iPad, or unplug the TV). Kristy’s the author of Raising Your Child in a Digital World, written to help parents ditch the techno-guilt and raise happy, healthy kids who thrive online and offline. Kristy takes the guesswork and guilt out of raising kids in the digital age by translating the latest research, into practical and digestible information, tips, and tricks for parents and educators so that they can finally ditch the techno-guilt and feel confident about using screens with their kids.
new kids on the block
Thanks to Spanish brand Dessata, Australians can now celebrate summer all year round with the latest collection of coconutscented brushes for women and men. With four brightly coloured fluorescent designs, the Summer Collection has innovative break resistant triple-length bristles that lace hair with a pleasant coconut fragrance. This professional hair styling tool reduces damage and trauma to the hair while promoting instant freshness, gloss and shine. With a durable cover and ergonomic design, the Dessata Summer Collection is perfect for work, in the car, at the gym or the beach. www.dessata.com.au
Every kid loves an icy treat and Paloma Pops are honest to goodness ice pops for the kid in all of us. They are hand crafted, all natural ice pops, lovingly created with pure and natural fruit. Proudly Australian owned and made, sourced from only the freshest seasonal fruit, Paloma Pops contain no added sugar, preservatives or artificial flavours. Their delicious flavours include strawberry & cream, salted coconut cream, watermelon & lemonade and cloudy apple & passionfruit. There are even gluten-free, vegan and dairy free options available. Nothing naughty, just nature’s bounty in all its glory. #havefunnaturally
Grants of Australia are excited to announce the release of their new Blueberry Burst Kids Natural Toothpaste. The pleasant blueberry flavour has even been kid tested and approved! With boosted Xylitol (from the bark of trees), proven to reduce the bacteria in the mouth that causes tooth decay, it has none of the nasties that are found in other mainstream toothpastes such as fluoride, SLS and parabens. Blueberry Burst Kids Natural Toothpaste is available from stockists across Australia, including Coles, select Woolworths and health food stores. www.grantsofaustralia.com.au kidmagazine.com.au 34
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The X-Tend Sleepsuit by The Sleepy Company is an Australian-first invention that grows with baby! Simply extend the arms and legs of the suit once the baby is ready for the next size. Boasting handy features such as removable sleeves, hand and feet mittens and two way front zippers, it’s suitable for babies 6 months up to 7 years of age. For babies 18 months and up, a unique extra-large drop seat feature makes nappy changes or middle of the night toilet stops so much more convenient. Made of luxurious, super-soft, certified organic cotton; no polyester, no harmful chemicals and pesticides, creating a healthier option for baby – while being super practical for parents. The X-Tend Sleepsuit keeps baby safe and comfortable all night without the worry of kicking off blankets. Available for preorder now. RRP from $74.99 sleepycompany.com/xtendsleepsuit
Nutura toddler formula is a premium, milk based formula. It is manufactured in Australia, with Nutura being the only premium formula brand, to source its dairy locally. Nutura formula is created along with leading nutritionists, to ensure we offer the highest levels of key nutrients and antioxidants. It is the only formula available to Australians that is manufactured at a pharmaceutical grade facility, with all ingredients undergoing stringent quality and safety checks to ensure Australian toddlers receive only the best! Nutura is available online www.nutura.com.au and offers free delivery to your door!
A perfect blend of high quality turmeric, spices and organic panela sugar, Arkadia Golden Latte is the ultimate choice for a morning pick-me-up. This turmeric blend is ready to serve; simply add your preferred hot milk for a delicious and natural golden latte. With no added dairy, vegan friendly and gluten and caffeine free, Arkadia Golden Latte ensures every soothing sip will transport you one step closer to cloud nine. Arkadia Golden Latte is available from independents retailers. www.arkadiabeverages.com.au kidmagazine.com.au 35
Enid, 91 (AKA Mum, Grandma, GG) My mother passed away when I was 16 and I was the first in my family to have children. I always used to wish that mum had been alive because it would have helped me a lot with my babies. I was in hospital with my first baby for 13 days and in that time they didn’t show me how to bathe him. When we gave him his first bath he was hollering, I was crying and my husband was standing beside me very nervously and waiting to catch the baby if I dropped him. Later that day when my husband went to the post office he ran into the neighbour who asked how I had gone bathing the baby. He told her that all in all it wasn’t a very pleasant experience. She offered to come and help us the next day and ending up coming every day for the next few weeks. The hospital told me that my son was premature, but as far as I was concerned he wasn’t premature, he was just a small baby. In those days they would keep the baby in the nursery and only bring them to you to feed. As he was quite small, they weren’t bringing him to me as often so I was in a room with a woman who had lost her baby and they asked me to look after her. It was a terrible time, she must have felt terrible. Because they were sometimes feeding my son in the nursery, they asked me to express and I remember one of the nurses saying, “there is enough milk here to feed the whole nursery.” I don’t know if they did because I never saw it, but I wouldn’t be surprised. My husband took two weeks of annual leave when both our children were born, which was probably unusual at the time. We didn’t have playgroups but my friends all had babies at the same time so we would meet up at somebody’s place for afternoon tea and then walk our babies home. We didn’t have a motorcar so we did a lot of walking. I would walk a mile to do my shopping with the pram. You had to do that. And then nearly every afternoon at 4pm I would take the baby for a walk in the pram and would often meet up with people then. People were friendlier in those days. You knew your neighbours. The neighbourhood kids used to come and play in your yard one day and then you would let your child go to their place the next. It was a different time altogether. I wanted children and found it very rewarding. There was no daycare so you had to teach your child everything. kidmagazine.com.au 36
Mum acros gener
Sara Keli, K
Between us we have over 100 years of mama experience. F with 30+ years and new experiences of being a grandma mother with 4 grandchildren and now 6 great grandchildr love, an open ear, a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on motherhood, changing times and the r
When my son started school, I’d never taught him to tie his shoelaces. I hadn’t even thought of that. The teacher told me he hadn’t learnt to tie his shoelaces or use scissors properly because I didn’t let him play with sharp scissors. Becoming a grandma was delightful. Seeing your own child having a baby is a lovely experience. And becoming a great grandmother is triple trouble. Unfortunately you aren’t able to do as much when you are a great grandmother. I am not as strong as I once was and to lift the children is hard work. But you don’t see your great grandchildren everyday so when they come over, I don’t worry about them moving things around because I always think to myself that I can put that back afterwards. And the great thing is that you can enjoy your grandchildren and great grandchildren and then give them back. In my day, you didn’t have as many of anything. I always said my kids had too many toys but there wasn’t the variety to be able to buy like there is today. The pay was also a lot less. We had to wash our kid’s clothes everyday as they just didn’t have the same amount that you would have today. During the war there was coupons on many things and even when my first child was born there was still coupons on meat, butter and sugar. I think the playgroups and daycare that kids go to these days are wonderful. The interaction between the kids is far better than what just one child at home gets. The children learn from each other. And most mothers have to go back to work now. The cost of living is higher and people want more nowadays. We were just content. We had just had the war and you had to learn to do without certain things.
mlife ss the rations
Kid Magazine
From my early journey of a mere three years to my mother a, to my own grandmother, 60+ years of experience as a ren. This is my tribe. We all lean on each other for support, and someone to laugh with. We all share our stories of relationships that bind us all together.
Julie, 63 (AKA Mum, Grandma) I never really thought about having children, it was just something I always thought I would do. When I did have my first daughter, I understood more about what my own mother had gone through and appreciated her more. I think when you don’t have children you think you know everything, but having your own kids brings a new perspective. My mum always told me to enjoy the girls because they grow up very very quickly. My husband and I made the decision before we had children that I would stay at home so our kids would always have someone at home and to be at school for all those things that happen. He was a very hands on dad. I think it started because I had a Caesarean and couldn’t lift the bucket to wash the nappies, but it continued and was always his job. He would come home from work and wash the nappies and hang them out to dry. He was at work a lot so he did miss out on lots of things but he always tried to be there as much as he could. I always enjoyed the early morning cuddles in bed with my daughters. I’m not sure if they enjoyed it but it was my favourite time of the day. It’s a time together when you can talk and have quiet time before you have to get up and get the day started and it’s why we were always kidmagazine.com.au 37
running to get to school on time! That’s why I loved school holidays because we could just take the day at our own pace. I think my favourite time was when my girls were aged around 3-5, before they started school because we spent so much time together. When we brought Sara home from the hospital it was New Years Eve so my husband and I would take turns to go to the party at the bottom of the street. She started sleeping through when she was just 13 days old so I had it really easy. Becoming a grandma was brilliant. You feel a rush of love when you have your own children and then you feel it again when you have grandkids. But then you can hand them back! The love you get from your grandkids is amazing. In some ways I think it was an easier life when I had children. There was more freedom than there is now and there is more to worry about. When I was a kid we used to play on the street and so did my kids, but these days you can’t let them out of your sight. The kids seem to be smarter now and I suppose it is all the technology they are growing up with. We didn’t get a TV until I was about 4 or 5 and my kids had TV and videos to watch but now they have iPads and everything is streamed. Children today understand the technology. I know it won’t be long before my granddaughters are showing me how to use it all. It amazes me what the kids come out with! There was nothing like paternity leave when we had children. The dad may have taken time off but it was annual leave or unpaid leave. The fact that you see a lot more dads with their kids is absolutely fabulous. I think a lot of mothers worry about things more than we used to. There is so much information out there and you can Google anything. It is information overload. Life is too fast and I think it is harder to stop and enjoy it. I have a closer relationship with Sara since she became a mum and I think she appreciates me more. We didn’t have as much daycare when my children were young as a lot more mums stayed at home. We had preschool but my girls only attended preschool the year before they started school and attended for two days a week. We did go to playgroup from a young age and most of their playgroup friends went to school with them. This is where I made a lot of friends and these ladies continue to be my friends today. But now a lot of my friends look after their grandkids and you see a lot of grandparents looking after their grandkids at the shops. I think it is nice to have the relationship between the generations but it also puts a lot of pressure on grandparents. My only regret is that time went too quickly, but I guess that is out of my control. I would love to do it all over again.
Sara, 33 (AKA Mum)
I try as much as I can to give my girls the kind of childhood that I had but the world is a different place now. However, I strongly believe that it is our job as parents to raise children who will make the world a better place and that is what I am trying to do. Instilling the values that I was raised with, kindness, respect, honesty.
Sometimes when I watch my daughter running around, or look down at my baby in my arms, I am hit with this feeling of disbelief that I am actually old enough to have kids. Who trusted me with these little people? How did I manage to create such awesome kids?
The moment my first daughter was born, I just felt this intense rush of love and an instant bond. And it also changed the relationship I had with my own mum. It wasn’t until that moment that I understood exactly how much she loved me. I couldn’t fully appreciate what a mother’s love means until I experienced it myself.
As rewarding and enjoyable as motherhood is it is also exhausting and overwhelming. Life is just so busy and some days I feel like all we do is rush around from one activity to the next and we don’t get any time to just sit and enjoy time with my girls.
I have loved spending more time with my mum and grandma with my girls. They have both been such amazing mentors and guides in my journey. We don’t always agree and I don’t always take their advice but I know that they will both always be there.
I try and write down as much as I can about the cute or funny things that happen each day. New milestones reached and big achievements. And I take a lot of photos! I’m rarely in them but that is something I’m working on.
And I have also loved seeing the relationship blossom between my daughters and their Grandma and GG. I was always close to my grandparents and I love that my girls also have those ties to the older generations. The kids can learn so much from them.
Very early on, I realised that I needed to work to feel like me. Even if it is just an hour a day, I love what I do and need that challenge and sense of me in my life. I am so fortunate that I can work for myself and build my career so flexibly around my family. It’s not without it’s obstacles but we make it work, most of the time. I have always made the best decisions as a mum when I have trusted my intuition. I find it so challenging to balance all of the information and research available on parenting and raising healthy, resilient kids with what my gut is telling me. I think it’s wonderful that we have access to so much but it can end up making choices harder or even making me feel guilty that maybe I’m not doing the best thing.
Mum and Grandma go grocery shopping every Friday and I sometimes join them for lunch and a stroll around the shops. I often think that we must look like such a sight walking through the shops loaded up with trolleys and prams. Coming from a long line of strong and independent women, I have no doubt that my daughters will have inherited that same fierce strength. Who knows where life will take them but for now I am trying to enjoy it as much as I can. Put the phone down and be present in the moment. Not get caught up in my head and sometime let my heart lead the way. I’ve got two amazing role models who have led the path before me and I am so lucky to have them along on my journey.
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Images by Elise Garner, www.lecoco.com.au
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Teaching kids how to manage money at any age Jo and Carl Violeta, Violeta Finance We all strive as parents to help our kids set healthy habits. Managing money is a helpful skill they can benefit from for the rest of their lives. Kids who develop good money management skills from an early age are more likely to be ready to face financial challenges as adults. As parents we can all play an important role in helping our children understand money and set good habits when it comes to finances. It’s important to understand what level they are at and find teachable moments , or set realistic goals that your children can relate to. As a husband and wife Finance and Mortgage Broking team we have the same conversations about money over our kitchen table as anyone else. There’s a pretty large age gap between our two kids. Our youngest, Marcus is almost 3 years old, our eldest Eva is turning 16 this year. They each need different approaches to helping them learn about money.
The way parents talk about money, their spending habits, and general approach to finances are noticed by children, even when they are very young. Pocket Money Giving kids pocket money at around 4-5 years of age helps them learn about the value of money, the relative price of things, and saving. Saving up for something teaches kids that sometimes we need to wait for the things we want. Money boxes help pre-schoolers learn how to count money, and they can physically see their savings grow.
Primary School Maths can be enjoyable Make maths fun by playing board games involving calculations like monopoly.
Here’s 3 key messages worth sharing with kids about money for each stage they are at:-
Teach children about numbers used in sports such as scores, batting averages and percentages of wins.
Pre-School
Read books with mathematical themes. Our family’s favourite is Benny’s Pennies by Pat Brisson
Numbers are fun A good understanding of numbers will help kids to make smart decisions on how to save, invest and spend their money in the future.
Need vs. Want Understanding needs versus wants is key to being able to live within your means.
Toddlers and pre-schoolers can be introduced to numbers through: 0 Playing games like hopscotch and singing songs with numbers and counting 0 Counting ingredients when helping to cook, counting toys or shoes. Healthy money behaviour is normal Parents role-modelling healthy money behaviour positively influences children’s beliefs and values around money.
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Explain to kids that needs are things you need to live, things like food and water; while a want is something you would like to have, but it’s not essential for survival, like chocolate and the latest smartphone. Saving is a great idea Encourage kids to set savings goals. This gives them an opportunity to practice making financial decisions, they get to decide how much of their pocket money they save and spend.
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High School Cash is king Encourage teens to use cash to make purchases rather than paying with a key-card. Using cash is a tactile and visual experience. When teens pay with plastic they are using ‘invisible money’ which is an abstract concept that doesn’t feel as real as cash. Budgeting Provide teens with an opportunity to learn how to budget. We suggest increasing your teen’s pocket money and increasing the expenses they are responsible for. This helps them build on the money management skills they developed in primary school. Spotting a good deal Strong maths skills will better equip teens to make sound financial decisions as adults. For example, if they understand percentages they can tell if an item on sale is offering a good saving. Encourage your teen to explore how interest works Discuss the pros and cons of borrowing money to purchase a car, including how paying interest will affect their monthly repayments, and factoring repayments into their budget to ensure they are manageable. Our business Violeta Finance recently participated in Global Money Week, by delivering informative kid friendly money talks to school students. We used these messages along with feedback from many of the families that we work with to help create some guidance and confidence for kids to handle money. For more information check out our video http://bit.ly/AskCarlKidsEdition
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Jo and Carl Violeta are self-confessed numbers nerds, parents of an energetic toddler and a super switchedon teenager, and co-founders of the award-winning business, Violeta Finance. They are a husband and wife team who are passionate about empowering their community with financial education, love the odd glass of wine, and get a kick out of helping families achieve their homeownership and financial dreams.
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TIME FOR TEA Enjoy your morning cuppa in style with these gorgeous tea accessories. 1 Peony design teapot, $34.95, www.oxfamshop.org.au 2 NEUE BLVD, Queenie, $48, www.neueblvd.com.au 3 NEUE BLVD Polka Dot, $60 (set of 4), www.neueblvd.com.au 4 3 Tier cake stand, $106.95, zanui.com.au 5 Glass Keep Cup, $22, www.biome.com.au 6 Renaissance gold teacup, $59.95, zanui.com.au 7 Cupcake tea cosy, $28.95, www.annabeltrends.com kidmagazine.com.au 42
Kid Magazine Loves
Introducing the latest release from Baby Bjorn – The Baby One Carrier. This stylish and versatile carrier is perfect from new born to 3 years, with no infant insert required. The ergonomic design has wide seat area for the child, giving it the tick of approval as a “hip-healthy” baby carrier by International Hip Dysplasia Institute. With the versatility of 4 carrying positions, both front and back, the Baby One offers comfort for the wearer as well as bub. Extrapadded should straps and good stability in the waist belt mean even older children will be comfortable in the Baby One Carrier. www.babybjorn.com.au
Be Genki is our go to brand for natural beauty, health and wellbeing. With an amazing philosophy around self-care, Be Genki creates natural, organic products to help you be you whether that you needs help winding down, managing stress, turning on or waking up. From oils and mists to candles and tea, their products are pure, premium and purposefully simple. The range has 5 unique oil blends; Be Serene, Be Vibrant, Be Sensual, Be Tranquil and Be Radiant. Products are all Australian made, 100% natural, organic, GM-free, vegan and cruelty-free. www.begenki.com.au
Snugglebum’s new collection of soft sleepable fashion has arrived. Beautiful prints and styles to suit newborns all the way up to 16 year old’s. The range also includes some adorable Easter designs which make the perfect Choccy free Easter gift! We love that the tops are cut long, so no cold bellies, and the fabric is soft, stretchy and durable. Longjohn sets, $42.95, available in sizes 3-6m to 8 years. www.snugglebum.com.au kidmagazine.com.au 44
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Storksak has released their first ever vegan leather bag, The Eden. Designed to offer style and quality whilst being a great alternative to leather, this luxurious, buttery-soft carryall bag is lightweight, wipe clean and durable. The spacious interior has multiple pockets and there is a built in zipped side insulated bottle pocket, padded changing mat and a grab handle for easy carrying. The Eden features double-sided webbing with sleek contrasting colour and the elasticated smart straps allow for easy storage of your jacket, baby’s blanket or Yoga mat. It even doubles as a great gym or overnight bag. www.storksak.com.au
Bobux, one of our favourite little people shoe brands, now does shoes for big kids! Kid+ is their exciting new range for ages 5yrs and older, available in sizes 27-33. Catering to a more mature foot shape by offering flexibility and protection for active children, Kid+ still has the quality craftsmanship and awesome styles that Bobux has become famous for. There are over a hundred styles to choose from, with everything from hitops to desert boots, sandals to sneakers and much more. The extensive Kid+ range allows little-but-no-so-little kids to run, jump and play in style. www.bobux.com.au/kid-plus
Calling all biz mums! Get to Melbourne for the Brilliant Biz Mum Conference and Awards, held Sat, May 20th 2017. Hosted by Motivating Mum, this is a celebration of amazing mums in business with stallholders, amazing speakers, workshops and networking galore. Speakers and workshops will be covering topics from Strategic Sales Funnels to Low-budget Marketing to Developing your Creativity. The Awards night is a fun affair directly after the Conference, culminating in awarding 13 amazing mums in business as the best in their field. www.motivatingmum.com kidmagazine.com.au 45
It is never too early (or late) to teach children organising skills Amanda Lecaude, Organising You Children really are like little sponges from an early age and we need to start teaching them to pick up after themselves and be organised or they will never learn. It really is up to us as parents to begin facilitating this and it is never too early or late to start! If you teach them from a young age, it will not only free up your time, but allow them to gain important life skills and it will assist them with self confidence by feeling capable of being able to do things themselves. Here are 8 tips to assist you in teaching your children organising skills: Developing and following routines This is one thing that helps children right from an early age begin to learn the foundations of basic organisational and time management skills. In the beginning it does require a bit of work from us as parents and in particular ensuring everything has a place to live and letting children know where things go. For younger children it can be useful to begin verbalising or making charts with the steps of a particular routine such as morning or evenings. The clearer you make it for your children and develop regular routines the easier it usually is for everyone. Another example of this is to have toys and things in containers that are labeled or for younger children they could have pictures rather than words to assist them to know where things live. When children are young and they ask you to find something it can be useful to remind them that they know where they live as that is why we put things back away so you can find them easily next time. Understanding what it means to be organised Children like to understand why it is important to be organised, how it helps to make life easier and why it can save time. Be honest with them and naturally give them explanations that are age appropriate so they can
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understand. Explain that getting organised isn’t always fun or quick but that it helps in the long run. For younger children you can keep it simple by teaching them things like stacking, matching, wiping, sweeping which are all developmental skills and often they won’t even realize or know that they are learning organising or cleaning up skills. Leading by example One of the very first steps as a parent, in teaching your children organising skills, is to ensure you are leading by example. We have all heard the term ‘monkey see monkey do’ and it really is true. It is really important that you create an environment that reflects organisation. For instance you could have a family calendar in a central location that everyone, children included, put their information on. It is also good to ensure that everything has a specific place to live so it is easier for you and your children to find. It also encourages children to put things back and keeps the place more organised and with less clutter. Remember if you are expecting them to clean up their toys you also need to make sure you don’t leave your own clutter lying around either. Many mothers often get in touch as they are worried they might be passing on bad habits or skills to their children so they get me involved to assist in breaking the cycle, teaching them organisational and time management skills that they can then pass on to the rest of their families. Don’t just assume they understand what you mean Often we expect our children to know what we are trying to get them to do. In most cases though they need to be shown first, and possibly several times before they are able to begin doing something themselves. Usually I suggest you show the child and then be there providing support as they do it themselves a few times and then eventually they will get the hang of it and you no longer necessarily need to be involved in the process.
As an example you can show children that when they play with something it needs to go away before the next thing comes out. You can also involve them in picking up their toys and putting them away at the end of playtime or at the end of the day. You can start teaching this at a very young and continue on as children get children. If you struggle with getting your children to do this then a strategy could be to give toys or things time out so they soon get the picture. Give and teach them strategies You can teach and use the simple 1-2-3 method to break down most tasks: 1. Getting organised or ready – this is teaching your children where they need to be and that they have everything with them they need to complete a task. 2. Staying focused/doing the task – this means teaching them they need to stay focused in order to complete the task at hand and learning to say ‘no’ to distractions along the way – this becomes an even more important skill as children get older with completing homework and technology. 3. Getting it done/finishing the task - finally this involves teaching a child to complete a task and then checking it has all been finished or done. Once children understand this basic method they can then start tackling more tasks independently. Try these four simple tasks where you can use this method - brushing ones teeth, packing up a room, emptying the dishwasher or for older children completing their homework. Asking them for their help This is another way of empowering children at a young age to help you and to learn organising skills. Why not ask them how they might go about doing something and give them the opportunity to have a go. Remember that this is a good way for children to learn and where you can support them rather than doing it for them. An example of a task could be asking them to do something like help you to fold and put the washing way – for younger children you could start by giving them socks to put away and then increasing this to folding them and other items like undies and continuing to progress with other items as they get older until they can do it all themselves. Making things fun Sometimes making things fun can be a good strategy to adopt in teaching organising skills without children even realising. For instance at a young age you can make something like packing up toys or getting ready for school into a game of ‘beat the buzzer or the time’. facebook.com/OrganisingYou
Please don’t just do it for them This doesn’t help anyone and if anything creates more work for us as parents. Sometimes we need to reinforce something with our children to ensure a task gets done and I encourage you to do this even though it can be tempting and easier to just do ourselves. If we continue to pick up after our children then they never actually learn. An example of this is that I have for some time been getting my children to put their dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and if they leave it on the bench or near the sink, I ask them to come and do it rather than just doing it for them. Another one is that I no longer pick up their dirty washing in their rooms and that it is their responsibility to put it in the wash or they run the risk of running out of an item or something they need to wear. If you are still not sure on what you can do for what age group – a simple way to look at it is: • Age 2-4 – keep it simple and very easy without too many steps • Age 5-8 – get creative, give them a challenge and start teaching responsibility • Age 9+ - up the responsibility, give them choices to make and let them establish their own routines If you get children involved and start by making some of these things fun from an early age and they won’t even know they are decluttering and organising. Remember these new skills won’t develop over night and might take time but it really will be worth it in the long run!
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“It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make them successful human beings” - Ann Landers
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Amanda Lecaude is professional organiser who loves being able to help people – her clients – get organised. She see’s the difference it makes in their everyday lives, particularly families, just to have a way to create some TIME, SPACE and BALANCE! She also very passionate about equipping school students with organising skills for life to maximise greater results primarily in secondary school and limit the overwhelm and frustration for both them and their parents. Get in touch 0409 967 166 amanda@organisingyou.com.au
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Do I meet the Work Test for Parental Leave Pay? How do I work it out? Lisa Levison, Your Family Budget
Planning, organising, and buying. Making lists to get everything ready for baby to arrive. Make sure you don’t forget to add your Parental Leave Pay application to your list. You can apply up to 90 days before your due date and it’s a good idea to start it as early as you can. For the 2016/17 financial year, the government will pay you $672.60 a week for 18 weeks and this amount will increase slightly each year. To qualify for this payment, there are a number of tests that you need to pass. They include a residency test, an income test and that you are not allowed to work until you finish receiving the 18 weeks of pay. The test that may take you the most time and effort to calculate is the Work Test. In order to meet the work test you need to: a) have worked for 10 of the 13 months before the birth or due date b) worked for 330 hours within that 10 month period c) With no more than an 8 week gap between two days of work
Then next to each of the 392 days, put the number of hours you worked on that day. If you were on paid leave, put in the normal hours that you would have worked that day. Then, within your spreadsheet, you need to identify a ‘block’ of 295 days, where the hours worked during those days add up to 330 hours. That’s your 330 hours within 10 months, or 295 days. But make sure that within your ‘block’ of 295 days, there is no gap bigger than 56 days between two of the work days where you did not work or be on paid leave. The government is looking to introduce changes to the payment of Parental Leave Pay. Changes that are currently under review, but not yet introduced, include not allowing you to claim Parental Leave Pay if you are also receiving paid leave from your employer (the double dipping!) and also increasing the gap between two days of work from 8 weeks to 12 weeks which will help those on contract or seasonal work.
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There are a lot of activities that meet the definition of ‘work’ for this test. They include paid work, paid leave, contract work, part time work, self employed (even if you are not making a profit), one employer, many employers, jury duty and even parental leave pay from a previous child. Volunteer work and unpaid leave do not count as ‘work’ for this test. If you are self employed you may be asked to prove the number of hours of work you perform during the test period. You can keep a diary; provide invoices you have sent to clients or tax returns to show that the amount of work you have claimed in your application is genuine. If you have worked on average for 8 hours a week during the 10 months you will most likely meet the test requirements. If you are concerned that you may not meet the test, then my advice is to actually do the calculation. On a spreadsheet, start with your due date or date of birth in the top left corner, then go backwards one day at a time down the spreadsheet until you have listed the dates for 392 days – that’s your 13 months.
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I’m Lisa, an accountant and a mum of two. I remember many late nights up trying to complete my application for Parental Leave Pay instead of getting some sleep around my newborn. I just wanted to someone to tell me exactly what I needed to do and I would do it. That’s what I have done for you with my eBook Your Family Budget. An instruction manual that helps you organise your Parental Leave Pay, Dad & Partner Pay and Childcare Subsidies so it makes sense and you get the money you’re entitled to. Download it at www.yourfamilybudget.com.au
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yourfamilybudget.com.au
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Tammy: The best piece of advice my mum gave me was to look after myself first and foremost. I remember when my first child was a newborn and I was completely stressed and not coping very well and she asked me who was the most important person in the house. I said “the baby”. She said “no – it’s actually you. If you fall apart – everything falls apart. You need to look after yourself in order to look after someone else”. I think I developed a new appreciation for everything my mum did for me when growing up and still does for me as an adult. I also remember apologising to her for being such a terrible teenager!! Working in a family business can be both challenging and rewarding. We definitely say things to each other that we would never say to an employee. On the flip side, I love working in this business with my mum because it is our family legacy. My mum and dad started making Grants of Australia toothpaste when I was a child because they were worried about me ingesting the fluoride and other chemicals in mainstream toothpastes. Now I am continuing that legacy and making new toothpaste products that my kids use – in fact my kids were our taste testers for the new Blueberry Burst kids toothpaste. For me motherhood gives me a higher purpose in life. It is not just about me or what I do, but I am responsible for these three gorgeous children and have an enormous impact on their lives and helping them to grow to become good people. I also think I am more organised and can accomplish so much more than I ever thought I could. Running a business and running a house at the same time is really tough and I have my moments like everyone, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think as a mum you always worry about your kids. My kids are not babies anymore but about to enter a difficult time with the influence of social media and the internet. My biggest concern at this moment is helping them to navigate this new digital age of cyber bullying, online predators etc. It is very scary as a parent and I think the best I can do is teach my children how to be safe and resilient. kidmagazine.com.au 50
The family business Tammy Seligman is the General Manager of Grants of Australia, a business started by her mum and dad in the 1980s. Tammy and her mum, Michelle, reflect on motherhood, their relationship and working together in the family business. www.grantsofaustralia.com.au
Michelle: When my own chidren were little, there were no foods we were not allowed to eat when we were pregnant – we just ate whatever we wanted. There were also less restrictions on what we fed babies. For example we gave our children nuts, and eggs etc. at an early age. There weren’t as many allergies back then. We didn’t have baby-chinos and we didn’t take the children out to cafés regularly. There was no such thing as ‘sleep school’ or Gymbaroo or any other children’s activities - we did have playgroups though. Most mums didn’t work – they stayed home until the kids started school. I always worked which was difficult sometimes but also ultimately very rewarding. We owned two health food stores and also started making our Grants toothpaste when the kids were little – the kids were our inspiration for making the toothpaste in the first place. For new mums I would say, try to relax a bit kids need love & positivity more than they need anything else. When in doubt, always follow your gut feeling and you can’t go wrong. The best piece of advice that my own mother gave me was that children grow up in spite of you, not because of you. I adore being a grandmother - all the enjoyment without all the responsibility. I’m much more patient and relaxed with my grandchildren than I was with my own children. I love spoiling them and maybe I sometimes give them as extra helping of dessert without their mum seeing… Left to right: Abby, Tammy, Jemma, Dana and Michelle.
Some bunny lov Images by Elise Garner, lecoco.com.au
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Hot Cross Buns: an example of seasonal food jagging Simone Emery, Play With Food
Simone Emery is a Sydney mum to 2 girls and children’s feeding specialist. She helps parents of fussy eaters through her in person and Skype classes as well as guest speaking at various events. She co-wrote the Happy Mealtimes eCourse and has authored 2 eBooks for busy parents wanting happy eating experiences with their kids. kidmagazine.com.au 68
Image: kidgredients.com.au (recipe next page)
If your kids are loving their hot cross buns and the looming “end of season” is playing on your mind, “What else will they eat after they are gone?”, well this article is for you. It also applies if your child’s beloved mango, apricots, plums or peaches are heading out the door too. Food eaten seasonally is so great. However, when you have a fussy or picky eater, the coming, going and changing of these foods can be downright annoying. So, let’s embrace the learning factors associated with needing to move onto new foods. Firstly though, I thought I would explain what food jagging is - Food jagging is when a child is effectively stuck on repeat on a food. The jag can be caused by many things. Due to these reasons, moving to something very different from their favourite is hard to do. However, a food jag can be overcome through minor changes that I’ll explain more of here. Why should we encourage children to move on from a food jag? Burn out! If you ate only one thing everyday, you would get sick of it too. For some fussy eaters a burn out can be really hard on them, and the family, as the already limited dietary repertoire decreases even further. As a side note, if you are nodding along to this and have seen your child jag on a variety of foods, I highly recommend you look into the root cause of your child’s food jags. It can be a normal part of a developmental leap they are making (usually at about 18mths – 24mths and then again at 5yrs), a sensory processing issue, an oral motor concern or a host of other medical reasons.
Step Two: Include the child in the understanding of how to make them – for example have them help with the rolling and piping the crosses onto the top. Step Three: Have the child change the shape of the bun after it is cooked – use cookie cuttters to make shapes out of the bun before eating it. “See we can change the shape and that is OK.” Step Four: Make the buns into different shapes – number buns or other shapes – before cooking them. (I have number buns pictured below) Step Five: Change up some of the ingredients to make the texture slightly different – these tweaks can be very minor like introducing a small wholemeal to plain flour ratio. Otherwise for a larger textural shift, add some dried fruit / stewed apple / caramel or chocolate chips / dates – just like from the shops. Step Six: Change the taste. I made the same recipe with less sugar, a touch of salt, pumpkin puree and rosemary. (Pictured below)
Examples: 1) Homemade Hot Cross Bun; 2) Number Bun; 3) Pumpkin and Rosemary Bread
A strategy for you to try to overcome a food jag is to introduce different shapes, colours, textures and flavours of that food (in that order). Some children may be prone to this at Christmas or Easter time where foods that aren’t usually around become available & hit the top of the preference list. One example is hot cross buns. Hot cross buns appear in January & leave our shelves shortly after Easter.
Remember each step is a significant leap from the first step while kids are learning different foods. A small change to a preferred food is considered a “new food” for kids and they resume the learning process again. Small tweaks help them learn quicker in some instances.
Here is my worked food jag strategy for hot cross buns, if you are interested in home baking, otherwise start at step 3 with fruit bread as a substitute for the hot cross bun and introduce English muffins too before Easter stock is no longer available:
As these changes are implemented, continue to offer similar foods via your mealtime routines. The more “new” foods that start climbing the hierarchy the more accepted the variations to the preferred food will be. Remember these steps can only be taken at the pace your child is happy with. Be clear about what is being offered to your child.
Step One: Make your own version as close to the storebought version as possible. Trial these to see if they are an acceptable substitution for your child.
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Hot cross buns with no nasties Prep time: 55 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Serves: 12 large buns Ingredients Buns 1 tbsp dried yeast 2 tbsps sugar (I used raw, use whatever takes your fancy) 1 cup body temp water 2 tsps cinnamon ½ teaspoon mixed spice 1 cup sultanas (or choc chips) 3 cups plain flour 1 cup wholemeal flour 75 grams butter- softened ½ cup milk
Kylie from Kidgredients, the guru in food kids love to eat, was kind enough to share her no nasties hot cross bun recipe with us. If you are a little more adventurous you can also find an apple and cinnamon hot cross bun recipe on her blog. Enjoy and I know we will be making this recipe in our house long after Easter is over. For the kids, of course…!
Crosses ½ cup plain flour 1 tbsp raw caster sugar 4 tbsps water Glaze 1 tsp apricot jam Instructions In a jug mix the cup of body temp water, 2 tbsps sugar and the yeast. Allow to rest until frothy. Combine the cinnamon, mixed spice and flour in a bowl. Add the butter and milk to the yeast mixture and pour onto the flour. Using a dough hook on your mixer (or do it by hand), knead for 1 minute on low. Add the sultanas and knead for 3 minutes on medium. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes to rise. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and knead into balls, then pop into a lined tray, just touching each other. (I used a 33x22.9x5.1 cm pyrex baking dish, - 13x9x2in) Preheat oven to 180 degrees.Allow buns to rise 20 minutes more. Mix the flour, sugar and water to form a paste. Using a piping bag or a ziploc with the corner trimmed off, pipe each row of lines in one go. Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and leave in the tray. Warm the apricot jam and use to glaze the tops of the buns. Serve with butter. These freeze well. facebook.com/kidgredients
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Easter Crafts Lauren Hunt, Teacher types
Believe it or not Easter is nearly upon us so it’s time to share some super cute (and most importantly simple) art and craft activities with you all. I’ve got an easy Easter basket made from an egg carton and a beautiful bunny made using two paper plates. PLUS if your child’s school, kindy or child care centre does the annual Easter hat parade you’ll want to keep reading to hear my suggestion that will make your life a whole lot easier!
You will need – two paper plates (size doesn’t matter), paint, texta, pipe cleaners for whiskers, scissors and pom poms, cotton wool or loose fill packing peanuts. While your child is busy painting one paper plate in pink for the bunny’s face, you can cut the other paper plate along each side to make the ears (we decided to paint our ears in silver!). Once dry (and depending on the age of your child) direct them to draw the features of the bunny. Stick on some pipe cleaners for whiskers, a pom pom nose and either cotton wool or those handy packaging peanuts for the fluffy ears!
Pretty Paper Plate Easter Bunny Lauren is a mother of two and an Early Childhood Teacher, currently working part time whist enjoying the joys of motherhood. She is passionate about play-based learning and inspiring parents and educators of young children.
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“Eggcellent” Easter Egg Carton Basket You will need – a six pack egg carton, paint, pipe cleaners. Start by asking your child to paint their egg carton (put the paint directly into each egg spot to make it even easier). Encourage them to paint it all over, even underneath so that all the cardboard is covered. Once dry, pierce two holes on either side and twist two pipe cleaners around each other to make the handle. How fun would it be on Easter morning to collect eggs in a basket you have made your self? Egg cartons are the ideal size for collecting Easter eggs. A 12 pack would also work, you would just need a longer handle.
You will need – a hat (preferably one with holes similar to the one in the picture), items to decorate such as pipe cleaners, flowers, pom poms, buttons and feathers. Whatever is in your craft cupboard! Try to stick with “Easter” colours such as yellow, green, orange and pink. The simplest way to go for this craft is to decorate a hat you already have. So much easier than making one! A white hat is a good starting point with holes like the one in the picture as it makes it easier to attach all of your decorations. Get your child involved with some of the simple tasks like weaving pipe cleaners in and out of the hat and add in feathers and flowers where they would like them. Now I am by no means a sewer, but I do know how to sew on a button or two! Viola! A super quick hat decorated ready for the school or kindy parade.
Easy Easter Bonnet or Hat
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10 things I love about being a mum at Easter Olivia Williams, eenie meenie miney mum Easter is like the low maintenance, sneaky underdog, underrated Liam Hemsworth to Chris-tmas. Less hype, less stress, less family, more chocolate. And in my expert opinion, that’s a fool proof recipe for a good time. Stuffing ones face with le chocolat and dressing it up as having a sense of occasion; now that’s the type of holiday I signed up for. As a self confessed chocolate devotee, once I got past the crushing disappointment in my youth that Easter eggs are hollow, it became apparent that there’s not much not to love about ye olde Easter time. And when you are blessed with Children, like most holidays [and absolutely no Sunday mornings], Easter gets even better. Need examples? Here’s ten! 1. Buying Easter eggs well in advance for the kids and
masquerading as “organised” and “efficient” means that you have something on hand to sneakily binge on in the bathroom while you’re kids think you’re doing a poo. This does however mean that you may end up buying the Easter eggs eight times. But, let me just say, nothing says Jesus has risen quite like having a cloak and dagger mini egg bender in the privacy of your own lavatory. If you’re lucky, your children may also be gifted Easter eggs by benevolent family members that you can thank them profusely for and then eat yourself. This was a particularly lucrative haul for me when my twins were toddlers and I was too #firsttimemum to ever consider letting them have chocolate. 2. Cadbury Creme Eggs. You either love them or you’re wrong. The joyous celebration of Easter with ones family is the only opportunity to stockpile Cadbury Creme eggs for the rest of the year [only to run out by May], and I know from personal experience that you look a lot less like a gluttonous pig buying multiple creme eggs if you’ve got kids in tow. And besides, everyone knows that if you only eat the egg whites then you’re being healthy. #obviously 3. Easter is the lazy mums holiday [and if you know me even remotely, you’d know that being lazy is my absolute favourite past time]. You don’t have to wrap Easter eggs, the good people at Cadbury do it for
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us. You don’t have to walk the shops endlessly trying to think of the best Easter egg for such and such, or agonise over what so and so bought you last year so you don’t accidentally regift it back to them. The eggs are all in one spot of the supermarket and they’re all chocolate so you can’t choose the wrong one. #winning 4. Hot Cross Buns. Ooooh controversial. Angry online warriors everywhere snap chatting January Hot Cross Bun appearances in supermarkets accompanied by frowny red face emojis and some angsty permutation of the word “already???” YES already. Gimme gimme gimme. My kids are decidedly underwhelmed by hot cross buns [which frankly would have me questioning their maternity if that wasn’t a biological impossibility] but this of course means all the more for me to eat. And for the record, people need to stop hating. The supermarkets sell eggs and flour all year but no one is taking to social media up in arms that they’re available 7 weeks before Shrove Tuesday yelling “we shouldn’t have to put up with this crepe”! 5. Spoiler alert; the Easter bunny isn’t real. I know, I KNOW. But it was going to get out eventually [rabbits always do!!]. I have found that in ones parenting life, there are only certain types of lies deemed “socially acceptable”. Trying to convince your children they are three years old not four so you don’t have to pay for them to go into the zoo, for example, not acceptable. But apparently giant, magical, mythological bunnies that conceal brightly coloured alfoil covered chocolate eggs all over the garden for no apparent reason; juuuuust fine. The joy of lying to your children at Easter is fraught with many dangerous questions. Do bunnies even lay eggs? How are the chickens involved? This is the kind of preposterous faff that keeps me feeling alive; keeps the Adrenalin running through my veins; keeps me feeling relevant while my five year old shows me how to use my own iPhone. One day they’re inevitably going to ask me a question that I can’t answer with “because I said so” or “it’s magic” and I’m going to have some eggsplaining to do [chortle chortle] but until then, I plan on revelling in my role as the keeper of the lies. Mwahahahahhahaha. Ahem. 6. Easter is pretty colours. None of this red and green
codswallop. Easter is pastel pink and canary yellow and cornflower blue. It’s thoroughly Instagrammable. This pleases me. It has very little to do with being a mother, but since Instagram is basically the only social life I have now I’m a mum, I still think it counts. 7. Pre-Easter threats and bribery make parenting easier. “If you don’t behave then I’m calling the Easter Bunny”. Works every time. 8. If your kids are anything like mine they’ll be pretty well versed in turning water into whine, so that coupled with the fact that my husband often works over Easter, makes the long weekend aspect less enticing to me... but I hear lots of people love that kind of thing. 9. The Easter bunny doesn’t expect to be fed and watered in return for ponying up the goods. Frankly, Santa is pretty demanding in his list of requirements, he and the reindeer must have an excellent union. (See also: Easter is the lazy mums holiday). 10. Is there anything quite as exhilarating as the thrill of the good old Easter Egg hunt? It’s like the pre-apocalyptic world equivalent to The Hunger Games and the one time I can really get involved in a highly competitive full contact sport. Moreover, Easter egg hunts arm you with the ultimate proof your children can find things when they really want to.
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Purveyor of big words and failed attempts at hilarity. Lover of bed socks and boy bands; peonies and Polaroids. Die hard coffee aficionado, ironing resistor, serial wardrobe untidier, couch commentator. Occasional selfie enthusiast, plus other fatal personality flaws. Passionate [and occasionally irritable] mummy to three little legends.
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The hunt is on Sara Keli, Kid Magazine
Last year was the first year our daughter was old enough to get excited about an Easter egg hunt. I set up a simple one for her to have a bit of fun. But it wasn’t until Christmas arrived that she stopped bringing me her basket of a morning and asking to look for eggs for breakfast. At least she had fun… If you are thinking of doing an Easter hunt for your kids this year, there are a few things you need to consider to make it as successful as possible. Basket To avoid tears on Easter morning, either choose a smallish basket that will look full when the hunt is over or pad it out with tissue paper or the like before you give the basket to the kids. Who wants to look down at a half full basket on Easter morning?! To chocolate or not to chocolate If there is one morning where it is acceptable to eat chocolate before breakfast, Easter is it. But the problem I have is with ALL the chocolate we get given over the course of Easter from family and friends. It seems to linger forever and someone has to eat it right?!
a bigger egg/treat at the end of the trail. Older kids can spend a bit more time searching. A good tip is to count the number of eggs you hide and make sure that many are collected. Follow the clues One way to minimise the amount of chocolate/toys/ stickers you need to put out is to run your hunt with clues that lead to one bigger treat at the end. When the kids wake up, hand them the first clue and off they go to uncover all the clues and find their Easter treat. If your kids aren’t yet reading, you can either help them or perhaps leave bunny foot prints out for them to follow instead. The sharing game If your kids bicker over everything, assign each a colour for the hunt and they are only to collect eggs of their own colour. It saves the effort of having to evenly divvy up the eggs after the hunt and keeps it fair and even! Enjoy your Easter egg hunt and good luck rationing the chocolate. For that one, all I can suggest is sneaking a few eggs each night when they’ve gone to bed and hoping they don’t notice.
So for your Easter hunt, perhaps hide a few little trinkets or stickers alongside the eggs. You can buy fillable plastic eggs at craft or bargain stores and pop the stickers or toys inside them to make them easier to find.
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Inside or outside? This is a tricky one and will depend on whether you have pets outside, the weather and how early you are prepared to get up on a Sunday to hide eggs. Last year we set up our hunt (for a two-year-old) just before we went to bed with eggs along the back of the couch and on chairs. If you are an early riser you could set it up outside. Either way, it makes for a fun morning! Where did we hide those eggs? Don’t get too clever here and hide the eggs in places the kids will never look. For younger kids and toddlers, keep it simple with an easy trail of eggs to follow and maybe
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Sara Keli is the Editor of Kid Magazine and mum to two girls. When she isn’t writing, creating, editing or designing she can be found in the backyard enjoying the sunshine with her family, in the kitchen cooking up a storm or trying to escape into a good book.
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