MamaMag Aug/Sep 2021

mamamAg Aug/Sep 2021

“I once heard a quote ‘A hungry man is an angry one’…

Let me tell you, this also strongly applies to babies (and breastfeeding mothers I might add).” @tarapavlovic

WIN 1 OF 3 VULY BALANCE BIKES Jimmy Rees makes us giggle

Breaking breastfeeding barriers Let’s talk about sex Why we love spooning Every night of the week

free Support and fun for the everyday mum 1

HAPPY CHILDHOOD

MEMORIES START HERE

35 centres across VIC, NSW and QLD VIC

• Black Rock • Bundoora • Cheltenham • Clyde North • Darley • Diamond Creek • Doreen • Epping • Forest Hill • Keilor Downs

• Kew East • Lara • Lynbrook • Mernda • Mt Waverley • Noble Park • Springvale South • Tarneit • Warrnambool

• Brisbane City • Deception Bay • Pimpama • Southport • Toowomba City • Glenvale Toowoomba • Wilsonton Toowomba • Upper Coomera • Windsor

• Aberglassyn • Alexandria • Chinderah • Maitland • Mascot • Miranda • Putney

QLD

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LIMITED VACANCIES AVAILABLE We invite you to join us online for our TOUR SERVICE virtual openOUR day. See websiteTODAY for details.

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THE FIGHT CONTINUES Who would have thought we would be back here again?

Sydney in a massive lockdown, Melbourne fresh out of lockdown number five, even Qld just slipped back into lockdown leaving ump-teen WAGs still stuck in their 14-day quarantine while their football husbands flee the state! This pesky pandemic sure knows how to pack a punch. I rushed out for my first Pfizer just days after they opened up to 40+ and I’m fully jabbed now, doing my bit for the country. Speaking of Pfizer (or should I say ‘Pfiiiiiiizer’), how funny is Jimmy Rees? We chatted with Jimmy about surviving lockdown and his latest creative outlet, tiktok videos. I had to giggle about the fact I’ve had the ‘Pfiiiizer’ and I live in ‘Briiiiighton’! If you haven’t seen his videos, jump over to any of his social channels.

Whilst thankfully we are still managing to bring you MamaMag, in both print and digital, our hearts are really going out to all the businesses that are forced to close.

So many of our beautiful clients we’ve grown to love over MamaMag’s seven years are impacted.

But some light in all the business doom and gloom. I found out yesterday I’ve made it through as a finalist in the 2021 AusMumpreneur Awards. I’m pretty chuffed to be up amongst some of the best businesses in Australia but nervous for my judging later in August. Wish me luck!

Sarah Cavalier Editor - MamaMagSupport - @thecavaliermama and fun for the everyday mum MamaMag is designed and published bi-monthly free for Aussie mums, families and carers.

Publisher: Grizzle Design Pty Ltd. ABN: 26 042 138 550.

PO Box 8018, North Road LPO, Brighton East VIC 3187 Phone: 1300 771 446 Email: info@mamamag.com.au www.mamamag.com.au | www.grizzledesign.com.au Editor in Chief/Creative Director: Sarah Cavalier: sarah@mamamag.com.au National Sales Director: Olivia Wilson: olivia@mamamag.com.au Want to write for us or have an article idea? submissions@mamamag.com.au

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Support and fun for the everyday mum

MamaMag give thanks to our 2021 Proud Partners

Support and fun for the everyday mum

Support and fun for the everyday mum

WIN

Contents Jimmy still makes us giggle

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Chatting to funny man Jimmy Rees

Breaking breastfeeding barriers

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Tara Pavlovic joins the crusade

Sydney in a jigsaw

WIN 1 of 3 Vuly Balance Bikes

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Some digital fun from City of Sydney

Why we love spooning

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Time to ditch the baby food pouch

Let’s talk about sex

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Time to talk sex problems

Childcare 16 A woman’s issue?

Fabulous food

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Checking out some Aussie brands

I can do it

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worth

$149 each

Helping kids take control

Every night of the week

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Lucy Tweed’s new cookbook

Feeding teens well

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Food tips for busy parents

Healthy gut = healthy brain

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How the two work together

Raising kids who explore

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Ideas to get outside

Kitchen science

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Fun ideas for kids

Winter eczema exit

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Managing in the cooler months

On the shelf

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Create early childhood memories on the super-fun Vuly Balance Bike.

Designed for toddlers as training bicycles, the Vuly Balance Bike helps even the littlest one balance and steer - while creating a whole lot of fun and adventure!

Latest release books to shop

Win a DreamWorks activity pack

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Colour in to win!

Meals together

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How to encourage eating together

Healing crystals

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Helping stress and anxiety The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publishing staff. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without permission of the publishers. Health related articles are designed to be informative and educational. They are not intended to provide specific medical advice or replace one-on-one advice from your health practitioner.

Some featured books contain affiliate links. If you purchase using these links there is no extra cost to you but MamaMag earn a small commission that helps us continue to provide MamaMag as a FREE resource to you.

MamaMag Aug/Sept 2021

Entries are open to Australian residents only. Competition starts August 1st 12.01am and closes September 31st 2021 at 11.59pm. Prize not transferable or redeemable for cash. Total prize value $447. Visit www.mamamag.com.au/competitions for full terms and conditions.

For your chance to win enter at www.mamamag.com.au/vuly

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JIMMY STILL MAKES Whilst every parent knows him as Jimmy Giggle, after headlining this brilliant kids’ show for over 10 years, today Jimmy Rees is garnering a completely different audience.

Everyday Aussies. Especially ones trying to decide between the ‘Pfiiiiiiiizer’ or the ‘AZ’!

And people are certainly taking notice. He now has a combined following across Insta, Facebook and TikTok of 1.3 million people.

When the pandemic hit and Jimmy’s post-TV event plans were cancelled, he turned to social media videos as a creative outlet. Jimmy has gone on to become one of the most-viewed Australian TikTok personalities, with 10 million likes on that platform alone, and video views across his social media channels in any given week outnumbering Australians watching television.

His hilarious video parodies like ‘The guy who decides packaging’, ‘Meanwhile in Australia’ and the even funnier ‘Meanwhile in Brighton’, have kept Aussies laughing throughout lockdown, while his three young boys have inspired his spot-on impersonations of the outlandish things kids say and do.

But he certainly hasn’t forgotten about entertaining kids and has just released his first children’s book; Bedtime Sorted!. Bedtime Sorted! riffs off one of Jimmy’s most popular parenting videos (over 2 million views) about the myriad bedtime excuses that families everywhere know all too well.

‘Parenting is hard, and making silly TikTok videos about its challenges is my own way of coping, so it’s just a bonus that other parents can have a laugh along with me. Bedtime Sorted! is an extension of that, cleverly disguised as a picture book for kids – but I hope that mums and dads will get a kick out of it too.’

We chat to Jimmy about his new book, surviving lockdown with three young boys, and just where his comic genius is going...

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What was the inspiration for Bedtime Sorted!?

I made a TikTok video about all the excuses I hear from my eldest son Lenny (he’s six) at bedtime, and the video was well-received by my audience online. There were plenty of funny comments about all the random things parents had heard over the years. That’s where it started, but in a general sense it’s about the funny moments and challenges you have as a parent raising kids. They are always throwing you curveballs and some of those just happen to be hilarious.

With Father’s Day approaching, what’s your favourite thing about being a dad?

Seeing the world through my kids’ eyes and having an excuse to be a big kid myself.

Being a parent is one of the world’s greatest experiences and challenges – one which my wife and I embrace, and we endeavour to give our kids the best upbringing we can.

How did you cope with three young kids during lockdown?

Umm, it was a little crazy. We discovered quickly that we needed a routine in our day. We planned our day around the twins’ sleep, and around when we were going to go out and do our exercise. We would also plan some quiet time; time for me to get some work done; and, of course, there was some homeschooling in there too. It’s not easy! Let’s hope the term ‘lockdown’ is forgotten forever very soon.

Any tips or hard-earned lessons when it comes to bedtime with kids?

Well, the book is based on my family and features Dad, who thinks he has it all sorted but then completely does not! So maybe I’m not the best for advice. If I had to give a tip though – and this goes for parenting in general too –

‘Do you know where my Teddy is?’

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don’t stress. We can get so wound up as parents about sleeping and eating and playtime – the list goes on. Take it week by week, and don’t sweat the little things because one day the kids will be gone, moved out of home, off to start their own life. It’s our job to nurture them to that point.

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Did you think you would get so much success with your social videos?

‘Bed.’

Not at all. I was astounded when I started posting my videos. The first couple reached a million people and I thought “Wow, I’m gonna keep doing this”, so while we were in lockdown last year I set myself a challenge to think of an idea and post it that same day. It’s just taken off from there.

What’s been your favourite video or series of videos to date?

I think the ‘Guy who decides …’ videos are among the favourites – there are so many stupid things we humans do when you look at them from the perspective of a guy making decisions about it all.

More recently, the ‘Meanwhile In Brighton’ series is so silly and fun to write and record.

Have you thought about a career in stand-up comedy?

Yes I have. I’ve always been interested in comedy, and I watch a lot of stand-up. My dad is from Portsmouth in the UK and although he came to Australia in his teens, what stayed with him was his British sense of humour. We watched so many brilliant British comics and shows when I was younger. I think if I were to put on a show it would be a hybrid of stand-up and character-based comedy. w he re ow ‘D o yo u kn ?’

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Have you had the Pfiiiiizer yet?

Oh darling, if only I could get the Pfiiiiiiiiiizer!!

I’m not a day over 34, darling!

‘ C A N Y O U L E AV E T H E D O O

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Bedtime Sorted! by Jimmy Rees ’and Briony O I S ES .

NY N FUN Stewart (Affirm Press) is available now.

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BREAKING BREASTFEEDING In recent months a breastfeeding mother was asked to leave Pacific Fair Shopping Centre in Queensland after staff deemed it inappropriate.

Pacific Fair Shopping Centre maintains the incident was a “misinterpretation”, and was apologetic and vowed to re-educate its staff on its policies, this behaviour still shows that society still has a long way to go to normalise breastfeeding and break these barriers.

Together with Philips Avent, TV star and new mum, Tara Pavlovic is helping to drive change and normalise breastfeeding by sharing what some may say, is a controversial photo of herself nursing her 3-month old baby boy, Paddy. She’s doing this to support the 54% of breastfeeding mums that say they don’t feel comfortable breastfeeding in public and to hopefully encourage society to rethink why this important part of motherhood is still widely considered to be controversial.

I once heard a quote, “A hungry man is an angry one”… Let me tell you, this also strongly applies to babies (and breastfeeding mothers I might add).

I’ve always admired mums who have the courage to post unapologetic photos of themselves while nursing their babies as they share the realities of this important part of motherhood. Breastfeeding or pumping milk, our bodies do amazing things.

Before becoming a mum, I never fully understood how the innocent act of breastfeeding in public could be considered so inappropriate by society.

And now, as a first time mum, it blew my mind when I heard that 54% of breastfeeding mums don’t feel comfortable breastfeeding in public!

This World Breast Feeding Week I’ve partnered with Philips Avent to help drive change and be part of a campaign that supports mothers and their breastfeeding journeys.

I share this photo of Paddy so that we, along with all of the courageous mums before me, can be a part of the movement that helps to normalise breastfeeding.

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With millions of Australian’s locked down due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) is calling for dads, partners and loved-ones to champion supporting the needs of mothers this World Breastfeeding Week (1 to 7 August 2021).

For infants, mothers and the community at large to enjoy the health benefits associated with breastfeeding, including the immunity against respiratory illnesses via breastmilk, support from ‘the village’ is essential.

Even prior to the pandemic, the support of dads and partners has consistently been shown to significantly improve breastfeeding duration and exclusivity rates.

More than 60% of mothers seeking breastfeeding support from ABA reported being challenged, fearful or unable to access traditional face-to-face supports during Australia’s first outbreak of COVID-19. In response to this, 64% of mothers sought support to protect their infants by restarting breastfeeding, continuing breastfeeding or increasing milk supply.

As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches into its 18th month, ABA is calling on expectant parents and, especially, dads and partners to build the foundations for a ‘virtual village’ ahead of their newest arrival.

It’s as simple as booking yourself and your partner into an ABA breastfeeding education class (online or in person) and saving the Breastfeeding Helpline number into your phone.

To book an online or in-person breastfeeding education class go to: www.breastfeeding.asn. au/breastfeeding-education-classes and for information about local World Breastfeeding Week events see here: www.breastfeeding.asn. au/calendar-of-member-events.

BARRIERS 54% of breastfeeding mums that say they don’t feel comfortable breastfeeding in public.

Philips Avent

60% of mothers seeking reported being challenged, fearful or unable to access traditional face-to-face supports during COVID-19.

Australian Breastfeeding Association

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WHY WE LOVE SPOONING Our philosophy at Little Bellies is to ‘Do What’s Natural’. We believe nutrition is complex, but nurturing is natural, and so we focus on making simple, age-appropriate and wholesome foods for your babies, toddlers and kids – so that you can focus on what comes naturally to you – raising independent and unique individuals.

We founded Little Bellies after one of our children was diagnosed with severe sensitivities to food. The safe snack options at the time were limited and many of the available options were what we considered to be “pseudo confectionery” – often filled with added sugars and unnecessary ingredients. We decided we needed to do something about this and as a result our range of safe and simple self-feeding snacks were born.

Recently we have turned our attention to baby purées. It’s overwhelming to see so many purée pouches on the shelf today, and so we questioned why this has become the new ‘norm’.

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Pouches certainly can assist with providing healthy, convenient and portable options for parents but sucking from a pouch that masks the food inside them is not a ‘natural’ way to eat. In fact, it has been linked to implications on natural child development. While pouches have a time and a place, we wanted to offer purées to help make feeding our kids feel natural.

We know that eating purées out of a bowl, with a favourite spoon means true interaction between you and your baby and helps little ones see, touch and smell their food. This helps to develop a number of important sensory, oral and motor skills. Working alongside feeding specialist Simone Emery, we are passionate about sharing our love for spoon-feeding with parents.

Motor skills • Feeding is a developmental process, just like learning to crawl, walk or run. We believe pouches were made largely for convenience, rather than being the most-suitable option for a child’s motor skill development. We would always want to encourage a child to crawl, so let’s be sure we encourage important eating habits and skills in the same way and not do anything that could hinder that.

• The mechanics of sucking something and swallowing it is completely different to having a spoon, placing food on the tongue from a spoon, moving it around the mouth, moving it to the back and swallowing it. It’s really important that children learn to do this from an early age.

• Learning to swallow food that has been put in their mouth on a spoon helps a child develop their gag reflex and swallowing technique, both of which are essential to helping to transition on to solid foods.

Visual learning and interaction • Who doesn’t know the game ‘aeroplanes’?!

Initially you’ll be feeding and teaching your little one how to eat with a spoon, but over time, they’ll want to start their journey to self-feeding and hold the spoon themselves. Being able to hold a spoon is a key component of motor skill development but it also enables your baby to play with their food. This is effective and serious research for babies! By playing with their purées and by trying to self-feed, as opposed to sucking from a pouch, babies are learning about textures, temperatures, colours, smells and tastes and developing a more relaxed association with their food.

• Being able to see the food on a spoon and the different colours helps to develop positive associations with food.

Mindful mealtimes • Eating with a spoon helps to encourage mindful eating. The mindful motion of eating from a spoon gives little bodies time to signify fullness, and respects their natural ability to regulate their food intake. When a child is sucking directly from a pouch, the

food is directly deposited at the back of the mouth and swallowed. There is less natural pause to demonstrate the cues that they are full. Spoon feeding (and self-feeding finger foods) allow for a baby to consider when they are full and give appropriate feedback to carers. In addition, mindful eating really enables babies to enjoy the tastes and textures of their food.

• Eating from a bowl with a spoon is more likely to ensure that meals and snacks become sit down occasions, as they should be.

Joyful connection • Eating from a bowl with a spoon means true interaction between you and your baby. It allows you to spend special time interacting and learning together, making eye contact and supporting the development of your baby’s motor and oral skill abilities.

Familiar rituals • We made a conscious decision not to supply a spoon with our bowls because we believe using a favourite spoon helps to create a familiar ritual.

• Children from a young age need to experience a range of textures, flavours and foods in their diet. Building familiarity is the first step in helping them to accept a wider variety of foods in their diet. Babies become familiar with foods in their environment through the rituals and routines that we engage in. For example, visual cues to eat include bibs, spoons, highchairs, plates, cups, and the table.

• As children become familiar with the food environment, they build eating skills too.

So, we suggest using your baby’s favourite spoon with our range of Baby Bowls (even when out of home) to create familiar mealtime habits and rituals that can you can both enjoy together.

At Little Bellies, we are passionate about providing healthy and delicious foods for babies, toddlers and kids. Feeding your kids can sometimes appear to be complex and overwhelming, but nurturing is natural! We do our very best to do what comes naturally to us. Find out more at bellies.com.au

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Let’s talk about sex baby The impact of sexual problems on a relationship can be significant. Painful sex (dyspareunia), problems with libido, physical changes such as menopause can all impact on your sex life and your relationship.

Women and their partners often experience feelings of rejection, confusion, helplessness and frustration and the sooner these feelings are discussed the better the outcome for all concerned.

Consider having an open discussion with your partner and/or a health professional about how you feel. If you’ve been avoiding sex this can be especially difficult. But if you do find support, it can build intimacy and help you to manage your sexual relationship more honestly. The good news is there are strategies to help you.

It can also help if both partners read relevant books and seek out other resources together.

It’s okay (and a good idea!) to have some fun with sexual exploration. Sometimes couples get into a ‘routine’ for sex that’s no longer working for one or both partners. Self-help books can be easily bought over the internet, so there’s no need to be shy.

Relationships and painful sex Feeling stressed, self-conscious about your body, depressed or anxious about intimacy can make sex uncomfortable, and even painful.

Sometimes dyspareunia (painful sex) begins as a physical problem, but then has a flow-on effect to your psychological wellbeing and relationships, causing stress and anxiety.

A vicious cycle can develop where past experiences of painful sex cause anticipatory fear of more pain. This fear creates stress, tension and reduces libido and arousal and as a result, sex becomes painful. For some women their past experiences may include sexual or emotional abuse, which can a be a trigger for experiencing painful sex, even in good relationships with an understanding partner.

There are many ways two people can be sexual, or sensual, with each other that do not involve vaginal penetrative sex. Think of all the things you did before you had sex for the first time. We sometimes call this ‘outercourse’, and refers to kissing, hugging, fondling, touching etc.

Treatment The right treatment depends on the cause of the pain, but almost all treatment options will include a combination of individual and couples sexual and relationship counselling.

If you are in a relationship, encourage your partner to be involved in your treatment, particularly the counselling sessions.

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Relationships and libido It is quite common for women to experience a decline in spontaneous sexual desire with age, or when you have been in a long-term relationship (hello marriage!).

Chronic low libido can sneak up on you.

Initially, you may feel like it’s just another dip in your sexual interest and manage it the way you have in the past; explaining it away as a normal response to the stresses of life. But, if low libido has been happening for a long time and it is distressing, or causing relationship disharmony, you should examine your real reasons for not wanting to have sex. Is it about short-term or recent events, or is it beginning to look like a way of life? Is it a way of life you want or is it distressing you? How does it impact on your partner?

For couples, differences in sexual desire can create significant problems. A pattern of avoidance and resentment can build up especially if sex is initiated by one partner and refused by the other over and over again. The partner with lower libido may feel bothered by sexual overtures and the partner with higher libido may feel frustrated, rejected and unloved.

Some couples stop being affectionate and loving with each other and negative feelings become more and more overwhelming. These difficult feelings, if not talked through, can impact negatively on the relationship.

What can you do about desire discrepancy?

Pain during sex

Solving the problem of desire difference in a relationship can be challenging. There is no magic wand (or pill, potion or cream) that will create sexual desire. And it’s not about just having sex whenever your partner wants.

Physical pain is a good reason not to desire sex.

If you anticipate pain during sex, you will be anxious and this will reduce libido and arousal.

Talk about the pain with your partner so they know how you are feeling.

Good sex can give a well-grounded relationship a really positive boost, but it won’t solve serious relationship problems. Relationship counselling might be an important first step in building trust and communication before working on a sexual problem. More complicated personal reasons can also underlie low libido, so seek counselling if you think this is the case.

You should not experience pain during sex so don’t ignore it if you do.

Stress Stress is part of life. It may be related to day-today ‘busyness’ with too much to do, and never enough time. Or it may be a more serious and recent event such as job loss, illness or death of a loved one.

It is not always reasonable for some people to feel like having sex around the time of serious stress.

But if normal day-to-day stress is getting on top of you, it’s probably worth considering some strategies that might help you get on top of it.

Think about the sort of things that make you feel tense or stressed and not sexual. Can you make a decision to give yourself some time each day where you will make the effort to relax and not focus on the stressful things?

Letting go of stress may not be easy, but if you can find a way to relax, it may give you the energy and the focus you need to enjoy life and maybe sex as well.

Talk with your partner Frightening as it can seem, consider having an open discussion with your partner about how you feel. If you’ve been avoiding sex this can be especially difficult. But if you do it well, it will build intimacy and help you to manage your sexual relationship more honestly.

The aim of this is not to have you swinging from the chandelier every night of the week. It’s to enhance honesty, intimacy, fun and pleasure in your relationship and hopefully help you manage differences in sexual desire instead of using excuses to avoid the issue.

It’s also not to encourage you to have sex when you don’t want to. Use it as a pathway to understanding each other and finding a middle ground that is more satisfying to both of you.

Don’t forget that it will take ongoing commitment and revisiting the discussion to keep it working in the long-term. And if you get stuck, talk to a trained sex therapist.

For more information visit www.jeanhailes.org. au/health-a-z/sex-sexual-health Published with the permission of Jean Hailes for Women’s Health.

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CHILDCARE, A WOMEN’S ISSUE The recent federal budget announcements reinforce the societal belief that caring for children is a mother’s responsibility, and that by improving childcare support, we’re helping women to remain in the paid workforce.

While it’s a great start, BOTH parents need to be factored into receiving support to care for their children. We need more opportunities for men to stay at home and take a pause from the paid workforce.

Achieving more equal distribution of paid parental leave is the key to creating more equality in the workforce and in the home. It’s a workforce participation issue, rather than a women’s issue. If we can encourage more men to take the option of paid parental leave, we’ll see a fairer appreciation of childcare and the importance of access to childcare for both men and women.

Paid parental leave gives men an opportunity to bond with their kids at a formative age, but also helps them to strengthen ‘softer’ emotional intelligence skills such as social skills, empathy, self-awareness and managing emotions. All of these are essential skills to make them better leaders in the workplace.

Parents who share the care of their children in the first year are more likely to continue to share the care along the parenting adventure which is good for men, good for women, good for children and great for the family unit. When men start to take paid parental leave, they also start to appreciate the way parental leave can impact your confidence around returning to work.

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Encouraging men to take parental leave normalises the option of sharing parental care, and also gives more value to the importance of ALL caring roles in our society. We can’t create pathways for women into the paid workforce and leadership positions without concurrently creating pathways for men into caring roles.

More equitable paid parental leave will result in greater awareness and appreciation for the role of caring and carers in our society and more opportunities for feminine leadership.

We’ll also find women AND men in leadership roles with better self-awareness, empathy and self-regulation. The leaders the world so desperately needs.

So, what can organisations do?

Assess your paid parental leave policies, and actively encourage men in your workforce to take the option of parental leave. Normalise paid parental leave for men by encouraging it to be part of the conversation at every level of the organisation.

Educate men in your organisation on the proven benefits of taking parental leave and spending formative time with their children.

Recognise the potential benefits to your organisation of encouraging men to take parental leave, which will improve their leadership skills as a result.

By Danielle Dobson. Danielle is an author, speaker and corporate coach, on a mission to break the Gender Code. Find out more about Danielle and her book, Breaking the Gender Code, at www.codeconversations.com.au

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Fabulous food We’ve always loved local so we put the call out for some fabulous local Aussie food brands and we’re super happy with what came back. Here were our top picks...

Rio Vista Nothin’ But Olives Let’s keep this simple. This bottle is filled with nothin’ but 100% South Australian grown and harvested olives. Grown naturally in the Adelaide Hills and sunny Murraylands, picked by friendly people and cold extracted within 6 hours of harvest.

No numbers, nothing imported, everything fresh.

Remedy Drinks A pub classic, the old Lemon, Lime & Bitters... but full of gut lovin’ goodness.

Reach for the right stuff and old school refreshment with Remedy’s all-natural, live cultured, twist on Lemon, Lime & Bitters.

Sprout

Murray River Organics

These super-cute plant-based snack bars for kids are the perfect solution to keep your little one happy and satisfied between meals. Healthy, tasty and intolerance-friendly to be enjoyed by all, Sprout bars are the perfect way to help give your child a nourishing start to life.

An all-time classic, this 100% organic apple & cinnamon muesli, from local biz Murray River Organics, is a fan favourite for good reason. Made with organic oats, organic sultanas, organic diced dates, organic raw diced almonds, organic cinnamon powder and the hero, organic diced dried apple.

Spotty This banana bread mix is made using certified natural and organic ingredients which have been mainly sourced from Australian farmers. All their mixes are gluten free and only require four ingredients - Spotty Bananas, oil, eggs and of course this baking mix!

Blue Dinosaur With Collagen and Egg Whites. Welcome to the cleanest protein bars in the world!

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Two Birds Brewing We love the aptly named Two Birds’ beer because it’s run by two awesome Melbourne chicks! Their Passionfruit Summer Ale is pale and hazy like the balmy arvos we miss. It uses the tropical fruit hop trio of Amarillo, Mosaic and Galaxy with Passionfruit puree added to the fermenter. It tastes like sunshine and is best enjoyed in a hammock or just with your gal-pals!

Sweetpea Sweetpea dried baby food (with 4 fab flavours) is your quick and wholesome meal solution for your little one.

Made with Aussie grown fruits, veggies and grains. Fortified with iron. Simply add 80ml of warm water to 10g of dry product to make mushy.

Lakanto With a mantra of being #ResponsiblySweet, all Lakanto products are made using Monkfruit that is grown using the same ancient, traditional methods used by the monks that give the fruit its name. Lakanto Golden Malt Flavoured Syrup is a versatile ingredient for baking and desserts to add chewiness and a delicious touch of sweetness. It is also great as a topping and in drinks, with 75% less calories than rice malt syrup.

Motive Matcha Australia’s first ready-to-drink sparkling matcha has just launched with four delicious flavours – Ginger, Apple, Yuzu, and Lychee. A new, and oh-so-tasty, way to enjoy the benefits of matcha sugar-free and on-the-go. With only seven calories a bottle, this new kid on the health block is a guilt-free alternative.

Mingle Unlike the other guys, Mingle Spice Blends are always natural and free from nasty additives.

Mingle’s NO NASTIES All Purpose is the go-to flavour punch that you can use for every meal. This dials the flavour of meat and takes vegetables up to the next level.

Sans Drinks When you’re trying to stay off the booze but miss your favourite Summer cocktail....

Made in Sydney, Lyre’s make non-alcoholic versions of classic spirits. This Italian Spritz tastes almost exactly like Aperol, especially when mixed with a non-alcoholic sparkling wine such as local McGuigan Zero Dry Sparkling. Cheers!

Who Gives a Crap So we’re not eating this. But we are going to need it after we’ve eaten if you get my drift! Get out your glasses and gather up the kids because the search for the loo starts...now! Certified B Corp Who Gives A Crap has just released the limited ‘Where’s The Loo’ edition with a hidden toilet on each of the wrappers.

Available late August.

Taoca Gluten free, vegan, low fat, cholesterol free Brazilian tapioca crepes! These Brazilian tapioca crepes are a popular street food made with cassava starch, which has been part of the Brazilian Indigenous diet for centuries. They are very versatile and can be cooked with a variety of savoury or sweet fillings.

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I can do It! How often have we heard young children announce, ‘I can do it!’ or ‘I do it myself!’ as they take control and claim their right to do things by themselves?

The feeling of being in control is a powerful drive in young children and when they have opportunities to do things by themselves it can provide satisfaction as well as a sense of empowerment to keep trying and having a go. It can remind us to slow down and give children time and opportunity to stretch their independence skills and become more self-reliant.

Developing the skills for self-help and being more independent are encouraged in early childhood education and care services. Services are guided by the Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the learning outcomes to help children develop a strong sense of identity and support their emerging autonomy and resilience. This important area of child development is also highlighted in the National Quality Standard (NQS) where services are required to offer educational programs, physical environments and health and safety processes that foster children’s independence, confidence and wellbeing.

Children have an urge to do grown up tasks and will often mimic home life and familiar rituals in their play. As they explore, develop and grow, children are ready to take some control and put new skills into practice. Giving children some autonomy to safely help out with everyday tasks at home allows them to experience a sense of control and purpose as they continue to develop their independence. Depending on family schedules, go with the most suitable times where there is some flexibility for children to practice self-help skills. They will want to take their time, to do things ‘right’ and in their own way, so it’s best to avoid times when you are in a hurry or have a fixed schedule.

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Set aside some suitable time when there is usually a more relaxed structure to the day, such as on weekends and during holidays, for children to practice some tasks independently.

This will allow children time to test their skills and problem solve with adult guidance.

Depending on children’s age and stage of development, they can assist with many tasks at home, including helping with simple food preparation, setting and clearing the meal table, pouring their own drinks, watering plants, dressing themselves, helping to fold laundry, responsibility for feeding pets, making their bed, packing their own bag, helping with shopping, etc. As children develop their abilities and increase in confidence they can manage extra responsibility and more complex tasks.

Children feel they are trusted and accepted when they have a chance to attempt new things by themselves with the guidance of supportive adults and peers. In early childhood services, teachers encourage children to take responsibility for their own belongings, taking care of looking after their own bags, hats and water bottles. Self-help stations with mirrors are provided for young children to put on sunscreen by themselves. They learn to follow hygiene routines and become successful with toileting independence.

Teachers encourage children to take responsibility for their own belongings, taking care of looking after their own bags, hats and water bottles.

Teachers carefully set up the learning environments to give children choices in where and how they play, and a range of resources to use. As well as offering flexible play options, this purposeful arrangement of learning spaces promotes children’s decision-making, collaboration with others and independent thinking. Becoming self-sufficient and confidently independent are some of the skills

that are important contributors to children’s learning and readiness for school.

Opportunities to make decisions and learn self-help skills supports children to develop resilience as they work out ways to cope and try different approaches when things don’t go as planned. They learn to problem solve and back their own decisions as they tackle new tasks. When children master new skills and experience success with independent work, their confidence grows along with enhanced

self-esteem. A positive and strong sense of selfesteem – how we value ourselves – is critical for good mental health and overall wellbeing.

Children with an optimistic view of their abilities and a positive mindset are motivated to embrace new learning today and tomorrow.

By Sabina Klepp, Education Practice Partner, Story House Early Learning. www.shel.edu.au Reference: Dowling, Marion (2010), Young children’s personal, social & emotional development (Third edition), Sage Publications, London.

Children feel they are trusted and accepted when they have a chance to attempt new things by themselves.

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EVERY NIGHT OF THE Everything I love, I love with saturating intensity. Food is not the exception; it’s the first passionate relationship I had.

When I was four I would relish eating warm buttery toast in bed at a way-too-early hour (thanks Dad for indulging me). Then I’d climb into my parents’ bed and complain about pointy scraps in the sheets, earning me the title of Princess Fancy Crumb.

And in my first share flat, there was that roast chicken with basil and wine dish by Nigel Slater that changed my life.

Food – all food – became an exciting journey.

If I didn’t like something, I wondered why, and tried cooking it in different ways.

For this rather selfish reason I am the cook at home. Not necessarily to nourish my family or to indulge my friends with the gift of feasting; more so to play with the thing I love, to replicate something I have eaten out, to ex a new tool or try a new process.

Rose-vanilla bath melts At age seven or so I had a play date who brought a tin of wonderfully artificial home-brand spaghetti. Lunch that day would be the stuff of dreams. No ham and cheddar grazing plates, no garden herb omelette made from our own hens’ eggs, no Promite and sprouts on dark caraway rye – that day, we would dine on something loaded with sugar and salt, yet completely bland and utterly without air or emotion. My excitement was palpable.

The heartbreak set in the moment Mum delivered our plates to the table. She had lightly heated the food (unnecessary but acceptable) and then stirred through an equal quantity of roughly torn flat leaf parsley that was so robust it had surely twice seeded. Fury and tears inevitably followed. Looking back, I’m convinced the PTSD from this incident motivated me to become the curator of everything that goes into my mouth.

By the time I was nine I knew how to separate eggs to make mayonnaise and meringues, but also the perfect quantity of water + time on the stove and seasoning to get the most Shirley Temple tasty bounce out of a 2-minute noodle.

Then there was the boscaiola period of 1995 (I still don’t understand how something can be SO delicious and sickening at the same time).

As a teen, I had an unruly crew of friends who would seek munchie satisfaction in our Bondi kitchen when we’d skip school, eating crushed summer tomato and garlic spaghetti.

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I am just lucky that my obsession benefits those around me. I’ve always found it incredibly satisfying to induce appreciative moans in people and so far, making incredible food has been one of the easiest ways for me to do that.

Pair that with a weakness for laughter and big gatherings, and the generous facade is complete.

I have been a food, lifestyle and event stylist in Sydney for over 20 years, and have recently been able to add food writer and consultant to the bill. I began this illustrious career under the guidance of Donna Hay. Aside from teaching me to appreciate the beauty of seasonal food, she once said something during a heartbreaking time in my life that has forever made sense: ‘You need to prioritise. We are making pretty pictures for a magazine.’ I am grateful because this sentiment has allowed me to drive my passion and profession, while keeping love and humour firmly at the top of the list.

My new book’s namesake is my Instagram account @EveryNightOfTheWeek, which was originally a space for me to document the dinners I made for my family. Mild envy of people with a repetitive repertoire inspired a personalised visual menu board, so I didn’t have to think what I was going to make. It also gave me an outlet to love, question and mildly mortify my family. It turns out the daily struggle and juggle is real, and we are far better off enjoying it all together than alone.

x Lucy Tweed

WEEK

Some days you want to cook; other days the goal is simply ‘food in mouths’. Welcome to Every Night of the Week! x Lucy

Drunken dumplings Serves 2

Method: Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Ingredients: 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 chicken breast fillet (around 220g) 8 frozen dumplings 180g somen noodles 2 tablespoons tom yum paste 400ml tin coconut milk 2 heads of bok choy 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon lime juice 1–2 teaspoons chilli paste

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over high heat and pan-fry the chicken breast for 2 minutes each side. Place in the oven for a few minutes to finish cooking through.

Boil the dumplings for 1 minute or until thawed. Add the somen noodles and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain. Remove the pan from the oven and set the chicken aside.

ml) of water to the tin and swish it around, then add to the pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring to combine with the tom yum paste.

Meanwhile, lightly steam the bok choy.

Slice the chicken and divide among two shallow bowls, then add the noodles, dumplings and bok choy.

Pour the broth over the top.

Drizzle with sesame oil, then the lime juice and top with as much chilli paste as you can handle.

Fry the tom yum paste over medium–high heat for 2 minutes, then pour in the coconut milk. Add ½ cup (125 23

Pulled pork tacos with pickled pineapple Serves 8

1.5 kg pork neck

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16 tacos, soft or hard Marinade 1 cup pineapple juice 1 cup barbecue sauce 3 tbsp American mustard 1 onion, quartered 2 tspn coriander seeds 1 tbsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp dried oregano 1 cinnamon stick 1 head of garlic, crushed 1 tbsp sea salt Pickled pineapple 2 cups white vinegar ¾ cup sugar 1½ tbsp sea salt 3 cardamom pods, bruised 1 whole pineapple, peeled, cored if liked and thinly sliced

Slaw 3 cups shredded cabbage 2 tbsp kewpie mayonnaise Juice of 1 lime 2 tbsp chopped chives 1 tspn sea salt Method: Preheat the oven to 120°C.

Combine all marinade ingredients in a heavy ovenproof dish with a lid. Add the pork and turn to coat on all sides.

Place a piece of baking paper over the pork and press it down into the juices. Pop the lid on, place in the oven and cook gently for 6 hours.

Remove and allow to cool, then shred the meat with tongs and stir with all the juices, breaking up the garlic

and onion as you go. Discard cinnamon stick.

The pork can be made ahead of time, and reheated to serve.

For the pickled pineapple, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, cardamom and 2 cups (500 ml) of water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then allow to cool slightly.

Place the pineapple in a large airtight jar and pour the pickling liquid over the top.

Seal and allow to pickle for at least an hour. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

To make the slaw, toss all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Warm the taco shells then take all the components to the table and let everyone help themselves.

A chocolate thing Serves: 6 Ingredients:

1 cup frozen raspberries (or fresh if in season)

130g butter, melted

Vanilla ice cream, optional

1 cup sugar

Method:

1 tspn vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

3 tbsp cocoa powder

For the stewed rhubarb, combine the rhubarb, orange juice and sugar in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes until the fruit has softened.

3 eggs ½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour ½ cup hazelnut meal 1 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate 10 pink marshmallows Stewed rhubarb 1 bunch rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 5 cm lengths 3 tbsp orange juice ½ cup sugar

Remove from the heat and stir in the raspberries, then allow the mix to cool.

Whisk together the butter, sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder until light and creamy.

Gently fold in the flour, hazelnut meal and chocolate until just combined.

Put the rhubarb in the base of a greased ovenproof frying pan (the one I used is 25 cm/ 10 inches) or baking dish and spread evenly. Dot with the marshmallows, and spoon the chocolate batter over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until puffed and slightly crispy on the edge.

This can be served a bit underdone, like a self-saucing pudding.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.

Images and text from Every Night of the Week by Lucy Tweed; photography by Lucy Tweed.

Murdoch Books RRP $35.00.

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FEEDING TEENS WELL In some ways I feel nutrition is the forgotten cousin of teenage health.

Even though teens themselves care a lot about it.

From obsessing about their thigh gaps to their acne, from the impact of nutrition on their fatigue or their brains, from tummy aches and bloating, to the problem of eating disorders, what teens eat really matters. So, no book on teenagers would be complete without a close look at your teen’s diet.

The topic of teenage nutrition needs an entire book to do it justice, and this is not an encyclopaedia of food for your teenager.

Instead, it’s meant to give you some practical advice about your teen’s eating, touch on the issues we see most in our practices, and discuss those that the experts we talked to get most concerned about.

Most importantly, we don’t judge you. In a busy household, with working parents, not enough hours in the day and more fights with your teen than you want to poke a stick at, this is not easy.

A lot of us eat far less healthily than we think we do. We imagine we eat enough vegies and fibre and that our snack consumption is low.

But, if we kept a diary, we’d discover most of us could do much better. And what we eat as parents influences our children’s diets: they are watching us like hawks and their BS detectors are razor sharp. So, any change cannot be aimed at your teen alone. This needs to be a whole family approach, and you will reap the benefits as well, I promise.

Our teens aren’t eating well Not a surprise news flash . . . Only one in three people aged 12–24 years eats the recommended two to three serves of fruit per day. Boys eat less fruit than girls. When it comes to vegetables, the situation is even worse. Only one in seven people aged 12–17 years eats the 28

recommended four serves of vegetables per day, and only one in twenty people aged 18–24 years meets the guideline of five serves of vegetables per day.

One in four Australian children and adolescents is technically overweight or obese, and one in 12 is obese. And, while that number is stable and not increasing, it has so many negative implications for physical and mental health that we should all still be alarmed by it. The prevalence of obesity increases with age – up to 31 per cent by age 17. And 38 per cent of Indigenous children and adolescents are obese – a number that is increasing.

Does it matter? Yes. Research tells us that a good diet that starts in childhood or adolescence is likely to persist into adulthood.

And the opposite is true: toddlers with a poor diet are more likely to grow into teens and adults with a dodgy diet.

It is more complex than simply ‘too much bad food, not enough good food’. There are other contributing factors: lack of sleep, lack of exercise, too much time on screens . . . But, when it comes to being overweight, diet is the thing that needs to change most. Science is yet to determine the optimum amount of ‘junk food’ (in the ‘junk food’ category, I am including white bread and crackers, many commercial breakfast cereals, any drink that’s not water, milk, tea or coffee, and most ‘snacks’, even if you buy them in the health-food aisle at the local supermarket. Many contain high amounts of fat, salt and processed carbohydrates that contribute to diseases such as diabetes.) One junk food touted as a healthy option is the Subway sandwich. Given that the ‘bread’ roll contains 10 per cent sugar, in 2020 Ireland’s Supreme Court ruled that it was not allowed to be called bread! Ideally, the amount of junk food your teen consumes should sit around zero. Given that’s not going to happen, let’s just say that a daily intake of junk food is catastrophic.

As I said, this isn’t a nutrition textbook; we have neither the space nor the head room to take a comprehensive look at all teenagers’ nutritional needs. So we’re going to head into the nutritional lowlights and problems we see the most, and also touch on the thorny issues of veganism, protein bingeing and the like.

• Frozen vegetables are as nutritious as fresh. Keep a few different packs of peas, corn, spinach and beans in the freezer so you can serve vegies with every meal. A quick steam or zap in the microwave, a drizzle of lemon juice and seasoning, and they’re ready to go.

Food tips for busy parents:

• Keep the pantry stocked with tinned foods such as legumes, tomatoes and tuna and some wholewheat pasta, so that you always have easy access to a quick, nutritious meal.

Have a couple of super-simple go-to recipes, such as pasta with tuna and tomato sauce, if there’s nothing else available.

For parents who’ve battled the commute and are ravenously hungry themselves as they enter the house, standing in the kitchen for an hour to make a healthy meal for everyone might just not be feasible. I turned to nutritional counsellor Ginette Lenham for some helpful hacks to make dinner-time less challenging: • Get organised. Pop on a podcast or audiobook and wash and chop vegies on Sunday.

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge to use up during the week.

• Need to buy take-away? Don’t beat yourself up over it. Take-away doesn’t have to mean unhealthy – choose stir-fried vegetables with meat, seafood or tofu, or a poke bowl or big salad.

• Make your freezer your best friend. When you do cook, make extra so you can freeze half for another meal.

One in four Australian children and adolescents is technically overweight or obese

• If you can afford to use a meal-delivery service, maybe organise to have them for the nights of extra busy workdays.

• In summer, serve up a big platter of chopped vegies, hard-boiled eggs and a barbecued chicken with slices of multigrain sourdough bread or low GI wraps and dinner is ready . . . no cooking required!

• Take advantage of the prepared salads, green leaves and chopped vegies available in most supermarkets. They can be a huge time saver.

Extract from The New Teen Age by Dr Ginni Mansberg and Jo Lamble. (Murdoch Books RRP $32.99) How to support today’s tweens and teens to become healthy, happy adults.

HEALTHY GUT = HEALTHY BRAIN Over the past decade or so, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children diagnosed with compromised brain function which include conditions such as ADHD, autism, cognitive problems, alongside an increase in depression and anxiety.

So, what is it about the modern lifestyle that is so destructive to the health of our children’s brain function?

The gut as key to mental development Research papers backed by clinical experience indicate there is a definite connection between gut health and brain function. In fact, the gut and brain originate from the same area in the embryo. Therefore, children who suffer from any one of the childhood conditions which impacts gut health such as constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, nausea or tummy pains may also experience disruption to their brain function.

The second brain in the gut Interwoven within the wall of the gut is the second largest part of the nervous system called the Enteric Nervous System (or ENS for short). The ENS that resides in the gut is directly connected to the brain.

To keep this simple, we will call the brain in the head the main brain and the brain in the gut our second brain. While these two brains have different responsibilities, they work in unison with each other. The second brain in the gut can’t complete a crossword puzzle or write a shopping list. It’s not capable of the type of functions we associate with the main brain.

Instead, it has a completely different set of tasks to perform within the digestive system.

When the gut speaks the brain listens The main brain in the skull and the second brain in the gut are connected by an extensive network of billions of nerve cells. These nerve cells transmit information and allow the main 30

brain to communicate to various compartments within itself and also send messages to other parts of the body.

The super-highway The super-highway of nerve cells provides a framework to transport information backwards and forwards between the gut and the brain along a pathway known as the Vagus nerve.

These two brains are constantly chattering and this allows the main brain to act as a watchdog, to supervise the complex daily functions of the gut.

And the brain talks back to the gut We have all experienced the sensations of the main brain communicating with the second brain, maybe without realising it. Most of us can relate to feelings of nausea, knots in the pit of the stomach or that gut-wrenching feeling that accompanies anxiety and nervousness.

When our main brain registers that we are out of our comfort zone, our second brain in the gut instantly registers this information which results in those uncomfortable gut sensations we associate with stress, like ‘butterflies’ in the tummy.

An inflamed gut = an inflamed brain This two-way exchange can bring about changes to the main brain. Research confirms that kids with learning difficulties and behavioural problems are significantly more prone to digestive upsets such as constipation and/or diarrhoea than kids who don’t exhibit these symptoms. Unhappy messages from the gut can wreak havoc and cause profound and unexpected results to the emotional and cognitive centres in the main brain.

By Fiona Stock, Naturopath and Nutritionist at The Children’s Naturopath

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RAISING KIDS WHO EXPLORE Spending time outdoors offers our children countless opportunities for discovery, experimenting, problem-solving and creativity.

With my children, I have also found outdoor play to have an immense calming power. For that reason, I believe spending time outside is great for a child’s physical and mental health and cognitive development. The added bonus for kids and adults alike is that outdoor play can be HEAPS OF FUN! At times, the perceived lack of access to large green spaces may be seen as a barrier to raising kids who explore. I’ll admit I love nothing more than jumping in the car and driving to a National Park or our local beach. But if the COVID-19 pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that we can replicate outdoor play we’d previously done further afield, very close to home or even in our backyard!

Here are ten ways we encourage our kids to explore the outdoors closer to home 1. Sweep fallen autumn leaves into a big pile and let the kids jump till their hearts are content (we put our pile at the bottom of our backyard slide!) What kid doesn’t like jumping in big piles of leaves?

2. Grab your picnic rug, pack some food and have lunch or dinner in your backyard or local park.

3. Get creative with chalk. Remember all the hours you spent drawing on the footpath as a kid? Go one step further and encourage your kids to add things they find in nature to their chalk drawing, e.g. acorn eyes or a pinecone nose.

4. Find and follow an ant trail. Place a small piece of food, or some crumbs close by and watch what happens.

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5. Look at various flowers around your local area and carefully sketch them. Can the kids draw the veins and add the textures?

6. Run a scavenger hunt with a twist, e.g., find a rough leaf, a soft leaf and one that releases an aroma.

7. Let the kids have a spot in the yard to dig (we have a dedicated area in our backyard the kids have lovingly named ‘the construction site’.

Here they are allowed to dig as deep as they want, make ponds and build small dams.

8. Camp in your backyard! There is no need to pack the car with this one, so it’s a win win for everyone!

9. Go searching for a street library – can you walk/ride to a local street library to swap a free book and explore parts of your local area you may not have previously (on the Street Library website, you can search by postcode for libraries close by).

10. Bring old sheets from inside, bits of timber from the garage and other treasures to draw the kids into a magical world of imagination. What games will they come up with?

Join like-minded families

When there is a will, there is a way

If you feel like you need a little more encouragement or direction, there are many local groups you can get involved with to get outdoors. One of these is Kids Who Explore, a social enterprise established by mothers with young children whose goal is to inspire other families worldwide to connect with nature, and with each other! Their website is full of great tips and tricks to help get your kids exploring nature. Kids Who Explore also plan worldwide virtual events that families can participate in regardless of where you live. Initiatives such as rubbish clean-ups and hike challenges are a great way to connect with like-minded families.

If we can encourage our kids to spend time outdoors, we can develop life-long habits, supporting physical and mental health well into the future! Whether it’s in our backyard, local park or somewhere further afield, nature stirs on kiddie creativity. Outdoor play can mean more with less, and less can often lead to more fun!

I’ll end on a ‘let’s get real’ tip. Of course, you will experience meltdowns while exploring outdoors (we all do), but a lolly snake can do wonders as a kiddie motivator for those little ones who may be a little reluctant at first!

Written by Kellie Floyd, a self-proclaimed outdoorsy mama who works in marketing and communications and as a freelance writer. If you’d like further inspiration, you can follow Kellie’s family outdoor exploration at @together_wewillwander and connect with Kids Who Explore at kidswhoexplore.com or @kidswhoexplore

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KITCHEN SCIENCE Turn your kitchen into a science laboratory with these four kid friendly experiments When someone mentions science, do you automatically think of distant laboratories or complicated experiments? Most people do! But science is literally around us all the time. When we wake up each day, the sun has gone around the earth, the days are getting longer or shorter and the weather turns up in its infinite variety.

Science is simply the study of what we observe around us every day. So why not engage in some fun and accessible science activities with your kids right in your kitchen!

Water, weight, temperature, transformation, texture, touch, taste, light and sound are all waiting to be discovered. All we need is to be aware of the opportunities we could activate.

Cooking and baking offer multiple ways to observe science in action. The simplest thing, like making jelly can alert children to how temperature can assist processes. Boiled water is used to dissolve the crystals, the cold water is added for volume and the fridge temperature makes the jelly set. Always bearing safety in mind, children can be encouraged to watch steam rising as food is prepared, how cakes rise in the oven and how eggs change when they are boiled.

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Besides all these incidental observations, you can help them set up simple experiments to engage, entertain and teach.

Four easy experiments to do with young children: Grow beans Start by soaking 5-6 dried white haricot beans overnight in a bowl of water. Next day, place two squares of folded, dampened paper towel into a large sandwich zip lock bag. Put the haricot beans into the bag on one side of the towel. Zip the bag and tape it in a warm place against a window so that the children can see the beans. Within a few days the bean germinates and roots will start to appear.

With more days’ patience the first leaves will be visible. When the beans reach this stage, they can be planted out in small pots of soil to become mature plants. The excitement of germination never ceases to amaze me.

Growing anything can encourage the gardener in your child.

Grow crystals

Colour and walking water

Besides growing beans, why not grow crystals?

Kids will need adult assistance, 3 cups of table salt, one litre of water, a pencil, a paperclip a strong plastic or pyrex bowl and a piece of string.

Staying with water, try the ‘walking water’ experiment. Arrange six small plastic containers filled with water in a circle. Add red food colouring to the first one. Skip a container and add blue food colouring to the third one and finally add yellow food colouring to the fifth one. Cut thick paper towel into strips, just long enough to dip from the middle of one container to the next. Lay six strips across the jars so that the clear water is linked to a coloured water container on either side. Then see what happens! The cellulose in the paper acts like tiny tubules starting off a capillary effect. Primary colours from the jars will ‘walk’ through the strips to the clear water and create the secondary colours! It’s like magic!

Boil the water with your child and fill the bowl.

Add the salt a tablespoon at a time and stir until no more salt can dissolve. You will see a fine layer of salt collecting at the bottom of the jar when this supersaturation is reached. Tie one end of the string to the pencil and the other to the paper clip. Place the pencil across the jar so the string dangles down. The paperclip weighs the string down and shouldn’t touch the bottom or sides of the jar.

Allow the jar to sit for a week in a sunny spot without disturbing it. You should see the salt crystals forming at the top of the string within a week. Children will love looking at the crystals through a magnifying glass. (They’ll want to examine everything else in reach including the cat’s whiskers if it sits still for long enough!)

If your child wants to know why the crystals form it has to do with supersaturation. The boiling water encourages more salt to dissolve than would normally occur and the salt is drawn up the string with the water. When the water evaporates, the salt crystals are left behind and accumulate in the characteristic tiny cube shapes. If your child falls in love with crystals, go online and investigate the huge variety they can grow. It can become an advanced hobby.

Explore sound For an investigation into sound, make a water xylophone. Arrange 5-6 glass jars of the same size and fill them with water to different levels.

For fun, add a little food colouring to each jar to create a rainbow effect. When kids tap on the jars with a metal spoon they will hear the different pitch related to the proportion of air to water in the jar. Ask them to explain what they think is happening.

Emphasise scientific thinking What you want to do through these and many other experiments is to get your child thinking using the scientific method. Scientists ask good questions. They experiment with a variety of materials and substances; they hypothesise about what might happen and they are keen observers. Besides this, they use specific vocabulary, measure precisely to recreate their outcomes and they record what they see with drawings, graphs and photography. Children learn about more than what happens in a oneoff experiment - they learn how to think.

Good luck to you and your young scientists as you explore the world in your kitchen!

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an education consultant and author of EduChameleon. Lili-Ann’s primary specialisations are in early childhood education (birth-9 years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. Her current part-time role is as an education consultant at Independent Schools Victoria and she runs her own consultancy, Kriegler-Education. Find out more at https://kriegler-education.com

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WINTER eczema exIt Statistics suggest that one in three Aussie kids suffer from eczema and up to one million Australians have been affected by eczema at some point in their lives.

The Australian government recently announced a $270 million subsidy for Australians over the age of 12 who suffer from severe eczema and have not responded favourably to topical creams and ointments.

However, for children aged 12-and-under who are not covered by the subsidy, thankfully there are a range of easy-to-follow skincare tips and routines that can potentially help to minimise the incidence and severity of eczema flare ups.

President of the Eczema Association Australasia Inc EAA, Cheryl Talent, says, “If your child suffers from eczema, you may see an increase in symptoms as we enter the cooler months, including intense itching, dry and cracked skin, and even infection.

This makes it a good time to try something different for your child’s skincare routine.

While there is not yet a cure for eczema, good management is achievable using prescribed treatments and suitable skincare products.

It is now widely recognised that constant moisturising of the skin helps to maintain the skin barrier and promote healing.”

Winter flare ups More than half of all eczema sufferers experience flare ups related to environmental and physical triggers, with change in weather being the biggest issue for most of them (72%). With winter fast approaching, cold and dry weather can sap skin of essential moisture and may cause serious issues for skin that is already compromised. Itching and inflammation can also lead to a breakdown in our body’s main line of defence, our protective skin barrier.

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Tips for managing eczema whilst in the cooler months The EAA and Childs Farm, which is a proud Gold member of the Eczema Association Australasia (EAA), have jointly compiled a list of 10 tips for protecting your child’s skin throughout the cooler months:

1. Moisturising is key Liberally apply moisturiser to your child’s skin whilst it is damp (after a shower or bath) to help seal in the moisture from the water. Regular moisturising of the skin is absolutely essential to managing eczema. Ask your Pharmacist for samples of different products so you can always carry moisturiser with you. If you haven’t tried them before, a patch test is always recommended before using any new products.

One of the EAA’s Gold partners, Childs Farm, is an option worth considering. Childs Farm uses naturally derived ingredients and essential oils to produce a range of mild, kind and delicioussmelling toiletries. The entire range is suitable for sensitive skin and suitable for skin that may be prone to eczema.

2. Avoid over-washing your hands Children’s hands can become dry, chapped and cracked during the cooler weather. Although we have been encouraging hand-washing during COVID, over-washing or scrubbing too hard can cause the skin to dry out and crack. Find a soap-free hand wash for your kids to use and teach them to apply moisturiser liberally after washing their hands. If their hands do become dry, use moisturiser before bedtime and have them wear cotton or bamboo gloves while they are sleeping to help seal in the moisture.

3. Treat flare ups promptly When you notice the first signs of your child having an eczema flare up, treat it accordingly.

Use topical steroids and moisturisers to manage the itch and discomfort, and continue treating it until it has completely healed. Not treating eczema can lead to broken or cracked skin, which can result in infection.

4. Manage your indoor environment While you don’t have control of the weather and temperatures outside, you can control the temperature in your home. Not overheating your home and avoiding drying out the air by using a humidifier can help reduce the chance of your child having a flare up.

5. Be mindful of your child’s bathing conditions Make sure your child’s bath or shower water is warm, not hot, as hot water can dry out the skin and cause cracking. Limiting their shower or bath time to 5-10 minutes can help, however, we know the role that bath time plays in the development stages for children. If they are taking longer baths, use a soap-free cleanser or hypoallergenic bath oil that is less likely to irritate sensitive skin.

6. Know their triggers Not all children have the same triggers for eczema. Pay attention to what in their environment might cause a flare-up. Some people find allergens, dry air, cold wind, scented products, dust mites or household cleaning chemicals cause their eczema to flare. By understanding your child’s triggers, you can take steps to prevent the flare-up.

7. Layer their clothing During a transition from one season to another, weather can be unpredictable or rapidly change during the day. For example, it may be cold in the morning but warm by afternoon, or it may be nice in the morning and later be windy and cold. Instead of dressing your child only for the morning, put them in layers so they can add or take off a layer depending on the temperature throughout the day.

8. Use sun protection Summer might be over but there are still dangerous UV rays that can cause a sunburn or irritate your child’s skin. Apply suitable sunscreen to their skin every morning before leaving the house.

9. Pay attention to allergens Pollen is still in the air during the cooler months. In addition, allergens such as mould and mildew might be more prevalent, especially in damp weather. Take time to change filters on heating systems before starting them up to reduce the chance that turning on the heat will send allergens into the air in your house.

10. Make sure they drink plenty of water As the weather cools, your child may not feel as thirsty but their body still needs water. Staying hydrated helps keep their skin moisturised.

For more information visit The Eczema Association of Australasia Inc (EAA) at www.eczema.org.au Childs Farm is stocked in Coles, Woolworths and BIG W stores across Australia as well as on online at childsfarm.com.au and Amazon.com.au.

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on the shelf

kids

Bedtime Sorted! by Jimmy Rees Who said bedtime was hard? Dad’s got bedtime sorted! Lenny and the twins have a bath without water spilling over, brush their teeth without toothpaste spraying onto the mirror, and go to sleep straight after their story. Perfect! Dad can finally settle down to his dinner. But then – My pyjamas don’t match! I’m too cold! I’m too hot! The window is making funny noises! I’m not tired!

From one of Australia’s best-loved comedians and children’s entertainers Jimmy Rees comes a story about bedtime excuses we know all too well Published by Affirm. RRP $19.99

When Anna Came to Stay by Maddy Tyers When Anna Came to Stay centres on a happy young girl called May who falls into heeding advice from her imaginary friend, Anna. Her plight is followed by the family who no longer recognise their daughter and hatch a plan to rescue May from the clutches of Anna. The book will open conversations around eating disorders and how they impact every area of a person’s life.

Recognising the signs will help schools and families seek help before the disorder progresses further. The emotions are beautifully captured in a mix of mediums including watercolour and pencil by illustrator Siobhan Skipworth.

Published by Interactive Publications. RRP $31.99.

Who Fed Zed? by Amelia McInerney Zed the fish is white and red. His poo hangs down in one long thread.

The main thing, though, is what Fred said, ‘NEVER, EVER FEED ZED BREAD.’ A funny, rhyming picture book about Ted, Ned and Fred, Fred’s dog, Jed, and Fred’s fish, Zed. ‘Who Fed Zed? is fun and a bit ‘off the wall’’. It reminds readers to always check food packaging labels and was actually inspired by Amelia’s own daughter, who has a severe food allergy to nuts. When she was four, Amelia accidentally gave her a muesli bar that had peanuts in it.

Published by Allen & Unwin. Ages 3–6. RRP $24.99.

We Go Way Back by Idan Ben-Barak Long, long ago, no one knows exactly where or when, a tiny bubble formed that was a Little Bit Different. It was the first living cell. Everyone’s ancestor.

And so the story of life begins ...

In this visually stunning and brilliantly devised picture book, Idan Ben-Barak and Philip Bunting lead us through the origin of life on our planet, and how an odd little bubble gave rise to the incredible web of life on Earth.

Published by Allen & Unwin. RRP $24.99.

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t(w)een The Story of Australia: For the young (and the curious) by Don Watson Watson guides readers from the ancient lands of Gondwana, through human settlement, colonisation and waves of migration, to the challenges facing our diverse nation today. Each era is brought to life in a series of beautifully illustrated spreads that capture a particular event or development – or give a snapshot of ordinary Australians at the time. Each chapter ends with a profile of a person, from the oldest Australian ever discovered, Mungo Woman, to pop icon Kylie Minogue.

Published by Black Inc. RRP $32.99.

An Unexpected Hero. Pow Pow Pig 1 by Anh Do Hi there! My name is Piccolo. Also known as Pow Pow Pig! I live in the year 2050, and THE WORLD IS IN TROUBLE. Don’t worry though, because me and my friends Cha Cha Chicken, Kung Fu Duck and Barry the Goat are on the case. Me and my friends didn’t make the A team ... or the B team ... or the C, D or E teams .... We made the Z team!

How are we going to save the world when we were the last ones picked?!

Published by Allen & Unwin. 6-10 years old. RRP $15.99.

Everything I Thought I Knew by Shannon Takaoka Seventeen-year-old Chloe had a plan: work hard, get good grades, and attend a top-tier college. But after she collapses during cross country practice and is told that she needs a new heart, all her careful preparations are laid to waste.

Eight months after her transplant, everything is different. Stuck in summer school with the underachievers, all she wants to do now is grab her surfboard and hit the waves – which is strange, because she wasn’t interested in surfing before her transplant. (It doesn’t hurt that her instructor, Kai, is seriously good looking.) And that’s not all that’s strange.

Published by Walker Books. RRP $18.99.

Girls in boys cars by Felicty Castagna A complicated friendship. A roadtrip in a stolen car. The stories that define us. And two funny, sharp, adventurous young women who refuse to be held back any longer. Rosa was never really trying to hurt anyone, no matter what they said in court. But she’s ended up in juvenile jail anyway, living her life through books and wondering why her best mate Asheeka disappeared.

A page-turning novel about a complicated friendship; a road trip through NSW in a stolen car; the stories that define us; and two funny, sharp, adventurous young women who refuse to be held back any longer.

Published by Pan Australia. RRP $18.99.

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for dad Dear Son. Letters and Reflections from First Nations Fathers and Sons by Thomas Mayor Dear Son shares heartfelt letters written by First Nations men about life, masculinity, love, culture and racism. Along with his own vivid and poignant prose and poetry, author and editor Thomas Mayor invites 12 contributors to write a letter to their son, father or nephew, bringing together a range of perspectives that offers the greatest celebration of First Nations manhood.

A gentle and loving book for families from anywhere in the world.

Published by Hardie Grant Books. Out: 1 Sept. RRP $34.99

Survivor: Life in the SAS by Mark Wales How do you rebuild your life when you’ve hit rock bottom? Mark Wales thought his life would end in a cornfield in Afghanistan.

Mark and his SAS troops emerged from that scorched battlefield twelve hours later, his mentor gunned down, his dream career now a nightmare. Over four deployments of intense warfighting, Mark watched the line between right and wrong become blurred. When he left the SAS he was adrift, crippled by guilt.

‘A powerful, honest story of courage, redemption and finding purpose’ - Bear Grylls Published by Macmillan Australia. RRP $34.99

Seasonal Kitchen. 70+ delicious recipes from Fast Ed

by Ed Halmagyi From zesty salads at the height of summer to hearty stews in the depths of winter, Better Homes and Gardens TV chef Ed Halmagyi shares more than 70 favourite dishes from his personal recipe collection, stretching across all four seasons of food. Fast Ed opens his personal recipe collection to share his favourite dishes. Think you-beaut breakfasts, grab-and-go snacks, easy but impressive entrees, tasty vegetarian fare, moreish mains and desserts so decadent everyone will find room for a helping. Plus, of course, delicious dishes to grill and thrill on the barbecue - perfect food for Aussie alfresco entertaining.

Published by Are Media. RRP $29.99

Chance by Andrew Rule All his life, award-winning journalist and author Andrew Rule has watched the heroes and villains of racing: dreamers and schemers, winners and losers, horses and riders. In Chance, he distils the daring, the desperation and danger of the track into a bravura account of some of Australian racing’s most famous and infamous moments, its celebrations and its secrets, the grittiness of the gambling life behind the glitz and glamour. With an ear for the colloquial, the humorous and the absurd, and an eye for physical bravery and financial folly, Rule shows how racing still defines part of the Australian character.

Published by Macmillan Australia. RRP $34.99

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iou e th i s

We are ge tti

r a s er

au s sc

ng

fo y l l i s

Every donation to Red Nose Day will help fund lifesaving research, support grieving families, and save little lives.

Donate now.

Scan the QR code with your smart phone camera to make a donation using our secure online form or donate online.

www.rednoseday.org.au

All donations over $2 are tax-deductible. ABN 81 462 345 159

for mum Rock On. The Crystal Healing Handbook for Spiritual Rebels by Kate Mantello If you are interested in the hype about sparkly rocks but aren’t sure about spiritual woo-woo, just read Kate Mantello’s introduction and you won’t be able to put the book down.

Covering all aspects of crystal healing, from the scientific to the esoteric, and featuring 40 detailed crystal body layouts, this book is the definitive reference guide for those wanting to learn more about the hands-on side of crystal healing from a master crystal healer with a fresh and unique perspective.

Published by Rockpool Publishing. Out: Sept 7. RRP $29.99

The Single Mother’s Social Club by Jacinta Tynan So, this isn’t at all what you had in mind, being a single parent, raising kids on your own - at least some of the time. You’re battling the day-to-day grind, making life-defining decisions while helping with homework, shoelaces and Book Week costumes, all the while working and maybe even having a social life. It can be arduous, lonely and overwhelming. But it can also be liberating not just adapting to your new normal, but wholeheartedly embracing it.

In The Single Mother’s Social Club, journalist Jacinta Tynan interviews experts and single mothers to share the best advice for thriving when you’re the only adult in the home, along with her own experiences of making it as a single mum.

Published by Murdoch Books. RRP $32.99

Inside Your Dreams. An advanced guide to your night visions

by Rose Inserra Become the awakened dreamer. You will never again say ‘It’s just a dream!’

Inside Your Dreams provides awareness about your inner self and healing through actioning your dream images in your waking life. Unlock the mysteries of your dreams and the messages they hold for greater insight into your conscious waking life, your subconscious and the collective unconscious. Use this practical guide to climb inside your dreams and connect more deeply with yourself instead of wasting one third of your life only sleeping.

Published by Rockpool Publishing. RRP $29.99

Small Joys of Real Life by Allee Richards Small Joys of Real Life is about how the life you have can change in an instant.

It’s about friendship, desire, loss and growing up to accept that all you can do is be in the moment and look to find the joys in between.

The night Eva shared a smile with Pat, something started. Two weeks later, lying together in her bed, Pat said, ‘You can’t live your life saying you’ll get around to doing something you know will make you happy. You just have to do it.’ Eva didn’t know how devastating those words would turn out to be. Pat dies and the aftershock leaves Eva unsteady. She is pregnant. And she has to make a choice.

Published by Hachette Australia. RRP $32.99

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Access to period products is a right, not a privilege

period products at your local Woolworths store this August or visit our website to find your closest collection point

GIVE THE

F O T F I G CONVERSATION

A simple chat can mean everything to a friend or loved one. It could change, or even save, their life. If someone needs to talk, they might not always let you know, so check in with those you care about and ask if they’re OK, because your natter matters.

Proudly supported by

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Learn what to say at ruok.org.au/yournattermatters

WIN

a DreamWorks fun pack!

To celebrate the launch of the brand new DreamWorks channel on Foxtel channel 717, we’ve got a fun-filled activity pack for one lucky colourer! The 24-hour, kids and family entertainment channel presents fan-favourite DreamWorks TV series including The Boss Baby: Back in Business, Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny, Dawn of the Croods, and more!

Simply colour to win!

Click to download a copy See www.mamamag.com.au/competitions for terms and conditions. Parent’s email will be added to our monthly MamaMail. You can opt out at any time.

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MEALS TOGETHER A psychologist and mama’s number one parenting hack to eating family meals...

Eating meals together as a family just might be the ultimate parenting hack. What else can you do in under an hour that has been shown to improve your kids’ academic performance, increase their self-esteem, and reduce their risk of depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and obesity?

What if we take the focus off dinner altogether and start with the first and most important meal of the day…. Breakfast.

Here’s why Breakfast is our favourite time to share meals together in our family:

1. Timing

Over the last two decades, study after study has shown that simply taking a few minutes each day to turn off screens and genuinely connect with each other over food can improve the physical and mental health of all family members involved.

Whilst we all have different dinner and bedtimes, we’re all up at the same time in the mornings (thanks to our human alarm clock in toddler form).

Not only do family meals help you connect and bond, but they’re also a great time for you to model healthy eating habits and encourage fussy eaters to try different foods. Our little ones are sponges. When they see us trying and enjoying different foods, they’re more likely to do the same and develop positive associations with food and mealtimes.

Unlike many dinner recipes, breakfast options like toast, cereal, yoghurt and fruit are all really simple meals that take minimal time to prepare and are crowd pleasers for kids and parents alike. This means that within the time it takes for a piece of bread to pop out the toaster, we can all be enjoying a fuss-free meal together at the breakfast table.

If you don’t usually eat together as a family, don’t panic! It’s never too late to start. You can start by scheduling just one meal per week and slowly build it up. And it doesn’t have to start with dinner…

For some reason when we think about a family meal, we immediately picture dinner. But, with our kids’ early bedtimes, you or your partner may get home from work too late for the kids to wait to eat with you. Or, although you may have your ‘kid friendly’ meal ready by 5:30pm, you probably only get a chance to cook your ‘adult’ meal after you’ve put your little ones to bed. With competing night-time schedules, work shifts and dinner preferences, eating dinner together as a family can be a logistical nightmare.

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So, I thought I’d let you in on my number 1 hack to getting more family meals into the week….

2. Ease

3. Mood By dinnertime our little ones can already be irritable and hangry after a long day and mealtime becomes a battle pretty quickly.

We still need to squeeze in a bath before the whole bedtime routine and don’t have the time or energy to sit down together for dinner. At breakfast time, our kids are their best selves, refreshed from a good night’s sleep and happy to get some food in their bellies.

4. Ritual It’s a beautiful ritual to start the day together – instead of starting the day scrolling through our emails on our phone or putting the TV on as a distraction, we can tune into our kids. Start the day with connection.

Don’t worry if it’s not the whole family eating together every morning.

During the week, one of you may need to get to work before the rest of the family is up. Even if it’s just you eating breakfast with the kids most weekday mornings, that’s still great! It’s just extra special when the whole family is together on the weekend – maybe you can even get the kids involved in making pancakes!

And if the idea of eating family meals together is new, start small! Start by aiming for just one meal in the week to eat together.

Dr Rachel Cohen is a mama, clinical psychologist specialising in body image and eating disorders, and co-founder of Highchair Catchy – your dream come true for messy mealtimes. www.highchaircatchy.com

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5 HEALING CRYSTALS TO HELP STRESS AND ANXIETY We all know that feeling of being overworked or totally, mindnumbingly overwhelmed. The racing heart and shallow breath that comes from being frozen in fear or paralysed by panic.

The throbbing head pain that comes courtesy of a house full of screaming kids and the sleepless nights spent worrying about money; or health; or the current Covid situation.

Stress is stressful!

As a crystal healing practitioner for over 14 years and mother to two wildlings, I am personally and professionally familiar with the challenges that living with anxiety can bring.

Fortunately, I have had a lot of success using crystal healing to help reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety in my own life and the lives of my clients.

If you are feeling overwhelmed or are struggling with feelings of anxiety, know that it does get better. Next time you are craving some calm and clarity in your day, pour a cup of tea, light a relaxing candle and grab a crystal. Hold it against your forehead and focus on taking slow, deep breaths as you channel your stress into the crystal. Do this until you begin feeling more centred and relaxed. You may also like to hold a crystal against your heart, or in your hand.

Don’t forget to cleanse your crystal afterwards by placing it in sunlight for a few minutes!

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Not sure which crystal to use? Here are my top 5 crystals for helping stress and anxiety:

1. Sodalite Like most stones in the ‘blue’ family, the energy of sodalite is very cooling and calming. Place a piece of Sodalite over your 3rd Eye Chakra (in between your eyebrows ) or Crown Chakra (at the top and centre of your forehead) and feel instantly calmed by its relaxing energy. Not only is this gorgeous stone able to calm the most anxious mind, sodalite is also excellent for bringing clarity and perspective to an otherwise overwhelming situation!

2. Rose Quartz If a crystal could bake your favourite brownies and give you the best grandma cuddles, it would be rose quartz! This pale pink beauty resonates with the Heart Chakra and is a superstar when it comes to settling big emotions. Place it at the centre of your chest to help sooth panicinduced heart palpitations, or simply hold it in your hand to benefit from all the juicy love and support it radiates. Best of all, rose quartz reminds us to be gentle and forgiving towards ourselves, at times when we need it most. Soak in a rose quartz infused bath for the ultimate relaxation and support experience.

3. Hematite Hematite is not usually a contender when it comes to well-known crystals for supporting anxiety - but you would be surprised how effective it is! Because of its natural gravitational and magnetic energies, it is probably the most powerful grounding stone in the mineral kingdom.

Placed between the feet or held in the lap

Next time you are craving some calm and clarity in your day, pour a cup of tea, light a relaxing candle and grab a crystal.

while seated, it will help you remain anchored when your thoughts or feelings get carried away. Hematite is also used to bring focus and strength to the mind - and anyone who has overcome anxiety, will tell you that strength of mind is essential!

4. Amethyst Being a deeply spiritual stone for the 3rd Eye and Crown Chakra, amethyst will help you to connect to your higher-self with more awareness. It is very calming and works on the mind to bring a sense of peace, serenity and almost a meditative state of mental relaxation.

Hold amethyst gently against your forehead and breathe deeply and rhythmically the next time you begin to feel anxious. You will be amazed at how quickly you begin to feel calmer.

5. Amazonite As a natural balancer and cleanser, amazonite is most effective when used at the Solar Plexus Chakra (at the centre of your diaphragm) and Heart Chakra (at your heart). It energetically protects against negative and stressful environments and is used in crystal healing for stabilising emotional imbalance, releasing emotional trauma and calming overwhelming feelings. Hold amazonite close to your body and visualise yourself being surrounded by its colour, which is washing away any irrational thoughts or panicky feelings.

Kate Mantello, author of Rock On: The Crystal Healing Book for Rebels (Rockpool Publishing $29.99) is a Master Energy Healing Practitioner and founder of Evolve Healing Institute - a world class online training platform for professional crystal healing practitioners. Rock On is now available where all good books are sold and online at www.rockpoolpublishing.com.au

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When was your last dental check dentalhealthweek.com.au | 2 - 8 August