Westside MamaMag Feb/Mar 2017 by MamaMag

WESTSIDE

mamaMAG Feb/Mar 2017

WIN 1 of 4 HIPPO BLUE kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; prIze PACKS WORTH $125 EACH Surviving school Crazy, busy, guilty Lunchbox loving Forgetful child Toy libraries

free Local fun for the Westside mum 1

Success starts early Our Early Learning Centres provide year-round education and childcare for children between eight weeks to five years of age, setting them up for success in their school life. Your child learns and develops much faster during their first five years than at any other age. Our programs provide the perfect environment where they can be guided, encouraged and stimulated by trained educators who have a passion for teaching and care.

Take a tour at one of our Early Learning Centres in February or March and go in the draw to win one of 3 close-up experiences at Melbourne Zoo!

Visit childrensprograms.ymca.org.au for contact and location details

Back-to-school There’s so much on this time of year! We’ve done lots of Summery things – a farmstay, festivals, water play at home and at playgrounds, and of course the beach. A Christmas concert in our backyard featuring local singer Mezz Coleman, and catch ups with family visiting from Sydney and Japan. Christmas in the city with cousins and fireworks at Footscray Park. And we’ve made through it six weeks of school holidays. They started so well for us with the anticipation of Christmas and the wonderful lack of routine. But a few weeks back at work has taken the shine off a bit – drop off, pick up, juggling, and the kids really getting on one another’s nerves. Who else has kids whose characters seem incompatible? One quiet and sensitive to noise, the other one constantly singing and a little ball of energy. It seems like they are never happy at the same time! Now I’ve got a preteen on my hands with our eldest turning 11, celebrating with friends at the beach. With my girls in grades three and six this year I’ve had a bit of practice at this school thing but if you’re new to it this year we’ve got you covered with some great articles. We’ve got some extra lunchbox friendly recipes and a product round up of lunchboxes, drink bottles and more. And child psychologist Dr Kelly Bowers brings us some very practical tips for a great start. We’re pretty taken with the playground in Wallan that we’ve featured this month, especially the splash park. There’s more and more of these water play areas popping up in playgrounds and they really do amuse the troops for a long time. And our Mama of the Month is Chrissie Davies – one of those clever mums who has taken her expertise from her regular jobs and turned it into a successful business. Have a wonderful February and March and for those of you with littlies heading off to childcare, kinder or school for the first time, or perhaps starting high school, all the best for a wonderful start.

@localmamamag

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Contents Surviving school Tips for an easier transition

Skills children learn in childcare Eight vital skills explored

Lunchbox loving Our favourite school bag items

1 OF 4 KID’S PACKS FROM WORTH

$125

Parklife 14 Hadfield Park, Wallan Crazy busy guilty What kind of mum are you?

Play is our business Local toy library wrap-up

Lovely locals Braybrook round-up part 2

Mama can cook We’ve got your snacks covered

Anxiety society Managing children’s anxiety

Mamas we love Chrissie from Chaos to Calm

EACH!

Visit our Facebook page to enter

www.facebook.com/localmamamag Each winner will receive a $125 gift voucher for purchases from hippoblue.com.au. Entries are open to Victorian residents only. Competition starts February 1st 12.01am and closes February 28th 2017 at 11.59pm. Visit www.mamamag.com.au for full terms and conditions.

Check out the fun at www.hippoblue.com.au

How to help a forgetful child 32 Help them learn to look after themselves

MamaMag is published bi-monthly for the mums of Melbourne’s West by Grizzle Design Pty Ltd

What’s the time? Helping kids learn to tell the time

ABN: 26 042 138 550. PO Box 8018 Brighton East 3187 Phone: 1300 771 446 Email: info@mamamag.com.au www.mamamag.com.au

It’s a mother’s world Emma and Tom Hawkins nursery

Freezing favourites 38 Stock your freezer with lunchtime favs Turn the page 40 Back to school books from Story Mama Kid’s colouring comp WIN 1 of 4 Globber scooters

Parenting in the digital age Had the sex talk? Have the tech talk!

Settling safely into the school year Some great safety ideas to consider

MamaMag Feb/Mar 2017

10,000 copies per issue in Maribyrnong, Brimbank, Hobsons Bay and Wyndham areas. Editor in Chief: Sarah Cavalier Westside Editor: Rebecca Gelsi National Key Account Manager: Justine Whatmore: justine@mamamag.com.au Like to contribute an article submission or products for Facebook giveaways? submissions@mamamag.com.au For advertising enquiries: download our media kit from www.mamamag.com.au or email info@mamamag.com.au 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.

survIvIng school The importance of preparing your children for back to school School holidays are a great time to have fun with the kids and enjoy a break from the regular school/work routine. Unfortunately the reality of heading back to work or school comes around much too soon, and the transition can be challenging and worrying for some children (and even for some parents).

1. Develop a consistent morning and evening routine. • Ease your children back into the school routine gradually. • Whether you are going out for the day or just spending the day at home, keep practicing the same routine from the ‘wake up’ time to packing bags in the same way.

Adapting to a school routine, coping with a new classroom, different teachers and forming new friendships can result in a degree of anxiety for some children. This anxiety typically subsides once settled back into a routine, although some children require a little longer when adjusting to these changes.

• Start to gradually increase the structure of your day. It is hard for some children to fall straight back into a highly structured environment, even more so following a holiday period. Setting an activity schedule for the day may help your child adjust to the structure of the school environment.

Schools and teachers know the transition can be difficult for some students, and they typically do a good job at helping them feel as comfortable as possible – including hosting orientation days for new students.

• Evening routines are just as important as the mornings so it’s important to re-establish the bedtime routine immediately.

There are some other useful strategies that families can consider to help ease the transition back to school.

Tips to make the ‘back to school’ transition a little easier

• Routines are easier to follow if they are presented visually. It may be hard to expect your children to remember every step of their routine off the top of their head. Create an easy to follow visual routine chart with pictures to help motivate your child.

2. Familiarise your child with their teacher, classroom and school. • For new students, tell your child about the teacher’s role, remind your child of classroom etiquette, such as putting up your hand if you want to get the teacher’s attention. • Explore the school with your child so they feel confident finding their classroom and walking around. • Prepare your child for the subjects that may be taking throughout the year and look through their books with them. Allow your child to choose their contact paper, favourite coloured pens or notebook in order to increase their motivation towards going to school. Having the right tools will make your child feel more prepared.

3. Help your child to familiarise themselves with their classmates. • Most schools release a class list sometime prior or early in the school year. From this list identify core friends who may be in the same class as your child and where possible, schedule play dates to help refresh relationships with peers outside of the classroom. • Play dates are also a great opportunity to notice if your child has any problems interacting socially, such as being too bossy or too shy, so you can identify any problems and work with them on solutions.

try spending time discussing ways to solve such problems with your child and practice the ideas that you have discussed, so your child will become more empowered. • Review school policies and procedures for bullying. Rehearse and discuss ways in which your child can cope with bullying while they are at school. Emphasise the importance of asking the bully to stop, walking away, and telling a teacher, before considering further strategies if required.

4. Reducing ‘back to school anxiety’. • The first step in reducing the impact of back to school anxiety is to ensure your child is well prepared. Following some of the tips listed above may help to achieve this. However, if your child’s anxiety persists, then consider using some of these helpful tips. • Identify what your child is specifically anxious or worried about and invite your child to discuss these concerns with you and/or their teacher.

Prevent avoidance. The successful completion of activities that caused anxiety in the first place will promote self-confidence and reduces anxious symptoms for your child.

Be empathetic with your child. Make an effort to try and truly understand your child’s anxiety. Allow them to feel as though they have been heard and that you understand their experience.

Model non-anxious behaviour. Children often look to their parents for guidance. Display calm and positive behaviours to tell your children that they do not need to feel anxious. This can be particularly difficult amongst the rush of getting out the door in time.

Be patient. Try to be as consistent and patient as possible to reinforce the message to your child that their world is a safe place. Overcoming any form of anxiety can take time.

• Encourage your child’s curiosity for socialising and learning. Invite your child’s new friends to your home to play or work together on an assignment. • Remember that it is normal for children to take time to find friends and get along with others. There are often several different personalities within a classroom at any one time, so social difficulties are bound to occur from time to time. Try to avoid the temptation of jumping in straight away to solve the problem for your child. Instead,

5. Seek professional help. • Professional support and advice from a psychologist may support children who experience difficulty during their transition into or back to school in a number of ways. • Psychologists are trained in supporting families to cope with life adjustments that naturally occur, such as starting at school. • Other allied health professionals can also help, such as child occupational therapists and speech pathologists. • If you feel that your child may benefit from support from one or more of these professions, speak to your school, General Practitioner, or access www.psychology.org. au/FindaPsychologist.

6. Develop your child’s independence. • This can be a tricky thing to do. When we see our kids growing up in front of our eyes, we are motivated to keep them close and dependent on us as parents. Unfortunately, the reality is that parents cannot attend the school day with their child. Therefore, children must learn to become self-sufficient and confident to manage the challenges that come their way. • There are many aspects of schooling life in which children do not have control. They are often told where to sit, when to speak, what to wear, and what subjects to learn. For some children, this may lead to the experience of anxiety, discomfort and reduced motivation. Within reason, allow your kids to have some control over their education and process of attending school. This can be simply achieved by:

Allowing them to choose their own utensils such as their school bag (or keyring for bags that are part of an established school uniform), or pencil case.

Take them with you to try on shoes and listen to them if they tell you that a certain pair is more comfortable than another. Give them the responsibility of polishing their shoes once a week.

Depending on the age and developmental level of your child, consider purchasing them a watch so that they can keep track of

the day. Allow them opportunities to make plans of when and where to meet you at school pick up.

For older children who may walk to and from school, arrange for them to have a key to the house so that they may have the responsibility and independence to let themselves in at home. Allow them to pick out the pattern on the key to signify the importance of the responsibility.

By Dr Kelly Bowers for Mister Minit, Child Psychologist and Team Leader at Youthrive Integrated Therapy Services. youthrive.com.au Mister Minit has a range of Back to School keyrings, shoe reviver and funky keys to make the start to the school year fun and incite your child’s independence. www.misterminit.com.au

Amplify your child’s early learning with quality ECMS childcare

Give your child access to the best possible start in their early learning journey by enrolling them at an ECMS early learning and care centre. Your child will benefit from: •

play-based learning activities focused on their interests and capabilities

•

an indoor, outdoor program with natural learning environments

•

highly qualified, passionate and nurturing educators

•

an educator that recognises you as your child’s first teacher

•

delicious, healthy food that supports their growth and development.

Visit www.ecms.org.au/childcare or call 8481 1117 to learn more about quality early learning at ECMS. ECMS is a leading community not-for-profit provider of early learning and care services across Melbourne. 9

Eight vital skills childr From the moment they are born, children are insatiable, curious little people with a will, temperament and capability to grow, develop and learn. Research confirms 90 per cent of brain development happens by the time a child starts school. Amazing, isn’t it? And if you’re one of the millions of parents already feeling the pressures of parenting young children, this statistic might be a little daunting. But here’s some good news. Participating in a high-quality early learning and care program is a fantastic way for your child to build the skills and confidence they need to thrive at school and beyond. Here are eight vital skills your child can develop in a quality early learning and care setting.

Confidence Mastering new skills takes practice. Children build confidence when they can practice these new skills in a supportive environment and at their own pace. In quality childcare settings, play-based learning experiences build on children’s interests and capabilities. Children become curious explorers and researchers of their world, make decisions and problem-solve. In this process, children gain important social, emotional, language, physical and cognitive skills. Learning these skills gives children a real sense of self-confidence and independence.

Relationship-building Being able to build relationships with people outside the family before school starts is important. It’s also an exciting thing for a child to do. In childcare, children develop meaningful relationships with others and learn how to talk and play with their peers and educators. They learn about themselves in groups, how to start conversations, and how to understand and cooperate with each other.

Participation and contribution In childcare, children become participants in their world. Children are encouraged to contribute to their early learning community every day. This gives children a real sense of ownership and belonging to their childcare community. Being ‘known’ and recognised by others makes children feel good about themselves. Knowing how to participate and contribute is also a huge advantage for when school starts.

Problem-solving Decision-making and problem solving are crucial life skills, both socially and intellectually. In childcare, children can practice these skills by being given lots of opportunities to choose and decide how things happen. Children learn what they can do to lead and change things around them, which helps them develop critical thinking. Problem solving and reasoning are also vital pre-numeracy skills. Children learn things like patterns, sequencing, puzzle solving and reasoning. This is like a gym for the brain!

Language and communication Language-rich environments are important for children to understand their world. That’s why in quality childcare centres you will see lots of conversations, stories, singing and chatter. To be understood and have your needs met, you need to be able to ask and tell and inquire. Giving children a voice to be heard and understood encourages children to connect and belong. Lots of talking and discussion helps children develop thinking skills and later literacy skills too.

Emotional regulation Have you ever tried reasoning with a child under two? If you didn’t have much luck, it’s likely because children don’t learn how to manage their emotions and develop a sense of reason until about the age of two or three.

ren learn in childcare

Before this, children are still ‘collecting’ and ‘experiencing’ emotions. Childcare enables children to practice managing themselves in relation to others. In this setting, children begin to understand that action and reaction are linked. They can master self-control and have an impact on what happens. It’s an exciting time for children realising they are ‘powerful!’

Empathy At about the age of two children start to show understandings of other people’s feelings. Pretend play is a really interesting way of feeling and showing empathy as children need to have an understanding of what someone else believes in order set up a game of pretend. This is very clever! Empathy is a sophisticated feeling that is a platform for strong social connections in the future. Childcare opens up opportunities for children to explore and practice their empathy with other children. In quality childcare settings, educators will design play-based experiences that encourage children to understand and develop language around empathy.

Resilience Resilience is an important characteristic. It requires children to step out of their comfort zone and try new things. Resilience is born from facing challenges, sometimes feeling a bit scared or vulnerable and finding ways to overcome this by being strong and brave and confident. Childcare can provide lots of experiences for children to develop and practice resilience skills: problem solving, optimism, independence and social connection. Best of all, childcare allows children to make the most of their carefree childhoods, just as they have the right to do. Written by Janet Williams-Smith and Kate Jeremiah from Early Childhood Management Services (ECMS). ECMS a leading not-for-profit provider of quality early learning and care services across Melbourne.

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Parklife ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND HADFIELD PARK, Wallan If you are open to a little road trip adventure to experience something different and fun to relieve the summer sun, we love the BRAND NEW all-abilities Adventure Playground at Hadfield Park. The Splash Park feature is a major draw card and is in operation for a cool down from December to March, while the main playground area is open year round. The impressive five-story tower with 3 slides will excite little adventurers, but the Splash Park feature will have them playing for hours! There’s a water play area with a range of jets, a splash play table featuring pumps, troughs and water channels, a three ring water tunnel with squirting water jets, an aqua drop bucket and a ‘creek’ bed seating area with water jets. There’s not many of these free interactive Splash Parks around Melbourne, making the extra drive to Wallan

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well worthwhile. Thanks to David Bowe for these amazing photos to entice us to visit this adventure wonderland. We often pass Wallan with not much thought as we travel down the Hume Freeway to visit family. The good news is this amazing adventure park is easily accessible from the freeway making for a perfect pit stop. In terms of playground features, as well as the normal swings, you will find two of our favourite big Nest swings, a 25 metre double flying fox, and shaded sandpit play area and importantly lots of shade. Amenities include shaded bbqs, tables and toilets with all access change area. Mr Whippy is known to appear at peak times. If you’ve ran out the door without picnic supplies, the playground is just across from the town centre so it’s easy to pick up supplies.

Great health starts with positive thoughts At Feeling Healthy we have a philosophy that anything is possible and this was certainly tested recently for us. After 10 years in Yarraville we were given the upsetting news that after the next 3 year renewal of our lease the property was to be redeveloped and we would have to find a new home. As you can imagine this left us devastated and facing two options â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sign the lease and continue in the existing location for the next 3 years knowing that it was going to come to an end or look for and secure premises within the next 2 weeks, a very unlikely thing! So we practiced what we teach our clients and approached our dilemma with positive thoughts and found a new location. Following a frantic few months of planning, builders, interior design, decorating and organising we have moved to our new and improved clinic in the heart of Yarraville. Our new journey has just begun and at Feeling Healthy we are big believers that you can make big changes with a positive attitude and we think our story shows exactly what you can achieve with the right mental attitude. Our thoughts are energy. Every thought you have has a physical or emotional response to the cells in your body. As with manifesting your dreams, goals and desires, being clear about what you want is the first step. The next step is believing what you want to achieve is possible by imagining a world where there are no limits, no limiting beliefs and no restraints where anything is possible because it holds the vastness of time and space. The third step is to set your intention and allow it to happen, following your intuition will guide you to take the right action. Your life will begin to flow and things will happen as they are meant to â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just like us finding our new premises. It all starts with a clear body and a clear mind. Contact us to find out more about how negative thoughts are affecting your wellbeing and come visit our new and improved clinic in the heart of Yarraville, just steps away from the train station and twice the size of our original clinic.

Feeling Healthy is a Wellness Hub in Yarraville passionate about quality therapeutic services, tailored to achieving your health and wellness goals. Our goal is to help you feel renewed and refreshed giving you the tools to live life to the fullest.

CRAZY BUSY GUILTY What Kind of Mum Are You? Are you Foodie Mum? Do you make nutritious, delicious meals for your children, often at a moment’s notice? Do you swear it’s ‘the same old thing’ every night? (When actually it’s homegrown kale – painstakingly, lovingly massaged with extra virgin olive oil – and pearl barley ‘risotto’, liberally sprinkled with nutritional yeast – the new parmesan!– from Nigella’s latest.) Do you spend the six weeks prior to your child’s birthday scouring back issues of the Donna Hay kids’ edition for sausage roll inspiration? Do you make your kids themed birthday cakes every year, from scratch, from a dog-eared copy of The Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book (the updated edition, without all the artificial food colouring and potato chips for ducks’ bills)? Is your freezer stocked with balanced meals and brownies made from sweet potatoes and agave syrup (white sugar being, of course, off limits)? Is your freezer decidedly not filled with gin? Or maybe you’re Patient Mum. You never begrudge another story at bedtime, another song in the car, another five minutes in the bath at night. In fact, you usually read several books before tucking your children in, calmly, without a fuss. You don’t mind if the kids get up to go to the toilet five times. They’re only little once, Patient Mums say, smiling as they fetch their four-year-old a seventh glass of lukewarm water. You might be Martyr Mum. Did you insist on a natural birth, without intervention? Did you feel like your body was about to implode, collapsing in on itself like a punctured lung or a basketball that’s lost its pep, because you were so goddamn sore and tired? You got through it, though. Martyr Mums do – they just keep buggering on. You feel – quite understandably – very proud of this achievement, wondering if maybe there’s a 16 16

space to add it to your LinkedIn profile. You also breastfeed. Like, a lot. Are you breastfeeding now? Not just in general, but right now, as you read this? Did you stick with it even though you struggled at first and no matter how much it hurt, because you knew that breast was best? Do you love it now? Are you, perhaps, not quite sure when – or possibly if – you’ll give up? Do you co-sleep? Are you careful to tell only other confirmed co-sleepers, lest you be judged by society and its misguided insistence on solesleeping? You might be Martyr Mum. Are you Stylish Mum? Stylish Mum looks good. Obviously. She does not wear a crumpled t-shirt, stained with last night’s dinner and possibly this morning’s breakfast, to the park. She Instagrams her outfit – an Être Cécile t-shirt (ironed, of course) with an ironic slogan emblazoned across the front, her Frame jeans (the ones she fits into again thanks to her thrice-a-week Pilates habit) and Repetto flats – cold brew / green juice / child optional. Stylish Mum blow-dries her hair, manicures her nails and would not think twice about wearing white jeans. Because Stylish Mums beget Stylish Children, who have a very adult respect for pale denim (and their shoes, too – Stylish Children would never dream of kicking off their sandals in the park, befouling their naked feet with dirt. Stylish Children are too busy reading Madeline and sipping their babycinos). Then there’s Organised Mum. Organised Mum knows the exact date of her child’s next vaccination and precisely how much Panadol can be given to an eighteenmonth-old with an ear infection, without so much as looking at the bottle. She remembers the contents of the fridge with a precision that borders on militant. Organised Mum takes her children to the park, and to playgroup, and to Rhyme Time, and to Gymboree, and to the pool. She knows what, specifically, to pack for each of these different events. She never forgets

sunscreen or wet wipes or water or snacks or her child’s hat. Organised Mum fills her schedule with child-centric activities and enjoys catching up with all the other Organised Mums she meets there. Are you Involved Mum? Do you volunteer at playgroup, preschool, and school and weekend sports (not as a coach, mind you – that’s a job for Involved Dad)? Can you hear the words ‘canteen duty’ without shuddering, wincing and choking on your sav blanc? Do you have your kids’ Halloween outfits sorted before the Christmas tree comes down? Have you ever attended a Mums’n’Bubs ballet class? Or are you Hipster Mum? Hipster Mum feeds her kids organic chia seed milk but has sort of forgotten why. Her kids are called Arlo or Edie. She thinks it’s important that kids learn a second language – and that’s the only reason Dora the Explorer is allowed to be screened in her house. If you’re a Hipster Mum, you’d sooner strangle yourself with your fair-trade organic cotton scarf than buy your kid a toy from Kmart. You don’t know what canned soup tastes like, and neither do your kids. They prefer bone broth, anyway. Or maybe you’re not any of these mums. Well. Are you? I didn’t think so. None of these mums actually exist. But for some reason we tell ourselves they do: these perfect mums who are different in their methods but similar in their madness for their kids. We tell ourselves that we should seek to be one of these mothers, these mothers who think of nothing but their children, day in and day out. Whose worlds revolve entirely around their kids, to the exclusion of everything else. We tell ourselves that is what motherhood really is. But it isn’t.

We all know what motherhood’s really like. Nobody has the energy to make sugar-free muesli bars for lunch boxes and compost every single scrap of vegetable and make a Sunday roast every week without fail. Nobody does it all the time. Nobody plans playdough fun crafternoons every single day, without ever resorting to plopping their kids down in front of a Ben and Holly DVD and sneaking off to the kitchen for a glug of wine from the bottle. My bet is that you’re Just Trying to Keep Everyone Happy Mum. You have a child – or children – and a job. A husband, maybe a wife. Friends. Mothers. Fathers. Sisters. Brothers. A boss. Employees. Your own interests. Your life is full, which you like but also find terrifying because if one ball drops the rest may come crashing down soon after. You are perpetually tired in a way that is very hard to articulate (mainly because you’re so very, very tired). You want to keep everyone happy and do everything properly and be in many, many places at once. You are very sick of people telling you to ‘slow down’, ‘meditate’ and ‘get a dog’(you do not have time for a dog!). You are sick of answering questions – like ‘How do you do it?’– as if you are some sort of superwoman. You know what the real answer is: by missing out on other things. You are late to the Easter hat parade every single year, despite all your best efforts. Best efforts like choosing your employer based on their ‘flexible working policies’ and ‘support of working parents’, only to find that this equates to an annual family picnic to which you must bring your own booze. You have heard of ‘me time’ and think it is ridiculous bullshit that women have to justify simply doing something for themselves for once. You’re tired of having to explain how much you do for others in order to ‘earn’ said ‘me time’ (still, you nick off for a pedicure once in a while under this guise – because why the hell not?). You send emails while singing to your kids in the bath and cooking tomorrow night’s dinner. You braid your kid’s hair while memorising a speech you have to give later. You tuck your kids into bed 18 18

and race away after the final kiss to finish a report that’s due in the morning. Sometimes, in dark moments, you feel that ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ was written with you in mind. You know it is supremely audacious to love both your child and your job. And you sometimes wonder if your life is about to reel right out of your control. I mean, what the hell were you thinking? From ‘Crazy Busy Guilty’ by Lauren Sams. Published by NERO. Available in all good bookshops. $29.99 Crazy Busy Guilty explores the idea of “perfect motherhood”(which, BTW does not exist) and how crazy unrealistic expectations (courtesy of social media) distort our view of motherhood. At best, we laugh at this stuff. At worst, it feeds into post-natal depression. The book looks at the different types of mums: maybe you’re an attachment mum or a helicopter mum or a stylish mum or a martyr mum or a hipster mum or a foodie mum who feeds her kids raw kale. These days there are lots of ways to be a mum - and you’re expected to choose. In the book, Georgie is none of these things. She’s a working single-mum, exhausted mum, the mum who wants nothing more than to collapse at the end of the day on the couch and slug a big glass of wine. And yep, she does that too. She also goes on dates, tries to juggle a demanding magazine job, and parent her baby amidst all the GUILT GUILT GUILT. Parenting is serious business, but this book is a refreshing insightful, and self-deprecating look at motherhood, and a fabulously fun novel to get stuck into.

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We signed up on the spot, getting an annual membership which also entailed committing to some volunteering. Pricing and volunteering commitments are broadly similar but vary slightly across Victoria.

Your little angels are already listing what they want for their birthdays - just a teensy bit infuriating as you pack away the tinsel.

There are so many advantages to joining a toy library. Most obviously, you can borrow toys and change them as frequently as you like, keeping your kids entertained and stimulated.

If only there was a way to ensure a year-long supply of fresh toys, which could be easily changed when the kids get bored.... Mamas and papas, behold - the toy library! Maybe you’ve driven past your local toy library (there are over 100 in Victoria) and wondered what it was all about. Maybe there’s one hidden around the corner, which you’ve never discovered. Just as your council library provides a great variety of books for kids, your local toy library a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers - can offer a wonderful range of exciting and educational toys for those years when children are rapidly learning through play activities. Big toys and little toys, bikes, scooters, costumes and puzzles - all yours for an affordable annual membership fee and a few hours of volunteering time each year. Volunteers - predominantly amazing mums with toy-crazy rugrats of their own - keep Melbourne’s toy libraries alive. I first saw the sign for mt local Toy Library when I was pregnant with my daughter, but had no idea what a toy library was. I went back when she was seven months old, and was simply floored by the Aladdin’s cave of toy treasures - perfect for babies just starting to play more actively as well as toddlers and older children.

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Victorian toy libraries own more than $5 million worth of toys - that’s a lot of Lego, dinosaurs, dolls, everything! Toy libraries also choose their toys with care, looking for items which can help children develop skills such as fine motor abilities, counting, sorting and language. If you’re like me and a bit overwhelmed by the selection, the library coordinators and other members are a great source of advice on which toys are most age appropriate or target specific skills. Most toy libraries also offer party packs with large toys and activities such as mini roller coasters and giant Twister games. Often available to non-members as well, these sets are a wonderful way to keep kids captivated at birthday parties and provide a cost effective solution to hosting an engaging party in your own home instead of relying on play centres and other venues. While you’ll still be tempted to buy those toys your children particularly love, a toy library membership probably means you’ll buy fewer toys - meaning less clutter in your house (#winning) as well as hip pocket savings. It’s also a great way to “try before you buy” for more expensive toys.

Borrowing instead of buying is a sustainable solution for the environment and a wonderful way to teach little ones about sharing. It’s almost impossible to step into a toy library without running into another local family with kids of a similar age to yours. Sign up and you’ll instantly feel part of the community, with lots of events throughout the year as well as an easy way to meet other members - volunteering! While it is possible to skip rostered duty by paying an extra fee, volunteering for just a few hours a year is an easy and fun way to give back to the toy library and make friends with other members. It’s not hard and could include logging toy returns, putting toys back on the shelves, manning a Bunnings barbecue or another fundraiser - any help you can offer is always warmly appreciated.

As not-for-profit organisations, all funds raised by toy libraries through membership fees, grants and fundraisers go into buying more toys and keeping the service operating. Find your nearest toy library through the Toy Libraries Australia website www.toylibraries.org.au and make 2017 the year where Christmas never ends. Written by Pia Akerman

Toy libraries in the Westside area Albion & Friends Community Toy Library 63 Adelaide Street, ALBION albion.mibase.com.au Hobsons Bay Toy Library - Laverton 15 Crown Street, LAVERTON www.hobsonsbaytoylibrary.org.au/laverton.php Hobsons Bay Toy Library - Newport 51 Maddox Street, NEWPORT www.hobsonsbaytoylibrary.org.au Little Buddies Toy Library 1-21 Cheetham Street, POINT COOK 57 Kookaburra Avenue, WERRIBEE littlebuddiestoylibrary.com.au Martha Arms Toy Library 90 Taylors Road, KEILOR DOWNS www.marthaarmstoylibrary.org.au Maribyrnong Toy Library 539 Barkly Street, WEST FOOTSCRAY Cnr Burns & Sonley Streets, MAIDSTONE www.wfnh.com.au Moonee Valley Toy Library 129 Lincoln Road, ESSENDON 54 Lake Street, AVONDALE HEIGHTS www.mvtoylibrary.org.au

lovely locals

BRAYBROOK ROUND UP–PART TWO 1.

1. Date night – West of Kin We couldn’t fit everything great about Braybrook in our last issue so we’re back, starting with this hidden gem. This fusion Asian restaurant is perfect for date night, or perhaps a girl’s night out! Choose from the menu or be surprised with the chef’s banquet. Only one more thing you need to know – Dragonfly cocktail – that is all. 17 Lacy Street westofkin.com.au 2. Meal with the family – Braybrook Hotel You know the type… children’s play area, pub style food, child friendly early dining. Well here the play area is huge and kids adore it. The food is a very presentable buffet with something for everyone, even your fussiest toddler. Best to book a session time. 353 Ballarat Road braybrookhotel.com.au.

3. Down to earth dance – Dance Habit

Owner Megan is passionate about building confidence in children through dance so there’s no pretentiousness at this dance school. They offer a fantastic range of classes for ages 2 to adult. For instance, littlies can enjoy fairy ballet or hip hop and for adults barre attack is a great class for overall fitness. They also host birthday parties with the same inclusive vibe. 77-79 Ashley Street dancehabit.com.au 4. Community vibes – Braybrook & Maidstone Neighbourhood House During school terms there is a playgroup on Mondays 10:30am-12:30pm which is a great way to meet local mums. There’s also a walking group, cultural cooking classes, craft, community lunches and more. Don’t be shy – go and introduce yourself and see what’s on offer as neighbourhood houses are all about bringing people together. 113 Melon Street bmnh.org.au

5. Great Vietnamese – Blue Bamboo

It’s great to see some Vietnamese sneak in between Footscray and Sunshine and the food here is very good and very well priced. The highlight though is their wonderfully lush garden complete with fish and birds. You can totally pretend you’re in the tropics. 156 Churchill Avenue bluebamboo.net.au 6. Get active – Recwest Braybrook Run by the YMCA there’s something for the whole family here. Kids can participate in Basketball Victoria and Netball Victoria’s junior pathway programs Aussie Hoops and NetSetGo. Both are for boys and girls aged 5 to 10 years. They also run sports clinics during the school holidays. For us grown ups there’s basketball, netball and futsal competitions. 39 Lily Street recwestbraybrook.ymca.org.au 22 22

Image: www.vickypalmieri.com

West Footscray Festival of Colours Sunday 26 March 11am - 5pm | Barkly Village - West Footscray Throwing of the colours • Cultural games • Roller disco Craft activities • Market stalls • Jumping castles Face painting • Henna tattoos • Food stalls • Street dancing Live music and entertainment Supported by:

wfnh.com.au Ph. 9687 3345

mama can Cook! Roasted chickpea snacks

Ingredients:

Method:

375g McKenzies chickpeas

Soak chickpeas in 3 cups of water overnight. Drain, place in fresh water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender, usually 20-30 minutes. Drain and spread in a single layer on paper towel.

Plain version: 3 tsp garlic salt 4 tbs olive oil or olive oil spray Spiced lime version: 4tbs olive oil or olive oil spray 1 lime, juiced 3 tsp cumin powder McKenzies Sea Salt, to taste Honey & cinnamon version: 2 tbs honey or rice malt syrup 1 ½ tsp McKenzie’s cinnamon Makes: 2.5 - 3 cups Prep time: 30 minutes (excluding chick pea soaking time overnight) Cooking time: 35-45 minutes

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Plain variety: mix chick peas, oil and garlic salt in a bowl and coat thoroughly. Spread onto lined baking tray evenly and place in oven. Spiced lime variety: mix chick peas, oil, cumin and salt and and coat thoroughly. Place on the prepared tray then put in oven. As soon as the chick peas are cooked, pour over the lime juice, toss to coat and put back in oven for a further five minutes to evaporate juice. Honey cinnamon variety: mix chickpeas, honey and cinnamon. Place on the prepared tray. Place in oven. Cook for 40-45 minutes, checking them every 15 minutes, shaking the tray and stirring the chickpeas to ensure even cooking. The chickpeas should be crisp and golden brown. The sugared variety may need 5-10 minutes less cooking time. Cool chickpeas on tray. Serve immediately or store once cold in an airtight container.

This snack is high in protein, a source of iron, fibre and low GI, making it great for between meals, after school, after sport or anytime really! 24

This month’s recipes are from the team at McKenzies. For more ideas visit www.mckenziesfoods.com.au

Chickpea chocolate spread Ingredients:

Method:

1 cup McKenzies Chickpeas

Prepare chickpeas by cooking in 3 ¼ cups water until well cooked (approx 1 – 1½ hrs).

1 tbs peanut butter 4 tbs mild olive oil ½ cup cocoa powder ½ cup raw caster sugar

Place warm chickpeas and remaining ingredients into the food processor and puree thoroughly. This could take approximately 10 minutes.

Makes: Approx 2 ½ cups

With the motor running, slowly pour in up to 6 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired spreading consistency.

Prep time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Spoon into a jar and store in the fridge.

1 tsp vanilla extract

Storage: Store in a sealed container in the fridge This recipe is a nutritious alternative to other chocolate spreads (you know who they are!) on the market, being lower in sugar and salt and providing all the health benefits of chickpeas. Your kids won’t even know chickpeas have been used thanks to their nutty taste! If you wish to avoid peanuts/ nuts, either replace the peanut butter with another nut butter/spread or omit it altogether. This recipe could serve as a base for other flavours, only limited by your imagination! Try adding a splash of peppermint essence and eating with strawberries, use brown sugar in place of the caster sugar for a greater caramel flavour or replace peanut butter with coconut and spread on banana slices for a tasty snack! Get more from mama - www.mamamag.com.au | Get social with mama - @localmamamag

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This lunchbox stunner is by mum of two Claire from Drink Eat Repeat. www.eatdrinkrepeat.com.au

Double Choc Muesli Bar Ingredients:

Method:

4 cups rolled oats

Pre heat the oven to 160C and line a medium slice tin with baking paper.

1/2 cup choc chips 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, chopped 1/4 cup cacao or cocoa 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup coconut oil (or butter) A pinch of salt Makes: 16 bars Prep time: 10min Cook time: 15min

In a medium bowl combine oats, choc chips, seeds and cacao so that they are well mixed. Heat the honey and coconut oil slightly so it is melty. Pour the honey mix over the dry ingredients and make sure it covers all the little pieces, you may need to use your hands. Press the mix into the slice tin until it is compressed and flat. Bake for 10-15 minutes, checking after 10 minutes to make sure it isn’t browning too much. Once it is slightly hardened remove from the oven. Allow to cool COMPLETELY before slicing into bars.

Homemade, lower in sugar than the packaged ones and WAY lower in cost. You needn’t add the choc chips if you’re not keen on refined sugars, just add some raisins or gogi berries. The reduced sugar content of these bars can make them slightly crumbly, if you get little pieces left over from slicing they go wonderfully sprinkled on yogurt!

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AnxIety society Do you watch your child’s anxiety build or only notice it once it has built? At the same time do you notice your own anxiety building or only notice it once it has built? Whether you realise it or not your child will be picking up on your own anxiety levels. They will also have a series of thoughts running in their head which may be to do with them feeling out of control in one or more areas of their life. The first thing to do in any situation when you notice your child is anxious, is to check in with yourself to see how you’re feeling. Then, breathe. Calm yourself down. Slow down your mind and your actions. Only when you’re calm and unemotional can you really support your child the way they need.

If they’re ‘over-reacting’, it’s OK You might be thinking that your child is overreacting or over-emotional when they become anxious. And, they probably are. They have such a story going on in their head that they built on and it causes emotional response. The bigger the story, the bigger the emotional response. It’s okay for them to be emotional. Their reactions are theirs, their business. How you react to them when they’re like this, that’s your business. Ask them to slow down and notice what’s going on in their mind, what they’re thinking? What you’ll notice is they will easily tell you what they are fearful of, for example. They will see themselves in the future, late for school. They will see themselves without any friends. And they will have imagined what their best friend is going to say to them “No, I don’t want to play with you today.” As adults we often fear emotional reactions and yet our emotional responses are simply our reactions to what we’re thinking in that moment. We believe what we are telling 28

ourselves: really believe it. So, don’t fear your child’s emotional outbursts. The best thing they can do IS express how they are feeling. Happy and healthy children feel comfortable expressing their emotions. It may feel completely uncomfortable for you when they express how they’re feeling. And that’s for you to notice and deal with. Finding out what has triggered the emotional reaction is the key.

Talking to them about what they’re anxious about They may feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to deal with a friendship issue they are having at school. They could be feeling overwhelmed about something happening at school, or a new subject they are learning that they don’t fully understand. Often times they don’t feel comfortable expressing that they don’t know, or don’t understand for fear of being seen as dumb or stupid. For younger children this is true, especially when they see someone else, their best friend for example, doing that thing with ease. They will be comparing themselves to others, either their friends or siblings. Stop for a moment and think about how you saw yourself when you were their age? What sort of inner chat did you have going on when you couldn’t do something? It would be really valuable to get in touch with that and ask your child what they are thinking about themselves. Share how you saw yourself and what you used to say to yourself at those times. This creates a connection with your child and at the same time isn’t focusing on their fear of failure in any way, nor criticizing them. This will create a bond that will have your child feel more willing to share their feelings with you. What’s really going on for them! Karen Munro educates parents and children experiencing anxiety on how to create calm and peace in their lives. inquiry-at-work.com

BE Get more from mama - www.mamamag.com.au | Get social with mama - @localmamamag

MAMAs We love Chrissie Davies has written for MamaMag before about her experience of adopting her two children. This issue we have her back to tell us about her peace-creating business Chaos to Calm Consultancy which sees her using years of experience in education to create personalised solutions for families. Tell us a bit about yourself. I am a proud Westie mama raising two gorgeous little cherubs who I believe have come into my life for so many reasons. My journey to motherhood wasn’t easy. My two children are adopted and as a couple we fought hard to create this little family of ours and the life we always knew we deserved. The universe threw everything it had at us, but we somehow managed to make it out the other side. Being a mama is by far the most challenging, incredible, amazing, wonderful, frustrating role I have ever had. There are always so many emotions that come into play when I think about my role as a parent. I can honestly say that I look back now and think that I was very naïve and judgmental of parents before I had my own children. You really can have absolutely no idea how hard it is to manage children until you become a parent yourself. I have always been one of those people that wears their heart on their sleeve. I love openly and honestly. I am a talker and a gatherer – I love bringing people together. So it is absolutely no surprise that I have created a business where the focus is on using positive communication and creating emotional connections with people.

What were you doing before you had children? I have worked in education for 15 years now, mostly in special education supporting children with severe behaviour issues. Many children had a formal diagnoses such as autism or ADHD, but many had also been subjected to

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trauma, abuse and neglect. I have witnessed some fairly horrific incidences that children have been subjected to at the hands of their own families. I worked in the UK for four years as an outreach behaviour consultant supporting teachers who were dealing with extremely challenging students in their classrooms. It was such an emotionally draining role, but the rewards were immense, and cemented my future in working with challenging children. I often miss the contact with the children, as now I only work with adults. A close friend once said to me “I just want to say thank you on behalf of all of the children you will never even meet. You are changing their lives for the better by educating and supporting their parents”. I love knowing that even though I may not meet the children I am still playing a role in their future.

What inspired you to create your business Chaos to Calm Consultancy? In all honesty the idea was created out of pure frustration. So many of the children that I was supporting in a specialist education setting were making such amazing progress in changing their behaviour. However, the biggest issue I faced was the fact that my hard work and effort was not always supported in the family home. I came to the point that I realised I was actually really working with the wrong members of the family, and that change had to come from the adults first. In actual fact it was not the parent’s fault as they just didn’t have the skills or education that they needed to create lifelong positive behaviour changes in their children. As an educator I wanted to be able to share my knowledge with as many people as possible.

What is the most rewarding part of your business and the work that you do? Every day I am reminded that I am doing a job that makes my heart feel completely full. I have created a business that has grown out of a true passion and love for supporting families to create positive lifelong changes. I get to meet so many wonderful, loving and intelligent people. It is amazing to see their lives change so dramatically in such a short amount of time after I teach them some new strategies and encourage a new way of approaching disciplining their children. When people tell me that I saved their marriage or changed their family’s future - that is very special. To know that you can have such an incredible impact on other people’s lives is very humbling, and something I am very proud of.

What services do you offer? • Private one-to-one consultations • Group workshops

to by Moment Design

• 123 Magic & Emotion Coaching • Professional development for educators • Behaviour consulting support for teachers and schools Visit Chrissie at chaostocalmconsultancy.com

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How to help a forgetful child “Mum, can you bring me my lunch?” “Mum, I need my library book at school!” “Mum, we have to drive back home to get my homework!” These phrases are probably very familiar to you if you have a forgetful child. It can be really frustrating to raise a child who is constantly forgetting things after they start primary school. Luckily, there are ways to help them learn to look after themselves.

Stop remembering for your child When our children are babies, we are constantly rescuing them from their distress. We feed them when they’re hungry, change their nappies when they’re uncomfortable, and give them affection when they cry. As they get older we keep looking after them, but the trick is to stop rescuing them when they are capable of doing an activity for themselves. For example, if your toddler drops a toy and begins to cry, assist them in looking for it instead of just picking it up yourself. If a forgetful child has a parent who always remembers, they won’t have to face the consequences and won’t have any motivation to remember things themselves. Your child most likely remembers things that have importance to them, just not items such as homework and notes from the teacher! It’s hard to take a step back as a parent, because you don’t want your child to be in distress. But to teach them an important sense of responsibility for later in life, sometimes it’s necessary to let them forget their lunch a couple of times.

Use positive words You should avoid labelling your child at all costs, do not call them ‘forgetful’ because this will be a hit to their self-esteem and only discourage them from trying. Try to avoid the word ‘forget’ altogether and replace it with ‘remember’. For example, instead of saying ‘don’t forget your lunch!’ gently prompt with ‘have you remembered to pack everything in your school bag today?’ This will put the responsibility onto them and they will slowly learn to ask these questions themselves. Each time they remember something, no matter how small, praise and congratulate them for it. If they get a good reaction for remembering they will be more motivated to do it. You don’t need to punish them for forgetting because they will learn those consequences themselves, such as going hungry for forgetting their lunch.

Teach your child how to remember Get the whole family organised and it will be a lot easier for you to remember what you need to. Set up a family calendar for events, plus a calendar in each child’s room, with colour coded squares for different activities. For example, blue might indicate projects due at school, and green might be soccer training. Write lists and stick them where they can be easily seen, such as a list of everything your child needs to pack in their school bag stuck on the shelf where their bag sits. Ask your child to check the calendar and lists every morning, make it a habit like brushing their teeth and it will make remembering much easier. Before you leave the house, lead by example and double check you have remembered everything, and that there is nothing important left behind on the kitchen bench. Don’t forget to praise them when they do well!

Be patient It can take three weeks for a new habit to be made, so be patient with your child. Let them know that it’s ok if they mess up sometimes and keep encouraging their good behaviour. Stand your ground when they forget something and let them face the consequences without being rescued by you. It may be difficult at first, but you have to learn to trust them to be responsible on their own, and they will thank you in years to come! YMCA Victoria offers early learning, before and after school care and school holiday programs for children across Melbourne. You can find out more at childrensprograms.ymca.org.au

Whats’ the time? Telling time is an important thing to know how to do and can be very useful in your daily life. Clocks can help you wake up in time for school, tell you when it’s time for lunch, and alert you when your favourite TV show is about to come on. Learning how to tell time can be fun when you use games, activities, and exercises to practice reading, writing, and setting clock times. Once you’ve learned how to read a clock, you can put your skills to good use. Use these resources to boost your clock skills.

• Explain there are 60 minutes in an hour and also 60 seconds in a minute.

Here are some tips to help teach your child about time.

• Once your child can identify the time on the hour, explain that 30 minutes past is “half” past (as 30 is half of 60). Ask them the time at half past the hour.

For under 4s • Count the numbers on the clock together. • Ask your child to point to the number when you call it out. • Talk about their day in terms of time, e.g. at 12 o’clock we eat lunch.

For 4 - 6 year olds • Tell your child the time and relate it to their routine, e.g. it’s 7 o’clock, time for bed. • Count the numbers on the clock together and show how the big hand counts hours. • Count the dots on the clock together and show how the small hand shows minutes. • Explain that the long, thin hand counts seconds. • Talk about things they could do in each timeframe.

For 6 - 8 year olds • Explain the numbers on a clock show the 12 hours of both the morning and evening. • Talk about how the big hand on 12 and the little hand on a number means it is that number o’clock. Regularly ask them the time on the hour.

• Count as the second hand goes around, the big hand goes forward one minute. • Show how when the big hand travels around the clock, the small hand moves forward one hour. • Practice counting in fives. Count the dots on the clock in fives.

For 8 - 10 year olds

• Explain that with 60 minutes in an hour, a quarter is 15 minutes, so 15 minutes past the hour is one quarter past. Ask them to identify the time at quarter past the hour. • Move on to a quarter to (45 minutes past the hour, or 15 minutes to the next). • Regularly ask your children what the time is so they get plenty of practice. • Give instructions a time reference, e.g. at 8:30 you need to be ready to go to school.

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Cut out and decorate the clock and practice telling the time at home! Melbournite Alison Oldfield is the clever mama behind new clock brand, CLOCKSICLE. They have all numbers and a dot for every minute so are easy to tell the time and are perfect for kids. There are 10 in the range, in great colours for boys, girls or general play and family spaces. And they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tick noisily so wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep kids awake at night. All kids benefit from having a clock in their room, whether they are 3 or 13. They improve their numeracy, telling the time and time management skills. Anything that helps them keep on track and require less hassling from us, is good in our book. www.clocksicle.com.au 35 35

It’s a mother’s world

Emma and husband Tom Hawkins, Geelong football star, welcomed daughter Arabella Jennifer Hawkins on January 3rd. The pair, who moved to a 62ha property just outside of Geelong last year, have teamed up with Geelong-based retailer Motherworld to design the perfect nursery for baby Arabella. And what’s not to love! While Arabella’s middle name choice may remind you of a certain Aussie supermodel, it is actually in memory of the Tom’s late mother Jennifer, who tragically died in 2015 after a sixmonth battle with cancer. Emma, spent time online perfecting her little one’s nursery last year. “I loved collaborating with Motherworld to create the perfect space for our little girl. I was able to find everything I needed online which was a huge help throughout my pregnancy”, Emma said.

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Not knowing the sex before baby Arabella was born, Emma, who is the founder of lifestyle blog Who Loves That, opted for a neutral palette.

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“It was so comforting to know our nursery was completed well in advance of Arabella’s arrival!”, Emma said. 36

You too can get the look:

bebe care Regent Chair and Rocker (Heather Grey): $799.99 Tasman Eco Capri 4 in 1 Cot Bed (White): $529.99 Childcare Cosy Time Sleeper (Grey) $249.99 Boori 3 Drawer Chest (White) $699.95 Oricom Baby Sense 2 Plus Secure Baby Monitor $399.00 Shop the look online at motherworld.com.au Find Emma at wholovesthat.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It all makes sense. Everything anyone has ever told me about having kids. I get it now. This love is everything and more and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember or imagine life without herâ&#x20AC;?

Freezing Favourites Sneaky tips to stock your freezer with lunchbox favourites. Every year us mamas dream of stocking the freezer with a bunch of lunchbox favourites. The ease we’d have each morning pulling a thing or two from its draws, adding in a few pieces of fruit and veg would be the stuff dreams are made of. But then reality steps in. It’s hard working getting there. But you can. 2017 is the year you can make it work. Here are my sneaky tips to get your freezer full of yummy lunchbox favourites:

1) Freeze your leftovers. Think to put a curry into a small portion, fried rice in a glass bowl ready to go, or like my favourite lunchbox recipe – make your leftover bolognese into muffins that can go straight in the lunchbox from the freezer.

2) Make a double or triple batch of something they love. It could be a bliss ball or in my family, we LOVE this berry slice.

3) Spot the specials and freeze them. Cheese rolls, pastries and even yoghurt are all great options. But look in all areas of the supermarket, freezing blended up fruit when it’s on sale is a great option, as is frozen veggies and cook up the cheap sausages and have them on hand to add straight into your lunchbox too.

4) Get the kids in the kitchen to help. Not only is it easy to you, but it’s lovely spending time with them doing something you both enjoy and they’ll get a little glimpse of how hard making snacks can be. Here’s hoping it leads to all the lunches going in! So go on, grab some paper and make a list. Do some serious batch cooking over the next few weeks and have a whole drawer dedicated to yummy lunchbox meals. Stace x

Leftover Bolognese Muffins

Frozen Berry Slice

Before you pop the leftover Bolognese in the fridge why not grab a few eggs and some cheese and make these babies instead. They’re so easy and the best part? They freeze like a dream!

If there’s a recipe I tell all mummas to make, it’s this one. It’s SO easy, and I guarantee it will get gobbled up in the kid’s lunchbox, time after time.

Ingredients: 1 cup cooked spaghetti noodles 1 cup bolognese sauce 1 cup grated cheddar cheese 2 eggs Method: Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a muffin tray with 9 cupcake cases. Chop the spaghetti into 2-3 cm pieces. If you’ve used penne or a smaller pasta, just follow this same method – it will work perfectly. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and stir them through the remaining ingredients until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and place in the oven to cook. You know they’re done when they look ‘set’ and they’re nice and toasted on top. Stacey Clare’s Nutritional Tip: You can eat them just like this (babes that are just starting to enjoy solids will love them this way) or pop them in the fridge or freezer to enjoy cold in the kids’ lunchboxes.

Ingredients: 250g butter, melted 1 ½ cups whole oats 1 ½ cups flour ½ cup desiccated coconut 2 tbsp chia seeds 2 tsp vanilla bean powder, paste or essence 1/3 cup sultanas Pinch of salt 1/3 cup sugar (coconut, rice malt or maple) 2 cups frozen berries Method: Line a 25cm x 18cm oven tray with baking paper and pre-heat your oven to 200°C. Melt the butter in a saucepan while combining all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and stir/use your hands to combine. Make sure the mixture is holding together. If it isn’t, add a little more butter. Push ¾ of the mixture into the lined tray ensuring there are no holes left by pressing down very firmly. Roughly arrange the frozen berries over the mixture and sprinkle with the vanilla bean powder. Finish by sprinkling the remaining ¼ of oat mixture on top and bake for 35 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool in the pan before slicing.

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turn the page Twig by Aura Parker Heidi is a stick insect. She is tall and long like the twig of a tree. It is her first day at a busy bug school, where she hopes to learn new things and make new friends. Sadly, making friends is that much more difficult when no-one can find you! Can you spot Heidi? Heidi does blend in too well and her class mates think she is a hat stand, or sometimes try to incorporate her into their art projects! When Heidi finally objects loudly, the bugs discover a way to make sure they can see her despite her camouflage. This is a joyful book about being different and accepted.

First Day by Andrew Daddo and Jonathan Bentley There will be new games to play. And new rules. You might have to be a bit brave. With first day of school breakfast, iPhone pictures and mum doing the first day of school drop off, this is a picture book likely to tug at your heart strings. It captures perfectly a little girl’s anticipation of her first day of school. We love the way the little girl counsels her mum (who may be struggling with it!) that tomorrow will be easier. This is a lovely book to be reading aloud together as school begins.

Starting School by Jane Godwin & Anna Walker Tim, Hannah, Sunita, Joe and Polly are all off to school for the first time. Would you like to meet them and see how they go? There are new friends to make, fun ways to learn, and lots of different things to discover. This beautiful hardcover book focusses on the experiences and feelings of five very different children as they begin at school for the first time. This book was a CBCA notable book for Early Childhood in 2014 and was on the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year shortlist. It captures Australian school life perfectly, right down to getting your hair pulled and playing on the monkey bars.

Wombat Goes to School by Jackie French & Bruce Whatley In between sleeping, scratching and chasing carrots, Mothball the wombat manages to go to school. Sometimes I can be a bit sceptical when it comes to a picture book in a series and wonder whether it is likely to be as good as the original. The wombat series by Jackie French proves me wrong often. Each book is as good or better than the original! This one is downright funny. Touching gently on schoolish things like lunchtime, and crossing ladies, it’s perfect for Preschoolers and Preppies.

Debbie Hatswell is a Melbourne mum and the founder of Story Mama. Story Mama is an online children’s bookstore featuring a huge range of carefully curated, parent recommended, high quality books for children ages 0-9. You can shop online by age, by interest, by award winners or even by milestone. Buy these titles online or find out more at www.storymama.com.au 40 40

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Parenting in the For a long time ‘The Sex Talk’ has been a major family milestone, as it sets children up to be responsible and respectful adults. But in 2016, with social media, mobile phones, and the Internet dominating our communications channels,‘The Tech Talk’ is just as important. With 80% of teenagers using a smartphone1, it’s essential they learn how to use technology responsibly and respectfully. With an abundance of information on how to get through the birds and the bees as smoothly as possible, there’s less information out there for parents on ‘The Tech Talk’. This is further complicated by the fact that most parents didn’t grow up surrounded by today’s technology. So here are our top topics for ‘The Tech Talk’.

Be respectful Technology has allowed us to connect with people in ways never experienced before. So whether it’s finding love or an old school friend, platforms like Facebook help us keep in touch. However, it’s also contributed to an increase in cyberbullying, which now affects 1 in 5 Australians aged 8 to 152. Similar to sex ed, schools are now making anti-cyberbullying programs a staple of their curriculums, but it’s important parents also talk to their children about being respectful online so they understand there’s a person on the other side of the screen.

Be responsible The great thing about mobile phones is they can be taken and used anywhere, giving us constant access to technology and all its benefits. But there are some places, like behind the wheel of a car, where mobile phones don’t belong. For young and inexperienced drivers, who already have a higher crash risk, texting behind the wheel poses a threat to both their safety and others on the road3. Yet, almost a quarter (22%) of drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 admit to not being able to wait until their destination to read a text or answer a call4.

Michael Powell, CEO of Spinal Life Australia said:“As Queensland’s peak body for people with a spinal cord injury we would urge all phone users to wait until they have reached their destination before using their phones.” So during ‘The Tech Talk’ encourage switching phones to aeroplane mode so notifications can’t tempt them into taking their eyes off the road.

Be careful Technology is constantly evolving to make our lives easier, yet this is often to the detriment of our privacy. So whether it’s an online store asking for your credit card details or you are uploading a photo album to Facebook, it is important ‘The Tech Talk’ covers privacy and how best to be aware of the types of information that is shared. A recent website that has outraged parents and teachers encourages students to share as much information about

With 80% of teenagers using a smartphone1, it’s essential they learn how to use technology responsibly and respectfully. other students as possible. This includes daily routines, home addresses and even private photos. The site recently targeted a number of Brisbane schools and Clayfield College Dean of Pastoral Care, Jane Elliott urged all parents to “identify strategies to minimise their risks”. So encourage your children to be cautious about what they share online, and also encourage them to be careful about the information that they share about others. Privacy is a two-way street! These topics are a great starting point for ‘The Tech Talk’, but remember that children turn to us to learn how to behave in the real world. We are in a digital age and technology is an essential part of our lives and everyone should demonstrate healthy behaviours so children grow up knowing what’s right and what’s wrong when it comes to technology.

digital age Safeguard yourself from mobile phone radiation In this day and age it is difficult to live without a smartphone. We use them to watch movies, listen to music and talk to friends, meaning we clock up an average of 21 hours per week on our devices. This could however expose us to potentially harmful mobile phone radiation, which can be reduced by up to 95% with a Lif3 Smartchip, minimising the disruption to your brain. Minimise your risk by simply adhering one of these Smartchips on the back of your smart phone. Find out more about Lif3 Smartchip at www.lif3smartchip.com.au 1. http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/engage-blogs/ engage-blogs/Research-snapshots/Aussie-teensand-kids-online 2.https://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/media/SPRCFile/ Youth_exposure_to_and_management_of_ cyberbullying_in_Australia__Synthesis_report.pdf 3.https://www.police.qld.gov.au/EventsandAlerts/ campaigns/Documents/mobile_phones_and_ distraction_fs.pdf 4.https://www.aami.com.au/media-centre/ aami-launches-safe-driver-app.html

SettlIng safely Into the School Year Family, first aid and safety tips from WONDERWOMAN Children I think part of every parent did a little happy dance when it came time to send their children back off to school and kinder! Managing the school morning rush and hustling your crew out the door seems a fair deal to be able to have a kid free day (and separate your siblings from killing each other)! Some of the things coming to mind for your children, now they are settling back into school, are; making new friends, getting used to new teachers, healthy snack food ideas, learning, development and homework, reading and play dates. But we want to get you thinking about something different.

Car safety

Your child has most likely grown a few inches, will be starting to play with new toys and will be gaining more independence. So with this, let’s talk about some safety and first aid in and around the school.

• Keep your child in rear facing as long as possible (research shows this is best)!

Road and pedestrian safety It is important for your children to understand how to stay safe on the roads. It is vital that as your child grows up we find ways to share the message of safety on the roads. It’s time to get your vocals out of the shower and into the car! Thanks to the Kids and Traffic Team you can start singing with your kids as a way of learning about road and pedestrian safety. Some fun songs to sing: “Click Clack” – A song about wearing a seatbelt! “Crossing Road” – Learning about being a safe pedestrian! “Helmet on my Head” – Bike and Scooter Safety

We get it, car seats can be confusing, when, what and where? But it’s your first place of ensuring your child is safe in the car while driving around from A to B and back again. Our day as busy parents consists of a great deal of time spent in the car, so we need to ensure that they are safe. Some car safety tips: • Ensure that your car seat meets the current AU/NZ standards • Make sure it is fitted properly and the right size for your child

Sharing food and food allergies Food allergy is quite common in school-aged children. If you don’t have a child that has an allergy or anaphylaxis, do not make the mistake of thinking this is not a problem for you. Your children should be aware of not sharing food with other children and one day, if you do invite a child over with a allergy, you will need to know how to prevent reactions and how to administer an Epi-Pen. Some of the most common foods (although any food can cause a reaction) are eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, cows milk, wheat, soy, and sesame. Due to nuts being a BIG issue for kids, most schools have implemented a NO NUT policy. Be sure to be aware of your education provider’s rules and not to be caught out sending that good old peanut butter sandwich to school with your kid!

Bike and scooter safety

Want more information?

The most common injury for children is preventable falls and this includes from a bike or scooter. Aside from a scrape or bruise, children can be victim to serious injuries such as head and brain injury. The most valuable way to prevent these injuries is to ensure that your child is wearing a helmet. Sadly, although it is a legal requirement, a recent Australian Child Health poll indicated that one in six Australian children do not always wear a helmet when riding a bike or scooter.

We encourage you to gain more information on first aid and safety.

Safety at home Children at school can come home with this “I am a big kid attitude” and before you know it they will be mimicking the adults of the house – attempting to make toast on their own, helping in the kitchen and demanding showers on their own! So a few things to think about: • Kitchen safety and education around preparing and cooking food

Community first aid www.wonderwomanchildren.com Injury Prevention www.kidsafe.org.au Car seat installation, checking and support www.babyrestraintfitters.com The Australian Child Health Poll www.childhealthpoll.org.au The Kids and Traffic team (songs) www.kidsandtraffic.mq.edu.au/for-families

This Safety Series is bought to you by Little Rockers Radio and WONDERWOMAN Children. www.littlerockersradio.com.au

• What to do if your child burns themselves. Are you up to date on current first aid? • Reaching for items up high – teach them about falls and ensure their favourite items are reachable (unless they are banned)! • Ensure (if possible) your hot water thermostat is set at a temperature that won’t burn young skin. • Chemical and poisons – are they are out of reach? • Using toys safely and making sure younger siblings do not have access.

FREE safety check of already Installed car restraints. Register online before March 31st 2017 to receive a free safety check of your already installed car restraint, valued at $25. Register at www.hireforbaby.com/mamamag Hire for Baby can help determine if the current seats in use for your children are fitted correctly and for older children over 7 determine if they are ready to move out of their booster seat or child restraints. 47

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