Perth MamaMag Feb/Mar 2022 by MamaMag

PERTH

mamamAg

Feb/Mar 2022

WIN A FAMILY HOLIDAY AT PARADISE RESORT GOLD COAST Back to school Jules Robinson Curtis Stone Sam Wood Choose kindness Support and fun for the Perth mum

Give your child the best start in life. At Busy Bees we offer: Early Learning for ages Birth to Preschool. Educational play spaces that stimulate children’s senses. Educators who are dedicated to encouraging your children to learn and grow. High quality education and care.

Perth Locations: Eglinton

(Opening Soon)

Darch Balcatta Banksia Grove Byford Cannington

Interested in a career at Busy Bees? Talk to us about a career at Busy Bees Australia today! recruit@busybees.edu.au

1300 851 331 busybees.edu.au

East Fremantle Fremantle Kensington Mirrabooka Mt Lawley

O’Connor Osbourne Park Port Kennedy Quinns Rocks Scarborough Southern River Spearwood Wellard Willagee Yanchep Yokine

OH HEY THERE I’m Sarah, and I’d like to introduce you to my 3rd baby, MamaMag! You might have been following along with MamaMag already, entering our awesome giveaways, checking out the website, but this is your FIRST local Perth MamaMag and I’m so thrilled to have been able to put it together for you. I started MamaMag back in 2014 in Melbourne and it has grown and grown ever since. But producing a free print magazine was an expensive business, so expanding into other states just wasn’t an option. But then a little pandemic came along, and us, along with a gazillion other businesses were forced to go digital, and so here we are! Hooray! So 2022 hey. Kids are back to school. Excuse me while I just poke another RAT up my son’s nose! How are we all feeling about the year ahead? Our year hasn’t started off particularly well after Mama’s baby girl (she’s actually 11) caught COVID four days before she became eligible for vaccination #sigh. Thankfully we had already enjoyed a gorgeous Christmas, some time soaking in a river and the kids got a surfing adventure with their dad in before COVID reared its ugly head. But enough about me, welcome to Perth MamaMag! We’ve chatted to some awesome parents this issue. Curtis Stone is back in Oz perfecting the school lunch, our old fave Sam Wood is coming to terms about being a dad to four girls and Jules Robinson shares her thoughts on parenthood too! So sit back, enjoy and don’t forget to enter our awesome Paradise Resort Gold Coast giveaway, because who doesn’t need a holiday right now? Pick me! Sarah Cavalier Editor - MamaMag - @thecavaliermama

Support and fun for the everyday mum

MamaMag is published bi-monthly free for Perth 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

Support and fun for the everyday mum

Editor in Chief/Creative Director: Sarah Cavalier: sarah@mamamag.com.au For advertising enquiries contact: Olivia Wilson: olivia@mamamag.com.au Want to write for us or have an article idea? Support and fun for the everyday mum submissions@mamamag.com.au

Support and fun for the Perth mum

WIN

CONTENTS Jules Robinson

Figur-ing out motherhood

Parklife

Visiting Seaside Estate, Madora Bay

Lunch with Curtis

Mama chats to Curtis Stone

We love a mother

Chevon Semmens from Little Land

Cameron collects

Worth

Containers for change

Join us Fab family fun

What’s on in Perth right now

How much homework?

What’s the trade off

New on the shelf

$2705

Fancy being part of the MamaMag team?

WIN a 5 night family escape at Australia’s favourite family resort, Paradise Resort Gold Coast.

Top new book picks

Top nature play spaces

How many can you visit?

Going nuts over Sam Wood

We talk the best way to feed kids

Choose kindness

Dolly’s Dream helps stop bullying

Clean up Australia day

How you can get involved

How to reduce vaccine anxiety

The conversations to have first

WIN Smiggle prizes worth over $360

Simply colour to win

No celebrating after drop-off

Separation anxiety

Considering home schooling

Things to consider

Literacy tips

How to start school big

The back to work and school juggle

7 tips to manage

Plastic’s not fantastic

How to reduce your use 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.

MamaMag Feb/Mar 22

Entries are open to Australian residents only. 5 nights for 2 Adults and up to 2 Children (0-12years) in a Superior Resort Room plus continental breakfast daily. Flights not included. Competition starts Feb 1st 12.01am and closes Mar 31st 2022 at 11.59pm. Conditions: This prize is valid for travel until 16 December 2023 and excludes travel in high and peak periods. Bookings are subject to availability and vouchers may not be accepted on all dates. This prize includes one kids club or teen club session per child 0-17 years plus continental breakfast daily for up to 4 people in Penguins restaurant. The prize is not transferable and may not be exchanged for cash. Any unused portion will be forfeited. Vouchers will not be extended past the expiry date. All other expenses will be the responsibility of the prize winner including but not limited to current passports, spending money, transport to and from departure and arrival points, transfers, activities, gratuities, services charges, travel insurance, pre and post accommodation, optional activities or excursions and all other ancillary costs. Travel insurance is not included in the prize but is highly recommended. Visit www.mamamag.com.au/competitions for full terms and conditions.

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

Jules ’fIgur‘Es out motherhood By Liv Wilson

The nation’s favourite MAFS mama, Jules Robinson, is busy reshaping the world, one woman at a time, with her new shapewear brand Figur! She talks to MamaMag about motherhood, the work/life juggle, and embracing the body we’re given!

Jules, you have to be one of the busiest Mama’s we know. You’ve had an amazing jam packed few years, did you ever expect your life to take this direction?

Don’t waste energy on mum guilt! It pops its ugly head up from time to time but there’s no need to feel guilty about anything you’re doing for your child’s future. It’s normal to ask yourself if you’re ‘enough’; but I look at it as if we’re juggling; some balls are glass, some plastic, and at times you have to choose what’s plastic and can be dropped. Find a balance that works for you and your baby.

Jam packed definitely describes the last few years. I’ve always lived life to the full and had an exciting life full of ups and downs and adventure. I thrive on being busy and living with passion and purpose so I guess it’s no surprise my life has taken this turn.

Many women struggle with their body image postpartum. How have your feelings changed toward your body since Oliver arrived?

Congratulations on becoming a Mama to gorgeous Oliver. What’s been the biggest parenting surprise so far do you think? Parenting is just one huge surprise! I feel like I nail one thing and then the next challenge appears! A big surprise for me has been how much you can be in love with one tiny person. The joy, happiness and laughter Oliver brings into our lives is like nothing I could have imagined. When Ollie first arrived, Cam and I were the blind leading the blind, but it’s incredible how that motherly instinct kicks in and you just know what to do. A mother’s intuition is an incredible thing; to instinctively know how to care for your little one and understand what your baby wants from the little sounds they make is magical!

If you had one bit of advice for a new or expectant Mama what would it be?

My main priority postpartum was learning to be a mother. It wasn’t until Ollie was eight months oId that I felt ready for change. I remember thinking “ok this is my new body, this is me now!” Of course my body looks and feels different, I made a baby! I felt good but trying to find something to wear other than activewear frustrated me. Like many women, my body didn’t “bounce back” but with dedication and the help of Jenny Craig I lost 20kg! I’m grateful for my body, the baby it’s made and the life it’s given me, but it’s ok to say “I want my body to be how it was before.” A healthy mindset and patience are key when it comes to your body.

You’ve had a huge positive impact on the way women view their bodies! Let’s talk Figur! Where did the idea for this incredible shapewear range come from? Shapewear has always been my little superpower and I wore shapewear the whole

time on MAFS but was so uncomfortable filming for three months in all these different brands. I had to find better. I also received so many messages from women who were lacking confidence. They’d say “I wish I dressed like you” or “my body is like yours but I don’t have your confidence” and would ask me for advice. I also got awful messages about being fat and was body shamed. This is how FIGUR was born. Our motto is “Work with what you’ve got” which is what I’ve always done! Shapewear has forever been my superpower. I put it on and feel amazing in whatever I’m wearing. It accentuates my curves and makes a good dress great! We’re all equal and FIGUR is a wonderful space of appreciation. It’s really inspiring to see women connect with us and our ambassadors, who share their stories so others can see themselves in a reflection and be a part of the FIGUR movement. This year our Ambassador search is on the lookout for mums and daughters, and my all-inclusive fashion label for women, Moira Muse, is launching!

motion with a sponge to keep my skin matte. I love Autumnal colours like burnt oranges and warm undertones on my eyes with apricot toned cream blushes.

You’re mama to a beautiful baby, wife to Cam, co host on an awesome podcast, savvy businesswoman? Come on Jules, tell us your secret… How do you do it all? For me it’s about only doing things I’m truly passionate about, enjoy and believe in. I fall in a heap from time to time, like all mamas, but energy finds its way through passion. Cam and I made a pact to always give each other space to be individuals so we do what we can to help each other in all aspects of life. Having that support is priceless.

You’re a firm believer in self care and recognise how important it is for mamas. What do you do regularly to look after yourself and your mental health? Busy working mama’s have to rethink self care. I find it in many ways, from pulling in the driveway and staying in the car an extra 20 minutes or staying up late binging a series. To really make sure I’m in fine form I never look at my phone before bed! I try to be in bed by 9.30pm and up early because I’m better able to ‘respond’ rather than ‘react’ when I’m feeling great. Patience is what us mama’s need right?

We love your makeup tutorials Jules! What’s going to be the ‘go to’ in your makeup bag this Autumn? Thank you!! #askjules came from all the questions I get and I’m amazed how women connect with the tutorials. My approach shows makeup application is simple and should enhance what you have, not cover you up. Autumn can be muggy so my ‘go to’ is Revlon colorstay powder applied in a dabbing 7

ParklIfe

If you’re heading to the seaside... well this beauty opened in mid November at Seaside, a new estate by Satterley Property Group located 7km north of Mandurah’s city centre. The new playground equipment includes a cubic climbing tower, climbing ropes, swing set, slide and viewing platform. The awesome cube unit offers challenging but rewarding climbing experiences. Up high, users have a great view of their surroundings and the bird’s nest swing and balancing ball provide great places for observing. The long tube slide offers a fun, yet safe way of coming down.

There is a double swing frame with a birds nest seat as well as an inclusive seat. The new park is also home to a large public art piece, designed and created by artist, Jason Hirst of Little Rhino Designs. The art piece draws inspiration from the Neptune Grass spheres that are sometimes washed up along local beaches and brought back to life by incorporating Seaside’s vibrant coastal colours.

Seaside Estate Park, Madora Beach Road, Madora Bay.

Images: Lark Industries

Ignite your child’s passion for sport! Australia's largest and most reputable multi-sport and exercise program for kids aged 1.5-6 years! • Learn the basics of 10 great sports • Build confidence and self-esteem • Indoors, physio-designed, structured and FUN All our coaches have completed the Australian Government COVID-19 infection control training and are following our ‘Return to Play’ plan.

Term 1 bookings open

readysteadygokids.com.au 1300 766 892

Franchise opportunities available

LUNCH WITH CURTIS

By Sarah Cavalier

It was funny chatting to Curtis Stone on the phone. His voice is so familiar that it feels like I’m talking to an old friend, but really, it’s just familiar because we hear him on our TV screens so often telling us all about the best fresh food available at Coles! After two years away, being stuck in LA due to the pandemic, where he lives with his wife Lindsey and their two boys Emerson and Hudson, Curtis is finally back in Australia for Summer, sharing the Coles love, and doing what he loves best, cooking. This Mama was lucky enough to have a chat with him too...

You’re back in Australia for the first time in over 2 years. What’s it been like reconnecting with your family after so long? Well mum shed several tears. It’s been so great catching up with everyone. Nieces and nephews to hug. My brother has three kids and my sister has a daughter. The whole tribe is here.

What Aussie food do you miss most when you’re in LA? Sausage rolls! So I make my own! Luckily I own a pie shop in LA. The biggest thing I miss is Australian bread. How does the whole of America have such bad bread? There are certain fish you can’t get there either fish. Dory, flounder, flathead. Imagine no flathead! Coffee is terrible too, so I import Australian roasted coffee to my restaurants, and I have good coffee at home. I never order coffee when I’m out and about.

What’s your advice for family meals with young kids? Don’t ever cook them anything different. Whatever you’re having for dinner, give it to them, whatever you are eating, except maybe a hot curry! If you need to blend or mush it, do. That’s exactly what we did, and both my boys have been pretty adventurous with food since.

What would we find in Hudson and Emerson’s school lunchboxes? Variety is king and I’ve got to constantly give them something different to keep them interested. They expect and embrace it now. 10

But if you narrow down what kids eat, new things can become a challenge, so don’t reinvent the wheel. Swap similar things up. My boys like sandwiches, so we work with that as a base but get creative. I use one of about 20 different fillings, swap between six different types of bread, use wraps etc. Simple changes are the way to do it. We change fruit every day too and then let them tell us what doest work.

What are your top tips to parents for creating a healthy-yet-tasty lunchbox? Start with colours. Make it fun and appealing. A few different fruit and veg. Celery, carrot, dips, home-made or not. Spread dip on a sandwich. How you cut it can matter too. Mix up the presentation. Sandwich fingers, triangles, get a shape cutter or don’t even cut it at all. What you put in there depends on how adventurous they are. Frittata (or eggy squares as we call them) are cool. Little tarts that are like mini quiches are great. I make a muesli bars or a lemon bar once a week. Homemade things are nice once in a while, but don’t feel you have to do it all the time.

What can we do if kids are coming home with uneaten food? It’s tricky. It can be a time thing, too busy playing with their mates, but a straight question won’t always give you the right answer. Understand why they didn’t like it. Make them feel a part of it. Get them to help you put together the lunchbox so they feel involved. Ask “how can I do a better job?” “show me how”.

Tommy Hood and Riley Sinclair, both aged 10, with their lunchbox creations they made with Curtis, supported by Redkite, one of Coles’ main charity partners.

You’ve worked with Coles for over 10 years. What’s that been like?

Do you ever think you’ll come back to live here?

It’s amazing because as a chef you don’t expect to get this kind of influence. I’m not just a face of Coles. I actually help them decide where to source food from. It’s an amazing influence to have on not only the company but the Australian public. I get to share my ideas and influence the way food is produced in this country by being a part of such a huge player in the food industry. One meeting we were discussing beef growth hormones and we sat around the table and worked through it and in the end, we got rid of it from all Coles beef products. This has helped revolutionise the beef industry in this country. What chef gets to have that kind of input and opportunity? It makes me incredibly proud to have that influence over the food and diets of Australian people and families.

I’d love to but I don’t think Lindsey ever would. Her work and family are in the States and at the end of the day my family life dictates what will happen. But hopefully we can start visiting more often now that the borders are open.

How has it been coming back to Australia on your own without your family? I miss them like crazy but I’m here for work, so it is nice to have a break after a busy day. But I call them multiple times a day. I can’t help it!

Do you think Emerson or Hudson are a chance to follow in your culinary footsteps? They love food, but honestly, they probably see me work way too hard to want to do it themselves!

And finally, what is your funniest parenting story. I’m pretty young at heart and get wrapped up in what the kids want to do. Recently they wanted to put gumboots on and go to the creek and cross it, but me being so carefree, we all ended up completely saturated and drove home soaking wet. I’ve had so many dad fails because I’m just a big kid and can’t say no. My poor wife, she’s really has got three children!

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

11 11

WE LOVE A MOTHER Meet Chevon Semmens, Perth mama of two and owner of Little Land in Balcatta. As a little girl Chevon dreamed of working with children one day and after becoming a mum in 2016 she started to dream bigger for her family - looking to create the ‘perfect job’ to suit her new-found priorities as a mum. In early 2017 she came across a unique play concept offering role-play for children within a child-sized world, and two years later Little Land was born. Little Land is Perth’s most unique play space that offers a scaled down version of the real world inspiring your child to learn.

First of all, we’d love to hear about your little family…

What is the education value of play at Little Land?

We have two energetic boys - Zack is five and half and about to start full time school, and my youngest Archer is three years old. Both very busy boys who love riding bikes and dressing up as superheroes!

Role-play is an important part of child development and a way for children to make sense of the world around them. Role-play builds confidence and creativity and enhances social skills, physical development and problem solving skills. It supports the development of language, communication and self-regulation skills.

My husband Kayne and I met in 2007, after he moved to Perth from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, and we’ve been married for seven years. Fun fact: he’s the clever designer and main builder of the Little Land town!

What were you doing work-wise before you created Little Land?

In our town, shopping role-play reinforces the idea of responsibility while also improving children’s communication and negotiation skills. Role-play in a doctor’s surgery environment helps little ones become familiar with medical items in a non-threatening setting.

My background is in advertising, strategic marketing and brand development. In my 10 year career I worked for an advertising agency, marketing consultancy firm, completed a number of freelance research projects and also worked across State Government Departments.

Our Busy Beans café provides hours of openended, imaginative play encouraging fine motor skills required to pour coffee, make a smoothie or toast a sandwich. Social and language skills are developed while placing an order and using the menu full of pictures, words, and numbers.

I’ve always loved working with children, engaging with them while they play and learn, and spent more than 10 years volunteering with Radio Lollipop at Perth’s Children’s Hospital.

What was the hardest part about creating Little Land?

Little Land is set up into different play stalls. Tell us about these. Little Land’s play stalls include our Little Growers Market, Busy Beans café, cosy home setting, doctors’ surgery, construction site, school and emergency services area, all complete with a wide range of play props and dress ups to get your child’s imagination thinking big! We also have an icecream truck and caravan for all your holiday dreaming. 12

Trying to convince others that the business idea could actually work. From friends and family who didn’t quite understand the concept, to bank managers and real estate agents who met me at 40 weeks pregnant and second guessed my ability to get it off the ground whilst juggling a family – these doubters just made me work a little harder to make it work. Thankfully I also had a large number of supportive people in my corner too who encouraged me to bring my vision to life and who continue to support me to this day.

What is your favourite part about running Little Land? I love being able to inspire play and learning everyday. Watching little ones visit our town for the first time and their excitement as they wander and explore never gets old. Seeing them return again and again as they grow and develop just adds to the magic. I also love being creative around the town and in the business marketing, and I love being able to choose my work around my passions and my family’s needs.

You offer low stimulus sensory sessions. Tell about those. Our Sensory Sessions were developed in consultation with the Autism Association of Western Australia and provide a low stimulus environment to support the needs of children with Autism and specific sensory needs. Limited to 15 Wanderers, our Sensory Sessions scheduled for each month incorporate additional materials including the ‘Going to Little Land’ storybook to help prepare your child before your visit, and play sequence guides to further support play and learning.

When you’re not at Little Land, what are some of your favourite things to do in Perth with kids? I love to spend time outdoors with my boys so we’re often at local parks with a good coffee. We’re also big fans of AQWA and the Perth Zoo and have annual memberships for both making it an easy option on days when you just want to get out of the house!

Do you have a funny parenting story you’d like to share with us? A little classic wires crossed situation that hasn’t yet corrected itself – my boys call mints for fresh breath ‘minced beef’ as that’s how they heard it many years ago. We’ve tried to correct it, but the new name has stuck! Funny hearing them ask for a treat of ‘minced beef’ in public!

And finally, where can we find you? Little Land is located at 76 Erindale Road, Balcatta. Our 90 minutes sessions run at 9am, 11am and 1pm Monday - Thursday and an additional 3pm session on Fridays and Saturdays. You can visit our town virtually via @littleland_perth on Instagram and at www.littleland.fun Get more from mama - www.mamamag.com.au | Get social with mama - @localmamamag

cameron collects Cameron was born in 1995, a beautiful, healthy baby boy, Five months later he was fighting for his life. He developed Pneumococcal Meningitis, a deadly disease that can kill swiftly. Cameron survived but he was left with debilitating after-effects. He lost all abilities, even his ability to suck. We quickly discovered that he had extensive brain damage, complete loss of hearing in one ear and significant muscle loss down one side of his body. Cameron had also developed epilepsy. Cameron has fought to live many times since with countless epileptic seizures that lasted for hours, threatened his life, hospitalised him and damaged his brain even further. There is however one thing that Cameron never lost - his smile. Cameron spent his childhood doing daily therapy in a constant fight to awaken his brain and improve his quality of life and thus his future. He eventually learnt to walk, at 3yrs of age, and very slowly he has gained some skills of a young child. We stopped his epilepsy and

he is now able to live medication free, but he is not able to live the life of a young man his age. He is non-verbal, needs 24/7 supervision and assistance with all aspects of his life. We had been pondering Cameron’s adult life for a long time and how to make it meaningful. We’d dreamt of creating an employment opportunity for Cameron but could never find the answers to the multitude of questions. What? How? Where? When? We knew that Cameron loved to help people, he can walk and carry things and he loves to be driven around in cars. He loves cars. In October 2020 Containers for Change WA was launched in Western Australia and Cameron’s support worker had a brilliant idea. We quickly realised we had found an opportunity for Cameron to have his own business and earn an income whilst helping our community and the planet too. On the 23rd December 2020 Cameron Collects was born. Cameron Collects is a service collecting 10c recyclable drink containers from homes and businesses. Cameron recycles the containers at Containers for Change WA refund points. All profits from Cameron Collects go to Cameron as an income.

This business is perfect for Cameron and it very quickly grew from one day a week to five. Although, at times, overwhelming for us Cameron has taken it all in his stride and loves his work days. He loves meeting his collectors and when he meets them he spreads a little Cameron Magic - once you’ve met Cameron you understand what Cameron Magic is, he leaves smiles and happiness in his wake despite being non-verbal.

benefits that we didn’t foresee. It has created a supportive community around Cameron of people who genuinely want to see him thrive and succeed. We have been able to shine a spotlight on the disability and meningitis communities through our social media platforms and media opportunities. And we have been able to spread the word that people living with disabilities should be seen for their abilities not their disabilities.

As the year progressed and Cameron’s work days and collection lists increased we realised we needed a van, not the family car, to collect. Cameron had enough savings to purchase a cheap 18yr old van so we made the leap and invested in his business so it could continue to grow. Cameron loves his van, that we’ve named CC, and sometimes he refuses to get out of her when he arrives home if he thinks his work day hasn’t been long enough.

Cameron is a living example of why we should all embrace every day and remember how short and precious our lives and those of our loved ones are. He reminds us to see everyone’s abilities, not their disabilities everybody has abilities. And Cameron always reminds us that a SMILE can change a person’s day and it costs the giver nothing - so spread those smiles around to everyone.

Cameron has a growing community of businesses and homes that he is collecting from and as the year has passed his abilities have grown. Initially he was scared of the noises at the refund points and could only carry the light bags. Now the noises don’t scare him and he helps to unload the van, carrying heavy bags of glass bottles and confidently carrying boxes across uneven surfaces – something he couldn’t do 12 months ago. After an incredible year Cameron now has a meaningful life and is a contributing member of society just like everybody else - he just needs a little help. We are able to create goals for him such as saving to buy a car something anybody who knows him, knows he will love. Car is one of the few words Cameron can say and like any young man, buying his first car will be very exciting. He will never be able to drive it himself but when he goes out with his support workers or family members he will always have the front passenger seat, the radio set on his preferred music and it will be his to decorate and enjoy. Starting Cameron Collects has created so many amazing opportunities and

Follow Cameron’s recycling adventure at cameroncollects.weebly.com If you’d like to collect containers for recycling yourself, get involved in WA’s Containers for Change. Through Containers for Change, you can return your eligible empty containers for a 10-cent refund, which you can either collect yourself or donate to a charity, a community group and not-for-profit registered with the scheme. warrrl.com.au/containers-for-change

ales Advertising s

Facebook group fun

cal interviews o L Playground tings s i l reviews n ’s o What

Event management

ing Local market

Like to get involved in MamaMag? We’re on the hunt for some awesome local Perth content creators, and an exceptional sales and marketing Support and fun for the everyday mum legend, looking for some great casual work. This is a super-flexible (and fun) job that allows you to fit in the hours you want around your family. Support and fun for the everyday mum Sound like a dream?

Support and fun for the everyday mum 16

Flick Sarah an email and tell her all about yourself! sarah@mamamag.com.au

Save time, money and worry when paying your nanny. Australian law determines that most Australian Nannies need to be properly employed. Our services allow parents to set up a fair and legal working arrangement with a professional nanny. Paying your nanny on a payroll will give you peace of mind to know that you are meeting all your legal requirements as an employer.

Why pay your nanny on a payroll? Secure a professional

Employing your nanny demonstrates that you take their career seriously. Employment security helps your nanny commit to your role long term.

Pay superannuation

As workers in Australia, nannies have the right to be paid superannuation. Have peace of mind knowing you’re helping your nanny plan for their future.

Pay tax

We’ll make all PAYG (tax) instalments to the ATO, allowing your nanny to effectively manage their EOFY and meet your legal obligations for Single Touch Payroll.

Cover yourself

Properly employing on a payroll ensures you’re meeting your obligations, removing the liability you would face when paying cash in hand.

nannypay.com.au

fab famIly fun The school holidays may be over and lunchbox Mama back on duty but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop! Perth has so many wonderful activities, events and adventures to keep your free time fun filled right through to the next school holidays!! Here are some of Mama’s favourites.

1. Fringe World Festival Fringe World Kids - Until 13th Feb. Looking for wow-factor entertainment for the whole family this summer? Fringe Kids is where it’s at! The enormous line-up includes sidesplitting comedy and thrilling circus plus heaps of free outdoor activities. Whether it’s a day at the theatre, dinner and a show or a sunny day with the FRINGE WORLD mermaids, you’ll all have a blast!

2. The 35th Hyde Park Festival 6th - 7th March - Corner of Vincents and Williams Street, Mt Lawley. The Hyde Park festival is celebrating it’s 35th year with it’s biggest festival yet! Brought to you by the Rotary Club of North Perth raising funds for Path of Hope and their vital work in Western Australia the festival will be packed full of your favourites as well as some new and exciting activities! Get the whole family together for a fun day under the beautiful trees of Hyde Park enjoying the rides, entertainment, yoga, showbags, stalls and food, all for a good cause!

3. Sculpture By The Sea Cottesloe Beach - 4th-21st March The popular annual outdoor sculpture exhibition Sculpture by the Sea returns to transform Cottesloe’s famous white sands. This stunning exhibition is taking up residence from the sea wall all the way along the sand to North Cottesloe. Keep a lookout on the surrounding grassed areas too where you’ll spot even more sculptures in their own sculpture park.

4. Telethon Community Cinemas Murdoch - The Addams Family 2 Sat 12th Feb, Murdoch University. Family ticket $35. There are heaps of movies to choose from but we’re choosing everyone’s favourite spooky family and watching The Addams Family 2! Telethon Community Cinemas Murdoch is run by volunteers, all profits are proudly donated to kids’ charities through Telethon. There’ll be a great range of food and drink to tantalize those taste buds and enjoy. The cinemas are also fully licensed with a wide range of wines, beers, ciders, pre-mixed and soft drinks available.

5. Perth Festival 11th Feb - 6th March. Perth Festival is a not-for-profit multi-arts festival that brings world class performance, music, film, visual arts and literary events to Perth every summer. The whole family can enjoy some of the very best performances from WA’s greatest artists (and some international acts too) getting creative in our community. The 2022 Perth Festival will be a celebration of place – our city, our river, our State and our state-of-mind. Family Day in Freo on Sun 27 Feb at Fremantle Arts Centre sounds awesome.

6. Sculpture at Bathers Fremantle’s Bathers Beach Art Precinct. 19 Feb - 17 March. Free. This huge collection of Sculptures and interactive artworks will be featured along the timber boardwalks, paths, grassed areas, ocean and inside Kidogo Arthouse at the Bathers Beach precinct. The perfect opportunity to grab the kids’ scooters and a picnic and make the most of a sunny day! Sculpture at Bathers presents the excellence and diversity of WA’s finest and emerging sculptors, and it’s free!!

7. Never Say Neverland 12th March - Optus Stadium. Junior Tickets $39.

For the first time ever, Never Say Neverland Kids Music Festival is making its way to Perth and it’s packed full of fun! Pack your picnics and join the nation’s largest kids entertainment characters such as Bluey and Bingo, Paw Patrol and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for a big adventure! Your mind will be blown when you witness some of the best BMX and Motocross riders performing live tricks and flips right in front of Stadium Park. There’ll be face painting, market stalls, jumping castles and food trucks too. The festival aims to bring hope and joy to the masses and is proudly fundraising for Perth Children Hospital Foundation, The Happiness Co Foundation and Moondreamz Inc.

8. PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure!” Presented by Paramount+ RAC Arena 2nd and 3rd April. Tickets start at $29.

ats W

Pho

to :

R ic

PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure” Presented by Paramount+ is coming to Perth and it’s time to get your tickets!! Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Skye, Rocky and Zuma are about to undertake another epic adventure so make sure you don’t miss out!

9. The Wiggles Fruit Salad TV Big Show Tour - RAC Arena, 9th-10th April.

5. 6.

The Wiggles are excited to once again sing, dance and play music for their fans, and will be joined by the newest Wiggles (as seen on their latest YouTube release, Fruit Salad TV) Tsehay, Evie, John and Kelly, along with all of their Wiggly Friends too; Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus, Shirley Shawn the Unicorn, Officer Beaples and Bok the hand puppet. This is your chance to dance those socks off to your favourite tunes, but you better be quick, tickets will sell like hot potatoes!

8. 19

how much homework For students, as for all of us, life is a matter of balance, trade-offs and compromise. Studying for hours on end is unlikely to lead to best academic results. And it could have negative impacts on young people’s physical, mental and social well-being. Our recent study found the best way for young people to spend their time was different for mental health than for physical health, and even more different for school-related outcomes. Students needed to spend more time sitting for best cognitive and academic performance, but physical activity trumped sitting time for best physical health. For best mental health, longer sleep time was most important. It’s like a game of rock, paper, scissors with time use. So, what is the sweet spot, or as Goldilocks put it, the “just right” amount of study? Using our study data for Australian children aged 11 and 12, we are developing a timeoptimisation tool that allows the user to define their own mental, physical and cognitive health priorities. Once the priorities are set, the tool provides real-time updates on what the user’s estimated “Goldilocks day” looks like.

More study improves grades, but not as much as you think Over 30 years of research shows that students doing more homework get better grades. However, extra study doesn’t make as much difference as people think. An American study found the average grades of high school boys increased by only about 1.5 percentage points for every extra hour of homework per school night. What these sorts of studies don’t consider is that the relationship between time spent doing homework and academic achievement is

unlikely to be linear. A high school boy doing an extra ten hours of homework per school night is unlikely to improve his grades by 15 percentage points. There is a simple explanation for this: doing an extra ten hours of homework after school would mean students couldn’t go to bed until the early hours of the morning. Even if they could manage this for one day, it would be unsustainable over a week, let alone a month. In any case, adequate sleep is probably critical for memory consolidation. As we all know, there are only 24 hours in a day. Students can’t devote more time to study without taking this time from other parts of their day.

Excessive studying may become detrimental to learning ability when too much sleep time is lost. Another US study found that, regardless of how long a student normally spent studying, sacrificing sleep to fit in more study led to learning problems on the following day. Among year 12s, cramming in an extra three hours of study almost doubled their academic problems. For example, students reported they “did not understand something taught in class” or “did poorly on a test, quiz or homework”. Excessive study could also become unhelpful if it means students don’t have time to exercise. We know exercise is important for young people’s cognition, particularly their creative thinking, working memory and concentration. On the one hand, then, more time spent studying is beneficial for grades. On the other hand, too much time spent studying is detrimental to grades.

We have to make trade-offs Of course, how young people spend their time is not only important to their academic performance, but also to their health. Because what is the point of optimising school grades if it means compromising physical, mental and social well-being? And throwing everything at academic performance means other aspects of health will suffer. US sleep researchers found the ideal amount of sleep for 15-year-old boys’ mental health was 8 hours 45 minutes a night, but for the best school results it was one hour less. Clearly, to find the “Goldilocks Zone” – the optimal balance of study, exercise and sleep – we need to think about more than just school grades and academic achievement.

Looking for the Goldilocks Day Based on our study findings, we realised the “Goldilocks Day” that was the best on average for all three domains of health (mental, physical and cognitive) would require compromises. Our optimisation algorithm estimated the Goldilocks Day with the best overall compromise for 11-to12-year-olds. The breakdown was roughly: • 10.5 hours of sleep • 9.5 hours of sedentary behaviour (such as sitting to study, chill out, eat and watch TV) • 2.5 hours of light physical activity (chores, shopping) • 1.5 hours of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (sport, running).

We also recognised that different people – or the same people at different times — have different priorities. Around exam time, academic performance may become someone’s highest priority. They may then wish to manage their time in a way that leads to better study results, but without completely neglecting their mental or physical health. To better explore these trade-offs, we developed our time-use optimisation tool based on Australian data. Although only an early prototype, the tool shows there is no “one size fits all” solution to how young people should be spending their time. However, we can be confident the best solutions will involve a healthy balance across multiple daily activities. Just like we talk about the benefits of a balanced diet, we should start talking about the benefits of balanced time use. The better equipped young people and those supporting them are to find their optimal daily balance of sleep, sedentary behaviours and physical activities, the better their learning outcomes will be, without compromising their health and well-being. By Dot Dumuid, Senior Research Fellow, Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia and Tim Olds, Professor of Health Sciences, University of South Australia. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons License. Read the original article here.

new on the shelf

kids

The Book No One Wants to Read by Beth Bacon A wildly fun, interactive adventure for the most reluctant of readers. A book was sitting lonely on the shelf, waiting to be read. Tired of having no one to talk to, it decided to make a promise to potential readers: ‘You keep turning my pages, and I’ll make it fun!’ Packed full of interactive jokes and games, The Book No One Wants to Read is a riotously colourful, mischievous book with a mission: to hook in even the most reluctant of readers. Published by Pushkin Children’s . RRP $19.99 RRP

Sing Along With Me! This is the Way We Go to School illustrated by Yu-hsuan Huang An adorable Sing-Along board book story, with five robust board sliders easy for little hands to use! Each board book comes with a free instrumental and vocal version of the nursery rhyme - simply scan the QR code for little ones to listen and sing along! With bright illustrations this series make the perfect gift for a baby or toddler! Toddlers will love to join in with the tiger twins as they get ready for a busy day at nursery school! Published by Nosy Crow. RRP $12.99

Mole’s Spectacles by Julia Donaldson Lift the flaps and join in the fun with Mole’s Spectacles, a brilliant story in the best-selling Tales from Acorn Wood preschool series by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, creators of The Gruffalo. Mole has lost his spectacles. He searches all around his house, in the garden and even in Weasel’s sweetshop, but he can’t find them anywhere! Where could they be? Lift the flaps to help him find them. With sturdy flaps on every spread and rhyming stories that are a joy to read aloud, Mole’s Spectacles joins the best-selling Tales from Acorn Wood which have been delighting parents and children for over twenty years. Published by Macmillan Children’s Books. RRP $14.99.

Ouch: Tales of Gravity by Kate Simpson A funny story about gravity that explains why apples fall from trees, from an exciting new partnership in picture books. Isaac Newton was sitting under an apple tree when he got hit on the head by an apple. People might tell you this is the moment gravity was first discovered, but the truth is people had been discovering gravity long before Isaac. Have you ever wondered how gravity works? Or what life would be like without gravity? Find out in this fun introduction to the idea that what goes up must come down! Published by Allen and Unwin Childrens. RRP $24.99.

t(w)een Welcome to Your Boobs. Your easy, no-silly-questions guide to your breast friends by Yumi Stynes, Melissa Kang Whether you’re worried they won’t grow, or that they are growing too quickly, this book is has all the info. And whether we’re ready for them or not, just about EVERYONE, of every gender, gets at least some boob growth when they hit puberty. This little book is packed with honest advice on all the things you need to know: from the easiest way to put on a bra, to the nitty gritty of the titty, to why boobs get so much attention. Welcome To Your Boobs includes case studies, first-person accounts, and questions from real teens, answered by real experts – us! Don’t worry – you’ve got this! Published by Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing. RRP $19.95.

Northwind by Gary Paulsen This stunning historical adventure, set along a rugged coastline centuries ago, does for the sea what Hatchet did for the woods, as it relates the story of a young person’s battle to stay alive against the odds. When a deadly plague decimates his fishing village, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, navigating from one danger to the next. The deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer he comes to his truest self as he connects to the heartbeat of the ocean, the pulse of the landscape. Published by Macmillan Children’s Books. RRP $16.99

Junior Atlas of Indigenous Australia by Macquarie Dictionary A valuable introduction to the culture and lives of Australia’s First Peoples, the Atlas visually represents patterns of human activities in space and time, from over 60,000 years ago to the present time. It covers an extensive range of topics, such as deep history, Indigenous mapping, material culture, cultural and religious life, art, sport, language, environment and Country, social justice, education and health and wellbeing. The 130 maps, which form the core of the book, are supplemented by easy-to-read explanatory text and over 165 photographs, artworks, illustrations, charts and graphs. Published by Macquarie. RRP $39.99.

Beyond the End of the World: The Other Side of the Sky 2 by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner The sequel to The Other Side of the Sky, this book has something for every reader: a star-crossed love full of tantalising longing, unique and immersive new worlds to explore, and nonstop thrills that escalate into an unforgettably electric conclusion. Time to do the impossible. Time to find a way between worlds. Time to find each other again. Published by Allen and Unwin. RRP $19.95.

adults Find your unicorn space by Eve Rodsky With her acclaimed New York Times bestseller Fair Play, Eve Rodsky ignited a national conversation about greater equity in the home. But she soon realised that even when the domestic workload becomes more balanced, people still report something missing in their lives. Here Rodsky reveals what researchers already know: Creativity is not optional. It’s essential. Though most of us need to remind ourselves how and where to find it. With her trademark mix of research-based how-to advice and big-picture inspirational thinking, Rodsky shows you a clear path to reclaim your permission to have fun, manifest your own Unicorn Space in an already too-busy life. Published by Hachette. RRP $32.99.

Life Admin Hacks by Mia Northrop and Dinah Rowe-Roberts The step-by-step guide to saving time and money, reducing the mental load and streamlining your life. You have no idea what’s for dinner tonight. You need a gift for that party next week. You still haven’t consolidated your super. You’re out of contract on your phone and paying who knows what. Those cupboards won’t declutter themselves. The kids need a plan for the next school holidays. It’s time to get the gutters cleaned. You still haven’t made a will. Sound familiar? Then this is the life admin guide you’ve been waiting for. Life admin can’t be eliminated but it can be minimised, automated and better shared within families. Published by HarperCollins. RRP $34.99.

I Didn’t Do The Thing Today by Madeleine Dore Any given day brings a never ending list of things to do. There’s the work thing, the catch up thing, the laundry thing, the creative thing, the exercise thing, the family thing, the thing we don’t want to do, the thing we’ve been putting off (despite it being the most important thing). Even on days when we get a lot done, the thing left undone can leave us feeling guilty, anxious or disappointed. After five years of searching for the secret to productivity, Madeleine Dore discovered there isn’t one, instead, we’re being set up to fail, so this is an inspiring call to take productivity off its pedestal, to embrace the joyful messiness and unpredictability of life. Published by Murdoch Books. RRP $32.99

50 Questions to Ask Your Teens by Daisy Turnbull This is a fantastic guide for parents and carers navigating the confusing and exciting world of adolescence. For anyone who wants to better connect with their teens and help them to be functioning, self-aware and kind adults, Daisy Turnbull offers a simple framework with clever questions to engage your teen and pre-teen from age 10 onwards. You’ll find questions that encourage your teen to master the practical as well as trickier topics, including friendships, consent, self-compassion, managing conflict, mental health, boundaries and media influences. Published by Hardie Grant. RRP $24.99

top nature play spaces how many can you visit?

natureplaywa.org.au

going nuts over Sam wood Hey Sam, great to have you back in MamaMag! It’s no secret that your 28 program and nutrition is 100% amazing for mums, but you’ve got to be an expert at feeding kids, with your two little girls and a fabulous teen at home. Haha wonderful to be back. Firstly it’s important to say that I don’t know if anyone is a complete expert when it comes to kids nutrition, they can always throw you a curveball. I do have some rules that I really believe in and through my own experiences know they can really help - Try and get your kids plates to look like the rainbow with as many colours and nutrients as possible. - Get your kids involved in the cooking/preparing process as much as you can as the more involved they are the more engaged they are the more interested they are in eating it and knowing what its all about. - Lastly, but most important never forget that they’re kids – eating an ice cream or fairy bread or packet of chips is completely normal and ok and life will go on. Important they eat pretty well most of the time.

You announced in November you were having another baby girl. When is Snezana due and what’s it like living with all these wonderful women? Things are certainly going to from 5th to 6th gear but to be honest everyone is exited! New little girl is due in June.

Willow is four now, so it’s time for kinder! Time for lunchboxes! 4 year old kinder, yes, so we pack her a little lunch and to be honest she gets excited so about it. We do it the night before and she’s got a little bento lunch box that allows her to make sure we’ve got some dairy and protein and veggies and fruit and always space for a little treat!

What would be your top inclusions for a well-rounded lunchbox? Dairy, protein, fruit and a little snack. Important to make sure there are some food quality carbs to make sure they’ve got lots of energy. And that they always drink enough water.

What sort of foods does Eve like to take for lunch to high school? Eve is definitely a different kettle of fish. She chops and changes a little with her preferences. Can fluctuate depending on what she’s into. Being Macedonian, it’s interesting how she’ll love to pack a pasta dish or something traditional from the night before which I’m sure is unique and she loves it

Protein is an essential nutrient for children’s growth and development. What are the best foods to be giving our kids? It certainly is, in fact it’s probably under utilised nutritnet from an adult perspective too. My girls love omelettes and scrambled eggs. They love fish and chicken and being summer we’ve had plenty of beautiful summer bbqs over the last couple of months.

You involve your girls in cooking and preparation of meals all the time. What do they love most about this and why do you recommend it to others? One of the big challenges we face in today’s world is that so many foods come in a packet. Most kids, and to be honest most adults, have no idea what they’re actually eating. When you get kids or anyone for that matter involved with cooking food with real ingredients at a foundational level they learn by doing. Not to mention it can be incredibly creative and lots of fun and laughs.

As a Mayvers ambassador, you’re often featuring great peanut butter recipes. What’s your favourite dish using their products? I can’t believe how many things I put peanut butter in, whether its some on a banana in the freezer for a healthy kids snack or a dollop in my favourite protein smoothie. It really is one of the simplest but best ingredients to help get in protein and good fats.

What’s your favourite fitness or outdoors activity to do as family? We’re at that stage with Willow being four and Charlie being her little shadow, that now our best outdoors option is bike riding. Still a few wobbles but we’re getting there.

You’ve been isolating away from the girls while recovering from COVID. How was that? I’m one of the ‘lucky ones’ as my symptoms have not been as severe compared to others. So I went and isolated away from the girls as I was so worried about Snez being pregnant.

And finally, what is your funniest parenting story? Such a hard question to answer when my life is full of laughs. The girls crack me up every day. Especially Charlie, she’s definitely the cheekiest and one we’re going to have to keep an eye on. Sam Wood is the founder of 28 by Sam Wood and a Mayver’s ambassador. 27

Peanut Butter Slice Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Serves 8 Ingredients: 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted ½ cup Mayver’s smooth peanut butter 1 cup shredded coconut ½ cup peanuts ¼ cup coconut oil Chocolate Drizzle: 50g dark chocolate 1 tbsp coconut oil

Method: Add all of the slice ingredients into a food processor and blitz to combine. The mixture should be sticky and still slightly chunky. Transfer the slice into a square baking dish lined with baking paper and flatten it with your hands. Place the baking dish into the fridge for 10 minutes. Prepare the chocolate drizzle by melting the chocolate and

coconut oil in the microwave or over a double boiler. While the chocolate is melting, remove the slice from the tray and cut it into 8 pieces. Drizzle some chocolate over each slice and place back into the fridge for 15 minutes, until the chocolate is solid. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Sam Wood’s Satay Chicken Burger Time: 30 minutes

Satay Sauce:

Method:

Serves: 1 Ingredients:

1 tbsp Mayver’s Crunchy Peanut Butter

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

½ tbsp coconut milk

120g chicken breast

1 tsp tamari, or soy sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ tsp raw honey

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the chicken breast. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

1 sourdough bread roll

½ small red chilli, minced (optional)

1/3 cup baby spinach 1/3 Lebanese cucumber, shaved into ribbons ½ tomato, sliced

¼ lime, juiced

Cut the roll in half and place the bottom half on a plate. Add the spinach, cucumber and tomato. Combine the satay sauce ingredients in a bowl. Once cooked, add the chicken to the burger. Top the chicken with the satay sauce and top with the other half of the roll to serve. 29

CHOOSE KINDNESS Wouldn’t it be nice if all children were kind? As kids head back to school, it’s a timely opportunity to read the following advice from Dolly’s Dream and think about bullying and how we can spot, and stop, it. Dolly’s Dream was created by Kate and Tick Everett following the shattering loss of their 14-year-old daughter, Dolly, to suicide, after ongoing bullying. Kate and Tick’s goal is to prevent other families walking this road. They want to change the culture of bullying by addressing the impact of bullying, anxiety, depression and youth suicide, through education and direct support to young people and families.

So what is bullying? Bullying is behaviour which causes harm or hurt and is done deliberately and repeatedly. A person being bullied may feel intimidated, helpless, or unable to stop it happening. Bullying can be: • Physical – such as hitting, shoving, tripping or kicking

Bullying behaviour is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time (for example, through sharing of digital records). Bullying of any form or for any reason can have immediate, medium and long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying. Did you know: • Around 1 in 4 school-aged children in Australia has been bullied recently, with 1 in 5 bullied online recently • Each year, approximately 45 million bullying incidents occur in Australian schools. • School is the most common place where teens experience bullying, followed by online spaces. • Most of those who have been bullied online have also been bullied in person.

• Verbal – such as insults, threats, or nasty teasing

• Young people affected by bullying may suffer harm to their wellbeing, education and relationships.

• Social – such as spreading ugly rumours or telling people not to be friends with someone

• Compared to unaffected young people, they are at higher risk of various health problems, including mental health concerns.

• Cyber – such as spreading nasty gossip about someone online or posting embarrassing pics without their permission. Cyber bullying can be anonymous, involve large numbers of people, and go on 24/7.

• The risks are especially high for those who have been bullied and have also bullied others.

The national definition of bullying for Australian schools (bullyingnoway.gov.au) says: Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. 30

It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening. Bullying can happen in person or online, via various digital platforms and devices and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert).

• Sometimes teens understand bullying differently to adults or have been hurt by other bad behaviours. Rather than arguing about ‘is it really bullying?’, we should focus on finding out what happened, the impacts, and what we can do to keep everyone safe and respected.

Bullying advice for parents What can parents do to support their kids? • Teach our kids to recognise when they need help – when they can’t solve a problem, or are feeling stressed, upset, scared, sleepless, or overwhelmed. • Help them make a list of trusted adults they could talk to. • Teach them the key steps to asking for help, including deciding who to ask, thinking about what to say beforehand, finding a quiet time and place to talk, and telling other people if the first person can’t help them. • Remind them that everyone needs help sometimes – including parents.

What can we do about cyber bullying?

What advice could you give to other parents or carers?

• Bullying often takes place at and around schools. But it also happens online.

• Children sometimes don’t want to tell parents that they’re being bullied because the parent might take their device away or the parent might go down to the school.

• Many parents might have experienced bullying when they were young, but home would be their safe place where they wouldn’t have to deal with that anymore. Yet, for today’s young people, the bullying can feel like it never stops. When they’re at home, they might be receiving messages and seeing things online.

• If your child says they’re being bullied, it’s important to stay calm and let them know they’ve done the right thing by telling you. • Ask them for the full story and explain that bullying is never ok and that’s it’s normal to feel upset. • Don’t respond to the bullying by becoming aggressive yourself, as this is likely to make things worse. • Connect with your child’s school to discuss the situation. Make an appointment and bring a list of the incidents mentioned by your child. • Every school in Australia should have an anti-bullying policy which you can often find on the school’s website. So prepare yourself by reading the document before your meeting. • The school and teachers will also want the bullying to stop so remember that you’re on the same team.

• If the bullying happens online, you can report it to the website where it happens, like Instagram or Facebook. • If the content is not taken down, the eSafety Commissioner has an online reporting tool where they have a strong compliance rate and provide valued advice to families. For more advice visit dollysdream.org.au. Following two years of severely disrupted school and home life, Smiggle and Dolly’s Dream are asking Australian kids to choose kindness when they head back to school for 2022. To help spread the message they have created a cobranded Choose Kindness keyring to be sold to raise funds for the anti-bullying organisation as part of its ongoing partnership supporting young people and parents. The Choose Kindness keyrings are just $2 and available from Smiggle stores all over Australia and online now, with the proceeds from the keyrings sold donated to Dolly’s Dream.

let’s clean up australia Australians are urged to get in early and sign up for the country’s largest community based environmental event, Clean Up Australia Day (Sunday 6th March 2022), as the environment feels the effects of a COVID-19 hangover. The opening of volunteer registrations comes after lockdowns and changed habits fuelled a significant increase in household waste. The last two years have seen significant increases in single-use plastics, alongside unprecedented amounts of face masks, takeaway coffee cups and food packaging littering our footpaths, parks and beaches. Clean Up Australia Chairman, Pip Kiernan, says it’s more important than ever to protect Australia’s unique environment by stepping up on Clean Up Australia Day. “The environment is still experiencing the impact of the pandemic,” said Ms Kiernan. “Our habits changed during COVID and most of these haven’t been kind on the environment. Surges in online shopping, meal delivery services and the use of disposable face masks and coffee cups, mean the environment is feeling the after-effects of the pandemic in ways not seen before.” Four in five Australian households made an online purchase in 2020 alone. Over 5.5 million Australians aged 14+ (26.5%) used meal delivery services last year and less than 4% of 32

soft plastics are recycled in Australia, despite it being the most lethal consumer plastic for ocean wildlife. The environmental organisation is encouraging volunteers to sign up early to show their commitment to improving the environment. Registration is easy, and all communitybased participants receive a free Clean Up kit containing gloves and bags and other resources, with packs for individuals, families or groups available. “Clean Up Australia Day is the opportunity to do some good – to roll up our sleeves, get out there and take action. Sign up now to make a pledge to protect Australia’s environment. Together, we can make a meaningful, long-lasting difference to the parks, beaches, rivers and pathways near us.” If you can’t join a Clean Up, Ms Kiernan urges Aussies to make a donation to Clean Up Australia. 100% of funds raised through donations are allocated to the provision of educational resources and clean up materials provided free of charge to community, school and youth groups across the nation, year round. To register to join in your local clean up or donate, please visit cleanup.org.au.

HOW TO REDUCE VACCINE ANXIETY Your child has no doubt knows about COVID-19 by now and may have some worries. They may also already have heard about “a vaccine” but not know what this is.

The focus in on how this vaccine prevents serious illness, but your child will by now be thinking about the injection. So here is the next step.

With COVID vaccination now open to 5-11 year olds, you may need some help tackling this subject with your little ones.

Step 2 – You can do this! You’ve already had loads of injections

It’s the “Not Knowing” that makes things scary for kids. So, I’ve made a 5-step breakdown of how to explain having a vaccine to your child. Each step has a separate main point that you want to get across to your child. Following each step, in order, allows a natural flow to the discussion and gives your child the chance to voice concerns or ask questions. I’ve written the discussion exactly as you might say it, in this font. This is what worked for my kids from about age 3 onwards. The younger the child, the simpler your language will be:

Step 1 – You need to have an injection “There’s a virus in the world called Coronavirus, or COVID, which can make people very sick. But we now have medicines to stop people from getting sick, even if they catch the virus. There is a special medicine called a vaccine. It’s a tiny injection that stops you from getting sick, even if you catch the Coronavirus. Pretty handy hey?!” Then PAUSE and see if your child asks any questions. If they don’t know what an injection is: “It’s a very thin needle that goes this far (hold your thumb and index finger 1 cm apart) in your arm for about 3 seconds to give the medicine to your body.” 34

“Do you know you’ve already had heaps of injections? (At this point I like to bring out their immunisation record for them to hold, and we look at it together). You had an injection when you were born. Then you had more when you were 2 months old, 4 months old, 6 months old, 1 year old, 1 ó years old, and 4 years old! You’ve had heaps. And you were super brave for all of them!” At this point your child may want to count the number of injections they have had. They may also be very interested in how they went with all these injections. This is a great time to ollow your child’s lead, as well as reflect on those experiences (which they probably won’t remember)

Step 3 – Reflect on previous injection experiences If your child asks how they went previously: “Well, you cried when you were a baby. You were too little for me to explain what would happen, so it was a big shock. But as you got older, you got braver and braver. Sometimes you cried a bit, but you sat on my lap and had a big cuddle and it was over really quickly. One time, they blew bubbles to distract you, and you hardly even noticed!” Depending on how playful your child is feeling, you might show them what happened (a bit like the Bluey “Doctors” episode):

“When you were little the injection was like this (poke them gently in the thigh and say) “Sting!” right here in your thigh! Why? Because that was your chubbiest bit!.”

Step 4 – Be honest. It will hurt, but not much. “This time, now you’re big, you will have the injection in your arm. You will feel the needle (Yes, it IS a needle, no need to make a big deal of it), but you’ve had heaps of ouchier things.” Your child may think of all the pains they’ve had before – this is very helpful because you can then relate this vaccine to their previous experiences. If your child doesn’t bring up previous pains: “It will sting more than a mozzie bite, but way less than a bee sting. It will hurt a lot less than falling off your bike. And the sting only lasts for about 5 seconds, maybe less. (Then count 5 seconds together)” Be ready to have the conversation about how much it will hurt more than once. Reassure your child every time that they will feel it, but that it is far less painful than so many other experiences they’ve already had. NOTE: “It will hurt a bit, but I know you’ll be ok” will be more reassuring than “you’ll be fine”.

Step 5 – Explain the practicalities For this part, the amount of detail you give will depend on your child’s age and how much they want to know. Feel free to bring this down to the key steps of: when it is (day), how you will get there, and who will be with them the whole time. For those with kids who want to know everything, here it is (but you might break this up a lot with discussion along the way). “We are going to get the vaccine on (eg Thursday). That’s 2 sleeps away. We will go by car. After we park the car, we will put on our masks and go into the vaccination centre / pharmacy. There will probably be a queue. They might ask us to use the hand sanitiser and will take our temperature. Then they check our details and show us how to get to the nurse’s station. You will sit on my lap, like this (practice child sitting on your lap, side on, and take the opportunity to give them a sneaky hug). The nurse will give you the injection while

I cuddle you and you will look at me the whole time. I’ll give you my best big hug. After the injection we sit in a waiting area for 15 minutes, just to check you are ok. Then, we can go home. Your arm might be a bit achy that night, or it might be fine. When we get to the car/ home …(Insert your treat here. “ For my kids, I said: We will take the iPAD and you can watch TV all the way home.) If you want to set this out as dot points or make a visual plan, here are the 10 steps involved when you go to a vaccination hub: 1.

Follow the entry signs

Hand sanitiser

Join the queue

Temperature check

Check in

You might get a treat (fidget spinners)

Await your vaccine station

Meet your nurse and Get VAXXED!

Wait 15 min for obs – this is a good time for a cuddle.

10. Go home!! If you can see that your child is still worried, ask them which part is worrying them the most. After you have addressed the first worry, ask if they have any other worries. You may need this conversation, or parts of it, more than once. By Kathryn Hackman, doctor and mum of two young boys. In collaboration with a leading paediatric psychologist and occupational therapist, Kathryn has created the Courageous Kids app which allows parents and carers to create personalised and tailored stories to help their children meet everyday challenges and new situations with calmness and confidence. www.courageouskidsapp.com @courageouskidsapp

WIN

a Smiggle kindness pack worth over $160 or 1 of 4 $50 runner-up Smiggle vouchers!

Simply colour to win!

Download colouring in sheet here 36

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.

local

fun fo

r the

everyd ay

mum

Subscribe today to get MamaMag delivered straight to your inbox FREE every 2 months! local

fun fo

r the

everyd ay

mum

Follow our socials

Click to subscribe

and join in the fun at www.mamamag.com.au

This Mama aIn’t celebratIng after drop off! By Liv Wilson

It’s done! The Summer holidays are over and the new school year is here. If you’ve been dreading this day, you’re not alone. For many parents across Australia, with an anxious child, the first day of a new school year is much dreaded and not a day to skip out of the gates cheering with our friends as we head for a well deserved glass of bubbles!! And let’s face it, this year comes with added worry for some children after COVID lockdowns, and extended periods of remote learning, added to the awkwardness of trying to reconnect with friends they haven’t seen for a while. I’m a mother of a child who suffered terribly with separation anxiety and I’ve spent many ‘1st days’ praying with every part of my being, that this day, this year, this drop off would be the one where everything clicks and saying goodbye at the gate would be a breeze.

The mornings drag! It’s no surprise that ‘separation anxiety’ can wreak havoc on your mornings. The sore tummy, the tears, the refusal to eat brekkie, the getting dressed in slow motion! The packing and unpacking of the school bag, the fussing over the lunchbox, the constant questions and the unrelenting need for reassurance. To get out of the door takes a huge amount of strength from the whole family and resisting the urge to slam on the brakes and take everyone home is a challenge like no other. If you’re a Mama to a child with separation anxiety, there are lots of tried and tested (by me) ways you can help make the mornings run a little smoother, ensuring stress is limited and you’re not all frazzled by the time you reach the gates.

My tips to lessen separation anxiety before school • Set a good routine – too much time can create as much stress as too little. The Ultimate Family Planner will help with family organisation, and the motivational quotes will keep you going. • Discuss your morning routine the night before so everyone knows what’s expected of them when they get up. • Prepare bags and lunches the night before to save over complicating the morning. • Pop a cute note inside your child’s lunchbox - do this every day so they have something to look forward to. A daily riddle is fun too! Check out riddles.com or lunch notes from Sprout and Sparrow. • Have a good, clear calendar so everyone knows what’s happening each day, what chores they need to do and what to look forward to. I love Daily Orders wall planners for this. • Set a limit on questions and don’t be afraid to say “no more”. Constant questioning can increase stress levels for everyone. • Ask the teacher for a breakdown of the timetable and add it to your wall planner – knowing what’s ahead means you can both prepare for the day. This will also help prompt conversations in the afternoon. • Apps like Smiling Mind and A Soft Murmur can help calm your child (and you) at home or in the car. • Make sure you keep yourself calm as anxious children feed off your mood too. This can be hard but try your best! • Get a set of print at home emotion cards from the Chaos to Calm Consultancy to help your kids understand their emotions and encourage them to talk about how they feel. • Talk to the school and tell them what you need them to do. Ask for help! They may have no idea your child is struggling. • If other mums are offering to help, accept it. Sometimes just the simple act of another mama taking your child by the hand, will break the chain! I’m not a doctor. I’m not a health professional, I’m just a mama who’s been where you are now, and I know how helpful implementing just a few of these tips can be. There’s no quick fix, it could take a few weeks, perhaps a term to get back in the swing of things, maybe even longer, but, everything will be ok, I promise! xx If you’re worried about your child, it’s important you speak with your GP at the earliest opportunity.

CONSIDERING HOME SCHOOLING Adjusting to a different way of learning has been a challenge for students, parents, carers and teachers alike. However, not all kids are struggling with learning from home; those that are self-paced, flexible, independent learners, are thriving. As a result, more families who have enjoyed their experience of remote learning are now considering full-time home schooling.

The growth of home schooling According to the Victorian government (statistics), the number of children home schooling is growing each year. In 2020, there was a 20 per cent increase in registrations, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some parents have found their children thrive in a more focussed environment and have found a merit in them being able to teach their child at their own pace. It has also been promoted as a viable option for families who travel a lot, with various influencers documenting their kids’ educational journey through social media. Children with learning difficulties or who struggle with school due to physical, mental, or social reasons, such as bullying, have also benefited from home schooling environments, and have been a catalyst for growth in the sector. For instance, if your child is falling behind in class, setting them up with a crash course of specific, one-to-one nurtured learning can help fill the gaps and accelerate their learning. Many families saw how well their children learnt during previous COVID-19-related lockdowns, with less distractions leading to increased engagement and better results. If you are among those families exploring home schooling, here’s where you can start. 40

What to consider Importantly, home schooling is not remote learning. During lockdowns, schools are providing planned lessons, video calls and relevant online tools aligned to the curriculum. When home schooling, the onus falls on parent/s to plan lessons and undertake the assessments and reporting requirements. A key consideration for parents who are going to be taking this on is whether they will be able to manage it. The workload of becoming a teacher can be a hard, but very rewarding and positive experience. It’s important that parents understand the impact it might have, and plan accordingly. Consider also the teacher-parent persona how are you going to manage the difference? How do you want to be seen, and how will it be different at different times of the day? Since you will be filling both roles, you need to set clear boundaries and schedules. Before you begin, talk to your kids’ school and find out what level they’re learning at. It’s important to know where to start and identify any areas of learning you might need to focus on more.

Social implications You can invest in platforms and tools that help with education, but it is very hard to buy social interaction. This is what school offers that home doesn’t. The social skills, friendships and experiences your child picks up at school might not be apparent now, but will be vital in future. So, consider other ways they can be involved in the community. This can include joining Facebook home schooling groups, local sports teams, afterschool programs, or even taking part in joint home schooling classes with other kids.

Government requirements

The right tools

Home schooling needs to be approved. Every state government has different registration requirements and various states require you to provide a range of information, including details about the learning environmentm how you track learning progress, and what you are teaching them. Get in touch with your local education body and find out what you need to meet their requirements. Most online resources will provide relevant content outlines or scopes for you to meet the government requirements.

It’s important you pick the right tools for the job. That’s ‘tools’ plural. Diversify what the kids are doing and ensure all your eggs are not in one basket. Keep it interesting by using a pen and paper and other tactile materials, incorporate P.E. and leverage online tools to gamify the lessons – this will ensure kids are more likely to be engaged. For instance, Education Perfect (EP) is an online resource that provides parents with thousands of curriculum aligned subject lessons created by teachers, in an easy to use, gamified application that can help personalise your home schooling approach. EP also offers regular parent training webinars and workshops so that it doesn’t feel too daunting.

Finding advice When you’re starting out, don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Your first-year of home schooling should be to master the basics and figure out the best way your child learns. From there you can start altering your education plan to suit their needs. There are many forums and websites to talk you through home schooling. One recommendation is Fearless Home school, which has a wealth of knowledge surrounding anything home learning related. Social media is also a great resource for finding homeschooling groups in your region to join. You may be surprised at how many families are in the same situation as you. Talk to other families and connect with other people around you.

Home schooling can be a rewarding and fulfilling journey, especially when you start to see your child improve and close any learning gaps. With the right advice, tools and support, you can ensure your child can thrive, both educationally and socially, while learning from home. By Tim Offen, International Community Lead at Education Perfect. Education Perfect (EP) is a complete digital teaching and learning toolkit that has become a core resource for thousands of teachers across the world, including over 1,600 Australian schools.

3 LITERACY TIPS FOR STARTING BIG SCHOOL! What should my child know when they start school...and how to help make their learning joyful! Starting ‘big school’ is a time of change for children and their families. As parents, we want to give our kids the very best opportunities to succeed. We may talk with them about their feelings of excitement, nerves and wonder; spend time practicing zips, buttons and laces, packing and unpacking their bag and lunchbox, wear-in school shoes and uniforms, walk the route to school, wonder about teachers, classmates and endless other aspects of starting something new. All these tasks are important to a smooth transition from kinder to school. And what about reading? Do they need to know the ABC’s, how to read and write their name, what if they’ve never held a pencil? Argh! Don’t panic, we’ve got your literacy questions covered. We want to take the pressure oﬀ, so that heading to ‘big school’ is as seamless and joyful as can be. Read on for tips, games, tricks and tools for a smooth transition to school...plus a little bit of reading science lingo. Let’s Go! Phonological awareness is the ability to hear sounds within a word. It is made up of a set of skills known to be the crucial building blocks for reading. When kids have secure phonological awareness, they are much more likely to become proﬁcient readers. Importantly, we 42

want to give YOU the tools to help them build these skills through play, fun and no-fuss. Research has identiﬁed phonemic awareness (a subset of skills linked to phonological awareness) and letter knowledge as the best two predictors of how well a child will learn to read during their ﬁrst two years of school (National Reading Panel, 2000).

Fact: Children who develop strong phonemic awareness skills at an early age are more likely to become ﬂuent readers and better spellers than children who do not. Now for the fun part...

Tip 1 - Oral blending and Segmenting A crucial early reading skill, encourage your child to listen for the sounds in words. Help them break words apart (segment), and put them back together (blend). This is a skill that provides a solid foundation for learning to read. You say dog, they say d-o-g. You say b-oa-t, they say boat.

Tip 2 - What about the ABC’s? There is no need to focus on teaching your child the alphabet. If you want to expose them to supportive literacy activities, play sounds games: - Eye-spy something beginning with the sound... - Play with alliteration, “Sally sails seven sailboats”. - Do these words rhyme? hat/cat, big/small. - How many syllables (beats) in pig (1), rabbit (2), watermelon (4).

Tip 3 - What’s in a Name? A preschool child knowing how to recognise their name has tons of beneﬁts (though they don’t need to spell it just yet). Locating their belongings and having some independence in a group environment are just some. Plus, name recognition supports a deeper understanding of letters and sounds and how they work together.

Ways to expose children to their name: Name puzzles, name stamping, play dough, pompom or pebble name building. Labelling their clothing, toys and books also increases independence and ensures multiple exposures to their name. If your child is ready to learn to spell their name because they have a solid grasp of letters and sounds, help them to listen for the sounds in their name as a ﬁrst step. It is important to note that most names use alphabetic code knowledge far beyond what is developmentally taught in the early years. Here are some examples: Tom: 3 sounds, 3 graphemes, 3 letters Claudia: 6 sounds, 6 graphemes, 7 letters Alistair: 6 sounds, 6 graphemes, 8 letters Poppy: 4 sounds, 4 graphemes, 5 letters

The Bottom Line Orient sound and letter play around your child’s interests. Keep this learning fun, keep it light and if your child isn’t yet ready, or they are not enjoying the process, take a break and try again another time. By Nat and Sarah, SailAway Readers For more information, tips, tricks and tools to support early readers as well as all the info you need to book our preschool and primary school classes visit www.sailawayreaders.com

7 tips to manage the back to work and school juggle The summer school holidays have ended and the new school year is here, many parents will be experiencing that dreaded “back to school” feeling.

The juggle is never easy and sometimes it can take a few weeks for everyone to adapt. Here are a few tried and tested tips to help you navigate the back to school blues.

A mixture of emotions and nerves surround the return to school. We have the blissful feeling of dropping them off at the school gates for the day - hello freedom!

Organisation is under rated, especially by the likes of the messy Libras of the world. However, having a plan can really set up each day and week for success. Having an idea of what the week ahead looks like will help alleviate anxiety as there are no unexpected surprises.

However, the return to school also comes with its own set of stressors: can you get everyone where they need to be on time, and how will you juggle your work commitments around their school hours and extra-curricular activities?

1. Start the week right

I love a weekly planner. This can be in whatever form works for you - a google calendar, a timetable on the fridge, or an app on your phone. By adding in each family member’s activities and commitments for the week, everyone in the house knows what is happening and when. It can also help you work out a roster for who is responsible for the kids, before and after school arrangements.

2. Prepare things the night before

6. Encourage independence

Ease the morning chaos by organising a few things the night before school. This could include laying out the school uniforms and making sure the school bags are packed. If you have an airtight lunchbox, making their lunch and storing it in the fridge overnight will save you precious time in the morning.

Set things out in the same place each day so that your children can take responsibility for themselves. This includes leaving out their school uniform so they can dress themselves, having toothbrushes within reach and keeping breakfasts simple so that they can prepare it themselves.

3. Consider implementing a meal plan

Create a designated homework space in the home. Encourage your child to take responsibility for completing their homework in this space. If your child is younger and needs support, this could be a communal area such as the kitchen bench so they can ask you for help while you are preparing dinner.

I’m not saying that you have to have a set meal for each day of the week, but there are definitely a few perks of a weekly meal plan. Firstly, it makes the grocery shopping experience quicker and easier. It also helps save you money. You will be more likely to focus on the items on your grocery list and less likely to spend on junk food and takeaway. To save an hour or two of your time – think about ordering your groceries online for click and collect or home delivery. While everyone is adapting to the first few weeks of term, choose easy to prepare meals that are both nutritious and everyone in the family will eat. Avoid trying new recipes as this will be more time consuming. Cook up some batch meals that can be put in the freezer to reheat on busy week nights, such as bolognese, curry and lasagne.

4. Be realistic with your expectations We all want the best for our kids, but we need to be realistic. Accept that your child can’t do every activity under the sun. Rather, let them choose one or two extra-curricular activities or classes they are passionate about and schedule them into your weekly planner.

5. Remember to look after you

7. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help Sometimes you won’t be able to achieve everything yourself, and this is OK. Think about reliable people who you can enlist for help. For example, can a grandparent, friend or neighbour do a pick up or drop off one night a week? Can you alternate days with another parent at the school? Review your obligations for the week and make it clear to your manager or colleagues if you need to make any changes to your work schedule. Can you work remotely some days of the week to save on commute times? Flexible work spaces have become more possible with the current Covid-19 outbreak, so communicate with your boss to see if there are any alternative work arrangements that can be put in place. Sarah James is the owner of The Sensory Specialist, a qualified Psychology teacher and a mother of two boys. Through her experiences, Sarah has lots of tips and tricks to help manage the working parent juggle. www.thesensoryspecialist.com.au

If you can, try to “switch off” from work at a reasonable hour. Turn off your email alerts and focus on being present with your family. Give yourself some time for you at the end of a busy day. Self-care can as simple as having a glass of your favourite wine, having a hot shower or watching an entertaining TV show.

PLASTIC’S NOT FANTASTIC 10 simple ways to reduce the amount of plastic you use We all know that single use plastic isn’t great for the environment. Recycling options often aren’t ideal either, with plastic only really ever being able to be ‘downcycled’ a few times. The best way is to cut out single use plastic wherever possible. If you’re new to reducing your plastic consumption, here’s a few simple ways to make your everyday actions a little more green.

1. Bring your own coffee cup Takeaway cups are one of the most disposed single use items and also one of the most avoidable! With everything available from cute pottery cups to smart cups you can pay with there’s never been a better time to adopt a keep cup.

2. Bring your own shopping bags This one is kind of a no brainer in this era however, so many people still forget. If you’re one of those forgetful people, try the small fold up bags which can be carried in your handbag or glovebox. Then, try and get in the habit of putting them back after you’ve unloaded your groceries!

4. Give up gum Did you know that gum is made of a synthetic rubber which is essentially plastic? You can replace this easily with bulk packs of mints or find packaging free mints at most local bulk food shops!

3. Start a Compost Bucket If you have a council green bin which is picked up weekly alongside your general waste and recycling, then you’re the perfect candidate to start composting. All you need is a cute tupperware style container (the larger the better!) with a good seal, and you can start putting all of your compostable waste in there. Then, simply empty the container each week into your green bin, ready to be picked up and composted. Check with your council re compost waste in your green bin - some actively encourage it, while others are limited to garden waste. If you don’t have a composting service offered by your council, consider investing in a compost bin yourself! The tumbling ones from Bunnings I find brilliant but there are many options that make it super easy and simple these days! You can even find countertop kitchen composting bins which is ideal for small spaces or apartments.

5. Start a veggie patch How many times have you bought a plastic tub of herbs to add a few sprigs to a meal? Start your own simple herb / veggie garden (in pots or a garden bed). Herbs and leafy greens are actually the quickest and lowest maintenance thing you can grow, but are disproportionately expensive because they’re tricky to transport and keep fresh. All round, growing a little garden will mean you’re spending less, spicing up more meals and - reducing your plastic use. Win, win!

6. Make Your Own Cleaning Products This isn’t for everyone, I know. But if you’ve ever thought about it though, give it a go! Making your own cleaning products is simple, effective and easy - not to mention you’ll be spraying around way less nasty chemicals. Literally they can be as simple as vinegar and water (3 parts water, one part white vinegar). If DIY isn’t your style, check out your local bulk food store - most offer cleaning products. You just need to bring your bottle. Easy!

7. Give up bottled water It’s so simple to bring your own bottle and refill it when needed. It’s really just a habit. If you use straws, you can easily replace these with a

reusable stainless steel version which you can carry with you on the go as well.

8. Become a bar and box convert So many goods come packaged in plastic, from shampoo and body wash to laundry liquid or pasta. Get in the habit of always looking for the plastic free packaging option. For example, shampoo bars often come in a cardboard box, so by choosing this option - you’re avoiding another plastic bottle. Opt for laundry powder in a box over the plastic bottle of liquid. Once you get the hang of choosing bars and boxes, you’ll love it!

9. Choose natural fibres When you’re buying clothing, avoid polyester or other synthetic fabrics and opt for more natural ones like cotton, linen or silk. Support small businesses who put an emphasis on sustainability and longevity of their products, over sales and high turnover. There is something lovely about knowing your piece of clothing can be composted after a long and happy life. This tip isn’t limited to clothing either, opt for natural fibres in cleaning cloths, car covers - any time you’re purchasing something fabric!

10. Opt for plastic free postal packaging - like ours! When you’re shipping parcels, opt for compostable satchels over plastic ones. For businesses, this is a huge way to reduce your overall carbon footprint and plastic consumption. If you have to use a box, opt for plastic free packaging tape and cardboard boxes over plastic. Also, ditch the bubble wrap for recycled paper or corrugated paper padding. There are so many awesome new innovations like corn starch based packaging pellets, which make the plastic ones unnecessary. It’s never been a better time for eco packaging. Whether you’re just starting out on your journey to reduce plastic, or you’ve been walking the road for a while now, our compostable satchels are an easy and effective plastic free swap. By Anaita Sarkar, co-founder of compostable mailer brand - Hero Packaging https://heropackaging.com.au/