The Importance of Playing With Your Child Gardening with your kids
Issue 31 | Johannesburg - East Rand | April 2020
From The Editor’s Desk...
Things have certainly changed over the last month due to coronavirus!
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t feels like this pandemic has toppled our world upside down! Schools are closed, and we’re on total lockdown with employees working from home or not at all – and we don’t know how long it will last. I count myself lucky, as I’ve mostly worked from home for a number of years, so I’m used to the chaos of working in a loud and chaotic environment, and have learned to tune it out. I’m also all set up for
it from a technical point of view. It hasn’t always been easy though, and when I first started working from home I had a tiny baby, and then later an active toddler – there were many times when I thought I was going to lose my mind. Working from home is NOT easy when you have kids, so I do feel for all the parents out there who are trying it for the first time! However, there are many great resources online to help you through this journey, like blogs with crafts and
activities such as www. thingstodowithkids.co.za and educational resources and apps like Xander Apps and Skidz Educational Boxes, www.smart-kids. co.za and KidsbookClub. co.za. You can also find loads of recipes and science experiments for kids online – one of my favourite blogs is www.kidsactivityblog. com. Go check these out and let me know if you find some awesome new ideas sharing is caring! Stay safe until next time, Sarah.
CONTENTS
Everyday Life 3 4 6
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Meet the Cover Stars Giant Bubbles Gardening with Your Kids
Healthy Life 7 8 9 10 11
What to do if you Suspect you have COVID-19 Personal Wellbeing in Your Family Dr Megan @ Home Health Awareness Month Weight Loss Tips Welcome to the Marijuanaissance
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EDUCATED LIFE/PARTY LIFE
12 The Importance of Playing With Your Child 13 Make a Butterfly Feeder 14-15 Ideas for Your Kids this Housebound Holiday
The Mum’s Mail Team
Editor: Sarah Mackintosh • sarah@mumsmail.com • Enquiries: 031 - 714 4700 Accounts: meghan@mumsmail.com • Designer: Wendy Offer Advertising Sales: Bev Delew • bev@mumsmail.com | Anisha Singh • anisha@mumsmail.com Cover Photographer: Shoot the Moon, shootthemoonza@gmail.com, 078 099 4372 DISCLAIMER: Neither the Publisher, Printer or Editor can be held responsible for damages or consequences of any omissions or errors, as every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in Mum’s Mail. We do not guarantee the performance or quality of service of any of the advertisers in this magazine. No part of Mum’s Mail magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the Editor.
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Meet the Cover Star Meet our adorable cover star - Pieter Andries Venter. He is the fourth Pieter Andries in his father’s family, and is five months old.
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is parents are Pieter Andries and Claire Venter. Pieter is an Advocate at the Pretoria Bar and Claire is a high school teacher turned stay at home mom AKA super-mom! “Pieter is an incredibly friendly baby, he smiles and laughs all the time. He loves being held by anyone. The one thing people always tell me is how friendly and happy he is,” says the very proud mom. “He loves it when we sing to him, often when he is upset and crying, I start singing to him and he will almost always calm down very quickly. This is something my husband and I love because we both have a love of music.” They love going for walks and will often load Pieter into the car and go for a walk around a dam or in a park after Pieter has come home from work. They normally take their two dogs (a Boston and a pug) with them. On a weekend they will pack a picnic basket and then after their walk, they will sit in the shade and play with the dogs and Pieter for a few hours. What do you love about being parents? “When Pieter looks at you and then breaks out a huge
smile or a laugh is the best thing I have ever experienced in my life. Watching him grow and discover new things and being able to do new things is so exciting. He has recently discovered his feet and now plays with them all the time. I get very excited when he learns something new or does something new. I love that part so much,” says Claire. “I love how Pieter’s laugh and smile can warm up the room and it makes me absolutely burst with pride. I love how people are drawn to Pieter,’s personality” says his proud dad. Any advice for new parents? “Have something that your husband does with him every day, something special just for them. Your baby spends most of the time with you, so let them
have something as well. My husband baths with our child every night before bed time and he loves that time with Pieter,” advises Claire. “Your life doesn’t stop when you have a child, they are incredibly resilient and adaptive - go out, have a life, just take them with. The first few weeks are tough because you can’t really go anywhere, but it really does get easier!” “I would also like to encourage women out there who have had problems. We had a miscarriage before we became pregnant with Pieter. After the miscarriage we struggled to fall pregnant again - it took us a year and a half. That was an indescribably tough time we went through. When we finally fell pregnant, I had a very difficult pregnancy and a threatened miscarriage. I was in and out of hospital during my entire pregnancy and I was put on bed rest for basically my entire pregnancy. When Pieter was born we had to do a C-section because the cord was wrapped around his neck twice. However, we have always stayed positive and here we are today with the most beautiful baby boy I could have ever haveasked for,” concludes Claire. WWW.MUMSMAIL.COM EVERYDAY LIFE
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Giant Bubbles Make huge water bubbles at home! You will need: • Dish washing liquid • Glycerine or corn syrup • Large bowl • Wire coat hanger • Ball of string • Electrical Tape • Jug To make really good bubbles, for every 15 parts of water, mix in one part of dish washing liquid and a quarter part of glycerine. You can buy glycerine from chemists, but it is quite expensive. So if you plan to make lots of bubbles, corn syrup is a good, cheaper substitute. How to make your giant bubbles: 1. Mix the dish washing liquid and the glycerine in a jug. Stir it into a bowl of water. 2. Bend the coat hanger into a round shape. Bend in the hook so it is closed up and becomes the handle of your bubble wand. 3. Wind string tightly around the hook, and then coil it around the rest of the hanger.
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4. Secure the string by wrapping electrical tape around the hook part. You now have a bubble wand! 5. Dip the bubble wand into the mixture. Make sure all of the string is covered with the mixture. 6. Remove the bubble wand and let some of the mixture drip off. 7. Make bubbles by moving the wand through the air. Stretchy water: Water Molecules hold themselves together by surface tension. Dish washing liquid weakens the surface tension, allowing water to be stretched into a thin film. A free floating bubble filled with air will always form a sphere. This is because the surface tension is pulling it back into shape, just like a rubber balloon. Source: Smart Kids Science by Priddy Books.
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Gardening with Your Kids Hello autumn! It’s been a long, blistering summer. Now that the weather is a bit cooler, it is a great time to head outside and do some gardening with the kids. Khurshid Guffar spoke to Farah Sayed, who is a mother, gardener, poet and storyteller and founder of The Lemon Tree, a project focused on raising environmental awareness through gardening, poetry, art and people. Her work celebrates a holistic lifestyle, appreciating and connecting with nature in an eco-friendly approach. “Gardening is akin to therapy,” says Farah, who lives by the philosophy, Love Heal Grow Live. “It provides us with nourishment, values and learning important food production skills. I wanted to share this valuable life experience with my children and the local community.’ Getting children involved in gardening offers them some respite from the fastpaced world in which we live, where instant gratification is the norm. “Learning to be patient while a lemon tree grows is a huge part of learning to be a successful gardener,” says Farah. She says that other values gardening teaches children are an appreciation for how we manage food and minimise wastage, as well as a love and care for the earth and its creatures.
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Getting their hands stuck in the soil also teaches children a number of skills. ‘I find gardening is great way to teach ecological literacy and important food productions skills. It also stimulates creativity and develops research and problem solving skills (we are able to explore the various seasons, plan and prep our soil, measure the landscapes and quantities for seed and crop etc.) - it’s vast! Gardening is
great for instilling a sense of responsibility in children. Farah elaborates, “How to water your plant and what happens if you don’t care for your plants. We are ecofriendly gardeners, which means we do our best to ensure our methodology does not harm the environment, incorporating the 10 Rs – Respect , Refuse, Reduce , Reuse, Renew , Responsibility, Rethink , Replant, Restore and Recycle.”
What to do if you Suspect you have COVID-19 Follow these simple steps to use healthcare resources responsibly and appropriately, and to protect others from infection
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hat not to do: Don’t go to a hospital or emergency department for screening. “Individuals wanting to be screened or tested for COVID-19 should not go to a hospital or emergency department. Emergency departments are specialised facilities that are equipped to provide urgent and life-saving care to patients with traumatic injuries and other medical emergencies. Over 80% of people with COVID-19 will have minor to moderate symptoms and there is no reason for them to be seen in an emergency department,” says Mande Toubkin, Netcare’s general manager: emergency and trauma. “Coming to a hospital if you suspect that you have COVID-19, places the entire hospital community or others at unnecessary risk. What is important is that you practise social distancing and self-quarantine at home so you don’t spread the infection to others.” What you should do: Phone your primary healthcare provider if you meet the case definitions for COVID-19 and suspect
you may have COVID-19. Don’t go to the GP’s rooms without phoning in advance. Self-quarantine at home for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 If you suspect that you have COVID-19, you need to self-quarantine. It is crucial that you do not have contact with other people while waiting for the results, so that there is no risk that you could pass on the infection to them. • DO NOT leave your house to go to any public places. • If you live with other people, avoid or keep any contact to a minimum. • Stay in a room that is well ventilated with open windows. • Discourage any visitors to your home. • If you have a cough, wear a mask but make sure you follow the guidelines for the correct way of putting on the mask, wearing it and disposing of it to offer effective protection against the spread of infection. • Use tissues and dispose of them immediately after use in a separate rubbish bag. • Clean your hands often and thoroughly with alcohol based hand rub or hand
spray, or wash them with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds. • If you have to share a bathroom with others, clean the bathroom, door handles, taps and any other surfaces you may have touched with a bleach-based disinfectant each time you have used it to reduce the risk of spreading the infection. • Keep the towels you use separately, do not share towels with other people. • Ask friends or family to deliver essential groceries and medicines you may need while you are in selfquarantine. • Wash your clothing separately from that of others, in a washing machine at high temperature. • If your symptoms worsen, phone the doctor who tested you for guidance. “The over 80% of people with confirmed COVID-19 who have little or mild symptoms do not need to be admitted to hospital but will be able to recover at home, in self-quarantine, for 14 days. Only persons whose condition is such that they require in-hospital care need to be admitted,” Toubkin concludes. WWW.MUMSMAIL.COM HEALTHY LIFE
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Personal Wellbeing in Your Family Cindy Glass, Owner and Co-founder of Step Up Education Centres, believes that it is not enough to just survive the life that we are living!
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t is not enough to live in fear of contracting THE Virus. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could focus on the wellbeing of ourselves and our families and do this despite the challenges that everyday life may present to us? Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could increase the quality of our physical and mental health, experience happiness and fulfilment and THRIVE, despite the threat of coronavirus? Of course it would!” “The reality is that our lives can feel out-of-control, frustrating and miserable at times. This is unavoidable. But the good news is that small changes can lead to greater opportunities of experiencing personal wellbeing, happiness and fulfilment,” Cindy explains. Cindy gives us her five helpful hints to get yourself back on track:
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Nurture an ‘I-have-yourback’ culture: The family unit can be a powerful platform of support, acceptance, encouragement, positive connectivity and unconditional love. Home should be your place-of-safety; your physical and emotional refuge against the challenges of the world. As parents, we need to set the tone of non-judgemental conversations, laughter and positive support. A hug, a listening ear, a word of encouragement, an acknowledgement of progress. Chatting is important: Make an effort to bring back the ‘old’ family tradition of eating dinner around a table – or together on the mat, or under a tree in your garden – whichever will ensure that genuine conversations can take place. Food is a wonderful connector of
people. Ask questions like: “How was your day? Did you enjoy soccer practice? Did you learn anything interesting today?” Your children will share their stories with you IF they feel safe-from judgement. Imagine the joy of genuine connectivity that conversations around a table can bring to you and your family! Get active: Looking after your physical body is just as important as taking care of your mental health. Find ways to exercise together; a walk in the park, a game of cricket in the back garden. Get enough sleep. Model strong values: Your children will follow your lead. Respect of self and others, integrity, kindness, a positive work ethic, resilience, self-regulation, accountability and responsibility. You can decide on a set of family values that work for you. “Life can be challenging but it is simply not enough to just survive something. We can focus on personal wellbeing and find moments of great happiness and fulfilment amidst the struggles.” concludes Cindy.
Dr Megan @ Home Health Awareness Month As we are all being bombarded with the Coronavirus, we should take note that we are entering Health Awareness Month.
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e are also approaching winter and that means the cold and flu season will soon be upon us. Many healthy individuals will contract “The Flu� or Coronavirus, or any of the other respiratory viruses causing similar symptoms, and they will recover quickly with symptomatic treatment and rest. The individuals who need to be concerned are the very young (less than 5 years old) or those over the age of 65 or people living with an underlying heart or lung condition, or immune compromised by cancer/chemotherapy, diabetes or HIV/TB. These are the members of our community that require extra attention to prevent them from developing complications from this illness.
The flu vaccine is recommended for those who do not want to be infected with influenza. Remember, these are specific viruses that you develop immunity to, this does not mean you will not get a common cold or flu like symptoms from other viruses. We hope and pray for a Covid-19, Coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible. In the meantime, wash your hands! Skills we should all learn as toddlers... wash your hands after using the toilet, wash your hands before preparing or eating food. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. These basic habits that can help prevent the spread of infections. By Dr Megan Broughton, megan@umhlangagp.net.
WWW.MUMSMAIL.COM HEALTHY LIFE
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Weight Loss Tips We’ve heard it all before; fad diets don’t work. Losing weight requires discipline and dedication; you need to exercise consistently and follow a healthy eating plan.
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f the thought of sweating it out on a treadmill, meticulous meal planning and then spending a day of your weekend purchasing healthy ingredients (and then cooking a week’s worth of healthy meals) makes you want to give it all up and embrace your bulges, read on. The following tips require little effort, can be applied to your daily routine and are not all that soul destroying. Order plain beverages I’m a sucker for caramel lattes. But ordering a cappuccino with froth instead of cream and forgoing the
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sugar will save you about 40 calories. A small and pretty effortless price to pay for a slimmer waist line. Snack attack Keep healthy foods close at hand for you to snack on. These should be easy to eat and things that you will enjoy. Think biltong, sugar free yoghurt, hummus with rice crackers or veggie sticks, celery dipped into peanut butter (surprisingly yum!), cheese, almonds and fruit as well as popcorn. Eat dinner at breakfast Instead of eating a heavy meal before going to sleep, fuel your body with the
nutrients it needs in the morning to get you through the day. Then have a lighter evening meal. Drink more water Especially before a meal, this is believed to boost the metabolism and it also fills you up a bit, resulting in you eating less. Sometimes, when we feel hungry, we are in fact dehydrated. So when hunger pangs come on when they shouldn’t, have a glass of water. Squish fruit and herbs before adding to water to jazz up the taste. Don’t eat from the bag We are all guilty of unconsciously eating from a bag until we have discovered we have reached the bottom. Keep your portions under control by pouring sweets, chips and nuts into a ramekin or small bowl. Combat the movie munchies Before settling down in front of the TV, paint your nails. This will prevent you from being able to eat. Alternatively, (because painting your nails every night is unsustainable), find something to do with your hands, like knitting, if you find you cannot enjoy your down time without thinking about an unhealthy snack. By Khurshid Guffar.
Welcome to the Marijuanaissance Move over coconut oil, ever since the legalisation of CBD, cannabis products have become the fountain of health, beauty and wellbeing.
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ome background info CBD which stands for Cannabidiol, is one of over 80 compounds extracted from the cannabis or marijuana plant. CBD does not cause any form of intoxication. The ‘high’ effect is caused by another cannabinoid found in cannabis, called THC. Why now? People have been using cannabis for its healing properties for decades. However, there has always been a stigma attached to it. It has become mainstream now because the benefits of this plant were brought to the forefront, thanks to science, and this led to CBD being legalised in many parts of the world. Previously, the compound that was most sought after in the cannabis plant was THC. People associated cannabis with getting high.
The higher the strain of THC, the higher the high, so to speak. Then scientists began to study the health benefits of low THC strains and moved their attention to the CBD compound. They discovered that it was packed with anti-inflammation properties, vitamins A, D, and E, and also essential fatty acids. What can CBD do for your skin? Applied topically, CBD is a great anti-inflammatory, painkiller and works wonders on dry skin. Inflammation exacerbates acne and signs of ageing. If you ever had acne, you will know how difficult it can be to treat because it has so many components; blocked pores, excess sebum, inflammation, and the increase and spread of bacteria. It is believed that CBD prevents breakouts by
regulating oil production of the sebaceous glands. By controlling inflammation and oil production, CBD is a great defence against acne or acne prone skin. Applying serums or creams infused with CBD oil to your skin will reduce visible signs of ageing. CBD oil contains Omega 6 and Omega 3, these fatty acids stimulate the production of collagen. Antioxidants, found abundantly in CBD oil counteract free-radical damage, contributing to more youthful looking skin and also speed up your healing time. Rubs and balms infused with CBD are ever so popular now because they reduce swelling and offer relief in sore joints and muscles alike. CBD creams are increasingly being used to ease symptoms of eczema and psoriasis. Cannabinoids have proved to be effective in stopping the itch caused by these skin condition. The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties found in CBD further treat eczema and psoriasis. Why not give it a try? By Khurshid Guffar. WWW.MUMSMAIL.COM HEALTHY LIFE
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The Importance of Playing With Your Child Wendy Corfe is a counselling psychologist in private practice in Hilton. Here she explores the importance of playing with your children.
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ow often have you just arrived home after a long day, feeling exhausted, mentally listing all the chores you have to complete before you can finally put your feet up, when your little one asks, “When can you play with me?”. This can sometimes cause you to groan inwardly and to guiltily wonder why your child can’t just play alone. So, what is it that children get from playing with a parent which makes them crave this experience so much? Firstly, playing with your child and giving them your undivided attention tells them that they are so important to you that you choose to spend time with them. This is a strong, affirmative message to a young child that helps to build self-esteem. Secondly, children have an innate need to be witnessed. Think of your child building a Lego tower or doing a handstand.
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“Mummy, Daddy, look at me!” Look what I can do!” Your attending to their achievements, however small, helps them feel seen and validated which is necessary for mental well-being. Shared play also provides an opportunity for you to model coping skills and to help your child develop emotional regulation. For example, if your little one has painstakingly built a tall tower and it collapses causing them to throw the tower across the room and burst into tears, you can help them label their feelings. “I see you are feeling really disappointed and frustrated right now but it’s not okay to throw toys across the room.” This also gives an opportunity to help them learn coping, “What would help you feel better?” “Would it help if we rebuilt it together or shall we go outside and swing for a bit?” Scaffolding coping like
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this gives your child options to draw on in the future when engaged in independent play or in play with peers. Research shows that child behaviour problems decrease when parents play with their children regularly. Shared play also helps your child learn to problem solve. Finally, studies show that the hormone oxytocin (the bonding hormone) is released in both children and their parents during happy playtimes. This hormone causes a sense of relaxation and well-being in both parties, in other words playing with your child has physiological benefits for both of you. In addition to this, it deepens the bond between you, which is a wonderful platform from which to guide your child’s behaviour when you need to. Studies show that mums and dads play differently with their children. Dads tend to play in a more physical way, for example they engage in boisterous or sporting activities while mums tend to be more verbal. Both forms of play are valuable and necessary for children to grow up with a healthy balance.
Make a Butterfly Feeder Butterflies are very like children. They are both more than happy just eating sugar!
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owever, unlike children, butterflies can do this without running around like maniacs afterwards and feeling slightly ill. So, why not use some sugar to set up a butterfly feeder in your garden and watch to see which butterflies visit? You will need: Water, sugar, pan, jar with lid, acrylic pens/ paints, string or twine, hammer and nail, and a sponge or cotton wool. First, ask a grown-up to make you some sugar water. This is done by dissolving one tablespoon of sugar in nine tablespoons of water by heating it in a pan. While that cools down, you can construct the feeder. Take a small jar and decorate it with brightly coloured flowers. You could tape on paper shapes, but it will last longer if you painted them on with acrylic paint or acrylic paint pens. Next, take your string or twine and cut four lengths at least three times longer than the jar itself. Take each piece and, making sure you have an equal length either side, tie it around the neck of the jar, finishing in a knot. Do the same with the next piece, this time making sure the knot is on the opposite side. The final two pieces should end with the knots halfway between the other two so that all four knots are equally spaced. Now turn the jar upside down before taking a piece of string from each of the two adjacent knots and tying them together about 3cm up the string. Do this with all the other pieces until you can see a net pattern forming. Repeat this with the second layer of knots and continue until you reach the top of the jar. You will need to add a hole to the jar lid. You can do this by hammering thorough a nail (which is best done by a grown-up). Next, take your small piece of sponge or
cotton wool and thread it through the hole so some is poking out both sides. It should be a snug fit so that the water soaks the sponge but doesn’t drip off (you can experiment until you get it right). Finally, fill the jar with the sugar water, put on the lid and use the string, bunched together, to hang it somewhere in the garden where the butterflies can see it – a sunny spot is best. Source: 101 Things for Kids to Do outside by Dawn Isaac.
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Ideas for Your Kids this Housebound Holiday #JoziMom Tracey, is a former communications specialist and globetrotter and now also a content contributor to ThingsToDoWithKids. She shares some tips and insight on how to master this long house-bound holiday.
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avinga week or four of uninterrupted time with your kids will give you a wonderful opportunity to observe how they have grown and developed while also giving you a chance to give them your undivided attention (in-between working from home of course) and learn how to play with your child with stimulating activities that will boost their development and strengthen your bonds. Now for some entertainment ideas to select from
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for all ages that will provide great opportunities for stimulation, fun and lovely holiday bonding while still allowing you some wellearned time to get your own things done! Get cooking and baking Many fine motor skills are strengthened and refined while baking and cooking or preparing food. Babies and toddlers will also be more likely to try some new foods if they have helped to prepare them with you so this is a great activity for fussy
eaters (many toddlers eat while preparing the meal). Put on a show Through music, children learn essential skills for language development and early social, cognitive, and communication learning. The planning and practising will keep them busy for some time while giving you a chance to have an uninterrupted conversation. Pull out any musical instruments so that they can include singing and dancing in the act and find dress-up costumes to add to the entertainment. Encourage the older kids to help the little ones get involved in this great, creative fun and don’t forget to make a huge fuss of your budding stars when the show is over. Age-appropriate chores Family chore time It may be holidays but since it’s a critical no contact time, many of us lose our trusted helpers as they too have to be home with their little ones. But the chores still need to get done. Household chores are a great way to get your little ones to help out while stimulating Gross Motor
Development and providing Sensory Stimulation. “Pushing” and “pulling” chores such as vacuuming, sweeping mopping, wiping down table tops, packing and unpacking the washing machine are good examples. The key is to make it fun so hold competitions and allow the winner of the day to choose a special treat. Independent Play Fostering independent play takes time and patience. But once it’s mastered this allows for so much extra time for moms and dads to get some free time in or to work. “In our house I find LEGO is great for independent play and I taught my son (5yo) how to play solitaire too,” says Tanya Badenhorst - editor of Things to do With Kids. On a more personal note, while we agree on the LEGO, I find in our house independent
play comes mostly from imaginary play, colouring in and Play Station. I find PlayStation uses fine motor skills and problem solving and ensuring the game is age appropriate can give hours of problem solving fun. Try Cars3 or Peggle. Other simple and fun things to do with your kids this holiday: Go on a picnic: You don’t have to go far to have a picnic – your own garden is a great option. Let your kids help you pack the picnic basket from whatever you have in the fridge. It’s amazing how much more fun it is to snack in the outdoors! Go camping: Build a tent indoors or outdoors with blankets and sheets. Once the tent is up, make a password so only you and your kids can enter. You can even choose to sleep in the tent that night
making it even more fun. Do a treasure hunt: Make a treasure map out of brown paper with clues to find some treasure you have hidden somewhere in the house or garden. Even the smallest treasure, when found, will be greeted with much excitement. Make a robot: Don’t throw away present boxes from the deliveries you are going to get or from the empty cereal boxes. Fantastic robots can be created with some glue, finger paint and a just a little imagination. Do a puppet show: Make sock puppets by gluing wool on the top of an old sock and using a permanent marker to draw eyes, nose and a mouth. Go on a colour hunt in the house: Collect objects of a certain colour. The winner has collected the most objects in the set time. Build a garden patch: Dedicate a small patch in the garden to the kids and create an outdoor play area. Fill with pots, a small rake, bucket, spoons, utensils and solid plastic toys like animal figurines. Plant flowers, herbs and lettuce - anything that grows quickly and gives them the satisfaction of having produced something. If your kids are small, just give them a spade, put on their old clothes, and let them loose. Visit www.thingstodowithkids.co.za for more great ideas.
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