My Child Magazine Issue 112 January 2021

MAGAZINE.COM.AU

ISSUE 112 - JANUARY 2021

back to school

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Bianca Medina ART DIRECTOR

Bianca Medina DEPUTY EDITOR

Feba Maryann  CONTRIBUTORS

Sheree Hoddinett Amy Adeney Lance Green Caleb Oquendo August de Richelieu Tima Miroshnichenko Caleb Oquendo Gustavo Fring C Technical Julia M Cameron Ketut Subiyanto Daria Shevtsova Ben Mack CONTACT

My Child Magazine North Parramatta NSW Sydney Australia +614 11 572 877 editorial@mychildmagazine.com.au

Contents 6

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10 Study Tips For Back To School

5 Tips For Good Nutrition

Reducing Your Child’s Screen Time

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During Pregnancy

90

Back To School Safety Tips To Keep In Mind

44

Dad Read - Tips For New Dads

Making A Splash With Bubblebubs

96

Droplets Reusable Swim Nappies

18 Coping With The Transition Back To

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How To Childproof Your Relationship Before You Become Pregnant

School During Covid-1

Get The Look Interiors

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60

Dealing

Recovering From A Vaginal Birth

Direction

With Anxiety In Children

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106

Seizures In Children

Fashion

72

116

Toy Reviws

Bubblebubs Feature

78

130

Nurturing Good Sleep Habits In

Recipes

28 Book Reviews

32 Going Back To School After The Covid Pandemic

102 Blogger -Tracking In A New

Children

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MY CHILD DIRECTORY

DISCLAIMER: It My Child Magazine and mychildmagazine.com.au are wholly owned by My Child Magazine (ABN 79 167 787 662). No other parties or individuals have any financial interest in the company or in My Child or mychildmagazine.com.au. My Child contains general information only and does not purport to be a substitute for health and parenting advice. Readers are advised to seek a doctor for all medical and health matters. The publisher and authors do not accept any liability whatsoever in respect of an action taken by readers in reliance on the recommendations set out in this magazine. Reproduction of any material without written permission by the publisher is strictly forbidden. We cannot accept responsibility for material lost or damaged in the post or for any unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All reasonable efforts have been made to trace copyright holders.

Bianca Medina editor-in-chief

Editor’s Letter Hiya Peeps, Happy New Year!!!

Well the start of 2021 has been very eventful so far! Let’s start with New Years Day! We woke to a burst pipe in our bathhroom that flooded our house!! It was a disater. We were due to move out at the end of month, but this event pushed our timetable up by 3 week, so we packed up our house of 3 years in 4 days and are now living out of a suitcase until our new home is ready! So that was our Ciao to 2020 and Welcome to 2021!!

I am super excited about this year though! We made the decision to move from Sydney to Newcastle and the countdown is on! As a youngish family, Sydney has been a draining experience. Once you have children your priorites and values change. We decided that we needed more quality time as a family. so my hubby will still work in sydney midweek but will have 4 day weekends with me and our daughter. As we will be living 20 mins from Newcastle City and only 15 mins to the beaches or lake, this will change only change the way we spend time togeather as a family but will change our overall lifestyle. I really look forward to this new chapter and can’t wait to see what this seaside change brings us!

Well, until Next Issue,

Bianca oxo

editor’s picks

The Period Cup $40 shop.thetomco.com

The Return $26.25 booktopia.com.au

Tropical Palms Twist Waisted Bikini $49.95 au.cupshe.com

Kamini Premium Nag Champa XXX Perfume $14.95 thehippiehouse.com.au

Sparkling Star Stud Earrings $39 au.pandora.net

Ravensburger Enchanted Forest Board Game $26.00 amazon.com.au

Cream Extra Large Oversized Sun Hat $55 prettylittlething.com.au

Tweedledum Matte Tort $79.95 au.lespecs.com

Garmin VivoFit JR3 Activity Tracker Iron Man $149 rebelsport.com.au

10 STUDY TIPS FOR BACK TO SCHOOL written by: feba maryann

Educating children in their comfort zones has been one of the most efficient features of technology put to use during this pandemic. But no matter how trailblazing the technology gets, some things just never change!

And that includes the cumbersome process of learning subjects and executing assignments. But here are some tips to get you on track!

One Step At A Time Breaking a huge chunk into smaller modules has been one of the best go-to tips of all time. Since the very beginning of the pandemic, online classwork’s and homework’s have contributed to looming assignments that seem so never-ending. But here’s a trick, one deep breath and one step at a time never fails you. If you’ve got ample time, break the task into manageable tasks, and accomplish it regularly.

Scoring Marks Isn’t Everything Education is not about acing those quizzes you take.

Although it may seem like the only thing that matters are the marks you score, it is far from true. School education focuses equally on discipline, working consistently and regularly.

Do you love dancing? Or singing? Or playing football?

Do what you love! Extracurriculars are an integral part of school education too. You do you!

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The Workspace Mentality It is often said that a good workstation helps your brain to concentrate better, but in the current scenario, finding a place where there are zero distractions can be challenging. So, find a well-lit, naturally ventilated corner in the house, and get ready to achieve your goals.

Sometimes, a change of scenery can even trigger your brain to retain information better, so why not try moving into that cute kitchen table or that verandah of yours?

Learn How To Create A Distraction-Free Zone During the lockdown period, we were stuck to our screens and social media 24x7. A sudden change from that routine may be very difficult to process but make it a point that you stay away from your mobile phone or any such distraction while you are doing your homework or trying to study for a test. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb or turn off the notifications while you are in study mode.

Organisation Is The Key Being organised helps you to eliminate the belated chaos that can subsequently help you to code work that makes it easier for you. Try using planners, to keep a check on the tasks that are yet to be done. And another pro tip to use a planner, is to use it beyond just planning as the agenda, use it to write down what you have JANUARY 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #112

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accomplished and journal your feedback too.

Get Into A Routine Set up a routine and try to respect it. Choose those times to study when you’ll have the least amount of distractions. This also helps you manage your time more effectively.

Keep It Simple Nothing too glossy, shines forever- so here’s the trick!

Keep it simple. Whatever system or routine you follow, keep it simple and easy to go by. This is because if the system is too ostentatious, you are most likely to follow it inconsistently. So, to follow the routine everyday, be realistic and take Get Real Be realistic about the amount of work you’ll be able to complete in a given time. Do not build your castles on thin air. Keep it real, start working earlier if you know it’ll take longer, rather than waiting for some miracle to happen...

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Use Class Time Wisely If you find yourself having a free hour or free time during class, utilising that time effectively. Try learning one extra formula or a couple of stanzas of a poem or complete your homework in that extra time.

Be Consistent Being consistent can mean the difference between having to mug up hundreds of pages of study material before an exam and just barely revising. Furthermore, being consistent boosts your confidence.

If, say, one day before the exam for some reason you couldn’t study. If you weren’t consistent chances are likely that you’ll flunk the test. Being consistent ensures that this load is evenly divided so that even if you miss a day you can still make up for it on the next day without having to sacrifice anything.

Conclusion During the lockdown, studies more or less came to a standstill. The COVID-19 pandemic was a very stressful experience and now that schools are finally reopening, hopes of returning to normal are also popping up. So, it is now time for you to get back into study mode with these tips to aid you.

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BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND Written By: Feba Maryann

Going back to school means going back to normal, but this time, it’s not just normal, it’s going to be a ‘new normal’.

Contemplating our new mechanism to fit the bill just right, could be quite a racking task, but with these simple and easy tips to keep in mind, you are ready to hit the road.

Do The Little Things Right: A prime juncture in the line of events caused by the pandemic has made us realize the significance of things that we considered to be trivial.

And that goes by saying, that having spent all year making ourselves more aware of the symptoms and precautions, it is paramount that we put action into these slightest of efforts too.

Things like wearing masks properly, washing our hands the right way, and most commonly, not touching the face too often can go a long way for prevention.

Enquire Your Concerns: Make sure that there is clarity, on all possible fields of concern like: • How are classrooms, mess facilities, and all social gathering spaces arranged?

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“Going back to school means going back to normal, but this time, it’s not just normal, it’s going to be a ‘new normal”

• Will school transport (if any) be available, if so, will it be running at 50% capacity?

• How is the institution going to monitor the traces of any suspect cases or symptoms?

• Is there any universal masking policy that requires all to comply with it?

• What are the changes going to be regarding the extracurricular activities?

• How have cleaning routines and methods of the school improvised?

• How is the consumption and handling of shared equipment going to be zeroed?

• What are the measures going to be taken if any student or staff falls sick?

Apprehend The Safety Measure That Is Being Implemented Classroom education calls for the presence of your children in every activity to fortify their learning process, which also means the assembly of children into groups becomes quite inevitable.

Therefore, with this comes a JANUARY 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #112

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greater level of perils.

Hence, make sure that your child’s educational institution conforms to all the safety measures prescribed by the public health officials. Colleges and schools would thus be required to reach out enterprisingly.

Pay Attention To Your Child’s Concerns A new set of events lead to a chain reaction of consequences, that can be quite hefty for your kids to come by. With this, anxiety becomes an underlying issue, and most of the time, not addressing it diligently can have serious repercussions.

If your child feels a strain, in pursuing tasks like increased homework or even facing a friend crisis, do not dismiss the problem, and listen carefully.

Coping with these challenges is possible only with the guidance and reassured support of a parent. Since this is a topic that can have other underlying factors that may stop your child from opening up, it remains a parent’s responsibility to talk about it, in case it has not been discussed.

Mandatory Scheduling Of Medical Assessment Camps Medical camps may seem like provisionary steps to make sure that the wellness of the students is kept intact. But, by going with facts stated from research, it can prove to be much more rewarding, annually.

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When children are being assessed under the supervision of medical professionals, the following are to be kept in mind: • The mandatory procedure of thermal scanning.

• An imperative approach to social distancing.

• Mandatory usage of clean masks by all.

• Medical equipment used for one person to be immediately disposed of after use.

• Repeated cleaning of all rooms used throughout, for examination, isolation, etc.

Check-ups You cannot control everything, but what you can do is have a check-up, to help you understand where things can go wrong. The fledgling period of your child’s resumed offline education, calls for continuous assessment in terms of immunity, physical, and mental health.

Go With Your Gut Not every child is the same, nor is the situation they come from. So, it is totally fine if you do not wish to take a chance by letting your children resume their classes offline. Distance learning solutions, like online learning platforms, thus, enable you to trust your parental instinct because the world is fighting a pandemic, and survival is the need of the hour.

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COPING WITH THE TRANSITION BACK TO SCHOOL DURING COVID-19 written by: Feba Maryann

There’s one thing about 2020 that we’d all admit, that we actually thought the world was ending. The fact that it was all going downhill got our physical and mental state deteriorating.

But as they say, staying together in everything lets us practice the most reckless optimism.

And to much of our delight, now we are almost done with a phase of social isolation. Slowly, it looks like we can get back to our lives whilst keeping the constraints in our minds.

Nevertheless, this transition from being isolated to going back to normal can affect us, especially children in an adverse manner. Ergo, here are a few tips to help us cope better with the transition that the back-to-school phenomenon calls for.

Understand And Acknowledge The Reasons For Your Anxiety If our children are dealing with the unknown devil of uncertainty, it can wreak havoc in their minds, but here’s one way to eliminate the chaos- Acknowledge what is bothering them. What they need is neither dismissal nor reassurance on the issue.

Make them realise the significance of a transparent conversation with themselves and 20

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others without suppressing their emotions to enable a clear and un-sceptical mind.

Ask them to journal their anxieties, no matter how petty they may seem. Encourage conversations with like-minded people who can share what they face as well because then a collective solution for the common good is sure to rise.

Repressed Emotions Block Your Energy The fundamental way to deal with anything new is to act as if nothing has really changed. But in this case, it doesn’t work that way because feelings can be an outburst as a result of all the frustrating uncertainty. This is where parents play a key role, in emotionally structuring the mindset of their children towards the possible perils of the pandemic.

As they grow and mature, try to have in-depth conversations that allow them to understand that it’s quite okay to not feel okay, and that coming out of it may seem like a herculean task, but it’s important to not hang in that phase for so long.

Have Factual Awareness Of The Transpose Once you’ve had a conversation about how JANUARY 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #112

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things can actually change, try to accept it.

For instance, it’s going to be clear that when schools reopen, the classrooms may not runin full capacity, and gathering activities like a morning assembly would be cancelled, or even the other co-curricular activities may hang back for a while.

Try to find out what can be accomplished within the limitations and be a part of solutions that fit the bill of the new normal.

The More You Fight It, The Lesser It Shows Its Face Instead of running away from their fears, learning to face those fears is a skill that children need to be taught. And that comes from accepting the situation for what it is and analysing what can be done. Also, asking for help when needed should be a constant mechanism.

The Educator’s Role In this steady transition, educators and educational institutions have a fair share of responsibilities. After all, these institutions hold their field of guidance and support in the holistic welfare of their students. Therefore, understanding the disadvantages of the 22

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transpose, requires schools and colleges to be more tolerant towards the anxiety and fear factors affecting students.

If your child’s school does not seem to be aware of these issues, talk to the respective authorities.

Initiate Step-By-Step Comeback When the mental well-being of students is taken into consideration, supportive measures must be taken too. For instance, making a certain attendance percentage compulsory can take a toll on students, as physically being present for the class at all times in the current scenario, can add up to fear and anxiety. Similarly, instead of a dynamic approach, a rather gradual come back can help in easing the transition smoothly.

Award Even The Smallest Of Things Encouragement and appreciation can go a very long way when it comes to making the impossible possible. By appreciating efforts put in by children and setting forth a model for good coping behaviour, children can feel aided with the best possible methods to tackle issues of the change with optimism.

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dealing with anxiety in children

WRITEN BY: FEBA MARYANN

Anxiety is something that every child has to face growing up and usually goes away with time. It is completely normal for children to be anxious or worried. So, when should you be concerned? If anxiety starts hindering their everyday routines or work and is affecting their wellbeing then you should start being proactive.

We all have experienced anxiety in some form or the other at some point in time and know that it is totally fine. But when it is our kids that are affected, we respond very differently. Parents tend to be protective and try to get rid of anything that triggers anxiety in their child. However, this only works to aggravate the situation.

So, what can you do to help your child? Here we have compiled some tips to help you deal with the anxiety your child is facing.

Teach Them To Face Their Fears It is often seen that parents try to remove the stressors that may trigger their child to feel anxious. Yes, it is difficult to see your child being unhappy and scared but remember that the aim is to teach them to face their fears on their own.

You cannot possibly be able to be there with them forever and get rid of any stones that are on their way. There are obviously going to be times when your child will have to deal with such obstacles alone.

Helping them to cope with their anxiety and making them perform as well as they can, will result in the anxiety slowly fading away.

Acknowledge Their Emotions Your child may be anxious for the silliest reasons, some kids are anxious about visiting a doctor, others may be anxious about going to crowded spaces or may be scared of meatballs maybe. But one key thing to keep in mind is to never belittle their emotions.

Acknowledging their emotions does not mean you have to agree with them. Rather you should let them know that it is okay to be scared or anxious. Make it a point that you’ll be there with them and will help them face their fears.

Everyday try to spend time with them, maybe have a free space where they can vent out whatever they want and you together can cerebrate towards a practical solution.

Set Realistic Goals 26

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If your child is, say, scared of water; you cannot tell them that they’ll never drown as they are invincible. But rather you should let them know that you have confidence that they are going to be okay, that you know they’ll learn swimming. This isn’t restricted to children who are scared of water but was just an example to portray how you can set realistic goals.

It actually is important that you set these goals for anxious children but do not try to force rapid changes. Let them take their time, give them room for error, and support them when they need you.

Don’t Let Them Neglect Their Health Adults with anxiety tend to skip meals, have disturbed sleep or be insomniac, and sedimentary. The case in kids is no different, your child may become dull, inactive and may have difficulty with sleeping.

Emphasise on taking care of their basic needs, like healthy meals, proper sleep cycle, and a good amount of exercise. Aerobic exercises especially have been found to be excellent mood boosters.

Empathise Put yourself in their shoes, try to think from their perspective. When you were younger was there something that made you anxious or scared? Maybe your neighbour’s dog or maybe a bully at school or walking alone in the dark. Think about what you wanted to hear from your parents, what helped you overcome that fear. Use your experiences to help your child.

Conclusion Dealing with an anxious child could be an exhaustive task, therefore it is important that you look after yourself too. Take breaks, eat well, get proper rest and take the necessary steps to stay calm and collected at all times.

If you yourself are under stress or anxious, this could be a good opportunity to demonstrate how to deal with anxiety to your child.

This also normalizes anxiety and teaches them more than your words could.

Your goal here is clear, help them learn how to cope with anxiety.

They are the ones learning, this too is a part of their growth and these phases will give them strength to face other obstacles thrown at them at later stages in life.

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BOOK e

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s

by: Amy Adeney from Busy Bookworms

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G O AWAY, WO R R Y M O NST ER !

BY BROOKE TATLOW- LORD

GRAHAM

AN D

RO BI N

Worry Monster loves “help i ng” A r c hi e worry, especially the night b e f or e he starts his new school. Arch i e f e e l s so anxious that his head hurts, hi s t um m y flutters and his heart pounds. H e soon realizes the only way to f eel b e t t e r i s t o make Worry Monster go away. H e d oe s hi s belly breaths and faces facts t o c hal l e nge his inner fears.

Go Awa y , Worry M on st er gi v es c h i l d r en ev id en c e-b a sed st ra t egies t o c o p e wi th a n xiet y , sh owin g t h em h ow to m a k e t h eir own Worry Mon st ers g o a wa y .

Th is in v a lu a b le resou rc e is a n ex c el l en t sp rin gb oa rd f or d isc u ssion wi th c h i l d r en wh o a re exp erien c in g worry , a nd es p ec i a l l y for t h ose b egin n in g sc h ool t h is y ea r .

POO AND OTH ER WOR DS THAT M AK E ME L AUG H

BY F E L I CA A R E N A A N D TO M JE L L ETT W he t h e r w e l i k e it o r n o t , a lm o s t all young c hildr e n a r e a mu s ed b y ‘ t o ilet h umour’, a nd o f c o u r s e , fo r t h o s e r ead ers, this b o o k w i l l b e a n in s t a n t h it . H ap p ily, this b o o k of f e r s u p a m u c h b r o a d er a rray of i nt e r e s ti n g , f u nn y wo r d s , an d as s uch will a lso ap p e a l t o o ld er r ead er s – t hose of u s w h o c a n ’t h elp b u t g ig g le at t h e sound of w or d s s u c h a s b r o u h a h a, b u mf uzzle, c a bo od l e , c ol l y wo b b les , p er s n ic ke ty, and s cut t l e b u tt .

In t he g r a n d tr adition of The B ook wit h N o P ic t ure s a n d T h is Is a B all, this is a b ra n d n e w r e a d - a l o u d to get eve ryone laugh in g, b ut al s o t o f o s ter an appre ciation f or t h e s ha pe s a n d s o u nds of s ome of the most q uirky w o r d s in the Englis h langu a ge.

P e rf e c t f o r r e a d e rs age d tw o and up .

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SI BLI N G S !

BY ROCI O BONI LLA Having a brother or siste r c an b e a challenge! Sometimes the y c om p l ai n, dob on and exhaust you. At ot he r t i m e s, they make you laugh, play wi t h y ou and keep you company. With the he l p of a playf ul design and inspiring i l l ust r at i ons, this book literally presents t wo si d e s of the same story so each si b l i ng l e ar ns to appreciate the other’s q ual i t i e s and quirks.

Sib lin gs! is t h e p erfec t p rop to rela t ion sh ip s b et ween sib lin g s h ome p olit ic s. Th is wit t y a n d p ic t u re b ook will b e en joy ed a ged f ou r a n d u p .

b u i l d b etter a n d ex p l o r e i m a g i n a ti v e b y r ea d er s

STAND UP! SPEAK UP!

BY A N D RE W JO Y N E R Ce le br a t e young c lima t e change act ivis t s i n t h i s c h a r m in g s t o r y a b out an e m po w e r e d g i r l wh o s h o w s u p , lis t ens up, and ul ti m a te l y , s p eaks u p t o in s p i re her co m m u n i ty t o take a c t io n ag a in s t climate cha ng e . Af t e r a tt en d in g a c lima t e march, a yo un g a c t i v i s t is m o t iva t ed t o make an e f f o rt a n d d o h er p ar t t o h elp t h e planet by o rg a n i z i n g vo lu n t eer s t o m a ke green cha ng e s i n t h e i r c o m m u n it y.

T his is a n u p l i f ting picture book t h a t is an im p o r t a n t r eminder that no chan ge is to o sm a l l – a n d no pe rs on is too you n g – to m a k e a d i f f e rence. The s imple text a n d liv e ly i l l u s tr a t i o ns mak e this an exc ellen t c h o ic e f o r r e a d e rs age d thre e and up .

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GOING BACK TO SCHOOL AFTER THE COVID PANDEMIC WRITTEN BY: Feba Maryann

The back-to-school phenomenon would have never been this exciting for children, if not for the pandemic. But when the biggest ambitions get zeroed upon a single concern, how do you help yourself with a dash of optimism? Read on to find out!

What Is The Role Of Children In The Dissemination Of The Virus?

Considering that the research around this question has not reached its apex, it would be safer to say that the role of children in the transmission is not yet fully understood. However, the small number of outbreaks reported among teaching staff suggests that there is a spread of COVID-19 within educational institutions, though, very few outbreaks involving children have been reported.

What Are The Consequences Of A School Closure?

School closures can become a burden to people across various communities and result in disrupting the educational system. Here’s why, Interruptions in the learning process: • Children are deprived of opportunities for growth and development when schools remain closed and its impact hits hard on the underprivileged 34

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learners who tend to have fewer educational opportunities beyond school.

• As schools are hubs of social activity and human interaction, its closure results in social isolation for the youth.

• The shift to distance learning platforms is messy and excruciating, even in the best circumstances.

• As a result, the youth fall into the spiral of increased influence of peer pressure as the frustration seems to be a fated concern.

Harder hustle for parents: • As part of assisting children with home-schooling and distance learning, parents, especially those with limited education and resources tend to struggle and that may lead to wage loss and negatively impact productivity.

• Or even worse it results in Commonly seen in the nuclear family typology, working parents often have to leave children alone, and this can result in other infelicitous situations.

What Is The Impact Of Reopening Educational Institutions?

One good reason to restart the academic year in a full-fledged manner is that some studies show that school reopening will have a negligible impact on the wider transmission of the virus, as children JANUARY 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #112

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represent a very small percentage of reported cases, with a relatively low death rate and mild symptoms.

Nevertheless, children with pre-existing medical conditions have been suggested as a risk factor.

Therefore, with sufficient precautions, we can come to terms with the new ‘normal’.

What Are The Measures To Backstop The Transmission Post Reopening Of Schools?

In most countries, lockdowns have come to an end.

As they slowly lift constraints to make a comeback to our normal lives, the reopening of schools is the next in line. A few things that should be monitored apart from the precautions as part of the COVID protocol are: • Wearing cloth face masks should be a priority.

• Eliminating the usage of locker facilities.

• Reducing the number of children per school transport.

• Using outdoor spaces whenever possible for assembly, meals, and recess.

• Managing human traffic by restricting them in oneway passages in school hallways.

• Spacing desks out, all in one direction.

• Effective monitoring and tracing of suspected cases must be ensured.

• Make sure even the most minute symptoms are 36

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reported.

• The functioning of a school clinic should be made mandatory.

• If possible, the services of a mobile laboratory must be facilitated to the clinic.

• All circulars regarding policies on learning outcomes, educational curriculum, health, and well-being of children and teaching staff must be followed with immediate effect.

• Restrictions regarding attendance must not be strictly imposed, for the time being.

• The local governing administrative bodies should be well informed to exercise thorough supervision in schools.

• Based on what is learned from this monitoring, further changes should be made to continue to provide children and staff with the safest environment possible.

What Will Be The Post-Vaccine Scenario In Schools?

Questions such as the efficiency, duration of protection, and chances of any long term or chronic side effects of the vaccine are yet to be answered.

However, a COVID-19 vaccine for all children is still a long way off but once reopening is initiated, schools will likely have to continue with mitigation efforts such as social distancing and mask-wearing especially in its inceptive stage.

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5 tips for good nutrition during pregnancy Written by Feba Maryann

A healthy lifestyle and diet are always an integral part of leading a happy life. It becomes even more important when you are pregnant.

Now you have a small human inside you, depending on you to nourish him or her. It is thought that it takes an excess of 55,000 calories to have a healthy baby at birth.

Although this sounds like a lot, it really is not. On a daily basis this comes down to around 300 extra calories each day, which is roughly equal to a bowl of cereal or oatmeal.

Pregnancy and raising a child is not about knowing everything but about constantly learning, adapting to situations, and embracing changes in your routines.

Get Your Vitamins And Minerals Right During your first trimester your body’s vitamin and mineral requirements tend to shoot up. It is vital for you to take these to ensure a safe delivery, healthy baby and your good health as well.

Iron, Folic acid, Calcium, Vitamin D, DHA and Iodine play key roles in the development of your baby during pregnancy. Dairy, seafood and leafy greens are your real MVPs during pregnancy, as they contain all of these essential nutrients. However, while having sea. Seafood ensure it has low mercury content and restrict consuming 40

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more than 12 ounces of seafood a week.

Consult your doctor to check if you need to take any supplements for nutrients that your diet lacks in.

Stay Hydrated “Water is the elixir of life.” - This statement especially makes sense when you are pregnant. Staying hydrated is essential to healthy foetal development.

Dehydration during pregnancy can cause a number of serious complications including birth defects, difficulty in producing breast milk, low amniotic fluid, premature labor.

Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water everyday. You can also drink other beverages like fruit juices or milk to stay hydrated. Avoid taking caffeine as it increases the urge to pee.

Say No To Alcohol, Drugs And Smoking Yes, memes don’t lie. Taking alcohol and drugs while being pregnant can have serious repercussions on your baby.

Studies have found that alcohol causes irreversible birth defects on the baby.

There is no safe limit for alcohol or drugs during pregnancy.

If you are taking strong pain medications JANUARY 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #112

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or any other medications, consult your doctor right away to check if it is safe to consume them.

Smoking during pregnancy, not only harms your health but also puts your child in danger. It has been linked to premature birth, low birth weight, miscarriage and lung related problems in newborns.

Fibre Is Your Best Friend One of the most common obstacles to overcome during pregnancy is constipation.

Constipation usually starts during the third trimester and lasts till delivery. Solution?

Get enough fibre. Fibre ensures that your stool passes through your digestive system easier.

Fibre rich foods also keep you full and thus prevents overeating junk food, keeping your weight in check. Additionally, fibre helps regulate blood pressure by slowing digestion of food. It reduces the chances of cardiac problems as it limits the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the body.

So now where do you get fibre from? Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Apart from providing your body with fibre, fruits and veggies also contain a ton of nutrients.

Legumes and food grains are also excellent sources of fibre.

Get Enough Protein Protein is a vital building block of the body and is found in all cells including skin, fingernails, hair, brain and heart. Getting enough protein is crucial as it ensures normal growth of the baby and a healthy weight. Besides protein also helps in repairing and strengthening your body.

It is recommended to consume about 0.75g of protein a day for adults and an additional 6g per day for pregnant women. It is a good idea to add protein to every meal so that it is evenly distributed throughout the day.

Protein keeps you full and thus prevents overeating and reduces the chances of unhealthy weight gain.

Lean meat, poultry, egg, diary are all great sources of protein. If you are a vegan, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds are great sources of plant-based protein for you.

Conclusion Maintaining a good healthy diet increases your chances of having a healthy baby. The goal should be to achieve a balanced diet that contains veggies, fruits, protein, carbs and healthy fats. Avoid following fad diets during pregnancy as they may do more harm than good.

MAKING A SPLASH WITH BUBBLEBUBS DROPLETS REUSABLE SWIM NAPPIES

Ok, so I’ll be the first to put up my hand and say that I have washed and reused disposable swim nappies in an effort to be a bit more sustainable. My swim school didn’t allow reusable swim pants at the time so it really was my only option, apart from finding a new swim centre even further away from where we live. When the centre finally came around to the idea of modern swim nappies (albeit under a swim suit!) we were so excited to research different brands and see what would be the best for us.

At the beach and in our friends’ pools we had been using a second-hand reusable nappy shell over the summer, because I was too afraid to use my good reusable nappies in the chlorine. When I heard that Bubblebubs had released a swim nappy, I was keen to compare it to other swim nappies on the market and dip my toe into the world of eco-swimming. Now spring is on our doorstep, there’s no better time for you and your babe to take the reusable swim nappy plunge.

NOT ALL NAPPIES ARE CREATED EQUAL SIDE SNAPS: Just like my Bubblebubs Candies, the Droplets are a side snapping nappy. For anyone who has tried to drag an elasticated swim pant full of what appears to be breakfast, lunch, dinner and half the back garden down bub’s wet legs, you will know that it is near on impossible to do so without a healthy dose of chaos and cursing.

Fortunately, my little one doesn’t generally let lunch loose when we’re out for a swim, but I know that on the

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days it does happen, whipping off the Droplet is as easy as unsnapping and lifting bub straight out of the danger zone. This is especially useful when there’s no one else around to assist- I can even do it one handed if need be!

FIRM ELASTICS: It’s everyone’s worst nightmare even just entertaining the idea of baby’s breakfast floating to the surface midswim. Another exceptional feature of the Droplet is the firmness of the elastics around both the waist and legs.

It was certainly a nice surprise that the Droplet managed to save my girl’s breastfed poo from the surrounding water, which can be a tough task for any nappy, swim style or otherwise. The elastics are nice and stretchy but so not too tight that they leave deep marks. Having said that, they do run small in order to achieve that firmness so, you can refer to the website or email the Bubblebubs team to see what would best suit your bub if you’re not sure about sizing.

SIZED FOR SNUGNESS: Droplets swim nappies are not a One Size Fits Most style, rather they are a sized nappy to ensure a snug and comfortable fit for all that energetic doggy-paddling.

The nappies come in newborn through to large size. We chose the “small” for my three month 5.5kg girl, and it still fits three months later at 7kgs with room to spare.

Even though the elastics are firm, there is still plenty of stretch, so there’s peace of mind that they will fit for a good amount of time on a growing babe.

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PACKAGING: In an effort to reduce my waste it’s refreshing to see that the retail packaging of the Droplets is just as environmentally conscious as their other products.

Rather than coming in plastic, Droplets arrive in their own mini-wetbag to match your chosen print. But don’t let their mini-size fool you! I’ve managed to squeeze the swim nappy, a rash-suit, and bub’s hat into one to keep all her swimming gear in one place. Just grab and go! The mini-wetbag is a life-saver when the things nightmares are made of turn into reality and you need to get your wet and/or soiled nappy home. The nappy contains everything, of course, but, if you’re not in the place to be dealing with soiled swimmers at that moment, you can pop them in the mini and sort it out when you get home.

Some things to remember about swim nappies are that they aren’t absorbent at all. The aim of them is not to keep in wee so when travelling to the beach or pool, whatever nappy you usually use is best for your car seat. Also, treat them like any other swim suit by giving a thorough rinse after using them in a chlorine pool.

Not only do they have really cute prints, the Bubblebubs Droplets are also super functional. Combining so many great features, it is clear that they have been designed with ease of use for parents and carers in mind. So, if you’re keen to reduce your footprint over the long summer months, Droplets are an easy way to enjoy endless trips to the beach or pool without the nasty waste.

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INTERIORS

get the look

nursery Photo: norsu.com.au

Eton Convertible Plus™ Cot Bed $1249.95 boori.com/au

FLÅDIS Basket, Seagrass $12 ikea.com/au

Soft Touch Chenille Star Blanket $23 next.com.au 54

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Botanica Premium Artificial Ivy In Grey Pot $21.99 officeworks.com.au

Big Ballerina Doll Gold Spot $69.95 alimrose.com.au

Pink Triangle Fleece Blanket $42.95 embellishgifts.com.au

Piccolo Stool $139 freedom.com.au JANUARY 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #112

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k i d s Photo: Sweetpea & Willow

Hilary King Single Fabric Kids Bed - Grey $239 luxoliving.com.au

Kesia Artisan Crafted Natural Circles Jute Rug $153 missamara.com.au

Basket With Lid, Nature, Water Hyacinth $200 /royaldesign.com/au

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Lili Pendant Light $299 magnolialane.biz

Rectangle Seagrass Net Bag - Medium $40 biome.com.au

Large Soft Toy - Savannah Swan $20 miannandco.com.au

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RECOVERING FROM A VAGINAL BIRTH Written by Feba Maryann

Childbirth can be quite an eventful experience, and in that case recovery from unprecedented circumstances needs preparation right from its fledgling period. So, knowing what to expect can aid better, in the healing process.

The physical turmoil that your body goes through whilst giving birth and post-birth is incomparable.

Here are some common postpartum issues to be wary of and how to deal with them.

Continued Contractions Of The Uterus.

Even after giving birth, mothers experience continued contractions by the uterus that can lead to bleeding.

This is normal but heavy bleeding isn’t. The curative measures taken in such cases are following medication as per the standard dosage of pain relief drugs that contain oxytocin.

Dissoluteness Of Urine Or Faeces.

The process of parturition includes the recurrent stretching of the urinary muscles and as a result of exhaustion, you can’t expect things to be normal at least for some time. That can mean the loss of continence over your bowel, leading to accidental seepage of urine or faeces in the most exciting or petrified situations.

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exercises like Kegels and bladder training. You can also make use of a peri bottle, which is a small container that comes in handy when you need to keep the squirt handheld in the direst of situations.

Assessment Of Lochia The vaginal discharge that is produces by the female body, which is generally heavier than your usual period due to the presence of clots, goes by the name of lochia. It is quite inevitable but the good news is that its evaluation proves to be a litmus test for checking for infections.

The overall characteristic colour of lochia is bright red but can eventually fade off to whitish hues. But if the lochia smells awful, that’s your cue to treat an infection down there.

Postpartum Weight Gain Carrying a baby is essentially the extension of your womb. So, it’s normal that the skin upon it experiences the stretch too. Now, in that case, gaining a few extra pounds is customary. So be comfortable in your skin, and just live in the moment (more like taking good rest at the moment). Usually, your total weight may even go up to 13 pounds that comprises the weight of your baby too. After a recommended gap of six weeks, following your postpartum check-up, you can start working out to lose the extra fat.

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Aching Breasts Breastfeeding is essential for the wellness of both the mother and child. Lactation can lead to painful breasts as the secretion of milk via the ducts of mammary glands may sometimes even clog. As this causes ache and irritability to the mother, it may feel demanding and traumatic. Taking quick warm water showers, using warm compresses or even gentle massages act as a remedy to the rescue.

Alimentary Stoppage The initial bowel movement may commence a few days after the delivery. But the weakening of the muscles and the swelling of veins down there can make it quite excruciating. Recovery in the case of minor cases of haemorrhoids need no treatment as they clear up in a few days, however in severe cases, consulting a doctor would be wise.

Painful Stitches Though the process of vaginal birth is considered to be more facile than a painful c-section, it still does include a stage where your vagina almost tears open when the newborn’s head bulges out. So, the stitches play a key role in healing most of these memorable wounds. The process of episiotomy leaves an unendurable impact

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for the first few days that could turn even walking, sneezing, or laughing into a hassle. For some fast relief try using disposable ice packs to soothe the area next to your vagina. Also, try using a sitz bath that is filled with warm water, because as it increases the inflow of blood towards the area, it helps in faster healing.

Thermostat Imbalance After giving birth, your body needs to get accustomed to the new hormones that are induced within. Ergo, when the body doesn’t get enough time to set in, it gets chaotic but switches between hold and cold temperatures.

Preserving a balanced inner thermostat is imperative for a speedy recovery post-childbirth. Make sure you stay hydrated and stay cool and practice regular exercise like Pilates to maintain the equilibrium.

Be Aware Of Yourself And Your Emotions Right from the inceptive stages of pregnancy till postpartum, the whole process is a series of both exciting and strenuous moments. This can take a toll on a mother’s mind emotionally, and sometimes, the experience may turn into trauma. Try to stay calm, and not overdo it all. It is okay if you and your partner have slightly contrasting emotions in the same phase. Take help from a doctor if needed.

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seizures in children Written by Feba Maryann

Seizures are one of the most common brain disorders found in children. But the experience of seeing your child having one could be very frightening, even though in most cases they last only a few minutes and are not life threatening.

One of the most common neurological disorders that causes seizure is epilepsy. According to WHO, epilepsy affects about 50 million people worldwide. Though most children with epilepsy overcome it as they grow up, it is essential that parents understand the issue and work to ensure that the child gets medical attention and enjoys a healthy lifestyle.

What Is A Seizure?

The neurons in our brain, communicate using electric impulses. When a large number of neurons, send these impulses simultaneously, the electrical activity in the brain spikes, which causes the brain to function abnormally. This is known as a seizure and causes various reactions like black-outs, muscle spasms or other abnormal activities.

It is a common myth that seizures involve convulsions or losing consciousness, however sometimes seizures may show no symptoms. It all depends on which part of the brain is affected by the seizure.

Types Of Seizures To help better treat your child, it is imperative to understand what type of seizure your child is affected by. Seizures can be broadly classified as focal and generalised.

Focal Seizures Also known as partial seizures, these affect only a part of the brain. Depending on which part it affects, the symptoms and severity may change.

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There are two types of focal seizures simple and complex.

In case of simple focal seizures, your child will not lose consciousness but will however display an array of symptoms including running, screaming, nausea. Complex focal seizures affect the temporal lobe and hence your child may have altered consciousness and may or may not pass out.

Generalised Seizures These seizures affect the brain as a whole and your child will lose consciousness. Generalised seizures are further divided as: • • • • •

Absence seizures Atonic seizures Generalised tonic-clonic seizures Febrile seizures Myoclonic seizures

Causes of Seizure A seizure can be caused by a number of reasons such as: • • • •

Neurotransmitter imbalance Tumours in the brain Genetics Brain damage caused by injury, illness, infections or other disorders • Side effect of some medicines or drugs • Blood vessel disorders • Poisoning In most cases pinpointing the exact cause may prove to be impossible, as usually seizures are caused by a combination of these causes.

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Diagnosis If your child has experienced an episode of seizure, your doctor may run some tests to figure out any underlying conditions. Tests include: • • • •

Blood Tests CT scans MRI scans EEG (Electroencephalogram) to test electrical activity in the brain • Neurological tests • PET scans • Lumbar puncture, to test the cerebrospinal fluid These tests along with a thorough analysis of medical history and symptoms, help your doctor chart out the best course of action.

Treatment The aim of the treatment is to prevent seizures from recurring, thus preventing epilepsy. There are various methods to treat seizures Anti-Epileptic Drugs Treatment in most cases is done with the help of antiseizure drugs or anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). The medication prescribed depends on the type of seizure, side effects, and medical history.

Surgery In some cases, your doctor will recommend a neurosurgery

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to remove a small portion of the brain which is responsible for seizures. There are a number of types of epilepsy surgeries, the exact choice of surgery depends on a number of factors.

Surgeries have been found to be extremely effective in cases where the seizures always seem to arise from a particular region of the brain.

Ketogenic Diet It has been found that a high fat low carb diet can in fact reduce the chances of recurring seizures in children. This diet works especially well in treating focal seizures.

Things to Remember When Your Child Is Having A Seizure?

Seeing your child experiencing a seizure could cause a great deal of disquietude. Here are some important things to keep in your mind: • Keep them in a safe area, where they can’t get hurt.

Laying them on the ground is ideal.

• Loosen any clothing around their neck and any tightfitting clothes.

• Do not restrain movements or try to place any objects in their mouths.

Call an ambulance or the emergency helpline number immediately if your child: • • • • • • •

Has a seizure for the first time Is wheezing Turns blue Has any brain injuries May have ingested any poison or drug Has a seizure lasting more than 5 minutes Is suffering from cardiac problems JANUARY 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #112

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T O Y r e v i e w s

by: SHEREE HODDINETT

LEAPFROG SPEAK AND LEARN PUPPY $59.95

4/5 U nle as h y o u r p u p p y lo ve o n t h e p l ush Speak & Learn Puppy. Watch your l i t t l e f r i e nd co me t o l i f e w i t h fla p p in g ear s , a h e ad that moves, and real- time responses. A s t od d l e r s lea r n t o ta l k , t h is in t er a c t ive d o g repeats what they say and asks questi ons t o k e e p the con v e r s a t i on g o in g . In Bab b le mode, the Speak & Learn Puppy say s what y our child s a y s i n a fu n an d in t er ac t ive way. In Talk mode, the puppy has co nv e r sat i ons w it h c h i l d r e n a nd c r eat es s t o r ies from their responses. Explore animal f ac t s, ani m al so und s , f o o d , f eelin g s , let t er s , a n d numbers through four paw buttons and a l i ght -up co lla r. M u l t i p l e s o n g s en c o u r ag e learning, and three learning levels allow t he t oy t o g r o w w i t h y ou r c h ild r en a s t h eir language skills develop.

Our V e r d i ct – While it’ s not quite as good a s t h e rea l fu rry v a riet y , t h is c u t e l i ttl e p u p p y c a n st i l l t e a ch y our little one a few th in gs a n d a s a n a d d ed b on u s it c a n t a lk! T h a t c o u l d e n d u p b e i n g a bad thing in the lon g ru n t h ou gh , h a h a ! I’v e b een a b ig fa n o f l ea r n i n g to y s si n ce m y g i r ls were babies becau se I’v e f ou n d kid s a re gen era lly resp on s i v e to n o i s y , b right a n d i n te r active toys , es pe cially if t h ey c a n rela t e t h em t o somet h ing y o u s ee i n e ve ry d a y l i f e , l i k e a puppy dog. The g ood t h in g a b ou t t h is d og is it will sp ea k to y o u r c h i l d in t he i r o w n w a y. So whe ther the y’ re st ill a t c u t e b a b y t a lk lev el or t h ey ’re f or m i n g wo r d s , yo u ha v e t h e ch oice to s w itch it into t h e righ t mod e a n d h op ef u lly get t h e res p o n s e y o u ’ r e lo o kin g f o r . I f n ot, it s till mak e s s oun d , h a s b u t t on s t o p ress a n d h a s a c ollar th a t l i g h ts u p so i t ’l l b e e n ough e ntertainme nt for a few min u t es! Th is c ou ld b e a d og y o u h a v e f o r a lit t le w h i l e o r o n e that grows w ith the fa mily a n d st ic ks a rou n d f or a f ew y ear s . Pl u s , y o u re ally ca n ’t g o pas t the cutene s s fact or h ere, t h ose p u p p y d og ey es a n d h ow th i s i s o n e lit t le d o g th a t a l w ays look s ready for a h u g!

Ava i l a bl e fro m: Ta rget, Myer a n d leapfr og .com.au 74

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VTECH WIGGLE & JIGGLE FISHING FUN $44.95

4/5 W ig gl e & J i g g l e Fis h in g Fu n is a fun- packed smart fishing rod that will r e c ogni se i t s se v e n w i g g l i n g s ea c r ea t u r e fr ien ds. Reel in the lobster, octopus, seahor se , p uf f e r f ish, m a r l i n , c l am o r c r a b t o w at c h them wiggle and jiggle on the end of the l i ne , t he n le a r n f u n a n i m al fa c t s , c o lo u r s a nd numbers, through three exciting mod e s of p l ay , be f o r e r e l e a s i ng t h em a g a in . T h e interactive light- up bobber will f lash to m at c h t he co lo u r s o f th e an ima ls an d r ein fo rce learning and discovery. Each sea cr e at ur e si ngs so ng s , a n d t h e r o d p la ys lo t s o f fun melodies. And the bonus bucket is gr e at t o st or e yo ur c ol l e c ti on fo r yo u r n ext fis h ing trip.

Our v e r d i ct – I t ’ s time for s ome fis h in g fu n a n y t ime of d a y wit h t h is c u t e a n d c o mp a c t lit t le fi s h i n g r o d . You don’ t have to go ou t sid e, y ou d on ’t h a v e t o get wet a n d a s a n a d d ed b o nus , y o u d o n ’ t have to de al with slip p ery , slimy a n d sc a ly f ish . Or if y o u r l i ttl e o n e ac t ua l l y l i k e s all thos e things , this is good p ra c t ic e for t h e rea l t h in g! Th i s i s a l s o th e p e rf e ct l i ttl e s e t if you have a child wh o lov es ev ery t h in g a b ou t c rea t u res fr o m th e d eep .

T h e y c a n l e a r n fun facts , s ing along t o some t u n es a n d en joy c a t c h in g a n d re l ea s i n g th ei r m ag ne ti c s e a f r i ends . It could be come a lit t le c h a llen ge in t h e fa mily t o see w h o c a n c a tc h and re l e a s e t h em all the quick es t, t h e world is y ou r oy st er (see wh a t I d id th er e, h a h a ! ) wit h t h i s o n e . Lik e with mos t toys , y ou ’ll eit h er lov e it a n d ev ery t h in g it d oes o r i t’ l l b e p lay e d w i th f o r 5 minute s and added t o t h e ev er growin g p ile of u se ev ery no w a n d th en t o y s.

Ava i l abl e fro m: Ta rget a n d vtech.com.au 76

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NURTURING GOOD SLEEP HABITS IN CHILDREN Written by Feba Maryann

The famous American rapper, NAS, had mentioned in one of his songs of an album-” I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death’’. While that may be true figuratively, that is quite not the case. Sleep is essential and is the bystander between your journey from life to death, and hence marks itself as a paramount requisite in your lifestyle.

A robust body and mind need an uncompromised schedule for eight hours of sleep, but unfortunately, the workload stress and lifestyle habits of this generation fail to keep up with it. And since 2020 gave us a lot of time to retrospect, it’s time for us to add to the prospects of inculcating good sleep practices like the ones which follow.

Don’t Miss The Fundamentals Good sleep is a hodgepodge result of widely varying factors, such as a well-balanced diet, and regular exercise, etc. Make sure your child starts the day by eating a healthily teeming breakfast, a moderate lunch, and a light but filling dinner. Also, ensure your child does not sleep either on an empty stomach or brimming with food as this may cause discomfort.

Lights On! Lights Off! Did you know that the kind of lighting that you use around your sleeping environment can influence your sleep pattern? This is because to sleep, the brain has to induce the sleep hormone- melatonin, whose production gets affected at the cost of high exposure to light. Hence, to employ the benefits for a better sleep environment choose lights with cooling tones.

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Avoid Disruptions When your child has settled down to finally sleep, do not cause distractions that can affect them. For example, avoid creating a noisy situation and try to keep all things dim and quiet. In this manner, children will get accustomed to falling asleep as soon as the sleep environment has been set up. Try using the help of blankets, as children can tend to fall asleep due to its weight on them.

Maintain A Sleep Hygiene The task of establishing a course of practice to maintain continuous and undisturbed sleep goes by the name of fortifying your sleep hygiene. It refers to organizing routines, setting clean and copiously ventilated environments, avoiding distractions, etc.

Adapting To Our Biological Clock Things are not always the same, so is our biological clock. So when it ticks at various intervals, we have to be all ears. This is what makes our lifestyle transitional, and it is for this very reason that we need to adjust to the natural sleep patterns of an infant. They are naturally drowsy, and unlike us, they sleep and wake up regularly regardless of the hour of the day.

But, one way to make their sleep schedule rather more suitable to ours is by making them sleep in a well lit sunny room in the daytime and in a darker, and soothing room at night. In the case of slightly older children, there should be a solid bedtime that allows them to plan things accordingly.

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Go Tech-Free!

The key to having a good night’s sleep is the resolution to avoid screen time well in advance before going to bed. The visual stimulation caused by the screens and other gadgets can result in obstructing the inflow of melatonin hormones produced by the brain, which in turn delays the process of falling asleep. Keeping in mind that it is better to feel already dozy before going to bed, should be the goal.

Cooler The Room, The Better The Sleep!

Sleep essentials include-cool tones for the eyes, cooler temperatures for the body, and the coolest pajamas for the mood to set in. never go wrong with the thickness of the blanket if you prefer using one.

Beds Are For Sleep!

It is supremely significant to make your child realize the purpose of a bed. Though, they might like to believe in their ability to be productive while working on a bed, employ the rule of using the bed only to sleep. Other activities such as learning, doing homework, or gaming should not be encouraged as well.

Say No To Caffeine Caffeine can be a potential threat to clog the process of inducing the sleep hormone, melatonin. Especially, in the case of children, where hormonal imbalances are infelicitous, watch out for their night time diet. Caffeine can be found not just in coffee but also in other sources such as chocolates, soft drinks, etc. Ergo, look for healthier substitutes for dinner time desserts too.

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REDUCING YOUR CHILD’S SCREEN TIME Written by Feba Maryann

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, most schools and educational institutions started to rely heavily on electronic media to provide classes and other educational resources, consequently the amount of screen time children are exposed to has risen dramatically.

When we were younger, we only had access to at most one television set, hence it was easier for our parents to control our screen times. However today, kids have a number of devices to choose from, making it extremely difficult to put a curb on their screen times.

Let us now see the screen time trends in kids, why you should try to reduce it and how.

How Much Is Too Much?

Everyday we hear people or read reports that say kids shouldn’t be allowed to use electronic media for long hours at a stretch. But we rarely see one which says how much is too much? Or what is the threshold?

Experts suggest that 2 hours is the optimal amount of screen times for teens and adults. Whereas for children between 2 and 12 screen times should be restricted to one hour. And children below 2 years, should not be exposed to screens at all. However, today the average time spent on screens is about 10 hours.

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A 2017 study found that people who have more than 6 hours of screen time a day are at an increased risk of depression. But however, some experts argue that why you spend time looking at a screen also matters. Spending long hours especially on social media has been found to be risky.

Why Should You Reduce Your Child’s Screen Time?

Yes, it may seem tempting to give your child access to a screen while you do your chores or take a break.

But realise that when you keep doing this, you lose track of how much time your child spends looking at a screen.

Overuse of electronic media in children has been linked with many health risks such as: • Increased risk of childhood obesity.

• Increase in aggression towards others.

• Losing focus easily • Increased risk of diabetes and cancer • Depression and other mental health problems Additionally, using screens takes up the time during which kids are supposed to run around playing, learning and growing.

Reducing screen time has proven to improve both mental and physical well-being in children.

Furthermore, they also show considerable improvement in their academics, creativity and other essential social skills.

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How Can You Reduce Your Child’s Screen Time?

Start From Within You may have to spend long hours looking at your electronic devices for work purposes or any other productive reasons, which you can’t reduce even if you want to. That being said we all use electronic media for leisure as well, try to reduce this dependency on electronic media.

Right now, you are reading this article using a smartphone, tablet, desktop or a laptop during your free time. Next time you are free, instead of sitting in front of a screen go out, spend that time with your kids, play with them, enjoy some quality family time, read a book or whatever you want to.

Don’t Gift Your Children Their Own Smartphones Or Tablets “Why not, all of my friends have one?” is one question you should be prepared for. Sometimes you just have to say no. Your 9-year-old child does not need a tablet or smartphone for themselves. If you are concerned for their safety, buy them a base model cell phone that serves the purpose.

Keep Your Goals Realistic And Try To Be Empathetic You getting inspired one day by some article like this and trying to incorporate those changes rapidly, will cause more harm than good in the long run.

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The ultimate goal we have here is to prevent your child from being addicted to the screens. This cannot happen unless your child realises that using too much electronic media isn’t good for them. You have to inculcate that habit in them. If you take away all of their sources abruptly, they will try to find other sources and that wouldn’t solve anything.

Give It Your Own Twists And Tweaks Every child is different, you know what will work in your child’s case than some article writer on the internet. Some parents establish Technology-free zones in the house, some find specific times when the whole family goes off the grid. Find what works best for you.

Encourage Other Activities If your child loves drawing, singing, dancing or anything for that matter, encourage them to do that activity. Get them resources to advance into their area of interest. This will keep them busy and prevent them from spending too much time on electronic media.

Conclusion It is imperative that your children understand the hidden problems with spending too much time using electronic media. If your child starts putting off important things for spending that time on video games, social media or anything similar, understand that it is time to put a curb on their screen time.

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TIPS FOR NEW DADS Written by Lance Green

So, the wait is finally over, your bundle of joy has arrived. Now what? This is exactly what we’ll be dealing with in this article.

Needless to say, dads had it much easier when gender roles were clearly defined and taking care of a child was solely the mother’s duty. But now we’ve thrown away all that misogyny and repression, and subsequently dads are expected to work hand in hand with moms in taking care of the child. So apart from breastfeeding dads can do everything else, like bathing, changing nappies, bottle feeding, sleeping.

That being said, biologically mothers are better equipped to be parents than dads are. Studies have shown that when the child is in distress the mother experiences distress, when the child cries it triggers some hormones in the mother. So, before you go ahead, understand that your partner will be more protective and will want to control every aspect of the baby’s life.

You Will Be Up Sh*Ts Creek Literally, you will have to deal with a lot of poop. When your child is younger, changing diapers wouldn’t seem like a huge problem but as they grow older the sh*t gets real; real stinky. But nevertheless, ensure that you 92

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change a fair share of those nappies.

Your partner will already be having a lot of other stuff stressing her out; like hormonal changes, baby blues, and other physical ailments. Changing diapers is one of the few ways you could help her out. So, get over any aversions you have and be a diaper changing beast.

Talk To Your Baby No, not because it looks cute, but studies have actually found that talking to your baby may help prevent speech and language delays often seen in toddlers.

So, talk to your baby while you are tending to her needs or as often as you can. Just tell them your favourite quote from a movie or the lyrics of your favourite songs, it really doesn’t matter what you talk to them about.

Reading them books, singing to them or telling them stories will strengthen your father-child bond.

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stressbuster than playing with your baby.

You’ll have moments that you can cherish forever in the process as well.

Apart from this, babies grow and learn through playing. When babies explore the things around them, they tend to understand how various things work, this will then set the tempo for future learning. This exploration of their surroundings usually happens by playing with them.

Skin-to-skin contact with your baby also plays a vital role in their brain development and develops a sense of safety and trust with you.

Feeding The Baby If your baby is 3 months or younger, then breast milk is the ideal diet for them. In which case you can support your partner by helping them get comfortable while feeding.

Offer them cushions, water or any kind of help they may want.

In case your partner is having difficulty lactating, support them and encourage your partner to get help. Ensure that they don’t feel guilty. Help in preparing the formula and offer to feed the baby yourself.

Support Your Partner

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Your partner is going through a lot. They will experience both high amounts of physical and mental stress. Your partner may experience physical discomforts, stay with them and support them to ensure that they recover fully.

Baby blues are very common in moms and in some cases, they may also experience postpartum depression or anxiety. Seek help immediately in case of the latter.

Don’t neglect your relationship because of the new guest you have. Spend some time with your spouse everyday; let them know that you care and you’re always there for them.

Take A Break Let us admit it, the ear deafening cries, the stinky diapers you changed, the sleepless nights, a cranky partner, all of this could be very overwhelming. At times you may feel like you are done with everything, and that’s okay. Take a break if you feel you’re at the tipping point.

Get a babysitter or a nanny for a few hours or even a day; go out chill for a while and reset your brain before you go back to war mode.

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how to childproof your relationship before you become pregnant written by:Feba Maryann

The word ‘childproofing’ means to prevent children from causing any damage. But wait!

What damage? What could a small child possibly be capable of damaging? Well, the answer to that question is- Maybe your child isn’t just capable of vandalizing the walls of your house, but also sabotaging the doors to your relationship satisfaction.

And finally when the true face of reality decides to give you, your fair slice of some ‘Things-are-never-gonna-be-the-same’ drama, with some extra guilt of ‘what-kindof-a-parent-even-am-I-?’ to top it up, this phase postpartum, can wreak havoc in your mental composure! But for all those insufferably confused partners out there, we’ve got you covered with the best tips to help you revitalize your spousal satisfaction before you take up the righteous roles of being parents!

Date Like You’ve Never Met Sometimes, the surprise is the key. But once you’ve started a family, things may turn out to be monotonous. And that indeed is your wake up call, to hit that rewind button!

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advantage of relationship stability. When it comes to childproofing the relationship with your partner, dates, and dinners could go the extra mile, in enhancing your relationship quality.

Pause The Excuses, Play The Affinity The ground rule of a solid partnership is to not underestimate the value of the shared intimacy. Be it physical or mental, actions speak miles across the words that we let slip out. Make sure you maintain this consistency throughout your marriage. Though often you may feel the need to be bound to prevailing excuses of ache, mental fatigue, or work, take out time to emotionally invest in your partner. It need not always have to end up in sex, and so even the smallest gestures of bonding can go a long way in childproofing.

Balance The Steering Wheel Of Your Routine Planned routines could be effective in eliminating the disruptions that a newborn can bring up. And what makes it even better, is learning to officiate things according to your convenience and not your baby’s.

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system! Except for some reckless sleeping patterns, a large portion of the routine can go pre-planned and that calls for some major scheming as to who will do what both before and after you become pregnant.

When You Need Help, Ask For It! Even in these sophisticated times, we may need a helping hand to manage all at once.

The transition from marriage to starting a family is no cakewalk. There can come situations when you’ll need someone to assist you in parenting. Managing it all by yourself can consume you off-limits, ergo, putting you in the most demanding phases of your marriage. Not asking for help when needed can lead to some serious complications like depression too. Try putting a close family member or friend’s support to advantage.

Asking for help is a sign of strength. Read that again!

Draw The Line When You Have To Post-pregnancy could be the time when you’d possibly feel you have to do things

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that you didn’t sign up for. For example, not thinking about the impact of letting your toddler sleep with you, can be off-putting.

You can’t always be fretting about your child barging into your bedroom, especially when you’re least expecting it. There has to be a brief conversation between partners about co-sleeping of their child to avoid any feuds in the future. Claim your bed and resort to solutions like letting your infant sleep in a different room but conveniently perhaps under the supervision of a baby monitor.

Take help from a family member to stay vigilant whilst you contrive issues on the spousal niche too.

You Can’t Pour From An Empty Glass Darling!

Life is an encapsulation of the energies that you exchange. Be it love, hate, anger, or sorrow, every emotion is energy in its most virtuous form, and this exchange is both interpersonal and more importantly intra-personal. Speaking of self-love is never selfish. Make sure you unapologetically tick all the boxes in your checklist and don’t compromise on making yourself a priority too.

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tracking in a new direction WRITTEN BY: Sheree Hoddinett

A new year is underway, hopefully a better one at that. Saying goodbye to 2020 wasn’t hard but saying hello to 2021 comes with a few mixed emotions. My baby (yeah I know she’s 5, so she’s not really a “baby” anymore) is one of the big kids and is off to school.

Yay! I think. I’ll be the first to admit my girls can drive me crazy at the best of times, but I do miss them when they aren’t around. And this year with them both at school, it’s going to be pretty quiet during the day. I know chaos will ensue at the end of each school day instead as they talk over the top of each other to tell me all the important details of their day. Of course, each of them will see their story as more important than the other!

Hopefully I can pull off a different style of mothering this year.

Haha, I just read that sentence back to myself.

It’ll work for 5 minutes, until my girls drive me crazy again. I’ll still swear at them. I’ll probably still tell them to go away.

Yeah I know it’s mean.

But in my defence they like to tell me they hate me or I’m the worst mum when I won’t let them eat chocolate for breakfast so I figure it’s only fair, right?! And I’ll likely still threaten to send them packing to live with another family.

Still pretty mean but sometimes it’s called for. I’m not the best mum nor do I think I will ever turn into one. But I certainly try my best.

Whether it’s in actually doing the right thing remains to be seen.

Just remember, parenting is a wild ride and not always fun. You don’t have to be liked. It’s horrible when they tell you they don’t like you, especially when they’re only little, but they will come back when they want something! There is never a right or wrong answer. Yes we may feel like we do the wrong

thing, every single time!

But that’s life! Some days are harder than others.

Sometimes, I even find the days without my girls around to be incredibly difficult. Yeah I know, I’m weird. I think it’s because strangely enough they do sometimes have a way of grounding me and bringing me back to reality. It could have something to do with their fighting, whinging and whinging too, come to think of it. It could also be because kids have a way of knowing when you need them the most. It’s an in-built intuition. One minute they know how to really tick you off and the next they know how to help.

Kids hey?!

They say the trick is to never give in to them.

Are you serious? Who’s they? And did they ever win by not giving in to their kids? I give in a fair bit, both for my own sanity and to get some peace. It may not always be the best result but it’s just the way to go.

I even tell my girls how spoilt and lucky they are. Not quite sure they know what it means yet but I’ll tell them anyway.

They don’t have to like

it or anything I say or do, but I’m going to do it anyway. Look you just do what feels right at the time and have regrets later if need be.

I quite often do (face palm). But in saying all that, I think my girls are going to be okay. Well I hope so. I can’t make any guarantees.

So let’s see what you have in store for us 2021.

Hopefully no repeat of last year’s “fun” times.

Whatever this year throws at you, you can handle it, especially if you have kids to deal with. If times get tough resort to my favourite “helpers” – chocolate and some sort of alcoholic beverage. Just looking at them will instantly make you feel better. Eating and drinking them will probably make you feel like a supermum!! I’ll let you know how my “baby” goes with school, I’m sure there will be a story or two in it!

Check out more of my “fine” parenting skills and fun at www. shereekim.com. Until next time….

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recipes sourced from: betterhealth.vic.gov.au

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Delicious

Muffins - Sweet Potato & Cheddar INSTRUCTIONS 1

combine flour, skim milk powder, sweet potato, cheese, capsicum and onion in a mixing bowl.

2

lightly whisk together eggs, milk and pepper and add to the sweet potato mixture.

3

spoon mixture into a 12 hole non-stick muffin tin and bake at 180°c for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

4

turn out and allow to cool on a wire rack.

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prep and cooking time: 40 mins serves: 6 INGREDIENTS 2 cup sifted self-raising flour 1/4 cup skim milk powder 1/4 cup grated sweet potato grated reduced fat 2 tbsp cheddar cheese small finely diced red 1/2 capsicum 3 chopped spring onions 2 eggs 1 cup reduced fat milk cracked black pepper to taste

Quick & Easy

Apple & Blackberry Muffins INSTRUCTIONS 1

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.

2

Lightly beat eggs. Add to the dry ingredients. Add the apple juice and blackberries.

3

Mix quickly to just combine.

4

Lightly spray muffin trays with cooking spray. Fill two-thirds of each muffin hole with the mixture.

5

Bake at 190°C for 20 minutes, or until muffins spring back when lightly touched.

prep and cooking time: 35 mins serves: 12 INGREDIENTS 2 cup 1 cup 5 tsp 3 1 1/2 cup

plain white flour wholemeal plain flour baking powder eggs apple juice fresh or frozen 1 1/2 cup blackberries

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Fish Cakes prep & cook time: 20 mins serves: 10 INSTRUCTIONS 1

process fish in food processor or chop finely.

2

combine with the remaining ingredients.

3

heat oil in non-stick frypan and cook spoonfuls of mixture until golden brown on both sides.

INGREDIENTS flathead, rockling or 300g bream boneless white fish fillets 1 tbsp olive oil 1 beaten egg 1/2 cup cup self-rising flour small finely chopped 1 cucumber 1/2 chopped red capsicum finely chopped spring 3 onions

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Frittata With Potato, Asparagus And Pepper prep & cook time: 40 mins serves: 8 INSTRUCTIONS

1

2 3

heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick frypan and cook potato and capsicum for about 15 minutes, uncovered, over a gentle heat, shaking pan to toss the potatoes until lightly golden and tender. cool slightly. lightly beat the eggs in a bowl. add the potato, capsicum and asparagus with the parmesan and pepper.

4

heat other tablespoon of olive oil in frypan and pour in the egg and vegetable mixture.

5

cook over a moderate heat, pulling in the edges a little to allow the uncooked mixture to run underneath until partially set.

6

cover and continue cooking a further minute until completely set.

7

slice into wedges to serve either warm or at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS 2 1 8 2 tbsp 6 1/2 cup

cut into large pieces potatoes cut into large pieces red capsicum cooked asparagus spears olive oil large eggs freshly grated parmesan cheese pepper, to taste

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Korma Chow Mein INSTRUCTIONS 1

cook the noodles according to the directions on the packet. drain and toss with 1 teaspoon of the oil.

2

heat the remaining oil in a non-stick wok or large frypan over a high heat. add the beef (or soy beans) and curry paste and stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute. transfer it to a plate and set aside.

3

add the frozen vegetables to the pan. reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

4

remove the lid and add the noodles, beef (soy beans) and lemon juice. heat through. use two forks to fluff up the noodles.

5

arrange on serving plates, sprinkle with peanuts and serve.

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prep & cook time: 20 mins serves: 4 INGREDIENTS 1 x 375g packet fresh Hokkien noddles mild curry paste such as korma 1 tbsp (use more if a spicier dish is preferred) 400g beef strips, thinly sliced packet frozen chow mein 1 x 500g vegetable mix 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 tbsp unsalted roasted peanuts 2 tbsp canola oil

Beef Stroganoff

prep & cook time: 25 mins serves: 2

INSTRUCTIONS

INGREDIENTS 1 clove garlic, peeled and diced 2 medium beef steaks 1 cup mushrooms, sliced 1/2 can diced tomatoes 1 tsp paprika 1/2 cup salt reduced vegetable stock 1 tbsp low-fat sour cream

1

fry garlic in a pan, add beef. sear the beef on both sides. remove and set aside for the meat to rest.

2

add the mushrooms, tomatoes, paprika and stock to the frypan. cook for approximately 10 minutes until the liquid reduces.

3

slice the beef.

4

add the beef to the sauce and cook to taste.

5

remove from heat, stir sour cream through the mixture. cook for a further 2 minutes on low heat. serving suggestion: can be served on a bed of rice or mashed potato.

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Fruit Kebabs With Vanilla Yoghurt prep time: 10 mins serves: 8

INSTRUCTIONS 1

peel then slice each banana into eight.

2

wash and hull the strawberries, peel and slice each kiwi into four wedges, peel and separate mandarin into six segments. drain can of pineapple pieces.

3

thread a piece of banana, strawberry, mandarin, pineapple and kiwi on to the skewers until all fruit is used. serve with low-fat vanilla yoghurt.

INGREDIENTS 4 bananas 1 punnet strawberries 4 kiwi fruit 4 mandarins in natural juices, 200g drained can of pineapple pieces soaked in water for a 8 few minutes to soften bamboo skewers low-fat vanilla 220g yoghurt

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Fruiti Mousse prep : 55 mins serves: 8

INSTRUCTIONS 1

pour 50mls of boiling water into small bowl and dissolve gelatin. set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

2

empty yoghurt into blender. cut banana, peach and mango into small slices and add to blender.

3

cut passionfruit in half and scoop into tea strainer or sieve over blender to separate pips.

4

blend on high for 1-2 minutes or until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape sides.

5

remove lid of blender and add gelatin to mixture on low speed.

6

pour into small serving bowls and place in fridge for 20-30 minutes or until set. serve straight from the fridge. garnished with fruit or berries of your choice.

INGREDIENTS 900g 2 1 2 1 20g 50ml

low-fat vanilla yoghurt bananas mango passionfruit peach sachet of gelatin boiling water

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