My Child Magazine Issue 121 October 2021 by My Child Magazine

MAGAZINE.COM.AU

ISSUE 121 - OCTOBER 2021

child developmet

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Bianca Medina ART DIRECTOR

Bianca Medina DEPUTY EDITOR

Feba Maryann  CONTRIBUTORS

Sheree Hoddinett Amy Adeney Lance Green Liza John Dominika Roseclay RODNAE Productions Mikhail Nilov Tatiana Syrikova Yan Krukov Mart Production Cottonbro Josh Willink Julia M Cameron Jonathan Borba Nataliya Vaitkevich Gustavo Fring CONTACT

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

Contents 6

Does Social Interaction Helps

What To Do If You’re Afraid Of

Dad Read - How To Be A Daddy

Babies Learn Faster?

Childbirth?

Douala?

How Do Classrooms Affect

Get The Look Interiors

What To Do When You And Your

Partner Don’t Agree On Parenting

Your Child’s Development?

Styles?

Vaginal Delivery Of Breech Baby

Role Of Parents In Child Development

Blogger -Blink And It’s Gone

What You Should And Shouldn’t Post

Ways To Help Your Child Socialise

On Social

Media?

Fashion

104

Is Being Best Friends With Your Child

H&M Feature

Good Or Bad?

118

Book Reviews

32 Why Is Physical Activity Important For Your Child Development?

Recipes

When Should You Teach Your Kids About Birds And Bees?

132

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 Hello My Child Mamma’s and Papa’s, WOW - October already!! The countdown till Christmas is on! This year, just like last year has gone by in a flash! The pandemic has made time fly by all that little bit quicker and has honestly made it feel as though we are still living in 2020 not 2021. As we approch the end of this year, I have been taking moments to reflect on all the wonderful things that I am grateful that this year has brought into my life. The first is the amount the extra time I have been gifted to spend with my smart, brave and beautiful daughter. Since her birth, just like many parents, I haven’t been afforded this amount of timeto spend with my child. Watching her grow this past year has been a luxury and I am so very grateful for, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so grateful for it. The second thing I am most grateful for is my family. Although the pandemic has seperated us, we have also been given the time of really being able to connect with our extended family members and pay so much more attention to them as life has slowed us down! I hope that as we transistion to our new nnormal that we keep this up and continue to pay attention the same way the panndemic has made us. Well, until Next Issue,

Bianca oxo

editor’s picks

Swarovski Moon and Star Y Necklace $175 swarovski.com

HomePod Mini $149 apple.com/au

Led Light Therapy Mask $160 socialskinco.com

FLORAL - Perfume Oil Gift Set $69.95 muaustralia.com

Fendi Baguette Flat Chained Clutch Bag $1995 au.cettire.com

Slip Pure Silk Sleep Mask $55 sephora.com.au

Manhattan Toy - Click Clack Ball Baby Toy $39.95 kidzinc.com.au

Flybar Pogo Jump & Squeak Infant Toy Game $39.95 kogan.com/au

Colorful Flashing Light Up LED Gloves for Kids $95 outfitocean.com

DOES SOCIAL INTERACTION HELPS BABIES LEARN FASTER? written by: Liza John

Humans are social animals; we cannot live life happily without interacting with other human beings. Healthy relationships and support from the community are essential for well-being throughout life. Positive social connections with people ensure healthy development in all aspects at any age. As babies, we are all born into a complex social world. To engage with the social world, we need to learn a lot in a relatively short period of time. Social interaction with people during infancy is linked to emotional development. At this age, the only point of contact your baby has with the outside world is you. Your baby is observing you at all times, even though you don’t realise it. You will be imparting social skills to the baby without even realising it. Research suggests that if you display positive relationships and emotional support, it will have a positive impact on their emotional skills and cognitive function. If positive interactions do not occur in your child’s early years, it could prove detrimental to your baby’s mental health and overall health later on. Minimal human contact could hamper proper social development in children, as well as prevent proper physical growth of the brain. On the other hand, promoting social interaction in your baby can prove to be worth more than all the tea in the 8

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world in terms of their overall growth. Here are the benefits of social interaction in babies: Enables To Enhance Their Communication Skills For learning effectively, proper communication is needed. Communication skills of a child can be much improved with proper social interaction. This also makes the child turn into a good listener. This also helps them to interact with people efficiently in future times. Understanding Social Cues In babies, the most important component of social interaction is non-verbal communication. When babies play with us, they will start understanding our emotions through our facial expressions and body language. Social interaction at this age also includes eye contact, skin to skin contact, feeding, cuddling, talking to babies and smiling at them. These interactions also help them pick up social cues and be more empathetic. Strong Language Skills Social interaction plays a major role in how infants learn a language. Studies conducted by researchers at the University of Washington, suggests that infants can OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

pick up phonetic elements of a language in relatively short period of time but only if the language is spoken by humans. In comparison, infants who listened to professionally produced audio tapes were unable to understand the phonetic elements. By social interaction, babies will be able to pronounce the words efficiently and will be able to distinguish speech sounds efficiently. All the children who grow up in normal surroundings can easily learn the language spoken by the surrounding people without any special classes. Creativity Social interaction helps babies in developing better imagination skills which enhances the creativity. Being creative fosters children’s mental growth. Being creative helps children to try out new ideas and makes them think better. This also helps them in developing better problem-solving skills. Problem-Solving Social interaction in babies helps them to work out problems on their own in future times. This enables them to gain experience in solving challenges in future.

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These babies in future would come up with solutions to most of the problems faced by them. Better Mental Health Social interaction helps a lot in maintaining good brain health. This also plays a good role in others confiding in you, and you confide in others as well. Social interaction helps the babies in making them feel happier. This makes the child feel secure and promotes the sense of safety as well. Bottom Line So now to answer the question, that is, does social interaction help babies learn faster? Yes, it does. As mentioned above, all the benefits the baby receives through social interaction leads to better growth and development. This development in turn results in better cognitive function, which aids learning. As with the case of language, social interaction helps babies pick up vital skills that facilitate learning and their intellectual growth. Interacting with other people has also been known to help the learner organise their thoughts, improve their reasoning skills and gain better understanding.

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HOW DO CLASSROOMS AFFECT YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT? Written By: Liza John

Parents are essentially a child’s primary teachers, at least for the first few years. You teach your child the basics of language, discipline, respect, and health. But now it is time for your child to grow further and one day transpire into the smart, kind, and independent adult you know they will be. School and classroom-based education plays an indispensable role in this journey. While schooling for the most part focuses on academics, that is not all that your child will learn and gain. Classroom makes sure that your kid will experience the real world and learn things that will be helpful in the overall development of your child. The classroom will open up many doors for your child which will be beneficial for them. It will further encourage their curious minds to gain better skills. The classroom learning process helps in structuring the child to deal with life situations and be resilient, so that they can deal with any life problem. Children become smarter and classrooms enable them to make decisions even in critical situations. Some of us say that classrooms are only meant for getting degrees and do not provide children with anything of value as such. However, this notion is far from true, in the classroom, you not only get a degree, but you also meet new people, you get to know about their culture, their 14

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behaviour, you become friends with strangers. This helps the child develop their social skills. Classroom learning focuses on the following aspects and thus becomes helpful in overall child development:

“The classroom learning process helps in structuring the child to deal with life situations and be resilient, so that they can deal with any life problem.”

Mental Aspect The classroom is the one platform where the child gets exposed to varieties of knowledge. He gets to learn about politics, culture, history, sociology, mathematics, literature, science and all these fields open up the thoughtful process and curious mind and impressive mind doors of the child. As the child gets exposed to such vast no. of subjects, different cultures, the child gets influenced by such things and thus his / her life also becomes vast. Social Aspect The classroom is the first place where a child is exposed to OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

a social environment. Before, your child is only in contact with their mother, father and other relatives. Whereas, when a child enters into a classroom, they meet many new people with whom they may or may not have any relation. In this engagement with new people, the child becomes more socialised. He makes new friends with whom he can share his lunch, his thoughts, and more. In the classroom, he meets peers in his age. The important social aspects of life are friendship, assistance, empathy and participation and all these four aspects get built in classrooms. These four aspects will prove important even in his adulthood. They help your child build a good work network, speak confidently, and be proactive in their actions. Physical Aspects Not only social and mental aspects, but classroom education also helps in developing the physical aspect of a child. Studies suggest that children are more physically active in the same aged group. And this can be only possible if the child gets into a classroom environment, where they will play and mix with children in the same age group.

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Additionally, most schools now emphasise on physical health of the children. With regular physical education classes and various opportunities that come with it. This also enables children to utilise their energy in a more productive manner. Final Thoughts Classroom education is influential in determining the growth and development of your child in various aspect. From providing a means to get their daily bread to developing their intellect and social skills, classrooms are more than just tests and homework. In short, you can say that classroom education is a vital component for growing up and for overall development. In this competitive world, education has also become a basic need for survival, right after food, home and shelter. However, education must be in a way that will not only add knowledge in life, but also helps you apply the knowledge in real-life situations. It should also enhance your skills and help you recognise your abilities and your true self, thus unlocking your true potential.

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ROLE OF PARENTS IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT written by: Liza John

Parents are perhaps the most important people in a child’s life. From nourishment and security, to love and care, children are dependent on their parents for all their basic needs. But parents are humans too and might have doubts related to parenting and childcare. One such common doubt is what is the role of a parent in a child’s development. Children go through a series of developmental stages which hone their physical, emotional, intellectual, and social skills. A parent is the first teacher in the world for a baby and should remain as the best teacher forever. The role of parents is to support them and encourage them throughout this development. In the rest of this article, we will be covering what are the roles that parents play in their child’s lives. Providing The Basic Needs Basic needs not only include food, shelter and clothing but also includes medical care as needed. Parents provide their children with these basic needs. Additionally, children also need to have a safe environment where they can grow and develop into kind, considerate, compassionate, and respectful human beings. Teaching Morals And Values Parents play a vital role in teaching moral values

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to their children. Moral values include honesty, respect towards others, responsibility, compassion, forgiveness, patience and generosity. Even if parents do not explicitly teach them these values, children tend to observe their parents and pick up these values. Take Part In Their Physical Development Habits you develop in your childhood go a long way. Staying healthy and fit is one such habit that should begin at home. Parents help children learn about being healthy and encourage them to exercise regularly. Provide them with the right diet and make sure that they have it. Focus On Mental Development Early childhood is a stage where the most of the mental development takes place. Parents are the most important people in the child’s mental development. They can help their child understand their emotions and feelings. Additionally, their behaviour moulds the way children perceive others. A strained relationship among parents could be inimical to the child’s mental health. Developing Skills Parents should always encourage and support children in developing basic skills. These skills include social

OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

skills such as emotions, intellect, ethics and behaviours. Parents could also help children in managing emotions such as anger and showing empathy towards others. Support And Guidance Parents actively encourage their children to do their best with their school, their hobbies and interests. They acknowledge children’s achievements and support them through mistakes and challenges. Parents should treat children fairly and develop a trusting relationship. Parents could also guide children to make the right choices and decisions in life. But then again, children will make mistakes, so always remember that positive feedback is much better than negative punishments. Discipline Discipline is all about teaching your children to learn how to behave and what is acceptable behaviour. Discipline is often mixed up and used alternatively for punishment, but discipline and punishment are not the same. Gone are the days when parents used punishment to discipline their children. Every parent has a responsibility to ensure that their children grow up to be independent, respectful and self-controlled adults, and this is possible only through discipline. While day-care, schools, and others help, the ultimate responsibility lies with the parents.

OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

Respectful Behaviour And Mutual Respect Parents are supposed to be the epitomes of respect. As aforementioned, children learn a lot more from you than what you teach them. They keep a track of your behaviour, the way you talk, and how you treat others. Parents who are respectful and kind towards others are likely to nurture similar behaviour in their children. To develop mutual respect, listening to your child is very important. To make them feel valued, always hear them out. Use respectful language when speaking. Respect their individuality, opinions, feelings and privacy. Unconditional Affection And Love While growing up, few things make us happier than when our parents feel proud of us. As we grow, there may be situations where we feel lost or low, but our parents have supported us with their unconditional love and affection. The same applies to all parents. When your child fails in anything, try to understand why that has happened instead of criticising them for their failure. In addition to that, assert that failing in anything does not reduce your love towards them in any aspect. Assure them that they have a caring and supportive family.

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WAYS TO HELP YOUR CHILD SOCIALISE WRITEN BY: LIZA JOHN

Do you often find your child feeling lonely? Seeing your child standing alone away from other kids or spending most of their time alone at home because they have nobody to hang out with, can be painful for you. You might be wondering how you can help your child overcome this loneliness and make some friends. Socializing is an important part of your child’s development. It helps your child manage their personal feelings, teaches them empathy, and also helps them interact properly with others. Socializing not only avoids the feelings of loneliness but also helps in improving memory and cognitive skills. Humans are social animals, and research shows that people who socialize effectively are happier and tend to live longer. In the rest of this article, we illustrate a few ways to help your child socialize better. Develop The Sense Of Emotions: The development of emotional regulation in early childhood is very important. Teach children that emotions are not always pleasant and it is okay. Make your child read books with that theme or watch movies with strong emotions. Help Your Child Build A Friend Circle: Inviting other children to your house and encouraging your child to host play dates or house parties, can help them build a good friend circle. These interactions help to build confidence for developing future friendships as well. Encourage Your Child To Participate In Social Interactions: Participating in social events and interacting with people helps your child improve their social skills. Another benefit of interacting with new people is that your child starts gaining exposure to different perspectives. So, encourage them to attend the next family reunion or friends get-together. But at the same time, do not force them to do something, it might just end up being counterproductive. Teach Them Empathy: When children have a better understanding of how people feel, then they are most likely to get connected to other people and form positive bonds. You can also teach them how important it is to listen to others and view something from their perspectives. Ask Them Questions: One of the best ways to initiate and carry on a positive conversation is by asking questions. With these kinds of conversations, you can reduce their nervousness and the chances of turning into introverts also decrease. 26

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Avoid asking simple yes or no questions, ask them open-ended questions instead. Teach Flexibility And Adaptability: Teach children that the more adaptable you are, the more productive you will be. Due to this, the children will be able to handle the change with ease. They grow up as open-minded and optimistic. By being flexible, they can stay calm while facing new challenges instead of being stressed out. Teach Them How To Ask For Help: To improve your child’s social skills, teach them how to ask for help. This makes the child feel not being embarrassed to ask for help. This also makes them feel secure and they do not feel they are alone. Be A Good Role Model: Being aware of how you interact with others when your child is watching is important. Because children are constantly watching the adults in their lives. Writing a letter for your kids asking for their help also helps us step back from the circumstances that cause distress to us. Help Your Child In Improving Observation Skills: Building observation skills and helping them how to spy helps them to figure out what kind of people are around them. This helps the child to know who are rude, who speak loudly, who are too close and who speak politely. Inculcate Good Listening Skills: Listening skills are very critical in everyone’s life. Make your child understand that listening enhances the ability to understand better and also will make you a better communicator. To other people, speaking to you will be made enjoyable with your good listening skills. Listening also reduces misunderstandings and helps in building strong relationships. Make Use Of Your Child’s Interest: If your child has any specific hobby or any special interest in any activity, then you can use that as a weapon to improve the social interaction skills of your child. When a child is genuinely interested in any activity, then enjoying others will come more naturally. This also helps the child to be around like-minded people where your child will probably feel more comfortable. We must remember that it will take time for your child to develop good social skills. All this process will take time. Be patient with the process. Even though parenting is a bit difficult, by following the above-mentioned tips, you will make it out better than before. OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

BOOK e

by: Amy Adeney from Busy Bookworms

TO M O R R OW IS A BR AN D -N E W DAY BY DAVI NA BELL & ALLI SON CO L PO Y S Good or bad, the things you do Are all a part of being you – Of learning how to take your b oat On stormy seas and stay af loat . From t h e c rea t ors of t h e b est sel l i n g A l l th e Wa y s To Be Sma rt c omes a mess a g e o f h o p e – h a rd d a y s c ome a n d go, b u t l o v e i s wi th u s a lwa y s. A h ea lin g a n d u p lif t i n g tr i b u te to lea rn in g a n d growin g – t o ma k i n g m i s ta k es a n d ma kin g a men d s. Wit h i ts s tr i k i n g , v ib ra n t illu st ra t ion s, t h is is su r e to b ec o m e a mod ern c la ssic , a n d is a f a n ta s ti c c h o i c e f or rea d ers a ged 3 a n d u p .

THE BOY AN D TH E ELEPH AN T BY F RE YA BL A CK WO O D T he boy l i v e s i n a c it y, wh er e everything i s f a st a n d l ou d. Bu t am id s t t h e bustle an d t he n o i s e , th e b o y h as a s ec r et ... In th e o v e r g r o w n lo t n ext t o h is a p artment b uilding , d e e p wit h in t h e g r een , he has a f r ie n d . B u t on e d ay p r o g r es s arrives, b ri ngin g w i th i t p lan s fo r s o m et h ing new, an d t he b oy m u s t fin d a w ay t o s ave his frie nd b e f o r e i t’s t o o lat e. Fro m a w a r d - w i nning illus trator and s to ry t e l l e r F r e y a B lack wood comes t h is ma g ic a l a n d t e n d e r w ordle s s picture b ook abo ut th e w o r l d we live in and our a b ilit y to c ha n g e i t. A b eautiful book to s ha re wit h childre n f r o m a g e 3 and up.

OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

SCAR EDY B AT H BY ZOË FOSTER- BLAKE & DA N I E L G RAYBARNETT Bath- time is f un! There’s the b ub b l e s, t he bath toys and lots of splashi ng of c our se . But have you ever wonder e d what i t ’ s like for the bath? Scaredy B at h d oe s not like bath time – the piping-hot wat e r , the gooey muck and especi al l y t he sm al l boisterous grubby ones that shout and splash and make Scaredy al l m uc k y ! W i l l Scaredy Bath ever enjoy bat h t i m e ? Sc a red y Ba t h is a d eligh t fu l n ew a d d i ti o n t o Zoe’s mu c h -lov ed b ra n d of p i c tu r e b o o k s t h a t c eleb ra t e t h e u p s a n d d o wn s o f f a mi l y life. Joy ou sly b rou gh t t o lif e b y h i l a r i o u s sp la sh -filled illu st ra t ion s, th i s g o r g eo u s b u b b ly od e t o b a t h -t ime ch a o s wi l l b e en joy ed b y rea d ers a ged 3 a nd u p .

THE WORLD AWAITS BY TOM O S RO B E RT S & N O MO C O As a litt l e b o y lies in b ed o n e m orning, no t w an ti n g t o fac e t h e d a y, it’s up to his ol d e r b ro t h er t o s h o w h im the e x t ra o r d i n a r y p o t en t ial w it h in h im and ho w e v e n t h e s malles t o f h is ac t io ns will ma k e t h e w o r l d a b et t er p la c e. T his sp a r k l i n g new picture book is a m a nif e s t o f o r o ur time, urging us a ll t o c o m e to g e t h e r t o build a brighter fu t u re, o ne sma l l s t e p a t a time. It re minds rea d ers th a t we a l l h a v e within us an amoun t of posit ivi t y a n d g oodnes s that w e could a d d to t he w o r l d i f w e only try. The s tu n n in g wa t e rc ol o u r i l l u s trations and e ng a gin g rhy m e m a k e t h i s a fantas tic book to sh a re wi t h re a d e r s a g e d 4 and up.

OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

WHY IS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IMPORTANT FOR YOUR CHILD DEVELOPMENT? WRITTEN BY: Liza John

Nowadays, we find our children usually engaged in seated activities such as watching Television, playing video games, or even attending school lectures online. Spending such long hours without any physical activity can be deleterious to your child’s health. For years, health experts have been reiterating that physical activity is important for good health. This is especially true in children. To develop strong bones, muscles, and a healthy mind, children should be engaged in physical activity like running around and playing in the park. If you are successful in developing a habit of staying fit and healthy, chances are that your child will carry that habit into their later years. So why should you promote physical activity? Here are a few reasons why: Healthy Growth And Development Results of physical activity may be shown immediately or in the long term as well. Developing good physical fitness from an early age builds strong bones and muscles, promotes a healthy heart and lungs and improves posture also. In addition to that, the risk of attack of chronic diseases in future is minimised.

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Healthy Weight Physical activity uses the extra calories which would be stored as fat and helps your child in maintaining a healthy weight. It helps in proper energy expenditure. Nowadays, obesity is a major health risk increasingly seen in children. Physical activity helps eliminate the risk of becoming overweight. Regular physical exercises will improve your child’s strength and boost their overall health. Social Interaction With Friends Most of the time, the physical activity which makes children curious is playing. In general, a child cannot play alone all the time. To play with strangers, he or she should build the conversation with them. This boosts the communication skills of the child, which helps in better social interaction. Improves Focus Studies show that physical activity improves alertness, motivation and attention. Physical activity will instantly boost the hormone levels in the brain, which affects focus and attention. Children who regularly participate in physical activities are better able to concentrate on the tasks at hand. Concentrate Better At School Children who participate in physical activity will be OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

more attentive to schoolwork. They also concentrate better on classroom tasks. Physical activity also will have immediate and long-term benefits on academic performance. Gets Good Sleep Exercise helps to stabilise a child’s mood and decompresses the mind. With regular exercise, the quality of sleep increases. The time it takes to fall asleep also decreases. It also decreases the amount of time awake in the bed during the night. Active Brain Function As the child participates in physical activity, their heart beat rate increases, which in turn increases the amount of oxygen pumped to the brain. The increased oxygen flow promotes the release of some hormones, that provide an excellent environment for growth of new brain cells. This also reduces the risk of disorders that lead to memory loss. Studies also show that physical activity increases the effects of helpful brain chemicals and reduces stress hormones. Regular physical activity enhances vital brain connections, leading to improved concentration and thinking skills. Improves Posture Participation in physical activity helps children to improve their posture. Poor posture in children will have 36

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many adverse effects like back pain, neck pain, fatigue and headaches. Regular exercises strengthen the core and upper back muscles, which helps in maintaining a good posture. Reduced Anxiety Regular exercise and physical activity help in reducing depression and anxiety by releasing endorphins. Endorphins are the chemicals in the brain that act as painkillers. They improve the ability to sleep, which in turn reduces stress and anxiety. Improved Relationship Endorphins are the feel-good hormones that block out pain. When your child participates in physical activity, their body releases endorphins. This helps them to have a more positive social engagement and an overall pleasant attitude. It also helps the children to foster friendships in school. Bottom Line Most of us associate physical activity to simple exercises. But physical activity can also include activities like cleaning, working, playing and so on. Children generally love running around and engaging in physically demanding activities. However, some children may not show interest in physical activity. In such cases, parents could motivate children to participate in physical activities by making them feel comfortable and also make sure that the children enjoy it. OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE AFRAID OF CHILDBIRTH? Written by Liza John

Childbirth and pregnancy are major and important events in women’s life, feeling anxious or scared is normal. There are numerous reasons that cause anxiety or fear of having a child such as misconceptions regarding childbirth and pregnancy, pregnancy complications or postpartum complications, previous loss or traumatic birth, prior abuse, preexisting anxiety, and so on. Maybe you do not want the extra burden of having a child, or you might just not be ready to take responsibility for the birth of a child. Media and popular culture, portrays pregnancy and childbirth as something that should always be joyous and happy. But as aforementioned, some mothers may feel anxious or scared, and this is okay. Do not beat yourself up over this. Can you get rid of this fear? Definitely! Here are some solutions to get rid of the fear of giving birth. Let Someone Know Knowing the real reason behind the fear of birth, it is important to get rid of the fear. Accordingly, you can choose the treatment and get support from either 40

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your partner or midwife or Douala. To find the reason for fear, talking with them is more important. It will become easy for them to give advice and plan suitable strategies for you, which will help them to come out from that fear. Find The Right Support Having the right support always makes the problem easy. Therefore, you must seek support if you are afraid of giving birth to a child. You can talk to your close friend and tell her about your feelings. She might make you feel calm and help realise the situation. You can also join a support group, and you will get to know about other experiences regarding childbirth. You can learn from other experiences. Also, ask several doctors about labour pain and try to get more information from them regarding labour pain and childbirth. Take Birthing Classes To fight the fear of birth, some doctors and nurses provide birthing classes. In these classes, they cover how hospitals handle the emergency cases of childbirth. Being in the middle of the pandemic, you

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could still attend such classes online or just look it up on YouTube. Make Positive Environment If you are already afraid of having childbirth, then it becomes more important that you have a positive environment in your surroundings rather than a negative one. Sometimes when getting knowledge from another person’s childbirth experience, you might feel more anxious and in such a condition, you should ask your doctor for more advice than being reliable on someone’s experience. Research On Internet To experience the positive birth effect, you can also take the help of the internet. By searching on Google, you can find many blogs available. But sometimes those blogs give the wrong information or baseless information. So instead of getting information from Google, check for research or review papers or take the suggestions of your family doctor. Doctors suggest that staying away from negative blogs is a very important step to give positive birth.

Yoga Yoga is always the right choice if you want to overcome your anxiety. Yoga helps in calming your mind and giving you a different perspective to look at the situation. The important advantage of Yoga is that you will have your body mentally and physically fit, also you will have breathing control because of Yoga and these things are very helpful in labour pain. Create A Birth Plan If you ask Google or Facebook community regarding the birth plan, then you will get only one answer, that is, birth is not a planned process, or you cannot plan birth. However, you can still make several plans for birth with your midwife, Douala or your partner. You can look for a quick route to reach the hospital, have diet plans for reducing labour pain and to have a healthy and fit body for childbirth. You can also create a good environment or surrounding in such a way that can help give birth to a child at home. Labour can come at any time and have the hospital dial no. Your emergency contact list is also helpful in getting the right advice at the right time.

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OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

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OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

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VAGINAL DELIVERY OF BREECH BABY Written by Liza John

Breech presentation of babies has always been a worry for expecting parents. Seen in 3-4% of pregnancies, it is the scenario where the baby in the womb has their buttocks or feet closer to the cervix instead of the head. Breech presentation at term complicates the delivery of the baby because there is a higher chance for blood clots, prolapse of the umbilical cord, cervical entrapment of the foetus, umbilical cord compression, cervical spinal injury, birth asphyxia, intracranial haemorrhage, and trauma to the baby. There are three different types of breech presentation: Complete or flexed breech where both legs are flexed at the hips and knees and the foetus appears to be sitting cross-legged. Frank or extended breech where both legs are flexed at the hip and extended at the knee. This is the most common type of breech presentation. Footling breech in which one or both legs are extended at the hip so that the foot is the presenting part. Breech babies can be delivered through vaginal delivery as well as caesarean section. Regardless of the mode of delivery, there is always an increased risk of perinatal mortality with breech presentation. Foetal malformations, prematurity, and intrauterine death are highly common with breech babies. Delay in delivery is the biggest risk posed by the breech position of the foetus. 56

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Before Vaginal Delivery Since giving birth to the baby in the breech position is highly risky, experts recommend many ways to turn the baby. From alternative medicine such as acupuncture and chiropractic to using music and temperature, the techniques to be used can change with the foetus’ position. Out of the various options available, the External Cephalic Version is what most obstetricians suggest. To turn a baby from a breech position to a position with the head down while it’s still in the uterus, the doctor applies pressure to the pregnant belly to turn the baby from the outside. Ultrasound is used on occasion as well. Expecting parents who have normal pregnancies also have ECV at times. Yet, caution should be applied when there are multiple pregnancies, vaginal bleeding, abnormal foetal heart rate, excess amniotic fluid, and a few other specific conditions. The ECV Procedure Usually done in a hospital towards the end of pregnancy or around 37 weeks, an ultrasound is done to confirm that the baby is in breech position. The baby’s heart rate is also monitored to make sure it is normal. The doctor may give you medicine to relax the muscles in your uterus and it decreases discomfort OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

and increases the success of turning your baby. The medicine is very safe, with no risk to the foetus, and is usually administered via IV. The procedure involves the expecting parent lying down and the doctor will place their hands on your stomach. After marking the location of the baby’s head, the doctor tries to turn the baby to the headfirst position with gentle pressure. Following this, the doctor monitors your baby’s heart rate again. In the case of a successful procedure, staying in the hospital is not necessary and your chance of having a normal vaginal delivery is high. However, there is still a chance for the baby to return to the breech position. The success rate of ECV depends on several factors such as closeness to the due date, amount of amniotic fluid, the weight of the baby, previous pregnancies, and position of the placenta. In case the procedure is not successful, doctors will discuss the pros and cons of having a vaginal delivery or a C-section. The doctor may even suggest repeating the ECV. The risks of ECV are included early-onset labor, blood loss, foetal distress, and rupture of membranes. Vaginal Breech Delivery Depending on the size of the baby, the gestational 58

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age, and the breech presentation of the baby, there are three types of vaginal breech delivery. When the baby is delivered spontaneously, without any traction or manipulation of the baby, it is called spontaneous breech delivery. Very preterm babies are often delivered this way due to their smaller size. Another common type of vaginal breech delivery is assisted vaginal breech delivery. Here, the delivery takes a spontaneous course up to the umbilicus, after which the doctor manipulates the body, arms, and head of the baby. In total breech extraction, the baby’s feet that are delivered first are grasped and extracted. It is not recommended for single babies as the cervix may not have dilated enough for this to become a success, but total breech extraction is used for delivering the second twin or the latter babies in multiple pregnancies. Final Thoughts Attempting to correct the foetus’ position in the uterine is the best option because breech deliveries have numerous complications. Umbilical cord prolapses, infections, blood clots, nuchal arms, and spinal injury are all highly likely when it comes to the vaginal delivery of breech babies. Consult your obstetrician to detect the positioning of your baby and the right courses of action to correct it as needed. Regular check-ups play an essential role in this so be sure to never skip out on them. OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

WHAT YOU SHOULD AND SHOULDN’T POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA? Written by Liza John

Social media is an amazing platform to connect with your friends, share something you love, promote your brand, show your happiness, and find out what your loved ones are doing in life. All the social media apps claim that they do not invade your privacy and they are safe and secure to use. While some social media platforms do provide security, sometimes, what you post plays a detrimental role in dictating your security and privacy on the platform. In short, one can say that social media is a double-edged sword and how you use it decides if it is beneficial or harmful for you. To make the best of social media and avoid some common pitfalls, we have enlisted some tips on what you should and shouldn’t post on social media. What Should You Know While Posting Content On Social Media? • Be More Engaging On Social Media: You might have had conversations with someone, where you are talking and the other person is not responding with interest or does not respond at all. That made you feel miserable, and you just do not want to talk with that person again. 62

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The same thing can happen with your social media followers. Keeping your audience engaged is essential. To keep them in contact, post something regarding your hobbies, or get them to interact with you via options like Questions and answers, additionally, you can react to their stories, comment on their posts, or reply to their comments. These small things make sure that your followers feel like they get heard or seen. • Add Stories Do you remember when Snapchat was launched, numerous people moved to Snapchat as it had a feature of putting stories? People went berserk for Snapchat so much so that the social media giant, Facebook even tried to buy Snapchat. Even though Facebook could not succeed in landing the deal, they added their version of sharing stories on Facebook, in a bid to maintain their audience. According to recent data, stories are shared 15 times more than normal newsfeed and are the best tools available to engage with your customers or followers. Make sure to utilise stories to the fullest. Keep your stories simple yet sophisticated. OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

• Post Attractive Photos, Videos And Captions Social media is a wide platform to post photos and videos. However, before posting the photos or videos make sure the photos and videos are worth watching. Instagram is a great platform where you can edit your post and with attractive posts, you can make customers and followers engage with your brand or your account. You can use short yet attractive captions that will catch the attention of followers or you can use long captions but with a story that will catch people’s emotions. Things You Should Not Post On Social Media: • Details About Your Vacation Plan Social media has become a platform where you want to show how happy your life is going but think twice before you post anything on social media. You should refrain from posting the date or location of your vacation before you complete your vacation on social media. It is simply unsafe to post such information on social media. You must be wondering, when should we post 64

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then, right? You can post pics and videos of your vacation after you visit the place. This will make you secure and happy too. • Do Not Post Videos Of Your Friends Without Permission. Our phone is always in our hands and we sometimes click weird pics or videos of our friends and want to post them online. But before posting it on any social media platform, take permission from the friend whose video or photo you are going to post. The quirky pictures you post may offend your friends and cause unwanted problems. • Do Not Post Things That Are TMI While posting about your personal life, know where to draw the line. Posting what you are cooking, eating, or who you are hanging out with is fine. But at the same time, sexual posts might harbour unnecessary attention and some may even find it to be inappropriate. If the content you are posting is NSFW or Not Safe For Work, do not post it to the public.

OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

IS BEING BEST FRIENDS WITH YOUR CHILD GOOD OR BAD? Written by Liza John

Every parent dream’s that their child should treat them as their best friend and not hide anything from them. You may want your child to share every detail with you and talk freely to you. In short, you want your child to think that they can open up with you whenever they are depressed or feeling low, right? You might think that being best friends with your child is a good idea but let me just stop you there for a moment. Let me ask you a simple question, how would you feel if your parents were your best friends? Imagine watching romantic movies with them, it feels weird, right? The same goes for your child. Moreover, there are many disadvantages, when you become best friends with your child. The child does not structure well, and they might not feel good mentally or emotionally. Let’s dig a little deeper into this and try to understand why it may not be a good idea to be best friends with your child. Kids Become Arrogant And Disobedient Life is a perfect balance between happiness and sadness. Similarly, the relationship between child and parent should also be balanced with love, care, support, and criticism. Children are chaotic, while playing they make a mess out of things even though not on purpose, it is important to teach them right and wrong. If you attempt to be their best friend, then you may not be able to teach your children what are the limits or correct them. Even if you try to, your kid may feel that since you are their best friend, it is okay if they do not listen to you and follow what you say. 68

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Therefore, to discipline your child, you may have to be strict at times to show them the limits, boundaries between good and bad. Children Might Lose Their Childhood Parents are role models, superheroes for their child. But to become their best friend, you may need to sacrifice your image as a superhero. Being best friends goes both ways, you can’t expect your child to share all their problems and life events if you don’t share yours. But in doing so, you end up oversharing and burden your child with your problems as well, which would be counterproductive and definitely not something children are capable of understanding. Children are delicate, naive and innocent. They need care, love, affection and guidance. If you add emotional stress to their lives by sharing your problems, children may start losing their innocence and naiveness at a far younger age, which is not good for the mental and emotional health of your child. You directly or indirectly take control over their childhood and for the happiness of the child. Kids Need A Role Model When you become best friends with your child, you cannot set boundaries for them. Let’s say, one way you asked them to talk freely and the other way you scold them when they give answers to your questions. So, they become unsure about your role in their life.

OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

Kids look up to their parents for reference and imbibe qualities and values that parents carry. Being a best friend, you’ll have to expose your child to your other side too, which obviously isn’t ideal. Nobody is perfect, and we have our flaws, but as parents we must put on a facade, and appear flawless at least till the children are old enough to make their own decisions. You Lose Your Right To Structure Your Kid The best friend is a partner in crime. And as a parent, you do not want your kid to do anything wrong. But your child will not get to know the difference between right and wrong unless you teach them. Being a partner in crime, you may not be in a position to do that, and you might have to turn a blind eye to their mischiefs and wrong doings. This could cause your child to be undisciplined and mischief-makers. At its worst form, your child could even engage in illegal activities. Final Thoughts Being best friends with your child may make him feel nice, like “yeah, I can tell my parents anything”. But it is not a good practice in the long run. You need to be friendly, kind, affectionate and loving as a parent. At the same time, you should draw the limits and boundaries to your relationship. Enforce rules and guide them through the right path until they are capable of making decisions on their own.

OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

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WHEN SHOULD YOU TEACH YOUR KIDS ABOUT BIRDS AND BEES? Written by Liza John

When you became parents, the one question that stuck in your mind is when should we start talking with our kids about the birds and bees or to teach them about sex. To get an answer to this question, we start asking this question to either Google Assistant or Alexa, but in response, all we get is that the information is sensitive, and they cannot share it as it does not match with their rules and regulations. However, the most important question is not when should you teach your kids about birds and bees, but rather when and how to teach your kids about birds and bees. Therefore, we have prepared this article about how to talk to kids according to their age about private or sex things so that you will get the solution to your problem. At The Age 0 To 3 At the beginning age, that is children with age 0 to 3 are okay with anyone touching their genitals let it be for changing diapers or cleaning their genitals. But at the age of 2, kids started to wonder about the structure of their body, they get curious. They start wondering why their body structure is different from their sibling’s. Therefore, you should teach your kids 74

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about basic terms like vulva, vagina and penis and there is nothing wrong with talking about body parts. At The Age 4 To 5 During the 4 to 5 age, kids started touching their genitals and in this phase, it is important to teach your kids that no one, let it be either a close friend or a relative should be allowed to touch their genitals. Also, at this age, if any of your relatives or you get pregnant, kids start asking about how babies born. So, without getting into actual details regarding sex, you can just tell them politely that female has eggs and male have sperm and when fusion occurs, the baby is born. Give them a basic idea about reproduction. At The Age 6 To 7 At the age of 6 to 7, kids get curious about what happens between male and female which produces a baby, so you must tell them the truth by explaining details of outer and inner body parts which make male and female different and thus female produces a baby. Also, you must teach kids about protecting OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

themselves from Sexual abuse and how they should set boundaries to others for preventing sexual abuse. At The Age 8 To 12 The age of 8 to 12 is the puberty age of kids and at this age, kids would have acquired some knowledge regarding sex, and they start to feel shy talking about sex. At this age, you should give your kids a little more freedom and some private space. The best way to understand the feeling of your kids about sex is to note their reaction while watching a movie or series where the characters in the movie start to make out. If the kid is not okay with such scenes, you should talk with them and tell them the difference between social media sex and real-life sex, so that they do not lead with misinformation regarding sex. After The Age Of 13 At the age of 13, kids enter their teenage. Kids at this age or rather teens, are fully aware of

OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

sex. But at this age, it is still important to talk with your kids and teach them how they can protect themselves from date rape, sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy and other risks. Talk freely with your kids about the disadvantages of internet porn and sexting, and even set some limits to the use of mobile and devices for kids. While talking about sex with kids aged 13 and above, you must talk to them friendly, politely and without judging them. At this age, kids started to make their own decisions, so they might involve in sex behind your back without your approval, therefore, it is important to teach kids about how to prevent unwanted pregnancy and STD’s. Sex has been for long considered as a taboo that must only be discussed in private. Many used to consider discussing it to be inappropriate and uncivilised. However, as times have changed, people have started realising the importance of sex education. As with every other aspect of your child’s life, sex education must begin at home.

OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

HOW TO BE A DADDY DOUALA? Written by Lance Green

So, now you are going to be a dad, you must be very excited and panicking at the same time. Because a new chapter of your life is going to start. From the lovely husband, you now have a new position as well, to become a dad. And surely you want to be a perfect dad for your child, right? But becoming a dad is not as easy as eating the piece of cake. With the position of Daddy, several responsibilities come. You have to be patient and calm throughout the childbirth process, from pregnancy to labour and even after the childbirth. If it is your first time becoming a dad then here are some tips that will break the ice for you, During Pregnancy: Know About The Birthing Process Watch several videos on YouTube or on any social platforms to know about how babies are born. You can also join some classes to get to know what to do when the baby is going to be born. This will give you a preexperience about the complications in pregnancy and you will be prepared for it accordingly.

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Be Well-Prepared If you have been to the hospital, check the short or quick route to get to the hospital, so that you will reach the hospital quickly when your partner is in labour. Save the contacts of the hospital, baby suit in emergency contact or the speed dial of your mobile. Make Your Partner Believe In Herself Giving birth to a child or labour is the hardest part, at some point, mama starts to think that she can’t do it. At this point, you will have to support them by telling them, your body can do it, make them believe even they don’t believe in themselves. You can check several quotes on google to know what to say to women when they are in labour. Make sure, what to say and what not to say in labour. Talk To Your Partner During pregnancy, it is important to have good communication between you and your partner. Your partner needs your time and attention during this phase. You can talk about your fear or talk about the birth plan with your partner, to have a better understanding. OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

In Labour: Be There Labour is painful and it can occur at any time, therefore you have to be there with your partner. Make your partner calm, loved, hydrated and confident. You can provide her protein-rich snack and hot shower to make them feel calm. Cheer Up Your Partner When the partner is in labour, make sure you do not give her stress by talking about whom you’re talking about. Let her be herself. Instead of looking at machines in Hospital, hold her hand and say some affirmation that will cheer her up. Be Present At Birth Space Giving birth to a child is never easy. Therefore, you have to present at birth space. Turn off your mobile or any TV around. Hold her hand, wash her head with cold water, tell him to take deep breaths, these small things matter in this labour time for your partner After Childbirth:

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Cut The Cord, But Not Too Soon After the baby is born, you will have to cut the placenta. Do not hesitate or be squeamish to cut the placenta. Also, do not rush to cut the placenta. Take some time to adore the baby and then cut the placenta. Studies suggest that delayed cutting will benefit your baby in many ways. Have Warm Contact With Your Baby Having skin to skin or warm contact with your baby is helpful for your baby as well as you for becoming a parent. Having skin to skin transition will help you create a bond with your baby and the baby also get benefit from having normal breathing, heart rate and temperature Help Your Partner And Protect Space After the baby is born, there are several changes in the body of your partner. It is time to take care of your partner as well. Help her by taking shower or going to the toilet. Do not give her stress about anything. Be there in a moment and capture as many moments as you can. Remember, having a baby is the responsibility of the two of you. When you walk together on this path, you will have a happy life. Good luck!! OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU AND YOUR PARTNER DON’T AGREE ON PARENTING STYLES? Written by Liza John

Raising children is too important to do it without due consideration. Even after discussions before venturing into parenthood, partners find themselves with opposing views while being in the thick of it. People are brought up with different ideas, values, and principles and it is only normal for it to influence their parenting style as well. In fact, there are very few relationships where partners have the opportunity to see each other’s parenting styles before committing. So what do you do when you cannot go by your partner’s way of disciplining? The best course of action to create a positive home environment is by having an extensive discussion about parenting practices with your partner. When this is done before kids come into the picture, the stakes are much lower, and it allows for a conversation without tension. Despite it all, if you still find clashes in parenting styles, here are a few ways to resolve them. Strategies To Adopt Find Common Ground Put aside your personal opinions on the topic and see what the best option for your child is.

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Once you come to an agreement as a couple, enlist the ways in which you can help your child. Always remember that each child is different, so situations may call for different approaches. Parenting is mostly trial and error, so work with your partner to find practical solutions. Set A Few Basic Rules In order to avoid confusion at every step of the way, establish some basic house rules. This can be rules like ‘bedtime is at 8’ or ‘no electronics after dinner’. With some guidelines in place, your child can have a routine for their day and prevent your child from manipulating you or your partner into getting their way. While doing this, make sure that the rules are not too many in number or accompanied by heavy punishment when broken. This will only affect the child adversely. Avoid Public Arguments When parents have shouting matches in front of them, children feel uncomfortable and unsafe all at once. This is something you should avoid at all costs. Only iron out the details of clashing topics in private. If tension runs high and you feel more prone to outbursts, remove yourself from

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that setting. In case the matter gets too difficult to manage, never hesitate to get help. Have A Safe Word While in the process of interacting with your children, if you feel your partner’s approach is not healthy, introduce a safe-word or catchphrase to let them know that you need to talk. Decide on this word earlier, and you can hold a private discussion to communicate and re-evaluate approaches to parenting. You do not have to hide this arrangement from your children and in fact, this can be a learning experience if done right. Avoid Good Cop Bad Cop One important thing to remember while parenting ㅡ drop the good cop bad cop approach. This will only cause an imbalance in your dynamic as parents. Your children will start to prefer the good cop parent and keep secrets from the other one. And once this pattern is established, they will know to approach only one parent to escape punishment or obtain rewards.

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Present A United Front Be unified when you have to do some hardcore parenting. Even though you might not completely agree to some decisions, support your partner, and give their ideas of parenting a chance too. Appearing of the same mind in front of your children can give them more stability, make them feel more relaxed, and maintain harmony at home. Final Thoughts Having different approaches to parenting does not spell disaster for your relationship. Understanding the differences and incorporating the good parts from each is how you should proceed. Mixing up and trying different solutions while raising your child can give you a chance at being a better parent. It can also help you in coming up with efficient parenting plans when your child presents new behaviours. If you feel that your relationship with your partner is straining because of your roles as parents, seek help. Ask other people who have come through the same issues for advice or a counsellor and try to work things out between yourself without involving the children. OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

blink and it’s gone WRITTEN BY: Sheree Hoddinett

How are we at the tail end of the year already? I swear the kids only started school for the year, just a couple of months ago. Okay, so it’s possibly a little more. But I feel like this year has suddenly ramped up in speed and suddenly we’re looking down the barrel of Christmas. I know I’m definitely not ready for that, let alone the girls having a couple of months off school! You can guarantee they’ll be bored every 5 seconds, no matter what entertainment I manage to throw their way. They really are growing up so fast, it’s scary at times. I always say they’ll forever be my babies no matter how old they get, but I think they’ll both tower over me one day and I’m not exactly on the short side! It’s hard to take in every moment when there’s always so much going on, but when it comes to kids, you realise how fast the moments go. One minute they’re these teeny tiny babies who need you every second of the day and then suddenly they foster an independence (sort of) in a matter of a couple of short years. They still rely on you (as a food, drink and taxi service…. money too perhaps) for many years ahead but there is some severing of the needy cord.

I often make jokes about my girls, but truth be told they are pretty good kids (for everyone else, haha!) and I know it could be far worse. But when you’re in the midst of being told you’re the worst mum ever for what feels like the billionth time for no real reason (I wouldn’t let them have chocolate or use their tablet), things start to wear a bit thin. I certainly don’t have the patience of a saint, I never have and never ever will but kids seem to find a way to irritate you, even in your most patient state. Or maybe it’s just me. I’m happy to fly that flag, haha! I get told by some awesome people I’m a good mum and I’m doing an amazing job as a single mum. I think being a mum in general is something we all do amazingly and to the best of our ability, whatever that may be. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the compliments and even though it must

look like I’m doing something good, I swear it doesn’t feel that way. On average I must spend half my time yelling. Yelling for them to get out of bed, get into bed, clean their teeth, eat their breakfast, to stop fighting, to turn the TV off, to stop hitting each other, to not even think about touching my phone….the list goes on and I’m sure I’m not alone on that one! But in the whole scheme of things, it’s all part of the process of raising kids and I really wouldn’t change a thing, even though it drives me crazy. I will never say I’ve done a perfect job and there are so many things I should have done differently but hindsight is always a wonderful thing. The most important factor in all this is the two littlest loves in my life, my girls. They love me unconditionally (as I do them), despite all my flaws (and yelling) and I couldn’t imagine life

without them. Some days would be a little easier though…I’m kidding! Never underestimate what they can achieve either. It blows me away how switched on and perceptive kids can be, especially when you think they aren’t paying attention. If I could slow down time and bottle up all the good times to replay, I really would. But in life, we have to take the good with the bad and vice versa. One day I know I’ll look back on all this and wonder what the hell I was even going on about and remember these as the easier days. But I know I will (or at least try to) cherish every moment, even if I don’t realise it at the time. Check out more of my wisdom (haha) and ramblings over at www.shereekim.com. If anything it’ll make you feel better that you’re not alone in this chapter of your life. Until next time….xx OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

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recipes sourced from: healthier.qld.gov.au

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Delicious

Roasted Vegetable Bruschetta INSTRUCTIONS 1

preheat oven to 200ºc

mix the vegetables with the garlic and olive oil in a plastic bag so they are well coated.

place the vegetables onto a baking paper lined oven tray and roast for 20 minutes until tender, turning occasionally.

remove vegetables from oven and transfer to warm bowl.

toast bread in toaster or under grill, brush with olive oil.

stir the basil leaves through the vegetables.

spoon vegetables evenly onto each slice of bread to serve.

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prep time: 45 mins serves: 4 INGREDIENTS tomatoes, chopped into 2 cm-sized zucchini, chopped into 2 1 med cm-sized baby eggplants, chopped 2 into 2 cm-sized button mushrooms, cut 6 into 4 2 med

1 garlic clove, crushed 2 tsp olive oil basil leaves, torn into 1/4 cup pieces thick slices of multigrain 4 bread 1 tbsp olive oil

Quick & Easy

Savoury Tomato Toast INSTRUCTIONS 1

heat tomatoes and juice in small saucepan for five to seven minutes on medium heat.

stir in breadcrumbs, cheese, dried basil and pepper and simmer for two minutes. remove from heat.

toast bread and divide tomato mixture between each.

cut into squares and serve immediately.

prep time: 10 mins serves: 4 INGREDIENTS 400g 1/4 cup 1 tsp 1 cup 4

canned tomatoes (no added salt) reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated dried basil wholegrain breadcrumbs Pepper to season slices wholegrain bread, toasted

tip: make your own breadcrumbs by removing the crusts from day-old wholegrain bread slices and cut into cubes. transfer the cubes to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. freeze left over breadcrumbs in a sealable plastic bag and freeze up to three months

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Chickpea And Couscous Salad prep & cook time: 20 mins serves: 8 INSTRUCTIONS 1

bring stock to the boil and add cumin.

remove from heat and mix in couscous.

cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes until stock is absorbed.

mix in remaining ingredients.

serve warm or cold

INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock* ground cumin or curry 2 tsp powder 1 1/2 cups couscous, uncooked 425 g chickpeas, drained 3 med tomatoes, finely diced 1/4 cup parsley, chopped spring onions, sliced 2 (include green tops) rind of lemon or orange, 1 grated 150ml juice of oranges. 1 tsp 1 tablespoon vegetable oil chopped continental parsley

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Zucchini, Capsicum, Artichoke And Rice Slice prep & cook time: 55 mins serves: 4 INSTRUCTIONS

mix ricotta, milk, half the parmesan, eggs, rice, zucchini,peas, spring onions and mint together in large bowl.

pour mixture into slice pan (28x18cm) lined with baking paper, scatter over capsicum and artichoke hearts and sprinkle with remaining parmesan and sunflower seeds.

bake in oven at 180ºc for 45-50 minutes or until rice is tender and slice is set.

cool slightly before slicing.

INGREDIENTS 300g 1 cup 2 tbsp 2 1/2 cup 2 med

reduced-fat ricotta cheese reduced-fat milk parmesan cheese, finely grated eggs rice zucchini, grated

1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted 4 med spring onions, sliced 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped red capsicum, sliced 1 cup thinly in rings canned/ bottled 100g artichoke heart, rinsed and drained 1/ cup sunflower seeds

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Baked Jacket Potatoes INSTRUCTIONS 1

preheat oven to 220˚c. scrub potatoes and brush skins lightly with oil to ensure a dry crisp surface.

bake on a tray for 40-60 minutes depending on size, until cooked.

slice potato in half.

spread with a spoonful of dressing and spoon over desired toppings.

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OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121

prep & cook time: 55 mins serves: 4 INGREDIENTS 4 med

sized potatoes (allowing at least one per person) a little oil for brushing TOPPING SUGGESTIONS sliced avocado and lemon juice baked beans chopped tomatoes and olives salsa roasted eggplant strips roasted capsicum strips sliced and sautéed mushrooms ratatouille chilli con carne lean ham and pineapple creamed corn and tuna DRESSING 3/4 cup yoghurt 3/4 cup ricotta cheese 1 teaspoon chives, chopped

Pita Bread Pizza

prep & cook time: 30 mins serves: 2

INSTRUCTIONS

INGREDIENTS

preheat the oven to 230°c (210°c fan-forced).

use a fork to combine ricotta and yoghurt in a bowl, and spread on the two pita breads.

place pita bread on oven tray and top with onion, tomato, mushrooms and mixed herbs.

place in oven and bake for 15 minutes or until vegetables are cooked.

remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for five minutes.

top with rocket and serve immediately.

2 sml 2 tbsp 3 tbsp 1 1 6 1/2 tsp 1 cup

wholemeal pita breads ricotta cheese natural yoghurt red onion, diced tomato, sliced mushrooms, sliced dried mixed herbs rocket leaves, rinsed

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All Year Round Fruit Salad prep time: 15 mins serves: 6

INSTRUCTIONS 1

combine all fruit in a large serving bowl.

stir through passionfruit and pour over juice and mix.

serve immediately. tip: make sure orange juice is poured over any fruits that discolour quickly, eg: bananas, pears and apples.

INGREDIENTS watermelon, thick 2 cups green skin removed and cubed pineapple, cored and 1/2 cubed banana, peeled and 1 sliced kiwifruit, peeled and 1 cubed 3 passionfruit, pulped 2 oranges, juiced

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Tutti Fruity Popsicles – Mango Raspberry prep & freeze time : 6 hrs serves: 4

INSTRUCTIONS 1

place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

put 6 raspberries into each cup and top with mango mix.

secure lids on moulds or insert popsicle sticks and freeze for 4-6 hours or overnight until solid.

stand at room temperature for a few minutes before removing from mould.

INGREDIENTS 1 lrg flesh from mango 1 med banana, peeled 200g low-fat mango yoghurt raspberries, fresh or 24 frozen

you will need ice block moulds or plastic cups and popsicle sticks for this recipe

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MY CHILD directory

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OCTOBER 2021 | My Child Magazine Issue #121