Peninsula Kids - Summer 2014-15 by Peninsula Kids

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Cover Photo: TJ at Mills Beach, Mornington Editor Melissa McCullough melissa@mpnews.com.au Creative Director Maria Mirabella maria@mpnews.com.au

Editor

Melissa McCullough

Design Evan Stampe evan@mpnews.com.au

Heliophilia (n.) desire to stay in the sun; love of sunlight. An attraction or adaptation to sunlight, as the sunflower. And so here we are.

Content Director Anna Brown anna@peninsulakids.com.au

Welcome back. It’s been far toooooo long. For most of us, summer is the time for the beach, parties, movies, fun, working, more fun, hangin’ out and cutting loose. It’s a time to reward ourselves for all of our efforts throughout the past year.

General Enquiries info@peninsulakids.com.au

Publisher

Cameron McCullough

There are so many fun things to look forward to! The reindeer are going through rigorous exercise regimes. Someone will be ordering the champagne for New Year’s Eve. Some will be planning to wear a flag on their face or as a cape for Australia Day celebrations. And for some, sending a child to school for the first day (I will try not to cry with you!). With all of this in our minds, we hope this summer edition of Peninsula Kids will not only tempt you with our usual recipes, crafts, products and articles, but also fill your eyes with a feast of all things summer.

This publication is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

So elf those shelves, get the school uniforms in order, hug your loved ones during the holidays and often – for good reason or no reason at all. Be kind (Santa’s watching).

Peninsula Kids is produced quarterly. 15,000 copies distributed between Mordialloc and Portsea.

Thanks again to my wonderful team. I don’t know what I’d do without you.

Registered address: 2/1 Tyabb Road, Mornington 3931

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Maria Mirabella

Oh, how I’ve missed you and your golden days that stretch into starry nights. Your sweet smell of barbecue and your shores dotted with colourful umbrellas and tents. The kids have been restless with the anticipation of going to the beach, up into a tree or onto the pitch.

Publisher Cameron McCullough

Disclaimer: The authors and publisher do not assume any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

Creative Director

Summer.

Advertising Miriam Doe 0421 058 974 miriam@mpnews.com.au

All material is copyright, and may not be reproduced without the express permission of Mornington Peninsula News Group, or the original copyright holder in the case of contributions. Copyright of contributed material rests with the contributor.

ed’s letter...

Miriam Doe Content Director

Anna Brown

Design

Evan Stampe

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Contributors Special thanks go to the gorgeous and talented group of contributors who breathed life into our first issue by sharing their best with us.

Lorraine Aitken

Family-friendly adventurer

Anna Grigg

Stacey Anderson

Little Things in Common littlethingsincommon.com.au

David Hawkins

Lauren Skelly

www.bigkidlittlekid.net

The Mumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Word themumsword.com.au

Rebecca Stephens

Seeing the Lighter Side of Parenting rebeccastephens.com.au

Karli Duckett

Mumma Duck Says Mummaduckblog.wordpress.com

Jane Flynn

Almost Jane almostjane.com.au

ENINSULA KID P S If you would like to advertise in our next edition

please contact miriam on 0421 085 974 or email miriam@mpnews.com.au

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2014/15

Contents

09 Spotlight 10 Stepmother Love We chat with Sara Leonardi-McGrath & Sally Collins. 12 Encourage Girls to Face their Fears Fear is okay, but it needs to be faced. 14 Breaking Free from the Bonds of ‘Should-it is’ A call to ban the word ‘should’ when it comes to parenting. 20 You Are My Sunshine Welcome beach days and all the simple joys that come with them! 29 It Was Just a Simple Trip to the Pool One dad’s adventure of a first trip to the pool.

32 Tips for Dealing with Kids in a Heatwave 5 tips to help you survive the summer heat. 36 Help me, I’m Clucky Feeling a teeny bit achy at a baby shower.. 38 Diagnosis One mum’s story of learning of her daughter had Autism Spectrum Disorder. 58 Justine Clarke Interview Local kids chat with our favourite Play School star.

31 Teaching Kids About Money How to pass on good money management skills to your kids. www.peninsulakids.com.au

Contents

....continued

Local

Recipes

5 Popular Picnic Spots on the Mornington Peninsula

Daddy Review – Boneo Maze & Mini Golf

Free Family-Friendly Activities for the Summer Holidays

Health

Mushroom Reef Marine Reserve

Let’s Ride!

10 Tips for a Successful Camping Trip

Ask the Experts

Mornington Peninsula’s Top Beaches

Dry Drowning – time for a reality check

Family Recipes with Mumma Duck Says

Creative

Celebrate 40

Save the Milk Superhero Party

Sponge Bombs

Ideas for your own Superhero Party

Sponge Bomb Wrecking Ball

How to make Super Jelly

Outdoor Noughts & Crosses

Allergy Free Double Chocolate Cake

Easy Chalk Pain

Make Your Own Superhero Mask

Education

Pregnancy & Baby 51 Breastfeeding is Hard

The Start of the School Year is Finally Here

Parent Engagement

52 Touch Me and Help Me Grow

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

WIN ME

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1. Captain Zoom personalised birthday song - Captain Zoom will travel from the Moon to Earth to sing a personalized birthday song that mentions the person’s name 8 times! MP3 download $14.95US www.captainzoom.com 2. Raskullz Krash Bike Helmet $29.99 www.toysrus.com.au 3. The Belly Book - The first pregnancy journal devoted 100% to you and your belly. $22.80 www.booktopia.com.au

6. Joco Glass Coffee Cup (8oz/235ml) $22.95 www.reusablesetc.com.au 7. Hero Cape - Hero Capes come in the varying sizes, personalised hero letter on the back and a matching mask, each child can become a superhero anywhere. $24.95 www.babybutton.com.au 8. Button Extender - The Button Extender is belt that threads through the belt loops at the front of your skirts and pants not only extending but covering up your button to close your pants making them comfortable to continue to wear.

4. Mama Organiser - allows mums to organise their whole lives in one simple and easy bag! $24.95 www.babybutton.com.au

$14.95 www.babybutton.com.au

5. Breastfeeding Cover - allows mothers to breastfeed their babies in total privacy without exposing themselves. $34.95 www.babybutton.com.au

9. Boogie Mist - Gentle Saline Nasal Mist made with pure, natural saline, topped with unique, fun scented ‘Schnozzle” 59ml $8.95 www.boogiewipes.com

If you would like your products featured in the next edition please email info@peninsulakids.com.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

StepMotherLove

Stepmothers have a bad rap. Who gave Snow White the poisonous apple? Who enslaved Cinderella? Given that one in four Australian families are ‘blended’, it’s time to throw out the wicked stepmother image and give people a genuine account of what it’s like to walk in their shoes. Peninsula Kids magazine sat down for a Q&A session with Sally Collins, author of Stepmother Love and Sara LeonardiMcGrath, who features in the book as one of the 10 women who have chosen to take on the challenge of making a positive contribution to the lives of their stepchildren.

Sara Leonardi-McGrath

extremely gratified in my role because the kids are very enthusiastic about expressing their emotions and feelings to me.

Did you feel the eyes of Australia were watching you as you began your stepmother journey? What affect did this have on you? No, I think if you’re worried about what the outside world is doing then you’ve lost focus of what your job at hand needs to be. How can you be worried about perception when you haven’t established anything to be perceived yet? We live a very private life. What happens on the outside to how we live our lives is no different to how anyone else lives their life. So, no, I don’t think I felt any pressure at all from the outside in that sense. Maybe I felt more pressure like ‘I better not leave the house looking like a dag!’ This is my life, the kids, my husband and we have to do what’s best for us.

What support is there for stepmothers? Do you support each other? Are there any networks? I really recommend everyone read the book and pass it on to a girlfriend. The problem, sometimes, with step parenting is the judgement. Why would someone get married to someone with kids and not try to do their very best? It would hinder the relationship automatically. So instead of ganging up on the new parent, understand that this person is doing a lot, and wants to do well. There’s a lot of amazing step parents out there. Lots of Jane’s friends would help me with the logistics of things. How to get them from this game to that game.

What advice do you have for new stepmothers? They sometimes have to overcome the actual getting and asking for help. I think sometimes doing is more important that talking. I don’t always love making a plan. Let’s just do it. So when it came time to deal with the kids’ eating habits I just did it. Here’s the polenta with roasted capsicum… And now they genuinely enjoy it. You have to be consistent as a parent. To go back to the book, consistency is important in any kind of environment. Establishing that and always being there for the kids. You have to reward them. If you say you’re going to do something then do it. And it goes both ways. If you didn’t clean your room and there’s no TV, then there’s no TV. If you say you’re going to take them ice skating on this day then you’d better take them ice skating! Would you do anything differently in your approach to being a stepmother if you had your time again? No. I wouldn’t go back and change anything because everything happened organically. I’m very go with the flow and I think that’s helped me with the kids. I’m all about life learning. It’s a build-up of skills. How important is the role of the father in helping the relationship between his children and their new stepmother? The constant theme is – a stepparent can only be as successful as much as the biological parent allows them. You have to enable someone to have authority. The first day I arrived at the front door the kids had their arms open. These kids were ready to be loved. They wanted to be loved. They knew when Sara came that this wasn’t a joke. Of course I share the responsibility with my husband, but it’s fully mine. When I’m alone I’m on duty. I’m on call. I am very happy with the result today. I feel

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

The book discusses how you did quite detailed research into how to be a stepmother, and also learned about the stages of grief for the children. How important do you feel it is have this preparation before embarking on the stepmother journey? Before I moved out here I was literally googling for info. I grew up with people in blended families. But what I didn’t know about and what I had to learn is to have a heightened alert in dealing with someone who is dealing with the loss of a mother. What are the stages of grief? These are the tools I had to equip myself with. How do you talk to children? Loss in general as a family? With the loss, you’re not replacing anyone. There’s no such thing as a replacement at all. A child that has dealt with loss needs a lot of love. Wants the warmth, the love and the attention. It’s not just the grief of one person. People have lost a best friend, a daughter-in-law. While I’m very attentive to their grief I don’t want it to hinder them. We have to deal with these situations and not let them be a crutch. Never be short of trying to seek help. Did you ever feel this is all too much? I think when I had my gallery full time I was definitely struggling with being an active, full-time parent. There did come a time when I was extremely, extremely overwhelmed, but it wasn’t because of my parenting role. I had so much on my plate that I had to just slow down and do things smarter and more efficiently. My family is my priority. I had to restructure my business to make it work better for me. What do you think it is the toughest parenting gig? A family is a juggle of all sorts. I can’t describe a routine. Our routine is facing each thing as it comes. You can’t foresee the future because we don’t have a crystal ball, and you can’t fix the past.

Sally Collins What made you want to collect these stories and put this book together and why do you think people don’t like the word stepmother?

About a year after being married and creating our ‘blended family’ (me, my husband and his teenage daughters), I went looking for a book to read about the experiences of other stepmothers to understand how they had managed and how they felt. I was really shocked to find there was no such book despite the fact that one in four families in Australia are blended in some form. In the United Kingdom it is as many as one in three families and in the United States blended families outnumber traditional families of two parents and their biological children. I was also becoming aware of how many women I met who rejected the term stepmother. Despite having a partner with children these women would say ‘I’m not a real stepmother, they have a mother’ or ‘they are teenagers/ adults and have never lived with us full-time so I’m not a real stepmother’. It really made me think about why we are so resistant to being called a stepmother. It feels like stepmothers suffer from centuries of fiction and fairytales that have created such a pervasive image of the evil and wicked figure that women run a mile from the term. We also have a lack of recognised role models and any positive representation in our communities that I felt compelled to start collecting stories and hearing first-hand how these women were managing. How did you come up with the book title ‘Stepmother Love’?

Many people comment that they think this term in an oxymoron, which I find incredibly sad. There are so many women working hard at building effective relationships in a tough environment. Being a stepmother is born of death or divorce, and in both scenarios the children and their father are grieving the loss of their previous life. I believe that trying hard to build the best relationships you can with the children’s best interests at heart is an act of love. It is love of your partner and love of your family.

What support is there for stepmothers? Do you support each other? Are there any networks?

Stepfamilies Australia run fantastic workshops aimed at giving families the skills they need to set up great relationships. They also have support groups and a great website – www.stepmotherlove.com It provides information for stepmothers and a place to find support and, importantly, words of encouragement. Do you think the age of the children when you become their stepmother makes a difference in the outcome of the relationship?

I think time and shared experiences always help with any relationship but I don’t think there is an ideal age for stepchildren – they come in whatever form they come in and you do your best to build on this over time. Do you believe that being a stepfather is just as hard as being a stepmother?

I think that often there is a greater expectation on women to take on more of the emotional responsibilities and also the domestic duties too. This can be a huge change especially if the women was not already a parent! How important is the role of the father in helping the relationship between his children and their new stepmother?

Having a supportive partner who is committed to setting you up for success is the most crucial ingredient of being successful as a stepmother. What advice do you have for new stepmothers?

Read Stepmother Love to find out all the great advice from the 11 fantastic women I interviewed. There is a nice summary at the end of each chapter. If I had to give only one piece of advice it would be to stay strong in your efforts to have a loving family if that’s your goal and know that it will take time and resilience but the rewards are enormous!

What advice would you give a mother when she has to ‘share’ her children with a new stepmother?

My best advice would be that it is worth the effort to get to know and understand the person who will be parenting alongside you and thinking about the best ways to work together and have the best family environment possible for the children. The needs of everyone in a blended family need to be taken into consideration, but obviously the children should be the top priority for all involved. How do you think this can be best achieved?

Stepmothers always need to find the right balance for them in their family, of helpful boundaries and putting the interests of the children first and they don’t always have to be at odds. Having great conversations with your partner about how you both want your relationships to be is really important.

I don’t have step parenting figured out. It’s not always easy but we still have a good time and make the best of it and we have each other. -Sara Leonardi-McGrath

www.peninsulakids.com.au

s r a Fe ce their

to fa ge girls

a Encour

All kids experience fear at some stage.

Many fears are normal and developmental, such as fear of separation, fear of the dark, and fear of new situations. Others fears such as fear of the dentist, fear of new social situations and fear of dogs are more individual. They are often learned or happen due to experience. Author Gisela Preuschoff, in her book Raising Girls, describes a recent longitudinal study that showed how girls are more fearful than boys. The physical signs of fear, including increased heart rate and enlarged pupils, are greater in girls than boys. As androgens (male hormones) have a calming effect, boys show less fear. Jerome Kagan, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, believes that excessive fear in girls is related to the overprotective but well-intentioned caring they receive from parents and carers. It’s been noted that many parents allow boys to take more physical risks than girls and have different views of danger for each gender. Fear is okay Navigating fear is part of growing up. Fear plays an important role. It makes us cautious and causes us to prepare for a new or risky situation. The preparation may be physical (‘I’ll walk on the other side of the street to avoid that mean dog’) or psychological (‘I’ll be brave when I visit the dentist’). Sometimes normal, healthy fears are confused with anxiety. Fear is unhealthy if it overwhelms kids, dominating their thinking and behaviour, or if it paralyses and prevents them from participating in everyday life. Fear is normal if it makes them wary but is not overwhelming. Fears need to be faced It’s important to remember that fear decreases (and sometimes disappears) with positive experiences. Walk past a scary dog without being bitten often enough and you’ll learn that it’s not so scary after all. Give enough talks at school and kids will wonder what all the fuss was about. Scaffolding is one way to help kids beat their fears. That is, if they are fearful of going into a new situation on their own, go with them for a short time, then find an excuse to leave once they have settled. Alternatively, they may spend a short time at first in an unknown situation. Increase the time as kids get used to it. Scaffolding beats avoidance and helps overcome fear. 12

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

Validate your child’s fear but let them know you have faith that they will be able to face their fear. Point out that they have conquered fear before when they rode a bike, gave a talk or slept on their own with the light off for the first time and they can do so again.

DEVE

Other ways to help girls to be brave and reduce their fears: One. Increase their physical skills. Increased physical confidence comes when children explore and learn to control their bodies. Gymnastics and martial arts are two activities that give boys and girls greater physical confidence. Two. Teach them how. Parents protect girls best by teaching them how to navigate new situations rather than prevent participation. Teach them how to hold a sharp knife, how to walk home from the park safely on their own, or how to climb and tree and get down again. Sometimes little accidents will happen but that is how children learn –not just how to avoid a mistake next time but they learn that they can cope with unpleasantness. Three. Teach kids simple relaxation techniques. Babies learn to self-soothe by sucking their fingers. Older children use other relaxation methods ranging from deep breathing, singing and self-distraction that come with reading a book or listening to a story. Four. Show confidence and hope. Girls often take their cues from their parents, so if you want your child to be brave then you need to be brave too. I’m not suggesting you be dismissive of real fears but your confidence and reassurance can really help when kids have to face their fears. For a weekly supply of great tips, techniques and tools to help you be at your parenting best join my Parentingideas Club. Join now and you’ll receive a full set of my fabulous Developmental Parenting Guides so your parenting will always match your child’s age. Go to www.parentingideasclub.com.au.

Pla

Where futures begin...

Michael Grose is a parenting expert and founder of Parentingideas, Australia’s leader in parenting education for parents and schools. For more than two decades Michael has helped thousands of Australian families raise confident kids and resilient young people.

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13 28/11/14 3:44 PM

Breaking from the bonds of ‘SHOULD-ITIS’ By Karen Swan The use of the word ‘should’ would do well to be banned when it comes to parenting. Trying to live up to the way you ‘should’ be doing things is a surefire way to diminish or completely obliterate any internal soundtrack. With the experts of the day peddling their ‘shoulds’ and with well-meaning family, friends and even complete strangers quick to extol the virtue of their ‘shoulds’, it’s no wonder we find it impossible to trust our own ability to filter through this stuff and find the truth as it stands for us. The struggle to do what you ‘should’, particularly in your baby’s first year of life, even if it goes against everything your soul is telling you to do, has much to answer for in terms of impeding a successful and enjoyable breastfeeding relationship, and normalising the strict, routine-based approach to infant sleep and promoting discipline methods that bear little to no relevance to the child’s emotional and mental development or readiness. My experience with ‘should-itis’ took root in the fact that I am a stay-athome mother of an only child. As my son began to go from pliable infant to energetic, demanding toddler, my internal voice began to pipe up. ‘He should be socialising with other children!’ ‘He should be doing more activities!’ ‘I should be offering him more opportunities than I can at home!’ Regardless of the fact that I was and continue to be completely content in my life at home with my son and instinctively know I am providing him with everything he needs to develop into a bright, secure little boy, I listened to the imagined judgement of my peers and enrolled in myriad activities that my 20-month-old son ‘should’ be doing. Twenty months old! Not even two years on this Earth yet I was feeling I was doing a great disservice to his future if I didn’t put him in classes ranging from kids’ gym through to swimming lessons, playgroups, music and movement. His schedule began to fill up with more activities than I would contemplate undertaking as an adult. As is always the case when you ignore your intuition or gut feeling, as his activity list grew, so did my stress levels as our once freerange lifestyle became full of time restrictions, traffic, commitment and financial outlay. I would find myself dreading the mornings when we had a class to get to, wanting nothing more than to wake up as we used to and let our moods decide how we’d spend the day. Committing to being somewhere on time made me feel like I was back at work and my time was not my own; a feeling of being beholden to someone and anxious not to disappoint them, regardless of the personal cost. The logistics of expecting a toddler to keep a schedule were exhausting and, as it turns out, completely unnecessary. Structured activity can be a wonderful distraction to the repetitive and often isolating job of raising a child, in fact, finding the right group or activity for you can provide a wonderful, supportive network for you as a Mum, but it must never be seen as a compulsory requirement to raising a happy, well-rounded human being. As a society we are becoming more and more focused on achievements being the benchmark of success. Yes, we live in a competitive world, but must our children be thrust on that treadmill before they’re even able to walk? Parenting is not a competitive sport and the overachievers in toddler-dom are not guaranteed a successful life as adults. Why do we feel we are not good 14

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

enough to instill our children with all they need to navigate life? There seems to be a strange kind of performance indicator based on how many classes your child attends, and an apparent badge of honour worn by parents able to lament ‘I’m just so busy, what with taking (insert name here) to soccer, music, gym and tutoring!’ To keep up we outsource our children’s play and pay people ‘trained’ in creating smart, successful children, lest they get left behind. Noble and good intentions, but we’re going about it all wrong. If you break down the average day at home with a baby, toddler or preschooler, you’ll see just how many lessons you teach your child by simply ‘being’. No flashcards can compete with sitting down and reading stories to your child. No music lesson can come close to the joy bashing on pots and pans delivers. Running and climbing outdoors does as much for your child’s motor skills as following the directions on a fancy indoor obstacle course. The notion that a child who is not socialised (whatever that actually means) won’t be able to share or interact with others is largely unfounded. Children are members of a community called family. To function in a family one quickly learns the basic etiquette required of our society. Think of it this way: by the time your child lays their little head down at night after a day of doing nothing more than observing the natural rhythm of your day, they have already completed a full curriculum – hygiene, cooking, art, PE, music, reading and nature studies. Imagine a world of parenting that is cured of ‘should-itis’? A world where all the energy spent on telling people what they should (or shouldn’t) be doing, whether in a personal or professional manner, was turned around and spent on encouraging parents to slow down and listen to their inner voices, and parent in a way that makes their hearts sing. Imagine a world where spending the day making daisy chains and looking at clouds was considered the best preschool education you could provide. Imagine a world where parents looked to each other for support and guidance, not to see if they’re keeping up or being left behind. A child raised free from the boundaries of ‘should’ can only grow into a thriving young person with a free and questioning mind and the ability to make their own decisions. Removing the word ‘should’ from your parenting means you will be parenting in truth as it stands for you. If that means you and your child enjoy attending classes, then absolutely do it! If you are happy going your own way, that’s fine too – it’s when we go against instinct and fall under pressure that we step away from what is right for us. Doing it your way, unapologetically, naturally creates strength of belief. We are the very best models to our children. We are enough. You are your child’s best teacher.

Karen Swan, community manager and co-editor of www.mamabake.com, PA to childcare author Pinky McKay and freelance writer can be found in Canberra, Australia, quite often carrying out entire conversations in song and running after her four-year-old son.

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Enchanted Adventure

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Popular Picnic Spots

on the Mornington Peninsula

By Lorraine Aitken

There’s nothing quite like a picnic on a beautiful day. Children can run and play until their heart is content and fussy eaters are easily catered for. You can enjoy the sunshine on your skin, be surrounded by nature and take the time to enjoy it. Below are five of our family’s favourite picnic spots that we hope you will enjoy as much as we do.

Balcombe Estuary Reserve

Seawinds Garden

Balcombe Estuary Reserve in Mt Martha is a hidden gem that’s perfect for year round picnics and barbecues. The reserve was formerly a camping ground that operated between 1944 and1984 and still has the original camp laundry along with a large rotunda with stone fireplaces that will keep you warm on cooler days.

Seawinds Garden arguably has the one of the best views across the Mornington Peninsula and is often frequented by locals looking to escape to a quieter place during the busier months.

The estuary boardwalk goes all the way to The Briars Park (about 3.5km) and has two nice sitting areas along the way. Quite often we pass people fishing on the banks of the estuary and they seem to a catch small amount of fish. Facilities in the picnic area include a small playground with swings and a slide, a few picnic tables that overlook the estuary, a toilet block, barbecues, gravel car park, information boards and a 200-metre walking track that goes under the bridge on the Esplanade to Mt Martha Beach. For more information on the Balcombe Estuary look up www.berg.org.au. The reserve car park is at the end of Mirang Ave, Mt Martha. 16

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

Seawinds has been a family favourite for decades and continues to be so. We often gather the extended family for a game of a cricket followed by a barbecue and a lively conversation before heading off for a stroll around the gardens. Children love finding the wild kangaroos and wallabies within the 34-hectare grounds along with the walking trails that link the indigenous and exotic formal gardens that include sculptures made by William Ricketts along with the magnificent view over the southern peninsula. Seawinds is on Purves Rd opposite The Enchanted Maze at Arthurs Seat and is open from 8am to 8pm over the summer. Entry is free and facilities include electric barbecues, picnic tables, toilets, car parking and information boards.

Other great spots for a picnic include: Mt Eliza Regional Park, Dromana foreshore, Balnarring Beach, The Briars Park, Devilbend Reservoir, Rye foreshore, Portsea Beach (next to the Portsea Hotel), Point Leo, Arthurs Seat Summit, McCrae foreshore and Hastings foreshore reserve to name a few.

Coolart Wetlands and Homestead

Mornington Park

Coolart Wetlands and Homestead is the perfect place for a picnic on the thick Buffalo grass lawns outside the impressive 27-room Victorian mansion that dates back to the late 1800s. The formal gardens are home to some impressive trees and rose gardens along with interesting outbuildings surrounding the mansion including the old stables, shearing sheds, buttery and meat house. It’s certainly a long way from today’s digital world and one that children may find difficult to relate to but it will definitely get their imagination going. Along with homestead and gardens you will find an array of walking trails through the wetlands to bird hides and also a trail that takes you to the beach. Facilities here are fantastic and include a visitor information centre run by Parks Victoria, barbecues, picnic tables, disabled facilities, toilets, large gravel car park and an audiovisual presentation at1.30pm daily. You will find the Coolart on Lord Somers Rd in Somers. The grounds are open daily from 9am to 5pm and entry is free.

Mornington Park is conveniently located at the end of Main Street and is only a matter of 50 metres to some of the best coffee shops on the peninsula, so if caffeine is important to you then this could be the spot to go. The park overlooks the water and pier and has easy access to one of Mornington’s best children’s beaches, Mothers Beach. I find this park best on hot summer evenings with a gentle sea breeze for a barbecue or takeaway dinner followed by a stroll around Schnapper Point down to the pier. The atmosphere makes you feel like being on holiday despite living on the peninsula. It’s also a handy spot for a picnic lunch when the Wednesday Main St market is on. Mornington Park playground has just undergone a renovation and the kids love the new playground especially the slide and updated wooden sailing ship that now has access underneath. But one of their favourite things remains the same with the old Moreton Bay fig that they climb and run around along with the oval to play ball sports. Facilities include barbecues, picnic tables, a toilet block and plenty of parking around Schnapper Point Drive. Over summer there is usually an ice cream van parked near the playground.

Sorrento Park

Sorrento Park is the ultimate summer picnic spot. Not only does it have fantastic views over the water but also a great wooden playground and enough space to accommodate everyone within the grounds. Our children love watching the Queenscliff-Sorrento ferry pass by every half hour or so between playing footy and playing on the swings. Sorrento Park is at 3423 Point Nepean Rd, Sorrento, and facilities include a large rotunda, barbecues, picnic tables, a toilet block, a metal ping pong table and an asphalt car park as well as a grass parking strip opposite Hotel Sorrento. www.peninsulakids.com.au

DADDYS BIG DAY OUT AT BONEO MAZE

Dad Rating

The sun is out., it’s warm and I’m riding a Vitamin D high ... time for adventure! I’m taking Phenom-A-Mum and Little E to check out a fun park on the peninsula called Boneo Maze and Mini Golf. PREFACE: I am very excited. I love mazes. Towering hedgerows, risque sculpture (aka stone boobies!), getting lost and a little concerned about my lack of outdoor survival skills. I love mazes (you do know that my moniker is Dad+Nerd?).

Mini golf. What dad doesn’t love golf? And if you stink at it like I do, then mini golf can be a great way to save face or be embarrassingly thrashed by a toddler. The park also has lots of different activities so that even our tech-shortened attention spans can be catered for: paddle boats, climbing wall, bungy trampolines, water slide. Did I mention they have mazes? By David Hawkin

This may sound strange but the best part of Boneo Maze and Mini Golf isn’t the fun activities. It’s the spectacularly friendly and helpful staff who go out of their way to make your visit extra special. A huge thumbs up and thank you from a dad who is tired of being treated like a man-shaped wallet. But what about the fun, you ask? We had a lot of laughs! There are so many different games and activities that Little E was crashing, ready for his nap, before we could play them all. First stop, mini golf. Clubs, balls and a two-year-old with his own version of the rules. I attempted to teach Little E how to swing the putter, but he realised that using a stick was only going to hamper his game. Instead he picked up the ball and dropped it into the hole. 18 holes in one! Well, more like 30 holes in one, as Little E decided that the golf zone was perfect for some cross-country toddling. I felt sorry for the other families, who were trying to play a serious game, as our munchkin kept bumbling onto their course, hauling out the flags and depositing balls at random. So I kept my eyes averted and pretended he was someone else’s. Next up, the maze. The design is based on one at Hampton Court Palace in the United Kingdom, and I was giggly with nerdy anticipation. It is a great maze, much taller than its English predecessor and busy with the blur of sprinting kids. There’s even a raised platform, if you make it to the centre, perfect for your own rendition of Rocky’s air-punching victory run. The dangling nappy bag may have taken the edge off my version. Little E would have spent all day running around the maze. Literally. Something triggered his inner maniac and he was off. We had to drag him out, protesting. Luckily there was another maze more suited to his diminutive size. No risk of me getting lost here, with the hedge only coming up to my waist. This mini-maze is located in the Mega Games zone. Hoopla, giant chess, enormous Connect Four. There are lots of over-sized board games and mind-bender puzzles to physically and mentally challenge your family. This was my favourite section, only let down by its rundown appearance. A lick 18

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

A few areas are in need of a facelift, especially the awesome old-school games area. Giant-sized games like chess, checkers, snakes and ladders and more. So much fun to be had, but the faded colours didn’t hold Little E’s attention like the new, brightly coloured activities.

of paint and the kids would never know that these are games from a bygone era but still so awesome to play today, especially when you get to be the game pieces! The largest area of the park is the wetland gardens that you traverse on a boardwalk. It’s quiet and tranquil, a nice respite from the craziness of the kid-filled zones. At the very end of the boardwalk is a bird hide, great for all nature enthusiasts. Little E had his face plastered to the one-way mirrored window as he watched the ducks bobbing underwater to escape the oncoming children in paddle boats. What a great segue to the Adventure Zone! This is where the older kids were gathered as they clambered up the outdoor rock-climbing wall, bounced on the bungy trampolines and splashed about in the paddle boats. All of these rides are manned by more of the wonderful staff who even allowed our tiny tot to have a go under their careful supervision. When you think these rides cost around $10 a go at the Royal Melbourne Show, this section is a real bargain. There is also a cafe with inflated water slide (as you would expect) for coffee addicts. You can also buy a meal here, but we packed a picnic lunch and ate it in the middle of the gardens. Boneo Maze and Mini Golf gets a big Dad Day Out recommendation. It’s not often that parents get to have as much fun as the kids. I’m going to take Little E back as soon as he old enough to understand the rules of giant checkers. Game on.

David Hawkins is a Mornington Peninsula-based, stay-at-home-dad who realised that he needed to improve his ‘Dadding’ skills so set himself the simple task of being an Awesome Dad. He now challenges all Dads to be Awesome Dads by doing something out of the ordinary with their kids every month via his blog Big Kid Little Kid. Get the Dad in your household to Dad-up by checking out the Dad-friendly activities, reviews and rants at bigkidlittlekid.net

Photographs by Marianna Hawkins www.peninsulakids.com.au

You are

my sunshine..... W

elcome beach days! And all of the simple joys that come with them!

The 26 beaches between Mt Eliza and Portsea are home to more than 1300 bathing boxes, boatsheds and similar structures or about two-thirds of Victoria,s 1860 total beach boxes. Frankston City is home to 10 kilometres of pristine beach and coastal habitat. With all of the glorious coastal spots in our backyard there is no reason not to spend time having some good old fashioned fun. Kids love the freedom that comes with the sand under their feet and the water lapping at their toes. Adults love feeling the bay breeze on their faces and the camaraderie of other families around for the same reason. Bring a group and have an all-day picnic party. Rock up to the fish and chip shop bare-footed and take your bounty back to the beach for dinner. Reap the benefits of paradise at your doorstep. Stain a smile with a strawberry icypole. Rinse glazed hands in the water. Build a dream sand castle. Dig a hole. Keep collecting piles of shells even if you can,t figure out why you keep doing it ... every single time. Make mud pies and seaweed spaghetti. Jump, splash, snack, relax, run and play. Be a peninsula kid. 20

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2014/15

Even after all this time the Sun never says to the Earth, ‘You owe me’. Look what happens with a love like that; it lights the whole sky. – Hafiz

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Go to page 46 for Super Jelly Recipe

Did you know that you can tell the temperature by counting the chirps of a cricket? To convert cricket chirps to degrees Celsius, count number of chirps in 25 seconds, divide by 3, then add 4 to get temperature. 22

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2014/15

At the end of the day your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Shanti

Beach Checklist Bucket and spade Boogie board A sense of adventure

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Be Sun Smart Umbrella for shade Sunscreen Wide-brimmed hat

Watermelon is a vegetable not a fruit. It is part of the cucumber, pumpkin, and squash family. Fruit or vegie, this juicy favourite is 92 per cent water. Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2014/15

Then followed that beautiful season...

Summer....

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape. Lay as if new-created in all the freshness of childhood. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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With the summer school holidays upon us it’s time to start thinking about fun family activities that keep the budget intact and the kids entertained. Here are some of my favourite free family things to do.

THE SENSORY TRAIL AT ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS CRANBOURNE requires the kids to awaken all their senses to answer the questions in the free quiz (grab your copy from the visitor centre when you arrive). They will need to look, touch, hear and smell as they walk around the Australian Garden.

DIAMOND BAY IN SORRENTO is a beautiful little cove that’s perfect for a picnic lunch and to get your feet wet. It’s been popular with holidaymakers since Melburnians first discovered Sorrento as a holiday destination. There is a short walk from Diamond Bay that brings you to a sensational view over the peninsula and is well worth the stroll. The car park is accessible from Diamond Bay Rd, Sorrento. There are no toilet facilities.

PENINSULA MARKETS have a lot to offer and you will find at least two on every weekend. There are craft markets, trash and treasure, farmers’ markets and baby markets. Check out the Peninsula Kids website as all the summer markets are listed on our event calendar.

COASTAL PLAYGROUNDS such as Sorrento Park, Rye foreshore, Mornington’s Schnapper Point, Point Leo and Dromana foreshore are all great places to start. It is also a great day out to travel up Peninsula Link to Bicentennial Park in Chelsea. Check out the playground guide on our website for addresses for all local playgrounds.

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

CAPE SCHANCK BOARDWALK and lighthouse is one of those places you have to visit at least once. The rugged clifftop views and wild ocean are in stark contrast to the other side of the Mornington Peninsula. Here you will feel the power of nature at its best in winter with cold blasts coming straight from the Antarctic. In summer the coastal breeze will be welcome on some of the hottest days as you trudge up and down the boardwalk staircase and explore the unspoilt beaches and dramatic volcanic features. The boardwalk and lighthouse is at 420 Cape Schanck Rd, Cape Schanck. Entry is free for car parking and boardwalk.

COASTAL AND BUSH WALKS will keep children’s energy well directed and give everyone a chance to see some of the peninsula’s natural beauty. Walks I recommend are Bushrangers Bay, Fingal Beach, Baldry’s Crossing, London Bridge or with prams Balcombe Estuary, Safety Beach to Dromana foreshore trail and Mornington to Mt Martha following the foreshore trail from Fishermans Beach to Helena St in Mt Martha.

POINT NEPEAN is a great place for the kids to ride their bikes or scooters from the visitor information centre all the way to Fort Nepean. Here they can learn how important Point Nepean was in shaping the early settlement, quarantine and defence in Victoria along with the rich indigenous history. The panoramic views over Bass Strait, The Rip and Port Phillip are spectacular. It’s best to take a picnic with you and soak it all up. Entry to the national park is free but if you want to ride on the shuttle bus it will cost $10 for adults and $7.50 for kids. We usually walk and the kids take their scooters as they are easier to transport. If you are taking bikes, remember to take bike locks so you can secure them and discover other places on foot. You can also download a self-guided audio tour from the iTunes store.

MCCLELLAND SCULPTURE PARK + GALLERY sounds a bit too fragile for children but it’s a fantastic place for them to run around and interact with the sculptures. There are more than 100 permanent sculptures in 16 hectares of bush and landscaped garden. Children usually interpret the sculptures better than adults with their ability to let their imaginations run free. Take a picnic and be inspired. Entry is by donation. There is a cafe and an indoor gallery. The sculpture park and gallery is at 390 McClelland Drive in Langwarrin and is open 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday.

By Lorraine Aitken

Cheap family fun Not free, but the Crib Point outdoor heated pool is fantastic family value at $4 for adults, $2.70 for kids, spectators $1 and family $10.80. Open 7 days a week from 9.30am to 6pm from December to April, the precinct includes a 25-metre pool, leisure pool, changerooms and kiosk. The toddler’s pool is shaded and there is a sheltered grass area beside the main pool, so don’t forget to pack a picnic.

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P R E S E N T E D

B Y

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2014/15

DAD ZONE O THE T P WAS JUST A S I R T T I M E L P I By David Hawkins

Want to know why I’m grinning? Because it’s summer! No more cold, no more gloom, no more stepping in a puddle and discovering that my hi-tops have a hole in them. A brilliant hot summer is what makes us Australian. Which means that it’s time to teach Little E (my two-year-old son) to swim. I seem to have fractured memories of blood-curdling screams and white-eyed terror during my childhood swimming lessons. Can’t remember if that was me or the instructor. But Little E will be fine. I’m sure of it. Off to the local aquatic centre for his first swimming lesson. Righty-o, what do I need to take? Little E’s togs, towel and swimming nappy. Sorted. Ha! And Phenom-A-Mum said that this would be difficult. Hang on, I’d better take a few spare nappies in case of explosion (poo, not baby. You’d need more than a couple of nappies to clear that up). And it might be cold when we leave, so I’ll take a change of clothes for him. But what if he gets those wet? Okay. Two changes of clothes. Food in case he gets hungry. Our two cats to tie onto him in case he starts to sink. Ooh, he might need his life-sized Paddington Bear if I accidentally leave him at a train station... With the car sitting low on its axles (could barely shut the boot) we scrape into the car park. But it’s full. How can it be full? It’s 10am on a Tuesday. Doesn’t anybody go to work anymore? No wonder the economy is struggling. So I troop an agitated toddler and 15 bags across kilometres of burning asphalt. With a lot of amused glances (and not one offer of assistance) the pair of us stagger into the centre. It is big. Overwhelmingly big. I decide to hit up the reception desk for information. ‘Morning miss, could you point me in the direction of the pool please?’ ‘Certainly, sir. Which pool were you after?’ ‘The one with water that you swim in.’ ‘Very humorous, sir. Do you want the baby pool, paddle pool, splash pool, kids’ pool, warm pool or lap pool?’ I have no answer. ‘The pool pool?’ After wandering the maze for a while we stumble on the family change area. Little E and I lock ourselves in safely, and change into our swimmers. I change him first and then prepare to slip into my boardshorts. ‘Hee hee hee.’ Little E begins giggling. And pointing. There is little so humiliating as a miniature person finding your nudity hilarious. He points some more. Giggles more. And then unlocks and opens the dressing room door. I was caught between the shock of being exposed to families and the amazement that Little E was able to undo the lock. That’s a new first! Where are my pants? The clock ticked to half past 10 just as we found the swimming lessons. I hopped into the water, surrounded by mums and their young bubs. Little E was placed in a lower age group class because he doesn’t like water on his face. I could see the babies floating on their backs and splashing with their chubby legs. So adorable. I lifted Little E off the pool edge and into the water. Blood-curdling screams and white-eyed terror.

ybe we’ll tr y this a

gain next summer. www.peninsulakids.com.au

HOW

Justine Clarke BECAME MY SECOND WIFE IT ALL STARTED SO INNOCENTLY.... By David Hawkins

I’d see her for half an hour, here and there. Before I knew it afternoons joined mornings. And then she was popping in every hour, shaking her body at me and then disappearing. Justine Clarke is the new woman in my life. My wife doesn’t know. Mind you, neither does Justine Clarke. Being a stay-at-home-Dad is brilliant! Little E and I basically just get to play every day. When he’s napping, I finally have the time to commit to cooking up gastronomical monstrosities. And the washing up and laundry are well sorted. As long as there is no discussion about vacuuming or cleaning the toilet, then I can safely say that I am the perfect housewife. However, there is a down side. Phenom-A-Mum is at work all day. It’s just me and the scintillating conversation that you have with a toddler: ‘Apple?

Bicycle? Uncle? I’m not sure what “ackle“ means, little dude. But I’m pretty sure that it’s not an acceptable dispute for my conjecture of the role of the US in the current Syrian crisis.’ The grown-up part of me (granted, my wife argues its existence) is desperate for a companion to engage with. One day, while Play School was on TV in the background, I spotted her. The slightest turn of my head and there, in all of her finger-paint covered glory, was Justine Clarke. Hey, I’m not completely shallow. It’s not just a physical attraction. She can sing and dance ... and read books. She’s great with kids. Um. Her clothes are very brightly coloured. Okay. Maybe it started out as a case of eye candy. But as the days grew into months, Justine Clarke became the solace in my toddler-filled day. When Little E throws a tantrum I have someone to turn to: ‘Hey Justine Clarke, could you, I dunno, put on a pretend elephant’s nose and do a funny dance to distract him? Wow, you are good!’ And in my more amorous moments she is a wild tiger at play: ‘Um, touch your head, Justine Clarke. Yeah, that’s it. What about those shoulders? Now your knees and toes, knees and toes. Wow, Justine Clarke. Do it again!’ I can only assume that ABC 4 Kids has discovered our hidden relationship because they seem to be scheduling her Play School episodes every day. And then inserting one of her music videos each hour. I think someone at the ABC understands and approves. I don’t know how long I can keep my mistress a secret in my marriage. I fear that Phenom-A-Mum may be catching on because every time Justine Clarke comes on the TV when she’s at home, I point awkwardly and say ‘Look, it’s Roo from Home and Away. Ah, my completely innocent and non-adulterous childhood memories.’ Maybe, just maybe, I can have my daytime wife and my nighttime wife too. Perhaps Phenom-A-Mum will understand that, just like the many wives of an Arabic sheik, Justine Clarke is not her competition but her colleague in fulfilling my needs. Maybe we can be one big happy family. All I have to do before then is actually meet Justine Clarke.

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

Teaching kids about money

Piggy Bank Basics One of the most valuable skills you can pass on to your children is good money management. Showing kids the basic steps, such as how to budget and shop around for the best price, will establish good money habits for life. Here are some tips on teaching your kids to be savvy about how they earn, spend and save their money. Start Early It’s never too early to start teaching your kids about money. Children can learn how to save coins in a piggy bank before they understand how to count the right change. Even very young children, including preschoolers, can learn the value of money and saving for small goals. Try showing them how much $2 or $5 can buy in the supermarket. Talk to them about the difference between the things they need and the things they want. These fundamental financial and life skills will serve them through to adulthood. Smart Tip Let your kids pay for small expenses, and ask them to check they get the right change. Encourage Saving Find out what your children want to buy. Then help them think about ways they could earn pocket money and save for the item: toys and games if they are young or books, movies or a special event if they are older. Discuss how much they will need to set aside from their pocket money or their pay each week to reach the target. Encourage your children to stay on track by offering to add to their savings if they achieve a particular savings goal. If your child’s first savings experience is good, they will be more likely to repeat it. Saving For a Rainy Day •Encourage children to put loose change in a clear ‘savings jar’ each day so they can see it grow or use the cash to pay for small items like school lunches. •Open a bank account for each child. There are plenty of junior savings accounts that don’t charge fees and offer high interest on pint-sized savings. •Take your children to the bank where they can make their own deposits. This will make them feel responsible for their own savings. Consider saving as a family for something fun like a holiday or a visit to the zoo. This is an opportunity for parents to demonstrate good money management. It’s also a way to naturally introduce finance topics to the dinner table. You can work on a joint fundraising project, pool your money and build the family savings.

Pay Pocket Money For Doing Jobs Around The House Pocket money is a great way to teach children that money has to be earned – it doesn’t magically appear from ATMs. Set age-appropriate tasks for your children like helping with the gardening, washing up or putting the bins out. Pay them a small amount like $1 for each job they do. Draw up a job chart to let your kids tick off their tasks. Show Children How To Budget Learning to budget is an important skill. Teach your kids how to budget by: •Giving them a combination of notes and coins in their pocket money. This teaches them how to handle different sums of money, and they can immediately put a few coins or notes aside for saving. •Showing them how to read household bills and bank statements. •Sending your older kids to the grocery shop with a shopping list and a fixed sum of money. Tell them that they need to buy everything on the list, and can save any money left over. They will need to consider branded products, bulk buying and even where to shop. •Letting them pay for small expenses and asking them to check they get the right change at the checkout. •Giving them a fixed amount of spending money for family holidays. Show them how much they can afford to spend each day to avoid running out of money before the holiday ends. Help Older Kids Get A Part-time Job Teenagers can benefit from having a casual job. It provides valuable experience in finding and applying for a job, and teaches them the responsibilities involved with employment. Having a job also gives your child an independent source of income. Get your child to draw up a spending budget for their wages, allocating part of the money to spending and part to saving. Running out of money before pay day is a great lesson in the value of sticking to a budget. Encourage them to set specific and realistic long-term goals and to save some of their pay each week toward their goals. Teaching your kids how to manage money from an early age provides valuable skills for budgeting and saving, and establishes sensible money habits that will stay with them for life.

The MoneySmart website is run by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and offers free, independent guidance to help you make the most of your money. For more information, visit www.moneysmart.gov.au

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Heatwave TIPS FOR DEALING WITH KIDS IN A

By Rebecca Stephens

We’re no strangers to heatwaves. Last summer we sweltered through the longest heatwave in 100 years with four days in a row of 40+ degrees heat. This summer is forecast to be another scorcher. During last year’s heatwave I spent some time developing a few handy rules for dealing with small children in an extreme heatwave.

1. DO NOT attempt to enforce any normal rules This includes but is not limited to: •Diet – the new staple food is icypoles. Vegetables are off the menu. Fruit is in, the juicier the better (watermelon, strawberries, rockmelon have all been great hits). •Manners – ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘may I leave the table’ have no place once the mercury goes above 39 degrees. •Tidying up – leave the toys, you can tidy them up together after the cool change arrives. My husband has perfected an excellent method of sweeping all the toys into a corner of the room using a sturdy broom. No bending required. 2. DO regularly douse the children in water Buckets, cups, wet flannels, clean sponges and as many water pistols as you can find in the cupboard. Send them all outside in the shade and refill often. The answer to the question ‘Can I have some more water, please, Mum?’ is always ‘Yes, darling, of course’ even if it is accompanied by whingeing and crying and phrased at top volume as ‘GET ME MORE WATER!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOW!!!’. If you happen to know someone who has a pool, move in with them. 3. DO NOT attempt to do unnecessary housework The kids’ clothes may be considered washed if you dress them, send them outside and hose them down. If you’re really concerned, rub them down with soap first. After the first soaking, have them run around the backyard a few times while you wave the hose at them. This is called a ‘spin cycle’. Microwave dinners won’t heat up your kitchen, the toilet will practically clean itself if you flush it regularly and the floor will still need vacuuming in a few days when it will probably be a comparatively chilly 23 degrees. If you rub a few towels over the floor when the kids trek water in from outside, you may consider it mopped. If you have air-conditioning at home, turn it on and don’t open any doors or windows or leave the house for any reason. Order pizza if you have to.

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

If you don’t, visit your local major shopping centre and join all the other parents at the centre’s indoor playground where they will be flopping around looking exhausted while the kids run around like maniacs squealing as though they actually got some sleep last night. 5. CONSIDER purchasing real estate in Iceland It averages around 3 degrees in Iceland this time of year. I’m sold. If you’re looking for things to do with the kids while you’re holed up at home in your lovely air-conditioning, head over to the MPK website for great rainy day activity ideas: www.peninsulakids.com.au/rainy-day-activities/

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MUSHROOM REEF Marine Reserve F linders is a small and thriving coastal village popular with day trippers and weekenders looking for a relaxed pace in which to enjoy great cafes, boutiques and surf beaches while still being within close proximity of wineries, restaurants, golf courses and other Mornington Peninsula attractions. One natural attraction in Flinders that more often than not flies under the radar is Mushroom Reef Reserve at Flinders Ocean Beach and easily accessed by Golf Links Rd, which runs through Flinders Golf Course. The views over the water and golf course are spectacular with the clifftop coastline being vast and varied – from the lush green lawns of the manicured golf course to the brilliant blue water with small white caps landing behind the rocky Mushroom Reef and across to the farmland in the distance that looks weathered from the strong winds. The aptly named Mushroom Reef Marine Reserve looks just as the name suggests (a giant rocky mushroom). It almost sounds like something out of a children’s book but like all children’s books there is plenty of adventure and treasures to be found. At low tide you will be able to explore and discover all the little sea creatures, sea grasses, sponges, shells and small rockpools left by the outgoing tide. At high tide however the entire reef is covered by water so it’s important to check the tides first. I find willyweather.com.au to be good for this. In the car park there’s an information board, an old brick toilet block and a staircase that descends to the beach overlooking the reef. The reef itself has many small rocks that move underfoot and can be unbalancing for little adventurers. A helping hand will help ease any uncertainties and will 34

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

quickly see them adjust and become confident rock hoppers in search of a greater challenge. Be warned though, they will get wet. On close inspection we found a wide variety of marine creatures including crabs hiding under rocks and in crevasses of the ancient basalt reef, a small octopus that was visible near the edge of the reef, a large variety of shellfish, anemones and sea snails along with brightly coloured sea grasses and weeds that come together to form a natural artwork with many patterns, layers and textures. Mushroom Reef has been popular with scientists and naturalists for more than 100 years due to it being one of Victoria’s most unique basalt reefs notable for its diversity of marine life and significant roosting, feeding and breeding areas for migratory and threatened bird species. School groups are often seen on the reef learning about the 80-hectare marine reserve and all the creatures that inhabit the area. Children love using their senses to get a better understanding of their environment and here they can experience all of this with the sound of the waves, the feel of the rocks and grasses, the sight of the sea creatures, the smell of the ocean and the taste of the salty spray or, if they’re lucky, fish and chips overlooking the amazing view. So next time you’re in Flinders visit Mushroom Reef Marine Reserve. Remember that Flinders Ocean Beach is unpatrolled and has strong currents. And as always take nothing but photos and leave nothing but foot prints to help protect the marine reserve for generations to come. By Lorraine Aitken

www.peninsulakids.com.au

’m not sure if it was the pregnant bellies, the tiny pink gumboots filled with pink flowers or the realisation my ‘baby’ is now 20 months old and I can no longer squish his entire long body into my lap at once. So help me, I was clucky. Standing at my sister’s baby shower, watching my nearly four-year-old help her unwrap presents for her soon-to-be-born baby girl and jiggling a friend’s 14-month-old on my hip, my arms were feeling just a teeny bit achy. I’d felt that ache before: the first time I was separated from son number one. He was just three weeks old and Mum took us to the supermarket. Instead of dragging my sore, post-caesarean body around the aisles searching for milk, bread and nappies, Mum made me sit on the bench seat out the front of the checkouts for ‘just a few minutes’. She didn’t actually vocalise that she was going to take the pram and baby with her but I didn’t protest. As I watched her roll the little chap away I

started to feel a little ill. Then I started to panic. Just a bit. But she was too far away to hear me yell, I knew I was being silly and I could still barely walk thanks to the lingering pain of a 24-hour labour and emergency caesarean. My arms started to feel empty. Of course, they were empty. But they felt as though they shouldn’t be. I tried crossing my arms over my chest, hugging myself. It didn’t help. How long had Mum been away with the baby? Was it long enough to get the groceries? Shouldn’t she be back by now? I started peering at the checkouts to see if she was in a queue yet. I checked my mobile to make sure it was on, just in case she needed to call me. Tick, tick, tick. What if something had happened? What if someone had kidnapped the baby? Oh, don’t be so ridiculous. Tick, tick, tick. Someone’s kidnapped the baby. Mum’s lost him in the supermarket, she’s spoken to the manager but they’re hoping they’ll find the baby before they admit to me that they’ve lost the baby because they don’t want to worry me. I had already started tapping the passcode into my mobile to call Mum, just to check, when I saw her wave at me from the queue at checkout 3, pram in hand. I’ve always said I’m not really the ‘baby type’. I think babies are gorgeous and I loved my own babies very much but I always breathe a little sigh

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of relief when they reach the toddler stage (although this may partially be because neither of my two boys ever slept through the night – not even once – before they were about 18 months old). A few weeks ago I sold the highchair and double pram on Gumtree. We have so much more floor space, it’s wonderful. With a spring in my step and a twinkle in my eye, I parcelled old baby clothes and toys into boxes and bags to bring to this very baby shower. A box of blue clothes for my cousin, heavily pregnant with her first boy. A box of toys for my sister, for her baby girl to play with. Ah, the extra cupboard space. No need to store them any longer in nappy boxes marked ‘0’ and garbage bags marked ‘1’, confusing the 000s with 00s and putting the 1s with the 0s. But I gazed at my sister’s growing belly and remembered the magical feeling of baby squirming inside; rolling slowly and jarring suddenly. Frightening colleagues during meetings by taking a good swift kick and wobbling my whole tummy. Re-run of Alien, anyone? I remembered the endless infant cuddles on the couch, the impossibly tiny fingers, the little contented sighs and the complete floppiness of the post-feed baby body.

because he has asked for nothing all day he will be granted this one wish. Immediately. ‘Nooooooo!!! I want to go home NOW!!!’ And then it all came flooding back to me. The sleep deprivation, the endless crying (mine and his) for no apparent reason, the need to carry him everywhere, his complete and utter dependency, the need to spoonfeed him when he started solids, having to schedule our whole lives around when he may or may not sleep (never any longer than 40 minutes), being unable to go out to dinner with friends for more than an hour or so for fear he would wake up and not go back to sleep (he never took a bottle). I handed the 14-month-old back to her Mum, bent down and said ‘Ok, sweetheart, let’s head home now and see what Daddy and your brother have cooked us for dinner’. I gathered up my bag, hugged my sister, patted her belly and said, ‘I’m soooo looking forward to cuddling my new niece in a few months!’ and headed off. Yes, babies are gorgeous. Especially a niece because I’ll be able to hand her back to her Mum.

I wondered maybe … just maybe. My nearly four-year-old sidled up next to me: ‘Mum, I want go home now.’ This after he’d been a complete angel for nearly five hours through set up, pre-drinks and the baby shower itself. ‘Soon, honey, soon. We need to wait until Aunty Ange has finished opening her presents.’ His patient face fell. It rearranged itself into the face of a shattered preschooler who has trusted that

Rebecca Stephens lives in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne with her longsuffering husband and two young sons (three years and nine months), who are both quite delightful, especially when they are smiling or sleeping. For more funny little stories about raising little people, visit: www.rebeccastephens.com.au or www.facebook.com/Seeing theLighterSideofParenting

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diagnosis By Jane Flynn

As we sat in the small office of the psychologist and she told us our daughter had Autism Spectrum Disorder

– mild to moderate, it wasn’t a surprise. It was what I had been expecting. But still. The reality of it – to see it in writing in the report, the knowledge that this was something our beautiful darling daughter would have to deal with for the rest of her life – broke my heart. I’m so sad, and so angry that this is her fate. She is so amazing, so strong, born fighting. She has her whole life in front of her. I want her to have every opportunity available. I would give her the world, on a platter, if I could. She deserves the very best life has to offer. I understand that we caught it really early. I know she will have the best chance with early intervention. I know there are so many services, so many resources out there to help her. I get that. However, right now, right this second, I am so pissed off. It’s not fair. I don’t want her to have hurdles she needs to overcome, I don’t want her to have to struggle to ‘fit in’. I don’t want her to be in this bubble that she is in, that we have to learn to penetrate. I worry about her future. I worry about whether she will be able to make friends. Will she be picked on? Will she need an aide at school? Will it be obvious that she is different, that she thinks differently? Will she be able to live independently as an adult? Will she fall in love? Will she even understand love? So many ‘what ifs’ that no one has the answer to right now. So I go through the motions. I contact all the different agencies that she will need to access for assistance. I fill out all the different forms for funding, for early intervention, for waiting lists. I follow all the steps that I am told, take control of the only things I have control over. I nod and agree with people when they say how great it is we got it early, how fabulous early intervention is. And I do agree. This doesn’t make it better though, it doesn’t make it easier. It doesn’t take away the worry, or the fear or the guilt. Just like knowing that she has ASD doesn’t make her behaviour any easier to deal with. Until we start therapies I am flying blind, metaphorically hitting my head against a brick wall as I struggle to communicate with her, to get through the copious daily meltdowns. The guilt I feel when I lose my temper is intensified, as I know she can’t help her behaviour. I struggle to get through every day, 12 hours without a break, without any help (apart from my husband, but he is at work through the week). The stress and the worry, the fear, wears me down. I love my daughter, but she is relentless, both of us frustrated that we can’t be understood. It’s overwhelming and exhausting, and most days end in tears. I know this is not our ‘forever’. We will

felong D) is a li y difficulties S A ( r e disord aracterised b nd h pectrum tricted a Autism s ent disability c unication, res nsory m m e develop teraction, com haviours, and s rg.au/ in .o e l b m ia u c d tr o n f a ec in s interests www.autismsp -autism-web.pd e v ti ti e / to rep :/ e p tt k-guid ies. h sensitivit ult/files/Quic fa e etwork: sites/d groups/ upport n s t n re ok.com/ a o p b l e a c c a For lo /www.f - https:/ rtGroup/ k o o b e o om.au/ Fac lakids.c pportersSupp u s th o in n M e D AS www.p trum-su - http:// la-autism-spec K P M n u O ins er/pen advertis group/

get through this, we will get help, we will learn. We will break down these barriers between us and our child. It has only been a week since diagnosis. We are still struggling with this new chapter in our lives. I know we will move forward, with hope and strength. In this moment though, I am exhausted. I am sad, I am angry and I am scared. Jane is finding her way from dysfunction, to becoming a domestic goddess ... or at least a wife, mother and woman she can be proud of. She is a stay-at-home mum to an adorable and high-spirited little lady living on the spectrum. You can read more of her stories at www.almostjane.com.au or follow her daily journey at www.facebook.com/almostjane

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

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Celebrate

Save the milk bar

SUPERHERO PARTY

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2014/15

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Credits and Links: Styling, props, toys and party hire Tiny Tots Toy Hire – www.tinytotstoyhire.com.au Photography Eclektic Photography + Design – www.eclektic.com.au Dessert table styling and party ware The Party Studio – www.thepartystudio.com.au Macarons Her Macarons – www.facebook.com/hermacarons Superhero capes, masks, kit bags and bibs Bee Stitched – www.beestitched.com.au Superhero cake and cupcakes Cupcake Party – www.cupcakeparty.com.au All cookies Design My Cupcake – www.designmycupcake.com Cake pops, push pops and bomb cake bites Theme My Party – www.thememyparty.com.au Superhero entertainers Superhero Inc – www.superheroes.com.au Lollipop hair tie favours and photo props Charli Mae – https://www.facebook.com/charlimae.1 Confectionary The Professors Lolly Shop – www.theprofessors.com.au French dessert (Choux à la crème) Fleur De Sel – www.fleurdesel.com.au 42

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

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Ideas

for Superhero party

* BYO extra large men’s T-shirt to make a cape. Adults do the cutting and kids decorate. * Print out mask templates and let kids design their own with glitter, texta, stickers. * Create fake newspaper invites with a picture of your child and the headline ‘Extra, extra, (child’s name) turns (age)’. The article can detail a little about the party and the date, time, and rsvp information. * Buy streamers in colours associated with your child’s favourite superhero. For example, use red, yellow, and blue streamers for Superman or black and yellow streamers for Batman. Twist the streamers together and hang them throughout the party area. * Use laminated comic books or pages from comic books as placemats at the party table. * Cut sandwiches into bat shapes or diamonds. * Let the children use their super powers to change the colour of their drinks! Before the party, freeze coloured juice in ice cube trays. Serve lemonade or sparkling water and let your guests pick their own coloured ice cubes. As the children drop ice cubes into their drinks, the drinks will change colour.

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

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BUG OFF! Tips for Keeping Mosquitoes Away Citronella Candles A few drops of lavender on a ribbon around open windows Lavender body oil

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How to make Super Materials For the jelly: 3 x 85g packs of jelly (in colours to suit your theme). 3 cups of boiling water (one for each colour). 3 teaspoons of powdered gelatine (one for each colour).

Jelly!

Assembly Divide first jelly among cups evenly. Refrigerate until set (about 15-20 minutes). Prepare yoghurt jelly.

8 containers for layering jelly (clear plastic cups would work).

Cool to room temperature. Pour half of the mixture evenly over cups. (Leave balance on counter so it doesn’t set.)

Instructions To make jelly:

Refrigerate cups for another 15-20 minutes.

Mix first package of flavoured jelly with one teaspoon of gelatine.

Repeat the jelly and yoghurt layering steps with the other two flavours until desired design is reached.

Add one cup of boiling water and stir to dissolve. Cool to room temperature before pouring. (But don’t wait too long or it will set.)

Instructions To make the yoghurt jelly: 1. Place cream, sugar and vanilla extract into a small pan over a medium heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved and gently bring to boil, remove from heat. 2. Sprinkle over gelatine and whisk until dissolved. Add yoghurt, whisk until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve, set aside to cool.

Materials For the yoghurt jelly: 1 cup (250ml) thickened cream ¼ cup caster sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2½ teaspoons powdered gelatine 1 cup (250g) Greek-style natural yoghurt 46

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

Leave the yoghurt layer out for your dairy intolerant superhero.

party

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allergy free double chocolate cake (nut-free, dairy-free and egg-free) Preparation time: 15 minutes

Preheat oven to 180°C (fan-forced) and grease and line a 20cm cake tin with non-stick baking paper. Dry 2 cups SR flour, ¾ cup caster sugar, ¼ cup cocoa, 1 cup dairy-free, nut-free chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon baking powder. Wet Teaspoon vanilla essence, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup soy milk. 1. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. 2. Make a well in centre of dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. 3. Mix together until they form a batter (not too much mixing). 4. Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in the centre. 5. Cool in cake tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire rack. 6. Delicious when iced with chocolate cream icing.

Chocolate Cream Icing (nut-free, dairy-free and egg-free) Preparation time:

10 minutes 1½ cups icing sugar ¼ cup cocoa 2 tablespoons soy milk ⅓ cup Nuttelex (or other dairy-free spread) 1. Place icing sugar and cocoa into a large bowl and mix well. 2. Make well in centre and add soy milk and softened Nuttelex. slowly by using back of metal spoon to press sugar into spread. 3. Mix Combine well until smooth. 4. I f icing is too watery, add more icing sugar. If icing is too firm, add more soy milk. By Linda Bosnic

This cake will satisfy the biggest chocolate craving!

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0411 731 742 savageattractions.com.au 48

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

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Linda is a Mornington Peninsula Mum and author of the cookbook One bowl allergy free baking. It contains 100 easy baking recipes that are all nut-, dairy- and egg-free with many also gluten-free. For more information or to order a copy, visit www.onebowlbaking.com.au or email Linda at linda@onebowlbaking.com.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

Imagination!

Scissors•Sticky Tape•Straw•Textas•Stickers, Glitter•Gluestick

Need:

Enjoy!

Decorate Affix straw to back of mask with piece of sticky tape

Cut out template

How to:

MAKE YOUR OWN SUPER HERO MASK

Pregnancy & Baby

BREASTFEEDING IS

Hard

Before I had a baby, I specifically remember asking the question: ‘What is so hard about breastfeeding?’ Don’t hate me. The question came out of genuine curiosity and in the hope that I could prepare myself for what was to come. I didn’t get an answer so I’m going to do my best to provide one now.

I’m no expert in supply, so I’ll leave it there and let’s move on to the other most important participant in the feeding circle – the baby. Oh the sweet baby, with its soft, precious little lips that will gently suckle on your bosom as you stare lovingly into its eyes.

So let’s look at the factors involved. You’ve spent nine months growing a baby in a womb that started off the size of a small fist and ended up the size of a football field. Somehow the baby was removed from you (either out of your vagina or through major surgery, you know, no biggie) and all you want to do is stare lazily at your magical creation as you drift into a beautiful, long, well-deserved sleep. And most of all recover from what has been the most intense experience your body has ever endured. But no. You now have to feed the new life – with your breasts.

A few things. Those sweet little lips? Once they latch on they suck like a vacuum cleaner. If that attachment isn’t 100 per cent right and those lips aren’t perfectly positioned, the head isn’t tilted on exactly the right angle and that chin doesn’t rest on the right part of the boob, well, let’s think about it shall we? Imagine a vacuum cleaner wrapped around your nipple and then someone turns it on. Bam! Yup. That’s right.

Ahhh your breasts. You’re not sure if you’re ready for them to serve this new, very important purpose. You have all of three seconds to reminisce about the good times with the girls before a midwife takes your boob in her hand and starts to try to massage milk out of it. And just like that your girls become public property. You have a few days of the awkward breast massaging before your actual milk starts to come in. It’s a fact of life that you’ll either receive way too much of the good stuff or not nearly enough. This is often the biggest challenge for new mums and can cause great heart ache (and often breast ache) Too much milk (as was my experience) is in a lot of ways better than the latter – and we’re often considered the lucky ones. But it doesn’t come without its discomforts. The awkward moments when your milk sprays in the face of an over-enthusiastic onlooker, not to mention the constant engorgement. If you want to know what oversupply feels like, get two litres of milk out of your fridge, poor it all over your chest and all through your bed. There you go. Then there are women close to me who have been dealt an undersupply. These ladies are told by all the experts that they do indeed have enough milk! Alas, for some no amount of boobie cookies, meds and expressing seems to be enough, and I’ve seen too many mums feel like they’re failed when they’ve done everything they possibly can to boost their supply. That’s hard.

Ha!

So, get the suction right you say? How hard can it be to manoeuvre a sleepy little baby into this perfect position? Imagine the baby is actually a wild, slippery piglet. On speed. Do you follow me? It’s hard enough to hold a newborn without being petrified its head is going to snap off backwards. They have no control over those tiny arms and legs that flail about in every direction. Not to mention they’ve spent nine months on the inside and just have no understanding of how to behave. Cheeky little animals. Oh and let’s not forget about the moments of pure joy when your little one sleeps an extra hour or you’re lucky enough to enjoy dinner out with your other half while your sleeping baby is left in the capable hands of Granny. Those precious moments of rest and rejuvenation overshadowed by the development of rocks, nay boulders that have implanted on your chest ready to erupt like a milk volcano. So, among many, many other reasons, that’s why it can be hard. Overall, I consider myself one of the lucky ones. My nipples didn’t fall off and my baby’s tongue didn’t have a tie and my breastfeeding experience was beautiful and long-lasting. For others this isn’t the case and the challenges can be much greater. Remember, each mother-baby-nipple combo is unique. Just do your best. Endure what you can. And feed your baby any which way works for you. Stacey Anderson is the founder of ‘Little Things in Common’ – an online community where you can meet other parents and carers and discuss all the little things you have in common. www.litttlethingsincommon.com.au

www.peninsulakids.com.au

E M H C U TO P L E H D AN

Want More Mummy Milk? I woke up in the middle of the night to find my boobs were trying to take over the world! I actually had to wake little Max to relieve me of some milk... Meryl, Sydney

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

Stroking your baby’s silky skin, meeting her trusting gaze and taking turns at listening to her ‘coos’ and ‘goos’ then responding, telling her, ‘your tiny toes are like little pink peas’ or ‘your legs are growing so long and strong’ is more than just a delightful way to enjoy your little one’s company.

Touch is a powerful element of your baby’s development – it is the first sense to develop, just days after conception, and is important for a whole lifetime: it stimulates growth hormones as well as hormones that relieve stress and those that encourage bonding and attachment. By consciously spending just a few minutes each day massaging with gentle, firm pressure, you can help your baby become calmer and happier. As well as releasing endorphins – those ‘feel good’ hormones that help us all reduce stress – massaging your baby will reduce stress hormones such as cortisol and this can also have positive effects on brain development. There is increasing evidence that high levels of stress hormones are toxic to infant brains and may have lasting effects on your child’s response to stressful experiences. Other studies show that babies with lower levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in their blood do better at mental and motor ability tests. There is good news for tired mums, too: a few simple strokes can lull your baby into a deeper, more restful sleep. According to Dr Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, ‘a massage just before bedtime is more effective than rocking at helping your baby fall asleep and stay asleep’. Dr Field’s studies are affirmed by researchers from Warwick Medical School in the United Kingdom who looked at nine studies of massage covering 598 infants aged under six months. The studies showed that babies who were massaged cried less, slept better, and had lower levels of stress hormones compared to infants who did

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not receive massage. One of the studies also claimed massage could affect the release of the hormone melatonin, which is important in aiding infants’ sleeping patterns.

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In another study conducted by Dr Field, premature babies who were massaged gained 47 per cent more weight and were discharged from hospital six days earlier than babies in a control group, with follow-up studies showing lasting effects on growth and development. For premature babies, the experience of touch is mostly painful as they endure a barrage of medical procedures and tubes. Melbourne mum Melinda, whose baby Pippa, now 14 months and almost walking, was born at 27 weeks, says, ‘I honestly don’t think Pippa would have been as advanced as she is if I hadn’t massaged her’. ‘Gently stroking her legs and back in the humi-crib, then later, ‘kangaroo care’ (cuddling skin to skin) and massaging her tiny body helped us bond so much more quickly. It also helped me feel more at ease and confident to care for her even though she was very tiny.’ Infant massage is not only good for babies but also for parents. Several studies show mothers who suffer from postnatal depression improve when they incorporate infant massage into their daily routine, and an Australian study of infant massage and father–baby bonding, found that at 12 weeks old, babies who were massaged by their fathers greeted their dads with more eye contact, smiling, vocalising and touch than those in the control group. One of the most significant benefits of infant massage is that it can increase your confidence as a parent. When parents regularly massage their babies, they become very aware of the subtle nuances in their baby’s communication, they become more respectful of their baby’s cues and this helps the baby feel secure and calm. After a few weeks of massaging their babies, I often have mothers tell me ‘I am not so affected by advice from other people any more – I know I am the expert about my baby’. Pinky McKay is an internationally certified lactation consultant, certified infant massage instructor and author of Sleeping Like a Baby, 100 Ways to Calm the Crying, and Parenting By Heart. In her baby massage DVD, Pinky shows parents how to give their baby a full body massage, a mini massage (for when you are in a hurry) and specific strokes to help with colic and tummy discomfort.

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

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Every school holidays, come Friday afternoons or long weekends many families pack the car and hit the open road to spend some quality time together in the great outdoors. Some parents dread the thought of taking their children camping. Let’s face it, camping with young children is often a lot of work and effort especially when you could easily stay at a hotel/motel with clean sheets, running water and possibly breakfast in bed. While this sounds good to me the downside is that we often miss out on some of life’s simplest pleasures. I’m sure all of us remember sitting around a camp fire, burning marshmallows on sticks, being amazed at how many stars there are in the sky. This alone is worthy of a camping trip.

10 tips for a successful camping trip 2. Gently ease yourself into camping. Many may argue that camping in a caravan park isn’t camping, however if you’re new to camping, caravan parks are a great place to get a taste of camping and test out your new gear before going bush. There is the added bonus of toilets, running water and a camp kitchen and laundry not to mention kids’ clubs, playgrounds and lots of other kids to play with.

1. Have fun, treat it like an adventure and see it through children’s eyes. Create memories that last a lifetime even if things don’t go to plan.

10. Keep it simple – take the least amount possible including toys. Basic items like snakes and ladders for wet days, a ball for active play and bikes if you have space. Lego, puzzles or anything with many pieces is not a great idea as parts will get lost. Let your kids use their imagination and find things to play with.

9. Research is the number one priority. Know what facilities are available including the nearest doctor, town and attractions. What’s the weather going to be like? Can you buy groceries nearby? With children it’s always easier to know these things in advance.

3. Sleep is everyone’s best friend and you want to make sure everyone gets enough of it. Air mattresses are generally cold and uncomfortable, noisy and can leak. If you can afford it, buy camp beds or camp mats instead. Camp mats are the least bulky of the two but if you can fit camp beds go with them as they will keep you off the ground.

4. Leave electronic devices at home. Take a phone for emergencies only. The kids may think it’s the end of the world for the first day but they will adjust quickly. You will find without the distractions of tablet computers and other devices you will spend more quality time together talking and doing things you mightn’t have otherwise done.

5. Give the kids meaningful chores such as collecting firewood, helping set up camp, preparing meals and generally getting them involved in what you are doing. Children like being given these opportunities.

By Lorraine Aitken 56

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

TIPS FOR CAMPING WITH CHILDREN 6. Camping is the perfect time to do some informal learning and it’s also when we have the most time to teach them new things. Talk to the local rangers. Go bushwalking and take a compass to teach them basic navigation, discuss different wildlife you may come across and the habitat in which it lives. Collect objects to take back to camp to have a closer look. Talk about marine life, draw letters and numbers in the sand, and practise spelling. Try and build things out of the materials you can find in the natural world.

8. Have an emergency box that contains the things you might need in a hurry and keep it in the same place so it is easy to find. Include a first-aid kit, torch, batteries, hand sanitiser, a couple of nappies if you have really young children, a roll of toilet paper and so on.

7. Keep meals simple. Kids will burn heaps of energy and will want lots of food and want it now.

MoreTIPS

G N I P M A C

from MPK mums

Attach glow sticks to the kids at night so you can see where they are. Take slip-on shoes for later night toilet trips (so you can be faster). Gumboots all day, regardless of weather (keeps feet clean, dry and away from nasties). Small bag of toys for wet weather. Drink bottles instead of cups for the kids. Head lamps (makes it easier to do things as your hands are free). Tanya S Save one set of clean clothes to change into. They will get grubby! Glow sticks, fairy lights and solar lights stuck in ground to see at night. Leanne O For your first camping trip, choose somewhere local and stay a short time, say two nights. That way you can get the feel of it and it’s not so bad if you forget stuff. Check the weather and pack one set of clothes for each day plus a spare. Roll clothes for each day and secure with rubber band. Then older kids can dress themselves with minimal fuss. Glow sticks for night lights in tent, for keeping track of your kids or dog at night, to play hide and seek with, babies dummies and favourite toys. Spare torch batteries in a safe spot. It’s not all snags in bread. We eat wraps, tacos, spaghetti bol, pizza. It’s all simple stuff that you can prepare at home before you go. Cherylanne N Antihistamine tablets if you have any allergy sufferers. I did not enjoy my first time camping because I got bad hayfever and had no tablets. Joanne M Clothes horse, pegs, washing powder, fridge if you can get one was the most used item on our camping trip. Torches. We used a camping stretcher to put our food on so it was off the floor of the tent. Take as much pantry-type food as you can. First-aid kit, gazebo, portable barbecue/oven. Square bucket and washing detergent for dishes and tea towels. Jacket for night. Blankets. Kylie B Crockpots are amazing for powered sites. Everyone will be jealous of your curries and casseroles. Buy a cheap microwave for powered sites. Lifesaver. Janine L If you’re going somewhere without amenities make sure you take hand sanitiser to stop the spread of germs. Kimberley T Lots and lots of toilet paper – lots! Christlee H If you are taking a baby the two things we found to be invaluable were a Bumbo and Macpac carrier. If you have some camping tips you’d like to share with the Peninsula Kids community, email us at: info@peninsulakids.com.au

Don’t forget the bug repellent. Roslyn W First day and last day need super extra patience. Otherwise, fantastic to be in nature. Lolita P Boil water and use baby wipes to wash your self daily – the wipes make the water go soapy and than you throw them away (that’s if you doing real camping. Lauren S

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Q & A with M PK Kids

Justine Clarke 58

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2014/15

What do you love most about doing concerts? Hearing everybody sing and roar.   Keira, 6

What is your favourite colour? My favourite colour is yellow.  Keira, 6

What is your favourite animal? The platypus. What a crazy animal!   Keira, 6

What is your favourite kind of tree? Why a gumtree of course!   Keira, 6

What is your favourite plant and vegetable? My favourite plant is a gardenia bush and fave vegie would definitely be green... Crispy iceberg lettuce. Yum!   Emily, 6

How do you get the ideas for your songs? I think about something that makes me smile and remember what fun it was to be a kid.    Charlotte, 4

Who is your favourite toy on Play School? Mine is Jemima. Humpty has always been my favourite!  Riley, Jye and Jorjah-Mae

When you grew up what was the highlight of your childhood? So many but one of my fondest memories is swimming at Bondi with my mum and dad, I was about 6 and they took me out to the waves.    Isabella, 8 I have been watching Play School for yonks. You’re beautiful!

What TV shows did you watch when you were little and did you go to any kids’ concerts? Thanks I watched Play School a lot! And HR Puff N Stuff and a lot of The Muppet Show. Lucinda,

What is your favourite part of being on Play School? Everything! But I love the story chair. Knowing how many stories have been read in that old red chair. Also, just being in the company of the toys is always pretty special.   Charlotte, 4

I love watching Play School. Do you like to do Play School, your TV shows or make CDs better? I love that I get to do lots of different and interesting things. But I think I love singing the most!   Casey, 6

What is your favourite song from Play School? Mine is Incy Wincy Spider. I love that song too! Mine is a lullaby. It’s called Moon Moon Shiny and Silver. Lawson, 4

What song do you love singing and dancing to the most? The song in the show I love singing and dancing to the most is Dancing Pants. But I’m happy singing and dancing to pretty much anything! www.peninsulakids.com.au

Swear BEEP! Dealing with

By Raising 3 Daughters

A long time ago, last year some time, I think...

I had been spending a lot of time in the garden for the couple of weeks leading up to it, not playing with the kids as much as I usually do. We had a rent inspection coming and I want to make a good impression with the landlord. I’d been fighting a loosing battle with the ants in my lawn. They were killing it! We were heading out one day and it happened. ‘Daddy, the f**king ants are back!’ From the mouth of my fiver-year-old! Oh, man, was I stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand I wanted to tell her off and send her to her room but I couldn’t tell her off for something I had clearly said and she was only repeating. So what did I do? ‘Darling, that is a bad word and we shouldn’t say it.’ What else could I do? I want to make it clear that I don’t purposefully curse in front of my kids, I actually try to avoid it. I think this was maybe an isolated case where Daughter 1 was actually trying to help me out. But if you’re a new parent, where do you start when it comes to talking about swearing to your kids? What is acceptable? Establishing early with your partner what you both see as acceptable language will get you both on the same playing field. As Henry Ford said, ‘Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.’

● Limiting exposure – in today’s world, our kids are increasingly exposed to a range of new sources of information and entertainment. Saturday morning cartoons are no longer the only source of entertainment for children. Technology is playing a huge part in and YouTube is the main culprit as now

k c e Ch e thes ! ou t 60

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

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● Talking – sit down with your kids if they curse or swear and explain about bad words and how they can hurt the feelings of other people. Most likely your child won’t drop any word that will cause Nanna to turn over in her grave but use the opportunity to find out where they first heard the word and talk the situation out.

● Punishments – every parent is different when it comes to punishment and their kids. Personally, if I’ve slipped up and the child is repeating what I have previously said, I can’t see the logic in punishing them for my mistake in the first place. Instead of issuing harsh punishments if it is becoming a problem, consider starting a swear jar and use the funds to do something fun when your child has learnt to control their swearing. As my wife keeps telling me, talking is the key. Children cursing and swearing will always be around and there will be many different ‘experts’ offering tips on how to deal with it. These were just some of the ways we have personally dealt with our daughters and they seem to be working fine for now. It’s going to be a case of find out what works and go with it.

James and his wife are the parents of three little rascals. A father of two at 23, James sought out other dads online who were sharing his same triumphs and tribulations. When he is not playing dress-ups or singing along to Frozen, you can find hime online talking parenting, social media and sport at: raising3daughters.com

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Recipes

s e p i ec

By Karli Duckett

Karli is a Mum, domestic personal chef, Thermomix consultant, substandard house cleaner, dog walker, wannabe food photographer and lover of caffeine. Follow her Mumma Duck Says blog and Facebook page for more food adventures, recipes and handy hints. mummaduckblog.wordpress.com facebook.com/mummaducksays

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2014/15

Yoghurt Scones 12-15 minute meal or until lightly golden on top {Serves 16} 2 cups self-raising flour 40g butter, cubed 300g flavoured yoghurt (vanilla, strawberry, mango, etc) pinch sea salt

1 Preheat oven to 200°C (fan-forced) and line a baking tray with baking paper. 2 If you have a food processor, add flour and butter, and blend until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, place flour and butter into a large mixing bowl and rub butter into flour using fingertips.

Add yoghurt and salt, and gently combine until dough just comes together – the less you ‘work’ scone dough, the fluffier the scone.

Lightly flour a chopping board or benchtop with flour and tip dough out, gently kneading it into a ball until coated lightly with flour and no longer ‘sticky’.

Gently use your hands to flatten dough into a 2-3cm thick rectangle and use a round cutter to cut circles from dough.

Place scone dough onto tray so the circles are just touching each other as they will help each other rise more evenly. Brush top with milk if you wish.

When cu ttin a downw g your scones, u ard mot twisting ion with se ou t you and you r cu tter as you will get go scones that Be gent rise evenly. le with and wor your scone dou gh If you w k quickly with anted to it. u or Gree k-style y se a natural oghurt, y find the ou need to add som may e sugar. www.peninsulakids.com.au

Chocolate Pastries 15-minute meal or until golden {Serves 12} 2 sheets puff pastry spread of choice (I use Mayver’s sugar-free Hazelnut Cacao Spread) 1 tablespoon icing sugar to dust

1 Preheat oven to 200°C (fan-forced) and line a baking tray with baking paper. 2 Cut 6 even-sized triangles from each sheet of pastry – 12 in total. 3 Spread about a teaspoon of chosen spread on one side of each triangle. 4 Roll up triangle, beginning at one of the straight edges so you end at the ‘pointy end’ of the triangle. Gently curve into a moon shape and place onto baking tray evenly spaced apart.

5 64

Use a fine sieve or tea strainer to dust lightly with icing sugar before serving. Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

Get little ones to help with cutting shapes and rolling dough!

Other fi llings to tr jam, nu t bu tters y include , grated chocola d te, fruit puree, p ark esto or chees Get littl e and ham. e ones t o help w cu tting it shapes and rol h ling dough!

www.peninsulakids.com.au

20-minute meal {Serves 4-6}

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 lamb sausages

1 brown onion, cut into thin wedges 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tablespoon Moroccan spice 2 carrots, sliced thickly 405ml can apricot nectar 500ml vegetable stock 100g dried apricots 2 sweet potatoes, diced 30g butter

Apricot

Heat a large flameproof casserole dish over high mediumor high heat and add olive oil. Add sausages to dish and cook for 10 minutes, turning until browned all over. Set aside.

Add onion and garlic to dish and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Add spice and carrots and sauté for 1 minute.

3 Add apricot nectar and stock to dish and bring back to boil. 4 Meanwhile, slice sausages into large pieces and return to dish with dried apricots. 5 Cover and cook for 20 minutes, reducing heat to low. 6 Remove lid and cook for further 15 minutes to thicken sauce further, stirring occasionally. 7 Meanwhile, place sweet potato into a large pot of cold water and bring to the boil over

high heat. Continue to boil for 10 minutes or until soft. Drain water and return potato to pot with butter and mash until smooth.

Serve potato with sausage casserole.

Snags & Mash

Sausag es are e asy for and you toddlers ng child bu t if yo r u wante en to eat, d to ma ‘adults-o ke an nly’ ver sion of dish, yo this u could used dic lamb in ed stead. 66

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

30-minute meal {Serves 2 or 4 as a side dish} 600g pumpkin, skin removed 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 120g baby spinach leaves 400g tin chickpeas 100g feta cheese 75g pecans Pepitas to sprinkle

1 Preheat oven to 180째C and grease or line a baking tray with paper. 2 Cut pumpkin into 2-3cm sized pieces and place on baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 30 mins.

Meanwhile, add spinach leaves and chickpeas to a large salad bowl.

When pumpkin is cooked, allow to cool slightly for 10 minutes. Add to salad bowl with spinach and chickpeas, and toss to combine. Crumble feta cheese over salad, and sprinkle with pecans and pepitas.

Roast Pumpkin Salad

Serve with dressing if desired.

Balsa m with t ic dressin h g also g is salad, b is lovely ut et have o creative wi you can t as a b n hand. U h what you se a citrus se and try olive oil ju th vineg ice, avocad ings like ar, mu stard o, red wine , hone y, etc.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

Honey Mustard Chicken Bake

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2014/15

Turmeric is a spice that adds a lovely golden colour to the sauce and is believed to have medicinal properties!

Chang e family this dish to suit by vegies, serving with your ric ste roaste e, mashed p amed o d vegie s or sa tato, lad.

30-minute meal {Serves 4} 1 cup honey ¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoon wholegrain mustard 1 teaspoon turmeric Salt and pepper to taste 700g chicken breast fillets 250ml Philadelphia ‘Cream for Cooking’

1 Preheat oven to 200°C and lightly grease an ovenproof dish. 2 Add honey, olive oil, mustard, turmeric, salt and pepper to a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Cut large chicken breasts into 2 or 3 portions and add to bowl with honey marinade. Cover and leave in refrigerator for one hour to marinate.

Pour chicken and marinade into ovenproof dish and bake in oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and gently stir in cream, turning chicken pieces to coat. Return to oven for 5 minutes, then remove and serve. www.peninsulakids.com.au

Easy Apple Pies 15-20 minute meal or until golden {Serves 6} 1 Granny Smith apple 1 red apple 2 tablespoon honey ½ teaspoon cinnamon 3 sheets puff pastry 1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 200°C (fan-forced) and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Using a food processor or a hand-held grater, grate both apples into a large mixing bowl and discard core and seeds.

! y o

j n E

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

3 4 5

Gently squeeze excess juice from grated apple Add honey and cinnamon and stir well to combine.

Using a gingerbread man cutter (or any shape you desire), cut 4 shapes from each sheet of pastry – 12 shapes in total.

6 7

Place half of the shapes evenly spaced on baking tray.

Spoon apple mixture evenly on top of shapes, leaving a small border around edges. Top with remaining shapes and use a fork to gently crimp the edges. Brush with beaten egg.

Serve with custard or icecream for a special treat.

These c ould be themed party in made for a any can fin d a cook shape you ie cu tter in.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

Find a safe place to practice. Concrete is the easiest surface to ride on but is unforgiving if you fall. Short grass or even tidy gravel would be acceptable alternatives for anyone who feels panicky about falling, but be warned that these surfaces make balancing harder and offer more resistance to bike tyres.

Make sure you know how to ride a bike safely. If it is your first time riding, consider lowering the seat so that you can put most of your feet on the ground while seated. Helmets are necessary and helpful.

Make sure you know how to brake. While practising, it’s a good idea to allow yourself a long distance over which to brake gently so that you feel prepared to dismount if necessary.

Get onto the bicycle. With the seat lowered, this should be a breeze.

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

Practice balancing on the bike. Push yourself along a flat surface with your feet and get the feel of how the bike leans and steers. Do this until you have a good feel and some confidence about steering the bike. Try pushing yourself along fast and ‘gliding’ with your feet up in the air, steering only with your hands. Balance is easier to keep when the bike is moving faster. Going too slowly while riding will not keep the rider safe. If you’re practising with a helper, have them hold the bike from behind you and try to steady it as you pedal.

Practice gliding down gentle slopes. Walk the bike to the top of a slope that ends in a sizeable flat area, mount it (keeping one or both feet on the ground until you’re ready), and glide down, allowing yourself to slow naturally in the flat area at the bottom. When you are confident you can put your feet on the pedals and coast for a few metres. Try not to put your feet down so you train your sense of balance. When you’re comfortable putting both feet on the pedals, practise braking gently on the way down the hill.

Health Do this until you don’t feel the need to put your feet out to brace yourself. When you’re comfortable coasting, pedalling, and braking in a straight line, practice steering slightly to the left or right.

7. 8.

Get ready to ride. Raise the seat a bit, but still keep it low enough so that you can touch the ground with the tip of your toes while seated.

Pedal down the slope and onto the flat area. Use the techniques you learned while gliding to pedal and steer, only this time, instead of stopping on the bottom, continue riding along the flat surface. Practice making gradual turns, then sharper turns. Brake to a complete stop and try putting only one foot out to hold yourself up.

Pedal from a complete stop on the flat area. Make sure the pedal your foot is currently on is level with the other free pedal, then begin pushing it down with that foot as you lift the other foot onto the pedal and begin riding. Do this

until you’re comfortable starting and stopping on a flat surface.

10.

Pedal up the slope. Ride from the flat area up the slope to get used to the additional work you have to do to move uphill. Lean forward into the pedalling or even stand up to give yourself extra power. Ride up and down the slope several times until you’re comfortable with both. When you feel confident enough to do so, ride halfway up the slope, come to a complete stop, and restart pedalling uphill. Once you can do this with ease, you’re ready for a more challenging terrain.

11.

Pat yourself on the back. Job well done!

Article from wikiHow, a wiki building the world’s largest, highestquality how-to manual. Author credits at wikiHow.com Content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons Licence.

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Ask the Experts! My daughter has sucked her thumb since she was very little. She is six now and I’m worried that it’s causing damage to her teeth. I can see that her front teeth are sticking out. What should I do and when is the best time to see an orthodontist about this? This is a common question as a lot of children suck their thumbs or fingers for comfort at a very young age. Most children stop by themselves by about age four, but some persist with the habit for longer as it can be hard to give up. If the habit continues past the age of six or seven when most of the adult front teeth have erupted, it can cause long-term dental problems that will need orthodontic attention. Protrusion of the front teeth like you have observed is often seen as well as the development of open bites and cross bites of the back teeth. Firstly, it is important that your daughter wants to give up the habit. This should not be forced, as while babies are born with a reflex to suck, thumb-sucking past infancy usually has an emotional, soothing association for a child that we must be sensitive about. Try gentle approaches such as placing a sock over her hand at night to remind her that when she puts her thumb up to her mouth that she shouldn’t be doing it. She could even decorate the sock to make it more fun for her. Other ‘reminder’ approaches include taping her thumb to her finger, or painting a sour varnish on the thumb. If all this fails, it would be a good idea at this stage to see an orthodontist. Examination will allow for an evaluation of the problems and a plan made to help her. This may be made in conjunction with any treatment needs that may have arisen due to the thumb-sucking. There are situations where it is better to correct these problems early, otherwise they may become worse with time if nothing is done. On the other hand, sometimes it is best to wait for more adult teeth to come through before any treatment is started. Every case is different and so a consultation with your orthodontist is a good idea. Anna Meyer Orthodontist, Peninsula, Orthodontics, Mornington

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

This is an exciting time of year for young children and parents as they prepare to farewell preschool years and take the big step into school. When children go from home or preschool to school they must learn oral language for a new range of purposes, for example, telling stories, reporting, asking questions and understanding instructions. They must also learn to communicate more clearly with others because the new people they meet do not have the same background knowledge or shared experiences. At school there is a demand for more sophisticated language skills to talk about abstract ideas and concepts. More literate language consists of complex sentences containing a number of linked ideas. Vocabulary needs to be specific and children must learn to clarify their thoughts as they go along, unlike at home, where experiences and meaning are shared and Mum and Dad ‘know what you mean’.

•Talk about rhyme and introduce rhyme games.

How parents can help their child ‘get ready’ for school:

This will be listed as 220 or sulphur dioxide on the ingredients label, and can be found not just in the dried fruit aisle but also in many muesli bars that contain fruit, and one that many are surprised about – desiccated coconut.

•Involve your child in lots of talking, listening and wondering. •Make sure you are filling up parts of language, feeding in new words to the conversation, discussing what words or phrases mean, telling jokes or commenting on how and what people say. •Ask open-ended questions to encourage your child to talk and express ideas. •Play word and listening games to build vocabulary and expressive language. Even something as simple as ‘What’s the first word you think of when I say …?’ •Encourage active listening – use CD stories, Simon Says and memory games. •Play ‘I Spy’ with first sounds not letters.

•Take time to talk – stop and predict what will happen next, talk about and draw the best part of the story. What does the story remind them of? •Ask questions that probe understanding For example, what was the main problem/thing that went wrong in the story? or Why did the character in the story do that? What would you have done? •Most importantly have fun. Megan Ingram Owner & Principal Speech Pathologist Peninsula Speech Pathology Services

Both my son and I get an upset stomach from eating dried fruit. What could this be caused by? Rarely is it actually the fruit that causes the stomach complaint, but more so the preservative used on the fruit. Sulphur dioxide is a preservative that manufacturers use to extend the shelf life of dried fruit or for fruit used in winemaking. This is what makes the dried apricots you see in the supermarkets orange.

Sulphur dioxide not only causes stomach complaints but also is a trigger for asthma and should be avoided by asthmatics or people with breathing problems such as bronchitis. The additive is also linked to behavioural problems and can cause hyperactivity. It is also prohibited in foods for infants and young children and can deplete certain vitamins such as B1. This is another reason to check food labels as there are many products available that do not contain this nasty preservative. Karen Cardy Owner, Healthy Angels Foster a Positive Start

DRY DROWNING TIME FOR A REALITY CHECK!

Clinical Associate Professor Paul Middleton

RGN MBBS DipIMCRCS(Ed) MD MMed(Clin Epi) FRCS(Eng) FANZCP FCEM FACEM

‘You can drown after you leave the pool.’ ‘What are dry drowning and secondary drowning?’ ‘Yes, you can drown out of the water.’ These were the first three headlines from my 30-second internet search of ‘dry drowning’ this morning. I am the middle-aged father of a sevenyear-old and 10-year-old, a professor of emergency medicine, and I have spent more than 20 years in emergency departments, ambulances, helicopters, and planes taking care of critically ill and injured people. I have also spent a large proportion of that time teaching other doctors, nurses and paramedics how to recognise and look after sick and injured children. Eventually, I thought that the best thing I could do to lessen the number of tragedies that I see as part of my daily job was to translate the knowledge we pass on to other health professionals into language that normal people may understand. This resulted in some colleagues and I writing a book – What To Do When Your Child Gets Sick – in an attempt to teach parents, grandparents, teachers and others to recognise a sick child, how to tell a well child from a sick child, and how to tell when one was becoming the other. With all this experience and training, I have seldom been as disturbed as when I heard about the anxiety and worry surrounding the recent spate of reports of ‘dry drowning’. Before we go into the science, a little of which you really do need to know, I think there is one statement worth making. In my 20 plus years of emergency medicine experience, I have never seen a case of dry drowning in an adult or a child. This, you may say with some justification, is not science, and just because I haven’t seen one does not mean that it doesn’t exist. Absolutely true, but having seen not only drownings but also just about every other illness and injury many times in more than one country, it suggests to me that the actual incidence may be very, very low. I have also never read a reported case in the medical literature of this happening. Therefore I want to discuss the science a little bit, because understanding this is important, and even though some of it may not be the most pleasant thing to read over your morning coffee, it will definitely be worth it if I can alleviate some of your worries. Dry drowning, in actual fact, is not what these reports say it is anyway. It

used to be thought that a large percentage of drowning victims had spasm of the larynx (voicebox) and therefore their lungs contained almost no water. What medical investigations actually showed was that the proportion of victims that this happened to was actually tiny, at less than 1 per cent of cases. The vast majority of people drown because their lungs are full of water. There was a world conference on drowning in 2002, organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), where experts from many countries gathered to debate and define everything about drowning. They actually agreed to abandon the term ‘dry drowning’ completely as it was felt to be misleading. The WHO definition of drowning is ‘…the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid’ and they also stated ‘…if the person is rescued at any time, the process of drowning is interrupted, which is termed a non-fatal drowning’. Reading through these media reports on dry drowning, what they are actually talking about is largely obscured under a thick layer of hyperbole and hysteria, but appears to be either laryngismus, otherwise known as laryngeal spasm, or aspiration pneumonia. I’ll write briefly about both. Laryngeal spasm The larynx is the voicebox and contains the vocal cords – two parallel pieces of tough, fibrous tissue controlled by small muscles, which come together to vibrate and make sound when air is pushed past them. The sounds are shaped by the throat, mouth and tongue into recognisable speech. We are built to have a laryngeal reflex, which essentially reacts immediately when the nerve endings around the entry to the larynx and the lungs are stimulated by touch, particularly by the touch of water, closing off the entrance to the lungs temporarily to prevent anything other than air getting in and causing damage. It operates in cooperation with other mechanisms such as the cough reflex, in a remarkably efficient defence system, which responds in less than one 20th of a second. Laryngeal spasm is what happens when the muscles that surround the vocal cords go into spasm, or constantly contract, leading the vocal cords to squeeze together and completely prevent air getting through. Laryngeal spasm is abnormal, compared to the normal laryngeal reflex, in that it lasts for longer and can therefore lead to a lack of oxygen being www.peninsulakids.com.au

transported in the blood to vital organs. Children are more likely than adults to get this, but once again this fact should be seen in context. Spasm has been mainly reported when children are being given an anaesthetic for an operation. Studies have been done where researchers have have tried to clarify the reasons why some children are more prone than others. They concluded that the factors that make a child more likely to experience spasm are prior exposure to passive smoking, and respiratory tract inflammation due to a cold, cough or asthma. All of these cause inflammation of the delicate tissues that line the respiratory tract and the larynx, and make them more likely to be oversensitive to stimulation. I also thought, since I was going to quote science, I should at least search the medical journals, just in case my reading had been limited on the subject. You can see what I found in this first picture:

water. Seawater and freshwater have similar effects, in that they wash out some of the essential liquid that lines the air sacs in the lungs and keeps them open, a substance called surfactant. The body replaces this over a period of time but while it is missing, the lungs are vulnerable to areas of collapse and subsequent infection. Severe cases of aspiration can lead to what is called pulmonary oedema, which is leakage of fluid into the air sacs from the circulation, and an inflammation of the lungs called pneumonitis can occur if there are contaminants such as chemicals in the water. But even pneumonia is rare, and occurs more commonly with submersion in stagnant and warm water, usually because they have uncommon bacteria in them. Because pneumonia is uncommon, at least early in the case of submersion injuries, even the use of antibiotics to prevent it hasn’t proven to be of any benefit. So once again, I thought that if I was going to write this article, I should ensure that I checked the medical evidence, so I did another search. Here’s what I found:

Aspiration pneumonia So let’s move on to the second possible topic that these media reports may be talking about – aspiration pneumonia. I read such lines as, ‘It happens in seconds because it’s just a matter of getting water past the vocal chords [sic] before the body’s had time to react…’ and ‘Many people don’t realise that people can drown even after they’re out of the water…’ Well, reading this I’m not surprised that people are terrified and reluctant to let their children get close to the water but, once again, context is everything. What is being talked about here is something that may occur after a drowning incident. Since the 2002 world congress, we also don’t say near-drowning any more but this, essentially, is what is being talked about. Our fantastic laryngeal reflexes can be overwhelmed eventually, but this happens in the context of prolonged submersion (with the nose and mouth under the water), not with splashing or even in transient, rapid immersion. To quote a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine: ‘When a drowning person can no longer keep his or her airway clear, water entering the mouth is voluntarily spat out or swallowed. The next conscious response is to hold one’s breath, but this lasts for no more than about a minute. When the inspiratory drive is too high to resist, some amount of water is aspirated into the airways, and coughing occurs as a reflex response. Sometimes laryngospasm occurs, but in such cases it is rapidly terminated by the onset of brain hypoxia. If the person is not rescued, aspiration of water continues, and hypoxemia quickly leads to loss of consciousness and apnea.’ Just to provide a translation from medical speak, ‘inspiratory drive’ means the desire to breathe in, ‘airways’ means the mouth, throat and passages to the lungs, ‘hypoxia’ is lack of oxygen and ‘apnea’ is when breathing stops. What the dry drowning press reports are really referring to are incidents where near-drowning, or non-fatal drowning, occurs, when there has been some degree of inspiration and some water in the lungs, bypassing our vigilant protective reflexes. In these cases, is there then a likelihood of developing an infection, or pneumonia, because there is foreign material in the lungs, even if it is seawater or pool water? Yes, there is, although the likelihood is probably dependent on the amount as well as the type of 76

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

I found 31 articles where aspiration pneumonia was discussed in association with drowning or water aspiration. Of the 31, only 6 were about children. Two of these were about waterbirths, one of them was about X-ray appearances after drowning, and only three discussed cases where children had a non-fatal drowning. None talked about cases where anything happened that did not involve submersion. So what does this all mean? For me, as a parent and a health professional, it means that a number of journalists have taken a topic that definitely has a kernel of truth in it but have conflated, exaggerated and taken it out of context to provide a headline. As always happens of course, in these days of high-speed internet access, social media and frenetic competition for views and likes, this has led to a spiral of increasingly high-pitched warnings, frightening parents and carers with half-truths and selective and oblique interpretations of the facts. The facts are that we are built to defend ourselves against stuff like water getting into our lungs, and our bodies are extremely good at it. Children are a little more vulnerable physiologically, and obviously anatomically, but they are in all situations; that’s why we take care of them. But does taking care of them mean that you can’t take them to the beach, let them swim in the pool or come down a waterslide? Of course not, and God forbid that children miss out on the magnificent fun that they can have in these places because of parental concern stirred up by ambiguous or inaccurate headlines. What is far more important is real preventative care that means something, and parental vigilance for the things we know do kill children. As the NEJM article I quoted earlier states, ‘Every drowning signals the failure of the most effective intervention – namely, prevention. It is estimated that more than 85 per cent of cases of drowning can be prevented by supervision, swimming instruction, technology, regulation, and public education’. Get a pool fence that works with a gate where they can’t reach the lock,

and don’t leave things around that they can use to climb on or over the fence as 50-70 per cent of pool drownings can be prevented by these simple measures, and a study of 187 childhood deaths from drowning showed that 161 of them, or 86 per cent, could have been prevented with adequate supervision and pool fencing. Watch them all the time when they’re close to water, and don’t turn your back or get busy with something else. One of the commonest drowning situations in toddlers is in baths and buckets, and even toilets, and failure of supervision, even for a moment, has been shown to be commonest factor associated with death. Even pool fencing is no substitute for constant supervision, even if they can swim. There are also some comforting myths that need to be busted… Swimming lessons, although a great thing, have not in themselves been shown to reduce drowning deaths. Some studies have even suggested that the increased exposure to water may even increase incidents, if this is coupled with lack of adult supervision. Everyone needs to learn how to do CPR, and as the chair of the new charity Take Heart Australia, formed to reduce cardiac arrest deaths across Australia of any cause, I desperately want 50 per cent of our population trained in the next five years. If we do this, we may start to approach the 62 per cent survival after cardiac arrest that the citizens of Seattle enjoy, rather than the average 10 per cent or so we have in Australia. Having said all that, knowing CPR is no substitute for good, effective pool fencing and effective supervision, and CPR training should not make us comfortable. The truth of it is that children who drown are incredibly difficult to resuscitate and revive, because their systems have been overwhelmed by the lack of oxygen, and CPR and all the other interventions are almost always ineffective. The statistics on recovery of drowned children are dire, and prevention is always better than cure when water is concerned, but we should be worrying about what is really important and what works, like building the pool fence and always watching them near the water, and not about rare and extraordinary occurrences which form only a tiny proportion of cases, if they are actually real at all. Paul Middleton is Clinical Associate Professor, Discipline of Emergency Medicine, University of Sydney; Conjoint Associate Professor, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales; Principal Investigator, DREAM Collaboration; Director, Australian Institute for Clinical Education; Chair, Australian Resuscitation Council, NSW Branch; and Chair, Take Heart Australia.

MELBOURNE & PENINSULA

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Services MPSP provide include:

• screening within kindergarten’s, ELC’s and schools • comprehensive assessments • 1:1 therapy at clients home, school, kinder etc, • support within classrooms • written programs • written reports • staff training • parent training • intensive literacy program - run in the school holidays. • group therapy - run each term at several locations, including: • Ready for Prep (for Pre-school children entering Prep) • Tots Talk (for 2-3 year old children with limited language) • Super Speech Groups (targets speech sound) • Social Skills Groups • Early literacy learners (pre-schoolers)

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Please do not hesitate to call Janelle Curry on 0414071488 if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s speech and language development. www.melbournespeechpathology.com.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

top BEACHES MORNINGTON

PENINSULA’S

By Lorraine Aitken

The Mornington Peninsula is a unique stretch of land that offers residents and holidaymakers a wide range of beaches for that hot summer’s day. With the help of peninsula families I’ve compiled this list of beaches for you to enjoy all summer long. 78

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

each Mills B

Beach

Point Leo

Mother

Mothers Beach: Mothers Beach in Mornington is popular among families with toddlers for the good sand, shallow water and accessibility. It overlooks boat ramps and the pier, and is below Schnapper Point Drive and close to the playground in Mornington Park. Facilities include barbecues, picnic tables, a toilet block and Mornington Boat Hire on the adjacent beach, known as Scout Beach.

Mills Beach: Mills Beach in Mornington gets a big tick of approval from me. I love that it’s in a great location and is perfect for toddlers and children of all ages. When the tide goes out, sand banks form to trap water, which heats up nicely. Primary aged children enjoy looking for starfish and crabs among the rocks and swimming in the shallows while the older ones like taking a canoe or paddleboard out in the deeper water. The beach is home to many colourful and expensive beach boxes and Mornington Life Saving Club. Facilities include a kiosk, changerooms and toilets, car park, barbecue and picnic tables. www.peninsulakids.com.au

Mothers Beach

Point Leo: Point Leo Beach is one of most popular surf beaches for families and it’s not hard to see why. The long stretches of sand, small waves and the feeling of being miles away from anywhere make this beach appealing. While I wouldn’t say it’s the best swimming beach for young children as the conditions can change quickly and they can find themselves out of their depths, it is a great beach for older children who are strong swimmers looking to learn to surf or bodyboard with parents or the surf school. The sand dunes near the surf life saving club are enough to keep our kids entertained for a half hour. They run up and down vigorously and tire fairly quickly, which is perfect for the drive home. Facilities include the life saving club, a camping ground, kiosk, toilets, lookouts, car parking at $4 a vehicle and a nice picnic area and playground near the entrance of the park.

Seawin ds

Flinders

a Beach Droman

Flinders Beach: Flinders Beach was recommended by parents at little athletics as a favourite among their teenage children who like the pier and deep water. They also like that the beach is clean and younger children can play in the shallows. Another bonus is the beach is fairly quiet compared to others nearby. Facilities include a toilet block, car park, small playground, barbecues, picnic tables, boat ramp, historical information boards and a lookout above the beach. South Beach: Mt Martha Beach South is its formal name and it has always been popular with the Mt Martha community. They like that it offers a cove on one side with rocks and on open 2km stretch of sand on the other. The Beach Box fish and chip shop is across the road from the beach and is highly recommended by locals who get their usual Friday night takeaway and head across to South Beach. The beach can have sections with deep drop offs into the water. Facilities include a car park, Mt Martha Life Saving Club and toilet block. The best part of the beach can be accessed by the car park opposite Rumours Beach Cafe on the Esplanade. Sorrento Back Beach: This is a great place for rock pooling, climbing and exploring but not recommended for open water swimming for young children. If older children are swimming then make sure they are between the flags at all times. Facilities include a lifesaving club, cafe, kiosk, barbecues, walking track, a lookout, picnic tables, a ramp to the beach, change rooms and toilets, and a large car park. 80

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2014/15

Mills Beach

Tideways Beach in Sorrento has some of the finest sand you will find on the peninsula.

Safety Beach: This is the place to find long stretch of beautiful sandy beach loved by young families for the calm waters, accessibility, parking, foreshore walking track, picnic and barbecue areas on the lawn above the beach. Tideways Beach: Tideways Beach in Sorrento has some of the finest sand you will find on the peninsula. It’s an extremely pleasant beach with calm waters that slowly get deeper as you go out. This beach is great for photography, swimming, sand play and picnics. Facilities include picnic tables, water and a car park located on the beach side of the Esplanade near Westmore Ave, Sorrento. Point King Beach: Portsea is a hidden gem located at the end of Point King Road and accessed by a walking track that goes down wooden stairs to the beach (best at low tide). Looking from the road filled with mansions it’s hard to know that there is a track leading to the beach. It certainly is a great spot to share with the rich and famous. Many mansions have a private jetty. If you want to take a peek of the mansions follow the 1.5km return Millionaires Walking Trail that starts here. Balnarring Beach: Also known as Tulum Beach, it is a 2.5km south-facing beach that extends from Merricks Creek to Sandy

Point, Balnarring. Seaweed washes up on it but it’s usually pretty good over summer. Behind the beach is a popular camping ground as well as a general store, a picnic area, playground, car park and toilets. www.peninsulakids.com.au

creative

SPONGE BOMBS By Lauren Skelly

YOU WIL LN EED Spo : nges Str ing

USE FUL ITEM S: Rule r Cho pping Boa rd Knif e Scis sors Buc ket of w ater

METHOD:

Use the knife to slice the sponges into fingers approximately 1.5cm wide. You should get three per sponge.

Tie 6 sponge fingers together by wrapping a piece of string around the middle. Soak the bombs in a bucket of water and then the fun is ready to begin!

Let the kids chase each other around the backyard with them, throw them at a high fence. Can also have two kids sit opposite each other, both with a bucket in front of them. The aim of the game is to throw the bomb and get it in the bucket â&#x20AC;&#x201C; most in wins. If they miss the bucket, the person sitting behind gets wet! 82

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2014/15

e g n b o Sp om ing B eck r

l l a

By David Hawkins

Frozen Wall Stickers $29.95 amazing toys www.amazingtoys.com.au

Sponge water bombs are cool. Lots of colour. Kinda small. Made from little kitchen-y sponges. Hang about… that’s NOT DAD ENOUGH!

WE’RE BLOKES. WE NEED BIGGER. WE NEED BETTER. WE NEED… EVEN BIGGER! It’s time to DAD UP this summer splash activity. Who needs water bombs when you can have the all new, ever-amazing, possiblyconcussion-causing Sponge Bomb Wrecking Ball of Doom (oom, oom, oom, oom)?!

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED

Eurotrike Balance Bikes $99.99 amazing toys www.amazingtoys.com.au

*9 x lengths of foam (100cm x 10cm x 10cm) *plastic string or thin rope *hose *clothes line or solid tree branch

We’re going to steal shamelessly from the water bomb recipe but make it much, much, much more difficult. First off we need to get the big foam bars. Man hint – track down your local rubber or pool supplies store and ask for foam offcuts. These should only be a few dollars each. I failed epically on my first attempt. Do not try to cut the foam yourself. Hacking, tearing and shredding is easy. It turns out that cutting foam is rather tricky. So do yourself a favour and sweet-talk the shopkeeper into slicing the foam to the right measurements using their custom buzz saw.

Bather Bottoms, Peach Spot $19.95 ouch clothing www.enchantedchild.com.au

When you get home, pile your nine (9) lengths of foam into three (3) piles of three (3). Each end should look like a square. Wrap some strong string or rope around the middle and then pull. Hard. Harder. I said harder. Try my technique and bear hug the foam into submission while your sexy, young assistant (aka the Missus) ties off the string. If you put enough gusto into it, you should now have a giant Sponge Water Bomb. But we’re not done yet. Grab an arm length of rope and hang the massive foam ball from a tree branch or the old Hills hoist. Then grab the hose and give it a good drenching. And the kids while you’re at it. And the Missus, if you feel lucky. Punk.

Step 2 Water Play Table $119.99 amazing toys www.amazingtoys.com.au

BOOM! You’ve created the awesome

Sponge Bomb Wrecking Ball! It’s a splash-city don’t-lose-an-eye good time. www.peninsulakids.com.au

OUTDOOR & PUT A SUMMER SPIN ON AN OLD FAVOURITE BY HELPING THE KIDS MAKE AN OUTDOOR NOUGHTS & CROSSES GAME. YOU WILL NEED: •10 rocks •Paint •Wooden log (or something to make a board) USEFUL ITEMS: •Ruler •Thick black texta •Paint brushes •Cling wrap METHOD: Decide on your design – you need two groups of five rocks each. Paint rocks – this may take a couple of coats. Place the rocks on the cling wrap to dry. Using ruler and black texta, make a playing board. IDEAS FOR ROCK DESIGNS: Paint all the rocks the same colour and then differentiate with different coloured dots (either paint or stickers). Simply paint five rocks one colour and the other five a different colour. Older kids can get be more creative – make a team of lady bugs and a team of bumble bees. Let the kids paint five rocks each and when they are dry use the texta to put their initials underneath to help remember who made which ones. For help with rock painting. visit our instructional guide at http://www.peninsulakids.com.au/ rock-painting/ By Lauren Skelly The

Rotary

Mornington

January 20-22, 2015

20, 21 & 22 January, 2015 10.30-12 noon & 2-3.30pm

Peninsula Community Theatre cnr Nepean Hwy & Wilson Rd

www.rotaryclubofmornington.com.au 84

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

EASY CHALK PAINT This is a fun summer’s day art activity for children of all ages. Little ones will love spraying the paint around in a swirl of colours. Older kids will have the opportunity to create an artwork that exceeds the size of the pieces of paper they are usually restricted to. YOU WILL NEED: *Cornstarch *Bicarbonate soda *Food colouring *Sauce bottles *Vinegar USEFUL ITEMS: Bowl Spoon 1/3 measuring cup METHOD: *Combine 1/3 cup of bicarb soda and 1/3 cup of cornflour. *Mix with 1/3 cup of warm water. *Add a couple of drops of food colouring to make your colour of choice. *Pour into sauce bottle, secure lid and shake. *Find some concrete and let your little artists get to work. *If you don’t have sauce bottles, try disposable plastic containers and paint brushes. By Lauren Skelly

simple crafts, recipes & activity ideas to keep your kids busy all summer long Don’t miss our guide to Christmas

themumsword.com.au facebook.com/themumswordau www.peninsulakids.com.au

PERFORMERS WANTED G

Know... o t g ettin

The SOUND of MUSIC

RICHARD RODGERS Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II Book by HOWARD LINDSAY and RUSSEL CROUSE Music by

Suggested by “The Trapp Family Singers” by Maria Augusta Trapp

5-15 yrs • No experience necessary • Weekly rehearsal classes in Mornington Enrolments now open 0409 863 617 www.lifelongmusic.com.au Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

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A bunch of people are forced to hang out together on a long journey. Along the way, the travellers tell stories to pass the time. Some of the stories are hilarious, some are shocking, and some are long and rambling and maybe have animals as characters and you lose the point halfway through and wish you could just turn up the music and make it stop… Sound familiar? It’s just like your last road trip with your kids, isn’t it?

2. A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare A husband and wife argue about a child. There are little people wearing fairy wings and waving glittery wands all over the place. A bunch of guys want to put on a play in which one character is a lion and one is a wall. They argue a lot and their play is completely disorganised, but everyone has to sit through it and pretend they’re enjoying it anyway. Teenagers think they’re in love, obsess over love, cry about love, and have sex in the woods under the influence of a ‘magic potion’. Also they hate their parents. This one really covers the whole parenting spectrum, from toddlers to teenagers.

3. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift Gulliver gets tied down by a group of little people who poke him a lot and argue about completely ridiculous, unimportant things. Then he spends time with horribly mannered people who make a huge mess with their food, relieve themselves wherever they happen to be standing, and walk around with no pants on all the time. Oh and they’re actually called Yahoos. This could not be a more accurate depiction of life with toddlers.

4. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley A man thinks, ‘What could be better than bringing a new life into this world? I’m going to create a human being and it’s going to make all my dreams come true’. Of course, once he brings the new life into the world, he realises he has absolutely no control over it. Nothing in his life goes the way he thought it would. He doesn’t sleep. His health declines. His relationship with his wife is toast. You thought you knew what it would be like to have kids back before you actually had any, didn’t you? Yeah. Me too. Excuse me while I go pour my sixth cup of coffee and hide from my little ‘creations’ so I can eat three mini Kit Kats for lunch.

5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck George is forced to spend all his time with someone who wears overalls, can’t keep track of his stuff, and gets really worked up about tomato sauce. Also he keeps real, live mice in his pockets. How does this not sound like every little boy everywhere?

6. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer This one is for the title alone. Because it’s exactly how my toddlers talk to me. Anytime, anywhere. So that’s my list. I always knew it was important to read, but I never expected literature to be such a practical tutorial for motherhood. Maybe that insanely expensive master’s degree really is coming in handy after all.

Kate Parlin is a writer and a stay-at-home mum to three girls. Two of them are twins. She spends most of her time cleaning up pee and wishing it mattered when she doesn’t brush her teeth until one in the afternoon. She writes with honesty about all of her parenting experiences – the funny, the frustrating, and the infuriating – at her blog www.shakespearsmom.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Motherhood!

1. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

HOW SIX LITERARY CLASSICS HAVE PREPARED ME FOR

I used to talk up Chaucer and Steinbeck to teenagers every day. My official title may have been ‘English teacher’, but really I was like a PR rep for the classics. ‘You’re going to love The Canterbury Tales, I swear,’ I would say to a roomful of senior students. ‘They’re funny! And dirty! Chaucer really got people, you know?’ And to my uni students: ‘How far would you be willing to go to look out for your best friend? What if that friend is also super annoying and gets into trouble all the time? That, kiddos, is what Of Mice and Men is all about.’ A lot of my job was about helping kids to get something out of literature that they could identify with in their own lives. What I didn’t realise then was how much the literary classics have actually prepared me for my life now, as a Mum. So without further ado, I give you:

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ROSEBUD PLAZA HAS IT ALL! Rosebud Plaza has everything you need all in one convenient location. Whether you’re shopping for fashion, searching for the ideal gift, looking for a great range of services, picking up the groceries or grabbing a bite to eat, Rosebud Plaza is your place to shop. Like us on Facebook or head to our website for further details and sign up to Rosebud Plaza to receive the latest news and exclusive offers.

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THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE PARENT RESOURCE ON THE PENINSULA! Website • Newsletter • Social Media • Magazine • Newspaper • Events

www.peninsulakids.com.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

education

Mornington 03 59 761022 | www.paduakindergarten.com.au | info@paduakindergarten.com.au 90

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2014/15

The start of the school year is finally here By Anna Grigg

The schooling journey has begun The beginning of your child’s education Opens up a new world full of wonder and fun Whether this is your first, second or even last Each child has their own unique way Of communicating, and understanding The new things they will see every day There is so much to learn and so much to do There are times of joy and sometimes fear For a child it may be over whelming When mummy or daddy can’t be near And no matter if your child is used To being placed in someone else’s care Or if they have never left your side And each time you leave they’re too aware The rules are basically the same To ensure the best start for every one To give them every chance to be their best For every daughter and every son Your involvement is a big factor In this new phase of life And their attitudes are forming now Into positivity or into sadness and strife Studies show that when parents pitch in And help often at kinder and school Their kid’s achievements are more likely to rise And are more likely to be content to follow the rules When they see a family member helping out With a smile and having fun They feel more secure and more a part Of this new adventure that has begun So please ensure that you do your best to help And stay at least once a term Even if time is tight, just squeeze it in You will be amazed at the difference in what you and your child may learn.

minti munster kids paper wings salt water rock your baby tiger tribe plus more bentons square shopping centre shop 21/210 dunns road, mornington 3931, vic (03) 5975 4350 treehouserepublic.com.au

The perfect gift this Christmas & beyond High Fives & Little Kickers charms

Tribes Cufflinks

Fingerprint Pendants

Danielle Peebles: 0402 474 146 danielle@smallp.com.au www.smallprint.com Smallprint Mornington Peninsula www.peninsulakids.com.au

ECSES PLPAILLCA ABLLAEBLE AVAI AVA

 designed centre Purpose Purposebuilt builtarchitecturally architecturally designed centre  Qualified friendly & Experienced staff  Qualified friendly & Experienced staff  Educational Programmes  Educational Programmes  funded 4 year old kindergarten programs  funded 4 year old kindergarten programs  Fees include all meals,  Fees include all meals, hat and nappies

hat and nappies

S AGEE EN W lly designed centre T E B eeks & 6 w years rienced staff 6

S E C A L P ABLE AVAIL

garten programs

Parent En IS YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION

A SPECTATOR SPORT?

S E C A L P ABLE

If you’re about to enter the unknown world of kinder or school communities and are feeling hesitant and daunted, you are not on your own. On the Mornington Peninsula alone there will be thousands of first-time parents embarking on this exciting journey of their child’s education in early 2015.

AVAIL

No matter what your background is, the modern-day classroom is an environment you will probably not be familiar with. There are so many different teaching methods and phrases for each different subject with the development of the study of pedagogy and the introduction of technology opening up a whole new dimension. It will become a place your child understands and grows in but may be hard for a parent to relate to a child’s story of their day.

 Purpose built architecturally designed centre  Qualified friendly & Experienced staff In corporate Australia and throughout the globe there is a new buzzword  Educational Programmes I am sure you have heard. Engagement. Employee engagement ensures employees are committed to their organisation’s goals and values,  funded 4 year old kindergarten programs  Fees include all meals, hat and nappies

motivated to contribute and at the same time, enhance their own sense of wellbeing. Of course employers enable programs to encourage employee engagement to impact their bottom line and to create a culture in their workplace to keep valuable employees (those who make the most amount of money for the company). While our education system is not entirely about the bottom line (although our public schools need our generous financial contributions more than ever), they still require this form of engagement from parents to ensure the best learning outcomes for our kids. Parent engagement in their child’s education has been identified by Australian educators as one of the biggest area that need improvement in our schools.

Opening Hours Monday to Friday 6:30am-6:30pm

239 High Street, Hastings Ph (03) 5979 2831 92

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

There are many reasons why this is the case. Our communities have changed so much over the past few decades and our expectations of schools and teachers have also. Our school-aged children need their parents just as much between five and 18 as they did when they were under the age of five. As parents there is more expectation on us too. However, there are changes being made to improve this area of engagement and we as parents can easily become a responsive part of

THE BEST START FOR Your Child

www.toorakcollege.vic.edu

Toorak College’s Early Learning Centre for 3 and 4 year olds is the best educational start for your daughter or son.

ngagement a positive move to influence the wellbeing and learning outcomes of our children and others in our communities. Firstly, schools are building effective partnerships with parents and families by improving communication between home and school. Simple solutions like the ability to email your child’s teacher when both parents work full time can have a huge impact on a child’s learning experience. Our schools’ planning and processes are changing to encourage open communication. As parents we need to get to know the culture of our schools and make connections within this community. This will not happen on its own. It takes commitment from parents to not complicate their busy lives to the point where there is no energy, time or patience to responsibly engage themselves in their child’s education and learning environments. To fully understand where your child is at, it is beneficial to spend time in the classroom, at least a few times a year. There are so many ways to assist and you don’t need expertise in any areas to be of value, however a Working with Children card is a good idea. There is no other way to really see how it all works, who your child is surrounded by and how you can help without observing first-hand. Just ask your school and teachers how and when and they will be more than happy to have the assistance and input of a parent or carer. There are also opportunities in the background with fundraising and artistic or sporting events where you can get an insight into the bigger picture.

Qualified teachers are committed to the development of each child, underpinned by the Reggio Emilia philosophy of respect, responsibility and community. Teachers know and respect your child, because of our low teacher to child ratio in each class. This means the teachers know and respect your child as an individual learner. Laura, a current parent says, “I couldn’t have asked for a better start for Cooper. At three his vocabulary and language skills have improved so much because the teachers take the time to talk with him and to get to know him.” The ELC is set in a beautiful nurturing environment, whilst being part of Toorak College means that children can use the facilities of the whole school. Not only will your child enjoy the ELC program they will also participate in fun experiments in the science lab with specialist teachers, explore music and performance with the music teacher, discover the joy of reading with the Wardle House librarian and develop their gross motor skills in the Perceptual Movement Program (PMP). Caring and friendly qualified teachers provide a hands on approach to learning, fostering your child’s intellectual, emotional and social development. Your child’s education journey begins here. The play based inquiry learning program in a supportive, nurturing environment sets your daughter or son up for success. We welcome you to see our school first-hand at Open Day on Saturday 21 February, 2015 from 11am (last tour at 2pm). Scholarships are available for girls from Years 5-12 in 2016. Call Catherine on 9788 7234 to chat about Toorak College’s programs or visit our website at www.toorakcollege.vic.edu.au.

At the very least, communicate with your child’s educator regularly. The more responsive we are as parents earlier on to any issues, the better off our child will be. The responsibility of our child’s learning outcomes is shared between the school and home but don’t wait for the school to engage you. Your input is invaluable, no matter what your qualifications or background and it is a privilege to watch and support our children as they grow and learn. Enjoy it and you may even have a little fun along the way. By Anna Grigg.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

H O EA F T F PS H U E N K ID S! FO

When the kids go

l o o h c s back to

WHAT SHALL I DO?

The Emu Plains Market is an independent market curated by some very passionate locals. Fall in love, explore, taste, rummage and be inspired by this beautiful market set under the branches of the gorgeous stringy bark gums.

By Anna Grigg

The kids are back to school, so what are you going to do with all that spare time (said no parent ever!) It is NEVER a matter of having nothing to do and looking for ways to fill in the time! After the holidays, deciding which item to tick off the list first can be difficult, as there are always so many. Just make sure you take some time to recharge your batteries, as the next holidays will be here before you know it!

3rd Saturday of month 20 December 2014 TWILIGHT - 3 January 2015 TWILIGHT - 17 January 2015 21 February 2015 21 March 2015 18 April 2015

9am - 2pm Twilights 3pm - 8pm Emu Plains Reser ve

Balnar r ing Racecourse, Coolar t Rd CRAFT FARMERS VINTAGe gourmet $ 4 p a r k i n g t o s u p p o r t We s t e r n p o r t R o t a r y & E m u P l a i n s R e s e r v e . S o r r y, n o d o g s o r A T M ’s

go for a long walk or run. Grab the family dog and despite the weather get out and be one with nature for an hour or so. Not only will this help clear that head that has been so full of wants, whines and wails but it will help release those happy endorphins and get that heart pumping. You will definitely feel healthier and happier and ready to tackle that to do list.

www.emuplainsmarket.com.au Proudly sponsored by Visitor Publications

CHEERLEADING ON THE PENINSULA

Cheerleading is a fun and dynamic sport for children of all ages. Come and learn how to dance, stunt and tumble at the peninsula’s home of cheerleading. Competition and recreational classes for children aged 3-18 years.

30-32 Milgate Dve Mornington 0414 958 791

www.oneelite.com.au • info.oneelite@gmail.com 0414 958 791 94

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

clean, clean, sort and clean. Holidays are a time of great craft creations, friends for play dates and relaxation but it leaves your place looking a little less sorted than before the holidays. Getting everything back to square one will help you cope with the thought of next terms holidays.

indulge and take yourself out for brunch or a delicious coffee at a local winery or cafe. This is another opportunity to clear your thoughts and to ingest some of that invigorating caffeine and tempting treats for you . . . and you only!

sort out photographs from Christmas and the summer holidays. Print your favourites and pop in frames, delete the 20 photos of the same shot and free up your phone memory by removing the hundreds of pics of the ground your toddler took.

PENINSULA Living & visiting on the Mornington Peninsula

Bringing you all the best the Peninsula has to offer LOOK OUT FOR THE FREE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE IN OUTLETS THROUGHOUT THE LOCAL AREA

www.peninsulaessence.com.au

cook and bake. Perhaps prepare a few meals for the week so you can ease back into that crazy routine and avoid the take-away you have most likely overeaten during the break.

catch up with friends. Some adult on adult time to recap on life without those little interruptions is always beneficial to any parents mental state.

prepare for the tidal wave of new artwork and treasures that will come home from kindergarten and school by culling items from the previous year and organising the pieces you want to keep. Come up with a plan or a storage system for the new year.

clear that pile of bills, forms and other jobs that you’ve been putting off taking the kids along with. It is much easier standing in the line at Medicare alone than with 3 bored kids in tow! Overall, when you give so much to your family, it is so important to take some time for yourself every now and again, whichever way you choose.

Dated 26th Dec 2014 – 26 Jan 2015 OPENING HOURS 5PM - 9PM HAPPY HOURS 5PM - 6PM (Mon - Fri only) WRISTBANDS (unlimited rides) 6pm - 9pm

WRISTBAND SALES PRWEAVAILABLE AT

NO OSEBUD VIDEO EZY RYE/R AND BONEO MA23RZED) (UNTIL DECEMBERCALL PHONE ORDERS

OPENING HOURS 6pm - 11pm HAPPY HOURS (Mon - Fri only) 6pm - 7pm WRISTBANDS (unlimited rides) 7pm - 10pm

03 5988 6385

www.peninsulakids.com.au

books

Reviews The Children’s Book Council of Australia short-listed titles are always a beautiful selection of children’s literature and a great guide if you are looking for a book for your child or for a gift.

The Night Before Christmas By Tony Ross, Scholastic, hardcover, $29.99 This lavishly produced book is the perfect keepsake gift to treasure for 7- to 9-year-olds. Fully illustrated in colour, it contains 24 classic stories to read aloud. Can also be used in future years as an alternative advent calendar – count down to Christmas with the magic of stories.

Spirit Animals #5 Against the Tide By Tui T Sutherland, Scholastic, paperback, $12.99 Enter the world of Erdas where every child who comes of age must discover if they have a spirit animal – a rare bond between human and beast that bestows great powers to both. This is the fifth part of the engrossing book series for kids 10 plus years.

Deck the Sheds with Bits of Wattle By Colin Buchanan, Scholastic, hardcover, $19.99 A hilarious Australian take on Deck the Halls. A gust of wind turns Syd Echidna’s shed from Christmas to chaos. His helpful friends make sure Syd’s Christmas is merry and his shed’s a ripper. Includes a bonus singalong CD.

The Twelve Days of Christmas By Alison Jay, Scholastic, hardcover, $14.99 On Christmas Eve, a man buys presents for the woman he loves, beginning with a partridge in a pear tree. The couple travel through town and the gifts pile up, until they get to a Christmas party so magnificent it is a little overwhelming, leading them to slip back to the quiet of home, where their partridge is waiting.

Baby Hand and Feet Sculptures

LifelongMemories.com.au 0402 474 676

www. 96

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be?

Forest of Bones By David Kennett, Scholastic, paperback, $16.99 Based on the story of the battle in 9 CE where Roman legions suffered a devastating defeat, this exciting, illustrated story about two boys, an unlikely friendship and a wild woof is perfect for boys 10 plus years. It is the third in its series and great as a summer reading project.

By P Crumble, Scholastic, hardcover, $19.99 A hilariously fun story based on the wellknown traditional rhyme. Includes CD with a lively recording by popular chidren’s entertainer Jay Laga’aia. The pages are full of playful, funny illustrations that reveal the storyline as it unravels from scene to scene.

There Was an Old Bloke Who Swallowed a Present By P Crumble, Scholastic, hardcover, $15.99 The old bloke has a taste for presents this Christmas and he has swallowed one of Santa’s presents. Keep on eye on your Christmas tree and guard your stockings because he’s on the hunt for more Christmas snacks. A hilarious new story from the duo who created There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Mozzie.

WIN ME!! One lucky reader will win a prize pack of all the reviewed books valued at more than $130. To enter, visit www.peninsulakids.com.au/giveaways/

Great GIVEAWAYS! To be a lucky winner go to peninsulakids.com.au/giveaways

ONLY

5 14.9

(US)

THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR PERSONALISED BIRTHDAY SONG Sovereign Hill offers a unique insight into life in an1850s gold mining town, as it re-creates Ballarat’s first ten years after the discovery of gold. It is a living museum with working exhibits brought to life by costumed characters and over 40 horses. Set on 25 acres of an original mining site, Sovereign Hill has an array of shops, hotels, a theatre, schools, factories, a gold diggings and underground gold mines to explore.

Visit www.sovereignhill.com.au for more information. We have a Family Pass to Sovereign Hill up for grabs that includes entry to Sovereign Hill for 2 adults and up to four children, valued at $122.00. To enter go to peninsulakids.com.au/giveaways

• A gift your child will always remember! • Child’s name is sung 8 times in the song • 40 million+ people have been delighted by the song • Over 4500 names available • Digital delivery • No waiting • Satisfaction guaranteed Personalised Wedding, Anniversary & Christmas songs also available

WIN ME

Your chance to win one of 5 personalised birthday songs for your child...

Go to www.peninsulakids.com.au/giveaways

“My entire family grew up with this song for our birthdays. It’s an amazing tradition that I am continuing with my children” - Katie “What a joy to find your web site since I had the Zoom Birthday song for all four of my children back in 1978” - Mary “Thank you for going the extra mile!” - John “We are very impressed! All we can say is “WOW”. Thank you Captain Zoom, you are the greatest!” - Mark

to find out more and listen to excerpt of song

www.captainzoom.com www.peninsulakids.com.au

Focus ON BUSINESS

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ate Kids

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Kid’s parties across the Mornington Peninsula are buzzing with magic and laughter thanks to Melbourne Madness entertainment. The moment Charlie SillyPants and his cast of crazy characters walk in the door, the kids are taken on a hilarious journey of magic, puppets, singing, dancing and lots of silliness! Every party is personalised to suit the birthday stars interests with loads of themes including an interactive show full of high energy fun which will have all the party guests totally engaged. “Seeing kid’s in hysterics is just contagious”, say’s Charlie brown the brainchild of Melbourne Madness. “It’s a real thrill to put laughter and creativity back into kid’s parties, and there’s no better place to do it than the Mornington Peninsula, where I grew up”. Melbourne Madness shows are also the perfect choice for Child Care Centres, Kindergartens and PreSchools and are designed to create an active interest through its themes post

MELBOURNE & PENINSULA

SPEECH PATHOLOGY MPSP provides therapy in the child’s home, school, kindergarten or early learning centre. Home visits are a wonderful way to see how children communicate when they are relaxed and in a known environment (also easier for the parents!) MPSP work with children and their families on all areas of communication difficulties including speech (articulation), language, fluency, social interaction and literacy. School visits help not only your child and their teacher, it also gives the Speech Pathologist a view of their needs within the school setting. Your child’s school curriculum can be used to work on language or articulation goals. We can also help teachers understand your child’s needs and provide them with strategies where needed.

Amazing Toys not only has a massive floor space of unique quality toys and games, they also offer in store fully hosted birthday parties for boys and girls. The range of themed party choices is huge. Popular themes include Glitz n Glam, Frozen, Minecraft, Discos and Craft parties to name a few. Entertainment options continue offering Mascot Hire with over 40 different mascots to choose from. You can have a party host with your child’s favourite mascot character attending. Amazing Toys also has an amazing range of party hire equipment. Dance, Music, Playgroup, Craft Activities and Story Time are just a few of the fabulous activities on offer each week in store. Amazing Toys also run fun-filled School Holidays Programs. These programs are extremely popular and bookings fill up fast. Amazing Toys is very community minded working closely with local groups which include: Melbourne Speech Pathology , Sprout and Kids 98

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2014/15

2015 BOOKINGS ARE NOW OPEN BUT ARE FILLING FAST! show and are structured around ELYF. “BATBOY was so much fun with his magic tricks and the kids loved his humour & the journey he took them on to Gotham City to SAVE THE DAY!! The best entertainer for your kid’s party...He made my boy feel so special with a present and such detail given to the birthday boy like the handmade banner he ran through at the end and the happy teddy dance was a hit with the kids. All very much appreciated and would highly recommend him to make your party day a hit” Belinda – Frankston South

For all information: Charlie on 0411957185 email: charlie@melbournemadness.net website: www.melbournemadness.net

Therapy can be provided in individual sessions, groups and within classrooms. We work closely with parents, teachers and integrations aides where appropriate, as well as health care professionals to achieve the best possible outcome for your child.•Social Skills Groups •Prepare for Prep •Tots Talk •Super Speech Groups. Our Speech Pathologists are all members of Speech Pathology Australia and are committed to continuing professional development. This commitment is recognised by our Speech Pathologists being awarded the title Certified Practising Speech Pathologists (CPSP). All of our Speech Pathologists are registered for Private Health Fund rebates as well as Medicare (clients that qualify are able to access 5 part refunded therapy sessions from Medicare - please speak to your GP about a Chronic Disease Management Plan). You do not need a referral to see a Speech Pathologist.

Please call MPSP Director, Janelle, on 0414071488 for a confidential phone consultation if you have any concerns regarding your child. Nest offering amazing, affordable group sessions, parenting workshops and even FREE community based talks. Need a child friendly Hairdresser? Amazing Toys has a beautiful, on-site hairdresser who operates from the gorgeous beauty salon in the store, offering a personalised service ensuring each child feels completely at ease as they get their haircut. Amazing Toys specialise in Educational Resources, catering to a variety of ages that are unique and hard to find in mainstream stores. Ideal for both educators and, parents, they help develop your child’s literacy and numeracy before they start school and beyond. Amazing Toys is open 7 days a week and offers a great range of in store activities at very affordable prices. Given the expansive range of items and fantastic customer service, there is something for everyone making the trip to Amazing Toys truly AMAZING! 45 Mornington Tyabb Rd, Mornington 03 5976 8889 www.amazingtoysonline.com.au

www.facebook.com/pages/Amazing-Toys/213272042022261

ENINSULA KID P S M A G A Z I N E

n o i t i d E n m u t u A March 2015

To secure your place contact Miriam Doe 0421 085 974 Download our media kit at www.peninsulakids.com.au/advertise-with-us www.facebook.com/MorningtonPeninsulaKids

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