Autumn 2017

ENINSULA KID P S LOVING FAMILY LIFE ON THE PENINSULA

AUTUMN 2017

FREE

Sam

WOOD

BRAND NEW LIFE FOR THIS BACHELOR

EDUCATION

ISSUE

GIVEAWAYS

EASTER EGG SCRAMBLE April 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 2017 Plenty of prizes to be won all weekend!

Activities include: Easter Egg Scramble, Egg and Spoon Race and more!

Only $5 with your entry to the Big Goose.

www.thebiggoose.com.au

meeet the easter bunny!

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when you quote “Peninsula Kids loves Kids on Main” Valid March 1 - 31, 2017

Loving your little ones from head to toe!

Mornington’s favourite children’s boutique has all your favourite Australian and select International brands you love. From chic collections of clothing and shoes, to fun favourites, blankets, plush toys and more!

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Cover Photo Jasmine Beleura House Mornington Photography: Cameron McCullough Editor and Publisher Melissa McCullough melissa@mpnews.com.au

Editor

Melissa McCullough

ed’s letter...

Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold.

Creative Director Maria Mirabella maria@mpnews.com.au

Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf.

Advertising Miriam Doe 0421 085 974 miriam@mpnews.com.au

Nothing gold can stay.

So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day.

-Robert Frost

Distribution Marilyn Saville marilyn@mpnews.com.au

Greetings from the autumn edition of Peninsula Kids magazine!

We are truly lucky to be living on this little patch of earth.

Over the next three months the Mornington Peninsula is putting on a grand show of activities and excursions for families.

General Enquiries info@peninsulakids.com.au

Shrek and Kung-Fu Panda will light up Rosebud’s Foreshore in March and April this year at an Australian-first exhibition with some of DreamWorks Animation’s best known characters in a largescale lantern experience. Lights by DreamWorks is an interactive, walkthrough experience for all ages and runs from March 25th – April 30th.

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.

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.

Registered address: 2/1 Tyabb Road, Mornington 3931

www.facebook.com/MorningtonPeninsulaKids

Proudly published by

Maria Mirabella

The Red Hill Show returns this year on March 11th. There’s lots to see and do at the show. MasterChef finalist Michael Demagistris, Australian mountainboarders, heavy horses, animals galore, woodchop, art & craft, local exhibitors, cider show, roving performers, kids' rides and more.

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.

Peninsula Kids is produced quarterly.

15,000 copies distributed between Mordialloc and Portsea.

Creative Director

Distribution

Marilyn Saville

Over at The Big Goose, the Easter Egg Scramble is running over the Easter long weekend April 14-17. With plenty of prizes to be won and awesome Easter activities, this is sure to be great fun.

For the foodies, even when strawberry picking is finished in April, you can still treat yourself to a sweet treat at Sunny Ridge strawberry farm in Main Ridge, or grab a great meal, (and a wine), while the kids have a play at The New Atrium in Safety Beach. Yum! With so much to see and do in the area, what’s stopping you? (Oh, right…the weather.) Never mind that! Grab an umbrella and some sunscreen, also, your gum boots, a jumper and a brimmed hat, and get out there! ;) P.S. Don’t forget – daylight saving ends on April 2nd at 3:00am. Advertising Turn those clocks back before you go to bed on the evening of the Miriam Doe 1st!

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The New Atrium

R estaurant & Function C entre UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT Surrounded by magnificent palm trees and overlooking a picturesque golf course, The New Atrium is the ideal place for a family dinner, a relaxing drink with friends or any type of function you desire. With two generous rooms to choose from, we cater for every event from weddings, to birthdays and kids parties. Give us a call to discuss our various function menus.

(03) 5981 8123

i n fo @ t h e n e w at r iu m . c om 10 Countr y Club Drive, Safety B each 3936 Opening Hours Tu e s d a y - F r i d a y 1 1 a m - 9 p m Saturday & Sunday

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11am - 10pm

w w w. t h e n e w at r iu m . c om . au

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Contents 34

80

45 Spotlight 10 Sam Wood

A brand new life for this bachelor.

16 The Great Sedate Debate

Drugging your kids on a flight: which side of the line do you fall?.

18 What Our Behaviours are Teaching Our Children

Children are looking at what we do, not just what we say..

26 Top 5 Homework Tips for Primary School

A few ideas to make a child's homework go smoother.

28 How to Encourage Kids to be Problem Solvers

44 How to Achieve an Organised and Colourful

Kids Bedroom

Fiona Parry-Jones shows us how to create exciting, practical spaces.

46 Starting School is Hard for Parents

Reality sets in.

48 Baby Aura’s Early Arrival

Leah’s labour started early…at just 26 weeks into her pregnancy.

54 Six Benefits of Asking for Help

What if you lightened your load a little and asked for help?

Techniques from Parenting Ideas Club founder Michael Grose

30 Peninsula Kids Autumn Fashion Shoot

Showcasing fashion from local shops. www.peninsulakids.com.au

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CONTRIBUTORS Special thanks go to the gorgeous and talented group of contributors who breathe life into every issue by sharing their best with us.

JODI RICHARDSON

drjodirichardson.com.au

MICHELLE HAMER

local author and journalist

11 DAVID HAWKINS bigkidlittlekid.net

97

Contents Local 12 56 62

The New Atrium Review Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm Rosebud Foreshore Playground

Celebrate 66 70

Bubble Party Ideas for your party

Pregnancy & Baby

ERICA LOUISE

melbourne.kidtown.com.au

Health 98 100 102 104

Antibiotic Resistance Is Social Media Harming Self Confidence Immunisation Program Talk With Your Kids

REBECCA BOWYER

seeingthelighterside.com

Creative

108 Bunch ‘o’ Hearts 110 Paint Strip Bookmarks 111 How to do a Fishtail Braid

LORRAINE AITKEN

family-friendly adventurer

74 The Myth About Eating for Two 76 Granny’s Guide to… Four Month Monsters 80 What to Do (and Not Do) During Pregnancy

and Before

Education

82 Focusing on Our Schools 87 The Best Start 88 Kids and Screens

Recipes 91

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Recipes with Jodie Blight

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

In Every

Issue

60 Things We Love 71 Fun Page 72 Party Planning 106 Ask the Experts 112 Book Reviews

MICHAEL GROSE

parentingideas.com.au

YVETTE O’DOWD

bellybelly.com.au/author/yvette-odowd

Ra prim nked to on M ary sch p o o Pen rningtool insu n l *The * a A ustra lian

Prep 2018

Enrolments Now Open

Discover Toorak on Wednesday 22 March, 2017 Tours at 9:00am and 10:00am.

Visit our website to book your tour.

Call 9788 7234 for enrolment enquiries. www.toorakcollege.vic.edu.au

A

BRAND NEW LIFE FOR THIS BACHELOR BY: MELISSA WALSH

H

e was the Bachelor 2015 and chose single mum, Snezana Markoski, declaring his love on national television. A year and a half later, life could not be more different for former bachelor Sam Woods, with Snezana and her daughter, Eve, relocating from Perth to Melbourne to be with him.

Peninsula Kids Magazine talks to Sam about life, love, step-parenting, and his successful “28 by Sam Wood” program.

HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME INVOLVED WITH "THE BACHELOR" IN 2015?

It was driven by a lady who came to my gym and used to give me a hard time that I was single. One day she said “Sam, you are going to apply for this show”. I had never watched it before and, by the advertisements, I didn’t really know if it was my thing but applied anyhow. I never thought I would get it though, so was very pleasantly surprised.

HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF "THE BACHELOR" AND HOW DID IT CHANGE YOUR LIFE? Well how didn’t it change my life? I had been single for five years and never expected to meet a girl who is a mum on a TV show and then be getting married to her this year. If anyone had told me that two years ago, I would have laughed.

WHAT IS LIFE LIKE FOR YOU NOW THAT SNEZANA AND EVE HAVE MOVED TO MELBOURNE? It is fantastic. I love having them live with me and it’s more than I ever hoped for. We are taking it slowly and our main priority is getting Eve settled into her new school, making new friends, and showing her around Melbourne.

HOW HAVE THE GIRLS SETTLED IN WITH THE MOVE? It is a massive adjustment for them but they have both settled in well and Eve has already made great friends. I’ve said from day one that the pace my relationship with Eve develops must be dictated by her. I just want to be her friend and love and support her and her mum. I’ve only ever experienced the single mum thing with Snezana.

SO DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER GUYS IN THE SAME SITUATION? Once you have made the decision to be with someone, be fully in it.

It’s far more common these days and you need an open mind and be able to let go of your little habits and the way you are set in your ways.

WHAT IS DAY TO DAY LIFE LIKE FOR THE THREE OF YOU NOW? Well for a start I have changed my routine and am not working such long hours as I want to spend time with the girls. We do a lot of fun things together as a family like bike riding, and the girls have their own time together too. Eve is very artistic so she and Snezana went off to a life drawing class together recently which they loved. Eve loves food so we cook a lot together, and I help her with the sporting side of things as well. Now she is in Melbourne she’s interested in playing footy and basketball so I help her with that.

WHERE DO YOU ALL LIVE NOW? We bought a new house in Elsternwick this time last year and have moved in now. It’s close to schools and work, and we were able to have all the family here for Christmas which was great. It has been a really smooth transition and everything has just fallen into place.

DO YOU HAVE SET IDEAS ABOUT CHILDREN AND EXERCISE? My background is in adult and children’s fitness. I opened Gecko, a kid’s gym in 2007, and have 33 locations around Australia. From 2001 to 2006 I ran my own personal training business at Harper’s, Brighton, which at the time was the biggest personal training facility in the country. While completing a Bachelor in Applied Science, I began training junior athletes aged from 8 to 16. I ended up doing 80 personal training sessions with kids each week simply from word of mouth and so it evolved that I created a child-friendly fitness centre with Gecko Kids Fitness. My main belief is that kids’ fitness can make a real difference to their self-esteem, and it is an honour to be able to help them feel better about themselves so early in life. The most important thing to remember with kids is training must be fun first and foremost.

AFTER THE SUCCESS OF GECKO KIDS FITNESS, HOW DOES IT FEEL FOR YOUR “28 BY SAM WOOD” PROGRAM TO BE DOING SO WELL? I am so pleased the 28 program is successful after only celebrating our first birthday a month ago. It is different to other programs around and perfect for mums who don’t have a lot of time on their hands but want to keep up their fitness or increase their fitness. The best thing about it is how sustainable it is and our motto is ‘progress not perfection’. It is all about taking baby steps in the right direction and easing into a better lifestyle. The program launches specifically on the first Monday of very month, and we offer support along the way so people are in touch with me every day. The community support in the program has blown me away, with people sharing their recipes with each other and constant support throughout the program as well as participating in the exercise program.

WHY IS IT CALLED “28” AND WHY IS THIS DIFFERENT TO OTHER PROGRAMS? It’s in real time, so you can work in four-week blocks, and it is accessible and realistic in terms of the time needed to do the program.

I strongly believe everyone can find 28 minutes a day to exercise. Our attitude is really about not beating yourself up when you have a bad meal or miss a workout, just get back on the horse and keep going. As a personal trainer I have always worked in short, sharp, consistent workouts. With the 28er, you can do the workouts from your phone or iPad and the recipes are easy to follow. We also do Facebook live sessions, and can customise the program for people with certain dietary requirements or those who are coming back from injury or even if a woman has had a caesarean. 28 days is perfect for goal setting.

www.28bysamwood.com

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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THE NEW ATRIUM Safety Beach

Review!

BY: DAVID HAWKINS

G

oing out for dinner was such a simple and relaxing thing to do… before I had kids. Now the mere suggestion leaves me rocking, foetus-like, in a corner. The brand new team at Safety Beach dining spot, The New Atrium, believe that they have solved every parent’s dilemma and invited my clan of chaos to discover why they believe it’s the go-to venue for family eating.

The New Atrium has had a revamp with new management, new staff, a new chef and an all-new menu. In case you missed it, there’s a lot of new going on here! This was my first visit to the venue and I was agog at the grand driveway with hedge & water-feature roundabout at the entrance as we drove in; it all looked a bit too fancy for my family to be allowed entry. The building sits beside the local golf course and is towered over by palm trees.

We stepped in through the sliding doors and were welcomed immediately by a lovely, friendly waiter. She chatted to the kids and guided us to our table, which looked a little strange. It had regular chairs on one side and a bench seat on the other, though not against a wall. The kids clambered straight onto the bench and showed me why this different approach had been taken; it was made especially for the height-challenged youthful customers. The bench had been built extra high so that children could feel like a part of the group, sitting naturally at the table and not having to be isolated in a high chair. My kids loved this. Brilliant!

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Honestly though, they only managed to stay in their seat for a matter of seconds because they spotted the centerpiece of The New Atrium’s kid-friendly setup: an enormous Kids Zone. It is a large room filled with a huge plastic structure just right for climbing, crawling, sliding and playing all over. Imagine four or five McDonalds play-areas mashed together. What more does a parent really need than a safe, contained space where the tiny terrors can go completely mental, without annoying all of the other diners? And, if your kids are older than mine, there is also a coin-operated anteroom with a two-player Daytona machine, air hockey table and claw-challenge games.

With the sounds of our tiny clones gleefully occupied, Phenom-A-Mum and I settled in to the dining space, looking up to find a huge dome stretching over the top of the tables. It is really nice to sit in a room flooded with daylight, but protected from harsh sunlight by the hanging shades. The magic of the outside in the comfort of being inside.

What comes next? What else? Food!

Looking at the brand new menu on offer, I discovered that it covered traditional fare of starters, salads, pizza, pasta, meat & seafood; The kind of menu filled with familiar and comforting foods like chicken parma, roast of the day and a seafood basket . This worried me. I’ve encountered these dishes before in ‘family-dining’ establishments and ended up eating pretty crappy food that seemed as if the bulk had come from the freezer section of Aldi. The same goes with the kids'

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meals such as spaghetti Bolognese or nuggets and chips.

We ordered, sat back and in a very short time the kids’ meals arrived.

Wow, that was quick… I was even more concerned that we’d just been dumped with two plates straight out of the microwave.

And I was WRONG! In front of our boys were two massive servings of well-presented food that smelled yum. The fish & chips had two big pieces of fresh fish in a light batter and our toddler’s calamari & chips contained real, huge chunks of calamari. No frozen rubbish here! Even more impressive, the chips had very little salt on them; just enough to add flavor but keeping the importance of a low-salt diet for children in mind. I don’t know how good quality fare is delivered so quickly but the new chef at The New Atrium is working wonders. Did I mention that the kids meals also include an ice-cream or frog-in-the-pond and are only $7.50 each? (price correct at time of printing).

all being well looked after. It seems to be rare these days to have such wonderful service from every person you meet and the new management has clearly worked hard to ensure that their team is the best.

Beyond dinner, The New Atrium is also a full-service function center and is a great place to host children’s birthday parties or family get-togethers.

The large function space can hold up to 240 people or be sectioned off for smaller gatherings; it is a multi-purpose space for all events. Kids’ parties only need a minimum of 10 children and include party food and lolly bags. If you really want to be looked after, the wonderful event team can organise special extras such as a guest entertainer, face painting or even a mini-golf package. The New Atrium is ready to offer you a completely “hands-off” experience so that you can finally enjoy your child’s birthday!

For the first time in a long time, my family had a great night out without the usual stress of a restaurant trip with kids. Yummy food, a kids play paradise and the most lovely service proved to us that The New Atrium is definitely the place to take your family for an affordable and relaxing experience.

As the boys munched into their meals the adult dishes arrived, beautifully presented and delicious. Phenom-A-Mum had the veal special and I had chosen the barramundi, and nailed it! We both thoroughly enjoyed our food, even more when our monkeys finished early and ran off to tackle the play-area once more.

For birthday parties or event bookings, contact Meggan Ritchie on 03 5981 8123 or info@thenewatrium.com.au

What could have been better than the food? The amazing staff who were super kid-friendly and extra attentive throughout. Each of the staff went out of their way to talk to the boys and make sure that we were

David Hawkins is a Peninsula based stay-at-home-dad who realised that he needed to improve his Dadding. So he 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.

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

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THE GREAT SEDATE DEBATE… Drugging your kids on a flight: which side of the line do you fall?

Mona I would NEVER sedate them! Never! Mine travel really well.

They are easy to entertain and don’t make a fuss. They know what flying is about: Sitting in a seat, buckled up for hours. And the positive: no limited TV / Game time! That’s what they look forward to. When they were younger it was more work for me, drawing and reading. But in any case I would not do it. I would not sedate myself so why should I do it with the kids? What if you need to be able to react fairly quickly and your kids are sedated?

If you don’t sedate them, they also learn to deal with it. It might be a huge effort for you but the more you travel the easier it might get. But if they are ‘knocked out’, how should they learn that there is just no way but give in and make the best of it?

Trace

BY: KELLY MCLEOD

T

Im on the non sedation side. Our kids have been flying for years (short haul though) but also 9 hour drives as well. They have also done two short haul flights (domestic & International) and a 3.5 hour car drive all in one day. We just prepare with lots of healthy snack food, games and colouring-in and combined with in-flight entertainment it's enough. I do have surprise toys and games that havent been played before and are only brought out on the plane. K-mart do loads of sticky crafty things and colouring in masks etc. which keeps them busy for hours. Having said that our kids are also used to coming to nice restaurants as well so they know the drill. We have once paid for a higher seat class to ensure extra leg room (kids sat behind the bulkheads) and the middle seat was left empty. This was amazing and definitely something I'd consider for long haul but I wouldn't bother again for short haul.

oday I woke up to a burning question in my inbox. I scanned over the question silently hoping they wouldn’t ask me to weigh in on the debate. Friends ask me in hushed tones, acquaintances tell me how they did it in “their day”. So what’s the one thing parents want to know about travelling with kids but are too afraid to ask?

All that said and done we have had a flight where our 10 month old at the time screamed for about 2.5 out of the 3 hours. The worst part was feeling so embarrassed. But hey it was a one off.

Should you drug your kids for a long haul flight.

I did when my children were three amd five on a 15 hour flight to the USA. I gave it to them before we boarded and then the plane had a fault. Ended up with a six hour delay in Sydney airport and two boys sleeping on floor. We could have gone sightseeing and wore them out! I've learnt to wait till we are up in the air. It's not easy flying 15 hours with three young boys. I've never used it on road trips; It's easy enough to stop and let them run around.

There I said it. It’s the taboo topic that no one wants to talk about but everyone wants to know the answer. A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald states that 1 in 5 Aussie families admit to using sedative drugs on road trip. Holy moly. 1 in 5.

We’ve all been there, mid flight, bleary eyed, vomit covered being held ransom by our tiny monsters humans. The last flight I took with the kids I spent brainstorming how we could do it better, what options were available to us and of course using sedative medication did come to mind.

There have been plenty of articles in the past in support of sedating your kids but equally as many articles written warning of the dangers and offering tips to avoid the need. Having just come off some horror flights with the kids I can totally see it from both angles.

Marion

Joy We never sedated our son, he’s travelled almost since birth and now travels (reasonably) well. I can see it from both sides too, just not something I’d feel comfortable about doing!

So where do you sit? Have you sedated your kids for a long haul flight?

PLEASE NOTE: Phenergan should not be used on children aged under two, due to its potential for “fatal respiratory depression”, consumer guidelines say.

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Kelly Mcleod has been blogging about the ups and downs of travel with little people since 2013 over at My Little Adventures (www.mylittleadventures.com.au).

With two boys in tow, Kelly has a passion for travel and particularly making everlasting memories as a family.

Meet & feed friendly kangaroos and wallabies.

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Pat & cuddle up to a koala (3 sessions daily), hold a python or play with a dingo in one of our Interactive animal encounters.

Enjoy our wildlife show with owls, dingoes and other animals on stage daily!

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Enjoy a coffee or light meal in our CafĂŠ or on our new Deck.

Children under 4 free of charge.

Moonlit Sanctuary also comes alive at night with world-famous lantern-lit evening tours.

Bookings essential.

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WWW.MOONLITSANCTUARY.COM.AU

WHAT

OUR BEHAVIOURS ARE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN BY: ANGELA LOCKWOOD

E

ver used the old “Because I said so!” as a part of your parenting tool kit? I certainly have. This used to work such a treat; a solid end to any objection. But times are changing.

Children are switched on and ‘Because I said so’ no longer cuts it. Children are looking at what we do, not just what we say. They are looking to us for guidance and as we experience increasing rates of sickness, burnout from work, and detrimental coping habits we are not painting an aspirational picture.

So what are we teaching children about the importance of managing our health and wellbeing?

Through my work as a paediatric Occupational Therapist I have seen over the last decade the changes in how children learn about their place in the world. Even though they can access any information through the internet, they continue to look to adults to help them navigate life. So it is imperative as the speed at which we live continues to hasten that we take the time to notice the messages we are sending our children through our own behavior. Are we actually practising what we preach? It is so frustrating when a manager expects us to do something at work when we know they would never do it themselves!

We need to lead by example and if we are to help our kids establish good habits we have to facilitate that by first monitoring our own.

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

“A practical guide to slowing down and taking control of your life in a world that conspires against both”

MY CHILDREN WON’T PLAY OUTSIDE! To encourage children to play outside there needs to be an incentive: it needs to be more fun than playing on technology inside.

One way to encourage this is to get outside and play with them.

Kids love nothing more than playing cricket with a parent, or going for a bike ride or even a game of tiggy (hide-and-seek) through the yard. When we go outside in the fresh air and be active with them, they see us having fun and, even better, we are having fun with them; a win-win for everyone.

MY CHILD DOESN’T TELL ME ANYTHING! Have you noticed the signs in shops that read “We will not interrupt your phone call by trying to serve you.”? These are great! It is frustrating and rude when you are trying to talk to someone and they continue a conversation on their phone. Unfortunately, we often do this as parents. As a child shares their stories from the day we take a call phone or respond to a message. Unless you are waiting for an important call that needs your immediate attention, when a child is sharing a story if the ding sounds or the phone rings, it can wait. By doing this we reinforce to our children that they are important and we are ready to listen when they need to talk.

MY CHILD JUST WON’T GO TO SLEEP! The benefits of sleep are well known: improved concentration, a strong immune system and helping us deal with stress. On the flip side, poor sleep leads to irritability, sickness and fatigue. Our sleep is important and it starts with what we do before we turn in at night.

Set a night time routine for the household that does not involve technology before going to bed (The recommendation is to switch off two hours before going to bed). Night time routines that involve activities like quiet reading, chill out time and a consistent bed time allows us to switch off from the frantic activity of the day and transitions us into a state ready for a restful night’s sleep.

Our children look to us for guidance. To support them in becoming resilient in an ever-changing world we need to model positive habits ourselves. If they look to us for guidance we need to be role models to aspire to.

Angela Lockwood, is an Occupational Therapist with a special interest in paediatrics. Her health and wellbeing programs are used within schools, corporate organisations and businesses to help individuals manage the pressures in work and life. Angela is a keynote speaker and author of "Switch Off. How to find calm in a noisy world" and "The Power of Conscious Choice". To connect with Angela go to www.angelalockwood.com.au and follow her on Twitter @ angelockwood and Instagram @angelalockwood_. www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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SOUNDS LIKE FUN BY: MELISSA WALSH

W

ith a passion for music and childhood development that is inspiring, local mum Julie Murray, started her business ‘Sounds Like This’ and hasn’t looked back.

“In the meantime, my husband and I had been told we would never have children so, after the conservatorium closed, I decided to take a leap of faith and set up my music education school ‘Sounds like This’, The bubbly, brunette mother of two has always worked as a music teacher, providing private music tuition for all age groups. That was in 2011 and the following year we found out I was pregnant. After eight years of starting her career at the Melba Conservatorium of Music in Melbourne. trying, all we had to do was stop trying to have a baby,” she says with “At the Melba Conservatorium, I studied and they taught me to teach a laugh. with many different philosophies. I worked in an administration and Heavily pregnant but determined to get the music school up and arts role while studying, and then ran Melba’s program welcoming people from all different walks of life,” says Julie of her evolving career. running, Julie started the business in Langwarrin, and the following year on, January 1, her baby boy was born.

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

VALID TO 30/8/17

“Our aim with the school was to provide the best quality tuition that we but the overheads were killing us so we had to move the business elsewhere and make some necessary changes,” says Julie. That was in 2013 and, before she knew it, fate stepped in once more and opened new doors which would lead to the early childhood development music sessions.

“My baby was about three months old when a friend took me along to a community centre session of music in early childhood. It blew me away how engaged the kids were. They all had what we call ‘sparkly eyes’ which happens when children are totally immersed in an activity. They were not just passively listening but actively involved,” says Julie, who immediately went home and researched the effect of music on young brains.

“I started studying the neurological impact on children, read a handful of books on music psychology, and spoke to music therapists on their experience of using music for therapy where the results were astounding.

Music therapists do remarkable things with autistic children for instance, with even nonverbal children showing a positive reaction.”

from the community. “We started out with six students in the early childhood classes and now two years later, have 170. I love that they leave with sparkly eyes. I love the impact it has on children and parents at home and that, even bedtime becomes easy. And I love that we are making a difference in children’s and parent’s lives. I am very fortunate to be able to share this wonderful musical knowledge.”

Sounds Like This Music Education is a fun little music school located in Frankston, offering individual music lessons to people aged five to 100 in a friendly and relaxed environment, and running weekly music and early development sessions for babies, toddlers and children aged five months to eight years and their caregivers, through the ‘Sounds Like This for Kids’ program.

www.soundslikethis.net

This year, Julie has been running ‘Sounds Like This’ for four years, providing children and parents with quality music education and an appreciation of music to last a life time.

“In our Kodaly based music making sessions, children and parents learn through play and exploration of percussive and vocal sounds, rhyme and storytelling,” says Julie. "The classes encourage creativity and empowerment for children, and a unique bonding experience for parents."

“The 45 minute sessions are calm, peaceful and child-led. We don’t have background music to distract the kids, just pure singing and instruments to encourage creativity,” says Julie, who is delighted at the response

Enjoy strawberry picking from November – April Indulge in heavenly desserts, and sample boutique strawberry wines & ciders at the Rebello Cellar door.

Local gourmet products, gifts and seasonal farm gate produce available.

Open Daily: Nov-Apr, 9am to 5pm (upick closed at 4.30pm) Closed Christmas Day, New Years Day & Good Friday

244 Shands Road, Main Ridge 3928 Phone: 03 5989 4500 www sunnyridge.com.au

www.peninsulakids.com.au

23

MOORABBIN MINIATURE

TRAINS BY: JACQUI KAVANAGH

O

n the first Sunday of every month, Moorabbin is home to a delightful family-friendly adventure: miniature steam train rides. The Steam Locomotive Society of Victoria has been running trains in Rowans Road since 1970.

to ride. (Unsurprisingly, the Thomas look-alike seems to be the most popular); or you can try to find the track that has the shortest queue (On a busy day it’s likely you will have at least a 15-minute wait on any track).

Be sure to sample all three as all offer a slightly different experience.

At just $2.50 a ride, a price that has only risen 50 cents in the last decade, the Moorabbin Miniature Railway is an incredibly inexpensive price to pay for the enjoyment that the little trains bring to hundreds of children each month. Their little squeals of delight and smiles that go for miles make it a very enjoyable experience for parents and grandparents to behold.

It is such an affordably fun adventure that will leave the whole family smiling.

Adults can ride with children aged under 5 for free, so they too get to experience the thrill of the bumpy, twisting, turning, smoky ride.

One tip to remember: all riders must wear enclosed shoes. Any sight of toes and you won’t be able to ride. We nearly had a very upset little one-year-old. After lining up for 20 minutes and with our train in sight, we were told that, because she had no shoes on, she couldn’t ride. However, after seeing the look of disappointment on our faces (and a very well-timed sweet smile from my daughter) the ticket collector decided that, technically, as she had stockings on, he couldn’t see toes and we were cleared for boarding.

There are three different tracks available to ride on, each with different attractions. The smallest of the three boasts three laps. The trains are all modelled on Thomas and Friends characters and if you look closely, you are sure to see the resemblance to Thomas, James, Toby, Percy and their friends.

Making the day's first track selection can be sorted by looking at the different features each offers (One goes under-ground through a tunnel), or it may depend which character train your child wants 24

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Jacqui Kavanagh is a mum of two delightful angels/devils spawn (depending on the day), and a freelance writer based in bayside Melbourne. To read more about budget conscious, family-friendly things to do around Melbourne, follow her Facebook page and website www.facebook.com/FamilyDayTrippers and www.familydaytrippers.com

AUTUMN ACTIVITIES Feast @ Frankston Waterfront

Ventana Street Fiesta

Sand Sculpting Australia Exhibition

Friday 3 to Sunday 5 March Friday and Saturday 4–10pm, Sunday 12–6pm Pier Promenade, Frankston Waterfront Entry is $2 and kids 15 and under are FREE!

Saturday 11 March 12–8pm Wells Street, Frankston Free Event

Open daily until Tuesday 25 April Frankston Waterfront Tickets and opening hours: visitfrankston.com

A must for all foodies, enjoy three days of Asian inspired food trucks and exhibitors, pop up restaurants, craft beer, cider and wine.

The whole family will be entertained with a pop-up artisan market, kid’s activities, amusement rides and live entertainment.

Join the Carnival Parade and immerse yourself in Latin American, Portuguese and Spanish cultures. Delicious barbecues, street food, music, dance performances, workshops and unique craft stalls for the entire family to enjoy.

Celebrate Easter at Sand Sculpting Australia’s ‘Lands of Imagination’, open every day of the Easter long weekend. Hidden among the sculptures are sand carved Easter eggs.

Children can hunt for the Easter eggs to receive a bag of chocolate eggs to enjoy.

Guided Ranger Walks

Party in the Park

McClelland Sculpture Park + Gallery

Various dates and locations Bookings: visitfrankston.com

Tuesday 4 April 9.30am–2pm Cruden Farm Entry via Cranhaven Road, Langwarrin Free Event

390 McClelland Drive, Langwarrin Check website for holiday sessions mcclellandgallery.com

Discover the City’s outdoor spaces with specially created Guided Ranger Walks.

Whether you want to learn more about the local flora, or discover a new open space for the kids to explore, there is a Guided Ranger Activity to suit your interests.

Bookings essential.

Enjoy a free fun day out for the whole family.

Activities for the kids including sports, face painting, animal farms and live interactive stage performances. BYO picnic or treat yourself to the community barbecues and visit the stalls for more activities and information on local children’s services.

Get your copy of the Autumn School Holiday Guide from the Frankston Visitor Information Centre.

Full of local and affordable activities for all ages, find the best family and child friendly activities throughout Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula.

View or download the Autumn School Holiday Guide at visitfrankston.com or pick up a copy at the Frankston Visitor Information Centre.

For more information, events and tickets to Sand Sculpting Australia’s ‘Lands of Imagination’ go to visitfrankston.com Frankston Visitor Information Centre 7N Pier Promenade, Frankston Open 9am – 5pm (7days a week) closed Christmas Day & Good Friday 1300 322 842

The perfect place for families during the school holidays, discover over 100 sculptures, scattered within 16 hectares of native and manicured gardens. Bring a picnic or enjoy the delicious food and coffee at the cafè before exploring the park. Join a free guided tour on Wednesday and Thursday at 11am or 2pm. Bookings essential.

T P 5

HOMEWORK TIPS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL BY: ADAMS

I

hate homework. Your children hate homework. Their teachers hate marking their homework. We never seem to escape homework, but there is so much to learn, and not enough school hours to do it. So can we make it easier? More enjoyable? I think so. Here are a few ideas to make a child’s homework go smoother.

1. WHAT WOULD THEY RATHER BE DOING? –

What are your children daydreaming about when they are supposed to be doing homework? Try to tailor the homework to incorporate parts of their favourite pastimes. If they love riding their bikes around the court, maybe use that as their maths homework. How many laps can you do in 1 minute? So, what was the average time/lap? Get creative; it really helps if they don’t realise they are doing homework. Do they like ballet class more than spelling? What was that spin you did during class?

How do you spell that? What other moves did you learn? Can you spell them? The possibilities are endless.

2. REWARD AND ENCOURAGE – At least to start with,

having rewards is a great way to get more homework done than would ordinarily get completed. If they have a tablet or electronic device that needs charging, put it next to them on charge while they are doing their homework. The more they study, the more it gets charged. You will be surprised how much more they will want to study. Or, every 30 minute block they study, a pom-pom is put into a jar. Once the jar is full, they get to suggest an activity to do. Don’t use money as the motivation, you don’t want to bribe them. They need to learn homework is another unpaid job we all have to do. If possible, studying should be done somewhere so that you can keep tabs on where they are up to. Once they progress through the tasks, you can easily give them a high 5 or a ‘well done’ as they go.

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

3. FOCUS ON THE SUBJECTS THEY STRUGGLE WITH – The child’s teacher will let you know where they are

struggling the most. This is the subject that you need to focus on, at least to start with. Getting them better at what most likely is their least favourite subject will help with their confidence and eventually help with all their studies. Spend an extra 15 minutes on this subject, find their weaknesses and build them up to where they should be. Don’t get frustrated at them, and don’t rush them into catching up. They are struggling because they don’t understand or don’t think the subject is relevant to them. Maths is a perfect example of a subject they think they won’t need in real life. Make a connection with maths, or any other subject, to your life. Tell them things like ‘You use maths every day, when you buy something and get change’, or find something more relevant to you.

4. BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE –If they are not doing their

homework, it could be from a lack of confidence. Spend some time doing the tasks with them and guide them through any issues that they are having. It may take a while to build their confidence again but it’s a very important part of learning, so persevere. Sometimes you feel like you are doing just as much homework as them which is not easy when you have more than one child. The key is to build them up enough to be able to do their own homework. Once you are through the hard work of establishing a routine, homework becomes a good habit rather than a chore.

the little things ...like extra nappies and spare goggles, so rushed parents don’t have to worry about anything they may have forgotten. Little things like caring teachers who know when a child needs a little extra attention and welcoming staff that are happy to help when a parent has their hands full of bags, toddlers and towels.

At Kingswim, we know it’s the little things that make all

L NOW F RO

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the difference.

bathers*

have to be a rigid set of tasks to do; you can teach them things anytime.

Counting red cars on the way home from school is teaching them math skills; ask them to work how many that would make after a week.

Counting the wheels on a truck on one side and multiplying it by 2 to get the total amount of wheels is another fun maths game. I like to name a letter and see how many words they can come up with; a fun way to learn how to spell. There are so many ways to have fun and for them to learn at the same time, so think up as many ways as you can and don’t forget to keep it interesting.

* T&Cs apply

5. KEEP IT FUN AND DISGUISE IT – Homework doesn’t

Let us find the perfect time for your FREE introductory lesson

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

27

HOW TO ENCOURAGE

KIDS TO BE PROBLEMSOLVERS BY: MICHAEL GROSE

W

hen parents solve all children’s problems we not only increase their dependency on adults but we teach kids to be afraid of making mistakes and to blame themselves for not being good enough. That’s fertile ground for anxiety and depressive illness.

So, how can we raise kids to be courageous problem-solvers rather than self-critical scaredy cats?

Here are six practical ideas to get you started.

1. TURN REQUESTS INTO PROBLEMS FOR KIDS TO SOLVE Kids get used to bringing their problems to parents to solve. If you keeping solving them, they’ll keep bringing them. ‘Mum, my sister is annoying me!’ ‘Dad, can you ask my teacher to pick me for the team?’

‘Hey, I can’t find my socks!’ It’s tempting if you are in a time-poor family to simply jump in and help kids out. Alternatively, you can take a problem-solving approach, cuing them to resolve their own problems and take responsibility for their concerns. ‘What can you do to make her stop annoying you?’ ‘What’s the best approach to take with your teacher?’ ‘Socks, smocks! Where might they be?’

2. ASK GOOD QUESTIONS TO PROMPT PROBLEM-SOLVING A problem-solving approach relies on asking good questions, which can be challenging if you are used to solving your child’s problems.

The first question when a child brings you a problem should be: ‘Can you handle this on your own?’ Next should be, ‘What do you want me to do to help you solve the problem?’ These questions are not meant to deter children from coming to you; rather, to encourage and teach them to start working through their own concerns themselves.

3. COACH THEM THROUGH PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS So, your child feels she was unfairly left out of a school sports team by a teacher and asks you get involved. The easiest solution may be to meet with the teacher and find out what’s going on. You may or may not resolve the problem but in doing so you are teaching a child to become dependent on you. Alternatively, you could coach your child to speak to the teacher herself and find out why she was left out. Obviously, there are times when children need their parents to be advocates for them such as when they are being bullied, but we need to make the most of the opportunities for children to speak for themselves. Better to help your child find the right words to use and discuss the best way to approach another person when they have problems. These are great skills to take into adulthood.

4. PREPARE KIDS FOR PROBLEMS AND CONTINGENCIES You may coach your child to be independent – walk to school, spend some time alone at home (when old enough), catch a train with friends – but does he know what to do in an emergency? What happens if he comes home after school and the house is locked? Who should he go to? Discuss different scenarios with children whenever they enter new or potentially risky situations so that they won’t fall apart when things don’t go their way. Remember the Boy Scouts motto – be prepared!

5. SHOW A LITTLE FAITH Sometimes you’ve got to show faith in children. We can easily trip them up with our negative expectations, such as by saying ‘Don’t spill it!’ to a child who is carrying a glass filled with water. Of course, your child doesn’t want to spill it but you’ve just conveyed your expectations with that statement. We need to be careful that we don’t sabotage children’s efforts to be independent problem-solvers with comments such as, ‘Now don’t stuff it up!’ ‘You’ll be okay … won’t you?’ ‘You’re not very good at looking after yourself!’

WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON’T SABOTAGE CHILDREN’S EFFORTS TO BE INDEPENDENT PROBLEM-SOLVERS

6. APPLAUD MISTAKES AND STUFF-UPS Would a child who accidentally breaks a plate in your family while emptying the dishwasher be met with a ‘That’s really annoying. You can be clumsy sometimes’ response or an ‘It doesn’t matter, thanks for your help’ type of response? Hopefully it won’t be the first response, because nothing shuts a child’s natural tendencies to extend themselves down quicker than an adult who can’t abide mistakes. If you have a low-risk-taking, perfectionist, consider throwing a little party rather than making a fuss when they make errors so they can learn that mistakes don’t reflect on them personally, and that the sun will still shine even if they break a plate, tell a joke that falls flat or don’t get a perfect examination score.

This is an extract from Michael Grose’s new book "Spoonfed Generation: How to raise independent children" that’s been released nationally by Penguin Random House. You can get your copy now at parentingideas.com.au. www.peninsulakids.com.au

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autumn Enchanted Child Hatley Fairy Tale Horses Raincoat $62.00 Model Kennedy 30

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Enchanted Child Paper Wings Smock Tee $55.95 Classic Leggings Hearts and Horses $44.95 Model Jasmine

Enchanted Child Alphabet Soup Whenever LS Tee $39.95 Loosen Up Pant $59.95 Model Tyler www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Enchanted Child Alphabet Soup Whenever LS Tee $39.95 Gravity Hoodie $79.95 Gravity Trackpant $59.95

Enchanted Child Paper Wings Raglan Tee Pegasus $54.95 Classic Leggings $44.95 Model Anja

Enchanted Child Paper Wings Long Sleeve Tee Hearts and Horses $49.95 Paper Wings Classic Leggings $44.95

Enchanted Child Alphabet Soup Rad Raglan LS Tee $49.95 Original Jean $69.95 Model Arlo

fashion Kids on Main Milky Swing Spot Sweatshirt $40.00 Milky Heart Legging $28.00 Model Anja Boboli Be Brave Jumper $44.00 Boboli Stretch pant $38.00 Model Jasmine

Kids on Main Lilly + Sid Dino Top $44.00 Petit lem Orange Jean $54.00 Model Arlo Boboli Shirt $54.00 Boboli Jeans $65.00 Model Tyler

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Kids on Main Hatley Red Splash Jacket $75.00 Boboli Tartan Pant $33.00

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Kids on Main Lilly + Sid Kitty Pinafore $59.00 Bukowski Charismatic Cornelia Soft Toy $69.00 Model Kennedy Milky Confetti Dress $44.00 Hatley Cable Knit Tights $34.00 Bukowski Välkommen Plush Bear $65.00 Model Anja

Kids on Main Hatley Lightning Splash Jacket $69.00 Boboli Patch Jean $54.00

Kids on Main Boboli L/S Tee Outdoor Camp $44.00 Boboli Patch Jean $54.00 Model Tyler Boboli L/S Tee $33.00 Boboli Patch knee pant $33.00 Model Arlo

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Credits Enchanted Child

18/3050 Frankston-Flinders Rd, Balnarring Ph: 5983 5503 www.enchantedchild.com.au

Kids on Main

7/68 Barkly Street, Mornington Ph: 5975 9388 www.kidsonmain.com.au

Capezio Dancewear

12-14 Milgate Drive, Mornington Ph: 5975 0266 www.capezio.com

Location

Beleura House, Mornington Ph: 5975 2027

Capezio Biketard $55.95 Model Anja

Photography

Cameron McCullough

High Bar Bra Top $37.95 Boycut Lowrise $22.95 Model Jasmine (right)

Styling

Melissa McCullough

High Bar Bra Top $43.95 Lunging Leggings $52.95 Model Kennedy (right)

Credits Treehouse Republic

Bentons Square Shopping Centre 21/210 Dunns Rd., Mornington Shop 15, Ritchies Village Shopping Centre 89 Mt Eliza Way, Mt Eliza Ph: 5975 4350 www.treehouserepublic.com.au

Enchanted Child

Little Nook Boutique

18/3050 Frankston-Flinders, Rd Balnarring Ph: 5983 5503 3/277 point Nepean Rd, Dromana Ph: 5987 2286 www.enchantedchild.com.au

54 Mount Eliza Way, Mount Eliza Ph: 0488 041 229 www.littlenook.com.au

Capezio Dancewear

Oasis Mornington Pop Up Kitchen 988 Nepean Hwy, Mornington Ph: 9570 1122 www.oasisbakery.com.au

12-14 Milgate Drive, Mornington Ph: 5975 0266 www.capezio.com

Location

Street Art

Sheldon & Matt from State of the Art, Frankston @stateoftheart3199

Photography

Cameron McCullough

Styling

Melissa McCullough

12-14 MILGATE DRIVE | MORNINGTON 03 5975 0266 | MORNINGTON@C APE ZIO.COM | C APEZIOAUSTR ALIA .COM 36

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

% OF F ST OR EW ID E Sh ow thi s ad in sto re to rec eiv e 10 lin e at the ch ec ko ut. or us e the co de SW IM LE SS ON S on

âœ

GET SWIM SCHOOL READY

Your local stores: Mornington 901 Nepean Hwy | Sorrento 131 Ocean Beach Rd Victorian store locations: Fitzroy | Malvern | Geelong | Mentone or shop online at www.swimweargalore.com.au One coupon per person. Cannot be used with any other offer or gift card purchase. Valid until 31-08-17.

4

ACTIVE LIFE BY: PAT SWAYN

T

he main responsibility of a physical education teacher is to aid children in developing a love of sport and physical activity thus becoming ‘active for life’. The benefits of being active are well documented not only for our physical health, but also our mental well-being. With the current obesity rates in Australia reaching an alarming 60% for adults and 25% for children, there is an argument to suggest that as a community we are failing to develop active children for life. So where are we going wrong and how are we failing our children?

When thinking of the sporting journey of our kids it generally begins with involvement in an organised skill-based program such as Auskick, Milo Cricket, Hoop-Time, Hot-Shots Tennis and Netta Netball. These programs are a great introduction to organised sport and activity as they provide children with the necessary skills to play team sport, develop organisational skills, enhance social skills and most importantly give children a sense of belonging.

After one to three years children graduate from this type of program and transition into junior sports by representing a local team or club. The physical and mental benefits of junior sport are vast. Training once or twice a week then playing games on the weekend, listening to coaches and other support staff, getting along with team mates, opposition and officials, developing resilience and once again gaining a sense of belonging are really important factors of junior sport.

The problem for us as a community is the drop off rates of children from junior sport. Taking AFL as an example, many Auskick centres have numbers in excess of 150. These numbers feed into local junior clubs having two or three Under 9 or Under 10 teams comprising of 24 children per team. However when we track these abundant numbers throughout the Under 12 – Under 17 junior years most clubs struggle to field their Under 17 team in the final year of the junior football program.

Netball, Basketball, Cricket and Tennis all experience the same dilemma and for physical education teachers whose core business is developing students to be active for life it is a real concern. Children who opt out of junior sporting programs not only miss out on the physical benefits of playing sport, but also the social and emotional aspects of sport.

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

As children grow, many obstacles present that make it increasingly difficult for them to continue to play sport. Greater demands with schooling, part-time and or full-time work, socialising with friends as well as financial constraints are all valid reasons why children find it hard to fit exercise and sport into their daily/weekly routine as they grow into adolescence. However, these excuses mask the major factor why children opt out of exercise, activity and sport…..US! A recent study in New Zealand and the USA discovered that 80% of children stopped playing sport as a result of the drive home from their chosen sport. The negativity created by their parents in the car ride towards themselves, their coaches, their team-mates, the umpires and the sport in general was enough to turn children away from participating.

Setting the bar too high contributes to children and adolescents opting out of sport. The strain on children and teenagers to be the best places undue pressure on our children and ultimately causes feelings of negativity towards sport. More focus should be put on the positives of activity and maintaining the greatest gift our children will ever have their physical and mental health. As parents and coaches we need to shift our focus towards personal bests. Parents and coaches need to be positive with their children’s development. They need to identify where a child is at and express belief in them that they can develop to the next level. They need to work with the child and continue to believe in them that they will progress and when they do they need to celebrate their success and believe they can continue to improve.

By changing the way of thinking about winning and losing, coaches and players can be more reflective and gain a deeper understanding of the sport they are playing. The kids will feel more involved and develop a more positive attitude towards their sport, giving them a greater opportunity to be ‘active for life’.

Pat Swayn is a sports teacher and senior footy coach at Moorooduc Primary School.

ONE STOP SHOP Tyrepower Mornington offers even more services.

As part of their commitment to supplying customers with the best tyre service Tyrepower has added brakes, batteries, full vehicle service and general repairs to the agenda. They offer a free pick up and delivery service, free tyre pressure check and free battery check.

Roger Sharp and his fully trained team of professionals know everything there is to know about tyres and can advise motorists about the correct tyre type for every vehicle. “Our business is not just selling tyres but following through with after sales service,” said Roger.

increase as the tyre warms through road friction.

3. Under-inflated tyres are dangerous and costly.

Car handling can be adversely affected plus the life of the tyre will be shorter. Petrol consumption will be more on a long journey as well.

4. Tyres showing uneven wear may be indicative of a mechanical or suspension fault, misalignment or under-inflation.

5. Rotation of tyres is more important than ever due to advanced tread designs, particularly with front or all-wheel drive vehicles. Rotation extends tyre lift and can make for smoother and quieter motoring.

Tyrepower also offers customers a waiting area Roger provided the following tips for safer motoring: with comfortable seating and a coffee machine - another reason to switch to Australia’s biggest 1. Tyre pressure needs to be checked regularly independent and locally owned tyre company! to retain the projected life of the tyre - and don’t forget to check the spare.

2. Before setting off on a trip, make sure the tyre pressure is right, keeping in mind the pressure will

To experience the Tyrepower difference, call 5975 1199 to book a service or vehicle inspection today.

WATT A WAY TO GET AROUND VINTAGE ELECTRIC BIKES HAVE ARRIVED ON THE PENINSULA .

Hand-built in California, these are e-bikes with a difference - better technology, more power, smoother acceleration and undeniable style.

Electric bikes are a new way of riding - they are not quite a bicycle and not quite a motorbike, but something in between that feels just right - and with a range of 50km they’re perfect for zipping around the Peninsula.

There are three classic styles. The Tracker is roundly retro but it is boosted by a thoroughly modern electric motor, the rear hub-mode for tooling around at 30km/h and a 3000-watt mode that’ll let you zoom along at 60km/h.

The Cruz is a classic California cruiser with design elements reminiscent of the US Art Deco movement. Offering the same best-in-class performance as the racker, it has a top speed of 60km/h in race mode and awesome control.

The Scrambler is the have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too electric bike; it’s equally at home on a winding dirt track, or a suburban street.

With a charge time of just two hours, you won’t have long to wait until you’re back on the road again.

T E S T R I D E O N E T O DAY !

Vintage Electric Bikes Mornington 47 Tyabb Rd, Mornington (Tyrepower) Call 0438 751 199 or email tyrmor@bigpond.net.au www.vintageelectricbikes.com

WW W. T Y RE POWE RMO RN I N GTON .CO M .AU | 47 T YABB RD , MOR NINGTON | 5975 1199

On January 12, Peninsula Kids sponsored the Sunset Cinema viewing of Finding Dory at the Mornington Racecourse. A great night was had by all!

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

pic by

by Yanni Yanni pic

pic by Yanni

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

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43

BY: FIONA PARRY-JONES

HOW TO ACHIEVE

The kids are back at school and now is the time to get the bedrooms organised and add a splash of colour ready to keep everyone energised over the cooler months. Here are a few ways you can create some exciting new features in your child’s bedroom to keep all those toys in order whilst still being practical.

AN ORGANISED AND COLOURFUL KID’S BEDROOM

HANG IT

SHELVE IT Shelving in kid’s bedrooms can include plywood, pegboards and painted shadow boxes which allows kids to display art, toys and books in creative and fun ways to complement the style of the room.

•Bookshelves: Books are an essential part of a child’s room and bookshelf units can be versatile, whether placed on the floor for easy access or mounted on a wall to create a feature in an empty space.

•Designer shelves: Look out for shelves with fruit designs which are trendy at the moment; they are whimsical but subtle and spruce up the usually boring and mundane feature of a bedroom shelf.

•Add shapes: I love the different shaped box shelves that are available now as they create design features on the wall whilst keeping many books or toys off the floor!

44

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Hooks are a big trend and come in all shapes, sizes and colours to keep things off the ground in your kids room. It wasn’t until I started looking for some hooks for my own little boys room that I realised how many stylish options are available.

They look gorgeous and can be used in many creative ways to hang clothes, hats and even art or lights. Keep your eyes open for your own finds in local handmade shops and homewares stores or you could have a go at making your own.

•Oversize it: Make the hooks a feature of the room by finding oversized and colourful wall knobs. They add a colourful design to a plain wall and if hung at a level the children can reach they are certain to keep clothes off the floor.

•Character hooks: In many homewares retailers you can find character shaped hooks, whether animals, people or even vehicles. These add a bit more fun and a feature to your walls.

STORE IT

All kids love to craft and build. As much as we love them to express their creativity, it can cause quite a mess if not stored correctly. Whether its lego, scrapbooking or toys, they could be placed in some clear plastic tubs or drawers which are labelled so that there is a place for everything. You can sort toys by category like cars, transformers, dress ups etc. and then the kids can pull out what they need and rotate boxes.

•Go plastic: Lego can be sorted into plastic drawers with a bench on top to build on. For girls who love to craft, a desk and drawers will be needed to store the pencils, as well as labelled plastic tubs for the haberdashery.

•Furniture as storage: For the ultimate in practicality consider a storage unit that can also double up as furniture in the room; a simple and classic bench seat with ample storage inside for example.

STASH IT For loose ends, such as soccer balls, teddy bears, blankets and clothes get some colourful baskets or hampers to hide the clutter and keep the floor tidy. They are handy to have in a corner or at the bottom of the bed and look great as an accessory to the room.

•Size: Think about how much excess stuff you have and consider the size of the hamper you might need. Make sure it

is sturdy enough to hold bigger items and use it to add another splash of colour to the room.

•Texture: Baskets and hampers can come in an array of different textures, whether its canvas, wicker, plastic or wire.

Different textures can finish off the design layer of a kids room whilst still being practical for storage.

Fiona Parry-Jones is the Director and owner of Von-Haus Design Studio based on the Mornington Peninsula offering a range of colour and design services, including workshops to help people discover their own interior style, one-on-one personal consultations and full interior design advice and management. Fiona delves into the dreams and ideas of her clients and translates them into tangible experiences that are both functional and innovative. Each project is carefully planned with particular attention to detail. www.von-haus.com.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

45

STARTING SCHOOL IS HARD FOR PARENTS BY: REBECCA BOWYER

Y

ou know that moment when your shiny new parenting gig turns to crap around 6 weeks after you bring baby home?

The ‘Why didn’t anyone tell me this?’ moment, where you’re sure nobody ever mentioned how soul-sucking constant sleep deprivation is, how painful breastfeeding can be and how you may not actually love that little bundle of joy every second of every day.

Your eldest child starting school is a little like this. Despite being told otherwise by friends, family and the media, I was convinced it would be a total breeze. I thought when Mr 5 started school this year it would free up heaps of time and we would enter some sort of fantasy postpreschool-parenting world where I could sip wine and eat biscuits and cheese on a Friday afternoon while the kids played happily with their friends on our well-manicured lawn.

Except they did tell you - several times. You just didn’t have the point of reference to be able to really understand what they were talking about, so you dismissed it. Waking up every two hours for nine months or more? Pfft, they must be exaggerating. Nobody could possibly live through that and tell the tale.

Clearly I had confused my own life with an episode of Better Homes and Gardens. The reality has been a little different.

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

SCHOOL LUNCHES I like daycare. Daycare feeds the kids nutritious, hot meals every single day. School does not. School requires that you pack your child 6.5 hours worth of food every single night.

Better still, they require that it is ‘rubbish-free’ which means you have to have a bunch of teeny-tiny containers to put things in, which you also have to handwash (because there’s not enough time to stick them in the dishwasher) every single night.

ALL THE NOTICES An online form for after-school care, a paper form for the school dentist program, a notice about icy-pole days starting up again (with gluten-free options), a starter pack for some Premier reading competition thing, AusKick enrolment forms, discount book order forms, family twilight sports evening, class reading volunteer forms (which direct you to the pre-requisite online Working With Children Check form), optional music lessons, please bring your art smocks in, tick your time slot preference for meet the teacher night, OMG THE FREAKING NOTICES AND FORMS. Every evening I open up Mr 5’s school bag, slightly fearful of what new obligation or opportunity is lurking atop the mostly-empty rubbish-free lunchbox and the crumpled school jacket that cost a fortune but he never wears.

SPECIAL THINGS ON SPECIAL DAYS We need to remember the weekly craft homework goes in on one day, sports shoes must be worn on another day and icy-pole day occurs two days every week, on which I must send $0.50 to school in a named envelope so that Mr 5 can have an icy treat at lunch time. God help me if I forget. Canteen days for Preps will start in Term 2.

HOMEWORK They broke the news to us gently, at a Foundation Parent Information Evening in the second week of term. Starting in week three, our pride and joy would be bringing home three types of homework every single night, two of which needed to be signed off.

I actually went home that night and cried because I was feeling so overwhelmed - three types of homework, lunches, notices, forms, different days of the week... and this would continue for the NEXT FIFTEEN YEARS (including Mr 3, who is two years behind).

The next morning I woke up and realised that the ‘homework’ would really only take 5 minutes each night and was mostly just what we do with the boys anyway - read a book. It’s just that now it has to be the particular book that comes home with him each day.

For everything else we’ve developed systems a few weeks into term and we’re slowly getting there. But it is definitely a huge adjustment!

Rebecca Bowyer lives in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne with her longsuffering husband and two young sons, who are both quite delightful, especially when they are smiling or sleeping. For more funny little stories about raising the little people in your life, visit: www.seeingthelighterside.com F: Seeing the Lighter Side www.peninsulakids.com.au

47

BABY AURA’S

EARLY ARRIVAL BY: JO FORD

F

or many women, pregnancy is a long forty week journey, full of ups and downs. Physically and emotionally it can prove to be a challenging time, especially for first time mums. But Leah Huf, isn’t like many and most first time mums. Leah’s labour started early…at just 26 weeks into her pregnancy.

“I will never forget that day”, recalls Leah. “It was June 22, 2013. I was 33 years old, pregnant for the first time and excited at the prospect of having my baby in the spring months. But everything changed that day…….”

“When I woke up, my body felt different. I had some aches and pains but reassured myself it was all normal and just part of being pregnant.

It was a busy day; friends were visiting and I had to get food at the supermarket. As I wandered through the aisles the pain seemed to amplify. I kept arching my back to try to soothe the sensations, telling myself that these must be Braxton Hicks (mild tightening of the uterus) and they would disappear.”

“As soon as I returned home, I ran to sit on the toilet. This seemed to relieve the pain for a few moments and went on for about an hour.”

It was only when Leah noticed some light bleeding that she began to become concerned that something was not quite right with the pregnancy. Together with fiancée Chris, they drove to the WHAC (Women’s Health Ambulatory Clinic) at Frankston Hospital. “I was seen really quickly and a midwife asked the usual sorts of questions such as name, address, gestation etc. It was as I stood up that the pain really kicked in and I screamed out, arching my back quite violently. Within a flash, an obstetric registrar rushed into the room and examined me.”

Feeling bewildered and anxious, Leah could not believe it when the doctor told her she was already 10 cm dilated. “I wasn’t really sure what that meant and it was only when he said that I was in ‘full labour’ did it sink in what was happening.”

“Suddenly the small room was full of faces. There were people all around me, maybe 10 or more! I held one of the midwives’ hands and she reciprocated, squeezing my hand tightly. I was so afraid at this point and needed reassurance that I wasn’t going to lose the baby. I was given a shot of steroids which was to help the baby’s lungs. More was to be given 12 hours after.”

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

“I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT DAY”

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49

“FINALLY, AFTER 128 DAYS WE WERE ALLOWED TO TAKE AURA HOME".

Still in a state of shock, Leah was briefed on all sorts of information about possible scenarios. “The doctors explained what to expect when I saw the baby for the first time: there was a mention of complications and, if the baby survived at all, it would involve a long hospital stay.”

Leah was taken by ambulance to Monash Medical Centre, as Frankston Hospital does not have a neonatal unit that can care for such a premature baby. Another ambulance followed closely behind. “I asked why there were two ambulances and was told that it might be needed if I had the baby on the way!!!! I was scared and in tears but tried to remain calm, not wanting to stress my body further.”

“At Monash, I was taken into a labour suite. My brother, sister-in-law and Chris arrived soon after. For the next 8 hours, I had to lay flat on my back. I couldn’t move around or weight-bare and I was connected to numerous machines which were monitoring both me and the baby.

The labour was delayed with medication to try to allow the steroids to do their job but at 10 pm I was rushed into the theatre suite for an emergency caesarean.”

“The baby was delivered and quickly taken away. I glimpsed my helpless daughter across the room in the doctor’s hands. She was so, so tiny and red in colour, weighing a mere 910 grams.”

Leah named her baby daughter Aura. “The first time I saw her face was from a photo sent to my phone and I did not get to meet her until nine hours after she was delivered. I waited a whole month before I could eventually cuddle her. It certainly was not the introduction to life I was expecting or hoping for.”

attend so that we could support Aura’s needs.”

Aura needed to be weighed weekly at the Dromana Maternal Health Centre. “Each week we were met

by Anne, our lovely caring nurse. Anne’s support and information was crucial for me. As a first time mum, I was guided by her every step of the way from milestones, vaccine information, introduction to food, everything and anything. I was also linked into a range of community services from physiotherapists, dieticians, oral therapists, paediatricians, breastfeeding consultants, respiratory specialists, heart specialists and a wonderful support organisation called Biala, located in Mornington. It was here that I met two ladies called Kate and Ange. They hosted a monthly mothers’ group and truly helped to heal me. They gave me such valuable insight as to what our future would be like with a ‘premmie’.”

“Aura and I attended this group for two years and made some special friends, discussed some intensely raw topics and shared our premmie stories. I will always cherish Biala and especially Kate and Ange for all the care and support they offered to both Aura and me.”

In order that Aura gain as much weight as possible, she had been awoken frequently though the night whilst in NICU. “Right from birth Aura would need to be woken up to feed and this went on until she was one and a half. Once at home, Aura would often wake up three or four times per night for a feed.”

The sleep deprivation was starting to take a toll on the family and after careful consideration Leah decided to seek some support. “I had been referred to a sleep consultant, a magical lady called Mandy Hose from “Mandy Hose She knows”. Mandy’s expertise dramatically changed Baby Aura was alive but connected to an assortment of wires and tubes. our lives for the better. Getting proper, healthy ‘uninterrupted’ sleep “We were told to be prepared for any scenario: infection was something cannot be underestimated. Feeling tired and lethargic day after day is utterly horrible. There are still times when Aura will become unsettled we needed to be concerned about. Oxygen had been administered immediately after she was born and we would not know if any damage but we simply refer back to the routine Mandy provided to help bring things back on track. It seems to work!” had occurred for quite some time. We had no idea what to expect; we were so far out of our comfort zone.”

“Luckily for us, we now have a beautiful, perfectly healthy three and a half year old who is everything we could want in mind body and spirit.

Aura stayed in Monash NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for four I feel truly blessed that we have a success story with Aura. Sadly some and a half months and for both Leah and Chris, it was a long and families aren’t so lucky and my heart goes out to them.” intense journey. Leah reflects on that time, “We were exposed to a whole new world. Every day was different. Some days we took steps forward and other days backwards.”

Aura was on 24 hour oxygen for the first 8 months of her life and had a nasal gastric feeding tube for 14 months in total.

“Finally, after 128 days we were allowed to take Aura home. It was surreal. We had waited so long to do this and it was such a beautiful moment - travelling away from the hospital and back to our house with our daughter beside us.”

After the oxygen was set up at home and mobile tanks supplied, the couple started their ‘new life’. “We just had to get on with things without dwelling on what had happened. There were so many appointments to 50

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

“I also feel so grateful that we had access to the unbelievable support services on the Mornington Peninsula and beyond. Monash NICU nurses and hospital services were fundamental in taking care of Aura from so early on and they deserve such praise. “We are certainly very lucky to live where we do!”

Jo Ford runs Bodybump (pregnancy and post-natal aqua and fitness classes) and is bringing up two gorgeous girls, Lily and Rose. In her (limited) spare time, you'll find her at the gym practicing what she preaches. www.bodybump.com.au.

If you have an interesting pregnancy or birth story, contact Jo at bodybumpfitness@ gmail.com

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six

BENEFITS OF ASKING FOR HELP BY: JANELLE RYAN

DO you feel ready to take on the new year?

The reason I’m asking is because I noticed a common theme among my clients and friends last December. The theme was that they were all exhausted. Many of them told me they were feeling burnt out, depleted of energy and some of them were actually ill. They were ready to hit the beach, the snow or just their BED (yes, someone actually told me she just wanted to sleep) and relax for a couple of weeks.

What if you started 2017 differently?

What if you lightened your load a little and.......heaven forbid......asked for help?

Yep, that’s what I said. ASK. FOR. HELP. At home. In your business. At work.

Raise your hand if the thought of asking for help strikes a bit of fear in your heart? You are not alone. Many of us find it difficult to ask for help, but often staying silent is detrimental to our personal and professional lives. Taking on too much or battling against challenges alone can affect our emotional and physical health, our relationships and even our finances.

So why are we hesitant to ask for help? The reasons vary from one person to the next, but here are some of the most common reasons we prefer to struggle alone rather than request assistance.

1.Not Wanting To Seem Weak Or “Needy” Many of us are frightened to make ourselves vulnerable in front of 54

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

others, especially if our workplace, mother’s group or family and friends are highly competitive. We worry that we will get hurt or the information will be used against us by others. Some of us find it safer to project a strong image of self sufficiency and independence (even if we are barely coping behind closed doors).

2. Wanting To Stay In Control Sometimes when we ask for help we receive more than we asked for and more than we need. We lose complete control over our project or situation. To avoid this, be mindful of who it is you request help from and make your request clear and concise.

3. Fear Of The “Cost” What’s the price? What is this going to cost you? What will this person expect in return? Relationships usually thrive when both individuals feel the partnership or friendship is an equal one. When asking for a favour consider offering one in return. Be wary of people who are willing to offer help but refuse to accept it AND those who are very happy to take from you without ever giving back.

4. Perfectionism Yes, good old “I can do it the best way”. If you love things done your way, then go right ahead. There is nothing wrong with this when you are immersed in normal, everyday tasks but if you start to feel out of control it may be time to admit you are human and ask for help.

4. OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN & DEVELOP There is no one in the world like you. You are unique, just like the person you choose to accept help from. This person will bring their own experience, knowledge, skills and resources. They may teach you something new, provide you with information or offer an idea you’d not thought of.

5. DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR GROWTH MINDSET Admitting you need help, and asking for it, teaches you and those around you that asking for help is allowed, beneficial and normal. This develops your growth mindset which sparks curiosity, creativity, open mindedness and a desire to learn more and achieve more.

6. GRATITUDE Think of the last time you asked for help and it came.

Did you feel grateful?

Research shows that people who regularly practise gratitude •experience less physical aches and pains

HERE ARE THE SIX BENEFITS OF DOING SO...

•exercise more often •enjoy a reduction in emotions such as envy, resentment, frustration and regret •experience more happiness and less anxiety •sleep better

1. RELATIONSHIP BUILDING/NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES Human beings are social beings. We love feeling connected with others and often feel discomfort when experiencing feelings of isolation.

Collaboration with another strengthens our relatedness with others.

When we ask someone to help us in a professional environment, they bring with them their networks, contacts and connections, providing potential opportunities for your business or career.

•have high esteem •are more resilient and have better mental strength

Six valuable reasons to not go it alone this year.

Are you up to the challenge?

Or a really great hairdresser or babysitter!

2. BETTER HEALTH Accepting help from another or “sharing the load” provides a sense of relief and an increase in energy. Negative thoughts and stress levels decrease.

3. INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY If you choose to accept assistance from someone with the right skills, you will become more efficient, creative and successful in your tasks.

This person may help you become unstuck, remove obstacles and motivate you to progress faster towards your goals.

Janelle Ryan is a passionate and dedicated Personal Coach and the founder of Sky High Coaching. She combines her background in travel, recreation and recruitment with her business and coaching qualifications to help high achievers create a life of clarity, freedom and confidence. Her area of genius is helping her clients create precise and required change in their lives so they can move from feeling stuck and overwhelmed to empowered, confident and motivated. Her passionate and enthusiastic nature makes her a natural in working with clients who have already experienced success and are now committed to taking their lives to the next level.

She does this working on one with her private clients from 3 to 12 months. She also helps her online community take their lives from feeling Average to Ah-Mazing via her online multimedia course.

She believes everyone can take their life Sky High!

You can meet Janelle by downloading her complimentary online kit, Cloudy to Clear at www.skyhighcoaching.com.au or her Sky High Coaching Facebook page. www.peninsulakids.com.au

55

Ridge BY: LORRAINE AITKEN

W

ith a great array of farm gate sales, and pick your own produce providers on the Mornington Peninsula, it’s easier than ever to get the kids out and about enjoying food the way nature intended it to be…..healthy, fresh, nutritious and let’s not forget DELICIOUS!

Sunny Ridge Strawberry farm is one such place that the kids love visiting and picking their own berries. Whilst I’m sure every family on the Peninsula has visited Sunny Ridge at some stage, it is a great place to go back to when you’re out exploring the surrounding hills and want a healthy snack on the go.

The berries, without a word of a lie, are a taste sensation and I’m not even that fond of strawberries! So it’s no wonder Sunny Ridge is always popular with international visitors and day trippers trying to get a little taste of the Peninsula’s produce.

For the kids, not only is it fun for them to pick their own berries but it’s also a good way to learn about food, farming, growing and even marketing. You can help turn a simple visit into an educational experience by asking them age appropriate questions, such as: Which ones should we pick today? Which ones do we leave for another day? How many strawberries are in the container? Why are the strawberries planted in rows? Why is the strawberry farm only open from November to April? Do strawberries ripen after being picked?

Why are there white flowers on the plants? The possible questions are endless and it’s amazing how much they learn without realising when they are interested and engaged in what they are doing.

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

For anyone that is unfamiliar with the process of picking strawberries at Sunny Ridge, don’t stress it’s as simple as it sounds. You pay for entry up front and receive a punnet to fill. If you want to pick more berries than your pre-paid punnet holds then you just need to pay for the extra berries on exit. Entry for adults is $9 and includes 500 grams of strawberries; kid’s entry for ages 4-12 years old is $4 and includes 250 grams of strawberries, or a family of 4 costs $22.

After picking some berries you may like to indulge in some strawberry kebabs, homemade strawberry ice cream or Devonshire tea with strawberry jam in the Dessert café on site. As well as the café there is a gift shop and store selling jams, strawberry wine, frozen berries, chocolate coated freeze dried strawberries and much more.

Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm is open 7 days a week from 9am-5pm (U-Pick is available Nov- April). The farm is located at 244 Shands Rd, Main Ridge.

For more info, check out their website: www.sunnyridge.com.au For other places to buy fresh produce on the Peninsula, have a look at: Bentons Rise Farm, Tuerong (or better known as the “red train carriage”) www.brf.com.au, Woolumbi Farm in Tyabb www. woolumbi.com, Staples apples and cherries Main Ridge (new season apples available in March) www.staplesapples.com.au, Hawkes vegetable and produce farm store, Boneo www.hawkesvegetables. com.au, Main Ridge Dairy www.mainridgedairy.com.au to name just a few.

ANYT HING THAT THE K GE AND C IDS OUTDO TS ORS ONNE ENVIR C ONME TED TO TH E NT IS A BON IN MY U S EYES.

ENJOY

!

www.peninsulakids.com.au

57

DO YOU SUFFER FROM URBAN WOMAN

SYNDROME?

HOW TO EAT, MOVE, THINK YOUR WAY TO BETTER HEALTH! www.peninsulakids.com.au/giveaways

BY: DR. DEBRA VILLAR

A

re you are exhausted, stressed, overworked, have trouble sleeping and you lack the time to look after your health due to your life/work demands? Then you may be suffering from Urban Woman Syndrome.

per day. An alarming statistic shows that we can spend up to eighteen hours sitting, with travelling in a car or public transport, then sitting at a desk all day before coming back home to sit on the couch.

Unfortunately, regular exercise at gym may not make up for the fact that you have a sedentary job. We are meant to be continually active. Movement throughout your day and increasing what is called incidental exercising is essential for health and wellbeing.

The state of our health worldwide is at crisis point. Our modern rushed lifestyle has resulted in an increase of chronic lifestyle disorders such as autoimmune diseases, infertility, stress and hormonal imbalances.

The inability to physically adapt to our cultural and behavioural environment has given rise to what are called ‘mismatched diseases‘.

THINK for better health

Our physiology, brain and chemical makeup is the same from 10,0000 years ago however our environment has changed drastically.

Our food has become food products loaded with preservatives, sugars, additives and colours. Our work life has become sedentary with the increase use of computers and other digital devices. Our life demands have caused an increase in chronic stress and mental health concerns, where 1 in 5 Australians suffer from some form of mental illness.

Chronic stress is fast becoming an epidemic; the Australian statistics on stress and mental illness is alarming. Around 90% of Australians feel chronic stress in their life. And 70% of doctor’s visits are related to stress. And even though it would be nice to move to a tropical island with no care in the world, that is not possible. Stresses are always present, especially in our fast-paced world, but there are a few steps you can take to avoid its effects and increase your wellbeing.

Awareness and education are the key to stop the rapid increase of lifestyle related disorders, allowing individuals and families to make informed healthier choices. When wanting to improve wellness holistically, my simple EAT, MOVE, THINK health philosophy is a simple yet effective way to assess and improve your health habits.

Identify the stress - Write it down, ask yourself how this stress is serving you and how you can eliminate or reduce it. Meditate. Download apps that will help you meditate. Studies have shown that even 10 minutes of meditation increases relaxation and reduces stress.

EAT for better health

Diaphragmatic breathing. This is essential to get plenty of oxygen throughout your body. It involves breathing through your diaphragm, not your chest and neck muscles. Put your hand on your stomach, then take a big breath in through your nose – your stomach should expand.

When you exhale, release through your mouth and the stomach should relax. Your chest shouldn’t move and all the movement should come from your diaphragm expanding.

Choosing good food can sometimes be hard, especially when labeling and food marketing can confuse the consumer with titles such as “sugar free” “fat free” and “natural flavours”. These labels are usually on products that are not only high in sugar but are full of preservatives and additives. An easy way to monitor your sugar intake is to remember when reading food labels is that 4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon of sugar. The recommended intake of sugar is 5 teaspoons a day, with the average Australian consuming 29 teaspoons a day! The way to avoid sugar, preservatives, colours and other nasties is to shop in the fresh produce aisle. Consuming only fresh produce can take time to plan, however by eliminating food products and eating real food will allow your body to repair, heal and thrive.

MOVE for better health According to statistics, Australians are not very active, with 57% not getting enough exercise and doing less than thirty minutes of activity 58

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Exercise. Exercise increases endorphins, the ‘feel good’ hormones.

A wellness lifestyle should not be hard to implement since small changes in your life can increase exponentially your health body, mind and soul.

Dr. Debra Villar is the author of “Urban Woman Syndrome, Eat, Move, Think your way to ultimate health” She is a speaker, wellness consultant and practitioner. Her experience is to motivate, engage and inspire the individual and teams to better health and vitality. For more information visit www.drdebravillar.com or email dvillar@completecityhealth.com.au

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love

things we

Loopin’ Louie Loopin’ Louie is out and about and it’s up to you to protect your chickens from his dizzy diving! Every time he flies by in his airplane, he’ll be out to knock another chicken into the chute below. But if you can flip him out of the way with your paddle, he’ll go after someone else’s chicken! Be ready, though, because he’s got some sneaky moves. The player with the last chicken standing wins!

Suitable for 2-4 players aged 4+.

Available exclusively at KMART, SRP $39.95

Triple Loop Track Reach scale speeds of up to 450km!

Rev by hand, or use the Launcher to race, jump, spin 360 degrees and perform awesome stunts!

RRP: $29.99 Stockists: Big W, Target, Woolworths & Toys R Us.

Little

Sentiment

I Spy Use your eagle eye to spy the object on the game board that matches the object on your card. Each card and board have only one matching object. Be the first to ring the bell and you win!

Players: 2 – 4 Recommended Ages: 5 and up.

Never forget a birthday again…

A Forget-Me-Not subscription takes away the hassle of remembering special occasions by reminding you to remember.

Complete a simple online form with names and dates. A handselected range of cards, matched to those on your list with envelopes and stamps will be delivered to you.

Write your message, address and stamp the envelope and wait for your SMS reminder to post it.

Don’t be the one to forget to send a card… be the sender!

Forget-Me-Not 12 Subscription Value $90.00 littlesentiment.com.au

Pop Pals/Dripstick POP PALS (ICY POLE HOLDER) An insulated product to avoid frozen and messy hands.

Pop Pals’ unique design and flexible material allow children of any age to use with ease. Just warm the ice block briefly by running under water or rolling in your hand and insert into the mouth of the Pop Pal. Squeeze your Pop Pal’s belly to easily push up your icy pole. $8.00 DRIPSTIK (ICYPOLE/ICE CREAM HOLDER) A holder of frozen treats. One end holds ice cream cones in a variety of sizes. Flip it over and the opposite end hold frozen icy poles on a stick. You an even make your own icy pole by filling the ice cream cone reservoir and freezing. Kids have a better hold of frozen treats and can be placed down with the mess being contained. Also great for car trips, holidays and parties.

Keep the mess in the cup, not on the kids! $12.00 Available online at thanksmum.com.au

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Go to peninsulakids.com.au/giveaways for your chance to win!

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Chocolate Grove 350g Milk Chocolate Easter Egg Our special ‘Australiana’ designed Easter Egg box. Made with our premium milk chocolate which has a creamy sweet taste. It is made from Australian milk powder and sugar, with cocoa beans sourced from Ghana and contains a 36% cocoa mass. It is an “all natural” chocolate. It is made from Australian milk powder and sugar, with cocoa beans sourced from Ghana and contains a 36% cocoa mass.

It is an “all natural” chocolate with no artificial colours or flavouring. chocolategrove.com $10.00

Rubiks 3 x 3 This is the new original 3x3 Rubik’s Cube with faster, smoother and tougher tiles. The traditional stickers have been replaced with plastic tiles, which mean no fading, peeling or cheating! If anyone ever tells you they can solve the Rubik’s Cube by peeling the stickers off – hand them one of these! For those who struggle to master this challenge - or simply lack the patience – just look up the easy to follow Solve it Guides online at Rubiks.com – now available at all leading toy retailers.

(RRP $29.95)

Pass the Pen Pass the Pen is the world’s fastest drawing game! With the pen tip disappearing as you play, you only have 10 seconds to draw while all the other players guess. Is that a hamburger? A snowman? A sumo wrestler? You earn points if someone gets it right; if not, you Pass the Pen to the next player, and they pick up where you left off! With over 500 objects to draw, it’s fast, fun and guaranteed to draw plenty of laughter from the whole family.

Suitable 3 or more players ages 8+.

Available exclusively at KMART, SRP $39.95

Girl Lane Paw Paw Lip Balm & Face Wipes Essential for any girl’s school bag! With SPF15, it is vital that girls protect their lips from sun damage and dehydration, helping to avert cracking and cold sores.

The active ingredients of coconut oil and jojoba are quickly absorbed for chap free, soft lips! (RRP $5.49) Girl Lane Face Wipes will cool the skin quickly without stinging. The wipes contain aloe and chamomile for increased hydration and softness. A simple and convenient alternative to face wash, girls find them handy to pop in their school or sports bag, for a fussfree clean on the go! (RRP $6.99) Girl Lane products are available through Priceline and at selected specialty retailers, or online at girllane.com.au

Let Lulu Meals Looking for a new baby, get well or thinking of you gift?

Want to send something more and nurturing than flowers?

Visit letlulu.com.au and send the gift of freshly made, nourishing meals. Chef made, beautifully packaged and delivered with love. Let Lulu is ideal for group or workplace giving, and is a wonderful way for generous grandparents to help out.

Let Lulu has just started expanded their delivery area to include Frankston, Mornington and Mt Eliza.

Gift voucher for a delicious 6 meal package valued at $145.

Australia: Illustrated Australia. Big. Beautiful. Diverse. From the First People to washing lines and crocodiles, football and sunshine, koalas and akubras, skyscrapers and beaches that squeak, this 96-page picture book is a glorious tribute to this wide brown land and its rich and varied multicultural communities. Vibrantly illustrated with watercolour, ink and mono-printing, Australia Illustrated not only celebrates the more ‘typical’ Australian flora, fauna and landmarks, it also showcases the everyday quirks and idiosyncrasies that make Available from ekbooks.org and wherever good books are sold. (RRP $29.99)

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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6-12yrs + FAMILY a play by Maryam Master based on the book by David Walliams directed by Jonathan Biggins Warning: A small amount of theatrical smoke.

a CDP Kids Production

MR STINK

Friday 17 March, 11am

& 6pm

“Mr Stink stank. He also stunk. And if it was correct English to say he stinked, then he stinked as well...” The team behind The 52-Storey Treehouse return with this touching, hilarious, and very smelly tale!

Tickets from $20 | 60 min, no interval Members receive a 12% discount off full priced adult tickets.

03 9784 1060 thefac.com.au @the_fac | #thefac Frankston Arts Centre is a business unit of Frankston City Council

ROSEBUD

FORESHORE PLAYGROUND

BY: LORRAINE AITKEN

D

iscovering the fabulous new adventure playground located on the Rosebud Foreshore almost bought tears to my eyes!

How lucky are we locals to have this amazing playground right on the sandy shores of what is considered to be one of the Peninsula’s best family beaches!

Could there be a better day in a young child’s eyes than riding their bike along the Bay Trail to the beach, having a play in this amazing playground, getting an ice cream from the nearby store and eating it whilst strolling along the pier before finishing the day off with a frolic in the warm shallow waters?

Naturally, this stunning playground is a must visit for all locals and holiday makers with young children. Let the kids take delight in sliding down the ‘mountain’ slide, zipping across the grassy dunes on the flying fox, spinning themselves sick on the spinning disc, running around and navigating the many steeping stones and trails that make up just a small part of what makes this playground great.

If you are organised, it’s also the perfect spot for a family BBQ or picnic lunch. You can take advantage of the picnic tables & BBQ’s that are overlooking the bay. If your kids are like mine, then they will be delighted in watching the big ships come close to the end of the Rosebud pier as they munch on their lunch.

I would say the playground is suitable for all age groups from toddlers to young teens, with an array of play equipment varying from enclosed baby swings, junior slides and tunnels to net swings, rope climbing walls and a flying fox. There really is something for everyone.

You will find the adventure playground located at the beach end of Jetty Road in Rosebud. Car parking is limited near the pier but you will find plenty of parking in the median strip on Point Nepean Rd, which is about a 150 metre walk from the playground.

Also of some interest and within walking distance to the playground is the Rosebud Primary School community market which is held on the second Saturday of each month between 8am– 12pm.

Foreshore park facilities include: A new toilet block with disability access, 4 bike racks, water fountains, 3 BBQ’s, 2 BBQ shelters, 3 picnic tables, plenty of seating and a walking trail that goes for kilometres in either direction.

I hope you enjoy the Rosebud Foreshore Adventure playground as much as we did!

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Lifelong learners.

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Unique Unique environment. environment.

N All children are natural inquirers and powerful learners. We nurture their sense of inquiry and aim to inspire a quest for learning throughout life.

Chelsea All children are natural inquirers and powerful learners. We nurture their Our dynamic curriculum and rigorous academic program encourages students Cornish sense of inquiry and aim to inspire a quest for learning throughout life.

College Lynhurst to achieve and to make a difference in their local and global communities.

Chelsea Carrum Narre Warren N All children are natural All children inquirers are natural and powerful inquirers learners. and powerful We nurture learners. their We nurture their Our dynamic curriculum and rigorous academic program encourages students Cornish Cornish College Located on 100and acres natural ourastudents natural life. sense of inquiry sense aim of of to inquiry inspire and a parkland, quest aim tofor inspire learning quest throughout for enjoy learning life.a throughout College Lynhurst to achieve and to make a difference in their local and global communities.

Carrum has nine private Chelsea Chelsea environment with plenty of time outdoors. Our unique golf leadership Carrum Downs Our dynamic curriculum Our dynamic and rigorous curriculum academic and rigorous program academic encourages program students encourages studentsbuses, Cornish Cornish including Cornish College Seaford College College program the Cornish Links campus, specifically designed for children.

Located onutilises 100toacres ofa difference natural parkland, ourand students enjoy natural Lynhurst Lynhurst to achieve and tomake achieve and to make in on their a difference local inglobal theircommunities. local andaglobal communities. two routes from Carrum has nine private Carrum Carrum environment with plenty of time outdoors. Our unique golf leadership Cornish College Downs Cornish Frankston andCollege Seaford Open Morning Located on 100 Located acres of natural on 100parkland, acres of natural our students parkland, enjoy ourastudents natural enjoy a natural buses, including School Tour program utilises the Cornish Links on campus, specifically designed for children.

Carrum Carrum has nine private has nine private Mount Eliza. from Wednesday March environment 8with environment plenty of time withoutdoors. plenty ofOur timeunique outdoors. golf Our leadership unique golf leadership Downs Downs two routes Frankston Seaford Seaford Saturday 11 February 2017 at 10.00am buses, including buses, including Langwarrin program utilises program the Cornish utilises Links the on Cornish campus, Links specifically on campus, designed specifically for children. designed for children.

Frankston and School Tour Cranbourn two routes from two routes from School Frankston OpenTour Morning Saturday 22 April at 10.00am Mount Eliza.

Frankston and Frankston and South Frankston School 11 Tour School2017 Touratfrom Saturday February 10.00am Wednesday 8 March 2017 10.00am to 1.00pm Langwarrin Mount Eliza.

Mount Eliza.

ELC and 11 Primary Tour Saturday February Saturday 2017 11atFebruary 10.00am2017 at 10.00am

Frankston

Open Morning Tuesday 16 MayOpen at 10.00am Please book online: www.cornishcollege.vic.edu.au Open Morning Morning Wednesday 8 March 2017 from 10.00am to 1.00pm

Wednesday Tour 8 March Wednesday 2017 from 8 March 10.00am 2017tofrom 1.00pm 10.00am to 1.00pm Secondary Wednesday 17 May at 10.00am Please book online: www.cornishcollege.vic.edu.au

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3175. Telephone +61 3 9781 9000 Uniting Church Cornish College Cornish | 65 Riverend CollegeRoad, | 65 Riverend Bangholme, Road, VIC Bangholme, 3175. Telephone VIC 3175. +61Telephone 3 9781 9000 +61 3 9781 9000

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Him, for Her and for the Kids

FROM SPAIN

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The Safe Choice is the Smart Choice! On a Springfree Trampoline, sensors on the mat detect your every move and your jumps control fun, educational and active games on your tablet. And with a fitness app, Mum and Dad don’t miss out either.

Discover the Springfree Trampoline difference: 3 A rod-based system with flexible composite rods (no dangerous springs).

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for your chance to win a Springfree Trampoline* GO TO www.peninsulakids.com.au/giveaways *R54 Compact Round, includes Australia-wide delivery (valued up to $1774 including delivery). www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Celebrate

66

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Party

www.peninsulakids.com.au

67

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Credits & Links Party Organised by Waggle Dance – waggledance.com.au Photography Driftwood Images – dwimages.com.au Cake Driftwood Cakes (Frankston) driftwoodcakes.blogspot.com

bubble party TIPS * Book your entertainment for the day; Waggle Dance, who will organise a professional ‘bubble-ologist’ to arrive at your party! * Organise your bubble inspired party food; rice bubble slices, cupcakes topped with blue jelly beans, grape skewers, melon balls, Cheetos, cheese and bacon balls. * Plan your party favour bags; bouncy balls, bubble wands and perhaps a little message to say “Thanks for popping by (NAME)’s bubble party!” * Buy or make bubble inspired decorations; blue and white balloons, tissue paper pom-poms and a circular “happy birthday” garland. * Prepare a cake or arrange to have one made. Your cake could be circular and blue, otherwise tiered and topped with smarties or bubble cake pops if you are feeling adventurous. * Download some party music for your iPod or music device and get ready for a pop n bop bubble bash to remember!

BY: ERICA LOUISE

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

1. Water fountain you can drink from 5. Large Australian birds that can’t fly 6. Spinning toy on a string (2-2) 8. A knowledge test 11. Opposite direction to east 13. Classical musical drama 14. A person who has done a very

brave thing is called a ...

16. Jewels are also called ...

18. Backpacks and suitcases are ...

20. Hand-washing liquid 21. Part of your foot

W RD

ACROSS

CROSS

WORD LIST

WORD LIST

BAGS BAMBI BUBBLER BUS EMAIL EMU GEMS GREEN HERO LAY OPERA

QUIZ RHYME ROAST SEA SEE SOAP SUM TOENAIL USE WAG WEST YO-YO ZOO

SEE PAGE

© Lovatts Puzzles

103 FOR SOLUTION

DOWN 1. Famous Disney animation about a deer 2. Type of transport you might catch to school 3. Hens ... eggs 4. Children’s poem, nursery ...

7. This is made when you mix blue and yellow together 9. You ... a toothbrush to clean your teeth 10. Place where you can go and look at animals

11. When a dog is happy he might ... his tail 12. Arithmetic problem 15. Baked meat and vegetables is often called a ... dinner 17. Electronic message sent on a computer 19. To observe with your eyes is to ...

20. Sharks live in the ...

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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party

PLANNING

Play at The Messy Shed

Crocs Playcentre Frankston

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Melissa M: 0425 867 919 www.facebook.com/2sistersartanarchy www.artanarchy.com.au

Your complete guide to party entertainers & suppliers peninsulakids.com.au/parties 72

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

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73

Pregnancy & Baby

THE MYTH ABOUT EATING FOR BY: JULIE COX

I

s eating for two really the right thing to do when pregnant? No. It most definitely shouldn’t be the case or an excuse to overindulge.

Many women who do ‘eat for two’ end up gaining an excessive amount of weight. While you certainly should be increasing the amount of certain nutrients in foods you consume, being smart with your food choices should be the key. When you want to eat, ask yourself if it’s a healthy food or not. Some people often binge on foods thinking they need to as they are tired and need more energy, but unhealthy foods have the opposite effect on us and in fact take energy away from us.

though, that’s okay, too. There are women who gain nothing or even lose weight in the beginning, and others who will put on 5 kilos in one month and gain nothing for the next few weeks.

The overall total weight gain and the growth of baby are far more important than the week-to-week numbers. Your metabolism will adjust to allow weight gains and plateaus as your baby needs. Your doctor should monitor this, and let you know if you should increase your calorie intake or lower it. It’s important to remember that weight gain can fluctuate from woman to woman, and you don’t want to under or over eat. Your doctor can suggest what kinds of foods you should add to or cut from your diet as you progress throughout your pregnancy.

The ideal amount of weight gain during pregnancy depends on your starting point. During the forty weeks you should gain approximately 10-15 kilos if you begin at a normal weight. If you’re overweight at the start of your pregnancy, you should only gain 6-10 kilos.

Keep in mind that your foetus is absorbing everything it needs, and will be efficient in doing so, even if you aren’t gaining weight. Ultimately, if you eat well and keep up a healthy diet, your body will gain exactly what it needs. Also know that the growing foetus receives nutrition from the mother’s blood in the basic forms of protein, carbohydrate, and fat, so the baby isn’t eating exactly what you eat. The baby’s nutrition comes from fully digested food from the mother, meaning it only takes in the necessary nutrients from the food that’s already gone through your digestive system. This means if you eat an ice cream cone, the baby doesn’t eat ice cream, but rather takes the protein, fat, and sugar after you’ve digested your ice cream cone.

The pattern of weight gain varies among women. Commonly, a woman will gain 1-3 kilos in the first trimester, and then up to half a kilo per week in the second and third trimesters. If you don’t follow this pattern,

This doesn’t mean you can eat anything you want, though. As the baby is still taking the nutrients it needs, you’ll still need nutrients to keep yourself healthy. We recommend making as many good, healthy

Remember that you aren’t eating for two adults, but rather for yourself and a growing foetus. You should only be eating a little more to help the baby grow and develop inside you, and that little more should only be around 300 additional healthy calories per day which is equivalent to a slice of wholegrain toast with a tablespoon of peanut butter.

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food choices as possible. Listen to your body’s cravings, and don’t use pregnancy as an excuse to eat a lot of unhealthy processed foods and a lot of sugar.

If you keep your diet healthy and balanced, remember not to overeat, and continue monitoring your weight gain with your doctor, you and baby are one step closer to a happy, healthy little one joining you at the end of the road!

A dangerous side effect of over eating and not being careful about your craving choices is the increased risk of gestational diabetes, backaches, high blood pressure and needing a cesarean birth because your baby is very large. Its best to fuel your system with healthy foods so you are feeling as energetic as you can. Foods that also will keep you fuller for longer too can help subside cravings and snacking. But when in doubt, always check in with your doctor.

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Julie is mum to a sassy 2 and a half-year-old girl who keeps her moving. Her passion for mums/women’s fitness has catapulted a career in a range of fields from exercise to eating healthy, supplements, and serving up great lunchbox treats. You can find more about Julie at www.facebook.com/MumsInMotion

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75

MOTHER NATURE SHIFTS THINGS UP A GEAR AND IT ALL GOES BACK TO SQUARE ONE AGAIN!

GRANNY’S GUIDE TO …

FOUR MONTH MONSTERS: WHY BABIES CHANGE AT THIS AGE

BY: YVETTE O'DOWD

S

he is the delight of our lives - charming, endearing, bringing smiles wherever she goes.

She is a happy, contented baby who hasn’t got a worry in the world.

But last week everything changed.

My granddaughter turned - FOUR MONTHS OLD! And after all my years of experience around babies, I know that just about all the wheels are about to fall off, big time!

If there is only one thing I know, then it is to expect the unexpected between ages 4 and six months. Just when the clouds begin to clear after the early daze, your life starts to have some pattern and your baby becomes more confident, interacting and enjoying life - Mother Nature shifts things up a gear and it all goes back to square one again!

So what can my daughter anticipate over the coming weeks?

Distracted feeding: After early breastfeeds taking up to an hour of concentrated sucking, around four months, babies begin to notice that the world doesn’t stop while they eat and they keep stopping to check in case they miss something! Their growing brain hasn’t given much attention to distractions during feed times: TVs can blare in the background, conversations roar, appliances scream and the younger baby just sucks away, oblivious! But now - in the period before they develop the ability to screen out unwanted distractions, they respond to every single one.

Someone opened a door - oh, did you want me to smile at you? The cat walks along the couch - hey cat, looking for me? Mummy opens a new 76

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page on her mobile device - ooh, bright lights, look! Big brother plays with his toys - what was that? Basically, let alone tune anything out, they tune everything in!

WHAT YOU CAN DO: •Accept that daytime feeds are less effective, so more nighttime feeds might be needed.

• Minimise the distractions you can control and accept the impact of those you can’t.

• Be reassured that babies at this age are very efficient feeders and get lots of milk in those short feeds.

• Look forward to the next stage of development, when distractions aren’t so interesting.

Short attention span and easy frustration: Just a few weeks ago, it was all about the hands - reaching, grabbing, holding. Now that those skills are fairly well achieved, babies can be frustrated when they fail. The missed swipe at a dangled toy is irritating, not challenging. The dropped toy is frustrating, not forgotten. The attempts to roll are tiring, not fun. Tummy time gets boring, as does lying on your back. The swing was fun this morning but now it isn’t. Don’t pick me up, I want to lie down. Don’t lie me down, I want to be carried!

ARGH! I am a growing brain trapped in a stalled body - help!

WHAT YOU CAN DO: • Accept that this is a frustrating stage for your baby and support him as he goes through it.

• Wear your baby in a carrier or sling when you have stuff that must be done - he will like the view.

• Try not to add your own frustrations! There is no point both of you getting upset!

• Remember development comes in stages and this too will pass.

Independent moving is just around the corner!

Increased appetite and interest in eating: With all that is going on in both brain and body, it is to be expected that your baby may want more of all that he gains at the breast: more energy, more relaxation, more comfort, more reassurance. As always, your body continues to make all the milk he needs and, even though his feeding behaviour may have changed dramatically, you can be confident you will continue making exactly what he needs - after all, nature intends babies to breastfeed for years, not months, so there is no reason to anticipate failure.

However, as the time for introducing other foods to your baby’s diet approaches, he is starting to learn the skills and abilities needed to consume and digest them. You may start to notice the external ones increased saliva production (which dribbles out of his mouth); practice movements of hand to mouth, as he gains the coordination needed to put food in his mouth; awareness and interest when others are eating, as he learns through observation. In Australia, it is recommended that infants be exclusively breastfed until around 6 months of age when solid foods are introduced.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: • Continue to breastfeed as often as your baby needs, especially if he wants to feed more frequently. He knows what he needs and your body continues to listen to his feedback.

• Avoid starting solids too soon - keep in mind no food other than your breastmilk will meet all his nutritional needs until around six months. Consider using the "Baby-led Weaning" (Solids) approach, which more naturally allows your baby to begin learning about foods and beginning to eat them. www.babyledweaning.com

Increased waking and changed nighttime feeding patterns: Although it is normal and natural for babies to wake for breastfeeds during the night in the first year and beyond, it is also natural for adults to want uninterrupted sleep! In recent decades, the myth of self-settling infants and negative attitude to night feeds has led to confusion, conflict and guilt in a society that rates parenting ability by how soon a baby “sleeps through the night”.

Nobody really “sleeps through”. We all wake multiple times as one sleep cycle ends and another begins. We are disturbed by noises, movement and other external stimulus and we respond to feedback from our bodies to drink water, empty our bladder, adjust bedding, make ourselves more comfortable or stop a spouse from snoring!

Babies are different only in their shorter sleep cycles and physical inability to independently do any of these things, plus the addition of a rapidly growing and developing body on duty 24 hours, requiring refueling day and night. continued....

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77

"NOBODY REALLY “SLEEPS THROUGH”. WE ALL WAKE MULTIPLE TIMES AS ONE SLEEP CYCLE ENDS AND ANOTHER BEGINS".

So, naturally, when developmental peaks happen night waking may increase. Not only do babies wake for feeds, but they may wake due to physical disruption as they try to roll or crawl in their sleep or mental disruption as a busy brain tries to process the input of the day. And once they wake, they need help to return to sleep in the way nature intended: feeding at the breast. In one shot, they get food, drink, relaxation, reassurance and quickly return to the next sleep cycle.

So, when we start to compare our babies growth in weight and length, we start to see greater variations and they may start to appear during this time period. As babies go through growth spurts, they may seem heavier or lighter, taller or shorter when compared to others. Especially when we visually compare them all as they play alongside each other in a group! But when all we see is a line that rises or falls on a chart, we tend to see that line as “normal” and rate our babies against it.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Accept that infant developmental stages can lead to sleep disruption and continue to do so beyond infancy.

• Remember that your baby’s weight and length are only part of the information used to assess your child’s growth and development; don’t be fooled into using them in isolation.

• Continue to meet your baby’s needs by breastfeeding as often as they need, night and day.

• Find ways to support your own sleep needs during the night and day, such as co-sleeping and naps.

Weight gains, plateaus and those charts!

Recently, news reports have shown us some huge variations on the average human birth weight - babies born two or three times the size of most are always headline grabbing news! But, for the most part, the birthweight of human babies, born full-term to healthy mothers after normal pregnancies vary only within a few pounds of each other. Since the first baby was placed on the first scale, birthweight has given family something other than the child’s gender and appearance to report and has no more influence on the child’s life than they should! After all, a foetus has to fit within its mother’s womb and though we might all benefit from a longer gestation, we have really maxed-out the capacity when it comes to safely reaching the outside world!

However, once born, we each depend on two things for our potential growth - nutrition and genetics. Unfortunately, modern society has tended to focus on the first to the detriment of the second. In efforts to reduce infant mortality and increase child health, our goal has focused on measuring input via growth but often overlooking the normal variation in human size. This imbalance was made worse when babies in the mid-late 20th century were measured against a scale based on the unnatural growth patterns of non-breastfed infants from a narrow population! Thankfully, this was amended with new growth charts, but old habits die hard and we are still a society that compares babies growth and expects equality.

We all come from families who tend to look very similar, not only in facial appearance, but body type. Short, Tall, Lean, Well-padded, Broad. Narrow. And after the early weeks of life, when most babies tend to be similar in size and shape, a few months down the track, genetic patterns begin to show themselves. The short, petite build of Asia. The long, lean one of Africa. Tall, broad northern Europeans. As we migrate and blend more and more, we come to forget the origins of our forebears. However they shine out when you assemble any group - and particularly when that group consists of children of the same age. Suddenly, there are inches in difference in height and noticeable variations in shape. We expect this in skin and hair colour but forget genetics are clearly visible in body shape and height as well.

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• Keep in mind that growth happens in spurts; weight may increase one week, with length catching up the next. An assessment is only a snapshot of today and is an indication only.

• Resist the competitive side of parenting; the reason your friend’s baby is two kilos heavier than yours at the same age is more likely related to genes than parenting skill!

• Understand that times of rapid development of the brain and central nervous system aren’t measured on charts; milestones matter as much as measurements!

•

If your baby’s growth slows, don’t assume there is a problem with your breastmilk. The most likely cause is the baby; brain development, new mobility and increased activity might simply mean energy is being used elsewhere.…

Of course, I use the term Four Month Monsters in the title of this post with jest! In fact, this can be a fantastic stage of your baby’s life as they begin to show their unique personality and interact with the world and everything in it! I love every minute of watching my granddaughter grow and develop and this next couple of months will be no exception.

I just wish I had known more when my own three babies went through these stages, so I could have relaxed and gone with the flow. It is absolutely a very demanding time but also a time to be relished, for the next stage is mobility and suddenly, all those hours on the couch constantly breastfeeding are fond memories as you chase your baby throughout the day!

Yvette O’Dowd probably isn’t your typical grandmother.

This purple-haired mother of three and granny of one has been a breastfeeding counsellor for more than 20 years, runs breastfeeding education classes for parents expecting twins and more, facilitates local babywearing and natural parenting groups and writes for a popular parenting website.

Yvette lives in her Frankston home with her husband and son. Her daughters and their families live nearby.

In her spare time, Yvette is a keen photographer and scrapbooker and is keeper of a fairy garden. You can follow Yvette at www.bellybelly.com.au/author/yvetteodowd www.facebook.com/groups/SouthernNaturalParentingNetwork www.facebook.com/groups/SouthEasternBabywearing

A LITTLE RESPECT

PLEASE BY: PINKY MCKAY

H

ave I ever done anything abusive to you?” I asked my daughter who had just affirmed that I had never smacked her (I didn’t think I had, but needed to check just in case maternal amnesia was causing mummy smugness).

After a bit of a pause, my self-image as gentle mummy was shattered.

“Yes, you have,” she said with absolute conviction. “When I was little, if we went out, and I had a dirty face, you would spit on your hanky and wipe it.”

That’s hardly a childhood trauma is it? Heck, I can remember my Nana, all dressed up in her hat and gloves, dabbing at my own face with a bit of spit on her lacy hanky.

Mind you, I can also remember squirming at the time, and it got me thinking how easy it is to simply do things to small children and babies, without even considering how intrusive or disrespectful it might feel to them. Just for a moment, put yourself in your baby’s bootees: what if somebody was shovelling food into your mouth, for instance, then if they wiped the left overs off your face with as much sensitivity as they would mop up the high chair tray?

How must it feel to have your legs pulled up in the air and your pants peeled off without so much as a ‘please’ or ‘thankyou’? Or, imagine being taken to visit a houseful of people you have never met before and being expected to smile as they hover over you with their beer breath and kisses or pass you around like a tiny parcel from one stranger to another.

Of course, we have to keep babies clean and fed and experiences

such as meeting new people are inevitable unless we live in complete isolation, but we can be mindful how we do things to babies.

Respecting babies and little children is about empathy – seeing yourself in your child’s place: you would like to be introduced to visitors you hadn’t met before, wouldn’t you (a baby can’t be expected to take to a group of strangers in a flash, and introductions will give him time to adapt to new surroundings if you are visiting)?

How do you feel about people getting ‘in your face’ when you are happily ‘chilling out’ (think how often people ‘interrupt’ and wave toys in baby’s faces, when they are quite happily amusing themselves)?

And you would certainly like to be asked – or at least given an explanation if you needed to get undressed, wouldn’t you?

If you do need to do something to your baby that isn’t ‘optional’ such as changing a nappy you can tell your little one what you are about to do, rather than just sneaking up on him, and if you want to do something with your baby that isn’t absolutely necessary, such as giving him a massage, ask his consent first.

You might be thinking, what is the point of asking consent from a baby who can’t understand me, but even very young babies can give clear signals that they want to interact, would prefer to be given a break from play or a situation that is becoming stressful, perhaps because it is over-stimulating for your little one, or if she is tired or hungry.

Pinky McKay is a best-selling author, lactation consultant and mum of five.

Check out Pinky’s Parenting by Heart Mummy Meet-ups – these are free informal meet up groups of mums, babies and small children who share and support gentle parenting. www.peninsulakids.com.au

79

WHAT TO DO (AND NOT DO)

DURING PREGNANCY AND BEFORE BY: KELLIE EDWARDS

H

ow many times have you read books or blogs that give you this advice?

It's huge. Information overload! And hard to sort out the fact from the fiction: food you can and can’t eat, safe exercise, preparing for the “perfect” birth, how to get better sleep during pregnancy, enjoying your pregnancy (including how to avoid unwanted advice haha!) how to get pregnant in the first place….. the list goes on…..and on.

You are a mother who wants the best for your growing child It took me a long time to get pregnant. I get it. You are hungry for information. You want to do all that you can to have a healthy body and mind and you also want to make sure that you don’t do anything to harm your baby. I did too. I cared deeply about becoming a mother.

Thank goodness! This is no small matter, starting a family – and the more research that is done, the more we find out that what you do way before you get pregnant does have an impact on your child.

Now, some of that we can’t control. There are genetic influences and choices that your own grandmother and mother made that will have some influence on the start your child has in live (epigenetics is the place to find out more about this).

Our culture constantly invites us to do more, be more, achieve more, try harder, push through the limits and buy the next thing. It’s not our fault if we get caught up in all of that.

And it’s no easy task to see it for what it is and make a different choice for yourself and your baby. But this go-go-go doesn’t lend itself to the nurturing, soothing environment for life to grow.

Are you willing to make a change?

A therapist once said that he has seen many anxious children without anxious parents, but not many anxious parents who don’t have anxious children.

Unfortunately not only are emotions contagious (how often have you been upset and all of a sudden so are the people around you?) but so is stress. Born and unborn babies are like sponges for the good and the bad and not surprisingly, stress can make it harder to conceive in the first place (with or without IVF), with a recent study finding that women who reported feeling more stressed during their ovulatory window were approximately 40-percent less likely to conceive during that month than other less stressful months.

But there is an awful lot we can do to nourish and calm ourselves and create the optimum environment for our babies to flourish.

The good news of course is that if you take steps to reduce stress, you may increase your chances of falling pregnant and once you do, maintaining those good practices throughout your pregnancy will continue to support both you and your baby.

If there is one thing everyone agrees on, it is that reducing stress before conception and throughout your pregnancy is a top priority

How can I reduce stress? Mindfulness works a treat

It’s a crazy busy world we live in. We often seem to be rushing from one goal to the next, one commitment to the next. Is this the best environment for a baby to grow?

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There are some obvious things you can do like rushing less, introducing moderate exercise (preferably in nature which boosts both mood and health) and eating more whole, unprocessed, fresh foods.

It’s a great idea to take stock of your own coping skills and “healthy habits” too: how well do you manage your emotions? Can you let go of worries and concerns and restore a sense of calm and relaxation? How well do you sleep?

Mindfulness. As a psychologist and mother, this is one of my favourite coping skills of all time. It not only reduces stress but improves health and well-being too.

And research shows it works better than non meditation based stress management approaches – I am not surprised.

Mindfulness is more than a quick fix. (I have some of those too – I call them stress busters – that work in the moment fast, when you need them) If you value lasting change, higher well-being and a pathway from surviving to thriving, mindfulness can help.

So what is good for your baby is also good for you!

shorter practices can help, as can joining a small class like the ones I facilitate in Melbourne, where you can practice with others who are learning and get feedback from a qualified teacher.

There are also online options for those who can’t get to a regular class or prefer to learn in the comfort of their own home (eg www.flourishtime.com).

If you prefer individual support to develop mindfulness, this is available too – if it is by a psychologist then Medicare and health care rebates may apply.

A Taste of Mindfulness Right Now: I often start people off with some kindness based practices which are easier to learn and instantly soothing - and I also recommend taking time to pause …….and just close your eyes, …….taking three slow gentle deep breaths …….before moving on with your day.

How mindfulness can change your family life And the benefits go beyond actual conception and pregnancy and into your new life as a mother.

Mindfulness is not another set of instructions on how to be a perfect mother. Far from it. It’s a profoundly reassuring and soothing investment in your own health and well-being which opens the possibility of: •Greater fulfillment in mothering.

•Inner strength and comfort in difficult times.

•Greater connection to your child and yourself in good times and bad.

•An ability to stay balanced and have greater flexibility in how you respond and how quickly you recover from the frustration and unpredictability of mothering.

•Better sleep and lower stress.

•Less worry, and freedom from anxiety about imperfection.

•Confidence in your ability to set nurturing limits.

A Chinese proverb says, “One generation plants the seeds; the next enjoys the shade.”

What you do now benefits your children too. Children are reporting higher levels of stress and anxiety than ever before. They are not immune to the influences around them and the pace of life and demands on them are ever increasing. If you master these skills, you also set your child up to manage stress well. What a gift.

Do it yourself mindfulness?

Some options are “do it yourself”, trial and error (like books, blogs and YouTube videos) and some are more supported and guided.

Evidence shows that being supported by a mindfulness teacher does get better results - so do check the credentials of the teacher you choose so that you are confident you are being guided well.

Classes – Online, Face to Face and individual Coaching

Let me guide you through one short practice now - one that you can do in just a couple of minutes which gives you a taste of mindfulness and the difference it can make.

Take a moment to find a comfortable but upright posture and slowly close your eyes, if that is comfortable for you to do so.

Tune in to your breath and perhaps take a deeper breath or two until you feel reasonably settled and can follow your own natural breath in and out.

Now tune in to any sounds coming to you from outside the room what can you hear? Don’t go out looking for anything in particular, just let the sounds come to you….and then let them go again Now ….. what sounds you can notice coming to you from inside the room - just listening, no need to judge…just be curious about what sounds you notice inside the room.

Now, tune in to your body. Slowly and gently scan your body from head to toe and if you notice any obvious signs of tension, gently invite them to soften, and relax just a little.

Now as we come to the end of this mini practice, you might like to take a deeper breath or two and when you are ready, gently open your eyes.

In our mindfulness programs, we experiment with a number of different practices so that you can leave with a range of options in your tool kit, that support your well-being and resource you for the journey. I hope you’ll join us.

Kellie is a Psychologist and Mindfulness teacher and runs individual and group mindfulness programs for conception, pregnancy and parenting, both online and face to face in our local area. Register interest here: mindfulness4mothers.com/contact/

For many people, learning mindfulness can feel like a series of mistakes. Starting small, and punctuating your day with a number of

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Padua College Enriching our Curriculum Padua College is at an exciting time in its 120 years of history with Principal, Anthony Banks launching the new Educational Strategic Plan. Exciting, new programs and a campus restructure will provide an enhanced curriculum that encourages our students to be engaged learners and entrepreneurial thinkers.

In addition to ensuring that academic rigor is at the forefront of learning and teaching, Mr Banks values the Catholic ethos of developing the ‘whole person’, nurturing the academic, spiritual, physical, emotional and social talents of students.

“We aim to develop individuals who love learning for learning’s sake, with a sense of social justice, who are resilient and positive, and have a sense of faith, hope and love for their future,” he explains. “I feel incredibly privileged to be at Padua College at this exciting time in our development and welcome families to come along on a guided school tour to one of our three wonderful campuses in Mornington, Rosebud and Tyabb.”

School tour bookings can be made online via the Enrolments section of the Padua College website: www.padua.vic.edu.au Enrolments for Year 7 2019 at Padua College open 21 March 2017 and close Friday 19 May 2017.

Please contact the Registrar, Christine Mose on Ph. 5978 2701 or email: enrolments@padua.vic.edu.au

Mornington (from 2019) Year 7-9 Campus Year 10-12 Campus 62 Oakbank Road Mornington Victoria 3931 Telephone (03) 5976 0100 Rosebud (from 2019) Year 7-9 Campus 2 Inglewood Crescent Rosebud Victoria 3939 Telephone (03) 5982 9500 Tyabb (from 2019) Year 7-9 Campus 1585 Frankston-Flinders Road Tyabb Victoria 3913 Telephone (03) 5978 2700

Web: www.padua.vic.edu.au 82

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Cornish College Cornish College is a vibrant coeducational school community, with a commitment to excellence in teaching and learning. We recognise the importance of academic rigour, creativity and developing strong foundation skills for learning. Our size means our students are known as individuals and form strong relationships with peers and school staff.

Located in 100 acres of natural parkland, our students enjoy learning, playing and exploring in nature’s classroom. As a medium-sized coeducational school with 702 students from ELC to Year 12, learning at Cornish College is personalised and engaging.

Cornish College offers a broad cocurricular program including equestrian, performing arts, instrumental music, swimming, gymnastics, sport climbing and our unique golf leadership program utilising the Cornish Links campus golf course.

With our passionate and skilled teachers, well-rounded and able students and a wider community that truly supports and cares for each other, Cornish College can be the difference for your child. I welcome your interest in learning more about the unique education offered at Cornish College.

VICKI STEER PRINCIPAL

For more information, please visit www.cornishcollege.vic.edu.au

We educate for a sustainable future, embedding sustainability in our curriculum and co-curricular activities. Cornish College’s motto is Make a Difference and at its core is the development of independence, compassion and personal excellence in order for students to make a positive contribution within their community and globally.

65 Riverend Rd, Bangholme VIC 3914 Phone: 03 9781 9000 Web: www.cornishcollege.vic.edu.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Peninsula Grammar Learning through action in the early years We hear a lot about the importance of the early years and giving children the best start in life. But what actually makes the most difference? The answer, a high quality Kindergarten program.

Kindergarten builds the foundations of education and at Peninsula Grammar they believe that learning through action is a key ingredient to enabling a child to grow.

“If you want to see the joy of learning in its purest form - visit one of our Kindergarten classes,” said Louise Nicholls-Easley, Head of Junior Years at Peninsula Grammar. “Here you can see a zest for learning that comes from an emergent curriculum, room to explore and experiment and exceptional teachers.”

“I am enormously proud of our Kindergarten staff who actively encourage curiosity, collaboration and creativity in the classroom. They go above and beyond to ensure that each child in the Kinder flourishes in their own individual way,” she explains.

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However, the learning through action approach isn’t confined to the classroom. While there are purpose built Kindergarten rooms, it is the sustainable gardens and access to the entire school grounds that allows for exploring and learning. This also enhances the children’s strong sense of community and belonging within the school.

Mrs Lucinda Watson from the 4 Year Old Kinder Program sees the benefits of this approach every day. “We love to see the children’s confidence and independence growing. Each child comes here with different knowledge and they teach each other, learning that everyone has strengths,” she explains.

“For example, one of our little girls loves packing up and some struggle with working as a team so she is showing them what teamwork means. We celebrate that.”

For more information about Peninsula Grammar and its learning through action Kinder program, go to www.peninsulagrammar.vic.edu.au or call (03) 9788 7777.

20 Wooralla Drive, Mt Eliza VIC 3930 Phone: 03 9788 7777 Web: www.peninsulagrammar.vic.edu.au

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Moorooduc Primary My name is Peter Quigley and I’m very fortunate to be the Principal of Moorooduc Primary School. Moorooduc is a unique, small school located in a lovely rural environment.

through our school council or become a part of the extremely hard working Parents’ Association who plan and run many community building and fund raising events.

I am looking forward to the 2017 school year and am excited by the promise that every student will be a happy and successful member of the Moorooduc community.

Students are actively encouraged to develop leadership skills throughout the school, with an active student representative council and student led lunchtime programs.

As a school we strive to create a caring, engaging and inspiring environment where all students learn and fulfil their potential socially, emotionally and physically, to become responsible lifelong learners in a changing world.

All members of our learning community collaborate closely together with a focus on teaching and learning and student results, inside a highly effective engagement and wellbeing program.

Relationships are central to the work we do.

We actively work with parents to create the best outcomes for our students and provide multiple opportunities for them to work closely with teachers and contribute in a positive way to our community.

Parents can engage in policy decisions

2017 is an extremely exciting time as the last stage of the school’s building program will be completed in June when a new staff admin centre will be opened.

This is the culmination of a program which has seen nearly every classroom updated over the past three years.

I firmly believe in the capacity of all of our students to make their mark on the world, and am committed to providing an education that will positively influence their lives and provide opportunities for a successful future. At Moorooduc Primary School there is a commitment from all staff to ensure every child can be the best they can be. I look forward to having the opportunity to show you around our school in the near future.

Derril Road, Moorooduc VIC 3933 Phone: 03 5978 8330 Web: www.moorooducps.vic.edu.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Dromana College It is a privilege to be the Principal of Dromana College and I delight in the opportunity to share with the wider community our success.

I would like to begin by congratulating the whole college community on a fantastic 2016, with our students having achieved excellence in a diverse range of learning programs and co-curricular activities. Our students are challenged, motivated and engaged by interesting, exciting and relevant curriculum that caters for their needs.

As I reflect on the year, I again return to the greatest strengths of our school; the relationships between staff and students and the sense of belonging that our community fosters. The learning relationship of our students with their teachers and vice versa is elementary, built on the college values of respect, integrity, personal best and responsibility and underpinned by clear learning intentions.

The College’s well established vision continues to deliver excellent outcomes for all our students. In 2016 Dromana College students out performed all other local secondary providers. For the seventh year in a row, we have improved our VCE median score, our average is

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now 31, and more that 90% of our Year 12 students achieved above the state mean.

A recent independent review of the college programs, relationships and achievements, determined Dromana College to be a high performing school of academic excellence. The report also commended the expansion of our school’s extra curricula enhancement programs to include Athletics, Dance, Science and Technology adjacent to the school day.

The outlook for 2017 is outstanding. Our focus continues to be delivering the best academic outcomes for all our students.

At the same time, we have committed some $3 million to the redevelopment of our Performing Arts Theatre and kitchens and have completed a ‘state of the art’ Year 7 learning area. The college values are at the core of this commitment and underpin the strong sense of wellbeing and community that our school enjoys.

For further information on any of our programs please do not hesitate to contact the college on 03 5987 2805 or visit our website: www.dsc.vic.edu.au Alan Marr PRINCIPAL

ALAN MARR PRINCIPAL

110 Harrisons Rd, Dromana VIC 3936 Phone: 03 5987 2805 Web: www.dsc.vic.edu.au Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

A

new study finds that 6-year-old girls are less likely than boys to think members of their own gender can be brilliant - and they’re more likely than boys to shy away from activities requiring that exceptional intelligence. That’s a serious change from their attitudes at age 5, when they’re just as likely as boys to think their own gender can be brilliant, and just as willing to take on those activities for brilliant children (Khan, 2017).”

The percentages of enrolments in the education’s independent sector continue to increase, but with research such as this continuing to support the importance of early years education, why do we still have Victorian families waiting to invest only in their child’s secondary years?

So many developmental milestones are solidified in the first few years of formal schooling: language development, confidence, competence, logical thinking and of course social initiative. This period of time is where young brains are most vulnerable to fixed patterns in their own understanding of self and of others. This is why the importance of small, personalised, co-educational environments are so important for giving children the best start at a time when it can really have a life long effect.

As parents, what can you do to help build your child’s idea of self and break down barriers of self-doubt? Educational research has shown that the greatest parental influence on their child as a student was the parent’s expectations and aspirations, and that this effect was greatest from kindergarten to Year 3 (Hattie, 2009). Showing your child the value you place on education through reading, questioning and engaging can be a very powerful force in their expectations of self, their motivation and with that their belief in what they can achieve.

THE BEST START Kristy Kendall is the Principal of Toorak College and has a Masters in Education specialising in developmental psychology. She has authored 9 titles in VCE Psychology and is an advisory board member for online learning tool, Edrolo.

Dromana College is a school where students develop to their full potential. Our exceptional academic learning environment is built by offering a range of diverse learning experiences. With outstanding facilities, a committed professional staff and a caring school community, students are challenged to explore their interests and use their talents to achieve their best.

Open Night Thursday 27 April 2017 at 7:00pm

A high performing provider of education on the Mornington Peninsula

‘A high performing provider of education on the Mornington Peninsula’

110 Harrisons Road, Dromana, Victoria 3936 Entry via Old White Hill Road

T: 03 5987 2805 E: dromana.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au W: www.dsc.vic.edu.au

• Outstanding VCE results • Single gender classes for the core subjects • Select entry academic enhancement program (LEAP) • ‘State of the art’ Year 7 area • Performing Arts Centre, Design Centre • International Sister Schools Program and study tours • Elite coaching programs including Basketball and Cycling • Instrumental music tuition • Diverse and engaging extra curricula events • High expectations of all students • A clear and consistent code of conduct for all students

‘Lessons come from the journey… not the destination’ Tours available Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:30am Please phone 03 5987 2805 for bookings.

RES P O NS IB I L ITY, R ES P E C T , I N T E G RI T Y , P E RS O N A L BE S T www.peninsulakids.com.au

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& KIDS

SCREENS

BY: MICHELLE HAMER

F

or the first time in Australia, some schools are introducing computer coding as a compulsory subject.

Giving our children access to this language can only empower them to take charge of their computer usage and enrich their use of it.

Is it a smart move to teach kids as young as five how coding works?

Or does the move just consign our kids to even more hours in front of screens?

Back in 1999 when Smartphones, digital tablets and email-enabled watches were simply a figment of some tech guru’s imagination, the American Academy of Paediatrics decreed children should not spend more than two hours per day in front of a screen. This guideline has been held up as the final word on screen time for almost two decades.

The Queensland Government introduced compulsory coding and robotics subjects to the primary school curriculum this year.

The decision has not made everyone happy however, with one childhood development expert saying children needed to be out playing rather than spending more time in front of screens.

Dr Michael Nagle told the ABC that children “engaging with technology may be doing more harm than good in terms of health”.

Certainly there are no health benefits, and maybe even some dangers, in children spending hours in a soporific trance staring blankly into a screen. But that’s not what this program is suggesting. In fact it’s the opposite. It will show children that digital technology can be so much more than simply a form of passive entertainment. It will challenge children to come up with great ideas, then use computational thinking to solve problems and turn their idea in to something tangible – a computer game, an app or simply an animation.

Rather than being passive consumers, children will have the chance to be empowered creators.

Dr Dan Crow, a professor of Computer Science at Leeds University in the UK, believes coding is a vital skill for all children.

“Not knowing the language of computers will be as challenging as being illiterate or innumerate,” he has said.

Coding is a global language behind the software that does everything from delivering movies to our TVs, sending phone calls over digital networks, enabling us to shop for bargains online and controlling home appliances.

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However two months ago the AAP released a long-awaited update.

Now the group says it is how digital media is being used that is most important, not for how long. In fact the AAP has called for paediatricians to advocate for digital literacy, and for parents to act as media monitors, sharing and discussing their children’s media use.

It suggests families draw up their own media-use plan, allocating time for screens after more-important activities such as shared meal times, sport and a good night’s sleep.

The world is changing rapidly, technology is developing exponentially, but children will always need to learn through play, to interact with their environment and get enough sleep and exercise to maintain good health. These factors, along with consistent, loving caregivers, will remain the corner stones of a healthy childhood. Teaching them to code at school is not a threat to any of this. Family dysfunction, poor diet, lack of parental education, poverty and sheer demographics can deprive kids of these basics. Let’s get angry about that, not an innovation that will provide children with more knowledge about the world in which they will grow up. A world vastly different to today, with jobs and challenges we can’t even imagine yet.

Michelle Hamer is a local journalist and author.

MONTESSORI

The world renowned teaching methods of Maria Montessori – Montessori Cycle 1

Fostering creative play and gross motor skills

Focus on Education

Piccolos

During the most precious years when your child learns easily

Emphasis on Respect

Core values, manners, social and emotional skills

Highlighting the Love of Learning for the Future

By an environment that is stimulating and nurturing

24-26 Malcolm Road, 118 Overport Road, Langwarrin Frankston South Phone 03 9787 9494 Phone 03 9787 6730 to visit our school to visit our school altochildren@bigpond.com piccoloschildren@bigpond.com www.altochildren.com.au www.piccoloschildren.com.au Creating confidence

Developing concentration

The Centres are open from 7:30am – 6:30pm Ages 2.5 – 6 yrs

Montessori Long Day Care Integrated Kindergarten Healthy Meals Family rebates and benefits apply

Piccolos beautiful natural learning environment Developing life skills

Lasting friendships

Learning to read while learning to write Understanding numeracy

Expression through song and dance

Promoting nature and care for its inhabitants

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Recipes

Jodie BLIGHT We’re all busy and want quick, healthy and delicious meals but sometimes just don’t have the time.

Summer TABLE will inspire you to put variety and zest back into your mealtimes and with a free APP to create a shopping list on your phone, dinner will be ready in no time! And – you learn how to use leftovers in innovative new ways.

After years working as a company director in the finance industry, starting a family and moving half way around the world, Jodie Blight discovered her passion – creating healthy, easy and delicious family meals. “A fist pump from the kids is as good as a Michelin star in my books.”

To find out more about this revolutionary cookbook, please visit www.hellotable.com.au or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hellotable

Marinated Barbecue Seafood

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 4 minutes Total time: 14 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients

Method

24 green prawns, peeled and deveined 8 scallops, shelled (optional) ½ cup coconut cream 1 handful coriander, chopped

1. Place all marinade ingredients into a small food processor.

Blend until they form a thin paste. Place mixture in a bowl and toss with seafood to coat.

Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for as long as you can.

2. Preheat barbecue on medium– high heat and sprinkle with a little oil. Remove seafood from the marinade (keep marinade aside) and cook the prawns on the hotplate for 2 minutes each side until they are pink and

Marinade

1 tablespoon chopped ginger 5 garlic cloves, chopped 1 lemongrass stalk, chopped 1–2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped 1 lime, zest (save juice to serve) 5 coriander stalks, chopped 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons olive oil

cooked through. The scallops will need slightly less cooking time, just one minute each side depending on their size.

3. To make a dipping sauce, place the retained marinade and coconut cream in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until thickened slightly.

4. Serve seafood sprinkled with chopped coriander leaves, a squeeze of lime and the dipping sauce.

Eating hot prawns straight from the barbecue is quintessentially Australian, as spruiked to the world by Paul Hogan in the 80s. If you love a bit of spice inspired by Asian flavours, then this is for you. The secret to barbecuing seafood is to keep an eye on it, because it cooks fast.

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Thai Chicken Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients

Method

400 g cooked chicken, shredded 4 handfuls mixed lettuce leaves 1 Lebanese cucumber, julienned 1 carrot, coarsely grated 1 red capsicum, sliced 2 handfuls bean shoots 4 spring onions, thinly sliced 1 handful mint leaves, chopped 1 handful coriander, chopped 1 handful cashews (optional)

1. Place cashews on a baking tray and toast under a medium grill for a few minutes until they brown slightly.

2. To make dressing, shake ingredients in a jar until combined. Taste and adjust to your liking. Combine chicken and half the dressing in a large salad bowl.

3. Add lettuce, cucumber, carrot, capsicum, bean shoots, spring onion, mint and coriander leaves to chicken and toss with remaining dressing.

4. Sprinkle with chopped cashews.

Dressing

6 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped (optional)

Tip....

Delight everybody’s tastebuds with this light and fresh salad. It is a really easy way to get the kids to eat their vegies. They love it!

WHILE TOASTING NUTS, SET THE TIMER TO REMIND YOU TO CHECK THEM, AS THEY CAN BURN SO EASILY. OR GIVE THE JOB OF WATCHING THEM TO AN EAGER HELPER

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Mediterranean Red Peppers

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Total time: 15 minutes Serve: 4 Ingredients 6 whole roasted red peppers 400 g roast beef 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 red onions, diced 4 garlic cloves, crushed 800 g crushed tomatoes (2 tins) 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional) 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar salt and pepper 30 kalamata olives 200 g feta, crumbled 1 handful basil leaves, chopped (optional)

Method 1. Drain peppers from jar and choose the four best peppers for stuffing. You will need another 2 roasted peppers, diced, for the mixture.

2. Finely chop beef in the food processor.

3. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat and cook chopped onion until tender. Add garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds.

4. Add tomatoes, 2 diced roasted peppers, chilli flakes, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes. If too dry, add ¼ cup of water. Add chopped beef and stir until heated through.

5. Stir through olives and crumbled feta. Stuff peppers with meat mixture and serve on a platter topped with chopped basil and more feta if you like.

Tip....

IF YOU ARE USING FRESH MINCED BEEF INSTEAD, ADD MINCE TO FRYING PAN AFTER COOKING ONION AND GARLIC. COOK FOR 5 MINUTES UNTIL BROWN ALL OVER. These bright red peppers packed full of flavour make the ideal quick midweek dinner. If you only have a small amount of beef, add some cooked rice or quinoa to make it stretch further.

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Warm Greek Lamb Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Serve: 4 Ingredients

600 g cooked lamb, warm 4 handfuls baby spinach leaves 2 whole roasted red peppers, sliced ½ red onion, finely sliced 75 g kalamata olives, halved 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved 100 g feta, crumbled

Dressing

Method 1. To make dressing, shake ingredients in a jar until combined.

Taste and adjust to your liking.

2. Shred warm lamb and toss with salad ingredients in a salad bowl. Drizzle with dressing and top with feta to serve.

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 6 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon honey fresh oregano, chopped (optional)

Tip....

YOU CAN ROAST AND PEEL YOUR OWN RED PEPPERS, BUT FOR SPEED I PREFER TO USE THE ALREADY ROASTED RED PEPPERS FROM THE JAR OR DELI. In no time at all, you will be savouring the flavours of the Mediterranean. This healthy and simple meal is so quick to prepare – perfect for those busy nights. Use leftover roasted tomatoes from Sunday’s roast instead of the fresh tomatoes to give the salad a more intense flavour. www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Warm Chinese Pork Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 14 minutes Total time: 24 minutes Serve: 4 Ingredients

800 g pork fillet (2 large fillets) 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Marinade

½ tablespoon five-spice powder 4 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sesame oil 3 tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese wine 2 garlic cloves, crushed ¼ tablespoon grated ginger 1 tablespoon honey

Salad

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon sesame oil 250 g snow peas, lightly steamed 2 handfuls bean shoots 4 spring onions, thinly sliced 1 handful coriander, chopped

Method 1. Preheat oven to 180C. 2. Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. Cut fillets in half so you have thin and thick pieces,

and add to marinade. Toss to coat and marinate for 2 hours or more, but if in a hurry don’t worry.

3. Drain pork well and keep the marinade aside. Heat coconut oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat, cook pork for 2 minutes each side. Transfer to a tray and place in the oven for 8–10 minutes (thin pieces may need only 8 minutes while thick pieces may need 10 minutes). The pork is perfect if it is still slightly pink. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

4. To make a warm sauce add remaining marinade to frying pan, bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes.

5. In a salad bowl, mix the vinegar and sesame oil together. Add snow peas, bean shoots, spring onion and coriander leaves, and toss together. Serve with sliced pork drizzled with warm sauce.

Tip....

CHINESE FIVE-SPICE POWDER IS A SPLENDID MIX OF ASIAN SPICES AND IS EASY TO FIND IN YOUR LOCAL SHOP.

The marinade only takes a few minutes to put together, and if you have the time, make it the night before or in the morning and let the pork marinate all day.

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Crepes

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Total time: 15 minutes Serve: 4 Ingredients

2 eggs 1 cup milk 1¼ cup spelt flour (or 1 cup plain flour) oil spray or butter Topping ideas lemon and sugar maple syrup and ice-cream bananas and caramel strawberries and cream Nutella

Method 1. Lightly beat milk and eggs together. Sift flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle.

Gradually add egg mix and whisk constantly until smooth.

If the mixture is lumpy, use electric beater for 1 minute.

If time allows, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Remove batter from fridge and stir. Heat a crepe pan or small frying pan over medium–high heat.

Spray a small amount of olive oil or add butter to pan. Add half a soup ladle of batter to the pan.

Swirl the pan around until a thin layer of batter covers the bottom.

3. Cook for about 1 minute.

When the bottom of the crepe is cooked, flip using a spatula.

Cook for a further 30 seconds until the other side is cooked.

Transfer to a plate and cover with foil until you are ready to serve.

4. Continue making the rest of the crepes, adding more olive oil or butter between cooking each crepe.

5. Add favourite toppings, fold and serve.

Tip....

When I was a child, my mum used to make crepes as a special dessert. These days the tradition continues, with my husband making crepes for breakfast on the weekend. There are so many ways to enjoy these French delights – from simple sugar and lemon juice to more elaborate concoctions.

REFRIGERATING THE BATTER IS NOT ESSENTIAL, BUT IT DOES ALLOW THE GLUTEN TO RELAX AND GIVES YOU A SMOOTHER CREPE WITH A SLIGHTLY BETTER FLAVOUR.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Health

ANTIBIOTIC

RESISTANCE BY: HEALTHDIRECT.GOV.AU

M

any bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics.

Sometimes the bacteria change to protect themselves against the antibiotic. When this happens the antibiotic no longer works. This is called antibiotic resistance and is a serious global problem.

WHAT ARE ‘SUPERBUGS’?

‘Superbugs’ are bacteria that are difficult to treat because they are resistant to several different antibiotics, and especially those that treat other resistant bacteria.

WHY IS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE A PROBLEM?

Superbugs such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multi-drug-resistant strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) are becoming more common, and can be a real problem in hospitals.

Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria survive and continue causing infection despite treatment with an antibiotic – the bacteria are no longer sensitive to that antibiotic.

WHAT CAUSES ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE?

BECAUSE THE ANTIBIOTIC NO LONGER WORKS AGAINST THE RESISTANT BACTERIA: infections take longer to heal

The more bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, the more chances they have to change and become resistant. When you use antibiotics when not needed or don’t take antibiotics properly – such as missing doses or not completing the course – you give bacteria opportunities to become resistant.

infections can get worse and lead to more serious problems infections are more likely to spread to other people and because bacteria are resistant, the antibiotic may not work for other people, further spreading the problem.

You might think it best to use another antibiotic, one that bacteria aren’t resistant to. But another antibiotic may not work as well and cause more side effects. Eventually, bacteria may become resistant to this other antibiotic too.

For these reasons, antibiotic resistance is a major threat to human health. There is concern that in time, there’ll be bacterial infections that just can’t be treated.

HOW DO BACTERIA DEVELOP ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE? Bacteria can change their genes after being exposed to an antibiotic.

This allows them to survive antibiotic treatment. Then, when they multiply, they make more resistant bacteria. This is how antibiotic resistance develops.

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HOW CAN I HELP PREVENT ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE? Antibiotic resistance can’t be totally stopped, but it can be slowed down by sensibly using antibiotics. You can help by: not taking antibiotics for a cold or the flu, including cough and sore throat; viruses cause most colds, and antibiotics don’t work against viruses telling your doctor you only want antibiotics when necessary – such as for serious bacterial infections such as pneumonia taking your antibiotic as prescribed, and completing the full course never saving antibiotics for the next time you’re sick never taking antibiotics prescribed for someone else having good hygiene practices to avoid spreading infections.

Sources: NPS MedicineWise (Antibiotic resistance — what is it and why is it a problem?), Centers for disease control and prevention (Antibiotic questions and answers), NHS Choices (Antibiotics Q&A)

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IS SOCIAL MEDIA

HARMING

SELF CONFIDENCE?

BY: DEBORAH WILLIAMS

W

e recently commissioned an independent survey of more than 3,000 mums with daughters aged between 7-14 years.

The survey shows Australian mums are increasingly worried about their daughters’ self-confidence when it comes to body image and problem skin.

Almost 15% of the mothers surveyed were worried that their daughters are spending an excessive amount of time on social media while almost as many said their biggest concerns for their daughters growing up is that they will not have enough self-confidence. More than 20% of the respondents said that they worry about their daughters developing problem skin as a result of not looking after their skin.

“Some girls are becoming self-conscious about their body image as early as the age of nine,” says Deborah Williams, Girl Lane co-founder and pharmacist. “The biggest factors contributing to tweens’ and teens’ body image problems include media and peers.”

“As mothers we need to address body image and problem skin issues appropriately from an early age,” continues Williams. “Our advice is to ensure your tweens understand how media images are manipulated, and to approach the topic of problem skin with care.”

“Most skin damage occurs before the age of 17.

“Over half the mothers surveyed say their daughters feel very conscious and ‘super sensitive’ Developing good skincare habits helps to promote healthy skin later in life. For tweens it is important when they are experiencing problem skin and they cleanse their face morning and night with pimples, but over 30% of mothers surveyed appropriate face wash and to apply sunscreen believed that their daughters do not need to use daily. Regular skincare will help boost selfskincare products or do not believe there are confidence and help keep skin problems at bay.” suitable skincare products available.”

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ASK THE PHARMACIST:

Q. A.

I have really thick and long hair. My hair also is greasy and frequently has dandruff. What should I do?

You are not alone. Every single day there are girls dealing with the same problem. The flaky scalp is most likely dryness and not dandruff. Dry scalps are especially common amongst girls and during winter. This is because most shampoo and conditioner has a pH of 8-10 but the scalp has a pH of 5.5. And so this pH imbalance leads to dry scalp, and your scalp responds by producing too much oil and the cycle goes on.

Make sure you rinse shampoo out really, really well, and limit hair washing to no more than 2-3 times per week. If you are washing your hair every day it will become more oily. If it gets oily in the short term, just use a good quality dry hair shampoo at night before bed (so your hair doesn’t stay white all day!). You will also find that tying it back will stop irritation from excess oil.

Also, only use shampoo once, not twice per wash as its not needed.

Gently wring out excess water and then apply conditioner from the mids to the ends of your hair. Your scalp does not require conditioning, and by focusing on the mids to ends you will ensure hair is manageable but scalp is not overly oily.

Sometimes if your scalp gets really flaky you need a treatment from the Doctor, so a visit to your GP is a good option if the above hasn’t made much of a difference after 2 weeks.

Has your Child Dental Benefits Schedule refreshed in 2017?

Eligible kids may be entitled to a $1000 benefit to use on selected dental services.

Cranbourne Park 5995 1100 // Open 7 days Deborah is a mother of three, and has been an Australian Pharmacist for 14 years.

She has been involved in pharmaceutical formulary as a consultant for leading dermatologists in Melbourne. From this experience, she developed a special interest in skincare, which became targeted to children’s skin when she became a mother. She has been formulating skin products for patients for over a decade and has decided to make a skincare range, Girl Lane, exclusively for girls to fill an obvious need in the community. Her formulations are designed to provide a range of nourishing and protective natural botanical ingredients, safely complemented by the best of science. www.girllane.com.au *Free when services covered by the Commonwealth Government’s Child Dental Benefits Schedule are bulk billed by participating Practitioners for treatments provided to eligible patients.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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IMMUNISATION PROGRAM 2017 CARRUM DOWNS Lyrebird Community Centre 203 - 205 Lyrebird Drive March 1 & 15, April 19, May 3 & 17 Wednesday 9.30-11.30am Banyan Fields Child & Family Centre 90A Cadles Road March 9, April 13, May 11 Thursday 9.30-11.30am

DROMANA Dromana Community Hall 359 Pt Nepean Rd March 22, April 26, May 24 Wednesday 1.30-3pm

FRANKSTON Joy Street MCH 15 Joy Street March 1, May 3 Wednesday 1.00-2pm Frankston South Recreation Centre 55 Towerhill Road March 6, May 8 Monday 9.30-11.30am Karingal Place Neighbourhood Centre, Ashleigh Avenue March 14, April 18, May 9 Tuesday 9.30-11.30am March 23, April 27, May 25 Thursday 9.30-11.30am Frankston North Community Centre 26 Mahogany Avenue March 9, April 13, May 11 Thursday 1.00-2pm

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Frankston Mechanics Institute Hall Plowman Place March 20, May 15 Monday 5.30-6.30pm Lakewood Child & Family Centre 107 Raphael Cres March 27, April 24, May 22 Monday 12.00-1.00pm Mahogany Rise Child & Family Centre 2/25 Jenkins Street March 7, April 4, May 2 Tuesday 1.00-2pm Montague Park MCH Bentley Place March 28, May 23 Tuesday 9.30-11.30pm

HASTINGS Hastings Community Health Centre 185 High Street March 1, April 5, May 3 Wednesday 9.30-11.15am March 10, May 12 Friday 9.30-11.15am March 6, April 3 Monday 5.00-5.45pm

LANGWARRIN Langwarrin Community Centre Cnr Warrandyte and Lang Roads March 8, May 10 Wednesday 9.30-11.30am Langwarrin Service Centre Southgateway March 27, April 24, May 22 Monday 9.30-10.30am

MORNINGTON Bentons Square Community Centre 145 Bentons Road March 3 &17, April 21, May 5 &19 Friday 9.30-11.15am Mornington Shire Office 2 Queens Street March 15, April 19, May 17 & 31 Wednesday 9.30-10.30am March 22, April 26, May 24 Wednesday 5.00-5.45am April 7 - Friday 9.30am-11.15pm

ROSEBUD WEST Seawinds Community Hub 11A Allambi Avenue March 24, April 28, May 26 Friday 9.30-11.15am April 19, May 17 Wednesday 5.00-5.45am

RYE Rye Senior Citizens Hall 12 Napier Street March 8, April 12, May 10 Wednesday 9.30-11.15am

SEAFORD Seaford MCH 41 Railway Parade March 7, April 4, May 2 Tuesday 9.30-11.30am Belvedere MCH 1 Moomba Avenue March 15, April 19, May 17 Wednesday 1.00-2pm

Do you have a fussy eater?

Have your child’s nutrient intake assessed as well as get some tips on how to manage this frustrating stage with our Nutritional Medicine Practitioner TODAY!

• Providing Specialist Orthodontic Services to the Mornington Peninsula with two locations in Rosebud and Mount Eliza.

Are you concerned that your fussy eater is missing To help improve your out on important nutrients that may be affecting child’s development or development and/or behaviour? Nutritional behaviour, book in for Medicine may help support and improve: an initial consultation with our Nutritional Fussy eaters Learning disorders Medicine practitioner Anxiety Behavioral issues and receive 30% off Bedwetting ADD/ADHD during Autumn.

Developmental delay Autism (1.3.17 to 31.5.17) 14/271 Wells Road Chelsea Heights VIC 3196 03 8751 5271 www.energienaturalhealth.com.au info@energienaturalhealth.com.au Facebook: Energie Natural Health

SOLUTION FROM PAGE 71

• The very best in Orthodontic care and technology - clear braces, Invisalign, lingual (hidden) braces.

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TAL K WII DTHS YOUR K

BY: JODI RICHARDSON in meaningful ways about some really big ideas.

W

ould you rather be eaten by a shark or stung to death by bees? Well…? Morbid, I know. But ask your kids the same question and watch what happens. They love this stuff. It not only gets them thinking, deliberating even; it gets them talking.

Some kids don’t need any prompting, they can talk underwater (we’ve got one of them). Others are more the ‘keep it simple’ kind of kids, using as few words as possible (yep, we’ve got one of them too!). We learn as parents to ask open-ended questions to get more out of them; you know, the kinds of questions requiring more than a yes or a no. But the bottom line is, kids all over the country clam up at the ‘How was your day?’ question every day after school.

Does it matter? Yes and no. It doesn’t matter if they don’t chat much about the ins and outs of their day per se, but it does matter that relaxed communication lines are kept open. That way, when they want to talk, or need to talk, they will.

It’s also about us, as parents, finding the topics they do want to chat about (star wars Lego anyone?) and letting our kids know that we care about them, about what happens to them, and reinforcing the idea that we’re willing and ready to listen when they’re ready to talk.

So what can we do when “How was your day?”, “Anything cool happen at school?”, “What were the best and the worst things about your day?” or “What did you get up to at lunchtime?” have all worn thin?

We can think outside the box and start asking different questions.

Questions they’ll want to answer which achieves our main aim of having a great chat with them, often. That way, the important stuff about the time when we’re not with them, like at school, might even begin to flow more naturally.

Let’s start asking the types of questions that make them laugh, perplex them, have them weighing up pros and cons and prompt them to think 104

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

Kids are amazing, and I’m willing to bet there’ll be times when you’re floored by what they say in answer to questions like; Would you rather win five million dollars, or win one million dollars and have 20 neighbours all win one million dollars as well?

Would you rather lose your sense of sight or lose your sense of hearing?

Would you rather be the smartest person in your year or the most popular person in your year?

And don’t forget the important questions like “Would you rather eat a tin of cat food or an oyster sandwich?” Ewwww. It’s always good to follow up their answer with “why” too.

When asked if she’d rather be a rat or a slug, our daughter chose rat so she wouldn’t have to be in slow motion all the time! Clearly she’s a girl who wants to get from A to B without delay!

What about some questions with a moral edge to them such as: “Imagine you start a company making sneakers and you get 50 people to come to work for you. How much should you pay them? As little as possible? Enough for them to have a good life? Or a share of the profits for those who work just as hard as you?

I wonder what they’ll say if you ask them “Do people start off good or bad?” Or get them to imagine that they could turn anything they touch to gold (unless wearing gloves) then ask what their life would be like and how the world would change for them.

It could make for interesting conversation if you ask them “should people with money to spare give money to assist those in other parts of the world who are starving? Why or why not?”

Meaningful conversations help develop strong connections within families. And strong connections with family and friends is what underpins happiness. While anytime is a good time for a chat, family meal times are a perfect opportunity to forego the usual “No you’re not

Dr Peter A. Scott is a specialist orthodontist offering orthodontic care for children, teens and adults alike in both the Mornington Peninsula and inner Melbourne areas. He is also a consultant orthodontist at the Royal Childrens Hospital.

having any more sauce” and “Would you eat like that if Trent Cotchin was at the table?” for more imaginative and though-provoking conversations.

Not only will you strengthen relationships with your kids, research shows that there’s a long list of benefits that stem from eating together as a family including boosting kids’ vocabulary, increasing their sense of security and belonging, broadening the types of foods they eat, increasing the nutrients they consume, improving their academic performance, lowering the likelihood of teenagers engaging in high risk activities and promoting mental health for everyone.

One classic dinner table conversation starter has always been “If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would you choose?”

Masterfoods developed their #makedinnertimematter campaign around this, asking parents this question and then their kids, filming their responses. The parents had a variety of answers from Jimi Hendrix to Justin Bieber to Nelson Mandela; but the kids were unanimous, saying they’d want to have dinner with their family. It’s heart-warming, and shows just how much family means to kids.

We can all help make brekkie, lunch or dinner time matter with just a few new ideas. For more ideas I love ‘Talk With Your Kids: Big Ideas’

by Michael Parker and ‘100 Questions: A Toolkit for Families’ from The School of Life. There are also heaps of great resources online.

Specialist Orthodontist Creating Beautiful Smiles On The Peninsula For 30 Years Expertise In Child And Adult Orthodontics Early Assessment Of Dental Development And Facial Growth Ideal Age Of Initial Assessment 7-9 Years Early Intervention Where Appropriate For Best Outcome No Referral Necessary

Oh, and by the way, I’d rather be eaten by a shark – you?

Dr Jodi Richardson is a Mornington Peninsula mum of two and is the founder of Happier on Purpose. She applies wellbeing science to help people become happier, healthier and get the most out of life; and helps parents raise children with thinking skills for a flourishing life. You can follow her at www.facebook.com/ DrJodiRichardson/ and www.drjodirichardson.com.au Check out Jodi's facebook page for details about the September holiday kids Survivor Camps Jodi is co-leading, as well as the next date for Growing Amazing Women, a wellbeing workshop for teenage girls to foster flourishing physical and mental health.

13 Beach St Frankston

Ph: 9783 4511

www.drpeterscottorthodontist.com.au www.facebook.com/drpeterscottorthodontist www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Ask The Experts!

I feel as though my 12 year old son needs to see an orthodontist because his teeth are all over the place. Do I need a referral to see an orthodontist?

In general, you do not need a referral from your dentist to see an orthodontist. We see many children and adults like yourself who have decided that they want to see an orthodontist to improve the function of their teeth and also to achieve ideal alignment of their teeth. Also, we see siblings,friends and parents of our patients without referrals from their dentist.

Although there is no direct need for a referral from your dentist, we will obtain your dentist details from you so that we can liaise with your general dentist about your proposed treatment.

We can recommend a dentist if you do not have one. Your son would need to see a dentist regularly during any orthodontic treatment undertaken to ensure maintenance of the health of his teeth, and we strongly recommend a check-up from your general dentist before embarking on any orthodontic treatment.

We communicate regularly with the dentists of our patients to ensure the best possible outcome for our patients.

Dr Andrew Pepicelli

BDSc , MDSc, Grad Dip Clin Dent, MOrth RCS (Ed) Specialist Orthodontist Peninsula Orthodontics 134 Tanti Avenue Mornington

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My 4y/o has always been a handful and a very fussy eater but recently she has been having extreme temper tantrums and it has been almost impossible to get her to sleep at night. I wouldn’t know where to start with all the vitamins in the supermarket but I wonder if she is getting everything she needs from the little food she eats?

Many children are fussy when it comes to main meals and some of this comes down to our own anxiety as mothers about getting them to eat “enough” and giving them all the nourishment they need. Taking away that anxiety by feeding your young children a variety of foods in small protein rich snacks throughout the day can really help. Not only does it ease your mind, it also helps avoid blood sugar dips which can trigger tantrums in some children.

Fussy eaters often have set things they just will not eat and often this is the most nutrient dense foods such as “green stuff” which can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Many of which are important for mood regulation and muscle relaxation which may be relevant to your individual situation.

On the topic of supplementation sometimes we get more than

we bargain for in the way of sugars and flavouring which can cause blood sugar spikes making the behaviours worse.

The place I like to start with little ones, particularly as the weather cools down is by making a big bone broth full of grass fed organic beef or chicken bones and a variety of vegetables and herbs which are cooked low and slow then strained leaving a nutrient dense clear soup/broth. This is great for gut health as well as providing bone-building minerals for growing bodies. It can be added to soups sauces and slow cooked meals to improve nutrient density and of course flavour.

Jessica Paynter Nutritional Medicine Practitioner Adv. Dip. (NutMed) Energie Natural Health My 20 month old daughter has just been diagnosed with a Urinary Tract Infection.

Is it common in children and will she be prone to UTI’s later in her life?

Urinary Tract Infections or UTIs are not uncommon in children, especially those still wearing nappies and it is caused by

bacteria entering the child’s urethra and/or bladder. It is important to remember that UTIs can happen to any baby and is not often due to poor hygiene or changing.

Common symptoms of a UTI in children include an increase in urinary frequency, discomfort during urination, pain in the lower tummy, cloudy and “smelly” urine and fever. In very young children or babies, fever and general unwellness without any of the above symptoms can also mean a UTI. The only way your doctor can diagnose a UTI is by testing your child’s urine sample.

Initially the GP will use a “dip stick test” to check for an infection, followed by further testing of the urine in a pathology laboratory – this may take between 24-48 hours.

UTI’s are generally treated with antibiotics taken by mouth, except for very sick young babies who may need IV antibiotic treatment at a hospital. If your child has been diagnosed with a UTI make sure they stay home and get plenty of rest as well as allow extra fluids to try and flush out the infection. The vast majority of children with UTIs recover well and have no long standing issues.

Dr Darren Asuncion Principal GP Surrey Street Family Clinic

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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creative

BUNCH

YOU’LL NEED:

'o hearts

2 Pink 30cm strips of card (or longer if you want a bigger frame) 12-24 strips of paper in different lengths for filler hearts Stapler PVA glue Paintbrush 30cm piece of ribbon

WHAT TO DO: 1. Start by stacking the two strips of card on top of each other and stapling together at the very bottom with a horizontal staple. (Prior to this first staple, put a piece of ribbon between the strips of card and staple all three bits together. I forgot to do this!)

2. Now open the bits of card outward and curve them down and together to form the bottom point of the heart. Secure with a horizontal staple. (The ribbon should be dangling out from the top of the heart.)

3. With the other assorted lengths of strips make more hearts by folding the strip in half, making a crease for the inside V of the heart, and curve the strips out and down to make the bottom point of the heart. Secure with a horizontal staple. (If your hearts are all ending up the same size, put the staple up higher and snip off the excess paper.)

1

2

3

4

5

6

4

4. Pour some PVA glue into a plastic cup and use a paintbrush to apply glue onto the outside of the small hearts wherever they touch another side.

5. Once your hearts frame is full, if there are still some small gaps, we made curls out of strips of paper to fill the holes.

6. Hang your heart and feel the love!

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

3 for free* Try 3 dance lessons of any style for FREE

Offering classes for all ages in: • Classical Ballet - Cecchetti • Jazz • Contemporary • Hip Hop • Tap • Mini Stars 2-4yrs • Stretch & Strengthen • Acrobatics • Kinder Gym • Competitions • Exams At PASD we believe in every child. We believe that every child deserves a chance to shine, a chance to be in the front row, a chance to actually learn dance.

We care about our students’ individual needs, and the path in which we need to take to ensure our direction is understood safely.

K IND E R GYM C LASSES A ge s 2.5 - 5

Our team is dedicated to excellence and strive to bring out the best in each student so that their dream of dance becomes a reality.

TU ESDAY SATU RDAY

CA LL TO BOOK

*Offer must be completed within 14 days of the first class.

22 Latham St Mornington 0404 076 035 1/24 Carbine Way Mornington Bev 0409 709 736

admin@patricia-ann.com.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

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PAINT STRIP

Bookmarks

YOU’LL NEED:

Paint swatch cards

Solid coloured paper

Glue stick

Ruler

Stanley knife

Yarn

Hole punch

Craft punch

Ink pad and stamps

What to do:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1. Use a stanley knife and ruler to slice off the side of the paint swatch where the colour names are. Then cut a piece of solid paper to the same size as the paint swatch strip.

2. Glue the two paint strips together so that the colours are face out.

3. Use the craft stamp to cut out shapes along the length of the strips.

4. Glue the solid card to the back of the paint swatch strip so that the colour shows through your cut out shapes.

5. Put a hole punch at the top centre of the strip.

6. Stamp on name or initials at bottom of the strip with rubber stamps and inkpad.

7. Make several loops of yarn loosely around ruler. Slide off loops and tie in the middle with another piece of yarn.

Snip looped ends on each side to make a pom pom.

8.

Fold a length of yarn it in half. Thread the centre of it through the hole to create a loop. Take the two ends that haven’t been threaded through and place them through the open loop. Pull the yarn ends to tighten the loop.

9. Attach the pom pom to the yarn tail to complete the bookmark.

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

IS NOW ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA

WANT TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO SHINE?

Creations School of Dance - based in Mt Eliza - runs dance classes for all ages in a fun, non-competitive environment.

AT CREATIONS, EVERYONE HAS THE CHANCE TO BE A SUPERSTAR! Classes available in Tinies, Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Glee, Adults and Boys Hip-Hop.

Join us for an explosion of colour and fun as we lead your children in a small group on a one hour creative journey.

The hour is filled with artwork activities designed for children of all ages to make a mess and bring out their inner Picasso.

At the end of the workshop, you will have the opportunity to have a graphic artist transform their creative mess into a beautiful work of art for you To book go to www.jellybeanstreetmorningtonpeninsula.com and follow the links or contact us on kristenblack@jellybeanstreet.com

Spaces are limited - Enquire today!

CONTACT TAHLIA • 0422 552 364 CREATIONSSCHOOLOFDANCE@HOTMAIL.COM OR FIND US ON FACEBOOK!

HOW TO DO A FISHTAIL BRAID

1. Create a ponytail at the nape of the neck and secure with an elastic band that you will cut off later.

2. Split the ponytail into two even sections.

3. Pull a 1cm strand of hair from the outside of the left section. Cross it over to the inside of the right side.

4. Now pull a 1cm strand of hair from the outside of the right section. Cross this piece over to the inside of the left side.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 all the way down to the end of the ponytail. Secure the bottom of the braid with an elastic band.

6. Remove the elastic band at the base of the neck by carefully cutting it off with scissors.

7. Finish your braid by gently tugging it along the sides. This will loosen the braid to make it look perfectly undone.

Alternative: Make the first ponytail higher and leave the first elastic band in for a sleeker look. www.peninsulakids.com.au

111

Book Reviews

DUCKS AWAY

BY MEM FOX + JUDY HORACEK, 2-5yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $19.99 A mother duck and her five little ducks waddled out one day. Onto a bridge, then–ducks away! A quacking classic, from the best-selling team of Mem Fox and Judy Horacek.

TWIG

BY AURA PARKER, 4+yrs, Scholastic, h/b $24.99 Heidi is a stick insect, long and thin like the twig of a tree. It’s her first day at Bug School, where she hopes to learn lots and make new friends. But no-one will talk to her... and no-one will play with her at lunch.

No-one even notices her!

Perhaps she’s blending into the twigs a little too well?

TOFFEE APPLE

BY PETER COMBE, 3+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $16.99 Toffee apple, nice and licky, One for Judy, one for Nicky. Crunchy munchy, very sticky! Don’t forget to clean your teeth! Sing along with three of Peter Combe’s fun songs: Toffee Apple, Newspaper Mama and Err Yuck!

ONE KEEN KOALA

BY MARGARET WILD, 3+rs, Scholastic, h/b, $19.99 One keen koala and all the animal friends are ready for school! Count along in this beautiful introduction to the fun of school from two of Australias favourite awardwinning picture book creators.

MOPOKE

BY PHILIP BUNTING, 4+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $24.99 Mopoke loves peace and quiet but the bush is full of many, many annoyances.

Poor Mopoke is about to find out that you can’t always get what you want.

TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR

BY MATT SHANKS, 1+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $14.99 Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. Share story time with Olive the owl as she journeys across the twinkling sky, delivering books to all her friends. A beautiful Australian edition of the classic nursery rhyme.

EDDIE FROGBERT

BY SUE DegENNARO, 4+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $24.99 Eddie Frogbert was the pride and joy of his family.

He wasn’t like the other frogs. He was not the biggest or the bravest.

With his feet firmly on the ground, Eddie left the hippity-hop to the other frogs.

DINGO IN THE DARK

BY SALLY MORGAN, 4-7yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $19.99 Dingo is afraid of the dark.

He can’t sleep if Sun is not there to watch over him. Can his friends find a way to make him feel safe when night falls?

THE FABULOUS FRIEND MACHINE

BY NICK BLAND, 4-7yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $24.99 Popcorn is, quite simply, the friendliest chicken at Fiddlesticks farm! When she finds a Fabulous Friend Machine (aka a mobile phone) in the barn, she sets about making some brand new friends.

WHAT DO THEY DO WITH ALL THE POO FROM ALL OF THE ANIMALS AT THE ZOO?

BY ANH DO, 3-7yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $19.99 There’s so much poo at the zoo... Where does it all go?

With the hilarious bonus CD recording, you can sing along in search of the stinky truth. A belly-busting take on a serious problem– waste–that will have kids laughing for hours!

ONE LUCKY PRESCHOOLER & ONE LUCKY SCHOOL AGED READER WILL WIN A SCHOLASTIC PRIZE PACK OF THE REVIEWED BOOKS

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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017

FRIEDA – A NEW AUSTRALIAN

BY MARIANNE MUSGROVE, 10+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $16.99 Frieda, her mother and father arrive in Australia to look for a better life.

Her father is to open a pharmacy with Frieda’s uncle and they will live over the shop.

BOOK 2: CARNAGE

BY MICHAEL ADAMS, 10+yrs, Scholastic, p/b $14.99 The DARE Award winners– Yasmin, Zander, Andy, Dylan, JJ, Isabel and Mila– have been caught in a deadly battle of wits with a mysterious enemy who isn’t afraid to kill.

THE GREAT BARBIE DISASTER

BY TANIA INGRAM, 8+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $12.99 Real Aussies do not BUY barbies... real Aussies make their own... Dad loves to make things. When Mum wants a new barbie, he gets to work. Then they have a weekend barbie that no one will ever forget!

ELLA AND OLIVIA: HAPPY CAMPERS

BY YVETTE POSHOGLIAN, 5+rs, Scholastic, p/b, $7.99 Ella and Olivia are sisters.

Ella is seven years old.

Olivia is five-and-a-half years old. They live with their mum and dad and little brother Max. Ella and Olivia can’t wait to go camping for the first time! But will their tricky cousins spoil all the fun?

EPIC FAIL TALES: SNOW MAN AND THE SEVEN NINJAS

BY MATT COSGROVE, 8+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $5.00 Don’t worry! This isn’t the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that has bored children for years.

THE SEVEN SIGNS: WIPEOUT

BY MICHAEL ADAMS, 10+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $14.99 After Andy and Dylan are caught in a fiery explosion, Zander, JJ, Yasmin, Mila and Isabel realise their only chance to stop the next attack is to get one step ahead of The Signmaker.

But the evil mastermind is far from their only problem, with the DARE winners now on the run.

DOG MAN UNLEASHED

BY DAV PIKEY, 7+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $15.99 Dog Man is back and he’s got a bone to pick with the world’s fiercest feline felon!

Dog Man, the newest hero from the creator of Captain Underpants, is still learning a few tricks of the trade. If only the Chief would throw him a bone every once in a while . . .

TROUBLE AND THE NEW KID

BY CATE WHITTLE, 7+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $9.99 Nina the New Kid at school thinks that dragons dont exist. Trouble is still banned from the schoolyard, so he cant show her she is wrong.

It’s no fun when people don’t believe in you, but believing in things is good for everyone, as Georgia is about to find out.

AUSTRALIA’S GREAT WAR: 1917

BY KELLY GARDINER, 9+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $16.99 The war in France rages in the skies, and support for the war in Australia turns cold. Alex flies high above the trenches of the Western Front, while a world away his sister Maggie finds herself in the midst of political upheaval.

Somehow, both must find the courage to fight on.

DIARY OF A MINECRAFT ZOMBIE: WHEN NATURE CALLS

BY ZAC ZOMBIE, 8+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $9.99 Have you ever wondered what life is like for a Minecraft Zombie? Zack Zombie has his boogers, stinky feet spray and dirty underwear packed because he is going on a scare-cation to Creepy World.

TO ENTER: www.peninsulakids.com.au/giveaways

WIN www.peninsulakids.com.au

113

WINTER

EDITION / JUNE 17

If you would like your products reviewed for the next edition please email info@peninsulakids.com.au

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

2-4 Surrey Street, Mornington 2-4 Surrey Street, Mornington

www.surreystreetclinic.com.au www.surreystreetclinic.com.au