Peninsula Kids Winter 2016

ENINSULA KID P S LOVING FAMILY LIFE ON THE PENINSULA

WINTER 2016

FREE MISTER MAKER

PHIL GALLAGHER MISTER MAKER HITS MELBOURNE NEXT SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

MAKING THE BEST OF

BULLER

COOKIE MONSTER TELLS ALL

THERE’S MORE TO THIS MONSTER’S LIFE THAN JUST COOKIES!

{TIPS FROM THE PROS}

A DAY TRIP

FROM THE PENINSULA

WINTER

Warmers

SHP Pen Kids Mag Print.ai 1 19-May-16 2:59:53 PM

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CM

MY

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CMY

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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

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 the difference.

Let us find the perfect time for your FREE introductory lesson

kingswim.com.au Mornington • Frankston • Langwarrin

www.peninsulakids.com.au

3

Cover Photo Oliver Studio: Sorrento Furniture Photography: Cameron McCullough Editor and Publisher Melissa McCullough melissa@mpnews.com.au Creative Director Maria Mirabella maria@mpnews.com.au

Editor

Melissa McCullough

ed’s letter...

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

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”

Distribution Marilyn Saville marilyn@mpnews.com.au

― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass I dare say we’ve had a pretty tame autumn, and the trend seems to be continuing. The climate outlook overview from the Bureau of Creative Director Meteorology claims that there is an 80% chance of exceeding the Maria Mirabella median maximum and minimum temperatures in our area through until at least July.

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

Hmmm…nobody’s mentioned rain or wind, though. This season I’ve already managed to break two umbrellas during our walks to and from school. I’m not sure how much more my pre-schooler can take. If we lose the green, froggy shaped umbrella I don’t know what will happen.

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.

Things just aren’t built to last the way they used to be. (My husband says this all the time.)

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.

Peninsula Kids is produced quarterly.

15,000 copies distributed between Mordialloc and Portsea.

Registered address: 2/1 Tyabb Road, Mornington 3931

Distribution

Marilyn Saville

But one thing we can rely on lasting is the core idea of Peninsula Kids magazine. We will always aim to provide quality articles, ideas, recipes, attractions and products to our readers. We strive to have a little something for everyone in each edition and hope our beautiful magazine makes you feel part of something. I’m just a mum sitting at either my desk at work or the kitchen table at home feeling inspired by the articles that I receive and read before I pass them on to you.

And, hey – if you get stuck in a rain shower just hold the winter edition over your head. We’ve got your back…even if those umbrellas don’t.

www.facebook.com/MorningtonPeninsulaKids

Have a safe and happy school holidays. See you in spring!

Proudly published by Advertising

Miriam Doe PEFC Certified

This product is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources. www.pefc.org

www.peninsulakids.com.au

5

Contributors

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

DAVID HAWKINS

www.bigkidlittlekid.net

ERIKA ATWILL

everchangingmum.com.au

REBECCA BOWYER

seeingthelighterside.com

JO FORD

www.bodybump.com.au

YVETTE O’DOWD

www.bellybelly.com.au/ author/yvette-odowd

LORRAINE AITKEN

Family-friendly adventurer

MICHELLE MCCULLOUGH

Chief family photographer

JANE FLYNN

almostjane.com.au

If You Would Like To Advertise In Our Next Edition Please Contact Miriam on 0421 085 974 Email miriam@mpnews.com.au

6

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

Contents

40

32

24

93 64 10 Spotlight 10 Mister Maker, Phil Gallagher

26 Living with a Threenager

Mister Maker hits Melbourne next school holidays.

…and surviving to tell the tale.

14 Keeping Sibling Peace at Home

30 5 Ways to Get Your Kids to Play With Purpose

Techniques from Parenting Ideas Club founder Michael Grose.

18 Why Dads Should Kiss Their Kids in Public

There is a bundle of benefits for both the parental units and their mini-me.

Getting their minds and bodies open to new ideas and thinking in exciting ways.

32 Winter Warmers

Peninsula Kids fashion photo shoot.

22 Child-Safe Storage Hacks for Cleaning Products

42 Caldermeade Farm

Cleaning products can still be hazardous even after they’ve been binned.

A day trip from the peninsula.

48 Ski Tips to Make Your Trip a Success

24 Making the Best of Buller

72 Cookie Monster Tells All

Tips from the pros.

Helpful tips from local mum and travel blogger Kelly McLeod.

There’s more to this monster’s life than just cookies. www.peninsulakids.com.au

7

Contents Local

16 Mornington Historic Railway 20 Gravity Zone Seaford 40 Cranbourne Botanic Gardens

Celebrate

50 Teletubbies Party 54 Ideas for your party 55 Maze Magic

58 60 62 64

Pregnancy & Baby

Motherhood Through The Decades Mothering and Isolation Granny’s Guide to Wonder Weeks Mama Knows Best

Recipes

75

Recipes with Jodie Blight

Health

82 Coconut Oil – 6 Uses for Baby Care 84 Autism Acceptance 88 Anxiety in Children

Creative

92 Fingerprint Fruit 93 Pipe Cleaner Headbands 94 Yarn Bowls

66 70 96

Education

Local Author Writes to Empower Scientists in the Making Book Reviews

30

48

75 8

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

In Every

Issue 57 Party Planning 68 Things We Love 90 Ask The Experts

Give your child the

FLYING START

Ran primked top seco ary a on Mndary scnd h o Pen rningtoool insu *Bet la * n ter E d ucat ion

they deserve Whatever you love, wherever you want to go, there’s a special place for you to learn and grow at Toorak College. It is the perfect environment, one that truly values each student and encourages inquiry and curiosity.

Toorak College sets every student up for their own personal growth and success. We prepare students for their future; a world that has not yet been imagined.

Toorak College is a thriving co-educational environment from ELC to Year 4 with a girls’ only approach from Year 5 onwards.

www.toorakcollege.vic.edu.au | Call 9788 7234 www.peninsulakids.com.au

9

H ITS MELBOURNE

BY: MELISSA WALSH

M

ention the name Mister Maker around any kids and watch the excitement in their eyes. Children of all ages love to watch what the crafty and colourful character from ABC Kids can make; especially in under a minute. After his sell-out 2015 tour, the craft-man himself is back to make more crazy creations with help from the doodle box.

Although he has been doing the show for 10 years, Gallagher says he is grateful every day to do something he loves.

“It’s such a joy to do and such a privilege Phil Gallagher, as Mister Maker is known in everyday life, began his career as a journalist but always wanted to be a children’s TV entertainer. to be able to call it my job; I feel very fortunate indeed,” said Gallagher, who was “I was sports reporting very early on, before my proper career started, nominated for a BAFTA in 2009. and was very fortunate to get experience with my local BBC. I loved local sports and was able to report on the local footy. But it had always been my dream to work in kids TV,” said Gallagher. “I had an opportunity to work on the Disney Channel many years ago and that’s where it all started.”

For Gallagher, growing up watching kids TV presenters gave him something to work towards.

“I loved watching how they entertained the kids and that connection on a one-to-one basis. That’s what I do with Mister Maker, using arts and crafts and lots of fun to create a show that inspires people of all ages to get arty. Its comical and funny and the kids feel as if Mister Maker is one of their friends. With the live show we bring the connection to the TV show and it is great because we get an immediate reaction from the audience.

The live show is interactive and so much fun. Last year we had Jimmy Giggle come up on stage and it was great.”

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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

“That was a surreal moment. We had only been on air for a couple of years and we lost out to Richard Hammond from Top Gear, so we were in very good company. I met him on the night and it was great to be able to congratulate him.”

When asked what makes the show so popular, Gallagher laughs and says, “My hair of course.” Mister Maker is well known for his kooky hairstyle and his colourful vests, with the show commanding the attention of tens of thousands of viewers across the globe.

Screened in over 100 countries, and dubbed in several different languages, Mister Maker’s crafty approach to

“It’s such a joy to do and such a privilege to be able to call it my job; I feel very fortunate indeed,” said Gallagher, who was nominated for a Bafta in 2009.

children’s entertainment sees mini-makers transcend culture and age, with a fan base ranging from toddlers to adults.

“The main reason for the show’s success is that it is about arts and crafts which are a universal thing, or at least being creative is something people from all walks of life can do. Mister Maker teaches simple art techniques and tries to inspire people to make something. It is making arts and crafts popular around the world.”

The son of a retired policeman and retired teacher, Gallagher says his mum and dad are both very funny, and have always been incredibly supportive.

“I am so busy with my job going all around the world but love coming home and spending time with them. We sit around having toast and tea and a real giggle. Even though the show is very popular now, mum still gets a thrill if my photo is in the local paper. It’s very funny. The truth is the show has completely changed my life beyond all recognition.

Mum and I were talking about it the other night and we never fail to be amazed by it. I’m doing what I love to do, I’ve had to work very hard, and I thank my parents in particular for that. When I started at Disney Channel as a work experience boy in the late 90's I commuted to London two hours each way. It was unpaid work at first, and then I got the runners job which was the lowest paid job. Working in London, the only way I could have done those lowly paid jobs was with the support of my parents. It was having the support to get that initial experience of getting the foot in the door.”

“I mainly get recognized by parents who spot me and say ‘It's Mister Maker’ to their kids. These days it's quite funny as grownups will ask for a selfie with me. The other day on the train a dad recognized me and asked for a selfie. It’s always really lovely to meet people and I’m honoured that they watch and enjoy the show.”

This time, in his live and interactive show, Mister Maker is bringing along his friends, The Shapes, to join him in making lots of arty projects.

There will be fun, brand-new songs to sing, and crafty adventures to take part in.

This craft-packed show is sure to be bundles of fun for the whole family, so mini-makers - book your tickets early; you don’t want to miss out.

“We will be doing the big make which is something I’ve wanted to do for ages. We started to do smaller versions on the Mister Maker show in the UK and always wanted to set myself a challenge to get every single person in the theatre to help make something. So you will have to come along and see,” said Gallagher.

“The theatre show will exceed people’s expectations, with a lot of singing and dancing and the shapes come out as well.”

The Melbourne tour dates for Mister Maker are Wed 29 June, Thu 30 June, and Fri 1 July.

For complete tour and ticket information, visit: livenation.com.au

A far cry from those early days, Gallagher says he does get recognized when he goes out now. www.peninsulakids.com.au

11

USEFUL ACTIONS AND BELIEFS If you had the worst year of your life and you needed clarity on how to pull yourself out of the rut, ask yourself simple questions. “What is the most useful thing for me to do to get from ground zero to two?

What is the most useful thing for me to do to get from two to five?” If you had a great year, “What is the most useful thing for me to do to get from seven to nine?” Instantly, you begin to identify the actions that you need to take to get to the next level. Positive thinking is a feeling. It can be a fleeting thought. This is better because it is about taking action and having a strategy to solve the problem.

POSITIVE

THINKING

DOESN’T WORK… USEFUL BELIEF WILL GET YOU OUT OF THE

“RUT” !

BY: CHRIS HELDER

P

ositive thinking doesn’t work. Not really. Imagine if I walked up to someone who was struggling or who had the worst year of their life and I tried to encourage them by saying, “Come on, just be positive!” What would be the result? I imagine they would want to punch me in the face. Not only that, but there are numerous studies which show that if you were to lie in bed in the morning and say to yourself, “Come on, try to be positive today.

You can do it” by then time 10 o’clock rolls around you won’t feel positive anymore, and you'll actually feel worse than when you started! Let me introduce you to the ideas of Useful Actions and Beliefs.

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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

The next level is Useful Belief. To demonstrate this, I want to use an example of parents that I hear all the time. They say things like, “I can’t believe these kids today. With their video games and computers, they are not doing the things that I did when I was a kid. I played outside. I had a stick and a ball and I was happy!”

We’ve all heard them. People ask me, “Chris, what do you think about kids today?”

“I believe this is the greatest generation of kids ever,” I say. “I believe this is the best time to be a parent in the history of the world.” By the way…is that true? I’m not really sure if it’s true or not.

You know what, though? When I believe that, I am a better dad, I am more present and will come up with more ideas about how to be a good father. Truth doesn’t matter as much as having a useful perception about your individual reality. How does this work?

RED TOYOTA THEORY

Your brain has something called the Reticular Activating System, often referred to as the R.A.S. It is the filter that sorts through all of the information you get every day and decides what you will notice and what you won’t. Let me ask you a question. How many red Toyotas did you see on your way into work today? The answer is probably zero. That is because you were not looking for red Toyotas. However, if you decided to buy a red Toyota, you would start to see red Toyotas everywhere. That is because your R.A.S. would be dialed in to these cars. It is no different with the belief you have about your life. This is the best time to be alive! This is the best age to be! There is opportunity everywhere! Those are useful beliefs and your R.A.S. will go find the beauty in the world to support it!

The most important words you say all day are the words that you say to yourself, about yourself when you are alone by yourself.

Most people do not have useful language about their reality. I see so many people frustrated with the things that they cannot change. Decide to have a useful belief about those things you cannot change. Then dial up your red Toyota theory to believe in all of the opportunity that stares you in the face every day. Believe there is opportunity out there and send your brain on a mission of discovery to find it all.

Chris Helder is one of the world’s most outstanding speakers on the topic of communication, leadership and influence. He is the author of the newly released book Useful Belief: Because it’s better than positive thinking and the best-selling book The Ultimate Book of Influence. Visit www.chrishelder.com

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13

KEEPING SIBLING

PEACE AT HOME

BY: MICHAEL GROSE

H

ow do you respond when kids fight and argue? Do you make a plea for peace, order the combatants to their bedrooms, or find out who caused the infraction?

It’s almost impossible to stay out of kids’ fights as they’re usually noisy, and invariably at least one child will come to you to intervene.

Sibling fighting is so common these days that it seems to be the first commandment of childhood: Thou shalt fight and argue with your brother and sister until your parents can’t stand it any longer.

Parenting ideas research suggests sibling fighting is a concern in three out of every four families with more than one child.

It helps to have a realistic attitude to children’s disputes. Kids are learners when it comes to resolving conflict so physical means, namecalling and bickering are commonly their preferred tools.

Conflict itself is not harmful, but the way disagreements are resolved is the big issue for parents.

There are two broad approaches you can take when kids fight – get involved or stay out of it. You need to be led by their age and maturity, and ability to sort things out themselves, as well as the nature of the problem itself. Some issues such as seating rights on the family couch are not worth fighting over so wise parents will stay right out of this issue.

14

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

If you decide to remain neutral then ‘bear it, beat it or boot them out when they fight’ is your best policy. That means put up with the fight if you can, go into another room or send kids outside if they are fighting.

This approach works when sibling fighting is for the purpose of involving parents, which it often is. It gets you out of the picture.

Parents are as predictable as washing machine cycles; always responding to kids’ cries for help so kids soon work out they have a great way to keep mum or dad busy with them. If this is the case, then break the pattern by refusing to become involved. “You guys can work this out for yourself” is the idea.

There are times when you just can’t ignore a fight and your assistance is needed to resolve the dispute. If this is the case, let them know you’ll help them work out a solution to their problem but avoid taking sides, which they invariably want.

Use kids’ conflict as a teachable moment where you can coach them to resolve their relationship issues in more socially acceptable ways than hitting, yelling and sulking. Here’s some ideas to help with sibling squabbles:

₁

Focus on emotions first. Get kids to calm down before you talk with them. This may mean they sit on their own or go outside and let off steam physically. Validate their emotions.

“You seem pretty worked up about this.“ “Yep, I can see you’re mad at your sister.“

₂

Focus on the problem, not the fight. Ignore the “she hit me first“ type of arguments kids often put forward. Drill down to the issue at hand.

If it’s a dispute over TV watching then focus on better ways of sharing the TV rather than focusing on the fight.

₃

Get them to see two sides the story. The hardest part in any dispute, whether in a family or an international conflict, is to get those involved to see the other side of the story.

Listen to your kids and try to get them to see the situation from the other’s viewpoint. “What do you think your brother wants?” It’s also useful to get kids to think about their own responses and look for better ways to respond next time. “What were you thinking when you took your sister’s toy?” “What would you do next time?”

₄

Conflict itself is not harmful, but the way disagreements are resolved is the big issue for parents.

The measure of a strong family is not so much whether siblings fight, but if they pull together when the chips are down. This is the case in most families. Kids love each other hard, and unfortunately for a parent’s peace of mind, they’ll fight just as hard too.

Effective parents know that kids generally need to be given opportunities to resolve their own relationships issues themselves.

But they also recognise that some sibling disputes offer valuable opportunities to teach kids the skills to resolve conflict without resorting to power or other less savoury means.

Want more ideas to help you raise confident kids and resilient young people?

Subscribe to Happy Kids newsletter, my FREE weekly email parenting guide at parentingideas.com.au. You’ll be so glad you did!

Restore the relationship. Focus on relationships rather than on problems. With young children, in particular, the issue they were fighting about is generally longforgotten by the time a parent intervenes. An apology, a hug or a joint treat are some ways to help restore relationships with kids.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

15

BY: LORRAINE AITKEN

A

ll aboard is called as the bell is being rung and the carriage doors behind the K163 steam locomotive are being securely closed by station volunteers. Excited children are trying to decide which compartment they will sit in for the 15 minute trip from Mornington to Moorooduc station as the adults are admiring the period details within the restored historic carriages. As steam from the engine bellows past the window, a long whistle sounds and a small jolt follows as the wheels begin to turn.

Mornington

Historic Railway

We pass through the Mornington industrial area, then behind the Tanti estate houses, certainly not Mornington’s most scenic part of town but an important part of the community for business and affordable real estate. We soon come to a stop at the grassy Tanti station before the bells and whistles start signalling on Bungower Rd for the train to cross over. Kids are waving at passengers in cars with smiles that are broad and joyous. Motorists seem to enjoy the experience as much as the children, waving back enthusiastically. On the other side of Bungower Rd the scenery starts to become more rural as we pass horses in paddocks and a few very large homes. Nearing the Moorooduc end of the line there are several kids playing footy on the oval and some of the kids waiting for their game decide to race the train on the other side of the fence before admitting defeat and waving to kids on-board.

The train brings smiles to everyone, whether its passengers, motorists or onlookers, however the most infectious smile of the day came from a young boy named Markus. Markus was volunteering on the train as the ticket inspector, punching holes into the cardboard tickets; a very passionate train enthusiast just like all the volunteers that work tirelessly to keep the train running for the community and visitors alike.

This short journey is perfect for young children and is a favourite with my own children. We often hear the whistle from our home on Sundays and without fail the kids yell out “The steam trains on today, can we go visit?” No matter how many times the kids ride on the Mornington railway they never seem to get tired of it.

Near the Moorooduc station there is a good playground with picnic tables and BBQs which can be accessed from a walking path just west of the car park . A small range of refreshments are available from the kiosk at the Moorooduc station along with a BBQ stand selling sausages. .

The Mornington Historic railway operates on the first three Sundays of the month from 11am at Moorooduc and the last train leaves Mornington station at 3pm. Tickets cost $48 return for a family 2 adults +2 children, $18 adults, $14 per person concession and $9 for children aged 4-16 years old. Prices may seem expensive for a short return train ride but upcoming special train days include Teddy’s Day on the 10th July, and T334 diesel locomotive 60th birthday on Sat 20th of August.

For little train enthusiasts, a birthday party aboard the train might be just what they always wanted. Birthday parties are self-catered and are held within one of the carriages and are reasonably priced at $14 with a minimum of 10 people 16

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

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Enrolments for children in Prep to Grade 3 are now open.

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17

SHOULD KISS

THEIR KIDS IN PUBLIC

BY: DAVID HAWKINS

H

ave you noticed that the Dads of Australia are manning up and becoming proactive, involved fathers? Well, I'm assuming that this phenomena is happening continent-wide because the daily examples I'm seeing down here, around the Mornington Peninsula, are AWESOME! Lots of dads spending time with their kids and shrugging off the out-dated expectations of Australian society.

Yet there is one activity that is rather absent when dads are out and about: kissing.

Mothers are always smooching the chubby cheeks of their bubs and smearing a spit covered thumb on the primary schoolers; mums are well known for their hugs, cuddles and kisses. Wander down the street and you'll see fathers carrying their kids, sitting them on their shoulders, giving them a big cuddle when they fall but not much in the way of kissing. Why is this? Is it because men aren't big on kissing or is there something more sinister at play?

My poor kids are constantly putting up with bear-cuddles and sloppy kisses from me. In fact, we're currently going through a licking phase where Little E and I see who can leave the most drool on each others' face. I kiss my kids no matter where we are although, I will admit that, there have been times out in public that I've noticed eyes on us. When I kiss my baby boy (not yet a year old) you can almost hear the passing ovaries going into overdrive around me, but when I kiss my 3 year old the looks can be less forgiving. No one says anything but there is, sometimes, a slightly strange expression on the strange faces. Am I being judged? Is it not acceptable for a man to kiss his children?

Are people inferring something worse?

It is a part of life as a proactive dad that you will be looked at suspiciously when hanging around a children's playground; right up until the moment your kid finishes playing and runs over to you. Parents are suspicious of unknown men around their kids and, unfortunately, so

SOVEREIGN HILL’S CHRISTMAS IN JULY WINTER WONDERLIGHTS EVENT Saturday 25th June – Sunday 24th July, 2016 Open daily from 10am. The ‘Winter Wonderlights’ show will kick off each evening after 5.45pm 18

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

they should be in our current world. I worry that this climate of collective fear may be affecting dads and stopping them from public displays of affection for their mini munchkins.

Kids need to be kissed! Not only does kissing secure a special bond between child and parent but kissing has been linked with reduced blood pressure, battling headaches and cramps, an increase of oxytocin (the happy hormone) and improved self confidence. That's a whole bundle of benefits from a simple puckering of the lips, for both the parental units and their mini-me.

More importantly, only kissing your kids in private may send them a mixed subconscious message. Wouldn't you wonder why your dad smothered you in kisses at home but becomes more distant when other people are around? Would it seem like there was something to hide or be embarrassed of?

Times are a'changing but I'm not sure if a bulk of dads are keeping up with them. The age of the Awesome Dad is here and the public is going to have to be ready to accept public displays of emotion from men. The world needs to see more dads kissing their kids.

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 every month, via his blog Big Kid Little Kid.

So I am calling on fathers around Australia to stand up, walk outside and give your kids a giant, wet, sloppy, totally-gross out, full of adoration kiss right now! Lets show the world and our children how much we love them.

W I NO

ONE OF TW

FAMILY PASSES!

Keep an eye on the Peninsula Kids Facebook page and website to find out how to win.

Ph: (03) 5337 1199 or visit www.sovereignhill.com.au

PADUA KINDERGARTEN | A Natural Approach To Early Learning

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

www.peninsulakids.com.au

19

BY: DAVID HAWKINS

W

hen you think of crazy fun what do you think of? If you were a little kid, you'd think of bouncing and these dads are here to say that mini-you is right! Super Dad Nick and his rockin' family joined mine to check out the wall-to-wall trampoline fun at Gravity Zone, Australia's largest Trampoline & Laser Tag centre.

Dad +

Relive your childhood memories of jumping on the backyard trampoline but on steroids; trampolines everywhere! Give yourself a workout without the work. Super cheap, all day fun during school hours where Dad or Mum play for free.

Dad-

If you're as unfit as I am, you'll be puffing away within minutes.

Outside of school hours, the 1 hour sessions are not long enough for serious kid playtime, so you'll need to buy multiples for your own sanity.

Fellow awesome dad, Nick, and I disagree on many things but when I invited him to hit the bouncy fun at Gravity Zone he became just as giggly excited as I was. An Aussie childhood in the 80's wasn't complete without falling through the springs of, or flying completely off the edge of, a black and rusty backyard trampoline. So many injuries to reflect back on fondly. We packed up our preschoolers and a box of band-aids and hit the warehouse sized attraction.

Dad Review

GRAVITY ZONE TRAMPOLINE & LASER ZONE CENTRE

20

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

Gravity Zone has over 180 trampolines across 9 different zones ranging from the Pro Zone of Olympic style super-bounce tramps and wall walking to dodge ball arenas and basketball hoops just waiting for you to humiliate yourself as you attempt to recreate a Michael Jordan-esque slam dunk. And, in defiance of the 80's, the entire place is as safe as safe can be with enormous pads covering every inch of non-trampoline surface.

Right now, Gravity Zone has kicked off a parent-friendly schoolday special called Little Leapers. It is aimed at parents who need to keep their little tikes entertained during school hours but want a little downtime mixed in. $11 lets under 6 year-olds jump from 10am until 4pm, non-stop and supervised by staff, whilst Dad or Mum grabs a cuppa on the viewing platform. Under 3's are $5 and the accompanying parent is FREE! For older kids (and us Big Kids) there is so much on offer at the attraction - but what about our 3 year old mini-jumpers? Little E and his adorable buddy Mini Miss L couldn't have cared less about all of the fancy frills when there were trampolines everywhere they looked.

GIVE YOURSELF A WORKOUT WITHOUT THE WORK. hours y fun during school Super cheap, all da play for free. where Dad or Mum

I must admit that, even though Nick and I are clearly parental Adonises, the simple action of jumping wore us out quickly. What a great excuse for getting fit whilst having special bonding time with our kids. I'm seriously considering ditching my (unused) gym membership for a weekly workout with Little E! Even Phenom-A-Mum and Nick's spectacular wife got in on the fun, switching with us fellas to mind the babies.

The dodge ball areas are best left to school-aged children when the place is busy, as it can get a little competitive, though I was hoping for an excuse to get in amongst it and achieve some belated catharsis (aka. revenge) on the jocks. The basketball hoops are pretty high for little munchkins but a well placed dad-elevator can fix that.

There are two zones specifically set aside for younger kids; a dodgeball-style area for those under 1.2m in height and a complete play-zone and trampoline run for preschoolers and toddlers. Our little kids didn't want to go to the small-person area because they discovered the coolest zone ever - the sponge pit. A huge and deep pit full to the brim with chunks of foam is heaven to tiny people! They jumped and sank and crawled back out and jumped again. We had to pick them up and carry the wriggling, protesting bundles so that we could check out the last and newest attraction.

When we hit the Free Zone (a huge area set aside for nothing but freestyle bouncing) it was as if every Christmas had come early! I even let my baby boy Little L loose and he was grinning as much as dribbling (apologies to anyone who may have slipped in his drool puddles...) as he experienced his very first teeny-bouncing trampoline fun.

Okay, it was a given that the children would have a blast but Nick and I took no more than a couple of tentative jumps before we were pulling off moves so daring, so juvenile, so.... uncoordinated that the other parents who were sitting on the sidelines couldn't help but watch in open-eyed amazement. We ran and jumped and tripped and tumbled with the kids in that rough and tumble way that dads do so well, but the addition of a blanket of trampolines made it fun-plus!

Gravity Zone added a laser zone area last year which was itching for a dad-trial. Children over the age of 4 are allowed to play and, after deciding that three-and-a-half was close enough to four, Nick and I kitted up Mini Miss L and Little E in flashing, beeping vests and guns.

Our great plan lasted two minutes before Little E freaked out about the monsters that he thought were hiding around the laser course and Mini Miss L had decided that the oversized vest was too heavy and had abandoned it and done a runner. Oh well, return the kids to the mums and then back to it.

Dad vs dad. Game on! A pair of mature men throwing themselves around two levels of darklight obstacle course shouting out "Pchoo, pchoo" and shooting each other. Now that's fun! We'll have to wait until the kids are a little older for a family vs family rematch.

Both of our families had a great time and will be going back again!

The kids never wanted to stop jumping although Nick and I were ready to sit down after a couple of hours and let our old-man bodies catch a breath. If you've got a Mothers Group in need of affordable entertainment that also give you a well needed break, then think about heading down to Seaford and spending a few hours in Gravity Zone.

I'm going to see what the Frankston Dads Group is doing next week!

For more info go to www.gravityzone.com.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

21

6

CHILD-SAFE STORAGE HACKS FOR CLEANING PRODUCTS

BY: JAMES MCLOUGHLIN

A

child-safe home is a priority for any parent, and keeping the home clean is an important part of minimising risk of infection or accidents. But sometimes we have to use cleaning products containing chemicals that are potentially harmful to children. Similarly, brooms and mops can be a falling hazard with small children around. We have some handy hacks to help parents ‘child-proof’ the way they store cleaning products in the home.

HANG MOPS AND BROOMS OUT OF REACH 1

OF LITTLE HANDS Keep mops and brooms out of reach of children by making use of wall-space in your kitchen or utility room for storage. With easily installed wall mountings or hooks, you can keep them at a height that is accessible for adults, but well out of reach for kids. You should ideally also store mops and brooms near a window or doorway that can be opened for fresh air to pass through. This means any excess moisture will dry off. It is also better to store brushes, dustpans and brooms in the open, rather than moist cupboards and dusty corners where bacteria accumulates.

2

MAXIMISE CUPBOARD SPACE UNDER THE SINK

To make the most of space in your kitchen cabinet, you can install a basket on a sliding rail, rather than storing things on the fixed shelf. With fixed shelves, products are easily pushed to the back of the cupboard and forgotten about. The basket makes it much easier to take what you need, and to ensure nothing gets lost or forgotten about. The basket needs to be big enough to house your various cleaning products, and easy to remove so you can reorganise things when you need to.

3 NEAT AND TIDY BATHROOM CUPBOARDS

+

We recommend installing a cross-beam in your bathroom cleaning cupboard. You can make this from a broomstick handle or something similar and hang bathroom cleaners, towels or toilet cleaners from it.

This will give you more space on the floor of the cupboard for shower gels, toothpaste, rubber gloves and other products. This will make it easier to keep track of what you have and reach the items you need, when you need them.

CLEANING PRODUCTS CAN STILL BE HAZARDOUS EVEN AFTER THEY’VE BEEN BINNED

22

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

4 IMPROVISE WITH A SHOE HOLDER

Shelves often become cluttered pretty quickly. And the more cluttered they get, the more they can start to lean and eventually even collapse.

A better solution for your cleaning products is a shoe container you hang in cupboards or on the back of doors. The individual compartments for shoes happen to fit cleaning bottles very nicely, and the compartments can be tightly secured. It’s also easy for parents to see at a glance if anything has been moved.

5

SAFE IRONING

High quality ironing boards are generally more expensive, but it is worth every penny for safety reasons alone. Cheaper models can be easier to topple, which can be very dangerous with children around.

They may also have less secure storage points for the iron, making it easier to be pulled from the board with the cord. Store your iron with a secure rack, rather than leaning it up against a wall or inside a cupboard. Storing it on a rack will make it harder for children to knock it over or pull it on top of themselves.

6

DISPOSING OF USED CONTAINERS

Cleaning products can still be hazardous even after they’ve been binned. Young children can rummage through the trash and pick out containers with the remnants of dangerous substances. Rinse out the bottle or container after you finish a cleaning product, and for the harsher products bag them to create an extra layer of protection. You can also tuck away bins you use for cleaning products in cupboards with child-safe catches.

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www.peninsulakids.com.au

23

Making the best

of

Buller .....

pros e h t m o s fr

Some tip

24

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

BY: ROSS TAYLOR

A

family trip to the snow is a wonderful experience for children. It really is a magical world in the mountains when snow is all around, there are snowballs to throw, snowmen to build, a nip in the air and the excitement of learning to ski or snowboard.

Gymnastics provides a fun and safe activity that gets kids physically active. Not only does the sport provide good solid fitness foundation, gymnastics also provides many other benefits, from skills to life skills to basics that can enhance performance in other sports.

WILDCATS offer competitive levels 2-7 and educational gymnastics, for CALL children as young as 2.5 years of age TO BOOK IN to 14 years of age.

A TRIAL

Kids are usually eager to give skiing and snowboarding a try and as an instructor it’s incredibly satisfying to see them master the basics and witness those enormous smiles when they first slide on skis.

If you are thinking of introducing your child to snowsports the ski and snowboard school should be your first port of call. They will learn in a safe and fun environment and be helped every step of the way by friendly and qualified instructors. It’s fun for the kids, and importantly, it’s a relief for parents who can relax knowing their kids are in safe hands.

Children as young as 3-years-old join our Ski & Snowboard School at Mt Buller and it’s amazing to see how quickly even small children can learn and enjoy their time on the snow. They are often skiing rings around their parents in just days and thrive in classes with children of the same level.

It’s often a good idea to start children on skis. Having that stability across both feet helps but there is plenty of customised snowboarding equipment for kids available so if your family are snowboarding just ask at the Ski & Snowboard School as they will have class or private lesson options on offer.

NEW KINDER GYM classes for ages 2.5 - 5 and a new tigers class for ages 6.5 - 12!

1/24 Carbine Way Mornington Bev 0409 709 736

A private lesson may seem expensive but it’s hard to beat the difference of one-on-one instruction. Your child can have their own personalised lesson tailored to suit their needs and you’ll be amazed at how quickly that can produce results. It’s also a really great way to take a lesson as a family and learn together.

The solution to boredom

Loads

of

uses

•Don’t do too much. Learning to ski or snowboard can be tiring so short bursts are a good idea. Instructors will tailor a lesson to meet your energy levels.

•Keep it fun. Kids learn if they are enjoying themselves. If they’ve had enough, stop and take a break.

•Get the right gear – all the equipment you need is available for rent and will be fitted to your child.

•Put a helmet on your child. They are compulsory in Ski & Snowboard School and it makes sense. You should wear one too.

•Invest in some good basics – if your child is warm and comfortable they will enjoy themselves more. Get good gloves, goggles, warm under layers and comfortable socks.

Ross Taylor is the manager of the Ski & Snowboard School at Mt Buller and has been a ski instructor for many years. He has a young daughter who is learning to ski. www.mtbuller.com.au Photo: Mt Buller

So much

fun!

The people who bring you Little Kickers Soccer now bring you KICKBrick

0414 124 453

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

25

BY: REBECCA BOWYER

I

’m calling it. I am absolutely tired of being told what to feed my children.

Sugar is poison. Fresh fruit and vegetables are essential. But not too much fruit or they’ll get hooked on the sweetness. Plenty of protein but not too much red meat as it causes cancer. And limit the fish because the ocean stock is vanishing. Chickens are ok as long as they’re free range and organic. Children should eat a wide variety of foods early or they’ll never like caviar or smoked salmon in later life. Introduce vegetables before fruit. Baby-led weaning is recommended but be careful they don’t choke. Any processed food is bad and everything should be homemade but you have to actually go to work during the day so you’ll need to spend your evenings grating zucchinis and hiding eggplant and mushrooms in sausage rolls with homemade sauce because the store-bought stuff is full of sugar.

Only to have the kids throw all your hard work back in your face with a decisive, non negotiable YUCK!!

CHEESE SANDWICHES CAUSE HEART DISEASE

Apparently 26

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

And now it’s salt.

According to a study released by the Centre for Physical Activity and Research at Deakin University in Melbourne, more than half of the toddlers studied were eating too much salt due to consumption of everyday foods such as bread, cheese, breakfast cereal, soup (Really?

Are there kids out there who eat soup?), processed meat and yeast extract spreads.

Yes, Mums and Dads, you are putting your offspring at risk of high blood pressure, stroke and coronary heart disease by feeding them humble cheese sandwiches. You irresponsible villains, you.

I saw this study reported by a couple of media outlets, felt outraged and chose to ignore it.

Then I saw sense, sought out the actual media release and had a look.

Lo and behold, the researchers weren’t actually blaming parents.

“Parents naturally want to do their best by children, however because salt is added to many of our basic daily foods, they are unintentionally feeding them diets too high in salt,” said Associate Professor Karen Campbell.

She goes on to say the fact that “The lion’s share of the salt comes ‘hidden’ in everyday family foods, highlight[s] the essential role governments and the food industry must play to reduce salt across the board.” [emphasis added].

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The UK has managed to cut down on salt in manufactured food through new regulations. It can be done. So why aren’t we doing it here?

Quite frankly, I think it’s high time a little corporate responsibility is taken for feeding our kids.

I am not planning to bake my own low-salt bread every day. I don’t intend to buy my own cow so I can churn my own low-salt cheese (or is it just butter that’s churned?).

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I will continue to try and feed my kids a balanced diet in the best way I know how without sending me broke (organic whole foods, I’m looking at you) or causing me a heart attack from the stress of trying to stuff kale down my toddler’s protesting throat.

With any luck my kids will at least be well preserved thanks to their excessive consumption of salt.

Until the manufacturers get themselves sorted out, here are some useful tips from the research team at Deakin on lowering the daily salt intake of your little ones: • Swap high salt breakfast cereals for low salt cereal that has less than 300mg of sodium/100g (refer to the nutrition information panel on the product).

• Swap high salt breads for lower salt bread that has less than 400mg of sodium/100g (refer to the nutrition information panel on the product).

• Swap processed cheese slices for cheddar cheese.

• Swap processed meats like sausages or ham/chicken slices for fresh meats like grilled or roasted meats/ chicken/fish.

•

Swap high salt yeast and cheese spreads on breads and biscuits for low salt toppings like no added salt peanut butter, tomato, avocado, or cooked lean meats/chicken/fish.

At we specialise only in residential cleaning which means you will have your home cleaned by a highly trained professional team who will use our unique process to ensure excellent results each and every time.

Spring Cleaning

Regular Cleaning

We offer a one-day blitz of your home. Ideal for ‘spring cleaning’ as well as after party emergencies, before guests, during house moves or after builders. The myhome spring clean takes just one day to get your home looking immaculate.

Our regular cleaning service is perfect for your needs, whatever size home you have. This flexible service allows you to choose the frequency of your cleaning visits, whether that’s weekly, fortnightly, monthly or even more often if you require.

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27

WHY?

NO!

Living with a

r e g a n E E R H T

and surviving to tell the tale

BY: YVETTE O’DOWD

M

y granddaughter recently turned three. I spent several months saying I wasn’t sure if I could face three again.

My daughter and her friends would smile indulgently. I would tell stories of each of my three children at that age and they would smile and nod.

The smiling is faltering, now she and her friends are celebrating third birthdays. The THREEnagers are here! I tried to warn them but they said they had survived the Terrible Twos and, surely, that was the really hard age, right?

No. The evolution from baby to child is as wild and unpredictable as the one from child to adult in the teenage years. Just with a smaller vocabulary.

The Vocabulary Fairy visits and upgrades to Three-Year-Old model. The important question words are loaded:

The emotional outbursts are the same, mostly on the same topics too:

“WHY?”

“WHY NOT?”

“I AM OLD ENOUGH!”

“I CAN DO IT MYSELF!”

“I’M NOT WEARING THAT!”

“I DON’T WANT TO GO!” The wardrobe chaos is the same. Multiple outfits are tried and discarded before finally, the right superhero or fairy dress is accepted.

Clothes are changed throughout the day and discarded on the floor, oblivious of the person who painstakingly washed and folded them.

The battles over food are the same:

“I DON’T LIKE IT!’

“YUCK, WHAT’S THIS”

“I DON’T EAT THAT ANYMORE”

“I WANT THE BLUE CUP!” (Ok, by their teens, this issue seems to be resolved and retrieving ALL cups from their rooms is the problem!)

Getting out the door is the same. Endless fluffing around until everyone is running late, only to have a meltdown about where they must sit in the car and doing up of seat belts. And when you arrive at your destination, the unwilling refuse to get out of the car they just refused to get into!

“I DON’T LIKE IT!”

“NO – WALK, NOT PRAM!”

“NO – PRAM, NOT WALK!” “NO!! CARRY ME!” 28

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

Debating mode is engaged. Arguing enabled. Sentences beginning with “I” are prioritised:

“I NEED …”

“I WANT …”

“I DON’T…” “I CAN’T…” Being a THREEnager is hard. You must push boundaries to establish them.

You learn of great opportunities, only to be told they are not for you.

You are told not to be a baby, to be a big kid now – yet cannot do the things you aspire to.

Obsessions with popular culture are common in this age group. Super heroes, dinosaurs, princesses and fairies are common themes with THREEnagers. The ability to lip-sync to the words of Frozen while dancing along to the choreography in someone so young is to be admired. A three-year-old palaeontologist could talk on the topic of dinosaurs for hours on end … and will!

And yet … three is a magical age. Language blossoms and imaginations explode. With the basics of physical development out of the way, these mini-people can run, jump and explore the world with less limitations. They might be vertically-challenged, about half their adult height, yet they believe they can reach for the stars.

My granddaughter exploded into her new status – the day of her birthday there were meltdowns at a new level!

But we are riding the wave and looking on the bright side: only 11 months until the Feral Fours!

Exciting new wildlife show daily at 2.20pm Pat & cuddle up to a koala (3 sessions daily) Hands-on encounters with pythons, dingoes & owls Colourful birds, Tassie devils, lots of other animals!

At night, Moonlit Sanctuary comes alive with world-famous lantern-lit evening tours Night birds are active, gliders swoop around and endangered quolls, pademelons and bettongs forage for food

Learn about our critically endangered animals and their conservation

Bookings required

Cafe and gift shop open daily

City hotel transfers & Private tours available

MOONLIT SANCTUARY WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PARK 550 Tyabb-Tooradin Rd, Pearcedale, Victoria, 3912, Australia Ph 5978 7935 www.moonlitsanctuary.com.au

www.peninsulakids.com.au

29

5

WAYS TO GET YOUR KIDS TO PLAY WITH PURPOSE BY: ROD SOPER

P

BREAK LEARNED HELPLESSNESS lay is a wonderful way for children to become immersed in the moment and build capacity. Their minds and bodies To break the child’s habit of learned helplessness try changing your lose track of time and new ideas and thinking can be explored approach to collaborative curiosity. Here are a few examples of in exciting ways. Ensuring children play with purpose allows questions I consistently use because they have a big impact on them to develop communication skills, empathy and relationship children in a short period of time. They build upon the opportunity building, to explore new ideas, develop thinking and build offered, cement your child’s capacity, and strengthen self-perception: curiosity. Here are 5 easy ways to encourage playing with •What if we tried to solve this problem together? purpose in your family: •Let’s try your idea and see what might happen?

ASK CURIOUS QUESTIONS Questions where children have to genuinely explore for an answer help develop an interest in what they are doing.

A few examples are:

THESE KINDS OF CURIOUS QUESTIONS ALWAYS BUILD OPPORTUNITIES INTO PLAY TO DRAW THINKING AND DEVELOP YOUR CHILD’S CAPACITY.

•It’s frustrating when things don’t work the first time isn’t it? What didn’t work so far so we don’t repeat them?

EMBRACE THEIR PASSION

We need to find out what matters to our children, what inspires them.

Then use this natural source of inspiration to filter in learning through •That looks amazing, tell me their play ideas. Let’s face it, when we are passionate about something we are absorbed by it! I like to think of it as a consuming passion. about it?

Consuming passions are wonderful and have an incredible impact •Can you help me understand upon us.

They draw us physically in, impacting upon all our senses. what you have found They shift our thinking and perspectives, helping us see old things in a interesting? new light. Play combined with consuming passions gets the creative •How did you do that? Look at juices flowing, giving us inspiration to innovate. The idea is to actively that, I wonder what it is? filter new thinking into the consuming passion.

REMEMBER TO LAUGH Remember what it was like being young, the laughter and the accompanying feelings. Remind yourself of the absolute fun you had in the creative spaces you made like cubbies made of blankets, climbing a tree, riding a bike or the feeling of glue squishing between your fingers. These same thrilling adventures and empowering relationships are exactly what we want for our young minds. Science research tells us that laughter has a big impact on our bodies, minds and relationships. Laughter changes thinking, feelings, attitudes, stress levels and physiology. In fact, when laughter is mixed with play muscles stretch, blood pumps faster, we breathe faster, our immune response is boosted and our organs relax as our whole body is energised. So laughter matters in play!

30 Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

THERE IS NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TO EMBRACE A NEW OPPORTUNITY IN ORDER TO SEE YOUR CHILD SUCCEED IN LIFE

CELEBRATE PLAY It is so important to get enthusiastic about your child’s play adventures because you matter so much to them. Ask them to share and get excited about their experiences. This will elicit more of their creative thinking enabling you to join in their capacity building and celebrate the joy of their growth through play with purpose.

There is no time like the present to embrace a new opportunity in order to see your child succeed in life. Your child’s life habits are formed in their youth, which means we have to be purposeful now.

Play with purpose has the strength to set them up with life long skills such as creative thinking, problem solving and the ability to take initiative when they feel ‘stuck’. With their parents inspiring and celebrating their every success, any form of challenge is less daunting and even a road to triumph.

minti | munster kids | paper wings | sudo rock your baby | saltwater sandals | plus loads more bentons square shopping centre, shop 21/210 dunns road, mornington 3931, vic PH:(03) 5975 4350

Rod Soper is the cofounder of Thinkers.inq Consulting and Principal at Thinkers. inq. Rod’s expertise and research interests include teacher education, creative and reflexive thinking, transformational learning environments and leadership. Rod is also published on topics such as mindful leadership, organisational change and play with purpose. Visit www.thinkersinq.com

facebook.com/treehouse.rep

instagram.com/treehouse_republic

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

31

winter

try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud

warmers

32

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

Model Koby Hoot Kid Super Shark Tee $36.95 Munster Kids Slim Stovey Jean $89.95 www.enchantedchild.com.au Model Kennedy Lil Miss K Teardrop Felt Butterfly in Garden Headpiece $30 Rock Your Kid Swallows leotard $49.99 Rock Your Kid Celebration Skirt $49.99 Walnut Stella Sparkle Boot $79.95 www.treehouserepublic.com.au

Rock Your Baby Bow Headband $9.95 Model Oliver Bebe Max L/S Tee $29.95 Bebe Track Pant $39.95

Hoot Kid Super Shark Tee $36.95

Hatley Girls Unicorn L/S Tee $34.95 Hatley Umbrella $24.95

always welcome under my umbrella

you are

Hatley Raincoat $59.95 www.enchantedchild.com.au

www.peninsulakids.com.au

33

Hatley Girls Raincoat $59.95

Hoot Kid Space Man Tee $36.95 Hoot Kid Valentine Tutu $49.95 Hoot Kid Valentine Legging $29.95 Rare Rabbit Necklace & Bracelet Set $13.95 www.enchantedchild.com.au

Fox & Finch Baby L/S Tee $32.95 Bebe Track Pant $39.95 Goki Ride on Car $149.95

34

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

the cold of winter to give it sweetness

what good is the warmth of summer without

Munster Kids Jersey Cruz Z Pant $59.95 Model Kennedy Lil Miss K Teardrop Teal Pink Headpiece $30 Rock Your Kid Doll face L/S T-shirt $44 Rock Your Kid Doll face circus tights $49.99 www.treehouserepublic.com.au

be a rainbow waiting for you

Model Koby Rock Your Kid No Sleep Til Brooklyn L/S T-shirt $44

keep looking up there may www.peninsulakids.com.au

35

we shall just dance in the rain

Model Kennedy Frankie & Lola Girls Jacket $69.95 Bella & Lace Skinny Jeans $79.95 Walnut Stella Sparkle Boot $79.95 Model Rose A Little Pocket Fran Dress $59.95 Walnut Gator Gumboot $39.95 www.treehouserepublic.com.au

if storms should come then 36

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

Model Rose Viera Crop Top $29.95 Darina Top $39.95 Lexa Leggings $39.95

Model Kennedy Abriella Jacket $79.95 Kalina Tank Top (opposite) $36.95 Anna Shorts $29.95 www.capezio.com.au

www.peninsulakids.com.au

37

Credits Capezio Dancewear

Lil Miss K Collingwood Team Feathers Headpiece$18 Sudo Purity Cropped Jumper $64.95 Tumble ‘n Dry Dannee Tights $39.95 Walnut Stella Sparkle Boot $79.95

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Treehouse Republic

Bentons Square Shopping Centre 21/210 Dunns Rd, Mornington Ph: 5975 4350 www.treehouserepublic.com.au

Enchanted Child

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Lil Miss K

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Rock Your Kid No Sleep Til Brooklyn L/S T-shirt $44.00 Munster Kids Jersey Cruz Z Pant $59.95 Sudo Zephyr Denim Jacket $84.95 Walnut Gator Gumboot $39.95

38

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

Location

Toshi Franky Organic Beanie $38.95 Rock Your Baby Charger L/S T-shirt $39.99 Rock Your Baby Hell Yea Slouch Pants $35 www.treehouserepublic.com.au

10 Bennetts Rd, Mornington Ph: 5975 0344 www.sorrentofurniture.com.au

Photography

Cameron McCullough

Styling

Melissa McCullough

Lil Miss K

Mini Millinery by Shelley Christie

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39

Cranbourne

BOTANIC

GARDENS BY: LORRAINE AITKEN

A

s all you parents know, when your child says “I don’t want to go, it will be boring “what it usually means is", It sounds boring but when I’m there, I may actually enjoy myself’. Well, this was certainly the case in my experience when I told the boys we were going to the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens. The sighs, the eye rolling and the "mum’s gone mad look", weren’t enough to let us be deterred. After all, its outdoors, has lots of space to run, there’s children’s activities including a playground, it’s free and they may actually find it (between you and me) enjoyable and perhaps even educational. So, on that note we headed to the botanic gardens to have a look around and to make a list of Australian native plants that we might like to put in our garden at home.

Once we were there the boys still weren’t completely sure that it was a good idea up until we went through the main entrance and noticed a sticker on the pavement saying ‘Find 15 things kids can do in the Australian Garden!

After picking up a map from the visitor information centre, the enthusiasm shifted a gear and so did the pace. “Let’s see if we can make it across to the other side of the water on the stepping stones without getting wet”.

“Cool, look at that little house over there, let’s go and see if we can close the front door”. “Mum, there’s a slide over there, oh and can we write our names on the chalk board?” At this point they forgot all about the list of 15 things to do and instead just wanted to keep moving, exploring and seeing where each of the paths led to.

Somewhere between the running and laughing they started to really enjoy themselves and didn’t even mind us stopping to look at flowers and listening to us talk about whether certain plants would look good in our back yard. The eldest even came up with a few great questions about the Australian landscape and mentioned a few facts he had recently learnt at school.

After an hour or so in the gardens we headed back towards the car park and followed the path to the left which led us to the Trig Point lookout which is about a 400m trail walk from the garden entrance.

The kids loved this birds eye view of the garden, but the wind stopped us staying for too long. To warm up there are a few other short walks that range in distances from 900m to 5.4km and take in the Woodland playground/picnic area, Trig point and Wylies Creek wetlands. If the kids want to go for a ride there is also a 6km bike trail.

40

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

Cranbourne Botanic Gardens are located on the corner of Ballarto Road and Botanic drive, Cranbourne. The gardens are open from 9am -5pm daily except for Christmas Day. Entry is free and there is plenty of free onsite car parking available. If you have limited mobility or would like to enjoy the 15 hectare garden in comfort and with commentary, then hop aboard the ‘garden explorer’: $8 for adults or $6.50 concession. Also onsite is the Boon Wurrung café which overlooks the gardens, a lovely gift shop and a kiosk located on the other side of the gardens.

Guided walking tours of the gardens are available twice daily at a cost of $6.90 for adults. Children’s activities are available on most weekends and during school holidays. For more information on any of these, visit: rbg.vic.gov.au/visit-cranbourne and click on the ‘What’s on’ tab.

All up there are 363 hectares to explore, so rug up, put on some walking shoes, take some sausages for the BBQ and have a great family day out exploring the multi-award winning gardens and their surrounds. www.peninsulakids.com.au

41

Farm Caldermeade

Y R T EN EE!!!

FR s eekend 5pm w ool holidays 9am – h c s and olidays kdays public h pm wee 4 3.30pm 9am – am and 0 .3 4 : s Time At: Milking HWAY Located D HIG 4 385 S

L AN GIPPS OUTH LDERMEADE CA

BY: JACQUI KAVANAGH

N

estled along the South Gippsland Highway, south of Pakenham and Kooweerup, lies a truly unique experience. Caldermeade Farm is an operational commercial dairy farm. It was settled in 1875 as a premier beef cattle property. Now, it offers the opportunity for families to come and have a real country experience.

My family had no idea what to expect. We had driven past it many times on our way to Grantville and Phillip Island. All I knew was that if was a farm that allowed you to view the cows being milked and had featured on ‘Coxy’s Big Break’.

We had always intended on visiting. Finally, we did. We were blown away. From the moment you step outside your car you are entrenched in country. Home to 400 cows, there is no mistaking the odours - you are on the farm.

As you walk up the driveway you see sprawling paddocks full of animals: cows, sheep, donkeys, alpacas, ponies. Towards your left 42

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

your sights are set on a tin shed nursery. As you enter the first shed you are greeted by a group of goats. They are very friendly, but also, apparently, very hungry. As one of them demonstrated by trying to eat my cardigan.

The next shed is home to a slightly more subdued calf having a nap. It is gorgeous; sharing its shed with brown fluffy rabbits. In the next shed is a brood of white Chinese chickens. In the middle of the farm is a large playground and old tractor. One tip I would strongly advise, make sure you and your children wear gumboots or shoes you don’t mind getting dirty – a tip I wish I had known, as the cows roam freely overnight, even through the playground. Four hundred cows make a lot of mess!

At the back of the farm is a cafe that has indoor and outdoor seating. The cafe menu offers traditional country meals: big breakfasts, homemade pies, Devonshire Teas and it is also fully licensed. The prices are a bit hefty, but considering that

it is free entry to all of the attractions, they do need to make their money somehow.

Then there is the milking of the cows. Seeing 400 cows lining up in a row is definitely not a sight you see every day! You get to have a good view upstairs above the milking station, with floor to ceiling glass windows.

The day is guaranteed to be a wonderful experience for the whole family to enjoy. What is even more amazing is that you don’t have to spend a cent to enjoy it!

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 www.peninsulakids.com.au

43

WHY DIDN’T I JUST SAY

Yes?

BY: BECCI NICHOLLS

S

ometimes we get into a routine of saying ‘No’ to our children, not out of being a bad parent but just because we condition ourselves into having this response.

D1: “Can I tip this tub of trains out Mummy?” Me: “No, it’s too messy.

You don’t need to!”

I say no because it’s convenient for me. Surely he can play without tipping them all out, and I guarantee I’ll be the one putting them all back into the tub later. D1 looks sad.

Why didn’t I just say yes? A tipped out tub of trains wouldn’t be that messy. He probably just wanted to see which ones he had, and he would probably have helped me pick them up.

D1: “Mummy can we play outside in the rain? ” Me: “No it’s too wet, and you’ll get filthy!”

I say no because it’s more convenient for me. I don’t want to stand in the rain. I’ll have to wash wellies and dry the coats, and even iron fresh clothes. D1 looks sad.

Why didn’t I just say yes? Puddle jumping is fun. Dirt washes away. We have plenty of fresh clothes to put on. Fresh air is good for them and gets rid of their excess energy.

D2: “I play playdoh a bit!” Me: “No we’ll play with it later. I’ve just swept the floor!”

I say no because I’ve cleaned the house and want it to stay tidy. Playdoh is so messy. Plus they’ve just had a bath and don’t need playdoh stuck in their fingernails. D2 cries.

Why didn’t I just say yes? Who cares if I have to sweep again? Will it hurt me?! No! Who cares if they need rebathing? They love the water anyway. They love creating playdoh models. Why don’t I use the time to interact with them?

It’s so easy to say ‘no’ without thinking things through. Children are not an inconvenience.

Do you want to create a tidy house with neatly stacked toys or do you want to create memories to cherish forever?

All the above are actually real examples, but I learnt a long time ago to say yes whenever I can. Life is too short to be anything less than fun.

44

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

An untidy house doesn’t matter, but your children do. A simple yes will make their day. Try it out!

My boys love making my garden look a mess. Onlookers would see sand covering every concrete surface, chalk drawings on the floor, fences, and sheds, an upturned police car, water soaked toys, an empty sand pit, and a slide covered in wet sand. My kids see an adventure land/beach. They’ve carefully spilt the sand. They’ve drawn sharks in chalk. They’ve tipped their police car upside down to fix it with their invisible tools. They’ve played. They’ve unreservedly played, and that’s what rears happy children. Fearless children.

Sand can be swept up. Chalk can be washed away. Toys can dry out.

Cars can be put the right way up. But children’s memories cannot be faked; they’re either good or not good.

Last week I filled our garden path with shaving foam and hid lots of dinosaurs in the ‘snow’. It was messy from the start. It got even messier when they figured out that clapping your hands in the foam created a mini blizzard! I could easily have not bothered, or said no to the clapping but they had so much fun! They even spoke about it the next day! And the worst that happened? We all had to get changed.

Does your babba want three bedtime stories? Why not! Who’s counting anyway? One day they’ll be too big to have a bedtime story so don’t ever refuse them now.

Obviously this post is about saying yes more often in regards to fun and play; it’s not about saying yes to everything else. Children need healthy boundaries, but they also need a safe environment to be children. Let your babbas be free to play.

Try having a day of ‘yes’: let them have fun, messy fun. You’ll enjoy it too and feel much more relaxed!

Becci Nicholls is a married, thirty two year-old momma to two beautiful little rascals.

Becci lives in the UK and writes about her life in a candid way, exploring the highs and lows of raising her little rascals. She is also very passionate about raising awareness around mental health and shares her own experiences. Children with additional needs are also dear to her heart.

You can visit her at www.swordsandsnoodles.co.uk

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45

Dr Mar

ti n

Co

un

BABY I NC U BATOR S : ey

Coney Island’s Longest Running Sideshow

BY: REBECCA BOWYER

I

t’s 17 July 1901. You’ve given birth to tiny triplets. Together your three baby daughters weigh as much as one healthy baby.

The doctors tell you there’s a 97 per cent chance they’ll die. Unless you take them to the local Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo.

I’m sorry, WHAT?

Take ’em down to the Expo, pop them in this super expensive newfangled machine called a ‘baby incubator’ and leave them in the charge of the wet nurses and doctors there. They’ll be right as rain in no time.

But I can’t afford all that. I can barely afford to feed them and I don’t have insurance.

Don’t worry, it’ll cost you nothing. They charge an admission fee for people to come through and gawk at the babies. It covers all the medical expenses.

How dreadful! Charging admission fees to gawk at babies!

Ok, let’s have a little chat about peeking into other peoples’ lives.

Hands up if you watched Big Brother.

Oh, that’s just so incredibly low brow. I don’t watch that crap.

How about the show Miracle Babies or perhaps 23 week babies: The Price of Life, a ‘harrowing’ documentary filmed at the neonatal unit at Birmingham Women’s Hospital. Or maybe RPA, filmed at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for more than a decade?

Oh yes, they’re just amazing shows. So much fascinating information, and those poor, poor little babies. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if they’d survive or not. Isn’t it just incredible what they can do with medical science these days?

46

Ok, now we’re getting somewhere.

Medical science for premmie babies in 1901.

Incubators for premature babies were invented by Alexandre Lion in France in 1880. There were no neo-natal facilities in hospitals back then – there wasn’t a whole lot they could do for premature babies and the death rate was around 85 per cent.

In 1896 the French sent six of their newfangled baby incubators to the Berlin Expo – basically a big fair where countries got together to show off how clever they were with their industrial advancements.

They borrowed a few premature babies from a local hospital and put them in the amazing glass boxes.

Incredibly, all six babies survived. The ‘Child Hatchery’ exhibit was a resounding success.

Unfortunately most hospitals were not convinced of the new technology and the incubators weren’t widely used in established neo-natal units until the 1930s.

How did the baby incubators end up at fairs?

The ‘Child Hatchery’ at the Berlin Expo was so popular, Alexandre Lion starting charging an admission fee to try to reduce the crowds.

Another paediatrician, Dr Martin Couney, picked up where Alexandre Lion had left off. Because hospitals weren’t interested, he instead used the admission fee model to fund the building and running of the incubators at exhibitions all over the world before settling into a permanent home at Coney Island.

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

MP Kids Magazine_Winter.indd 46

26/05/2016 11:42:27 AM

The Coney Island Baby Incubators From 1903 until 1943 Dr Couney and his team of five wet nurses and fifteen medical technicians saved the lives of around 6,500 premature babies.

He charged the public 25 cents each to see the amazing tiny babies in glass boxes. Visitors came back week after week to see how their favourite babies were faring.

After checking in on the Incubator Babies, you could wander further along the Boardwalk and marvel at Violetta the Armless Legless Wonder, Princess WeeWee and Ajax the Sword-Swallower.

Dr Couney was widely criticised for his unorthodox melding of carnival showmanship with medical science.

Whatever the general public thought of his methods, it cannot be denied that his entrepreneurial flair provided the funding and access to medical care which was badly needed and not available elsewhere.

What happened to the triplet baby girls?

You mean Rebecca, Rose, and Rachel Cohen? The ones I told you had a 3 per cent chance of survival? Born on 17 July 1901 and taken to the Buffalo Expo two days later, they survived against all odds thanks to a combination of new medical technology and an innovative way of making it freely available.

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

For over 40 years, Mt Martha Preschool has provided local families with an inclusive, child-focused approach to early learning. We believe that kids need the very best start to education, which is why we offer: - 3-year-old & 4-year-old kindergarten programs - a sessional timetable that caters specifically to the needs & development of children

- a play-based curriculum informed by the latest research - a beautiful bushland setting next to Balcombe Estuary - Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden & ‘Out & about in our community’ programs

- a team of passionate, experienced educators.

At Mt Martha Preschool, inquisitive minds are encouraged, inspired and supported.

But don’t just take our word for it – come visit!

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www.peninsulakids.com.au

47

SKI TIPS TO MAKE YOUR

Success TRIP A

BY: KELLY MCLEOD

B

RRRR! This ski season is ramping up and it seems everyone is busting to get in on the action – including me! Whether you’re a newbie or veteran skier, these tips will help to make your family trip to the snow a huge success.

TIP #1

TIP #2

TIP #4

Practice putting your tyre chains on BEFORE you get on the mountain. When you are up on the mountain with a carload of excited kids, freezing your butt off, your fingers are fumbling and you’re trying to work out how to put the chains on your car for the very first time – it’s easy to let the stress take over and get off to a bad start. Avoid the hassle and practice putting on your chains beforehand so you are comfortable when it comes time to put them on. They do say that practice makes perfect and when it comes to safety it’s always better to be prepared.

Ziplock everthing! Ski clothes are really puffy and take up a lot of space. If you roll your ski gear up and put them into ziplock bags, making sure to squeeze all the excess air out before sealing them up then you’ll have plenty of room in the car. I packed individual bags for our accessories (gloves, beanies, scarves) so we will be able to find them easily once we were there.

Pack some chopsticks (or skewers) for your next ski trip to help dry your wet ski gloves faster by the fire.

TIP #3 A small amount of vegetable oil on your car door seals will prevent the doors from freezing shut. This is especially handy given that a lot of the parking on the slopes is outdoors and not undercover. Which leads me to… Tip #4: Snap a photo of where you park your car. It is easy to lose your car amongst the other cars when its been covered by an overnight blanket of snow.

TIP #5 Don’t forget to pack the sunscreen. Even though it’s the depths of winter and there is snow absolutely everywhere please remember to be sun smart. High altitude and reflection from the snow make for a dangerous combination and mean that the sun is more powerful than ever on the mountain.

Kelly is a family travel blogger at My Little Adventures based on the gorgeous Mornington Peninsula. Her passion is travel and particularly making everlasting memories with family. She has two boys aged two and five and loves to explore the world with them.

48

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

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Bambini Child Care Services are a High Quality Family Day Care service with a rating of “Exceeding�.

We support educators locally to operate their own Family Day Care Business, including a generous start up grant and an incentive referral scheme.

Bambini have a reputation for tailoring support to suit each educator, working together to achieve high outcomes.

For more information check out our website, or phone and talk to one of our friendly staff.

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49

Celebrate

50

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

TJ’S

B’day Party

www.peninsulakids.com.au

51

CREDITS Custom Cakes And Pastries By Tina Tyer www.customcakesandpastriesbytinaayer.com.au Pimp My Balloons www.pimpmyballoons.com.au *Head to pg 93 to learn how to make our Teletubbies headbands!!

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We offer and specialise in a large range of allergy free cakes and desserts.

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53

Ideas for A Teletubbies Party The Teletubbies theme can be used for other parties where bright colours are featured.

Think The Wiggles, rainbows, Sesame Street, Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lego or Superhero. * Make Teletubbies toast by cutting out sandwich bread in the shape of circles. Then use your finger to press eyes and mouth firmly into bread before filling and toasting with a sandwich press. * Tubby Custard is simply regular custard with a dash of red food colouring or blend in a few red coloured fruits such as strawberries, cherries or raspberries. * Teletubbies headgear can be easily achieved using our instructions on page 93. * Rainbow coloured cupcakes, bikkies, jelly beans, fruit and veggies keep the theme running through your snack table. * Pin the antennae on the Teletubbie is a fun game and can be organised by printing the character onto an A3 piece of paper, snip off the antennae then laminate the body and stick onto wall. Spin kids around and away they go !

54

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

Magic

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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

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57

T H R O U G H

BY: JO FORD

D

eciding on the right time to have your first baby can be difficult. Female fertility is at its peak during a woman’s mid

20’s but not everyone feels ‘ready’ for motherhood at that time. Four local mums in their 20’s,30’s, 40’s and 50’s, share their experiences with Jo Ford.

MARY & TRAVIS Mary was 50 when she gave birth to daughter Molly.

‘I met my husband Travis, ten years my junior, in my mid 30’s and already had a daughter from a previous marriage. Five years into our relationship we tried to conceive naturally but unfortunately I had two miscarriages. We tried IVF and, although we harvested many eggs, not one turned into a viable pregnancy. Our specialist suggested a donor egg. Very kindly, a close friend agreed to help as she knew how much we longed to have our own baby. I was immensely grateful when she agreed and on the second transfer, became pregnant with Max. I was 46 years old at that time. Due to my friend’s circumstances changing, we decided to opt for a different donor egg in an attempt to make our next addition to our family.

Again I was incredibly lucky to find someone to help and I was fortunate to become pregnant again on the second transfer with my daughter Molly. Mary wanted both Max and Molly to know about their special journeys into the world and so she set up email accounts for both of them. ‘Sporadically I send them messages, telling them of the joy I feel at being their mother. I feel that it’s important to tell them about their birth story and for them to read about it in my own words'.

Mary enjoyed her pregnancy although she did have some blood pressure issues and was admitted to hospital on several occasions.

She also had gestational diabetes but was able to control this by watching her diet carefully.

50’s 58

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

th

MOTHERHOOD

Pregnancy & Baby

DECADES

40’s

PAULA & MARSHALL Paula Stewart, 40, and husband Marshall

welcomed baby Harrison in February this year. ‘As far back as 12 I knew I wanted to be a housewife like my mum. She had four children and I liked that feeling of being part of a big family. We started trying in those early days - around 18 years ago - but nothing happened.

We were busy starting our own business and travelling; the fact that I was not getting pregnant was not really a huge issue. By the time I turned 35 I started to think more and more about starting a family with Marshall. We sought advice from Monash IVF and after some deep and meaningful conversations on an Italian holiday, we made the decision to go for IVF.’ ‘I had my first miscarriage at nine weeks and it was truly devastating. I had been elated to find out I was pregnant and that dream of becoming a mum was instantly shattered. Then I had another early miscarriage before falling pregnant again, this time with Harrison.’ ‘When we saw our son for the first time we felt nothing but pure love. I had talked to him when he was inside my belly so I felt that part of me knew him already.’ ‘We would love another child and we have one embryo left so fingers crossed.’

he

“BEING PREGNANT AT 50 MADE MY LIFE COMPLETE” Mary Bedford with daughter Molly, Mount Eliza

“EVEN IN YOUR 40’S YOU SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP HOPE OF BECOMING A MUM. WHEN HARRY SMILES AT US, IT MAKES ALL OF THE PAIN, STRESS AND HEARTACHE OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS COMPLETELY DISAPPEAR” Paula and Marshall Stewart with son Harrison, Rosebud

"

“STARTING A FAMILY WHILE WE ARE YOUNG HAS PUSHED OUR LIVES FORWARD IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY. OUR RELATIONSHIP IS STRONGER THAN EVER AND THE LOVE WE SHARE FOR OUR DAUGHTER MAKES OUR LIVES TRULY WONDERFUL” Priscilla and Glynn Lund with daughter Isola, Mornington

“WE HAD LIVED OUR LIVES SO FULLY TOGETHER WITH TRAVEL AND ADVENTURES THAT WE WERE BOTH READY AND EXCITED TO GROW OUR FAMILY IN OUR THIRTIES” Heidi and Ben Sze withdaughter Joan, Frankston South

HEIDI & BEN Childhood sweethearts Heidi and Ben Sze always knew that they

wanted to become parents. Although Heidi was keen to start a family as soon as they married in their mid 20’s, Ben wanted to make sure that they were financially secure. By the time they reached 30 they felt that the time was right. Unfortunately, Heidi’s periods did not return spontaneously after she came off the contraceptive pill. After undergoing some investigations she finally conceived with the assistance of a drug called Clomid, an ovulation induction drug. ‘I was giddy with excitement when I found out that I was going to be a mum and had a wonderful pregnancy. My labour was really quick and when Joan was born I was in total shock; nothing prepares you for those initial feelings.’ ‘We would love two more children while we are in our thirties. The last thing we want is to feel rushed and that is why we started our family when we did. We had already travelled and had shared so many wonderful adventures; the timing just felt right.’ ‘I have been incredibly lucky with my mothers’ group. It is so valuable to meet other women who have babies exactly the same age. You are going though the same things at the same time which is such a support.’

30’s 20’s

PRISCILLA & GLYNN Priscilla wanted to be a mum from a very early

age. Engaged at 21, Priscilla and Glynn talked about starting a family almost immediately and stopped using contraception a year later. Although she got pregnant within the first month, Priscilla had an early miscarriage at 6 weeks. Not long after, Priscilla discovered she was pregnant with Isola and, despite being initially anxious, loved every minute of her pregnancy.

‘I could not keep it to myself and wanted to tell everybody!’

Priscilla’s mother had gone through menopause at an early age and this weighed heavily on Priscilla’s mind. ‘We knew we wanted to have more children, probably three, and didn’t want to leave it too late. When I saw Isola for the first time in the hospital, I turned to Glynn and said ‘how lucky are we to spend the rest of our days with someone so precious. www.peninsulakids.com.au

59

MOTHERING AND ISOLATION When You Feel As Though You Are

‘THE ONLY ONE’...

BY: PINKY MCKAY

H '

ave you tried talking about this in your mum’s group?’, I asked, Sonya, a mum who was struggling with an unsettled baby, a partner who worked long hours and no family close by. It turned out that Sonya felt very isolated, even though she lived in the city, within walking distance of cafes and her child health centre. She was anxious about admitting how tough mothering was right now because she believed everyone else was so ‘together’. Sadly, this conspiracy of silence perpetuates the loneliness of mothers – with everyone pretending they have it ‘all sorted’ there becomes an impenetrable wall that keeps mothers from reaching out to each other and becoming allies.

time we do have together.” Jessica’s solution is to enjoy playgroup and children’s activities during the day and ‘socialise’ on face-book at night when her partner is away. She says, ”At least I feel connected to the outside world. I can talk to adults, even though it’s not really in person, physically. And when Ben is at home, I switch off technology to be with him.”

There can be many reasons for mummy isolation – and you don’t have to be a new mother to feel like ‘the only one’:

Geography: You live in the country with no close neighbours. The scenery is pretty but you can’t talk to the cows. It may seem like a major effort to bundle your baby in the car and get out but you could be pleasantly surprised how much fun it can be – and who you might meet.

Genna, a country mum says, “I drove an hour to my nearest ABA group.

I am so glad I made the effort, I now know two other mums who live close to me and we are meeting up for coffee next week.”

Being single, but not single: You don’t have to be separated or divorced to be parenting alone most of the time. Many partners travel for work, leaving you to make all the big decisions and managing the day to day stuff of babies and small children without any relief for days at a time. As Jessica, a mum of two toddlers says, “ I can’t do things with my married friends at night because their partners are home and I feel I can’t be supportive to single friends because when my husband is home, I will ‘drop’ them because I cherish the short

Your parenting style: You don’t gel with your mums’ group because your parenting style varies. Alice says, “My baby sleeps less than the other babies but if I dare mention I am feeling tired, all the talk turns to sleep school. That’s not something I want to do. I don’t even want advice, just a bit of understanding without being told I am doing everything wrong.” Instead of torturing yourself, try seeking out a different group where you can vent safely and keep the conversation at your mums' group neutral, such as what toys the babies are

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THERE CAN BE MANY REASONS FOR MUMMY ISOLATION – AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A NEW MOTHER TO FEEL LIKE ‘THE ONLY ONE’

enjoying or great places to go with a baby. Or, look for another quiet mum who is probably feeling ‘different’ too and invite her to meet up outside of the group.

Your routines: Having a routine can be a source of sanity for many mums and babies but if it works out that your baby is sleeping when it’s playgroup time, you miss out on the interaction with other mums. It’s a trade-off between the sanity of sleep and a calm household or the sanity of connection with other grown-ups – only you know whether to consider that as a short term sacrifice or whether your need for company trumps your baby’s routine occasionally.

Money: Let’s face it. If you had a bucket load of money, you could join a class with childcare thrown in or you could hire a personal trainer and a nanny and you could meet up with other mums at the gym. But don’t let that stop you – why not start a mum and bubs walking group?

Put up a notice in your baby health centre or the local supermarket notice board to gather some other mums and babies to join you.

Different aged kids: You are the first person in your pre-baby best friendship group to have a baby and your childless girl-friends just don’t get that you can’t spontaneously drop everything and go for a drink at 5pm. Or, you are the last person in your group to have a baby, their kids

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You aren’t a ‘social butterfly’: You enjoy meaningful conversations, you hate rowdy girls’ nights out or you aren’t ready to leave your baby yet.

Relax, there are all kinds of personalities among mothers, just as there are among people in general. You may have to start at a mother’s group to find your ‘kindreds’ but you can branch out from there – when you ‘gel’ with another mum, invite her for a coffee. Don’t judge any mother’s intelligence because so much of the group conversation revolves around completely banal discussions about nappies and sleep (or lack of it). When you chat ‘one on one’, you can extend the discussion –and this can be where the longest lasting friendships begin.

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.

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are older and they are busy with activities so catching up is much more difficult that you had expected. It’s time to connect with a new group with little ones the same age as yours. Organize catch-ups with old friends during school holidays when most preschooler activities are on holiday too, or plan a girl friends’ get together without kids.

SOLUTION www.peninsulakids.com.au

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GRANNY’S GUIDE TO …

Wonder Weeks

BY: YVETTE O’DOWD

A

ll new mothers know there are times when babies are extra unsettled due to development. When mothers come together to talk, they find their babies go through these stages at similar ages. “It’s just a phase” is commonly said by experienced mothers, doctors and nurses to reassure them.

GROWTH SPURTS APPETITE INCREASES FUSSY PERIODS

Modern mothers have come to know these stages by another name: Wonder Weeks.

Wonder Weeks is a popular book written after 35 years of research and observation by Dutch paediatricians Hetty van de Ritj and Frans Plooij. They spoke to parents and found these difficult periods are usually accompanied by the three C’s: clinginess, crankiness, and crying. And these stages were not related to physical growth as suggested by the term “growth spurt” and can’t be measured by scales and charts. What babies are actually overwhelmed by is much more complex: these fussy periods were the result of brain development.

While we all proudly mark off the age our babies reach milestones in their baby books (or at least, intend to!), the period before they are achieved is actually a time of significant growth and development within the brain and central nervous system. Not surprisingly, such rapid development is demanding and babies usually breastfeed more, sleep less and generally increase their need for parental support around the clock.

By understanding how this development progresses, when to expect change and how to support babies through it, parents feel better prepared and are less likely to worry that something is wrong with their baby or how they are parenting. When those around them also understand these stages, they can support and encourage parents.

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So – when are these Wonder Weeks and what happens when they occur?

Each developmental “leap” is preceded by a period of fussy behaviour – often several weeks long. The Wonder Weeks book and the popular app which goes with it, identify these stages based on the gestational age of the baby, regardless of being born early, late or right on their due date. Parents calculate the calendar as beginning 40 weeks after conception. The arrival of Wonder Weeks is so predictable that, even though individual babies may experience them a week or two either side of the date, parents can reliably expect their arrival on time!

LEAP

1

LEAP

2

LEAP

3

Wonder Week 5

Wonder Week 8 Wonder Week 12 LEAP

4

Wonder Week 19 LEAP

5

Wonder Week 26 LEAP

6

Wonder Week 37 LEAP

7

Wonder Week 46 LEAP

8

LEAP

9

LEAP

10

Wonder Week 55 Wonder Week 64 Wonder Week 75

occurs four or five weeks after baby’s due date and is known as The World of Changing Sensations

can be expected at eight weeks and is The World of Patterns hits as the baby turns three months old. The World of Smooth Transitions is just one of the big developmental stages to occur around four months.

The World of Events

around six months is The World of Relationships

as the baby turns nine months The World of Categories

around 10 ½ months introduces The World of Sequences occurs just after baby’s first birthday and is The World of Programs

hits as baby approaches 15 months and is The World of Principles

is the final recorded leap as the baby is 17 months old The World of Systems

How each Leap affects babies behaviour and abilities is detailed in the book and summarised in the app. The consistent pattern between them is the period of crying, crankiness and clinging which lasts anywhere from days to weeks before the Leap. Some Leaps are more complex than others or occur alongside physical development such as teething, rolling, crawling and walking – making them more demanding for baby and parents. Leaps Four, Six and Nine are particularly difficult.

Every baby is different and each will face these developmental processes in their own way. Some are especially sensitive to change and will need extra comforting while others take it in their stride and move on. Parents also vary in how they manage during these stages.

Anxiety about other causes of the baby’s distress or fear the behaviour is due to feeding or sleep issues can make it more challenging for them.

Reassurance that all babies go through these changes and they are not caused by anything parents do – or do not do – will help.

The massive development of the human brain in infancy occurs behind the scenes and cannot be measured by weight, height or progression through clothing sizes. However, the concept of Wonder Weeks and the science behind them has given us a way to understand and respect these “growing pains”. Parents can begin to imagine how it must be for a baby to experience the world around him in an ever-evolving body and celebrate the wonder of it all.

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. Yvette’s three-year-old granddaughter is looking forward to a new brother or sister baby later in 2016.

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/yvette-odowd www.facebook.com/groups/SouthernNaturalParentingNetwork www.facebook.com/groups/SouthEasternBabywearing www.peninsulakids.com.au

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mama knows best BY: JACQUI KAVANAGH

W

henever I see an advertisement advocating ‘breast is best’, I get a little annoyed. As with all things pregnancy-related, we are led to believe that ‘natural’ is the only way.

Growing up, I couldn’t wait to be pregnant and experience the magic of life growing inside me.

It all seemed straightforward. Get pregnant, give birth, breastfeed.

Millions of women give birth and breastfeed every day. It must be simple.

So when I finally became pregnant, I was ecstatic. I rushed out and bought ‘What to expect when expecting’ that same day. I wanted to enjoy every second of it.

The thrill lasted for about 3 weeks. Until one morning I woke up and felt like someone had planted a bomb in my stomach that should any piece of food disturb it, would result in an explosion.

Morning sickness. That proceeded through the afternoon and into the night.

During my sixth month, it eased slightly and I had a few good days. I could feel the amazing little kicks and movements and felt the joy of carrying life within me.

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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

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Then I was hit with Pelvic Instability. So bad that I ended up on crutches for the rest of my pregnancy.

I would see beautiful pregnant women around me, who seemed so graceful and glowing; and there I was – fat, on crutches and about as graceful as a pot-bellied pig.

Labour was next. After all of the classes, plans and dreams, the time had come.

Yet, it seemed my little boy didn’t agree. After being induced, having my waters broken, and painfully labouring for hours; he wouldn’t budge.

Turns out he was posterior and was getting distressed. Bring on the emergency c-section and I finally got to see his beautiful face, and kiss his tiny head.

Before I knew it, he was whisked away to special care and I had a nurse squeezing my nipples trying to extract colostrum.

This was not at all the natural process of birth I imagined.

Fourteen hours later I finally got to hold my baby. He was absolutely perfect. Just one hold of his tiny fingers made everything worthwhile.

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8738

AS A MUM, YOU DO WHAT YOU CAN AND WHAT IS BEST FOR YOUR BABY. THIS MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU HAD IMAGINED – OR WHAT SOCIETY DICTATES, BUT SOMETIMES, ‘NATURAL’ JUST ISN’T BEST.

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Then came breastfeeding. Something I always pictured myself doing easily. This was not the case. My son had difficulty latching, resulting in my nipples being cut to the point of bleeding at every feed.

I saw lactation specialists, went to classes, tried nipple shields – nothing could ease the pain. Having a shower was torture. Every drop of water felt like shards of ice piercing my nipples.

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Six weeks later, something wasn’t right. My boy would arch his back in pain after every feed, cry non-stop for hours and his nappies resembled some sort of science experiment.

After consulting with many doctors and maternal nurses, it was suggested that I try him on lactose free formula.

This was such a hard decision to make. I had always wanted to breastfeed, and after not being able to have a natural birth, I already felt like I was cheating on this whole ‘perfect mother’ thing.

Pressure from some maternal health nurses insisting on breastfeeding, and being bombarded by ‘breast is best’ advertising, consumed me with guilt.

Looking at my tiny baby, in pain and screaming inconsolably, I just wanted to make him better.

So I gave him formula. Within 24 hours he was a totally different baby.

No longer screaming and shuddering in pain.

This made me confident about my decision, even though it felt like I was being judged for it.

Having a caesarean allowed my son to be born safely. Even if it wasn’t ‘natural’, I still gave life to my child and shouldn’t be made to feel like that’s any less of an accomplishment than if I had delivered vaginally.

Formula feeding allowed my son to thrive. Even if it isn’t ‘natural’, it kept my son healthy and alive.

Being a new mum is difficult enough; we shouldn’t also have to carry guilt or judgement based on the way we have birthed or chosen to feed our babies.

As a mum, you do what you can and what is best for your baby. This may not be what you had imagined – or what society dictates, but sometimes, ‘natural’ just isn’t best.

Missy The Fairy & FRIENDS Children’s Entertainer!

Face painting, puppet show, pass the parcel, music and dances, prizes.

M: 0418 336 811 www.peninsulakids.com.au

65

education

LOCAL AUTHOR

NAOMI HUNTER WRITES TO

EMPOWER

BY: NAOMI HUNTER

A

s a parent, I regularly feel upset, worried, sad, confused, alone, tired, anxious and unwell and it can be very tempting to want to shelter my daughter from these times in fear that she will be negatively impacted and scarred. Maybe you have stressed that going through something extremely heavy and challenging must be hidden from your kids in order to protect their innocence and save them from any suffering.

We all experience hardship and it’s tough to navigate these times when we have parental responsibilities. The precious little ones in our care make getting through painful experiences so worth it, and often, many parents believe that to be a ‘good parent’ or to deal with difficult times the ‘right way’ means that our children must be protected and must not know what we are going through.

By suppressing our real emotions in front our kids when faced with difficult situations, we can limit their potential to grow with us through these times. When we block their view of what we are feeling, we can sometimes appear distant or not in the moment with them sparking questions about what IS going on and sometimes this can have a profoundly negative impact on our child. The most compounding fear for a child seeing their mum or dad, or anyone close whom they love and adore, is feeling that they may be responsible for the issues that are arising, the distance they are noticing, the low tolerance levels in the household and the tension amongst their family. Not knowing what is going on can sometimes be more frightening than being told in an ageappropriate way.

As a child of two parents who were suffering considerably from mental illness and grief, I was filled with questions but given no answers. Tension, confusion and anger bubbled up in my home and our parents thought they were doing their job ‘better’ if we were not burdened with their pain and suffering. It led us to believe that we were the problem. The hardship and sadness that crippled their lives, that inhibited them from being there for us, was all our fault.

After the birth of our beautiful baby girl, I was left crippled and isolated with horrific flashbacks of my experience of being sexually abused throughout my entire childhood, thus resulting in an acute and complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I desperately tried to shield our daughter from my dark suffering, fearing that the evil that scarred my childhood would somehow leak out and transfer onto my innocent child. Over time, and with unwavering support from my husband, coupled with the guidance of professional counseling, we embarked on my healing 66

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

journey together. We learned how to navigate this trauma as a family unit, allowing dialogue and gentle reassurance to our daughter about why mummy was feeling exhausted, not feeling well, needed an extra nap some days, or why she may seem a little teary. It was always ageappropriate and always communicated to her so that she never felt responsible for the pain that I was working through.

I’ve learnt a lot of things while juggling my healing process with the most complicated job in the world – parenting, and the most important lesson is that kids can cope with difficult topics. They can try and sometimes understand depression and anxiety, that at times Mum cries a lot, or that Dad doesn’t feel like playing outside. It even allows them to develop a healthy source of empathy towards you and anyone else experiencing hardship. What they don’t cope very well with though, is being isolated.

They don’t cope well with lip service and they certainly don’t cope well with a lack of explanation as to why things are stressful. Many times over the past seven years I have replied to one of my daughters many, many questions with, “It’s not appropriate for me to give you any more information right now, but I definitely will when you’re older” or “Leave your question with me right now and I will think about the best way to answer you later today.” This is never said to shut down a conversation, it is simply being honest about what I am willing or ready to disclose in a way that helps us all. I have learnt that it is more helpful to be honest first, than to make something up out of fear of upsetting your child or “ruining their innocence”.

By providing this open and honest platform, our daughter knows that she can come to us with any questions or concerns she might have. She knows that we will always be honest and she knows that we will always value what she has to say.

In the end, kids just want to feel included. If you bring them in and include them in meaningful discussions, they are far less likely to attribute the stress to something they have done. It’s time we stop trying to ‘shelter’ our kids and start empowering them to deal with what life can throw at us.

Naomi is the author of ABIA shortlisted, A Secret Safe to Tell, which is helping kids and adults around the world heal from sexual abuse and to have body safety discussions.

Her second book, Even Mummy Cries encourages parents and caregivers to ageappropriately share their emotions with their children. Naomi, with her husband, Jeremy, run Empowering Resources, a newly established publisher of children’s books and junior novels aimed at nurturing, educating and empowering children and adults around the world.

BOOK GIVEAWAY YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ME AT

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www.facebook.com/naomihunterauthor and books can be purchased at www.empoweringresources.com.au

BOOK GIVEAWAY *pg 97 to find out how to win

Photograph: Jessica Wyld

Isn’t it time you took your little one to the theatre?

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre

THE LITTLE PRINCE Tuesday 21 June, 11am

& 5pm

Take flight with your imagination with this beautiful production of The Little Prince adapted from the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Puppet making workshop for schools: Tuesday 21 June, 9.30am and 12.30pm Free with performance ticket

Tickets: Member $20, Full $25, Family (4) $80 The Little Prince: Schools $15 Hippo! Hippo!: 2 years + under free on adult’s knee Duration: 50 minutes, no interval Age: 4+ years

A Garry Ginivan Attraction in association with Shows for Schools

HIPPO! HIPPO!

A Big New Musical Adventure!

Friday 8 July, 2.30pm; Saturday 9 July,10am & 2pm

Based on the best-selling book series There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake written by Hazel Edwards and illustrated by Deborah Niland.

This adaptation is produced under exclusive license from Penguin Books Australia.

Tickets:

03 9784 1060

WhatsOnFAC.com.au @the_FAC | #theFAC Principal Theatre Partner

Frankston Arts Centre is a Business Unit of Frankston City Council

www.peninsulakids.com.au

67

1

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love

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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

MUM BY: MICHELLE HAMER

O

n February 25 this year the eldest of my four children turned 25 and I clocked up a quarter-of-a-century of parenting. I’m still waiting for my medal.

ALONG THE WAY I’VE LEARNED A FEW THINGS:

EMBRACE THE LICE

When the Zombie Apocalypse comes, and all humanity is wiped out, the triumphant zombies will all have nits. Nothing kills those suckers.

It’s best to just surrender now, tell your kids to suck it up and keep scratching. My daughter had lice for so long at one stage that she started naming them. Scientists talk up the possibility of colonizing Mars one day – but apparently no one can create a formula to kill the creepers on your kids’ scalps.

No one can be a ‘good parent’ all the time, but being good-enough is ok. Good-enough parents GOOD ENOUGH love their kids and try their best. Some days they don’t read a bedtime story because they want to catch the start of Masterchef. They often zone out as their preppy recounts a fascinating dream he had last night about a big digger and some dirt, and something about a train and the time he left his body and went astral travelling….wait…what?

Good-enough parents sometimes send their kids to school with unbrushed hair and lunch order money because they need just 15 more minutes of sleep. They can be distracted by social media during the Under-10s basketball and miss the only basket their kid gets all season – but they’ll lie and say they watched every moment.

Good-enough parents try to let themselves off the hook and not get weighed down with guilt of not being perfect. I’m still working on that.

At 3am when the baby is screaming, his brother has just wet the bed, and you’re jolted from the dreamy company of George Clooney – there’s always a lone Lego brick lurking. And as it gouges the bottom of your foot, sending barbs of pain ricocheting around your brain, you’ll have to gag the string of very bad words in your throat so you can comfort the urine-soaked child gripping your leg.

It comes back. Every tiny little bit of energy, emotion, hope, love and care you put into your children HOLD ON matters. When my children talk about how happy their childhood was – leaving out the part where their mum screamed like a shrew some days and fed them two-minute noodles three nights in a row that one time – my pride is intense. When you watch them become happy, capable adults it’s a relief and a delight.

One day you’re squashed in to a public toilet cubicle with the toddler asking loudly if you’re doing a poo – the next you’re happy if the kids return your texts within a few days, and getting everyone together for a couple of hours requires high-level event-planning skills.

But when you’re down in the trenches with young children, a dirty house and wearing the same food-stained top you slept in, it can be hard to measure your progress. But hold on. It gets better. You’re doing a great job. Your kids will be fine. You will get to use the toilet alone one day. You’ll miss some of this one day.

LEGO IS A DEADLY WEAPON

IT’S A BLIP

It goes so fast! I know everyone says that, but I’m saying it again because it’s unbelievable how fleeting the time is. I sometimes fantasise about slipping back into the chaos of my children’s childhoods just for a day, to cuddle and read to them, and say yes to every request. But only for a day. Who has the energy to do that full time?

Michelle Hamer is a Mornington Peninsula author and journalist, she runs Wordsmiths Workshops, offering creative writing classes for children. wordsmithsworkshops.com.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

69

C KIE MONSTER TELLS ALL

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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

BY: MELISSA WALSH

hen Cookie Monster visited Melbourne recently, Peninsula Kids’ Melissa Walsh and T.J. McCullough got to speak to the furry blue celebrity. Cookie tells all about his new apartment, his list of best friends, favourite cookie flavour and life on Sesame Street.

What do you like about Australia?

Cookie Monster, welcome to Melbourne, and thank you for letting TJ and I come to see you.

Would you come to the Mornington Peninsula?

It is Cookie Monster’s pleasure, me very happy to meet you and TJ and talk to the children of the Mornington Peninsula.

Cookie, I hear you have been doing a lot of work on your self-control. Can you tell us about that?

Me try so hard to keep myself under control. Me use all kinds of strategies to help. If me has a cookie me try not to look at it, me turn away and look at something else or think of a song.

Me went to the Taronga Zoo in Sydney got the selfie with the quokka.

It is my favorite animal. Me love the kangaroo and the koala too but something about the quokka. Me would love to venture out and see more of Australia, and come back here again.

Me would love to come to the Mornington Peninsula and me and T.J try to surf. We could go swimming together.

What is it like living on Sesame Street?

That’s where me lived me whole life. Me love it there. Just got an apartment above Hoopers store. Love it where they make all the cookies. Me get a constant smell of cookies and start wanting them; it’s a challenge. I moved there to be closer to the cookies; me just like the view.

How long have you lived on sesame street for?

Why did you want to have self-control?

Fourty seven years. Me never move; me love it there.

Me realise it is very important in life to have self-control and once me realise that it is very good. Me try not to eat too many cookies sometimes.

Is Cookie Monster your real name or your nick name?

Do you just eat cookies or do you eat other things as well?

Me eat fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, bicycle, canoe, Christmas tree, everything. Me eat everything but me love cookies.

We have heard rumors of a theft at the Museum of Modern Cookie and wondered if it really was you?

No Cookie Monster is my real and true name. Me Cookie Monster. Me mummy a Cookie Monster, me daddy a Cookie Monster.

What is Oscar the Grouch like?

He is definitely a grouch but that is who he is. He is 100 per cent grouch and we love Oscar. Big Bird is a nice big tall bird.

Do you have a favorite friend on Sesame Street?

Me not give it away but I can tell you about the Museum of Modern Cookie. What are the odds that it would be up on the street where we live? The Museum of Modern Cookie is a terrific place with beautiful cookie paintings, like ‘Girl With the Cookie Earring’ and the ‘Muncha Lisa’ by Leonardo de Crunchie. Me love it too.

What would you like to tell the children of Australia?

You’ve met a lot of amazing people on Sesame Street.

What was Gwen Stefanie like?

How do you get to Sesame Street?

She was fantastic. Me love singing a song with her. And Pharrell he was fantastic too; me are so lucky. Me have no favourite but we did just work with Sia, got to sing with her and that was fun.

On the work front, how was it working at the Furchester for a little while?

Me lucky. Me got losts of best friends; cannot pick one.

Me love Australia. Me love being here and coming to visit and if the children all come to Sesame Street we would love to see them.

Take the subway or take the R train depends which way you are coming from.

Have you got a favourite cookie?

Chocolate chip but I eat all cookies. Me love the chocolate chippies they are delicious.

Me has been spending some time lately in London at The Furchester Hotel, which is a hotel owned by Elmo’s cousin. Me scored me dream gig as a room service and dining room waiter, but putting Cookie Monster in charge of delivering food to table is a bit of a challenge but me try to self control. Me find the smell of the delicious food hard to resist.

Was it fun being in London at the Furchester with Elmo?

Oh yes, we have been friends for years and he was there visiting while I was working in the dining room.

You get to travel to many places; do you like visiting London?

Me love the museums and me love the food markets.

THE 46TH SEASON OF SESAME STREET WITH COOKIE MONSTER, ELMO AND THE ENTIRE GANG PREMIERED ON APRIL 3RD WITH THE COOKIE THIEF SPECIAL, FOLLOWED

BY NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING ON ABC KIDS AT 9AM AND 12NOON.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

71

Scientists in the making BY: MANDY WHITWORTH

L

ast December the Government released the National Innovation and Science Agenda. A variety of initiatives were announced under the Agenda’s ‘Inspiring all Australians in digital literacy, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)’, including a plan to inspire curiosity and develop science and mathematics knowledge in early childhood.

If the leading thinkers on education believe that our hopes for a vibrant Australia depend upon a foundation of STEM education, then we need to encourage STEM learning during our children’s early years, rather than wait until they get to school.

One of the best practices in teaching and learning is to make learning relevant, and there is nothing more relevant than being outside and exploring the world we live in. Let’s take our young children outside to start engaging today.

The most important thing to remember is that it is not difficult to encourage STEM thinking in very young children. The secret is to tap into their natural and innate curiosity about the living world. By simply allowing children to investigate, and encouraging them to ask questions about the real world you are engaging them in STEM.

Brain Building For Stem Learning Is A Way Of Thinking:

SCIENCE IS: observing and experimenting, making predictions, sharing discoveries, asking questions, and wondering how things work.

MATHEMATICS IS: a way of measuring. Mathematics is sequencing (1, 2, 3, 4…), patterning (1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2…), and exploring shapes (triangle, square, and circle), volume (holds more or less), and size (bigger, less than).

TECHNOLOGY IS:

ENGINEERING IS:

a way of doing. It is using tools, being inventive, identifying problems, and making things work.

●a way of doing by solving problems, using a variety of materials, designing and creating, and building things that work.

To support STEM learning ask your children “what” questions. This way you’re starting a conversation and exploring right along with your child. “What” questions focus on what is happening, what you are noticing, and what you are doing and those answers are right in front of you. By focusing your questions on what children have observed and noticed, you are helping them to develop valuable communication and observation skills as well as building their confidence by giving them questions they can answer as ‘little experts’.

Mandy has been the Head of Wardle House, the Junior School at Toorak College, since 2013. Prior to that she was the Deputy and Curriculum leader. Mandy has over 30 years’ experience in various Primary schools, with particular expertise in the early years of schooling.

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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

ENROLLING NOW

Book a tour today At Guardian Early Learning Centre – Mt Eliza children can learn, grow and develop in our range of spacious areas that offer endless stimulation for big imaginations. We’re open every weekday except Public Holidays from 7am – 6.30pm.

Why choose us? • Professional, experienced educators • Nutritious meals prepared daily by our on-site cook • A unique curriculum that prepares children for successful lifelong learning • State of the art facilities that cater to all interests and levels of development

For more information contact or visit Nicole:

9775 4999 mteliza@guardian.edu.au 1305 Nepean Highway, Mt Eliza

guardian.edu.au/mteliza www.peninsulakids.com.au

73

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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

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

www.peninsulakids.com.au

75

Chicken Fajitas Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 10 minutes Total time 20 minutes Serves 4 (2 per person) Ingredients

8 wholegrain tortillas 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, cut into wedges 1 red capsicum, sliced 300 g chunky tomato salsa (1 jar) 100 ml water 400 g cooked chicken, shredded 2 tomatoes, diced ¼ iceberg lettuce, finely sliced 125 g corn kernels 100 g cheddar cheese, grated sour cream to serve Guacamole 2 soft avocados ½ red onion, finely diced 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 handful coriander, chopped 1 tomato, finely diced (optional) 1 long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped (optional) ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground coriander salt and pepper

Method

1 Remove tortillas from packaging and wrap in foil, making sure all the edges of the foil are sealed tight so the tortillas don’t get crispy. Place in a warm oven (140C) for 5–10 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2 Heat olive oil in a large frying pan (preferably with a lid). Cook onion until soft then add capsicum and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add salsa, water and chicken to pan. Bring to boil, cover with lid, and simmer until sauce thickens (about 5 minutes). Prepare and chop other ingredients.

3 To make guacamole, mash avocados in a bowl with a fork until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

4 Arrange ingredients on a platter in the middle of the table. Remove the tortillas from the oven and divide among serving plates. Assemble fajitas with chicken salsa down the middle of each tortilla. Top with tomato, lettuce, corn, cheese, a dollop of sour cream and guacamole. Then fold like an envelope and tuck in.

TIP TO MAKE A REALLY

QUICK GUACAMOLE, MASH AN AVOCADO IN A BOWL WITH 3 TABLESPOONS OF PRAISE ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING, SALT AND PEPPER. TASTE AND ADJUST TO YOUR LIKING.

Chicken fajitas are so easy and delicious! We have a competition in our house – whoever has the cleanest plate gets out of doing the dishes. Give it a go it’s not as easy as you might think. I will let you in on the secret – less is more! A rookie mistake is putting too much filling in and not being able to fold the tortilla.

TIP IF YOU PREFER,

COMBINE 2 CUPS SELFRAISING FLOUR WITH 1 CUP GREEK YOGHURT. FOLLOW THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS. *IF YOU DON’T HAVE A PIZZA STONE, USE AN OVEN TRAY COVERED WITH BAKING PAPER.

Perfecting the best spelt pizza base has been a year-long process. This recipe is quick and easy, and you don’t have to wait for the dough to rise. Trust me, you’ll love it! We cook our pizzas on a pizza stone in the barbecue with the lid closed. It produces a perfectly crisp crust and gives an extra smoky flavour.

Barbecued Chicken Pizza Prep time 15 minutes Cook time 15minutes Total time 30 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients

Tomato pizza sauce 400 g crushed tomatoes (1 tin) 2 garlic cloves, crushed salt and pepper Pizza base 2¼ cups spelt flour 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ tablespoon salt 1 cup Greek yoghurt 1 tablespoon olive oil extra spelt flour for kneading

Toppings 400 g cooked chicken ½ red onion, sliced 8 mushrooms, sliced 4 slices prosciutto, torn 100 g feta, crumbled smoky barbecue sauce 1 handful rocket leaves

Method

1 Place pizza stone in oven or barbecue when cold and heat at 200C for about 10 minutes while you prepare the dough.

2 To make tomato pizza sauce, place tomatoes, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a small frying pan and boil on medium high heat for 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Stir occasionally and break up any lumps with your spoon. Then put aside.

3 To make the base, sift spelt flour with baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. To make sure the baking powder is mixed through evenly, sift again. Add yoghurt and olive oil and mix until it comes together.

4 Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (ideally a wooden board so the dough doesn’t stick). Knead for 5–8 minutes, until elastic. Add more flour as you knead. It is ready when the top of the dough bounces back when pressed, leaving no indentation. Cut dough into quarters.

5 Roll dough to preferred thickness. Spread with tomato sauce, and then top with chicken, onion, mushrooms, prosciutto and feta, finishing with a squeeze of barbecue sauce. Transfer to hot pizza stone and bake for 10–15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove when pizza is cooked and allow to cool slightly.

6 Top with an extra squeeze of smoky barbecue sauce and rocket. www.peninsulakids.com.au

77

Chicken San Choi Bow Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 10 minutes Total time 20 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients

50 g vermicelli rice noodles 2 tablespoons coconut oil 6 shitake mushrooms, chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 stalks celery, finely diced ¼ tablespoon grated ginger 225 g water chestnuts, chopped 500 g cooked chicken, finely chopped in food processor 1 handful bean shoots 1 iceberg lettuce 6 spring onions, finely sliced 1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped hoisin sauce to serve Sauce 4 tablespoons oyster sauce 2 tablespoons soy sauce ½ tablespoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese wine 1 egg, beaten

Method

1 Soak noodles in hot water for 3–5 minutes. Rinse with cold water then drain thoroughly.

2 Heat frying pan or wok over high heat. Add oil, mushroom, garlic, celery and ginger, and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Chop drained noodles coarsely and add to pan together with water chestnuts and chicken. Cook stirring continuously for 2 minutes.

3 To make sauce, mix oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, dry sherry and egg in a small bowl. Add mixture to pan and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir through bean shoots and allow to cool a little.

4 Carefully separate the lettuce leaves, keeping them whole to form cups.

Wash and shake dry. Fill lettuce cups with chicken mixture, top with spring onion and chilli, and drizzle with hoisin sauce.

TIP TO HELP SEPARATE THE LETTUCE LEAVES, REMOVE THE CORE FROM LETTUCE AND FILL THE MIDDLE WITH WATER. THE LEAVES SHOULD FALL AWAY EASILY.

My youngest son says he doesn’t like mushrooms. When I first served him San Choi Bow, he pointed at the shitake mushroom pieces and asked, ‘What is this?’ I replied, ‘Shitake.’ The absence of ‘mushroom’ made all the difference. It’s all in the delivery. I chop the mushrooms finely so they are not detectable. It’s one of his favourite meals, but I think what he likes the most is that he gets to eat with his hands.

78

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

TIP IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT

THERE ARE SCHNITZELS LEFT OVER, TURN THEM INTO A QUICK VEAL PARMIGIANA FOR LUNCH. SPREAD WITH TOMATO PASTA SAUCE AND A FEW SLICES OF PARMESAN. YUM!

The best veal schnitzel ever and a regular in our house! The kids love to pound the veal – it helps to relieve some of the frustrations of the day. If you have the time, crumb the schnitzels ahead of time and pop them in the fridge. I find this helps the crumbs to stick better. The spelt breadcrumbs cooked in coconut oil give it a tremendous crunchiness, while the oats give a distinctive nutty flavour.

Crunchy Veal Schnitzel Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 10 minutes Total time 20 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients

400 g veal schnitzel 6–8 slices spelt bread ½ cup porridge oats ½ cup spelt or plain flour 2 eggs coconut oil 4 handfuls rocket leaves 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved 1 handful basil leaves, chopped 50 g parmesan cheese, shaved 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 6 tablespoons olive oil

Method

1 Preheat oven to 100C (to keep schnitzels warm when cooked).

Using the spiked side of a kitchen meat mallet, pound the schnitzels until paper thin. Then flip over and pound again. This makes them quicker to cook and very tender. If the pieces are too big for your frypan, cut them in half.

2 In a food processor, blitz bread and oats. Make the crumbs as fine or as chunky as you like.

Place the flour on a dinner plate, maybe half at a time. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water (this helps to break up the egg and thin the mix). Place breadcrumbs on another dinner plate. Coat the veal in flour (shake off excess), dip in egg wash and then breadcrumbs. Press firmly to make sure crumbs stick, and place on a clean plate.

3 Place 1–2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook schnitzels (3–4 at a time) for 2 minutes each side. Place on a lined tray in the oven and repeat with remaining schnitzels. You will need to add more coconut oil each time.

4 Shake vinegar and oil in a jar until combined. Taste and adjust to your liking. Assemble the veal schnitzel on individual plates, top with a handful of rocket and a scoop of tomatoes, sprinkle with basil and parmesan, and pour over balsamic oil. You may prefer to serve the dressing at the table so it doesn’t soften the crunch of the schnitzels.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

79

Pea and Ham Soup Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours Total time: 2Âź hours Serves: 8 (4 +more) Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil 2 brown onions, finely diced 2 carrots, diced 2 celery sticks, diced 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 cups yellow or green dried split peas 2 ham hocks, skin and fat removed 2 litres (8 cups) water salt and pepper

Method

1 Heat oil in a large pot over medium–high heat, add onion, carrot, and celery and cook until the onion softens (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, cooking for 1 minute.

2 Rinse split peas under cold running water until water runs clear.

Discard any discoloured peas. Add peas, ham hocks and water to pot, bring to the boil. Cover with lid and reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours or until the peas are mushy and the ham meat falls from the bone.

3 Remove ham hocks from pot using tongs and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut the ham meat from the bones and roughly chop into small pieces. Discard the bones.

4 Using a spoon, skim the froth from the surface of the soup.

Blend the remaining soup in the pot using a stick blender or remove in batches to blend in a food processor until smooth.

5 Return pea mixture and ham to the pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

If you didn’t heed my advice in summer and keep the leftover ham and bone from Christmas, then give it a try now with ham hocks. Make double and freeze half for another evening.

TIP TO REMOVE FAT

ADD A COUPLE OF MUGS OF ICE TO THE TRAY. THE FAT ACCUMULATES AROUND THE COLD ICE AND SOLIDIFIES. COLLECT WITH A SLOTTED SPOON AND DISCARD..

This will be the juiciest roast chicken you have ever tasted. Roast chicken is really very easy, and cooking the chicken upside down helps to keep the juices in the breast and the chicken moist. For aesthetic purposes, I start the chicken breast side up and brown the top, then turn it over. I have suggested you cook two chickens, so you will have dinner sorted for another night during the week. And what would a roast be without the gravy. This gravy has a subtle lemon flavour, perfectly complementing the chicken.

Juicy Roast Chicken Prep time 2 minutes Cook time 1 hour 20 minutes Total time 1 hour 30 minutes Serves 8 (4 + more) Ingredients

2 chickens 2 lemons, cut into quarters 4 thyme sprigs salt and pepper 2–3 tablespoons cornflour Preheat oven to 240C.

Method

1 Place a wire rack over a deep baking tray and fill tray with water until just below the rack (make sure the chickens are not touching the water). Place a small strip of baking paper down the middle of the rack to stop the chicken skin from sticking. Fill the cavities of the chickens with the cut lemon and thyme and place chickens (starting breast side up) on the rack. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in oven for 20 minutes.

2 Remove tray from oven, turn chickens over and put them back on the rack, breast side down. Then reduce the temperature to 190C and cook for a further hour or until the juices run clear. When cooked remove from oven, cover and rest for 10 minutes.

3 To make gravy, remove fat from the juices (see tip) and bring juices to the boil. Take 2–3 tablespoons of the juices and mix with 2 tablespoons of cornflour in a cup. Return to tray and stir over medium heat until the gravy thickens slightly (3–4 minutes), scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the tray. To thicken gravy add more cornflour using the same method. 4 If you wish, strain gravy through a sieve into a gravy boat.

4 Serve it with roast cherry tomatoes, roast pumpkin and steamed green beans. www.peninsulakids.com.au

81

Health

COCONUT OIL

6 Uses for Baby Care

BY: JENNI MADISON

T

he best way to start giving your baby the benefits of coconut oil is to consume it yourself while you’re still breastfeeding. Once they’re past that phase you can start to use it in their foods when they move on to solids. It’s a great alternative to almost every oil out there. Some people use it for all sorts of things, including skin care and hair care.

You can replace many of your store-bought baby products with a natural, chemical-free alternative – virgin coconut oil. Coconut oil contains natural anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Not only will it save you money, it will be better for the planet and better for your baby’s skin. It can be used in a variety of ways, here are a few:

Can I Give My Baby Coconut Oil? ANSWER: YES. 1. NAPPY RASH CREAM

3. BABY MASSAGE OIL

That’s right. Good old coconut oil which lives in your pantry for cooking can be used to soothe baby’s little red bottom. There is no risk because coconut oil is pure and has no chemicals. With it’s impressive antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties, it can even heal yeast infections. As an added bonus coconut oil smells delicious. It will not ruin cloth nappies like many other nappy rash creams do.

The benefits of baby massage are endless. It strengthens the bond between mother and baby. It helps baby to relax and sleep when it is time for bed. Massaging baby with coconut oil is nourishing and healing for baby’s tender and sensitive newly born skin. The beautiful subtle aroma of coconut is also calming for your baby’s senses. As it is perfectly natural, coconut oil will not cause any harm to your baby’s already soft, tender and sensitive skin, like some chemical treatments do. You can use coconut oil for specific problem areas or as required.

Just a quick dab will help keep the area moistened and protected from further irritation.

Put a fine, thin layer on your little one and you will not have any residue issues.

2. CRADLE CAP TREATMENT Perfectly natural and safe coconut oil is an effective treatment for cradle cap. All you have to do is massage the oil onto your baby’s scalp and leave it on for about 20 minutes. The coconut oil will moisturise and nourish baby’s scalp and loosen the cradle cap flakes. After 20 minutes wash the oil off or wipe clean with a damp cloth and gently comb the hair with a soft brush to remove any loose flakes. This treatment can be done as required.

You will find that keeping baby’s scalp moistened and nourished regularly will help prevent the cradle cap from re-occurring.

Between us we have 23 years of teaching experience, 53 years experience in the book trade, 13 children and 3 grandchildren - that’s a lot of wisdom and knowledge!

• Early Years • Home Schooling • Teachers Resources • Booklists (Primary & Secondary) • VCE Resources • Educational Games • Gift Ideas • 103 HIGH ST, HASTINGS | www.teachersresource.com.au | Phone: 5979 8233 82

Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

BOOK GIVEAWAY *pg 97 to find out how to win

Coconut magic is committed to bringing you the highest quality coconut products, backed by sustainable, fairly traded production and well-being education. It is available at all retailers and online at www.rockpoolpublishing.com.au

4. TREAT THRUSH, YEAST AND CANDIDA Coconut oil taken both internally and externally can help treat the yeast that causes thrush and candida. A little coconut oil dabbed inside the baby’s mouth, as well as mum eating it and putting it on her nipples before breast feeding is an effective way for both baby and mum to receive the benefits. Applying coconut oil to nursing mums nipples will also help with painful cracks and irritation.

5. BABY BATH TIME Mix coconut oil with a drop of pure lavender oil to make the bath water soothing, moisturising and relaxing. This can be done and enjoyed by both baby and mum.

6. TEETHING PAIN RELIEVER Virgin coconut oil is pure and safe to eat; therefore it is also safe to pop into baby’s mouth. Rub the oil directly onto gums of teething babies and children to ease the pain.

SPECIALIST ORTHODONTISTS INITIAL ASSESSMENT RECOMMENDED AT 8 - 9 YEARS OF AGE EXPERTISE IN STRAIGHTENING TEETH AND THE ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF DENTAL DEVELOPMENT AND BITE PROBLEMS NO REFERRAL NECESSARY

DR ANDREW PEPICELLI DR DANIEL SABLE DR ANDREA PHATOUROS Jenni started Coconut Magic when she returned from living in Thailand in 2011.

Whilst abroad, Jenni had discovered the most amazing quality of coconut oil and experienced her own health transformation. Jenni returned with very little other than her coconut oil discovery and a desire to share it with the world. Just a few months after her return coconut oil and a whole new perception of well-being started to become ‘rediscovered’ in the west. People were looking for clean, pure and sustainable, health products. People were eager to learn about health food, raw food and healing with plant based nutrition. Based on this, alongside Jenni’s passion to share what she had discovered in the East, the company grew fast.

DR BRAYDON PATTERSON

134 Tanti Ave Mornington 03 5975 5166 smile@peninsulaortho.com.au www.peninsulaortho.com.au @Peninsula_Ortho

Peninsula Orthodontics

@Peninsula_Ortho

www.peninsulakids.com.au

83

BY: JANE FLYNN

M

AUTISM ACCEPTANCE

illa was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder not long after her second birthday, although her paediatrician had raised concerns from around 18 months.

Milla was born at 32 weeks gestation, so at first her delays were put down to her prematurity.

Her quirky one liners bring smiles to the faces of people she has never even met. Trust me when I say she is just as charismatic in real life.

As I sat in the paediatrician’s office, I knew from the questions she was asking what her suspicions were.

She is compassionate and kind, yet blunt and aloof. She will say exactly what she is thinking, so take the good with the bad.

As I sat in the psychologists office during the assessment and Milla screamed and screamed at the ticking clock, I knew her suspicions were correct. The psychologist looked me in straight in the eye and said “This is not normal behaviour.” I’ve never forgotten those words. After we received the assessment report, we never went back to see that psychologist.

If someone had told me six years ago, that the baby I was carrying would be autistic, I would have been terrified.

Three years later, Milla is a vivacious and intelligent young lady. She has had years of intensive early intervention, speech therapy and occupational therapy. She is affectionate and loving, sensitive and emotional. Everything she has achieved has been through her own hard work and tenacity.

It doesn’t take much to rock her little world, but even when to all appearances it’s beaten her and she falls in to bed weary and defeated, she bursts through our bedroom door in the morning ready to face it all again.

She is curious about everything and has a thirst for knowledge that in all my years of early childhood education I had never encountered. Her photographic memory never ceases to amaze me, even when it leads to my downfall as my recall can never match hers.

I never imagined that this would be my life. I never imagined what it would be like to have a child who has autism. I could never possibly have imagined the giddying highs or the devastating lows. The thing is, I wouldn’t change it, I wouldn’t change HER. She is Milla, a combination of the best and worst traits of my husband and I, of her environment, of her autism. It all rolls together to make this amazing kid. She is exactly who she is meant to be, and I am in awe that I helped create her.

Jane Flynn - I’m Jane, and I’m finding my way from dysfunction, to becoming a domestic goddess . . . or at least a wife, mother and woman I can be proud of.

I am a stay at home mum to an adorable and high spirited little lady living on the Spectrum. You can read more of my stories at www.almostjane.com.au or follow my daily journey at www.facebook.com/almostjane

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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

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85

THAT OTHER

‘F’

BY: JULIE COX

T

he number one rule I have amongst all my clients is they are never to mention the word ‘fat’ in front of their children especially never in context to do with their bodies. Same goes with counting calories, points, kilojoules and all those things associated with losing weight.

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There is nothing wrong with putting emphasis on food when it's to do with teaching kids how great healthy foods are for us and what healthy food does for our brains and bodies, but I think these days that focus is lost within the household. More and more we see mums getting busier and busier so they think following a fad diet will be their quick fix, because they're being told what they can and can't eat instead of learning why we should or shouldn't eat certain foods.

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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

WORD

As an example, If your child was playing at their friend's house and was given potato chips and came home and told you he or she wants them as part of their snacks, then we need to stop and explain to our kids that “perhaps potato chips every now and again are fine but ideally we wouldn't have them as apart of our every day snacks because they are a sluggish food and they don't provide us with the fresh energy we need to run around the park as fast as we would like too”. Most mums would connect them with putting on weight and being a fatty food. Well, they're 100% correct but is this OK to tell our children? Absolutely not. There is never a time when our kids should recognise any foods as being the cause of them being ‘fat’. Teaching them that they aren't the best for us and that they effect how we feel will in time teach them to recognise how eating certain foods makes us feel energy wise.

Counting calories in the household is an extremely dangerous thing.

While people might think by doing this we create healthy bodies, at the same time they're creating unhealthy minds. There should never be that much emphasis on food when its connected to losing weight because we have young spongy minds in our households that are unfortunately already being brought up in a society where there is so much emphasis on looking good. So it's crucial that in the home this isn't continued, and that we do not associate food with looking good.

Food is our fuel. It is important to remember to let kids be kids and that everything in moderation is fine. We never want to deprive them of anything. Studies show those kids end up wanting those things more.

Moderation is key, just like everything else in life.

Learning about nutrition and food, is an investment; even to know the basics will make the world of difference within the household. Your health will thank you for it!

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

UPGRADING YOUR

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is currently being introduced at Mornington Peninsula Library Service.

RFID self-service technology is becoming the standard technology for Australian libraries and will provide library members with additional and improved service options.

RFID will improve customer service, privacy and security, and convenience for library users by enabling: · quick and easy borrowing, · faster customer service, · more access to the expertise of librarians, · even greater privacy for borrowers, · improved security for the collection, and · improved services and library spaces.

Mornington and Rosebud Libraries will need to close for a short time so that RFID infrastructure works and installation of equipment can be completed as part of the final stage of this exciting project. There will also be a redesign of some library spaces to make room for more services and create new opportunities for

reading, relaxing, learning and studying. Hastings and Somerville Libraries have reopened.

LIBRARY

OUR

Libraries

Ideas. Information. Inspiration.

Mornington, Hastings and Rosebud Libraries will also receive some minor refurbishments such as new carpet and furniture.

Library chutes will not be accessible during the temporary closures but we have extended loan periods to ensure that library items will not be due for return during the closures.

To find out full details, please visit our website at www.ourlibrary.mornpen. vic.gov.au.

When the libraries reopen, users will benefit from the ability to check-out multiple items at once and greater access to library staff.

This new system allows library staff to spend even more time with our customers, so we can provide you with the latest on the best books, help you find what you are looking for (even if you are not sure what that is) and support you with excellent customer service.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

87

How -To -Help

WHEN THE WORRIES TAKE HOLD BY: ERIKA ATWILL

W

orry, stress, doubt, insecurity, fear. Feelings of anxiety can affect people of all ages, but when they start to take hold of your young children you can often feel helpless as a parent, although you would do anything to make them feel better.

situation. I want them to know that they are not the only ones. It can feel extremely isolating when it seems like every other child appears to be happily walking into their classrooms while yours is a complete mess in the school yard or hallway, begging you to take them back home.

Children can suffer from anxiety to the point where it can be debilitating for themselves and their surrounding family members. Sure, some level of stress and worry is normal for everyone, but when it starts to prevent your children from enjoying their day to day life then it’s time to seek further help.

So here are some of the techniques we found most useful:*

I have experienced times like this with one of my daughters. It began with a refusal to go to school or extracurricular activities, many teary episodes and complaints of a sore stomach. Then the vomiting started followed by the panic attacks.

The worries had taken over and were controlling her every thought and action. It was awful to see my usually confident, smiling daughter this way. It was also very frustrating as even my daughter didn’t understand why she was having these feelings and there were no particular incidents pinpointing such strong emotional reactions.

In the end, we sought some professional help for our daughter and it made a massive difference. It taught her, and us as parents, some fantastic skills that I’m sure not only helped at the time but will see her through the school years and beyond.

I’m sharing this story and some of the techniques we used to help reach out to other parents with children who may be going through a similar 88

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ANXIETY WORKBOOKS FOR CHILDREN There are some great workbooks out there aimed at helping children overcome their anxiety. One book I highly recommend is What To Do When you Worry Too Much – A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety

by Dawn Huebner Ph.D. It helps children explore concepts and feelings related to anxiety with plenty of activities to guide them along the way.

Another to look out for online is Mighty Moe – An Anxiety Workbook for Children by Lacey Woloshyn.

TALK TIME AND SETTING UP A WORRY BOX Set aside some uninterrupted time, perhaps 15-30 minutes, each day with your child for Worry Time, or what we preferred to call as Talk Time because it sounds a little more positive. Talk Time is meant to be the only time your child discusses their worries during the day. It provides an opportunity to sit down and talk about anything on your child’s mind and gives parents time to work through those feelings and remind them of any techniques they could be using to help reduce their worries or feelings of anxiety.

SHIFTING THOUGHTS THROUGH ACTIVITIES Another tool for helping children combat their worries is activity. The problem is that it’s not always practical to go for a walk or start doing a few jumping jacks to make the worries go away, especially when your child is in class! Instead, try using an elastic/rubber wrist band or place a small stress ball in your child’s school jacket pocket. Every time they feel a worry growing inside of them, they flick the band or squeeze the ball to help shift their thoughts.

BREATHE AND AFFIRMATIONS It may seem a cliché but reminding your child to breathe also helps them to redirect their focus away from their worries onto their breath.

Taking three deep breaths in and out aims to bring them back into a more present state. Sometimes it can also work well for them to repeat a daily affirmation they select each morning such as “I am calm”, “I am confident”, “Everything will be alright” or “I am strong” while they do this. I have even printed and laminated a set of small affirmation cards for this purpose, this allows you to tailor them for your own child.

LUCAS

DENTAL CARE SPEC IAL I ST

You can also set up a Worry Box, which can be any box, tin or even a money box. Each time your child experiences a worry they write it down on a piece of paper and place it into the box so it is “locked” away to be discussed at Talk Time, if they wish. During the day when your child is at school and doesn’t have access to the box, perhaps give them a small notebook they can use to jot down their worries throughout the day.

TRIC DENTISTS A I ED A P

NIGHT TIME RELAXATION AND MEDITATION FOR CHILDREN Try playing a recorded relaxation before your child goes to bed to help boost their confidence, reduce worries, relax and help them go to sleep.

Or you can even read them to your child yourself. I purchased a couple of great CDs and books from Relax Kids and have found them to be a fantastic resource. More recently, I discovered the Smiling Mind app which contains meditations for all ages.

These are just a few of the techniques that have worked well for my family. However there are many other options out there to help reduce anxiety in children that may better suit your child. I sincerely hope some of these techniques help guide you and your child to overcome their anxiety, but remember that it’s always best to seek professional advice if you are at all concerned about your child’s level of anxiety. *The techniques listed above are strategies that worked well for my family.

However I am NOT a doctor or health professional and am in no way qualified to give medical advice. Every child is different and anxiety comes in many forms so it so it is usually best to work in conjunction with a professional therapist.

Erika is a Melbourne-based freelance writer, editor, blogger and communications specialist. She is a mum to three beautiful children and recently made a major decision to leave full time work to spend more time with her family. She shares this personal and parenting journey through her blog Ever-changing Life of a Mum at www. everchangingmum.com.au

134 TANTI AVENUE, MORNINGTON 3931

597 5 9334 Dr James Lucas Dr Caroline Howarth Dr Narisha Chawla Dr Daniel Cocker

lucas dental care proudly sponsors polyglot theatre

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Ask The Experts!

What should I do if my child knocks a tooth out?

•First of all it is important to assess whether it is an adult or baby tooth that has been knocked out.

•If an adult tooth is knocked out of your child’s mouth, the best first aid is to find the tooth and put it back into the socket.

•If it is dirty, gently rinse for 10 seconds in cold running water.

•Try not to touch the tooth root and definitely don’t scrub or clean it with soap.

•Once it is back in the socket hold it in place. If needed an emergency splint can be made out of aluminum foil and gently placed over the replaced tooth and adjacent teeth.

•If the tooth won’t go back in for any reason, it’s important to keep the root from drying out.

Place it in a clean container with cold milk or saliva or gently wrap the tooth in plastic wrap. Don’t store the tooth in water as this can cause damage.

•Once that’s done, try to get to your dentist, specialist paediatric dentist or hospital emergency department as soon as possible for a thorough assessment and stabilization of the tooth.

•The faster the tooth gets back into the socket the better the chances of saving it.

•If you are certain it is a baby tooth, find it if possible, but do NOT put it back in the socket.

There are developing adult teeth in the gums and putting the baby tooth back can damage these teeth.

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•If unsure whether it is a baby tooth or not, place it in milk and seek attention immediately •Go to your dentist or emergency department and take the tooth with you so that they can confirm that the whole tooth has been knocked out.

Dr Daniel Cocker Specialist Paediatric Dentist Lucas Dental Care Paediatric Dental Specialists 134 Tanti Ave Mornington

My son is in grade 5 and there are two other children in his class with braces. Is this too early to place braces on the teeth?

As orthodontists, we see patients across a wide age spectrum, and this includes children from 7-8 years of age. The Australian Society of Orthodontists recommends children between the ages of 8 and 10 years of age visit a specialist orthodontist for assessment.

This will allow the orthodontist to undertake a comprehensive assessment of your child’s dental development and determine whether or not early treatment is necessary.

There are several orthodontic issues that can be treated at 8-9 years of age to provide a real benefit to the child, while the treatment of other issues can certainly be delayed until most of the adult teeth have appeared in the mouth. In general, the goals of ‘early’ orthodontic treatment are to reduce the potential for trauma to the teeth or gums, to effect a change that cannot be produced in the teenage years or to attempt to avoid certain dental or orthodontic problems from occurring.

Sectional braces placed on only several of the teeth, fixed expansion appliances

or removable ‘plates’ are often used to treat early orthodontic issues.

The other benefit of early orthodontic assessment is that the orthodontist can determine whether all the adult teeth are developing normally and also whether they are in the correct positon. There are often things that can be done before all the adult teeth come through to avoid adult teeth from becoming impacted or coming through in the wrong position.

Early orthodontic treatment can be an effective preventive measure to lay the foundation for a healthy mouth in adulthood.

DR Andrew Pepicelli BDSc, MDSc, Grad Dip Clin Dent, MOrth RCS (Ed) Peninsula Othadontics 134 Tanti Ave Mornington

My three year old son has a very bad cold with runny nose, cough and sore throat.

Why won’t his GP give him antibiotics?

Antibiotics are medicines that are used to treat infections or diseases caused by bacteria. They work by destroying the vital processes in bacteria, which either kills them or stops them multiplying. Antibiotics have saved millions of lives worldwide since they were first introduced however because of unnecessary overuse many of them are no longer effective and this is why it is so important for your doctor to only prescribe antibiotics in cases where a bacterial infection has been confirmed or suspected.

It is difficult for any parent to watch their child go through an illness but we must remember that the vast majority of coughs and colds, ear infections, and sore throats are caused by viruses.

Antibiotics do not help children get over viruses and they do not prevent your child’s infection from passing on to other children.

To distinguish between viral and bacterial cases of infection your child’s doctor will perform a thorough physical examination as well as ask questions about the nature and duration of symptoms. If necessary the GP may want to confirm their diagnosis with laboratory tests.

Remember that your GP wants your child to get better just as much as you do and they will always act in their little patient’s best interest.

Dr Darren Asuncion Surrey Street Family Clinic 2-4 Surrey Street, Mornington

What are the best immune boosting vitamins I can give my daughter; she seems to be sick all the time?

At school, kinder and other activities children are constantly being exposed to a range of viruses. Having 5-6 colds a year is not uncommon and there are some nutrients that are particularly important for a healthy immune system.

However, before reaching for the vitamins, a comprehensive nutritional assessment would be advised to rule out some of the other issues that may weaken her immune function. Nutritional deficiencies, allergies, food intolerances and internal parasites are just some of the possible issues that may initially present as a sluggish immune system. Perhaps it could be as simple as getting some practical solutions to broaden the palate of a fussy eater. Whatever the problem a nutritional assessment can cut out some of the guess work and help your child on the path to good health sooner.

Mrs Tarryn Donnelly Director & Nutritionist BHSc (NutMed) Energie Natural Health

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.

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

13 Beach St Frankston

Ph: 9783 4511

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

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creative

2 1

3 4

5

FINGERPRINT

fruit

*BE SURE TO LEAVE SPACE BETWEEN FINGERPRINT DABS

WHAT TO DO

YOU’LL NEED

• DIFFERENT COLOURED PAINTS TO SUIT YOUR FRUIT OR VEG • A THICK PIECE OF PAPER OR PAPER STUCK ONTO CARD BACKGROUND • PAPER PLATE FOR MIXING PAINTS • PAINT BRUSH

1. If you’re planning to use a border like ours affix your white paper onto it using a light coating from a glue stick.

2. Start by putting a few colours of leaves or stems onto a paper plate and give them a swirl.

3. Using a thick paint brush sweep your leaves onto the top of the page.

4. Grab the paints for your fruit or veg and swirl onto a paper plate.

5. Dip fingers into the mixed paints and dab fingerprints onto your page in the shape of your chosen fruit or veg.

Make a statement Feathers on a headband $30.00 Available in Favourite team colours lil miss k www.lilmissk.com 92

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Mover Doll Pram $139.95 windmill www.windmill.net.au

Flowers in the Garden Headpiece $25.00 lil miss k www.lilmissk.com

Shopping List Game $33.95 windmill www.windmill.net.au

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2

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HEADBANDS

pipe cleaner YOU’LL NEED

WHAT TO DO

• PIPE CLEANERS IN AN ARRAY OF COLOURS (IT TOOK AROUND SEVEN TO COVER THE BAND BEFORE ADDING THE FEATURES.)

1. Start at one end of the headband bending the pipe cleaner around and around until the entire band is covered.

• ANY DETAILS - GOOGLY EYES, SEQUINS, FELT HEARTS, ETC.

2. Bend additional pipe cleaners into ears, crowns, antennae, etc. and wrap around the band to secure in place.

ild!

n run w io t a in g a im r u o y t Le

Dinosaur Set $15.50 windmill www.windmill.net.au

Bling Bow on Headband $15.00 Available in Favourite team colours lil miss k www.lilmissk.com

3. Our googly eyes slipped over the end of the pipe cleaner, but PVA would work just as well.

Le Toy Van Dotty Kettle $29.95 enchanted child www.enchantedchild.com.au

Kinderfeets Tiny Tot $129.95 enchanted child www.enchantedchild.com.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

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YARN

bowls

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6a

6b

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YOU’LL NEED:

• YARN (DIFFERENT COLOURS, DIFFERENT LENGTHS DEPENDING ON THE STYLE OF BOWL YOU’RE GOING FOR.) • PVA GLUE – WE USED 250MLS TO GET ONE MEDIUM AND TWO SMALL BOWLS DONE. • WATER • CLING FILM • BOWLS

WHAT TO DO: 1. Start by wrapping the backs of the bowls in cling wrap.

2. In a separate bowl mix glue with just enough water to thin it out.

3. Cut yarn in different lengths 30cm to 60cm long.

4. Put yarn in glue mixture and mix so that yarn in drenched.

5. Pull a length of yarn out one at a time and drag fingers down to get excess glue off. (Make sure they’re still soggy, though.)

6a. For abstract bowl drape yarn over back of cling filmed bowl in scattered directions.

6b. For layered bowl start at the bottom of the flipped bowl and carefully run yarn around bowl stacking one strip of yarn on top of another. When completed, gently push yarn up side of bowl to create scalloped edge look.

7.

Place completed bowls onto baking paper and set outside in sun to dry. (Drying time varies – ours took 6 hours outside. They will take much longer indoors.)

*

8. When dry, remove yarn with cling film from back of bowl.

Then peel away cling film from yarn.

It is important for either look that wet yarn touches other wet yarn. Squash down gently on abstract bowl and make sure lines of wrapped bowl all touch.

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Book Reviews

HAPPILY EVER AFTER: THE UGLY DUCKLING

ECHNIDA JIM WENT FOR A SWIM

BY ANNIE WHITE, 3-6 yrs, h/b, $24.99

BY PHIL CUMMINGS, 3+yrs, h/b $16.99

Mother Duck is disappointed when one of her little ducklings isn’t as pretty as the other delightful four. The Ugly Duckling sets out to find his place in the world.

It’s a fun day at the beach for all the animals! They splash and surf and paddle and bob. But what will happen when prickly Echnida Jim goes for a swim?

COUNTDOWN TO DANGER: BULLET TRAIN DISASTER

KEEPER OF THE CRYSTALS: EVE AND THE LAST DRAGON

BY JACK HEATH, 8+yrs, p/b, $12.99

BY JESS BLACK, 7+yrs, p/b, $14.99

You are strapped tightly into your seat on the bullet train. The mountain track is so steep, the aisle is a staircase. A passenger slips out of his seat and will probably be seriously injurd, he may even die.

Do you unstrap yourself to save him, or do you stay in your seat?

A crystal dragon figurine thrusts Oscar and Eve into a medieval world of dragon slayers, fire breathing dragons, castles and moats.

It’s a world at war. Can Eve and Oscar befriend these creatures and help save them from extinction?

CYCLONE

SPACE ALIEN AT PLANET DAD

THE POCKET DOGS AND THE LOST KITTEN

BY LUCINDA GIFFORD, 3+yrs, p/b, $15.99

BY MARGARET WILD, 4+yrs, h/b, $24.99

One Saturday, Jake arrives at Planet Dad to find a space alien there! He needs his best invader blaster and alien repelling suit! But the space alien won’t go away.

What will Jake do?

Biff and Buff love riding in the pockets of Mr Pockets’ very big coat. They love to have Mr Pockets all to themselves, but when a little lost kitten needs a home, thy might have to learn about sharing.

MATTY’S COMEBACK

TROUBLE AT HOME

BY ANITA HEISS, 8+yrs, p/b, $9.99

BY CATE WHITTLE, 7+yrs, p/b, $9.99

TINY TIM MAKES THE GRADE!

Matty has an accident, and doesn’t look like he’ll be much use to the team.

But solutions can come from surprising places, and people.

Ages and ages ago – about two weeks since next Thursday – a giant green dragon stole my baby brother., Godfrey. Well, okay, the giant green dragon actually stole the house.

I saw it all happen.

BY JACKIE FRENCH, 4+yrs, h/b, $24.99 Christmas Eve, 1974 is marked indelibly into the Australian psyche, as the night tropical Cyclone Tracy devastated the city of Darwin. Now, 45 years later, Jackie French’s lyrical rhyming text tells the story of a city’s indomitable spirit.

ONE LUCKY PRESCHOOLER & ONE LUCKY SCHOOL AGED READER WILL WIN A SCHOLASTIC PRIZE PACK OF THE REVIEWED BOOKS TO ENTER: www.peninsulakids.com.au/giveaways

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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2016

BY TIM CAHILL, 7+yrs, p/b, $12.99 Tiny Timmy’s hard work has paid off – he’s starring for his school team and now the rep coach is keen to recruit him!

But it’s a big step up…the kids are faster and stronger and the standard is better than what he’s used to.

WIN

GO TO: www.peninsulakids. com.au/giveaways FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN GOBSMAX are collectable, playable ball shaped characters that are all mouth and attitude.

Full of crash derby action, each Gobsmax team competes in obstacle course style tournaments, with adventurous props, death defying obstacles and the most challenging of terrain. With over 100 characters to collect.

Suitable for ages 5+, available in: Single Packs ($6.95), 2 Pack with Launcher ($12), 5 Pack with Launcher ($22), Big Mouth Target Case ($22), and Munchin Monster Truck ($59.95

GOOEY LOUIE If your kids love gross toys, they’ll be thrilled with the new award-winning game, Gooey Louie! Will you be the one to pick a winner? Gooey Louie provides hours of outrageous good times and laughter for the whole family.

Suitable for 2+ players aged 4+.

RRP $39.99

A SECRET SAFE TO TELL A Secret Safe To Tell is not only for people directly healing from sexual abuse, it is also a resource that can open the lines of communication between parents, care providers and children to discuss their personal safety in a non-threatening, helpful, nurturing way. You are not alone and you are not responsible. www.empoweringresources.com.au s/c $17 h/c $25

OOBI MAGIC SPARKLE DRESS In a world where you can be anything, be a unicorn...

Our gorgeous and "magical" hand-embroidered 100% woven cotton dress is total loveliness with tiers of "Sprinkles" the unicorn print in the skirt.

The long sleeved bodice is warm cotton jersey with a divine hand embroidered star print along the collar. Through our charity program, "Oobi-Fy the World" Oobi donates a garment to a child in need for every new season piece sold on our website! www.oobi.com.au RRP: $69.95

NICK’S FABULOUS FOOTY CARDS Nick’s Fabulous Footy Cards is a fun and exciting read for any young footy fan and is sure to get even the most reluctant reader – reading! www.nicksfabulousfootycards.com RRP: $11.95

EVEN MUMMY CRIES A gentle book reassuring children they are not to blame for any sadness experienced by their parents. They are always loved and treasured. It also encourages parents to openly express their sadness with their kids without feeling guilt or shame. www.empoweringresources.com.au s/c $17.00 h/c $25

THE HEALTHY COCONUT Just one scoop of virgin coconut oil delivers a wide-range of healing properties. Produced in its most natural state, coconut oil will benefit you, your children and your pets. Whether you have chronic fatigue, weight problems, digestive or skin issues, or just want to give your body a good cleanse and boost your energy, Available at all retailers and online at www.rockpoolpublishing.com.au RRP: $34.99 LOVEBOOK LoveBook is the only gift book that lets you list all the reasons why you love each other. Create your characters, add and edit your pages to fit your own love story. Unlimited pages for one low price. Available in hard cover or paper back. LoveBooks are printed and shipped in Australia. www.LoveBookOnline.com RRP: $53.45

POP! THE PIG Feed the Pig and watch him get bigger until….Pop! An international best-seller, Pop! The Pig keeps everyone on their toes. Kids and adults alike will have a blast playing the fun new family game, Pop! The Pig. Pop! The Pig provides hours of family fun and is completely kid powered (no batteries needed).

Suitable for 2-6 players aged 4+.

RRP $39.99 PROBIOTIC SOLUTIONS ESSENTAIS PACK Your home is like a little eco-system. It’s filled with millions of good and bad bacteria.

Using nasty chemicals will kill everything in sight, but the bad bacteria will soon regroup and take over. Probiotic Solutions is the diplomatic way of cleaning. The millions of good bacteria in every bottle make peace with the bad bacteria to create a happy place. www.probioticsolutions.com.au or your local IGA to find out more.

RRP $45

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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S E P T E M B E R

2 0 1 6

Spring EDITION TO SECURE YOUR PLACE CONTACT MIRIAM DOE 0421 085 974

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Download our media kit at www.peninsulakids com.au/advertise-with-us

www.facebook.com/MorningtonPeninsulaKids

2-4 Surrey Street, Mornington

www.surreystreetclinic.com.au

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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