Spring 2015

ENINSULA KID P S LOVING FAMILY LIFE ON THE PENINSULA

SPRING 2015

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

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Cover Photo Pearl at Boneo Maze & Mini Golf Photography: Cameron McCullough Editor and Publisher Melissa McCullough melissa@mpnews.com.au Creative Director Maria Mirabella maria@mpnews.com.au

Editor

Melissa McCullough

“Like wildflowers; you must allow yourself to grow in all the places people thought you never would”

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

-E.V. Welcome to the fifth edition of Peninsula Kids magazine. That also makes it our first birthday! Yahooooo!

Distribution Marilyn Saville distribution@peninsulakids.com.au

During the past year we, as a team, have morphed and melded.

We have grown and strengthened. We have evolved and educated. It has been the craziest, most rewarding time of my professional life. Initially, I thought I would lose my marbles.

Sending one munchkin off to school, spending time with the littler one while he’s still little AND giving lots of love to Peninsula Kids, (both mag and online) seemed like the holy grail of life. But I’ve learned something. Just as many expectant mothers often wonder when the arrival of babes two, three, or four is set to be, I wondered if I’d have enough. Enough love to go around. Enough time to spread. Enough patience to withstand. And just like all of those brave mamas who go another round even though they swore after the first, with all of that pain, (omg, I thought I was going to die), that they would NEVER…I have. We have. Love doubles and triples for whatever you put your heart into. #lovepeninsulakids

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.

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

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

Registered address: 2/1 Tyabb Road, Mornington 3931

Distribution

Marilyn Saville

Proudly published by

Creative Director

Maria Mirabella

Ok. <wiping away tears>

Peninsula Kids is produced quarterly.

15,000 copies distributed between Mordialloc and Portsea.

www.facebook.com/MorningtonPeninsulaKids

ed’s letter...

Is it spring yet? Is it spring yet? I’ve felt its warm breath on my face…and it was good. There’s so much to look forward to with the arrival of this transitional season. More sunny, less rainy. A welcomed break at the end of term three for whatever you’re practising. And ‘you-know-what’ is only three months away. I hope you got hold of your Target toy catalogues. My kids have taken the liberty of circling their favourites for the big guy in red.

While we’re on gifting…don’t forget to be involved with our giveaways in this issue. We have quite a few and they are magnificent! A pram worth $749. A once in a lifetime chance for your child to be a Disney Grid Kid at the Phillip Island V8 SuperSprint valued at $1690! Some amazing Scholastic books and soooo much more. Go to www.peninsulakids.com.au/ giveaways to get into the action!

All the best of luck today and always!

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Contributors

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

Lorraine Aitken Family-friendly adventurer

Yvette Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dowd David Hawkins

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

www.bigkidlittlekid.net

Michelle McCullough Chief family photographer

Rebecca Bowyer Seeing the Lighter Side seeingthelighterside.com

Jo Ford www.bodybump.com.au

Jane Flynn Almost Jane almostjane.com.au

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

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

6

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2015

Contents 81

22

44

53 3 89 9

110

65 Spotlight 10

A Life Worth Giggling About

38

Jimmy Rees shares his story of success in kids television and fatherhood.

16

Gently Does It

5 Myths about being a good parent your kids don’t want you to find out.

42

The evolution of the Southern Natural Parenting Network.

18

Q & A with B1 and B2

70

30 32

Vox pops

What would you tell your 15-year-old self about being a parent?

34

71

I’m a Stay at Home Mum

What do you do?

Ideas for Creating Childhood Road Safety Awareness

Keep kids safe with these handy suggestions.

Why Kids Need to Read

Why fiction plays a critical role in fostering wellbeing, resilience and empathy in children.

Springtime

Peninsula Kids fashion photo shoot.

Does Your Child Swear?

Potty mouth training at home.

MPK kids get some of their questions answered.

22

Don’t Get Conned

98

What’s New for Kids Rooms

Sally from MeOHmii and photographer Kelly show us how to create beautiful spaces.

Guide for New Dads

One man’s experience with childbirth. www.peninsulakids.com.au

7

........Contents 93

10

78 14 31 68 88 100

Local

Health

Moonlit Sanctuary Red Hill-Merricks Rail Trail Kid Friendly Wineries On The Mornington Peninsula The Hungry Peacock Mornington Farmer’s Market

80 84 85 90

Celebrate Circus party Ideas For Your Own Circus Party Planning The perfect party Dot-To-Dot Fun

44 48 49 50

Pregnancy & Baby 54 58 60 62

Types Of Childcare It Won’t Go Away If You Ignore It 10 Things I Hate About Pregnancy Helping Your Baby Enjoy Tummy Time

73

Recipes With Mumma Duck Says And Jodie Blight

Creative 93 94 94 96

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

Super Spy String Laser Maze Pantry Fun Make A Circus Tent Make Butter At Home

Education How To Make Boring Chores Fun And Educational For Children 104 Choosing A School 106 Dear Kinder Mums 108 Granny’s Guide To Babywearing

110

102

Recipes

8

21

Family Health Insurance On A Budget The Merits of Meditation Eczema And Itching Placenta Encapsulation

In Every Issue 51 53 86 112

Party Planning Things We Love Ask The Experts Book Reviews

30

Where futures begin Toorak Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Junior School, Wardle House, is so much more VJCP C MKPFGTICTVGP CPF RTKOCT[ UEJQQN 6JG IKTNU CPF DQ[U Ć&#x201A;PF their place in a small nurturing environment and are able to make the most of all the facilities Toorak College offers.

Students at Toorak College begin their learning journey from the three and four year old program transitioning to Prep. Toorak College embraces the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program and the Reggio Emilia philosophy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We understand that children are active investigators seeking ways to make meaning of their world,â&#x20AC;? enthuses Mrs Mandy Whitworth, Head of Wardle House. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are specially created indoor and outdoor spaces for reading, writing, art, construction, imaginative play, science and technology encouraging children to be active learners.â&#x20AC;?

Experience Toorak College in Spring Call Catherine in the 'PTQNOGPV 1HĆ&#x201A;EG QP to book your tour or visit www.toorakcollege.vic.edu.au

Toorak College offers its early learners: â&#x20AC;˘ Small class sizes in a nurturing environment â&#x20AC;˘ High quality, innovative, research based programs â&#x20AC;˘ Opportunities to develop a love of reading in the Wardle House library â&#x20AC;˘ Specialist teachers and access to the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s state-of-the-art music centre, art studio and science labs â&#x20AC;˘ A sense of belonging through the Buddy Program with older students Discover Toorak College in Spring; see the school in action, meet the students and teachers, experience the facilities and be inspired.

Limited places available in ELC to Year 2. Secure your place for 2016 and 2017 now.

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9

TWENTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD JIMMY REES HAS BEEN LULLING OUR CHILDREN TO SLEEP DURING THE GOODNIGHT HOUR SINCE 2009. NOW IT’S TIME FOR HIM TO APPLY ALL OF HIS TECHNIQUES AT HOME WITH NEW SON, LENNY. MPK SAT DOWN TO CHAT WITH JIMMY ABOUT BEING A NEW DAD AND HOW A KID FROM MT ELIZA ENDED UP BECOMING A SUPERSTAR TO PRESCHOOLERS AND PARENTS ALIKE. BY: MELISSA McCULLOUGH

JIMMY REES A Life Worth

GIGGLING ABOUT

“I was doing amateur theatre in Frankston and knew I just wanted to get into the industry at some point. I enjoy making people laugh and entertaining people. I don’t see myself as an actor per se. I’m good at playing a silly character like Jimmy Giggle.”

Jimmy hadn’t looked into getting an agent to organise auditions when then girlfriend, Tori, saw the advertisement for a national call in the paper. There were 5,500 entrants and this was Jimmy’s first audition.

He tells us, “I got the phone call with the offer for the role in new pre-school show Giggle and Hoot while I was working at the local pub. I ran upstairs into the office to take the call. The producer asked if I could sing and asked for a sample of my vocals on the spot.” As the front runner for the part, staff on the set started referring to the actor as Jimmy Giggle…and it stuck. He was casted in October and on air in December. “It was sort of like in a big whirlwind.

There was quite a learning curve.” So off to Sydney Jimmy and Tori went. But the move didn’t last long. They returned to Melbourne after a few months and Jimmy commuted.

Little did he know how popular the lovable characters Giggle and Hoot would become. “My first realisation of how well it was going was when a little signing and meet and greet was organised at Eastland. I went out there in my pyjamas and there were literally hundreds of families lined up. It was a wow moment. OK – this is popular.”

After getting used to the routine of working Wednesday through Friday, Jimmy and Tori tried for a second time to move to Sydney.

It didn’t last long. Tori fell pregnant and the now married couple thought they’d better come back down.

The Mornington Peninsula is definitely home for Jimmy Rees. H grew up in Mt Eliza and attended St Thomas Moore Primary School and then The Peninsula School. Tori taught at Benton’s Junior College for a year before moving to Sydney. She loved teaching, but for now, is relishing being a stay at home mum.

Fatherhood It was a crazy time in the lead up to Baby Rees’ arrival on April 7th.

The Giggle and Hoot tour was beginning in April and little Lenny was due to arrive in late April.

They had to wait 12 weeks to announce the birth of baby Lenny to due to agreements with a magazine and Jimmy’s fans were growing quite concerned. “Even if I mentioned we had a tour coming up people would respond with, ‘when’s the baby coming, is everything ok?’”

Once they were able to officially announce the arrival of Lenny they received great support from plenty of social media groups such as Mornington Peninsula Kids that were happy to share the photos and good news.

Jimmy remembers the birth going well. Tori and Lenny were safe

Photography: Natalie Davies

It’s so amazing. He’s only four months old and the growth is exponential. Smiling, then winking, and frustrated because he can’t do something. hing.

and happy and then all of a sudden thought, “I’m a dad! I’ve got to keep him alive!”

While mum does take care of most of what Lenny needs Jimmy is the entertainer. He’s happy to pitch in with feedings and whatever else he can do whenever he can.

“It’s so amazing. He’s only four months old and the growth is exponential.

Smiling, then winking, and frustrated because he can’t do something.”

On the topic of sleeping, Jimmy tells us that Lenny has been a dreamboat from pretty much as soon as they got home from the hospital.

(Jealous much?) He’s now practically sleeping all the way through; waking up once around midnight for a feed and then back to sleep until around seven. His day sleeps aren’t that great, but he’s coming along.

When asked about the all important support system Jimmy tells us, “All of our families live around here within a few postcodes. That’s another reason we came back from Sydney, at least for our first. We still haven’t utilised any of our babysitting offers yet, though.”

The family is all set up in their home base down here. Travelling up and back three days a week to work usually, but sometimes getting an extra break here and there while other times, especially when touring, there’s a bit more hands on time. “This time, which is great, we’re coming to Frankston, Geelong and Tassie, so a bit more regional.”

“It’s such a crazy and amazing time.”

The Giggle and Hoot tour kicks off in October and visits Frankston on October 10th. For tickets go to thefac.com.au

L IV E O N STAGE

SATURDAY OCTOBER 10 FRANKSTON ARTS CENTRE ON SALE NOW

9784 1060 or artscentre.frankston.vic.gov.au © All characters licensed to their respective brand owners © Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2015.

livenation.com.au • abc.net.au/abcevents

www.peninsulakids.com.au

11

CATCH KIDS

DOING THE RIGHT THINGS

MICHAEL GROSE EXPLAINS THE IMPORTANCE OF CATCHING KIDS DOING THE ‘RIGHT THING’, AND HOW PARENTAL RECOGNITION CAN HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOUR OVER TIME. BY: MICHAEL GROSE Children of all ages enjoy parental recognition. That is, they like it when their parents make a fuss over their behaviour or highlight something they’ve done well.

Even teenagers are usually accepting of some encouragement and recognition from their parents, provided it’s not done in public and you don’t go overboard. Sometimes parents will reward their children’s behaviour with a treat, money or a gift. This is okay in small doses, but really parental recognition is a high enough driver for children’s behaviour, most of the time.

First-borns, in particular, love your approval. Youngest children just love that you have noticed them! They just love the attention rather than your approval. Second children can sometimes do things in spite of their parents, but deep down they love the recognition, but many won’t let on that they like it.

WHAT YOU FOCUS ON EXPANDS The behaviours you notice and comment on expand. If you want your kids to be neater then focus on their neat behaviours. “You’ve tidied your toys up before dinner. Top job!” You don’t have to throw a party, just let them know that you noticed and you approve of their tidiness. You may also let them know how it impacts on you. “You’ve tidied your toys up before dinner. It makes my job easier.”

Okay, noticing kids’ tidiness once won’t suddenly turn “messnicks” into “neat-nicks”, but do it often enough and you’ll get some turn around.

YOU CAN GIVE KIDS POSITIVE RECOGNITION FOR ALL SORTS OF BEHAVIOURS INCLUDING: Being co-operative: Parent-deaf kids need recognition when they respond on your terms not theirs.

Being brave: Nervous and anxious kids need to have their bravery pointed out to them. It’s reassuring and empowering.

Being helpful: Want helpful kids? Then you need to notice helpful behaviours.

Being tolerant: Sometimes elder siblings need to be very tolerant of younger siblings. Tolerance is a very giving behaviour and should be promoted.

12

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

Being patient: Something to encourage in boys, in particular. It’s not their strong point.

Being persistent: Let kids know when hanging in there pays off. The link between persistence and success is massive but persistence needs to be promoted. It’s also the one factor of temperament that can be impacted by parenting.

Being friendly: If your child struggles in social situations then recognise pro-social behaviours such as sharing, initiating contact with another child or taking an interest in another person.

Don’t wait until you get perfect behaviour to give recognition particularly for very young children.

Kids have L-plates when it comes to behaving (co-operatively, bravely, patiently....) so their attempts and close approximations need to be verified by the significant adults in their lives – their parents.

Recognising kids positive behaviours is easy to do, but it’s also easy not to do! We often forget or get tied up with other things so we neglect to show appreciation and nurture the behaviours our kids need to develop.

But it’s the little things such as giving positive recognition that have the biggest impact on kids’ development.

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!

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Moonlit Sanc NEXT TIME YOU ARE THINKING OF VISITING ONE OF THE BIG ZOOS WHY NOT TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IS ON OFFER LOCALLY AT THE 25 ACRE MOONLIT SANCTUARY CONSERVATION PARK IN PEARCEDALE. THEY WERE AWARDED THE 2014 VICTORIAN TOURISM AWARD FOR ECOTOURISM ALONG WITH A LONG LIST OF OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSERVATION AWARDS OVER THE YEARS. BY: LORRAINE AITKEN

14

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

Currently the sanctuary is home to over 60 Australian wildlife species that you can easily view and get up close to especially if you choose to participate in the animal encounters with dingoes, owls and pythons or choose to pet a koala.

As a local I am a little embarrassed to say that this was my first visit to Moonlit Sanctuary even though it had been on my list of things to do for years now. The first thing that made the sanctuary stand out was the natural bushland setting and well maintained grounds and enclosures.

Keepers here were friendly and the children thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the property, especially when it came to hand feeding the kangaroos and wallabies. Food for the animals is available at the front counter for $2 a bag.

The wildlife includes tassie devils, dingoes, koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, quolls, owls, lorikeets, orange-bellied parrots, squirrel gliders, cockatoos, galahs, emus, pythons, goannas, lizards and the list goes on.

They conduct an extensive conservation breeding program that includes the southern bettong, Tasmanian devil, bush stone curlew, spot-tail quoll, orange-bellied parrot, squirrel glider, yellow-bellied

tuary glider, black-winged stilt, white browed wood swallow and sacred kingďŹ sher.

The new wombat enclosure and walk-in bush aviary are great additions to the sanctuary giving children good viewing areas in keeping with the other enclosures. There are plans to add a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playground along with a new educational centre and birthday party area.

Also on the property is a gift shop and kiosk with a view over the wetlands. Both the sanctuary and kiosk were very popular despite it being a Monday.

For something special the sanctuary also run night tours, a junior ranger program during school holidays, keeper for the day, educational tours, birthday parties, animal sponsorship and they also offer good value annual membership passes.

The Moonlit Sanctuary is located at 550 Tyabb-Tooradin Rd, Pearcedale and is open from 10am -5pm daily except Christmas Day. Entry cost $20 adults and $10 for children. Koala encounters are $15. Phone (03) 5978 7935 or visit their website at www.moonlit-sanctuary.com

Wombats Galahs Quolls Dingoes s a n n a o G Koalas Emus Kangaroos

www.peninsulakids.com.au

15

GENTLY DOES I T

By starting out with a philosophy of parenting in which these practices are considered normal, a safe space was created where information and resources could be shared without controversy. That doesn’t mean alternatives are criticised or that those who practice them are excluded: indeed, there are many who don’t use all or any of these approaches, for all sorts of reasons, and they are just as respected. There is no need to debate, justify, dispute or create conflict – each mother is supported in whatever choices work for her family.

The group has evolved to become a real community, an actual village, not just an online forum. Grandmothers, fathers, health care providers and allied health professionals as well as others providing services supportive of gentle, natural parenting have come together to share and learn. Weekly Fresh Air & Friendship play dates explore local parks and playgrounds, with a focus on free play in natural environments. Sister groups – including the South Eastern Babywearing Group, a buy/ swap/sell group, a meal-sharing community and even a children’s pen-pal circle have evolved as members ideas and needs are nurtured into reality.

IT WAS A FEW RANDOM COMMENTS THAT LED As a completely funds-free community, there are no fees, no TO THE CREATION OF WHAT IS NOW AN ONLINE committees and no fuss.

COMMUNITY OF MORE THAN 1000 MOTHERS. Once a month, the group come together for Coffee & Conversation – an informal gathering in Frankston where they can access a natural BY: YVETTE O’DOWD parenting library cobbled together through donations and op shop discoveries; test out a babywearing learning-library of donated baby As a breastfeeding counsellor, I know the value of mothers coming carriers, watch parenting videos or just enjoy being in a community of together for support and information. Yet so many mothers fail to connect like-minded people. with the other women who come together in council-run mothers groups. Here, there are no Mummy Wars. You get empathy and support, With only their baby’s ages in common, approaches to parenting can information and resources regardless of the pathways you take. Warts often be diverse and mothers can be left feeling isolated in the choices and all – through endless night waking, toddler meltdowns and getting they make. dinner on the table AGAIN! When I heard similar comments from half a dozen women within a The network doesn’t compete with other groups – indeed, members short period of time, each wishing she could find a mothers group are encouraged to share details of local breastfeeding support groups, which supported their gentle, natural approach to parenting, it seemed playgroups, informal meets and other gatherings. Through word of simple enough to connect them to create what they were each seeking. mouth, those who felt isolated and unsupported discover a whole I created a Facebook group, added those women, threw in a few other community of parents with similar beliefs and strong friendships are built. mothers I thought might be interested and, before I knew it – I had filled Today, the group retains that local community focus but the online a gap in many women’s lives! village has reached out to support members all over Australia and The Southern Natural Parenting Network began in early 2014 as a way even overseas. With the light-hearted motto that everyone lives south to connect mothers in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs, Mornington of somewhere, everyone is welcome.

Peninsula and Dandenong Ranges. With just one rule “Be Nice”, the online group promised support without judgement for families with a basic focus on babywearing, breastfeeding, baby-led weaning, modern cloth nappies and co-sleeping. These core issues were ones You’ll find the group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/ which came up frequently in other online forums, with questions about SouthernNaturalParentingNetwork practical matters often leading to judgemental comments and heated www.sites.google.com/site/southernnaturalparenting discussions between those with alternate views.

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

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Q& A with &

WE C CALLED OUT TO MORNINGTON ORNINGTON PENINSULA PENIN KIDS FOLLOWERS FOLLOWERS VIA VIIA FACEBOOK AND OUR E-NEWSLETTE E-NEWSLETTER TO FIND OUT WH WHAT HAT THEY Y WANTED TO KNOW OW ABOUT THE BANANAS BAN IN PYJAMAS S AND HERE’S WHAT THEY CAME UP WITH:

B1 & B2 DO YOU EAT BANANAS? LUCAS, AGE 5 B1: Bananas are very good for you.

B2: That’s right B2, they help you grow up big and strong!

B1: I also love munchy honey cakes!

B2: And yellow jelly!

B1 & B2 ARE YOU TWO-AND-A-HALF LIKE ME? ANALIA, AGE 2.5 B1: Wow, two-and-a-half! That’s very grown up, isn’t it be B2.

B2: It sure is B1! Ahh, B1?

B1: Yes, B2?

B2: Isn’t OUR birthday coming up soon?

B1: I think you’re right, B2! We better get planning for our party!

ARE YOUR PYJAMAS NICE AND WARM? ZARA, AGE 5 B1: They sure are!

B2: They are pyjama-rific!

B1 & B2 DO YOU ALWAYS WEAR THE SAME SHOES? MIETTA, AGE 4 B1: We sure do!

B2: They are soooooo comfy!

B1: They’re bananatastic!

B1 & B2, WHY DO YOU ALWAYS WEAR PYJAMAS, EVEN IN THE DAYTIME? DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER CLOTHES? SOPHIE, AGE 5 B1: We sure do!

B2: They’re pyjama-riffic!

B1: We also wear our beach hats on sunny days.

B2: That’s right B1. It’s very important to wear your hat when playing outside.

ARE YOU BEST FRIENDS LIKE MY TWIN BROTHER & SISTER? GIANN, AGE 5 B1: We ARE best friends!

B2: We are such good friends; we even finish each other’s sentences.

B1: Are you thinking what I’m thinking B2?

B2: I think I am B1!

B2: And the Teddies are our best friends too!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR? TYLER, AGE 3 B1: Well, yellow is my favourite colour.

B2: Good answer, B1. Yellow is the colour of my favourite treat: Yellow jelly!

B1: It sure is B2!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO FOR FUN? DO YOU TAKE SWIMMING LESSONS? KAY, AGE 6 B1: Swimming lessons are very important, aren’t they B1?

B2: They sure are, B1! We also like to play hide and seek with the Teddies for fun!

B1: We love having fun with our friends, don’t we B2?

B2: We sure do – it’s bananatastic!

mathematics DUMMIES ARE LIKE PENS. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE FIVE PENS (INCLUDING ONE FROM A COMPANY YOU WORKED FOR TEN YEARS AGO WHICH, STRANGELY, STILL WORKS) AND SOMETIMES THEY ALL VANISH JUST BEFORE YOU NEED TO SIGN FOR YOUR $1,000,000 LOTTERY WIN (WOULDN’T IT BE NICE?).

BY: REBECCA BOWYER Three days ago we were down to one dummy. After searching the usual hiding spots of a crawling baby (under the cot, the highchair, inside the shape sorter, on the car seat, the pram, the stroller) and coming up empty handed, I hauled the boys off to the supermarket to buy more. Evening was approaching and I never dare to start the night without at least two on hand.

I bought two dummies; they were pink, but I was desperate. Son #2 will only accept one brand, they were out of blue. Son #1was at the wrong end of the day and would not tolerate another car trip in search of a better stocked supermarket. I started the night with three dummies: one white with blue aeroplanes, one pink with white

flowers, one white with pink flowers. I reasoned that Son #2 may start the following day dogged by gender confusion and angst over his compromised manhood, but at least he would be well rested.

Three days later, I have five dummies. The fourth dummy showed up in the clothes dryer, a little linty but serviceable. The fifth and sixth dummies were both inside the toy stove (who knew an eight month old baby would start a stash?).

The resurrection of the sixth dummy was brief and violent. Son #1 had kindly opened the car window for Son #2 before I had managed to chase him around the car and strap him down into his car seat one morning. In the excitement of the moment, Son #2 flung his dummy out the open window, unnoticed. I found the shattered pieces later that day, crushed under the car tyre.

And so we have five dummies. For now.

Rebecca Stephens 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

KIDS ACTIVITIES

SCHOOL HOLIDAY

FUN

WEDNESDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER MAGICIAN

Teach the kids basic magic magic & balloon art

KIDS EAT

KIDS BIRTHDAY

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

@ nis @ja ishou shou housep sephot sep h togr ho g aph aphy

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Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2015

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Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2015

Munster Basso Tee $54.95 Pockets Short $74.95 www.treehouserepublic.com.au

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27

Credits

Location

Capezio Dancewear

Boneo Maze and Mini Golf 695 Limestone Road, Fingal boneomazeandminigolf.com.au

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

She and Little 29 Main Street, Mornington Ph: 5975 6876 www.sheandlittle.com.au

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

Flowers MP Wholesale flowers Ph: 0411 675 594 fionampfresh@yahoo.com.au

Photography Cameron McCullough

Styling & Treats Melissa McCullough

Madhunt Designs www.madhuntdesigns.com.au

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

Model Kennedy

Model Tilly

Bang Bang Copenhagen

Bang Bang Copenhagen

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IDEAS

FOR CREATING

CHILDHOOD ROAD SAFETY AWARENESS BY: JO BYRON

EXPLAIN TO YOUR CHILDREN WHY THEY NEED TO STAY CLOSE TO THE CAR AND/OR HOLD AN ADULTS HAND *Streets are DANGEROUS for children – Cars and other vehicles are constantly moving. Fast cars can’t stop quickly. Reversing vehicles can’t see behind them. There are distractions and noises. Some vehicles aren’t following road rules. Emergency vehicles need everyone to move out of their way to give them a clear, safe path through. *Drivers can’t always see children. Cars ‘hide’ them because children are shorter than cars and other vehicles. Drivers parking their cars aren’t looking for children; they’re looking for an empty parking spot! *Discuss: What does the front of a car look like, and the back?

What do cars and other vehicles sound like when starting, stopping or moving and what are horns for? How can you tell if a car is driving towards you or driving away?

*Try positive reinforcement using a REWARD chart!

Simply write your child’s name at the top of a sheet of paper, create 3-4 columns, list days of the week in the left column and at the top of the remaining columns write safe ideas to reward. For example: wait close to the car, hold an adult’s hand before walking away from car, etc. Then let your child place their own sticker in the column! As further incentive, decide on a big reward when there are a certain amount of stickers in a column. Maybe a trip to an indoor play centre.

ACTIVITIES *When driving or walking – ask your children to point out children behaving safely and/or children who are not! *Go to your local library and search or ask a librarian for books about childhood road safety. *Ask your children to draw pictures or let them cut out photos from magazines of the things that belong on the road. For example: cars, buses and trucks. Then paste these onto paper. They could then draw or cut out photos of things which don’t belong on the road, e.g. child, little sister, dog, baby, etc. and paste these onto paper.

Work together, talking about who, what and why. *Stand a large box or piece of furniture the same height as your car in the centre of a room. Tell your child it is a pretend car and ask them to stand behind it and not move. Ask them what they see – can they see you or what you are doing? Let them know you can’t see them. Then pretend to be another car, ‘drive’ towards the box/ furniture, asking your child to walk out…now! At that moment you bump into each other (gently), this is to demonstrate to your child that neither of you could see the other until it was too late. Now stand next to the box/furniture while holding your child’s hand.

Explain that you can clearly see there are no cars coming, then walk out to demonstrate it is always safest to hold an adults hand when moving near cars.

PRACTICE ROAD SAFETY WITH YOUR CHILDREN *It’s never too early to start this! Create opportunities to practice road safety with your children – initially on quiet days and at nonbusy locations. Practice getting safely out of the car and waiting, holding their hand before walking a short distance away from the car, returning and walking back to the car, standing close to the car again while waiting to get into the car. *Teach children to leave and enter the car from the footpath side (away from traffic), not the road side. You may need to let other adults (Grandpa) know too. And demonstrate that YOU stand close to the car yourself, when walking around the car to open their door. *Have fun, praise your child and take an active interest in practicing with them.

OFFER ALTERNATIVES *If a child can’t hold an adults hand, or refuses to – encourage them to stand CLOSE to the car,or hold the trolley, pram, your clothing, bag, or use a Safe-T-Hand!

30

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

Jo is a mum, a road safety advocate and has created products which help parents and educators teach children ‘Road Safety Awareness’. Find out more information about Safe-T-Hand™ at www.safethand.com.au

TUCKED AWAY IN THE HINTERLAND OF RED HILL IS A WELL-WORN TRAIL THAT PREDOMINATELY FOLLOWS THE FORMER TRAIN LINE FROM RED HILL SOUTH - MERRICKS STATION GROUND. IT IS POPULAR WITH WALKERS, MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDERS AND (TO MY CHILDREN’S DELIGHT), HORSES. BY: LORRAINE AITKEN The 6.5km trail starts from behind the Epicurean Centre in Red Hill South on a wide dirt trail that slowly descends and takes in views across undulating farmland, vineyards and Western Port until you reach the turnaround point or coffee stop at the Merricks General Wine Store.

As the name suggests the trail was formerly a train line which originally ran between Bittern and Red Hill from 1921 – 1953 to transport stock, timber, fertiliser, firewood and produce such as apples, pears and strawberries to the city markets. Although the Southern Peninsula only had an estimated population of 1,500 people in 1912, the annual turnover of 12,000 head of stock and 12,000 tons of farm produce mixed with poor roads saw the need arise for a train. In 1915 permits for the train line were granted, however it wasn’t until after World War One that works began and the line was officially opened in 1921. The advent of motor transport led to the line being unprofitable as passenger numbers declined substantially from 1929 and services were reduced until the train line eventually closed in 1953 before being dismantled in 1955. Over time a section of the train line became private property and there is a slightly steeper deviation to the original trail.

The relaxed pace of this trail is perfect for families looking to enjoy the countryside without the effort of finding suitable trails for bushwalking with strollers. Although the trail surfaces varies somewhat with gravel, dirt, crushed rock, grasses and at times mud you will still get a three wheeler pram along the trail without too much difficulty and older children will enjoy riding their bikes.

When we were on the trail we spotted giant bright red toadstools among a blanket of pine needles, horses in nearby paddocks trotted up to the fence line to greet us, some cows were enjoying the lush pasture, wild rabbits that seemed fairly tame, rows of vines, an array of native flowers, locals enjoying a stroll with their dogs and a few horse riders that stopped to say hello before trotting on down towards the equestrian grounds at Merricks.

Despite there not being any bushland as such there is plenty to see along the trail and it’s always nice to have the kids out in the fresh air exploring the environment and challenging them to remember some of the local history learnt along the way. To further the history lesson you need to look no further than the Merricks General Wine Store which was built in 1924 to provide locals with supplies. The Mornington Peninsula Cellar & Pantry was the original post office and the Epicurean Centre was the packing shed for apples that were taken to Crib Point and shipped.

The Red Hill – Merricks Rail Trail has an important historical place in the development of the Mornington Peninsula region and is well worth an afternoon stroll.

RED

HILL Merricks Rail Trail

# Historical resources from: Mornington Peninsula Railways and Communities www.peninsulakids.com.au

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I decided to get out and about and ask other parents what they would tell their 15-yearold self about being a parent.

Here is what they said:

Gareth Horne, 33, Frankston North, dad of four “Save more money because you’ll never have enough” Donna Farmer, 43, Frankston, mum to twoyear-old Chloe “Patience and appreciation are important. I waited before I had children because I wanted to be secure. I wanted a house and security” Julie Murray, 31, Frankston, mum of two “Don’t worry about it, you’ll be fine. Don’t worry about everything and have a bit of self confidence in yourself.”

Susan Webster, 30, Langwarrin, mum to 16-month-old Max “Parenting is the most amazing but hardest thing you’ll ever do.”

Hayley Gibson, 30, Inverloch, mum of three “I think the biggest piece of advice [i could give to my 15-year-old self] is be open to to everyone’s suggestions but pick and choose what suits you and disregard the rest. What works for one person might not work for everyone.”

VOX /vaks pap/ noun BRITISH informal

popular opinion as represented by informal comments from members of the public, especially when broadcast or published.

POP DO YOU EVER WONDER WHAT YOU WOULD TELL YOUR 15-YEAR-OLD SELF ABOUT BEING A PARENT? AT 15 THE LAST THING ON MY MIND WAS BEING A PARENT. I WAS TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT MORE IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE SNEAKING OUT OF THE HOUSE AND WHICH BACKSTREET BOY I WAS GOING TO MARRY (NICK. OBVIOUSLY). FAST FORWARD A COUPLE OF YEARS AND I’M MARRIED (NOT TO A BACKSTREET BOY) AND HAVE TWO KIDS (SO SNEAKING ANYWHERE IS NO LONGER AN OPTION) AND I OFTEN WONDER WHAT I WOULD TELL MY 15-YEAROLD SELF ABOUT BEING A PARENT. THE ANSWER IS THIS: DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. AS LONG AS YOU DO YOUR BEST AND YOUR CHILDREN ARE SAFE, HEALTHY AND HAPPY THE REST WILL SORT ITSELF OUT. BY: MICHELLE McCULLOUGH

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

John Lewis, 37, Frankston, dad of two “At 15-years-old I wasn’t thinking about being a parent. Thirty-year-old John wasn’t even thinking about being a parent. It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do but it’s amazing.”

Ildi Bogdanovitis, 39, Lynbrook, mum of two “It’s all about patience and resilience, and everything works out.”

Sarah White, 30, Langwarrin “There’s no problem too big that you can’t work through.

Anything is achievable.”

Trudy Poole, 56, Langwarrin, mum of three “Hang around with positive people, reach for the stars and know that you are loved. Kids need to know they are loved and are appreciated.”

Nicola and Jason Daniel, 35 and 45, Seaford, parents of two-year-old Benji and one-year-old Emily Nicola “It’s not always straightforward but it’s amazing.”

Jason “Wait until you’re mature enough. Don’t rush into it.”

Sue Barrett, 64, Mornington, mother of one and grandmother of four “Having children is about knowing what responsibility is, and being responsible.”

Tina Dodd, 45, Bittern, mum of 18-year-old Leigh and 13-year-old Matt “Be patient, open and honest.

Listen to what they say and never be too busy for them.

It’s the little things that make the difference.”

Belinda Swannie, 41, Seaford, mum to three-year-old Emily and eight-year-old Jack “All your children want to do is talk to you and listen to your stories and information. Don’t worry about buying them stuff.”

Alex Thomson, 35, Seaford, mum of three “Parenting is hard but it’s enjoyable. It’s a lot of responsibility and it’s about putting your children first.”

Cherry Nguyen, 30, Seaford, mum to one-year-old Micheal “Study hard, make your dreams come true and become whatever you want to be.

Enjoy your life”

Kylie Witte, 39, Lynbrook, mum of two “It [parenting] is a huge responsibility but it’s the best thing that will ever happen to you. I would tell my daughter Sophie that she will be a really wonderful mum because she has so many wonderful qualities.

When you’re young you always worry about what other people think so make sure your children know they can be anything they want to be and not to worry about what other people think.”

Michelle McCullough is a journalist, mum of two, amateur photographer and when she has time, a meerkat enthusiast. She lives in the eastern suburbs and spends her days trying to find new and fun ways to keep her two little monkeys entertained.

THE ANSWER IS THIS:

DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!

New Season

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33

PERIENCE O EX ’S N A M E N O s d a D Guide For New

F

CHILDBIRTH

THERE ARE A MILLION MUM BLOGS OUT THERE THAT SHARE INTRICATE, OFTEN TESTICLESHRINKINGLY GRAPHIC, STORIES OF GIVING BIRTH BUT THESE ARE FROM THE LADIES’ POINT OF VIEW. WHAT ABOUT US BLOKES? WHERE DO WE TURN TO FIND OUT WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN OUR PARTNERS ARE STRUGGLING THROUGH LABOUR? BY: DAVID HAWKINS I’m here for you lads. This is one dad’s perspective on what it’s like to be the support person for a screaming, pain-riddled mother-to-be in the hours before the miracle of birth.

I only have a single word for you: useless.

This is how I felt the entire experience as Phenom-A-Mum did all of the work and felt all of the pain. I do need to point out that we had done very little preparation for the birth of our second bub; I got lazy,

34

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

caught up in life as an already-parent and lulled into thinking that I was some kind of kid expert, so the birth would be a breeze. Not so much. In the bleary-eyed hours of the morning Phenom-A-Mum’s waters broke.

Call the hospital, then the in-laws, find the labour bag and the after-labour bag, pile into the car, try to remember where the hospital was, back into the house to find my pants. I was a flurry of excitement and terror.

As soon as we arrived at the hospital all of my carefully piled panic went to waste; the super lovely midwives and doctors calmly moved through their well-rehearsed processes, serenely explaining the risk factors we were facing. For those of you who don’t know, a vaginal birth is much riskier after a previous caesarean section because of the chance that the scar might rupture, especially if you need to induce.

Phenom-A-Mum wanted to give the ol’ vaj-push a go seeing as she didn’t have the option first time round, in hope that it might lower the chance of allergy issues (our eldest struggles with these every day).

Due to a positive test result for some kind of lady-fun-place strep bacteria, things were looking edgier than before but still the medical staff were totally chilled. We moved into the birthing suite, plugged in the iPod and cranked up a little swing music to set the mood. Okay.

DAD ZONE

We can do this. It’s “natural” right? People do this every day. concerted effort not to catch my eye as I attempted a confident smile, which probably looked more like I had just undergone a lobotomy.

I don’t know if the pain factor is different for mums who are left to their own bodily devices, but I had to watch the love of my life scream and An eon later I was allowed to enter the theatre and sit next to Phenomown bodily devices, but I had to watch the love of my life scream and A-Mum’s head, hiding behind a big blue sheet that shielded me from crumple up in agony again and again and again. Phenom-A-Mum had the terrors of blood and guts that were about to unfold. I grasped been given a chemical to induce her contractions and they seemed to go Phenom-A-Mum’s hand, likely taking more comfort from her than she into overdrive. Hollywood has much to answer for with their lies, from my could from me, and listened as the surgeons got down to business, experience now. Women don’t lean forward slightly, fake scream and muttering about her enormous bladder, oblivious or uncaring that we curse you as they do in the movies, as if they were suffering from a bout could hear every word. (Seriously. Hilarious!). She began shaking of food poisoning. In the real world they are forced into a foetus position, uncontrollably, an actual side-effect of the anaesthetic which I every muscle taut, calling out to you in pain. Then there is a momentary remembered from our first cesarean experience, and I held my breath. lull where all of the pain disappears, tricking you into breathing again, “Whatever kind of greater power is out there, though I don’t believe in before coming back with an angry stabbing vengeance. Labour is a you, please bring my wife and baby safely out of this. My son needs sadistic bugger. his mum so much more than he needs his dad”. A desperate man calls I held her hand. I rubbed her back. I said stupid things like “Breathe” out silently when all other methods of control have been extinguished. and “You’re doing great”. I did nothing of any use whatsoever What’s left when there is nothing you can do to fix the situation? When because no matter how hard I tried there was nothing I could actually even Indiana Jones would be left, impotent, unable to whip any Nazis do to make her feel better. I did make a bloody good leaning post into line to solve this conundrum. Just hold her hand and think insanely though; whether she was standing, lying, sitting or rocking on the positive thoughts. birthing ball I could be counted on to be leant against. Yep, that’s what “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

I brought to this critical moment in parental companionship. Only a Holy crap-oly, it’s out. The baby’s alive... and they are a ginormous wooden plank could have done any better. pair of testicles! Must be a boy! And just like that (imagine me clicking To all of you soon-to-be-dads out there I loudly suggest that you my fingers here) all of the fear and panic was gone. I was guided out look into birthing techniques like Lamaze, the Bradley Method or of the theatre as they stitched Phenom-A-Mum back up and asked if I Hypnobirthing (not at all as hippie or pocket-watch-y as it sounds) that wanted some skin-to-skin time. Really? With his dad? Cool, that would will give you tools to use when you are completely out of your depth. be awesome. So I hauled off my scrub top and snuggled a nuddy bub I wish that we’d looked into this. Hell, there are even online videos so against my man-boobs. And it was amazing. that you can learn it all from your lounge room!

He was so light and so smooth, I could barely sense his weight but Amidst the wife-torture I noticed concerned looks on the faces of was overwhelmed by the feeling of his touch. We sat there, together, our midwives whenever they glanced at the read-out from the baby getting to know each other without words. I recommend that every dad monitor. Our bub’s heart rate was dropping further with each passing asks for this opportunity that is usually reserved for mums because it minute, so the surgeons made the call that it was time to move to option is magical and memorable, and may have attributed to the fact that I two - cesarean surgery. Phenom-A-Mum jokes now that we could’ve am the only one who can rock him to sleep, holding Little L in the same skipped all of the crazy pain and just gone straight into surgery at position that we found in our silent introduction. the beginning because we ended up there anyway, but I don’t laugh Our family became four in number and I could breathe again. because I seriously wish we had.

My apologies if this recount seems overly negative and terrified. I don’t I changed into scrubs and stood to the side as a number of efficient want to put anyone off but, rather, to make sure that every soon-to-be people sorted Phenom-A-Mum out and whisked her down to the dad (even those for the second time) are better prepared than I was. operating theatre. The anaesthetist offhandedly chatted to us about Expect that it won’t be easy, search for ways to help your partner and the vaguely possible side-effects of a spinal block (the technique used make it a more wonderful experience for you both. I’ve heard that to stop the pain during this surgery), one of which was paralysis. You childbirth can be a spectacular and positive experience. The onus is on what? Paralysis? That’s not a side-effect, that’s freakin’ scary! Who you fellas. There’s no need to be as scared as I was. put my wife in the firing line for life in a wheelchair, just because we decided to have a child?

It was this or nothing. That bub had to come out because both mum and baby were now at risk. I was ushered into an anteroom to wait as David Hawkins is a Mornington Peninsula based stay-at-home dad who realised that he needed to improve his Dadding. So he set himself the simple the surgical prep work was done. Randomly, this was the worst part task of being an Awesome Dad. He now challenges all dads to be Awesome of the entire ordeal. I just sat there on a lonely and misplaced chair Dads by doing something out of the ordinary with their kids every month, via amidst complicated-looking medical equipment, a drowning moron his blog at bigkidlittlekid.net in an alien world, as someone else took the fate of my family into their hands. Staff members hurried back and forth past me, making www.peninsulakids.com.au

35

THREE REASONS

THE WORLD IS ‘ABUZZ’ WITH THE PLIGHT OF BEES. FROM FARMERS TO FLOWER GROWERS, THESE LITTLE CREATURES ARE IN BIG DEMAND. BUT THEY ARE IN TROUBLE, AND THE RECENT ATTENTION OF THEIR POPULATION DECLINE IS FOR GOOD REASON: BEES ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR WORLD, AS WE KNOW IT.

WE NEED TO TALK WITH OUR CHILDREN ABOUT BEES BECAUSE:

1

BEES BY: BIANCA C. ROSS

What action can we take to help our bees? By helping our children understand the critical role bees play in our lives, we can raise awareness of the problem and children can play an active role in helping solve the emergency. We need to engage our children in a positive way, so they feel they can play a role to assist the bees’ plight.

Firstly, we can explain the important role flowers play in attracting bees. The colour of the petals and the pollen on the stamen will fascinate children, and pointing out the different parts of the flower helps them learn something new.

Food production relies on bees to spread pollen. This natural pollination is crucial to forests and crops, and two thirds of Australia’s agricultural output is dependent on bees. Their population decline is causing serious problems, and in some countries, such as China, farmers are taking pollination into their own hands, literally, and pollinating crops themselves.

2

why we need to talk to our kids about

We can show our children budding fruit and vegetables in the veggie patch, and explain how the plants grow food for us to eat. And where there are flowers, there are bees, so they can see first-hand the work that goes on.

As well as producing food, bees are fundamental to food security. Their activity creates biodiversity in food crops as well as native forests, allowing natural ecosystems to adapt and thrive.

3

Some foods rely 100% on bees for survival. Without bees, some of our most popular crops would disappear.

Apples, blueberries, onions and pumpkins all need bees to produce food.

Visiting a farmers’ market is another way we can teach our children about seasonal produce and the different crops that bees help produce.

Children will learn direct from the farmers that the freshest produce changes throughout the year, and that bees bring about a large variety of food. And, small-scale farmers are less likely to engage in monoculture production, offering a larger variety of plant species for bees to pollinate.

Visiting your local garden nurseries is a great experience for children and allows them to see and touch the many plant species that rely on bee pollination. And, if you are a honey connoisseur, you may be able to establish So, why is the bee population declining? There your own hive. Check with local council and is much debate on this topic. Climate change and consult credible bee keeping associations for the use of pesticides are said to be more information. contributors to the problem. And, studies show these small creatures are already too busy to satisfy our demand for food, 36 Peninsula Kids – Winter 2015 so bees deserve undivided attention and immediate action.

36

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

Separating? Separated?

What’s next?

Divorce planning puts you back in control.

By helping children understand the fundamental role bees play for our food, we assist the survival of these amazing creatures, and that is a sweet thing indeed.

Sources: Marcelo, A. and Lawrence, D., 2009; Wheen Bee Foundation study; Berkeley University of California study; Victorian Apiarists Association Inc

I’m Gerard Thistleton with over twenty years divorce planning experience. Divorce can be done affordably, respectfully and quickly.

Ring for a free quote.

Bianca C. Ross is the author of the children’s book series Herbert Peabody, published by Farinet Pty Ltd. See www.herbertpeabody.com for details.

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37

GREATEST CAN ALSO BE OUR IT D N A Y JO T BUT ES ST FOR THEIR KIDS, CAN BE OUR GREAT G BE E N TI TH N T N RE A PA W S T W O PARENT”.

O DOES N EVERYONE KNO S TO BE A “GOOD MET A PARENT WH N ER EA EV M N IT E AT AV H H I W T E. PARENTS. SED ABOU CHALLENG P WELL-MEANING ELMED AND CONFU A H TR W AT ER V TH O S RE TH A Y Y M ON MAN K AT SOME COMM LET’S TAKE A LOO BELL BY: ROSIE

Don’t Get Conned

MYTHS

about being a “good parent” your kids don’t want you to find out.

A GOOD PARENT FOCUSES TOTALLY ON THE KIDS Beware. This con could cost you your relationship and your adult partnership is the greatest strength in raising children together. This myth can be the biggest mistake parents unwittingly make because when parents give up everything of themselves to be everything for their children they “over-parent” and are more likely to become resentful, depressed or angry. When that happens then these negative feelings can show up in how we respond to our and kids. Children are surprisingly smart and pick up on negative feelings leading to higher levels of discontent in both yourself and your child. The fact is, when children sense mum or dad are uptight they think “Something is wrong with mum or dad …so something must be wrong with me!”. These double negative feelings cause a no win situation where everyone’s self-esteem gets jeopardised. I frequently see parents who put their own life and adult relationship on hold believing that the needs of their children are more important than their own. Smart parents never neglect their kids. They parent with deliberate purpose but don’t always put the kids first because one of the most important things you can do for a child is love their other parent. Never feel that the relationship you have with your kids replaces your own needs for a loving adult relationship with your partner. Many parents get exhausted to the point of overload. They either consciously or unconsciously begin to ration their relationship as a couple and that is when the rocks in the mattress can become a landslide that cripples the strength of your family.

You can change this by recognising when overload is pushing your partner to the peripheral edge of your busy life. Decide how to support and care for each other as people and as the adult you once fell in love with. Make a list of things you enjoy doing, add some new things to the list that you would like to do together even if it is as simple as listening to a new piece of music or watching a sunset. Keep your sex life alive because putting it on hold or losing it becomes one of the most talked 38

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

about problems couples with children experience. There will be times that you set aside to be with the children and to talk about their needs but you must make time to get together as a couple without talking about or focusing on issues related to the children. In this way you will also teach your children what it means to love. Here are some tips to help you: •Stay interesting by nurturing your own personal growth, friends and hobbies outside of the marriage.

•Set a date night once a week. If you can’t go out try for some romantic time together once the kids are in bed. Remember a date does not have to be a dinner out. Focus instead on experiences you both enjoy. Work at staying friends as well as lovers and partners in parenting.

•No matter what else is going on say goodbye to each other and stop to welcome each other whenever you are coming and going.

•Shower or bathe together often.

•Dress up to impress your partner sometimes. Remember how much effort you put into this before you had kids.

Try this Exercise – write down three things you can do that nurture your own well-being and adult development because when you are good for you then you are also good for your kids and your relationship. Then write three things you can do with your partner that demonstrate how being a parent is an extension of your adult relationship, not something that replaces it or puts it on hold. Then write down the three things you both want most in life for your children and plan how to achieve that together.

A GOOD PARENT ENSURES THE CHILDREN GET EVERYTHING THEY NEED This is a con because no parent was ever created to be a slave to their kids! When parents believe they are being “good parents” by doing everything for their children they risk denying the child the opportunity

to explore, grow and learn. A parent’s role is to raise children up to become responsible young adults one day. That means they need to be involved in daily life sufficiently to develop life skills. From an early age children love to help around the house and they can complete many tasks suitable to their age. Men, women and children can all do housework and the world will not stop turning if you allocate chores to a child. Create a team approach to everyday living and involve children in daily routines. Plan and carrying out tasks that develop responsibility and life skills.

Another tip is to draw a map of the household and then look at the common tasks that occur in each room and who normally does them.

In this way you can assess the division of labour in your family and then decide on a fare allocation of tasks to each family member being mindful of the capacity and age of each person.

FAMILY LIFE WILL UNFOLD AND EVOLVE NATURALLY! Since you and your partner learned how to parent from being parented in separate households and often by families from different cultures you will have different experiences about bringing up children. Although these differences seem slight at first, as children grow the degree of difference between parents can cause havoc for a family because when parents contradict each other they can cancel out both effective leadership and parental authority and when that happens it means nobody is parenting and most likely the children are calling the shots! A specific plan which details your beliefs and values and which outlines a mutually agreeable approach to raising your children will prevent your children coming between you and it will help you parent purposefully while staying connected and supportive of each other as parents. As a coach or mentor I help families put together a family framework that is in line with their beliefs and values and based on what research tells us is good for children. Together we explore the outcomes parents want and what steps they must take in child-rearing to achieve this. Getting parents on the same page means they jointly decide which parenting style works for them and they make decisions and deliberate choices about parenting based on their beliefs and values. Use these steps to begin to explore your family framework. First write down all your beliefs about parenting and see if you can agree as parents on at least thirty percent of your views. Decide together what you want for your kids and what is important and what is not. Then work out how to achieve your own family plan. Family life is not for the faint-hearted so please consider that failing to plan easily becomes planning to fail. A consolidated approach provides a strong foundation, but your children may not want you to do this because being on the same page usually means you are more consistent and follow through without letting your children separate you into good cop and bad cop.

STAY AT HOME PARENTS ARE BETTER PARENTS. OF COURSE THERE ARE MANY AMAZING STAY AT HOME PARENTS, BUT THE IDEA THAT NONWORKING PARENTS ARE ALWAYS BETTER THAN WORKING PARENTS IS A CON Although some children would like to stay at home with their parents there is no evidence to prove that staying home makes for better parents, more successful families or happier children. Research tells us that working parents can add to the quality of life for children and can provide better social and economic outcomes providing the quality of care both within the home and within the child care or alternate care setting are also high. Children of working parents can develop high problem solving skills. They learn from the role models their parents provide in contributing to society and often experience better schools, broader educational experiences such as travel and the extra-curricular activities which higher incomes provide.

TO LOVE A CHILD MEANS THEY ALWAYS GET WHAT THEY WANT Love does not mean children always get their own way. This is a great con because sometimes very loving parents have to say no or set boundaries that mean the child does not get what they demand or ask for. Saying no is often being protective. Setting consequences or refusing to buy into a child’s drama teaches a valuable lesson in life.

So there you have it – many more myths exist in parenting handed down over generations or given out by society’s influencers. One of the best ways to bust through the myths is to become very clear about what you want and what you don’t want as parents because so many parents are drowning in too much information having never taken stock of what is meaningful and useful to them. If you need help to work out what matters most use a parenting coach to gain clarity. Take charge of your life before someone else does. Work to become confident in who you are and how to achieve what really matters because children are important, but parents matter too.

Rosie’s passion is to support families to be the best they can be. She helps overstretched parents who are wearing themselves thin caught between the demands of raising a family, building a career and maintaining a long lasting adult relationship. Find out more or book a skype coaching session at www.seethelighttransformation.com

MAZ’S INSTAGRAM COMP SNAP A PHOTO OF THE ‘INTRODUCING MAZ’ ARTICLE ON PAGE 21__AND SHARE ON INSTAGRAM TO WIN A $300 INTIMO VOUCHER AND VIP BRA FIT EXPERIENCE WITH MAZ! HOW TO ENTER Upload your photo with #peninsulakidsmag to Instagram and make sure you follow and tag @mazoconnor. The most creative entry will win! Entries close November 30, 2015.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

NEW - MP Kids Magazine_Spring.indd 39

39

27/08/2015 4:01:34 PM

*Glossary for a

TODDLER learning to

TALK BY: REBECCA BOWYER

*Oo nigh: his melodic evening farewell to each character in his In the Night Garden book as they are put to bed, one by one, at the end of the story.

*Cray: Plane.

*MuuuuuuuuuMmy!: his word for me, but only when he wants something. Sigh.

*Tay: a little obscure, but here are your clues: once was a caterpillar, has large, often colourful, wings.

*Cuggles!: as he climbs into my lap, wraps his arms around me and snuggles his head into my neck.

*Gar-gar: a construction vehicle which digs holes. May also be used indiscriminately in reference to bulldozers, tractors and cranes.

*Ta-ta: the hot food of choice that he would happily consume every day.

WEAR YOUR LOVED ONES CLOSE

*Mmm: the sound that cows make (also their name, apparently).

*Bu-Bu-BUUUUU!: bus. Every bus.

*Daddy: Daddy. Also Mummy, Nanny, Pa and whoever *Cruck!: else regularly gives him cuddles, food and cause for those fabulous massive boxes on wheels that roar past our giggles. poor little car, rattling our windows as they go.

40

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2015

Fingerprints, hand/foot prints, pawprints and handstamping are all lovingly turned into bespoke pieces of silver jewellery.

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41

DOES YOUR CHILD

EVEN WHEN THEY WERE TODDLERS MY NIECES DID. AND IT WAS PRETTY CLEAR WHO HAD TAUGHT THEM. IT WAS THEIR MOTHERS, MY SISTERS. BY: GERARD THISTLETON

!

Take niece one, the daughter of the oldest of my sisters. One day, my sister set toddler niece down by the coloured blocks the bank had provided for little people to play with.

G

IN WARN

Potty Mouth Training SWEAR?

My niece built a lovely stack but, as she placed the last block, her tower collapsed.

It was a long time ago, when banking chambers were quiet and solemn places, so everyone heard when my niece let fly with a word that expressed her disappointment. The word was not to do with going forth and multiplying but all to do with what happens in a toilet and what some people suggest one do with a brick when something goes wrong.

My sister blushed. Who else could have taught the innocent that word?

Niece two is the daughter of my youngest sister.

Said youngest sister, like all my sisters, watches her weight and had a routine of stepping on the scales every morning to see how things were going.

This particular morning she watched her daughter copy her exactly, stepping up on the scales, waiting for the weight to be displayed and then letting fly. My niece had followed her mother’s routine exactly, right down to the exclamation when her weight was displayed.

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

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

So, a sampling of my sisters’ children from oldest to youngest, shows that well brought up ladies in the task of similarly well bringing up their daughters, still teach their children to swear, not like troopers mind you, but just where you would expect.

Come on, admit it, you know the very word that was uttered by these innocents, my nieces. I’m even willing to bet you use the word yourself.

Swearing is all about the use of taboo words, and as you can see by the way I have skirted around the word my nieces actually used, one has to pick the moment before using a taboo word. I’ve made the judgement not to print the word in this article for fear I will step right into a pile of what my nieces were talking about.

Harvard University Professor Steven Parker’s book, “The Stuff of Thought” contains a chapter called “The Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television.”

It turns out swearing tells us something about how our brains work.

Seriously brain damaged people who lose a deal of speech can nevertheless swear fluently.

It may be that swearing is stored elsewhere in the brain from normal speech, so swearing comes spontaneous by quite primitive mechanisms, before the brain is put into gear.

In the film “The King’s Speech,” the future King George VI swears fluently despite his debilitating stutter.

Even if swearing is more socially acceptable these days it is still intended to shock and offend. Sometimes we need to do just that and it’s far better to have some words available for the task.

When my oldest sister, the mother of the block builder niece, was a little girl, our father sent her to her room over some long forgotten tiff. As she left the scene she turned to him and let him have the worst word she was game to use, right between the eyes.

“Bottom!” she announced defiantly.

But over swearing is a sure way to bleed the venom from swear words.

Witness the use of “bugger” in the Toyota commercial. As a swear word, “bugger” is just about, well, how can I put this, begotten beyond woe.

Don’t swear around children. They need to go to adulthood with fresh “choice words” they can use if and when the occasion arises.

Nor do you need to teach swearing. It occurs at times of heightened emotion and creates an atmosphere of shock. Children are bound to pick up its use and importance.

If a child swears sometimes it’s done innocently but I’m sure it’s done just as often to do exactly what swearing is intended to do-to create shock and draw attention to the person swearing.

The best adult response is to let swearing go through to the keeper without over reacting. If you rise to the bait the swearing you reacted to will be repeated any time your little one wants the same reaction.

Most swearing has to do with bodily excretions and sex, so in public, keep it to yourself. Other adults should not have to explain to their children what you were on about.

As Professor Pinker concludes: “When used judiciously, swearing can be hilarious, poignant, and uncannily descriptive.”

And as the good professor points out, Shakespeare surely spoke for all parents who give children the gift of language when he had his character Caliban say, “You taught me language, and my profit on’t is, I know how to curse.”

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43

CIRCUS

Celebrate

PARTY

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Credi ts Unique the Design med Rentals & Event b Chakod y a Desig n www.ch akodad e sign.com Photog ra HMP by ph y by M www.hm onique Renee pmoniq ue.com Cake b y The Cak e Mama s www.th ecakem a m as.com Face p ain ting b Mia Joy y a Face P ainting Clown & Ganalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s En tertainmen Amazin g Magic t by show

Ideas for A CIRCUS Party * Give each a guest a pile of tickets to ‘pay’ for food and games. * Wrap coloured paper around empty tin cans and stack to make a ball toss game. * Bundle yellow and white balloons together for a popcorn effect. * Cut centres out of paper plates and use them for ring tossing over a used paper towel tube secured to another plate. * Use white icing on cupcakes and let guests decorate their own clown face with jelly beans, liquorice, coloured icing and sprinkles. * Paint a simple clown face by reddening the nose and painting red circles onto the apples of the cheeks. * Affix a pompom onto the point of party hats and curling ribbon around the rim for more clowning around fun! * Grab your animal shaped cookie cutters for circus themed sandwiches, cheese and fruit.

Frankston

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lil’ jockeys kids club kids receive meal, drink, 5:30pm dessert & start activity pack frequent for $10

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48

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

Great Kids Parties In our fantastic S THEMED PARTY ROOMS also PRIVATE PARTY HIRE AVAILABLE

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2nd Friday of every month

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Sara is a wedding stylist and event planner who offers styling services for childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parties, birthdays, weddings, christenings, engagements, special occasions and themed events.

Mother of two, Sara put her love of parties and creative ďŹ&#x201A;air to good use and has been responsible for an array of fabulous events, from childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parties to corporate functions for FoxFM, and Barbie Mattel launch parties. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I simply love styling parties and making an event special. With childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parties, there are so many options and mums can get overwhelmed. I can offer guidance and advice or style the party from start to ďŹ nish,â&#x20AC;? says Sara. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have even created a concept design booklet to help the DIY mums, providing colour palettes, themes, what to put on the main table, and a product resource list.â&#x20AC;?

In the meantime, Sara has provided a few tips that will help the everyday parent have a smooth party set up.

ORGANISING A CHILDRENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BIRTHDAY PARTY CAN BE A STRESSFUL TIME. THERE ARE SO MANY CHOICES OF THEMES, COLOUR SCHEMES, THE AMOUNT OF CHILDREN, ENTERTAINMENT AND VENUE. HELP IS AT HAND! EVENT PLANNER SARA LUKE COMES TO THE RESCUE WITH SOME MUCH NEEDED TIPS AND HINTS ON CREATING THE PERFECT PARTY.

NG

PLANNI

The Perfect Party

Have a checklist of things to do. Break it down for two weeks out, one week out, three days out the, night before and day of! Plan ahead and be organised.

Give family members jobs to do on the day.

Prepare and set up for the day the night before. (Once kids are in bed is always ideal.)

Avoid having to leave the house for last minute pickups on the day such as picking up the balloons, cake, and ďŹ&#x201A;owers. Try arranging delivery for the day or ask a family member to pick up any last minute items.

Do a table mock up and try things out one or two days before the party. ie dessert table placement, food, decorations. This will save you from stress if something isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to plan. Take a photo so you remember where you placed all your props and pretties!

Having activities/entertainment for all kids no matter the age will keep the party going without much effort. ie ball pits, jumping castles,

soft play equipment or traditional games such pin the tail on the donkey (tie this in with your theme), pass the parcel, playdoh and colouring in table. For the older children try a dancing competion, or simple craft activities.

Keep a simple variety of food and drinks. Time of the party will be a factor in what type of food to serve.

Choose a theme which can be something that your little one is into at the time or even just a few favourite colours. Popular themes are superheros, pirates, construction, cowboys and indians, princess and fairies, mermaids, rainbows and ballerinas. The list goes on!

Timing. (Depending on age of party) generally 1.5â&#x20AC;?2 hours is long enough for toddlers to avoid meltdowns! Afternoon parties are a good time for most! Plus will give you more set up time.

Most of all have fun and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be stressed out as you want to enjoy the special occasion. The party should be fun for all!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW SARA CAN ORGANISE THE PERFECT EVENT FOR YOU, phone Sara Jade Weddings & Events on 0413 384 923 e: sara@sarajade.com.au w: www.sarajade.com.au

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49

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party

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Specialising in custom made novelty cakes Nicole Badenhop 0405 328 695 www.facebook.com/s.intentions Based in Mornington

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51

9 SIGNS

Purpose built architecturallyy designed centre +Õ> wi` vÀ i ` Þ E Ý«iÀ i Vi` ÃÌ>vv i Vi` ÃÌ>vv `ÕV>Ì > *À }À> ià vÕ `i` { Þi>À ` `iÀ}>ÀÌi «À }À> à >ÀÌi «À }À> à iià V Õ`i > i> Ã] hat and nappies

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1. You drink instant instead of brewed coffee because it’s faster.

2. You just spooned baby formula into your mug instead of instant coffee.

3. You’re ok with that because you wanted milk in your coffee anyway and now you don’t have to open the fridge.

4. You can only contemplate reading articles with a number in the title.

5. You’re irritated because you can’t quite figure out what #4 is referring to.

6. What? Oh, for crying out loud, stop talking to me and just pour me another coffee.

7. Um, I actually wasn’t talking, I was reading…

8. SHUSH! 9. You’re having confusing arguments with yourself.

LOCK THE FRONT DOOR, PUT DOWN THE KEYS, YOU’RE NOT LEAVING THE HOUSE TODAY. YOU’RE DEFINITELY TOO TIRED TO FUNCTION. BY: REBECCA BOWYER

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

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53

Pregnancy & Baby

TYPES OF

THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHILD CARE AVAILABLE TO PARENTS CAN BE OVERWHELMING AND CONFUSING PARTICULARLY FOR FIRST TIME PARENTS. BY: CARE FOR KIDS

good deal of actual experience. A nanny’s working week ranges from forty to sixty hours per week.

NANNY SHARING Employed by two families in the same capacity as a Nanny undertaking tasks related to the care of children. If you are interested in having a nanny care for your child but are reluctant due to the expense, nanny sharing with another family maybe the solution.

To assist you in understanding the types of child care available we have listed some of the more commonly used child care options and a brief description.

We hope you find this useful when trying to determine the type of care that would best suit you and your children.

AU PAIR Foreign national in Australia for up to a year for cultural

NANNY Employed by the family on either a live-in or live-out

MOTHER’S HELP A mother’s help has little or no previous

basis to undertake all tasks related to the care of children. Duties are generally restricted to child care and the domestic tasks related to child care. May or may not have had any formal training though often has a

54

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

exchange purposes and to experience Australian life. Lives as part of the host family and receives a small allowance/salary in exchange for child care and household duties. May or may not have previous child care experience.

experience of caring for children. They generally have career aspirations in the field of child care and this is one way of gaining experience while undertaking formal study. A mother’s help will assist

the parent(s) with childcare and housekeeping duties. These duties should be carried out under the supervision of the parent.

BABYSITTER Provides supervisory, custodial care of children on an

Pre-school generally runs between the hours of 9am and 3pm; similar to school hours although this may vary by state and by service so check with the provider.

The terms kindergarten or prep are also used in some states.

irregular full-time or part-time basis.

CHILD CARE CENTRE OR LONG DAY CARE Care for

BEFORE / AFTER SCHOOL CARE OR OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS (OOSH) Care is supervised care and

children under school age, in premises specially built or adapted for recreation for school-age children: child care. Private operators, local councils, community organisations, • Before and after school employers and non-profit organisations may run long day care centres.

• On pupil-free days They provide all-day or part-time care for working families and offer developmental programs within their care programs. Meals are usually • During school holidays (vacation care). provided with some long day care centres providing care for limited OOSH care is usually associated with schools and caters to primary numbers of primary school children before and after school, and school children. Most OOSH services are operated by community during school holidays. and private organisations. The government’s program is known as Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) or Vacation Care (VC).

Typical hours for OOSH services are: FAMILY DAY CARE is a network of experienced carers or educators who provide care and developmental activities in their own • Before school 7am – 9am homes for other people’s children.

• After school 3pm – 6pm Family day care is primarily for children who have not yet started school. • Vacation 8am – 6pm each week day It can also provide care for school children up to 12 years old. Care is flexible and can be tailored to suit each family’s needs including care OCCASIONAL CARE SERVICES Provide short periods of outside normal working hours and, if needed, overnight care. care for children under school age. Families can access occasional care on either a regular or irregular basis. Parents use occasional PRE-SCHOOL / KINDERGARTEN / PREP child care for a variety of reasons including casual, shift work or PRE-SCHOOL is a planned educational program for children in part-time work, respite care, crisis and emergency care, shopping or the years before a child commences school. Children are usually aged attending appointments. between three and five years of age. Pre-school may take place in a Occasional care allows people the flexibility to leave their children in range of settings including a purpose built building, in a community an early childhood learning environment to socialise and interact with setting, a school, as part of a long day care centre or a mobile or other children. Community organisations, non-profit organisations and visiting service. local councils may run occasional care centres.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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IN HOME CARE Is a flexible form of child care where care is provided in the child’s home by an approved carer. In home care may be available for families who do not use a standard child care service, or where their child care needs cannot be met by an existing service.

Families that may be eligible for in home care include: • families where the parent/s or child has an illness/disability • families in rural or remote areas • parent/s working shift work or non-standard hours • parents who have had a multiple birth (more than two) and/or have more than two children under school age • breastfeeding mothers working from home Once you’ve understood the different types of child care available, you need to decide which option suits you and your child. Compare the pros and cons of differing types of child care and consider: • When you need child care eg full-time or two days a week • Where you need child care eg at home or near work • Your budget • Your child’s temperament, interests and needs • Your values and parenting philosophies eg discipline.

ONE-O N-ON ESPECI ALLY IM E CARE IS POR CHILDR EN UN TANT FOR DER ON E

THE MAIN ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHILD CARE Disadvantages

Nanny

Advantages • Individual attention for your child. One-on-one care is especially important for children under one.

• Consistent care from one person.

• Generally a professional child carer, with relevant qualifications.

• Hours are flexible, depending on your contract agreement.

• Child stays in own home and familiar environment.

Routines do not have to change. No need to travel and less exposure to illness.

• You can have more say in child care as nanny is your direct employee.

• Some nannies do light housework.

• Can be expensive compared with other child care if you have one child.

• Child may miss out on daily social interactions if there are no regular play dates and outings.

• You will need to arrange back-up care if the nanny is ill, takes holidays or leaves.

• If you employ a nanny directly, rather than use an agency, you will be responsible for wages, tax, superannuation etc. Read about your obligations for employing a nanny.

• You may feel you lose some privacy and space with a live-in nanny sharing your home.

Nanny sharing

Type of child care

• You have the benefits of a nanny but with lower costs.

• You only pay for the time you need the nanny.

• If the nanny is caring for children from two families simultaneously, they may form strong friendships.

• Administration and paperwork can be shared with the other family.

• It can take time and effort to find a compatible family to share a nanny with.

• You will need to co-ordinate holidays and any changes in schedule with the other family.

• Disagreements between the nanny and one family may affect the other family.

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

(child care centre)

Advantages

Disadvantages

Exposes the family to another culture and language.

A cheaper option than a full-time nanny.

Individual attention for your child.

Child stays in own home and familiar environment.

Routines do not have to change. No need to travel and less exposure to illness.

• Au pair is living with the family, so can be flexible to fit in routines and special needs (eg holidays).

• Consistency of care can be an issue. (NB: Au pairs on a Working Holiday visa are restricted to 6 months work with one employer.)

• Generally young and living away from home, so will need some personal guidance and advice.

• May not be interested in child care as a career option, and may have little experience.

• You may feel you lose some privacy and space with another person sharing your home.

• If you employ a au pair directly, rather than use an agency, you will be responsible for wages, tax, superannuation etc.

• • • •

• Not qualified or newly qualified so may not have much experience.

• Initially, should not be left unsupervised until they are comfortable with the child and their duties.

• • • •

Can help with housework as well as child care.

A cheaper option than a full-time nanny.

Individual attention for your child.

Child stays in own home and familiar environment.

Routines do not have to change. No need to travel and less exposure to illness.

• For a single child, it is usually cheaper than hiring a nanny.

• Care is always available during opening hours. The centre will manage replacement staff if any carer is ill or unavailable.

• Provides a structured program with routine and activities.

• Centres are licensed facilities, and all staff will have relevant experience and qualifications.

• Child meets a range of other children and educators.

• • • • •

• • • • •

• You will need to arrange back-up care if the educator is ill or unavailable.

• There is not the same range of toys, equipment and activities as at a child care centre.

• You will have to arrange travel to and from the educators home.

In-home care

A more affordable child care option.

A safe, home environment with consistent care.

Most educators have had children of their own.

Interaction with a small group of children of varying ages.

Can be arranged to fit in to your schedule.

Less individual attention than nanny or au pair.

Child is exposed to more people and more illnesses.

Child may find it hard to settle in to unfamiliar environment.

Many centres have long waiting lists and fees can be expensive.

May not be flexible enough to suit your child’s individual temperament and needs.

• You will have to arrange travel to and from the centre.

• May be the best option in special situations eg parents working non-standard hours, sick child.

• Flexible child care to suit the hours you need.

• Individual attention for your child.

• Child stays in home environment. Routines do not have to change. No need to travel and less exposure to illness.

• Can be expensive, depending on how long care is needed.

• Child may miss out on daily social interactions if there are no regular play dates and outings.

• You will need to arrange back-up care if the carer is ill or unavailable.

Babysitter

Family day care

Long day care

Mother’s help

Au pair

Type of child care

• Flexible child care, especially for short periods over evenings and weekends.

• Child stays in home environment.

• Gives parents a chance to take a break without a long-term child care commitment.

• Child care experience varies and babysitters are not always qualified.

• May not be available for regular long-term care or longer hours.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

57

IT WON’T GO AWAY

If You Ignore It...

“FORGET THE POST PREGNANCY BODY-THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT MUSCLES TO FOCUS ON” SAY JILL CHENOWETH, A LECTURER AT MONASH SCHOOL OF PHYSIOTHERAPY AND A CONTINENCE AND WOMEN’S HEALTH PHYSIOTHERAPIST AT MORNINGTON PENINSULA FAMILY PHYSIOTHERAPY BY: JILL CHENOWETH themselves at risk.

One in three Australian women experience some form of incontinence following pregnancy and childbirth. Pelvic floor weakness and Jill says that women need to recognise that ignoring and pushing incontinence is one of the most common challenges to a woman’s through pain or “something not feeling right” could be doing more postnatal body - yet one of the least spoken about. damage than good. Jill explains “stress incontinence is often a first sign the pelvic floor is under excessive strain and potentially impacting on The Journal of Sex Medicine found that a weak pelvic floor can lead other core functions.” to a number of conditions including sexual dissatisfaction, urinary incontinence, and vaginal organ prolapse. Pelvic floor problems can This was the case for one of her patients, Kate, a gym instructor and cause emotional distress and lead to reduced participation in exercise, mother-of-two who returned to work and exercise in cross fit. “When social activities and intimacy.

Kate returned to her training she experienced back pain and some urine leakage but dismissed it and continued on. Gradually, however, the “If you ask these women what they do about this, most of them will pain increased and the leakage worsened”, Jill says. “When Kate came answer that they pretend it’s not happening.” Jill explains “However, in for treatment, it became clear to Jill that “she was super strong in all many of these problems can be cured or greatly reduced with simple but one muscle - her pelvic floor”. and quick pelvic floor exercises.”.

Kate had not realised her stress inYour core muscles act as a corset continence was due to the excessive while your pelvic floor muscles act Pelvic floor problems can cause strain on her pelvic floor, presuming as a sling for your organs, including your bladder. During pregnancy, emotional distress and lead to reduced instead that it was due entirely to having had two children. “She your baby puts a tremendous ignored the leakage and routinely amount of strain on your abdominal participation in exercise, social pushed down on her pelvic floor and pelvic area. Along with activities and intimacy muscles while lifting weights and hormonal changes, your expanding doing deep squats.” stomach can cause permanent The excessive strain on Kate’s back, separation of your abdominal which was exacerbated by weak muscles (known as DRAM) which pelvic floor muscles, ended up damaging her lumbar discs.“Kate puts more pressure on the pelvic floor leading to bladder weakness, was unaware that her pelvic floor muscles are one of the major core leakage or vaginal prolapse. muscles that help support her back, and that pushing down on them Many women return to exercise unaware of their abdominal rather than contracting them when lifting caused more weakness, and separation and pelvic floor weakness and cause further damage the discs to prolapse,” Jill explains. to their body. Some young mothers wanting to return to their pre “Strong pelvic floor muscles are important. They are critical for helping pregnancy shape or physical hobbies such as running and even older protect the spine in strenuous weight-bearing sports like cross fit,” women with grown-up children, returning to exercise are putting 58

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

she stresses. Kate adopted a modified exercise program and now experiences a dry workout and reduced back pain. “So my advice is to first strengthen from the inside out!,” Jill says.

The Continence Foundation of Australia recommends having your pelvic floor properly assessed postnatally and have specific exercises prescribed for your condition by a women’s health physiotherapist.

As with all muscles, not all pelvic floors are the same.

Women experiencing any type of incontinence or pelvic floor issues can call the National Continence Helpline (1800 33 00 66) a free and confidential service staffed by continence nurse advisors who can provide information, advice, and referrals to specialist continence physiotherapists.

Jill is a mum of three, a lecturer at Monash and senior pelvic floor physio at Mornington Peninsula Family Physiotherapy and she experienced her own post natal challenges trying to regain her fitness. Jill had always done her pelvic floor exercises but 24 years ago they didn’t know much about deep abdominal and pelvic joint stability and Jill had developed such severe pelvic joint pain that she was told not to run anymore. Eventually Jill, combining her skills with physiotherapists from around the world embarked on combining this relationship.

This new area of pelvic fitness meant that her own pain improved allowing her to return to running - which she still enjoys today. Jill’s passion is not only contributing to continence health but emotional power and confidence - encouraging the mind body approach to life. Find out more at www.mpfp.net.au 5976 4944.

FASCINATING

FACT

DID YOU KNOW THAT HAND WASHING DIDN’T BECOME ESTABLISHED PRACTICE FOR DOCTORS OF CHILDBIRTH UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE 19TH CENTURY?! IT WASN’T UNUSUAL FOR A DOCTOR TO COME STRAIGHT FROM CUTTING UP DEAD BODIES TO DELIVERING NEW BABIES, WITHOUT WASHING THEIR HANDS OR WEARING GLOVES. ONCE THEY STARTED REQUIRING DOCTORS TO WASH THEIR HANDS BEFORE ATTENDING WOMEN IN LABOUR, THE DEATH RATE FOR THOSE NEW MOTHERS WENT DOWN BY 10TO 20-FOLD WITHIN A FEW MONTHS. BY: REBECCA BOWYER

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See one Midwife for all your scheduled checks, tests, investigations and prescriptions. Receive midwifery and pregnancy advice and education in a one-on-one, private clinic with more time for you from a Midwife who truly knows you, your wishes and your story. This empowerment and support will prepare you for a more positive outcome for you and your baby. Continue to see your dedicated Midwife at home after birth for ongoing support and education.

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THINGS I HATE Y

GNANC ABOUT PRE

BY: REBECCA BOWYER R

VIVID DREAMS Remember those troll dolls on key rings? I had a dream that my baby looked exactly like a troll doll with fluorescent orange hair. He popped out of my belly button and looked at me expectantly. I sighed and told him it wasn’t time to come out yet and he should go back inside. He regarded me sadly for a moment before popping back through my belly button.

NAUSEA I won’t grace it with the term morning sickness. I had nausea in the morning, motion sickness, nausea if I didn’t eat enough, if I ate too much and if woke up at midnight. I even vomited on a peak hour train once. It was grand.

SWOLLEN ANKLES I wore expandable homipeds for the last three months of my first pregnancy. It was fine for a Perth summer, not so suitable for corporate attire.

PREGNANCY HEARTBURN 80% of pregnant women get heartburn. Something about muscles relaxing, baby squishing internal organs and stomach acid launching an escape attempt. All I know is I carried a bottle of Gaviscon Double Strength around with me for months for relief from heartburn.

NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP ON MY STOMACH I’m not actually a stomach sleeper. I’m a roller, a restless sleeper. You try rolling that stomach over at night. Not easy!

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

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HELPING YOUR BABY

ENJOY

TUMMY TIME YOU’VE LIKELY HEARD THAT ‘TUMMY TIME’ IS IMPORTANT FOR BABIES TO LEARN TO PUSH UP AND EVENTUALLY CRAWL. BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOUR BABY CRIES WHENEVER YOU TRY TO PUT HER ON HER TUMMY? BY: PINKY MCKAY Some babies love playing on their tummies and may even prefer it to being on their backs. Other babies, for whatever reason, just don’t like it and may need a little more encouragement to play on their tummies.

Until several years ago, most babies were placed to sleep on their stomachs. This meant a baby was not only accustomed to this position, but had ample opportunity to learn to lift her head and prop on her arms while on her tummy. The introduction of putting babies to sleep on their backs has greatly reduced the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS or cot death), but now parents seem to be fearful about putting their babies on their tummies at all.

Also, for many babies used to sleeping on their backs, this can be where they feel most comfortable so they often protest loudly when they are placed on their tummies. However, tummy time is beneficial for many reasons.

THE BENEFITS OF TUMMY TIME Tummy time during waking hours is important to the motor development of your baby as it allows her to gain head and body control. Motor control develops in a ‘cephalocaudal’ fashion, which means a baby first gains control of her head, then her shoulders and then her abdomen and so on down to her feet. Developing head control first allows your baby to visually explore everything around her.

Having tummy time also helps the development of your baby’s skull. With babies spending more time on their backs, paediatricians have noted an increase in flatheads or misshapen heads. Babies’ skulls are still quite soft and constantly lying on their backs without changing the head position can cause a flattened effect on the back of a baby’s head.

It also helps your baby strengthen her neck, shoulders, arms and torso muscles. This strength will prepare her for crawling as well as getting her ready to push up, roll over and eventually to stand.

As well as gross motor skills, tummy time encourages your baby’s fine motor skills. For example as she grasps at your clothing while you hold her across your legs or on your chest, or at a blanket she is lying on as she balances on one arm to reach for toys.

WHEN TO START? You can start tummy time from birth – with your newborn lying skin to skin on your chest. From there, small amounts of tummy time throughout the day is sufficient – even if only for a minute or two at a time – and gradually increase the time, as long as your baby is comfortable.

According to Dr Jane Williams, early childhood specialist and director of child development programs for GymbaROO, “ babies should be spending more time on their tummies than lying or being propped in ‘containers’ such car seats, infant seats, and high chairs.”

One tip is to roll your baby over on her tummy for a little while after every nappy change. It’s easy to remember to do this and your baby is likely to enjoy the view if she’s up on a changing table. But do hold onto her securely so she doesn’t roll or push off.

It is best to try tummy time when your baby is calm. Respect her responses so she doesn’t associate this new experience with feeling stressed. Make sure she isn’t hungry or tired or, on the other hand, don’t place her on a full belly of milk as this could be uncomfortable.

If she becomes unsettled while on her tummy, try to coax her a bit longer by talking with her or playing with her. If she has clearly had enough, pick her up and try again later.

ENCOURAGING TUMMY TIME To encourage tummy time, place your baby on a firm, flat surface on his tummy with his arms forward – a rug on the floor is best, as a soft or padded surface makes it too hard for baby to move. To begin with, even on a firm surface, moving on their tummy is hard work for babies and they will tire quickly. The answer is short but frequent periods of play, allowing him to gradually build up his strength and learn to move more efficiently.

If your baby cries when you put him on his tummy, help him become more confident by playing some of these baby games: While you are lying on your back or reclining, lie your baby on your tummy so that he will be encouraged to lift up and look at your face.

Try gently rocking him from side to side as you hold him.

Lie down on the floor facing your baby and talk or sing to him.

Hold a rattle or a squeaky toy, wave a colourful silky scarf or place a mirror in front of baby for him to look at.

Sit on the floor and hold your baby on his tummy across your lap or thighs. Gently stroke him rhythmically down his back, making circular motions between his shoulder-blades.

Lie him on different textures: a (treated) lambskin or a ‘feelie blanket’ made of squares of contrasting fabrics such as soft velvet and corduroy, coarse hessian, shiny satin, and woollen, fleecy or fluffy fabrics. Curtain shops often sell sample squares of suitable fabrics in inexpensive bundles.

Place a toy within baby’s reach – perhaps a coloured ball or a plastic bottle with some bells or marbles and tinsel in it (make sure the lid is tightly secured and supervise).

Swish your baby through the air to music, supporting him with your arms and hands under his body and chest.

Lie baby across a beach ball or exercise ball, or a rolled up sleeping-bag, and rock him gently to and fro and sideways: this will also stimulate his vestibular (balance) system and help him get used to being in different positions.

Try lying your baby on your bed, near the edge, and sit on the floor with your face next to his. He might appreciate the softer surface, and you can talk and sing to him in this position.

If your baby can’t support his weight on his forearms, support him on

a rolled-up towel placed beneath his arms, with his arms forward so he can practise mini push-ups or play with a toy. When he can get up on his forearms independently, remove the pillow and let him work on his motor skills without it.

Once your baby has sufficient head control — around age four months — you can play aeroplanes: lie on the floor and bend your legs. Put your baby’s tummy against your legs, his head at your knees –he will be facing you as you hold him. Now, bend your legs up and down while holding on to him firmly As he gets bigger and feels comfortable, you can bend your knees, lifting your feet off the floor so he ‘flies’ as you move your legs up and down. He’ll probably love the new view!

Pinky McKay is an internationally certified lactation consultant, certified infant massage instructor and author of Sleeping Like a Baby, 100 Ways to Calm the Crying and Parenting By Heart. In her baby massage DVD, Pinky shows parents how to give their baby a full body massage, a mini-massage (for when you are in a hurry) and specific stroke to help with colic and tummy discomfort. For more great tactics to help you get through the terrific toddler stage, see Pinky’s book Toddler Tactics. If you are time poor and enjoy listening as you multi task, check out the audio book version of Toddler Tactics.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Fun for all

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Travelling with Toddlers TRAVELLING WITH TODDLERS CAN BE TOUGH... IT’S THAT AGE WHEN THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON, BUT MAYBE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO TALK...

WHEN OUR GIRLS WERE YOUNGER, WE MADE UP THE FIVE S’S...

SONGS in the car, on the radio, CD’s or on the iPad are always so much fun, for everyone. As much as my husband despises Old MacDonald, he does get a chuckle out of listening to the kids make all the animal sounds.

SURPRISE, we always get some activities and new books that they have not played with or read before, either borrowed from a friend (fabulous option) or opshop/purchased. Something new and different always held their attention a little longer, we would prepare one new one for each long leg of our journey.

SWINGS, stopping for a play at the park or a run around with a ball before sleep time is a winner, tuckers them out so that you can enjoy some quiet time as you hit the road for your next leg while they have a lovely sleep.

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64

5S’s

SNACKS, preparation is the key, having enough enjoyable snacks to get them through. Boredom will come with the illusion of hunger, we have all heard it before, five minutes into a journey...

“I’m hungry”. Prepare a snack box with lots of little things to pick at; sultanas, cheese cubes, carrot sticks, dry biscuits, cut up fruit. In small little containers or zip lock bags, the little ones love helping themselves, small amounts, but just enough to tie them over to the next stop or meal time.

SLEEP...if the Swings part of the five S’s goes well...then Sleep will certainly come. Having their favourite sleep toy and blanket handy and accessible when needed is a good idea, even strap the blanket to the seat belt so it doesn’t fall to the floor. Plus back ups, we always travel with two of their favourite sleep items just in case there is a spillage or a little puke accident.

Ages one to four years is such a gorgeous age, but an age that can be difficult to travel with. They are often on the cusp of talking and frustration tends to set in quickly as the poor poppets try and communicate with no luck, or a little bit older and boredom sets in so quickly...So mixing it up, listening to them, involving them (jump in the back if there is room), giving them play time, down time and sleep time will all help....and if they are still unhappy the whole time, well... that will be part of the adventure that you will always look back on and SMILE... (after it is all over....)... www.caravanningwithkids.com.au Facebook - www.facebook.com/caravanningwithkids Instagram - @caravanningwithkids

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Strictly one original coupon (from Peninsula Kids magazine) per child. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

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Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2015

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Enter the code MPKFREE at checkout to receive free shipping on your order. www.peninsulakids.com.au

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WINERIES on the THE SUN IS OUT, THE BIRDS ARE SINGING AND THE WINERIES ARE BRIMMING WITH GREENERY - WHAT BETTER WAY TO WELCOME SPRING THAN TO GET OUT AND EXPLORE SOME KID FRIENDLY WINERIES. SPRING ON THE PENINSULA IS A SPECTACULAR TIME TO VISIT THE WINERIES AND SEE THEM IN FULL BLOOM. HERE ARE MY TOP FIVE KID FRIENDLY WINERIES ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA BY: KELLY MCLEAD

HICKINBOTHAM OF DROMANA This laid back winery will quickly become a favourite with your kids.

It’s best for a lazy, relaxed Sunday lunch where the kids can feed the animals, play in the cubby house and have a boogie with the band.

The menu is full of home-style favourites and has enough kids options to please even the fussiest of eaters.

Best bits and tips: For a more peaceful lunch, book a table a little way away from the band.

Mornington Peninsula available to satisfy your afternoon cravings - just pop a few snacks in your bag for the kids and you’re all set for a fantastic afternoon.

Best bits and tips: Stonier staff are more than happy to give you an informal tour of the fermentation and barrel rooms - just ask! And if you’re feeling super adventurous why not take on the Red Hill Rail Trail and make your way to the Red Hill Epicurean (just over an hours walk) for a well earned coffee.

YABBY LAKE VINEYARD Being so close to the freeway, this winery is pretty popular with city folk and it’s easy to see why. As soon as you step into this super stylish, newly renovated winery you are greeted with floor to ceiling windows bringing the vineyards right up to your table. This winery has the best of both worlds: great food and wine for mum and dad and enough stuff to keep the kids entertained. There are swings in full view of the restaurant and a lush lawn with interesting sculptures for the kids to run around and wear themselves out.

Best bits and tips: Make sure you check out the Pink Claw Rose that has been created by the founders of Yabby Lake to help raise awareness of breast cancer. Pink Claw has been used for fundraising events and campaigns and a portion of the profits of every bottle is donated to Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA).

STONIER WINES Bask in the sunshine and bring along your own picnic while you sample the exceptional wines from Stonier (you HAVE to try the sparking!). While there is no cafe or restaurant at the winery, it’s the perfect opportunity to pack a picnic and enjoy the outdoors. They do have cheese platters

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.

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

RITTEND RAPHY: C PHOTOG

Overlooking the picturesque lake, you can try a few wines in their newly appointed tasting room or for special occasion dining check out the restaurant Stillwater at Crittenden. The kids will love exploring this winery and making use of the games provided on the spacious lawn adjacent to the restaurant. Football, cricket, soccer, boules - they’ve got you covered so sit back and enjoy while the kids wear themselves out!

Best bits & tips: Enjoy a stress free flight tasting - to make the most of your wine tasting experience the wine centre provide the kids with activity packs to keep boredom at bay. You can also ask the staff at Stillwater for some bread to feed the ducks that flock to the lake.

EN ESTA TE

CRITTENDEN ESTATE

GREEN OLIVE What’s not to love about this place? Starting with the farm fresh child friendly menu, Green Olive has a philosophy of “food for the heart and soul”. While they don’t have a separate kids menu, the tapas style selection is a hit with the kids - lamb meatballs were a big winner for us! This winery is such a lovely place to explore: the kids can jump on the fully enclosed trampoline, check out the farm animals on site and discover the edible garden.

Best bits and tips: The Green Olive take bookings for lunch for 10 or more people so get a group of friends together and head there for a great day out. Also make sure you check out their Spring Lamb Love event on Sunday 4th October for kids face painting, farm games, farm tours and much more!

PHOTOGRAPHY: GREEN OLIVE

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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WHY KIDS NEED TO READ WHY FICTION PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN FOSTERING WELLBEING, RESILIENCE AND EMPATHY IN CHILDREN BY: LOUISE PARK Researchers have finally found evidence of what we’ve all known for ages— that reading fiction improves a reader’s capacity to understand what others are thinking and feeling. Specifically, fiction that portrays dynamic characters that grow, change and develop emotionally and socially; fiction that explores the psychology of characters, their relationships, their motivations and actions, their emotions, their vulnerabilities, their warts and all.

Narratives where main characters’ minds are not fully formed but rather ‘works in progress’ provide opportunity for readers to fill in the gaps, to reflect on characters’ feelings, emotions, intentions and actions. They force readers to step into that world, into that character’s shoes, into their minds and hearts. This interaction and awareness stays with the reader long after the story’s end and goes with them into the real world, supporting them in their interactions with real children. These characters can teach readers vital values and understandings about social and emotional behaviour.

Even better still, characters that implicitly model the characteristics of resilient children: effective conflict management skills, problem-solving techniques, friendship-building skills, positive thinking, growing independence, and responsibility for one’s actions; can enable readers to further develop and maintain a healthy wellbeing and emotional resilience.

Helping children develop healthy thinking habits is also critical to a sense of wellbeing and resilience. And when fiction portrays characters that ‘show’ rather than ‘tell’ through the course of their experiences: •How to keep things in perspective •How to face a hard and challenging moment and still have a go regardless •That they will and do make mistakes but that it doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the word •That things are sometimes not much fun and possibly incredibly frustrating but still need to be done •That working at something over and over to achieve it even though it might not be fun at all while you’re doing it, is necessary!

•That it’s okay to get things wrong and that what’s important is learning from those situations •How to have a go at something new while still being true to myself;

Then fiction goes a long way in supporting and fostering lifelong emotionally resilient human beings.

And we all want to raise emotionally resilient children because resilient children can pick themselves up and recover. They can persevere against the odds. They have a good social support network and know when to ask for help, advice or opinions. They learn from their mistakes and have a good sense of humour. They continually build and refine their problem-solving skills, and they value exploring hobbies, pastimes, passions and ‘me’ time.

And if this isn’t enough to put those worthwhile fiction titles into your children’s hands then consider this: researchers have also found evidence that children who read for pleasure do better academically as well!

Reading fiction is a win-win! To help your child get hooked on reading consider these top five tips for making lifelong readers:

Strive for that perfect match between reader and text. A book pitched perfectly to give a child reading confidence is a book that can be read with about 90% accuracy. Anything harder will more likely turn them off reading. One new word in every ten ensures comprehension, enjoyment, and further building of literacy skills and vocabulary.



If it grabs them and takes reading to them on their terms, it’s gold!

Content is king.

 At a young age, a book that is pleasing to the eye as well as the soul makes for a compelling read, and compelling reads make life-long readers. Consider the suitability of the format and the layout. Is your child drawn to the illustrations?

 Try not to get caught up in other children’s reading abilities. It’s all about your child and their reading journey!



Read aloud to your child, read along with them, read with them.

Stop and recap along the way. Ask questions about the story.

Louise Park is the author of the Harriet Clare series. A unique fiction series for newly independent readers that hijacks the popular and compelling diary format to take the reader’s capacity to understand what others are thinking and feeling to a whole new level. A level where the reader become Harriet’s confidante and best friend and is asked to participate in the writing of her notebooks. Published by Hinkler books.

To find out more go to: www.harrietclare.com.au

I’m a Stay at Home Mum “SO WHAT DO YOU DO?” BY: ERIKA ATWILL For some reason, I still find that tough to answer. It tends to be one of the first questions that gets asked when I meet someone new at any outing. I know it’s just polite small talk, but I always stumble on the answer.

“I’m not working at the moment. I’m a stay at home mum.”

Usually this is followed by a set of raised eyebrows to which I then find the need to justify myself.

“So you don’t work then?”

“Well, I was a media and communications advisor but quit my full time job in the middle of last year to spend more time with my family. Actually, I am a freelance writer and sometimes I do some casual work for my previous employer, but not much, plus I have set up my own blog.”

Um, excuse me? Who am I? Why do I find it so hard to define what I do? And why do I feel the need to clarify what I do with my time to a complete stranger? And it really does make me wonder – are stay at home mums such a rarity these days?

I loved my job and it was one of the toughest decisions I have ever made to walk away from my career, but at the same time it was also one of the clearest and easiest decisions.

For me, my family always come first, and when I felt like my husband and children were slipping away and life was spiralling out of control I knew things needed to change. As my children grow older, I feel they need me to be there for them now more than ever before. So yes, I am a stay at home mum.

But how do I explain all that to someone I have just met? And should I even need to justify myself? While I have received a lot of positive support for making such a bold move for my family and I, sometimes I still feel like I am being judged for my decision and then dismissed like I no longer matter.

Truthfully, I never thought I’d be a stay at home mum. I didn’t think I was cut out for it. However, I think enough time has passed since

leaving my job for the novelty to wear off and I can honestly say I don’t regret it.

I’m the lucky mum of three girls, including a newborn who was a surprise little package that entered the world at the end of March and has slotted right into our family like she was always meant to be.

Life with a newborn can be tough and my days are quite erratic.

Some days I feel like Super Mum and everything falls into place, but then there are other days when not much gets done; like nothing at all.

When I worked it was easy to fob it off and tell myself that I’m a busy working mum, I don’t have time for everything. Now that I’m at home, the guilt trip sets in and I put a lot of pressure on myself.

But it really shouldn’t be that way.

At times like this, I try to step back, breathe and realise that I am doing the best I can. Both days are OK. In reality, I have the most important job of all and that is raising my three beautiful daughters to be confident, resilient young women.

I’m fully entrenched in the world of motherhood and I’m loving it!

Some days I don’t even know who I am anymore, in a good way, but I’m going with it because it feels right.

I still absolutely love writing – it’s a passion I have always had and I don’t think it will ever leave me. It’s also what keeps my blog going! But I have since discovered a renewed interest in so many other things – reading, baking, yoga, craft. Last week I even bought a sewing machine … yes, a sewing machine! I don’t think I have touched one since Year 8 textiles class. And the same goes for the crochet hook and yarn that somehow came home with me from that trip to Spotlight!

Everything just feels so right. Right for me, right for my family.

So, the next time someone asks me what I ‘do’, I’m going to hold my head up high and say “I’m a stay at home mum”. The end.

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 Everchanging Life of a Mum at www.everchangingmum.com.au

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I HAVE RECENTLY NOTICED A RISE IN HARD DRIVE FAILURES AND CRASHES BY: ALISON LAVERTY

What does this mean for you and me?

When I started helping families, seven years ago with preserving memories, I

Are y o

Do not just have one backup plan to store all your precious memories and risk loosing if one is damaged or you experience failure or your computer crashes.

Start a plan to begin preserving your treasured memories before its too late.

It is a journey that takes time, just like it took a lifetime to snap and accumulate your photos, now make time and start archiving these memories for your children and grandchildren.

?

•Burn onto DVDs 7 FORMS OF MEDIA •External Hard Drives THAT WILL BACKUP •Print photos and store in albums YOUR PHOTOS •Create Coffee Table Books •Create Photo and Video Slideshow Productions •Online Cloud Storage Solutions •Give extra copies to family members

uP r

your Ph o t os

Is backing up on hard drive safe to preserve precious family photos?

In this way, when one type of media fails, you have other backups.

ving er es

Last year alone, I recovered almost ten hard drives used to backup photos and important documents.

suggested using various ways to backup photos as well as videos.

MADDIE ZIEGLER Dancer Capezio® Brand Ambassador M O R N I N G T O N 12-14 M I LG AT E D R I V E , M O R N I N G TO N , V I C 39 31

C A P E Z I O.CO M 72

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

Recipes

Con ten ts

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s e p i ec

Jodie BLIGHT *Crispy ROAST POR

piced *Chai S TE LA CHOCO OOKIES C E CRINKL te Chocola *Dark E K CA S CHERRY ot LOAF *Apric

K *Pork SAN CHOI BOW *Pulled PORK TACO

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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 https://www.facebook.com/hellotable

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LIGHT

Jodie B

Crispy ROAST PORK { Serves: 8 (4 + more) Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 5 hours Total time: 5 hours } Ingredients 4 FENNEL BULBS 2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL 3 SPRIGS THYME SALT AND PEPPER 1.5–2 KG PORK BELLY OR SHOULDER 500 ML APPLE CIDER OR WHITE WINE 500 ML CHICKEN STOCK APPLE SAUCE TO SERVE

Method

IPS

’S T Jodie

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

1. Preheat oven to 250C. Cut fennel bulbs into halves or quarters (depending on the size) and place in the bottom of a baking tray. Sprinkle with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper.

2. Dry the pork skin with paper towel and score the skin at about 1 cm intervals with a sharp knife. Just cut into the skin and slightly into the fat, but not deep into the meat. Rub 1 tablespoon or so of salt into the scores of the skin. Place pork on top of fennel, hiding the fennel from the direct heat.

3. Cook in the oven until the crackling starts to crisp and brown (about 30 minutes). Reduce heat to 140C, add apple cider and stock so it covers the meat but not the crackling, and continue cooking in oven for 4 hours.

4. Increase the temperature to 220C for another 20–30 minutes to ensure the crackling is crisp. Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes. Do not cover, as this will soften the crackling. To make the crackling extra crispy, remove it from the pork meat and put it back in the oven for another 10–15 minutes while the pork is resting.

5. Remove fennel from the baking tray and keep warm.

Remove and discard fat from the pan juices and heat juices to serve over pork.

6. Serve pork with the caramelised roast fennel, roast 6 pumpkin, green beans, juices and apple sauce.

Pork SAN CHOI BOW

The combination of hot an d cold, soft and crisp is a favourite with kids and ad ults alike . Just try stopping at one. It is very quick and easy to prepare, so don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients.

{ Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes Total time: 20 minutes }

Ingredients 50 G VERMICELLI RICE NOODLES 2 TABLESPOONS COCONUT OIL 6 SHITAKE MUSHROOMS, CHOPPED 2 GARLIC CLOVES, FINELY DICED ¼ TABLESPOON GRATED GINGER 2 STALKS CELERY, FINELY DICED 1 CARROT, GRATED 500 G COOKED PORK 225 G WATER CHESTNUTS (1 TIN), CHOPPED 1 ICEBERG LETTUCE 1 LONG RED CHILLI, CHOPPED (OPTIONAL) 6 SPRING ONIONS, FINELY SLICED 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 BEATEN EGG

Method 1. Soak noodles in hot water for 3–5 minutes. When soft drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.

2. Finely chop pork in food processor.

3. Heat coconut oil in frying pan or wok over high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, ginger, celery and carrot, and cook stirring for 2 more minutes. Chop noodles coarsely, add to pan together with cooked pork and water chestnuts, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring so it doesn’t stick.

4. Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl, add mixture to pan and cook for 5 minutes. Allow to cool a little to stop the lettuce leaves from wilting.

5. Carefully separate the lettuce leaves, keeping them whole to form cups. Wash and shake dry. Fill lettuce cups with pork mixture, top with spring onion and chopped chilli, and drizzle with hoisin sauce.

Jodie’S TIPS

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Pulled Pork TACOS { Serves: 4 (2 per person) Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes Total time: 10 minutes } Ingredients 8 SOFT TACO SHELLS OR TORTILLAS 1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL 2 TEASPOONS GROUND CUMIN 2 TEASPOONS GROUND CORIANDER 1 TEASPOON SMOKED PAPRIKA ¼ TEASPOON CAYENNE PEPPER ½ CUP LEFTOVER ROAST PORK JUICES 400 G COOKED PULLED PORK ¼ ICEBERG LETTUCE, SHREDDED SOUR CREAM TO SERVE 1 LONG RED CHILLI, FINELY CHOPPED (OPTIONAL) FRESH SALSA 2 TOMATOES, FINELY DICED ½ RED ONION, FINELY CHOPPED 1 AVOCADO, FINELY DICED 1 HANDFUL CORIANDER, CHOPPED ½ LIME SALT AND PEPPER

Method

IPS

’S T Jodie

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76

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

1. Preheat oven to 140C. Remove tacos shells from packaging and wrap in foil, making sure all the edges of the foil are sealed tight so the tacos don’t get crispy. Warm in oven for 5 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat, add spices and cook for a minute. Add leftover roast pork juices and pork, and cook for 3–4 minutes until the pork is heated through. If you don’t have enough juice left over from the roast, use orange juice or apple cider.

3. To make fresh salsa, gently toss the tomato, onion, avocado, coriander leaves, juice of half a lime, salt and pepper in a bowl.

4.

4 Serve pork mixture in warmed tacos topped with lettuce, salsa, sour cream and chilli.

Chai Spiced

CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES { Makes: 12 } Ingredients 150 G BUTTER, CUBED & SOFTENED 100G RAW SUGAR 20G CHAI LATTE POWDER 1 VANILLA BEAN, SEEDS ONLY (OR USE 1 TSP VANILLA BEAN PASTE) 1 EGG 170G PLAIN FLOUR 80G SR FLOUR 40G RAW CACAO POWDER (OR COCOA POWDER) 75G ICING SUGAR, SIFTED

Method 1. Preheat oven to 180C (fan-forced) and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, chai powder and vanilla with electric beater until smooth and incorporated.

3. Add egg and beat until just incorporated.

4. Add flour and raw cacao powder and stir until well combined. The mixture will become quite difficult to mix –at this point bring together into a dough with your hands.

5. Place icing sugar in a separate shallow bowl. Roll heaped tablespoons of the cookie dough into balls and then flatten slightly in the palm of your hand. Coat each cookie in a generous coating of icing sugar and place on tray, approximately 4-5cm apart.

6. Bake for 15 minutes.

Use you r fav flavour ourite hot drin s to ins pire you k baking! r C chocola hai spice, drink te, ing flavour instant coffee ed teas and interest can all infuse ing flav ours.

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77 7

Dark Chocolate

CHERRY CAKES { Makes: 12 } Ingredients CAKES 65G UNSALTED BUTTER 75G CASTER SUGAR 1 EGG 1 TSP VANILLA BEAN PASTE 170G SR FLOUR PINCH SALT 50G NATURAL YOGHURT 200G PITTED MORELLO CHERRIES (JUICE DRAINED, BUT RESERVED) 150G DARK CHOCOLATE CHIPS

ICING 150G UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED 400G ICING SUGAR 40G RESERVED CHERRY JUICE

Method

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

1. Preheat oven to 160C (fan-forced) and line a 12-hole muffin tray with patty pans.

2. Chop cherries into smaller pieces and set aside.

3. Place butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and cream together with electric beater until light and fluffy.

Add egg and vanilla and beat until just combined.

4. Add flour, salt and yoghurt and beat until just combined.

5. Add cherries and chocolate chips and stir into mixture by hand.

6. Spoon cake batter into patty pans and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

7. Allow cakes to cool before icing.

8. For icing, place butter, sugar and cherry juice into a mixing bowl and beat with electric beater until well combined and smooth. Ice cakes and top with some extra grated dark chocolate.

Apricot

LOAF { Serves: 12 } Ingredients 200G DRIED APRICOTS BOILED WATER 130G UNSALTED BUTTER, ROUGHLY CUBED 220G CASTER SUGAR 1 TSP VANILLA BEAN PASTE 2 EGGS 250G SR FLOUR 125G MILK

Method 1. Preheat oven to 180C (fan-forced) and grease and line a loaf pan with baking paper.

2. Place apricots in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes.

3. Drain liquid from apricots and add them to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until ďŹ nely chopped.

4. Add butter, sugar and vanilla and blend again until smooth and well combined.

5. Add eggs and mix until just incorporated.

6. Add ďŹ&#x201A;our and milk and mix again until just incorporated.

7. Spoon cake mix into loaf tin and smooth top with a spatula.

8. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Cover top of tin with aluminium foil and return to oven for another 20 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted comes out clean.

9. Cool, then slice and enjoy!

Soaki n baking g the dried f ru h add ju elps to rehy it before d icy fla vour to rate it and your c ake.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Health

FAMILY HEALTH INSURANCE ON A

Budget

IF MONEY IS ON THE TIGHT SIDE, BUYING OR MAINTAINING PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE COVER MAY SEEM LIKE AN EXPENSIVE LUXURY THAT YOU JUST CAN’T AFFORD TO FIT IN YOUR BUDGET BY: HEALTHINSURANCECOMPARISON.COM

Before you make the decision to drop your health insurance or avoid buying it in the first place, think about the potential financial implications of not having cover in place. The biggest of these is likely to be the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS), if your household earns enough to be liable for paying this and you don’t have at least a basic level of hospital cover.

For the 2014/15 financial year, this was $180 000 for families. If your household doesn’t earn above the income threshold, you’re not obliged to pay the MLS regardless of whether you have eligible Hospital cover, but it is something that you’ll need to think about if you do earn enough. Even if you are not encouraged to buy or keep hospital cover as a result of the MLS, most families will find it invaluable to have health insurance to help with the costs of out-of-hospital services - which Medicare offers very little support for. Here are some tips for what kind of cover you can realistically get on a limited budget and how to get the most value for money to make your budget go as far as possible.

WHAT KIND OF HEALTH INSURANCE CAN YOU GET ON A BUDGET? You probably won’t be surprised to know that your budget will have a big impact on the type of cover that you get and what will be included in it. Basic hospital and/or basic extras cover will be the most affordable option but is also the least comprehensive.

Basic hospital cover won’t include pregnancy and birth related services, which could be an issue if you’re planning to have any more children in the future. It also does not include age related services such as joint replacements. Both of these are to reduce the cost of premiums, while still covering the type of services that are of most benefit for the young and healthy. It’s not aimed at families in particular but some health funds do offer varying tiers of family cover, including basic options.

Basic extras cover tends to include popular services such as general dental and optical, and sometimes physiotherapy. These services generally have low annual limits attached to them, which can mean that you’ll be hit with out-of-pocket costs if you need to access them more frequently than your policy will cover you for.

Mid level policies are more extensive, with regards to the services that are covered and for annual limits. Mid to top level extras policies usually include major dental and orthodontics, both of which are excluded from basic Extras cover.

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

MAKING YOUR BUDGET GO AS FAR AS POSSIBLE There may be a limit to what you can expect to get from your policy when you’re on a budget but you can still make sure that you are getting the best value from it. A key part of this will be ensuring that you are one step ahead of your family’s needs, particularly with regards to the next 12 months. This is particularly important if your family is going to be needing to access services that will require you to look to upgrading to a broader policy, as waiting periods could become an issue if you don’t buy in time to guarantee that you’ll be able to make claims for them.

If you know that certain services will become irrelevant for your family and you’re not already on a relatively basic policy, you can look at downgrading your cover to reduce your premiums.

Many families do this when they are not planning to have any more children and no longer need to have mid to top level cover with pregnancy and birth services, for example. Check us out at www.healthinsurancecomparison.com.au and start saving today.

Tips for Reducing Your Premiums 1. If you’ve not yet turned 31, lock in the cheapest premiums for hospital cover by buying as soon as you can afford to do so. After this, there is a two per cent loading fee added to premiums for every year that you delay beyond the age of 30 and for couples, loading fees will be combined and averaged out.

2. Paying premiums by direct debit could potentially reduce them by up to 4 per cent.

3. Shop around and compare policies to see if you can get a better deal with another health fund without compromising your cover level.

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Optima Kids is a fully accredited Child Care facility

ON’S MORNINGT FAVOURITE L OCCASIONA RE CARE CENT

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• Planned activities • 6 weeks to school age • Bookings only

Call Optima Kids 5976 4000

Located at: Optima Health and Fitness 36 Milgate Dve (off Tyabb Rd), Mornington

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Eczema & Itching ECZEMA IS VERY COMMON IN CHILDREN. AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH SHOWS UP TO ONE IN FIVE CHILDREN DEVELOP ECZEMA. BY: GOOD SKIN CLINIC

Peninsula Speech Pathology Services

Our team of specialised therapists work with you and your child to give them a voice.

We are registered with Medicare Private Health Funds and are members of the Better Start and Helping Children with Autism Provider Panels.

Speech, Fluency, Language, Social, Feeding, Literacy

t: 59751500 Mornington Mt Eliza Frankston School Visits www.peninsulaspeech.com.au 82

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2015

Itch Rash

Scratch

Eczema has often been called the “Itch that Rashes” rather than the “Rash that Itches”. This ongoing, constant itch can be described as an “Itch-Scratch-Cycle” – this makes eczema very different from many other skin conditions.

There are many factors involved in the “Itch-Scratch-Cycle”. The itching is usually triggered by higher levels of histamine which leads to irritation on the skin. When the individual then scratches the skin, more histamine floods into the area and the itch is exacerbated, leading to more scratching, and so the cycle perpetuates itself.

This process leads to the appearance of the characteristic rash and eventual skin damage. Over time it becomes a habit and people may be completely unaware that they are doing it.

The scratching leads to inflammation of the skin, and the risk of infection when the skin is broken. People with eczema have a compromised skin barrier; genetically their skin’s normal defenses are limited. This is made worse by dry skin which has lost the protective oil barrier which normal people have. Scratching is a big concern in eczema, as it predisposes to infections from pathogenic organisms (such as staphylococcus aureus).

When an infection on the skin sets in, bacterial toxins infiltrate the skin which can then aggravate the condition even more.

Chronic itching in children can lead to insomnia, irritability, anxiety and stress. In extreme cases it can lead to significant excoriations (open, deep scratch wounds) or even severe lichenification (chronic thickening of the skin) and pain, as well as the risk of severe systemic infections.

Parents often ask “How can I stop my child from scratching?” As scratching is an instinctive reaction to itchiness, that question is not an easy one to answer.

Parents can help by keeping their child’s nails short and clean, and covering hands with cotton mittens, especially at night when

unconscious scratching can occur. With older children, it is important that parents explain to them how scratching will actually make them feel worse, not better, and that their skin will become more red, more itchy and more uncomfortable.

Children with eczema are sensitive to heat; therefore it is important to ensure they do not overheat at night which can lead to an attack of scratching and a restless night!

Become aware of any developing habits of scratching which your child may be developing, and take note when it occurs, for example at night, during an activity or just watching TV. It is important to break the habit once parents are aware of them. One way to do that is to apply a helpful cream just before “that” time the child will start to scratch, in an effort to stop the “itch” before it starts. Care must be taken not to overuse any prescribed creams.

Unfortunately there is at present no cure for eczema. But there is hope, and there are treatments. A number of treatments introduced in the recent past have come a long way in managing the discomfort of eczema. These treatments can work to manage eczema symptoms once they have already appeared. There are also clinically proven alternative treatment protocols which really work.

For more information contact the Good Skin Clinic on 9770 5337 or go to www.goodskincare.com.au

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83

THE Merits OF

Meditation

ANXIETY AND MILD DEPRESSION ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY PROMINENT IN ADULTS AS TIME GOES BY, AND EVEN MORE CONCERNING IS THE RISE OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS. BY: GALINA ZENIN Anxiety has even been referred to as the disease of the 21st century.

There are many things that could be attributed to the increasing number of children and teens suffering with it such as the shift from intrinsic goals towards extrinsic goals. This is where we see people focusing on other people’s judgments as opposed to developing a meaningful internal philosophy. Of course not all children who display symptoms of anxiety are anxious, some children are just ‘worriers’ but regardless of the extent of this unease, there are ways to make children – as well as teens and adults – feel more in control and confident to face the day.

Worried, anxious, depressed or none of these things, the merits of meditation and breathing exercises are proven and there is plenty to gain from them. From better sleep to an increased ability to fight disease, improved social skills and enhanced performance at school – the benefits of meditation are countless.

On a spiritual level, meditation enables children (and others!) to connect with their inner selves and create a positive relationship between mind and body. This is a relationship that can last a lifetime and assist the healthy development of self-esteem and a happier outlook on life in general.

To begin the very basics of meditation, try setting aside 10 minutes to sit with your child/children in a quiet, calm place. Indoors, outdoors – it doesn’t matter, but find a happy spot that offers a peaceful retreat from the busy day. While sitting cross-legged on a mat or cushion, ask your 84

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

children to rest their hands comfortably in their lap and close their eyes. You can instruct children to breathe in deeply through the nose and listen out for the sound of their heart. Exhale and send any bad feelings and stress out of the body with the breath. Children may also like to put their hands on their mid-section and focus on feeling the breath going in and out of their bodies.

Keep in mind that kids might move around and leave their eyes open but this is fine – talk about their meditation experience afterwards and find out how they feel before and after. It’s always good to make sure you pick a time when children are calm and relaxed to embark on meditation, rather than when they are very excitable or cranky. Music or low light can also help children when attempting meditation.

Incorporating meditation everyday at Bonkers Beat Kinder is simple, but powerful. We see children benefit greatly in all aspects of their lives socially, emotionally and academically.

Remember, 10 minutes of deep breathing and meditation each day is all it takes for your child (and you) to feel happier, more relaxed and in control of your destiny.

Galina Zenin (B. Mus. Ed., Dip. Teach.) is an early childhood consultant, inspirational speaker, educator, music teacher, author, composer and founder of the first music kinder in Australia – Bonkers Beat®. Her credits include presentations of Bonkers Beat® Music and Bonkers Gym® Wellbeing Programs at the 2010 and 2011 DEECD Innovation Showcases (Victoria). Galina has appeared on Channel 9, SBS and her articles are regularly featured in newspapers and industry magazines. Galina has established herself as one of Australia’s most innovative early childhood educators and presented at a number of National and International conferences in Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and USA.

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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!

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Ask the Experts!

Should I get a flu vaccine when I am pregnant?

Pregnancy subtly alters the immune system which means that pregnant women are at greater risk of certain viral and bacterial infections. If they do catch an infection their symptoms may be more severe or more prolonged than nonpregnant women. For example coughs and cold can last up to twice as long in some pregnant women.

Pregnant women are at higher risk of becoming very unwell if they catch a seasonal flu. While flu is not usually considered very serious it can sometimes become a very severe respiratory infection in pregnancy. Influenza caused 36 maternal deaths in a recent UK analysis of all maternal deaths from 2009-2012 (MBRRACE study, 2014).

Flu can also cause premature labour or require early delivery of the baby.

National guidelines strongly recommend that pregnant women get the flu vaccine if they are pregnant in the flu season (around May - October). See immunise. health.gov.au Jolyon Ford Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, The Bays Hospital and Frankston Hospital

I drink a lot of diet drinks to reduce my sugar intake; however I saw some research the other day stating these were worse than the sugar, is this true?

Absolutely! A lot of diet drinks, and sugar free gum contain aspartame and other artificial sweeteners. Aspartame (951) is being found increasingly in more products due to the bad publicity of sugar and the popularity of low calorie products.

Aspartame’s list of side effects is scarily long, including headache, migraines, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, depression, weight gain, vertigo, breathing problems and is a suspected link to brain tumours.

Aspartame is made up of approximately 50% phenylalanine (always shown as a warning of the product which indicates

86 Peninsula Kids K –S Spring i 2015

the presence of aspartame), phenylalanine can reduce the levels of serotonin in the brain causing disorders such as depression.

Aspartame can also damage the brain cells, and children, infants and unborn babies are especially at risk due to the undeveloped blood brain barrier. This is not an additive that should be consumed by children or pregnant mothers.

The good news is that there are a wide variety of options that are now available to those seeking a less visible approach to orthodontic treatment.

A simple option includes ceramic braces, which are braces made of a material which blends in with your natural tooth shade, and are therefore less obvious than metal. We also use Suresmile technology in conjunction with braces in our practice.

So keep an eye out for aspartame in your Suresmile uses digital technology to diet, and if possible choose drinks without produce custom made wires specifically aspartame in them. designed for each individual patient, with the main benefit being a reduction in Karen Cardy overall treatment time. Invisalign is another Owner, Healthy Angels treatment method which is available, but Foster a Positive Start case selection and the suitability of this option is dependent on the degree of I have always felt selfdifficulty of each case. Invisalign is a series conscious about my of aligners (like very thin mouthguards) smile and I would like to which are worn in a specific sequence straighten my teeth - but to move your teeth. Another aesthetic now that I am an adult I alternative is lingual braces, which are was wondering whether braces placed on the inside of your teeth. there are any downsides to While this option is at first a little more having braces later in life, uncomfortable on your tongue, most and what options there are adults report that they do get used to it and to make them less noticeable are very happy with this truly ‘invisible’ as I don’t particularly option with their orthodontic treatment feel comfortable with the which gives very predictable and stable thought of having the results in the long-term.

traditional metal braces at my age!

This is a question a lot of parents of patients in our practice ask us. If improving their bite or smile has always been something they have been meaning to do, then often seeing the results that their children are getting from orthodontic treatment motivates them to do something for themselves.

The number of adults seeking and proceeding with orthodontic treatment is rapidly increasing, probably due to an increase in awareness that orthodontics is not limited to children and teenagers, and that it is never too late to improve your bite and smile.

In a healthy mouth, the biological reaction to orthodontics in an adult is similar to that in a teenager. However, the big downside that most adults see in relation to orthodontics is the aesthetic limitations of the ‘traditional’ metal braces as you have described.

In short, if orthodontic treatment is something that you’ve always wanted to do, it is worth your time to have a consultation with your orthodontist. He or she would then be able to examine you and then outline all the options available to you to suit your treatment needs and lifestyle.

Dr Andrew Pepicelli BDSc, MDSc, Grad Dip Clin Dent, Morth RCS (Ed). smile@peninsulaortho.com.au

My child has been referred to a speech pathologist to help with his reading and spelling. Is this right? Don’t they work with speech?

Yes, speech pathologists work with students on developing their literacy skills.

Learning to read and spell is an incredibly complex process. It involves recognising

words in text and making meaning from them. Skilled readers read fluently and with meaning. The process of learning to read is not always easy or predictable. It requires the mastery of many developmental skills.

Language and literacy are closely related.

The development of literacy depends on language skills and literacy drives the continued development of language skills.

Our oral language skills (knowledge of words; the ways sentences are put together) lies like a foundation under our literacy skills.

The language skills evident in preschool years are strong predictors of reading skills in later life. Phonemic awareness skills are a collection of skills including counting syllables, rhyming, hearing sounds in words, segmentation and blending of sounds.

These skills, coupled with knowledge of the letters representing the sounds, enable us to read and spell words. Our knowledge of language is important in the process of understanding what we have read.

As speech pathologists we have skills and knowledge to assess, facilitate and improve skills in the areas of oral language (speaking and listening), reading and writing. Speech pathologists have specialist knowledge of phonemic awareness skills, vocabulary development, sentence grammar, the ways texts are structured and listening comprehension. We understand the ways that these components contribute to the development of reading and writing skills over time. We also consult with teachers to plan and implement approaches that will support literacy development in identified groups.

If you have any concerns regarding your child’s literacy skills, your speech pathologist can help.

Megan Ingram Speech pathologist Peninsula Speech Pathology Services

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 ANNA MEYER DR ANDREA PHATOUROS

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

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THE HUNGRY PEACOCK IMAGINE A CAFÉ WHICH NOT ONLY WELCOMES SMALL CHILDREN BUT IS ACTUALLY DESIGNED AROUND THEIR NEEDS! BY: YVETTE O’DOWD This was the reality which families on the peninsula stumbled across in July, with the arrival of The Hungry Peacock café in Tyabb.

While some cafes have a box of toys available for small patrons, food service in this café is intertwined around a variety of indoor and outdoor play areas. From strategically places dolls houses and train tables in the main seating area to the dedicated play spaces and outside playground, The Hungry Peacock looks like Pinterest come to life!

As you navigate past the car racing track on the wall and dress-ups hanging from dog-shaped hooks, you can choose to sit alongside the enclosed baby play space, play café fitted out with a real cash register, oven and utensils; or the construction zone where pulleys transport foam bricks from wheelbarrow to wall!

Outside, the cubby house has mud-pies baking while next door, dump trucks move rocks and stones along roads in the outdoor construction space. The extensive sand pit is beside a music tree and PVC pipes along the fence allow balls to be rolled and caught over

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

Sudo Girls Pony Parade Tank Silver from $39.95 treehouse republic www.treehouserepublic.com.au

and over again. The outdoor deck area promises leisurely lunches while the children explore.

Mini diners are catered for with a kids menu which includes a banana split made with yoghurt and berries and each table has a centrepiece cup of coloured pencils available to use with the kids packs … or the adult colouring sheets at the back of the adult menus! Because mums and dads are encouraged to relax and play here too – the fireside chairs are perfect for knitters to while away the time while children play.

The colourful miss-matched tables and chairs are filled throughout the day as groups of mums, families and the occasional playful adults linger over meals which meld from morning tea to lunch to afternoon coffees to – OMG time to pick the kids up from school!

The food doesn’t disappoint either, as the owners bring their previous café experience to this new venture. From breakfast to light snacks to a satisfying lunch – whatever time you visit, the menu has something to suit. The lack of global entities in the drinks fridge is refreshing and reflects the simple pleasures on offer.

Open seven days a week, The Hungry Peacock has established itself as a destination for families looking for something different to the plasticised play centres which have come to represent indoor play.

The Hungry Peacock is located at: 16 Mornington-Tyabb Road (Entry off Peacock Road).

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PLACENTA

Encapsulation

Many women are now turning to Placenta Services (placentophagia),

THE ARRIVAL OF A NEW BABY IS MOSTLY A HAPPY EVENT, BUT AT TIMES IT CAN BE STRESSFUL WHILE TRYING TO MASTER BREASTFEEDING, ADJUST TO A NEW MEMBER OF THE HOUSEHOLD, CARE FOR OTHER CHILDREN, AND RECOVER FROM THE LABOUR AND BIRTH. MOOD CHANGES ARE COMMON, WITH 80% OF NEW MUMS EXPERIENCING THE “BABY BLUES” WITHIN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS. BY: FELICITY MEISEL

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to replenish and stabilise the lost iron and hormones, assisting to reduce the risk of postnatal depression or ‘baby blues’.

Reintroducing these hormones, iron, protein and other nutrients into your system is believed to ease hormonal fluctuations, reduce bleeding, increase energy levels, and assist with early and abundant breast milk supply.

Placenta services include capsules, tincture, smoothies, chocolates, balms and printmaking.

Capsules seem to be the most common way of ingesting your placenta’s post birth. There are two methods of preparation including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) inspired encapsulation, and the raw method of encapsulation.

The TCM inspired method begins by having your placenta specialist carefully clean then gently heat the placenta with fresh ginger. This is followed by slicing and dehydrating the placenta in preparation for encapsulation. Using the steaming method is thought to bring out the placentas healing and tonifying properties aiding in warming and healing the uterus.

The raw method skips the steaming process altogether and your placenta specialist will simply carefully clean then dehydrate the placenta before it is ground and put into capsules. Raw food activists believe that steaming the placenta destroys some of the essential

nutrients. In most cases, the raw method will yield more capsules.

Putting part of your placenta in tincture form is another way to stretch out its longevity. A small portion of raw placenta is added to 100 proof alcohol and left to ferment for around six weeks. Some of the benefits include hormone stabilisation during post natal menstrual cycles, and for menopause years down the track. The female child can also benefit from placental tincture once she begins her menstruating. Once your capsules are finished, your placenta tincture will always be there to rebalance and heal both the mother and the child. This includes anxiety, illness, a traumatic experience, transition and general balance and vitality.

It is a common misconception that placenta encapsulation is not possible for women who have birthed their baby after an epidural or other common birth drugs. Placenta services are possible for all types of births. Some conditions where placenta encapsulation is not possible include uterine infections, cancerous and unhealthy placentas, where recreational drugs are used post 30 weeks gestation, chemotherapy treatment, and women on blood thinners.

Women who choose a lotus birth or have birthed their baby via caesarean section are still able to benefit from the wonderful healing properties of the placenta.

Placenta services are generally offered by doulas and private midwives, who have a real passion for the health and postnatal wellbeing of new mums and babies. Felicity Meisel of “Doula by Design” is an experienced doula and placenta specialist. www.doulabydesign.com.au

Felicity’s journey as a birthworker began before she birthed her own baby, and has grown over the years with an inherent passion for supporting and empowering women to take charge of their birthing journey. Postnatal wellness became her focus in 2012, when she studied Placentophagia (the process of a new mother consuming her placenta post birth). Along with being fully trained out of the United States where Placentophagia is a more common custom, she is certified in Bloodborne Pathogens and Food Handling Techniques to ensure her practice is safe and hygienic. With a fast turnaround, Felicity personally delivers capsules back to the new mother within 12 – 24 hours. An experienced and trained doula and childbirth educator, Felicity has worked with couples to birth their babies and begin their postnatal period with enthusiasm and vitality. She has a beautiful daughter, and a supportive family. Visit her website www.doulabydesign.com.au

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At Kingswim we believe that learning to swim is an education, not a sport, and that every child deserves to learn the life skill of swimming.

We’ve been specialising in fast tracking children to become “saferfaster” for over 25 years. It’s a swimming program that develops a child’s independence and confidence in the water.

Our centres provide a stimulating and quiet environment to fast track learning for children from 6 months of age. Our pools have variable depths to meet your child’s needs and abilities.

Small class sizes, regular assessments and highly trained staff provide the means to maximise learning the skills to keep your child safe when in and around water.

Generous family discounts and loyalty programs make learning to swim easier for all the family.

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Kingswim Frankston 9783 5377

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Langwarrin Park Primary School 19-27 North Gateway, Langwarrin

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

creative

Super Spy String

BY: DAVID HAWKINS

Laser Maze

This was a loooooong winter and I fear that I may have gone a teeny bit cabin fever crazy because I began creeping around our house whistling the Mission Impossible theme tune and leaping out at Phenom-A-Mum from behind chairs saying “Sssssssh. Secret Squirrel!”.

So what better way to celebrate the coming of spring than by smashing down the laundry door, bursting into the fresh air and putting Little E through his paces with a Super Spy String Laser Maze?

This is a well known activity that helps to develop your child’s gross motor *snore, snore, snore*... huh, wha’zat? Sorry, I talked myself to sleep with boring blah-talk when I should have said “It’s a crazy awesome tangle of fun”!

YOU WILL NEED: •A BALL OF COLOURED PLASTIC STRING •ANCHOR POINTS •SOME SORT OF PRIZE •PEGS To get started, find somewhere that has lots of anchor points, otherwise known as places to loop the string. Our backyard is fairly sparse in an I-can’t-be-bothered-doing-it way, so I created my own anchor points by placing two garden chairs and a table parallel to the fence. This meant that I could run the string around the table legs and chairs, as well as pass it through the fence supports to create a Tunnel of Danger (hope you noticed the capitalisation there folks).

Cut off a really long piece of string and get to work weaving it back and forth like an unskilled and slightly visually impaired spider, as a Web of Doom (that’s right. Awesome) appears before your very eyes.

A word of advice: don’t make it too complicated if you are setting up for a toddler. I learned this the hard way when I got a little too into the weaving and found that only a newborn mosquito could find a hole in my web-work to squeeze through. Put in a few low strings to encourage the kids to step over and some higher ones to get them crawling.

The point of the game is for the kids to move through the string-web without touching the string, in award-winning impersonation of every spy from every film ever, who has to gymnastically navigate a criss-cross of deadly lasers or alarmed infrared beams.

Older kids will happily throw themselves into the maze for the just the challenge of it, to see who can get the furthest without triggering the alarm (or losing an arm to a laser!). However younger children, I discovered, couldn’t care less about the rules and required a little incentive to get them moving.

So I kidnapped the Pig family. Daddy, Mummy and Peppa Pig found themselves hauled from their beds in the middle of the night and strung up, dangling in a sea of laser beams. Once Little E found out about my ingenious pork-flavoured plan he leapt into action to save them... and totally ignored the challenge of avoiding the strings.

His friend Mister L, who was visiting today, got more into it and kept asking for the poor pigs to be strung back up so that he could repeat his heroic rescues time and again.

NEXT TIME I BUILD A GIANT ONE FOR THE BIG KIDS! www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Pantry

D:

Y

NEE L L ’ U O

APER RED E OF P C E I P • COLOU HESE T N E R DIFFE A FEW OF T PS OF ( K.) I R T S LONG NT PEA E M •19 T M R 5 O 3 –1 ER F E PAPER CUT SHORT TRANC N E R E O LE F WILL B -ZAG RIANG T K C A IN ZIG L T B U 1 C TOP P • G ON R K STRI A C L A F L R B •1 LE FO ES FO RIANG LE TRIANGL T E L P R P ING •1 PU SMALL PUR M STR 8 O S R U F PL S 0MM G FLA G – 13 N I R T S KY F FOR S ECES O R I E P P 2 A P • RASS BLUE FOR G RIP OF R T E S P A 1 • EEN P OF GR P I R T ESTICK •1 S •GLU

YOU’LL NEED: •A VARIETY OF DRIED PANTRY ITEMS (WE USED LENTILS,SPLIT PEAS, COFFEE BEANS AND RICE BUT YOUCOULD ADD ANY BEANS OR PASTA) •PVC GLUE •THICK PAPER OR A PIECE OF PAPER GLUED ONTO A PIECE OF CARDBOARD •PENCIL TO DRAW THE OUTLINE OF YOUR PICTURE… (OR PRINT OUT A COLOURING IN PAGE)

Dance has an enormous amount of benefits to children’s health. It improves your child’s co-ordination, creates lasting friendships in new surroundings and all while boosting confidence, developing motor skills, creating a love of music and most importantly it gives a glow and happiness to our students.

DanceStruck has been a part of the dance community for over 20 years teaching the international Royal Academy of Dance syllabus. Our teachers are recognised industry professionals and we would love to see you at one of our classes for a FREE trial session!

WHAT TO DO: •Draw an outline of a picture onto your page.

•Paint glue onto a small section at a time and fill in with pantry items.

•Some areas required placing one dried piece at a time while others we were able to scoop on a large amount, spread around and shake off the excess.

P: 9558 7227 H RIÀFH#GDQFHVWUXFN FRP Z ZZZ GDQFHVWUXFN FRP

CIRCUS tent

WHAT TO DO:

LET’S GO TO THE CIRCUS !

• Start by laying your strip of sky down at the top of the paper.

• Now arrange the vertical strips for the tent from the middle of the page working outward.

(11 strips wide.)

• Glue triangle tent opening onto middle of vertical strips.

• Lay strip of ‘grass’ over the bottom of the strips aligned with bottom of paper.

• Construct the roof of the tent working from outside in. The strips of paper will need to be smaller as you go. (4 on each side.)

• Add the zig-zag black paper across tent to cover up the tops of the vertical strips.

• Top tent with purple flag.

• Glue strings down from edges of roof onto the grass. Add small purple flags to the string.

YOU’LL NEED: •GLASS JAR WITH LID•THICKENED CREAM

WHAT TO DO: jar and give it a good •Fill your jar half way with cream rinse under cold water while mushing it •Tighten the lid well around to expel Shake the last of the buttermilk •Stage 1 - The cream *Try making a batch of start to thicken up pancakes using the Keep shaking buttermilk you saved.

•Stage 2 – About five Slather those pancakes minutes in we have with your homemade whipped cream butter and maple syrup.

Shake more YUM! •Stage 3 - After about * Add a dash of salt to two more minutes butter if desired the buttermilk starts to separate from the butter * Store in an airtight container in fridge for Shake more up to three days •Stage 4 – In another one or two minutes or so, the butter becomes a solid mass.

•Pour off the buttermilk and reserve •Get the butter out of the

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

MAKE

BUTTER

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Kids Swimwear!

From swim school to the beach we have your kids swimwear covered!

Show this ad in store to receive a 10% discount or use the code MPKIDS15 online at the checkout. Valid until 30/11/15.

Your local stores: Mornington 901 Nepean Hwy | Sorrento 131 Ocean Beach Rd Victoria store locations: Fitzroy | Malvern | Cheltenham | Geelong or shop online at www.swimweargalore.com.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

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new what’s

S M O O R S D I K FOR

Meet Kelly Hill: A lifestyle photographer living in Mornington, I was thrilled to photograph these bedrooms, there is so much inspiration to be sourced for children’s rooms. I styled 6 year old Ryva’s room to be fun & bright, but I also wanted to create a sense of whimsy.

The reading corner & vintage style bed were just perfect for that.

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

imagesbykelly138@gmail.com

WE RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH SALLY TO ASK HER A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT HER PASSION FOR STYLING AND DESIGN. Where do you channel inspiration from when styling a new space?

Inspiration hits me in waves, for both interior and fashion design alike. It can be a certain colour, fabric, print, theme or even something as simple as a word that evokes the imaginiation and creativity, style and design stems from there.

Is interior design for business or pleasure? Or both?

For me interior design is more for pleasure. I love nothing more than sitting down with a coffee and an interior design magazine – flagging pages with ideas to bring into my own home.

Since launching our own label however, I have found that there is a strong link between children’s fashion and interior styling and I enjoy sharing both forms of design through our social media outlets.

What’s some advice you would give to someone decorating a small space?

Keep it simple!

Avoid clutter and ensure you have adequate and well thought through storage solutions, so that everything can be packed away.

Choose your colour palette, perhaps this can determined by some of your favourite pieces/inspirations and work from there.

What happens when the kids get older and want to have strong opinions on their space?

I am hopeful that my children will let me work with them to create a space that we can both be happy with.

My four-year old son Chase already has a very strong opinion on all sorts of things! As his mother, I embrace this and always try to give him a choice of three options so that he ultimately makes his own decisions. Fingers crossed this continues into the years ahead!

How often do you think a room’s look should be updated?

Oh dear… Should we ask my husband this one instead! He has been trying to place me under a no-change ban for years!

The amazingly talented makers, artists and creators that surround us continually inspire me, hence, I am always wanting to change the look of a room to allow for a new piece (or style, or entire new colour palette!).

I think how frequently you update the style of a room in your home is entirely up to the individual. You could design a space that will last for many years with timeless pieces and a neutral palette. Alternatively, and in the case of children’s bedrooms, you may want to be a little more creative and play around with colours.

Personally, for my boys, I design a nursery with timeless pieces and then make some small changes to create a space for young boys. I often draw and design my own pieces and have my husband bring them to life!

Moving forward, I will update their rooms as they become older boys and again when they are teenagers.

The nursery (far left) is from the home of local children’s fashion designer, Sally Bernard of meOHmii clothing!

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WITH FARMERS MARKETS BECOMING AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE LIFESTYLES OF MANY FAMILIES ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA I THOUGHT I WOULD VENTURE OUT TO OUR LOCAL FARMERS MARKET IN MORNINGTON TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT’S ON OFFER AND TO SEE WHY FARMERS MARKETS HAVE BECOME SO POPULAR IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. BY: LORRAINE AITKEN

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As with all farmers markets, the focus is on fresh produce that is grown locally and sold by the farmer, so we as consumers are getting the freshest seasonal produce. Prices are generally higher than what you will find in the supermarkets because produce is often organically grown on a much smaller scale, so inevitably costs are higher. What you get for paying a little extra though is quality, freshness, flavour and advice from passionate stall holders that more often than not have great food knowledge and are happy to share recipes and ideas.

People with allergies and intolerances are finding farmers markets a great way to shop, as they can talk to the maker/grower directly as to what ingredients are used in products and how things are grown.

It’s also a better way to shop. You can enjoy the sunshine, meet up with friends and feel more connected within the community as you develop relationships with sellers and regular market goers. The environment can also benefit with food less travelled and low or no packaging especially if you take along your own reusable bags and where possible walking instead of driving to your local farmers market.

At Mornington Farmers Market there is plenty on offer with fruit and veg being the main sellers followed by grass fed meats, mussels, cheeses, nuts, herbs, freshly baked bread, hot food, flowers, sweet treats, Dutch doughnuts, honey, soap, preserves, jams, relish, olive

oil, wine, pasta sauce, fresh coffee and much more.

The market has a good community feel with the Children are catered for with face painting, a jumping castle and a nearby playground whilst the adults can enjoy some hot food and a coffee while listening to some local performers.

I was pleased to see that the Mornington Farmers Market is accredited with the VFMA which means all stall holders must abide by strict criteria to be accepted into the market so you can be guaranteed that you are buying from authentic producers and supporting locals.

You’ll find the Mornington Farmers Market in the park at the end of Main Street on the second Saturday of each month between 8:30am -1pm all year round. Entry is $2 per adult which goes to the local charity group that mans the entrances and does the set up for the day.

When we visited the proceeds went to the friendly volunteers from Mornington’s Men’s Shed who were giving the children stamps on their hands.

Afterwards you could enjoy a stroll down to the recently reopened pier, enjoy a coffee at The Rocks, take the kids for a play in the park or have lunch at one of the many great cafes in Mornington. With so much choice in Mornington it is easy to turn it into a day out.

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education

I DO MY BEST TO BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR MY CHILDREN. I WATCH MY LANGUAGE, I FAKE BRAVERY WHEN A SPIDER ENTERS MY HOME UNINVITED AND I’VE EVEN STOPPED HAVING CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST. BY: MICHELLE McCULLOUGH

When it comes to doing chores i’m failing in the role model stakes.

The thing is, I hate chores. I hated them as a child, I hated them as a teenager, and I hate them even more now that I’m a wife and a mother.

But I don’t want to pass this negativity onto my children; I want them to enjoy chores. Plus, I figure if i get in early and make chores fun, by the time they are teenagers I’ll have myself a couple of live-in maids (that’s how it works right?). So, in my quest to continue being a good role model I’ve come up with four ways to make chores are a little more fun for your little monsters.

1. Whoever said “many hands make light work” clearly hasn’t folded laundry with two toddlers. However, you can use chores to nurture your little Einstein. For example, folding laundry is a great way to teach children to count, and to recognise different colours, patterns and textures. Likewise, a trip to the supermarket can also be used to teach numbers, colours and different foods.

2. Every week the teacher at my playgroup puts on special “pack up” music when it’s time to tidy up all the toys. And every week 20-plus kids lose their minds trying to tidy everything away as quickly as they can while us parents stand around in awe. So crack out your boombox and see if it works for you!

3. Who doesn’t like a good old-fashioned competition? Especially when there’s a chance to one-up your sibling at something exciting like making your bed! Try introducing some friendly competition into your daily routine. If there’s only one child in the house get out the stopwatch and try to beat the fastest time.

4. Rewarding your children for cleaning up their rooms may seem a bit controversial to some but personally I don’t see the problem. As adults we get paid to work so what’s the difference? I’m not suggesting you run out to your nearest toy shop each time little Barry puts his smelly socks in the washing basket, but offering a small incentive could help ease the pain of choring. Rewards could include two books instead of one before bed, getting to choose what you have for dinner or even a star on a reward chart.

5. If there’s no way of escaping your chores then why not pretend to be someone else while you work. Kids have amazing imaginations so incorporating role play into life’s more boring tasks is a great way to combine work with play time.

6. Many moons ago when I was a little girl, my family and I would make car trips a bit more interesting by telling stories. Each person would contribute a line to the story and we would continue this until we got to our destination. This form of storytelling can be applied to any situation, including doing chores. Not only will it make the time go much faster, but it will also allow your creative juices to flow.

These tips might work for you (or they might create more work) but at the end of the day it’s all about attitude. If you’re genuinely having fun, those pesky chores will be done in no time. Good luck!

HOW TO MAKE BORING CHORES FUN & EDUCATIONAL FOR 102

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CHILDREN

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CHOOSING A

BY HELEN CARMODY At this time of year schools will be holding open days and school tours to invite future families to experience the school day. Choosing a school is the most important decision you will make for your child.

Education provides opportunity, supports a child’s development and can make the single most important impact on a young person’s future. So how do you find the information and confidence to make the right decision?

When choosing a school it is important to select a school that shares your family’s values. All schools will proudly display their vision, mission and values. When visiting a school, you can gain a sense of how these emerge through the programs on offer or the actions of staff and students. School tours during the normal school day provide a valuable insight into key relationships between teachers and students and the level of engagement for students of all ages.

Classrooms should be busy places with productive noise. The best classrooms offer students the chance to work alone or in teams with others. Kinder, prep and primary classrooms should be especially vibrant welcoming places that nurture individuality and invite curiosity and discovery.

When selecting a school, many parents begin with the My School

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Website. This provides information about a school’s literacy and numeracy standards in relation to similar schools and other schools in the area. However, more importantly the website also provides a measure of the ‘student gain’. This is a record of the impact a school has on improving literacy and numeracy skills for the same students at different stages in their schooling.

The school you choose for your child, should be one where you feel you can belong as a member of the community. The best education comes from an effective partnership between parents and teachers.

Choosing a school ultimately does come down to one that is the best ‘fit’ for you, your child and your family. It really pays to join the school tours, meet the staff, talk to parents and students, where possible, explore what is important to you.

Helen has been Principal of Toorak College since 2012. Prior to that she was the Head of Learning and Teaching, and Head of the Preparatory School at Kambala in Sydney. She is committed to achieving each student’s personal best and ensuring that students can pursue their passions whether they be academic, sporting or in the arts.

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IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME. WELL, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT YOU.

BY JANE FLYNN You see, I know I’m not easy to get to know. I’m sure I come across as flakey and distant. Even when we find ourselves in situations where you can’t avoid smiling politely and attempting small talk; my attention is never with you 100%. I am always strung so tightly, scanning the environment for triggers, on high alert for the next crisis.

The few times we have attempted the playground after kinder, I have always had to leave after five minutes, as my daughters eagerness to play with your children is always overridden by her anxiety and over stimulation. Maybe you think I’m one of ‘those’ helicopter parents, hovering in the background, just waiting?

At every birthday party, when you happily drop your child off, I’m there. Sitting toward the back, or in a corner. Monitoring the room, trying to anticipate what will happen next. Will those balloons pop?

Is the dry ice going to start again or will that laser light shine in that certain direction that my daughter hates? (disco parties are it-and-a -bit for five year olds right now) Sometimes, on really bad days, we have to leave. “I’m sorry, thanks so much for the invite, but we’re not having a good day and we’re going to have to go home.” It’s always ‘we’, because we are one and the same in these kinds of situations. I am absorbing my daughters anxiety. I feel her fear. I am her advocate. “We’re going to have to leave now.”

I try and time kinder pick ups so that I don’t have to wait out the front.

It’s not often that any of you really attempt to talk to me, but even if you do, I struggle to know what to say.

You see, my daughter is autistic. And your everyday chit-chat is different to my everyday chit-chat. Every conversation we have, her autism weighs in, because that is who she is.

Please don’t think I’m ashamed of this and that is why I struggle to bring it up. It is actually the opposite of that. I am so incredibly proud of the person that she is. But that five minute conversation we have, in passing, can never do justice to that. Because all you will hear is autistic. I won’t get a chance to continue- my daughter is autistic, and she is such a unique individual. She has amazing insight, and sees the world in ways I can only imagine. She is incredibly intelligent and has a memory like you wouldn’t believe. She loves geography, animals, space. This kid has a thirst for knowledge that is insatiable. She is quirky and funny. Affectionate and compassionate.

Everything she feels is HUGE. Love, fear, happiness, sadness. She feels it all on such a scale, it takes my breath away.

Here’s the thing, and this is where it is kind of up to you; I am not easy to know. My life is complicated and messy, whilst being ridiculously ordered and inflexible. I am a contradiction. But at the same time, I think I would make a good friend. No matter how insecure and anxious I feel, I always try to greet you all with a smile and a kind word. I hold the door open for you, I rattle my brain for something coherent to say, even if it is just about the weather.

(Luckily, we live in Melbourne!)

If you just took a minute or five, I’m sure you would see that I have 106

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a sense of humour. Give it a bit longer and you will see that I am passionate about what I believe in, yet at the same time, totally not afraid to take the piss out of myself (or you, if we are really good friends). I am loyal and kind, fierce and afraid. My daughter and I may appear different, but give us a chance, and I’m sure you will realise that is actually a good thing.

And if you are not one of my kinder mums, but a kinder or school mum all the same, how about taking a chance on that odd, helicopter, distracted mum? She might not have a blog, and actually have to keep all this inside her own head (can you imagine?!)

Maybe she is standing outside kinder or school, wishing she could make a connection but not knowing how to cross that divide she has created in her mind. Maybe she is a special needs parent. Maybe she is just shy. Maybe she is really lucky and both, like me.

With love, (and a little bit of hope) Jane xx

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Granny’s

Guide to…

Babywearing HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A YOUNG MUM WITH HER BABY SEEMINGLY STRAPPED AGAINST HER BODY WITH WHAT LOOKS LIKE A TABLECLOTH? BY: YVETTE O’DOWD Welcome to the modern take of the ancient art of babywearing!

Babywearing is a way of both carrying and comforting babies and toddlers and is as old as time. Yet, while most cultures around the world have continued the practice uninterrupted, the western world lost its way when prams were invented. In many countries, wearing babies became associated with hippies, incense and mung beans!

Thankfully, Australia worked out that baby slings gave busy mothers free hands to get on with things way back in the 1960s! The Founder of the Nursing Mothers’ Association of Australia (NMAA), Mary Paton, created a scene when she was photographed for the Herald newspaper with her baby on her back in a sling while she vacuumed!

The newspaper office was flooded with enquiries and NMAA went on the produce their Meh Tai baby carrier for almost 50 years!! Europe caught on when another mum brought South American tradition to modern Germany and the US came on-board in the 1980s when a paediatrician brought ring slings to the mainland from Hawaii and the Over The Shoulder Baby Holder was born!

I was one of those mothers turning heads, when I wore my own babies born in the 80s and early 90s. And despite the warnings of clingy, dependent children, I watched my children grow into confident, independent adults! It turns out babywearing helps form secure 108

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

attachments between parent and child and is recognised for reducing crying and unsettled behaviour.

Now a new generation are enjoying this special bond. Since those early days, baby carrier designs have evolved and changed, drawing on the wisdom of traditional cultures as well as the wonders of modern materials. Today, social media and internet retailers have seen a new wave of interest in babywearing. There is even an International Babywearing Week held each year!

Safe and comfortable babywearing is the focus of educators and consultants, who have developed guidelines known as the T.I.C.K.S. Community groups, like South Eastern Babywearing Group, run sling meets where parents can come together to share tips and techniques, help newcomers choose from an overwhelming range of options and learn about babywearing safety.

So – back to those metres of tablecloths! Woven wraps, often 5m long, are just one type of carrier. From budget-friendly mass production to bespoke hand-woven works of art, these eye-catching pieces which wrap origami-like around the adult body actually hold both babies and toddlers securely and safely. Practiced techniques amaze onlookers who wonder if they should offer to help – but it’s okay, mum or dad knows what they are doing.

Other options include shorter fabric pieces locked at the shoulder by metal rings or traditional Asian designs where a simple rectangle with a strap at each corner. And for those confused by all that fabric, modern designers come to the rescue with ergonomics, buckles and straps providing the support of a traditional carrier with the convenience of modern back packs!

And if the idea of strapping a baby to your chest and walking along the beach front sounds a bit tame, then there are even exercise classes which incorporate babywearing into routines designed to get new mums off the couch and moving back towards fitness!

So, next time you spot a local mum deftly securing her baby before setting off through the farmers market pram-free and ready to shop, give her a smile and admire her style – she’s wearing her baby and continuing an ancient tradition in a modern world.

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, son, daughter, son-in-law and two year old granddaughter, plus a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and a senile cat!

In her spare time, Yvette is a keen photographer and scrap-booker 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

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Books

Reviews MY DAD IS A GIRAFFE

BY STEPHEN MICHAEL KING 4+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $16.99 Is your dad big and tall, gentle and fun? Can you climb up his legs, over his head, slide down his neck and ride on his back?

Maybe your dad is a giraffe!

DEAR DAD, I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE YOU

BY ED ALLEN 3+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $16.99 Dear Dad, When I grow up, I want to be just like you! Open the letters and lift the flaps to read all the funny letters to these fantastic fathers.

Join in the fun and write a letter to your amazing dad on the pull-out note paper included!

SCREAM: THE SQUID SLAYER

STAR OF DELTORA BOOK 1 SHADOWS OF THE MASTER

BY JACK HEATH 9+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $12.99 1 supernatural shipwreck will dominate a small town. 4 schoolkids will encounter TERRIFYING events. Will ANYONE survive?

Sarah lives in Axe Falls—a town of mysterious disappearances, terrifying visions and unusual events. Sarah is used to being the odd one out. She lives on a boat, makes up tall tales, love ghosts and will do almost anything to prove they exist.

BY EMILY RODDA 8+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $16.99 Britta has always wanted to be a trader like her father, sailing the nine seas and bringing precious cargo home to Del harbour. Her dreams seemed safe until her father’s quest to find the fabled Staff of Tier ended in blood and horror. Now his shamed family is in hiding, and his ship, the Star of Deltora, belongs to the powerful Rosalyn fleet. But Britta’s ambition burns as fiercely as ever.

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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2015

RIVER RIDDLE

BY JIM DEWAR 3+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $14.99 Jack’s off to market, with a bag of hay, a sheep called Dolly and a fox called Frank. How will they all cross the river in the tiny boat?

Jack will have to solve the RIVER RIDDLE to get to the other side!

As Dolly thinks: ‘That hay’s for me!’

And Frank thinks: ‘Dolly’s mine for tea!’ Young Jack does lots of thinking too. And comes up with a plan . . . CAN YOU? Will Jack’s plan work? Follow him and see!

SCREAM: THE HAUNTED BOOK

BY JACK HEATH 9+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $12.99 Dale lives in Axe Falls—a town of mysterious disappearances, terrifying visions and unusual events. A family trip turns spooky when Dale finds an old handwritten book, starting with the words: DO NOT STOP READING; MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. Soon, strange things begin to happen.

UNDERNEATH A COW

SIAN: A NEW AUSTRALIAN

BY CAROL ANN MARTIN 4+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $24.99 We’re under a cow.

We’re under a cow.

We’re under her here We’re under her now!

And for all the animals sheltering underneath Madge the cow, there’s no better place to be when you are caught in a Great Big, Terrible, Awful Storm!

BY D. LUCKETT 8+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $15.99 Picked on, beaten and scorned as the unlucky thirteenth child in the family, Sian’s life is miserable and her father isn’t ever going to make things easier for her.

In her Welsh coal-mining town the sky is grey and there is little hope of sunnier times. Then her eldest sister hatches a secret plan to travel to the other side of the world – and Sian’s life seems to be about to change, permanently.

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BY PETER GOULDTHORPE 10+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $26.99 The Gestapo called her The White Mouse – and they wanted her, dead or alive. Nancy Wake was an Australian who joined the French Resistance during World War II and became the most wanted woman in France.

Parachuting behind enemy lines, blowing up bridges and smuggling refugees across borders, Nancy fought fiercely against the enemy and became the most decorated Australian woman in any war.

BY MEREDITH COSTAIN 7+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $12.99 WARNING: You are about to read my UTTERLY BIGGEST SECRETS. Can I trust you? OK then. I’m Ella, and this is my diary. Ella dreams of meeting pop star Cassi Valentine. She has all the songs and merchandise—even Bob has a Cassi Valentine bandana! But when the school enters a competition to win a visit from the star, Ella and her worst enemy ever, Peach Parker, have to work together. Can they put aside their differences?

BY WENDY HARMER 7+yrs, Scholastic, p/b $9.99 Ava and Angus are off to the Doolimba show, with its fun rides and lots of cute animals! But when daring twins Donna and Danny Donnelly tempt Ava to sneak into the animal’s shed at night time, dozens of prize animals escape their pens! Ava and Angus’s delightful trip has turned into a disaster! Will the Donnelly twins own up? Or will Ava and Angus take all the blame?

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DADDY, YOU’RE AWESOME

BY LESLEY GIBBES 4+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $24.99 Birthday party at my place. Bring your own duck. Bear has never been to a duck party before! What does Pig have planned? Whatever happens, it’s sure to be fantastic, fabulous, feather-tickling fun!

BY MEREDITH COSTAIN 3-7yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $14.99 Daddies are lovely, they’re warm and delicious, they tickle and hug you and shower you with kisses.

A book about the special relationship between fathers and their children. The warm and lively rhyming text touches on the everyday events of family life – bedtime stories, cuddles and shoulder rides – while the gently humorous illustrations show different breeds of dog, adult and puppies, in adorable poses.

BY LAINE MITCHELL 3+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $16.99 My daddy makes a tent, A camp fire for tea, We look at the stars and Count how many we see.

Daddy, you’re awesome to me.

Join in the baby animals’ fun and games as they share what makes their own daddy so awesome.

BY DARREL & SALLY ODGERS 6+yrs, Scholastic, p/b $9.99 Stamp, Ace and James are on the road again and headed up to Normanton in the Gulf of Carpentaria! But after all that rain from Cyclone Julia, some of the roads have flooded. When James takes a detour, there’s plenty of time to make some new friends at Camp Billabong along the way. The outback is a strange and lonely place and the Fourby pack are travelling carefully through the dusty desert.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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

SUMMER EDITION

December

0 5

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

JUST FOR FUN

D SEMBLE PRE-AS LS PANE

EASY TO ERECT

SAVE 10%

MELBOURNE’S BEST RANGE OF SHEDS • Environmentally friendly and safe materials.

• Huge range of accessories.

• Fantastic display centre.

• Delivery and installation service available.

• Free site quotes.

03 5971 5051 167 Mooooduc Hwy Baxter (next to the ‘Big Shoe’)

www.tipplesbackyard.com

FOR SEP & OCT DELIVERIES

ORDER YOUR CUBBY FOR CHRISTMAS

NOW!

Simply call us to arrange a free visit or quote!

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Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2015