Summer 2016/17

ENINSULA KID P S LOVING FAMILY LIFE ON THE PENINSULA

SUMMER 2016/17

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Jay Laga’aia CHATS WITH THE KIDS FROM ST MACS

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Cover Photo Malakai Oasis Pop Up Kitchen Mornington Photography: Cameron McCullough Editor and Publisher Melissa McCullough melissa@mpnews.com.au

Editor

Melissa McCullough

“Spring flew swiftly by, and summer came; and if the village had been beautiful at first, it was now in the full glow and luxuriance of its richness. The great trees, which had looked shrunken and bare in the earlier months, had now burst into strong life and health; and stretching forth their green arms over the thirsty ground, converted open and naked spots into choice nooks, where was a deep and pleasant shade from which to look upon the wide prospect, steeped in sunshine, which lay stretched out beyond. The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green; and shed her richest perfumes abroad. It was the Creative Director prime and vigour of the year; all things were glad and Maria Mirabella flourishing.”

Creative Director Maria Mirabella maria@mpnews.com.au Advertising Miriam Doe 0421 085 974 miriam@mpnews.com.au Distribution Marilyn Saville marilyn@mpnews.com.au General Enquiries info@peninsulakids.com.au

—Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist Hello from the pages of the summer edition of Peninsula Kids magazine!

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.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Mother Nature for the slow start to the season. <insert sarcasm here> My hay fever has been keeping me in varying degrees of discomfort and I can’t remember exactly when I became that lady with the wad of tissue tucked under her sleeve. But here I am…oozing with joy.

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.

Peninsula Kids is produced quarterly.

15,000 copies distributed between Mordialloc and Portsea.

Registered address: 2/1 Tyabb Road, Mornington 3931

www.facebook.com/MorningtonPeninsulaKids

Proudly published by

ed’s letter...

Distribution

Marilyn Saville

Here’s something to be cheerful about - this edition has the pleasure of running through Christmas. Yayyy!!! Our usual Things We Love page has been hijacked by the holiday and we have over 25 gifts for you to tuck under the tree this year. The flash giveaways run from December 1st – December 15th. Be sure to watch our Facebook page and website to get in the running to win great toys from V-tech, Crown and Andrews games, books, Ben and Holly, Oobi, Dreamworks Trolls, YO-KAI Watch, and many more. (There might be a little something for mum and dad, too.)

Once Christmas is through, (and it will be here and gone in a second!), we still have a way to go before the kids start/go back to school. There are oodles of things to do in our awesome city meets the sea part of the world. Flip through the pages of the summer edition for ideas for everyone. Get out to the movies, markets, mazes or chillax with some free entertainment courtesy of the sun and surf. However you spend your free time, be sure to spend it loving each other.

Happy holidays from the team at MPK. And good luck to those sending their littlies off to school this year.

I have tissues if you need them.

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Miriam Doe

BALNARRING: SHOP 18/3050 FRANKSTON-FLINDERS RD PH: 5983-5503 MON-FRI 10:00-4:30 SAT 10:00-3:00

Contributors

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

DAVID HAWKINS

bigkidlittlekid.net

ERIKA ATWILL

everchangingmum.com.au

REBECCA BOWYER

MICHELLE HAMER

YVETTE O’DOWD

MICHAEL GROSE

LORRAINE AITKEN

JODI RICHARDSON

seeingthelighterside.com

parentingideas.com.au

Shop 1, 101 High Street, Hastings Phone: 5979 1511 or 0408 699 128

6

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

wordsmithsworkshops.com.au

Family-friendly adventurer

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

drjodirichardson.com.au

Contents

10

94

36

Spotlight

10 Jay Lagaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;aia

42 Having a Large Age Gap Between Children

Jay chats with the kids from St Macs about his life and career.

Can you handle both extremes of the gap?

14 The Many Faces of Independence

46 Interior Summer Trends

Fiona Parry-Jones shows us whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hot this summer.

18 How to Move from Coupledom to Flying Solo

48

The World Classroom

The learning opportunities during travel are endless.

Techniques from Parenting Ideas Club founder Michael Grose.

Tips from women who have been through this rough patch.

20 Bottle Flipping Dad

64 Ssssssnake Season

26 Moorabbin Mini Trains

68 Helping Our Kids Understand the Value of Money

Daddy blogger David Hawkins gives bottle flipping a twirl.

Come aboard and experience big smiles from mini steam trains.

32 Peninsula Kids Summer Fashion Shoot

Health Direct offers valuable information about assessing and treating a snake bite.

Scott Pape shares some useful tips to help kids.

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

7

Contents Local

Education

to Read More

26 A Locals Guide to Avoiding Crowds 28 Chocolate Grove 62 Summer Running Events on the

Mornington Peninsula

Celebrate

78 Sword-Fighting Party 82 Ideas for your party

Pregnancy & Baby

86 Womb Service 88 Exercise During and Post Pregnancy 90 Granny’s Guide to…Introducing the

New Baby

92 Why Should Kids Write?

94 The Problem Solving Problem 96 5 Ways to Encourage your Grandkids

107 Recipes with Jodie Blight

Popsicle Stick Snowflakes Kazoops Space Theatre Set Silhouettes Canvas

In Every

Health

114 Gratitude 116 Improving your Child’s Dental Health

with your Phone or Tablet 118 Training Toddler Tastebuds 120 10 Easy Ways to Add More Vegies to

the Menu 120 Avoiding Mosquito Bites

118

63

108 Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

124 125 126

Recipes

8

Creative

Issue

85 Party Planning 102 TWL for Christmas 122 Ask the Experts 128 Book Review

Ranked top primary and secondary school on Mornington Peninsula* *The Australian & Better Education

DREAM

BIG

Choose your own adventure Endless opportunities await your child. Toorak College encourages every student to find their passion.

Come and see for yourself at the Discover Toorak events in 2017.

Call 9788 7234 or visit our website to find out more. www.toorakcollege.vic.edu.au | Call 9788 7234

Jay Lagaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;aia Chats With The

KIDS FROM ST MACS

BY: MELISSA MCCULLOUGH

I

n the lead up to Music Count Us In day, November 3rd, Playschool’s Jay Laga’aia was able to give the kids from the ½ Birch class from St. Macartans Parish Primary School in Mornington a bit of his time in the middle of his busy shooting schedule for an afternoon chat about his life, love for music, Star Wars and how he scored his part as Mufasa in the stage production of The Lion King.

Class: Hi Jay! Jay: Hi guys.

Lucy T., 8: Every year at our school we get together in the hall for Music Count Us In and it’s fantastic. We’re looking forward to it this year.

Ava S., 8: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN? Jay: My favourite song that I have written is a song called ‘Too Many Bubbles in the Bathtub’ which is basically self explanatory. I wrote it for my three youngest daughters…one is seven-years-old, and I have a nine and 11-year-old daughter. I have eight children, by the way. I sent them to have a bath and then I didn’t hear a thing so I opened the door to have a look and see what was going on and from the roof to the floor it was covered in suds and I looked at them and my daughter said, “Daddy, there’s too many bubbles in the bathtub.”

ImogenT., 8: WHEN YOU WERE A KID DID YOU DREAM TO BE FAMOUS? Jay: When I was a kid, no, actually, I dreamed that I could run as fast as my brother, I could sing as well as my sister, and I could add as well as my mum, but I didn’t get any of those. At school what I used to like to do

was go out in the playground and play with my friends and then come in.

We used to have music programs at school, so we would come in and our teacher would play guitar and we would sing along with it. Those are some of my favourite memories.

Gus M., 7: WHEN DID YOU COME TO AUSTRALIA FROM NEW ZEALAND? Jay: I came to Australia 20 years ago, in 1995. I came over here to do a show called Water Rats and I did that until 1999. That’s when I joined Playschool and I’ve been doing Playschool now for over 16 years with some breaks to work on a movie called Star Wars. I worked on Episode II and III of Star Wars which was really cool.

Sam B., 7: WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE DID YOU DO DRAMA AT SCHOOL AND DID YOU GO TO ACTING SCHOOL? Jay: Well that’s a good question, Sam. No, we never had drama at school. We did have a lot of play acting at school. We used to be able to tell stories and do stuff like The Three Little Pigs, but I never went to drama school, either. I started as a musician, playing and singing in bands. I answered an advertisement in the paper that needed some people in the theatre, so that was the first time I actually went into theatre and learned. I was in the chorus, so I just sat there watching scores of very clever theatrical people and that’s how I learned.

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

11

Carmen M., 8: WHEN DID YOU START TO WRITE SONGS? Jay: Well, Carmen, I started writing songs when I was probably your age. I used to write little rhymes and poems. Over the years I just started writing songs that weren’t so much songs, but just little things that I would see happening at school or at home. I don’t think I would ever call myself a song writer, I think I just put life to music, really. I love writing childrens songs because they’re really fun to do and my kids really love them as well.

Kennedy M., 7: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING PLAYSCHOOL? Jay: I’ve been doing Playschool now for 16, almost 17 years. I have another show called Jay’s Jungle which I do on channel 7 and I do lots and lots of tours so I’m very, very busy. It’s always great to be able to do something you truly love. I always tell my kids, choose a job you truly enjoy and you will never work a day in your life. You young ones should also think about it – if you choose something you really, really enjoy you’ll do it all the time. That’s the cool thing about going to work for me, it’s truly what I love doing.

William W., 8: HOW DID YOU FEEL BEING IN THE STAR WARS MOVIE AND WHO WERE YOU? Jay: My character’s name was Captain Typho. My job was to look after Senator Amidala, Natalie Portman’s character, and it was cool. I’ve been a Star Wars fan ever since I was small and the funniest thing is 12

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

that I did a musical called The Lion King where I played Mufasa, and if you’ve ever seen The Lion King, Mufasa was voiced by a gentleman called James Earl Jones who also voiced Darth Vader. So when I went to do the audition for Mufasa I thought to myself, well, I think I’ll just do Darth Vader without the asthma.

Bella N., 8: WHAT’S THE FAVOURITE INSTRUMENT YOU’VE PLAYED? Jay: My favourite instrument would have to be the ukulele. I love playing the ukulele because it is like a smile with four strings. Whenever anyone plays the ukulele they always smile and I teach kids as young as you to play because it’s really easy to play and the good thing about it is you can take it anywhere. If I’m filming overseas or if I’m travelling in a car I always have a ukulele with me, right next to me. That way, if I’m waiting at the airport or something, I always have something to play with. If you don’t believe me, have a listen to this - <Jay strums a tune on the ukulele>

Lucas I., 7: DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER HOBBIES OUTSIDE OF TV AND STAGE? Jay: I do lots of different things. I’m an ambassador for Queensland Kindergarten, so I do a lot of work up there. I also do a show produced for the Queensland Department of Education with Auslan which is called Sally and Possum. It is for those that can’t hear which has enabled me to learn sign language. At the moment I’m writing some books, which keeps me busy all the time.

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THE MANY

FACES OF INDEPENDENCE

BY: MICHAEL GROSE

5 WAYS FOR PARENTS TO GIVE THEIR CHILDREN THE SKILLS, ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT IN THEIR QUEST FOR INDEPENDENCE

I

t’s been well documented in recent years that children/young people are now dependent on adults for longer than in the past. In Australia one in four 18 to 30-year-olds still lives at home and those numbers are on the increase. There are many reasons for this including lack of housing, affordability, working and partnering later, and simple convenience.

The propensity for many parents to do too much for children is a massive contributor to this increased dependency. Oddly, this is the exact opposite of what parents have always done, which is to develop their children’s independence, and in doing so effectively separate from their children.

There are a number of reasons for the current high level of dependency parenting including family shrinkage (parents are able to do a great deal for kids in small families), older parents (often over-concerned), busyness of life (it’s easier to do than delegate) and a heightened fear that the world is a dangerous place for children and young people.

Independence is the point When independence becomes your priority then suddenly you’ve found a pathway to the development of other positive qualities and traits in your children including the key four – confidence that comes from facing fears; competence that’s built through mastery; creativity that’s encouraged when kids must resolve their own problems; and character that is forged under the duress of challenge and hardship.

Adults are the gatekeepers for children’s independence. And of course, independence takes many guises including:

1. SELF-HELPS SKILLS The starting point for independence building is giving kids the skills, know-how and confidence to look after their own wellbeing and welfare. This is shown in the many everyday situations where parents model, teach and provide opportunities for children to look after themselves. This includes toddlers undressing themselves, primary aged children preparing their own snacks, and teenagers organising their own transport to school and after school activities. Kids develop real confidence from being able to look after themselves and others.

2. AUTONOMY TO MAKE CHOICES AND MISTAKES Without realising it, as parents we frequently make choices on our children’s behalf. We choose the food they eat; the games they play; their leisure activities and often the clothes they wear. When families are large (four or more children) parents usually give their children more space to make their own decisions as well as opportunities to learn from their poor choices. This may mean that children choose healthy interests and pursuits that parents are unfamiliar with, or even swim against the tide of their parents’ wishes. In small families parents often know so much about minutiae of children’s lives that inevitably we tend to impose greater wellintentioned control over children’s decisions. continued....

14

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

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"IN AUSTRALIA ONE IN FOUR 18 to 30 YEAR OLDS STILL LIVE AT HOME AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE ON THE INCREASE" 3. FREEDOM TO EXPLORE THE NEIGHBOURHOOD On a recent trip to Italy I was struck by how much freedom talian children had to wander their neighbourhoods. It was a throwback to the type of childhood that many of today’s parents experienced, where we had the opportunity to navigate our neighbourhoods on our own without having to check in with our parents all the time.

4. FREEDOM TO EXPLORE UNPREDICTABLE AND P OTENTIALLY RISKY ENVIRONMENTS

5. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN PROBLEMS AND ACTIONS There’s no doubt many kids are adept at shifting their problems and responsibilities to adults. One of my children would always blame me when they were late for school. Even though the child in question had an alarm clock and was more than capable of using it, any lack of punctuality was somehow shifted to me. Go figure! Independence comes when children take ownership of their responsibilities rather than using someone else as a scapegoat.

In order to grant children and young people the type of independence outlined, parents need to be brave rather than fearful; work hard to develop the skills and know-how kids’ independence requires, and be willing to give kids the encouragement and support they need to step out of their comfort zones when independence seems too hard.

For more expert parenting advice on raising independent kids, join the ‘Parenting Masterclass with Michael Grose’ to develop your parenting blueprint for 2017.

Find out more at www.parentingideas.com.au

Independence is also built when children spend time in unpredictable, potentially risky environments such as the bush or new environments beyond their neighbourhood. There may be some risk involved but this is where real learning lies for children and young people. Eliminate the risk and you eliminate the learning.

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

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HOW TO

MOVE FROM COUPLEDOM TO

FLYING

SOLO BY: JANELLE RYAN

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. It makes the world go around. It’s a

many splendoured thing. It’s a crazy little thing. It’s old, it’s new, it’s all and it’s you. Seriously, you could write songs about it!

(See what I did there??)

Sometimes, either through our own choice or not, our relationships run their course and we find ourselves moving from coupledom to singledom.

Is there a way to make the change from “table for two” to “just me” as painless as possible?

Here are some firsthand tips from women I know who walked away from an unhappy relationship and decided to be really, truly happy.

If you are making this transition, some of these may work for you as well.

18

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

1. “I was feeling broken spiritually and emotionally after my break up and other personal losses so I took some annual leave and booked a retreat in Bali. This is not realistic for everyone, but everyone can seek professional help. A counsellor or psychologist will work through feelings of depression or sadness with you and help you heal any emotional wounds.”

2. “I found a brand new place to live and created an environment that calmed me and brought me joy. I literally repainted the walls and it lifted my spirits. You may have to stay with friends or family for a while, but when you can, find a place you love to call home. (If you are staying in the family home, make some small changes to make it yours.)”

3. “I kept all communication with my ex about the children. I didn’t answer texts or emails that were “rants” or emotionally charged. Only about the children’s plans.”

NEWLY BROKEN UP? THESE ACTIONS MAY HELP! 8. “Many, many, many walks on the beach. I found it cleared my head and soothed my soul. I’m certain bushwalking would have the same effect.”

4. “I left the breakup behind when I entered my workplace. I consciously had to leave it at the front door and it was actually great to forget about it and concentrate on work for eight hours a day. At the beginning it was still there waiting for me when I left for home but it disappeared after a while.”

9. “I already liked exercising so probably stepped that up a bit more.

It wasn’t extreme exercise to “escape” – I just liked feeling strong and healthy. Boxing with my personal trainer was an exceptional way to release anger and hurt feelings! Thankfully he could take the punches.”

5. “I started a journal and wrote about my thoughts and feelings. It helps more than you think.”

10. “Obviously I was enjoying comfort food such as chocolate (!) but overall I tried to eat as healthily as I could. Junk food just made me feel lethargic and depressed.”

6. “I did have a wine each night (and more if a girlfriend came over), but tried to keep any “crutches” to a minimum.”

7. “I do not live near my family but am lucky enough to have an “urban family” of close male and female friends. I leaned on them for support but did try to respect their boundaries. I don’t remember making any 3am phone calls but did do some evening drop ins!”

11. “I’m not great at it, but I did mediate five to ten minutes a day. I found the stillness calmed me and helped open my mind to new thoughts and possibilities.”

12. “I pampered myself – I went to the hairdresser for a cut and colour, got a facial and a massage and bought a couple of new pieces of clothing.”

AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS I STARTED TO FEEL A BIT MORE LIKE MYSELF. THE COUNSELLING REALLY HELPED AND I STARTED TO FEEL WHOLE AGAIN. IT WAS TIME TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPS TOWARDS BEING REALLY, TRULY HAPPY. 1. “I found fun activities to try – this is how I did it. Grab a huge piece of blank paper and some coloured markers. List all the activities you enjoyed as a child and all the activities you’ve always wanted to try. Take your time. When your list is complete, circle the ones that you could realistically start immediately and put plans in place to do so.

I put the secondary list – things I could do later when I had more time/money – away for future reference.”

2. “I returned to my personal coach and we looked at every

area of my life. I chose which areas I wanted to focus on and set goals and actions around those areas. I moved forward.”

3. “I reflected on the relationship.

Time and space had given me clarity and perspective and I could really see how unhealthy it was. I examined how I had acted and behaved and vowed I would never again put myself in a situation that forced me to react and defend myself in that way. I listed the things I wanted in my next relationship as well as the things I didn’t. I discovered how much I had learned about myself.”

4. “I worked with my coach on confidence, changing my These women stated that mindset and breaking through working through these negative barriers about myself activities gave them strength, and how I thought my life was resilience, clarity, personal supposed to look. I realised I growth, a vision for the future was open to, and deserved love.” and they found themselves really, truly happy again.

5. “It was not a goal to meet You can too. someone new, but when it happened I was more confident and sure of myself and who I am.

I am now in a loving and healthy Janelle Ryan is a change catalyst who relationship, and I find I am more helps high achievers get out of their vulnerable and open (in a good own way, align their actions with their goals and create a life they desire and way). I use my voice and will truly deserve. stand for nothing less than true skyhighcoaching.com.au partnership.” facebook.com/skyhighcoaching.com.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

19

BOTTLE FLIPPING

Dad

BY: DAVID HAWKINS

H

aving kids under school age, I was happily ignorant of the bottle-flipping mania that is sweeping the nation. So when our enigmatic editor, Melissa, sent me the video that has gone viral worldwide I just stared, mouth agape. I really must be a parent because I instantly asked the eternally uncool question, “How could this be incredibly popular?”.

In case you are as disconnected from modern pop culture as I am, the video shows an American high-schooler hamming it up on a small stage and then throwing a bottle, with a flip, which lands upright on a table. That’s it. Seriously. It’s not like he performed six somersaults and balanced on a chainsaw before flipping the bottle. How hard can it be?

So my Editor-Extraordinaire set me the Dad-task of accomplishing this great interwebs feat. Could I flip the bottle and land it right end up, and could I become a YouTube sensation?

Woah! Hold up there crazy person! You can’t just go running into this kind of uber-challenge without some hardcore research. I ignored the microfiche archives and got straight down to some serious Googling to see what kind of insights we can prime ourselves with:

Tip #1 WET FRACTIONS You can use any old bottle but the key seems to be the amount of water inside of it. Too much and the bottle won’t flip, too little and it won’t stop. Aim to fill your bottle up to about a third with water (or vodka if the kids are giving you hell today... they’ll never know) for the best balance.

You may need to sip to get it just right (especially if it’s vodka).

20

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

Fully armed with my internet info, I raid Phenom-A-Mum’s stash of Mount Franklin and head straight for the old wooden table in the backyard. Glug, glug, glug. Uh oh, too much. Quick refill at the hose and ready to go.

Bottle one-third full. Check. Holding the bottle from the cap. Check.

Priming the wrist-flick. Check. Looking like a man way too old to be doing this. Double check! I draw a deep, lingering breath, stare intently at the bottle and flick. She’s up, she’s rotating, she lands. Upright.

I NAILED IT! And, yep, no one around to see it happen. I run inside to tell Phenom-AMum, with all of the overjoyed enthusiasm of a puppy who just messed the floor and rolled in it. “Sure you did” is the response. I invite her outside to watch my triumphant do-over and manage to never land it again, no matter how many times I flick the wrist or hold it by the neck.

I even try adjusting the water level but to no avail beyond my wife’s mocking laughter.

Meanwhile, my two munchkins are mesmerised by the deceptively simple challenge and literally scream for their own attempt. So much noise from people who are so small. Stupidly I take a split-second to blink and in that moment the bottle vanishes from the table and becomes centrepiece to a tug-of-war between a 3 year-old and a 1 year-old.

The 1YO is winning; we call him Hulk Baby.

When the battle is won (by the 1YO) the kids spend many minutes entertained by bottle-flipping pleasure, attempting to replicate PhenomA-Mum’s successful toss. That’s right. She nailed it.

I wonder if the kids would land upright if I threw them? Gotta make sure they’re only a third full at lunchtime…

David Hawkins is a Peninsula based stay-at-home-dad who realised that he needed to improve his Dadding. So he set himself the simple task of being an Awesome Dad. He now challenges all dads to be Awesome Dads, by doing something out-of-the-ordinary with their kids every month, via his blog Big Kid Little Kid.

Tip #2

Tip #3

TAKE IT FROM THE TOP

IT’S ALL IN THE WRISt

According to the bottle-flipping sensation himself, Mike Senatore, you have to hold the bottle around the cap/neck area. This will allow the bottle to achieve sufficient spin, and to also look more professional when posing for your soon-tobe-viral selfie.

(don’t be filthy)

Turns out that you can’t just chuck the bottle and hope for the best; your success and subsequent popularity rests solely on how well you flick your wrist, to achieve just the right degree of rotation. Clearly this is an art form perfectly designed for teenage boys... www.peninsulakids.com.au

21

J SIE BY: GERARD THISTLETON

Saturday 2 July last was another crisp winter day in the long life of 85-year-old Josie. In the morning she visited the hairdresser, walked a kilometre home and sang that evening in her church choir. She intended to back up for the choir Sunday morning.

But in the morning her husband of sixty odd years discovered she had died in the night.

No grand statues were made of her. No grand tributes will come on her account and she is buried far away in a little town out on the plains.

Like all our mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers, she may be anonymous and yet, she and her like have made us. We must pause and remark at the passing of such women.

Josie’s ancestors include an aboriginal woman, a Wiradjuri woman, who bore a son to a convict and in the next generation a rebellious headstrong woman who stormed from her home vowing to marry the “first man I meet on the road.” True to her promise she married that part aboriginal illegitimate son of a convict. They have over three hundred descendants.

These are women to remember and treasure. These are the women who made us.

The aboriginal mother – what were the circumstances of her being with the convict? What gave her the strength to breastfeed her son (how else would he have survived?) while all about her kith, kin and civilization were destroyed?

How brave, how faithful Emma Kemp, the young woman in the nineteenth century who took to the road and threw in her lot with a part aboriginal, a man at the lower end of their society.

Headstrong Emma Kemp lived from 1834 to 1931, a long life.

In her last year Emma held a baby, her great grand daughter, our Josie.

As if to carry this ancient maternal love, as old, as ancient as this land itself, in February 2016 Josie travelled by train by herself from Sydney to Melbourne so she could greet the arrival of her latest grand daughter. And here, eighty - five years after Emma held her, Josie held the grand daughter who bears the middle name Josephine.

These are the women who made us; these are the women to come - anonymous, vital and above all full of unconditional love. Josie was one of these.

I should know. Josie was my mother.

Gerard Thistleton loves his wife, sons and daughter, a lunatic dog and five horses variously lame. No cats own him. He also likes good wine of any colour and loafing in his slippers. A mortgagee bank and a posse of creditors spoil the peace and quiet of an otherwise benign existence.

22

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

www.peninsulakids.com.au

23

A TALE OF

BY: MELISSA WALSH

W

Friendship

hen Pippa Dowling was 10 years old, the school class was asked to write a children’s story as an assignment.

Little did she know this would set the wheels in motion for the youngster’s first book.

Three years later, the Rosebud Secondary College student can proudly say her book ‘Just Like Molly’ has been published.

The debut picture book from 13-year-old Pippa explores courage and friendship in the face of change. At just ten years of age Pippa Dowling penned a tale of loneliness, friendship, hope and courage, with a wisdom beyond her years.

S X 10 M vis a n am A S its t a th to E P e 12 M pm !

“It tells the story of a friend called Molly, who loves playing games and sleeps under the bed. She is an imaginary friend and one

day she disappears,” said Pippa, who has a wonderful, creative imagination and loves using it to create fantastic role-playing games with her family. “I firmly believe that everybody deserves to be treated with kindness. ‘Just Like Molly,’ is a book that reassures kids that there is a friend out there who is perfect for them. It is a gentle story of friendship and having the courage to make new friends. I would like the reader to know that there is a friend out there for everybody and that we must have hope even in the hardest times.”

While Pippa cannot pinpoint any particular inspiration for the book, she says that doing lots of reading combined with watching cartoons gave her some ideas. However, it was her mum who inspired her to publish.

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

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“IT TELLS THE STORY OF A FRIEND CALLED MOLLY, WHO LOVES PLAYING GAMES AND SLEEPS UNDER THE BED"

“When I brought my story home from school, mum really liked it. At first we were just going to get it turned into a self made book through an online website, but once we found Empowering Resources, my mum and I were both excited to have it published for real,” said Pippa, who has enjoyed reading and writing her entire life. “Even when I was little, reading was my favorite thing to do.”

The book’s illustrator, Sunshine, is a fantastical, whimsical artist, living amongst the cobbled streets of Melbourne. As a self-taught artist, her work has been displayed in several national galleries and sold internationally.

To purchase ‘Just Like Molly’, go to www.empoweringresources.com.au

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25

A LOCALS GUIDE

TO ESCAPING THE SUMMER CROWDS

BY: LORRAINE AITKEN

P

ersonally, I quite like the buzz and hive of activity that happens at this time of year as thousands of summer holiday maker’s flock to the Peninsula’s beaches and seaside towns to enjoy our mostly relaxed coastal lifestyle. Occasionally though, when I’m struggling to find a car park or just trying to get from point A to B with 4 kids in tow then I tend to want to escape to some of the Peninsula’s quieter places for a few hours to enjoy the great outdoors.

1. Mountain biking is a great early morning summer activity before the sun gets too hot and with the all new trails around Arthurs Seat state park to explore, it’s a fantastic opportunity for all ages to discover new trails with a parent/guardian to gain new skills or to improve on existing skills. To look at more information or to download trail maps of Arthurs Seat Park visit www.redhillriders.com.au/trails/. For younger children or for lesser experienced riders then the Red Hill rail trail offers a good out and back option starting from behind the shops at Red Hill. A little further away is the relatively new 4km bicycle track around the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens which is a good family ride. For the littlies on training wheels then the flat 2.4km gravel path at Hastings foreshore is perfect and it can be cut short with the connecting paths.

2. Beaches that we find relatively quiet, though do include a walk to get to, include Bushrangers Bay, which is accessed by walking tracks from either Cape Schanck lighthouse carpark or from the Boneo Rd Carpark and is approx 5km return from either location. Bushrangers Bay is great for exploring the many rock pools and splashing about in the creek. Swimming in the open water here however is hazardous due to strong rips and is not recommended. The same hazardous conditions can be said for Fingal Beach, which is accessible by walking tracks from the Fingal picnic ground near Cape Schanck.

26

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

3. This is a lovely 3km return walk with views over cliff tops down to the beach. Some younger children may find the many stairs on the return leg challenging. Alternatively, for quiet swimming beaches with no walking required we head to Shoreham Beach at the end of Beach Rd, Shoreham or Kennon Cove (the sheltered cove next to Flinders Pier), though admittedly our favourite beach is the popular Mills beach in Mornington.

4. For the kids or parents that don’t like sand or beaches then the Crib Point pool located at Governors Rd, Crib Point is open every day from 9:30am-6pm during the summer period. Here you will find a 25m outdoor pool along a shaded toddler pool that is surround by lawn. A family entry is under $15. For indoor pools, Hastings is usually pretty quiet and a little further away is the Peninsula Aquatic and Recreation Centre at Frankston (PARC).

5. Seawinds Gardens atop of Arthurs Seat is a nice spot for a picnic or BBQ. The views over the Peninsula are stunning and the temperature is slightly cooler on the hotter days compared to the surrounding coast.

Take a picnic rug to unroll under one of the many big old shady trees, a cricket set for the kids and a good book for when they get tired and want to lie in the shade.

6. McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park in Langwarrin often has kids programs on during the holidays, though even if you miss out on these then the sculpture park is still well worth a stroll around. My kids really enjoy looking at the sculptures dotted around this 16 hectare park, though I wouldn’t go on a really hot day. Entry is free but a small donation is appreciated. Whilst you’re there you may also like to enjoy something from the café.

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GROVE 28

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2016

BY: LORRAINE AITKEN

T

he secret is getting out: Will Muddyman, dubbed the Willy Wonka of the Southeast, has opened a new chocolate factory outlet shop and history centre in Carrum Downs.

Will, a passionate man who is continually thinking outside of the ordinary chocolate box to surprise and tantalise the tastebuds of his customers, is constantly experimenting with different flavours and ingredients to come up with some rather unusual combinations. His inspiration in creating new varieties and doing things no one else has tried before is all about capturing his customer’s imagination.

Having never heard of the Chocolate Grove, curiosity got the better of my daughter and I and we ventured over to Carrum Downs. As it turnedout, the Chocolate Grove brand has been aroundsince 1987 and Will has been at the helm of the Grove for the past 14 years.

Surprisingly, no one else I had spoken to had heard of the Chocolate Grove either so I was very keen to go and uncover Carrum Downs' best kept secret.

Located just a few hundred metres off Peninsula Link it’s easy to get to and there’s plenty of off street parking, which is handy with the kids in tow. The new shop front with its vertical red and white candy stripes and hot pink signage certainly says ‘candy store’.

Inside, the space is large and products are displayed on commercial wire shelving. There is plenty of room to navigate prams and wheel chairs and there are a few wooden seats with colouring-in sheets for the kids. But let’s face it, it’s all about the chocolate and Chocolate Grove has an astonishing amount of variety; in fact there are over 80 chocolate combinations and 150 products to choose from.

Some of the more unusual combinations would have to be the chocolate coated salt and vinegar chips, which Will assures me is extremely popular and the balance between sweet and salty is just right. There’s the lemon myrtle milk macadamia, dark goji berries, milk raspberry riots, dark cocoa nibs, dates in the dark, dark caramel popcorn, chia seeds in dark chocolate and that’s just the start.

Will points out the most popular chocolates on the shelves as I fill my basket to take home for family and friends. I end up going with the chocolate covered pretzels, bees knees (milk honeycomb), white freeze dried strawberry bar, chocolate coated freeze dried Sunny Ridge strawberries, melting moments (milk and white chocolate covered macadamias) white coconut crunch, dark orange surprise along with an assortment of chocolate nut bars. I also made sure I stocked up on the dairy free dark chocolate and gluten free range so I can enjoy a treat now and then … After all a girl can never have too much chocolate!

If all of that isn’t enough, there are also boxed chocolates, Easter eggs, chocolate pizzas, confectionery, nuts and much more. Tip: Don’t forget to check out the bargain corner with discontinued lines and trial combinations.

Our brand new range of 'Yummy Xmas Treats’ makes Chocolate Grove the perfect stocking-filler destination. Look out for our deliciously decadent Chocolate Xmas Trees and Mini Chocolate Pizza’s. Flavours include Fruit & Nut, Confectionery and the ever popular Super Booster with inca & goji berries.

Vist Chocolate Grove it’s Carrum’s best kept secret!

Prices are reasonable with the average 200gram bag priced around $5-$6 and 100gram blocks of chocolate ranging from $2-$4.95

The factory is open Monday-Friday 8.00am-5.00pm Saturday 12.00pm-4.00pm and is located at 50 Aster Avenue Carrum Downs www.peninsulakids.com.au

29

KIDS WITH

ALLERGIES ON THE INCREASE BY: VIKTORIA KOMORNIK

O

k, so here it goes...Imagine this, you are introducing all sorts of foods to your little one, slowly replacing breastmilk or formula with solids and hoping that he will like them all and will enjoy his meals. Then suddenly at the introduction of one of the new foods his breathing becomes heavy, he is struggling for breath, his nose becomes runny and probably feels a lot of the other symptoms of the so called ‘anaphylaxis’ but can’t express them and he becomes extremely distressed from not understanding what’s happening to him.

And I feel the same. I feel like my heart stopped as I see him suffer but I have no idea what happened. Do I think of an allergic reaction first? NO! I think maybe he is choking on a bite so I quickly check his throat, "nothing", his skin is becoming red like he has a rash … and he is very upset!

I feel helpless as his breathing remains difficult and he is trying to cough. Next I ring 000 and one of their first questions is what did he have to eat? When I tell them that peanut butter was on the menu it dawns on me – could it be an allergic reaction to peanuts?

The ambulance was there within five minutes and he was treated for anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction.

From here, our journey into the world of allergies with Hugo begins.

Now, Hugo’s family carry EpiPens, he has an allergy plan, their home is peanut free, they watch every food when they eat out and make sure that everyone who comes in contact with him is aware of his allergy and potential consequences. The carers at his daycare have been informed, hosts at children's parties are being advised and the parents are constantly educating Hugo as well.

It’s not an easy journey but one the family can manage and there

is more help and support available then they ever imagined. Hugo now always wears an allergy bracelet which he loves and has a little pack in his school bag carrying EpiPens and his allergy plan.

This is a story that I hear all too often. Hugo is one of thousands of young Australians who have been diagnosed with an allergy and has a story to tell that sounds all too familiar to many parents.

Professor Katie Allen of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute recently confirmed that Australia is the food allergy capital of the world, with Melbourne leading the way. Which is all a little bit frightening, particularly for parents.

So why is this the case? Research has shown a variety of factors are contributing to this stark increase. The research reveals that children with low levels of vitamin D are more susceptible to developing a food allergy. This combined with other influences, such as ‘germaphobia’, where parents are almost becoming obsessed with cleanliness and preventing their children from playing in the dirt, as well as parents holding off giving babies food groups such as nuts, eggs and dairy is having a detrimental effect on their kids’ heath.

It’s hoped that this research will enable a vaccine to be produced to help prevent allergies. We can only hope.

So Australian parents, it’s time to help your children and listen to the experts. Let them eat dirt!

Viktoria Komornik is mum of one and the founder of AllerBuddies. AllerBuddies are brightly coloured medical alert bracelets.

These specially designed soft PVC bracelets are for a child with an allergy or medical condition to wear to show others what their allergy is. www.allerbuddies.com.au.

THE RESEARCH REVEALS THAT CHILDREN WITH LOW LEVELS OF

VITAMIN D ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DEVELOPING A FOOD ALLERGY. 30

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

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41

HAVING

A LARGER AGE GAP BETWEEN CHILDREN BY: ERIKA ATWILL

I

often get asked about why we decided to have such a large age gap between our children.

All up, there’s four years and three months between Miss Ten and Miss Six and five years and seven months between Miss Six and Miss One. Truthfully, having a large age gap between children was the right fit for my family and I. I don’t think I could have coped any other way.

My eldest daughter wasn’t a great sleeper. Scratch that. She was a shocking sleeper. So when we celebrated her first birthday and friends and family started to ask when we were planning to have another child I laughed and usually said ‘never’ … at the time, I wasn’t entirely joking either.

By the age of two, I could count on one hand the number of times she had slept through the night. I felt like I needed some time to find ‘me’ again … and get some sleep. I was buried inside there somewhere, I just had to search through the ever thickening fog of sleep deprivation, which at the time I often wondered would ever go away, to find me. We turned to a paediatrician to help work out some sleep issues and after a lot of hard work and commitment, we finally started having some success and it was only then that I felt ready to have another baby.

Having a large gap between your children means you need to be ready to handle both extremes of the age gap. I think the trickiest part is dealing with so many varying issues, often all at the same time – some days it’s a nappy explosion, lost toy plus a schoolyard drama.

HAVING A LARGE GAP BETWEEN YOUR CHILDREN MEANS YOU NEED TO BE READY TO HANDLE BOTH EXTREMES OF THE AGE GAP.

Getting Miss One into a routine has also been a lot harder as the morning and afternoon school run means her naps are often interrupted. This snowballed into many night-time wakings so I took advantage of the recent school holidays to really work on baby’s routine. It has made all the difference in the world and so far it has stuck, even through the flurry of the new school term and extracurricular activities recommencing.

I would love to be able to say that Miss one, being the third child, is a ‘go with the flow’ kind of baby, but she’s not. She has no other option than to be taken along to school pick up, ferried to Miss Six martial arts class, head back home again then out to one of Miss Ten dance lessons later in the evening, but that doesn’t mean she’s happy about it … and it can be super exhausting. I find the older my girls get, the later their continued....

42

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

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classes start as they hit the older age groups, which can make things rather tricky when you’re dealing with a young baby who needs to go to bed.

It means a LOT of preparation to make sure everyone is kept fed , happy and entertained while another child completes their lesson.

There’s also a lot of meal planning going on in order to fit into this schedule.

There was still a long period of adjustment as the older girls settled into being one of three children, but luckily they both love playing with their baby sister and it often brings them back together again .. although the older girls are not a fan of Miss One wreaking havoc in their rooms.

Plus, they need to be extra careful to make sure toys like Lego and Barbies are put away so small items don’t find their way into the mouth of Miss One who loves to shove everything in there.

On the up side, the best thing has been spending so much one-onone time with Miss One while the older girls are at school. As your family grows in size, it’s often easy to forget what that was like as the craziness of family life takes over.

Overall, I love the larger age gap between my children. Sure, there are times when it is tough, but I think every age gap will have its ups and downs plus good and bad points. Parenting can be a tough gig sometimes. Nothing is ever going to be perfect.

When the girls do arrive home from school, there’s always plenty of kisses, cuddles and attention for Miss One. There’s nothing better than watching one of my girls read a book to their baby sister or play peeka-boo or chasey around the dining room table as they all laugh and giggle. Not to mention them being a great help in fetching things from around the house for me, especially when Miss one was a newborn and I may have left her dummy, nappies or wipes in another room.

I truly don’t believe there is a right or wrong age gap to have between siblings. Sometimes you get to choose your age gap and sometimes life chooses for you. I think the important thing is to enjoy what you have right in front of you.

Don’t get me wrong though, the larger age gap has meant plenty of fighting too, particularly between my older girls. It may just be their temperaments or because I only have girls, but we’re going through a tween versus early primary schooler stage and often it’s not pretty.

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

MON 19 DEC

FRANKSTON ARTS CENTRE THEATRE 9784 1060 or ARTSCENTRE.FRANKSTON.VIC.GOV.AU livenation.com.au • abc.net.au/abcevents 44

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

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45

INTERIOR SUMMER TRENDS

The kids room

HERE ARE MY

FOUR

KEY TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN DESIGNING A KID’S ROOM

This

BY: FIONA PARRY-JONES

K

ids rooms are always fun and enjoyable projects to design.

It’s the small details and creative furniture that delivers a room reflecting the playful personality of a child’s space.

Colourful details are frequently used and by using more neutral colors as a base it allows the colour in accessories, furniture and lighting pieces to shine.

Summer!

1 ADORABLE

KIDS BEDS

This year there is an increasing trend for beautiful crafted beds.

One example is the Addison House bed, handmade locally, to create a sleeping space where children can let their imaginations run wild. Each bed is powder coated in a colour to suit the space and style. This particular product works well with a modern scandi theme using pale pastel tones layered with black, white and neutral greys to create a stylish look. You can purchase the Addison bed from Mynd Interiors in Frankston.

46

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

KIDS

ART WALL

2

If you want to revamp your kids' retreat or bedroom but are stuck for ideas, why not get your kids to make the art and then create a gallery wall to display their creations? It’s great to get kids involved by creating sculptures, paintings and collages to decorate the walls. The bonus is that it can be changed and reformatted as they grow up.

You can also add to the gallery with some gorgeous handmade local prints and quirky wall lights to create a room that oozes personality.

3

FUN

FURNISHINGS

ARTFUL

STORAGE

Good storage is essential to a kid’s room to keep toys and books organised and make them easy to get to. There are so many options available on the market to help de-clutter and you don’t have to limit yourself to IKEA! From handmade timber shadow boxes to perspex moulded book displays, there are endless options to create an interesting visual element to the room that is practical too.

Turned timber hooks and hangers are also popular adding some fun and function to the overall look and feel of a room. If you are stuck for ideas on how to add these elements and where to put them look for inspiration online.

4

"WHATEVER THE PLANS FOR DECORATING YOUR CHILD’S SPACE THIS SUMMER, BE ADVENTUROUS AND SHOP AROUND LOCALLY TO COLLECT INTERESTING PIECES OF FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES THAT BRING OUT THEIR PERSONALITY. MOST OF ALL, HAVE FUN!"

Putting the finishing touches is the real fun bit and with so much choice available it’s hard to get it wrong. Start with the bedding and layer with contrasting pillows and cushions to create a magical bed for your little ones to dive into. I love the emerging trend of bold bedlinen, and brands such as Kip&Co or Goosebumps have a funky collection of prints ranging from ice cream motifs to more abstract multi-coloured design to cater for all ages.

Once you have the bedding sorted you can bring some fun cushions into the mix from flamingos to fruit shapes or cute little monsters and bugs all of which make the room come to life. Rugs are great, and since kids spend a lot of time rolling around on the floor go for a good quality piece with a touch of colour. Rug trends vary in shapes and designs from stars, spots and rainbows to bold geometrics and stripes.

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

47

THE WORLD

CLASSROOM BY: KELLY MCLEOD

Y

ou could say travel is my obsession. There’s not a day in the week when I’m not thinking about, planning, booking or researching travel. Nothing is more exciting to me than exploring new places through the eyes of my children. The look of astonishment on their little faces as we see dolphins frolicking in the wild, the excitement of trying out new languages (and nailing it!) or conquering our fears perched high above the ground in a swinging gondola over the rainforest. These are all learning adventures that can’t be had in a classroom.

For me travel and education go hand in hand. Education enhances the travel experience and travel enhances learning back in the classroom.

My son loves being able to integrate the two whenever he can. From learning about dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History in New York to experiencing new foods in Japan, he is a constantly absorbing information.

It may look like fun and games, but there’s an opportunity to turn every adventure into an educational experience. Art, geography, current affairs, archaeology, modern history, ancient history, languages, food, risk analysis… The learning opportunities are endless! Here are my top tips on how to incorporate learning effortlessly into your next trip away:

Get the kids involved in the planning. We ask our boys what they would like to see and cater to their interests. My 6-year-old is obsessed with space so when we were in New York last year, we made a special trip to the Hayden Planetarium which was the highlight of the trip for him.

If your kids are old enough, get them to keep a travel journal to record all the cool things you do and see. Not only does it make a good memento of the trip, it also helps practice their reading, writing and spelling skills.

Everyone loves a souvenir to take home from a trip but why not swap the stuffed toy for a book instead. I like to purchase a book about the destination we have travelled to so we can read it when we are back home and reflect together on the trip. Just recently I overheard my three-year old telling someone that the Statue of Liberty is in New York and her nose is 1.4 metres long – all from his favorite souvenir book!

48

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

Encourage the kids to speak the local language. Whenever we ate out in Japan we got our six year old to attempt to order his food or at least say please and thank you in Japanese. Locals love it when you make an effort to speak to language and as an added bonus they think its adorable when the kids try too. Learning even the basics of another language is great for the kids as well as building their confidence.

Have you ever noticed how your kids seem to pay more attention when someone else is talking to them? Use this to your advantage and seek out the experts. If there’s a guided tour of the museum, take it. If there’s a show on at the aquarium, watch it. You’ll be amazed at how much they take in!

Get the kids to tell you about what they see. The best discussions are the ones that come from talking about where you went that day and what you saw. Encourage their naturally inquisitive minds to ask questions and even if you don’t have all the answers, its fun to find them out together.

Its never too early to teach your kids about social responsibility and even more so when you travel. By bringing up socially responsible children I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the beginning of a new chapter where our kids have the ability to look beyond our own back fence.

There are several organisations such as Carry for Kids (www.carryforkids.org) that list items that orphanages in some developing countries need right now. When we travelled to Bali we involved our then 4-year-old by asking him to pick from the list what he would like us to pack and take over to the orphanage.

The world is the best classroom and my kids are privileged to be its students. They pick up so much along the way, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m always surprised by what they remember. By exposing them to new and unique experiences, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been able to hone in on the things that fascinate them and expand their interests. We give the kids the freedom to be themselves, to discover new things for themselves and learn about who they are.

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

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

www.peninsulakids.com.au

49

Jemima

YOU'RE DIFFERENT BY: JED MORLEY

M

y name is Jedidah Morley and I am very proud to say that I am different. I’m weird, kooky, live permanently outside the box and am a lot left of centre. I’m also proud to say that I’m fine with that.

Growing up I always had a sense of feeling different and not being like everyone else. School often left me feeling like an outsider, awkward and unpopular. I remember making a picture in art class entirely out of rubbish, and being ridiculed by my art teacher. I remember being frustrated because teachers never quite got my stories.

I remember colouring a duck in rainbow colours and being told that it should have been yellow. I remember thinking how I needed to be more like everyone else.

Oh how I wish I’d had a teacher like Mrs Chuckles from my book “You’re Different Jemima!”

I wrote “You’re Different Jemima!” as an expression of how important these early childhood years are in forming confident, creative problem solvers of the future. It is a story about a little girl who is very creative, but also trying to please her teacher, Mrs Smith. Mrs Smith is a culmination of teachers I had in Primary School that were of an era where children needed to conform through structure and a very rigid curriculum. Mrs Smith would like Jemima to be like everyone else. She wants her to sing quietly, read print from a story without giving it much thought or creative context, and colour in her duck yellow.

Mrs Chuckles then teaches Jemima for a day. She encourages Jemima to think differently to the other children in her class and, most importantly, to be herself. Her message to Jemima is that being different is fantastic. I wish I’d had that message at school. I wonder how many other children and adults feel the same way, let down by a

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50

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

www.peninsulakids.com.au/giveaways system that squashed the tall poppies and celebrated uniformity rather than creativity and ingenuity?

Being a teacher now myself, I am very passionate about nurturing creativity within children. I advocate for teaching using a diverse range of strategies so that each child can feel valued and successful. I’m hoping that I’m more a Mrs Chuckles than a Mrs Smith and that there are very few Mrs Smiths in schools today.

My hope is that children that read my story become proud to be different; that they should celebrate and embrace being weird, kooky, living permanently outside the box and a lot left of centre.

Fri 27 Jan

11am & 1.30pm Frankston Performing Arts Centre On Sale Now

Jedidah Morley, a primary music and class teacher lives in Bargara, Qld with her husband and three very unique and wonderful daughters. She is a very keen writer and loves to nurture children through her picture storybooks. Her first book, The Best Birthday Cake In the World Is also available.

9784 1060 or artscentre.frankston.vic.gov.au Go to livenation.co.nz Mister Maker ™ & © 2016 The Foundation. Licensed by Zodiak Rights Limited.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

51

POSITIVE INTERACTIONS

With BY: MONIQUE CAIN

ASD

B

oth of my two children have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and I am often asked how others – teachers, parents and other children – can interact positively with my kids.

I originally put my first book, 'Madi at Kinder', together when my daughter Madi was at kinder, with photos and story, to help her teachers and classmates understand her better. After such a great response from teachers and parents, I continued the series, had them illustrated, edited and published in cartoon form, to help educate the wider public and help other children and families living with ASD.

explaining autism and how it may affect people, was for others to continue to be kind, friendly and include kids with ASD or any child that may act a bit differently.

They may not feel comfortable at first or may not be able to respond to you straight away but you would be very surprised at how much they actually know or take in. So keep saying ‘Hi’ everyday, even if you don’t get a response back, sit next to them to eat a snack or play a game, even if they don’t interact back, give them a hi-five or ask if you can play with them, with what they are doing or are interested in, because one day they might just talk back or join in with you.

The major points I have tried to get across in my books, apart from

"NEVER GIVE UP!

IF SOMETHING IS TOO HARD OR DOESN’T WORK, TRY AGAIN".

SOME HELPFUL TIPS WE HAVE LEARNT ALONG THE WAY FOR KINDER, SCHOOL AND HOME: Playing side by side will be less confronting for them until they feel more comfortable. Don't forget too close to their personal space. Observing how they react and not trying to force the issue should help to build a relationship with them. Be very patient! Ask and ask again, in five minutes, ten minutes, the next day or next week, but keep trying with them! Speak slowly, clearly and not too loud or complicated. There tends to be a lot of noise in a classroom which makes it very hard for ASD kids to concentrate or focus. Try to play or interact with them in a small group of kids or teachers, even just two or three. ASD kids can get a bit overwhelmed with crowds, too many people, voices etc. so that may also help.

52

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

Silver jewellery that captures special moments in time.

Some of the best advice I think I could give to other parents is never give up! If something is too hard or doesn’t work, try and try again whether it is for minutes, days, months or years, give everything another go; you may be pleasantly surprised and at least you know you have tried!

Charms - Pendants - Cufflinks - Key Rings

Always be prepared. Make sure you have a plan and a back-up plan.

Have your children’s favourite toy, favourite snacks, a change of clothes, wipes, I-pad, or anything that calms them down, comforts, distracts or entertains them, even if it’s just a trip down the street. Plan to just make an appearance or stay for an hour at an event, then you can leave before anything may happen and you have made the effort.

If you are unsure about what to do in regard to therapies, appointments, day cares, kinder or school, my advice would be to try everything and continue with whatever works best for your child.

If you feel something is not working or going well, you can always change. Every child is different and may respond or react in different ways so do whatever works best for them.

Speak to other ASD parents. Although it is very emotional and every situation is different, they can relate to most things you are going through.

It really does help to feel that you are not alone, someone else is experiencing similar scenarios and knows how hard life can be.

Listen to everyone’s advice, personal and professional and take on what applies to you. I found it really helped me, once I learned to accept that I wasn’t the perfect parent with the perfect kids, bathed, fed and in bed by seven o'clock every night. There is no such thing as perfect. Try not to think too far ahead, take it day by day. You will have good days and bad, the future is unknown, but with all the extra help, support, technology and awareness these days, you just never know what may be possible.

Monique is a Rosebud local, her books are called The Everyday Autism Series and are available at www.theeverydayautismseries.com.au

Great gift idea for Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Anniversary and Birthdays

Fabiola Curavic m: 0420 971 324 e: fabiola.curavic@smallprint.com Smallprint Mornington Peninsula www.smallprint.com www.peninsulakids.com.au

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

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

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

Hay fever (allergic rhinitis)

WHAT IS HAYFEVER? Hay fever is the common term for 'allergic rhinitis'. It’s caused by an allergic response to outdoor or indoor allergens such as pollen, dust mites, fungal spores, animal fur or occupational sources.

Allergens are most commonly proteins or enzymes that can cause the nose, eyes, throat and sinuses (small air-filled cavities behind your cheekbones and forehead) to become swollen, irritated and inflamed.

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

When you have an allergic reaction, your body overreacts to something that it perceives as a threat. In hay fever, the ‘threat’ is the allergen (the substance that you are allergic to).

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Your immune system (the body’s natural defence system) starts to respond as if it’s being annoyed by a parasite, and will release a number of chemicals designed to prevent the spread of what it wrongly perceives as an infection. These chemicals then cause the symptoms of the allergic reaction such as watering eyes and a runny nose.

HAY FEVER SYMPTOMS INCLUDE: SNEEZING

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These symptoms are caused when a person has an allergic reaction to an allergen such as pollen which is a fine powder released by plants as part of their reproductive cycle.

Hay fever usually begins in childhood or during the teenage years, but you can acquire it at any age. It affects up to 1 in 5 Australians at some point in their life, and is more likely to occur if there is a family history of allergies – particularly asthma or eczema. In fact, hay fever and asthma share many of their risk and trigger factors including a genetic predisposition to develop allergic reactions.

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Enquire in the salon, or online.

Most people are able to relieve their symptoms with treatment – at least to a certain extent.

Speak with your doctor if your symptoms are troublesome as you may require prescription medication.

Source: healthdirect.gov.au

Shop 3/74 Barkly St, Mornington 03 5975 2397 | www.haironbarkly.com.au Shop 3/74 Barkly St, Mornington ph. 03 5975 2397 www.haironbarkly.com.au

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55

HOMES HEALTH HAZARDS HIDING IN OUR

BY: BECK RODGERS

W

e spend over 90% of our time inside, yet few of us consider the hazards that might be lurking inside our homes. Our homes can be a contributing factor to illness such as allergies, asthma, cancer, chemical sensitivities, chronic inflammation, recurrent cold and flu, fatigue, eczema and skin irritation, electrical sensitivity, headaches, insomnia and sleep disorders, and learning and behavioural problems. Chances are, you, a family member, or someone you know, suffers from one or more of these conditions.

Our cleaning and personal care products can contain many toxic chemicals such as triclosan, which can disrupt thyroid function; fragrances, which commonly cause skin reactions and asthma; and phthalates, an endocrine disrupter, also linked to birth defects, infertility and reproductive changes in children. Preservatives used can cause skin irritation and allergies, with some releasing formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

Dust in our homes is a mixture of pollutants such as pesticides, bacteria, viruses, fungal spores, pollen, flame retardants, heavy metals, soil, pet 56

Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2016

hair, textile fibres, and dust mites. Dust can trigger hay fever, asthma and sinusitis. Lead paint and asbestos may still be present in older homes, and can seriously affect the health of unwary families who decide to renovate or redecorate. If you suspect the presence of lead or asbestos, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disturb it, and call in a professional.

Mould can be hiding in ceilings, under floors or behind walls and furniture. It can cause or worsen asthma, produce allergy like symptoms or dermatitis. For some of us, mould exposure can produce an inflammatory response resulting in chronic illness and fatigue.

Then there are power lines, alarm clocks, mobile phones and wireless devices. Many of our latest gadgets are exposing us and our children to potentially harmful forms of electromagnetic frequencies that were not around when our parents were growing up. These invisible fields can cause electrical sensitivity, headaches and sleep disorders, and have also been linked to childhood leukaemia and brain tumours, with the full consequences to our health just beginning to be uncovered.

We can all reduce the pollutants in our homes and create healthier spaces for ourselves and our families.

CHECK

LIST

ay to Reduce d o T o D n a C u What Yo ome!

H r u o Y in s d r a Health Haz -toxic products on n e s u to e s oo inside p Ch before coming s oe h s r ou y e p Remov ths h microfiber clo it w st u d e ip pW a HEPA filter h it w m u u c a v p Use a bed away from the ts e g d a g ll a p e e pK ly aks immediate le r te a w ix F p let in fresh air to ily a d s ow d p Open win

Healthy Homes for Healthy Families Fatigue Personal care & cleaning products, gas heaters, building materials & furniture, electromagnetic fields, dust & dust mites, mould & damp, pollen, pesticides, car exhaust.

Headaches Personal care & cleaning products, gas heaters, building materials & furniture, car exhaust, electromagnetic fields, pollens.

Asthma

Allergies

Personal care & cleaning products, car exhaust, gas heaters, building materials & furniture, dust & dust mites, mould & damp, pollen.

Dust and dust mites, pets, cleaning & personal care products, mould & damp, pollens, vehicle exhaust, fabric furnishings.

Eczema & Dry skin Personal care & cleaning products, dust & dust mites, electromagnetic fields, mould & damp pollen, chlorine & chemicals in water.

Contact us today to find out how we can help you create a healthy home for you and your family.

Beck Rodgers is a certified Building Biologist and Healthy Home Consultant and is passionate about creating healthy spaces to support health and wellbeing. For more information about what Beck does go to www.buildingideology.com.au

Ph: 0431 200 621 E: info@buildingideology.com.au Web: buildingideology.com.au www.peninsulakids.com.au

57

If you and your spouse or partner have agreed to separate but don’t know what happens next, it may be helpful to talk to a family lawyer to clarify your thoughts and sort out what you want to do.

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At Bayside Collaborative, we recognise that no two separating couple’s circumstances are the same.

We will:

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• Listen carefully to your needs and goals • Empower you to make decisions about your life after separation

• Reduce conflict and promote better communication

• Achieve resolution without bitterness and

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acrimony and without going to court

• Focus on the welfare of children in

creating outcomes that recognise each family is unique.

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Contact us to book you free first consultation with one of our lawyers to talk about what is most important to you and to discuss the best way for you to move forward.

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217 Bay Street Brighton tel: 9596 8506 email: jane@baysidecollaborative.com.au 58

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

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

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

Learn about our critically endangered animals and their conservation

Bookings required

Cafe and gift shop open daily

City hotel transfers & Private tours available

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

REMEMBER E R E W S E IN L O P M A R T WHEN ?

S U O R E G N A D Y L S U DELICIO

BY: REBECCA BOWYER

M

r D and I have decided to buy a trampoline for our boys for Christmas. They need somewhere to expend all that excess energy which seems to exude from the Y chromosome.

knew there was a whole company which was called ‘springfree’ so presumably they had figured out how to do away with the nasty hair catching thingys altogether.

We had a bright yellow rectangular trampoline in our backyard when I was a kid. If you bounced in the middle you were fine. If you bounced off to the side you landed on springs and got hurt. So you avoided bouncing off to the side.

Then I hopped on the internet for some proper research. Man, trampolines have gone high-tech in the last 25 years or so.

If you crawled under it and tried to stand, long hair got trapped in the springs and wrenched out. If you crawled under it and your brother decided to bounce on top of you, you got hurt. So you stopped crawling under it.

Long story short, we learned about consequences: do something dumb, get hurt, don’t do it again.

Before I started scouting for a 2014 version of my childhood vision, I had a vague idea that trampolines now have safety features. Most of them seem to have big net things to stop the kids falling out. I 60

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

Sounded pretty good. Why not eliminate a bit of risk where you can?

They have flexible composite mat rods instead of springs; hidden frames, shock absorbent mats and flexible net rods which, apparently, grown children can hurl themselves at and not fall off.

The sales chatter tells me that because of all this wonderful technology the kiddies won’t break bones, slash themselves, pinch their sensitive skin or end up paralysed.

Say WHAT? I tentatively typed ‘trampoline injuries’ into Google.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says trampolines shouldn’t be used at home at all.

SOME RULES REPORTED BY THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER INCLUDE: • Kids under six shouldn’t be allowed on trampolines over 10ft wide or 20in high • Only one person at a time.

• No somersaults or flipping (to prevent spinal cord injuries).

• Don’t put the trampoline on hard surfaces or near trees or fences.

• Only bounce in the middle of the trampoline.

• Don’t jump off the trampoline.

I try to picture my boys’ first encounter with the trampoline. They’re currently four and two years old. Knowing them as I do, I suspect it would go something like this…

Initially disappointed at the absence of presents, Mr D and I suggest to the boys that we all rush out to the backyard on Christmas morning.

‘Trampoline!’ exclaims Son #1. ”mam’line!’ repeats Son #2.

Both boys run down the stairs of the back deck. Son #2 gets knocked over, falls down the stairs and ends up crying in the rush.

Big brother arrives at the trampoline first and clambers inside before either parent has a chance to accompany him.

BOUNCE, BOUNCE, BOUNCE. Overbounces, lands on wrist. Starts screaming.

Son #1 still wailing at the injustice of it all, tries to hide under the trampoline.

Parent gets onto trampoline to retrieve injured little brother. Loses balances, bounces on head of Son #1, under the trampoline.

Family trip to the ER for four-year-old with concussion and two-yearold with possible broken-or-at-least-badly-sprained wrist.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Ignorance really is bliss.

BOUNCE, BOUNCE, BOUNCE. Son #2 recovers from his fall. Realises big bro is on the trampoline and he is not. Has to be restrained from clambering in with big bro (only one child at a time).

‘Ha’ turn! Ha’ turn!’ he wails, being old enough to understand the concept of having a turn, but not waiting for one.

Sorry boys. You’re getting books for Christmas. And maybe one of those really soft, fuzzy squishy balls to throw around a little. But don’t run or you might fall over. And don’t throw it at each other or you might get hurt.

Better yet, just sit in a corner wrapped in bubble wrap and watch the television.

A time limit is set for Son #1’s bouncing session.

Son #2 continues to wail.

Son #1 is informed that he must relinquish the bouncy-bounce.

Son #1 commences wailing. He is forcibly removed by a parent.

Son #2 is gleefully inserted into net.

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

www.peninsulakids.com.au

61

SUMMER

RUNNING EVENTS ON THE

Mornington Peninsula BY: LORRAINE AITKEN

W

ith endless coastal and bush trails to explore all year round we really are spoilt for choice when we want to escape the stresses of kids and everyday life and just get out the front door and go running. Over summer there are plenty of opportunities to challenge ourselves with several great events taking place across the Peninsula. So, whether that’s taking part in the Australia Day 5km event with the kids in tow, competing in the grueling Two Bays 56km trail run or cheering on the kids as they challenge themselves racing against the train, there is something for everyone.

The first run on the Peninsula calendar is the perfect way to start the New Year running with the Portsea Twilight fun run/walk at Pt Nepean is on January 7. Here you will get so absorbed with the scenery over Bass Straight on one side of the road and Port Phillip Bay on the other that you won’t even notice the kilometres ticking past. Choose from either the 4km or 8km option and soak up the holiday atmosphere on a balmy summers evening. For more information on this event google: www.events.solemotive.com/portsea-twilight Next up is the toughest running event and one you that you’ll need to be prepared for as it’s not for the faint hearted. It’s an event that I would say is your ‘work towards’ event if you’re not already running half marathons relatively comfortably. This is, of course the spectacular and ever popular ‘Two Bays Trail Run’ which as the name suggests 62

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

extends one side of the Peninsula to the other over a distance of 28kms, or for those fit enough, return for the 56km option. Two Bays Trail run is on the January 15 and more information can be found at: www.twobaystrailrun.com Another run at Pt Nepean is Alzheimer’s Victoria Memory Walk and Jog on January 22. Choose between the 4.5km walk or the 4.5km/8km run to help support and raise funds for people suffering with dementia. This year, Craft Markets Australia are teaming up with the event and hosting a 200+ stall craft market to make this an even better family friendly event. To find out more or to register visit: www. memorywalk-vic.gofundraise.com.au/cms/portsea An event that I have had the most association with from a young age, remembering my father running in the 10km event whilst I was in primary school is the Rosebud Australia Day Fun Run. This run is one for the whole family to get involved in. It's a great community event with a fantastic atmosphere and plenty of entertainment at the end of the 5.3km walk/run or 10km run. The 10km event starts at the Safety Beach Coast Guard on Marine Parade and finishes at the Village Green in Rosebud whilst the 5.3km event starts in Dromana.

Buses are on hand to transfer people from the finish to start line and all participants receive a medal.

Looking ahead, there are three great events in Febuary/March to put on the calendar with registrations now open.

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Bambini Care quality Servicesholiday are a High Quality Family Day Care service with a Bambini are a government approved Family Day Care Service with a We support educators locally to operate their own Family Day Care Business, National For morea generous information check website,referral scheme. including start up grantout and our an incentive Quality ratingor of The first event is just off the Peninsula but close enough to include it on this Bambini haveand a reputation to suit each educator, working list. The Carrum Coast Guard ‘Around the River’ fun run is scheduled for phone talk to for onetailoring of oursupport friendly staff. together to achieve high outcomes.

‘EXCEEDING’ February 26. Distances on offer include a 6km walk/run, a 12km run and a kids 350m dash which is free along with a jumping castle.

For more information check out our website, We currently have high quality, experienced educators across the or For more info search: www.carrumcoastguardfunrun.com

03 9813 5680

Mornington Peninsula with child care and instaff 2017! phone and vacancies talk to one ofnow our friendly

For the kids only, there is a race against the Mornington Heritage Railway K163 steam train on March 17. Kids aged 3 years and up can enter to race against the train in their own age category for $20 per child and they will receive a free show bag with their entry. Importantly, this event is a fundraiser organised by the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza to raise funds for the Frankston Hospital’s Paediatric Ward, or more specifically to purchase a transport incubator for the nursery’s premature babies. To enter visit: www.mycause.com.au/events/funrunk163

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For more information, check out our website, Or Phone and talk to one of our friendly staff

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Last but certainly not least is one for the parents with Sharpy’s Beer Run on March 18. This trail run starts and finishes at the Pig and Whistle tavern in Main Ridge. You can choose to compete in the 10km or 21km event options with both distance taking in trails around Arthurs Seat before concluding at the Pig and Whistle for a relaxed afternoon of entertainment, local food and beer. Entries include a beer, a finisher’s medal and a guaranteed fun day out on the trails. This event is strictly limited to 600 participants so enter now to avoid disappointment at www.trailology.com.au

www.bambini.com.au

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www.peninsulakids.com.au

63

season BY: HEALTH DIRECT

SYMPTOMS OF A VENOMOUS BITE INCLUDE

A

ustralia has some 140 species of land snake, and around •severe pain around the bite 32 species of sea snakes have been recorded in Australian •tingling, stinging, burning or abnormal feelings of the skin waters.

About 100 Australian snakes are venomous. Although only 12 are likely to inflict a wound that could kill you. These include taipans, brown snakes, tiger snakes, death adders, black snakes, copperhead snakes, rough scaled snakes as well as the many sea snakes.

•feeling anxious

•nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting (being sick) •dizziness •breathing difficulties

•problems swallowing Most snake bites happen when people try to kill or capture them. If you •stomach pain come across a snake, don’t panic. Back away to a safe distance and •irregular heartbeat let it move away. Snakes often want to escape when disturbed.

•muscle weakness

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SNAKE BITES Dry Bites

•confusion •paralysis, coma or death (in the most severe cases).

•In Australia, there are approximately one to four deaths a year from A dry bite is when the snake strikes but no venom is released. Dry bites •venomous snake bites. will be painful and may cause swelling and redness around the area of the snake bite.

Because you can’t tell if a snake’s bite is a dry bite always assume that you have been injected with venom, and manage the bite as a medical emergency. Once medically assessed, there is usually no need for further treatment, such as with anti-venoms. Many snake bites in Australia do not result in envenomation, and so they can be managed without anti-venom.

Snake Identification

Identification of venomous snakes can be made from venom present on clothing or the skin using a so called ‘venom detection’ kit. For this reason do not wash or suck the bite or discard clothing.

It’s not recommended to kill the snake for purposes of identification, because medical services do not rely on visual identification of the snake species.

Check your symptoms with Healthdirect’s Symptom Checker to get advice on when to seek medical attention.

Antivenom is available for all venomous Australian snake bites.

Venomous Bites

First Aid For Snake Bites

Venomous bites are when the snake bites and releases venom (poison) into a wound. Snake venom contains poisons which are designed to stun, numb, or kill other animals.

For all snake bites, provide emergency care including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if needed. Call triple zero (000)

continued....

64

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

V I N TA G E

ELECTRIC

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for an ambulance. Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage and keep the person calm and as still as possible until medical help arrives.

Avoid washing the bite area because any venom left on the skin can help identify the snake.

DO NOT apply a tourniquet, cut the wound or attempt to suck the venom out.

Pressure Immobilisation Bandage A pressure immobilisation bandage is recommended for anyone bitten by a venomous snake.

This involves firmly bandaging the area of the body involved, such as the arm or leg, and keeping the person calm and still until medical help arrives. If possible, mark the site of the bite on the bandage with a pen.

Anaphylactic Shock Snake bites can be painful. Occasionally some people have a severe allergic reaction to being bitten. In cases of severe allergic reaction, the whole body can react within minutes to the bite which can lead to anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock is very serious and can be fatal.

SYMPTOMS OF ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK MAY INCLUDE: •swelling of the mouth, throat or tongue •difficulty swallowing •difficulty breathing or shortness of breath or wheezing •difficulty talking •a rash that may appear anywhere on the body •itching – usually around your eyes, ears, lips,throat or roof of the mouth •flushing (feeling hot and red) •stomach cramps, feeling or being sick •feeling weak •collapsing or falling unconscious.

The Symptom Checker guides you to the next appropriate healthcare steps, whether it’s self care, talking to a health professional, going to a hospital or calling triple zero (000). Source: www.healthdirect.gov.au

66

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

NOT SURE WHAT TO DO NEXT? IF YOU ARE STILL CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR SPIDER BITE, WHY NOT USE HEALTHDIRECT’S ONLINE SYMPTOM CHECKER (WWW.HEALTHDIRECT.GOV.AU/SYMPTOMCHECKER) TO GET ADVICE ON WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.

EVENTS

EvEnts & MarkEts

Sand Sculpting Australia Exhibition 26 December 2016 – 25 April 2017 Frankston Waterfront Tickets: visitfrankston.com Be mesmerised as childhood dreams and fantasies are brought to life in sand.

See dinosaurs and dragons, sea creatures and spaceships, pirates, princesses and more in the ‘Lands of Imagination’.

The Waterfront Festival

Twilight Jazz

14 – 15 January 2017 Frankston Waterfront From 11am Free entry

18 February 2017 Cruden Farm 60 Cranbourne Rd, Langwarrin Tickets: mcclellandgallery.com

Enjoy live music, free interactive activities and indulge in great food, wine, beer and cider while you dance the weekend away in the sunshine. Rides and amusements for all ages, beach activities, water sports, market stalls with local handmade products and fireworks at 9:45pm Saturday.

A relaxing evening of jazz music, food, wine and gift stalls. The Twilight Jazz annual fundraiser for McClelland Sculpture Park + Gallery is a night not to be missed.

Bring your picnic basket, rug and enjoy the ambience and surrounds of beautiful Cruden Farm – gardens of the late Dame Elisabeth Murdoch.

A traditional Greek festival with dancing and food held on the Frankston Waterfront. More than 3,000 people are expected to join the annual celebration with crowds lining the pier to watch the rush to retrieve a blessed cross from the water.

Seaford Handmade & Design Market

The Big Bayside & Peninsula Design Markets

Beachcombers Sunday Pop Up Market

3rd Saturday of the month Seaford Scout Hall, Station Street, Seaford 9am – 1pm Free entry

Various dates and locations www.mermaidsorority.com.au

1st Sunday of the month Daveys Hotel, 510 Nepean Highway, Frankston 9am – 2pm Free entry

Blessing of the Waters 6 January 2017 Frankston Waterfront 11am – 5pm Free event

MARKETS

Wells Street Market Every Thursday Wells Street, Frankston 9am – 2pm Free entry A kaleidoscope of people, products and experiences await you at Wells Street Market, in the heart of Frankston.

Browse gifts, jewellery, homewares, fresh cut flowers, honey, candles, woodwork, art, children’s clothing, fresh produce and more.

A diverse range of local stalls showcasing local clothing designers, art, jewellery, homewares, plants, craft, books, collectables, children’s and vintage clothing, antiques and soaps. Browse the market then have lunch at local cafes or enjoy exploring Seaford beach.

Boutique ‘pop up’ markets showcasing talented artisan makers and designers of handcrafted items for baby, home, lifestyle and more.

Enjoy indoor shopping, food truck dining, live music and children’s activities.

A family friendly, indoor market with bistro lunches from midday.

Wander new and vintage stalls with homewares, kitchenware, gifts, fresh flowers, kids and baby clothing, cushions, candles jewellery and more.

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

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HELPING

OUR KIDS UNDERSTAND THE

VALUE OF MONEY BY: SCOTT PAPE

I

t’s fair to say that most parents are unsure where to start when it comes to educating their child on money matters. So here are a few tips from the Barefoot Investor, Scott Pape, on how to teach your child the value of money.

INVESTMEMT BONDS:

There are a number of investment bond providers — like Lifeplan’s NextGen Investments, Austock Life’s Imputation Bonds and AMP’s Growth Bonds. To choose one, the same rules you used for choosing a super fund apply: you want to invest in shares (not all of them do) and the lower the fees you can pay the better.

The only company I will not let you go anywhere near is the Australian Scholarships Group, or ASG, as it’s known. ASG is the largest provider of educational scholarship plans in Australia— but biggest in this case does not mean best.

ASG is like the tooth fairy (which is hands down the creepiest character that’s ever been created to deceive kids). Like the tooth fairy, ASG promises to magically appear and leave behind shiny coins. Also, like with the tooth fairy, in order to get any money from ASG you have to pay through the teeth.

Look, ASG’s scholarships are just awful: their fees and charges are incredibly high.

The bottom line? Stay away from ASG. One more thing: all bonds have a number of rules, so check the fine print before you invest.

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AVOID RAISING A SPOILT BRAT:

I’m passionate about financial education. I even bought a farm for my kids. Each one will get a paddock, a ram and a ewe—financial education and sex education rolled into one. The trouble parents get into is not understanding that pocket money is really a tool for financial education.

So if you don’t want your kids to grow up entitled, don’t give them an allowance. Make them pitch in on ordinary things around the house (washing up, taking out the bins), but pay them for working hard (like in the real world).

USE PRACTICAL TOOLS TO EXPLAIN THE VALUE OF MONEY: Take three empty jam jars and label them ‘Spend’,

‘Save’ and ‘Give’.

Kids learn by seeing and touching (which is why student banking sucks), so you want to make it as visual as possible. Keep them in your kid’s room so they can see the money piling up.

Divide the coins evenly:

you know (don’t even get me started on this). Think about it. What would you have done if your old man handed you a cheque for, say, $150000 on your 21st birthday? You’d have developed a sensible, diversified portfolio...of weed, whisky and women. Woo-hooo!

(I didn’t get a cheque, or even a dollar coin. In fact, the closest thing to a precious metal I got was an engraved 21st birthday beer stein that was topped up throughout the night, leaving me a heaving mess the next morning.)

•Spend: kids need to learn how to become savvy shoppers, and the best way to teach them is through experience.

No, the aim is to build up their net worth and their self-worth.

•Save: teaching them that they need to save for stuff is the cornerstone of an effective financial education, and pays lifelong dividends.

MONEY FOR NOTHING: A survey asked how much pocket

•Give: this is a life lesson in contentment—after all, the happiest people on the planet are those who give. It also teaches children that by living in Australia they’re already among the richest people on the planet, and it puts money in its proper perspective.

money parents thought children should get. Some said $10, some said $20, some said more. I say zero. They’re already well ahead getting free bills and board. A parent’s job is to prepare their children for the real world, and in the real world, if you don’t work you don’t get paid.

For primary school kids, who can’t work in a coalmine (yet), household chores are the way to go. For older kids, Woolworths is the answer.

ENSURE OLDER KIDS HAVE FINANCIAL UNDERSTANDING AS WELL: Older kids can go to kiva.

My take is that parents need to understand that an allowance isn’t spending money – it’s a tool for financial education.

PARIS HILTON, DONALD TRUMP AND YOUR KIDS:

Scott Pape has been voted “Australia’s most trusted finance expert.” He’s the money guy for Triple M, and writes two weekly national newspaper columns. He has advised AFL and NRL teams about money, and consults to the Australian government on financial education in schools. www.twitter.com/scottpape www.facebook.com/barefootinvestor www.barefootinvestor.com

org and help a struggling entrepreneur in the developing world. They can loan $25 online, then follow the entrepreneur’s story on the kiva website. Twenty-five bucks is chicken feed to change the lives of two people: the entrepreneur’s and your child’s. Oh, and for teenagers flipping burgers, they’ll have outgrown the piggy banks, so they can put their earnings into three separate bank accounts (Spend, Save, Give) instead.

If you don’t teach them to handle money, you’ll end up with your very own Paris Hilton...or Donald Trump—his father was a multimillionaire,

For more practical, inspiring, even laugh-out-loud financial advice check out Scott’s new book The Barefoot Investor: The only money guide you’ll ever need

www.peninsulakids.com.au

69

DO YOU HAVE A

TIGER

THAT YOU RUN FROM? BY: ALEESAH DARLISON

A

s a working mother with four young children I make mistakes every day in my role as a parent. I know I’m not alone in this and that some of us make bigger mistakes than others. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that being a parent is one of the most difficult jobs in the world.

In researching for the story, I discovered that one of the things abused children struggle with is admitting to others what’s happening at home.

They feel ashamed, that it’s their fault, or even that they deserve the abuse. Sometimes they’re threatened – physically and verbally – so they won’t say anything.

It’s the fact that we keep trying, and that we attempt to fix our mistakes, that’s important. We should never give up on our kids or ourselves.

Ebony doesn’t have the strength or courage to speak out about her abusive father at the start of the novel, but with the help of her friend, Teena, she eventually becomes empowered to take control of her own destiny.

Children need love and protection, but the sad reality is that they don’t always get it.

Too often we see reports in the media of child neglect and abuse.

These stories keep me awake at night worrying for the children who have had to endure so much and worrying for us as a society where children can be mistreated and the penalties seem so light.

I’ve often considered becoming a foster parent to help kids in need and I admire anyone who has done this. Although I’m not in a position to take on that kind of role right now, I came to the realisation that there was another way that I could help.

I realised that I could use my gift of writing to create a children’s book that would deal with the all-too-real issue of child abuse and domestic violence within a fictional world. Not all topics are easy to talk about, or to write about. Still, those stories need to be told.

My aim was to write a novel that was realistic yet hopeful, empowering, educational, helpful and healing. I wanted my book to be for every child who had suffered, to offer them something to hold onto and to help make them strong.

And so Running from the Tiger was born.

Essentially a tale of friendship and trust, the story is narrated by eleven-year-old Ebony Jackson and begins with her going about her morning ritual of running before school. Ebony dreams of becoming a high performance athlete, a sprinter, so she trains every day. She also runs to escape ‘the tiger’, which is a code name that she uses for her abusive father.

Running is all I ever had, all I was ever good at.

I thought if I could run fast enough, he wouldn’t be able to catch me.

The tiger runs fast, you know.

And he’s strong.

There was no way I could be stronger than him. I’m too small.

So I had to be faster.

I thought if I was fast enough, he might see me for all I am and all I could be.

I thought, I hoped, that running would save me one day.

Still, I hope for this.

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Through Ebony and Teena – and their friendship – I hope to show young readers that although they’re small they can be powerful too.

If you, or a friend you know, needs help, call the Child Wise National Child Abuse Helpline on 1800 99 10 99 (Free Call).

Aleesah’s stories always come from the heart, with passion and commitment, and carry elements of truth, joy and triumph over adversity. Aleesah’s many books have been shared the world over, bringing hope and comfort to young readers and their families and assisting with literacy, learning and self-development.

Every child matters. And so does their story.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ AleesahDarlisonFanPage

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aleesah Darlison is an award-winning Australian children’s author who writes picture books, chapter books and novels. Her much-loved stories promote courage, understanding, anti-bullying, self-belief, teamwork and environmental themes.

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HOW

TO PINCH A FEW PENNIES THESE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS! BY: BESSIE HASSAN

D

ecember has arrived. Summer has begun, the kids have opened their Christmas countdown calendars and the school holidays are about to commence. It’s not all children’s laughter and sunshine for parents come the school holidays, however.

According to a survey commissioned by finder.com.au earlier in the year, 40% of Australian families perceive the school holidays as a financial burden. Mini-humans require a lot of stimulation to keep entertained and finding ways to keep them satisfied can be both physically and financially draining.

Meals out, road trips and going to the cinema are all common activities for occupying and entertaining the kids. However, at the end of the holiday period, it’ll be the parents left reeling from the cumulative sting. Swapping out some traditionally expensive activities for cheaper alternatives and cutting back on holiday-inflated expenses could see families save hundreds during these Christmas holidays.

ALTERNATE ACTIVITIES: INSTEAD OF THE CINEMA: The movie theatre has nothing on your own living room after it’s turned into a fort. Help your kids create a dim, comfy atmosphere that mimics the cinema by pulling in mattresses and creating a roof by laying sheets over furniture like the couches or chairs.

Consider inviting some of your childrens friends over for a movie night.

For the ultimate first class experience, visit your local $2 store where you’ll be able to purchase plastic popcorn boxes to hold some simple microwave popcorn.

INSTEAD OF ROAD TRIPPING: Fuel prices peak during holiday

periods. Leave the car in the garage and catch the bus, train or ferry to your activity instead. Not only do you get a break from driving, but you get to bypass holiday traffic. Look out for family passes or an activity that bundles family transport.

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INSTEAD OF EATING OUT: It’s easy to get a little lazy during the

holiday period and replace a home-cooked meal for takeout. These small splurges accumulate to a considerable cost in the long term, so cook from home as often as possible. Your kids will love to get involved, so think of a meal you’re happy for them to co-chef.

Homemade pizzas are always an easy favourite and allow for personal preferences (no sibling rivalry!). If you’re feeling brave, you could invite your child’s friends over to make their own as well.

You should be able to pick up all the ingredients you need for a pizza party, for the same price of a single pizza purchase at a restaurant.

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SAVING IDEAS: MOBILE MAYHEM: There’s no shame in handing your kid your

mobile for a bit of a breather while you’re travelling on public transport! Modern kids are very tech-savvy and, come school break, it’s likely they’ll be spending a lot more time chewing through your mobile data -- especially if you’re holidaying away from WiFi.

Make sure your internet plan is ready for a surge in activity.

Providers are releasing new data deals all the time; compare your options, adjust your mobile plan and only pay for what you require.

GARAGE SALE: The perfect excuse to have the kids to clean their room. Encourage them to distance themselves from their hoarding ways with the incentive of keeping the money they make from selling their own unwanted items. An easy way to clear out the house, keep the kids entertained and make some fast cash.

DIY CHRISTMAS CARDS: Children are all about arts and crafts, and what better art to craft than Christmas cards?

Homemade cards have more character than generic store-bought ones, and accompanied with some glitter pens and festive stickers, your child could be entertained for hours.

Hopefully you’ve gathered a couple of ideas to pinch a few pennies this summer. Think back to the basics if you get stuck.

Playground games which require little or no setup like stuck in the mud, tag and hide-and-seek are perfect holiday-fillers to keep the little ones entertained at minimal cost.

Bessie Hassan is the Money Expert at finder.com.au and mother of two. She’s passionate about helping Australian families save and believes the best things in life are free.

40%

OF AUSTRALIAN FAMILIES PERCIEVE THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AS A FINANCIAL BURDEN According to a survey commissioned by finder.com.au earlier in the year

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

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Celebrate

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Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring Summer2016 2016

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Peninsula Kids â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer 2016

Credits & Links Party Organised by Waggle Dance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; www.waggledance.com.au Photography Driftwood Images www.dwimages.com.au Cake Driftwood Cakes (Frankston) www.driftwoodcakes.blogspot.com

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How to host a Mediaeval Party for your * Book your entertainment for the day; Waggle Dance, who will train your knights and fair maidens in the art of mediaeval sword fighting. * Source or make a mediaeval outfit for your young squire or damsel. There are plenty available to buy on eBay if you get stuck. * Buy or make mediaeval inspired decorations such as; coat of arms buntings, DIY goblets (spray paint plastic cups gold and decorate with jewels from the craft shop), lanterns, and a faux candle chandelier if you are an adventurous crafter. * Prepare a cake or arrange to have one made; ideas include a shield, dragon, castle or a crown. * Download some instrumental themed music from the middle ages for your iPod or music device. * Make a simple mediaeval kids banquet; baskets of bread, apples, grapes, corn on the cob, sausages or meat balls. * Source party bags and fill with gold coins, lolly frogs, sour lizards and temporary knight mediaeval tattoos.

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Step 2: Create a 4cm bubble at the knotted end of the balloon.

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85

Pregnancy & Baby

WOMB

SERVICE! BY: PINKY MCKAY

W

omb service helps your baby adapt to being ‘on the outside’ and involves recreating the sensations your baby experienced while he was safely carried inside you. To help you remember the important aspects, I have called these the five Ws: Warmth, Wrapping, Wearing your baby, Water, and Womb sounds.

WARMTH Inside your body, your baby didn’t experience cool air blowing on his tiny body or entering his lungs and these new sensations can be quite disturbing. So, at first, warm the space where you are going to be with your baby (16–20˚C will be a comfortable room temperature for your baby), and take care not to have fans or air-conditioners blowing directly onto him in warmer weather. If you are popping him into a cradle to sleep, he will be more comfortable (and likely to sleep better) lying on sheets that have been warmed slightly. You do need to take care not to overheat your baby, but you can warm his sheets slightly with a heat-pack before you place him into bed – test the sheets with your forearm to make sure they aren’t hot.

WRAPPING Just as your newborn was tucked snugly inside your body, supported by the uterine wall, you can provide a sense of security by swaddling him. With his limbs tucked securely against his body, just as they were in the womb, this will help your baby feel safe as well as inhibiting the newborn reflex known as the ‘startle reflex’, this is a primitive survival response that produces spontaneous, jerky movements and can be disturbing for your baby, literally.

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WEARING YOUR BABY Inside your womb, your baby was lulled to sleep by your body movements as you went about your daily work. Now, the motion of being carried in a wrap or carrier against your moving body and your comforting heartbeat, as he breathes the familiar scent of your body, will help your baby feel safe. This feeling of familiarity will reduce stress hormones and help your baby relax – and a more relaxed baby will sleep more easily. Wearing your baby may have a balancing effect on his irregular rhythms of waking and sleeping, and is also thought to help him regulate his developing nervous and hormonal system, promoting day waking and night sleeping. Best of all, if your baby falls asleep in the sling, you will have two hands free to do a few chores, or you can go out and enjoy a walk.

WATER Help your baby recall his watery womb world by taking a bath together. Remember that in your womb, your baby was confined, not floating all stretched out, and his womb world was gently bathed in filtered light. By dimming the lights or bathing by candlelight with your newborn, you will help him recall the safety of his womb world and you will be able to hold her close and support him as he gradually relaxes and ‘uncurls’ his limbs. Bathing together is especially helpful if bonding has been interrupted by early separation or a difficult birth or feeding experience. It can also be lovely bonding time for father and baby.

WOMB SOUNDS The calming, repetitive sounds of traditional lullabies recall the ‘womb music’ your baby heard before birth (your heartbeat, and fluids whooshing through the placenta). If you are feeling anxious or stressed, try humming, it will slow your breathing and help you relax so your energy will be more calming for your baby too. Baby music that incorporates elements such as the rhythm of a heartbeat or ‘white noise’ can have remarkable soothing effects, especially if played continuously through the night. Of course, your own singing voice is transportable ‘music’ that doesn’t rely on the availability of a CD player, and it will help induce calm and sleepiness just as well as any commercial music –even if you don’t have a fabulous voice!

Pinky McKay is an IBCLC Lactation consultant and best –selling baby care author of Sleeping Like a Baby and Parenting by Heart. She’s also the creator of Boobie Bikkies, all natural and organic cookies to support a healthy breast milk supply.

Check Pinky’s website at www.pinkymckay.com

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EXERCISE

DURING & POST PREGNANCY THERE ARE SO MANY OPINIONS ON WHETHER PEOPLE SHOULD EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY. ITS A GREAT DEBATE IN THE PREGNANCY WORLD.

BY: JULIE COX

M

aintaining a regular exercise routine throughout your pregnancy can help you stay healthy and feel your best.

Regular exercise during pregnancy can improve your posture and decrease some common discomforts such as backaches and fatigue. There is evidence that physical activities may prevent gestational diabetes, relieve stress, and build more stamina needed for labour and delivery. It also helps to output some of the sluggish energy. If you were physically active before your pregnancy, you should be able to continue your activity in moderation. Don’t try to exercise at your former level; instead, do what’s most comfortable for you now. Some people often debate that it’s best to not stop anything you were doing prior to being pregnant but it’s always best to consult your doctor and go by their professional lead. If you have never exercised regularly before, you can safely begin an exercise program during pregnancy after consulting with your doctor.

WHAT EXERCISES SHOULD BE AVOIDED DURING PREGNANCY? There are certain exercises and activities that can be harmful if performed during pregnancy. They include: • Holding your breath during any activity • Activities where falling is likely • Contact sports • Any exercise that may cause even mild abdominal trauma such as activities that include jarring motions or rapid changes in direction.

• Activities that require extensive jumping, hopping, skipping, bouncing, or running.

• Deep knee bends, full sit-ups, double leg raises, and straight-leg toe touches • Bouncing while stretching • Waist-twisting movements while standing

WHO SHOULD NOT EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY?

• Heavy exercise spurts followed by long periods of no activity

If you have a medical problem, such as asthma, heart disease and diabetes, exercise may not be advisable. Exercise may also be harmful if you have a pregnancy-related condition such as:

• Exercise in hot, humid weather

• Bleeding or spotting • Low placenta -Threatened or recurrent miscarriage • Previous premature births or history of early labour -Weak cervix If you are unsure what exercises are best to commence you can always chat to your doctor and they can structure a program based on your medical history.

WHAT EXERCISES ARE SAFE DURING PREGNANCY? Most exercises are safe to perform during pregnancy, as long as you exercise with caution and do not overdo it. The safest and most productive activities are swimming, brisk walking, indoor stationary cycling, step or elliptical machines, and low-impact classes or programs. Most exercises can be varied to a low impact option.

Whether you are pregnant or not always listen to your body, if you are unsure at any time, stop.

WHAT SHOULD A PREGNANCY EXERCISE PROGRAM CONSIST OF? For total fitness, a pregnancy program should strengthen and condition your muscles. Always begin by warming up for five minutes and stretching for five minutes. Include at least fifteen minutes of cardiovascular activity. Measure your heart rate at times of peak activity.

Follow aerobic activity with five to ten minutes of gradually slower exercise that ends with gentle stretching.

Here are some basic exercise guidelines for pregnant women: • Wear loose fitting, comfortable clothes as well as a good support bra.

• Choose shoes that are designed for the type of exercise you do. Proper shoes are your best protection against injury.

• Exercise on a flat, level surface to prevent injury.

• Consume enough calories to meet the needs of your pregnancy (300 more calories per day than before you were pregnant) as well as your exercise program.

• Finish eating at least one hour before exercising.

• Drink water before, during, and after your workout.

• After doing floor exercises, get up slowly and gradually to prevent dizziness.

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• Never exercise to the point of exhaustion. If you cannot talk normally while exercising, you are probably over-exerting yourself and should slow down your activity.

WHAT PREGNANCY CHANGES MAY AFFECT EXERCISE? Physical changes during pregnancy create extra demands on your body. Keeping in mind the changes listed below, remember that you need to listen to your body and adjust your activities or exercise routine as necessary.

• Your developing baby and other internal changes require more oxygen and energy.

• Hormones produced during pregnancy cause the ligaments that support your joints to stretch, increasing the risk of injury.

• The extra weight and the uneven distribution of your weight shift your centre of gravity. The extra weight also puts stress on joints and muscles in the lower back and pelvic area and makes it easier for you to lose your balance.

Warning for Pregnant Women Stop exercising and consult your health care provider if you: • Feel chest pain • Have abdominal pain, pelvic pain or persistent contractions.

• Have a headache.

• Notice an absence or decrease in foetal movement.

• Feel faint, dizzy, nauseous, or light-headed.

• Feel cold or clammy.

• Have vaginal bleeding • Have a sudden gush of fluid from the vagina or a trickle of fluid that leaks steadily.

• Notice an irregular or rapid heartbeat.

• Have sudden swelling in your ankles hands, face, or calf pain.

• Are short of breath.

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• Have difficulty walking.

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This best thing to do if you are advised not to exercise for some reason during your pregnancy is to remember you can always start again once you have the all clear from your doctor.

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89

GRANNY’S GUIDE TO …

BY: YVETTE O'DOWD

Introducing The New Baby!

T

he arrival of a new sibling is one of the most significant events in a young child’s life – and can be a combination of joy and disappointment! By preparing a toddler or older child for what to expect, the transition from baby of the family to big brother or sister can be less overwhelming and a positive experience for all involved.

We recently welcomed my second grandchild into our family, so here are my tips for making it work for yours!

INVOLVE YOUR TODDLER FROM THE START Even very young toddlers quickly work out that something is happening to mummy, so avoid keeping the pregnancy a secret from them. Small children understand more than you think. Talk about babies, introduce your little one to babies in your community and read lots of stories about babies. Let them go along to visits with the midwife or doctor, who will involve them and even let them listen to the heartbeat in mummy’s tummy.

groups like the Australian Breastfeeding Association will expose your toddler to the reality and you can show how babies grow and change.

GIVE THEM THINGS TO DO The early weeks or months with a baby mean lots of hours sitting in one place while you feed your newborn. This can be hard for an active toddler or pre-schooler who is used to you playing with them and doing lots of things around the home. They will easily become bored and look for their own entertainment … not always with things you would like them to! Activities they can play with near you while you feed will keep them close by and minimise their demands. Forget about sitting in a nursery feeding this baby – you need to be where your older child plays! Set up your chair close by and prepare for feed times by setting out a toy or activity they can play with – puzzles, play dough, books and toys they don’t need your help to use are great. Drinks they can access, snacks which they can graze and a potty nearby make things simpler. And your little helper can be helpful if you show them where you keep nappies, burp cloths and wipes for the baby!

AVOID BIG CHANGES

Getting used to a new baby in the family takes time for small children – and their parents! By helping your toddler be prepared, they will Growing up means lots of changes in a toddler’s life – toilet training, adjust sooner and shower the baby with love instead or resentment. moving into a big bed or your own bedroom all need time and take some adjustment. If possible, avoid big changes in the three months before or after the baby arrives. If that means staying in nappies, borrowing a second cot for the newborn or continuing to share your room with Yvette O’Dowd probably isn’t your typical grandmother. your toddler, be assured that any temporary inconvenience will be outThis 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 weighed by keeping your toddler’s world as predictable as possible.

TELL THE TRUTH The newborn baby will be a great playmate for your toddler – but not for many months or years. Mummy will spend a lot of time feeding and caring for the new baby. Be realistic in what you tell your child – babies are loud when they cry, newborn poo is pretty yucky and umbilical cords will have a clamp on them in the early days. Some babies vomit! Spending time around other mothers and babies in

expecting twins and more, facilitates local babywearing and natural parenting groups and writes for a popular parenting website.

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

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

Rustic farm setting Pony and horse rides Free cuppas & gas BBQs SPECIAL SCHOOL HOLIDAY activities Many animals for “hands on” experiences 490 Stumpy Gully Rd Balnarring Phone 5983 1691 Open 10am - 4pm

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Playground, picnic areas (BYO food) (see website rhsfarm.com.au)

ELF ON THE SHELF

COMES TO THE PENINSULA! BY: CAMERON MCCULLOUGH

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lf on the Shelf is taking the peninsula by storm, with multiple "adoption" centres opening up in time for this year's Christmas.

Elf on the Shelf is a scout elf that families can adopt and bring into their festive households.

You need to give your elf a name, and it will then receive its "Christmas magic" that allows it to do its very special job.

You see, Elf on the Shelf has a very important role in your house, as the eyes and ears of "the big man in red" himself. And your elf will take in anything and everything that happens during the day.

Elf's Instagram Adventures

But the real action happens at night! Powered by this extramagnifiulous "Christmas magic", your Elf on the Shelf flies back each and every night and reports to Santa on the day's adventures. All that before heading back to your place by the next morning.

Just be warned though... while your Elf in the Shelf takes the job as Santa's eyes and ears very seriously, he is also filled with all kinds of mischief!

Elf on the Shelf has been known to make all kinds of mess and mayhem while you sleep, only to be discovered in the morning.

"Millions of Elf on the Shelf are getting reading to head to their Christmas homes right now" said North Pole's Senior Elf, Gloria.

"They have finished helping Santa all year long, and are getting ready for their long journeys."

"Here at the North Pole, we're in full preparation mode. We are tracking routes, testing flight patterns and measuring the wind velocity in preparation for the departure of all these elf scouts".

When their Elf on the Shelf arrives, there are two simple rules that every child must follow.

First, a scout elf cannot be touched; "Christmas magic" is very fragile and if a scout elf is touched it may lose that magic and be unable to fly back to the North Pole.

Second, a scout elf cannot speak or move while anyone in the house is awake! A scout elf's job is to watch and listen.

Apart from that, enjoy every minute of having Elf on the Shelf being part of your Christmas fun!

www.elfontheshelf.com.au

LOCAL ELF ON THE SHELF STOCKISTS Santa's Place, Benton's Road, Moorooduc Phone: (03) 5978 8500 www.santasplace.com.au Treehouse Republic, Bentons Square Shopping Centre, Mornington Phone: (03) 5975 4350 www.treehouserepublic.com.au Amazing Toys, 45 Mornington Tyabb Road, Mornington.

Phone: (03) 5976 8889 www.amazingtoys.com.au The Toy Workshop, 1 George Street, Sorrento.

Phone: (03) 5984 4227 www.thetoyworkshop.com.au

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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education BY: MICHELLE HAMER

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hy bother teaching kids to write stories? What’s the point? Don’t they get enough of that at school? Sadly no, and the latest NAPLAN results show that kids’ writing skills are declining across the country.

Does it matter? It’s not like every kid is going to be a novelist after all.

Being able to express yourself clearly and effectively will never be outdated. And writing gives kids much more than a means of everyday communication; having the skills and opportunity to write creatively also allows them to tap in to, and deepen their creativity, to process their emotions and to develop self-confidence and resilience. All that, just from scribbling stories?

It seems too good to be true. But storytelling is a part of the fabric that connects us as humans. Each day we live another scene in the story of our life, and every night we’re keen to share those stories with people we love.

The more we are able to share and process our experiences, and to understand and empathise with others’ experiences, the better we are able to live meaningful, happy lives.

This is one of the reasons why giving children the skills to write creatively is an essential tool for life.

Professor Robyn Ewing a board member from the Sydney Story Factory, says “creative writing is really important… it is an art form that children can use to develop their confidence and skills in writing through a sense of identity and their own voice.”

The Sydney Story Factory is a not-for-profit organisation, which offers creative writing workshops to marginalised children and teens. The group says that strong writing skills are one of the foundations of a successful life “A growing body of international research demonstrates that quality arts-based learning experiences can significantly improve both literacy rates and academic engagement and attainment, while also providing many other social and emotional benefits.”

WHY

SHOULD KIDS

American author and literacy expert Pam Allyn wrote the book Your Child’s Writing Life: How to Inspire Confidence, Creativity and Skill at Every Age, in which she says that writing helps to cultivate kids’ emotional growth, develop critical thinking skills and improve school performance.

Being able to express yourself is a “skill and gift,” she says.

As schools are forced to focus more on rigid outcomes in literacy, creativity is pushed out, and kids come to see writing as a chore.

“Children have come to equate writing with hard, laborious work,” Allyn writes. But “the pleasure and excitement of writing something that matters to you personally is uplifting and often really energising.”

This is what we see at Wordsmiths. Our Wordsmiths become almost giddy with the idea that they can write whatever they like. It can be long, or short. It can be guns blazing mega action, or silly, random ideas that make the writer giggle. It’s all about No Rules Writing.

Giving the ownership and creativity back to the kids. We inspire kids

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Looking for a career in Family Day Care?

Bambini are registering new educators in the Mornington Peninsula area now!

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

“IT IS A MAJOR, MAJOR PROBLEM AND IT IS GETTING WORSE AND WORSE, YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.” to open their imagination and see what falls out. Taking away any possibility of failure is hugely freeing.

The final word on kids’ writing goes to author, Jackie French, a former Australian Children’s Laureate who has written more than 140 books, and judged children’s writing competitions for the past 25 years.

“I’ve seen a marked slide in the ability of young people to write to a topic, to be able to write intelligible prose, to be able to stick to a scene and to even write in paragraphs,” she said in a recent interview.

“It is a major, major problem and it is getting worse and worse, year after year after year.”

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

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

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

03 9813 5680

DIY Writing You can easily encourage your child to write creatively at home. Give them a diary or journal where they can jot their private thoughts, ideas for stories, favourite words – whatever they want.

Make a time to share their writing (if they want to) and give them feedback.

Get them to write letters or cards to family members, share any writing they bring home from school, and maybe challenge them to create their own bedtime story occasionally.

Michelle Hamer is a local journalist and author. She is the director of Wordsmiths. wordsmithsworkshops.com.au

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

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THE PROBLEM SOLVING

PROBLEM BY: BRIONY HENDY

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id you know problem solving develops critical and analytical thinking through identifying essential information and making sense of problems, that it fosters communication, interpretation, prediction, evaluation, creativity, persistence and reasoning which are not only maths skills, but more importantly life-long learning and living skills, helping children to thrive in today’s ever changing world?

Maths today is about learning how to apply numeracy concepts to reallife contexts and manipulate numbers, rather than memorising number facts, times tables and formulas. Problem solving features prominently in our National Assessments (actually two-thirds of questions in NAPLAN are word problems) and in our classrooms for some very good reasons.

Let’s consider the following word problem: Sunnydale Primary School had a total of 365 students at the beginning of the school year. Grade 1 A had 22 students, Grade 1B had 19 and

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Grade 1C had 23. During the year, 3 more students joined Grade 1B, 2 more joined Grade 3C and 1 student left Grade 1A to move interstate. How many students were in Grade 1 altogether by the end of the year?

There are probably many things going through your mind right now!

What do I have to work out? What information do I need and how am I going to solve it? Where is Sunnydale Primary School and how does this help me with anything? I couldn’t do these problems when I was at school and now my child is bringing them home and asking for help!

Einstein once said that if he had an hour to solve a problem he would spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes solving it and this is exactly what we need to encourage our children to do too.

Research suggests that over 50% of errors occur during this ‘thinking’ phase, before we carry out any maths processes. This involves children reading and comprehending the text, understanding the problem, identifying the critical information and forming mental or visual representation about the problem.

How can you help your child develop fundamental problem solving skills? may take several different paths to arrive at •Create engaging word problems and use two numbers and one process. personalise them by using familiar characters a solution. Finding an alternative direction •Talk to your child’s teacher about the area is an important part of any type of problem such as family members, friends, pets and of maths they are covering so you can link solving, whether it be in maths or daily life! experiences. Bring them to life, be humorous it to the problems you create together. and base them on your child’s interests in •Celebrate children’s success and compare •Aside from word problems, also include order to fascinate and motivate them. problem solving to ‘detective work’! Ask brainteasers and puzzles to develop them to explain to you how they went •Support your child in comprehending the creative thinking and persistence. about solving the problem. Get them text. Encourage them to read the problem •Have fun with problems, look at them as thinking about their thinking! at least twice then invite them to underline, investigations rather than problems! highlight or circle the critical information •Explore possible problem solving they believe will assist to solve the problem. strategies such as: Guess and check, draw •After the child has read the problem and identified critical information, ask them to retell the problem in their own words to check their understanding of the problem.

•Encourage persistence and nurture the idea that problem solving takes time and

a diagram, look for a pattern. Encourage younger students to use objects to help solve the problem.

Briony is a teacher at Moorooduc primary school and leads teaching and learning.

•Create problems which involve several steps and include more than one step to avoid children simply predicting having to

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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5

WAYS YOU CAN ENCOURAGE YOUR GRANDKIDS TO

READ MORE BY: FLEUR MICHELL

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eading with your grandchildren is one of the most treasured memories you can create for both them and yourself. Literacy expert and former primary school teacher Sara Leman, who helped devise the award-winning reading program ABC Reading Eggs, says reading together can foster a sense of nurturing and spark reading interest within children.

“Grandparents don’t have to be experts on reading or do it continuously with their grandchildren, however they can still participate and encourage them in a number of ways,” she says. If reading the same old book to your grandkids over and over is starting to wear thin, here are a couple of new ideas to encourage a love of reading.

READ YOUR GRANDKIDS A BOOK THAT RELATES TO YOU If you previously worked as a doctor, teacher, bus driver, whatever it may be, try and hunt out a book about that subject. Just bear in mind that kids books on some professions might be a little tricky to find! If you can’t find anything appropriate, then there are lots of children’s books about grandparents out there. Being able to talk about the book’s subject and relate it to yourself will create a deeper connection with that book, and promote discussion and engagement with your grandchild.

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LOOK AT A READING PROGRAM OR APP TOGETHER One way to encourage grandkids to read more is through an engaging and research-based reading program. ABC Reading Eggs is a popular online reading program which is also available as an app.

The program combines a progressive sequence of instructional learning activities with motivational elements such as engaging animations, music, games, online activities and rewards. “It also has an online library with more than 2,000 fiction and non-fiction e-books,” says Sara. “It’s a ton of fun and is a good thing for grandparents to get involved in, especially in the digital age where kids are so tech savvy.”

HAVE A GRANDKIDS “BOOKCLUB” One way to ramp up a child’s interest in a book is to hold your own “bookclub” with them. Either read the book together, or if an older child is reading a book by themselves, you could also read it as well. The next time you see them or call ask: “What caught your attention in this book?” or “What did you find strange or surprising?” If you don’t live nearby you could also start a Facebook discussion with them or ask them questions over Skype.

LET THEM CHOOSE THEIR OWN BOOKS Take your grandkids out to a library, bookstore or magazine rack and let them choose their own reading material. Kids often have books thrust upon them by well-meaning relatives on things they aren’t actually interested in. And try not to get too offended if a much-loved book from your own childhood registers zero interest in your grandchild! Everyone is different. Ask them what makes them laugh or intrigues them. Whether it’s fairies, dragons, sport, animals or even underpants there’s a kids book on everything out there! The NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge website has book suggestions for every age group.

GET YOU GRANDKIDS TO MAKE THEIR OWN BOOK “Unleash your grandchild’s creative flair by encouraging them to make their own book,” suggests Sara. “Even if they can only write a few words, it’s still a fun exercise, and a great one to do together.”

First they need to fold a couple of A4 sheets of paper in half and staple together in the middle. “If the child doesn’t know what to write about get them thinking about their own experiences or interests,” suggests Sara.

“Looking at family photos or re-writing a well-known story are also good starting points.”

ABC Reading Eggs is the multiaward winning online reading program for ages three to 13 that uses scientific research to help your child learn to read, in just weeks!

The program is designed by experts to deliver fast and proven results to prepare your child for school in the best way possible.

Learning to read is made fun and easy as your child makes their way

through self-paced, one-on-one lessons that match their ability and feature fun characters, wonderful songs and interactive animations.

ABC Reading Eggs book packs, activity books, flashcards and CDROMs are perfect for four to sevenyear-olds who are learning to read.

The ABC Reading Eggs products cover phonics, spelling, sight words, writing, and much more!

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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RESILIENCE: WHAT IS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT? BY: KRISTY KENDALL

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t seems that you can’t read a book or blog on parenting without someone talking about building resilient children.

But is it really that important and what role do parents play in its development?

Our brains are most adaptable early in life and that is why the first few years of schooling are most critical for children to learn how to build positive relationships, how to develop successful learning habits and how to deal with challenge and adversity. When something goes wrong what a child does next has much to do with their level of resilience.

So, what do you say if their best friend is not in their class next year?

What do you say if they are not selected as captain of their sporting team? Childhood is the training ground for their adult lives. They look to you, as parents, to see how you respond to disappointment, challenge and even unfairness. The level of adversity and challenge in adult life only intensifies so children need a bag of tricks that they can draw on when things go wrong. These tools and mechanisms they learn from you when they experience setbacks and you role model positivity, opportunity, possibility and perspective.

Posing alternate perspectives to a child is a very powerful tool and helps a child frame information and situations presented to them.

The impact of gratitude on resilience is also widely accepted as a positive response to adversity, and of course possessing a growth mindset is also integral to building resilient children. A growth mindset helps children understand that mistakes are inevitable and are all part of the journey along the way.

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One trap that parents can fall in to is not understanding their children’s emotional development. Parents need to remember that emotional development is something that grows right up into late adolescence. You can’t expect children to have various degrees of slight disappointment or a little bit of trepidation. Children’s emotions are underdeveloped and therefore can be intense and generalised.

They can be devastated when not selected for a team, they may be furious they can’t do a maths question. The trap parents can fall in to is in assimilating their child’s emotions with their own and over responding. Your child’s devastation is not the equivalent of your experience of devastation, they just haven’t developed the ability yet to feel a little let down. So remember to keep in mind that your child’s emotions and those that you experience are not matching pairs and make sure your response is not an adults reaction to a child’s emotion.

Challenges, disappointment and adversity are not things to avoid, swerve or fight they are learning opportunities that give your child qualities and skills that will most certainly be drawn upon as they progress through the exciting journey of life that awaits them.

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

Year 11 Dux Charlotte Holland, Year 7 Dux Adana Hulett, Year 8 Dux Krystal Maragoudakis, Year 9 Dux Holly Sweeney, Year 10 Dux Emma Qiu, Principal Stuart Johnston

Congratulations to our 2016 Duces Yes, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all girls. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because girls thrive in a learning environment that reflects the real world, where boys and girls work together.

For more information about how your daughter can learn, grow and flourish at The Peninsula School, contact Admissions on 9788 7702.

The Peninsula School 20 Wooralla Drive, Mt Eliza, VIC 3930

www.tps.vic.edu.au

Toorak College Toorak College has a long and proud history, and is the top academic school on the Mornington Peninsula with leading NAPLAN and VCE results. For the fourth consecutive year we celebrate 40% of students achieving ATAR’s of 90 or above, placing them in the top 10% of Australia.

Toorak College does not just measure itself through academic success, we pride ourselves on the emphasis we place on developing the whole person.

We instil in our students a sense of confidence, and give them the belief that they can try anything; our students know that making mistakes is how they grow and improve. We develop creative

thinkers and encourage our students to be self-reflective and self-motivated.

teachers that develop our students’ passions wherever they may lie.

In the early years we value exploration, inquiry, curiosity and social development.

Our Early Learning Centre exceeds the national standard with a rich playbased learning framework governed

by Reggio Emilia philosophies and principles. Acclaimed for its International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (PYP) our Junior School, Wardle House, develops creative, competent and independent thinkers. Small class sizes, personalised learning programs and extensive co-curricular offerings allow our students to find their own pathway to be brilliant.

For more details call Enrolments on 9788 7234 or visit: www.toorakcollege.vic.edu.au

We inspire all of our students to dream big and aim high; we have quality

Be bril

BE Y BE YO

Be brilli

KRISTY KENDALL PRINCIPAL Toorak Collage

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Old Mornington Rd, Mount Eliza VIC 3930 Phone: 03 9788 7200 Web: www.toorakcollege.vic.edu.au

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

Cornish College Cornish Links Golf with Learning A unique part of the Cornish College campus is the Cornish Links nine hole golf course. Completed in early 2015, the course was constructed with assistance from many parents and donations of essential items from local suppliers including turf and irrigation systems.

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Over 100 boys and girls from the age of three to 17 participate in the golf program which is led by a passionate team of coaches, including Mr Sean Kirschenberg, Certified PGA Golf Professional, Mrs Nadina Light, Golf Professional and Cornish College’s chaplain, Jarrod Davies.

Year 3 student Oliver Jackel enjoys playing golf at school and added his name to the Hole in One trophy after hitting a great shot on the Cornish Links 2nd hole in August 2016. He also impressed World Number 1 Golfer Jason Day, who tweeted his congratulations after seeing a video reenacting the shot on Twitter!

Tom Humphrey, Grounds Manager, designed the course and incorporated a creek, bridges, seating, tee signs and native plantings. While the course has been specifically built for children, some of the holes can be quite challenging. Golf encourages students to practice, learn etiquette and develop persistence.

It rewards integrity and is a ‘game for life’ that has many social, mental and physical benefits.

Cornish College is a co-educational independent Uniting Church school in Bangholme, Melbourne. Our dynamic curriculum focuses on both academic achievement and encouraging students to make a difference in their local and global communities. Situated on 100 acres of natural parkland we embrace our environment as part of the learning program and curriculum design.

With a large bus network, students come from a wide range of bayside and Peninsula regions including Cheltenham, Mentone, Parkdale, Mordialloc, Aspendale, Edithvale, Chelsea, Frankston, Frankston South, Mount Eliza and Mornington.

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

T H E A L L - G I R L A D VA N STEER TA G E VICKI

T H E Open A L L - G I RDay L A D VA N TA G EPRINCIPAL Cornish Collage

OpenSaturday Day 20 February, Saturday 20 February, 2016 10:00am to 1:00pm 10:00am to 1:00pm 2017 Scholarships Friday2016 12 2017 Scholarships close Fridayclose 12 February, Apply online.

9788 7234 9788 7234 ApplyPhone: online.

Phone:

2016

February, 2016

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

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Flipazoo Kids will flip for FlipaZoo, the adorable plush toy animal pillow that’s not one, but two!! The 40cm, soft high quality plush is an ideal gift for kids of all ages.

FlipaZoo is safe, washable and available in an array of characters.

Rubik’s Spark Attention all Rubik’s fans, puzzlers and brainteaser addicts! The makers of the iconic Rubik’s Cube are releasing an all new electronic version of the iconic game, Rubik’s Spark.

Guided by LED lights, players experience a new way to physically control the game play like never before. There’s no buttons and no touch screen – game control works by simply tilting and turning the cube, where special sensors know when and where the lights are as you move the cube. Rubik’s Spark comes with 6 unique, challenging and entertaining games that will test your memory, speed, dexterity and logic and works for both single or multiple players. Aged 8+.

Available at all major toy retailers. RRP $49.95.

You’ll flip for them! They’ll flip for you!

RRP $29.99 www.flipazoo.com

Mary Kay Into the Garden Pedicure Set Step out in style with strappy sandals and toes exposed! All feet goodness packed in a charming gift bag. Gift bag includes foot scrub, foot fizzies, colourful toe separators and an emery board.

RRP: $50.00 Available at: www. beautydirect.marykay.com.au

love

things we

FOR CHRISTMAS

Jockey Men’s Briefs (International Collection) RRP: $26.95 Available at: www.jockeyaustralia.com.au

Ben and Holly Educational Toys Ben and Holly the well-known children’s television show is hugely popular amongst young children. They have introduced an educational toy range that will enhance children’s motor skills, shape recognition and hand-eye coordination with the appeal of their favourite characters. They focus on the following skills: Colour recognition, Counting & numbers, Hand eye coordination, Verbalisation, Problem Solving, Fine motor skills.

Available at ABC stores, Toyworld, Myer and all good independent retailers 102

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The Great Sock Secret by Susan Whelan Illustrated by Gwynneth Jones

Patch and Ruby by Anouska Jones Illustrated by Gwynneth Jones

Dance With Me by Penny Harrison Illustrated by Gwynneth Jones

Sarah’s mother is tired of finding odd socks in the laundry basket.

Where do all the missing socks go? The Great Sock Secret is a wonderfully fun adventure into an imaginative world that’s home to some very cool fairies.

RRP$19.99 www.ekbooks.org

Patch and Ruby is a wonderful, often very funny tale about friendship and finding out where you belong.

A ballerina in a music box loves nothing more than to dance.

Dance with Me is a gorgeous story about treasured possessions and the memories they hold.

RRP$19.99 www.ekbooks.org

RRP$19.99 www.ekbooks.org

V-tech Kidz oom

Sm ar

t ch at W

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Teletubbies Music Day Playset The most iconic and influential pre-school show of all time. Teletubbies follows the adorable antics of Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po. Century touchscreen tummies that broadcast beautiful live action films, shot from a child’s perspective encouraging exploration and learning.

Twister The ultimate family party game, TWISTER, is celebrating its 50th anniversary and five decades of tangling players up in knots!

Australian fans can celebrate TWISTER’s 50th anniversary on social media by using #TWISTER50 and can visit www.hasbro.com for more information.

Teletubbies™ Music Day Playset, RRP $39.99 (suitable for 18months+)

RRP $39.99 Available from major retailers nationwide.

V-tech Toot, Toot Splash range Santa’s Magical Kingdom Santa Claus, Mrs Claus, Rudolph and friends are once again set to make the trip down under; returning to Caulfield Racecourse, to bring the magic of Christmas to life with Santa’s Magical Kingdom. Visited by thousands of people from all around Australia, Santa’s Magical Kingdom has become a Christmas tradition for many families. Running until 23 December, Santa’s Magical Kingdom delivers a Christmas wonderland full of activities that will capture the imagination of children and parents everywhere. Get ready to be amazed as you see the magic of Christmas come to life!

PRESENTS

Perfectly-sized for little hands, the Toot-Toot Splash Sailboat, Tugboat, Speedboat, Clownfish, Sea Lion and Crab entertain kids with a light up button that activates music and sounds in the bath. SplashPoints™ technology has the characters responding with different phrases, cheerful melodies, and sing-along songs. Splish splash, Toot-Toot is taking a bath!

Suitable for 1-5 years RRP $16.95 www.vtech.com.au

Tickets available through Santa’s Magical Kingdom Booking Office on 1300 307 740 or www.ticketmaster.com.au

Hippo Blue Hippo Blue products are designed with kids in mind, high in style and comfort, low in maintenance - the way kids’ stuff should be. Its unique personalised adventures are curated by world-class illustrators, authors and designers and are sure to make children feel unique and special and create memories that last. Plus, they’re waterproof, dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe – modern life safe really.

Wooden Puzzle RRP: $35.00, Card Game RRP: $20.00, Activity Book RRP: $25.00, Colouring Post Cards RRP: $20.00, Gift Labels RRP: $15.00 www.hippoblue.com.au

Ecococoon Stainless drink bottles and Chalk pens Ecococoon drink bottles are made from 18/8 food grade stainless steel, double walled vacuum insulated, BPA free and come in a range of sizes, colours and illustrated designs for all ages. ecococoon – The Ultimate in Stainless Steel Drink Ware 500ml Messenger bottle RRP: $39.95/600ml RRP: $44.95 Use ecococoon Chalk Pens to write or draw all over your ecococoon bottle or cup then clean it off and create something new! The Chalk Pens are nontoxic and easy clean, just wipe surface with a damp cloth.

RRP $29.95 www.ecococoon.com.au

Our Christmas MPKid has these gifts to give away.

Go to peninsulakids.com.au/giveaways for your chance to grab a pressie!

Competition runs from December 1st - 15th www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Feisty Pets Feisty Pets are a new line of plush animals with "stuffed attitude"! Each pet changes their expression from cute to 'feisty' when you gently squeeze them behind the ear.

Stinky Pig Stinky Pig is a silly fast-action, gas-fueled dice game! Played like hot potato, the goal is not to be the one left holding this piggy when it lets one rip. Suitable for 2 or more players aged 6yrs+.

RRP $19.95 www.crownandandrews.com Available at leading toy retailers.

Googly Eyes Googly Eyes has the perfect formula for family fun! A twist on the classic game where a team member draws an object and the others guess what it is – this time the person drawing has to wear the vision-altering ‘Googly Eyes’ glasses! www.crownandandrews.com RRP $30.00

They're great to cuddle and play with, but also perfect for a hilarious and innocent prank on friends and family!

No batteries or extras necessary, there’s six loveable and different Feisty Pets to collect for all ages.

RRP $24.99 www.crownandandrews. com Available at leading toy retailers.

Play N Wrap The Clever Play, Tidy and Store Solution!

Sick of the mess created by Lego, Loom Bands, puzzles and the rest?nThe perfect solution is here! This hobby mat is 1.5 meters wide, large enough to hold a big messy project.

It's double layered to combine toughness and comfort. Pull up the cord and the mess is gone in seconds! Free shipping Australia wide RRP $55.00 www.playnwrap.com.au

Disney Tsum Tsum Squishies (Series 1, 5 pk) All your favourite Disney friends have just got cuter with the Tsum Tsum Squishies collection. With over 50 adorable, squishy, stackable characters to collect! Swap with your friends to complete your Tsum Tsum family don't forget to look out for the ultra rare Gold Mickey, Elsa, Olaf and Alice.

Ages: 4+, RRP $16.99 Tsum Tsum Squishies Mickey’s Collector Case $16.99 Available from Kmart, Big W, Target and Toys R Us 104

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

Gazillion Whirlwind Party Machine Turn any event from Ordinary to Bubble Extraordinary! The biggest Gazillion Bubble Machine ever – it creates more bubbles than ever before! Includes 16oz/473ml bubble solution.

Ages 3 to 93! RRRP $69.99 Stockist: Available from October in all good toy retailers including: Big W, Toys R Us, Kidstuff, Mr Toys and all other speciality Toy Stores.

Disney Twisted Tales – Once Upon a Dream What if the sleeping beauty never woke up? It should be simple – a dragon defeated, a slumbering maiden, a prince poised to wake her. But when said prince falls asleep as soon as his lips meet the princess’s, it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up?

Target Age: 10+ RRP $16.99

Disney Villains The Beast Within

Disney Frozen - A Frozen Heart

A Frozen Heart tells the story of a lonely young woman named Hear the tale of Beauty and Anna who has been shut away the Beast from an unknown perspective: the Beast’s. Find from the world for most of out in this story of vanity and her life. Told in alternating arrogance, of love and hatred, chapters from both Anna’s and of beastliness and, of course, Hans’ perspectives, A Frozen Heart delves into the couple’s beauty. failed romance, exploring their Target Age: 12+ RRP $14.99 backstories, motivations, and ultimate separation.

Target Age: 10+ RRP $14.99

Oobi Kensington Floral is designer Alexandra Riggs’ new release range destined to ensure that Christmas is deliciously retro this year.

Clarks Clarks have the perfect fit for Disney and Star Wars fans.

Clarks has teamed up with The Walt Disney Company to launch an exclusive new range of girls and boys footwear inspired by some of the most loved characters from Frozen and Star Wars. Adding a touch of magic to their everyday, kids will love sharing playtime with their favourite characters, while parents can be confident their little one’s feet are in safe hands

With dresses, tutus, perfect accessories and hats, the range is a delightful mix of vintage style and wearability.

Clarks - Frozen – Elsa Light Up Shoe $59.95 Frozen – Elsa Sandal sizes 2-6 $59.95 Star Wars – Kylo Ren Sandal $59.95 Star Wars – Storm Trooper Shoe sizes 1-8 $69.95 www.clarks.com.au @clarksaustralia #clarksaustralia

The print is hand designed and silkscreen printed to ensure that the reds and beautiful blues are vibrant and rich.

Zoe Blue Kensington Baby Dress With Shorties $49.95 b.

Bluebird Dress $59.95 www.oobi.com.au/?utm_ source=Peninsula%20Kids Alexandra Riggs also runs a charity called Oobi-Fy the World (#oobify) where Oobi donate a garment to a child in need for every piece they sell.

love

things we

FOR CHRISTMAS

Smiggle Toy Workshop 5 in 1 activity cube by ever earth A favourite and must have for children 12 months + 5 different activities and great for fine motor skill development.

RRP $69.95 www. thetoyworkshop.com.au

Steenies Beanies

Garden Babies Fairy Art

SteeniesBeanies creates beautiful handmade crochet items for the smallest members of your family. This adorable summer accessories set will make your little Miss the envy of the playground.

Summer Sunhat RRP: $24.95 Boho Flower Bag RRP: $19.95 www.

SteeniesBeanies.bigcartel.com

Garden Babies Fine Fairy Art and Photography is a magical studio where kids can be kids,and are captured so beautifully in unposed images by award winning artist, Kelly McDonald.

Specialising in the whimsical and fantastical. Mini Session - 1 outfit, 1 set, Up to 2 kids, 20 minute session, 3 edited jpegs plus all unedited. www.gardenbabiesfairyart.com RRP: $330

With more than just your favourite stationery stuff to choose from, there are games and toys, gadgets, gizmos and activity sets too. Everything is in Smiggle’s signature bright colours and cool patterns, with gift ideas big and small.

Mega Light Optical Shake It Up RRP: $26.95 Light Up Fan Pen RRP: $12.95 Everything is available from Smiggle stores nationally (and internationally!!) or online at www.smiggle.com

Singamalings The Sing-A-Ma-Lings are a bunch of huggable goofy characters that have laugh-out-loud silly voices and get you singing! Just press their bellies to enjoy three ways to play: Sing, Jibber Jabber, and Harmonize! Collect them all!

Singamalings are $26.99 (individual)| Stockist: Available from October in all good toy retailers including: Big W, Toys R Us, Kidstuff, Mr Toys and all other speciality Toy Stores.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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love

things we

My Studio Girl – Foodie Pillow Kit: Foodie Pillow Donut Blub: Children can sew adorable food pillows with pre-cut fabric, pre-punched holes and child-safe needles. Approximately 30cm tall.

Age 8+ Available at: Spotlight and all good toy retailersRRP: $19.95

FOR CHRISTMAS

Little Adventures - Ice Princess Little Adventures is dedicated to nurturing the imagination and magic that lives in young children. This wonderful collection of princess dress-ups is sure to bring a smile to any child’s face.

Tree Fu Tom animated series launched on Australian TV last year and has been a huge hit with kids aged 3-6 years, and now a range of interactive and fun Tree Fu Tom toys plus

Available at: ABC online store, David Jones, Toy World and all good toy retailers.

RRP: $ 43.95

Tree Fu Tom DVD: Tom’s Big Spell RRP $14.95

Tree-fu Tom

DVDs are in-store. Tree Fu Tom is an action adventure animation series set in the enchanted world of Treetopolis, where movement creates magic.

Tree Fu Tom ‘Magic Sapstone Belt and Holopax’ RRP $49.95 Tree Fu Tom Toys are available from ABC Shops and ABC Shop Online abcshop.com.au. DVD available from Big W; ABC Shops Online & Centres; Sanity or download from iTunes or Google Play

Dreamworks Trolls

The Very Hungry Caterpillar 2-Sided Floor Puzzle Suitcase

Poppy Wig

This 2-sided, 36 piece floor puzzle is based on Eric Carle’s popular book The Very Hungry Caterpillar™. Creates a puzzle 64cm x 92cm.

Age 3+

Bring the colourful world of Trolls to life with the Poppy Wig from DreamWorks's latest animated film, Trolls! This eye-poppingly pink wig is styled to look just like Poppy's hair in the film! It even comes with Poppy's signature flower headband and bangs!

Ages 4+ RRP: $29.99 Trolls Garden Gnome- Poppy 25cm Troll character garden gnome with sculptured hair.

Ages 4 + RRP: $44.99 Trolls Garden Playset Great way for children to begin their love of the garden with this miniature indoor garden set.

Ages 4+ RRP: $54.99 Stockist: Toys are available at Toys R Us, Big W, and Myer

Available at: Kidstuff and all good toy retailers RRP: $24.95

YO-KAI Watch Mood Reveal Figures Mood Reveal Figures from Yo-Kai Watch display the many moods of the most popular characters from the hit show.

Ages 4+, RRP: $14.99 www. yokaiwatch.com.au Available from EB games, Big W, Target, Toys R Us, Woolworths and Zing YO-KAI Watch Plush Toy The plush version of this country bumpkin is as huggable as it looks. Plush figures from Yo-Kai

My Studio Girl – Folieez

Ages 4+, RRP: $12.99 www. yokaiwatch.com.au Available from EB games, Big W, Target, Toys R Us, Woolworths and Zing

Foileez Stickers Tropicana

YO-KAI Converting Figures

Blub: A new and unique line of foil sticker activities that allows kids to express their personal style and creativity. It’s as easy as peel, foil and reveal!

Age 5+ Available at: Kidstuff, Spotlight and all good toy retailers RRP: $14.95 106

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

With a few steps, kids can convert these figures into the weird alter egos of the Yo-kai Watch character.

Each converting figure has two modes of play and includes an exclusive medal that is recognized by the Yo-kai Watch Ages 4+, RRP: $12.99 www.yokaiwatch.com. au Available from EB games, Big W, Target, Toys R Us, Woolworths and Zing

Kick Bricks KICK Brick is a local Mornington Peninsula business who make house brick sized construction toys. The bricks are safe, fun and so versatile that kids can let their imaginations go wild, to create amazing thingamajigs and whatchamacallits and then knock them down and start again.

Kids of all ages love playing with them but parents and teachers are raving about them too as they are great for focused play, teamwork, sharing, listening & many other Early Learning Goals. Everyone's a winner!" www.kickbrick.com.au RRP: $99

Recipes

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

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

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

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

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Apricot Ice-Cream

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 20 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients

200g dried apricots 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup coconut cream 3 egg yolks ¾ cup caster sugar

Method 1. Cook apricots in a saucepan, covered with water until tender (10–15 minutes). Drain and place in food processor with lemon juice. Mix to pulp.

2. While the apricots are cooking, heat coconut cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a

separate bowl beat egg yolks and caster sugar until thick and light in colour, then add to the warm coconut cream and cook, stirring continuously, until it thickens slightly. Do not allow it to boil.

3. Mix apricot puree and coconut custard and allow to cool. Place in an airtight container in the freezer. When partly frozen (about 5 hours), remove from freezer and place in food processor, mixing until smooth. Then return to freezer until completely frozen.

Tip....

SAVE THE EGG WHITES TO MAKE LEMON MERINGUE PIE ANOTHER DAY.

No ice-cream maker is needed for this creamy treat. I always make double, as it disappears very quickly. Using coconut cream makes the consistency smooth and rich, and also perfect for those who are lactose intolerant.

This is a versatile basic recipe. Substitute the apricots for pureed mango or make an adult version if you are having guests by adding a tablespoon of orange liqueur (Cointreau) before freezing.

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Prawns, Mango and Avocado Salad

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

Method

4 handfuls mixed lettuce leaves 2 mangoes, cut into cubes ½ red onion, thinly sliced 20 cooked prawns, peeled and deveined 2 avocados, cut into cubes 1 handful coriander, chopped 1 long red chilli, chopped (optional)

1. In a large bowl or on a platter, arrange lettuce, mango, onion, prawns and avocado.

2. To make dressing, shake ingredients in a jar until combined. Taste and adjust to your liking.

3. Pour over salad, and sprinkle with coriander leaves and chilli.

Dressing

½ tablespoon wholegrain mustard 2 tablespoons white condiment (white balsamic vinegar) 6 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon honey

The ultimate fresh summer salad. Nothing says summer like prawns and mango! Choose slightly firm mangoes and avocados so the salad doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go mushy.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Summer Beef Noodles

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes Total time: 15 minutes Serve: 4 Ingredients

Method

75g rice stick noodles (Pad Thai) ¼ Chinese cabbage, shredded ¼ purple cabbage, shredded 1 Lebanese cucumber, julienned 1 red capsicum, sliced 1 yellow capsicum, sliced 2 handfuls bean shoots 4 spring onions, thinly sliced 1 handful coriander, chopped 1 handful basil leaves, chopped 400 g roast beef, thinly sliced 1 long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped (optional) 1 handful peanuts, toasted and chopped (optional)

1. Place noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to soften according to the packet instructions (about 5–10 minutes), then drain and rinse with cold water. Drain thoroughly.

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

Taste and adjust to your liking.

3.Mix cabbage, cucumber, capsicum, bean shoots, spring onion, coriander leaves and basil with the dressing in a salad bowl and toss. Add beef and noodles and gently toss to combine.

4. Sprinkle with chopped chilli and peanuts..

Dressing

6 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed ¼ tablespoon grated ginger 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce (optional) ½ tablespoon honey (optional)

A satisfying salad full of fresh Asian flavours, vegetables and tender beef. Spice it up or ease it off depending on what you prefer.

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Chicken and Nectarine Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Serve: 4 Ingredients 4 handfuls mixed lettuce 1 avocado, cut into cubes 4 nectarines, cut into wedges ½ red onion, finely sliced 600 g cooked chicken, chopped 1 handful basil, chopped

Dressing

2 tablespoons white condiment (white balsamic vinegar) 2 tablespoons orange juice 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon honey ½ tablespoon wholegrain mustard

Method 1. Arrange lettuce, avocado, nectarine wedges and red onion on a salad platter or individual plates. Top with chicken.

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

Taste and adjust to your liking. Pour over salad and gently toss together.

Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Tip....

WHITE CONDIMENT IS ALSO KNOWN AS WHITE BALSAMIC VINEGAR OR CONDIMENTO BIANCO ITALIANO AND IS FOUND IN THE VINEGAR SECTION OF THE SUPERMARKET. A quintessential summer salad – light, fresh and so very quick! White nectarines are my favourite but you could choose the yellow variety or a mix of both. For something different try using apricots or peaches. www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes Total time: 15 minutes Serve: 4 Ingredients

100g vermicelli rice noodles 20 cooked prawns, peeled and halved lengthways or 200g cooked chicken, sliced 1 red capsicum, sliced 1 carrot, julienned or grated 1 Lebanese cucumber, julienned 2 spring onions, julienned 1 avocado, sliced 2 handfuls bean shoots 1 handful mint leaves, chopped 1 handful coriander, chopped 20 rice paper wrappers Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (see opposite page)

Method 1. Place noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to soften for 3–5 minutes, rinse with cold water then drain thoroughly.

2. Line up all prepared ingredients so you can operate an assembly line, and don’t forget to add anything. When you are ready to assemble the rolls, lay a damp cloth on the bench (this helps stop the wrappers from sticking).

3. Fill a shallow dish with warm water. Dip rice paper wrappers one at a time into the water for 15–30 seconds, holding a small part of the wrapper. When soft, place on the damp cloth. Place two prawn halves along the middle of the wrapper. Top with a pinch of cooked noodles, and a couple of slices of capsicum, carrot, cucumber, spring onion and bean shoots. Sprinkle with mint and coriander leaves.

4. Fold ends in and roll up firmly to enclose filling.

Repeat with the remaining rice paper wrappers and fillings. Serve with Vietnamese Dipping Sauce.

5. They are best made just before you serve, but can be made ahead of time if you cover with a damp tea towel, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

Tip....

AS A SPECIAL TREAT MAKE RICE PAPER ROLLS FOR A DELICIOUS AFTERNOON SNACK.

Tasty, fresh, healthy, and teamed up with tangy Vietnamese Dipping Sauce, these rice paper rolls are sure to please. They look very impressive but are relatively easy to make. There is a bit of chopping involved, but it is well worth it. And they make great finger food for a summer party. Assemble rice paper rolls at the table so everyone can make their own (this works with fussier eaters).

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Vietnamese Dipping Sauce Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons caster sugar 4 tablespoons hot water 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 long red chilli, finely chopped 2 tablespoons lime juice

Method

1. Place sugar and hot water into a jar and shake until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool a little, then add fish sauce, garlic and chilli, and when cool add lime juice.

Shake again to combine.

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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Health

GRATITUDE: SO MUCH MORE THAN A

BY: DR JODI RICHARDSON

I

clearly remember the day my gorgeous (and sadly, dearly departed) Nan sat on the couch watching me while I was waist deep in the wonderful world of solids with our baby girl.

Nan had seven children of her own and she loved watching as our little girl got mushy vegies in her hair and her nappy, squashed berries all over her high chair table and dropped more food than she ate on the floor. If you’re in the midst of all this now, I salute you!

As I passed the sippy cup into those berry stained, food covered little hands, Nan asked me if I spoke her manners for her. To which I replied ‘Pardon’? See, I’ve got good manners!! Nan was suggesting the obvious really, but with two babes under two and a generous serve of post-natal depression, sometimes the obvious eluded me.

From then on, whenever there was a call for a please, a thank you or a ta, I would say it and encourage both of our kids to do the same.

Fast forward to now when they’re in prep and grade 2, and their manners are pretty good. They still need the occasional reminder which astounds me; it seems this manners thing is a long term project requiring daily effort. But I can happily send them on a play date and rest assured they’ll be polite, most of the time anyway.

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While it’s one thing for our children to have good manners and to say thank you; it’s a whole other story to foster sincere gratitude in our kids.

How do we raise children who have a genuine sense of appreciation for all that they have and for what others do for them?

We teach them.

The same way we teach them to write their name, catch a ball and to empty the dishwasher. Because gratitude is a learned skill.

And it’s a skill well worth teaching. Because the benefits of gratitude extend way beyond the wonderful feeling that is appreciation. A growing field of scientific research examines the impact of gratitude practices on children and the findings are outstanding.

In one study where school children were asked to write five things they were grateful for each day for two weeks, the kids showed significant improvements in gratitude, optimism and overall satisfaction with life.

Children who were asked to write and deliver a thank-you letter to someone important to them were found to be enjoying more positive emotions (essential for wellbeing) than was typical for them, even up to three months later.

LUCAS

I’d like more of all of that please. And I want it for all of our children too.

Happiness is something we absolutely want for ourselves and for our children and practicing gratitude is a sure fire way to boost happiness for the whole family. Especially because the best way to teach gratitude is for us as parents to role model it, often.

We know how we feel when we’re shown gratitude, it lifts our spirits, boosts our mood and inevitably strengthens our relationship with the person expressing their thanks. Our relationships are incredibly important for our overall happiness, and teaching our children appreciation is one of the most important ways we can help them to develop strong relationships over the course of their lives.

Practicing gratitude is gaining momentum, and different families do it in different ways. The trick is to introduce a gratitude practice that doesn’t feel like a chore. Even if there’s a little resistance at first, I’d encourage you to gently persevere and change things up when needed. It feels good to be grateful, so it should eventually become something that doesn’t need too much of a nudge.

DENTAL CARE SPEC IAL I ST

Other research has shown that, compared with people who don’t, people who practice gratitude are more enthusiastic, determined, perform better at school, are more likely to avoid risky behaviours, experience less depression and envy, are more kind and helpful, sleep better, have a more positive outlook and are a whopping 25% happier.

TRIC DENTISTS A I ED A P

There are countless ways to practice gratitude. You could start by more regularly expressing sincere gratitude to your partner and to your children including why you feel grateful, pop up a piece of poster paper on the fridge for the kids to note things they’re grateful for in colourful textas, ask each family member what they’re thankful for each evening at dinner, stop to savour and appreciate the little things like a beautiful flower or a colourful sunset, find the silver lining in difficult circumstances, relive happy moments together, hold hands at the dinner table and thank the person who prepared the food, ask the kids to take photos of the things they’re grateful for, keep thank-you notes at the ready, encourage a contribution for ‘wants’ from pocket money, start a gratitude journal and invite the kids to make contributions, and encourage your kids to help others.

It’s really about finding the right fit; what works for you and your family and making adjustments along the way.

Associate Professor Jeffrey Froh, a leading authority on gratitude in young people, tells us that perhaps one of the most important things we can do is “to help kids discover their passions and to find a path to purpose that resonates with them— with their values, interests, and dreams. Having a sense of purpose in life gives youth a compass for creating a meaningful life. This starts with feeding their interests in the social issues they care about and pushing them to learn as much as they can about those issues and discover ways they can make a difference.

The deepest sense of gratitude in life comes from connecting to a bigger picture, to an issue that matters to others and doing things that contribute to society down the road.”

www.drjodirichardson.com.au

134 TANTI AVENUE, MORNINGTON 3931

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

lucas dental care proudly sponsors polyglot theatre

www.peninsulakids.com.au

115

Improving Your

CHILD’S DENTAL HEALTH

WITH YOUR PHONE OR TABLET! BY: HILLARY HO

W

ith technology more accessible than ever before, free Apps from the Google Store (Android users) or App Store (Apple users) can help your child become more familiar with tooth brushing and preventing tooth decay! All you really need is a smart phone or tablet! It’s too easy.

Star Wars and Marvel characters, this App is a winner to catch their attention. A virtual brush brushes to uncover an image over a duration of 2 minutes to keep children entertained while they are also brushing their own teeth. The prizes at the end are virtual stickers for children to collect in their albums. The App tries to make you use an Oral B product, but you can still use it without!

We have compiled a list of Apps we recommend and think you and your child should check out!

Pros: Great graphics and very entertaining

ToothSavers Brushing Game - 5 star rating

Cons: No advice in brushing techniques

This is a great way for children to start thinking about their teeth at a young age and encourages children to ask questions about teeth and decay prevention. Starting the app for the first time children are introduced to a short story of an unfortunate kingdom cursed by an evil sorceress who has plagued everyone with rotten mouths and decaying teeth. To restore the kingdom to normal, children become ‘Toothsavers’ and are invited to participate in games to save everyone’s precious smiles and bring peace back to the kingdom. The App is fun and is designed for children under 5 years. It also includes animated videos to accompany the kids as they brush their own teeth for real.

Brush Teeth – Timer and Reminders – 4 star rating

Pros – Free, easy to use, simple and colourful Cons – Nothing really, the target audience is for 3-8 years Disney Magic Timer 5 star rating Created collaboratively by Disney and OralB. If children love Disney, 116 Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

Is your child is a bit too old for animations? Or perhaps you would like to use a timer yourself? No problem, this app is great for being very straightforward and is designed for the mature minded. It links to your own music that you enjoy on your phone/tablet and acts as a timer and brushing reminder.

Hillary is dually qualified to practice as a dental therapist and a dental hygienist.

She has worked at Lucas Dental Care since graduating and couldn’t be happier working in such a rewarding profession at Lucas Dental Care. She is passionate about all aspects of children’s dentistry and is passionate about educating young children and adults about disease prevention. www.lucasdental.com.au

CHRISTMAS SEASON SPECIAL OFFER

FROM SPAIN

Buy any of these beautiful fairies and you will receive a FREE Christmas outfit to dress them on Christmas! t, Frankston Phone Nina on ng Stree ww.shopwithlove.com.a 0416 923 u o Y u w 517 94

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Him, for Her and for the Kids

www.peninsulakids.com.au

117

Training Toddlers taste buds

T

here is a lot of learning that takes place once babies transition from an all milk diet to one that contains a wide variety of foods.

By the time children are 12 months old they no longer depend on formula or breast milk as their main source of nutrition and should by now be consuming a variety of foods from each of the five food groups. The first three years of life are therefore crucial in determining children’s future food preferences and eating patterns.

Young children are genetically programmed to have a preference for certain tastes and a dislike for others. From the very beginning babies are attracted to sweet flavour, which is what helps them to drink breast milk, a naturally sweet food. They also like salty tastes, but are averse to sour and bitter. These are natural animal responses that would have helped humans survive during hunter-gatherer times. Since most poisonous or toxic plants have a sour or bitter taste, it makes sense that children are programmed to naturally avoid those flavours.

A preference of familiar tastes over new tastes would have also prevented children from eating something potentially unsafe. This helps to explain why introducing new foods to toddlers can be ever so challenging.

When children today are given the option of a super sweet food such as lollies or a mildly sweet food such as fruit then most will automatically choose the lolly because that is what they are programmed to do. Limiting children’s exposure to super sweet and super salty foods will help to prevent them developing more of a taste for those foods.

SMELL, APPEARANCE AND OUR PERCEIVED EXPECTATION OF THE FOOD ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO THE WAY WE PERCEIVE TASTE. ASIDE FROM THEIR TASTE BUDS, CHILDREN ALSO RELY ON SMELL AND OTHER VISUAL CUES TO DECIDE IF A FOOD TASTES GOOD OR NOT. SOME PREVIOUS POSITIVE EXPERIENCES WITH CERTAIN HEALTHY FOOD SUCH AS IN STORIES AND SONGS, OR ART AND CRAFT CAN CREATE POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS OF THOSE FOODS EVEN IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TRIED BEFORE.

Many studies on taste preferences have found that the way we acquire our food preferences is through repetition.

Children learn to prefer the flavours of food that are most familiar to them and especially if they feel good after eating it. It can take up to 15 tries of a food before a child becomes familiar with it and actually likes it. If we offer children the most nourishing types of food all the time then we are helping them to develop a taste for a healthy diet.

Remember that there is also more to food than just taste!

www.nutritionaustralia.org

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Are you planning a baby?

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Receive $30 OFF your initial nutrition consultation if you book during summer (valid 1.12.16 - 28.2.17)

* In addition, mention the Peninsula Kids Magazine when booking for preconception advice and receive the first month of a practitioner-only pregnancy multivitamin

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10

easy ways to add more vegies to the menu 1 Add a layer or two of spinach or silver beet to lasagne.

2 Add some frozen vegetables to the mix when making meatloaf or rissoles — better still grate zucchini, carrot and pumpkin into the mix and the little ‘vegie detectives’ won’t find them!

3 Roasted vegetables can be blended and strained into a basic tomato sauce to use with spaghetti, pasta and meatballs, or try it as topping on pizza bases.

4 Cooked pumpkin, corn, zucchini, carrot and potato can be creamed and added to savoury muffins, pies, quiches or baked into scones, scrolls or homemade breads.

Avoiding Mosquito Bites

5 When making mashed potato, mash in some steamed cauliflower, parsnip or pumpkin.

Protect yourself against mosquito bites. Not only are they irritating, mozzie bites can also spread disease.

6 Stuff baked potatoes with baked beans or creamed corn. Top with grated cheese.

Different types of disease-carrying mosquitoes can bite at different times of the day, so it’s important to be vigilant at all times.

7 Add grated zucchini and mashed cauliflower to the cheese sauce when making macaroni cheese. For the ‘green vegie detectives’ out there, try peeling the zucchini first.

8 Turn ordinary pikelets into vegie pikelets — add grated zucchini, chopped spring onion, creamed corn and grated cheese to pikelet mixture. They will take a little longer to cook through than pikelets but are much healthier and tastier!

9 Make oven-baked vegetable chips: slice potatoes, carrots, sweet potato, parsnips or beetroot. Pat dry with paper towel and spray lightly with oil before baking at 200oC. 10 Make some tasty noodle fritters by adding egg, peas, corn, grated zucchini and grated cheese to cooked 2 minute noodles. Cook in frying pan in small portions. These make a great afternoon tea snack. www.nutritionaustralia.org

Install or repair insect screens on all doors and windows, especially in sleeping areas. Use insect repellent containing DEET or Picaridin, to protect against mosquito bites.

Read and follow all directions and precautions on the mosquito repellent product label, especially for infants. As a general rule, repellent is not recommended for infants under the age of two months (babies under two months can be protected with light coloured clothing covering their arms and legs).

For young children, apply just enough repellent to cover exposed skin, re-apply every four hours and avoid applying repellent to a child’s hands or near their eyes or mouth. Do not allow children under five years to apply repellent to themselves.

Wear long, loose clothing to help protect yourself from bites (light coloured clothes are best).

Use a plug-in insecticide vaporiser (indoors) or mosquito coils (outdoors).

Use a mosquito net when camping.

Source: healthdirect.gov.au

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RRP $24.95 www.au.parakito.com

we love

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

Specialist Orthodontist Creating Beautiful Smiles On The Peninsula For 30 Years Expertise In Child And Adult Orthodontics Speech Pathology and Psychology services We offer assessment, therapy, and support to children, adolescents, and their families across a wide range of developmental concerns, including: Learning Behaviour Social/Emotional skills Language Speech Stuttering

Ideal Age Of Initial Assessment 7-9 Years Early Intervention Where Appropriate For Best Outcome No Referral Necessary

We are dedicated to providing professional, referral focused services with a holistic, child-centred approach.

Please contact us to make an appointment.

Red House Paediatrics 100 Williams Street Frankston VIC 3199

Early Assessment Of Dental Development And Facial Growth

13 Beach St Frankston

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Ph: 9783 4511

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

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Ask The Experts!

What age should I expect my child to develop teeth?

Children develop two sets of teeth as they grow up.

The first set of teeth is called the Primary Dentition, but it is also known as the Deciduous Dentition, Baby Teeth, or Milk teeth. They start to erupt at the following ages: UPPER TEETH: •Central incisor: 8-12 months •Lateral incisor: 9-13 months •Canine: 16-22 months •First molar: 13-19 months •Second molar: 25-33 months LOWER TEETH: •Central incisor: 6-10 months •Lateral incisor: 10-16 months •Canine: 17-23 months •First molar: 14-18 months •Second molar: 23-31 months The Permanent Dentition is also known as the Secondary Dentition, or Adult Teeth. They replace the primary dentition gradually, in a period known as the Mixed Dentition period.

This is where a combination of some primary teeth and some permanent teeth are present in your child’s mouth. These teeth start to appear at the following ages: UPPER TEETH •Central incisor: 7-8 years •Lateral incisor: 8-9 years •Canine: 11-12 years •First premolar: 10-11 years •Second premolar: 10-12 years •First molar: 6-7 years •Second molar: 12-13 years •Third molar: 17-21 years LOWER TEETH: •Central incisor: 6-7 years •Lateral incisor: 7-8 years

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

•Canine: 9-10 years •First premolar: 10-12 years •Second premolar: 11-12 years •First molar: 6-7 years •Second molar: 11-13 years •Third molar: 17-21 years It is expected that the same tooth on the left and right side of your child’s mouth should erupt at a fairly similar time. If there is a difference in eruption of the same tooth of more than 6 months between the left and right sides, then your dentist or orthodontist may investigate with an x-ray.

In some children, one or more of the primary or permanent teeth may be missing. In these cases, your orthodontist will decide whether the space needs to be closed with orthodontic treatment, or opened for a replacement artificial tooth.

If you notice delays in your child’s dental development, then talk to your local dentist or orthodontist.

Dr Braydon Patterson BDSc, DClinDent, MRACDS (Ortho) Specialist Orthodontist Peninsula Orthodontics 134 Tanti Avenue Mornington My Son is 6 months old and I would like to start trying for another baby, how soon is too soon?

The variables when it comes to conceiving are infinite. You and your partners age and physical fitness, whether you had a Vaginal or C-section birth, your recovery time, previous complications, emotional wellbeing and of course there are

the babies that decide to make an entrance whilst we are busy making other plans! These factors make it difficult to make a blanket recommendation.

However, from a Nutritional perspective we use the term peri-conception as a 5-6-month period embracing sperm and oocyte(egg) maturation, conception and development to week 10 as being the ultimate window in preventative health care. This is because as the cells mature, even before conception, significant epigenetic modifications occur that will affect the child’s lifetime health outcomes. With this in mind, where possible once you are physically recovered, a minimum 4-6-month pre-conception plan should be implemented. This allows time to reduce your toxin exposure and address any nutrient deficiencies well in advance of conception, giving your baby access to all the nutrients required for a thriving childhood and setting him/her up for life.

Jessica Paynter Nutritional Medicine Practitioner Adv. Dip. (NutMed) Energie Natural Health I get very worried whenever my 8 month old has a fever. Is it common for babies to get high temperatures and should I take her to see her GP immediately?

Fever occurs when your child’s body temperature becomes elevated,

usually above 38.0 degrees celsius.

It is a common symptom of viral and bacterial infections such as colds, croup, tonsillitis or ear infections.

Fever is not known to cause any damage to your baby but it will often make them unhappy and irritable.

If your child seems happy and well, there is no need to treat a fever.

If your child is feeling miserable, treatment with clear fluids and paracetamol is advised.

You should see your doctor if your child is less than 6 months old and has a fever above 38 degrees celsius. It is also a good idea to get checked if your child does not seem to be improving over 2 days, has a headache, or pain in the stomach or limbs, an ear ache, rash or problems swallowing fluids.

If your child seems very sick, has trouble breathing, a stiff neck or feels as though the light hurts their eyes, it is important to seek urgent medical advice.

As a parent, trust your own instincts, and if you feel worried at any stage, consult with your doctor.

As with most clinics, Surrey Street Family Clinic prioritises the care of sick kids and we will always endeavour to see unwell children on the same day.

Dr Darren Asuncion Principal GP Surrey Street Family Clinic

www.peninsulakids.com.au

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creative

POPSICLE STICK

Snowflakes 6

1

2

2

4

YOU’LL NEED: POPSICLE STICKS HOT GLUE GUN PAINT (OR SPRAY PAINT, GLITTER, RHINESTONES)

ENJOY

YOUR DESIGNS AT CHRISTMAS OR ALL YEAR ROUND

BLU-TACK AND/OR FISHING LINE

WHAT TO DO: 1. Start by gluing six stick together in an asterick to make the centre of the snowflake. (Overlapping the sticks helps with the structural integrity of the shape, but we didn’t do that for the first six.)

2. From there add onto each of the limbs in the shape of your choice making opposite sides even. (We googled for shapes and I drew the designs out onto paper for the munchkins to easily follow.)

3. Paint or spray paint the finished snowflake. (We chose gold.) But think red, green, white, silver, blue.) Add glitter oR rhinestones evenly placed on the snowflake so that all opposite sides are mirrored.

4. Let dry and hang the lightweight designs with Blu-Tack or attach some fishing line.

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

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www.peninsulakids.com.au

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SILHOUETTES

Canvas

YOU’LL NEED:

30CM X 30CM SQUARE CANVAS

PRINTER WITH A4 PAPER

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

SCISSORS

ACRYLIC PAINT

CONTACT PAPER

PAINT BRUSH (SOMETHING WITH SOFT BRISTLES OR BETTER YET – A FOAM ONE TO PREVENT STREAKS FROM HEAVY-HANDED PAINTERS.)

WHAT TO DO: 1. Paint the canvas white.

2. Take photos of your models from the side, arms down.

(We stood against a plain background so we could find easy cut lines later on.)

3. Print the photos, black and white, on regular A4 sized paper.

5. Cut around the photo, paying special attention to hair lines and lips/nose 5.

Use this “stencil” and trace the outline onto the paper side of your contact paper with a dark texta. (I wasn’t toooo careful here, knowing that you wouldn’t see any of the black line after peeling off the actual sheet.)

6.

Cut along the black line. (Don’t worry too much if you make a hair mistake, (we made plenty!), adjust it with your scissors and move on. There’s room for error in this project.)

7. Stick the contact paper cut-out to the middle of the canvas pressing down carefully to smooth out bubbles and get edges down firmly.

8. Paint over the entire canvas.

9. After the paint dries, remove the contact paper cut-out.

10. Art! Awesome!

GREAT

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

CHRISTMAS GIFT!

SUMMER HOLIDAY PROGRAM 2017

WANT TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO SHINE?

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

JANUARY 10th - 25th 9am - 12pm

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

6-14 YRS OLD

CALL TO BOOK

0409 709 73 6

Spaces are limited - Enquire today!

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Mention PENINSULA KIDS at the time of booking for a free party gift!

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Book Reviews

WHERE’S DAD HIDING

BY ED ALLEN, 3+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $16.99 Where is Dad? Dad is too good at playing hide and seek.

Little wombat can’t find him anywhere! Can you see where Dad is hiding?

NOISY NIGHTS

BY FLEUR McDONALD, 3-6yrs, Scholastic, h/b $24.99 A farmer struggles to get to sleep with all the noise from his farm animals. He finally finds the solution to a good night’s sleep.

OUT

BY ANGELA MAY GEORGE, 4+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $24.99 I’m called an asylum seeker, but that’s not my name. A little girl and her mother have fled their homeland, making the long and treacherous journey by boat to seek asylum.

MY PERFECT PUP

BY SUE WALKER, 3-6yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $24.99 One puppy sits excitedly in a pet shop waiting for the perfect home. Will it be the twins, Milly and Max, or Joe who takes him home?

MARVIN & MARIGOLD - THE BIG SNEEZE

BY MARK CARTHEW, 4-8yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $24.99 Two mice, Marvin and Marigold, live next door to each other. When Marvin gets a cold, Marigold has to find a cure to save her mouse house. Told in Mark Carthew’s classic lyrical rhyme.

WHY IS THAT EMU WEARING ONE RED SHOE?

BY JOHN FIELD, 3+yrs, Scholastic, h/b + CD, $19.99 Once there was an emu wearing one red shoe, Who set out on a walk just like emus do, Leaving from the town they call Tullabaloo . . .

Why was that emu wearing one red shoe?

ME AND MOO & ROAR TOO

BY P. CRUMBLE, 3+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $24.99 This is Me, and this is Moo. And THIS is ROAR. Meet Me and Moo’s new friend, Roar. He likes dressing up, using Mum’s hairbrush and at night Roar SNORES! What will Mum and Dad say when they discover Roar has come to stay too?

IDA, ALWAYS

BY CARON LEVIS, 5+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $24.99 An exquisitely told story of two best friends— inspired by a real bear friendship—and a gentle, moving reminder that loved ones lost will stay in our hearts, always.

LITTLE BEAR’S FIRST SLEEP

BY LESLEY GIBBES, 4+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $24.99 It was time for Little Bear’s first winter sleep.

But Little Bear has a problem—he can’t get to sleep! He snuggles and sings and softly strokes his ear. Will Little Bear be able to get to sleep before springtime?

OUTBACK LULLABY

BY SALLY ODGERS, 3+yrs, Scholastic, h/b, $24.99 As the sunset spreads its glow, Little brolga’s dancing slow.

The outback hums with twilight sounds. Numbat dreams of termite mounds.

From the creators of Bushland Lullaby and Rainforest Lullaby comes this desert ballad. Outback Lullaby is an enchanting bedtime companion.

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

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Peninsula Kids – Summer 2016

THE APPRENTICE WITCH

BY JAMES NICOL, 8+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $15.99 Arianwyn fluffs her witch’s assessment. Awarded the dull bronze disc of an apprentice to the glee of her archrival, Gimma, she’s sent to protect the remote, dreary town of Lull. But her new life is far from boring.

DOG MAN #1: DOG MAN

BY DAV PILKEY, 7+yrs, Scholastic, h/b $15.99 George and Harold have created a new hero who digs into deception, claws after crooks, and rolls over robbers. When Greg the police dog and his cop companion are injured on the job, a life-saving surgery changes the course of history, & Dog Man is born.

THE CALL

BY PEADAR O’GUILIN, 14+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $19.99 What if you only had three minutes to save your life and the clock is already counting down. Could you survive The Call?

ASSASSIN’S CREED: LAST DESCENDANTS

BY MATTHEW J. KIRBY, 12+rs, Scholastic, p/b, $19.99 Nothing in Owen’s life has been right since his father died in prison, accused of a crime Owen is certain he didn’t commit. Monroe, the IT guy at school, might finally bring Owen the means to clear his father’s name.

MATES: ONE MORE FRIEND

BY BILL CONDON, 8+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $12.99 Starting at a new school is scary. It’s lucky then that Jack knows how to make people laugh. But not everyone finds him funny, so he has to think of another way... Another great Aussie yarn!

THE SEVEN SIGNS: SKYFIRE

BY MICHAEL ADAMS, 10+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $7.99 Enter the DARE Awards... make your dreams come true! The seven winners of the inaugural DARE Awards are thrust together on a lifechanging journey, to cross seven continents in seven days. But on the eve of their adventure, they receive The First Sign.

TRACY LACY

BY TANIA LACY, 10+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $14.99 I’M ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN, well pretty sure, probably about 99.7% sure, that I maybe, nearly, might actually get through High School like a normal person. Follow the comedic horror of Tracy Lacy’s discovery that her perfect plan for being normal is RUINED, as she counts down the days to the start of HIGH SCHOOL!

WEIRDO 7 MEGA WEIRD!

BY ANH DO, 6-8yrs, Scholastic, P/b, $14.99 Life for Weir Do is MEGA BUSY! He’s planning on making MEGA bucks from the Street Garage Sale, plus he’s helping Bella write a winning song! And is that a dusty dino bone in the corner? It won’t be easy... but it will be funny!

STAR OF DELTORA: THE HUNGRY ISLE

BY EMILY RODDA, 8+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $16.99 Britta of Del wants nothing less than to be the new Apprentice Trader of the Rosalyn fleet. Family and friends and even the terrible secret of her parentage will not stop her. But how can she succeed when her true identity must surely be guessed by Trader Mab.

PIXEL RAIDERS #2: DRAGON LAND

BY BAJO & HEX, 8+yrs, Scholastic, p/b, $12.99 Welcome to Level 2: Dragon Land—a game of quests, magic and epic dragon battles... Rip and Mei escaped Level 1, but they’re still trapped inside the virtual-reality game and it’s only getting harder to stay alive!

TO ENTER: www.peninsulakids.com.au/giveaways

WIN www.peninsulakids.com.au

129

2-4 Surrey Street, Mornington

www.surreystreetclinic.com.au