December 2014

DEC/JAN 2015

When your child is afraid

The value of giving

Christmas crafts for the kids Empowering parents to be the best they can be!

Handmade and quality children’s products

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Fabric dolls Quality gift items

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Plush toys Baby and toddler clothing

www.angelbabes.com.au www.facebook.com/myangelbabes

December/January 2015

Contents Regulars 5 9 10 11

Letter from the Editor Make a Change Monthly Recipe - Honey Jumbles Ask a professional - questions from readers 14 Your Story - An early arrival went against my plans 16 Small Steps to business with Chris Crowe 22 Something Extra - by Carolyn Galbraith 29 Kid’s fun

Articles 6 When your child is afraid 8 10 reasons you should be a stay at home parent 18 Teaching kids the value of giving 20 Water safety for children 24 2014 money challenge

Special Features 12 How to de-tangle your tinsel this festive season 26 Christmas gift guide 28 Recommended reading 4

Letter from the Editor Dear Reader, It is Christmas time all over again! I love Christmas, it is my favourite time of year. And it is becoming even more enjoyable now that my kids are growing up a bit and are able to join in the festivities.

This year we are starting a new tradition with Elf on a Shelf and I’m excited about the mischief he is going to get in once the kids are in bed. If you are interested to see too, keep your eye out on our facebook page.

This month’s issue finishes off a really great year for Small Steps and next year we will be back in February bigger and better than ever. We will be coming back to print too and we will let you know very soon where you can get hold of your monthly copies.

We are also excited to welcome Kim Hendricks to our magazine as a new monthly contributor. Kim works with families on training for first aid and Kim will be sharing her knowledge with us each month on first aid for the family.

I wish you all a very safe and merry Christmas and look forward to you joining us again next year!

Kindly,

Julie-Anne England

5

When your child is

Isn’t it ironic that one of our worst fears as parents is: why is my child fearful?

Parents who have a good relationship with them selves are generally happy, positive, social, interesting and are risk-takers.

When we have a good relationship with ourselves, we tend to be solution-focused rather than problem-focused. We learn from set-backs and rise to challenges. This is the foundation for positive self concept, a foundation that can detach from worries, judgement or fear of failure.

Babies are born with two fears:

 

a fear of falling a fear of loud noises

The other fears are learned behaviours from their environment. Our own parenting contributes significantly to the fears our If you can model strength through action children suppress or express. To gauge our and confidence during the highs and own fear level, we firstly need to look at lows, so too will your children! the relationship we have with ourselves.

How you respond and react to difficult 6

challenges and perceived failures is the best indicator as to how your children will.

Are you anxious, nervous, and procrastinate? Or do you see opportunities when others can’t? If fear is learnt, it is incredibly beneficial to our children that we are living the best possible version of ourselves.

We don’t want to make life perfect for our children, after all perfection is just a perception. We do not need to protect or shelter them from making mistakes or coming second, third or last, we just need to support them and let them know that no matter what they try to achieve, no matter the results they get (good or bad), they are always worthy of love. This then strengthens their sense of belonging.



What did you do really well?

Discussions such as these help your child to grow and become more aware diminishing fear. What we focus on is what we get, so help your child to focus on his/her strengths, not weaknesses, and build on these strengths. Things that your child has done well in the past, or challenges they have tried, are evidence of what they can do well. In the future, remind and share past triumphs with them.

Gratitude is extremely beneficial when dealing with fear. These two emotions share the same neural pathway – you cannot have one without the other. When you feel gratitude, it is impossible to feel fear at the same time. You can encourage your child from as young as four to When your children feel loved for who they have gratitude for the simplest things, for are, not who they think they should be for eg: others, including their parents, this strong sense of love and belonging frees your  Their healthy strong body child up to take action and take risks. This  Their creative talent freedom flows into confidence that will help trying new experiences or challenges  Their siblings who love and look out more automatic. for them  Their house or location where they live It is our role as parents to sit back and al Their friends, teachers etc. low this process to happen, without the need to control or save them, as much as You can start a journal together and fill up instinctively we may want to. As your chil- the gratitude bank. You will notice how dren’s confidence build, and they engage in good this feels! new experiences, it is important we focus on the journey, as this is usually the most Finally, try not to over-think parenting. Just valuable experience of all. This is a great enjoy modelling action and support your chance to have quality discussions and child in their endeavours. questions with your child:

  

What did you learn about yourself?

What could have been done differently?

How could you have been better?

Written by Gai ODwyer, NLP Practioner and business owner of Start Life Now. Find out more on her website www.startlifenow.com.au

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Reasons you should be a stay at home parent With rising child care costs and the struggle to return to work, many parents are choosing to stay at home full time. While making your own decision try to keep these points in mind...

You cannot bear the thought of someone else raising your child. You became a parent to experience just that— parenthood. Though there is nothing wrong with having your child in care, if it upsets you, it is reason enough to stay at home.

You don’t want to miss out on the many milestones that occur during the child’s first few years. You want to see the first smile, hear the first laugh, watch the first steps and hear that precious first word.

chatting with other women about your birth, child raising tips and changing body while your child plays on the mat with the other children.

You envisage your days being filled with laughter, games, cooking treats in the kitchen and watching The Little Mermaid.

The only time out you need is a half hour spent working on your hobby a few times a week to break up the monotony of the day. If your extra lucky, Financially you can manage to run you may even use this hobby to bring in a your household without your contri- few extra bucks to contribute to the housebution. This doesn’t mean it will be hold income. easy, only that you are willing to forgo some of your comforts to be your You know that crying children and todchild’s full-time carer. dler tantrums aren’t a favourite on your list but find that they don’t worry you If you could spend all day doing finger and you plan for them as part of the life painting, blowing bubbles and running of a mother. around the playground, you would! You love nothing more than spending your days When you picture your life as a reliving your childhood with your very mum you find yourself being enown offspring. vious of those mums who stay at home and use Pinterest to gain Although you may like your day job, you inspiration for daily crafts and learning know that you can come back to it at any activities. time without causing much interruption and even if you can’t, you know there are If these things sound like you, chances are other jobs out there. you would do great as a stay-at-home parent. And if not, there is no shame in being a You are a social person and you love parent that loves their children while workthe thought of spending your days ing for a living.

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Make a

Change Here at Small Steps Parenting Magazine we believe that each one of us has the power to make a difference in our world.

Make a change is about that. It is about doing one thing each month to make a difference in someone else’s life and create a change in the atmosphere in our own community.

Do you know someone who needs a helping hand?

If you know someone who is having a tough time right now way don’t you write in to us and let us know. We would like to extend our hand to help by offering a $50 grocery giftcard or a pamper session or a gift basket to meet their current need. So far because of people like you that have written in, we have been able to provide a grocery giftcard and flowers for a mum with sick kids, a pamper session for a mum who just lost her baby, a makeover and photo shoot for a mum after the death of a child and more. You can make a difference.

Simply send your emails through to info@smallstepsparenting.com and impact a life.

It only takes one life to make a difference.

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Monthly Recipe

Honey Jumbles Ingredients  55g butter, chopped  150g Honey (just under 1/2 cup)  3/4 cup brown sugar  1 tablespoon milk  1 cup plain flour  1/2 cup self raising flour  1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

Icing

 1 1/2 cups icing sugar

 1 teaspoon ground ginger (just under)

 1 egg white

 Dash water

 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice

 2 teaspoons lemon

 Food colouring

 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

juice

(optional)

Method 1.

Combine butter, honey and sugar in saucepan an melt over low-medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.

2.

Sift flours, bicarbonate soda, ginger, mixed spice and cloves in a bowl, add milk and butter mixture and mix well. Cover and pace in refrigerator for 45 minutes.

3.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees/ 170 degrees fan forced.

4.

Line two trays with baking paper.

5.

Place dough onto a lightly floured board to knead. Separate into 4 pieces and roll each portion into logs approx 2cm round. Cut into four pieces and place onto baking tray, allowing room for them to spread.

6.

Place into oven and bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Leave on the tray for 8 minutes then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

7.

To make icing whisk egg white and lemon juice until it starts to peak (looks like soft foam). Gradually whisk in sifted icing sugar until fully combined. If the mixture is too thick, add a dash of water, sometimes you will need it and other times you won’t. Divide the mixture into bowls and add a few drops of food colouring. Spread icing over the cooled biscuits and leave to set.

This recipe comes from Trendy Lil Treats. For more recipes check out their website www.trendyliltreats.com.au

Ask a Professional...

QUESTION: I have a three year old daughter who loves to sit and colour but not do much else. I worry about her development. What can I do to encourage other activities?

Children often find an activity that they enjoy or feel they are good at and spend most of their time doing that. It is important though to provide your child with a variety of activities that encourages all areas of her development. It sounds like she is getting lots of practice with her fine motor skills but needs time with her other areas.

Try encouraging some outdoor play such as catching a ball or playing chasings to encourage gross motor development. To gain her interest you may have to link it to something else she likes, such as tell her the ball is a special princess ball and you have to run really fast with it to get it to the princess before time runs out. Try to use her interests by being creative to link them with other activities.

Another idea is to set a special time for colouring, say after lunch, and tell her that she can colour as much as she likes during that time but when colouring time is over she needs to choose a new activity. Plan some activities for her to choose from and let her pick. You could even make a game out of it by putting pieces of paper with different games on it in a hat and letting her select one. Very soon you will find that she is enjoying a wide range of activities.

This answer has been supplied by Julie-Anne England who has years of experience working with children plus childcare trained and mum of two. Learn more about JulieAnne on our "About Us" page on our website.

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How to de-tangle your tinsel this festive season Michael Bublé on repeat in department stores, red and green everywhere, kids lining up to take their photo with that red, chubby fella: aaah, it can all only mean one thing: it’s almost Christmas time again!

So while your kids might already be ready to hand over that list for Santa that they’ve been compiling meticulously for months, Christmas might not be met with such happiness for some. **Cue the horror movie music – think of the screeching violins that played in that epic Psycho shower scene.** First up, it’s important that you’re not feeling guilty that you’re not exactly jumping for joy at the thought of waving hello to Christmas yet again. This time of the year

can be incredibly stressful and not just for you, for a lot of people all around the world.

Think about it, there’s:  Factoring those expensive gifts into your already tight budget.  Finding the time to research what people would like and make the time to go gift shopping.

That ‘perfect’ family gathering you’re either expected to organise or contribute to.

Yep, we can see why you’re biting those nails! But, let’s all take a deep breath and deal with this reality check for just one moment: Christmas is one day of the year.

If you don’t turn on the best celebration, the Apocalypse won’t take place and those zombies from The Walking Dead won’t rock up at your front door.

So, instead of becoming your family’s version of Miley Cyrus (you know, everybody talking about you for all the wrong reasons), here are some simple things you can follow to make sure it really is a Merry Christmas.

Be aware of what’s ahead While we’d love to play ‘happy families’, it’s just reality that you may not get on so well with every single member of your family. Don’t work yourself up ahead of time: instead, learn how to cope with your family and lay to bed anything you can’t change.

Focus on what’s to come, not on what’s passed.

Be mindful of your behaviour Kids are like sponges and if you’re stressed out, chances are, they’ll feel it and start feeling down too. Christmas is an exciting time for the little munchkins so just keep a check on how you’re reacting to certain things in the lead-up to the big day.

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It’s not about how much you spend Okay, so you know who’s going to go allout present-wise but be realistic with what you can afford. You don’t have to keep up with your family and friends: accept what equates to a realistic gift for you and anyone who really appreciates you, will love your present anyway.

Remember to look after yourself You need to buy gifts… you need to buy groceries for the big day… and drinks… and decorations for the room: breathe. Sit down, take a deep breath and swap that supermarket trip for a long walk instead. This can be a demanding period in terms of social outings but make sure you’re allocating time to keeping yourself fit and healthy – it’ll go a long way to beating that Christmas stress.

And… if you’re still feeling a little hot under the collar, follow these stress management tips: Visualise happiness – think of a time when you were happy and teleport your way back (yes, summon your imaginative side).

Just say no – it’s okay… the world will keep on turning.

Call a friend – sometimes, you just need to

let it out. That’s what friends are for.

Just laugh – a good chuckle, whatever the situation, can really help you to let go and de -stress.

Be still – there’s nothing like ‘alone’, silent time to force you to realise how whatever you’ve worked yourself up about, doesn’t really matter.

Here’s another tip, jot down these inspirational quotes on sticky notes and stick them all around you (your work desk, on the fridge and so on).

“The quieter you become, the more you can hear” – Ram Dass “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without” – Buddha “Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher” – Oprah Winfrey Sarah Cannata is the Communications Manager at HelpMeChoose.com.au, an insurance, energy and home loan comparison service. For more family related news, read the HelpMeChoose blog – you can email Sarah at: sarah.cannata@helpmechoose.com.au

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Your Story Carice’s Story - An early arrival went against my plans It was my first pregnancy and I was quite nervous about the whole thing. My sisters hadn’t had easy pregnancies and I kind of assumed mine would be the same. Every appointment I had with the clinic I met with trepidation, preparing myself for bad news but as it didn’t come week after week I began to settle into my pregnancy and actually enjoy it.

I loved the feeling of my changing body and I will never forget the moment when I first felt my baby move - like a soft fluttering through my lower abdomen. I loved my changing shape and I took real pride in being able to buy new maternity clothes to show of my growing bump.

more to plan after that.

I was very excited about my coming baby shower too. I had been to so many baby showers and it was surreal to think that this one was for me. I often daydreamed about the shower, surrounded my friends and opening the presents containing these adorable tiny little outfits.

Until then the rest of my pregnancy had me catching up with friends, starting to decorate the nursery and preparing the house for my baby’s arrival.

When I hit 34 weeks I started feeling really off. I can’t quite describe it but I just had a feeling something was not quite right. I was glad that I had an appointI was thrilled that I not only had a very ment with the clinic the next day so they easy and text book pregnancy but I also could reassure me and tell me that it was didn’t get a lot of the usual symptoms like nothing, just normal end of pregnancy nausea and fatigue. I honestly felt really kind of stuff. energized and kept myself busy planning for the arrival of my first baby.

I arrived at the appointment with my husband and felt a bit put off when the nurse I am a very organized person and I knew told me I didn’t look good. I confessed that the end of the pregnancy would drive that I hadn’t been sleeping so well and my me nuts as I waited for the baby to come body seemed to have taken on fluid. I was so I planned out 40 weeks of activities for puffy around not only my feet and ankles myself to give myself something to look but my face too. forward to each week.

The midwife sat my down to take my At week 30 my husband and I planned a blood pressure. I was astonished to see lovely week away up the coast at a gorthat it was 160 on 110. The midwife geous resort as our last holiday as a coulooked quite alarmed and ask my to sit ple. I thoroughly enjoyed the time, sunquietly while she left the room. ning myself on the sand, walks along the beach with my husband and delicious A minute later she came back in with meals out very night. I was quite sorry to male doctor. He also took my blood pressee the end of the holiday but had much sure with the same result and then sat next 14

to me as he proceeded to tell me how dangerous it was to have a blood pressure that high. I was diagnosed with preeclampsia. At the moment both my baby and I were at high risk of death.

willed myself not to throw up. The nurse gave my something and the feeling started to ease.

I will never forget the feeling of my baby being lifted out. I suddenly felt lighter and

I don’t really remember much of those next few moments. I was placed in a bed and drips and monitors were quickly set up. My husband seemed quite lost at what to do. I remember stressing about all the things I hadn’t done. I hadn’t even packed my hospital bag. I didn’t feel ready to have my baby, this wasn’t the way it was supposed to go. It was too early.

I was supposed to be listening to all the doctor was saying but I couldn’t focus. I heard words like special care nursery, and breathing problems and the next thing I know I was being wheeled off to surgery for an emergency caesarean.

I held onto my husbands hand tightly as they wheeled me quickly down the hallways. I was nervous and frightened for the life of my child. Surely it isn’t as bad as this, I thought to myself. Maybe they are just being overcautious.

I struggled to maintain my composure when they told me my husband had to wait outside while they got me prepped. I felt so out of control but the nurse with me was so supportive. She spoke to me soothingly as they bustled about the room and set up the spinal. I sat as still as I could while they put in the local anaesthetic but the room was so cold and I was shivering uncontrollably. Within minutes I was laying on the bed with cords everywhere and finally they allowed my husband to be with me. I gratefully took his hand and he kissed my forehead.

I felt really strange, there was no pain but I could feel movement and pulling. I felt kind of sick as it was all going on and I

I held my breath to hear the first cry.

Within seconds that beautiful sound touched my ears and I began to cry.

“What is it?” I asked, wanting to get a glimpse of my precious newborn.

“It’s a girl.” My husband said to me and went around to cut the cord.

I got to kiss her little face before they whisked her off to special care to make sure she was okay. She was so beautiful.

We named her Analiese and I felt so proud that I had brought a life into this world.

Analiese did really well and didn’t seem to have any problems because of the preeclampsia. She did struggle with feeding for a while though and had to stay in hospital to grow up for a few weeks before I could take her home.

The day I did was the happiest day of my life. Now Analiese is 6 months old and such a wonderful, happy baby. I cannot imagine life without her.

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5 steps to keep your business going this holidays Christmas is upon us and for small business owners that brings challenges as well as Christmas joy!

You still have clients to look after, but you often have the added distraction of Christ- 3. mas events, kids home for the summer and the need for a (well-deserved, I’m sure) family holiday! How do you balance everything?

Here are my 5 Top Tips to cope with what really is the “silly season” when it comes to running a small business and a family at 4. this time of the year!

1. Make sure you keep your diary up to date! Use the diary to put EVERYTHING in there. From end of year school/kinder/crèche concerts – to Christmas networking events – to your normal every day clients work – to the inevitable family or friend catch ups. Keeping track of where 5. you’re supposed to be and when you’re supposed to be there is going to make the season run much more smoothly.

2. Communicate early with your clients about cut off dates for Christmas orders. Let them know when you’re closed for your well deserved break (aka the family holiday!) Send them 16

a timely email which details everything they need to know so they don’t miss out on your awesomeness!

If you have children, make arrangements with other working families for play-dates. By helping each other out, you will find it possible to have some great productive time to get things done. Work like the clappers when the kids aren’t there!!!

If possible with your business, get up early and work while the kids have lazy mornings and work after they’ve gone to bed. Keep the days free to spend time with the kids – take them to the beach or the park! After all, you went into business to be familyfriendly, so be friendly to your family!

Now, bias-alert is required for the next tip! As a Virtual Assistant (VA) myself, I can’t help but think this is the best tip of the article and I have to admit to being totally biased about this tip….Here’s the tip … drum roll!

– get yourself a Virtual Assistant!

The great thing about having a VA is that you can just use their services while you’re away so you don’t miss

orders – they can check your emails and respond on your behalf. Even forward your phone calls to them.

of the Christmas period, including the summer holidays. Oh, and if you need a VA – I have a network of willing, able and professional people only too ready to help you out.

Ho, ho, ho – I hope Santa finds you and your family and you enjoy this crazy, stressful, fun, awesome time of the year!

Have a safe and happy festive season and see you in the New Year!

Chris

If your business is like a lot of businesses, it may be that this summer period is a quiet time for you. Make great use of the down time to plan the next year! Re-visit your website and make updates. Re-visit your business plan and make more plans for the rest of the year. Set up your marketing plan for the next 3 – 6 months. Use the time to write blogs, set up strategies and make plans.

These tips should help you make the most

Combos Slides Obstacle Castles Slushie Machines Phone: (02) 4571 1240 or 0402 100 681 Email: tomcatjim1@bigpond.com Birthdays/Corporate Events/Preschools/Fetes/Christmas/New Years

Teaching our kids the value of giving

Earlier this year I was struggling with the all the ‘I wants’ I was constantly hearing from my eldest daughter. It seemed as though the more she had, the more she wanted. She claimed she was bored but it was really because she had so many toys and amusements, she simply couldn’t focus on one thing. While being self-obsessed is normal enough for a seven year old, I was getting worried that I was creating a monster.

After discussing my concerns with other mums at school, I discovered they were experiencing a similar thing. We decided to band together and create a group that would help the kids develop a social conscience.

Our goal was simple enough: to get them to start thinking about others instead of themselves.

Here are some tips on how to teach kids how to give: 1. Have realistic goals based on their age. Our group of kids were aged between seven and nine and full of ideas, including having a car wash, reading

2.

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to seniors, letting homeless people move into the spare bedroom and selling lemonade on the side of the road.

Clearly, direction from adults was going to be necessary. Also, choosing a charity or group to work with is an important decision. Small kids might not be ready to understand why people are homeless and issues surround mental health and depression, but they are more than ready to understand helping animals and that kids their own age can get really sick. Children will feel more empowered if they are able to witness or meet the group they are helping.

Small ideas are as good as big ideas.

Kids don’t need to fight starvation in Africa or save the rainforests to make a difference. Teaching kids to give might be as simple as earning some money to buy a bag of dog treats for the local kennel. Sweeping the elderly neighbour’s drive is just as valued as

3.

4.

5.

6.

raising $1,000.

You can guide them, but you can’t force them. If we were undertaking a project, as adults we would have a particular way of doing things. But kids aren’t adults, and occasionally we had to let them make some decisions that we might not have totally agreed with, but the kids ultimately felt more ownership of the project.

Go don’t too hard too soon. After the success of our first project - a garage sale - everyone was eager to know ‘what’s next’. But we wanted their giving group to be sustainable, and rushing into another project would likely make the kids to burn out and lose interest. It was a couple of months before their next project idea bubbled to the surface.

Let fun be their reward. Charitable work is very noble, but when we are talking about kids, they need to be having fun to learn. Too many lectures about the importance of giving can start to feel a bit like school and kids lose interest, and never use guilt to get kids to participate.

Let them choose projects based on their own interests. We are trying to teach kids to be thoughtful about others, but it’s okay if they relate their charitable work back to themselves. If your kids are heavily into sports then consider a charity like Boots for All in Victoria (http:// www.bootsforall.org.au/ about_us.html), or if they love baking, then the simple act of making a batch of cookies to welcome a new neighbour, is a worthy project. They will engage much more with their project if they can relate to the people who will ultimately benefit.

At home, I still hear plenty of ‘I wants’ but

at least they are tempered with the occasional ‘we shouldn’t waste that’ or ‘let’s think about someone else’. My daughter recently asked if she could do some jobs to earn some money, and then bowled me over by saying that she was going to use the money to buy Christmas presents for friends and family. Teaching kids to give is not a one-off lesson, and you have to let them take the lead as much as possible. But perhaps the most important way you can teach your children, is to be a giver yourself, and let them see you donate your time, money or skills to help others.       

Giving projects suitable for children: Food drive at school or in the neighbourhood Buying a toy for a Christmas appeal Donating toys or books to a church or school fete Spending an hour walking the neighbour’s dog Engaging the school community to raise money to sponsor a child Car wash

Shannon Meyerkort is a blogger, writer and mother to three little girls. Follow her blog Relentless at www.frommumtome.blogspot.com or learn more at www.shannonmeyerkort.com

McGraths Hill Children’s Centre Inc    

Open 6.30am-6.30pm From birth to 6 years Nutritious meals daily Community based Not for profit centre  Preschool transition programs 69 Andrew Thompson Dr, McGraths Hill Ph: 4587 7141 or email: mhcc@westnet.com.au

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Water safety for children Young children love water and it can be fun for everybody, as well as great exercise. But water safety for kids depends on you or another grown-up always watching your child when in, on or around any water. Drowning can happen quickly and quietly.

Drowning is the number one cause of death for children under five.



rivers, creeks and oceans



dams and lakes

Children also drown in less obvious locations, such as nappy buckets, water tanks, water features and fish ponds – even pets’ water bowls.

For every drowning, approximately three other children are hospitalised from non-fatal drowning incidents. Some of these result in severe brain damage.

Babies and toddlers are top-heavy, which makes them susceptible to drowning. If a Prevention and 100% supervision are the baby falls into even shallow water, they keys to keeping your child safe around water. can’t always lift themself out.

Drowning can occur quickly and quietly, without any warning noises.

In Australia, children under five drown in: 

swimming pools



baths

Water safety for kids: the basics

It’s important to always stay with your child and watch them whenever they are near water – even when they can swim.

Supervision means constant visual contact with your child and keeping her within arm’s reach at all 20

older siblings can’t climb in.

times. You should be in a position to respond quickly, whether you’re at the beach or the swimming pool, near dams, rivers and lakes, or at home when the bath or spa is full. Hold your child’s hand when you’re near waves or paddling in rivers. Supervision is not an occasional glance while you nap, read or do household chores. It is not watching your kids playing outside while you’re inside. It is always best for an adult, not an older child, to supervise.

You can also teach your child about water safety and how to swim. Many children can learn to swim by the time they’re four or five.



Drain sinks, tubs, buckets, baths and paddling pools when you’re finished with them.



Secure covers to ponds and birdbaths and other water features with wire mesh, or empty them until your child is at least five years of age.



Keep aquariums and fishbowls out of reach of small children. If you have an inflatable pool that is more than 300 mm in height, pool fencing laws apply.

Water safety around beaches

Here are tips to improve water safety Water safety around the house The majority of drowning deaths in Aus- near the ocean tralia result from a child falling or wan Hold your toddler’s hand near dering into the water, particularly into a waves and when paddling. backyard pools. But a young child can  Take your child only to patrolled drown in as little as 5 cm of water. beaches where surf lifesavers are Here are some tips to improve water present, and swim only between safety around your house: the flags. 

By law, all pools and spas must be  Teach your school-age child what fenced. All swimming pool safety to do if she needs help – stay calm, fences must meet Australian float and raise an arm to signal to a Standard safety requirements. lifeguard or lifesaver.

Remove any objects from your First aid is an essential skill for the entire yard that could be used to climb family to learn. Learning CPR and what to over the swimming pool fence.



Remove any containers with water in them from around the house and make sure your child can’t get to any bodies of water, including the bath, on his own.



Always empty the baby bath as soon as you’re finished with it so

do in an emergency could save your child’s life.

Written by Kim Hendricks, trainer and assessor at Citadel First Aid. Learn more about Kim on our website in the About Us section or check out her website www.citadelfirstaid.com for more details.

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Toot toots and Tick-tocks My twenty month old son loves trains and clocks at the moment - or, as he puts it, toot-toots and tick-tocks. He will carry a little clock around, or work hard to turn the hands on the one above his sister's toy kitchen, which is almost but not quite out of his reach. He'll ask for his train t-shirt and point out the train station whenever we go past.

ful to you as a parent or not, is important.

The things children find interesting are the things they will remember; the things that encourage them to seek out more information, to explore it, and to share it with others. Their interests form their personalities and their histories as well as their futures. It's respectful to respond to a child's interest with attention, just as we would with an adult.

What's my response? I find books with It also encourages resilient, self-directed clocks and trains in them, and dig up more learning - no one who is passionate can be old clocks for him to play with. I get out passive. his train sets, find train puzzles and train stories. He's learned to We find out about our children's interests say the numbers now on the clock face, by watching and listening to them. What and can count to ten. He's also learned to do they talk about, what do they choose to click together the wooden tracks of his do in their train set free time? Is it minecraft, princesses, dogs, and to say 'up', 'down', 'stop', and 'go'. His grasshoppers? We support their interests interests have sparked learning and I know by paying attention - listening and rewill continue to do so. sponding, asking if they need any help or resources Most children have strong interests in (and not taking over or turning it into our something, from astronomy to superown project). heroes, from princesses to insects. Supporting those interess, For some children with special needs, their whether they're interests that are meaning- interests can take over their lives to the 22

exclusion of all other activities. It's still important to allow them time with their interests, even if adults around them need to place limits on timing and intensity. For other children with special needs, finding their interest may take lots of observation before it becomes clear.

Kids Build Together

Each child has something in their lives which makes them light up, smile, be more themselves than ever. These interests engage their minds and their emotions, and bring richness to their lives - and ours, too.

GRAND OPENING!

THURSDAY DECEMBER 4TH FROM 10AM –2PM Kids Build Together provides a unique space where you and your children (0-7) can learn, create, interact and develop using a range of different building blocks.

Unlike a traditional tutoring business, Kids Build Together develops skills such as literacy, maths, physics and social-emotional skills – all through play.

We’re at 5/9 West Market St, Richmond NSW. Opening Hours: 10am – 2pm weekdays. www.kidsbuildtogether.com 23

01 My 2

4

Money Challenge

20 Ways to save money this Christmas!

It’s that time of year again.... Numerous trips to the shops, internet purchases, toys galore and so much food! It’s a fun, yet sometimes stressful time of year and it is also the time that we often struggle the most to stick to our budgets. So here are 20 ways you can keep the costs down this Christmas and still have a good time.

Groceries and food   

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Presents 

Stick to the cheaper grocery chains and purchase items that are on sale. Buy in bulk where you can.

Have a shopping list and stick to it!

If you are having a Christmas meal at your house, ask everyone to bring a dish to save you the time and expense of planning and preparing the whole thing. Organise who will bring what and plan for some treats and drinks as well.

Avoid convenience foods and make your own where you can, if you have the time.

You the lead up to Christmas to bake Christmas treats with the kids. This could become a fun family tradition plus it will save you money instead of buying expensive bakery or ready made treats.

Shop without the kids. Christmas shopping is full of temptations and the kids will want to add things to the shopping trolley that you hadn’t planned to buy.

Going without them helps the budget and your sanity as you don’t have to explain why they can’t have all these fun a novel new items.

Spread your Christmas food shop over several weeks to lessen the impact by buying foods that will keep and storing them away until you need them.

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24

If you know what you are buying for each person, shop around for the best price in both stores and online. Often online purchases are a lot cheaper, even with shipping.

Make your own gifts where you can, there are thousands of ideas on sites such as Pinterest and people often appreciate the thought into a home made gift rather than a bought one.

Make your own gift tags and even wrapping paper. This can save you money in supplies and give the kids something to do during the day.

Shop with time to spare. You are less likely to pay premium price for an item if you know you still have time to shop around Buy during the after Christmas sales. If you know that there are some friends and family that you won’t see until after Christmas make the most of these highly discounted shop sales.

Give photos as gifts. Grandma and Grandpa plus other family members will love photo gifts as they will be sentimental and make them feel a part of the family + they are fairly cheap to make.

Budget 

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Keep track of your spending. Allocate an amount to each person and stick to it.

Then set a food budget and plan for extras such as decorations.

Start a Christmas fund in your household.

Put aside an amount of money each week into the fund and then don’t use it until Christmas. Even better if you can collect interest off the amount to add to your fund.

With large gatherings such as families and work friends, plan to have a secret santa to save you from buying gifts for everyone and put your money into one gift that is special.

Don’t use credit cards to buy presents unless you already have the money there to cover it otherwise you can lose track and have a large amount to pay off after the Christmas season.

Decorations 

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Buy a fake tree. This will save you money each year as you can reuse it plus these days the fake trees are just as good as a real one but they won’t drop pine needles everywhere and won’t wilt in the heat!

Have a Christmas craft day with the kids and make paper chains and other fun decorations for the tree rather than buying very expensive ones Make your own edible decorations for the tree in gingerbread and hang for when friends and family come over.

10 gifts the kids can make  Photo frames - wooden frames that can be painted and then place a photo inside  Keepsakes such as foot or hand prints in clay for family members  Artworks - kids love to paint and draw.

Once they complete an artwork simply frame it as a gift for a loved one  Clay creations - works like playdough but sets hard to stay permanent.  Handmade cards - use stickers and coloured pencils to make bright Christmas cards for friends and family members.

Add a photo for a more personalised touch  Gingerbread or sugar cookies are a fun and easy activity for the kids plus they are a great gift to have on hand for when

unsuspecting visitors stop by.  Candle carving - let the children scratch designs into the sides of pillar candles with a stylus or non working pen. When finished paint on a little glue and sprinkle on some glitter.  Snow globes - glue a plastic toy inside the lid of a jar. Add water and glitter and secure the lid.  Book marks - laminate coloured pieces of paper, leaves or even small flowers and cut into shape.  Jewellery - buy stretchy jewellery cord and have the children thread on colourful beads and charms. Tie at the end at the correct length for bracelets and necklaces.

25

Christmas gift guide It’s often hard to find swimmers for kids that are tasteful. These gorgeous swimsuits come from Heavenlee Creations and RRP for $49.95 Sizes 1, 2, 4, 6. The one on the left is Splash and the one on the right Sweet Kiss. You can get yours direct from the website www.heavenleeswim.com

Learning systems are always a popular idea for Christmas gifts and here are two that we liked for encouraging your child’s development. The Multi Award Winning Little Reader Deluxe is $279 and Babyplus Prenatal Education System is $199. Check them out online for more details. www.brainychild.com.au

Do you have a favourite children’s story or does your child? For a great Christmas gift this year check out this beautiful handmade bunting created from children’s books.

Available at Domum Vindemia Items: 1. May Gibbs counting book bunting - $23 http://madeit.com.au/Main/Item? itemId=999802 2. Bambi bunting - $22.50 - http:// madeit.com.au/Main/Item?itemId=996482 26

Kids love to help…. And what could be more fun helping than with these super cute microfiber dusters?

Available in 6 designs with a cute animal design on one sideand microfiber duster on reverse side.

Removable plastic handle for easy machine wash.

NeatKids – Super FUN Microfiber Duster SIZE 35cm x 6cm RRP $6.00 http://www.neatfreakme.com/product/neatkids-funhelping-pack/

For a sentimental gift why not try these original baby curl beads. The bead incorporates a curl of your baby’s hair into a bead that you can keep forever. The beads are classy and fit easily onto standard Pandora and other European type bead bracelets.

They cost $50 each and can be purchased from Beyond the Willow Tree. http://beyondthewillowtree.tictail.com/product/babies-first-curl-smooth-european -bead

A gift of jewellery for Christmas is never a bad idea and these delicate hand made rings would be the perfect pick.

This set is called “Elsha” and costs only $16 for the set of three.

Get one for yourself and a friend. http://madeit.com.au/ Main/Item? itemld+990052

Singing Portraits is an app that prompts little ones (with the help of an adult) to create a Singing Portrait - a MUSICAL memory of your child. The outcome is a professional recording, with your child singing directly to you, or to who ever you send the song to.

There are a range of song options including a Christmas category. For under $5 it's cheaper than a Christmas card, but completely priceless in terms of value. https://www.facebook.com/ singingportraits?ref=hl

27

Recommended Reading Go to Sleep Jessie

by Libby Gleeson & Freya Blackwood RRP 24.95 Story Mama price $22.45 For ages 4+

Food Babies Love

by Emily Dupuche Cookbook for Weaning/ Toddler years RRP 29.95 Story Mama price $26.96

The Swap

By Jan Ormerod & Andrew Joyner Age 3+ RRP 24.95

Moo Baa La La La

by Sandra Boynton RRP 7.95 For ages 0-2

These books and more can be purchased from Story Mama. Story Mama is an online store specialising in picture books for kids.. You can shop by age, by interest, by award winners or by milestone. With Australian delivery and free shipping on orders over $30 it is a great way to purchase books. http://www.storymama.com.au 28

Kids Fun! Christmas find-a-word Find the Christmas words from the list in this grid. Words may be horizontal, vertical or diagonal.

C G H H R E I N S I T H M M A O S U R G T S R I E O E A N L H E Christmas Baubles Tree Lights Star

O P I A N A I U M E A T L S Y G

F R I E N R E S E N N D E E R M A Z I N G R O M I N K F U L N G F A O D O N T M M E R E R T T B A K T H A E I N C U O N A A B N D O R L I G G O E O D I V S A N Summer Presents Holidays Sing Family Bake Friends Santa Happy 29

D T S G S C R E I E L F H H T T

S D S A U A R P P E R O I Y S V E F L H S Y T R E H T S H A A E Elf Reindeer Surprise Thankful

H O L I D A Y S O H A P P Y T S

This resource is available for download from the resource page on our website.

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