November 2014

NOVEMBER 2014

Technology take-over

Being empowered as a mum

Back to basics: simplify your life Empowering parents to be the best they can be!

Contents Regulars 5 Letter from the Editor 9 Ask a professional - questions from readers 10 Make a Change 11 Monthly Recipe - LCM Bites 14 Your Story - I needed a change to be a good mum 16 Small Steps to business - with Chris Crowe 22 Something Extra - by Carolyn Galbraith 28 Kid’s fun

Articles 6 8 18 20 24

Technology takeover Empowering mums Cultivating a love for music Simplify your life 2014 money challenge

Special Features 12 Things to do during the hot weather 26 Paint the Town REaD - a community event in the Hawkesbury

November 2014

Letter from the Editor Dear Reader, The countdown to Christmas is on and our lives tend to get a bit more hectic rather than calmer. This month we have articles on simplifying your life and dealing with the technology take-over.

We would like to introduce to you Chris Crowe, our new contributor this month who writes for those of you who run their own home businesses. Her articles are informative and relevant and we are excited to have her joining us.

This month is an exciting month for us here at Small Steps as we are looking at ways to bring you more content and researching what you actually want in the magazine each month. We would love to hear from you and hear your comments and opinions.

Kindly,

Julie-Anne England

All articles in Small Steps are for editorial purposes and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. Small Steps does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information, content, or advertisements contained on, distributed through, or linked, downloaded, or accessed through this magazine or the corresponding website or facebook page, nor the quality of any products, information or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an advertisement or any other information.

In no event shall Small Steps be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, or consequential damages of any kind whatsoever with respect to the service, the materials, and the products. You are encouraged to exercise discretion while browsing the Internet. No part of this publication or the corresponding website is to be copied or reproduced without permission.

Technology takeover The interference of technology on family life.

Being both a ‘Technology Coach’ and a parent to two girls under the age of 7 has definitely brought its own challenges. I started ‘Tech Coach HQ’ last year and my background is in education and has been since 2003 in both primary and secondary music education.

noticed especially this year the ‘retro’ trend of living a more ‘simple’ life with more families choosing to have ‘Tech Free’ Sundays or weekends or even removing ‘tech’ altogether to focus on ‘play’ and spending more quality time as a family unit.

What research is showing: Technology just like with anything else can be addictive. Boundaries are very important at a young age and this needs to be consistent (not saying that the occasional time isn’t bad, just not to sit in front of the iPad, computer screen or TV all the time).

Having the perspective of both a parent, educator and technology expert has given me perspective on different sides of the ‘tech’ with kids debate. I am not saying it is easy and there are more things to contend with in 2014 than I dealt with growing With a recent study by the American Acadup in the 80’s. emy of Pediatrics suggesting ‘screen free’ zones in the house and limiting screen time for one to two hours per day (this includes Steve Jobs, his kids and screen time I heard once in a keynote that Steve Jobs television, computers and mobile devices) and a few other leading technologists limit over the age of two. Under the age of two, their screen time (even though you would it is recommended to have no screen time. think this be the opposite case). I have

Iemma Family rules For me personally, screen time has always been educational (and yes Play School and ABC2 were are still something that I let my kids watch). I do have a rule on a weekend that television is not allowed to come on until 4pm and even then it is only till 5.30 which is roughly when dinner coincides. If my daughters use the iPad, then television time becomes limited.

Television in our family home goes off after dinner and often we read to our girls and play board games before bedtime.

What are relevant boundaries for children?

Here are my five boundaries for children/teenages: 1. Work out a time limit based on the age of the child.

2. If it is a school night (and there is homework to be done) try and get that done first and then have ‘screen time’.

3. No ‘tech’ at meals (unless it is needed for specific communication such as a child with communication needs) 4. Tech needs to be visible at all times (i.e. keep in family areas if possible) Set timers/passwords where applicable

Challenges of ‘Screen Time’ There are always going to be challenges with ‘screen time’ especially if your child is at school and they are also using devices.

It is up for individual parents to decide what is a good balance for their family.

Written by Megan Iemma, Mum of two and owner of Tech Coach HQ which solves and educates businesses about using technology. Learn more on the website www.techcoachhq.com.au

What are relevant boundaries for the family unit?

1. Again, keep ‘Tech’ away from meal tables (unless essential for communication) 2. Be present. It’s hard to have a conversation while you are on Facebook checking your updates and trying to listen to your kids after school.

3. Model consistency using technology.

If your kids see you set boundaries for when you use technology, it will be easier for them to follow the boundaries you set for them.

4. Limit tech when you are out for family outings (unless you need to for specific purposes). I used to take the iPod touch out when we went for dinner and about a year ago, I stopped this practice as my two girls then were expecting the iDevices if we went anywhere! Yes, they did have to go ‘cold turkey’ for a while but they don’t ask anymore for a device to magically appear out my handbag.

Have a chart if needed to explain when ‘screen time’ is allowed in your family.

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Empowering mums Emma Marks always knew she wanted to be an active Mum. But playing games on the floor with her kids for five hours was not part of the plan. Emma had another plan, and it was supposed to keep her business brain active for a few hours a day; but life doesn’t always turn out the way you think it will.

highly successful business model for Mum’s Lounge onto six other sites which now make up the Mum Media Group (MMG) including parenting, fashion & beauty, house & garden, bridal, food & employment & upskilling for women reentering the workforce.

Motivated by the conversations she had, and heard, at her children’s pre-school, Emma started an on-line forum for women with children in 2010. “Mum’s Lounge was designed to provide a safe place where women could relax and be themselves,” explains Emma, “they didn’t need to pretend they were super mums.”

Thousands of Australian women from teenagers & brides to mums & homeowners now log on every day to at least one MMG site. With over 300 writers nationally, every site posts new material every day which is in turn promoted nationally via 19 separate social media sites.

Emma says MMG sites are highly popular vehicles for national advertisers who want Emma saw a gap in the on-line market for a to sell to a variety of the female demolifestyle site targeting women… oh, and graphic or who need to survey large groups they just happen to have children; not a of women for marketing intel. “We have an mum’s site where everything revolves engaged audience who talks back to us; this around kids. is marketing gold for companies who want to engage women with no wastage in their “Having five children doesn’t define me as media spend. a person, only as a mum,” says Emma, now Managing Director of Mum Media Group. MMG has now successfully evolved into “Women who become mums often lose one of Australia’s leading digital marketing their identity because everyone sees them channels with a full-time staff of 10, plus just as a mum, especially their children. contributing journalists and other writers.

As a successful business model with endAnd hundreds of thousands of Australian less cross-promotional abilities, MMG is in mums agree with her. Since it launched, the unique position of being wholly priMum’s Lounge has amassed a huge envately owned with an audience of millions gaged following of women with up to 9 of women and homeowners across Austramillion sometimes reached on Facebook. lia.

Mum’s Lounge has 100,000+ Facebook followers, 85,000+ e-news subscribers and Written by Megan Iemma, Mum of two and 450,000+ unique monthly visitors. In a few owner of Tech Coach HQ which solves and short years Mum’s Lounge has set the educates businesses about using technolbenchmark for websites of its type . ogy.

But that’s not all. Emma has overlayed the 8

Ask a Professional...

QUESTION: I am a stay at home mum and I struggle to think of things to do with the kids each day. My children are 2 and 4. What can you suggest that will keep them busy but not cost me too much money?

The days can seem long and overwhelming when you have young children. Planning experiences for them during the week can help to break up the day and promote learning through play.

Try setting up craft activities such as paper with water paints, tear up tissue paper and glue it to paper or try some finger painting. A funny and non messy idea is to use clear contact paper and have your children stick sequins, ripped up paper and small pictures to it. When they have finished simply stick it to another sheet of paper.

Activities that are outdoors are also a great idea. Try water play - a large bowl of water with some plastic cups and maybe some plastic animals. You can add cubes of ice on a hot day for more sensory feeling. Sand is also fascinating play for young children. If you don’t have sand why not try making some moon sand (directions in our May issue, page 25). Following us on Facebook will have a variety of ideas on a regular basis as will our blog in the website.

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

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 9

Change

Make a

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.

This world is full of so many great causes - non-profit organisations and charities to help people, animals, save the environment, raise money for research and more.

There are so many causes that you could choose to support and at times it can be overwhelming not being able to do it all.

This month we don’t want to acknowledge a charity or organisation, we want to acknowledge those of you who are doing it tough. A lot of the time we do quite well but there are times when all of us need a helping hand. This may be during a financial struggle, dealing with the death or illness of a loved one (or ourselves) or something else.

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.

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

It only takes one life to make a difference.

Monthly Recipe

LCM Bites Ingredients  4 cups of rice bubbles  2 cups of desiccated coconut  1/4 cup of Sugar Free Kids Drinking Powder (Chocolate, Strawberry or Banana)  2/3 cup honey (or rice malt syrup)  1/2 cup of coconut oil or coconut butter

Method 1.

Place dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.

2.

Melt the coconut oil and rice malt syrup/honey over a low heat until it’s a smooth consistency, not hot, then add to bowl of dry ingredients

3.

Mix it well until it’s combined

4.

Using rice moulds, fill to the top and then press down firmly to create a firm LCM bite. Otherwise if you don’t have rice moulds firmly press into a lined baking tray so it’s approx 1 cm thick and flatten with a chopping board to get a nice firm bar.

5.

Place in the refrigerator to set.

6.

Once set, slice into bars and store in air tight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

This recipe comes from Trendy Lil Treats. For more healthy recipes check out their website www.trendyliltreats.com.au 11

Slip, slop, flop?..

Things to do when the weather is hot

We’re coming up to that time of the year again that we all just love: summer! Yep, days when you and the little munchkins can never have too many zooper doopers, when you pack a delicious healthy picnic and head to the beach, journey on long bike rides that the kids will remember when they’re older… the list is endless.

While nothing can replace these fun summertime activities, sometimes, that sizzling Aussie sun is just too hot, forcing you and the kids indoors. We all know how easily kids can get bored so being stuck inside means that you need to think a little outside the square in terms of entertaining your kids all day (and night) long. Before you flick on

that television and invest in a summer’s worth of Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants DVDs, STOP. Have a read of the following suggestions that’ll make time fly! They’re loads of fun and will help your children to stay fit and healthy beyond summer.

Grr argh! It’s time for an indoor treasure hunt!

There’s nothing like an indoor treasure hunt to get those creative juices flowing. All you need to do is set up clues that force your kids to work out where the hidden treasure is.

You’d be amazed at how hours can blast by as your kids try to figure out the clues and 12

game, one person (they’re called ‘it’) has to cover his or her eyes while counting aloud.

In the meantime, everyone else hides – when ‘it’ is finished counting, he or she begins looking for those that are hiding. Prepare yourself for a heap of fun and giggles.

hunt down the loot.

Need hidden treasure ideas? How about a new set of crayons, markers, or stickers – anything you want really!

Who said kids can’t cook?

In recent times, it’s been well-documented just how many of our Aussie kids are struggling with their weight. And hey, it’s not hard to believe given today’s time-poor culture. So, when the weather’s too hot outside, stay cool inside and plan family meals together. It’s just another way that you can encourage healthy living.

Indoor bowling Instead of braving the heat outside or spending a heap of money to head down to your local ten pin bowling centre, simply grab some empty bottles (water bottles or big juice bottles will do) and line them up at the end of a corridor or living room. From there, grab an indoor friendly ball (make sure it’s a little soft so that no one gets hurt and nothing is damaged) and start playing. Fill up the bottles with water if you find that they’re falling down when they’re not supposed to.

You’d be surprised at how getting your kids involved in planning future meals can save you ending up with large quantities of wasted food. Most importantly, working alongside your kids in this way will help you So there you have it! It’s a simple list but to keep your entire family’s health in check. that’s exactly the point: beat the heat indoor and have some serious family fun even when The key here is encouraging your kids to the weather isn’t at its friendliest. come up with their own flavour combinations: even if they do seem a little outraBreakout box geous, go with the flow. If they do tend to be choosing too many unhealthy foods, simply Is it too hot to brave the heat? discuss with them what ingredients could be If you notice that your kids are displaying used instead. any of these signs, get them indoors into cooler weather immediately as they may be Challenge them with an obstacle course close to dehydration: Every household has those odd items that are just lying around, not doing much else but  They seem tired and lethargic. gathering dust. Well put them to good use  They’re growing agitated. and get an indoor obstacle course happening.

Sure, this will take some creativity and time  They don’t want to eat or drink. on your end to put together but once it’s all  Their eyes are sunken / dark. up and running, you can enjoy watching  They have a high temperature. those little minds ticking over, wondering how they’re going to solve whatever chalSarah Cannata is the Communications Manlenge is on-hand. ager 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

Hide and Seek Okay, so there’s nothing new about this game but it’s a classic for a reason! Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the aim of the 13

Your Story Dina’s Story - I needed a change to be a good mum

Sometimes I marvel how far I have come in a relatively short space of time as a mum and sometimes I feel like I am beginner – do you ever feel like that?

My kids are now age 5 and age 7 and I feel it is such a privilege and a joy to be a mum. But I haven’t always felt this way…

vasion. My 2 year old was in our home being looked after by his elderly grandmother. Devastatingly our home was invaded and his grandmother, my dear mum -in-law was brutally attacked. Fortunately my dear child was uninjured but the event shook us all.

My mum-in-law has since recovered and is stronger than ever. Having newly setI’ve always tended on the worrying side tled in Australia, this event plus blood, of situations, I guess it was my default forensic dust and the ill repair of our and my parents often said to me, “don’t home prompted many moves. The end worry so much, you are always worrying result was we moved 5 times within 18 about things”. So it kind of became an months with two young boys and my identity. It is no longer part of my identity mum-in-law.

– sure I worry about things but it doesn’t It was the fifth move that broke the govern me the way it used it. camel’s back so to speak. After packing, In 2002, we immigrated to Australia with unpacking, sorting, changing addresses, a then 6 month old and 2 year old. 10 change utilities, the list goes on and days after we arrived we had a home in14

barely keeping our heads above water with the everyday cooking, cleaning, feeding, bathing etc. I had an emotional breakdown.

This particularly day, my mum in law who suffered trauma and depression following her attack had barricaded herself in her room and for the umpteenth time the kids wanted to go in and see her and I had to say she is not feeling well. This coupled with a rental house that was unsafe for my then 1 year old was all getting too much and I broke down. The tears kept coming and I had nothing left to give…to anyone… including my children. I had hit rock bottom.

had imagined? I went searching for ways to answer my questions and to somehow close this gap and that’s when I found out a friend had been to see a coach. Since I was a coach prior to having my kids I wondered why I hadn’t made the connection before.

Coaching helped me to transform myself and I have turned things around dramatically and permanently. I became aware of how it was the way that I was thinking that was creating my experience with children and creating the way I was worrying about things. I discovered there was a clearly defined way for me to change the way I think to get the outcomes I want. My program finished in We slowly rebuilt ourselves and over time 2011 and I now truly feel the full joy of things got better and we moved back to being a parent – through the highs and the our repaired, renewed home and I got the lows and the joys and challenges. help I needed and my mum-in-law got the help she needed and things began to settle Fast-forward to today, the relationship with my children is one I am proud of. down.

This morning we had a little banter beIt was sometime later, when the boys cause I had an appointment with my hairwere 2 and 4 that I was sitting with them dresser and I asked them their opinion on at their blue IKEA dinner table and realthe style of cut I should have. They reised that I was ok but I wasn’t ecstatic, I sponded, “oh mum, you should have it wasn’t LOVING being a mum. And allike this” and “cut it all off mum and be though I was so grateful as to how far we bald.” I laughed. I was fully engaged, not had come I found it difficult to step into in my own head and I could really follow the natural joy and fun that occurred with the energy of the conversation. In reality children. this means I have the relationship I want with them, we have less argument and The kids were having their usual banter disagreements and all round we enjoy our and I remember saying to myself – “is this it? Is this what life with kids was go- time together – it’s a win win for everyone! Not to mention all the things I can ing to be like, constantly cooking, feednow think about and enjoy because my ing, cleaning up and the cycle would go round again” It really was groundhog day. headspace is not taken up with worrying!

Where was the joy and laughter with children – enjoying their company and being silly with them at times? Where were all Dina Cooper is mum to two and a transof these things that I had anticipated par- formational coach for mums. You can enting to be like? Why was the reality of learn more about Dina and what she does my parenting journey and relationship on our blog on 5th November. with my children so different to what I 15

Managing your time when you work from home Running a business from home is fantastic for work life balance, especially when you want to be around for your small children.

But the very people you want to be there for (your children) can be the very people who can make it so very challenging to get things done in your business and your home.

So how do you manage your time and get the best of both worlds? We all have the exact same number of hours in a day – have you ever wondered how it is that some people seem to cram so much more into their days than others?

The answer is time management. We obviously can’t manage time itself, but we can manage what we do within the time we are given. The key to unlocking amazing time management is planning and communication!

If you have small pre-school age children, plan to do the tricky work or the work that needs the most concentration while they are having their daytime nap. If you have a baby or toddler, this is easy to plan as they generally have some sort of a routine.

If you have children who are slightly older, but not yet at kinder or school, get them into the habit of having “quiet time” for 45 minutes to an hour or so on their

bed with a book, or watching a short dvd.

Before they go down for their nap or rest, have everything planned and ready to go, so that you can just smash out some work and be amazingly productive!

If you have kinder aged or school aged kids, of course it is a whole lot easier as you have a very set number of hours where they are not around. About 30 minutes before you are due to leave to pick them up at the end of the day, celebrate what you have achieved during that day and plan what it is you are going to get stuck into the next day. Then as soon as you get home from dropping them off the next morning, you can get stuck into completing your To Do List as it’s all ready to go!

If you’re like me, you might prefer to wait until the kids are in bed and get stuck into some work in the evenings. I am most productive between 2:30pm – 10:30pm, so I make sure that I do the really important work during these times. Other people are morning people and just love to get up early and can be amazingly productive before the rest of the house has even woken up! Find out what works best for you and go for it!

What about school holidays? Some busi-

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ness owners simply put their business on hold for the short term holidays. Or they work like the clappers and are super flat out the week before and the week after the holidays, so that they are able to spend a bit more time with their kids. But this can be a bit more challenging over the longer summer holidays.

Utilise school holiday programs – the kids usually love a few days in the program and if you plan your tasks carefully, you can get so much done in those couple of days that you can easily take the remaining days off to spend with your kids.

A great tip is to “child swap” with other working mums where you mind their kids for a couple of days, and they return the favour so that work gets done by everyone concerned.

Of course, if you’re in the position to do so, having a nanny, even for a short time can be extremely beneficial! And there’s nothing wrong with using childcare – it’s great socialisation for the kids and if you have planned effectively, you may just surprise yourself with how much you can get done!

Another great obstacle to having awesome time management is well meaning family and friends dropping in because they know you are at home. Make sure you let family and friends know that this is your uninterrupted work time – guard this time fiercely and don’t let anyone tempt you away!

Remember that if you were working in an office at a job, they wouldn’t be able to drop in for a cuppa, so the same should apply while you’re working from home.

This can be a challenge sometimes, and you have to find a gentle way to “train” your families and friends – it’s all about communicating to them that you are running a business.

Housework of course is another thing tempting you away from work – let’s face it, we all have housework and it just never

ever seems to end! What I’ve found helpful to do is to do it all as I go. It may work better for you to get it all done in one day, but I find that a massive chore, so I do a little bit each day.

For example, Friday - bathrooms, Monday – kitchens; Tuesday – vacume, sweep, mop; I have four kids, so I do laundry every day; and so on – each of these things only takes a short time separately, and I find that if I try to do them all on one day I get cranky and resentful because it’s my day off and I should be doing something more fun!

I absolutely get the kids to pitch in as they are getting a bit older, they are doing the vacuuming and the bathrooms – once a month I do these jobs myself so that they’re done “properly” because they just can’t do it to my standards!

Someone once suggested that this was perhaps slave labour, but I totally disagree because if they don’t pitch in and I do all the work – who’s really the slave? We are all residents of the home, so we should all have simple jobs to do. They have been making their own beds since they were six and setting the table and doing the dishes since they were about 10.

Something else that can be helpful to some people is to turn your phone off (or on silent if you just can’t bear to turn it off!).

Just turn it off for an hour or so and return calls when you’ve completed a steady block of work. Same goes for anything that may distract you, like social media etc.

Until next month, Chris

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Cultivating a love of music at home You are your child’s first and favourite teacher! From you, they learn by watching and then imitating, they learn what is acceptable and what is not. There is much to be said of a child’s perspective on what parents are comfortable participating in and what they are not. Some families love to get outside and kick a ball around, while other families prefer to stay inside and do quiet activities. If they observe you loving and participating in something, they will love and want to participate in it too. If you desire to expose your child to music early, a simple way to start is by either having music on at home, or by singing in front of your children. This can be very beneficial in teaching them to be comfortable with their own voices and enhancing their self-confidence.

To use singing as an example; it comes naturally and can be performed any time, anywhere. Singing is a very useful tool in teaching new information, enhancing memory and grasping pitch and rhythm. It is also useful to add that confidence to sing will serve them enormously later on if they do pursue the piano.

ber. I picked a simple, well known melody and had fun experimenting with the rhythm until I made the two fit. There was more fun to be had singing it to the kids in the car over the next few days and it didn’t take them long to catch on!

If singing just isn’t your thing and you are not comfortable singing out loud, there are other ways to cultivate an appreciation of music at home. Clapping your hands along in time to The Wiggles for example, is effective because you are identifying the beat. I recall that a piano student of mine once was uncomfortable clapping her hands to produce a regular beat, because she had never clapped in time to a piece of music before.

What I took for granted as a basic skill, she found strange. She was unfamiliar with the concept and was uncomfortable to even try.

Again, this is a priceless skill that can be practised in everyday life and can serve them well later on. This concept will work for any music going on around you – even the ads on television! You could model tapping, stamping, dancing or humming to tunes or rhymes. All of the good old Nursery Rhymes One way that music helps children respond are fantastic for this sort of thing. For examto instructions is by singing a simple song ple; vocalising “Mary had a little lamb, its when it is time to pack things away. I know fleece was white as snow” is a perfectly acof many Childcare Centres that do this and I ceptable way of introducing early rhythm have always used a “Pack Away” song in concepts. Your child will hear a regular beat my Early Childhood Music Classes. The and have lots of fun with the anticipation of response is incredible! When used frerhyming words. As well as increasing their quently, this often tedious task becomes rou- memory capability, they don’t necessarily tine and even joyful. You could sing: (To the have to be sung. A side note about Nursery tune of “Heigh Ho the Dairy-O”) “It’s time Rhymes... I have noticed that we don’t seem to pack away, It’s time to pack away; Heigh to use as many anymore and I find this sad.

They are excellent tools for many musical Ho the Dairy-O! It’s time to pack away”. concepts and children find them very enjoyI found this method very helpful when trying able. The predictability is comforting and to teach my older children our phone numthey create anticipation. Many Nursery 18

Rhyme books for children exist and of course there is always the internet.

Finally, there are always opportunities to make observations about the music that surrounds us every day. Ask your child questions about what they hear. “Is this song fast or slow? Is it loud or soft? Does it make you feel happy or sad?” Our emotions are charged by these very facets and we don’t usually take time to identify them. Helping children recognise them assists the both of you in understanding what music you like or dislike, and why. Wouldn’t it be exciting if your child felt creative enough to make up their own songs or rhymes! The latter might come when they are a bit older – my eldest son is now very quick at popping out rhyming words consecutively (Oh my... A rapper in the making?!).

to be musically inclined. It’s a universal language that reaches even those who don’t sing, move, rhyme or clap. We all have our favourite styles and genres that we love to listen to from time to time.

Rhiannon is a mum, music lover and teacher of piano, music and movement. She runs fun music classes for children called Jiggle n Jam with Miss Rhiannon. You can learn more at www.smartymusic.com.au

You are your child’s first and favourite teacher!

From you they learn by watching an imitating.

Regarding when is the right age to start an instrument, well that is a topic for another time. But today, sneak a little of your own music education into the home – even around the ones that don’t seem

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Simplify your life

In one easy step...

Life is getting more and more stressful. Nothing around us is going to change, in fact it is only going to get worse. We are currently in the quickening, which is a way of describing the world today as getting faster and faster and everyone is being asked to do more with less, more with less every year.

One of the ways I recommend you get focused on what is important is doing this simple exercise, whereby you write your own Eulogy.

I know, it sounds bad.

However the exercise is very profound and should be emotional.



Community Leader or Spiritual Advisor Take a moment to read, rewrite bits or edit Write the speech from your child's point of slightly, until you are touched by what is view, that they would read out at your fuwritten there. neral about you.

It should be a half page to a full page of what kind of person you were, what kind of life you lead, and your major accomplishments and / or special achievements.

To help you, think of the many roles you will play in life:      

Parent Child Sibling Love Partner Business Partner or Work Colleague Friend and Confidant

This exercise is designed to have you realise that it is the simple things in life that are important. Nobody ever states at a funeral how hard someone worked, how responsive they are on email and social media and how many hours they weren’t there for friends and family.

Do this exercise every year to keep you focused on what your life is going to represent.

It is very emotional and a great way to get a feel for what is really important in life.

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Remember, the 7 wonders of the world are to see, to hear, to touch, to taste, to feel, to laugh, to love. The things we think of a s simple and ordinary, that we take for granted are the miracles of our daily lives.

As I write this article, I have lived 16,696 days, I wonder how many days I have left and whether or not I will waste the rest of my time on things, that just won't matter on my death bed.

Blessings to you and your precious family.

Give them the only gift they really want.

Give them the only gift that is irreplaceable.

TIME. There is a mother in a hospital right now, who has just lost her baby and will never have any more time with her child. For her, the only wish she has for you is to treasure the time you have with your own flesh and

blood. The crackberry just isn't that important.

Written by Katrena Friel from Refresh your Thinking. Learn more on her website www.katrena.com.au

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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Learning by Making Back in the 80's, the subject of Computer Studies was introduced into our high school. We were all excited, imagining spending the lessons playing games and tinkering around with machines. Did it happen like that? No - we studied the history of computers, and learned to type.

My 3 year old doesn't really write. But she went off into her room the other day and made her brother a birthday card on which she'd carefully written, "ilovu". I had no idea she could do that. If I'd asked her to do it, I don't know whether I would've got much more than a scribble - but it was important to her, important to share.

A lot of things at school are like that learning *about* a subject rather than learning a subject. The Chinese classes which involved colouring in pictures of food and costumes, rather than actually learning the language. The science classes which talked about other people's discoveries - and if you did an experiment, it failed unless it had an outcome the teacher had already predicted. Even maths classes involve doing sums over and over again without actually finding anything new.

Learning by Making comes about when a child has a lot of things to make with blocks, craft supplies, and later on real tools - and the confidence that he or she can make things. They gain this confidence by seeing people around them making things; by making things alongside others; by being given specific time each day to make things. Our society tends to promote buying things (well, the media & business do), but we can value making things in our own families Learning by Making is the opposite of his. whether that means making a cake, makIt's an idea (called Constructionism, by a ing a sculpture, making a computer promathematician Papert who worked with gram, making a song or a dance.

Piaget) which says - People learn best when they're making meaningful things What can children learn through making? to share with others. And this is especially They can learn how to do things, such true of children. as how to cut, how to balance, how to measure, how to wait, and how to try 22

again. They can learn how to discover new things, by reading or googling or asking people or observing.

which has been created for playing and sharing.

I'd love to see you there.

Dancing is learning by making - learning different ways a body can move and how to listen to a beat. Learning an instrument is about making a sound. Building with blocks is about making a story, making a world, making things balance and fit.

One of the key idea of Constructionism (learning by making) is that people learn best when sharing with others. Having a place to making things together is great.

There are maker spaces popping up all over the world, places equipped with the tools to make things and people to share with.

This is why I've decided to create my own Learning by Making space in the Hawkesbury. Called Kids Build Together, it's a place for kids 0-7 and their families to come and build blocks together. It's a quiet, airconditioned space in Richmond where children can come together and make things, from train stations to mermaid castles to ice cream shops. There's no need for appointments, and there's no charge for carers or siblings under two - just a space 23

01 My 2

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Money Challenge

Budgeting and saving money is much harder during the holiday seasons or around birthday’s. As a parent you want to create a special time for your child even when budget restrictions exist.

With my eldest turning four this month I wanted to create an enjoyable princess party for her for under $100.

There is a lot that goes into planning a party starting with invitations.

As she is only turning four I didn’t invite a stack of guests as I didn’t want to overwhelm her. I invited a handful of children her age plus our family members (who are all adults).

The invitations I created myself on the computer and printed them out. I used princess graphics and stuck diamontes on the printed invitations. (Party invitations will be available for free download from our blog this month). All up they only cost me time and the A4 paper they were printed on.

For the actual day I planned all my own games, made the cake myself, and used simple party food.

The biggest expense was the food and the cake but all up I came out at just under $100.

Here you can see our menu, the games we played, the party loot and more. All of these will also be available on the website this month.

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The Menu Choc-dipped bread stick fairy wands Watermelon stars Fresh strawberries + grapes Egg sandwiches Fairy bread Potato chips Cheesy crackers Cocktail frankfurts Cake for dessert (or for the kids to take home)

Food

Our favourite games Fairy Scavenger hunt - the fairies left a letter for the children to find leading them on a fun nature scavenger hunt which lead to an exciting surprise and lots of treasure!

Princess bingo - A twist on the classic bingo game in that the matching pictures are all hidden around an area. Finding the picture lets you cross the corresponding item off your bingo card.

Cake

Crown decorating - a cardboard crown was supplied along with sequins, diamontes, glitter glue, stickers and pom poms.

The kids used their creativity to complete the crowns and wear them.

Fairy dust necklaces - tiny glass bottles with plug stoppers were used to create keepers for fairy dust. We simply had the children choose what colour glitter and tiny stars they wanted in their bottles. We inserted a tiny piece of paper with their names on it and then we glued the lid on and used a silver ribbon to tie it around their necks.

The loot You can get great cheap party prizes from places like dollar shops. For our treasure after the fairy scavenger hunt we used:  Plastic necklaces  Plastic jewelled rings  Fake gold coins Other prizes we had were:  Mini bubble wands  Loopy straws  Bouncy balls

When you have boys...

As I have two girls, the party was very pink and princess and girly but it is easy to transform this to a boys party….  The scavenger hunt could be as explorers or pirates or knights  For a knight party, you would still create the castle cake but use blue for the top tier and use cream filled rolls instead of turrets wrapped in fondant icing. Add a dragon toy and lose the flowers.  We created some castle party boxes that work for either boys or girls depending on what colour paper you print them on. Find them on our blog later this month (or request them via email if you are in a hurry).  Make an obstacle course to use up some of that little boy energy - make them climb under tables, over stools, through tunnels and around chairs.  If you have a sandpit, try burying items for them to find as part of the treasure hunt 25

Local Event PAINT THE TOWN REaD Paint the Town REaD is an early literacy community scheme that encourages the whole community to read, talk, sing and rhyme with children from birth, so that they will be ready for reading and writing at school. It runs on a grassroots basis, with local groups and services organising their own yearround events, as well as an annual Reading Day bringing the whole community together. They are usually driven by a collaborative group, such as partnerships between local school principals, Councils and NGOs, Community Health staff, and Early Childhood directors.

Paint the Town REaD was first developed in the rural Australian town of Parkes in the 1990s, by Rhonda Brain then Principal of Parkes Public School. She saw an increasing number of children coming to kindergarten with delayed language development. She developed this program to involve the whole community in improving their children’s literacy and language skills.

There are two key features of Paint the Town REaD: 1) an annual Reading Day engaging the whole community where young children are read to in their local shops by shop staff, celebrities, High School students and volunteers, and 2) year-round activities encouraging everyone to think smarter about how to include early literacy in all aspects of their life and work — from having a reading tent at the local markets to ‘Have you read with your child today?’ coasters in a local pub For more information check out PAINT THE TOWN REaD website at: http://paintthetownread.info KIDS AND LITERACY Research shows that the early literacy skills (such as: attention, listening, language, awareness of sounds, symbols and alphabet recognition, book-handling skills, drawing and shape copying) developed before starting school are the foundation and therefore vital for attaining competency in reading and writing at school – and future success and happiness in life..

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LAST YEAR’S EVENT Last year on Friday 29th November (2013), Paint Hawkesbury REaD held its first CHILDREN’S READING DAY at Richmond Oval (in Richmond Park) from 10am to 12noon to launch the program in the local LGA. There was free entertainment, activities and morning tea with the mascot being introduced to the children at 11.30am.

A naming competition was held in the lead up to the event through the local childcare centres. The winner was revealed on the day, when the dragon was born – she was named Puddles.

THIS YEAR Paint Hawkesbury REaD is celebrating PUDDLES’ FIRST BIRTHDAY with a children’s reading fun day On: Friday 14 November 2014 At: Richmond Oval From: 10am — 12noon Storytelling, craft, face painting, jumping castle! Free morning tea for children.

Highlights of the morning: Activities for children including face painting, craft, singing and dancing.

Jumping castle Reading Tent with storytelling all morning Puddles arrives at 11.30am for her birthday celebrations FREE MORNING TEA FOR CHILDREN (Grown ups can purchase tea or coffee and a selection of yummy cakes from the CWA)

This event is presented by community based early literacy program PAINT HAWKESBURY REaD. Our aim is to encourage everyone to read, talk, sing and rhyme with children from birth so that they will be ready for reading and writing at school.

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Kids Fun! Penny is already for a cool swim. Help Penny find her way through the maze to meet her friend Sarah at the pool.

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

Use some nice bright colours to colour in Laura and her beach ball so she is all ready for the beach.

Don’t forget to tell her to put on sunscreen!

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What’s happening

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On our blog...

There is plenty of fun to be had through our blog this month. Find  Free play dough mat printables  Planning the perfect kids party  Fairy scavenger hunt game  Castle party favour boxes to make  Fairy (or monster) dice game Plus lots more

Join us on Facebook Join our growing parenting community on Facebook and share your comments and thoughts on being parent.

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your kiddies on the front page of our Christmas issue—perfect gift to send to family and friends.

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