knox monash
SUMMER 2022
today
Mum welcomes
rainbow triplets Hy-larious hijinx with
Nazeem Hussein www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
SUMMER 2022 1 1 Winter 2022
12565048-HC50-22
The best start to your child’s learning journey begins here
P O P I N FOR A COF F EE AND TOU R Register online at greenleaveselc.com.au FOREST HILL
WAVERLEY GARDENS
KNOX
Level 2, Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre - 270 Canterbury Rd, Forest Hill
Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre Rooftop Via Hansworth St, Mulgrave
Knox Ozone Precinct 425 Burwood Hwy, Wantirna South
9878 8951 2 SUMMER 2022
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9887 2193 www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
About Us
knox Monash
Time to enjoy the outdoors! LIKE so many of you, we sure are excited to leave the wet winter and spring behind for some glorious summer weather. The sound of cicadas, beautiful sunsets and warm nights make some of the best childhood memories, and like all of you we are looking forward to making them with our families. The kids are finishing school for the year and we are busy running around in preparation for Christmas Day and the holiday season. For many, the summer holidays can’t come fast enough.
We have a wonderful edition for you - so many beautiful families have shared their stories with us. We speak to a mum who struggled to breastfeed, another who’s creating pockets of peace for struggling mums, and medical professionals about what feels like the endless run of viruses many households are experiencing. We have our regular special guests as well, including world-renowned author Steve Biddulph, Kidsafe with sound summer advice, and Lucy Stewart with yet another yummy recipe for us to try.
TODAY
around us and there is no better place to be than where you live. We’re sad to say we’re taking a break while the world continues to find its feet following a turbulent few years. We are so grateful for the continued support of our readers and advertisers and hope to bring you more content in the future. Until then, from all of us at Kids Today, have a Merry Christmas and an awesome start to 2023.
The warmer months are here and it’s time to get outside and explore the world
Knox Monash Kids Today magazine is a Star News Group publication. Knox Monash will be published quarterly prior to each of the school holidays.
Knox Monash Kids 244 Maroondah Highway, Healesville, Vic 3777 Phone: 5957 3700 Fax: 5957 3777
Editorial Melissa Meehan melissa.meehan @starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0666
Group Advertising Sales Manager Mandy Clark
CONTENTS
mandy.clark@ starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0608 Published by Star News Group Pty Ltd ACN 005 848 108. Publisher/Managing Director, Paul Thomas.
IT’S YOUR LIFE Raising boys around the world PAGE 4 Grateful to be parenting in Australia PAGE 5 Hope for a virus reprieve PAGE 6
Helping kids to kick goals
BOOKS
PAGE 13
Discover new children’s books
Discover the Green Leaves difference
PAGE 20
PAGE 13
Nazeem Hussein’s hy-larious hi jinx
Scoresby Secondary College
PAGE 20
PAGE 14
CALENDAR
Holy Saviour
PAGE 6
knox monash
SUMMER 2022
today
What’s on this summer
PAGE 14
Check pool barriers to save lives
All material is copyright to Star News Group Pty Ltd. All significant errors will be corrected as soon as possible.
Educators nurture young voices
PAGE 21
PAGE 15
Mum’s stillbirth shock PAGE 7
Let your summer worries float away Mum welcomes
PAGE 16
Gut-loving mango jelly gummies
rainbow triplets
PAGE 8
REALITY BITES
App building courageous kids
Finding the right formula
PAGE 9
PAGE 17
Finding pockets of peace
Mum welcomes rainbow triplets
PAGE 11
PAGE 18-19
Hy-larious hijinx with
Nazeem Hussein www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
SUMMER Winter 2022 2022 1 1
Cover Sisters Amelie and Edie tuck into juicy watermelon. Picture: Rob Carew
HEALTH Call for private cover shake-up PAGE 10
EDUCATION Swimming lessons save lives PAGE 13
knoxmonashkids.com.au www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
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instagram.com/knoxmonashkids_social SUMMER 2022 3
It’s Your Life
Raising boys around the world Raising boys around the world, writes STEVE BIDDULPH A COUPLE of months ago, I received some amazing news. The sales of my book Raising Boys in its Chinese translation had just passed a million copies in just one year! This brought my worldwide book total to six million, making me the top selling parenting author - so far - in the 21st Century. For a shy psychologist living in country Tasmania, this was rather hard to take in. The last century’s star performer of parenting books was of course Benjamin Spock, who put me well in the shade with 50 million copies of his book Baby and Child Care sold in his lifetime. Spock is my hero - he was the first writer to really respect parents, telling us that we should trust our own instincts first. And he went in to bat for a generation reared with his books, by opposing the Vietnam War and the nuclear arms race, arguing that as a paediatrician he had to care for the
4 SUMMER 2022
lives of all children everywhere. I’m a natural worrier, and so my first worry was whether the ideas in Raising Boys would help in a Chinese setting. But back at the time of the translation, I had already been talking to many Chinese parents here in Australia who knew the culture back home, and I was much reassured - not only was the message appropriate, but it was very much needed. What are the key messages of Raising Boys? Well the first has to be that boys need to be around their dads a lot, to receive affection from them, and really know them in a deep way as they grow up, so they see that men have feelings too, and can be vulnerable and loving. Single mums can raise boys very well, and they have done for thousands of years, but in my work I talked to thousands of single mums over the years, and found that part of their secret was in making sure their son met good men along the way, to role model what healthy masculinity was like. It might be a school teacher, grandad, the gay man next door, or a guitar or karate teacher - as long as they were safe good men who a boy could get to know well and imitate and learn from. Because of their often greater muscle
strength, and the poisonous messages sent by porn culture and the long history of sexism in our world, boys need to see respect shown to women especially their mother by their father. And as they get a little older, to be explicitly taught never to hurt, exploit or sexually or otherwise misuse girls or women. The book also broke new ground in sharing research that boys’s brains were slower growing. So they might not be ready for school at the same age as girls, especially if they were born later in the year. We began to discover that males in fact are the weaker sex, that their delayed development made them more socially awkward, more prone to separation anxiety, and perhaps because of this, suicide and prison rates were many times higher than for girls. But this could be prevented affection, not rushing them into school, helping them with reading and talking, and allowing their energy to be expressed in lots of activity rather than calling them naughty for just being physical. One astonishing much quoted piece of research was the hormonal change at age 4, when their testicles begin to lay down testosterone making “Leydig” cells, and they often become super
active and drive their quiet loving parents quite crazy. Mums and dads were so relieved that their boys were not naughty, but like having a large dog - you just had to run them around a lot. The great discovery of this century of course is that no two boys are alike, and they are on a testosterone spectrum, some boofy and a bit slow to learn language, and some sensitive and more gentle, that there a many different ways to be a boy. Understanding what you have got is your first job - you can read lots of stories and have lots of quiet chats alongside your boofy boy, while helping your quiet boy to know how to stick his chin out and sound loud when necessary, but otherwise know that he is just a much a boy as any other! The final message which was so taken on around the world was the boys must learn housework - that by age nine they should be making at least one meal a week for the family cleaning their room, helping around the house - brought smiles, and hopefully a generation of far more likeable men in families of the future. Less men in jail, more men happy in their relationships and in their own skin. I couldn’t be happier that this might be the case in China as well!
www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
It’s Your Life
Grateful to be parenting in Australia “Here, the pressure is off.
By Casey Neill BECOMING a mum made Betty PowellVattakunnel appreciate her adopted homeland even more. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, the Bayswater North occupational therapist has noticed a marked difference between parenting in the US and Australia. “The parks are amazing here,” she said. “Going to Eastland, having those nice rooms to feed, change, play. “Australia’s definitely very familyfriendly compared to the US.
“I feel like I was judged because I went back at seven and a half months! “Other people here asked why I wouldn’t take the full year off. “I needed some time for myself, and it was important financially.” Betty has lived in Australia for five years, after she and Australian-raised husband Zac met online. They travelled between countries for two years, seeing each other every six months. “He popped the question while he was visiting and we got married in the US,” Betty said.
“We were trying to make it through and settle in so it was kind of OK, but then it was isolating too. “Sometimes I wished I had someone to hold him for 30 minutes so I could rest. “It made Zac and my relationship stronger, because he had to step in.” “I just watch him and I just smile. “Before the baby he was the outgoing man, the suave man, the real manly man. “Then you see him with Bennett and the goofiness comes out. He embraces it, he doesn’t care.
“I see how much people here are OK with families, and even mums breastfeeding in public.”
They returned to the US in June this year to introduce Bennett to her family - an experience the toddler relished, but his mum found a little unsettling.
In the US, breastfeeding is something done behind closed doors.
“You just don’t feel safe there,” she said.
“It’s amazing to see him support me, and encourage me to be myself too.
Betty said many mums in the US returned to work within three months of giving birth to hold onto their jobs.
“There’s been a shift in the country since Covid.”
“Finding that balance of work and motherhood is really hard work.”
Closer to home, Covid also impacted Betty’s early days of motherhood.
Betty and Zac’s faith has helped them through the challenges of welcoming a child.
“And their child will be in daycare unless they have family to watch them,” she said.
“The first couple of months we had no visitors,” she said.
“He’s getting more and more excited as Bennett gets older about the things they’ll do together.
“It’s in God’s hands,” she said.
“It helped us through. It made us stronger as a couple.” Bennett was 15 months old when we spoke. His entry into the world was smooth, but Betty said he stopped breathing during a feed a couple of hours later. It happened a second time, and then a third, and he was put on oxygen. “The nurse thought he had a seizure,” Betty said. They went to Monash Children’s Hospital for tests but doctors could find no cause. “They didn’t know what was happening,” she said. “He did need the oxygen for a bit. “I used to work in a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) as an OT so it was familiar, but it was still scary.” Betty had to return to her Bayswater North home without her son. It was a week and a half before doctors released Bennett. “Now, he’s such a happy little boy,” she said.
Betty and son Bennett. Picture: Rob Carew www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
SUMMER 2022 5
It’s Your Life
Hopeful for a virus reprieve EMERGENCY rooms across Australia have been inundated with children struggling to breathe - and it’s not because of COVID-19. Respiratory viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus and influenza, have been hitting kids more frequently and in patterns not before seen. According to Perth paediatrician Asha Bowen, Western Australia and the Northern Territory are experiencing a peak in RSV cases - something that would usually happen in June. But during the pandemic, RSV surprisingly peaked nationally in January and February. For RSV to climax in September and October, it gives hope that things are moving back to normal and towards the depths of winter - but it’s anyone’s guess if that is actually going to happen, Dr Bowen said. The days of regular peaks and troughs are gone, with practitioners noticing numerous changes in the way viruses are presenting. Couple that with limited immunity, thanks to spending months indoors
during the pandemic, and children seem to be getting more of the viruses out there. “Normally we see RSV and then influenza and then the other spring viruses like rhinovirus, metapneumovirus and others,” Dr Bowen told AAP. “But there has been no sort of usual pattern this year ... they are cropping up whenever now and maybe it is because COVID has left them room. “We found COVID had its peak nationwide in January and February and then the other viruses came.” She said the increased number of respiratory illnesses in children meant an increase in hospital presentations and added pressure on the system. Royal Australasian College of Physicians president and paediatrician Jacqueline Small said it had been a tough winter for all but especially children. “Now we’ve entered spring, we’re hoping for a reprieve from the volume of viruses circulating in the community,” she said.
“We must remain vigilant and remember we can always do more to protect ourselves and our children, such as keeping up good hygiene and staying home if you’re sick.” Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer Associate Professor Deborah Friedman said high vaccination numbers helped reduce flu infections in 2022. She said the flu season was early, short and sharp in Victoria but more cases may emerge later this year when holiday-makers return from overseas. Influenza peaked in Victoria with about 18,000 cases in May and declined to 350 in August. It was overtaken by the number of notified cases of RSV in mid-June. RSV mostly affects younger children, with 42 per cent of cases notified in 2022 aged under three. The number of people presenting to emergency departments with respiratory illnesses other than COVID-19 and asthma increased over the winter months, with children under five making up an increased proportion.
Medical director of infection prevention and epidemiology at Monash Health, Professor Rhonda Stuart, said everyone was catching up on viruses they didn’t get during the pandemic. There was hardly any influenza and very few other respiratory viruses in 2020 and 2021. “It’s not necessarily immunity,” she said. “These viruses often like to transmit in the winter because we’re all indoors and we don’t physically separate so much, and it’s much easier to transmit during the winter months. “But as spring comes and the doors open, and we have good ventilation, and people are outdoors, respiratory viruses and COVID won’t transmit nearly as easily.” The Department of Health and Aged Care said COVID-19 testing likely had an effect on identifying the number of people with respiratory viruses but it was unable to quantify those statistics as the data was de-identified. - AAP
Swimming lessons save lives In a country surrounded by beaches, it’s important that Aussie kids learn how to swim efficiently.
WITH summer approaching, it is important to give your child the best grounding to be able to enjoy and survive in the water. Children who are happy and confident in the water will be more able to think themselves out of a difficult situation and be in a position to most quickly, safely and enjoyably, learn to swim. It is concerning to see the drowning statistics released from Life Saving Victoria, highlighting that those most at risk include young children, teenagers and young adults. In particular, those participating in high risk activities or alcohol affected are at a higher risk, as 6 SUMMER 2022
are recently arrived citizens who possibly do not speak or read the English language. While there has been a decrease in the drowning statistics over the past ten years through education and advertising campaigns, the challenge is to create and maintain a water safety culture in Victoria while increasing participation in aquatic activity. Children need regular and ongoing lessons until they reach the required skill level. By swimming all year round they retain skills and build techniques easily. Breaks in learning to swim,
Picture: Supplied
mean valuable time is lost and when lessons resume, skills must be revised and often re learnt. Those who do year-round lessons are stronger and better able to resist colds over the winter months. Geelong Aquatic Centre which has operated for the past 25 years, is a specialist Learn-to-Swim centre which is the ideal venue for infants, children of all ages and adults to learn swimming and survival skills. All levels can be catered for in their two 25m and one recently enlarged learner’s pool, which are all heated and salt chlorinated. Lessons are taught in a sequentially
developmental program where children are not progressed until each skill is attained to a proficient standard, so that confidence and competence is maintained. All staff at Geelong Aquatic Centre are well qualified and passionate about teaching those in their charge to become confident and capable in the water. Enrolments are being taken for term four, which starts on Monday September 26. Phone the centre on (03) 5222 5530 and speak to the friendly reception staff for bookings. www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
It’s Your Life
The pain of losing Chase By Casey Neill
“I needed to get him out. I didn’t get any sleep that night.”
“IT was so out of left field. We’d just put the baby seat in the car. We thought we were too far along to have this problem.”
They offered her a general anaesthetic for the cesarean, but Ashlee opted for a spinal block so Marcus could be in the room with her.
Losing son Chase at 37 weeks blindsided Mooroolbark parents Ashlee and Marcus Hottes. “The first person I called was Mum,” Ashlee said. Other family members soon followed. “Everyone’s devastated because they’re in it with you. They’re expecting a new baby,” she said.
“The next time I think is going to be
“We got to spend the next couple of days with him in our room.” This was possible thanks to a CuddleCot with a cooling system.
She was nauseous throughout the pregnancy but things otherwise went smoothly - until labour kicked in.
“It was probably, out of the whole experience, the hardest thing we’ve done,” she said.
“I got to the hospital and within an hour I was pretty much pushing,” she said.
“But we’re so glad we did that because we’ve got those memories.” Ashlee posted about their loss on Facebook, to save having multiple conversations..
“They had to put me to sleep because I hadn’t had any epidural.
“So many people private messaged me, telling me about their experience with stillbirth,” she said.
“I woke up and Tilly was in Marcus’s hands.
“It’s a lot more common than I thought, which is really eye-opening.”
Ashlee with daughter Tilly, and a memorial to son Chase.
“This time around we’d planned to do a c-section anyway, and I just wanted to be awake.”
A member of her mother’s group lost her baby two weeks later, at 21 weeks.
Picture: Rob Carew
“You can’t have the naps you do in your first pregnancy,” she said. “He was a perfect pregnancy. He was on the heavier side all the way up. “There was not really any indication that there was anything wrong. “I was bang on 37 weeks on the Monday. The Monday night I was on the couch. At night time was when I really felt him kick a lot. “I said to Marcus that I hadn’t felt him kick all day, come to think of it.” They decided to see what happened overnight. “Doctors said if I’d gone in straight away, it would have been the same outcome,” she said. “None of us could have done anything. That gives me a bit of peace. “It wasn’t until 4pm the Tuesday that I remembered and thought ‘I haven’t felt him’ because usually during the day I didn’t feel him too much.” She called Marcus, followed by Box Hill Hospital and was soon receiving an ultrasound. “As soon as the nurse put it on I could tell something was wrong,” she said. “They didn’t hear a heartbeat so they got one of the senior nurses to come in. Then they got the main doctor to come in for a third try. “As soon as he was searching around I said ‘there’s no heartbeat is there?’. He said ‘no’. “Marcus and I were distraught. “I had to go home, which was so bizarre. This was about 8pm at night. “They said ‘hopefully you’ll have surgery tomorrow’.
www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
“Until the baby’s in your arms, you’re not going to feel comfortable.”
“The hospital was amazing. They were so supportive and just everyone was really ‘take your time, at your own pace’.
They were also offered professional photography, free of charge.
Ashlee had no morning sickness during her pregnancy with Chase, only fatigue.
stressful,” she said.
“We got through it OK,” she said.
The 34-year-old gave birth to daughter Tilly two years earlier.
“But her heart rate was too low so they had to get her out straight away, so that was an emergency c-section.
She’s had counselling and received support from Red Nose.
“I’ve become a lot closer with her. We’re a good support for each other, and our girls are so close,” she said. Tilly doesn’t quite understand what happened to her brother. “In the lead-up she kept saying ‘baby’ and touching my belly,” Ashlee said. “We have conversations about Chase daily. She does bring Chase up a lot which is really nice, we want to keep that going.” They’ve set up a small memorial to Chase in their living room to assist. Marcus made a return to local footy mid-season to help deal with the loss. “That was his ‘counselling’,” Ashlee said. “He’s been good at talking about it with me. At night we sit down and chat about Chase. “It definitely has brought us closer as a whole family.” Doctors offered an autopsy but Ashlee and Marcus declined. “We didn’t want to do anything invasive but we got a swab from the mouth,” she said. They tested his blood and took swabs from Ashlee. “A month later we had an appointment to go through the investigation,” she said. “They did brief us at the start that there was only a 3 per cent chance of knowing what was wrong. “We went back to get the findings and they basically said everything looked normal. “It’s what we were expecting, but not what we were hoping for.” Doctors will keep a closer eye on any future pregnancies, and recommended Ashlee wait 18 months before trying to conceive, to be physically and mentally prepared.
SUMMER 2022 7
It’s Your Life
Gut-Loving Mango Jelly Gummies Ingredients Picture: Studio 74 Photography
■ 1 cup diced mango ■ 1 cup filtered water ■ 3 Tbsp gelatin powder ■ 1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey *optional, if your mango is tart
in the kitchen
Instructions 1. Combine mango, water and maple syrup in a blender and process in to a puree.
with Lucy Stewart JELLY gummies are a cheap, easy and fun way to include the ancient superfood, gelatin, in our kids diet. They’re just like jelly lollies but without all the sugar, colours and flavours that you’ll find in the store-bought ones – they’re the kind of lollies you’ll be happy for the kids to eat, by the handful! Gelatin is derived from collagen found in animal bones, skin and cartilage that’s been dehydrated and ground in to a flavourless powder. It’s nutritionally the same as collagen, just a more refined version of it. Collagen works from head to toe in our bodies to: help repair and restore the lining of the gut, support muscle, hair & nail growth and repair, keep joints flexible and
2. Pour mango puree in to a saucepan and sprinkle over gelatin 1 Tbsp at a time, allowing it to bloom (turn in to a jelly blob) in between. bones strong – everything kids need to support them during their rapid period of growth and development. Gelatin also promotes healthy liver detoxification, nourishes our adrenals, and is a major component of skin, so don’t think these jelly gummies are for the kids alone to enjoy. Because they’re loaded with protein they also help to balance blood sugars, provide a steady release of energy and keep kids tummies feeling fuller for longer.
Making these jelly gummies is so easy and a fun way to get kids in to the kitchen and involved in the cooking process. We’ve made the most of the in-season mangoes in this recipe, but you could easily replace the mango with berries. You’ll find gelatin it stocked in most healthfood stores – favour one from pasture-raised Australian or New Zealand cows. Unfortunately, the gelatine at the supermarket doesn’t carry the same health benefits
3. Gently heat the mixture over low and stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved. 4. Pour mixture in to moulds or a baking tray (you can slice in to squares once set), then place in the fridge to set for at least 2-hours. 5. Remove gummies from the moulds and store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5-days – if they last that long!
Well Fed Kitchen is a range of healthy snacks for kids that you can make at home. Created by Nutritionist and mum, Lucy Stewart, they’re made with only real wholefood and plant-based ingredients – no additives, nothing artificial, and without nuts, dairy, soy and wheat. Well Fed Kitchen provides an easy snack alternative to the sugar-laden, healthy pro- cessed options, guaranteed to fill kids tummies, satisfy their hunger, provide a steady release of energy and some essential growing nutrients too. www.wellfedkitchen.com.au @wellfedkitchen_snacks 12562706-MS36-22
8 SUMMER 2022
www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
It’s Your Life
Preparing kids for life’s challenges By Casey Neill COURAGEOUS Kids is helping parents to support and prepare their anxious children. Armidale doctor and mum Kathryn Hackman used her first-hand experience to create the app. “I was told by my kid’s kindergarten teacher that he was a bit sensitive,” she said. “My kid is certainly more anxious than most.” Dr Hackman was proactive and took him to a pediatrician, occupational therapist, speech pathologist and psychologist to learn the skills to support him. “The key strategy that they use is preparing for change,” she said. ‘Social stories’ was among the most common technique - and the most labour-intensive.
Her day job is about prevention over cure.
privileged position and it’s still bloody hard.
preparation,” she said.
“I thought ‘what are other families doing?’.
“The app is something that’s nice to have for neurotypical kids, and a need to have for kids with anxiety or autism.
“I want this to be accessible for all families. “A true social story should be personalised to the child. “You can get some online but they are rubbish. “So I started making stories that were still informative to my child but had a little extra warmth.” Dr Hackman writes the stories then sends them to a child psychologist for input. They explain everyday situations and the ‘rules’ adults take for granted in a clear and direct way. From travelling for work to starting preschool, she put in the preparation and watched her kids thrive while others fell to pieces.
“This isn’t meant to take over from anything else,” she said.
“All kids thrive when they have a bit of
“I just feel that I’m in such a
“We’re all so time-poor.
“If you don’t have the language, if you don’t know the words, even by doing a few stories with your child, you will learn how to talk with your child. “It’s an open space for discussion rather than telling the child how they’ll feel.” Dr Hackman’s son would cry and cling to her legs during separations, and struggled with unspoken rules and expectations in social and educational situations. “It’s so stressful and heartbreaking,” she said. “I think we all have seen it at some time or another. “A lot of parents will know and will resonate with a child who doesn’t want to go to kindergarten or preschool or Prep. “You just think about them all day and wonder if they’re OK.”
“You don’t have to wait for it to get to that point to get help,” she said. “Wouldn’t it be good if parents could implement things so that it never gets to that point? “So many of us were parented with that ‘she’ll be right’ mentality. Suck it up and hold it in. “I think we expect a lot from kids. “We expect them to trust and feel safe with a teacher they’ve met once, and trust that you’ll come back. “The point is to familiarise them with their new environment, and meet their teachers and build trust.” The Courageous Kids app is designed for children aged 2 to 6 years, and also contains a visual planner and games. “It makes a world of difference for kids to know what to expect and feel ready for new experiences, and this app is already a game changer for anxious, autistic and highly sensitive kids,” Dr Hackman said.
Ages 3-16
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scho sions s s e After S kend gram o r P Wee y olida rties H l o a Scho day P ons h t r i B Less e t a v ent m Pri e g na h Ma c a o C Book Your Free Trial TODAY!
Dr Kathryn Hackman. Pictures: Rob Carew
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FOR ENQUIRIES PLEASE CALL 0409955165 or 0432969326 OR EMAIL BOOKINGS@KICK4LIFESOCCER.COM.AU The app in action, customised with a photograph. www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
The app in action.
12577333-JC50-22
SUMMER 2022 9
Health
Parents choose public WHEN it came time for Bridget Crowe to have her babies, she was among an increasing number of Australian parents turning to the public hospital system.
sexism” for women to face significantly higher private health insurance costs in order to be covered for pregnancy and birth.
The Melbourne mother-of-three couldn’t justify the high out-of-pocket hospital fees - and specialists say she’s not alone in shunning the private system due to cost.
“And Medicare isn’t blameless in that either - we’ve had a Medicare rebate freeze for specialists for six years,” he said.
National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists president Gino Pecoraro told AAP the nation was “witnessing the virtual collapse of private obstetrics”. Part of the problem was that Australia’s birth rate had fallen to a record low, while the majority of women giving birth elected to use the public system because of the cost of private health cover, the Brisbane-based specialist said. “People who are having babies are all being forced to go to the public sector, which was never designed or intended to do all of the work,” he said. In 2016/17, 23.7 per cent of childbirth procedures carried out in hospitals took place in private facilities but the share has steadily fallen to 21.8 per cent in 2020/21. Dr Pecoraro said a reboot of the entire sector was needed, with a particular focus on Medicare and private health insurance. Dr Pecoraro said it was “cruelty and
Melbourne obstetrician Bronwyn Hamilton agrees. “Unfortunately, if out-of-pocket costs didn’t exist we would actually lose money for each patient we took on for their pregnancy and birth,” Dr Hamilton said. The Medicare rebate of $329.70 towards charges for the ‘planning and management’ of a pregnancy does not cover her costs, such as staffing, insurance and rent. Dr Hamilton said many of her inner-city private colleagues were struggling for business due to the push towards the public system. “Although we have a world-class public system with highly qualified midwives, it is now under severe strain and under-resourced,” she said. “That strain has been caused by more people being unable to afford private care even though many of them would like to.” In 2019/20, 69 per cent of private patients with insurance who gave birth vaginally without complications did not
face any out-of-pocket doctors’ costs, according to the federal government’s Medical Costs Finder. The remaining 31 per cent typically paid $350 in out-ofpocket fees, while 57 per cent of patients whose babies were delivered by Caesarean section faced out-of-pocket doctors’ costs typically worth $420. However the figures don’t include hospital charges such as accommodation or theatre costs, which usually reached into the thousands of dollars and might not be fully covered by insurers. Ms Crowe and husband Matty initially planned to go private but changed their minds because of the out-of-pocket costs. “We originally increased my private (insurance) coverage to include pregnancy when we were thinking of trying for our first (child),” she said. “Then I was told the out-of-pocket cost for the majority of doctors in my area started around $5000. “This cost alongside the increase in our premium was significant for us. So we decided to go with the public system.” Rachel David, the CEO of private health insurance industry body Private Health Care Australia, conceded out-of-pocket costs often turned people off private maternity care but added the system was difficult to navigate due to the Medicare Benefits Scheme. Private health insurers were often not
allowed to co-fund outpatient care if a Medicare benefit was payable, she said, adding that the system as a whole was “too rigid”. “What we don’t want to happen is for private obstetrics to disappear, the workforce to disappear and then have a very big load on the public hospital system and create some bottlenecks which actually impact patient care,” she said. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said cover for pregnancy and birth was mandatory in top-tier health insurance plans, however it was a commercial decision for insurers if they included similar cover in cheaper policies. “The benefits paid for pregnancy and birth are generally of a significant amount, which require higher levels of premiums to cover,” she said, adding that these benefits reflected fees charged by doctors and hospitals over which the government had no authority. - AAP
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It’s Your Life
Jay creates calming and nurturing artworks with a neutral colour palette.
Jay’s art helps to create pockets of peace.
Jay with sons Banjo, 3, and Baxter, 4.
Finding pockets of peace for mums By Casey Neill JAY Young didn’t see postnatal depression coming. “I don’t want to say it was a rough start to parenthood, but it was a rough start to parenthood,” the Yarra Glen mum to sons Baxter, 4, and Banjo, 3, said. She went into labor three weeks early while at the hospital for a birthing class, with no time to return home for her bag or ease into the idea of meeting her first child. Jay was “still in business mode” when midwives were encouraging skin-to-skin cuddles and breastfeeding. “I was expecting to have a couple of hours’ labor at home,” she said. “As soon as he was born I didn’t want to touch him. I just wanted to get up and have a shower. “I just needed my time.” Jay didn’t recognise the signs of depression, and neither did her partner or family. “It was the most gorgeous midwife. She asked me ‘what do you look forward to?’,” she said.
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Jay said ‘nothing’, that she had a baby to look after and couldn’t do anything. The midwife asked Jay what she saw when she looked around her home. She saw mess - toys sprawled everywhere, unclean dishes, spew rags, bottles… “It’s an overwhelm of the senses,” Jay said. “I think that’s why I fell into my postnatal depression. “Every part of my body was sensory overload.” Where Jay saw mess, the midwife saw a fed family, and a cared for baby. “She was helping me to put a bit of a spin on what I was seeing as such a negative,” she said. The midwife told Jay to create an oasis to escape to when she felt overwhelmed.
with a neutral colour palette. “I’m a firm believer that sitting down with your phone isn’t giving your brain enough time to switch off,” she said. “It dulls what your triggers are and then you can’t move through it. “You need to sit down and clear your mind without distraction. “Art is something to look up at and draw your eye away from the phone and let your mind wander. “Letting your mind wander and letting your mind process what you’re going through is so valuable.” Baxter’s room became Jay’s pocket of peace, with nothing but a cot, a rocking chair, and hand-drawn art on the walls. “I would retreat and sit quietly with Baxter on the boob, looking at the artworks,” she said. “I had little sketches of a koala, a wombat and a platypus.
“I now call it my pocket of peace,” she said.
“They were all snuggled up and they were all sleeping.
“That’s the whole mantra behind my business.”
“I hadn’t started painting at that point.
Her business is Young By Design. She creates calming and nurturing artworks
“I’ve always drawn but I’ve never actually painted.
“That was me doing something for myself - I taught myself watercolour. “It really connected me back to who I was. “It helped me heal. “As soon as the lights go out, that’s when my brain and my soul turns on. “I do love my sleep, but I’ve found the benefits of painting far outweigh the sleep deprivation. “There are some times when I look at the clock at 2.30am and think ‘the kids are going to wake me up in two or three hours’. “But when I look at what I’ve created throughout the night it gives me so much fulfilment that I can carry on through my day.” She said it was essential for new mums to find something that made them feel like themselves. “It doesn’t need to be art,” she said. “It can be singing, it can be cooking, if you’re into fitness I’m all about getting your baby looked after for an hour so you can go for a walk.” For help with postnatal depression, call the PANDA national helpline on 1300 726 306. SUMMER 2022 11
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Education
Swimming lessons save lives Paul Sadler teaches survival skills at every level in their children’s swim lessons
SWIMMING lessons are one of the few lifesaving interventions we can do for our children. With the impacts of Covid closures over the previous two years, regular, formal swimming lessons were limited. According to the Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report 2021, drowning deaths increased by 20 per cent on the previous year and, tragically, deaths among children aged 0-4 years increased by 9 per cent compared to the 10-year average. It’s therefore incredibly important to teach children skills to swim safer and encourage adults to know what they can do to reduce the risk. According to the American
Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, participation in regular, formal swimming lessons was associated with up to 88 per cent reduction in the risk of drowning. With the warm weather around the corner, now is the time to enrol in regular swimming lessons to ensure you and your family enjoy a safer summer. You can start regular, formal swimming lessons with babies as young as 4 and 5 months old. By this age babies are able to regulate their body temperature for the duration of a 30-minute class. It is a great time to start water familiarisation and a great opportunity for parents and carers to connect with their babies.
Discover the Green Leaves difference GREEN Leaves Early Learning specialises in the fundamental stages of educational development, from babies through to kindergarten (6 weeks through to 6 years).
unique, the programs at Green Leaves are age-appropriate, flexible and customised to suit each child’s knowledge, interests, culture, abilities, and strengths.
Melbourne’s eastern suburbs are home to three Green Leaves centres, located in Knox, Waverley Gardens and Forest Hill.
While high-quality architectural features are standard designs across all Green Leaves centres, each centre has its unique characteristics.
Each centre features bright, openplan learning hubs that are built to provide children with numerous opportunities for play-based learning, where inquisitive minds thrive.
Green Leaves Knox has a unique indoor sports facility which includes a basketball court and indoor soccer field.
In Victoria, Green Leaves offers fully-approved and funded 3 and 4-year-old kindergarten programs, embracing the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. The program is led by Bachelorqualified Early Childhood Teachers, and is designed to support children in developing the skills and abilities that are essential to achieving success in future learning environments. Families at Green Leaves enjoy the convenience and peace of mind of all-inclusive fees - nappies, linen, hats, nutritious meals and snacks, as well as activities such as yoga, chef-led culinary lessons, language lessons, sports, music, and movement classes are included. With the belief that children are www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
Hosting sports and games days in their expansive sports complex, this indoor and outdoor play space allows children to remain active throughout the year, even through inclement weather conditions. Green Leaves Forest Hill features an undercover playspace to rival any other, that must be seen to be believed, as well as a thriving modern curriculum. Green Leaves Waverley Gardens has a newly-refreshed outdoor playspace, creating an amazing outdoor hub for countless hours of learning experiences.
From around three years and above, children go into swimming lessons on their own, without their parents. At Paul Sadler Swimland Rowville, learn to swim classes provide great opportunities for children to develop life-saving water safety and survival skills and become competent swimmers in a tension free, fun and exciting environment. They teach survival skills at every level in their children’s swim lessons In lower levels Paul Sadler Swimland Rowville spend a minimum of 10 minutes per lesson in deep water, where they teach treading water, deep water recovery (safety circle) and mobility on front and back until children have achieved 2 minutes
unaided treading water. Paul Sadler Swimland Rowville offers children entering their Learn to Swim program a FREE 15-minute, one-on-one assessment. This allows the teacher to review where your swimmer’s current skill and confidence levels are, in order to place them in the right level for their development. You can book straight into parent/ child classes or book your free assessment online today. For more information, visit lessons. paulsadlerswimland.com.au/rowville. Paul Sadler Swimland Rowville is at Rowville Secondary College, Paratea Drive, Rowville. Call 9764 5759.
Kids kicking goals KICK4LIFE was founded by Ashlee Good in 2017. After a 10-plus year soccer career of her own, including a full athletic scholarship to Philadelphia University in America, she knew she had more to give. Ashlee wanted all kids to be able to experience what soccer has to provide. While she offers a program based on fine motor skills, cognitive skills and personal skills, Ashlee also gives the children an opportunity to develop friendships and strengthen their communication techniques, all while being in a friendly and well-supported environment. Here, they learn to explore their potential. To develop personal and social skills. To improve their mindset about health and fitness. To be active through a supervised, well-managed environment. Plus developing new skills and capabilities, regardless of their previous experience and athletic ability. With this, Ashlee works actively in the community, building relationships and collaborating with businesses, such as Young Timer’s Garage, Marvasti Security and AusMig Services to offer sponsorship programs.
Families are welcomed to pop in for a coffee and tour to experience the any of our Green Leaves centres.
For families in need, these sponsorships help in so many ways, whether it’s fees, equipment, soccer uniforms or anything else necessary.
All centres are currently taking enrolments for 2023. Arrange your visit today at www.greenleaveselc.com.au.
Kick4Life provides a wide range of programs for children as young as 3 up to 16.
Ashlee wanted all kids to be able to experience what soccer has to provide.
These programs are run after school, on weekends and school holidays. Holiday programs run through the whole day at indoor sports centers with playgrounds for the children to be able to have even more fun on and off the courts. Ashlee is always looking to further Kick4Life and is now working on being able to offer disability-based programs for children with special needs. With more learning and training, she hopes to have this program running by the end of 2023. Ashlee, and her team of coaches, will give your children the best of themselves, providing leadership and expertise while being positive role models. For more information, visit kick4lifesoccer.com.au. SUMMER 2022 13
Education
Transitions made easier IT may not seem too long ago that your Grade 6 child was entering school for the first time. Where did their primary school years go? For parents of students transitioning to secondary school in 2023, there are valid reasons for feeling this way; after all, children entering Year 7 in 2023 will have spent almost two years of their primary school education via remote learning at home. Transitions occur for children from the time they are born and continue throughout their lives. Transitions into preschool, primary school, secondary school, and tertiary study or employment are often a focus as they highlight to parents that their children are growing up. Transitions into and out of schools help children build their skills and develop their resilience for future transitions that they will encounter and will continue throughout their adult life. Starting secondary school is a key milestone and while it can be met with great excitement, it is also at a time when many other changes are occurring in their social and emotional development, including puberty.
How do I support my child with the transition? It is natural for children to have mixed feelings about starting secondary school, as there are new peers, more and new teachers, and a new location. These feelings may be like those you may have had as an adult when you changed jobs, moved house, or travelled to an unknown location. You might also have worried about making new friends, what to expect or where you needed to go on the first day. Children often look to their parents about how to interpret new situations; if, as a parent, you seem consistently anxious and fearful, your child may worry. You can support your child by: ■ Listening and talking to them to identify their concerns or worries. For many children, they may be more at ease if they are sitting side by side, for example a conversation in the car, rather than a face-to-face conversation. ■ Acknowledging how they are feeling and avoiding dismissing their concerns. Keep the focus on their concerns and try to avoid
Helpline in school By School filled with spirit
When a child enrols at Holy Saviour, so does the whole family!
HOLY Saviour is a welcoming community in which all aspects of a child’s development are catered for, in partnership with parents and the broader community.
The students are always at the centre of all we do and we actively seek to engage parents as partners in the educational journey of their children.
We have a reputation for our focus on student wellbeing, strong academic results and being a spirit filled, vibrant and welcoming school community.
Parents help to illuminate our knowledge of students in a way that helps us to reimagine the way schools and families can work together to achieve the best possible outcomes for all.
We provide Catholic school values and education for all school members, but also celebrate and serve the diverse wider community that is a part of our school. Our personalised approach to learning and the provision of contemporary learning spaces enables all our students to flourish personally, academically and spiritually. Holy Saviour celebrates individual difference and believes that all students are capable of achieving positive growth in all areas of learning.
Holy Saviour’s students are proud, capable and have a strong sense of social justice but more importantly, they are kind people ready to make a positive contribution to the world around them. I invite you to come and see us in action, to gain an insight into the unique relationships that we share with our delightful children and their families. Email principal@hsvs.catholic.edu. au or call 9803 6828. Steve Evans,
We are a Science of Reading and Learning school and use structured literacy. Science of Reading refers to an enormous body of research and an emerging consensus that converges into how the brain learns to read and how educators should teach reading to ensure the best outcomes for all students. There are many ways to smooth the transition into high school. 14 SUMMER 2022
Principal
There are many ways to smooth the transition into high school.
comparisons, including statements, such as “When I started at secondary school I was nervous and I survived”. Use empathetic statements so they feel heard and supported, starting with a phrase such as “I can see you are worried about…” ■ Providing reassurance. Your child may have concerns about where you will pick them up from on the first day and how they will find you. Set a clear plan or even visit the school location ahead of time. ■ Establishing good routines of sleep, healthy eating, and encouraging new friendships that may be formed during Orientation Day. ■ Assisting with strategies to cope when concerned or worried, such as taking in deep breaths in, “relax and breathe out” or creating a list of key people they can ask for help. By doing this you are also providing long term skills
to apply in other situations when they are faced with challenges. ■ Talking to the school about any concerns that you feel you need support with. Transition coordinators in secondary schools are more than happy to assist in making your child’s transition as seamless as possible and can assist with any early transition issues once the start of the school year commences. Once the school year commences, it is crucial to develop and maintain a strong relationship between school and home. This fosters your child’s engagement, supports transition, and promotes opportunities for more effective learning to take place, and ensures your child has the best experience possible at secondary school. Gail Major Executive principal Scoresby Secondary College
Holy Saviour Parish Primary School
Vermont South 765 Highbury Road, Vermont South, Vic 3133
principal@hsvs.catholic.edu.au
www.hsvs.catholic.edu.au 03 9803 6828 Holy Saviour is a welcoming community in which all aspects of a child’s development are catered for, in partnership with parents and the broader community. We aim to provide a safe and respectful learning environment where children are healthy, happy, engaged and successful.
Strong Faith Community for every child and family High Academic Performance Experienced Teachers and Support Staff Innovative approach to STEAM education Caring and Supportive Environment Large play areas including grassed oval Extension & Intervention Programs Safe and Inclusive Classrooms "I love that there are so Wellbeing Hub many books in our library Small Classes we can read. Plus the comfy finger chairs are awesome!" (Thomas, Year 5)
Every day is Open Day at Holy Saviour Contact us to book your personal tour 12565258-JC50-22
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Education
Educators nurture young voices By Casey Neill “I believe every child has a voice, and that voice deserves to be heard.” This belief drew Niño Early Learning Adventures Lalor principal educator Emma Sherring to her role. “I wanted to help give children the best opportunities early in life and give them the chance to flourish and be the best version of themselves,” she said. “I really enjoy when children have been working towards a skill or a goal and they accomplish it. “It’s a constant and tangible reminder that the work we do everyday with the children matters and makes a difference.”
Niño ELA takes great pride in celebrating the wonder of early childhood education and strives to offer an inspiring environment for professional educators who care for children. Ms Sherring found it hard to choose just one moment from her role that most warmed her heart. “I did have a child in my room earlier this year who took sometime to get used to his surroundings,” she said. “I continued interacting with him every day he attended, made time for one-on-one activities and tried my best to understand his needs. “The other day he came running up
Niño ELA’s Debra Smith and Emma Sherring.
to me and gave me a giant hug. “My persistence had really worked with this young child and he felt cared for and safe with me and his surroundings.”
passionate about what they did each day. “They have a positive outlook and want the best for all the children and families in their care,” she said.
For Ms Sherring, Niño ELA is also like a second family.
“A wonderful educator can leave lasting memories on a child.”
“I am greeted every morning with open arms from my co-workers and the families that attend the centre,” she said.
Mrs Smith said educators could grow and extend their career, make a difference to young children, make friendships and be supported by co-workers.
“Niño ELA has also always presented me with opportunities to better develop my skills, work collaboratively with like-minded people and options for career growth.” Niño ELA mentor and leadership manager Debra Smith said an ideal educator was nurturing, caring and
A unique and nurturing early learning environment, discover a place dedicated to the wonder of early childhood education. Niño Early Learning Adventures has centres across Melbourne. Visit ninoela. com.au for more information.
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Family-owned and developed, Niño ELA has aesthetically gentle, homelike architectural spaces; child-led learning curriculums; nature playgrounds; and nutritionist-developed seasonal menus.
Working with families, educators create individual learning programs that consider interests; physical, personal, social and emotional wellbeing; and cognitive aspects of learning.
www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
SUMMER 2022 15
Education
Summer worries float away ACCORDING to Royal Life Saving Australia, 2021 resulted in a shocking 108 per cent increase in death by drowning for children between newborn and four years, when compared to the year prior. For children aged five to 14 years, there was also a huge 56 per cent increase in deaths for this time period. Of course, terrible and unavoidable accidents happen, but as parents we can do our part to ensure our children are as prepared as possible for avoidable situations that pose a safety risk for them (and us). It’s true, most of us don’t always have the time we would like for our children. But, with 85 per cent of Australians living within 50km of the sea, and summer fast approaching, water safety is something we need to invest in for our children, without question. SwimWorld offers its time and provides a safe learning environment for children to improve their health and fitness, ignite new friendships, find confidence in the water, and master fundamental water safety and swimming skills. For the kids, it’s a whole lot of fun and learning in one session! For us as parents, it’s peace of mind
for our next summer holiday (and every day thereafter). It’s the perfect time to get kids into a rhythm of consistency and feeling of safety that comes with familiarity in the water. If you’re hoping to sit back and relax this summer holiday, you may want to start preparing your child now. “During summer, parents start thinking about their family trip they have planned, or that they will be spending more time around the pool or beach. And this can be quite stressful, especially if their children aren’t confident around the water,” SwimWorld general manager Anna said. “Having children doesn’t mean you have to relinquish your relaxation. “In fact, you probably deserve and need it more than everyone else!
SwimWorld provides a safe learning environment.
“Enrolling your children in swimming lessons will not only give you peace of mind, but it will give them the lifesaving skills that they need.” SwimWorld is hosting an Open Day on Saturday 21 January to give families a chance to come and experience SwimWorld for themselves. To find out more information about the event, head to www.facebook.com/ SwimWorldGlenWaverley.
Building confidence in and around the water for a safe summer!
452 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley | www.myswimworld.com.au/glenwaverley | (03) 9560 4433 16 SUMMER 2022
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It’s Your Life
The right formula By Casey Neill ALY Backman’s anxiety around breastfeeding started soon after her daughter Daisy was born. The Lilydale mum’s milk came in on day two and her breasts “just exploded”. Daisy was struggling to latch and Aly was in pain. “I was told ‘it will calm down, it will calm down’,” she said. “It never calmed down.” She experienced her first blocked duct about a month in, and frequently thereafter. Daisy just didn’t need all the milk Aly’s body was producing. “I was so disconnected from Daisy, with the birth trauma and then the breastfeeding trauma on top,” she said. Aly saw a local lactation consultant, describing the visit as “useless”. She saw a breastfeeding guru that her GP recommended, and a women’s physio who performed an ultrasound on her breasts. She tried different latches. She tried feeding more frequently, but Daisy just wasn’t hungry. She tried cabbage leaves, heat packs, ice packs… “I spent upwards of $1000 on intervention. Nothing worked,” she said. “I wanted to fix it so badly but nothing ever fixed it. “It was awful. I really didn’t even want to leave the house. “I always had a pump with me to try and take off a bit of milk. “I very rarely had that feeling of deflated boobs. My boobs were always full. “I slept on my back for nine months because I was terrified to sleep on my side. “I didn’t wear a bra for nine months, I wore those crop singlets. “Something that should have been so natural was so s***.” Nine months in, Aly had blockages in both breasts and decided it had to end. She sought advice from her maternal and child health nurse. “She made me feel confident enough to go ‘we have to go cold turkey here’,” she said. A doctor prescribed medication to help dry up her milk. Scared of mastitis and suffered three weeks of rock-hard, lumpy breasts, using a manual pump for some relief, plus ice packs and cabbage leaves. “I didn’t shower for days because I didn’t want them to get warm,” she said. Daisy was hysterical on day one, and it took all Aly’s strength - and stern words from her partner, Tom - to resist breastfeeding her. They bought “every single bottle” to find one Daisy would accept formula from, and ended up finally succeeding with a baby drink bottle. And then it was over. “I felt the biggest relief and weight taken off my shoulders,” Aly said. “I wish it had been different, but there was never a solution.” Aly finally felt like herself again. “It was a very long time, a really www.KnoxMonashKids.com.au
lonely time,” she said. “Tom found it really hard because I don’t think he knew how to help. “But he was so supportive the whole way through, and so supportive of the decision to bottle feed Billy.” Breastfeeding was immediately off the table when she fell pregnant with her son. “But the further we got along in the pregnancy, the more I started to question my decision and feel really guilty,” she said. “I thought ‘what if he gets sick and I can’t give him antibodies from breastfeeding?’.” Midwives could see how traumatised Aly was, and referred her to a clinical midwife consultant in the Perinatal Emotional Health Service. “I had a couple of appointments and explained everything,” she said. “She was going to play devil’s advocate, but said ‘after hearing your story, you are 100 per cent making the right decision not to breastfeed’.” Aly was told she’d receive medication to stop her milk from coming in, but shortly after welcoming Billy she was told her body would actually still produce some milk. “I had a massive panic attack in the hospital. I freaked out,” she said. “This was on day two. Day two was where it all happened with Daisy.” So the consultant advocated for her to stay in hospital another night. “My milk did come in but it did go away pretty quickly. It wasn’t anywhere near as crazy. “I just felt guilty, and I still hold onto that guilt, even though I know it was the right decision for our family, and for me - if I had got a blocked duct, I would have lost it.”
Aly found formula feeding overwhelming. “How many bottles do I need? What formula do I buy? Breastfeeding would be so much simpler,” she said. “But I found I was way more connected to Billy than I ever was with Daisy. “He would gaze into my eyes and I would gaze into his. “Even though there was a bottle in his mouth and not a boob, it was beautiful.” The trauma hasn’t affected the relationship she has with Daisy today. “But the experience that I had with Billy was just so much nicer and natural - which sounds so stupid because it was formula in a bottle - but it felt like the experience I should have had with Daisy. “Don’t feel guilty about deciding if it’s best for you to use formula. “Breast milk is best, but it’s hard work.”
Aly with Daisy and Billy. Pictures: Rob Carew
Lilydale mum Aly Backman. SUMMER 2022 17
It’s Your Life
Triple rainbow follows storm By Melissa Meehan
that she had lost the baby.
THEY say that things come in threes.
It wasn’t until they were walking their bags into the departure line at Denpasar Airport that Jaimee began to feel contractions.
And this is certainly true for Jaimee Fraser. She has lost three babies and recently welcomed triplets into the world. Her journey to motherhood hasn’t been an easy one. She welcomed her first son Arlo without any issues. As he was about to turn one, she and her husband Cam decided it was time to expand their family. She fell pregnant straight away, as expected. Her mum had four children, including one set of twins, without any issues and Jaimee had no reason to believe she would be any different. She’d never met anyone who had lost a baby and pregnancy loss couldn’t have been further from her mind. But the day before a family trip to Bali - their last as a family of three Jaimee was shopping and noticed something wasn’t right. She went to emergency and was reassured that light bleeding was completely normal in early pregnancy. She was told her HCG levels were rising and she had nothing to worry about. SO THEY LEFT FOR THEIR BALI HOLIDAY THE NEXT DAY… The first week of their holiday was everything they dreamed it would be. They spent it exploring and relaxing by the pool. But during their second week, Jaimee again started to bleed. It was different than before. She was raced to Denpasar Hospital for an ultrasound and was told her baby had no heartbeat and hadn’t grown in two weeks. They wanted to operate right away, but Jaimee refused. She hoped the little one would hold on until they returned to Australia.
Doubled over in pain, she ran to the bathroom and lost her baby at eight weeks. Autumn is remembered as her first angel. They welcomed Theo into the world with much excitement shortly after. AS COVID RESTRICTIONS EASED…. Jaimee and Cam booked a weekend away in the Yarra Valley for their fifth wedding anniversary. In the depths of Melbourne’s lockdown they had decided to try again for another child, but were in no hurry. As she was packing her bags for the trip, Jaimee had an inkling she was pregnant.
SHE DIDN’T IMMEDIATELY PANIC…. She had some light bleeding with her second son, Theo, and he was a perfect, healthy baby. Jaimee and Cam went for a scan. She was 11 weeks and begged the technician to tell her the baby was OK. But there was no heartbeat, and her body had not registered that her baby had died. She named her Summer. At that point, Jaimee described being broken. “I was just devastated,” she said. “I had a lot of support offered to me which was great, but I was just exhausted from the trauma and the grief.” A month after losing Summer, Jaimee found out they were pregnant again. “We weren’t expecting it to come so soon, and we were petrified,” she said.
They waited until nine weeks for their first scan, and the baby was “perfect”. The ultrasound technician noted there was a 4 centimetre subchorionic haemorrhage but that it was very common and should heal. They had another scan before their harmony test, and the haemorrhage had shrunk by half. But at 11 weeks, Jaimee woke up to another bleed and went straight to emergency. A scan found her baby alive and well, as would be the case many times during her pregnancy. At 12 weeks he was perfect. At 20 weeks he was perfect. But the haemorrhage kept growing and doctors couldn’t fix it. Jaimee went to bed on 13 July to pain coming in waves.
She couldn’t bring herself to take a pregnancy test, but packed one in her case. Jaimee took it the next morning and it was POSITIVE! “I was terrified,” Jamiee told Kids Today. “But I reasoned with myself that lightning never strikes twice in the same place.”
Jaimee with her growing belly of triplets, said she found it difficult to express her excitement about the future while she was pregnant. Pictures: Rob Carew
She booked a scan for Christmas Eve. Cam was working so she went alone. She was 7.5 weeks and felt a wave of calm wash over her when she heard the heartbeat. It would be the first and last time she would see her baby alive, and she regrets Cam wasn’t there to enjoy it too. They went to their holiday house to spend the silly season with family and friends and share their happy news. But the morning some friends were to arrive, Jaimee started bleeding again.
She went back to her villa, where she was staying with her sister and mum, and told them she was pregnant - and
18 SUMMER 2022
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Jaimee Fraser has experienced her share of loss.
Her waters had broken and at 21 weeks she was dilating and her placenta was coming away. Her baby, still perfect, was about to be born. A doctor entered the room and explained if they could get the baby to stabilise they could be moved to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a few weeks. She then asked the baby’s name. “We hadn’t settled on a name, but decided on Remi,” Jamiee said. She went to sleep in the room, hoping for the best, but was woken by intense contractions and rushed to the bathroom. “And in the lonely light of the morning, while the world slept, Remi was born,” she said. “The silence was heavy, not a cry or murmur could be heard. I was frozen. Afraid to look at him. Afraid he was dead. Afraid he was alive.” Cam called for the midwife, who confirmed their worst fears - Remi had passed away. SOCIAL MEDIA PROVIDED AN OUTLET… “I started an Instagram page,” Jaimee said. “About pregnancy loss and my loss and a place that I can share photos and stories and my journey so that other people like me don’t feel alone.” The account @rememberingremi helped Jaimee find others who have experienced loss. It’s also where she sensitively announced she was pregnant - with triplets. “As if picked by their three siblings in the stars, we are so happy to announce that we are expecting three precious rainbows,” she wrote. Conceived naturally, without the help of IVF or fertility drugs, the news blindsided Jaimee and Cam. She sensitively shared her journey on the page, too, expressing her concerns about viability and her obstetrician’s advice that getting to 26 weeks was the goal. She welcomed Ziggy, Daisy and Sonny on 14 September. They were born at 32 weeks via emergency c-section thanks to the same placental abruption that had taken Remi. They spent some time in special care and Jaimee, Cam, Arlo and Theo are looking forward to enjoying life with three new babies in their lives.
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SUMMER 2022 19
Books
Hy-larious hi jinx By Melissa Meehan COMEDIAN Nazeem Hussain has written a childrens book and takes no responsibility for your children’s behaviour after you read it. The Melbourne-based comedian has just released his first book Hy-larious Hyena, and is still pinching himself to have the opportunity to do so. “It about a very cheeky hyena who is a bit naughty and likes to prank his friends and family, but doesn’t really know the responsible boundaries of joke telling and pranks,” Hussain told Kids Today. “In a way its semiautobiographical… he comes from a pretty large family. He lives with his cousin (who is his best friend) and his mum and aunties. “ Harry’s family is not well off, and struggle to make ends meet – but they do, and have a good time doing so. Hussain says the story is based on lots of experiences he had growing up. “We lived in a family where we didn’t really have everything but we had a lot
of fun and we always made awkward situations funny. Because we all had a good sense of humour,” he said. The father of two said he had an idea of writing a childrens book with characters he had played out with his son. He was approached by Scholastic Publishing but was too busy. And then the Covod-19 lockdown happened and he had time to write. So Harry, his family and nemesis Larry came to life. “One of the themes is that the grass is always greener and we see that with Harry and also his, his nemesis, Larry, the lion,” Hussain explains. “Harry wants to live like lions like Larry, the lion comes from an affluent neighbourhood. They’ve got everything made for that, like it’s all they live in the light. “But we find that maybe Larry thinks the same way about Harry you know, he’s cool. And so really, it’s important to like hear stories that better reflect on things and, you know, growing up.” Since becoming a dad, Hussain says
he’s taken a different approach to life. “When you’re when your dad get to know the highs and the lows and the nuances of your child’s personality,” he says. “Your worldview sort of broadens, so I feel so having thinking about my time before being a parent, you feel like you know it all. And I feel like I’ve just learned so much more about myself but also about the world and how they view the world and all that sort of thing.” Hussain says his words would mean nothing without the amazing illusrations by Heath McKenzie. “In my view, he’s the best illustrator in the country,” he said. Hussain is already working on his second book. Hy-larious Hyena is available from 1st October 2022.
Comedian Nazeem Hussain is excited to release his first children’s book.
Children’s books...
GRACE NOTES Karen Comer A debut YA verse novel about what happens when the paths of a young busking violinist and an aspiring street artist collide during a pandemic. Set in one of the most locked-down cities in the world – Melbourne, 2020. Grace Dalfinch is a talented violinist who longs to play contemporary music in bars, but her mum forbids her. James Crux is an aspiring street artist who promised his dad he wouldn’t paint in public until he’s finished school. When Crux witnesses Grace’s impromptu performance on a deserted tram, he’s inspired to paint her and her violin; and when Grace stumbles across her portrait in a Melbourne alley by an anonymous street artist, she sets out to find its creator. Lothian Children’s Books $19.99
THE GREAT AUSSIE EASTER EGG-AND-SPOON RACE Sophie Sayle & Daron Parton A heartwarming Easter picture book featuring Australian bush baby animals, which will appeal to fans of Little Bilby’s Aussie Easter Egg Hunt. Slow, sleepy Echidna is always trailing behind the other bush babies. And now it’s time for their great Easter egg-and-spoon race. Can Echidna keep up with her friends and enjoy all the fun on this special day? Lothian Children’s Books $19.99
MY FEELINGS BINGO
BUSY BETTY
Emily Midouhas & Bee Grandinetti Help children understand and express their emotions while playing a game! A fun and engaging way for kids and adults to talk about their emotions. The gameboard features 48 emotions, ranging from happiness and sadness to anger, apathy and anxiety, as characters illustrated by Bee Grandinetti whose warm and sensitive illustrations have been featured by Headspace and Airbnb. Each player gets a card with sixteen emotions – be the first to get all sixteen emotions on your card to win BINGO! The accompanying booklet by developmental psychologist Dr Emily Midouhas explains each emotion in child-friendly language and gives tips on learning to express emotions and allow them to be felt in healthy ways. Dr Emily Midouhas, a developmental psychologist and associate professor at UCL, specialises in the effects of social and built environment on the emotional and behavioural problems of children and the mental health of children with special educational needs, particularly children with ADHD and autism.
From Academy Award–winning actress, founder, and bestselling author, Reese Witherspoon, comes Busy Betty, a story about a creative, curious, and exuberant young girl who has big plans and an even bigger heart. Busy Betty has always been busy . . . even when she was just a baby! When Betty gives Frank a big hug, she realizes he needs a bath, PRONTO! Her best friend, Mae, is coming over, and Betty can’t have the smelliest dog in the whole world! But giving Frank a bath is harder than she thought and just when everything seems impossible, with Mae’s help, Betty learns she can accomplish anything with perseverance, teamwork, and one great idea. From Reese Witherspoon comes a smart and larger-than-life character who encourages young readers to celebrate what makes them unique and realize that anything is possible! Puffin $19.99
Laurence King Publishing $45 20 SUMMER 2022
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Kids Calendar
What's on this summer UNTIL FRIDAY 6 JANUARY
SUNDAY 11 DECEMBER
SATURDAY 24 DECEMBER
TUESDAY 10-FRIDAY 13 JANUARY
MYER CHRISTMAS WINDOWS
MONTROSE COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CAROLS
FAMILY CHRISTMAS EVENING ON SOUTH WHARF
THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
Enjoy a relaxed carols event presented by Montrose Church of Christ, from 5.30pm to 8pm at Montrose Community Centre.
Head riverside to South Wharf for a very Christmas afternoon and evening for the whole family - and it’s all free, 5pm to 8pm.
Bring your picnic gear and enjoy a free sausage sizzle, performances by local schools, a visit from Santa, and gifts for all the children.
Enjoy a 60-minute outdoor carol concert by the Australian Girls Choir on the Dukes Walk stage, then make your way to the Common Lawn on the riverfront to watch a family Christmas movie on the big screen.
The Walt Disney Company’s renowned classics have been brought to life in the 67th year of Myer’s iconic Christmas Windows. Windows include Mary Poppins, Bert and the Banks children; Mickey and Minnie soaking up the sun, sea and sand on their Hawaiian Holiday; the coronation of Elsa from Disney’s Frozen; Peter Pan taking Wendy and her brothers on a magical flight across the London night sky; the Lion King’s Simba, Nala, Timon, Pumba, Zazu and Rafiki on Pride Rock; and the famous Disney Studios’ opening sequence featuring Tinker Bell. Visit Bourke Street 7.30am to midnigh
UNTIL MONDAY 10 APRIL JULIAN OPIE: STUDIO FOR KIDS This interactive exhibition for children and families was developed with Julian Opie, one of Britain’s leading contemporary artists. Visitors are invited to create portraits in an inspiring studio setting featuring displays of the artist’s artworks. Sessions run 10am to 5pm at National Gallery of Victoria, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne.
SATURDAY 10 DECEMBER KNOX CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT
MELBOURNE CHRISTMAS TREASURE HUNTS From 9.30am to 3pm, follow the clues to discover hidden places and iconic landmarks around the city, with the chance to win prizes. Dress in your best Christmas themed get-up for bonus fun. Plus, every child gets a prize.
The event kicks off at 3pm, with the concert starting at 8pm.
MONDAY 12-FRIDAY 16 DECEMBER
CHRISTMAS EVE CIRCUS SPECTACULAR
SANTA’S LAB
The circus comes to town in this special Christmas Eve matinee performance at Melbourne Town Hall, at 11am.
Visit Santa’s Lab for all kinds of science fun these holidays, 3pm to 4pm at Library at The Dock, 107 Victoria Habour Promenade, Docklands. Curious kids will love learning through Christmas-themed experiments in these free workshops run by STEM Sisters.
SUNDAY 18 DECEMBER
Visitors are invited to create portraits in an inspiring studio setting featuring displays of the artist’s artworks.
Head riverside to South Wharf for a very Christmas afternoon and evening for the whole family - and it’s all free, 5pm to 8pm.
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This free evening for the whole family will include a traditional carols program with some of Geelong’s best artists and choirs, plus a concert band, and Christmas market stalls.
Visit the Royal Society of Melbourne to pick up your treasure map. Locations are accessible by walking, cycling or public transport within the free tram zone.
This free event celebrates the spirit of Christmas, 4pm to 10pm at Wally Tew Reserve, 6 Lyndale Court, Ferntree Gully.
Sessions run 10am to 5pm at National Gallery of Victoria, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne.
CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT GEELONG
FAMILY CHRISTMAS EVENING ON SOUTH WHARF
Enjoy a 60-minute outdoor carol concert by the Australian Girls Choir on the Dukes Walk stage, then make your way to the Common Lawn on the riverfront to watch a family Christmas movie on the big screen.
Grab a picnic rug, food and hamper, friends and family and head to Johnstone Park.
Watch the story of the three little pigs, with catchy tunes, colourful costumes and audience participation, at 10.30am and 1.30pm at the Potato Shed, Drysdale. Tickets are $10.50, or $35 for a family of four.
THURSDAY 26-SUNDAY 29 JANUARY FESTIVAL OF SAILS The Festival of Sails combines history with tradition, heritage with technology, tactics with teamwork and is a free event to view. First held in 1844, Festival of Sails is held at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club (RGYC) and along Geelong’s waterfront. Festival of Sails is particularly famous for its Melbourne to Geelong Passage Race – the oldest sporting event in the Southern Hemisphere – which will be celebrating its 180th birthday in 2023.
SATURDAY 11 FEBRUARY
Children and families will delight in this hilarious circus comedy adventure. Plus everyone goes home with a treat. The performances will be highly interactive. A quiet room and family room will be available. All children must be accompanied by an adult. All proceeds from ticket sales go to Make Room, a project assisting people out of homelessness. Tickets are $5.
GEELONG BABY AND CHILDREN’S MARKET More than 70 stalls of new and preloved baby and children’s clothing, toys and accessories will be available from 9am to 1pm at Barwon Valley Activity Centre, Belmont. Kids enter free. Entry for adults is $3.
SATURDAY 25 FEBRUARY PAKO FESTA RETURNS Victoria’s largest free celebration of cultural diversity returns home to Pakington Street for the 41st edition of City of Greater Geelong’s biggest outdoor street party. The theme will be ‘Sharing and Connecting Cultures: The Reunion’ and is about human reconnection.
SUNDAY 4 MARCH KNOX FESTIVAL This free community event will run 10am to 10pm at Wally Tew Reserve, 6 Lyndale Court, Ferntree Gully. SUMMER 2022 21
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Giggles 4 Girls Mobile Pamper Party
Melbourne based mobile kids party provider. Our mission is to host fun, exciting, but most of all ‘Empowering’ parties for our little girls...
Experience all the fun and excitement of Soccajoeys in our Term 1 classes! Australia’s leading childhood development soccer programs for boys and girls aged 2.5-11 years
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