Kids West - Autumn 2024

‘We couldn’t cry hard enough’ SUNSHINE MUM

WAFL star

Renee Garing talks FOOTY AND FAMILY

Piping hot dynamic duo

MISSTA MUMS

About Us Us

You better be-leaf it’s autumn!

IT’S hard to think of autumn without immediately leaping to memories of fallen leaves, but there’s so much more to the season.

Yes, watching your kids throw armfuls of golden leaves into the air is one of life’s great joys.

And yes, the rustling sounds and squeals of delight as they plunge giddily into a pile of fallen foliage make your heart soar. And there are so many opportunities for beautiful family photos against a naturally stunning and ever-evolving backdrop.

But aside from the leaves, autumn provides a chance to step outside with relative ease compared to tackling the heat of summer.

CONTENTS

IT’S YOUR LIFE

Steve Biddulph:

Steve The story of Grace’s new bike The of Grace’s new bike

PAGE 4 4

Mum talks mental health support Mum talks mental health

PAGE 5

‘We couldn’t cry hard enough’:

Sunshine mum

PAGES 6-7

Kids in the Kitchen: Sweet pea and mint pesto pasta

PAGE 8

Centennial Living: Retire independently

PAGE 9

Penny Moodie on parenting with OCD

PAGE 10

Hello World: Set sail for inclusive family fun

PAGE 11

Hub for free mental health help

PAGE 12

Wyndham Harbour: Embracing The Elements

PAGE 13

You can check out those new local playgrounds without risking burns from that metal slide or black plastic swing; venture to a virtually deserted beach, river, or lake to enjoy some softer sunshine and a paddle without the jostling of summer demand; or step into the kitchen with the kids without worrying that switching on the oven will turn your house into a furnace.

And then there’s Easter! Autumn really is brimming with potential and fun.

Of course, your autumn wouldn’t be complete without reading the heartfelt, funny, and insightful stories our interviewees and contributors have been kind enough to share.

There really is so much to take away from this edition.

We’d love to hear your thoughts, any stories you’d like to share, and what you get up to this season.

Find us on Instagram or Facebook and share your autumn adventuresincluding plenty of gorgeous photos of your little ones enjoying those ubiquitous leaves.

WynActive: Happy and healthy family life

PAGE 14 14

Wyndham Basketball: Let’s shoot for success!

PAGE 15

EDUCATION

Closing the digital divide

PAGE 16

Paul Sadler: Swimming lessons save lives

PAGE 16

Caroline Chisholm Catholic College: See if for yourself

PAGE 17 17

Copperfield College: A new principal

PAGE 18

REALITY BITES

Missta Mums spill the tea on motherhood and business

PAGE 19

WAFL star Renee Garing talks footy and family

PAGES 20-21

BOOKS

The Trees: Speaking for our foliage

PAGE 22

Discover new book releases for all ages

PAGE 22

It’s Your Life It’s Your Life

The story of Grace’s new bike

Sometimes there’s a voice inside us that we just need to hear, writes STEVE

BIDDULPH

GRACE is so excited! She has a new bike - her first ever two-wheeler - and at age six she is ready to roll.

Her mum, Josie, has a well-thoughtout plan: there is a park near their house so they wheel their bikes over there and find a nice safe bit of path.

Off Grace goes, wobbling a little but peddling flat out to stay vertical, as she’s been told.

In fact, her mum is now a bit worried about her speeding away and pedals her own bike to catch up.

There is a bend in the path coming up. She shouts, “Slow down, Grace,” but it’s too late. Grace takes a tumble onto the (fortunately) soft grass. Two older girls nearby look concerned, but Josie is there in a second, helping Grace dust herself off.

But Grace is in tears. She is inconsolable throughout the short walk back to their house and inside to sit on the couch.

There are a heap of things Josie can do now.

She can look at the grazed knee and kiss them better. (Worth a try).

She can offer some ice cream or lemonade as a distraction. (Comfort eating, hmm, not sure). She can put a bandaid on the graze. (Always helpful to do).

She can also get cross and question why this girl is making such a fuss. “Didn’t you hear me call out to slow down? You shouldn’t have gone so fast.” (Grace probably knows this already. The lesson was fairly self-evident).

We’ve all tried all of these strategies - sympathy, blame, distraction!

But Josie does an interesting thing. She sits right beside Grace. She talks softly.

Josie: “You took a really bad fall with your new bicycle. You were doing so well. You dared to go fast. And now you have a scraped knee and it hurts!”

Grace nods emphatically but continues to cry and sob.

Josie: “You also have to sob really badly. Can you feel inside where that bad feeling is?”

Grace points to her stomach.

Josie: “Can you sit with it in a friendly way and ask what it feels like there?”

Grace: “It is in my stomach here, really bad.” She becomes more quiet and attentive.

Josie: “It is in your stomach. How is it there in your stomach?”

Grace: “It’s all going around.” She moves her hands around.

Josie: “It just keeps going around inside.”

Grace: “… just like grabbing hands.

Josie: “Just like grabbing hands. If you keep feeling that, do those grabbing hands have a story to tell you?”

Grace, sobbing loudly now: “Yes! Those big girls should not have stood there looking like that…

I am sure they think I am a stupid little kid.”

Josie: “You hated that they were standing there looking. They are bigger. And then you are afraid that they think you are small and stupid.”

There is a pause.

Grace: “Yes!”

Josie: “Does that feeling have a colour inside? Maybe you can close your eyes for a minute and wait for what comes.”

Grace: “Yes. Red is coming and also something black.”

Josie: “Would you draw and colour it? Your hand will put everything on the sheet of paper. It doesn’t have to be beautiful. The feeling will know what it means.”

Hesitantly, Grace starts with dark colours, then the stripes get stronger and the sobbing stops.

She scratches with the crayon fiercely, adding more lines, and another colour.

There is a deep sigh. Then there are yellow and orange circles. She looks up at Josie and smiles.

Who knows what is going on in the mind of a child?

We have to help them figure out when feelings are just too str ong for them to handle.

Josie did such an interesting thingshe used very explorative prompts.

She echoed the meaningful things that were emerging, just staying with the moment.

She enquired for the “message” that the feelings wanted to say, and the meaning shifted like a sudden change in the wind.

This wasn’t about a hurt knee. It was about a deep sense of humiliation. Who knows where it came from, but it doesn’t matter - it’s being healed.

These are what I call Wild Creature methods. You talk to the Wild Creature part of your mind, which knows things and has memories but talks through our body.

If a child can make friends with their Wild Creature Mind, by listening to the place inside that hurts, their fears come to the surface and are then easier to deal with.

Very often we parents don’t know what is going on inside our kids, but if we are willing to breathe deep and listen, then together you - and they - and their Wild Creature Mind, can team up and figure it out.

Steve Biddulph is the author of Raising Girls, Raising Boys, and Manhood. His new book Make Friends With Your Wild Creature Mind will be out from Pan MacMillan in September.

Grace’s story is from the new book and is used courtesy of Dutch authors Marta Stapert and Erik Verliefte.

‘It’s such an emotional toll’

By Casey Neill

PIETA Shakes is using her personal experience to support women who receive a prenatal diagnosis.

The Melbourne mum was anxious early in her pregnancy but had started to relax by 31 weeks.

“I had some extra pain and I had a scan,” she said.

“I thought ‘this is great, I have an extra chance to see my baby’.

“I was reassured at the scan that everything was fine.”

But at the bottom of the scan results was a note about the way her baby’s brain was developing. She plugged the words into Google and saw ‘severe intellectual disability’ and ‘death’ among the results.

Pieta got an urgent appointment with a specialist.

“I couldn’t work, I couldn’t sleep. I was obsessed with trying to read things,” she said.

“I was crying lots, distressed.”

A further scan at 32 weeks confirmed the initial scan and Pieta was advised to terminate.

She had further tests and spoke to multiple specialists, who all gave her “pretty hard odds” and again offered termination.

A fetal MRI at 34 weeks changed the diagnosis a little and her baby’s odds improved.

“It was such a whirlwind not knowing if I was going to have a baby, not knowing what her life would be,” she said.

“Not knowing if it was selfish for me to consider terminating, or selfish for me to consider having her.

“I had a whole nursery set up, I thought ‘what am I going to do with that?’.

“Then I thought I was a horrible person for thinking about material things.”

Guilt consumed Pieta. She told herself she hadn’t grown her baby properly, she must have done something wrong.

“It’s such an emotional toll,” she said.

“I had to make the decision based on what I’d hate myself less for.”

Pieta’s mental health declined further after a complicated birth.

“Her anomaly is quite rare so I was obsessed with reading what I could,” she said.

“The doctors didn’t know about it so I had to be the one with the knowledge.

“Every time I put her to sleep I’d worry if she’d live.

“I had all these intrusive thoughts, like all the cupboards were going to fall on her in the middle of the night.

“I tried to keep it all to myself. I chose this. I didn’t feel like I could tell people that it was hard or I wasn’t coping.”

But as a mental health nurse, she knew she wasn’t coping.

She had an unsuccessful appointment with a psychologist, then referred herself to a residential mother-baby clinic because her daughter wasn’t feeding or settling. She was knocked back due to her baby’s condition, so sought help from her mental health nurse supervisor.

Fitzroy House experienced a 30 percent client increase and the increase was 123 percent at Frances Perry House.

“I was so desperate and I didn’t know who else to call,” she said.

“I had phone sessions with her and went back to work and was able to pull myself out of a desperate situation.

“We design things to support new parents and connect them.

“But when everything’s about parenting a typical baby who’s expecting typical milestones, it’s alienating.

“There’s a lot of people out there who just try and cope.

“It’s potentially impacting them long-term and impacting their family long-term.”

New data from Gidget Foundation Australia shows perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA) in a parent can impact the cognitive, behavioural, and emotional development of their child.

Gidget said early intervention dramatically improved an individual’s prognosis.

Gidget has experienced substantial growth in people accessing its free psychological counselling services over the past 12 months.

Gidget House Point Cook offers a vital lifeline to struggling parents, with no wait time to access free psychological counselling sessions.

Pieta has shared her story as a Gidget Angel and spoken with some of its clinical leaders.

“There’s a bit of a division between perinatal care and mental health,” she said.

“Each thinks the other is taking care of it.”

Eight years after her experience, Pieta was looking for a PhD topic and landed on the experience of mothers who receive a prenatal diagnosis.

“There’s 20 years of literature showing a third to 50 percent of mothers received a PTSD diagnosis after a prenatal diagnosis,” she said.

She founded charity Through the Unexpected, a small volunteer-run organisation developing training for health professionals.

“We’re working to fill the gap. There’s a huge gap in that training space,” she said.

It’s Your Life It’s Your Life

‘There’s no silver lining’

By Casey Neill

JACKI O’FARRELL had a cardiac arrest during her first birth and was unable to sit up for her first two weeks of motherhood. Her second baby was stillborn.

The Sunshine mum of three says there’s no silver lining to what she’s been through, but she’s determined to use her experience to support others.

Jacki fell pregnant with her daughter Charlie in 2020.

After finally being admitted to hospital after three days in labour, monitors meant to be clocking Charlie’s heart rate kept slipping off her tight tummy.

Medical staff broke her waters, placed a monitoring clip on Charlie’s head, and told her Charlie’s heart rate had dropped.

An anaesthetist performed an epidural and Jacki settled in to get some rest, armed with a button to press every 15 minutes for drug delivery.

The second time she pressed the button, her body felt drunk, but not her mind.

“I said to Luke, ‘I hate the way it’s making me feel, I feel really yuck when I press it’,” she said.

Jacki had suffered a dural puncture and was being inundated with drugs.

“My hand started going a bit numb. My mouth and tongue started to feel a bit similar,” she said.

“The last thing I remember hearing was ‘she’s turning blue’.”

Medical staff performed CPR on Jacki for 12 minutes.

“Luke witnessed a lot of the CPR, then someone took him out of the room,” she said.

“While that was happening I had an episiotomy and Charlie was forcepped out.“Luke watched them do CPR for

about a minute on her. Then he heard her crying, so his attention focused back on me.

“He was picturing a life without me. He was playing his life out, doing it by himself.”

Jacki woke up with “the worst headache”.

“It felt like someone was crushing my skull,” she said.

“My optic nerve was impacted. Everything was really blurry. I thought I was blind.”

Jacki was in ICU while a healthy Charlie was in NICU for monitoring.

“A midwife had the forethought to take a photo of Charlie. She held the phone up really close to my face,” she said.

Jacki was moved to high care and was finally able to hold Charlie - for about 10 minutes, laying horizontally.

“I was leaking spinal fluid from the epidural needle hole every time I sat up,” she said.

“At the end of the third day we finally got her and she didn’t leave my side.

“The first two weeks of motherhood were spent laying flat on my back.

“I’m quite maternal. Not being able to care for your baby was a massive hurdle.”

About six months later she was diagnosed with PTSD and medicated.

“I was trying to do everything in my power to process it so I could be a better mum to Charlie,” she said.

Jacki fell pregnant with Oakley when Charlie was about 10 months old.

“I was excited but then also terrified at the exact same time,” she said.

“I couldn’t have anything catastrophic happen again. I wouldn’t have been able to mentally deal with it.”

But at 31 weeks, she noticed a change in Oakley’s movements.

“We called him the hurricane baby,” she said.

“It was really easy for me to identify when the movements had reduced.”

Doctors confirmed there was no heartbeat.

“We just sat in the room wailing,” Jacki said.

“We couldn’t cry hard enough.

“It hit me like a shovel to the face, ‘I have to give birth, I still have to have the baby’.

“I was just screaming ‘I don’t want to do it’.

“How am I meant to get into the zone for labour when I’m dealing with the loss of my child?

“I never thought that would happen to us, especially after what happened with Charlie.

“You focus on one problem and then another one surprises you.”

They had a night at home and returned for induction the following day, with wonderful support from the hospital.

“He was breech so his little bum came out first,” Jacki said.

“I was able to stand in the shower. Luke caught him.

“I could bring him up onto my chest, which I missed out on with Charlie.

“We were able to have a positive birth experience, in how the labour went.

“I took a lot from it and found it really empowering.

“We sat in the shower. I put him down and we could have a look at him.

“He was completely perfect.”

A postmortem was inconclusive.

“He moved around so much, the cord was around his neck when he was born, and there was a knot in the cord,” she said.

“It’s nothing that anyone could have prevented or changed.”

Their families met and held Charlie, and then they went home.

“That was one of the most challenging things to experience. Saying goodbye,” she said.

“You never want to leave your child anywhere alone.

“I left my baby by himself.”

Having to show up for 18-month-old Charlie every day helped Jacki through her grief.

“We have no idea what we’re doing in terms of how to talk about grief with a toddler,” she said.

“I have no idea what the answer is there, but we just do what we feel comfortable with.”

An urn containing Oakley’s ashes and a photo of their lost son are on display at home. They bought a baby oak tree to mark the first anniversary of his birth.

“When we have our forever home we can plant that and let it grow really big and sit underneath it,” Jacki said.

Four months after losing Oakley, she fell pregnant again.

“His due date was four days after Oakley’s first anniversary,” she said.

“I just didn’t want to be pregnant on or after Oakley’s anniversary. I wanted them separate.”

She was booked for an induction the week before and was in active labour for three hours before welcoming Conor.

“I could not believe the difference in recovery from Charlie,” she said.

“I kept saying ‘I feel like I could run a marathon’.

“You felt like you could mother a child the way you wanted to and should be able to.”

Jacki now dedicates her spare time to raising awareness and money for Stillbirth Foundation Australia and Still Aware through her small business BHOOMI Babe.

She sells breastfeeding blankets and burp cloths and donates $5 from each purchase to the charities.

“You look for the silver lining and there is no silver lining, so what’s the next best thing I can do?” she said.

“It’s not going to change anything for us, but it might help someone else.”

To others who’ve lost a baby, Jacki says “it’s more common than people realise” and “it’s OK to feel what you’re feeling”.

To their friends and family, Jacki says to avoid minimising their experience.

“We did have friends who just came and sat on our kitchen floor and said ‘what happened, how are you doing?’ and just being comfortable sitting there watching us cry,” she said.

“Just asking ‘are you happy to talk about it?’ is a good place to start.”

Sweet pea and mint pesto pasta

i

in the kitchen

with Lucy Stewart

WHEN it comes to kids and green vegies, I find peas are often the most favoured thanks to their small size, vibrant colour, and natural sweetness.

They’re a good source of plant-based protein and fibre and contain essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin K, C, manganese, and folate.

I’ve paired them in this pesto with refreshing mint to bring out their sweetness even more, and pumpkin seeds as they’re a great source of zinc, magnesium, and nourishing fats that growing little bodies need.

While I’m all for increasing our kids’ vegetable intake by adding them into meals, sneaking or hiding them in foods without them knowing might actually hinder their ability to develop a taste for and accept them.

Remember, it’s about building up exposures, because kids know what they like and they like what they know

and it can take 20 or more exposures before a child will try a new food.

Looking at, playing with, smelling, and describing a new food without ever putting it in their mouth all count as exposures.

So why not leave a few peas out on the bench for the kids to play with while you make this together, and scatter a few whole peas through your finished pasta, too?

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

Ingredients:

■ 400g pasta of choice

■ 1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed

■ 1 cup fresh mint and basil leaves

■ ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

■ 1/3 cup grated parmesan

■ ¼ pumpkin seeds

■ 1 garlic clove

■ 3 tbsp lemon juice

■ 1 tbsp lemon zest

■ ½ tsp sea salt

Instructions:

1. Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions and drain, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking liquid.

2. Add all your pesto ingredients to a blender and process until smooth and creamy.

3. Mix your pesto through the pasta, adding a little of the reserved cooking liquid to help the pesto coat the pasta nicely.

Top with grated parmesan and peas.

■ Optional: Parmesan and peas to garnish

■ Serves: 4

■ Prep time: 10 minutes

■ Cook time: 15 minutes

It’s Your Life It’s Your Life

Retire independently

CENTENNIAL Living is a company that prides itself on generating a relaxed, friendly atmosphere in its villages, where residents feel welcome and have a sense of belonging to a community.

The benefits of social connection and friendship, stimulating activities in a range of amenities, a safe environment, and the feeling of support being there when needed, has made Centennial’s villages happy places in which to live.

Centennial Living Keilor offers two levels of accommodation – independent living and serviced apartments.

While maintenance and gardening is provided in the village, people who choose independent living reside in their own home and have the freedom to take care of meals, cleaning, laundry, and other household tasks how they wish.

When people need more help, serviced apartments can be a good choice. Daily meals are served in the dining room or delivered to the apartment and weekly cleaning and heavy laundry is provided for serviced apartment residents. Other in-home care services can also be arranged to suit individual requirements.

Both styles of accommodation are fitted with emergency call systems.

While the seven Centennial villages in Victoria vary in some aspects, recreational facilities include indoor heated swimming pools, barbecue areas, a community centre and lounge,

hobby garden, games room, arts and crafts, gym, bowling green, indoor bowls, men’s shed, aqua aerobics, and a hair and beauty salon. Pets are also welcome.

The resort-style living is ideal for people who want to downsize from the family home and have a lifestyle that offers social connection and absolute independence.

Inez, who asked to have her surname omitted from publication, has been living in the Keilor village for eight years. She really enjoys village life, and said the activities were very popular at Keilor but with no pressure to participate.

“You’ve always got support. You’ve always got someone here,” Inez said.

“You can do as much or as little as you want. There’s so much offering at the village, you’ve just got to tap into it and most people do.”

Like all Centennial Living villages, the Keilor village is close to shops, amenities, and recreation in the wider community. It is particularly close to health care – there’s a medical consultation suite near the entrance of the village.

For more information,visit www.centennialliving.com.au.

Inez has resided at Centennial Living’s Keilor village for eight years and absolutely loves it.

‘He’s the reason I sought that help’

By Casey Neill

BECOMING a mum was the push Penny Moodie needed to take a step forward in controlling her OCD.

In her book The Joy Thief, the Melbourne author said she’d always wanted kids and thought her husband, The Resilience Project’s Hugh van Cuylenburg, would make “an incredible dad”.

During her first pregnancy, Penny’s obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) simmered down to what she described as a ceasefire.

But when Benji, now age 7, arrived the battle recommenced.

Penny told Kids that a desire to be more present for her son made her seek help from a therapist with experience in OCD and exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy.

“That was all driven by my desire to be a better parent,” she said.

“He’s the reason I sought that help.”

Penny gave birth to daughter Elsie about six weeks before the Covid pandemic hit, and third child Patrick while writing The Joy Thief.

“In some ways it was cathartic,” she said of writing the book.

“It was therapy in a way, and therapy doesn’t always feel good.

“I was nervous putting it out there.

“There’s plenty of information out there about OCD but not so much lived experience.”

Penny said we can often look too hard for silver linings when it comes to mental illness, but her OCD does help her to be a more empathetic parent.

On the flipside, she’s very aware of exposing her children to her illness.

“I fail at it all the time,” she said.

“I’m sure I’m constantly anxious in front of my kids.”

Penny’s also “a little too vigilant” with her children’s mental wellbeing, as is Hugh.

“We can be hyperaware,” she said.“I think it’s probably better than being completely oblivious to it.

“I do worry if my child’s displaying signs of OCD and I start feeling guilty.

There is a genetic component to it.

“If my kids do end up having OCD I feel like I’ll be in a good position to help them.”

Penny and Hugh speak very openly about mental health with their kids.

“My husband and I both talk a lot about seeing our worry doctor, which is our psychologist, and try to normalise talking to someone about your feelings,” she said.

“I think that can be really helpful. It’s just that general awareness.

“My son was really angry at something a few months ago and said something like ‘I’m going to think of every swear word I can’.

“I told him ‘You can think whatever you want to think. No thoughts are bad. Saying it would be different, that would be another thing, but you can actually think whatever you want to think’.

“It takes a lot of time and a lot of patience from both sides, and a lot of willingness to revisit it and reevaluate.

“We had that conversation.

“From such a young age, whether you have OCD or not, you can worry that certain thoughts can be bad or make you a bad person.

“To have that conversation with him was really important and made me more aware for my daughter and my younger son as well.

“Maybe if I hadn’t gone through all this I wouldn’t have been aware of these conversations.”

Speaking of conversations - Penny and Hugh spoke openly on his podcast The Imperfects about their efforts to better balance the mental load in their household.

Penny said it was an ongoing convesrtation.

“I think often we think if we bring something up and we talk about how important it is and we make a plan then it’s going to improve straight away,” she said.

“I was so motivated to do it because I really didn’t want my daughter and two sons to absorb this - live in a household where it’s normal for Mum to be doing all the household tasks while Dad goes off to work.

“I really wanted them all to be seeing us trying to divide it up where we can.”

Alongside the weight of the mental load, Penny was also unprepared for how fun parenthood would be.

“Everyone tells you it’s going to be the biggest slog of your life - and it is - but from the get-go, the fun side of it, seeing these little people develop this personality from such a young age and seeing how that changes and evolves - that’s just so much fun,” she said.

“Kids kind of ground you so much and remind you of little things that are so important.”

Benji recently commented that the world was magic following a discussion about dinosaurs and evolution.

“As adults, we forget how fascinating the world is,” Penny said.

“Every now and then being reminded of that’s really beautiful.”

Parents can find OCD resources at soocd.com.au.

It’s Your Life It’s Your Life

Set sail for inclusive family fun

AT Helloworld Travel Bacchus Marsh, the team takes pride in its extensive experience and commitment to delivering personalised service at the highest standards.

The seasoned travel experts advocate for the exceptional value of cruise holidays, which promise both affordability and memorable experiences.

Carnival stands out for its renowned fun ships, designed to cater to a diverse range of interests and ages.

Family fun for all ages

Carnival has family entertainment galore. Its Dr Seuss at Sea activities, sail-away parties, and dive-in movies create unforgettable memories, while shore excursions allow families to explore fun off-board destinations together.

The onboard Broadway-style shows, comedy, and musical performances will keep the whole family entertained.

Carnival’s ships boast a range of cabin types, from interconnecting cabins to family suites, ensuring that families of all sizes can enjoy the perfect stay.

For the little ones

Carnival Cruise Line goes the extra mile to ensure children of all ages have a blast.

Even the youngest cruisers are considered in Carnival’s offerings.

Turtles Club, designed for ages 0-2, provides playtimes at select times during the cruise.

Camp Ocean, catering to kids aged 2-11, provides socialising and ageappropriate activities supervised by a dedicated team.

Teens find their own spaces aboard Carnival’s

ships with Circle C for 12-14-year-olds and Club O2 for 15-17-year-olds.

Carnival’s Night Owls babysitting service, available for a small fee, offers parents the chance to enjoy evening activities while their children participate in dance parties, slumber parties, and movie nights.

To the ‘Fun at heart’ Grandparents and seniors seeking an unforgettable experience can enjoy activities like bingo, art seminars, and fitness classes which cater to a more leisurely pace.

Carnival’s ships are equipped with accessible staterooms, making the experience inclusive for seniors with mobility limitations.

Time out for mum and dad

For parents seeking one-on-one time, Carnival offers exclusive activities such as the Serenity Adults-Only Retreat, Cloud 9 Spa, and a variety of bars and restaurants for the perfect date night.

The Helloworld Travel Bacchus Marsh team looks forward to sharing its knowledge with you and making your holiday dreams a reality.

Carnival Cruise Line is the World’s Most Popular Cruise Line® and has two ships deployed in Australia, Carnival Splendor sailing from Sydney and Carnival Luminosa sailing from Brisbane.

Designed with fun in mind and featuring over 45 activities to enjoy each day, Carnival offers families and couples fun, memorable holidays at great value. Plan your dream holiday now with the wonderful team at Helloworld Travel Bacchus Marsh!

“For too long families have struggled to access

mental

and wellbeing services – these new Locals will ensure more children are given the support they need to help them thrive,” Ms Stitt said.

The services in Cranbourne, Sunshine, and Bendigo form part of the national Head to Health Kids network and will provide specialist support for children aged 0-11 years and their families, free of charge and with no referral required.

Support includes specialist medical and allied health services for children who are experiencing developmental, behavioural, and emotional challenges, including paediatricians, psychologists, and speech pathologists.

“Backing our youngest Victorians is critical, but so is supporting their parents – we know how tough it can be to juggle everyday life, especially when a child is struggling, which is why this under-one-roof model is so important,” Ms Stitt said.

Focused on strengthening support for parents, the Locals will also deliver family services, group parenting programs, and culturally safe wraparound services.

Designed in consultation with local communities, people with lived experience, and local service providers, the services are tailored to local needs and build on existing services and capacity.

About 400 children and their families will use each of the three services each year as they scale up.

IPC Health operates the Sunshine Local with funding from the Victorian and Australian governments.

“It is crucial governments work together to support children and their families to access wellbeing and mental health support,” Ms McBride said.

It’s Your Life It’s Your Life

Embracing The Elements

RAIN, hail or shine, Melbourne’s new coastal activity park ‘The Elements’ at Wyndham Harbour has all you need for a playful day getaway with your family, furry friends, mates - or even your date!

The new adventure oasis offers pleasure-seekers and day trippers a chance to escape the hustle of the city and experience the great outdoors in a way that’s fun for all walks of life - and the best part is it’s only a stone’s throw away from the city.

The Elements consists of a one-of-akind, nature-inspired 18-hole mini-golf course, nature walks, an adventurous sailing school, picnic spots, an expansive deck and coffee corner, and trendy eatery 3030 Boulevard.

You can have a (w)holesome game of putt-putt, feel the salt on your skin, grab a bite to eat, and sip on cold-brews and cocktails while looking across the ocean to uninterrupted views of the Melbourne city skyline.

Set on a stretch of Port Phillip Bay coastline that until now had remained largely untouched and undiscovered, the Elements is located just 30 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD and 13 minutes

from the heart of Werribee.

The coastal park sits pretty in the heart of the newly-developed Wyndham Harbour, which consists of a world-class 1000-berth marina, 500 contemporary residential complexes and exclusive amenities including the Marina Lounge, a fish cleaning room, bathroom and laundry facilities, water and electricity at each berth, a barbecue area, and complimentary parking.

With its convenient location, it’s the perfect place to spend a couple of hours away from the house, or even stop by on your way to Werribee Zoo, romantic Werribee Mansion, indulgent Lancemore Mansion Hotel or Victoria State Rose Garden.

Inspired by the natural ‘elements’, rich farming and maritime history of Werribee and its surrounds, the foundations of the new coastal activity park were fashioned from materials with a deep connection to the community.

This includes reclaimed wood from the marina nearby, and 100-year-old railway sleepers rescued and reused from the old Geelong rail.

carefully built for the native bird and bat communities that inhabit the area to ensure all kinds of locals can make the most of the new activity park.

The landscape is flourishing with native and indigenous flora and grasses to encourage biodiversity and is enriched with organic mulch.

watering required.

Whether you are looking for an outdoor activity with the kids, a new hotspot to take your foodie friends, or a romantic place to have a picnic with a loved one, The Elements is your onestop-shop to uncover the good times.

Whole family wellbeing

IN today’s busy world, finding a balance between staying fit and taking care of your family can be tough.

Luckily, out in the west, WynActive offers three great family-centered services – the WynKids program,

WynActive Crèche, and AquaPulse birthday parties.

Together, these services help create a complete approach to wellness, understanding how important it is for families to be healthy together.

The WynKids program is not just about exercise; it’s about creating an environment where your kids can grow physically and mentally, helping them create healthy habits that last a lifetime.

From holiday sports sessions for 5 to 11-year-olds, to school and vocational care sports carnivals, and even birthday parties, the WynActive team is there to help the whole family enjoy the benefits of the Eagle Stadium facilities.

If you find yourself balancing your time with your little ones, look no further than WynActive Crèche.

Recognising the challenges of finding reliable childcare, WynActive has set up a safe and enjoyable space where you can leave your children, aged from six weeks to 5 years, while you focus on your fitness journey.

With natural play areas and sustainable equipment, children experience play-based learning to help their physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development.

Better yet, children up to 12 years old are catered for in the school holidays!

Children of all ages can celebrate their special day with a birthday party at AquaPulse.

Have some space to yourself in the party room looking out onto the pool deck.

So much excitement is to be had for everyone, with the Splash Park, pools, and waterslides! Bring your own home-made food or let WynActive provide catering through the cafe so you can sit back and relax.

By looking after both parents and kids, WynActive isn’t just promoting fitness – its showing how families can be healthy and happy together.

Because at the end of the day, it’s all about building a warm, family-friendly fitness community where everyone feels welcome.

Shooting for success

WYNDHAM Basketball is passionate about nurturing the next generation of basketball stars, fostering a love for the game at every level.

The organisation has made it its mission to provide a supportive and inclusive environment where players of all ages can learn, grow, and enjoy the thrill of basketball.

Whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting your basketball journey, Wyndham Basketball is your go-to destination for developing skills and being a part of a vibrant basketball community.

Programs are led by experienced and certified coaches dedicated to helping players reach their full potential.

Basketball is a sport for everyone. At Wyndham Basketball you can join a community where individuals of all backgrounds come together to share a passion for the game and build lasting friendships.

Programs are designed carefully and focus on skill development, ensuring that players not only have fun on the court but also enhance their abilities in dribbling, shooting, passing, and teamwork.

From fundamental techniques to advanced strategies, Wyndham Basketball covers it all.

If you’re a basketball enthusiast aged five to 10 with limited basketball experience, then the Aussie Hoops program at Wyndham Basketball is for you and is proudly a top-four centre in Australia for 2023.

The market-leading Domestic Development Academy provides an extra development opportunity for keen domestic juniors looking to take the leap from domestic to representative basketball.

The newly-created Wyndham Development Academy will use some of Wyndham Basketball’s most competent coaches.

They have experience as both players and coaches at a collegiate and professional level and will begin to expose participants to tournamentbased competition.

Programs are facilitated Monday through Saturday at Eagle Stadium, the largest indoor facility in Melbourne’s west, as well as a number of other key locations across Wyndham, providing development pathways that are convenient and accessible to all.

Wyndham Basketball offers a range of school holiday camps, a fantastic opportunity for children to have a go and embark on an exciting basketball adventure.

Go on, let’s shoot for success together.

Education

Closing the digital divide

INADEQUATE computer access is further hampering struggling students.

Eight in 10 students in lower socioeconomic schools surveyed for a new report had trouble finishing class work and assignments because they didn’t have a computer.

KPMG prepared the report pro-bono for WorkVentures, a not-for-profit supporting Australian communities through technology, skills and meaningful career pathways.

It also found two in five (44 percent) Year 6 students and a quarter of Year 10 students did not have access to a computer outside of school.

One in two (51.6 percent) lower income families reported their children could miss out on the digital devices needed for schoolwork because they couldn’t afford them.

So WorkVentures is calling for a National Device Bank for students who can’t otherwise afford to access vital educational technology.

The organisation said digital learning increasingly dominated classrooms and online resources were an essential part of learning.

Access issues put children at risk of falling behind academically and grappling with the social impacts and limitations of future employment opportunities.

WorkVentures IT solutions and social impact director Jacob Muller said not everyone was afforded the same opportunities when it came to digital technologies.

“Australia is undergoing a rapid digital transformation but despite increased connectivity, socially and financially disadvantaged families have found themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide due to affordability and confidence barriers,” Mr Muller said.

“Our report found that students, who are from schools in areas that identified as having greater relative socioeconomic disadvantage, experienced reduced or no access to a computer after school.

The report found schools commonly provided laptops for Year 6 students (57

percent), but only a third (32 percent) of Year 10 students received a device from their school.

“We have been addressing digital exclusion by refurbishing end of life corporate laptops and PCs and distributing these to individuals who otherwise couldn’t afford them, including school students,” Mr Muller said.

“Unfortunately, there have been various hurdles to scaling this up including a lack of device donations and lack of consistent funding to support the ongoing costs.”

The WorkVentures report highlighted the benefits to students of access to a laptop out of school, with 83 percent of surveyed students experiencing improvement in their grades, and 97 percent indicating that their new laptop supported them in completing their homework and assignments.

WorkVentures CEO Caroline McDaid said a key component to closing the digital divide was a national strategy.

“WorkVentures is urging the introduction of a National Device Bank to aid digitally excluded Australians by providing free digital devices,” she said.

“We want to ensure all children have access to digital learning essentials so they can make the most of their education and not miss out due to their individual circumstances.”

Over a five-year period, the Australian public and corporate sector will refresh 10 million laptops, PCs, and tablets.

Most of these devices are currently diverted into international markets for profit, recycled, or sent to landfill.

“While we have had some Australian companies and government agencies donating devices for social good for a number of years, there is substantial scope to amplify this across the corporate and public sector landscape,” Ms McDaid said.

“We want to see a system where these devices are kept in Australia and redistributed for free to people who are digitally excluded.

Visit workventures.com.au/nationaldevice-bank to find out more.

Swimming lessons save lives

SWIMMING lessons are one of the few lifesaving interventions we can do for our children.

This summer, there were 72 drownings (to 30 January 2024) – a 24 percent increase from last summer.

These numbers are a shocking reminder of the dangers of the water and why it’s important to enrol in regular, formal swimming lessons –which can reduce the risk of drowning by up to 88 percent (study by American Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine).

You can start regular, formal swimming lessons with babies as young as 4 and 5 months old.

By this age, babies can 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.

Paul Sadler Swimland offers classes from 4 months old all the way through to adults.

They also offer 4 and 5-month-old babies to swim for free, so there’s never been a better time to start lessons.

For lessons for children aged 3-plus

years, Paul Sadler Swimland offers a FREE one-on-one assessment, where the teacher will work with the swimmer to establish their current skills and comfort level in the water in order to place them in the best class for them.

This will take into account what is best for the child to learn at their optimal level.

The Paul Sadler Swimland team takes pride in being The Survival Specialists and has been teaching children to swim and survive since 1972.

Its program is specifically designed to teach children the survival skills they need to be safer swimmers.

They spend a minimum of 10 minutes per class in deep water, where they teach treading water, deep water recovery (safety circle), and mobility on front and back until children have achieved two minutes treading water.

They will then continue to build on these skills and help swimmers reach their Swordy 1km swim.

You can book a FREE assessment at any of Paul Sadler’s eight pools throughout Melbourne’s west by visiting www.paulsadlerswimland. com.

Lifelong learning and spiritual growth

CAROLINE Chisholm Catholic College is an inclusive and faith-filled coeducational secondary high school located in Melbourne’s inner west.

It includes three campuses across two sites, both located in the heart of Braybrook and accessible by public transport.

The unique setting has students enjoy a single-sex education from Years 7 to 9 before moving to a senior coeducational campus in Years 10 to 12.

Caroline Chisholm Catholic College (CCCC) is committed to an education that sees each student as an individual, made in the image of God.

CCCC pursues excellence in teaching and learning and promotes lifelong learning and spiritual growth.

The college’s holistic educational, religious, pastoral, and co-curricular programs are aimed at forming ‘men and women for others’ – young people who are compassionate, competent, conscientious, and committed.

CCCC students develop knowledge and skills, such as communication, teamwork, and critical thinking, to allow them to be ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

The college’s key focuses include student wellbeing, learning and teaching, as well as faith and mission.

Each of these key focuses are led by one of our college’s deputy principals.

The college has been performing strongly academically, as across the past three years it has delivered a year-on-year uplift in the percentage of VCE study scores of 40 and over.

During student’s time at the college, the CCCC team aims to encourage them to not only focus on their academics, but to achieve a well-rounded experience.

CCCC has extensive sport, music, and performing arts programs as well as many different student clubs to encourage students to pursue their passions and talents during their time at the college.

Students are supported by dedicated staff to ensure they can be the best they are called to be. The college works in partnership with families to ensure it can offer the best high school experience its students in the western suburbs deserve.

The college’s Mathias, Jann, Friedrich, Leah, and Mimi.

Copperfield’s new principal

IT is with a sense of pride and excitement that I assume the college principal position at Copperfield College.

I am discovering this is a vibrant and diverse college community that provides an outstanding teaching and learning environment, an innovative curriculum, and a myriad of extracurricular activities for all our students.

Copperfield College is ‘One College –Three sites – One Family’, providing engaging learning in an extensive range of programs meeting the needs of:

■ Years 7 to 10 students at Kings Park Junior Campus;

■ Years 7 to 10 students at Sydenham Junior Campus; and

■ Year 11 and 12 students at Delahey Senior Campus.

At Copperfield College we are committed to ensuring the best possible student outcomes within a safe and supportive teaching environment.

Our mission is ‘Empowering every student to aspire and achieve’.

I am passionate about public education.

Anyone who knows me as a principal knows I enjoy talking to students, getting to know them, and taking an interest in their lives.

Knowing our students is the priority of all our staff.

I am a strong believer in student voice and I acknowledge that students have unique perspectives on learning and their schooling.

Every student can learn, progress, and achieve their goals.

It does not matter where our students come from, what ethnic background, religion, colour, or socio-economic background.

What matters to me and our staff is the student, the young person, and their ability to learn not to fear anything, to question, and to problem solve.

As principal, I bring to this position a lifetime of experience working in government schools as a teacher, leading teacher, assistant principal, and, for many years, college principal in various settings.

Working in public education as principal, my reward is the knowledge that I, together with the school community, make a difference to the lives of our young people.

I am looking forward to leading this school and meeting students, families, and friends of Copperfield College.

I invite parents, guardians, and friends of the school to take up the many opportunities offered to participate in the college activities.

Nick Adamou, Principal

Missta Mums are heating up

By Casey Neill

A dynamic mum duo is spilling the tea on parenthood in a new podcast.

Geelong business partners-turned-best mates Demi Duncan and Melinda Baxter are better known as the Missta Mums.

They launched the Missta Bottle in October 2019 after Mel slid into Demi’s Instagram DMs with a business idea she’d come up with while on a run.

“When I get something in my head, it’s really hard to get out of it,” Mel said.

“I knew I needed a business partner. I didn’t want to do it alone.”

Demi said: “We weren’t friends. We were just both from Geelong. We had our first-borns two weeks apart.”

They’d had some interaction on social media during night feeds.

When Mel pitched a chat over coffee, Demi figured she had nothing to lose.

Leaving the meeting, she thought she’d gained a hobby.

But Mel’s idea - a baby thermos designed specifically for safe formula feeding - evolved.

“It grew in increments. If we knew the figure it would have cost to start it now, we would have run for the hills,” Demi laughed.

“We actually knew we were solving an issue. It was harder not to go ahead.

“People don’t really understand the product until they have a crying baby in front of them they have to formula feed.”

Establishing a business while caring for young babies was a big task, but the mums were on the same page.

“We always had this basic understanding towards each other that if something came up with your kid, your kid comes first,” Demi said.

“We didn’t even need to have that conversation.

Mel said: “The business could have been a lot bigger perhaps if we didn’t have children, but we both naturally agreed that our families came first.”

Mel and husband Aaron are parents to Penelope, Leo, and Valerie while Demi and husband Mitch Duncan, a Geelong Cats footballer, have Scarlet, Ollie and Archie, plus another baby due in April.

“The kids will just adapt. It’ll be crazy but I’m actually not worried.”

Demi was 27 when she became a mum.

“It was always something I knew I was going to be one day,” she said.

“But I didn’t think I’d have four kids!”

Mel was “never the one to gravitate towards people’s babies or people’s kids”

- Aaron was more enthused about starting a family than she was.

“I just always assumed being a mum was what you do as part of life,” she said.

“It obviously came naturally as the time came.”

Aaron quit his full-time job as a bricklayer to run the Missta warehouse and be a stay-at-home dad - a topic they cover in one of their first podcast episodes. They launched the candid Missta Mums in June to talk all things parenting, sharing stories from guests and their own experiences.

“It was another way to communicate to our customers,” Mel said.

“People don’t trust the big corporations as much and really like to know where they’re spending their hard-earned money.”

Demi’s favourite episode so far was a chat with a Geelong mum whose daughter was diagnosed with type one diabetes - followed by the episode where she and Mitch announced they were pregnant with baby number four.

She was nervous about going public with the news.

“For so long we’ve been saying ‘we’re done, we’re done’,” she said.

“Telling people in person I wasn’t worried - friends and family.

“Going public…”

Mel’s favourite conversation was with Aaron and Mitch, their biggest supporters.

“That was just fun,” she said.

“They’ve all been such eye-openers.

“It’s pretty cool to speak to people directly about these stories.

“It’s good for our learning, too.

“The best feedback we get about our podcast is that they feel like they’re in the room with us just chatting.”

“I’m actually the most excited for my

Im

“It was another level to us. It adds to our story as well.”

Demi said they’d grown a social media following from sharing their lives on their business pages.

Demi said: “I speak in the podcast the way I would speak in person.”

“It’s another way for Mel and I to talk s***.

“We weren’t just trying to sell a product,” she said.

“It’s been received so much better than I thought it would be.”

Who’s coming up?

“We created a community that wanted to know more and more.

“The podcast was a way we could give that to our community.

“We have a constant list that we keep adding names to,” she said.

“Everyone has a story, I believe.

“Hopefully our business is then in front of them.”

Mel said: “It adds another layer of trust as well.”

“The hardest thing with a podcast is you get the listens if the person has a profile.

“We’re not this big corporation. We’re just trying to do the best for the customer.

“But sometimes someone without a following has a better story.”

Now the podcast is out in the world, Mel and Demi are turning to expanding their product range, and looking into offering social media guidance to other small businesses.

“Compared to a beginner on social media, we have that bank of knowledge to help someone now,” Demi said.

Valerie, Penelope, Leo, Ollie, Scarlet and Archie.

When footy meets family

By Angie Hilton

RENEE GARING simply oozes loveliness.

The 35-year-old has a sweet, angelic face with a matching spirit on the inside.

But Angie Hilton learned that for all her sweetness, she’s equally tough, driven, and a super-talented athlete.

Mother of Parker, 19 months, Renee loves children so much that she dedicated her life to becoming a teacher and, rumour has it, she is an absolute favourite with the students.

Renee’s genuine care and passion for the growth of young people is evident and she is a big believer in using her own life experiences to help others.

So lovely to catch up. So where do we begin? How about can you give us a snapshot of life before babies?

Childhood, school life, ambitions?

I grew up in Geelong, and went through Christian College from kindergarten. I enjoyed school. I liked to do well and always strived to achieve the best I could. I got involved in all sporting opportunities that came up and AFL was one that I loved, even though we only got to play it one day a year in secondary school. I played netball from a young age and did athletics and basketball too.

I am the middle child. I have a sister two years older and a brother two years younger.

Growing up, I always dreamt of playing sport at the highest level.

I thought I wanted to be a physio until my final year of school when I realised I actually wanted to be a teacher.

After spending some time in the USA working at a summer camp, I realised I would like specifically to teach PE to kids and decided to do a P-12 health and PE teaching degree.

I had the opportunity to travel to Europe and do an exchange in Missouri in the USA in my third year of uni. I did some other overseas travels with friends.

Tony and I met in 2010, were engaged in 2012 and married in 2013. We really enjoyed travelling together to various countries and got some great trips in together before having Parker.

We also have moved houses a few times. My husband has an interest in real estate so we have had a few projects over the years and we have some investments that we look after together.

How did you meet your Tony? Tell us how the romance unfolded and any funny/interesting moments.

While I was overseas on my exchange, Tony started to attend the church that I went to.

It started as a friendship and I didn’t realise at first he was interested, but you could say Tony ‘courted’ me with some very kind and romantic acts, including some group dinners which he cooked up a storm, ice-cream nights where he made ice cream - again for multiple people, hoping I would come alongthen asking me out for a dinner by putting roses on my car windscreen with a note.

Oh, how lovely. Tony sounds like quite the romantic! Let’s fast forward to becoming parents… How was your experience of bringing Parker into the world?

Well, he was born 41 plus 6.

I began some early labour on a Monday but was very slow to progress. I went in for balloon catheter on the Thursday night to find that I was 3cm dilated so didn’t need it. I went back in on the Friday morning to get induced and after a long day with little progress (got to 5cm by around 7pm) and Parker’s heart rate dropping, we had to have an emergency caesarean.

So your career path was headed for teaching and then you also had a great added surprise to your career. How did it all unfold?

I studied a Bachelor of Education (Physical Education) at University of Ballarat (now known as Federation University) after having a gap year working at summer camp in the USA and working some part time jobs to save for travel.

I was lucky enough to get a position at Christian College for my first year out and have been there since (other than having some time out on maternity leave). When I was 28, the AFLW started. Geelong Cats did not have a team in the competition in the first year but they created a VFLW team.

They held a trial at Deakin university. I decided to go along as I had enjoyed footy at school and gone for Geelong my whole life. I was very surprised when I made the squad. I then was lucky enough to make the team and played VFLW in 2017 and 2018.

In 2018, I only got to play a few games as I got a fracture in my sacrum (a bone in the lower back).

Thankfully, the club still decided to sign me and I was signed for our inaugural AFLW side to commence in 2019.

I played 33 games throughout the six seasons I was in the AFLW program. I missed out on playing in the two seasons in 2022 while being pregnant and then returning to playing after having Parker.

Renee Garing with husband Tony and son Parker. Picture: Louisa Jones

I worked hard that season to get my body right to play again and was able to get involved in some scrimmage matches and got named as an emergency, but it was wonderful to get back into the team for round one of the 2022 season.

I retired at the end of the 2023 season in our Preliminary Final against Brisbane.

How amazing! What was it like to experience the AFLW world? Was it hard to juggle parenting duties?

To play and train in an elite facility with wonderful coaches and having the support of our great fans was very special.

I have learnt so much and met incredible people. I have loved the opportunities I have also had in the community to serve others and be a role model to younger kids wanting to play the game.

It was a challenge to juggle with parenting but I was very well supported by family and the club.

Prior to having Parker, I was managing a different kind of challenge when I was managing full-time work and playing AFLW.

In some ways, it was easier and less of a rush and the mental load was a lot less. In other ways, working around a baby that you can’t control their needs or schedule was more challenging, and the physical challenges of gaining back fitness, strength, skill and ensuring adequate fuelling for training but also breastfeeding a baby.

The club allowed me to return as soon as I was comfortable.

I was pregnant for the first season in 2022 and gave birth to Parker a week before pre-season began for the second season that year.

I attended a little bit at first and slowly increased the time. As our routine with Parker allowed me, I would stay longer, and eventually he was able to stay at home while I trained.

This only worked once he was able to take a bottle and I would make time to pump during sessions.

In the early days, when I took him in, I stopped when he woke to feed or play with him and I remember many moments rocking the pram while doing workouts.

I was also allowed to come in during the day to do some of my sessions in the gym while the men’s program was in, and all of them were really accepting of Parker being around.

As Parker got older it got easier and the club got a nanny to support me on some nights before Tony finished work, which was really helpful.

As we got to time for travel in our season in 2023, Parker was old enough to stay home while I went interstate.

If I didn’t have footy, I definitely don’t think I would have left him overnight that early, but it was all fine and Tony has been incredibly supportive.

I also think the time they have had together with me being out at footy from when he was so little has helped them build a wonderful bond. So how do you manage work life and parenting?

I have only had AFLW and commitments associated with that up to this point, but the hours required to play AFLW are equivalent to a part-time job in terms of how often we are physically at the club, but there are also things to do outside of that in our own time to ensure we are best prepared to train and play.

I have balanced it by being very organised and trying to make things as easy as I can for whoever is caring for Parker when I have to go to training.

We have been really lucky to have local support of both sets of grandparents and I am so thankful to have had a husband who is fully supportive and able to take the time from his own workplace to have Parker one day a week.

How would you describe your parenting style?

I would like to think I am a supportive and caring parent. I try to put things in place to create a safe and positive environment for Parker and reinforce clear boundaries where needed. What did you learn from your own parents that you do (or don’t) want to pass on?

My parents demonstrated unwavering love for us and I hope we can show that to Parker.

Like all kids, we did things to push the boundaries but they always acknowledged at the time that they may not like certain things or a particular action or behaviour but they still loved us. That is so important.

They also are so selfless and always put our needs first. I would love to do the same and do what I can to make it possible for Parker to follow his passions.

What advice would you have for new parents?

To enjoy each stage as time really does fly. I would say that it is so important to reach out for help when you need it and that it is OK if you don’t feel like you know everything.

I would also say self-care is key, so prioritising some time for each of you to do something you need for yourself. Doing things to fill your own tank can help to ensure you are giving your child your best.

I was really lucky that my job (AFLW) provided me with that. Being active is something that I really enjoy and makes me feel good. I was thankful to have the time to do this.

How do you picture your ultimate future work/family/life?

We would love to extend our family if possible when the time is right.

We have just moved into a new house which has great space for Parker to run around and play which we love.

Over the next few years, we hope to have a good balance between part-time work and spending time with Parker. What do you hope for your children’s futures?

Like all parents, I am sure, I hope for good health and for a child that is kind to others.

I hope that he has the opportunity to explore, learn, and have fun with us and family and friends by his side.

Beyond that, I hope that he can dream big and try different things. We hope he enjoys keeping active and getting outdoors as we know how important that is for our mind and body.

Speaking for our foliage

By Casey Neill

AUTHOR Victor Steffensen is giving a voice to the trees.

He wrote picture book The Trees to help future generations manage our landscapes and ensure that they thrive.

“It’s really important to connect with the young ones,” he said.

“It’s also a really fun way to share knowledge and to give different perspectives of knowledge.

“I wanted it to be appealing for all age groups and something everyone could sit down together and read and enjoy.

“It’s a good way for adults to learn with the kids and discuss things like climate change.”

The picture book is about more than just trees.

“It’s really important that we’re taking care of the country and important we’re listening to First Nations knowledge systems in how we care for the land,” Victor said.

“Writing The Trees was actually giving a voice to the trees.”

The book explains how First Nations

People have cared for trees for thousands of years, and how the trees cared for them in return through seeds, flowers, wood, and more.

There’s a balance between giving and taking from the land.

In the book are lyrics and a QR code for a video of Victor’s song We Are the Trees.

“It gives me a chance to write music,” Victor said.

“It’s a really fun way to share knowledge.”

His sister, Sandra Steffensen, illustrated the book.

“I’ve always watched her painting,” he said.

“She’s good at what she does.

“It turned out to be perfect. She knows my work, knows what I do, knows what I’m passionate about.

“It’s nice to share the work with my family and friends.”

This book is the follow-up to Victor’s Looking after Country with Fire, which explains Aboriginal burning practices.

The Trees is published by Hardie Grant Explore and available in stores nationally.

Children’s books...

Kevin the Sheep

Jacqueline Harvey

A laugh-out-loud picture book perfect for children who love Pig the Pug and Macca the Alpaca.

Why can’t Kevin be more like the flock?!

Kevin the Sheep is unusual, he does things his own way.

But will being different help him save the day?

Puffin $17.99

Bad Bunny the Pirate

Jonathan Bentley

Bad Bunny, the meanest pirate to sail the seas, is on the hunt for treasure!

But when his crew comes up against a nasty enemy, will Bad Bunny prove that he’s not the meanest pirate after all?

Scholastic Australia $18.99

Shower Land 1: Break the Curse

Nat Amoore, James Hart Felix hates Mondays. Dad’s yelling at him to get up. His little brother, Olly, is being super annoying.

So when Felix shuts the bathroom door, he wishes he could get away. He turns on the shower and…Felix finds himself standing in the middle of a field…naked…with an army of soldiers charging at him.

Puffin $14.99

Raising the Stakes

Rich Moyer

Ham Helsing and his pals are snowed in at the old Helsing Manor…and they aren’t the only ones haunting its dusty halls.

All Ham wanted to do was visit his family home but he finds nothing but trouble!

Between the world’s oldest vampire and his monsterhunting dad, Ham will have his hands full just trying to keep his friends safe.

Scholastic Australia $17.99

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You

Ann Liang

Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a “pleasure to have in class.” It’s not easy, but she has a trick to keep her modelstudent smile plastered on her face at all times: she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts.

Sadie doesn’t hold back because nobody will ever read them…until they’re accidentally sent out.

Overnight, Sadie’s carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down.

Penguin $19.99