WIN

To enter the draw for any of these competitions visit www.eastlife.co.nz and enter this month’s code ELOCT2574. One entry per email address / person; entries close October 31, 2020. Winners notified by phone or email.

WIN! TICKETS TO STAYING HOME BOOK SERIES PACK HAVE A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS From Christmas carols to more contemporary Explaining why the world is in turmoil to children is festive favourites, this show (more information not easy. Identifying how even the smallest Kiwis can via www.operatunity.co.nz/concert/Christmasrecongnise and meet challenges, this series (first released during Concert-2020) is designed to kick off the season of China’s lockdown) features six books: A Journey of 9000 Millimetres, Grandpa’s goodwill by offering plenty to cheer about thanks Fourteen Games, Levin the Cat, The Mask that Loved to Count, The to the talents of the good folk at Operatunity. As Empty Lunchbox and Mum is Hiding. Published by Twinkling an early Christmas present, we have TWO Books, these titles (RRP $16.99 each) are intended to help double passes (November 17 show at children adapt to a changing world. WIN! A St Columba Church, Botany) up for grabs. RADIANCE PRIZE BUNDLE

Keen to light up your life? If so, Radiance is on hand to help! Produced using natural health formulas, Radiance products are intended to help us lead happier, healthier lives. What’s more, as products now come in reusable and recyclable aluminium tins, they really can be gifts that keep on giving. Thanks to the bright sparks at Radiance, we have a prize bundle (valued at more than $120) up for grabs featuring: Radiance Collagen Gummies, Keto Coffee, Super Greens Plus Powder, and Radiance Stress Shield.

WIN! A YATES FLOWER GROWING HAMPER

Just in time for spring, we have a Yates flower growing hamper up for grabs. This fantastic pack features a selection of seeds as well as a range of Yates Thrive products, including Plant Food Spikes and Liquid Plant Food Drippers, all designed to feed those blooms. This hamper is sure to prove invaluable as we prepare to grow what we hope to reap. And, don’t forget National Gardening Week (October 19-26) – see page 41 to read more.

FREE FAMILY FUN

Rockabye Early Learning Centre, in Highland Park takes the care and education of young children seriously. Today the focus is easy fun time with parents and grandparents.

For many parents, summer poses the inevitable question: what am I going to do with them?!

Theme parks and movies get expensive, as do visits to water parks, and other attractions. Grandparents love to see the children arrive but after awhile they wonder just what to do with them. The good news is the answer doesn’t have to be too complicated or expensive. Here are some useful ideas as to how to have fun with without spending a fortune.

PRIMO PLAY DOUGH:

CREATIVE CHEFS:

Children will adore making play heat, stirring constantly until the

Children love to help in the kitchen. Let them pick a recipe and help them make it. It also offers a great way to teach children about food and the importance of healthy eating.

PICNIC PLEASURE:

The garden is always the perfect spot for a spontaneous picnic. Pull minute. A small treat or $1 for their them.

out the blanket, put some yummy treats in a basket and make some homemade lemonade then head outside for some fresh air.

TENTING TIME:

role-play and imaginative activities and the good news is you don’t need the fully-fledged camping variety to make it work. Simply stand four chairs together and use sheets and blankets to make the roof, door and floor.

DISCO DANCERS:

Encourage everyone to dress up in party clothes, close the curtains, put the music on loud and dance, dance, dance! The children can take it in turns to play DJ and select different music. Add in a few old favourites such as musical chairs and statues.

dough. Just mix together 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of salt and 2 tbsp of cream of tartar, add 1 cup of water and mix until smooth. Add a dash of food colouring followed by 2 tbsp of oil and cook on a medium dough forms a ball.

CAR CLEANING:

Children enjoy washing the car with sponges and foam and you could set them tasks, such as cleaning certain sections of the car within a money box is a nice way to reward Tents are inspirational places for

Finally, getting creative doesn’t need to break the bank. Let your imagination run wild and see where these fun times take you.

7.30am-5.30pm | Full & part time Children aged 0-5 years Top 5% rated by Education Review Office Growing resilient, resourceful & responsible children for 15 years

We always put your family first

122 Aviemore Dr, Highland Park T: 09 533 0218 caryn@rockabye.school.nz | rockabye.school.nz

WHEN MAKING FRIENDS IS DIFFICULT

Realising that your child is never invited to classmates’ birthday parties and seems to spend their days alone at school can be upsetting. Here’s a start on what you can do to help.

Understand the cause –

Try to understand why your child is isolated. Perhaps her or she is shy, arrogant, aggressive or always a winner and therefore intimidating. Maybe they’re being bullied or perhaps they are the bully. If you can’t find an explanation, talk with your child’s teachers or principal to gain more insight into the matter.

Ask your child about how he or she perceives their social situation and how that makes them feel. An isolated child might be sad, angry or confused however, some children enjoy solitude. If your child doesn’t appear bothered by the situation, don’t force him or her to make friends. But if your child is lonely or feels excluded, try to help him or her to come up with solutions.

Provide assistance and support

– Sometimes kids need help bonding with other children. If this is the case with your child, take him or her to the park or organise family outings which include kids in the same age group. Help your child to extend an invitation to come over and play or to attend a special event. Additionally, participating in extracurricular activities might allow your child to build confidence and meet others who share the same interests.

Above all, the most important thing to do is to communicate with your child. Listen to what he or she has to say about trying to make friends. When they’re ready, allow them to forge bonds with others on their own terms.

If no progress is made, and you can see your child is extremely unhappy, seek professional help.

GREAT READS FOR THE KIDS

ABIGAIL AND THE RESTLESS RAINDROP

Raindrops can be greeted as pennies from heaven – especially after a drought! – but sometimes we just want them to go away! In this book, curious youngster, Abigail, is off on another magical adventure as she and her mum discover where the raindrops come from and why they are such an important part of our world.

Matthew Cunningham & Sarah Wilkins (illustrator): Abigail and the Restless Raindrop | RRP $19.99 | Picture Puffin

I AM THE UNIVERSE

Coming from a writer based in Auckland, New Zealand, the Earth, the Solar System, the Galaxy, the Milky Way, this charming book takes readers on a tour of the universe. Designed especially to help young ones (aged 3-5 years) begin to understand the vast nature of nature itself and their place in it, I am the Universe is an ‘out of this world’ tale.

THE GIRL WHO WAS SCARED OF EVERY THING

We live in frightening times. And yet, for one in five Kiwi children life itself is frightening. Written based on her personal experiences of fighting anxiety and depression, Emma Pascoe presents a book that’s specifically designed to help children understand how to live with such conditions or, at least, appreciate how they impact on many others.

Emma Pascoe: The Girl Who Was Scared of Everything | RRP $25 | Mary Egan Publishing

THE GREAT AOTEAROA PUZZLE BOOK

A-mazing revelations await on the pages of this book! Packed full of enough puzzles to stump a sphinx, this book is especially well suited to children (aged 8 and up) who enjoy solving everything from mazes, crosswords and more. Following a Kiwi theme, it also explores New Zealand’s cultures.

FRIDAY THE REBEL DOG

At the heart of heartland New Zealand (the Mackenzie Country) a statue of a black and white collie stands as a permanent reminder of a little outlaw and his rambunctious ways. Along with his human (James Mackenzie), Friday secretly herded a thousand stolen sheep through rugged, unmapped mountain passes more than 160 years ago; this book tells their story.

Susan Brocker & Raymond McGrath (illustrator): Friday the Rebel Dog | RRP $18.99 | Scholastic

OMELETTA HEN

Omeletta is a good chook but what will it take for her owner, Nelson, to encourage her to lay her eggs in the henhouse, rather than almost everywhere else? A fun tale of a free-spirited hen, this book explores the importance of being an individual but also realising that sometimes we have to play by the rules too.