Child (May 2016)

The magazine for parents

CHiLD ISSUE 51, May 28, 2016

Overcoming exam stress Children and

diabetes

Reading for a better future Robotics

in education

Plus: fun and engaging activities, summer schools, financial literacy, baby nutrition, cookery classes

Cover photo

by Darrin Zammit Lupi

CHiLD ISSUE 51 May 28, 2016

Contents

Looking forward to summer

Features 7 Exam Time: A stressful time for parents 12 Literature: Instilling a passion for reading 19 Summer Schools: Summer programmes’ benefits 28 Robotics: Acquiring new skills and knowledge 36 Health: Dealing with child diabetes 41 Finances: Lessons on a child’s financial development 45 Hobbies: Chefs in the making

Regulars 23 Top Tips: Summer activities 33 Top Tips: Potty training 43 Top Tips: Protein for your baby 49 Shop Window: The best of goods and services

Correspondence to the editor may be sent to: The Executive Editor, Child Magazine, Allied Newspapers Limited, Strickland House, 341, St Paul Street, Valletta VLT 1211 or send an e-mail to child@timesofmalta.com Executive Editor Stephanie Fsadni Editorial Assistant Lorella Fava Publisher Allied Newspapers Limited Printing Progress Press Limited Production Allied Newspapers Limited Contributors Coryse Borg, Sandy Calleja Portelli, Kristina Chetcuti, Klaus Conrad, Stephanie Satariano Photography Darrin Zammit Lupi, Department of Information Design Manuel Schembri Advertising Sales Martina Bonello (tel: 2559 4707; e-mail: martina.bonello@timesofmalta.com).

This publication is being distributed as part of the Times of Malta.

All rights reserved. © 2016 Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publishers is prohibited.

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Summer is so close that we can feel the heat. However, for most children, there’s one big hurdle to overcome before they can enjoy their much-awaited holidays: exams. This period is, however, not only dreaded by kids but also – if not more – by their parents. Kristina Chetcuti consoles them by sharing her own experience of exams and gives tips on how they can let their stress out.

As the school bell rings when the final exam is over and children scream at the top of their lungs at their newlyacquired freedom, parents may then worry on how they are going to keep the young ones entertained and busy for the next couple of months.

This issue is full of ideas on how children can while away the time doing fun and productive activities: from crafts and sailing to voluntary work.

It would also be a good idea to spend some time reading for leisure. Educator Sharon Micallef Cann highlights how reading, especially in the mother tongue, is crucial for a child’s upbringing on various levels.

Sandy Calleja Portelli discusses summer schools and the positive experience they may provide as long as one chooses the right programme for the child.

Klaus Conrad delves into how robotics can help children acquire new skills and knowledge, while Coryse Borg takes a look at one of the latest crazes among the young generations: cookery. She talks to some budding chefs who share their passion for cooking, including healthy food.

Eating healthy is indeed necessary to ward off a number of diseases, foremost among which are obesity and diabetes. Lorella Fava finds that most children in Malta suffering from diabetes do not develop type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity, but type 1.

I hope you find the topics of my first edition of Child to be interesting and useful. While thanking the previous editor, Mark Wood, and my colleague Lorella Fava for their support, I commit to bring to you the same quality and standards this magazine has delivered since its first issue. I wish you a good read and a pleasant summer.

EXAM TIME

ARE YOU STUDYING? Wuh Kristina Chetcuti dreads revision time and feels probably more stressed than her daughter before exams. She describes her jittery experience and shares a few tips to help parents breeze through the most daunting time of the year. he sun is streaming through my kitchen window, the orange tree in the garden is blossoming, the birds are tweeting, the bees are buzzing and I can even spot a butterfly or two. Yes, this can only mean one thing. Exam time.

Did you just hear a really loud, thunder-like ‘argh’ echoing around the island? Don’t be alarmed, that was just me. I, um, dread exam time.

When the editor asked if I could write a piece giving advice to parents on how children can cope better during this time, and how to make revision fun and tips about not letting stress overcome the whole family, I gave an inward wail. I need the tips myself; I want someone to give me advice.

Maybe I can write about how for the month of June, I become Sargeant Major Kristina, I wear a T-shirt saying CREW on my back and go round with a whistle round my

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CHiLD MAY 2016 7

EXAM TIME

EXAM TIME Survival skills for parents

neck and a stopwatch in my palm, shouting “Go! Go! Go!”. The kitchen becomes the ‘war room’ and the fridge door is full of magnets holding timetables and schedules, and every other minute we’re crossing off revision deadlines met. Not. The truth is that I forget all about exams, and merely hum “la-di-la-di” and make daisy chains until the day my daughter comes from school and tells me: “During PSHD the teacher asked us if we were revising and all the children in the class said that they are studying six hours a day.”

S-s-s-ix hours?

I start counting on my fingers.

Sweat trickles down my forehead.

Then I finally work out the math.

“How is that possible? If they get home at 4pm from school, it means they are staying up till 10pm!”

She nods which means ‘duh’.

I sigh and start making revision plans.

I send my daughter to a school which is rather academically relaxed, hence the reason I chose it; in fact, she only started proper exams last year, age eight. But, still, there is tension around exam time.

Somehow, the Very Organised Parents end up talking a lot about revision, the teachers try to instil a sense of studying, the children compare the hours, and that leaves us, the Chillaxed Parents, dreading the last part of the scholastic year.

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No matter how much you try not to succumb to exam pressure, the tension still somehow seeps in and we have moments of panic particularly at bedtime.

“Mama! I think I did not revise this or that/I forgot all about this or that/I can’t remember this and that!”

Which means that in the morning, as she’s putting on the uniform, I’m running a spell check/going over the timetables/solving a fictitious maths problem.

“If the van picks the girl up at 7.47am and she arrives at school at 8.30am, how long does it take to get to school?”

“I don’t know! I need to draw a timeline!”

The (real) van comes – no time for byes.

“The answer is 43 minutes,” I’m calling as she climbs up the van.

“GOODLUCK!” I mouth as she presses her face to the window, still working out those 43 minutes in her little head.

I wave. My trembling hand is indicative of the bag of nerves that I become that morning. It’s worse than sitting for the exam yourself. I go to work, but don’t really know what I’m doing.

“How long will our meeting last?” asks a colleague.

“Err, 43 minutes?” I say blankly.

Finally, the clock ticks away and I pick her up from school. She looks cheerful.

My heart skips a beat.

• avoid chatting to superorganised mummies until exam time is over; only hang out with mummies who empathise; • eat chocolate; • and Twistees; • dream of June 30; • do irreverent things like going swimming a week before the exam: that will surprise the children and make them think you’re cool, increasing the chance of them listening to you by 10 per cent; • don’t quiz teenagers about their progress every other hour, just sigh dramatically instead; • release the tension by listening to loud music and sing along loudly in the car; • keep calm, if not leave the room, and gnaw at a pencil; • when things get too irritable take deep breaths/count to 10/plop your head in the freezer; • remember that your offspring may revise differently to you; • if you are able to, make a timetable, spanning over 60 days pre-exam time and encourage your children to revise an hour a day (if you manage to do this, please e-mail me the instructions!); • reassure your children that you’ll still love them and the world will not fall apart if they give it their all but still don’t do well.

EXAM TIME “How did it go?” I say.

“Oh, not well,” she says happily. “All the other children said they knew everything, I didn’t at all.”

I hunch up and go in my shell. I failed my daughter. I walk about like a sad snail until one day, while watching television, not even looking up from the screen, the daughter goes: “Oh by the way, the teacher said I did well.”

She did? When? What? How? “Um, last week. I forgot to tell you.” ***** Then there is the totally different experience of teenager’s exams. I can say that teenagers have a habit of lying on the sofa watching the TV, with a bowl of cereal on their chest and when you ask if they are, ahem, studying, they go: “Wuh.” And then when you pick them up from their ‘O’ level or ‘A’ level exam centre, and you ask, with your fingernails pressing hard in the steering wheel but trying to sound very jolly wolly, “How was it?” They say: “Yeah, good. They didn’t ask the question I revised for, so I just answered it anyway.”

And then the teenagers go home and head to the sofa and even though they have an exam the next day, they lie there texting or shouting at football players on the PlayStation. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the next exam is on Juventus. So you ask tentatively again, if they are, ahem, studying? And sure enough they say: “Ijja”.

So you have no option but to go the chapel in Kalkara and pray to St Jude Thaddeus, patron saint of hope. And what do you know? The mix of PlayStation and Juve and St Jude works: the teenagers mostly do well. ***** All in all, therefore, exam time is nerve wrecking. Which is why everyone is irritable in May and June and why in July everyone is so hip hip hurrah. The children – whatever their age – are stressed because they have to perform; and the mothers and fathers become anxious because exams are the one thing that they cannot do for them.

Of course we, the parents, know that it is not the end of the world if our children do not do well in exams. There is no need for anyone to tell us that. What worries us is the effect a bad result would have on our children: will it set them back? will it be a blow to their confidence? will it lead them to being bullied?

But, of course, we don’t say that to the children. If the results are out and it’s not good news, we mumble a diplomatic “I told you so”, but then move on to list the plenty of people who did not give up at the first hurdle and now have wonderful lives. And by then it’s proper summer, so we all head for some beach therapy.

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CONSOLATION MOMENT These people failed their exams ALBERT EINSTEIN: At 16, when he first applied to enter the Polytechnic Institute in Zurich, Switzerland, he failed the entrance exam. He grew up to become one of the greatest theoretical physicists of all time.

ISAAC NEWTON: He was a lacklustre student and failed a few exams. Yet, he had one of the greatest scientific minds in history and all modern science and technology stem from his work.

THOMAS EDISON: The most famous inventor of all time went to school for only three months. Among his inventions were the electric bulb and phonograph, the telephone and the electric generator.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: He failed arithmetic as a boy and worked in the family’s candle and soap shop. Then he grew up as America’s great statesman, scientist and public leader.

CHARLES DARWIN: He did so badly at school that his father took him out, saying: “You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching. You will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.” He grew up to revolutionise the science of biology.

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL: He failed the entrance exam for the Royal Military College not once, but twice. He went on to become an author, artist, statesman and prime minister of England.

SIMON COWELL: He dropped out of school at the age of 16 and took up a job as a mail clerk. Today he is a TV producer and executive of The X Factor, America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent and a millionaire manager of celebrities.

RICHARD BRANSON: He quit school aged 16. Today he runs an airline, a train line, a leisure and fitness service, a phone company, experience days and an internet/television service to name just a few. Branson is one of the richest men in the world.

LITeRATuRe

Photos by Darrin Zammit Lupi

READING: THE FIRST PARAGRAPH TO A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE Reading helps children and youths think, reflect and dream, besides boosting their language and communication skills. Sharon Micallef Cann gives Stephanie Fsadni some insights into the importance of books, especially about reading in the mother tongue. he Maltese are not particularly keen readers and books nowadays have to contend with other, perhaps, more attractive mediums that give instant gratification.

Sharon Micallef Cann, the head of department for Maltese at St Clare College in Pembroke, knows firsthand how children and young adults may be more tempted by new technologies than by the good, old book. This undoubtedly has an impact on their reading and writing skills… and not only.

“We are living in an era when children and youths are surrounded, if not bombarded, by many technologies that, among others, provide them with games and interactive programs that are very attractive and enticing. These can light up, play music, engage their audience and draw them into a fantasy world instantly. The book does not have any of these elements.

“That’s why technology may dim the magic of the book and children and youths opt to spend more time using their mobile phone, tablet or laptop instead.

“I think technology, which is indeed necessary in today’s world, may in fact be alienating children from reading. In fact, very often, you would find a mobile, tablet or a laptop in one’s room but no books.”

Ms Micallef Cann says that this is hindering children’s creative thinking and writing.

“It’s important that children are exposed to books from a young age. It’s thanks to books that they can develop their thoughts and writing.

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“The moment you grab a book and leaf through its pages, its words, sentences, paragraphs and chapters come to life and open the door to a different, fantastical world.”

“Reading is as important now as ever. And it will remain so, because valuable things in life remain valuable over the years. It’s true that today there are other means to instigate one’s creativity, but reading a book is an experience no other medium can equal.”

Ms Micallef Cann was herself struck by many authors as she grew up.

“My childhood and especially my youth years were flavoured by various stories and characters.”

“I think technology… may be alienating children from reading” She mentions Oliver Friggieri, Trevor Zahra, Carmel G. Cauchi, Victor Fenech, Lina Brockdorff, Charles Casha, Joe Friggieri and Ġorġ Borg among others.

Ms Micallef Cann, who was involved in the creative writing project Mit-tfal għat-tfal b’qawsallet il-kelma, constantly comes across poor writing skills.

The project saw the publication of a book of prose, poetry and song titled Djamantini, in which all secondary schoolchildren at St Clare College took part.

They were mentored in creative writing over a whole scholastic year. They then wrote their own stories and the best ones were selected and edited by

LITERATURE

CHiLD MAY 2016 13

LITERATURE authors and teachers, including Ms Micallef Cann, to be included in the anthology.

“Local children and youths find many difficulties when it comes to spelling, especially Maltese,” she says. These days it is rare to read a children’s piece that is not replete with spelling mistakes. This may be because they refer to sources that do not use proper Maltese like a good book would. That is why children should be more exposed to books on a regular basis. This is probably the only way they can improve their reading and writing skills. Good reading is based, built on and gets better with reading.”

“Reading is the ‘food’ necessary for creative writing. It provides students with the ‘vitamins’ to adorn, colour and enhance phrases and sentences. If our children and

Sharon Micallef Cann emphasises the importance of reading to young children.

“Despite the recent surge in books for children and young adults, they are never enough. We need more books in Maltese” youths do not read, they will not be able to enjoy the magic a language can offer.”

Parents can help in no small way in instilling a love for reading among their children by introducing them to books at a young age. Ms Micallef Cann refers to young kids who are spellbound by the stories their parents read to them at bedtime.

“Children should be exposed to different books from a young age and parents can help by reading to them. Apart from toys, it would be a good idea to place a number of books with beautiful illustrations in their bedrooms.”

Parents sometimes have to make an effort to dedicate time to reading to their children but Ms Micallef Cann is adamant that that extra effort is worth it as it would encourage kids to read when they are old enough to do so.

“Parents should lead by example and spend some time reading themselves too as children tend to imitate them.

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During school holidays, they could take them to local libraries or attend some of the various activities that are held by different entities to promote reading.

“Which parent would not want the best for his child?

Reading is the key to a successful future. It helps children and youths think, reflect, sympathise with others and dream. The ideas they gain from reading, the language skills and the vocabulary they acquire will only guarantee better writing skills, and not only: it will also help them in their communication skills and to formulate opinions.”

Ms Micallef Cann adds that reading in the mother tongue is especially important. She uses the analogy of a painter or orchestra to convey her message.

“When a conductor leads his orchestra made up of different musicians to compose a piece of music, the end result may leave you mesmerised. The same happens when a painter uses a wide spectrum of colours and shades to create a beautiful painting. One appreciates how such artists make maximum use of their tools.

“The same happens with books. The writer has at his disposal words which when phrased together with other words and are weaved with figures of speech in the right places, give birth to a story, fairy tale, novel… a creation that will present to the reader a symbiotic experience of language and fantasy that goes far beyond what a person commonly experiences with the use of language on a day-to-day basis.

“Therefore, it is important for our children to read as much as possible but, mostly, they need to read in the Maltese language,” says Ms Micallef Cann.

“Only so can they be exposed to the linguistic and artistic richness of the mother tongue.”

She claims that this would help sharpen their communication skills in adulthood.

“The more children get a good grasp of the Maltese language, the more they will feel complete as adults.

They’ll be able to listen, digest words and talk in an appropriate way with a rich vocabulary. They would be able to better choose between words to communicate their ideas in a clear and precise manner.”

Ms Micallef Cann is glad that there have been “giant leaps” when it comes to buying or borrowing books in Maltese.

“You’ll find a wider variety of books and a wider audience for English books, but I’m pleased to say that readership of Maltese books has grown. If you browse among library or shop shelves, you’ll notice that the number and quality of books in Maltese has increased significantly.

The books available nowadays are lavishly illustrated and tackle different subjects that appeal to various ages.”

She acknowledges the many authors, young and established ones – such as Rita Saliba, Clare Azzopardi, Rita Grech, John Bonello, Loranne Vella and Simon Bartolo, among others – and publishing houses that are pushing the quality of Maltese books to unprecedented levels.

As regards books for young adults, one finds a plethora of novels, anthologies and trilogies in English targeted at this age group, such as The Twilight Saga

LITERATURE

CHiLD MAY 2016 15

LITERATURE and The Hunger Games, but there are also a number of books in Maltese aimed at adolescents, covering various themes that concern them, such as love, relationships, delusion, solitude, friendship and family. One cannot, however, compare numbers in this case.

“Just as a dolphin can never grow in size as much as a whale and a whale can never reach the speed of a dolphin, one cannot compare English books with Maltese ones. They are different languages, with different amounts of authors and readers. But one still finds fresh and enjoyable books in Maltese for young adults.

“Besides established authors who have remained young in their writings, one finds many relatively new authors who are presenting new challenges and realities our youths are facing. But, above all, a book is about human experience. And a book written in Maltese carries a local human experience that may be different to other countries’.”

Ms Micallef Cann believes that today’s youths can identify more with books targeted at them because they are written in the language they use on a daily basis.

A book can also convey constructive messages – “messages that help raise youths on strong values that, despite the changing times, remain fundamental”.

Overall, Maltese literature is still relatively young compared to other literatures and there are a number of areas which can be developed.

“Despite the recent surge in books for children and young adults, they are never enough. We need more books in Maltese. We need books full of illustrations for toddlers to have an early taste of literature. We need bilingual books to address those kids who were born in other countries but who settled here. We need comic books in Maltese and e-books in our mother tongue.

“We need books to be read by professional actors to reach children who are visually impaired. We need more female authors and books written by children and youths themselves, in which they express their feelings, wishes and dreams. And we need more novels tackling immigration and integration, two subjects which particularly concern our society.”

“Maltese literature has progressed a lot but there’s a lot more to be done as it needs to grow and develop with the times. The more authors we have and the more publishing houses help in producing modern, dynamic and high-quality books, the more we’ll provide a good choice to our children.”

The Diploma in Maltese Literature at the University of Malta, launched earlier this year and which will have its first intake of students in October, aims to help fill this lacuna.

The diploma is divided into different units spread over two years, including the romantic and Modernist period of Maltese literature, the writing of lyrics, the role of the reader in the ‘writing’ of literature, literary editing, creative writing, literature on the internet, review writing, the reading and presentation of literature on the radio and TV, and the organisation of public literary events.

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Tips for parents 1. Introduce children to books from a young age.

2. Read to them at bedtime or any other available time.

3. Place illustrated books in their rooms for the children to admire and to instigate their fantasy.

4. Lead by example and spend time reading too. Children are most likely to imitate adults’ behaviour.

5. Let the children pick the books they would like to read as they grow older, so that they discover what they like. This would make reading a more appealing experience.

6. Encourage them to read books for leisure in their free time throughout the year.

7. Encourage them to read books in their mother tongue.

8. Visit public libraries on a regular basis and make these trips a fun outing.

9. Give books as gifts.

10. Encourage children to share books with family and friends.

Ms Micallef Cann will be covering children and young adult literature.

“The Diploma in Literature is truly a unique course for anyone who has Maltese literature at heart. It is made up of various components which should lead all those reading for it to appreciate, cherish and feel proud about our literature.”

As part of the course content, Ms Micallef Cann will look into available children and young adult books in Maltese and explore the characteristics that distinguish such genre from others.

“I like to compare Maltese literature with a precious stone. This is because it is natural as it is human and it is precious because it comes from the heart. So I encourage parents to spend time with children, to pass on to them our heritage and treasures of the Maltese language.”

SUMMER SCHOOLS

Summer A TIME TO STAY PUT OR GET ACTIVE? Gone are the days when summer meant children had nothing to do all day. Most working parents nowadays send their offspring to summer schools; however, some still prefer to spend more quality time with them. Sandy Calleja Portelli believes it’s important to find the right balance so that kids enjoy their free time while keeping their mind active through play and other fun activities. s I write this, my gang is firmly in revision mode, preparing for their upcoming end-of-year exams and counting down the days to the summer holidays.

As the end of the scholastic year approaches, adverts for summer schools offering a plethora of activities to occupy

A

children during the three-month vacation seem to be everywhere and parents are already booking their children into their preferred summer programmes.

Gone are the days when summer meant children had nothing to do and all day to do it in. The question is, are children benefitting or losing out from the summer school trend?

With summer holidays stretching from July to September, there is no doubt that working parents must make suitable childcare arrangements, ensuring their young ones are not sitting in front of a screen all day long. Stephanie opts to take her two sons to the summer school at her workplace which she finds is the ideal solution for her.

“It is rather expensive, but they really enjoy themselves here and it is the easiest option for me because we all come and leave together. The children have had the opportunity to try their hand at different things like swimming, cooking, crafts and first aid which they don’t learn at school.

“The fact that the timetable changes every day means the children are always looking forward to the day’s activities and I like knowing that they are keeping their mind active learning through play. This way their mornings are occupied and they have the CHiLD MAY 2016 19

SUMMER SCHOOLS

afternoons in which they can relax and spend as they wish.”

Stephanie’s views resonate with a number of mothers I asked in a spot of thoroughly unscientific research, with most respondents being firmly in favour of sending their children to summer school for a variety of reasons: During term time children have limited opportunities to make new friends unless they change school or take up a new extracurricular activity. Summer school may provide the opportunity for making new friends especially if the chosen programme is not the same as the children’s usual school.

This helps build children’s social skills and confidence in meeting new people who may be totally different to the children they are used to mixing with. This is especially important for children who attend same sex schools but mixed sex summer schools.

By trying their hand at different things, children can gain self-confidence as they learn without the pressure of exams or tests; what children learn at summer school is just for fun although some skills like swimming and first aid are extremely important life skills.

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“By trying their hand at different things children can gain self-confidence as they learn without the pressure of exams or tests” Stephanie’s youngest son Julian learnt to swim properly at summer school, while my own daughters have taken swimming up as a sport after having first taken lessons at summer school.

Choosing a summer school that offers activities your young ones may not have tried before could be the perfect way to discover a new talent or passion.

Enrolling young students in a summer programme is a great way to ensure that, having adjusted to being

separated from mummy and daddy for hours at a time at school, they do not settle back into the routine of spending their time exclusively with their parents which would mean having to readjust to the separation come September.

Older students are accustomed to spending time with their classmates and may miss the company of their peers if they do not meet friends or cousins regularly and summer school can adequately fill this need.

SUMMER SCHOOLS On the other hand, Arthur, who has been teaching for 25 years, is looking forward to spending the summer vacation with his young son Leighton and believes that if one parent is at home, the children are better off without summer school.

“Children need free time when they can wake up whatever time they please and spend the day doing whatever takes their fancy.

Perhaps the answer lies in striking a balance if possible and as summer schools often offer a flexible programme where children can attend for anything from two to five days a week, children may still be able to enjoy some days with nothing to do and all day to do it in.

However, some parents have found that, having signed their children up for two sessions a week, the children

“It’s important to allow children to discover and explore their own interests and learn to entertain themselves without having everything organised for them” “We are becoming too focused on organising children’s lives and they are losing out on precious free time. It’s important to allow children to discover and explore their own interests and learn to entertain themselves without having everything organised for them.

We will spend the summer chilling out, going to the beach, maybe building with his blocks; it will all depend on what takes his fancy which is what free time should be all about.”

were having such a great time that they ended up attending every day. Of course, not all children are the same, so finding a summer school programme to fit your child’s interests is crucial if your child is to have a great summer experience rather than seeing summer school as a burden.

While most summer schools offer a varied programme of crafts, outings, physical activities and an element of performing arts which are fun

for younger children, this structure may become boring for older children.

Older children may benefit from attending more specialised summer programmes such as sailing, adventure programmes, cooking classes and robotics or computing which are becoming increasingly popular and which they may not have the time to try during the scholastic year.

As long as school is out for three months of the summer and as long as our children’s formal schooling remains so focused on academics, summer schools offer children a taste of hands-on activities, the chance to do things rather than to just learn things and, on the whole, I believe that children benefit from the experience.

Summer schools are not simply child-minding services: they offer children a creative space to develop new skills, and process some of the information they have taken on board during the scholastic year.

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TOP TIPS

NO TIME TO GET BORED Summer is a time to engage in fun activities but it’s also a good idea to use the holidays constructively. Here are some ideas.

Swimming lessons Swimming is an essential skill unless one wants to stay away from the water throughout one’s life… which is next to impossible, especially considering that Malta is an island. One may take swimming for granted and think it comes naturally to children but it actually requires some skill and technique.

One may attend swimming lessons for various purposes: a child might want to just feel comfortable in the water or learn some basic strokes. He or she might want to improve swimming techniques or train for an event.

By competing in a team, children may learn the skills needed to excel in a

team environment from a very young age. Swimming strengthens the whole body and is also a good cardiovascular exercise, comparable to running.

Learning to swim properly also reduces the risk of drowning.

Sailing Learning to man a boat may not only be fun but also beneficial on various levels. Besides making children feel at one with nature and learning to love and respect the environment from a young age, it can help build self-confidence, develop a sense of direction and acquire knowledge about the weather. One can learn some important

life lessons like decision-making, for example when choosing to raise a different sail due to the wind’s strength; building resilience; leadership, teamwork and communication. In Malta, one finds a good number of sailing clubs eager to take on enthusiastic young sailors-to-be. Being surrounded by sea, it would be only natural to have more Maltese kids taking up sailing.

Start a collection One can collect all kinds of objects from stamps to figurines to fun magnets. Starting a collection may provide the perfect opportunity to learn how to research. Children might love the fact that they can become an expert at something their parents know little about. They might also realise how money works: if children are encouraged to pay for their collectibles, the items will be more valuable to them.

As children arrange, organise and perhaps catalogue their possessions, CHiLD MAY 2016 23

TOP TIPS want to get creative, give them the chance to experiment with foods and learn from their mistakes.

However, always make sure to teach them some basic kitchen safety rules.

There are also kitchen utensils specifically made for kids.

Older children may want to practice what they learnt in home economics classes and develop new skills in the kitchen.

Cooking may give children satisfaction and they may feel they are contributing to the family. If you want to help your child improve his skills further, one can enrol them in cookery classes.

Reading on the beach

they may acquire organisational skills which may be deemed helpful in their future careers. Some say that it may help their storytelling capabilities as children would want to know more about their collection and tell people about it.

This year, with Euro 2016 around the corner, boys especially may look forward to collect Panini stickers to fill their sticker albums.

Another less expensive idea would be to that of collecting seashells.

Shells of all shapes and sizes are washed ashore by the sea. Encourage your children to search for them and fill their bucket with shells while at the beach. They can be used in various crafts like collages and jewellery and to decorate pots.

Cooking Do your children have an inkling to become the next Gordon Ramsay or Carlo Cracco? If they seem to take an interest in what they eat and the food you cook, encourage them to give a helping hand in the kitchen. And if they 24 CHiLD MAY 2016

The beach may not only be a place where children play and swim but it can provide the ideal, quiet surroundings where they can read a book.

Schoolchildren sometimes do not find the time to read much for leisure during the scholastic year. So whenever you go to the beach, encourage them to bring a book of their liking and spend some time reading… obviously in the shade and with a generous smattering of sunscreen on. One may also borrow some books from the pop-up libraries set up at Blue Flag beaches.

Crafts One may find a gazillion craft ideas and kits online and in local stores. Maltese kids might want to follow their British counterparts, who seem to be going crazy about a centuries-old craft: sewing and knitting. British supermarket Tesco revealed earlier this year that the demand for sewing and knitting pattern kits aimed at children have rocketed by nearly 500 per cent! This boom has been attributed to the huge popularity of BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee series, which it is said, has done for needlework what The Great British Bake Off did for baking.

Drawing Children draw to express their feelings and thoughts. It is an especially important outlet for children who do

not yet have the verbal skills to communicate their feelings. It also helps their concentration skills. Colouring books may limit their creativity, so give them blank paper and free reign to draw whatever they want with crayons, pencils and water colours. As they grow up, they may want to try other mediums. If they really enjoy drawing and painting, art classes may help them develop their skills further.

Robotics Robotics have become a popular educational tool. Proponents say that robotics is a tangible way to build and strengthen cognitive development, as well as other academic areas, such as mathematics, engineering, communication skills, strategic thinking and goal-oriented thinking. Children learn by hands-on activities, including designing, building, programming, and last of not least, watching their creation come alive. So there is an element of excitement too. Robotics have been introduced in schools but one finds courses available during the summer months too.

Voluntary work Children may learn to be kind and less selfish if they are encouraged to help others and contribute to society from a young age. One may just visit elderly neighbours and ask if they need help or some company. If one forms part of a choir, a dance class or martial arts school, one could give a demonstration at the local daycare centre for free – the audience would surely appreciate. One could also ask the local parish priest if he needs any help in church or in the community.

If your child loves animals, you can help them prepare some no-sew dog toys for animals in shelters and make pet beds out of blankets, pillows or fabric remnants. Ask if your child can volunteer to walk dogs and let them raise funds to buy food, litter and other items the shelter needs. And if your child loves nature, encourage them to pick up litter from a park or beach – just remember they need gloves and to learn to discard each piece in the appropriate bin.

ROBOTICS

Robots in education DO THEY SERVE A PURPOSE?

Robots have become a popular educational tool. While getting to grips with the design, creation, assembly and operations of robots, schoolchildren acquire new knowledge and skills that may help them in the future. Klaus Conrad explains how robots can make theoretical learning more practical and easy to understand.

28 CHiLD MAY 2016

ROBOTICS

isitors to the Malta Robotics Olympiad, held recently, were in for a real treat – it was a fantastic event filled with every kind of cool gadget.

From flying drones to dancing robots, there was something for everyone.

The highlight though was not the gadgets but the palpable excitement of the children competing in the Olympiad. Given a fairly simple task – to drop the competing robot out of the ring – children had to figure out the most effective way to use the robot parts they were given, and the best way to instruct or program the robot.

In other words, they had a precise problem they had to solve,

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a finite set of resources and time, and had to quickly develop the most successful strategy to win.

Robotics and coding are not abstract sciences – they are in fact the exact opposite: both serve to make abstract concepts in maths and physics tangible. Algebra, for example, can be notoriously difficult for students to understand.

Modern approaches with robotics however let students work with algebraic concepts without knowing they are doing algebra.

They might, for example, be tasked with measuring the distance a robot travels in a certain time and, from that, to derive the velocity. The first two tasks involve two clear problems: how do we make the robot travel a specific distance

CHiLD MAY 2016 29

ROBOTICS iad, held in April.

Olymp Children taking part in the Malta Robotics

and how do we measure the time?

There may be different solutions: students could use a ruler to measure a track and use a stop watch to capture the time. Or they could program the robot to move forward with a preset program and then measure how far the robot travelled. They could also measure the time taken by incorporating a timer in the controlling program itself that triggers when the robot starts and when it stops.

All these approaches are valid, and discussing the different approaches taken is in itself a valuable learning experience. So once the data is captured and presented, the final challenge will be to express how far the robot travelled in the time we measured.

The EEMOD project by Maltese company EERoots.

Students would have seen each part of the equation and worked out the relationship between the parts. They would have understood how one comes to a conclusion.

Another great example is using drones to solve real problems – always working

“The real power of technology in education is to let students become creators and inventors, to understand concepts because they see them in action” By using a natural language approach, this is simply said to be “so far in so many seconds”. So if we had to express that as ‘so far per second’, how would we do that? This is where the final equation of v=d/t becomes so much easier to understand.

30 CHiLD MAY 2016

backwards from the problem we want to solve to understand how the solution is derived. Let us say we have a camera on a drone and this camera can capture an area of a certain size. The higher we go, the larger the area we see but the smaller the detail appears.

How would we calculate the optimal height for a drone to be at to capture an object of a certain size, so that it fits perfectly in the video frame? A quadratic equation can help us and suddenly this usually complicated and abstract topic has a very real application.

Robots and computers help to overcome one of the most critical barriers to learning: engagement.

Robots and computers are generally considered ‘cool’ by most kids and this goes a long way to keep them interested.

More importantly, technology can put the learner in control – they are not just watching things happen but making things happen. Abstract concepts become real because they serve an actual purpose and are not simply items to cross off the list of things one needs to learn because the teacher told him or her to.

This is the real power of technology in education: to let students become creators and inventors, to understand concepts because they see them in action. It should never be about the technology itself – technology should simply be a medium through which students can experiment and express themselves.

ROBOTICS

About the Malta Robotics Olympiad

“Robots and computers help to overcome one of the most critical barriers to learning: engagement” One of greatest barriers to the wider adoption of robotics in the classroom has been cost. Robots are expensive and have been so for a long time. Many parents will balk at the cost of most educational robotic kits, and most schools will struggle to make a sufficient number of robots available to allow real ‘handon’ time.

But if there is one universal truth in technology, it is this: everything gets cheaper. The rise of 3D printing and cheap single board computers is allowing more and more inventors to design robots that are more affordable and more powerful than ever before.

One just needs to look at the great little project Reuben Ferrante of Maltese company EERoots launched a few weeks ago to see that, even locally, there is great potential in this area. Just like tablets, robots will soon transition from being luxury items to being everywhere.

But this oncoming robot tsunami does raise many questions that need

to be discussed. How do we link robotics into a wider curriculum, beyond maths and physics so that we can maximise the investment in resources?

If robots are simple and accessible, teachers can come up with some wonderful ideas, like an English lesson for young learners that teaches prepositions by having a robot walk a path showing the relationship of the robot to certain objects on the map. Simple but brilliant, as it taps into the excitement of robotics without foundering in complexities.

Beyond the classroom, there will also need to be discourse about the role of robots at home – will they be just another electronic distraction, or can they become a useful addition to family life and help in the education of children? What skills will parents need to support the educational process?

These are just some of the discussions that need to happen if we want to exploit the full potential of robots in education.

• The fourth edition of the Malta Robotics Olympiad took place in April. The MRO has grown steadily every year to become Malta’s largest robotics and technology competition and exposition.

• The main event at the MRO is reserved for students from the age of 11 till 15 for year seven to year 11 students. Any student can compete in this event from State, Church or Independent schools. In April’s event, more than 30 teams took part with 120 students participating.

• Each team is usually made up of four students who work with a mentor.

• Such national events, go beyond the competition itself. Competitors spend time with their mentors learning about robotics and coding.

• The MRO provides the opportunity to both students and the public alike to get to know about digital skills education in schools and the opportunities available.

• These events also serve the important role for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subject popularisation, the global job market is suffering a severe lack of digital skills with more technologyrelated job opportunities being left unfilled.

• Such events have several educational aspects. The competitors learn about the importance of team work and project management.

• Since the competition task is given on the same day of the competition, this also helps the students advance their skills in problem-solving and delivering creative solutions to solve complex tasks.

• All students taking part in the competition are given non-formal credits which go towards their final results.

CHiLD MAY 2016 31

TOP TIPS

Potty training Many say that the ideal time for potty training is summer as children don’t have many clothes to undress and dress again. However, potty training success hinges on physical and emotional readiness, not a specific time or age.

Experts claim the ideal time for potty training is around two to three years of age. Yet if your child is not ready to start, potty training will be a long and frustrating process.

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A relaxed approach is best. Just look out for the signs and symptoms that your child is ready for such a step. Among these, your child should: • show he or she needs to use the bathroom by facial expressions, postures or words; • be able to understand simple instructions and directions; • be able to walk to and from the bathroom, dress and undress; • be able to sit on and rise from the potty; • feel uncomfortable with soiled diapers; • stay dry for two or more hours during the day.

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Your child is not ready to start toilet training if he or she shows any resistance. A child may object by: • Standing next to the potty and then going on the floor.

• Screaming and crying when taken to the potty.

• Seeming comfortable and even happy about sitting in a soiled diaper.

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Place the potty in the bathroom or where the child spends most time. Encourage your child to sit on the potty, with or without a diaper. If your child wants, have him or her sit on the potty without a diaper for a few minutes several times a day. For boys, experts say it is best to start urination sitting down, and then move to standing up at a later stage.

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When you realise that your child might need to use the potty – such as by squirming, squatting or holding the genital area – respond quickly. Help your child become familiar with these signals, stop what he or she is doing and head to the bathroom or wherever there is the potty. Praise your child for telling you when he or she needs to use it.

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Read a potty-training book or give your child a toy to play with while sitting on the potty chair or toilet.

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Incentives may do the trick. For example, some children respond to stickers or stars on a chart.

Verbal praise goes a long way as well.

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Teach girls to wipe carefully from front to back to prevent bringing germs from the rectum to the vagina or bladder.

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CHiLD MAY 2016 33

TOP TIPS

POTTY TRAINING. INFOGRAPHIC Potty training is a big step for kids and parents alike.

The secret to success? Timing and patience

STOP

100% 50% 29 months

Stop dressing diapers

If a child refuses – do not force

Keep the pot within reach and visibility

31 months

1950

1980

5% 2015

The average age for girls and for boys to be toilet trained

Amount children were potty trained by the age of 18 months

Acquaint child with pot

Show by example toy

Show by personal example and the example of older children

Praise your child

Potty training success hinges on physical and emotional readiness, not a specific age.

It is also important to get your child to wash their hands after using the potty. Children tend to imitate their parents, so if they see you wash your own hands in the bathroom, a child might associate hand washing with going to the bathroom.

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After weeks of successful potty breaks, your child might be ready to start using training pants or underwear. Celebrate this transition.

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Most children master daytime bladder control first, often within about two to three months of toilet training. Nap and night-time training might take much more than that: it could be months or years. In the meantime, use disposable training pants or mattress covers when your child sleeps.

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Expect occasional accidents and near-misses. Occasional accidents are harmless, but they can lead to teasing and embarrassment from peers. If you’re worried about these accidents, contact the family doctor. Sometimes wetting problems indicate an underlying physical condition, such as a urinary tract infection or an overactive bladder.

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If your child resists using the potty or isn’t getting the hang of it within a few weeks, take a break.

Chances are he or she is not ready yet. So you should try again in a few months.

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PROMO

A smart way to

ENJOY THE SUN rotecting oneself from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays is crucial, especially in one’s childhood years, as each sunburn gets imprinted in one’s DNA and one is likely to suffer the consequences at a later stage in life.

Technology is always evolving and improving even in this area.

The latest innovation is the Smartsun Wristband, which helps you keep track of how much sun you are getting. It does NOT provide protection from the sun but is designed to warn you when it’s time to take action to limit your sun exposure.

The wristband functions through a chemical reaction that measures both UVA and UVB radiation. The colour of the wristband changes to indicate the level of UV exposure.

When the wristband starts turning from yellow to beige, it may be time to apply more sunscreen.

When it turns pink, there is a high risk of burning.

That means it’s time to get dressed and avoid the sun completely.

Smartsun is developed for sensitive or very sensitive skin and can be used by both children and adults. Whether one is outdoors doing sports, sunbathing or swimming, Smartsun keeps track of UV-

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exposure. The wristbands are for one-day use only and can be recycled as plastic after use.

The wristband was released by Intellego Technologies, a Swedish company specialising in patented technology for UV indicators.

For questions or feedback, visit www.smartsun.se or www.intellego-technologies.com.

How to use it and where: The wristband can be used anywhere, in many different situations.

Beach: Protect your skin when swimming, playing, reading or just dozing on the beach.

Hiking: It’s just as important to protect your skin when you’re out hiking.

Sea: The sea breeze cools you down so you might not feel the sun. At the same time the sea acts as a huge mirror, increasing sun exposure.

Cloudy days: Even though the sky might be overcast, the rays of the sun can still pierce through the clouds.

Spring: When you’re catching the first rays of sun after a long winter, don’t forget that your skin is extra sensitive and unaccustomed to the sun.

Burned skin: If you have previously got sunburned, there’s even more reason to protect yourself from being burned again.

Kids: Keep track of how much sun your child is getting! The wristband makes it easy to understand why the skin needs protection.

CHiLD MAY 2016 35

HEALTH

Living with diabetes Consultant paediatric endocrinologist John Torpiano tells Lorella Fava that most diabetic children under 14 in Malta are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which cannot be prevented. However, he assures parents that children with this type of diabetes can live long, healthy and happy lives if they are taught to take proper care of their health. lmost 22 out of 100,000 Maltese children under the age of 14 are diagnosed with diabetes every year.

“This places Malta in fifth position among EU countries; although we are actually so very close to the incidence seen in the UK and Denmark that one could almost say that we are in joint third position,” says John Torpiano, a consultant paediatric endocrinologist.

Despite the fact that the disease is quite common, the population seems to lack knowledge of the condition, except that it involves the intake of sugar and must be controlled with pills or injections.

So what exactly does it mean to be diagnosed with diabetes?

Diabetes refers to a condition marked by abnormally high levels of

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36 CHiLD MAY 2016

sugar (glucose) in the blood. Subsequently, individuals who suffer from the condition tend to either not produce enough insulin (a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy) or cannot use the insulin that their body produces. Due to this, this glucose builds up in the person’s bloodstream.

There are two main types of diabetes, referred to simply as type 1 and type 2.

Type 1 diabetes results from the pancreas’s failure to produce enough insulin.

Dr Torpiano further explains how this is caused due to “autoimmune damage to the pancreatic beta-cells that normally produce the essential hormone insulin.”

“Although type 1 diabetes is not itself a hereditary disease, autoimmune

conditions do show a genetic predisposition. Apart from this, type 1 diabetes is also related to environmental factors that are still not entirely clear.

First-degree relatives of individuals with type 1 diabetes have a slightly greater risk, over the general population, of developing the disease themselves,” he says.

Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, begins with insulin resistance and as the condition progresses, there may also be a lack of insulin. The primary

HEALTH

“Despite the dramatic increase in obesity rates in Maltese children over the last two decades or so, we are fortunately not seeing a corresponding increase in type 2 diabetes in this age group, at least to date” cause for type 2 diabetes is excessive body weight and not enough exercise.

Generally speaking, diabetes is most often associated with people of a certain age. However, it is quite alarming to find that such a condition is also found in children.

Dr Torpiano maintains that type 1 affects the vast majority of children with diabetes.

“Type 1 diabetes remains, by far, the commonest variety of diabetes in individuals younger than 16 years. In fact, over 95 per cent of Maltese children with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.”

When asked about whether or not the high rates of obesity could lead to a possible increase in type 2 diabetes among children, Dr Torpiano admits that the tendency is definitely

the case among adult patients. However, he says that the situation “seems different in children.”

“Despite the dramatic increase in obesity rates in Maltese children over the last two decades or so, we are fortunately not seeing a corresponding increase in type 2 diabetes in this age group, at least to date. This may, of course, change in the future.”

CHiLD MAY 2016 37

HEALTH Dr Torpiano claims that sadly nobody has so far shown that there is an effective way to prevent the condition’s development in a susceptible person when it comes to type 1 diabetes.

On the other hand, the risk of type 2 diabetes can be reduced if what Dr Torpiano refers to as “the currently horrendous rates of obesity in Malta” decrease.

“In order to do this effectively, society needs to encourage a healthy lifestyle starting right from early childhood,” he says.

This echoes what Robert Lustig, a worldrenowned paediatric endocrinologist who was recently in Malta, said: “Sugar causes diabetes in the same way that cigarettes cause lung cancer… processed food is an experiment that failed. There is only one answer – real food.”

Dr Lustig was in Malta to give a lecture titled ‘Diabetes and Processed Food: An Experiment that Failed’ to Maltese doctors on World Health Day, marked on April 7.

Besides tending to their children’s nutrition and fitness, parents can look out for a number of signs to see whether their offspring may have developed diabetes.

Dr Torpiano lists three main indicators.

The first is the increased production of urine – this is often quite considerable and occurs throughout the day as well as the night.

“Some children may even start wetting their beds again, even if they had previously achieved continence,” he says.

9diabetes signs of 1 Often urinate

2 Excessive thirst

3 Always hungry

4 Tingling

5 Feeling tired

6 Itchy skin

7 Hard to heal wound

8 Blurred vision

9 Sudden weight loss

“I would not advise routine checking of blood glucose levels in healthy children just for the sake of it” Parents should also be on the lookout when their children appear to be experiencing increased thirst, driving them to want to drink much larger volumes of fluid than usual. An unexplained decrease in body weight, which is often dramatic, could also signal the condition.

Other features may be of a more subtle nature and include unexplained tiredness, recurrent skin infections and blurred vision.

Dr Torpiano stresses that it is crucial to diagnose diabetes at the earliest stage possible, because if it remains unidentified for more than a few days or weeks, 38 CHiLD MAY 2016

some children can develop a highly dangerous complication called ‘diabetic ketoacidosis’ (DKA). This could lead to coma or even death and thus often requires treatment at an intensive care unit.

Dr Torpiano, however, advices that too many check-ups of children’s blood sugar levels are unnecessary.

“I would not advise routine checking of blood glucose levels in healthy children just for the sake of it. On the other hand, if parents notice any one or more of the clinical features I described, then they should take the child to the family doctor or a paediatrician without any delay.”

Despite the situation looking somewhat bleak, Dr Torpiano seems optimistic about the future, explaining the ways the diabetes team at Mater Dei Hospital always strive to provide the best possible care for affected children. And even though there is no known cure as yet, research in this field is “fast gathering pace”. He adds that a satisfactory solution for type 1 diabetes is possibly just “a few years away”.

Parents are often understandably very frightened and overcome with grief when they discover that their child has diabetes, but Dr Torpiano says that they should take heart.

“Although it is a serious condition, children with type 1 diabetes can live long, healthy and happy lives if they are taught to take proper care of their own health.”

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FINANCES

TEACHING KIDS ABOUT

money Dr Stephanie Satariano explains the importance of helping children develop into financially responsible adults. hild development is a complex journey that is affected by many factors. Some theorists would insist genes play the most critical role, whereas others would contend that the environment is the main contributor. However, the overall consensus is that it is the fine balance between the inner and outer world of the child that underpins child development.

There is a range of behaviours and traits that make up respectable citizens of society and financial knowledge is one of them. It is not an innate ability but rather something that is learnt over time, through knowledge that children acquire through interactions with adults around them. This is why it is important for financial literacy to be taught both at home and at school.

Helping your children develop such knowledge, as well as develop healthy and positive habits early on in life, provides them with a strong foundation upon which to build a successful future.

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The truth is, our brain is quite lazy; but when behaviours, thoughts and/or emotions are repeated over time, the brain slowly embeds these processes so that they begin to occur without much conscious thought.

PROMOTING POSITIVE HABITS Lev Vygostky’s key child development theory highlights the fact that we develop through interactions and relationships with people we trust.

Children learn through the imitation and observation of the trusted adults in their lives, as well as through incidental learning. So, in other words, you can help model the person you want your child to be.

Although, there is no universally ‘best’ parenting style, the authoritative style has been more strongly associated with developing competent adults, who have good self-confidence and positive behaviour habits. At the heart of this style of parenting is the importance of CHiLD MAY 2016 41

FINANCES

“There is having a democratic household, where a range of the words ‘bebehaviours and cause I said so’ are traits that make up no longer used. respectable citizens of From a young society and financial age and consistently throughout knowledge is one childhood, parents of them” instil behaviour patterns in their child; even ones you don’t want to and are not aware of. So put thought and planning into your parenting and communicate this to your children. Not only does it help to provide them with good thinking skills (rather than just being ‘yes’ people), it also shows them that you respect them and value them enough to take the time to teach them.

Also, remember the brain quickly learns repeated actions. By creating opportunities for your children to practise skills and behaviour, you instil positive behaviour patterns.

DEVELOPING FINANCIALLY POSITIVE HABITS Research to date suggests that children develop economic and financial understanding when they have firsthand experience of it. Furthermore, a large-scale review in 1986 highlighted the importance of explicit teaching and incidental learning in developing children’s financial understanding. It is well established that parents are key in impacting children’s development, including how they learn to handle their money.

Apart from the need for parents to model exemplary financial habits, it would also be pertinent for these efforts to be reinforced by a sound educational system, particularly to compensate for those children who do not have positive examples to learn from at home.

The ideal would be the home and school working together to maximise child development.

Parents can support a child’s financial understanding through strategies such as creating and maintaining a savings account and/or savings plan from a young age, planning the impromptu presents they receive and/or learning the rationale behind their pocket money.

These experiences at an early age will leave them in good stead to continue to use such knowledge and skills in the future. It will enable them to take control of their finances and become self-dependent rather than be at the mercy of their financial situation.

Dr Satariano is a chartered educational and child psychologist in neuropsychology.

TOP TIPS

YOUR BABY NEEDS

PROTEIN rotein is one of the composition of breast milk changes most valuable nutrients depending on the age of your baby. for the growth and That’s because your baby’s growth development of your and development needs change baby. It is the foundation too. And the crucial bit that changes for their cells, brain and other is protein! tissues. The quality and quantity of In the beginning, breast milk proteins they receive as a baby can contains more protein because your have a huge impact on their future baby needs it to grow very fast and, health. later on, it lessens because your Protein is made of substances baby needs less of it. called amino acids, often called the Breast milk protein also changes body’s building blocks. The body depending on how much your baby needs 20 amino acids but can only drinks. In the first few months, your make 11 of them. The others come baby will drink small quantities of from protein in food and are known breast milk, so the protein as essential amino acids. They content is high. In are indeed essential for your later months, your “The baby, yourself and every baby will composition other body in the world. of breast milk is In babies, protein the gold standard for hugely contributes to: • building, maintaining the estimated total and repairing new protein required for tissues of all organs; healthy infant • forming important development” enzymes and hormones; • forming antibodies to fight infection; • performing very specialised functions in regulating body processes.

These important requirements are primarily satisfied by a single and highly-specific food source – breast milk. The composition of human milk is the gold standard for the estimated total protein required for healthy infant development.

And yet the

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drink more breast milk, so the protein content goes down to make sure your baby only gets what he or she needs.

By adapting to their growth and relative requirements, the protein content of breast milk evolves perfectly. So babies only get what they need, when they need it. This in turn supports healthy weight gain.

Breast milk protein is pretty unique. Its quality and composition is entirely different to cow’s milk, due to the specific combination of amino acids that are so important to a baby’s health and development.

The protein in breast milk plays an important role as a baby grows and develops: namely, the potential to reduce the risk of becoming overweight later in life.

Research carried out recently shows just how essential good nutrition during the first 1,000 days is for your baby’s future health. This includes 270 days of pregnancy, 365 days of their first year and the next 365 days of the second year.

Giving them a strong nutritional foundation for life now can positively affect their growth, brain development and resistance to allergies and germs lasting even into adulthood.

CHiLD MAY 2016 43

HobbIeS

FLEDGLING

foodies At what age can children start cooking? How important is it for kids to know how to prepare healthy food?

Coryse Borg talks to two local healthy-eating promoters – Mandy Micallef Decesare and Tom Magri – as well as some budding chefs-in-the-making.

MANDY MICALLEF DECESARE is a teacher at St Martin’s College, Swatar, and the brains behind Mini Chefs (Malta) which gives children between six and 13 the opportunity to cook healthy, delicious food in a safe environment. am first and foremost a teacher who loves cooking and wants to inspire children to cook with heart and produce healthy, interesting recipes they, in turn, can pass on,” says Mandy, “I think it is vital that children learn how to cook.

Children need to know their ingredients and what to do with them to

“I

retain the integrity of each dish. This is vital to their health and well-being in the future.”

Since starting Mini Chefs (Malta), she says that she started appreciating fresh food more and is constantly looking for healthier options.

According to Mandy, as soon as kids develop their fine motor skills, they can be in a kitchen.

“I adore being with kids of any age – they are interesting, fun, honest and have no fear of expressing themselves. It’s fantastic to see a self-proclaimed fussy eater munching away at a quinoa salad with roasted pumpkin and pine nuts!”

CHiLD MAY 2016 45

Hobbies

During the lessons, there are two adults Child magazine spoke to a few children who have atwith the kids at all times. The groups are small tended the Mini Chefs (Malta) course to see what they and the rooms that are used are all childsafe. every part of the course is interactive think about food and cooking. and hands-on. The lesson starts with a demonstration from Mandy – who has First Aid certiLucas Debono, 10 fication, as well as a Food Handling Certificate i like to help my parents cook. My favourite food to make is pan– to be followed by the children’s cooking. cakes, because they taste great and are fun to make. My favourite “They are meant to take their creations food to eat is hamburgers. it is important for kids to learn how to home with them to show off to their families cook so when we get a bit older we can become more indebut in truth, most of the food gets eaten pendent. The thing i liked most about Mini Chefs is that we on the way home,” she says, “The lescooked a wide variety of different food items. sons are noisy and the level of ex“Children citement is tangible… it’s great!” need to know Ella Felice, 10 their ingredients and what to do with i help mummy and daddy cook at home often. My TOM MAGRI is a student and them to retain the favourite food to cook is pasta, because it’s easy. My commis chef at Michael’s in Valintegrity of each favourite food to eat is sushi. i think it’s important for letta. Currently, he is firmly set dish” kids to know how to cook so when they are older they on getting himself as qualified as possible at ITS, while learning and gaining experience at his workplace. hen Tom was a young boy, his greatest interests were gardening and classical art. The passion for cooking only came along when he was around 15 or 16 and his mother bought a Nigella Lawson cookbook.

“Today’s food-producing giants create such frozen rubbish for children to eat. i was lucky to have grown up with a mother who is a fantastic cook, and i was always fed what was good and natural. i had my fair share of junk food but the fact that i was exposed

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46 CHiLD MAY 2016

will know how to cook. At the course, i learnt how to make food i didn’t know how to make before.

Jake Hansford Genuis, 11 i like to take the initiative to cook, mainly pasta with tomato sauce, noodle soup, pizza, vegetables, and my school lunch. i like eating lasagne, soups, brodu, homemade chicken, burgers with broccoli and carrots, roast chicken and octopus in garlic, crab, prawns, mussels, potatoes with gravy, duck with pancakes, fillet of beef (medium to rare) and sushi. At the course i learnt how to make different types of food like the dough to make foccaccia, muffins and rainbow cake/; The teachers made the lesson fun and gave us many good tips on how to prepare food properly.

HOBBIeS to good quality at an early age means that now I can appreciate food that much more,” Ryan Hansford Genuis, 12 he says.

I like to cook tortellini because it is easy and tasty. I like to eat pizza Tom thinks that people such as healthywith tuna, carbonara, ravioli, tortellini with ham and mushrooms, cooking advocate Jamie Oliver act as and lasagne. Kids should learn how to cook because if we do, role models for children. And it is we can cook our favourite food all the time. At the course I also helpful for them to see chillearnt how to make new food like breakfast stars, tuna dip, dren cooking on television “Mummies buttermilk pancakes, sushi rice and mini wraps. The teacher programmes such as Junior and daddies made the lesson fun as she joked with us and let us do Master Chef: – if a child things ourselves after she demonstrated. What I didn’t like “When a child sees other wants to cook, about the course was when the lesson was over! children cooking on TV, let them some may think: ‘Oh, I can cook!” do that too’, which may lead to a child wanting to experiment in the kitchen and be more interested when they see their parents cooking for them.”

According to Tom, children can start cookTom’s blueberry loaf Mandy’s cholesteroling as soon as they are interested and eager, and when they can handle the kitchen safely. free oat cookies Ingredients: “Mummies and daddies – if a child wants (MAKES 12) 130g self-raising flour to cook, let them cook!” he smiles, “You’d 200g caster sugar be surprised at how much it helps clear the Ingredients: 60g cold margarine mind and reduce stress and induce creativ¾ cup plain flour 1 egg at room temperature ity. Cooking with the best quality ingredients 2 tsp vanilla 1 tsp baking powder will always yield a good result.” ½ cup apple sauce 120ml full fat milk (or white sugar) and ½ cup 1 tsp pure vanilla extract brown sugar A good handful of fresh 4 egg whites blueberries 1½ cups quick oats ¼ tsp baking soda Method: ¼ cup vegetable oil Preheat the oven to 180°C on ¼ cup chopped walnuts the top shelf. Grease a loaf tin with some unsalted butter and Method: set aside. Beat the margarine Sift the flour and baking soda and sugar till soft and grainy. together. In a separate bowl, Sift the flour and baking powder blend the vanilla, oil apple together in a bowl and set sauce and sugar. Then add the aside. Beat in the egg and milk egg whites. Stir in the flour, oatone at a time. Beat in the flour meal and nuts. Preheat oven to mix and vanilla extract. Once 175°C and spray a baking tray this is all well mixed, slowly mix with cooking spray. Drop dough in your blueberries with a on to sheet with a teaspoon. spatula and bake in the hot Bake for eight minutes. oven for up to 25 minutes until slightly browned on Tom’s blueberry loaf top. Leave to cool in the tin for up to five minutes, For more information on Mini Chefs (Malta), then remove from which will be running a summer course from tin to cool on a July 11 till August 11, visit the Facebook page, rack. call on 7938 3759 or send an e-mail to

Two easy recipes for kids to try

minichefsmalta@gmail.com

48 CHiLD MAY 2016

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

SHOPWINDOW Meeting mother and baby needs With 30 years of clinical experience in baby feeding, Philips Avent has been designing and manufacturing products to meet mother and baby needs. Its products are inspired by nature and have been developed through extensive research and clinical trials and, even more importantly, by listening to mothers. The ranges’ interchangeable design features mean the products can be adapted to meet a baby’s developing needs. Philips Avent offers a full range of baby products from bottles, cups, soothers, electric and manual pumps, breast pads, monitors and much more. Philips Avent is exclusively distributed by Alfred Gera & Sons Ltd, tel: 2144 6205/6.

Colourful, interactive toys Munchkin offers children a wide range of colourful, interactive toys that make bath time more enjoyable.

From a Bath Fun Bubble Blower, Undersea Explorer, Bath Tea and Cupcake Sets and a large selection of bath toys, Munchkin is sure to keep your child entertained. With their bright and vibrant colours Munchkin toys are designed to help engage sensory skills as well as encourage your child to learn how to develop play patterns and interactive play. Munchkin also offers a wide range of feeding bottles, spill proof cups, training cups, flip straw cups, dining sets, door bouncers, safety car mirrors, backpacks and much more. Munchkin toys are available in leading supermarkets, pharmacies and baby shops. They are exclusively distributed by Alfred Gera & Sons Ltd, tel: 2144 6205/6.

The amazing early years of a growing child From their arrival to their third birthday, children grow to be twice their size, five times their weight and their brain increases at the incredible rate of nearly one gram per day. At three years of age, they would be still gaining about eight grams of weight a day. Meanwhile, their mental and physical abilities would be steadily developing. As many mothers know, growing toddlers are not always the greatest eaters yet need many nutrients. To feed their developing bodies, they need up to six times more nutrients than adults per kilogram of body weight, yet your toddler’s stomach is up to five times smaller than an adult’s. This means that every meal must contain the essential nutrients in the right quantities. Cow’s milk is fine for older children and adults but, at daily recommended volumes of 400-500ml, it does not contain the amount of nutrients your toddler needs.

Aptamil 3 Pronutra+ supports brain development and contributes to a healthy immune system. It is ideal for one-year-olds. Aptamil 4 Pronutra+ should be given to children after their second birthday.

Dry nights for your baby Every mum recognises that a night of quality, uninterrupted sleep is beneficial for babies: they wake up rested, cheerful and ready to start their day. Therefore, securing the best possible night’s sleep for your baby is important. Pampers Baby Dry have unique double dry zones, a new soft absorbing layer and a core which locks in wetness, leaving your baby dry and comfortable for up to 12 hours and thus ensuring a good night, every night. For local trade enquiries, call VJ Salomone (Marketing) on 2298 3201 or visit www.vjsm.com.mt.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

SHOPWINDOW Reducing appearance of stretch marks Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Cream and Lotion for Stretch Marks helps reduce the appearance of stretch marks with a special combination of cocoa butter, vitamin E, Collagen and Elastin. This non-greasy cream lubricates the skin to help it retain its natural elasticity. It relieves the dryness associated with stretched skin due to pregnancy and smoothens stretch marks that result from post-pregnancy weight loss. For more information, visit www.parentchildclub.com.

Young toddlers’ appetite may fluctuate. Several surveys conducted in Europe have shown that the nutritional status of many toddlers is less than satisfactory. In the short term, nutrient deficiencies can result in impaired growth and sub-optimal cognitive development, affecting brain development and influencing learning ability and behaviour patterns later on in life. There is also significant scientific evidence to suggest that nutrition during the early formative years has a great influence on the level of disease-risk in adult life. These nutritional shortcomings in a young child’s diet can be corrected by giving Bebelac 3, a nutritionally-balanced milk. Bebelac 3 helps to provide your toddler with the goodness he/she needs at this important stage of development. Bebelac is available in all pharmacies in Malta and Gozo. For trade enquiries, call Pemix Distributors Ltd on 2143 7926 or visit www.parentchildclub.com.

Make potty training easier

Over 100 years of goodness

Does the thought of potty training bring you out in a cold sweat or are you taking it in your stride? Potty training experts Huggies know that helping your little one understand the difference between being wet and dry is crucial. That’s why Pull-Ups training pants have unique fading designs when wet. Through visual learning, toddlers quickly understand that to keep the pictures, they have to use the potty. Huggies Pull-Ups will help turn your little one into a big kid.

Yoghurt is a great addition to the weaning diet. It’s not only tasty and perfect in consistency for your food newbie, but laden with vitamins and minerals. The high-calcium content found in yoghurts is very much needed to strengthen their growing bones and teeth. Plasmon offers a vast range of delicious yoghurts. The classic Plasmon yoghurts remain famous for their taste and nutritious value. They can be fed directly from the jar, so whether on the go, or at home, they are a healthy snack option. The Sapori Di Natura yoghurts are creamier in consistency. Conveniently packaged in re-sealable tubs, this range has been ergonomically designed for one’s comfort. Plasmon yoghurts, popular as ever for their unique and delicious taste, are made up of the finest ingredients grown at the Plasmon Oasi. For more information and support, contact Vivian Corporation on 2258 8600 or follow the Plasmon (Malta) Facebook page.

Protective, soothing and healing Skin irritation, particularly in the nappycovered area, is very common among most babies and young children. The symptoms can be unpleasant and troublesome and require special care. Bebble’s Nappy rash cream has been specifically developed to resolve skin irritations quickly and effectively. It provides instant relief for itching, redness and discomfort caused by sore or damaged skin.

It is best suited for problem areas such as the nappy area, elbow folds, armpits, knees, behind the ears and on the neck. This is but one from the Bebble range of dermatologically tested, hypoallergenic baby care products. Consult your pharmacist for more information.

DISCOUNT VOUCHER

#

10% off

at early learning centre This voucher is to be redeemed by June 11, 2016. It is not valid with any other offer.

Kindly present this voucher to the cashier prior to payment.

E-mail: info@elctoysmalta.com Web: www.elctoysmalta.com

50 CHiLD MAY 2016

The right nutrition for toddlers

Milk for active toddlers Toddlers need vitamins, minerals and proteins to stay strong and healthy. SMA Progress Kids is a growing-up milk specifically designed for children aged one to four years. At this age most toddlers would have established an eating pattern and are able to eat most family foods. Growing up milk should be given to supplement their diet. One to two beakers of 200ml each are enough to provide your little ones with all the necessary daily nutrients and vitamins to help support normal growth and development of bones. For more information and support, contact Vivian Corporation on 2258 8600 and ask for the SMA Nutrition Team.