February 2011
Snack time on-the-go:
tasty tips for nutritious lunchboxes
Terrific treats for Valentine's Day Our pregnancy; our baby revealed with 4D scanning!
Life's a dream for Dreamgirl and mother of three, Lindiwe Bungane
GET AHEAD BOX
GET AHEAD BOX www.getahead.co.za
www.getahead.co.za www.myschool.co.za
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Publisher TLG Publishing (Pty) Ltd. Managing Editor Tracey Garde editor@raising-kids.co.za 082 460 6007 Advertising sales@raising-kids.co.za
editorial comment Just Google it! Welcome to our first official entirely digital issue of RaisingKids. Although
Copy Editor Sharon de Beer info@raising-kids.co.za 012 667 3935
we managed to have a good ‘break from it all’ these holidays, putting this
Art Director Heidi Amrouni eye2design@iafrica.com
DigiMag and I hope you are going to enjoy each new issue as much as we
General enquiries info@raising-kids.co.za
exclaiming “Just Google it” as her answer to everything! Having, no doubt,
Photographer Wayne Potgieter 082 853 6873 wayne@digisky.co.za Visit our website for advertising deadlines, technical specifications and advertising rates www.raising-kids.co.za General competition rules: Winners will be notified telphonically or by email. Prizes are not transferable nor may they be exchanged for cash. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
first issue for the year together has thrown us straight back into work mode which I’m sure rings true for most of you. Needless to say, we have had fun discovering all the new elements we are able to incorporate into our love putting it together. My daughter’s best friend, Hayley, at the tender age of five, took to picked up this phrase from her parents, it made me aware how much today’s parents use the Internet as a tool to research various things and it is with this in mind that we trust that RaisingKids DigiMag will continue to help you along on your journey of parenthood. We would love to hear from you in regard to topics you would like to see featured – just email us at info@raising-kids.co.za. In this issue, we take a look (really up-close) at Colleen and Rick's baby via 4D scanning in 'Our Pregnancy' (page 12) and our expert Marie Otto, educates us on issues pertaining to anxious children (page 18). It’s Valentine’s Day this month so get your kids to make something for their teacher or a special little boy or girl in the class – after all, love, in all its forms, is what makes the world go round! Sherree Kruger of Supakids shows us how on page 24. It is heartening to have received so much positive feedback about ‘going digital’ from our regular readers and advertisers. We look forward to providing our readers with interactive, interesting, relevant and inspiring editorial this year. I wish you all a happy new year and hope, New Year’s resolutions aside, (I have vowed to lose the weight from my last pregnancy – 5 years ago ) that you are inspired in every way and may you spend many special moments enjoying your family.
Postal Address PO Box 67269, Highveld, 0169 South Africa Tel: 012 667 3935 Fax: 086 515 5487 ISSN 2070-6219
All work published in RaisingKids DigiMag is protected by copyright. Only with written permission from the publisher may any part of this digimag be reproduced or adapted in any form. We welcome contributions to RaisingKids DigiMag, but the publisher of this digimag retains unrestricted rights to edit submitted material. We do not accept responsibility for material submitted and can not guarantee the return of any original material. The publisher’s opinion is not necessarily that published in RaisingKids DigiMag and the publisher does not accept any liability of any nature that may arise from the contents of this digimag.
RaisingKids - February 2011
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www.babaindaba.co.za
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contents Editor’s Comment
3
Just Google it!
News and reviews
6-7
Companies are giving back to the community in this issue’s news & reviews...
Letterbox with Huggies
9
Huggies will send you R500 worth of nappies if your letter is chosen as the winning letter.
Life's a dream for Dreamgirl Lindiwe Bungane
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Life’s a dream for Dreamgirl Lindiwe Bungane
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Even with three kids in tow, Lindiwe manages it all with star quality!
Our pregnancy
12
Colleen and Rick share their 4D scan with us.
Snack time on-the-go
16
What should be in a healthy lunchbox, healthy treats included!
The anxious child Our pregnancy
12
18
Expert play therapist, Marié Otto, shares her insight into anxiety in children and offers sound advice on coping with an anxious child.
Terrific treats to make this Valentine’s day!
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Kids will love making these ‘love bites’ for Valentine’s Day.
Learning through play
24
We take a look at what stimulation baby needs toy-wise from age 18 to 24 months.
Terrific treats to make this Valentine's day!
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RaisingKids - February 2011
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news&reviews
Serious monkey business for Kellogg’s® and the Born Free Foundation! Coco Pops® fans can now help ill-treated monkeys in Malawi simply by eating their favourite breakfast cereal! This is because Kellogg’s® and international wildlife charity, the Born Free Foundation have teamed up in a new campaign to help save orphaned and threatened monkeys and baboons... Kellogg’s® recently decided that their brand ambassador, Coco the monkey, was the perfect character to create awareness around issues affecting monkeys such as poaching; and so they decided to partner with the Born Free Foundation and the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre to raise awareness of the plight of monkeys. Want to get involved in this worthy initiative? It’s easy... just click here to find out how, or buy any two promotional packs of Kellogg’s® Coco Pops® (Coco Pops® Chocorillas, Coco Pops® Crunchers, Coco Pops® Jumbos and/or the original Coco Pops oven-toasted rice grains), then sms two monkey codes found inside any two of these promotional packs to 42287 to receive your unique code which you will then use to adopt a monkey on the Coco Pops® website. Please note that sms entries are charged at R2 each. Kids, you can choose which monkey you want to adopt by visiting www.adoptamonkey.co.za and reading each monkey’s own incredible survival story. Download an adoption certificate, get regular updates, watch monkey videos and even rehabilitate your own ‘virtual monkey’ by playing an online game! 50c from every sms sent will go to the Born Free Foundation and Kellogg’s South Africa will contribute a further R100 000 towards giving the monkeys the care they need to enjoy a normal life again. Once rehabilitated, the monkeys are either returned to the wild or to the Centre’s wilderness zone. Those that cannot be released will be cared for the rest of their lives at the centre.
You can win too! This campaign also offers a family of four the chance to win an exciting all-inclusive trip worth R80 000 to visit their adopted monkey in Malawi! During your stay you will get to visit the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre to meet the staff and spend time with the monkeys, sail on Lake Malawi to Cape Maclear and spend two nights at the luxurious Danforth Lodge. The prize includes various watersport activities such as skiing, snorkelling, sailing, kayaking and a sunset cruise around the bay, and on return to The Lilongwe Wildlife Centre you will also visit the Mua Cultural museum. The competition ends on 30 April 2011 and the draw for the winner will take place in June 2011, so quit ‘monkeying around’ and enter now! To find out more about how Kellogg’s is helping the Born Free Foundation please visit www.adoptamonkey.co.za and www.kelloggs.co.za.
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RaisingKids - February 2011
news&reviews
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Huggies® gives back to the community
The Huggies® marketing team spent a day at Blessings Crèche in October 2010, where they repainted the school and made the day special for the 83 children and orphans attending the school. The headmistress of the school, Ruth Makwena Semenya was delighted: “It will make a big difference in the children’s lives and their learning will be more fun. I am so grateful to everyone involved; I don’t think any words can describe just how happy I am. Huggies® is really a brand that cares.”
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – 80 years of supporting cancer survivors in South Africa
Friday 4 March 2011. The public can participate on Saturday 5 March 2011 at their nearest shopping mall. For a R50 donation, children under 12 pay R25, South Africans from all over the country, family and friends, workplace staff, visitors, clients and suppliers can shave or spray in a multitude of colours in their hair to show
2011 is the year in which the Cancer
solidarity with a cancer survivor. For those who would like to be a part of the fight
Association of
against cancer but cannot attend a shave or spray event
South Africa
on one of these days, a minimum online donation of
(CANSA) turns 80
R50 may be made by visiting the CANSA website and
years old and also marks CANSA's eighth Shavathon
clicking on the bail-out fee under Shavathon. Please go to www.shavathon.org.za to register your workplace event and order your consumables by
event taking place 3 to
23 February 2011. See CANSA Shavathon Facebook
5 March 2011. Last year’s
for updates. For more information, please contact Margie
Shavathon was a resounding
Laubscher at 011 616 7662 or email
success thanks to the thousands of South Africans who
shavathon@cansa.org.za.
showed solidarity with cancer survivors at their schools, work places and shopping venues countrywide. In response to the overwhelming support in 2010, Shavathon 2011 will have an extra corporate Shavathon day on Thursday 3 March 2011, followed by RaisingKids - February 2011
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www.adoptamonkey.co.za
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RaisingKids - February 2011
Letterbox Heading
LetterB
x
www.huggies.co.za
Our winning letter Home, away from home
Hi Kirsten
I am currently on holiday in Mozambique and as luck would have it, it has been pouring for most of the week, leaving the four of us ‘holed up’ in the room. Thank goodness I brought some board games for the kids and my hubby is content to snooze on the couch (as usual), but I have been quite bored and frustrated as there is not a shop for miles around for me to pop into and buy a mag – I prefer magazines to books as they are easy to put down and pick up again without ‘losing the thread' with all the interruptions we moms have to contend with!
Thanks for your letter – I am pleased that you enjoyed our DigiMag. The fact that our magazine is so easily accessible online, no matter where in the world you may find yourself (as in your case), is one of the many reasons why we believe we have taken the right road. Sound, reliable, easy reading is the philosophy of the editorial we select for our mag and it’s always great to receive reader feedback, especially when there is a specific article that has been particularly relevant. We will be making at least two back-issues available on our website, so if you need to refer to the article again over the next three months, it will still be available there – how’s that for not cluttering up your cupboards with old dog-eared magazines!
Luckily my hubby has his laptop with him – and that is how I discovered the RaisingKids DigiMag! It has been a pleasure ‘digi-flipping’ through the pages of the magazine and I am hooked, even though I’m far from being a cyber-mom! I have enjoyed the informative articles, especially ‘Infertility: alternatives to invasive intervention’ (Dec/Jan 2011 issue) as we have been battling to conceive our third child for some time now. What a saving that the DigiMag can be downloaded for free – in these thrifty times it is unfortunately always the luxury items one crosses off the expense list, which is how I wound up on holiday without a magazine in the first place!
Make sure you subscribe to our monthly ‘new issue’ reminder (on page 15) and we’ll be sure to keep you updated. Enjoy! Regards Tracey
www.huggies.co.za
I am really looking forward to your February issue; it will give me something to do during my lunch hour when I am back at work! Kirsten MacNicol – Johannesburg
Letterbox: The author of the winning letter will receive a Huggies® hamper to the value of R500. Simply send us your ‘Letter to the Editor’ to editor@raising-kids.co.za.
RaisingKids - February 2011
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Feature
Dreamgirl Lindiwe is living her dream When we are young many of us dream of becoming a star, but
African cast is truly a dream come true for Lindiwe. As she prepares
Lindiwe Bungane knew from an early age that singing was the career
for a character she describes as "easy to portray" with workshops six
she wanted to pursue. When her natural ability to act flourished, her
days a week for acting, singing and dancing, she will be certain to
move into the world of theatre was the next step towards realising
take some ‘time out’ once the show is over to spend some quality
her dream.
time with her family.
Zambian born Lindiwe has worked hard to achieve many
Her boys (including her hubby) are her biggest fans so they
milestones in her career to date. She is the youngest female artist to
get to tag along whenever the opportunity arises – when the show
receive the prestigious Zambian music award, the ‘Ngoma Award’,
moves to Cape Town a bit later this year, a family trip down to see
for Best Female Performer when she was just 19 years old and this
mommy in her ‘down time’ will be arranged, Lindiwe insists. She
signified the start of her journey as a performing artist. The following
refers to her boys as her personal ‘backup singers’ and says that there
year she scooped the same title in the ‘Battle of the Bands’ held in
is no way that she would leave them behind while they are still young
Lusaka and she has since also received a ‘Mukuba Music Achievement
enough to accompany her whenever possible.
Award’. She is the youngest woman to be honoured in a book entitled
In addition to caring for her family, Lindiwe also holds the
'100 women celebrated in Zambia' and she has performed at many
children in Ndola (a town in Zambia close to where she grew up)
prestigious events around the world. The climax of Lindiwe’s career to
close to her heart. Over the past few years she has helped build a
date has been her winning the television reality show ‘Project Fame’
primary school there and whenever she gets the opportunity, she
in 2006.
visits to see what she can do to make the children’s lives a little easier.
A very busy lady indeed, (by anyone’s standards) and believe it or
“It’s rewarding to be able to give back to the community, creating
not, while Lindiwe has been advancing her career she’s also managed
hope and inspiration in children to follow their dreams,” says Lindiwe.
to settle down and start a family! Not a small family either; she has
Her upcoming performance in this major international musical
three kids, Christian (6 years old), Noah (2 years old) and Dzingibueh
production will certainly take Lindiwe another step closer to realising
(1 years old), which means she really has her work, on and off stage,
her dreams.
cut out for her! When asked what life at home is like, Lindiwe laughingly responds, “Hectic!” Three busy little boys keep Lindiwe and her husband, Joey, on their toes and with her first big stage production – Dreamgirls – about to take off, Lindiwe will be relying heavily on the help and support of her relatives to see her through. Landing the lead role in an international award-winning Broadway show of this scale with a multi-talented, all-black South
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RaisingKids - February 2011
Dreamgirls is coming to The Teatro at Montecasino from Friday 11 March 2011 and to Artscape in Cape Town from Wednesday 8 June 2011. Performances are Tuesday through to Saturday at 20h00, with matinees on Saturday at 15h00 (Teatro) and 16h00 (Artscape) and Sundays at 14h00 and 18h00. Tickets are available at Computicket.
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RaisingKids - February 2011
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Our pregnancy diary
Our baby revealed in 4D! click here
Pregnancy Heading
Pregnancy weeks 28 to 34; one month to go... She says… As I sit down to write
He says… Well everything is getting very ‘real’! Coll’s getting bigger,
this, I can’t believe there
weekends are getting taken up by baby shopping and the house
are only 40 days left until
looks like a bomb full of baby stuff exploded in it! Nothing can go
Splodgy arrives – I’m so
into the baby’s room yet as it is being painted, etc., so the house is
excited! We’re into the
feeling a little full. I guess we need to get used to that feeling.
third trimester now and the summer heat has been barely bearable
And then there are the baby expo’s… I have two pieces of advice
since I have my own personal ‘internal heater’ – I am always ‘on the
on baby expos for first-time dads out there: firstly, do everything
boil’ these days!
you can to find a female friend, mother or mother-in-law to do duty
My baby shower has come and gone – it was held earlier than
on the baby expo days! They aren’t really that bad, but if you are the
usual since baby is due in early February 2011 and with everyone
type of guy who likes ‘efficient’ shopping, then you will end up feeling
going away over Christmas and New Year we thought we’d rather
rather frustrated! The second piece of advice is that if you do go, you
get on with it sooner. Everyone had a good laugh at my expense
need to encourage your pregnant wife to take a couple of breaks to
when (blindfolded) I was ordered to change a nappy, complete with
eat and drink while wandering around the expo; a hungry, thirsty and
a ‘nasty’ (of the peanut butter variety) on a baby doll – none of the
tired pregnant wife is no joke – I experienced this first-hand!
moms present were volunteering their own kids for the exercise!
Other than surviving baby expo’s and keeping Coll well fed
The logic behind this, so I was told by the more experienced moms
and watered, I decided to do a bit of reading in preparation for
present, is that after one month or so of having a newborn baby, I
fatherhood myself and I happened across a fantastic book for dads-
would be so tired that I’d be doing it in my sleep, so I may as well
to-be called 'What nobody tells a new father: The new dad’s guide
practice so long!
to pregnancy and parenthood' written by Alan Hoskins. It is great to
We also really looked forward to our 4D scan and it proved well worth the expense – I would recommend it to anyone who is dying for a sneak-preview of baby. Fortunately Splodgy was in a
read a book written by a father for fathers, a book that is focused on what us dads-to-be are and will be going through. The Braxton Hicks contractions have caused Coll some
good position and we were able to get incredible images and video
discomfort and when she slipped in the bathroom I rushed home and
footage which included a smile, some thumb-sucking, her playing
then called the doctor for some advice. Luckily it doesn’t seem like
with her toes and even a yawn! I became very emotional and teary
the fall caused any damage.
during the scan – it was incredible to see our little girl’s face at last! December seemed to come and go very quickly as we busied ourselves with the nursery. I definitely have the ‘nesting thing’ going
Not long to go now and still a million things to do before baby arrives! I will admit to leaving too much to the last minute, but I still have about a month to get my ducks in a row thank goodness!
on now! At our 32 week scan we discussed our birthing options with our Obstetrician who recommended a Caesarian section based on
Click through to the book Rick refers to below
the fact that I have had some previous surgeries which could be
http://www.booksagain.co.za/index.php/what-nobody-tells-a-new-
compromised by the pushing part of natural childbirth.
father-6872.html
Braxton Hicks contractions have become a regular occurrence and as December drew to a close, they (along with severe heartburn) became quite uncomfortable, so I wasn’t getting much quality sleep at night. On 31 December 2010, disaster struck and I slipped in the bathroom and fell heavily – luckily on my (by now well-padded) bum. I developed a huge bruise and my arm, which also took a knock, was very painful. We called the Obstetrician and after discussing it thoroughly he said to take a warm bath and to come in for a FST
... or so they thought! Lillee Evans was born on 12 January 2011, a little earlier than expected, but both mom and baby are doing just fine. Congratulations Colleen and Rick! We look forward to hearing all about it in the next issue of RaisingKids (March 2011).
(foetal stress test) if I did not feel well. Apparently, you have to experience an impact similar to a bumper bashing to dislodge a baby… that was a relief to know. 40 days to go… Happy New Year everyone! RaisingKids - February 2011
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Join our Facebook Group, RaisingKids SA and win awesome prizes!
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Join the Raisingkids family by clicking here
... and stand a chance to win fabulous prizes! Or sms your name and email address to 34509 now! Please note that all sms entries are charged at R2 each. RaisingKids - February 2011
15
Snack tim A well-balanced, nutritious lunch which will still tempt your tot (or teenager) is not so difficult to accomplish. Click on the below for some tried and tested tasty tips that will inspire you!
Brain-power Proteins click here
Calcium Corner click here
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RaisingKids - February 2011
meon-the-go
Click here for these Kellogg's lunchbox treat recipes
Vital Vitamins click here
Carbohydrate Creativity click here
RaisingKids - February 2011
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The anxious child At 12 years of age, Jessica is still afraid of the dark. At night she hears strange noises outside her window sending her into a panic. Her hands become sweaty, she has trouble breathing and her heart beats faster and faster until it feels like it will explode. She sleeps with the light on and lies in bed, often paralyzed with fear. She can never accept invitations from friends for sleepovers and has to find excuses so that she is not left alone, especially at night time and even in her own home.
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RaisingKids - February 2011
Play therapy
Marié Otto, Play Therapist
Play Therapy & Parental Guidance Centre, Ermelo Marié Otto is a Play Therapist and the founder of the Play Therapy & Parental Guidance Centre in Mpumalanga, which aims to provide therapeutic services, support and guidance to children and their parents. Marié holds Honours degrees in Psychology and Criminology (UP) and a Master’s Degree in Play Therapy (UNISA). Marié started her professional career in 2001 as a psychometrist and has extensive experience in assessing and working with traumatised children.
Jessica’s parents have reassured her over and over again and have, in frustration, even tried to force her to face her fears, but now
playtherapy101@gmail.com
saving you from a potentially dangerous situation or be a reminder to be careful.
they have just given up. Although fear and anxiety are a common and normal part of
When children experience intense anxiety it is likely to affect them
growing up, excessive worrying and anxiety can often wreak havoc
in three ways:
in children’s daily lives and this can manifest in many ways. Children
1. Repeated thoughts and statements that centre around the
experience specific fears and phobias at particular stages of their lives: it is natural for babies to fear separation from their mothers and
perceived danger or threat; 2. The anxiety is experienced physically, like hyper arousal (fight or
be wary of strangers and unfamiliar situations; many young children
flight response), rapid heart rate, increased breathing, sweating
are afraid of the dark and imagine scary monsters and ghosts hiding
and nausea, complaining of stomach aches, vomiting, diarrhoea or
under their beds and in the closet; some children are afraid of water, spiders or dogs. Even in the teenage years, self-consciousness and
feeling ‘stiff’ and tired. 3. A nxiety affects children’s behaviour: children may ‘freeze’, fidget,
shyness often contribute to teenage anxiety. More often than not,
pace, cry or cling to their parents. Anxiety usually also causes some
these anxieties and fears are part of the normal developmental
form of avoidance behaviour, such as in Jessica’s case where she
stages of a child’s life. Sometimes however, fear and anxiety can
avoided sleepovers or being alone at home.
become excessive, disrupt the child’s normal day-to-day life and Is my child’s anxiety a cause for concern?
cause the child intense distress. In some cases, the exact nature of the fear is understood as it
• Consider whether your child’s anxiety is a problem for him or her.
is based on obvious causes – the fear of attending school due to
Does it interfere with your child’s daily activities and routine or
bullying or a fear of the dark after suffering a traumatic incident
cause problems at home or at school?
such as a break in or burglary. In other cases however, the fears and
• Has your child become clingy or distracted?
worries that children experience are much more difficult for parents
• Does your child have sudden nervous movements or seem ‘on
to understand, for example, the child who worries that she is stupid, but is doing perfectly well at school and in other areas of her life. Childhood should be carefree, however anxiety is the most common
edge’? • Does your child have problems falling asleep or has nightmares and disrupted sleep?
problem reported in children (of all ages) and it is diagnosed in
• Does your child have nervous habits, such as nail biting?
one in every 10 children in the United States. Less extreme, but
• Does your child experience sweaty hands, an accelerated heart
still distressing, fears are found to be even more prevalent. Anxiety and fear can affect children of all ages, from infants to adolescents, affecting home life, school performance, friendships and stifling
rate and fast shallow breathing when feeling anxious? • Does your child often complain about feeling nauseous, having stomach pain or headaches?
much of the child’s feelings of happiness and joy. Children can experience different types of anxiety that will all Is your child’s anxiety a problem?
have a negative impact on their day-to-day functioning. If you are concerned about your child’s fears, phobias, worries or anxiety, the
Even adults feel anxious from time to time and it is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes anxiety can be helpful –
worst thing you can do is to ridicule the child or ignore it. Consulting
motivating one to study harder, to do that little bit of extra
a child therapist, psychologist or other mental health practitioner is
preparation before an important meeting and motivate you to fulfil
the better route to follow.
your dreams. Feeling worried or anxious can be the warning sign
Tips for Parents: Click here to find out how you can help your child cope with anxiety. RaisingKids - February 2011
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RaisingKids - February 2011
www.supakids.co.za
www.supafun.co.za
www.supacakes.co.za
PARENTING WORKSHOPS FOR 2011 Love and Learn - Parent guidance • 5 March 10.00 – 13.00: Changing unacceptable behaviour into acceptable behaviour & avoiding power struggles. • 2 1 May 10.00 – 13.00: Which is the right time/age to start nursery school?
How do I juggle a full-time job and
effective parenting?
• 1 7 September 10.00 - 13.00: My teenager is driving me dilly! Presenter: Rykie Morey (qualified teacher, Psychology student and involved in parent guidance for the last 5 years). Venue: 1 Middlehill Str. Cornwall Hill Cost: R150 p/p or R200 per couple (notes + coffee, tea included)
Please call to book at 082 770 8943 or mail to rykiemore@gmail.com
Terrific treats for Valentine's day
Spoil your loved one with these easy-to-make treats: click here
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RaisingKids - February 2011
Learning through play
Learning through play (12 to 18 months)
Sort, stack, solve By Sharon de Beer
This next stage in our ‘Learning through play’ series is truly
grip yet. Scribbling is a necessary stage of development, so hide all
marvellous for both you and baby. You will be fascinated by the
pens away and invest in washable crayons as soon as possible – your
miraculous tenacity with which your tot attempts to understand the
walls will know no respite for the next few months alas!
goings-on in her world. Her new independence and freedom which
Activity centres/play sets are much more involved at this level
she has gained from being more mobile means that her curiosity to
and usually combine developmental elements that are incorporated
explore and discover will know no bounds. While this stage is fraught
into a ‘theme’ which the child can relate to both in reality or in
with danger too (you will be ‘on patrol’ now more than ever before
fantasy play. Activity farmyards as a theme for example, can offer
– it’s truly exhausting), it’s amazing to witness the process of the
a child a wealth of learning opportunities. Once presented with
acquisition of understanding in one so small. This is the time when
this theme in the form of an activity centre, your tot will learn the
parents will boast about how bright their tot is, quite unashamedly
names of farm animals, establishing the understanding of names for
and often… but who can blame them?
things (noun acquisition) and this will be reinforced when exposed
While you needn’t rush out to enrol your tot in University quite
to a book about the farmyard which perhaps shows the animals
yet, there are a few toys you can invest in to improve their learning
doing something, introducing ‘action words’ (verb acquisition) to
environment. Ah, and you will have such a range to choose from
her vocabulary. Very soon your tot will be able to form two-word
now! Toy manufacturers are very astute when it comes to providing
sentences, for example ‘moo cow’, ‘doggie woof’, etc. It is important
all sorts of paraphernalia designed to tempt even the most truculent
to understand that the play/fantasy world you have introduced
tot! You will be spoilt for choice and tempted to buy simply
to your child will have no significance in the real world unless you
everything for your budding little Einstein!
make an attempt to introduce your child to the real thing – so a visit
Curiosity is king, that’s for sure. Whatever you choose to buy,
to a real farmyard to follow through on the fantasy/representative
make sure it will satiate an ever-growing appetite ‘to know’, to ‘find
experience is vital; if this is not possible then find TV programmes
out more’ and (just as importantly) to repeat the whole experience
that offer live footage of ‘real’ animals so that your child can begin to
in many diverse ways. This is how neurological pathways are formed
discern between reality and fantasy/represented reality. Books can
and strengthened… how we ‘learn’ to do things. Don’t put the
play an important role in exposing your child to this concept and you
cart before the horse by offering toys that may be too difficult for
can start choosing books that are more advanced for your tot now
your tot to master (that’s right Dad, put the chess board away for
– she will be able to turn hardcover pages on her own and will begin
now); learning takes place in steps after all and there is nothing like
prompting you to read too, often trying to imitate sounds or words
frustration to undermine the process.
you make.
Sort, stack and solve are key concepts to consider now when
Interactive activity centres incorporating exciting buttons
choosing toys, as these toys and games will encourage problem
with sounds and lights will always delight, and remember that
solving. Purposeful exploration will develop your tot’s planning
these facilitate the learning process; the ‘fun’ element should not be
ability and the ability to execute these plans successfully with time
ignored when choosing a toy, it is what makes learning easy. There
and practice. Shape sorter toys are great for spatial development and
are few tots that will be tempted to push and ride a ride-on activity
they come in various forms and different levels of difficulty.
toy which will have more gadgets than the latest BMW! Make sure
Dexterity may still be under-developed now, so make sure your
any ride-on activity toy is of a good quality if it is to bear weight… oh,
tot can grip the toy properly; wooden puzzles with knobs will
and beware of down hills when riding outdoors – unless you want to
facilitate physical grasping for example. While your tot should be able
find out how fast Dad can run to catch one runaway tot!
to grasp a crayon by 15 months, she will not have developed a pencil RaisingKids - February 2011
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RaisingKids - February 2011
www.digisky.co.za
wayne@digisky.co.za