Australian Family Magazine Spring 2014 by Australian Family Magazine

Spring 2014

Everything you need to know about day care EQ: feelings count How does your garden grow? Top toilet training tips Secrets of a child care chef The power of pocket money CommBank special feature â&#x20AC;&#x201C; teaching children about money $1000 worth of Youthsaver accounts to be won!

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Australian Family Magazine

FROM MY DESK This June, the entire team convened in Sydney for the annual Australian Family Early Education and Care Awards, 10th anniversary and each year the awards go from strength to strength. In the famous words of Juan Antonio Samaranch – these Awards were the “best ever”! What doesn’t change each year is the calibre and depth of early years educators and their communities, who take the time to nominate, reflect, write, submit and hopefully present themselves in Sydney. Some have been there before, winning State awards and aiming for the top gong. Others are there for the first time, and thrilled that while they have been going about the every day care of children, someone has taken the time to notice the quality of their educational programs, the standard of their professional development and the depth of commitment to the emotional well being of the children. This year we were honoured to have in attendance Federal Assistant for Education, the Honourable Sussan Ley, and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Attending on a Friday night after a busy sitting week in Canberra both honours the awards’ recipients and models that example of going the extra mile in the pursuit of quality early years programs. Once the nervous wait for the winner was over – it was time to relax and have fun. Early years educators know something about learning through play...and play we did. The Queen and Prince Harry are not the only ones who can photo bomb! The landscape of early years education and care this year has received far more attention than it is used to, with the release of the draft Productivity Commission Report, Childcare and Early Childhood Learning (which you can read at www.pc.gov.au). While the community consensus is that the provision of quality early years education and care from birth to age five is significant for the future of young Australians, what that looks like, how to cost it and how best to achieve it is subject to significant debate. Two articles examine what to look for when selecting a day care option for your child, whether that be long day care in a centre or home based care at Family Day Care, and parents can be reassured that both options are subject to standards across a range of outcomes. By the time you read this, it will be Spring, and after a long and cold winter (in Southern Australia particularly), it’s time to get out and get muddy with your children in the garden. Not only are fussy eaters far more likely to eat what they have grown, but for time-rushed children (and parents), time spent in the fresh air and sunshine, gardening is time spent in the moment, and not in front of a screen experiencing life virtually. That can only benefit family life for us all!

Australian Family Magazine

AustrAliAn FAmily mAgAzine Managing Director Paul ClanCy eDitor Jennifer Kernahan contributors Carrol BaKer, BrooKe lumsden, emma reeves, laKshmi singh, louise WedgWood, John Weldon Design anD art Direction gaBriela rovsKi – design and

art

consulting chilD psychologist dr John irvine, Ba, Phd, maCe, maPss publisher Paul ClanCy coMMunications Director natalie roBerts business DevelopMent Joanne hood awarDs coorDinator ann aylmer office general Manager toni QuirK australian faMily is supporteD by the following organisations: Child Care neW south Wales, ChildCare of south australia, Child Care assoCiation of Wa inC., Child Care Centres assoCiation of viCtoria inC., CreChe and Kindergarten assoCiation, Kindergarten Parents viCtoria, meerilinga young Children's foundation inC, family day Care australia, PlaygrouP neW south Wales inC., ChildCare Queensland inC., south australia assoCiation of state sChool organisation inC., oCCasional Child Care assoCiation of neW south Wales inC aDvertising

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Contents

Features 6.

EQ NOT IQ – teaching children to manage their emotions By Louise Wedgwood

10. WHAT TO EXPECT FROM LONG DAY CARE By Emma Reeves

14. FIRST AMONG EQUALS – the winners 2014 Australian Family Early Education and Care Awards By Lakshmi Singh

spring2014 edition34

20. FAMILY DAY CARE – not just child’s play By Emma Reeves

32. A PENNY SAVED – young children and money By Brooke Lumsden

36. HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? Why children benefit from growing green stuff By Carrol Baker

43. TOILETING ISSUES – common sense advice By Dr John Irvine

Special feature 23. SAVING FOR LIFE – a special

Cover image from iStock

Spring 2014

Everything you need to know about day care EQ: feelings count How does your garden grow? Top toilet training tips Secrets of a child care chef The power of pocket money CommBank special feature – teaching children about money $1000 worth of Youthsaver accounts to be won!

feature on young children and financial literacy from the CommBank

Regular features on family life 35. SURVEY – your comments count

40. FROM THE MOUTH OF AN EXPERT – recipes kids will love by Tony Sharpe

44. KIDSTUFF – latest picture books and chapter books reviewed

48. NOTICEBOARD – new products on the market

49. GIVEAWAYS FOR THE FAMILY 50. DAD’S VIEW: Time flies By John Weldon

Visit: www.australianfamily.com.au Like: www.facebook.com/australianfamily Follow: on Twitter @australianfamily Australian Family Magazine

kidsdevelopment

EQ not IQ

how emotions impact on family life By Louise Wedgwood

Not sure if you’re doing enough to grow your child’s emotional intelligence while grappling with the challenges of parenting? Good news: you can tweak your parenting style to do both.

motional intelligence matters at every age. If all other things are equal, it makes the difference between fitting in or being left out; feeling resilient or stressed; having motivation or being stuck in procrastination. The same emotional skills that make life easier in toddlerhood contribute to our success and happiness in adulthood. However, parenting isn’t the easiest of jobs and remembering to nurture emotional intelligence may not make it on to your jam-packed “to do” list. So it’s encouraging to hear that you’re probably already doing it; the day-to-day challenges of raising children provide ample opportunities for emotional learning. As well as their upbringing, the temperament and gender that a child is born with shapes their emotional intelligence. Girls, for example, are expected to be better at the emotional stuff. But while we can’t change genes or gender, we can influence family relationships. Deidre Tranter at the Australian Psychological Society, who coordinates the Australian mental health initiative called KidsMatter Early Childhood, says: “These relationships support children to understand, express and manage their emotions. Other warm and responsive relationships, like those with early childhood educators and teachers, are important too.”

Australian Family Magazine

Can we talk about it? It’s not just the quality of the relationships with parents or teachers that matters, but the examples those people set. Parenting coach Janet Powell notices that, “if you have parents who don’t talk about feelings then the children copy that lack of emotional intelligence.” Parents’ emotional intelligence is often a reflection of their own upbringing. She says: “As with so many things, poor emotional intelligence can go back to the parent’s own childhood. If they never had parents who talked about how they felt, then they didn’t learn that as children so it becomes harder for them to teach their children.” If your own parents encouraged a stiff upper lip or you worry whether you’re up to the job of nurturing an emotionally intelligent child, don’t despair. Koa Whittingham, parenting researcher at the University of Queensland and developmental psychologist, says anyone can hone their emotional intelligence and parenthood is the perfect time to do so. Whittingham says emotionally intelligent parenting comes more naturally when you boost your own emotional skills. “It is definitely easier to support your child’s emotional

kidsdevelopment development if you are emotionally intelligent yourself. It is easier to accept your child’s emotional life if you accept your own, easier to talk about your child’s emotions if you can recognise them and easier to see your child’s emotions as opportunities for connection and learning if you regularly learn from your own emotional experiences,” explains Whittingham.

Naming feelings The benefits of talking about emotions at home go beyond your child’s development. Tranter says: “It often reduces family conflict, creates closeness, and means solutions are reached more quickly.” Even for a toddler, noticing and expressing their own and others’ feelings makes life less stressful. It means being able to tell you they’re frustrated with the toy rather than throwing a tantrum. Or recognising their friend is upset by a game and stopping before the friendship is damaged.

The five domains of emotional intelligence: • • • Knowing your emotions • Managing your own emotions • Motivating yourself • Recognising and understanding other people’s emotions • Managing relationships ource: Emotional Intelligence: why it can matter more than IQ S by Daniel Goleman

To help your kids notice and share their feelings, try naming your emotions and explaining why you’re feeling that way. For instance, you could say: “Mummy feels disappointed because my special cake doesn’t look nice”, or “I feel embarrassed because that waitress said we were noisy.” Don’t try and hide your emotions because your child will pick up on it and feel confused and upset. Just make sure that if you tell your child you’re upset with something they did, to focus on the specific behaviour. “I feel frustrated when you pull the cat’s tail even though I reminded you she doesn’t like it,” is better than: “You’re being very annoying,” or, “You make me mad.” Once you’re aware of your emotions, your next job as role model is to accept them. Whittingham says: “This doesn’t mean that you have to like unpleasant emotions like sadness or anger or fear. It doesn’t mean that you have to act on these emotions when you feel them. It just means allowing your own emotions to come and go without trying to control or avoid them and, instead, choosing your actions based on what matters most to you.”

When talking about emotions, try to use a broad vocabulary rather than getting stuck on simple words like angry, happy or sad. Also use words like frustrated, disappointed, upset, excited, and chilled out. Some of these words might seem too advanced for toddlers but Powell says we should give kids the chance to learn them. “Even my granddaughter when she was two knew what frustrated meant and could say, ‘Oh Mum, I’m frustrated’ when she couldn’t put her shoe on,” she says.

Acting out Just as accepting emotions doesn’t mean you have to like them, neither does it mean automatically accepting whatever behaviour the emotion inspires. Talk with your kids about the differences between feelings and actions. Tranter says: “It’s about being clear that while all emotions are OK, there are clear limits and consequences for behaviour.” So feeling angry doesn’t give you permission to act angry by throwing things or hitting people. The good news is that, “when clear limits and emotion coaching is used together, generally children feel supported and their challenging behaviour decreases,” says Tranter. Challenging behaviour can come from not knowing what to do with an intense emotion. Whittingham says that all children are better off having lots of different tricks in their repertoire to cope with strong feelings. These can include talking about the problem, finding solutions, doing physical activity, using humour, or relaxation. “I think that ultimately, the more strategies that we have and the better we are at flexibly choosing the right strategy for a particular situation the better,” she says. Turning emotions into opportunities for connection and learning is easier said than done. There’s no magic potion except lots of practice - for you and your child - during the many ordinary events of each day. However, there are some notable emotional challenges that all parents face: from separation anxiety to bullying. There are ways you can respond to these common problems and boost your child’s emotional intelligence at the same time.

Practise makes perfect The morning drop off is a good chance to practise tuning into your child’s emotions before they escalate. Tranter says, “Getting in earlier, before the tears, helps children feel their emotions are valid and understood, and the need to escalate behaviour or feel more intensely is not needed.” A comment such as, “You seem a bit shy this morning,” or, “I wonder if you’re worried about having the new teacher today,” can nip things in the bud. More important than guessing their worry correctly is simply opening up the conversation, as kids will usually correct you. At drop off time, Powell also encourages parents to reassure the child that the carers or teachers will be taking good Australian Family Magazine

kidsdevelopment care of them. “Your confidence in the carers will give the child confidence that they can cope with the day. If you’re hesitating about leaving the child then the child will pick up on that,” she says. How to handle tantrums is another common dilemma. It’s not easy, but managing your own emotions and staying calm helps both of you resolve the situation. If your child is already in the middle of the tantrum, help them become calmer, perhaps by holding them. Don’t try and reason with them while they’re intensely angry, but afterwards you might be able to discuss the emotions that lead to their anger. Anger is one of those emotions that masquerades for something else such as feeling disappointed, lonely, hurt, frightened, tired, rushed, ashamed or hard done by. This is where your broad vocabulary for different feelings is important. Tranter says: “Parents need to be a sort of emotion detective to find what’s going on for their child.” You can also remind them of the difference between angry feelings and angry behaviour and talk about what they might have done instead.

Setting boundaries The way you discuss boundaries can also foster your child’s emotional intelligence. Powell says that it’s important when setting limits to include your kids as much as possible, just as you would with any decision that affects them. Let them share their thoughts and feelings about the matter, and share your own, for example, “I understand that you’d like to wear your tutu to the park but I feel worried that you’ll get too cold in this wind.” When children break the rules that you’ve put in place, Powell encourages us to remember that it can be hard for children to stay within limits, and to try

and understand how they’re feeling. Perhaps they couldn’t stick to the paper when the walls are such a nice big canvas. Being respectful of others might be one of your rules and all parents hope that bullying happens only at other schools or childcare centres. If you fear your child is being bullied, Powell cautions against jumping to conclusions. “It’s important that parents understand what’s actually going on is it really bullying or just playful teasing or something else?” Regardless of what’s happening, it’s important the child can express how they’re feeling. Teaching them assertiveness helps prevent future bullying. For example, help them practise standing up straight, looking at the bully’s face and saying clearly, “Stop that, I don’t like it.” Even worse than hearing your child is being bullied is hearing that your child IS the bully. Powell says: “Sadly, bullies often behave in this way because they’ve been the victim of bullying themselves,” whether at home, school or after school. She says, “A child doesn’t start bullying for no reason, there’s something going on for them.” Talk to your child to give them the opportunity to express how they feel. They also need to be able to understand how other people are feeling (for example, if they’re making another child unhappy) and you can help them do this more easily by talking about emotions with them. Nurturing our own emotional intelligence is a lifelong endeavour. But practising emotional skills at home is just as important as homework and music lessons. It gives our kids a head start to happier relationships, greater resilience, better physical health and more successful careers. For Powell, the value of this head start is clear: “Emotional intelligence really is an important skill to develop and we need to start in childhood.” More information

Tranter recommends “emotion coaching” (a term coined by Dr John Gottman) to help kids develop social and emotional skills.

KidsMatter - A mental health and wellbeing initiative for primary schools and early childhood education and care services www.kidsmatter.com.au

She encourages the following steps:

Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child: The Heart of Parenting. John Gottman (1997)

• Notice children’s emotions before they become overwhelming in their intensity

Emotionally Intelligent Parenting. Maurice J. Elias, Steven E. Tobias and Brian S. Friedlander (1999)

• Empathise by trying to understand how the child is feeling and why

More advice from experts

• Recognise this as a great time to help them understand their emotional experience • Help them find words to describe how they feel • If necessary, help the child come up with solutions to the situation.

Australian Family Magazine

Janet Powell is The Parenting Coach http://www.mentormaestro.com.au Dr Koa Whittingham is not only a researcher and clinical psychologist, but the author of a new book for mothers, Becoming Mum www.becomingmum.com.au. Koa also blogs at Parenting from the Heart: www.koawhittingham.com/blog/ af

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Familylife

What to expect from By Emma Reeves

Thousands of children across Australia attend long day care centres on a weekly basis. A good quality child care centre will have a strongly child-focussed format which looks at the needs and interests of every child.

Australian Family Magazine

Familylife

long day care D

ay care should offer “play based learning and intentional teaching for every child” says Michelle Walker, Director of Jindi Woraback Children’s Centre

in Melbourne’s north-west. Centres are required to offer a range of structured activities designed to meet the goals set out by the Australian Early Years Learning Framework. The Framework aims for children to have a strong sense of wellbeing and identity. The Framework also aims for children to develop connections with their world and to become confident in their learning and communication.

Depending on the age of the children a range of indoor and outdoor based play activities will be offered. The activities ideally should enhance a child’s desire to learn. They might include problem solving, exploring their environment with natural materials, making connections through role play, stories, group time, art and craft activities or learning concepts about sustainability. As part of this, many long day care centres also incorporate kindergarten programs for the older children. Under the regulations of the Australian National Quality Framework centres must also follow requirements for staff ratios and qualifications. Long day care centres provide care for young children of preschool age. Normally centres cater for children ranging from six week old babies to six years of age. With such a broad spectrum of ages catered for, children are usually allocated a room according to their age. As children grow they move into different age rooms. This means that their educators change as they move rooms. This has the effect of encouraging children to mix with others, prompting them to practice social skills and to hopefully develop strong friendships. Because they are mixing with a broad range of people, children also tend to build up relatively stronger immune systems at a younger age. Michelle encourages parents to take advantage of staff expertise. “The educators have been trained in early childhood development and generally have had a lot of experience. Therefore parents have a plethora of information at their fingertips,” she says. Care is normally available for a substantial part of the day. Centres ordinarily open their doors around 6am and close at 6pm. Because of the length of time children can spend in care, most centres provide children with meals and snacks. Some centres include breakfast in the meals provided, while others expect children to be fed in the morning before they arrive. Meals should be nutritionally balanced and provide a range of options for the children. Some centres have set times for meals. Other centres may offer flexible meal times to ensure the children eat when they are hungry. Most centres will also have a policy around late pick ups. If a parent is unable to collect a child prior to closing time, many centres will charge a late fee. This may be a set fee or charged at a quarter or half hour rate. Australian Family Magazine

Familylife In some areas, particularly in the inner cities, demand for child care places is high. In these areas many parents place their children on waiting lists at multiple centres before their child has even been born. At Jindi Woraback Michelle says some families face an hour long commute to arrive at the centre. The long waiting lists can make it very difficult for parents to change child care arrangements should their needs change. If a family moves house or a parent changes employment for example, it may be a lengthy wait to find alternative care in a more suitable location.

Parents should also look at staff turnover and how much priority a service gives to staff training.

Fees for child care can also be costly. However, there is federal government assistance available for eligible families in the form of a childcare rebate and childcare benefit.

• Will the centre suit my child’s personality?

Mother of two, Astrid says that the long hours that children spend in care can be an initial challenge for families to get used to. “Some children are there for up to ten to 12 hours. It is a huge part of their day by the time you do pick up and drop off. It can be especially hard after going on 12 months maternity leave, and then, as a mother, you have to trust someone else to look after your children.” Many centres have an orientation process to help children to settle into their centres. This may involve children visiting the centre several times prior to starting full time care. In order to help families adjust to long day care it is important the communication works well. “As a director I try to build a relationship with parents as well, so they feel they are in a place they can come to and be at ease. I recognise we can’t please everyone but open lines of communication are really important. We can’t fix a problem unless we talk to the person it involves,” says Michelle. Younger children tend to adjust faster to child care settings than the older ones. “It’s easier to build relationships with the babies under six months. It becomes the norm for the child, but the service has to be a high quality one, so the stress levels are not there for the child. The centre needs to follow routines so the child knows what will happen next and knows that their needs are going to be met,” says Michelle. There are a range of factors parents can explore to help them find a centre best suited to their family. Factors to consider include the “feel” of a place, affordability, location, programs and communication. “Good child care should build good relationships between educators, the children and their families. For me it is first and foremost about gaining a child’s trust. A low quality service will not build those relationships,” says Michelle. Many centres offer formal communication formats. This may include documentation of children’s daily activities in log books or diaries which provide details about naps, eating and activities undertaken during the day.

Australian Family Magazine

“Has the service asked you about your family needs, and got as much information that they need to know? If they are not asking about you as a family, then they have not got your needs covered,” says Michelle.

Tips for parents When choosing a child care centre, consider:

• Visit the venue before making a decision. Is it a suitable facility and location for your child? How do the children and educators interact together? • Do the educators make you and your child feel welcome? Do they make you feel comfortable? • How does the centre include parents\welcome your involvement? • How open is the centre to parent communication and passing on information? Do they provide feedback about your child’s day? Are there avenues for parent interaction? • If your child has trouble separating, be clear with your child about the procedure for drop offs. For example tell them “I will say good bye after you have shown me your picture.” Children often handle a quick break best. Say your farewells and then go! Don’t linger or be tempted to stay and chat after you have said good bye as it can confuse your child. • If you want to spend time at the centre this is best done in the afternoons, when you can spend time learning about your child’s day. • Speak up if you have a concern. If the centre is unaware of a particular problem, then it cannot be resolved. More information Department of Education Child Care Access hotline: 1800 670 305. Federal Government website on child care, including a database of child care centres: www.mychild.gov.au Australian Children’s Education & Care Authority: www.acecqa.gov.au – provides information about the National Quality Framework. This website provides ratings of day care centres. Department of Human Services www.humanservices.gov.au for information about Child Care Rebate and other government assistance. af

Message from Federal Assistant Minister for Education, Sussan Ley Australians recognise that access to affordable, flexible and high quality child care is essential for Australia’s current and future prosperity. It not only supports families with their work commitments, particularly women, but also provides significant, lasting benefits for both the future development of our children and our economy. And it’s in high demand! There are currently over 770,000 families using approved child care services in Australia, an increase of about 35 per cent between 2007 and 2013. Those families have enrolled over 1.1 million children – a 40 per cent increase in six years. And that’s not including the thousands of families and children who are currently using informal arrangements, such as nannies, au pairs and grandparents. However the number of child care places hasn’t managed to keep up with demand in some areas and many families have also seen fees rise just as quickly during the same period – with a 53 per cent increase during the previous Labor government’s six years in power. That’s an extra $75 per week – or over $3500 per year – on average for a family with one child in care. The result – while enrolment numbers continue to skyrocket, the amount of hours parents are actually using child care per week increased by just 1.5 hours during those six years. We now have a situation where more parents need access to child care, but many are not using it as much as they require, or would like. That may be because fees are too high; there are insufficient hours available to meet their needs or their child care centre isn’t open for their full shift (particularly in the case of shift workers such as our emergency services personnel) or even a combination of all three reasons. For many families, not being able to afford or access a few additional hours of child care each week could spell the difference between a parent returning to work full-time, part-time or even at all. And as a mother myself who was juggling work, study and raising three children under five in rural Australia,

I completely understand how difficult and frustrating this child care dilemma can be for families. You feel as though you can’t afford not to work, but also can’t afford to work. It’s a lose-lose situation. That’s why the Abbott Government tasked the Productivity Commission to undertake its current Inquiry into child care and early childhood learning as one of our first priorities in government. Families need access to a modern child care system that supports today’s 24/7 economy, not the rigid 9-to-5 working week of last century.

We believe Australian families should be able to plan child care around their work life, rather than planning their work life around child care. This includes supporting greater choice in the child care options available to parents, as well as creating a system that works equally well supporting families and children in regional, remote and disadvantaged communities as it does for families in our cities. This Productivity Commission Inquiry is therefore a once-in-a-generation opportunity to undertake real, lasting child care reform and our government is committed to making child care more affordable, flexible and accessible for Australian families. However not every improvement needs to wait for the final report from the Productivity Commission (due late October 2014) and we are putting measures in place right now to support better access to affordable and flexible child care for families.

That includes delivering on our election promise to restore $12.6 million for casual Occasional Child Care places cut by the previous Labor Government. As part of our commitment to high quality early learning and development, we are also funding $9.8 million in early childhood language trials, as well as $200 million to support the professional development of Long Day Care workers. Larger reforms, such as working with the states and territories to cut unnecessary child care red tape, will help services reduce pressure on fees for families. We are also working with Family Day Care services to deliver a stronger and more sustainable sector into the future through access to business workshops and advice about key business fundamentals such as financial management, change management and business planning. You may also not be aware that the Federal Government will invest about $31 billion in child care fee assistance and support programmes for families and child care services over the next four years. This is a significant amount of taxpayer dollars and it’s therefore sensible planning for the Government to try to reform the child care system within the current funding envelope. There will no doubt be some who claim there is a simple answer to addressing all of the widespread and complex issues in the current child care system – more money. However, we prefer to tackle the core problems of affordability, flexibility and accessibility. Right now we have a once in a generation opportunity to deliver a high-quality child care system that is affordable, flexible and accessible for Australian families. Together, let’s rise to the challenge and deliver a better child care system for our nation now and into the future. Regards, Sussan Sussan Ley is the Federal Assistant Minister for Education and the Member for Farrer

Australian Family Magazine

AFawards

The first among equals

Highlighting the winners 2014 Australian Family Early Education and Care Awards By Lakshmi Singh

ach year across Australia, thousands of carers, educators, directors and entire communities collaborate to provide care, initiate learning and shape those crucial early years in a child’s life.

Here are some brief snippets of the winners’ journey:

The Australian Family Early Education and Care Awards are a means to recognise those tireless and significant contributors to the early yers education sector.

Having worked hard in the early childhood industry for over 20 years, Occhiuto’s dedication to the field is laudable.

In 2014, nominations were open for the following categories:

Early Childhood Educator of the Year Early Childhood Director of the Year Rising Star Award Early Childhood Service of the Year

Australian Family Magazine

Julie Occhiuto – Early Childhood Educator of the Year After a colleague and parent at the centre nominated her, Occhiuto put in an application form and summarised one of the crowning jewels of her 22 year career – the Intergenerational Project. The Intergenerational Project is what Occhiuto thought would provide an essential element that was missing for a lot of the families using the Tiggers Honeypot service. As the childcare centre is based in the University of New South

AFawards Wales, many families are from overseas and don’t have the opportunity to frequently interact with extended and older family members.

The play based learning occurs as the children embark on adventures from ‘visiting different countries’ to going on an ‘imagination tour’ of the garden.

“There’s so much learning that our older generations can support the younger generations with. So I made contact with our local nursing home – Milford House in Randwick,” she says. What eventuated was a very reciprocal relationship – where the children from the centre visit the nursing home residents on a fortnightly basis and then host the residents for morning tea and other craft activities,” she says.

Creating such influential programs for the children depends heavily on not just the education levels of the staff, but also on the value placed on them, she says. And this relates to some of the biggest challenges Wheeler says this sector is facing – the lack of good leaders and role models who not only support and ignite this passion in educators but also have the business acumen to run it efficiently.

Being recognised for bridging that gap between generations was very satisfying, she says. The sense of gratification was magnified when she was announced as National Winner at the awards night. “It was a fitting celebration – I felt really proud to share it with my family, my colleagues,” she says.

Ellyn Taylor – Rising Star Award

Bobbi Wheeler – Early Childhood Director of the Year Heidi Evans, one of Bobbi Wheeler’s nominators and volunteer committee members of Milly Molly Mandy’s recalls the uncertain future of the centre two years ago. Wheeler’s appointment came at a time when the centre faced high staff turnover and a lack of good leadership. Fortunately, the centre found Wheeler who helped turned the situation around.

Ellyn Taylor is a Rising Star in every sense of the word. From her commitment to children’s education to the genuine desire to help, her dedication shines through. The Bristow family (who have a grandchild at the Avalon Beach House Preschool) describes Taylor as a “vibrant gem” who is compassionate, fair, firm and a great listener. After hearing about the Early Education and Care Awards, the Bristow family “immediately” decided to nominate her for the award. “We chose Ellyn because she supported and encouraged us from the moment we arrived at the preschool. We were looking for reassurance that we were doing the correct things for our grandchild such as diet and social development. Ellyn encouraged us in every aspect.”

“[I became] aware of how fortunate we were as a rural not-for-profit organisation to find someone who was as committed as we were to rebuild and reshape the centre into what has now become a very successful and sustainable organisation,” she says.

Such was Taylor’s passion for her work that Melinda Nolan, the director of the preschool as well as her mentor for the last few years also put in a nomination.

Evans and a couple of other committee members saw the Early Education and Care Awards as a perfect opportunity to say ‘thank you’.

“I believe it was Melinda who nominated me for the same award last year, and it was nice to know that she felt I was deserving of another nomination this year - I must be doing something right!” she says.

Wheeler was unaware who nominated her for the award but was immensely thankful that they did. “It’s an amazing feeling, we don’t do it for ourselves, we do it for them [the families] and so often, people are busy...you just come to work and you do your job, but it’s nice that people take five minutes out of their day to recognise you.” Following the process, Wheeler put in a submission for the award and once chosen as a WA finalist, summarised her achievements in a presentation in front of the judging panel. “It was basically a self-reflection on what has been going on in the centre and my influence as director and some of my philosophies and parts of the business I have implemented over the last couple of years.” Some of these achievements include Stepping Stones and Baby Steps - two programs that Wheeler implemented that helped recognise the individual journeys that children take.

Taylor was touched that people had made the effort to recognise her for the award.

From managing parental expectations of the school readiness group, to her programs and plans to address the “nature deficiency disorder”, Taylor and Nolan say they have received outstanding feedback from the parents as well as the local school. The details that Taylor puts into the daily programming for children, her work with the ‘Daily Diary’ to improve the format in which feedback is delivered to parents, to volunteering to create the centre’s website – the hard work didn’t go unnoticed and she was selected National Rising Star out of three finalists. However, as satisfying as taking out the award may be, Taylor is committed to increasing the profile of early childhood educators. “In my opinion the biggest challenge facing the industry Australian Family Magazine

AFawards right now is a lack of recognition in the sense that society as a whole doesn’t completely understand what it is we do every day, or the immense value it holds for society.” It is time to change perceptions that early childhood education is a “low-value” or “simple-minded” vocation, she says. “Until Australia stands up and recognises the value in the work we do and remunerates us accordingly, we’re not going to be able to attract and retain enough awesome educators, and it’s the children who are going to wear the consequences.”

The dinner event itself was a great opportunity to interact with peers in the early education sector, says Anderson. “We had an exchange of ideas which was great and contact with people wanting to come see us and we would like to go see what they were doing.” The team felt very honoured that their belief in creating a nature-driven program was recognised and validated. It is this concept that learning around nature is just as valid as traditional programs that needs to be fostered, says Ann Later, an educator for three-year-olds at the preschool.

Balnarring Preschool – Service of the Year

Furthermore, the perceptions about the format of teaching about nature are additional challenges the early years education industry faces, she says.

Karen Anderson, the Director of Balnarring Preschool took out the Early Educator award at the same event in 2013. While she was very proud of her achievements, the spotlight being shone on her alone didn’t sit well with her conscience. She wanted her whole team to be acknowledged.

“Yes there are risks in going out. And we do our risk assessments but also do risk benefits. The benefits from taking those risks, from challenging these ideas like ‘oh no, you couldn’t climb a tree’ is that learning is bettered,” she says.

“I believe that I achieved what I have been able to achieve in my career because of the people that I work with. So, I wanted them to be recognised for the great job that they were doing,” she says.

And in the age where families are increasingly missing out on opportunities to connect with nature, she believes that the early years are as good a time as any to reintroduce links with nature.

This great job involved the implementation of the “Learning and Living with Nature” philosophy that Anderson initiated and the team developed over the years.

A judge’s perspective

As part of the philosophy, the children’s everyday learning settings include the vegetable garden, the sand area, the beach, the wetlands and a gully full of pine trees. “We’re accessing it more around what nature is providing us rather than us providing equipment for the children to play with,” she says. As a natural follow-on to exploring the environment around us, the team implemented an Indigenous families program. Michelle Evans, a co-educator at the preschool describes the program as one that bestows an understanding of where we are from and who came before us as well as instilling respect for the land and various symbolisms within the Indigenous communities. The underlying theme of a strong connectedness to the land also runs deep with the families and the community the preschool services and this was presented in a fitting presentation in front of the judges. Without using any fancy technology, the educators portrayed the service as a tree with branches and leaves as well as talking about what they do from the perspectives of a child, a family and an educator. The apt description was very well received and was a talking point at the awards dinner.

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Kellie McNamara, CEO of Coastwide Child and Family Services was one of the judges at the 2014 Early Education and Care Awards and was impressed at the quality of applications received this year. The attention to detail and the devotion to the industry is what shone through, she says. “It is essential that educators are committed to providing quality care and support to children and their families and are able to demonstrate this. However, I believe that the different format of the applications, i.e. the imposed word limits, different eligibility requirements and questions, ensured (even more than previous years) that quality applications were received.” McNamara urges educators, directors and parents to come out in support of the child care profession and nominate these hard working people in the years to come. She offers the following words of advice for aspiring candidates: “Read the application forms carefully and develop a draft document showing how you match the required skills, knowledge and experience. Include relevant examples which demonstrate your expertise and dedication. Try to impress the judges with both the content and the professional presentation. Ask a colleague or supervisor to proof your draft document and then submit before the closing date.”

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We had winners... 2 1

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...and we had fun as well

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1. Julie Occhiuto, National Early Childhood Educator of the Year, Tigger's Honeypot Child Care Centre 2. Assistant Minister for Education, The Hon. Sussan Ley MP 3. State Early Childhood Educators of the Year, L-R Leanne Gibbs, Community Childcare Cooperative, Nikita Olivier, WA, Julie Occhiuto, NSW, Janette Quince, QLD, Aisling White, NT, Janina Busch, VIC, Kara Morrow, Macleans 4. State Early Childhood Directors of the Year, L-R Gwynne Bridge, Australian Childcare Alliance, Bobbi Wheeler, WA, Melissa Wray, SA, Robyn Trickey, VIC, Jane Hely, QLD, Jade Ryan, NSW, Klaus Wachsmuth, Nestle Nan Toddler 5. Jennifer Kernahan, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Paul Clancy 6. Angela Gibson, Educational Experience and Ellyn Taylor, National Rising Star 7. Balnarring Preschool, Early Childhood Service of the Year, L-R Lisa Darling, Ann Slater, Kelly Chancellor, Michelle Evans, Karen Anderson 8. State Early Childhood Services of the Year, L-R: Karen Curtis, ACECQA, Frank Pegan, Catholic Super, Catherine Jones & Jasna Trimble, South Coast Baptist College School of Early Learning Childcare, WA, Kelly Chancellor, Lisa Darling, Balnarring Preschool, VIC, Lisa Pikulyk & Kirsty Gale, The Joey Club Brisbane, QLD, Danielle Saunders & Margaret Hayman, NT Explorers Early Education, NT, Angie Medina & Debra Williams, Hillsong Child Care Centre, NSW, 9. Bobbi Wheeler, National Early Childhood Director of the Year, Milly Molly Mandy's Child Care Centre 10. The Judging Panel: Mary Cottee, Kellie McNamara, Lesley Moreschi, Bernadette Dunn 11. The team from Tigger's Honeypot Child Care Centre 12. Debra Williams & Angie Medina, Hillsong Child Care Centre 13. Bobbi Wheeler & Karyn Peters 14. Balnarring Preschool with Frank Pegan Australian Family Magazine

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Family Day Care – When Kerry Hennessy needed care for her daughter, she chose the family day care option.

aving operated her own family day care service for many years, she knew the benefits that family day care could offer to both her daughter and her family. The Family Day Care model provides a safe, home-base care with play based educational experiences for children structured around daily reallife experiences with the focus on the individual child’s interests, strengths and needs. Family Day Care Australia says that children can enjoy a range of benefits from home-based care. In essence, this is because it enables parents to access long term care in a setting that mirrors a family environment. According to Family Day Care Australia, there are over 140, 000 children nationally currently enrolled in family day care. The care environment consists of a small group of mixed aged children and one educator. For example, a 2 year old and a 4 year playing together, or a 5 year old and their 18 month old sibling within the same service. Educators are also able provide outside school hour care and vacation care. “The older and younger children tend to learn from each other, and the older children learn compassion, patience and how to look after the younger children as well,” says Kerry. This environment encourages children to build on their relationships, social and leadership skills. An additional benefit of family day care is that it enables children to develop long lasting and nurturing relationships with their educators over a number of years. This differs to long

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By Emma Reeves

day care centres where children tend to change educators as they move through different age groups. Like long day care, family day care is governed by regulations. Under the Australian Quality Framework, educators must have minimum qualifications and achieve various regulatory and quality standards. The minimum qualification required is a Certificate III level. However, with the sector becoming increasingly competitive, many educators now have diplomas or higher. Additionally, homes must comply with stringent health, safety and security regulations; for example windows lower than 0.75m and sliding doors must be fitted with safety glass and safety film to prevent glass shattering, with safety decals on sliding glass doors at both child and adult eye level. External doors which allow entry to the service must have an inaccessible locking system and visitors must be identified; as well outdoor fencing must meet strict standards. (Contact your local Coordination Unit for more information on home compliance, health and safety regulations). A quality family day care service should offer play based educational experiences for children, a daily routine and education program. This would normally include activities based on the interests of the children and mapped against the Early Years Learning Framework, which lists desired outcomes for young children, such as becoming confident in their learning and communication. Aleisha, mother of four, specifically chose the family day care option because of the “more

personal” type of care. After being a stay at home mum for eight years, she returned to study when her youngest child was 18 months old. “For me it was important that Amaya was getting the care and attention that she would have received, if I had not chosen to go to university,” she says. Amaya loves her educator and “gets upset when she doesn’t go,” says Aleisha. While each Family Day Care service operates within the homes of individual educators, they don’t go it alone. Each educator also belongs to a ‘scheme” ie a group of educators who are co-ordinated from a central local office by a Family Day Care Coordination Unit. The unit supplies advice, professional development, and network opportunities; the staff clarify policies and procedures, and monitor the implementation of regulations governing family based care, amongst other things! The coordination team visit regularly at

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not just child’s play Tips for parents When choosing a family day care service consider: Will this suit my child’s personality? Visit the venue before making a decision. Is it a suitable facility and location for your child? How do the children and educator interact together? Does the educator make you and your child feel welcome? Do they make you feel comfortable? How does the service include parents\welcome your involvement? How open is the service to parent communication and passing on information? Do they provide feedback about your child’s day?

the home service, observe educators and their interactions with children with the purpose of encouraging and providing opportunities for continual improvement in programming. The Role of a Quality Family Day Coordination Unit is to: • T o ensure the safety, quality care and support of the families, children and Educators; • T o arrange child care placements of the children and to monitor their care and development; • T o provide play sessions and outings for the Educators and children; • T o recruit, train, mentor, support and monitor Educators whilst operating their own child care business; • T o work collaboratively together to achieve the best outcomes for children and their families •A nd overall, to provide workable effective policies and procedures to ensure compliances with all legislative requirements.

There is an educator for every family and a family for every educator! Every home-based setting, service and educator is different. Parents are recommended to visit and meet, at least three educators (if vacancies exist) to make sure that they are happy and see the variety of services, to ensure they find the one that best suits their family. For example: a very energetic child, might thrive in an environment with an educator who can provide lots of gross motor and outdoor opportunities. Kerry says that at her Family Day Care service, she allocates time for lots of varying activities ie. art and craft, outdoor play etc. She incorporates activities such as gardening, cooking and games. Special events are also celebrated as part of the program. In the past Kerry has held celebrations to mark children’s birthdays, Christmas, Easter and even Chinese New Year and Thanksgiving.

There are a number of ways parents can do their homework in order to ensure to make sure that they find the best possible care. Family Day Care Australia’s website hosts a national directory of family day care schemes. The Family Day Care Network operates a web directory and web forum on family day care. As the care settings are home-based, and therefore unique, this may help parents to work out which venues will best suit their child. Aleisha was lucky that she fell in love with the first family day care service that she visited. “Tiffany (the educator) was really warm and just a beautiful person. She knew, how nervous I was when Amaya started so she would update me during the day, keeping me updated on what Amaya was doing. There was a lot of support there.” Kerry advises parents to try and find an educator who they can connect with. “At the end of the day it’s not about Australian Family Magazine

familylife how new things look at the service, it’s about the educator, and will they work in partnership and support my values and goals for my child?” Kerry has worked as a family day care educator for ten years. In 2012 she was named the Australian Family, National Early Childhood Educator of the year. “One of the biggest things about winning was not just that it was about me, but that family day care got recognition within the childcare sector as a whole,” she says. “Ultimately, both good quality long day care or family day care can benefit children” says Kerry. “But if you want them in a home environment that resembles a family atmosphere, then look at family day care.” If your child has trouble separating, be clear with your child about the procedure for drop offs. For example tell them “I will say good bye after you

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have shown me your picture.” Children often handle a quick break best. Say your farewells and then go! Don’t linger or be tempted to stay and chat after you have said good bye as it can confuse your child. If you want to spend time at the service this is best done in the afternoons, when you can spend time learning about your child’s day.

Family Day Care Facts Family Day Care is a national approved, quality home-base childcare service aged 0-13 years Educators can have up to seven children at any one time – with a maximum of four children under school aged. Educators can choose to care for school age children only and have up to seven at any one time and provide vacation care.

Educators can provide transport and attend excursions. The majority of Educators, in consultation with their scheme, set their own working hours and days and hourly rates for care. They are their own small business. A Family Day Care Approved Service Provider is eligible for Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate.

More information Department of Education Child Care Access hotline: 1800 670 305. Government website on types of care for children, including a database of family day care centres: www.mychild.gov.au Family Day Care Australia www.familydaycare.com.au Family Day Care Network Australia www.fdcna.com.au af

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TEACH YOUR KIDS TO BE SMART WITH MONEY. YOU CAN WITH COMMBANK.

Teaching children essential money skills is a serious business. But that doesn’t mean it has to be hard. For more than 80 years, CommBank has been working with Australian children to help them learn about the importance of money management. Whilst a lot has changed over these years, the basics of good money habits remain the same. So how do children learn about money today and what can families do to help? Even at a very young age, children can begin to understand basic financial transactions such as trading (one toy for another), market value (the popular toy) and supply

and demand (are there enough toys to go around). Playing “shops”, mimicking Mum’s purse with a play one of their own, choosing an ice cream and of course depositing money in a money box are all ways that children begin to make sense of the idea of money as stored value.

the cost of a school canteen lunch order are powerful and help children to develop financial awareness and create lifelong habits.

As parents, you are the most influential financial role model for your children. The emotional connections made with your child as you go about daily activities, such as going to the bank, doing the weekly shopping, or working out Australian Family Magazine Australian Family Magazine

TEACH YOUR KIDS TO BE SMART WITH MONEY. $

Pocket money

In this consumer world of ours, children become aware that money has the power to buy what you want well before they reach school age. Understanding the value of that money takes a little longer. Who amongst us hasn’t had a child telling us “just go to the ATM if you need money, Mum”! Astonishingly, research conducted by CommBank in February 2013 revealed that the Australian pocket money economy sits at $1.4 billion per annum! The issue of when to pay pocket money, how much and what conditions should be attached is one of those perennial parenting debates. Our research also revealed that the average child first receives pocket money around their 6th birthday, with an average weekly amount of approximately $7.

The going rate There are two schools of thought on pocket money – do you pay it regardless, or only when each chore is completed? Many parenting experts believe that children should not have their pocket money tied to contributing to the normal activities of family life.

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If we pay children for doing everyday stuff around the house that we expect as matter of course (e.g. making their beds, feeding the dog), then we’re effectively bribing them for cooperation. As a consequence, children may fast adopt a “consumer” mentality and decide that the payoff is not worth the effort! The amount paid to children is highly negotiable and varies from family to family. Talk with other likeminded parents to test the water on what amount is considered fair and reasonable by the majority. The amount you pay should be consistent with their peers; neither too little nor too much. A no-strings-attached amount each week, based on age, achieves several positive benefits in teaching children about the difference between needs and wants. • It helps develop independence, allowing children a say in how they will spend their money. • It provides parents with an opportunity to teach children about saving for a desired toy i.e. delayed gratification.

• It offers a chance to introduce the idea of generosity through giving to others.

Pay day Have a regular pocket-money pay day, preferably not a time when they can immediately rush off and spend! Friday night works well and provides a chance to talk about spending and saving. Many financial experts suggest the three-jar concept as a way to introduce budgeting; one for spending, one for saving and one for giving. Paying in coins will help with portioning it out. Why not make it part of a family tradition that when you decide that they are old enough to receive pocket money, they may choose a special purse or wallet to mark the occasion. And because everyone appreciates a raise, the tradition could include a yearly increase on their birthday. To help children keep track of chores and earnings, download the chore tracker chart in The Beanstalk at commbank.com.au/ youthsaver

YOU CAN WITH COMMBANK.

Saving for a goal Saving up their own money teaches children the value of anticipation, the skill of goal setting and the pride of accomplishment. Most children have a clear idea of a big ticket item that is popular amongst their peers, the latest toy craze or digital gadget; or perhaps you have a family holiday planned. You can help children achieve savings goals more quickly by suggesting that they can earn extra money for jobs performed above and beyond normal expectations. Depending on age children might: • Walk the dog or a neighbour’s dog • Match up clean socks • Help fold or put away washing • Help put away groceries • Empty the indoor recycle bin • Weed the veggie patch • Rake the leaves and sweep garden paths There are plenty of other ways to help boost your child’s savings. Here are some ideas: • If children are given school tuckshop money, suggest they save half

• Instead of buying school lunches, they might make their own and get to keep and save what would have been spent • Together work out cheaper alternatives e.g. refill a water bottle, rather than buy a bottle and save the difference • Use their Platybank money box for all spare coins – it’s amazing how they add up As your child’s savings grow towards their goal, you could also look to negotiate a deal on co-contribution once milestone amounts are reached as an incentive or reward. In helping children develop a savings habit at a young age, we are teaching them a skill for life. To help children reach their savings goal, download the savings tracker activity sheet in The Beanstalk at commbank.com.au/ youthsaver

Charity begins at home Sharing a toy is a concept that most young children understand only too well.

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Developing a charitable child starts at understanding sharing and giving tangible items, before introducing how money can help others. It can be as simple as sorting through outgrown toys, books and DVDs that are in good condition, and donating them to the good will shop. Another suggestion is buying and donating a new toy through one of the many charitable giving trees, and start another family tradition to be cherished over the years. The process might begin with selecting the giving tree tag, talking about how much to spend (the budget), and how much each person will contribute to the cost. Then browsing, selecting, paying, wrapping and dropping the toy back makes this a meaningful and authentic activity that will develop a sense of altruism in the whole family. For more ideas, download the charity begins at home activity sheet in The Beanstalk at commbank. com.au/youthsaver

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TEACH YOUR KIDS TO BE SMART WITH MONEY.

Money tips

There are many simple ways that you can help your children to develop smart money habits and here we’ve shared a few tips.

Choosing wisely Many children love poring over the various toy catalogues that arrive into letter boxes at key times during the year. They’re a great resource for teaching about choices and budgeting. Get them to cut out all of the things they might want and paste them in order of preference on a sheet of poster paper. For school aged children, look at the price, get them to decide how much they might realistically save each week, and then divide that cost by the designated savings amount to work out how long it will take to save for their selected item. Download the saving tracker sheet in The Beanstalk at commbank.com.au/ youthsaver to help your child reach their savings goal.

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Birthdays Some years it seems that every other week you are at the local toy shop buying another birthday party gift. This is a good opportunity to introduce the idea of “the present budget”. How much do various toys (such as the latest figurine or craft set) cost? And if it is a party year – write down the costs in a list and compare a venue with a home party. Compare different venues and what is included. • Food • Entertainment • Drinks • Party bags The party planner budget sheet can help. Find it in The Beanstalk activity centre at commbank.com. au/youthsaver

At the supermarket This is a perfect time to have a conversation about what food is needed in the weekly shop – fruit, veggies, bread, milk for example, and what food is treat food – chocolates, ice cream, cordial.

Ask your children the question – do we need it or do we want it? Is there a special for this item this week? Could we get it elsewhere for less? For certain items like oats, you could even help your child compare the costs for the same product in different brands.

Investing your dollars wisely in the bank The Platybank money box is filling and it’s time to take your child along to the bank to open their very first Youthsaver bank account. Before leaving home, group all the coins into their denomination. As a counting exercise, you can show your children how many coins it would take to make one dollar for each coin denomination. Record the sub-total for each pile and the total amount; talk with your child about why we need to know how much money we’re saving and why the bank staff need to know. Make an occasion of it and let them watch the high speed automatic coin counter count their coins – it's always fascinating to watch.

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YOU CAN WITH COMMBANK.

SAVINGS TRACKER. Show your children their account statements to demonstrate their savings progress. These statements are mailed every six months and can be stored in a special savings folder to help keep track of their savings growth.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M SAVING FOR

What to do Work out how much you need to save to reach your savings goal and mark up the target amounts at each point on the thermometer. Then each time you add money towards your savings goal, colour in the thermometer.

STICK A PICTURE HERE OF WHAT YOU WANT

THIS COSTS $ I ALREADY HAVE $ I NEED TO SAVE $

School Banking program CommBank's School Banking program has been running for over 80 years and is helping Australian children understand the value of money and saving by encouraging children to make regular deposits at school. Every time they make a deposit into their Youthsaver account on school banking days, they receive a Dollarmites token. When your child has accumulated 10 tokens, they can be redeemed for cool reward items like a handball. The more deposits made, the more tokens they receive. Not only that, but in doing so they are giving to their school, as each participating school receives a commission on every deposit made.

YOU DID IT!

ALMOST THERE!

YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE HALFWAY!

GREAT START!

For more tips and activity sheets visit commbank.com.au/youthsaver

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familylife FAMILYlife TEACH YOUR KIDS TO BE SMART WITH MONEY. YOU CAN WITH COMMBANK.

WIN one of 5 x $200 CommBank Youthsaver accounts Simply complete this survey and your child could be well on the way to achieving their savings goals with their own bank account. Answer here or online at australianfamily.com.au/commbank 1.

When teaching your children the value of savings, what role should your financial institution play? (Select all those applicable)

What is something you know now about savings that you wish you knew then?

Please indicate at what age would you grant your kids, full access, limited access and no access, to their bank accounts?

Just provide the right kind of accounts Provide advice to parents and children about how to save Offer hints and tips to parents Offer educational tools to teach children about savings Other (please explain)

No Access

Yes 3.

Full Access

Complete the sentence below. School_ _ _ _ _ _ _ is not only a great incentive program in which children can earn Dollarmites tokens to redeem for rewards but also fun and focussed on teaching kids the value of saving.

In 25 words or less, tell us your best tip for teaching children to save and how a $200 Youthsaver account can help with this.

a) What do you find most difficult in teaching your children the value of savings?

b) Could a financial institution help support you with this?

Limited Access

Looking back to when you were a child, were you given enough guidance and tips about the importance of savings? (Please tick) Yes

Not sure

Entry Form First name

Surname

Entry Details Complete all 7 questions and provide your contact details, then return to: Mail: Australian Family PO Box 3087, Auburn Vic 3123 Fax: (03) 9819 6733

Email: info@australianfamily.com.au

Or complete and enter online at australianfamily.com.au/commbank Competition opens 6/10/14 and closes 11.59pm 30/1/15 For terms and conditions see australianfamily.com.au/tac Australian Family is the promoter of this competition

For information about the Youthsaver account visit commbank.com.au/youthsaver today. Things to know before you Can: As this advice has been prepared without considering your objectives financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on this advice, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. Terms and conditions are available from commbank.com.au or from any branch of the Bank. If you have a complaint in respect of this product, the Commonwealth Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dispute resolution service can be accessed on 13 2221. Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124.

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E G N A R ES I B AT A B D W O AN E N N S I I D L K OM.AU LE ON B . C E LA R O AI V T S A A G E ER M W O P

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A penny saved by Brooke Lumsden

While the idea of teaching kids the value of a dollar is hardly a new concept, in the fast-paced disposable world we now live in, it can seem more of a complex and contradictory notion than in years gone by.

Australian Family Magazine

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or young families feeling the pinch though, continuously stretching the family budget to help children save towards a goal is not always realistic, particularly when regular reinforcement can be essential for learning. However, it’s not necessarily putting your hand in your pocket that’s going to make the difference. A recent landmark study from Washington University has shown that simply the act of holding a savings account for children, even when parents don’t yet have money to deposit into it, can improve the child’s social and emotional development. The researchers believe that simply having the account as an asset for their child gave parents a more positive outlook for their future, and it was found that the positive results were even more pronounced among disadvantaged groups, including low income earners, welfare recipients and those with low educational levels. The developmental value of fostering such relationships with money is one that Jamie Lee, founder of Kids at Switch knows well, saying there has always been a direct need for children to be educated in financial literacy. “If kids aren’t being taught how to take responsibility for themselves, they are being set up for failure,” she says.

Young children participating in the StartSmart Commonwealth Bank program attend school-based workshops where they learn about things such as differentiating needs and wants, and how to earn money, while teens in the programs are taught practical strategies such as managing their bills and shopping around for better deals or plans. The program is the largest face-toface financial literacy program of its kind in the world, and continues to grow steadily as more enthusiastic children want to learn about how they can contribute to their financial future. The Beanstalk (Commonwealth Bank) is an online resource for parents that is updated with articles, tips and engaging activities about how to teach children to save, spend, earn and share. Visit www.commbank.com.au/youthsaver

In her work as a finance educator, Jamie uses an active learning environment with a mini-economy for kids to make mistakes and get the experience to make them resourceful. “They perform jobs, pay bills, and operate banks or businesses,” Jamie explains. The lessons taught by Jamie are specifically designed to equip kids with the tools they need to go through the mini-economy. “Unlike the conventional classroom, Kids at Switch gives the kids opportunity to apply what they’ve learnt through play,” she explains. Jenny Liu says her daughters, Mia, 7, and Madison, 5, have increased their financial literacy significantly since they started attending Jamie’s classes in late 2013, something that she and her husband would have potentially led the girls astray on. “It’s a huge change to see your child go from not understanding anything about money to “how much interest will I get if I put my money in the bank?” and “I’m putting my tooth fairy money into the bank so it will grow.” My husband and I do not have a solid understanding of financial literacy and so we were poised to pass on poor knowledge to our children if we hadn’t decided to take this path.” Jenny says.

Educating and empowering The question is, rather than simply handing over cash at home, how do we help our kids to help themselves? Jamie says one of the keys is in allowing kids to make their own financial choices. “Often we find as caregivers, we want the best for kids, and make decisions for them. However giving them the tools to make their own decisions is the only way to assure their independence,” she says. Jamie explains that financial literacy is a terrific way for kids to deal with decision-making. Something as simple as “Do I buy a lollipop now or wait a few months to afford an iPad?” can make them consider the implications of impulse buying and the joy of delayed gratification. Charlene Burnie from Education Equals says she and her business partner, Mirella, are big believers in fostering independent, resilient and critical thinkers, and that instilling the skills of financial literacy in your children is a way of enhancing those skills. “There are many ways in which a parent can begin building and fostering these skills from a young age with children,” she says. Charlene explains that above all, learning opportunities need to be engaging and age appropriate so that complex and abstract concepts can be grasped and made tangible for young learners. “Teaching your children financial literacy is as much about understanding the value of money, and hence instilling an appreciation for what things are worth, as it is about teaching them how to earn, how to save and calculate,” she says. Australian Family Magazine

familyfinance Put it into context The most effective method to improve financial literacy is making the lessons relevant to your child’s situation and putting these experiences into a real world context something that parents are best equipped to do,. Jamie advises starting by telling your kids where money comes from and setting goals, so children can appreciate the concept of making a decision and working towards it. “Use the words you use about money early – rent, profit, wages, interest, investment, taxes,” she says. “Involve them in this world as actively and early as possible.” Jamie explains that this is a more effective way for them to learn, as financial situations are unique to the individual and their circumstances, making it difficult to teach in conventional education, as it can’t simply be broken down into a series of steps. “Unlike maths, English or history, knowing how money works and how to make money work for you is based on real world experience,” Jamie says. “Rather than providing a direct answer to questions of money management, kids need to be given the skills to think for themselves.”

opportunity to try it out for themselves.” Jamie incorporates this in different ways in her classes, leading to kids finding their own creative financial solutions. “For example, kids have to buy a chair to represent their property, otherwise they sit on the ground. One of the students at Kids at Switch bought three chairs and is now renting them out to friends.” Allowing kids to experiment with their own thinking, and make these decisions creates intrinsic rewards from the child’s feeling of empowerment, something that Jamie says is a fundamental part of teaching. “By giving them the ability to make their own choices, they can create their own rewards and reflect on the outcomes of their decisions.”

Early pathways When it comes to applications of maths that are necessary and useful to our lives, Charlene says personal finances are by far the most important. “The sooner children can learn that savings are the means to buying what you want, rather than using credit, the sooner they will grow to be fiscally responsible individuals,” she explains. “We have both taught seventeen and eighteen-year-olds who are on the brink of adulthood and it is often very dismaying that they

The sooner children can learn that savings are the means to buying what you want, rather than using credit, the sooner they will grow to be fiscally responsible individuals Jenny says even the small everyday steps have become interesting to her kids once they started building an understanding of their own money. “We have regular banking days where they get to fill in their bank books, and take the bank books to the bank to bank in,” she says. “Then when they receive their statements in the mail they eagerly read through it.” Jamie has found through her work that all kids are interested in learning about money matters, because it is something that they relate to daily. “They know they get pocket money to spend at the canteen, they are aware that their parents go to work to earn an income. With this initial engagement, you have the opportunity to maintain the kids’ interest while giving them insight into the real world,” she explains. “This can be done in any number of ways, and as long as it appeals to the child’s innate sense of play, there is no need to force participation.”

Experimenting with ideas Putting this into practice is a matter of simply getting them to give it a go. Jamie says that in her experience most people are skeptical about children’s ability to learn about financial literacy, but in many ways it is no different from teaching them how to move from tricycles to bicycles. “The process is rather simple,” she says. “Explain an idea while relating it to the kids’ own experience, and then give them an

Australian Family Magazine

have reached this age without any real appreciation for the difference between credit, savings, loans and the value of assets.” By starting her daughters on this path early, Jenny has already helped them develop a positive attitude towards money management. “Both girls look forward to their Sunday sessions with Jamie,” she says. “They enjoy the interaction with other children that are of different ages and most of all they enjoy learning about money with Jamie.” Jamie says however, that development of concepts goes beyond the classroom, and the responsibility lies with the parent to keep kids aware of the world around them. “No child will turn down a chance to make decisions in their own life.”

More information Kids at Switch – for after-school programs that are run on real world principles http://kidsatswitch.com.au Education Equals – empowering parents to raise children confident in numeracy http://educationequals.com Money Smart (Kids) - ASIC website with a vast amount on information on finance and investment for all life stages – www.moneysmart.gov.au Your Family Your Money – advice on the family budget www.yourfamilyyourmoney.com af

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Kidsfun

How does your Garden Grow? By Carrol Baker

The first time my cheeky eight-yearold plucked a sugar snap pea off the vine heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d planted, he munched it happily and grinned from ear to ear. For a kid whose idea of torture is to eat green vegetables, that was a pretty big deal.

efore long, he was growing and trying other vegetables, the poor old pooch no longer was fed his broccoli under the table, and my son was spending a whole lot more time outdoors. Getting outdoors and in the garden helps a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motor development, vision, cognition, and vitamin D levels. It also gives children positive ways to creatively unleash their often boundless energy. And it unplugs them from TV and technology, and playing outside - something this generation are sadly lacking. Planet Ark research shows a dynamic shift in outdoor play over a few decades. Of 1,000 people surveyed, 73% of

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Kidsfun parents played outdoors more often than indoors when they were young, compared to only 13% of their children.

things with, and plants and trees with different textures.

When you stop to think about it, children and gardening really do go hand in hand.

It is important to remember though, kid’s gardening isn’t about aiming for a bumper crop, or growing perfect little rows of plants, something Jade King, mother of three, soil scientist and agricultural teacher learnt first-hand.

Steve Webb, father of four and Landscape Architect from Edible Kids Gardens says gardens are natural play spaces for kids.

“After planting neat little rows of seedlings with my son Mac he pulled them out and replanted them all over the garden bed,” she says with a smile.

“Kids like mud, water and bugs – all of the things you’ll find in the garden,” he says. “While interacting with nature they’ll also have opportunities for creative and imaginative play, and see

Jade added that productive gardens do have something to offer every child, no matter what their interests.

Natural play spaces

Tool time Before you start, equip your child with the right gear. For preschoolers, plastic kid’s tools will do the trick, but not for older kids. They won’t do the job and kids will become discouraged if the tools don’t do what they’re supposed to. Make sure they wear covered shoes or gumboots, old clothes, a sun smart hat, and gardening gloves.

Safety tip If you go organic and kids can eat straight from your garden without washing the produce; make sure they ask first when visiting other gardens, in case the produce is sprayed with toxic chemicals.

lifecycles in nature – it’s amazing for kids to experience that.” To begin with, let them choose a couple of plants to grow. Work together to create a productive growing space they’ll be drawn too, one that will inspire their creativity, and that they’ll want to explore. A children’s garden should appeal to the senses. A rainbow of different coloured vegetables, smooth pebbly dry creek beds they can sit in or build

“Mac loves food – so he’ll garden because he loves to nibble, and he gets his excavator out to dig up sweet potatoes,” she says. “Amelia is the oldest, she’s 11, and loves animals, she’ll build sunflower cubbies and look after the chickens, and Ebony, who is 9, is my little worker, she loves the physical work,” she says.

Design ideas - the basics You can grow edibles from seeds, seedlings or cuttings – kids will enjoy watching the seeds become seedlings and sprout, but seedlings will give you faster results. Crops can be grown in raised beds, vertical walls (great for small yards) stepped gardens for sloping terrace spaces, and containers for balconies. Before you start, pick a sunny location for your garden, and an area with free draining soil. Boost soil nutrients with organic plant food, add a little compost, plant the seedlings, and mulch around them. For even better results, Jade recommends lasagne layering – a layer of newspaper, then two layers of lucerne mulch, compost, and manure. Finish off with a layer of blood and bone and top with lucerne mulch. “It’s one of the best ways to provide a good year long supply of nutrients cheaply,” she says.

Composting and worming The kids will love wriggly worms – so get your hands on a worm farm kit to boost your soil nutrients and increase the kid’s enjoyment in the garden. Compost is made up of nitrogen rich food scraps, animal manure and lawn clippings and carbon rich dry leaves, straw and newspaper. Buy a special bin or create a compost pile in the garden, and turn it over regularly with a garden fork. Jamie Durie, author of Edible Garden Design writes that it’s important to keep the carbon and nitrogen elements in balance. “If it’s looking dry and isn’t breaking down, add more green stuff; and if it’s getting wet and stinky, add some dry brown matter. Nature will do the rest.”

A place where magic happens When creating your child-friendly edible garden, think outside the confines of a traditional vegetable patch. “Most adult productive gardens are designed to grow things, but not necessarily interact with,” says Steve. “Kids need hidden spaces, winding paths, spaces under branches, behind rocks, or in among grasses – things that will encourage them to explore,” he says. Steve’s four children, Euphrates, 8, Isaiah, 7, Eternity, 5, and Odette, 3, have grown up outdoors, playing and creating imaginative play spaces in their lush edible urban garden. “Isaiah loves to build little shanty towns and making muddy soup with anything he finds,” says Steve. “The girls, especially Euphrates love to climb trees, and they enjoy harvesting and sharing from our garden,” he says. The kids also enjoy their cleverly designed three-tiered cubby; the top level is a play space for them, the middle level for the chickens to roost, and the lower level for compost. Australian Family Magazine

Kidsfun On the menu Jade’s top picks for kids to grow are snow peas, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries and bushbeans. “These are all good for beginners, easy to grow, and give you fast results,” she says. “Watermelon is another favourite for kids, but they need to be patient it takes a while to grow, but when they taste that sweet juicy watermelon they’ll love it.” Help the kids chart the progress of their plants with a scrapbook, or measure plant growth with a ruler and record it. Add fun elements to the space such as a caterpillar made with painted rocks, name tags for vegetables, or bright hand painted tins for pots. Among your garden beds, plant an old wheelbarrow full of edible nasturtiums, a strawberry tower made with stacked plastic buckets, plant herbs in an outgrown pair of kid’s gumboots, lettuces in an empty barrel, and cherry tomatoes in a stack of painted tyres. Make hopscotch stepping stones with inlaid pebble numbers, or a messy play area where mud pies are the order of the day. Encourage kids to make dinosaur gardens, fairy gardens, or whatever captures their imagination. Build a tepee in the veggie patch with sturdy poles and twine and plant climbing purple beans or sunflowers (you can dry and eat the seeds). Create conversation corners for older kids with a timber growing bench for seating, threaded through with an edible climber such as passionfruit.

Happy little helpers To get your kids actively involved in the garden, create a place you’ll enjoy spending time in too. “If kids see you look at gardening as a chore, they’ll see it the same way too,” says Steve. “Kids don’t see the world as black and white – work and play, I think that’s the key, creating a philosophy of this is what our family does – we hang out in the garden together and grow things and it really can be fun,” he says.

Maintenance and pest management Planting seeds (or seedlings) weeding and watering the patch are all ongoing maintenance jobs the kids should share in. Set up a roster - so they can share the jobs, and make it fun! Gardens attract bugs – the good kind (butterflies, frogs, worms, native bees) and the bad kind (caterpillars, slugs, fruit fly and snails). To attract the good kind, plant things like daisy and parsley,

The dirt on playing in the garden If the kids are cranky or whining, get them out in the garden – it will make them feel better. Researchers led by Dr Chris Lowry at Bristol University have discovered through examining the brains of mice that the ‘friendly’ bacteria in soils activate a group of neurons that produce the feel-good brain chemical serotonin.

Australian Family Magazine

and bird attracting plants such as grevillia. To get rid of the bad kind, spray them with organic pest spray, or remove them by hand, suggests Jade. “Make it a fun exercise by making a game of it with the kids to see who can catch the most caterpillars,” she says.

Harvest time Kids love harvest time, with baskets overflowing with fresh tasty produce, they can share with their friends. To keep your soil doing its job after harvesting, put scraggly plants in the compost and replenish the soil. “You need to keep building it up because the soil nutrients are depleted – you’re eating them in the food you’ve grown once you harvest,” says Jade.

With a pint sized plot Go vertical – with leafy boundary walls filled with produce. Use pots, colourful tins, or plastic bottles and plant with sweet smelling herbs. Make sure you regularly replenish nutrients. If you are short on space, downsize your veggies with sweet, juicy baby varieties that take up less room. Create a balcony garden – plant pots and containers with dwarf fruit trees, and leafy vegetables and herbs. Perspex containers work well. af

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Teaching your child good brushing habits Children’s mouths change as they grow. At each stage of their development, they may need a different toothpaste and toothbrush to match their changing needs. With a dedicated set of products for each phase of the child’s dental development, Macleans is there every step of the way.

Teaching your child good brushing habits It’s important that your child learns good oral care habits early on in childhood. A good routine is key to helping your child maintain strong, healthy teeth as they grow older. A good children’s oral care routine includes:

Brushing in the morning

Brushing in the evening

Visiting the dentist for regular check-ups

Choosing the right toothpaste and toothbrush for your child is also important. Children under 7, should use a low-flouride toothpaste and a soft-bristled children’s toothbrush. Children over 7, can move to the higher fluoride toothpaste, and should continue to use a soft-bristled children’s toothbrush. Proper oral care is just as important for children as it is for adults. It’s important to encourage them to brush their teeth twice a day, for two minutes. A good oral care routine includes brushing, flossing and regular visits to a dental professional.

Teach your children how to brush properly with our top 5 tips. 1 Start on the top row of teeth at either side. 2 Brush in a circular motion, keeping close to the gums – they need to be cleaned too! 3 Be sure to brush the front, back and biting surface of each tooth. Don’t forget the teeth at the back of the mouth! 4 Repeat the first three steps on the bottom row of teeth. 5 Brush for two minutes, then rinse and spit! Ensure your child does not swallow their toothpaste. If you’re finding it difficult to motivate your child to brush for two minutes, try brushing along with our free ‘Nurdle Time’ App!

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Macleans Little Teeth (4-6 years) Macleans Little Teeth toothpaste Between 4-6 years children really begin to learn to take control of their brushing routines – but they still like a little fun too! • Contains 1000ppm fluoride • Helps strengthen enamel to help protect their maturing milk teeth • Mild minty taste

Macleans Little Teeth toothbrush As children get bigger so do their mouths and hands. That’s why we’ve designed our range of toothbrushes to get progressively bigger to keep up with your child as they grow. • Soft bristles to reduce the risk of damage to the gums • Flexible neck and small head to target those hard to reach surfaces • Animal head bristle protectors

Macleans BIG TEETH (7+ Years) Macleans Big Teeth toothpaste Macleans Big Teeth toothpaste has a red, white and green stripe. Big Teeth toothpaste helps to strengthen teeth, freshen breath and protect teeth, gaps and gums. • Contains 1350ppm fluoride • Fresh minty taste

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Macleans Toothpaste – for all stages of kids’ teeth, big and little! © 2014 GSK group of companies. All Rights Reserved. MACLEANS®, the iconic Nurdle device and other marks are trade marks of the GSK group of companies. Certain images licensed from The Wiggles Pty Ltd.

familynutrition

From the mouth of

the expert Tony Sharpe talks about meals that work in the early years setting.

I hear the cry all the time from parents, “My child will eat your food at preschool, even have seconds, but when I cook it they won’t touch it.” Most of the foods I cook are one pot dishes served with rice, noodles, potatoes or couscous; very rarely do I have meat and three vegetable options. I like to hide vegetables in my sauces for the fussy eater. I have even used soups as a sauce over pasta (pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato). Grating carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato and zucchini into sauces not only adds nutrients but also helps to thicken them. Once the children are starting to enjoy the flavours, I gradually add finely diced vegetables increasing the size of the dice each week so eventually they become part of the dish with meat, beans, lentils, chicken or fish. One of the most popular meals I cook at our preschool is spinach and cottage cheese lasagne. I use steamed pureed spinach in a béchamel or white sauce with low fat cottage cheese, and yes the colour is green, but they not only love the texture but also the flavour. I must admit pasta is always the favourite at my centre, but rice comes in a close second.

Don’t put too much food on your child`s plate. Do not become emotionally attached to your child trying a new food, keep calm, never force food into mouths, some children will need multiple attempts at a new food.

My “super-fast macaroni cheese” is a fool proof recipe that can have chicken, beef, fish or lentils added to increase the protein. The secret to this dish is in the stock that you build around the vegetables. I start with an MSG free stock powder and water with diced onions, crushed garlic and pretty much any vegetable you like. My favourite is cauliflower, broccoli and chicken breast with fresh dill, but be careful when you add the chicken as you don’t want to overcook it, so add diced skinless chicken breast at the end (recipe below).

Eat your meal with your children, they learn from example.

If you want to get your child to try a new food try adding it in small quantities with an old favourite, then gradually increase the new and decrease the old.

When shopping with children to avoid buying sweets, instead purchase interesting fruit for your child to eat like blueberries, strawberries or mango. af

Australian Family Magazine

Remember most of us have a food that we don’t like and it’s the same with children. Do not use sweet treats as a bribe. Sugar has the ability to displace other nutrients, so limit its use and replace with dried fruits like dates pureed into a cakes or muffins. My pumpkin and buttermilk muffins recipe is low in sugar but high in fibre.

familynutrition Super-fast macaroni cheese Here is a quick and easy recipe to make when you are in a hurry. I like to add vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower, but pretty much any vegetable may be used like diced carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato or frozen peas. The sauce is made in the time it takes to cook the pasta. If you want to add chicken or fish, cut into small dice and add to the sauce at the end of cooking so it doesn’t overcook. Wholegrain macaroni is hard to find, so I use whole wheat spirals which are surprisingly light. In this recipe I use fresh dill but basil, rosemary, oregano or parsley are also good. Ingredients to serve 4 to 6 500g packet pasta, preferably whole meal 1 litre water 2 tablespoons good MSG free stock powder 1 large onion, finely diced 2 cloves crushed garlic 500g cauliflower or broccoli florets 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 250g grated light cheese 1/2 cup arrowroot or cornflour 1/2 cup freshly chopped dill Salt and pepper to taste Extra grated cheese for the top

Method Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water. Bring the chicken stock to the boil. Add the onion and garlic, simmer 2 minutes before add the cauliflower or broccoli and cook another 5 minutes. Mix the arrowroot or cornflour with the grated cheese, making sure it is well combined, I use my hands for this Remove the stock from the heat and mix in the nutmeg and grated cheese, whisk until thick If using spinach or kale puree, add to the cheese sauce Season with salt and pepper Grease a lasagne dish, add the drained pasta, pour over the cheese sauce and top with the extra cheese Place into a hot oven until golden brown. Note; if you want to use lentils, cook them separately and add with the cheese.

Pumpkin/ beetroot and cinnamon muffins This has to be the easiest muffin recipe I have created. It’s one of those basic recipes that you can add so many different foods to change the flavour and texture - grated pumpkin, beetroot, sweet potato, carrot or zucchini may be used. Mixed spice, cardamom, ground cloves, raisins, cranberries, sultanas, chopped dates, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and so on all help to produce different flavours. I like to top them with pumpkin and sunflower kernels to give extra crunch. Ingredients to make 30+ muffins

Method

4 cups grated raw pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 180°C

2 cups self raising whole meal flour

Place the grated pumpkin into a bowl

2 cups white unbleached self raising flour

with the flours, spices and sugar, mix

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

grated pumpkin is well coated and

2 teaspoons ground ginger

separated

1 cup soft brown sugar

Using a separate bowl combine the

100g melted butter or 100mls extra virgin olive oil

melted butter, eggs and buttermilk and

2 eggs 2 1/2cups buttermilk

well with your hands to make sure the

whisk together Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine with a wooden spoon

1/4 cup sunflower kernels

being careful not to over mix, it should

1/4 cup pumpkin seed kernels

be quite thick but a moist batter

Grease and flour muffin tins or use silicon muffin trays that do not require greasing Fill each hole with the mixture Sprinkle the sunflower and pumpkin kernels on the top Bake at 180c for 20 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean Suitable to freeze. Australian Family Magazine

Save time and money with online workshops OWfC feels passionate about its approach to network on a National level, therefore has developed a National online calendar which incorporates professional development sessions tailored around the following focus: Leadership; Curriculum development; Health and safety; NQF & Inclusion.

One World for Children is an industry based Registered Training Organisation (RTO) specialising in the delivery of competency based training programs to the children’s services industry. We have developed a range of professional development training sessions for the childcare sector using a new and innovative approach, which will enable your service, regardless of your geographic location, access to quality professional in-servicing that is appropriate to your needs. To participate in this new and innovative approach to ongoing professional development, all you need is a computer with speakers, internet access and a microphone. What we provide is a platform that uses the latest VoIP programming combined with an interactive electronic white board, chat areas, powerpoint presentations, video clips, slide shows, web tours and two-way voice making online learning visually stimulating, interactive and fun! Our virtual classroom enables 20 participants to partake in relevant, current workshop sessions whilst actively engaging and interacting with a professional qualified trainer, and networking with each other. The appeal of fact-to-face interaction is now captured in our virtual classroom, however the associated costs have been substantially lowered. Each session is available on various days from 7.30pm AEST on an ongoing basis, putting you in the position to allow everyone of your staff the opportunity to participate in a session that addresses an identified need with your service or an area that you would like to enhance your knowledge and skills.

Highlights from our calendar... Infants, Toddlers and the EYLF

Infants and toddlers deserve a world that is strongly influenced by the adults who surround them. The relationships that educators have with infants and toddlers will affect the quality of development, education and care. Explore how you can ensure that the vision and principles of the EYLF enhance your practices with infants and toddlers. Designed for: All educators. All service types Quality Area: 5 EYLF Outcome: 1, 2 & 3

Shared partnerships with families

Services will have the opportunity to access unlimited enrolments into 8 live online sessions every month of the year! That is 96 professional development opportunities for your service annually. 4 sessions will be scheduled during working hours as well as 4 evening sessions to allow for absolute flexibility in choosing relevant professional development!

Focusing on a collaborative, shared relationship with families is essential in attaining quality outcomes for children. How many educators are of the opinion that too many families are too busy or seem uninterested in their child’s day? If we as professionals work collaboratively with families to meet their individual communication needs, together with some help from this session in discovering creative communication ideas, you can start implementing a shared relationship with families today! Designed for: All educators. All service types Quality Area: 4 EYLF Outcome: 1

Using intentional teaching to scaffold and extend each child’s learning Intentional teaching is deliberate, purposeful and thoughtful! It cannot be confused with a theme based programming approach. Intentionality utilizes professional knowledge and strategies that reflect contemporary theories and research concerning children’s play, leisure and learning. Learn how to make use of spontaneous teachable moments which extend children’s learning! Learn how to comment on children’s displays of learning dispositions, by providing encouragement and additional ideas and support to children! Designed for: All educators. All service types Quality area: 1 EYLF Outcome: 4

1800 006 533 training@owfc.com.au www.owfc.com.au

Toileting problems are normal Dr John Irvine, practical parenting guru has a pragmatic answer for most modern parenting dilemmas and toileting is no exception. He’s heard it all – the child that who won’t go, the one who hangs on for days, those who must have a nappy on, children who were trained and have regressed. And of course there are the poo-smearers, the spot-squatters (unfortunately, just not near the loo) and last but not least, the little boys whose aim is less than true! Let’s look at a few of the more common toileting traumas that challenge parents.

Sit or stand Sitting is better in some ways because it’s a better position to stimulate and effect bowel and bladder movements at the same time. It also has the obvious advantage that there’s less ill-directed spray to wipe off seat and floor. But little boys see standing to wee as a big achievement like dad or older mates. If they really want to stand, how about providing a footstool for added height and easy to undo gear (elastic is probably the easiest) for them to tackle.

Potty or toilet? Many parents prefer the toilet with insert seat. However it’s not good for posture, muscle pressure or confidence to have legs dangling so far above ground level. Toilet steps will give them something firm to place their feel on, so when they sit they feel secure and are able to apply sphincter pressure. If you’re using a potty, then make sure it’s comfortable, can’t tip and has a urine shield for boys.

Toilet timing Some advise sitting little learners on the potty in the hope that good toilet timing with lots of encouragement will be step one in the process. The best time to try this is just after meals. If you want to develop this routine, you could make it story or talking book time, so it’s not seen as a pressure.

Genital care Encourage children to wipe front to back, especially girls, to reduce chances of infection. To encourage independence they should break off and use their own toilet paper. Scrunch or fold – whatever takes their fancy. Naturally they won’t be good wipers at first, so tell them what a good job they’ve done and you’d like to help them be really clean.

Nappy happy kids Some children feel very scared about unloading into a toilet and love the security of a nappy. This is especially true if they’ve had some constipation or anal fissure. Make sure they drink lots of water and encourage them to sit at regular times, in nappies if needed. Maybe make toilet sitting the only place they get that special Winnie the

Pooh book or their talking books. Once they’re in the habit of sitting, some parents loosen the nappy or use bigger pants (right up to dad’s underdaks) so they get used to the idea of letting go or dropping their stools.

Day dry vs night dry All little learners will be day dry before night dry. They’re conscious of the pressure during the day and unconscious of it at night, especially if they’re deep sleepers. Medically, it’s not considered a problem before school age and often the age of being night dry will have much to do with parent history. In fact, one in five kids still wet at school age. At that point you can play some game such as how long they can hold on when they need to go so they build up that muscle or they may be ready to try the eneuresis (bell pad) alarms

Toilet relapses Most times lapses are no more than a fragile little system not being too stable yet. It might take a physical thing like an illness or a psychological thing like the arrival of a baby brother/sister to destabilise things. See it as a little oops and they’ll probably regain control quickly. Make a fuss about it and they can take ages to get over it. If it’s worrying you, then do check with your paediatrician or child psychologist for reassurance.

The loo seat – up or down Why should boys learn but girls don’t!? There is one simple answer – create a family habit that the seat and the lid both go down. That means when little kids come to use it, they all have to do some lifting and dropping. The golden rules to good toilet training are these: • Don’t apply pressure on the kids or it clogs up their psyche and their system • Use the summer warmth to toilet train when they don’t need pants and can learn the link between their body sensations and the effect. • Don’t see toilet training as a competition. It’s not a race to see who is the best parent. Kids develop at different rates, so take it easy and go with the flow, so to speak. Australian Family Magazine

Kidsread

The after-school dash When your child arrives home from school, does he ignore your outstretched arms and the freshly baked muffins you wave in his direction, bolting past instead like a child possessed, hand clasped firmly to groin? Does he hold on during the day to avoid the school toilets because they’re stinky? Or because some unsavoury older kids hang out there making a sport of terrorising little people like him. Maybe your child has the odd accident at school? If so, he wouldn’t be alone, with one in five primary-school-age children wetting themselves during the day. It’s well known that regularly holding on to bowel motions risks constipation. But not so well known is that chronic constipation - somewhat counterintuitively - is a major contributor to faecal incontinence. The problem is not insignificant, with up to 30 per cent of Australian children constipated at any given time, and one in 40 experiencing faecal incontinence. We know that children with negative associations with school toilets risk adopting unhealthy toilet habits that persist into adult life. To help children and their teachers get on the right track, the Continence Foundation of Australia developed a child-friendly Toilet Tactics kit for schools. Toilet Tactics equips children with the education and knowledge to enable them to adopt lifelong healthy bowel and bladder habits. It also illuminates teachers and parents about the importance of encouraging good practices early. Using familiar, age-appropriate language children learn about diet, exercise, how their bladder and bowel work, the importance of responding to the body’s signals, and how persistent holding on can lead to bladder and bowel dysfunction. Just as importantly, Toilet Tactics shows school staff and teachers how to recognise the signs a child may be experiencing bladder or bowel issues, and gives them strategies to handle these kinds of situations sensitively and effectively. Staff also learn the importance of school toilets offering a clean and secure environment for children. Encourage your school to register for this free kit, and learn more about Toilet Tactics at www.continence.org.au or phoning the free National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66. The Continence Foundation of Australia is the peak national organisation working to improve the quality of life of all Australians affected by incontinence. The National Continence Helpline (1800 33 00 66) is staffed by continence nurse advisors who provide advice, referrals and resources about incontinence to consumers and health professionals.

Australian Family Magazine

Snail and Turtle are Friends by Stephen Michael King, Scholastic Press $24.99 This is a narrative about diversity and friendship skills - how two creatures who are quite different can still be the best of friends. Snail and Turtle like to do some things the same, and some things differently, but still enjoy each other’s company.

Poppy Cat by Sara Acton, Scholastic Press, $24.99 For children, and others who love cats! Poppy lover her owner and follows her everywhere – and just like all curious cats sometimes she gets into mischief but at the end of every day she curls and does what cats do best – purrs!

Hasel and Rose by Caroline Magerl, Viking, $24.99 An whimsical story of a child’s wish for something she cannot name, but knows it when she finds it and which helps her to settle in a new home in a new place.

Sylvia by Christine Sharp, UQP, $24.95 Another tale about a snail! Sylvia Snail loves Simon Green and all of his scrumptious veggies – but Simon does not love Sylvia making holes in his kale and nibbles in his mushrooms and tomatoes. How Sylvia changes his mind and helps him sell his veggies is ingenuous.

Kidsread

kidstuff Lulu Bell and the Tiger Cub; Lulu Bell and the Pyjama Party by Belinda Murrell, illustrated by Serena Geddes, Random House Australia, $7.95

Billy is a Dragon (series): Eaten Alive; Shadow Shifter, by Nick Falk and Tony Flowers, Random House Australia, $12.99 Billy is a shapeshifter; that means people (and dogs, hamsters, chickens) who can change into something else, like a dragon or were-wolf. Most of the time Billy is a normal school kid minding his own business and worrying about passing his maths test, but at any time, his

More stories about Lulu, her family and animal friends. The zoo vet is best friend to Lulu’s dad the vet, so when a tiger cub hurts its leg, Lulu and her best friend Molly get to also watch at the zoo hospital. They’re used

arch enemy Scratchhook can disrupt his life. Luckily he has friends in the Secret Shifters Club to come to the rescue.

My funny family moves house by Chris Higgins, illustrated by Lee Wildish, Hachette $12.99 Fifth in the series about the lovable chaos reigning in the Butterfield family. With five kids, the dog and a new baby, it may be time to move to a bigger house. And while nine year old Mattie quite likes the idea of a bigger house with a “peace and quiet” room, space is not the only thing which is a tight squeeze!

to helping out at the vet clinic of Lulu’s dad; the night of the pyjama party is extra busy, so Lulu and Molly come to the rescue.

Hello from Nowhere, by Raewyn Caisley and Karen Blair, Penguin, $24.99 Imagine living in Nowhere in the middle of the Nullarbor Plains, 500 km from anywhere else, where the red dirt stretches in every direction, and the enormous night skies sparkle. Eve has plenty of company, except for the one person she longs to see, her Nan.

Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey, Scholastic Press, $16.99 A humorous lesson about what happens when you won’t share!

Bright Kids Magazine Bright Kids Magazine is a digital magazine aimed at primary and early secondary school aged readers. Engaging educational content, integrated with the Australian Curriculum, features interactive videos and slide shows. These take children out of their own world, exposing them to the stories and lives of other young learners, and encouraging them to contribute their own ideas and work. Compatible with interactive whiteboards, the magazine can be used as a classroom resource support for most curriculum areas, with links to

additional teacher resources included with each issue to extend on the content. Also available as an app, or visit www.brightkidsclub.com.au

mumstuff Strictly Parenting – everything you need to know about raising school aged kids by Michael Carr-Greg, Penguin Australia, $29.99

don’t need parents

Michael Carr-Gregg has been commenting on

practical evidence

as best friends, they need parents who are not afraid to set limits, and act accordingly. Carr-Greg offers

the Australian way of parenting and family life

based solutions to a

for many years now, and in his latest book he

wide range of the most

won’t allow

lays down a challenge to modern parents. It’s

common issues facing parents of children

Trevor the

time to wake up and have a good hard look

and adolescents – from everyday concerns

sausage dog to play with his toys, until he

at ourselves. Our children need us to man

about manners, homework, hygiene and

finds out the hard way that Trevor is a good

up, stop mollycoddling, over-protecting or

parties to life issues of grief, drugs, cyber

friend.

indulging them; let’s understand that children

safety and divorce.

Pig is very selfish and

Australian Family Magazine

Join Australia Mums research

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Australian Family Magazine

the n Family Club panel.

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Complete the survey telling us more about yourself and your child’s early education.

During early 2015, you will receive emails from Australian Family with exclusive offers.

Register online. Complete the survey telling us more about yourself and your child’s early years service. Commencing early 2015 you will receive emails from Australian Family outlining the next step. Your group can choose – be paid individually, or you can elect to provide the money directly to your child’s service.

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noticeboard Hansells All Natural Kids Yoghurt for growing young bodies Did you know that fresh home-made yoghurt has more active, live cultures than ready-to-eat yoghurt available in the chiller aisle at your local supermarket? Hansells has launched a new line of all natural yoghurts especially formulated for the growing needs of young kids. Home-made yoghurt made fresh is consumed at its optimum level, ensuring that you only serve the best to your kids. The Hansells All Natural Kids Yoghurt range contains all natural ingredients with four active, live cultures including acidophilus & bifidus. It’s high in Vitamin A & D for immunity and is a good source of calcium with no artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners or preservatives. Each range makes 500g of fresh yoghurt in any yoghurt maker and is available in 3 kid-friendly flavours: Smooo-th Strawberry, Smooo-th Chocolate and Smooo-th Apple & Pear. The Hansells All Natural Kids Yoghurt range is available in the ambient dessert aisle at Coles nationally. www.hansellsyoghurt.com

Morlife Snakes – the ultimate veggie disguise! Mothers are well aware of the importance and benefits of eating vegetables; they create healthy bodies and help break the cycle of colds and flu, and fend off obesity. While it’s virtually impossible to stop kids from wanting, nagging, even yelling for cakes and lollies, what if veggies could be ‘hidden’ in a lolly? At least if they insist on eating sweets, we can pack the goodness and nutrients of veggies in a gelatine snake. Cheryl Stewart, owner of Morlife; a Gold Coast functional food company, has developed a nutritious confectionary snake, but with a high concentration of vegetables. This was achieved by concentrating 10kg of vegetables into 1kg of juice, then reducing that further to a powder one tenth of the original produce. This process retains the key nutrients. but also the taste and what kid wants to eat a carrot flavoured snake? By adding pineapple fruit extract, problem solved! Morlife Snakes also contain 20% less sugar than 2 other leading confectionery brands and are all natural containing no artificial sweeteners, preservatives or added colours, plus they are gluten free. This guilt free treat is a great alternative to the regular confectionery snake variety. Find them in the health food aisle at Woolworths and selected health food stores or morlife.com RRP is $3.95.

Huggies® Pull-Ups® Making the transition from baby to big kid is an important stage in your child’s development and Huggies® PullUps® can help. Pull-Ups® toilet training pants feature a unique Learning Liner designed to help your child learn the difference between wet from dry by allowing them to feel the wetness momentarily before drawing the moisture away. Ultra thin, with soft stretchy sides and popular Disney characters, Pull-Ups® are just like underpants for learners. www.huggies.com.au

Australian Family Magazine

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Dad’sview

Time flies

By John Weldon

Being a parent is all about milestones. Some you anticipate joyously, some you dread, some you’re not even aware of until after they happen. Babyhood is rich in such things, the first smile, rolling over, crawling, walking, speaking. They’re all super important, they’re all compressed into just a couple of years or so and together they set parents up for a lifetime of box ticking in regard to their children’s development. There’s the dreaded first day at childcare; a day that is usually etched in a parent’s mind for all the wrong reasons (think lingering sense of guilt and awful feelings of betrayal. Oh yeah, and the screaming too. You never forget that.). There’s the start of school, followed eventually by that unimaginable last day of primary school. ‘I can’t believe our little Rosie is about to start high school,’ we all say over and over. But it’s true. I can’t believe it. Her grandparents are continually reminding me to cherish these days with her because ‘it’s amazing how time flies’. Words that gather increasing resonance as the years do indeed begin to whizz by. Then there are the milestones that youhardly notice. All my children now have their adult front teeth. I took a photo, at the start of this school year, of the three of them in their uniforms. At the time they all sported different versions of the classic gap-toothed smile, the youngest in real ‘All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth’ mode. But now all those front teeth are grown in; when did that happen? When did my boy lose his, quite pronounced, lisp? The weird thing number two used to do with his teeth - when did that stop?

Australian Family Magazine

So many moments never to return. Maybe that’s why we still haven’t taught the youngest how to tie his shoelaces at an age when most others can. Perhaps, unconsciously, we’re hanging onto his childhood, by delaying that particular milestone. My eldest went to her first rock concert recently, chaperoned by mum, but still she’s out there now, she’s seeing bands. At her age I didn’t even know kids could go to rock concerts. She’s about to pass a whole bunch of milestones that, as her father, I’ll never be part of: first kisses, crushes, and the huge welter of changes and neverbefores that puberty and the teen-age years bring with them. In no time at all she’ll be going out with boys. First dates. First loves. First broken hearts. The first pimply 16 year-old boy I’ll have to welcome into my home on a regular basis. Oh God. Then she’ll want driving lessons, she’ll start staying out late at night and I’ll experience that first sleepless night when she doesn’t come home on time. But, thankfully, that’s still all to come. For now she, and her two younger brothers, are still happy to hold my hand on the street, although I’m not allowed to sing out loud anymore as we stroll along (if you’ve heard my voice you’ll know why). But I wonder how long that will last and how I’ll feel when it stops. I remember telling my dad that I was to old to hold his hand as I was growing up. I know he remembers that too. Milestones celebrate growth and life and our being there with our kids through the important moments, but they also signpost their growing up and away from us. Being a parent is about learning to love and to say good bye repeatedly via these milestones to the various versions of your child that pass through your hands over a lifetime.

We say good bye to the baby, to the toddler, to the kid who can’t tie his shoelaces, and we welcome each time a new iteration of that child who is a little more independent, a little more capable and a little more removed from us. We love all of these incarnations of our children and it’s a bittersweet process watching them move through these diverse yet essential stages as they grow up. Of course, there’s no point dwelling on the bitter sweet. And sometimes it’s with real joy that we move to the next stage. Does anyone really regret passing on to some other needy parent those well-worn and now out-grown Wiggles DVDs? I for one had been to Wiggle Bay far too many times. I’m sure I’ll experience a melancholy twinge when the last primary school uniform goes into mothballs, but I’ll also celebrate that boy moving one step closer to manhood. And I might feel weird if the bedroom door closes as I walk past, but I’ll know that my wife and daughter are in there having conversations that are theirs alone and that’s important. It’s a real privilege to witness your children experiencing these moments of change. There’s nothing unique about them, they’ve been experienced billions of times before, but they’re new each time for each parent. We’re lucky to be there to experience that. There’s another, more personal, milestone lurking on the horizon in the next 12 months as the big 5-0 is just around the corner for me. At last, I’ll be able to save money by taking advantage of pensioners insurance. I can’t believe it - I still feel 16. And if that’s a big deal for me, and it is, how must my parents feel watching their first born son clock up half a ton? How are they going to cope with me passing that milestone?

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Help them graduate from oopsies

to undies with ease.

When little kids are ready to become big kids, HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® Training Pants are tailor made with learning signals for successful toilet training. They’re specifically designed to be less absorbent than nappies and nappy pants, with a tailored Learning Liner® that helps little kids understand the difference between wet and dry. And because they’re thinner and less bulky, they signal the transition from nappies to real undies. Enrol your little learner into the Huggies® Pull-Ups® School of Toilet Training to create an easy lesson plan that will help them graduate with flying colours.

KIMCLA1912/AF