Casey Cardinia Kids Autumn 2019

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Miracle triplets DEFY INCREDIBLE ODDS MIDWIFE CATH'S VIEWS ON

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A KIDS GLOBBER SCOOTER PLUS ONE FOR MUM! A Star N News Group Publication bl

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about us . . .

A

golden time of year

HI everyone, Can you believe it's already autumn?

I can't but time certainly does fly when you're a parent, that's for sure!

Autumn is such a beautiful but busy time of year. Everyone is well back into the routine of daycare, kinder and school, while there is something lovely about the leaves changing colour and falling onto the pavement.

I'm really excited about this edition of Casey Cardinia Kids as it's our BIGGEST ever. There are 60 pages filled with great parenting advice, real-life reads and local events.

When putting this bumper edition together, I was very fortunate to meet the Temby triplets. I say fortunate

because the three girls defied incredible odds to be born.

After a heartbreaking medical diagnosis early in the pregnancy, Megan and Adam Temby were advised to abort two of the girls to save one. The best medical experts in Melbourne advised there was no chance all three girls would survive. Today however, the triplets are happy, healthy and cheeky little girls. You'll find their incredible story on pages 4-5.

We are also lucky enough to feature a piece written by world renowned author Steve Biddulph. The psychologist of 30 years who has sold millions of books offers some great advice on raising boys (page 14).

opening advice from prominent parenting expert Midwife Cath, who says some interesting things about toddlers and how to deal with them (pages 8-9).

This edition, our 15th so far, also features plenty of ideas to keep your kids entertained, including a guide to toy libraries in Casey and Cardinia on page 6.

Make sure you visit our new-look website at www.caseycardinia.kids. com.au for the latest parenting news, events and competitions. We're also on Facebook and Instagram!

See you there!

You'll also love reading the eye-

Casey Cardinia Kids magazine is a Star News Group publication.

Casey Cardinia Kids will be published quarterly prior to each of the school holidays.

Casey Cardinia Kids Cnr Princes Hwy and Army Road, Pakenham, 3810 PO Box 9, Pakenham, Victoria 3810 Phone: 5945 0666 Fax: 5945 0777 Editorial Melissa Grant melissa.grant@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0666 Photography Stewart Chambers Rob Carew Gary Sissons

ccontents ontents Morgan's big TV break

IT'S YOUR LIFE

DENTAL

Triplets defy miracle odds

Gentle dental care for children PAGE 29 The tooth hurts PAGE 29 Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule PAGE 30 Affordable orthodontics PAGE 30 Custom-fitted mouthguards a must PAGE 31 The benefits of dental implants

PAGE 43

PAGE 32

PAGE 45

EDUCATION

PHILLIP ISLAND

Advice on school readiness PAGE 33 The lowdown on Fortnite PAGE 34 Hillcrest student's success on stage PAGE 34 School fees take huge chunk of family income PAGE 35 A proud tradition of educational excellence PAGE 35 A great place to learn PAGE 36 Parent fears stop kids from walking to school PAGE 36 Independent girls high school opening PAGE 37 The convenience of co-location PAGE 37 HEI Schools early learning centre PAGE 39 Help to choose the right childcare PAGE 39 Schools need to focus on life skills PAGE 40 Upside down parenting PAGE 40

Full on fun at Grand Prix Circuit

PAGES 4-5 Save at your local toy library PAGE 6 Our favourite baby names PAGE 7 Midwife Cath's views on motherhood PAGES 8-9 Dealing with gender disappointment PAGE 10 Smart snacks for kids PAGES 12-13 Steve Biddulph on raising boys PAGE 14 Licorice warning for pregnant women PAGE 16 Vocabulary skills and hyperactivity link PAGE 16 Talk money with your children early PAGE 18 Mum injects culture into kids books PAGE 20 Tips for dealing with fussy eaters PAGES 22-23 Finding your child's best voice PAGE 24 When to start and stop swimming lessons PAGE 24 New stores open at Endeavour Hills SC PAGE 25 Tasty and totally gluten free meats PAGE 25

LIFESTYLE Tips for teens to organise their rooms PAGE 26

ACTIVE KIDS Envision Basketball develops rising stars PAGE 27 Encouraging outdoor play PAGE 27

BORN TO PERFORM PAGE 41

HEALTH

ENTERTAINMENT

Busting baby sleep myths

Exciting Gumbuya World expansion PAGE 42 Don't miss the Melbourne Easter Show PAGE 42

PAGE 28 Free vaccines available PAGE 28 www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Paintball Games has something for everyone

Catherine Smith Advertising advertising@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0666

PAGE 43 Zane's School of Rock

Published by Star News Group Pty Ltd ACN 005 848 108.

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Publisher/Managing Director, Paul Thomas.

Snag a pre-loved bargain

All material is copyright to Star News Group

PAGE 44 Easter Eve Family Night Out PAGE 45 All aboard Puffing Billy Railway

Pty Ltd. All significant errors will be corrected as soon as possible.

Cover Jessica Hamling, dressed by Billy Lidz Children's Botique Berwick, at Wilson Botanic Park.

Picture: Stewart Chambers

FREE AUTUMN 2019

PAGE 46 Dinosaur diggers at RSL PAGE 46 Easter Fun Festival PAGE 47

BORN TO PARTY PAGE 48

REALITY BITES

Miracle triplets DEFY I ODDS MIDWIFE CATH'S VIEWS ON

motherhood

Solo mission into motherhood PAGE 49 Andy, Sadie part of local history PAGE 50

A KIDS GLOBBER SCOOTER PLUS ONE FOR MUM! A Star News N Group G Publication P bli

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Autumn ISSUE

Twins enjoy motherhood together PAGE 51 Loz won't let MS define her life PAGE 52

GAMES AND GADGETS

WIN! TWO GLOBBER SCOOTERS

Family life full of fun

for Mother's Day

FASHION Cool autumn threads PAGES 53-55

PAGE 56

Details on page 9

BOOKS Book to ruffle feathers in education sector PAGE 57 Children's books PAGE 57

KIDS CALENDAR What's on this autumn PAGE 59 AUTUMN 2019 3

your life It’s

Miracle triplets Asha, Sophie and Jade Temby.

Picture: Catherine Smith

MIRACLE TRIPLETS

defy incredible odds

By Melissa Grant

"I had my first scan at eight weeks - I was relieved there weren't four babies."

ASHA, Jade and Sophie Temby are three little miracles who defied extraordinary odds just by being born.

At the routine 12-week scan, the triplets were growing well and Megan was told to come back for another scan at 20 weeks.

The tough triplets turn 3 on March 30 - an incredible milestone given medical experts said there was no chance they would all be delivered alive.

The girls weighed a combined 3.879kg when they were born at 30 weeks and had a rocky start to life.

After a heartbreaking medical diagnosis early in their pregnancy, Megan and Adam were advised to abort two of the girls to save one.

Two of the triplets were sharing a placenta and had developed Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). The disease results in one baby getting too much blood flow and the other not enough, causing one to accumulate fluid in their sac and leaving the other without fluid.

The disease is deadly - if left untreated the odds of survival are, at best, 10 per cent.

Shortly after discovering she was expecting, Megan strongly suspected she was going to have a challenging pregnancy.

She felt much sicker than when she was pregnant with her two boys, Lachlan, now aged 11, and Dylan, 9.

In fact, she felt so sick she actually thought she was having four babies.

"I went to the GP and demanded a scan," she said.

4 AUTUMN 2019

Feeling uncomfortable with the lengthy gap between scans, Megan and Adam contacted a major hospital and were linked to a high-risk foetal monitoring clinic.

The 16-week appointment was the first time they became aware of TTTS and the risk to identical babies. Megan was feeling very uncomfortable and her stomach had really popped out - an early warning sign of increased fluid levels.

The girls sharing a placenta already had already progressed to Stage 1 of TTTS - a serious diagnosis requiring urgent treatment.

The Tembys were told about an amazing procedure called fetal laser surgery which cuts off blood connections to try and equal our the share of blood flow between babies.

But sadly their hopes of having the surgery were quickly dashed. The procedure wasn't possible as cords had grown into Sophie's placental wall.

The prognosis was grim.

"They said 'do you want to terminate so save one?" Megan said.

"There are only five surgeons in Melbourne who could do the procedure, so I said 'can you put our case out there?'

"Four of them said to terminate and

save one because there's just no chance (all would survive). One said to let nature take its course, so they thought they wouldn't survive."

"TTTS has a 90-100% fatality rate and we were at the extreme end due to it developing so early and (them) being triplets and the cords growing into Sophie's placental wall."

After being given the devastating news, Megan and Adam decided to wait a week before making any decisions on the future of their babies.

When they had their next scan, the TTTS had progressed to Stage 2.

Specialists told the Tembys to consider the possibility of long-term disabilities and the danger that one of the girls would die in the womb and give another a stroke.There was also a chance the girls could develop Twin anemia polycythemia sequence (TAPS), a chronic form of TTTS. "They were saying if you want to walk away with one, then terminate," Megan said.

"We just went back every week.

Every time they were expecting the little one (Jade) not to have a heartbeat.

"At 24 weeks Jade wasn't growing.

They didn't think she wouldn't reach the 500 gram mark.

"There were long-term disabilities they wanted us to think about.

"Jade, if she passed, could give Asha a stroke."

Delivery wasn't an option until all the girls weighed at least half a kilogram.

So, as tough as it was, the Tembys decided to continue and let nature take its course.

Then at 28 weeks, the incredible happened - tiniest triplet Jade made it over 500 grams.

Two weeks later, doctors decided it was time for a c-section delivery.

The girls were born one minute apart at Monash Medical Centre on the morning of March 30, 2016.

Asha tipped the scales at 1.391kg, Sophie weighed 1.424kg and Jade was the smallest at 1.064kg.

But they weren't out of the woods yet.

The girls spent the first two months of their little lives in intensive care, and another month in hospital.

Asha was the first to come home.

Sophie joined her three days later, but was sent back to hospital for a week after catching bronchiolitis.

Jade came home for weeks later but remained on a feeding tube.

The Temby's case has amazed medical experts.

The girls not only survived but have no serious long-term health issues.

Apart from Jade facing some growth delays and Asha having some fluid on the brain, the Temby triplets are healthy.

"I cannot praise the Monash (Medical Centre) enough. They saved the triplets lives after they were born - it was touch and go when they were born," Megan said. www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Megan holding Jade and Sophie when they were five days old.

The triplets having a cuddle in hospital at two months of age.

The girls home together at age four months.

The girls on their first day home together at three months of age.

Sophie, Asha and Jade riding around their backyard. Picture: Catherine Smith Looking at the Temby triplets, you would have no idea they had such a difficult start to life.

"If anyone is up to trouble it is always Jade and Asha working together, with Sophie always telling them off."

The trio are outgoing, cheeky and love tearing around their bikes in their Skye backyard.

As the girls go from strength to strength, Megan is on a mission to raise awareness about TTTS, a disease few parents are aware of.

"Asha is the very sporty, cheeky and an outgoing girl. She loves to also dress up and is a real girly girl," Megan said.

She wants parents expecting identical multiples to be aware of the condition and demand regular scans.

"Sophie is the boss and organiser. She is really observant and catches onto new things so quickly.

"The mortality rate is 90-100 per cent," she said.

"Jade is very tough and very cheeky.

If there is mischief to get up to Jade usually starts it.

"Anyone with identical babies needs fortnightly scans early on into the pregnancy.

■ A serious disease that affects identical twins (or higher multiple gestations) who share a common monochorionic placenta ■ The shared placenta contains abnormal blood vessels which connect the umbilical cord and circulations of the twins. The

common placenta may also be shared unequally by the twins ■ Blood can be transfused disproportionately from one twin to the other, causing one twin to have decreased blood volume.

This leads to slower than normal growth than its twin and poor urinary output causing little to no amniotic fluid or oligohydramnios.

■ Isn't hereditary or genetic, and the events in pregnancy that lead to TTTS are all random ■ Is estimated to affect 15% of monochorionic identical twin pregnancies Source: TTTS Foundation

"We are so incredibly lucky."

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AUTUMN 2019 5

your life It’s

Why buy toys WHEN YOU CAN BORROW?

BERWICK TOY LIBRARY

By Melissa Grant

through play. It’s not just about having fun,” she said.

HOW often do you spend a small fortune on a toy only for your child to grow out of it in a few months?

Ashlea said her son generally lost interest in a toy within a week or two.

Do you frequently feel like your house is cluttered with toys?

If you answered yes, then you might want to check out your local toy library.

There are five libraries operating in the Casey Cardinia area, with each boasting a wide selection of toys.

For a relatively small membership fee, parents can regularly borrow toys throughout the year from the non-profit volunteer run services.

Berwick Toy Library secretary Ashlea Kight says borrowing toys - rather than always buying - is a fantastic way for families to save money while helping their children learn through play.

Ashlea regularly borrows toys for her son Elijah, aged 20 months, based on his interests and skills he needs to work on.

“He gets four toys per fortnight. When I bring them home they are the coolest toys ever, but by about day 7-10 they are sitting in the corner of the room.“ She said toy libraries were starting to become more popular, however many parents have no idea there is a toy library near them.

“My mum was actually involved in the toy library when I was a young child,” she said.

“I wouldn’t have known it existed unless mum told me and I went searching for it.

“Now that everybody is quite environmentally conscious and trying to do their bit to not contribute to landfill, I think people are getting more interested in it.”

The Berwick Toy Library has more than 600 toys, games and puzzles suitable for children aged up to six years old.

There are also toy libraries located at Pakenham, Cranbourne, Emerald and Upper Beaconsfield.

Perfect Gift Ideas

Timbarra Community Centre, Timbarra Way Berwick ■ Features over 600 toys for kids aged up to 6 ■ Session times: Mondays 9.30am - 10.30am fortnightly during school terms, Saturdays 9.30am-10.30am fortnightly during school terms ■ General annual memberships $50, family daycare annual memberships $100 ■ For more information, email berwicktoylibrary@gmail.com or search for Berwick Toy Library on Facebook, http:// berwicktoylibrary.com.au/

PAKENHAM AND DISTRICT TOY LIBRARY

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“I’m a teacher so I understand the benefits. There are such a range of skills - motor, growth, problem solving, early maths skills all learnt by children

Mira, 5, checks out some of the goods at the Berwick Toy Library.

CASEY CARDINIA TOY LIBRARIES:

Located at Hollins Children’s Centre, Atlantic Drive, Pakenham ■ Features a large range of toys aimed at children aged 0-6 years ■ Session times: First week of the month - Friday 10am-1pm, Second week of the month - Wednesday 9.30am-11am, Third week of the month - Sunday 10am-12pm, Fourth week of the month Wednesday 9.30am-11am ■ Family memberships are $55 a year.

For more information, search Pakenham & District Toy Library on Facebook or email pakenhamtoylibrary@gmail.com

UPPER BEACONSFIELD TOY LIBRARY

PUFFING BILLY TOY LIBRARY 5 Church Street, Emerald ■ Features more than 900 toys aimed at kids from infants to 12 years of age and beyond ■ Session times: Wednesdays 10am-11.30am, Saturdays 10am11.30am ■ For more information including membership options, email puffingbillytoylibrary@gmail.com or search for Puffing Billy Toy Library on Facebook

Community Room, Upper

DRYSDALES – the Jewellers Quality jewellery is forever 2 Blackburne Square, Berwick VIC 3806 Phone: (03) 9707 2647

Beaconsfield Community Centre, 10-12 Salisbury Road ■ Features more than 500 toys for children from birth to 6 years ■ Session times: Thursday 11am - Midday during school terms (closed public holidays) ■ Annual Family Membership $40 (conditions apply). Borrow up to five items for two weeks.

■ For more information, visit www. ubtl.mibase.com.au, email upperbeac.toylibrary@yahoo.com. au or office@ubcc.org.au, or search Upper Beaconsfield Toy Library on Facebook.

CRANBOURNE TOY LIBRARY 65 Cranbourne-Berwick Road, Cranbourne (building entry via the Casey Radio entrance) ■ Features more than 18,000 toys ■ Session times: Tuesdays 10am11.30am, Thursdays 12pm-1.30pm ■ Membership starts from $45 (concession) and $60 for the year.

■ For more information, visit www. www.cranbournetoylibrary.com.au or search for Cranbourne Toy Library on Facebook

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your life It’s

OUR favourite BABY NAMES

By Melissa Grant Victoria's most popular baby names have been revealed - and only two letters separate the number one picks for boys and girls.

Oliver and Olivia were the top baby names in 2018, according data from the Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

VICTORIA'S TOP BABY NAMES IN 2018

Oliver was Victoria's favourite boys' name for the fourth year running, while Olivia overtook Charlotte to become the most popular girls' name.

BOYS

GIRLS

1. Oliver

1. Olivia

2. Jack

2. Charlotte

3. William

3. Amelia

For boys, Jack, William, Noah and Thomas all featured in the top five for the second year in a row. Leo, Henry and Charlie were new entrants in the top 10.

4. Noah

4. Mia

5. Thomas

5. Ava

6. Henry

6. Isla

7. Leo

7. Zoe

8. Ethan

8. Chloe

9. Liam (tied with Charlie)

9. Grace

For girls, Charlotte came in at number two while Amelia, Mia and Ava rounded out the top five.

Chloe returned to the top 10, while Matilda was the sole new entrant, perhaps due to the 30-year anniversary of Roald Dahl's popular children's novel, Matilda.

10. Matilda

10. Charlie (tied with Liam)

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AUTUMN 2019 7

your life It’s

Midwife

By Danielle Galvin CATHRYN Curtin, or Midwife Cath as she's more fondly referred to, believes being a parent these days isn't easy.

She says parents aren't always given the necessary tools to raise children, and that's why she continues to teach, to share her wisdom and guide parents through the beautiful, intimidating, terrifyingly magical journey of parenthood.

A midwife, renowned author, public speaker and former maternal child health nurse, Cath is outspoken in her views.

"Google is a shocker," she points out.

"Why I tell women not to Google is that when you get the answer you don't know what to do with those words, you don't understand the answer and it makes you more confused."

The other problem she sees parents face these days is knowing where to get advice, when and how to seek out an expert, and who to listen to.

Closed Facebook groups for parents can be as good as a village, she says, but they can also be a hotbed of misinformation

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8 AUTUMN 2019

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Cath's

VIEWS ON MOTHERHOOD IN THE MODERN ERA

WIN WIN

children’s scooter A

and judgement for a parent vulnerable and desperate for answers.

It's certainly not just adjusting to life as a new parent that she has her sights set on - she believes parents in early childhood, particularly toddlers with their wild ways, tantrums, negotiation skills and hilarious comebacks, can sometimes hit you for six.

"It's not a put down of parents at all, you learn a lot in the first six weeks and then you start to make it up," she says.

"And I say to them, I couldn't do your job, so let me help you."

When it comes to toddlers, she agrees parents are often left to their own devices and there's minimal training, advice and help.

Cath draws on an example from The Simpsons, when Homer talks to the dog, and all the dog hears is 'blah bah blah'.

"You just shouldn't try and negotiate with a three-year-old, you basically tell them what to do and that's it," she said.

"Their brain is not developed enough to understand negotiation. You sort of think as a parent you should talk and

negotiate, and have a big long discussion with them, and it's just like 'blah blah blah'.

"You have to understand the brain development. I say to parents your 18-month-old can't write a sentence - so they can't understand a sentence (but) they can comprehend you saying do this, do that."

In light of that, she disagrees with the 'terrible twos' tag often thrown around.

"The best thing with toddlers is distraction. Their brain is egocentric, it's parallel play, it's all about them," she says.

"You've got to distract in order to help them learn and help them play, rather than sitting down and having a long discussion. "Toddlers are absolutely amazing, they are scientists, little sponges and you can teach them absolutely anything, but it's the way you teach them and the way you talk to them."Cath's advice is simple when it comes to tantrums.

"Make sure they are safe and let them have it," she advises.

"Tantrums are usually around tiredness, hunger, and taking them to

places they are not up to.

"If you're out, get up and go. If you're at home, let them scream until they stop screaming, and you say are you finished now?

"Don't keep taking about the tantrum.

Wipe their face and get on with it.

"All they are doing is screaming from frustration."

She takes particular aim at the way check-ups are run these days through the maternal health service.

She says too often it's about "ticking boxes and weighing babies" but there's not enough teaching going on.

"Our role is to teach," she says.

"It's part of engaging people and having the skill to talk to them and encourage them about wonderful parenting is and how good it can be, when you do it as a positive loving approach."

Cath's Masterclass series is running across the country in 2019. For dates, information and to book a consultation with Cath, visit midwifecathsvillage. com.au or follow her on Instagram @midwifecath

PLUS ONE FOR MUM TO celebrate Mother's Day, we've teamed up with Globber to giveaway two scooters - a children's scooter plus one for mum!

The Globber One NL205 scooter offers a smooth and stylish ride for mum featuring an easy one-second folding system which means she doesn't have to awkwardly bend down to switch from self-standing to trolley mode.

The Globber Evo Comfort is perfect for kids of all ages. It's the only scooter your child will need in the early years as it converts from pushchair to walking bike to a pre-schooler's scooter, and eventually to an older child's scooter.

How cool is that?

For your chance to win this awesome Globber scooter prize pack, valued at $440, visit starcommunity.com.au/ competitions/ and simply search for Globber Scooter Prize Pack to complete your entry.

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AUTUMN 2019 9

your life It’s

THE ‘WRONG’ SEX AND GETTING OVER

gender disappointment

By Danielle Galvin

psychologist at Mereweather Counselling in Frankston, Victoria.

disappointment emotions as just being selfish, or ungrateful.

THE non-invasive prenatal test, also called the harmony test, has almost become standard procedure in the last couple of years for pregnant mums, giving expectant parents unprecedented access to find out about their baby's medical footprint.

She's spoken about gender disappointment in the past, as a type of loss.

"Shouldn't you just be happy to have a healthy, happy baby?"

One of the things that the simple early blood test reveals is the gender of an unborn child, and many elect to find out.

No longer do parents have to wait until birth, or the 20 week scan, to be told if it's team pink or team blue.

But with this knowledge comes a new, fascinating phenomenon that some parents are finding hard to navigate.

And with it comes a great deal of shame, guilt, loss and confusion.

For some parents, when they're told the gender of their unborn child, the moment is not a happy one.

Instead, they might put on a smile, but are desperately saddened by the news revealed by an obstetrician or ultrasound technician.

It's called gender disappointment.

As more and more people find out what gender they are having well before baby arrives into the world, it's perhaps a phenomenon that we'll see more of.

Dr Di McGreal is a consultant

"The clinical definition is anxiety or depression experienced by an expectant parent when the sex of the baby does not match his or her preference," she said.

Dr McGreal said it can be more common in second pregnancies, when people are still holding onto some romantic ideas about what their child should be.

"With the first they say let's not find out, let's have a surprise, and sometimes that's a good thing," she said.

"But sometimes there has already been an expectation in the parents mind that I'm having a boy or I'm having a girl and that can be quite a surprise for the person.

"It's almost like a real grief experience when you think about the sex, it's like grieving for a real person, grieving for a baby you didn't have."

More so, it can be difficult for some to understand how any parent-to-be could be disappointed or at a loss when they find out what the sex is.

Especially for anyone who has experienced fertility issues in the past, it can be hard not to dismiss those gender

Dr McGreal said it's true parents who feel this way can encounter some judgement or feel ashamed.

"Many people are leaving it to much later these days, and if you're leaving it until 40 you may encounter great difficulty," she said.

"So if you are talking to someone who has encountered great difficulty or haven't been able to had baby, and you talk to them about being disappointed, they many not think that's appropriate at all."

Thankfully, she said the feelings do often pass when bub is born.

"Our brains have this wonderful capacity once we hold a baby in our rooms, for most of that to fade away but grief in the pregnancy stage can be quite strong," she said.

In her view, an expectant parent can go through the five stages of grief when experiencing gender disappointment.

they've made a mistake'."

For someone who is experiencing gender disappointment, it can be difficult to know where to turn, where to seek help, and how to articulate that loss.

Dr McGreal suggests writing a letter to the baby that won't be, a letter of goodbye and acknowledging that grief.

And then, perhaps writing a letter of hello to the new baby saying how excited you are to hold them and gaze into their eyes.

She said it's important not to disregard those feelings of loss and disappointment, as grief is powerful and dangerous if not dealt with.

"It's really important you listen to your body speak and if your heart is hurting, go and speak to somebody about it," she said.

As for somebody with a loved one struggling with gender disappointment, the worst thing you can do is dismiss their feelings.

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

"As soon as you say you should be happy - you completely roadblock any healing for them and any future chance they might actually trust you and talk to you," she said.

"I once had somebody say to me, 'it's the wrong test, I've been told I'm having a girl but I'm having a boy and I think they have done the wrong test, and

"We don't have any rights to tell anybody how they should feel about anything. Accept where they are and help them by loving them anyway."

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10 AUTUMN 2019

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Fun

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Monday 15 – Saturday 20 April

Children can meet with Peter Rabbit whilst decorating their very own planter and receive their own plant to take home!

Participants will receive chocolate Easter goodies and go in the draw to WIN 1 of 5 major prize packs. Visit the website for full details.

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Disclaimer: BEATRIX POTTER™ © Frederick Warne & Co., 2018 Frederick Warne & Co. is the owner of all rights, copyrights and trademarks in the Beatrix Potter character names and illustrations.

Licensed by Silvergate PPL Ltd. Part of the Silvergate Media group of companies.

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AUTUMN 2019 11

your life Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Smart snacks FOR KIDS

By Melissa Grant FOR many kids, snack time is junk time.

Children need to satisfy their hunger between meals, but the sad reality is many are filling up on sugary and high calorie foods such as chips and biscuits.

Foodie, mum and author Flip Shelton.

While there is a lot of focus on preparing three nutritious meals a day and packing healthy llunchboxes, ssnacks are often o overlooked.

Victorian mum and foodie Flip Shelton is passionate about making parents more mindful of what their kids are snacking on.

She has just released her third cookbook Smart Snacks, a collaboration with renowned adolescent and child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg.

"We owe more to our kids than filling them up with rubbish," Shelton said.

"They have little brains they have little bodies - we are custodians of their health and we really need to step up."

Smart Snacks features more than 100 quick and nutritious recipes for kids, with advice from Dr Carr-Gregg.

His family have tried all the recipes in the book, which includes chapters on super sangas, balls, midnight munchies, and smart sweet things.

He says snacks are important for maintaining blood-sugar levels, with benefits

for a child's mood and concentration.

Research shows snacks have become larger and more regular parts of our diets.

As a mother of a nine-year-old boy, Shelton has seen countless children snacking on sugary and high-calorie snack foods.

"What I see is that the parents give them a slurpee for example, or a packet of BBQ Shapes and they say 'it's a treat' or 'they are doing their sport'," she said.

"Yes that's true they are active, but you need to set up the template for kids to make healthy choices. If you just hand them the BBQ Shapes then that's their normal.

"Food is a really confrontational subject. The mum says 'it's just a snack, it's a treat, he's just done an hour of tennis'.

"I just quietly say 'that's 13 teaspoons of sugar you've just given your child in that slurpee'."

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As parents lead busy lives, Shelton has kept the recipes in Smart Snacks simple.

The cashew balls recipe, for example, only has two ingredients.

Shelton encourages parents to get their kids involved in the cooking and to make the freezable recipes in large batches.

As healthy foods are often expensive, she advises parents to buy in bulk, take advantage of specials and head down to farmers markets at the end of the day.

The recipes in Smart Snacks are vegetarian and full of protein, complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids plus vitamins and minerals.

Shelton's go-to recipe is the cacao balls.

"For my son and I, the thing we make every single week is the cacao balls mainly because he can make them.

Brownies INGREDIENTS (Makes about 36)

■ 2 cups (250 g) grated sweet potato (about 1-2 sweet potatoes)

TOPPING

■ 4 eggs

■ 1 tablespoon cacao nibs

■ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

■ 2 tablespoons coconut flakes

■ pinch of sea salt

■ 1 tablespoon goji berries or 1/2 cup (75 g) fresh blueberries or raspberries

"The other stuff we have on high rotation, including the smoothies."

■ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

A sure way to ensure your child consumes healthy snacks, Shelton says, is to put a note on the fridge detailing what nutritious snack foods are inside.

■ 1/2 cup (110 g) coconut oil, melted

■ 1/2 cup (50 g) cacao powder ■ 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup or honey

METHOD

■ 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 16 cm × 26 cm (base measurement) roasting tin with baking paper.

Finally, it's best to keep those naughty treats out of the fridge and cupboard.

GANACHE (OPTIONAL)

2. To make the brownie, put all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir until well mixed.

"If your downfall is chocolate or chips, just don't buy it!" Shelton said.

■ 1/4 cup (60 g) coconut oil, melted

3. Spoon the mixture into the lined tin and spread evenly using the back of a spoon. Bake for 30 minutes.

"Kids are notoriously forgetful, especially when they're hungry, and the power of suggestion is fantastic."

Smart Snacks, Penguin Life, RRP $24.99

■ 1/4 cup (35 g) banana or coconut flour (or 1/3 cup regular plain flour)

■ 1/4 cup (25 g) cacao powder

■ 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)

4. Cover the top of the brownie slab with foil and bake for 10 minutes further or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Transfer the tin to a wire rack and leave to set for 10 minutes.

5. To make the ganache, put the cacao powder, coconut oil and maple syrup (if using) into a small bowl and stir until well combined.

6. Turn out the whole brownie slab on to a serving platter.

7. Drizzle ganache over the brownie, then sprinkle with cacao nibs, coconut flakes and goji berries or fresh blueberries and raspberries.

8. Eat warm or put the brownie slab in the fridge for 20 minutes or until ganache has firmed.

TIP: Brownies will keep for up to 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Stay cosy with the Casey Critters!

Keep your critters warm and dry, visit our new, FREE, indoor playground!

Can your kids find the Casey Critters?

Wednesday 9.30am – 12.30pm Saturday 11am – 2pm

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400 Narre Warren Cranbourne Road Narre Warren South, VIC 3805 caseycentral.com.au | |

AUTUMN 2019 13

your life Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Raising Teenage Boys TO BECOME THE MEN WE WANT THEM TO BE

IN raising a boy, you have to know what kind of man you are aiming for writes Steve Biddulph.

When you first learned you were having a boy, how did you feel? What thoughts and images sprang to mind, and were they good ones? Boys - and men - seem to be in a lot of trouble lately, and so we need to have clear d goals for how to raise them for now, and not the past. We don't need men who can wrestle buffaloes any more!

Sometimes in a workshop I ask people to call out what qualities they like most in a man. There are some ribald comments of course, but for the most part they are very heartfelt, and often reflect what the women have NOT received, always, from the men in their lives. So kindness comes high on the list, trustworthiness, being good humoured. Self-sacrificing, not selfish. Patient. Fun to be around, cheerful. There are two main qualities when you boil it down, in what makes a good man, and in fact a good human being. Backbone, and heart.

Heart is the capacity to be kind and look out for other people. Boys who are warm-hearted make the best friends, girls really like them, and they actually have more fun in life. When you encourage your four year old to care for his baby sister, or even his pet or toy, you teach him gentleness and pride in caring.

Right: World renowned author Steve Biddulph.

Backbone is the capacity to be true to your word. Hang in and finish something hard. Be reliable with commitments or promises. You have to teach boys that this is what manliness means. Strength is a mental thing, its got nothing to do with muscles. Sticking up for a friend.

Disagreeing when others say something stupid or hurtful. Your son will understand easily that this takes courage, and courage is something boys admire.

Some boys I know were at a party where the adults seemed to have vacated the scene, wanting to be friends rather than be seen as uncool grown ups. Alcohol was abundant. So in other words, a disaster looking to happen. One of the girls had way too much to drink, and already not over-dressed, was now in disarray on a couch among her laughing peers, close to passing out.

Sooner or later, these qualities will be a matter of life and death. So you can't start too soon. When your son shows these qualities, TELL HIM. It will become a part of who he thinks he is, and just grow stronger.

In the half dark, some boys began to touch her, then paw her more obviously, daring each other to go further, laughing and scoffing in their own alcohol fuelled haze. One of the other boys, seeing this, said "hey guys, leave her alone, she's had

way too much to drink, she needs help".

And moved in closer, inserting himself into the picture. He asked the girl for her phone, and not getting much answer, he took it and started to call her parents.

Then sat with a glare until the other boys got the message, or felt shamed enough, and with some scornful remarks, moved off for greener pastures.

You can talk to your sons about specific situations like this - what would you do if ... ? This makes it more likely that they will be able to think on the spot - something we all find hard to do.

Celia Lashley said that most of the men in her prison were there because of a decision made in five seconds.

Raising your son to be the kind of man you want needs to be a deliberate project, which he knows you are set on carrying out. Talk lots about what a good person, and a good man, is, and he will be well on the way.

Steve Biddulph's book Raising Boys in the 21st Century is out now - published

by Simon and Schuster.

Steve will be doing his world famous shows across Melbourne starting in May. www.stevebiddulph.com for details.

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WHAT’S ON FOR THE FAMILY THIS AUTUMN EASTER SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

BILLIONAIRE BOY Written by David Walliams and illustrated by Tony Ross. The story follows Joe Spud who is the richest boy in the country and has everything he could ever want, except a friend.

Don’t miss this original Australian adaptation with songs, laughs and yes, that cat sick and sweet potato mash from the canteen.

We’re hopping mad (in a good way) about holidays and this Easter we’ve created a special patch just for you and the kiddies to enjoy.

There’ll be arts and crafts workshops, gaming, sporting activities, family yoga sessions plus free flicks on our big screen. Grab the famz and head to the Plaza, cos we’ve got a bunch of fun stuff for everyone.

Location: Date: Time: Price:

Theatre Thu 18 April 1.00 pm & 3.00 pm $16

See website for details.

Our 1.00 pm show is a Relaxed Performance.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

THE SAPPHIRES

JUMP IN

JUMP FIRST, ASK LATER

Tale as old as time. Song as old as rhyme. Beauty and the Beast tells the story of the beautiful Belle, a grizzly beast and an unlikely love. The awardwinning Windmill Theatre Company back up their success of 2018’s We Will Rock You with this timeless Disney love story that all the family will enjoy.

Four young Aboriginal country music singers in regional Australia, suddenly get the chance to change their tune, their clothes and their lives. The Sapphires is a funny, heart-warming tale inspired by the true story of four Yorta Yorta Women, who sing Motown hits against the backdrop of massive social upheaval.

Is there an aspiring rapper or hiphop dancer in your family? This is a freestylin’ event aimed at local hip-hop peeps led by local emerging artists. There’ll be drop-in workshops and open mic opportunities to refine rhymes. Totes cool. It also includes a cypher competition, where the winner gets to lay down tracks in an actual recording studio. This is going to be epic! See website for more details.

This multi award-winning show tells the stories of six young champions underground parkour and street style community. Urban freestyle, b-boying, parkour and dance intersect to create a killer performance that leaves the kids wide-eyed and begging for more!

Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia). All performance materials supplied

by Hal Leonard Australia.

Location: Date: Time: Price:

Theatre Sat 8 June to Sun 23 June See website for details Adult $47, Concession $42, U16 $38, Group of 10+ $42, Family $160

Location: Theatre Date: Fri 10 May Sat 11 May Time: 8.00 pm Price: Adults $45, Concession $40, U25 $25 Our Friday show is Open Captioned.

Location: Date: Time: Price:

Location: Date: Time: Price:

Theatre Wed 31 May 1.00 pm - 7.30 pm $16

Plaza Fri 17 May 6.00 pm - 9.00 pm FREE

fairfield

ME & MY SHADOW

LOOSE ENDS

STORYTIME AND TORCH TOUR

Children love to play with shadows but making friends with your shadow can be a tricky business. There are things to sort out, problems to solve, to have and laughter to be shared.

Imagine if you could organise your life in boxes? See how a man thinks he can but has a knack for getting into mischief. Can this tinkerer learn enough about real friendship to keep him out of trouble?

After Storytime in the Library, join in the fun with a guided Torch Tour of Vera Moller’s A Thousand Tides exhibition to seek and find objects.

STORYTIME

TORCH TOUR

Location: Date: Time: Price:

Location: Library Date: Tue 7 May & Fri 11 May Time: Tue 2.00 pm - 2.30 pm Fri 11.00 am - 11.30 am

Location: Gallery Date: Tue 7 May & Fri 11 May Time: Tue 2.30 pm - 3.00 pm, Fri 11.30 am - 12.00 pm

Location: Date: Time: Price:

Theatre Tue 25 June 10.00 am & 1.00 pm $16

Follow us at

bunjilplace

Theatre Thu 11 April 11.00 am & 2.00 pm $16

bunjil_place

For bookings and more information, jump onto bunjilplace.com.au, phone 9709 9700 or email bunjilplace@casey.vic.gov.au Service Fees apply to phone and online bookings. Information is correct at the time of printing. For current details please check our website.

A relaxed performance is a performance accessible for a range of audience members including autistic audiences, and audiences with sensory or communication conditions, or learning disabilities. Adjustments to the space and production are made to avoid or reduce risk of overwhelm.

Open Captioning is a text display of all the words and sounds heard during a production.

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www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

AUTUMN 2019 15

LINK BETWEEN

FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

By Melissa Meehan PREGNANT women are warned against eating liquorice, as they might be more likely to have children with cognitive or behavioural problems than mothers who don't consume it.

A new study from Finland has found that too much black liquorice during pregnancy might affect a baby's brain.

It found children whose mothers ate liquorice while they were pregnant had lower IQs than the children whose mothers consumed little to none during their pregnancy.

It also found that girls reached puberty earlier if their mothers ate liquorice during pregnancy.

"The present findings suggest that pregnant women should be informed that consumption of liquorice and other food products containing (a chemical found in liquorice called) glycyrrhizin may be associated with harm for their developing offspring," the researchers wrote in the study led by Katri RäikkÜnen, a professor of psychology at the University of Helsinki in Finland.

The liquorice compound glycyrrhizin may explain the effects on the children, the study found.

In the body, glycyrrhizin blocks the

activity of an enzyme that helps protect the fetus from high levels of cortisol, which is sometimes referred to as the stress hormone.

High levels of cortisol may affect the neurological development of a fetus.

Researchers were unable to determine what amount of liquorice was safe to consume during pregnancy or if there was a specific time when women should avoid the treat.

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CHILDREN whose vocabulary skills develop slowly are more likely to experience emotional and behavioural issues in adolescence, a new study shows.

The research is the first to model how children's language development influences changes in mental health problems over a 10-year period, from early childhood to adolescence. The research, led by Deakin School of Psychology researcher Dr Elizabeth Westrupp, found a link between slower vocabulary skills and hyperactivity.

"We found new evidence that lower growth in vocabulary over primary school was associated with increased child hyperactivity-inattention at eight to nine years, and more rapid increases in hyperactivityinattention over early to middle teenage years, up to 14 to 15 years.

"These findings show the importance of monitoring children through middle childhood and adolescence as they develop."

Data from nearly 5000 Australian children was gathered in the study, with children assessed six times between four and 15 years of age.

The research also investigated possible reasons for the association between language development and behavioural issues.

"We found that children's academic experiences in middle childhood explained the link between early vocabulary development and teenage emotional and behavioural problems," Dr Westrupp said.

12413040-ACM14-19

Liquorice warning

vocabulary skills and hyperactivity

16 AUTUMN 2019

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

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www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

AUTUMN 2019 17

your life It’s

Talk money

WITH YOUR CHILDREN EARLY

By Melissa Meehan

CHILDREN whose parents have good money behaviours are often better equipped to manage their money, no matter how old they are.

Saver Plus program manager Dan Crotty says because of this, parents should talk to their kids about money as early as preschool.

"This will help establish good money habits for life. It's easy to find ways to talk to children about money, no matter how old they are," he said.

Mr Crotty said these lessons are even more crucial as we become an increasingly cashless society.

"Children no longer have a tangible connection to money as we move to digital banking and tapping cards at the checkout. They also have little understanding of how credit works and the potential impact of debt on their finances."

SAVINGS TIPS FOR KIDS FROM PRESCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL

■ Keep track of mobile phone data and expenses to make sure you don't run out of credit or get a larger bill than you expected

PRE-SCHOOL

■ You need money to buy things ■ Money includes notes and coins ■ You earn money by working

PRIMARY SCHOOL

■ Comparing prices and shopping around before you buy something is a good habit ■ You need to be patient when saving up ■ You can choose how to spend your money ■ Let your kids pay for small expenses with their pocket or birthday money.

This helps them work out how far money goes

HIGH SCHOOL ■ Doing a budget helps you work out how you should spend your money ■ Credit is money that you borrow and have to pay back with interest

■ It is good to have savings in case of a money emergency

Source: ASIC MoneySmart website: www.moneysmart. gov.au/life-events-and-you/ families/teaching-kids-aboutmoney

SAVER PLUS FACTS The Brotherhood of St Laurence and ANZ developed Saver Plus in 2003.

The program is funded

by ANZ and the Australian Department of Social Services.

Saver Plus assists people on lower incomes to develop a savings habit and achieve a savings goal.

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AUTUMN 2019 19

your life Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

MUM INJECTS

culture into children's books

By Melissa Meehan FOR many first-time mums, parenthood can become a very isolating time.

You become wrapped up in the feed, play, sleep routine and with the lack of sleep it's hard to find yourself within the initial fog of it all.

Mum Josynta Singh knows this feeling all too well.

A lawyer by trade, she (like many others) found it difficult to turn her mind to anything different than nappies, milk and baby talk.

But after reading numerous baby books to her daughter Zara she noticed something was missing.

Josynta, of Indian background, realised there were very few books that depicted the way she grew up or the way she was raising her daughter.

So the mum-of-two started writing her own children's books about three years ago.

"I just didn't see anything that showed how I was raising my daughter - and by that I mean, a bit of Indian culture in a western background," she said.

"And there's a lot of people in the same boat as me - migrants living in a western country and there's no kids books that reflect the little bits and

Anika.

Zara and her little sister Anika.

pieces of our culture that we take on ourselves as we grow up."

Nonna and Greeks have Yia Yia." Josynta said finishing the book was "really rewarding" and has begun work on her second.

This includes cultural clothing and different foods.

And, as she was preparing to welcome her second child into the world, Josynta (who has lived in Australia for 20 years) was putting the final touches on her book called Zara likes to...

"It's very important that kids can identify themselves in books - so for instance when Zara saw the character in the book eating Daahl - she said 'I like to do that'," she said.

"And we call grandparents Nani in the book - which is just like Italians have

"My husband comes in and out, doing exciting things at work and you sort of tend to lose yourself, sacrificing much in motherhood," she said.

"I found that going for a walk in park, or going out with friends, or buying something - they are great when on maternity leave.

"But what I found more fulfilling, or what brought me back to who I was is this book - it challenged my brain and gave me something to be passionate

We Week 1

Josyntha with her daughter Zara.

Pictures: Rob Carew about outside of nappies."

To buy your copy check out Zaralikesto_ on instagram

Meet the Farm Anima Animals MON 8 TO FRI 12 APRIL | 10AM TO 2PM

Kids Crafts Courtesy of Endeavour Hills Library THURS 11 APRIL | 10AM TO 2PM Visit our for website ding Easter tra hours.

Week 2

Easter Kids Craft TUES 16 TO THURS 18 APRIL | 10AM TO 2PM

Matthew Flinders Av & Heatherton Rd, Endeavour Hills

20 AUTUMN 2019

12413016-RC14-19

*Parental supervision required.

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

12410174-CG14-19

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

AUTUMN 2019 21

CHILDREN of all ages can be picky eaters, leaving parents feeling concerned their child is missing out on vital nutrients and healthy foods as they grow.

Parents can sometimes find their once adventurous offspring suddenly won't touch much of the healthy stuff, making meal times a battle.

Often as babies they start out eating everything, happily taking a bite of a piece of broccoli or trying a piece of sweet watermelon.

But parents can sometimes see a change when the toddler years hit, and suddenly the child who ate everything will only eat plain pasta and vegemite toast, turning up their noses at green vegetables, fruit and protein-packed meat.

Miriam Raleigh is a Melbourne paediatric dietitian with some ideas, and explanations for those fussy, difficult eaters.

She spoke to Danielle Galvin with some practical tips about navigating a phase of childhood many parents will have to face.

TIPS FOR DEALING WITH

Parents will bring their children to see me for lots of different reasons.

Some children might have tummy upsets such as tummy pains, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea or a combination of any of these problems.

Some children might be underweight for their age, others might be overweight for their age, or have food allergies, while others want to be vegetarian or vegan or might be being raised in a family that is vegan and they are seeking advice on how to do this safely. Many children present with fussy eating behaviours which might mean that they have a limited range of foods from certain food groups.

12413632-RC14-19

fussy eaters and meal-time battles

Firstly why do some children end up seeing someone like yourself - what sort of issues might they be having?

22 AUTUMN 2019

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

What’s your best piece of advice for parents with children who are fussy, difficult eaters who refuse either vegetables or fruit? (I have one myself who’s anti-fruit).

My best advice for parents of children who are fussy is to lead by example every opportunity they get! Eat with your children as often as possible, don’t just sit with them, but actually eat with them, what they are eating. Show them how to eat certain foods, show them how much you enjoy eating those foods. Keep meal times calm and enjoyable and try to avoid any argument when it comes to food.

Encourage children to be involved with meal preparation whenever you can and be mindful that it takes time for children to explore and broaden their palate and repertoire of meals and foods.

What do we need to look out for, when it comes to packaged snacks? It can be tricky to navigate!

Always start by considering where a certain snack fits on the healthy food plate (previously the food pyramid we know so well from our childhood). If a packaged snack is chips, biscuits, or some sort of sweet treat, it is unlikely to be the best choice for a daily option, but a good choice to have sometimes as a special treat.

When reading labels of food snacks, try to choose food products with less than 15g sugar per 100g, less than 400mg sodium per 100g (ideal would be less than 150mg/100g but this is very hard to find).

How do we, as parents, avoid or limit sugar intake especially when children spend time with well-meaning grandparents who love giving them treats, and they’re so exposed to marketing ploys in the supermarket, like chocolate at the check-out or toys?

Giving your children sugary snacks and treats is a personal parenting choice and decision within each family unit. I believe that moderation is crucial in instilling a healthy relationship with food in our children, and strict avoidance of sweet treats often makes them of very high value to children who can then binge on them when they have a free opportunity to do so.

Grandparents do love to treat their grandchildren, particularly with sweets (that we never would have been allowed as children ourselves).

Depending on how often your children are in the care of their grandparents really determines how much of an issue this needs to be. If they are only with them once a week or fortnight, then as long as the treats are not excessive, it can be a nice bond with their grandparents. If they are cared for several times each week, then boundaries should be discussed to ensure that the treats are only occasional, rather than daily.

I often recommend that families have set days of the week when they have treats so that everyone can look forward to it and to normalise ’sugary’ foods as being allowed a balanced diet It might sound silly, but how do parents know if their child is getting enough of the good stuff - and too much of the foods we should only consume in moderation?

Again it can be a difficult one for parents to keep track of. Sometimes the best thing to do is write it down. Write down what your children have to eat each day for a whole week and see what it looks like.

Each day may not be perfect (because life isn’t perfect), but as long as over the course of the week they have a range of different foods from all core food groups, you probably have nothing to worry about.

Break their intake down into the five food groups (fruits, vegetables, breads and cereals, dairy/dairy alternatives, meat/meat alternatives) and see whether they have variety within each food group.

If food groups are missing, or your child has food allergies or intolerances that restrict their diet in some way and you are concerned about their nutritional adequacy, it is always best to make a time with a dietitian specialising in children’s nutrition.

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Packaged snacks can be tricky to navigate and wherever possible (if time and skill allows), try to minimise packaged snacks but instead opt for fresh foods (fruits/vegetables), dairy

options such as cheese or unsweetened yoghurt or some homemade snacks.

Miriam Raleigh, a paediatric dietitian, has some ideas for parents of picky eaters.

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

AUTUMN 2019 23

your life Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Right singing coach

THE KEY TO FINDING A CHILDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST VOICE

A child can be taught to sing, even if they have a terrible voice.

All it takes is a little dedication and the right coaching, according to expert voice coach Paul Sykes.

But Paul says not all singing coaches are the same.

"A child needs an expert who can develop their voice properly from the start," he explains.

"With poor technique, vocal habits will be formed that at best will limit their potential and at worst create vocal damage later on.

Expert voice coach Paul Sykes.

"So it's important that they choose a singing coach who has the knowledge, experience, intuition and skill.

people discover their best singing voice.

"It's also important that the coach is friendly, encouraging, personable and fun so they want to come to their lesson."

The first phase is to get the voice working technically and he watches for 12 individual elements, such as tongue and jaw position.

Paul has owned three recording studios. sung on advertising jingles for radio and TV and extensive live performance experience.

The second phase involves taking those elements and putting them into songs, showing students how they can change their tone, volume and intensity.

He is passionate about teaching children how to find their voice in a fun environment.

During the third phases, Paul shows his students how to express their songs emotionally to make their voice sound amazing.

With 30 years' experience in the music industry and as an expert coach, Paul has helped more than 1300 people develop their voice.

"This is by far the fastest and most professional way to get someone's voice sounding great because it sets up a foundation of a technique they will use for a lifetime," he said.

Paul, who has recently relocated to Berwick, bases his training on the highly regarded Estill vocal training method and works in three phases to help

Want to know more? Visit www. vocalpro.com.au

WHEN TO START AND STOP

formal swimming lessons

ONE DAY ONLY OFFERS FREE KIDS ACTIVITIES & MORE PRE MOVIE ENTERTAINMENT STARTS 5PM GIVEAWAYS NEXT TO SCREEN Enjoy the movie in your car or BYO chair or rug.

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AUSTRALIA is surrounded by open water, and being in and out of the water is a significant part of our lives.

physical skills and meeting a number of developmental milestones earlier than their peers.

It's therefore important for both adults and children to learn skills to help them swim safer.

Paul Sadler Swimland offers free swimming classes for four and five month old babies, so there's never been a better time to start lessons.

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

By 4 months of age, babies are able to regulate their body temperature for the duration of a 30-minute class.

It's a great time to start water familiarisation and a great opportunity for parents and carers to connect with their babies.

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The long-term benefits to children who start swimming lessons young are huge. A study conducted in 2012

by Griffith University - which surveyed almost 7000 parents with children under five - examined whether participation in early swimming lessons impacted subsequent milestones in child development.

The results showed a clear connection between children who participated in early swimming lessons with developing a range of

When to stop lessons can be a confusing question for many parents and instructors often hear parents say 'I'll stop lessons when my child can swim'.

This, however, is quite an ambiguous statement, which means different things for different people.

Studies show many parents overestimate their children's swimming abilities and therefore exit lessons too soon. These parents find by the time their children finish primary school, their swimming skills have declined.

Paul Sadler Swimland Swordy 1km swims are not only a great achievement, but also a great indicator that children are proficient swimmers. It's a great goal to aim for before exiting lessons. Don't underestimate the risk or overestimate swimming abilities - make 1km you and your children's goal to help them be safer swimmers. www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Tasty and totally

gluten free fr ee meats

Burger Love store manager Laura.

New store openings at Endeavour Hills Shopping Centre ENDEAVOUR Hills Shopping Centre has kicked off the year with the opening of new food outlets to whet the appetite of its local community.

With the recent openings of Dancing Wok, Peking Duck & Dumpling House Restaurant and Burger Love, there is more choice for casual dining than ever before.

Dancing Wok owner Mei is a local resident who has been in the business for 15 years. She takes pride in her business, especially her crowd-pleasing dumplings which are homemade every day on site in front of shoppers.

Peking Duck & Dumpling House opened on Australia Day, with a traditional Chinese blessing performance. The restaurant is located external to the centre, with an authentic Asian decor. It boasts a large menu and staff will happily assist the most indecisive of customers.

The much-anticipated wait was over in February when the doors finally opened at Burger Love. It is the sixth store to open for the owners and is already a crowd favourite.

Burger Love (or #Burgerlove) not only cater for the hardcore burger enthusiast with burgers like 'The Paralyzer' or 'Meataxe', but also do vegan patties and naked burgers.

Endeavour Hills Shopping Centre will further expand its food offering in 2019, with an Italian pizza and pasta establishment to open mid-year.

Flounders, a centre retailer for many years, is about undergo a major refurbishment and will expand its offering to charcoal chicken and chips as well as fish and chips.

To stay tuned with the latest happenings at Endeavour Hills Shopping Centre, visit www. endeavourhillsshopping.com.au

Brian and Angela from Brian’s Gourmet Meats at Marriott Waters Shopping Centre.

BRIAN and wife Angela made their gourmet butcher shop at Marriott Waters Shopping Centre 100 per cent gluten free after learning how difficult it can be for people with coeliac disease to feed the family a nutritious gluten free meal that tastes good.

It took three years of research to find the best tasting crumbs, pastry and marinades, plus many hours cooking and tasting to ensure the whole family could enjoy the quality and flavours.

Brian brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the quality meats you'll find in store at Brian's Gourmet Meats.

With 35 years' industry experience, Brian has an eye for quality and his team are passionate about providing customers with inspiration for a great meal prepared with love.

About five years ago, Brian and Anglea were talking to a neighbour whose daughter was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2012. She explained how time consuming it was to cook separate meals and that it was hard to

find tasty gluten free meals the whole family would eat.

This motivated Brian to go on a mission to source the best local gluten free ingredients and create wonderful products that coeliacs have missed out on like garlic chicken kiev, beef wellingtons, stir fries and curries, schnitzels, souvlaki meat marinated in gluten free gyros, gourmet burgers, and more.

Even the condiments, dips, sauces, freezer and panty items in the shop are gluten free.

Brian's Gourmet Meats is the first butcher in Australia to have been accredited by Coeliac Australia.

Customers can be assured they have passed a stringent document review and onsite audits, and that staff have been trained and products laboratory tested for gluten.

They are open seven days a week at Marriott Waters Shopping Centre Lyndhurst.

For more details, visit www. briansgourmtemeats.com.au

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Life tyle

EASY STEPS FOR TEENS TO

organise their bedroom Professional organiser Julie Cliff

Julie Cliff, Professional Organiser TEENAGERS' bedrooms are the topic of many household arguments.

Shoes, clothes, rubbish and much more can often be found thrown on the floor. It tends to be the adults that are begrudgingly left to constantly pick up the mess.

Empower the teens with the right tools and skills to organise their own bedroom with these four easy steps.

You will be delighted with the results, the reduction of stress and the pride the teenagers start to take in their own space.

1. Teach the teens to decide if their clothes need washing Depending on the smelliness of the teen, clothes may not need to be washed every day.

Show them how to look out for marks on their clothes as they take it off.

Encourage smelly teens to make sure they put their clothes out to be washed on a regular basis.

■ Needs washing - Put the clothes in the laundry basket: Choose a fun design that is roughly the same size as the washing machine.

■ Does not need washing - Hang clothes for airing Delegate somewhere for clothes to be hung overnight instead of being thrown on the floor if they are OK to wear the next day, The end of the bed, allocated "airing hangers" in the wardrobe or on a night stand will do just the trick.

2. Set up an art gallery or display area for their stuff:

Show the teens how to put their clothes in the machine when the basket is full of dirty clothes.

Teach your teens the skill of letting go of stuff by making conscious choices about what they want to keep and put on display and what they no longer need.

I found some cool washing baskets on Pinterest. I also found some great ones at K-Mart too.

Set up a pinboard or display shelf for the teens to display the artwork they choose to keep.

Make time for the teens to rotate the artwork regularly, allowing time to dust and declutter as they change over the collection.

3. Provide a rubbish bin in their bedroom: Make sure there is a rubbish bin in each bedroom room.

The bin should be emptied each week when the other household bins go out.

4. Create a permanent home for things: Set up a permanent home in the bedroom for the teens' stuff and encourage them to return them to their home before they get into bed each night.

Another family I know keeps their shoes in the garage so they can take their shoes off on the way into the house from the car.

■ Clothes - label drawers so the teens can find clothes and put them away themselves.

With the right tools and a little encouragement teens will begin to take pride in their bedroom by getting involved in these 4 easy steps.

■ Shoes - dedicate a tub or rack for shoes to be stored.

Julie Cliff, is Professional Organiser at Space and Time and specialises in home management systems for professional, working Mums.

My boys have a shallow wheely tub under their bed for shoes.

Sound familiar? Julie would love to hear from you - info@spaceandtime.com.au

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Active Kids

NEW YORK BASKETBALLER DEVELOPS

rising stars in southeast AT the Envision Basketball Academy, young Aussie players are trained by Kareem Drayton, a skills enhancement trainer from New York.

Kareem single-handedly built a curriculum around the advanced teaching and instruction given to NBA stars and college players in USA. Straight from Brooklyn, Kareem now calls Melbourne home after his immediate success with building the Envision Basketball Academy.

His greatest inspiration comes from helping players build a powerful mindset using the 'envision formula' for both on and off the court.

He founded the Envision Basketball Academy to help players visualise a future of endless possibilities.

In just five months, Kareem's academy has become well known in Melbourne for its innovative programs designed to push players to their limits.

Kareem Drayton founded the Envision Basketball Academy.

As a certified 'I'm Possible' trainer, Kareem is changing the world of basketball through his unbiased approach to the game.

"Being a certified trainer means that at Envision Basketball, we deliver unique and proprietary training methods and training tools used around the globe," Kareem said.

"Our goals for training are not to

teach players one skill; but many skill sets required to transform them into the complete player."

Each session at the Envision Basketball Academy is broken down in a form that every player can handle, regardless of age, gender or skill level.

"I want to transform Australian Basketball. With so much raw talent here in Melbourne, particularly in the south east, I want to make a big and positive difference in these players' lives," Kareem said.

"Many of our students dream about getting college scholarships to play College Ball, and see themselves playing in the NBL/WNBL and even overseas in Europe, USA, China.

"I want to empower them, help build their skill set and basketball IQ, so that they go live their dream."

From beginners through to elite players, Kareem teaches a variety of skills from shooting, to defence, to ball handling.

He is a positive role model rising stars can depend on to take their game to the next level.

Kareem delivers classes and private training between eight locations within the south eastern suburbs, training over 100 students a week.

Envision Basketball is now taking enrolments for Term 2.

To book your spot, please email info@envisionbasketball.com or call

Play equipment

THE KEY TO MORE OUTDOOR PLAY SANDPITS, swings and cubby houses are the key to increasing the amount of time pre-school aged children spend in the backyard, according to new research.

The study, led by The University of Western Australia, examined home-based outdoor play in nearly 1600 preschoolers on days when they were not in childcare.

The researchers clocked the time children spent playing outdoors against factors including backyard size, outdoor features, fixed play equipment and portable play items.

Lead researcher Associate Professor Hayley Christian said when not in childcare, kids spent little more than an hour a day playing in their backyard.

"The main factor associated with increased playtime in the yard was the number of fixed play structures with each additional piece of equipment adding an average of five minutes to a child's daily playtime," she said.

"The home yard is crucial for providing an opportunity for kids to be active, as they are so dependent on their parents and don't have the independent mobility to get out and about on their own."

Federal government guidelines recommend preschoolers spend at least three hours a day being physically active, but UWA researchers say this is only achieved by a third of children.

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AUTUMN 2019 27

BUSTING BABY

sleep myths with Lisa Dinnie YOU'VE probably read so much about baby sleep that you find it hard to know what works and what doesn't.

Here, I debunk three common sleep myths.

Myth 1: Keeping your baby up will help them sleep for longer

Myth 2: Sleep your baby in a light room during the day Natural light is the biggest indicator to your baby that they should be awake as they can see the world around them.

This makes it hard for them to settle to

Lisa Dinnie is a mother of three young children and the founder of Cherish Your Sleep. For more information, visit www.cherishyoursleep.com.au

Free flu vaccines AVAILABLE From mid-March, Our Medical Home Cranbourne is offering free flu vaccines to all Medicare card holders. No appointment is necessary - simply walk

in to see your preferred or the next available GP. The medical centre is well-stocked with flu vaccines.

The centre is open until 10pm every day of the year including Good Friday, Easter Monday and Anzac Day.

Myth 3: Never wake a sleeping baby It may be necessary to wake a newborn during the day for feeds as we want to ensure they are getting adequate calories to facilitate weight gain - this can also help baby establish between day and night confusion. With older babies from around six months of age, you may need to wake them from naps. Every baby has a average sleep requirement. If they are taking longer naps during the day it can impact on subsequent naps and the amount of night sleep they need. Waking them from naps and allowing their daily sleep schedule to develop a pattern can help regulate their internal body clock and allow for more settled sleep both day and night. I also suggest capping naps if the required number of naps are not fitting into the daytime hours and then impacting on bedtime at night.

Keeping baby awake past their natural wake window causes overtiredness and your baby may wake more regularly and wake earlier in the morning. Being overtired causes an increase in cortisol, making it hard for them to fall asleep and stay asleep. In the early hours of the morning, our bodies naturally produce cortisol, and with sleep getting lighter and lighter, added to increased levels of the hormone, your baby will most likely find it very difficult to stay asleep and will start their day earlier.

DURING the colder months of the year, the flu virus can spread rapidly - so it's best to receive the flu vaccine in autumn well before the flu season starts.

sleep, and resettle if they wake after a short nap. The darkened environment facilitates the production and release of melatonin, helping your baby become calm, relaxed and ready for sleep. Your baby came from a dark, warm womb so replicating that environment for all sleeps, day and night is very comforting and can make it easier for them to settle and sleep well during the day.

Dr Mark Overton.

services during the winter months, Our Medical Home Cranbourne has expanded its team of bulk billing doctors.

Dr Karen Lake and Dr Mark Overton have recently joined the medical centre in Cranbourne West, having previously practised in the Narre Warren area.

To support increased demand for GP

Dr Karen Lake has expertise in women's health, paediatrics, vaccines, mental health and the management of first trimester pregnancy.

Dr Mark Overton has extensive experience across all aspects of general practice and is particularly good with family medicine and children.

Dr Karen Lake.

Both are welcome additions to the team of experienced doctors at Our Medical Home Cranbourne.

In addition to a dozen bulk billing GPs, Our Medical Home Cranbourne offers the convenience of dental, pathology, x-ray and pharmacy - all in one location.

Email: info@cherishyoursleep.com.au Phone: 0411 640 798 (during AEST business hours)

28 AUTUMN 2019

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Our Medical Home is open until 10pm every day of the year, including all public holidays.

The medical centre is located at 32 Remount Way Cranbourne West, with ample on-site parking. For more information visit ourmedicalhome.com. au or phone 8375 8888. www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Gentle dental care for children LOOKING after your child's teeth from an early age is very important for their future health and wellbeing.

a vibrant and friendly atmosphere for young patients, ensuring that they will love coming to visit the dentist.

orthodontic treatment to children and adults, while Dr Dumi provides Dental Implants.

Developing healthy habits helps prevent them from having extensive dental work as adults.

Children are offered fun rides in the chair, brushing lessons and goodie bags with oral health care gifts.

Dr Calvin Tee, who recently joined the team, is passionate about preventative and general dental care.

The Officer Dental Care team believes in providing gentle and caring dental treatment to patients of all ages, especially when it comes to its youngest patients.

The modern and welcoming dental practice is designed and operated by husband and wife dentists, Dr Dumi Medagoda and Dr Inoka Medagoda.

Officer Dental Care offers flexible payment plans and family discounts for braces and Invisalign. The dentistry bulk bills eligible children under Medicare CDBS scheme.

The friendly team loves assisting children from the very beginning of their oral health care journey to ensure they achieve and maintain beautiful smiles and healthy mouths throughout their lives.

They are passionate about providing

Both are fellows of Royal Australian college of Dental Surgeons. Before moving to the area they worked in Albury, NSW, for nearly 10 years attached to Aboriginal health services, NSW Health and Australian Defence.

In addition to general dentistry, Dr Inoka provides comprehensive

By Melissa Meehan

THE TOOTH

hurts

A hard-hitting ad campaign exposing the serious damage sugary drinks can do to teeth has been launched around Australia.

Kicking off to the sound of a soft drink can opening, the 'Thirsty' advertisement rolls through a range of young males looking at the camera before flashing their less than impressive smiles.

The campaign is delivered by the Rethink Sugary Drink initiative, compromising of 19 national, health and community organisations

Officer Dental Care provides gentle and caring dental treatment.

Officer Dental Care is located in suite 120, 445 Princes Highway, Officer.

For further information, visit www. officerdentalcare.com.au or call 03 5925 7850.

concerned about the excessive levels of consumption of sugary drinks in Australia.

Craig Sinclair, Head of Prevention at Cancer Council Victoria, hopes the campaign's graphic portrayal of tooth decay will prompt young Aussies to realise sugary drinks are just not worth losing your teeth over.

"We know young Australians are hooked on sugary drinks. Males aged 12-24 are the biggest consumers of sugary drinks, with some consuming as much as 1.5 litres of soft drinks, sports drinks or energy drinks a day," Mr Sinclair said.

"These drinks don't just ruin your

smile. In the long run the high levels of sugar they contain can also lead to unhealthy weight gain, which increases the risk of serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart and kidney disease, stroke and 13 types of cancer."

Obesity Policy Coalition Executive Manager Jane Martin praised the way the campaign cuts through to younger Australians.

"By cutting eerily between real snaps of rotten teeth, the advertisement mocks the way big soda plays with teen image, vanity and desire when pushing young adults to buy their products," she said.

Creating a beautiful smile at any age

Free Consultations 1/63 Main Street, Pakenham info@straightsmiles.com.au 1300 937 645 www.1300wesmile.com.au

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AUTUMN 2019 29

r fo le ib g li e e b y a m d il h c Your

0 0 0 1 of dental care

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Dr Alan Zhang and Lynelle from Pakenham Dental.

THE new year is well and truly underway, so there is a chance your Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule figure has reset back to $1000.

Under the schedule, eligible children aged 2-17 have access to a benefit cap of $1000 over a two calendar year period for a range of dental services.

With that in mind, it's a great idea to give Pakenham Dental Group a call to find out what treatments the scheme will cover for your child.

Dentist Dr Alan Zhang says many parents are likely to have access to the full $1000 for dental - they may just not know it.

"There have been many cases where parents haven't been notified by Medicare that their children are eligible for dental work up to a certain amount.

"If in doubt, please call the surgery with your Medicare card number handy for one of our friendly team members to check your eligibility

online. If you don't call, you won't know."

Dr Zhang says the Easter school holidays are a great time to book in the kids for a dental check-up.

"Call us today to get booked in as these spots over the breaks fill up very quickly," he said.

With the sports seasons starting up again, it's also a good time to get your child fitted for a mouthguard.

Investing in a custom-made mouthguard can save your child a lot of pain and save your wallet a world of hurt.

"Even the smallest knock has the potential to create some truly substantial damage to the teeth. We definitely want your kids to be smiling at the end of every match," Dr Zhang said.

Pakenham Dental is located at 3/61-63 Main St, Pakenham. For appointments, call 5941 1214

Orthodontics has never been more affordable CASEY Dental Group offers orthodontics for only $5700, with weekly plans for $59 and family discounts available.

"Importantly, we keep high importance on long term retention and follows ups so the teeth don't move after the braces are removed." says Dr Jayson McNaughton.

The practice has a special focus on orthodontics for both children and adults, and Invisalign which is now also available for teenagers as well.

The Casey Dental Group team includes four dentists with a combined 30 years' experience in orthodontics on children and adults. They are also platinum providers of Invisalign.

Casey Dental Group bulk bills for the Medicare $1000 Child Dental Benefits Scheme.

For insurance patients there is no out of pocket for a check-up, clean or x-rays. And if you don't have insurance, check-ups and consultations are free.

Casey Dental Group also offers up to 24 months interest free payment plans on all services, including specialised

treatments like implants, Invisalign, including half price deals on crowns and cosmetic dentistry.

"Being the largest and longest established practice in southeast Melbourne, we can pass our operating savings onto our patients, while maintaining the highest standard of dental care," Dr McNaughton says.

The practice is the preferred provider for major health funds.

A caring and professional team of 15 dentists and 26 nursing and support staff aim to provide the best ongoing dental care with services including digital X-rays, laser whitening, implants, ceramic crowns/veneers and all other aspects of dentistry.

The practice has recently extended its opening hours to include evening sessions that run until 9pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.

Casey Dental Group are located at 236 Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren South.

For information or to make a booking, phone 9705 1755 or visit www.caseydentalgroup.com.au

Combined Dental Experience of over 70 years Between Dr. H Hocking Dr. A Zhang Dr. N Pradolin Dr. P. Parkash

Your Goals Are Our Goals 30 AUTUMN 2019

Open over the Easter period (except public holidays) General and Family Dental Emergencies appointments available on the day Child Dental BeneďŹ ts accepted

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Wishing you all a very Happy

5941 1214 3/63 Main St., Pakenham www.pakenhamdental.com.au www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

IF you play sport, you risk doing serious damage to your teeth.

Many sports involve contact, so there is a high risk of injuries such as broken jaws and cracked teeth.

Mouth injuries are often difficult to treat and can result in a lifetime of expense.

That's why Beaconsfield Dental is passionate about preventing a mouth injury by educating children and adults to wear a mouthguard for contact sports.

The Australian Dental Association (ADA) recommends wearing a custom fitted mouthguard, which can be made at Beaconsfield Dental.

Here, the ADA explains why it's important to wear a mouthguard and how one that's properly fitted can protect your teeth:

THE RISK OF SERIOUS DAMAGE Mouthguards can protect you from serious sporting injuries, such as broken jaws, fractured, cracked or knocked-out teeth, cut lips and bitten tongues.

Custom-fitted

mouthguards a must for

ALL SPORTS

It is fabricated based on an impression of your teeth taken by your dentist.

A mouthguard that is custom-fitted by your dentist is far superior to an over-the-counter one because it's specially designed to fit the exact contours of your mouth, is resilient, balances your bite and allows speech and normal breathing.

If properly used, stored, and checked by your dentist every year, a customfitted mouthguard should last several seasons.

Self-fitted, over-the-counter mouthguards should not be used.

They do not protect the teeth, are loosely fitted, impede breathing and speaking, and can even become wedged in the back of the throat upon impact which can be life threatening.

MOUTHGUARDS MADE TO FIT Custom-fitted mouthguards fit exactly, so they allow you to talk normally, don't restrict your breathing and stay firmly in place.

These injuries aren't only sustained in the obvious contact sports like rugby union, rugby league, AFL, hockey and boxing.

Custom-fitted mouthguards should be a mandatory part of your sporting kit, regardless of your age or experience.

Even non-contact sports like cricket, basketball, netball, touch football, skateboarding and soccer, carry a risk of accidental collision resulting in dental trauma.

To keep your mouthguard in top condition, you'll need to keep it out of the sun, wash it in cold water after use and get your dentist to inspect it when you go in for your regular check-ups.

HOW A MOUTHGUARD WORKS A custom-fitted mouthguard works by absorbing and spreading the impact of the damaging blow.

Beaconsfield Dental is located at 1-3 Cardinia St, Berwick For bookings, phone 9707 3508 or visit www.beaconsfielddental.com.au

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9707 3508 www.beaconsďŹ elddental.com.au AUTUMN 2019 31

THE BENEFITS OF dental implants For many years, the only treatment options available for people with missing teeth were bridges and dentures. But today, dental implants are available.

Patients with missing teeth can now undergo replacement of a single tooth or several missing teeth with implant retained crowns and enjoy the function and aesthetics that they had with their natural teeth.

Dental implants are made of titanium and are designed to mimic tooth roots.

Implants provide an extremely predictable and effective means of tooth replacement.

There have been vast leaps in the science and technology behind dental implants in the last 20 years. Today, patients can have their missing teeth replaced so that it is almost impossible

MANY Australians suffer ff tooth loss, mostly due to tooth decay, gum disease or injury.

to tell that they are missing teeth at all.

Technological advances range from the planning stages where 3D scanning technology have made it possible to accurately predict where the implant should go and what additional procedures may be required (such as hard and soft tissue grafting) to achieve perfect form, function and aesthetics.

Advances in the design of implants as well have made them so much more

predictable from a longevity point of view and, more importantly, have made it much more painless to place as well.

The team at Renew Dental Care in Pakenham are trained in the intricacies and surgical skills needed in the planning and placing of implants.

Renew Dental Care is located at 3/106 Henry Rd Pakenham.

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Education

ADVICE ON

school readiness

By Melissa Grant IS my child ready to start school?

It's a question many parents agonise over before enrolling their son or daughter in prep.

Moving from pre-school to primary school is a big transition - the teaching hours are longer, the playground is bigger and there are lots of older kids.

In Victoria, a child needs to turn five by 30 April of the year that they begin school, but mums and dads often debate whether to hold their son or daughter back.

Education transitions expert Emeritus Professor Bob Perry says parents need to ask themselves if there is a compelling reason why their child shouldn't be starting school if they are old enough.

"I basically come from the position that if a child is age eligible to go I would need to know some reason why they shouldn't go," he said.

"I think children thrive on the challenge at school as long as they are supported by the teachers. We shouldn't deprive them of that challenge."

Here, Prof Perry explains what parents need to consider before sending their child to primary school.

CHILD'S AGE: The first thing a parent has to look at is their child's age - will their child be old enough to start school? There are different age cut-offs in different states, and sometimes different areas, such as the Catholic system, have different age cut-offs.

THE CHILD'S THOUGHTS: Does the child think they are ready to go to school? Parents should be talking www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

to their child about going to school and seeing what that means for the child.

What does the child think school is about, how do they think they will go at school, do they know anyone else going to school?

THE OTHER OPTION: If a child doesn't go to school with their cohort of friends, what are they going to do? Are they going to have another year of pre-school? How is that extra year of pre-school going to challenge them differently to the year they've just done?

DANGERS OF REPEATING: I'm not at all enamoured with the notion of repeating any year of a child's education. Some parents make the decision their child can go to school as soon as they are age eligible as there is a fallback position that they can repeat and it won't be a big deal. But it is a big deal. It is a big deal in the way the child will lose a group of friends and it is a blow to a child's prestige. It seems to be a really poor excuse when parents say 'I don't need to make this decision because if it doesn't work out then they can repeat'.

THE RESEARCH: Children who start school when they are a bit older will of course function better in the first year of school because they are a bit older, they are wiser, they know a bit more. But the research is clear - that washes out after a while.

There is no great advantage in being older later in school.

ASK FOR ADVICE: Parents should be taking advice from people who know their child - that means other parents and preschool

teachers. The school teachers don't know your child and they don't get to know them during orientation weeks. If a child is age eligible they can go to school providing the child is comfortable about going to school and the parent can work on that, unless there are special circumstances. Of course there are some children who are developmentally delayed and they may need special provision. Everything else being equal, prep teachers are trained and prepared to take children as they come. A lot of prep teachers will tell you they would rather have older children than younger children, but that's not the point. These children have a right to school education at that age.

Show me why they shouldn't have the school education at that age when they are eligible.

BOYS V GIRLS ARGUMENT: There are suggestions that boys should start school later than girls. But what about the individuality of this whole thing? There are very young boys who will flourish in school. There are older boys who will go to school and not flourish. Same with girls. It's an individual thing.

EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL SECURITY: The key for starting school is that the child feels they belong there, that school is actually a place suitable for them.

Parents also need to look at their child's makeup and how certain issues can be addressed. If your child is shy, if they don't have many friends, if they don't like to be around other people - I think they are actually signals for the parents and teachers to do something about it,

rather than signs of school readiness.

The parent might arrange some play dates with other children who are going to the school. There will be things that the children are a little bit worried about - but we don't know until we ask them.

Some children can be apprehensive about school toilets. That can be addressed by visiting a public toilet.

There are things that the parents can do. The signals are emotional and social.

ACADEMICS AREN'T IMPORTANT: I don't think it matters if your child can write their name, count to 10 and say the alphabet. They are not necessary.

It's useful for the child to be able to recognise their name as it helps them find their hat, jumper and bag. The challenges for children as they settle into school are social and emotional challenges. Look at how your child functions with other children, look at how they talk with adults, look at how they are happy to occupy themselves.

BEWARE OF CHECKLISTS: There are lots of schools that have checklists for school readiness. I actually get frightened when I look at those lists as there are some things that I can't even do. I've seen lists with things like 'can deal with difficult situations successfully, can deal with criticism successfully'. What does that mean for a four and a half, five year old child? The important things are that you want the child to wake up in the morning and be pestering you to be getting into the car and going to school.

AUTUMN 2019 33

Education

Hillcrest Christian student Charlotte Cestnik prepares to represent Australia on the world stage.

The lowdown on

Fortnite Education Matters with Rob Kelly

IF you're a parent of a school aged child, you have probably heard of the game Fortnite.

It has taken the gaming world by storm. There are literally millions of players worldwide and the game has attracted considerable attention since its launch in 2017.

In essence, Fortnite is an online, fast-paced and strategic multiplayer shooter. It is a game enjoyed by both adults and children alike. But before you decide to buy the game and part with your hard earned cash, there are a few things you need to know about the game.

In Fortnite, a player can explore vast digital realms and locations. A player can connect, communicate and collaborate (via text or audio link) with other players to complete various missions and tasks. While the game is an entertaining rollick, there are a few important things to know before 'cavingin' and letting your children play it at home.

Have you heard of an Epic Games account? Before a player can engage with any aspect of the sprawling game, she/he needs an Epic Games account to play.

To play with other players, gamers need to connect with 'friends' on the Epic Games network. I recommend a parent/guardian handles this part of the activation process, as it's always a smart idea to know what your kids are signing-up for online.

The best advice I can give you is to monitor your child's screen time to ensure they're connecting with peers or people they know in real-life, not interacting with strangers or people they

don't know online.

If you've seen Fortnite being played, you'd know that it depicts considerable amounts of fantasy violence. However, as it is presented in a cartoon, there's no realistic body horror or bloody elements to worry about.

Even so, too much fantasy violence can have an impact on kids - from nightmares to long-term psychological effects. Experts have raised concerns about children playing games involving continual gun violence for these reasons. I suggest that children are not exposed to these types of games at home, but we realise that it can sometimes be out of your hands.

When children do come across mature themes, it's important for a parent/guardian to be nearby to reassure them.

A major concern about Fortnite is that it's highly addictive. When a child becomes addicted to a game, she/he may start to display anti-social or unusual behaviour. If you've noticed a change of behaviour in your child, it's time to pull the plug. The subsequent temper tantrum may be easier to manage than having to break the gaming addiction later in adolescence.

(Here's a tip - a Fortnite match can last up to 20 (real-world) minutes, so it's a positive way to restrict a child's screen time is by limiting play to one or two 20-minute matches a day.)

Since its launch in 2017, teachers have also voiced concern that children are distracted by the game at school.

Educators have commented that children's social awareness and behaviour at school has been affected by playing the game (from pretending to shoot and attack peers to problems of cyber-bullying being brought from home to the playground).

So there you have it in a nutshell. If you decide to say 'yes' or 'no' to Fortnite in your household, that's your prerogative. The game is on!

Hillcrest student to compete in performing arts world

championships HILLCREST Christian College Year 10 student Charlotte Cestnik is set to represent Australia in the 2019 World Championships of Performing Arts at Long Beach, California, USA.

of Performing Arts celebrates its 23rd year in July, and is universally cited as the one and only official global event for performers and entertainers both amateur and professional.

Charlotte has been involved in past Hillcrest school productions and Schools on Stage performances and is currently studying the newly introduced Certificate II in VET Music Industry.

Griff O'Neil, competition president and founder, and a one-time executive of the Miss Universe Pageant, has recruited over 75 scouts and national directors to scour the globe for outstanding talent.

She will participate in the Olympics style performing arts competition this July, along with applicants from 50 countries from all over the world.

"This is the only Olympic-style talent competition ever created and a rare opportunity for the privileged few selected to participate at this elite world event," he said.

Charlotte, or Charley as she is often called, was selected by the International Entertainment Panel to represent Australia on the world stage.

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime and could open many career doors and we are certain Charley will bring back gold for Australia," National Director Lizette Hunt said.

The official World Championships

More than 75,000 applicants from over 50 countries auditioned to participate in the competition this year, for a spot to compete at the ultimate world meet staged in the beautiful Westin Long Beach Hotel in Long Beach, California.

Hillcrest wishes Charlotte all the best in her endeavours and know that she will represent her school and country well in July.

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The Hillcrest Christian College Open School is on Monday, 6th May 9:15 - 10:30am.

You are invited to take a tour of our college whilst in action. Find out about the many whil lear learning pathways available for ELC - Year 12 students. stud

Hillcrest Christian College I 500 Soldiers Rd Clyde Nth 3978 I ph. 9702 2144 I www.hillcrest.vic.edu.au 12411863-LB14-19

34 AUTUMN 2019

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Education

School fees TAKING HUGE CHUNK OF FAMILY INCOME PARENTS of Australian children attending non-government schools are forking out, on average, 35 per cent of their income to pay school fees.

That's more than what an average family spends on their mortgage leaving an enormous strain on a family's disposable income.

While education can be one of the best investments you can make, Edstart CEO and co-founder Jack Stevens says years of fees can easily run into staggering six-figure sums.

"With the cost of school fees constantly on the rise, families are certainly feeling the pinch on the hip pocket," Mr Stevens said.

"We've heard many stories highlighting the sacrifices parents are making to ensure school fees are covered.

CEO Jack Stephens for school fees on their credit cards.

"From those who have sold their home and gone back to renting, to those where both parents have more than one job."

The cost of schooling is not a topic often talked about or widely reported, Mr Stevens says. But the reasons for and against sending children to a private or public school often is.

He said in addition to those massive sacrifices, one in six parents are paying

Surprisingly, Ms Stevens says most of the time, cost doesn't come into the decision.

A PROUD TRADITION OF

"What it comes down to, if people have the capacity to pay something for education, they will make that choice," he said.

"They've made a buying decision which is quite different to the paying decision and all of a sudden they've got three kids and three lots of fees to pay for."

"But what inevitably happens, they make a choice on what is affordable, quite often forgetting that school fees go up or they've got younger children that will overlap.

Edstart helps you pay for school fees by providing flexible plans you can control, so that school fees don't hold back your family's finances.

educational excellence students frequently excel in music, sport, the arts, mathematics, sciences and humanities.

AS a school of first choice, St Margaret's and Berwick Grammar School provides a coeducational Junior School from Pre-Prep to Year 6 and single gender Senior Campuses from Year 7 to 12.

St Margaret's School was founded in 1926, commencing a proud tradition of educational excellence.

The school has long succeeded in leading young women into futures of success and prosperity and, from 2009, with the establishment of Berwick Grammar School, began a journey of educating and guiding young men towards similar success.

The coeducational Junior School is a vibrant, exciting and educationally supportive learning environment.

Children are fuelled by a strong sense of inquiry through their work within the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) and through their own curiosity.

The Senior Girls Campus in Berwick endeavours to create for a supportive environment where students can grow

Junior School students enjoy some time on the playground. in confidence and self-esteem. Hard work is important and so too is the notion of 'doing what is right', with both evident in the school's motto and service program, as well as in the day-to-day life of the school itself.

The Senior School is well-known for

two central achievements: academic success and the nurturing of community. This powerful combination promotes a sense of connectedness and belonging, allowing students to feel secure in setting challenging goals for themselves. With encouragement and the opportunity to develop their talents,

The Senior Boys Campus at Officer has been designed to specifically meet the learning and developmental needs of boys, and to maximise opportunities of learning experiences, state-of-the-art facilities and extra-curricular programs.

Through the Growing Good Men program, the vision is to develop young men of integrity who have a strong sense of purpose and a commitment to making the world a better place. All boys are expected to be significant contributors to their local community.

Programs have been purpose built in Design Technology, Information Communication Technology, and also in Sport and Physical Education to engage and inspire boys to achieve their best.

For a personalised school tour, please contact the Admissions Department via email at enrol@stmargarets.vic.edu.au or phone on (03) 9703 8111.

SCHOOL in ACTION "vwViÀ > «Õà Óä >À Óä£ iÀÜ V > «Õà ӣ >À Óä£ Tours commence at 1.00pm, Booking essential at www.stmargarets.vic.edu.au Berwick Campus - Coeducational ELC to Year 6, Girls Year 7 to 12 "vwViÀ > «Õà - Boys Year 7 to 12 12410314-SN14-19

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

AUTUMN 2019 35

Education

A great place to learn

Parent fears prevent kids

walking, riding to school BERWICK Lodge Primary School Principal Henry Grossek says he is proud to be the leader of such a fabulous school.

The founding principal's level of joy is much the same as when the school opened its doors 13 years ago.

"There are many reasons for my joy and excitement," he said.

"In saying that, all the reasons that spring to my mind, have one thing in common - the Berwick Lodge Primary School community, meaning the relationships one can develop that being a member of this school offers."

Mr Grossek recently met with student leaders involved in the school-wide Buddy Program.

He was impressed with the way the leaders interacted with the younger students.

"It's an understatement to say that our student leaders are exemplary young people and wonderful role models for

By Danielle Galvin

their peers," he said.

"As an adult, speaking with them, sharing views on a wide range of matters, reinforces my view that our future will be safe in their hands of our young people of today.

"That is also reassuring as an educator. Our school is undoubtedly on the right path in preparing our children for leadership when their turn comes as it inevitably will."

Mr Grossek also marvels at how much students grow, both academically and socially over the seven or so years in which they attend Berwick Lodge.

"Engaging with them is a personally exhilarating experience. You see, I love learning too and they teach me so much too. Why not visit us and see for yourself?"

Berwick Lodge Primary School is located at 139-145 Mansfield St, Berwick. For enrolment enquiries, phone 9707 1766.

PARENTS are afraid to let their kids walk or ride to school, a new study shows.

Most Australian children almost never walk or tide to school, according to new research by The Royal Children's Hospital.

A recent poll shows that seven out of 10 kids are driven to school every day as time-poor parents juggle work and family schedules.

But what is sad, is that although parents know it's healthier for their kids to walk to school, it's the fear of stranger danger, bullies and traffic that make them think twice.

The poll of 1745 parents nationwide caring for 2849 children aged from five to 18 years found: ■ The majority of children (58%) are driven to or from school by car most

days of the week ■ 71% of children do not walk or ride to school at all in a typical week ■ More than half (52%) of primary school children live less than 2km from school, while a quarter (26%) live less than 1km ■ One in five (18%) parents have used a geolocation device to monitor the location of their child, saying tracking their child's location made them feel more comfortable to let them travel without an adult.

Royal Children's Hopsital National Child Health Poll Director Anthea Rhodes said primary school aged children needed 60 minutes of physical activity a day - and walking or riding to school was a great way to do it.

"Work and life pressures make it hard for parents to walk or ride with their children to school, but even one day a week of active travel to school is better than nothing at all," she said.

@berwicklodgeps www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au 139-145 Mansfield St, Berwick 3806 (03) 9707 1766 Principal: Henry Grossek

BERWICK LODGE PRIMARY SCHOOL Open Night Wednesday 22nd May

School Tours available Prep/Grade 6 Transition Library Program Physical Education s 6ISUAL !RTS -USIC 0ERFORMING !RTS Sensory & Community Garden STEM Learning s -ULTIMEDIA Robotics & Coding 2ADIO 3HOW 0ROGRAM s Mandarin

Do you have a child starting Prep in the next few years? Our 2020 Prep transition events are beginning soon. Our transition program is filled with exciting adventures and learning about starting primary school. Remember - you are welcome to experience our learning community in action before then.

65 King Road, Harkaway ph: 03 9707 1475

Personal tours are welcome at any time during the school week.

Come along and see our friendly learning community in action.

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School Tours & Prep Transition

e: harkaway.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au harkawayps.vic.edu.au

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School fees due?

Try Edstart.

At Edstart, we believe education is the world’s most powerful investment. Our mission is to help people pay for it.

We offer payment plans you can control, so that school fees don’t hold back your family’s finances.

Pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly. You can even lower your annual school fee spend.

To find out more, visit edstart.com.au Edstart Australia Pty Ltd ABN 48 611 024 205 holds Australian credit licence number 485096.

12411587-LN14-19

36 AUTUMN 2019

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Education

INDEPENDENT GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL opening in 2022 HARKAWAY Hills College was founded in 2016 with 13 students in Foundation and Year 1.

A sister school to Tangara School for Girls, Redfield College, Wollemi College and Montgrove College in Sydney, Harkaway Hills has a goal to assist parents in the character development of their children.

Over the past three years, Harkaway Hills College has developed an outstanding reputation for quality curriculum, incorporating both traditional learning, including a phonics-based Literacy program, as well as cutting edge programs such as interactive hands-on Mathematics, coding and robotics.

However, the reputation of Harkaway Hills is based on much more than academics.

"We recognise that we have an important role not only to offer excellent curriculum, but also and to assist parents to raise their children with a love for all that is good, true and beautiful," states Mary Broadsmith, Principal of Harkaway Hills College.

Every child at Harkaway Hills College has a mentor to guide them as they grow into young men and women of character. Parents are explicitly supported as they work as a family to instil virtues, an understanding of service, and instruction of the Catholic faith in their children.

As the demand for such a personal system of education has grown, Harkaway Hills has flourished into a healthy, co-educational Primary School from Foundation to Year 4, with an additional grade being added every year.

The School is now excited to announce that Harkaway Hills College will be opening a single-sex girls High School in 2022.

Students currently in Year 4 and younger will have the opportunity to be part of the pioneering years of a new high school that will combine character education, traditional learning, and a cutting-edge approach to academic excellence.

Expressions of interest for Year 7 in 2022 are now open.

Harkaway Hills College is opening a new High School for girls in 2022.

THE CONVENIENCE OF co-location

CHOOSING the right early learning centre (ELC) can be a tough decision for families.

attending school assemblies, partnering them with a school buddy and familiarising them with the grounds and buildings."

There are many factors that parents consider before making their choice, and location is often a key contributor.

Clyde North Moroak Crescent YMCA ELC is a brand new centre that opened in January 2019 next to a Kingswim learn to swim school.

That's why co-location is the perfect solution for families, especially for those who have more than one child.

"We are located just 15 metres from Kingswim and together we offer learning and development opportunities that range from water safety and natural play to physical and cognitive growth. The two centres provide a holistic community hub for parents," said Elise Christie, Centre Manager at Clyde North Moroak Crescent YMCA ELC.

In Melbourne's south east, YMCA Early Learning Centres in Clyde North, Cranbourne North and Pakenham are all located next to newly built primary schools.

The centres also offer before and after school programs and school holiday programs, making them the perfect single drop-off and pick-up point for parents.

A YMCA educator takes a family on a tour of the centre.

"Co-location doesn't only make the lives of parents easier, it also eases the transition from early learning to school

for their children," Michelle said.

"At our centre we prepare our children for their first school year by

12389101-DJ25-18

However, Michelle Watson, Centre Manager at Pakenham YMCA ELC, believes that being located next to a school is much more than just convenience for parents.

YMCA Victoria operates 13 early learning centres, and in the south east region the centres are co-located with facilities that not only save parents' time, but also provide support for children during an important transitional period in their life.

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

AUTUMN 2019 37

Early Learning Kinder

Our centres offer:

Regular excursions and incursions

Indoor & outdoor play Long opening hours Flexible session lengths

RNE CRANBOU NORTH CLYDE NORTH

PAKENHAM RTH CLYDE NOC ESCENT MOROAK R

Book a tour of your local centre today

childrensprograms.ymca.org.au

(03) 8371 0500 12412289-LB14-19

38 AUTUMN 2019

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Education The new look early learning centre opened in February.

NEW HELP TO FIND THE

right childcare PARENTS can now search for childcare centres on a new website that shows where vacancies exist, opening hours and fee information.

OH WHAT A wonderful time FOR KIDS AT HEI SCHOOLS EARLY LEARNING CENTRE HEI HEI, welcome to HEI, HEI HEI, welcome to HEI, let's have a wonderful day!

This is the sound of children's singing each morning at the new HEI Schools Early Learning Centre in Emerald.

It was with great anticipation that the doors were officially opened at HEI Schools Emerald on 22 February.

Many months of hard work and dedication resulted in the complete physical transformation of an existing child care centre.

On opening day the entire team were proud to present calm and

modern learning environments, natural materials and even our very own gymnasium for the children to practice their strength and agility in.

The HEI Schools focus for learning is to consider each child holistically and individually. Their health, social interactions, community involvement and individualised learning are just a few of the foundation blocks that are promoted through HEI teaching research and techniques.

The team at HEI Schools Early Learning Centre are excited to be providing a curriculum and pedagogy that is founded on internationally

recognised research into providing the most successful learning outcomes for children.

The HEI pedagogy and the Australian curriculum standards blend seamlessly to allow us to provide the optimal learning environments, teachers support and guidance and experiences for children.

Why not come to one of the free Experience mornings, every Tuesday and Thursday during March.

Call the Centre Director, Amanda Patris, to discuss how HEI can assist you and your child on 5968 5820.

The government website www.

ChildCareFinder.gov.au also allows mums and dads to see whether extras such as meals and nappies are included and how providers rate against the National Quality Framework.

The new service replaces My Child website. It features big improvements that enable parents to search for a provider using specific criteria such as the distance from their home or a price range - a similar experience to using a hotel booking site.

Mums and dads can also receive an alert when a vacancy that meets their criteria becomes available, further reducing time and effort.

Minister for Education Dan Tehan described the website as a "one-stop-shop" where information was easy to use to help parents make informed choices about where to send their kids for childcare.

Child Care Finder is the first service to be hosted on Service Connect. In the future, Australians will use the platform to access all of the support services they need, covering the entire journey of life events from cradle to grave.

HEI SCHOOLS EMERALD Early Learning Centre Long Day CarH g Funded Kindergarten Program Before and After School CarH g Vacation Care Enrollment has started. Call to arrange a tour!

www.heischools.com.au Search for us on Facebook: HEI Schools Emerald

BRINGING UP CHILDREN WHO WILL CHANGE THE WORLD. (03) 5968 5820 267 Belgrave-Gembrook Rd, Emerald VIC 3782 emerald@heischools.com.au

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www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

AUTUMN 2019 39

Education

Upside down parenting

o t d e e n s l o o h Sc : s l l i k s e f i l focus on

survey

By Melissa Grant

SCHOOLS should be putting greater emphasis on teaching life skills as such as money management and first-aid, a new survey shows.

The survey, by Monash University, also reveals three-quarters of Australians believe Mathematics and English should be given more priority in schools, while less regard should be given to languages and the arts.

More than half of Australians rate the performance of public schools as OK, while nearly a quarter regard them as either very good or excellent.

But many Australians believe students should be taught life skills as part of the curriculum.

This includes knowledge in money management, job preparation, first-aid training and critical thinking, such as recognising fraudulent content online.

Chairo Christian School Pakenham Principal Pete Wells with some junior school students.

MANY parents can experience the rude shock of behaviour issues and conflict when their children hit adolescence.

Does it have to be this way? Pete Wells, the Principal at Chairo Christian School's Pakenham campus, shares some thoughts about how to make this developmental transition a bit smoother.

Key findings of the report 'Public opinions on Australian schools & schooling' include: ■ 56% of Australians rate the performance of public schools as OK; 23% rate them as very good / excellent.

A key idea in raising secure and content children is progressively increasing their freedoms as they earn trust through demonstrating competence and responsibility.

However, so often, little children 'rule the roost' and are given all sorts of freedoms.

■ 52% of Australians think the standard of education will remain the same in 10 years' time.

■ An overwhelming number of Australians believe Mathematics (76%) and English (75%) should be given more priority in schools.

Languages (7%) and The Arts (4%) were least valued.

These freedoms may come about because they're cute, or because their parents are exhausted, or because the consequences of their behaviour are not too serious. But when parents try to reign them in as they get older, it becomes almost impossible because they're accustomed to having things their own way.

■ The most important aspects of schools to a child's education included: basic literacy and numeracy (69.8%), students being respectful to teachers and peers (54.6%) and teachers being of high quality (54.5%).

Picture a bottle or funnel that is wide at the bottom and narrows towards the

top. This is an image of how many families operate. Young children are given a range of freedoms, and then when their parents start to fear the consequences of freedom, they try to restrict them and the household goes into stress.

What if we turned this funnel upside down? What if younger children learnt to obey their parents, use their manners and follow the household rules? Then, as they grow, their experience is a satisfying one of increasing freedom because discipline and trust have been established early.

Instead of going from permissive to strict, we ought to think about going from disciplined towards trust and freedom. This concept is developed in a well-respected parenting resource called Growing Kids God's Way by Gary and Ann Marie Ezzo.

At Chairo, we seek to partner with parents in developing strong and capable young men and women, who are well-prepared for their adult freedoms.

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Teaching and learning from a Christian worldview perspective Ĵ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ Beautiful rural surroundings and excellent facilities ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ

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Partnering with families to provide excellence in %JTKUVKCP GFWECVKQP HTQO -KPFGTICTVGP VQ ;GCT Ȧȧ

ůŲůȱ ȱ ȱ ǰȱ ȱ ȱ ůųŮŬȱůŰŭŬȱȊ enrolments@chairo.vic.edu.au

www.chairo.vic.edu.au 12413210-LN14-19

40 AUTUMN 2019

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

BORN TO

perform DANCE n Dreams has been hosting magical fairy parties for many years now. All parties are personalised and can be adapted to cater for all.

KARLIE Grace Dance offers specialist training for the individual.

Our experienced host fairies will make sure your child's party will be a magical and memorable one. Our attached dancewear store also stocks all major brands and more.

Call 9707 4275 to book your party today.

ANDREA CATHERINE PERFORMING ARTS ANDREA Catherine Performing Arts prides itself on mentoring generations of dancers and performers so they become selfconfident, passionate members of the community.

KGD is a School of Performing Arts that educates and trains young performers to be versatile 'all rounders'.

With an extensive and successful career in the performing arts, Karlie knows a strong technique in classical ballet is required in the industry. To ensure a consistent and high level of training, the internationally recognised method of Cecchetti Classical Ballet is incorporated throughout KGD's curriculum.

Established in 2006 at St Catherines Primary School, ACPA has become renowned for its friendly and caring family environment where students gain valuable life skills as well as life-long friendships.

After 1 short term, students performed 'Around the World' at the Primary School with great success.

ACPA is now in its sixth year at its Berwick Studio, with students who are highly skilled and passionate performers.

QUALITY TRAINING IN AN INVITING ATMOSPHERE

First FREE Trial Class!

Family Discounts!

Multiple Class Discounts!

Purpose-built studios at 96 Enterprise Ave, Berwick 0438 278 371 or 9769 8820 info@kgdancers.com

www.kgdancers.com

Dance & Performance classes in all genres for all ages and levels. Boy’s only Technique classes, Hip Hop & Break Dance Crew, Cecchetti Ballet Exam Classes available, Two streams of ‘Leisure’ & ‘Accelerated’ programs, Private lessons and Competition work available, Specialised Pre-school programs in: Mummy & Bubby, Baby Bopperz, Baby Beatz, Baby Bounce and Baby Ballerinas. Adult casual-classes available, Regular professional guest teachers!

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With many years teaching experience and well-rounded careers, KGD teachers are able to provide your child with a high quality dance education.

Dancewear Supplier

Girls & boys apparel, footwear & accessories, including dance bags Fairy dresses, wings and giftware Brands include; Little Gems, Fairy Kisses, Fairy Fa Girls, Pink Poppy and Bows for Princesses Children’s fairy and pamper parties Kryolan theatrical make-up Shop 2, 8 Gloucester Avenue, Berwick VIC 3806

OPENING NIGHT DANCE & CALISTHENICS SUPPLIES OPENING Night Supplies have now taken over the Dance Fanatics (Pakenham) location with a renovated new look store. Melinda Moutsos is excited for the first retail space to be within Pakenham as she looks forward to giving back to the local community after getting so much out of competing and coaching in the local area for over 20 years. Same great location stocked with your much love Dance and Calisthenics brands, together with the introduction of crystals, rhinestones, costumes, trims, etc.

With the mention of the this advertisement enjoy 10% off until 15 June 2019.

10% off when you mention this ad.

Previously known as Dance Fanatics, come and visit our new look store at the same location

Exp: 15/06/19

Shop 2/32 Treloar Lane, Pakenham ph: 5941 5713

The ACPA Little Star Program is designed to be the BEST beginning in dance for your Little Star!

Watch your child’s imagination soar as they learn to dance, sing and play in a safe and fun environment with tuition from expert dance professionals.

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KARLIE GRACE DANCE

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DANCE N DREAMS

Your child will explore dance and creative movement, they will sing and act, in a beautifully crafted program that nurtures your child’s individuality and happiness.

Come and dance with us in our Berwick Studio, where we are passionate about building confidence and friendships through dance.

(Opposite Old Courthouse) 9707 4275 12405467-RA50-18

Visit us at www.acpa-dance.com.au or contact 9796 6 1482 148 82

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

AUTUMN 2019 41

Entertainment

An exciting expansion at Gumbuya World will include six gigantic slides and the state's most impressive family wave pool.

Gumbuya World expansion TO INCLUDE SIX GIGANTIC WATER SLIDES, WAVE POOL

VICTORIA'S newest and most exciting theme park, Gumbuya World, will become home to the state's most impressive wave pool as stage two of a major expansion begins.

The expansion will see the theme park's water world, Oasis Springs, almost double in size. Currently it

includes the exciting Typhoon Island, epic water slides, a 300 metre Lazy River, heated rock pools and Surf's Up.

The expansion is part of a major redevelopment of Gumbuya World set to continue over the next three years.

In addition to the new family wave pool, Victorians will enjoy six brand new gigantic water slides comprising two monster twister slides and thrilling four lane rally race slides.

The theme park will offer 50 new attractions as well as a range of onsite accommodation, new cafes, shops, a chocolate factory and a microbrewery.

It will also include Indigenous, dinosaur

and wool shed precincts for educational programs.

By 2022, it is anticipated that Gumbuya World will attract a million visitors each year from around Australia and the globe - ensuring tourism remains strong in Victoria and the Gippsland region.

The Melbourne Easter Show features a heap of amusement rides.

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MISS THE

Melbourne Easter Show EXPERIENCE all the 'eggcitement' you can handle at the Melbourne Easter Show.

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With all the hallmarks of major shows, the action-packed event offers non-stop fun for the whole family over the easter long weekend at the Cranbourne Turf Club.

Entry for kids is free to the show which features amusement rides, monster truck battles, rodeo shows, animal farm, lights display, showbags and much more.

It wouldn't be easter without an egg hunt - and there are a whopping 500,000 chocolate eggs up for grabs at the Melbourne Easter Show.

Children are given a basket to collect plastic easter eggs. Once they've collected all the eggs they are given a pre-packed bag of chocolate eggs.

There are also additional prizes up for 42 AUTUMN 2019

grabs and entry to the scavenger hunt.

Tickets for the easter egg hunt are $10 per child for a session. The sessions, which run over the four days, are aged-based and parents with kids under three are able to help with the egg hunt.

The Melbourne Easter Show also features a heap of amusement rides including dodgem cars, inflatable slides, merry go round, tea cups and a ferris wheel.

Tickets for unlimited ride wristbands are $50 and can be bought on presale for $40. Individual ride tickets are also available.

The Melbourne Easter Show runs from 19-22 April, between 10am and 9pm daily, at the Cranbourne Turf Club, Grant Street Cranbourne.

For more information, visit www.melbourneeastershow.com.au www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Entertainment Morgan Hipworth filming one of his doughnut tutorials for Nick Jnr.

Morgan's BIG

Morgan Hipworth outside his successful business, Bistro Morgan.

By Melissa Meehan WITH the popularity of TV cooking shows like MasterChef, Iron Chef and My Kitchen Rules, a generation of young mini-chefs have been born.

Among them is Melbourne teen Morgan Hipworth, who started cooking when he was just seven years old and turned it into a business when he was nine.

So it's no surprise children's pay TV channel Nickelodeon has jumped on the bandwagon by producing a new pre-school cooking series called Butterbean Cafe.

TV BREAK

They've collaborated with 17-year-old Morgan to develop a short series of do-it-yourself themed doughnut tutorials that air on weekdays following Butterbean Cafe.

Morgan is already living his dream entrepreneur life running a successful business, Bistro Morgan cafe in Windsor.

Within the short tutorials, Morgan shows kids at home how to make some super delicious doughnuts inspired by their favourite shows. That includes Paw Patrol, Shimmer and Shine and Nella the Princess Knight.

Morgan says his success in the kitchen started quite modestly.

"I began by cooking packet mix

cakes and cookies, then I moved to more intricate desserts," he said.

"I first turned it into a little business when I started making cakes and desserts for family and friends."

His next big break came when he went to a local cafe for lunch and got chatting with the owner.

She told him they were looking for a new cake supplier and asked if he'd be interested in bringing some samples down. The rest is history.

The former Caulfield Grammar School student grew up in Melbourne's southeast and spent every spare minute in the kitchen.

When asked about his fascination with doughnuts he replied: "who doesn't love a good doughnut?"

"I'm just so excited to have teamed up with Nick Jnr. I think it's a great combination as our doughnuts are about having fun," Morgan said.

He hopes other kids his age and younger will see his story and feel inspired to follow their passion.

"It doesn't matter if it's in the kitchen or anywhere else - love what you do and believe in yourself," he said.

Morgan's tutorials air across Australia on Nick Jnr. after Butterbean Cafe at 8.30am weekdays.

Paintball Games has three fields in Cockatoo, Coldstream and Ballan.

tball games pahasinsomething for everyone With three sites across Melbourne, in Ballan, Coldstream and Cockatoo, Paintball Games sure does deal in fun.

Established in 1988, they have been serving up the best paintball experience to Melburnians.

Daniel Cumming is one one of the managers at Paintball Games and says they host Buck's and Hen's parties, kids parties and plenty more.

"For the last four years we have been about to run children from the age of 8 up, which is using spring loaded guns rather than the gas powered ones the parents use," he said.

"We get heaps of kids running around. We do get a lot of basketball teams and soccer teams." www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

And it's not just a game for the boys, there are plenty of women who love a game of paintball, the thrill and the adrenaline. Not to mention the fun and the adventure!

"We also have low impact paintball for all groups," Mr Cumming said.

"We do hens and bucks parties, wedding parties, we've got a 60th birthday coming up."

They also host scenario games and events, such as the one coming up on April 1.

Anyone can come and join in on the weekends or during the week, or book a party today.

To find out more, visit http://www. paintballgames.com.au/ or find them on Facebook https://www.facebook. com/PaintballGamescomau-145266922240167/

LOW IMPACT PAINTBALL SUITABLE FOR KIDS 8 YEARS AND OVER IS AVAILABLE

$29.50pp

Includes s PAINTBALLS s ,OW IMPACT PUMP ACTION s PAINTBALL MARKER s 0AINTBALL GOGGLES s /VERALLS 6EST Bookings essential

Paintball Games 3 Locations -Ballan, Cockatoo, Coldstream

1800 813 395 Book online at www.paintballgames.com.au

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PAINTBALL Games is one of the longest running operators in Victoria.

AUTUMN 2019 43

Entertainment

ZANE'S

school of rock

By Melissa Meehan

SNAG A

IF you had of told Zane Blumeris a year ago he'd be travelling across Australia and overseas as one of the stars of the School of Rock musical he would have never believed you.

But that's exactly what the 12-yearold is doing.

Rising star Zane Blumeris.

Zane is revelling in his very first commercial stage role - and a Andrew Lloyd Webber production at that.

School of Rock: The Musical was coming to Australia and that he should audition.

School of Rock: The Musical is based on the hit move of the same name and follows the story of wannabe rock star Dewey who falls into the role of substitute teacher at a prestige private school.

Danielle will also travel with Zane when he goes with the show to China and Brisbane.

His sister and brother, Alaska and Jett, have been very supportive too.

Zane plays Zack, the show's lead guitarist, whose father has no time for him and thinks music is a waste of time.

"They've seen almost all of my shows and are coming to China for a week," Zane said.

"When Dewey teaches him to be a rock god he finally stands up to his parents - in a nice way." he said.

His rising star is no surprise to his family.

Zane has been filming videos since he was five years old and would love to do more stage shows.

But is character couldn't be any further from his own life.

Zane's mum Danielle and dad Craig, an actor himself, have been supportive of his quest to become a star.

Craig broke the news to Zane that

For now he's spending 38 hours a week on School of Rock: The Musical and any down time is at home with his family.

pre-loved bargain KIDS grow out of clothes quickly, so buying second-hand clothing can save you a bucket load.

In fact, recycled clothing has become somewhat of a commodity as parents look to stretch their money further. You'll find a heap of gorgeous pre-loved children's clothing at The Babes to Kids and Maternity Market.

The market, run by Caribbean Market is a place where you can pick up or sell new or pre-loved clothing, maternity wear, toys, cots, prams, change tables, bibs, blankets and more. Held on the first Wednesday of every month, The Babes to Kids and Maternity Market offers a fun and affordable day out for the entire family.

Kids will love the free train rides that run between 9am and 11am

(excluding school holidays) and the free face-painting in the pavilion.

There are also three playgrounds and plenty of rides and attractions, including nine-hole mini golf, a scenic chairlift and jumping castle.

Caribbean Market located at Caribbean Park is famous for its fresh produce and variety market with street food and cafes that attract over 10,000 visitors each week. Every market day, there is a cafe and street food section with some of Melbourne's best street food vendors.

Caribbean Gardens and Market is located at 1280 Ferntree Gully Road, Scoresby.

For more information on rides, being a stall holder, and market days, visit https://caribbeangardens.com.au/

ENJOY YOUR DAY AT CARIBBEAN MARKET

BABES TO KIDS MARKET ONCE A MONTH &"45&3 46/%": 41&$*"- SEE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION

1280 FERNTREE GULLY ROAD, SCORESBY, VIC 3179 12412787-LN14-19

44 AUTUMN 2019

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Entertainment The Easter Eve Family Night Out is a thrill for all ages.

ALL ABOARD

Easter Eve

FAMILY NIGHT OUT FAMILY events at Pakenham Racecourse just keep getting better.

A full card of eight races is scheduled for the evening, starting with Race 1 at 6pm through to Race 8 at 9.30pm.

This year's Easter Eve Family Night Out celebration will be no exception with heaps of fun activities for all the family.

Free courtesy buses will run from Pakenham, Officer and Tynong throughout the evening.

Puffing Billy Railway STEP back in ti time at Aust Australia's tra r li lia's favourite steam train Puffing Billy, located in the Dandenong Ranges.

The excitement begins from the moment you arrive at the station with the sight of the historic locomotives, the smell of the steam and the sound of the train's whistle.

The excursion trains depart multiple times daily (excluding Christmas Day) from the historic Belgrave Station and Lakeside Station.

START AT BELGRAVE

Held on Thursday 18 April, the event will feature free kids activities, live music and entertainment, a special Easter colouring competition and much more. And Easter wouldn't be complete without a visit from the Easter Bunny!

As a special offer, the Club is providing general admission for two adults, including a wonderful picnic pack for $40. Or get two general Admission tickets for only $15 (must be purchase online prior to event).

Belgrave to Lakeside Station (Emerald Lake Park): 60 minute one-way journey time.

Recent years have seen this event grow with the inclusion of several resident community groups attending with their family and friends.

So place Thursday 18 April in your diary and we look forward to seeing your family trackside to celebrate the start of the Easter weekend.

Entry on the night is free for all kids aged 17 and under, with gates open from 4.30pm.

For details, visit www.pakenhamracing.com.au or call the club direct on (03) 5940 6600.

After boarding, Puffing Billy chugs away and you and your family can take in the spectacular scenery of the beautiful Sherbrooke Forest, a superb temperate rainforest with native Mountain Ash trees. Within minutes, you will cross Puffing Billy's most famous

Address: Old Monbulk Road, Belgrave Belgrave Station is the headquarters of the Railway and only a short walk from the Belgrave Township.

land ndm mark - the iconic Monbulk Creek Cree Cr ek landmark trestle bridge.

START AT LAKESIDE (EMERALD LAKE PARK) Travel time: Lakeside (Emerald) to Gembrook: 40 minute one-way journey time.

Address: Emerald Lake Road, Emerald Escape the crowds and enjoy a family outing aboard Puffing Billy from Lakeside (Emerald Lake Park) to Gembrook.

Emerald Lake Park is the perfect spot to enjoy for families before or after their journey, and offers BBQ facilities and picnic tables, playground facilities, a wading pool and paddle boats for hire.

Once your journey is underway, Puffing Billy skirts the unspoilt Wright State Forest and as the train climbs towards Gembrook, there are spectacular views of rolling farmlands and distant mountain ranges.

Further information and bookings: Phone: (03) 9757 0700 Email: info@pbr.org.au Website: www.puffingbilly.com.au

Easter Eve

family night out thursday 18th APRIL 2019 - GATES OPEN 4.30PM

free kids activities

Chocolate giveaways

Racing Action FROM 6PM

easter colouring competition

Live music & entertainment

2 FOR 1 GENERAL ADMISSIOn

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easter holiday fun!

available online only

easter bunny

PAKENHAMRACING.COM.AU

FREE Families KIDS ENTRY

Perfect for

Visit us! Racing.com Park, 420 Nar Nar Goon- Longwarry Road, Tynong Email us! info@pakenhamracing.com.au Call us! (03) 5940 6600 www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

AUTUMN 2019 45

Full on fun AT GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT

PHILLIP Island Grand Prix Circuit is the destination for the whole family - and the school holidays are the ideal time to visit.

See the private collection of 24 grand prix winning motorcycles from the famous Italian marques, Aprilia and Cagiva.

GO KARTS AND TANDEMS

SLOT CARS

If you haven't tried the exhilarating Go Karts then strap yourself into the state-of-the-art Sodi Go Karts for an exhilarating session on the 750m replica of the circuit.

Race your family or your mates on Australia's largest four-lane GP Slot Car Track an exact replica of the circuit.

Tandem Karts have dual controls so kids can participate in the full interactive karting experience.

Test yourself on a simulated race on the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Go flat out down Gardner Straight, through ultra-fast Doohan Corner, slide through Stoner, thread your way through Siberia

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*MotoGP motorcycle collection

SIMULATOR RACE CENTRE

and slip stream up the back straight.

SUPER FAST HOT LAPS For the adrenaline junkies how about three heart pumping hot laps in a race prepared vehicle? The road hugging turns defy gravity as you 'white knuckle' it and carve an impression on the rugged cliffs of the famous circuit.

GUIDED CIRCUIT TOURS Follow in the footsteps of racing superstars on a daily guided circuit tour featuring a MotoGP sound simulation and access to exclusive and restricted areas.

CHAMPIONS' BAR AND LICENCED CAFE After all the excitement, Champion's Bar & Cafe delivers with its fresh menu.

The gift shop at the Visitor Centre has a wide selection of stylish apparel, merchandise and souvenirs.

Phone 59 529 400 or visit: www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au

Dinosaur diggers AT PHILLIP ISLAND RSL

LITTLE dinosaur lovers will dig the special day of workshops coming up at Phillip Island RSL.

The workshops will be held in the ANZAC Room at Phillip Island RSL at 10.30am and 1.30pm.

The dinosaur diggers workshops, on Wednesday 17 April, will have kids learning all about the giant creatures that roamed our earth millions of years ago.

Entry per child is $5 for Joey's Kid's Club members or $15 for non-Phillip Island RSL member children.

From velociraptors to t-rex, children will be captivated by an interactive presentation including touching many fossils and museum quality dinosaur replicas including a life size t-rex skull.

After the presentation, children get to find, identify and keep real fossils as well as panning little polished stones to take home.

Membership to Joey's Kid's Club is free for all kids whose parents/ guardians or grandparents are members of the Phillip Island RSL. Apply online at www.pirsl.com.au.

Bookings are essential as each workshop is limited to 30 children.For bookings, call 5952 1004 during business hours.

Phillip Island RSL is located at 225 Thompson Road, Cowes.

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46 AUTUMN 2019

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

COME AND PLAY AT THE

Easter Fun Festival The festival, now in its 11th year, will be held at Churchill Island on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 April.

Come and play as the farm comes alive with family favourite activities, demonstrations, entertainment, and even a special visit from Peppa Pig and her brother George.

Kids will have plenty to keep them busy all weekend with lawn and garden games, Jenga, Noughts and Crosses, Table Tennis, and some old time games as well.

On top of that, Nature Parks Education Rangers will have plenty of fun art and craft activities for little ones, and maybe even some for mum and dad to join in.

The farm will host demonstrations of much-loved working horses, courtesy of the Victorian Heritage Draught Horse Club, plus a range of traditional hands-on farming activities and demonstrations including scheduled tractor rides, cow milking, sheep shearing, working dogs

and whip cracking.

There will also be a wonderful display of vintage cars and caravans.

On Saturday, Peppa Pig and her little brother George will make their way to the farm for some meet and greet sessions with the kids between 11am11.20am, 11.40am-12pm, 12.20am12.40pm and 1pm-1.20pm.

The Wonthaggi Woodcrafters will also be there to help kids make their own wooden toys.

What Easter Festival would be complete without an Easter egg Hunt on Sunday morning?

Working Horses will make an appearance, courtesy of the Victorian Heritage Draught Horse Club.

Children can enjoy the age-grouped Easter egg hunt sessions which take place every 10 minutes between 10am and 1pm.

So come along and spend the weekend having some good old fashioned family fun.

Bring a picnic or sample some fare from the wide variety of food stalls.

Festival entry is free with a Churchill Island ticket or 4 Parks Pass which includes entry to the Penguin Parade, Antarctic Journey at the Nobbies, Koala Conservation Centre and Churchill Island Heritage Farm.

The Easter Fun Festival will feature a display of vintage cars and caravans.

EASTER FUN FESTIVAL Come and play at Churchill Island Farm!

April 20 & 21 – 10am to 4pm SATURDAY Meet Peppa & George Pig 10am – 2pm

SUNDAY Easter Egg Hunt (kids up to 15yrs)

10am – 1pm

Th Easter E t egg hunt h t will ill delight d li ht little littl The ones.

ANTARCTIC JOURNEY HOLIDAY FUN Check out the new interactive displays!

PLUS

April 6 – 18

• Make your own toy with the

Daily Ranger activities

• • • •

Wonthaggi Woodcrafters (Saturday) Heritage Draught Horses Garden & Old Time Games Vintage Cars & Caravans Wagon Rides Food Stalls

April 6-7 & April 13-14 Liquid Nitrogen Weekend Shows 11am & 2.30pm

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WITH Easter egg hunts, farming activities and appearances from Peppa Pig, Phillip Island Nature Parks' annual Easter Fun Festival is an event you won't want to miss.

*4 Parks Pass includes entry to the Penguin Parade, Antarctic Journey, Koala Reserve, and Churchill Island

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Entry is free with a Churchill Island ticket or 4 Parks Pass*

Entry is free with an Antarctic Journey ticket or 4 Parks Pass*

Churchill Island Events www.penguins.org.au/events

Antarctic Journey Events www.penguins.org.au/events AUTUMN 2019 47

BORN TO

party

ONE STOP PARTY SHOP WE have all your party needs and food under one roof.

We offer an exceptional range of food, cakes and supplies to ensure your party, event, wedding or function goes off with a huge bang! We cater for all parties, big or small. We are an Australian owned and operated company based in Pakenham. We are

HUMMINGBIRD & TATE dedicated to providing all of your party needs in one place for convenient and easy shopping.

It is the mission of the One Stop Party Shop to provide personal customer service to the highest level possible, creating a positive experience for everyone.

WANT to make your party extra special?

and cupcake toppers to suit any occasion.

With quality and unique party decor, Hummingbird & Tate will make your celebration truly memorable.

You'll get exactly what you wish for as we pride ourselves on providing top quality products and excellent customer service. Based in Pakenham with quick delivery times, Hummingbird & Tate will get your party started in no time.

We have an amazing selection of customised party decorations and supplies including invitations, loot bags

Party invites fit for royalty create custom invites to suit any party theme.

GONE are the days where mum or dad bought a pad of invitations from the supermarket and carefully wrote the details of their child's upcoming birthday party on each one.

The end results from such businesses are often impressive - you end up with invites you are proud to send out. Not only that, the stylish invites can also be a great keepsake for years to come.

Best of all, you don't have to write out the party details on a bunch of invites!

Nowadays kids are receiving the kinds of birthday invitations fit for a wedding - glossy and professional.

There are also many websites that allow you to copy or purchase a custom made invitation that you can print at

Many party supply businesses can

We offer exceptional range of party supplies for all events to ensure your function goes off with a bang! s Garlands s Arches s Hire items

Trading hours Monday to Saturday 9am till 4pm Address 94 Bald Hill Road Pakenham Phone number

5941 9500

All you need to do is think about your theme, have a photo of your little one ready (if you want this on the invite) and provide the usual information of who, how, when and where.

The same goes for birth announcements, christenings and any other event you have planned.

12405128-RC50-18

s Helium balloons s Helium tank hire s Centre pieces

home. Or you can take the invites down to your local photo printer and print them.

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There are so many classy ways to share your celebrations.

By Melissa Meehan

https://www.facebook.com/bluemoonballoon/ 48 AUTUMN 2019

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

reality bites The one of a kind announcement received an amazing response.

Photo: Instagram, ourlifeinmelbourne

MELBOURNE WOMAN'S

solo mission INTO MOTHERHOOD

Sarah Mill exploring the city.

Photo: lie, myclicksdont m ra ag st In

Sarah shared sh e's expecting a little boy.

Photo: Instagram , ourlifeinmelbo ur ne

By Danielle Galvin WHEN Instagram blogger Sarah Mill began documenting her life through something_about_melbourne, she might not have predicted its success.

With more than 12,000 flowers, she says she was motivated to start showcasing her love of Melbourne, after living in London and Canada.

become one," she said.

"In my early 30s, I told myself that 37 would be the year I started, it came and went and I wasn't ready. I dated on and off, but struggled to find 'that one'.

"I knew that even if I found someone, the chance was high it may not last or it could still take years to start a family.

She realised she had fallen in love all over again.

"So I thought, I can do this! I am a strong independent woman, and I am going to take my destiny into my own hands."

"From sights, food, pop ups, fashion, things to do, it's showcasing how amazing this city is," she said.

The more Sarah thought about it, the more she realised she just didn't want to miss out.

"I love where I live and really wanted to show it off through my eyes.

She spoke to friends who had begun the process in their 40s, and at 38 she booked in for her first appointment to see a fertility specialist.

"The one thing I have loved about starting this page, is that it's made me find places that I didn't even know existed. "Places like the Redwood forest in Warburton or laneway art I hadn't seen and then inspiring other people to check it out and explore more."

"I went in with a really open mind and had the attitude of if it works, it works and if it doesn't it's not meant to be, so I may have to look at other options," she said.

On her Instagram account you'll find foodie pictures, some rare gems in Melbourne's bustling CBD streets, photos from her getaways, art works on hidden laneways.

"I was very blessed and it worked first go."

But there's something else Sarah shared last year, much to the delight of her thousands of followers.

"I was very lucky to have eight eggs in the first go and six made it to freezing.

Even more blessed to have success first go when transferred," she said.

A picture of an ultrasound, sharing the news there would be a 'mini me in Melbourne' and that she was embarking on her journey into motherhood solo after receiving IVF treatment in the hopes of becoming a mum.

In the post she wrote: "Earlier this year I made the decision to become a solo mum by choice via IVF. It's not a decision I made lightly but I am so proud to undertake this new journey to become a mum. I know how hard this road will be but I wanted this little one so badly that I couldn't wait anymore."

As fate would have it, she had planned to do two rounds of IVF, given the cost of treatment.

"I went into the whole IVF experience with a pretty open mind, and wasn't stressed and I think that made a big difference for me.

"It was weird at first to have to inject yourself three times a day, but thankfully it didn't really hurt.

"It's a lot of information to absorb, so often I would record the appointments, because I have a bad habit of not listening properly."So at least I could re-listen to the video if I missed something.

She is happily forthright about the decision.

"From start to finish, I think it took about eight months.

"I think becoming a mum is something I've always thought about, but wouldn't say I was super clucky to

"I also didn't realise at the start, that you will need to do two counselling sessions, a police and child protection

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

check. So things like that can add a short amount of time as well."

The moment she found out she was expecting, she was on her way back to her office building when the call came through.

"When they do the transfer, you have a two week wait," she said.

"The longest two weeks of my life!

There is also no point doing a pregnancy test along the way as it can give off false readings and I didn't want to get my hopes up.

"After two weeks, I was heading back into the office from lunch and I got the call.

"I ducked to the side of the lifts and held my breath and was shocked when she said 'congratulations'."I am pretty sure that my first reaction was something along the lines of 'holy crap I am?'!"

Rushing back into a meeting room on a different floor, Sarah hurriedly Facetimed her sisters and mum, to tell them the news.

Needless to say, there was a lot of jumping around, tears, excitement and elation.

"It was then really hard to keep the secret for the first trimester, you want to tell people, but know that you should try and wait," she said.

Entering into this journey, Sarah says she wants other women in a similar situation not too leave it too late and assume it will be easy going.

"I would say start out by just going to your GP and having a chat and doing some tests," she said.

"You will have a clearer picture of where you are at.

"I think I also kept putting it off because I thought I would never be ready, or couldn't afford it.

"But at the end of the day, you will make it work."

Her friends and family knew about her plan, and were incredibly supportive.

And of course her mum has

accompanied her to every appointment, eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new grandchild.

Sarah's story is a unique one, and she's proud of that.

"I announced on both my personal and public social media accounts. I am super proud of my decision and wanted to bring awareness to it single mums doing IVF," she said.

"I was extremely overwhelmed by all the beautiful messages and congratulations I received.

"There was so much positivity and it was so nice to read messages from people who had done the same thing, or are going through it and then people asking for advice because they had always thought about it."

After posting her pregnancy announcement, Sarah was touched by the support.

Even more so, she realised she is certainly not alone.

As to whether 'mini me in Melbourne' will be making an appearance on her Instagram account, she's undecided.

"My account is about my life in Melbourne, and that's about to change and I am not sure what direction my Instagram will take," she said.

"I also know that I won't have the free time I did as a single person with no cares in the world.

"I love that my page has showcased Melbourne, and it could possibly now show a different side of it now that I have bubs, but I don't think I will be oversharing the little one.

"My page was never about being just me but more about how cool this city is - with snapshots of my life occasionally.

"There may be photos here and there of bubs, but I am not a mummy blogger and don't think that's the direction I will go down.

"But you never know what shape my page will take."

Sarah has recently changed her Instagram account to ourlifeinmelbourne AUTUMN 2019 49

reality bites

Andy and Sadie part of local history

By Melissa Grant WHEN Emma Cooksey and Chloe Gaspardis went into labour last year they had no idea they were about to make history.

They also didn't know they would be giving birth in different locations than they had originally planned.

Due on 13 February, Emma thought she would deliver her child at the new St John of God Hospital.

But her daughter Sadie had other ideas and arrived four weeks early on 17 January, becoming the last baby born at the old St John of God Hospital on Gibb Street.

Chloe, on the other hand, thought she would be birthing in the old facility.

But her son Andy arrived four days late on January 18 and was the first to be born at the new St John of God Hospital on Kangan Drive.

Looking back, Emma said her birth ended up being entirely different to what she had anticipated.

She was planning to have a drugfree birth in the bath at the new hospital.

With her due date nearly a month after the new hospital's opening date, Emma didn't do a tour of the old facility.

"I was excited to go to the new hospital," she recalled.

"My sister-in-law had her three kids at the old hospital so I knew where everything there was anyway."

On the night of 16 January, Emma was in labour at the Gibb St facility.

"I was panicking because I was only 36 weeks," she said.

"I was in a panic thinking I'd have her early and maybe have complications. I had been planning on having a natural birth with no drugs."

Emma was in labour for 24 hours before it became clear she needed a c-section.

"She just got stuck. I wasn't dilated enough and she was keen to get out.

The doctor said 'we have to get her out now'," she said.

"They had actually closed down the surgery and had gone home, so they had to come back and open up the surgery room just for us."

Shane and Emma Cooksey with newborn Sadie.

The proud parents, who live in Drouin, discovered they had made history the following day.

They were given a beautiful congratulations card and a money box which acknowledged Sadie was the last baby born at the Gibb St hospital.

It was a beautiful touch given Shane was born at the same facility in 1989.

Emma still got to experience the new hospital - she was transferred there the morning after Sadie's birth.

"The new hospital is amazing. It is beautiful. The rooms and bathrooms are massive," she said.

"They were all absolutely amazing (the nurses).

"And the meals are really nice as well. I didn't want to come home!"

Emma is expecting again in August and is hoping she will get to labour in the bath this time around.

For Chloe, giving birth at the new St John of God Hospital seemed unlikely given the due date of her second child was 13 January.

Andy Gaspardis and Sadie Cooksey shortly after their births.

However, she didn't go into labour until 18 January - hours after the new facility opened its doors.

"I thought for sure we would be in the old hospital," Chloe said.

"We know what the old hospital is like - we had our first baby (Toby) in the old hospital.

"But he (Andy) decided to wait those extra few days and be born at the new hospital."

The nurses joked to Chloe and husband Chris that their baby should be born at 6.18pm as that was 18.18 (in 24-hour time) and the date was 18 January, 2018.

But that wasn't to be.

"At about 9pm we ended up getting my waters broken and then he was out in the hour," Chloe said.

Andy Ernest Gaspardis was born at 10.19pm on 18 January, weighing 4.1kg.

The hospital staff had been eagerly awaiting Andy's arrival.

Sadie Margaret Cooksey arrived at 8.57pm on 17 January, weighing 2.89kg.

"Apparently pretty much every staff member walked past the door when I was in labour," Chloe said.

At the time, Emma and husband Shane had no idea their baby was the last to be born at the old St John of God Hospital.

"Everyone had a little wander past thinking 'we are getting our first baby!'

50 AUTUMN 2019

Chloe Gaspardis with sons Andy (front) and Toby.

Picture: Stewart Chambers

"Some of the executives stayed until 8pm hoping they could meet him."

Andy was a little celebrity at the hospital throughout his stay.

"We had people coming and taking photos. And the hospital manager came and gave us a congratulations and wanted to personally meet him," Chloe said.

They were given a little money box that noted Andy was the first baby born at St John of God Hospital Kangan Drive.

The Narre Warren family was also VIP guests at St John of God Hospital's first birthday event in January.

"They let us cut the cake instead of them which was very special," Chloe said.

Sadie Cooksey, the last baby born at the old St John of God Hospital on Gibb St, recently turned 1.

Picture: Stewart Chambers www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

reality bites

TWINS BEGIN THEIR

motherhood journey together

By Melissa Grant Lauren Bickel and son Cooper, with her twin sister Katrina Midgley and her son Xavier.

Pictures: Gary Sissons

LITTLE cousins Cooper Bickel and Xavier Midgley often get mistaken for twins when they are out together in public.

It's an easy assumption to make given they are often in a double pram, are close in age and both have blond hair and blue eyes.

However, it's somewhat strange and slightly amusing given the boys' mothers are identical twin sisters.

Despite describing themselves as "pretty identical", Lauren Bickel and Katrina Midgley (nee Heywood) never thought they would be giving birth to boys nine weeks apart.

The twins - who grew up in Garfield and had to wear different styles of earrings to high school so people could tell them apart - both say no planning was involved.

"It wasn't planned we just fluked it," Lauren said.

Katrina added: "You couldn't have planned it. It's just so cool how they've each got a little buddy for life."

Lauren fell pregnant first, which came as a surprise to some of their family.

"I told mum and dad when we were at breakfast before the footy," Lauren recalled.

"Dad kind of knew because he saw my husband Shane and I in the car park. He asked how we were going and we smirked at each other. Mum dropped her fork in shock."

At the time, Katrina was hoping she and husband Graham would soon be expecting.

"Lauren had said she was pregnant and that was nice. I was thinking I wanted to get pregnant soon," she said.

But when Katrina actually fell pregnant it came as a surprise, with the couple preparing to jet off to the US. They ended up visiting various cities, including New York and Las Vegas, 10 weeks into the pregnancy.

Like her twin, Katrina decided to find out the gender of her baby at the 20-week scan.

Best friends for life... cousins Xavier Midgley and Cooper Bickel.

"They said 'congratulations it's a girl ... oh wait, no it's not he just moved his legs'," Katrina said.

Little cousins Xavier Midgley and Cooper Bickel are just nine weeks apart in age.

The fact Katrina was too expecting a boy came as a bit of a shock given the twins come from a family of all girls (they also have a younger sister Amy).

But despite being twins and expecting the same gender, Lauren and Katrina had very different pregnancies and births.

"We both had similar morning sickness although she had it a bit worse," Lauren recalled.

"I had it just in the evenings and she had it all day for a few days."

Lauren had a relatively trouble-free pregnancy and a quick birth. Her waters burst spontaneously at night, with Cooper making a speedy arrival at Ferntree Gully's Angliss Hospital on March 18, 2017.

"I think it was five hours and Cooper was here," she said. www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

K ti h ll over her h Katrina, however, was well due date when she delivered Xavier at Heidelberg's Mercy Hospital for Women on May 19, 2017.

h l f l being being i "It was helpful able to ask her for advice."

"I was two weeks overdue and induced - he just didn't want to come out!" she said.

"They are just best friends," Lauren said.

Katrina said it was helpful being able to turn to Lauren for advice not only during the pregnancy but after giving birth.

"I had massive feeding issues whereas Lauren breezed through breastfeeding with Cooper," she said.

Cooper, now aged 2, and Xavier, 22 months, have become extremely close.

"Cooper gets excited every time we see Xavier. I think Xavier was the first name he knew apart from mum and dad."

Katrina, who often has both boys on a Thursday, says the boys have a ball together and constantly turn heads when they are out and about.

go no matter what, what "Everywhere we go, you get stopped and people say 'aren't they gorgeous'," Katrina said.

"They assume they're twins. At first I would say 'no they're cousins' but now I've stopped correcting them."

For their Nanna Jeanette - the girls' mother - having two grandchildren so close in age and looks is a bit of a time warp.

"If Katrina is working on a Thursday I have both of them so it's like having twins again!"

AUTUMN 2019 51

reality bites

: d r a w r o f y a w w A ne E F I L r e h e n i f e Loz won't let MS d

By Danielle Galvin

what her plans were, and whether she wanted to have children one day.

GROWING up, Loz Hunt just knew she wanted to be a mum.

"He said 'is having kids on the radar' and I said '100 per cent, that's all I've ever wanted to do'. And I said 'Mr Right is not here at the moment', he said 'well, if you want to, look at other avenues'," Loz said.

It was in the stars and her remarkable journey into motherhood is certainly not one you'd read every day.

It all started five years ago when Loz was out for dinner with her mum and dad, and she noticed a sharp burning pain in one of her legs. Her dad encouraged her to get it checked out.

Her physiotherapist conducted a series of hot and cold tests. She failed them all on that side.

So that she did. She told her mum she'd call Monash IVF, and from there, Loz got the ball rolling.

She always knew she'd find a way to have a baby.

Eventually she would see a neurologist, who would suggest a spinal tap after an MRI revealed a lesion on her spine.

Aged just 29 at the time, Loz began the process of looking through the donors, having numerous medical appointments and tests all the while undertaking the counselling required to go through with IVF treatment.

It came back positive for Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

"We called a family dinner to go through all of the donors!"

Since then, Loz has raised an amazing $30,000 for MS research. She puts it mildly, but she has been "unlucky" to have reacted badly to treatments.

It was overwhelming choosing a donor, but Loz always remembers the nurse that responded when she sent back her nomination.

And one fateful day, after a particularly bad reaction left her struggling to breathe and in the back of an ambulance, her neurologist asked

For two weeks she was following the very strict schedule of hormone injections - she says it is down to the minute.

Lauren Hunt with beautiful blue-eyed Bailey.

Picture: Rob Carew

Loz fell pregnant with Bailey on her first round of IVF.

"She wrote - it's a match!"

She even had to miss seeing her beloved Robbie Williams in concert. Her sister Erin had purchased tickets but because she was due to have the all important "trigger shot" when Robbie would have been belting out one of his tunes, she had to miss out.

The embryologist told Loz she had the "most perfect embryo she'd ever seen" which was implanted, and then the agonising 14 day wait began to see if it had taken.

"It was the longest two weeks of my life," she said.

"Everyone said just to keep busy but at night you still get that ticking brain."

Two weeks on, she got the call.

"I didn't even know if I could answer.

And then she just said 'it's positive, you're pregnant!"

Loz counts herself as blessed that it was her first round of IVF. After that initial conversation with her neurologist, she really never looked back.

Her determination and fighting spirit is truly incredible.

"I would never want to do life without having a child. I always thought that - I thought that I would make it work," she said.

"For me, the decision was easy, it just was what I was going to do.

"I don't think I could have ever come to terms with the fact that I wasn't going to be a mum.

"And I don't think i will ever fathom the process itself - it is incredible.

"I always think of it like an organ donor, or when you give blood, you do

52 AUTUMN 2019

that so that someone else can have a better life.

"The donor gets nothing out of it - they do it just simply to help others have children. That in itself is a very special kind of person."

Loz welcomed Bailey Dane Hunt into the world on 7 November via emergency c-section, with her mum by her side.

His movements had slowed, trusting her instincts, she phoned her obstetrician who advised her to come in and check on the baby. She told her mum it was fine, she'd go in by herself and keep her updated.

But when the baby didn't move for five minutes on the CTG, her OB told her they'd be taking her straight to theatre.

A blubbering mess, Loz insisted she move her car and called her mum and sister, telling them to tell her dad it was happening, the baby would born soon.

It was a whirlwind, but he was healthy, happy and Loz will always remember the moment she heard him let out a big cry in the moments after he was born.

She says simply her heart is full.

"It's hard to imagine life without him. I don't know what we ever did without him. What did we talk about?" she laughs.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. Loz has a beautiful, doting village just as smitten as she is, who have fallen in love with the blue-eyed, beautiful baby.

Bailey sure is one lucky boy. www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

THE trendiest autumn fashion for kids and mums-to-be is at Billy Lidz.

Modern Australian maternity label Legoe Heritage has arrived at the boutique, with a range of stylish and comfortable items made from premium fabrics available.

Billy Lidz also stocks leading Australian designer children's and baby clothing brands and overseas favourites, including Munster, Missie Munster, Susukoshi, Rylee and Cru, Quincy Mae, Buck and Baa, Wilson and Frenchy and Miann and Co. A host of new lines have arrived in store in time to beat the autumn chill.

The boutique also sells gorgeous shoes, toys and accessories.

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Visit Billy Lidz at Blackburne Square, Berwick, or check out the range in their online store at www. lovemybillylidz.com.au

AUTUMN 19 IN STORE NOW PLUS GREAT GIFT IDEAS OPEN Mon - Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-3pm Shop 6, Blackburne Square, Berwick Phone: 9707 5593 www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

AUTUMN 2019 53

54 AUTUMN 2019

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

AUTUMN 2019 55

Games and gadgets Cohen and mum Laurelin Berick with their beloved Labradors.

FAMILY LIFE

Full of Fun The Berick family are adventurers who love entertaining and getting away on weekends and holidays.

They are a busy bunch - dad Cameron works in the construction/ crane industry, mum Laurelin works in internal recruitment and Cohen, 5, has just started prep. The family also has two much-loved Labradors.

The Bericks enjoy entertaining family and friends at their home in Narre Warren South and try to get away together as much as possible.

Here, the family shares their favourite things: ■ Holidaying in our caravan: Last year we upgraded to a caravan from a camper trailer (our most epic trip was a two-month break that took us up to Cape York, returning home via the east coast). Having a caravan meanss we can get away at short notice. Our biggest trip in the van so far was Hastings Point in northern NSW via Tamworth for the Hay Mate Concert.

Our shortest trip was an overnight stay at Phillip Island!

■ Trips to Lake Eildon: Holidaying at Cohen's grandparent's holiday house on Lake Eildon is an important part of our family time. We base ourselves there over the summer holidays, and enjoy boating, water skiing and swimming in the lake. Cameron has holidayed in the area since he was Cohen's age, making it a place that holds fond memories for all.

■ Swimming classes: Swimming lessons are a highlight in Cohen's week. He started swim classes at three months old. Before turning 5 he had started swimming freestyle independently.

We call Cohen our 'little fish'.

■ Grandparent time: Cohen loves spending time with his grandparents - he enjoys an overnight stay most weeks. He loves swimming in their pool and is regularly taken to play centres and playgrounds where he climbs, balances, slides and swings for hours on end.

■ Footy: During footy season Cohen loves attending Auskick, where he learns lots of ball skills and team drills. He wears his Hawks footy jumper - we're avid Hawthorn fans and try to get to a game each season.

■ Music and theatre: We love going to concerts or shows at theatres like the Drum Theatre. Most recently, Cohen attended a magic show where he learned to make balloon art and a transformer show. Late last year he was thrilled to go to his sixth Lah Lah's Big Live Band concert, and the Hay Mate concert where he particularly loved Guy Sebastian.

■ DVDs and CDs: We often watch shows and movies and listen to music. A current favourite CD and DVD is The Greatest Showman. But Cohen also loves listening to his Europe CD so he can belt out 'The Final Countdown' at the top of his lungs!

56 AUTUMN 2019

his Cohen in n. a v ra a family's c

Laurelin and Cohen love reading together.

One of Cohen's favourite books is Captain Underpants.

Cohen Berick enjoys playing his drum set.

■ Space and astronomy: Cohen loves learning about the solar system, Milky Way, and the Moon. A trip to Scienceworks and the Planetarium were big hits last year.

■ Toys: Transformers, any toy with wheels, Lego, scooters, bikes and musical instruments are the most popular toys in our house.

Transformers are priority toys for Cohen, but he also loves banging away on his drum kit, strumming away on his guitar, or creating melodies on his keyboard piano. He also loves digging in our sandpit.

■ Reading: Cohen loves reading, especially before bed, with the Captain Underpants books providing the most entertainment. We've just started to read Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

■ Dog pals: We love spending time playing with our two fur babies. Our two black Labradors keep us entertained, and love pats, cuddles, walks and holidays (just as much as we do). Cohen loves them like a brother and sister!

■ Visiting family: Visiting family members brings loads of fun, particularly when Cohen gets to see his 94-year-old great grandpa, any of his three uncles, or his cousins who all share his love of transformers and toys with wheels.

Cohen loves his Transformers. www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

books

BOOK EXPECTED TO

RUFFLE FEATHERS IN

Education Sector themselves rather than be systematically, explicitly taught, was the moment reading scores began to take a nosedive.

Lyn Stone doesn't care if she ruffles some feathers with her new book.

"We are begging initial teacher training institutes and school leaders to stop creating ideological casualties of the Reading Wars," Ms Stone said.

"Those who can afford external tutoring, get help, but woe betide those who can't. So many end up in the criminal justice system."

By Melissa Meehan A new book that aims to upskill teachers and parents attacks the kind of thinking that allows poor practice in schools and leads to unacceptable levels of illiteracy in society.

Reading for Life: High Quality Literacy Instruction For All, is linguist and literacy consultant Lyn Stone's third book and is bound to ruffle some feathers in the education sphere.

But she doesn't mind.

"Too bad," Ms Stone said.

"I speak for thousands of specialists in literacy instruction when I say enough is enough."

According to the OECD, 43.6 per cent of Australians between the ages of 15-74 are below proficiency level in literacy.

That's more than seven million people in this country who risk unemployment and social exclusion.

Similarly depressing figures can be found all over the English-speaking world.

The moment education systems started embracing the notion that children should 'discover' learning for

Ms Stone's book provides fully referenced definitions of all the key terms in reading instruction, including phonics, whole language, balanced literacy and dyslexia.

soon to be available online.

"I'd like to be redundant. But instead, my colleagues and I spend thousands of hours a week undoing dreadful habits embedded in literacy instruction," she said.

"This robs vulnerable children of crucial decoding practice and creates weak spellers."

Though it's common to be accused of teacher-bashing, Ms Stone maintains that nothing could be further from the truth.

"I have the greatest admiration for teachers and have worked alongside them throughout my career," she said.

It outlines the history of the Reading Wars and lists the key players and their contribution to the field.

"But I won't cynically suck up to them either and tell them everything is fine.

It's not."

There is a section devoted to flaws in thinking that lead to poor practice and finally, a whole section packed with ideas and guidance to help struggling readers get back on track.

Her first two books, Spelling For Life and Language For Life have been popular with educators worldwide since their release.

This is accompanied by a one-day workshop, touring Australia in 2019 and

Reading for Life is available at www.lifelongliteracy.com and all reputable online book outlets. RRP $35

Children's books..

Der Glumph Went the Little Green Frog

Shoelaces Are Impossible

So That's How I Began!

Ed Allen & Nathaniel Eckstrom

Illustrated by Matt Shanks

TYING your shoelaces can seem impossible when you are little, but imagine how hard it would be if you were a caterpillar!

Gina Dawson, Illustrated by Alex Mankiewicz

"WE all know frogs go la-di-dadi-da! La-di-da-di-da!"

Yes, we all know the words to this much-loved nursery rhyme!

However, this book features a distinctly Australian version of the popular song. Various Australian outback animals are featured, including a spiky echidna that scritches and scratches one day, and a little red roo that hops.

This colourful book has playful and humorous illustrations with easy to read and rhyming text, making it a fantastic to read with your little one (although your tongue may get twisted). Great for kids aged 1+ Scholastic, RRP $15.99 www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

This fun book follows the shoelace tying efforts of a caterpillar desperate to learn how to tie his laces so he can be a tap dancing star.

The book Includes step-bystep instructions for shoelace tying so your child can learn and practice. It also encourages them to keep trying, even when tying their shoelaces seems impossible.

Perfect for young kids aged 3+ Scholastic, RRP $15.99

IT can be awkward when a child starts asking questions about how they came to exist.

This book is a great resource for parents trying to tackle those tricky questions by spelling out the facts about where babies come from in a age-appropriate manner. It explains how the modern family comes in many different forms, the important functions of the male and female bodies, the 'special cuddle' that leads to a baby, IVF, pregnancy and birth. It's a very handy book as you can just turn to the page that answers the question your little one is asking.

New Holland Publishers, RRP $14.99

George and the Great Bum Stampede

Liars #2 No Survivors

Cal Wilson, illustrated by Sarah Davis

A viral phone app harbouring secrets about a criminal mastermind is at the centre of this story, the second instalment in a thrilling five-book series by best-selling Australian author Jack Health.

When a plane crash destroys a house at Kelton, it's clear something strange is going on.

All the passengers are missing and nobody knows the cause of the crash. But then Jarli's Truth App discovers a secret at a crash site - a secret that crime boss Viper, who has previously threatened Jarli's family, doesn't want uncovered.

MEET the Peppertons - an unusual family about to experience the 'worst week ever'.

George is the youngest, but not the smallest - that's Poco due to an incident with the 'shrink ray' machine created by mum Pepperton, who is an inventor. Of all her inventions, the most amazing is the replicator which can replicate anything. It seems amazing until it replicates pinching hands and 500 bums! To make matters worse, the replicator ends up with the school bully who moved in next door.

Written by comedian Cal Wilson, this is an hilarious read for kids aged 7+

Jack Heath

A gripping read for kids aged 10+.

Scholastic, $14.99

Scholastic, RRP $12.99 AUTUMN 2019 57

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Visit www.sjog.org.au/berwick for weekly maternity unit tours and monthly pregnancy information session dates

75 Kangan Drive, Berwick sjog.org.au/berwickmaternity Gibb St, Berwick 3806

www.sjog.org.au/berwick

Ph: 9709 1400 12379745-LN12-18

Pakenham Central

Easter Eve

family night out thursday 18 april - 4.30pm

y Learning Early Kinder

th

Chocolate giveaways

racing action from 6pm

easter colouring competition

Live music & entertainment

easter bunny

PAKENHAMRACING.COM.AU

CRANBOURNE NORTH CLYDE NORTH

12411143-RC14-19

free kids activities

Book now gumbuya.com.au

PAKENHAM CLYDE NORTH MOROAK CRESCENT

childrensprograms.ymca.org.au 12405382-RC50-18

12413740-SN14-19

Experience the magic of...

Australia’s Favourite Steam Train

Servicing the community for over 40 years.

General and Family Dental Fillings Crown and Bridge Oral Surgery Happy Gas

BOOK ONLINE TODAY

5941 1214 3/61-63 Main St., Pakenham www.pakenhamdental.com.au 12406294-LN50-18

58 AUTUMN 2019

12370440-RA48-17

12413310-LN14-19

PUFFINGBILLY.COM.AU www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

kids calendar What ' s on this

Autumn 30 MARCH CASEY KIDS CARNIVAL A day of free activities for kids!

Characters from Paw Patrol and the Jungle Book will be there to meet their pint-sized fans. There will also be market stalls, interactive activities, face painting, jumping castles, free rides and food vans.

11am-4pm, Akoonah Park, Berwick

2 APRIL, 30 APRIL, 14 MAY, 28 MAY TUESDAY FORTNIGHTLY FREE KIDS PLAY Every second Tuesday and running during school terms, children and their families are invited to Kids' Play at Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre.

2 April: Zoo Animal Masks 30 April: Pot Holder Decorating 14 May: Superhero Masks 28 May: Mitten Puppets Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre, 271 Police Road Mulgrave. Sessions run 10am-1pm

3 APRIL & 1 MAY BABES TO KIDS MARKET A market where you can pick up or sell some new or pre-loved clothing, toys, maternity wear, cots, prams, change tables, bibs, blankets and more.

Caribbean Gardens and Market, 1280 Ferntree Gully Road, Scoresby, 8.30am3pm

9-10 APRIL

9, 10, 16 & 17 APRIL

17 APRIL

19-22 APRIL

FREE SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN

DINOSAUR DIGGERS WORKSHOPS

MELBOURNE EASTER SHOW

To celebrate the school holidays, Cardinia Lakes Shopping Centre is putting on free events for kids

Little dinosaur lovers will dig this special day of workshops. Children will be captivated by an interactive presentation including touching many fossils and museum quality dinosaur replicas including a life size t-rex skull.

This action-packed event offers non-stop fun for the whole family over the Easter long weekend. There's amusement rides, monster truck battles, rodeo shows, animal farm, lights display, showbags plus Melbourne's biggest Easter egg hunt!

9 April, 12-3pm: Luke & Kim facepainting and balloon creatures 10 April 1pm-3pm: Super Slippery Slime with Sue 16 April 12pm-3pm: Luke & Kim facepainting and balloon creatures 17 April 1pm-3pm: Animals of Oz

11 APRIL

10.30am and 1.30pm, ANZAC Room at Phillip Island RSL Entry per child is $5 for Joey's Kid's Club members, $15 for non-Phillip Island RSL member children.

Bookings essential - call 5952 1004 during business hours.

LOOSE ENDS This show combines custom-built contraptions, puppetry, circus, shadow projection, music and transformed objects into a story about friendship, loyalty and inventiveness.

Shows at 11am and 2pm Bunjil Place Theatre, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren

18 APRIL

20-21 APRIL

EASTER EVE FAMILY NIGHT OUT

EASTER FUN FESTIVAL

This fun-filled event at the Pakenham Racing Club features free kids activities, live music and entertainment, a special easter colouring competition and a visit from the Easter Bunny!

Gates open 4.30pm, with free courtesy buses running from Pakenham, Officer and Tynong

28 APRIL

12 APRIL

Entry free for all kids aged 17 and under.

FREE OUTDOOR MOVIE

BUMBLE BEE BABY AND CHILDREN'S MARKETS

As a special offer, the Club is providing general admission for two adults, including a picnic pack for $40. Or get two general Admission tickets for only $15 (must be purchase online prior to event).

Cranbourne Home is having a centrewide sale, free outdoor family movie, kids activities and giveaways.

The pre-movie entertainment begins at 5pm, with the movie screening at 6.15pm. Movie screen located next to Red Rooster - enjoy in your car, or bring a chair or rug.

Entry $2, children under 12 free

BILLIONAIRE BOY

8 MAY GUMBUYA WORLD PHYSICS DAY

11-13 APRIL

David Walliams' best-selling book comes to life on stage for kids, and their adults, to enjoy.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL JNR

Shows at 1pm (relaxed performance) and 3pm

Cranbourne Home, 398 South Gippsland Hwy, Cranbourne

TCK Youth Events presents High School Musical Jnr, featuring a cast of the City of Casey's finest young talent from some of the best performing arts schools.

Bunjil Place Theatre, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren

Bunjil Place, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren

19-22 APRIL

Join the Envision Basketball Academy Skill Development Training Camp run

by Kareem Drayton.

Tickets: Adult $32.50, Concession $30, Under 15s $25, family of four $100 (2 x adults & 2 children or 1 adult & 3 children), group bookings of 8+ $30 per person.

Early bird special: $165 for 2 days, $97 for 1 day www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

With up to 65 stall holders you are sure to snap up some bargains on new, handmade and preloved baby and children's goods. There will also be a coffee van on site. 9am-12pm Berwick Fields Primary School

18 APRIL

Shows 3pm and 7pm each day

Berwick College, Manuka Rd, Berwick

Churchill Island Heritage Farm

A full card of eight races is scheduled.

ENVISION BASKETBALL ACADEMY CAMP

9am - 3pm both days

Come and play as the farm comes alive with family favourite activities, Easter egg hunt, demonstrations, entertainment, and even a special visit from Peppa Pig and her brother George.

All tickets $16. Children under the age of 2 years don't require a ticket if seated on the lap of their carer.

All tickets $16. Children under the age of 2 years do not require a ticket if seated on the lap of their carer.

This high performance camp features intensive on-court instruction and is designed for intermediate to advanced basketballers aged 10 to 14 years.

10am and 9pm daily. Free entry for kids.

Cranbourne Turf Club, Grant Street Cranbourne.

More information: www. melbourneeastershow.com.au

Children under 2 do not require a ticket if seated on the lap of their carer.

EASTER FUN AT GUMBUYA WORLD Celebrate Easter at Gumbuya World!

There will be an Easter bunny petting zoo, egg hunt and much more.

Gumbuya World is open daily throughout the school holidays from 10am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5pm. gumbuya.com.au

Students can delve into the scientific concepts that enable the rides at Gumbuya to safely deliver thrills and excitement. gumbuya.com.au

31 MAY A show that tells the stories of six young champions of an underground parkour and street style community. With urban freestyle, b-boying, parkour and dance intersect, this is a killer performance the kids will love.

JUMP FIRST, ASK LATER

Shows at 1pm and 7.30pm Bunjil Place Theatre, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren All tickets $16. Children under the age of 2 years do not require a ticket if seated on the lap of their carer.

AUTUMN 2019 59

12410155-LN14-19

60 AUTUMN 2019

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au