Bayside MamaMag Feb/Mar 2017

BAYSIDE

mamaMAG Feb/Mar 2017

WIN 1 of 4 HIPPO BLUE kids’ prIze PACKS WORTH $125 EACH Surviving school Crazy, busy, guilty Lunchbox loving Forgetful child Toy libraries

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school Is In! Hey mamas, did you survive the holidays? Whilst most people I know have been juggling their kids between grandparents, friends and holiday programs, I just shipped mine off to their Dad for a few weeks and got back to work! Single mum for the win!

The holidays started off with a rather un-traditional Christmas. With my extended family doing Xmas lunch the week before, Mum, Bec (my awesome Westside editor and sister) and I planned a Christmas eve city adventure followed with a sleepover in town. Turns out Santa knows how to find four kids in a Southbank apartment still, so there were smiles all round. Christmas eve we took in the spectacle of Crown, Fed Square and City Square while the morning involved a trip to the Myer windows and Mr whippy ice-creams for breakfast!

And so it begins again. A new year, a new school year.

I’m pretty excited for school to be back. Not because I’m trying to get rid of my kids (well maybe a little bit), but because they both love school. A new year means a new class and I can’t wait to see them both develop new friendships and learn new exciting new things. Speaking of school, that’s my gorgeous daughter Milla on the cover. I’ve never put my kids on the front before but I couldn’t resist that pic from her first day of school last year. What a treasure!

I’m also excited about this year business wise. I’ve made the decision to move the magazine into a bi-monthly format, so there will only be a new issue every second month (sorry guys!). Whilst I really love creating this little bundle of fun for you each month, it’s a huge amount of work and financially (and mentally!) it just doesn’t add up. With an extra month up my sleeve I’m going to concentrate on rebuilding my graphic design business (the only thing that really pays my bills!) and give myself a bit more time to bring you better content and do some more online stuff which doesn’t have the hefty production costs of the printed mag. Oh, and I’m going to try and find the time to get fit. This mama’s been putting everyhting but herself first for far too long. Sound familiar?

@localmamamag

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WIN

Contents Surviving school Tips for an easier transition

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Lunchbox loving Our favourite school bag items

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Crazy busy guilty What kind of mum are you?

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Play is our business Local toy library wrap-up

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Mama can cook Chickpea delights

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1 OF 4 KID’S PACKS FROM WORTH

$125 EACH!

Parklife 26 Black Rock foreshore How to help a forgetful child 28 Help them learn to look after themselves.

What about us?

How’s your relationship going

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What’s the time?

Helping kids learn to tell the time

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Visit our Facebook page to enter

www.facebook.com/localmamamag Each winner will receive a $125 gift voucher for purchases from hippoblue.com.au.

Entries are open to Victorian residents only. Competition starts February 1st 12.01am and closes February 28th 2017 at 11.59pm. Visit www.mamamag.com.au for full terms and conditions.

Check out the fun at www.hippoblue.com.au MamaMag is published bi-monthly for the mums of the Bayside area by Grizzle Design Pty Ltd.

Turn the page 34 Back to school books from Story Mama

ABN: 26 042 138 550. PO Box 8018 Brighton East 3187 Phone: 1300 771 446 Email: info@mamamag.com.au www.mamamag.com.au

Settling safely into the school year Some great safety ideas to consider

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10,000 copies per issue in the Bayside area: Bayside, Glen Eira, Kingston and Port Phillip.

Lovely locals Exploring Bay Street Brighton

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The end is often the beginning A mother’s story

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Parenting in the digital age Had the sex talk? Have the tech talk!

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Kid’s colouring comp WIN 1 of 4 Globber scooters

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MamaMag Feb/Mar 2017

Editor in Chief: Sarah Cavalier National Key Account Manager: Justine Whatmore: justine@mamamag.com.au Bayside Advertising Sales: Daniela Simonetta: daniela@mamamag.com.au Cherise Berley: cherise@mamamag.com.au Like to contribute an article submission or products for Facebook giveaways? submissions@mamamag.com.au For advertising enquiries: download our media kit from www.mamamag.com.au or email info@mamamag.com.au The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publishing staff. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without permission of the publishers.

Health related articles are designed to be informative and educational. They are not intended to provide specific medical advice or replace one-on-one advice from your health practitioner.

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survIvIng school The importance of preparing your children for back to school School holidays are a great time to have fun with the kids and enjoy a break from the regular school/work routine.

Unfortunately the reality of heading back to work or school comes around much too soon, and the transition can be challenging and worrying for some children (and even for some parents).

1. Develop a consistent morning and evening routine.

• Ease your children back into the school routine gradually.

• Whether you are going out for the day or just spending the day at home, keep practicing the same routine from the ‘wake up’ time to packing bags in the same way.

Adapting to a school routine, coping with a new classroom, different teachers and forming new friendships can result in a degree of anxiety for some children. This anxiety typically subsides once settled back into a routine, although some children require a little longer when adjusting to these changes.

• Start to gradually increase the structure of your day. It is hard for some children to fall straight back into a highly structured environment, even more so following a holiday period. Setting an activity schedule for the day may help your child adjust to the structure of the school environment.

Schools and teachers know the transition can be difficult for some students, and they typically do a good job at helping them feel as comfortable as possible – including hosting orientation days for new students.

• Evening routines are just as important as the mornings so it’s important to re-establish the bedtime routine immediately.

There are some other useful strategies that families can consider to help ease the transition back to school.

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Tips to make the ‘back to school’ transition a little easier

• Routines are easier to follow if they are presented visually. It may be hard to expect your children to remember every step of their routine off the top of their head. Create an easy to follow visual routine chart with pictures to help motivate your child.

2. Familiarise your child with their teacher, classroom and school.

• For new students, tell your child about the teacher’s role, remind your child of classroom etiquette, such as putting up your hand if you want to get the teacher’s attention.

• Explore the school with your child so they feel confident finding their classroom and walking around.

• Prepare your child for the subjects that may be taking throughout the year and look through their books with them. Allow your child to choose their contact paper, favourite coloured pens or notebook in order to increase their motivation towards going to school. Having the right tools will make your child feel more prepared.

3. Help your child to familiarise themselves with their classmates.

• Most schools release a class list sometime prior or early in the school year. From this list identify core friends who may be in the same class as your child and where possible, schedule play dates to help refresh relationships with peers outside of the classroom.

• Play dates are also a great opportunity to notice if your child has any problems interacting socially, such as being too bossy or too shy, so you can identify any problems and work with them on solutions.

try spending time discussing ways to solve such problems with your child and practice the ideas that you have discussed, so your child will become more empowered.

• Review school policies and procedures for bullying. Rehearse and discuss ways in which your child can cope with bullying while they are at school. Emphasise the importance of asking the bully to stop, walking away, and telling a teacher, before considering further strategies if required.

4. Reducing ‘back to school anxiety’.

• The first step in reducing the impact of back to school anxiety is to ensure your child is well prepared. Following some of the tips listed above may help to achieve this.

However, if your child’s anxiety persists, then consider using some of these helpful tips.

• Identify what your child is specifically anxious or worried about and invite your child to discuss these concerns with you and/or their teacher.

Prevent avoidance. The successful completion of activities that caused anxiety in the first place will promote self-confidence and reduces anxious symptoms for your child.

Be empathetic with your child. Make an effort to try and truly understand your child’s anxiety. Allow them to feel as though they have been heard and that you understand their experience.

Model non-anxious behaviour. Children often look to their parents for guidance.

Display calm and positive behaviours to tell your children that they do not need to feel anxious. This can be particularly difficult amongst the rush of getting out the door in time.

Be patient. Try to be as consistent and patient as possible to reinforce the message to your child that their world is a safe place. Overcoming any form of anxiety can take time.

• Encourage your child’s curiosity for socialising and learning. Invite your child’s new friends to your home to play or work together on an assignment.

• Remember that it is normal for children to take time to find friends and get along with others. There are often several different personalities within a classroom at any one time, so social difficulties are bound to occur from time to time. Try to avoid the temptation of jumping in straight away to solve the problem for your child. Instead,

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5. Seek professional help.

• Professional support and advice from a psychologist may support children who experience difficulty during their transition into or back to school in a number of ways.

• Psychologists are trained in supporting families to cope with life adjustments that naturally occur, such as starting at school.

• Other allied health professionals can also help, such as child occupational therapists and speech pathologists.

• If you feel that your child may benefit from support from one or more of these professions, speak to your school, General Practitioner, or access www.psychology.org. au/FindaPsychologist.

6. Develop your child’s independence.

• This can be a tricky thing to do. When we see our kids growing up in front of our eyes, we are motivated to keep them close and dependent on us as parents. Unfortunately, the reality is that parents cannot attend the school day with their child. Therefore, children must learn to become self-sufficient and confident to manage the challenges that come their way.

• There are many aspects of schooling life in which children do not have control.

They are often told where to sit, when to speak, what to wear, and what subjects to learn. For some children, this may lead to the experience of anxiety, discomfort and reduced motivation. Within reason, allow your kids to have some control over their education and process of attending school.

This can be simply achieved by:

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Allowing them to choose their own utensils such as their school bag (or keyring for bags that are part of an established school uniform), or pencil case.

Take them with you to try on shoes and listen to them if they tell you that a certain pair is more comfortable than another. Give them the responsibility of polishing their shoes once a week.

Depending on the age and developmental level of your child, consider purchasing them a watch so that they can keep track of

the day. Allow them opportunities to make plans of when and where to meet you at school pick up.

For older children who may walk to and from school, arrange for them to have a key to the house so that they may have the responsibility and independence to let themselves in at home. Allow them to pick out the pattern on the key to signify the importance of the responsibility.

By Dr Kelly Bowers for Mister Minit, Child Psychologist and Team Leader at Youthrive Integrated Therapy Services. youthrive.com.au Mister Minit has a range of Back to School keyrings, shoe reviver and funky keys to make the start to the school year fun and incite your child’s independence. www.misterminit.com.au

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Little Mashies 10pks $35.95 littlemashies..com.au

Contiage Ashland bottle in Monaco, $24.99 Available at - David Jones, Howards Storage World

Contiago Swish bottle in citron $19.95 Available at Woolworths, Officeworks, Spotlight.

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350ml Butterfly bottle $13.95 and 500ml Green owl bottle $15.95 cheeki.net.au

Smash Double Decker Coldbox. RRP $12 Available at Coles and Big W

Sinchies 140ml reusable food pouches pack of 5 $12 www.sinchies.com.au

Large Divided Lunch Box 1LTropical Water $19 www.tupperware.com.au

Hippo Blue Busy City personalised lunch bag $30 www.hippoblue.com.au Subo food bottle $29.95 www.suboproducts.com.au

LunchBots Trio With Dots $36 www.ecotoys.com.au

Nude Food Movers Rubbish Free Lunchbox RRP from $13.99 Available at Coles, Big W, Officeworks, Target and Kmart.

Goodbyn Bynto, red $17.95 www.minimeorganics.com.au

Yumbox Original – Leakproof Compartment Lunch Box $40 littlebentoworld.com

Smash Lunch Box RRP $15 Available at Coles and Big W 11

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CRAZY BUSY GUILTY What Kind of Mum Are You? Are you Foodie Mum? Do you make nutritious, delicious meals for your children, often at a moment’s notice?

Do you swear it’s ‘the same old thing’ every night? (When actually it’s homegrown kale – painstakingly, lovingly massaged with extra virgin olive oil – and pearl barley ‘risotto’, liberally sprinkled with nutritional yeast – the new parmesan!– from Nigella’s latest.) Do you spend the six weeks prior to your child’s birthday scouring back issues of the Donna Hay kids’ edition for sausage roll inspiration? Do you make your kids themed birthday cakes every year, from scratch, from a dog-eared copy of The Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book (the updated edition, without all the artificial food colouring and potato chips for ducks’ bills)? Is your freezer stocked with balanced meals and brownies made from sweet potatoes and agave syrup (white sugar being, of course, off limits)? Is your freezer decidedly not filled with gin?

Or maybe you’re Patient Mum. You never begrudge another story at bedtime, another song in the car, another five minutes in the bath at night. In fact, you usually read several books before tucking your children in, calmly, without a fuss. You don’t mind if the kids get up to go to the toilet five times. They’re only little once, Patient Mums say, smiling as they fetch their four-year-old a seventh glass of lukewarm water.

You might be Martyr Mum. Did you insist on a natural birth, without intervention? Did you feel like your body was about to implode, collapsing in on itself like a punctured lung or a basketball that’s lost its pep, because you were so goddamn sore and tired? You got through it, though. Martyr Mums do – they just keep buggering on. You feel – quite understandably – very proud of this achievement, wondering if maybe there’s a 14 14

space to add it to your LinkedIn profile. You also breastfeed. Like, a lot. Are you breastfeeding now? Not just in general, but right now, as you read this? Did you stick with it even though you struggled at first and no matter how much it hurt, because you knew that breast was best?

Do you love it now? Are you, perhaps, not quite sure when – or possibly if – you’ll give up? Do you co-sleep? Are you careful to tell only other confirmed co-sleepers, lest you be judged by society and its misguided insistence on solesleeping? You might be Martyr Mum. Are you Stylish Mum? Stylish Mum looks good. Obviously. She does not wear a crumpled t-shirt, stained with last night’s dinner and possibly this morning’s breakfast, to the park. She Instagrams her outfit – an Être Cécile t-shirt (ironed, of course) with an ironic slogan emblazoned across the front, her Frame jeans (the ones she fits into again thanks to her thrice-a-week Pilates habit) and Repetto flats – cold brew / green juice / child optional. Stylish Mum blow-dries her hair, manicures her nails and would not think twice about wearing white jeans. Because Stylish Mums beget Stylish Children, who have a very adult respect for pale denim (and their shoes, too – Stylish Children would never dream of kicking off their sandals in the park, befouling their naked feet with dirt. Stylish Children are too busy reading Madeline and sipping their babycinos).

Then there’s Organised Mum. Organised Mum knows the exact date of her child’s next vaccination and precisely how much Panadol can be given to an eighteenmonth-old with an ear infection, without so much as looking at the bottle. She remembers the contents of the fridge with a precision that borders on militant. Organised Mum takes her children to the park, and to playgroup, and to Rhyme Time, and to Gymboree, and to the pool. She knows what, specifically, to pack for each of these different events. She never forgets

sunscreen or wet wipes or water or snacks or her child’s hat.

Organised Mum fills her schedule with child-centric activities and enjoys catching up with all the other Organised Mums she meets there.

Are you Involved Mum? Do you volunteer at playgroup, preschool, and school and weekend sports (not as a coach, mind you – that’s a job for Involved Dad)? Can you hear the words ‘canteen duty’ without shuddering, wincing and choking on your sav blanc? Do you have your kids’ Halloween outfits sorted before the Christmas tree comes down? Have you ever attended a Mums’n’Bubs ballet class?

Or are you Hipster Mum? Hipster Mum feeds her kids organic chia seed milk but has sort of forgotten why.

Her kids are called Arlo or Edie. She thinks it’s important that kids learn a second language – and that’s the only reason Dora the Explorer is allowed to be screened in her house. If you’re a Hipster Mum, you’d sooner strangle yourself with your fair-trade organic cotton scarf than buy your kid a toy from Kmart. You don’t know what canned soup tastes like, and neither do your kids. They prefer bone broth, anyway.

Or maybe you’re not any of these mums. Well. Are you? I didn’t think so.

None of these mums actually exist. But for some reason we tell ourselves they do: these perfect mums who are different in their methods but similar in their madness for their kids. We tell ourselves that we should seek to be one of these mothers, these mothers who think of nothing but their children, day in and day out. Whose worlds revolve entirely around their kids, to the exclusion of everything else. We tell ourselves that is what motherhood really is. But it isn’t.

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We all know what motherhood’s really like.

Nobody has the energy to make sugar-free muesli bars for lunch boxes and compost every single scrap of vegetable and make a Sunday roast every week without fail. Nobody does it all the time. Nobody plans playdough fun crafternoons every single day, without ever resorting to plopping their kids down in front of a Ben and Holly DVD and sneaking off to the kitchen for a glug of wine from the bottle.

My bet is that you’re Just Trying to Keep Everyone Happy Mum. You have a child – or children – and a job.

A husband, maybe a wife. Friends. Mothers.

Fathers. Sisters. Brothers. A boss. Employees.

Your own interests.

Your life is full, which you like but also find terrifying because if one ball drops the rest may come crashing down soon after. You are perpetually tired in a way that is very hard to articulate (mainly because you’re so very, very tired). You want to keep everyone happy and do everything properly and be in many, many places at once. You are very sick of people telling you to ‘slow down’, ‘meditate’ and ‘get a dog’(you do not have time for a dog!).

You are sick of answering questions – like ‘How do you do it?’– as if you are some sort of superwoman. You know what the real answer is: by missing out on other things. You are late to the Easter hat parade every single year, despite all your best efforts. Best efforts like choosing your employer based on their ‘flexible working policies’ and ‘support of working parents’, only to find that this equates to an annual family picnic to which you must bring your own booze.

You have heard of ‘me time’ and think it is ridiculous bullshit that women have to justify simply doing something for themselves for once. You’re tired of having to explain how much you do for others in order to ‘earn’ said ‘me time’ (still, you nick off for a pedicure once in a while under this guise – because why the hell not?). You send emails while singing to your kids in the bath and cooking tomorrow night’s dinner. You braid your kid’s hair while memorising a speech you have to give later. You tuck your kids into bed 16 16

and race away after the final kiss to finish a report that’s due in the morning. Sometimes, in dark moments, you feel that ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ was written with you in mind. You know it is supremely audacious to love both your child and your job.

And you sometimes wonder if your life is about to reel right out of your control. I mean, what the hell were you thinking?

From ‘Crazy Busy Guilty’ by Lauren Sams.

Published by NERO. Available in all good bookshops. $29.99 Crazy Busy Guilty explores the idea of “perfect motherhood”(which, BTW does not exist) and how crazy unrealistic expectations (courtesy of social media) distort our view of motherhood.

At best, we laugh at this stuff. At worst, it feeds into post-natal depression.

The book looks at the different types of mums: maybe you’re an attachment mum or a helicopter mum or a stylish mum or a martyr mum or a hipster mum or a foodie mum who feeds her kids raw kale. These days there are lots of ways to be a mum - and you’re expected to choose.

In the book, Georgie is none of these things.

She’s a working single-mum, exhausted mum, the mum who wants nothing more than to collapse at the end of the day on the couch and slug a big glass of wine. And yep, she does that too. She also goes on dates, tries to juggle a demanding magazine job, and parent her baby amidst all the GUILT GUILT GUILT. Parenting is serious business, but this book is a refreshing insightful, and self-deprecating look at motherhood, and a fabulously fun novel to get stuck into.

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play is our business Christmas is over, and so is the novelty of the new toys which you lovingly wrapped and placed under the tree.

We signed up on the spot, getting an annual membership which also entailed committing to some volunteering. Pricing and volunteering commitments are broadly similar but vary slightly across Victoria.

Your little angels are already listing what they want for their birthdays - just a teensy bit infuriating as you pack away the tinsel.

There are so many advantages to joining a toy library. Most obviously, you can borrow toys and change them as frequently as you like, keeping your kids entertained and stimulated.

If only there was a way to ensure a year-long supply of fresh toys, which could be easily changed when the kids get bored.... Mamas and papas, behold - the toy library!

Maybe you’ve driven past your local toy library (there are over 100 in Victoria) and wondered what it was all about. Maybe there’s one hidden around the corner, which you’ve never discovered.

Just as your council library provides a great variety of books for kids, your local toy library a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers - can offer a wonderful range of exciting and educational toys for those years when children are rapidly learning through play activities.

Big toys and little toys, bikes, scooters, costumes and puzzles - all yours for an affordable annual membership fee and a few hours of volunteering time each year.

Volunteers - predominantly amazing mums with toy-crazy rugrats of their own - keep Melbourne’s toy libraries alive.

I first saw the sign for mt local Toy Library when I was pregnant with my daughter, but had no idea what a toy library was.

I went back when she was seven months old, and was simply floored by the Aladdin’s cave of toy treasures - perfect for babies just starting to play more actively as well as toddlers and older children.

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Victorian toy libraries own more than $5 million worth of toys - that’s a lot of Lego, dinosaurs, dolls, everything!

Toy libraries also choose their toys with care, looking for items which can help children develop skills such as fine motor abilities, counting, sorting and language.

If you’re like me and a bit overwhelmed by the selection, the library coordinators and other members are a great source of advice on which toys are most age appropriate or target specific skills.

Most toy libraries also offer party packs with large toys and activities such as mini roller coasters and giant Twister games. Often available to non-members as well, these sets are a wonderful way to keep kids captivated at birthday parties and provide a cost effective solution to hosting an engaging party in your own home instead of relying on play centres and other venues.

While you’ll still be tempted to buy those toys your children particularly love, a toy library membership probably means you’ll buy fewer toys - meaning less clutter in your house (#winning) as well as hip pocket savings. It’s also a great way to “try before you buy” for more expensive toys.

Borrowing instead of buying is a sustainable solution for the environment and a wonderful way to teach little ones about sharing.

It’s almost impossible to step into a toy library without running into another local family with kids of a similar age to yours.

Sign up and you’ll instantly feel part of the community, with lots of events throughout the year as well as an easy way to meet other members - volunteering!

While it is possible to skip rostered duty by paying an extra fee, volunteering for just a few hours a year is an easy and fun way to give back to the toy library and make friends with other members.

It’s not hard and could include logging toy returns, putting toys back on the shelves, manning a Bunnings barbecue or another fundraiser - any help you can offer is always warmly appreciated.

As not-for-profit organisations, all funds raised by toy libraries through membership fees, grants and fundraisers go into buying more toys and keeping the service operating.

Find your nearest toy library through the Toy Libraries Australia website www.toylibraries.org.au and make 2017 the year where Christmas never ends.

Written by Pia Akerman

Toy libraries in the Bayside area Bayside Toy Library 212 Dendy Street, BRIGHTON EAST www.baysidetoylibrary.com Caulfield Community Toy Library 12 Munro Avenue, CARNEGIE, VIC 3163 www.caulfieldtoylibrary.com Elwood Toy Library 87 Tennyson Street, ELWOOD www.elwoodtoylibrary.org Kingston Toy Library 2b Lewis Street MORDIALLOC www.kingstontoylibrary.com.au Middle Park Toy Library Corner Richardson Street & Nimmo Street, MIDDLE PARK www.facebook.com/MiddleParkToyLibrary Moorabbin Area Toy Library 90-92 Bignell Road, BENTLEIGH EAST moorabbinareatoylibrary.com Port Melbourne Toy Library Port Melbourne Town Hall, 333 Bay St, PORT MELBOURNE www.facebook.com/PMToyLibrary South Melbourne Toy Library 400 Clarendon Street SOUTH MELBOURNE www.facebook.com/ SouthMelbourneToylibrary

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Bored of the same old toys?

Join your local Toy Library today!

Keep your kids entertained for hours with 1000’s of toys to borrow Bentleigh East - www.moorabbinareatoylibrary.com Elwood - www.elwoodtoylibrary.org Middle Park - www.facebook.com/MiddleParkToyLibrary Mordialloc - www.kingstontoylibrary.com.au Sth Melb - www.facebook.com/SouthMelbourneToylibrary

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THE PERFECT WAY TO CELEBRATE YOUR NEXT CHILDREN'S BIRTHDAY PARTY!

mama can Cook!

Roasted chickpea snacks

Ingredients:

Method:

375g McKenzies chickpeas

Soak chickpeas in 3 cups of water overnight. Drain, place in fresh water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender, usually 20-30 minutes. Drain and spread in a single layer on paper towel.

Plain version: 3 tsp garlic salt 4 tbs olive oil or olive oil spray Spiced lime version: 4tbs olive oil or olive oil spray 1 lime, juiced 3 tsp cumin powder McKenzies Sea Salt, to taste Honey & cinnamon version: 2 tbs honey or rice malt syrup 1 ½ tsp McKenzie’s cinnamon Makes: 2.5 - 3 cups Prep time: 30 minutes (excluding chick pea soaking time overnight) Cooking time: 35-45 minutes

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Plain variety: mix chick peas, oil and garlic salt in a bowl and coat thoroughly. Spread onto lined baking tray evenly and place in oven.

Spiced lime variety: mix chick peas, oil, cumin and salt and and coat thoroughly. Place on the prepared tray then put in oven. As soon as the chick peas are cooked, pour over the lime juice, toss to coat and put back in oven for a further five minutes to evaporate juice.

Honey cinnamon variety: mix chickpeas, honey and cinnamon.

Place on the prepared tray. Place in oven.

Cook for 40-45 minutes, checking them every 15 minutes, shaking the tray and stirring the chickpeas to ensure even cooking. The chickpeas should be crisp and golden brown. The sugared variety may need 5-10 minutes less cooking time.

Cool chickpeas on tray. Serve immediately or store once cold in an airtight container.

This snack is high in protein, a source of iron, fibre and low GI, making it great for between meals, after school, after sport or anytime really!

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This month’s recipes are from the team at McKenzies.

For more ideas visit www.mckenziesfoods.com.au

Chickpea chocolate spread Ingredients:

Method:

1 cup McKenzies Chickpeas

Prepare chickpeas by cooking in 3 ¼ cups water until well cooked (approx 1 – 1½ hrs).

1 tbs peanut butter 4 tbs mild olive oil ½ cup cocoa powder ½ cup raw caster sugar

Place warm chickpeas and remaining ingredients into the food processor and puree thoroughly. This could take approximately 10 minutes.

Makes: Approx 2 ½ cups

With the motor running, slowly pour in up to 6 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired spreading consistency.

Prep time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Spoon into a jar and store in the fridge.

1 tsp vanilla extract

Storage: Store in a sealed container in the fridge This recipe is a nutritious alternative to other chocolate spreads (you know who they are!) on the market, being lower in sugar and salt and providing all the health benefits of chickpeas. Your kids won’t even know chickpeas have been used thanks to their nutty taste! If you wish to avoid peanuts/ nuts, either replace the peanut butter with another nut butter/spread or omit it altogether.

This recipe could serve as a base for other flavours, only limited by your imagination! Try adding a splash of peppermint essence and eating with strawberries, use brown sugar in place of the caster sugar for a greater caramel flavour or replace peanut butter with coconut and spread on banana slices for a tasty snack!

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Parklife

Parklife black Rock foreshore

Opposite the roundabout at Bluff, Balcombe and Beach Roads.

After this fantastic park with gated fencing from busy Beach Road ticks almost every box. Natural landscaping, tables with benches, bike racks, bbq facilities and a view to die for.

The hero of this park would have to be the amazing pirate ship with all the goodies you could want. Climbing nets, the slippery slide, a wheel for steering the ship and a tricky netted spot to walk the plank. Toddlers will enjoy exploring the space underneath the pirate ship which has lots of hidey holes and doorways.

Within spying distance (through the telescope of course) is a dolphin and shark covered see-saw.

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There are swings for both littlies and older kids including a large birds nest swing. There is also an enormous net pyramid which provides endless climbing fun. Lots of natural materials have been used to create other interesting features such as balance beams and a forest of poles, encouraging creative and imaginary play.

We rugged up and visited during a gorgeous Winter sunset. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy the view over Black Rock beach. Once the kids have had enough of the playground, you can walk, scoot or cycle along the coastal path or check out some of the interesting shops and cafes in Black Rock Village.

Organically certified deliciousness BPA free packaging Locally sourced and made Palm oil free Saves time, doubles smiles Nutritious, wholesome, convenient

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27

How to help a forgetful child “Mum, can you bring me my lunch?”

“Mum, I need my library book at school!”

“Mum, we have to drive back home to get my homework!”

These phrases are probably very familiar to you if you have a forgetful child.

It can be really frustrating to raise a child who is constantly forgetting things after they start primary school. Luckily, there are ways to help them learn to look after themselves.

Stop remembering for your child When our children are babies, we are constantly rescuing them from their distress.

We feed them when they’re hungry, change their nappies when they’re uncomfortable, and give them affection when they cry. As they get older we keep looking after them, but the trick is to stop rescuing them when they are capable of doing an activity for themselves. For example, if your toddler drops a toy and begins to cry, assist them in looking for it instead of just picking it up yourself.

If a forgetful child has a parent who always remembers, they won’t have to face the consequences and won’t have any motivation to remember things themselves. Your child most likely remembers things that have importance to them, just not items such as homework and notes from the teacher! It’s hard to take a step back as a parent, because you don’t want your child to be in distress. But to teach them an important sense of responsibility for later in life, sometimes it’s necessary to let them forget their lunch a couple of times.

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Use positive words You should avoid labelling your child at all costs, do not call them ‘forgetful’ because this will be a hit to their self-esteem and only discourage them from trying. Try to avoid the word ‘forget’ altogether and replace it with ‘remember’. For example, instead of saying ‘don’t forget your lunch!’ gently prompt with ‘have you remembered to pack everything in your school bag today?’ This will put the responsibility onto them and they will slowly learn to ask these questions themselves.

Each time they remember something, no matter how small, praise and congratulate them for it. If they get a good reaction for remembering they will be more motivated to do it. You don’t need to punish them for forgetting because they will learn those consequences themselves, such as going hungry for forgetting their lunch.

Teach your child how to remember Get the whole family organised and it will be a lot easier for you to remember what you need to. Set up a family calendar for events, plus a calendar in each child’s room, with colour coded squares for different activities. For example, blue might indicate projects due at school, and green might be soccer training. Write lists and stick them where they can be easily seen, such as a list of everything your child needs to pack in their school bag stuck on the shelf where their bag sits. Ask your child to check the calendar and lists every morning, make it a habit like brushing their teeth and it will make remembering much easier. Before you leave the house, lead by example and double check you have remembered everything, and that there is nothing important left behind on the kitchen bench. Don’t forget to praise them when they do well!

Be patient It can take three weeks for a new habit to be made, so be patient with your child. Let them know that it’s ok if they mess up sometimes and keep encouraging their good behaviour. Stand your ground when they forget something and let them face the consequences without being rescued by you. It may be difficult at first, but you have to learn to trust them to be responsible on their own, and they will thank you in years to come!

YMCA Victoria offers early learning, before and after school care and school holiday programs for children across Melbourne.

You can find out more at childrensprograms.ymca.org.au

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what about us?

No sleep, no time for each other, no time to talk! Sound familiar?

Parenting can be a rewarding and stressful transition in equal measure. Many new parents struggle with the changing roles, both individually and as a couple. Traditional notions of each parent’s role, will often exert a powerful influence on how new parents approach the care of children. The decisions couples make during this transition phase, set up patterns of behaviour and can have important consequences for relationships moving forward.

• Parenting roles • Bonding and attachment • Communication as parents and with your baby • Coping strategies

In particular, the behaviour patterns established in early parenthood can produce consequences in terms of the level of equality in a relationship, and impact on a mother’s participation in the workforce and economic independence in the future.

• Strengthening your relationships

For new parents, finding a ‘new normal’ is a process which takes time and effort from each person in the relationship.

Investing a few hours now, will create a valuable roadmap for your parenting future together.

For many new parents, all energy is directed at coping with the fog of sleep deprivation and meeting the needs of your new little person. The main income-earner may also be struggling with finding their place in the new dynamic. Some parents may also be coping with the ‘return to work’ juggling act. There is little time to direct the focus on the couple’s relationship or how best to parent as a team.

The ‘Happy Parents, Happy Baby’ workshop

by Heartworks allows couples to take some time out to establish a basis for parenting together. The workshop supports parents through the minefield of new parenthood, promotes understanding of each parent’s ‘new normal’, and offers support, skills and tools in order to improve communication and support your relationship.

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You will be able to share your experiences with other parents, learn valuable skills, and build a toolkit of parenting and communication strategies in order to successfully parent together. The facilitator is a qualified counsellor and midwife who will tailor the core themes of the workshop to the particular needs and interests of the group. Key topics covered include:

If you’d like to strengthen communication and your relationship with your partner, other parent, or another significant adult in your child’s life, this workshop is for you.

The Happy Parents Happy Baby Workshop is best suited to parents and carers of babies and young children. Registrations are now open. The workshop runs across two afternoons in March.

Saturday 18th March 12pm to 4pm Saturday 25th March 12pm to 4pm Refreshments provided.

Where: Family Life meeting room, 197 Bluff Rd, Sandringham Heartworks is a social enterprise of Family Life.

The organisation provides relationship education and counselling services in the Bayside area.

Family Life has provided trusted, professional support services to families in the greater Bayside region since 1970.

Heartworks is focused on creating shared value, and invests any surplus back into Family Life’s programs for transforming the lives of children, young people and families in our community.

Parenthood is all-consuming!

How’s your relationship doing?

To find out more about Heartworks group workshops and support, please call Heartworks on (03) 8599 5488 or visit heartworks.com.au 31

Whats’ the time?

Telling time is an important thing to know how to do and can be very useful in your daily life.

Clocks can help you wake up in time for school, tell you when it’s time for lunch, and alert you when your favourite TV show is about to come on. Learning how to tell time can be fun when you use games, activities, and exercises to practice reading, writing, and setting clock times. Once you’ve learned how to read a clock, you can put your skills to good use. Use these resources to boost your clock skills.

• Explain there are 60 minutes in an hour and also 60 seconds in a minute.

Here are some tips to help teach your child about time.

• Once your child can identify the time on the hour, explain that 30 minutes past is “half” past (as 30 is half of 60). Ask them the time at half past the hour.

For under 4s • Count the numbers on the clock together.

• Ask your child to point to the number when you call it out.

• Talk about their day in terms of time, e.g. at 12 o’clock we eat lunch.

For 4 - 6 year olds • Tell your child the time and relate it to their routine, e.g. it’s 7 o’clock, time for bed.

• Count the numbers on the clock together and show how the big hand counts hours.

• Count the dots on the clock together and show how the small hand shows minutes.

• Explain that the long, thin hand counts seconds.

• Talk about things they could do in each timeframe.

For 6 - 8 year olds • Explain the numbers on a clock show the 12 hours of both the morning and evening.

• Talk about how the big hand on 12 and the little hand on a number means it is that number o’clock.

Regularly ask them the time on the hour.

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• Count as the second hand goes around, the big hand goes forward one minute.

• Show how when the big hand travels around the clock, the small hand moves forward one hour.

• Practice counting in fives. Count the dots on the clock in fives.

For 8 - 10 year olds

• Explain that with 60 minutes in an hour, a quarter is 15 minutes, so 15 minutes past the hour is one quarter past. Ask them to identify the time at quarter past the hour.

• Move on to a quarter to (45 minutes past the hour, or 15 minutes to the next).

• Regularly ask your children what the time is so they get plenty of practice.

• Give instructions a time reference, e.g. at 8:30 you need to be ready to go to school.

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11 12

1 2

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Cut out and decorate the clock and practice telling the time at home!

Melbournite Alison Oldfield is the clever mama behind new clock brand, CLOCKSICLE. They have all numbers and a dot for every minute so are easy to tell the time and are perfect for kids. There are 10 in the range, in great colours for boys, girls or general play and family spaces. And they don’t tick noisily so won’t keep kids awake at night.

All kids benefit from having a clock in their room, whether they are 3 or 13. They improve their numeracy, telling the time and time management skills. Anything that helps them keep on track and require less hassling from us, is good in our book. www.clocksicle.com.au 33 33

turn the page Twig by Aura Parker Heidi is a stick insect. She is tall and long like the twig of a tree. It is her first day at a busy bug school, where she hopes to learn new things and make new friends.

Sadly, making friends is that much more difficult when no-one can find you!

Can you spot Heidi?

Heidi does blend in too well and her class mates think she is a hat stand, or sometimes try to incorporate her into their art projects! When Heidi finally objects loudly, the bugs discover a way to make sure they can see her despite her camouflage. This is a joyful book about being different and accepted.

First Day by Andrew Daddo and Jonathan Bentley There will be new games to play. And new rules. You might have to be a bit brave.

With first day of school breakfast, iPhone pictures and mum doing the first day of school drop off, this is a picture book likely to tug at your heart strings. It captures perfectly a little girl’s anticipation of her first day of school. We love the way the little girl counsels her mum (who may be struggling with it!) that tomorrow will be easier. This is a lovely book to be reading aloud together as school begins.

Starting School by Jane Godwin & Anna Walker Tim, Hannah, Sunita, Joe and Polly are all off to school for the first time.

Would you like to meet them and see how they go? There are new friends to make, fun ways to learn, and lots of different things to discover. This beautiful hardcover book focusses on the experiences and feelings of five very different children as they begin at school for the first time.

This book was a CBCA notable book for Early Childhood in 2014 and was on the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year shortlist. It captures Australian school life perfectly, right down to getting your hair pulled and playing on the monkey bars.

Wombat Goes to School by Jackie French & Bruce Whatley In between sleeping, scratching and chasing carrots, Mothball the wombat manages to go to school.

Sometimes I can be a bit sceptical when it comes to a picture book in a series and wonder whether it is likely to be as good as the original. The wombat series

by Jackie French proves me wrong often. Each book is as good or better than the original! This one is downright funny. Touching gently on schoolish things like lunchtime, and crossing ladies, it’s perfect for Preschoolers and Preppies.

Debbie Hatswell is a Melbourne mum and the founder of Story Mama.

Story Mama is an online children’s bookstore featuring a huge range of carefully curated, parent recommended, high quality books for children ages 0-9. You can shop online by age, by interest, by award winners or even by milestone. Buy these titles online or find out more at www.storymama.com.au 34 34

L e t y o u r d r e a m s b e b i g ge r th a n y o u r b o u n c e

12-14 MILGATE DRIVE | MORNINGTON | 03 5975 0266 | MORNINGTON @ C APE ZIO.COM 296 GLEN HUNTLY ROAD | EL S TERNWICK | 03 9532 8492 | EL S TERNWICK@ C APE ZIO.COM C APEZIOAUS TR ALIA .COM Get more from mama - www.mamamag.com.au | Get social with mama - @localmamamag

35

SettlIng safely Into the School Year Family, first aid and safety tips from WONDERWOMAN Children I think part of every parent did a little happy dance when it came time to send their children back off to school and kinder! Managing the school morning rush and hustling your crew out the door seems a fair deal to be able to have a kid free day (and separate your siblings from killing each other)! Some of the things coming to mind for your children, now they are settling back into school, are; making new friends, getting used to new teachers, healthy snack food ideas, learning, development and homework, reading and play dates. But we want to get you thinking about something different.

Car safety

Your child has most likely grown a few inches, will be starting to play with new toys and will be gaining more independence. So with this, let’s talk about some safety and first aid in and around the school.

• Keep your child in rear facing as long as possible (research shows this is best)!

Road and pedestrian safety It is important for your children to understand how to stay safe on the roads. It is vital that as your child grows up we find ways to share the message of safety on the roads. It’s time to get your vocals out of the shower and into the car!

Thanks to the Kids and Traffic Team you can start singing with your kids as a way of learning about road and pedestrian safety.

Some fun songs to sing: “Click Clack” – A song about wearing a seatbelt!

“Crossing Road” – Learning about being a safe pedestrian!

“Helmet on my Head” – Bike and Scooter Safety

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We get it, car seats can be confusing, when, what and where? But it’s your first place of ensuring your child is safe in the car while driving around from A to B and back again.

Our day as busy parents consists of a great deal of time spent in the car, so we need to ensure that they are safe. Some car safety tips: • Ensure that your car seat meets the current AU/NZ standards • Make sure it is fitted properly and the right size for your child

Sharing food and food allergies Food allergy is quite common in school-aged children. If you don’t have a child that has an allergy or anaphylaxis, do not make the mistake of thinking this is not a problem for you. Your children should be aware of not sharing food with other children and one day, if you do invite a child over with a allergy, you will need to know how to prevent reactions and how to administer an Epi-Pen. Some of the most common foods (although any food can cause a reaction) are eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, cows milk, wheat, soy, and sesame.

Due to nuts being a BIG issue for kids, most schools have implemented a NO NUT policy.

Be sure to be aware of your education provider’s rules and not to be caught out sending that good old peanut butter sandwich to school with your kid!

Bike and scooter safety

Want more information?

The most common injury for children is preventable falls and this includes from a bike or scooter. Aside from a scrape or bruise, children can be victim to serious injuries such as head and brain injury. The most valuable way to prevent these injuries is to ensure that your child is wearing a helmet. Sadly, although it is a legal requirement, a recent Australian Child Health poll indicated that one in six Australian children do not always wear a helmet when riding a bike or scooter.

We encourage you to gain more information on first aid and safety.

Safety at home Children at school can come home with this “I am a big kid attitude” and before you know it they will be mimicking the adults of the house – attempting to make toast on their own, helping in the kitchen and demanding showers on their own! So a few things to think about: • Kitchen safety and education around preparing and cooking food

Community first aid www.wonderwomanchildren.com Injury Prevention www.kidsafe.org.au Car seat installation, checking and support www.babyrestraintfitters.com The Australian Child Health Poll www.childhealthpoll.org.au The Kids and Traffic team (songs) www.kidsandtraffic.mq.edu.au/for-families

This Safety Series is bought to you by Little Rockers Radio and WONDERWOMAN Children. www.littlerockersradio.com.au

• What to do if your child burns themselves.

Are you up to date on current first aid?

• Reaching for items up high – teach them about falls and ensure their favourite items are reachable (unless they are banned)!

• Ensure (if possible) your hot water thermostat is set at a temperature that won’t burn young skin.

• Chemical and poisons – are they are out of reach?

• Using toys safely and making sure younger siblings do not have access.

FREE safety check of already Installed car restraints.

Register online before March 31st 2017 to receive a free safety check of your already installed car restraint, valued at $25.

Register at www.hireforbaby.com/mamamag Hire for Baby can help determine if the current seats in use for your children are fitted correctly and for older children over 7 determine if they are ready to move out of their booster seat or child restraints.

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lovely locals

BAY STREET BRIGHTON

1. Date Night - Mr & Mrs P - A new kid on the block and mama is beyond excited! You might remember this spot as Taco Bills but she’s had a stunning makeover and opened as an super cool restaurant/bar.

Mr & Mrs P has been created with love by husband and wife duo Greg and Georgia Poliwodzinski. Downstairs offers a great bar space to drink and dine (try the mussels with squid ink linguine, amazing), whilst upstairs plays host to a more romantic dining experience or private function area. Take one of their excellent drink specials out to the lovely decked courtyard and soak up the last of summer’s rays while you’re at it. I recommend the bubbles! 312 Bay Street. www.mrandmrsp.com.au

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2.

2. Baked goodness - Zeppelin Bakehouse - Another winning newbie, Zeppelin bakes delicious sourdough breads, muffins and other yummy goods, all baked fresh, on site, every day. They also make terrific salads and great coffee. The olive bread was a total stand-out along with the chunkiest fruit loaf full of figs and apricots.

368 Bay Street. www.facebook.com/zeppelinbakehouse 3. Party time - Bricktastic at Pop Toys - Andrew and his team plan seamless, fun-filled LEGO parties that will provide your child and their friends with endless opportunities for imagining, creating and celebrating. Smiling faces, challenged minds, happy voices and busy hands. Parties are ideally suited to children turning 4-9 years old and for all builders - from novices to experts, boys or girls.

399 Bay Street. pop.toys/bricktastic-parties/

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4. Lunch and brunch - The Deck - Our office away from the office, mama quite often sets up her laptop here. We love everything about The Deck, the great space – pram-friendly and the food is bang on, whether it’s your bacon eggs with all the sides or a completely guilt-free build-your-own Paleo Plate. The venue has a great space for hire out the back too if you’re looking for a spot to host your next kid’s party or adult celebration. 212 Bay Street. thedeckbrighton.com.au 5. Best coffee on the block - Tucci Brown - So mama might be a little biased as MamaMag HQ is right next door, but going on the amount of money I spend on coffee here, it must be good. For a quick lunch grab one of their yummy selection of jaffles or perhaps the breakfast bagel.

Some super sugar free treats on the counter too, so hard to say no.

268 Bay Street. www.tuccibrown.com

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6. Mama Fit - F45 Training - If you’re yet to join the F45 phenomenon, F45 (the F stands for functional) mixes functional and high-intensity interval training into workout sessions that last (surprisingly enough) 45 minutes! No program is ever repeated, making every workout a unique experience. They have great mum friendly daytime classes, perfect for after the school run as well as early mornings and evening times too. 193a Bay Street. f45training.com.au

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Feb 25th & Mar 25th 9.30am-1pm St Johns Church Hall, Cnr Tucker & Centre Rd, Bentleigh Sausage Sizzle, Coffee Tea & Cake Entry Gold coin donation

Stalls $25 each. www.trybooking.com/JUJE For more info call 9557 2226

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39

What feels like the end is often the beginning!

A mother’s story Monty came downstairs three times this evening after I’d put him to bed, he never does that. It wouldn’t have been so annoying had we still been living in our single storey house in Sydney! The stairs kill me… Twice is bad enough but 3 times up and down, after a long day, with a tummy full of curry and rice! I was not a happy mama that’s for certain!

As I tucked him in AGAIN, furiously patting the covers down, almost burying him alive in the duvet, he looked up at my cross face and sweetly asked if I would lay with him!“I just want to lie next to you mummy” he said very softly, making a space for me. An enormous pang of guilt hit me; the “I don’t hug you enough,” the “oh my god he’s going to school in 3 weeks,” then the “oh my god I’m a dreadful mother”, then I had the “I just don’t play with you as much as I should”…. So I snuggled down and lay with him. I lay there looking at his face, he’s still so little, yet I expect so much of him.

As I lay there beside my boy, listening to his breaths getting deeper as he was nodding off, completely contented, I began to think about how our lives are about to change. Not just a small change, we don’t do small changes!! In three weeks time he starts school. I feel a huge wave of anxiety come across me. A selfish kind of anxiety, a real worry; not for him but for me.

In three weeks time, we’ll both be taking on new roles again (as if emigrating, three house moves, and now an interstate move aren’t enough for one 4 year old!!). Monty will be a school boy, and I’ll be…. Gosh, who will I be??? For the past 9 years I’ve been the ‘stay at home mum’, looking after who ever’s at home; apart from myself of course. Playing games, washing up, reading stories, ironing, going to toddler groups, hoovering glitter out of every possible nook and cranny. In 9 40

short years I’ve become an expert in creating meals that no one wants to eat, I’ve mastered the art of avoiding tantrums and meltdowns with clever negotiating. I’ve become highly trained in wiping faces and bottoms, clearing up spills and even worse. I’m a dab hand with a train set, a warrior with a Nerf gun and I can completely dismantle and rebuild most if not ALL transformers. I know the name of every ninja turtle, all of Peppa Pig’s mates and the Paw Patrol pups. My god I sing the theme tune to Barbie’s ‘Life in the dream house’ while I’m ironing. So you see my dilemma.

What’s going to become of me when the bell rings and both my children are in school?

Who will I be? What will I do? It may sound dramatic but I think I may have lost my identity a little, maybe even morphed into some kind of freaky adult child.

I’ve always been happy being at home with the children, and we were lucky that I could be. I’d always dreamt about being at home full time with my babies, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. (not literally of course!)

It’s just now, 9 years down the road, in another new city, I am being forced to think about me!

Just me! What do I want to do? Where do I want to go? It may sound crazy, but it’s not something I’ve really thought about in a very long time. And to be honest it’s terrifying!

Don’t get me wrong, there are so many things I could easily fill my time with! Reading magazines, having coffee with friends, more coffee, then lunch before pick up. I could go to Pilates, yoga, painting classes, bike riding, horse riding, surfing lessons, scuba diving…. The list is endless, but maybe I need a “job”. A job that I get paid for, and I get a lunch break with. A job that stops at 5pm sharp. A job that’s just

mine, that I don’t have to share, something just for me. That’s where the problem lies. I haven’t set foot in an office for years, my brain is like a soggy egg; and that mixed with admin would be a disaster. I’m not sure I’d be very good at dealing with customers so maybe working in a shop wouldn’t be ideal. I can’t cut hair, or paint nails.. I’d love to be a nurse but I’m too old, I’d love to run a florist but I know nothing about flowers! I can’t take x-rays, I can’t fix cars, I’m not too good at knitting, sewing or fixing things in general.

the heck out of me, but jeez they keep me busy, they make me laugh, and they always manage to show me what’s really important in life. They are literally my everything, and that’s all about to become very different for me.

So tomorrow night when the kids are playing up at bedtime, I won’t swear, instead, I’ll take a deep breath, tuck them in again and remind myself that this is all about to change. I will linger a little longer, as I know, in a few weeks time I will be tucking them Who will I be? What will I in, ready to rest before a So, where’s my local “stay day of school. They’ll be off do? It may sound dramatic together, in their matching at home mum self help but I think I may have lost uniforms, brother and sister group?” Who looks out for us as we head off my identity a little, maybe out in the wild alone, without into the big wide world me, and I will be watching even morphed into some with a very light handbag kind of freaky adult child. them, knowing that it’s the end and not a snotty tissue of an era in the lives of “The in sight? Who’s going to Wilson’s”. One thing I know for point me in the direction of a coffee shop with sure, whatever becomes of me, is that when no play area? Who’s going to advise me that my that bell goes at the end of the day, I will be face is “too red” or my bum looks “too wobbly in there waiting for them. I’ll be waiting for them that skirt!?” to run out to Mama; at least for a little while longer.

As the start of term draws near, the realisation that I’m going to be all alone for most of the

By Olivia Wilson – Edithvale mama and blogger week is quite overwhelming. I know they annoy at thewilsonsofoz.com 41

Parenting in the For a long time ‘The Sex Talk’ has been a major family milestone, as it sets children up to be responsible and respectful adults. But in 2016, with social media, mobile phones, and the Internet dominating our communications channels,‘The Tech Talk’ is just as important.

With 80% of teenagers using a smartphone1, it’s essential they learn how to use technology responsibly and respectfully.

With an abundance of information on how to get through the birds and the bees as smoothly as possible, there’s less information out there for parents on ‘The Tech Talk’. This is further complicated by the fact that most parents didn’t grow up surrounded by today’s technology. So here are our top topics for ‘The Tech Talk’.

Be respectful Technology has allowed us to connect with people in ways never experienced before.

So whether it’s finding love or an old school friend, platforms like Facebook help us keep in touch. However, it’s also contributed to an increase in cyberbullying, which now affects 1 in 5 Australians aged 8 to 152. Similar to sex ed, schools are now making anti-cyberbullying programs a staple of their curriculums, but it’s important parents also talk to their children about being respectful online so they understand there’s a person on the other side of the screen.

Be responsible The great thing about mobile phones is they can be taken and used anywhere, giving us constant access to technology and all its benefits. But there are some places, like behind the wheel of a car, where mobile phones don’t belong. For young and inexperienced drivers, who already have a higher crash risk, texting behind the wheel poses a threat to both their safety and others on the road3. Yet, almost a quarter (22%) of drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 admit to not being able to wait until their destination to read a text or answer a call4.

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Michael Powell, CEO of Spinal Life Australia said:“As Queensland’s peak body for people with a spinal cord injury we would urge all phone users to wait until they have reached their destination before using their phones.”

So during ‘The Tech Talk’ encourage switching phones to aeroplane mode so notifications can’t tempt them into taking their eyes off the road.

Be careful Technology is constantly evolving to make our lives easier, yet this is often to the detriment of our privacy. So whether it’s an online store asking for your credit card details or you are uploading a photo album to Facebook, it is important ‘The Tech Talk’ covers privacy and how best to be aware of the types of information that is shared. A recent website that has outraged parents and teachers encourages students to share as much information about

With 80% of teenagers using a smartphone1, it’s essential they learn how to use technology responsibly and respectfully. other students as possible. This includes daily routines, home addresses and even private photos. The site recently targeted a number of Brisbane schools and Clayfield College Dean of Pastoral Care, Jane Elliott urged all parents to “identify strategies to minimise their risks”. So encourage your children to be cautious about what they share online, and also encourage them to be careful about the information that they share about others. Privacy is a two-way street!

These topics are a great starting point for ‘The Tech Talk’, but remember that children turn to us to learn how to behave in the real world.

We are in a digital age and technology is an essential part of our lives and everyone should demonstrate healthy behaviours so children grow up knowing what’s right and what’s wrong when it comes to technology.

digital age Safeguard yourself from mobile phone radiation In this day and age it is difficult to live without a smartphone. We use them to watch movies, listen to music and talk to friends, meaning we clock up an average of 21 hours per week on our devices. This could however expose us to potentially harmful mobile phone radiation, which can be reduced by up to 95% with a Lif3 Smartchip, minimising the disruption to your brain. Minimise your risk by simply adhering one of these Smartchips on the back of your smart phone.

Find out more about Lif3 Smartchip at www.lif3smartchip.com.au 1. http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/engage-blogs/ engage-blogs/Research-snapshots/Aussie-teensand-kids-online 2.https://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/media/SPRCFile/ Youth_exposure_to_and_management_of_ cyberbullying_in_Australia__Synthesis_report.pdf 3.https://www.police.qld.gov.au/EventsandAlerts/ campaigns/Documents/mobile_phones_and_ distraction_fs.pdf 4.https://www.aami.com.au/media-centre/ aami-launches-safe-driver-app.html

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