My Child Magazine Issue 124 January 2022

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EDITOR IN CHIEF

Bianca Medina ART DIRECTOR

Bianca Medina DEPUTY EDITOR

Feba Maryann CONTRIBUTORS

Sheree Hoddinett Amy Adeney Lance Green Feba Maryann Katerina Holmes Yan Krukov Artem Podrez Caleb Oquendo Ketut Subiyanto Cottonbro Mart Production Vidal Balielo Jr. Stephen Andrews Tyson Leah Kelley Kabita Darlami Jonathan Borba CONTACT

My Child Magazine Newcastle NSW Australia +614 11 572 877 editorial@mychildmagazine.com.au

Contents 6

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NUTRITIOUS SCHOOL LUNCH-BOX

FIRST-TIME PREGNANCY: HOT TIPS

HOW TO ENCOURAGE

IDEAS

NEW MUMS SHOULD FOLLOW

HEALTHY EATING?

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HOW DO POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS

WHAT ARE BRAXTON HICKS

DAD READ - FINDING YOUR PURPOSE

HELP YOUR CHILD EASE INTO THE

CONTRACTIONS?

AS A FATHER

SCHOOL ROUTINE?

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98

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HOW TO HANDLE A TOUGH FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

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HOW DOES THE DYNAMICS IN YOUR

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RELATIONSHIP INFLUENCE YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT?

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STEPS FOR UMBILICAL CORD CARE IN NEWBORNS

HOW TO HELP WHEN YOUR CHILD IS ANXIOUS ABOUT GOING BACK-TO-SCHOOL

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BLOGGER - NEGOTIATING UNMARKED WATERS

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TEMPER TANTRUMS IN TODDLERS

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BOOK REVIEWS

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GET THE LOOK INTERIORS

FASHION

TOY REVIWS

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CHILDREN OF THE TRIBE FEATURE

THE PARENTS GUIDE TO BACK TO SCHOOL 2022

132 RECIPES

146 MY CHILD DIRECTORY DISCLAIMER: It My Child Magazine and mychildmagazine.com.au are wholly owned by My Child Magazine (ABN 79 167 787 662). No other parties or individuals have any financial interest in the company or in My Child or mychildmagazine.com.au. My Child contains general information only and does not purport to be a substitute for health and parenting advice. Readers are advised to seek a doctor for all medical and health matters. The publisher and authors do not accept any liability whatsoever in respect of an action taken by readers in reliance on the recommendations set out in this magazine. Reproduction of any material without written permission by the publisher is strictly forbidden. We cannot accept responsibility for material lost or damaged in the post or for any unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All reasonable efforts have been made to trace copyright holders.

Bianca Medina editor-in-chief Editor’s Letter

Hello My Child Mamma’s and Papa’s, Happy New Year! Welcome to the bright and sunny future of 2022!

Let me start by congratulating you all for making it through what seemed to be yet another impossible year!

Wherever you are on your parenting journey, these past 2 years have really thrown a lot of challenges our way and the lesson we should all take away from this experience is that it has shown us that we manage all these obstacles and kept ourselves and kids alive and somewhat well!

Now let’s talk about that last bit, “somewhat well!” This part is what we all need to shift the dial on in 2022.

“Somewhat well!”, this is truly not good enough moving into the New Year!

All of us has suffered to a degree as result of the pandemic. Whether it be work, relationships or home life, something changed dramatically, and our mental health was pushed to the limits. Enduring lockdowns and the separation of family, friends, and peers throughout these unprecedented times, these circumstances took a toll on us all, especially our children. We must stop, reflect, and acknowledge what we have gone through and as we move into the new normal, we need to prioritise ourselves and our children and make sure we are all really ok! As our lives resume, take the time to care for your mental health and your child’s. Take daily walks, have daily talks, socialise again (is a safe way of course) and take back what was taken from us. Remember that emotional wellbeing takes time, it won’t happen overnight, so start little by little until this time becomes a distant memory!

Always be kind to others, love deeply and let your inner child live!

Bianca and the team xoxox

Bianca oxo

EDITOR’S PICKS

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LUX SKIN® LED FACIAL MASK $49 au.luxskin.co

TOM FORD TF5355 $200 pretavoir.co.uk

LIVING SPACE METAL LANTERN CANDLE HOLDER GOLD $30 spotlightstores.com

NEW YORK COFFEE CUP IN BLACK $155 balenciaga.com/en-au

STYLAND FLARED HIGH WAISTED SHORTS $353 farfetch.com/au

KIDS DIGITAL CAMERA $39 jbhifi.com.au

POKÉ BALL CHUCK TAYLOR ALL STAR $90 thetrybe.com.au

LIFESPAN KIDS JUNIOR JUNGLE SAFARI $1899 kidstoyswarehouse.com.au

NUTRITIOUS SCHOOL LUNCH BOX IDEAS W r i t t e n

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Filling your kid’s lunch box with healthy food helps them stay focused and alert through the hectic school hours by supplying the required nutrition. Well let’s face it, kids are picky eaters and getting them to eat something healthy is no cakewalk. So, it is equally important to make their lunchboxes colourful, fresh, and tempting.

Here are few tips and suggestions to make your child’s lunch box a perfect one: Ask Your Children Ask your children about what they would like to have for lunch. Talk to them about it and compare the nutritional values of the foods of their choice. Finally, you both come to consensus and pack the lunch. If your children are old enough, ask them to prepare the lunchbox by themselves.

What To Put in The Lunchbox?

These are some nutritious foods which complete your healthy lunchbox: Vegetables Vegetables are packed with vitamins and fibre. Adding fresh colourful vegetables to your lunch box also helps it make it look more attractive. This influences the children to consume more food.

You can add either raw or cooked vegetables for lunch. For kids, you can also cut the veggies into shapes, such as stars or faces, to make it more attractive.

Fruit Having fruit for lunch is a great choice. Cut the fruits into large pieces and put them in a box so that it would be easy to eat for the children. Fruits provide them with Vitamins, minerals, fibre and make your child feel full for longer.

Grains Or Cereal Foods Cereals are a great source of carbohydrates to keep your child going throughout the day with the energy they need.

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They additionally provide proteins, fats, lipids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes to your child’s diet.

Meat Meat and poultry are great sources of protein and contain other nutrients like vitamins, iodine, zinc, iron, and essential fatty acids. However, do not overload the lunch box with meat, instead pack in small quantities.

Milk Products Add milk products like curd, or cheese in the lunchbox.

Curd benefits your health as a supplement to your meal. It also helps you to fight acidity by neutralising the pH in the body.

Hydration During the hot summer days, it is very important that your child stays hydrated. Children require about 2 litres of water each day for healthy and normal functioning of their bodies.

However, more often than not, children come home with their half-full water bottles.

A strategy you could try is to add their favourite fruit slices or herbs to their water bottles. This turns water from a boring, bland drink that just makes you pee a lot, into a tasty, refreshing drink.

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What You Should Not Put in Lunchbox!

Now let’s talk about what not to add in the lunchbox: Dairy Desserts The amount of fats and sugar is high in dairy desserts. These contain high carbohydrates. Having dairy desserts in lunch may lead to health issues for children.

Sugary Drinks Sugary drinks such as fruit juices, or carbonated drinks generally contain large amounts of sugar. This may cause oral problems and even lead up to obesity.

Processed Foods Processed food contains high amounts of calories with very poor nutritional values. Besides, these are digested quickly, and your child may get hungry more often. Consuming processed foods regularly has been linked with obesity.

Dried Fruit Bars Again, these usually contain a ton of added sugar leading to dental health issues or lifestyle issues if consumed in excess.

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Style Your Lunchbox To make the lunchbox look more exciting, you may present the food in a creative way.

Shape Your Food Cut the veggies and fruits in different shapes. This attracts the kids towards food. You can take the help of cookie cutters to cut them in perfect and cute shapes.

Follow Themes Follow themes for food. For example, go with Chinese one day and Mexican the other day. Make the lunch look according to the theme. This inculcates the interest of the children towards the food.

Make Partitions Divide the lunch box into sections. Arrange in such a way that one side of it contains vegetables, followed by fruits.

Add the meat at one end. This helps in making the lunch box look organised.

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HOW DO POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS HELP YOUR CHILD EASE INTO SCHOOL ROUTINE? w

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With the constant changes that have been made in your child’s life in recent times, getting back into in-person schooling and the routine that comes with it can be tricky. Going back to school after staying cooped up at home, without meeting their friends for almost two years, require more work with children than before. In order to combat social anxiety, fear of falling ill, or separation anxiety, one method that is simple to implement and magnificent in its impact is positive self-affirmation.

What Are Positive Affirmations?

Positive affirmations are statements or phrases that motivate, encourage, or boost one’s self-esteem. These statements often start with ‘I can’, ‘I am’, or ‘I choose’ and its repetition turns a negative viewpoint or mindset into a positive. Affirmations can be described as a way to train your child’s brain into picking negative or self-defeating thoughts and turning them into positive opportunities.

Being one of the simplest ways to help your child learn to control their emotions in an unpredictable or stressful situation, positive affirmations nurture wellbeing at an early age. The exercise promotes self-regulation in children and they do not have to depend on anyone else for managing their emotions.

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How Do Positive Affirmations Work?

When your child adds positive affirmation to their daily routine, their belief system changes for the better and stays strong despite challenges.

Numerous studies and theories such as the Self-affirmation theory suggest that with positive thoughts and affirmation, one can improve self-esteem and maintain integrity. Developing a habit of positive self-affirmation can improve your child’s mood and give them a chance to experience more positive feelings on average.

If your child is afraid that their friends or teachers are not going to be the same when they go back to school, teach the child to affirm themselves by saying ‘I am going to meet my old friends as well as make new ones today’ to ease their anxiety. Another way in which positive affirmations can help children is by enabling them to deal with negative comments that come their way. If a child affirms that they are smart and loved, peers name-calling them is not going to have a disastrous impact because the child’s belief system is strong.

Creating Positive Affirmations with Your Child Positive affirmations are powerful tools and by utilizing them properly, you can help your child develop into a confident and secure individual.

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While nurturing the habit of affirmations in your child, make sure that age-appropriate statements are used. If the affirmation is out of the child’s scope of understanding, the entire exercise becomes a futile effort.

One way to ease into developing the habit of positive affirmations is by assuring your child on your own. Before leaving for school, for instance, be sure to tell your child that they are capable of achieving anything they put their mind to. Starting or ending the morning routine with a long and tight hug can bring a flush of oxytocin and other happy hormones which can make your child feel better about attending school.

A simple method to help your child choose an affirmation is by having an affirmation board or a jar with an affirmation for the day. You can come up with a set of affirmations with your child and make a craft project out of putting it all together. This way, you can have some bonding time with your child before school starts and also help your child in choosing positive affirmations.

Another creative way of including positive affirmations in your child’s routine is singing the affirmation statements to each other. Putting all the affirmations along with a simple tune can make remembering them easier and repeating them does not seem boring to the child after a while. You can also leave small notes with affirmations for your child to find during

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their school day. This can brighten up their day and keep them less distracted during classes.

Final Thoughts

“Positive affirmations are statements or phrases that motivate,

Going to school has always invoked feelings of reluctance and even dread in children. This aversion to attending school may be brought

encourage, or boost

on by many factors. Some children feel

one’s self-esteem.

inadequate in a learning environment while

These statements often

others feel socially isolated and some may

start with ‘I can’, ‘I am’, or ‘I choose’ and

even get anxious because of the coursework.

In order to help your child overcome whatever

its repetition turns a

is holding them back from enjoying school,

negative viewpoint

positive affirmations can be of great help.

or mindset into a

From pre-schoolers to teens, affirming that

positive.”

they can deal effectively with the demands of school life can bring many positive changes to your child’s life. Starting the day with a simple positive statement can be very powerful in boosting your child’s spirits.

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HOW TO HANDLE A TOUGH FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL? W r i t t e n

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Most of the firsts in children’s lives bring great joy to everyone around but the first day of school always remains a bittersweet memory. On one hand, your child is taking their first step into discovering and learning new things and on the other hand, you have to stay separated

during school hours. However, if things take an unfortunate turn for your child on the first day, regardless of their age, it is bound to affect the rest of their school year.

If your child had a tough first day at school, being a shoulder to lean on is highly important. Supporting your child in the right way after an unfavourable start at school can help them overcome the reluctance to attend school in the following days. Here are a few tips on how to handle a tough first day at school.

Err On the Side of Caution

The first thing you can do to handle a tough first day at school is by telling your child what to expect from a school day. If your child knows what is in store for them at school, the roles they need to play, the people they will interact with, and so on, they have lower chances of getting overwhelmed by school.

Being familiar with the morning routine for a school day and being able to recognize what is going on at school can reduce a lot of anxiety and stress on the first day, thereby making your child’s first day of school so much easier.

Positive Affirmation

For this technique to work, you need to start early and stay persistent. Teaching your children to affirm themselves can take time but once your child picks up

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this habit, having a bad day at school will not impact them as hard as one might expect it to. By starting their day with a positive affirmation such as “I am going learn new things and meet new people today,” the child is primed to look at incidents with an optimistic outlook.

They do not get easily disheartened and even if they do, they can change the negative pattern of thoughts by affirming themselves.

Showering Support

The best way you can show your support to your child is by expressing your confidence in them. If they had a tough first day at school, tell them how some days might seem longer and harder than others. Assure them that you believe that they can get through anything if they put in the effort. When you express your confidence in your child’s abilities, they feel more anchored and stronger when they face various obstacles.

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While showing your confidence in them, be sure to remind them that they can lean on you anytime. Having a parent to rely on, especially emotionally, can make your child feel more secure when they get back to school after a tough day.

Secure Enough Downtime

While starting school, it is easy for children to get overexcited about even the smallest of things. When your child is riding the high of emotions, even a slight inconvenience can bring them crashing down. Hence, building an after-school routine can help you manage all the excess energy. After their time at school, make sure that your child gets something to snack on and takes a nap.

Following this, if your child is comfortable to open up about the difficult day that they had at school, lend an ear. Being hungry or tired will only worsen their mood

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and ruin the joy of having a new experience.

Connect With the Teacher

If you feel that your little one needs some extra attention from the teacher, get in touch with them. Don’t wait for a teacher-parent conference to discuss your child’s needs and progress at school. A good rapport between the teacher and the parent will always be beneficial to a child.

Final Thoughts

Your child may not always have a great day at school.

Understanding this, you should always be prepared to help through a bad day and process the emotions that come with it. Getting adjusted to school life and various experiences that come with it are an integral part of growing up, all you need to do is provide a positive environment to facilitate growth.

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HOW TO HELP WHEN YOUR CHILD IS ANXIOUS ABOUT GOING BACK TO SCHOOL? W r i t t e n

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While kids often find it exciting to go to school, be with friends and enjoy, sometimes there might a feeling of reluctance based on the following reasons: Covid Related Concerns After spending about two years in the pandemic, it might be threatening for kids to go back to school. They might be worried about wearing masks, vaccination, friends’ and teachers’ response. Online classes are highly convenient for kids as the pressure about tests and exams is reduced. In such a scenario, there is a doubt about how to familiarise with the conventional methods of offline classes and exams after such a long time.

Fear of Bullying: No matter how much we condemn it, bullying is still prevalent in some places. Some kids with notorious mindsets bully others without realising how it can impact them.

This bullying causes embarrassment, fear of mockery and judgement that prevents kids from going back to school. Every child who faces that is not vocal about this to his guardians. They stress about it and feel anxiety about their parents’ reactions to it.

Concerns Related to Friends: Sometimes kids have a dispute with their friends and stop talking to them. Later they might feel guilty about it and fear about their friend’s response. They worry that their friend might join someone else’s company and they will be left alone to feel lonely.

This hesitation about change in friend’s behaviour causes children to skip school.

Marks And Performances: Sometimes kids do not get desired results in academics or other fields even after preparing a lot. This causes stress and anxiety about future performances and kids do not enjoy any activities rather they feel competitive with their class fellows. This mindset destroys the actual motive of competitions and kids focus more on results than learning.

Behaviour Of Teachers: Every teacher should be respected for their efforts and contribution towards the education of children. However, sometimes teachers get too strict with their students that can impact them negatively. Any harsh punishment, strong remarks and scolding from a teacher can reduce the self-confidence of students. Also, if it is done in front of other students, it adds a fear of mockery and embarrassment to it. Apart from this, sexual harassment in school is also a major issue. Due to these reasons, the child might not really wish to go back to school and face the same teacher.

These are just a few reasons as this topic is highly subjective. Each child might have a different problem but the real concern is about solving that so that they can confidently go back to school and learn wholeheartedly.

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Role Of Parents to Resolve These Issues

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All the necessary precautions should be taken by the parents and school to avoid any COVID related hesitation to go back to school.

Children should be taught to voice out any kind of bullying and ragging and immediately inform their teachers and parents about the same without any hesitation. Also, when a child informs about that, parents should immediately console him/her and take strict action.

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Children should be taught that issues can be resolved by maturely talking and compromising. If they get into a fight, they should try to understand the issue and solve it. If necessary, parents should involve themselves to resolve the issue.

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Parents often do not realise, but pressuring kids to get high scores and the first rank puts a burden on them. They should be taught to focus more on learning and practical implementation than getting high scores. If a child is not interested in studies and wants to pursue something else, parents should motivate and support him/her in the best possible ways.

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If a kid denies going to school because of a certain teacher’s strict behaviour, he/she should be made to understand that teachers always do that for students’ benefit only. However, if the situation is more serious, then the teacher must be confronted for that.

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Apart from these, if there is some other reason, then parents should gently talk to their kids and try to understand their feelings and perspective.

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B O O K r e v i e w s by: Amy Adeney from Busy Bookwor ms

M Y OWN WAY

TINY WONDERS

B Y J OA NA E STR EL A & JAY H UL M E

BY SALLY SOW EO L HAN

“ G irl o r b o y?”

A pr il t hinks if her t own was a co l o ur, i t w o ul d be grey. Ever yone is t oo bus y to s to p a nd look around. How can she hel p them s l o w down? W hen she remember s the ha p p i nes s t hat dandelions brought her g ra nd mo ther, A pr il comes up wit h a plan...

W h at b r i n g s yo u j o y ? “ P in k o r b l u e ?”

It’s u p t o yo u .

My O wn Wa y i n t ro d u c es v ery y o u n g children to t h e w o n d e r o f g en d er d i v e rs i ty. Why feel l imit e d t o h i s o r h ers , b l ue o r p i n k , f o ot ball or balle t? Th i s co l o urf ul p i c ture b o o k s mashes ge n de r s t e re o t y p es and e n c o u rages t he read e r t o fo l l o w the i r o w n w ay !

W it h vi b r a n t i l l u s trati o ns an d p o e tic t ext , this p o w e r fu l b oo k teac he s y o u n g children that t h e re a re n o l i m i ts i n w h at y o u can do a n d wh o yo u ca n b e . Thi s i s an i m por t ant , time ly a n d b e a u ti f u l c e l eb rati o n o f i dent it y, diff e re nce , a n d res p ec t, f o r read er s aged thre e a n d u p .

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Bur st ing wit h colour, Tiny Wo nd ers i s the st or y of a small child t r ying t o b ri ng w o nd er back t o her t own t hrough the l a ng ua g e of flower s. W it h a glossar y o f the K o rea n language of flower s at t he ba c k , thi s b o o k shares a beaut iful message of s l o w i ng d o w n and appreciat ing t he beaut y o f na ture. A lovely choice t o share wit h rea d ers a g ed t hree and up. .

OUC H! TA L ES O F G R AVI T Y

Y O U T W O , Y O U T WO

B Y K AT E SIMPSON & A NDY H A R DI MAN

BY BRO O KE HILL & ELIN MAT ILDA

Peo ple mi g h t t e l l y o u thi s i s the moment grav it y w a s fi r s t d i s c o v e red .

You t wo, you t wo,

The tru t h i s , p e o p l e had b ee n d i s c over ing grav it y l o n g b e fo re Is aac .

Yo u mi g h t e ve n h av e d i s c o v e red gr avit y yo u rse l f . . .

H av e y o u e ve r w on d ered ho w g rav i ty wor ks?

Or w h a t l i fe w o ul d b e l i k e w i tho ut gr avit y?

Fi n d o u t i n t h i s f un i ntro d u c ti o n t o t he i dea th a t w h a t g o e s up m us t c o m e down! A fun n y s t o r y a b o ut g rav i ty that ex p l ains why a pple s fa l l fro m t ree s , i n c l u d i n g a us eful fact page a n d a fu n ex p e ri m en t f o r k i d s t o t r y the msel ve s . A fa s c i n ati n g c ho i c e f o r reader s a ge d f i ve a n d u p .

Higgle and piggle and hullaba l o o T here are few relat ionships a s i mp o rta nt as t hose of siblings. You Two , Yo u Tw o i s a wish t o t he univer se about a l l tha t thei r fr iendship can be, and all t h e a d v entures t hey’ll share. Rhyming and c ha r mi ng , i t’s t he ult imat e celebr at ion of l i ttl e p eo p l e growing up t oget her, and of a l l the s p ec i a l moment s bet ween t wo siblin g s , fro m the t ender t o t he r ambunct ious, a s they g ro w t hrough life. A hear t felt and l i v el y b o o k to share wit h siblings aged t wo a nd up . .

JANUARY 2022 | My Child Magazine Issue #124

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THE PARENTS’ GUIDE TO BACK TO SCHOOL W r i t t e n

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After the trying times of COVID and virtual learning, the kids are going back to classroom learning.

Sending your child off to school with their shiny new supplies and big smiles can be something so important in your life as a parent. While the virtual learning setting protected many from getting infected, parents, children, and even teachers missed out on the authentic school experience.

Now that everything is gradually getting back to place, the back-to-school season is here. Maybe this time you might have to look for a sturdy facemask or remind your child about washing their hands, but apart from that, nothing is keeping your child away from spending a regular day at school. However, before getting carried away, here are some points to add to your back-to-school guide for parents this year.

Get Organised Most of us let go of our rigid schedules and organising system during the quarantine. Attending virtual classes meant that your child probably kept all their belongings in whichever locations they found ideal.

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misplaced stationary, and dusty backpacks.

Make the process simple and include your child in fixing up everything. Sit together and make a list of everything they need for school before picking up the items. Remember to find a way to keep your child safe from seasonal flu, allergies, and even the coronavirus.

Motivate Your Child Truth be told, virtual schooling was not everyone’s cup of tea.

Some students took to it easily while others struggled. Some parents may have found a system that works for their family while coping with the

pandemic and the kids might not want to leave the comfort offered by this system.

Whatever be the reason behind the reluctance to attend school, motivate your child to move forward and step out of their comfort zone. You can induce the interest to go back to school by telling them about all the friends they have not met in a while or the different things they will get to experience at school.

Set Routines Online classes may have made room for some late nights or late mornings in the child’s schedule. And JANUARY 2022 | My Child Magazine Issue #124

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now, waking up early, grabbing breakfast, or getting ready for school may seem unnecessary to them. If your child is finding it hard to keep up with the school routine, make concessions that can help them. Make sure that the children get enough sleep to feel wellrested and have enough time for activities after school.

If your child dislikes changes to their routine, avoid springing the new school routine on them.

Start early by integrating parts of the routine into daily life so that your child can have time to adjust.

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Listen To the Little One No one can tell you better about their needs and wishes about going back to school as well as the children themselves.

Be a source of comfort and support to your children so that they come to you when they face difficulties in making such a transition. Be it something regarding the morning routine, teachers, or even being bullied at school, look for ways that your child is trying to communicate with you without using words.

Keep Calm Going back to school as the pandemic gradually

comes to an end seems like an overwhelming idea. From having your child under your constant supervision and care to sending them off for hours for five days a week can weigh heavily on your mind.

As you plan to send your children back to school, make sure to check in with yourself daily to ensure that your fears or anxieties don’t impact your child.

If you feel the need, get in contact with the teacher or the parents of your child’s peers. This way you can stay in the loop and assuage any worries that pop up from time to time. Maybe consider meditation and do it with your child so that you can spend some quality time together.

Final Thoughts Kids going back to school can be a cause for celebration for the parents but it also requires a tremendous amount of preparation. Enjoying the process and prep can be great for yourself and your child. Remember that the tone you set for back-toschool activities influences your child’s outlook as well, so stay positive.

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FIRST-TIME PREGNANCY: HOT TIPS NEW MUMS SHOULD FOLLOW W r i t t e n

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Being able to give birth and providing a bridge to the future is indeed the greatest blessing bestowed upon women. The period of pregnancy is a peculiar, exciting, and often joyful time in a woman’s life. But with great power also comes great responsibility, and this can be best exemplified through pregnancy. Not only blood and nutrients, but it also requires huge attention, patience, and tenderness by a woman to support the health of her baby.

Accordingly, pregnant women must be healthy and well nourished.

This article provides some hot tips new mums should follow for their own and baby’s health:

Regular Workout and Meditation: It is undeniable that pregnancy gives both physical and mental stress to the mother. Regular workout, yoga and meditation help to counter that to an extent. Low impact exercises help in relaxing back pain, improving blood circulation and handling mood swings.

Yoga improves fertility rates and reduces restlessness. It avoids the need for surgery and promotes natural birth.

However, heavy weightlifting and intense cardio exercises are strictly prohibited because they can be harmful.

Taking Naps and Rest: Giving proper rest to the body is as essential as working out. Fatigue and restlessness both are very common especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. During this time body goes through various new hormonal changes that impact it physically and mentally.

Along with the right amount of sleep at night, afternoon naps are also necessary to restore energy in the body. It also compensates for the lack of sleep caused after the birth of a baby. Often the 40

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baby bump doesn’t let a pregnant woman sleep comfortably, so pregnancy pillows can be used for comfort.

Staying Hydrated: Pregnant women especially those with their first baby are advised to drink plenty of water during the whole course of pregnancy. A layer of an amniotic fluid composed mainly of water surrounds the baby in the womb. Less fluid can cause complications in labour and birth defects. At least 10 glasses of water should be drunk to avoid these. Additionally, it relieves swollen joints and helps the body to get rid of toxin accumulation.

Limit Caffeine Consumption: Caffeine takes a long time to get digested in the body. It enters the baby’s bloodstream through the placenta. Caffeine causes high blood pressure and heart rates that can affect both mother and child. It also causes other complications such as low birth weight for the newborn. To avoid caffeine, the herbal tree can be consumed as an alternative but only after consulting with a doctor.

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Have A Balanced Diet: During pregnancy, a woman should follow a diet chart comprising of all nutrients such as protein, fibre, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins and minerals. Dairy products, legumes, dried fruits, and whole grains should be included with a major focus on fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating healthy during pregnancy helps in nurturing of baby thereby providing it good health. Also, it helps mothers to overcome weakness after delivery.

Routine Check-ups: It is necessary for pregnant women to regularly visit their concerned doctors to have check-ups and tests. It helps to monitor the development of a baby. It also provides details about the body and detects if there is any sort of deficiency so that it can be cured within time through supplements or other treatments.

Eliminate Toxins: Alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, tobacco, and illicit drugs should strictly 42

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be avoided as they cause high chances of miscarriage. Smoking reduces blood flow to the baby’s body and causes other problems.

Drinking alcohol is highly injurious to a baby’s health as it gets mixed with the baby’s blood and persists there for a long-time causing defect’s known as foetal alcohol syndrome.

Research and Knowledge: It is better for women pregnant with their first child to attend childbirth classes or simply do online research in order to be more prepared before their delivery. It gives knowledge about delivery and infant care and helps to clear all doubts and concerns. Overall, it provides better acquaintance with the situations so that they can be handled smoothly.

Bottom Line As your pregnancy progresses, you might have more questions.

Talk to your healthcare provider and make use of online forums or even join a new mum’s support group in your locality.

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WHAT ARE BRAXTON HICKS CONTRACTIONS? w

r

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F

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Pregnancy is similar to running a marathon in more ways than one can imagine. The involved individual has to watch their diet, get the right amount of physical activity, and keep their energy stable for the final day. Braxton Hicks contractions are one such step in the preparation for labour. These abdominal contractions appear in order to prepare the expecting parent’s uterus and cervix for the taxing activity of giving birth.

Explaining Braxton Hicks Contractions Named after the doctor who discovered the phenomena in pregnant individuals, these contractions are common in almost all pregnancies. Braxton Hicks contractions pass unknowingly as tightening of the abdominal muscles and the baby bump looks hardened, especially from the late second trimester onwards. Each of these contractions can last anywhere between 30 seconds to 2 minutes and is rarely accompanied by pain. Some people may feel these contractions like menstrual cramps.

A key point to note about Braxton Hicks contractions is that they do not come closer or stronger with time. Most of the time, they disappear when the expecting parent moves or empties their bladder. Even though the differences from real labour contractions are minute, these changes need

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to be noted in order to judge whether you are going into preterm labour. Most parents inching towards their due dates mistake Braxton Hicks contractions for labour and worry themselves. This is also why Braxton Hicks contractions are called ‘false labour.’

Reasons Behind Braxton Hicks Contractions Ultimately, Braxton Hicks contractions occur in order to prepare the body for smoother labour. The abdominal muscles and the muscles lining the uterine wall need to contract strongly while giving birth for the baby to be expelled from the womb. The cervix also needs to soften and expand to let the foetus pass through the birth canal without any hitch. The body uses the Braxton Hicks contractions to train these muscles involved for labour.

Through these contractions, the muscles get toned for optimal performance when the due date arrives.

Certain instances during the pregnancy also set off Braxton Hicks contractions in pregnant individuals.

Working out or intercourse during the gestational period can induce these false contractions once the physical activity is completed. Being on your feet for a long time also can result in these contractions. Towards the later stages of the pregnancy, having a full bladder can bring

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on Braxton Hicks contractions. This is the reason why pregnant individuals wet themselves unknowingly.

Foetal movements also trigger Braxton Hicks contractions in individuals. Sometimes, nausea or vomiting during the pregnancy can also bring on these contractions.

Dehydration

is

another

factor

influencing

these

contractions.

Distinguishing Braxton Hicks Contractions and Real Contractions It is important to distinguish the symptoms of Braxton Hicks and real contractions because misunderstands can yield disastrous results. If the contractions are relatively painless and stop when you change positions, go on a walk, or take a nap, they are false contractions. These do not fall a pattern while occurring as well as the intensity and frequency of the contractions remain the same.

If you are closer to your due date, somewhere near the 37th week of pregnancy, then the contractions need to be closely monitored. If there is a pattern in which the contractions appear and the pain gradually increases along with contractions that are closer in timing, you might be going into labour. Some complicated pregnancies have

painless contractions that last for more than 3 hours, most of the time, these contractions mean you are going into labour before term.

Also, real contractions do not go away if you switch positions. In fact, the contractions become stronger as you stand up or walk. Slight vaginal bleeding or the ‘bloody show’, gush of vaginal discharge or ‘breaking of water’, or pain in the pelvic, abdominal, or back regions are signs of labour.

Final Thoughts Many expecting parents lack the necessary resources to educate themselves on the differences between false and real contractions. Sometimes it leads to unwanted panic and medical examinations whereas in some cases, failure to recognise the signs of labour leads to miscarriages, damages to the foetus, and may even prove to be fatal for both the baby and the parent. Preterm labour can be a little tricky to catch so to err on the side of caution, visit your OB/GYN if the contractions are getting too uncomfortable for you to manage or lasts more than 2-3 hours.

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get the look

INTERIORS

nursery photo: ellajames.co.uk

Mist Green Baby & Jr Bed by Sebra $1,343.63 au-ellajames.glopalstore.com

Cot Crib Bumper YappyKids $95.99 etsy.com/au

Nobodinoz Amour Canopy Bed in Organic Cotton Green $178 smallable.com

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Gold on White Dandelion Canvas Wall Art Diptych by Amy Brinkman $289 templeandwebster.com.au

Hampton Kids Chairs (2 Pack) $219.95 hipkids.com.au

Handmade Crochet Dress Up Doll $95 etsy.com/au

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k i d s photo: sophieallport.com

Songesand Bed Frame, White $149 ikea.com/au

Jellycat Luna Unicorn $59 kogan.com/au

Kids Ottoman Storage Bench – White $120 thatstorageshop.com.au

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Ovela Unicorn Kingdom Kids Quilt Cover Set $39.99 mattblatt.com.au

Princess Bella Canopy $129 kasiesroom.com

Unicorn Kids Backpack $65 sophieallport.com

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STEPS FOR UMBILICAL CORD CARE IN NEWBORNS W r i t t e n

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Alike, the beautiful bond of mother and child there is a scientific connection between them both which is the conduit between a pregnant woman and her child known as an umbilical cord. It supplies blood also nutrients and oxygen to the baby and removes waste. After birth, it is not needed and

falls off itself in about two weeks of delivery.

The umbilical cord is also known as navel string, birth cord and funiculus umbilicals. It is formed from the yolk sac and allantois. It gets developed during the fifth week and replaces the yolk sac to provide nutrition to the baby. The umbilical cord is not directly connected to the mother instead it joins the placenta that functions for the transfer of nutrition and waste.

Its length is about 50 cm and its diameter is 2 cm. Until the time it stays attached to the baby’s body after birth, it needs to be handled gently with great care.

Here Are Some Ways That Can Help for Umbilical Cord Care in Newborns:

Clean Your Hands: Hands should be cleaned with soap and water or sanitiser before and after touching the stump to prevent infections.

Cleaning of Stump: It is advised to gently sanitize the stump with rubbing alcohol after every diaper change to clean the stump and avoid infections.

Drying the Stump: The front portion of the diaper should be folded in a way that that stump should be exposed to air so that it dries and falls off itself.

Prefer Sponge Baths: Giving a bath can make the stump cord wet and it will take a longer time to fall off. So, it is better to clean the baby’s body using a damp sponge.

Do Not Pluck the Stump Cord: When the base gets dried, the stump cord itself falls down so any temptations to pull it should be resisted.

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Dress Baby in Loose Clothes: Baby’s clothes should be loose enough to avoid pressing of stump cord.

Checking For Ooze: Cord should be checked for ooze hourly for two hours of birth.

Bleeding Is Normal: Sometimes removal of cord causes bleeding so it should be dealt with normally without any concern.

Signs Of Concern: If the cord has any kind of redness, odour or stickiness, parents should immediately inform the doctor.

Disinfection: The cord should be clamped with sterile clamps and cut with sterile scissors only.

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Signs of Concern: After birth, there is a healing process involved with the umbilical cord. At that time, a few spots of blood near the cord are completely normal. Even when it falls off, it can cause a little bleeding. However, there are some situations related to the umbilical area which are a sign of concern: •

Oozing of pus

•

Skin redness and swelling

•

Formation of pink moist bumps

All of these are symptoms of an umbilical cord infection which requires immediate treatment. Also, if the umbilical cord doesn’t fall off after three weeks of birth, the doctor should be consulted to avoid any underlying problem such as immune system disorder.

Umbilical Cord Preservation: The preservation of stem cells present in the cord is a potential treatment for several blood related diseases and disorders that has helped in saving the lives of people.

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Steps Involved in Cord Preservation: •

Firstly, cord blood is collected and a segment of the cord is cut and

stored in a sterile container.

•

This container is sent to a laboratory for processing and preservation.

•

The other components of the cord are removed except its lining which

is then washed and segmented into pieces.

•

These decontaminated segments are stored in cryovials containing

protectants for health preservation.

•

After that, the lining segments are frozen in temperature regulated

freezers.

•

Finally, these cryovials are transferred into an MVE anti contamination

vapour phase liquid nitrogen storage system with -190-degree Celsius temperature for long term preservation.

With this process, the cells preserved are prevented from ageing and exposure to foreign particles thereby keeping them young and decontaminated so that they can be used to regenerate fresh blood and the immune system if required in future.

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TEMPER TANTRUMS IN TODDLERS

W r i t t e n

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F e b a

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Temper tantrums are nothing new to parents of toddlers. However, when the child is shrieking and rolling on the floor of the supermarket while grocery shopping, it is only normal that the caregiver is a little taken aback. More than finding ways to calm the child down, the stares of onlooker’s gets parent breaking out in a sweat.

If you are intimidated by the prospect of another unmanageable temper tantrum happening in a public place, this article will help you get prepared to handle the situation better next time.

What Are Temper Tantrums?

It may come across as an absurd reason, but a temper tantrum is a way through which the child can communicate large and complex messages to their parent. Nothing conveys uncomfortable emotions as clear as a toddler screaming and hitting in the middle of a casual shopping trip. Typically seen in children until they turn 4 or 5, a temper tantrum can be noted by the signs like crying, thrashing, yelling, holding their breath, limp or stiffened body, or hitting.

The temper tantrum is a reaction to a minor inconvenience blown out of proportion and it is set off by small incidents most of the time.

Most temper tantrums subside within 15 minutes and the incidence of tantrums reduces gradually as the child grows.

Why Is Your Toddler Throwing a Tantrum?

Even though temper tantrums are normal in the course of development, the reason behind each episode can vary. Some tantrums rise out of the frustration that things are not going the way the child expected.

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Maybe you said no to a toy purchase or denied the request for a treat and the toddler did not like that. Most of the time, these tantrums are the ones that surface in public settings. More often than not, the frustration may be rooted in hunger. A hungry toddler is more likely to throw a tantrum than a well-fed one.

Another reason why your toddler could be throwing a temper tantrum is that they are overstimulated. The bright lights, loud noises, or an overload of a variety of sensations might have them feeling overwhelmed and uncomfortable. Toddlers also cause a scene with their behaviour and emotions when they are tired. Skipping out on a good night’s sleep or a nap can make a toddler prone to feeling a more negative mood.

Other times, toddlers simply throw tantrums because they want their parent’s attention to themselves. The crying and yelling might all be done just to make you look at them. Whatever the reason behind the episode might be, one common factor present here is that the toddler does not have enough words to convey the extent and depth of what they are feeling. In simple words, too many feelings and not enough words are behind temper tantrums.

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Managing Temper Tantrums in Toddlers Rather than preventing the toddler from throwing tantrums, it is better to equip yourself to manage one. In the long run, it is the better choice for your child. Here are a few ways to handle the heat of a temper tantrum: Turning A Blind Eye: Sometimes, the best way to manage a temper tantrum is to let it run its course. Especially for tantrums thrown in order to get something that you denied, ignoring the situation is the best way to prevent similar situations in the future.

Staying calm: When your child is getting worked up, if you lose your cool as well, the situation will get messier. So, in case of an ongoing temper tantrum, make sure that you are in control of your emotions so that you can soothe your toddler as they wind up the tantrum.

Distractions: If your toddler is creating a ruckus in an inappropriate place, the safest

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option you have is to distract them. Maybe hand them their favourite toy or point out something interesting in the surrounding.

Flight: The human instinct of ‘fight-or-flight’ is applicable to parents handling a child throwing a temper tantrum as well. If your child is not calming down, pick them up and get out of the setting as soon as possible. In case the tantrum was due to something environmental, the toddler can feel at ease then.

Final Thoughts Temper tantrums can get loud, messy, and sometimes embarrassing.

However, they play a significant role in a child’s development. No matter how difficult the tantrum looks, never yell back, or hit the toddler in retaliation. This only sends a wrong message to the child.

As toddlers grow, equipping them with proper ways to communicate their emotions and needs can reduce the instances of tantrums. If temper tantrums occur frequently even after the age of 5, consult an expert depending on the severity and frequency of the tantrums.

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T O Y r e v i e w s b y :

S h e r e e

H o d d i n e t t

LEAPFROG CHOPPIN’ FUN LEARNING POT

$39.95 5/5

S u it ab l e f o r a g e s: 12 m o n th s and over T h e C h o p p i n ’ Fu n Le arni ng Po t i s a recipe for lear ning fun! And w it h al l t he veg et a b l es m ade fro m 8 5 % p l an t-b as ed p l as t i c, it ’s also a recipe t hat ’s more sust ain a b l e for t he e n v iro n me n t . Chi l d re n l o ve to p re t end t o cook. P repare broccol i, sw eet cor n, a t oma t o an d a ca r ro t wi t h s nap -ap art veg et ables, a play knife and cut t ing board. H ea r t he p ot re spo n d wi t h e nc o urag i ng p h ras es as kids add veggies t o t he pot . Want t o ma ke s p a g het t i sau c e ? F o l l o w five s te p -b y-s te p recipes t o encour age lear ning w it h play. C hop t he food an d se t t h e t e mp e ratu re d i al . N o w press a food but t on and st ir t he pot t o ma ke s p a g het t i sau c e , r a i n b o w s o u p , c o rn o n t he c ob, car rot soup and broccol i w it h chees e! Wa t ch t he p o t “b o i l ” w i t h p re ten d wate r i n t h e front panel. Hear t he pot count t o 10 and t a l k a b out c o lo u r s a s y o u pl ay. S e rve up yo u r c reat ion in t he bow l, pick up t he spoon, a nd d i g i n! Al l t h e pi e ce s s t o re i n o r o n t he p o t f o r easy clean up w hen playt ime is done. S oup - t a s t i c!

Ou r Ve rd i ct – L e t ’s g et k i d s s tarted on cooking as ear ly as possible I say! There’s no h arm i n i t b e i n g p re ten d , b et ter t hat t han t hey bur n or cut t hemselv es do i ng t he rea l d e al wh e n t h e y are n ’t re ad y. I wi s h t his kind of t oy had been around w hen my ki d s w ere re al ly l i t t l e . Ma yb e t h e y’d b e c o o k i ng for me now ! Br ight , colour ful and fun , ever yt hi ng y ou w a n t wh e n it c o m es to e n tertai ning t he l it t lest member s of your family. I l ove t he fun e d u c a t i o n a l t o ys , t he y’re al ways a winner in my book and if kids get somet h i ng out of i t , n o m a t t e r h o w m uc h, i t ’s b et te r t h an not hing at al l.

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VTECH KIDIGO BASKETBALL

$59.95 5/5

S u it ab l e f o r a g es: 5 + ye ars It ’s g a me o n wi t h t h e K i d i G o Bas k et bal l hoop and bal l ! An int er act iv e score b oa rd keep s sc o re a n d ch e ers yo u o n, c el eb rat ing each basket w it h l ight s and sounds. Fi ve g a me m o de s o ffe r o p t i o n s to p l ay s o l o or w it h up t o five play er s. C omplet e in four b ui l t - i n g ame s o r ma ke u p yo ur o wn rul es i n Free P lay. P lay solo in t he C olour C hal leng e, t i mi ng y ou r s h o t wi t h t he c o l o u red s c o re b oard l ight s, or make t he game- w inning ba s ket b efore t im e r u n s o u t i n t h e T i m e Chal l e n ge. Sink as many shot s as you can in on e mi nut e i n S c o re Ch a l l e n g e o r i nc l u d e f ri en d s and family in a Hot P ot at o game. Q ui ck! M a ke a b ask et a n d p a s s t h e b al l b e f o re t h e music st ops. W hen play is done, fl ip up t he hoop for e asy s t o r a g e . B a c k b o ard at tac he s ov er most door s w it h included padded door hooks or c an b e m o u n t e d (m o un t i n g hard ware is not included).

Ou r v e rd i ct – I f yo u want to s ee t he big kids and l it t le kids al ike get t ing comp et i t i ve in y ou r h o u s e , t h i s to y i s d ef i ni te l y a w inner. It kind of reminds me of t he a rca d e s t yl e b ask et b a l l , ma king i t ad d i c t i ve (watch out !) but fun at t he same t ime! My kid s a re a l w a ys try in g t o o u t d o eac h o t h e r and t hi s game is cer t ainly no except ion! It ’s easy t o us e, g rea t f u n ( e s p e ci a l l y o n rai n y d ays ) an d a nice w ay t o set up fr iend ly or in some ca s es not s o f rie n d l y g a m e s a m o n g f am i l y m e m b er s. It could also w or k t o t he advant age o f young s t er s n e e d in g t o i m p ro ve o n t he i r and e ye co- ord inat ion, especial ly if t hey ’re kee n on t he rea l ou tsid e g a me !

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77

HAPE MONSTER MATH SCALE

$49.00 4/5

S u it ab l e f o r a g e s: 3+ ye ars P lac e t h e l i t t l e m o ns ter we i g h ts on t he scales and join t his funny monst er fa mi l y t o le arn a b o u t b a s i c m at h e m at i c s i nc lud ing w eight s, measurement s and bala nce! Pl a ce a ran d o m n u m b e r o f b i g g e r wei g h ts on one ar m of t he scale t hen see if y ou ca n g ues s how m an y s ma l l e r o ne s yo u n e e d to b alance it out ! Includes 9 larger w eight s a nd 1 1 s ma l l , sof t w e i g h t s . I t ’s g re at f o r l e arni ng about simple add it ion and subt r act ion ; i nt rod uces c h ildre n t o w e i gh t, m eas u rem en ts and balance and also helps t o promot e fi ne mot or sk il ls a n d co n cen trat i o n .

Ou r Ve rd i ct – E as y to s et up an d easy t o use, plus it ’s one v er y cut e monster ! Not onl y d o e s t h i s l i t t l e m o ns ter m ak e l ear ning fun, kids are t oo busy enjoying t h ems el ves t o re al ise i t ’s a g re at e d uc at i o n al to o l a s w el l. T he per fect idea for l it t le ones alrea d y cur i ous ab o u t b a s i c ma t h s p ri nc i p l e s o r t hose get t ing ready t o st ar t school. It ’s also a g rea t t ool if y ou r ch i l d i s stru g g l i n g a l i t t l e b i t w it h some aspect s of add it ion and subt r a ct i on. I t ’s also a fu n wa y o f l ear n i ng ab o ut t h e science behind how t o get t hings t o ba l a nce.

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ROO GAMES YOU’VE BEEN FRAMED

$39.99 5/5

S u it a b l e f o r a ges: 8+ ye ars T h in k y o u h a v e t h e s harp e s t e ye and fast est finger s at t he family game t able? Fl i p a ca rd an d t h e n r a ce yo ur o p p o ne n ts to mat ch t he pat t er n using t he cor rect size a nd col our f ram e s . A r r a n ge f ac e u p o r, whe n a black l ine appear s on t he card, be q ui ck t o b ui l d v e rt ica l l y. A r r a ng e yo u r f ram es to mat ch t he pat t er n and t hen be fir st t o sla p t he ca rd t o sc ore i t . S co re 10 c ard s f i rs t an d win!

O u r v e rd i ct – Yo u c e rtai nl y l e ar n how compet it iv e y our family member s c a n b e d ur i ng a c h a l l e n g i n g g am e. Li t t l e k i d s are cer t ainly no except ion! T his is a ga me of s ki l l , c on ce n t r a t i o n a nd k e e p i n g up wi t h t he pace. I hav e t w o v er y compet it ive k i d s w ho d on’t l ik e it w h e n t h e i r Mum m a wi ns t h e round of a game before t hey do. I act ual l y rea l l y l i ked t h e c h a l l e n g e o f t h i s g am e b e c ause it t eaches t he kids t o just keep t r yin g t o s ee w ho c an w i n n e xt o r i n t he i r c as e , b e at mum! Even t hough it say s suit able for ages 8 - p l us , my 6-y e a r- o l d p i cked i t up af ter a c o uple of rounds. Definit ely t he best pick for your next f am il y g a me s n i g h t !

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SPIN MASTER AEROBIE SONIC FIN FOOTBALL

$20.00 3/5

S u it ab l e f o r a g e s: 8+ ye ars T h row l i ke a p ro wi t h t h e Aero b i e S o nic Fin High P er for mance Foot bal l. Officia l l y end or s ed b y Ru s s e l l W i l s o n , p ro q u arte rb ac k , t his aerodynamic foot bal l put s t he po w er of a p ro in y ou r h a n d s . The i nn o vat i ve h o l l ow gy roscopic design creat es ul t imat e l i ft a nd ma x d istan ce i n t h e ai r s o yo u c an g o l o ng w it h t hrow s up t o 90 met res. W it h it s cus t omi z a b l e c al ibra t i o n r i n g , t hi s k i d s f o o t b al l i s great for bot h r ight and left handed t hro w er s , l et t i ng e v e ry p l a y e r ch a l l en g e t he m s el ve s while playing t heir favour it e spor t and out d oor g a me.

T h e p re ci s e b a l an c e o f t he S o ni c F in foot bal l makes it easier t o t oss per fect s p i r a l s l i ke y ou r f a v o u r i t e NFL q u arte rb ac k and t he fins can be ad just ed t o increase t he s p i n r a t e for m ax im u m s p e e d and d i s tanc e. W i nd up, chal lenge your sel f t o launch it as fa r a s you ca n, an d l is t e n t o t h e whi s t l i n g s o un d while it fl ies. C ompet e against y our fr iend s a nd R us s el l W ilso n t o s e e ho w f ar yo u c an m ak e t he foot bal l go w it h t he #sonicfinchal leng e!

Ou r v e rd i ct – N o m aj o r f o o t b al l f an s among my household, but w e’re alw ay s up for g i vi ng an y t h i n g a g o . It ’s a ni c e l i g ht to y t o play around w it h, not as much fun on a w i nd y d a y.

We sp e n t mo re t i m e t hro wi n g and laughing t han any t hing else, but st il l ma na g ed t o h av e s o m e fu n ! J u s t watc h o ut f o r t he kids using it as a peg at each ot her typ e of t oy. I t c e rtain l y t e s t e d o u t t h e i r t hro wi n g skil ls and gav e t hem some pr act ice t houg h. E ver y b i t h e lp s w i t h ki d s , ri g h t ?! H ah a! If yo u’re up for a chal lenge or l ike t o giv e your t hrow i ng arm a wo r ko u t , t hi s i s t he f o o t b al l f or y ou!

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HARRY POTTER CATCH THE GOLDEN SNITCH

$25.00 4/5

S u it ab l e f o r a g e s: 8+ ye ars A Q u i d d itch G am e f o r W itc hes, Wizards an d Mu ggle s Brin g a l l t h e s p e e d an d e x c i te m en t of a real Q uidd it ch mat ch t o your home w i t h C a t ch t h e G o l d e n S n i t c h , a Qui d d i tc h g ame for w it ches, w izards, and muggles. Ever yone p l a ys at t h e s a me t i m e as c ard s are q ui c kly passed from player t o play er, each t ryi ng t o b ui l d se ts a n d e a r n po i n ts . In t he c e n tre of t he act ion l ies an open Q uidd it ch C hes t , w i t h a Qu aff l e , t wo B l ud g e rs , and t he al l -impor t ant Golden Snit ch. W hen y ou lay d ow n cer t a i n c ard s, t h e s e m a g i c al i tem s c o m e o u t t o play ! A pair of C haser cards let s you s t ea l a not her p lay e r ’s s e t , b u t i f yo u ’ve e arne d t he Q uaffle, you’re safe. P lay a pair of Blud g er ca rd s , g rab a B l u d g e r, and t h ro w i t at a p layer of your choice - - if t hey sw at t he B l ud g er i n a i r an d it h i t s a n o t h e r p l aye r, t hat p l ayer must d iscard t he cards in t heir hand. The a ct i on m o v e s fa s t e r t h an a Ni m b us 2000 as cards change hands, set s hit t he t able, a nd B l ud g er s h it t h ei r ma r k. Whe n t he Go l d en S nit ch launches from t he chest and int o t h e a i r, g r a b i t – it ’s w o r t h e xt r a p o i nts ! Th e g am e ends w hen t he Golden Snit ch is in han d ; t he p l a yer w it h t h e mo s t p o i nts wi ns . F o r f as t-paced act ion and excit ement , play C at ch t he Gol d en S n itc h wi t h y o u r wi z ard i n g f am i l y and fr iends.

Ou r v e rd i ct – C a l l i ng al l H arry Po t te r fans t o t he t able! But t hose w ho aren’t c a n d efi ni t el y tak e p a r t t o o . I m ay h ave d ab b l e d i n w at ching t he Har r y P ot t er mov ie ser ies g row i ng up b u t t h i s g a me ne ver m ad e any s e n se t o me back t hen! Luckily t his game i s a l i t t l e b i t e asie r t o u n d e r s tan d and a l o t o f fun t o play. It w as a bit confusing t o s t a r t w i t h b ut on c e we g o t i n to i t we f o u n d o ur r hyt hm. T his definit ely isn’t one of t hose g a mes t ha t y ou c a n h a l f p a y at te n t i o n to an d t hen pick up y our phone w hile someone el s e t a kes a tu r n . E v e r y o n e ins tead j u s t p l ays at t he same t ime, giv ing t he game a sor t of s t r uct ured m ay h e m s o r t o f f e e l to i t. Th e b as i c idea of t he game is t o col lect mat ching ca rd s , w hi l e l iste n i n g a n d p ayi n g at ten t i o n to t he bludger s in case t hey hit you, or you ha ve t o hi t i t at some o n e , u n t i l t h e g o l d e n s n i tc h shoot s out , because t hen y ou hav e t o t r y a nd ca t ch it o r b e t h e fi r s t to g rab i t o n t he g round for al l play t o t hen end. Have fun!

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HOW TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY EATING? W r i t t e n

B y :

F e b a

M a r y a n n

“You are what you eat,” and as the saying suggests, the way to a healthy lifestyle is marked by eating well. The habit of eating the right food is picked up from childhood. Once a toddler knows the taste of fries and sodas, there is no way that they will prefer carrot sticks and grapes unless the parent or caregiver tries hard to bring a change.

However, don’t be disheartened. It is never late to turn over a new leaf. In order to nurture healthy eating in your family, here are a few suggestions for changes in your routine. Like picking up any other skill, learning to eat healthily also involves trial and error.

Be The Change You Wish to See The first step in encouraging healthy eating in your family is by becoming a role model that others can look up to. If you preach about the virtues

of fresh fruits and whole grains while eating processed foods, you will not see any desirable change.

Ensure that you set the children and teens on the path to healthy eating by showing them how exciting eating healthy can be. When one sees the options available and the effects of eating well, they are bound to want to try it themselves.

Breakfast As ‘Brain Food’ While your schedule might not allow for an elaborate meal in the morning, skipping breakfast is a big mistake many people make. Making sure that you have a nutritious start to the day means that the rest of the day is bound to go that way. Consuming proper foods like a cup of yoghurt or a breakfast burrito in the morning gives your body a chance to kick start the metabolic processes, improves cognitive functioning, and keeps you from snacking as well.

Another way to make sure the family consumes their breakfast is by getting everyone to sit down and share the meal. In fact, having a meal together as a family has many positive effects on building healthy eating habits, especially in teens and toddlers.

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Food As Reward and Punishment While modifying behaviour in children, it is tempting to use food as reinforcement. A promise of dessert for eating the greens or a packet of potato chips for finishing homework are effective ways to get children to behave in a certain way but using food as a reward means that they start to associate dessert as better than vegetables or potato chips as a valuable food. This can influence how they view food in their adult lives also.

Some parents also take to sending their children to bed without dinner as a punishment. This method can breed unhealthy eating habits in children by promoting overeating during mealtimes in fear of not knowing when the next meal will be. In summary, keep food out of your disciplining methods to avoid unprecedented impacts on your children.

Tracking Screen time When it comes to promoting a healthy lifestyle, limiting your children’s screen time is imperative, especially when it comes to preventing snacking.

Eating meals in front of the screen is another habit that you need to avoid in your household. While eating in front of a screen, your child cannot focus on the feelings of hunger and satisfaction, leading them to overeat or under-eat in the process.

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Apart from eating habits, screen time also exerts an influence on the sleep pattern. Limit your child’s screen time to less than two hours and put the gadgets away at least three hours before bedtime to have a good night’s sleep. Plentiful and quality sleep makes a big difference in the health of an individual.

Persistence And Perseverance Finally, implementing healthy changes to diets overnight may not always work. However, do not admit defeat easily. Try variations of the healthy options while preparing meals. Get your children involved in grocery shopping and meal preparation to get them to try new things. Most importantly, removing all the unhealthy foods from the house can avoid the temptation to go back to unhealthy ways of eating.

Final Thoughts Inculcating healthy eating habits in children is all about getting them to think of healthy foods in positive ways. If you teach your child that nutritious foods are not as bad as everyone else makes it out to be from a very young age, they will have no trouble picking the healthier options on their own. Preventing your family from getting used to the taste of junk food is the best way to promote healthy eating. Also, ensure that everyone in the pack gets an adequate amount of physical activity and the concept of ‘healthy living’ may not be as far-fetched as it seems.

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FINDING YOUR PURPOSE AS A FATHER W r i t t e n

B y :

L a n c e

G r e e n

Let’s face it, behind all of those cute innocent smiles, kids inevitably make us suffer.

Whether it is losing sleep taking care of your whiny baby. Or a stubborn toddler who won’t budge to your efforts to make peace. Or their teenage shenanigans that make up walk with your heart in your mouth.

This stress and sacrifice although painful and tough to deal with, studies suggest that a sense of purpose can help you fare better than the average dad. So, it is important that you figure out some meaningful long-term goals.

Finding your purpose as a father may be difficult, but here are a few ways to help you in making decisions on how to find your purpose as a father.

Talk To Your Partner As a father, it is essential to interact with your partner and ask their views on what makes you a good father. Seek suggestions from your partner about the father’s goals. Express your thoughts and take help from her in finding your purpose as a father.

Interact With Others Join into a dad’s group. However, all the dads want to give the best to their child.

Discussing with other dads helps you in finding your purpose. You can also discuss this with your family members as well. They may express their

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views and share their experiences in finding their purpose. These conversations will help you a lot.

Retrieve Old Memories As we grow up, we have many memories where our parents made us feel sad.

Learn from those situations. Don’t make your child feel as you felt when you were in that situation. Don’t forget that finding your purpose as a dad is a constantly changing process. Adapt to the situation and move according to the needs of your child.

Know From Books and Movies To find your purpose as a father, take inspiration from books and novels which portray emotions between children and father. You may also watch movies which show the meaningful relationships between a child and father.

Spend Quality Time with Your Child Do the things which make you happy when you are with your kids. Spend time together by doing activities such as watching movies, gardening, playing indoor games etc. All these fun activities make your kids feel that you are their happy place. Along with this make sure that your kids are interested in all these activities.

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Be Optimistic As a dad, always show the positive light of life to your child. In this changing world, you should always navigate your child towards the bright side of the future.

Be the constant hope for your child.

Clear Out the Confusions Being a father for the first time, you may be confused in many things. Make sure that all the decisions you take are right for you and your family in all aspects. These decisions all together will help you in finding the exact purpose of you as a father.

In the process of finding your purpose as a father, follow these steps to engage with your child.

Let Your Child Choose Give your child options to make decisions. Explain the consequences of their choice. Help them in understanding the situation and let them face the results of their decision. This helps in making the child understand how this world works and how to choose wisely in the given options.

Don’t Give a Sugar-Coated Life to Your Child You as a dad might be tempted to give your child a sugar-coated life, keeping them away from hardships and getting them anything they want. However, allowing

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your child to grow up in a bubble, could turn out to be a big mistake.

As they do not come across any hard situations in their life in childhood, as they grow up it will be difficult for them to face the harsh and difficult realities of life. Instead, you should try to help them face real life situations on their own and guiding them if necessary.

“Do the things

Don’t Punish Your Kids

which make you

Instead of punishing your kids for their mistakes,

happy when you

try to understand their situation and consider their

are with your kids.”

innocence. Understand the challenges your child is facing and try to help them in that situation.

Understand what your kids actually need at that moment from you.

Let Them Explore Let them try new things on their own. You do not try things for your child instead help them learn independence, success and failures through their experience.

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H OW D O E S T H E DY NA M I C S I N YO U R R E L AT I O N S H I P I N F LU E N C E YO U C H I L D ’ S D E V E LO P M E N T ?

W r i t t e n

B y :

F e b a

M a r y a n n

Human beings are greatly influenced by the environment that surrounds them. Just like how the natural environment impacts the lifestyle of people, the kind of environment present in the home also influences us to a large extent. Children especially are more vulnerable as they do what they observe without knowing its pros and cons. In this regard, the kind of relationship shared by parents is a huge determinant for the conscious and unconscious choices an individual makes as a child and even as an adult.

The dynamics of a relationship are often very complex and subjective to different people. The relationship of a married couple has its ups and downs. There are both happy and unhappy moments.

Arguments, disagreements, and disputes are common to every couple but their influence on their children is different for everyone. For some, it might be very easy and normal to deal while others can have serious impacts like depression, anxiety, and improper growth.

Factors That Affect Relationship Dynamics: Mutual Understanding: If both partners have opposite opinions, there should be a compromise and they should try to resolve it with a middle path.

Communication and Interaction: With their busy schedules, people generally do not have much time to interact with each other, this builds a virtual gap between them and creates complications in a relationship.

Devaluing Each Other: Sometimes people take each other for granted and feel that it is the responsibility of other people to care for them unconditionally. This is a wrong perception, and we should appreciate the efforts of other people.

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Social Factors: It often happens that people work according to the unrealistic and judgmental mindset of society and ignore their partner’s choices and opinions. This can be hurtful for the other person and causes negativity in a relationship.

Overall, the dynamics of a relationship are dependent on the concerned individuals. Therefore, these can range from healthy to unhealthy.

Healthy Dynamics:

• • •

Both the parents have equal respect, opinions, and opportunities They are closely connected and share a mutual understanding The style of parenting should be both rigid and lenient according to the situations

Unhealthy Dynamics:

• • •

Lack of mutual respect and dominance of a single person Absence of understanding and connection If they are either extremely strict or extremely lenient parents

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Impact Of This Dynamic on Children According to the studies conducted in this field, it was found that children as young as six months old or older who are exposed to the regular conflict have higher heart rates and stress hormone responses.

Conflicts between parents cause serious problems to children such as disrupted early brain development, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance and conduct disorders. On the other hand, children kept away from these are healthier and have higher chances to be successful and happy in future.

In some cases, children blame themselves for issues between their parents and feel guilty unnecessarily, which causes severe mental damage.

Domestic violence is particularly the most damaging for children and impacts their social, behavioural, and emotional development.

Apart from this, these children become sceptical about their relationships in future and the cycle of bad relationships continue.

In order to avoid such situations in future, children should be kept alienated from such harsh situations so that the next generation leads a positive and happy life.

Tips For Parents:

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Develop Attachment and Friendliness: Having good attachment and bonds can help children feel safe and manage difficulties. If the tuning between parents and children is set right then it becomes easier for both to express their feelings frankly.

Care For Mental Health: To take care of children’s health, parents must also focus on their mental health. They should first check about what makes them stressed, anxious or depressed. It is because of these situations that people get into unnecessary disputes.

It Is Normal to Argue: Arguments are common and natural between a couple, but they should know how it is impacting their children. Avoid fighting in front of your children and ensure that they are not listening when you are.

Spend Some Family Time: Have movie or game nights together and take a chill pill. Spending time together helps a family to build stronger bonds and avoid hostility.

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NEGOTIATING UNMARKED WATERS w

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Do you ever suffer from parent regret? You know that moment where you say yes to your kids without knowing what you have said yes to and they’re off jumping with excitement? It’s that moment where you suddenly realise you’ve agreed to something you really shouldn’t have, but it’s pretty much too late to say no? I have done it way too many times and really should pay more attention. it’s definitely a major face palm moment in parenting. One where you know you really should have paid attention but the kids prey on your moment of weakness and in turn they one-up you. The tables turn, the regret kicks in and you know you have to think smarter for next time. Ahhhhh the joys of raising kids. They really don’t pay me enough for this, haha!

Kids really are smart creatures, probably a lot smarter than we give them credit for sometimes. But only sometimes. Other times where they decide to jump off the top bunk (probably the roof if you have boys) or fill a million containers inside the house with water or even open something glittery (help me now!), you know there will be trouble! They do drive you crazy, bonkers, insane, to the edge, over the edge… on so many different levels. But without them, life would certainly be boring.

My youngest daughter is definitely my more adventurous child. It cracks me up that a moth can fly near her and she screams the house down. But she’ll climb to the top of a kids playground like it’s nothing. She’ll go full pelt on her bike in an attempt to outdo her sister and the way she is always swinging off things, makes me think she was possibly a monkey in her previous life. As for her older sister, my princess, drama queen and slightly more sensitive child, things are a little different. She will go out of her way to help you, no matter what. It’s quite an endearing quality that I really love about her. But one thing I could definitely do without, is her relentless attitude. Some days it starts the second she wakes up, until she goes to sleep again. It’s like dealing with a miniature version of myself, I’m not so sure I like it, haha!

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I swear some days with

ever! My girls are running

reason (hey, they do it

kids is like running a

around doing their happy

to me too!), hanging out

marathon 10 times over.

dance and I’m curled up

with them, sharing special

Just when you think you

in the foetal position in

treats, running around

have a grasp on things,

the corner. Obviously I’m

like lunatics together and

bam, you’re right back

kidding. I love spending

of course having a laugh

where

started.

time with my kids...most

over a fart joke or 10.

Where on Earth do they

of the time. Maybe not

We might be girls, but

get their energy from?

so much when I’ve hit

it’s still funny! The days

Some would say they

the end of my tether and

can be hard, easy or a

suck it directly from your

I’ve repeated everything

mix of both but it’s the

soul. I think I believe it as I

about 20 times. It gets

memories that we make

crawl into bed every night

better right?!

and hold on to that make

you

exhausted! I know it’s not

it awesome and amazing.

forever and I know that

You

don’t

soon enough they’ll likely

journey

the

Well they keep coming

parenting

back to me, so I’m either

want nothing to do with

thinking

everything

doing something right or

their Mumma, so I’ll take

will be all sunshine and

they like the chocolate

the tired and weary days

butterflies. It would be

too much, haha! That’s

while they last! At least I’m

fun if it was. Can you

my girls!

going to try, I can’t make

imagine it? Don’t get

any promises, especially

me wrong, there’s plenty

Check out more of my

with the extension of the

of fun times to be had

witty

school holidays here in

when it comes to being

wisdom over at www.

Queensland. It was the

a mum. Hiding from my

shereekim.com.

best news, said no parent

kids, scaring them for no

next time…xx

of

enter

and

wonderful Until

JANUARY 2022 | My Child Magazine Issue #124

107

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H E A L T H Y r e c i p e s

sourced from: nnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au

D e l i c i o u s

Simple Banana Muffins

prep time: 25 mins serves: 12

INSTRUCTIONS

INGREDIENTS

1

preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius and grease a 12 hole muffin tray

2

place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth

3

pour batter into the muffin tray and cook for 15-18 minutes or until brown and springy to touch.

4

can be stored in the fridge or freezer.

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2 cups 3 2 1 /2 cup 1 tsp 1 tsp

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Quick & Easy

Breakfast Bars

prep time: 45 mins serves: 44

INSTRUCTIONS

INGREDIENTS

1

preheat oven to 180°c. line and grease a square cake tin.

2

add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well combined.

3

spoon mixture into tin, ensuring even thickness across the surface.

4

bake for 20 minutes (until golden) then remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. cut into bars and return to oven for a further 15 minutes to crisp.

2 bananas (mashed) 1 tsp vanilla extract untoasted muesli (we 2 cups used one with bran sticks and dried fruit as well) 1 tsp cinnamon

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Couscous Salad With Sun Dried Tomato And Feta prep & cook time: 45 mins serves: 4 INSTRUCTIONS

1

place chickpeas, couscous, vegetable stock powder, coriander and garlic in a large bowl. pour over hot water, shake to level out couscous (chickpeas should mostly settle on top). cover with plate or cling wrap, set aside for 5 minutes.

2

fluff couscous with fork. cool a bit.

3

4

INGREDIENTS 1 1/4 cups dried couscous 1 1/4 cups boiled water vegetable stock 1 tsp powder (or 1 cube crumbled) 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp

coriander powder (or cumin)

add coriander, parsley, onion, sun dried tomatoes (including some oil), rocket, cherry tomatoes, lemon juice and black pepper. sprinkle zest across surface. toss well to combine.

1/2 cup

coriander, finely chopped

transfer to serving bowl, sprinkle with feta. serve.

1/2 cup

parsley, finely chopped (or mint)

400g can chickpeas, drained

1 red onion, chopped 220g

jar sun dried tomato strips in oil

120 g rocket or arugula 120g lettuce, chopped into pieces punnet cherry 1 tomatoes (halved if large) 1 Zest of lemon 1 Juice from lemon 1/2 tsp

coarsely ground black pepper

60g feta, crumbled Pepper, to taste

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Broccolini, Tomato & Haloumi Salad prep & cook time: 30 mins serves: 4 INSTRUCTIONS

1

cook the broccolini in a large saucepan of boiling water for 2 mins or until just tender. refresh under cold water. drain.

INGREDIENTS 2 bunches broccolini 350g

cherry or grape tomatoes

1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2

meanwhile, to make the salsa verde, combine the basil, parsley, onion, capers, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and oil in a small bowl. season.

200g haloumi, thinly sliced SALSA VERDE

3

heat a barbecue grill or chargrill on medium-high.

1/4 cup finely chopped basil

4

combine tomatoes and oil in a bowl. cook tomatoes and haloumi on grill for 2 mins each side or until lightly charred.

1/4 cup

5

arrange half the broccolini, tomato and haloumi on a serving platter.

6

spoon over half the salsa verde. top with remaining broccolini, tomato, haloumi and salsa verde. tip: for a twist, try adding sliced chargrilled chicken breast or rinsed drained canned lentils to the salad.

1/2

finely chopped flat-leaf parsley red onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp drained baby capers 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tsp lemon zest 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

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139

Quick & Easy

Pea Pesto Pasta

prep time: 15 mins serves: 2

INSTRUCTIONS

INGREDIENTS

cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions until tender. drain, reserving 1/3 cup of cooking liquid. return pasta to saucepan.

500g

2

cook peas, following packet directions, until just tender. drain.

500g packet frozen peas

3

place 2 cups of the peas in a food processor or blender. add garlic, basil, parmesan and oil. process until almost smooth.

1

4

add pesto, spinach, remaining peas and reserved cooking liquid to pasta. season with pepper. toss to combine.

spaghetti or other pasta (Shells work well)

1 garlic clove, chopped 1 cup

chopped fresh basil leaves

1 cup baby spinach 1/3 cup grated parmesan 2 tbsp olive oil Pepper

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Quick Leftov ers

Mexi Dumplings

prep time: 25 mins serves: 2

INSTRUCTIONS

INGREDIENTS

1

combine mexican mix, refried beans and cheese in a bowl.

2

place approximately 1 tablespoon of filling in a wonton wrapper and fold to form a triangle. dampen edges to seal. you can fold in the sides if you like to make a tidier dumpling.

3

cook in a non-stick fry pan, over a medium heat until crispy – usually 3-5 minutes on each side.

4

serve with guacamole and salad if you wish.

of left over Mexican 1 cup mix (or see note for our vegetarian alternative) 1 tin of refried beans 3/4 cup low fat cheese packet of wonton wrappers (the yellow 1 type give a more Mexican-y taste than the whiter variety)

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Frozen Berry Granola Bites prep & freeze time: 6 hrs+ serves: 6

INSTRUCTIONS

1

line the muffin tins with silicone patties or baking paper. you can also add directly to a non-stick muffin tin.

2

stir together granola (or almond meal \ crushed nuts if using) and coconut oil.

3

spoon a small amount into the bottom of each muffin cup and press down firmly.

4

mix together yoghurt and honey. spoon 2 tablespoons on top of each granola base.

5

top with chopped fruit.

6

freeze until firm, about 6 hours. to serve, remove from the muffin tin and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup

granola or almond meal or crushed nuts

coconut oil, melted (can replace with 1 2 tbsp tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon margarine) 3/4 cup

natural or vanilla low fat yoghurt

2 tbsp

honey (omit if using vanilla yoghurt)

frozen or fresh chopped fruit – berries 1 1/2 cups work best but banana is also fine 6 cup muffin tin and liners

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Choc-Peanut Bliss Balls prep & cook time: 15 mins serves: 6 - 8

INSTRUCTIONS

1

2

combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse on high speed for 15-20 seconds or until combined (add a tablespoon of water if mixture is dry). shape tablespoon size portions of mixture into balls and set in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS 500g dates 1/2 cup Natural peanut butter 1/2 cup coconut 1/3 cup cocoa

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