Scoop Magazine

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TIPS TO HELP YOUR CHILD GET ORGANISED Why You Need Downtime

BUILDING

CHILD RESILIANCE Raising CONFIDENT KIDS

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Georgina Senes

It feels impossible to be drawing closer to the end of another year, doesn’t it?

I know a family who, instead of New Year’s resolutions, they go around the table early in the year, and each family member mentions something they want to accomplish in the next year, like finding a new job or riding a bike without training wheels.

These New Year’s goals are a part of something bigger - a family mission. Your family probably has one, even if you haven’t thought about it or spoken about it in that way. Is your family invested in addressing

climate change? The great outdoors? Is there a phrase or family saying you use to describe your clan to others? Those are all clues to your family’s purpose.

If you don’t yet have words you use regularly, it makes for great dinner table conversation - make up a phrase that fits your family mission. Ask your kids what they think - something short so it’s easy to remember and repeat.

A family mission helps you focus on what is meaningful, set priorities, and drop items that don’t fit from your individual and group to-do lists. Just food for thought….

Georgina

Contents 08 14 18 22 28 32 38

10 Things We Can Learn From Our Kids

5 Ways To Teach Your Kids About Savings

Raising Confident Kids

10 Things To Support A Healthy Family

Take A Break All Families Need Downtime

10 Superfoods to Support Your Child

How To Help Your Child Develop Social Skills

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10 Things

WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR KIDS

From the moment the baby leaves the womb until they are well and truly grown adults, parents are continuously teaching their kids. From how to recite the ABC, to toilet training and eating politely and minding their manners to what qualities to seek in 8 | scoopmagazine.online

friends and how to budget sensibly – parents are constantly teaching.

As busy teachers sometimes we forget that we still have a lot to learn ourselves - and in fact we can actually learn a lot from our kids!

HERE ARE 10 THINGS THAT ALL PARENTS CAN LEARN FROM THEIR CHILDREN:

1

Smile when you look in the mirror

Children start out in life using the mirror as a source of entertainment and amusement to smile at themselves and have fun.

Remember that the next time when you are using it to judge yourself and size up your ‘perceived’ flaws!

2 Be courageous Sing out loud, wear what you want, dance when you feel like it. Children are far more likely to put themselves out there and embrace life without fear of failure or humiliation as they have yet to be beaten down or experienced failure.

Children embrace life with open arms and are not yet fearful to try new things and take risks. Try and take a leaf out of your child’s book and move forward with courage not worrying about failing or about what people think. scoopmagazine.online | 9

natural confidence in themselves. Start believing in yourself and be confident in how you look, who you are and what you can do.

5 Focus on the good

3 Have fun and laugh “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin. Children have an intrinsic ability to find fun and silliness everywhere – they find the smallest and simplest things hilarious.

Start laughing more and worrying less.

4 Be confident When have you ever seen a 7 year old run from the water at the beach to hide behind a cover up? They don’t because they have a 10 | scoopmagazine.online

Aside of the occasional argument, kids take their friends at face value and simply enjoy being in their company and having fun. As adults we are quick to jump to conclusions, make assumptions and dwell on peoples shortcomings – stop over analysing things and focus on the positives.

6 Be affectionate Kids are naturally affectionate creatures always looking for a snuggle or a hug or an endearing compliment. As we grow older many of us forget the importance of affection. We often think that our family should simply know how much we love them and forget that sometimes a soft touch goes a long way.

the extraordinary 7 Find in the ordinary There is beauty all around us but most of the time we are just too busy or preoccupied to notice it.

Children tend to notice and appreciate the small things in life a lot more than grown ups. From the colours of a rainbow to the fun to be had in putting together a simple puzzle – kids find pleasure in the simple things.

8 Be active When you were young the highlight of your day was running outside and playing, chasing your friends in a game of tip, riding your bike, doing cartwheels at the drop of a hat and simply playing. These activities were not thought of as daily ‘exercise’ they were simply fun activities that you loved and also got you moving. Find things to do that keep you active but that also provide you with pleasure. scoopmagazine.online | 11

9 Live in the now Put the smartphone down and look up and enjoy the moment. Too often we spend time distracted by work, family, problems and surroundings that we forget to live in the present and truly enjoy life’s experiences, Kids have a natural ability to live in the moment and enjoy things just as they are – something many a parent can learn from.

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Wear your scars proudly

When a child breaks a bone and gets a cast they become superstars of the year group with everyone scrambling to sign the plaster. When a child falls down and gets a cut or a bruise they are not afraid to show you – they wear their scars proudly. As we get older we become less willing to show any sign of weakness and hide our scars – not wanting pity or attention. But what children recognize and adults forget - scars are not a sign of weakness but signs of living life, of experience of strength and of survival.

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Teaching kids how to save money is not easy. Most kids have an ‘easy come, easy go’ approach to money. They like to spend it as soon as they get it – you can virtually see their pocket money burning a hole in their pockets!

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WAYS TO TEACH YOUR KIDS

About Savings

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Regardless of age, the best way to teach children about the value and importance of saving is to start small and to keep it simple.

GIVE REWARDS

Here are some tips that you can follow that will help encourage your children to start saving:

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Keep a money box at home somewhere visible where the whole family can see it.

Get into the habit of regularly using it and putting coins and small notes into it. For older children, look into Spriggy cards. They provide you and your child with an app to view pocket money, oversee savings goals, track spending, instantly transfer funds and lock cards.

Giving your child a financial reward for jobs they do around the house is a good way to teach them the value of earning their own money. Likewise, giving your children a weekly or monthly pocket money is also a handy way to teach them how to budget and save.

SET GOALS

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Most kids have plenty of things that they are desperate to purchase or for you to purchase for them! Encourage your child to identify what particular thing they wish to save for, to prioritise, and help them work towards achieving it.

LET YOUR CHILD MAKE MISTAKES

MATCH THEM

A great way to motivate your child to save is to match them dollar for dollar. If your child is aiming to save $100 to take on your end of year family holiday then offer to match the same amount once they have reached their goal. Similarly, if your child is saving for a new game offer to meet them halfway. This concept works well and helps to keep kids motivated to save.

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Some times the best lessons come from a poor decision, especially when your child is young and the financial loss will be relatively insignificant. If your child gets money for their birthday and rushes out and spends it immediately only to realise that they have no money left for the new game that they really want they may make different choices the next time.

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RAISING CONFIDENT KIDS

Being a kid is not easy.

Being a kid takes guts. Being a kid takes confidence and spades of it. Whether it’s starting a new school, standing up in front of the class, competing in a sporting event or simply navigating the school playground, kids face a lot of unchartered territory and it can be terrifying.

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As parents, most of us want to encourage our kids to not be afraid, to have a go and to put themselves out there. We want our kids to be fearless, to be strong and to believe in themselves in the same way that we, their parents, believe in them.

But this is a hard task to ask.

Whilst each child is unique and different, parents can follow some general guidelines that will help to build up their child’s confidence.

Keep in mind that perfection is not the goal Sometimes you might have to bite your tongue to resist the temptation to continuously “improve” on your child’s task, unless it is vitally important. Constant intervention and “improvement” can really undermine a child’s self confidence.

Don’t rescue your child It is every parent’s natural instinct to try and solve their kid’s problems, to question why they didn’t get selected for the top sports team or wonder why they didn’t get invited to a birthday party.

Every parent is programmed to jump to their child’s defense but in so many cases this natural instinct does not actually do your

child any favours. As parents we need to learn when to back off and when to allow our child to process and deal with life’s obstacles on their own. Supporting your child and helping them to overcome and deal with life’s challenges and disappointments is one thing - trying to “fix” everything for them is counterproductive.

Praise effort not results Keep in mind that the end result is not the most important part of the journey. You don’t want your child to simply rest on their laurels - you want them to be continuously trying to improve, to keep on trying to get better and to keep on practicing so that they learn that hard work pays off. scoopmagazine.online | 19

Teach your kids that their glass is ‘half full’

Let your child make decisions for themselves Allow your child to make some age appropriate decisions for themselves.

Some things in life are non negotiable and kids simply don’t get a vote like going to school, doing homework and brushing teeth whilst other things like what t-shirt they wear or the style of haircut they have are up for discussion. When a child gets the chance to make choices and decisions for themselves from a young age they will gain confidence in their own judgment and they will also learn that mistakes are made and how to move forward from them.

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One of the best things that a parent can teach a child is to be optimistic and to look on the ‘bright side’ of life.

Childhood can be tough and there will be many disappointments and let downs along the way. Many tears will be shed over not getting the lead in the school play or not being selected for the top soccer team. This is simply life – but one of the greatest gifts we can teach our children is the ability to deal with disappointment and to manage a situation in the best possible way. When your child faces a disappointment don’t just fob them off with a “well I think your great anyway”, talk to them about why they are disappointed and help them to learn how to flip the situation around and learn from it. Encourage your child to look at steps they can do to improve their situation and work towards achieving their goals in the future.

Don’t be a snow plough parent

Encourage your child’s specific interests Everyone one is different and everyone is good at something. It’s really important that as parents we expose our children to a wide variety of activities and opportunities – not just things that we like or have an interest in. When your child discovers something that they are really interested in embrace it and encourage them to explore it further. Kids who have a passion, for whatever it may be, feel proud of the expertise and are more likely to feel confident in their abilities and be successful in other areas of their life.

Kids need to learn to do things for themselves and how to learn from their mistakes. All too often parents feel a need to ‘clear the way’ for their child and to swoop in and sort out their lives for them - classic snow plough parenting.

Although this might make things easier for a child in the moment in the long term it can be very damaging to their development and their confidence. Doing things FOR your child robs them of the opportunity to become competent. Doing things WITH your child teaches them how to do things and builds confidence.

It’s important to keep in mind that self-confidence grows from a sense of competence. Children don’t develop confidence simply because their parents tell them how great they are all the time. Children develop confidence as a direct result of the achievements, however big or small, that they make. scoopmagazine.online | 21

10 THINGS

TO SUPPORT A HEALTHY FAMILY

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Life is so busy, it’s only natural that we drop a few balls along the way. When you are stressed out and time poor it’s all too easy to grab a quick take-away for dinner, to skip your morning walk and to throw the kids a packet of chips as their after school snack. All these things are fine to do once in a while but it’s important to make sure that they don’t become regular habits.

When you find yourself slipping and things spiraling out of control it’s really important to regroup, refocus and make a few simple changes to your family’s lifestyle that will help them get back on the “healthy lifestyle” track!

1 PRIORITISE YOUR FOOD AND EXERCISE There is always an excuse or another job to do but if you are really serious about instilling healthy lifestyle practices within your family then you need to make food and exercise a priority.

2 EAT AT THE TABLE Our busy schedules can sometimes make sitting down to a meal as a family difficult, but it needs to be made a priority. Research has shown that family meals not only help teenagers to perform better both socially and emotionally, but that sitting down at the table to eat dinner as a family, without the distractions of TV or electronic devices, promotes weight control.

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3 CUT BACK ON TAKEAWAY Have a good look at how much takeaway your family actually eats. This includes work lunches, school tuck shop, afterschool treats and quick-fix dinners. You will be surprised by the amount of takeaway that the average family consumes. Being organised and planning your family’s meals and snacks can minimize the amount of hidden fats and sugars found in take away and processed foods that your family consumes.

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INCREASE VEGGIES

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LIMIT FIZZY Most of us don’t regularly drink enough water each day. Get into the habit of encouraging your child to try and drink plenty of water each day. The occasional juice or fizzy drink is ok as a special treat but should not be made a regular part of either you or your child’s weekday routine.

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You might think it’s great if you manage to eat half a plate of veggies a few nights a week, but the truth of the matter is, your body actually needs that amount each and every day! You need to establish some regular vegetable eating habits that simply become part of your family’s daily routine.

Every couple of days cut up capsicum, celery and carrots and put them in plastic containers in the fridge.

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along with hummus or another healthy dip as an afternoon or pre dinner snack. Add a zip lock back of veggies to your child’s lunchbox each day and take some with you when you go out.

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LEAD BY EXAMPLE It’s not rocket science – if you want healthy kids, you have to be healthy yourself.

Children, particularly school-aged ones, model their behaviour on their

parents, so if you want them to eat well, exercise and live a healthy lifestyle, you need to set a good example.

7 ENJOY THE SUNSHINE Make sure that all the family gets at least 10 minutes of sunlight every day. Whilst not directly linked to nutrition, getting enough vitamin D each day is vital for strong bones and optimal mood. scoopmagazine.online | 25

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EAT FOOD YOU LOVE We have all heard the saying “life is too short to eat bad food” – well it’s true!

If you know that certain foods are full of bad fats, preservatives and additives then why choose to eat them and put them in your body? The occasional treat is fine but eating rubbish regularly just because you are too lazy to find a healthy alternative is a poor excuse.

The more you look after your body and feed it properly the better you will feel and the better you will look!

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RE-IMAGINE YOUR FAVOURITES If your kids favourite meal is chicken schnitzel and chips look at healthier versions like oven baked crispy chicken and baked potatoes that they will also enjoy but which are better for them.

It’s not hard to tweak a meal and make a healthier version you just need to get creative and plan ahead.

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GET OUTDOORS TOGETHER Find ways to incorporate movement and activity into your family’s weekly routine.

Look for activities like stand up paddle boarding, swimming or backyard cricket that are fun and entertaining for the whole family but also get you moving.

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Take A Break ALL FAMILIES NEED DOWNTIME

What does your family’s schedule look like? Are your weekdays jammed full of afterschool activities and accomplishments?

Are your weekends dominated by sporting matches, client dinners and family catch ups? Do you feel like you live in your car? Do you sometimes forget what your partner looks like as you seem to be ships in the night?

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You are not alone.

Life can be intense, between juggling work, kids, family and friends it can seem like a constant merry-go-round that never stops. We all want our kids to be the best that they can be and we want to give them all that we , which is precisely why we are all so busy. What we sometimes forget amongst the constant stream of piano lessons, gymnastics and soccer try-outs, is to actually slot some downtime into our family’s hectic schedules.

Downtime is the often forgotten, neglected but much needed friend that all parents, children and families need so that they can make it through their day, week, year and life without becoming stressed and overwhelmed.

Who needs downtime?

Parents need downtime We need time away from the role of being a parent.

Sometimes we just need a

few minutes of peace and quite to just be still and clear our heads. Taking time to do something for yourself that makes you happy can be an incredible tonic and sanity saver.

Couples need downtime It is really important for parents to remember to take some time to invest in their own relationship. Spending time with your partner and taking some time out together without the kids does not in anyway detract from your parenting skills. In fact reconnecting with your partner and spending some quality time together can help make you feel calmer and happier and when you are calmer and happier generally so too is your household.

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Families need downtime

Kids need downtime

Just like adults, kids also need moments of peace and quiet and even stillness.

They do not need every moment of their day filled to the brink with activities and events. Some would even argue that as parents we in fact do our kids a disservice by not giving them the “gift of boredom”. Kids need time to simply relax, unwind, re-charge their batteries and to process and make sense of the plethora of information, learning and general chaos that they have had thrown at them throughout the day.

Downtime is a really important part in the minds ability to process information and restore the body’s energy levels.

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It is really tempting to accept every play date, party invitation or cocktail party that you and your children are invited to. The problem with accepting all these invitations is that it leaves no time for family time.

Sometimes, it’s ok to say no and politely decline an invitation or miss a family or friends catch-up because family time is important and valuable too. The working week is normally and so busy that it is hard to squeeze in any family time.

If you manage the odd family dinner then you are doing well. That is why it is so important not to overschedule your weekends.

Leave some time to do things together with your family, leave some time to relax after a long and busy week – leave some time for surprises.

Make downtime time a priority Most of us are not naturally inclined to take a break or to stop when there are still things that need to get done. Many of us schedule so much into our day that it is literally overflowing and we feel like we are constantly playing catch up. As important as all your jobs, roles and responsibilities may be – so

too is downtime – so make it a priority. Look at both you and your family’s week ahead and actively look for moments that you can factor in some downtime. Allocate time in the week that your kids can just be kids without all the stress and demands that so often surround them.

Take time out to watch a movie with your partner or go to a yoga class. You and your family will be happier for it.

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10 SUPERFOODS

TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD

Every parent knows that children should be eating a ‘balanced diet’ but what exactly is a balanced diet and how can you make sure that your child is getting all the nutrients and vitamins they need?

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Children need nutritionally dense foods and healthy fats to help both their body and mind grow and develop.

All too often we think of ‘kids food’ as those quick and easy meal options that will be consumed without complaint or fuss, when what we should really be thinking about is what foods can we feed our kids that pack the most powerful nutritional punch?

contain vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. Eating protein for breakfast helps kids to feel satisfied for longer and prevents those mid morning hunger pangs.

Here are some simple ‘Super-Foods’ that can easily be incorporated into your child’s diet and which will help them to get all the vitamins and minerals that they need in a day.

Fiber-rich whole grains, like oatmeal, digest slowly, providing kids with a steady stream of energy.

EGGS

BLUEBERRIES

An egg is not only a little protein power ball but it is also one of the few foods that naturally

OATMEAL

Packed with antioxidants, blueberries also help ward of cancer and other diseases. scoopmagazine.online | 33

SWEET POTATOES This is a vey versatile vegetable that can be easily incorporated into many a meal. Loaded with beta carotene, vitamin E, vitamin B6, potassium and iron, they pack a huge punch.

BROCCOLI This green goodness is chock full of vitamins and minerals and helps ward off cell damage and helps eyesight in kids.

YOGURT AVOCADOS These are a fantastic source of monounsaturated or ‘good’ fats which are essential in aiding growth and development in children.

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A great kid friendly snack that is full of calcium, protein, vitamin B, zinc and phosphorus.

Beans are a fantastic source of fiber and actually promote good blood sugar by releasing glucose slowly which helps to stabalise mood and energy levels.

TUNA AND SALMON Some kids are hesitant to try tuna or salmon but if it’s worthwhile convincing them to give it a go as it’s completely packed with Omega-3, the healthy fat that helps brain development and sets your child up for a healthy heart.

BEANS AND LEGUMES There are such a variety of beans available that the chances are your child will like one type or another.

SEAWEED Packed with loads of Amino acids, vitamins and minerals seaweed is said to be one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet – perfect for the growing brains and bodies of children!

Try and incorporate some of these foods into your child’s daily food intake and you will be setting them up with good future food habits and helping their young bodies to get all the vitamins, minerals and energies that they need to develop and function at an optimum level. scoopmagazine.online | 35

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As parents, one of our biggest worries is that our kids might not be popular, might get bullied or will not have any friends. This is a universal parental worry the world over.

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD

DEVELOP SOCIAL SKILLS 38 | scoopmagazine.online

One of our jobs as parents is to help teach our children social intelligence and how to get along with their peers and to solve any personality clashes amicably.

Here are some tips to help your child to develop social intelligence and foster positive peer relationships: ALL KIDS FACE PEER CHALLENGES SO LISTEN WHEN YOUR CHILD HAS THEM Don’t make the mistake of simply telling your child how to handle a situation or a challenge. Let them tell you about what has happened and help them to clarify their feelings and work together to problem solve the issue.

DON’T TAKE SIDES – TRY TO BE SWITZERLAND Listen to your child and hear their view of the events that have occurred. Avoid taking sides in the situation – remember there are always two sides to every child’s story and then there is the truth somewhere in the middle. Try and encourage

your child to also see things from the other person’s perspective. Hypothesising about how someone else may be feeling can be a really helpful tool in resolving peer issues.

HELP YOUR CHILD TO EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS WITHOUT ATTACKING THE OTHER PERSON Kids are always going to experience peer conflict – it’s a natural part of growing up. Teaching your child how to deal with conflict in a non aggressive way is an extremely important life skill. Explain to your child that it is ok for them to feel a certain way or to hold a particular opinion but they need to be respectful and polite at all times. If they feel like they are unable to contain their emotions then they need to learn when to walk away from the conflict and leave it until another time when they are better able to deal with it.

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HELP YOUR CHILD TO EXPLORE A RANGE OF PROBLEM SOLVING OPTIONS More often than not, once a child discusses their feelings and works through them they know the best course of action to take,w but if your child is struggling to work out how to resolve an issue it can be very beneficial to brainstorm some different strategies with them. Teach your child that every problem has a solution you just need to work out what the solution is.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARING This might seem very obvious but in all too many instances children forget the importance of sharing and the importance of allowing other children to have a go and have a turn. No one likes being bossed around or excluded so it is vital that we teach our kids the value of letting everyone be heard and letting everyone have a go.

FOSTER EMPATHY IN YOUR CHILD It is very important that children learn the skill of empathy. It will get them a long way in life. Being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and see something from another perspective is a great gift and a great conflict resolution skill.

TEACH YOUR CHILD THAT THEY MAY NOT ALWAYS BE RIGHT It’s hard to admit when we are wrong or when we have made a mistake but the truth of the matter is that nobody behaves perfectly all of the time. It’s important to teach your child when they need to own up to bad behaviour and accept that they are in the wrong and fix the problem. Being able to admit being wrong and work towards rectifying the situation is a great life skill.

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Two of the greatest gifts we can give our children are roots and wings.