Geelong Coast Kids Autumn 2016

THINGS TO DO & PLACES TO GO FOR FAMILIES

How simple yet powerful contrasts shape little minds

Janine Hudson-Collins and her five boys

Stylin’ up How parenting types affect children’s development

Four pages of Kids’ Fashion

Local psychologist answers parents’ questions

Read all about it Great new books to enjoy with your kids

AUTUMN 2016

A Star News Group Publication

Incorporating

contents

4-5 Crafty Fun

8-11

Angie’s catch-up

24-25 34 Black and White Book

Angie Hilton chats with Janine HudsonCollins about raising five boys.

6

Book Reviews

Meeting Development Milestones

12-15 26-28 35 31 19-21 32 37 22-23 33 Kids’ Fashion

Don’t be brow-beaten

Salty Morsels

Parenting Styles

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5 Ways to Get Your Kids to Play

Toddler Habits

Kids’ Parties

Dealing with defiance

Animal instincts

Oh, What A Feeling!

Exploring emotions through children’s books.

39

Kids kalendar

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climbing the ladder of learning •฀Free฀irst฀trial฀class฀for฀new฀families •฀From฀8฀week฀old฀babies฀to ฀ pre-schoolers •฀45฀min฀weekly฀classes฀promoting฀and ฀ enhancing฀natural฀development •฀Internationally฀accredited,฀unique ฀ Australian฀program •฀Professional฀and฀experienced฀staff •฀Wide฀range฀of฀age฀appropriate฀activities •฀Different฀theme฀every฀term •฀Spacious฀venue฀with฀heating/cooling ฀ and฀off฀street฀parking Contact us: 0416 224 530 Email: geelong@gymbaroo.com.au Web: gymbaroogeelong.com.au Facebook: Gymbaroo Geelong

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2 AUTUMN 2016

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

about us . . .

Thanks for Geelong Coast Kids magazine is a Star News Group publication.

Geelong Coast Kids will be published quarterly prior to each of the school holidays.

support

Geelong Coast Kids 1st Floor, 78 Moorabool St, Geelong, Vic 3220 Phone: 5249 6700 Fax: 5249 6799 Editorial editorial@geelongcoastkids.com.au Phone: 5249 6700 Photography Louisa Jones Alan Barber Cricket Ink Ed Sloane

WELCOME to the second edition of Geelong Coast Kids, the quarterly magazine that’s all about local parents and their children.

First, I really have to thank everyone for their encouraging feedback on our first edition.

Advertising Rebecca Hanneysee advertising@geelongcoastkids.com.au Phone: 5249 6708 / 0407 227234

In particular, many readers appreciated GCK’s mix of human interest with informative articles and lots of great ideas.

Creative Creative Services Manager: Chris Beale

We took all the comments on board for this edition, which we hope you’ll find both fun and helpful reading. It was great fun preparing the new mag, especially with the useful direction from local readers.

Design Mark Dinnie Virginia Hester Nikki Marabayles

This edition has a big focus on reading and how it can help children’s development.

Journalist Alana Mitchelson gets the ball rolling with an interesting story on black-andwhite books and their effect on even the youngest babies. Local authors Bianca Ebeling and Tizzie Hall explain to Alana how the strong contrasts of the images capture babies’ attention and help their development. It’s fascinating stuff.

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

Publisher/Managing Director, Paul Thomas.

All material is copyright to Star News Group Pty Ltd. All significant errors will be corrected as soon as possible.

Also on books, Michele Mitten has reviewed some of the latest fun titles for tiny tykes, while Tania McCartney tells how children can explore and understand their emotions though literature.

Elsewhere in this autumn edition, I catch up with amazing Newtown mum Janine HudsonCollins and her five adorable boys – what a fun household!

“I think we’re pretty well known in the street based on noise level alone,” Janine laughs.

This edition also introduces Dr Cody Potter, a clinical psychologist based in Geelong West.

Cody has plenty of experience in helping parents manage their children, so free to write in with any questions.

And finally, don’t forget to check out the Kids’ Kalendar on the inside back page, with lots of fun suggestions to keep your children happy and entertained.

Thanks for reading GCK and feel free to keep the feedback coming.

Ouch clothing’s great looks for kids’ fashions this autumn.

Photo: Cricket Ink

“Our family just love Letter Box Learning - it is amazing how the play based learning really connects with our son.”

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party time

Heart tie dye shirt:

What you’ll need: ■ White shirt ■ Assorted colours of tie dye ■ Rubber bands ■ Rubber gloves ■ Buckets or bowls for dye bath ■ Paper to create heart template ■ Washable marker

T Heart

ie Dye

■ What to do:

1.

Wash shirts and let them dry to the point of just damp.

2. Create a heart template.

(We googled a picture of a heart and printed it onto a horizontal A4.)

3. Fold the T-shirt in half. Plac e the folded heart along the fold of the T-sh irt and use a washable marker to trac e the heart on the shirt.

4. Start at the bottom of the heart outline and gather the fabric accordi on style along the line. Place 3 rubber bands on top of each other around the outline of the heart.

5. Prepare the tie dye by follo wing the directions on the box.

6. Place entire shirt into tie dye bath and let it soak until desired hue is reached.

(Ours stayed in for 5-10 minutes ... but to help the shirts retain vibrant colours you can keep them soaking for up to an hour.)

7. Rinse shirt until water runs clear.

8. Hang to dry then wash in war m water and dry.

9. Pat yourself on the back for having lear nt tie dying skills! *We also had a great time plac ing rubber bands wherever we wanted and admiring our cool abstract designs!

Shirt.

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By Melissa Kershes

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4 AUTUMN 2016

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Butterfly punch canvas:

party time

a.

lass Past

Stained G

You’ll Need: ■ A canvas ■ Craft punch ■ PVA Glue rious ■ Paper or card in va colours What to do: g out those Get started punchin d brown for he nc butterflies! We pu nches and bra d an nk tru e our tre s. ve lea the used green for in small es rfli Gather the butte s up ng wi the nd be d stacks an htly slig t jus by folding the stack le. in the midd onto Pour some PVA glue just the dip d an te pla stic a pla paper middle section of the e. glu the o int es rfli butte es on Arrange your butterfli of a tree. pe sha the canvas in the gglers stra few a ve lea to Be sure to be ar pe ap t here and there tha the g vin lea or ing just join configuration. n! Paint the *Use your imaginatio g the rtin sta e for canvas be t punches en fer dif Try rk. wo art e in the and shapes ... mayb rs to spell sta or art he a of pe sha . out a name

Stained glass pasta :

as.

Butterfly Punch Canv

You’ll need: What to do: ■ Dry lasagn e 1.

Break your la sheets sagne nood les into piec There should ■ Liquid es. be a variety of sizes.

2.

C olour your pa watercolors sta. This will or 15 minutes to take about food coloring colour and a few hours to dry.

■ Rubbing 2a. Divide pa alcohol or w sta into freeze hite r bags using one bag for vinegar each colour.

2b. Working ■ Ziploc ba with one ba gs g at a time, 1 teaspoon of add ■ Clear cont rubbing alco act hol/vinegar to th e bag. Close paper or the top and it around in scrunch packing tape your hands to distribute the alcohol.

■ Painter’s ta pe 2c. Now ad d your food or another ta colouring to pe bag. Again the to secure yo close the top ur and scrunch it around in yo “window” to ur hands to distribute the colour. your work 2d. Spread surface the dyed pa sta out on a sheet lined w cookie ■ Black Shar ith baking pa pies per or aluminium fo il an ■ Baking pa d let dry. per or 3. Cut out two matchin aluminium fo g sizes of il contact pape r. (We used ov clear packing tape erlapped .)

4. Remove the backing from one piec of contact pa e per and tape it your work surface usin g painter’s ta pe. The sticky side should be facing up .

5. Place pi eces of the co loured lasagn on the contac e t paper. They break pieces can custom as necessary.

Leave at least 60mm gaps betwee n the pieces 6. Remove . the backing from th piece of cont act paper an e second d gently place it on to p of the finis hed layout.

Gently press down on the gaps with your fingertip s to seal.

7. Using a wide tip Shar pie, fill in the between the gap coloured piec es with black for a st ained glass ef fect.

School Readiness Programmes •฀Learn฀to฀Read •฀Numeracy฀Basics •฀Games,฀Craft,฀Stories,฀Songs •฀Own฀school฀bag,฀craft฀book฀and฀take฀ home reader •฀Individual฀or฀Small฀Groups •฀DYSLEXIA฀Screening฀and฀Therapy

Back to Basics Programmes

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•฀Structured฀and sequential฀literacy and฀numeracy programmes •฀Getting฀the foundations right.

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A place where your kids can run a muk!

Welcome to Geelong’s exciting purpose built indoor party and play adventure centre where the fun never ends!

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AUTUMN 2016 5

Parenting for a Happier Home,

by Stuart Passmore

A Rough Guide to a Smooth Life, by Jess Stuart - Balboa Press

Exisle Publishing

Does it feel like you’re always striving but never arriving? What would it be like if life wasn’t so hard, if you had more time and energy? It’s the question we’re all trying to find the answer to; where is happiness and how do we get it? This is a practical self-improvement guide on surviving modern life. Rediscover the art of happiness, find meaning and purpose, and create a life you love. It seems like we live on fast forward. As a result, we’re living a fast life not a good life, in which we can do more things in less hours of the day but spend less time doing the things that really matter. Over the past few years I have transformed my own life. I learned a lot about myself and even more about life and happiness along the way.

8

Being a parent can be tough and there are times when you just don’t have all the answers. For parents who find themselves faced with a seemingly endless spiral of conflict, poor behaviour and ineffective discipline, this is the evidence-based parenting program they’ve been waiting for. Divided into 12 sessions, it first focuses on developing a strong relationship between parent and child. Once a firm foundation of parenting strategies has been developed, the program then moves onto effective discipline.

The discipline program is designed so that it is self-sustaining and allows the parent to step back from what is often an emotionally charged situation and instead use predetermined consequences. It also emphasises teaching children ownership of their behaviour. The beauty of this program is that the principles can be used in each of the child’s environments (at home, at school, with grandparents, etc.), while it has also been designed so that any parent can use it as well as those with children who have been diagnosed with behavioural disorders such as ADHD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, or explosive and non-compliant behaviour. It’s a commonsense, practical guide to getting your kids back on track and creating a happier home.

Smile Cry, by Tania McCartney and Jess Racklyeft - Exisle Publishing

8

By MICHELLE MITTEN

Jodie’s Rescue, by Diane Fagan A&A Book Publishing The slap of spray on her face, the exhilaration of the boat cutting through waves, the call of the sea birds and the summer sun warming her skin...

Through all the challenges - starting a new school and making new friends, and a father who is absorbed in his work, missing her mother - Jodie finds solace in sailing. But will the ocean turn against her?

At Play by Julie Dascoli Inspiring Publishers A celebration of children of all ages, abilities, nationalities and genders doing what they do best ... play.

Can she save the lighthouse from development? And why are there dead penguins floating in the water?

Who is the girl in the photo that she finds hidden under the stairs? And, most importantly, where is her mother?

Jodie’s voyage of discovery takes her to a place she never dreamed she’d be ... but how will she convince her father that it is real?

A fun, flip-over picture book for children that reads from both front and back. Smile Cry is an innovative picture book for young kids, showcasing the full emotional range of their formative years. Readers follow three adorable characters - piglet, bunny and cat - as they react emotionally to a variety of events and circumstances from everyday life. From an ’ate all the pies’ smile to an ’ice-cream plopping down cry’; from a ’cosy under blanket smile’ to a ’need a band-aid quick cry’, children will empathise with the tear-jerking calamity of a popped balloon or lost toy, or feel the smiley warmth of a being tickled. It’s the little things that touch the hearts of children the most, and Smile Cry typifies both the small joys and challenges that are the essence of childhood. Younger kids will respond to the soft whimsical illustrations, while older readers will learn more about the range of their emotions - how it’s possible to cry with happiness and also smile with trepidation. The clever ‘flip book’ format means that the ‘Smile’ story reads from front to back, while the ‘Cry’ story reads from back to front, with both delicious narratives meeting in the middle. A heartfelt picture book that will be treasured for years, Smile Cry is perfect for ages three and upwards.

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6 AUTUMN 2016

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5 Ways To Get Your Kids To Play with Purpose

By ROD SOPER PLAY is a wonderful way for children to become immersed in the moment and build capacity. Their minds and bodies lose track of time and new ideas and thinking can be explored in exciting ways.

Ensuring children play with purpose allows them to develop communication skills, empathy and relationship building, to explore new ideas, develop thinking and build curiosity.

Here are five easy ways to encourage playing with purpose in your family:

Ask curious questions

Break learned helplessness

Embrace their passion

Questions where children have to genuinely explore for an answer help develop an interest in what they are doing. A few examples are:

To break the child’s habit of learned helplessness try changing your approach to collaborative curiosity.

Here are a few examples of questions I consistently use because they have a big impact on children in a short period of time. They build upon the opportunity offered, cement your child’s capacity and strengthen self-perception:

We need to find out what matters to our children, what inspires them. Then use this natural source of inspiration to filter in learning through their play ideas.

Let’s face it, when we are passionate about something we are absorbed by it.

I like to think of it as a consuming passion. Consuming passions are wonderful and have an incredible impact upon us. They draw us physically in, impacting upon all our senses. They shift our thinking and perspectives, helping us see old things in a new light. Play combined with consuming passions gets the creative juices flowing, giving us inspiration to innovate. The idea is to actively filter new thinking into the consuming passion.

■ That looks amazing, tell me about that?

■ Can you help me understand what you have found interesting?

■ How did you do that? Look at that, I wonder what is it?

■ What if we tried to solve this problem together?

These kinds of curious questions always build opportunities into play to draw thinking and develop your child’s capacity.

■ Let’s try your idea and see what might happen?

■ It’s frustrating when things don’t work the first time isn’t it, what didn’t work so far so we don’t repeat them?

Remember to laugh

Rod Soper is the cofounder of Thinkers.inq Consulting and principal at Thinkers. inq. Rod’s expertise and research interests include teacher education, creative and reflexive thinking, transformational learning environments and leadership. Rod is also published on topics such as mindful leadership, organisational change and play with purpose. Visit www.thinkersinq.com

Remember what it was like being young, the laughter and the accompanying feelings. Remind yourself of the absolute fun you had in the creative spaces you made like cubbies made of blankets, climbing a tree, riding a bike or the feeling of glue squishing between your fingers. These same thrilling adventures and empowering relationships are exactly what we want for our young minds.

Science research tells us that laughter has a big impact on our bodies, minds and relationships. Laughter changes thinking, feelings, attitudes, stress levels and physiology. In fact, when laughter is mixed with play muscles stretch, blood pumps faster, we breathe faster, our immune response is boosted and our organs relax as our whole body is energised. So laughter matters in play!

Celebrate play It is so important to get enthusiastic about your child’s play adventures because you matter so much to them.

Ask them to share and get excited about their experiences. This will elicit more of their creative thinking enabling you to join in their capacity building and celebrate the joy of their growth through play with purpose.

There is no time like the present to embrace a new opportunity in order to see your child succeed in life. Your child’s life habits are formed in their youth, which means we have to be purposeful now. Play with purpose has the strength to set them up with life long skills such as creative thinking, problem solving and the ability to take initiative when they feel ‘stuck’. With their parents inspiring and celebrating their every success, any form of challenge is less daunting and even a road to triumph.

Warralily is the community that’s been designed for families and couples to thrive.

Schools, shopping, playgrounds, sporting facilities, kindergarten and wellness centre, all in easy reach. Moments from the centre of Geelong and the Surf Coast, you’ll get to enjoy the best of both worlds. If you’re looking for a life changing experience, come and find out about the Warralily way of life.

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*Land price subject to change and availability AUTUMN 2016 7

angie's catch-up PICTURES: LINDSAY KELLEY

Did you always plan to have a big family?

Yes, I come from a family of five kids myself: two brothers and two sisters. I’m the baby of the family. Adrian has a brother and sister.

I’ve heard people say once you get past two children adding on extra children doesn’t change things much.

Is this a complete myth?

I didn’t notice much change going from two to three children myself - it flowed quite easily. I think that there’s more of a noticeable change adding a fourth child. You need to upgrade in size such as a bigger car, a bigger house, bigger pay packet.

What’s the hardest part of having five boys?

Meeting their emotional and psychological needs. There’s a lot of 8 AUTUMN 2016

testosterone floating around our house with each of the boys trying to find their place in the pack. They all want to be the ‘alpha male’, which can get quite hairy at times. I often joke to my husband that I should go get a psychology degree (laughs). And the noise … they’re so loud! They all want to be heard - all at once!

I think we are pretty well known in the street based on noise level alone.

I do find it challenging to carve out time for each of them though. By the end of the day I usually feel quite drained mentally.

What’s the best part of having five boys?

The companionship. They’ve always got someone to hang out with. Even though they drive each other crazy (and me) at times, it’s nice to know they’ll always be there for each other.

Oh … and the ‘hand me downs’ ... I certainly save on buying lots of new clothes.

Do you remember all five births? What were the highlights and lowlights?

Harry’s birth was a bit of shock. I had a placental tear at 34 weeks and started bleeding. He was born by emergency caesarean and spent two weeks in special care.

Jasper was a natural birth and was rather fast. He arrived two hours and 20 minutes later at a juicy 9lb, 9ozs. He too was whisked off to special care for two weeks with a collapsed lung.

Archie was even quicker. We were dropping Harry and Jasper at a friend’s house after my contractions started. The doctor had warned us this birth could be quick given Jasper’s speedy delivery - but we still weren’t ready. As Adrian took the boys inside, I had an almighty contraction and my waters broke there in the car. I dived out onto the nature strip (on a busy street) and the urge to push was out of control. An ambulance ride was still a half hour away, but www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

SNAPSHOT: Janine Hudson-Collins at home with sons Harry, 15, Archie, 7, Baxter, 3, Emerson, 5, and Jasper, 12.

Name: Janine HudsonCollins Age: 43 Lives: Newtown Occupation: Casual paediatric nurse at Geelong hospital Hubby: Adrian Collins, international research senior adviser at University of Melbourne Children: Harry 15, Jasper 12, Archie 7, Emerson 5, Baxter 3.

Do you find you need to discipline the boys in different ways? Can you share any discipline tips with our readers?

I’ve changed my thoughts about discipline. I just did a six-week course called ‘Bringing up Great Kids’. It’s the best thing I have done for a really long time. We get thrown into parenting with no guide, and no real idea of whether we’re doing the right thing or not. I felt like I was failing in a sense and I knew I had to do something about it. I was so overwhelmed by the information given, that I ended up with a tense jaw and a headache at the end of each session.

there was no way I was giving birth in the car or on the footpath. So it was off to the hospital and Archie was born six minutes after I got through the doors.

I was pregnant with Emerson when Adrian got a job at Melbourne University so we started to plan the move back to Geelong. My Dad had also been diagnosed with cancer so the plan was to be in Geelong one week after Emerson was born. Dad became gravely ill, so I chose to have Em induced. It was a fairly traumatic time and of course Emerson clearly wasn’t going to be told what to do. After a few attempts at induction I was told they would have to perform a caesarean as it was getting dangerous for him with things taking so long. Shortly after, I got the call that my beloved Dad had just passed away. I started having contractions a few hours later and 13 hours after receiving the sad news, I delivered Emmy naturally at 12.20am.

As hard as it was to go through, I have no doubt that my Dad was with me all the way. I facetimed my Mum, brothers and sisters there in the delivery room and we all shared tears together.

Finally beautiful Baxter was a fairly non-eventful labour, although I was paranoid that I would deliver him at home. He was born after eight hours weighing a whopping 9lb 12oz. We saved the biggest for last. Given all the boys were born earlier than their due dates, I shudder to think how big they would have been if they were overdue!

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

“

Barwon Valley park is great because it caters for most of our kids.

Do you have any organisational routines you can share with other mums?

I really don’t have too many organisational routines that would differ from other mums besides preparing all the boys’ lunches for the week on the Sunday night. Adrian makes 12 rolls of either ham and sauce or vegemite and freezes them. They have their initial on the cling wrap so they know whose is whose.

If you had a whole weekend to yourself how would you spend it?

I can’t even imagine that! Umm, I would love to go to a day spa and get a facial, some hot stone therapy, a pedicure and a manicure. Wow! That was a lot easier to think of than I imagined. Assuming I had limitless money, I’d go on a shopping spree but I’d want to take a friend with me. I’m so out of the loop, that I wouldn’t know where to go. I’d finish it off by going to a musical in Melbourne. But honestly, I think I’d get bored with my own company. I’d prefer to share it with Adrian, but on a slightly less girly weekend.

How do you like to entertain the boys? Are there any favorite spots you like to take them in Geelong?

We try to get out on the weekend, even if it’s just to a park. Barwon Valley park is great because it caters for most of our kids. We’ve been getting to Torquay beach over the holidays too. A couple of weeks ago we decided to go to Anakie Gorge for a hike. After 6km, the kids were pretty trashed, but it was so nice to have no electronic devices, and get back to basics. They grabbed big walking sticks, did some carving into stones and read up on the gorge history - it was heaps of fun. The next day, we packed up their bikes and went to the BMX dirt hills at Barwon Reserve. The boys loved it. To be honest though, I don’t really care where we go, as long as we get a take away coffee on the way.

Who is the disciplinarian in the house?

I’m the disciplinarian - mostly because I’m home more. Adrian doesn’t get home from working in Melbourne until about 7pm. By that time I’m about ready to pull my hair out, so he steps in as the ‘fresh meat’ as I like to put it (laughs).

I know it’s going to be a long process, but I can start to see small changes. The boys are starting to express their feelings more openly instead of losing it and freaking out. Believe me, its not all peaches and cream, but I feel like we’re heading in the right direction. Adrian is going to do the course soon too, so we’re both on the same page. But the biggest thing I’ve learnt is to try and understand why the behaviour happened, to look beneath the tantrum or destructive behaviour and ask what’s going on inside this little kid’s head. I’m no professional by any means just because I have five kids. It’s super tough and exhausting, and it doesn’t necessarily get any easier. Each of their needs change as they get older. I fumble through like others and hope they come out OK in the end.

I imagine taking the boys out anywhere would be a costly exercise. Do you have any cost-saving ideas you like to use when you venture out?

It is rather costly at times. We’ve been noticing food rapidly disappearing from the cupboard as they’re getting older. I feel like I’m the food police, and I even hide some food so it lasts. How desperate does that sound?

Whenever we step out of the door, I make sure we’re fully equipped with snacks and water. As soon as they get in the car, they’re hungry and thirsty.

Why is that?

To try and save on huge spending, we might go down to the bay skatepark for example, and buy a couple of boxes of chips from the Boat House. It feeds them all and they’re super yummy.

I also buy the entertainment book every year. It gets a fair beating. I’m like ’the voucher queen’.

AUTUMN 2016 9

Janine was all dressed up for GCK’s photographer when he asked her to whip up some vittles with the boys.

10 AUTUMN 2016

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

Do the boys all pick up after themselves?

(Laughs) that’s too funny! We are talking about boys aren’t we? Generally they’re pretty hopeless picking up after themselves unless they’re reminded that they have to. “Mum’s not your slave”, comes out a lot. I tell them that my job is to love and care for them, not be their maid! As they head towards teenage years, its like part of their brain goes to sleep. They don’t care if they have to walk across towels, toys, clothes, books and even scooters to get to bed! It drives Adrian and I crazy. After many years of gentle, and not so gentle reminders we still get “do I have toooooo…”. I can’t handle mess, so part of me has to let it go or I’ll go nuts. I even do what my mum used to with my brothers and close the door some days so I don’t see the carnage. Sanity comes first!

Do you have a lot of family support to help you?

I have my Mum help out whenever she can. I try not to leave too many of them with her at once because it can be a bit too much. She says she doesn’t remember it being as hard with her five children - possibly because they’re all male and not mixed sex siblings.

My sister and friends help out at times too. Mainly with pick-ups or drop-offs. Dragging them all around to after-school sports can get quite taxing on the younger ones.

Do you and Adrian make time out for date night?

We try to have date night or ’date weekend’ when Adrian’s parents are down from Echuca. We usually stay in Melbourne. It’s so nice to have an adult conversation without distractions, and a meal you can eat while it’s hot.

Other times we’ve been lucky to have friends or family mind the kids while we head to the movies or dinner.

Do you feel like you’ve taken on some of your parents methods of parenting?

Yes and no. Mum and Dad always put an importance on family togetherness, and I’m like that too. They were also really big on morals and respect - to treat people how you’d like to be treated. I hope we’ve projected this to the kids.

Working with sick children all the time, does it give you a different perspective with your own children?

Kids are amazing and so resilient.

People ask me all of the time how I can work with kids and I tell them it’s because they don’t fear things like adults do. Most of the time they come out of hospital well. As adults we worry too much about everything, but kids just keep moving forward.

What do you imagine your life to be like when they all grow up and leave the nest?

The first thought that comes to mind is quiet and lonely. But if I’m assuming that Adrian has retired, my next thought is to travel the world together.

How do you cook for a crowd?

Do you do a weekly meal plan? Do you have set dishes you know they’ll all eat?

Cooking is a challenge because I have to follow a low FODMAP diet, and Archie and Baxter have food allergies.

At the moment, I prepare the base sauce and then add more other flavors and food for the others. Sometimes it requires cooking two different dishes. I plan to get more adventurous when I have more time, but there are fussy eaters in the mix too. You can’t please everyone.

We routinely have fish and chips on a Friday night. That was my family tradition and it is a nice way to finish off the week. Adrian also cooks yummy home-made pizzas on the weekend, which everyone loves.

OK, what’s your secret? How do you always manage to always look so happy and refreshed?

(Laughs) that’s pretty funny considering I was freaking out the other day at the extra grey hairs and the wrinkles that are definitely not smile lines.

Most days I manage to slip on moisturiser, cover up and mascara and off I run.

This year I have finally returned to dance, something I have always loved.

I decided I needed to do something for myself, and it will keep me fit too.

I’ve heard myself saying “When you get your own house you can do what you like in it...“ even though I hated hearing Mum and Dad say this, it seems to flow out of my mouth beautifully.

Of course there are a few things that I didn’t like my parents enforcing when I was growing up, but that’s all part of it, and I’m sure my kids will be the same.

How did being a paediatric nurse prepare you for being a mother?

In some ways it helped. More so with babies I think. The basics of changing nappies, dressing and handling them for example, came quite naturally. I thought all the years of night duty nursing would help when they were babies, but it’s nothing like it. There’s a major difference between staying up all night and sleeping during the day, compared with constant interrupted sleep. I still say sleep deprivation is one of the cruelest things to motherhood. But I think nursing in general helps with routine - you have to be organised and prioritise care. In a way it’s similar at home.

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AUTUMN 2016 11

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AUTUMN 2016 15

Celebrate

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ONE OF TEN $50 AMART SPORTS VOUCHERS Take a selfie at the make your mark footy fever wall between Edge Clothing and Tonik Surf Centre and enter via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.*

Have your photo taken in the Easter Garden outside Target (Photos start at $10ea) Get crafty at the Easter kids craft workshop near Donut King Get your bunny face on at the free face painting stations (outside Target, Woolworths & Kmart) Cuddle a bunny at the Animal Farm located outside, near Gloria Jeans & Dymocks Hop around the jumping castle & ride the mini ferris wheel outside Bendigo Bank & Westpac Enjoy live music and balloon modelling

Post a photo with the hashtag #wpscfooty Tweet your image with the hashtag #wpscfooty Visit WaurnPondsSC, click on ‘ENTER’ and complete the form

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Welcome to the world of AFL inflatables outside Target and join in the handball competition near Donut King Bounce around the mini MCG

Play-Doh Activity Centre near Donut King Create your own colourful Play-Doh masterpiece to take home Peanuts Craft Village outside Target

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AUTUMN 2016 17

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Shaping habits of a

‘Mum, whatcha doin?’ ‘Mum, whatcha doin?’

‘Mum, whatcha doin?’

If you have children, look after children, or have ever been around a child, then you are probably familiar with this situation. While you may feel like pulling your hair out in frustration at having to answer the same question over and over again, there are ways to deal with this and other potentially annoying habits most children go through at some point in their young lives.

LIA SPENCER asked Cathie Arndt, maternal and child health expert to discuss why some children do the things they do, and how parents can cope.

Toddler habit #1: Thumb Sucking

might be doing it and see if they can do something else,” she said.

they can get themselves naked, so why not?

Ms Arndt said that thumb sucking was very common and can stem from behaviour within the womb.

“Encourage them to only do it at home or in certain situations or try putting a glove on their hand to stop them from doing it.”

“It is often used by the child when they are tired or upset as it makes them feel comfortable and helps them to self soothe,” Ms Arndt said.

Toddler habit #2: Getting Naked

Ms Arndt said this behaviour could be curbed by allowing your child to pick out their clothes or dress themselves – however odd they make end up looking. She also said to let them get naked at times, but make sure they know when and where it is acceptable and when and where it is not.

“Generally as children become more comfortable and confident with the world around them, they will stop experiencing the need to thumb sucking and unless they are doing it constantly then the best thing to do is let them out grow the habit,” Ms Arndt said.

Ms Arndt said that sometimes children were not even aware when they were sucking their thumb, so it was up to the parent to notify them of their behaviour and remind them to stop.

“As they get older you can reason with them, explain to them why they www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

“I often used to say to my clients if I looked that cute naked, I would be naked a lot more often than I dare to be nowdays!” Ms Arndt joked.

Some of the reasons children get naked is, because they are comfortable in their skin and don’t have any preconceived ideas of what they should or shouldn’t be wearing, they run around generating so much heat that they don’t feel cold (which can be dangerous if they are outside in a cold environment for a long time), they want to make their own choices, and because

Toddler habit #3: Repetition “I think this is one of the most difficult areas for all parents and adults involved with children,” Ms Arndt said.

“When they watch the same video over and over and over and over again, or they ask the same question 79 times a day, they are not doing this to bug you, they are doing it as repetition is the mother of learning.

By doing things over and over again,

a child is embedding this information and each time they do a task it becomes easier.”

To make sure you don’t go a bit nutty, Ms Arndt suggests alternating between several activities or books that they enjoy that have repetitive theme to assist in the embedding process.

“Also try asking them questions in regards the repetitive nature of the activity or the book as this will give you a bit of a breather from the repetition and might get them onto another activity,” she said.

“A good thing to remember is that when children repeat they are also embedding all the good and positive behaviours and values that you are teaching them.”

Ms Arndt said that any parents concerned about your child’s repetition with regard to speech or behaviour should discuss their concerns with a Maternal and Child Health Nurse.

AUTUMN 2016 19

Toddler habit #4: Yelling Mine or No! “Children are very ego centric up until they are about four or five. They find it difficult to see something from another’s point of view, they see something they want it,” Ms Arndt said.

“I remember when I first started studying in MCH, one of my teachers described this beautifully to me.

Imagine you have just arrived home after a hard day at work having picked up your brand new BMW from the car dealer.

Your next door neighbour arrives on your doorstep and says ’give me the keys I want to take your car for a drive’, I know my reaction would be ’no, mine’, or something similar.

“Don’t expect too much from a child.

Demonstrate how you share, when you are giving them something from your plate, from your drink bottle, something they want, and say ’now we are sharing, isn’t it good to share, you can have some too’.”

“As well as identifying the attention they get, they also have discovered a hole and that their finger fits in it, they love putting things in and out of containers/holes etc.”

So what can be done to stop it? Not much, apparently ... it can be rather difficult to deter a treasure-hunting toddler searching for nose-gold. But Ms Arndt said that paying little attention to the behaviour or the use of distraction works well. Also, make sure your child is not unwell or has an itch.

“Sometimes it is the sensory nature of the picking that gets them in – so try something else like putting a square of material in their pocket that they can touch or give them a fluffy toy.

Generally it is a behaviour that stops once they are focused on other things, however there is not a lot that can be done with this one.”

Toddler habit #5: Dribbling

“Don’t make a fuss, suggest other activities, offer a different toy, or give a time limit. Example: ‘You push the car around the couch two more times, then it is Joshies turn.’ You can also use confirming language. If they say MINE, you can reinforce that ‘yes it is yours, we won’t give it to someone else to have, we are sharing for a little while’.”

Excessive drooling can be normal in the first six to 18 months of a child’s life, but other reasons could be excessive production of saliva, inefficient swallowing, teething, cold and allergies or putting their fingers or toys in their mouth.

Toddler habit #5: Picking their nose

“If it is intermittent and seems to occur in association with either teething or a cold then lots of bibs are a great idea,” Ms Arndt said.

“My two-year-old nephew delights in doing this as unfortunately his Aunty went eeewwwweee yuck when he first did it and now he thinks it is fun – we all make mistakes,” Ms Arndt said.

“If your child is constantly putting his fingers in his mouth then distraction works well. If you are concerned about any of the other causes, then I would suggest a review with either you GP or a Speech Therapist to assess the causes and provide treatment.”

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This, arguably, is the grossest common habit of them all.

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Toddler habit #6: Standing on Parents Feet/Pulling Clothes/ Hand down Mother’s Shirt “I noticed this one a while ago with my nephew and it wasn’t just his mother’s shirt either – it was mine too!

Some of this activity is related to the child feeling uncomfortable or insecure and they are seeking some comfort – something familiar that will support them,” she said.

“Children have no idea what personal space is and see no reason why you need any. At times it can be because they are seeking your attention and they have worked out the best method to get your attention – it is usually something that you respond to quickly.”

Ms Arndt suggested to encourage the child to get your attention another way.

“If they pull your clothes – remove them from their hands and say ‘did you want my attention, how about next time you say mummy or excuse me ?’

If they are standing on your feet let them know that this is dangerous because you might trip over them and suggest another way of going about it.

In regards the hand down the top, unfortunately winter is the best way to stop this as you can wear neck high tops that are not possible to invade and children need to find another way of getting attention.”

■ Ms Arndt stressed that it was important for parents and care-givers to remember that all children are different and their behaviour will often depend upon what they have seen or are seeing and the responses that they have had to their behaviours up until now.

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AUTUMN 2016 21

LEARN how to prowl, pounce and roar like a lion at Werribee Open Range Zoo. See the zoo’s lion cubs at play, meet the keepers and hear the curious tale of How the Lion Got its Roar.

Kids will learn about the important skills that young lion cubs develop as they grow up and see if they’ve got what it takes to join the pride, as they stalk their way through the ‘prowl and pounce’ zone.

In play space Ranger Kids, there’s an extended family of lions to feed, bandage, x-ray and care for, along with lion dress-ups for the young (and the young at heart).

Kids can also bring in their favourite toy animal for a check-up and some tips on how to care for them.

During the school holidays there will be daily performances of How the Lion Got its Roar – an African folktale

brought to life by Ghanaian musician Shabba Eshun.

These performances will be followed by lion-themed games on the lawn and a special Keeper Talk each day at 11.30am.

Don’t forget entry to the zoo is free for kids under 16 during the Victorian school holidays, public holidays and weekends.

Learning to Roar Opens: Activities begin from 25 March – 24 June Location: Werribee Open Range Zoo Time: 9am – 5pm (last entry 3.30pm) Cost: Adults – general admission applies / free for kids under 16 during Victorian Government school holidays Information: zoo.org.au/autumn

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| Starts 25 March Dress up as a researcher, collect your equipment and head outside to try your luck at finding endangered wildlife in our brand new outdoor play space at ‘Keeper Kids’.

Starts 25 March Visit the Lion pride and see our three growing cubs at play! Meet our Keepers during our daily Lion talk and check out the new prowl and pounce zone.

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Open daily 9am to 5pm | www.zoo.org.au/autumn *Free admission for kids under 16 on weekends, Victorian Government school holidays (25 March – 10 April) and public holidays.

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FIND your inner ’wild child’ this autumn at Melbourne Zoo. Head straight to Keeper Kids for lots of fun kids’ play activities in the brand new outdoor courtyard where kids can pretend to be a zoo researcher.

Dress-up as a researcher, collect your research equipment and head outside to the brand new outdoor courtyard to try your luck at finding endangered wildlife.

Kids will find out what it is really like for zoo researchers working in the field and looking for plush wildlife like eastern barred bandicoot, southern corroboree frogs or helmeted honeyeaters.

Enjoy listening for animal sounds, searching for tracks and observing wildlife once you find them. Take a ride in the (stationary) four-wheel-drive buggy to get to your field site and be sure to radio your location once you arrive safely.

Make sure you set up your tent and prepare yourself for a day of releasing captivebred animals into protected habitat to try and save the endangered population.

Don’t forget kids under 16 years old visit free during Victorian school holidays, Victoria public holidays and on weekends.

Wild Child Opens: Activities begin from 25 March – 24 June Location: Melbourne Zoo Time: 9am – 5pm Cost: Adults – general admission applies / free for kids under 16 during Victorian Government school holidays Information: zoo.org.au/ autumn

HEAD underground this autumn at Healesville Sanctuary with its iconic burrowing species including wombats, echidnas and platypus. Learn about their secret lives below the surface.

The sanctuary is home to some of Australia’s most iconic burrowing species.

Echidnas have very short, strong limbs with large claws, which act like suction cups.

Then of course our wombats are not called the “bulldozers of the bush” for no reason. Learn how their hidden underground world is made up of a maze of concealed tunnels. Wombats quickly dig complicated tunnels with their strong legs and sharp claws, then push loosened soil away with their hind feet.

And the best news yet, the sanctuary’s brand new platypus twins will be on display for a limited time only. Although born in October, the platypus puggles only recently emerged from the nesting chamber, a

special ‘room’ deep in their burrow.

The pitter patter of little platypus puggle feet will melt hearts on the coolest of autumn days.

Kids can be little diggers too, with a sandpit filled with excavation and tunnel-building equipment. Mud pies will also be on the menu in this wonderful nature play space.

Get your hands dirty with the sanctuary’s amazing underground animals at the sanctuary this autumn.

Don’t forget kids under 16 years old visit free during Victorian school holidays, Victoria public holidays and on weekends.

Meet our little burrowers Date: Activities begin from 25 March – 24 June Location: Healesville Sanctuary Time: 9am – 5pm Cost: Adults – general admission applies / free for kids under 16 during Victorian Government school holidays Information: zoo.org.au/autumn

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AUTUMN 2016 23

They might look simple to the adult eye but, as a local author tells ALANA MITCHELSON, black-andwhite books are a powerful tool for the development of infants.

PICTURES: LOUISA JONES

Bianca Ebeling and son William.

A black-and-white book captures the attention of Zachary at five weeks.

A Highton woman has created a black-and-white picture book for infants during their first six months of life when high-contrasting images register powerfully in their vision.

Bianca Ebeling was inspired after sitting in on a library education session about the benefits of black and white books.

“I’ll never forget William’s reaction to the black-and-white book,” she says.

“He was absolutely mesmerised. He was completely taken by it.

“When I told my friends about it or asked for black-and-white books in stores, no one seemed to even know what I was talking about.”

babies. They just stare and stare.”

International baby whisperer and parenting author Tizzie Hall, based at Ocean Grove, has been aware of the research surrounding black-and-white books for newborns for 20 years.

“The research is well-understood so I don’t know why these books are so difficult to find,” Tizzie says.

“I’ve searched for black and white books for my own children - in local book stores, interstate while on holiday trips and online - but they are very hard to come by.”

Tizzie created her own visual cues for each of her three children during their early months of life.

With another child due in May, Bianca was inspired to make one of her own black-and-white books, not only for personal use but so that other parents could access it too.

“I drew black and white pictures, took images from birthday cards and would cut out high-contrasting images from magazines with basic outlines that I thought would be beneficial.

The resulting book, Let’s Go Outside, features very simple shapes with outdoor themes including the sky, sea, snow, beach, rain and space.

“You put a black-and-white book in front of your baby and you will see the impact. They lift their head up and can’t stop looking at it.

Bianca says black-and-white books are recognised by many maternal nurses, paediatricians and speech pathologists.

“A black-and-white book helps head and neck movement, communication between the child and the parents, and their focus and engagement.”

“Babies cannot see pastel colours for several months after birth,“ she says.

Bianca says black-and-white books are particularly handy during tummy time, nappy changes or long car trips.

“Before my first son was born I spent hours and hours crocheting a beautiful pastel giraffe.

“He was just not interested in it at all.

He much preferred a black and white cow toy one of my friends had bought for him.

“I didn’t know at the time but I now understand that it would have been because of the high contrast shades. He wouldn’t have been able to focus on all the colours.

“Other parents have said black and white have a similar effect on their www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

“One time we were driving with the family and got stuck in traffic. My son was just crying and screaming.

“I tried everything. I was singing, playing with toys and then I thought to get out a black-and-white book.

“The black and white soothed and relaxed him. I think the intense concentration allows the mind to rest.”

Research also suggests that blackand-white books can encourage babies with flat head syndrome to turn their heads to the other side, Bianca says.

Kelly McFarlane reads a black-and-white book to daughter Belle, five months.

In the absence of text, parents have full creative freedom to talk to the images and tell original stories to their babies. It’s a new story each time a mother, father or grandparent reads to the child.

excitement in reading a book.”

“When I read the book I find that hand gestures and being animated with your voice help communication,” Bianca says.

Bianca is creating a second blackand-white book, which she expects to released later this year.

“I wasn’t read to as a child, so I think it’s important to find the fun and

Bendigo Hospital now provides Let’s Go Outside to each newborn and the Central Goldfields Shire also include the book in their Let’s Read program which promotes early literacy.

More information is available at facebook.com/mylittlebookywooky.

AUTUMN 2016 25

By LIA SPENCER FROM practical jokes to name-calling, classroom secrets to online taunts. When does seemingly harmless teasing cross the line to become bullying?

It’s a problem plaguing young people across the nation, and parents are often left with the difficult task of figuring out how to tackle the issue. What can they do if their child is the target? What should they do if they discover their child is the perpetrator? What role do teachers play? When should police get involved?

intentionally use words or actions against another or a group that hurts, threatens, excludes, harasses, humiliates verbally, physically, psychologically or electronically making the victim feel oppressed, traumatised and powerless,” Mr Yildiz said.

Oscar Yildiz, the executive director of Bully Zero Australia Foundation said bullying was a multi-faceted problem which came in several forms.

“Hurtful teasing is the most common form of bullying followed by lies that occurs among young school children.

Often one-off incidents are not considered bullying, however if they are not nipped in the bud then things can escalate, get out of hand and lead to physical and or other forms of bullying. As a former primary and secondary teacher I have personally seen mucking about or jokes that go too far and have caused the victim much emotional pain.

“Bullying is when an individual or group uses its power and strength to repeatedly, deliberately and

“Often children will resort to teasing, name calling and laugh at mistakes of others with the intention to damage

one’s self esteem. Some use words to taunt, threaten, insult, embarrass, put down, swear, mock or intimidate the victim.”

Australia’s leading cyber safety expert Susan McLean stressed the importance of parents monitoring their children’s internet use.

The rise of Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat and more than one million other mobile apps has led to new forms of bullying over the past decade.

Mr Yildiz said that social media in the wrong hands could be deadly.

“Be aware of what your children are doing and be involved. Keep the lines of communication open and know the sites they are one. Make sure they don’t engage with people you don’t know.

Make sure they do not have accounts on age restricted sites and make sure they don’t have any internet activities in the bedroom (or in unsupervised areas),” she said.

According to statistics provided by Bully Zero Australia Foundation, 65 per cent of teenagers have admitted to participating in online bullying . The impact of bullying on these forums could be significant because the size and reach of the audience could reach in the thousands, if not millions.

Besides bullying, children were also exposed to predators, stalking and intimidation and several other worrying behaviours on social media.

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“Don’t put your head in the sand and think it won’t happen to your child.

Even the best kids are at risk. You have to educate yourself and be willing to parent in digital space. Parenting in cyber space is parenting in the 21st century- it’s non-negotiable.”

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Mr Yildiz said parents and children should read the Licence agreement on the site or app they are using, ensure that privacy settings were updated and ensure default settings were set to safe mode.

While parents should monitor their children’s internet use, teachers and principals also play a role when the cyber bullying extends to the classroom.

“Cyber bullying often occurs outside school hours, however if issues are brought into school then the principal will take action,” Mr Yildiz said. “The office of the Children’s ESafety Commissioner now has extensive powers to take down and prosecute those that behave inappropriately online.”

Parents should pay particular attention to their children’s behaviours if they think they may be getting bullied, online or elsewhere. Victims were often left scarred or anxious, had low selfesteem, had problems at school or home, felt confused or guilty and were emotionally withdrawn. Other signs include children coming home with ripped clothing, children apprehensive to go to school, a lack of friends, a decline in results, a decreased appetite, nightmares or sleeping disorders, mood swings.

Mr Yildez said there were also signs parents could watch out for if they thought that their child could be the bully. He said many perpetrators had been bullied in the past, acted out of

jealousy, or wanted to feel a sense of power, control or popularity. They targeted students who were shy, performed poorly in sports or school work, were new, had noticeable differences or were minorities.

“Bullies will often take out their own problems, issues and frustrations on others. Some come from low socio economic backgrounds while others are not provided with the freedom to develop as children and are ridiculed or subjected to emotional and physical violence in the home. Being exposed to aggressive behaviour or overly strict environment makes children more prone to bully at school. Popular and well-liked children can also have mean tendencies,” he said.

What isn’t bullying?

What is bullying?

• Teasing

• Touching or hitting

• Name calling

• Making or forcing someone do things they don’t want to do.

• Spreading rumours or lies, misrepresenting someone (i.e. using their Facebook account to post messages as if it were them).

• Exclusion- keeping someone out of a group (online or offline) deliberately • Threatening or harming • Saying nasty things about others • Not talking to individual/s with the intention to cause isolation or hurt • Making someone feel uncomfortable or scared

• Acting in an unpleasant way near or towards someone with the intention to hurt • Giving constant nasty looks, making rude gestures, calling names, being rude, impolite and constantly negative teasing.

• Harassing someone based on their background, race, sex, religion, gender or disability

• One-off incidents - (not repeated).

• Bad mood or disagreement • Apologising for behaviour immediately • Accidently bumping into someone • Expressions of unpleasant thoughts or feelings.

• Social rejection/dislike, not playing with someone, choosing different students or groups to play with.

• Intentionally stalking someone

• Taking or damaging belongings

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Fast facts

• 160,000 school children don’t go to school every day because of bullying • Bullying is learned behaviour often from the home.

• In 2014, Australia was the third most searched country on the topic of cyber bullying.

• Children bullied consistently at school are three times likely to show depressive symptoms • One in four Grade 4 to Year 9 students report being bullied every few weeks • Bullying happens to around one in eight young people but it affects one in four • Bullying is most common in Grades 4 to 6. It peaks at Year 9 and 10 while declining at VCE level • Most Year 11 and 12 students prefer cyber and covert bullying • Those bullied consistently at school are three times more likely to show depressive symptoms • Bullying can seriously damage the victims’ self-esteem, confidence, health and well-being and leave permanent psychological scars • Bullying is intra and intergenerational i.e. those who bully at a young age often take that behaviour into their adulthood, workplace and marriage.

• Those that bully at a young age have been linked to violence, criminality and anti-social behaviour later in life

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“Bullies lack empathy and often underestimate their actions. No one is born a bully, there is no bullying DNA but rather it’s behaviour that is learned from home, social group, sporting club or community group. Often serious/ notorious bullies have other anti-social conditioning issues and or suffer from relationship issues.”

So how do we get it to stop it? Early intervention was key. Mr Yildiz said parents should also advise their children to ensure the behaviour fit the definition of ‘bullying’. They should then consider intervention based on the severity and history, address the problem early and approach the perpetrator if it was safe to do so, using assertive “I“ messages to

Bullying and girls • Girls bullied in primary years are likely to remain victims in secondary school • 64 per cent of girls in Grade 6 to Year 12 report being cyber bullied • Older girls are likely to engage in cyber bullying • Girls prefer covert, social and psychological bullying • Girl bullies like alienating and deliberately leaving other girls out of activities • They participate in mobbing – ganging up and prefer to spread rumours, isolate and exclude others.

• Eager for acceptance, don’t like exclusion, (going against a crowd) or associating with someone who is picked on • Girls like to be part of a clique (group) • Girls often take issues personally • Girls often don’t talk to parents or teachers and are afraid of losing access to social media.

convey how they feel. Children should also be encouraged to talk to a parent, teacher or close friend they trust and keep a record of each incident.

If their children are being cyber bullied, they should be told not to blame themselves, get help from a parent or teacher, spend time offline, keep copies of the abuse, don’t reply and report the problem by contacting the host or Internet Service Provider.

Another key way to stop bulling is through bystander intervention.

“The most powerful person in any bullying situation is the bystander. If the bystander becomes the upstander and does something about the bullying, then

Bullying and boys • Boys prefer physical or verbal bullying • They are more likely to participate in cyber bullying at an older age • Boys often don’t like going against a crowd or associating with someone who is picked on • They are also known to be selfish and it’s rare they will support the victim • Boys prefer to be a bystander • They are easily persuaded into bullying behavior.

• Boys don’t talk about their bullying experience with teachers or family.

• Boys will hide any physical scars.

• Boys are more likely to harm themselves.

it can stop in under 10 seconds most of the time,” Mr Yildez said.

Where to seek help:

• School, welfare co-ordinator, classroom teacher, deputy and or principal.

• Counsellors, youth/social workers.

• Role models, coach, teacher or mentor.

• ProtectaChild – 1800 828 540.

• Netbox Blue – 1300 737 060.

• Victoria Police – 000.

• AFP – 13 12 37.

• Security Hotline – 1800 123 400.

• Office of the Children’s ESafety Commissioner – 1800 880 176.

• Bully Zero Australia Foundation – 1800 0 BULLY (1800 028 559).

• Security Hotline – 1800 123 400.

• Translation service 13 14 50.

“The bystander should help the victim, support the victim and tell the bully to stop.”

In severe cases, police can also get involved. They can assist through a variety of measures including search warrants, surveillance activity and monitoring computer or mobile use.

For further information about bullying, visit www.bzaf.org.au. To find out more about Susan McLean, visit her website www.cybersafetysolutions.com. au The National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence is 18 March.

Be Cyber smart Many young people are facing the brunt of online bullying. Parents and guardians are encouraged to be Cyber smart and know what sites their children are on, apps their children are using, and the acronyms used in texting and online comments.

Apps commonly used by children and teenager

• • • • • • • • •

Snapchat Instagram Facebook What’s app Kik Messenger Twitter Skype Viber Face time

Acronyms used by children and teenagers: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

POS = Parent over shoulder.

OMG = Oh my god.

L8R = Later.

G8 = Great.

IBW = I’m being watched.

CU = See you.

NOYB = None of your business.

4GM = Forgive me.

ASLP = Age, sex, location, picture.

BCF = Becareful.

DTYM = Don’t tell your mum.

BRB = Be right back.

FOFL = Falling on the floor laughing.

LOL = Laugh out loud.

ML = Mums looking.

HIC = He is cute.

SIC = She is cute.

W8AM - Wait a minute.

H&K= Hugs & kisses.

2L8 = Too late.

CML = Call me later.

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and in confidence levels. Some of them aren’t able to walk and so they slide around on the floor to the music.

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For mothers who want to re-enter the workforce, a support worker role fits in well with the family lifestyle, with flexible rosters to suit individual circumstances.

Ms Corneby said Encompass was “extremely understanding" of her personal circumstances and that they roster her in around school drop-off and pick-up times.

Encompass College of Education and Training offer certificate three in individualised support, which can cost students $100 if they meet eligibility criteria. The course runs during school hours and requires two days a week attendance.

“As a mother of four, it’s really hard to find a job between 9am and 3pm," she said.

The qualification caters for employment in aged care, home and community care, and disability support work.

Julie Corneby, a young mum of four from Belmont, has worked three days a week at Encompass during school hours for the past four years.

“Before having kids I was a dance teacher and so Encompass have me working with a dance group of about 20 people and we perform at functions," the 33-year-old said.

“It’s so rewarding to see the change in the people in my dance class and to see them grow individually

“I find everyone in the field very accepting. They understand that kids take top priority.

“My four kids go to four different schools so they’re very flexible around school drop-off times.

“I think my nurturing nature as a mother helps me be naturally good at my job. You’re faced with all these different challenges and different personalities, and yet you’re already half way there being a mother.

“Being able to keep working makes me feel like I’m achieving something and it fulfils me. It gives me purpose and I feel like I’m making a difference."

Ms Corneby is also involved with a drama and music program, as well as a one-on-one support service for independent living.

She said that all support workers share similar passions, knowledge and creativity and that prior roles in the workforce go into consideration when placing workers in a support role.

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AUTUMN 2016 29

A tall tale

Drew Livingstone as Terry and James Elliott as Andy in The 52-Storey Treehouse.

(Branco Gaica)

with many storeys MUCH-LOVED children’s book The 52-Storey Treehouse will come to life in The Playhouse at GPAC these school holidays as part of the 2016 Love Central Geelong Family Magic program.

The 52-Storey Treehouse, a play by Richard Tulloch, is adapted from the best-selling book by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton and follows the huge success of The 26-Storey Treehouse and 13-Storey Treehouse, which toured in 2014 and 2013. Both these productions sold out, so this time GPAC has scheduled three performances in The Playhouse, on Wednesday 30 March.

Andy and Terry’s treehouse is now 52 storeys high, with yet more fantastic inventions: a rocket-powered carrot launcher, the disguise-o-matic 5000 and even a ninja snail training academy.

Today is a special day. It’s Andy’s birthday, but Terry has forgotten. To make matters worse Mr Big Nose has mysteriously disappeared, and to top it all off Jill has fallen into a deep sleep and they just can’t wake her up.

engaging play is perfect for children aged 6-12 and their adults.

The 52-Storey Treehouse is the first production in GPAC’s 2016 Love Central Geelong Family Magic Program.

Also coming up this year: In June, Spare Parts Puppet Theatre will bring to life The Little Prince for a new generation. Then in July, it’s a special school holiday production of HIPPO! HIPPO! A BIG NEW Musical Adventure! based on the phenomenally successful children’s classic, There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake.

The final Family Magic production in 2016 will be the September school holiday presentation of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, introducing today’s children to the wonderful world of May Gibbs.

Tickets for Family Magic shows are $20 each, or $18 for groups of 4 or more. Book online at www. gpac.org.au or phone Box Office on 5225 1200.

So Andy and Terry set off on a crazy adventure tackling a world of startling obstacles including a hungry caterpillar, an angry vegetable kingdom, and a 100-year ninja-snail epic voyage. Will they solve the mysteries and survive the dangers that test even their ingenuity?

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PARENTING STYLES:

The way in which you parenT your child can have a dramaTic influence on Their relaTionship wiTh you, on Their behaviour and Their emoTional and psychological well being over Their enTire life.

By STUART PASSMORE

What kind of a parent are you?

Permissive Parenting

PARENTING styles are one of the critical building blocks to a child’s self-concept, learning self-control, empathy and to developing moral behaviour. Parenting styles are the cornerstone to a child becoming a respoansible adult.

The Authoritarian parent is typically described as hostile as these parents use a high degree of control and monitoring and are generally poor at nurturing their child or showing warmth toward them. They are characterised by strict, inflexible rules and:

Avoids placing demands or controls on their children and they avoid setting behavioural boundaries for their children. Children are not taught fundamental social skills, impulse control, social etiquette rules and boundaries, nor are they taught conformity to both social and legal expectations.

Your parenting style can even cause conflict in your relationship with your spouse. This is because parents will often argue over their different parenting styles.

Many times I’ve heard the husband argue “my wife won’t support me at all.

She lets the kids get away with everything”. While the wife argues “my husband is too tough on the kids”.

There are four types of parenting styles discussed in the book ‘Parenting for a Happier Home: the step by step guide to keeping your kids on track’ - the Authoritarian, the Permissive, the Uninvolved and the Authoritative style.

At times these four parenting styles have been taught in books and parenting seminars and workshops under different names. Whatever the name, the characteristics are fundamentally the same.

■ Have a degree of control over their children that is almost suppressing.

■ Tend to lack warmth and nurturing.

■ Believing parental power is automatically legitimised by their position in the family.

■ Demanding.

■ Uses power-assertive practices.

■ This style of parenting often uses corporal punishment, shaming and manipulation to achieve their demands of the child.

It's identified by low monitoring of their child’s whereabouts, low monitoring of the company they may keep, and low monitoring of their activities coupled with low control over their child’s behaviours.

In the more extreme cases permissive parenting expresses little or no love and affection, affirmation or acceptance.

Children of permissive parents are generally:

■ Adolescent boys are at risk of serious and long-term offending behaviour.

Authoratitive Parenting The authoritative style is considered to be the most balanced, well-adjusted, stable, and unwavering approach to child rearing. This is because the authoritative parenting style is marked by firm rules and shared decision making in a warm, loving and supportive environment.

Authoritative parenting is characterised by acceptance, interactional warmth and responsiveness, unconditional love for the child as an individual and treating the child with kindness and dignity.

To put it simply authoritative parenting shows absolute respect toward the child and are described as:

■ The authoritarian style is clearly biased in favour of the parent’s needs. Consequently children’s self-expression and independence tends to be suppressed.

■ Very immature and tend to have difficulty controlling their impulses.

■ Are disobedient and rebellious when asked to do something that conflicts with their desires.

■ Rational.

■ Can leave the child feeling insignificant in the family and powerless.

■ They show poor persistence on tasks generally and in preschool the poor persistence starts to become evident.

■ Really tend to enjoy their children.

■ Children (especially boys) tend to be angry and aggressive.

■ They will less likely commit to sustained effort.

■ In adolescents, permissive parenting has been associated to poor-selfcontrol, with teenagers being less involved in school learning and more likely to be involved in substance abuse.

■ Children tend to be aggressive.

■ Such parents are rarely respected by their children.

Uninvolved Parenting The uninvolved parenting style combines undemanding with indifferent, rejecting behaviour.

Uninvolved parents show little commitment to care-giving beyond the minimum effort required to feed and clothe the child.

Often this parent is emotionally detached and generally has little time and energy for their children.

At its extreme, uninvolved parenting can become outright neglect. Such parents are described as: ■ Undemanding, rejecting, indifferent.

■ Little commitment to care-giving.

■ Has little time or energy for the child.

■ Fail in their responsibilities to offer their child guidance or leadership.

■ Children can demonstrate antisocial

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behaviour with increasing aggression and delinquent behaviour.

■ Responsive.

■ Warm and involved in the child’s life.

■ Consistent in establishing rules and enforces guidelines, and sets behavioural limitations.

■ Demands age-appropriate behaviour.

■ Understands that respect for the parent as parent is earned.

■ Establishes an emotional connection with the child.

■ Teaches their child self-control.

Extracted from a new book by Stuart Passmore, 'Parenting for a happier home: the step by step guide to keeping your kids on track' which will teach you more about the most effective parenting style and how to be that parent along with more parenting skills for children with behavioural disorders and defiant explosive behaviours.

Parenting for a happier home: the step by step guide to keeping your kids on track is available from www. exislepublishing.com.au and wherever good books are sold. RRP $29.99 About The Author: Stuart Passmore is a psychologist in private practice, with extensive experience in working with individuals, couples and families. Stuart specialises in parenting children with behavioural disorders and non-compliant behaviour.

He is the author of the very successful ADHD Handbook (also by Exisle Publishing).

AUTUMN 2016 31

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These make ideal gifts for the person who has everything.

“Caricatures bring a sense of fun and lightness to events that are already special to to people who are attending them.”

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Oh, What a Feeling!

Exploring emotions through children's books KIDS are phenomenal creatures. They live life in full emotional expression, without the internal boundaries that come tumbling in the moment they become socially aware and ‘responsible’.

By TANIA McCARTNEY CHILDREN inherently know of the depth and boundlessness of their being - and how life is never black and white.

The other wonderful thing about children, even very young children and babies, is their ability to absorb subtlety and nuance. I think we truly underestimate this ability, and as an author and illustrator of children’s titles, I see books time and time again, whacking kids over the head with the ‘obvious’ stick, hammering them with morals and dumbing things down to a perceived ‘lower’ level that simply doesn’t exist.

I frequently speak to and read books with early childhood poppets and primary school students, and the most enlightening thing I’ve learned after all these years, is how clever they are.

How centred young children are in their 'being'. How inherent understanding plumbs depths that we quickly lose connection with as we age.

This is especially so when it comes to emotional depth and expression, and it’s only as kids grow older that we begin to see a penchant for separating and labelling emotional responses, and even succumbing to those labels.

‘Oh, he’s just shy.’ ‘She’s so outgoing.’

‘She’s really quiet.’ Be wary of the label - for it really does set children in stone.

For all their inherent ability for emotional expression, children don’t yet have the mental skills and life experience to delineate and control rampant emotion. All children, especially those who find it hard to express or harness their emotions, can certainly benefit from books that focus on identifying their feelings, though many of these books still do it in a really definitive way.

the subtle nuance in emotion that comes with both smiling and crying. A balloon-pop cry, for example, is much different to a goodbye-cry. An ate-allthe-pies smile is much different to a what-to-do-now smile (when we accidentally break something). While it’s important for little ones to understand the base concepts of feeling either happy or sad, exploring the innumerable ways one singular emotion - say, happiness - can be felt, makes for a more cohesive, self-aware and centred child.

Just as each and every child is unique in their emotional and mental construct, each child is then subject to environmental and familial influences that can seriously affect the way they process and deal with their emotions. And alas, many children suffer conditions that are directly related to blocked emotional response. The fear response, for example, has its roots firmly entangled in anxiety and depression, sleep and learning issues, and countless physical ailments.

I relish writing stories for kids because I believe a love of story not only opens children to full literacy, entertains, educates and enchants - it also sets them free. Books that focus on emotions are a priceless way to explore feelings in both a home and school setting, and for kids to learn how to express and understand the way they feel.

And most importantly, that these feelings are never black and white.

As we well know, life is never black and white. The shades of grey are innumerable. And if addressing life subtleties can help very young children become more open, compassionate and aware human beings - if we can help them stay in touch with their childlike 'being' well into adulthood, then I’m all for grey. And silver, smoke, slate, stone, ash, dove and flannel ...

Tania McCartney is an awardwinning author, illustrator, editor, the founder of Kids’ Book Review and a long-time champion of juvenile literacy.

She has been an ambassador for the National Year of Reading and is a current ambassador of the Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge. Her latest children’s picture book, Smile Cry (EK Books $19.99), illustrated by Jess Racklyeft, is available April at all good book stores. www.taniamccartney.com

Most concept books feature happy, sad, angry, excited, surprised. But there are so very many ways to feel sad.

Countless ways to feel happy. And both happy and sad emotional responses can also be combined with other emotions and spatial concepts until there really are no labels available to describe them. Sadness could be tinged with a sliver of regret and a pinch of loss. Happiness could be touched with a sprinkling of anticipation and a smattering of purple.

Books have always been a powerful way to reach the hearts and minds of children. I simply adore books that bypass ‘obviousness’ - and this is the type I strive to write. Very young children have an innate sense of subtlety and an understanding of nuance that cannot be underestimated.

Even if they can’t consciously express that understanding ... it’s there. And the use of nuance in picture books hits kids a lot deeper than more flagrant narratives.

In our picture book Smile Cry, illustrator Jess Racklyeft and I explored www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

Tania McCartney AUTUMN 2016 33

Meeting Developmental Milestones in Children

By HILARY HOEVENAARS, ACCREDITED PRACTISING DIETITIAN BELLARINE COMMUNITY HEALTH CHAD TEAM MANY parents have concerns about their child’s growth and development.

Growth refers to how a child gets bigger in size, while development refers to how a child is able to do more complex things as they get older.

Such skills include: ■ Gross motor - using large groups of muscles to stand, sit, walk, run, keep balance and change positions.

■ Fine motor - using hands to eat, dress, play, write, draw, use scissors etc.

■ Communication - understanding language, expressing thoughts and needs clearly.

■ Cognitive - thinking skills including understanding, learning, reasoning, problem solving and remembering.

■ Social - having relationships with family, friends, teachers; co-operating and responding to the feelings of others.

■ Eating - learning to chew and swallow, learning taste preferences and learning socially acceptable meal-time behaviours.

Developmental milestones are the set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can do in a certain age range. These are used to measure child development. Assessing your child’s development is a team effort.

Bellarine Community Health runs free developmental screening clinics in March and April for kindergarten children aged three and four years.

These screenings are conducted by the BCH Child Health and Development Team, including physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech pathologist, dietitian and podiatrist.

Screening involves a series of questions and observations which ascertain your child’s ability to perform certain age-appropriate tasks.

Staff will: ■ Identify children who may be at risk of developmental delay or who may require additional support to enhance their development in different areas.

■ Provide an opportunity for parents to receive reassurance regarding their child’s development, and/ or gain education or strategies to support their child.

■ Suggest appropriate child development services as required.

Early identification of developmental delay allows for early intervention which means your child can make the best progress possible. A solid foundational skill base can be developed to support a child as they develop more complex skills.

Physiotherapists assist children to maximise their physical potential. A developmental screening would look at a child’s posture and specific gross motor skills, such as running, jumping, hopping and balancing. It may be beneficial to come along and ask for advice if you feel your child is not keeping up with their peers physically, is unco-ordinated and clumsy or complains of any back or leg pain.

Podiatrists address any structural and muscular problems within the lower limb and feet that may cause issues with a child’s gait and posture or cause pain during mobility. The podiatrist will work alongside the physio at the kinder screen to assess the child’s walking, lower limb muscles and foot posture.

Many foot and lower limb conditions can be developmental and many children grow out of them. However, if a child is complaining of pain or is unco-ordinated it is advisable to seek 34 AUTUMN 2016

advice from the podiatrist.

Occupational therapists work with children and families to enable participation and independence in a child’s everyday activities. The occupational therapy kinder screen consists of activities to enable the OT to assess fine motor skills, cognitive skills, play and ability to follow instructions.

This practical assessment is coupled with a parent questionnaire/discussion to gather information on your child’s development in social/emotional skills, sensory processing and behaviour.

Speech pathologists work with children and families to facilitate appropriate interaction and communication. At the kinder screen

the speech pathologist will focus on your child’s understanding of language concepts, speech sound development, sentence structure and conversational speech. We also observe the child’s quality of voice, possible stuttering and general behaviour.

Dietitians assist families to provide the best environment within which a child can learn to eat competently. The screening questions will assess your child’s growth, food intake and eating behaviours and the dietitian can provide broad strategies to help parents overcome any feeding issues before they become entrenched problems.

Should you wish to learn more about the opportunity for your child to attend

the BCH free kindergarten screenings, please contact the BCH customer service officer at Drysdale on 5251 4640.

With five centres around the Bellarine Peninsula, Bellarine Community Health (www.bch.org.au) provides health services to families across the region.

The Child Health and Development Team offers a family-centred service focussing on the well being of children aged 0-12 years. The team includes speech therapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, dietetics, physiotherapy and dentistry.

They can be contacted through BCH Intake on 5258 0812 or email intake@ bch.org.au www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

the hidden health hazard in children’s food

By Hilary Hoevenaars, APD, BCH WHEN thinking about what to feed our children, how many of us think about the amount of salt (sodium chloride) in the foods we offer?

For many parents, this may be a step too far. It is hard enough to find foods our children will eat, let alone giving consideration to the salt content.

Of course, for many children, the higher the salt content, the more desirable the food! Think of Vegemite, take-aways and tomato sauce!

Yet, while everyone these days seems to be focusing on how much sugar there is in food and drink, researchers at Deakin University have found that more than half of Australian toddlers have excessive salt intakes.

In addition, researchers at Sydney’s George Institute for Global Health surveyed 28,000 food products and found that salt levels had increased, on average, by nine per cent between 2008 and 2011.

Think of the recent phenomenon of “salted caramel” everything!

In conjunction with The George Institute for Global Health, CHOICE reviewed the nutritional content of 235 food products aimed at, or likely to be consumed by children, and found twenty per cent of them high in salt (above 600mg of sodium in every 100g), sixty per cent with moderate salt levels and only twenty per cent low in salt.

Most of the high salt products were also high in saturated fats and sugars.

Foods high in salt are classified as “discretionary choices” in the Australian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents, meaning it is recommended they be eaten sometimes and in small amounts but, unfortunately, high salt foods have become a daily part of the diets of many children in Australia.

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

If we want to do our children a favour, it is worth knowing how much salt is in different foods, particularly processed foods, and why we should limit the amount of salt our children eat.

We know that a high salt intake in adults is associated with high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. But now there is evidence that a high salt intake also influences the blood pressure of children, as well as possibly predisposing them to the development of a number of other conditions including osteoporosis, stomach cancer, overweight and respiratory conditions such as asthma.

A high salt intake increases urinary calcium excretion, predisposing young people, particularly girls, to osteoporosis later in life. This impact is further compounded by a compromised calcium and phosphorus intake in early teenage years.

Intake of salty foods in 4-18 year olds has been associated with increased thirst and the consumption of sugar sweetened soft drinks, leading to excess weight gain.

The risk of stomach cancer later in life is increased by the high salt diet damaging the stomach lining and increasing the growth of the bacteria Helicobacter pylori.

Both children and adults currently consume more salt than recommended (1g-6g or about one teaspoon of salt a day, depending on age) and we know that dietary patterns in childhood influence adult dietary habits through the development of learned taste preferences, so it is important to

give children a diet low in salt, along with the rest of the family. This will help deter them from developing a preference for salty foods.

But, remember, we are not just talking about salt we can see and add to food. Most of this salt intake is hidden in foods, either naturally or by the food manufacturer. Children need very little salt to stay healthy and should eat much less than adults.

So where does all this dietary salt come from and how can we make our children’s diets healthier with respect to their salt content? The two most important approaches are: ■ Avoid adding salt to cooking and at the table (use lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, herbs and spices to flavour food instead).

■ Be sure you understand how to read the salt/sodium content on the labels of packaged foods. For help with the latter, see the handy Baker IDI food labelling card at www.bakeridi.edu. au or contact the dietitian at Bellarine Community Health to inquire about our regular Kids’ Snacks Supermarket Tours.

What about flavoured salts, like vegetable salts, and trendy, coloured salts? All salt is salt, that is, sodium chloride, and no matter the flavour or colour, all salt has the same effects on health.

But the good news is, because our taste preferences are learned, we can learn to adapt to a lower salt intake within a few weeks.

Some easy steps to lowering salt in our children’s diets: ■ Choose snacks such as sandwiches, fruit, vegetable sticks with homemade dips, unsalted nuts or popcorn and reduced fat yoghurt rather than packaged foods.

■ Swap high salt breads for lower salt breads (less than 400mg of sodium for each 100g).

■ Swap high salt yeast and cheese spreads on breads and biscuits for low salt toppings like no-added-salt peanut butter, tomato, avocado, or cooked lean meats/chicken/fish.

■ Check the labels of all bottled sauces, packaged snacks, such as potato crisps, and dry biscuits for sodium content (less than 120mg per 100g is best, or less than 400mg per 100g is OK).

■ Whenever possible, cook from scratch instead of using convenience foods and sauces.

■ Use freshly cooked meats in place of processed meats.

■ Limit take-away foods as they are usually high in salt.

With five centres around the Bellarine Peninsula, Bellarine Community Health (www.bch.org.au) provides health services to families across the region.

The Child Health and Development Team offers a family-centred service focussing on the well being of children aged 0-12 years. The team includes speech therapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, dietetics, physiotherapy and dentistry.

They can be contacted through BCH Intake on 5258 0812 or email intake@bch.org.au

AUTUMN 2016 35

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School Holiday Fun!!

Who’s on your ring-around list to look after your children these holidays?

It’s time to try something new - One World for Children’s Vacation Care! The program that’s guaranteed to make these school holidays a breeze!

Your children can learn about wildlife, circus skills or new techniques in art. There are day trips planned to Luna Park, Melbourne Zoo or SuperTramp! Some longer term projects have been planned, including a play for the children to perform.

It’s perfect for Primary-aged children, so book now, places DUH ÀOOLQJ IDVW

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Dealing with

defiance

Ask Dr Cody Question: I have a six-year-old boy who’s going through a stage of being extremely defiant. He argues with me about everything I ask him to do.

Showering, going to bed, eating, brushing teeth, getting dressed, you name it - he’ll fight it! My husband and I are at the end of our tether. Any advice?

Amy Smith, Geelong West Hi Amy. In my line of work this is a question that I am asked on a fairly regular basis.

Generally, before I provide families with strategies I always start by advising parents to look at the motivation underlying their child’s behaviour. In order to work towards a solution we need to understand why the child’s behaviour is occurring in the first place.

When a child is being defiant there’s usually a purpose for it, whether to gain attention, test boundaries or for emotional expression. Understanding the reason can help you implement the most effective strategy for managing it.

To be more general, you can survive tricky parenting moments by operating by the basic rule: attention given to undesired behaviours increases undesired behaviours whereas attention given to desired behaviours increases desired behaviours.

Children need to know what the family rules are, we cannot expect them to be compliant if the expectations are unclear. Have a ‘family meeting’ to discuss what behaviours are acceptable and what behaviours are not.

It may be helpful to create and hang a list and/or a chart highlighting the rules and associated consequences, should the rules not be followed.

Create age-appropriate consequences, such consequences may include removing him/her from a situation or preferred activity (supermarket, playground, etc), time-out, or removing a privilege (e.g. screen time or favourite toy/game). But it is important that you explain consequences ahead of time to ensure that your child knows what to expect.

Focus on managing your own frustration levels and try to empathise with your child to validate their feelings.

For example, when he/she fails to follow an instruction, you might say something like “I can see that you’re not ready to do it right now, so we’ll give it another go in a few minutes”. Then remind your child of the consequence and move on.

If you can stay calm, you are teaching your child to do the same and modelling positive actions, thus children will be likely to calm themselves faster.

Praise the positives. Make sure you praise and encourage your child for positive behaviours such as being co-operative and doing things the first time they are asked. Implementing a reward system may be helpful with this and is a way to encourage the behaviours you want. And remember consistency is the key to not reinforcing undesired and challenging behaviours. · Dr Cody Potter is a clinical psychologist with Chris Mackey and Associates Psychology Services

29 JAN -15 MAY

national wool museum 26 Moorabool St Geelong © Morkel Erasmus (South Africa) Natural frame

nwm.vic.gov.au

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.

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AUTUMN 2016 37

Our new ide as and p er spe ctive s are a n exciting way to shape the future.

Explore the world through our eyes at an

The Geelong College is a Uniting Church coeducational day and boarding school from Early Learning to VCE. We believe that education is the lifelong process of helping each individual discover their uniqueness, talents and potential. Our students learn to communicate, to work collaboratively, to seek expertise, to show empathy, to be technologically and scientifically aware, and to be informed and productive global citizens. We believe that passionate, curious, empowered, resilient and imaginative learners are the key to shaping a brighter future.

Open Day Wednesday 4 May, 10 August or 19 October 2016.

Limited Places in Prep for 2017 still available.

SHAPING THE FUTURE Find out more at www.geelongcollege.vic.edu.au or phone 5226 3156.

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38 AUTUMN 2016

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Kids’ r a d n e l ka 30 MARCH

29 MARCH - 8 APRIL

29 APRIL - 7 MAY

18 JUNE

Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre's Easter School Holiday Program

The Wizard of Oz

The Little Prince

Dorothy dreams of a world far from the family farm.

Adapted from one of the most widely read books in history, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s mysterious tale tells the adventures of a young and curious prince.

Narana will be running all day school holiday programs featuring extended hours, new activities and the option of full-day sessions with morning tea and lunch provided.

Perfect for working parents, the programs will run weekdays beginning Tuesday 29 March – Friday 8 April, from 9.15am–4.30pm and will feature a wide range of fun activities for children aged four and over.

Activities are designed to promote participation, develop social interaction as well as learning in an engaging and creative environment in both classroom and outdoor settings; taking advantage of Narana’s native gardens, walkways, playground and resident emus and wallabies.

Cost from $8 for individual sessions to $50 for all day.

The 52-Storey Treehouse They’re back but Andy and Terry’s Treehouse is now 52 storeys tall, with yet more fantastic inventions: a watermelon smashing room, a chainsaw-juggling level, a rocket powered carrot launcher, and even a Ninja Snail Training Academy.

Bookings essential. Contact – trudy@ narana.com.au, nikayla@narana.com. au or phone 5241 5700.

2-3 APRIL

After attempting to run away, a twist of fate and a violent tornado send Dorothy spinning from reality and into her wildest dreams.

The stage adaption of the famous movie features much loved classics ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, ‘We’re off to See the Wizard’ and ‘Jitterbug’ in a glittering, high energy production.

After leaving his tiny home planet, the prince journeys across the universe.

Along the way he meets a pilot crash-landed in the desert, a cunning snake, a wild fox and an oddball cast of grown-ups.

With its timeless message of the importance of forming friendships, The Little Prince is an adventure story that celebrates the strength of our imagination.

The Playhouse Theatre.

Geelong Performing Arts Centre.

6 MAY

Drama Theatre.

Geelong After Dark

Geelong Performing Arts Centre.

It’s central Geelong’s award-winning pop-up night of arts - and this year the event is jam-packed with unique works and pop-up performances.

5 JULY

The annual event recreates the CBD’s streets and laneways after dark and invites all to see Geelong in new light.

HIPPO! HIPPO! A BIG NEW Musical Adventure

Various places across Central Geelong, Cultural Precinct and Waterfront. geelongafterdark.com.au

Kids Adventure Outdoors

1 JUNE

The Playhouse Theatre Geelong Performing Arts Centre

Retro Video Gaming Championship Geelong

27 MARCH 2-3 APRIL

Fans of retro console games have the chance to put their mad skills to the test.

Bellarine Railway's Easter Bunny Train and Day Out with Thomas

The inaugural championship will be held at the Newcomb Mill Markets, with $500 worth of gaming consoles, retro games and accessories up for grabs.

Free entry, noon to 4pm.

Based on the children’s classic, There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake, the musical version will make the audience laugh and probably even cry.

The story follows Girl’s imaginary friend, Hippo.

Girl believes that Hippo lives on the roof and can do anything he wants - particularly the things that Girl is not allowed to do.

Through Hippo, Girl is able to allay her fears and gain confidence in her early childhood years.

Drama Theatre.

The Easter Bunny train is coming to Queenscliff, departing on Sunday 27 March, at 11am. Bookings essential.

And everyone’s favourite Thomas the Tank Engine returns in April, along with his friends Douglas, Oliver, Henry and Salty.

Bookings or inquiries for both events on 5258 2069 or email info@ bellarinerailway.com.au

After a successful inaugural event last year, KAOS is returning to Anglesea once again to encourage more kids to be active and outdoors more often.

Geelong Performing Arts Centre.

The weekend involves a host of fun activities for children and parents alike including canoeing, sailing, fishing, archery, bush hut building, stand-up paddleboarding and camping.

YMCA Anglesea Recreation Camp.

1535 Great Ocean Road, Anglesea.

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