Geelong Coast Kids Winter 2016

Things to do & places to go for families

A Frankie chat with Hannah Goodgame

Geelong

mums

Helping hands for needy local families

Lookin ' good,

babies

THE amazing

seven

Great ideas for local family fun

growing passion

Highton mum’s backyard larder

Adorable images from mega baby show

all the right

WINTER 2016

Keeping kids active in winter

A Star News Group Publication

moves

Incorporating

contents

5

Move and play every day – even when it’s cold

6-7

12

Book and Product Reviews

22-23 32-33 Superfood or Superfad

Wrapped tight and sleeping sound

34 14-15 Lookin’ good baby

The good oil on pregnancy and baby care

Exercise – Essential food for the brain

24-25 Mums the word

35 36-37

The Fairy best of friends

8-11

Angie’s catch-up Angie Hilton chats with Hannah Goodgame, wife, mother of two boys and owner of Projekt Frankie Beads.

17 20

From yard to plate

26-29

Literature, literacy and the dreaded label

Seven things to do this winter

No need to go potty

30-31 Narana dreaming

39

Kids kalendar

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www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

about us . . .

welcome

A winter

Geelong Coast Kids magazine is a Star News Group publication.

to all our fri ends

G’day everyone and welcome to our third edition of Geelong Coast Kids (GCK).

The team and I are so grateful for all your support. And I’m especially grateful for all the parenting tips you’ve been giving me on Facebook – I really can do with all the help I can get!

Well, I guess we’re all bunkered down for winter. But let’s look on the bright side: soup, slow cookers, electric blankets, glamorous mummy moccasins and extended snuggle time with the cherubs.

But, if I’m to point out one negative, it would have to be there’s no more telling kids to go outside and burn off some energy. Luckily for us, in this issue Laureen Deale has provided some great tips on how to keep the munchkins moving – even when they’re imprisoned.

Also in this issue, I have a chat with gorgeous Highton mummy of two Hannah Goodgame, who inspired me with how she turned a fun craft activity into a thriving online business called Projekt Frankie.

Emily Robinson goes behind the scenes to show us how local charity

Geelong Mums is giving back to less fortunate families around the city.

Read the story to find out how we can all do our bit to support each other.

Jenni Madison discovers the health benefits of coconut oil, AKA the ‘breast milk of Mother Nature’, and why it’s so good for expectant mothers and their babies.

Hilary Hoevenaars takes a closer look at superfoods. Could they in fact be a superfad?

And photographer Louisa Jones delivers a big dose of cuteness with some gorgeous photos from Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre’s baby show.

Thanks again for reading GCK. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook to stay connected with upcoming events, competitions and general family chit chats.

Stay warm!

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

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 Advertising Rebecca Hanneysee advertising@geelongcoastkids.com.au Phone: 5249 6708 / 0407 227 234 Creative Creative Services Manager: Chris Beale Design Mark Dinnie Virginia Hester 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.

Angie Hilton

THINGS TO DO & PLACES TO GO FOR FAMILIES

Contributing editor A Frankie chat with Hannah Goodgame

Don’t wo rr never li y that children sten to you; worry t hat they are always watchin g you…

– Robert Fulg

hum

Geelong

mums

Helping hands for needy local families

Lookin ' good,

babies

THE amazing

seven

Great ideas for local family fun

growing passion

Highton mum’s backyard larder

Adorable images from mega baby show

all the ri ght

WINTER 2016

Keeping kids active in winter

A Star N News G Group P Publication bl

moves

Incorporating

Cover: Lovely Banks’ Skye McCormack absorbs the atmosphere at Buckley Falls.

Picture: Kyle Davis

BEASTS OF THE GREAT SOUTHERN SUPERCONTINENT

26 July 2015 – 23 July 2017 National Wool Museum, 26 Moorabool St, Geelong T 03 5272 4701 www.nwm.vic.gov.au

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WINTER 2016 3

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4 WINTER 2016

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y a d y r e v e y a l p d n M ov e a

d l o c s t i n e h ’ w - even

By LAUREEN DEALE

â– â– Put some music on and dance. â– â– Pull out the dress up box and create a play.

The weather has turned cold – the heater is on inside and the children have their heads buried in electronic gadgets or are spending long periods of time sitting in front of the television.

â– â– Use empty plastic bottles and a soft ball for indoor bowling.

The wet and wintry weather doesn’t mean you can’t go outside either.

During summer it’s easy to send them outside to play, but how do you motivate your children to be physically active when you often don’t want to head outdoors yourself.

â– â– Grab an umbrella and rain coat and go for a walk. â– â– Put the gumboots on and jump over the puddles. â– â– Walk through the park and see how the rain makes the plants glisten.

Being active every day is very important for the healthy growth and development of children and physical activity shouldn’t go into hibernation because it’s winter.

â– â– Head out to the shed and draw a hopscotch template. â– â– Go to the local indoor pool for a splash around.

The National Physical Activity Recommendations (NPAR) suggests children aged one to five should be active for at least three hours spread across a day.

â– â– Join in with a local activity group or playgroup. â– â– Grab a kite and take it to the park. â– â– Collect sticks and leaves for a craft activity.

For infants up to the age of one, physical activity, particularly supervised floor-based play should be encouraged from birth. Babies enjoy lying on the floor and being able to move their legs and arms. You can place them on their tummies too and let them stretch out and reach for a toy that is placed in front of them.

For older children there are also the traditional winter sports like football, hockey, netball, basketball or soccer that can be great to keep them active.

Look for sports where the rules have been modified to suit a younger age group so they’re safe, but still fun.

The NPAR also recommends that unless a child is sleeping, they shouldn’t be inactive or sedentary for more than an hour at a time.

Whether it’s structured play like sports or just imaginative, unstructured play, the aim is to keep your children active during winter.

For children aged five to 12, the NPAR says there should be at least 60 minutes of accumulated moderate to intense physical activity every day and at least three days per week, children should be doing something that strengthens muscles and bones.

Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast are blessed with options to keep the kids active this winter.

The benefits of physical activity are enormous. It helps achieve healthy body weight, builds strong bones and muscles, improves balance and co-ordination skills, promotes social interactions, supports brain development and encourages selfconfidence and independence for your child.

So how do we encourage the kids to get active? Make it fun!

Playing with your children is a great way to keep them active but the added benefit is it helps strengthen their fine and gross motor skills.

That precious time you spend playing together gives them lots of opportunities to learn in different ways.

Watching them play may even alert you to any potential developmental problems.

Play can help build your child’s confidence, helps develop their social and language skills, refines the pathways in their brain, develops their physical skills and – most importantly

– allows them to feel happy and loved.

So what are some of the play activities that you can do inside during the winter months? â– â– Pull the chairs out and make a cubby house. â– â– Play hide and seek around the house. â– â– Games like duck, duck, goose. â– â– Play who can keep the balloon off the ground the longest.

If you want to talk to someone about the benefits of physical activity and your child’s growth and development, Bellarine Community Health has a specialist Child and Health Development team which offers a family-centred service focussing on the well-being of children aged zero to 12 years.

The team includes speech pathology, occupational therapy, podiatry, dietetics, physiotherapy and dentistry.

They can be contacted through BCH Intake on 5258 0812 or email intake@ bch.org.au With five centres around the Bellarine Peninsula, Bellarine Community Health (www.bch.org.au) provides health services to families across the region.

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climbing the ladder of learning • Free first 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 WINTER 2016 5

n o il o d o o g e Th

y c n a n g e r p e r a c y b a b and

By JENNI MADISON

Lactation

We all want to have a happy and healthy pregnancy. We all want to be sure that we’re giving our body and our babies the best possible nourishment during and after gestation.

Coconut oil stimulates metabolism, promoting both a healthy thyroid and lactation. Intake of coconut oil while pregnant may help ensure a good milk supply. Studies have shown that the milk from breast-feeding mothers who take coconut oil and other coconut products contains a higher amount of lauric acid.

Coconut oil has some remarkable benefits when it comes to pregnancy, which is why it’s known as the ‘Breast Milk of Mother Nature’.

Just as breast milk is jam-packed with nutrients and disease-fighting ingredients to keep baby healthy, so is coconut oil. The lauric acid in coconut oil is a natural way to strengthen your immune system, and that of your baby.

The benefits of coconut oil during and after pregnancy include:

Stretch marks Because of the high amount of vitamin E in coconut oil, pregnant women in South India apply the coconut extract on their bellies to prevent stretch marks.

Even existing stretch marks have a chance to fade with regular use of

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Coconut Magic coconut oil. It will also moisturise the skin and keep skin irritation and infection at bay. One of our customers believes that by taking a coconut oil bath two to three times per week during her pregnancy, she had no stretch marks whatsoever.

She happily shared this on a Facebook thread.

I nfant health Coconut oil helps develop the immune system of the newborn as well as aiding brain and bone development. It is known to relieve nappy (diaper) rash, Keratosis Pilaris (a common, harmless skin condition), and is gentle and beneficial for baby’s digestive health.

Pregnancy can be a stressful time, and pregnant women have an increased demand for good nutrition.

The unborn child also demands ample nutrients for proper development and growth, and will steal them from the mother’s body if they are not supplied in her diet.

For generations people living in the coconut-growing regions of the world have relied on coconut for nature’s nourishment and health. Modern medicine has also recognised the health benefits of the MCFAs in coconut oil, which is now used by hospitals in infant formula.

Premature and infants who are ill, especially whose digestive organs are underdeveloped, are able to absorb MCFA with relative ease, while other fats pass through their system pretty much undigested.

has some remarkable benefits when it comes to pregnancy, which is why it’s known as the ‘Breast Milk of Mother Nature’...

Johnson & Johnson was sued for selling shampoo and baby wash that allegedly contained methylene chloride, an ingredient used in cosmetics that was banned by the FDA because of its link to cancer. The law firm that filed the suit was also investigating other suspect product ingredients.

Nappy rash cream There is no risk to the baby’s bottom, because coconut oil is pure and contains no added chemicals. With its impressive anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, it can even heal yeast infections. As an added bonus coconut oil smells delicious.

It will not ruin cloth nappies like many other nappy rash creams do.

Apply a thin layer to the affected area.

Cradle cap Massage coconut oil onto your baby’s scalp and leave for about 20 minutes.

The coconut oil will moisturise and nourish baby’s scalp and loosen the cradle cap flakes. After 20 minutes wash off the oil, or wipe clean with a damp cloth and gently comb the

hair with a soft brush to remove any loose flakes. Regular treatments will keep baby’s scalp moistened and nourished and will help prevent cradle cap from re-occurring.

Baby massage oil The benefits of baby massage are endless. It strengthens the bond between mother and baby, it helps baby to relax and sleep at bedtime.

Coconut oil is pure and safe as well as nourishing and healing for baby’s tender and sensitive skin. The beautiful subtle aroma of coconut is also calming for your baby’s senses.

Adding coconut oil and a drop of pure lavender oil will make bath time soothing, moisturising and relaxing for both baby and mum.

Thrush, yeast and candi da Taken both internally and externally, coconut oil can help treat the yeast that causes thrush and candida. A little coconut oil dabbed inside the baby’s mouth and on mum’s nipples before breast-feeding is an effective way for

baby to receive the benefits. And if mum eats some oil, the benefits are multiplied.

Applying coconut oil to a nursing mum’s nipples will also help with painful cracks and irritation.

Teething Coconut oil is pure and safe to eat therefore it is also safe to pop into the baby’s mouth. Rub the oil directly onto the gums of teething babies and children to ease the pain.

– Jenni Madison is the founder and managing director of fairtrade company Coconut Magic. She adopted The Healthy Coconut lifestyle after personally discovering the amazing health benefits of coconut oil while living and working in Thailand in 2010.

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Whenever I see pregnant ladies or mums with babies I get very excited about sharing with them the wonderful benefits of coconut oil. Sadly there are companies producing baby products that are toxic and dangerous. In 2011,

Coconut oil

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

WINTER 2016 7

angie's catch-up

Hannah Goodgame finds a moment to herself.

Snapshot: Name: Hannah Goodgame Job: Owner of Projekt Frankie beads Age: 33 Hubby: Brett Goodgame, Emu Australia general manager Children: Flynn, 4, and Alfie, 2 Lives:Angie Highton Interview: Hilton Pictures: Louisa Jones 8 WINTER 2016

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

, d n a b s u One h

s d i k o tw

f o in a t n u o m and a

beads

Originally from Ballarat, you moved to Geelong in 2011.

What do you love about G-Town?

Well coming from Ballarat one of the obvious things is the climate in Geelong.

A few extra degrees warmer in winter really does make a difference. On the whole, I feel Geelong really has a positive, happy feel. I really love being closer to the ocean. Just knowing the water is there makes you feel more relaxed.

Okay, straight to the gory details - how were your births?

This may sound sick to some people, given the amount of pain you go through, but I seriously loved everything about it. I loved being pregnant and I loved giving birth. It’s such a profound moment – like the whole world stopped for those precious hours and nothing else mattered.

I was determined to have natural births, as I was petrified of having a caesarian or epidural. Flynn was pretty much smooth sailing – seven hours, a little gas and some suction.

Alfie was an unplanned water birth.

I’d never even contemplated a water www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

birth but when I jumped in the bath, I found it relaxed me so much I just couldn’t get out. It turned out to be an experience I will cherish forever.

Any more babies?

I would love one more but my husband needs a lot more convincing. I always wanted a little girl called Frankie – hence I gave birth to my business instead and called it Projekt Frankie – closest I’m going to get to a baby girl I think (laughs).

Five words to describe Flynn’s personality: Busy, chatty, affectionate, cautious, cheeky.

Five words to describe Alfie’s personality: Laidback, cruisy, daring, funny, affectionate.

What do you love about being a mum?

The cuddles by far! The cheeky companions I have 24/7 and being able to comfort and console those little faces when needed is the most rewarding feeling as a mum.

WINTER 2016 9

What’s the most challenging thing about being a mum?

What exactly is Projekt Frankie?

Ooh, self-doubt. I second-guess myself all the time, whether I’m making the right decisions for my boys, taking the right approach, being the best parent I can, whether I have the work/family balance right.

It’s a jewellery and homewares label made predominantly from clay and timber. The range consists of necklaces, keyrings, earrings, kids necklaces and garlands. Each clay bead is hand rolled and colours mixed by hand in my home studio to create unique and original designs. I mainly sell through my online store but have also branched out into wholesaling for retailers across the country.

I think overall we’re surviving and smiling ... most of the time!

What inspired you to create your business, Projekt Frankie?

I was working in retail and juggling the children. I always had in the back of my mind that I’d love to have a business I could fit in around my children rather than the other way around. One day I was feeling creative and decided to make myself a necklace out of clay beads.

I completely overdid it with the amount of beads and it was then that I had a bit of an ah-ha moment! I found making the beads quite therapeutic and started to wonder if I could turn it into a business. The rest is history.

What does a typical day in the life of Hannah look like?

The world doesn’t start until I have coffee. Don’t even talk to me!

It’s then all the usual Mummy stuff – washing, cleaning, cooking, going to the park, play dates, cafes and posting beads. When Alfie has his day sleep I work on my business. If I’m desperate to get some beads done when the kids are awake, I turn it into craft time and they make beads too (not sure I can sell the beads they create, unfortunately).

The boys are in daycare one day a week so I literally turn into crazy-beadmaking-lady. I can cram so much in to that one day.

I think the trickiest part when it’s your own business, is finding the work/life balance, as no-one is there to tell you to clock on and clock off.

How many beads would you roll a week?

I often find myself up until 2am rolling beads but then I try to balance it out with extra downtime around the kids.

At a guess, around 600. I often joke that my oven sees way more clay than food!

Golly, you must dream beads!

(Laughs) I don’t dream beads but I definitely wake up at strange hours with ‘brilliant ideas’ for my next product or new release.

What would you say to other Mums thinking of starting an online business?

Being self-motivated is the key. And you really have to have a passion for what you’re doing. I love the process of watching the business grow. I started May 2014 and it’s now in 30 retailers across the country as well as growing rapidly through my online store.

I’ve also had to learn to stop working in the evening so my husband and I can still have good quality time together. He throws beads at me if I work too much (laughs) just kidding!

What’s the best parenting advice you’ve been given?

My best friend has steered me through a few ugly parenting moments with, ‘this too shall pass’. It’s a great mantra when you’re going through things like teething, tantrums, lack of sleep, etc.

Where are your favorite places to take the kids in Geelong?

We spend a lot of time at the beach in warmer months.

Hannah and Brett Goodgame with their boys.

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My husband loves coffee and rarely makes it through the weekend without several cafe stops and this has definitely rubbed off on our boys.

We like visiting The Farmers Place in Freshwater Creek, lots of fun for the kids with the animals and outdoor area. Little creatures is always fun and our local 63 Degrees in Highton is a favourite.

If you had a full child-free day to yourself what would it look like?

So simple: a good book and a glass of wine, while sitting in the sunshine.

Do you have a quote or motto you live by?

Life begins after coffee!

Hannah’s products, before and after the hands-on manufacturing process.

See Hannah’s beads at projektfrankie.bigcartel.com

Flynn and Alfie are always happy to lend mum a helping hand or two with her business.

5 GAME reviews 5

What Could it Be?

Three Magic Balloons

Bridesmaid-in-Training

(Sally Fawcett, Exisle Publishing)

(Julianna and Paul Margulies, Piccolo Nero)

(Meg Cabot, Pan MacMillan)

This concept book for kids is all about unleashing creativity, thinking outside the square and opening the mind to possibility. Part picture book, part artistic inspiration, What Could It Be? is an interactive adventure for pre-primary and primary school-aged children organised into paired doublepage spreads.

The reader is guided through the pages by the character of a young boy, who allows many aspects of his world to be ‘discovered’ via the detailed illustrations.

Saturdays at the children’s zoo with their father always end the same way for Ariel, Miranda, and Jane: he offers them money for a treat but they choose instead to buy food for the animals.

One Saturday a mysterious balloon man gives them a small reward for their kindness—a blue balloon for Ariel, a red one for Miranda, and a yellow one for Jane. Soon they find that their generosity and the balloon man’s simple gift have brought them more magic than they could ever have imagined.

Bridesmaid in Training is the second in the Notebooks of a Middle-School Princess, a funny, heart-warming illustrated Princess Diaries series

by Meg Cabot.

Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison still finds it hard to believe that she’s a princess.

Not only does she get to live in an actual palace with her newly discovered family and two fabulous poodles, but she also gets her very own pony.

Gobsmax (Crown & Andrews) Gobsmax are collectable, playable, ball-shaped characters that are all mouth and attitude.

Full of crash derby action, each Gobsmax team competes in obstacle course style tournaments, with adventurous props, death defying obstacles and the most challenging of terrain.

Suitable for ages 5+

Grover McBane, Rescue Dog: Grover Finds a Home (Claire Garth, Piccolo Nero) Grover is a brave dog, but right now he’s cold, wet, hungry and afraid.

After escaping from his owner’s yard in a thunderstorm, Grover is taken to a local animal shelter. The people there are kind, but Grover isn’t sure he’ll be allowed to stay. His owner doesn’t seem to want him and Grover is scared.

What will happen to Grover?

Where will he go?

Sales of the book support the work of The Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.

5 BOOK reviews 5 Mic Mac Mick Discovers Kitchen Magic (EB Howard, Tate Publishing) Mic Mac Mick is on a quest to find his life’s purpose but how?

Bling It On (Crown & Andrews) Bling It On is the ultimate crafting putty loaded with gems, transforming everyday things into dazzling bling things.

Readers will be led to the answer as they join him on his exciting adventure. A chance encounter with the heady aromas coming from Daisy’s kitchen leads him into becoming a kitchen sleuth before he arrives at the amazing discovery of Kitchen Magic.

Sago the Caterpillar Who Wanted to Fly (Michael J Roads and Nancy Horenburg, Balboa Press) Sago is a beautiful green caterpillar with yellow spots along his back but he dreams of flying.

His heart yearns to fly with the butterflies above the flowers but all his friends laugh at his dreams.

Readers follow Sago’s adventures as he meets the local enlightened bumble bee, Buzz-Buzz, and learns the lessons of helpfulness and timing.

After his wonderful experiences, his dreams of flying come true.

Make a boring picture frame sparkle, or colour in your favourite character with 3-D gems – there’s endless uses. No messy glues, air drying, and sticks to almost every surface!

Suitable for ages 6+

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To advertise in Geelong Coast Kids please contact Rebecca Hanneysee on 5249 6700 / 0407 227 234 advertsing@geelongcoastkids.com.au facebook.com/GeelongCoastKids

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s d i k y h t l a e h

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Are your kids hearing ok?

Surf Coast Hearing Clinic is the only independently owned, permanent hearing clinic in Torquay. It is owned by Ben and Kate, two well qualified, experienced and committed audiologists.

We offer a full range of hearing services to adults, along with support and guidance to help deal with hearing problems of all kinds.

5/6 Walker Street, Torquay Ph: 5264 7451

Email: reception@surfcoasthearing.com.au

We treat babies and children

Children’s hearing is also an extremely important part of our clinical work.

We can do hearing assessments on children from the age of 3 yrs old.

Delayed speech and language development may be due to a hearing loss.

This loss could be caused by a blocked Eustachian Tube and fluid build-up in the middle ear after a possible ear infection.

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Hearing tests for children over 3 years and customised swim plugs.

Our assessments can pick up if there is a hearing loss and determine if there is fluid build-up. We can then advise on the best management options for your child.

Custom made swim and surf ear plugs are also available from our clinic.

Call our friendly receptionist, Sandy, on 5264 7451 for further information.

Holistic Osteopathy – A gentle approach to healthcare for adults, babies and children Faye Kendall and Hayden Cohen are experienced osteopaths who have a wealth of knowledge in all areas of health relating to babies and children.

Their further training in Cranial Osteopathy and Paediatric Osteopathy has resulted in them being highly sought after practitioners in the Geelong, Bellarine and Surf Coast regions.

Hayden and Faye work with babies and children presenting with a range of different conditions such as flat head syndrome, torticollis, feeding difficulties, wind, reflux, postural imbalances, growing pains and other musculoskeletal problems.

GeelonG and ocean Grove

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Treatments are gentle and non-invasive with only light pressure being applied to the child’s body in order to release strain or tension that may be held in the tissues. If you want to make an appointment for your child or find out more call us on 5200 1044.

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WINTER 2016 13

lookin’ good,

Iisrael Tubailagi

ba by

Beautiful bubs and cute kiddies abounded when Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre hosted a baby show in support of Kids With Cancer Foundation in early May. Geelong Coast Kids was on hand to inspect the parade of adorable littlies.

Zarah Hrkac

Ruby and Katie Wright.

Rachel and Kobi Barker.

Harleen Sandhu

Ailbe Muldowney

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14 WINTER 2016

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

Lilliarna Hay

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Nikki Hawkins and Savannah Gass.

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Pictures: Louisa Jones To see more pictures, search ID number 153689 at starphotos.com.au

ISSUE 16 www.gcmagazine.c

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From

yard plate to

Kyrstie Barcak with her new book Grow Just One Thing.

By LUKE VOOGT

backyard, or from local farmers,” she says.

to find one food their family uses regularly, and plant it.

Kyrstie Barcak is growing her family food bowl one plant at a time.

Mostly, it’s just filling a few seasonal gaps in her garden.

“It really does take little time – in fact it’s a time saver,” she said.

“We don’t need much except for fruit for the kid’s lunch boxes,” she says.

“Notice the change it makes to flavour and just go from there.”

Once her fruit trees mature, her sons will have home grown apples, oranges and nectarines for school too.

It’s this simple philosophy which inspired her new book Grow Just One Thing, which she released in March.

One day, she hopes, her family will not need to leave the home for produce at all.

The book is a guide for growing food for “delicious, simple recipes the whole family will enjoy”.

The mother-of-two moved from the Yarra Ranges to Highton five years ago, starting with a blank canvas in her new backyard.

“We were lucky enough that the house had nothing in the garden except a lemon and a feijoa tree,” she says.

She’s since brought her vegie garden to life, growing bok choy, sage, and almost everything in between.

Far from consuming her time, Kyrstie says her garden saves her constant trips to the shops.

“I haven’t bought fresh food at the supermarket for three years,” she says.

“I enjoy knowing that the food I give to my family is free of chemical residue.”

Kyrstie says her garden saves about $200 a month in produce. In summer, her garden produces 40.8kg of food, saving her roughly $260.

Even when she does go out for food, she’ll buy from local green grocers and purchase meat at local farmgates.

“I always prefer to shop in the

“That’s the aim,” she says.

“Though there’s always a gap in the garden.”

Data from an Australia Institute study found that 52 per cent of Australians are growing their own vegetables and a further 13 per cent want to.

Kyrstie conducted a smaller survey of readers of her website Fresh Food Legacy, who are mostly busy mums with primary school children.

She says two thirds are growing vegetables, while the rest want to.

But many who want to grow, she says, think they lack the time, knowledge or growing space to begin.

Kyrstie is encouraging these mums

“Adding growing your own fresh food to the never-ending list of activities that already consume your time and energy may seem a little crazy,” Kyrstie says.

“But the experience of growing just one thing with your family may be so wonderful that you decide to grow more.”

For Kyrstie gardening is not just about providing fresh, residue-free food for her family. It’s about educating her children and family time too.

When she’s out in the garden, it’s often with her husband Doug, and her sons Tom and Jai. “In the afternoons they often go out looking for their own snacks,” she says.

Kyrstie Barcak in her garden with husband Doug and her sons Tom and Jai.

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

WINTER 2016 17

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No need to

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By LIA SPENCER WHEN do I know they are ready?

Should I keep their nappy on at nighttime? Should I reward them?

There are so many questions you may ask yourself when it comes to potty-training your child. It can be a crappy task, but parenting expert Margaret Saunders has some great advice to help the transition become a wee bit easier.

While some people say two is a good age and others say three, Ms Saunders said there was no ‘perfect’ age and parents shouldn’t feel pressured from peers or family. Instead, they should wait until their child is ready.

“Each child should be toilet trained when they are ready, not at a certain age, or because your friends have children who are already toilet trained and yours isn’t. Toilet training isn’t a competition,” she said.

Each child should be toilet trained when they are ready, not at a certain age, or because your friends have children who are already toilet trained and yours isn’t … Toilet training isn’t a competition… their child was ready to make the switch from nappies to knickers. “(Does your child have) bladder control. Does your child urinate a good deal at one time, rather than dribbling throughout the day? Does your child stay dry for long periods of time? And is she/he aware that he is about to urinate?” she said.

“The best advice I was ever given as a parent was from a father of a toddler who said, ‘all I know is by the time they go to school, they talk, they do things for themselves and they are toilet trained!’”

“(Are they) physically ready? Does your child have enough finger and hand co-ordination to pick up objects easily? Does your child walk from room to room easily and without the need of assistance?”

Ms Saunders said there were signs parents could look for to determine if

Ms Saunders said children should also be able to follow instructions.

20 WINTER 2016

“To test if your child is ready for this, ask them point to their nose, point to their eyes, point to their mouth, walk to another room and stand by a couch, bring an object such as a teddy bear to you from another room, and can they carry out a series of instructions such as, ‘put your teddy next to your boat’.”

Understanding (ahem) potty language is also important. Ms Saunders also said children should be able to say, and know the words ‘wet’, ‘dry’, ‘stand up’, ‘sit down,’ ‘empty’, ‘wee’ and ‘poo’.

Once a parent has determined if their child is ready, there are several ways to teach the techniques.

Ms Saunders teaches a one-day, fun but intense method, but said it can be modified to take a few days longer.

The method involves the child teaching a doll or a teddy bear to go to the toilet and, in doing so, working out for themselves how to use the toilet when prompted by an adult. If the child uses the potty correctly, they are then rewarded.

“Your child would teach all the steps of going to the toilet to their doll or teddy, such as taking them to the toilet/ potty, pulling down their pants, doing a wee into the toilet/potty, wiping, pulling up pants and washing hands,” she said.

“It’s also a lot of fun. It makes toilet training into a game.”

Ms Saunders said completing the potty-training process was a fabulous milestone for both child and parent.

“Toilet training is a fabulous milestone. It’s exciting to hear your little one say ’Mummy, Daddy, I’ve been to the toilet’ as you hear the flush of the toilet.”

Satisfaction all around!

Margaret Saunders can be contacted at www.BedtimeAndToiletTrainingSolutions. com.au www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

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d o o f r e p u s or

? d a f r e p u S

By HILARY HOEVENAARS, APD TV ads have been telling us to ‘get more from our food’. What does that mean exactly, and how might we do that? Why would we want to “get more from our food”? Isn’t what we normally get enough? How can we be sure that the food available for consumption in Australia is nutritious?

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ), together with some other groups, monitors nutrients in the Australian food supply to inform standards development and compile nutrient databases. FSANZ generates, compiles and publishes high quality Australian reference data on the nutrient composition of foods (http:// www.foodstandards.gov.au). It is this data that informs nutrition scientists when they make recommendations such as in the food-based, Australian Dietary Guidelines (www.eatforhealth. gov.au).

The term “superfood” has been around for about 100 years but has gained currency in the past decade.

It is a marketing term used to describe foods with supposed health benefits.

A quick internet search will reveal many references to superfoods, mainly by those marketing particular products.

Definitions vary: ■■ Foods that have uncommonly high nutrient density.

■■ A special category of foods found in nature that are calorie (energy) sparse and nutrient dense meaning they pack a lot of punch for their weight as far as goodness goes.

■■ Natural food products which offer the whole nutrient in its rawest form.

■■ Foods that you know are great for you, without all the nasties.

Among these promotions, there are so called “superfoods” that are actual food and so called “superfoods” that are actually man-made, processed products available in sachets and bottles and

bearing no resemblance to food at all.

So is there really such a thing as superfoods?

Though it is an overused term today, it is not one commonly used by dietitians and nutrition scientists, many of whom dispute that particular foods have specific health benefits over and above other “not super” foods. Most dietitians/nutrition scientists will promote the importance of super “diets” and emphasise the importance of food variety in a balanced diet, rather than the idea of particular miracle foods which can counter many of our current health problems.

It has been long known that consuming a range of nutrient-rich, or nutrient-dense foods, is extremely important, particularly in this current climate of obesity in Australia and the Western World: in other words, getting more nutrients per unit energy (kilojoule/calorie) from our food. In the modern world of labour-saving devices,

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we are required to be far less active than ever before, so it is essential that we consume all our nutrients, needed for optimal health, from a more limited amount of energy (as determined by individual energy requirements.)

Otherwise, that excess energy intake will be stored as body fat.

There are nutrient-rich foods in every food group and the Australian Dietary Guidelines allow us to choose these foods in the right proportions for a balanced diet, with plenty of daily variety. A balanced diet will ensure the range of nutrients required for optimal health at every age and stage of life.

It is recommended that we consume at least 30 different foods daily. However most Australians only eat, on average, 15 different foods each day.

It is recommended we eat mostly plant food, as close to its natural state as possible and not more than we need.

Some suggestions of nutrient-rich foods in each food group follow.

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■■ Vegetables: cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and kale), dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, dark lettuce leaves), avocadoes, orange sweet potato.

■■ Grains: brown rice, barley, wholegrain cereals and breads.

■■ Milk proteins: reduced fat milk and yoghurt (unflavoured).

■■ Animal and plant proteins: beef steak, pork loin, eggs, salmon, black beans and tree nuts.

■■ Fruit: oranges, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, berries.

The use of the term “superfood” also gives the impression that other, largely cheaper foods, may not be as healthy, when in fact many cheaper foods are just as nutrient-dense, if not more so. For many people the cheaper the food, the more likely they will be able to eat them in the required quantities to provide adequate nutrition.

reasonably priced wholefoods, which are able to contribute to optimal health without the need to resort to specially marketed “superfoods”.

For more information on eating a wide range of wholefoods to support optimal nutrition, without blowing the budget, please contact the dietitians at Bellarine Community Health.

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 focusing on the wellbeing 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

Another consideration with so called superfoods is an economic one. Take for example quinoa, an ancient, gluten-free grain from South America.

Because of the world-wide demand for the heavily-promoted quinoa, many farmers in South America have switched to quinoa production, at the expense of other crops. It remains to be seen what the effect will be on those vulnerable national economies when the trend for this particular superfood subsides.

In summary there are no superfoods, just super diets: that is balanced diets based on the evidence-based, Australian Dietary Guidelines, providing a wide variety of foods, from each food group, daily.

Food doesn’t need to be expensive to be nutrient-rich. In Australia, we are very fortunate to have readily available

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WINTER 2016 23

Rise and shine: Kate and Abby McGregor with Rebecca and Vincent Wheaton and Lauren and Margot McKirdy supported the Geelong Mums safe cots campaign.

mums word the

Meet the Geelong group helping needy families take care of their most-precious members.

By EMILY ROBINSON Eager and excited, four-year-old Emily Carr donated her beloved pink dressing gown to Geelong Mums just in time for the winter season.

“It’s just too little for me – it’s for someone else now,” the toddler declared.

“I wanted to give it to someone else to help them and to keep them warm.”

It’s this kind of donation that warms the heart of Geelong Mums co-founder and general manager Kate Kent.

“It’s so nice to see young children understanding the impact that they can have,” Kate says.

Founded in April 2013, Geelong Mums is the result of five local mothers who desired to make a difference.

Warm donation: Four-year-old Emily Carr donates her dressing gown.

24 WINTER 2016

The organisation collects donations of nursery equipment and recycles cots, prams, car seats, clothes and other essential items which are rehomed to families on low incomes.

“Caseworkers have told us how challenging it is for families doing it tough to be able to afford everything you need to support a child,” Kate says.

“Geelong Mums is like a best friend people need at a tough time in their life.”

The idea is simple, but carrying it out can sometimes be more complex, with all donated items safety checked and quality checked before being made available for donation.

By utilising the motto of working smarter, Geelong Mums has harnessed the power of technology to make the job easier and more effective – to the point of winning an international award.

Along with its sister organisations, St Kilda Mums and Eureka Mums, the organisation won the Canvas ‘Ante Up’ Non-Profit of the Year.

Kate flew to Washington last year to collect the award along with founder and St Kilda Mums chief Jessica Macpherson.

Geelong Mums uses a smartphone app developed by US software company Canvas to perform the safety check on all donated baby and children’s gear.

“As a lean organisation, we were getting buried in a mountain of paper forms and manual entry processes required to conduct product safety checks and track inventory,” Kate explains.

“This allows volunteers to access the app at anytime and anywhere to safety check cots, car restraints, prams and other items so that they meet the current Australian safety standards.

“We also use Canvas to measure impact, recording what we give to whom, where and when.

“Reference data for products, safety recalls and supplier contact information is all saved in the one place.

“We photograph each item and record the date of manufacture and serial numbers.” www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

Happy mums: GCK contributing editor Angie Hilton with Kate Betts and Sam Cocking at this year’s Geelong Mums Mothers Day lunch.

Ms Kent said the trio of organisations had been gifted lifetime use of the software through the Ante-Up program and as the 2015 winner, was able to choose another non-profit organisation to receive the same benefit, nominating New York charity Baby Buggy, which does similar work to Geelong Mums.

Canvas founder James Quigley said Geelong Mums, St Kilda Mums and Eureka Mums won the award for demonstrating a passion to make a difference in their communities by embracing technology.

It’s been a steady journey for Geelong Mums, started out by supporting six families per month while operating from a small shed and volunteers’ homes.

In 2014, the organisation helped 370 families and moved into a large warehouse in South Geelong. Last year the number of families helped grew to 900.

Geelong Mums estimates by the end of the year 1500 families will benefit from the organisation, with some 10,000 items donated.

But it is not only mums benefitting, Kate says – Geelong Mums also supports fathers, grandparents and foster carers.

“Anyone that plays a caring or nurturing role around a child – we are there to support,” she says.

Geelong Mums works in partnership with almost 60 welfare maternal and health services, such as Bethany Community Support, Diversitat, Barwon Health and Uniting Care just to name a few.

“We work in partnership to add value to these organisations. We take requests from them and then they come and pick the items up and take them directly to the families.

“It’s important we strengthen these workers to do more with families.”

Geelong Mums is like a best friend people need at a tough time in their life...

Asked about stand-out moments at Geelong Mums, Kate says she experiences inspiring stories daily.

She recounts a recent story of a 10-year-old boy receiving a clothing pack.

“He’d been wearing poor quality clothing – there just weren’t finances available after rent, food and utilities had been paid,” Kate says.

“He’s gone from being a little boy concerned about how he looked, to a little boy modelling his clothes every day.”

When Geelong Mums first began, it received an unusual request from a case worker for a three-seater pram.

But shortly after posting about it on Facebook, a local mum donated one.

“After it was safety checked, we contacted the case worker and it was given to the mum,” Kate says.

“Three years later, we had another request for a three-seater pram.”

As it turns out, the woman who donated the pram was the one who received it three years ago.

jumping ri ght in

Geelong Mums have created ‘Jump in Puddles’ packs for the winter season.

“It’s our winter campaign.

Children will receive a warm coat, a beanie, a scarf and gumboots – all of the tools needed to jump in the muddiest of puddles,” Kate says.

“It means children can just go and be kids and play.”

Those wanting to donate preloved items can visit geelongmums. org for more information.

“Now it’s being used by another local mum,” Kate says. www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

WINTER 2016 25

A l l a b oa r d fo a n d T h o m as r m a g ic

SEVEN

things to do

Bellarine Railway has som as they ride the historic lin e great attractions for ki ds e operating The railway out of Queen will host Chi sclif f. ldren’s Mag Workshop Sp ic Train and ecials during school holid 28 June to Tu ays from Tu esday 5 July esday .

Dazzling Dan the Magic M a show wea an will be aboa ving audien rd for ce participat as children le ion with stor ar n to perfor ytelling m their own tricks at hom personalised e.

Ideal for pare nts and gran who love m dparents with agic, the trai children n departs 11 Queensclif f am from the Railway Stat ion and retu rns about 1p Later in the m. year, the railw Day Out With ay will host its popular Thomas Wee kend from 10 on 8 and 9 O am to 4pm, ctober.

Thomas the Tank Engine Douglas, Oliv will return w ith friends er, Henry, Sa lty and thos Trucks for tw e Troublesom o days of un e limited steam Laker’s Siding train rides to .

Special gues ts will includ Corio Model e Topham H att and Railway Clu b.

Bellarine Ra ilway tickets bellarinerailw ar ay.com.au or e available online at by phoning 5258 2069.

t h is w in t e r

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ey outside It might be chilly and gr s just the right but Geelong Coast Kids ha er with fun solutions to warm up wint k this list activities and ideas. Chec e Geelong of must-do fun around th months. region over the next few

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26 WINTER 2016

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

Ro l l o n at Wau r n P o n ds

Waurn Po nd for local kid s Shopping Centre h as a varie s during w ty of week inter schoo day fun p A rollerska l holidays. lanned ti n g rink will op activities e erate outsid ach week e Target, w will keep lit hile dif fere A fun pho tle fingers nt craft to booth w busy at th funky squ e front of K ill ta k e happy sn ad mart. aps near D Queenslan organising the pics onut King also collect d holiday.

– w ith the ing entries to win a $ And don’t 2 fo 000 rg e t the shopp aged to 12 ing centre a free gift ’s K id w s over $50 w h Club, offeri orth of free en they sign up, mo ng childre nthly excl n birthday tr usive offers eats each year. and

i nter w o t n i Bounce erci se x e d n a fun

s amp ha g ’s Supatr ler-only jumpin e l a d e d d to Grov w ed a ne introduc lots of to have . area r littlies r kids, fo e e g c ig a b sp A great ther away from fives. rtoge to unde safe fun d dicated e d is dedicate a e the are dded th t that its a s a h mp en Supatra cknowledgem larly busy u ea ic rt th a p in s a ds are alway re ving loa a a h s d n n re d il h c weeke d ool-age with sch s, little one of fun. nts with e re c a a p t sp u line lp o So to he t up the trampo se . e rs tr e n p e c the er jum n to visit s young nly reaso ping just for it o e th t t’s no n jum And tha is winter, whe le th hilled litt p c m p a u tr s rm a Supa w quickly around a $10 s. bodie offering fun o ls a is limited tre The cen cial offering un ool terms h k spe uring sc midwee ridays d F to y a .

Mond er five ing, ren und to climb for child rs access facilities at e ff o l a The de yground activity and pla r jumping favourite indoo ’s g n lo e Ge d, uay Roa centre.

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WINTER 2016 27

O u t s id e T h e B o x fo r s p ec ia l k id s

Outside The Bo x Education is th e brainchild of a special educational ne eds teacher who wants to share her training an d knowledge acquired from working in numerous coun tries with childre n with special ed ucational need s.

Outside The Bo x provides fun, sensory educat ional sessions fo r children with ad ditional educational ne eds and disabilities.

Sessions can be adapted using visuals, commun ication aids, Ke y Word Sign and much more to specifically suit individual need s.

Session titles an d times at Leopold Child an d Family Centre every Saturday are: Just So Sociable, noon to 12.45pm; Lette r Love, 1pm to 1.45pm; and W ords Words Wor ds, 2pm to 2.45pm .

Bookings are av ailable at facebook.com/ outsidetheboxed ucation1 or by phoning Abbie Harper on 0490 408 627.

M e e t C at s at W e s t f ie l d Y

oung Cats fans can mee t their heroes Westfield Gee at long from M onday 27 Ju Thursday 30 ne to June.

Players will be in attend ance as the centre hosts shopping a variety of Cat-themed including gi activities ve-aways an d special of fe merchandise rs on club .

Then from Tu centre will op esday 5 July to Friday 8 July the erate a Build -A-Bear Wor 11am to 2pm kshop from daily, with ki ds invited to their teddies bring for a feast of furry fun.

Geelong Aquatic Centre Family Owned & Operated

INFANT & PRE SCHOOL AQUATICS Child studies at Griffith University QLD prove that infants and preschoolers who participate in learn to swim programs from an early age are physically and cognitively ahead of their peers.

Our Infant classes offer the first initial and vital step in your child’s learn to swim journey A fun, explorative and special time for infants, the classes are 30 minutes long in the comfort of a heated, salt-chlorinated pool For a limited time we are offering a FREE trial class for you to try.

If you would like to accept the offer or would like more information please contact the centre 3 Bridge Street, Newtown Ph: (03) 5222 5530 admin@geelongaquaticcentre.com.au www.geelongaquaticcentre.com.au Please mention this ad for your free trial

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www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

O ff to m a rk et

ily Fun and Market is sure Bellarinekids.com.au’s Fam vities for kids and parents. acti and fun to provide plenty of soring the event, patrons With Geelong Coast Kids spon s, jumping castles, faceof all ages will enjoy market stall ormers and the perf ing painting, mini sports, roam onal with some slithery pers and e clos up get to opportunity reptiles. p families occupied from All this and much more will kee Sports Centre, Shell and atic Aqu e arin Bell 10am to 2pm at on Sunday 26 June.

2pm to m Road, Ocean Grove, from 10a

G et c r a ft y a t th e w o o l m u s eu m

Geelong’s Nationa l Wool Museum has a lot of interesting ha lined up for young pa nds-on activities trons each weekday during winter schoo First up, kids can de l holidays. corate knitting need les made from chop program running 10 sticks in a unique am to 3pm Monday , without bookings req Green Sheep Garde uired. n offers a chance to create coloured seed to 3pm Tuesdays, als bombs 10am o without bookings.

Who Ate My Dinosa ur? features a facilita ted exploration of the exhibition of prehistor museum’s ic curiosities for a ma ximum 20 kids per ses sessions are availab sion. Three le daily, with booking s essential.

Thursday offer WARM knitting workshops wi a maximum 10 kids th designer Georgie in each of the two da Hallam for ily workshops, separa kids either under or ted by age for over 10. Bookings are required.

Gingerbread Dinosa urs offers a tasty finish to the week, with thr each Friday for maxim ee sessions um bookings of 20 kid s each.

More information’s av ailable at geelongau stralia.com.au/nwm .

A SIGNIFICANT ATTRACTION ON THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD

ART GALLERY... APPRECIATE

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PLAYGROUND & NATIVE GARDENS

Something for the kids. Meet the Emus & Wallabies!

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Enjoy all-day breakfast, lunch & drink great coffee.

NARANA ABORIGINAL CULTURAL CENTRE 410 Surfcoast Hwy, Grovedale

www.narana.com.au

Ph: 5241 5700 Email: reception@narana.com.au Narana Open: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-3pm • Narana Gallery Open: Tues-Friday 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-3pm (Monday By Appointment) Café Narana: Open : Tues-Sat 9am-3pm 1224547-EPJ23-16

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

WINTER 2016 29

Narana

dreaming Situated on a leafy, wide allotment fronting the Surf Coast Highway at Grovedale, Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre is the region’s high-profile hub of Indigenous culture. Operations manager Craig McGough and cultural education initiatives leader Nikayla Bamblett explain to GCK the centre’s relevance to local children and its ongoing role in the wider community.

What is the importance of the centre?

Meeting the locals at Narana.

Craig: “Narana plays an important role in the community in providing a welcoming environment to listen and learn about Aboriginal culture in a relaxed atmosphere, where Narana’s friendly staff are only too happy to share their knowledge and experiences with visitors. Narana’s role is especially important when issues of national

reconciliation and our shared cultural heritage are so prominent today.”

Has the centre and its program received a good response in the past, what has the response been from the public?

Craig: “It’s hard to believe but Narana has existed in one form or another for over 20 years now, visitors are always surprised at how big Narana is, especially the native bushland gardens and the quality of the cafe and it’s indigenous inspired menu as well as our extensive collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artwork in the gallery. School groups and tour groups including visiting cruise ships always speak about their Narana experience in a really positive way.”

Like Geelong Coast Kids and join the conversation today Tips, Advice, Entertainment, Giveaways THINGS TO DO & PLACES TO GO FOR FAMILIES

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

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Local psychologist answers parents’ questions

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30 WINTER 2016

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A cultural

What are the best parts of the centre?

experience

Craig: “The cultural education centre and gallery are extremely popular with visitors, they quickly realise it’s not just a tourism destination but a place which you can really immerse yourself in Aboriginal culture. Cafe Narana is referred to as a ’hidden gem’ it’s a great place to drop in for a quick coffee by the fireplace, or a long lunch on the deck or just a relaxing walk in the gardens. The gift shop is always a winner with visitors who are looking for a hand-crafted souvenir or gift with a little bit of a difference.”

Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre is an award-winning tourist attraction on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road offering various programs and self-guided tours.

The centre features a cultural display and performance building, an art gallery, a cafe and a retail outlet.

Expert staff deliver education programs on the wonders of Australia’s Indigenous culture, covering everything from Aboriginals’ connection to the land, spirituality, laws, cultural designs, dreaming stories and more.

What do adults get out of the centre?

Nikayla: “Adults are always intrigued by the collection of art and cultural artefacts on display in our cultural education centre, the language group map of Australia is another display which people always react to with a sense of amazement, our goal is see people leave Narana with a better understanding of Aboriginal culture, history and current issues than when they arrived.”

Experience indigenous art at Narana.

What do children get out of the centre?

Why should people come and visit the centre?

Nikayla: “Narana’s school excursions and incursion programs are very popular with kids of all ages as a fun and interactive way to learn. Kids obviously love the playground and visiting our resident emus and searching for the wallabies in the gardens. School holiday programs are usually booked out well in advance and the ever popular boomerang throwing range where people can try their hand at throwing a boomerang and getting it to come back.”

Craig: “Narana is a great place to visit for locals as well as visitors to the Geelong region, especially around events like Connecting To Country Arts Festival or significant national events like NAIDOC Week, coming up between 3 and 10 July, where there are activities and exhibitions running or days like NaranaFest music festival, which happens in November, which allows people to experience into Aboriginal culture, art and music in a truly unique environment.”

The gallery exhibits and sells artworks from internationally acclaimed and emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across Australia.

P LAY

W R OOM

now open Special Kids Meals All Day Menu Excellent Value Meals Spacious Dining Plenty of Parking

Visitors are welcome to stroll through the native Curragundi bushland garden, which has abundant wildlife, including resident emus and swamp wallabies.

Narana’s high-profile frontage on the Surf Coast Highway at Grovedale.

Plenty of parking, an adventure playground for kids and boomerang-throwing lessons are just some of the other reasons to experience Narana.

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N E

Cafe Narana offers all-day breakfasts and lunch with dishes inspired by indigenous ingredients, while the retail outlet stocks handmade Indigenous items including arts and crafts, didgeridoos, boomerangs and other cultural artefacts.

MAssivE

Children’s Playroom A L L DAY M E N U Breakfast

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NORLANE HOTEL 2-8 Princes Hwy, Norlane Ph 5278 2423 www.norlanehotel.com.au

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

1154 Pr inces Hwy Waur n Ponds Phone: 5243 1154

w w w. w a u r n p o n d s h o t e l . c o m . a u WINTER 2016 31

Wrapped right and sleepi ng sound

By LIA SPENCER

to strength, having just been given the thumbs up from the The International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI) who praised ergoPouch’s commitment to developing products that consider the importance of healthy hip development during infancy.

WE’VE turned the air-conditioning off and the heater on, swapped salads for soups and replaced swimmers with jumpers.

It’s important that we keep ourselves and our children warm and safe in the winter and that means ensuring we are wearing the proper clothing both day and night.

“We know that hip health is especially important during the early stages of hip development in the first few months after birth so we’ve gone to great lengths to design baby sleep products that promote healthy hip development right from the outset,” Alina said.

An Australian company has a range of safe and effective products to keep babies and their mum’s snug as a bug on those chilly evenings.

The ergoPouch is renowned for its range of fashion-forward, high-quality baby swaddles, sleeping bags and sleep suits and, adding to its list of impressive products, the company recently developed a new cosy sleep suit for feeding mums.

The ‘twosie’ sleep suit is perfect for evening baby feeds, chilly nights camping or simply lounging around.

It features a cosy tog (warmth) rating of 2.5 and has been designed with special zippers to allow for easy breastfeeding access while still maintaining complete coverage and warmth through the back and waist.

Alina Sack, ergoPouch founder and designer of the ‘twosie’ drew on her own personal experiences as a mother of two boys to come up with the innovative new product.

“I remember the chilly, middle of the night feeds well. The cold air on my bare skin certainly took the edge off the

32 WINTER 2016

We ' ve desi gned the ' twosi e ' to encourage a much more snuggly, mi ddle of the ni ght experi ence for mums and bubs... enjoyment of the beautiful bonding time with my babies. We’ve designed the ‘twosie’ to encourage a much more

snuggly, middle of the night experience for mums and bubs,” Alina said.

The company is going from strength

Swaddling has been widely advocated by leading physicians including Leo Donnan, orthopaedic surgeon and chief of surgery at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, as an effective way of settling a restless infant, but it’s important to ensure the baby’s hips are in the correct position when doing so. If not performed in a safe fashion, tight swaddling can negatively affect the development of a baby’s hips, even to the point of dislocation.

If a child does have to wear a brace because of hip dysplasia, they can still fit comfortably inside the ergoCocoon while keeping their little arms securely swaddled.

To learn more or view the full range of ergoPouch products visit www. ergopouch.com.au

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

DEALING with the winter chills can add a whole new layer of complexity when you’re trying to keep your little one warm and healthy. Here are some ways to make it easy to keep your baby comfortable, safe and as snug as a bug in a rug this winter: What is the right temperature for my baby?

Ideally your baby’s room should be between 16 degrees Celsius and 20 degrees Celsius, with 18 degrees Celsius the most optimal room temperature for your baby. The best way to monitor this is to have a room thermometer to keep your baby’s room at a safe and comfortable temperature.

How do I know if my baby is the right temperature?

Place your hand on bub’s chest, tummy or back to see if he feels too hot or too cold and adjust his sleepwear or room temperature accordingly. Don’t rely on your baby’s hands or feet to work out if he is warm enough as it is normal for them to feel cooler than his core temperature.

A baby who is overheated may have damp hair, can be sweaty, flushed, have a rapid pulse and sometimes

fever. A layer of clothing should be removed and baby may need to be taken to a cooler environment or gently fanned.

all great at helping promote better sleep as they are breathable and can help keep your baby’s temperature constant throughout the night.

A baby who is not able to stay warm may become uninterested in feeding, become lethargic, floppy and difficult to arouse.

When using a quality, zippered tog-rated swaddle, sleeping bag or sleep suit you will not require additional layers of blankets, which can also increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Overheating and over chilling your baby are SIDS risk factors and can impact the health and wellbeing of your baby. It is therefore important to dress your baby appropriately based on current temperature of their environment and to adjust baby’s clothes as the temperature changes.

What should my child wear to achieve the right temperature?

Knowing what to dress your baby in at night can be very confusing!

Soft natural fibre pyjamas, swaddles, sleeping bags and sleepsuits help your baby stay warm and comfortable all night. Cotton, bamboo and merino are

ergoPouch baby sleeping bags are made from natural fibres to help regulate temperature throughout the night. Fillings are skin-friendly organic cotton or bamboo, never synthetic. They are designed with unique stretch inserts at the sides and at the shoulder to allow babies to move freely and comfortably while they sleep. All ergoPouch swaddles, sleeping bags and sleep suits are tog rated so there is an ergoPouch baby sleeping bag to suit every season.

What is a tog?

Just to get technical for a moment,

a ‘tog’ rating is a measure of thermal resistance. Put another way, it is a way of measuring of the warmth of a doona – or in this case, baby sleeping bag or swaddle.

The smaller the number, the lighter (or cooler) it will be and the higher the number, the warmer it will be. The lightest tog we offer is our 0.3 tog Summer Sleeping Bag and the warmest we make is our 3.5 tog Winter Sleeping Bag or Sleepsuit Bag. It’s interesting to note, that in Europe, a summer doona is considered to be 3-4.5 tog and a spring/autumn weight would be 7.5-10.5 tog, with a winter weight being a whopping 12-13.5 tog.

To help you decide what’s best for the temperature of your baby’s room ergoPouch have created a handy temperature chart to help you choose the right clothing to wear underneath.

A free room thermometer is also included with every ergoPouch sleeping bag or sleep suit.

5 5 fillings are

skin-friendlny organic cotto or bamboo, never synthetic. .

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

WINTER 2016 33

e s i c r e eEssxential food for the brain ESSENTIAL FOOD FOR THE BRAIN

THERE is a shocking truth about Australian children that is unexpected for such a sport crazy country: our children are some of the least active in the world: 84% of school aged children fail to get one hour of physical activity a day; 75% of children aged two to four spend more than one hour in front of a television or computer daily and about 15 per cent have a screen in their bedroom.

As well as being essential to physical and emotional health, exercise has a significant role to play in the healthy development of your child’s brain and this affects your child’s ability to learn.

How well the brain develops is very dependent on the kinds of experiences and opportunities a child has from the moment they are born. While good nutrition and nurturing relationships are essential, movement also plays an important role. Dr Daniel Wolpert, a neuroscientist and engineer who studies how the brain controls the body, argues that the brain’s most important job is learn, refine and control movement, because everything we do is movement-based, even thinking.

When movement opportunities are reduced, the brain’s opportunity to learn and function to its potential capacity is considerably hampered.

HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO “GET ACTIVE”?

CHILDREN look to adults for guidance on many areas of life – including exercise. Research has shown that parents who make exercise a regular part of your day are more likely to have young children who are also physically active. The trick is to make exercise fun and make it look like you are having fun as well! The sooner you start, the better!

34 WINTER 2016

BABIES

BABIES need to move, because even early exploratory movements soon after birth affects how the brain wires itself.

■ Keep babies unwrapped and out of restrictive containers (like the car seat, pram, bouncer, etc.) for as much time as possible.

■ Keep hands and feet uncovered as much as possible to encourage movement.

■ Tummy time when awake is very important. Tummy time enables those inbuilt, initial exploratory movement patterns to help the baby feel their body moving against the surface of the mat or your own body.

This is the first step towards early independent movement.

■ Avoid any screen time at all. Babies and children less than two years of age learn far more from moving and interacting with the world around them.

TODDLERS AND PRE-SCHOOLERS ■ Toddlers need lots of opportunities to gain good balance so that later motor skills have a solid foundation on which to function. It’s hard to hop or skip or even sit still in a chair if your balance is poor!

■ Go for walks, encourage your toddler to balance along edges, planks, stepping stones and the like, and to run up and down grassy slopes.

Good balance is essential for automatic control of the body.

■ Put away that computer device and turn off the TV! Avoid screen time as much as possible. Limit it to a maximum of one hour a day. No time at all is better, but challenging to implement! If you do allow your toddler to watch a screen, choose an interactive show, such as Playschool – so children get up and dance and sing along.

PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN ACTIVE, healthy kids Australia report that only 19% of Australians aged 5-17 years and 15% of Australians aged 12-17 years, meet the recommended activity guidelines of accumulating at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. So how to encourage your primary schoolers to get active?

■ As for younger age groups, active parents encourage active children, so look for an activity you are happy to do with your children – start with a simple game of catch, or cricket in the back yard. Once you all feel more confident head out for a picnic to a local park with scooters or bicycles. Picnic near the playground equipment so children can still see you and you them while they play.

■ This age group will spend hours in a swimming pool playing. Make sure your children are swim safe – so lessons are essential first and they need to be supervised.

■ Monitor screen time. Restrict TV to the few favourite shows each day. Turn the TV off once they are finished.

Try to avoid having the TV on all the time.

TEENAGERS THE most active teenagers are those who grow up playing a sport and continue to do so during their teenage years. If your child is a reluctant exerciser and needs to be “dragged kicking and screaming” from a screen it’s definitely a challenge to get them active! Here are a few suggestions: ■ Start slowly. If you have a dog, make it the responsibility of the teenager in the house to walk the dog daily.

Even if they just amble along for 10 minutes, it’s exercise they would not have otherwise had! Gradually encourage a longer walk.

■ If watching TV try to build in some exercise when the commercials are on… make a game of it … who can do the most leg lifts in a row? How many push-ups can you do in the ad break?

■ Boys love to have muscles.

Encourage weight training – start with just their own body as the weight – push-ups, the plank, crunches etc. all build muscle bulk.

Dr Jane Williams (PhD) is the Director of Research and Education for GymbaROO and KindyROO.

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

fairy Pa rt y t im e f o r t h e

b e s t o f f r ie n d s

A COLOURFUL and fun group of magical friends are set to take centre stage at Cardinia Cultural Centre in June.

The Fairies will party their way through an hour of high energy dancing and brilliant fairy songs in the brand new stage show, Let’s Party!

Magical fairies Harmony and Rhapsody lead the way with fairy spells galore, showing how the Five Fairy Friendship Rules are key to having a fan-fairy-tastic party.

Barnaby, Elf and Wizzy join with their fairy friends as they all sing and dance to new party hits as well as classics like Fairy Hi, Fairy Dancing Girl, We’re Going to Have A Party and of course, the all-time party fave, Jump Jump Star.

Let’s Party is the brand new stage show which follows their incredibly popular Fairy Princess, Jump Jump Star, Fairy Dancing and Christmas Magic tours.

The Fairies concert will begin 11am on 26 June at Geelong Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are $50 premium or $27.50 standard. Visit www.gpac. org.au or www.thefairies.com The Fairies favourite Harmony answered some questions from Casey Cardinia Kids ahead of the highly anticipated tour, Let’s Party! www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

CCK: What is your favourite thing about being a fairy?

Harmony: I just LOVE living in Fairyland and being able to pop up to the Top of the Garden and fly around the real world whenever the weather is sunny.

The best time ever is when we make ourselves as big as humans and perform concerts in front of our fairy friends.

CCK: Is there anything you don’t like about being a fairy?

Harmony: Mmm. Nope! Can’t say there’s anything I don’t like – being a fairy is just fan-fairy-tastic.

CCK: If you weren’t a fairy, what would you like to be?

Harmony: I would definitely need wings so perhaps a very pretty butterfly.

CCK: What is your favourite thing about Melody, Jingles and Treble?

Harmony: We love teaching the tots how to dance and how to be the best fairy friends they can be. Do you know the 5 fairy friendship rules? Just in case you need to learn them too, they are: 1. Love your friends just the way they are

2. Be happy, giggly and positive 3. Sharing is for caring friends 4. A hug a day and your friends will stay 5. Say sorry if you make mistakes and forgive your friends if they make mistakes CCK: What’s your favourite thing about Rhapsody?

Harmony: Everything! I love Rhapsody to pieces, she’s my fairy best friend.

CCK: What’s the biggest thing you have learned from Rhapsody through your friendship, and do you think the biggest lesson is that you have taught her?

Harmony: Rhapsody is full of fun and energy and is such a happy fairy.

If ever I’m feeling a bit sad, her smiling face and happy singing and dancing makes me feel so much better.

I think Rhapsody would say that I have taught her that there are never problems too hard to fix.

CCK: What are you most looking forward to with this upcoming tour?

Harmony: Seeing our fairy friends singing and dancing – especially when they dance to Jump Jump Star – everyone seems to know just how to do that in the most perfect way.

I’m also looking forward to watching Rhapsody dance ‘en pointe’ to

Fairy Ballet and Princess Perfect.

CCK: What can The Fairies fans expect for the future?

Harmony: The Fairies always love performing so we’ll keep on doing that, and we’re working hard on an amazing series called Fairy Dancing!

Fast Facts Age: A fairy never tells her true age!

It’s somewhere between 3 and 300!

Favourite children’s book: Kite Flying Fun by The Fairies Favourite band? Mmm that’s a hard one. I loved it when Barnaby made up a Fairyland Band. It did need a little bit of magic to sound amazing, but after a fairy spell and a few magic wand waves, it was such a great band!

Favourite Food? Strawberries.

Last Favourite Food? Pancakes with honey!

Favourite Holiday Destination?

Fairy Beach with Bubbles the Beach Fairy.

WINTER 2016 35

LI TERATURE, LITERACY AND THE DREADED

label

Labels …

They’re everywhere – literally and figuratively. Not just brandishing the necklines of designer ware, stamped into laptop lids and pockmarking every apple in the barrel at your local supermarket, they’re also licked and stuck to the intangible.

They’re even stuck to our kids.

36 WINTER 2016

www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

By TANIA MCCARTNEY Shy, outgoing, gifted, naughty. Smart, dreamy, talented, lazy. Happy, sad, angry, excited. Labels, labels, everywhere, and children openly seizing and living up to them. O, beware the label, for it not only secures the fate of the labelled one, it erases the complexity and unique combination of elements that make up each and every one of our children.

Sure, labels are oftentimes helpful.

They can help us delineate, learn and understand life in a broader context.

And for early childhood, they’re a valuable part of the educational construct. Sometimes they are elegant in their simplicity, as is the way with concept books – early childhood creations that teach kids the basics of spatial – and self-awareness. Up and down, left and right, right and wrong, black and white.

But as we 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 self-aware, more open and compassionate human beings, then I’m all for grey. And silver, smoke, slate, stone, ash, dove and flannel, for that matter.

As children grow, they begin to grasp complexity and inconsistency.

Things certainly become less black and white, but I don’t think we can underestimate the ability of very little kids to explore and understand the complexities of the ‘spaces between’.

This is especially true for children who struggle with learning, socialising and expressing how they feel.

Let’s take Happy and Sad as an example. These supposedly opposing emotions sit at the opposite ends of the spectrum. You’re either happy or you’re sad. Exclusively. But what about melancholy? Whimsical? Misty-eyed?

Reminiscent? What about cheerful, glad, merry, perky, tickled-pink? www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

What about those oddball feelings that don’t even really have a label – like when a balloon pops? Is the feeling shock? Or is it surprise, anger, elation, disappointment, devastation?

A blending or some or all of these things?

Young children live freely and effulgently. They don’t yet have the self-awareness and social markers that temper their emotional response.

And while this is often a charming thing, it can also become a struggle for kids whose lack of emotional understanding and control can develop into fear-responses like anxiety, depression or phobia ... all of which have devastating effects on little bodies and minds.

Labelling emotions (and so many other things) at either end of the spectrum means kids miss the countless levels of nuance that live within each and every one of us. Those subtle changes and shifts in our internal world are key to both self-understanding and full expression.

As a long-time ambassador for juvenile literacy and an author/ illustrator for little ones, I believe in creating books that not only celebrate our differences, but the subtleties that make us who we are. Didactic books, heavy with morals, scratch against my very skin. Children are far more intuitive and receptive to subtlety than we realise and it’s long been said that patronising books are a fast track to literary disengagement for kids.

We simply can’t underestimate the ability of even very young children to comprehend nuance in story books.

Even if they can’t consciously express an understanding of this nuance, it’s definitely there, and that understanding is sourced more easily than with more flagrant narratives. This concept is what inspired, and what is explored in, my picture book Smile Cry. I wanted to create a story for little ones that took two opposing emotions – happy and sad – and put them

at opposite ends of the book so that both narratives met in the middle (as opposing emotions so often do).

As the two stories travel to meet, subtle shifts in the concept of ‘happy’ and ‘sad’ occur. So instead of just feeling happy or just feeling sad, kids can learn about the blending of these two strong emotional states ... how they can overlap and morph and become relatively inexplicable. Label-less, if you will.

In Smile Cry, children can explore a ‘balloon-pop cry’. A ‘need a bandage quick cry’ or an ‘ice-cream plopping down cry’. They can also explore a ‘tick smile’, a ‘silly smile’ or a ‘hug-a-cuddlymonkey smile’. And of course, each of these smiles and cries can differ in intensity, depending on the child in question. There is no one blanket term for any emotion – and this allows kids to develop a much deeper understanding of their own inner being.

Presenting emotions in this way not only taps directly into child-speak and burgeoning imaginations, it has a secondary effect. It teaches children that feeling happy can also be tinged with love and affection. Or excitement and confidence. It can teach them that feeling sad can quickly morph with indignation or shock. Helplessness or loss.

The concept of labelling is definitely learned behaviour. It’s not innately present in young children, who live without internal boundaries. Children inherently know the boundlessness of their being, and labels can sometimes kybosh this understanding.

Books and stories are a fine way to help little ones understand less tangible aspects of life, such as the way we feel ... and to free themselves of labels and limited thinking. We are complex beings, and if we can foster this notion as our children grow – by harnessing subtlety and nuance – we will not only enhance our kids’ lives, we’ll set them free. Free of the dreaded label.

– 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 at all good book stores. www.taniamccartney.com WINTER 2016 37

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' kids

kalendar 18 June-25 July

5-9 July

Hi gh School Musi cal On Stage

PAW Patrol Ready for Acti on

Based on Disney’s Emmy Awardwinning TV movie and adapted for the stage by David Simpatico, Disney’s High School Musical On Stage will be fun for the whole family.

The Playhouse Geelong Performing Arts Centre

25 June-10 July

Nati onal Wool Museum school holi day program Kids will love the winter holiday activities at the wool museum: Chopstick Knitting Needles on Mondays, Green Sheep Gardens on Tuesdays, Who Ate My Dinosaur? on Wednesdays, Learn to knit with TikkiKnits on Thursdays and Gingerbread Dinosaur on Fridays.

4 August

Do you have what it takes to be a PAW Patrol Trainee?

Join Ryder, Chase and Marshall from Nick Jr as they answer Mayor Goodway’s call for help to save the Adventure Bay Talent Show.

27 June-8 July Take the kids for some delicious international food fun at Market Square Shopping Centre over the school holidays.

Attractions include The Bouncy Big Apple, crafts, kids’ meal deals and edible making edible windmills and cupcakes. Visit marketsquaregeelong. com.au for more information.

Ryder and the Pups will take participating kids through all the moves in the best rescue mission ever.

Circus Quirkus

11am and 1pm; noon meet and greet.

This electric and entertaining mix of circus acts has entertained audiences around the world.

Centre Court Westfield Geelong

Noon-2pm in Food Court, level 1 Market Square, Geelong

Internationally renowned clowns, jugglers, acrobats and more deliver funny, engaging and sometimes death-defying acts of unbelievable skill to thrill patrons of all ages.

30 June and 7 July

The Arena North Geelong

Any time

Call 5272 4701 or visit nwm.vic.gov. au for more information.

10 July

National Wool Museum Geelong

The Wi ggles ' Wi ggle Town Tour The Wiggles are coming to Geelong to celebrate their 25th anniversary.

One of Australia’s favourite children’s groups, The Mik Maks are returning to town for a pair of shows featuring songs from their new album, Working on the Farm.

Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog and Henry the Octopus will be there to join the fun.

Costa Hall Deakin University Waterfront campus

Souvenirs and refreshments are available.

The Ponds Hotel Waurn Ponds

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www.geelongcoastkids.com.au

The Carousel Beach Road, Geelong

for children with additional educational needs and disabilities

Earn a great home based income • Established mail order company • 36 years experience • 80 million customers wordwide

$500 - $4500+

Potential per month full/part time

Full training provided www.me.freedombiznow.com

for children with additional educational needs and disabilities

Fun, sensory educational sessions...

Work From Home!

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Probably yes! But if you’re looking for some extra: language stimulation, dance break opportunities, time to focus just on your child, a way to meet other families and make new friends in Geelong, or ways to make learning easier for your child, you should come to Kindermusik!

There’s nothing better than a ride at Geelong’s heated waterfront Carousel during winter.

Entry is free, with only riders required to buy a ticket.

Both shows begin 5pm, with families invited to book a table on 5243 1154.

“Is my toddler developing okay?”

The Carousel

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The Mi k Maks

Sessions take place on Saturdays at Community Hub, Leopold Child & Family Centre For bookings send us a message on our Facebook page: facebook.com/outsidetheboxeducation1 or Phone 0490 408 627 WINTER 2016 39

GEELONG

Your One Stop Spot For Total Family Fun! With over 20 years of “Serious Fun” under our belt, we sure know how to make your experience at Timezone the best you’ve had!

Established in 1995 Timezone Geelong has provided thousands of fun filled memories for the young and those young at heart.Timezone Geelong places a strong emphasis on Family Fun and have great value packages and games that reflect this family oriented mindset.

Latest Video Games and Ever popular prize games Win fabulous prizes!

Laserquest is an adrenaline pumping, all action, indoor laser skirmish experience Our interactive arena caters for up to 24 people with the option of playing as an individual or in a team and can be used for anything from a “just for fun experience” to team and leadership building for sporting groups or corporates.

TImezone Geelong offers its customers a truly fun-filled experience!

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New to

Timezone, Open 10am til late everyday (except Christmas day) 89 MALOP ST GEELONG (CITY CENTRE) PH: 1300 TIMEZONE or 5222 6050 www.timezone.com.au

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www.geelongcoastkids.com.au