Stonnington Boroondara Kids Spring 2018

FREE SPRING 2018

Boroondara’s

Em Rusciano AND THE MOTHERLOAD

SEE INSIDE TO WIN A

wishbone bike AND MORE...

A Star N News Group Publication bl

Proudly supported by

© 2018 Tynong North Operations Pty Ltd (Gumbuya World)

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www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

SPRING 2018 3

about us . . .

WE’RE

crazy ABOUT kids, TOO

IT is finally here!

children at risk.

We hope you are just as excited as we are about our very first Stonnington Boroondara Kids magazine.

You’ll laugh and smile when reading our chat with singer, performer and radio host Em Rusciano and how she tackles being a parent with a full plate and a daughter in VCE on pages 14 and 15.

This spectacular magazine is brought to you by Star News Group - a family owned and independent media company for more than a century.

A team of enthusiastic journalists, passionate advertising representatives and creative geniuses, who coincidentally also have their own offspring and know first-hand the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of parenting, have all worked hard to bring it to life.

We know what is important to local families and that is why we have sought help from experts in a range of fields to deliver you important professional advice, health and safety tips, educational facts and entertainment news.

This issue is full to the brim of all of the above.

Turn to page 7 to learn about how to use social media without putting your

You’ll want to get outside when you see our top five playgrounds in Boroondara on page 8.

Learn how to grow your own baby garden, turn your hobby into cash and all about gender reveal parties on ages 30 and 31.

Alternatively, you may want to bury your head in a book when you see the most popular books for children on page 33.

We are so proud of our new product, but your opinion matters most.

We want to know what you think of our magazine and welcome all feedback.

the next edition, make sure to email melissa.meehan@starnewsgroup.com. au with your information or photos.

We hope you enjoy Stonnington Boroondara Kids magazine and don’t forget to check out our new website stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au.

The website offers an abundance of entertainment and educational information, keeps you up-to-date with great events in and around Stonnington and Boroondara.

It’s the go-to destination for activity in your area.

Also like our Facebook page, facebook.com/ StonningtonBoroondaraKids, which gives daily and weekly updates so you know what’s happening in your area.

Follow us on Instagram too, instagram.com/ stonningtonboroondarakids Have a great spring, and happy reading.

If you want to have a great idea explored, have an interesting story to tell or simply want to get your face in

HALLOWEEN

PAGE 5

PAGE 17

PAGE 26

Learn from mistakes and keep your kids safe

Create confidence with artistic flair

Dared to be scared

Win a wishbone bike

HEALTH

REALITY BITES

PAGE 6

PAGE 18

PAGE 27

Convenient and comfortable for your pet

The link between good vision and effective learning

Helping couples become parents

Family matters at Colombo’s

Pregnant and new mums can rely on Fitwise

Boroondara’s best parks and playgrounds

PAGE 19 Access emergency doctors from home PAGE 20 Fresh food – the way nature intended

PAGE 9

PAGE 21

Getting to know Jimmy Giggle

A one hour float is like taking a mini vacation

PAGE 10

Editorial Melissa Meehan melissa.meehan@starnewsgroup.com. au Phone: 5945 0666 Photography Rob Carew Advertising Clare Vane-Tempest clare.vane-tempest@starnewsgroup. com.au Sarah Wright sarah.wright@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0666

Creative Services Manager Chris Beale

ARTS AND CRAFTS

PAGE 8

Stonnington Boroondara Kids Cnr Princes Hwy and Army Road, Pakenham, 3810 PO Box 9, Pakenham, Victoria 3810 Phone: 5945 0666 Fax: 5945 0777

Mandy Clark

IT’S YOUR LIFE

Oversharing parents put kids at risk

Stonnington Boroondara Kids will be published quarterly prior to each of the school holidays.

Advertising Manager

contents

PAGE 7

Stonnington Boroondara Kids magazine is a Star News Group publication.

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.

Cover Mia and Mia, wearing clothing from Balloon for Kids, about to make a mess with Smash Cakes Melbourne at Carnival for Kids.

Picture: Rob Carew

FREE

PAGE 28-29 Kat Stewart’s magical new role

SPRING 2018

Boroondara’s

PAGE 30 Grow, baby, grow PAGE 31 Money saver becomes money maker

Em Rusciano AND THE MOTHERLOAD

Gender reveals a hot trend SEE INSIDE TO WIN A

FASHION

wishbone bike

PAGE 32

Reduce waste, join a toy library

EDUCATION

Our babysitters: a trusted, local service

PAGE 22

PAGE 11

Classical toys the way to go

Just for fun

PAGE 23

PAGE 12

Passion for music, and qualified too

Police here to help not discipline

PARTIES

High end fashion for your kids

AND MORE...

A Star N News G Group P Publication bl

Proudly supported by

Bullyproof your kids PAGE 14-15 Em Rusciano and the motherload PAGE 16 How to style your childs room

4 SSPRING PRI PR P RIIN R NG G 201 20 2 2018 01 018

PAGE 24 Born to party

BOOKS PAGE 33 Tackling teenage troubles

CALENDAR PAGE 35 Spring sensations

PAGE 25 We’ve found the insta-worthy party venue

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your life It’s

Learn from mistakes and keep your kids safe

By Melissa Meehan TRAPPED between metal gates and struggling to breathe, five-year-old Benjamin Edmands looked at his mum and said "I don't want to die".

It happened ten years ago, but Erica Edmands remembers it like it was yesterday.

She had piled three kids into the car but had left something inside her house - so told them to sit tight and ran inside, keys in hand.

It was a scream from her daughter that first sounded the alarm.

"I immediately knew something was wrong," Kidsafe Victoria president Ms Edmands says.

And she was right, Ben had got himself out of the car and taken the remote control for the front gate and taken himself for a ride.

But he became jammed between the seven metre gate and its large metal frame.

"It had continued to close as he was standing on it and it got stuck on his hips, lower ribs and lungs and we couldn't move it," she said.

"He was crying, his sister was screaming and we had people everywhere trying to move the gate."

While they waited for the fire brigade and ambulance to arrive, it was Ms Edmands' then six-year-old's son calmness in chaos that still astounds her.

He ran inside and brought back a bottle of olive oil, hoping it would help slide his brother free.

Unfortunately it didn't work and the fire brigade and paramedics freed Benjamin after a long and arduous task.

"I still remember Ben looking up at me asking if he was going to die, and saying 'I don't want to die, I can't breathe'," Ms Edmands said.

The emergency services eventually got him out but they had to be careful because they didn't know if he had any internal injuries - luckily for all involved, he didn't.

Benjamin's experience is what led to Ms Edmands' affiliation with Kidsafe Victoria.

A lawyer by trade, she describes herself as a sensitive and capable parent - who made a few mistakes and she wanted to help make sure no one else went through what her family did.

By her own admission, she should have never left the kids in the car, and the front gate should have had a sensor on it in case anything became stuck while it was closing.

"The only reason he is alive is because he stood on the last two bars - the gate didn't stop because he was wedged, it stopped because it had nowhere else to go ... we nearly lost him," she said.

Erica Edmands with the gate her son was caught in.

In the last decade, Ms Edmands has only spoken about that day a handful of times and still gets emotional about it.

She still sees Ben's face and hears him m telling her he didn't want to die.

"He was just five and had his whole life ahead of him - we were lucky, but it was that 30 seconds that could have ended in tragedy," she said.

"I'm very lucky - I consider myself blessed."

Kidsafe Victoria provides advice and tools of how to ensure you can provide a safe environment for your children.

Their website has useful links and checklists for home, water and road safety and more.

Go to www.kidsafevic.com.au

Win a

wishbone bike

STONNINGTON Boroondara Kids readers are being given the chance to win a much sought after Wishbone Balance Bike thanks to Honeybee Toys in Malvern.

Valued at $285 the multi award winning bike grows with your child from 12 months of age to five years, teaching them how to balance and learn how to ride a bike without the use of training wheels.

Wishbone bikes assist your child to walk with a sturdy lightweight frame as a support and then ride with the stability of a three-wheeled trike, and www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

finally progress to a two wheel balance bike.

she found it difficult to find quality wooden toys when she had her own young children.

Enter the competition by going to stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au/ competitions/

It soon became the dream, not only to source wooden toys for their children, but to make them available for like-minded families across Australia.

Honeybee Toys is dedicated to providing natural and wooden toys for imaginative play.

Their toys are ecofriendly, ethically made, non-toxic and chosen with great care.

Owner Melissa said the business was born fourteen years ago when

So Melissa and her husband Brendan took the plunge, left their jobs, and immersed themselves in the world of childhood and handmade toys, and now stock the largest range of European wooden toys in Australia.

“We never tire of hearing the feedback from families of how our toys transform the way their children play�.

SPRING 2018 5

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Dr Suze Visiting Vet is perfect for busy families.

Convenient FOR YOU,

comfortable FOR YOUR PET

A sick pet is stressful enough without having to pile the whole family into the car to go to the vet.

That's where Dr Suze My Visiting Vet comes in.

Dr Susanna Gamage started the business earlier this year after her much loved Border Collie, Ben, was able to fall asleep for the last time at home - after a battle with terminal liver cancer.

He passed away peacefully in his favourite spot at home, surrounded by family and friends.

Little did he know, he was the inspiration for Susanna's visiting vet service and become the logo of the company.

"I had always recognised that for some clients, going to the vet was going to be a stressful event either in relation to transport issues or having to have a young family in tow," she said.

"And after my experience of having Ben treated at home in an environment that was relaxed and familiar to him, it made me realise the importance of offering other people that choice too.

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Anything that can be done inside a consulting room can be done in the home, but if further work-ups are required, Susanna works with local vet clinics in the area to ensure your pet gets the ultimate care.

So if you are a busy person looking for quality veterinary services that can come to you, Dr Suze can provide caring, personalised and professional care in your own home.

"It's convenient for you and comfortable for your pet," she said.

Susanna graduated from the University of Bristol in the UK and has over a decade of international veterinary experience including clinical treatment of creatures great and small, veterinary pharmaceutical technical advisory and specialist animal diabetic practice.

Dr Suze: My Visiting Vet 1300 88 25 24

FAMILY MATTERS AT

Colombo's AT Colombo's Family Restaurant family isn't just a name, it's a way of life.

As soon as you set foot inside this restaurant it's clear this is the place to be for quality food with a family friendly atmosphere.

Bill Kurban and his brothers started the business in 1969 - today, almost 50 years later, Bill continues to own and run the restaurant in the heart of Balwyn.

He says a large percentage of his customers are families, often with four generations in attendance.

"People don't move out of the area, so we get grandma, mum and dad, yourself and your children," he said.

"We have kids from 30 or 40 years ago who now have kids and they still come back.

"It's a very unique business."

Colombo's Family Restaurant specialises in children's parties and has three separate function areas including upstairs, which can seat 400 people.

"We are very family centric and that makes it a good place to bring your family," he said.

"We always try to give babies their first taste of ice cream and have done this for thousands and thousands of babies."

You'll also find that current staff members are often children of former staff who worked at Colombo's 30 or 40 years ago.

Specialising in pizza and pasta new dishes are added regularly using inspiration from a number of different cultures including Greek, Sri Lankan, Indian, Italian and Lebanese.

So don't wait any longer; get the kids in the car, pick up grandma and get yourself to Colombo's Family Restaurant - you won't be disappointed.

To celebrate their 50th year all tables celebrating a birthday will receive one meal for free.

Colombo's Family Restaurant 250 Whitehorse Road Balwyn, Victoria T: 03 9836 6442 813 Glenferrie Road Hawthorn, Victoria T: 03 9818 5000

Call 1300 88 25 24 www.drsuzemyvisitingvet.com.au Personalised, professional veterinary care in the comfort of your own home.

Health checks and vaccination Acupuncture End of life services including palliation and euthanasia Now servicing your area! Call us for a visit.

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6 SPRING 2018

www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

Oversharing parents put kids at risk

“ on social media

By Melissa Meehan

posting photos of their kids in the bath," she said.

A generation now exists that has never lived in a world without social media.

"These are just the type of photos that predators take."

And by the time they start school many kids already have a digital footprint.

The safest way of sharing these photos is by emailing them directly to grandparents and other interested parties - not sharing them on public profiles where anyone can get access to them.

Social media is a great tool to share photos and updates with friends and family around the globe - but by doing so are we putting our children at risk?

Cybersafety expert Susan McLean says less is best when sharing photos and traditional methods are often the safest.

"You must understand that once you have posted or shared a photo of your kids - you have lost control of it," Ms McLean said.

"The issue is that even if you have a facebook page with all of the security settings in place there is no guarantee that your "friends" won't take and share that photos."

"Hashtags are really dangerous too - people can search for terms like wedding cake but the predators of the world know the hashtags to search.

And suggests checking security settings and making sure you only share information and photos of your children with a small number of trusted individuals.

"People are still posting naked photos of children on social media - I follow plenty of people who are forever

"They will trade them and share them."

Ms McLean said oversharing parents also caused issues for their kids in later life.

â– Less is more

"Many children arrive at school with a digital footprint because of their oversharing parents - and some of what's shared can haunt them later.

"Parents need to be mindful of this."

â– Check that you are sharing with trusted people only

â– Be careful of hashtags

â– Share photos directly with those you trust via email or sms

â– Check security settings

â– Don't post photos of other kids

12396351-CG37-18

Australia's foremost cybersafety expert, Susan McLean.

"I've seen photos of kids at potty parties - and you have to wonder what planet are these parents on?," she said.

TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD ONLINE â– Don't post naked photos

- Susan McLean, cyber safety expert

If you are going to continue to post online, make sure location services are turned off - this will stop the wrong people being able to find the exact location that the photo was taken.

"There is no 100 per cent way of sharing photos of children on social media," she said.

She says relying on the good nature of "friends", which could include people you went to school with or a former neighbour, not to use the photos is dangerous.

There is no 100 per cent way of sharing photos of children on social media.�

Sexts, texts and selfies - Susan McLean WIDELY regarded as Australia's first cyber cop, cyber-safety expert Susan McLean helps you understand and connect with your child's online world, and guide them safely through it in this revised and updated edition of her bestselling book.

She shows you how to establish good online habits, set time restrictions and boundaries, identify good apps and bad apps, deal with cyber bullying, work out who to 'friend' and 'unfriend', and manage your child's digital reputation.

Filled with case studies about what children get up to online and the very latest research, Susan's advice is firm but fair.

With her clear guidelines, parents can allow their children to embrace and enjoy technology, without the stress or worry.

KIDS EAT FREE ON THEIR BIRTHDAY Established by Bill Kurban and his brothers 50 years ago - Colombos has strived to provide quality food and a warm environment for customers, friends and family alike. In doing so, our restaurant has become a great place for parents to bring their children along to for dinner. Come and celebrate our 50th year in business and in turn we’ll help your kids celebrate their birthday, by offering a FREE KID’S MEAL (drink and ice cream included) on their special day.

Come to Colombos, it’s seriously good!

DEAL RUNNING FROM Conditions apply

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SPRING 2018 7

your life It’s

There's so much fun to have at Hays Paddock in Kew East.

Picture: Rob Carew

Boroondara's

best parks and playgrounds

Beckett Park is great for all ages.

These gardens have an outstanding collection of majestic, mature trees surrounded by sweeping lawns.

THE City of Boroondara is renowned for its many picturesque parks and gardens. Whether you are looking to take a relaxing stroll, want to entertain the kids in a fun playground, or are planning a family picnic by the river, there are many perfect places for you.

The excellent adventure playground features climbing nets, a large seesaw, a flying fox, monkey bars, a rotating flower, large wooden kookaburras, a sandpit and great swings for all ages.

The playground is completely enclosed by a safety fence.

Local children all know about the very popular 'rocket' playground area, with a huge rocket for climbing and a super long slide.

Boroondara Mayor Jim Parke says the area is family friendly and home to more than 100 playgrounds.

Beckett Park and Maranoa Gardens

Junction Skate and BMX Park

Famous for its stone observation tower, maze and extensive playground and indigenous plants, Beckett Park is a unique green space with everything you need for a wonderful outdoor experience.

Managed by the YMCA on behalf of the local council, Junction Skate and BMX Park is a great park for young people and families.

"We understand the importance of quality outdoor play spaces and know that children learn life skills through play. We are committed to enhancing the lives of children and their families by creating inviting and well-utilised playgrounds, community parks and green spaces."

Hays Paddock Known for sports and its all-abilities playground, Hays Paddock is also a great setting for picnics.

Tables and seating set in bushland are perfect for social gatherings.

The playground is designed to enable all children to play together. The space contains: ■ swings and slides, including a swing with harness ■ double-width slide ■ extra wide see-saw ■ hammocks ■ spider's web ■ a sandpit with sunshade 8 SPRING 2018

There's so much fun to have at Hays Paddock in Kew East.

Picture: Rob Carew ■ wheelchair-accessible carousel.

Markham Reserve As well as a playground, sportsgrounds, a community garden and beautiful spots for picnics, the reserve has a great area for BMX, scooter and skateboard riders.

Markham Reserve is a fantastic, large open space. A scenic path for cyclists runs alongside Gardiners Creek.

The park is a beautiful spot for spending time outdoors and has seating, shelter and barbecues, as well as an off-leash dog area.

Children delight in this wonderland of ramps, swings, slides and monkey bars as well as its in-ground trampoline and large sandpit with mechanical scoops.

The stone observation tower provides views right across Melbourne as far as Mount Macedon in the north west, and there's even a wooden maze to lose yourself in.

This park adjoins Maranoa Gardens and is the perfect spot for relaxing and learning about the fascinating flora native to Boroondara and from other regions.

Visitors can walk through patches of grassy woodlands similar to those that existed more than 100 years ago.

Central Gardens Central Gardens is located in the heart of Hawthorn.

One of Melbourne's best action sports facilities, the park is home to international standard spine bowls and street courses.

The staff are trained in first aid, are all qualified skate coaches, and offer skateboard, scooter and BMX lessons for all skill levels and ages.

Junction Skate and BMX Park offers: ■ free introductory lessons for all skill levels ■ private lessons ■ school holiday program ■ venue hire for birthday parties ■ safety lessons for schools ■ youth development program.

The council website (www. boroondara.vic.gov.au/recreation-arts/ parks-and-gardens) contains information of popular parks and gardens in the area including detailed maps to find a park near you. www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

your life It’s

Jimmy Giggle with his friends Hootabelle and Hoot.

Getting to know Jimmy Giggle

By Melissa Grant IF you have kids, you probably know Jimmy Giggle.

But you may not know that he wanted to be a stuntman when he was a kid, or that he didn't specifically audition for Giggle and Hoot.

Jimmy Rees - or Jimmy Giggle as he is widely known - has been entertaining children for the past nine years as the star of Giggle and Hoot, the popular ABC Kids program.

Jimmy, Hootabelle and their friends are also about to take the television show to the stage for the first time in two years.

The gig is such a hoot that sometimes it's hard for Jimmy to believe he gets paid to do it.

"The television show is too much fun really - you really have to pinch yourself that it's actually a job," he said.

"And it's great to get out and do the live shows and meet the people who are watching."

Jimmy had an interest in entertainment and television from a www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

young age, although initially he wanted to work dangerously behind the scenes.

"I went through this phase where I wanted to be a stuntman, like drive a stunt motorbike," he said.

Jimmy Giggle is now a household name and has a huge following of mums, which came as a bit of a surprise particularly when the children's entertainer stumbled across a Facebook page called 'I could teach Jimmy Giggle a thing or two'.

"It was just an idea and I thought that I could do that but I'm not a risk taker. It was bizarre."

"It's all just tongue in cheek," he said with a laugh.

Jimmy watched a lot of comedy television as a young child and his father, an Englishman with real 'British humour', loved Monty Python and was always joking around and playing the guitar.

Jimmy's son Lenny, 3, is also a fan of the show and often asks Jimmy Giggle for things if dad says no.

Jimmy, who grew up in Victoria, became interested in theatre during high school after watching his brother on stage.

He studied media arts at university but never finished the course.

When ABC3 was being launched in 2009, Jimmy did an open audition for the channel.

He didn't quite make it through, but the casting director handed his footage to the team starting up Giggle and Hoot.

The rest, of course, is history.

"I don't know, I thought sideburns went out in the 1970s!"

QUICK Q&A WITH JIMMY GIGGLE Favourite food? Burger with the lot, beetroot and pineapple included!

Favourite TV show? I do love Games of Thrones.

Favourite music? Rock music.

Foo Fighters are my favourite band.

Given the program's popularity, tickets to the live shows are expected to sell out fast.

Favourite book? I'm not much of a reader, but as a kid I was obsessed with Possum Magic.

The Hootastic Live Concert features the gang's popular songs including The Gigglemobile, Go Giggleosaurus, Birdbath Boogie, The Giggle Galaxy and Hoot's Lullaby.

Your favourite place to holiday?

Beach holiday.

"The show is high energy and they are really fun," Jimmy Giggle said.

"There is a lot of audience interaction and we encourage kids to get up and scream and shout."

Jimmy Giggle, Hootabelle and their friends will perform two concerts at the

Top five dinner party guests (dead or alive)? Jim Carey, Dave Grohl, Muhammad Ali, Kevin Sheedy and Hootabelle

Cardinia Cultural Centre on Thursday 4 October. The shows are at 10am and 12pm.

For tickets, visit livenation.com.au SPRING 2018 9

your life It’s

Reduce waste, join a toy library

By Melissa Meehan IN a consumer driven world, the ability to teach our kids that they don't need to own everything is a privilege we don't often have.

We can spend a small fortune on the latest toy for our little ones, only for them to grow out of them within a matter of months.

That's where Toy Libraries can come in.

Jane O'Connell, manager of the Stonnington Toy Library, has been involved with the community organisation since she had her first child in 1996.

"I did some voluntary work back then and I really liked the children learning through play and I like the concept of toy library," she said.

"It's a sharing culture that you're teaching your child."

Also a committee member of Toy Libraries Australia, Ms O'Connell said toy libraries allowed all children to have an equal start to life.

Catering for newborns to eight-yearold's, toy libraries help children learn through play.

As children grow they develop interests in different types of things from animals, to cars and balls - and toy libraries are able to cater for that without parents having to go out and buy everything.

"They grow through stages of development so quickly, the toy you buy today they would have grown out of within a couple of months," she said.

Ms O'Connell says they are also a wonderful "yes" space where children can ask for something without being told no.

"Parents are able to say 'yes' you can have that without having to say no every time, like you do in the shops," she said.

Toy libraries in Melbourne are non-for-profit and the Stonnington Toy Library is a registered charity - so they rely on donations from members and grants to purchase toys.

"Like a library book you can read it a few times and then take it back," she said.

An annual membership fee allows you to borrow toys for a three week period - with the option of extending the hire.

"Toy libraries are exactly the same concept with toys, puzzles and games."

Members are also asked to volunteer four hours a year.

Kiara 4 enjoys everything the toy library has to offer.

REASONS TO JOIN YOUR LOCAL TOY LIBRARY: Toys that match your child's developmental stage Save money Less toys cluttering your home There are four toy libraries in the Stonnington and Boroondara region, for

more information go to: http://www.stonningtontoylibrary. org.au http://www.pptl.org.au/ http://www.canterburytoylibrary. com.au/ http://www.kewtoylibrary.org.au/

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Our Babysitters: a tr us ted , lo ca l se rv ice &!

s .O JOB IS TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL ONE CHILD OR MANY s !CTIVITIES CUSTOMISED TO YOUR CHILD S NEEDS

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ARE you looking for someone to help with school drop offs, after school care or even to look after a group of kids at a party at home? - Our Babysitters can help.

After running a successful hospitality and events staffing agency (Our Boys & Girls) for more than 15 years, Susie Robinson found there was a gap in the market and it was a natural progression for her business.

"Our staff have seen and done it all before - including working countless events and activations for - and with - children of all ages. From toy launches to major sporting events, the activities have been extremely varied and always fun for both staff and kids alike." she said.

"Our staff interact with kids a lot and I thought to myself, we've got all of these highly trained, educated, super enthusiastic staff, most of whom babysit in their spare time, why not offer this as a service to Melbourne families?"

Ms Robinson says what sets Our Babysitters apart from their competitors is their rigorous and stringent recruitment processes.

These aren't just random individuals with online profiles they've been handpicked, interviewed face to face and comprehensively background checked.

"A lot of our competitors act as introduction agencies. You pay a fee

to access online profiles of staff (who have also paid a fee to upload their profile). It's a pretty loose system essentially all care, no responsibility," she said.

"But our staff are locals, who have grown up in the area and know the expectations of people looking for babysitters in this region through their previous babysitting experience but also their own childhoods and networks.

"I personally live in the area - I grew up in Hawthorn, went to school in Armadale, live in Kooyong and our office is in Malvern - a lifetime in the Stonnington Boroondara area has given me an unparalleled understanding of the region, its residents and their expectations."

You'll find they are not TV childminders either.

Tell Our Babysitters what your kids love and they will turn up prepared and ready to engage in their favourite activities.

Whether it be art & craft, music and story time, superhero dress-ups, touch footy or a hit of rounders in the backyard.

Catering for families with kids aged 0-16, Our Babysitters are decided by you so you remain in total control of who steps into your home.

Our Babysitters https://www.ourbabysitters.com.au/

www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Just for Fun

The State Basketball Centre in Wantirna South will be packed with activities, rides, food stalls and live performances from Peppa and the Paw Patrol pups.

Join the loveable, cheeky little piggy, Peppa as she play games, dresses up and enjoys a day out. Peppa's adventures are always happy filled with loud snorts of laughter and end with her favourite thing - jumping in muddy puddles Then Get Ready for Action as Paw Patrol stars Ryder, Chase and Marshall answer Mayor Goodway's call for help to save the "Adventure Bay Talent Show". Ryder and the Pups take you through all the moves for the Pup, Pup Boogie and make this the best rescue mission ever!

Other names taking to the Main Stage include The Kazoos, the Tim Credible the Magician and the Le Petit Circus - making for a day jammed

packed with family friendly entertainment.

For the crafty ones in the family, there is the Interactive Zone filled with multiple activity stations all designed to encourage children and their families to ignite their imagination, to learn and engage, while creating their very own artistic creations to take home.

Need a little adventure? The Adventure Zone is set up to excite and thrill with rides and attractions for kids of all ages ... And of course mum and dad!

Break up the school holidays with a day the whole family is sure to remember.

Venue: State Basketball Centre, 291 George Street, Wantirna South Date: Sunday 30th September 2018 Time: 10am - 5pm Tickets: Child $35, Adult $8, Groups of 10+ children $25ea Family (2A + 2C) $85 (early bird pricing - ends 18th Aug) Peppa Pig will make an appearance at Just 4 Kids festival.

Bookings and more information: www.just4fun.melbourne

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PAW Patrol and Peppa Pig will bring some star power to Melbourne's newest festival, the Just 4 Fun Children's Festival, on Sunday 30 September.

Farm Fresh Fruit Seasonal Fruit Sales

OPEN DAILY 9AM - 4PM EVERYDAY WE GROW 450 VARIETIES OF FRUIT JOIN US FOR A FUN DAY WHERE YOU CAN: • TRACTOR TOURS - FRUIT TASTING ADVENTURES Enjoy 8 varieties of tree ripened fruit, eat as much as you can (tours run every day and U pick is available) • VISIT OUR FRUIT PLANT NURSERY We have one of the largest ranges of fruiting plants in or around Melbourne. We stock many unusual varieties and specialise in dwarf varieties.

• JOIN US AT THE PEACH CAFÉ FOR LUNCH Serving a delicious range of farm style food and beverages

• VISIT OUR FARM SHOP Large range of fruit and fruit products

• WEDDINGS AND FUNCTIONS

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Our new function room is ideal for weddings, conferences, cocktail parties and family celebrations. Set in amongst the orchard we can comfortably seat 100 people and offer a range of menu options to suit and an experience to remember.

SPRING 2018 11

your life It’s

Leading Senior Constable Lisa Brooks and Leading Senior Constable Linda Hancock say parents shouldn't teach their kids to be afraid of police.

Police here to help, not discipline

By Melissa Meehan POLICE are pleading with parents not to make them the bad guys when it comes to disciplining their kids.

It's a tale as old as time - parents threatening that the police will come and get them if they don't behave.

Leading Senior Constable Lisa Brooks says she and her colleagues hear it on a regular basis- but are doing their best to change old habits.

"We often hear when we're walking around festivals and shopping centres," she said.

"Joey you better be good, the police are going to get you."

But armed with her "fun police" lanyard LSC Brooks will stop and

explain to parents and their kids that she's there to help them, not to take them away.

"We will stop the parents and speak to child, it's Mum and Dad's job top make sure you're behaving - it's our job to help you because that's what we are here for," she said.

"Because one of the first things you can teach your kids is to come to us when they are in trouble - it's not our job to discipline, police are here to help. We

are your friends."

Once it's explained to them - parents often say they've never thought of it that way and it's been something that has been passed on from generation to generation.

"I remember my mum saying it," LSC Brooks says.

"But we do stop and address it."

Speaking to parents is just one way of building trust and respect with young

children across Victoria. Each area is different, but police often go into schools and kinders to introduce themselves and arm kids with information.

Whether it's a cyber-safety talk, flashing their lights at a kinder or running a blue light disco - the message is simple.

Police are here to help, and it's important that children aren't afraid of them.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

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IT'S a sad but very real fact that hundreds of Australian kids experience bullying every year.

several non-violent self-defence techniques to stay safe if physically assaulted."

Studies suggest that bullying may be the leading cause of low self-esteem in children, and many instances go without being reported.

Catering for children ages 5-13, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu differs from other martial arts programs because they teach, first and foremost, to defuse confrontations with words and never to instigate physical aggression.

That's why Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Burwood's Bullyproof program is about so much more than learning to fight.

It's a holistic approach to martial arts.

Robbie Singh is a behavioural analyst who provides social skills training in a variety of educational settings during the day and brings those skills to the martial arts setting.

He has been running the Bullyproof program for the last five years and says the children are able to walk away knowing how to interpret the behaviour of those around them.

By using role play and games they are taught how to tell the difference between harmless jokes and actual harassment and cruelty.

"Our goal is to instil in your child unshakable confidence so they can overcome bullies without violence," Robbie said.

Gracie Jiu Jitsu teaches kids martial arts in a way that doesn't push the fight first mantra.

12 SPRING 2018

"We will teach your child to use verbal assertiveness to deter bullies and

The key difference is that students at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu are taught vocal and physical skills in context.

"It's all about minimising bullying," he said.

"If you teach children what bullying is they are able to identify it when they are being bullied and catch themselves when they engage in behaviour that could be perceived as bullying by someone else. ""The bottom line is: we will prepare your child to defend themselves against bullies without turning them into one."

Gracie Jiu Jitsu Burwood is one of only three certified Gracie Bullyproof program providers in Australia.

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Burwood Unit 2, 5-13 Sinnott St Burwood VIC 3125 Mobile: 0430 154 012 www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

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A CONFIDENT CHILD IS A BULLYPROOF CHILD. At some point or another, every child will be targeted by a bully. The Gracie Bullyproof objective is to give your child the physical, psychological, and verbal tools to overcome bullies. Our aim is not to encourage confrontation, but rather, to reduce fear and build confidence in order to reduce your child’s risk of being targeted.

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In addition to unshakable confidence, our goal is to develop your child’s character to ensure success in all aspects of life.

There are six chapters in the Gracie Character Development Program: Responsibility, Health, Respect, Citizenship, Manners, and Caring.

Once your child is enrolled in the Gracie Bullyproof program, you qualify for a free subscription to GracieKids.com, our interactive online learning center for Gracie Bullyproof.

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We spend two months on each chapter, and during each class we dedicate a few minutes to discussing the featured character trait and the simple things your child can do to make it part of their everyday lives. The secret to our success lies in a unique point-based reward system that we created to excite kids about making daily progress!

U NI T 2/5 - 1 3 SI NNOT T ST RE E T, B U RWOOD V I C 31 25 .

SPRING 2018 13

Em Rusciano says she doesn't have it together, but she's okay with that.

Picture: Kristoffer Paulsen

Em Rusciano AND THE MOTHERLOAD

KNOWN best for her honest, warts and all outlook on life, Em Rusciano is a woman who wears many hats and being a mother is one of them. She's recently announced she's pregnant with her third child and spoke to Stonnington Boroondara Kids reporter MELISSA MEEHAN about her daughter Marchella who is doing her VCE. Q: Em Rusciano, you have many feathers to your cap, mum, wife, interstate radio host, singer, entertainer, comedian - to name a few. How do you do it?

A: I don't! I'm sorry if I've ever given the impression to any human that I 'do it', that I balance my life; because let me tell you, I don't. As I speak to you right now, I'm wearing my pyjama pants even though it's only 1pm, and I'm banging a hook into a wall with a rolling pin because I couldn't locate the hammer. We've just moved house and instead of unpacking the food and utensils and boring useful things, I'm hanging pictures and arranging flowers.

I guess ... I think the way to feel less overwhelmed with 'life balance' is to focus on the task that you're doing, without feeling guilty about the things that you're not. So if you are with your kids, forget all the other crap you should be doing, and focus on that. There is no imaginary evil overlord judging you if the washing has to go through for a third time because it went mouldy. No one cares. Do you.

Q: You could be described as one of the original mummy bloggers, your honest and open posts really seem to resonate with your fans then and now. With all the "perfect" mums out there do you think people craved something real?

And why did you choose to be that person?

A: I never considered myself a mummy blogger - the fact that I'm a mother is the least interesting thing about myself. I'm a writer who happens to have spawned. I feel like I'm selling myself short by saying 'mummy blogger' - not that there's anything wrong with that term, but it just doesn't cover everything I'm about. I feel like I didn't consciously choose to be the real, unedited, honest person online - I just am that person. People will gravitate towards what speaks to them, and I guess my way speaks to some people.

Q: You have two daughters. Can you tell us about them? Any tips on raising strong, fearless and independent women?

A: We have a 'no d***head' policy in our house! No selfish behaviour, no deliberately hurtful behaviour, and one in, all in. My girls also have a lot of privilege, which I make sure they aware of, so they are conscious and kind towards those less privileged in our community. We have an open door policy that no one is judged - my girls would never look at anyone of a different race, religion, sexuality, and feel that they are any different. Most importantly, we teach our girls to trust their gut, their first voice, because that's the best thing for a strong woman.

Q:Your daughter Marchella is currently doing her VCE. How is that going?

A:Marchella is a straight-A student; we are very lucky that she is extremely academically driven. It's a relief, because I stopped being able to help her with Maths in year 8. She's very well-organised (which she definitely didn't get from me). I think she's doing well also because as long as she loves learning and doesn't feel the pressure of an ATAR score, then she'll do her best - which so far is working.

Q: You've described her as having a brilliant mind, artistic flair and sporting prowess in the past, but is it still important not to put too much pressure on her and ensure that she also enjoys her final years as a high school student?

A: Exactly. She's also about to be the lead in her school musical, so you can imagine how beside myself I am.

I've learned all her lines, just in case she should need an understudy on the night ...

Q: How do you find a balance between pushing them to be their best and not pushing too hard?

A: We encourage our girls to go after what they love, and everything else takes care of itself. The traditional subjects are of less importance to us. I mean, I'm still yet to use Pythagoras's Theorem at all in life ... so as long as they are happy with what they are studying, and they learning how to take charge of their own education, we are happy.

Q: Do you have any tips for helping VCE students manage their time, energy and stress? What about tips for parents with children working through their VCE? A: Chella has a schedule that helps her keep track of when things are due and where she needs to be - a whiteboard on the back of her door, showing progress and deadlines. She's so organised. We always try to encourage the girls to work steadily, but not beat themselves up with stress when things aren't going to plan. Occasionally we step in when Chella feels like she's taken on too much, and see if she might need to drop anything co-curricular, but we always just want to make her feel supported with her own decisions. She's got high expectations of herself, so that helps us. She wants herself to succeed as much as we want her to - so I guess that's half the job done for us!

Q: The school formal is an important part of Year 11. With your flair for sequins and feathers - were you able to enjoy the preparations with Marchella?

A: Chella is very different to me, she's actually not one for sequins. I enjoyed helping her (passionately and desperately!) but I have to always respect that her taste is different to mine, and that she doesn't want to turn up looking like a drag queen. She has great taste of her own, she looked amazing ... and I had to remind myself to stay calm.

Q: What are some other highlights that you've been able to share with her during the VCE? A: Getting cast in the lead of the school musical, getting selected into the Monash Scholars' program, being named as Media leader, watching her film at the Eltham short film festival, watching her take ownership and responsibility over her own education ... she's an impressive kid!

Q: It would be remiss of me not to mention your exciting news. You are pregnant, and will welcome a son to the world later this year.

Congratulations. Has the pregnancy been different this time around?

A: Thank you! Yes, it's been hell. My body is angry with me for impregnating it at such an old age. I'm officially classified as a 'geriatric pregnancy'. I don't know if it's what has made the difference or not, but it's a boy, and my morning sickness has been much worse!

Q: On your radio show, you mentioned how in awe you are of women who have been through multiple miscarriages or failed IVF attempts and still continue to try for a baby. You have openly discussed your own miscarriage.

Do you think it was important to talk about it, given it's often something not spoken about publicly?

A: Of course. The women who have gone back several times are incredible, and they deserved to be told that. I felt really alone when I went through my miscarriage. I remember lying awake at 2am, feeling completely isolated, and stumbling across various online communities of women desperately searching for answers, so I wanted to talk openly about my experience so other women would feel less alone than I did. My Evil Queen show earlier this year was an incredible experience for me, feeling the support and energy of the women in the room who had been through the same thing. One in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, yet it's not talked about nearly enough.

your life It’s

Wallpaper featuring polka dots are popular for girls'' bedrooms.

Pictures: Ingrid Karm Photography/ www.ingridkarm.com

How to style your

child's room

By Melissa Grant SPRING is the perfect time to give your child's room a refresh.

bedside tables with drawers, Rosaria says the softer edges provide a "nice touch".

But where do you start and how do you ensure your styling is on trend?

The interior designer says small desks and upholstered toy boxes with a seat on top, which provide extra storage, are also popular items.

Interior designer Rosaria Miot has styled countless children's bedrooms over the past 15 years.

You are also likely to find a low ottoman and shelving (to display books and figurines) in a child's room.

The founder of Welcome Home Interiors, who has clients across Melbourne's eastern suburbs, says parents are going all out when decorating kids' rooms, unlike in decades gone by when little thought was given to furnishings and window dressings.

However, Rosaria says you're unlikely to see chests of drawers as these are generally hidden away in wardrobes as a safety measure.

Here, Rosaria shares the latest in kids' bedroom trends from walls to windows to art.

■ Walls Wallpaper is huge at the moment.

Forget about the retro designs from the 1960s and 1970s - they are long gone.

Rosaria says wallpaper featuring stripes, large stylised floral designs, large polka dots and watercolour effects are on trend.

She's also been selling a lot of textured grasscloth and grass weave wallpaper for children's bedrooms, study areas and playrooms.

■ Beds Rosaria says many parents are thinking long-term when purchasing their child's first real bed.

"They're buying king single or even a double rather than making two purchases in 10 years."

■ Floors Inexpensive brown rugs purchased from department stores such as Kmart have become a real trend.

While most rooms are carpeted these days, Rosaria says it's common for parents to throw a rug over the top of carpet to soften their child's room.

"I often suggest large inexpensive ones for kids," she advises. *Window dressings

"The trend is the wallpaper sometimes even wallpapering two walls instead of one feature wall."

Plantation shutters are hugely popular as window treatments, Rosaria says.

It's a good idea to select a design that will grow with your child, Rosaria adds.

They are easy to clean and don't gather dust, which is great for children with allergies. Blockout blinds are also popular.

Wallpaper not only looks good - it's sure to stand the test of time.

"Textured wallpapers are very hard-wearing.

"When you choose a vinyl or textured vinyl based wallpaper it actually protects your wall. People find they don't have to touch up their walls."

The glue is much different than it was in the 1970s, so removal isn't destructive.

■ Furniture Round bedside tables are in. While these aren't as functional as traditional 16 SPRING 2018

Parents are thinking long-term when purchasing their child's bed and often buy doubles or king singles.

■ Art Contemporary artwork has become a popular feature for kids bedrooms. In years gone by, pictures of animals and the alphabet adorned the walls of a child's room. However, parents are now purchasing more grown-up artwork that can hang around for years.

"With artwork they tend to pick out pieces that are limited edition and can carry through until their (child's) teens," Rosaria said.

Parents are going all out when styling their child's room. www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Noah's Ark the right choice for your child

THE unique Key Worker model at Noah's Ark has worked wonders for Xavier, five-and-a-half, and his family.

Xavier was referred to Noah's Ark Everyday Therapy program with speech and language difficulties and someplay-based delays.

Let their imagination and creativity run wild at The Art Factory.

Create

Xavier's mum, Erin*, said their Key Worker, Melanie* visited Xavier both at kinder and at home.

confidence with

"We did fortnightly visits at home and did a lot of play based learning during the sessions and taught me skills then tohelp Xavier during the week," she said.

artistic flair IN a world where we often see kid's heads buried in smart devices - it's important that they are given opportunities that allow them to be creative.

The Art Factory is the perfect place for kids aged between 2 and 12 to get creative and grow self-confidence.

Emma Light, Victorian College of Art graduate and artist, started The Art Factory in 1999 and has been sharing her passion for all things creative ever since.

"Over the years we've had kids who we've had grow up, coming to The Art Factory and it gives them not only a great time doing the art work - but the opportunity to gain a great sense of self-worth and confidence," Emma said.

"They also have great pride in what they make and we like to encourage the kids to try new things and not worry about making mistakes."

She said younger kids are also able to

Unlike the traditional approach of therapy provided in a clinical setting, Noah's Ark assigns one staff member - a specialist in in either speech pathology, occupational therapy, education, physiotherapy, psychology or social work - to work closely with the child and family intheir natural environment and within their daily activities.

"Xavier really enjoyed and it helped being at home because he felt comfortable - especially when he was younger, he wouldn't have talked for the whole session if he was somewhere else, so it was good having it at home as he felt comfortable in his own surroundings and it was based around playing with his own things."

use their fine motor skills by holding brushes and pencils.

"It's a bit of a balance from the other things in their lives, like screen time," she said.

"It was good to have appointments at home, easier having little kids and it worked in well with our lifestyle. Our Key Worker organised a consult with a

speech pathologist because he needed more specific support around communication so it was nice to know that you were able to get more specialised help as required, even though Key Worker had a good knowledge base already. It worked well because it meant I wasn't having to go to two separate appointments for different things."

Key Worker Melanie* said she developed strategies based on what works for the family and what is manageable for them.

"We talked about what are they already doing in their everyday lives, and what activities the child enjoys doing," she said.

"From this we are able to adapt and create strategies to support the child in their everyday activities. For example Xavier really enjoyed playing with Lego and kinetic sand, so we practiced therapy for stuttering while playing with Lego, and we hid target words in the sand and practiced burying them and finding them, while practicing the target words and sounds to work on hisspeech."

Erin said Xavier had grown in leaps and bounds.

"Our Key Worker was very reassuring and I found it useful when his behaviour was an issue. It helped me to help him.

"We felt really lucky that we have had Noah's Ark come out and feel lucky for the support."

"For the older kids this is a break from it all.

"They are able to make new friends and really enjoy their time here.

Catering for kids aged 2-5 and 5-12 The Art Factory holds classes during the day for the younger category and after school classes for the older kids.

They also run kids parties, school holiday programs and even go into local schools to share their knowledge.

The Art Factory Three locations in Malvern, Balwyn and Essendon 9576 0135 www.theartfactory.com.au

Look What I Made!

Art Class will be the highlight of your child's Week

Kiddy Art for Kids 2-5 yrs After School Art for 5-12 yrs School Holiday Workshops Art Parties for Kids 4-14 yrs Mention this advert for a free trial class Balwyn North 249A Belmore Rd Balwyn North VIC 3104

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SPRING 2018 17

THE LINK BETWEEN

Good Vision AND Effective Learning EARLY learning difficulties may be an indication that your child’s visual system isn’t quite right.

Your child will often not mention to you that they are perceiving any problems, so it’s up to the parents to seize the initiative on behalf of their child.

With a passion for paediatric optometry, Dario Canale often finds that things just click for a child once the issue is fixed.

“Parents come back to me and say that ’my child loves to read again’,” Dario said.

Dario sees a number of primary school aged children, who in some ways, have difficulties with their visual system in their early years.

A lot of children have visual efficiency issues - trouble focusing, eye fatigue, difficulty concentrating to the extent that it can actually interfere with their learning.

Often, when primary school children are examined, any areas of their visual system that are operating outside

Dario Canale and the team at Ashburton Eyecare have a keen interest in pediatric optom etry.

normal parameters can be identified.

After the examination, Dario o and his team can say to the parents “we've noticed your child needs some assistance in certain areas and we can certainly help you with that".

Sometimes the solution may be as simple as a vision training program or glasses.

The biggest impact on children at the moment is the increase of Myopia - meaning children are becoming more and more short-sighted.

Globally, the presence of Myopia is increasing a lot - it’s more than doubled in the last 10 years.

Being a specially trained paediatric optometrist allows for a number of ways to reduce this rate of myopic progression.

According to the Brien Holden Vision Institute and the latest research, low dose atropine and/or specialised

contact lenses have been shown to be very effective in reducing the progression of Myopia.

“Being so embedded in the local Ashburton community for so long is a great privilege for us,” he said.

“When we travel to the local primary

school to screen the children, it’s always a very fulfilling day.”

At Ashburton Eyecare, we explore what matters to your child.

“We’re dedicated, friendly and will always endeavour to give your children the level of vision care they need.”

PREGNANT AND NEW-MUMS CAN

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18 SPRING 2018

NEW mums and mums-to-be are no strangers to the weird and wonderful changes to your body during pregnancy and birth.

While you're pregnant you can suffer aches and pains you've never experienced before and once your little one has arrived it's important to help your body recover.

Fitwise Physiotherapy has the experience to help you stay fit, healthy and comfortable throughout your pregnancy journey.

Whether you are experiencing pelvic girdle, back or rib pain, continence issues or swelling and tingling fingers Fitwise Physiotherapy can help.

Their physiotherapists can help you manage the physical challenges with exercise classes, Clinical Pilates and individually tailored exercise programs.

They can also help in the weeks and months following the birth of your baby.

Often women experience weakness in their stomach and pelvic floor muscles; neck, back or pelvic pain; and trouble returning to exercise.

Fitwise can also help with breast engorgement and mastitis.

Co-director Gen McGlashan says her team are passionate about helping women, and men, improve their health and wellbeing.

"It is really normal for women's pelvic floor not to feel the same after you've had a baby," she said.

"We usually suggest that mums come and see us once their baby is six week old and we can assess where they are up to in their recovery and provide an exercise program from there.

"It might be classes with us, or a program at home - it all depends what their goals are."

By visiting the Fitwise team you will not only be able to get your body back to shape - but reduce problems like incontinence or prolapse later on.

"Doing really good rehab after you've had your baby is the best way to prevent problems happening later down the track, she said.

"There is really good evidence that 1/3 of women doing their pelvic floor exercises aren't doing it right.

"So they can come in for one consult and make sure they are doing it the right way."

Experience and knowledge is what sets Fitwise apart.

Their staff not only have a passion for womens and mens pelvic health - but they have the qualifications behind them so you can trust you have the most up-to-date evidence based information at hand.

Fitwise Armadale 1095 (Rear) High Street, Armadale 9822 4999 www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

Access emergency EVERY parent knows the feeling - it's the middle of the night and your little one is sick or injured and you don't know whether to take them to hospital, call 000 or if it can wait until morning.

You don't want to be that parent who overreacts, but you also don't want to put your child at risk, so you end up bundling them up in their warmest PJs and make your way to Emergency where you may wait hours to see a doctor.

There is an alternative: one video call on the My Emergency Dr app allows you to speak to a specialist emergency doctor who can assess your child and tell you whether a visit to the hospital is absolutely necessary. They can even organise a prescription to be sent to your nearest open pharmacy to be picked up at your earliest convenience.

Sound too good to be true? It's not.

My Emergency Dr has been running the service since 2016 and they've helped thousands of people across Australia.

Normally it's a paid service, but eligible residents in the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network catchment area (Eastern and North Eastern Melbourne) using the service after hours can access it for free until May 2019.

My Emergency Dr CEO, Dr Justin Bowra said the app was developed by

doctors from home

a group of Australian emergency department doctors as a way to improve access to emergency care and alleviate pressure on public hospital emergency departments.

"When your GP is available, we recommend that you talk to your GP as usual," Dr Bowra said.

"But this service is there to help with those times when your GP is not available and you're just not sure if you need to go to the emergency department."

All doctors on the app are specialist emergency doctors meaning they are the most senior emergency doctors in Australia.

In the past week alone, Dr Bowra was able to assess and manage several patients over the app including a toddler that swallowed a coin, a baby with a rash that suddenly appeared ... and plenty of kids with vomiting! It's piece of mind when you need it most, without the price tag.

And the service isn't just for children - My Emergency Dr looks after anyone, whatever their age, including the elderly.

Please visit the website to see if your suburb qualifies for the free funded service under the Eastern Melbourne PHN initiative. Fees may apply for other users.. https://www.myemergencydr. com.au/

Dr Justin Bowra is the CEO of My Emergency Dr

This after hours medical service is provided at no cost to eligible residents of Eastern and North-Eastern Melbourne.* 12396309-RC37-18

*Terms and conditions apply. Check if you are eligible at www.myemergencydr.com.au

www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

SPRING 2018 19

Fresh food, the way nature intended SEARCHING for a clean and healthy lifestyle for you and your family?

Look no further - Apples and Sage Organic Wholefoods is all about providing fresh food, just the way nature intended.

By eating organic and biodynamic produce you can be guaranteed that you are not consuming food that has been treated with synthetic fertilisers or pesticides.

One of the few Australian Certified Organic (ACO) traders in Victoria, Apples and Sage started after owner Jenny became ill close to 20 years ago.

"I'd been quite ill and I was experimenting with diet and found organics played a big role in my recovery," Jenny Watling said.

"So I left my then corporate job and worked for other people in smaller organic stores in New South Wales."

Jenny and her husband Leo then moved to Victoria, where she continued to work for a few small stores but she soon became disillusioned with the quality and range on offer.

Opening their supermarket in Balwyn in 2013, Jenny says an important difference between Apples and Sage and their competitors is that their customers can be sure everything is free of chemicals and pesticides.

"We decided to give it a go ourselves and now we're about to celebrate five years in October," she said.

"You can do a complete shop with us.

We carry everything from fresh produce from the market and direct from certified farms, right through to toilet paper, children's toothpaste and everything you need.

"It's a full supermarket."

Despite the word organic being thrown around a lot in the food game, Jenny says their certification is very important because it means you can be sure it's chemical free.

She says a lot of places say they stock organics, but "organic" can be, by law, on any product that's grown.

"A lot of people react to chemicals and pesticides used on products and often these chemicals are not easily digestible and create inflammatory responses in the body," she said.

"So by keeping your diet very clean you can reduce inflammation and put some illnesses into remission by eating certain foods and diets.

"It's a cleaner way of eating."

She said parents with children on the spectrum also found a chemical free diet provided a range of benefits.

September is Australian Organic Awareness Month - a month long national campaign designed to increase awareness of the benefits of using and consuming organic food and products.

Apples and Sage Organic Wholefoods 371 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn VIC

Leo and Jenny Watling from Apples and Sage live a healthy lifestyle.

(03) 9836 6132

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20 SPRING 2018

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www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

A one-hour float is like taking a

mini vacation Especially those struggling with a lack of sleep and muscle/ligament aches and pains of pregnancy.

Slip off your shoes and feel the stresses of the everyday life melt away as you listen to calming music surrounded by greenery before you are led to your own private room.

You can float up until 36 weeks or post-delivery from whenever everything is well healed

Once inside the pod you'll find the buoyancy of the water and the combination of magnesium sulphate allows your body to relax like never before.

Beyond Rest Hawthorn owner Denise Shergold, a working midwife, says it's a mind and body experience.

"With no sight, no smell and no sound - you switch off from everything," Ms Shergold said.

"There's no gravity and the water is three times more buoyant than the Dead Sea." Using her experience as a midwife, Ms Shergold says there are many benefits for pregnant women and new mums.

"It forces you to switch off, we call it the lazy man's meditation - No one is telling you to breathe in or picture yourself on a beach and there is no one coughing or sniffing next to you."

Some pregnant women have reported hearing their baby's heartbeat alongside their own while inside the pod, a special bonding of the baby in your womb as you lay in the same type of environment - an experience not many others are lucky enough to experience.

The centre also caters for mums groups - with five people able to float at a time, with a tea and a chat afterwards.

"This really replaces the coffee shop and cake for morning tea," she said.

"A one-hour float is like taking a mini-vacation.

WIN

STONNINGTON Boroondara Kids readers have the chance to win one of two gift cards to float at Beyond Rest Hawthorn. Winners will win themselves and a friend a float for free (valued at $158).

Enter the competition by going to stonningtonboroondarakids. com.au/competitions/

Denise and her partner Bob. "We have a beautiful Luxe lounge area with tea made by a local Naturopath, and well appointed hair drying room."

Stressed out students can also take some anxiety out of VCE by spending time in the pods.

There's no restrictions on how often you can use the pods, with many athletes and gym goers attending weekly .

Whatever your reason, Beyond Rest

Hawthorn is a must visit destination in Hawthorn East - so do yourself a favour (you won't regret it).

It takes floating to the next level with beautiful attention to detail in a centre based on Sacred Geometry - circular walls and regular energy clearances.

BEYOND REST HAWTHORN 2/96 Camberwell Rd, Hawthorn East (Entrance from Roseberry St) 9813 0385

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FROM the moment you walk through the door you feel an overwhelming sense of calm.

HAWTHORN

Parents, are you affected by any of the following?

• Muscle fatigue/soreness • Stress • Poor Sleep • Lack of ‘Me Time’ ...Then it’s time for a float!

9813 0385 beyondrest.com.au/Hawthorn

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For your chance to win a double pass go to stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au/competitions/

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SPRING 2018 21

Education

FROM classical TO MODERN TOYS,

Windmill has you covered CUSTOMER service is all too often a thing of the past.

But Windmill Educational Toys and Equipment are bucking the trend and providing advice and service - just like the old days.

The business opened in 1977 and has been providing quality toys to generations of families, schools and playgroups ever since.

It is still an Australian family business, now run by the daughters of its original owners, including Jo, Fran and Nikki Richards.

Jo recalls arriving home to find a lounge room full of handmade wooden toys, a doll house, a rocker and a small wooden table and chairs when she was just eight years old.

But all of those beautiful toys were not to play with, her father had decided to start a toy shop.

"I was not to know that when my father decided to start the shop it would impact my life forty years later," Jo said.

"My parents are now semi-retired but still going strong. Nowadays, my sisters and I are all involved with the running of the business and Windmill plays a role in supporting our own children."

The business has shops in Mont Albert, Adelaide, Launceston and Hobart.

"Whatever the age or interest of the child, you are sure to find something," Jo said.

"We're a small run family,

LEX I

SCHOOL OF MODERN GREEK

“Experience Greek language & culture in a fun, interactive environment.”

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BY PARENTS

independent toy shop and we provide good quality, lasting toys that can be handed down to the next generation."

Boasting a wide range of products, take a wander through their Mont Albert shop to find traditional and classical toys like snakes and ladders or something more modern like a solar powered robot.

There are toys for all stages of development including activity centres for new babies or walker wagons for toddlers.

Many of their products are also suitable for people with special needs, including the elderly.

Jo, a qualified teacher herself, says what sets Windmill apart from their competitors is that her team have worked with children or have children of their own.

That means they are able to give helpful advice about which toys are suited to their age group and development.

And while it's always nice to see a friendly face, Windmill understands that sometimes it's hard to visit the shop for yourself and because of that they have made it easy to shop online or phone through your order.

Windmill Educational Toys and Equipment 591 Whitehorse Road Mont Albert, VIC, 3127 9830 4336 http://www.windmill.net.au

Greek School FOR TODDLERS AND PRE-SCHOOLERS

KINDER-SECONDARY CLASSES AVAILABLE

CEED;; FED:I E7AB;?=> FH;IJED H?9>CED: BALWYN NORTH

ARE you looking for a Greek school with a difference?

learning Greek in a stimulating environment.

Lexi School of Modern Greek is passionate about teaching Greek to the next generation of Hellenes.

It aims to help children and family members bond while learning a second language that promises self-confidence, social and literacy skills.

Their teaching team is comprised of experienced and graduate teachers who have a genuine love of the Greek language and culture.

FOR DETAILS CONTACT MARY BEd EVIE BA, BTech 0425 857 466 0407 916 518 www.lexischoolofmoderngreek.com.au Balwyn North 12396202-MB37-18

The Zouzounia Program, specifically designed for toddlers and pre-schoolers, allows children to experience the joy of

Zouzounia classes run for just over an hour and are run by founders, Evie and Mary. http://www. lexischoolofmoderngreek.com.au

591 Whitehorse Road, Mont Albert, 3127 Phone: (03) 9830 4336

www.windmill.net.au Educational Toys & Equipment Construction sets, Science kits, Baby toys, Games, Puzzles, Art & Craft, Teaching resources, Dolls & More!

22 SPRING 2018

www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

Education

Passion

for music and qualified too HAS your child got a passion for music?

Then why not have them taught by someone who is just as passionate and fully qualified.

At Latitude Music Studios teaching students the fundamentals behind the music is a real point of difference.

Owner Rosa Kang has worked in a variety of education scenarios and found that many children were being taught to play by rote rather than through meaningful learning.

So she went back to university, got a

Masters of Teaching and wrote a thesis about that very topic.

"I found there was this pattern of students coming to me with the same sort of issues," Rosa said. "Students were consistently showing limited fundamental skills in music. They could play, but struggled to read or comprehend the very music they were playing."

The "copycat" method can work well in the first few years, but Rosa says students often don't have the tools to progress in their later years.

"They hit an impasse in their musical journey, lose confidence and quit," she said.

"In Australia, music teachers don't have to be registered, they don't have to be qualified and because of that you get people who are self-taught or musicians with no teaching backgrounds. - playing an instrument well and teaching it well are entirely different skills."

And that's why Latitude Music Studios teach the craft of music.

"Our role is to provide students with strong foundations, a great technical toolkit - we give them autonomy in their learning because this fosters engagement and enjoyment, which go hand-in hand with progress," she said.

"We provide a safe and fun learning environment that fosters great results."

Each prospective student will receive a free introductory consultation.

Latitude Music Studios 431 Canterbury Rd, Surrey Hills 8529 0770

“Setting the tone for a love and understanding of music that lasts a lifetime.”

Latitude Music Studios offers classes in : ~ piano ~ violin ~ viola ~ trumpet ~ ~ cello ~ theory ~ VCE Music ~ Opening Hours: Monday — Friday: 3pm-9pm Saturday: 8am — 6pm

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Free Initial Consult. By Appointment Only.

For enquiries and enrolments call 8529 0770 or 0401 913 330, or email info@latitudemusicstudios.com.au Located at 431 Canterbury Road Surrey Hills Visit www.latitudemusicstudios.com.au

BORN TO

Stephanie from Princess Parties can add something special to your party

UNREAL PARTIES

Call us today to book your spot 03 9885 7902 www.unrealparties.com.au

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Imagine giving your child an unforgettable & unique Birthday party. We do everything! Catering, entertainment and clean up.

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party

LOOKING to make your party standout from the rest? We’ve found some great local businesses that will turn your event from drab to fab.

PRINCESS PARTIES: Princess Parties Melbourne provides the best in professional children’s entertainment with beautiful costumes, games, magic, dancing, singing, stories, face painting and more, making any birthday or event magical. Our experienced entertainers have the real ability to transform into all of your favourite characters, all while giving your little one and their friends a day full of fun!

CHEEKY BISCUITS: Cheeky biscuits started from a passion for baking and styling personalised and unique events within our own families.

We love to customise orders for our clients needs & strive to make each and every event unique, from private functions to corporate.

FIZZ KIDS: Fizz Kidz specializes in unique and creative kid’s birthday parties!

Come make your own natural creations! Pick two or three of your favourite creations and let’s have some FUN! Choose from fizzy bath bombs, fluffy slime, strawberry lip balms, glitter soaps, perfume and much more!

SLUMBER TRIBE: Offering original and uniquely bespoke themes, we are Melbourne’s premier

slumber party specialist.

Made to order quality crafts and activities inspire your child. A magical and memorable slumber party experience for everyone.

BILLY LIDS: Have been entertaining Children in and around Hawthorn for 17 years. They now cater for older children with new arcade style games and virtual reality machines.

So if you are picking your kids up after school, Billy Lids can now entertain your older children, bring them in for a mid week treat. Mention Stonnington Boroondara Kids and claim a free coffee.

UNREAL PARTIES: Are passionate about creating unforgettable parties for girls and boys.

You can have a Spooky Disco party, a Pyjama party, Superhero party, even a Dinosaur theme. Unreal parties cater for boys and girls aged 3yrs to 11yrs. Parents, just sit back, relax and enjoy your child’s birthday with no clean up. Unreal parties are experts in party fun!

GOURMET KIDS: Sift, Whisk, Bake ... What will your child make? Gourmet Kids have 18 years of experience in Children’s cooking parties!

Sometimes it’s harder to organise a party for tweens, teens and boys- the answer is here! Your budding Masterchef will have a party they will never forget. Each party can be tailored to a theme and includes a cooking session, party food and hosted games.

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We've found the

perfect insta-worthy party venue

party time

When it comes to organising your child's birthday party many parents are searching for a venue that is instaworthy.

Look no further - the newly renovated Carnival for Kids venue has everything to meet your every need.

This isn't just any party venue -as soon as you walk through the door you'll be amazed by how glamorous it feels.

Catering for boys and girls aged from toddlers to early teens - Carnival for Kids has a party theme to suit everyone.

From Carnival Disco to a Candyland Katy Perry inspired dance party or even a construction site party, you're sure to find something that matches your little ones personality.

Cupcake decorating parties and craft workshops are also popular with kids of all ages.

Celebrate in style and take advantage of the carnival inspired interior, photo booth accessories, popcorn, face paint, dressups and a dining hall.

Every wall is Instagram friendly so it's the perfect opportunity to get the perfect snap we all crave as parents.

Owner Catherine Roosenburg says the party industry has changed in the 12 years since she started the business and the revamped venue gives parents the opportunity to have an instagrammable event that is affordable.

12397466-SN37-18

"People now have opportunity to do that without spending an absolute arm and a leg," she said.

"The revamp has been great, it's funky, it's trendy and all of our walls work for social media. Which means most of the time the mums and dads are having just as much fun as the kids."

A working mum herself, Catherine shares the Carnival for Kids space with Anthea from Naughty Nush Smash Cakes and Aunty Ants Cakes.

"Anthea and I have been great friends for over 9 years and our little businesses work perfectly together," she said.

"Any cake design, style or theme you would like Anthea will create it for you.

She also specialises in gluten free and other allergy cakes."

Sharing the venue gives both women a modern way to run small business with co-sharing a great space.

Carnival for Kids Smash Cakes Melbourne 9 Yertchuk Ave, Ashwood Victoria Telephone: 0452 239 920

Childrens Party Venue

MON 1 OCT

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SPRING 2018 25

Entertainment

Dared to be scared this Spooktober MELBOURNE'S spookiest Halloween festival is set to return for its sixth year and it is expected to be scarier than ever.

Organiser Dale Pope says she fell in love with Halloween while living in the United States.

"When I was there I loved Halloween so when I came home to Australia I would throw my son a Halloween birthday party and turn our place into a haunted house," she said.

"I live in Malvern East and had no idea how big Halloween had grown in the area while I was gone. There were

kids lining up to see the haunted house I created and I think that is what planted the seed for the Halloween Festival."

best food trucks and Halloween themed games and activities.

It started out at The Gables in Malvern East but quickly grew and needed a bigger venue, and the St Kilda Town Hall was chosen..

Dare to enter Spooktober's two different haunted houses. During the day, the Haunts are aiming to give a little fright and smile to all who enter, once darkness sets in, brace yourself for the scare of your life!! The Coven and Phobia are the two custom designed Haunts at Spooktober this year, tickets available for anyone brave enough to enter.

The grounds surrounding the St Kilda Town Hall will be transformed to include two haunted houses, a Little Zombie Trick or Treat Trail, Melbourne's

Test your scream limit when you come face to face with bloodthirsty creatures of the night and loads of creepy characters lurking around the halls.

So with her love for all things spooky and background in Event Management, Dale set out to start a festival.

AT ST KILDA

Don't forget to dress up in your spookiest costume - there are best dressed competitions hourly! Entry to the Spooktober Halloween Festival is free so head down and explore all of the fun activities for every age. There's even a pop-up bar for the parents!.

You can bring your own Trick or Treat bag or donate a gold coin in exchange for a bag at the festival.

All money raised will go to St Kilda Mums Charity.

31 October - 4 November www.spooktober.com.au

TOWN HALL PRESENTED BY

TWO THRILLING HAUNTS

NTRY FESTIVAL GROUNDS - FREE ENTRY

LITTle Zombies Trick Or Treat Trail, Carnival Games and Activities, Costume Contests, Freaky FOOd Truck PARK, Roaming Characters, Photo BOOth plus more

5 NIGHTS ONLY! 31st OCT - 4th Nov 2018 WWw.spOOktober.com.au 12396364-SN37-18

26 SPRING 2018

www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

reality bites

Helping couples

become parents

By Melissa Meehan IT'S not every day you meet someone who has helped bring 15 babies into the world.

But that's exactly what Camberwell mum Carla Pincombe has done.

With three kids of her own, she has helped create 11 other babies through egg donation and carried one as a surrogate.

And she's not done yet - Carla is about to start trying for a sibling for the baby she carried as a surrogate. And another family is pregnant with an egg she donated.

I donated eggs to one family, then another and another.

Carla always loved being pregnant and during her third pregnancy it was a conversation with her then husband that got the ball rolling.

"He mentioned it was sad you couldn't get paid to be a surrogate in Australia like you do in US," she said.

"At that stage I was pregnant and had a one-year-old and a three-yearold. It made me start thinking - I can't be a surrogate, but I could donate eggs because we're not going to use them."

She looked into it further, but read that you needed to stop breastfeeding to donate so put it on the backburner.

When she stopped breastfeeding she joined an egg donor online forum and made a donation within three months.

"I donated eggs to one family, then another and another," she said.

She then met a gay couple who live in Mitcham through the forum.

"One of the boy's sister in laws had offered to be the surrogate and I had offered to be egg donor," she said.

"She had a couple of transfers but didn't fall pregnant so she pulled out.

And that's when I offered to be their surrogate as well, using my eggs."

Carla was pregnant in the middle of 2016 and have birth to a bouncing baby girl in March last year.

She understands that the idea of surrogacy for people who don't mix in those circles is something tough to get their head around.

She also agrees that it is not for everyone.

"Often people compare it to when you are pregnant for yourself and bond with the baby," she said.

"But for me it's wanting to do something for the parents - they want to have a child and I want to make them happy.

"My bonding is with the parents, not www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

You don ' t have any say over the babies that are born, the parents can't ask for child support, and the children can't ask for anything from will when you die, the baby. It's quite a different experience."

It's something different for her kids too, who are now aged six, eight and 10, having to explain to their friends that while their mum was pregnant at school pickup - the baby wasn't going to be their brother or sister.

"I've been very open with them from the start - egg donation has always been a part of their lives they were 1, 3, 5 from the start," she said.

"So they've always known these people are related to us but are not brothers or sisters."

when you die," she said.

The process of egg donation is similar to IVF, according to Carla - but the embryo gets implanted into someone else.

That said, Carla stays in touch with all families she has donated to.

"You don't have any say over the babies that are born, the parents can't ask for child support, and the children can't ask for anything from the Will

"While biologically related to you, they are in no way part of your family."

"It's been very different, I have very different relationships with all eight recipients - I see a couple every now and then, have dinner with others and a few who have become great friends that I chat to every day."

SPRING 2018 27

reality bites Actor Kat Stewart has recently become an ambassador for The Magical Getaway Foundation, a charity that enables vulnerable children to go on their first holiday.

KAT STEWART'S

magical NEW ROLE

By Melissa Grant KAT Stewart has become an Australian household name for her acclaimed performances in Underbelly and Offspring.

However, few people know the Logie-winning actor and mother-of-two recently landed a leading role alongside a truly magical cast.

Kat, a proud Stonnington local, is an ambassador for The Magical Getaway Foundation, a unique Australian charity that's bringing a lot of joy to vulnerable children and their families.

Melissa Grant speaks to Kat about that special role, motherhood, her own childhood and her career.

How are you enjoying your ambassador

28 SPRING 2018

“

You just get up and have to do what you have to do with a kid, and with a little baby it's just one foot in front of the other"

role with The Magical Getaway Foundation, a charity which enables vulnerable and disadvantaged kids to go on their first holiday?

I'm so pleased to be involved and I love the people - every contact I've had with the team has just been so inspiring.

It's early days, but I'm really excited about it. The good work the Magical

Getaway Foundation is doing and is capable of doing in the future - it's really exciting.

How did your involvement with the foundation come about?

Teague Rook is a board member and he's someone I've known for many

years. We've done theatre together and he is also a teacher. He just spoke to me about it and about five minutes in I heard his passion. He's someone with great integrity who I really respect and admire as an actor, as a person and as a teacher. I just thought the idea of getting families who are under extreme pressure and stress, who have never had the opportunity to just be a family and not be in hospital wards, or not be in a refuge and not deal with really tough things, to be given an opportunity to have all the practical stuff taken care of - the medical support, the groceries, whatever they need - and just be together somewhere else. The holiday memories I have as a kid are really formative and they just made a really big difference to me as a mum and as a person. I just think it's such a wonderful opportunity to give to little kids and parents under extreme stress.

www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

reality bites When you were a child you regularly holidayed with your cousins at a house on Phillip Island. You must have some great memories.

I do. We had great times. I think it was a little fibro place and it was jam-packed with about 20 of us in three bedrooms. There were lots of bodies on the floor, lots of sunscreen, black and white TV, endless days at the beach. It probably wasn't quite like that, but that's my memories as a little kid. Great times.

You spent your early childhood in Bairnsdale, a small country town in East Gippsland. Your parents packed up the family and travelled around Europe for 12 months when you were eight. That must have been an amazing experience.

That was a game-changer for us as a family. I'm very close to my father, but growing up he was a workaholic. Mum was the stay-at-home parent who we spent lots of time with and my memories of dad only start that year. That was because we were travelling together and we were doing correspondence he taught me my times tables, he taught me how to catch a netball, all that stuff. And that set us up for life - I've had an incredibly close relationship with him ever since.

During that trip you attended school in London and I understand you would come home and imitate your classmates' accents. Was this when your interest in acting began?

I did. I got lonely. I went to school for a few months in England - that might be where some of the early signs were. I was so fascinated because the area we were in had a real cross-section of accents from quite posh to quite knockabout, and I loved all that. I was fascinated by that, so I'd come home and try out all the different accents in front of my family.

You initially didn't consider acting a viable career and studied marketing at university before working in publicity.

When did you realise you could make a career out of acting?

It just wasn't something that was really on my radar. It wasn't that I sort of dismissed it - it just wasn't what people did. I didn't know anyone who was in that world. I studied marketing and arts first and while I was there I got involved in the theatre society at Monash (University) and completely fell in love with it. I had done school plays here and there, and it was something that I loved but I never thought of it as a career. I knew enough to know it wasn't a very secure profession, so I did hope that it was a phase that I'd fall out of.

But I thought I'd never know unless I actually take it through to the end, so I enrolled in a three-year night-time course hoping that I could hedge my bets and keep working during the day.

But ultimately I had to make a choice. It was in the second year of my course that I was working in publishing as a publicist and I couldn't be in two places at once. I had to be at the Adelaide Writers' Festival or I had to be on stage doing an amazing play called Angels in America, which is still one of the greatest scripts I've ever worked on, and I had to decide. That was a real moment of reckoning and I have no regrets.

Your breakout role was in Underbelly, however most people would know you as Billie Proudman from Offspring. I understand it was actually one of Billie's storylines that got you really thinking about motherhood.

www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

“

Social tourism is something that's been going on in Europe for decades. It's not really been done in Australia so it's a really great thing"

I just put it (motherhood) at the back of my mind really because I was so busy. I was enjoying being busy because my 20s were quite quiet in some ways career-wise, so things were just starting to get interesting in my 30s for work and I didn't really want to break the rhythm. It was one of those things - I was so busy that I was like 'we'll think about it next year, we'll think about it next year'. Then my character Billie was doing IVF in series two and as part of that storyline I was doing some research on IVF and statistics and I thought 'oh, hang on, oh hang on this includes me here - I'm in this age bracket. I better not take it for granted that we can do it whenever we want to'. So it forced us to think of it as something we should address and by the end of the series I was pregnant very happily with Archie.

Filming days can be quite long. How do you juggle the demands of being on set with motherhood?

I had a lot of help and a lot of support. I had Archie on set when he was five weeks and I had Gigi (Georgia) on set when she was three weeks.

When I think about it now the mind boggles. But you just get up and have to do what you have to do with a kid, and with a little baby it's just one foot in front of the other and I was so supported. I worked until right to the end of the pregnancy with Archie and I knew I had the producers' support and the casting crew's support and they made it as achievable as possible to have the babies and work. I had (husband) David with me with Archie, and when I had Gigi I had a family friend to help when I was on set. I don't know - it's a bit of a blur to be honest. I was very lucky to do what I love and have my babies with me. Not many jobs afford you that.

Would you like to see Offspring return for another season?

I love doing it and I don't think realistically it's something I could ever say no to because I loved it so much and we are just a family because we spent so much time together. But who knows? Honestly, I think we had a really good run. I think seven seasons is very rare and we were very lucky. So whatever happens I think we have done very well.

You've just returned to Melbourne after a family holiday. How was that?

It was fantastic. We went to Japan which is pretty amazing. There were 14 of us. It was wild. It was my husband, two kids and my brother and his family - he's got four kids - and my dad and some family friends. It was the trip of a lifetime really, it was great. My dad had a huge health scare last year and I lost my mum two years ago. After that we all got together and said 'let's make something happen, let's do something really great'.

You just don't know in life. Dad's actually fighting fit now, but it just gave us that push to make it happen and I'm so glad we did - it was just fantastic. We've made a lot of great memories.

Where are some of the other places you've been on holiday together?

We've been to Phillip Island a lot, so that's still a big touchstone for us and the family and my brothers and their families. That's the main thing we do we go there for Easter and Christmas and if we can get long weekends that's where we go. My dad's got a place there. We went to Port Douglas when they (my children) were really little. But with little kids travelling is no small thing, so it's nice to have a place within a couple of hours of Melbourne that they know and that's familiar and that's fun, so that's where we go really.

Where's your next adventure?

We've had a pretty good run - I don't think we will be planning anything for a while now! But we will be getting away as often as we can to Phillip Island. We are lucky we can spend time with Dad there. And getting back to the Magical Getaway Foundation - that (holidays) is just not something a lot of people can do, but certainly people who are benefiting from the foundation can access (them). It's really moving, the families that The Magical Getaway Foundation has been helping. And what really affected me about the families is they are so proactive, so productive and so honest and candid.

The only condition of their involvement is that they tell their stories and I think it's so incredibly powerful and a great reminder that holidays are lovely, whatever form they take. But it's really about the memories that you make as a family unit that's the important thing. It's not where you go but it's that you get the time together. My holiday sounds fancy but that's not the point. The point is that it's time with the family and that's what got me really excited about this foundation.

What's the best way somebody can help the foundation?

Anyone with a connection to somebody or a business that could help with a holiday - that would be amazing.

If someone is from a place that runs apartments, a supermarket, or a business that could help or theme parks, whatever it is - we really rely on that sort of contribution and they're always acknowledged appropriately and gratefully. They don't have to be expensive holidays. It's an opportunity to get away and have some fun and have some experiences, so any kind of contribution could be more valuable than anyone realises. I also think just listening to the testimonials from the families - it can be just one decision from someone saying 'hey I think you need a hand, I'm going to do something for you' that can change the course of somebody's life. So it's no small thing.

Any kind of contribution makes a difference. The Magical Getaway Foundation is quite a new foundation, but it's the only foundation of its kind.

Social tourism is something that's been going on in Europe for decades. It's not really been done in Australia so it's a really great thing.

FOUNDATION

the only of its kind THE Magical Getaway Foundation is the only Australian charity dedicated to social tourism, which means providing access to breaks away from home for people who would otherwise be excluded.

Kat Stewart and Steven Bradbury OAM are ambassadors of the foundation that aims to provide hope and lifetime changes for families through a first ever holiday.

Statistics show that one in three Australian children have never been on a holiday.

The Magical Getaway Foundation gifts fully-funded first ever holidays to eligible children and their families. In return, the recipients share their story with the foundation.

It's not about the holiday - it's what the holiday brings.

Research indicates that holidays benefit individuals and society because they improve well-being and reduce stress, increase self-esteem and confidence, strengthen family communication and bonding, provide new skills, widen perspectives and enhance employability. Going on holiday also gives long-lasting, treasured memories and results in happier, stronger families and decreases social isolation.

The Tumbas family is among those who have benefited from the Magical Getaway Foundation.

Annalise Tumbas said their holiday provided wonderful memories and experiences.

"This has also helped with our healing as I believe that with each great memory puts a brick in the wall that helps build a wall away from the trauma these boys have experienced and this in particular has given many different experiences, knowledge and memories that I by myself would never have been able to give them," she said.

SPRING 2018 29

reality bites Growing vegetables in your garden might be old school, but it's super cool.

, y b Grow, ba grow

SPRING is the perfect time to get started on your baby food garden.

A baby food garden is a fancy name for something your great-grandparents probably did - feeding their baby or child with veggies grown in the backyard.

Pre-made baby food from the supermarket can be convenient, but it can also be expensive, contains preservatives, and all those pouches and jars contribute to landfill. In contrast, veggies grown in the backyard cost next to nothing, are fresh and full of nutrients, and any scraps can be returned to the compost heap or chooks.

Having a home veggie patch can also be an educational experience for your child, showing them where food comes from and introducing them to a range of vegetable from an early age.

If you don't know where to start or consider yourself a bit of a black thumb, plant expert and founder of Beyond Sunflowers, Gisele Zanier, has shared her top tips on why and what you need to be growing in your baby food garden.

Where to plant - Building a veggie garden is simple, find a place outside 30 SPRING 2018

that gets a minimum of 5-6 hours of sunlight a day. Your garden does not have to be huge, you can keep it as big or as small as you please. Make sure your soil is high in organic matter or well fertilized, plant all your seeds with enough room between each, depending on what type of veggie you are planting will determine how much room they need. Remember to water, weed and harvest your veggies when ready. Don't worry if your first go isn't a hit, the more you grow the better you get and this will also give you the opportunity to better know your space and microclimate which is an important factor when selecting your seeds and seedlings.

Pick your produce - While there is such a large portion of different types of vegetables to grow there are a few that stand out and taste great. Pick plants that grow massive amounts so you can be always picking and cooking, as bubba always needs to eat! Stick to plants like tomato bushes and sweet potato that grow mass amounts.

Go green - Growing lots of green produce is a must for your baby patch and what better way to start it off than with Zucchini. Zucchini is full of potassium, great for the heart, and

strengthens bones and teeth. Zucchini is great because with its light flavor you can add in into most meals to bulk it up and your bubba won't even notice it.

Another great vegetable to grow is peas - great for kids as they are easy to mash up and are full of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. These babies are also really simple and don't take a rocket scientists to grow. Another superfood to add to the list is baby spinach, which is full of iron, vitamin c and fibre. Baby spinach is great to add to meals and even juices and smoothies for the little ones.

Add some colour - The best thing about babies is you can teach them to enjoy their vegetables from a young age. A great way of implementing different food groups is by adding a variety of colours to capture their eyes.

Let's start with beetroot, not only does its rich colour entice children but the health benefits speak for itself. Beet is full of fibre, vitamin c and is a rich source of folate and manganese. Another veggie you cannot go past is sweet potato, as it's popular with children and you can spread it far. This veggie is also a winner as it tastes great on its own without adding any extra sugars. Full of vitamins, fibre and anti inflammatory

properties, this sweet little baby will be a winner in your garden.

Make it crunchy - For the young family with babies and toddlers, let's not skip some crunchy snacks! You cannot pass on carrots, these bright sweet snacks are great cut up for the children with teeth and great pureed for the bubbas in the house. Full of vitamins, iron and potassium this delicious veggie is great raw or cooked. Another superfood is tomatoes. These beautiful rich and delicious little balls of heaven are a must for the children. For the sweet babies a strawberry bush will be your best friend. Great whole, cut up or pureed, this is an easy on the go snack for your bubba. Full of vitamins, strawberries and known for their infection fighting properties, and of course they taste delicious.

"All of these veggies are excellent for purees for the bubba and excellent as a mash when they are a little bigger," Ms Zanier said.

"While the initial effort of creating a baby food garden can cost more than a few packets of baby food, the health benefits and long term results speak for itself - fresh produce at your fingertips and easily stored in the fridge or freezer." www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

reality bites

MONEY SAVER BECOMES

money maker

FOR BALWYN NORTH MUM

By Melissa Meehan

"I'd never sewn stretch fabrics before but drafted a pattern and made her a pair of leggings and within a week we were walking home and this lady stopped me and asked where I got the leggings from.

LIFE as a single parent has its challenges.

And when Madeleine Lancaster suddenly found herself as a sole parent with a young baby moving home to Melbourne from Sydney she knew she needed to be resourceful.

"Realising there was no longer two incomes I started making my daughters clothes," Ms Landcaster said.

"And I was getting stopped on the street with people asking where I got such cool clothes."

Finding it too difficult to work in the city and rush back in time to pick her daughter up from childcare, Madeleine turned her hobby into a form of income.

Using what she had learnt while working at Lincraft and what she describes as an innate feel for fabrics, Madeline was making pants, playsuits, tops, overalls, dresses and shirts.

She sold some to her own mothers group and then to others as word of her talents spread to other local groups and she was able to sustain an income for about five years.

"They were yellow because my daughter went to Deepdene Primary School and it just went from there."

Soon enough Madeleine was getting request from parents who had kids doing ballet requesting all kinds of colours.

And then she started a school range - which took off, especially after they were picked up by Hawthorn West Primary School.

Madeleine Lancaster with a child's dress and an adults garment.

All made in what she describes as her tiny kitchen using her dining table as a place to cut the fabric.

"They were all my designs - I have absolutely no formal training in pattern making. It was just innae that I knew what colours went with what," she says.

Madeleine started selling her wares at markets, including the Hawthorn Craft Market, and did that for over 10 years.

"I tried to use interesting trims and used some of my grandmother's fabrics too."

"My daughter hated those school track pants, so she just wore shorts or a dress to school - even in winter," she said.

When her daughter started school,

But she soon found another niche in the clothing market after making her daughter some leggings for school.

"The actual girl's wear and boy's wear got pushed to one side because I got so busy making the leggings," she said.

Years later, Madeleine still makes all of her leggings at home. But now she has an industrial sewing machine.

During this very interview she was finishing off 20 pairs of leggings - and her story proves that what may start off as a way to save money could very well become something that makes you money in the long term.

GENDER REVEALS

hot trend A

By Melissa Grant

DISCOVERING whether your baby is a boy or girl is a momentous occasion.

Some parents-to-be find out during a scan or through a blood test, while others leave it a surprise until the birth.

However, an increasing number of couples are finding out their child's sex by holding a gender reveal announcement or celebration with family and friends.

Gender reveal events often involve the expectant parents popping balloons filled with pink or blue confetti, opening a box to release blue or pink balloons or cutting into a cake to reveal pink or blue sponge.

Some couples use smoke bombs or hand out scratch and see cards to share bub's gender.

Others go to extreme lengths to reveal whether they're having a boy or a girl. Some put on a fireworks display, hire fancy cars to do coloured smoke burnouts or jump out of planes with coloured parachutes.

Some gender reveal parties are a bit bizarre. An American dad, for instance, used a live alligator to bite into a melon that was blue on the inside.

Regardless of the method of celebration, it's clear gender reveals have become popular in the last decade.

Their increase in popularity has been www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

linked to the rise of social media and data from Google Trends show the events weren't really searched online until around 2010.

Today, typing 'gender reveal' into YouTube yields more than 800,000 results.

Mother-of-two Jade McKellar said she Googled "gender reveals gone wrong" before she and husband Sam held their own celebration.

The couple were always going to find out the sex of their third child, due in November, instead of waiting until the birth like they did with their daughter Eliza, 4, and son Archie, 2.

"Getting rid of my pile of pink or pile of blue clothes that was the main reason," Jade said.

to do a gender reveal when they were about to get the results from blood tests taken at 10 weeks into the pregnancy.

and d invited the whole family around for the big reveal.

Sam didn't want Jade to find out the gender before him, so they organised to have the sex written on an envelope.

When they popped the balloon, confetti went high into the air and revealed they're expecting a girl.

They thought it would be nice to open the envelope in front of their families, but Sam's parents were holidaying and wouldn't be back for 10 days.

"It was really for the kids, but once we did it that was really fun," Jade said.

"Those 10 days the envelope was sitting on my car seat next to me and I was like 'don't open it, don't open it,'" Jade said.

"And we also thought it was important for the kids to bond with the baby."

When the 10 days were up, the letter was taken to Lombards which sells gender reveal balloons. The McKellars got a big black balloon covered with question marks and filled with coloured foil confetti.

However, the McKellars only decided

The couple bought some champagne

"The balloon was definitely spectacular compared to the cake cuttings I've seen - it was a really big pop and you realise it's all over you and you have to look down (to discover the gender)."

Jade highly recommends a gender reveal announcement for anyone who wants to discover their baby's sex before the birth.

"If someone is dead set on finding out - it is a really fun way to do it.

"It was a really great surprise to have at the same time as all your family."

SPRING 2018 31

High end fashion SPRING has sprung and that means pastel florals are in season.

Coupled with a white sneaker, it can be the perfect outfit for an outdoor birthday party - or dress it up with a sandal for a christening or Bar Mitzvah.

For the boys, there’s a strong focus on denim and stripes.

Balloon for Kids has been a children’s designer fashion icon in Armadale and surrounding areas for 35 years.

Owner Robyn Dimopoulos says Balloon for Kids offers an extensive range of children’s clothing that caters for newborns to size 16.

“When we started off there weren’t a lot of stores who sold imported labels around,” she said.

“Over time we have evolved and are providing more day-to-day “streetwear” looks alongside our special occasion offerings.”

Labels including Scotch and Soda, Marlo, Camilla Kids and Burberry fill the racks of this wonderful boutique.

Whether you are looking for swimwear or suits - Balloon for Kids has the outfit for you.

They also have an extensive range for babies, including offerings from Burberry,

Petit Bateau, Kenzo Baby and ABSORBA. This spring, for the girls it’s all about pastel florals, elegance and whimsical romance rather than last season’s focus on bright colours.

For the boys, nautical style is in - so why not pick up an Oscar loafer, available in navy, beige and red, and pair it with a rolled up skinny leg trouser and a crisp white shirt.

You also can’t go past the versatile white sneaker - pair it with a dress, shorts or jeans and you are ready to go.

Balloon for Kids only deals with high end designer fashion, so you know your kids will be on trend and looking fantastic.

“We do a lot of work with Scotch and Soda, it’s one of those brands that goes across the board,” Robyn said.

“It’s quite causal but can also be dressy, so it works well for our customers.

“People love Camilla Kids too.”

Whatever your style, Balloon for Kids has you covered.

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books

Tackling TEENAGE TROUBLES

By Jade Glen AS the mother of two daughters, people like to say two things to me: 'are you going to try for a boy?' And then - 'oh, just you wait 'til they are teenagers!'generally accompanied by a knowing smirk and an elbow to the ribs.

It seems to be widely accepted that teenage girls are difficult, conniving and horrible, and that parenting them is some kind of decade-long nightmare from which a parent might be lucky to emerge, stumbling and shell-shocked, somewhere before their daughter's 20th birthday.

But it doesn't have to be that way - psychologist Dr Sarah Hughes says some simple strategies can help parents and their daughters navigate the turbulent teen years.

She has penned a survival guide for parents called 'Skip the Drama: Practical, get-ahead strategies to survive your daughter's teenage years.'

"I think teenage girls face a lot of stressors that we need to be aware of so we can support them properly," says Dr Hughes, who holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a PhD in child and adolescent anxiety disorders.

"In a lot of ways, the challenges parents of teens face today are the same challenges our parents faced with us, but the task of parenting a teenage girl has also been made exponentially more difficult now that social media is in play.

"The same pressures exist that always have - body image pressures, the pressure to be popular, and to perform well in school and extracurriculars - but the comparative thinking that social media encourages, and its public nature means that the pressure is far greater than it's ever been before. It's all the more reason for parents to have the right strategies to support their teens in the right way."

In Skip the Drama, Dr Hughes lays out practical strategies for parents to respond to several common scenarios, supported by real-life examples.

"The teenage years are long and most parents will come across at least a few of the issues covered by Skip the Drama, if not more, by the time their teen is 14 or 15.

"The book covers common run of the mill teenage issues - like how to manage excessive phone use and selfishness, and how to talk to teens about drug and alcohol exposure, and sex - but it also covers increasingly common issues like what to do if your daughter is anxious, depressed, showing an unhealthy interest in dieting, or cutting - which most parents understandably feel overwhelmed by."

Dr Hughes said one of the most important things for parents was to adapt their parenting style as their daughter entered the teen years.

"Some parents find it hard to let go of a 'you'll do as I say because I'm the parent' parenting philosophy to switch to a more collaborative approach but collaborating with teens is a really effective parenting strategy.

"That doesn't mean giving in to whatever your teen wants just to keep the peace - that's the worst thing you can do - but it means taking the time to try to see things from your teens point of view, and then trying - where it's possible - to meet them half way," she said "Doing this will show your teen you respect her, and because you've shown her you're willing to listen, she'll be more willing to listen to you as well, and also more likely to comply with your requests.

"Switching to a collaborative approach is a pretty big shift for most parents, but it's effective and if you want a healthy and reciprocally respectful relationship with your teen, it's the approach you need to use."

Dr Hughes said there was no magic age that the teenage angst ended.

"The teenage years can feel like they're going to drag on forever - but it does get easier. " With years of experience in treating teenage girls, Dr Hughes is now living the other end of the spectrum, welcoming her first child, a son, midway through writing the book.

"We still have some time ahead of us before we hit the teenage years in my house, but he's given us a baptism by fire so far, so much so that I'd almost rather be living with a teen. I'm sure I'll change my tune when he puts us through our paces in his teenage years though!"

Dr Sarah Hughes completed her clinical training at the University of Sydney and holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a PhD in child and adolescent anxiety disorders. Sarah is the founder of Think Clinical Psychologists, and has 10 years of clinical experience.

Kid's books..

How I (Didn't) Straighten My Hair (and other life lessons) Angela May George

My Old Man He Played Rugby Peter Millett, Illustrated by Jenny Cooper, Sung by Jay Laga'aia

Dora has frizzy hair and spends a lot of time worrying about it.

She also spends a lot of time worrying about her friends and the school bully. That's until her dad loses his job and she ends up in hospital with a broken hand. As Dora tries to find her thing, she develops a thing for the boy who lives next door to her grandparents! A quirky tale about fitting in, friendship and growing up.

Little Rugby fans will love this book, which tells a fun sporting story to a very familiar tune.

"My old man, he played one, he played front row in the scrum, with a heave ho, here we go, playing in the zone, my old man came charging home.

My old man, he played two.. (you get the idea)." The book comes with a CD so you can play the book, sung by Jay Laga'aia, in the car.

Scholastic, RRP $16.99

Scholastic, RRP $17.99

www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

Billie's Book - Ranjeeta Mayanglambam

How did I get here? - Philip Bunting

Pearl, The Magical Unicorn - Sally Odgers, Adele K Thomas

Creative and colourful, Billie's Book is a lovely story about the right way to treat others. The book is a simple and sweet reminder for your child to be kind, compassionate and considerate as they grow up in an ever-changing, dynamic and beautiful world.

Does your child ask how they got here? This picture book answers that, but may also raise a few questions. The book is an entertaining explanation about life on earth, from the big bang to birth. Cleverly illustrated, this book is fabulous for inquisitive kids who want to know where they came from.

Magical Unicorn Pearl doesn't quite know how to use her magic. However, Pearl is determined and, with the help of her friends, discovers her magical abilities which are put to the test when the trio run into some naughty, stinky creatures called gobble-uns. A fun and cleverly illustrated story that's sure to delight unicorn-obsessed kids.

New Holland Publishers, RRP $16.99

Scholastic, RRP $24.99

Scholastic, RRP $9.99

SPRING 2018 33

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Spring 2018 CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER 03: Babytime Rhymes, Malvern Library 03: Preschool storytime, Prahran Library 05: Kids Art Club, Malvern Library 05: Tiny toys story time, Greythorn Library 07: Tiny toys story time, Greythorn Library 09: CoderDojo- September kids coding club, Balwyn Library 11: Make it: After school club, Hawthorn Library 11: Sing baby sing, Camberwell Library 15: Boroondara Farmers Market 15: Tesselaar Tulip Festival tulipfestival.com.au 21: Chinese storytime, Balwyn Library 23: Camberwell Grammar School annual dance spectacular 24: September School Holiday Program: Wildlife Encounters, Phoenix Park Library www.stonningtonboroondarakids.com.au

24: September School Holiday Program: Lego Builders, Malvern Library 24: September School Holiday Program: Lego Builders, Prahran Library 26: Carnival for Kids school holiday program starts www.carnivalforkids. com.au/home/school-holidayprograms/

Program: Lego Builders, Prahran Library 03: Board games night, Camberwell Library 05: September School Holiday Program: Fry The Knight, Malvern Library

Stonnington Toy Library 31: Spooktober starts www. spooktober.com.au/

NOVEMBER

07: Hawthorn Makers Market

03: Derby Day in High Street, Ashburton 10am-1pm

08: Walk to school month

03: International Games Week

27: September School Holiday Program: Make and Do: Paper Chandeliers, Prahran Library

10: Bedtime storytime, Balwyn Library

04: Hawthorn Makers Market

13: Malvern Wellness Expo, Edsall Street, Malvern

05: Tiny tots story time, Ashburton Library

28: The Listies: Ickypedia, Hawthorn Arts Centre

07: Bedtime story time, Balwyn Library

29: AFL Grand Final Day in High Street, Ashburton 10am-1pm

15: Wave of light, International Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day, Hawthorn Arts Centre

OCTOBER

20: Caulfield Cup Day in High Street, Ashburton 10am-1pm

01: September School Holiday Program: Make and Do: Paper Chandeliers, Phoenix Park Library

20: Malvern Valley Primary School Carnival 20: Boroondara Farmers Market

01: September School Holiday Program: Lego Builders, Malvern Library

24: Your little explorer: exploration and development in 3-year-old children, Parkview Room, Camberwell

01: September School Holiday

27: Snow Queen Face Painting at

07: Tiny tots story time, Greythorn Library 09: Sing baby sing, Ashburton Library 12: Sing baby sing, Kew Library 13: Make it: After school club, Hawthron Library 17: Boroondara Farmers Market 19: Board games night, Camberwell Library 19: Babytime Rhymes, Malvern Library SPRING 2018 35

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