Yarra Ranges Kids Spring 2019

SPRING 2019

Spring into our

playgrounds Steve Biddulph on

WHY DADS MATTER Celebrating a

decade of Babes

A Star News Group Publication

Fun

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2 SPRING 2019

www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

About Us

A fresh start for spring FOR me, this spring edition is a 'welcome back' of sorts.

It's the first edition I've been a part of since I welcomed my second baby, Asher Les Brock, on March 7 this year and we began life as a family of four!

My featherweight champion was born at 37 weeks gestation at 2.4kgs after a stressful, complicated, high-risk pregnancy which ended in me being monitored daily and a lot of back and forth to Box Hill Hospital.

Not to mention some expensive parking fines too ...

It was a completely different experience than with my first, Zara, after a fairly textbook and straightforward pregnancy and birth with her back in 2015 (the midwives called it easy, although I don't know that's quite the adjective I'd use).

Nonetheless, life with a preschooler and a baby has been chaotic, wonderful, laugh out loud ludicrous, and pure magic, all in one.

Our boy has thrown us a few curveballs with a hospital stay in the heart of winter thanks to a nasty case of bronchiolitis (and his sister refusing to

give him any space most days even when she's got a cough and cold herself!)

He also suffers with terrible reflux, which was something new we've had to navigate.

The early days had quite a few stressful times.

But now we're in spring, and I'm back writing again for Star News Group's Kids magazines, I feel like I've finally got my head above water and it's great to be back to share what I've learned.

I'm wiser albeit a little more tired! It's a cliche, but winter is hard with young kids getting sick and being cooped up inside.

And there's something about spring, it signifies a fresh start. It's so lovely to be back writing, sourcing stories and talking to the incredible local mums and dads, kids, experts, authors and influencers for this magazine.

As always, we've got a great edition for you.

kids. We've got a list of the top playgrounds, on page 5.

We've also sourced some road trip travel tips from a well-travelled Monbulk mum of two.

And renowned author Steve Biddulph shares a story from his father's final days which serves as a beautiful reminder about why dads are important.

Looking for a laugh or two? Read up about the wonders of the phenomenon of baby brain. Science tells us it is actually real! I can vouch for that too.

Turn to our Reality Bites section, where we delve into a really important story about perinatal anxiety and depression.

Another must-read is the story of Shaylah Carmichael, the six-year-old who is truly lucky to be alive after swallowing a button battery.

As always you will find a great books section and a calendar of upcoming spring events. Enjoy!

Given the warmer months ahead, many of us will be eager to find some new play spaces to check out with the

ENTERTAINMENT

BOOKS

Eastland's new little club mini & me

A horsey tale for kids

PAGE 4

PAGE 16

PAGE 26

Spring into our top playgrounds

Kiri and Lou airing in Australia

Children's books

PAGE 5

PAGE 17

PAGE 26

Cookbook queen's road to fame

Race into the new Paw Patrol Movie

PAGE 6

PAGE 17

KIDS CALENDAR

The science of baby brain

Plenty to do at Mansfield Zoo

PAGE 7

PAGE 18

Steve Biddulph on why dads matter

Games to get the party started

PAGE 8

PAGE 18

Celebrating a decade of Babes

PARTY TIME

EDUCATION

Ready to party PAGE 19

Mum's custom seatbelts go viral

PAGE 12

Opening up about post natal depression

Smart schoolbags on the way

PAGE 21

PAGE 12

Girl's horror button battery ordeal

Importance of the foundation years

PAGE 22

PAGE 13

A picturesque home birth

Dietician's simple lunchbox advice

PAGE 23

PAGE 14

Teaching kindness brings cool reward

Phone ban to ring in the new school year

PAGE 23

PAGE 15

yarrarangeskids.com.au

Advertising Kerri Shinkfield kerri.shinkfield@mailnewsgroup.com.au

SPRING 2019

Spring into our

playgrounds Steve Biddulph on

WHY DADS MATTER Celebrating a

decade of Babes

REALITY BITES PAGE 20

The benefit of the Steiner approach at Ghilgai

Editorial Danielle Galvin danielle.galvin@starnewsgroup. com.au Phone: 5945 0666

What's on this spring PAGE 27

Choosing the right kindergarten

PAGE 14

244 Maroondah Highway, Healesville, Vic 3777 Phone: 5957 3700 Fax: 5957 3777

Cover Alanna Mitchell and Jenna Henry with horse Juke Picture: Louisa Jones

Stress less travelling with kids

PAGE 10

Yarra Ranges Kids

Published by Mail News Group Pty Ltd ACN 99 006 310 498. Publisher/Managing Director, Paul Thomas. All material is copyright to Mail News Group Pty Ltd. All significant errors will be corrected as soon as possible.

IT'S YOUR LIFE

Empowering young children to spread their wings

Yarra Ranges Kids will be published quarterly prior to each of the school holidays.

Phone: 5957 3700

CONTENTS

PAGE 9

Yarra Ranges Kids magazine is a Mail News Group publication.

A Star News Group Publication

Just for Dads - A lonely island PAGE 24 Mum's technology solution PAGE 24

facebook.com/yarrarangeskids

instagram.com/yarraranges_kids

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your Life

Kristen Dias with Joey and Scarlett with her Travel Karma activity case.

Picture: Rob Carew

Stress less travelling with kids

By Danielle Galvin ONE of the most anxiety inducing tasks any parent can endure with children is hopping on an aeroplane, while mentally preparing for a long haul fight with a baby and toddler in tow.

The mad rush at the airport with baggage and strollers and hyped-up or over-tired kids can be stressful enough in itself, let alone the hours-long flight to look forward to with a child intent on making their presence known on a packed flight.

engaged and captivated.

The idea was born out of her own travel willingness and sense of adventure with her first child, Scarlett.

She travelled with her for the first time when she was only seven-weeks old, which would probably be a terrifying prospect for many first-time parents.

Kristen was a teacher for 10 years and has a Master of Education.

But well-travelled Monbulk mum of two Kristen Dias has come up with a business idea to take some of the stress out of plane travel.

There are some similar ideas out there to hers, but Kristen has put a lot of thought into putting together different activities in each of the travel packs for kids. It includes activity ideas, craft materials, board games, colouring pages, puzzles, a travel journal, various bags of creative goodies, and more.

Her start-up business, Travel Karma, includes educationally designed activity packs not only to keep kids busy while travelling but to keep them

"I found heaps of websites with advice on how to put stuff together yourself, but none that was already done and put together," she said.

"Everything has educational design behind it. I've thought about what will they learn when they do this or that.

"It's all fine motor skills, creativity, learning colours or whatever the case may be."

She didn't just want to hand her daughter a box with a few stickers or pencils inside, she wanted to carefully craft and design activities to keep her engaged and learning something new.

And while originally the idea came from making travelling easier, she said it could be useful while eating out or at a wedding.

It's another tool to keep the kids off their devices.

The Dias family certainly are welltravelled, flying to Perth, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Sydney the Gold Coast and India twice.

Each time she travels, Kristen picks up a new hack like always checking in with the flight attendant to ask if they have a spare snack or something for the kids.

She also said once you get on a plane, try and let the stress go, using the analogy that like labour at least it has an end point.

Kristen is big on being prepared and doing your research.

"As much stuff as you bring, even if you don't use it, you feel prepared," she said.

"It's like your nappy bag - there's so much stuff you almost never use, but that one day you need it it's in there.

"Don't listen to the people who say to give up."

It's that carefree attitude that's helped her take the stress out of travel.

Kristen's top tips for taking kids on a road trip

KRISTEN travelled with her 1-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter from Melbourne to Sydney and back (over 2500 kilometres in total) within less than one week over the Christmas break, so these no-fail road trip tips have been tried and tested!

4 SPRING 2019

1. The most important tip is to plan ahead, and allow a lot more time than you would for a trip without kids. Plan your trip with an absolute maximum of six hours driving in one day with break stops every two hours or so. A sample itinerary - you could leave at 9am, drive til 11am. Have a break til 11.30am, drive til 1.30pm, stop for 90 minutes for lunch and play. Get back on the road at 3pm.

Drive til 5pm. You could leave an hour earlier and try to reach your destination by 4pm which would avoid traffic jams. Kids need to go to

the toilet more often than adults generally do and get out to stretch their legs, and ideally have a snack.

A great idea is to google some playgrounds along the way in little towns and let your children play before getting in the car again (then hopefully they'll be tired and have a sleep!). Use www.playgroundfinder. com/ to find a playground in the town you are passing through.

2. Make sure you have music the kids enjoy listening to in the car 3. Bring lots of snacks that are easy to pass over the seats to your children,

such as apples and bananas, packets of sultanas, crackers etc.

4. Pack some toys such as books, teddies to cuddle (and hopefully have a snooze!)

5. Bring an activity kit such as the travel karma activity pack www. travelkarma.com 6. Play eye spy or Spotto, looking out the car window at cows, windmills, tractors etc. (If I'm getting tired of eye spy I tell my kids to see if they can find a koala in the gum trees ... it usually distracts them for a while!) www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your Life

Spring into our top playgrounds

By Melissa Grant PLAYGROUNDS are great places for children to have fun, explore, make new friends and burn some energy.

They can offer hours of entertainment, and best of all, don't cost a cent to visit.

With many mild sunny days, spring is a great time to explore the many playgrounds in the Yarra Ranges and surrounds.

There are some great ones to visit too - a huge new playground has just opened at the site of the old Olinda Public Golf Course and a number of others have undergone recent upgrades.

The new Olinda Playspace offers plenty of fun for kids of all ages.

Darcy goes for a slide at Queens Park in Healesville.

QUEENS PARK

UPWEY MAIN STREET PLAY SPACE

COMING SOON...

36 DON ROAD, HEALESVILLE

MAIN STREET, UPWEY

GEMBROOK LEISURE PARK

A great playground for younger and older kids.

There's plenty of fun for kids of all ages at this park.

This park is undergoing a major transformation.

The popular and well-situated park reopened earlier this year after undergoing a million dollar upgrade.

The playground includes swings, climbing towers and cubes, slides, balance beams and steppers, a double rocker and more.

Works on a a $1.5m upgrade started in July and is expected to be complete in February next year.

It now features swings, double flying foxes, a sandpit, nature play area, balancing logs and an accessible spinner.

The Olinda Playspace features plenty of play equipment.

OLINDA PLAYSPACE MONBULK ROAD, OLINDA There's so much to explore at this park, the largest regional play space in the Dandenongs.

The $1.8 million park opened in July at the site of the former Olinda Public Golf Course.

Kids will love riding their bikes and scooters at the Roll Play bike park where they can learn traffic skills on a purpose-built track.

The park also boasts picnic tables for families, a drinking fountain and play sculptures.

Construction of the playground was completed last year. The new equipment replaced the ageing pirate ship playground.

ALMA TRELOAR PARK HEALESVILLE KOOWEERUP RD, COCKATOO If your child loves to climb, they will love this playground.

With plenty of shade and toilet facilities, Queens Park is a spot where the kids can play for hours.

It features a variety of adventure equipment including rock and climbing walls, pommel walk and nets.

It's also a short walk from the main shopping area in town, making it easy to grab lunch or a coffee.

The playground, which was upgraded just over a year ago, also has a ladybug springer, spinner and tractor play unit.

The park features a large sandpit, flying foxes, slides, swings, ropes course and a water play area.

The upgraded park will feature a new adventure playground with a flying fox, lawn area with new shelters and barbecues and a multi-use sports court.

It will also feature nature play, accessible play opportunities, additional sealed parking and refurbished public amenities. The skate park will be upgraded as part of the project, with space created for skating, scooting and BMX.

It's surrounded by plenty of grass, which is perfect for the kids to run around on or kick a footy.

It also features a toilet block, barbecues, picnic facilities and plenty of seating.

Kids will love jumping into the Olinda Playspace.

There are formalised pathways around the former golf course as part of a dog off-lead area.

Several local artists have contributed to the design of the play space, which also boasts stunning views and features mosaic artwork by local school children.

And there's more fun to come. Future project stages include a junior sports and training oval, netball courts and improvements to cricket facilities.

The Upwey Main Street Play Space. www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

Cockatoo's Alma Treloar Park.

SPRING 2019 5

It’s Your Life

Serving busy parents a key ingredient for success

By Melissa Grant

marketing her product.

KIM McCosker's recipe for success began over a decade ago while on maternity leave for her second child.

When a community newspaper in Brisbane's northern suburbs ran a story about the venture, bookshops called wanting to stock the title and sales began to take off.

The busy mum wanted a cookbook to help her get a quick meal on the table at the end of the day, but couldn't find one.

Kim thought it was strange such a cookbook was difficult to find given how many parents had little time for meal preparation, so she decided to create her own collection of recipes using four ingredients.

Back then Kim, whose background was in finance, had no idea she would become a global phenomenon.

Never could she have dreamt that initial 4 Ingredients cookbook would become a best-seller, let alone lead to a career as a celebrity cook with titles published in 12 countries and sales topping 9 million.

In the beginning, Kim was simply thinking about how to repay the money she'd redrawn from the family mortgage to fund the first print run.

Incredibly, the initial 4 Ingredients cookbook has now sold over 3 million copies.

Kim puts much of her success down to the fact that many people like herself don't have time to follow complex, gourmet meals.

"I love watching Masterchef, but the reality is I walk into my kitchen and go 'what can I make with puff pastry, egg, bacon and onion'," she said.

"I've got three beautiful boys (aged 11, 14 and 17) and god forbid they want to play the same sport.

"In most cases, I'm walking in the door at 10 to 6 ... everyone is starving and saying 'what's for dinner?' and I only have time for four ingredients.

"It doesn't matter if you are a stay-athome mum or retiree, the world has never been busier."

After spending more than a year collating recipes, Kim and her then business partner were rejected by potential publishers.

Preparing tasty and inexpensive family meals is the focus throughout Kim's 34 published cookbooks, which include gluten-free, diabetic and allergy titles.

"We failed dismally - we couldn't even get past the gatekeeper, the receptionist," Kim recalled.

The collection also features the children focused titles, Kids 4 Ingredients and Baby Bowl.

"The second option is to self-publish and that's essentially what we did.

Currently, Kim's working on a vegetarian cookbook plus podcast and a pilot for free-to-air TV.

"I had to take $26,000 out of our family's mortgage to self-fund initially.

Motivated to repay the money she had taken from the mortgage, Kim knocked on doors to get sales.

"I packed the pram with cookbooks and off we went!" Kim managed to sell around 500 of the 2000 cookbooks printed.

Realising that wheeling a cookbook loaded pram around local neighbourhoods was a time-poor way to distribute, she began focusing on

Although she's flat out, Kim regularly finds time to cook with her sons in the kitchen of their family home at Caloundra.

She encourages parents to get their kids involved in the household meal preparation.

"We all know that cooking helps develop your child's fine motor skills and it's also an early basis for maths and science," she said.

Kim McCosker and her family.

Sunshine Coast mum Kim McCosker, the woman behind 4 Ingredients.

COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY One lucky Yarra Ranges Kids reader will win one copy each of Kim McCosker's Baby Bowl AND 4 Ingredients Kids.

For your chance to win this awesome prize pack, visit www.yarrarangeskids.com.au and click on competitions

"I love seeing kids in the kitchen."

Tomato Drummies Serves 4 • 1kg chicken drumsticks • 420g can condensed tomato soup • 1 packet (40g) French Onion Soup METHOD: 1. Preheat oven to 180C. 2. Place the chicken legs in a 24cm square ovenproof dish.

3. Stir together the tomato soup, French onion mix, and 1/2 cup of water and pour over the chicken legs.

4. Bake 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through.

Captain Veggie Smuggler's tip: Serve with mash potatoes or cauliflower and steam beans and zucchini.

6 SPRING 2019

www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

It’s Your Life

The science of ‘baby brain’

By Danielle Galvin MOST expectant or post-partum mothers can relate to the unusual phenomenon commonly referred to as 'baby brain'.

It involves that feeling of mental fogginess, poor decision making or hilarious missteps on it.

'Baby brain' is often used as a reason for doing something silly during pregnancy, like putting the kettle in the fridge.

Historically, it's been laughed off. But for some women, the mental fog, forgetfulness, difficulty comprehending complex or sometimes quite simple tasks, 'baby brain' is very real.

Science tells us it is.

Deakin University PhD candidate Sasha Davies is the lead author on a report investigating baby brain and how it can be observed and even measured.

She said it's only been in the last 20 or so years where researchers have moved to objectively try and measure baby brain, as a lot of the academic literature over the years debated about whether it was real or not.

"What we mean by the term baby brain, at least in our study, is any cognitive deficiency in terms of attention performance, mental performance, or executive functioning referring to processes like decision making, planning and judgements," she explains.

"There has been a lot of studies on memory, but not a lot on the others.

"We tend to use terms like mental fogginess because it what people understand from their own experiences, it helps them understand what it means.

"Mental fogginess can mean a lot of different things - it can mean anything from reading comprehension, or memory lapses."

Studies in the past have asked pregnant women to undertake memory tasks. But the Deakin team believes it may be beneficial to look at more sensitive approaches to measuring what's called the neural differences occurring in a pregnant woman's brain, to back-up some of those anecdotal behavioural changes.

"We are looking at a really sensitive method of measuring brainwave

Sasha Davies is investigating ''baby brain''.

activity and changes in that," Ms Davies said.

Researchers undertook an analysis of 20 studies that included a total of 709 pregnant and 521 non-pregnant women.

In the report, they conclude; "general cognitive functioning, memory, and executive functioning were significantly poorer in pregnant than in control women, particularly during the third trimester."

They found the changes usually develop in the first trimester.

Ms Davies says it's a fascinating area of study.

"It's a bit silly we haven't thought about it (before)," she said.

"Our body changes, our mood changes, these are all kind of accepted things that change doing pregnancy.

"No one has really looked at the brain and thought well the brain is just another organ, and it goes through change."

On the Yarra Ranges Kids Facebook page, many readers shared their own experiences with so-called baby brain.

Private Midwives providing personalised pregnancy, birth and postnatal services for the women of the Yarra Valley and beyond. Your first consultation will be bulk billed.

Our beautiful rooms are located a 1 McGrettons Road, Healesville with easy access and parking available

"I washed the dishes then put the dish stick in the freezer. Found it two days later," Darcie wrote.

At least we know have science to back us up.

12411381-CG37-19

What our readers said about

baby brain...

SIMONE: With my first pregnancy, I used hair conditioner instead of body wash and couldn't understand why my skin felt slimy. I've also put fresh milk in the pantry instead of the fridge, which went 'off'.

BRHYDI: I tried to put the kettle in the www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

fridge but thought I should let it cool down a bit first.

LIA: I put a plastic bag in the pod section of the coffee machine and I don't remember doing it. I also tried to lock my mailbox with the lock button of my car keys.

www.yarravalleymidwives.com.au 0410 692 929 - 0448 866 655 SPRING 2019 7

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your Life

What dads do and why it matters so much

World renowned author Steve Biddulph.

IN the last few days of my father's life, I stayed in the hospital to be near him and we had many great talks.

One day he told me something that happened when I was only a couple of days old.

He had put me in the pram, and with the aim of giving my mum some time for a nap, taken me down the high street of the small Yorkshire town where we lived.

As he got among the crowds, he noticed people looking at him and frowning. Then some children ran behind him, jeering and calling out.

At this point in telling the story, dad faltered. He was on a lot of morphine, and I wondered if he was falling asleep.

But then I realised he was starting to cry.

I said "what were they calling out?"

And he said, "your dad's your mum".

They were making fun of a man pushing a baby in a pram - in the 1950s that was unknown. He was a shy man, and abandoned his walk and went down a side road for home.

I think, looking back, that he was saying "I tried to be a hands-on dad". He was proud of my work and books which had encouraged so many dads to play a more active part in their children's lives. His story suddenly brought home to me that many men of earlier

generations would have liked to be closer to their children, but it wasn't really seen as a man's role.

IF THERE IS NO DAD

We know a lot now about how beneficial dads are for kids. For sons, it seems to give them an idea of what being a good man looks like. Especially from ages 6-14, sons worship their dads and want to be like them, and follow them about, desperate for their approval. It helps if, from birth onward, dad has a caring role, equally able to cuddle, comfort, play and read to them.

But it's never too late to start.

Richard Fletcher at Newcastle University has researched rough and tumble play with dads and kids. He is convinced it's part of the way kids learn to be safe and moderate their emotions, learning to be excited but safe at the same time.

Girls often love this kind of play too.

My friend Professor Bruce Robinson, at UWA, believes girls derive a lot of their self esteem from dads, because he is their first opposite sex role model. It's so important that dad conveys she is special and important, interesting and worthwhile. It can be as simple as going to her sports (and being her biggest fan), walking the dog, or sitting with her every night to catch up on the best and worst things that happened in her day.

New studies have found when a new baby arrives, the father's hormones change. They become more placid, less competitive and nicer people! They switch into caring mode, and feel

We know a lot now about how beneficial dads are for kids.

happier being close to their children.

But it takes a bit of practice for mums to share the parenting and accept that dads might do it differently. Dads are likely to be more adventurous, physical and messy, but that's good for kids and helps them be more confident.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a dad, or have one nearby. But every time I post an article about the good things dads do on my Facebook community pages, hundreds of mothers tag their husbands. I hope it's to say "this is what you do!"

Steve Biddulph's two books Raising Boys in the 21st Century and Raising Girls in the 21st Century are available in audiobooks for dads who don't read a lot. His final round of talks will be in Melbourne and Sydney between August and October. Visit www. stevebiddulph.com for details.

Mothers raising sons alone need to know one thing - women can raise boys to be fine men, and have done so for thousands of years.

When I talk to mums whose sons are grown and thriving, they often say they made sure he knew some good men, and that they encouraged granddads or uncles, or chose activities where they would have safe, kind men helping them. That matters most in the mid-teen years when boys are deciding what kind of man they want to be.

In my talks, I always tell the guys that if they are planning a trip or experience with their son to invite along his friend who might not have a dad. We guys have to fill the gaps in the fathering net so boys don't fall through just because their father is not around.

Parenthood is a community job, and if we realise boys and girls both need to know friendly, affirming and interested father figures, then we will have less problems when kids grow up.

They will know what a good man looks like, either to be, or to choose as a partner.

Free baby bundles with essentials for first-time parents FIRST-TIME parents can expect to receive a special package when their little bundle of joy arrives.

sleeping bag, a cotton wrap, first aid kit, baby sunhat, toothbrush and a grow suit.

with Raising Children Network provides vital information on child health, safety and learning and emergency contacts.

The state government has begun distributing free 'baby bundles' that include essentials to help guide mums and dads through the first few months and years of their firstborn's life.

They also include four picture books

by Victorian authors: Baby Days by Nicola Philp, Ten Little Owls by Renee Treml, Puddle Hunters by Kirsty Murray and Karen Blair, and Gumtree Buddies, a soft pram book produced by Tiger Tribe.

The state government funded bundles are designed to assist first-time parents build safe sleeping practices and support their child's learning and development through regular reading and playtime.

Valued at $150, the bundle comes with a teething ring, nappy bag, safe 8 SPRING 2019

A booklet developed in collaboration

Around 35,000 new parents will

receive the bundles each year at all Victorian maternity hospitals.

"Bringing your bundle of joy home for the first time is life changing but we also know it can be challenging. We are making this precious moment that little bit easier and ensuring our youngest Victorians have everything they need to thrive," Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said. www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your Life

Supporting new mums... The Babes Project team.

Celebrating a decade of Babes

By Melissa Grant

and their own upbringing. We are excited to work with these women to create new patterns."

ALONE, vulnerable and pregnant.

Helen is passionate about helping women across Australia access the care they need to prepare for parenting.

It's a scary scenario faced by many women.

Some are young, jobless, single or have no family support. Others are already battling mental health, drug or alcohol issues when they discover they're expecting.

Last year, a dedicated midwife started at The Babes Project Croydon to act as a triage nurse, a first point of contact for women facing crisis pregnancy including those in remote areas.

Becoming a mum is the last thing they could have imagined.

Throughout the past decade, The Babes Project has stood with hundreds of these women as they have faced and overcome the challenges of their early motherhood journey.

Celebrating 10 years... The Babes Project team and participants outside the Croydon centre.

Pictures: Miranda Mayle

Since its inception in Croydon, the not-for-profit crisis support pregnancy agency has helped more than 800 new mums and touched the lives of thousands.

The service - which celebrated its 10th birthday in June - began with the crisis pregnancy story of Helen Parker.

"I came to really understand that band-aid solutions were only really solutions for a short amount of time."

About 10 years later, Helen became determined to address the lack of crisis pregnancy support available in Australia.

She spent two-and-half years researching what holistic pregnancy support services were needed and how to engage women before a building was offered to her in Croydon.

The Babes Project's Pregnancy Support Centre in Croydon opened in 2012, with a Frankston centre following four years later.

www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

The Babes Project also launched a free smartphone app last year, which features information about pregnancy stages and the first year of baby's life, plus key Australian contacts and services.

The agency has recently expanded its operations into far north Queensland where, like Melbourne's outer east and southeast, the rate of teen pregnancy is well above the state average. The new hub in Cairns is expected to offer the full perinatal program from October.

At 20 years of age and studying architecture at university, Helen felt alone and scared when she discovered she'd fallen pregnant.

"I was exposed to the reality of what a crisis pregnancy looks like for women," The Babes Project founder and CEO explained.

The midwife provides on-phone support, advice and recommendations for local service providers, and ongoing contact replicating the face-to-face perinatal program.

The Babes Project founder and CEO, Helen Parker, at the Decade of Babes Celebration and Fundraiser at South Yarra's Como House in June.

Helen Parker with some of the families who have been supported by The Babes Project.

Needless to say, there was plenty to celebrate when The Babes Project officially turned 10 in June this year.

At the centres, women receive free face-to-face holistic support during their pregnancy and the first year of their baby's life.

"When they come to Babes they can articulate that they do belong somewhere."

A series of events were held for volunteers and supporters, including a Decade of Babes Celebration and Fundraiser in South Yarra.

They are given access to midwives, life skills and baby care workshops, and labour support programs.

The service helps women work through their top three needs, such as housing, budgeting and mental health issues.

Lunches are also held each fortnight, giving women the chance to meet and connect with others in similar situations.

"The thing we hear most commonly from the women, is 'I don't fit in anywhere, I feel so alone'," Helen said.

Women who turn to The Babes Project are facing a huge range of challenges, including teen pregnancy and single parenting, mental health, domestic violence, drug and alcohol issues, family breakdown and isolation.

"Social isolation is huge - it means those women aren't in a healthy environment where they can access help and services easily," Helen said. "(Also) communities can be quite harsh on women who have a history of drug and alcohol use, but we know that can come from experience with trauma

Looking back, Helen says her proudest achievement is a pretty simple one - that The Babes Project is still open and continues to grow.

"You can often have a dream and sometimes they grow fast and you bomb out," she said.

"We have overcome quite a few challenges over the years, and now we can celebrate women, whose children are now at school, who say 'I was part of that first cohort and it really changed my life'."

SPRING 2019 9

It’s Your Life

Encouraging independence in children is an ongoing responsibility.

Picture: Rob Carew

Empowering young children to grow independence and spread their wings

By Taylor Lee - Educator, Cire Children’s Services EMPOWERING children in their crucial early years to spread their wings and become more independent is critical.

During this phase of life's journey, children grow and develop and become more able to do things for themselves. They express themselves, explore their world independently and appreciate the consequence of their actions and behaviours.

As newborns, we enter the world completely dependent on others for food, warmth, shelter and survival.

Throughout our lives, we remain connected to those around us. We also strike out on our own, developing the confidence to explore and make sense of our surroundings. We gradually become more aware that we can influence and control certain events.

Humans are fundamentally social creatures. We live in families and communities and actively seek connections with others. One of our key roles as educators is to help children relate to others in positive and collaborative ways. The emphasis on connection is strongly reflected in both the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standard.

Alongside this sense of togetherness, it is also vital to help children develop a sense of themselves as individuals with their own skills, strengths, likes and dislikes.

Independence contributes to the development of self-esteem, identity and wellbeing. Doing something for yourself produces a powerful sense of achievement and success. When children have opportunities to make choices, to attempt tasks for themselves, and to take on increasing responsibilities, their sense of themselves

as competent members of society grows.

We have a sense of 'agency' when we feel in control of things that happen around us; when we feel that we can influence events. This is an essential attribute for children to develop. As educators at Cire Children's Services, we listen to and respect children's words and ideas. We model collaboration and cooperation, and show that we recognise the differing capabilities of all our children.

Independence is further developed through 'real-life' tasks and challenges that allow children to attempt difficult and challenging work. Experiences that are not simple and that require practise and perseverance help children to become resilient and provide a sense of tremendous achievement. Cooking, gardening and woodwork are all examples of experiences that provide opportunities to use real tools or utensils and complete real 'adult' tasks. Perhaps

this is why children respond so enthusiastically to real tasks.

Cire Children's Services actively achieves a balance between education and care, and encouraging and fostering children to become more independent and confident. We do this, for example, by assisting them to learn how to wash their hands, sensing and understanding their own needs from hunger and meal times, to finding their drink bottles that are accessible all day and easily identified by their own photograph. Meal times are self-service, allowing children to use tongs and serving spoons. These skills are constantly scaffolded throughout their early years with different and new experiences to enhance independence and sense of 'agency' further.

Encouraging independence in children is an ongoing responsibility.

Occasional Care Report highlights the value of flexibility DRIVEN by a mission to serve the needs of residents, Cire is currently considering the findings of a report it commissioned into occasional care and other early years services in the region.

The report focused on locally identified needs and barriers to accessing such services, particularly in the Upper Yarra and Healesville.

One of the key findings was that many parents valued highly the flexibility of occasional care and that they pay for what they use.

However, many parents and carers

10 SPRING 2019

viewed occasional care as being cost-prohibitive. This was attributed to a lack of understanding of the availability and access to government childcare subsidies, which could substantially reduce the real cost of childcare.

"Ninety per cent of the parents who showed an interest in using occasional care to attend formal education/ training viewed childcare as being too expensive," the report stated.

In addition, all aspects of Cire's occasional care services at Upper Yarra Family Centre at Yarra Junction

and Chirnside Park Community Hub were valued highly by those already accessing them.

As a result of the study, Cire aims to address the following issues to increase the accessibility of occasional care: • Promote occasional care to parents and carers, including the availability of government subsidies. Consistent and simple information about occasional care and the real cost of childcare is essential.

• Promote occasional care to other service providers in the community

as the report identified a lack of understanding of what is currently available.

• Establish clear and direct referral pathways.

• Further investigate potential occasional care venues in Healesville and Woori Yallock.

The need for the project was informed by the outcome of the Yarra Ranges Council's Child and Youth Strategy (2014-2024) and the 2016 'Let's Talk about Warby' project.

www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

i n R G P S HOLIDAY PROGRAM BADGE CREEKR PRIMA RY SCHOO L

Fun for kids during the school holidays Monday 23rd September to Friday 4th October 2019

WOOR YALLO I CK PRIMA RY SCHOO L

CHIRN SIDE

PARK

COMM UNITY HUB

Mon 23rd to Fri 27th Sept

Mon 23rd to Fri 27th Sept

Mon 23rd to Fri 27th Sept

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Mon 30th Sept to Fri 4th Oct

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contact us TODA Y

1300 835 235 www.cire.org.au

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SPRING 2019 11

Education

Choosing the right kindergarten IS my child ready to go to kindergarten?

Which kindergarten do I choose?

These are questions many parents are asking themselves at this time of year.

They may decide to enrol their child at the kindergarten close to home, or they may send their son or daughter to one further away that they attended as a child.

With 12 pre-schools from Chirnside Park to Warburton and Coldstream to Belgrave, Yarra Ranges Kindergartens has the local area covered.

CEO Andrew Wright says parents who select one of their kindergartens can be assured their child will receive a quality pre-school education.

"Experience matters. We've been around as a group of kindergartens for more than 20 years," he said.

"And some of our kindergartens are over 50 years old, but have been constantly updated so they are fit for purpose.

Lancaster preschooler Maya.

child to step away from the wings of mum and dad and into the world of education and engaging with other children.

"We have experienced teaching staff who regularly review to keep up to date with contemporary methods.

Each kindergarten has its own personality, which reflects their local community and provides an environment where children can feel safe and secure.

"Also, our kinders consistently receive high ratings from the Department of Education and Training which is really important."

"At Coldstream, for example, we run a bush kinder program, while Chirnside Park has a new technology focus," Mr Wright said.

All kindergartens offer three-year-old and four-year programs which allows your

Yarra Ranges Kindergartens is currently taking enrolments for

Owen and Cooper enjoy attending Lancaster Preschool located at Mooroolbark.

2020 and beyond.

For more information, including enrolments, visit www.yrkinders.com/ kinders/

STUDENTS may soon have absolutely no excuses for forgetting their homework or lunch.

YARRA RANGES KINDERGARTENS INC. Early Years Manager

Australian researchers have developed a 'smart schoolbag' capable of alerting students and parents to items that haven't been packed.

The school bag features built-in hardware and software to ensure it's been packed correctly with what a student requires for the day.

ENROLMENTS OPEN FOR 2020 AND BEYOND

The bag can even tell if an item isn't needed and should be left at home, ensuring schoolchildren aren't lugging around unnecessary weight.

The smart school bag uses radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to detect items in the bag and Internet of Things (IOT) technology to check its contents against the daily school plan.

Call 9726 0439 or enrol@yrkinders.com www.yrkinders.com

It has the capability to send content alerts by smartphone to students, parents and teachers.

Although the smart school bag sounds incredibly futuristic, it may soon become an item commonly used by Australian students.

BELGRAVE - CHIRNSIDE PARK - COLDSTREAM - FERNHILL

The Deakin University engineering team responsible have designed a prototype smart schoolbag that includes the smartphone application which could retail for between $125 and $150, making it an affordable option for many families.

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12 SPRING 2019

Enrolment forms are also available from each of the 12 kindergartens, where parents are welcome to arrange a personal tour.

Smart school bags revolutionise packing

YRKI

Your Kinder of Choice

Pictures: Stewart Chambers

One of the creators, Dr Hamid Abdi, says the smart school bag will make the often difficult task of packing much easier.

The Smart School Bag app, developed by Deakin School of Engineering researchers.

"We think the smart school bag will save a lot of time and stress that occurs when homework, hats or lunches are left home by mistake, especially if that requires parents to quickly race home to collect the missing item," he explained.

"A mobile application developed in this project lets parents see the items in the bag and automatically checks them off against the timetable, identifying what is missing and notifies parents if anything else needs to be packed.

"With a smart school bag, children won't need to leave everything in their bag every day. The system helps them pack only what is needed that day and not worry about forgetting something the next day."

The engineering team are now at the demonstration stage and looking for commercial partners to take their smart school bag project to the next level. www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

Education

Importance of the foundation years WHEN we think of the word foundation, it is usually in the sense of a strong base, which is then built upon.

It is a starting point, underpinning all that comes afterwards.

The foundational years of childhood, up to seven years old, are a very important time in the development of well-rounded individuals.

Little Yarra Steiner School (LYSS) takes a broad and holistic approach where, in the foundation years, educators work towards developing certain qualities and capacities in children.

which includes imaginative playtime outside and inside - activities such as cooking, knitting, drawing, painting, building and singing.

Children learn (often by doing) at Little Yarra Steiner School.

Pictures: Larry Lawson

Through singing songs and listening to imaginative stories from a teacher they know, children have the opportunity to focus on the language used, while creating the pictures of the story in their mind's eye.

Much modern research and the example of the Scandinavian schooling approach has proven this to be the best model for this age group.

My own young son would come home retelling stories with great amounts of detail, as they had become so much a part of him. His imagination was alive with a rich and descriptive vocabulary well before he could read them as words on a page. So when it came time to actively learn writing and reading, he was able to understand and use a wide variety of words within a relatively short space of time.

Foundations at LYSS are built slowly and developed through a broad range of experiences. Children learn (often by doing) in a very structured program,

By creating the space and time to allow children to flourish as they would naturally, children are given a strong sense about themselves, the people

These are qualities like compassion, wonder, perseverance and resilience, rather than pushing them too early into conceptual adult type thinking.

The foundational years of childhood, up to seven years old, are a very important time.

around them (both the adults in their lives and their own peers) and their environment.

We invite you to come to learn more about the foundation years at the Little Yarra Steiner School at our Preschool

Information Session and school tours held during our Open Day and Spring Fair on 19 October. We look forward to seeing you there.

- Josie McLachlan, registrar, kindergarten coordinator and mum

Open Day & Fair Saturday 19th October 10am - 4pm

Classroom Displays Music Performances Handcrafts & Organic Market School Tours Kinder Information Session Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Activities

Primary School Information Session Thursday 5th Sept 9:15am - 11.15am

Book online Yarra Valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Independent K-12 Steiner School 205 Little Yarra Rd, Yarra Junction

lyss.vic.edu.au 12422720-SN37-19

www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

SPRING 2019 13

Education Dietitian s simple

lunchbox advice

practising dietitian and spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia.

Here, she gives simple advice on what food items should be included in school lunch boxes.

THE MAIN ITEM: The 'hero feature' of the lunch box. It can be last night's leftovers, a wrap, salad, sandwiches, sushi, soup or pasta.

Dietitians Association of Australia spokesperson Kate DiPrima.

MAKING school lunchboxes is a task loathed by many parents.

Deciding what food to send a child to school with can also be confusing.

There's so much conflicting advice about nutrition, not to mention school bans on certain foods due to allergies.

But packing a school lunchbox doesn't have to be laborious.

Kate Di Prima is an accredited

This item should contain the iron-rich protein whether it's meat, legumes or tofu. Examples included tinned tuna, baked beans and chicken. This item sustains the child throughout the day and should be eaten first.

salad ingredients and put the ham on the bread with the salad in the middle to prevent the bread from going soggy.

heap of sugar such as a homemade blueberry muffin, cereal slice, muesli slice or fruit balls.

ITEM 2: A piece of fresh fruit with edible skin to provide the child with fibre and important vitamins and minerals. It can be chopped up and put back together as a whole piece, or it can be chopped up into bite-sized pieces.

DRINKS: It's important to send your child to school with water.

ITEM 3: This item should be a calcium rich dairy food or equivalent such as milk, biscuits and cheese, yoghurt, custard or a smoothie.

If you are packing a sandwich think about the fillings. Often a sandwich with tomato or tabbouleh comes back uneaten because it's gone soggy.

ITEM 4: A vegetable. The last nutrition survey showed an astronomical number of adults who aren't eating vegetables.

Ones that go well in a lunch box include carrots with hummus, green beans or cherry tomatoes.

Put the spread (avocado or butter) on the bread then keep the filling separate so the child can put the sandwich together. For little ones, try drying off the

ITEM 5: Parents should include a fifth lunch box item if their child is doing an after-school activity. It can be something fun and sweet that doesn't include a

EXTRA TIPS STICKER SYSTEM: For younger children use stickers to indicate which lunch box items should be eaten first. Quite often a parent puts a blueberry muffin in and the child will eat that first and it won't sustain them. Put a gold sticker on what should be eaten first, put a red sticker on what should be eaten second, etc.

STORAGE: We've taking ham and chicken sandwiches to school for decades and there have been no major breakouts of gastro. The bacteria build-up isn't much in the first few hours.

If you put the lunch box down the back of the fridge and in the morning put ice in the thermos, the food stays nice and cool until at least the first break.

Phone ban to ring in the new school year phone ban amid concerns around security, enforcement and home-school communication.

There are also concerns some students may be disadvantaged by the policy and that it won't actually do much to reduce cyber bullying.

By Melissa Grant

From Term 1 next year, students at state primary and high schools across Victoria will be required to switch off their phones and store them securely in lockers from the start of the school day to the final bell.

VICTORIAN students will soon be banned from using their phones during school hours.

When emergencies occur, parents and guardians can reach their child by calling the school.

The ban is being introduced to reduce the distraction of mobiles in classrooms, tackle cyber bullying and improve student learning outcomes.

The only exceptions to the ban will be where students use phones to monitor health conditions, or where teachers instruct students to bring their phones for a classroom activity.

However, the ban isn't receiving a ringing endorsement from some parents.

Parents Victoria doesn't support the 14 SPRING 2019

"This will remove a major distraction from our classrooms, so that teachers can teach, and students can learn in a more focused, positive and supported

environment," Education Minister James Merlino said.

"Some families can only afford one device for their child.

"Half of all young people have experienced cyber bullying. By banning mobiles we can stop it at the school gate."

"In the majority of cases, a mobile phone would be the first choice, as it has multiple uses, and offers security to students travelling alone."

However, Parents Victoria Executive Officer Gail McHardy says there has been no research presented that suggests most cyber bullying actually occurs during school hours or that it will be reduced by the incoming ban.

Parents are also concerned about the storage of phones as lockers can be broken into and not all students have one.

"The ban may push cyber bullying into another time period, but won't reduce it," she said.

"What may reduce it is educating students on appropriate phone use, and respectful behaviours."

Ms McHardy said schools, for many years, had encouraged 'Bring Your Own Device' and students who didn't have iPads or laptops typically used smart phones in the classroom.

These students, she said, would be disadvantaged.

They have also expressed concerns about not being able to directly contact their children during school hours and have reservations about how the policy will be policed.

"Some schools who already have implemented phone ban policy cannot claim 100 per cent compliance by all students," Ms McHardy said. "(We) don't want it resulting in school suspensions."

The Department of Education and Training has begun working with schools to prepare them for the introduction of the ban. www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

Education

The benefit of the

Steiner approach at Ghilgai

Outdoor music making at Ghilgai.

THREE months ago I stood in the dark, rugged up against the cold.

kindergarten to now attending with my youngest who is in Grade 4.

Around me was a circle of people parents and children - holding aloft fantastically crafted lanterns. Voices were raised in song and the music drifted above us into the dark sky.

This event, however, also brings back earlier memories from when I was a child attending Ghilgai, and it reinforces for me why I made the same educational choice for my children.

I felt that I was part of something slightly larger than just this group of people. There was a sense of community, shared experience and a stillness that is rare in these days of frantic pace and movement.

Steiner education at Ghilgai fosters patience, care and attention to detail. It encourages community compassion and individual responsibility.

This event was a Winter Solstice celebration held at Ghilgai Steiner School. I have attended every solstice celebration for the past nine years, from when my eldest daughter was in

I know I benefited from an education that encouraged depth of understanding over superficial breadth and afforded me the time to gain interest in topics and develop

my intrinsic curiosity.

I see this love of learning in my daughters and a curiosity about the world around them that has continued into mainstream high school.

As a mainstream high school teacher myself, I can rail in the staffroom about the apathy of 'kids these days', but perhaps this is a natural reaction to an education system that is too fast paced with an agenda of 'getting done' or 'getting through' content rather than taking the time to meander, explore and become interested. A tendency for students to drag their feet is probably a natural response to this and to our fast-paced culture.

I decided to educate my children at Ghilgai because I witnessed firsthand the benefit of the Steiner approach of educating the whole person - head, heart and hands - and of taking the time to do this in a way that is childcentred and community-focused.

Each day I see the benefits of this choice for my children in both their compassion for others and their curiosity about the world. I am grateful that I, and my children, had the opportunity to attend Ghilgai Steiner School as I think it has better prepared us for our current world.

- Krisha Clarke, Ghilgai parent and secondary school teacher

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SPRING 2019 15

Entertainment

Say hello to Eastlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new little club, mini & me CALLING all tantrum-tackling, boredombusting, veggie-hiding masterminds this one's for you.

Members will gain exclusive access to invitation-only events held fortnightly in-centre.

Introducing mini & me, Eastland's new kids club for our littlest guests, because we're all about keeping the whole tribe happy.

Little adventurers will love what's coming up with access to nab a seat at mini & me Movies for an advanced screening of UglyDolls, explore activities for various stages of development with Fisher-Price Play Lab or the chance to bring along your favourite teddy bear for a picnic treat.

There's plenty of reason to become a mini & me member with perks, offers and exclusives to impress the entire family.

There's half price valet on weekdays ($5) along with retailer discounts and special offers.

Budding writers and readers will love our fortnightly storytelling sessions hosted by QBD Bookstore.

The best bit? Say goodbye to joining fees with free membership.

Ready to join? For more information and to join the club, simply visit eastland.com.au/miniandme mini & me is Eastland's new kids club.

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Entertainment

Kiri and Lou airing in Australia THE critically-acclaimed claymation series, Kiri and Lou, has begun screening on ABC Kids.

Kiri and Lou teaches young children about their emotions, kindness and the true value of friendship.

Kiri is a feisty little dinosaur, while her best friend Lou is a gentle creature with a long trunk.

Voiced by Olivia Tennet (Lord of the Rings) and Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords), the show is set in a forest of cut-out paper with creatures made of clay.

It follows two dinosaurs, Kiri and Lou, in prehistoric New Zealand as they navigate feelings with laughter, song and adventure. With delightful songs and funny characters, the show is aimed at kids aged 3-7 years.

The old fashioned stop motion animation series is written and directed

by Harry Sinclair, who is best known for his role as Isildur in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Kiri and Lou is going gangbusters in New Zealand where it's been described as the best show on TV and as having ''the charm of Wallace and Gromit minus all the cheese".

The series was selected to screen among the world's best at Annecy International Animation Festival 2019.

Kiri and Lou screens on ABC Kids each day at 5.50pm and is also available to view on the ABC Kids app and iview.

Kiri and Lou is a children's claymation series set in a forest of cut-out paper.

Race into cinemas for new Paw Patrol action movie GET Ready to Race to the cinemas for some Paw Patrol action.

The new Paw Patrol Movie, Ready Race Rescue, will hit Aussie cinemas on October 3.

Ready for action... a new Paw Patrol movie is coming to cinemas for the spring school holidays.

In the film, the Paw Patrol Pups are ready to be the pit crew for their race

hero after building an awesome racetrack. However, the racer pulls out due to injury and calls on pup Marshall to race in his place.

"Marshall has the heart of a racer," the legendary driver says.

Ready Race Rescue follows the

hugely successful first Paw Patrol movie, Paw Patrol: Mighty Pups.

The hit cartoon series Paw Patrol, now in its sixth season, follows the fun adventures of 10-year-old Ryder and his six rescue puppies as they save the citizens of Adventure Bay.

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Entertainment Plenty to do at

Mansfield Zoo

THERE'S plenty to see and do at Mansfield Zoo - you can meet all the animals or even camp overnight if you're game.

weekend and Victorian school and public holidays, followed by feeding of the Meerkat Mob.

If you love animals and a fun family day out, Mansfield Zoo is the place to go.

Take the opportunity to pat one of the friendly dingoes who walk around with a keeper while the lions are being fed.

The zoo features a large menagerie of native and animals from around the world including two rare white lions, two tawny lions, monkeys (capuchins, marmosets, rhesus and bonnet), deer, camels, bison, alligator, wombats and plenty more.

The Zoo Keeper feeding tour is a great time to be at Mansfield Zoo. The four lions are fed at 1.30pm each

You can also feed most the animals by hand every day while you wander the expansive grounds. A small spade is provided to feed the more gregarious animals, like the camels, who will run off with the spade if they can.

There are sambar, fallow deer and kangaroos roaming the grounds with you, along with guinea fowl and peacocks.

Overnight campers are welcome from September 1 to May 31 each season, but you do need to book a spot.

Bring your own gear and set yourself up for a camping trip with a difference and take the opportunity to roam the zoo after hours.

Mansfield Zoo is open every day from 10am to 6pm (10pm on New Years Eve) and is closed on Christmas Day only.

More information is available on the website www.mansfieldzoo.com.au, Facebook page, facebook.com/ mansfieldzoo, or by calling the office on (03) 5777 3576.

Come and visit the meerkats at Mansfield Zoo.

Games to get the party started PASS THE PARCEL

THE CHOCOLATE GAME

A classic game kids of all ages get excited about. Beforehand buy a main prize, a few inexpensive toys and a pack of chocolate bars. Using a newspaper, wrap the main prize first.

Then wrap the parcel about a dozen or so times, placing a toy or chocolate bar between each wrapping. To play, the kids sit in a circle and you play some music. When the music stops the child holding the parcel gets to unwrap it and reveal their prize.

A fun and yummy game you may remember for your own childhood!

You'll need a block of chocolate, some dress-ups, two dice, plate, fork and butter knife. To play, the kids take turns at rolling the dice. When a pair of sixes are rolled, the child puts the dress-up clothes on and then cuts away at the chocolate. The child must cut one square at a time and eat it using the knife and fork. They get to keep eating the chocolate until the next pair of sixes are rolled. Yum!

EGG AND SPOON RACE

TREASURE HUNT Kids love hunting for treasure! You could buy some inexpensive prizes or confectionary and hide them around your yard. Or you could hide some tokens so that the child who collects the most can exchange them for one main prize.

Party time! There are so many great games that can be played your child's birthday party.

SIMON SAYS This classic game can be a lot of fun at parties. An adult directs the kids to do what 'Simon Says' (eg Simon says touch your nose). The kids who do the action when Simon didn't say are out.

The last child standing wins the game!

BIRTHDAY QUIZ Ask the kids a dozen or so questions about the birthday child (eg. What is

their favourite colour? What is their middle name). The child who answers the most questions wins. The only downside is the birthday child can't play!

POISON BALL A great game for the outdoors. Line the kids up and throw the 'poison ball' at them. Kids who are hit or go outside the designated area are out. The last child left wins the game! Just be sure to use a soft ball to avoid injury.

PINATA For this game, you'll need to buy a pinata from a party shop and fill it with confectionary. On the day, securely hang the pinata around head height. To play, the kids stand a few metres away and take turns to hit the pinata with a wooden stick or bat until it breaks open and the treats fall to the ground! Usually players are blindfolded, however this isn't necessary (pinatas can be tough to break and you don't want the kids to hit anyone).

MANSFIELD ZOO: White Lions

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This one is pretty self-explanatory - put each child on a starting line with an egg on a spoon. The first to the finish line with the egg still on their spoon wins the race. Make sure you boil your eggs first to avoid messy clean-ups!

Open Daily From 10am Lion feeding at 1.30pm every weekend and every Vic public/ school holiday, followed by feeding of the Meerkats!

Enquire for an unforgettable overnight camping experience.

www.mansfieldzoo.com.au 1064 Mansfield Woods Point Road, Mansfield Phone 03 5777 3576 18 SPRING 2019

www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

Party Time

Ready to party WONDERIFIC WONDERIFIC is a specialised childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s venue hosting themed parties.

If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a slime party, disco, princess, superhero or pamper party theme, we can make it happen.

We offer games, prizes, glitter station, dancing, face painting, karaoke, disco and UV lighting, smoke machine, costumed party hosts and catering.

At a Wonderific party we do it all, so you can sit back and enjoy the party as much as the kids.

We can also bring our talents to you with costumed entertainers, balloon twisting, face painting, games and prizes.

SPROUTS PLAY CENTRE Sprouts Play Centre is a popular kids party venue with a great play indoor playground - itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the perfect spot for a fun party.

We have plenty to keep the kids entertained, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s small enough that parents can watch and see what the kids are up to from the party room.

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a perfect toddler party venue

with a big 0-3 play area, offering a great stress-free event without worrying worry about the weather, the hosting or the clean-up!

We have two party areas which suit parties from 8-19 children, or we can combine the areas for larger parties, plus we have seating for adults.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lots of packages and different options available.

ANIMALS ON THE MOVE Looking for a hands-on, fun and educational experience for your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s party?

We offer animal learning experiences, animal care programs and educational pet parties.

Our aim is to increase childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appreciation and awareness of animals and promote a connection with nature.

experience - you can even play our â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pin the Tail on the Piggyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; game!

Cuddle Babies is perfect for parties, shopping centres and public events due to its smaller animal pen set-up with cuddle bunnies, ducks, chickens and guinea pigs.

KICK ZONE KIDS PARTIES Try something unique, dynamic and exciting for your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next birthday party.

The Kick Zone Kids Parties team hosts futsal activities, provides party catering and guarantees your kids will have an awesome time.

The parties are engaging, fun, and suitable for boys and girls, regardless of ability or skill level.

Why not invite all your friends to a farmyard party? Our farmers for the day can help your children with handling and feeding the animals.

Parties are held at the Futsal Oz Stadium at Hereford Rd, Mt Evelyn.

Experienced, enthusiastic Futsal Oz coaches entertain the kids, introducing them to Futsal skills and playing loads of interactive games to ensure everyone gets involved.

We can take the stress out of your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s big day. We offer the whole

A party host oversees everything, so you can relax and enjoy the party too!

Parties are held on weekdays and Saturday mornings, subject to availability.

CROYDON INDOOR SPORTS For an action-filled and memorable kids birthday party, Croydon Indoor Sports has you covered.

Your child gets to select three of the following fun sports - indoor cricket, indoor cricket, indoor footy, indoor soccer, netball, basketball, big ball volleyball or dodgeball.

Or they can choose an exciting Nerf Wars Party - a fast paced, adrenaline pumping option. We can cater for a two-hour Nerf party, or split the time with a sport of their choice.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also the exciting new Archery tag parties for kids aged 12+.

We take care of the party food, drinks and lolly bags, so parents can sit back and relax while watching their child celebrate their special occasion with friends.

Party bookings are available weeknights by request, and all day Saturday and Sunday.

Kick Zone Kids Parties are held at the World Class Futsal Oz Stadim in Hereford Rd Mt Evelyn.

Our Futsal coaches and party team s 0ROVIDE EXCITING AND ENGAGING &UTSAL games, activities and teach skills. s %NSURE THE KIDS EXPEL LOADS OF ENERGY and enjoy lots of laughs with their friends and family. s 'UARANTEE AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE THAT IS FUN lLLED AND EXHILARATING s #AN PROVIDE PARTY CATERING IF REQUIRED

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Our parties are suitable for boys and girls of varying ages regardless of ability or skill level.

Join the Futsal Revolution and come party with us!

)DEAL FOR AGES WITH AN ENCLOSED AREA FOR S AND HEAPS OF CLIMBING SLIDING BOUNCING BUILDING FUN TO BE HAD IN OUR playground.

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#HOOSE A PARTY ROOM PACKAGE FROM OR RESERVE SOME TABLES FOR YOUR GROUP OR HIRE THE WHOLE VENUE 7E OFFER HEALTHY TREAT FOOD OPTIONS (including allergy friendly) and GREAT BARISTA COFFEE No Cleanup, No Cooking, Kids Entertained & Guests Happy!

Call 9720 4833 to arrange your next party 11/257 Colchester Road, Kilsyth South | www.sproutsplaycentre.com.au

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SPRING 2019 19

Reality Bites

Mumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seatbelts for special needs kids go viral

Mum of five Natalie Bell had no idea the personalised seatbelt cover she made for daughter Shae would go viral when she shared the idea on social media.

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By Melissa Grant WORRIED about what would happen to her daughter in a car crash, Natalie Bell made a personalised seatbelt cover to make her little girl's hearing loss known to first responders.

2211 6 3 7 9 Evelyn t M d a rk Ro 8-10 Yo

New and Quality Pre- Loved Childrens Items, Designer Clothing, Nursery Furniture, Prams, Toys and more.

Mon: 9.15 to 3.00 Tue to Fri: 9.15 to 4.30 Saturday: 10.00 to 2.00 12389814-DJ25-18

FIND US ON

The mum of five posted about her simple but potentially life-saving creation on her Facebook page, Personalised by Nat, advising she could make seatbelt covers for any special needs.

Natalie was thinking a few of her friends might be interested.

Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that the post would go viral and lead to thousands of orders from all over the world.

"The post got 54 million views," the Upper Beaconsfield mum said.

"I got thousands of orders from all over the world - South Africa, Canada, the UK. I'm now mass producing the seatbelt covers as I can't keep up with the orders."

There are 13 different seatbelt covers with medical information about a range of disabilities and conditions. The covers, which can be attached to backpacks, can also be personalised.

So far, Natalie has received orders for people with a variety of disabilities and medical conditions, including children whose blood doesn't clot and a girl's whose organs are on the opposite side of her body.

The seatbelt cover for her 10-year-old daughter Shae, who lost her hearing as a baby, simply reads: "I am deaf. I have a cochlear implant. No MRI."

Sell your quality childrens items here too

www.pipsqueakz.com 20 SPRING 2019

Although people can wear emergency information jewellery to communicate important medical information, Natalie wanted to make her daughter's condition obvious to first

Shae Bell wearing the seatbelt cover that makes her hearing loss known to first responders.

Pictures: Gary Sissons

responders.

"It's so they know that she's deaf, that she's not going to be able to hear them," she explained.

"It's not that she's ignoring them - they just need to interact with her in a different way."

Natalie said it was also imperative that medical personnel were alerted to the dangers of Shae undergoing an MRI scan.

"The magnet placed on in the inside of her head, it can move and cause a lot of damage," Natalie explained.

"If she needs an MRI then the cochlear implant needs to taken out and put back in."

Natalie has also made a range of other personalised items inspired by Shae.

She began making the items, including Auslan clocks, earlier this year as a way to keep her busy during the week and potentially earn some income.

It's the second business venture for Natalie, who also owns a jumping castle business with her husband.

"I thought 'I need something else to do during the week - I'm getting a bit bored even though I've got the two little kids at home!'" the crafty mum, who previously worked in aged care, said.

With thousands of orders to fulfil and five kids aged 1 to 15, she certainly won't be bored any time soon.

Although she still can't believe her almost overnight success.

"It's just been absolutely amazing," she said.

www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

Reality Bites

Josie with husband Hugh and children Leo and Lily.

Picture: Rob Carew

Opening up about IN the weeks after her daughter's birth, mother of two Josephine Smyth started noticing the familiar feelings of anxiety and darkness creep in.

She knew she needed to seek help.

Having experienced post natal depression with her son, Leo, she knew what to look out for and that it was more than just a hormonal shift or transition into life with two young children.

Here, she opens up to Melissa Meehan about her experience with post natal depression and the important work of Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA).

"Lily would have been about four months old, because I had it before I recognised the feelings that I was having and I think what contributed to it this time was that Lily wasn't a good sleeper," Josie explained.

"It was fine for about 12 weeks, but then when you're operating on no sleep and trying to run a household and manage a toddler at the same time, there's no opportunity for rest.

www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

post natal depression

"It got to a point I was up very hour overnight. I basically became a zombie, and so I started to have feelings, and I already had anxiety, and the anxious symptoms were heightened.

"I started not caring for myself. I had no appetite, I started not showering, I was feeling flat.

"I had inability to laugh at things I used to find funny. I started to get panicky and there was the really low feelings of dreading the day, not having any joy."

It got to a point where Josie couldn't sleep much at all.

That's when the "scary thoughts" crept in.

"That's when I realised it was different to normal feelings, where we are getting into scary territory," she said.

This time around, Josie found herself being more open within her support network about what she was struggling with.

Reflecting on her journey to date, she's saddened by the fact she had no idea what to look out for during her pregnancies.

"I had a lot of family and friends come over and just sit with me, and that was really helpful," she said.

"It was all about the baby and all the fun things, and nothing about the flipside, nothing about the feelings you can experience."

"Having someone there - I could be myself, I didn't have to put on a show.

"Whilst I was experiencing these symptoms I was faking it, and that is so hard. It's really exhausting when you're already exhausted as it is and you have to put on a face.

"It was nice being myself and not being judged."

These days, Josie is comforted by the fact that PND seems to be a topic that's being spoken about more.

Josie sought help from her GP, who knew her history of PND with Leo.

It's talked about more, written and spoken about more in the media, and there's more support than ever.

With Leo, her mum encouraged her to seek help, but this time Josie flagged it as soon as she recognised the same feelings.

"When I started to recover with Leo, I started to be more honest with my friends so I explained that time when I wasn't myself, this was why," she said.

It was recommended Josie be put on medication and continue to see a psychologist as well as a psychiatrist.

Before Josie was first diagnosed after Leo's birth back in 2014, she didn't know much about depression and anxiety.

And while she knew the medication was an important step in her recovery, it was important to ensure it wouldn't impact her breastfeeding journey with Lily.

She was touched by the level of support after her second experience with PND. "The responses I received were so supportive and compassionate," she said.

She hopes by sharing her story, anyone who is struggling may find the courage to speak up, just like she did.

"People need to know that if they are struggling or if the are worried about someone they don't need a diagnosis they can call PANDA's hotline," she said.

"Even if you think you might have symptoms or even if you are struggling a bit, they are a really good listening ear and then they can guide you.

PANDA has trained counsellors who can provide you with support, information and referrals if you are experiencing mental health challenges in pregnancy and new parenthood."

- with Danielle Galvin If you need help, call the PANDA hotline (Mon to Fri, 9am - 7.30pm AEST) on 1300 726 306 or visit www.panda.org.au/ Other contacts: Lifeline 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au beyondblue support service line 1300 22 46 36

SPRING 2019 21

Reality Bites

Horror button battery ordeal puts mum on a mission

By Melissa Grant SIX-YEAR-OLD Shaylah Carmichael is lucky to be alive.

For months, a deadly button battery was stuck inside the little girl's oesophagus.

Mum Kirra long suspected something was seriously wrong - her usually happy daughter was vomiting, refusing to eat and complaining of a sore chest and throat.

Never could she have imagined the source of pain was a button battery, a coin-sized device that can burn through the oesophagus within hours, leading to serious injury or death.

Although desperate for answers, Kirra says a number of medical appointments failed to shed any light on the dire situation.

When Shaylah was unable to keep liquids down on March 31 this year, she presented to Casey Hospital's emergency department.

Kirra said she was initially told to take Shaylah home but refused. The mother of three said a barium swallow test was eventually ordered by a pediatrician, who was concerned by a home video showing the little girl drinking and making strange gurgling sounds.

That test was preceded by an X-ray, which revealed Shaylah had swallowed a button battery. She was then rushed to the Monash Children's Centre for emergency surgery.

"We didn't know whether she was going to survive," Kirra recalled.

"They said 'let's just make it through the first 12 hours, then 24 hours, then 48 hours'."

Kirra said Shaylah, affectionately known as Dolly, was placed in an induced coma for three days and fed through a nasogastric tube for two months.

"Dolly had to be fed through the tube because her oesophagus was so badly eroded from the batteries," she said.

Kirra estimates the button battery was stuck inside Shaylah for six months.

The prep student is now undergoing regular surgeries to dilate her oesophagus and her long-term prognosis is unclear.

at Casey Hospital," the statement said.

"Button batteries are small and can cause serious injuries in children. They are often found in toys and other devices that children like to chew, which makes them all the more dangerous and often require surgery to remove."

Kirra is now on a mission to have mandatory safety standards introduced for button batteries.

"Look at how many kids have died from this," she said.

"They (devices with button batteries) are just sitting there on racks ready for any kid to pick up."

Kirra said it wasn't until after the ordeal that Shaylah revealed the button battery had come from the remote used for the family's television soundbar.

"She said 'I was just playing with it and accidentally swallowed it'.

"I said 'why didn't you tell dad?'

"She said, 'I went to the toilet, coughed and it went away'."

In August, Kirra met with Kidsafe Victoria to discuss raising greater awareness about the dangers of button batteries.

"If ingested, a button battery can become stuck in a child's throat where saliva immediately triggers an electrical current which causes a chemical reaction that can burn the oesophagus in as little as two hours, causing severe life-threatening injuries and in some cases death," Kidsafe Victoria General Manager Jason Chambers said.

Kidsafe Victoria supports calls for tougher safety regulations and a mandatory safety standard for products containing button batteries.

The Australian Consumer and Commission (ACCC) has called for the government to introduce new safety standards, including a requirement for all button batteries to be secured inside products.

Kirra's message to parents is to dispose of anything that may be powered by a button battery.

"It's just not worth the risk," she said.

The x-ray that clearly showed the button battery stuck inside Shaylah.

BUTTON BATTERIES - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: ■ Button batteries can burn through the oesophagus in hours, causing internal burns, severe bleeding or death.

She believes her youngest child is incredibly lucky to have survived.

■ Common items button batteries are found in include: Remotes, watches, thermometers, calculators, torch keyrings, hearing aids, kitchen scales, musical greeting cards, fake candles

"Dolly's button battery wasn't fully charged. They said she is so lucky. They said (at the time) another 24 hours and she wouldn't be here," she said.

■ Items with button batteries should have a secure battery compartment and placed out of the reach of children

In a statement, Monash Health said it had apologised to the Carmichael family.

22 SPRING 2019

Shaylah recovering in hospital from her ordeal.

The little girl has a long road ahead.

Kidsafe estimates 20 children each week present to Australian emergency departments with a button battery related injury - that's more than 1000 kids every year.

"The doctors said 'we haven't seen a case like this before. We will have to take it day by day'," Kirra said.

"Monash Health has been in touch with the family to discuss the treatment and care provided and apologised for any distress caused by their experience

Shaylah with mum Kirra Carmichael.

■ A child who has swallowed a button battery may develop chest pain, coughing, nausea/vomiting, difficulty swallowing and fever ■ If you think a child has swallowed a button battery immediately phone the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.

The button battery.

(Source: Kidsafe Victoria) www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

Reality Bites

A picturesque homebirth

Alice Banfield was born at home.

The sun was setting as Indi was in the final stages of labour.

By Melissa Grant

"I went to see Archie Roach when he came to Healesville and the first song he sang was about taking care of the land, because that's where the children were born," she explained.

WHEN Alice Banfield was born, the sun was setting on a beautiful autumn day as her parents sat in an inflatable pool on the deck of their Steels Creek home.

"I knew then that I really wanted to have Alice at home because it is important to me for her to have a connection to where she was born."

Alice was caught by her father Ben, an incredible end to what was a trouble-free labour for mum Indi on 3 May this year.

Wedge-tailed eagles flew overhead as the Indi, Ben and Alice soaked up their first moments as a family of three.

It was an amazing home birthing experience, although Indi had initially planned to give birth in hospital.

A song performed by Archie Roach at Healesville is actually what convinced Indi to deliver her first child at home.

Indi knew more than most about homebirth - her little brother was born at home, and one of her godmothers is a doula and the other a midwife.

Little Alice Banfield stayed in the water for an hour with mum Indi and dad Ben following her birth.

But with some anxieties and concerns about living off-grid without reliable power and a long way from the hospital, she initially wasn't convinced homebirth was for her.

She only decided to have one when she saw Roach, a popular Indigenous singer-songwriter, perform late in her pregnancy.

Up until that point Indi had been planning to give birth at Casey Hospital, an option then available with Yarra Valley Midwives.

"I wanted to go with a model of care where I had the same midwife at every appointment - that's why I contacted Lisa and Robbie (Robyn) at Yarra Valley Midwives," she explained.

"Up until 37 weeks I was planning to go with the Casey Hospital option.

"But I was leaving it as long as I could to decide.

"It was a big thing for me - I'm quite anxious but I decided to let it go and

put my trust in Lisa and Robbie."

The decision to proceed with a homebirth delivered Indi and her partner Ben a beautiful birthing experience against a picturesque backdrop.

"Alice was born right on sunset and into the water - Ben was able to catch her," Indi recalled.

"We stayed in the water and looked at her for an hour. We had some lights set up.

"It was beautiful. We had set-up beds and slept in front of the fire inside."

Indi says the support she received during her pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding journey had well and truly exceeded all expectations.

"It was absolutely above and beyond what anyone could expect," she said.

"I'll definitely use them (Yarra Valley Midwives) for my next baby if I have one!"

Teaching kindness brings cool reward

By Jed Lanyon

and digital innovation.

MUMPRENEUR Amber Wilkinson is on a mission to teach younger generations that being kind is cool.

The awards are designed to highlight the growing number of women who successfully balance motherhood and business in a way that suits their life and family.

The Yarra Glen mum was thinking about creating t-shirts with kind slogans for her two sons when she decided she wanted people everywhere to wear them.

That realisation led her to create the socially-conscious clothing label, Kind is Cool.

Driven by a desire to see more kindness in the world, Amber has created a global brand that is not only seen on celebrities but is also creating conversation in schools and organisations.

Her success has put her in the running for a 2019 AusMumpreneur Award.

Amber Wilkinson with her sons Chet and Nash. www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

The AusMumpreneur Awards celebrate and recognise Australian mums achieving outstanding success in areas such as business excellence, product development, customer service

Amber designs her t-shirts and prints them in the family garage with her husband and two sons.

Her label also features babywear, jumpers and tote bags.

Amber's mission to make the world a kinder place for all has seen her recently partner with Bully Zero. Two dollars from every Kind Is Cool product sold goes to the anti-bullying organisation.

Amber, who has experienced bullying firsthand, also partnered with Steph Luck to launch the online campaign National Be Kind Day on 2 March using the hashtag #standuptothebullies.

"We wanted to be uplifting and to change the way the internet is used ... ignoring bullying means it has no consequences," she said.

Using Instagram, the pair contacted several celebrities and agents in the hope of using their star power to further promote the message.

And the response was overwhelming with Jimmy Barnes, Bec Judd, Kate Cebrano, John Farnham and Jason Mraz all getting involved by donning the 'Be Kind' shirt or donating to charity.

Over $2000 was raised from the first National Be Kind Day, with funds going towards charities that educate and support the prevention of bullying.

"There are so many ups and downs but it is all so rewarding," Amber said.

"Being selected as a finalist means so much to me ... I am trying to make a difference in the world, to make the world a kinder place, to be rewarded in this way is just an honour."

Amber is nominated in the fashion business category.

The winners of the 2019 AusMumpreneur Awards are due to be announced in Melbourne on 6 September.

SPRING 2019 23

Reality Bites JUST

FOR DADS WITH JARRED KELLERMAN

Fatherhood can be a lonely Island THE transition into fatherhood is filled with many new challenges: sleep deprivation, smelly nappies, tonnes of laundry and an ever changing routine.

One challenge frequently reported is the feelings of social isolation and loneliness, and it can have a significant impact on our health.

In fact, a major review conducted in 2017 discovered that loneliness is deadlier than obesity, and that lonely people have a 50 per cent risk of early death, compared to those with good social connections.

Loneliness emerges due to a perceived lack of connections with others. Researchers describe loneliness as having three aspects: Structural - the presence or absence of others, functional what relationships do for us, and quality - the positive or negative dimensions of relationships. At first glance it may seem counterintuitive to think of parents as being lonely, however a study in the UK found that just over half of parents reported feelings of loneliness or being cut off since having children.

New fathers may feel alone and isolated for a variety of situational and/or emotional reasons. Their partner's attention will often be diverted to the baby, time for friends might be limited and they might find it difficult to connect with the baby in the first couple of months.

When difficulties arise, many fathers will also find it difficult to seek help and, in some cases, may not even realise they may need help. They may also struggle to connect with other fathers as many dads feel that playgroups are catered more for mothers. All of these reasons can compound and reinforce feelings of isolation, so here are some recommendations for addressing them.

Kate Curry and her kids.

Mumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology solution is one out of the box

By Melissa Meehan MANAGING the amount of time your child spends in front of a screen each day is an evolving, growing problem for parents of young children and teenagers.

The latest guidelines suggest most Australian children spend more than the recommended two hours a day glued to a screen - whether that's television, an iPad, a smart phone or an age-appropriate tablet.

For the first time, the World Health Organisation has this year put out recommendations for children's screen time, encouraging less than a couple of hours and, ideally, much less.

For many parents, it's a daily battle constantly trying to remove the everpresent screen from their child's grip.

Many kids would happily watch a show or play a game online for hours if you allowed them to.

In the initial months of becoming a father, it is a good idea to connect with a good GP and book in regular check-ups to assess your mood and general health. If problems arise then you will have an instant gateway to the appropriate services for support. It is also important to pencil in time with your partner and to also see your friends without having your child around.

Finally, seek out a dads group locally or even online for some peer support from others who will understand how you are feeling.

It's quite possibly the biggest challenge for parents in this day and age. It is well-documented that too much screen time can have negative impacts over an extended period of time, such as sleeping problems, a loss of social skills and physical inactivity.

- opinion of Jarred Kellerman, Business Support Manager at Cire Corporate Services

"As my kids got older and started using tech, I always tried to make sure

24 SPRING 2019

Picture: Rob Carew

That's why entrepreneurial mum of two Kate Curry felt compelled to do something about it.

She had witnessed friends with older children grappling with some serious screen addictions.

Kate thought outside the box literally.

all of their devices were in the kitchen and never in their rooms," she explained.

box with all the tech in it and plug it back in at your destination. Only one power cord is needed!

"But I'd find the tech all over the house, and sometimes in the bedrooms, and I felt like I was starting to lose control of where it all was."

Kate says it also helps set clear boundaries with tech usage and allows parents to take control of the tech clutter.

Hiding the gadgets in cupboards didn't work for long and when the kids would be allowed their iPads or tablets back, the batteries would be flat.

"The larger inchargebox fits remotes, iPhones, anything you can charge with a USB port and it also fits in a school laptop," she said.

Kate was conscious of keeping the gadgets out of her children's bedrooms to better manage what they were doing online.

Parents have also relayed to Kate that they often hear their child's phone ping late at night, and they'd find them up at 3am responding to a text or scrolling, or on social media.

So she came up with an idea to create a tech lock-up box with a power board inside.

The first prototype was made in Australia. Since then, it has evolved into today's inchargebox.

There was some important criteria Kate wanted it lockable with a power board to clean up the messy cords she'd grown tired of around the house, and it had to look stylish.

She wanted the box to be something you'd be happy to have on your kitchen bench every day.

The inchargebox is descried as a 'stylish, lockable steel tech charging station' to lock, store and charge up to 10 tech devices once. It comes in Unicorn White, Black Beauty, Valentino Red and Pink Flamingle!

It's designed to be stored on the kitchen bench or office, or anywhere people would like to charge and lock their tech in one convenient location. It is great to take to holiday houses or on road trips as you can just pick up the

She said as time goes on, the research is emerging about the highly addictive nature of online games and the apps we all engage in everyday.

"The recommendation is no more than two hours a day for school-aged children," she said.

"There's a lot of people doing five hours or more - including teenagers.

"Kids are meant to get nine, 10 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep has an awful flow on effect ."

The feedback for Kate's entrepreneurial idea has been incredible. She also donates 10 per cent of all box sales to two charities oneinfive.com.au & forgetmenot.org.au.

She's also a finalist in the AusMumpreneur Awards in the Product Innovation category, and has been nominated in the 2020 Telstra Business Women's awards.

As she says, "people are more important than technology".

- with Danielle Galvin

www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

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Books

A horsey tale to inspire kids

By Romy Stephens AN idea for a great story is often drawn from personal experience.

That's exactly the case for Kaylee Ison, whose children's novel, Ashley's Sparrow, stems from her memories growing up in the Yarra Valley.

As a child, Kaylee was a shy girl who often struggled to find confidence in herself. But the one place she felt on top of the world was on the back of her horse.

"I grew up as a horse rider. I loved horses, lived and breathed them," she said.

"I was pretty shy growing up and I had this one pony, he gave me a lot of confidence.

"He taught me to ride when I was little."

Kaylee always knew her story resembled that of many children who struggle to find self-belief, so she decided to write a story about it.

Ashley's Sparrow is about a young girl and a horse that both had tragic pasts so they come together to find healing.

The main character, Bridie, is a fearless cross-country rider before she suffers a tragic accident and refuses to ride again. It's not until she meets a horse called Sparrow - whose trust has been abused by his past rider - that she faces the decision to get back in the saddle and help Sparrow learn to trust again.

Kaylee said her experience growing up with horses and learning so much from them helped inspire the narrative.

"Horses taught me a lot growing up and gave me a lot of confidence," she said.

"They are an amazing creature, they can teach us a lot about ourselves."

The book has been a work in progress for the past five years. It took two years to write and another three to finalise and have published.

After initially struggling to go down the typical route of finding a publisher, Kaylee decided to self-publish. She found an artist who used to live in the Yarra Valley to create the front cover and had former university classmates, family and friends do the proof-reading.

Kaylee Ison with her book, Ashley's Sparrow, which stems from her memories growing up as a horse rider.

Picture: Rob Carew

She is now in the process of writing a second book as part of what she

"The book itself is about finding healing and finding faith in yourself

anticipates to be an entire series.

Kaylee hopes Ashley's Sparrow can help young children going through tough times.

again after a tragic accident.

"I hope it helps readers find hope again and keep going."

Ashley's Sparrow is available at lulu.com

Children's books...

How (not) to Annoy Dad

Pig the Tourist

Dave Hughes & Holly Ife, illustrated by Heath McKenzie

OUR favourite pug, Pig is back!

This time, the naughty but lovable pup is off on holidays.

Pig, as you could probably guess, is a horrid traveller who you can count on to ruin a vacation - regardless of where it is. Even in places of wild celebration, he somehow creates absolute devastation!

But Pig's horrid holiday behaviour may come back to bite him - hard. A funny rhyming story perfect for reading with kids aged 3+ from the wildly popular Pig series, which has sold more than four million print copies.

AN entertaining children's book from comedian and TV/Radio personality Dave Hughes and wife Holly Ife. The pair have written a funny book about the things that go wrong when dad spends the day with the kids.

Cue a very messy breakfast, playground toilet dramas, embarrassing moments at the library and a lot of questions.

And dad don't even think about looking at your phone while you're on the throne! We wonder if this book is based on real life...

A fun book to read with kids aged 3+ Scholastic, RRP $17.99

Aaron Blabey

Scholastic, RRP $17.99

Puppy Diary: The Great Toy Rescue

Aliens & U.F.O.S

Promise

Jonathan J Moore

Alexandra Alt

Yvette Poshogilan, illustrated by Phil Judd

DO aliens actually exist? It's a question many kids ask themselves - and this book will certainly satisfy their curiosity and, perhaps, add to their belief that they do! Years of research into aliens and UFOs are presented in this paperback including sightings, abductions and evidence of alien visits. If the stories really are true, we can only hope those extraterrestrials come in peace!

SET in Nazi Germany, Promise is a harrowing first love story that chronicles World War II.

AN adorable book, written from the perspective of a Schnoodle puppy called Archie. The pooch shares the essentials, including how he got his name, before embarking on his biggest ever adventure - doggy daycare! It gets off to a good start with the premises smelling like the sweet combination of liver treats and the inside of him mum's slippers. However, the tale takes a terrible turn when Archie realises his favourite toy, Foxy, is gone.

With other pups also missing their toys, it's operation toy rescue!

A 'pawsome' read for kids aged 6+

A great read for teens (particularly the alien obsessed).

New Holland Publishers, RRP $19.99

Teenage lovers Lene and Ludwig both despise the compulsory Hitler Youth, and their anti-war attitude gets them noticed by squad leaders.

When 17-year-old Ludwig is called to the Eastern Front in 1943, the lovers can only promise each other to believe they'll one day be reunited.

However, Ludwig goes missing within weeks and three years pass before Lene returns to Berlin to find out what happened to her first love.

Captivating historical fiction for readers aged 12+ Scholastic, RRP $16.99

Scholastic, RRP $9.99 26 SPRING 2019

www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

Kids Calendar

What's on this spring

ALL SPRING Camping At Mansfield Zoo Overnight campers are welcome at Mansfield Zoo from September 1 to May 31 each season, but you do need to book a spot.

Bring your own gear and set yourself up for a camping trip with a difference and take the opportunity to roam the zoo after hours.

More information is available at www.mansfieldzoo.com.au or by phoning 5777 3576.

delicious food, coffee, as well as an animal petting zoo, craft workshops, face painters, a treasure hunt, Dutch games, and the famous Tulip Train.

The festival is on 10am - 5pm daily, and is located at 357 - 359 Monbulk Road, Silvan.

Drugs And Alcohol Info Session

This event will include 30 plus vehicles from vintage cars to big rigs for the kids to touch, honk horns and explore, 40 plus market stalls including food trucks, jumping castle, pony rides, a free animal farm, face painting, and more.

Entry $5 per adult, and $2.50 per child.

This parent information session, hosted by youth worker and Senior Trainer, Geoff Bayldon, invites young people to come along with their parents to learn developmentally-appropriate, factual information about prevention, harm reduction and safe choices. Teenagers are welcome to attend with a parent/carer.

7pm-9pm

18 SEPTEMBER

Exhibiting at the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum in Lilydale, The Lynley Dodd Story is a family-friendly exhibition of original illustrations from the worldrenowned author and illustrator of the Hairy Maclary and Friends book series.

The exhibition is curated around 11 of Dodd's characters, the familiar and not so familiar, mapping how this New Zealand artist and writer became a household name and international success.

10am - 4pm daily (excluding public holidays)

12 SEPTEMBER Messy Kids - Seville Community House Bring along your kids for some messy fun at the House. BYO old clothes and a sense of adventure. Parents welcome to join in too!

Your booking will be secured when you have submitted an enrolment form and paid for each child attending.

13 OCTOBER Touch A Truck And Community Festival

www.trybooking.com/457913

Lynley Dodd Exhibition

Aquahub, 11 Civic Square Croydon, 9am-1pm

17 SEPTEMBER

Bookings essential. Karalyka Centre

FROM 7 SEPTEMBER

This event is all indoors, super spacious and pram friendly with over 300 car parks. Entry $3, kids free!

Eastland Mini & Me Club Events - Sushi Making Fill it, roll it, eat it up!

Sushi Hub, Level 1 at 10am Bookings essential.

20 SEPTEMBER Eastland Mini & Me Club Events - Cupcake Decorating Every colour, every sprinkle!

Cupcake Desire, Level 1 at 10am

Knaith Road Childcare Centre and Kindergarten, Ringwood East Online tickets available through Eventbrite.

14 OCTOBER Eastland Mini & Me Club Events - Teddy Bears Picnic The centre hosts a Teddy Bears picnic at 11am.

Bookings essential.

19 OCTOBER Little Yarra Steiner Spring Fair Come and learn more about the foundation years at the Little Yarra Steiner School Open Day and Spring Fair.

The event features children's activities, open classrooms and music performances.205 Little Yarra Road, Yarra Junction, 10am-4pm

20 OCTOBER

19 OCTOBER

Bumble Bee Baby and Children's Markets returns to the Central Ringwood Community Centre.

Bookings essential.

23-26 SEPTEMBER Patchfest School Holidays At The Gardens Come and enjoy the free school holiday activities at Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre.There will be an Angry Birds Movie 2 activity centre plus a meet and greet.

11am-2pm daily, near Target.

For more details, visit the Waverley Gardens website.

5 OCTOBER

An annual fundraising event hosted by The Patch Primary School.

The festival bring the vibrant hills community together to celebrate the arts through live music and art performances, interactive activities, marketplace, and delicious food and drinks.

53 Kallista-Emerald Rd, The Patch, 12pm-7pm

All For Kids Market - Croydon

OCTOBER 19, 20, 26 & 27, NOVEMBER 9, 10, 16 & 17

14 SEPTEMBER - 13 OCTOBER

The All For Kids Market is back in Croydon.

Tesselaar Tulip Festival

Day Out With Thomas - Puffing Billy Railway

Pay a fraction of retail price with over 70 stalls of quality pre-loved baby and kids designer clothes, toys, ride-ons, nursery furniture and everything in between!

Puffing Billy Railway will welcome Thomas the Tank Engine during October and November. Children and adults can enjoy a train ride with Thomas and friends from Gembrook Station and have the chance to meet the Fat Controller.

Tickets $5 10am-11am

Experience 900,000 tulips in every colour at the incredible Tesselaar Tulip Festival in the picturesque Dandenong Ranges these school holidays.

Kids entry is free.

There's a Kids LOL! Week followed by Superhero Week, and there's plenty of www.yarrarangeskids.com.au

Loads of new/boutique and handmade baby and kids items to get that unique/ personalised gift! There's also free face-painting until 11am.

9am-3.30pm

Bumble Bee Baby And Children's Markets - Ringwood

With up to 40 stall holders you are sure to snap up some bargains on new, handmade and pre-loved baby and children's goods for all ages.

There's also a coffee van on hand for all your caffeine needs.

Entry $2 for adults and children under 12 are free. Plenty of free parking available.

9am-12pm

25 OCTOBER Children's Week Fun Day Croydon Celebrating 2019 Children's Week with a fun day for pre-school kids at Town Park, Croydon.

There will be plenty of fun including African drumming with Kofi Kunkpe, face painting, sensory play, nature play, rock painting, bubbles and free fruit.

Town Park, Croydon, 10am-1pm SPRING 2019 27

SAY HELLO TO OUR NEW LITTLE CLUB For all those tantrum-tackling, boredom-busting, veggie-hiding masterminds â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for you. Introducing mini & me, our new kids club for our littlest guests.

Join today at eastland.com.au/miniandme

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28 SPRING 2019

www.yarrarangeskids.com.au