Casey Cardinia Kids Spring 2021

SPRING 2021

Dinner time with

SAM WOOD The importance

OF BIRTH ORDER Inside Olivia’s

HOUSE OF WHITE

12509591-CG37-21

2 SPRING 2021

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

About Us

Spring into good reading HELLO! Welcome to the spring edition of Casey Cardinia Kids Today.

We’re pretty excited about this issue as it’s jam packed with great reading, from stories on mums and doing interesting things to helpful advice from parenting experts.

How many children do you have? Do you have two kids who are so different you sometimes wonder how it is possible that they share the same gene pool?

The reason for these stark differences is birth order, according to leading parenting and education writer Michael Grose. The author of the recently updated version of best-selling book

Why First-borns Rule the World and Laterborns Want to Change it offers some interesting insights into how birth order can affect one’s personality and disposition.

Speaking of insights, we spoke to Officer mum Amanda, the creator of the popular Instagram account Bargain Boss. She has some great tips for saving some serious cash, which is particularly helpful in these Covid times.

If you are on Instagram you may be familiar with lifestyle and motherhood blogger Olivia White. Olivia, who grew up in Cockatoo and now resides in the Baw Baw region, has more than 150,000 followers on the platform, with many drawn to the authentic, and sometimes

hilarious, ways she shares the raw and sometimes unglamorous realities of parenting.

Renowned psychologist Steve Biddulph is back with an interesting piece on parents’ innate ability to teach their kids inner-peace and we also welcome paediatric nutritionist Lucy Stewart with her Kids in the Kitchen column.

We hope you enjoy this edition as much as we have enjoyed putting it together!

Casey Cardinia Kids Today magazine is a Star News Group publication.

Casey Cardinia Kids will be published quarterly prior to each of the school holidays.

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

Take care,

Editorial Melissa Grant melissa.grant@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0666

CONTENTS

Photography

IT’S YOUR LIFE Mum is the boss of bargains

New clinic with specialised services

PAGE 31

PAGE 21

ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 4

DENTAL

Why birth order matters

Team of orthodontic experts

A place with fun for all

PAGE 5

PAGE 22

PAGE 33

Inside Olivia’s House of White

Affordable care

A golden experience

PAGES 6-7

PAGE 23

PAGE 33

Steve Biddulph on teaching innerpeace

Healthy mouth tips

PHILLIP ISLAND

PAGE 8

Rob Carew Stewart Chambers Gary Sissons

A quality centre

PAGE 23

Advertising advertising@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0666 Advertising Manager Mandy Clark Published by Star News Group Pty Ltd ACN 005 848 108.

Publisher/Managing Director, Paul Thomas.

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

Time to spring into Phillip Island

Helping kids have a better life

EDUCATION

PAGE 9

Teacher communication

Thrilling family fun

Dealing with teen anger

PAGE 24

PAGE 34

PAGE 10

Nurturing care at Lakeside College

Dinner time with Sam Wood

PAGE 24

FASHION

PAGE 11

Family focus at Kool Kidz

On trend for spring

Helping mums across the state

PAGE 25

PAGES 35-37

PAGE 12

The writing road to reading

Kids in the dark on social media

PAGE 25

REALITY BITES

PAGE 13

Homework club help

Freedom in planning with children

PAGE 26

PAGE 38

PAGE 14

Exceeding national quality standards

Mum’s product prevents mess

Free school holiday activities

PAGE 26

PAGE 39

PAGE 15

High achievers

All the way from Italy

Deciphering your child’s dreams

PAGE 27

PAGE 40

PAGE 16

What makes a school good

Mum’s breastfeeding passion recognised

Seize the clay!

PAGE 27

PAGE 40

Place to play and grow

The not so perfect mum

PAGE 17 Embracing your child’s curls

PAGE 28

Mates make fun videos for kids PAGE 19

HEALTH

Cover

SPRING 2021

Dinner time with

SAM WOOD The importance

OF BIRTH ORDER Inside Olivia’s

Goodbye is the hardest word

HOUSE OF WHITE

Lucas beside the lake at Berwick Springs.

Picture: Rob Carew

PAGE 41

Power to the pupils

PAGE 18

PAGE 34

PAGE 28

RECIPES

Growing school

Kids in the Kitchen

PAGE 28

PAGE 43

The ins and outs of childcare

Parenting when you’re sick

PAGE 29

BOOKS

PAGE 20

Nurturing care for your early learner

A wild way to read

Researchers probe genetic link to SIDS

PAGE 29

PAGE 44

PAGE 21

Kinder ready to school ready

Children’s books

Zero waste space

PAGE 30

PAGE 44

PAGE 21

caseycardiniakids.com.au

facebook.com/caseycardiniakids

instagram.com/caseycardiniakids

It’s Your Life

Amanda’s Instagram page, Bargain Boss, has over 14,000 followers.

Pictures: Stewart Chambers

Levi and Alyssa with their pooch Eva.

Mum is the boss of bargains

By Melissa Grant

Amanda would often go into work on a Monday and show off the bargains she had purchased over the weekend.

MOST mums love a bargain.

Perhaps none more so than Officer mother-of-two Amanda, the creator of popular Instagram page Bargain Boss.

“They (colleagues) would always be amazed at how far I had gone for a bargain,” the former Consumer Affairs Victoria employee said.

The page has amassed more than 14,000 followers in a little over two years.

Over the years, Amanda’s friends told her she should share her money saving tips with the world.

With money saving tips, side hustle ideas and bargain finds, there is plenty of useful and inspiring information for anyone looking to save some cash.

At the time, she had the idea starting a social media page but didn’t think it would get off the ground.

It was actually a trip to Fountain Gate with her son that prompted Amanda to get cracking on her own page.

Amanda’s love of Disney is peppered through the content, and there are also appearances from her two children Alyssa, 8, and Levi, 5 as well as their dog Eva, and their two recently adopted kittens.

“Krispy Kreme were celebrating National Doughnut Day by giving away free doughnuts… I took a picture of Levi eating his doughnut and I thought this is starting today.”

Bargain hunting has long been a passion for Amanda. Saving money has always been a priority and, at times, a necessity for her family.

Amanda and her husband, Steve, bought their first home in their early 20s after scrimping together a deposit, which involved a challenge to spend just $10 on work lunches for the week.

Shortly after buying their first home, Steve tore his ACL at soccer and was unable to work.

Amanda said they were unable to

BARGAIN BOSS TIPS SIDE HUSTLES Amanda says it’s not that hard to bring in a few hundred dollars extra each month from side hustles. “Even something simple like selling your kids’ old clothes can make a lot of money if done correctly,” she said. Amanda has already reached her goal of making $10,000 through side hustles this year.

LOYALTY PROGRAMS Amanda says a lot of money can be saved using loyalty programs and is amazed by how many people don’t have a Woolworths Rewards and Flybuys cards.

Recently, she cashed in $270 worth of Flybuys points which she used at Kmart to buy items for her kittens. The keys, she said, are to boost all the offers sent to you and not remain loyal to a specific grocery store. “Shop at whoever has the best sales and loyalty offers for that week.”

4 SPRING 2021

Afterwards, she went to Coles and took photos of their marked down bulk buys products.

Amanda with some of her bargain buys.

access any Centrelink payments.

“We needed to come up with ways to save,” she explained.

“That’s where my love of bargains kind of kicked in.”

PANTRY CHALLENGE Once every few months, Amanda tries to use everything possible in her pantry and just shop for essentials that week. The money she would usually spend on groceries is put aside.

SUPERMARKET MARKDOWNS Amanda says shopping around 6.30pm-7pm at Woolworths and Coles will get you the “best markdowns”. She often buys meat marked down to 50 per cent or less, and puts it in the spare freezer as soon as she gets home.

It also pays to know what stores do what markdowns.

“I know one store where I can get marked down bread. One store does cheese - that’s where I go if I feel like a cheese platter.”

Recently she bought a $35 bunch of flowers marked down to $2.50 and packs of bagels for 10 cents from Coles.

When she got home, she put Levi down for a nap, made a logo and created an Instagram account.

“I shared it on Facebook - some family and friends followed. I hit 100 followers, and I celebrated that milestone with a glass of bubbly. I never thought it would take off the way it has.”

GROCERY GUARANTEES Amanda says Woolworths, Coles and Aldi will refund the purchase price on their own branded items that customers aren’t happy with (the guarantee doesn’t apply to other brands). “Stores ask for the item, or what’s left of it, to be returned or in some cases the packaging will do, for example if it’s been cooked.” She says Woolworths has a Fresh or Free guarantee where they will replace ‘fresh food’ you’re not happy with.

SCANNING POLICIES Familiarise yourself with scanning policies at your supermarket and check your receipts.

“Basically, if an item scans higher than the advertised or shelf price you can get that item free, but there are some exclusions and terms and conditions,” Amanda said. Scanning policies are for specific supermarkets, not all stores, she added.

The Bargain Boss Instagram account has been going for just over two years.

Amanda spends endless hours creating content and responding to comments and messages.

“I enjoy chatting to people. When people send me a message I always reply. I’m often up until midnight just making sure I’ve responded. The content takes time as I want it to be perfect.”

She has also enjoyed some collaborations with businesses - but has turned some down.

“My biggest thing about my page is keeping it as authentic as possible. It takes a lot of work to build a following and trust and it can be taken away very easily.”

She said the best thing has been the connections made through her page.

“I’ve made some really amazing friendships through it,” she said.

She also enjoys hearing about the way her followers have saved money, although some admit to spending on things they shouldn’t have.

“It is a bargain page but it’s only a bargain if it’s something you are going to use!”

You can follow Amanda on Instagram at @bargain.boss

USE GOOGLE When you are out shopping, grab your phone and Google what you intend to purchase.

Many stores are happy to price match. “It’s saved me hundreds of dollars,” Amanda said.

PHONE AROUND If you have your eye on a certain item, it pays to phone around places that stock it. Amanda says she will often call electronics stores multiple times to make sure she gets the best price.

UTILISE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES Join your neighbourhood page on Facebook and look out for community gardens.

Amanda uses the community garden in her estate for herbs. People are often willing to swap items on neighbourhood Facebook pages, she added. www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

It’s Your Life

Why birth order matters

By Melissa Grant

just two children.

PARENTS often struggle to work out why their children are completely different.

Grose said the Prince Harry Effect is stronger when both children are the same gender.

He described Harry and older brother William as the ‘poster kids’ for the first-born and later-born positions.

They may have one child who is outgoing and playful, and another who is uptight and anxious. This is despite the children belonging to the same gene pool and being raised in the same environment.

The reason for these stark differences is birth order, according to leading parenting and education writer Michael Grose.

He believes that in this era of small, planned families that birth order is more relevant than ever.

To better understand the power of birth order, Grose has written a timely update to his bestselling book titled Why First-borns Rule the World and Laterborns Want to Change it.

The size of families has changed since the original book was published in 2003.

Twenty years ago, the mean number of children in a family was three. That number is now two.

“Nothing has changed about birth order but the context has changed,” Grose explained.

“Around 60 per cent of families with kids under 15 are two kid families.”

The biggest impact of shrinking families has been the disappearance of the middle child. Traditionally there have been three birth order positions.

When Grose wrote the first edition the second child was often the middle child, but now they are often the youngest.

“There’s a fair bit of cynicism.

However, my point is that birth order is not just a neat set of numbers, it’s more a pattern,” Grose told Kids Today.

“Once you start to understand the rules, it starts to make sense in a family.

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

“William is your typical first-born.

First-borns are the family conservatives... they are the rule makers and the rule followers.

Prince William is your typical first-born, according to birth order expert Michael Grose.

Prince Harry is a second child who is also the youngest at a time when families tend to consist of just two children.

I like to call it a family constellation.

studies on birth order on a range of families, and each member’s likely personality and disposition.

“It’s often something parents don’t take enough notice of.

“It explains why kids often fight, why they compete and why two children with the same parents, same gene pool, two years apart - why they can be chalk and cheese.

“It’s about finding their niche.”

First-borns tend to be goal-setters, high achievers, perfectionists, responsible, rule keepers, determined, conscientious and detail people.

Second and middle children tend to be flexible, diplomatic, peacemakers, free spirits, generous, open-minded, sociable and competitive.

Youngest children are often risk takers, persistent, outgoing, charmers, ideas people, creative and challengers of authority.

There are variables that can impact birth order position within a family, including age gaps between children, genders and cultural expectations.

In some families, children may ‘leapfrog’ an older sibling to climb up the birth order chain.

In his book, Grose analyses the latest

The updated edition features new information including the demise of the middle child, the Prince Harry effect and the problem with first-borns.

THE DEMISE OF THE MIDDLE CHILD With most families consisting of two children, the amount of middle children has declined.

This has impacted the birth order positions.

Traditionally there have been three birth order positions - the first-born, middle child and youngest child. The second-born child was often the middle child.

However, now the second-born child is often the youngest.

Grose writes that later-borns have a tendency to borrow personality traits from the second, middle and youngest positions.

THE PRINCE HARRY EFFECT Prince Harry is a prime example of a modern birth order position. He’s a second child who is also the youngest at a time when families tend to consist of

“Then you have the second one. The second kids will be what the first one isn’t. You can’t have two responsible kids in the family, you can’t have two academic stars.”

He adds that younger kids don’t follow the rules in the family.

“Harry has broken all the rules, gotten married outside the typical family sphere,” he said.

THE PROBLEM WITH FIRST BORNS Every family, regardless of size, has a first-born.

So given that family sizes are shrinking, there are many more first-borns than middle and youngest children.

Grose said this has implications.

For example, there are more perfectionist kids in classrooms than ever before. There are also more anxious children as first-borns live with greater anxiety-inducing parental pressure and have a propensity for perfectionism.

There are also more only children who, Grose says, tend to have first-born characteristics that are exaggerated because they’ve never been ‘dethroned’ by a younger sibling.

Why First-borns Rule the World and Later-borns Want to Change It, Michael Grose, Penguin Life, RRP $34.99

SPRING 2021 5

It’s Your Life

Inside Olivia’s House of White Motherhood and lifestyle blogger OLIVIA WHITE is honest, daring and ambitious. The mother-of-two has experienced and achieved incredible things since starting her popular blog House of White. Olivia, who resides in the Baw Baw region and grew up in Cockatoo, has amassed more than 150,000 followers on Instagram where she shares the raw and sometimes unglamorous realities of parenting. Here, Kids Today editor MELISSA GRANT speaks to the digital creator about birthing, her journey on social media and what she’s learned about motherhood.

By Melissa Grant

First things first, how did House of White start?

I started it not long after I had Annabelle. My background was in PR (public relations). I had previously worked for Racing Victoria - I ran their fashion blog for fashions on the field and stuff like that. And I’ve always been a keen photographer. So I sort of decided I would start something while I was on maternity leave, with no real intention of it being anything. It was a blog before it was an Instagram. It naturally progressed and grew from there.

You have two beautiful girls, Annabelle (7) and Theodora (5). Tell us about their births.

They were two very different birth experiences. Annabelle was an emergency cesarean. I went in to be induced on her due date because I was starting to get what’s called PUPPPS my skin started to get really hot and itchy. I was in the public system - the care that they had at the time was pro-natural birth. I went in on a Friday night to be induced. I had the gel. I started getting contractions but nothing too much. They applied the gel again on Saturday morning. And again on Saturday evening. So the whole time I was labouring. On Sunday morning it still hadn’t really progressed, so they decided to break my waters and put me on the drip. They usually say that when you have the drip it will be a maximum of a few hours. But at 10 o’clock that night I was still on the drip.

I had an epidural, thankfully because they were really intense contractions.

In the space of about 12 hours of being on the drip, I had only progressed to like 4cm. So then they made the decision to do a cesarean. In the space

of about 10 minutes from them deciding they were going to do that to actually getting wheeled down there, her heart rate dropped. They didn’t even have time to give me a spinal (block) - they just topped up the epidural. It was all a blur because I had been in labor for three days. It would have been maybe five minutes before midnight that I had her. She was so high and so stuck that I remember the anesthetist coming over the top of me and having to actually push down to get her out. She had already started screaming before they got her out.

After that it was all such a blur … I was so exhausted. They took her to the special care nursery because I couldn’t stay awake. I pretty much lost consciousness. Then the next day I was demanding to leave - I didn’t want to be in a hospital anymore. Overall that experience definitely wasn’t what I expected. I think because they allowed me to go for so long, it was a really long recovery as well which sucked because I felt I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t hold her. I couldn’t have those moments because I was so exhausted emotionally, physically.

But then when I had Ted (Theodora), I put my foot down - I wasn’t prepared to go through that again. I elected to have a planned cesarean. I pretty

Pictures: Sarah Harris Photography

much went in at 8 o’clock and had a baby by 8.15. It was a much better experience, it was much better for my recovery. It was much better for my mental health.

After you had Teddy, you posted a picture of your raw c-section scar. Why did you think it was important to post that picture?

It was probably about a year later that I posted it. It was a photo I took to send to a girlfriend. Most of my friends don’t have kids and the girlfriend who I sent it to didn’t. I sent it to show her that it (c-section) isn’t the easy way out. Even when it is a planned cesarean you still can’t get up and walk for at least 12 hours or until the next day. You’ve basically had layers and layers of flesh, muscle and organs moved out of the way. I think because I elected to have the caesar that second time, I did cop a bit of judgment. And subsequently having a profile on social media you always get those questions - do you regret not trying to have a vaginal birth? How do you feel that you’ve never birthed a baby properly, was something that was said to me. I was like, well there’s not really a proper way. It was a way to connect with those people who have experienced the same thing. It’s not necessarily easier.

12508739-CG37-21

Was it a particular post that saw it take off?

There weren’t many people in that parenting space at the time. I guess Instagram was where it took off. I was really lucky to have a lot of my articles published by sites like Kidspot and Mamamia. I think the first that went viral, globally viral, was a sort of tongue-in-cheek post I did about mum confessions. It was almost like a list of all these confessions that people could really relate to. It was posted in Cosmo in the US and The Sun in the UK - it went massively viral. From there, I probably had a dozen times where the same thing happened. I guess when you are

picked up once you are on the radar of people. That would have been back in 2015-16 - there was a really big growth in that period.

Olivia White with her daughters Annabelle and Theodora.

C asey Property Group

E S T A T E A G E N T S Excellence. Trust. Service.

6 SPRING 2021

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Theodora and Annabelle call the Baw Baw region home.

You share some incredibly raw moments of your life. How important is it to be honest on Instagram, a medium where it’s easy to fake perfection?

I definitely think that in the space that I’m in and obviously having respect for the audience that I have, which is largely women and mums, is that we already have so many pressures that we put on ourselves, that society puts on us, expectations and all that stuff. For me, personally, I don’t have the energy or the time to fake that - and I don’t want anyone else to think they have to.

Even just me as one person, if that’s what I can do - to make mums or someone feel better that what’s happening to them is normal, or what’s happening to their child or baby is normal, I feel like I get so much from that. It is an effort to pretend. It is an effort to fake perfection, to act like everything is fine when it’s not. So it’s just as much for me as it is for anyone else because I don’t need to do that for me and I don’t need to do it for anyone.

I’ve always shown the raw side of life, even sharing my recent surgery, including the actual procedure. And I wanted to give a real-time experience to my audience, and not just the highlight reel.

You have done some pretty cool posts and you’ve had some good partnerships over time. You’ve done posts on Disney, 6ft6 Wine and Woolworths - it must be a lot of fun doing that?

I count my blessings everyday that I have been able to turn something that was essentially a hobby and a means to help me with my own mental health

Olivia and her youngest daughter Theodora.

to create opportunity and experience.

And I feel that’s exactly what I’m doing now for my own children.

Your husband Jeremy is featured in quite a few of your posts. How did you meet?

We’ve been together for 16 years, nearly 17 years now. We actually met when I was underage and had a fake ID, getting into a nightclub at 3 o’clock in the morning on King Street. It’s definitely one to tell the grandkids! I definitely did not tell my mum that for like 10 years!

Olivia with her girls Annabelle and Theodora.

into a full-time job that allows me to be at home with my kids, provide income for my family and, on top of that - the cherry on the cake - is that we have these amazing opportunities that are real once in a lifetime sorts of things that a lot of people wouldn’t get the opportunity to do. I grew up with a single mum and even though we didn’t have much money, I never knew or felt like that because we had such a rich life growing up, rich full of experience. We travelled - it wasn’t always international, it could have been just a couple of kilometres down the road, but I feel my mum did whatever she could

How long have you lived in the Baw Baw region for? What drew you here?

Jeremy is originally from here. He has always lived in the area, mostly Warragul. We had been together for four or five years and I was commuting from Melbourne - my parents lived in Essendon. So it was a long commute on the V/Line. It was so time-consuming - I was up and back all the time. I was studying, I was working. I remember one day I got so frustrated and cracked it and said I can’t keep living out of a suitcase, I can’t do this long-distance stuff. So he said why don’t you move here? It hadn’t crossed my mind because uni and work were in Melbourne. But the next week we got a rental and I transferred from RMIT to Monash Berwick. I still commuted for a lot of time to work - I worked in Chadstone. Eventually, I migrated everything here and we bought a house. And then about a month after we bought our house, we found out we were pregnant with Annabelle. I think we’ve been here 12 years.

Perfect Gift for your little one

Ì COMIC BOOKS Ì Ì COMIC SUPPLIES Ì Ì COLLECTABLES Ì Ì FUNKO TOYS Ì Ì ROLE PLAYING GAMES Ì Ì TRADING CARD GAMES Ì Ì KIDS BOOKS Ì Ì VINTAGE TOYS Ì Ì STATUES Ì MANGA Ì

Shop 3/2 Beaconsfield / Emerald Rd Beaconsfield, VIC Australia 3807 12483975-JW13-21

12509153-DL37-21

Located in Blackburne Square Berwick

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Check out Olivia on Instagram @ houseofwhite_ and online at https:// houseofwhite.com.au

Your One Stop Local Comic Shop!

Sterling silver kids jewellery kids stud earrings and much more at Berwick Village Jewellers

Berwick Village Jewellers 2 Blackburne Square, Berwick VIC 3806 03 9707 2647 | www.berwickjeweller.com.au

Motherhood is a fun and challenging journey. What have you learned so far?

As time goes on, when you are in the thick of it with babies and newborns and all of that haze that comes with it, people say to you ‘enjoy these moments, they go past before you know it in a blink of an eye, don’t wish it away’. I’m like ‘please shut up!’ But now I am that mum. Now Annabelle and Teddy are in school I’m the one telling everyone ‘it goes past so quickly, in the blink of an eye they’re not babies anymore’. The one thing I’ve learnt is that no one knows - nobody has all the answers.

You can buy all the books, read all the blogs, and follow all the people on Instagram, but there will never be two alike journeys. So while I think it’s fantastic that more people are becoming more honest and sharing online, and showing the realities of real motherhood, you still have to take everything with a grain of salt and understand that no one else that no one else’s experiences or journeys are going to be collectively the same as yours. You just need to be a lot easier on yourself and have that understanding that what’s happening to you isn’t the same thing that’s happening to someone else, or how you feel or react to something isn’t going to be the same as someone else does. Just as all children are different, we learn differently, grow differently. That’s the understanding that I finally came to one day - the switch kind of flicked for me.

visit us online: www.secrethqcomics.com.au SPRING 2021 7

It’s Your Life

Teaching inner-peace comes naturally THERE is a wild creature in you that knows how to parent, writes STEVE BIDDULPH A MUM is sitting, holding her baby. She is peaceful, and the baby is gazing up at her and making little noises of pleasure. Their eyes are gazing happily at each other.

Then the mum frowns. Instantly, the baby’s face crumples and they start to whimper.

If mum doesn’t smile again quickly it will turn into full on distressed crying.

This could be anywhere in the world, but it’s actually happening in a psychology laboratory and the baby has tiny wires attached to its head don’t worry, they are only sensors taped on, like one of those meditation apps.

But what the neuroscientists are noticing from behind their one-way mirrors will knock their socks off, and echo around the world of child development research.

What they could see on their computer screens was that the baby’s brain reacted to the mother’s change of expression in a less than a hundredth of a second. It’s as if the two human beings, parent and child, were really one creature, utterly attuned.

This is the way that we now understand how the brains of small children are shaped for good mental health - not that mum never frowns, but that by that loving interaction, children getting distressed by the natural events of life many times a day, and mum or dad being close at hand and soothing them. They learn that comfort is possible

and they can ‘down regulate’ their emotions by sharing them.

is what helps children grow their mental health.

Mum is cool with it! It’s also been discovered in the adult world too that post traumatic stress after terrible events is much worse if there is nobody nearby who is caring and understanding. Being able to cry, shudder and shake, and tell our story until our brain knows it is just a story now, something that happened, in the past and not still hanging around. It was terrible, but it is over.

So we have to learn that skill and the way to do it is surprising. We have to tune in to our own body first, before we can tune in to our child. It’s as if we have a wild creature, a panther, a brown bear (or in my case probably a twitchy nervous hamster) down inside our body. If we tune into the sensations down in our body, especially the middle of our torso, literally our gut feelings, we will instantly know if we are calm or in turmoil, and begin automatically to settle down.

Babies and children do not care if they live in a mansion or a tin shed. But they are acutely aware of the emotions of the people around them.

And if those are seriously and long-term stressed, then it’s very hard for children to relax, learn and grow.

Mum or dad being absolutely present

Then and only then, can we really be with our child fully. Let me just say that again - to be with our children, we first have to be with ourselves. It takes just a few seconds, a couple of breaths, a dropping of the shoulders, and

perhaps some letting go of the headlong rush that our life so easily becomes.

And a step into the quiet fountain of sweetness that is the ‘now’. That’s where your child is, waiting for you to show up!

Your mind settles, and then it can settle theirs. And this really matters.

Long after you are gone, when they are living their lives far in the future, they will think of you and smile. You taught them what peace feels like.

Steve Biddulph’s new book is Fully Human – a new way of using your mind, published by Pan Macmillan. www.stevebiddulph.com Steve Biddulph AM Author – 10 Things Girls Need Most, Raising Girls, Raising Boys.

Complete Secrets of Happy Children, The New Manhood and Fully Human

Pandemic having huge impact on our youth YOUNG Australians have been more affected by the Covid-19 pandemic than any other age group, early evidence suggests.

A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) found, that compared to older age groups, young people experienced higher rates of psychological distress, job loss, and educational disruption during the pandemic.

8 SPRING 2021

The report, Australia’s youth, brings together data about young people (aged 12–24) and their experiences of school and higher education, mental health and wellbeing, employment, living circumstances, and personal relationships.

“Adolescence and young adulthood is a critical period in a person’s life.

Young people often experience rapid

physical, social and emotional changes in a time where they are transitioning from dependence to independence,” institute spokesperson Sally Mills says.

“This is a time when young people are finishing school, pursuing further training and education, entering the workforce, moving out of the family home, and forming relationships.”

And while data suggests that some

outcomes for young people have returned to pre-Covid-19 levels, Ms Mills said this is not always the case.

“For example, in April 2021 the average level of psychological distress among young people was below what it was in April 2020, but still higher than in February 2017,” she said.

“Ongoing monitoring is needed to fully understand the longer term impact of the pandemic.” www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

It’s Your Life

Helping kids have a better life Tammy Topham in the new branch of A Better Life for Foster Kids in Kooweerup.

By Shelby Brooks

“A lot of kids come without any clothing.

A not-for-profit organisation aimed at creating a better life for children in foster care has opened its doors in Kooweerup.

“Babies will come with no formula, no nappies.”

A Better Life For Foster Kids provide crisis cases for children living in out of home care and now has a depo on Rossiter Road.

A crisis case is a suitcase packed full of essential items like nappies, clothes, toiletries and blankets for children entering the foster system.

Kooweerup branch manager Tammy Topham said a lot of children entering the foster system come to carers with nothing.

“The idea of the crisis cases is that they’re full of enough stuff for three days to get the kids and carers through those first three days,” Tammy said.

A Better Life For Foster Kids was founded by Tammy’s mother Heather five years ago.

“Mum grew up in the foster system,” Tammy said.

“She remembers growing up and being that foster child who didn’t have anything.

“And she wanted that to stop so these kids can have a real go at life.”

While completing her diploma in community services, Heather did placement with the DHHS. “While she was there she saw a need (for crisis cases) because kids were coming with just nothing,” Tammy said.

“No agencies really provided that

95+ MORE SHOPS!

service. They do provide clothes and essential items but it takes time though.

It can be three weeks after a carer gets the child that the items come.”

Crisis cases are packed by volunteers, ready to go with items like toiletries, clothes, underwear, nappies, bottles, dummies, blankets and teddies for boys and girls of each age group.

“A carer or agency worker will contact us and say we’ve got a 5-yearold girl and they can come pick the correct case up,” Tammy said.

The original headquarters of A Better Life For Foster Kids is in Sale, so having a distribution centre in Kooweerup makes the pick up for Melbourne or west based carers easier, Tammy said.

“The Sale premises flooded recently and they lost almost everything and have to start from scratch in an emergency venue at the moment so

Picture: Stewart Chambers

we’re very limited for space,” Tammy said.

“And being based in Sale, it was a long way for people in Bendigo or Ballarat so we needed somewhere closer that would be a lot more accessible.

“Alinta Energy made it possible to have the Kooweerup branch through a grant to help for the first 12 months to set us up and have me here one day a week.”

Good quality donations or new clothes can be donated to Tammy on Tuesdays with prior arrangement on 0402 374 998.

“It’s just normal things you don’t think of, they’re a given to us,” Tammy said.

“I just want to help the kids, to make them feel special, to make them have that love and support.”

400 Narre Warren Cranbourne Road Narre Warren South VIC 3805 12498687-SN26-21

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

SPRING 2021 9

It’s Your Life

Dealing with teenage aggression

By Carole Levy HOW do you cope if your teen becomes aggressive or even violent towards you?

It is common to keep this kind of abuse behind closed doors and not confide in anyone. Many parents feel that they have failed to control their child, or that they are responsible for the behaviour in some way. In addition, they may not know where to turn.

However, any kind of aggression can be stressful, and can cause an atmosphere of tension and fear for the entire family, not to mention the possibility of physical harm if their teen becomes violent.

No parent should feel obliged to put up with an unruly teen, and as with any type of domestic abuse, help and support is available. There are a number of techniques and tips that you might find helpful.

DEFUSING HEATED ARGUMENTS It’s useful to remember that your own behaviour can improve or worsen an aggressive situation, so it’s important to be a good role model for your teen.

With that in mind, it is worth trying to maintain a calm and peaceful presence.

You need to be strong without being threatening. Remember that your body language, as well as what you say and how you say it, should also reflect this.

Avoid staring them in the eye, and give them personal space. Allow them the opportunity to express their point of view, then respond in a reasoned way.

If an argument becomes very heated, take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds and then exhale. Repeat five times. This technique is very useful in intense situations. If your teen is becoming aggressive during arguments, suggest this technique to them when they’re calm, so they too have a way of controlling their anger.

If an argument feels out of control, you can also try explaining to them that you are going to walk away, and that you’ll come back again in half an hour.

Given the chance to reflect and calm down, you and your teen will both be

Sometimes, teen aggression can turn into violence.

Sometimes violence

more reasonable when you resume your discussion.

As with toddlers, if you give in to teenagers because their shouting and screaming intimidates or baffles you, you are in effect encouraging them to repeat the unreasonable behaviour as a way of getting what they want.

If very heated arguments happen frequently, it may be worth suggesting counselling to your teen. They’ll benefit from talking to someone new and unbiased, someone who isn’t in their family and who won’t judge them.

Remember they may not know how to handle their anger, and this can leave them frustrated and even frightened.

Some guidance from an outsider can be very helpful.

DEALING WITH VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR Sometimes, teen aggression can turn into violence. If they lash out at you, or someone or something else, put safety

first. Let your teenager know that violence is unacceptable and you will walk away from them until they’ve calmed down. If leaving the room or house isn’t helping, call the police — after all, if you feel threatened or scared, then you have the right to protect yourself.

GOOD ADVICE ■ GIVE THEM SPACE: Once they have calmed down, you may want to talk to them about what has happened and suggest that they let you find them some help.

■ BE CLEAR: Teenagers need to know that you will stand by the boundaries you set. They need to know that any kind of violence is unacceptable.

■ TALK TO THEIR SCHOOL: Find out if their aggressive behaviour is happening there as well. Some schools offer counselling.

■ ARRANGE COUNSELLING: If your

teen admits they have a problem and is willing to get help, book an appointment with a counsellor or psychologist as soon as possible.

Sources: Raising Children Network, Women’s and Children’s Health Network GET HELP: ■ Raising Children Network: Australian resource for parenting newborns to teens ■ ReachOut Parents: Online service to help parents help teenagers ■ 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (24-hour, national sexual assault and domestic family violence counselling service) ■ Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800 (24hour) ■ Police Assistance Line: 131 444 (24-hour) ■ Child Youth Health: Parenting and child health information

How to explain the pandemic to kids WHILE we’ve been living in a pandemic for almost 18 months, children begin to notice changes at different ages.

Kids who were babies when the pandemic started are now starting to talk and take much more notice of what is happening around them.

Those who were toddlers when it begun are now at kinder or primary school and learning to live with remote learning at times.

It’s important to try to limit the confusion about what is happening and take into consideration your child’s feelings when talking about social distancing and lockdowns.

Raisingchildren.net.au says children will cope better if they have accurate, age-appropriate information about Covid-19 , physical distancing and self-isolation.

10 SPRING 2021

The government funded website says the following tips can help make sure your child feels supported.

1. Make time to talk about Covid-19, physical distancing and self-isolation Find the right time to talk with your child. This might be around the dinner table, at bath time, or at bedtime. When your child is ready to talk, try to give your child your full attention.

If you’re working from home, you might find that your child wants or needs to talk while you’re working. You won’t always be able to stop, and that’s OK. It’s fine to let your child know that you can’t listen right now.

2. Use a calm and reassuring tone If you use a calm, reassuring tone when you talk with your child about this situation, it can help your child feel safe and secure.

You might be feeling stressed or upset

about the situation – that’s natural. If you can, try to take a few deep breaths before you talk. This can help you feel calmer.

3. Find out what your child knows about physical distancing and self-isolation It’s a good idea to start by asking your child what they know about the situation and whether they have any questions. For example: “You might have noticed that mum is working at home now. Do you know why that is?”

“You won’t be going to school for a while, but some of your friends are still going. Do you understand why?”

This is about sticking to the facts, focusing on the positives, reassuring your child that this situation won’t last forever, and explaining what your family can do to help. For example: “Covid-19 is a virus that makes people sick, a bit like when you get a nasty cold. It gets in your spit and snot, so it spreads easily if you sneeze or cough.”

“Physical distancing means staying at home as much as we can. We can go out for a walk, if we stay a long way from other people – as far as the length of your bed.”

5. Tune into your child’s feelings about physical distancing and self-isolation

“We can’t go to swimming lessons at the moment. Do you know why?”

Some children might be OK with staying at home all the time. But some might be frightened, worried or upset.

4. Explain physical distancing and self-isolation in a way your child understands

And remember – if you’re all well, plenty of cuddles can help you all feel better. www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

It’s Your Life

Family dinner time with Sam Wood

Sam Wood loves whipping up nutritious family-friendly meals.

SAM WOOD is a dad and one of Australia’s top health and fitness experts. He’s founder of online training, nutrition and mindfulness platform 28 by Sam Wood and resides in Melbourne with his partner Snezana, whom he met on The Bachelor, and children Charlie, 2, Willow, 3 and Eve, 16. Here, Sam talks about the art of cooking nutritious dinners the whole family will enjoy.

The whole dinner routine can be a struggle in many households. In your household, who decides what’s for dinner and who cooks it?

Like in many households, the kids are asked first about what’s for dinner and parents second, but Snez and I will cook Mondays to Thursdays and usually treat the family to a takeaway on the Friday. We love cooking outdoors, so over the weekend we try to get the BBQ going or have little picnics in the garden.

With three children at different ages and taking into account your own meal

preferences, how do you decide what to cook for dinner?

We have a really good weekly dinner time routine down, which helps the kids know what to expect when it comes to dinner. Every single dinner will include protein, good fats and good carbs.

When the kids’ food is a bit too plain for our liking, we like to add different spices to mix the flavour up. For us, it’s all about eating real food, lots of vegetables and making sure it tastes great. We have lots of our favourite 28 meals on rotation.

What are your family’s favourite

weeknight dinners that are quick and nutritious?

Our favourite, fuss-free weeknight dinner has to be my Tofu or Chicken Satay Skewers, made with Mayver’s Peanut Butter (Sam is a Mayver’s ambassador). It’s delicious, nutritious and fun for the kids, to both cook and eat! Other crowd pleasers include my butter chicken from the 28 program, which is another big hit with the family.

at the supermarket and let them choose a new food, like fruit, vegetables and nuts, that they’ve never tried before. In the kitchen, let them take the reins on age-appropriate tasks such as cracking the eggs, stirring the ingredients or chopping the vegetables. Once you give them a sous chef title, they’re more likely to become invested in the process of cooking and so the colour, texture and taste of more nutritious foods becomes an easier sell.

What are your tips for getting your children to try new foods?

If your child is a fussy eater, get them involved in preparing their meals. Start

Sam often shares family-friendly recipe ideas on his Instagram account.

You can find him by searching Sam James Wood.

Advice for parents on teens, tattoos and piercings BEING a teenager is hard.

respect their opinion.

You’re not really a child, but you aren’t yet an adult.

But it’s also important to share your thoughts too, in a calm matter.

But you are trying to find your place in the world. Set yourself apart from others and make your mark.

The parenting website says, for example you could say, ‘I don’t like the idea of you getting a tattoo at 16 because you might decide you don’t like it in five years time. And then it’ll be difficult and cost you a lot of money to get rid of it’.

So what do you do when your teen wants piercings or a tattoo?

Raisingchildren.net.au suggests talking to your child first.

Find out the reasons why they want the piercing or tattoo. Do they want to make a fashion statement? Are they copying their friends?

Listen to their point of view, ask them why it’s important to them and try to www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Teenagers may want a tattoo to make a fashion statement.

But you can get a piercing under the age of 16 if you have permission from a parent or guardian.

And if all else fails – look for a compromise.

Youth Law Australia says you need to be 18 to get a tattoo or body mark in Victoria.

If your child wants a very visible or very large tattoo or body-piercing that you don’t want them to get, you might compromise on its size or location.

It’s against the law for someone to tattoo you or make a body mark on you even if you have your parent’s permission.

Another option might be delaying the tattoo or body-piercing until your child is older. For example, you might offer to pay for it for your child’s 18th

birthday, if they still want one.

Government website Youth Central states when you do finally turn 18 and can be legally tattooed it’s important to do the following: 1. Do your research 2. Don’t follow the trends 3. Consider the long-term 4. Find a reputable tattoo shop 5. Respect your tattoo artist 6. Take care of your new tattoo SPRING 2021 11

It’s Your Life

Workers at St Kilda Mums sort through donated items.

Rochelle Cannington with clothing and linen bundles.

The St Kilda Mums warehouse.

Helping mums across the state

By Melissa Meehan IT all started as a stack of baby goods dumped in a photocopying room at a maternal health service in Chapel Street, Prahran.

Local mum Jessie McPherson was told by her maternal health nurse that the donated goods were really needed in the community, but staff just didn’t have the time to clean them up and pass them on.

But don’t be fooled by the name, St Kilda Mums helps families across the state.

Their head office and main warehouse is now located in Clayton after outgrowing their previous home in

“But it’ll be a bit different this year because we couldn’t open due to the pandemic, we had to stop getting goods donations in for a little while.

“So even though we are called St Kilda Mums, the name really comes from where it all started.”

“We did have to purchase a few more cots and prams and car seats than we usually would like in this current financial year but it was kind of out of our hands at the end.”

Those who benefit from the donations are put forward to St Kilda mums from social workers and maternal health care workers.

“We leave it up to the experts, they come to us with referrals and requests from their clients,” she said.

So Jessie took matters into her own hands.

She started a Facebook page, hundreds of items were left on her front porch and St Kilda Mums was born.

“We distribute across Victoria, even in the far corners of the state,” spokesperson Rochelle Cannington told Kids Today.

Volunteer Avril donations.

Vol nteer A ril with ith some donations

St Kilda, and they have warehouses in Geelong and Ballarat - under the names Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums, respectively.

They now help 20,000 babies and children each year.

St Kilda mums offers 66 products for those who need them.

But the hottest item, according to Rochelle, is prams.

“We can never ever get enough of them. We’re really fortunate to be able to get quite a bit about our stock donated, so last year 98 per cent of the things that we gave out were donations,” she said.

But despite the pandemic, the need does not end with big ticket items always needed, as well as linen and clothing.

The best way to donate is to get in touch with St Kilda Mums though their website www.stkildamums.org and make an appointment to drop off at their warehouses in Clayton, Geelong or Ballarat.

There are often local collection points too.

It’s the perfect way to move on your no longer needed baby things – especially after doing a spring clean.

How to detect potential deafness in kids

By Carole Levy

within the next two weeks to confirm results.

BACK in the day, mums and their newborns remained in hospital for at least a week but nowadays it’s more like two days and they’re sent home.

While lots of new mums are dying to take their bubs home, it can mean that the baby’s hearing screening doesn’t happen.

Experienced audiologist from Active Audiology, Marina Opacak, explains what parents should look for in detecting potential deafness in babies and children up to school age.

The neo-natal hearing screen is generally done in the first days, when electrodes are placed on the baby’s forehead, shoulders and neck and sounds are played through speakers.

The technique measures auditory nerve activity and is known as Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR).

If the baby ‘fails’ the AABR test, another screening will be carried out 12 SPRING 2021

“The main thing to notice in a baby up to six months old is that loud or unexpected noises don’t cause a startled response, or they may appear generally less alert,” Marina says.

“After six months, a baby with possible hearing issues won’t turn to a sound source. At 12 months, they won’t be saying “mumma” or “dadda” - a speech delay can be another sign in babies and toddlers.”

Most parents will be questioning their child’s hearing ability well before the

three-year-old mark. At this age, children can be examined via Play Audiometry at an audiology clinic.

Headphones will be placed on the child, with various noises played through the speakers that correspond to the game being played and elicit a response.”

Marina notes that hearing loss, which may be temporary or permanent, can develop after an initial neo-natal screening.

“In children older than three, warning signs can include having iPad and TV volume too high, asking often for words to be repeated, and not responding to being called.

“By school age, it may be a teacher who first detects problems, with students unable to hear from the back of the classroom, or certain behavioural issues

arise or schoolwork is in decline.”

Temporary deafness can be caused by a build-up of wax in the ear or an infection, which can be attended to by a GP. Sometimes, grommets are recommended to drain fluid from the ears; this is a job for an ear, nose and throat specialist.

Babies and children with permanent deafness will be referred to Hearing Australia, with a hearing aid or other amplification system potentially fitted, and supports put in place.

Marina concludes with: “It’s important to diagnose hearing loss as early as possible since it can have a big impact on a child’s development, especially in the areas of language, communication and thinking.” www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

It’s Your Life

Kids in the dark on social media

By Melissa Grant

Reset Australia’s Children’s Data Policy Director Farthing said.

DOES your child know what they’ve signed up for on social media, gaming and messaging services?

Working with YouGov, the data protection lobby group polled 400 teens aged 16 and 17. They found only seven per cent of the teens surveyed were confident they understood the terms and conditions they had accepted, and only four per cent read them all the time.

Chances are they are probably clueless, with a new report finding popular sites like Tik Tok and Snapchat have such confusing terms of use that you need a university degree to understand them.

This means the majority of teens don’t know how their data will be collected and stored.

The Reset Australia report found the terms and conditions of nine of 10 surveyed apps would take, on average, one hour and 46 minutes to read. That’s despite children as young as 13 being allowed to use them.

“Tik Tok’s terms and conditions run the length of two novels, or about six hours of reading at a university level. If all two billion people who use TikTok read the full terms and conditions, it would take 1.24 million years of effort,”

Reasons for not reading the terms and conditions included that they were too long, there were too many documents, they were presented in ways difficult to read and that you’ve got no choice anyway so why bother.

“These apps are designed to be easy for young people to use, but when it comes to disclosing how data will be collected and stored, suddenly they become very difficult to understand,” Dr Farthing said.

Facebook and Instagram recently moved to restrict advertising targeted at underage users, after Reset Australia revealed underage users were being profiled on age-inappropriate interests

such as smoking and alcohol, and then selling access to the profiles to advertisers for direct, targeted advertising.

“We’ll only allow advertisers to target ads to people under 18 (or older in certain countries) based on their age, gender and location. This means that previously available targeting options, like those based on interests or on their activity on other apps and websites, will no longer be available to advertisers. These changes will be global and apply to Instagram, Facebook and Messenger,” a Facebook statement said.

However, Reset Australia is concerned the social media giant could keep the profiling for its own purposes and says this underscores the need for oversight about how platforms collect and use young people’s data.

They want to see a federal regulatory code governing how children and young people’s data is collected and used.

A spokesperson from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

(OAIC) said a review of the Privacy Act by the Attorney-General’s Department offered an opportunity to address concerns about children’s personal data.

“We believe some high-risk activities should be considered for prohibition, such as profiling, tracking or behaviour monitoring of children, or direct advertising targeted at children,” the spokesperson said.

The federal government is also drafting legislation to enable the ‘Online Privacy Code’, which will apply to social media and other online platforms.

The code is expected to have specific rules to protect the personal information of children and vulnerable groups.

The OAIC encourages parents to help educate children about making good decisions online and limiting privacy risks. The commissioner suggests parents talk to their children about their digital footprint, developing good password practices, safe and smart device use, tailoring and regularly review privacy settings and being aware of online advertising.

ORRNLQJ IRU VRPHWKLQJ"

CARDINIA LAKES SHOPPING CENTRE :LWK VWRUHV OLNH &ROHV &DUGLQLD /DNHV 7DWWVORWWR &DUHPRUH 3KDUPDF\ DQG 6XJDUFRDW %HDXW\ \RX¶UH VXUH WR ILQG ZKDW \RX QHHG

KXQJU\"

CARDINIA LAKES SHOPPING CENTRE 'HOLFLRXV IRRG IURP 8QFOH 6DP¶V &KDUFRDO &KLFNHQ &DUGLQLD /DNHV )LVK &KLSSHU\ 3L]]D )HOODV 8UEDQ +\SH :RN WR *R

COLES | LIQUORLAND | UNCLE SAM¶S CHARCOAL CHICKEN | WOK TO GO PIZZA FELLAS | CARDINIA LAKES FISH & CHIPPERY | URBAN HYPE CAFÉ CAREMORE PHARMACY | FAMILY CLINIC SUGARCOAT BEAUTY | TATTSLOTTO | TECHIE CHOICE

:LQGHUPHUH %RXOHYDUG 3DNHQKDP www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

12497501-JW26-21

SPRING 2021 13

It’s Your Life

Freedom in planning with children

By Melissa Meehan WITH five kids, mum Nicole Avery has to be organised.

Her kids range from 12 to 22-yearsold – her youngest started high school this year and her eldest began his first post-graduate job.

Getting your kids involved in planning is all it takes for them to take ownership, Nicole says.

Planning was not always something she’d been good at or focused on, she still doesn’t claim to be an expert.

in the workforce – but I wasn’t bringing home ” she said. said that home,”

She’s just had a lot of practice.

She’s been working online, working with Planning with Kids since 2008.

“I had four kids at the time and kind of wanted to go back into the workforce in some way and it was about my own life. So it was a really easy choice for me to blog about it,” she told Kids Today.

“I probably was a more traditional mummy blogger at first – but sharing photos of the kids wasn’t my thing. I’m pretty private, so what I wanted to do was answer the questions that people asked of me in real life.

“How are you so organised?”

She always had menu plans and that kind of thing so thought she would share what she knew.

Because, she figured, it could help other parents.

“One of the things when you’ve had a few kids that you get better at, is self practice,” she said.

“I’m pretty process orientated, but wasn’t always natural that way, but I

Nicole Avery is a mum of five.

did get to the point with my second child, where I worked out okay, I am going to step out of the workforce and I’m going to be at home full-time now,” she said.

“I can’t just be in this chaos thinking about what we’re having for dinner every night, you know like a baby crying on the hip and a toddler hanging off my legs.

“I was floundering a bit and it felt harder than it should be.”

And that’s where it started.

Nicole worked out if she could plan out five or six meals a week that would make meal time easier.

And it did.

“That was sort of like that clicking moment where I had all the skills I used

“And I worked out that work things ran so much smoother and my work life would have been so much less stressful when I was really organised with it, home life is the same.”

And that mindset is applicable to doing the washing, vacuuming.

Stepping out of the chaos and having a plan made life with kids much easier.

But just because you have a plan doesn’t mean your life revolves around it, according to Nicole.

“People automatically associate plan with being quite restrictive and very prescribed and that you’re quite confined,” she said.

meal on Friday.

F Nicole, Ni l planning l i t ll ended d d For actually up giving her more freedom.

She also found that the more she had organised, the more she could delegate.

“I was able to say to my husband, here is the shopping list, could you please go and shop for it – the fact it was in an actual list form and not in my brain meant I could get some extra help,” she said.

“I found my life became easier and easier, and I became happier.”

It was the same for after school activities and sports.

“I actually found it gave me more freedom.”

When Nicole took it out of her brain and put it into a shared online calendar that her husband could see it made life much simpler.

If she had already prepared the meals for the week and was out late one night - she knew she could change up the meal plan.

These are just some of the tips you can read about in Nicole’s book Planning with Kids, or learn in her online course.

And if it was too late, she could swap in takeaway night and cook that

Find out more at www. planningwithkids.com

Nothing is everything in Kidsafe campaign EVERY year there are many stories of serious unintentional childhood injuries and deaths in the news. When we read these, we all hope that it won’t happen to us, to our friends or to our families.

As part of the campaign, Kidsafe Victoria have developed an injury prevention kit for parents and carers, providing links to a range of free resources and practical advice. They are encouraging all families to download and utilise resources such as their home and farm safety checklists, to help ensure that ‘nothing happens’.

Ash and Matt never thought it would be them. Never thought they would lose their son Hunter just after he reached his 2nd birthday. Never thought they would be picking out an outfit for their little boy to wear, one last time. But it has now been 12 months since Hunter drowned in a dam. Twelve months since the day they had to say goodbye.

“It’s hard to come to terms that our son Hunter isn’t here with us. My heart breaks more every day waking up without him. It’s hard to even contemplate ever celebrating anything without him,” explained Ash. Sadly, Ash and Matt aren’t alone. In 2020, 32 Victorian families lost their little one due to an unintentional injury that’s almost one child every 11 days.

In response to the significant increase in injury related deaths, Kidsafe Victoria have launched a new community 14 SPRING 2021

Because when nothing happens, children aren’t admitted to hospital due to serious injury. When nothing happens, children don’t have to live with the lasting impacts from preventable injuries. When nothing happens, parents don’t have to deal with a lifetime of loss.

Hunter’s parents Matt and Ash (centre) with Kidsafe Victoria CEO Melanie Courtney (left) and Kidsafe Victoria president Erica Edmands (right). Ash and Matt were among the 32 Victorian families who lost their little one due to an unintentional injury in 2020.

When it comes to our children, when nothing happens, there’s everything to celebrate. And that’s down to all of us.

Together, we can keep kids safe.

happens to kids - by providing a reminder of the little things that we can all do to help reduce the risk of unintentional injuries.

To find out more about the ‘Nothing is Everything’ campaign or access the campaign resources, please visit www. kidsafevic.com.au/about/nothing-iseverything/

awareness campaign - ‘Nothing is Everything’. The campaign highlights the world which Kidsafe is trying to create – a world where nothing bad

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

It’s Your Life

Major revamp for reserve Cardinia Shire councillors recently endorsed a masterplan for the reserve, which is a focal point for the community.

Spring is the season of new beginnings. Fresh flowers bloom, farmers and gardeners plant their seeds and temperatures slowly rise.

The reserve is home to a huge playground, skatepark, Pakenham Library and Hall, U3A, Pakenham Living and Learning Centre, Pakenham Men’s Shed, Pakenham Community garden, SCOPE disability service and the RSL memorial walk.

Among the other key features are a new stage with power for festivals and events, new multi-use courts for basketball, netball, tennis, soccer, and a new picnic/BBQ area.

Car parking, toilets, outdoor furniture and shelters will also be upgraded.

The PB Ronald Reserve upgrade will be staged over 10 years with the first stage of detailed design for the skate

WHILE 2021 continues to be a challenge for families, finding ways to entertain the children on a budget can be hard.

Luckily, the team at Pakenham Central Marketplace are running free school holiday activities at their centre this September.

A parkour circuit and large skate park are coming to Pakenham’s PB Ronald Reserve.

The masterplan includes plans for an upgrade and expansion of the existing skatepark and a new parkour circuit and exercise station.

Free and fun school holiday activities

With a delightful spring time theme, children can participate in activities such as creating critter keyrings, bug puppets, spring nesting birds and more.

PB Ronald Reserve is about to undergo a major upgrade.

Picture: Cardinia Shire Council

park and parkour circuit expected to kick off this financial year.

The masterplan was developed following an extended period of community and stakeholder consultation.

“Key elements of the reserve’s redevelopment including the skatepark and surrounding facilities will go out for community consultation so there will be further opportunity to have your say,” Mayor Brett Owen said.

Shake off the winter blues and try these fun spring activities being run over five days during the school holidays, from 11am to 2pm.

As with everything these days, the activities will be run in a CovidSafe manner, with check in and number limits. Should we go into another lockdown, fingers crossed this won’t happen, the centre will be running an online competition with activities and giveaways to keep the kids entertained.

Where: 50-54 John St, Pakenham.

■ Tuesday 21 September: Spring Nesting Birds Workshop

There are free and fun children’s activities at Pakenham Marketplace during the school holidays.

■ Thursday 23 September: Critter Keyring Making ■ Monday 27 September: Bug Puppet Creation Workshop ■ Wednesday 29 September: Spring Creature Mask Making ■ Friday 1 October: Magic Scratch Bee Ornament Making While at Pakenham Central Marketplace the kids might want to check out Smiggle or Big W, but we highly recommend that parents take a break and enjoy a coffee and one of the many cafes.

To find out more, visit www. pakenhamcentralmarketplace.com. au

12507419-BL37-21

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

SPRING 2021 15

It’s Your Life

Deciphering your child’s dreams

By Melissa Meehan THE saying goes, if you have big dreams you will grow into them.

But what is a dream without understanding what it is all about?

Best-selling author of Dreams, Rose Inserra helps to unlock the mysteries of your dreams and the messages they hold for adults and children alike.

The mother and grandmother says for many children nightmares can start from the time they turn three.

“Because before three, they can’t really separate themselves from anything, but as they grow up they can, and they understand who they are and they start to have dreams or nightmares,” she said.

“At around seven, the nightmares tend to sort of phase away, they’re not as prevalent as they are.”

These bad dreams or nightmares can

be triggered by stress of starting a new school, a new place to live, debt, death of a pet or parent, grandparent or even having a new sibling.

Monsters are a common theme that young children tend to dream about, according to Rose, who says the subconscious mind creates these images.

“For them, it’s anxiety and so monsters, whatever monster they come up with is their anxiety, or their fear or something,” she said.

“So that’s, that’s your first major dream that they have.”

Another popular dream is flying.

Rose says fantasy dreams are really good for children to experience. It shows that they have a happy and healthy imagination, and that they are able to overcome new experiences.

Some older kids have dreams of chaos and disorder when there’s

Rose Inserra is the author of the recent book Dreams by Rockpool Publishing.

instability in their lives.

And that’s telling us they need support or grounding, which is why they feel like they’re going to fall into an Alice in Wonderland sort of thing.

“So if your child keeps having those dreams, they need you to give them more support and make them feel more comfortable,” she said.

No matter the dream, Rose says it’s important to have discussions with your child about what they are dreaming about – so that you can gain an insight into how they are feeling.

“We need to say to them, okay, tell me a little bit more about your dream,” she said.

“Tell me what happened. How did you feel about that, and who was in your dream.

“And talk to them, say, how we get

this right, let’s change the ending to that dream.”

Rose says you can use the same trick with nightmares, especially if they are recurring.

“The next time the kids or any of us go to bed, change the ending,” she said.

“So you change the ending up, so you know last time the tiger was chasing you, what if the tiger wants to go and have a drink at that light behind you, he wasn’t coming for you.

“It makes a difference.”

Rose Inserra is the author of the recent book Dreams by Rockpool Publishing. Drawing on her experience as an author and researcher, she has written over 60 children’s books and her books are published and marketed internationally. Rose is a member of the International Association for the Study of Dream.

12509076-DL37-21

16 SPRING 2021

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

It’s Your Life

Seize the clay!

ARE you or your child interested in learning the art of pottery?

The statistics are included in the Older mothers in Australia 2019 report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

Anyone can get creative at Robert Gordon, with workshops for all ages.

If you’ve never worked with ceramics before you needn’t worry. Friendly staff are on-hand to show you how.

The report shows that the number of babies born to older mothers is increasing. In 2019, there were more than 76,000 babies born to mothers aged 35 or over, compared to almost 69,000 in 2009 and 42,000 births in 1999.

Robert Gordon offers workshops in wheel throwing, hand building and paint your own pottery.

The paint your own pottery workshop is popular with families. All you have to do is choose your pot, decorate with paint and collect your masterpiece 14 days later.

The workshops take place in a new studio space at Robert Gordon Pottery factory outlet.

Located in the heart of Pakenham, the outlet is a great place to visit with the family.

“The average age of all women giving birth in Australia has been rising, including for first-time mothers.

The average maternal age has increased from 27.1 years in 1979 to 30.8 years in 2019 for all mothers,” said AIHW spokesperson Ms. Bernice Cropper.

Kids can learn how to paint their own pottery at Robert Gordon Pottery.

relaxed, homestyle meals with beautiful coffee.

Robert Gordon is located at 114 Mulcahy Road Pakenham and is open 7 days 9am-5pm. Online bookings for the Paint Your Own Pottery and workshops are essential. Phone 03 5941 3302. www.robertgordonaustralia.com

Since 1999 the rate of women aged 40-44 giving birth has almost doubled, with 15.5 mothers per 1000 in 2019 compared with 8.4 mothers per 1000 women in 1999.

The rate almost quadrupled among women aged 45-49, with 1.1 mothers per 1000 women in 2019 compared with 0.3 mothers in 1999.

Ms Cropper says there can be advantages to giving birth later in the life and the majority of older

mothers will have uncomplicated pregnancies and healthy babies.

“However, women who give birth later in life are more at risk of complications, such as gestational diabetes during pregnancy and birth,” she said.

“Other complications include increased risk of gestational hypertension, pre-term birth and low birthweight babies. This is particularly seen for women giving birth for the first-time.”

Older mothers were less likely than younger mothers to smoke, and the majority received antenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy. They were are also more likely to live in major cities and less likely to live in low socioeconomic areas.

12508746-JW37-21

They have a large selection of homewares, baskets and textiles. There’s also the Nancy Eatery, which serves up

ONE quarter of women who give birth in Australia are aged 35 or older, new research reveals.

And around 29 per cent of these women in this age bracket are giving birth for the first time.

Robert Gordon Pottery can help you seize the clay!

If you’re after something more extensive, you should check out Robert Gordon’s six-week pottery course. The course covers hand building, wheel throwing, moulding, sculpture and painting in a friendly atmosphere.

More women giving birth later in life

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

SPRING 2021 17

It’s Your Life

Embracing a child’s curls

By Melissa Grant CURLY hair on kids is adorable but can be a nightmare to manage.

Brushing is generally a no-no and parents need to be mindful of how they use products on their child’s hair.

Most importantly though, parents need to “embrace the curls”, according to mum of two and Aussie Curls founder Claire Fermo.

Claire straightened her for years before she embraced her curls, a move which ultimately led to her business venture.

It was only after becoming a mum that Claire realised her hair was beautiful and she was wasting time straightening it.

Claire Fermo Fermo, creator of Aussie Curls.

Curls

“I straightened my hair for 15 years,” Claire said.

because it was too hard. I thought there has to be a way that’s in between.”

Here are Claire’s top tips for managing curls:

“It’s because I listened to what a guy said to me in a bar once - that I would be better looking if I had straight hair!”

Claire had her light-bulb moment and Aussie Curls was born.

■ Don’t brush when dry: If you brush dry hair it causes the curl to lose its memory and it will create more knots. Instead, finger comb the hair when wet. The only brush I use in the shower is called the Denman brush.

Claire’s husband Andy only saw her curls for the first time while on holiday four years into their marriage. They were on a cruise with their son, Phoenix, and Claire couldn’t straighten her hair every day.

Andy fell in love with the curls and so did Clare. Afterwards, she decided to learn everything she could about curls.

“I found the curly girl method,” she explained.

“Then I realised there were some great things I could take from that, but there were too many rules. Some women stopped embracing their curls

Claire is so passionate about her products, which are made from organic and natural Australian ingredients, that her children, Phoenix and Havana use them - even though they don’t have curls.

“My husband is Filipino so they’ve got his dead-straight hair, but they still have to use Aussie Curls - it’s the only hair product allowed in the house,” the mum of Indigenous and Moroccan heritage said.

Although her kids have straight hair, Claire knows all about the battles parents of curly-haired children face and even does home visits to give advice.

■ Washing: Don’t wash curls every day as it’s good to get natural oil through them. Washing frequency depends on thickness. A lot of kids have fine curls, which are best washed every 3-4 days. My hair is thicker - I wash my hair every 6-7 days and do a refresh between that with a water spray bottle and moisture product. Washing curls

too often can also dry out your child’s scalp.

■ Use a moisturising spray: In between washes, use a moisturising spray. Even just put a bit of conditioner in a spray bottle.

Then finger comb the hair.

Moisture spray works fine with both thick and thin curls, you just need to adjust the moisture level.

It’s not an exact science - just fill with water, put the conditioner in and shake it up.

■ Apply products when wet: Curls love moisture. I apply all my hair products while I’m in the shower.

You can find Claire online at https:// www.aussiecurls.com.au/ or follow her on Instagram at aussie_curls

New characters join children’s book series

By Carole Levy

The books are launching in September.

DID you know that a Mr Men and Little Miss book still sells every 2.5 seconds worldwide? Now two more books are joining the 90-strong line-up.

IN THE BEGINNING “What does a tickle look like?” asked Adam, the young son of Roger Hargreaves. So Mr Hargreaves drew Adam a picture, creating Mr Tickle, which became the first book published in 1971. It went on to sell a million copies in just three years.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Roger Hargreaves book series, a global public vote to name new members - attracting more than 77,000 entries – has determined that Mr Calm and Little Miss Brave will join the family.

Mr Calm has a very peaceful and easy-going outlook on life. He lives in the moment, loves rock climbing, and his relaxed and tolerant perspective means that he is a calming influence and a wise head.

Little Miss Brave stands up for what she believes in. She is not afraid to speak out and is fearless when championing things close to her heart, including her friends. Her bravery is an inner strength and confidence which enables her to try new things, challenge expectations, and inspire others to be 18 SPRING 2021

Adam is now creative director, following the death of his father.

Mr Calm.

Little Miss Brave.

the best they can be.

“It’s great to see these two new characters join the diverse set of personalities of the Mr Men/Little Miss family – calmness and bravery are two very welcome additions,” he says. “It’s been a fantastic way to celebrate our 50th birthday year.”

Alastair McHarrie, Sanrio licensing director, says that having Mr Calm and Little Miss Brave join the much-loved family of characters reflects the current consumer mood and the world we’re living in.

“Mr Calm was one of my favourites,” he says, “so I’m delighted to be able to share this story. It’s amazing to see people are still connecting to the books after 50 years – and here’s to Mr Calm and Little Miss Brave leading the way in shaping the brand’s personality for the next 50!”

The new books will be available on pre-order via the official MrMen.com website, and in all good bookstores from September, 2021. www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

It’s Your Life

Mates make fun videos for kids

By Melissa Grant

Melbourne and unable to visit his niece and nephew.

FINDING Australian-made videos for kids on YouTube can be pretty difficult.

When the Captain Bobbo videos were made available publicly at the start of this year, parents started sending in videos of their kids requesting challenges.

Father-of-two Rob Hobson was growing tired of his son watching clips of one particular American children’s entertainer when he and mate Anthony Carroll started making their own YouTube educational series for kids.

In a little over six months, the pair had clocked up more than 23,000 views on YouTube.

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

The series, Captain Bobbo Educational Adventures for Kids, is distinctly Australian with backgrounds of beaches and appearances from native animals.

“So many parents and grandparents have said they don’t have to watch a certain American kids YouTube show!”

Rob said.

Rob is Captain Bobbo, a fun-loving captain who goes on educational adventures throughout Bobbo Land (Western Australia) with his pirate friend Captain Crabclaw, played by Anthony.

They originally created Captain Bobbo as a way to connect FIFO workers to their families during last year’s Covid lockdowns.

Rob said it all started when he bought one of Anthony’s video cameras.

“He (Anthony) would come to work with these amazing travel videos - they had waterfalls, tropical islands and that sort of stuff,” he said.

“I would think his videos are amazing but I could do so much better because my life is way cooler - I go to these awesome places, I go skateboarding, surfboarding.

“I was really proud of the videos I was making. I showed Anthony and said ‘look what I’ve done’.

At this point, Anthony interjects.

“I said ‘they are terrible… wrong camera angle, shaky footage, you’re filming your feet again, the lighting is wrong’.

“So I came in and was like, ‘right we can dress these, make them a little www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Rob said his sons had been “semiencouraging”, particularly his five-yearold.

Rob Hobson and Anthony Carroll in character with Captain Daisy the dog.

better’. And I was thinking maybe I can hijack the videos and we can make them for my niece and nephew as well.

Anthony - who spent his childhood in Sassafras, Pakenham, Caulfield and Sandringham - was locked out of

“It was roughly around the same time that lockdown was starting to happen… and then it evolved into putting on funny hats and Rob put on a jacket and we started making characters from it.”

However, their videos weren’t exactly an instant hit.

Anthony said his nephew and niece, who live near Beaumaris, weren’t huge fans to begin with.

A

Filming is a fun outlet for the pair, who actually work as fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) miners in the Pilbara.

“I remember the first time I showed my niece and the first intro of the episode - she started profusely crying and told me to turn it off,” he said.

U BI

IO AT IS

“He pretends not to enjoy them, but he does ask to watch them!

“He thinks it’s normal - he asked me if all dads make videos for their kids!”

HELP KEEP THE VIRUSES AND GERMS AWAY FROM

ME The Home of Get Fogging Property/Vehicle Sanitising/Detailing Services S - 7xtra TGA Listed

“It was constructive criticism in the form of tears so we went back to the drawing board and started to put some more animations in and make it a bit more fun.”

The pair initially put Captain Bobbo on YouTube as it was the easiest way for their families to view the videos.

At the time Rob was working away from his kids for extended periods, while

T ARIN G M L I S ETA ECIALISTS O T LE D N SP

SA M N O IT

The pair have created entertaining videos covering fire safety, colours, counting, phonetics, excavators and bicycles.

Anthony added: “There is a lack of Australian YouTube videos for kids.

Some families say their kids are speaking with an American tone or using Americanised language.”

0417 557 311 www.autosmartmobiledetailing.com.au 12509104-JW37-21

SPRING 2021 19

Health

Parenting when you are sick Trying to parent while you’re sick can be an absolute nightmare.

By Melissa Grant THERE’S nothing fun about being sick.

But feeling under the weather when you are a parent is the stuff nightmares are made of, especially if the kids are at home all day.

All you want to do is crawl back into bed. Meanwhile, all your kids want to do is run around, make a lot of mess and eat snacks.

Sadly you can’t take a sick day (wouldn’t that be amazing). So how are you going to survive until you are feeling better?

There are things you can do to help ease the load even if you can’t get a babysitter, according to midwife and Philips Avent ambassador Edwina Sharrock.

“Unfortunately, calling in sick isn’t an option when you are a parent,” she said.

“We often pressure ourselves to constantly be on the go and to be the best version of ourselves for our kids.

“But, it’s important to take care of ourselves.”

Here are Edwina’s top tips to help you survive parenting while sick: ■ Do Less: Practice the same compassion for yourself as you would for others. There is no shame in slowing down and resting.

■ Ask for help: Although it isn’t always possible, asking for help from a loved one or a childminder is a great way to ensure you have enough time to rest.

■ Self-care: Whether it’s finding time for a bath or getting outside for some Vitamin D, making time for yourself and listening to what your body needs is really important.

■ Easy meals: Whether it’s ordering groceries to be delivered, getting takeaway or having eggs on toast for dinner, as long as the kids are fed and happy, that’s all that matters.

■ Cancel plans: From after school swimming lessons to gymnastics, we’re always running around after our kids however prioritising your health is far more important.

Cancelling plans every once in a while so that you can properly rest won’t harm your child’s development.

■ Movie day: Everyone has different rules on screen time, however popping on a movie so you can relax on the couch when you’re sick is nothing to feel guilty about.

after your children.”

■ Telehealth: Getting out of the house to go to the doctor can be tough when you have kids to care for.

Fortunately, there is a variety of medical services now easily available online through Telehealth.

“Your baby won’t catch most common illnesses like colds, flu, stomach bugs, fever and mastitis through breastmilk. In fact, it contains protective antibodies,” she said.

The last thing you want to do while you are feeling like death warmed up is to pass on your illness to your children or partner.

Edwina says the best way to prevent your illness spreading is to practice good hygiene by regularly washing your hands and coughing/sneezing into tissues or on your elbow. It’s also a good idea to educate your kids.

“Teaching your children good hygiene practices and explaining why they are important is an essential part of keeping your whole family healthy and well,” Edwina said.

“If you are really unwell, quarantine yourself in a separate room of the house and organise for someone to look

If you’re breastfeeding, Edwina said it is generally safe to keep doing so when you’re sick.

However, she said that breastfeeding while sick can be tiring so it is a good idea to get extra help to allow time to rest after feeding. It’s also important to stay hydrated.

“Even if you can’t stomach much food, your body will continue to supply milk if you are keeping up your fluids.”

Edwina also recommended using a breast pump so you can express in advance and let someone else take the night feeding shift.

“Even if you’re really unwell and cannot manage to breastfeed your baby, your body will still be producing milk so breast pumping is a great way to manage your milk supply in the meantime,” she added.

Made with love, Served with passion.

12507415-LB37-21

X Cakes & Bakery X Biscuits X Eggless Cookies X Vegan Cookies X Vegetarian X Cakes for all events X Gluten Free

36 High St, Berwick VIC 3806 | 1300 447 437 | www.sher.com.au 20 SPRING 2021

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Health

Is there a genetic link to SIDS? GENETICS could hold the key to preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Researchers are investigating the role of genetics in the devastating condition, which claims the lives of around 100 babies in Australia each year.

A state-of-the-art ‘genetic biobank’ has been developed by researchers at

the University of South Australia.

The biobank comprises DNA from 25 babies who have died from SIDS in South Australia.

SIDS is the sudden, unexpected, and unexplained death of an apparently well baby, despite clinical investigations, including autopsy.

Molecular biologist and Head of

genetics at the Australian Centre for Precision Health, UniSA’s Professor Leanne Dibbens, says the biobank will provide unprecedented opportunities to examine genetic factors that have contributed to SIDS. Prof Dibbens said the genetic biobank would allow researchers to analyse DNA from SIDS babies to look for genetic causes of the condition.

A zero waste space

is a Natural Modelling Dough that is made out of food grade ingredients.

It’s safe for the kids and even better it’s rehydratable!

Our Rainbow in the bag comes in 9 Bright Colours and yummy Scents, including; Fairy floss, Strawberry, Pineapple, Coconut and more!

It is a zero waste space - they sell your pantry needs, unpacked. This includes nuts, seeds, flours, pulses, grains, sugars and dried fruits in bulk.

So much fun in one bag!

Berwick Bulk Foods has a large range of products.

together with complimentary paper bags to fill up with your goodies.

Buy as little or as you need.

The kids are covered too – Berwick Bulk Foods stocks Bio Dough.

Mon- Fri 9am-5pm, Sat - 9am-2pm.

9A Blackburne Square, Berwick

12495549-DL26-21

Their cleaning products are safe and environmentally friendly and are an easy way to start the switch to a low tox home. If you forget to bring along your own containers, they have a selection of glass jars that can be purchased

The groundbreaking research will also help identify mechanisms involved in causing death from SIDS so that future work can stop SIDS from occurring.

BIO DOUGH

BERWICK Bulk Foods are a small, family owned shop in the heart of Berwick Village.

They also offer fresh, locally sourced honey and freshly made nut butters as well as kombucha on tap. Your laundry, kitchen and bathroom needs are also catered for.

“By finding these, we will be able to test babies at birth to identify those who are at risk, with these babies being closely monitored in their first year of life,” she explained.

Visit us at www.berwickbulkfoods.com.au

9a Blackburne Square, Berwick

New clinic with specialised health care services PAKENHAM’S local community will soon benefit from the new I-MED Radiology Network clinic, set to open later in 2021.

Located at 20 Main Street, this beautiful, brand-new purpose-built clinic will be equipped with state-ofthe-art technology and world-class diagnostic imaging services for the local community.

This will include general and dental x-ray, low dose Computed Tomography (CT), Ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Mammography, Bone Mineral Densitometry, and interventional procedures.

From paediatric to geriatric imaging, this local offering will assist families and all members of the community to access essential healthcare services that are vital in the promotion of optimal health and early detection of disease.

Medicare Bulk Billing is available for most scans.

The new I-MED Radiology clinic in Pakenham, opening later in 2021.

An I-MED Radiology Network clinic is set to open in Pakenham later this year.

be responsible for performing every scan.

A radiologist, a doctor who specialises in interpreting radiology imaging, will be on site daily to ensure that all imaging is individually tailored to each patient, and ensuring fast, accurate results are relayed back to the referring practitioner.

I-MED’s mission is to save lives and reduce uncertainty.

The team will be happy to confirm this once an imaging request from your doctor has been received.

As the largest provider of diagnostic imaging services in Australia, I-MED uses its large community of radiologists, many of whom possess a subspecialty, to strengthen its high-quality offering.

The friendly and caring team of highly trained technicians, called radiographers and sonographers, will

The I-MED team look forward to welcoming you to the Pakenham clinic.

With an on-site radiologist daily, it will provide the highest quality medical imaging and expert patient care, bringing world class diagnostic imaging to the local community.

• • • • • • •

General and dental x-ray Low dose CT Ultrasound MRI Mammography Bone mineral densitometry Interventional procedures.

Clinic location: 20 Main Street, Pakenham VIC 3810

Call 03 5947 7000 to book your appointment or visit i-med.com.au i-med.com.au 12509990-NG37-21

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

SPRING 2021 21

from new research from a deep dive into the nation’s mouths.

DENTAL

The Australian Dental Association’s (ADA) 2020 National Consumer Survey of around 25,000 people also found one in five adults only brushes once a day and 60 per cent haven’t seen a dentist for at least two years.

Specifically, the survey found: ■ 4 in 10 parents report their children under 17 years drink 2-5 soft drinks a week, despite 83 per cent knowing such drinks can lead to tooth decay.

A sizeable number of parents appear to be unaware that fruit juice can lead to tooth decay.

■ 2 in 3 adults usually visit the dentist for a specific problem rather than for a check-up, a figure that has not improved since first being recorded in 2014.

With proper care and attention, your teeth will last a lifetime.

Picture: ISTOCK

Dental habits AN alarming number of parents are letting their kids drink soft drink regularly despite most knowing the contents can lead to tooth decay.

And many parents are are unaware that fruit juice can also cause tooth decay.

These are among the revelations

■ 1 in 3 adults rate their oral health as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. This increased with age to 1 in 2 adults for those over 56. The most common reason was ‘don’t visit the dentist enough’.

ADA Vice President Dr Steven Liew said the survey’s findings, released for Dental Health Week in August, showed Australians have the capacity to improve the daily habits that contribute to good oral health.

“Not brushing twice a day and flossing once a day is a fast track to developing tooth decay, gum disease and a range whole of body health issues that can arise from sub-par oral health,” he said.

untreated advanced gum disease can increase the chances of serious cardiac events, adverse pregnancy outcomes including prematurity, Type 2 diabetes and other significant health conditions.

“Brushing your teeth for two minutes, twice a day, and flossing thoroughly every day, as well as consuming a diet low in added sugar and seeing your dentist at least once a year, all go a long way to maintaining good oral health and benefits whole of body health.”

Here are the ADA’s top dental hygiene tips: Brush for at least two minutes, twice per day (30 seconds per quarter of your mouth) ■ Pick a favourite song (over two minutes) and brush from its beginning to end ■ Brush your teeth at a 45 degree angle to the gums ■ Don’t brush too softly or it could be ineffective, but don’t brush with too much force as it could damage the surface of your teeth ■ Replace your toothbrush every three months or at the first sign of wear-and-tear (whichever comes first) ■ Floss for at least two minutes every day ■ Limit your consumption of processed sugars and foods

“Previous studies suggest that

A friendly team of orthodontic experts With his successes in the undergraduate dental program, Nishan was employed in the Department of Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics at Prince Philip Dental Hospital as a House Officer. The position involved treating complex cases and medically compromised children, as well as orthodontic patients under the supervision of his orthodontic professor.

SOUTH East Orthodontics, which has been servicing and supporting Casey for more than 20 years, is excited to announce it has moved to a new, purpose built practice on Clyde Road.

To ensure the new premises are Covid safe, South East Orthodontics sought the advice of Professor Laurie Walsh from Queensland University and Steven Kent from the Doherty Institute.

South East Orthodontics offers clinical excellence using the latest orthodontic developments and techniques.

Dr Nishan Fernando Dr Nishan Fernando, is from the deep south of New Zealand. He completed a Bachelor of Science in physiology, and Post Graduate Diploma in Science, in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Otago. His area of research was in hypertension, and he also published a Poisons Information

Monograph for the World Health Organisation.

He volunteered his time with a cleft lip and palate team which went to Cambodia. He also volunteered his time to the Warehouse Project, which was set up to provide a safe and fun environment for young teens to socialise in Hong Kong.

Nishan later travelled to South East Asia where he completed his Bachelor in Dental Surgery at Hong Kong University. It was during this time his keen interest in orthodontics and facial growth developed.

Upon returning to New Zealand, and a few more examinations, he registered with the New Zealand Dental Council and The General Dental Council (UK).

After a few years in private general dental practice in New Zealand, Nishan

The expert team at South East Orthodontics.

attended the University of Adelaide to complete his Doctoral in Clinical Dentistry (Orthodontics) in 2005.

His area of research involved the investigation of dental, skeletal and facial complex changes with extraction orthodontic therapy, and assessment of the resultant aesthetic changes of the face . He also underwent further examinations to be a Member of the Royal College of Surgeon. Nishan is also the secretary of the Australasian Begg Society of Orthodontists. This organisation hasthe primary function of providing continued education conferences for orthodontists with world class speakers, and is also the primary supporter of the Cleft Lip and Palatal Project in East Timor.

South East Orthodontics is located at Suite 5, Level 1, 18-24 Clyde Road, Berwick. Phone 9330 0702 or visit the website at www.seortho.com.au

WE MAKE CASEY CARDINIA SMILE Orthodontic Treatment for children and adults utilising the latest technologies including SureSmile, Invisalign, lingual and clear appliances.

Dr Kip Homewood and Dr Nishan Fernando make Casey Cardinia Smile

We offer flexible, interest free payment plans to make orthodontics accessible to everyone.

The team at South East Orthodontics who have been proudly supporting and servicing Casey Cardinia for over 20 years

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5.30 pm Suite 5, Level 1/18-24 Clyde Rd, Berwick Phone: (03) 9330 0702 | info@seortho.com.au www.seortho.com.au

NEW LOCATION

12496056-NG26-21

22 SPRING 2021

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

DENTAL

Affordable care

Healthy mouth tips BEACONSFIELD Dental is committed to maintaining your dental health.

COST can be a major deterrent from visiting the dentist.

To assist your family, here are some of their tips for a healthy mouth.

But at Casey Dental Group, orthodontic treatments have never been more affordable.

The friendly clinic offers bulk billing, weekly payment plans, family discounts and free check-ups for insurance patients.

“Being the largest and longest established practice in southeast Melbourne, we can pass our operating savings onto our patients, while maintaining the highest standard of dental care,” Dr Jayson McNaughton explains.

Casey Dental Group is the preferred provider for major health funds.

The clinic offers orthodontics for only $5900, with weekly plans for $59 and family discounts available.

The friendly team at Casey Dental Group.

The practice has a special focus on orthodontics for both children and adults, and Invisalign which is available for teens.

The friendly team aims to provide the best ongoing dental care with services including digital X-rays, laser whitening, implants, ceramic crowns/ veneers and all other aspects of dentistry.

It also bulk bills for the Medicare $1000 Child Dental Benefits Scheme.

The team includes new dentists Dr Anthony Curtin, Dr Amy Parveen and Dr Nelly Lee.

For insurance patients, there is no out of pocket charge for a check-up, clean or x-rays. And if you don’t have insurance, check-ups and consultations are free.

The practice has extended its opening hours to include evening sessions that run until 9pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.

In addition, Casey Dental Group offers up to 24 months interest free payment plans on all services, including specialised treatments like implants, Invisalign and half price deals on crowns.

Casey Dental Group is located at 236 Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren South.

For bookings or more information, phone 9705 1755 or visit www. caseydentalgroup.com.au

Brushing: Use a small soft brush when brushing. Harder ones can damage your teeth and gums. Place a small pea size amount of fluoride toothpaste on your brush and for fun listen to music while you brush for two minutes. Brush gently in circles.

Count all six segments as you go, inside, outside and the upper and lower chewing surfaces. Remember to brush the inside front teeth, brush up and down to reach these properly. Finish by brushing your tongue to remove any bacteria from your mouth. Avoid rinsing so your toothpaste can work longer. Brush twice each day and floss at least once a day.

Tips to lower your risk of tooth decay: Choose water. Avoid sugary drinks. Eat plenty of unprocessed food such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, wholegrains, fish and lean meat. Check the food label on packaged food. Try to keep the total of added sugars to less than six teaspoons a day. Limit cakes, biscuits and sugary desserts, instead eat fruit as a dessert or some cheese and nuts.

When your child/children visits Beaconsfield Dental for their routine examination, their dentist will ensure

To assist with the twice daily brushing routine, your child will take home a toothbrushing chart with a timer.

they are following the correct brushing technique. To assist with the twice daily brushing routine, your child will take home a toothbrushing chart with a timer. It is recommended to supervise your children to ensure they are cleaning their teeth thoroughly and visit your dentist regularly.

Phone 9707 3508 or book online at www.beaconsfielddental.com.au

Multiple Award Winning

Dental Clinic Orthodontics and Invisalign from $59 per week.

Implants from $39 per week • We BULK BILL for the $1000 Medicare Child Dental Benefits Scheme • HALF PRICE CROWNS* *after first full priced crown.

• INSURANCE PATIENTS: We Do Not Charge the Gap on Your Health Insurance Claim for Check Ups, Cleans, X-Rays and Sealants* • 24 months interest free on all treatment services • NON INSURANCE PATIENTS: FREE Check Ups! • Government Emergency/General Dental Vouchers accepted • Whitening take home kit only $295 Participating Providers and Dr Jayson McNaughton

Dr Guy Turton

Dr Alina Bratu

Dr Shannon Gune

Dr Harjot Gill

Mr Joseph Hanna

Dr Robert Otken

Dr Deon Nguyen

Dr David Abdel-Malek Dr Melanie Cole Dr Rachel Fong Dr Quinn Tao Ms Chrysi Kroone Dr Ragy Labib Dr John Tia

Po un

Beaconsfield Dental

dR

Phone: 9705 1755

Narre W a Cranbo rren urne Rd

236 Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren South d

Mon and Fri 8am to 6pm, Sat 8am–1pm, Tues, Wed & Thurs 8am to 9pm Bookings can now be made online through our website: www.caseydentalgroup.com.au

Casey Dental Group is Here!

Greaves Rd

1-3 Cardinia St Berwick 9707 3508

Dental Practice

ACCREDITED

www.beaconsfielddental.com.au 12472308-JW51-20

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Maintain your dental health in 2021

12498966-SN37-21

SPRING 2021 23

■ Can my child participate well in group activities?

■ What can I do to encourage or help my child learn to read?

Effective communication with a teacher will reap many benefits.

Education

If you want to discuss a problem or concern, here are some guidelines to get good outcomes: 1. Identify the reason for the conference in initial contact to alleviate any imagined fears on the teacher’s part and so they can have relevant information to hand.

2. Plan: Write down questions, clarify them and prioritise importance.

Succinct information will assist the teacher to give clear responses.

3. Always restate your purpose for the conference right at the start – stay on topic.

4. Show a positive attitude. Be aware of tone of voice, facial expressions and body language.

5. Remain open, even if the teacher tells you something negative about your child’s behaviour or attitude.

Antagonism can kill a conference stone dead.

Effective communication with a teacher will reap many benefits for your child.

Picture: iStock

Teacher communication THE first contact with your child’s teacher can be the most important, according to the Child Development Institute.

And during the first week can be the optimum time to build a rapport.

In the first week, it’s likely the teacher

knows little about your child and you’re in a position to provide helpful information. Don’t feel you’re intruding or asking for special treatment – you’re just showing a concern your child gets a good education.

After six weeks or so, even if you feel

your child is doing well, you might like to set up a conference, which should always be at a time to suit the teacher.

Questions can include: ■ Is my child able to get along with others?

6. Be sure discussions are led with the sole aim of increasing your child’s growth.

7. If your child has difficulties, make sure the teacher doesn’t just point out the problem without providing ideas for eliminating or reducing it.

8. Clarify and summarise as you go, so you both know what’s been meant and can agree about any conclusions.

9. Make sure you alert the teacher to any educational jargon you don’t understand and seek clarification.

10. Try to keep the time to 30 minutes or less.

Nurturing care at Lakeside College “IT feels like a community where my child will be nurtured, cared for and known.”

This is what parents and guardians say is their main reason for choosing Lakeside College, according to Principal Tom Brennen.

“As a Christian College in the Lutheran tradition, we couldn’t be happier that families are experiencing exactly what we set out to provide,” he said.

“Education is all about relationships - between teacher and student, family and staff and school and community. Lakeside College prioritises these critical relationships as we carry out our service to the local community.”

$ýĚăĽÓĝéþå Ó³Ëè øÓ³ĝþÓĝ ħă ħèĝéļÓͯ ġÓĝļÓ ³þÏ Óͯ ġÓĝļÓ ļ ³þÏ ġĪËËÓÓÏͯ éþġĚéĝÓÏ ÊĿ ħèÓ øăļÓ ăä èĝéġħ Ó ăä ă èĝé ĝéġħ

As a smaller Christian school of 461 students (growing to 650 students) from Years Prep to 12, there is a richness of relationships and attention to individuals that set the College apart from others.

$þĝăøøéþå þ㼠äăĝ ̿̽̿̀ ³þÏ ÊÓĿăþÏ ÊÓĿăþÏ HéýéħÓÏ ļ³Ë³þËéÓġ éþ ̿̽̿​̿

ͷ ĽĽĽͽø³öÓġéÏÓͽļéËͽÓÏĪͽ³Ī ̿ jăĝħăÊÓøøă mÏ͸ j³öÓþè³ý : ̀̾̽ͅ

jĝéþËéĚ³ø văĪĝġ vĪÓġϳĿ ͆³ý vèĪĝġϳĿ ͂Ěý

ͳ éĝħĪ³ø văĪĝġ ³ļ³éø³ÊøÓ

24 SPRING 2021

12509366-JW37-21

jͷ ͂͆́̾ ̈́͂́​́ $ͷ ÓþĝăøýÓþħġψø³öÓġéÏÓͽļéËͽÓÏĪͽ³Ī

Students are nurtured across the curriculum through innovative learning opportunities in core subjects, a vibrant arts program, technologies and sport.

Highly qualified and committed staff know each child deeply through the intentional pastoral care program and relish in the opportunity to teach students across the different areas of the school.

The College boasts excellent facilities including access to the

Lakeside College Principal Tom Brennen.

co-located facilities provided through the Cardinia Cultural Centre, the Toomuc Playing Fields and the Cardinia Life gym.

As an open enrolment Christian College, all families are welcome regardless of their faith tradition.

“As Principal, I relish taking families on tours each week on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons and at other times as needed - please take me up on the offer,” Mr Brennen said. www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Education

The writing road to reading

Family focus at Kool Kidz

LEARNING to spell, read and write with confidence are arguably the most important foundational steps in a child’s education.

FAMILY comes first at Kool Kidz Childcare.

Literacy success at Harkaway Hills College, including winning the Independent Schools Poetry Prize two years running, is rooted in the Spalding Method, which is practised daily by all students from Prep-Year 6.

The centre in Narre Warren is owned by mother and daughter, Janette Karavatis and Maria Dimoulas, who are passionate about looking after families.

Both women love children and realised a long held dream when the doors of Kool Kidz Narre Warren opened in February 2019.

Maria has a degree in early childhood education and a post graduate qualification in teaching children with special needs.

Janette has also worked in childcare for more than a decade.

College Principal Mary Broadsmith said the Spalding Method is true, tried and tested.

“Academically speaking, providing our students with the best tools to become confident lifelong learners is the most important task that a school has,” she said.

Janette, Taylor and Maria from Kool Kidz Narre Warren.

Janette and Maria looked at various childcare models before settling on Kool Kidz.

“Maria and I both love children and, as we have a passion for this area, we want to give our best to the community.”

“Spalding is a highly integrated program that incorporates phonics, reading and writing so that the disciplines reinforce each other.”

“The standards are so high in terms of the curriculum and the support we receive,” Janette said.

All rooms have access to spacious outdoor areas and there are dedicated sleep areas and a separate kitchen.

Kool Kidz Narre Warren has capacity for 130 children.

The centre caters for children from six weeks to six years.

“We are a family run business, looking after your family,” said Janette, who encourages parents to pop in for a tour of the centre.

Kool Kidz Narre Warren is open weekdays from 6.30am to 6.30pm at 17 Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren. Phone 9705 1532.

The Spalding approach was initially developed in the United States by Mrs Romalda B. Spalding, who pioneered the method to empower children to become fluent, thoughtful readers and writers. Her approach was so effective for student literacy, including those with dyslexia and other learning difficulties, that it is now

implemented at schools internationally.

Harkaway Hills Prep teacher, Genevieve Exton, believes the Spalding Method delivers excellent results for students and peace of mind for parents.

“As a teacher, I am passionate about Spalding because it is the most comprehensive literacy program I’ve encountered, and it allows me to cater for the individual needs of my students,” she said.

“The Spalding Method is a multisensory program that allows teachers to give explicit and interactive instruction to develop skilled readers, critical listeners and accomplished spellers and writers.”

The Spalding Method involves daily word analysis to consolidate and extend students’ vocabulary and empower them to use language precisely.

“I see my students begin to spell proficiently because of the focus on explicitly teaching of sounds and spelling rules,” Miss Exton said.

For more information about the Harkaway Hills College curriculum, visit: https://www.harkawayhills. vic.edu.au/

Taking Enrolments for 2021 and 2022

ENROL FOR PREP 2022 Partnering with parents for firmer foundations.

CARING & FAMILY FRIENDLY

Phone 9705 1532 to speak with Janette or Maria to ENROL NOW 17 Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren www.koolkidznarrewarren.com.au www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

12472510-CG51-20

Kool Kidz Narre Warren is a purpose-built Early Learning, Childcare and Kindergarten facility that provides a safe, fun and exciting environment to explore, learn and grow in for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years.

12508234-BL37-21

SPRING 2021 25

“We want every student at every school across the state to have a quality education which opens up opportunities and options in both further education and employment pathways.”

Education

Pakenham’s homework club coordinator, Chengkuach Aleer, said that it was fantastic to see the impact the program was having on the students involved (more than 80) and this funding would help them immensely.

“It is with great honour and appreciation that I thank Living & Learning Pakenham Inc for giving me this opportunity to continue to engage and support our young people to reach their potential as students and productive community members,” Mr Aleer said.

The CEO of the Living and Learning Centre, Miriam Cadwallader, said that the program had already proven to be a huge success and the centre was grateful to be a recipient of this funding.

“Living and Learning (L and L) homework club has been designed to be a safe, flexible and fun place where students will find the support they need to reach their potential as students and productive community members,” Ms Cadwallader said.

The homework club is helping many African-Victorian students stay engaged in schooling and achieve their dreams.

Homework club help

By Gabriella Payne KEEPING kids engaged in school is so important, and the children involved in Pakenham’s homework club have received a helping hand to keep on learning and having fun thanks to some support from the state government.

The Living and Learning Centre’s

homework club program, which helps African-Victorian students stay engaged in school work and achieve their goals, was announced as one of 12 homework clubs across the state to share in $1.2 million worth of funding - a boost that will help them continue their good work into the future.

Bass MP Jordan Crugnale said that the program was incredibly deserving

“Ultimately, L and L homework club will help in producing productive and engaged community members.

of the funding, which would assist them to continue delivering vital after-school programs, including one-on-one support, goal setting and mentoring.

“A key element of student success is the involvement and engagement of families and caregivers, and L and L homework club will incorporate opportunities for families and caregivers to participate in targeted activities, events and workshops,” she said.

“It’s great to see the positive impacts the homework club is having here in Pakenham - and this funding will ensure they keep supporting local kids to achieve,” Ms Crugnale said.

The homework club runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the school term at the Pakenham Living and Learning Centre, at 6B Henry Street, Pakenham and new members are always welcomed.

Exceeding national quality standards RIVERCREST Christian College, in Clyde North, recently shared the news that their Early Learning Centre received the highest government rating of ‘Exceeding National Quality Standards’.

“I know how hard our ELC team work to nurture every one of our students and this excellent review comes as no surprise” Mrs Melissa Martin, the Rivercrest ELC Director commented.

A representative from the Department of Education, visited the Rivercrest ELC in June to conduct the Assessment and Rating, measuring their practice against the National Quality Standards. In the final report, the Department of Education and Training

could not speak highly enough of the Rivercrest ELC programme and the report asks the Assessor to comment on any quality improvement required, and the Rivercrest ELC Service received a ‘Nil improvement needed’ in all seven quality areas.

extend and enhance each child’s learning and exploration. The programs were responsive to each child’s abilities, strengths and interests and routines had been carefully considered to support the needs of each child.”

The report goes on to say: “Educators displayed a strong commitment to connecting with children and families and creating a true sense of community… Educators demonstrated an ongoing commitment to ensuring that the program was responsive to the needs of individual children. The educational program was designed with purpose and consideration to

Rivercrest Christian College currently offers 3-Year-Old and 4-Year-Old ELC, driven by the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Early Years Learning Framework. The learning that happens at Rivercrest Early Learning Centre (ELC) values the development of inquiring, knowledgeable and caring students.

registrar@hillcrest.vic.edu.au

03 9702 2144

Rivercrest Early Learning Centre recently received the highest government rating of ‘Exceeding National Quality Standards’.

www.hillcrest.vic.edu.au 12479610-SN13-21

26 SPRING 2021

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Education

High achievers LAST year St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar’s VCE results placed the girls school in the top 10 of all schools in the state and the boys school in the top 10 of all boys state schools.

“In that piece I argued that the NAPLAN tests were but one aspect, albeit of importance, by which schools should be judged,” he said.

“There are a number of factors that contributed to the 2020 VCE results.

Firstly, we had an outstanding cohort of students committed to achieving their best results and who really took ownership of their learning practice.

This drive coupled with our world class teaching staff combined to achieve these fantastic results,” she said.

“I went on to argue that we were in danger of overemphasising their importance, what with league tables of school results becoming ever more present in the media.

“Judgement of schools was becoming very focused on NAPLAN results and indeed, schools were finding it increasingly difficult to resist the temptation to ‘teach to the tests’ so to speak.”

“Secondly, I think it was the online support that was provided to all our students during lockdown from both an academic and wellbeing perspective.

“Thirdly, as I alluded earlier, we placed student wellbeing, as we always do, at the forefront of everything we did.

In these times of uncertainty having a rigorous wellbeing program that continuously reaches out to and engages with students is critical.

“Finally, I think our Diamond Education Model, where we offer

THE question of what makes a good school now is as relevant as ever.

Eleven years ago, Berwick Lodge Primary School Principal Henry Grossek wrote an opinion piece on the topic.

Principal Annette Rome explains the secret.

“We changed the way we taught to meet the channel and the needs of the students. This combined with teachers being actively available allowed our students to outperform.

What makes a school good

St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar recorded great VCE results last year.

coeducation in our Junior School and single gender education on separate campuses for Senior Girls and Boys with coeducational learning opportunities, really came into its own.

“The educational research points to this model providing the best of all worlds, as it offers environments that are safe, nurturing and supportive while maximising both academic and social/ emotional outcomes.”

Mr Grossek says there is much more to the education schools should provide their students than English and mathematics, important as they are.

“The pandemic conditions in which we find ourselves, increasingly as time has passed, has highlighted that fact,” he said.

“Some 18 months ago, at the beginning of remote learning for students, a time span which seems so much longer in these surreal times, our focus was almost entirely centred on the impact of the pandemic on

Student wellbeing is front and centre at Berwick Lodge Primary School.

students’ academic learning.

“With the passage of time our concern for our children has broadened quite dramatically in emphasis.”

Mr Grossek says student wellbeing is a major focus.

“This is reflected in the remote learning programs offered by schools and the manner in which they are delivered.

“That is as it should be – student learning should be holistic, and in being so, all aspects recognised for their importance in the total development of children.”

VISIT OUR VIRTUAL SCHOOL TOUR TODAY Our virtual school tour allows you to experience Berwick Lodge Primary School spaces as though you are physically there.

Using emerging technology, we have mapped spaces across the school to create 3D tours and 360-degree walkthroughs.

Empowering Curious Minds

Immerse yourself in the spaces, move around, explore and look out for LODGIE BEAR along the way.

For more details visit: www.berwicklodgeeps.vic.edu.au

Find out how our world-class International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program and expert ELC andJunior School staff can help your child flourish in their learning through action in our intimate learningspaces and classes.

Kevin Heinze Best School Garden Award 2018

Non-Selective | Non-Denominational Small Classes | Co-Educational ELC and Junior School Dedicated Senior Girls and Boys Schools

P: 9709 6700 F: 9796 2198 E: berwick.lodge.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au Visit our website to check out the virtual tour www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au

StMargarets.vic.edu.au 12495008-DL26-21

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

12479598-SN13-21

SPRING 2021 27

Education

Growing school ST Clare’s Catholic Primary School continues to grow and now has an enrolment of over 520 students.

One of the major developments for 2021 is substantial landscape works to incorporate further sport fields and playgrounds. St Clare’s continues to go from strength to strength.

As part of the parish of St Patrick’s in Pakenham, the school is on site with the Early Learning Centre and the Officer campus of St Francis Xavier College.

This provides a seamless transition from early childhood to secondary education with state-of-the-art facilities.

Each learning space has been designed by education award-winning architects to provide a rich environment conducive to relevant, meaningful learning. Areas are spacious and well-resourced so as to meet the diverse

needs of all learners. The final stage of classrooms was finished in 2020 and current works will include a new playground and sports field.

Before your children even come to school, you, as parents, have taught them so much. They’ve learned to listen, to ask questions, to be filled with wonder, to say thank you, to wash their hands, to pick up after themselves and to look out for each other.

St Clare’s continues these life lessons and nurture the holistic development of each child. For the St Clare’s family, numeracy and literacy skills are core elements of education; but so is Religious Education – developing empathy, social justice and a strong moral compass.

St Clare’s encourages active play and healthy bodies; understanding other cultures through learning languages;

St Clare’s Catholic Primary School is a growing school.

and the confidence that comes with developing creativity through the performing and visual arts.

community instils students with a sense of identity, a feeling of belonging and above all, a powerful sense of self-worth.

Due to the impact on Covid-19 on schooling in 2020 and 2021 it became clear that digital technology is an integral part of the learning experience in our connected world. St Clare’s emphasises a student’s capacity for safety, courtesy, critical literacy and independent learning online using the most current mobile learning technologies.

St Clare’s aim is to have each child reach their potential; to be a wellrounded individual within a supportive and caring learning environment.

Student achievement is measured not only by academic growth but by each child’s emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. Being part of faith-filled

For all enquires or to receive enrolment documentation, phone 5940 6777 or email enrolments@ stclaresofficer.catholic.edu.au

Unfortunately, current restrictions do not allow for school tours but St Clare’s are taking enquiries so will contact you to arrange a school tour as soon as possible.

Place to play and grow Power to the pupils

BERWICK Neighbourhood Centre is offering its Play and Grow - 3 year old program across two locations: 112 High St Berwick and Timbarra Community Centre, Timbarra Way Berwick.

The program, previously known as 3 year old Pre-Kinder, is well-known and valued program within the community.

You are invited to become a part of the centre for 2022.

The centre is holding an enrolment day on Saturday 2 October, from 9am-12pm.

Give your child the opportunity to join caring and experienced staff as they explore new experiences, become effective and confident communicators, and gain a sense of their identity through the play-based program.

All Early Years Programs are run in accordance with The Victorian Early Years Learning & Development Framework (VEYLDF).

Sessions offered for 2022 across both venues: ■ Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 9.15am - 2.15pm

■ Friday: Bush Kinder 9.15am-12.15pm.

Bush kinder is an outdoor program operating across designated sites throughout City of Casey).

HARKAWAY Primary School exists to give learners the power to shape their world.

The school has been around for 145 years - so their families have lived through a fair chunk of modern Australian history.

Berwick Neighbourhood Centre is the place to be when you’re 3.

■ Childcare: Monday-Thursday 9am-2pm. The childcare program suits children aged 1-4 years and is delivered across a mixed age group environment.

Child Care Subsidy (CCS) available.

For a tour of the centre, or to book you place for enrolment day, email bnc10@ westnet.com.au or call 9796 1970.

Please note, centre tours and the enrolment day will run in accordance with CovidSafe practices.

Over that time, you could say the school community has had a chance to learn a thing or two. Currently, two ideas really stand out: 1. Children need to practice making decisions and working on projects that help themselves and help others.

2. Students also need to learn the skills to shape their mind. Brains that are ready to learn, bounce back better and do better learning.

Now, more than ever, young people need the power to shape their minds.

Setting a goal and working together towards it is one way

The GaGa Pit at Harkaway Primary School.

Harkaway Primary School students have demonstrated their grit.

In 2021 the school represented the nation at the World Robotics Competition, they’ve written a Manifesto for Child Centred Disaster Risk Reduction and they’ve even learned how to live stream on YouTube.

Recently however, the big news at Harkaway is that they have finally finished the newest addition to the playground: the GaGa Pit! Through researching, fundraising and a busy scrum board, students have made it happen. Not only that, a team of students have developed a business plan to use the pit as a money making venture at the Harkaway Show.

In 100 years, no matter what is happening, Harkaway kids will look back and be inspired to say “we’ve got this!”

M PLAY & GROW 3 YEAR OLD PROGRA er) (Previously known as 3 year old Pre-Kind BERWICK NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE At our 2 Great Venues Berwick High Street [ 112 High Street, Berwick ] Timbarra Community Centre [ Timbarra Way, Berwick ]

Enrolments Now Open

community

For further info please call 9796 1970 or email: bnc10@westnet.com.au

65 King Road, ad, Harkaway Harkaw away way ph: 03 9707 1475

or visit: www.berwickneighbourhoodcentre.com 12508377-HC37-21

28 SPRING 2021

Every Ever ley a rner is rner is vavlea aed lu luas ed an individual, as an in and ivaidual d as member of ou r e: harkaway.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au harkawayps.vic.edu.au 12509553-BL37-21

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Education

The ins and outs of child care

By Melissa Grant

If you are after long-day care, or think you may use it, it pays to put your child’s name down on waiting lists to ensure you can get the days you are after, and to apply for the Child Care Subsidy as soon as possible.

MANY Australian families use child care.

Child care provides opportunities for children’s development and social engagement, while allowing parents to engage in paid work.

While the number of children in child care dropped last year as Covid hit, attendance rates are pretty much back to normal.

It encourages play, can help children socialise with others their own age, foster independence and ease the transition into full-time school.

In fact, the number of parents using child care services has mostly returned to pre Covid-19 rates despite parents having better access to working from home arrangements, according to a Family Studies (AIFS) report.

Child care options in Australia include centre-based care, home-based care and family day care.

In 2017 there were around three in five children aged 0-4 (59 per cent or 925,000 children) attending some form of child care, according to Australia’s Children Report 2020.

It was estimated that 72 per cent of kids aged two were in child care.

Home-based care is when a relative, usually a grandparent, a friend, babysitter or nanny cares for your child at your family home.

Family day care is care provided by

Child care provides opportunities for children to engage with other children the same age.

an approved carer in their home.

Centre-based care includes long day care, kindergartens/preschools and occasional care. In Victoria, kindergarten programs are offered at child care centres and standalone kindergarten centres.

What type of child care you choose

will depend on how many hours of care you require each week, your family values, the cost and what you want your child to experience.

Long day care at child care centres, for example, typically suit parents who work weekdays, want structure and are happy for their child to play and socialise with lots of other kids.

“Many parents initially withdrew their children from childcare in response to a range of factors, including parental job losses, increased rates of working at home, and financial and health concerns,” lead researcher Dr Jennifer Baxter said.

“Parents deciding to return to using formal child care reflects the important role that child care services have in contributing to children’s wellbeing and development and supporting parents’ employment.”

Nurturing care for your early learner SELECTING an Early Learning Centre for your child is a choice that can accompany other changes, such as a return to work by the primary caregiver.

The Heritage College Early Learning Centre team understands that moving into the early years of learning can be filled with lots of questions. Caring, nurturing staff are on hand to provide support and assistance throughout the enrolment process and beyond.

The Early Learning Centre forms part of the larger college community at Heritage College. Positioned conveniently on Centre Road, the Narre Warren South campus provides continuous education from Early Learning to Year 6.

Located on Starling Road, the Officer campus delivers education from Early

Learning for three and four-year-olds, as well as Primary and Secondary to Year 12.

Students form friendships that continue from early learning through to primary years and beyond.

Every child builds social connections as they participate in a range of fun and inspiring activities on-campus.

Being part of a large college community means your child will enjoy opportunities at a younger age, including science, art, sport and language.

During the school term, early learners participate in shared sports and other college events.

With the popular Bush Kinder program and a focus on play-based learning, educators encourage

creativity, curiosity and exploration every day.

Throughout the year, children enrolled in the early learning programs develop school readiness skills, learning through a combination of play and structured activities. Introducing small amounts of structured activities throughout the 4-year-old Kinder program provides children with vital skills required for their first year of primary school.

In partnership with primary educators on campus, the Step into Prep program ensures a smooth adjustment from the kinder program into your child’s first year of primary school and beyond.

To find out more, visit heritagecollege.vic.edu.au

Heritage College early learning students are part of a supportive larger community.

Early Learning Centres Enquire now for 3 & 4 Year Old Kinder in 2022

Read more: heritagecollege.vic.edu www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

12499286-LB26-21

Starling Road, Officer (Early Learning - Year 12 Campus) Centre Road, Narre Warren South (Early Learning - Year 6 Campus)

SPRING 2021 29

Education

Kinder ready to school ready AT Cardinia Lakes Early Learning Centre, 2022 kindergartens will run government funded programs for 3-year-old and 4-year-old children.

carefully programmed experiences and activities, such as exploring the natural world, being exposed to new ideas and solving problems.

These programs will be delivered by Bachelor qualified Early Childhood Educators and supported by coeducators, who will hold a minimum Diploma qualification in Early Childhood Education.

At Cardinia Lakes Early Learning Centre your child will develop their skills to become an effective learner by being able to:

Kindergarten is an important early learning step for young children and provides a strong foundation prior to starting Prep.

Cardinia Lakes

■ Learn to work with others and make friends through group activities and cooperative play ■ Express their creativity, for example, through dance, movement and art

Research shows that kindergarten improves children’s health and wellbeing, helps them to develop strong social skills and encourages a life long love of learning.

■ Build their communication skills by listening to and having conversations with the educators and other children

A high-quality kindergarten program will offer your child a range of learning experiences and activities that are both stimulating and fun, the perfect combination to acquire new skills and knowledge. Your child’s learning and curiosity will be encouraged through

Limited vacancies are available for 2022. Book a tour today to secure a position at our early learning centre for your child.

■ Develop the skills that they need for reading, writing and mathematics

Phone 03 9066 1144 or email manager@cardinialakeselc.com.au

Early Learning Centre Book a tour online today!

Cardinia Lakes Early Learning Centre caters for children 6 weeks of age to school age, and has 3 and 4 year old funded kindergarten 5 days a week. 5 hours a day.

Operating 52 weeks of the year, closed public holidays CCS for eligible families.

Meals cooked daily by qualified chef.

Kindergarten programs 9am - 3pm with full day access from 6:30am - 7:00pm in our Early Learning Centre 3 Atlantic Drive, Pakenham VIC 3810 P: 9066 1144 E: manager@cardinialakeselc.com.au Cardinia-Lakes-Early-Learning-Centre www.cardinialakeselc.com.au

By Melissa Grant STUDENTS will be taught about grooming by sexual predators, sexting and fake news as part of e-Safety lessons.

The e-Safety Commissioner has launched national online safety education framework for Australian schools and teachers to help make kids cyber-smart.

The framework gives primary and secondary teachers guidance on students’ rights and responsibilities in the digital age, resilience building, current and emerging risks and help-seeking.

According to the framework, online safety education should address the range online harms kids may be vulnerable to.

12509176-HC37-21

30 SPRING 2021

New plan to make kids cyber smart

This includes exposure to pornography, exposure to inappropriate content such as violence and animal cruelty, receiving or

sharing unwanted contact or content, sexting, contact with strangers, online child sex abuse including grooming by predators, cyberbullying, hate speech, exposure to fake news and political radicalisation. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the framework has been designed to guide and assist educators to help young people deal with growing and ever-changing risks associated with being online and lead to meaningful behavioural change.

“Now, more than ever, we need to ensure that young Australians are consistently being armed with the resilience and critical reasoning skills they need to discern online fact from fiction, to effectively respond to abuse and unwanted contact and to ultimately, manage online conflict,” she said.

For more information, visit https:// www.esafety.gov.au/educators/ best-practice-framework www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Education

Covid considerations for VCE scores

By Melissa Grant LEARNING disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic will be considered when calculating students’ VCE scores this year.

The state government has announced it will again use the ‘Consideration of Educational Disadvantage’ (CED) process in light of continued disruptions to schooling throughout the year.

Coronavirus restrictions forced Victorian students to remote learning at various times, impacting important school milestones.

Education Minister James Merlino said the CED process will ensure every student is fairly assessed.

“Victorian students have done an amazing job adapting to another year of disruptions to their learning – and we’re making sure every student is assessed individually and fairly in their final years of school,” he said.

“We want to make sure every student knows that no matter how much they’re impacted by the pandemic, we’re supporting them to succeed in VCE and VCAL.” The CED process will be used to finalise VCE results for each and every student completing one or more VCE

A quality centre EXPLORERS Early Learning Beaconsfield offers high-quality early learning, kindergarten and care for children from 6-weeks-old to school age.

The new centre, located on the corner of the Princes Highway and O’Neil Road, features high-quality learning resources, large classrooms filled with natural light and architecturally designed outdoor play spaces.

What makes Explorers unique?

Disruptions to learning caused by Covid-19 will be considered when scores are calculated for VCE students.

or scored VCE VET Unit 3-4 sequence in 2021.

Consistent with the approach in 2020, the process considers a range of data alongside exam results to calculate final VCE results. This includes the General Achievement Test (GAT), comparisons of performance across all assessments and schools and other learning data.

The process will also include assessments of the individual impact of coronavirus on each student including school closures, direct impacts on students’ health, ongoing issues with remote learning and mental health challenges.

All Year 12 VCAL students will also have access to individual consideration – with schools required to apply special consideration for all students who have been subject to significant disruptions.

Their passionate team of educators use a unique Reggio Emilia curriculum, focusing on interest and play-based learning. Children explore, learn and play in an inviting learning environment.

Explorers believes every child has a deep curiosity that drives their interest to understand their world and their place within it.

Their goal is to embrace this curiosity, challenge each child’s thinking and facilitate their eagerness to learn and understand.

Reasons to choose Explorers for your child include: ■ The curriculum, inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, values the child as strong, capable and resilient, and full of wonder and knowledge.

■ Sustainable practices are embedded in the program. This includes worm farms, animals/pet program, compost bins, community gardens, natural play spaces and recycling stations.

Explorers Early Learning Beaconsfield offers high-quality early learning.

■ The four-year-old Kinder School Readiness Program prepares children for school and beyond.

■ Both 3-year-old and 4-year-old Kindergarten Programs are taught by Bachelor qualified teachers.

■ The Indoor/Outdoor Program gives children free choice in exploring their learning environment.

■ There is an ‘Explorers Enrichment‘ Program to complement your child’s learning – including speech therapy, music and movement, language and sustainability.

■ The nutritious menu, created by in-house chefs, exceeds the Nutrition Australia healthy eating guidelines and caters for all dietary requirements and individual needs.

Places at Explorers Beaconsfield are limited and filling fast!

For an offer of enrolment and the latest information, register your interest at eel.com.au or phone 1300 000 335.

Explorers Early Learning Where children learn and thrive.

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

SPRING 2021 31

12508725-AV37-21

Book your tour today.

Party Time

Funtastic food for a birthday celebration Ice cream cone cakes are fun to make with the kids.

Ice cream cone cakes

sugar, cocoa and whisk well to combine. Then add the egg, melted butter, olive oil, milk and mix well with a spatula or wooden spoon, until well combined. Finally gently fold in the boiling water and mix until a velvety and glossy mixture is formed.

THIS is such a fun and exciting treat to make and eat! It’s also a wonderful activity to do with children of all ages, especially when it comes to decorating the ice cream cones at the very end there’s no end to how creative and inventive you can be with decorations.

Makes 12

4. Using a teaspoon or piping bag, fill each cone to ¾ full of batter.

WITH OLIVIA C ENEA-BRAIN

Ingredients ■ 12 pieces of flat bottom ice cream cone shells ■ Sprinkles of choice ■ Chocolates/lollies/fruit for decorations

■ 225 grams full cream Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Cake batter: ■ 1½ cup self raising flour

■ ¼ teaspoon salt

6. Remove from the oven and gently place each cone standing, on a drying rack straight away so that the cones don’t moisten in the tin portions.

■ 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar

■ 1 cup raw sugar

■ 2 cups powdered sugar

■ ½ cup olive oil

Method 1. Set oven to 180C, fan forced.

■ ½ cup melted butter

5. Bake cones standing in the muffin tin, for 20-30 minutes, until a skewer poked in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Cream cheese frosting: ■ ½ cup Bulla thickened cream

7. While the cakes cool, the cream cheese frosting can be prepared.

■ ¾ cup full cream milk

2. Line a 12 portioned cupcake tin with cupcake cups and place an ice cream cone in each cupcake cup.

They’re now ready to be filled.

■ ¾ cup boiling water

3. In a large bowl, place the flour,

■ 1 whole egg ■ ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

8. In a medium bowl; place cream cheese, salt and vanilla sugar. Using an electric beater, mix the ingredients on medium to high for approximately 2 minutes and add the thickened cream and mix well for another 2

minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing well in-between. Repeat this process until all powdered sugar has been added. This will take about 8-10 minutes.

9. Prepare a piping bag with an attached tip of your choice, fill the bag with the frosting.

10. Once the ice cream cones are cooled completely, pipe soft serve style swirls on the cake, making it look like ice cream. Decorate as you wish.

Pictured is glazed cherries, sprinkles, Cadbury marble chocolate and a strawberry.

Enjoy.

Notes: Experiment with different flavour combinations of cake batter and frosting. Boxed cake mix is also suitable for this; no change in cooking time.

Olivia C Enea-Brain is a Berwick mum of two with a passion for making cooking fun

ActivITIES

Paint a Pot Art Studio - a large range of CERAMICS animals/characters to cater for all children to paint as they wish!

- a SOFT PLAY area for kids of all ages - a full CAFE with lots of variety for kids and adults to get through a busy art filled day!

- art classes for kids from ages 5-12.

- choose from one of our amazing PARTY PACKAGES and let us do all the work so you and your guests can enjoy yourselves!

4/1 Vesper Drive, Narre Warren Ph: 8794 9997 | www.paintapot.com.au Follow us on @paint.a.pot and Paint a Pot Narre Warren

12498362-NG26-21

Paint a Pot KIDS

PAINT a Pot Art Studio is a place bringing people together for the shared purpose of being creative.

O child friendly venue offers Our a range of activities for kids:

With a great soft play area and hundreds of shapes to choose from, Paint a Pot has the piece of pottery to make your child’s next birthday a memorable one!

Paint a Pot caters to kids of all ages - big and small, young and old - with a wide selection of pottery options. The on-site cafe allows the grown-ups and spectators to relax, and enjoy a coffee while the kids are in their creative element!

And after they have explored their creativity, they can run off the last of

32 SPRING 2021

their energy in the soft play area.

At the end of the party, guests can choose to take their piece home straight away, or leave it overnight to be fired for collection the next day.

There are ready to paint ceramics for all ages from pots, plates, bowls and mugs to animal figurines.

The studio can be hired for adult art social events.

Teachers conduct a range of classes such as resin art, resin jewellery, acrylic pouring and chalk masterpieces.

Also on offer are kid’s art classes and the keepsake casting of hands, feet and even little paws! www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Entertainment

A golden experience on Walhalla railway FOR an unforgettable family outing, look no further than Walhalla Goldfields Railway.

Sit back and enjoy breathtaking views as the train winds through the hillsides along the spectacular Stringers Creek George.

Kids can get creative at the Cardinia Cultural Centre.

A place with fun for all THERE are lots of fun things for kids of all ages at Cardinia Cultural Centre.

exhibitions, performances, storytelling and children’s events.

Step right up and enter into a world where adventure and creativity meet!

The opportunities to explore are endless.

You’ll find lots of children’s activities on the CCC’s website too, including Koorie Kids, dance classes and stopmotion animation workshops.

Whether it’s in real life or online, there is something for the whole family to enjoy at the CCC. The team at Cardinia Cultural Centre is working on an exciting new kids and family program that will feature creative workshops, interactive installations and animations,

For information, visit the Cardinia Cultural Centre website www. cardiniaculturalcentre.com.au or phone the Box Office on 1300 887 624.

Cardinia Shire Council is proud to present Cardinia Cultural Centre’s kids’ and family programming.

Taking about 1 hour and 20 minutes, the return trip is one of the country’s most picturesque rail journeys.

After departing the historic Walhalla train station, you will travel through the original station yards between Stringers Creek and the stunning cliff-face that underpins the old Brunton’s Bridge Road.

The journey then takes you along six large trestle bridges that criss-cross Stringers Creek, down a windy hill and through Happy Creek, before taking you over the stunning Thomson River Bridge.

The Walhalla Goldfields Railway offers a great outing for the entire family.

for the Day’ - no previous railway knowledge or experience is required.

So what are you waiting for? Make Walhalla Goldfields Railway your next family adventure!

The train then arrives at Thomson Station, where you disembark before reboarding for your return passage.

Return trips are $18 per child and $20 per adult. Return family tickets are also available for $50.

To make your trip extra special, add an experience to your ride.

All trains depart from Walhalla Station, located at 2 Main Road Walhalla. Patrons are advised to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to departure.

The railway’s ‘Ride in the Cab’ is a great way for adults and kids to ride up front and see what the rail crew see including the amazing trackwork laid along the rocky ledges and dramatic cuttings.

Those aged 18+ can also be ‘Driver

For bookings and more information visit https://www. walhallarail.com.au/ or call (03) 5165 6280.

VICTORIA’S MOST SPECTACULAR RAILWAY!

Running daily in school holidays at 11 am and 1 pm.

For ticketing information and to reserve your seat, head to walhallarail.com.au Bookings essential For more Information Visit our website above or call 5165 6280 to book your adventure.

12509053-DL37-21

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

12508942-SN37-21

SPRING 2021 33

Phillip Island

Wild flowers bloom in spring at the Nobbies, Phillip Island.

Time to spring into Phillip Island SPRING is a beautiful time to visit Phillip Island.

It’s the breeding season for many animals that call the island home, while migratory birds make their way to the shores.

And with the weather warming up, it’s such a good time to explore all that Phillip Island has to offer.

Just 90 minutes from Melbourne, and

a stone throw’s away from the Casey and Cardinia region - it’s the perfect place for a day trip, weekend getaway or a longer stay.

Phillip Island boasts an endless array of things to see and do, whether you are after something quiet or high-energy octane fun.

Take the family for a picnic lunch at a quiet bay beach, check out the spectacular views at The Nobbies or

soak up all the action at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix - this island playground has so much to offer.

take the binoculars out for some bird spotting and see if you can cast your eyes on any other curious creatures.

Watch the sunrise from sandy beaches, see penguins and koalas up close, delight in the taste of locally made wine and produce at one of their many eateries and listen to the roar of an internationally acclaimed motorsport venue.

During spring, you may even spot an echidna, with many males of the species out and about looking for a mate.

Walk along the pristine beaches or

With so much to see and do, Phillip Island is sure to become one of your favourite places to visit.

Thrilling family fun PHILLIP Island Grand Prix Circuit is the destination for the whole family with many hours of entertainment on offer this spring.

Go Karts and Tandems Strap yourself into the Sodi Go Karts for an exhilarating session on the 750m track – a replica of the world-renowned Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

With 9 horsepower Honda GX 270cc engines and a top speed of 65kmh, the French-made karts provide the ultimate karting sensation and are tested to meet stringent Australian standards.

The 2Drive tandem karts have twin seats. The dual steering allows kids to be involved under the supervision of an adult driver.

Grand Prix Motorcycle Collection 4at the Circuit The star exhibit in the History of Motorsport Display is the collection of 25 Grand Prix winning motorcycles from the two famous Italian marques, Aprilia and Cagiva, with the two-wheel treasures permanently installed in the display at the Visitor Centre.

Slot Cars – The best fun for all ages Race your family or your mates on Australia’s largest four-lane GP Slot Car Track - an exact replica of the circuit.

Racing simulators Test your skills or challenge your mates to a simulated race on the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit offers exhilarating fun.

Champions Cafe The licenced Champions Cafe delivers with its fresh menu. Fantastic coffee and delicious scones, cakes, slices, muffins, pastries, sausage rolls and pies hit the spot. The Visitor Centre gift shop has a

wide selection of stylish apparel, merchandise and souvenirs.

For further information, including opening hours and operating conditions, visit phillipislandgokarts. com.au or call 03 5952 9400.

12508634-SN37-21

34 SPRING 2021

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Fashion

On trend for spring REFRESH your child’s wardrobe for spring with trendy threads from Billy Lidz.

The leading boutique stocks leading Australian designer children’s and baby clothing brands and overseas favourites, including Munster, Two Darlings, Wilson + Frenchy, Illoura the Label, Toshi, Quincy Mae and Rylee + Cru. The new range from Baisik, a sustainable brand that is 100 per cent vegan and cruelty free, will arrive in September and October and includes

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

change baskets, advent calendars and Santa sacks.

Billy Lidz also sells gorgeous shoes, toys and accessories.

And they stock maternity clothing that is breastfeeding friendly along with lactation cookies, brownies and hot chocolate to keep up with milk production for the babes.

Visit the boutique at Blackburne Square, Berwick, or check out the range in their online store at www. lovemybillylidz.com.au

SPRING 2021 35

36 SPRING 2021

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Fashion

SPRING SEASON IN STORE NOW PLUS GREAT GIFT IDEAS OPEN Mon - Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-3pm Shop 6, Blackburne Square, Berwick Phone: 9707 5593 12507614-DL37-21

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

SPRING 2021 37

Reality Bites

Katrina with her kids Eva and Billie.

Picture: Rob Carew

Goodbye is the hardest word

By Melissa Meehan NO parent should have to say goodbye to their child.

But Katrina Jenkinson has had to say goodbye four times.

She’s lucky enough to have two healthy daughters, Ava and Billie.

baby,” Katrina said.

“It wasn’t worth living for us if we didn’t have one.”

Katrina said she just needed to be pregnant. It was the only thing that helped her survive.

She became pregnant 12 weeks later.

But that doesn’t take away the sadness of her losses.

“I think I just existed for nine months - I just sat there and waited, and waited,” she said.

The 35-year-old Melbourne mum her husband, Brad, started trying for a baby as soon as they got married.

“We had genetic testing done, so we knew we were all clear – but it was a long pregnancy.”

They were excited to find out they were expecting their first in 2014.

And so, by miracle, Eva was born on the night before what would have been Hamish’s first birthday.

“The 12 week scan was perfect, but the 20 week scan showed an obstruction in the bowel of the baby,” Katrina told Kids Today.

“They did a heap of testing and said he’d be transferred to the Royal Children’s Hospital when he was born and have surgery to remove it and he’d be home with us four weeks later.”

Hamish was delivered at 37 weeks.

He was transferred straight to hospital as planned when he was six days old, they did his surgery as planned, but after six weeks nothing had changed.

“He wasn’t getting any better,” Katrina said.

“So they did another surgery to find out what was going on.

“But the surgeon came out half way during his operation and said there was absolutely nothing he could do because his obstructions were there again and assumed it was genetic.”

Hamish passed away the next day.

He was just six weeks old.

His death destroyed both Katrina and Brad.

Their eldest son had suffered from a really rare genetic condition called TTC7.

It causes bowel obstructions.

“After we had his funeral, all we could think about was having another 38 SPRING 2021

She’s now five years old, healthy and not a carrier of the genetic condition that claimed the life of her brother.

That condition is so rare that there are only two other families in Australia with it. Years went by and while so grateful for having Ava in their lives, Katrina and Brad decided to try for their third baby in 2018.

They were over the moon to find out they were pregnant with twins.

But genetic testing found that one of the twins was found to have the condition.

The decision was made to end Sadie’s life at 16 weeks to save the life of their daughter Billie, who is now two.

“I’ve always tried to prepare myself and think of ways to get through especially waiting for these results, but at the time when you’re told, you just get destroyed, absolutely distraught and it’s just so hard to get through,” Katrina said.

“But at that time I was lucky enough to have one healthy twin to focus on, but there was a big risk of losing her as well so it was a very stressful time and there’s just nothing you can do to get through it really you just have to actually just push on.”

Katrina carried Sadie and Billie before giving birth to both of them at 35 weeks.

“I think the processing came later on, which I thought would happen at the time but so much is happening,” Katrina said.

“When you deliver a baby and there’s so much excitement, so much joy from yourself and your family.

“And I think it came, you know, a few days later. That’s when it really hit me that I lost her because there was so much to do with that, you know, signing paperwork for her and all these things realising you’ve just got the one.”

Obviously so grateful to have Billie, Katrina said it was a really hard time.

“I cried. I felt so much pain throughout my body all of the times that I received bad news or a loss, it was just really hard to pick myself up out of that dark place,” she said.

“But you’ve got this baby that is relying on you. They are the ones to keep you going.”

The plan was always to have three living children.

So Katrina and Brad tried for another.

They became pregnant during the 2020 lockdown but kept the news to themselves.

The scans were perfect, so perfect in fact that the head of obstetrics made a special visit to tell Katrina how perfect her baby was looking.

“We did the testing, and I think that was probably the rudest shock I’ve ever received in my life and she was actually affected by the gene,” she said.

“So, last year in lockdown, you know, all by myself, no partner allowed in the hospital, basically, I had to go and have Stella at 16 weeks.”

The pandemic made the situation so much worse. She couldn’t have Brad’s support in hospital and couldn’t even go and have coffee with a friend to debrief afterwards.

“That was probably the worst I was last year I think in June, it was the lowest I’ve ever felt,” she said.

“And probably because of the lockdown to I guess it was just a big shock.”

Katrina then started to work on herself.

She knew she needed to get into a positive mindset if they were to try again. They tried again and she became pregnant in December 2020.

And in February this year they got the news that the baby was affected with the condition again.

And she had to have Quinn at 16 weeks.

“It was still overwhelming, but I think that I had worked on myself so much, I had come a long way because I used to think this was happening for a reason,” she said.

“That I had done something wrong, so I was being punished. But now I know that it is not true. And these things just happen.

“So I think I was able to handle it a little better.”

Katrina and her family remember Hamish, Sadie, Stella and Quinn on a daily basis.

“We celebrate their birthdays, especially Hamish, because he was here and he lived and we have all of his stuff still,’ she said.

“And we love to take part in Run for the Kids and the Good Friday Appeal.

“We love raising money, because we feel something good is coming out of our heartache.”

They also have a garden at home that’s dedicated to the children who aren’t here.

There’s a plaque with their names and it’s a spot they can go to think about them.

“It has been such a rollercoaster, I feel like I have literally cried for six years,” she said.

“I’m hoping for some light at the end of this tunnel.” www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Reality Bites

Mum’s product prevents mess dozen staff make the smocks.

MANY parents are familiar with the struggle of cleaning up after a baby who has made a mess of their high chair and flung food onto the floor.

Stephanie said parents who had purchased her product were impressed with how much time they saved cleaning up after messy eaters.

For Berwick mum Stephanie Miller, that nightly hassle sparked a genius idea that led to a successful small business.

“I often get that it’s a game-changer. I also get - can I make them for husbands?

Do they come in larger sizes is a very common one,” she said with a laugh.

One night, Stephanie was scrubbing spaghetti bolognese off her eight-monthold daughter’s high chair. With bits of bright-coloured spag bol spread across the highchair tray, the seat and underneath the chair, she thought there had to be a less messy way to feed an infant.

“I always feel so chuffed when I get the emails… and the reviews and the photos. I love seeing pictures of the little ones in the smocks.”

For Stephanie, the Mess Me Not smock has been a game-changer for her when it comes to work-life balance.

So armed with some scrap paper and staples to make adjustments, she came up with a mock design for a product that would become a game-changer for parents of messy eaters.

With limited funds, she purchased 2m of fabric, put her sewing machine on the dining room table and got to work.

The Mess Me Not Smock was born.

The smock is designed to fit over the tray and is clipped around the back of the chair to secure it in place.

It catches food and prevents it spilling over the side and onto the floor as little ones move around during their meal.

Afterwards, the washable smock comes off the baby and then off the tray, with the mess collected in the smock so the bits of food can be thrown out.

She has been able to work around her daughters Charlotte, 6 and Amelie, 3, rather than return to full-time work.

Berwick mum Stephanie Miller with six-year-old daughter Charlotte and three-year-old daughter Amelie, who is modelling the Mess Me Not Smock.

Since launching the product two years ago, Stephanie has taken more than 2000 orders including some from New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. Stephanie’s small business has quickly outgrown the dining room table and spare bedroom, with the mum of two recently hiring a storage shed and looking into renting factory or office space.

“I hoped that it was going to take off but I didn’t expect it to take off the way it has,” she said.

The Mess Me Not Smock is made locally and comes in different colours and prints.

An artist in Belgrave designed the print for the printed range, while a Narre Warren woman and her half a

“While I was on mat leave with my second, I thought I would love to work around my kids. It was hard enough to get the first off to family daycare,” she said.

Stephanie has recently been recognised for her game-changing product. She has been named as a finalist for the 2021 AusMumpreneur Awards in the category of Product Innovation.

The winners of the awards, which are all about supporting mothers in business, are due to be announced in mid-September.

From family tradition to flourishing business

By Danielle Kutchel A DESIRE to better look after her family’s sensitive skin has blossomed into a successful small business for Narre Warren mum Deb Terkely.

For 20 years now, Deb’s family has been making soaps that specifically catered to their own skin conditions.

After family members found their conditions were aggravated when using supermarket products, they took the problem into their own hands – literally – by making their own cleansing products that are chemicalfree and made with high-quality essential oils.

Deb now carries on the family tradition through her business, L’ada Soaps and Scents, using a soap recipe perfected over two decades.

She and her family try each product themselves first before trying to sell them, road-testing them until they’re ready.

Narre Warren mum Deb Terkely is carrying on a family tradition through her small business.

A selection l ti off L’ada L’ d soaps.

For Deb, soapmaking is not just a business; it’s a passion, born of a desire to help people.

entrepreneur said running L’ada had been a learning curve.

Partly, it’s about helping people to find skincare that works for them.

“Time management isn’t my best skill,” she said.

attracted to “anything that is going to go to a good cause”, like the Ovarian Cancer Foundation which she has also donated to in the past.

But it’s also partly about helping other small businesses to thrive.

Her children provide the ultimate motivation, she said, and everything she does – including running her business – is for them.

Deb said L’ada only used Australian suppliers for its needs and she checks first to ensure they come from sustainable sources.

She also likes to support other female entrepreneurs, lifting them up along with their businesses.

As a working mother herself, the www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

“I make it work. I do late nights, or if they’re both in school and kinder I work then. Otherwise, they only get half a mum,” she said.

She donates her products to kinder and school raffles as well and said she’s

“Even kinders that are run on donations and fundraising – my son’s kinder relies heavily on donations and fundraising, and we think it’s important for kids to have access to good education from a young age,” she explained.

Deb said her business was tapping into a movement of sorts, with customers more keen than ever to know what is in

the products they use and where they come from.

“People are very conscious of what’s going in and what they’re using,” she said.

She’s inspired by the knowledge that her products work for people who may be down to their last resort.

“I’m very passionate; it’s about helping people and making them feel comfortable,” she said.

Find L’ada Soaps and Scents online or on Facebook and Instagram.

SPRING 2021 39

Reality Bites

Adriana Saraga and Peter O’Brien with children Ava, 2, and Joey, 9 months.

Picture: Rob Carew

All the way from Italy with love

By Melissa Meehan A summer fling turned into life and babies on the other side of the globe for Adriana Saraga.

Adriana from Andezeno in north west Italy, met her now partner Peter when he visited her small village to attend a friend’s wedding.

The groom was Adriana’s cousin.

She was one of few people who spoke English, albeit self-taught from watching Disney movies. They fell in love, she moved to Australia and now the Melbourne couple have two young children together.

“It was supposed to be a summer adventure kind of thing,” she laughs.

“Before we knew we were in a little bit of trouble because we fell in love straight away.”

But after a long chat with her mum,

Adriana knew it was meant to be.

So she made the almost 15,000km journey knowing no one but Peter.

In the month before she left, she spent weeks on YouTube to try and learn more about Australia.

“It was scary at first, but it’s great,” she said.

“He’s an amazing person. It’s been really hard with Covid-19 not seeing my family and he’s been so understanding.”

Her mum was lucky enough to visit and offer support after the birth of their first child, Ava – who is now two.

But she couldn’t bear to be there for the actual birth.

“She thought she couldn’t handle seeing me in pain, but it was great to have her here,” Adriana said.

Sadly, due to Covid-19 and border restrictions Adriana hasn’t been able to see her family but keeps in touch

regularly. Adriana, who has recently been granted her permanent visa, says Australia is where she plans to raise the kids.

Adriana already speaks to Ava in Italian when they are alone, but in English when Peter is around because he doesn’t understand Italian.

“For us, we plan to stay here – there are more opportunities for the whole family here,” she said.

“There are a few words she can swap easily between Italian and English. She knows she needs to speak Italian when on phone with Nonna and when she talks to my brother,” she said.

“As much as I love my family and my country, this is the place for us.”

There are some very big and some other subtle differences about growing up in Italy compared to Australia. For instance, Adriana grew up surrounded by a huge family by Australian standards.

She was the eldest of more than 20 cousins, so had a lot of practice babysitting. In her village, made up of only 2000 people, everyone knew each other.

Ava and Joey, who is nine-monthsold, will learn to speak Italian too.

“And the way she says words in Italian - there’s a little bit of an accent, which is the cutest thing.”

For now, while the borders are closed, she’ll have to rely on video calls and her small Australian village, made up of friends from her mother’s group, organised by her local council.

“They have been fantastic, we still catch up now and it’s been such a great support for me. Some really great girls and friendships.”

Mum’s passion for breastfeeding gets recognition

By Melissa Grant

no for an answer, they seek out help,” she said.

BEACONSFIELD Upper mum Candice Purvis is passionate about empowering women to achieve their breastfeeding goals.

“Women of other generations, they would go to the doctor and they would say give your child formula.

It’s this passion that led Candice to establish her own lactation consulting practice, and has seen her nominated for two AusMumpreneur Awards.

Candice started South East Lactation Consulting three years ago, using the knowledge gained from her time in nursing, midwifery and maternal child health. She said lactation consultants were needed now more than ever, with so many mums determined to breastfeed their babies.

“This generation of women don’t take 40 SPRING 2021

“Mums come to me if they have low supply or painful attachment.”

Candice, who breastfed her children now aged 7 and 3, said she loved to help mums achieve their breastfeeding goals.

“Sometimes all it is is just reassurance that they are doing a good job,” she said.

“The first six weeks are challenging - getting to know your baby and your baby getting to know you.”

Candice is an International Board-

South East Lactation Consulting founder Candice Purvis offers advice to Hayley, mum of baby Noah.

Picture: Stewart Chambers

Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), a gold standard for lactation professionals.

She has also spent countless hours studying all things related to infant feeding, growth, sleep and development. Candice is currently working out of a room at Complete Chiropractic in Beaconsfield. The mum of two said she prided herself on building a small business out of passion and empowering women in their transition to motherhood.

“I am ecstatic to receive an award

nomination and am humbled by the lovely feedback I receive from my clients,” she said.

Candice said it was actually Pinky McKay, a well-known breastfeeding expert, who nominated her for the AusMumpreneur Awards. The awards Candice is nominated for are Health Business Award and Women’s Champion Award.

The winners of the AusMumpreneur Awards are due to be announced in mid-September. www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

REALITY BITES

‘The not so perfect mum’ Anna with children Rachel, 18 months, Dominic, 5, and Reuben, 3.

Pictures: Rob Carew

Anna with baby Rachel and some sensory learning boxes.

The not so perfect mum

By Melissa Meehan

“It was hilarious. We couldn’t believe it.”

ANNA Du Rieu is not your average influencer.

The Melbourne mum of three actually tells it how it is and gives a warts and all view into the world of parenting.

“I run a blog, obviously, that is an honest parenting blog, and it shows my everyday life,” she told Kids Today.

“It’s none of these organised messfree, clean floors kind of gig, it’s the mayhem of every day, which I think is why I have such a following, because it is so brutally honest.”

The self-proclaimed “hot mess” uses her aptly named Instagram page @ thenotsoperfectmum, to share her experiences with her almost 60,000 followers.

She’s got followers from all around Australia, but the majority are from Victoria.

Anna is a typical modern-age stay at home mum, she works from home and looks after her three kids, Dominic, 5, Reuben, 3, and eight-month-old Rachel.

She runs a business creating sensory kits for kids, which she started two years ago after posting some of the activities she was doing with her own kids online.

“Everyone used to ask what I was doing, where I saw stuff from, and then a few people were asking me to make them for them and I said, ‘absolutely I can make them for you’,” she said.

“And I realised there was a business there - there was nothing similar on the market at that time here or overseas.”

She and her husband Joseph even joked that she might get 10 orders a month and she could just buy a little extra when she made stuff for her own kids.

They assumed it would be a hobby.

She set up the website and shared the post on her Instagram.

“It went nuts, like actually gangbusters from the moment we launched. Within 15 minutes of me launching the post on Instagram I had 17 subscription models already purchased,” she said. www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

And it hasn’t stopped since.

It’s a lot of work, especially juggling three kids.

And, thanks to Covid-19 (and Anna’s propensity to be a bit of a control freak) she no longer can rely on staff.

On the flip side, Covid-19 resulting in a huge increase in sales.

“Every time Australia got locked down, it was just madness. I can’t remember the exact figures, Joseph said it was something like four or five times what I would usually get in a month in a day,” she said.

“People were locked in their houses and needed something to stimulate the kids.”

While she worked in real estate before having kids, Anna has no real teaching background but was able to bounce her ideas off her best friend (who is a teacher) as well as pick the brains of family members.

“My step mum was a teacher, my mum, my mother-in-law, and my Auntie, are both heavily involved in child education,” she said.

“My grandmother and my Nana actually brought in the Montessori School in South Australia.

“And the Montessori school logo that’s my brother’s hands.”

She plans to go back and do some further study as her passion grows.

But it hasn’t been an easy ride.

“I was working until like three or 4am in the morning and then the kids would wake up at six,” she said.

“Joseph would ask what time I came to bed and I wouldn’t have.”

But she has worked at finding a better balance.

“It was really overwhelming but it was also, for me, having been a mum and going from a pretty corporate position where I was organising people’s lives. I was used to always been busy so I kind of missed that, and really stimulated me and I actually found that I became a better mum because I had a distraction from cleaning nappies and

Parents Anna and Joseph with children Dominic, 5, Rachel, 18 months and Reuben, 3.

doing the dishwasher,” she said.

“I had my own thing and I could work from home and it just worked. It’s definitely not for everyone because it’s, it’s a lot like you don’t sleep and your house is always full of stock.”

And that’s all part of her charm.

Anna’s followers can resonate with the fact that her house isn’t always clean, that she’s exhausted and trying to balance a billion things - just like most other mums.

It’s quite the departure from your more well-known mummy bloggers - and it’s on purpose.

“If you’re a first time mum, it’s quite isolating actually seeing all these people like absolutely killing it and having babies and sleep, and all that stuff,” she said.

page solely to balance the negative and fake things out there.

And that’s where the name @ thenotsoperfect mum came from.

She started with a small following, but it soon grew into something much bigger.

At the start she shared everything, but as it grew she became more mindful of her influence and other people’s headspace.

“I try not to let that stuff impact what I’m sharing but say for example, you know, like I’m really careful about not sharing any of the kids in like a private environment so like I would never show them with no clothes on, or if it’s an intimate moment like they’re having a breakdown or something like that,” she said.

“He used to not sleep longer than 40 minutes for the first hour. I think it was like 10 months of his life. It was horrible.”

“I need to respect my children’s boundaries and their life, and I would hate for them to turn around when they’re 15 and be like, why the hell did you show that.”

She took him to sleep school and found it traumatic.

It also opens her up to others providing commentary on her life.

“I read a post by quite a well-known media person who had pretty much said that if you went to sleep school you were a s#!@ mum,” Anna said.

Some accuse her of favouring her youngest, Rachel, although as the boys get older Anna is making a conscious effort not to have the camera constantly in their faces.

“I actually started my account, because Dominic was the worst sleeper.

“So I commented, I really like following this account but I don’t think its fair to say that someone is a crap mum because they want their kids to sleep - sleep deprivation is actually a form of torture.

“I thought I was super chill, very measured - but she and her minions came after me and I thought this isn’t fair.”

So Anna started her own Instagram

“Next year when Dom goes to school, he’ll go off the blog, even more because I need to respect that I don’t want people knowing where he goes to school,” she said.

“I try not to let those comments change my content because if what I’m posting isn’t authentic then people pick up on it straight away.

“It’s my life and it can be messy.”

SPRING 2021 41

Games And Gadgets

A love of technology LIKE a lot of girls her age, Chloe King is tech-obsessed.

The 11-year-old from Berwick loves her Chromebook, Tik Tok and a number of cool apps.

When Chloe isn’t on her computer, you will probably find her drawing or dancing.

Here, she shares her favourite things: Chromebook: Chloe loves her Chromebook, which she uses to watch Netflix and to play Roblox, a global platform which allows users to create their own games.

Virtual reality headset: Chloe loves playing with her brother’s virtual reality headset - when he allows it! These head-mounted devices provide virtual reality for the wearer, and are commonly used with video games.

Netflix, YouTube and Tik Tok: Chloe loves watching Netflix and checking out influencers on YouTube and Tik Tok. Drawing: Chloe loves to draw - it’s one of her favourite things at the moment.

Chloe is a lover of creatures big and small, including her mum’s stick insects.

She particularly loves drawing faces and people.

Dancing: Chloe has been dancing for eight years. She does Hip Hop, Jazz and Lyrical.

Animals: Chloe loves animals big and small. Her mum has stick insects which she allows to walk on her hands.

Chloe with her Chromebook.

Pictures: Stewart Chambers

Chloe loves drawing, particularly faces.

Chloe using her brother’s virtual reality headset.

42 SPRING 2021

Chloe with her dancing shoes. www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Recipes

Creating a love of cooking

By Melissa Grant

snacks for kids, Well Fed Kitchen.

TEACHING your children to cook can serve up many benefits.

In her practice, she gives parents advice on a range of food-related issues, including fussy eating, reflux, constipation, eczema, allergies, and mood and behavioural issues.

It gets them tasting different foods, teaches them how to follow directions and even helps with their maths.

Most importantly, it helps set them up for a healthy future and positive life-long relationship with food.

That’s why we’re excited to welcome paediatric nutritionist Lucy Stewart as our new expert contributor.

Each edition, Lucy’s Kids in the Kitchen column will bring you a simple and nutritious recipe that you can cook in the kitchen with your children.

“It will be nourishing for them, they can help make it in the kitchen and we will always try to squeeze in extra veggies where we can,” Lucy said.

Lucy lives with her husband Matt and son Otis, 5. She also shares her time with step-daughters Faith, 15, and Daisy, 12.

This edition, Lucy shares a kidfriendly recipe for pumpkin maple bread. We hope you enjoy cooking it!

“It made me realise how critical it was to set up our children for life by eating the right food.

Pumpkin contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help keep the immune system strong, and the eyes, heart and skin healthy. Pumpkin seeds are also a rich source of zinc that’s essential for growth, wound healing, immune function and perception of

taste (low zinc can contribute to fussy eating).

It’s an easy recipe to make with the kids - just a bit of whisking, sifting and stirring, pop it in the oven and, in about an hour, you’ll have a house smelling of fragrant spices and a delicious bread to enjoy for afternoon tea. There are options in the recipe to make it gluten and dairy free too, if you wish.

Directions ■ Preheat oven at 165C and line and grease a loaf tin

i th in the kitchen with Lucy Stewart

Makes: 1 loaf Prep time: 15-minutes Cook time: 1 hour Ingredients ■ 1 cup mashed pumpkin ■ 2 free range eggs, at room temperature ■ 1 ¾ cups gluten free or wholemeal flour ■ 1/3 cup pure maple syrup ■ 1/3 cup coconut oil or butter, melted ■ ¼ plant-based mylk or milk of choice ■ 1 tsp ground cinnamon ■ ½ tsp ground ginger ■ ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ■ ¼ tsp ground cloves ■ 1 tsp baking soda ■ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract ■ ½ tsp sea salt

Lucy Stewart and her son Otis cooking the spiced pumpkin and maple bread together.

Picture: Studio 74 Photography www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

She advises parents to get their children involved in cooking family meals by writing shopping lists, going to the supermarket, washing and chopping vegetables and helping in the kitchen.

Lucy currently works as a clinical nutritionist, as a recipe developer and has just launched a range of nourishing

“When I was pregnant with my son I was learning about the importance of the first 1000 days of life.

IF your kids love banana bread, they’ll love this spiced pumpkin and maple bread.

One of the greatest things you can teach your children, Lucy says, is the ability to cook so they don’t rely on convenience and takeaway foods when they are older.

“I knew that was the direction I wanted to take my practice in - babies and kids nutrition.”

“I came from a 15-year career in TV PR (public relations). I’ve always loved food, I’ve always cooked,” she explained.

Spiced pumpkin and maple bread

“It affects our kids’ sleep, their learning and their behaviour, it affects everything,” she said.

“Kids who have invested their time in something are much more likely to try and eat it. It will be messy, yes, but you will be surprised that a child who is happy to chop up the capsicum will eat it at the table.

“You also need to set a good example - you can’t expect your child to eat well if you don’t.”

Another important thing is to cook easy recipes.

“I love cooking really simple food,” she said.

“When you have kids, dinner at the end of the day has to be quick, it has to be easy. It has to be really simple, nourishing food that the whole family is going to eat.”

Her career in nutrition began in 2015 when she was pregnant with Otis.

Our new expert contributor Lucy Stewart.

Diet, she says, has a huge impact on our children’s health and wellbeing, both now and in the future.

■ 6 pitted Medjool dates, chopped ■ ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, to decorate

■ In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and pure maple syrup ■ Add the eggs and whisk until combined ■ Add mashed pumpkin, mylk, spices, baking soda, vanilla and salt, and whisk to combine ■ Sift in the flour, and using a wooden spoon, mix until just combined ■ Gently fold in chopped dates ■ Pour the batter into your greased loaf tin and sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the top ■ Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean ■ Allow the bread cool in the loaf tin for 10 minutes, then gently transfer to rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing ■ Enjoy warm, with butter and a drizzle of honey. Individual slices can be stored in the freezer and reheated in the toaster Lucy Stewart is a mum who is nutritionist specialising in babies and kids health, and a recipe developer.

You can find more of her recipes at https://lucystewartnutrition.com SPRING 2021 43

Books

A wild way to read

By Melissa Grant IF your child is obsessed with animals, then the new interactive book by Australian zoologist and TV presenter Chris Humfrey is a must-have.

Dubbed as Australia’s own Doctor Dolittle, Chris is a leading expert on native creatures big and small.

His book, Awesome Australian Animals, offers amazing insights into a number of species through quirky facts (such as koalas poop 200 times a day) and QR codes linking to fun educational videos.

Small children will love the wealth of exciting and funny photos, primary school kids can read at their own pace, and older children can dive into deeper levels of intriguing detail.

Profiled animals include the koala, lace monitor, giant burrowing cockroach, saltwater crocodile, shingleback and jungle carpet python.

Awesome Australian Animals is the latest venture from the lifelong conservationist and animal welfare crusader.

Chris has an animal sanctuary, Wild Action Zoo, in the Macedon Ranges, which houses many rare native species including penguins, tiger quolls, snakes and even blue-ringed octopus.

He lives in a house designed for people and animals, which he describes as “unusual”.

blue-tongued lizard to give birth. I watched the whole process, it was awesome!”

“Currently, I have two joey kangaroos sleeping on my couch, two parrots walking over my laptop, 55 critically endangered mountain pygmy possums in my laundry/wine cellar, two black-headed pythons on the lounge room floor, two sheep sitting on the back veranda, two possums in the garage, an Eastern quoll and a koala and an owl in the garage. It’s bedlam!” he said.

Amazingly, Chris still has some animal friends from his childhood, including Freddo the green tree frog which he found sticking to a urinal at a public toilet block.

Chris’s passion for animals big and small stems from his childhood. He grew up in the foothills of Mount Dandenong, with his family’s backyard bordering onto the bush.

“I spent most of my youth jumping the backyard fence and exploring and interacting with local wildlife,” he said.

“I would spend the day chasing lizards, snakes, and frogs and only came home for dinner. I had hundreds of pets with which I lovingly shared my life.

“My mum helped me rescue and rehabilitate possums and injured birds and my dad built me a purpose-built insulated reptile house.

“I vividly remember sleeping outside in the reptile shed, waiting for my

Chris is “super pumped” about his new book, which took him almost a year to put together. He had to write the text, film the clips and take the photos.

Chris Humfrey loves all creatures big and small.

Chris believes kids are the key to saving Australia’s precious wildlife and, through his book, aims to empower a young army of animal allies.

“We must teach children the importance of protecting all creatures, not just their favourites,” he said.

“I hope that my enthusiasm and passion for all things wild is contagious, and rubs off on the reader.”

Chris Humfrey’s Awesome Australian Animals, Reed New Holland, an imprint of New Holland Publishers, RRP $19.99, available from all good book retailers or online, www.newhollandpublishers.com

Children’s books...

Chatterpuss

Backyard Birdies

Josh Pyke, illustrated by Daron Parton

Andy Geppert

THIS fun picture book from singer songwriter Josh Pyke is about a cat who just loves to chat. The problem is her friend Glen the Hen just wants some peace and quiet. Chatterpuss’s incessant chatter is a problem in class and during games of hide and seek. One day Glen cracks it - but just as he begins to enjoy some quiet time a bully emerges and he discovers that having a loud friend can be helpful!

With rhyming text and colourful illustrations, this book is great for kids aged 3+ Scholastic Australia, RRP $17.99

THIS new title is somewhat of a factual introduction to Australia’s most common backyard birds for kids who are ‘birdie’ obsessed.

The book even features the giant inflatable swan commonly found in backyard pools!

Also kookaburras don’t actually laugh at everyone’s jokes. And why are common pigeons common?

The book was born after the author found himself attaching personalities to each bird he and his young daughter saw in their backyard.

An entertaining read full of personality and humour plus a host of bright and bold illustrations.

Hachette Australia, RRP $19.99

44 SPRING 2021

Meet Ella Spotty Puppy Rebecca McRitchie and Danielle McDonald ELLA from the best-selling Ella and Olivia franchise has her own series! Meet Ella is a series of books based on Ella during her first years at school. The first instalment, Spotty Puppy, is a cute read about six-year-old Ella trying to reunite a lost pup with its owner even though she really wants to keep him. The second instalment, New Teacher, has also been released.

With simple vocabulary and a large to read font, the series is perfect for kids aged 5+.

Scholastic Australia, RRP $7.99

Skin Deep

Bella the Brave

Hayley Lawrence A compelling novel that follows the journey of a young girl named Scarlett who is badly burnt in an accident, and must come to terms with her new appearance and physical limitations.

Scarlett is desperate to escape the modern world for the desolate and isolated Matilda Mountain. However, in the wilderness she ends up finding unexpected friends who challenge her ideas about perfection and her place in the world.

This insightful book gently explores relevant themes for tweens and teens including trauma, beauty, self-worth, family and friendship.

Rebel Wilson Illustrated by Annabel Tempest Aussie movie star Rebel Wilson is releasing a picture book series to inspire young kids.

Bella the Brave stems from Rebel’s journey from shy girl in Sydney’s western suburbs to international movie star.

Bella is a girl who has much to say but is too shy. But when Bella’s mum brings her to the local choir it may just be her time to shine.

Rebel says the stories in her series are picked from personal experiences where she learned valuable life lessons.

For kids aged 11+.

Bella the Brave is due for release on October 27.

Scholastic Australia, RRP

Hachette Australia, RRP $19.99

$15.99 www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

TELEVISION

Political drama series for kids A political comedy-drama for kids is coming to free-to-air TV. Production has begun on The PM’s Daughter, a 10-episode series that will be filmed in Canberra and Sydney and broadcast on ABC ME next year.

The series follows young activist Cat Parkes Perez whose relatively ordinary teen life is turned upside down when her mum unexpectedly becomes prime minister.

As major disruptions begin to occur at Canberra landmarks – all seemingly designed to directly sabotage the PM Cat and her new friends, Sadie and Ollie, set out to track down and unmask a rogue faction within a youth action group called ACTION UPRISING. The clues will take them across the capital and lead them to investigate even their own schoolmates.

Libbie Doherty, Head of ABC Children’s Production said the show has it all.

“This series has the lot! Political intrigue, full on teens, great fashion and oh yes, life in ‘The Lodge’ as imagined by a stellar team of Australian creatives,” she said.

The cast of The PM’s Daughter: Natalie English (who plays Sadie), Nya Cofie, Cassandra Helmot (Cat), Jaga Yap (Ollie), Amelia James Power (Georgina).

The PM’s Daughter boasts an exciting new cast of young talent, including Cassandra Helmot as Cat, Natalie English as Sadie, Jaga Yap (Babyteeth) as Ollie, and Claire Fearon as Prime Minister Isabel Perez.

“We’ve had a lot of fun developing the series and are delighted to be launching the careers of this super cool cast.”

Sally Caplan, Head of Content at Screen Australia said the show was original and inspiring.

“This is an intriguing and thoroughly original concept from creators Tristram Baumber (The Unlisted, Born to Spy) and

Matthew Allred, and in the capable hands of the standout creative team behind the series we expect The PM’s Daughter will engage and inspire children around Australia when it heads to ABC ME.”

E AT. C R E ATE . S H O P.

114 Mulcahy Road

CONTACT I 03 5941 3302

Pakenham VIC 3810

robertgordonaustralia.com

12473578-SN51-20

Empowering Curious Minds StMargarets.vic.edu.au

36 High St, Berwick VIC 3806 1300 447 437 www.isher.com.au 12509552-DL37-21

12509547-CG37-21

12486258-SN13-21

Isher Eggless Bakers

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5.30 pm

9330 0702 www.seortho.com.au Suite 5, Level 1/18-24 Clyde Rd, Berwick

Book your routine check now.

Prevention is the key.

Beaconsfield Dental 1-3 Cardinia St Berwick 9707 3508 www.beaconsfielddental.com.au 12507440-HC37-21

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

12444091-JW13-20

12509548-HC37-21

We treat you, not just your teeth!

SPRING 2021 45

Kids Calendar

What's on this spring

Pakenham Central Marketplace, 50-54 John St, Pakenham.

Visit www. pakenhamcentralmarketplace.com.au to find out more.

8.30am-1.30pm, Albert Park Lake For tickets and more info, visit https://www.walkforprems.org.au/ events/5/walk-together-melbourne-

ALL SPRING WALHALLA GOLDFIELDS RAILWAY Take a ride with the family on the Walhalla Goldfields Railway.

The rail journey is a great way to see the spectacular Stringers Creek George.

Return trips are $18 per child and $20 per adult. Return family tickets are also available for $50.

11-26 SEPTEMBER

All trains depart from Walhalla Station, located at 2 Main Road Walhalla.

VICTORIA NATURE FESTIVAL The Nature Festival returns for its second year.

Featuring more than 80 events and experiences, the festival is full of creative ways to connect with nature.

You can get out and explore the wonders of Victoria’s nature or you can connect from your own home with live-streamed events and immersive videos.

Go on a bush walk, learn from Traditional Owners about Caring for Country and join exciting panel events.

Each event and experience will comply with Covid Safe settings. All events will be hosted on the Victoria Together platform.

More info: https://www.together.vic. gov.au/victoria-nature-festival

UNTIL 17 OCTOBER DISNEY - THE ART OF ANIMATION Exhibitions Disney: The Magic of Animation Discover the creativity and innovation of almost 100 years of Disney Animation in ACMI’s latest Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition This exhibition contains original sketches and rare artworks from 1928 to the present day. See over 500 artworks from your favourite animations, and step inside a scene from the Disney classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Tickets $17-$26.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

ACMI, Swanston Street and Flinders Street, Melbourne

FREE ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

For more info or tickets, visit https:// www.acmi.net.au/

Pakenham Central Marketplace are running free school holiday activities at their centre this September.

With a delightful spring time theme, children can participate in activities such as creating critter keyrings, bug puppets, spring nesting birds and more.

These fun spring activities are being run over five days during the school holidays, from 11am to 2pm.

In the event of a lockdown, the centre will be running an online competition with activities and giveaways to keep the kids entertained.

46 SPRING 2021

ALL SPRING SHRINE KIDS The Shrine of Remembrance is offering a free self-guided program for families with primary school-aged children.

There are four different activity cards that provide a starting point for fresh perspectives of the Shrine. Kids are asked to consider and conjure their creative responses to a range of questions related to different aspects of the Shrine.

Bookings not required. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Shrine of Remembrance, Birdwood Ave, Melbourne

ALL SPRING GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT

24 OCTOBER WALK FOR PREMS Enjoy a great family day out at Melbourne’s flagship Walk for Prems event at Albert Park Lake.

There will be a free live children’s entertainment show before the walk around the lake, plus a variety of food vans on site.

If Covid-19 restrictions are enforced, then the walk will become a virtual walk.

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is the destination for the whole family with many hours of entertainment on offer this winter.

Experience the thrill of the Go Karts and Tandems, race on the GP Slot Car Track, test your skills on a simulated race or check out the Grand Prix Motorcycle Collection. For further information, including opening hours and operating conditions, visit phillipislandgokarts.com.au or call 03 5952 9400.

For bookings and more information, visit https://www.walhallarail.com.au/ or call (03) 5165 6280.

ALL SPRING POTTERY WORKSHOPS Robert Gordon has pottery workshops for all ages.

There are workshops in wheel throwing, hand building and paint your own pottery.

There is also a six-week pottery course, which covers hand building, wheel throwing, moulding, sculpture and painting in a friendly atmosphere.

The workshops take place in a new studio space at Robert Gordon Pottery factory outlet located at 114 Mulcahy Road Pakenham.

Online bookings for the popular Paint Your Own Pottery and workshops are essential. Phone 03 5941 3302 or visit www.robertgordonaustralia.com

ALL SPRING ONLINE KIDS ACTIVITIES There are lots of children’s activities on the Cardinia Cultural Centre’s website, including Koorie Kids, dance classes and stopmotion animation workshops.

For information, visit the Cardinia Cultural Centre website www. cardiniaculturalcentre.com.au www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Local Trades & Services

Servicing All Over Victoria Australian Owned Company

CONCRETE PAVING

¾ GARAGES

¾ KERB & CHANNEL

¾ DRIVEWAYS

¾ EXPOSED AGGREGATE

¾ PATHWAYS

¾ PLAIN/COLOURED CONCRETE

¾ UNIT SITES

¾ EXCAVATION DRAINAGE

¾ CROSSOVERS

¾ MUCH MORE!

Ring Today 0403 679 229

0499 559 957

ROOF PLUS

12511055-AV37-21

Find us on Facebook | Call us today on 0414 765 864

2001084616_1-LB04-20

Contact Kael

12511056-BL37-21

0437 332 722

www.treemason.com.au www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

• All below ground and suspended sewer • Civil Drainage • Pits And pump stations • Sanitary rough-in and fit off • Gas supply

www.yasinplumbings.com.au Find us on Facebook

CALL YASIN TODAY ON

0447 077 131

Contact us on 0450 701 605 matt@fergusonlandscaping.com.au www.fergusonlandscaping.com.au

03 5995 0758 www.konfek.com.au

Be cool this summer

REASONABLE, RELIABLE AND GREAT RATES!

12509929-CG37-21

Pensioner Discounts

• Air Conditioning • Split Systems • Evaporative Cooling REC 17042 PIC 38148 AU 06212

Home - Office and Commercial removals

Get ready for Summer!!

Pre-packaging - All South Eastern Suburbs

Evaporative Cooler & Split System Service Specials

Free Quotes

See website for details

9702 4410 www.fairbairns.com.au

12511218-AV37-21

• Fully Qualified Employed • Fully Insured • Free Quotes • Gippsland local for over 27 years

NEW HOMES

PYKES FURNITURE REMOVALS

Pensioner discounts available Contactless Quotes and Services Available!

• Tree Removal • Tree Pruning • Tree Shaping • Hedging • Stump Removal

Free Quote

12511222-JW37-21

YOUR SOLAR RETAILER Installation of Solar PV panels and batteries

• Bathroom & kitchen renovations • Hot water unit system services • Burst pipes • Leaky taps • Roof leaks & repairs • Gas leakage detection & repairs

• Landscaping • Retaining walls • Artificial grass • Paving

www.affordabledigitals.com.au

Milestone Boards Only $5

General Plumbing & Maintenance

12510896-CG37-21

WE ALSO OFFER Installations and Carbon Monoxide testing to keep your family safe.

GIPPSLAND

“Let them be green with envy”

12511180-DL37-21

################## # # # # # # # Leaks Found and Stopped! # # # # • Roof Repairs major and minor # # • Re-bedding and Flexi-pointing # # # • Replace Broken Tiles # # Free Quotes Pensioner Discounts. # # # For all your roofing needs call 0411 800 360 # # # www.roofplus.com.au # # ##################

Ducted Heating, Air Conditioning and Evaporative Cooling

Personalised Products

• Fully insured • NDIS approved

12511182-CG37-21

WE OFFER SERVICES AND REPAIRS

Personalised Party Printables Print + Wall Art $1 Prints + Printables

Payless Lawn and Garden Services

E m a i l : p ay l e s s g a r d e n s @ g m a i l . c o m Phone: 0 4400 9 516 5 78

PH MARCUS FOR FREE QUOTES

Pmspestcontrol.com.au info@hitemhard.com.au

12511167-DL37-21

First Class

www.pykesfurnitureremovals.com

0428 720 921 0400 537 545

12473727-SG51-20

Ants | Cockroaches | Fleas | Flies | Mice Mosquitoes | Nuisance Birds | Possums Rats | Silverfish | Spiders | Termites | Wasps

CONCRETING

12498959-JW25-21

“Before they hit you!”

12511035-HC37-21

ALL TYPES OF

SPRING 2021 47

St Clare’s Catholic Primary School, KĸĐer Our Faith leads to Wisdom and Courage.

Enrol Now!

’s has developed providing a quality schooling experience, developing

Our faith leads to wisdom and courage.

St Clare’s and is embedded in the ethos of the school,

12508657-HC37-21

parent, guardian or family, I invite you to visit us at St Clare’s and discover this dynamic learning environment and start the beginning of, what I hope will be, a life-long learning partnership.

Helen Staindl School Principal

Enrolment Enquiries email enrolments@stclaresoĸcer.catholic.edu.au 48 SPRING 2021

St Clare’s Primary School Oĸcer Oĸcer 3809 Phone 03 5940 6777

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au