Geelong Coast Kids - Summer 2023

SUMMER 2023

Why Hamish Blake is

Our top dad with

Jackie Erb and Tommy Cockram

Putting new mums

In Safe Hands

About Us

Man, it’s a hot summer!

OH hey, El Niño!

We’re sweating just thinking about the summer we have ahead of us.

Finding inventive ways to keep cool will be essential as the temperature soars over the months ahead.

We’ve been scoping out shady parks for a while now; noting the good and bad so we know where to return for that outdoor fix on a steamy day.

Parks and playgrounds with water play are always a hit in summer. Just a splash with some cool water can spark a fit of giggles and wash away even the most foul ‘It’s too hot today’ mood.

Water play is always popular at home, too; from watering the garden to ‘painting’ the brickwork, bathing toys, or

creating a sand/water/dirt slurry you’ll spend weeks cleaning up…

Perhaps you feel more comfortable indoors as the temperature rises, with the air conditioning pumping. How about keeping the kids busy in the kitchen? No oven or stove top required.

Whip up a batch of icy poles using fruit and water, juice, milk, yogurt, or whatever else you have on hand.

Customise the flavours to suit your family and (potentially) end the arguments over who gets which colour.

We like to use our smoothie blender and add whatever fresh fruit is in season (or nearing the end of its usable time in the fruit bowl or fridge…).

preservatives, and there are so many refillable moulds available in fun shapes and different sizes.

We also love the simplicity of the humble ice cube on a hot summer day.

Pop ice in a cup or bowl for cooling play for littles, or try submerging plastic toys in water and freezing them, ready for a creative kid to rescue..

What are your summer heat-busters?

Let us know your tips and tricks via Instagram or Facebook, and we’ll share our favourites.

Happy summer!

We bypass the processed sugars and

DISABILITY SERVICES

PAGES 3-5

Geelong Neuro Centre Kids: Creative and flexible therapy

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Steve Biddulph: What is this dysregulation thing?

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One World for Children: Children reach their potential through play

CareSpace: Find your happy place

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North Geelong Secondary College: Creative, caring and diverse PAGE 25

PAGE 6 Why Hamish Blake is an award-winning dad PAGE 6

Melbourne City Mission: Early childhood intervention is available PAGE 17

PAGE 22 Tutors to keep supporting students

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Kids in the Kitchen: Watermelon tree icy poles

REALITY BITES

ENTERTAINMENT

Making space for comfort and conversations

Gumnut guides help kids and parents take outdoor adventures

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Tara Pavlovic: Sunscreen battles begone!

PAGE 9 New mums are in Safe Hands PAGE 11 Your child isn’t too young to learn to swim PAGE 12 Learning to labour: Julia trained for her births

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Why Hamish Blake is

EDUCATION

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Support through the mental health storm

BOOKS

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How to teach life skills to your teens

How to make a smooth start to the school year PAGE 21

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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.

Montessori Minds: Anew beacon of early childhood Eeducation

Crossing the Gap: Help to blossom and thrive

Lachy and Elle’s love comes full circle

Group Advertising Sales Manager Mandy Clark mandy.clark@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: (03) 5945 0608

SUMMER 2023

Geelong author and mum shares holiday reading hacks for kids

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Geelong Coast Kids 1/47 Pakington Street, Geelong West Phone: 5249 6700

Advertising General Sales Inquiries 03 5249 6700 advertising@geelongindependent.com. au

New school for Royal Children’s Hospital Hospita

Angie’s Catchup: With Jackie Erb and Tommy Cockram

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

Editorial Melissa Meehan melissa.meehan@starnewsgroup.com.au Casey Neill casey.neill@starnewsgroup.com.au

CONTENTS IT’S YOUR LIFE

Geelong Coast Kids magazine is a Star News Group publication.

PAGE 30

Our top dad with

Jackie Erb and Tommy Cockram

Putting new mums

In Safe Hands

COVER: Mia enjoys some summer sunshine.

Picture: Rob Carew

Elder shares the six seasons on her Country PAGE 30

Parents wake up to the importance of sleep PAGE 15

DENTAL Happy Dental: Nurturing bright smiles from childhood PAGE 10

geelongcoastkids.com.au 2 SSUMMER UMM UM U MM M MER R 202 20 2023 02 0 23

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It’s Your Life

Ava, Adrian, Jackie, Tommy, Ollie, and Lily.

Jackie’s ‘hectic’ half-dozen JACKIE ERB is a busy Barwon Heads mum with six children ranging in age from 7 to 24 (I feel tired just writing that!).

When I drove into her neighborhood, I had a flashback to the good ol’ ‘80s (pre-devices) with kids roaming the streets everywhere.

Walking into the house of a big family, you would expect a bit of disarray but this wasn’t true in the slightest.

After chatting to Jackie for a bit you discover a sweet, super-organised, fun mum with a zest for life and quiet fire in her belly, which she has no doubt she has passed on to her babies.

One of those babies is 17-year-old Tommy, who has taken a covid creative curiosity and turned it into a mind-blowing global success.

Jackie reflects back to 14-year-old Tommy in covid and remembers thinking he was ‘wasting his time’ on social media. Little did she know he was creating content that was building a global audience that currently sits at more than 8 million people.

And for someone who didn’t even know what TikTok was, Jackie is now all over it, as she manages the career of her globally-famous teen star.

Tommy has even feature in the Barefoot Investor Kids edition where he shares that he made $10k from one post!

You could presume a teen with this kind of success could be a little cocky or extroverted, but what I found was a polite, humble young man with a spirit of adventure and quiet determination.

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

I spoke to Tommy and Jackie to get the scoop on Tommy’s meteoric rise to social stardom.

So firstly, how did you end up in Barwon Heads with your Swiss husband Adrian?

I owned a racehorse farm in Modewarre with my ex-husband.

When we broke up, I moved to Barwon Heads to start a new life with my four kids.

I do things straight away. For example, if I get a message from school I will answer instantly, otherwise I can’t get it done.

I make their lunches as soon as I unpack them from school and pop them in the fridge ready to go, because then it’s on to sport training or games and back to dinner.

I was going through a bit of a tough time, so I said to Mum, “Let’s go to Fiji on a holiday.”

I’m lucky that the work I do managing Tommy and helping Adrian in his business fit in really well around everything else. It was funny, I asked Ava a question about what Mummy’s favourite thing to do is and she said, “Hanging the washing out!”

I was on a tiny tropical island and met this beautiful Swiss gentleman, Adrian, who was there on a world trip with some mates.

I try to make time for myself by going for a run or to the gym to keep some balance, but it’s definitely hectic.

My mum lived down there too, which was a great support.

He barely spoke English at the time. It was hilarious! We had a German girl interpreting things for us. Anyway, we really hit it off!

Long story short, we fell in love, had a long-distance relationship for a while, and then he bit the bullet and moved out here.

We married and had two more children. He is such a wonderful man!

He used to be heavily involved in karate and loves anime comics.

Bella, 22, is working for a shearing company and also left home. She loves her two staffies and horse riding.

She is a real country girl at heart and you will find her in riding boots most of the time.

Lily, 20, just finished her second year of university at Deakin studying a Bachelor of Arts majoring in psychology and criminology.

She was fortunate to get a scholarship from our local Bendigo Bank, which is a huge help.

So run me through the six children…

Edward, 24, is working construction. He left home and is doing really well.

He loves hanging out with his friends and is looking to buy his first home.

That is the most romantic story ever! So six children? How do you do it and still look so sane and serene? I have two and struggle! (laughs) Well, in all honesty, it’s exhausting and hectic! Two are not living here anymore, but I have always had to be super organized as the mental load is quite huge.

I have a calendar and I have lists that I check off daily.

SUMMER 2023 3

It’s Your Life She is also a talented artist and her work from Year 12 was featured in the National Gallery of Victoria as part of Top Arts.

She also does art commissions on the side and has two part-time jobs - one at our local IGA and one teaching art at Pinot and Picasso.

Tommy, 17, is in Year 11 VCE at Oberon High school. He is completing his studies in conjunction with working on his social media content on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.

He also has a part time job at Starfish Bakery.

He loves spending time with his friends and going to the gym to try and build his guns!

Ollie, 11, is in Year 6 at Barwon Heads Primary and is mad about sport, especially basketball, footy, and running.

He is in two basketball teams because he has so much energy.

He is extremely social and it’s not uncommon for us to have five of his friends streaming through the doors every day. I just have to lock the pantry.

He is a great little runner and missed out on making the state cross country by one position.

He is the most outgoing of all the kids.

By far.

Ava, 7, is in Year 2 at Barwon Heads Primary and is very studious and loves school.

She plays basketball with her schoolmates, which is very cute to watch.

She loves reading and crafts and her best friend Billie. They are inseparable.

4 SUMMER 2023

She is obsessed with the beach and swimming even when it’s absolutely freezing. Little fish.

OK let’s hear from you, Tommy: Tell us about how it all started…

Tommy: When I was in lockdown I just started making videos on TikTok. It started off as me doing tricks on the trampoline and then I switched to storytelling videos.

Within my first month of TikTok, I had 500,000 followers.

So how many followers do you have now?

Tommy: I have 7.9 million on TikTok and one million on YouTube.

When did you start making videos?

Tommy: I’d been making videos for fun since I was nine on all sorts of things. I now try to do them daily. It’s always storytelling, explaining things like extreme sports, scary videos.

They usually go for about 30 seconds each.

Is there a secret to getting people hooked on your content?

Tommy: Yeah, you really have to catch the audience attention straight away.

I make a lot of scary videos now.

People particularly love watching close calls with death. It’s also important to use the right music, the right hashtags etcetera.

Do you need special equipment to do it?

Tommy: Not at all. For ages I just used an old phone I got for $500. I now use a GoPro 360 and I edit on my iPad through an app called VideoLeap. It really doesn’t cost much to get started.

So when you get to that many subscribers, do you start making money from it?

Tommy: Well, in America you can make money from TikTok, but not in Australia. So what I do instead is make promotional videos for different companies or businesses and that’s how I get paid.

Jackie: Because he’s under-18, I had to get my head around these platforms.

I had never been on YouTube apart from looking up a song.

And as for TikTok, he literally came to me one day in covid and said “Mum, I’ve just hit a million subscribers on TikTok,” and I said, “What’s TikTok?”.

I’d never been on TikTok in my life!

At first, I thought ‘Geez, that’s amazing’, then all of a sudden I got an email about wanting to manage him!

I thought ‘This is getting serious for me’. Then contracts started coming through. Luckily my brother’s quite a good businessman and he got us a good lawyer and a mentor from the industry.

So now you manage him and look after all his business deals. Is it lucrative?

Jackie: It’s public knowledge from his feature in the Barefoot Investor Kids that he made $10,000 from one TikTok promotion, which is insane.

He hasn’t replicated that since but that’s because we say no to a lot of requests because they don’t align with his brand. YouTube can be quite lucrative depending on your engagement and views.

Can you make a career out of it?

Jackie: It can definitely be a career, but you need to be very dedicated. It takes a lot of work and consistency.

It’s easy to get drained from constantly coming up with ideas and dealing with some possible negativity and trolls. You have your fans and the not-so-friendly.

You need to believe in yourself and go for it. Not care what others think.

Tommy is actually really humble and not your typical outgoing personality but I think that’s what sets him apart.

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

Amazing that Tommy featured in the Barefoot Investor for Kids. How did that come about?

Jackie: Scott Pape asked his subscribers to apply and so I did. Tommy was chosen from thousands of applicants, which was really exciting.

Do you get noticed in public?

Jackie: He does, but he’s quite humble. I don’t think he really likes the attention.

Sometimes when he gets noticed in the street he’ll get embarrassed and say, “Mum, mum” and I say, “Tom, eight million people are looking at you!”.

What do you wish you knew about parenting in advance?

Jackie: That it goes really, really, really fast but you don’t know it until one day they drive off with a P-plate in the corner of the window of the car and you die a little on the inside.

All the Barefoot Kids had a Zoom meeting with Scott to celebrate the book and have a meet and greet, which was a real highlight for Tommy.

What advice would you have for kids thinking of wanting to build their own social following?

Tommy: Just stay consistent with your posting. Don’t give up.

I usually post at about 10 o’clock at night. I don’t really follow when it says the best times to post.

Personally, I don’t really think that’s accurate, algorithms change all the time. I’ll make the video post to YouTube and then I’ll post to TikTok, then to Instagram after.

It’s such a busy time of feeding/ sleeping/playing/sports activities/ school drop off and pick up and all that comes with being a parent that I wish I knew how to slow it all down a little bit and maybe try and enjoy it all a little bit more.

Tommy, what do you do outside of school and making videos?

Tommy: I skate a lot. My dream is to get my skydiving license and skydive out of a hot air balloon one day.

I’m about to go in a Warbird plane and do aerobatics at Barwon Heads Airport. They’re taking me up for a video, which will be fun.

Oh, my God, I can’t imagine being his mother!

Jackie: I know, right? We’d be in a supermarket and he’d literally just do a backflip in one of the aisles!

We had two tramps at one stage in the backyard where he’d jump from one to the other doing tricks.

He’d go to meet-ups with people around Geelong in a warehouse and they’d all do tricks.

He’s only had a couple of broken bones, which is pretty good considering.

Jackie, what stage would you say is the hardest with raising kids?

Jackie: Definitely teenagers - from 14 to 16. Because I have three of each, people always ask me this.

People think girls are hard but I think, for me, the boys are just a little more reckless.

Kids do all sorts of things, no matter how good we are as parents. So I’ve said to them, “You’re going to have temptations, you’re going to have to make your own decisions. I trust you but sometimes you’ll make dumb decisions, but I’ll always be here for you”.

I wish I knew not to be in a rush all the time.

And although I feel pressured to sometimes be more or do more, that being a parent is hands down the best role I would ever have.

Check out Tommy’s social media accounts on TikTok, YouTube or Instagram at TCEZY.

Jackie at a glance…

■ Adrian Erb, husband, 42 Hardworking, adventurous, gorgeous human.

■ Eddie Cockram, 24 - Loyal, kind, car enthusiast.

■ Bella Cockram, 22 - Quietnatured, animal lover, country girl.

■ Lily Cockram, 20 - Artist extraordinaire, great sense of humour, sweetheart.

■ Tommy Cockram, 17 - Social media expert, thrill-seeker, loving.

■ Ollie Erb, 11 - Enthusiastic, non-stop sporty boy, empathetic.

■ Ava Erb, 7 - Cheeky, fun, water-mad.

Guilty pleasure: Red wine, nut chocolates, and a hot bath.

Preferably all three together.

Go-to shower song: I love music.

We have a Friday night boogie session outside by the fire with disco lights and the kids let loose. So fun.

I would probably lean toward a rock ballad from U2 or Post Malone.

Favourite movies or series: So hard.

Love movies, too. Shawshank Redemption, Primal Fear (love Edward Norton), ET, Silence of the Lambs for thriller, Top Gun, Phar Lap. I’m a mad Survivor fan and Breaking Bad was amazing Favourite book: One of my first jobs out of university was at Lonely Planet Publications and I still love my travel guides. Also, Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.

Jackie Erb and son Tommy Cockram.

Pictures: Louisa Jones

Favourite quote: “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” - The 14th Dalai Lama.

Three inspiring people you’d love to have over for a backyard barbecue: Gary Vaynerchuk, known as Gary V. An American immigrant social media guru and entrepreneur.

He is different in that he operates with kindness and positivity.

He is down to earth and relates to me. He started with nothing and worked his way through hardship to success.

Tommy and I recently went to his seminar and I would love to hear more about his life and values.I’d love to have dinner with my dad, Geoff Ainsworth, who I’ve missed for the past 12 years, and fill him in on all the amazing things his grandkids have been up to.

As a past Geelong Cats captain he would love to hear about their success over the years.

Grandkids and footy would be hot topics. I would love to hear his quick wit and dad jokes, too.

I’ve recently seen the Lewis Capaldi documentary, and he is a cheeky Scotsman with Tourette’s who is hilarious.

I would love to hear him sing in person and hear about how he keeps going despite his condition. I think he’s inspiring. www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

SUMMER 2023 5

It’s Your Life

What is this dysregulation thing?

We can help our kids with strong feelings by teaching them to notice their body sensations, and what they are trying to say, writes STEVE BIDDULPH STEVE Biddulph writes about how we need each other when we are upset.

You’re on your way in the car to pick up your kids from somewhere. Your thoughts are on your plans for the rest of the day and a busy weekend ahead.

Suddenly, your attention is grabbed by a car coming towards you on the highway. It has veered into your lane and is headed straight for you - fast.

You hit the brakes, your stomach clenches, and you get ready to swerve off the road but - gasp - just seconds before it hits you head-on, it pulls back into its lane and speeds away.

Nothing has happened, in the sense that there was no collision, no damage, no injuries. But you are really not the same.

Your heart is racing and your whole body is clammy with sweat, you might even feel like throwing up.

You can barely keep driving, but there is no choice because, well, the kids will be waiting.

When you get to your destination a few minutes later, if it’s somewhere a bit formal - like a pickup from childcare or a piano lesson with a grumpy teacher then you just have to wing it. When they say hello, you put on your cheery face and pretend you are just feeling great.

But if it’s somewhere friendly - your mum’s house, or a good friend who has minded your kids, or their lovely grade one teacher - and they ask how you are, then an interesting thing might happen.

You find yourself blurting out, “I almost got killed by someone crossing the lanes just then!”

You might shiver and shake or burst into tears. If it’s been a bad day and this was just the last straw, you might really lose it.

And they will say, “Oh no, that’s terrible,” and come and give you a hug, and that hug will really help.

You might spend a minute or two telling them what happened, where it was, how scary it was, and how you really thought you were going to die.

Your heartbeat would slow down, your breathing would go back to normal, and your optimism would return.

Things in life will upset us. It is not easy to let go of these unless we have someone kind and not upset to be a quiet anchor to steady us.

To do that, they need to be calm, have a bit of time, and be able to give us the attention we need as we struggle to find the words, let the physical tensions go, and make sense of what happened.

Today’s language for what happens to us - often several times a day - is that we get “dysregulated”.

So along with fixing food, keeping them organised, reading them a story, or washing their clothes, a big part of our job is helping each other “reregulate”.

When we notice someone in our family is upset, we drop into quiet mode and breathe slowly, listen to what they are saying, hold back from offering advice, and notice if they need or want physical comfort.

They will sense this caring attention, and out will pour a whole bundle of heartaches or concerns.

At these times, almost the less we say, the better - just a few sympathetic sounds, some acknowledgment of how they feel.

If we can let this just be and not get dysregulated ourselves, they will soon get through it.

We feel shaken up and even “have a meltdown” or “lose it”.

Years afterwards they’ll remember you as someone who really knew how to love.

Kids have this happen all the time because they are just learning about life and because the modern world is madness with its rush and hurry and overstimulation.

Steve Biddulph wrote the world’s top-selling parenting book Raising Boys, plus Fully Human and Raising Girls. He lives in Tasmania and makes up silly songs for his grandchildren.

How Hamish Blake dads EVEN Australia’s Father of the Year gets it wrong - “frequently”.

But Hamish Blake said it was “healthy to be honest about how much we’re still learning, whilst also knowing how important it is to try just as hard tomorrow”.

“I’m excited to continue growing and learning as a dad, and I hope to inspire others to embrace the wonderful adventure that fatherhood brings,” he said.

The father of two, entertainer, and host of podcast How Other Dads Dad, received the 2023 Australian Father of the Year title in August from The Fathering Project and The Australian Father’s Day Council.

Hamish said the award was a chance to highlight the amazing opportunity dads, mentors, or father figures had to shape the future for their kids.

“I am always the most inspired by the dads doing the little things, rather than big sweeping gestures,” he said. “‘Fathering’ is a constant, daily practice, and one we’re lucky to get to do for the rest of our life.

“Nothing is more important.

“Being present, creating a space for fun and adventure, and being totally accepting of who my kids are as people is what I strive to do, and how I hope 6 SUMMER 2023

they feel safe and loved.”

Hamish shares son, Sonny, and daughter, Rudy with his wife, Zoe Foster Blake.

“Becoming a dad for me, for the first time, I suppose it’s the point where something turns from theory into practice,” he told The Fathering Project.

“There’s only so much you can think about and hypothesis.

“You only learn by doing.

“The love side of things is overwhelming - that completely floors you.

“You look at parents that have come before you and they seem to know what they’re doing, and then you know deep down that you have no idea what you’re doing “I think the thing that gets you through that storm is the love.

“I love this thing so much, I will find a way, I will try and find a way to get through.”

On his Instagram, Hamish shared that being a dad itself was the actual prize.

“But I’ll graciously accept the plaque so I can spend the next year using it to get out of trouble for things like water fights in the house and poorly thoughtthrough school lunch preparation,” he wrote.

“In all seriousness, doing a podcast

Hamish Blake receives his Father of the Year award.

about dads I am fortunate to talk deeply to a bunch of them, and I am constantly inspired by the fact that there is a huge (and growing) amount of blokes who are passionate about showing up each day to be fully invested dads so our kids can have the best shot in life.

“Of course, we’re all constantly messing up, but my heart is warmed by the love and commitment of the dads I have on the show and those who listen to it.”

The Fathering Project CEO Káti Gapaillard said Hamish delivered a powerful fatherhood message by sharing his personal journey.

“He encourages dads to connect

authentically, acknowledging that perfection isn’t the goal,” she said.

“Spending quality time each day with your child is what really matters.

“Hamish definitely shows us the joys of fathering and the many long-lasting benefits dads can bring to their children.”

The Fathering Project is a not-for-profit focused on giving children the best life possible through engaged and effective fathers, and runs programs in schools and workplaces.

Research shows children with an engaged father or father figure have significantly better social, mental, physical, and academic outcomes. www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

It’s Your Life

Holiday reading hacks for kids RUTH MCGURK is a Geelong mum, primary school teacher, and author of the new children’s book The Dinosaur Did It. She shares her tips to keep kids reading over the summer break.

in the recipe. The same goes for craft activities and even putting toys together. Ask your child to help you read out the steps to assemble that new trampoline while you put it together, or share the rules of the new board game they just got for Christmas.They might be short texts but it all counts.

SO, the holidays have rolled around again and amid organising the perfect Christmas, the family travel plans, and juggling work commitments, you’ve been put in charge of your child’s reading over the six-week break.

Yep, you might end up with cereal on some of your favourite stories, but having it within reach provides extra opportunities for kids to have a quick flick through.

Fear not: there are ways to do this without feeling like a drill sergeant, and keeping your sanity intact. Why do schools recommend this? Over the holidays it’s normal for kids to forget a little bit of what they’ve learned at school.

Sometimes referred to as the ‘summer slide’, it’s when skills get a bit rusty because students are out of practice and not engaging with learning in the same way they do at school. Kids absolutely need a break from formal schooling, but encouraging reading during that break can help them to not fall too far back.

Here are some tips to get your kids’ noses stuck into a book.

Start small Reading doesn’t just mean books.

If you’re happy to get the kids into the kitchen over the holidays, get them to read the ingredients and instructions

Leave reading material lying around This might be a tough one if you prefer an ordered, uncluttered house, but leaving a small stack of picture books on the breakfast table can give kids something to do while they’re feeling under-stimulated with a mundane task.

If you’re up for it, you can level up and stick some next to the toilet or in the seat pockets in your car. And it doesn’t have to only be story books either.

Theatre programs, footy records, Guinness Book of World Records, or even a magazine about their favourite activity all work.

For example, if your child is really into gaming, there are magazines that review new releases and discuss the latest trends (just be sure to check the content is appropriate first).

Any text about an area your child is interested in is worthwhile them reading, and might feature vocabulary they are not commonly exposed to in a fiction text.

Try audiobooks This is perfect for that road trip on the way to your family holiday. When it’s your turn to pick the music, pop an audiobook on instead.

There are fantastic recorded versions

of novels and picture books you can play in the car via bluetooth or CD. It doesn’t need to be the whole book, either - most books try to capture their readers by chapter three. Once you’ve got your kids hooked into the story, you can switch to the hard copy.

And if your child finds reading challenging, an audiobook is the perfect read-a-long companion while they follow the words on the page. Best of all, these can be accessed free of charge through the library in-house or via their app. The Geelong Regional Library Corporation (GRLC) uses the BorrowBox app and you simply use your membership number to access their huge range of titles.

Check out the library holiday program And speaking of the library, the GRLC has a fantastic holiday program for kids aged 6 to 18 years old.

From craft, to coding, to LEGO, there really is something for everyone. Jump onto the library website to check out what’s on offer. And while you’re there, why not use the opportunity to encourage the kids to grab a book on the way out? Memberships are free, there are no late fees and the staff are always ready to pair your child with their perfect book.

Comfort reading is legitimate reading You know how adults enjoy an easy beach read? Well, kids need that comfort, too.

Let your children read their old favourites. They will be revising vocabulary and getting a deeper understanding of the text each time they re-read it. It’s the holidays, after all, so let them sit back and relax with familiar characters and storylines.

have brilliant independent bookshops like The Book Bird in Geelong West, Heads or Tales in Barwon Heads, Book Grove in Ocean Grove, and Torquay Books.

The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and well-versed in kid’s books on all different topics. Also, they can help caregivers branch out from the stuff we read growing up. There truly is something to appeal to most interests, from books celebrating the Matildas, epic fantasy series, to funny graphic novels with heaps of pictures to support your child’s understanding of the story.

They’ll even point you in the direction of books by local authors, like Jackie Hosking, Stef Gemill, Sue Lawson, Shivaun Plozza and Samantha EllenBound.

Be seen to be reading This one is both incredibly powerful and often really hard to pull off.

When kids see their adults sitting down and enjoying a book it’s a validation of reading. This can be hard if you’ve got very young children, but setting up a culture of reading in your home is fast-tracked when they see you reading, too.

So sit down with a cuppa and good book - it’s for the kids! Getting your kids to read over the holidays is more than just worthwhile for their academics, it’s a fantastic way to relax after a busy school year.

If you can get creative with it, you’ll be setting your children along a path to becoming lifelong book lovers. The Dinosaur Did It is published by Five Mile Press, and available in bookstores and online from January.

Let them choose their own adventure Giving your child ownership of picking a new book can really ignite their interest. The Geelong region is lucky to Ruth McGurk with husband, Adam, and their children, Felicity, 2, Imogen, 5, and Nicholas, 3.

Pictures: Louisa Jones

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

SUMMER 2023 7

It’s Your Life

Watermelon tree icy poles Pictures: Lucy Stewart Kids Nutrition

Ingredients: ■ ¼ watermelon ■ Yoghurt

iin n th the he kitchen

■ Optional decorations: Desiccated coconut, chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, seeds

with Lucy Stewart THESE watermelon tree icy poles make a refreshing summer snack but are especially fun to make at Christmas time.

Not only do they look impressive, they’re really quick and easy to make and encourage kids of all ages into the kitchen to help decorate them.

Cooking with kids – and the inevitable mess that follows – can sometimes feel overwhelming, but this recipe ensures minimal clean-up if you set up your decorating station in advance.

Getting kids in the kitchen has so many long-term health benefits and also helps to build confidence and self-esteem.

Even completing a simple task like this gives kids a sense of accomplishment, and it’s this feeling of success that supports their development.

Christmas is often a time when kids are surrounded by candy canes and gingerbread, so these trees make a sweet change and encourage them to eat more fruit.

The yoghurt icing adds gut-loving probiotics, nourishing fats and protein, then utilise whatever nuts, seeds or dried fruit you have in the pantry to decorate. The tree stumps work as built-in handles or you can add pop sticks.

Instructions: 1. Cut your watermelon into slices about 2cm thick, then slice the rinds in half or thirds, to create tall trees.

2. Trim the rind from the flesh at the sides to create a trunk, then use a sharp knife to make an incision in the trunk where your pop stick can go.

3. Fill a small piping bag with yoghurt and ice your trees. If you don’t have a piping bag, simply fill a plastic sandwich bag in the corner and snip the end off.

4. Place in the freezer until the yoghurt has set, then enjoy!

■ Serves: Approx. 18 ■ Prep time: 10 minutes ■ Cool time: 2 hours

Well Fed Kitchen is a range of healthy snacks for kids that you can make at home.

Created by Nutritionist and mum, Lucy Stewart, they’re made with only real wholefood and plant-based ingredients – no additives, nothing artificial, and without nuts, dairy, soy and wheat.

Well Fed Kitchen provides an easy snack alternative to the sugar-laden, healthy pro- cessed options, guaranteed to fill kids tummies, satisfy their hunger, provide a steady release of energy and some essential growing nutrients too. www.wellfedkitchen.com.au @wellfedkitchen_snacks 12562706-MS36-22

8 SUMMER 2023

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

It’s Your Life

Love comes full circle

By Casey Neill A married couple who met when they were just hours old?

As a movie pitch, it sounds a bit far-fetched.

But it’s Elle Bethune and Lachlan Moorhead’s real-life fairytale, with newborn daughter Darcy recently completing their happily ever after.

The Ormond couple’s mothers, Kaye and Marlana, met in a prenatal class at Cabrini.

“They came in with their pillows, I think with our dads,” Elle explained.

“They had several classes over the time before we were born and became friends.”

Marlana gave birth to Lachy via ceasarean on 2 November, while Kaye welcomed Elle on the 10th.

“Their rooms were two doors away,” Elle said.

“We met in the ward.

“There was some holding hands under the maths desk that year,” Elle laughed.

“It wasn’t until uni that we got together.”

The couple married in 2021 after Covid restrictions delayed their nuptials twice.

They pushed their initial December 2020 date to June 2021, and finally to July that year.

“There were a few scares. The wedding was on a Saturday. The Friday morning was the first time we let ourselves believe it would happen,” Lachy said.

They started trying for a baby soon after they tied the knot.

“Everything had been pushed back already,” Elle said.

“It happened really quickly initially. I remember the first test. We couldn’t believe it.”

But she miscarried soon after.

“They created an unofficial mum’s group with another friend so the three of them caught up regularly.

“We were still relatively positive at that point,” she said.

“I know we were at each other’s first birthdays because there’s photos of that.

One progressed to nine weeks before Elle experienced bleeding - while isolated from a Covid-positive Lachy.

“But we went to different kindies and primary schools so then we just lost touch.”

Lachy said they briefly reunited at Year 7 orientation at Caulfield Grammar.

“Just by chance our mums parked next to each other and recognised each other and had a chat,” he said.

“I don’t recall remembering Elle.”

Elle laughed: “I think we weren’t giving much to each other.”

“That was sort of it. It was just that one interaction at the front gate.

“We didn’t talk until Year 10.”

She was put into a maths class without any of her mates but recognised Lachy in the back row.

“Then you slowly let me in,” she said to Lachy.

“That’s how we got to know each other.”

Lachy said they dated during their final years of high school, “but very on and off”.

Back to back to back losses followed.

“I couldn’t be there, so that was hard,” he said.

They decided to see a fertility specialist “just to have a chat” and received a game plan - try naturally for another three months, then turn to IVF. They bought the medication for their first cycle but still held onto hope.

“I thought I’d be one of those people that on the last try before IVF, it’d happen,” Elle said.

After eating the french fries and the pineapple came the long wait to find out whether the transfer had been successful.

The couple were relieved when a blood test confirmed Elle was pregnant, but they’d been there before.

“We were definitely a bit dissociated,” Lachy said.

“I’m sure everyone who goes through these challenges is similar.

“The whole time, the whole pregnancy, I don’t know if we ever believed it.

“You don’t want to be too negative either. We were trying to focus on positive thinking.

“We were aiming for some kind of neutral zone.

“We didn’t tell too many people because you’re wanting to protect yourself.

“It was nice to have a few people who knew because it’s a lot of a burden for just you two.”

Elle received progesterone needles until the 12-week mark, juggling social engagements to administer the hormone at the same time each day.

She had “a lot of bleeding” in the early weeks, which was found to be from a subchorionic hematoma - a blood clot between the amniotic membrane and the uterine wall - that resolved by 20 weeks.

“It was mentally quite hard because it brings up everything,” she said.

“When we found out the sex it made it feel more real.

“That was a step we’d never got to.

We let the walls down a bit.”

Elle was induced at 39+4 at Cabrini - a full-circle moment for the pair.

Doctors broke her waters in the morning and Darcy was born at 5.57pm on 15 August weighing 4.3 kilograms.

“It’s the most crazy thing, seeing this fully-formed thing in front of you that you’ve seen as a shape on a screen,” Lachy said.

“It was super special.”

Naming their daughter was possibly the easiest part of the whole process.

Elle came across a Darcy through her work as a dance teacher.

“We liked unisex names and this one was top of our list,” Lachy said.

Darcy was two months old when we spoke.

“It’s been a lot,” Elle laughed when asked about adjusting to parenthood.

“I don’t think anyone can quite prepare you for the reality.”

But they’re enjoying “figuring her out” and soaking it all up.

“Seeing her starting to engage her eyes and take you in is really special,” Lachy said.

“We think we’re not too far from a smile, which is really nice.

“I think also what’s been really nice is you get that little endorphin hit when you see your friends and family with her.”

Elle said: “Getting to meet her and seeing a little bit of Lachy and seeing yourself looking back at you is just crazy. That has been so nice.”

“Because it’s so timed, I remember day one came and I was like ‘it’s now or never’.

“It was almost good because I couldn’t really question it.

“I think if I’d been left with it I might not have pulled the trigger.”

Her egg retrieval yielded 26 eggs, which formed 12 embryos.

“We did the transfer. I think because of everything I was very dissociated with it,” Elle said.

Parents Lachlan and Elle with Darcy.

Pictures: Rob Carew www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

SUMMER 2023 9

DENTAL

Nurturing bright smiles from childhood Don’t underestimate the role of nutrition in oral health.

MAINTAINING your child’s oral health extends beyond the routine brush-andfloss routine - it’s an approach that embraces nutrition, regular dental check-ups, and age-appropriate dental care. As parents, we play a crucial role in fostering good habits that will pave the way for a lifetime of healthy smiles.

Children start their oral health journey with baby teeth, a set of 20 tiny pearls that begin to make their appearance around six years of age.

Over the next six years, these baby teeth will slowly fall out, making room for the arrival of permanent teeth by the age of 12.

This transitional period underscores the importance of vigilant oral care practices.

While brushing, flossing, and regular dental check-ups are cornerstones of oral health, it’s imperative not to underestimate the role of nutrition.

Opt for wholesome snacks like carrot sticks and cheese cubes over sugary or processed foods. Incorporating these choices into lunchboxes and after-school snacks not only promotes oral health but also establishes a foundation for overall well-being.

This collaborative effort sets the stage for responsible oral hygiene habits.

Initiating dental visits early is another key aspect of a comprehensive oral care plan.

Schedule the first dental visit around 2.5 years old, providing an opportunity for familiarity with the dental environment even if your child isn’t quite ready to open up for examination.

Children might try their hand at brushing around the age of 6, but parental intervention remains crucial.

This early introduction lays the groundwork for a positive attitude toward future dental appointments.

Allow them the autonomy to practice brushing on their own, but follow up with a thorough brush to ensure all teeth receive proper attention.

Additionally, it’s noteworthy that eligible children, aged 2 to 18, are entitled to $1052 of dental treatment every two years, fully bulk-billed.

This initiative aims to make essential dental care accessible, emphasising the importance of proactive oral health measures from a young age.

In conclusion, fostering a healthy smile in your child involves a multifaceted approach.

Beyond the technicalities of brushing and flossing, consider the impact of nutrition, early dental visits, and the available support for comprehensive dental care.

By embracing these practices, we empower our children with the tools to maintain not only a radiant smile but also a lifetime of optimal oral health.

Give Happy Dental a call on 5229 6668 or book at www.happydental.com.au.

Book an Appointment 12634130-FC37-23

to get your Custom made Sports mouth guard

10 SUMMER 2023

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

Reality Bites

Claire Andrews with husband Steve and daughters Millie and Lucy.

Picture: Kate Barker, Lenny Lune Photography

New mums in Safe Hands

By Casey Neill

“I had the most beautiful birth,” she said.

CLAIRE ANDREWS is a mum and nurse on a mission.

“But after I gave birth to her I dropped 1.7 litres of blood within the space of 10 minutes.

“I really genuinely think that through shared experience we can help each other to feel a little less alone,” she said.

Her own rough entry to motherhood inspired her to become a maternal child health nurse, start online resource Safe Hands Parenting, and produce podcast The Moment.

“To know what it feels like to become a parent is almost indescribable,” Claire said.

“It is the most monumental experience that your body, your mind, your self, your identity can go through.

“People don’t have to feel isolated or helpless or alone in that experience.”

Claire has been a nurse for more than 10 years. She still remembers the moment she knew it was the career path for her.

“I was doing health and human development and we did a topic on perinatal health,” she said.

“I went home to my mum and said, ‘I really want to do that’.”

Her mum explained ‘that’ was midwifery and suggested she start out studying nursing.

Claire did just that, started working in nursing in 2012, and entered a midwifery postgraduate course the following year.

“I wasn’t a huge fan of the purely adult nursing in a ward,” she said.

Plus it was inflexible with her midwifery studies and placements, so she helped to provide termination and contraception services at Marie Stopes Australia, now MSI Australia.

“That was really fantastic. That confirmed my love of just women’s health and working with women and supporting women,” she said.

Claire joined the Royal Women’s as a midwife in 2015 and welcomed her first child, Millie, five years later.

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

“I got diagnosed with preeclampsia and retained membranes and ended up in theatre very quickly.

“It all happened within my workplace.

That added a layer of stuff.”

Claire was diagnosed with glandular fever at her six-week checkup, and then the lockdowns began.

Her partner, Steve, started his job as a paramedic just two weeks before Millie was born, so had no parental leave and was working long hours.

“We didn’t really have a circle of friends or support network around us,” she said.

“It was just months and months on end of not having any face to face contact or everyday support.”

Claire was diagnosed with severe postnatal depression, and later with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“The silver lining of going through such a horrible experience was it showed me what I love about what I do, and it’s really supporting women,” she said.

“I thought, ‘How can I combine my professional and my personal experience to hopefully make a difference?’.

“Going into maternal child health nursing was the best way I could see that happening.”

Claire said Victoria’s MCHN system was more robust than anywhere else in the country.

“Parents can access up to 10 appointments from birth to 3.5 years,” she said.

“But the circus is missing a trick.

“The motto is ‘children are at the heart of what we do’.

“But children do not determine what their life looks like, their parents do.

“The system is geared towards the child.

“Through my experience, over the phone, you’d be lucky if you got asked how you were going.

“A lot of people are moving away from the hospital system because they just don’t want to do it anymore.

“One side effect of that could be people navigating early parenthood move into the job.

“I think that there are a lot more people coming into this line of work who have similar passions in this area of women’s health rather than children’s health, and hopefully that will start turning the dial.”

Safe Hands is an extension of her work with new parents, and was born from having multiple conversations around navigating the same parenthood challenges.

The business includes a guide for new parents, as well as an Instagram account.

“Social media has brought a great amount of information,” she said.

“But you do have to take everything with a grain of salt.

“I don’t think there’s been enough of that genuine content, there is too much glamorisation.

“And you’re relying on people adhering to their scope of practice.

“I didn’t want to just create an account for the sake of creating an account.

“I wanted to fill the gap.”

Claire leans on her wealth of clinical and personal experience and shares content she wishes she’d seen while in the thick of it - the honest thoughts and feelings common to new mothers.

“Our generation is shifting the way we are talking about things,” she said.

“Across many households that we grew up in as children, we saw mums that ‘just keep going’ because there is no alternative.

“They would never speak about how they felt, especially with their kids.

“My mum worked full time after having her youngest.

“She was juggling a huge amount of work in a paid sense, and in a household sense.

“They didn’t have an outlet so they kept it all bottled up.

“We’ve seen that role modelled.”

So Claire is passionate about preparing for parenthood.

“My biggest piece of advice is, if you have one person that you can speak to about anything, then that can really take a weight off,” she said.

“My other piece of advice is, it’s OK to feel what you feel.

“In the process of entering parenthood, you are going to have everyone come up to you and say ‘you must be so excited’.

“It minimises the other 1001 thoughts you have about your experience.

“You might be completely overwhelmed.

“Giving yourself permission to be OK with that is a really important step to having those conversations with other people.”

Claire invites parents to share these thoughts on The Moment.

“It basically is a podcast where everybody shares the moments that have shaped them as parents,” she said.

“Things aren’t kept hush hush anymore.

“It’s about putting words or a voice to the experiences that so many go through, yet until now hasn’t been spoken about enough.”

“Becoming a parent, you are never going to be so analytical about your own childhood in your whole life.

Listen to The Moment wherever you get your podcasts, and find Claire on Instagram @SafeHandsParenting.

“They learnt from their parents that they don’t talk about anything.

SUMMER 2023 11

Reality Bites

Teach kids to swim early SWIMMING is part of Australia’s national identity and one of the most popular physical activities undertaken by Australians.

“Kids are exposed to water of all forms right from birth, so it’s important they get comfortable in and around water as early as possible.”

But the annual SWIMSAFER Report reveals two in five (43 percent) families don’t have their children enrolled in lessons because they believe they are too young to learn to swim.

The cost-of-living crisis has impacted parents’ ability to teach their kids to swim, with more than a third (38 percent) of parents believing swimming lessons are too expensive.

More than half (54 percent) of Aussie parents are not confident their child has the skills to help themselves if they get into trouble in the water.

But the SWIM It Forward initiative is aiming to raise funds to remove the financial barrier and allow more disadvantaged Australian families to enrol in swimming lessons.

In addition, 16 children aged between zero and four years old drowned last year, with a quarter (25 percent) of incidents happening in either backyard pools or the bath.

Pushing further towards the goal of zero drownings, industry leader AUSTSWIM joined November’s SWIMSAFER Week campaign.

“It’s very concerning that over half of parents are not confident their child has the skills to help themselves in a water emergency,” AUSTSWIM CEO Bradley Low said.

SWIM Australia CEO Brendon Ward said: “The reality is cost of living pressures have been a concern for many families this year and unfortunately some parents have taken their children out of swimming lessons to manage financial constraints,” he said.

“The flip side is close to half of the parents surveyed kept their children in lessons by sacrificing spending on weekly takeaway, coffees, streaming services, and beauty treatments.”

“We know that the zero to five years age group is particularly vulnerable to drownings, which is why it is imperative that we change the belief held by some parents that their child is too young to start water familiarisation lessons.”

Children can start infant learn to swim programs from six months. months

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“By the age of six months, children can start infant learn to swim programs, where the child explores and enjoys the water with their parents.

The zero to five years age group is particularly vulnerable to drownings.

12 SUMMER 2023

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

It’s Your Life

Julian and Julia with Fred. Picture: Rob Carew

Learning to labour

By Casey Neill JULIA HANDFORD trained for her births.

“Women run marathons and they train for that. You’re not expected to just run,” she said.

“Labouring is exactly the same.”

The mum of three says putting in the hours paid off in spades - and rejects being labelled a ‘birthing unicorn’.

“That implies it happened magically,” she said.

“I put in the work.”

But Julia did always have an innate feeling that birthing would be easy for her.

“I guess a lot of it was from my mum,” she said.

“She had four kids and she made it sound like it wasn’t hard.

“I’ve come from a long, long line of women who have birthed many, many, many children.

“Both of my grandparents are from families of 12 kids, so my mum was the youngest of 12 and my dad was eight in 12.

“My grandparents obviously didn’t mind a birth!

“My mum always put positive birth stuff in my head.

“She never complained about the pain or birth trauma or anything like that.

“I just felt that it was a natural, easy thing to do.

“I thought it would be like that for me.” Then she heard about hypnobirthing.

Julia was “freshly pregnant” when her friend mentioned that her cousin was becoming a hypnobirthing practitioner.

She wanted to drum up some new clients and was offering her services at half price.

“It just made so much sense,” Julia said.

“It’s just so much about how the body works.

“It’s not putting little woo-woo ideas in your head.

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

“It’s more about using mediation practices - breathing and calmness - in a birthing setting.

“It was more scientific than I thought it was going to be, explaining about the hormones and what’s physically happening during labour.”

There were some aspects of hypnobirthing that she didn’t gravitate towards, but visualisation really struck a chord.

“I’m really good at picturing how things are going to be and I make that happen,” she said.

“There was a lot of visualising, just imagining the calm birth.

“It was a lot about breathing, which I really found interesting.

“What I really gravitated to was a particular track - Rainbow Relaxation.

“It was a 15-minute guided hypnobirthing meditation track.

“Every night before bed I would listen to this Rainbow Relaxation track.

“It helped me go to sleep every night.”

Eliminating fear through thoughtful language choice was another technique that resonated with Julia.

The term ‘due date’ can create anxiety and impatience, and ‘contractions’ makes you think of things tightening and being restricted.

“That’s not a positive, freeing word when you’re hoping to get a baby out,” Julia said.

“We would call them ‘surges’.

“It just puts you in a different frame of mind. It felt like a wave.”

“I remember being so relaxed about the whole thing. “My eyes were closed nearly the whole labour. I had music playing.

“It was so cruisy. “Then he came out and I remember my midwife - her name was Sue - afterwards, she asked for my number because her daughter was getting married and she found out I was a celebrant and she was just a bit amazed by me.

“She was very impressed with how I was breathing through the whole thing.

“Of course I was making all the animal noises, all the animal noses were going on.

“The sun was just streaming in from these windows here,” Julia said.

“I had my music going.

“I couldn’t even look at the clock, everything was so distorted.”

The surges came thick and fast, one minute on, one minute off, for about an hour and a half.

“But they weren’t intense, they were very manageable,” Julia said.

“I was just standing up over my table.

“As soon as he was done I was already thinking about Leon’s birth.”

“Julian was running around getting the bath filled up.”

Leon was also born at 40+6, but his labour definitely wasn’t textbook.

Juliana arrived, soothing voice in tow.

It progressed sporadically, with gaps between contractions jumping from four minutes to two minutes to 10.

“She just does a magical thing on my back that takes the tension away,” Julia said.

“I remember just looking at the clock and I couldn’t time anything,” Julia said. “I couldn’t concentrate.

Alannah put the boys to bed, and was about to tune Julia’s harp and play through the delivery - but Fred had other ideas.

“I didn’t know when it was going to hit, I couldn’t tell.”

She’d only been labouring for about an hour when she went to the hospital.

Leon was born within four hours.

“As soon as I got in the bath again at the hospital, it was like my body went (she clicks her fingers),” she said.

“He was born way smoother.

“I didn’t even have any tearing or anything. With Joe, I just had a little bit.

“Third time around, I was getting my home birth.”

Joseph, now aged 6, was born at 40+6 following a “textbook” eight-hour labour.

Julia and husband Julian started saving, knowing the private experience would be expensive, and enlisted Yarra Valley-based midwife Juliana.

Julia remembers “pulling feelings at the start” of her labour, and feeling excited and happy.

After mulling it over, they decided they wanted the older kids to be present for the birth.

“I was so ready,” she said.She laboured at home for the first four hours, seeking relief in the bath before leaving for the hospital about 8.30pm.

“That way I didn’t need to find sitters for them or anything. It would just be easier having them home,” Julia said.

“I really wanted a water birth. I always just relax better in a bath,” she said.

Their Heathmont living room was filled with candles, lights, pom poms, and a blow-up bathtub.

“But I wanted someone assigned to the kids while I was in the throws of labour.” She teed up her former harp teacher, Alannah.

Julia’s labour started about 5pm and Fred entered the world about 8.30pm.

The newly-expanded family were alone by 10pm.

“It was very quick but it was controlled,” Julia said.

“I’m so proud of myself for organising a home birth. It was amazing.

“It was what I wanted, even more so because we were in lockdown and I knew that being in a hospital would have been even worse.

“I wouldn’t want my healthcare people in masks around me.

“I didn’t want visitors restricted with certain times and protocols.

“I felt like home birth suited me.”

So much so, Julia would birth again in a heartbeat.

“But I’m just so done with kids,” she laughed.

“It’s just taken so much out of me. If I was to do it again now, I’d be losing a bit of myself.”

SUMMER 2023 13

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14 SUMMER 2023

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

It’s Your Life

Waking up to save sleep

By Cade Lucas LIKE changing dirty nappies or listening to nursery rhymes ad-nauseum, a lack of sleep is considered an unfortunate but unavoidable part of having a baby.

“She was sleeping with us for the whole first six months, we couldn’t get her to sleep in her own bed,” Danielle said.

Despite misgivings about seeking assistance for something most assume comes naturally, Danielle and Sean booked a day session.

“We were co-sleeping but not in the nicest way.”

“We didn’t know what we were walking into, but it was the most beautiful supportive environment,“ Danielle said.

Unless wealthy enough to farm their screaming newborn off to someone else, parents usually have no option but to suffer in silence.

In other words, they weren’t sleeping at all.

After all, complaining about something just about everyone else has to endure is unlikely to elicit much sympathy.

“It was bad. Like I wasn’t thinking straight, I was leaving the stove on and stuff like that.

Which makes it all the more difficult when a baby’s lack of sleep goes beyond a mere nuisance to a serious, debilitating problem.

This was the situation Danielle Mannens and her partner Sean found themselves in seven years ago, in the months after having their first child, daughter Harper.

“We were lucky to be getting two hours’ sleep a night,” she said.

“My partner would have to check everything to make sure it was all off at night.”

Family are normally the first and only source of help in such situations, but with theirs living in New Zealand, Danielle and Sean turned to the health system as a last resort.

More importantly, after taking a while to bed in, the new techniques Danielle learned at Tweddle eventually paid off.

“She was sleeping in her own bed away from us and she was doing so for almost the whole night, which was a huge difference,” she said.

If you’re wondering why no one recommended an Early Parenting Centre like Tweddle during your own bouts of infant-induced insomnia, you’re not alone.

“So I went and saw my maternal health nurse and she recommended us to Tweddle,” she said.

Despite being around for more than a century, addressing a very common need, and being covered by Medicare, EPCs remain largely unknown.

A not-for-profit, Tweddle is a name unlikely to register with most readers, but has been helping sleepdeprived families at its Early Parenting Centre in Footscray for more than 100 years.

Along with Tweddle in Footscray, the O’Connell Family Centre in Canterbury and the Queen Elizabeth Centre in Noble Park are the only three EPCs based in Victoria.

Clockwise from left, Tweddle general manager Kim Porter, CEO Umit Agis, nursing director Clare Pridham, board member Annette Mercuri, and Harry Flanagan at the opening of the Wyndham Early Parenting Centre.

There are only a limited number nationwide, and Tasmania and many regional and rural areas have none at all.

Internationally, none of the UK, US or European countries to which Australia is often compared, have anything like an equivalent.

According to Tweddle CEO Umit Agis, the issue of baby and infant sleep traditionally being a family affair is why external services like EPCs can be rare or non-existent.

“I think we’re learning more as a society about how important settling a child or having a sleep routine is,” Mr Agis said.

“We sometimes take that for granted and also a lot of times people tend to access that from their family network.”

Mr Agis said infant sleep problems could result in more than just tired parents.

“Having a settled sleep pattern is critical to a baby’s to early life development,” he said.

“We know that what happens in the first 2000 days of child’s life has a major impact on their adult trajectory.”

This is why the Victorian Government is building 12 new EPCs across the state as part of a $148 million investment in early parenting services, including Wyndham EPC, which recently opened.

“We’re here to support the parents rather than do it for them,” nursing director Clare Pridham said.

“If there’s a concern about behaviour, we show them how to deal with the child’s behaviour and how to work with that child to be able to improve outcomes.

“If there are sleep concerns we can be with them at three o’clock in the morning.

“We can actually show them how to resettle and be alongside them when they’re having these concerns.”

Ms Pridham said the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic made the need for early parenting support even more urgent.

“There’s a lot of separation anxiety, a lack of interaction with other children because they’ve been locked down for such a period of time,” she said.

“So when it comes time for them to go into childcare or stay with grandparents, for example, there’s real challenges in that.”

Ms Pridham said the ultimate aim was to teach parents techniques that they could use at home to avoid readmission.

Danielle is a prime example.

“I’ve even used it with my second child as well because he wasn’t a great sleeper either. It’s stuck with me, it was so helpful,” she said.

After proselytising Tweddle and Early Parenting Centres to her friends, Danielle’s passion for the service saw her change careers - nearly a decade on from her visit to Tweddle, Danielle is now Tweddle’s communications manager.

P Parents t and d children hild singing i i songs at the Wyndham EPC opening.

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

SUMMER 2023 15

disability services

Creative and flexible therapy GEELONG Neuro Centre Kids was born off the back of the success and reputation of the Geelong Neuro Centre, widely recognised as one of the leading adult neuro rehabilitation clinics in the state.

Driven by the team’s passion for helping younger clients - ranging from infants to 18 years old - GNC Kids was established.

At GNC Kids, clients are encouraged with a creative and flexible approach to therapy, challenging the stereotypes of children with a disability.

Staff specialise in assisting clients with physical conditions such as rare genetic conditions, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and developmental delay.

GNC Kids’ specialised services include:

■ Wheelchair and 24-hr positioning solutions ■ Play-based therapy ■ Adolescent to adulthood transition support ■ Communication device assessment and prescription ■ Upper limb therapy including spasticity management, splinting, and casting

Find your happy place CARESPACE is owned and operated by local couple, Kirra and Jai Smith, who themselves have a son with additional needs.

communication, self-regulating behaviours, and skill development during activities such as music, craft, and gaming.

“Our aim was to create an enjoyable and safe space for all, where we can learn and grow together,” they said.

The CareSpace ADULTS programs target specific areas such as increased independence, community confidence, social capacity, and daily life skills in cooking, body movers, and DIY groups.

“We are extremely proud of our fully-inclusive Drysdale facilities offering programs seven days per week.

“CareSpace has built such a strong and trusted connection with many of our local families and allied health partners.”

CareSpace KIDS programs focus on creating friendships, improving

Other CareSpace services include respite camps, short-term accommodation, community access, in-home care, personal care, and high-intensity supports.

To learn more, visit www.carespace.com.au and check out the ‘What’s on’ page.

What sets GNC Kids apart from other therapy services is its world-class equipment, clinic environment, multidisciplinary team (speech, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and exercise physiology), and ability to think outside the square.

As a parent, you can count on a creative and empowering approach to deliver the best outcomes for your child.

■ DMI therapy ■ Supported gait retraining

Occupational Therapy

Seating and Positioning

Exercise Physiology

Concussion Rehab

Speech Pathology

Podiatry

Physiotherapy

CARESPACE DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES High Intensity Support and Complex care In-Home Care Community Access Short Stay & Respite Sleepover Support Travel & Transport

Office Hours: 9am-5pm Weekdays 9am-12pm Weekends

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The CareSpace Shed

Care Hours: 24 hours a day except Christmas Day

geelong_neuro_centre 03 4245 1191 www.geelongneurocentre.com.au

The Shed 82-84 Murradoc Road, Drysdale, Vic, 3222 info@carespace.com.au 0417 949 391

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www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

disability services

Early childhood intervention is available MELBOURNE CITY MISSION (MCM) is a registered NDIS provider delivering early childhood intervention services (ECIS) throughout regional Victoria, including Geelong.

MCM ECIS specialises in providing comprehensive support to enhance child development across various areas.

Its team of experts is well-equipped to assist in the following key areas: 1. Cognitive skills: MCM offers tailored programs and strategies to promote cognitive development, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and early literacy skills.

2. Self-care skills: MCM professionals can guide and support children in developing essential self-care skills, such as dressing, feeding, and personal hygiene routines.

3. Gross motor skills: MCM provides activities and interventions to improve gross motor skills, coordination, balance, and overall physical development.

4. Fine motor skills: The team can assist in enhancing fine motor skills, including hand-eye coordination, pencil grip, and dexterity, which are crucial for tasks like writing and manipulating small objects.

5. Communication skills: MCM offers interventions to support language development, speech clarity, expressive and receptive language skills, and effective communication with peers and adults.

6. Emotional skills: MCM experts can help children develop emotional regulation, resilience, self-awareness, and empathy, fostering positive emotional well-being.

7. Social skills: The team provides strategies and interventions to enhance social interaction, cooperation, turn-taking, conflict resolution, and building positive relationships with peers.

8. MCM’s occupational therapists are pivotal in strengthening the connections between children with disabilities and their families with the broader community.

They promote developmental milestones, independence, and active participation.

Whether working in homes, educational settings, or at the local playground, they are committed to facilitating positive outcomes and enhancing the participation of children with disabilities within the community.

The team at MCM consistently explores innovative approaches, expresses unwavering compassion, and goes above and beyond to empower children with disabilities and their families.

Your key worker will support the whole family and really understand what will work for you and your child.

One past parent said: “Thanks so much for all of your help and support – we appreciate it so much. You are one of

a kind and we are extremely blessed to have you.”

A current parent said: “You gave me hope and changed our lives forever.”

“I could not have imagined my daughter going to a mainstream school without any supports two years ago,” they said.

“We just got her school uniform and when she tried it on, I had tears of joy.”

Another said words were not enough to express their gratitude for the patience and support MCM has given their family.

“You have been very understanding and have made a noticeable difference to our child’s life,” they said.

Call 1800 343 287 or submit an inquiry to find out more about MCM’s NDIS disability early childhood intervention services at www.mcm.org.au/services/disabilityand-ndis/early-childhood-interventionservices.

Your Future, Your Way MCM is a registered NDIS provider delivering Early Childhood Intervention Services throughout regional Victoria, including Geelong.

Come in and meet Millie, one of our wonderful Occupational Therapists / Key Workers, based in Geelong.

Millie is available for face-to-face supports for local Geelong families, and telepractice supports for families outside of Geelong.

Millie explains “I visit children and their families in their natural environments, meaning the environments in which the goals that they have, occur. This includes their home, kinder, childcare, or even community settings such as

the park or library. I will also spend time making resources, and keeping in contact with the family, and collaborating with their external supports.

MCM has been a great place for me to work over the last 5 years. I feel supported, and that MCM can provide me with lots of opportunities to develop my practice as a Key Worker, providing me with opportunities and resources to expand on the skills I want to work on.”

Contact Us

If you are interested in our Early Childhood Intervention Services for your child and family.

1800 343 287 or visit our website mcm.org.au 12633343-JB46-23

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

SUMMER 2023 17

u r o g y o , a e l s c i , o y o h u c r r p u ace o y

Disability support services Geelong.

Respite Community Access 24/7 In-home Support Call us today: 0493 057 276 | www.ctgdisability.com.au 12647091-AA49-23

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www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

disability services

Help to blossom and thrive IN the intricate tapestry of our society, diversity is the thread that weaves us together, showcasing the beauty of unique experiences and individual capabilities.

Within this mosaic, children with disabilities bring an unparalleled richness, and supporting their journey towards their full potential is at the core of Crossing the Gap Disability Services in Geelong.

At Crossing the Gap, inclusivity isn’t just a word; it’s a guiding principle deeply embedded in their ethos.

Whether it’s intellectual, physical, neurological, or psychosocial disabilities, their expertise spans a diverse range of needs.

One of the hallmarks of their approach is continuous learning and growth.

The staff at Crossing the Gap aren’t just caregivers; they are perpetual students, always evolving their skills and knowledge to better serve their young charges.

Every child, irrespective of their abilities or circumstances, is perceived as a budding individual with endless possibilities waiting to be explored.

Recently, their commitment to understanding and supporting children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was showcased through their participation in an ADHD master class.

For parents navigating the challenges and joys of raising children with disabilities, the services offered by Crossing the Gap stand as a beacon of hope and support.

This commitment speaks volumes about their dedication to staying abreast of the latest advancements in the field, ensuring they provide the best possible care.

With a seasoned team that understands the intricate needs of children across various spectrums of disabilities, Crossing the Gap is dedicated to tailoring its support to nurture every child’s unique strengths and aspirations.

What sets Crossing the Gap apart is its unwavering belief in the potential of every child. Notably, the team includes individuals with disabilities themselves, serving as living examples that barriers are meant to be overcome.

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This inclusivity in their staff sets a powerful precedent, inspiring children and their families to envision a world where limitations are just stepping stones toward achievement.

The beginning of Crossing the Gap stemmed from a simple yet powerful idea: to create an organisation that transcends barriers and empowers individuals.

“Your Choice, Your Goals, Your Pace” isn’t just a slogan; it’s a philosophy deeply ingrained in every service and interaction at Crossing the Gap.

Founded in 2021 by Kristy Browing and Suzie Webber, this humble beginning has evolved into a leading provider in the disability support sphere, offering top-notch care and guidance to families in Geelong and beyond.

Whether it’s facilitating community access, providing complex care, offering in-home support, respite services, or fostering independent living skills, the approach is personalised, recognising that each child’s journey is unique.

Beyond their direct services, Crossing the Gap is an active advocate and educator within the community.

Engaging with schools and specialist centers in Colac and Barwon Valley Primary School, they’ve been instrumental in raising awareness about disabilities and the array of services available.

Their commitment to community engagement extends beyond their facilities, reaching out to ensure that knowledge and support are accessible to all who need it.

For parents seeking tailored and compassionate support for their children with disabilities, Crossing the Gap Disability Services beckons as a steadfast ally on this journey.

To explore how Crossing the Gap can be a part of your child’s unique story and connect with Kristy and the team, visit www.ctgdisabilitycom.au or call Kristy directly on 0493 057 276.

In a world where every child deserves to blossom and thrive, Crossing the Gap stands as a nurturing force, fostering a community where differences are celebrated, and every child’s potential is realised.

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Entertainment

Outdoor adventures

By Casey Neill GUMNUT TRAILS are getting families outdoors and exploring Melbourne.

Flemington mum Christina Carter created the guides with help from her husband and 4-year-old daughter.

She brought characters Ellie and Felix to life in comic form to get kids aged 2 to 12 excited about nature and send them on mystery trails.

“I wanted to bring Melbourne’s green treasures to life and encourage families to get out into nature regularly.

“It’s so important for all of us, especially our kids.

“You spend so much of your life on a laptop.

“Absorbed in that work world, it can take me an hour for that fuzziness to disappear.

The project started as a quest to tap into the nature-filled childhood Christina experienced in country Victoria.

“Then when you actually have a really decent time outside and you’re feeling connected with your family, you come out of it really happy.”

“Sustainability, the environment, and nature were part of my existence,” she said.

Christina said that in other countries, doctors prescribed patients time in nature to lift their mood.

“I just took it for granted.”

She established a life in suburbia and when her own daughter reached age 2, she’d never been to the bush.

“I didn’t realise how much of a conscious effort you had to make to make these things happen,” Christina said.

“If you can look at greenery in your office you’ll be happier than someone who can’t.

“It’s hard to pick yourself up and get outside, but when you do, you feel so much better for it.”

It took Christina a year to create the first guide, from scoping out activities with her little family by her side to seeking feedback from test runs, writing, and illustrating.

“But you don’t realise what is achievable for a child until you have your child along.

“It really does add a different dimension.”

Two years on, Christina has produced four illustrated Adventure Guides North, South, East, and West.

She researched locations on blogs and sought plenty of recommendations.

“Ultimately we go out and do lots of exploring,” she said.

Christina said exploring has had a huge impact on her daughter.

Christina explores the great outdoors with her daughter.

“She’s really active, she’s strong. She’s not the most out there, loud person, but how many leaps I’ve seen in her! I’m sure this has had a big part in that,” she said.

“It’s an idea that I could absolutely take to other areas.

Christina has “so many plans” for the guides. She’s talking to a few regions about destination guides.

Christina makes a donation to local conservation projects for every guide sold.

“I’d love to take it to Sydney but that’s going to take a bit of effort,” she said.

Visit gumnuttrails.com.au for more information.

“There’s lots of opportunities.”

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“So I set out to make spending quality time in nature fun and easy for busy Melbourne families - using creative adventures, joyful illustrations and storytelling.

“There’s so much science now around how important it is,” she said.

“It would be so much easier to go to a place and walk the whole thing to find the spots alone,” she said.

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Education

Support through the mental health storm Dr Monika Schott.

By Casey Neill MONIKA SCHOTT couldn’t find the right story to explain mental illness to her children so she wrote it.

She started ‘My Dad built me the best and wackiest cubby ever’ almost 15 years ago.

Monika’s brother first became mentally unwell about 30 years ago and was institutionalised, his family unsure if he’d ever be released.

“My first son was born the year my brother first came out of hospital,” Monika said.

She went on to have two more sons.

“They all grew up seeing the strange behaviours from my brother,” she said.

“I explained it to them in the simplest way I could. “He was schizophrenic, paranoid, and depressed.

He would lock himself up in his bedroom for most of the day because he thought there were cameras following him.

“My children saw all that. They understood it.”

“They’re really understanding and compassionate. I think that came from the adversity.”

At the time, Monika sought resources to help her to support her boys.

Years later, her then-husband became depressed when her eldest son was aged 9.

“My own children loved reading. We were always looking for different books to help us talk about different things,” she said.

“They knew something was wrong but they couldn’t see it,” she said.

So she wrote her own story. Publishers found it too confronting at the time.

“That’s the thing with mental illness.

“The others I found, they were lovely stories, but that was it - they were lovely stories,” she said.

“I knew I had to talk about it with them before they started making their own assumptions.”

When she sat them down, her eight-year-old started crying and revealed he feared a repeat of his uncle’s experience.

“I tried to explain to them the complexity of the brain and how we need chemicals in our brain to be balanced to be working properly,” she said.“The boys were really patient with their father.

“They danced around the topic rather than being honest or real about what was going on.

“You can’t insult kids.

“They understand, andv they need to understand.

“If they start to learn about mental health early, it helps them better manage their own mental health and be more compassionate with those suffering with poor mental health.”

Smooth the start to the school year YOU’VE packed away the Christmas tree and the holiday suitcases, and all of a sudden it’s time to get the kids ready for the new school year.

Making the most of the long break is the key to a smooth start, says primary school teacher, Miss B. Known as Lil’ Miss Sunshinee on TikTok and Instagram, she shares her tips for a smooth transition from home to school.

1. To start afresh, you need to rest - So your child feels ready to tackle the new school year, they need to feel like they actually had a break.

Enjoy the holidays, enjoy the festivities, and enjoy family time before everything picks back up again.

2. Keep learning alive - Learning in the holidays doesn’t have to look like traditional education. Keep your child’s brain buzzing by teaching them a new skill or hobby, including them in household jobs, or even playing board games at a family game night.

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

‘My Dad built me the best and wackiest cubby ever’ follows a father and child as they set out to build a cubby in the sunshine, using the weather as a metaphor for mental ill health.

Clouds snake in, a storm brews, rain pours down, and blue skies return, all while the cubby grows wackier.

Leading psychiatrist Professor Patrick McGorry launched Monika’s book.

“As a parent, I wish I had this book many years ago,” he said.

“There is still a lot of stigma around mental illness but things are definitely getting better.

“But every one of us will have somebody in our family that will suffer from periods of poor mental health.

“Monika’s book is a way for younger children to learn about mental illness in a very optimistic and positive way.”

The book includes resources for teachers, carers, and families. Visit www.monikaschott.com.

Include your child in choosing their stationery for the year.

3. Keep reading – I always encourage my students to continue reading throughout the holidays. Reading doesn’t have to be a chore. Read a magazine together, find a style of picture book or novel they like, engage in discussions about the text, and bond over the reading. It’ll feel a lot more like quality time rather than reading for the sake of it.

4. Practice handwriting – If your child is just starting school, encourage them to practice writing their name.

5. I like to move it, move it - The transition back to school is made easier when children have kept physical throughout the holidays.

Downtime like watching movies or playing video games can be great for relaxation, but we also need to make sure our body stays happy.

6. Routine, routine, routine - A relaxed holiday doesn’t have to equal a lack of routine. Simple steps for your child to follow like waking up at a reasonable time, making their bed, or

laying out their clothes the night before can make transitioning back to school that little bit easier.

7. Let’s go shopping - Including your child in the process of preparing for back to school can make it a more exciting, positive experience. Giving them a choice of stationary, lunchbox, or pencil case can create an anticipation to return to school.

8. T’was the night before school - Most students experience some level of

anxiety or uncertainty towards returning to school. It’s the fear of the unknown. Who will my teacher be?

Who will be in my class? These feelings are valid and completely normal. Keeping conversations about school in a positive light can help your child to navigate these emotions. Prepping their lunchbox, school bag, and uniform the night before can also ease anxiety on the morning of.

SUMMER 2023 21

Education

The tutoring program will continue until at least the end of 2025.

Supporting tutors to help kids A tutoring program helping students to build skills and confidence will continue and expand over the next two years.

assessments or by their teachers as needing extra help in their literacy and numeracy.

The State Government announced in September that it would spend another $485 million to extend the Tutor Learning Initiative until at least the end of 2025.

Individual schools determine how tutoring support is implemented, tailoring it to the needs of each student.

This program will provide a traumainformed approach to re-engaging these students in learning, with continued and consistent support.

In a new element, the program will now also provide tailored education support for 500 students in the care system who have become disengaged from school in care settings.

This support will complement the vital work of schools as the primary place of learning, by delivering support beyond the school gate – reaching students who, for many reasons, are unable to access in-school help.

Lost educational opportunities have a cumulative effect on the lives of children in care, limiting their future

This extension brings the total investment in the Tutor Learning Initiative to $1.2 billion – supporting

This investment will make sure every student identified as ‘Needing Additional Support’ in the 2023 and 2024 assessments at a government school will get it.

Tutors work with small groups of students who have been identified by

opportunities and perpetuating the disadvantage they face over time.

more than 120,000 students in government schools so far this year and employing more than 5400 tutors in government schools.

The tutor program called on preservice teachers, teachers on leave, retired teachers, and casual relief teachers to sign up and get back in the classroom, with at least one tutor in all government schools.

An independent evaluation by Deloitte found that the benefits of the Tutor Learning Initiative extended beyond academic achievement, to include improvements in student engagement and teacher practice.

Our RCH gets a new school CHILDREN with chronic and acute health issues will be able to go to stay engaged in their learning, thanks to a new school at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Premier Jacinta Allan, Education Minister Ben Carroll, and Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas visited the hospital in October to announce $3.6 million for the project.

“No child or young person should miss out on the vital education they need if they’re unwell,” Ms Allan said.

So the Royal Children’s Hospital School will open in the first half of 2024, providing a full education for kids from Prep to Year 12.

It will ensure children and young people who spend extended periods of time in hospital to stay on track to achieve their full potential, as well as supporting them to return to their usual school once they leave hospital.

It will provide students with individualised programs aligned with the Victorian Curriculum and VCE using flexible modes of teaching including classroom sessions, small group sessions, and individual bedside support.

“Schools are an important part of a child’s support network, and the new Royal Children’s Hospital School will keep students engaged and on track to achieve their potential,” Mr Carroll said.

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The school will replace the existing Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute, offering students a broader range of curriculum and education support.

The Premier announces the school project.

The Royal Children’s Hospital School will also expand remote learning opportunities for students who are recovering at home but not yet well enough to attend school.

It will be governed by a school council, led by a principal, and employ teaching and nonteaching staff like all other Victorian government schools.

Establishing a registered school at the Royal Children’s Hospital will also create a more consistent approach to the operation of Victorian hospital schools, aligning it with other models of hospitalbased education in Victoria, such as the Monash Children’s Hospital School.

Traditional Owners are being consulted about a permanent name for the new school.

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

Education

Growth through play ONE World for Children are strong believers that child ‘care’ goes beyond just safely minding your child – they aim to play a key role in their stimulation and development, providing a safe space where they can learn and grow while confidently being themselves.

For more than 26 years, One World for Children (OWFC) has built trusting relationships with families to deliver quality childcare services for children aged up to 12 in North Geelong.

Family grouping The mixed-aged model (family grouping) structure provides opportunities for siblings to interact with each other, therefore enhancing assurance within children to become confident learners.

A family grouping environment provides access to peer support and the opportunity to develop more sophisticated social skills.

Children are involved in planning daily activities where they assist in the setup of their play environment.

This also encourages independence in accessing play materials and offers choices wherever possible promoting a play-based curriculum.

The family grouping structure provides many opportunities for educators to support children’s learning.

Mixed ages and stages of children allow for more time to truly meet the individual needs of all children.

Children in a family grouped environment are viewed as unique individuals and are more likely to cooperate rather than compete, as the pressure to compete with many children at the same age or stage can be difficult for some children.

Multi-aged grouping offers peer support with the opportunity to share skills and build confidence.

Kindergarten The government-funded 3-year-old kindergarten program empowers children to unleash their imaginations and grow essential skills, such as

www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

socialisation and problem-solving through play-based learning.

OWFC encourages curiosity and creativity to build confidence, while learning in a supportive group setting that is - most importantly – fun!

Developed and delivered by a qualified kindergarten teacher, your child’s educational journey starts in a supportive and engaging environment that sets a positive base for the transition to their pre-school year and beyond.

As children continue to develop their own personality and identity, OWFC’s commitment is to nurture young minds to flourish socially and emotionally in their own way.

experiences. The outdoor environment, which shares equal importance as the indoor, recognises the importance of an open-ended, large, natural playspace.

Both family grouping and kindergarten outdoor areas provide many opportunities for exploration, developing skills as well as independent exploration.

These outdoor yards consist of natural play spaces, combining a dry water creek with water pump, moveable rocks and branches, a vegetable garden, interesting water play areas, a digging patch, an outdoor mud kitchen, musical stations, and climbing frames made from natural logs.

The government-funded 4-year-old kindergarten focuses on strengthening your child’s development in key skill areas to best prepare them for school.

Communication, collaboration, problem-solving, as well as pre-maths and language, are at the core of the program.

OWFC minimises the use of plastic equipment and resources and embraces a sustainability code of practice.

OWFC encourages children to pursue their interests under the guidance of qualified kindergarten teachers that provide a safe, fun environment for all.

Children assist with maintaining a natural play environment by actively assisting in its upkeep by watering and tending to the garden, sweeping paths and replacing rocks after playing with them.

Facilities In a purpose-built North Geelong facility, OWFC provides the foundations to a happy and healthy childhood that gives parents peace of mind that their child is in the best hands possible, outside of their own.

The design of the natural indoor and outdoor environments at One World for Children has been specially thought out and measured.

The family grouping outdoor space features ‘Goorialla’ the rainbow serpent on the fence.

This dreamtime story board feature reminds children and educators of this Aboriginal Dreamtime story of when the rainbow serpent came from beneath the ground to create huge ridges, mountains and gorges as it pushed upwards.

Children participate in a variety of rich, meaningful, inquiry-based

This enables children to develop a sense of responsibility in caring for the environment and respecting a beautiful natural play environment.

The school-aged children have a ‘loose parts yard’ with many moveable pieces so the area can provide school age children with the appropriate level of challenge.

The loose parts yard is utilised to promote complex school-aged play, which encompasses leisure and relaxation.

One World For Children believes the beautiful journey of childhood deserves a higher level of care and commitment to nurture and inspire the next generation: a place to grow and thrive.

Contact OWFC via childcare@owfc.com.au or 1800 006 533 to secure a nurturing and inspiring environment for your child’s journey

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Education

Creative, caring and diverse NORTH Geelong Secondary College is a single campus Year 7-12 academic college.

It is a creative, caring, and diverse college where young people grow into autonomous learners by engaging with our imaginative and intellectually rigorous programs.

“We tailor programs to suit students’ individual needs and help students to develop their confidence, to follow their interests and reach their potential,” principal Nick Adamou said.

The school community is a friendly and supportive environment, underpinned by the values of respect, excellence, achievement anddiversity.

The school places high expectations on student behaviour and academic endeavour, as evidenced by outstanding VCE results and VCAL outcomes.

Specialist programs in the areas of the arts, information and communication technologies, and sports, that incorporate innovative curriculum design, enhance the learning experience.

North Geelong Secondary College students are privileged to enjoy: ■ Learning areas equipped with the latest ICT facilities; ■ An extensive, well-resourced, library; ■ Plentiful state-of-the-art sporting facilities; and ■ A creative art and technology complex which caters for food technology, studio art, ceramics, woodwork, and performing arts.

North Geelong Secondary College is proud to offer the Scholarship Program, Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) Program, the Strive to Achieve Results (STAR), the Achieving Core Education (ACE) Programs, and Excellence in Sport (EIS) Program.

The Scholarship Program promotes and recognises outstanding commitment by school students who have displayed a strong involvement in their school community.

Scholarships are available in the following areas: academic excellence, student leadership, community, sporting excellence, and the arts. www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

The SEAL Program provides a focused educational environment for academically oriented students.

SEAL classes incorporate a fast-paced curriculum, with less repetition than mainstream classes.

Advancement Via International Determination (AVID), the only program of its kind in Geelong, underpins the SEAL program and prepares students with the skills to succeed in senior and post-secondary education.

Dungeons and Dragons, and Japanese club. The transition from primary to secondary school is seamless for North Geelong Secondary College’s Year 7 students.

STAR is an innovative literacy and numeracy program unique to the college.

Students start the secondary school year with confidence.

In Grade 6, all students are invited to the college early in the year for a ‘taste’ of secondary school, and later in the year there is a specialised two-day program that allows students to develop new friendships and familiarise themselves with their new surroundings.

This program identifies students who have the potential to become future ‘stars’ and achieve outstanding results in Years 7 to 9.

An integral part of the transition program is the Year 7 camp. The camp experience allows students and staff to build positive relationships in a fun learning environment.

The ACE program aims to improve the numeracy and literacy development of students who are performing below the expected level.

These relationships build trust that fosters unity, allowing students and teachers to work together in facilitating teaching and learning.

The EIS Program develops students’ sport-specific skills, knowledge, and practical application in their chosen sports of Australian rules, soccer, or volleyball.

Parents and guardians are welcome to visit and see the school in operation.

Students are encouraged to engage in a myriad of extracurricular activities, including human powered vehicles, debating, student representative council, and lunchtime clubs such as chess club, cultural appreciation club,

To find out more and to book a personalised tour of North Geelong Secondary College, call 5240 5800 or email north.geelong.sc@edumail.vic.gov. au.

They’re promised a dynamic, high-quality government school for their child.

SUMMER 2023 25

Education

Early learning’s new beacon IN the heart of the Geelong community, a new beacon of early childhood education is shining brightly.

More than a preschool, or a long day care, Montessori Minds Childcare is a nurturing sanctuary where young minds will blossom, curiosity will be sparked, and the foundations for a lifetime of learning will be laid.

A vision of holistic development The Montessori Minds team doesn’t just teach, guide, and empower. Their vision is rooted in the renowned Montessori philosophy, emphasising the importance of independence, creativity, and critical thinking from the very beginning.

The team believes that every child is unique, and the centre’s tailored approach to education and care ensures that each child’s individual needs and interests are met.

The prepared environment Step into the Montessori Minds classrooms and you will find an environment meticulously designed to encourage exploration and foster a love for learning.

Materials are carefully curated to engage the senses, promote hands-on

discovery, and ignite the natural curiosity that resides within every child.

From maths and language to practical life skills, the Montessori Minds curriculum is infused with purpose, meaning, and relevance.

Nurturing compassionate leaders Beyond their journey in learning, Montessori Minds is dedicated to nurturing compassionate, empathetic, and socially responsible individuals.

Teachers serve as guides, fostering a sense of community and encouraging positive social interactions.

Through activities that promote teamwork, kindness, and cultural understanding, the centre prepares its students not just for academic success, but for life.

Parent-teacher partnership Montessori Minds recognises the importance of a strong partnership between parents and teachers.

Open communication, regular updates, and collaborative involvement are at the core of the centre’s approach. It invites parents to actively participate in their child’s learning journey.

A safe haven for young minds Safety and security are paramount at Montessori Minds. Its facilities are designed with the highest standards of safety in mind, ensuring that children can explore, play, and learn in a secure environment.

Schedule a tour, meet the team, and experience firsthand the warm and inviting atmosphere that awaits your child.

Montessori Minds looks forward to welcoming your family into its nurturing embrace and embarking on this incredible journey together.

Join Montessori Minds in shaping the future The centre invites families in its community to join it in this exciting endeavour.

Enrol your child at Montessori Minds and witness the transformation that Montessori education can bring.

Together, Montessori Minds promises to nurture the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and innovators, equipping them with the skills and confidence to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Visit montessoriminds.com. au to learn more about its programs, faculty, and enrolment procedure.

Montessori Minds Childcare is a new beacon of early childhood education.

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26 SUMMER 2023

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Reality Bites

Making space for comfort and conversations

Gabrielle with children Camille, Audrey, and Frederick.

28 SUMMER 2023

Picture: Jenna Agius

By Casey Neill

in a practical sense he’s making a lot more money than I am.”

GABRIELLE Nancarrow is guiding new parents through the beautiful chaos of modern motherhood.

The mother of three, doula, and author released her second book, The Motherhood Space in October.

She shares her own motherhood journey alongside interviews and personal reflections from more than 50 women around the world.

“This book was written in notes on my phone, on torn pieces of paper around my home, and from conversations that have been swimming around in my head since I finished my first book,” Gabrielle wrote.Beyond providing comfort in shared experiences, she hopes to “further the conversation of how unacceptably challenging it is to parent in a culture that does not acknowledge or value the work of motherhood”.

“The truth is, loving our children is the easy part. It’s mothering under the patriarchy that drowns us,” she wrote.

“It’s going to take time for the walls of the patriarchy to come down and to ensure that happens, change has to come from within our homes.

“Teach your children from a young age that the work of the home is everyone’s responsibility and allow them to witness both parents doing it regardless of who is in paid work and who is not.”

When Kids spoke to Gabrielle, she conceded tackling such generational change was hugely overwhelming.

“I think I’ve learnt a lot through the process of writing this,” she said.

“Governments and workplaces don’t recognise that men and women need to be equal.

“There’s still pressure on men to be those breadwinners.

“They’re not given the time and space at work to have equal parental leave.

“Genuine change needs to begin in our homes.

“The only way is if you show up in equal parts from the minute that child is born.

“So much of what has to go in is invisible.

“It’s not just practical, but the emotional load.

“They come to you to talk to you because you’re the present parent.

“Unless you have true equal time in your family, it’s really difficult for the other partner to break in on that.

“But the person doing all the work gets so resentful.”

Gabrielle lived in New York when she welcomed her first child.

She returned to work full-time just a few months later. When she returned to Australia, she took some time off before taking a part-time role.

“So then it was me as the primary, sole carer of three children,” she said.

“My partner has always worked full-time. I don’t like that.

“I would rather it was more equal, but

The home is not the only place where Gabrielle examines the need for change.

“Things have to change in the hospital system,” she told Kids.

“One of the biggest and most difficult things I work through as a doula is that women blame themselves.

“You’re up against a system that has been in place for centuries.

“It is a medical model. We have a very medicalised system.

“There’s a lot of talk about this system being broken.

“The system isn’t broken. It was set up to move a large majority of the population through a hospital system.

“There’s so much going on in a hospital system. Women are really at the bottom of the pile, unfortunately.”

She said the New South Wales government commissioned a report into birth trauma.

“A lot of it is women feeling like they’re not being heard,” Gabrielle said.

“Our intervention rate is so high that it’s normalised.

“It’s a very difficult thing to trust your gut in this type of environment.

“They present it like your baby’s life is at stake.

“You want to do what’s best for yourself and your baby.

“Informed consent is a really important part of this picture.

“A lot of women are being scared into being induced. They’re not being told the risks.

“They’re only told about the risks of waiting it out.

“They’re not getting both sides of the story.”

Women railroaded into decisions are coming out the other end traumatised or disappointed, Gabrielle said.

“Birth can be positive and empowering, but it can be the exact opposite,” she said.

“It influences how we mother, how we parent, how we birth again if we go on to have another child.”

Gabrielle’s children were aged 9, 5, and 2 when we spoke.

She wrote that one of the unexpected joys of writing the book was speaking with women whose children were older than hers and highlighted the amazing parenting journey ahead of her.

She’s “really mourning those years of babies and newborns” despite often thinking she’d never come out of them.

She’s not quite ready for the next chapter.

But Gabrielle’s eldest is moving into the tween years.

“The changes in her are incredible and scary at the same time,” she said.

“It does feel overwhelming but it does feel kind of exciting.

“It feels like a new beautiful chapter I can get excited about.” www.GeelongCoastKids.com.au

Reality Bites

Tara reads the book to Paddy.

Sunscreen battles begone!

By Casey Neill

“I couldn’t even walk. I had SPD (symphysis pubis dysfunction). It kicked in for both kids so early on.”

A former Bachelor star is using a cheeky book to help kids stay sunsmart.

Tara sought professional support to get her mental health back on track.

Tara Pavlovic-Shepherdson wrote The Adventures of Willy and his Sunburnt Bum after fighting many sunscreen battles.

“I’ve been doing a lot of work on myself,” she said.

“I’m the biggest I’ve ever been but I don’t see a fat person staring back at me.

The mum of two spent years working in childcare and as an in-home nanny.

“I see a healthy strong person staring back at me.

“One of the main things I struggled with was getting sunscreen on the kids and keeping a hat on their heads,” she said.

“I always trained because I wanted to be skinny.

“No matter how thin I got, I still wasn’t healthy in the mind.

“I always wished I had a book to read them.”

Tara held onto the idea for years, until appearances on reality TV shows The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise opened some doors and Willy hit bookstores. Willy hates clothes and sunscreen in equal measure but still wants to play outside. He learns his lesson the hard way.

“Having him highly upset and emotional shows it does hurt if you don’t wear sunscreen, it does hurt when you don’t wear your hat,” she said.

“I always still thought I was fat.

“Weight has always been so attached to self-worth.

“They’re feeling like they are responsible. Eventually, they will be responsible,” she said.

In terms of wearing a hat, Tara said repeatedly putting it back on your child’s head and sticking to ‘no hat, no play’ were key to getting them on board.

TARA thought she was going to nail motherhood, with years of experience in childcare under her belt.

“Paddy was always a terrible sleeper - still is a terrible sleeper.

“She’s an amazing sleeper.

“I actually was freaked out. I thought she was having infantile seizures because she wasn’t crying. She’s just staring at things and looking around.

“I took her to paediatrician. I was just so used to having an upset baby.

“I always thought the skinnier I was, the more lovable I would be, and the more I would love myself.

“Two kids down the track I’ve never been more comfortable in my body.

“I had two knee injuries, two babies, a knee reconstruction, anxiety, and depression.

“My body’s been through a lot.

“A lot has gotten me to the size I am today, but it also led me to live a much healthier life afterwards.”

Tara said the reception to Willy had been great.

“I thought I would really be great at being a mum,” she said.

“She was just a content baby and he wasn’t.

“I’ve already got so many people who have reached out and said thank you, it helped their household make sun safety a really enjoyable experience,” she said.

“Turns out it’s very different to working in childcare.

“She’s been independent the whole time and he’s not. He’s always needed someone to be there with him at all times.

With therapy, Tara worked through the trauma she was masking with her unhealthy habits.

“You can give her a toy and she’ll sit there and play with it.”

“I think everything happens for a reason.

Paddy was only 16 months old when Edi-Rae was born. Tara’s mental health suffered.

“I think I had to hit rock bottom to be the person I am today.”

“Paddy was very bad with his hat to start with.

“He’s only two and a half so he’s still very young in terms of understanding things.

“He’s still getting used to the sunscreen, but I always just read Willy and freshen up Willy’s message.

“It’s all about persistence, and incorporating the book into that persistence.”

Tara allows Paddy to help to apply his sunscreen. She said giving him some feeling of control can help to smooth the process.

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“I love it. But it has been a wild transition.

“I think everyone with a child, though, feels this and feels this responsibility that just doesn’t go away.

“You just don’t get a rest from it.

“There’s just so much to think about always, your brain is always just ticking over.

“It’s literally the most amazing thing ever and it’s the best thing, and you just love your kids so much.

“I felt so guilty when I got PND (post-natal depression) because I had a healthy baby already and then I was pregnant with another one,” she said.

When we spoke, Paddy was almost two and a half and Edi-Rae had just turned one.

“People can’t fall pregnant and here I am, depressed with my current situation. I’m a terrible person, I’m so ungrateful.

“They are so different. They couldn’t be more different,” she said.

“I ate so much crap. It was the only thing bringing me joy.

“But sometimes you’re just so tired.”

“I’m me again,” she said.

The person she is today is a mum of two fighting a battle many parents will be familiar with - teeth brushing. And it’s getting her creative juices flowing.

“Paddy will not brush his teeth, so that book has to happen ASAP,” she laughed.

“You’d think we were murdering him.”

The Adventures of Willy and his Sunburnt Bum is available from www.adventureswithtara.com.au.

SUMMER 2023 29

Books

Teach your teens life skills

By Casey Neill CONNECTING with Your Teens is about building resilient and independent adults.

Author Andy McNeilly wrote the guide to help parents and teachers bond with teens while helping them develop important life skills.

It follows on from the school teacher’s first book, Connecting with Your Kids, which was aimed at primary school children.

Andy’s kids are now aged 20, 18, and 16 years so he’s in the thick of the teen years himself.

When he was a teen, he’d jump on his bike and head off for the day. There were no mobile phones.

“My mum and dad had no idea where I was,” he said.

“We really didn’t get into that much mischief.

“Now there are so many more things for kids to negotiate as teenagers.

“As a parent, I really want my kids to be able to handle these things - to be resilient, to be independent.”

Andy and his wife were about to travel to New Zealand for a holiday when we spoke.

“I can confidently leave my three kids at home,” he said.

“They are well-equipped.

“I’ve always thought about parenting as ‘how can I help my kids be independent and move out?’.

“I think a lot of parents do worry that

Author Andy McNeilly with his family.

it’s a lot more difficult for kids today.

“They think ‘I better take care of my kid, I better wrap them up’.

“They’re less likely to push them out into the world and say, ‘You have the skills, I believe in you’.

“You want them to face these tricky situations.”

And when a situation is too tricky for their skill set? Hopefully, they ask you for help.

“When you don’t have the relationship, it’s really hard for them to ask for help,” Andy said.

“You want to have a strong relationship.

“If I put a game on the kitchen table, eventually they might want to play.

“It’s never too late to repair or build a relationship.”

“The book is full of ideas that are really simple and accessible.

Connecting with Your Teens features activities, strategies, and examples.

“It could be a five-minute activity.

“Sometimes they might be a bit angsty and ask, ‘Why do I have to play a game with you?’,” he laughed.

“It can be tricky to change, but even a little change…

“With my kids, if I say, ‘Come on, let’s play a game’ they might walk away.

“Get them to teach you a game they play on their console. Say, ‘Let’s play it together’ and get into their world.

“I think sometimes we forget as parents, we get a bit trapped in the seriousness.

“Life’s too short not to have fun.”

Elder shares the six seasons on her Country ASK Aunty: Seasons is an educational picture book for children aged 5 to 10 years that introduces First Nations seasonal calendars.

For First Nations People, the seasons don’t change when the calendar does.

To engage the Evolve audience in a fun and accessible way, Aunty Munya creates ‘Ask Aunty’ videos for the website and TikTok channel, translating words from the Bardi language and discussing cultural knowledge.

Instead, they look for changes in plants, animals, water, weather and the stars to mark the start of a new season.

Aunty Munya brings this engaging information to the pages of Ask Aunty: Seasons.

Aunty Munya explains how there are six seasons on her Country.

With illustrations by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis, Ask Aunty: Seasons encourages all readers to develop a deeper connection with the land, waters, and sky.

Mankal is the rainy season, bringing strong winds from the ocean, while Barrgan is the season when bush fruits are most plentiful.

An Elder from the Kimberley region of Western Australia, Aunty Munya is the co-director of Evolve Communities, through which she runs cultural awareness training programs.

30 SUMMER 2023

Ask Aunty: Seasons is the first in a planned series of children’s books by Aunty Munya.

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