Kids West Today Spring 2021

SPRING 2021

Deciphering your

CHILD’S DREAMS The influence of

BIRTH ORDER Get cooking with

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN www.KidsWest.com.au

Spring 2021 1

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2 Spring 2021

www.KidsWest.com.au

About Us

Exciting spring edition HELLO everyone!

Welcome to the spring edition of Kids West Today.

This is the third magazine we’ve put together for families in the West and we’re pretty excited about it!

There is so much great reading including advice from parenting experts, inspiring stories about families and stories on local kids doing great things.

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

The reason for these stark differences is birth order, according to leading parenting and education writer Michael Grose. I interviewed Michael about the recently updated version of his best-

selling book titled Why First-borns Rule the World and Laterborns Want to Change it. It’s an interesting insight into how birth order can affect one’s personality and disposition.

Speaking of incredible insights, we’ve also spoken to an expert who helps unlock the mysteries of dreams and the messages they hold for adults and children alike. Best-selling author of Dreams, Rose Inserra explains how dreams can reveal what your child is feeling and why monsters and flying are popular dream themes for kids.

In this issue, we welcome paediatric nutritionist Lucy Stewart as our new expert contributor. Each edition, Lucy’s Kids in the Kitchen column will bring you a simple and nutritious recipe that you can cook in the kitchen with your

children. Importantly, she always tries to squeeze in some extra veggies!

Our spring edition also features some local kids doing cool things. Among them is Wyndham Vale youngster Pavelpreet Kaur Guliani who called triple-0 for her mum, and teen Tanya Ajit who has been recognised for making a difference in the community through her volunteer work.

If you know a local child doing great things then please let us know!

We love to connect with our readers.

If you haven’t already, give us a like on Facebook and Instagram.

Kids West Today magazine is a Star News Group publication.

Kids West Today will be published quarterly prior to each of the school holidays.

Take care

Kids West Today Unit 6/1-9 Thomsons Road, Keilor Park Phone: (03) 8318 5777

CONTENTS

Sales Director

IT’S YOUR LIFE

HEALTH

ENTERTAINMENT

Why birth order matters

Tips for parenting when sick

Political drama series for kids

PAGE 4

PAGE 13

PAGE 24

Calling all Lego fans

Researchers probe role of genetics in SIDS

Funtastic food to get your party started

PAGE 5

PAGE 13

PAGE 24

Mum finds freedom in planning with kids

RECIPES

REALITY BITES

editorial@kidswest.com.au

Kids in the Kitchen

The not so perfect mum

Published by Star News Group publication

PAGE 14

PAGE 25

ACN 005 848 108. Publisher/Managing

EDUCATION

Inside the House of White

PAGE 5 Young boy makes his move PAGE 6 Wyndham youth role model recognised PAGE 6

The benefits of learning outside

Deciphering your child’s dreams

PAGE 15

PAGE 8

Steps to good communication

Nothing is everything in Kidsafe campaign PAGE 8 Mum is the boss of bargains

Ben Sutton ben.sutton@starweekly.com.au

Editorial Melissa Grant

Director, Paul Thomas. All material is copyright to Star News Group Pty Ltd.

PAGE 26

All significant errors will be corrected

Quick thinking ‘saves’ mum

as soon as possible.

PAGE 27

PAGE 15

Wyndham’s littlest litter legend

Cover Jayden Munro is excited for spring.

PAGE 27

Holistic schooling for everyone PAGE 16

Picture: Rob Carew

All the way from Italy - with love PAGE 28

PAGE 9

Growing learners at Melton Christian College

Steve Biddulph on teaching inner-peace

PAGE 17

PAGE 10

Giving children the best start

Covid impacting our youth

PAGE 18

PAGE 10

Long history of learning

Kids in the dark on social media

PAGE 19

PAGE 11

Building a brighter future

KIDS CALENDAR

Learning to swim an essential life skill

PAGE 20

What’s on this spring

PAGE 11

High quality care at Kool Kidz

PAGE 30

Family fun is off and racing

PAGE 21

PAGE 12

A flying start for little ones

SPRING 2021

BOOKS A wild way to read PAGE 29 Children’s books PAGE 29

Deciphering your

CHILD’S DREAMS The influence of

BIRTH ORDER Get cooking with

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KIDS IN THE KITCHEN www.KidsWest.com.au

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It’s Your Life

Why birth order matters

By Melissa Grant

just two children.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“There’s a fair bit of cynicism.

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

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

4 Spring 2021

“William is your typical first-born.

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

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

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

I like to call it a family constellation.

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

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

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

“It’s about finding their niche.”

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

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

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

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

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

In his book, Grose analyses the latest

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

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

This has impacted the birth order positions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grose said this has implications.

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

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

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

www.KidsWest.com.au

It’s Your Life

Calling all Lego fans

By Alesha Capone NINE year-old Lego enthusiast Vihaan is one of the many youngsters looking forward to this year’s Wyndham Brickfest.

The annual event will return to Pacific Werribee on September 18 and 19, to raise funds for the paediatric ward at Werribee Mercy Hospital.

Event chairperson Andrew Elsbury said Brickfest competition participants could enter the categories of primary school and under, secondary school and adult.

Schools are being encouraged to enter the engineering competition.

Wyndham Brickfest 2019 winner Vihaan.

winner,” he said.

Vihaan, of Tarneit, won a junior prize at the 2019 Wyndham Brickfest and also last year when the competition moved online due to the pandemic.

Vihaan has won several other Lego competitions this year and displayed his Lego creations at fundraising events.

Vihaan said he would encourage other young people to enter the Wyndham competition.

“What I enjoy most about Lego is smashing it up and rebuilding it,” he said.

Diaries, showcasing his large-scale Lego builds including models of the London Bridge, the Taj Mahal and a rollercoaster.

“You can get Lego ideas, participate and you could be a winner or chose a

He also has a YouTube channel and Facebook page titled Vihaan’s Brick

The Wyndham Brickfest competition will be free to enter, with People’s

Wyndham Brickfest 2019 winner Vihaan is encouraging other young people to enter this year’s competition.

Picture: Damjan Janevski

Choice and Committee’s Encouragement prizes up for grabs in each category.

Details: https://www.facebook.com/ wyndhambrickfest/ or email wyndhambrickfest@gmail.com

Mum finds freedom in planning with kids

By Melissa Meehan

it, according to Nicole.

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

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

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

“I actually found it gave me more freedom.”

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

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

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

She’s just had a lot of practice.

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

For Nicole, planning actually ended up giving her more freedom.

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

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

“How are you so organised?”

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

Because, she figured, it could help other parents.

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

“I’m pretty process orientated, but wasn’t always natural that way, but I did get to the point with my second child, where I worked out okay, I am www.KidsWest.com.au

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

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

going to step out of the workforce and I’m going to be at home full-time now,” she said.

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

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

And that’s where it started.

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

And it did.

“That was sort of like that clicking moment where I had all the skills I used in the workforce – but I wasn’t bringing that home,” she said.

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

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

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

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

It was the same for after school activities and sports.

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

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

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

But just because you have a plan doesn’t mean your life revolves around

Find out more at www. planningwithkids.com Spring 2021 5

It’s Your Life

Dhruv, 10, is a chess champion.

Picture: Damjan Janevski

Young boy makes his move

By Alesha a Capone

He received received d a trophy, trop phy hy, a cash cash prize He and a book voucher for coming second.

POINT Cook youngster Dhruv is a champion chess player.

“I wasn’t expecting it, it was really difficult so I didn’t see myself placing in the top five,” Dhruv said.

Dhruv placed second in the Under-10s category of the 2021 Victorian Junior Chess Championship, which took place across two days in July.

Dhruv said he played four games on the first day of the competition and three games on the second day, with some of the matches lasting around one hour.

He now plays regularly plays with the chess club including at meetings, challenges and tournaments.

“What I enjoy most is the thinking and strategy,” Dhruv said.

The young chess enthusiast said his father taught him to play the game at the age of five.

Dhruv also represents Alamanda College, where he is a Grade 5 student, in interschool chess tournaments.

Dhruv said he loved it so much that he started private classes with coach Phil Minichelli from the Wyndham Chess Club.

He said the Alamanda chess team usually placed in the top three at most events.

Dhruv said that he would like to

become a professional chess player in pla the future.

“I just want to play chess and if possible, be the greatest chess player of all time, or one of the best players of all time,” he said.

Dhruv said he would like to thank Mr Minichelli for developing youth chess in the western suburbs.

See www.wyndhamchess.club for details of the Wyndham Chess Club.

Wyndham youth role model recognised

By Alesha Capone

Tanya said her involvement with the website inspired her to start a blog called My Mind Remedy, focused on lifestyle, ethics and travel.

TEENAGER Tanya Ajit has been recognised by Wyndham council for making a difference in the community through her volunteer work.

“I want to make it relatable to people feel like they’re not alone in the world,” she said.

Tanya, 16, was the recipient of the council’s One Wyndham award, which recognises residents aged between 12 and 25 who positively contribute to the area.

Tanya’s other achievements include being a national finalist in Miss Teen Galaxy Australia last year and participating in the X-Culture Competition online competition, where youth teams come up with solutions to business real-world problems.

Mayor Adele Hegedich said Tanya “is a great representative for Wyndham and is an inspiring role model for students”.

The competition organisers have asked Tanya to return as a coach for other entrants this year.

Tanya, who is in year 11 at Werribee Secondary College, is the school’s positive climate for learning vicecaptain.

She also volunteers at the Werribee Salvation Army during school holidays.

“It’s such a beautiful place to be, you get to help people and hear about their life,” she said.

As well, Tanya is PR officer for the My Piggy Bank! website which provides young people with tools to help develop their financial literacy.

6 Spring 2021

Tanya recently received a scholarship to do a three-week online entrepreneurship course through Cornell University.

Tanya Ajit.

Tanya said she became involved in the website after an American girl named Rebecca Wu, who developed the initiative, put a call for volunteers online.

“When you go to high school, you

don’t really learn real-life moneyhandling skills,” Tanya said.

She said website helps youth with one-on-one tutoring and games, so that the transition to dealing with money as an adult was not so intimidating.

Tanya said she would like to start her own business - a wellbeing centre for people to get a break from technology and prioritise their health.

For more information about the One Wyndham Project visit: https://bit. ly/3z2yF5c www.KidsWest.com.au

VANKA’S Bakery and cakes 0421 829 282

HAIRDRESSER and beauty treatment.

8385 7575

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www.KidsWest.com.au

Spring 2021 7

It’s Your Life

Deciphering your child’s dreams

By Melissa Meehan

subconscious mind creates these images.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monsters are a common theme that young children tend to dream about, according to Rose, who says the

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

Another popular dream is flying.

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

Some older kids have dreams of chaos and disorder when there’s instability in their lives.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“And talk to them, say, how we get this right, let’s change the ending to that dream.”

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

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

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

“It makes a difference.”

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

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

unintentional injuries.

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

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

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

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

In response to the significant increase in injury related deaths, Kidsafe Victoria have launched a new community awareness campaign - ‘Nothing is 8 Spring 2021

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

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

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

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

Together, we can keep kids safe.

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

It’s Your Life

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

Pictures: Stewart Chambers

Levi and Alyssa with their pooch Eva.

Mum is the boss of bargains

By Melissa Grant

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

MOST mums love a bargain.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amanda with some of her bargain buys.

Amanda said they were unable to access any Centrelink payments.

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

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

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

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

It also pays to know what stores do what markdowns.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can follow Amanda on Instagram at @bargain.boss

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

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

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

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

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

Spring 2021 9

It’s Your Life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

is what helps children grow their mental health.

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

So we have to learn that skill and the way to do it is surprising. We have to tune in to our own body first, before we can tune in to our child. It’s as if we have a wild creature, a panther, a brown bear (or in my case probably a twitchy nervous hamster) down inside our body. If we tune into the sensations down in our body, especially the middle of our torso, literally our gut feelings, we will instantly know if we are calm or in turmoil, and begin automatically to settle down. Then and only then, can we really be with our child fully. Let me just say that again - to be with our children, we first have to be with ourselves. It takes just a few seconds, a couple of breaths, a dropping of the shoulders, and perhaps some letting go

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

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

Mum or dad being absolutely present

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 Spring 2021

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

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

Young people often experience rapid physical, social and emotional changes

in a time where they are transitioning from dependence to independence,” institute spokesperson Sally Mills says.

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

And while data suggests that some outcomes for young people have

returned to pre-Covid-19 levels, Ms Mills said this is not always the case.

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

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

It’s Your Life

Kids in the dark on social media and says this underscores the need for oversight about how platforms collect and use young people’s data.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reasons for not reading the terms

and conditions included that they were too long, there were too many documents, they were presented in ways difficult to read and that you’ve got no choice anyway so why bother.

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

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

selling access to the profiles to advertisers for direct, targeted advertising.

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

However, Reset Australia is concerned the social media giant could keep the profiling for its own purposes

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

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

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

Learning to swim an essential life skill WITH the warm weather around the corner, now is the time to enrol in regular swimming lessons to ensure you and your family enjoy a safer summer.

drowning deaths*. Active supervision is essential - be prepared, be close (within arm’s reach), and give all of your attention, all of the time. Don’t get distracted on your phone, answering the door or preparing food.

As a nation surrounded by open water, being in and around water is a significant part of our favourite pastimes. It’s therefore important for both adults and children to be prepared with skills to help them swim safer.

■ Check the fence: Ensure all pools have fences that comply with government regulations – this includes any neighbouring pools.

Self-closing and self-latching pool gates should be used and checked regularly. A simple way of testing the gate is to see if it swings freely to close and latch from any open position.

Drowning is still the leading cause of accidental death of children aged under five years according to the Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report 2018.

You can start regular, formal swimming lessons with babies as young as four months old. It is a great time to start water familiarisation and a great opportunity for parents and carers to connect with their babies.

Research suggests that early swimming lessons can lead to better physical, cognitive and linguistic development in children. A study conducted in 2012 by Griffith University ran for three years and surveyed almost 7000 parents with children under five. It examined whether participation in early swimming lessons impacted subsequent milestones in child development, with results showing a clear connection between children who participated in early swimming lessons developing a range of physical skills and meeting many developmental milestones earlier than their peers.

For parents searching for the right swim school, it’s important to ask questions about the programs and www.KidsWest.com.au

■ Don’t give them a boost: Never leave chairs, bins, pot plants, Eskies or outdoor furniture near pool areas.

Children often use these items to boost themselves up to open a gate or climb a fence.

■ Keep it empty: Regularly empty any containers such as Eskies, buckets, wading pools or anything that can hold rainwater and store these away where they cannot be filled up with water following rainfall.

D Drowning i iis th the lleading di cause off accidental id t l d death th off children hild aged d under d fi five, according di tto th the R Royall Lif Life Saving National Drowning Report 2018.

Picture: ISTOCK

wherever possible, do a trial lesson.

Swim schools that teach survival skills of treading water, safety circles and encouraging kids to build distance are a great place to start.

Some other top tips for a safer summer include: ■ Keep watch of your children: A lapse in supervision is the number one contributing factor in toddler

■ Learn CPR and First Aid: Prevention is the fundamental way to avoid drowning, however, as a last line of defence, CPR is a vital life skill that can help save a life.

With 7 Paul Sadler Swimland centres across Melbourne’s West, now is the time to book in your FREE trial class and get your kids into swimming lessons to have a safer summer!

Spring 2021 11

It’s Your Life

Family fun is off and racing A multifaceted entertainment complex, Tabcorp Park is a unique and modern venue featuring a spacious bistro, indoor playground, function centre, Mantra Hotel and luscious lawns overlooking the picturesque harness racing track.

Known as Victoria’s home of harness racing, it is the perfect place to spend some quality time with the whole family.

While the weather warms up, the venue is abuzz with excitement as major racing events commence. Tabcorp Park is known for showcasing premium racing, as well as an array of free activities for the entire family.

The major events calendar kicks off with the Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup, on Saturday 9 October, featuring the popular Food Truck precinct, free kids rides and activities, entertainment, roving performers and DJ on the main stage.

Following the Victoria Cup is the Breeders Crown on Saturday 20 November. A regal horse-drawn carriage adorns the track, carrying the winners of each race with a theme of

everything to do with horses. The Breeders Crown will offer pony rides, free kids activities, giveaways, live entertainment, art stations and lots more.

To celebrate the end of 2021, you can’t forget the famous New Year’s Eve event that goes off with a bang, featuring loads of activities and the best fireworks display in the west. The 2022 Summer of Glory that follows is a carnival of adrenaline-filled racing and summer fun.

Kids will be thrilled with how close they can get to the horses on a race night. With the track adjacent to the main lawn, they can watch as the horses race past with dedicated male and female drivers guiding the sulkies around the track. Kids can even go and see the horses in the stables or parade ring.

The Kids’ Club is the perfect way for kids to feel even more included. With regular updates about the very popular free activities at racing events, school holiday shows, competitions, giveaways and meal specials for the kids in the bistro. You won’t want to miss out, so ask the friendly staff how your kids can join

Tabcorp Park is Victoria’s home of harness racing.

when you next visit.

Tabcorp Park also has the Pony Trots program, designed for children aged six to 16 years old to get involved with their pony and have some fun out on the track. This is a fabulous platform for the future drivers of the industry where they can learn about the sport and better their skills. For more information about

the Pony Trots program, visit www. ponytrotsvic.com.au.

With so much fun for the whole family, Tabcorp Park is the place to be for racing, entertainment and more.

Find it at 2 Ferris Road, Melton.

Enquiries: 8746 0600, Facebook or www.tabcorppark.com.au

TABCORP PARK ENTERTAINMENT AND MORE… MANTRA HOTEL

| SPORTS BAR | FREE PARKING G

MAJOR RACING EVENTS: Free Kids Rides, Entertainment, Food Trucks, Fun for the Whole Family

FUNCTIONS

KIDS CLUB

BISTRO

RACING

12505326-SG36-21

OVERLOOKING OUR PICTURESQUE TRACK

2 Ferris Road, Cobblebank. T: 03 8746 0600 www.tabcorppark.com.au 12 Spring 2021

www.KidsWest.com.au

Health

Trying to parent while your sick can be an absolute nightmare.

Tips for parenting when sick

By Melissa Grant

Here are Edwina’s top tips to help you survive parenting while sick:

THERE’S nothing fun about being sick.

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

Do Less: Practice the same compassion for yourself as you would for others. There is no shame in slowing down and resting.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cancel plans: From after school swimming lessons to gymnastics, we’re always running around after our kids however prioritising your health is far more important. Cancelling plans every once in a while so that you can properly rest won’t harm your child’s development.

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

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

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

and organise for someone to look after your children.”

Telehealth: Getting out of the house to go to the doctor can be tough when you have kids to care for. Fortunately, there is a variety of medical services now easily available online through Telehealth.

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

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

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

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

“If you are really unwell, quarantine yourself in a separate room of the house

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

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

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

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

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

Researchers probe role of genetics in SIDS GENETICS could hold the key to preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

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

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

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

SIDS is the sudden, unexpected, and unexplained death of an apparently well baby, despite clinical www.KidsWest.com.au

investigations, including autopsy.

The genetic biobank is the only of its kind in the southern hemisphere and one of only a few that exist in the world.

It was supported by funding from River’s Gift, an organisation established

by Geelong couple Karl Waddell and Alex Hamilton following the death of their 4-month-old baby, River, to SIDS in 2011.

River’s Gift evolved from a pledge to Stamp Out SIDS and ensure that no other parent would endure the pain and suffering of the unexpected and unexplained loss of their child.

Molecular biologist and Head of

genetics at the Australian Centre for Precision Health, UniSA’s Professor Leanne Dibbens, says the biobank will provide unprecedented opportunities to examine genetic factors that have contributed to SIDS. “Within Australia and internationally, research into SIDS is not as active as it once was,” Prof Dibbens says.

“This is mainly due to successful education campaigns such as ‘safe sleeping’ of infants, which has significantly reduced the incidence of SIDS. Yet, every year in Australia, about 100 babies still die from SIDS and we don’t know why.”

Prof Dibbens said the genetic biobank

would allow researchers to analyse DNA from SIDS babies to look for genetic causes of the condition.

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

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

“Every baby’s life is precious. This research will help protect all babies and families from suffering the heartache of SIDS,” Prof Dibbens said.

Spring 2021 13

Recipes

Creating a love of cooking

By Melissa Grant

snacks for kids, Well Fed Kitchen.

TEACHING your children to cook can serve up many benefits.

In her practice, she gives parents advice on a range of food-related issues, including fussy eating, reflux, constipation, eczema, allergies, and mood and behavioural issues.

It gets them tasting different foods, teaches them how to follow directions and even helps with their maths.

Most importantly, it helps set them up for a healthy future and positive life-long relationship with food.

That’s why we’re excited to welcome paediatric nutritionist Lucy Stewart as our new expert contributor.

Each edition, Lucy’s Kids in the Kitchen column will bring you a simple and nutritious recipe that you can cook in the kitchen with your children.

“It will be nourishing for them, they can help make it in the kitchen and we will always try to squeeze in extra veggies where we can,” Lucy said.

Lucy lives with her husband Matt and son Otis, 5. She also shares her time with step-daughters Faith, 15, and Daisy, 12.

This edition, Lucy shares a kidfriendly recipe for pumpkin maple bread. We hope you enjoy cooking it!

“It made me realise how critical it was to set up our children for life by eating the right food.

Pumpkin contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help keep the immune system strong, and the eyes, heart and skin healthy. Pumpkin seeds are also a rich source of zinc that’s essential for growth, wound healing, immune function and perception of

taste (low zinc can contribute to fussy eating).

It’s an easy recipe to make with the kids - just a bit of whisking, sifting and stirring, pop it in the oven and, in about an hour, you’ll have a house smelling of fragrant spices and a delicious bread to enjoy for afternoon tea. There are options in the recipe to make it gluten and dairy free too, if you wish.

She advises parents to get their children involved in cooking family meals by writing shopping lists, going to the supermarket, washing and chopping vegetables and helping in the kitchen.

Lucy currently works as a clinical nutritionist, as a recipe developer and has just launched a range of nourishing

“When I was pregnant with my son I was learning about the importance of the first 1000 days of life.

IF your kids love banana bread, they’ll love this spiced pumpkin and maple bread.

One of the greatest things you can teach your children, Lucy says, is the ability to cook so they don’t rely on convenience and takeaway foods when they are older.

“I knew that was the direction I wanted to take my practice in - babies and kids nutrition.”

“I came from a 15-year career in TV PR (public relations). I’ve always loved food, I’ve always cooked,” she explained.

Spiced pumpkin and maple bread

“It affects our kids’ sleep, their learning and their behaviour, it affects everything,” she said.

“Kids who have invested their time in something are much more likely to try and eat it. It will be messy, yes, but you will be surprised that a child who is happy to chop up the capsicum will eat it at the table.

“You also need to set a good example - you can’t expect your child to eat well if you don’t.”

Another important thing is to cook easy recipes.

“I love cooking really simple food,” she said.

“When you have kids, dinner at the end of the day has to be quick, it has to be easy. It has to be really simple, nourishing food that the whole family is going to eat.”

Her career in nutrition began in 2015 when she was pregnant with Otis.

Our new expert contributor Lucy Stewart.

Diet, she says, has a huge impact on our children’s health and wellbeing, both now and in the future.

Directions ■ Preheat oven at 165C and line and grease a loaf tin

i th in the kitchen with Lucy Stewart

Makes: 1 loaf Prep time: 15-minutes Cook time: 1 hour Ingredients ■ 1 cup mashed pumpkin ■ 2 free range eggs, at room temperature ■ 1 ¾ cups gluten free or wholemeal flour ■ 1/3 cup pure maple syrup ■ 1/3 cup coconut oil or butter, melted ■ ¼ plant-based mylk or milk of choice ■ 1 tsp ground cinnamon ■ ½ tsp ground ginger ■ ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ■ ¼ tsp ground cloves

■ In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and pure maple syrup ■ Add the eggs and whisk until combined ■ Add mashed pumpkin, mylk, spices, baking soda, vanilla and salt, and whisk to combine ■ Sift in the flour, and using a wooden spoon, mix until just combined ■ Gently fold in chopped dates ■ Pour the batter into your greased loaf tin and sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the top ■ Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean ■ Allow the bread cool in the loaf tin for 10 minutes, then gently transfer to rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing ■ Enjoy warm, with butter and a drizzle of honey. Individual slices can be stored in the freezer and reheated in the toaster

■ 1 tsp baking soda ■ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract ■ ½ tsp sea salt Lucy Stewart and her son Otis cooking the spiced pumpkin and maple bread together.

Picture: Studio 74 Photography 14 Spring 2021

■ 6 pitted Medjool dates, chopped ■ ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, to decorate

Lucy Stewart is a mum who is nutritionist specialising in babies and kids health, and a recipe developer.

You can find more of her recipes at https://lucystewartnutrition.com www.KidsWest.com.au

Education

The benefits of learning outside Taking the books outside can improve learning.

By Melissa Meehan WE all remember heading outside for story time in a blistering hot summer in the halcyon days of yesteryear.

But did the teachers back then know taking the classroom outdoors could improve learning, engagement in class and social skills?

A study by the University of South Australia found growing evidence that nature based learning may just do that.

In a paper published in Environmental Education Research, UniSA PhD candidate Nicole Miller and her colleagues found that taking the classroom outdoors may improve physical activity, learning, mental health and wellbeing, engagement in

class and social skills.

They looked at 20 studies of nature across the globe over the past 18 years.

“The evidence suggests that taking the classroom outdoors could be a great way to include more incidental physical activities into a child’s day,” Ms Miller says.

The link between learning in nature and lower obesity rates is not new, but more significant than ever, given that only 19 per cent of Australian children are meeting the World Health Organization’s recommended levels of 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day.

“Globally, the figures are even worse, with a recent study of 12 countries showing that just 4.8 per cent of children aged between 5-19 years are doing moderate to vigorous exercise for an hour each day.”

WHO estimates that at least 340 million children and teenagers are overweight or obese, including 24 per cent of Australian children (ABS statistics), increasing their risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease later in life.

Nature-based learning can range from holding normal classes outdoors, to more strenuous activities such as constructing shelters, and group games.

Apart from the physical benefits, the evidence suggests that nature-based learning is more enjoyable and handson than in a traditional classroom, so children may be more likely to retain more knowledge and stay focused throughout the lesson.

Learning about the environment while in nature is an obvious benefit, but the researchers also referenced studies showing the mental health

benefits in adults who had spent significant time in nature in their childhood.

“Previous research has found links that suggest adults with a low exposure to nature in childhood had significantly poorer mental health and a greater risk of psychiatric disorders,” Miller says.

A 2017 study of 48 children in Germany found that children’s stress levels significantly improved after nature-based learning in the forest.

Also, a 2018 US study reported that learning outcomes improved students’ focus and behaviour.

“While the evidence is growing, more research is needed because it is still unclear which elements of nature-based learning, such as type, duration, frequency, and location, provide the most benefits,” Miller says.

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

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

In the first week, it’s likely the teacher knows little about your child and you’re in a position to provide helpful information. Don’t feel you’re intruding or asking for special treatment – you’re just showing a concern your child gets a good education.

After six weeks or so, even if you feel your child is doing well, you might like to set up a conference, which should always be at a time to suit the teacher.

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

■ Can my child participate well in group activities?

■ What can I do to encourage or help www.KidsWest.com.au

my child learn to read?

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

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

Succinct information will assist the teacher to give clear responses.

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

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

5.Remain open, even if the teacher tells you something negative about your

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

child’s behaviour or attitude.

Antagonism can kill a conference stone dead.

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

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

Picture: iStock

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

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

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

Spring 2021 15

Education

Caroline Chisholm Catholic College offers a variety of specialised programs for students.

The College’s new Arts Centre - the St Madeleine Centre - at its junior girls’ campus, Christ the King.

Holistic schooling for everyone CAROLINE Chisholm Catholic College is a co-educational secondary college in Melbourne’s inner-west that is dedicated to schooling excellence in an engaged, faith-filled and inclusive environment.

The College believes in the dignity of every student, accepting them for who they are and where they’re at, embracing their gifts and talents, nurturing them and giving them every chance to be the best they are called to be. The College caters for all students, whether their gifts or talents are academic, artistic or their interests be in the trades, or in out-of-classroom areas such as sports and social justice.

In 2020, VCE College results for the year were in line with the state averages, with 37 students receiving ATAR scores of 80+. The College Dux and Promixe Accessit achieved an ATAR of 98.7 and 98.5 respectively.

They also achieved perfect 50/50 Study Scores in System Engineering and Sociology. Whilst students achieve excellent academic success, the College is also committed to providing a holistic education that caters to all student needs.

The College offers a number of extension programs including international exchanges with schools in Japan and Italy, accelerated

educational and enrichment programs including Aspire for gifted students in Years 7 to 9; Encore and a specialised selected Music program. Caroline Chisholm Catholic College also partners with Australian Catholic University (ACU), enabling Year 12 students to study tertiary subjects in their final year at school.

The College enjoys world-class facilities including state-of-the-art science labs, an indoor swimming pool, an 800-seat auditorium, two libraries, a wholly owned outdoor education site in Meredith and a new Arts Centre - the St Madeleine Centre - at its junior girls’ campus, Christ the King. The College will open its new multi-purpose hall in late 2021 which will accommodate a growing staff and student body,

providing a space for entire College gatherings.

The wellbeing of students is central to their schooling experience at the College.

All programs are fully resourced and represent a high priority to promote the personal, psychological and emotional growth of our young people.

The pillars of the College - Faith, Acceptance, Compassion and Excellence (FACE) - ensure each student is a known and valued member of the College’s inclusive multicultural community.

Call the College on 9296 5311 or email admissions@cccc.vic.edu.au to organise a personalised tour.

Caroline Chisholm Catholic College, 65 & 204 Churchill Avenue, Braybrook.

12505626-SN36-21

The junior campuses operate as single-sex Years 7 to 9, while the senior campus is co-educational from Years 10

to 12 catering for the full suite of pathways available to students.

16 Spring 2021

www.KidsWest.com.au

to protect the smaller plants so they can flourish securely, and the array of flowers provides perspectives for us to wonder at and enjoy. This analogy of garden represents our College learning community. From our little learners in Prep through to tall Year 12s, we are one College, working together to support the growth and development of each other so each member can bloom in their time.

Students are not facing consistent conditions. Thanks to the pandemic, schooling swings between online and onsite, and still each member of our learning community - student, staff, or parent - has persevered. Like trees in a glade, we grow stronger when together, in spite of rough weather we’re experiencing. Whatever the year level or whatever the subject, we do our best to follow God’s guidelines as we learn from nature the way to benefit from diversity and specialisation.

Education

Melton Christian College prides itself on its supportive, Christ-centred approach to education.

Growing learners at Melton Christian College A message from Kristie Barber, Head of Teaching and Learning at Melton Christian College.

Growing and developing is what we do at Melton Christian College. In 2020, students, staff and parents did a lot of this. Last year, lockdowns made school-

learning look very different. Despite the challenge, we stayed steady in doing what God shows us to do through nature.

Through all of nature, God shows us that his plan is for us to grow, flourish, and develop. (Genesis 1:26; 2:15).

2021 is proving to be no different.

As in nature, our God doesn’t expect us to grow tall and strong overnight.

Like a garden, different trees and flowers grow at different rates and bloom in different seasons. Such a garden represents diversity and partnership. The larger trees offer shade

Across the College in learning labs, we grow in knowledge and understanding of maths and science concepts. In classrooms and the library, we feed and fertilise our growing understanding of themes in the stories we are reading and analyses we are writing. In the gym, the courts and the playing fields, we are developing skills of teamwork, problem-solving, and hand-eye coordination.

Growing and developing for God’s glory is our core business as a Christcentred learning community. Let’s celebrate each other’s growth and continue to care for each other. We are designed to do life in community. When a community selflessly partners together and is aligned in shared purpose, the community flourishes.

To learn more about the school and its philosophy, visit www.mcc.vic.edu. au or phone (03) 9732 3000.

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www.KidsWest.com.au

Spring 2021 17

Education

Giving children the best start THE early years are critical to a child’s development and through Niño Early Learning Adventures’ unique, educational and inspirational experiences every child is provided with the best start in life.

are specialist classes, including physical education, Spanish language, yoga and music.

An Infant Specialist Program at the centres, led by an in-house infant specialised practitioner, sees educators and families learn the skills required to enhance the sleep and the settling of children. Niño ELA also use a primary caregiving model in their nurseries, allowing each child to develop a nurturing relationship with a primary educator so they can develop a sense of trust, security and safety.

Niño Early Learning Adventures’ carefully curated holistic curriculum brings together flexible indoor and outdoor learning environments, nutritional education and ageappropriate enhancement programs, making its early learning pathway offerings unique.

Underpinned by the Positive Education Framework, the curriculum gives every child the opportunity to have meaningful learning experiences that incorporate their emerging interests to help them reach their full potential.

“The focus across our centres is to help children to develop skills that strengthen their relationships, build positive emotions, enhance resilience, promote mindfulness and enjoy a healthy lifestyle,” said company manager Melinda Ackerman.

“Our mantra at Niño ELA is ‘fresh, healthy food, every day’,” said Melinda.

Every child at Niño Early Learning Adventures is provided with the best start to their education.

physical, personal, social and emotional wellbeing as well as cognitive aspects of learning.

“At Niño ELA, we value and welcome family involvement. Through a continual awareness of your child’s needs, abilities and talents, our approach is to see children graduate from their Niño ELA experience as confident, robust and adventurous individuals,” said Melinda.

Niño Early Learning Adventures’ programs are specially designed for each developmental stage of learning.

The ‘Small Steps, Big Footprints’ program carefully nurtures children as they make the transition between infancy and toddlerhood.

The 3 and 4 year old kindergarten programs, led by Bachelor Qualified teachers, take place in a long-day care setting. Complementing the programs

A seasonal nutritionally balanced menu is developed by nutritional ambassador, Dr Lauren Burns and cooked onsite daily by chefs. The children are empowered to self-serve, allowing them to have autonomy and serve themselves, fostering socialisation, sharing and turn-taking.

Niño Early Learning Adventures has centres across Melbourne to cater for the growing communities. Enrolments are now taking place. For more information, visit ninoela.com.au

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Working together with families, educators create individual learning programs that consider interests,

It goes without saying that nutrition is important.

18 Spring 2021

www.KidsWest.com.au

Education

The Geelong College Junior School has a strong focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

Picture: Supplied

Long history of learning AS the Geelong College celebrates 160 years, early learning educators and children at the Geelong College have been reflecting on children’s developing understanding of the land on which we play and learn.

This began with a long-term project titled ‘Connection with Country’. In 2017, early learning educators initiated a professional learning project to develop our knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

history and culture in order to share this with the children.

collated and refined to express their big ideas.

The staff and students were privileged to develop a relationship with Corrina Eccles, a Wadawurrung Traditional Owner, who has guided them on their journey. Within its Reggio Emilia-inspired philosophy, children and educators explore big ideas together.

When posing the question ‘What is country?’ to the children, it was hoped that highlighting what country is, and how we are connected to it in different ways, may result in the development of an understanding and appreciation for our shared history as people of Australia. One of the major learnings has been about Indigenous people’s connection to the land and the importance of caring for Mother Earth.

“We are on Mother Earth! She is the water and the flowers and the grass the trees are on her too.”

Young children have a natural inquisitiveness about nature, animals and birds which means learning in nature is a key feature of the school’s program. The natural outdoor play spaces in the new Junior School allow for long periods of time outdoors daily.

This is complemented by the Bush Connections program, where children spend a day each term in the bush and play only with natural materials. In the bush, the day always begins by acknowledging Country and thanking Mother Earth.

Learning Wadawurrung names for birds such as Bunjil (eagle) and Parrwang (magpie) occurs at Bush Connections, and river walks at the Barwon Yaluk (river) with Corrina Eccles are a wonderful opportunity to hear stories about the land and animals, and to learn songs and dances. The children’s Acknowledgement of Country developed out of this project work.

Children’s thoughts about Mother Earth and First Peoples were discussed,

“Being on country is going to find treasures. Country is important to Aboriginal people and Aboriginal people are important because they came on this land first.”

As well as being embedded into the daily program, the Acknowledgment of Country is now used throughout the Junior School at assemblies and all formal occasions.

“We acknowledge the Wadawurrung people as the Traditional Owners of this land. We thank them for taking care of the land and the animals. Together we will care for Mother Earth and all her colours.’”

As the new school evolved, there was an opportunity to further foster connection to the land by using local Wadawurrung names for the new Junior School’s learning spaces. The Geelong College thanks both the Traditional Owners and the School leadership for enabling children to have daily reminders of the place on which their new buildings are located, sitting up above the Barwon River.

The Junior School looks forward to celebrating these new spaces and honouring the history of the land through literature and art. Children will work with expert local community members to tell the story of this place that will create a lasting memento which can be shared with Campbell House students for years to come.

Discover more about the College by visiting www.geelongcollege.vic.edu. au or attending an Open Day on Wednesday 20 October or 17 November.

The

Geelong C o l lege A leading Victorian day and boarding school from Early Learning to VCE. Discover The Geelong College difference at our Open Days on Wednesday 20 October and 17 November.

Register or explore more dates or small group tours at www.geelongcollege.vic.edu.au or phone (03) 5226 3156.

Be of

COURAGE 160 YEARS STRONG

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www.KidsWest.com.au

Spring 2021 19

Education

Building a brighter future WILL all the jobs be replaced in the future by robots and computers?

This is a common question students have as they observe the changing world around them. Being in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution can be scary for young adults whose future career aspects are unclear. However, not everything is what it seems on the surface, and having good inquiry skills is fundamental to life.

This year, Lalor Secondary College saw the launch of its Inquiry program trial. This pilot project, co-ordinated by Ms Claire Delaney, saw Year 8 students have the opportunity to learn about and create practical solutions to problems they see around them.

The inquiry program uses the Whittlesea Tech School’s innovation cycle, which scaffolds an inquiry process and assists students in developing a prototype. By participating in the program, students develop crucial and highly desirable 21st century skills such as critical thinking, creative thinking and collaboration.

The students are introduced to the

Year 8 students at Lalor Secondary College participating in a trial of the school’s Inquiry program.

Year 8 students at Lalor Secondary College participating in a trial of the school’s Inquiry program.

inquiry process by completing the ‘Foodlab’ program, developed by Whittlesea Tech School. Students are presented with an industry problem and challenged to create new food products using mushroom stems, which are currently classified as a food waste. By understanding problems better through multiple perspectives, students can create products that people will want, such as new vegan mushroom burger patties and delicious mushroom chips.

Using their sharpened inquiry skills, the Lalor Secondary College Year 8 students continued their learning

journey by exploring other topics of interest. In a short period of time, they have participated in ACMI workshops exploring the impact of games on culture and society and some of the issues around representation and accessibility in video games. Additional topics explored included sports, gender equality, food waste and a variety of others. Students were then given an opportunity to act and address some of the problems by developing a prototype solution.

Here are some of the identified challenges and ideas: The challenge: Food items in fridge going past their due by date.

Student prototype solution: An app where people input the items in the fridge and it’ll bring up possible meal recipes. The app would also store information on expiry dates and can send alerts when the food is about to go off to reduce waste.

The challenge: Lack of access to soccer coaching for aspiring young players.

Student prototype solution: Virtual reality coaching to improve soccer skills anywhere and anytime.

Students built their concepts at the Tech School to various stages and it was amazing to see the creativity and ingenuity of the students. Next year will see the launch of the stand-alone subject of Inquiry which will be rolled out to all Year 8 students at Lalor Secondary College. Students will take ownership of their learning by selecting a topic of interest to create meaningful solutions to problems they see around us.

“The Inquiry program in Year 8 is one of the ways that we strive to create engaging, real world curriculum for the benefits of our students,” Ms Delaney said.

To learn more about Lalor Secondary College’s Inquiry program, visit www. lalorsc.vic.edu.au

A message to our wonderful community, especially our students: We are thinking of you, we are missing you.

We look forward to having you back.

Stay Safe Lalor Secondary College PH 9463 7300, 118 David St, Lalor www.lalorsc.vic.edu.au 12505936-AV36-21

20 Spring 2021

www.KidsWest.com.au

Education

High quality care at Kool Kidz WITH over 25 years of experience in the childcare industry, parents can rest assured that their children are in safe and nurturing hands at Kool Kidz Childcare and Kinder.

quality care and education possible for your child. The Kool Beginnings Curriculum, which is unique to Kool Kidz’ service, encourages a lifelong love of learning by using play to teach.

Established almost 10 years ago, Kool Kidz provides Long Day Care - Early Learning, Childcare and Kindergarten services for all children aged six weeks to six years.

A play-based and age-appropriate curriculum inspires children to be curious learners, empathetic thinkers and encourage hands-on skills through authentic learning in real–life experiences.

Children are provided nutritionally balanced meals and healthy snacks as part of a menu designed by Nutrition Australia.

With a new service location opening soon, the Kool Kidz team are extending their premium care services to more residents and their children.

“I am very proud and excited to announce the opening of the Kool Kidz Melton South location; I really look forward to seeing families and their local community benefiting from our service,” says Phillip Hortis, Kool Kidz Founder and franchisor.

Parents can keep up with their little one’s daily activities via our exclusive Kool Konnect App – Communication at families’ fingertips. Enabling families to interact, engage and view highlights of your Kool Kid throughout the day via the use of an online collaboration tool, Kool Konnect.

“My daughter has been going to Kool Kids for almost one month now and I can’t explain how happy I am with the team, the owners are very caring and always have a smile,” explains Greenvale mum, Leyla.

With state-of-the-art, purpose-built facilities on site, founders Phillip and Sylvia have taken every opportunity to ensure that the facility is a welcoming and positive environment for children.

“My child loves it here. She loves the staff and they have a great selection of toys, books and equipment. She comes home a little smarter every day,” says Narre Warren dad, Wayne.

As a family-owned and operated childcare service, the Kool Kidz team is dedicated to providing the highest

Head to https://www. koolkidzchildcare.com.au/ to learn more.

Your little ones will experience individualised, stimulating and compassionate care at Kool Kidz Childcare.

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www.KidsWest.com.au

Spring 2021 21

Education

A flying start for little ones WHEN mums and dads entrust their children into the care of Caroline Springs Little Flyers, the Centre Director Evet Beshara believes that it isn’t just so they can go to work but to ensure their child’s optimum start on life’s learning journey.

“Our curriculum covers babies to kindergarten and school readiness, and we focus on learning about health, the environment and sustainability, self-esteem and general happiness,” says Evet.

“A quality trait of our Centre and educational program is the Reggio Emilia-inspired curriculum that places great value on the environment - both indoors and out.

“We view both play spaces as promoters of life’s learning, quality communication, and strong relationships. The Reggio Emilia approach is led by a child’s curiosity, connection to the world around them, and the belief that children have the ability to develop their own potential values we hold close to our heart.

“We don’t underestimate the value of

the children’s learning by being outside, with outdoor play spaces readily accessible to all children throughout the day, and their design complementing and extending on indoor activities.

“We know that children who play in natural environments begin to develop appropriate risk-taking skills, solve their own problems and use their senses to explore and develop connections with nature. Outdoor play also evokes wonder and curiosity, and enhances cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.”

Evet adds that as Little Flyers children begin to understand concepts such as recycling and water conservation, they’re on the path to being good custodians of the planet. This is underscored by the Centre’s use of natural and recycled materials as often as possible.

The outdoor program is enriched by vegie and herb gardens, which require care and attention from the children, and pique curiosity about nutrition, colours and smells, and a health-

~¡¡/¤GT/g' ~gg/H/ Empowering every student to aspire and achieve

Children are given a flying start at Little Flyers.

centred lifestyle.

“And when harvest time arrives,” says Evet, “the gardens provide nutritious produce used in our seasonal menus which are endorsed by Nutrition Australia.

“At Little Flyers, our children really do

learn and play in a wonderful environment!”

Caroline Springs Little Flyers, 1 The Crossing, Caroline Springs. Opens 6.30am-6.30pm Monday-Friday.

Enquiries: 9363 7622 or www.littleflyers. vic.edu.au

Covid considerations for VCE scores

By Melissa Grant

Empowering Every Student to Aspire and Achieve Ŀƙ ūƭƑ qĿƙƙĿūŠ ƙƥîƥĚŞĚŠƥȦ ¹ĺĚ ŒĚNj DžūƑē ĿŠ ūƭƑ ŞĿƙƙĿūŠ ƙƥîƥĚŞĚŠƥ Ŀƙ Everyȫ ċĚČîƭƙĚ DžĚ ŒŠūDž ƥĺîƥ Every ČĺĿŕē ČîŠ ŕĚîƑŠȡ ƥĺîƥ Every ČĺĿŕē ČîŠ ƎƑūijƑĚƙƙ îŠē ūƭƑ ŞĿƙƙĿūŠ Ŀƙ ƥū ŞîŒĚ ƥĺîƥ ĺîƎƎĚŠȦ

The state government has announced it will again use the ‘Consideration of Educational Disadvantage’ (CED) process in light of continued disruptions to schooling throughout the year.

Coronavirus restrictions forced Victorian students to remote learning at various times, impacting important school milestones.

~ŠĚ IJîŞĿŕNjȡ ƥĺƑĚĚ ĺūŞĚƙ Copperfield College is a truly unique multi-campus secondary college. We have 2 Junior Campuses (Year 7-10) at Sydenham and Kings Park. Our Delahey Senior Campus Years 11 – 12 offers s an extensive VCE and VCAL Program.

Education Minister James Merlino said the CED process will ensure every student is fairly assessed.

Copperfield College is a large school operating across three smaller sites. This means students actually receive the benefits of smaller schools, which are complemented by our Team and Wellbeing structures. Our two Junior Campuses provide a learning environment tailored for students in Years 7 to 10. At our senior campus at Delahey, the huge advantages of being a large school come into their own with the breadth of subject and course offering we can provide.

“Victorian students have done an amazing job adapting to another year of disruptions to their learning – and we’re making sure every student is assessed individually and fairly in their final years of school,” he said.

We are in the TOP 3 schools in the area, with excellent VCE and VCAL results Our students achieve excellent VCE results with a median study score of 28 putting us in the top 3 performing schools in the area and well above like schools across the state. Our award-winning VCAL program (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning) provides practical, work-related experience together with Literacy and Numeracy skills important for life and work.

Our students are also able to incorporate a VET Subject into their senior programs. Copperfield College is a partner within the Brimbank VET Cluster providing extensive opportunities for our students. Each campus has its own Pathways Counsellor providing support to all students and families.

“We want to make sure every student knows that no matter how much they’re impacted by the pandemic, we’re supporting them to succeed in VCE and VCAL.” The CED process will be used to finalise VCE results for each and every student completing one or more VCE or scored VCE VET Unit 3-4 sequence in 2021.

I encourage any family thinking about enrolling their child into Copperfield College to book a tour and discover why there is more to Copperfield College than you know.

College Principal Phillipa Griffiths Visit our website copperfieldcollege.vic.edu.au email: copperfield.co@edumail.vic.gov.au Follow us on IG and FB @copperfieldcollege 12506502-DL36-21

22 Spring 2021

LEARNING disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic will be considered when calculating students’ VCE scores this year.

Consistent with the approach in

Disruptions to learning caused by Covid-19 will be considered when scores are calculated for VCE students.

2020, the process considers a range of data alongside exam results to calculate final VCE results. This includes the General Achievement Test (GAT), comparisons of performance across all assessments and schools and other learning data.

The process will also include assessments of the individual impact of coronavirus on each student including school closures, direct impacts on students’ health, ongoing issues with remote learning and mental health challenges.

All Year 12 VCAL students will also have access to individual consideration – with schools required to apply special consideration for all students who have been subject to significant disruptions. www.KidsWest.com.au

Feel good about your choice of child care and kindergarten.

We know you want the best for your child.

A place where every child is recognised and celebrated for their uniqueness.

We are proud to offer: • Passionate, experienced and qualified staff • A nurturing and stimulating environment for children to thrive • Seasonal halal certified menu endorsed by Nutrition Australia • Reggio Emilia inspired learning • Convenience of long day care including school holidays Child Care 3 Year Old Kindergarten 4 Year Old Kindergarten www.KidsWest.com.au

1 The Crossing 9363 7622

Places currently available. Contact us to organise a tour. littleflyers.vic.edu.au

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Spring 2021 23

Entertainment

Political drama series for kids A political comedy-drama for kids is coming to free-to-air TV. Production has begun on The PM’s Daughter, a 10-episode series that will be filmed in Canberra and Sydney and broadcast on ABC ME next year.

The series follows young activist Cat Parkes Perez whose relatively ordinary teen life is turned upside down when her mum unexpectedly becomes prime minister.

As major disruptions begin to occur at Canberra landmarks – all seemingly designed to directly sabotage the PM Cat and her new friends, Sadie and Ollie, set out to track down and unmask a rogue faction within a youth action group called ACTION UPRISING. The clues will take them across the capital and lead them to investigate even their own schoolmates.

Libbie Doherty, Head of ABC Children’s Production said the show has it all.

“This series has the lot! Political intrigue, full on teens, great fashion and oh yes, life in ‘The Lodge’ as imagined by a stellar team of Australian creatives,” she said.

“We’ve had a lot of fun developing the series and are delighted to be launching the careers of this super cool cast.”

The PM’s Daughter boasts an exciting new cast of young talent, including Cassandra Helmot as Cat, Natalie

The cast of The PM’s Daughter: Natalie English (who plays Sadie), Nya Cofie, Cassandra Helmot (Cat), Jaga Yap (Ollie), Amelia James Power (Georgina).

English as Sadie, Jaga Yap (Babyteeth) as Ollie, and Claire Fearon as Prime Minister Isabel Perez.

Sally Caplan, Head of Content at Screen Australia said the show was

original and inspiring.

“This is an intriguing and thoroughly original concept from creators Tristram Baumber (The Unlisted, Born to Spy) and Matthew Allred, and in the capable

hands of the standout creative team behind the series we expect The PM’s Daughter will engage and inspire children around Australia when it heads to ABC ME.”

Funtastic food to get your party started Ice cream cone cakes THIS is such a fun and exciting treat to make and eat! It’s also a wonderful activity to do with children of all ages, especially when it comes to decorating the ice cream cones at the very end there’s no end to how creative and inventive you can be with decorations.

Makes 12 Ingredients ■ 12 pieces of flat bottom ice cream cone shells ■ Sprinkles of choice ■ Chocolates/lollies/fruit for decorations Cake batter: ■ 1½ cup self raising flour ■ 1 cup raw sugar ■ ½ cup olive oil ■ ½ cup melted butter ■ 1 whole egg ■ ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ■ ¾ cup full cream milk ■ ¾ cup boiling water Cream cheese frosting: ■ ½ cup Bulla thickened cream ■ 225 grams full cream Philadelphia Cream Cheese ■ 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar ■ ¼ teaspoon salt ■ 2 cups powdered sugar Method 1. Set oven to 180C, fan forced.

2. Line a 12 portioned cupcake tin with 24 Spring 2021

WITH OLIVIA C ENEA-BRAIN

cupcake cups and place an ice cream cone in each cupcake cup.

They’re now ready to be filled.

3. In a large bowl, place the flour, sugar, cocoa and whisk well to combine. Then add the egg, melted butter, olive oil, milk and mix well with a spatula or wooden spoon, until well combined. Finally gently fold in the boiling water and mix until a velvety and glossy mixture is formed.

4. Using a teaspoon or piping bag, fill each cone to ¾ full of batter.

5. Bake cones standing in the muffin tin, for 20-30 minutes, until a skewer poked in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

6. Remove from the oven and gently place each cone standing, on a drying rack straight away so that the cones don’t moisten in the tin portions.

7. While the cakes cool, the cream cheese frosting can be prepared.

8. In a medium bowl; place cream cheese, salt and vanilla sugar. Using an electric beater, mix the ingredients on medium to high for approximately

Ice cream cone cakes are fun to make with the kids.

2 minutes and add the thickened cream and mix well for another 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing well in-between. Repeat this process until all powdered sugar has been added. This will take about 8-10 minutes.

cream. Decorate as you wish.

Pictured is glazed cherries, sprinkles, Cadbury marble chocolate and a strawberry.

Enjoy.

9. Prepare a piping bag with an attached tip of your choice, fill the bag with the frosting.

Notes: Experiment with different flavour combinations of cake batter and frosting. Boxed cake mix is also suitable for this; no change in cooking time.

10. Once the ice cream cones are cooled completely, pipe soft serve style swirls on the cake, making it look like ice

Olivia C Enea-Brain is a Melbourne mum of two with a passion for making cooking fun www.KidsWest.com.au

REALITY BITES

‘The not so perfect mum’ Anna with children Rachel, 18 months, Dominic, 5, and Reuben, 3.

Pictures: Rob Carew

Anna with baby Rachel and some sensory learning boxes.

The not so perfect mum

By Melissa Meehan

“It was hilarious. We couldn’t believe it.”

ANNA Du Rieu is not your average influencer.

The Melbourne mum of three actually tells it how it is and gives a warts and all view into the world of parenting.

“I run a blog, obviously, that is an honest parenting blog, and it shows my everyday life,” she told Kids Today.

“It’s none of these organised messfree, clean floors kind of gig, it’s the mayhem of every day, which I think is why I have such a following, because it is so brutally honest.”

The self-proclaimed “hot mess” uses her aptly named Instagram page @ thenotsoperfectmum, to share her experiences with her almost 60,000 followers.

She’s got followers from all around Australia, but the majority are from Victoria.

Anna is a typical modern-age stay at home mum, she works from home and looks after her three kids, Dominic, 5, Reuben, 3, and eight-month-old Rachel.

She runs a business creating sensory kits for kids, which she started two years ago after posting some of the activities she was doing with her own kids online.

“Everyone used to ask what I was doing, where I saw stuff from, and then a few people were asking me to make them for them and I said, ‘absolutely I can make them for you’,” she said.

“And I realised there was a business there - there was nothing similar on the market at that time here or overseas.”

She and her husband Joseph even joked that she might get 10 orders a month and she could just buy a little extra when she made stuff for her own kids.

They assumed it would be a hobby.

She set up the website and shared the post on her Instagram.

“It went nuts, like actually gangbusters from the moment we launched. Within 15 minutes of me launching the post on Instagram I had 17 subscription models already purchased,” she said. www.KidsWest.com.au

And it hasn’t stopped since.

It’s a lot of work, especially juggling three kids.

And, thanks to Covid-19 (and Anna’s propensity to be a bit of a control freak) she no longer can rely on staff.

On the flip side, Covid-19 resulting in a huge increase in sales.

“Every time Australia got locked down, it was just madness. I can’t remember the exact figures, Joseph said it was something like four or five times what I would usually get in a month in a day,” she said.

“People were locked in their houses and needed something to stimulate the kids.”

While she worked in real estate before having kids, Anna has no real teaching background but was able to bounce her ideas off her best friend (who is a teacher) as well as pick the brains of family members.

“My step mum was a teacher, my mum, my mother-in-law, and my Auntie, are both heavily involved in child education,” she said.

“My grandmother and my Nana actually brought in the Montessori School in South Australia.

“And the Montessori school logo that’s my brother’s hands.”

She plans to go back and do some further study as her passion grows.

But it hasn’t been an easy ride.

“I was working until like three or 4am in the morning and then the kids would wake up at six,” she said.

“Joseph would ask what time I came to bed and I wouldn’t have.”

But she has worked at finding a better balance.

“It was really overwhelming but it was also, for me, having been a mum and going from a pretty corporate position where I was organising people’s lives. I was used to always been busy so I kind of missed that, and really stimulated me and I actually found that I became a better mum because I had a distraction from cleaning nappies and

Parents Anna and Joseph with children Dominic, 5, Rachel, 18 months and Reuben, 3.

doing the dishwasher,” she said.

“I had my own thing and I could work from home and it just worked. It’s definitely not for everyone because it’s, it’s a lot like you don’t sleep and your house is always full of stock.”

And that’s all part of her charm.

Anna’s followers can resonate with the fact that her house isn’t always clean, that she’s exhausted and trying to balance a billion things - just like most other mums.

It’s quite the departure from your more well-known mummy bloggers - and it’s on purpose.

“If you’re a first time mum, it’s quite isolating actually seeing all these people like absolutely killing it and having babies and sleep, and all that stuff,” she said.

page solely to balance the negative and fake things out there.

And that’s where the name @ thenotsoperfect mum came from.

She started with a small following, but it soon grew into something much bigger.

At the start she shared everything, but as it grew she became more mindful of her influence and other people’s headspace.

“I try not to let that stuff impact what I’m sharing but say for example, you know, like I’m really careful about not sharing any of the kids in like a private environment so like I would never show them with no clothes on, or if it’s an intimate moment like they’re having a breakdown or something like that,” she said.

“He used to not sleep longer than 40 minutes for the first hour. I think it was like 10 months of his life. It was horrible.”

“I need to respect my children’s boundaries and their life, and I would hate for them to turn around when they’re 15 and be like, why the hell did you show that.”

She took him to sleep school and found it traumatic.

It also opens her up to others providing commentary on her life.

“I read a post by quite a well-known media person who had pretty much said that if you went to sleep school you were a s#!@ mum,” Anna said.

Some accuse her of favouring her youngest, Rachel, although as the boys get older Anna is making a conscious effort not to have the camera constantly in their faces.

“I actually started my account, because Dominic was the worst sleeper.

“So I commented, I really like following this account but I don’t think its fair to say that someone is a crap mum because they want their kids to sleep - sleep deprivation is actually a form of torture.

“I thought I was super chill, very measured - but she and her minions came after me and I thought this isn’t fair.”

So Anna started her own Instagram

“Next year when Dom goes to school, he’ll go off the blog, even more because I need to respect that I don’t want people knowing where he goes to school,” she said.

“I try not to let those comments change my content because if what I’m posting isn’t authentic then people pick up on it straight away.

“It’s my life and it can be messy.”

Spring 2021 25

Reality Bites

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

Olivia White with her daughters Annabelle and Theodora.

First things first, how did House of White start?

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

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

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

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

In the space of about 12 hours of being on the drip, I had only progressed to like 4cm. So then they made the decision to do a cesarean. In the space of about 10 minutes from them casually deciding they were going to do that to actually getting wheeled down there, her heart rate dropped. They didn’t even have time to give me a spinal (block) - they just topped up the epidural. It was all a blur because I had been in labour for three days. It would have been maybe five minutes before midnight that I had her. She was so high and so stuck that I remember the anesthetist coming over the top of me and having to actually push down to get her out. She had already started 26 Spring 2021

screaming before they got her out.

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

But then when I had Ted (Theodora), I put my foot down - I wasn’t prepared to go through that again. I elected to have a planned cesarean. I pretty much went in at 8 o’clock and had a baby by 8.15. It was a much better experience, it was much better for my recovery. It was much better for my mental health.

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

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

You share some incredibly raw moments of your life. How important is it to be honest on Instagram, a medium

Pictures: Sarah Harris Photography

where it’s easy to fake perfection?

I definitely think that in the space that I’m in, and obviously having respect for the audience that I have, which is largely women and mums, is that we already have so many pressures that we put on ourselves, that society puts on us, expectations and all that stuff. It is an effort to fake perfection, to act like everything is fine when it’s not. I’ve always shown the raw side of life, even sharing my recent surgery, including the actual procedure. And I wanted to give a real-time experience to my audience, and not just the highlight reel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

As time goes on, when you are in the thick of it with babies and newborns and

Olivia with her girls Annabelle and Theodora.

all of that haze that comes with it, people say to you ‘enjoy these moments, they go past before you know it in a blink of an eye, don’t wish it away’. I’m like ‘please shut up!’ But now I am that mum.

Now Annabelle and Teddy are in school I’m the one telling everyone ‘it goes past so quickly, in the blink of an eye they’re not babies anymore’. The one thing I’ve learnt is that no one knows - nobody has all the answers. You can buy all the books, read all the blogs, and follow all the people on Instagram, but there will never be two alike journeys. So while I think it’s fantastic that more people are becoming more honest and sharing online, and showing the realities of real motherhood, you still have to take everything with a grain of salt and understand that no one else that no one else’s experiences or journeys are going to be collectively the same as yours. You just need to be a lot easier on yourself and have that understanding that what’s happening to you isn’t the same thing that’s happening to someone else, or how you feel or react to something isn’t going to be the same as someone else does. Just as all children are different, we learn differently, grow differently.

That’s the understanding that I finally came to one day - the switch kind of flicked for me.

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

Reality Bites

Quick thinking ‘saves’ mum

By Alesha Capone WYNDHAM Vale youngster Pavelpreet Kaur Guliani has been recognised for her bravery and quick-thinking when calling triple-0, after her mother experienced severe abdominal pain last year.

Pavelpreet, who was aged 8 at the time, was recently announced as a recipient of the Junior Triple Zero Hero award.

The annual awards, held by the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA), recognise children for their courage and clear thinking during emergencies.

Twenty other young Victorians aged between 5 and 13 were also named as Junior Triple Zero Heroes, after being nominated by the ESTA operators who took theirs calls.

Due to pandemic restrictions, this year’s awards were not presented in a formal ceremony at the MCG, but the young heroes will have their medals mailed to them.

Pavelpreet said she was excited to find out she would receive a Junior Triple Zero Hero Award.

Pavelpreet said that in July last year, she was doing online classes with Riverbend Primary School, when her mother arrived home from work.

Her mother, Manpreet, did not feel well and went to rest. It was not long before Manpreet developed bad stomach pains and started vomiting.

Pavelpreet said she came into the room to find her mother “almost unconscious”.

Pavelpreet called an ambulance for her mum Manpreet.

Picture: Joe Mastroianni

She called triple-0 and the operator

Pavelpreet Pavelpreet.

Picture: Joe Mastroianni

told her to keep her mum awake and talking, in the 20 minutes or so before paramedics arrived.

“I was scared but I had to be brave for her,” Pavelpreet said.

Pavelpreet also packed her mother’s purse, ID and keys before they left in the ambulance and made sure the doors to their house were locked.

Upon arriving in hospital, Manpreet was diagnosed with a particularly severe bout of food poisoning.

Manpreet, who said she had barely been able to talk before the ambulance arrived, credited Pavelpreet for calling triple-0 of her own accord.

“She saved my life that day, I was barely conscious,” Manpreet said.

Wyndham’s littlest litter legend

By Alesha Capone YOUNG Quinn has been recognised as a Litter Legend by Wyndham council for his dedication to helping the environment.

The award is presented to residents who strive to keep Wyndham clean.

Mayor Adele Hegedich has thanked Quinn for his efforts to clean up the municipality, including as a volunteer with the Love Our Street 3030 and 3029 community litter collection groups.

it can be swallowed by marine creatures and birds or cause them injuries.

“I want to save the world by picking up rubbish, because if you don’t the animals will get sick,” he said.

Quinn said he enjoyed seeing small animals while cleaning up rubbish, such as frogs and birds.

He said the rubbish items he often finds in Wyndham include cigarette butts, straws, takeaway food items, polystyrene and discarded fishing nets.

Quinn said he joined the groups about 18 months ago with his parents.

Quinn said he felt happy to receive the council’s Litter Legend award.

“What I like the most about doing it, is that I like doing the hard work,” the seven-year-old said.

He hopes to continue to pick up litter as he gets older and have a career working to help the community and animals.

Every time his family takes their dogs for a walk on the beach, Quinn brings a bag to collect rubbish.

Quinn said he wanted to prevent litter from getting into the water, where www.KidsWest.com.au

Visit www.facebook.com/ LoveOurStreet3030/ andwww.facebook. com/LoveOurStreet3029/ for information about the two community volunteer clean-up groups.

Quinn, 7, is passionate about helping the environment and cleaning up rubbish.

Spring 2021 27

Reality Bites

All the way from Italy - with love

By Melissa Meehan

There are some very big and some other subtle differences about growing up in Italy compared to Australia.

A SUMMER fling turned into life and babies on the other side of the globe for Adriana Saraga.

For instance, Adriana grew up surrounded by a huge family by Australian standards.

Adriana from Andezeno in north west Italy, met her now partner Peter when he visited her small village to attend a friend’s wedding.

She was the eldest of more than 20 cousins, so had a lot of practice babysitting.

In her village, made up of only 2000 people, everyone knew each other.

The groom was Adriana’s cousin.

She was one of few people who spoke English, albeit self-taught from watching Disney movies.

Ava and Joey, who is nine-monthsold, will learn to speak Italian too.

Adriana already speaks to Ava in Italian when they are alone, but in English when Peter is around because he doesn’t understand Italian.

They fell in love, she moved to Australia and now the Melbourne couple have two young children together.

“It was supposed to be a summer adventure kind of thing,” she laughs.

“Before we knew we were in a little bit of trouble because we fell in love straight away.”

But after a long chat with her mum, Adriana knew it was meant to be.

So she made the almost 15,000km journey knowing no one but Peter.

In the month before she left, she spent weeks on YouTube to try and learn more about Australia.

Adriana Saraga and Peter O’Brien with children Ava (2 years) and Joey (9 Months).

really hard with Covid-19 not seeing my family and he’s been so understanding.”

Her mum was lucky enough to visit and offer support after the birth of their first child, Ava – who is now two.

But she couldn’t bear to be there for the actual birth.

“It was scary at first, but it’s great,” she said.

“She thought she couldn’t handle seeing me in pain, but it was great to have her here,” Adriana said.

“He’s an amazing person. It’s been

Sadly, due to Covid-19 and border

Pictures: Rob Carew

restrictions Adriana hasn’t been able to see her family but keeps in touch regularly.

Adriana, who has recently been granted her permanent visa, says Australia is where she plans to raise the kids.

“For us, we plan to stay here – there are more opportunities for the whole family here,” she said.

“As much as I love my family and my country, this is the place for us.”

“And the way she says words in Italian - there’s a little bit of an accent, which is the cutest thing.”

For now, while the borders are closed, she’ll have to rely on video calls and her small Australian village, made up of friends from her mother’s group, organised by her local council.

“They have been fantastic, we still catch up now and it’s been such a great support for me. Some really great girls and friendships.”

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Books

A wild way to read

By Melissa Grant IF your child is obsessed with animals, then the new interactive book by Australian zoologist and TV presenter Chris Humfrey is a must-have.

Dubbed as Australia’s own Doctor Dolittle, Chris is a leading expert on native creatures big and small.

His book, Awesome Australian Animals, offers amazing insights into a number of species through quirky facts (such as koalas poop 200 times a day) and QR codes linking to fun educational videos.

Small children will love the wealth of exciting and funny photos, primary school kids can read at their own pace, and older children can dive into deeper levels of intriguing detail.

Profiled animals include the koala, lace monitor, giant burrowing cockroach, saltwater crocodile, shingleback and jungle carpet python.

Awesome Australian Animals is the latest venture from the lifelong conservationist and animal welfare crusader.

Chris has an animal sanctuary, Wild Action Zoo, in the Macedon Ranges, which houses many rare native species including penguins, tiger quolls, snakes and even blue-ringed octopus.

He lives in a house designed for people and animals, which he describes as “unusual”.

blue-tongued lizard to give birth. I watched the whole process, it was awesome!”

“Currently, I have two joey kangaroos sleeping on my couch, two parrots walking over my laptop, 55 critically endangered mountain pygmy possums in my laundry/wine cellar, two black-headed pythons on the lounge room floor, two sheep sitting on the back veranda, two possums in the garage, an Eastern quoll and a koala and an owl in the garage. It’s bedlam!” he said.

Amazingly, Chris still has some animal friends from his childhood, including Freddo the green tree frog which he found sticking to a urinal at a public toilet block.

Chris’s passion for animals big and small stems from his childhood. He grew up in the foothills of Mount Dandenong, with his family’s backyard bordering onto the bush.

“I spent most of my youth jumping the backyard fence and exploring and interacting with local wildlife,” he said.

“I would spend the day chasing lizards, snakes, and frogs and only came home for dinner. I had hundreds of pets with which I lovingly shared my life.

“My mum helped me rescue and rehabilitate possums and injured birds and my dad built me a purpose-built insulated reptile house.

“I vividly remember sleeping outside in the reptile shed, waiting for my

Chris is “super pumped” about his new book, which took him almost a year to put together. He had to write the text, film the clips and take the photos.

Chris Humphrey loves all creatures big and small.

Chris believes kids are the key to saving Australia’s precious wildlife and, through his book, aims to empower a young army of animal allies.

“We must teach children the importance of protecting all creatures, not just their favourites,” he said.

“I hope that my enthusiasm and passion for all things wild is contagious, and rubs off on the reader.”

Chris Humfrey’s Awesome Australian Animals, Reed New Holland, an imprint of New Holland Publishers, RRP $19.99, available from all good book retailers or online, www.newhollandpublishers.com

Children’s books...

Chatterpuss

Backyard Birdies

Josh Pyke, illustrated by Daron Parton

Andy Geppert

THIS fun picture book from singer songwriter Josh Pyke is about a cat who just loves to chat. The problem is her friend Glen the Hen just wants some peace and quiet. Chatterpuss’s incessant chatter is a problem in class and during games of hide and seek. One day Glen cracks it - but just as he begins to enjoy some quiet time a bully emerges and he discovers that having a loud friend can be helpful!

With rhyming text and colourful illustrations, this book is great for kids aged 3+ Scholastic Australia, RRP $17.99

THIS new title is somewhat of a factual introduction to Australia’s most common backyard birds for kids who are ‘birdie’ obsessed.

The book even features the giant inflatable swan commonly found in backyard pools!

Also kookaburras don’t actually laugh at everyone’s jokes. And why are common pigeons common?

The book was born after the author found himself attaching personalities to each bird he and his young daughter saw in their backyard.

An entertaining read full of personality and humour plus a host of bright and bold illustrations.

Hachette Australia, RRP $19.99

www.KidsWest.com.au

Meet Ella Spotty Puppy Rebecca McRitchie and Danielle McDonald ELLA from the best-selling Ella and Olivia franchise has her own series! Meet Ella is a series of books based on Ella during her first years at school. The first instalment, Spotty Puppy, is a cute read about six-year-old Ella trying to reunite a lost pup with its owner even though she really wants to keep him. The second instalment, New Teacher, has also been released.

With simple vocabulary and a large to read font, the series is perfect for kids aged 5+.

Scholastic Australia, RRP $7.99

Skin Deep

Bella the Brave

Hayley Lawrence A compelling novel that follows the journey of a young girl named Scarlett who is badly burnt in an accident, and must come to terms with her new appearance and physical limitations.

Scarlett is desperate to escape the modern world for the desolate and isolated Matilda Mountain. However, in the wilderness she ends up finding unexpected friends who challenge her ideas about perfection and her place in the world.

This insightful book gently explores relevant themes for tweens and teens including trauma, beauty, self-worth, family and friendship.

Rebel Wilson Illustrated by Annabel Tempest Aussie movie star Rebel Wilson is releasing a picture book series to inspire young kids.

Bella the Brave stems from Rebel’s journey from shy girl in Sydney’s western suburbs to international movie star.

Bella is a girl who has much to say but is too shy. But when Bella’s mum brings her to the local choir it may just be her time to shine.

Rebel says the stories in her series are picked from personal experiences where she learned valuable life lessons.

For kids aged 11+.

Bella the Brave is due for release on October 27.

Scholastic Australia, RRP

Hachette Australia, RRP $19.99

$15.99 Spring 2021 29

Kids Calendar

What's on this Spring

connect from your own home with live-streamed events and immersive videos.

Tabcorp Park is located at 2 Ferris Road, Melton. Enquiries: 8746 0600, Facebook or www.tabcorppark.com.au

Go on a bush walk, learn from Traditional Owners about Caring for Country and join exciting panel events.

27 OCTOBER

Each event and experience will comply with Covid Safe settings. All events will be hosted on the Victoria Together platform.

UNTIL 17 OCTOBER

More info: https://www.together.vic. gov.au/victoria-nature-festival

DISNEY - THE ART OF ANIMATION Discover the creativity and innovation of almost 100 years of Disney Animation in ACMI’s latest Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition

SINGING FOR LITTLE MONKEYS THE MUDCAKES Join early childhood music specialists Rick and Sherry from the Mudcakes for a group singalong that includes vocal warm-ups and yoga exercises, age appropriate action songs, nursery rhymes and rounds accompanied by quirky instruments… and a flying monkey!

Suitable for kids aged 3-6 years.

Held at Old Laverton School, Corner of Kiora Street and Cameron Avenue, Altona Meadows

This exhibition contains original sketches and rare artworks from 1928 to the present day. See over 500 artworks from your favourite animations, and step inside a scene from the Disney classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

There will also be giveaways, live entertainment, art stations and lots more.

Tabcorp Park is located at 2 Ferris Road, Melton. Enquiries: 8746 0600, Facebook or www.tabcorppark.com.au

WALK FOR PREMS

For more info or tickets, visit https:// www.acmi.net.au/

WYNDHAM BRICKFEST

Enjoy a great family day out at Melbourne’s flagship Walk for Prems event at Albert Park Lake.

The Wyndham Brickfest returns to Pacific Werribee on September 18 and 19, to raise funds for the paediatric ward at Werribee Mercy Hospital.

There will be a free live children’s entertainment show before the walk around the lake, plus a variety of food vans on site.

Competition participants can enter the categories of primary school and under, secondary school and adult.

If Covid-19 restrictions are enforced, then the walk will become a virtual walk.

The competition is free to enter, with People’s Choice and Committee’s Encouragement prizes up for grabs in each category.

8.30am-1.30pm, Albert Park Lake For tickets and more info, visit https://www.walkforprems.org.au/ events/5/walk-together-melbourne-

Details: https://www.facebook.com/ wyndhambrickfest/ or email wyndhambrickfest@gmail.com

30 OCTOBER - 21 NOVEMBER

11-26 SEPTEMBER

9 OCTOBER

VICTORIA NATURE FESTIVAL

PRYDE’S EASIFEED VICTORIA CUP

After a three-year hiatus, Lorne is again staging the iconic Lorne Sculpture Biennale (LSB). Under new artistic direction, the new look Biennale remains a free, curated event not to be missed.

Titled Spirit of Place, this year’s event will explore the deep connections to nature, history and community – place.

It will feature a range of styles

30 Spring 2021

With pony rides and free kids activities, the Breeders Crown at Tabcorp Park offers plenty of family fun.

24 OCTOBER

18-19 SEPTEMBER

You can get out and explore the wonders of Victoria’s nature or you can

BREEDERS CROWN

Tickets are $10 each and go on sale 15 September. https://www. hobsonsbaytickets.com.au/

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Featuring more than 80 events and experiences, the festival is full of creative ways to connect with nature.

20 NOVEMBER

Two shows - 10am and 11.15am.

Tickets $17-$26.

The Nature Festival returns for its second year.

including performance art, soundscapes, interactive and kinetic displays, all with sculpture at its heart.

The LSB is a free, unticketed event that runs along Lorne’s foreshore. For more information, visit www. lornesculpture.com and follow LSB on Instagram @lornesculpture.

The Tabcorp Park’s major events calendar kicks off with the Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup. The event will feature the popular Food Truck precinct, free kids rides and activities, entertainment, roving performers and DJ on the main stage.

LORNE SCULPTURE BIENNALE

ALL SPRING

SHRINE KIDS The Shrine of Remembrance is offering a free self-guided program for families with primary school-aged children.

There are four different activity cards that provide a starting point for fresh perspectives of the Shrine. Kids are asked to consider and conjure their creative responses to a range of questions related to different aspects of the Shrine.

Bookings not required. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Shrine of Remembrance, Birdwood Ave, Melbourne www.KidsWest.com.au

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