A quarterly online publication.

No 1, Vol 1, Winter 2011 Founder and Creative Director: Corinne Dany Editor at Large: Samantha Allender Marketing Director: Sky Hunt Photography, Design and Layout: Corinne Dany Photography and Design www.corinnedany.com Production Assistant: Carolyn Manning Fashion Editor: Claudie Dany Research Assistant: Claude Dany Contributors: Samantha Allender, Carol Barron, Katrina Corney, Sarah Clutton, Corinne Dany, Eleanor Dartnell, Alex Denham, Fire and Rescue NSW, Tanya Goodman, Marti and Colleen Harris, Dr. Richard Hart, Kym Hill, Fiona Hawkless, Sky Hunt, Peter Jackson, Alison Lawson, Dianna Marshall, Tina Merrit, Dave Petrola, Nicole Pheils, Patricia Phillips, Donna Turland. Cover Image: Amber Keating and her daughter at Lake Alexandra All advertising enquiries to petrola@hinet.net.au or call 4862 4088 All letters and editorial submissions or enquiries to info@highlandbabyandchild.com or call 4862 4088 Subscriptions: You can subscribe online when you view the magazine Website: www.highlandbabyandchild.com BLOG: www.highlandbabyandchild.blogspot.com Facebook Page: Highland Baby and Child Online Magazine Highland Baby & Child, PO Box 123, Mittagong NSW 2575 Highland Baby & Child is an online magazine, published quarterly. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. Highland Baby & Child contains general information only and does not purport to be a substitute for professional health and parenting advice. Readers are advised to seek a doctor for all medical and health matters. Whilst the greatest of care is taken to that the information in the magazine is correct at the time of publishing, readers are advised to check details before visiting. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher, but those of individual writers. All reasonable efforts have been made to trace copyright holders. Published by ISSUU

Putting together an online magazine has been a little like giving birth; theres been plenty of sweating and groaning going on, especially in the last few days, but here it is, our very own magazine. Thank you, to everyone who has come on board to help make this happen, and good luck to all those who took up the free ad offer. As you will see, our focus is always on family, with stories, hints and tips, and craft ideas. Many of our contributors will be regulars and there will be lots of opportunity for you to ask us questions. One of the motivating forces behind this magazine was to provide more than just a directory and pages of ads, but a way for our community to share with each other and the world, our expertise, our ideas and our stories. I also envisage our children making use of this magazine, and hope they will be as big a part of this publication as their parents and we welcome their feedback and contributions as well. So were up and running, and look forward to your comments and suggestions as we begin preparations for our next edition. As we worked on putting this one together, fabulous ideas came thick and fast, so the next edition will be bursting with even more wonderful material. Dont forget, Highland Baby & Child is for you, so please, feel free to contact us with feedback, contributions and ideas.

elcome
Hello and welcome to our exciting first edition of Highland Baby & Child.

Cheers Corinne

Grown Up Talk
In this issue of Grown Up Talk we explore active listening, youth philanthropy, keeping your children safe online and teaching kids about money. We also look into a unique way to deal with the teenage bedroom....mmm.

Shhh, I'm listening...

C
hildren, bless them. Dear little things, first they crawl, then they walk; first they gurgle, then they talk. Boy, do they talk. I recall once having my toddler in a shopping trolley in the supermarket. She had been babbling nonstop and I simply couldnt think straight. In desperation I said to her Sweet-heart, I will give you a surprise if you can be quiet for one whole minute. There was dead silence for a count of three and then she asked Mummy, how long is a minute? Every shopper in the dairy aisle cracked up laughing. I was mortified. The incessant talking gradually tapers off. Suddenly the kids are borderline teenagers and thats when parents want to hear what the kids have to say. In many cases, by then, children have stopped talking. This is usually because we have successfully trained them to expect us not to listen. Weve all been guilty of hearing the first couple of sentences then butting in with a brilliant idea, the answer to the perceived problem, a suggestion or an opinion. This is a guaranteed way to kill a conversation. If we stop long enough to allow the child to explore how they feel and hold our tongues long enough to let them finish, we are allowing them to discover their own emotions; how they actually feel. To paraphrase EM Forster, an English novelist, How do I know what I think until Ive heard what I have to say? There it is in a nutshell. The act of articulating our thoughts and ideas gives us clarity. It makes no difference if we are three years old or ninety three years old. If we take a few minutes to stop and think about it, we might find that much of what we say to children is inadvertently designed to stop them in their tracks. How often does a conversation with your child include warning, threatening, advising, moralising, lecturing, judging, agreeing, shaming, consoling or diverting? These are all attitudes that are effective at closing down conversation. Children, like adults, do not want to be put down, disapproved of, dismissed or lectured. It is important not to anticipate or to interrupt. Sometimes with smaller children it is awfully difficult not to help out by supplying a word, finishing a sentence, presupposing the end of a lengthy meandering story about a mishap. Sometimes with older children it is agonising to have to bite your tongue and not tell them all about when YOU had the exact same experience, and how it worked out for you. Some people begin by listening then try to form a response before all the information has been verbalised. These people risk missing, or worse, misinterpreting the point. Wait until you have all the information before responding. If you encourage your child to finish saying what has been begun, you are indicating that you think what they have to say is important enough for you to listen to. The best way to keep a child talking is to encourage them by saying things like uhuh,

Samantha Allender suggests we give our children the opportunity to verbalise their thoughts and feelings
uninterrupted. We may well be pleasantly surprised with what we hear. Remember the wise old owl who sat in an oak. The more he heard the less he spoke, the less he spoke, the more he heard - why cant we be more like that wise old bird?

really, no way, or why was that? If a child is telling you about a success they have had, keep the story flowing by asking questions. Why do you think you did so well? or What was it that made such a difference? When you are required to say something more, show you have listened by rephrasing what you have been told, and repeating it back. For example you might say It seems you really dont like visiting Annies house. Dont try to offer a solution. Just repeat back what you have heard, and wait. You will get a response that will show you more of the problem, and perhaps even the childs way to resolve the issue. Let them think for themselves. Children as young as three are able to problem solve if given the opportunity.

It is important not to anticipate or to interrupt.

The act of articulating our thoughts and ideas gives us clarity. It makes no difference if we are three years old or ninety three years old.
This also eliminates the possibility of misunderstanding. If you repeat back to the child what you believe they have been telling you, and you have it wrong, it will instantly be recognised and rectified. When we listen to children and show them we have heard and understood what they are saying we are building their self-esteem. A welcome side effect of listening to your child properly is that your child will then be much more receptive when it comes to listening to you. How could that possibly be a bad thing? So, whats the difference between hearing what they are saying and actively listening? When you actively listen to another person, be it a child or an adult, you give them your full attention. The best way to do this is to sit or stand close to the person speaking, and to look them in the eyes. This means your mind does not wander off to think about dinner, or the agenda for a meeting, or how you will get two different children to two different sporting fields at opposite ends of town at the exact same time. There are few things more frustrating than talking to someone who is distracted by watching the telly or sending a text message. Listening involves focussing on the person who is speaking. Be close and maintain eye contact where possible. Accepting the importance of what they are telling you is accepting the childs efforts, validating their concern or excitement. Allowing a child to complete their story is affording them the respect they deserve. If the childs feelings are negative, it allows a safe environment to explore the problem and possible solutions. They will learn that it is okay to have negative feelings because these can be acknowledged and dealt with. Dont anticipate the outcome or interrupt the thought process. Many parents fail to realise how frequently they communicate non-acceptance to their children simply by interfering, intruding, moving in, checking up, joining in. Too often adults do not let children just be. Saying nothing can also clearly communicate acceptance. Silence is a potent nonverbal message and can be used effectively to make a person feel genuinely accepted. Listen without judging. When parents respond to their kids problems by active listening they will see how often kids start thinking for themselves. The child is able to own the problem without feeling threatened, and is encouraged to discover solutions. Active listening is an effective way to help children become independent and responsible for themselves. Active listening with children is beneficial on many levels. Not only are you confirming to the child that they are important enough to warrant your full attention, but you are teaching them to listen in turn. Good listening skills help gain information, solve problems and enable understanding of others. This is a skill that will help them throughout their lives, in the school yard, in the workplace, in their relationships with other people.

10 steps to Active Listening

1. Face the speaker 2. Maintain eye contact as much as possible 3. Do not interrupt 4. Encourage with appropriate verbal responses 5. Show interest with positive body language head nods and facial expressions 6. Paraphrase repeat back what you have heard in your own words 7. Question to ensure you understand what is being said 8. Avoid comparing an experience of your own unless you have been specifically asked to 9. Remain non-judgemental 10. Listen and respond to the emotions behind the words, listen to what is not being said

How do I know what I think until I see what I say EM Forster, English novelist

It is better to listen in order to understand than to listen in order to reply Unknown

www.corinnedany.com

Are You Raising a Cap

Sarah Clutton Explores How Our Children Are Reaching Out
to Address Poverty and Embrace Social Change
momentum and philosophical change in the area of philanthropy, waving in a whole new generation of social entrepreneurs - youth who are spearheading new ideas to bring real, lasting change for disadvantaged communities. Social entrepreneurs are people who create programs to address important social or environmental challenges.3 They are visionaries passionate and committed to creating change by thinking outside the square. There is now even a school for social entrepreneurs -4 evidence of burgeoning new paradigms of charitable endeavour. The Foundation for Young Australians5, a non-profit organisation which advocates for and promotes opportunities for young people, annually recognizes outstanding young social entrepreneurs. Through their Young Social Pioneers program they

want my children to grow into resilient, community-minded individuals who take action when they see inequality. I recognise that Im not great on the action front, Id rather just donate funds and let someone else address the problem, but I want my children to do better. So I set about finding out what kind of influences might shape my childrens philanthropic outlook. What causes some young people to drive social change when they see intractable social problems, instead of ignoring them or becoming overwhelmed? How do parents, schools and communities grow their worldview? Youth philanthropy in Australia is very much alive. Young people are getting involved in taking action for the common good giving their time and talent, raising money and otherwise working for the benefit of others. Why do some children become involved and others not? Partly, it might come down to parenting. A 1996 American study found that a child learns philanthropy when he or she witnesses a parent or other influential adult engaging in voluntary work to assist others, and that this learning is stronger when the adult is knowledgeable about philanthropy, talks about its benefits, and helps the child to understand the cause and effect of philanthropic behaviour.1 Parenting literature tells us that children model our actions and that explicit discussion about values is a powerful learning tool. But youth philanthropy is more than just a powerful example of inter-generational learning. Generations Y and Z are at the forefront of a new youth offensive against inequality, supported by changing models of charity and influenced by the communication revolution. In the last decade or so, there have been cultural shifts around how we view both children and charity. Young people are becoming increasingly valued as contributing citizens and change-makers in our communities, rather than as potentially good future citizens who must wait their turn.2 Concurrently there has been gathering

recognise remarkable youth initiating social change programs in their areas of passion.6 One young social pioneer for 2010 was Elliot Costello, co-founder of YGAP (Y Generation Against Poverty),7 a not-forprofit organisation that supports projects to eliminate poverty around the world and provides practical volunteering and other opportunities for young Australians. Elliots passion lies in fostering sustainable

investment and educational opportunities for the poor. His award

means he will benefit from a year-long training program to develop his skills, gain mentoring and meet social innovators from near and far.8 But how do we encourage our young people to reach outwards and find the strength to follow their passion and stay the course? A decade ago, the emerging field of positive youth development studies was exploring the

"What have you done for someone else today?"

ped Crusader?
necessary building blocks to develop healthy, well-adapted adolescents something most parents are also keen to find out. A sense of belonging and of participating as responsible members of society was shown to be important. So too, was gaining decision-making experience and a sense of themselves, by looking outwards as well as inwards.9 These key factors also align with what researchers say is necessary to promote resilience in youth.10 How does youth resilience relate to the idea of giving back to community? Research11 has found that thinking style determines resilience more than any other factor and that this can be taught. Some of those same thinking processes that affect resilience are also those you would expect to see in the altruistic young philanthropist. They are empathy, maintaining realistic optimism and reaching out to others and taking opportunities. Critically, optimistic thinkers feel empowered to make a difference when they are faced with a bad experience and, when faced with a good experience they have hope for the future.12 So perhaps optimism is at the heart of things. To promote an optimistic viewpoint by focusing on the childs strengths, rather than areas that are not working for them, is one way that resilience can be fostered, according to psychologist Lyn Worsley.13 A child may have strengths such as the benefit of good parenting, a strong peer group or a strong community supporting them. These can be built upon. Good parents, says Worsely, are those who monitor and control or discipline their child, whilst at the same time being warm and openly communicative. Worsley says optimistic parents often show interest and responsibility to the world (perhaps through spiritual or ecological connections) and through their own actions, they expose their children to experiences that can promote optimism. A strong peer group can also be positive. Worsley says people need to experience peer pressure in order to understand and develop higher levels of moral reasoning.14 She suggests that parents harness the power of the peer group by getting to know members of the group, their parents and their talents and then channelling those talents into group activities that might benefit the community. Worsley also suggests finding out what social cause the group is passionate about and then putting them in touch with a community organisation that can foster that passion. She suggests that by assisting at a soup kitchen, for example, the experience of serving others assists them to develop compassion and provides a strong learning experience which may help them to discover meaning in their lives and become part of a greater purpose through working with others. Connectedness is the key, so that a child feels a sense of belonging, worth and meaning. She suggests that parents themselves should become involved in community activity by volunteering their time or talent. If you model community involvement, your child will see that it matters. Various studies15 have found that resilience is often seen when a child has had to carry out domestic responsibilities such as the care of siblings or ill parents. These can give them coping abilities and can enhance empathy and reflectiveness core qualities we might expect to see in a young philanthropist. But selfless activity alone is not core to resilience - it comes back not only to optimism but to self esteem. Renowned American psychologist Martin Seligman, says that resilience can only be developed by mastering challenges, overcoming frustration and experiencing individual achievement.16

Young people are... taking action for the common good.

The world of youth philanthropy provides plenty of challenges, frustrations and areas for achievement community foundations are a key example. Amongst other activities, they often provide opportunities for youth to participate in projects that involve grantmaking (dispersing grant money to worthy causes), and because this can involve looking at how a small charity operates, its a good way to teach principles involved in good governance and financial impact. Australia is relatively new to the youth grantmaking scene compared to world leaders, USA, but we have embraced it eagerly, in the knowledge that it promotes key developmental outcomes for youth. They include responsibility, accountability and the ability to thrive despite adversity (ie. resilience). Grant-making creates a sense of self-worth. Young people gain a positive sense of connection to their communities and educational and vocational skills are mastered. Life competence skills are also gained and youth become civically minded keen to make a contribution of their time, ideas and talents to better their communities.17 The Foundation for Young Australians has recognised that to involve young people effectively in grant-making, they must be involved on every level, so they become key stakeholders in the projects they participate in. Ideally, projects should be meaningful for young people, they should have a share in the control over what happens in the project and they must experience connectedness into their community resources and into the relationships fostered by the project.18 The Southern Highlands Foundation, based in picturesque semi-rural Bowral, New South Wales, has set up one of the first and most successful youth philanthropy committees in Australia. Local youth have run

"Connectedness is the key"

Kids learn a sense of personal and social responsibility towards the needs of others
competitions to promote philanthropy in high schools and are involved in fundraising, grant-making, community service, youth forums and skill-building workshops. The Foundations youth committee is considered an exemplar to other organisations, show-casing youth community leadership and capacity building [and promoting] a new generation of philanthropists, community volunteers and foundation and voluntary sector professionals.19 small local business, remaining in touch with local children whom have been dispersed across Sydney to different high schools and generally participating in local community activity. John says that as a parent, he has encouraged his children to make decisions for themselves, and to understand that those choices have consequences, but also to have an awareness of others less fortunate. As a family they engage in frequent discussions about difficult social issues. Tess was the 2010 recipient of the Colleges Archbishop of Sydneys Award for Student Excellence, partly in recognition of her leadership of the Colleges Mercy Action Group and her lengthy contribution to social justice issues, including a campaign that resulted in the school changing to fair trade coffee and chocolate for catering and in its canteen. Tess has seen first-hand how school programs can help students who have had little exposure to social issues in the home, transform their attitude to themselves and to issues around disadvantage, by giving them perspective and purpose. She says being involved in social justice issues is not always cool so you need to be able to develop an inner strength to face the scepticism of peers - resilience at play in the school-yard. Australian primary schools are not being left behind. Young charity monitors promote mufti days to bring in gold coins for worthy causes and poor communities are assisted through classroom adoption of a sponsor child. It is estimated that Australian schools and school children raise a staggering $11,000,000 annually.21 Clever, unique ways to engage net-savvy Generation Z can be seen in leading social change organisation School Aid (www.schoolaid.org.au). It is a unique on-line philanthropy program that has been developed as a response to the need for youth education and understanding about issues around poverty, social justice and philanthropy. Founder, Sean Gordon, a former school principal, says that he saw a need for primary aged children to be able to make meaning from the awful world events that were witnessing in the media and a forum which enabled them to take action. SchoolAids focus is on kids helping kids through commitment and action. By participating kids learn a sense of personal and social responsibility towards the needs of others, and how the power of their actions does make a difference.22 SchoolAids innovative model has enticed over 1,400 schools across Australia to join up, to collectively raise funds for aid projects in devastated communities such as Indonesia after the 2005 tsunami and Victoria following the 2009 bushfires.23 To date they have raised in excess of $2,600,000. SchoolAids model allows kids to connect with other schools and directly with other kids affected by tragedy by sending messages of hope and artwork and by facilitating feedback on how their fundraising has made a difference. Young people are the benefactors of new paradigms of philanthropy Australian youth, like millions around the world, are both the driving force and the beneficiaries of smart new programs that are changing lives for the better. Our children have the fortunate happenstance of being born in the nineties or the naughties - where the burgeoning field of youth philanthropy is creating exciting opportunities for them to be involved in projects creating measurable social impact. It will find them in their schools and communities real or virtual. But if you want your children to become involved, you can help too. Your children will benefit from your own knowledge around philanthropy and the actions you take. Dont let anyone fob you off with platitudes about Generation Z being selfish, materialistic individualists help them connect to others, help them find where their passion lies, help them become engaged with social change. Look for ways to build resilience and an optimistic world-view they are necessary qualities for someone who wants to change the world. Who knows, perhaps you are raising a caped crusader.

Focusing on the child's strengths... is one way that resilience can be fostered
Youth Philanthropy Officer for the Foundation, Meghan Barrell, says that participants see the potential for their fundraising ideas to take flight and help others it develops empathy and employs their leadership skills. Its not necessarily the academic kids who come on board - she sees a broad range of youth from both public and private schools getting involved. And schools are perfectly placed to facilitate discussions around giving and community. Considerations around teaching values to schoolchildren have been a priority for the Australian government in recent years. Studies from the 1990s have found that whilst the behaviours of parents and other adults have an important role to play in forming a childs sense of moral responsibility, schools that promote the idea of helping others can also be important.20 Some Independent and religious schools have comprehensive community programs integrated into their curriculum, but philanthropy in action is in schoolyards everywhere. Tess Kelly, 2010 Year 12 graduate from Monte St Angelo College in Sydney, reflected that her philanthropic journey had been explicitly fostered by her parents from a young age. As a child she would be often be asked, What have you done for someone else today? by her community-minded Father. Tess father John Kelly*, a highly successful corporate lawyer who now works for not-forprofit youth organisation Activate Australia, says as parents, he and his wife fostered a strong sense of local community, supporting

* Shortly after giving this interview, John Kelly was killed in a tragic climbing accident in the Blue Mountains. Johns vast contribution to the community and his compassion and boundless energy are greatly missed.

Sarah Clutton helped to found and manage a corporate philanthropic foundation after retiring from a brief career in commercial law. She is a keen observer of the Australian philanthropic landscape and lives in Bowral with her husband and three young children.

References:
Bjorhovde, P 2002 Teaching Philanthropy to Children, New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising, No. 36, Summer, p.9. 2 Lister, R, Why Citizenship: Where When and How Children? Theoretical Enquiries in Law: Vol. 8, No. 2, Article 13, Bepress, viewed 15 October 2010. 3 Callaghan, B, 2010 Social Entrepreneurs- Crazy for Impact, viewed 3 November 2010, http://www.socialventures.com.au/aboutsva/newsroom/the-heart-of-the-matter/social-entrepreneurs-crazyfor-impact/ 4 The School for Social Entrepreneurs can be viewed at http://www.sse.org.au 5 To visit the Foundation for Young Australians go to http://www.fya.org.au 6 The Young Social Pioneers can be viewed at http://www.youngsocialpioneers.org.au 7 The YGAP website is http://www.ygap.com.au 8 Foundation for Young Australians, September 2010, Newsletter Issue 3, Foundation for Young Australians, Melbourne, Newsletter. 9 Resnick, M, 2000 Protective Factors, Resiliency, and Healthy Youth Development Adolescent Medicine: State of the Art Reviews, Vol. 11, No.1, February pp157-164. 10 Ibid 11 Shatte, A, 2002 cited in Worsley, L 2006 The Resilience Doughnut: The Secret of Strong Kids,Alpha Counselling Services, Sydney. 12 Worsley, L 2006, The Resilience Doughnut: The Secret of Strong Kids, Alpha Counselling Services, Sydney.
1

Worsley, L 2006, ibid, p.5 Worsley, L 2006, Ibid, p. 71. 15 Rayner, M and Montague, M, 1999 Resilient Children and Young People Literature Review and Discussion Paper, Deakin University, Melbourne. 16 Seligman, M (1995) cited Ibid, p.31. 17 Gardner, G 2004, Youth in Philanthropy Seminar Conference Proceedings for Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies, Session 19, 2-4 August, 2004. 18 Ibid. 19 Evaluation of the Youth in Philanthropy Incentive Fund 2009, Report to Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and Foundation for Young Australians, February 2009, MCF Philanthropy Advisory Services, Australia, at p. 59. 20 Bjorvhode, P, ibid, p10 21 Kids Helping Kids: Building Strong Social Citizens , 2010, YourKidsEd, viewed 25 October 2010, htpp://www.yourkidsed.com.au/info/kids-helping-kids-buildingstrong-social-citizens 22 About Us, c. 2009, SchoolAid, viewed 6 November 2010, http://www.schoolaid.org.au/about-us.aspx 23 SchoolAid: Venture Impact Statement, 2010, Social Ventures Australia viewed 6 November 2010 http://www.socialventures.com.au/wpcontent/uploads/2010/09/2010-SVA-Impact-StatementSchoolAid.pdf
13 14

Here's a basic Google search of some of our local charities

www.southernhighlandsfoundation.com.au www.challengesh.org.au www.southernhighlandsrotaract.com www.questforlife.com.au www.youthoffthestreets.com.au www.kkkk.com.au www.southern-highlands.com.au/tulip-time Margeret Belshaw Brown Institute 25 Kiama Street, Bowral

Although not a Southern Highlander, Tina Merrit has posted a very relevant article on her blog and has been kind enough to allow Highland Baby and Child to publish it. Tina shares with us...

We all know that the way our children communicate now and will communicate in the future differs greatly from how most of us communicated growing up. Many children today have never picked up a traditional, land line telephone and said, Hello?. They learn about what is happening in the world around them from the internet instead of a newspaper or magazine. Along these lines, it is a parents responsibility to teach their children the proper use of technology and monitor their childs online activity. The excuse of, I dont understand all of this technology is irresponsible and careless. Protecting your childs online reputation should be just as important as washing their clothes and making sure they eat their vegetables. Here are a few tips to help:

11

Ways to Protect Your Child's Online Reputation

8
Dont prevent them from using technology. Todays children will need to be proficient in technology and communication in order to succeed in school and their chosen career. Because of how fast technology grows, many careers that will be available in 10 years dont even exist today. For example: No: ashleybaker123, dallasgirlashley, ashlovesjustinbeiber Yes: summer321, riverdesert, greengrass3

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Have your child use a screen name other than their own when online. Help them choose an online id that is generic, unassuming and unspecific. Avoid using their name, location and anything that could be used to identify them or their age.

On sites that require a real name, (such as Facebook), consider using a modified version of your childs name (such as an abbreviated name or a middle name). Do not use your childs name online either. Use a nickname instead when mentioning something about them or posting a picture.

Register the domain of your childs name and renew it every year.

2 3 4

Set up a Google alert for your childs name as well as any common misspellings of the name. Google your childs name on a regular basis and monitor what comes up in the search engines. Teach your child how to use their technology tools and take the role of a leader. Sit down at their computer every couple of weeks and clean it up, keep it updated, etc. Same thing with their cell phone.

5 6

Teach your child how to avoid getting a virus on their computer. Require access to all of your childs online accounts. Explain to them that having online access is a privilege and you trust them to make good decisions; however, it is also your responsibility as a parent to fix something if they (or one of their friends) make a mistake.

Show your child examples of the proper and improper use of social networking sites. Explain to them how what they post is permanent and could hurt themselves (or others) if they arent careful.

Tina Merritt's Blog is at http://virginiaisforkids.com/

A Spot of Humour with Samantha Allender

Pick Your Battles

I have looked up the names of some reputable builders in my local phone book. I have called two of them and been a little disconcerted by their attitude. It seems that builders can be a little judgemental. All I want is an airlock to my daughters bedroom. Its a simple matter of protecting the rest of my family from whatever dank and unscientific things are brewing in there. Wikipedia clearly states: An airlock may be used for passage between environments of different gases rather than different pressures, to minimize or prevent the gases from mixing. Airlocks appear to be quite straightforward; a pair of doors that cannot be opened simultaneously. Honestly, I dont know why G J Gardner doesnt include them in their basic family home plans. Here is the kitchen, the family room, the master bedroom and en suite. We have made provision here for the addition of airlock doors as your children become teenagers, as we want your home to grow with your family. Safety and comfort are so important to todays modern families. The average adolescents aversion to natural light is matched only by their allergy to the circulation of fresh air. However, an interest in science appears to blossom along with the crusty and fermented contents of various bowls, plates and cups. There is definitely a change in atmospheric pressure when the door to her room is opened. The last time I ventured in unaccompanied I trod on something that made an awful groaning, crunching noise under my foot. I beat a hasty retreat and contemplated the benefit of having a rubbish chute installed. This could lead directly to an industrial skip outside the house, and I could twice a year shovel the contents of the room into the chute. I remember when that room was cute and ordered. There were shelves of stuffed toys, butterflies and fairies on the wardrobe doors, sun-catchers in the window. It was light and airy, with lots of pink and green. There was an ambience of purity and innocence. Now the predominant colour is black and the room instantly brings to mind end of the world scenarios. Theres life, Jim, but not as we know it. While she was growing up I was very firm about my One mess at a time rule, which she says she has embraced. Her room is the one mess. I cant argue with that. Letting go of my need for a clean and tidy room has been a difficult journey for me, but to her credit, she has helped. Her dedication to her burgeoning independence is admirable, and her steady refusal to be swayed by the relative order in the rest of the house is heroic. The up side is that the rest of the house is actually in relative order by comparison, shell happily do requested chores (as long as I dont ask her to clean her room) and since I stopped nagging, weve reduced our total number of hours arguing per week. I also have extra leisure time that I used to waste ironing her clothes. The most marvellous thing of all is the closed door. I worry about the dog though. He is very small and very black. He could easily get stuck in there and never be found again. I also worry because he is so close to the ground that the fumes emanating from the piles of unwashed laundry, uneaten lunches and half-drunk cups of Milo might actually poison him. Which brings me back to the airlock, a much more sensible plan than the rubbish chute what if I accidentally shovelled the dog into the skip? Prevention is a much better idea, dont you think?

Family Finances with Alex Denham

Is your family protected against disaster?

Speaking from personal experience, making the transition from single person, to a couple, to a family means a total rethink on how your finances are structured. Youve moved from footloose and fancy free, where all the money you earn is yours, to having dependants. Suddenly you think twice about buying those new shoes your priorities have totally shifted. Whether you are a working mum or a stay at home one, its so important that you and your partner take the time to sit down and make arrangements to protect your new family in the event that something happens to either one of you. In a perfect world, wed do this before the kids come because getting it all sorted in the daze of newborn-land is a big ask. This means taking several steps, and I would urge that you seek advice from your financial adviser about all this. They can make the whole process so much easier for you. First step: insurance. Life insurance, income protection and trauma insurance. Yes I can hear you groaning, but its just so important. On the whole Australians are seriously underinsured. Its amazing that most of us insure our house, our car and our possessions, but when it comes to insuring ourselves we find it so hard to fork out. Just think about it. Your husband has a serious car accident (it can happen to anyone), or has a stroke, or is diagnosed with prostate cancer. He survives, but has a long recovery ahead of him. How are you going to cope with him out of work for an extended period of time? How long will your savings be able to cover the mortgage? Will you be able to afford the out-of-pocket expenses, or the best treatment available? What if that treatment is in Sydney how will you afford accommodation? What if you have to take time off work to assist with his recovery? Trauma insurance pays you a one-off lump sum if you have a serious medical condition like cancer, heart attack, stroke or an accident. The benefit can be paid quickly to cover costs, enable you to reduce the days you work or take time off work if necessary. I could fill this entire magazine with actual stories of young, healthy families that have been struck down by a serious medical event when they least expect it, be it through accident or illness, and the devastating effect it can have on the familys finances. The last thing you need in a time of crisis is to lose your house. So thats one thing you need to take care of. The other is that you both need an up to date will. When you were on your own with no dependants, having a will probably wasnt a huge priority. State laws would govern how your assets would be distributed. But now that youre a family, it does matter. A will is the first step in ensuring that your estate is distributed in accordance with your wishes, and in ensuring that your family, your children, are protected.

Financial smarts need to begin when we are very young

Alex is Senior Adviser at Dartnall Advisers Pty Ltd. She can be contacted on 4869 1825.

By Eleanor Dartnall

Teaching Kids About...

If you were to ask most primary school age children to estimate what they would have to pay at the checkout for five (5) items in their supermarket trolley, they would not be able to do this with any accuracy. A trial we conducted in Western Australia with 25 Grade 5 students showed a variance to actual of between $10 and $15. It is the day of calculators and bar codes, making estimation difficult for the young. Being able to assess the cost of an item is an important component of understanding whether we should buy an item or leave it on the shelf; this is the beginning of managing money.

MONEY

if they spend all that allowance early in the week. Perhaps we could even consider lending them money on credit if they run out. The following weeks allowance would then remain the same but less the sum advanced the previous week. There would then need to be a new, reduced budget in that following week. A good approach and one that lasts through a lifetime is to get your child to set out what the money is needed for by using an envelope for each item. Place the allowance in each envelope and provide these as a form of banking. Many adults today manage their budget by having a bank account for each of their major spending items each year with good results. A later exercise could well be to have your child keep a record of their allowance and spending, add these up

each month and teach them about net results. When there is some money left over from the monthly allowance, teach them the next step which is to accumulate (save) this so that they can buy a desired toy, game or clothing. Some of the richest clients we have today started out this way and also learned the most important lesson; we will enjoy our money more if we share it. The best way we can do this is to donate a small sum to an organisation that assist those most in need; the homeless, poor and sick. When your child is in secondary school, these basic lessons can be built on by encouraging your children into part-time work (even if you as the parent can well afford to buy anything your child requires). This will teach the importance of showing up to work on time, the fact that money does not come as easily as asking Mum and Dad for it, the fact of that annual tax return and the part taxes have in supporting us in our community. Most importantly, working provides a sense of accomplishment that they have earned those dollars they want to spend and will therefore spend more carefully. They will be able to quickly estimate actual costs and whether the cost is worth what is being purchased. They will appreciate the value of accumulating their savings and earning interest on money held for months rather than being spent as soon as it is earned. Leaning about finances is like learning another language and we all know how much easier this is when we are very young.

Financial smarts need to begin when we are very young so teaching kids how to manage money is one of a challenge facing any parent. If you can teach your child the difference between needs and wants, how to budget and how to save, your child will have the rudiments needed to manage money in the future. Knowing that having money needs to come from working for that same money is one of the most important lessons our children can learn. But if this message is not received, your child as a young adult may well join the millions who rack up huge credit card debt and interest bills that comes from not managing even this source of funds well. So, we need to put some time into teaching our children about money, how it is earned, how to save it and how to go about prudently spending it on what we need. There are many lessons along the way, earning and enjoying what we can do with money; setting budgets, establishing spending limits, saving for something we want, are all important and exciting lessons. The ability to understand numbers, how to estimate quickly and how to use money for what we want now and what we will need in the future are all skills the very young can learn, but this takes parent involvement. There may well be challenges for the parents as they take on some of these lessons themselves. Giving your child a weekly allowance can be a very useful first step in teaching your child how to manage money. But remember that this will mean your child needs to set a budget and needs to see what happens

eleanor@dartnalladvisers.com.au

Online Businesses of the Highlands

Two Little Princes

Owner: Nicole Pheils
Leaving the corporate world behind to be more available tor her children meant Nicole Pheils from Hill Top had to think of a new plan. With a passion for fashion and an eye for great deals, Two Little Princes was born.
Here's the low down on Nicole's online business: My business name quite simply came about as I have two small boys, called Harry & Will so they are the Two Little Princes! We have a fully inter-active, live, check-out supported website which we update with clothing constantly. We stock a wide variety of items, for both princes and princesses and for ages newborn to teen. Our clothing is either high quality excellent condition every day wear items (Target, Myer etc) or a large variety across the designer brands including Fred Bare, Pumpkin Patch, Esprit, Osh Kosh, GAP, Next UK and more. We are very environmentally aware and that is why I started the website in part the tonnes of clothing going to landfill would make you cry! We follow the three Rs philosophy which is: 1. Recycle clothing by any means possible 2. Re-Use clothing it usually has so much more life left in it 3. Reduce the tonnes of clothing & fabric going to landfill each year

Free delivery within the Southern Highlands for all orders over $35.00

Your online store for gorgeous new, pre-loved & sustainable children's clothing that doesnt cost the Earth Visit 24/7

www.twolittleprinces.com.au

Doting Dads
Meet Rob Berman and David Petrola, our two Doting Dads for this issue. Rob talks about life at home with baby Ryan and Dave shows us his creative side that he shares with his daughter, Angelina.

Fatherhood
Has being a stay at home dad worked out the way you thought it would? I am not sure about what my expectations were, I am really enjoying it though. Do you know any other stay at home dads? I dont know any full time stay at home dads. Some couples we know shared the parenting by restructuring their work days and hours. Are you in a mothers (parents) group? Kelly is still in regular contact with her mothers group. I dont go to the weekly get together, although a few of us make sure that we have swimming lessons on the same day so Ryan can see his friends. Do you ever feel isolated or lonely? No not at all, we have a lot of friendly young families in our street and close by. Are you worried about reentering the work force? I am currently retraining and I look forward returning to the workforce with a new career. I will miss spending time with Ryan and I am sure he will feel the same. Were there any difficulties with reversing the traditional parenting roles? No, maybe organising the breast pump and milk each day was more work than breast feeding was for Kelly. Both of us have always wanted to be involved and we have both had a turn at being the stay at home parent.

Rob Berman, cabinet maker, uni student, family man...clearly a doting dad, we find out a little about how fatherhood has impacted his life.

I think I am a more patient and understanding person now.

Are your multi-tasking skills improving? They have to when you are doing full time uni, looking after a little one and keeping on top of the yard work as well. As a child did you spend a lot of time with your own dad? I have fond memories of tagging along with my dad when he worked on the farm we grew up on. We would plant veggies, drive the tractor and ride the motorbike it was great! In which way has being a stay at home dad changed you the most? I think I am a more patient and understanding person now. Are you surprised by any hidden skill you didnt know you had? I dont know whether it is a skill or not but I can function on a lot less sleep now. Whats your best parenting tip? Be informed but do what you think is right.

"Be informed but do what you think is right"

Before you start

Make the project in stages, as kids dont last long doing this sort of thing. Dad needs to have it organised so it is only an hour or two depending on your kids. The wardrobe can be converted into a cabinet for boys to store their soldiers or action figure weapons/ armour (E.g. No Hanging rail, maybe a shelf instead). They can then reflect this idea with a painted finish and embellishments to match. Kids love nailing, gluing, centre punching, measuring, cutting the dowel to length and sanding. Try to get them to do some or all of these stages with dads help to start it off. If your child wants to do all the nailing then maybe you can pre drill holes for the nails to go into, this helps to keep the nails straight. (The hole has to be smaller than the nail thickness). You can use any timber for this project, but pine is the cheapest option. Also, this example of the wardrobe is painted so you wont see the grain. You also wont need to worry about any pencil lines during the construction process, theyll be painted over. Buy your timber from the hardware store. Ask to get the timber cut to size while youre there. It might cost a few dollars more but it will save time. Many of the pieces are in pairs and it is important that every stage of production is done right, so as to not compound your problems as you move through the project. Use the cutting list to check what sizes you need and label all the components as you go. Instead of putty you can mix glue and saw dust together. You can make this as tall and as wide as you like. My daughter has told me there isnt enough room for all of her dolls clothes!

Creative Dads
David Petrola is the woodwork teacher at
Tudor House and has been a cabinet maker for over 10 years. In this issue of Creative Dads we find out how he and his daughter Angelina created this silver armoir for her Barbies and spent some good old quality time together.

Materials Purchase List

1. 500mm x 190mm x 19mm Pine at approx $3.60p/m = $2 2. 900mm x 140mm x 19mm Pine at approx $2.60p/m = $2.60 3. 500mm x 90mm x 19mm Pine at approx $1.50p/m = $0.75 4. 450mm x 200mm x 4mm Ply or MDF ask a kitchen factory or cabinet maker for some off-cuts or buy a sheet of it = $12 5. 6.5mm x 1m Dowel min purchase 2.4m length = $3 6. 2m x 2mm thick Copper Wire = $5 7. 1 Box of 30mm nails = $6-$8 at approx $3.60p/m = $2 8. Glue = $5 9. Hinges x2 - 35mm x 15mm leaves (flaps/wings) = $3 10. Silver Paint = $8 Total = Approx $36 - Bunnings

Step 1
Spread out your components and match them up in pairs. Discuss with your child how the project fits together and demonstrate it, by holding the components in place. Dads will need to have all the materials cut to size, timber, glue, tools and hardware, all ready to go. Tip: As most young children dont want to take a long time to make things. It is mainly an assembly exercise.

Step 2
The first job is drilling for the hanging rail and nailing the main carcass (box) together. Mark out and measure for the hanging rail on the insides of the sides. This is good job for the kids, with dad observing and guiding. Measure down 45mm from the top of the side, and exactly half way across the width (70mm). After completing that, use a centre punch and a hammer to mark the drilling location for the hanging rail to slot into. This is also a good job for the little ones. Tip: Put some masking tape on your drill piece about 10mm from the end. This is to mark for how deep you should drill into the sides, (5-10mm deep is enough).

Step 3
Use a coping saw or hack saw to cut the dowel (hanging rail) to length. This helps to stop breakout. Turn the sides over and mark out the centre lines for the nail locations. Measure 10mm down from the top edge and 20mm in from the side edge. Tip: Dads can do one of two things here, you can either pre drill a pilot hole (a hole smaller than the diameter of the nail) for the nails to go into and have the kids hammer the nails down or you can start the nails off yourself and set them in to the sides. Keep the nails straight and put them all the way down.

Step 4
Once all 8 nails are set up ready in the sides, clamp the internal top into the vice, (make sure its tight), with the end of the timber facing up out of the vice (140mm across). Get the kids to squeeze a line of glue along the end of the internal top and have them line up the side over the top of the internal top and then even up the ends and sides before you nail them together. Tip: Dad can start to hammer in the nails leaving a cm or so of nail lto hit into place. this is where the kids take control again, finishing off the nailing. The kids can also nail punch the nails below the surface at this time and putty.

Step 5
After the first end is in place, lift the job out of the vice and set the other end up under the side and add some glue to the end at the same time. Sit the end youre nailing into close to the edge of the bench so you can clamp it to the bench edge (so there will be enough room for the clamp) while you nail. Flip over the carcass when youre done and repeat the process for the other side, but before you nail, make sure you sit your little hanging rod in place in the sides with some glue. If you forget, you wont get the hanging rail in the holes and youll have to change the way you put it in place later. Tip: If you forgot the hanging rail when gluing, either remove one side of the carcass and then glue it or you could perhaps drill a hole all the way through one side and slide the dowel (hanging rail) in through there, then cut the dowel off, even with the side.

Step 6

Wipe all the glue off from the inside and the out with a damp cloth. Nail in the bottom internal rail into place at the bottom of the wardrobe. Tip: make sure you check which way the hanging rail is so you dont nail in the wrong place.

Step 7
Use a nail Punch and hammer to punch the nails below the surface about 1mm and putty up the hole youve made. Tip: The paint doesnt stick to the metal of the nails very well and can drop off after painting.

Step 8
Measure and mark out the back and set the nails up again for the kids. The nails should be set 10mm in from the edges of the back all the way round. Two nails down each side will be fine. Be sure to run a thin bead of glue around the back edge before you nail the back on. Tip: Start by nailing one side completely, then square up the next 90 degree side with the carcass to be sure you are square.

Step 9
Sand all the edges of the back down to even with the sides of the carcass of the wardrobe. Sand off all the sharp edges on the front of the carcass and remove any machine marks. Tip: If you have a sander you will save time here.

Step 10

Use a router or trimmer to run a moulding along the edge of the outside top and base (3 sides only). Tip: If you dont have one of these machines then you can use a hand plane to plane a chamfer along the edges or file a chamfer on the edges, about a cm wide, 45 degree angle.

Step 11

Step 12

Nail the top and base in place leaving an even over-hang on both sides and make it even with the back of the carcass. Add glue before you nail in place. File and sand the edges of the top and base clean of saw marks. Tip: Those dads that have a belt sander will make this process faster.

Next is the door frame. Lay out the door parts as they go together and mark a line across the joints 10mm in from the edge of the door frame, both internally and externally, roughly by hand. Then, using a try square, transfer the lines down the edge of the stiles and rails. Tip: keep the handle of the try square against the timbers edge, keeping the line straight and at 90 degrees).

Step 13

Step 14
Line up all the dowels and aline the rails with the stiles then do a dry run of fitting the door frame together. Once you know it all fits, add glue to all the holes and fit the dowels and joints together. Use some clamps to hold the joints in place. You may also need to use another clamp to hold the door flat on the bench. You may need to leave both the carcass and the door to dry at this time as the joints can begin to come apart if you continue to work on them. (Wait at least 4hrs or the next day). Tip: It is important that the door doesnt twist whilst in the clamps and doesnt bow up under pressure. Also try to keep the faces of the joints as even as possible when clamping.

Lift up the stiles and place them onto their edges and mark a line half way through the thickness (10mm), so you end up with two xs marked on each joint, (4 in total). Do the same for the ends of the rails and have the kids centre punch the marks for drilling. Make sure you hold the parts in a vice. Drill all the joints 10mm into the timber with the same drill bit you used earlier on the hanging rail, marked with masking tape.

Step 15

Step 16

Once the glue has dried, sand the door flat on the front and back and remove the machine marks from the edges with a plane or file, and sand paper.

Take the door panel, round over and sand all the edges on one side. Place it face down on the back side of the door and glue it in place over the door frame. Use small nails for this or just rest something heavy on the door panel while the glue dries. Tip: Again set up the nails before you glue so the kids can hit them in easier.

Step 17
Turn the door over and remove all the sharp edges from the sides and internal edges. If you have a trimmer you can run another moulding on the inside and outside of the door's edges at this time. Tip: Alternatively you can use a plane or file to form a chamfer without the need of the machine.

Step 18
Go back to the carcass frame and on the left hand side of the front face, measure down from the underside of the top - 50mm for the location of the top of the hinge. Measure the length of the hinge and add it to the 50mm to get the full length of the hinge marked out on the carcass. Do the same for the lower hinge. Leave the barrel of the hinge hanging over the edge of the carcass. If you have purchased a hinge that has leaves that fit inside each other and are only one thickness overall, then you can line up the hinge on the carcass, mark out the hole locations and pre drill the holes for the screws. If you have a hinge with two leaves that fit on top of each other, like a traditional butt hinge, you will have to cut the hinge into the edge of the carcass approximately 2-2.5mm deep. Tip: If you have a trimmer you can do this faster and easier, but if you dont youll need to chisel this area out.

Step 19

Step 20
Line up the door on the outside of the carcass with the hinges open. Make sure the door is 2mm down from the top and 2mm up from the bottom of the carcass so the door doesnt bind when it closes. Mark the hole locations and pre drill for screws then screw into place, (do not chisel for hinges on the door). Check the door closes and opens properly. It shouldnt be springy or sit off the face of the carcass when it is closed. Sand all sharp edges off all of the components free from machine marks and remove all sharp points. Tip: Place something under the door while you are marking out and fitting the hinges to the door, this can be hard to hold in place. Also make sure you leave a small gap between the doors edges and the carcass edge when screwing the hinges on (the thickness of the barrel) so as to line the door up properly with the edge when it closes

If you chisel, then make a cut on the lines you marked for the hinge locations, 2mm down. Then align your chisel on the outside of the sides where the hinge location is and pair down 1mm at a time to fit the leave (flap) of the hinge. (Make sure your chisel is sharp). Then sit hinges in place and pre drill holes for screws, and screw in place.

Step 21

Step 22

At this point you can add decorative ornamental designs and feet for the bottom of the wardrobe. Some of the decorations are added to the panel of the door and are glued into place to imitate carvings. Other embellishments were added after the painting. For the feet you can either use feet protectors for furniture or miniature knobs or handles for cabinets fitted upside down underneath the base. Knobs will be approx $2 ea and just glued in place. Add a handle to the door at this time if you wish.

You are now ready to apply your painted finish on the wardrobe. We used enamel silver paint and bits and pieces from our craft collection.

Step 23

Are you a creative dad too? Do your children share your interests as a result?
Wether you do woodwork, creative writing, art, construction or music... we would love to hear from you. Send us your project including high resolution, quality step by step photos and typed instructions saved to disc and mail to PO Box 123, Mittagong NSW 2575

Coat Hangers: Measure 210m of wire Coat Hangers: Measure 210mm of wire and cut to length. (Copper or something as malleable). Follow these steps to bend the coat hangers into shape using long nose pliers. Firstly, bend a hook shape big enough for the dowel. Secondly, make a 45 degree bend under the hook and run it down at an angle - 4cm Long. Thirdly, bend it back along the bottom approx 6.5cm, then bend it back up towards the hook - 4cm. Use the pliers to make a very sharp hook bend to secure the wire to itself and clamp it closed. Tip: When you cut the last part of the wire off after wrapping the wire around itself near the hook part, be sure to fold it all the way around as it can be sharp.

All timber is sourced from local suppliers. Jigsaws are finished with Tung Oil as it is food grade and safe for everyone.

Let me create a custom puzzle especially for you.

All puzzles are created by hand, making each piece a one of a kind. Prices range from $40 to $100

Johan Schenkel
0407 492 948 jhrschenkel@bigpond.com

Puzzle Sculptures

Brand New Child Care Centre

7 Centennial Rd, Bowral NSW 2575

0414 755 730

annemaree@kamalei.com.au

Why not come to an ABA meeting? Next meetings

28th July: About ABA. Learn more about the association and the
important role we play in Australia.

25th August: Baby led solids - Join us to chat about and watch a
great DVD on introducing solids to your baby.

Breast pump hire details

Hospital Grade Breast pump hire Medela Lactina Breast Pump $30 per week or $15 per week for ABA members $100 refundable deposit required Collection kits available also.

Having difficulty accessing the Breastfeeding Helpline? Drop the last number and call

1800 686 268.

The National Breastfeeding Helpline is supported by funding from the Australian Government.

The Southern Highlands Group of the ABA meet monthly. Please contact Fiona (02) 46841531
fiona_and_murray@hotmail.com

www.breastfeeding.asn.au

An Apple a Day
Bringing you advice and information on child and maternal health and well-being during the early childhood years, An Apple a Day may help to keep the doctor away!

Dr. Hart's advice for parents this winter

inter in the Southern Highlands means coughs, colds and increased risk of serious childhood infections. Here is some professional advice on some common winter childhood infections and tips to help parents. RSV bronchiolitis is a common viral infection in winter and spring which generally effects infants under 6-12 months. It is easily transmitted from an older child who usually only has a runny nose or a cold. Pre-term babies and those under 3 months are at most risk. The illness starts with mild fever, runny nose and a mild cough and over a few days infants develop wheeze, cough and breathing difficulties. Treatment involves close monitoring, avoiding dehydration, regular saline to clear the nasal passages and paracetamol can be used for fevers if the baby is unsettled. Antibiotics do not help and there is no vaccine for RSV. Seek urgent medical advice or attend emergency if your baby is lethargic, having feeding or breathing difficulties or poor colour. These babies need to be admitted to hospital for up to a week and require oxygen via a nasal prong tube under their nose, frequent monitoring and, rarely, intensive care. Whooping Cough also known as pertussis has made a comeback recently with many more cases being reported. Young babies are at the most risk from this illness which can result in a very distressing cough with or without a whoop which can last for many weeks. The biggest risk of infection is from an adult whose vaccine immunity has waned and may have a troublesome, persistent cough which can last for weeks. The undiagnosed adult may infect others, especially young babies. NSW Health Department advises parents of newborns and grandparents to see their GP and receive a pertussis booster vaccination. This will help protect young infants who do not receive vaccines until to 68 weeks and are not fully protected in their early, most vulnerable stages. Whooping cough can be suspected in a child with a distressing, at times choking cough, sometimes with vomiting. In between episodes the child is usually completely well with a clear chest. A nasal swab can confirm the diagnosis and treatment is antibiotics given for up to 2 weeks to reduce the risk of transmitting infection. Young infants with a pertussis cough often need admission and observation in hospital. Fever in children is common throughout the year, especially in winter. Of particular concern is a fever in an infant under 3 month of age who is at highest risk of severe bacterial infections. NSW Department of Health guidelines recommend that all infants under 3 months of age with a significant fever require urgent medical assessment and usually hospital admission for tests, observation and intravenous antibiotics.

Dr. Richard Hart is the Senior Staff Paediatrician at Bowral Hospital

The best advice is to use these medications to treat fever associated with a distressed child and not simply chase the fever with regular doses.
Gastroenteritis is common in winter and spring and generally is caused by viral infections. Fortunately the new Rotavirus vaccination will significantly reduce the number of young children presenting with gastroenteritis. Medications generally do not help gastroenteritis. The most important part of treatment for parents is to ensure the child drinks small amounts of fluids regularly. Gastrolyte is an oral replacement fluid from the chemist. It is safe to use juice or soft drinks diluted 1 part juice to 4 parts water. If your child becomes increasingly lethargic or listless then urgent medical treatment is required. In the Emergency Department there may be a trial of oral rehydration, given as small amounts of oral fluids every 10-15 minutes. If this is ineffective then further treatment can involve giving younger children fluids via a nasogastric tube passed from the nose into the mouth, which is safe and effective. For older children intravenous fluids via a drip and hospitalisation may be required. We do not usually give drugs to treat diarrhoea or vomiting in children. Antibiotics are not given for treatment of gastroenteritis unless there is a rare infection involved. Strict hand washing and avoiding sharing cups, cutlery etc. is critical to avoid spreading infection throughout the family. There are lots of over the counter preparations prescribed for common colds and flu in children. None of them are routinely recommended by Paediatricians. Certainly Paracetamol or Nurofen are effective when used to treat fever in children who are unwell. The best advice is to use these medications to treat fever associated with a distressed child and not simply chase the fever with regular doses. Oral zinc has been shown to reduce the duration of a common cold. Common sense precautions can certainly reduce the chance of your child becoming unwell this winter. Some children should be kept away from school until they recover. Child immunisations are safe and effective and can help reduce serious childhood infections. An excellent information on line resource are the fact sheets for parents from the Children's Hospital at Westmead. http://www.chw.edu.au/parents/factsheets/

Nurses and doctors use the following clues to assessing the severity of acute illness in children:A Activity and Alertness.
Is your childs level of activity and alertness greatly decreased?

B Breathing.
Does your child have any significant breathing problems, wheeze, cough, respiratory difficulties

C Circulation.
Is your child drinking their normal amount of fluids.

Fluids In and Out

(i.e. what fluids are going in and out) Is there much vomiting or diarrhoea and is your child passing urine normally.

Red flags needing urgent medical assessment:

A child who is difficult to rouse/wake Purple spots or bruises on the skin Hard to rouse or little eye contact Behaving as if their neck is still Severe headache Struggling to breathe, rapid breathing, blood in stools Abdominal pain which is worsening

Ask Dr. Hart your own questions about children's health by emailing him at:

info@highlandbabyandchild.com

ow is the moment to capture them

Photographing Southern Highlands Families since 2003

www.corinnedany.com

About your ABA

Fiona Hawkless keeps us 'abreast' of our local Breastfeefing Association.

n 2006 The Southern Highlands Group of The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) was re-established after a short hiatus. Since this time, the group has grown and developed in the community providing motherto-mother support in breastfeeding and parenting. We are an organisation of people interested in the promotion and protection of breastfeeding. Amongst us are breastfeeding women, our partners and health professionals such as doctors, lactation consultants and midwives. The ABA was founded by Mary Paton, a Southern Highlands resident of many years. Mary and a group of friends founded the ABA in Melbourne in 1964 (the ABA was then known as the Nursing Mothers' Association) with the primary aim of giving mother-to-mother support to breastfeeding women. ABA is run mostly by volunteers. Our voluntary breastfeeding counsellors are experienced mothers who have completed an intensive training programme and have successfully breastfed their own children for varying lengths of time. We are bound by a code of ethics and offer our support over the telephone, in person and through a wide range of literature. ABA groups offer mothers information, problemsolving support and a meeting program. The Southern Highlands program reflects the needs of our local members and our community. Our local group has many trainee breastfeeding counsellors, with some trainees almost qualified in breastfeeding counselling. With the support of the Macarthur Region of ABA, our meetings have at least one qualified breastfeeding counsellor present to answer questions and/or discuss any problems you may be having. Thanks to the generosity of the Moss Vale Christian Centre, the Southern Highlands Group of the ABA meet on the fourth Thursday of each month at their facilities based at the corner of Spring St and Railway St, Moss Vale from 10am12noon. Pregnant women, all mothers, breastfeeding or not, are welcome to attend meetings, as are children, partners, friends and grandparents.

Our meeting program over the next few months will include: a fun and informative chat with a baby massage therapist; chatting about and watching a great DVD on introducing solids to your baby; sharing tips on making things easier and getting through those often long days; discussing the role of ABA; and a discussion on breast and nipple care. As well as supporting families and providing breastfeeding education through our monthly meetings, we can assist the community in providing hospital grade breast pump hire, breastfeeding friendly work place accreditation, Breastfeeding Welcome Here sticker presentation, as seen in many caf and shop windows throughout the Highlands, and baby care room awards, as awarded to the Highlands Market Place for their 5 star baby care room. The back bone of the Associations support services is the toll free National Breastfeeding Helpline 1800 MUM TO MUM (1800 686 2 686) which is available 24hrs a day, 7 days a week and is staffed by the volunteer breastfeeding counsellors from their own homes. You can become a member of the ABA and enable us to continue to provide support and information to Mothers. 12 months membership is available for $65 a year and includes a FREE copy of ABAs comprehensive book Breastfeeding Naturally (RRP $34.95). Members also receive a bi-monthly copy of Essence magazine and discount breast pump hire. For more information about our local group, meetings, breast pump hire, or any of the wonderful services provided by the ABA please contact our Group Administrator, Fiona - Phone: 4684 1531or email: fiona_and_murray@hotmail.com For comprehensive breastfeeding information and to become a member of the ABA visit www.breastfeeding.asn.au

NEW COURSE DATES FOR BUSH FLOWER HEALING

Bush Flower Healing have just cemented course dates for the rest of the year and we would love to have you come along to one of our Bush Flower Essence courses. We provide a wonderful working knowledge of the Essences on behalf of Ian White and the Australian Bush Flower essence team. For practitioner and personal use - no previous experience is necessary.

16hr College Course (Part 1)

An accredited complementary course that provides you with an understanding of the healing qualities of each of the 69 Flower Essences in relation to the Mind Body Medicine model. It is taught as a journey through the energetic / chakra framework of the body with practical insights shared throughout on the everyday use and practitioner use of the Essences.

NEW 3 hour INTRO workshops:

This course will quickly arm you with the basics on some of the individual Flower Essences and the combination blends available. Cost is $60. 2011 Thursday July 28th (6pm to 9pm) OR Monday 15th August (6pm to 9pm) OR Wednesday 14th September (6pm to 9pm) OR Tuesday October 11th (10am to 1pm) 2012 dates so far Monday February 6th (6pm to 9pm) OR Wednesday March 7th (10am to 1pm)

WEEKENDS
2011 Weekend Workshops at Kazcare Bowral Saturday 15th October & Sunday 16th October (9am to 5pm both days). 2012 Weekend Workshops at Kazcare Bowral Saturday 17th March & Sunday 18th March (9am to 5pm both days) at Kazcare in Bowral. OR Saturday 2nd June & Sunday 3rd June (9am to 5pm both days) at Kazcare in Bowral.

16hr College Course (Part 2) Weekend

Part 2 of the College Course involves an indepth look at diagnosis, prescribing and counselling techniques that may be useful when working with the Flower Essences. We also spend time in the Australian bush connecting with the deeper aspects of this wonderful healing modality - a favourite among students. 2011 Weekend Workshop at Fitzroy Falls Saturday 12th November & Sunday 13th November (9am to 5pm both days).

WEEKDAYS
2011 Weekday Courses at Moss Vale Wednesdays Beginning 27th July, 2011 Eight 2hr Sessions from 10am. (No class 3/8/2011) Mondays Beginning 1st August, 2011 Four 4hr Sessions from 10am. Thursdays Beginning 13th October, 2011 Four 4hr Sessions from 10am. 2012 Weekday Courses at Moss Vale Tuesdays Beginning 7th February, 2012 Four 4hr Sessions from 10am. Wednesdays Beginning 2nd May, 2012 Four 4hr Sessions from 10am.

Course Cost: $295

Payment Plans Available Payments can be made via direct debit, cash or cheques.

Course Cost: $295

Payment Plans Available Payments can be made via direct debit, cash or cheques.

We are taking bookings straight away and payment as soon as convenient to secure places

www.bushflowerhealing.com
We look forward to hearing from you. Many Thanks, Katrina and Maddi

enquiries@bushflowerhealing.com

Ph 041 727 9219 or Ph 0438 951 233

Complementary Medicine

with Katrina Corney

Winter remedies
About Katrina
Asked by Corinne to contribute to Highland Baby and Child, I felt privileged to be part of such a great community newsletter and wondered where to start. I thought a description of what I do might be a good place to start... My name is Katrina and I grew up in the Southern Highlands and like so many that I grew up with am only now realising what a truly beautiful place it is. I have been working as a pharmacist at Bowral Guardian Pharmacy for many years and have recommended many treatments to many children. My passion lies with complementary medicines and the benefits that can be found when treating the patient as a 'whole' person. Recognising emotional pressures can have such an impact on the physical body and the symptoms that a patient experiences is a priority for me. Of course children are no different - they experience fear, anxiety, frustration and boredom along with the rest of us and having safe and effective healing tools available that dissolve, soothe and address such emotions can bring wonderful benefits to the individual, the family and the community as a whole. In the pharmaceutical industry, it has been my experience that we are very good at treating physical symptoms with the modern day pharmaceutical wonders. While many worthwhile results are achieved everyday with these medicines sometimes I feel that there there is something missing in the whole approach. As a herbalist I have learnt and am still learning about 'the other side'...the many (often incredible to me) complementary therapies that help to sustain and improve wholistic everyday health and life experience of the modern-day patient. My particular passion lies with Flower Essence therapy and I, along with another local pharmacist Maddi Parker, have started Bush Flower Healing as a result. It has been our experience that Flower Essences or 'medicines for the emotions' can often hold a vital key to healing, supporting and addressing our everyday health issues.

The Australian Bush Flower Essences have been safely and successfully used for over twenty years to support and address childhood health concerns.

hey represent an evolving and innovative medicine system that nicely complements the more conventional medicines of our times. The Flower Essences work alongside other therapies beautifully and look to improving the 'whole' health of a child including their emotional experiences as having the potential to influence physical symptoms. There are 69 individual Essences in the range and different combination blends are available to help safely support the emotional health of any family - including our pets. One of the things that I love is that many of these essences are made from flowers that can be found locally. To me this adds a whole new aspect to healing when we can walk through the local bush and spot an Old Man Banksia and understand where these healing Essences come from (similar to the pleasure of actually seeing where the food we eat grows).

Strengthen energy

Many colds, coughs, sore-throats and winter-bugs take hold when our energy is low, we are run-down or tired making us more vulnerable to infections. The Dynamis blend may strengthen energy and endurance and support the immune system to make us less vulnerable to winter colds. It also may improve our capacity to heal. Sunshine Wattle is another lovely flower found locally. This Essence can help bring optimism, joy and literally sunshine on a cold winter's day. I find the Sunshine Wattle is a lovely Essence to help patients to feel better. With the heavy concerns of the world today ( hard times, money worries and global tragedies) this Essence can be a powerful reminder of life's joys. http://www.bushflowerhealing.com/single /sunshinewattle.html I look forward to sharing more of the qualities of the Australian Bush Flower Essences with you and welcome questions and feedback : katrina@bushflowerhealing.com Keep warm and sunshine-filled.

Bring on Optimism

Vitality and well-being

A winter blend I find useful to recommend regularly is the Dynamis blend. When children and their parents are struggling with the impact of cold and flu, Dynamis can support the immune system and energy levels enhancing vitality and well-being. http://www.bushflowerhealing.com/comb ination/dynamis.html

Pick me up tonic
Macrocarpa is an Essence in Dynamis made from one of the beautiful Eucalyptus flowers. The flower literally bursts with energy and it's essence is good as a 'pick-me-up' tonic. http://www.bushflowerhealing.com/si ngle/macrocarpa.html

A useful reference has recently been released by Ian White - the founder of Australian Bush Flower Essences and fifth generation herbalist. "Happy Healthy Kids" is full of practical advice and case histories from families and practitioners from all around the world. http://www.ausflowers.com.au/shop/scditem. asp?prodid=167&catid=7

Encourages endurance
The Old Man Banksia Essence can help put the spark back when we are tired and encourages endurance. Looking at this tree in the bush you can almost feel it's age-old wisdom and understand the deeply energising effect its essence may impart - a unique opportunity ! http://www.bushflowerhealing.c om/single/oldmanbanksia.html

www.bushflowerhealing.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/NannyNetwork/235107226506661

www.bubbaliscious.com.au

What to expect
Dianna Marshall, tells us what to expect during your
prenatal care at Bowral Hospital
Bowral Hospital is the only hospital in the Highlands that has a maternity unit supporting mothers for their pregnancy care and births. If you wish to have a home birth, you must organise this yourself with a home birth midwife. If you are a private patient, as there are no arrangements with the Private Hospital for post natal care at present, you will be cared for by the staff in Bowral maternity unit in the Public Hospital. Bowral Maternity unit staff consists of: Staff Specialist (Doctor), Nurse Unit Manager, Midwifery Educator, Registered Midwives, some of whom are Lactation Consultants and Enrolled Nurses. The staff will care for you and your baby from when you first book into the hospital, through your antenatal care, antenatal classes, birthing process, postnatal care, neonatal care and we offer an early discharge programme. Appointments at present are made at 4 weekly intervals if there are no concerns, until 36 weeks gestation, then fortnightly until 40 weeks, if you have already had a child. First time mums will have weekly visits from 38 weeks. For the majority of time a midwife will attend to your antenatal appointment visits, with referral to Staff Specialist at 36 weeks and 41 weeks gestation. How do you work out your due date? Babies are generally due around the 40 week gestation (approximately 9 months). The estimated date is taken from the 1st day of your last monthly period, (taking into consideration your menstrual cycle) or from the earliest ultrasound, and this agreed date will be discussed with you by your doctor. What do I do when I think I am pregnant ? 1. Contact your GP (doctor) to confirm your pregnancy- either by taking a blood test or urine sample or both. 2. Once pregnancy is confirmed your G.P. will give you a pathology form for a number of routine blood tests that need to be attended. 3. Your GP will give you a referral letter to enable you to book into the hospital. 4. An appointment time will be given to you to book into the hospital by the Hospitals admissions receptionist. 5. During the booking in process with the midwife, you will be asked if you wish to see your own Private Obstetrician, your own GP, or GP obstetrician. At present we have 3 GPs in the Highlands, who have obstetric rights within the hospital. You may wish to have shared care with the hospital and your GP, or you can attend hospital visits with Midwife and Staff Specialist as necessary. 6. After booking in you will be given an appointment to see the Staff Specialist close to your 20 week gestation.

The Sydney Morning Herald has a web site "Essential Baby" that shows you how to work out your estimated due date.
http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/pregnancy/due-date-calculator

Dianna Marshall runs the Midwifery Clinic at Bowral Hospital and can be contacted on 4861 0200

In this issue of Highland Baby and Child: Health and Fitness, Sky Hunt responds to many frequently asked questions that her expecting clients ask of her.

What should I do to ensure a healthy pregnancy for me and my baby? The first thing to remember is that pregnancy isnt new. Youre not the first pregnant woman on the planet, and women having babies today are having them in much the same way that they were in the past. So being generally healthy and well is really all thats required. A benefit of modern living should mean that your general nutrition and your level of fitness will be very high already. Nutrition: Its worth making sure that you have a good diet thats rich in folate and iodine. You may consider taking a multivitamin that contains those two components. If youre taking any prescribed medications, they should be discussed with your doctor when you have a regular check up. Stop smoking and limit your alcohol intake, and of course you shouldnt be taking any illicit drugs. Exercise: You should maintain your usual level of fitness.

What should I and shouldnt I eat during pregnancy? Theres a lot of discussion associated with pregnancy and foods that may have a risk of being contaminated with listeria. Listeria is a bacteria that can infect the mother then cross the placenta and infect the baby. Low levels of Listeria are found in virtually all foods, but levels can become extremely high in undercooked or poorly heat-treated foods. So, my line is to advise women to eat food that is well prepared, well cooked, and well stored. If you use those three principles, then your risk of developing a listeria infection is very small. Are there activities I should steer clear of while Im pregnant? Women worry about whether their activities or what they eat or drink will have an impact on the health of the baby or their ongoing pregnancy health. The baby is living in the uterus, nurtured by the placenta, which is an active and passive unit that supplies nutrients and oxygen to the baby and filters waste. The baby has its own genetic programming that will ensure that it grows to its own potential. Unless theres a very clearly identifiable maternal (mothers) illness, or the

mother is smoking, or taking illicit drugs, or possibly on some prescribed medication, then her activities really have a limited impact on the health of her baby. My advice is exercise because we should all exercise. Be healthy because we should all be healthy, and have a good diet. Dont be anxious about limiting your exercise. A lot of women worry about things like their heart rate. If youre fit and healthy, your heart rate goes up when you exercise, so my advice is dont take your heart rate. Use the same logic as you would if you were not pregnant, which is not to push yourself too hard. The only specific care you should be mindful of during pregnancy is that your ligaments and joints soften a little bit under the influence of the hormones of the placenta. There is a slight risk of injuring yourself more easily but, otherwise, I think that everything you did when you were not pregnant, with the possible exception of scuba diving and bungee jumping, you can do when you are pregnant. What about body temperature and environmental heat during exercise? Your body is designed to regulate that heat. When we talk about our concerns of body temperature rising and how that impacts on

This article was Part 1 of a five par

Are you a new mum? Sky is welcom those first few months of motherh

You can also check out her website

the babys health, were really talking about women who have significant illnesses that lead to sustained fevers. We do know that can have an impact on the babys health. However, the heat that you generate in the course of normal exercise is not harmful to a baby. You may feel hot as you exercise but your core body temperature doesnt rise, therefore, the temperature inside the uterus doesnt rise either. The advice should be the same as it is outside of pregnancy: Maintain fluid intake when youre exercising. Its okay to get hot. During pregnancy, avoid going into a sauna or going into a spa where you dont have the opportunity to lower your body temperature and so your body temperature increases. How much weight should I gain during pregnancy? The principle is that you dont have to eat for two. Therefore, you dont need to gain an enormous amount of weight. There are two groups of women. One will be those who are slightly underweight or normal weight who would anticipate gaining 12 to 15 kilos over their first pregnancy and, say, 9kg to 12kg over a second pregnancy. Women will not benefit by checking their weight too regularly because weight can

fluctuate quite significantly during the pregnancy. Rather, they should have more of an expectation of gaining that weight (12kg to 15kg) over the whole of the pregnancy. The other group of women to talk to are those who consider themselves or are defined as being overweight. They should be advised that losing weight or keeping their weight steady in pregnancy is safe. In other words, it is safe to have a controlled diet. It is safe to exercise, and those women can shrink as their baby grows. The baby will take all the nutrients that are required as long you have a reasonable diet. You shouldnt be having silly diets during pregnancy, but you dont need to feel an obligation to put on that 12 or 15 kilos. Pregnancy is a great opportunity to control weight. When a 100kg woman comes in, thinking that she has to put on more weight, I always say to her look, Im not going to weigh you during your pregnancy unless you want to. I have found by providing a secure environment, a lot of women quite like getting weighed. We chat about it and say, Oh, thats exciting. Youve only put on 1 kilo or you only gained 5 kilos, so 100 goes to 105. In a sense, that really means she shrank because she could have put on 15, but has gone down 10. Thats why it's quite a good opportunity for overweight women to

look at their weight and potentially control it. Your metabolic rate will increase which is another good way of losing unhealthy weight. Unfortunately, the way that we talk to overweight women is that we tend to talk to them critically rather than cooperatively or to talk to them about an opportunity, which is how it should be discussed.

About Sky
Sky competed as a Natural Body Builder, an experience which has helped her to create some of her most successful and beloved exercise programs for her clients. As a Personal Trainer and Peak Performance Coach, Sky Hunt has been coaching and training since 1993. She trains individuals, couples and classes, CEOs and Olympic athletes, businesses and clubs to achieve new levels of success. Sky is a Master Trainer for Fitness Australia and is a Certified Life Coach. She has worked with hundreds of clients using the Ultimate Healthy Body Systems Beginner to Advanced Programs to improve health, increase longevity and achieve personal goals. Sky grew up on the beaches of Sydney, Australia and now lives in the Southern Highlands, NSW with her husband and two young children. Understanding your motivation, then communicating the physical and behavioural aspects of your results is the key to personal success.

rt series. Next time Sky reveals "What Every New Mum Must Know!"

ming any questions you might have regarding keeping fit and healthy during hood. You can email her at info@highlandbabyandchild.com

e at www.skyhunt.com.au

www.skyhunt.com.au/classes

Private one on one lessons Adults & Children of all ages All year round Indoor heated pool in Bowral School holiday Intensive programs Reasonable Cost

Austswim & Swim Australia Accreditation All teachers Austswim licensed

Stockists of:
Speedo and Dunes Chlorine resistant swimwear at great prices Vorgee silicone & polyester swim caps Vorgee goggles Vorgee swimming wetbags Novelty kickboards Swimfin - revolutionary new swim aid for children Toastees wetsuit tops to keep you warm in the water.

For more information and for a free DVD titled "Living with Water" A Comprehensive Guide to Water Safety for Under 5's

Phone Rose on 0418 326 442 www.vitarose.com.au

While swimming lessons are not a substitute for proper supervision and barriers - being able to swim well provides an extra layer of protection and enhances physical, social and emotional wellbeing.

Do you have trouble understanding your childs speech?

Does your child struggle with reading and writing? Do you notice your child has trouble forming sentences or following directions? Does your child stutter when speaking? Does your child have difficulty communicating with peers? Is your childs voice husky? Does he/she lose their voice often?
If you can answer YES to any of these questions please call today to arrange an assessment for your child.
You can visit us at our Bowral clinic or we can arrange to see your child in your home environment. Appointments at schools and pre-schools can also be organised.
You may be eligible for Medicare and/or private health fund rebates.

Each child develops their language and speech skills at a different rate, however there is a general pattern to their development. If you have concerns about your childs progress we can advise you and work with your child to improve their communication skills.

Kate

Shannon

Natasha

With over 20 years experience between us, our team of speech pathologists provides assessment and therapy for all ages.

0412 185 052

What is
for preparing couples for a calm and joyful birth experience.

?
and focused during her labour, to make informed choices, if and when necessary and to be in tune with the natural energy and rhythm of her babys birth. Calmbirth techniques become life skills which can be used in childbirth and beyond. They also help to increase awareness and responsiveness to new ideas - a valuable tool ideal for life after childbirth. Calmbirth pre-natal classes have been developed over a number of years using evidence based research, observation, and clinical experience. The program draws upon the works of leading pioneers in the fields of obstetrics, midwifery, psychology, mind-body medicine, cellular biology and neuroscience. What are the benefits of Calmbirth? People leave the classes with a greater understanding of the birth process, confidence in their own ability to work with the birth process and excitement about their approaching birth. We receive many emails, cards, letters that anecdotally confirm that couples, given the right preparation can create a very special birth experience, even if medical intervention is required. Calmbirth is about empowering the couple to create their special birth experience that is expressed succinctly in the following comment from a mother Birth was such a remarkable experience, I did this drug free and enjoyed every minute of it. I would love the opportunity to do it all again sometime soon hopefully! If I have trouble getting back to sleep after night feeds with Elli, I think of our birth as this has become my happy place with thanks to you! Thank you for equipping me with the tools and knowledge to trust in myself, Nick and Elli it was truly the most amazing and happy experience of my life.

Peter Jackson gives us the run down on a very popular method in the Highlands

almbirth is the name given to a childbirth preparation program developed by midwife Peter Jackson to specifically assist couples to create a calm, joyful and even ecstatic birth experience. The calmbirth program has the potential to dismantle the fear, stress and anxiety experienced by many women during pregnancy and childbirth. The calmbirth philosophy is based on the belief that pregnancy, labour and birth are normal life events and that birth is a natural process which can be experienced in this way by the vast majority of women. The three important foundation factors addressed by calmbirth for natural childbirth are understanding - confidence fearlessness The knowledge and skills the program teaches prepare the mother to remain relaxed

About Peter
Peter Jackson offers over 36 years experience in General, Midwifery and Psychiatric disciplines of Nursing in Sydney and regional hospitals and is a member of the NSW Nurses Association, the NSW Midwives Association and has trained with the Brice-Wright School of Subconscious Mind Therapy. While working as a midwife in a country hospital for over 20 years, Peter witnessed mothers whose experience of childbirth was one of fear, anxiety and trauma. His calmbirth childbirth education program is the result of his search for a way modern mothers can rediscover their birth power and joy. Peter drew on his experience as a midwife and Private Subconscious Mind therapist, together with his knowledge of contemporary research on the subjects of pregnancy, childbirth and the relationship to the mother and father and growth of the baby in-utero to developed calmbirth. In his work as a Private Subconscious Mind Therapist Peter has experienced firsthand the remarkable healing which takes place when a person is taught to accesses his or her subconscious resources. It is a skill that has more or less been lost in the modern Western world. In the calmbirth classes couples are taught skills such as relaxation, visualisation and breathing which help to tap into these resources. There are also exercises in personal healing. These in turn can reduce fear and anxiety about birth.

"...couples, given the right preparation, can create a very special birth experience"

Passionate about Adjusting Ideas on Family Heal

Marti and Colleen Harris

M
arti Harris, Wellness Chiropractor and Integrative Health Practitioner and Massage Therapist wife Colleen own and run the Chiropractic Health Centre in Mittagong. Marti specialises in Gentle Chiropractic and Family Health Care and together with Colleen and the team at the Chiropractic Health Centre he provides a wide range of health care options for Southern Highlanders of all ages. In this first issue of Highland Baby and Child Marti will introduce us to the range of care he offers for newborns. This is a subject particularly close to Harriss hearts at the moment as Colleen is expecting their third child in September. Marti and Colleen are passionate about sharing with you and your family the health and wellness information that they have found so useful with their two children as well as hundreds of small patients and their families. So please write in with any questions about your familys health and wellbeing and Marti will reply to you. We will publish some of the letters and emails in future editions. Martis next article will be on the health of toddlers and pre-schoolers. Marti saysOne of the ways parents realise the value of chiropractic adjustments is when they look back and realise they havent had a sleepless night or a missed day of school for months. Very often, he says with a laugh, this place looks like a day care centrethere are more patients on the floor than on the table. Martis two children have had chiropractic adjustments from the moment they were born. The regular chiropractic adjustments they have had over the years have helped them navigate typical childhood ailments and health issues. A good part of Martis practice at the Chiropractic Health Centre in Mittagong is made up of children many of them infants in arms. For many parents Marti is one of the first people that they visit with their newborn after birth. At The Chiropractic Health Centre, chiropractic care for children works a little differently than for adult patients and Marti has specific training and qualifications for treating newborns and young children, in addition to his five years at university studying chiropractic. With an infant, theyre rarely on the table, Marti said. Ive adjusted babies while theyre on their mothers laps, or while theyre nursing. Chiropractic care can help with sleeping problems, digestive problems ranging from colic to constipation, acid reflux and autoimmune problems like ear infections, as well as many other health issues. Many people do not understand and are even surprised to find that babies, some only a few days old, have their spines checked by chiropractors. When the facts are explained however, it makes common sense. Even under optimal conditions the birth process is potentially a very traumatic experience for the newborn. Delivery of the newborn often involves massive forces to the baby's neck. This is potentially the first opportunity for spinal damage to occur. A difficult delivery, or the use of forceps for instance, may further increase the stress on the baby's spine. Severe birth trauma, when it occurs, may be apparent immediately. In many births however, there are no obvious manifestations of injury. Less apparent trauma to the baby's delicate spine and nervous system can considerably impair the health and development of the child. The most common and most significant birth injuries are neurological. This is particularly

www.chiropractichealthcentre.com.au

lth Care
problematic because it is the time of greatest development of the nervous system. Many conditions of infants respond very well to chiropractic care. Particularly colic, irritability, allergic reactions, troubled sleep patterns, feeding problems and even weakened immune function can often be linked to nerve irritation caused by spinal dysfunction. Chiropractic care for babies and children works under the same basic premise as chiropractic care for adults. To put it simply, spinal subluxations or blockages cause nerve

irritation. Nerve irritation interferes with the body's ability to function normally. Poor function leads to ill health. Chiropractors like Marti remove these blockages or subluxations. Chiropractic adjustments for infants are extremely safe and gentle. The amount of force needed to restore balance to an infant's spine is usually no more pressure than an adult can tolerate on the eyeball. Providing problems are not left too long, babies and children tend to respond more quickly than adults. Newborns in particular, don't have the layers of postural

Chiropractic
Reduces symptoms of eczema

compensations arising when a problem has been tolerated too long. They usually adapt and heal more rapidly allowing the benefits of chiropractic care to occur at a faster rate. Examination of the growth patterns of a child's spine reveals that the time of fastest spinal growth and development is of course in the first year of life, when the average length of the spine grows from 24 to 36 cm. All of this makes the first 12 months such a critical period of spinal development and necessitates that chiropractic care begin soon after birth.

Benefits of Baby Massage

Reduces crying time
Various research studies on infant massage have shown that there is a significant reduction in overall crying time with infants and toddlers who receive massage.

Relieves sinus and chest congestion Boosts the immune system

Massage helps promote adequate drainage of the sinuses and excess mucus on the chest. Research shows that infant massage can positively influence physiological processes and improve immune function.

Is good for parents too

Research has found that caregivers feel greater confidence and less stress and felt a closer bond with their baby after learning infant massage.

A UK study showed significant improvement in eczema symptoms with the introduction of massage by parents in addition, Infant Massage Instructors have seen improvement first hand with many babies at infant massage classes.

Enhances coordination

Improves sleep and regulates sleep patterns

Reduces stress hormone levels in children and their parents

Massage increases serotonin levels and regulates melatonin secretion this helps regulate your babys sleep patterns.

Is ideal for pre-term infants

Research has shown that infants receiving touch therapy and massage gain weight faster and are discharged earlier than other infants.

Known as "the stress hormone" cortisol is released during times of stress. Prolonged high levels of cortisol can reduce immunity, impair cognitive performance, and reduce bone density and muscle tissue. Massage measurably decreases cortisol levels in both children and their parents allowing blood pressure, heart rate, digestive functioning and hormonal levels to return to their normal state.

Studies have shown infant massage improves left/right brain communication which has been suggested to improve intelligence.

So come along to the Chiropractic Health Centre

in Mittagong and have fun with your baby whilst improving their health!

Saturday 9th July 10am

Enhances emotions and improves mood

Massage increases dopamine levels which are believed to play an important role in regulating anger, aggression, temperature, mood and appetite in addition to other body functions.

Helps early diagnosis of potential health issues

Parents who massage their infant each day are more likely to notice changes in their childs physical condition, which may go unnoticed longer with infants who are not receiving massage.

Improves wind, colic, reflux and constipation

Massage stimulates elimination of waste from the body, can relieve abdominal wind within minutes and speeds a natural process of the nervous system which can assist with reflux.

Colleen Harris is a mother of two and has been a massage therapist for over 15 years. Classes will go for approximately 2 hours for a cost of $25. Class size is limited to 6 families. Bookings are essential so call 4871 1828 or visit www.chiropractichealthcentre.com.au

Memories in the Making

Memories in the Making is a section dedicated to creating and celebrating memorable moments in our children's lives. Organising special events, taking photos and displaying these memories are a big part of parenting. We have lots of ideas from a variety of creative minds to help you out.

Peek-a-boo!
T
aking great children photographs is a combination of photographic techniques and people skills. There's no doubt that you'll take better photographs of children if you happen to like them! This is because to get the best results, you need to spend time with them, and this leads into the first tip. 1. Patience Patience, patience, patience Try to set aside some time for taking photos, rather than fitting in a few shots quickly between whatever else you have to do. You will get more good shots if you are calm and doing it slowly and patiently. 2. Take Lots of Photos You can always delete the ones that dont work, but you can never take too many digital images. Its a numbers game. The more you take, the more likely you will get a good collection of winning shots. I might take 200 to 400 shots over a one to two hour session. I cull them down to around 150, and from that there might be 20 to 30 magic shots that can't be resisted. 3. Make it a Game Make your photography sessions fun. Think deeply about what makes your little ones tick, what makes them laugh, what makes them relaxed. If its a book, letthem sit and enjoy it. Even though they are not looking at you, they will pause now and then and tell you what they are looking at, thats when you photograph them. Ask them questions about what they are doing, rather than calling out their name to look at you. Try setting up a fun scenario like a teddy bear picnic, or faerie tea party. Talk to them about what they are playing with and who their imaginary guests are. They will look up to answer you sometimes.

Professional photographer Corinne Dany has had a lot of practice taking photos of her children... and hundreds of other children around the highlands too. Here's her top eight tips to help you get the shot.

You will get more good shots if you are calm and doing it slowly and patiently.

Try setting up a fun scenario like a teddy bear picnic, or fairy tea party.
You can also pull funny faces at them every once in a while to get them focused on you. Hide behind the lens, then pop back out again. They will look very cute while they anticipate your next funny face. Take the shot while they are waiting for your next face. After a laugh is a nice time to get the shot, their face is relaxed and theres a sparkle in their eyes. If they become bored doing the same thing, change things around. Get them to come and see the shots on the back of the camera after, say, three clicks in a row. Then race back to where you would like them for three more clicks. Then race over to the camera again. Sometimes kids want to pull funny faces and look silly, so get these out of the way and let them have their fun. Theyll get over it soon enough. You can bargain with some kids by telling them that one shot can be what they want and one shot what you want, alternating with who gets to choose. Freeze/Go or Statues is a good game. Get them to freeze, then say go and they can dance or be silly, then yell out Freeze! Sometimes this will create a cute smile while they anticipate you saying Go. Sometimes you can stretch out how long you make them freeze for and this creates a giggle. Be ready behind the camera while you play. With babies who like to wriggle and not keep still, place them on someones hip with their bodies sideways so they turn their heads toward you. This is always a cute pose and keeps their cute but sometime chunky looking double chins from forming. Run up to them while you make a silly sounds and noises, and tickle them vigorously on their tummy. Then go back to your spot and take your shot. Work quickly. Repeat this a few times with the exact same sound or noise. Eventually you will be able to simply make the noise and they will anticipate a big tickle and smile. This one works nearly every time with beautiful results. 4. Posed Group Shots You can use some of the same technique when photographing groups of siblings or friends. In between shots of them together and looking at the camera, ask them to run around that tree over there, then come back again. They will be excited to get there and back again quickly, and you will have a variety of poses as each time they return they will be sitting or standing differently. This technique also works well on a couch in a room. Have the kids run around the couch and ask them to sit back down in a different spot. Make sure they wait for your ready, set, go, but only after you get the shots you want. Let them know you wont say "ready, set, go" until you have taken some shots in between. As we all know, kids will 'take a mile' unless you give them some boundaries for fair play. If the sun is streaming in, move further into the room until the sun cant shine on your subjects. Try to work without your flash whenever you can. Some lenses may be too slow to shoot with natural light indoors, in which case you can try to increase the ISO setting on your camera (this works better with more recent DSLR cameras).

For sunny days outside, you are better off working in the shade. Digital cameras can't handle sunny and shady spots in the one exposure very well. They either expose for the shadows or the highlights, but they cant do both. If bright sunny conditions are all there is and your camera tolerates it, have the sun fall on your subjects' backs sometimes. Youll get a beautiful glow behind them and through their hair, and it will avoid squinty expressions. 6. Posing I find the best thing I can do to improve my portraits is to get close to my subjects, or to zoom in with my lens. Shooting from your childs height is best, so get down on your knees, sit on a stool, or lean on a post or wall while crouching. Get down on the ground on your tummy for some fantastic shots while they walk down a driveway, footpath or beside a fence line. It's also a great angle for kids playing in autumn leaves. The pattern of the road or fence line disappearing to a vanishing point in the background with your child in the foreground is a professional trick that always produces great imagery.

5. Lighting The best lighting conditions are on overcast days, outside with the clouded sun slightly to your subject side. Indoors, the best light is on a sunny day, on the floor by a glass or open door or on a couch/chair by the window. However, there shouldn't be any direct sunlight on them, just the reflected light coming in from outside.

Do you have any burning photography questions that you would like to ask C

info@highlandbabyandchild.co

7. Background One of the best things you can do to improve your portrait shots is to keep a close eye on your backgrounds. As you frame your child through the viewfinder, check whats in the background. Ask yourself regularly, is there a telegraph pole protruding from the top of their head? Are they growing tree branches for wings? Is there an unsightly truck or building or garbage bin that could be avoided by just taking two steps to the left? Try to position yourself so that you have a clean landscape backdrop behind them. A clear meadow and a hill is nice, or indoors, a plain wall. If you are in front of a busy backdrop, then position your child in the foreground of an interesting pattern, like a line of trees, a long driveway, or fence line. When indoors, if you shoot your child in a doorway, the back of the room will quite likely appear very dark in your photo, giving greater emphasis on your child. And that's the whole point of portrait photography. 8. Clothing Keep it simple, classic and comfortable. Avoid stripes and big logos. Bright colours work when everyone in the photo is in them, but if the others are in beige and white and another is in pink, it detracts from the whole photo. Blue denim and red are a great combination, plus they are easy to find in many families. Babies, of course, look better in their bare skin, or with fluffy blankets or soft muslin wraps. But of course, you want images that reflect your unique style, so if you want to break the rules, go for it!

Sometimes kids want to pull funny faces and look silly, so get these out of the way and let them have their fun.

Corinne about? You can email her at

om

www.corinnedany.com

A brand new layout from a brand new scrapbooking store. Carol Barron from Paper Roses has put together these kits available for purchase online via her website. It comes with all the materials you need including extra paper stock to create an alternative colour ways. Watch this site closely as Carol is looking to set up a store in the Highlands! Details of how to put this layout together are in the next few pages...Enjoy!

Kits are $25ea

plus P&H

www.paperroses.com.au

Beautiful Mark Jamieson Afra range of free standing cards with blank piece of gold edged card inside a cute little envelope
$8.95rrp

CARDS WRAP JOURNALS GIFTS

Shop 9, Springetts Arcade, Bowral Phone/Fax: 4861 7777 highlandcards@optusnet.com.au

Inspired by her grandchildren's old fashion christening outfits, Carol Barron from Paper Roses shares her latest creation with us.

Vinta
Materials

Card stock brown and m Printed Paper Shabby C Breeze and Bo bunny G Antique Jo Sonja Brow Kaiser craft Pearl Flouri Antique White Lace Craft ribbon light aqua

age Babes
A limited amount of kits will be available for $25.00 each plus postage and handling. Go to www.paperroses.com.au

mauve Chic Collection Majestic Gabrielle wn earth ishes latte and natural

Instructions:
Antique the mauve card stock with a wash of the brown earth paint, set aside until fully dried. Also antique your title card Antique Babe in the same wash. There are 2 large, 2 medium and 5 small flowers cut from card stock. These can be shaped by wetting. Let the water soak in for a second or two and very gently shape your flowers. Again put aside until fully dried. There are 2 large circles; you can age these by lightly wetting the outside edges. I find that I can use my finger nail to distress the edges. Thread your ribbon through your lace. I have used a ribbon slightly wider than the opening of the lace to give it a more uneven look. If you like a more perfect look to this, please feel free. The flower buds are 10mm x 20mm you can shape these by using the tip of a large knitting needle. You will need your tools, double sided tape and foam mounting tape. Every thing else you need is in the kit.

Have fun and good luck Carol Barron Paper Roses

Buy this kit at:

www.paperroses.com.au

Share your magic moments in the next issue of Happy Sna

aps by emailing your pic to info@highlandbabyandchild.com

Hello there, Im Alison. My husband James and I moved to the Southern Highlands last October, along with our three young boys. Having lived in the Highlands some years ago, it is nice to be back. Originally a primary school teacher, I became passionate about designing cakes three years ago. It all began when my sister encouraged me to join her at cake decorating class. My ambition was to learn the art of making spectacular cakes for my children. After completing a twelve month course, I was totally hooked, and realised that I enjoyed making cakes for all occasions. From there I have combined my love of beautiful party styling with my cakes. I enjoy creating beautiful party tables with all of the trimmings. I am thrilled to be a part of this very first issue of Highland Baby and Child magazine, and so look forward to inspiring you with my party styling tips in further issues!

Tommy's Day in the Hig

All around the world, the safe arrival of a baby brings great joy and excitement. A wonderful way to welcome and celebrate the birth of a baby, is to organise a Christening, Baptism, Thanksgiving or Naming Day ceremony. We recently welcomed our latest addition to the family, with a service of Baptism at St Judes Anglican Church, Bowral. I love organising parties, so after the service, we hosted a lunch in the gardens at Sturt Caf. We were keen to utilise space outside, as we find ourselves at a stage of life, where the number of children exceeds those of the adults. Space to run and play seemed essential. We also had the added bonus of an indoor space, as a wet weather back-up plan which isnt a bad idea in the Highland.! To get started, I decided on pale blue, cream and chocolate brown as the colours to feature throughout the day. There are so many options when it comes to choosing stationery, but I couldnt resist a custommade invitation from zazzle.com.au. The colours were a perfect match, and I fell in love with the baby bird design. There were also matching Thank You cards, but I decided to wait and use photos taken from the day as the feature for the Thank You cards you can design these online too. We felt it was important to create a relaxed party environment, where the adults and children all felt happy and well catered for in relation to the menu. For the adults, we served drinks upon arrival. A variety of filled Panna di Cassa rolls were served for lunch, and were easy to manage, given that it wasnt a sit down function.

Send your party and styling questi

There is nothing nicer than collecting the mail, and finding an invitation or thank you note, so I always go to the trouble of posting mine.

Something extra special The Memory Book

Encourage your guests to leave a message, and finish with photos as well as bits and pieces from the day divine!

ghlands

We served the children a selection of soft bread rolls filled with a few old time favourites, such as avocado, cheese, ham and lettuce, and vegemite very popular indeed! We had water and juice bottles available too. Serving food that you know the kids will eat is the key! What could be nicer than some treats for dessert, that also double as party decorations? I am crazy about pretty party tables. I started with a white cloth on the table. There were four divine treats on display, to create a fun and whimsical experience for our guests to indulge in. The triple tiered Christening Cake (Traditional fruit cake as well as orange and almond cake filled white chocolate ganache) looked gorgeous in all its glory, and the tower of cupcakes looked ever so sweet. The real fun though, (for the kids, as well as the adults) was with the Lolly Buffet and Gingerbread Wands. There were three tempting lolly jars filled with milk bottles, jersey caramels and chocolate bullets. The gorgeous spotted paper cups (papereskimo.com.au) were perfect for filling with sweets. The Gingerbread Wands were decorated with spots, and the letter T for Tommy. Ill let you in on a little trick. The colour co-ordinated stands to hold the wands were made from shoe box lids covered in paper and ribbon a bit of last minute craft the night before! Whilst enjoying tea, coffee and cake throughout the afternoon, the children played happily in the beautiful grounds at Sturt. We couldnt have been luckier with the weather a perfect autumn day with family and friends in the Highlands.

More great colour combinations for a special day:

Lemon, caramel and white Pink, sky blue and white Navy, red and white Sage green, pink and white Mauve, pale blue and lemon Sky blue, yellow and white Navy, hot pink and white Green, yellow and white

ions to Alison at info@highlandbabyandchild.com

www.facebook.com/alisonlawsoncakes
alisonlawsoncakes@gmail.com

0409 308 024

Now open

Parties, wands, dress-ups, fairy wings, magic dust, stationery, toys, plaster painting, cystals, ornaments

1/20 Wingecarribee St, Berrima www.enchantedgarden.com.au

0414 670 815

Delicious
Birthday Parties

At your place

www.bluebowl.com.au
info@bluebowl.com.au
We take care of everything, including the clean-up.

Patricia 0414 855 087

on

Call

S lid e on down to Neenies for your next w in t e r b ir t h d a y par ty.

4871 3750

neenys@ispdr.net.au

Jack and Milly teal velvet dress with puff sleeves and satin accents and buttons from Two Little Princes Model's own boots

Children's Clothes and accessories Sweets & Chocolates Open 7 Days

Shop 2, 328 Bong Bong Street, Bowral

02 4862 4377

Location: Little Forest, Alpine. www.littleforest.com.au

Kids R A Breeze
Bowral

Two Little Princes

Online Store

Kids R A Breeze Bowral

Two Little Princes

Online Store

Kids R A Breez Bowral

Mimi & Fifi

Bowral

Shoes 4 Kids Bowral

ze

Kids R A Breeze Bowral

Confetti
Bowral

Bimbee Kids
Bowral

Bimbee Kids
Bowral

Bimbee Kids
Bowral

You can tell

that she's a Bimbee Kid
If you print out this page and bring it to the store you'll receive $10 credit towards your purchase.

Offer ends September 1st, 2011

4861 4477
Shop 3, Springetts Arcade, Bong Bong Street, Bowral

sales@bimbeekids.com.au

Shop 5a High Street, 310-312 Bong Bong Street, Bowral Email: vanda.yarnold@gmail.com

(02) 4862 4061

www.bluebowlbrownsugar.com.au
patricia@bluebowl.com.au

Mini Chef in your Kitchen?

Salter Measuring Set Including: Scales, timer & measuring spoons $39.99 Salter Baking Set Including: 2.5L Bowl with level markings, large double handled seive, rolling pin, 3 cutters $29.99

show them our exciting range of quality kitchenware & specialty foods to inspire - create - enjoy
Alessi 'Cico' egg cups Available in: Pink, Blue & Yellow $39.99 ea

Shop 2, 118 Main St MITTAGONG NSW 2575 t: 02 4872 3333 e: info@cucinacucina.com.au

the ultimate culinary experience

cucina cucina www.cucinacucina.com.au

Kids Apple Tarte Tatin Corner Intr o

F
or this recipe youll need an oven proof frying pan, that means that the handle wont melt in the oven. Make sure you remember the handle will be very hot when you take it out of the oven to flip it onto a plate.

Kids in the Kitchen

Each issue Patricia Phillips will bring to the table a yummy recipe that the kids can create themselves. There will also be tips, jokes, the foody ABCs as well as an A-Z of what's in season.

The Tarte Tatin was invented in France in 1898 by the Tatin sisters. The upside down tart, like most delicious recipes was an accident that everyone loved and now is enjoyed all over the world.

Method

1. Warm up the oven before you start, you should put the temperature on 200oC. 2. Get your oven-proof frying pan and crumb the butter and sprinkle the sugar to cover the base. Be careful not to overfill it.

Ingredients Feeds 4

150 g brown sugar 80 g organic butter, cut into 8 pieces 1 vanilla beans, sliced lengthways 4 ripe firm pink lady apples, cut in 1/8 and core 1 sheet butter puff pastry vanilla Ice Cream pure icing sugar for dusting

Whats the best thing to put into a pie?

Your teeth!

Apple Tarte Tatin (cont'd)

3. Place the vanilla bean in a cross shape in the centre of the butter and sugar mix.

5. Place the puff pastry over the top, trim and tuck in the edges, then rest in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. 6. Transfer to oven and bake until pastry is golden and puffed, about 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Place apple slices as neat as you can to make it look like a fan, start in the middle and then go all the way around the edge.

7. Ask a grown up to help you take the pie tin out of the oven. 8. The edges of the pastry should have loosened from the edge so get a plate that is bigger than the pie tin and place it over the top and quickly flip it onto the plate.

www.bluebowlbrownsuger.com.au

www.freshf

is for Apple of course!

Its the beginning of winter and the apples are at their peak and there are so many varieties to choose from. When Im choosing my apples I first think about whether I want to cook with them or eat them fresh. If Im eating them fresh I first make sure they dont have any bruises on them. My favourite apples are gala and pink lady. I use them for everything. If youre after a more tart tasting apple, granny smiths are an oldy but a goodie and are traditionally used for apple pies. Apples are an easy ingredient for the kids to cook with too, you dont have to peel them and they can be cut with a small knife too. The best thing about cooked apples is they taste great with custard!

9. Be really careful of the hot caramel sauce when you flip it onto the plate. The apples should now be on top and the pastry on the bottom.

A-Z of whats in Season for May, June and July

Fruit apples: bonza, braeburn, coxs orange pippins, fuji, gala, golden delicious, granny smith, jonathan, matso, pink lady, red delicious, snow, sundowner bananas, cumquat, custard apples, feijoa, grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, lemons, limes, naval oranges, imperial mandarin, imperial, champagne melon pears: beurre bosc, Josephine, nashi, packham, red sensation, williams papaya, pineapple, persimmon, pomelo, quince, rhubarb, tangelo Vegetables asian greens: bok choy, choy sum, gai laan, wonga bok, avocado, beetroot, broccoli, brussel sprout, cabbage, carrot, cauliflour, celeriac, celery, daikon, eggplant, fennel, garlic, ginger, horseradish, leeks, lettuce, Jerusalem artichokes, globe artichokes, kale, kohlrabi mushrooms: wild, field, pine, slippery jackokra, olives, brown onions, spring onions, parsnip, peas, potato, pumpkin, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, squash, swede, sweet potato, taro, tomato, turnip, witlof, zucchini

10. Serve with vanilla ice scream and sprinkle with icing sugar.

You can make these tarts with lots of different other fruits too like, sliced banana, pears, fresh or tinned pineapple. They can even be made with savoury ingredients including leeks, mushrooms and asparagus.

forkids.com.au

www.wholesomeproductions.com.au

The Creative Kid

Bowrals oldest toy shop is delighted to be involved with the new online venture, Highland Baby and Child.
We specialise in quality products. Games like Mah Jong to Happy Families, Carcassone to Shopping List Construction from Mobilo to Meccano and Interstar to Quercetti. Craft items from air dry clay to Puzzles with 2 pieces or 2000 2litre paint and the beautiful Djeco kits. A sale catalogue is currently available. All Schleich and Ravensburger products currently 25% discount until the end of July. Sorry, no lay-bys on sale items.

The Creative Kid

We are located in 10 Boolwey Street, Bowral

Present this coupon at the shop to receive 10% off any books in the KLUTZ range.
Sorry, no lay-bys and floor stock only. Offer valid till end July.

Phone: 02 4861 3353

Email: creative@hinet.net.au

Lets Get Together

The Learning Ladder is a Direct Selling Company offering high quality educational books, games and puzzles.

Learning Ladder get togethers are fun, friendly and fuss-free.

Advisor No.179201

Independent Advisor for The Learning Ladder Ph: (02) 48611452 Mob: 0427252486 suze.teach@gmail.com
I would like to entice you to view our full online catalogue of over 450 products, with many on display in the comfort of your own home with your family and friends. When you book and hold a party in July, I will not only offer you outstanding rewards from our Hostess Rewards Gallery, but as a Highland Baby and Child reader you will also receive 10% discount on your personal order. Dont wait contact your local Independent Learning Ladder advisor to book a party today. P.S We are currently looking for advisors in the Highlands area. If youre interested in a flexible business opportunity, with low start-up costs that allows you to work around your family then Id love to share the benefits of a Learning Ladder business with you.

Susan Gale

www.learningladder.com.au

www.brigadekids.com

Smarty Pants
Smarty pants is all about encouraging children to increase their smarts; their street smarts, their safety smarts, their social smarts. This issue of Smarty Pants is brought to you by Fire and Rescue NSW. They have developed a new website especially for children called Brigade Kids and have generously given permission to publish some of their website content.

A brand new website called Brigade Kids leaped from our screen last month when we did an online search for fire safety material. We had so much fun looking through it that we knew you would all love it too. Here's just a snippet of what it includes: Short films and animations Videos of actual firefighters answering your chosen questions Virtual Tours of the inside of a fire station Interactive games Music videos Screensavers, swap cards and bookmarks....plus so much more! There's also resources for teachers and educators. Thank you to Station Officer Kevin Smith from FRNSW for allowing us to publish their fantastic resources. Here are just a few pages of activities for you to enjoy.

Please note that Fire and Rescue NSW are the copyright holder for these pages and cannot be used without the express permission of FRNSW

Jack and Milly teal velvet dress with puff sleeves and satin accents and buttons from Confetti Boots from Bimbee Kids

www.brigadekids.com

Dance styles taught at our studio include RAD Classical Ballet for children from 3yrs, Jazz and Contemporary.

Serious Dance...Serious Fun

STUDIO LOCATION Unit 2 Sherwood Village cnr Kirkham Road and Sherwood Avenue Bowral 2576 email lynterry@hinet.net.au www.lynettewhiteleyballet.com For more information please call Lynette on

0419 629 112

Centre Stage
Ladies and jelly beans, boys and gorillas...welcome to Highland Baby and Child's Centre Stage. Within these pages filled with colour and drama you will discover just how talented our Southern Highland Performers can be!

Call for submissions

Do you have an upcoming event you would like to promote? Has your studio got news to share? Do you have photos of a recent production?

Please email us all about it at info@highlandbabyandchild.com

Southern Highlands Youth Arts Council

SHYAC is a place where young people come to learn about the arts in a caring, fun environment.
We are always looking for new volunteers and members with bright ideas and energy.

Coming Events from SHYAC

2011 HSC Performing Arts Showcase
SHYAC's 2011 HSC Performing Arts Showcase gives local Year 12 students the chance to perfect their performances ahead of assessment time. 30 July at 17:00 - 31 July at 20:00 Mittagong Playhouse We are looking for more schools to join the show, so if you know of any HSC performance students from the Southern Highlands or Wollondilly area, please contact us at SHYAC! Directed by Adam Fisher, with Michael Cooper as Musical Director and Kelly Duroy as Choreographer, Grease will be a senior production. The cast has been chosen and rehearsals have begun. Keep your eye on their facebook page.

Openign Night: 14 October at 18:00

Mittagong RSL Club

http://www.facebook.com/SHYAC office@shyac.org.au

D
Miss Cays MinistryMissDance of Cays Ministry of Dance Nepean Ballet Arts Theatre
Principal : Tracey Stewart Senior citizens Hall , Mittagong Principal: Miss Caley Turner Senior citizens Hall , Mittagong Classical Ballet, Jazz Email: misscay@bigpond.com Mobile phone: 0402654352 Principal: Miss Caley Turner The Bloc Bargo Principal: Samantha Simpson, (Jazz, Hip-hop, Crew, Lyrical, Contemporary, Zumba, Stretch and Technique, Boys Only Classes, Email: misscay@bigpond.com Email ; info@theblocbargo.com.au Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip-hop, Hobby and advanced classes. Cheerleading. Mobile phone: 0402654352 Phone :02 46842891 Dynamic Moves Dance Studio Principal: Belinda Kawalek (Jazz, Hip-hop, Crew, Lyrical, Contemporary, Zumba, Stretch and Pointe Dynamic Arts Email: Belinda@ dynamicmovesdance.com Classes, Hobby and advanced classes Technique, Boys Only Principal: Monique Bastin. Ph: 0409301517 Ph: 0400386836 Classical Ballet, Folk Dance, Jazz, Hip-hop, Jazz/ Funk/Hip-hop, Musical Theatre, Tap, Traditional Tap Dance, Street Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary, Mature ageDynamic Moves Dance Studio Ballet, Contemporary, Technique. Jazz and Tap classes.

Southern HighlandsPrincipal: Belinda Kawalek Theatre School of Dance

Elevate2@bigpond.com Ph:0403545515 Principal: Margaret Sherriff Email: Belinda@ dynamicmovesdance.com Classical Ballet, jazz, Hip-hop, Modern/ Email: Margaret@mbcomp.com.au Contemporary, Tap, Drama and Musical Theatre. Ph: 0407935234 AH: 48899294 Ph: 0409301517 Classical Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Spanish Step x Step Dance Latin Ballroom. Classical Ballet, Folk dance, Jazz, Hip-hop, Traditional Tap dance, Moss Vale Senior Citizens Street Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary, Mature age jazz and Tap classes. Queen Street , Moss Vale Tappercize Ph: 02 48877585 Adults and Children Jazz, Tap, Ballet Principal: May King Ph: 48844177 Wollondilly/ Southern Highlands Tap including some Irish Dancing.

Elevate Academy of Dance and Drama

Lynette Whitely Academie

Principal: Lynette Whiteley, Email: lynterry@hinet.net.au Excellence in Classical Ballet www.lynettewhiteleyballet.com

Physical Culture

Principal: Dianne Gardiner Ph: 02 486810015 Mob: 0408810016

Edith Parsons Physical Culture

Southern Higlands Principal : Bridget Bundanoon Memorial Hall www.epphyfi.com.au

The Highlands School of Performing Arts

Principal: Karen Stanton www.thspa.com.au Ph: 48624444. Jazz, Funk, Hip-hop, Tap, Ballet, Musical Theatre, Ballroom Drama and Vocal Coaching.

www.liv

velovedance.com.au

In this issue of Grown Up Talk we explore active listening, youth philanthropy, keeping your children safe online and teaching kids about money. We also look into a unique way to deal with the teenage bedroom....mmmm.

Starting From Scratch

Do babies really benefit from a music class? Tanya Goodman thinks they can and she explains how to introduce music into your baby's life.

ren't babies too young to really learn anything? It's not as if they are able to read music..." This is a question that is sometimes asked of me when a parent calls enquiring about my weekly music and movement classes for babies. I then ask them Have you witnessed your child learn anything new lately? Can he smile? Has he learned to clap? Does your baby settle when she hears your voice or when you sing her a lullaby? If the answer is yes, and it most likely is, then of course your child is capable of learning new skills. In music classes for babies, we explore and experience many developmental milestones through music and movement. Expectant parents are often told to talk, sing to and stroke their baby bump prior to birth as he or she can hear sounds and voices from inside the womb. If this is so important, why stop this musical interaction once the baby is born? From birth, babies are creating a vast number of neural connections in their brains every day. They are learning how focus their eyes and recognize the voices of family members. Babies are also learning skills like feeding, settling and sleeping (that all important skill for parents!). Later, babies learn to move, control and then co-ordinate the various parts of their bodies - first with large movements, then later, with smaller more complicated movements. We explore these developmental changes throughout the curriculum by using a variety of gross and fine motor skills. Babies take in information and explore their environment through all of their senses: sight, touch, smell, taste and sound. Babies and toddlers are introduced to a wide variety of musical experiences that incorporate each of these senses. Music can be a wonderful medium for all of these

things, as it often incorporates the use of more than one sense at a time strengthening the learning outcomes of an experience. The act of singing lullabies and rocking your newborn baby in your arms is a common theme in countries around the world. Almost every culture has its own musical heritage containing childrens songs and lullabies. It seems instinctive to croon and sway your little one to sleep. The closeness of your face, the eye-to-eye contact and the relaxing, soothing nature of the rocking motion is a very special moment between parent and child. The baby feels secure, nurtured and loved as he or she listens to the melodic shape of your voice. Gentle exercises, moving babys arms and legs along to the beat of a rhyme or song, can help with the co-ordination of young bodies and brains. The exercise warms up little limbs and aids their muscle development. Doing cross-lateral exercises (across the middle of your body) with children helps to strengthen neural pathways in the corpus callosum. This allows both left and right hemispheres of your childs brain to work with each other an essential skill later in life for some more complex cognitive tasks. It is also for this reason that crawling plays such an important role in your childs brain development. A gentle massage with your child, either in class, after a bath or just before bed, not only aids digestion and helps with your childs ability to grow and gain weight, but it is a fabulous way to release endorphins (or feel good hormones) in your babys brain. In our busy lives, the ability to set aside a few

minutes each day to sit, sing to and massage your child builds a strong emotional bond, helps to develop self-esteem and teaches your child how to relax his or her body after a busy day. We have probably all heard about the need to limit time in front of the television for young children. However parents are often not equipped with a variety of activities to stimulate and occupy babies and toddlers throughout the day. Many parents would like to recall the special songs and activities from their own childhood. Hush Little Baby, This Little Piggy, Ring a Rosey and many more songs have been enjoyed by numerous generations of children and parents, as this music has a special place in their hearts. The early years in a childs life are filled with exploration. They find the things around them fascinating and take delight in the simple objects. In class, children have the opportunity to play and explore a wide variety of percussion instruments, colourful scarves, mirrors and various objects from their world including fresh flowers, cups, pie pans, feathers and more. A weekly music class will also help you to explore many different styles of music, dance and songs

Playing and exploring various percussion instruments allows a child to learn cause and effect and identify the various sounds created by each instrument egg shakers sound like this, bells sound like that.
together - but it also can be so much more than this. The group class will also allow your child to socialise with other children and parents in a warm and nurturing environment. It is often the parents of these young bubs who gain the most from lessons, as they learn new ways to interact with their child. In a Kindermusik class for babies, parents also learn valuable information relating to their childs current stage of development. Its a great idea to have a drawer or box of percussion instruments and other fabulous sound makers somewhere in your house so they can be pulled out whenever the mood takes you. Aldi often has a great collection of wooden percussion instruments for sale on rotation in their catalogue, or they can also be picked up at your local music shop. Egg shakers, tapping sticks, tambourines, bells, drums and chime balls (try the toy shop for this one) are all great for little hands. If youre feeling crafty, why not make some drums or shakers at home on a rainy day? Plastic containers filled with dried peas, rice, lentils etc. as well as interesting colourful objects (beads, pom poms, pipe cleaners and so on) can be made into a wonderful, colourful shaker instrument just make sure you seal the lid properly to avoid the risk of choking. Playing and exploring various percussion instruments allows a child to learn cause and effect and identify the various sounds created by each instrument egg shakers sound like this, bells sound like that. This is the same process of discovery that children make when they discover the pot and pan orchestra in the kitchen. Playing along to music also helps your child to develop an early sense of beat and rhythm. Far from trying to produce a generation of child prodigies, it is about exploring different elements of music, rather than performing at this tender age. A young baby probably wont play an instrument in time with the music this takes time to learn - but we can show them where the beat is, by playing the instrument with them or by patting the beat on their bodies. A strong sense of beat will be used later in life for many sports eg. Bouncing a ball, running, swimming and jogging and of course will be required with instrumental study too! Did you know that singing songs with your child enhances their language development? and helps to develop memory skills thus strengthening the neural pathways in the brain. As children love to repeat things that they enjoy, favourite songs, stories and rhymes provide a wonderful medium for language and learning. In addition to singing with your baby and talking directly to them as much as possible, the use of Echolalia (echoing their baby babble) plays a vital role in a babys early language development. Playing with your baby and imitating their vocal sounds, helps to encourage further vocal exploration. Similarly, singing or humming songs to a single syllable (eg. lah or doo) can help your child join in with the music making, as they dont have to sing lyrics of the song. Babies are born with an innate love of music. They settle when sung a gentle lullaby, bounce and dance along to more lively pieces and will often play over and over with musical toys. By exposing young children to a wide variety of musical styles (folk, rock, jazz, classical, nursery rhymes and childrens songs) you are helping your child to be receptive to ALL good quality music, regardless of its genre. There is a list of suggested CDs for young children below. The biggest secret to introducing music into your babys life is to make it daily and fun. By introducing a little singing, dancing or music listening into your daily routine it will become second nature and your child will grow up with a song on their lips and music in their heart what a lovely gift to give to your child!

Babies are born with an innate love of music.

The English language has its own pattern or rhythmic syntax built into words, phrases and sentences. By singing songs, chanting rhymes and reading musical books, young children and babies learn parts of phrases, words and sounds that later develop into full rhymes, sentences and songs. Mem Fox writes on her website children who have learnt at least eight nursery rhymes by the age of three, so Ive been told, are always the best readers by the age of eight. (http://www.memfox.net/if-i-were-queen-ofthe-world.html). A childs vocabulary develops at an astonishing rate and can grow from 5-20 words at 18 months of age to as many as 1000 words by the age of three. By presenting language through song, we are able to repeat these phrases and words over and over. It is this repetition that allows young children to participate in the language of these songs and rhymes at a higher level

You also might like to visit:

http://play.kindermusik.com and register an email address (no obligation or cost to you) this should allow you 10 free song credits to download anything from their extensive collection of recordings (you can purchase extra songs later if you wish for $0.99 - similar to iTunes).

Below is a list of some of my favourite childrens CDs:

Lah-Lahs Big Live Band: Shake It Like This www.lah-lah.com Justine Clark: I Like To Sing & Songs To Make You Smile Georgie Parker: Here Comes The Sun Peter Coombe: Wash Your Face With Orange Juice & Various Other Albums Peter Coombe: many albums too many to list, although I prefer the earlier ones. ABC Playschool: also many, many titles. But I like Kids Songs From Around The World, Hullaballoo & On Top Of Spaghetti Kindermusik: Many, many Kindermusik CDs collected over the years from my childrens classes. Other Kindermusik CDs available without classes as well.

Tanya Goodman is the Director of Sunshine Music, a Maestro Kindermusik Studio since April 2009

tanya@sunshinemusic.com.au

Kindermusik Classes
For babies 6 weeks up to 7 years of age

Enrolling NOW for Semester 2

Contact Tanya at Sunshine Music on 4 8 6 1 5 6 4 6 o r v is it

Places are limited

www.sunshinemusic.com.au
Find out why Sunshine Music is an award winning Kindermusik studio three years running.

Classes start 25th July 2011 at the Kazcare Education Centre, Bowral.

Winterfest 11 is an ice rink and caf style community event open to the public for a fun school holiday activity. Now in our 3rd year, we are excited to announce a bigger ice rink for more to enjoy. The ice rink will be assembled on site at the same location as last year (old Retravision site), 420 Bong Bong St Bowral. We have a "Kids Corner" to keep children amused who prefer the off rink action. Parents can relax and enjoy coffee and cake while children are having fun. Cold drinks, lollies, popcorn and gelato will also be on sale.

http://www.winterfest11.com.au/index.html
Ice Skating fun for everyone!

Pricing Structure
Wanted to Buy listing is $5 (Up to 15 words) A Basic For Sale listing is $10 (Up to 25 words) High Exposure For Sale listing is $20 (Up to 35 Words and a PHOTO)

Classifieds
July 2011
Next update: August 1st, 2011

The classifieds will be updated monthly, not quarterly like the rest of the magazine. To have your goods included in the next upload email Kym asap at classies@highlandbabyandchild.com.

How it works
Interested buyers will email Kym Hill, our classifieds representative. Kym then liases between buyer and seller until an arrangement has been made. Once your item is sold Kym will let any future interested parties know, so that unlike regular classifieds, you won't be harrassed with calls after the item is no longer available... now that's service!

One Tetra Snuggle Bed

Booster Seat
$40

Safe n Sound Hi Liner Booster Seat

$75

Sleeps baby up to 6 mths and easily sits inside a cot eliminating the need for a crib.

Cot

$80 Childcare portable cot. Excellent condition.

Cubbyhouse and Slide

$275 Neat and Tidy Cottage: Excellent used condition. Always stored undercover. Neutral colour. Worth over $400 new. Folding slide: Good used condition. Worth $200 new. Pick up only.

Change Table

$60 Good condition, 3 drawer Honey Bear baby change table. No tears in padded mat, very practical.

Interested in buying any of these items?

Simply email Kym and quote the item's BLUE spot number to

classies@highlandbabyandchild.com
and she will deal with your enquiry personally.

But wait...there's more!

Due to the overwhelming response we received, the sheer volume of material was too much to complete by this date. Over the next few weeks this edition will be updated every couple of days with the remaining material. Our apologies to those who must wait to see their feature online...

The Little Bookworm

The Book Illustration Challenge: A fantastic project for our young readers. Children will be invited to submit illustrations for a different story each issue. Sarah Clutton supplies our first story. Children's Poetry Project: Young readers will be given a theme as inspiration to write a poem to be featured in the following issue. There will also be book reviews, children's short stories, and a spotlight on a story-time group. Our first group is the Berkelouw store in Bowral.

You can look forward to the following

Schools & Playgroups

Each issue we will invite a local school and playgroup to open it's doors and showcase what it has to offer. Our first featured school is Mittagong Public School and our first playgroup is St Judes Cubby Club. Lots of photos, artworks and creative writing to come.

Highland Hobbies
In Highland Hobbies we will feature articles submitted by various community members who are passionate about their hobby. In this issue Jane Lawler outlines what to look for in a new pony and how to prepare for it's arrival. There's a listing of the Pony clubs, and Saddleries in the Highlands, as well as equestrian events and other horse clubs in the area. Along with some puzzles and activites, there's plenty to horse around with!

The Art of Paper

This crafty section of the magazine is Corinne Dany's little baby. Passionate about paper construction since she was a child, Corinne will share her take on this timeless craft. There will be templates to download, resource listings and links to many inspirational paper artists and projects. This issue's feature project is a paper carousel... of Bong Bong Race Horses! Inspired by the Corbett Gardens rotundas in Bowral, it is surrounded by bright red tulips and will look fabulous on a mantle.

We are Family
Reviews of Family friendly businesses with our first two off the block being Lucinda's Fine Foods Cafe in the Bowral Berkelouw complex and Chevau Hairdresser in Mittagong. Southern Highlands Tourism will showcase family friendly destinations and activities. We will feature two fantastic places to visit and stay, Little Forest Self Contained Accomodation in Alpine and Mayberry Farm Dairy Tours in Burrawang. Sammy Allender reflects on our family histories and there is a lovely family tree project to cut out and put together.

...so stay tuned.