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This month is packed full of activities to do with the kids, tips from a Super Nanny, travel tips and Christmas crafts.
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
Kids and
roadtrips
Christmas Crafts & Recipes
Your Free local Parenting magazine
Keeping the kids Entertained
during The school
holidays
Contents
Special Features
21
22
24
Christmas crafts Road trip games Keeping the kids enter-tained during the school holidays Road trip games
Cover photo is by Jennifer Haas—blog Plain Vanilla Mom
Articles
Top tips on saving money this school holidays Kids and road trips How baby wearing can help settle your baby Tips from a Super Nanny Making “me” time in the holidays
7
8 12
18 25
Regulars
Letter from the Editor Ask a professional - questions from readers Monthly Recipe - Gingerbread cookies Your Story - How birth led me down an unexpected path Make a change Kid’s fun Business Directory Community Noticeboard
5 10 11 14 16 26 27 28
December/January 2013
5
www.smallstepsparenting.com
www.facebook.com/smallstepsparenting
Letter from the Editor
Dear Reader,
This issue marks our six month anniversary of Small Steps Parenting
Magazine. I must say it has been a very exciting and very busy six
months. We are so blessed to have so many supportive readers and it is
because of you that we are able to bring out a free magazine each and
every month. We would also like to welcome those of you who are new to
Small Steps!
This issue is packed full of fun for the whole family including some trav-
elling with kids tips, Christmas crafts and activities for the school holi-
days. Make sure you enjoy this time with your families and try to take
some time to relax.
Also may I remind you about our Twilight Market on the 7th December.
This event was created to raise money for breast cancer research. Sadly
many women are diagnosed with this dreadful disease and there isn’t any-
one I know who hasn’t been affected. This market will be a day that the
whole family can enjoy. Along with all the fantastic activities, food and
shopping we will be running the world’s largest community colouring in!
So join us to be a part of this awesome event! Hope to see you there.
Our next issue will be out to you in February as we take
this season to enjoy family time and have a break. Please
take care of yourselves and your families this season.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a blessed new
year!
Julie-Anne England
6
Combos Slides Obstacle Castles Slushie Machines
Phone: (02) 4571 1240 or 0402 100 681
Email: [email protected]
Birthdays/Corporate Events/Preschools/Fetes/Christmas/New Years
www.angelbabes.com.au
www.facebook.com/myangelbabes
Environmentally friendly
nappies that don't cost the earth?
Tahlula’s Eclectic Bazaar
Shop 3, Lachlan Court
100 George Street Windsor
www.tahlulaseclecticbazaar.com
Phone Liz: 0418 664 227
Handmade
Vintage
Retro
Upcycled
Recycled
Unique
Now in a
brand new
shop!
Top tips on saving money these school holidays
Here are ten tips on what to do with the kids
(and get them away from the computer)
without going broke:
1. Instead of going out to restaurants,
unless it's a special occasion, go on picnics
or take your own lunch (sandwiches, fruit,
drinks, etc) when you go out as a family
(beaches, parks, bushwalks, etc). It's not
only healthier but less expensive!
2. Use public transport instead of the car
when going out. Using the car you may
incur parking fees when you get to your
destination.
3. If you go out as a family (movies, game
parks, sporting events, etc) enquire about
group discounts. If you combine with
other families, you may get a group dis-
count or at least a family discount.
4. Go to weekend markets to purchase
second hand 'stuff''! Kids grow out of
clothes and get bored with the same books,
games and toys quickly. So buy them sec-
ond hand. They wont know the difference
by the time they move on the next 'thing'!
5. See if the kids can set up a stall at your
local markets and sell home made cordial or
cakes. Keeps them busy and they may earn
some pocket money!
6. Take them to the markets (fish markets,
fruit markets, flower markets,etc) to show
them where their food comes from. They
will not only see fresh unpackaged food but
you can normally purchase it at less expen-
sive prices than the supermarket.
7. Teach them how to cook a meal. In due
course they may enjoy it and give the house
a second chef!
8. Take the kids to museums, libraries,
and other monuments (War Memorial, heri-
tage buildings such as the Mint and the
Courts or Parliament). They may just learn
something about Australia's history that
gives their learning some real context.
These excursions are not expensive but
gives them a day out.
9. Plan ahead for your next holiday. Often
prepaying or paying in advance you will get
a cheaper price on travel and accommoda-
tion.
Enter 'give away' competitions! It costs
nothing and gives the kids some hope of
winning something. You never know they
may get lucky and win some gifts!
Written by Michael Voss, financial planner
and one of our professionals on our expert
panel. Learn more about Michael on our
“About Us” page on our website.
7
How to survive on the School Holidays without breaking the budget!
7
8
Kids and Roadtrips
.1. Plan ahead - any trip with kids is going
to require a lot more planning. Have lists
of what to pack and start gathering all
the items together at least a week before
the trip. If you are leaving early in the
morning for a long trip, try to pack the
car the night before and make sure you
get a good night’s sleep.
2. Plan your trip - Work out how many
hours the entire trip is going to take you.
If you are in the car, plan for specific
stops to break up the trip, such as a mid
morning toilet break, a longer lunch
break with somewhere for the kids to
stretch their legs and an afternoon treat
like icecream. Have a look at a map be-
fore you go and try to make pit-stops
where there are playgrounds or places to
allow the kids to use up some
energy.
3. Pack strategically - know
what is where when you are
packing the car. It’s no use
stuffing everything into the car
only to have to pull over in
half an hours time to look for
the nappies, a change of
clothes or a special toy. Place
the things that you may need
to use during the trip in easily
accessible places. An idea is to
also have a separate small bag
packed for each child which
you can have under their seat.
In this bag, pack a change of clothes, a
drink bottle, a few snacks, their favour-
ite toy and maybe some travel games.
4. Plan your journey around naps - if your
child is still young enough to be taking
day time naps, plan your trip with this in
mind. Make sure the kids are comfort-
able, give them a good feed and they
should sleep for quite a bit of the trip.
Make sure you don’t plan any stops dur-
ing this time as that is often all it takes
to wake them up.
5. Choose snacks that travel - sometimes
the only thing that can distract a bored
child in the car is snacks. Plan ahead for
this by packing snacks that will travel
well and aren’t too messy. This could
include cereals such as mini wheats,
It’s summer and you have planned a fun week away with the family.
While a long drive may not seem like a bad thing to you, it can be in-
credibly long and boring for a child. So Small Steps has put together a
list of ways that you can make the car (or plane) ride a lot more enjoy-
able for the little ones in your group (and therefore probably more bear-
able for you)!
cheese sticks, bread sticks, small biscuits,
plain pikelets, rice cakes, sultanas, fruit
bars and dehydrated fruits. Try to stay
away from fruit, yoghurt and sticky treats
as they will make too much mess. Sugary
foods are fine as a treat (and will please
any child) but don’t go overboard… you
don’t want to have to deal with a cooped
up child on a sugar high!
6. Have realistic expectations - car trips can
be long and boring and although as adults
we love to watch the scenery, kids often
don’t. Plan activities to make the time go
quickly and don’t forget some fun family
games such as “eye spy” and “the licence
plate” game. (We have lots of fun road
trip games on page 24). Also don’t ex-
pect the kids to sit down to eat when you
stop for meal breaks. Since they are hav-
ing to sit all day in the car, allow them
this time to run around and play and get
their meals for takeaway if you can and
let them eat in the car.
7. Have age appropriate entertainment -
babies are often unable to see out of the
car window especially if they are rear
facing so make sure you have a mirror
and an activity mat to hang down to give
them something to look at. Toddlers can
be easily entertained with a story book,
some CD’s to listen to, or some chil-
dren’s TV if you have a portable DVD
player. Older children are much easier
these days to entertain with a variety of
technology such as iPods, portable games
systems, smart phones and tablet com-
puters. Make sure you get them off their
devices now and then though for some
quality family time with games and sto-
ries.
9
Ask a Professional...
QUESTION: I am four months pregnant with my first child. What exercises are safe for me
to do until I deliver?
Under the ongoing guidance from your medical professional throughout your pregnancy,
exercising for pelvic stability with aerobic fitness like short stride walking, stationary cy-
cling, freestyle swimming, and specific aqua natal /prenatal pilates / yoga classes up to 3
times / week are generally regarded as highly beneficial for aerobic fitness and promotion of
appropriate weight gain for the facilitation of labour, without significant risk to either mum
or unborn child. Avoid rapid direction changes and bouncing.
Forget about your abs during this time, rather focus on strengthening legs for extra weight
support and labour (wall squatting is great, squeeze your buttocks to lift you from a squat),
calf raisers from standing upright raise your heels off the ground to tip-toe to strengthen your
calves. Shoulder shrugs (pinching shoulder blades together) for good posture whilst growing
baby belly’s gravity pulls forward and support of increasing weight of breasts, as are stand-
ing push-ups off the wall. Regular Pelvic Floor exercises – ‘lift’ rather than ‘squeeze’ your
pelvic floor muscle. Practice both long 10 sec holds and short 2 sec pulses (for both slow
and fast contractions / holding for the toilet and sneeze reflexes).
This answer has been supplied by Kirsten Mitchell who is our qualified fitness professional
and personal trainer. Learn more about Kirsten on our "About Us" page on our website.
1. Using electric beaters, beat butter, sugar and
syrup in a bowl until light and creamy. Add the
egg and beat well.
2. Sift in the flours, ginger and bicarb of soda.
Use a knife and mix until just combined (add up to
teaspoon of water if the mixture seems especially
dry).
3. Turn mixture onto a lightly floured board and
knead gently until smooth. Don’t over handle as
the dough will become tough.
4. Roll out the dough between sheets of baking
paper until it is about 1/2cm in thickness.
5. Refrigerate the dough for approximately 15
minutes until it is slightly firm and easy to cut.
6. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 3 baking trays with baking paper. Cut the dough into
shapes using various cookie cutters. Press remaining dough together and re-roll and cut
into shapes.
7. Bake in oven for approx 8-10 minutes or until cookies look lightly browned. Cool on
trays before decorating with icing.
8. Use premade store icing for a quick decorating job or simply beat egg white with sifted
icing sugar until peaks form. Add food colouring and use a piping bag to decorate the
gingerbread.
11
Monthly Recipe
Gingerbread cookies Ingredients:
125g butter
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup golden syrup
1 egg
2 cups of plain flour
1/3 cup self raising flour
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
Icing:
1 egg white
1 cup icing suagr
Food colouring
Baby hard to settle? 8 reasons baby wearing can help you
and your newborn
Stay in touch with Mum
Babies feel safe when they can “feel” their mother. They’ll put up with a lot e.g. change in
routine, being overtired, being a little hungry, a little too full, another visitor etc. etc., as
long as they can be close to you.
The provision of multiple carry Positions
Some babies like to be held upright with their tummies pressed against your shoulder,
some like to be cocooned in a newborn breastfeeding position and some like to face out
and watch the world go by. With a sling, you can position bub anyway you like. There are
no fiddly straps to adjust to set up the new position - that’s why mums around the world
have been using the sling happily for centuries.
Sling security
When using a carrier, it's very important that you are able to see your baby’s face at all
times and for their spine to be in an
upright or gently curved position (rather
than huddled). The new ring slings
mimic the way you would naturally
hold your baby in your arms, most im-
portantly keeping baby in an upright
position with the airways open and
clear.
Comfort for Two
Slings are very easy on your back and
shoulders and a good quality one will be
carefully designed to fan across your
back. This distributes bub’s weight
evenly so that no one part of your body
is taking all of the strain. It is also espe-
cially comfortable for your little bub.
Why? Because, a good quality sling will
support your baby in all the right places.
Ease of packing
Your nappy bag may seem enormous
when you first purchase it. But after
you’ve stuffed it full of nappies, wipes
12
and all the spare outfits you need, the
thought of trying to get a bulky baby carrier
in there as well is simply too much. Slings
are designed to fold into a perfect little
pocket just right for taking with you wher-
ever you go.
Completely washable
It’s hard to imagine that something so tiny
can make so much mess. But little people
certainly can. Don’t fret about trying to
wipe a milky mess off a carrier that isn’t
washing machine friendly. Instead, buy a
sling that is completely machine washable
and throw it directly in a wash bag and
straight into the washing machine. Then a
simple air-dry on your washing line will
make it ready for use once again.
Handy feeding
Ever felt like you needed an extra hand to
successfully breastfeed bub? It can be espe-
cially difficult to do so when you are out of
the comfort of your own home. Having your
baby in a sling not only helps to take bub’s
weight while you adjust to a comfortable
position for breastfeeding, but it also works
as a cover to shield you while you and bub
are getting all set up.
Quick as Lightning
Newborns do not understand time. Because
of this, they can get distressed very quickly
and it can be very overwhelming when you
have an upset baby. With the new quality
slings that are now on the market, once you
have the knack, it’s super easy to get bub in
and settled ASAP.
Written by Emily Longshaw
13
14
Your Story
How birth led me down an unexpected path
I was a little naive when I fell pregnant
with our first child. I read up on all of the
theory about having a natural, blissful
birth. I wrote a birth plan, I took up yoga,
and did all of my birthing exercises. I did
everything I could in my power, to guar-
antee myself a beautiful natural birth. But
the birth that eventuated was not what I
expected. It became a turning point in my
life that led me down a new unexpected
path.
I had a trouble-free pregnancy. My baby
was slightly off position, but I was not
concerned. I would do exercises to get her
into the right position (which she did), but
as soon as I would stand up, she would go
straight back into that off position again.
Later I would come to realise that this
was the first sign our baby had the umbili-
cal cord around her neck.
The early stages of labour started late one
Sunday night. We went to the hospital to
confirm my waters had broken (I had
more of a trickle than a gush). We were
advised to head home and expect that our
baby would be on its way in the morning.
After 24 hours we returned to the hospi-
tal.
A midwife checked on my progress. I was
4cm. After 24 hours, meditation, and ex-
ercises to help with dilation, I was just 4
cm.
Four hours later, I was still... 4cm. Noth-
ing. Not even half a centimetre.
I knew then that I would need to save my
energy for the birth. Starting with mor-
phine the midwife said this would help
me to relax and dilate. I was already re-
laxed from the meditation but willing to
try anything.
On my next progress check... 4cm. Again.
Nothing. I remember the midwife’s puz-
zled face, saying “Why did this not work?
This should have worked.” Another sign
something was not right.
It was now Tuesday morning and Silvia,
one of my pregnancy midwives arrived. A
familiar face, I was so relieved. We made
a plan that she would catch our baby!
I was induced and started down the epidu-
ral path (due to complications I had two
epidurals). Finally, I could rest in time for
the big push.
Before I knew it, that time came (now
Tuesday evening). I pushed and pushed.
With every push, that cord tightened.
During that time I checked the monitor
for my baby’s heart rate and it was around
140. A good strong heartbeat. An obstetri-
cian came in to help with the delivery and
I was told to stop pushing. I looked over
to the monitor and saw that our baby’s
heart rate was now 40. I thought I must
have been mistaken. This was the warn-
ing sign that set the medical team racing.
Suddenly there were between 10 and 15
staff in the room. The obstetrician asked
me about my last ultrasound as she started
to do one. I told her it was around week
18 and the room fell silent. She stared at
the ultrasound. Everyone stared at it.
They could all see the cord.
The obstetrician then went on, very
calmly, to tell me that some births re-
quired forceps, and sometimes it would
be necessary to make cuts to help the
baby out. Quickly, she pulled our baby’s
head out. This was as far as the umbilical
cord would reach. It was so tight and so
difficult for the obstetrician to cut it away.
When she did, she quickly pulled our
baby out and gently placed her on my
stomach. Our baby was moving slightly.
She did not cry.
Seconds later a specialist took her and as
they placed her on the bench I saw that
her body was lifeless. I still have that im-
age with me today. She was not moving.
Her legs and arms were still. Not one sin-
gle twitch.
The doctors revived her and I saw her
little arms and legs move (relief set in)
before the doctors gathered around and I
couldn’t see anymore. After some time,
our daughter was given to us to hold, and
then quickly whisked away again to inten-
sive care.
She was in the Newborn Care Centre for
two days. Silvia and the obstetrician who
delivered our daughter came to visit sepa-
rately over that time. I found out later that
both had left crying. I thought it
was a pretty traumatic birth. To hear
that both had cried made me realise
just how bad it was.
This story has a happy ending (my
daughter is now a happy and
healthy three year old... with a one
year old sister). We were lucky.
Very lucky. We were lucky she was
alive, and we were lucky she was
not born with any kind of brain
damage (a very real possibility at
the time).
Faced with this experience, I could
not help but feel grateful for the
second chance we had been given. I
felt so grateful for the expertise and
care we had received (i.e., the obstetri-
cian who was so experienced and fo-
cused; the specialists who revived our
baby; the Newborn Care Centre staff
who cared for our baby as if she were
their own; and Silvia who was so won-
derful during the birth).
I wanted to thank them in a special
way, to shout it out into the world. I de-
cided the best place to do this was the
internet. But when I searched online,
there was no special place where I could
do this. Rather than giving up, I went
about making such a site myself. Even
though I had never touched internet pro-
gramming before, I started building a
website that I called Thanknest.
Giving birth was one of the most trau-
matic experiences I have had in my life. It
became a turning point for me to create
something positive, meaningful, and
beautiful out of this. I was so grateful for
all of the care we had been given, and this
was my way of giving something back.
Written by Dr Linda Hamilton, creator
and owner of Thanknest.com (see more
about this fantastic website in our Make a
Change section on the next page).
15
Change Change Make a
17
When Dr Linda Hamilton started developing
Thanknest.com (see Your Story page 14) she built it
with the concept of ‘Praise in Public’ in mind. This
concept was taught to her by Dr Roberto Parada during
the years she completed her Doctorate in Psychology.
Here’s how it works. When you say something about someone,
people will look for (and will generally find) evidence for what you are saying is true. For
example, we all know that when you hear something negative about someone, no matter
how untrue the comment is, it sticks. The good news is, it works with the positives too.
The concept also works for the person being talked about. When they are appreciated, they
will look for evidence within themselves that what you are saying is true. If they believe it
to be true, the great qualities you mentioned will form a stronger part of their identity. It
can empower someone to feel good and proud of themselves, and this in turn sees them go
into the world with a smile, touching the lives of others who they meet along the way.
Giving thanks is one of the simplest ways in which we can brighten someone’s day. It can
help us form stronger friendships, create more productive and happier work teams, and it
can also help us to reconnect. Plus, when you say it on the internet, it becomes permanent.
It allows them to go back to your message and no matter how much time has passed, some-
one will still feel that same feeling of being appreciated as they did the first time they read
your thank you message. This is empowering because you never know when someone may
need a little extra lift in their day.
To make your thank you meaningful:
Be specific about what you are thanking them for;
Write as if they are sitting there with you;
Stick to the positives;
Make it about them and leave your own ego out;
Put it online so that they can return to your message at any time; and
Make it public to allow others to see the good in them too.
Do you know someone worth thanking? Maybe someone who gives selflessly in our com-
munity. Or perhaps someone who inspires you? We would like to help. Small Steps is go-
ing to bless someone in the community with a special keepsake book of thank you mes-
sages. All messages will be beautifully presented in a professionally printed and bound
keepsake book, and added to www.thanknest.com to allow them to return to their messages
at any time. Send us an email to tell us who you would like to thank!
Small Steps would like to say...
Thank You!! To all the incredible people and businesses who make us what we are today. Thank
you to all our readers for loving the magazine, thank you to our close family and
friends for believing that we could run a magazine and thank you to the following
amazing local businesses who have donated products and services to our “Make a
Change” section so that we could bless people in our local community!
FITZGERALD PRINTING
SANITY’S COLLISION
18
Tips from a Super Nanny
Working as a nanny for over 12 years, I
have been forced to rely on my imagina-
tion and often a limited supply of toys and
objects around the house, particularly in
school holidays and rainy weather. So,
here are a few ideas to help you in those
desperate and noisy moments.
Infants -
To prevent babies from becoming
overwhelmed and bored with toys try
sorting toys into a few separate boxes
and rotate them every few weeks. In
each box place toys of different tex-
tures, colours and purposes to stimulate
all the senses.
For those moments in the high chair
right before dinner give your baby a
large piece of ice on the high chair
tray, your baby will have a great time
sliding it around the tray and learning
about the sensation of different tem-
peratures, be sure it's not small enough
to present a choking risk.
Toddlers -
Use everyday objects such as washing
baskets, buckets or hats and let the
child throw balls into it. Start with a
big basket at a close distance and move
it further away gradually or swap it for
a smaller basket. This will give them
plenty of entertainment as well as
help them develop their gross motor
skills.
Toddlers enjoy playing hide and seek,
although it takes time for them to learn
the concept of not peeking. So, try
placing toys around the room, sit on
the floor with your child and ask them
to find specific toys. It will develop
their spacial awareness, language skills
and bond with you as you encourage
and praise them for listening.
Create a sorting game by placing sev-
eral small containers side by side and
having your child sort small items into
them. Items such as froot loops can be
sorted by colour, various dry pasta can
be sorted by shape or size. Just make
sure your child is supervised and that
the objects will not pose a choking
hazard.
Primary age
Obstacle course - use everyday objects
such as ropes, chairs, bed sheets, wash-
ing baskets and tables to create endless
19
variations of obstacle courses. Encour-
age them to climb under, over, around
and through various things to make it
more fun. It wears out their energy, it's
great exercise and they can even race
against the clock.
Movies - rather than simply putting on
a movie for the kids, help them set up a
cinema. They can draw and cut out
their own tickets, make healthy snacks
and sell them to each other at the
"theatre cafe" and even transform a
cardboard box into a car to drive there.
You'd better be quick to buy a ticket,
or the teddies and dolls will get all the
seats!
High school
For the creative teens start building up
a cupboard of wrapping papers, old or
broken jewellery, old belts and recy-
cled cards, beads and more to encour-
age them to draw, cut, glue, sew &
create to release their pent up energy.
They may even be able to sell their
creations to family and friends for
some extra cash. You may even wish
to add to the cupboard for birthdays
and Christmas.
Scrapbooking - creating a scrapbook
allows a child to use their creativity
and make something that they can keep
or give as a gift. They may decide to
theme it around an event such as a
birthday party or make like to do it as a
yearbook. Provide photos and lots of
markers, printed papers and embellish-
ments such as stickers and photo cor-
ners.
Written by Alison Bosanquet, nanny.
Overwhelmed as a new parent? Want to know what to expect?
Understanding what to expect after the birth of your baby will
help you enormously as you adjust to your new role as a mother. Midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Lynne-McKensey Hall takes the old wives’ tales and shows them the door with her gentle, practical, science-based approach to breastfeeding and caring for your baby. From the importance of skin to skin contact at birth to getting everyone settled into bed for a good night’s sleep, this is one of many “must have” books by Lynne to get you through your baby’s arrival and those early parenting days. Purchase books separately or as a set and choose from topics such as:
Order at www.betterbeginnings.com.au
Ph: 0419 245 966 or email [email protected]
Before Baby arrives Baby’s arrival Breastfeeding Issues
and the Unexpected Expressing Returning to Work
Partners Grandparents and Carers Multiple, Pre-term,
Adoptive and Surrogate Babies and Relactating
Come and check out our brand new website!
Find out about our latest news and events
Follow our awesome blog - full of crafts, interesting articles and activities for the kids
Read our monthly magazine online - catch up on issues you missed or re-read your favourites!
www.smallstepsparenting.com
Find us on Facebook
Christmas is a time to wind down after the year, spend time with family
and enjoy some fun with the kids. Here are three quick and easy crafts
that you can easily do with the kids to start decorating your home for
Christmas. Find these with full instructions plus more on our blog.
Christmas crafts
21
Reindeer Noses
A very simple craft which makes a great
gift. All you need is some cellophane
bags, malteasers, jaffas and a cardboard
tag for the top that says reindeer noses.
Lolly Christmas Tree
What makes a nicer table topper for
Christmas than a tree you can eat. All
you need for this fun and simple craft is
a few bags of lollies that are wrapped
(minties, fruit chews), a foam cone and
some sewing pins .
Reindeer Candy canes
Kids love making these cute reindeers for
gifts for kids at school and to keep.
Simply glue eyes, a pom pom nose and
twist a pipecleaner on the top for antlers.
See what different personalities you can
create!
22
Keeping the kids entertained during
the school holidays
1. Grab a bat and a ball and get outside for
a fun game of cricket. Split into teams
and play against each other.
2. Some water guns, water balloons and
buckets of water will allow for some hot
day fun with the kids. Specify an area
for the play and allow them to get wet. If
you have younger children you may
want to specify a “safe” area where they
can go if they have had enough. Let the
older kids know that they aren’t to wet
the littlies if they are in this area.
3. Christmas crafts are a fun and creative
way to have the kids use their imagina-
tion to create decorations and gifts for
family and friends. We have three
Christmas crafts in this issue on page 21
plus more on our blog.
4. For younger children you may want to
create a sensory experience for play. Get
a large container and fill it with some
sand, some marbles, a few rocks, some
toy animals and maybe some shells. It
can be a miniature beach scene.
5. If you have a video camera you might
get the kids to make a skit and dress up
and film it. It would be a great gift to
send via email to any Grandparents or
family that live far away.
6. Pack a picnic lunch and spend the day
out in the Australian bush doing some
bush walking. You may find some great
spots that you never knew about nd en-
joy some time out in the fresh air.
7. Create your own mini golf course in the
backyard. Grab some golf clubs (or even
make your own) and a ball and try to hit
them around obstacles and aim for the
hole.
8. Make a indoor cubby house on a rainy
day by using pillows and blankets from
around the house. Drape them over
lounges or tables to create small crawl-
spaces and places to play for your kids.
9. Do you have neighbours that the kids
like to play with? Why not play a post-
ing game by writing letters to each other
It’s often a challenge to keep the kids entertained during the long summer
holidays so here are a list of things you can do to keep your kids happy and
busy.
23
and putting them in the mail box. If you
don’t have neighbours that you can do
this with have the kids write letters to
their siblings and post them under the
bedroom door or even make your own
mailbox.
10. Have a pizza party. Provide ready made
mini pizza bases plus toppings and allow
the kids to make their own lunch. After
they are cooked, set up a table outside
and let the kids each their creations. You
might even let them make spiders as a
treat (soft drink with icecream in it).
11. Use some chalk and draw a hopscotch
on the pavement. Join in the with the
kids for some energetic fun.
12. Let the kids do some indoor fishing by
making a fishing rod with a stick and
some string. Tie a magnet onto the end
and draw some paper fish. Put a paper-
clip onto each fish so they stick to the
magnet rod.
13. Create clues and make your own treasure
hunt. Follow the clues to get the end and
then have a prize waiting! It might be a
tasty lunch, a new toy or a fun game.
14. Do some paper-mache. Make a sculpture
out of cardboard and tape and then use
strip of newspaper dipped in glue to
make a paper-mache object. Top with
white paper and then allow to dry. Then
you can paint your creation (paper-
mache glue can be simply made at home
by mixing flour and water to create a
paste).
15. Give the kids some cookie dough and
rollers and cutters and allow them to
make their own cookies. Once they have
finished their masterpieces, simply bake
them and serve them as an afternoon
treat. Save a couple for the neighbours
and take them over as a small gift.
16. Have a game of Naughts and Crosses.
Use a piece of paper and a pen to teach
the kids O’s and X’s. Or print them on
magnetic paper to play on the fridge.
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Riding School KING EQUESTRIAN ACADEMY
Road trip games
24
Need games to pass away the time while
on the road? Why not give these a try:
Eye spy - an oldie but a goodie. One
person chooses an object and starts by
saying “I spy with my little eye,
something beginning with” and then
choose a letter. Everyone else has to
guess what it is. The person who gets
it starts the next round. If your kids
are too little to guess with a letter try
a colour instead.
The licence plate game - this is good
for learning your alphabet for littlies
or just fun for the older kids. Have a
list of the letters of the alphabet on a
piece of paper or wipe-off board. As
you see each letter on a licence plate
you may cross off that letter. First
person to have found all 26 letters,
wins!
Travel bingo - choose a list of objects
that you are likely to see on your
drive and print them in a grid onto a
sheet of paper. The first person who is
able to cross off all objects in a row
shouts “BINGO” and wins that round.
(Travel bingo cards are available for
download from our website)
Use a cookie tray and supply your
child with magnets to play out scenes
or create words with alphabet mag-
nets.
Tell a group story. Have one member
of the family start telling a story by
just saying one sentence. The next
person must add to the story. Keep
going around the group until you are
able to finish the story. This one can
give a few laughs.
Sensory guessing game - place an
item inside a fabric bag. Have the
child reach inside and guess what the
object is just by feeling with their
hands, not looking. When they get it
right, allow them to look and then use
a different object.
Food necklaces - use cheerios or fruit
loops and thread them onto pieces of
string for some fun and edible jewel-
lery.
Travel scavenger hunt - make a list of
items that the children have to look
for. Have them work together to find
each item and then tick it off the
list… or make it even more fun by
giving them a digital camera and have
them take a picture of the object.
Mini puppet theatre - bring along
some finger puppets and rein act fa-
vourite stories such as the three little
pigs or red riding hood. Add your
own twists or imagination to the story
to make it more fun. Take turns tell-
ing a different story.
Create a dry-erase board out of a pic-
ture frame and use different inserts to
keep busy. Our website has lots of fun
inserts such as hangman, find a words
and draw that face. Print them from
www.smallstepsparenting.com
Making “me” time in the holidays
With the Christmas season upon us, it seems that our to-do list gets longer by the day. Along with our normal chores and daily tasks we now have to think about Christmas parties, gift giving, family traditions and more. So when do we have time for ourselves, and how can we make sure that we are able to put away some time for a small break? As a parent we are constantly thinking about our family, their needs and their plans and the more family focused we are, the less we tend to make time for ourselves. It is important to understand that mak-ing “me” time a priority is not a selfish thing to do. In fact, it is actually ex-tremely important and should be a prior-ity. People who take time out for a re-prieve from daily life tend to be happier and therefore healthier. This allocated time just for yourself serves as a wind down. It allows you to relax, de-stress and replace your sense on calm. Hav-ing a regular time out will allow you to think clearer, have more patience and generally deal better with the things in your day-to-day life. So how do you fit in time for yourself during this busy season?
Firstly, think about what you would like to do in your “me” time. What would you do with a spare 15 min-utes, half hour, hour, half day or whole day? Write down a small list and carry it with you.
Plan for “me” time everyday even if it is just for 15 minutes or so. At least once a week try to allocate larger blocks of time so you have
time to do some things you enjoy that allow you to relax.
Ask for help with chores that don’t necessarily need to be done by you. Can your partner cook dinner once a week to give you a break? Can your mother watch the kids for an hour so you can go have a massage?
Schedule your week and note down the things you must get done. Pay attention to blocks of time that could be available for you to have some time out. Also watch for time that is being wasted such as, too much time checking emails or Facebook, going to grocery store every couple of days instead of planning ahead and shopping once a week.
Create a daily ritual. Whether it is a relaxing bath, a quiet walk on your own or some time to write in your journal, plan this time into your day. This may be once the kids are in bed at night or you may even choose to get up half an hour earlier than eve-ryone else just to have some soli-tude before the day begins.
Whatever you do, know that creating time for yourself allows for your family to have a happier, healthier you!
25
Kids Fun!
26
Untangle -
Use the letters in the following mixed-up words to create new Christmas words
1. ansat
2. perestn
3. derereni
4. rats
5. sintle
6. keytru
7. eret
8. selbl
ANSWERS: 1. santa 2. present 3. reindeer 4. star 5. tinsel 6. turkey 7. tree 8. bells
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Preschool transition programs
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Replace your blue book
with these gorgeous covers
Community
This 5 Week program will leave
you feeling more confident and
competent and ready to deal
with common child behavioural
and emotional issues.
Dates: Wed 6th, 13th Nov
Time: 10:00am—12:00pm
Where: South Windsor Family
Centre, 6 Greenhill’s Way, South
Windsor
Ph: 4577 9804
Do you have children aged
0-8 years? Peppercorn Family Services
offers support for you and your
family for a period of up to 3
months - Home Visiting
- Answering questions & provide
advice on parenting
- Links to other services
- Behaviour management & child
development.
This is a FREE community
service. Ph: 4577 9804
McQuade Park Twilight
Market
Sat 7th December 2pm-7pm
Raising money for Breast Cancer
Research
Petting zoo
Stalls
Jumping Castle
Band
Plus the World’s Biggest Col-
ouring In!
Go to our website or Facebook
page for more information www.smallstepsparenting.com
Noticeboard
CHRISTMAS PARTY
BRUNCH Are you a parent/carer of a child
0—8 years?
Or are you expecting a child?
Photo with Santa Children’s craft
Yummy food A surprise visitor
Christmas gifts for everyone!!!
Date: Wed 11th December
Time: 9:30am—11:30am
Where: South Windsor Family Cen-
tre, 6 Greenhill’s Way, South Windsor
Ph: 4577 9804
FREE EVENT
PLAYGROUPS: Free, fun activities
facilitated by a Family Worker
An opportunity to meet parents
in your local area
Information on child develop-
ment and parenting
Hobartville Tuesdays 9.00-11.00am
Windsor South Thursday 9.30-11.30am
For more information call:
Peppercorn Family Services
(02) 4577 9804
If you have a free event that you
would like to advertise on our
community noticeboard, please
send us an email. All free events
for the community will be listed
here for free.
This is a great place to tell peo-
ple about your playgroup, free
classes or public events.
30
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39 39
Don’t miss next month...
Plus see the makeover from our make a change section
Our couple special
Cnr Hawkesbury Valley Way & George Street, Windsor
Raising money for Breast Cancer Research
McQuade Park Twilight Market
Sat 7th December 2pm-7pm
Petting Zoo
Jumping Castle
Stalls
Food
Band
Plenty of fun for all!
Plus join us for the World’s biggest community colouring in!!
Artw
ork d
esigned
and d
onated
by S
tacey P
egrem
