Educate

Little Tennis Stars is a local Adelaide tennis club specifically designed for early learning so that little ones can develop confidence straight off the bat. Founder Dionysia Paronis (Didi) was introduced to tennis in primary school at age 5. She instantly fell in love with the sport and decided to join a tennis club. After noticing the joy and confidence that she gained from her involvement with tennis, Didi decided that she wanted to provide this same experience to younger children (as young as 18 months old). A mama herself, Didi loves working with young kids, this lead to a specific focus on catering to the Early Learning area. Her programs allow young ones to feel safe and comfortable in their new learning environment. We asked Didi to explain a bit more about the benefits of tennis: How does playing sport build up children’s confidence and help with their developmental learning? We use the ‘Game Sense Approach’ this encourages children to play with purpose while learning through play. Children feel confident when successful and as a good coach it’s important to make each child successful at everything they try. With confidence and success their developmental learning comes naturally and they will be able to advance to the next level. How do you provide a safe/supportive environment for children with all different levels of capabilities? Our program follows the Early Years Learning Framework guidelines (EYLF). This assists in planning each lesson like an ELC would as part of their daily routine. During a lesson we use both direct and indirect teaching styles. Both encourage children to learn how to search and receive information, solve problems and explore solutions. At the Foundation stage of children’s development we ‘guide more, direct less’. Are your programs purely competitive? At the foundation stage of children’s learning it’s important to keep it simple and effective for their development. Seeing the children have fun while learning is most rewarding for us. Our foundation program isn’t competitive. Once children progress to our Hot Shots Red, Orange and Green stage program there you’ll see more competitive training methods to assist in match play. PROGRAMS Hot Shots Blue Stage 3–5 years (ELC) Hot Shots Red Stage 5-8 years Hot Shots Orange Stage 8-10 years Hot Shots Green stage 9-12 years Petite – Introductory Program 18 months – 3 years (ELC) The Petite Introductory program assists in preparation for the ANZ Tennis Hot Shots pathway. Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) The Little Tennis Stars Program has been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Children have the opportunity to develop skills including:• Gross motor skills• Co-ordination• Group interactionConfidence and self-esteem littletennisstars.com.au@littletennisstars Image by Meaghan Coles Photography

The year before school is so important for young children. It’s where they learn the skills to develop the confidence they need to make a smooth transition to school. If you are the parent of a three or four-year-old then you are probably already starting to consider what your options are for kindergarten (also known as preschool) for 2019. For first time parents it can be a little overwhelming wrapping your head around the different options – Government run programs, sessional ELCs or kindergarten at a centre-based long day care service. For a government preschool you also need to consider your ‘catchment area’ (or sometimes called ‘school zone’) and priority / wait lists may apply. Then cross your fingers and wait to see if you will be offered a place. Not to mention the added challenge of the traditionally limited kindergarten hours – either ‘sessions’ or a ‘full 9-3 day’, maybe 2.5 days per week or perhaps a five-day fortnight. If both you and your partner are working than this these inflexible hours can be hard to accommodate. This is when a kindergarten program in a centre-based long day care setting has its perks. You get wraparound care for up to 12 hours a day, so your child can attend kindergarten with the flexible longer hours you need. Plus, thanks to the new Child Care Subsidy if you attend a kindergarten program at a centre-based long day care service you may be entitled to 36 hours of subsidised care per fortnight. And even better is that families don’t need to meet the new activity test in order to qualify for this subsidy payment – that means that regardless of how much work or recognised activity you and your partner do, you can still receive payments to offset the cost of kindergarten at a centre-based long day care service. To find out if you meet eligibility requirement take a look at the government fact sheet. But most importantly you want to ensure your child is attending a high quality kindergarten program. Kindergarten is an important year in which children develop many of the skills they need for school. So, what makes a good kindergarten program? The year before school is all about school-readiness, and high quality kindergarten programs combine a strong play-based government approved curriculum with the skill of degree qualified teachers to achieve just that. A high quality program helps children become school ready by developing their:• Physical health and wellbeing• Social competence• Emotional maturity• Language and cognitive skills• Communication skills and general knowledgeThese are the areas against which the Australian Early Development Census measures children in their first year of school. High quality kindergarten programs are geared towards helping children develop the foundational skills they need for a smooth transition to school. A program delivered through play-based learning makes it active and fun for children and helps them develop an openness to learning that lasts well into adult life. Thanks for the team at Goodstart Early Learning for helping us to unpack the ins and outs of kindergarten. @goodstartel goodstart.org.au

Parental Listening & Language I am not in the business of giving parents who are already stretched thin, more to do or more to feel like they’re failing at. However, I am interested in sharing my knowledge to assist parents and their children, not to DO MORE, but instead empower them with the choice to do things differently and sometimes perhaps even doing less! For example, as a parent you can strengthen your relationship with your child by using different words when communicating with them. This may sound simple but requires us to actively choose to stop reacting on autopilot (habits which we can be largely unaware of) and engage with our child in a new and different way in the present moment. Rather than jumping in with our parental wisdom and/or frustrations, we can learn a lot by zipping it (which is much easier said than done)! When we remain silent and actively listen to our children many things can happen: We take the pressure off ourselves to instantly respond to our child. We give ourselves time (sometimes one breath is all we need), which allows us space to make a choice about whether to react based on habit or try a different approach that may serve our child and ourselves better. We get a chance to turn down the volume on what’s pushing our buttons and choose to manage our own emotions before responding to our child. It gives us a chance to see and hear our child in the present moment, openly gather information to increase our understanding and empathy. Our child experiences us as seeing and hearing them and overall feels more accepted and worthwhile. Listening to our children is important from birth: watching our babies cues and working out their different cries, reading our toddlers sign language or deciphering their words (that no-one else would understand), listening to our children and teenager’s words (or grunts) in the context of their individual personalities and circumstances. The next point applies to not only our children but also to ourselves: LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS! We all have basic needs such as being fed and rested. Children (and most adults) cannot engage in a meaningful way with others if they are hungry or exhausted, so do your best to regularly feed them and assist them to get enough sleep (easier said than done I know). Then we need to be aware of our children’s development and match what we expect from them with what they are actually capable of. An understandable and common want for parents is for their toddler to spontaneously share, which sets the toddler up to fail as they are developmentally unable to do this on their own, but rather need support with this complex social skill. Another common belief we hold as parents is that if a child is capable of a certain behaviour they will consistently behave this way – I am capable of acting rationally and calmly but I most certainly do not behave this way consistently! Children will develop new skills but they take time to consistently master them, and even then, if they are under stress they will not always be able to access them (just like us). We can offer our children the gift of compassion by moving away from pressuring them to reach our expectations towards accepting them for who they are. Rather than shutting down our children’s expression of big emotions, especially negative ones, we can choose to ‘be with’ them in their feelings. Our children do not benefit from us dissolving alongside them – which results in both parent and child ending up in the bottom of an emotional hole. Nor do they benefit from us instructing them to pull their socks up and get on with things – denying the existence of any emotions. They need us to see their pain and validate their experience without judgement, resist your need to ‘fix’ things for them and sit alongside them while they process their negative feelings. As a parent I can feel worn down by the constant nagging and repetition of statements that start with “No…” and “Don’t …..”. I’m under no illusion that the nagging will stop but if we can choose to make statements that focus on the behaviour we would like to see, at least our children are hearing more positively worded phrases which include hints on what to do versus what not to do. For example, swapping: “stop jumping on the couch” with “couches are for sitting on” “don’t throw the ball at your brother’s head” with “throw the ball to mum” “No more lollies” with “If you’re hungry, have some fruit” Parents can also help their children to make better choices by providing simple explanations of why they would benefit from them. For example: “If you break the couch we’ll have to buy a new one which you will be contributing to and there will be less money to buy your birthday presents with” “because your brother is too little he may get hurt, but mum would like to play with you” “If you eat too many lollies your teeth and body will get sick” Listening more (saying nothing) along with saying things differently can strengthen your relationship with your child. Taking notice and supporting our children with their thoughts and feelings takes practice and patience. Undoubtedly, in the heat of many parenting moments we will slip back into our old reactive ways – and that is ok. Remembering we need to lower the expectations we set for of ourselves along with those we hold for our children. Facebook – @hannabeavenpsychologyInstagram – @hannabeavenpsychologyWebsite – www.hannabeavenpsychology.com.au

Whether it’s a media beat up or, as the morning news will have us believe we really are living through a bullying epidemic, we just can’t deny that the issue of bullying is real. It has evolved over time and is now impacting children in ways never seen before.It’s in our best interest to be well aware and involved in the online life of our children to ensure that we are taking all steps possible to keep Cyber Bullies out of our child’s lives. Technology is often made the scapegoat for the rise in Cyber Bullying, we know that bullying is more about values and behaviour than it is about choice of weapon. We need to give our children the support and tools to behave respectfully online and protect themselves from potential risks. Teach good values Empathy, respect and resilience are key to a positive online environment. Model these values and find examples in day-to-day life, in stories, tv programs, movies and people that they know. Tell some stories of your own. Highlight and discuss what these values look like in action. Find examples of your children showing behaviours that are inline with these values. Give them positive feedback on what they did and how they did it. Talk about Cyber Bullying Ask them if they know anyone who has been cyber bullied, or is a cyber bully. Discuss various possible scenarios and solutions. And most importantly, let them know that the same rules apply to online bullying as they do for bullying in say, a schoolyard. Don’t be a bystander. If they see or hear of anyone who is being bullied online, they need to tell a trusted adult and encourage their friend to get help. It’s also important for them to show a position of support if they feel safe to do so, remind them that their one supportive comment could make all the difference to a victim in distress. Teach them how to respond We need to give our children the tools to manage the situation. Avoid escalating the situation by retaliating as this can further provoke the bully; online bullies hope to get a reaction. So, the first step is to ignore. Teach children how to block, report and delete. Most social media platforms have rules that will ban cyberbullying and will have tools that will allow you to ask for something to be removed, sometimes called the report button. If this is not done within 48 hours you can then take your complaint to Esafety and they will follow this up with the social media platform. They can also help your child find someone to talk to and give advice and strategies. Save the evidence by taking a screen shot, while this can be overwhelming and intrusive, it is important. If the bullying is taking place via email and is continuous it may be necessary to change email addresses. If the bullying still continues, you may consider contacting your local police to help manage the situation. Understand how they are using the internet It’s no longer acceptable to say that we can’t keep up and children have surpassed us where technology is concerned. Some social media sites are safer than others. Get to know them, download them yourself and have a good browse, talk to your children about what they use and the advantages and disadvantages. Some social media apps have guides for parents and if they don’t it’s not hard to find them online. Keep them connected If children raise an online issue with you, it’s important not to take them offline. This is their world. Staying connected with supportive peers is important to recovery and building resilience. Banning them from their devices is like isolating them from friends, it will feel like a punishment and therefore will discourage them from coming to you with a problem the next time something occurs. Have a family agreement about internet use at home This will open the lines of communication and give guidelines to enable a conversation that is purely centred around online safety, and as a result a common understanding of acceptable behaviour. Keep devices out of the bedroom While this might seem like a no brainer to some, if this family rule is not put into place when children are first introduced to devices this can be quite a challenge, especially with teenage children who are in need of more privacy as they get older, and habits that are well engrained. Things happen online late at night and when a notification goes off, as adults we know all too well how difficult it is to resist the temptation to check it. Model this behaviour for your children, the benefits will far outweigh the inconvenience. It might be a tough adjustment, but well worth it. Whilst we can never completely control our what happens online or what our children are privy too, putting these steps in place can help you feel comfortable that your children know what to do when it comes to cyber bullying and give you peace of mind that you have done what you can do make them aware, educated and feel safe and supported should issues arise. @cybersafefamilies cybersafefamilies.com.au

Did you know research has found that friendly bacteria in dirt and mud cantrigger the release of serotonin? A wonderful chemical that helps to regulatemood. Mud can, literally, make kids happy yet parents often cringe at thethought of it. The dirty footprints, filthy bathtub and extra washing areenough to make anyone daydream about scrapping mud from the outdoorplay agenda. But, with International Mud Day just around the corner, it’s theperfect time to overlook the mess. In the second issue of Wild Ones magazine, Nature Play SA share thebenefits of mud for healthy sensory development, as well as tips and tricksto incorporate it into outdoor play. Even if you prefer to operate at a slower(cleaner) speed, there’s something for the whole family to enjoy – like thismost magnificent mud pie recipe. Friday the 29th of June, why not line thekiddos up for an International Mud Day mud pie bake-off? If you’d rathernot get your hands dirty, you can always pick the flowers. Most Magnificent Mud Pie Recipe Ingredients◆ 1 cup of dirt◆ 1⁄2 cup of water (added as needed)◆ Fresh herbs ground in mortar and pestle(plus extra for garnish)◆ 3 sprigs of lavender◆ A selection of twigs◆ Mixed leaves◆ Flowers for decoration (whole or petalsremoved)◆ Your own secret ingredientOptional Extras◆ Feathers, shells or natural treasures◆ Children’s waterproof onesies fromNature Play SAMethod◆ Mix, stir and decorate to create your ownmost magnificent mud pie.◆ Hose down waterproof onesie, run a bathand enjoy a warm drink together. Cubby Town Hands up if you joined the fun at Nature Play SA’s Forest Festival at Kuitpo Forest in April? Their next popular event, Cubby Town, is returning to Belair National Park in the winter school holidays 17 + 18 July. WIN TICKETS HERE Purchase here – they won’t stick [excuse the pun] around for long! Nature Play SA is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to inspiring communities to engage children with nature through outdoor learning and play. Find out more about their Wild Ones magazine and Family Membership at natureplaysa.org.au Photography by Jason Tyndall 

The latest buzz Honey bees have long played a part in children’s popular culture, way back from Do-Bee in Romper Room to today’s popular TV characters, Buzzby and Maya the Bee. If you ask a child what bees do, they’ll probably be quick to tell you that they make honey. Which of course is correct – for European honey bees. But the City of Adelaide are keen to raise awareness about the important role that our less-famous native bees play. Why are native bees important? In Adelaide, there are more than 200 species of native bees and they play an important role in the effective pollination of native flowering plants. Many of these plants cannot be pollinated by introduced bees, such as the European honey bee or bumblebee. Some native bee species are also great at pollinating some of the plant species that have been introduced to Australia. Australian farmers rely heavily on honey bees to pollinate crops. In fact, bees pollinate almost 80 per cent of our food! However, some species of native bees, like the Blue banded bee variety, can be better pollinators for some plants (like the tomato) than European bees. Blue banded bees use a technique called ‘buzz-pollination’ that shakes pollen from flowers – several plant species require a vibration for its flowers to release their pollen. Because some native bees have this ability they can make our tomatoes taste better! Around the world, bee populations are in severe decline. In Australia, native bees are threatened by scarce food sources, a lack of suitable habitat, the use of herbicides and pesticides, climate change, and competition with the European honey bee for food. Having a diversity of pollinating species in abundance helps maintain healthy ecosystems, and a healthy planet! Let them Bee! Most native bees tend to live alone, they might prefer homes in wood, gaps between rocks, the stem of plants or even underground. Typically, they are not protecting a hive, so they tend to be less aggressive and you are less likely to be stung by a native bee. The native bees that do build hives are stingless. In any case, it is wise to always take care around bees and keep your distance where possible. So, what’s the buzz in Adelaide? Teaming up with several local councils and the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board, the City of Adelaide has joined a global movement to protect and increase native bee populations. The project so far has involved: educating the community on what native bees need for food and nests, how to build native bee nests in your own community (affectionately known as ‘Native Bee Hotels’ or ‘Native Bee BnBs’), installing bee hotels at several places along the River Torrens during community ‘Working Bees’, and planting special gardens to attract the bees. There will be three native bee hotels around the city for families to visit with two along the River Torrens and one in Wirraninthi (GS Kingston Park). The native bee hotels will be an opportunity for you to possibly spot and learn more about the bees, and see what flowers they are attracted to. Things to Do at Home to Attract More Bees GARDENING TIPS: ◆ Plant more bee food!– native plants that flower from early spring to late autumn– buzz-pollinated native plants such as Solanum,Hibbertia and Dianella species. Also, veggie gardenplants such as tomatoes, eggplants and potatoes. ◆ Cut back on mulch – bare ground is important forsome bees that dig burrows as their homes. ◆ Minimise your use of weed barriers (i.e.black plastic in gardening). ◆ Leave some areas of the garden free of vegetation. ◆ Include plants with pithy vines or canes –bees can live in these structures. ◆ Limit pesticide use – this will kill bees and other wildlife. ◆ Mow your lawn less often. INSTALL A ‘NATIVE BEE BNB! ◆ These are artificial nests with cavities to house bees. ◆ The aim is to replicate a variety of different typesof habitat that bees like, for example:– dry dead material with various sizedholes like bamboo, wood, pithy stems– create small holes in wood, bricks etc.– paper straw bundles. ◆ The hotels must be kept dry and preferablyshaded, out of direct sunlight. If you would like to find out more information about the native bee hotels and how you can attract native bees to your own backyard visit cityofadelaide.com.au/native-bees for all the details.

If you are one of the thousands of parents who rely on child care to help support the day-to-day juggle of family life you’ve probably heard that there are changes coming to the Government’s child care package. From 2 July 2018, the Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate will be replaced by a single Child Care Subsidy. Each family could be affected differently by the new child care package. We’ve compiled a list of key things you need to know to help your family prepare for the changeover. There are three pieces of information that will determine how much subsidy you will receive: Your family’s combined income Your level of fortnightly activity such as work, study or volunteering, and The type of child care service your family attends. As part of the new Child Care Subsidy, the number of hours of subsidised care you’ll be entitled to will be based on your level of recognised activity. Understanding the different types of activity that will be recognised is key to maximising your child care subsidy. The good news is there’s a broad range of recognised activities that you can undertake to maximise your child care subsidy. Paid work: includes paid leave, paid or unpaid parental and maternity leave if this is a condition of employment, or being self-employed. Study and training: includes being enrolled in an approved course of education or study, or being enrolled in training courses for the purpose of improving the individual’s work skills or employment prospects. Unpaid work: includes unpaid work in the family business which is owned by a member of the individual’s immediate family, actively setting up a business, or unpaid work experience or internships. Actively looking for work: includes looking for job vacancies, preparing résumés and job applications, contacting potential employers, or preparing for and attending job interviews. Setting up a business: includes obtaining finance, advice and support, attending and organising meetings and networking, developing business and marketing plans. Volunteering: includes voluntary work to improve work skills or employment prospects, voluntary work for a charitable, welfare or community organisation, voluntary work for a school, preschool or a centre based day care service. Generally, the more hours of activity you do, the more hours of subsided child care you can access – up to 100 hours per fortnight, per child. Don’t underestimate how much activity you do! However, the changeover to the new Child Care Subsidy will not be automatic. If you don’t already have one, register now for a myGov account as this is how the government will communicate with you about what you need to do to transition to the new subsidy system and how families can update their activity information. You will need to complete a Child Care Subsidy assessment and apply for the Child Care Subsidy with Centrelink. For extra support you can contact the myGov helpdesk on 13 23 07, select Option 1. Source: Information sourced from the Department of Education and Trainingeducation.gov.au/ChildCarePackage Kindergarten has just become more affordable The year before school is so important for young children. It’s where they learn the skills to develop the confidence they need to make a smooth transition to school. The new Child Care Subsidy will now make Kindergarten more affordable with the offer of 36 hours per fortnight of subsidised kindergarten to all families earning less than $350,000 per year. That’s 6 hours per fortnight more than the current level of support. This is great news for families during the critical year before school. And even better is that families don’t need to meet the new activity test in order to qualify for this subsidy payment – that means that regardless of how much work or recognised activity you and your partner do, you can still receive generous payments to offset the cost of kindergarten. Want to get a child care subsidy estimate? Goodstart Early Learning have developed a simple subsidy estimator to get an idea of how your current payments will be impacted – click here to use the estimator. @goodstartel goodstart.org.au Phone: 1800 222 543

Grasshopper Soccer is building children’s confidence in 24 locations across SA! Kids athletic capabilities come in all different shapes and sizes. It’s important to stay active and healthy, however, competitive sport can be scary for some little ones. Grasshopper Soccer is a community-based Australian soccer organisation that aims to teach children aged 2-12 the basics of playing soccer in a fun, social and non-competitive environment. Grasshopper Soccer coaches recognise the importance of developing skills non-competitively, allowing kids to develop relationships with their teammates, promote social and mental awareness along with improving physical prowess. Each program provides a building block upon which children can improve their game and their character. More than just a game, Grasshopper soccer is a valuable addition to learning. Each session children are given the opportunity to interact in a stress-free environment, discovering how to share, take turns, listen to instructions and work as a team. We chatted to Adelaide Grasshopper Soccer Coach Andrew Davidson to find out more: Why did you get involved with Grasshopper Soccer?As a general sports lover, soccer is a great way to get kids into sport and an enjoyable social environment. GHS was a program I could identify with as it’s fun based which helps the families grow their love of the game. We understand a lot of your trainers are really into soccer, how has soccer benefited you personally?Soccer is a great way to make friends and also keep fit. A team environment allowed me to grow as a person and meet many different people during my playing days. Now it’s a wonderful way to get kids outdoors and run a program to share my knowledge of the game. How does playing sport build up children’s confidence and help with their developmental learning?As we are a program that begins at 2 years of age, the fact that our staff are very friendly and the kids do the sessions with their parents up to the age of 5, the families are able to see the kids grow socially as their confidence grows. This enables new friendships to form, new skills to be acquired and confidence to develop while trying new games at sessions. Can you explain your tier system?The system is used as a guide with groups 2-3yo (Mite-E), 4-5yo (Pint Size), 5-6 (Intro to Micro), 6-8 yo (Micro) and 8-12yo (Micro Plus). As all kids are different development wise, we as staff make suggestions to parents as the kids develop when moving through the various stages of our program. How do you ensure a safe/supportive environment for children with all different levels of capabilities?All our staff are very enthusiastic and encouraging to help with this. As we promote self paced development, children are urged to try the next group when they feel they are ready. Are your programs purely competitive?GHS is a non-competitive program and self paced. What kind of feedback do you often get from your younger students?Mainly that they love coming along with their mates and family to have fun and learn new skills. Choose Your Tier Mite-E Soccer (2-3yo)• A great introduction to Soccer!• Kids work with their parents• Learn new soccer skills• Develop their motor skills• Lots of fun games• Non-competitive environment Pint Size Soccer (4-5yo)• First kicks in soccer!• Introduction to shooting,passing, dribbling andgoal keeping• Play fun, skill based games• Introduction to the Pint Size1v1 Big Game! Intro to Micro (5-6yo)Micro (6-8yo)• Ultimate challenge for youngsoccer players!• Learn the rules ofgrasshopper soccer big game• Develop skills in shooting,passing, dribbling andgoal keeping Micro Plus (8-12yo)• Skills developmentand teamwork• Ideal preparation forclub soccer• Fine-tune their skills• All the favourite fun basedsoccer based games• Play the GrasshopperSoccer Big Game! Choose Your SA Venue Aldinga Beach Primary SchoolBellevue Heights Primary SchoolBrighton Rugby OvalBethany Christian SchoolCoromandel Valley Primary SchoolCrafers Primary SchoolGawler Sports & Community CentreGrange CentreHawthorn CentreKensington Gardens ReserveLockleys Primary School OvalMawson Lakes CentreMcLaren Vale Primary SchoolMt Barker High SchoolMunno Para Primary SchoolPlympton Primary SchoolReynella East CollegeSeaford Rise Primary SchoolSt.Peter’s Girls’ SchoolSurrey Downs Primary SchoolUnley High SchoolWindsor Gardens CentreWoodcroft CollegeWoodcroft Primary School Contact! grasshoppersoccer.com.au Instagram: @grasshoppersocceradelaide Facebook: @GrassHopperSoccerAustralia 

To celebrate Mother’s Day, we have put together a list of some of our favourite local mama-made labels for you to follow. We admire these power mums for juggling it all! Whether it’s sharing their creations, designs, photography or ideas these mumpreneurs will provide you with some great inspo. Chook Shed Designs  Instagram: @chooksheddesignsWebsite: store.chooksheddesigns.com.au Eco Crayons  Instagram: @ecocrayonsWebsite: ecocrayons.com.au Goldie + Ace Instagram: @goldieandaceWebsite: goldieandace.com Word Finders Club  Instagram: @wordfindersclubWebsite: linktr.ee/wordfindersclub Numbers & Letters  Instagram: @numbersandlettersWebsite: numbersandletters.com.au Play Pouch Australia  Instagram: @playpouch_kidsWebsite: playpouch.com.au Austin Bloom  Instagram: @austinbloom Website: austinbloom.com  Jag & Knox Instagram: @JagandknoxWebsite: Jagandknox.com.au KIND Photo  Instagram: @_kindphoto_Website: kindphoto.com.au

Many kids spend hours in the online gaming world. While there are many benefits to safe and responsible gaming, there are some important things to be aware of. Establish time limits and regular breaks Between smartphones, tablets and laptops, and gaming consoles, children and teens are consuming many hours of screen time each day. There are some very good reasons why a good balance of time online and offline should be maintained. Excessive screen time can impact on sleep patterns. Extended time absorbing artificial light at night can affect the natural body rhythms and hormones such as melatonin. Social activity can continue well into the night and is very stimulating for the brain making it difficult for children to settle into ways to prepare their body for sleep. There have been a number of studies linking excessive time online (in particular gaming and social networking) with loneliness and anxiety. With all that said, children that play age appropriate games for only an hour a day are not negatively impacted. Make time offline for your children to spend time with friends, their favourite sports and other activities. Check age ratings and make sure games are age appropriate App store games are self-rated. Have a thorough read of the content and themes.The average age of online gamers is currently 32 years old. Yep, that’s right! It’s not just child’s play. Appropriate content for a 32 year old is not appropriate content for children. While they play, they talk. Do you know what conversations are taking place that your children are listening to or are involved in? Not all games are created equal For some children weapons and violence hold a special fascination, especially for boys. We all played cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians, or our brothers did. The difference between role-play and online play in this instance is the graphic nature of the play, its intensity, addictive nature of the game (you cannot just quit when you want to, you need to complete the level or challenge or reach so many tokens) and the extended periods. This combination has been known to desensitise children to violence. There are many educational and safe online games and much to consider when looking for iPad games for your children. Firstly, check the rating but don’t stop there. A game may say 4+ in the App Store, but if this is a free game, it is likely to have either In-App purchases or advertising links. Recently, I have found some of the advertisements within 4+ rated games a bit on the questionable side for Primary age students. Too often, they are only a click or two away from inappropriate YouTube content or an unwanted download or purchase! This is a big reason why Cybersafe Families recommends parents thoroughly test the games they allow for their children. Choose a game that you can purchase with no ads and that does not have In-App purchases. Sometimes the game may need to be downloaded for free first and then you pay to purchase the full version to remove ads. Games with in-app purchases are designed to make it hard to succeed or progress in the game unless you spend more money and it never stops. These games will either hurt your credit card if your iPad parental controls are not active or leave your child feeling disappointed they aren’t progressing. Here’s a few we have tested and are enjoyed by our children… Minion Rush Fruit Ninja Chesskid Archery Champion 2.0 Gladiator Run Tank Hero Angry Birds – varied versions ABCKids As always, we recommend parents test the games to know they align with their ideals. Please make sure your parent controls are also enabled on the iPad. Be aware of multi-player options The Office of the eSafety commissioner released a snippet of survey results from the Youth Digital Participation Survey 2017 that tells us that 64% of children are playing online games with others and 52 % of are playing with people they don’t know. Know who your child is playing with, sit with them, check their friends list and get involved. Make sure they are only playing with people they know and have met in person. Check the settings on your child’s games to ensure strangers are blocked or restrict chat features through parental controls. Accepting a stranger in an online game is like inviting a stranger into the playroom to hang out with your child. If your older teen is chatting with other gamers, they must protect their privacy and keep personal information private. Activate privacy settings that are password protected. Children who share too much can put themselves at risk for being targets of grooming. Be screen aware Games are available on all screens; phones, tablets, PCs and game consoles and the total screen time can add up. Set firm limits as a family around online gaming time. An hour per day is more than enough for the experience to be a positive one and not enough time to get hooked! Stay involved Play online games with your child. Be sure to play to the very end to make sure it is what you are expecting. Watch out for online ads and free games, the content can be inappropriate. Similarly, in-game and in-app purchases can run up large credit card bills. Even if the game is free to download, the player can be required to pay real money to proceed in the game, or get extra tools. You can turn off in-app purchases to safeguard against this Step into their world, talk to them about it, learn about what they play and interact with your child while they are playing. This will open the lines of communication should they need your support somewhere down the track Because of its interactive nature, communicating with others while gaming can sometimes lead to others bullying or behaving badly. If this happens encourage your children not to retaliate or respond and show your child how to block

No dummies, high chairs, bouncers and flashy toys. RIEⓇ parenting may not be mainstream, but its respectful approach to raising kids is a philosophy that’s here to stay. There is no shortage of parenting handbooks. Do this, they say, and your baby will self settle. Try that, and they’ll be rolling on their tummies right in time for their milestone. According to renowned infant specialist and educator Magda Gerber, trying to control the development of babies is where many parents are going wrong. Magda was mentored by paediatrician Dr Emmi Pikler, who observed children at a Hungarian orphanage to find better ways to raise them. Madga then took this respectful approach to the US, where in 1978, she founded Resources for Infant Educarers, more commonly known as RIEⓇ (pronounced wry), which changed the way parents and educators around the world viewed babies and children. In its simplest terms, EducaringⓇ – the name of the approach RIEⓇ advocates – teaches to trust a baby, observe, speak to them respectfully (yes, baby talk is out!) and meet their needs. While it’s known to have a big celebrity following (Vanity Fair even profiled it), this is not a fad. Mum of three, Emily McDonald, has been an advocate of EducaringⓇ for several years, and noticed a significant difference in her children’s development and her own parenting from the moment she began practising it. “I’d read the article by [US-based RIEⓇ expert] Janet Lansbury, ‘How to talk to your newborn’. It said that from the very beginning, you should just talk to your baby honestly about what is happening to them. Observe them mindfully and see what they are communicating to you, then we can better understand what our baby needs,” explains Emily, a parent guidance specialist at beingwithbaby.com.au . “The authentic, genuine approach made sense to me. It felt strange at first telling my baby everything that I was doing, but after a short period of time, I felt a deeper connection than I ever had before with my baby.” Emily admits one of the biggest challenges she faces as a parent is ‘letting go’. “EducaringⓇ trusts the baby to reach their milestones of rolling, crawling, sitting, walking, when they do it. Part of that means they develop that joy of mastery themselves,” says the Perth mum, who is on the board of the Infant & Toddler Advocacy Network Australia (ITANA). While some elements of EducaringⓇ are seen by some as controversial, its growing legions of fans around Australia show this technique is going a long way to helping parents understand their mysterious little human beings. “The goal for this approach is an authentic child – one that is true to themselves,” says Emily. “They’re confident, capable, and able to communicate their needs.” Not only that, it can be good for mum and dad, too. “It has made me a confident and calm parent,” says Emily. “I’m less stressed about my role and I’m forever grateful for Magda Gerber for sharing it.” The basics of EducaringⓇ Talk to your babySpeak in a normal voice and talk about what’s happening at that moment, such as: ‘I’m going to pick you up now’. Ask questions and give them time to respond. CryingAvoid distracting a baby from crying, as that makes them feel disconnected. “Crying is a healthy way for babies to express their feelings,” says Emily. “Pause and observe it and consider what they’re trying to communicate and try to meet that need.” Dummies“Dummies are tempting for parents but Magda advises not using them because a baby’s cry is a way to communicate a need to us,” says Emily. “If we give them the space, they may soothe themselves with a thumb or their hand.” FeedingA baby will give you cues such as pushing their hand away from the spoon when they are full so there’s no need to cajole them into eating with aeroplane sounds. As for how to feed, EducaringⓇ isn’t a fan of the high chair as it restricts the baby’s movements. “You would feed your baby in a semi-reclined position on your lap until they can sit independently themselves,” explains Emily. “Also offer their food at a very low table with a stool they can get into and out of themselves. It allows them to tune into their own bodies and know when they are full.” Manners“Social things like please, thank you, sorry and other polite terms are caught not taught,” says Emily. “What we model is what they pick up on. I haven’t ever asked my five year old to say sorry and he says it all the time.” Praise“Children should be intrinsically motivated to do something, not seeking the praise of a parent,” says Emily. “If they’ve completed a puzzle, we would say something like, “I see you’ve built the puzzle, you must be really proud of yourself. We wouldn’t say ‘good boy’ or ‘good girl’ as that motivates them to please us.” Sharing“Infants need to go through a stage of development to understand sharing,” explains Emily. “They need to know the concept of ownership and that an object will be returned to them after someone uses it. We trust that they will figure out toy struggles themselves.” PlayEducaringⓇ promotes uninterrupted, self-directed play in a ‘safe space’ in the home that an infant can be placed in unattended and unrestricted for a period without being harmed. “When they’re starting to commando crawl, we might introduce a low platform so they can explore going up and over something,” says Emily. “Parents should trust that their baby can figure out how to navigate it and not try to teach them. Magda wouldn’t recommend any battery operated or loud toys as they make the baby a passive observer. Walkers and bouncers also restrict their bodies. The best toys are often those in the kitchen cupboard.” Read up on RIEⓇ Your Self–Confident Baby by Magda Gerber and Allison JohnsonElevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting and No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline Without Shame By Janet Lansbury

DIY Slime Slime is a permanent fixture in Kid & Hub’s Movers & Makers classes, as it is the ultimate sensory material, and is so popular with little ones and parents alike! Most slime recipes call for the use of toxic ingredients such as contact lens solution, borax, and glue. Given the tendency for little ones to taste test when they’re playing, this is pretty frightening. The go-to slime at Kid & Hub is ‘oobleck’ – cornstarch, water and a drop of food colouring. However, we’re always on the lookout for something new and exciting for our Movers & Makers members. So imagine our excitement when we discovered this chia seed slime. It’s squishy, stretchy and entirely edible! Ingredients ¼ cup chia seeds2 cups water1 tsp xanthan gum500g cornflour (extra may be required)3-5 drop food colouring Method Measure 1/4 cup chia seeds and 2 cups of water into a sealable container and store overnight in the fridge (12-24 hours). If you can, stir at least once during this time to prevent the seeds from clumping. The next day, your seeds should be nice and gelatinous. Stir to break up any clumps, then add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum and whisk. Add 3-5 drops of food colouring and mix. Finally, add a 500g box of cornflour and mix. Eventually, it will be easier to knead by hand. If the mixture is still too sticky, add extra cornflour by the tablespoon. Continue to add cornflour by the Tablespoon until the slime isn’t sticky. Your slime is ready to play with when you can move it as a big heap. As this slime is edible, it is also perishable, so store it in the fridge in a sealed container when not in use. It can keep for up to a week. Kid and Hub @kidandhub

TAFE SA offers a choice for everyone, no matter what age or stage. Education doesn’t have to be all about books and computers. At TAFE SA, there are courses for leisure activities, professional development and career changes, with hundreds to choose from online and on campus. TAFE SA offers more than 400 short courses in a diverse range of areas. Cooking, art and design, hair & beauty, furniture restoration, property and marketing are just some of the areas of study available. Meet Laura New mum, Laura, was feeling inspired to change her career. Her interests were in interior design, so she began researching some course options. TAFE SA was a great fit for her, because of its flexibility and the range of courses offered. An eight week short course appealed most to Laura while she busy juggling her 20 month old baby. Laura has now finished her ‘Introduction to Interior Design’ course. Having enjoyed it so much, she continued on to do her diploma, with the goal of becoming a full time interior decorator. We chatted to Laura to find out how TAFE SA was convenient for her as a new mum and what she liked about interior design: What was it about a TAFE SA Interior Design course that appealed so much to you? I love interior design, so when I started doing research on what courses to take, this one popped up. Being a new mum, I needed a course that was at a convenient location, time and duration. This one met all those needs. How was a TAFE SA course more convenient for you? It gave me an insight to what the Diploma of Interior Design would be all about. I was able to get my feet wet and see if I would enjoy pursuing this as a career. What was the best skill that you learnt during your interior design course? The whole course is geared towards helping me develop my authentic interior design style. What made you want to continue on to do your diploma? I was inspired by my teacher’s passion and enthusiasm. It made me want to learn more and to dive into something that I’ve always loved. Other than interior design are there any other short courses at TAFE SA that you would consider taking? I have always wanted to try the floristry, furniture/woodworking and real estate/property investment courses. Do you have any recommendations for someone considering a TAFE SA course? If you’re toying with the idea of whether or not you should try a short course, I say give it a go! What do you have to lose? The best part of taking a short course is that if you like it, you can pursue the diploma and explore more. I learned so much in my first year and I can’t wait to see what this year brings! ENROL NOW Feeling inspired? Feeling creative? Feel like expanding your knowledge while having an enjoyable 8 weeks with like-minded people? Enrolments for TAFE SA short courses starting May 1st are now open! More Choice 70000 Students1300 Qualifications400 Short Courses80 Areas of Industry To enrol or find the full list of short courses available visit Website: tafesa.edu.au/shortcoursesFacebook: @tafesaYoutube: TAFESouthAustralia Meaghan Coles Photography

School holidays. It’s a time to enjoy moments with our families, a time to savour positive experiences and also, when to try not to tear our hair out when moments can be challenging and stressful. It is a chance to fosterkindness and compassion and to ensure we give kindly to ourselves. Kindness may not be a word that is frequently used. Perhaps it seems archaic in our competitive social media-infused, politically contentious culture. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Today, more than ever, we need to cultivate kindness, not only for the sake of our society but for our own wellbeing. It is important to boost kindness in our world. We should never do an act of kindness to gain from it. We should always be kind because it is the right thing to do. But, when we are kind, there are positive side effects that come with it: Kindness makes us happier Kindness gives us healthier hearts Kindness slows ageing – yes, the science says this is true! Oxytocin (which we produce through emotional warmth) reduces levels of free radicals and inflammation in the cardiovascular system and thus slows aging at its source. Kindness makes for better relationships Kindness is contagious As humans we are wired for kindness. It is part of our biological heritage, designed to support us to foster relationships, work together and survive in groups. When we are kind to others, it releases neurochemicals in our bodies that increase trust and give us a warm feeling. But, let’s face it – the holiday period can be a stressful time, and in all honesty, it can be hard to be kind, particularly when we are stressed out or emotionally spent in dealing with the rat-race. These are moments when we forget to notice others around us or be empathetic to their suffering. In fact, sometimes our stress leads to withdrawing from those who are close to us, or worse, reacting by lashing out at them. This kind of reactive behaviour tears at the heart of our relationships, making it harder to feel good and to do good for others. During the holiday period, this can be a challenge. How exactly in times of stress, particularly when the children are home 24/7 do we live and breathe kindness when we are dysregulated, and in desperate need of a coffee, or…champagne? Be Mindful and Reset your Stress At times of stress, our bodies are flooded with neurochemicals that prepare our internal systems for fight and flight responses. All of these act against your desire to reach out and be kind to others. Step back and give yourself some time…try a breathing meditation. The first stage of meditation is to stop distractions and make our mind clearer. Sit with your eyes partially closed and turn your attention to your breathing. Breathe naturally, preferably through the nostrils, without attempting to control your breath, and try to become aware of the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. This sensation is the object of meditation. Try to concentrate on it to the exclusion of everything else. At first, your mind will be very busy, and you might even feel that the meditation is making our mind busier; but in reality you are just becoming more aware of how busy your mind actually is. If you discover that your mind has wandered and is following your thoughts, immediately return it to the breath. Repeat this as many times as necessary until the mind settles on the breath. Just stop. Stopping and being aware allows us to be kind and practice empathy for ourselves, our children and others. When we are rushed, we often tune out what’s happening around us. By attending to the sensations in our bodies, our thoughts and what’s happening in our environment without judgment, we can strengthen the skills of attention. This also helps us become more attuned to our emotions which helps us to be more empathetoc towards others. Positivity As humans we are naturally conditioned to pay attention to the negative things happening around us (crayon drawings on walls, spilt drinks, chaos, loud screaming and endless tears). In our modern world, media headlines take advantage of this predisposition, leading with stories bound to make us feel sad, enraged, helpless and fearful. And those emotions are antithetical to kindness. Counter this by purposefully creating opportunities for positive emotion and balance the positivity to negativity 3:1. This could mean something as simple as smiling at others that you pass on the street, giving your child a warm hug when you are with them and savouring the positivity that happens throughout the day through photographs. As you sit around your kitchen table, share three positive experiences you have savoured throughout the day. Kindness is contagious We are influenced by others around us, so it is important to influence our social networks and children to be more kind. One way to do this is by practicing gratitude; giving thanks to others for their kindnesses. Saying thank you to people augment their feelings of trust and goodwill and can inspire all to be kind in the future. Live the Golden Rule – a great rule for the home ‘Treat others as you would want to be treated.’ The Golden Rule is the ultimate, all-encompassing principle for moral behaviour. To determine if our actions are moral, we should ask ourselves if we would like to be treated the way we are treating the other person if we were in their situation. Twenty-four hundred years ago, Aristotle made a logical point that if everyone lived by the Golden Rule, we wouldn’t need government. We would all get along nicely, without any human authority over us, if we all lived by the Golden Rule. Enjoy the holiday school holiday period with your loved ones. Being kind to yourself is totally underrated. It will allow you to give to others. Cultivate a practice of radical kindness creates a ripple effect that changes every relationship in

Seymour’s Year 8 girls are very excited to be working with Associate Professor Karin Nordström from Flinders University. Professor Nordström will be helping the girls understand pollinator choice in the face of declining bee populations. Professor Nordström will be guiding the girls to undertake an experiment she recently had published in the USA. The girls will be determining factors that affect the choices a pollinator makes by designing artificial flowers (lures) with different flora cues. The lures will be tested at Seymour College where the girls will gather data and interpret the results – possibly contributing to international research. Prof Nordström’s research: http://bit.ly/NordströmPollinatorChoiceSC ‘With more than 80% of flowering plant species specialized for animal pollination, understanding how wild pollinators utilize resources across environments can encourage efficient planting and maintenance strategies to maximize pollination and establish resilience in the face of environmental change. A fundamental question is how generalist pollinators recognize “flower objects” in vastly different ecologies and environments.’  Excerpt from Prof Nordstöm’s research abstract. Seymour College