Educate

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

Star Academy has set a new precedent for Performing Arts Studios in Australia, from its contemporary décor to its modern facilities. The Star Academy Grote street studio is a vibrant, colourful, urban venue consisting of 3 dance studios studios, 1 drama studio and a singing studio all equipped with sound systems, mirrors, ballet barres, microphones, high ceilings and wooden flooring. Ohh and don’t worry mums, there is also a lounge area with coffee and a 50inch plasma to prevent you from hysterically needing to rush past the drive through for a mediocre 1/4 strength coffee in-between kid pick ups. Sit back relax, read a magazine and sip away. The performing arts Academy offers acting, singing, musical theatre and a variety of dance styles including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip Hop, Contemporary/lyrical and Acrobatics. Priding itself on providing an atmosphere which instills confidence and develops self esteem, Star Academy aims to release the inner potential of students of all ages and capabilities. Jenna Boffa the founder and Creative Director of Star Academy has over 20 years of performing arts education. Her passion has lead her to create an institute, which brings passion, friendships and talent together. The Academy caters for students who desire to pursue a career in entertainment or simply to have fun and get fit. It can be a struggle to find the perfect match when it comes to finding an extra curricular activity for your child. You don’t want to be ‘that mum’ dragging a screaming 6 year old to classical piano lessons at the attempt of morphing them into the next Mozart, before they can even read. It can be difficult choosing the right activity where your child will feel comfortable doing something that’s at the right level for them. At Star Academy friendship is strongly encouraged throughout student, teacher and parent relationships. This has created a welcoming, supportive environment for the all members. There is an apparent sense of community within the studio, Jenna Boffa Star Academy Creative Director says ‘Star Academy is proud of the family environment that has developed between staff, students and their families and we are so grateful for the amount of support we have received over the past 7 years. It is beautiful to watch friendships build in class, not only between students but also between students and teachers, and their families.’ Don’t mind us while we gasp over these adorable Student Testimonials…. Star Academy makes dance fun, is action packed and you build cool friendships !! – Marcus De Palma – Age 12 It’s an enjoyable performing arts studio to be at and everyone has become that close we are all like family. – Tayla Filleti – Age 13 The teachers are nice and funny and give us lots of time to practice and all my best friends are there – Zoe Rae burns – Age 9 I love Star Academy because I get to do hip hop and ballet. – Annabelle Aristides Age 7 (Annabelle brought her tap and ballet shoes to show and tell. The topic was “what was the best thing about term 1?” and she said her dance lessons!! ) Star Academy is a place where everyone can feel welcome and inspire to achieve there goals. From the moment I walk into the studio each day there is a rush of excitement, energy and love that comes through my body. That is why I LOVE STAR ACADEMY -Rachel Green age 14 I love Star Because I get to dance and play dress ups – Milana Furina – Age 4 Is your child’s birthday looming on the horizon? Just incase offering almost every style of performing arts wasn’t enough, Star Academy also has a party service.  Your party will be hosted by enthusiastic and experienced teachers/performers. Think dancing, singing and lots of fun… and the best part is you do not have to do a thing! The set up, decorating, food, hosting, games and even the cleaning is all taken care of.. seriously, Pinch us! Party packages includes: Personalised InvitationsThemed Party HostsThemed Birthday Set upThemed Costumes and Props for all guestsParty Music & Sound SystemGames/PrizesAll Party BagsAll Food and Drink Catering Supplied by Star AcademySnacksBirthday Cupcakes (May bring your own Cake if you wish)Birthday Present for Birthday GuestAll Clean UpPlease note: We can tailor any party to your specific needs.The most easy parties any parent will ever have to host!! Website: Star Academy  Instagram: @staracademy_adelaide Facebook: Staracademy5000

Adelaide psychologist and mother of three boys, aged ten, seven and two, Hanna Beaven, specialises in families’ emotional wellbeing in the stages of trying to conceive, pregnancy, birth and parenting babies and young children. Eat, sleep, repeat I didn’t think a new mum and Bill Murray would have anything in common, but I was wrong! Do a Google search of “groundhog day mum” and you’ll find at least 10 listings. The reason being, new mums can feel like they’re trapped. Like it’s Bill Murray in the famous movie, day after day. The Oxford Dictionary describes groundhog as: “(a) situation in which a series of unwelcome or tedious events appear to be recurring in exactly the same way”. While Phil (Bill Murray) is stuck, repeatedly reporting on the annual emergence of the groundhog in the 1993 film Groundhog Day, new mothers can feel like they’re in a time loop of monotonous care for their baby, having to relive the same day over and over again. For example, repeatedly changing nappies. ‘In the first few years of your child’s life you’re going to change around 6,000 nappies,’ says the book, Raising Children. I’ve chalked up two nappy changes of the stinky variety just while writing this article! It is only through the lived experience of keeping a tiny human alive – one that we love with all our heart – that the enormity of the 24/7 task sinks in. I think we could better support women to create a more realistic picture of how life changes after having a baby. Instead of flooding expectant mothers with images that portray motherhood as glamorous and serene, with settled babies and coffee dates, we should be open and honest. While parenting can bring us immense joy it can also be lonely, and at times boring. Becoming a mother is one of life’s biggest and most significant event in a woman’s life. Changes occur to many areas including: sense of self, relationship with partner, body, hormone levels, social life, sleep (or lack thereof), work and day to day activities. Once the birth is over (which we can prepare for by taking various courses) we are literally left holding the baby, and then the feeding, settling, changing, on repeat begins. Unfortunately, many new mums don’t have a safe and supported environment to share not only their joys, but also their challenges of caring for their baby. This can lead to new mums feeling alone and guilty, despite loving their babies. Karen Kleiman and Valerie Raskin have it spot in their book, This Isn’t What I Expected. “(W)e can feel good and bad at once. We can love our baby and feel angry at the same time. We can love being a mother and resent giving up our free time…To acknowledge ambivalence is not an expression of failure. Nor does it challenge the investment we all have in being the best mother we can…Though we are taught to search for and embrace the positive feelings that prevail, every mother has experienced these ambivalent feelings at one time or another.” How to thrive as a new mum while experiencing groundhog day:  Allow yourself to face, feel and process your grief & loss about your pre-baby life Notice the critical things you say to yourself – we can be our own worst enemies Increase the self-compassionate things you say to yourself – talk to yourself the wayyou would to a friend Try to build in some alone time – even if it’s just to have a shower Establish a flexible flow to your day that works for you and your baby Spend time with supportive and non-judgemental people – out of the house ifpossible Accept or ask for assistance when needed Take regular exercise such as walking around the block with your baby in the pram Re-introduce parts of your pre-baby life when and wherever possible Work towards accepting how your life has changed in both positive and negativeways Try to trust that your life is going to constantly change as a parent alongside yourchild’s growth and development – therefore this is a temporary stage Balance the housework and parenting tasks with parenting fun and joy Spend some time being intentionally in the present moment with your baby Have open and honest communication with your partner Try not label a whole day as “bad” rather reflect on parts of the day that were easy /fun (no matter how small) and the parts that were challenging Unlike Phil (Bill Murray), new mothers are not alone in their experience of groundhog day. The more we can open up about both the joys and challenges of motherhood the more we can support each other when it’s hard. However, like Phil, mums are on a journey of self-discovery, growth and acceptance in their new and important role in life. As a new mum it can feel like days last forever when you’re doing the same things over and over again. But parenting happens in each tiny ordinary moment of every day. It is through the process of sharing the repeated loop of life’s ordinary moments that the extraordinary occurs – our babies feel safe and loved by us, which is the greatest gift we can give them. When we feel like the monotony is dragging us down, we can try to see it as an opportunity to press the reset button and welcome Sonny and Cher’s I Got You Babe playing from your clock radio the next morning. Facebook – @hannabeavenpsychologyInstagram – @hannabeavenpsychologyWebsite – www.hannabeavenpsychology.com.au

‘Ms the dog ate my homework!’ is a common fib Seymour teachers might hear more of , now that the College has welcomed Hunter, a Wellbeing Dog. Hunter is a three-year old Labrador who was trained by Guide Dogs SA. He is now a Pets as Therapy Dog (PAT), permanently situated on-site at Seymour to assist with student wellbeing and learning. Seymour is the only independent school in South Australia to have a therapy dog permanently on-site. Already, Hunter has started attending counselling sessions as well as visiting classrooms to sit with the girls for a lesson. Teachers have also found he is making a positive impact on students’ learning and engagement. Vanessa Browning, the Head of the Junior School says “Some of the girls have had the opportunity to read to him and they do so with real confidence. Hunter’s loving nature helps children to relax, open up, try hard and have fun.” “We have also found Hunter is very helpful with girls who are distressed from injury or are just having a bad day. He helps them to relax and takes the attention away from their ailment. The benefits with the students and parents has far exceeded my expectations and we are loving having him here”, says Ms Browning. Seymour College

‘In today’s rush we all think too much – seek too much – want too much – and forget about the joy of just being.’ Eckhart Tolle A few years ago, I would walk out of work, head down, shoulders lowered, eyes glued onto the face of the mobile phone in my hands still checking emails. I had physically left the office, but emotionally and mentally I was still there. This happened daily and would continue when I walked through the door of my home. This was my habit until one day a colleague walked out with me and commented on the trees that had blossomed along the footpath. This was a rude awakening. I did not even know that there were trees along the path, let alone noticed the white blossom flowers that had bloomed, nor had I looked up and paid attention to the white clouds that slowly swept across the sky making elaborate shapes. As children we laid on the lawn, watching the clouds make vivid images above our heads, however, as adults we barely look up to take note as our minds are full with information. We are busy. Our times of rest and relaxation so often become just another race to get things done. How often do we feel the need to continually be busy, feeling guilty if we sit even if it is just for five minutes? It is said that we have about 50,000-70,000 thoughts a day. There are often constant streams of thoughts that move throughout our minds, and quite often, a lot of the time, our minds are not actually focussed on what it is that is being done. Maybe you can relate to sitting down at work or home with your family and caught yourself jumping between tasks and feeling like you are not doing anything properly. Or perhaps, you’ve noticed how easily it is that you can get hijacked by social media and waste hours scrolling mindlessly, when you could have spent that time doing something far more productive. Life is like walking a slack line. We’re always balancing things; work, play, health, sickness, friendships, families and our relationships. It is a little (and sometimes more than a little) stressful. As soon as we tense up, the line starts to shake and we are more than easily thrown off. It’s these times we may regret the way in which we treat others, ourselves and most importantly our children. The slack line gives immediate feedback and meditation and mindfulness can help us make use of this feedback. The idea of mindfulness is to train our minds so that we can choose where to focus our attention and keep it there. Mindfulness allows us to be present in our parenting, choosing the calmed and skilful response instead of succumbing to our primitive reactions. It is also good for our children. There is an emerging body of research that indicates that mindfulness can help our children improve their abilities to pay attention, to calm down when they are upset, and to make better decisions. In short, it helps with emotional regulation and cognitive focus. Do I even need to ask if you want that for your kids? Applying Mindfulness in your Life Establish your own practice. You would have trouble teaching your children ballet if you had never danced. To authentically teach mindfulness to your children, you need to practice it yourself. Check your expectations. A core principle of mindfulness is letting go of expectations, and this certainly applies to teaching mindfulness to yourselves and your children. Are you expecting mindfulness to eliminate tantrums? To make your active child calm? To make your house quiet? If so, you are likely to be disappointed. The purpose of teaching mindfulness to our children is to give them skills to develop their awareness, to be present, to recognise their thoughts as “just thoughts,” to understand how emotions manifest in their bodies, to recognise when their attention has wandered, and to provide tools for self-regulation. It is not a panacea, and it will not completely get rid of what is normal child behaviour, like tantrums and loudness and whining and exuberance and arguing. The more present you are with your children and yourselves the more happy and resilient you and they will be. It will support you to remain in the present moment and to engage more fully when interacting with others, including your children. Research shows that parents and carers who practice being mindful around their children contribute to improving their child’s sense of self-worth and self-esteem. For children Mindful play Dedicate a window of time each week to mindfully play with your child or children. Turn off all other distractions such as the TV, and put your mobile away and on silent. Try to give them your full attention during this time and if your mind wanders off to all the things you should be doing, that’s fine – that’s just what minds do! Use your child as an anchor to come back to every time your mind wanders away. Mindful dinnertime Create a time for your family to appreciate and savour their food at the start of a meal by spending the first few minutes of dinner in silence, just eating and enjoying the food. It’s a surprisingly nice activity to do with the whole family, and done regularly, can become a lovely ritual. For adults Mindful breathing 1. Find a relaxed, comfortable position. You could be seated on a chair or on the floor on a cushion. Keep your back upright, but not too tight.2. Notice and relax your body. Let yourself relax and become curious about your body seated here; the sensations it experiences, the touch, the connection with the floor or the chair. Relax any areas of tightness or tension. Just breathe.3. Tune into your breath. Feel the natural flow of breath, in and out. You don’t need to do anything to your breath. Not long, not short, just natural. Notice where you feel your breath in your body. It might be in your abdomen.

Ian Steel is showing how a little goes a long way in helping change the life of a child in need. A little boy, aged just six years old, walks to school each day. His parents aren’t there to guide him across the road or carry his heavy bag. Instead, this child is holding the hands of his siblings, age three and four, all the way to school to have the breakfast they were never given at home. It’s only after he walks them back home again that he can return and start the day with his schoolmates. This heart-wrenching story is but one of many Ian Steel recounts with sadness in his eyes. It is all the more important he shares it because the children in them are not in another country, but on our very doorstep. “There are countless children living in third world conditions just five kilometres from the Adelaide CBD,” says Ian. “Some are living in cars, going through bins and eating dog food. It breaks my heart.”Ian, a builder by trade and father of three, first witnessed the innocent suffering of South Australia’s underprivileged children while mentoring in a northern suburbs school. “I was shocked at what I saw,” recalls Ian. “Kids came to school without clothes or shoes and 11 year olds were stealing cars on the weekend just to eat. I had just become a parent too and had such unconditional love for my son that I couldn’t understand how kids could be treated like that. I couldn’t turn my back on them.” Seeing for himself how hunger severely affected the children he visited, Ian took matters into his own hands.“I realised I couldn’t take them all in so I started a breakfast program at that school with just me and my ute going to the local shopping centre telling shopkeepers the stories of these kids before I went off to work,” he recalls. “I was able to take the donations to a school the next day and the difference in the kids was instant. They had more energy and concentration to learn and their self esteem went up.” It was then that KickStart for Kids was born. Today, Ian’s charity has grown to support more than 350 schools from Gawler to Victor Harbour and a far as Kangaroo Island. With the help of family members and 800 volunteers, Ian serves up 50,000 breakfasts and 10,000 lunches each week. Just $1200 feeds an entire school for a year. “If a school calls in to say they need help, Kickstart for Kids will be there the next day, whether it’s to feed two or 200 children,” Ian says. “Many of these kids have only been fed junk food. They have never tasted fruit or yoghurt and they love it.”Recognising the vulnerability of impoverished children in its food programs, KickStart for Kids extends a helping hand far beyond meals. “We run a pop-up shop with all new donated items where the kids can choose clothes, underwear, shoes and toothbrushes, that sort of thing,” says Ian. “It’s something they never get to do. I’ve met so many who have never put on a pair of new socks or underwear. They tell me it’s the best day of their life. It brings a lot of them to tears.” Ian has also gathered a team of volunteer mentors, from teenage sporting leaders to loving grandparents and members of the business community. “These kids don’t have any significant adults in their lives. Our mentors have ongoing relationships with them and fill the gaps of a parent who loves and cares for them,” says Ian. “It’s not only good for the kids, it’s great for the volunteers because we know nothing feels better than helping someone else.” Camp KickStart is the charity’s newest initiative, providing much needed respite from the tough conditions disadvantaged children face at home outside of school terms. The program currently supports 60 youngsters aged 5-13 and Ian hopes to expand the reach this year. “These kids don’t look forward to holidays,” Ian says sadly. “They’re dealing with parents with drug addiction, mental illness and abuse issues and they get no rest from it at home, so being taken to the beach, the movies or the zoo is a saviour to them. Most have never been taken anywhere before.” Such is Ian’s commitment to the kids, many have been given refuge in his home and become part of his family.“My kids treat them like brothers and sisters,” he says. “It’s part of their life and they help in the programs and camps. My wife works with the kids too, she’s a mum to many. It’s made our family very aware of how we live and how lucky we are. Having my kids grow up being a part of this has been a blessing because they really do appreciate how important it is to be charitable. My kids will give for the rest of their lives.” KickStart for Kids accepts donations of food, new clothing, shoes, household goods and any monetary value. Volunteers to assist with the food programs and Camps are also needed, with any amount of time welcomed. Get in touch via the website www.kickstartforkids.com.au Facebook: @kickstart4kidsTwitter: @kickstartforkid Meaghan Coles Photography 

How much posting on Facebook is too much? Most of us enjoy sharing a pic or two of our children from time to time doing something special. It’s even been given a name: ‘sharenting’. Most Facebook users who are uploading pictures of kids are women, mums in fact, who want to share the trials and tribulations of life with their little treasures. Thank goodness for mobile phone cameras which now allow us to never miss a moment. But therein lies the modern parent’s dilemma. Unfortunately, our phone cameras also mean it is possible to capture any special moment at any given time, so much so that we are possibly living through our smart phones rather than in the moment. Facebook is 14 years old this year and some teenagers would have had their entire lives journaled online by their parents. An online study of 1623 people conducted in 2015 by Vital Smarts looked at this ritual of taking and posting pictures of children and 58% of respondents reported that posting that perfect picture has prevented them from enjoying life experiences, and some even felt they had missed being present with their child. A question from one of our Cybersafe Families Facebook followers prompts us throw another lens on this. “I’m new to Facebook and I want to know if it’s safe for me to post pictures of my kids?” Before you hit the post button it’s important to think twice about the safety aspects and the impacts of each individual post. The web never forgets. Are your children going to be happy about their photo story when they look back over their public life?Parents are finding that their teenage children are asking for pictures of themselves to be taken down, or pleading with them not to post, because they find it embarrassing. Often a parent’s first response might be, “It’s my Facebook page and I’ll post what I like!”. Common courtesy is to ask friends and colleagues before posting a pic of them on Facebook. Are we giving our children the same right? It might be a good time to ask yourself, “Who are my Facebook friends?” Someone you sat next to at a football game back in 2007? A friend of a friend you met at a party and connected with in order to tag them in a picture? Maybe your friends list needs a clean out. After all, these are the people you are inviting to look at the aspects of our life you choose to publicly share. A good way to do this is to ask yourself, if you bumped into this person on the street would you stop and chat, pull out your purse and share your kids’ latest school picture? Would you tell them about family milestones or your new job? If the answer is no, then it’s time to do some deleting. Then check your privacy settings to ensure that only friends can view your pictures. Right now there is no way of preventing other people from sharing the photos you have posted on Facebook. You can, however, limit your pictures to friends only. This way only your friends will see your images. However, this doesn’t prevent anyone from taking screenshots of your photos and sharing them. This is why it is important to know who your friends and keep them real. The decision about what you post and how often is a personal one. Many people post pictures with the sole purpose of sharing with family and friends and staying connected, or to boost engagement with their community. This is how we roll today. It’s up to you to decide, only you can weigh up the benefits and risks so you can do what feels right for you. The office of the eSafety Commissioner shares some advice on ways to share pictures that will reduce of the risk of your photos being shared more widely than you intended. 1.The golden rule, gain consent before posting pics of other people’s children. This is easy to forget when getting caught up in the excitement of school sports day or the Christmas concert. It’s also important to consider that in any large group of children there is the possibility of a foster child whose posted photo could put them at serious risk. Best to play it safe here and be sure to only snap your own little bundle of joy. 2.Ask yourself:– Who might see it? Is anyone else in it?– Will it offend anyone?– Are there any identifying details in the photo? A picture of your child in his school uniform with his soccer club bag sitting in the background with a birthday card on the shelf will tell a predator all they need to know about where and when to find your child if they want to. 3.Sharing photos online can sometimes identify your location. Check your location settings and check which apps on your smartphone use geolocation 4.Never share anything indicating your children’s activity schedules onlineRevisit your privacy settings, and check your settings on all social media platforms. You may have overlooked something. It’s better to be safe than sorry. For any information or advice regarding ways to keep your family safe online contact Cybersafe Families www.cybersafefamilies.com.au Facebook: Cyber Safe Families 

If you’ve attended Nature Play SA’s events you may have come across the scrumptious variety of natural playdoughs on offer for little hands to explore and create. One of their popular varieties is lavender playdough, a calming and engaging playdough made with natural colours and fragrances to captivate the senses. In the inaugural issue of its Wild Ones magazine, the not-for-profit organisation shares some of its favourite playdough recipes, including this gorgeous wildberry lavender variation. Whip up a batch together with your kiddos over the summer holidays! What you’ll need 2 cups plain flour1 cup salt2 tbsp oil4 tbsp cream of tartar2 cups water1 tsp lavender oil½ – 1 cup fresh or frozen berries for dyeing Optional extrasnatural loose parts (think: twigs, flowers, seedpods, pebbles, fragrant herbs and shells)cookie cutters, rolling pin, cutting board or placemat for play Steps Prepare your natural dye: gently bring water and berries to boil in a saucepan, then simmer for five or more minutes. Remove saucepan from the stove and strain the mixture through a colander, reserving the liquid.Allow kids to measure and mix the flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a medium-sized saucepanPlace saucepan on medium heat and carefully add the oil and natural dye mix. Stir for 3 – 5 minutes until the mixture congeals then remove from heat.Once the playdough has cooled, knead the lavender oil into the dough then allow children to work the mixture until ready! Tips There’s a bounty of natural hues that can be achieved with berries and other plants, spices and natural materials. Experiment with foraged summer berries (such as mulberries or blackberries) or try fresh or frozen berries to see what unique shades you can createAmp up your family nature time by making a morning of collecting natural loose parts around your neighbourhood or local park together. Keep a collection on hand for playdough and other nature craft sessions! Nature Play SA is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to increasing the time today’s generation of children spend playing outdoors in nature. Find out more about their Wild Ones magazine and Family Membership at natureplaysa.org.au/join-the-movement/family-membership/ Cookie cutters pictured are available from Nature Play SA at natureplaysa.org.au/shop. All images: Jason Tyndall, Nature Play SA. natureplaysa.org.auInstagram:@natureplaysaFacebook: @Natureplaysouthaustralia  Photography by Jason Tyndall