Featured Writer - Janine Gibson

Keep Calm and Carry On - Being a Parent Teacher During Lockdown

If this latest lockdown has caused you anxiety flashbacks to last year’s home school attempts, then you are not alone. As Newy and the Hunter go into another lockdown, schools close and teachers scramble to get work packs and online learning up and going…we as parents are starting to feel the pressure again to be home educators.

As a parent and a teacher, I hear your cries, I feel your pain and I just want to say KEEP CALM. Teachers know how hard this is for parents. We know parents are juggling so much while treading water and trying to keep their heads AND that of their kids, above the water in a world that is rapidly sinking. So parents, take a deep breath and don’t be so hard on yourselves! We know you are not teachers and we don’t expect you to replace us at home. This does not mean that we don’t value all you are doing to keep our students on track. BUT home is not school. You are not home schooling but facilitating learning that is provided for you at home.

I’ve seen the online clips of dining rooms converted into classrooms. Mums with a regimented routine and kids at home, dressed in uniforms and sticking to schedules and zooming lessons. All power to them! But as a parent, I know the reality of attempting to recreate the school environment at home is simply unrealistic. And honestly I think most teachers realise this as well. If you can achieve 1 hour or 2 of some schoolwork per day, then you’re winning!

And what happens if your child won’t work at home? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! I cannot stress this enough, your child is not going to slip behind if they do not complete the numerous tasks that their teachers send home. Unless your child is in Year 12, I wouldn’t worry too much.

Last month I spent 5 weeks marking the national NAPLAN writing tasks online. This is something I have done each year for the last 6 years. The calibre of this years written tasks was astounding considering the disruption to schooling last year with national lockdown. A pat on the back to parents, a kudos to teacher’s and a massive well done to students.

Your child learns in the most amazing ways. Learning is not always about what’s done in the classroom. Spend this time teaching the things that are not or cannot be learned in school. Life skills are just as important. Cooking, washing, growing food, DIY skills etc. Go and explore nature. Learning is all around us. Remember too that your child is just as anxious about the ongoing COVID situation as you are so take some time out and spend it as a family. Mental health is vital to academic success. And don’t deny your child time to socialise, albeit online, with friends and be creative, destress, relax AND have some fun.

Really in the scheme of things, school is not that important, so Mumma’s take the time to just BREATHE.

Feature Writer - Monica Pancho

Last week was World Breastfeeding Week and I wanted to acknowledge those mums who were able to successfully breastfeed, those mums who couldn't breastfeed but managed to express breastmilk, and the mums who decided that breastfeeding was not for them.

The decision on how to feed their new bub is something mums can struggle with as there's a generational opinion in what “should” be done. I've heard of friends who had midwives push breastfeeding on them. Of some hospitals refusing to give formula or frowning on the choice to bottle feed because they push for breastfeeding. I personally had a midwife tell me, a new mum of twins, that it was “no good having one baby on the breast and one on the bottle" to which I replied that maybe it was my choice and proceeded to burst into tears before running to the bathroom.

I haven't been able to breastfeed. I guess I always had the idea that when I have a baby that I will breastfeed. I've seen others do it so I should do it too. Shouldn't be too hard, right?

Wrong. I was so very wrong. Because in all honesty, it is hard. Harder than what I ever imagined.

I had latch issues with my twins – one just wouldn't latch and the other only occasionally. I put it down to my girls being born at 36 weeks which is when babies learn to suck in utero. The stress of 2 hungry babies crying at the same time as a first time mum was just too much to handle.

My 3rd baby fed really well in hospital but we spent 4 days in NICU and was tube fed for the majority of it. She fed well for the next 5 days when she was in special care and eventually rooming with me. By the time we came home I was dealing with a family struck down with gastro and 2 excited big sisters. I just couldn't get myself into the mental headspace to do it.

So with all three babies I expressed my breast milk and mixed fed until I had no supply left.

I'm experiencing some level of mum guilt at the moment. 3 nights ago (a few days shy of 3 months) I pumped for the very last time. And while it is a relief that I am no longer attached to a pump every 3-4hours, 20 minutes at a time, I do feel a little sad about it.

Even though I began to resent being stuck to a pump I was always amazed about what my body could do. It created and grew a baby and now it's producing milk to feed my baby! I thankfully had a lot of milk. I pumped so much in hospital with my 3rd that I filled a whole shelf in the nursery fridge and needed to have some frozen in the freezer. I had a stash to last me a couple weeks then started building more with some excess milk my baby couldn't drink straight away.

I know it's not the same as direct feeding but it is still just as hard to ensure our supply keeps up. Sadly I couldn't do it for very long but there are amazing people who can exclusively express for over a year!

I give huge props to the mums who breastfeed. It honestly is a tough but rewarding road to take for those who choose to breastfeed. I had a friend who spent 3 days feeding as her bub was cluster feeding. Another friend who I was out at the park with who was getting dirty looks from 2 older ladies because she was breastfeeding. I remember being at a mother's group meeting and seeing a mum who was absolutely exhausted as her baby hadn't let her sleep and just wanted to feed. Yet those same women were able to continue breastfeeding until their kids were almost 12 months old.

A lot of breastfeeding mums really just persisted and from what I hear it doesn't always come naturally at the start. The sore nipples, the constant feeding, being used as a human dummy, the late nights feeding, teething babies.. it truly is a massive commitment. One friend said breastfeeding was one of her greatest achievements because it was hard but she got through it.

Then there are the absolute superstar mums who are able to breastfeed twins! Trust me there are a lot of them so shout out to the mums of multiples!

If there is one thing I learnt from my feeding journey is that you need to so what is best for you and your baby. I went to a lactation consultant with my twins to see if we can get this working. The LC said to me that I was doing all the right things and it can take time for babies to learn this skill just as much as I am learning too. But at the end of the day I need to look after my mental health and if its getting stressful then it can affect baby’s latch and also my supply. She said that breastfeeding is really a 2 way street, I can do all the right things but if baby isn't cooperating then it's going to be very difficult and that it's not all my fault. It really made me feel better with my decision to just express breastmilk and eventually formula feed. I needed to do that for my own mental health.

There are plenty of resources available to help assist if breastfeeding is something that you really want to do. It's also important to remember that it is perfectly okay not to and that fed is best. Your own health is just as important as your baby's.

Blurb: Monica is a mum to 2 year old twin girls and another 3 month old baby girl. Her family are “tree changers" having moved to the Hunter Valley a year ago. Together they are embarking on the adventures of regional living and raising 3 kids under 3 in a multicultural household.

Featured Writer - Janine Gibson

No this is not a Star Wars story. I want to talk about the child that doesn’t fit the mould, who is unique and how as parents we should nurture that gift.

When my little bundle of joy was born, as a parent I pictured her growing up in an idealic world. A happy child free to express herself in a Utopia that wouldn’t judge. Mmm, the reality was so far away from my idealistic dream.

From an early age, my child stood out from the crowd. I allowed her to dress herself and encouraged that unique sense of self. I remember the looks as we walked through Kmart, my child dressed in a pink tutu, fairy wings, gum boots and a yellow construction hard hat. But back then the comments were “isn’t she cute!”

That unique exploration of self was further encouraged and reinforced at preschool, with dress ups and genderless toys and play. Being an only child, my daughter was just as content playing with dolls as she was helping Daddy wash his Harley Davidson and dreaming one day of owning her own.

But despite nurturing and embracing that uniqueness in the early years, when it came time to start school, I expected my child to become a clone, a look-a-like of all those around her. To fit in and conform in order to be accepted because as a parent I knew the alternative was not going to be pleasant for her. We know what happens to those that stand out! And so I no longer embraced her individuality that I had loved so much but encouraged her to ‘follow the crowd’.

I stifled my child’s unique individualism and sacrificed her sense of self to protect her from; well, society, judgement, ridicule etc. But really, I think it was more about me! Fear that I would be judged as a parent if my child was different.

I succeeded in confusing my child, telling her she can be anything she wants BUT not at school and not around her peers. Not surprising primary school was a struggle, where she just couldn’t connect with others. But like a butterfly she arose out of the cocoon I had forced her into and she found her “tribe” in the theatre. Here she can be all she wants to be. Here, at the age of 12, she can still play dress ups and not be judged. Here she can express herself. She found her happy place.

I’ve come full circle in my parenting and returned back to embracing her uniqueness. I am proud of who she is. Today she may walk down the street in Goth makeup, tomorrow in masculine clothing, the next day overtly feminine dress and the day after that in a mix of it all…..AND that is ok with me. She can ignore the stares and hold her head high and so can I.

Featured Writer - Monica Pancho

RAISING BILINGUAL KIDS - Up until I was about 4 years old I was completely fluent in Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines. My parents migrated to Australia before I was born so Tagalog was the only language I heard at home. Once I started school that's when it disappeared and I'm not quite sure how it happened.

My parents never forced my sister and I to speak Tagalog at home. I presume their reason is similar to someone I spoke to recently who said she was worried her child would fall behind at school or that she wouldn't fit in. I do remember being 7 and saying a classmates name “Mark" and noticing that my pronunciation of the letter R sounded different to how everyone else said it, so I forced myself to change how I said his name.

30 years on and I can understand Tagalog fully but really struggle to speak it. Funnily enough I can write and read but with every language I learn, speaking is the hardest. I absolutely love learning languages and I can speak bits and pieces of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Japanese.

When I met my now husband I was excited to start practicing Spanish with him. He is Colombian and his parents (who live overseas) don't speak a word of English. So I needed to up my game and learn.

Now that I have kids of my own, my husband and I are really pushing to make sure they can speak Spanish. English is easy.. they'll pick it up at school and on TV but Spanish is something we really need to work on to make sure that they are able to speak and understand it. More importantly, we really want them to have these language skills so that they are able to speak to their abuelos (grandparents) when they see them.

We have 2 year old twin girls and a 3 month old baby girl. We speak to them all the time in Spanish or Spanglish for me since my Spanish is pretty broken. The hard part is, the Spanish words have more syllables compared to English so once they know both they sometimes choose the English word because its easier. We try to repeat the word in Spanish to them so it sticks.

We watch all your favourite kids shows in Spanish and we're lucky it's all dubbed and mostly subtitled as well – Cocomelon, Super JoJo, Little Baby Bum all have Spanish versions. Sesame Street have Spanish speaking monsters (Rosita), actors and guest stars who sing in Spanish. Even the Wiggles have a Spanish version called “Los Wiggles" which is a franchise created by the original Wiggles but with Latino Australian actors. These shows really help.. especially me! A 34 year old mum who can now song the Cocomelon “Thank You” song in Spanish!

It also touched my heart that when the girls started daycare the educators tried to speak to them in Spanish. During orientation they told us that we can bring a list of all the words and phrases the girls knew so that they can learn and try to connect with them. I didn't think they would do it so I didn't really push it but I did create a reference sheet for the educators. A week later the educators told me how excited they were when the girls were engaging with them as the educators used some Spanish on them. I knew I had found a great centre!

To be honest, I was a little worried about their speech as they spoke a lot of gibberish. I have heard that it can take bilingual kids a little longer to speak properly and I did wonder whether them being born 4 weeks early might also be the reason. Recently though their speech has sky rocketed and they are saying things that are blowing my mind. They still speak sentences in both English and Spanish but I'm hoping as they get older and their communication skills improve that they are able to pick it up easier. I do hope all this hard work pays off so that the girls are able to connect to their roots as teenagers and adults.

Have you or do you speak another language at home to your kids? What are some tips and tricks that helped you teach your kids another language?

Monica is a mum to 2 year old twin girls and another 3 month old baby girl. Her family are “tree changers" having moved to the Hunter Valley a year ago. Together they are embarking on the adventures of regional living and raising 3 kids under 3 in a multicultural household.

Featured Writer - Lisa Holdsworth

TRIGGER WARNING - Birth Trauma

It was 2014 and I was in my annual performance review chatting about a promotion plan when I suddenly burst into tears. My shocked boss hugged me and reassured me to hang in there, the promotion was coming. I sobbed into a tissue until it was over.

I’m absolutely not a crier so on the way home I bought a pregnancy test.

My husband Michael and I were stunned. We had only planned to have two kids but lucky number three was on the way, planned or not. I’m a baby person so I was over the moon but I was already nervous about a birth that was 35 weeks away.

Years later I would learn that one in three Australian women experience birth trauma. I had been one of them and I didn’t even realise.

My first son had been born through a relaxed and beautiful vaginal delivery in 2009. I had a tear that had required surgery but the overall experience and recovery was great. Motherhood came naturally to me and I really enjoyed having a little one.

When we were expecting our daughter in 2012 everyone told me it would be easier this time around. I was ready for an empowering and breezy experience. I didn’t even pack a bag, I expected to come home from the hospital within four hours of delivery. This birth thing was a cinch.

Just like with my first baby I had a calm drug-free labour and things had been perfect. Then I started pushing and something didn’t feel right. When I told the midwife she said everything was fine and it would all be over soon. I didn’t feel heard. I requested some investigations when progression slowed and, again, was told everything was fine. Why weren’t the medical staff listening to their patient?

I’ll spare you the minor details but here are the key points:

*Hospital beds are faster than my first car

*I was told to hold my bum up off the bed so on the way to theatre I had my legs wrapped around the neck of a bloke who looked like a biker named Steve. If you know Steve from the JHH’s theatre crew please pass on my condolences, I’m sure he’s still scared.

*The last thing I remember before the anaesthetist gave me a general anaesthetic was asking him ‘would you please knock me out or kill me?’ And I wasn’t kidding.

Now I was preparing for another birth and I vowed to be better prepared this time. I read every book I could get my hands on. I did yoga classes, I got acupuncture, I saw a chiropractor for months, I even bought several midwifery textbooks. By the time my second son was due I probably knew enough about childbirth that I could have delivered him myself if my arms were longer.

Last time I had been terrified when things went wrong because I had no idea what was happening. This time I wasn’t going to let that happen.

Smooth sailing wasn’t meant to be though. The delivery was nightmarish. I had a failed ventouse, failed forceps, a ruptured uterus then another emergency c-section. My baby was resuscitated and taken to the NICU. No one who saw me in those early days even bothered to say ‘but you got a beautiful baby out of it’ because I looked so much like roadkill I think even they questioned if it was worth it. I felt like I’d been chewed up and spat out. 

The recovery was long and it took me months to be able to even hold my bladder. The list of issues and therapies that went with them is long. Six years on I still feel different. Things inside have never been the same and the muscles in my lower back feel like a bag of rice. Despite all that though, the hardest part has been the psychological impact.

It took a lot of therapy for me to process what happened. The hardest part was working through triggers, like being in medical settings. I’ve found that talking about it and asking for help when I need it have been my keys to recovery.

This week (July 19-25th July) is Birth Trauma Awareness week. It’s a time for us to come together as a community and support one another in the healing journey. One in three women is a huge number so chances are you know a woman who has experienced and may still be working through the trauma of a difficult birth. 

If you can relate to anything I've written please visit the Australasian Birth Trauma Association’s website at www.birthtrauma.org.au. I volunteer as a peer mentor each week to chat with women and help them feel heard so you might even see me there.

Lisa xxx

Lisa Holdworth is a writer from Glendale. She is the mother of three, a small business owner and a very lucky wife.

When is it too early to put up my Christmas tree?

My Facebook feed has been flooded with pictures of people happily decorating trees all while singing carols and wearing santa hats. In a regular year, this would seriously baffle me. Growing up, the tree was put up and decorated on December 1 and not a minute before. Lights went up the weekend of the 1st, advent calendar eating began on that day too. However, this year is obviously not a regular year. Our tree won’t be going up before December but this is simply because we buy a real tree each year. But scrolling through my Facebook feed I find that I’m not at all surprised or in anyway baffled by the amount of trees already up. 

After the year we’ve all had, still are having, it’s so lovely to see families together smiling and having a great time. Don’t we all deserve a bit of hope and happiness. Isn’t it better to see these images popping up on our screens over Trump, violence or Covid-19. The only thing I worry about is that the earlier we make it, the longer we, as parents must be constantly asked how many days until Christmas from our children. 

So, tell me, have you put your tree up yet?

Bec x

What to do when your relationship heads SOUTH

Have you ever just felt so alone in a relationship?

We do it, we stay in these relationships with people who are no good for us and no good for our kids but getting out can be so hard. What if I never meet someone else? What if I can't financially sustain a good life for my kids? We are plagued by these questions and more. Also, are we in part to blame for a relationship that's gone south? We discuss all this and more and find solutions with Raylee from Inner Strength Coaching.

We do it, we stay in these relationships with people who are no good for us and no good for our kids but getting out can be so hard. What if I never meet someone else? What if I can't financially sustain a good life for my kids?

What about that pen on the walls and my children's stinky feet?

The term old wives tiles is very derogatory isn't it? But we thought we'd investigate a few and we found some great ones. Learn how to get rid of hiccups and ingestion (very helpful if you're pregnant). What about mozzie bites pen on your walls and stinky feet listen in while we tell you some top tips and tricks.

Also stories that you may have heard that are unfounded such as who knew it but crusts don’t make your hair curly.

The term old wives tiles is very derogatory isn't it? But we thought we'd investigate a few and we found some great ones. Learn how to get rid of hiccups and ingestion (very helpful if you're pregnant). What about mozzie bites pen on your walls and stinky feet. We can help out!

NHM Watchlist

So you’ve got a wine in one hand and a remote control in the other, what to watch?

There’s nothing better. We love our little cherubs but we also love them asleep. That sweet sweet feeling when you close the last door and the noise is minimal and you say a little prayer to the powers that be ‘Please give me just a moment to myself. Please let them stay asleep?’ Then you carefully creep out into the kitchen. Maybe you have a quiet wine and grab the remote control and have the control, for once.

Thanks to all our beautiful NHM Mummas who contributed to the ultimate NHM Watchlist here it is:

Nashville (this is unbelievably good and has six whole seasons)

Chesapeake Shores

Ozark

Money Heist 

Dead to me 

The Killing

White lines

Marcella

Society

Bloodline

Bates motel

Slasher

Dirty John

Animal kingdom

Safe

The rain 

Outer banks

Virgin river

The I- land 

Brooklyn 99

Years & Years 

Dynasty

Animal Kingdom

Pretty Little Liars

Sons of Anarchy 

Schitts Creek

Kim’s Convenience 

Insatiable

YOU

What if 

Russian Doll 

Virgin river 

Republic Doyle

Mindhunter 

Lucifer

Shameless

Unsolved mysteries 

Ted Bundy Tapes

Locke and Key

Heartland 

Queen of the South 

The Morning Show

Sex Education 

The Ranch 

Safe House 

Grace and Frankie

Rake 

Spaceforce

What we do in the shadows 

What if 

Russian Doll 

Insatiable 

Made in Italy

Enjoy!

NHM x

Learn to use your intuition daily for a happier life

Renee Wilkinson from the Open Mind Space

Have you ever had a gut feeling and followed it but you couldn’t see the reason or logic behind why it was the right thing to do? Let us guess everything turned out for the best right? Tapping into your intuition can help keep you on your true life path and make you happier while walking it daily. Learn how to flex your intuition daily with Renee Wilkinson.

Also uncover simple techniques that can make your kids less stressed and affected by negative experiences or tough times that life will inevitably through their way.

You know those little gut feelings you get that you feel you need to follow sometimes without being able to rationalise it? That's intuition and it can help you through life so we have Renee Wilkinson in studio to help you learn how to use it.

Craft for Mums that hate craft

Bec is a self confessed craft hater. One of her good friends gave one of her children play doh once for a birthday and Bec thought it very offensive, she’s still not quite over it but we do have a couple of ideas for Mums that hate craft, if they want to try some activities that aren’t too stressful.

You love having fun with your kids but you can't stand the mess of craft right? Plus you often need to buy heaps of stuff to make it all happen. We take you through some super easy craft fun you can have with your kids or they can have together while you work or do something else.

Homeschooling and How to Handle Covid-19 with Kids

Wow so it’s not our job to be teachers right? But a lot of us are doing that at the moment plus working other jobs mostly all from home. Then there’s the issue of how do we chat consciously with our children about Covid-19 and educate them without freaking them out and making them anxious. All this and more in our podcast below plus the best free educational resources and cool online initiatives being put in place by museums and others around the world.

We all had great respect for our children’s teachers and educators previously but that has grown since we have taken on the role as a home schooling Mum

Our children's worlds have changed so dramatically in such a short space of time. How to we talk to them about Covid-19 without freaking them out? How do we homeschool without going insane? We need to be careful about the language we use with our children and what they take in.

How to avoid COVID-19 overwhelm

Hold the ones you love most tightly and remember to practice social distancing to protect our most vulnerable

Our children look to us to be strong but with many of us and our partners losing our jobs, with essential items in short supply and with all of us in close quarters it can be hard to avoid overwhelm. Dr Rickie from the Hummingbird Centre has advice on how we can all stay a little be calmer throughout this time that will surely pass, eventually. 

Our children look to us to be strong but with many of us and our partners losing our jobs, with essential items in short supply and with all of us in close quarters it can be hard to avoid overwhelm.

How to be a relaxed Mum with an organised life

I can’t wait to find time for breakfast in bed instead of eating toast crusts off the floor

The washing basket's full, what's for dinner again tonight, there's crap everywhere and people are coming over in a minute? It's enough to send a Mumma insane. Enter Marissa Roberts from Beautifully Organised! She's not a 'perfect mum' by any stretch in fact she says her hack tips could be seen as a little lazy but they keep you sane. Needless to say we love her. 

The washing basket's full, what's for dinner again tonight, there's crap everywhere and people are coming over in a minute? It's enough to send a Mumma insane. Enter Marissa Roberts from Beautifully Organised! She's not a 'perfect mum' by any stretch in fact she says her hack tips could be seen as a little lazy but they keep you sane.

Creating the perfect kid’s lunchbox

This lunchbox won’t get you in trouble

Who knew kids now have ‘rules’ of what they’re allowed to bring to school. I’m lucky that both of my children are still at The Little Unicorn at Charlestown Square (they have on site chefs) but next year I’m going to have to step up big time. I can hardly believe Bec got in trouble for her children’s lunchboxes recently, she’s so much better at #Mumlife than me, just goes to show we need to be schooled in lunchboxes.

Enter, the lunchbox show

How do you create the perfect kids lunchbox? What lunchbox to buy and do you need to do all the things to make it perfect? Also how you can get in trouble from your child's school for packing something that's not allowed into the lunchbox.To win with NHM or for more NHM goodness go here.

A Veggie Garden Made Easy

Lee Sullivan from The Urban Veggie Patch

Are you like us buy herbs from Coles have ambitions to grow them then they die a horrible death on your window sill? That’s what NHM Mumma Lee Sullivan was like ‘a black thumb’ til she turned it all around and is now an extraordinary proud veggie patch owner.

A bit about Lee…

I have a degree in psychology but am a full time mum to my almost 4 year old son at the moment. When my son was born, I became really interested in clean living and minimizing toxins. After a bit of research, I had some big concerns about how the food we buy in grocery stores is grown, what is on it and where it comes from. That gave me the push I needed to start my own garden.

When I started growing, I was a first time mum and my son was about 1. I definitely felt like gardening saved me in a way - I had lost myself a little in that all-encompassing first year of being a mum. Growing my own food became a great passion, a huge learning experience and gave me something of my own. It played a huge role in me finding myself again.

There is really no downside to growing your own food. It benefits everyone - you, your family, your neighbours and the earth. I wholeheartedly believe we were born to have our hands in the soil, grow our own food and that everyone should be doing it. It's not hard, you just need to start!" Thanks to Humans Who Grow Food features stories of home gardeners and farmers across borders and cultures. 

Follow Lee here Instagram.com/urbanveggiepatch and listen to how you can get started with your Veggie Patch below

How would you feel about your kids eating fresh veggies that they'd grown themselves with your help? How would you feel about halving your grocery list and your children experiencing first hand what it's like to pick their food from their own garden?

THINGS I NEVER THOUGHT I'D DO AS A MUM

Becci from The Tea Collective has a highly successful tea brand. She swore she'd never have mashed banana in her key board and that she'd maintain her nails and hair to perfection but we all have a laugh about how our standards have dropped since the reality of mum life have set in.

So we were going to be these Mother’s that could do it all and our kids would never wear Disney costumes as normal clothes. How we’ve failed in all areas with Becci Fowler from the Tea Collective to win a High Tea at the Tea Collective go here.

BEC'S CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR 2019

Christmas gift buying can be rather stressful. Our practical and well researched Bec Tansey has made it easy for you this year, both sexes covered and a variation of ages.

Christmas gift buying can be rather stressful. Our practical and well researched Bec Tansey has made it easy for you this year, both sexes covered and a variation of ages. For more NHM Newcaslte Hunter Mumma goodness go here. NHM Newcastle Hunter Mummas are proudly sponsored by The Little Unicorn Early Education Centres, Locally Owned, Child Focused, enrol now.

KID FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS

Here are some top tips to make your Christmas a little bit smoother with wee children.

1. Avoid low hanging decorations, they will end up somewhere else rather than on the tree

2. Big baubles! Don’t pop up decorations that could be choking hazards

3. If in doubt pop your tree up on a table

4. Do you shopping online or get a relative to do it for you and leave the gifts at their house til it’s almost time for Santa .. it takes a village etc etc

5. Keep the candy high or you may find it all over the house or in your child’s hair, bed, wardrobe etc

6. Get shared gifts to keep the cost down

7. Use your child’s craft from daycare to decorate the tree and house

8. What a brilliant time of year to get your babes to behave ie. ‘you better be good for Santa’

9. What a brilliant time of year to get your babes to bed early ie. ‘you better go to bed or Santa won’t come’

10. What a brilliant time of year to drink wine randomly at any time of day. The washing’s lying all over the house, there are no groceries? Cheers to Prosecco!

Mumma Start Up

So you've decided to ditch the boss and start up your own business? YEY that's super exciting well done you! Listen to this episode before you do it or if you already have for tips and tricks to avoid things going pear shaped. Plus you can win a Trade Mark Package from Baker Love Lawyers.

So you've decided to ditch the boss and start up your own business? YEY that's super exciting well done you! Listen to this episode before you do it or if you already have for tips and tricks to avoid things going pear shaped. Plus you can win a Trade Mark Package from Baker Love Lawyers.