FREE!

JULY 2014

Parents -

Why we do

what we do

Winter

crafts

Your Free local Parenting magazine

Bathroom reno -

On a budget!

First

Birthday

Special

issue

Contents July 2014

Special Features

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26

Date time in the school holi-days Money saving coupons

Articles

Parents - why we do what we do Hope More than just story time - Pt 2 My 2014 money challenge - the bathroom reno The cost of raising children

7

16 18

22

24

Regulars

Letter from the Editor Ask a professional - questions from readers Monthly Recipe - Rainbow cake Your Story - My happily ever after Mums and the City - with Alexis Galloway Something Extra - by Carolyn Galbraith Make a change Kid’s fun Business Directory Community Noticeboard Magazine feedback

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9

10 14

20

21 25 27 28 30

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5

info@smallstepsparenting.com

www.smallstepsparenting.com

www.facebook.com/smallstepsparenting

Letter from the Editor

Dear Reader,

A big welcome to Small Steps Parenting Magazine. We hit a very

exciting milestone this month with our first birthday! It has been a

rewarding and challenging first year and we have many more things

to come as we enter into year two of Small Steps.

With the success of Small Steps we aim to be branching into new

areas in the coming year and want to thank all our readers for your

support.

We would also like to invite you to vote for us in the 2014 Local

Business Awards for the Hawkesbury. Your vote will help us to gain

exposure so we can continue to produce a free quality magazine and

will also put you in the running for some great prizes. (See page

three for details of how to vote).

As a gift to you on our birthday we wanted to give back. Page 26 has

coupons that allow you to access some great savings and freebies.

Please use these coupons and support local business.

Until next month,

Julie-Anne England

6

Our Contributors

Michael Voss is a Certified Financial Planner. He has been working as

a financial planner for 23 years. He is self employed and specialises in

Superannuation, Insurance and Investment. His clients include indi-

viduals, families and small to medium sized businesses throughout

Western Sydney. www.arrowfa.com.au

Abby Fleming has been in the nutrition industry for over 10 years

and is a qualified nutritionist. She spent 8 years in the weight loss

industry helping a variety of clients achieve their weight goals and

now currently works in the area of medical nutrition.

Abby writes for Small Steps regarding issues of child nutrition and

healthy eating for families.

Kirsten Mitchell is a fully qualified Fitness Professional with Fitness

Australia, holding Certificate IV in Fitness and additionally Pre &

Post Natal Pilates and Exercise Prescription. She is passionate about

sharing her knowledge and helping others to move well, feel well

and look well! As a mum of two, she is also highly aware of the

strains and joys her clients experience in juggling family, work and

the importance of finding “me time”.

Alexis Galloway is a mother of two and chocolate lover.

For the last seven years Alexis has been a Journalist and Editor for

magazines/newspapers around the nation.

Alexis joins us by writing our new feature article Mums and the City

bringing humour and reality to the life of a mother.

Ruth Bosanquet is a registered nurse, midwife and has qualification

in special care nursery. She has been working with pregnant women

and premature and sick infants for over 25 years. She is also a mum

of three.

Lynne-McKensey Hall completed an accredited course in lactation

management in Sydney where she obtained internationally-recognised

certification as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

(IBCLC). Prior to caring for mothers and babies, she worked as a reg-

istered nurse, registered midwife and completed a Masters in Nursing

(Education), as a nurse educator. She is author of the book series

Breast feeding and Baby Matters. RN, RCM, MN (Ed), IBCLC

Parents - why we do what we do

7 7

It’s the hardest job in the world, yet the

most rewarding. It gives you less sleep than

you had even in your partying days but it’s

worth it. You spend more time playing in

the sand and building blocks than you do

doing real work yet you wouldn’t have it

any other way.

Nothing prepares you for what is to come

after you get that exciting news that you are

expecting.

Our job as parents is a job like no other.

Anyone who doesn’t have children of their

own will never fully understand why we do

what we do. So lets just have a quick look at

what is really involved in being a parent in

the terms of an actual job…

Sounds appealing, no? Yet so many of us

from the moment we are old enough we

start planning children. So why do we put

ourselves through it? Well when I think

back to the days when my children were

newborn, I rarely recount the sleepless

nights, the hours of screaming and the

stinky nappies instead I remember those

precious moments where my baby is sleep-

ing peacefully in my arms. I take myself

back to that first moment when I first laid

eyes on my precious newborn, when I heard

that first laugh, or when their tiny fingers

wrapped around mine. It is moments like

these that make everything else worthwhile.

Yes, of course you have days where you

feel like pulling your hair out or hiding in a

cupboard, but you are a parent. You have

the responsibility of a life, a real human life,

to care for and nurture. No responsibility is

greater than this.

And on those days where you wonder why

you are still awake just go and look at those

precious framed memories on your wall or

take out you child’s baby album.

Nothing compares to this….

Job Vacant

Primary job function:

Provide support, assistance and care to co

-workers. Train co-workers in proper

behaviour and fulfil their every need.

Required skills:

Proficient in the ability to multitask

Meal planning, preparation and coo-

ing skills along with the ability to

“sell” any meal you have created to

your coworkers

Time management skills

Ability to negotiate

Must excel in a fast-paced, agile en-

vironment where critical thinking and

problem solving skills are required

for success

Quick response to aid in conflict

resolution throughout the day

Ability to handle co-workers without

losing your cool

Education and experience: learn on the job Work status: (Very) full time Travel: Must be willing to travel Wage: Zippo, nada, nothing Job term: 18 years+ Holidays: none Sick leave: not available Company car: not provided Chance of promotion: none Perks: cuddles, love, the ability to play with lego without being ques-tioned.

Ask a Professional...

QUESTION: Should I give my baby a dummy?

Whether to give your baby a dummy or not depends on your baby’s behavior and whether a

dummy is helpful in settling your little one. Some babies are very placid and settle easily

while others may need more comfort and a dummy can provide this. A dummy can also be

useful if your baby is not hungry but just wants to suck.

If you choose to use a dummy, it is important not to give it to your baby if he/she is hungry–

it is not a substitute for feeding. It is also vital to sterilize dummies and to keep them in a

covered container when not in use.

Many babies become very attached to their dummy and insist on keeping it well past the age

that they really need it for sucking and discontinuing it’s use can be a challenge for parents-

there are quite a few inventive ways to do this– ask a parent who has been there and done

that!

Overall, the answer to this question is, if you feel a dummy will make life easier for you and

your child then dummies are safe providing they are used correctly. If you have any concerns

regarding your baby’s behavior always talk with your healthcare provider.

This answer has been supplied by Ruth Bosanquet who is our qualified midwife. Learn more

about Ruth on our "About Us" page on our website.

Did you know?.....

According to neuroscientist Dr Caroline Leaf, FUN is one of the most powerful antidotes to

stress. It makes us feel good; improves our health; makes us clever to beat and bring perspec-

tive into our lives. So mums and dads, have lots of FUN during this School Holidays with

your children!

A box of old toys can become a box of ‘new’ toys. Let’s go shopping!

Invite a few mum friends and ask them to bring their children’s preloved

toys. Count the number of toys. If there are 5 children and there are 50 toys

give each child 10 coupons, 1 coupon for 1 toy. Children to take turn to

choose 1 toy from each section and move on to next section before they can

go back for another turn.

Have a fashion parade swapping children’s clothes with other mums.

Invite a few mum friends. Use 2 ribbons to make a runway for the models.

Create an atmosphere with children’s dance songs. Children take turn to

try on ‘new’ clothes and model it on the runway. Clap and cheer for the

models. At the end of the activity mums will have ‘new’ clothes to bring

home with their children.

Written by Simone Yuen - children’s book author www.rainbowballs.com.au

8

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line two 20cm round cake

tins.

2. Sift the flours into a bowl and add the sugar, butter, milk, eggs

and vanilla essence.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the ingredients together until well

combined. Then beat on high for two minutes.

4. Divide the mixture equally into four bowls. Using the food col-

ouring tint each bowl with a different colour. Use limited col-

ouring for pale colours and up to a teaspoon for brighter col-

ours. Mix thoroughly.

5. Pour the first colour into the first cake tin. Top it with a second

colour. Place the remaining two colours, one on top of the other,

into the second cake tin.

6. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until cake springs back when

lightly touched.

7. Allow to cool completely before icing.

8. To make icing beat the butter until fluffy and light in colour.

Gradually add the icing mixture and milk and continue to beat.

9. Spread a layer of icing onto the first cake and top with the sec-

ond. Ice around the sides and top of the cake using swirling

motions. Decorate with sprinkles. Serve.

9

Monthly Recipe

Rainbow cake Ingredients:

3 cups self raising flour

1 cup plain flour

2 cups castor sugar

300g butter (room tem-

perature)

1¼ cups milk

6 eggs

3 teaspoons vanilla

essence

Four different colour

food colouring

Icing: 3 cups icing sugar mix-

ture

2 tablespoons milk

250g butter softened

10

Your Story

Cathy’s story - My happily ever after

I was one of those girls who always

wanted to be married. I thought the per-

fect life would be living with the man of

your dreams, having a home and raising

children. When I was a teenager I had

my whole life planned out. I would meet

my husband-to-be around 19 or 20 years

of age. We would marry around 21 in a

gorgeous ceremony with my dad walk-

ing me down the aisle. Kids would come

next - I would be one of those women

who loved being pregnant, I wouldn’t

have morning sickness and I would have

easy births. We would live in a beautiful

home and my husband would bring in

enough money that we could live com-

fortably without any financial stress…..

That was the dream.

I guess as a child that seemed reasonable.

The reality was far different. This is my

story…

At 21 the proposal came. It wasn’t like I

thought it would be. Sure the guy was

great, the location was acceptable but I

just didn’t feel it. I decided that it wasn’t

the right time and that I would wait until

it was.

I met guys and I dated occasionally but I

never found that feeling I was searching

for. I wasn’t even sure I knew what that

feeling was supposed to be but I wanted it

to be like on the movies…. That moment

where music played and the girl would

look into the guys eyes and be complete. I

wanted the feeling of butterflies going

through me when he said my name. It just

never seemed to happen. Every time I

liked a guy he didn’t seem to notice I ex-

isted… every time a guy liked me I just

didn’t feel the same.

At 22 I was sexually abused at a party. It

took me a long time to come to grips with

what had happened and to not blame my-

self. I began to lose trust in guys.

At 24 my world was rocked when my

father died. He was my biggest supporter.

We had become closer than ever in the

years leading to his death and now he was

gone. My life plans seemed to be slipping

away. Nothing seemed to be going to

plan.

Finally I decided it was time for a fresh

start. I got a new job and started making

new friends. The realisation that life did-

n’t run according to your plans had hit me

and I decided to just go with the flow. I

made peace with the fact that I would

probably never get married and decided

that I would move to South America to

teach English.

That week I met James. James was the

most gorgeous man that had ever spoken

to me. I have to admit it was his looks

that first drew my attention - it wasn’t his

looks that kept it.

I found him fascinating. He was quiet, yet

friendly, attractive but not aware of it. I

told myself we were only going to be

friends. I didn’t need the complication of

a relationship that wouldn’t go anywhere,

but after hanging out together a few times

we decided to try dating.

Our relationship grew quickly and un-

known to me he confessed to his mother a

week later that he was going to marry me.

After 8 short blissful weeks of dating he

proposed and I accepted. I couldn’t be-

lieve that my fairytale was finally coming

true!

We married two months later in a castle,

making me feel like a real princess. It

wasn’t like I had imagined as a young

girl, my father wasn’t there to give me

away, but it was one of the happiest days

of my life.

That was the day I married my best

friend. I finally felt like my dreams were

starting to come true.

Next step was a home and children. Both

did not come nearly as easily as I had

expected but I cannot express how

blessed I feel with what I now have.

I do not live in a mansion, my dreams

came at a price but the person I have be-

come through the trials and the pain have

made me realise how precious life is and

to take the joy where you can and grow

through the challenges.

We would love to hear your story. Send us

an email to tell us about your experi-

ences, joys or disappointments. If your

story is selected for publishing you will

receive a prize and a keepsake copy of the

magazine for that month.

11

Date time in the school holidays Our couple relationships often take a backseat ride when we have children, especially

during the school holidays. Studies show that couples that make time for each other and

plan a date into their schedule regularly will be happier and have a stronger relationship

than those that don’t.

Planning some time out for yourselves around the holiday activities, sports, outings and

kids parties can make this a rather difficult task. It’s even more difficult if you don’t have

a baby sitter.

So we have created a list of at-home dates you can have with your partner. No babysitter

needed.

12

Wine and Cheese night—

Grab some cracker biscuits, a few types of

cheese and some wine. Curl up in front of

the fire (if you have one) and chat while

you sit close together just like you did

when you were actually dating.

Games date—

Bring out your competitive side and challenge

each other in some of your favourite games.

Try Monopoly, Battleships, Yahtzee, cards or

even Connect Four.

Make it even more interesting by creating

some wagers to reward the winner. Prizes

could include dessert, cooking dinner one

night or something of your own imagination.

Order in—

For those nights you

don’t feel like cooking

why not order in. Check

out what restaurants you

have in your local area

that deliver. Make sure

the kids are tucked up

warm in bed and plan

for the meals to arrive

once they are asleep so

you don’t get inter-

rupted.

Indoor (or

backyard)

picnic—

Spread out a

blanket, set up a

feast for two

and enjoy a

peaceful picnic.

On a cold night

you may choose

to do it indoors

or just add

some blankets

to make it an

outdoor event.

Star gazing—

What could be more romantic than laying

outside looking at the stars with your partner?

On a clear night you may be amazed at how

many stars you can actually see. You could

even take it a step further and get a book on

constellations to learn something together.

Candlelight dinner—

Set up your own restau-

rant style meal by set-

ting the table, lighting

some candles and shar-

ing dinner. Use the time

to talk, preferably not

about the kids and try to

learn something you

didn’t know.

Massage time—

Get out your massage oils, warm the room,

put on some quiet music and get comfy. Take

turns massaging each other. Take your time

and use long slow strokes. Take cues from

your partner as to what they enjoy and go

from there.

Movie Marathon—

Choose a theme such as romance, comedy or horror and have a

movie marathon. Rent two or three movies in your chosen theme

and pull out the popcorn and snacks. Curl up together on the

lounge and enjoy.

Kiss (a lot)

13

20 Questions—

A great way to learn more about

your partner is to ask questions.

Try to think of questions that

aren’t typical such as “if you could

travel to any country for a week

which one would it be?” or “What

was your most memorable birthday

in your childhood?”. You can find

lists of questions on the internet to

get you started.

Cook together—

Making a meal together is a fun way to bond. Choose

something you both enjoy and make the time in the

kitchen fun by putting on some music and pouring a glass

of wine. Try to include a main meal and a dessert and

work together to make a meal you will both remember.

Do a puzzle—

Grab out your

jigsaw puzzles

or go shopping

and choose one

together. Then

sit down at the

table or on the

carpet and start

piecing it to-

gether. Work

with each other

by doing large

sections together

and use the time

to talk.

Build a memory book—

Go through your photos from a favourite time such as

your honeymoon, your first year together or a special

outing and create photo book to celebrate.

Photo booth—

Set up a small couch in front

of a blank wall and point

your camera on a tripod at

the couch. Set the timer and

jump in for some great photo

booth style images. Kiss, pull

faces and maybe even throw

in some dress up props to

make it more fun. If you

have any knowledge of photo

editing software, put your

photos into film strips and

print them out for a great

keepsake.

Nerf wars—

For those of you who aren’t anti-gun and like to be a little

more lively, why not try a shooting game with Nerf guns.

Guns be purchased quite cheaply at most toy stores and pro-

vide quite a bit of amusement running around the house (or

outside) trying to shoot each other.

Plant a garden—

For those of you who are nature lovers, why not plant a gar-

den together. You could plant some things that are meaning-

ful to you both, such as your wedding flowers or the flowers

from your first date. Plus you may get quite dirty from the

soil and the remainder of your date can be getting clean to-

gether :)

14

Last weekend I had a call from a friend of mine who had decided it was time to go

back into the workforce after her last little one started school this year.

It had been 5 years since stepping foot into an office and she was in some need of

writing assistance. So, it was time to dust of her CV and get the red pen out for some

serial updates.

Interestingly enough my first question to my good friend was; “What new skills do

you think you have developed over the past 5 years?” and the response I got was;

“They don’t count, do they?”

Now, I am sure many of you probably feel the same. But the breaking news on this is

- they actually do. Now I’m not saying it’s time to put ‘Proven track record of breast-

feeding’ on your CV, but let’s take a more generalised view of some new or improved

skills sets for mums and carers who have been out of the workforce.

Understanding of the parenting product market. This also includes popular

branding and competitors – How many times have you seen the words AVENT

vs TOMMY TIPPIE, this week?

Understanding of the child product market , as above – Should I buy the Boori

cot or the Target cot for about $1000 less?

Negotiating – I’ve been a witness to arguing in the playground and it wasn’t just

the toddlers.

Skilled at dealing with stressful situations – Tired and worn out, baby and/or

toddler yelling in tow? You can’t tell me the trip to the shops was easy.

A multi-tasker – the trip to the bank, organising the older children to school,

getting everyone fed, dressed, lunches packed all by 9am.

Cleaning – Need I say more.

Attention to detail – One word. Swaddle

Current Position: Mum Duration: 5+ years

15

Combos Slides Obstacle Castles Slushie Machines

Phone: (02) 4571 1240 or 0402 100 681

Email: tomcatjim1@bigpond.com

Birthdays/Corporate Events/Preschools/Fetes/Christmas/New Years

History of being organised –

We can’t deny that having an

organized nappy bag is our

saviour.

Communication skills –

whether you’re talking in

baby language, to the doctor,

parents at playgroup, the

mother in-law on the phone or

the parking inspector. It never

stops.

Now, some of these may be a

stretch, but some of them are rele-

vant. So, when you decide it’s

time to head back to work, don’t

feel alienated from an office, be-

cause you really have been work-

ing all this time, it’s just that your

job was also your passion – being

a mum!

16

Hope

Firstly I’d like to say a big

‘Congratulations’ to Julie-Anne England

for the 1st Anniversary of Small Steps

Parenting Magazine – her vision has be-

come her reality. This courageous step of

Julie-Anne’s gives me Hope (yes, with a

capital H)… that my vision can also be-

come a reality.

What is my vision you ask? I suspect it’s

something like yours actually. Where do I

start? I have two gorgeous grandchildren,

a 3-year-old boy who has a newborn baby

sister - and I get really scared when I

wonder if they will experience bullying at

school or at another stage in their lives,

whether it be cyber-bullying in high

school – or will it be earlier, or later in

life? If they are lucky enough to escape

bullying at school they may experience it

at work like so many of their parents. It

seems that bullying is experienced by

everyone at some stage of our lives.

Recently I spoke to a local community

worker who advised me that parents are

having problems with their children at a

younger age these days – please don’t for

a moment assume that parents are always

at fault. Today I spoke with a mother who

has a daughter being bullied in pre-

school. This concerned mother stated that

she did not expect to have to deal with

this issue for many years to come. Al-

though I had total trust in what the com-

munity worker told me about children

having issues younger and younger I was

still saddened to hear about this gorgeous

child being bullied.

Naturally I wonder if my grandchildren

will be a bully or be bullied – either way I

won’t be happy. I want my grandchildren

to go to school, be happy, be healthy, feel

safe, learn about responsibility, under-

stand that justice means there are conse-

quences to actions – theirs and others. I

would like them to be kind and generous

in sharing toys when playing with friends.

Yes, sure there will be fights – hopefully

just over toys –not physical fights. Nor

about who is whose friend – can’t we all

be friends? Or friendly at least?

A short time ago I approached two local

primary schools to share information with

them regarding character development.

What a joy it was to have one principal,

who although he wasn’t available to see

me when I dropped in unexpectedly, still

took the time to quickly introduce himself

while he was walking through the office.

What thankfulness I felt when the office

administrator advised me this principal

would be very open to anything that helps

develop a child’s character and self-

esteem.

Later that same day I dropped into an-

other primary school. This was the second

time I dropped into this primary school as

the principal was unavailable when I first

dropped in. My original drop in was at the

request of a parent, although the school

wasn’t aware of that, additionally I had

heard a couple of negative reports about

recent incidents at the school and thought

I’d be able to offer some helpful informa-

tion and resources they would find most

useful. Unfortunately I was advised they

weren’t interested in what I had to share.

This was disheartening as I want to help

create caring environments in our com-

munity, places that I would be happy for

my grandchildren to be in. I immediately

felt thankful that my grandchildren didn’t

live near this school. Then I felt ashamed

for thinking that. I then hoped that they

have other strategies in place that benefit

the children – but then again why did a

parent suggest to me I specifically go

there and why did I hear about these inci-

dents from parents in the community

whose children don’t even attend this

school? Bad news travels fast they say.

Maybe that’s why. What virtue do I need

to cope with this? Acceptance. I realize

this doesn’t drive away my hope, it was

just a frustrating experience because I

didn’t get to share useful resources before

they were rejected. I need to be more un-

derstanding. If this school has problems

then this principal has enough to deal

with.

There’s always a gift in our challenges –

these challenges have enabled me to

document my frustrations as although I

was asked to write an article for this

magazine I wasn’t sure which virtue to

focus on. Hope became very clear today.

And the gift I envisage is that you also

share my vision and support the goal of

creating a safer, caring and united com-

munity through your participation.

One way of doing this is that I’m going to

implement a ‘Virtue of the Week’ on my

website that people can opt in – and out

of – when they wish to participate.

Can you imagine communities uniting to

create a safer, kinder environment? By all

focusing on the same behaviour, such as a

particular virtue each week we will have

unity of thought and action. For example

if we were all to practice ‘cleanliness’ our

actions would be different according to

our age groups yet it would have the same

underlying virtues-based behaviour. If a

virtue is practiced at child care centres

and schools then it would spill over into

the family and community – or vice versa.

The following week it may be ‘respect’

which also encourages positive behav-

iour. We could all start to think of new

ways to practice these virtues – and share

our creative ideas with others in order to

keep each other inspired and connected in

a positive way. They say when you prac-

tice one virtue you find that you’re prac-

ticing more than one.

I suspect by now you know what my vi-

sion is and what I hope for. I can’t do it

without you so I hope it’s your vision too.

I want positive generational change.

There are too many bad news stories

these days and they are becoming more

and more common – and closer to home –

and more people are talking about the

need for change. I want our children,

when they grow up, to make decisions

based on virtues such as caring, compas-

sion and consideration. I want them to

vote in politicians who are elected due to

their positive characters – truthfulness,

service, idealism and humility.

After all Mahatma Gandi said ‘If we are

to teach real peace in this world, and if we

are to carry on a real war again war, we

shall have to begin with the children’.

Am I alone in thinking we need to proac-

tively create positive behavioural change

in ourselves, our families, our communi-

ties and our world for the sake of our chil-

dren’s future - is action required or am I

being idealistic? What do you think?

Written by Trish Corbett from Ethical

Foundations

17

I personally believe that our chil-

dren will become more interested in read-

ing and their skills will develop and be-

come stronger by exposing them to an ar-

ray of genres and types of books. Why?

Because they are going to become familiar

with a variety of vocabulary words,

thoughts and ideas, as well as writing

styles. This increases the likelihood that

they will find a style that interests them and

draws them into the world of books.

I have another theory I would like to

share. I am going against the grain when I

say that I believe that we should not alter

our vocabulary when we are speaking with

our children/students. In my opinion,

adults tend to discredit how truly intelligent

children really are. I came to this conclu-

sion after observing one of my closest

friends with her children, as well as some

of my students' parents over the years.

My girlfriend never changed her

vocabulary when speaking with her chil-

dren. Unfortunately, I did with my chil-

dren in the beginning. I was amazed to

discover that my girlfriend's children com-

municated with their mother using such

advanced vocabulary, and they used it cor-

rectly because their mother used it cor-

rectly. At first I thought this was just an

anomaly; however, after I began teaching, I

occasionally witnessed some of my parents

exercising the same practice with their chil-

dren and sure enough, the results were the

same. I eventually jumped on this band-

wagon with my own children and the re-

sults were well worth it.

Think about it for a minute. A child

is born into this wonderful world. What

language are

they going to

learn and com-

prehend? The

language their

family speaks

to them. An English-only family does not

raise a child who speaks only French,

right? Our children learn from us and what

they learn depends on what we teach them.

Another very embarrassing example is one

with my son. When Casey was just a little

over a year old, he overheard me use a not-

so-appropriate four-letter word. At first I

was afraid that he was going to start run-

ning around the house repeating this word

over and over again to my complete morti-

fication. Thankfully this was not the case.

However, one day my parents took him out

to eat. While Casey was enjoying his spe-

cial day with Grandma and Grandpa, his

vanilla shake, which he happened to think

was the best thing in the world, spilled. Oh

yes, you know what I am about to say next.

That lovely four-letter word that I let slip in

his presence – on just one occasion – came

spilling from his lips. He was not even 2

years old, yet he knew exactly that this was

the type of scenario where such a word

would fit the situation. And yes, it was the

first thing I heard about as my parents re-

turned my precious little angel to me. I

would have rather that he ran around my

empty home repeating the word where no

one else would have overheard him, but no

… he waited until he had a situation that

matched the situation I had when I had

regrettably used the word. I am sure that

there are a few of you out there who could

More than just story time...part 2

20

21

relate to my shame.

My daughter provides a less embar-

rassing example for me to share. My

mother and I had worked with Alissa,

helping her learn her ABCs and other rele-

vant information, before she started pre-

kindergarten. Because she was now

spending quite a lot of her day in school, I

decided to give our educational time to-

gether a break. When she had just started

first grade, her teacher informed me that

she was struggling with reading, so I im-

mediately began to teach her on my own

after school every day. You can probably

imagine how thrilled she was with this

new arrangement. I went to the teacher

supply store and purchased games, books

and other assorted supplies. After intro-

ducing my daughter to learn how to read

by using the phonetic system, her reading

abilities quickly took off. If she liked a

book in the library or book store, I never

discouraged her from reading it. One day,

we were all snuggled up on my bed to-

gether and she was reading me a book she

had just checked out from her school li-

brary. After she had proficiently read the

entire story to me, I happened to notice on

the back of the book that the librarian had

labeled the book for fourth grade reading.

Alissa was in the last few weeks of first

grade. She was able to phonetically break

down and read every word in the story.

No one had told her that she was too

young to read this story, and obviously she

wasn't. This is one reason why I really

believe that we should read stories to our

children that they are not able to read to

themselves, and the earlier the better. It is

all about exposure, exposure, exposure. Written by C.L.Peck, author of award

winning “A Midnight Song”.

Cynthia is the author of the award winning book “A

Midnight Song”. We have one autographed copy to

give away. To enter Cynthia would like to know your

thoughts for her next book where the main character,

Sam will be travelling to Australia. Please answer the

following questions and email them to

info@smallstepsparenting.com to go in the draw to

win. Winner will be notified by email. Entries close

15th August 2014.

What do you think Sam should experience

when he is in Australia?

What do you think he should eat that repre-

sents the Australian culture?

What area do you think he should visit?

Win a signed copy of “A Midnight Song”

20

Language is something we hear, isn't it - not

see? Or is it?

My son is just beginning to put words to-

gether now - he's in his second year of life.

"Stuck!" he'll call, putting on an anxious

face, and then, when I go to him, he'll smile.

"Hooray!" he'll say, showing me he isn't

stuck at all. He just wanted me close.

Babies communicate through facial expres-

sions and through gestures long before

they're able to talk. Waving 'bye', clapping,

pointing all come long before sentences. I

taught both my son and daughter sign lan-

guage so that they could share their thoughts

when words were too difficult to say. At age

one, both only had a few words, but dozens

of signs.

Sign language is a great way for young chil-

dren to communicate, especially if language

might be delayed due to developmental is-

sues. It's not hard to pick up a few signs (try

www.auslan.org for an easy online diction-

ary). It's also lots of fun and a great bonding

exercise. My kids have far better hearing

than I, and would tell me the phone was

ringing or the dog barking long before I

picked it up!

Another way of communicating is through

pictures. You'll find babies pointing at pic-

tures in books, to share what they under-

stand, what they recognise. My daughter

found a picture of a mother breastfeeding in

a brochure and brought it to Daddy when I

was away to tell him she wanted her milk!

Making up picture cards for children, espe-

cially children who might have a language

delay, is a good exercise. Clear photos are

best, and many good pictures can be found

online, on google images for example. Hav-

ing pictures of favourite toys or activities

around the house can give children another

way to communicate. Add a written word, to

increase pre-reading skills.

Language is more than words, it's also facial

expression and body language, tone of voice

and context. For some children, picking up

words is easy but understanding facial ex-

pression is difficult. Having lots of face to

face time is important for all children, and

playing face to face games like peekaboo

and row-the-boat is not only great bonding

but great language practice. Try having a

'silent' afternoon, where you only communi-

cate through facial expression and body lan-

guage - saves your voice, too!

21

Thinking of language as

something we see might

initially seem strange, but

it really is more than spo-

ken sounds. For children

with something extra, be-

ing aware of 'seeing lan-

guage' just as much as

hearing language can be

vitally important. Look

around - what language

can you see right now?

Change Change Make a

Ever stop to have a look at what you have? Wonder what life would be like without a TV, a

warm bed or food?

It is easy to get carried away with what we want in life, always striving for the next best

thing, the most up-to-date technology, the biggest TV, the fanciest car. This month can I

encourage you to think about those less fortunate than you? I just recently heard a story

about a little 10 year old boy who lives in the slums in India. Not only does his house have

a sheet for a door, and dirt for a floor but he has to go to work each day to support his fam-

ily. He makes approximately $1.80 per day and spends half of that on more stock to sell.

It really brings thing into perspective doesn’t it?

Maybe this month, do something for someone less fortunate, however small you feel it is,

I can guarantee it will make an impact to them.

We would love to hear what you are or someone you know is doing to make a change.

We would love to feature the story in Small Steps. Please email us.

22

My 2014

As I mentioned in a previous article, we

have recently moved. We bought gorgeous

block of land and are living in a temporary

home until our dream home is built.

The place we moved into was not in good

condition but as it is only a temporary

home for us I didn’t want to spend a great

deal of money on it. I looked at the rooms

that needed the most work and started plan-

ning to create an environment for my kids

that was clean and welcoming.

My first priority was the bathroom. I didn’t

feel you could feel clean even after a

shower if the bathroom wasn’t fresh and

inviting.

At first glance of our bathroom I noticed

the following - the shower had a large hole

in the wall at the bottom on one side, the

ceiling was covered in mould as were some

of the walls, the floor was grubby and un-

appealing, the toilet was old and stained

and the window covering needed replacing.

So my work was really cut out for me.

I set a budget of $1500 and started plan-

ning. I chose a colour scheme and began

searching for cheap materials.

I had a brand new shower installed (by my

lovely brother-in-law) using three shower

panels bought from Bunnings. They usu-

ally cost $180 per sheet but I was able to

get one sheet for only $30 as it was a dis-

continued line. I used that sheet for the

back of the shower as it had a tile pattern in

it and then used the plain more expensive

walls for the two sides. As the colour is

exactly the same you can barely tell one is

patterned. The base was fine so I just gave

it a good clean.

We found a new toilet suite for $99, high

gloss anti mould paint for the walls and self

stick lino tiles for the floor all from Bun-

nings.

I had to get a plumber to put in the new

toilet but the painting and flooring I did

myself.

I started by cleaning the ceiling and giving

it two good coats of ceiling paint with paint

I found in the garage = FREE. I patched the

holes in the walls and painted them with

three coats of anti-mould bathroom paint.

My next job was the floor. I was amazed at

how easy the self stick lino tiles are to use.

You simply start from the centre laying the

tiles next to each other and then cut the

tiles that are too big around the walls. I

started by using a Stanley knife but found

that a strong pair of scissors ended up be-

ing easier especially on rounded cuts. The

toilet was the most difficult and I wanted

the tiles to fit nicely around it, so I used a

paper pattern I made by tracing around the

toilet on several pieces of paper and then

cutting around it.

I was really pleased with the result. Not

only did it look amazing but it was quite

cheap and fully waterproof.

Lastly I did some shopping around to ac-

cessorise. I used a frosted film that I found

Money Challenge -

The bathroom reno

in my garage to stick over the clear glass

windows for privacy (this obviously didn’t

mess with my budget as I already had this

item which I purchased years ago on eBay).

I found a gorgeous mirror, a new shower

curtain and three drawer white cabinet from

Kmart and I bought towels, a vase and a

(fake) orchid from The Reject Shop that

went with my colour scheme and finished

off the window with a matchstick blind

which I found on clearance at Bunnings.

Then I simply put it all together for my

complete bathroom makeover.

This was what it cost all together (I rounded

the numbers to make it easier) ~

As you can see I came out well under

budget and now I have moved onto other

areas of our home. Next month I will show

you the makeovers of two bedrooms.

Julie-Anne England

23

Items

Ceiling paint free

Wall paint $200

Shower walls $390

Toilet suite $99

Plumber $200

Flooring $80

Matchstick blind $6

Mirror $19

Three drawer cabinet $35

Shower curtain $10

Towels $20

Vase and orchid $15

Window frosting free

$1,074

BEFORE

AFTER

Having children are often the purpose of a married couples life. Children are central to having a family but often the question couples face before they have a family is, how many children can we afford. Assuming having them isn't go-

ing to be an issue.

AMP did a comprehensive report on

the costs of having children in 2012. What the Report found was that the cost of a child can be broadly divided between two categories: 'household' costs (such as food, transport, clothing,

health, etc) and 'education' costs.

Household costs are largely staple

costs. In other words they are largely essential costs to the family having a child and may vary depending on the family budget and the number of mem-bers of the family. Whereas education costs can be discretionary beyond a minimum cost. The parents can chose the type of education they chose for their children, such as in the early years child care and pre-school care, through to private verses public education during primary and secon-

dary school, and then university costs. For low to middle income families the cost of raising a child, or children, takes up a larger percentage of their house-hold income than for higher income families. The question often comes down to whether it is a two income or single income family as to what they can afford for their children. The esti-mated costs for a couple to raise two children to age 18 ranged from $473,000 for a low income family, to $812,000 for a middle income family

and $1.1 million for a high income fam-ily. The biggest expense, not surpris-ingly, was education costs which are also likely to rise the most in future years. So those costs are likely to be greater in today's dollars when the ex-

pense is actually incurred.

So how can a couple prepare them-

selves for the expense of having a fam-ily? The best way to prepare for the future education costs that you chose for your children is to have a

budget. There are software programs

available that can help you with this task. These programs allow you to chose the type of education that you plan for your children, the period of that education and when the cost will be incurred. You then need to have a fi-nancial plan to meet that expense. That plan will be based on your capacity to generate excess income to your cur-rent expenditure and your ability to save for the future. There is no secret that the more you put away now, the easier it will be later to meet those ex-

penses.

If you have any questions on the above please contact me at michael.voss@arrowfa.com.au. Best wishes Michael Voss CFP Disclaimer: This is general advice only

24

The cost of raising

children

Kids Fun!

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Community

Do you have a free playgroup,

event or program for families?

List them here on our

community noticeboard for

FREE! Email us.

RHYME TIME

Every Monday 10-11am

(except school holidays)

Rhymes, songs and craft for 18 months

to 3 years. Siblings welcome.

FREE - no need to book.

Central Library Windsor

Deerubbin Centre, 300 George Street,

Windsor (02) 4560 4460

PRE-SCHOOL STORYTIME

every Tuesday 11am-12noon

Richmond Branch every Thursday

11am-12noon

(except during school holidays) Themed

stories, rhymes & craft for 3 - 5 years

Siblings welcome

FREE - All welcome

Central Library Windsor

Deerubbin Centre, 300 George Street,

Windsor (02) 4560 4460

Twins and More The playgroup is for families/carers of twins or parents expecting multi-ple births. Hawkesbury Twins and More is a free Playgroup providing an informal wel-coming setting to socialize, interact & share experiences with others who have Twins and More. Bring a rug for babies to lie on & any-thing else you may need! For more information please call

Thursdays—Fortnightly 9.30am—11.00am

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28

During school term South Windsor

Tuesday, 0-5 year olds, 9:30 –11am Hobartville

Tuesday, 0-5 Year olds, 9:15 - 11am Windsor South

Thursdays, 0-5 year olds 9:15-10:45am

Bookings phone 4577 9804

Playgroups

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Informal group for mums & bubs birth – 18 months

Bookings phone 4577 9804

29

Noticeboard

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Deanna 0438 668 259

or check out our website www.hvbc.org.au

Hawkesbury Humbugs

Playgroup Join a relaxed group with babies

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coffee, morning tea and a play.

First two visits free, just bring a

drink and a piece of fruit.

All welcome.

Thursdays

Glossodia Community Centre

9.30am-11.30am

For more info call Alana

0403354364

30

Questions?

Comments?

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