PARENTS’ NOTESa special advertising section of the bermuda sun n December 5, 2012 n page 30

How ballet can bring out the best in Bermuda’s boysby Sophia cannonier

More so than ever before, Bermuda’s boys need support, encouragement , hope and guidance to reach beyond their potential in every aspect of their devel-opment and lives.

Parents are stretched to the financial limit and yet still want to give their chil-dren every opportunity to be happy and successful.

Ballet is a wonderful way to do just that.

My husband and I are not afraid to think or act outside the proverbial ‘box’ in many areas of our lives. Our children are growing up with the freedom and responsibility to think for themselves, and to do what they love makes them happy right from the begin-ning.

Personally, I have danced ballet for as long as I can remember. I thank my mum for the foresight to enrol me in ballet class at the age of two, even though I did not start to dance seri-ously until age seven.

I was fully supported to reach my dream of becom-ing a professional ballet dancer.

There was one fork in the road at the end of my time in high school that could have lead down a path towards pharmacy.

But what do you really know at age 16? You know

what is in your heart, what you dream about.

I chose the path that lead me to New York City at age 17 to pursue my dream.

I became a soloist with the Dance Theater of Harlem and travelled all

over the world, life learn-ing along the way.

I am happy and have never regretted any part of my journey.

Recently I have been inspired by my children and my mentors, Patricia

Deane-Gray, Katina Wood-ley and Coral Waddell, who teach ballet. I have also started to teach it.

Our son Ravi and eldest daughter Vidya practise the art of ballet, collectively for nine hours a week.

Our youngest daughter Inanna is already imitating her older siblings.

You may be asking your-selves at this point, ‘But isn’t ballet for girls?’

No, only silly people who do not know the truth say that.

Girls can do ballet, but the ballet that girls do is very different from ballet for men and boys.

Male ballet dancers have to be strong and athletic.

In the big ballets, they play the parts of princes, soldiers and pirates.

When scientists tested male ballet dancers against sportsmen, they found that the dancers were fitter and able to keep going for longer.

Not everyone wants to be a ballet dancer. However, ballet teaches you lots of things which are useful for other activities.

These include: Balance; strength; fitness; precision of movement; good concen-tration; good posture; how to listen to music; and confidence.

And don’t forget, ballet is simply really good fun.

Lots of famous names

either did ballet when they were younger, or currently do ballet to help in other areas.

Christian Bale is a prolific actor in Hollywood and the current Batman.Not many people know, however, that Bale studied ballet as a boy.

His sister even says he was offered a place at the Royal Ballet School.

Rio Ferdinand is centre-back for Manchester United and plays football for England.

FlexibilityHis football talent was

obvious from a young age (he was invited to join the Queens Park Rangers Academy at 10), but he was also a gifted dancer.

His father encouraged him to begin dancing and he won a scholarship to the Central School of Ballet, London, when he was 11. He pursued dancing for four years until football took over his career.

In a recent interview, Ferdinand said ballet helped him to develop as a footballer, as he had to improve his balance and timing. He said: “It’s elegant and you have to be flexible.”

Jean-Claude Van Damme is one of the world’s most famous action film stars.Van Damme started karate when he was 10 and made the Belgian team a few years later.

He took up ballet at 16 to help his fighting. He recent-ly said that ballet was key to his success because it gave him grace and flex-ibility.

“Ballet is an art,but it’s also one of the most diffi-cult sports,” he said.

“If you can survive a ballet workout, you can

See ballet, page 33

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strength: Ballet lessons can teach boys balance, concentration, posture, fitness and confidence.

THE BERMUDA SUN PArents’ nOtes: a special advertising section DEcEMBER 5, 2012 n 31

32 n DEcEMBER 5, 2012 PArents’ nOtes: a special advertising section THE BERMUDA SUN

THE BERMUDA SUN PArents’ nOtes: a special advertising section DEcEMBER 5, 2012 n 33

Positive Change in an instant - with Hypnotherapy

Your inner mind is incredibly powerful and will enable you to overcome and manage a wide range of conditions, unwanted habits, unwanted behaviours and perceived problems.

Hypnosis can help you to achieve your goals!

-­‐ control weight - become a non-smoker -­‐ end procrastination - overcome fears and phobias -­‐ reduce stress - stop anxiety -­‐ sleep better - more comfortable childbirth -­‐ gain confidence - improve sports performance

Make positive changes in your life - NOW!

Hypnotherapy can help you with any lifestyle change you wish to make easily and successfully – with little effort, almost like magic!

Call for a free consultation NOW!

Monica Dobbie, Certified Hypnotherapist

Tel: 505 7531 Email: change@hypnosisbermuda.com Website: www.hypnosisbermuda.com  

“Change your mind – Change your life”

How to protect your child from lifelong fears and phobias

become entrenched.Fears and phobias

are sometimes ‘learnt’ behaviours from a parent. Perhaps our mother was scared of cockroaches, and, as a child, we imitated our mother and became fearful as well.

I recently had a client who wanted to address her fear of flying and heights, because she was going to a theme park with her chil-dren and did not want to pass on her fears to them. Good for her.

She sent me an e-mail after her trip to say that she was completely calm on the

flight and, although still a bit apprehensive, managed to go on several rides with her children so that they had a wonderful family holiday.

Hypnosis can be an effec-tive way of dealing with various children’s issues very quickly.

This is because they have vivid imaginations and it is easy to access their subcon-scious mind and bring about the desired change.

In my experience, I have found children to be wonderfully receptive to hypnosis. The sessions have always been a positive

and empowering experi-ence for them.

Surprising their parents, they sometimes ask to come back later for another issue, such as sports perfor-mance improvement.

Some issues stay quietly buried in the subconscious as they are not debilitat-ing or too limiting. For instance a fear of dogs, or being asked to sing.

They linger unacknowl-edged and appear not to matter.

Other conditions are more serious as they are debilitating or embarrass-ing.

Examples are: Night-mares; bedwetting; fear of drowning, etc.

Hypnosis can be used for these issues, and many more. I recently saw a five-year-old who, after one session, now sleeps well throughout the night with-out the monsters that used to chase her.

Hypnosis to stop bedwet-ting has been shown to be effective with many chil-dren.

These children struggle with feelings of shame, embarrassment and a lack of control.

Their self-esteem can suffer if the situation is not addressed. A reason that hypnosis can be effec-tive for bedwetting is that the subconscious mind controls most of our bodily functions.

Hypnosis accesses the subconscious mind, repro-gramming it so that the need to go the bathroom at night is handled in the same way as when the child is awake.

I have seen children blos-som and become happier and more successful after hypnosis.

They gain the ability to focus better and they improve their self-esteem.

Children who experience hypnosis learn valuable, empowering tools which they can use to their advan-tage for the rest of their lives, unencumbered by seeds of doubt and fear.

Be part of their success by dealing with your own adult fears, through hypno-sis perhaps; avoid passing your fears onto your chil-dren; and help them throw off already-learned fears, forever. n

Monica Dobbie is a certi-fied hypnotherapist who helps both adults and chil-dren reach their full poten-tial. She can be contacted at 505-7531 or e-mail change@hypnosisbermuda.com

by monica Dobbie

Many of the fears, phobias, self-esteem and anxiety-related issues that I help my adult clients

address, stem from an event or events in their child-hood.

If we were to bring up our children

encouraging them and giving them positive rein-forcement, and dealing with any issues while they were still young, therapists would have much fewer adult clients.

A fear or phobia often begins when we are young, and it stays with us for many years, quite often for life.

But it doesn’t have to. Fears of all sorts can be easily handled at any age.

TriggerTrivial events often

become magnified in a child’s mind, and remain deeply embedded in the memory at a subconscious level.

They are subsequently triggered by a seemingly unrelated event many years later.

I had a client who had a fear of public speaking. Nobody would have known she had this issue as she always looked calm and poised.

However, inside she was quaking, her palms became sweaty and she dreaded having to stand up to speak.

In our session, we discov-ered that at the age of six she had been rehearsing for a school play. She got her lines wrong, was told she was useless and some-one else was given her part.

From then on, when-ever she had to stand up to speak, she reverted to that feeling of failure.

Since our sessions, she feels perfectly confident speaking in any situation.

When we consider that much of the emotional baggage we carry around as adults has its roots in childhood experiences, it makes sense to ensure that our children’s issues are dealt with as soon as they arise — during childhood.

That’s why it is impor-tant to talk every day about experiences at school, at play, even at home.

What are their feel-ings and worries, if any? Surface those budding phobias before they

survive a workout in any other sport.”

Tupac Shakur was a rapper who sold over 75 million albums — the second top-selling rap artist after Eminem.

Shakur was born in New York where he showed early promise as an actor.He later enrolled in the Baltimore School for the Arts where he studied acting, poetry, jazz and ballet.

He even performed as the Mouse King in a produc-tion of the Nutcracker.

He became enormously successful but his life was cut short after being hit in a drive-by shooting.

The London Olympians are a British-American football team.

Their coach, Stephen Marcus, introduced ballet as part of the team’s train-ing to improve footwork, balance and agility.

He said: “When I first heard of this idea I thought it was a joke, but having done some research of my own, it makes perfect

sense.” Perhaps you can encourage and support your sons to do ballet. We do.

I teach Primary Level C class for five to seven-year-olds, Mondays and Thurs-days, 3:45-4:45pm, and Saturdays, 10:30-11:30am.

I also teach Boys’ Ballet class for seven to nine-year-olds, Thursdays, 5:30-6:30pm, and Pre Ballet for boys and girls aged three to five, Saturdays, 9:30-10:30am.

There is still space in the forthcoming Nutcracker Ballet Camp, which boys can attend for free (by audition only). No tights required! n

Sophia cannonier is a certified midwife assis-tant and birth doula CD (DONA). She also teaches yoga and pilates, and is the director of The Bermuda Integrative Health Co-op Ltd and Lotus Mind, Body and Spirit Wellness Centre. For more information on boys’ ballet classes contact 296-5900. Ms Cannonier also holds classes for gym-nasts to improve their form and elegance in their floor routines.

BalleTContinued from page 30

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wOrries: If fears and phobias are not addressed from an early age, they can affect a child’s confidence and self-esteem.

dObbiE

34 n DEcEMBER 5, 2012 PArents’ nOtes: a special advertising section THE BERMUDA SUN

A Better Future By DesignAs part of our mission to help promote better living for everyone in our community, Orange Bay Company has selected Teen Haven as the deserving recipient of our 2012 annual fundraising campaign.

ABOUT TEEN HAVENFounded in 1976, Teen Haven is a registered charity that seeks to empower Bermuda’s youth, particularly at-risk girls, by promoting healthy development through ongoing education, counseling and support. They provide a unique residential program that offers teen mothers, young women (aged 16 to 24) and their children (7 years and under) transitional housing, counseling and life skills training.

THE NEEDTeen Haven’s 8-family facility in Happy Valley is in need of refurbishment. With your help, Orange Bay Company will paint and redecorate the home, replace window coverings and upgrade the computers and computer room facilities to create a comfortable space for online learning and job searches. In addition, we’ll help improve the home’s common areas, updating and restaging the lounge and purchasing outdoor play equipment and furniture.

HOW YOU CAN HELPYou or your organization can assist us with the upgrades to the Teen Haven facility by donating funds or time.

DONATE:Funds will be used to purchase computers, window coverings, outdoor play equipment and lawn furniture, paint and supplies.

VOLUNTEER:Teams of volunteers are needed to repaint the interior of the Teen Haven facility. We need many hands to get the job done quickly between Dec. 10 and 14.

Form a volunteer brigade and schedule your participation or arrange a donation by contacting:

Orange Bay Company(441) 295 5400info@orangebaycompany.com

The Better Future by Design campaign is being organized, promoted and funded in part by Orange Bay Company. Thank you for helping us design a better future for young women in need.

How to enjoy the holidays without weight gainby Sarah higginS & hannah SimpSonBermuda Hospitals Board / Bermuda Diabetes Association

During the festive season we’re always surrounded by lots of lovely food and drink.

Holiday parties with buffets and booze, candies in the office — you name a food, it’s around to tempt us.

Did you know that some people eat their way through around 6,000 calories on Christmas Day alone?

This is about three times more than the average person needs.

ImpulseOver the festive period

many people gain around 5lbs in weight, which is equal to an extra 17,500 calories!

Don’t despair — the holi-days don’t have to be a time for weight gain.

Here are some tips to enjoy the festive season and to still fit into your favourite outfit on New Year’s Eve.

When grocery shopping, be like Santa, make a list and check it twice. Don’t be tempted to impulse buy.

With festive snacks, avoid the naughty and instead stick with the nice.

Instead of candies, choco-late and chips, try pretzels, plain popcorn, dried fruit and vegetable sticks with a tasty low fat dip, eg. salsa or low fat sour cream.

Before heading to parties,

try eating something healthy and filling so you’re not famished when you arrive.

Choose appetizers that are lower in calories, such as melon, smoked salmon or vegetable soup.

Fill up on vegetables (without adding butter). About half of your plate should be filled with sprouts, green beans, carrots, broccoli and pars-nips.

Despite being fattened

up for Christmas, turkey is actually a lean meat; just remove the skin. Don’t forget to trim the fat off other meats too.

If you stick to smaller portions of desserts, your waistline may not end up like Santa’s!

The holidays are a time to be merry, but try not to overdo the alcohol. It contains lots of hidden calories especially fancy, sweet cocktails and creamy liqueurs.

Choose low calorie mixers and sip your drink slowly so it lasts longer.

Watch out for high calo-rie soft drinks such as eggnog, sodas and juices. Did you know egg nog has around 400 calories per 8oz serving?

Try alternating each alco-holic drink with a glass of water or diet soft drink.

Rock around the Christ-mas tree to burn off any extra calories.

Dance the night away to

your favourite Christmas songs… or even whilst cooking the family lunch.

Go for a lovely family walk after your fabulous, festive feast. And don’t forget to pound the pave-ments during those Janu-ary sales.

You don’t need to be the Christmas Grinch to follow these tips; enjoy the festive season with your family and friends, just don’t overdo those holiday treats.

Just because Santa is overweight, doesn’t mean you have to be.

Remember, Christmas is only one day, not a two week feeding frenzy.

Have a happy and healthy holiday season and a happy and healthy new year. n

Sarah higginS anD hannah SiMpSon are RDs (Registered Dietitians) for the Bermuda Hospitals Board/Bermuda Dietitians Association. For more infor-mation on a healthy diet, see www.eatwellbermuda.org

n healthy eating

by amanDa Daleadale@bermudasun.bm

If you’re looking for fun things to do this vacation, Camp Pioneers is running a Christmas camp.

Five to 13-year-olds can enjoy a week packed with activities and fun days out.

Mahtorrie Wilkinson, Camp Pioneers director, said: “We go on numerous outings and I like to say that we tour Bermuda, because we go to places which people don’t normal-ly go to.

“We also go swimming at Sandys 360 and celebrate birthdays.

“We go to Dolphin Quest, to the movies and to the library.”

educationalOther activities include

baking, arts and crafts, sports and games.

“It’s a fun educational camp and is a joyful experi-ence,” said Ms Wilkinson.

“Every child I’ve had on the camp has always come back.

“You are constantly learning and having fun.”

The camp will run December 20-31, from 7:45am-6pm Monday to Friday, and costs $120 per child per week.

The camp location will be on Sleepy Hollow Drive, Hamilton Parish. Up to 20 places are available. n

To finD ouT more e-mail mahtorriewilkinson@gmail.com or call 504-5372.

Fun activities at Christmas

n photo by eugene bochkarev

trimmings: Turkey is a lean meat, but remove the skin to avoid extra calories, and fill up on vegetables to help you stay trim.

‘Did you know egg nog has around 400 calories per 8oz serving?’

THE BERMUDA SUN PArents’ nOtes: a special advertising section DEcEMBER 5, 2012 n 35

36 n DEcEMBER 5, 2012 PArents’ nOtes: a special advertising section THE BERMUDA SUN

The best Christmas gift fathers can give is love and timeOne of my son’s grand-

parents wanted to get him a life-size toy car for Christ-mas. We — his mom and I

— thought it was unsuit-able for a six-year-old boy, despite his small stat-ure and physical challenges.

Anyway, we wanted to get his feedback on a better Christmas gift for him, and so we asked him what he wanted.

CommitmentTo our pleasant surprise,

he told us he wanted a Christmas tree and to spend time with his family, particularly his grand-mother in America.

I know many kids and adults would take advan-tage of such an opportunity to ask for something big, like a pushbike, a trip to Disney World, a smart-phone, or a game console.

Perhaps nothing is wrong with that, but my son’s answer reminded me of one of the main reasons for Christmas — time with family.

Although most kids, particularly older ones, may not say it, they need you Dad, especially during

the Christmas season. So, no matter how busy

it gets at work or how tired you are, make the commit-

ment to spend some unin-terrupted time with your kids this holiday, doing what they like.

Decide now to make this the best Christmas for you and them. I also have a bigger challenge for you.

Someone once said that, “the best gift a father can give his children is to love their mother”. Although

the way you love her is dependent on the type of relationship you both share, you express your love to your kids when you respect, cooperate with, and communicate openly and honestly with their mother.

This is truly the best gift you can give them. All children deserve the gift of having both mom and dad working together for their good.

The fact is that chil-dren don’t want to spend their time with just you, although you are very important to them.

They want to spend time with you and mom, the grandparents, and other members of the extended family.

I can guarantee you that you will add a lot of joy to their Christmas at the sight of you and their mom being together with them, lovingly and peaceably.

So, in 2012 and beyond, give your children the best gift ever — loving their mother.

Merry Christmas! n

peTe SaunDerS runs the website www.razorsand-diapers.com which is dedi-cated to helping Bermuda’s fathers with their children. It offers information on fatherhood issues, resources and parenting products.

n juSt for DaDS

n istock photo

cAring: children want to spend time with you at christmas, but also want to be around their mom and grandparents in a happy, stable, loving environment.

SAuNdERS

First aid kit basics any family should have in the homeby rene lynchLos Angeles Times (McT)

You’re meticulous about monitoring the expiration dates on milk cartons.

You carefully check sell-by dates before putting meat in your shopping cart. And you take a moment to scan cans, bottles and jars for their ‘Best before’ dates.

But have you ever

checked the expiration dates on the contents of your first aid kit?

Do you even have a first aid kit?

Just face it: It’s time for a medicine cabinet make-over.

If you’re like the rest of us, you are probably miss-ing items that you or your loved ones will need in case of an injury that falls short

of requiring a visit to the emergency room.

And, like the rest of us, your bathroom cabinets are likely filled with items that have outlived their ‘Use by’ dates, potentially making them less potent or perhaps even dangerous.

The US Food and Drug Administration says: “Once the expiration date has passed, there is no

guarantee that an expired medicine will be safe and effective.

“If your medicine has expired, do not use it.”

Consider this your nudge to take stock of your family’s medicine cabinet and see what might need replacing.

Make a list, keep your eyes peeled for coupons and sales on the items your

family is most likely to need.

You could also take the easy way out and just buy a trauma kit (they are often better stocked than a routine first aid kit), and then buy a few more items to round out your supplies.

Think about how much better equipped you’ll feel about treating your sick spouse or child with all the necessary items well orga-nized, easily within reach and safely within their expiration dates.

essentialsHere are the items a well-

stocked medicine cabinet should contain, plus a few items you’ll be happy you have on hand.

n Bandages and gauze in a variety of shapes and sizes. (If you have kids, Mickey Mouse or Hello Kitty bandages can’t hurt.)

n Anti-bacterial spray and/or ointment.

n Hydrocortisone cream, to relieve itching.

n Tweezers and scissors. It’s worth springing for precision tools (something you already know if you’ve ever tried to remove a splinter from a squirming toddler).

n An instant-read ther-mometer. A thermometer with an ear scan feature might be helpful when you want to take a temperature without waking up a sick child who has finally fallen asleep.

n Cough drops and cough syrup.

n An over-the-counter allergy medication.

n Cold reliever and sleep enhancer such as NyQuil, or a generic-brand equiva-lent.

n Rubbing alcohol. Believe it or not, this can expire too, losing its effec-tiveness over time.

n Cold pack. In a pinch, a bag of frozen peas will do. But it’s helpful to have something a bit more durable. Keep this in the freezer, of course, so it’s ready to go.

n Heating pad. Probably not standard fare for an emergency kit, but it might be soothing for an aching back or flu-induced chills.

n A first aid guide or pamphlet. You can find these online or perhaps at your doctor’s office.

n A laminated list of phone numbers and addresses, and perhaps even a map including direc-tions to your doctor and the nearest emergency room.

n Eyewash, for soothing an eye that has become irritated after an afternoon cleaning out the garage.

n Gloves, eye protection and a mouth guard you can use in case you need to perform CPR.

If you’re not certified in CPR, get certified.

Many community centres offer classes, or contact the Red Cross for a class list.

It takes just a few hours, and you’ll learn first aid basics and CPR.

You’ll never regret know-ing how to treat an injury or save a life in case of an emergency. n