Special Announcements

 

 

 

In the News

 

 

Did the ABC go too far?

The ABC recently found itself under heavy criticism when it aired the BBC documentary "Bringing up Baby". The "reality" tv show followed 6 couples with newborns, and paired them up with mentors who promoted different types of child-rearing practices. The aim of the show was experiment on real-life babies and parents, to see which child-rearing practices are "best". However, the screening of the show here in Australia resulted in hundreds of complaints (as it had in Britain) about the practices promoted by one of the parenting mentors named Claire Verity (pictured).

 

Claiming to be a "maternity nurse", Ms. Verity is seen instructing parents to only cuddle their baby at scheduled times, and to avoid eye contact with their baby at all costs in order to avoid being "manipulated" by their newborn. Babies whose parents are mentored by Ms. Verity are placed on a strict routine of four hourly feeds, and are left to sleep outdoors by themselves between scheduled feeds so that parents cannot hear, or respond to, their crying.

 

One of the main criticisms of the ABC was that they did not disclose that since airing in the UK, it has been discovered that Ms. Verity lied about her qualifications. She is neither a nurse, not (it appears) does she hold any qualifications in child-care. It seems that the BBC did not check her claims about her qualifications until after the show aired. Many people were also concerned that, until forced to do so, the ABC did not issue any sort of health warning to parents stating that the practices promoted by Ms. Verity are known to increase the risk of SIDS or other serious problems.

 

Ms. Verity, who has no children of her own, is quoted by The Australian as saying "I can't understand why anyone wants to cuddle a baby or to pick up a baby". This contradicts much recent research, which shows that frequent, nurturing touch, eye contact and interaction is essential to the healthy development of babies and the prevention of issues such as post-natal depression. Babies who are not regular touched, or responded to, are more likely to develop problems such as depression, failure to grow, developmental difficulties, and physical/ coordination difficulties. These babies also show less independence and resiliance later in life.

Claire Verity's qualifications

ABC forced to issue health warnings about "Brining Up Baby"

Children and "naughty" behaviour

 

 

Infant Massage Tips

 

 

Yes and No Cues

Many parents say that one of the most beneficial things they get from attending an infant massage course is learning about their baby's "yes" and "no" signals - long before their baby begins to talk. Learning these signals not only helps with massage, but many parents report that it helps them understand their needs better in a whole range of other situations too.

 

Every baby is different, and through regular massage you will get to learn your baby's individual cues quite quickly. Some common "yes" signals that your baby may use to indicate they are ready for a massage or to play with you include:

~ Eyes wide open and maintaining eye contact with you.

~ Relaxed hands and shoulders.

~ Smiling.  

 

Common signals for "no", indicating that your baby may not want a massage or may need a bit of a rest include:

~ Looking away.

~ Clenched hands, or hands tightly splayed.

~ Hunched up shoulders. 

~ Hiccoughs

~ Rubbing eyes

~ Bracing their legs (pushing one leg up against the other). 

 

By looking out for these signals, and also learning your baby's own unique cues, you will be able to not only tell when they are ready for a massage - but they can help you learn when your baby is getting tired or overwhelmed so you can respond long before the tears and crying start.

 

Autumn Resources

 

 

Featured website – Pinky McKay

Sleep is often the "Holy Grail" for many parents of newborns (and older babes!) - and everyone seems prepared to offer advice as to how you "should" get your baby to sleep through the night. However, rather than telling you how you should get your baby to sleep, McKay offers literally hundreds of different approaches and "tips", encouraging each parent to experiment find a solution that works best for their own circumstances. She has drawn from a range of areas, including infant massage, neurological development and others and compiled many options together in a few resources.

 

McKay, a Melbourne-based mother and grandmother is well-respected in many child development circles and is best-known for her approach which is deeply respectful of the needs of both babies and parents. She has published numerous books and runs frequent workshops, and her work is based not only on good science, but her many years experience. This site is well-worth checking out.

Pinky McKay  Website

 

 

Featured Community Group – Hassle-free and affordable vege gardens

 

OK, so its not really a community group...but we loved this small business run a local dad-to-be SO MUCH, that we thought we would give it a plug....

 

Have you ever dreamed of spending your summer eating home-grown tomatoes? Or watching the kids pick sweet watermelon straight from the vine? Once established, a vege garden can be pretty easy to maintain and bring many hours of healthy and fun activity for your family (not to mention great savings on grocery bills).

 

However, while many people want to grow their own veges, they either don't have the time or knowledge to get started.

 

That's where Vaughan comes in. Vaughan runs his own small business helping local families set up and maintain their own home vegetable gardens. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on a sterile, landscaped garden that can't be used (and only enjoyed from the lounge-room window) - Vaughan is dedicated to helping families re-claim their gardens as useable and beautiful spaces where kids can get dirty, where the whole family can share time together, and which are full of delight. Using organic gardening and permaculture principles, Vaughan can assist with resurrecting your existing over-grown and disused vege plot, or with establishing a new patch in the corner of your garden. He can even help set you up with a container or balcony garden with everything from tomatoes and cucumbers to your own mango tree!

 

Best of all, his rates are really affordable - re-establishing an old, small plot with a variety of veges such as lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, peas, onions and berries can cost from as little as $80 + materials/ seedlings. Once set up, you can maintain it yourself, or Vaughan will come every few months to perform general maintenance and re-plant a new season of crops for you. So not only is this a great service for families, but also for older people who may have difficulty in keeping up with their vege gardens.

 

So why not contact Vaughan for an obligation-free quote?

Contact Vaughan

 

Chef's Corner

 

 

Pick & Mix Pizza  

Most kids love pizza, and when made at home they can be a really great way to introduce the family to healthy cooking & eating. These pizzas taste so increddible compared to the cardboard-like, home-delivered versions, and everyone can pick a flavour they like. However, my favourite thing about the Pick & Mix Pizza, is that it is soooo quick and easy to make, and cheap too - particularly if you use whatever you have on hand.

 

This recipe is adapted from the book: "Nora's Dinners" by Nora Sands, p. 71.

 

Calendar

 

 

General Infant Massage Workshops for All Families