Littlies 2011 8

REFLUX AND SPILLING MAKE A FACE COLLAGE TAME TANGLED TRESSES
PRACTICAL PARENTING 0 to 5 YEARS
August 2011
A PUSHY
IS IT MASTITIS?
giggle
a day
big
THE
first-day jitters
preschoolers
Your guide to playing with baby
5 +
Stop those runny noses!
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CONTENTS August 2011

www.littlies.co.nz
REGULARS
14 Your letters 17 Heres an idea 18 Littlebites
This month's news and events
6 6
19 Co ee group recipe
Sticky gingerbread
20 Whats hot for mums and bubs 23 What's hot for little ones 42 Ask our experts
Our experts solve your parenting dilemmas
PREGNANCY & BIRTH

24 Mastitis
Spotting the signs and simple ways to ease the pain
36 26
NEWBORN & BABY

26 Feeding your baby
Introducing a mixed diet with Annabel Karmel
32 Play on, baby

Games to play with baby in the rst 12 months
35 Just ask Plunket

Coping with spilling and reux
TODDLER & PRESCHOOLER

06 A giggle a day
Helping your child see the funny side of life
10 Pushy preschoolers
What to do with little people when push comes to shove
10 28 24
28 Asian cuisine for kids

Vegetable tempura and pressed sushi
36 The big ve
Preparing for school to ease those rst-day jitters
40 Taming tangles
Taming your childs tangled tresses without the tears
48 On the run
How to combat your childs constant runny nose
FUN STUFF
50 Learn all about goats 51 Book & lm new releases 52 Collage faces craft
SHOPPING & COMPETITIONS

51 Book & lm give away 54 Shopping directory 58 Littlies freebies
52
from the editor
ISSUE 83 LARGEST CIRCULATION TO PARENTS OF CHILDREN 0 5 YEARS

TRUSTED BY NEW ZEALAND PARENTS SINCE 2003 NEW ZEALAND'S ONLY MONTHLY PARENTING MAGAZINE 10 ISSUES PER YEAR
If I was given a magic wand

to change anything, it would be to the shameful numbers of child abuse in New Zealand. We have the fth worst child abuse record out of 31 OECD countries. On average one child is killed every ve weeks and most of these are children under ve with the majority being less than a year old. Each time the headlines scream of another child abuse victim, Ill confess I'm a babbling mess. I think about the pain the child su ered. I cringe that other adults may have known but turned a blind eye. I'm saddened that, collectively, we've let another innocent child down. Now the government is talking about making reporting of suspected child abuse mandatory. It costs the country $2 billion a year! The problem, however, is that the average person doesnt intrinsically know the signs of child abuse. And if they do, they may not know how to take action or what to do for fear of reprisal or getting it wrong. Child abuse prevention group, Child Matters, have responded by making a resource especially for the public with the facts laid out in plain English. Called How Can I Tell?, it's available for free viewing at www.childmatters.org.nz. I encourage you all to read it as by doing so, you're already taking action against child abuse. On lighter matters abroad, I was recently invited by Tourism Malaysia to nd out rst-hand how family-friendly Malaysia is. I dont know what I was most fond of, seeing the orang-utans up close in their natural habitat, tasting the many local delicacies, or getting lost in the colossal-sized shopping centres that boasted a theme park in one. Heres me taking a photo snap break while kayaking with our delightful host, Alaina McGregor, on Sarawak River (amazing!). Watch this space because weve got an exciting opportunity coming up where you could enjoy your own Malaysian family experience. I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we have had putting it together!
Publisher Lesley Williamson Editor Maria Kroonenberg maria@littlies.co.nz Sub-Editor Katherine Granich Advertising Manager Mimi Olds-Spence mimi@littlies.co.nz Marketing Director Lesley Williamson lesley@littlies.co.nz Cover Photography Karyn Flett Business & Web Manager Campbell Williamson Postal Address PO Box 55197, Eastridge Auckland 1146 Phone 0064 9 578 3402 Fax 0064 9 578 3412 Website www.littlies.co.nz Subscriptions & Back Issues To subscribe go to www.littlies.co.nz or email subscriptions@littlies.co.nz $28 for 10 issues
Littlies is audited by the Audit Bureau Circulation. 83,379 net circulation per issue. Six months ended 31/12/10.
Littlies is a member of the Magazine Publishers Association. The opinions expressed in Littlies are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of Littlies Ltd. All material appearing in Littlies is copyright and may only be reproduced with the prior written consent of the publisher. All letters and other material forwarded to Littlies will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labelled not for publication. Littlies has made every e ort to ensure all instructions given for activities published are safe, but Littlies cannot accept liability for any resulting injury, loss or damage. ISSN 1176-2578
MARIA KROONENBERG, EDITOR
experts
Anna Martin
Sleep Advisor
Over 80,000 copies distributed FREE every month throughout NZ directly into the hands of parents through Plunket Nurses, Midwifes, Hospitals, Birthing Units, Private and Public Childcare Centres, Amcal Pharmacies and Babycity stores.
Pinky McKay
Lactation Consultant
Diane Levy
Family Therapist
Nigel Latta
Clinical Psychologist
REFLUX AND SPILLING MAKE A FACE COLLAGE ASIAN CUISINE FOR KIDS
PRACTICAL PARENTING 0 to 5 YEARS
August 2011
A PUSHY
IS IT MASTITIS?
giggle
a day
big
THE
first-day jitters
Cover photo James Parsons 18 months
Dr Cath Conlon
Pregnancy & Infant Nutritionist
Dr Simon Rowley
Neonatal Paediatrician
Norma Campbell
Midwifery Advisor NZCOM
Allison Jamieson
Plunket Clinical Advisor
preschoolers
Your guide to playing with baby
Stop those runny noses!

0800
ENROL NOW ! ABC

KIDS
FREE from Early Childcare Centres, Amcal, Plunket & Babycity
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Other contributing experts: Rebecca Daly-Peoples, Clinical Psychologist; Dr Mary Birdsall, Fertility Specialist; Dr Catherine Cearns, GP; Chantal Kayem, Registered Psychologist; Dianne Krissansen, Early Childhood Educator; Colette Maier, Speech Language Therapist; Karyn Riley, Life Coach; Annabel Karmel, Children's Food Expert; Anna Gibbons, Postnatal Fitness Expert; Rose Lally, Image and Fashion Stylist; Karen Sullivan, Parenting Author and Media Commentator.
www.littlies.co.nz 5
toddler & preschooler
A giggleDAY A
From the time your baby cracks his first smile, hes on his way to developing a sense of humour. Help your child see the funny side with these humour-developing ideas, says Liz Donnelly.
Do you have a family joker in the house who loves to clown around? Or a toddler who shrieks with piercing delight at the mere ridiculous? Perhaps your little one erupts into fits of giggles when playing the same practical joke on you again and again? Young children laugh on average around 200 times a day, compared to adults, who only laugh 15 to 18 times a day. The benefits of a well-developed sense of humour are enormous. Sharing a laugh with your child is a valuable form of communication. It builds a bond between you, and evidence suggests it also aids memory and learning. Giggling boosts the immune and central nervous systems and increases blood flow by more than 20 per cent. A good chuckle speeds you along the road to glowing health and reduces anxiety. A little wit heightens creative thinking and can help you cope better with stress. And, more simply, having a laugh can make the difference between you having a good day or a bad one. Humour, in its various forms, is different in every family. It manifests itself in the Dad who carefully lines up all the teddies and toys in bed to surprise his toddler, or in the Mum who paints her face and wears a tiara around the house to be a princess, too. Although a child may have some genetic characteristics of his parents humour, a sense of humour is a quality that is mostly learned rather than inherited. So, how does humour develop in a child, and what can you do to cater to the funny bones in your offspring? Different ages, different humour
From the moment your child cracks his very first smile, he is already developing a sense of humour. But what's funny to a baby might not be as funny to a preschooler, so to help your children at each stage of development, it's important to know what's likely to amuse them. Babies don't really understand humour but they do know when you're smiling and happy. When you make funny noises or pull a face and then laugh or smile, your baby is likely to sense your delight and imitate you. He is also highly responsive to physical stimuli, such as tickling or blowing raspberries. Between nine and 15 months of age, babies know enough about the world to understand that when you moo like a cow or put a toy on your head, its funny. Toddlers appreciate physical humour, especially the kind that has an element of surprise, such as peek-a-boo. As children develop language skills, they will begin to find rhymes and
6 www.littlies.co.nz
nonsense words amusing, which will continue well into the preschool years. Its also around this stage that many littlies start trying to make Mum and Dad laugh. Your child might deliberately point to the wrong part of his face when you ask him where his nose is, or put on your shoes and hat and clomp around the house. In the preschool years, a child is more likely to find a picture that has something absurd in it, such as a dog wearing a skirt or a car with square wheels, more humorous than a joke or a pun. Incongruity between pictures and sounds, such as a dog who says moo, is also funny for preschoolers. As your child becomes more aware of his bodily functions, it means hes also more likely to start delighting in toilet humour. As children get closer to school age, basic wordplay, exaggeration and slapstick humour will likely be increasingly funny. Your child may discover the pleasure of telling simple jokes, and will repeat the same jokes over and over again!
Humour basics
It's never too early to start developing a child's sense of humour. Babies' smiles and laughs are so delightful, we often do it intuitively, smiling, blowing raspberries or tickling him just to hear his chuckle. It's important to keep up this encouragement as your child grows. When you delight in silliness and laughter with your child, you are also helping him develop a playful and humorous attitude about life. Here are some fun and easy ways to encourage your childs sense of humour. Seek out fun: Encourage playfulness and fun from an early age, and seize any opportunity to tickle your child, blow raspberries, and pull silly faces. Children learn to look at the funny side of life by watching how you react to situations. Deal with small stresses with humour so when you drop the milk and it spills on the floor, laugh out loud (no matter how forced), or if you break a plate or cup, say something like Oops, clumsy mumsy! rather than cursing under your breath. Be a funny family and share humour together. It builds a bond between you and your child. Even when your child is very young, take his attempts to make you laugh seriously. Keep cracking up at that joke he repeats over and over again (things get funnier the more you hear them, everyone knows that!).
PhotoGRAPhER: KARYN FLEtt
We use our right frontal lobe to manage humour and when children are young, the neurons in there like a lot of practice. You can start encouraging your childs giggles as soon as he starts chuckling. Mimic me: Babies love to mimic and will smile and giggle with anyone they are comfortable with. Your babys rst chuckles may simply be in response to you smiling back at him, pulling silly faces, or making hilarious noises. Funny games: For very young children, rhymes and repetition are great for building anticipation, especially tickling rhymes such as This little piggy, and Round and round the garden, or you can easily make up your own tickling rituals. Little kids love this when getting dressed or at nappy time. Clowning around: Silly voices, pulling faces, ridiculous walks or doing things topsy-turvy these never lose their appeal, and toddlers are quick to develop their own clowning routines. When you do something backwards or silly, act astonished when your child tries to tell you (through his chortles) what youve done for his sandwich at morning tea, spread the butter on with a spoon and cut it using a fork; pour his cereal in a cup with some milk rather than in a bowl; make his bed and put his pillow at the foot of the bed with his teddies; when going out the door to jump in the wet leaves, put your gumboots on your arms! Play acting: A genuine sense of humour starts to develop in your childs second year. Around 15 months, he will begin to be more interested in pretence and will know when youre play-acting or pretending to be something, such as a cow that goes, Moo or a chicken squawking around the lounge. Hes also likely to start trying to catch you out and will nd this hilarious, especially if you express great surprise when he does. However, dont drag the joke on too long and stop before your child shows signs of becoming overwhelmed if he starts to cry or looks frightened, its time to move on to something else. Slapstick: Toddlers love the big movements of peek-a-boo and safe rough-and-tumble play. You may like to add his favourite teddy to the game and have him pop his head up in di erent places to say, Boo! At around age three, you may nd hell probably be laughing hysterically at any misfortunes you have, such as tripping over or dropping things. Amuse him further by pretending to do it on purpose, although do bear in mind that hes likely to want to copy you in order to make you laugh. So, keep it safe, be a good audience, and be sure to laugh back! Gobbledegook: Never-ending rhymes and nonsensical words are, to him, completely funny. Misnaming objects is hilarious.
Rambling, silly, repetitive jokes are adored. Absurd-sounding rhymes are brilliant. And, the more they are repeated, the funnier they become so just mix up the words and, for older littlies, see if they can repeat the words after you. Some toddlers love it when you slip their own name into some ridiculous-sounding story or rhyme. The unexpected: This is anything that goes against what your child might consider normal and predictable. For example, it might be a picture with something askew the sun on the ground and grass growing out of the sky. Or the wave of laughter at kindy when the book falls o the stand while the teacher is reading it out loud!
Toilet talk
Most children, especially around the ages of four and ve years, go through a stage of being obsessed and fascinated with toilet talk usually repeated endlessly and to the delight of any other toddlers within earshot. The physical di erences between boys and girls, and any words associated with this, are also likely to cause much merriment. Fortunately, this phase passes faster if you can just grin and bear it and ignore it. However, do step in if the language becomes unacceptable. And be sure to make meany-jokes o limits, too. If your child says something unkind or rude about another person, explain to him why the joke isnt funny and that its not nice to make fun of other people. And, avoid using humour in this way yourself as he will pick up on it and try to imitate. While there is no doubt that childish humour is repetitive and sometimes a little mundane to parents, sharing a laugh not only helps everyone relax and feel a part of things, but it makes the stresses and strains of life that much more tolerable. So go on, capitalise on every opportunity to be silly, teach your child to appreciate the ridiculous, and nurture his precious little sense of humour.
Liz Donnelly is a childrens media specialist and writer and a mum of two.
Laughing is good for you r heart as it increases blo od ow by more than 20% , and the benets of lau ghter last for up to 45 minutes!
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pushy preschoolers
While a preschoolers verbal skills are improving quickly, their impulse control is not. Nigel Latta explains how to keep your child's pushy behaviours from becoming problematic.
Theres no doubt that theres a thuggish element to most preschoolers. There are probably nicer ways to say it, but Ive always thought fledgling thuggery describes those first few years fairly well. The reason for this, of course, is that preschoolers are just learning the complex business of becoming a social being. They have limited verbal skills, limited experience, and a fairly limited ability to see both into the future and the world through other peoples eyes. All this combined means a little basic thuggery is pretty normal and nothing much to be alarmed about. That may not be a very popular thing to say in a world which seems obsessed with the idea that children should be nice all the time, but there you go. Even though it can be a little distressing if your wee lass walks up to other children at preschool and bowls them over with a well-placed shove or push, none of this means your child is a fledgling criminal! Kids bopping kids is not very socially acceptable these days, but it is an unavoidable part of the journey from primitive preschooler to civilised adult. One can only imagine the sense of wonder your average toddler experiences when she first discovers the joys of the simple shove. How great must that be? Up until then she just had to accept the fact that there isnt much she can do about other people who annoyed her. But then she discovers that with the careful placement of tiny hands and a bit of forward momentum she can shift the argument along significantly. Whats more if she pays attention to what everyone else is doing around her, shell soon learn that the repertoire can be expanded out to things like hitting, punching, kicking, pulling hair, pinching and the old tried-and-tested simple as you like slapping. If we were all a little more honest about these things, then wed probably all admit that this urge to give people who cross us a jolly good shove never actually completely disappears; we just get a lot better at controlling such urges! The problem with little people is that sometimes a bit of pushy becomes a lot of pushy and suddenly as a parent youre getting that look from the other mums and dads at the coffee group and playground. What do you do then? As parents, we all know instinctively that our kids are born with a large amount of who they are already hardwired
in place. And if you have more than one littlie, it is often starkly clear that no two children are the same and indeed their temperaments seem to make themselves evident from the very beginning sometimes even before they are born. Many mums report that their stubborn toddlers were as stubborn in the womb, too, refusing to stop kicking if mum sat or stood in such a way that didnt seem to agree with them. Now, whilst I dont know if the bit about in the womb is a fact beyond the anecdotal stories mums have told me, what is a fact is that temperament types are visible from a very young age and that these remain relatively constant throughout ones lifespan. Researchers at the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development study at Otago University have been following a group of over 1000 people born in Dunedin between 1972 and 1973 for the last 38 years. They have discovered a whole host of remarkable things about what shapes us as human beings. Along with intriguing findings, such as the fact that the more sunlight pregnant women are exposed to the taller their babies are, they have also shown conclusively that our temperaments are clearly evident from as early as age three and that these different temperament types predict all kinds of things throughout a persons life. The researchers also found that around 28 per cent of children had what they described as a confident temperament style. This meant they were bold little souls who werent reluctant to blunder into things and impose their will on anyone who got in the way. These children were loud, pushy and supremely confident that their way was probably best and that everyone else should probably just do what they were doing. The good news is that by age 26, these children tended to be outgoing, positive go-getters. They wanted to take the world by the horns and continue to lead the way just as they had when they were toddlers. All of which is very well, but that doesnt make it any easier when its your little one who always seems to be the one causing trouble.
What to do With pushy little people?

Many years ago when I worked at a child and family unit, we had a saying about pushy little people which was this: Strong-willed children require strong-willed parents.
This doesnt mean you need to engage in a head-on confrontation with your little person, it just means you cant be a wet rag. You cant let your preschooler walk all over you down that path lies anarchy. Instead, you have to get your head in the game and make sure you are running things according to your plan, and not at the mercy of your preschoolers whims.
A little bit of 'oomph' in your child is good, as long as you can control it.
R If it leads to frequent fights with other kids. R If it includes cruelty to animals.
If your child regularly displays any of these signs, youre best to discuss your concerns with your GP, paediatrician or a child psychologist. A little bit of oomph in your child is good as long as you can control it. As with almost everything else, its about firm, clear limits, praising the good and punishing the bad. Just do that over and over for about 20 years and then it should all be fine.
Here are 5 tips for How to do tHat:

Model calmness. I say that with a not completely straight face because the act of parenting involves a constant battle between the desire to stay calm and the urge to lose your rag and holler. We all holler, but you should at least try to keep things as calm as you can. It generally ends better that way. Explain what you want in small steps with small words. Remember that a two-year-old has about the same language ability as a chimpanzee, so keep it very simple, clear and direct. Long winded explanations tend to get a bit muddled in their little heads. Reward good behaviour. This is so basic it almost makes me cringe to write it, but its true nonetheless. Your preschoolers world is very small and you are a large part of it, so the more attention you give to the good behaviours, the more likely you are to get them. Punish bad behaviours. Many people dont like the word punish (because they wrongly think of verbal or physical punishment which is not what I mean), but the simple fact of the matter is that punishment is how we learn. If you do something and the consequence for doing it is unpleasant, then you are less likely to do it again. For pushy preschoolers, the punishments of choice are time out and giving stuff up, such as, If you throw the block you lose all the blocks, or, If you hit your friend then you give up playing with her for a little while, until the wisdom of that particular course of action sinks in. At all times remember your child is only small and there is still a huge amount of development to go. Try to be patient because she is only just learning how to be a person and she is bound to make a few mistakes along the way. Mistakes are simply how you learn. The main thing to get your head around here is that pushiness is probably just a part of who a child is and the best evidence seems to suggest that children are born that way. Rather than trying to make your child into something shes not, simply harness what she is. Put some firm limits and boundaries around her and help her to learn how to manage her personality. So, when can aggressive behaviours become problematic? Here are some signs to indicate your child might have a more serious problem with aggression:
1 2 3 4
MEET CLARA . . .
OBSESSED WITH FAIRIES & THUGGISHNESS
THE PROBLEM: Clara was almost four, obsessed with fairies and a recent convert to thuggishness. She was generally a pleasant enough little soul but lately had taken a shine to shoving anyone who got in her way. She was so good at shoving that it was becoming a bit of an issue for her Mum who was on the verge of being shunned at playgroup. Shed always been a bit headstrong but things were getting out of hand. Her Mum was being driven almost to despair because no matter how hard she tried to explain to Clara that shoving other people who get in your way is not a good thing, she kept right on shoving. In fact, it seemed like the more Mum tried to explain all this to Clara, the worse it got. THE SOLUTION: I suggested that Mum add in one more pivotally important step a solid dose of Time Out every time Miss Shovey Shovey got her pushing boots on. It was important for Clara to get the connection that shoving meant boring time by herself somewhere, rather than just a lecture about playing nice. I even suggested Mum go into preschool and do that stuff herself because the teachers probably wouldnt be allowed to put her in Time Out. Low and behold, Clara soon got the very simple connection that pushing meant less fun, and not pushing meant more fun. With a little carrot and a little Time Out she learned that all important social lesson that shoving is generally not a good long-term plan to get what you want. Shoving works great in the short-term, but its the long-term cost they have to start to think about.
R If it occurs almost daily. R If it takes place in lots of different settings, e.g. home,
childcare, coffee group, etc.
R it is directed at a number of kids. If

Nigel Latta is a Clinical Psychologist, parenting author and presenter of The Politically Incorrect Parenting television shows and dad of two boys.
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COMFORTING WORDS I never thought I would be sitting down to read Littlies or any other baby publication, but after 22 years of not wanting children, I decided to give my husband the one thing hes always wanted a baby! I was petried the day I found out I was pregnant because it had suddenly become a reality. Only a week earlier the gynaecologist had told us the only way we could have a baby was by IVF. I was adamant if we couldnt conceive naturally, I wouldnt do it. I had a fantastic pregnancy but at 36 weeks my membranes ruptured and I had to be induced. It was a painful labour and I was very scared about becoming a mum. But the moment my baby was put on my chest, all my fears and doubts disappeared. The rst two weeks were a breeze and she was a really good baby. Then things changed and she stopped putting on weight. Everyone was telling me what was wrong and what I should be doing. As a new mum it was heart breaking to watch my baby in distress and hysterical with pain. Shes now been referred to a paediatrician so were anxiously waiting for the call and hope we can put an end to the unknown. I get a great deal of comfort reading other mums' stories and experiences in your magazine and its nice to realise Im not alone. So thanks to those who do write in and share its helped me more than words can say. WINNING LETTER
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MASTER BAKER Baking with my three-year-old is my favourite way of spending quality time with him. Your delicious and easy-to-follow co ee group recipes each month now go straight into my recipe organiser. We loved the Autumn Walnut and Fresh Date loaf recipe (Littlies May 2011 issue), although we had to substitute with almonds and prunes as that was all that was in my pantry. The result couldn't have been yummier! Thank you for helping me ll my house with the natural aroma that baked goodies are so worthy of. Were excitedly wondering what the next issue will have in store for us.
BEENISH PIRACHA, CHRISTCHURCH
OLDER, NOT WISER Speaking from experience I have noticed di erent agencies have support programmes focussed solely on teenage parenting, but there is little support for older mums. For some reason it seems older mums are expected to know how to be a mother. Often it is these mums who can no longer call on their own mothers for support due to ill health or their mums having already passed away. Often friends have moved on, having been there, done that and are not interested in going down that path again. So, please spare a thought for the older mums as they need just as much support (and probably more sleep) than the young ones!
NAME WITHHELD ON REQUEST
casein in milk, eggs, processed meats and dust mites. Eliminating these foods from her diet has resulted in her almost being eczema free. I urge all parents with children who su er from eczema not to give up, or to give in to the apathy displayed by some doctors. You know your child better than anyone and have to live with the anxiety and stress that a condition like eczema can cause.
T DOWLING, AUCKLAND
ALLERGY RELIEF Thank you so much for your article All about allergies (Littlies May 2011 issue). Ever since my eight-month-old daughter was born Ive had trouble with her skin. I wasnt that exposed to allergies growing up so I didnt know much about them to really know what was happening to my daughter. Thanks to your article and my family GP, I'm getting to know what signs to look out for and what I need to do. It has been hard guring out everything she is allergic to and I have to be very careful what I feed her. I moisturise her at least twice a day, sometimes up to ve or six times a day and I bathe her in a soap-free cleanser my GP prescribed as it helps with the itching. Fingers crossed she will grow out of it as she gets older.
FERILA MATUA KURESA, INVERCARGILL
ANXIOUS FOR ANIMALS Am I the only parent concerned at the number of and/or type of caged animals at almost every early childhood centre I have visited? While Im right behind our kids learning about and having the chance to view and interact with di erent animals, I nd some of the enclosures that these animals have to live in and endure, especially the birds, extremely sad. Is the mere ap or two of their wings really enough for a bird designed to y? What is this teaching our kids that its acceptable to keep animals like this for our pleasure or learning despite the animals having no life at all? Im just not sure I want my kids growing up to think this is okay. Im curious about other parents' views on this topic.
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LEARNING begins with PLAY

MY PAL SCOUT
I can learn your name!
636
months
DONT GIVE UP In response to your article All about allergies" (Littlies May 2011 issue), my second child developed eczema from age six months. It became progressively worse until her entire body was covered in raised, dry red patches and spots she would scratch. I thought her condition may be related to weaning her o breast milk and onto formula, so I took her to our doctor for allergy tests. The doctor wasnt that overly concerned and indicated it was normal for many toddlers, but at my persistence, reluctantly gave us a script for skin prick testing as well as the usual moisturisers and steroids. The results came back negative but I was still sure something was triggering the eczema. After several more visits to the doctor we were sent to an allergy specialist to have a RAST test done. Again, the results were negative. The specialist said our daughter may be allergic to Salicylates (found in most fruits and vegetables) and to eliminate them from her diet. We did this for a week but I was horried at what little healthy food she could eat. Determined not to give up I visited a naturopath, then a homeopath who did a hair analysis. It showed she was allergic to
NATURAL HEALER In response to Sticky eye care (Littlies May 2011 issue), my son had sticky eyes for about 8-10 weeks after birth. My midwife suggested putting breast milk in his eyes, which I did several times a day and within three or four days it completely cleared up. Its a shame theres no published evidence to prove that it works as I highly recommend it. Thanks again Littlies for the good mag!
MUM, HASTINGS
FRIDGE PHONICS
Magnetic alphabet fun!
2+ years
From the editor: Midwife, Fiona Hermann, says breast milk can e ectively soothe and treat eye inammation. She provides links to studies that have been done to show the healing properties of human milk below. STICKY EYE STUDIES Newborn sticky eyes are very common and while its important to exclude any bacterial infection by the midwife or GP taking a swab, parents may also like to know that a simple obstruction of the tube that leads from eye to nose (the nasolacrimal duct) can also be a cause of sticky eyes. Breast milk has been used for centuries to help treat injuries and infections and there have been several studies showing the healing properties of human milk which you
SCRIBBLE & WRITE
3-5 years
I can help you to write!
www.planetfun.co.nz
LITLFJUN11
TM 2011 LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.
Rose Grigor of Timaru, nomi nated by her daughter, Be x Osborn of Christchurch, wh o says she is the most amazin g mum and nana ever: Afte r the February earthquake, we had to leave our house and th e city, so we headed to my parents. My mum has be en my rock listening to me, supporting me an d helping me deal with the loss of so many things. more than that an But, d despite her wo rking full time, sh sit for hours each ed night settling ou r 12-week-old ba who became very by unsettled, giving me some muchneeded time out.
If youd like to no minate a Star tel l us what is specia 100 words or les l about them in s and send with a photo of them details and your and their contact contact details to: Littlies Youre a 55197, Eastridge, Star, PO Box Auckland 1146 or email letters@littl ies.co.nz.
THIS MONTH'S 'Y OU'RE A STAR' W INNER Congratulations to
Rose receives from Clarins the new Vital Light Day Illuminating Anti-Ageing Cream and Vital Light Night Revitalising Anti-Ageing Cream, valued at $315. Available at all Clarins stockists nationwide. YOU'RE A STAR WINNER
can nd links to at www.kellymom.com/health/ illness/healing-breastmilk.

FIONA HERMANN, MIDWIFE
WHAT YOURE SAYING ON
POSITIVE ADJUSTMENT In response to Easing the reux (Littlies May 2011 issue), we, too, had a similar experience when our newborn developed reux. We struggled with her constant screaming, late nights and taking turns to rock her to sleep, only for her to wake screaming 10-15 minutes later. By chance I came across a chiropractor who found that her right side of her body was compressed and her neck movement was restricted. One adjustment and two visits to an osteopath later and she started sleeping through the night. She is happier than ever and a completely di erent child. Previously we were given Gaviscon, told to put her bed on a lean and assumed that was the end of it and wed just have to live like that until she grew out of it. So, I agree every parent should be encouraged to take their newborn to an osteopath for a check because you never know what happens to their tiny bones and muscles through the course of labour.
TRUDY HAU, AUCKLAND
Tips for fussy eaters

I make banana pikelets, apple pikelets, and carrot and apple pikelets to get some goodness into my fussy eaters. Mashed pumpkin in lasagne actually makes it very yummy and creamy! We buy bags of frozen mixed veges and mix them in with whatever sauce we use the kids never notice. Mini meatballs are a big hit or cut their food into fun shapes using cookie cutters. I mash lots of vegetables up and hide it in yoghurt of all things, but it works! For my very fussy two-year-old, I serve his dinner on his own big persons plate and give him a plastic knife and fork to copy how we cut our food. Get them to try just one bite of a new food and keep trying as eventually it may happen. Make portions small and manageable, they can always have seconds if theyre still hungry.
WEIGHTY MATTER There is denitely a lot of pressure in the media for mums to lose their baby weight, but it's not just the media modern western philosophy in general does. It is ingrained in us that it is just a matter of following a particular diet or doing something like boot camp post-pregnancy that ensures we get our pre-baby body back. Well,
mailbox
Well, it turns out this is not the case for most of us. Some women lose the weight easily and regain their pre-pregnancy shape in no time, but this is the exception and not necessarily the norm. Many women struggle to lose their baby weight and not because they are lazy, or that they're not putting the e ort in or because they ate the wrong food while they were pregnant. It's because physically the maternal body has changed and it may actually never be the same again. The sooner new mums and society in general can accept this fact, the sooner we can get on with enjoying the miracle of life we have created and stop beating ourselves up about our weight.
NATALIE, AUCKLAND
Here's an idea...
HOMELY TREA TS To treat the ki ds we have a family restaura nt night at home. We mak e up a menu, blow up ballo ons, put ower s on the table, m ake hats and hang a welco me to the restaurant sig n, then put ou r best clothes on and enjoy a special meal. EE ACCIDENT FR mats make Changing ry mattress great tempora ure out protectors if yo d your toilet and about an has to have training child a nap.
JULIE CLARK, AUCKLAND
T MURRA Y, BALCLU
SLIP FRE E SEAT To stop m y baby slip ping down in th e highcha ir, I use a piece of rubber an ti-slip draw mat on the sea t. Its also supe r easy to ca rry in your bag w hen youre out and about and use o ther high chair s.
THA
R CARTER, TA URANGA
HELP AT HAND Thank you so much for your inspiring magazine. I really look forward to picking up a copy from my sons kindy every month. You always seem to have something that is related to our situation as well as plenty of information and advice that I can le away for later use. We dont have any family nearby so Littlies lls the void when I need some down-to-earth parenting advice. Thanks so much.
S JACKSON, LOWER HUTT
S SUPPLY SURPLU f blended variety o I keep a s in the egetable t cooked v hand tha ave on idge to h fr p and ily heat u for I can eas by rice to e ba add a littl my baby.
A JAYDA, N PIER
TEETH TICKLE R My hubby cam e up with an ingenious way to get our little ones teet h cleaned tickling the te eth! It works a treat.
KATHRYN TA YLOR, KIRWEE
Each tip published this month wins Bizzy Bear: Fun on the Farm board book by Benji Davies (Published by Allen & Unwin). RRP $15.99
Send your tip to Littlies Letters, PO Box 55197, Eastridge, Auckland 1146 or email letters@littlies.co.nz. Include your name, address and phone number.
If youre familiar with the saying home is where the heart is, youll understand why babies and young children feel at home at Kindercare. Because its not about being in a home, its about spending their days with our trusted teachers, surrounded by love, having fun, and thriving in creative, flexible environments, that recognise and develop individual potential.
Lov ed Lea rni ng
S af e
Follow your heart and youll find Kindercare has saved a special place for your child
Call us today on 0508 546 3372 or visit www.kindercare.co.nz

KLC 0005
littlebites
What's on in August?
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IN THE NEWS
LITTLIES WEB POLL
13
% OF PARENTS HAVE BEDTIME BATTLES WITH THEIR CHILD

WWW.LITTLIES.CO.NZ
TALK TO ME!
Thats the theme for this years World Breastfeeding Week from 1-7 August. To celebrate, the Big Latch On will be held at various places around New Zealand. To nd a venue near you, visit www. womens-health.org.nz.
CK AFTERSHO SOCuK-S rb ry
Take a picnic and thermos of hot chocolate and visit the park for a run around to clear annoying colds and bugs with some fresh air. Check out other fun things to do with your littlies at www.littlies.co.nz
rough Predicting pre-ec lampsia early in pregnancy may become reality soon according rece nt ndings from SCOPE study pu the blished in the Br itish Medical Jo Pre-eclampsia urnal. is pregnancy-ind uced hypertens which can lead ion to stroke, seizu re and organ fa also cause low ilure, and birth weight an d other problem baby. It a ects s for the ve per cent of rst-time pregna SCOPE Project ncies. Leaders, Profes sor Robyn North Professor Lesle and y McCowan, sa y the ability to pr this life-threaten edict ing condition ha s the potential save thousands to of lives each ye ar both mothe babies. rs and It is the rst tim e all of the risk factors for the condition have been investigat ed in a single stu factors identied dy. Risk include high blo od pressure, ob a family history esity, of pre-eclamps ia, prolonged ble during early preg eding nancy, younger mothers, women have a low birth who weight and wom en whose father coronary artery s have disease. It is ho ped these nding be validated in s will the next year so a test can be de to identify wom veloped en who have a higher risk of pr eclampsia, allow eing them to be more closely m during antenata onitored l care. The aim of the SCOPE study is to develop scre tests to predict ening the major disea ses of late preg nancy.
psia breakth
Cante sy based Co s is giving Toe ders Littlies rea nce to the cha ild help rebu after ristchurch Ch ature Mother N many socked it Just s this year. time ng these si by purcha cks, t merino so mploymen aftershock ing local e to e support g youll b ceeds goin of the pro For shoe with 100% yor Fund. church Ma m the Christ RP $20 fro nd 8-12. R sizes 3-8 a toes.co.nz. www.cosy
FROM THE HEART>>

For the thousands of families affected by miscarriage or stillbirth, the loss can be hard to live with. Baby Gone shares true New Zealand stories about living with infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth and infant loss, written from the heart by all those affected, including its author, Jenny Douch, who lost her own baby at 30 weeks pregnant. This is a heartfelt book so grab the tissues as it will bring more than a tear to the eye. $29.99 www.babygone.com
monthly newsbites feature

NTH'S THIS MO
Storylines Festival
diary dates
20-28 August, Free Family Days throughout NZ www.storylines.org.nz
Coffee Group Recipe
The Gruffalo musical

Through August at venues around NZ www.gru alo.co.nz
Exscite Interactives
Through August, Waikato Museum, Hamilton www.waikatomuseum.co.nz
Preschoolers prepare for quakes

Little ones are being taught to tuck up like a turtle as part of a new earthquake safety campaign which includes a new DVD for preschools to teach children to protect themselves. The Turtle Safe DVD is a joint venture between the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management and the Auckland City Council and has been sent to more than 6000 early childcare centres and playgroups. It is also available at www. getthru.govt.nz.
TRAFFIC lights for kids

Early childhood centres are becoming quieter places for children and teachers as the National Foundation for the Deaf rolls out its Safe Sound Indicator campaign. The Safe Sound Indicator shows noise levels in the form of tra c lights with red, which is triggered by noise at 90 decibels, being a time for children to cut back on the noise. Foundation Chief Executive, Louise Carroll (pictured at a childcare centre above), says the idea is to educate children, their teachers and parents about hearing loss caused by excessive noise: "Centres already with the Safe Sound Indictor are nding the children selfregulating their noise levels, she said. For details about how to get the Safe Sound Indicator at your childs centre, visit www.nfd.org.nz.
Sticky gingerbread
INGREDIENTS 225g butter 225g dark muscovado sugar 225g black treacle 2 eggs beaten 340g plain our 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 285ml warm milk 1. Preheat the oven to 140C. Grease and line two loaf tins with a paper loaf tin liner. 2. Put the butter, sugar and treacle into a large saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly until melted. 3. Remove from the heat, leave to cool slightly and then stir in the beaten eggs. 4. Sift the our, cinnamon and ginger into the melted mixture. 5. Mix together the bicarbonate of soda and warm milk. Add to the ginger mixture, mix well and pour equal amounts of the mixture into each tin. 6. Bake for just under one hour. The top of the cake will be slightly golden with a lovely crust and a skewer should come out clean. Makes 2 loaf loaves
FREE DVD TO NEW PARENTS

Raising Children in New Zealand, a parenting series launched on TVNZ 7 in June, is to be given free to every new parent on DVD by Plunket at the rst home visit. The 10-part half hour series provides parents with resources for coping with the rst three years of their childs life, fronted by well-known New Zealanders. Actress Monique Bree, who plays Kirby on TV drama Go Girls, presents the newborn episodes and knows rst-hand how life changes after a baby. Her daughter QuinnAva, born earlier this year, was diagnosed with under-developed hips. Monique admits she thought she had it all planned out but that she wasnt prepared in the slightest: Like all rst-time mums, I bought everything to prepare for my babys arrival but she couldnt wear or use any of it because she was in a full body harness. Even though my magical moment didnt go the way I planned, it was still more amazing than I could have dreamed of, Monique said. The DVD will also be available for parents to access at Plunket centres and Barnardos, and online at www.tvnz. co.nz/raisingchildren.
Recipe from Healthy lunchboxes for Kids. Text Amanda Grant. Photo Tara Fisher. Published by Ryland Peters & Small and distributed by Southern Publishers Group. RRP $32.99
stuff we love
WALK this way
These cute Baby Bento lunch boxes are ideal for little lunches, and conveniently sized to carry upright in your bag. RRP $35.95. www.yumyumkids.co.nz
LUNCH
TIME FOR
With setback wheels that glide easily when pushed, little ones will love discovering the world with the Wonder Walker. www.thewoodentoybox.co.nz
squash & go
Washable and squashable, the Totseat transforms any adult chair into a secure highchair. For 6-36 months. www.totseat.co.nz
nightie t nigh
The Protect-A-Bed cotton tted cot mattress is waterproof, breathable and protects baby from dust mites and allergens. RRP $39.90. www.protectabed.co.nz
AIR FREE
Dr Browns formula mixing pitcher ensures minimal air gets in while mixing. Dishwasher safe and BPA free. Available at Babycity.
mums little helper

SOLID START
Keep track of babys new foods with the Solids Starter Kit. Includes a new recipe e-guide with 27 recipes. RRP $34.99. www.mumiandbubi.co.nz
classic
Check out this seasons new designs mixed with time-less classics from My Belly. www.mybelly.co.nz
Bosistos Lavender Spray, with 100% pure lavender oil, will calm and soothe baby and freshen and deodorise the nursery. Phone 0800 604 604. www.fgb.com.au
now available in NZ
exclusive exclusive to
Carte Carters Carters available in selected stores from 4 August 2011. t
Americas #1 Infants Clothing Brand
Sizes NB-2T.
Sn Snap your little cut e in a Carters outt from Farmers nap r little cutie in ttle utie & yo could WIN a share o $2500 in Farmers gift cards! you WI h you WIN share of
Vi i Visit www.fa ebo www.facebook.com/Farmersyourstore ww.fac b wf to enter the competitio & for terms & conditions. he competition e ompetitio
cuties
Farmers Finance Card Farmers Finance Ca d & all e a c major credit cards accepted.
www.farmers.co.nz www.farmers.co.nz r
Gogetters
(
Catch me if you can!
A fast and easy nappy changing solution for active babies on the go.
New Zealanders love to be active, and we love our children to be active. So when change-time disrupts play-time, it goes without saying that our little ones will wriggle a bit. And thats why Huggies has brought you Nappy-Pants for fast, easy, on-the-go nappy changes. Whether your baby is aged 6-months and is already a change-table mover and shaker, or a little older and change-time has turned into a game of hide and seek, try Huggies Nappy-Pants. They slip on (and off) easily whether your baby is wriggling, standing, kneeling or squatting, and are the perfect choice for a toddler who may not yet be ready to begin toilet training but will not lie still for a traditional nappy change either. Huggies Nappy-Pants have all the benets you love about Huggies Nappies, including
the unique three-layer design that makes them absorbent enough to use overnight and keep your baby dry. Now in crawler size, they are the only nappy pants with resealable sides. When your toddler is ready for toilet training, swap Huggies Nappy-Pants for Huggies Pull-Ups during the day and continue with Nappy-Pants at night. The clever wetness liner in Pull-Ups helps your child learn wet from dry so they can make sense of the process and move towards being the big kid they want to be, in their own time.
Choosing the best nappy for your baby
Huggies Nappies for young babies who are happy to lie still
Huggies Nappy-Pants for babies on the move who twist and turn
during change-time
Pull-Ups Training Huggiesfor children Toiletstart Pants who
during change-time or are happier to stand up to be changed
showing signs they are ready to begin toilet training
For more information, visit www.huggies.co.nz
Huggies Nappy-Pants have overnight absorbency and slip on even while standing, making change time easy.
Pull-Ups Training Pants have a wetness liner that helps your child learn wet from dry and grow into the big kid they want to be.
The Huggies range has something for every age and every stage. For more information visit huggies.co.nz
Registered Trademarks of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. 2011 KCWW. KC0904_LL
stuff we love
pedal POWER
Perfect for beginner riders, the new Little Tikes 3 in 1 Trike then grows with your child. Also comes with removable shade canopy. Available at all good toystores. RRP $200
flexi-ble
Designed and manufactured in Denmark and made from hard plastic, the Flexi Bath folds down at for super easy storage. 6 colours. $80. www.globalbaby.co.nz
HA PPY AD OR S
These gorgeously cute Lily & George monsters have a happy face on one side, then turn them around to show their sad or angry face. RRP $23.50 www.greenwithenvy.co.nz
fashion twist
For a ordable, limited-edition fashion with a twist for littlies, check out Bubble & Squeak, the online childrens boutique. www.bubbleandsqueak.net.nz
Cute designs to encourage learning. Available at Babycity and other leading baby retailers. RRP $17.99 (340ml).
F O OPhilips AVENT R new toddler cups P LLwhenare spill-proof even shaken or thrown. PI
peek-a-boo
Kids will love the colourful ball-drop play and peek-a-boo shoe surprises with LeapFrog Peek-A-Shoe Octopus. 9-36 months. Exclusive to Farmers. RRP $74.99
SORTED
Say goodbye to bedtime battles with cool kids beds from Outlook Design Furniture where you can even choose your own colour. www.outlook.co.nz
ER BUNKDO
WN
This wooden house will amuse for hours 8 di erent shapes to sort and match, learning clock and easy drawer to store. RRP $64.95 www. uniqueboutique.co.nz
pregnancy & birth
astitis M
Feeling fluey any time when you are breastfeeding could be a warning sign you may be coming down with mastitis, an inflammation of the breast that in some cases may also become infected. The symptoms of mastitis can hit you suddenly and quite hard one minute youre feeling just fine, then the next youre aching all over with chills and a fever, feeling tired and emotionally drained and, for some women, even teary. Sometimes flu-like symptoms can come on even before you get a fever or notice any breast tenderness. Another more telling sign of mastitis is an intensely painful breast. Your whole breast may feel tender and tight and be swollen, red and hot or you may present with a red, sore, lumpy patch on one area of your breast only. A sore, lumpy breast can also be caused by a blocked duct or, in the early days of breastfeeding, engorgement (full breasts). A blocked duct or mastitis without infection will start to feel better with simple measures, such as rest and emptying your breast completely at each feed. But, if you feel increasingly unwell, you will need to seek medical treatment the sooner the better!
Easing the symptoms

The good news is that if you start treatment early, you can get on top of mastitis before you become very ill. Here are some things you can do to ease the symptoms. Do not think the milk is infected and that you therefore need to stop breastfeeding (the breast milk itself will still be fine the infection is in the surrounding tissue). Be sure to empty the affected breast and vary feeding positions to empty all ducts. Take pain relief half an hour before feeding, have a warm shower or apply a heat pack or warm face cloth against your sore breast. Feed on the sore side first but if your affected breast feels too painful to nurse on, start feeding on the least sore side and then switch sides when your milk lets down. Alternate hot and cold packs on your breast for comfort hot before a feed to stimulate circulation and mobilise infection fighters in the breast and cold afterwards to relieve pain. Drink plenty of fluids fever and infection will increase your need for fluids. If you have mastitis and are wanting to wean your baby, it is recommended you wait until after the mastitis has cleared up as stopping breastfeeding may increase the chances of developing an abscess which will need to be surgically drained. A good adage to remember is warmth, rest and empty your breast and, if you suspect mastitis, consult your Lead Maternity Carer or doctor early. If you are prescribed antibiotics, be sure to take the full course.
Pinky McKay is an International Accredited Lactation Consultant, best-selling parenting author, and mum of five.
Prevention is better than cure

Often the causes behind mastitis can be attributed to lifestyle stresses, such as overdoing things and becoming exhausted, missing feeds (such as when you go on a long car trip and your baby sleeps through a feed or if you express before going out but dont express while you are away from your baby), or scheduling feeds too strictly and too far apart. Cracked nipples can also cause mastitis as an infection can enter the breasts through the broken skin, so it is important to seek help early for nipple soreness. Here are some prevention tips: Watch your baby, not the clock: avoid overly full breasts and feed long enough to drain your breasts if you feel tender or full after a feed, express a little milk for comfort. If you feel very full (perhaps if baby has slept a long stretch), offer your baby a feed chances are he will nurse enough to relieve your fullness even if he is sleepy. If you feel any lumpiness, massage your breast gently towards the nipple under a warm shower and express for comfort. Avoid underwire or tight bras that may compress milk ducts. Also take care when you are sleeping that you dont sleep in a position that may squash your breasts, such as lying on your stomach. Take care of yourself. Rest, a nutritious diet and relaxing activities that make you feel good will reduce the effects of stress and boost your immune system.
TAPS PP9243
The product most recommended by doctors for pregnancy stretch marks.

Colmar Brunton, 2010
My weight has always uctuated so I expected to pick up a few extra kilograms during pregnancy and was very conscious of getting stretch marks. But Bio-Oil just worked so well for me! It kept me completely stretch mark free, as well as leaving my skin feeling soft and supple its like a little indulgence product! I wouldnt let any of my friends embark on pregnancy without a big bottle of Bio-Oil by their side!
Stella with Jenna
Bio-Oil helps reduce the possibility of pregnancy stretch marks forming by increasing the skins elasticity. It should be applied twice daily from the start of the second trimester. For comprehensive product information, and details of clinical trials, please visit bio-oil.com. Bio-Oil is available at pharmacies and selected retailers at the recommended selling price of $20.45 (60ml). Individual results will vary.
newborn & baby
feeding your
baby
Introducing a mixed diet

more quickly than fresh fruit and vegetables. When she appears to be full, or resists your attempts to feed her, its a good idea to stop. By the time your baby is on three meals a day and cutting down on her milk feeds (around 10 months) she needs to be eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, good sources of protein, healthy fats, and good quality carbohydrates to keep her diet balanced, her body healthy, and her energy levels high. Look at her diet across the day as long as she is getting a little of each (ideally some carbohydrate, protein, and vegetable or fruit at every meal), you are doing well. Below is a guide to the foods that are appropriate for your babys growth and development at each stage of weaning bear in mind that some babies are ready for a greater variety of new foods earlier than others. STAGE THREE (10 to 12 months) Minced, chopped, mashed, and lumpy food; bite-and-chew nger foods
Your babys rst tastes are not intended to provide every known nutrient; however, because babies have small tummies, everything you serve should go some way towards helping her become strong and healthy. Babies also have fewer nutrient stores to draw from, which means that a balanced nutritional intake is important. Whats more, likes and dislikes are established early, so helping your baby to develop a taste for healthy foods now will make mealtimes a lot easier in years to come. When you rst introduce your baby to solid foods, portion sizes arent important. A few spoonfuls, once a day, will give her a taste of di erent avours and provide a little nutrition. After a few weeks, your baby will probably begin to eat one or two meals a day. Meals can, however, be comprised of just a spoonful or two. Youll nd your baby will let you know how much she needs to eat; some foods, such as carbohydrates, will ll her STAGE ONE (around 6 months) CONSISTENCY: Semi-liquid pures; easy-to-gum nger foods, depending on your babys ability to gum and chew FRUITS: Ripe peaches, bananas, apples, pears, papaya, mango, melon, avocado VEGETABLES: Potatoes, swede, carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, butternut squash, pumpkin
STAGE TWO (6 to 9 months) Thicker pures, adding tiny lumps and mashed or nely minced food; melt-in-the-mouth and bite-anddissolve nger foods Plums, nectarines, berries, cherries, dried apricots, guava
Citrus fruit (but watch for a reaction); other dried fruit; continue to expand your babys repertoire of fruit Continue to expand your babys repertoire of vegetables, e.g. sugar snap peas and baby sweetcorn
Sweetcorn, spinach, peas, cauliower, courgettes, broccoli, green beans, onions, sweet peppers, mushrooms Any grains such as rice, barley, oats, wheat in bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, couscous PROTEIN: Chicken, white and oily sh, well-cooked eggs, red meat, tofu, pulses, nut butters, very nely ground nuts DAIRY PRODUCTS: Hard pasteurised cheeses, cottage and cream cheese, full-fat plain yoghurt, cows milk (in cooking and with cereal), butter, fromage frais
CEREALS AND GRAINS: Gluten-free cereals such as baby rice, millet, and quinoa
Continue to expand your babys repertoire of grains, including brown rice, spelt, wholegrains and axseeds Continue to expand your babys repertoire of proteins, including di erent cuts of meat and new varieties of sh Soft pasteurised cheeses
Annabel Karmel is the UK's best-selling author on baby and children's food and nutrition and an expert in devising tasty and nutritious meals for children without the need for parents to spend hours in the kitchen!
newborn & baby
Carrot, Sweet Potato and Apple

All babies seem to love sweet tastes and combining vegetables with fruit is a great way to tempt your baby. INGREDIENTS
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced 1 sweet eating apple, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks A little breast milk or formula (optional)
1. Steam the carrot and sweet potato for 8 minutes. Add the apple and steam for another 6 minutes or until all the ingredients are tender. 2. Pure in a food processor or place in a bowl and use a handblender. Thin to the desired consistency with a little water from the bottom of the steamer or a little of your babys usual milk.
3. Freeze in individual portions. When needed, thaw overnight

in the fridge or for 1-2 hours at room temperature, then microwave or reheat in a small pan until piping hot. Stir and allow to cool before serving.
Makes 4 portions
from 6
MONTHS
COOKING TIME
14 mins
FREEZING
SUITABLE FOR
For more tasty meal ideas for your baby, see Weaning, by Annabel Karmel. Published by Dorling Kindersley. www. annabelkarmel.com
asian cuisine for kids

Pressed sushi
INGREDIENTS
250g sushi rice 350ml water 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons caster sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 4-6 thin slices smoked salmon
2. Meanwhile, warm the vinegar in the

microwave for 10 seconds or warm gently in a pan but do not boil, then stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Line a 20cm loose-bottomed or springform cake tin with two pieces of cling lm, allowing plenty of overhang. Lay the smoked salmon on the base of the cake tin, overlapping the pieces slightly.
stirring regularly. Spread the rice over the salmon, fold the cling lm over the top of the rice then press the rice down rmly with a potato masher.
4. Chill for 30 minutes. Lift out the base

of the cake tin, unwrap the cling lm from the rice side and ip the sushi disc on to a cutting board (salmon side up). Remove the cling lm completely and cut into pieces with a sharp knife. Serve with soy sauce for dipping.
Makes about 32 sushi
1. Put the rice in a pot with the water. Bring

up to a boil, cover the pan tightly with a lid, turn down the heat as low as possible and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to stand for another 15 minutes.
3. Spoon the cooked rice into a large

bowl and stir in the vinegar mixture. Leave the rice to cool for 10 minutes,
The sushi will

cut more easily if you wet the knife between each cut.
To keep the batter

light, mix it as quickly as possible.
Vegetable tempura
INGREDIENTS
1/2 red
3. Put the oil in a large, deep pan (it should not come more than
halfway up the side of the pan) or deep fat fryer. Heat the oil to 190C. Line a couple of baking sheets with a double layer of kitchen paper.
capsicum, seeded and cut into thin strips 1 small yellow or green courgette, cut into half cm rounds 1 small head broccoli, broken into bite-sized orets A handful of snow peas, trimmed 450ml vegetable oil, for deep frying 100g our 50g cornour 250ml sparkling water or soda water
4. Put the our and cornour in a large bowl and mix together
with a fork. Add the sparkling water and mix quickly with the fork dont worry if there are a few lumps. The batter should be the consistency of single cream; if it is too thick, add an extra one or two tablespoons of water.
For the dipping sauce:

2 tablespoons sweet rice wine 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon water 1/2 teaspoon sugar
5. Drop ve or six pieces of the prepared vegetables into the batter

then gently put them one by one into the hot oil. Dont overcrowd the pan or the oil will get too cold and the batter will be greasy. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until puffed and crisp and turning slightly golden at the edges. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked vegetables to the baking sheets and let them drain for 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile continue dipping and cooking the remainder of the vegetables. The tempura is best eaten within minutes of being cooked, but can be kept warm in an oven preheated to 120C for 10-15 minutes.
Makes 4 portions
These recipes from Top 100 Finger Foods by Annabel Karmel. www.annabelkarmel.com
1. Stir the dipping-sauce ingredients together until the

sugar has dissolved. Divide among four small dipping bowls and set aside.
2. Have all of the vegetables prepared before you make the

batter. You can prepare them a couple of hours in advance and keep them on a plate in the fridge, covered with a damp piece of kitchen paper and then wrapped with cling lm.
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newborn & baby
play on,
baby
Play isnt only for toddlers and big kids - from birth, your baby is primed for play, explains Pinky McKay.
newborn & baby
The first year of your babys life is a magical time, and never will you see him grow and change as much as in those initial 12 months. Like all children and grown-ups babies love to play, and its never too early in their life to start having fun with your little one. And you, his primary caregiver, are the perfect first toy. Have you heard the saying, Play is a childs work? Its not only walking, talking toddlers who can benefit from play; play is equally important for babies in the first 12 months to help them develop, learn and form strong bonds with the important people in their lives. You might be surprised to discover your baby is ready for game playing from birth. Babies are born with a natural urge to learn, and their development can be enhanced through touch, movement and play, along with optimum nutrition and a stimulating environment which includes music, colour, things to touch, and usual household activity and conversation all with minimal expense or stress to you!
Benefits of baby play

New research shows that the most critical factor in helping your babys brain development is the loving, responsive interactions between you and your child. The sensory experience of cuddling, touching, making eye contact, moving and conversations, all of which are part of playing with your baby, are hardwiring his tiny, yet-to-mature brain for emotional and neurological development. As you touch, talk to, and share eye contact with your baby, you stimulate the development of connections between nerve cells in his brain, forming foundations for thinking, feeling and learning. This means that simply by tuning in and enjoying your baby, you will be supporting the development of structures that help him learn to respond sensitively to others and to read social cues, as well as teaching him about problem-solving and developing self-awareness, generosity, kindness, empathy, curiosity, creativity and joy.
You are his best toy

While neuroscience tells us that play is critical in helping babies brains to learn, you can relax and just enjoy your baby without seeing play as an academic exercise or, becoming stressed that you might not be doing it right. According to Dr Jill Stamm, a specialist in infant learning and cognition and author of Bright from the Start, its not the play activity itself that causes learning, but the repetition that play encourages. Dr Stamm says that play causes the brains energy to be used in a different way, explaining, Because the pleasure it brings causes repetition, play reinforces healthy brain wiring. Studies show that with every interaction between you and your baby, you will both experience elevated levels in your brains of beta endorphins the hormones of pleasure and reward. This naturally enhances and encourages playfulness and responsive interactions with your baby. In other words, the more you interact with your baby, the happier you both feel. And the more you want to play, the more you will be helping your baby wire his pristine brain for learning. How easy is that? You are your baby's best toy, his best teacher and the rock of your baby's world!
Baby play for two

As your baby develops, his playtime requirements change. Here are some helpful tips for keeping things fun in the first 12 months. At first, playing with your baby will involve short periods of gentle interaction, such as talking, rocking, eye contact and singing. From birth to around three months of age, babies use their senses for play moving their heads to see and recognise different faces and sounds. Mobiles and hanging objects are excellent at this stage, as long as any noises they make arent so loud they startle your baby. Its important to be respectful of your newborns short attention span and not overstimulate him. If he becomes restless or turns his head away, its time to give your baby a break. As your baby grows, it wont be long before youll be encouraged by chuckles of glee as he begs for more vigorous play, involving bouncing, rolling and endless peek-a-boo games. Once your baby can roll and crawl, he will have the
newborn & baby
capacity to explore and use a wider range of toys pushing, rolling, and following a ball, putting things in and out of containers, manoeuvring push-along toys, etc. Of course, your little ones increasing mobility and sense of exploration will mean youll need to child-proof his toys and play spaces. Watch your baby and see what activities hold his attention. Babies tend to enjoy activities and toys that match their capabilities. Youll find that if hes fascinated by a particular toy, hell hold on to it for longer. Adding to and rotating his toys or play materials will help keep things interesting, too. Here are games and activities you might like to try for each development stage in the first year:
Babies tend to enjoy activities and toys that match their capabilities.
Q Walk around the house with your baby, pointing to and labelling everything you see. Go outside and point to the flowers, leaves, and trees, the vegetables in the garden, insects buzzing around, and the clouds and planes in the sky. Let him touch different objects as you go. Q If you have a front-loading dryer or washing machine, let him watch the washing go around and around hell be entranced. Just make sure its not throwing out too much heat or that hes not sitting too close. Q Hold your baby under his armpits and dance him from side to side as you chant Tick, tock, tick, tock. Swing him from side to side, saying, Im a little cuckoo clock, tick, tock, tick, tock. Keep swinging him from side to side, singing, Now Im striking one oclock, two oclock and so on. Lift your baby up to the sky once for each strike of the clock.
Birth 3 months
Q Hold your baby on your lap facing you and, supporting his head as you gaze into his eyes, gently rock him from side to side as you talk or sing to him. Q Hold your baby in your arms and sing as you gently dance to music. Q Lay your baby where he can see you and, using finger puppets, bring one puppet at a time into his line of sight so he can focus on it. Then introduce the puppet to him and continue with each one in turn. This is fantastic for helping to develop his visual skills. Q Gaze into your babys eyes and experiment with facial expressions as you talk. Even a newborn will try to copy you as you poke out your tongue, blow raspberries, or make clicking noises with your tongue (this is also a fun game for older siblings to take part in). Q Place your baby on his back and gently wave a colourful scarf or ribbon across his line of vision (about 30cm away) as you talk or sing. Bring it close and lift it, wave it from side to side and gently stroke your baby with it. This helps develop eyetracking skills as well as engaging your little ones attention. Q Carry your baby in a sling or soft carrier so he can enjoy the delights of movement and feel the textures of your clothing while sensing the security of your heartbeat, voice and familiar smells. Q Read aloud to your baby. Books with large black, white, and red shapes and images are ideal at this age. Q When changing your baby, name his different body parts as he watches your face. Or, count each little finger and toe individually. Hell love trying to imitate your facial expressions.
6 12 months
Q Your baby will love toys that are noise makers, such as maracas, xylophones and music shakers. Make your own by putting beans or rice into plastic bottles and firmly secure the lids you might like to glue them shut. Q Balls, bubbles (watch him crawl and try to catch the bubbles!), and bath toys are loads of fun. Q Play clapping and tapping songs and bounce your baby on your lap or legs while you sing. Q Make a touchy-feely basket of objects with different textures for him to rummage in (with supervision). Try a teaspoon, bath plug, pom pom, soft brush, sponge, squishy ball, etc. Q Make a cushion mountain to crawl over encourage his climbing skills (and coordination and balance) by playing peeka-boo or placing a favourite toy on top of the mountain. Q A baby-sized tunnel or some large cardboard boxes with open ends are fun to crawl through. Roll a ball through the tunnel and encourage him to chase it. Q Fill an old handbag or tote bag with different-textured objects such as balls, empty cotton reels, pieces of fur, sponges, wooden blocks, etc. Hell love pulling everything out and putting it all back in again. This is also excellent for introducing basic concepts such as weight, shapes, empty and full. Q Nesting and stacking toys are fun, especially as he will likely want to knock the stacks over only to have you build them up again and again! Try also making towers with plastic cups, bowls and boxes of varying sizes. Q Delegate a low cupboard or drawer in the house as your childs space. Rotate a few toys or safe household objects (unbreakable bowls, cups, spoons) and let him explore his cupboard. Remember, play is an important part of your babys learning and development and one of the best ways to do this is by having fun together.
3 6 months
Q Show your baby your reflections in a mirror and tell him who he can see there. Let him lie on his tummy and watch himself in a mirror (this will encourage tummy play). Q As your baby plays on his tummy, put some interesting toys just out of reach to encourage him to reach and develop strength for crawling. Plastic bottles half-filled with coloured water, small floating toys, or tinsel are cheap and easy to make just be sure the lids are well secured. Q Blow on a pinwheel or blow bubbles and watch his visual tracking skills develop.
Pinky McKay is an International Accredited Lactation Consultant, best-selling parenting author, and mum of five. 34 www.littlies.co.nz
just ask PLUNKET

Spilling and reflux
Spilling and reux in babies is common although it can be distressing for parents some babies spill (bring up milk) after each feed, while some hardly ever do so. Spilling and reux occurs because the valve at the top of the stomach in very young babies is still developing and sometimes does not close properly, allowing milk to come back up. As your baby matures, so does the valve, and the spilling and reux will usually stop between six and 12 months old. Some babies spill part of every feed and this can sometimes continue for several hours after each feed and may cause your baby some discomfort or pain. Other babies can have reux without spilling, where the milk only partly comes up the tube between the stomach and mouth and then goes back down into the stomach. This may cause pain and can be known as silent reux. Spilling and reux are di erent from vomiting, where your baby empties her stomach forcefully. For many babies, they do not seem distressed by spilling and they continue grow normally, with the only problem being the extra washing to clean up the spills. Other babies can become unsettled with reux and may be di cult to manage. Often you are doing everything right but your baby is still unsettled. Your baby may cry, be a fussy feeder and not sleep well. She may also arch her back and extend her legs out in response after a feed. Generally speaking, the more upright your baby is the more the reux decreases. By the time she is walking, the reux will often have disappeared. For a few babies, it will improve over a longer period of time.
newborn & baby
Raise the head end of the cot or bassinette by putting a thick book or two under the legs at the head end. To stop your baby slipping under the blankets, make up the bed with your babys feet at the bottom so that there is no space for her to slip down under the blankets.
Using feed thickeners and other medications can also help reduce the spilling and unsettledness. Talk with your Plunket nurse or doctor about what options might be suitable for you. Also, see your doctor if you are ever worried, or if your baby has any of the following signs or symptoms: u Poor weight gain u Appears to be in pain u Di cult to settle or becomes more unsettled u Spilling more u Spilling large amounts u Vomits violently (projectile vomiting) u Has green-coloured vomit
WINDING YOUR BABY

Some babies don't need to be winded (burped) after feeds, while others may become unsettled with wind and need winding at every feed. When winding your baby, it helps to keep your baby upright to your shoulder or sitting on your knee with a straight back. Some people believe that the food you eat can cause wind in your baby if you are breastfeeding, so it could be worth monitoring what you eat to see if there is a food link to your babys wind. If your baby is unsettled by reux and you feel you arent coping, its important to get support for yourself. Talk to other parents about how you feel or to your Plunket nurse or doctor. Your Plunket nurse will also be able to advise you of groups in your area that you can access for further support and information.
WAYS TO COPE WHEN YOUR BABY SPILLS MILK

u
u u u u
Dress or change your baby before feeds when her stomach is not full. Wind your baby several times during feeds. Use a towel to cover yourself after feeds, to catch the milk. Have lots of large bibs on hand. Have a towel with you to put under your baby where she is sitting or lying during feeds. After feeds, sit your baby up on your lap or in a bouncinette for a short period.
Allison Jamieson Plunket Clinical Advisor
EACH MONTH PLUNKET WILL BRING YOU EXPERT ADVICE ON BABY CARE ISSUES.
todddler & preschooler
the
BIG fivteay jitters irs -d

f
Choosing a school
Before you know it, your baby will turn five and be ready to start school. Heres how to ensure youre both ready.
School marks a major transition in your childs life and is a significant step towards independence. However, even children accustomed to childcare or kindy can often find the transition to school a little scary, mainly because there are so many much bigger kids. A positive start to school life is what you want to aim for. With a little preparation, you can ensure your child is ready to face the new opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Here are some helpful tips to help ease those first-day jitters for both you, and your child.
Being ready for school

Helping your child learn to get along with other children can be the biggest challenge of all. Your child may be mixing with a large group of children, many of whom shes possibly not going to know. Group situations with other children such as preschool or playgroups are good preparation for school. At school, children need to be able to get along with peers, listen to others and clearly express their needs, share with others and have the ability to play on their own and in a group. Children who are able to dress themselves, go to the toilet, and take care of their own belongings will feel independent and confident when they start school. This also enables the teachers to spend their time teaching rather than looking after the class. Label all clothing, shoes, and other belongings clearly, and teach your child the importance of keeping her sweatshirt, hat, etc., together when she takes them off. Have clothes that can be quickly put on, e.g. slip-on shoes with velcro. Familiarising your child with opening her lunchbox and drink bottle will help to eliminate potential upsets in the first few days. Also, go through with her what is in her lunch box so she knows some foods are for morning tea and the rest is for lunch. Have a few practice runs at home so you know she can unwrap her sandwiches confidently and open the lid of her yoghurt. In the weeks leading up to school fill your childs drink bottle each morning and encourage her to drink from it throughout the day. Dehydration reduces concentration, making learning difficult, so
make sure your child is well practiced at drinking regularly. Children are not expected to be able to read and write when they start school, but some basic pre-literacy skills can help make the learning process easier. It is helpful if your child can recognise her own name (and perhaps form some of the letters). If you do teach your child to write her name, make sure to only make the first letter a capital, and the rest should be written in lower case. Children taught to write only in capitals will only have to re-learn writing in lowercase when they start school, which can unsettle literacy confidence. Book handling skills are also a great help, such as knowing the front of the book from the back and being able to turn pages independently. The ability to sit and listen to a story and talk about it afterwards will help your childs reading comprehension skills.
Your childs first years at school are more than just an introduction to formal education they are the foundation upon which will rest an entire educational future. So, naturally, it is important to give careful consideration to which school your child will attend. Three factors central to your decision-making will probably be locality, cost and the special character of the school. Consider transport arrangements will you be able to drop off and pick up your child, or will she catch a bus? What about siblings or friends? Starting school may be easier for your child if she knows others there. Ask about any fees, expected donations and other charges. Some schools have strict zoning rules, so youll need to check this out with your chosen school. It may be necessary to put your child's name into the ballot for an out-of-zone placement. To find out more visit www.schoolzones.co.nz. The standard of education provided is also an important factor. It can be insightful to read what the the Education Review Office (ERO) reports on a school, and reviews are
published online at www.ero.govt.nz or ask the school for a copy of their latest review. A good idea is to phone the school and set up an appointment with the Principal so you can ask questions about enrolment and the school. Heres what to look and questions to ask when visiting your childs potential school. 1. How will the school ensure that my child is safe? 2. What will my child typically learn in the first year? 3. How will I be kept informed of my childs progress? 4. What is expected of parents? 5. What makes this school special? Ask to visit the classroom to see how your childs day will work. Watch the interactions among the children and between the teacher and children. Consider whether your child will be happy and secure and if the learning environment will suit your child.
l If your school has a Walking School Bus, walk on the bus a
couple of days before starting so shes familiar with the route and what is required of her.
l Find books about starting school and read them to her at
bedtime.
l Establish a routine from the first day, of your child being
involved in helping to pack her bag, with her lunchbox, drink bottle, and a warm top. Let her see that you've popped into her bag a spare pair of underwear and leggings or pants in the first few weeks (as its not unusual for children starting school to have 'accidents').
Tears at the gate

The first day at school is a big event for parents as well as children. Facing the reality that your child will be away from you, developing her own independence and individuality, can naturally create a sense of loss and anxiety for you. It is natural to feel sad and worried even though you might already be well accustomed to separation through using daycare or preschool. Remember, teachers are skilled and competent at helping new children settle and cope with the demands of school life. Trust your parenting skills and remind yourself of all that you taught your child to help prepare for this moment. If you are anxious about your child starting school, consider organising some kind of support for yourself. Perhaps you know others who recently sent their new entrants off to school. Arrange to have a coffee with another parent on the day your child starts school to help relax and share your anxiety. Or make a date with your partner or a friend to do something special on the first day to distract you from worrying. Most importantly, make sure you dont let your child see or feel your distress she will take her cues from you. The last thing you want is to dampen her enthusiasm for staying at school by making her worried about you. Be reassuring and positive about starting school, and talk about how excited you are about all the new things she will learn and that you cant wait to hear about them at the end of the day. Make the transition smooth. Once the teacher is talking with your child and you've done the hand-over, don't stay for too long or your child might see you anxious.
What to expect in the classroom

l Lots of literacy all around the classroom: alphabet cards; poem
and song charts; childrens art work displayed with captions, and a wide variety of books for children to choose from.
l Low tables, chairs, and storage areas to allow easy access for
children.
l A selection of labelled boxes and containers containing
equipment and resources, providing children with variety and choice.

l Special-interest areas set up with different activities or materials
for children to explore.

l Children working together in small groups at different activities.
There will probably be lots of talking and movement (five-yearolds are not designed to be quiet and still!), but it should be purposeful and productive. Most schools provide some kind of pre-entry programme (usually one or two half-day weekly visits in the 3-4 weeks before the first day). Familiarity with the school makes it easier for children to settle into their first full school days. You might be asked to stay with your child for these pre-entry visits or the school may use these to help children to get used to the idea of separation from you so there are less tears on the big day.
Staying connected
Although your child will be away from you for six hours a day, there are things you can do to stay connected and let her know you are thinking of her while she is at school. Add something special into the lunch box, such as a homemade card with a happy face on it, animal-shaped sandwiches, a love heart, a picture of a favourite character. Volunteer to do parent help so you can be in the classroom helping out with art activities or hearing children read. Or, drop in for a surprise visit in the playground during lunch break (but check with the teacher first if this is okay). Most importantly, be proud of this new step in her life, and look forward to the amazing progress she will make. And when the big day finally arrives, put your feet up and enjoy a welldeserved coffee and grab a box of tissues, just in case!
Dr Sarah Farquhar leads ChildForum.com and is a mum of five.
Preparing for the big day

l Start giving her small but steadily increasing responsibilities at
home to encourage independence to help with the transition.

l When going on school visits, practice the morning routine
including getting dressed in her uniform, packing her bag, etc.

l Take her shopping for new uniforms and shoes and get her to
help you label them all clearly with her name.

l Let her help choose her school bag, lunchbox, and drink bottle,
or pencils, crayons, and other exciting stationery bits ( just make sure your purchases match whats on the list the school provides!).
l Teach your child how to tie her own shoelaces. l Let her mark off on a calendar the number of days until school
starts.
tangles
TAMIng
.
Dont resort to snipping out stubborn tangles with the nail scissors! Heres how to tame your childs tangled tresses without the tears.
There is nothing worse than running a brush or comb through your childs hair, hitting a snag, and hearing her cry out in pain. How best can you manage your childs tangles without causing the tears? Try these simple steps to help tame tangles tear-free. Your childs hair doesnt need to be washed every day. In fact, once or twice a week is usually sufficient unless shes sporting pieces of dinner in her tresses! Young children have just two layers within their hair, compared to three layers in adults. This makes their hair fragile, so only a mild shampoo is needed such as a childrens shampoo. Many adult shampoo varieties have added fragrances and colours that may actually damage your childs hair. If your childs hair is always full of knots, the best way to get them out is by using a childrens shampoo. Use a conditioner only if the hair is dry and tangly. If your childs hair is prone to oiliness, you may find conditioner can sometimes exacerbate the problem. When washing, gently massage the shampoo into the scalp and through the hair, rather than vigorously lathering, then rinse thoroughly and gently towel-dry the hair. Then, while the hair is still wet, use a wide-toothed comb and section the hair off in small pieces. Comb through slowly, almost hair for hair. To prevent knotting as you go, begin combing at the ends and slowly move up, section by section, towards the roots. If the knot is matted like a dreadlock, it may help to wet it with water first or comb a spray-on detangler through. And, if worst comes to worst and you still cant get a stubborn knot or tangle out, you may need to cut it out. Before doing this, try to work out as much of the hair as possible, so you dont have to cut any more than you absolutely have to. After cutting, use a bit of conditioner on the ends to prevent them from splitting.
How to prevent and treat hair tangles:
. Before washing, detangle your childs hair by brushing it

thoroughly to remove any knots. Hair tends to tangle on its own when the hair is dry, and wetting it can make it worse. . If using conditioner, comb it through your childs hair rather than massaging it in. . For stubborn tangles, try a childrens spray detangler. After washing and while the hair is wet, spray on the detangler and comb the hair gently with a wide-toothed comb. . For longer hair, keep it simple or tied up during the day as hair can easily get tangled up while out playing. . Try braiding longer hair before bed as this will lessen the chances of tangles in the morning, especially if your child moves a lot while sleeping. . Avoid yanking a brush or comb through tangled hair, as this causes split ends and a sore scalp! And be sure to use a good brush. Remember, kids are naturally playful and will get themselves into all sorts of tangles, including their hair. Keeping hairstyles simple will go a long way to helping keep tangles at bay.
tip
The general rule of hair grooming is comb when wet and brush when dry.
means
Tame those knots and tangles!

New JOHNSONS NO MORE TANGLES range is specially formulated to unlock knots and tangles from your toddlers hair. Try the easy 3-step routine with our shampoo, conditioner and detangling spray to ensure hair is clean, soft and tangle free. Find it in your supermarket baby aisle.
1
clean
condition
3
comb
1278/11
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Ask our Careline Nutritionist your questions about feeding your baby or toddler.
his meals, but hell always drink his milk. I am worried hes not getting a balanced diet with enough iron. What can I do?
Fussy eating is very common for toddlers (aged 1-3years). Some days your toddler seems to live on fresh air alone, and other days he eats a wider range of foods. Healthy toddlers usually eat what they need to! Drinking too much cows milk is a common reason for fussy eating. If your toddler drinks too much milk it can ll up their tummies and ruin their appetite for other important foods. Try to offer milk after a meal, and limit to 2 cups per day (around 500 mL) so your toddler is hungry at meal times. Often, the foods your toddler rejects are savoury foods which are high in iron and other essential nutrients. Iron is essential for healthy growth and development and if your toddler is low in iron they can become tired, prone to infections and may even have difculty learning. Make sure you offer your toddler a good variety of foods rich in iron every day, including meat, chicken, sh, legumes (e.g baked beans) and green leafy vegetables. If your toddler is a particularly fussy eater, it can be useful to use an iron enriched toddler milk drink instead of cows milk. Toddler milk drinks are based on cows milk but contain additional nutrients including added iron. One cup* can provide around 50% of your toddlers iron requirements for the day, so it provides a great boost in addition to a balanced diet. If you have questions about feeding your baby or toddler call our health professionals on our Careline on 0800 55 66 66. kate ellison careline nutritionist
My 18 month old often refuses
experts
Littlies experts solve your parenting problems
Write to us at Littlies Letters, PO Box 55197, Eastridge, Auckland 1146 or email letters@littlies.co.nz
STROKE OF COMFORT Our one-and-a-half-year-old son likes us to lie next to him so he can run his ngers through our hair to help him fall asleep. Hes been doing this since he was two months old. Ive tried putting his ngers though his own hair but he refuses and wont go to sleep unless he has our hair. Is there something I can use as a replacement?
ask our
Q
A
TE HUINGA HARRISON, GISBORNE
*of Heinz Nurture Gold Toddler or Heinz Nurture Gold Junior milk drink
It is normal for an infant to need the close physical proximity of a parent to feel safe and secure, so any changes you do to wean him o stroking your hair needs to be done slowly so he gets used to learning how to go to sleep in a di erent environment. To wean him o this behaviour introduce a di erent attachment object, but make sure you are there with him while you do this as the rst step is to change how he goes to sleep. Look for a new toy or object that he will take a likening to. It may take a few tries. Given that he likes to stroke things, you could look for something that gives him a similar sensation as to when he feels your hair, such as velvet material. Then, introduce the object to the bedtime ritual so it becomes part of the sleep time routine. Redirect his hands to the toy or object and not your hair. It would minimise his frustration if your hair was not easily accessible to him during this process. Provide a di erent form of comfort, such as singing to him or rubbing his back so he sees you are there helping him with his frustration. Dont be worried
that you are replacing one habit (such as singing to him) with another, as this can be easily weaned o , too it is just to help reduce his levels of frustration. Once he is used to not having your hair (this could take a couple of weeks), work on reducing the other comforters, such as singing by only singing one or two songs. Then, stand quietly next to him while he goes to sleep and eventually move further away. However, go to him if he is upset and dont hesitate to pick him up if it will help him calm down. Just make sure he does not have access to your hair. The objective is to stop the ngers through the hair rather than withholding any other comfort from him.
ANNA MARTIN, SLEEP ADVISOR
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Make-believe Meany My three-year-old daughter has an imaginary friend but lately he has become quite mean and naughty pushing, biting, saying naughty words and doing things he shouldn't. When I tell my daughter not to do something because its dangerous or will hurt her, she says that Henry does it. Is there anything behind this and should I worry? When she talks about him, I tell her we dont need to be Henrys friend if he is mean. She is a happy girl with plenty of friends at coffee group and daycare.
SaraH, auckland
Imaginary friends can often play an important role in a childs development as they help develop valuable skills including socially, emotionally and creatively. Pretend play also provides children with an opportunity to explore and think through real-life themes and challenges they wouldnt otherwise explore. Some children use imaginary friends to test boundaries and work out what behaviours parents will tolerate and what ones they wont. When playing with Henry, your daughter can explore misbehaviours such as aggression and noncompliance and think through the consequences of them. But it doesnt mean she will imitate these behaviours, nor is it any cause for concern. use these situations as opportunities for discussion. If Henry is aggressive, for example, it could mean your daughter has seen this type of aggression at daycare or in the playground. ask your daughter things like, Is there someone Henry wants to bite?
and did Henry bite a friend at daycare? check with her daycare teachers whether theres been any change in her environment or behaviour and how she is doing with her friendships. Its best to use effective discipline strategies on Henry as it would be with your daughter. For example, if Henry does something positive, praise him, Great job helping us to pack up Henry. If he uses attention-seeking misbehaviours, such as using silly words, ignore him, Youre choosing to use silly language so Im going to ignore you. If he uses more serious negative behaviours, correct and discipline them, no hitting in this house Henry. Since you hit, you will need to go to Time-Out.
cHanTal kaYeM, reGISTered PSYcHOlOGIST
Periods after babies My periods were relatively irregular before I had children. Since childbirth they now come regularly every 28 days, but on the second or third day, my period is extremely heavy for an entire day and I sometimes pass clots. Is this normal or should I be worried?
Q
a
All day education and care for children from 3 months of age* 20 Hours ECE Qualied and registered teachers
*Ages differ slightly between centres
n WallMan, auckland
While menstruation cycles can change following childbirth, any significant changes should still be checked out. Heavy periods with clots may be caused by fibroids, polyps or possibly retained products of conception or adenomyosis (when endometrial cells grow into the uterine muscle). Heavy periods may also result in iron deficiency anaemia which causes tiredness
P h o n e o r v i si t o n e o f o u r c e n
ated in Sandringham, Ea Centres loc st Tamaki,
Auckland City and Mission Heights.
tres tod ay.
09 300 1818 info@kinz.org.nz www.kinz.org.nz

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experts
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47%
of parents say their child was fully toilet trained by age 3.
up the mess but its not working and he doesnt want to put a nappy on. I am worried he will do this while we are out or when he starts kindy.
naMe WITHHelD On reQUesT
www.littlies.co.nz
and poor mental functioning. It is advised you see your doctor to eliminate possible causes. Once the cause has been found, there are a variety of treatments available to treat heavy periods. Options include medication to help reduce menstrual flow, such as non steroidal anti-inflammatories, tranexamic acid, progesterone and the oral contraceptive pill. The Mirena IUCD (Interuterine Contraceptive Device) is another effective method to reduce menstrual flow by an average of 92 per cent, as well as a number of surgical options ranging from removal of fibroids to endometrial ablation or resection
or hysterectomy. It is advised you first see your doctor to establish the cause and seek advice on treatment options suitable to you.
Dr Mary BIrDsall, FerTIlITy speCIalIsT & GynaeCOlOGIsT
Fun-less toileting When we started toilet training our just turned three-year-old, he would happily do a poo on the toilet. But after a week he decided it wasn't fun anymore and instead gets really upset and runs around the house or asks for cuddles until it ends up in his pants. Ive tried to make it boring for him while I clean
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We may not be able to answer why, but its likely pooing on the toilet suddenly became too hard for your three-year-old. He recognises when he needs to poo, gets distressed, puts it off by trying to hang on and then eventually lets it go. so, our first job is to get him happily back in tune with his body so his experience is My body is sending signals that I need to poo. I can let the poo out without anxiety. as soon as you notice that he needs to go, say to him warmly, your body needs to poo. lets go and pop on a pull-up. Dont let him argue with you. Insist. now ask him, What help do you need to let your poo out? Do you need a cuddle or do you want to go off on your own? after a few experiences of responding to his bodys need with your support and without stress or distress, he will probably be ready to take the next step. either, he will simply start pooing on the toilet or, if that seems too big a step, he will need you to help him get there through smaller steps. For example, the next small step would be to pop on his pull-up and take him to the toilet to poo. stay or go according to his preference. Once he finds this easy, he needs to teach his body how to poo sitting on the toilet, still with his pull-up on. Then, once that is easy for him, the odds are very high that he will just decide to poo in the toilet without fuss.
DIane levy, FaMIly THerapIsT
During pregnancy the skin on the abdomen stretches to accommodate your growing uterus, but if it expands too quickly or beyond its elastic capacity, stretch marks can develop. While there is no cure for stretch marks, the good news is they will flatten and fade over time. early treatment when your stretch marks are prominent and red or brown in colour can help reduce their long-term appearance further. To minimise stretch marks, try to keep weight gain steady, gradual and moderate throughout pregnancy and eat a healthy and nutritious diet combined with exercise. also keep your body well hydrated and drink more than the recommended 4-6 glasses of water each day to help maintain the elasticity of your skin. While lotions, creams and other topical treatments wont reach the dermis (middle layer of skin where stretch marks occur), they may help to relieve itchiness or dryness which may encourage better elasticity. always check with your Gp or midwife
neW zealanD COlleGe OF MIDWIves
Boisterous Behaviour We have two boys, threeand-a-half-years and 21 months, who have just become good friends and recently started sharing a room as we are expecting a new baby. However, of late their behaviour together has been somewhat boisterous. On their own they are great and respond well, but together it is like school camp and things get a little chaotic. The eldest tends to copy his younger brother and does things he knows are wrong and the youngest plays up on the audience.
anDy, HasTInGs
www.lollipopseducare.co.nz
0508 LOLLIPOPS
stretch marks Im in my first trimester and worried about getting stretch marks during pregnancy. Is there anything that I can do to minimise their appearance if I do?
Jenna, WHanGareI
The first thing to bear in mind here is that at this age these two young lads are barely civilised. expecting good behaviour from them is a bit like putting two chimpanzees in a room, supplying them with fermented bananas
ASK OUR EXPERTS:
Toddler Feeding
Deborah Sue DIETITIAN
turned one, can I put him on regular cows milk now?

After one year of age, toddlers can move on to regular cows milk as their main milk drink. An alternative to cows milk are toddler supplements. These are specically designed to supplement the dietary needs of active toddlers whose nutritional intake may be inadequate. Toddler supplements provide the goodness of cows milk plus other ingredients important for growth and development. Look for a toddler supplement that has a blend of ingredients including prebiotics, iron, zinc and vitamin D to nutritionally support the immune system; as well as Omega 3 DHA to support brain and eye development.
Q. My toddler has just A.
and then hoping it will all turn out well. So, Id suggest that a little bit of chaos (possibly a lot) is only right and natural, and in any case its unavoidable. That said, you will clearly want to settle things a little for when the new baby arrives, so now is probably a good time to start setting a few limits. Essentially its pretty straightforward because you just decide how much crazy town is too much crazy town, then you warn and then if they ignore that one or both of them has a wee stint in Time Out. Boys are loud and noisy and you cant get around that much, but you can set some limits and make sure you stick to them. If your lads get the very simple concept that there is a line at which boisterous good fun turns into now its annoying Mum or Dad and Im going in Time Out, then theyll start to learn that all important self-control most of us spend our whole lives struggling with. Embrace the chaos, theres plenty more on its way!
NIgEl laTTa, ClINICal PSyChOlOgIST
that he can snuggle into you. you might like to introduce a safe cuddly toy, which can be his constant companion when he wants to cuddle something. Once he's used to not sleeping so close to you, set up a bed next to your bed so he can sleep by you but not actually be in your bed. Next step is to set up a bed next to his in his room. at bedtime, put him to sleep in his room and if he wakes, go to his room and sleep next to him. This way he gets used to sleeping in his environment all night. Once he is used to doing this, only go to him when he calls out and stay with him until he is asleep, then leave. repeat as necessary. Once he realises you will respond if he needs you, he will go back to sleep relatively quickly and start sleeping through. If he gets upset at any stage, its okay to hug him or sit quietly with him until he has calmed down. This way he knows it's safe to express his frustration and that you're there for him and will support him.
aNNa MarTIN, SlEEP aDvISOr
Sleeping through My 14-month-old has trouble sleeping through the night. he goes to bed at 8pm with no hassle, but come midnight he wakes in tears and screams until we put him in our bed. When he was a baby we'd occasionally have him co-sleep with us but we put him in a single bed when he was one. I have tried limiting his day naps, feeding him more before bed, letting him fall asleep in our bed and taking him back to his own bed asleep, and keeping him up late at night.
eCZeMA unCertAinitY My son has had severe eczema since he was about five-months-old and our doctor has always prescribed him aqueous cream. however, I read in littlies magazine that latest research has shown aqueous cream can actually irritate eczema and shouldnt be left on the skin.
Q
a
v ThOMSON, auCklaND
BElINDa TalIa'ulI, auCklaND
For further answers, advice or reassurance contact the Nutricia Advisory Service
0800 688 742

www.nutricia.co.nz
This can be tough on parents but consistency is important so your child understands the normal routine and expectations. you can introduce consistency in a caring way, and while it may not always mean he is going to be agreeable to any changes, the response to his frustration can be nurturing and supportive. given you would prefer to have him sleep in his own bed you will need to wean the co-sleeping situation. Even if you dont co-sleep all the time, doing it some of the time can still be confusing for him. In order to be consistent, set up an environment you can sustain for a while. you can break the process down into manageable steps. First, get him used to sleeping with you, but not so close
aqueous cream was originally designed as a soap substitute for eczema and widely used as a leave-on moisturiser. however, it contains surfactants which break down the skin barrier. an audit of children using aqueous cream as a leave-on moisturiser showed it caused irritant reactions in more than half them so its generally not recommended as a leave-on emollient. There are many moisturisers available to help with eczema, including those with high oil content which are thick and greasy and effective when the skin is very dry, and creams and lotions with a high water content and little oil. Water-based products can provide less of a barrier against water loss and in some children may further dry the skin. There are also products combining water and oil that can be applied easily like a cream and have the rehydrating properties of an ointment.
allErgy NEW zEalaND
Our experts are not medical practioners. If you have any concerns about your health or the health of your child, please consult your doctor.
NBM 1130_01082011_NZ
If you have a question for one of our experts, write to us at littlies Experts, PO Box 55197, Eastridge, auckland 1146 or email letters@littlies.co.nz
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health
run
Got a snotty toddler? Runny noses make for miserable kids, so heres how to cope.
A runny nose usually indicates the start of a cold. When the cold virus infects the nose and sinuses, the nose begins to produce lots of clear mucus. The mucus is caused as an inflammatory response to the virus. After two or three days, as the body fights back and the cold starts to dry up, the mucus changes to a white or yellow colour. Then, as the bacteria that usually live in the nose start to grow back, it changes the mucus to a greenish colour. While this might sound rather ghastly, it is all perfectly normal and doesnt mean your child has an infection requiring treatment with antibiotics. Colds are mainly caused by rhinoviruses and are spread by coughing and sneezing. Given the close proximity little ones play together, its not unusual for children to get up to eight colds a year. Coughing, sneezing, a mild fever, sore throat, watery eyes and loss of appetite can often accompany a runny nose. While a runny nose may bother your child during a cold, taking antibiotics won't make it go away faster. Antibiotics are prescribed for serious secondary bacterial infections, such as sinusitis, ear infections, or pneumonia. Symptoms that might indicate a secondary infection include an unusually long illness (more than 10 days) or deteriorating symptoms, persistent high fevers, earache, worsening cough and vomiting. If your child has any of these symptoms, you will need to take him to the doctor. Taking antibiotics your body doesnt really need can be harmful. Thats because each antibiotic course has the potential to encourage resistant bacteria that are harder to kill off in the future. So, if your child gets infected again, its more likely to be with these resistant bacteria. As a runny nose generally gets better by itself, it's best to wait and take antibiotics only when necessary. discomfort from a headache, fever, or sore throat. Nasal decongestants may unblock the nose, as may a mist vaporiser and regular nose-blowing. Keeping the bedroom well-aired. Giving him plenty of fluids warm lemon and honey drinks may help boost fluids. Try feeding your child with a spoon if hes not inclined to drink on his own. Ensure plenty of rest and sleep.
on the
Immune boosters
A strong immune system can help prevent infection in the future. Encourage your child to get lots of exercise and fresh air, ensure a healthy diet and make sure he gets sufficient sleep at night. Colds are easily passed on from coughing, sneezing, inhaling tiny droplets, poor ventilation, sharing of toys that have been in other childrens mouths, and from touching things. Teach your child to cover both his nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing. Also, wash and dry your hands and your childs hands often and thoroughly.
Allergic rhinitis
In some children over 12 months old, a runny nose with sneezing that lasts over a week may be caused by an allergy. This is often due to pollens or animal fur and is called allergic rhinitis. The diagnosis is usually made if a childs symptoms recur each year during the same season. If you suspect your child has an allergy, talk to your doctor to confirm the diagnosis. In the meantime, avoid contact with any substance that provokes your childs allergy. During the winter months, when colds abound and your childs nose may seem to be running constantly, remember most runny noses do get better on their own! But always check with your doctor if you are concerned or if your child truly does not get a break from a nose thats on the run.
Dr Catherine Cearns is a General Practitioner at Greenwood Medical Centre in Auckland, and a mum of two.
Symptom relievers
Symptom relief is the best approach for dealing with runny noses. Here are some ways to help reduce or soften the effects while your childs body fights it naturally: A children's pain-relief medication can help ease your childs
HUGGIES ADVERTISING PROMOTION
tickled
A star is born actually over 1,600 stars as part of a recent Introduce your Newborn to New Zealand campaign at www.huggies.co.nz.
pink
One famil y posted this sentimen t describ ing the moment their bab y w a s bo rn.
Tickled pink, is how parents Deanna Moorcroft and Christopher Tito from Gisborne described the feeling when their photo of newborn daughter Izabella-Rose earned enough Facebook likes to take centre-stage in the rst of a series of television commercials made by Huggies Nappies. Izabella-Rose, who is named after both of her great-grandmothers, was one of more than 1,600 Kiwi newborns who became TV stars in 14 di erent Huggies ads introducing New Zealands newest arrivals to the nation between March and July this year. The excitement of Izabella-Roses mum and dad and their willingness to share the joy of their daughters arrival was echoed among thousands of parents around New Zealand. The mothers of the two New Plymouth babies Georgia and Brianna (pictured above), who featured on the front page of their city's daily newspaper, are friends from high school days. Brianna's mum Megan O'Keefe encouraged all of her friends and family through text and Facebook to 'like' her daughter's photo. "Brianna has acquired a few extra grandparents and they are all very proud," she said. Megan also encouraged Georgia's mum, Jemma Ryan, to post a photo of her newborn baby at Huggies Nappies' introduce-yournewborn website. Accidentally logging in her daughter Georgia's birth weight as 5kg instead
PHOTO: TARANAKI DAILY NEWS. PHOTOGRAPHER ANDY JACKSON NEW PLYMOUTH BABIES GEORGIA TE WHATU FRONT AND BRIANNA OKEEFFE WERE INTRODUCED TO NEW ZEALAND ON TV
of 5lb (2.26kg) didn't seem to a ect her chances. Photos of the two little baby girls could be seen in their screen debut, sideby-side. The introduce-your-newborn photo competition idea started out as a celebration of Huggies Nappies 14-year bond with Plunket, but was soon embraced by families as a popular new form of birth announcement. Huggies would like to thank the tens of thousands of family members and friends who got involved in welcoming their precious newborn in this way. Charlotte Ewart who led Huggies introduce-your-newborn campaign said that in total there were over 1,600 baby photos uploaded by proud parents, over 45,000 Facebook likes from families and friends, over 450,000 website views, and 50 minutes of TV time focused on New Zealands newest newborns across the three-month long campaign. We wanted to shine a light on that privileged moment when a baby is born. The touching comments mums and dads posted on our website about the emotion they felt when
I was so in love. You are t he most beautiful little angel I ha ve ever seen.
they rst met their new baby have reminded us of how much love and care is wrapped around the arrival of newborn babies in New Zealand, she said. For both Huggies Nappies and Plunket, the birth is just the beginning of their support for the precious under-ve journey. "Huggies' commitment to New Zealand's babies is to support them every step of the way, said Charlotte Ewart. So for those Littlies readers who are newly pregnant, watch this space in 2012. It might be you whose star is born.
REGISTERED TRADEMARK KIMBERLY CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC. 2011 KCWW
learn about
Goats
A goats horns will keep growing throughout its whole life.
Some goats have wattles, which are little dangly bits either side of their chin. Just like cows, goats give us milk. You can also make cheese from the milk. Goats love company and they live in big social groups in the wild. A goat should live with at least one other goat for company.
Goats are very good jumpers and climbers, so if you have one for a pet, you will need a very strong fence. Goats love to have something high o the ground to sunbathe on, like large rocks or big wooden reels.
A baby goat is called a kid.
Many wild goats live in mountains and love rocks and hard things to jump on.
Goats are very intelligent and curious; you can even train them to walk on a There lead. are more than 300 types of Goats goats. dont like getting wet. Thats because they have Goats little fat on their bodies like to eat all to keep warm so they sorts of food, not need shelter to stay just grass they need dry and warm. to eat branches, woody Goats plants, shrubs and also hay every day. love fruit and vegetables such as carrots and apples.
Goats horns are made of similar stu to what our ngernails are. Goats make a bleating sound to talk to each other.
Di
A girl goat is called a doe and a boy goat is called a buck.
you kno
Both male and female goats have beards.
Most girl goats give birth to one kid at a time, but sometimes they have twins or even triplets!
With thanks to Fiona McDonald, Auckland SPCA Education Barn Supervisor. www.spca.org.nz
w
?
BOOK&FILM
Littlies reviews the latest in childrens books, lms, DVDs and CDs.
fun stuff
BOOKS
Bella the Brave fairy
for kids
By Claire Henley Bella doesnt have big, graceful wings like the other fairies. When tragedy strikes she is the only one who can help, but is she brave enough? A magical tale about overcoming fears (Scholastic). RRP $21
Poggle and the Birthday Present

By Michael Evans An enchanting new character on the picture book scene, Poggle is a funny blue dragon who loves exploring and adventures, even if unexpected, with his friends (Hardie Grant). RRP $16.99
TV
Pixtacular Weekend
on Disney Junior! 19-21 August - Starts 5pm each day Friday: Start the weekend with Pixar's modern classic feature animation lms, Toy Story followed by Toy Story 2. Rediscover the humour, heart and friendship of this hilarious adventure in a spectacular new special edition that goes to innity and beyond. Saturday: Family favourite A Bug's Life lets you in to the astonishing world of Flik and his tiny friends where an adventure hides under every leaf. Sunday: Settle in with the family for Cars, and join Lightening McQueen, hotshot rookie race car and his friends Sally, Mater, Doc Hudson and a variety of quirky characters hanging at Radiator Springs, a forgotten town on the old Route 66 where their adventures begin. Disney Junior is on Sky Channel 45
Camilla the Cupcake Fairy

By Tim Bugbird Camillas dreams come true when the Pink Fairy delivers her very rst wand, but being a Cupcake Fairy is harder than she thought. Find out what her special wand can really do (Blue Duck Books). RRP $9.99
Lenny Leopards Jungle Hide-andSeek

A fun, irresistible lift-theap pop-up book full of jungle animals and bouncy rhyming text. Lift the aps to see the animals pop-out of their hiding places, with a surprise pop-up at the end (Hachette). RRP $19.99
Robby & Hoot

By Joy Cowley Robby the Robot has lost his toe and none of the shops can sell him a new one. When he searches the nearby dump, he nds something even better. A delightful tale from a much-loved childrens author (Penguin). RRP $19.99
Splish, Splash, Splat!

By Rob Scotton Splat doesnt want to have a play date with Spike or learn to swim but soon discovers he may have more in common with Spike than he thought (HarperCollins). RRP $26.99
dvds
Strawberry Shortcake Vanishing Violets

Everyone is excited about the Spring Flower Festival but the violets start vanishing. Strawberry leads her friends in an exciting exploration of the garden to help solve the mystery (Magna). RRP $19.99
Handy Manny Big race!

Join Manny for a highspeed adventure when he puts the pedal to the metal in the Wood Valley 500 car race. But rst, can Manny, the Tools and their friend Elliot turn a broken-down jalopy into the coolest race-car ever? (Walt Disney). RRP $19.99
Bananas in Pyjamas Welcome to Cuddlestown

In this colourful new series, Bananas in Pyjamas are joined by their friends Teddies and the ever mischievous Rat in a Hat, as well as some brand new friends (Roadshow). RRP $19.99
WIN!
One lucky reader will win a copy of each book and DVD reviewed above. See page 58 for entry details. Entries close 28 August 2011.
worth over
$170
craft
You will need: cardboard, corrugated cardboard, newspaper, kitchen sponge and buttons.
The slots on the corrugated cardboard should be facing up.
Pour thick brown, white and black paint onto an old plate. Then, lay pieces of corrugated and smooth cardboard on some newspaper. Only paint the ridges on the cardboard.
Dip a kitchen sponge into the brown paint. Then, rub it over a piece of the corrugated cardboard. Do the same with some smooth cardboard.
This monster face was cut from a food box. Glue on fast food forks for teeth and bottle caps for a nose. Glue the ears behind the face.
Glue the nose on top of the muzzle.
Paint another piece of smooth cardboard black in the same way. Then, paint some corrugated cardboard white. Leave the paint to dry.
Cut a face from another piece of cardboard. Then, cut a snout and ears from the brown corrugated cardboard. Glue them onto the face.
Cut two eyebrows from the smooth brown cardboard. Then, cut three white ovals for a muzzle, and a black nose. Glue the pieces onto the face.
craft
You could make lots of faces and hang them up on a wall.
Reproduced from Recycling Things to Make and Do by permission of Usborne Publishing Ltd. www.usborne.com Copyright 2009 Usborne Publishing Ltd. RRP $15.99
This robot face was made by painting some shiny cardboard and using foil cases for eyelids.
This will be the mane.
This is the back of the head.
Cut a page from an old newspaper in half. Fold over one of the shorter edges. Then, turn the paper over and fold the same edge over again.
Keep folding and turning until the paper is completely folded up. Then, fold two more half papers of newspaper in the same way.
Tape the newspaper onto the back of the lions head spreading the paper out as you tape it. Then, glue on two black buttons for eyes.
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Sizes range from 3-8 years SpecialiSing in nZ Merino
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www.littlies.co.nz
shopping DIRECTORY
GROWING OUT OF YOUR HOUSE? MOVING OR RELOCATING?
Ask your nurse today!
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Choose your pack Choose your theme Choose your games
Donna Cheyne
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To enter go to www.littlies.co.nz and click on Freebies SAFE BOTTLES

For those worried about using plastic, try these eco-friendly, BPA and toxin free 18/8 food grade quality stainless steel drink bottles. Various colours and sizes, and with a lifetime guarantee. From $23.95. www.safebottles.co.nz
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OKIEDOG
Small details make a big di erence! Okiedog bags include an insulated bottle holder, change mat, accessories pouch, and clipix stroller attachments and cup holder. RRP $180. www.sweetpeanz.com
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BIO-OIL
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GNOMEO & JULIET

Now on DVD, this funny makeover of one of the worlds most timeless tales follows Gnomeo and Juliets neighbourly feud as they overcome as many obstacles as their namesakes. RRP $24.99
BIo-Oil works to prevent the appearance of stretch marks during pregnancy and rapid weight gain or loss, and to improve the appearance of existing stretch marks. Give away 200ml bottle. RRP $45.95
BABY BORN
This waterproof Baby Born Magic Feeding Doll cries real tears, has a drink and wet function and comes with loads of accessories. Available from Farmers and Toyworld. RRP $89.99
LEGO DUPLO
Get ready to rescue with the new Emergency Helicopter from Lego DUPLO. Includes emergency helicopter and rescue equipment, DUPLO pilot and woman gures, and rescue tower. Ages 2-5 years. RRP $49.99
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HOMEGROWN GIRL
LizzyLove has created this unique HomeGrown Girl pettiskirt and matching long-sleeved T-shirt designer set to support our team as we take on the rugby world. Sizes 1-7 years. RRP $135 www.lizzylove.co.nz
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS: All competitions close 5pm, 28 August 2011. Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash. Judges decision is nal. Winners will be published on www.littlies. co.nz. Prizes sent to NZ addresses only.
Your privacy: Littlies Ltd may record your details so that, from time to time, you may be sent other product o ers and parenting information. Only Littlies Ltd and the companies who feature on this page will have access to these details. If you prefer not to receive
product o ers and parenting information from Littlies or its partner companies, or to update your details, email or write to us. If you do not want to be on our database please state this on your entry.
pumpkin patch
3 ways to shop...
0800 PUMPKIN over 50 stores, nationwide
pumpkinpatchkids.com
&
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join us on
star model
Patch
search
2011
be in to the chance to be our Patch star & receive a
WIN
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wardrobe!
Pick up an entry form in store, enter our competition with a picture of your child in their latest spring outfit from the Patch & your child could be our Patch star & receive a $500 Pumpkin Patch gift card. The four runners up will receive a $250 Pumpkin Patch gift card.
children from newborn to 14 years are eligible to enter, competition starts 1st August & closes 5th September 2011, for more details on terms & conditions & winning categories visit
Afternoon I helped out in the garden, potted some seeds, and grew a beanstalk to a magical kingdom in the sky
In the
Nurturing dreams, inspiring futures

At Barnardos we understand that your child needs a warm and happy environment in which to grow and learn - to stretch their imagination and explore new ideas. We offer both centre and home-based care and education for children aged from birth to five years, so you can make the right choice for your child and your family. To find out more, call 0800 4 BARNARDOS or visit www.barnardos.org.nz/childcare

Littlies 2011 8

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REFLUX AND SPILLING MAKE A FACE COLLAGE TAME TANGLED TRESSES

PRACTICAL PARENTING 0 to 5 YEARS

Your guide to playing with baby

Stop those runny noses!

FREE from Early Childcare Centres, Amcal, Plunket & Babycity

Registered Trademark Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. KCWW 2011. KC0909

CONTENTS August 2011

PREGNANCY & BIRTH

NEWBORN & BABY

32 Play on, baby

35 Just ask Plunket

TODDLER & PRESCHOOLER

28 Asian cuisine for kids

SHOPPING & COMPETITIONS

from the editor

ISSUE 83 LARGEST CIRCULATION TO PARENTS OF CHILDREN 0 5 YEARS

If I was given a magic wand

MARIA KROONENBERG, EDITOR

Cover photo James Parsons 18 months

Your guide to playing with baby

Stop those runny noses!

ENROL NOW ! ABC

FREE from Early Childcare Centres, Amcal, Plunket & Babycity

toddler & preschooler

PhotoGRAPhER: KARYN FLEtt

toddler & preschooler

did you know?

Nutrition that ticks the right boxes xes

Tailored ingredients to nutritionally support ll the immune system

research 50 yearsbreast milk into

toddler & preschooler

What to do With pushy little people?

toddler & preschooler

Here are 5 tips for How to do tHat:

R it is directed at a number of kids. If

Quality toys that last

wed love to hear from you

All aboard for Dinosaur Fun!

LEARNING begins with PLAY

I can learn your name!

Magnetic alphabet fun!

SCRIBBLE & WRITE

I can help you to write!

TM 2011 LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.

THIS MONTH'S 'Y OU'RE A STAR' W INNER Congratulations to

can nd links to at www.kellymom.com/health/ illness/healing-breastmilk.

WHAT YOURE SAYING ON

Tips for fussy eaters

Lov ed Lea rni ng

Call us today on 0508 546 3372 or visit www.kindercare.co.nz

LITTLIES WEB POLL

% OF PARENTS HAVE BEDTIME BATTLES WITH THEIR CHILD

FROM THE HEART>>

monthly newsbites feature

20-28 August, Free Family Days throughout NZ www.storylines.org.nz

Coffee Group Recipe

The Gruffalo musical

Preschoolers prepare for quakes

TRAFFIC lights for kids

FREE DVD TO NEW PARENTS

WALK this way

mums little helper