babyfeature 23MahurangimattersJune 1, 2016

All children are welcome, from babies to 5 year olds, with

20 hours ECE for 3-4 year olds.

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child-led learning and discovery a natural environment to explorea great transition to school programme

Our promise to you and your children:a safe and supportive home away from home

lots of fun, laughter and play

The Grange Shopping Complex

Woodcocks Rd

Mahurangi College

Warkworth Primary School

Falls Rd

Warkworth

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Educare Warkworth Opening in June at The Grange Warkworth, and taking enrolments now.

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and Warkworth Primary

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littlelocals FEATURE

Warkworth Fitness Centre has recently started a new exercise program that uses babies to get new mums back in shape.Dad and fitness club owner Lyndsay Reid came up with the mums and bubs workout after local mums asked for help getting fit after having a baby. “We came up with idea of using babies as the resistance for a workout,” Lyndsay says. “We only take babies from 12 weeks and most of them are from six to nine kilos. It’s the perfect amount of weight, especially if you’ve come off a pregnancy where you haven’t been doing any exercise.”

New mum Sarah Hale and baby Ruby regularly attend the classes.“Being able to bring Ruby along with me and have a workout is great,” she says.The training program uses Pilates-based exercises, with a mix of core strengthening and circuit training. “The little ones are involved in the exercise,” Lyndsay says. “It’s bonding time and mums are getting a reaction from the babies. They are smiling and gurgling, they even give the kids a kiss on every rep!” The group meets on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10am.

New mums and bubs boot camp

An upgrade of the children’s playground on the riverbank in Warkworth, Baxter Street, is expected to happen during winter.A number of pieces of equipment have been missing from the enclosure for many months.Parks liaison and development team leader Gerry Fitzgerald says Auckland Council will provide replacement playground equipment that is similar to what was removed. “Some of the equipment has insufficient space to provide safe fall zones so a minor layout redesign is required to ensure the playground complies with safety standards,” he says. “For example, the seesaw is rusted and needs replacement. However, its current location is within the slide’s fall zone.  “A new seesaw will be installed, but in a slightly different location.”Council has received several requests for a seat inside the fence and it is anticipated that this will be addressed as part of the renewal work.Addressing concerns about the number of birds in the locality and the need for a sign asking people not to feed the birds, Mr Fitzgerald says that all playgrounds are inspected weekly and, if required, a contractor will arrange for the equipment to be cleaned. “There has not been an issue raised about birds at this site previously, but we will monitor the situation and respond accordingly.”

Playground upgrade plannedRuby works out with her mum

Sarah Hale.

View a video online at localmatters.co.nz

babyfeature24 Mahurangimatters June 1, 2016

www.genealogy.org.nz

Wellsford HIPPY, which was started by Carolynne Andrews in 2010, is under new management.Louisa Christian took up her role as coordinator in January.HIPPY is a home-based programme that helps parents prepare their children for school and later life.It operates in 44 centres across New Zealand, offering advice and support for parents of three to six-year-old children who live in low socio-economic areas with under-achievement in education. Some parents on the programme have additional challenges such as English as a second language, and many of the children are not attending other early childhood education at the time of their enrolment in HIPPY.  “HIPPY is about linking people in the community,” Louisa says. “The common denominator is a desire to improve children’s learning experience.”The two-year programme involves children spending 15 minutes a day to develop both their cognitive and non-cognitive skills. The activities are linked to the NZ primary school curriculum, but also include skill-based activities such as knitting, cooking and gardening.Louisa says that HIPPY has also been a positive tool to address behavioural problems.“Having set routines and establishing bonds between family members

Ex-teacher Louisa Christian has taken over the Wellsford HIPPY programme and is looking to have a positive impact in the community.

New generation for HIPPY

has helped improve some children’s behaviour,” she says.As well as offering education for children, HIPPY provides professional training for parents so they can tutor other participants.Tutor Rozarna Meredith says the changes in children are impressive. “After starting HIPPY with my daughter I quickly saw huge improvements in her speech and writing, and was impressed with the results that the programme delivered” Rozarna says.“When the opportunity came up to become a tutor I thought it would be wonderful to bring this fantastic programme to other families.”Wellsford HIPPY is currently licensed for 50 children but Louisa hopes to expand the programme, which has built a relationship with the Wellsford Kindergarten, Wellsford School and Homebuilders.

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COURSES FOR TERM THREE 2016 – WARKWORTH & WELLSFORD

Young Mum’s Educational ProgrammeThurs Term 3 10am-12.30pm 10 wks FREEFor mothers up to 25 years to encourage positive parenting, behaviour management skills and strategies for raising happy & healthy children. Runs weekly.This is a free course with childcare provided, every Thursday during term time.Facilitated by: Ashlee Prictor Career Development & Job SearchTerm 3 Date TBA 10.00am-3.30pm, Wellsford Library FREEA one day workshop for women returning to work or changing career, including creating a career plan and a CV, job search, interviews, assistance with clothing and more. Tutor: Fiona Brading, People Architects Mum’s Post-Natal Support Group Mondays Term 3 10.30am-12.30pm weekly FREECome along for a cuppa and a chat with this friendly group. Meet other mums, make friends and gain strength every week. Facilitated by: Sharmilla Sookdeo

Bookings essential: Contact us on 09 425 7261 or 0800 2DROPIN (0800 237674)Email: info@womenscentrerodney.org.nz • www.womenscentrerodney.org.nz

Follow us on Facebook at Women’s Centre Rodney10 Morpeth Street, Warkworth • 9.30am to 2.30pm Monday to Friday

Most courses run in Warkworth. Please check details when booking.

25June 1, 2016

Our play-based curriculum fosters your child’s independence and our

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Leigh Community Preschool is a one-of-a-kind, not for

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Warkworth Birth Centre

FREE pregnancy tests Prenatal classes, birth venue & post-natal stay Own room in peaceful rural surroundings Excellent equipment and atmosphere Water birth a speciality Midwives on call at all times, and as backup for your caregiver (LMC) Full post-natal hospital stay 24 hour Registered Midwives/Nurses to care for you and your baby You can transfer from your birth hospital within 12 hours of normal birth or 24 hours following a Caesarian

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Breast Feeding Support GroupFirst Wednesday of each month @ 10am

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babyfeature Mahurangimatters

Mahurangi resident Julie Boyd has started an initiative to encourage new mums to trace their family tree. Research out of Emory University, in Atlanta Georgia, USA, suggests that children who are aware of their family’s historic struggles are more adept at dealing with life’s challenges, and have higher self-esteem.After reading the research, Mrs Boyd, a volunteer for the New Zealand Society of Genealogists, decided to visit local birthing centres with information on how to track family history. She says the ideal time to start thinking about your past, is when you’re holding the future.“Family members come to visit mum and baby, and straight away they start to say, oh he’s got his grandad’s nose or uncle so and so’s ears,” Mrs Boyd says. “That’s the opportunity to get the conversation started about tracing your family tree.”Mrs Boyd says that local families find their history is crammed with challenge and adversity. She visited Christina Wylie and helped trace her family tree after having baby Ruthea. Christina says she thought it would be interesting to find out more about her past and started to gather information from relatives. “I contacted my parents, and my husband’s parents,” Christina says. “They contacted their parents and we have found some interesting quirks about our family.”Her dad, Roger Mackenzie, says they discovered a whole new family of half brothers and sisters that, due to a family split, were never talked about.“It’s brought us together as a family,” Roger says. “We managed to heal some rifts and found out how much our families had been through. It’s also a chance for older relatives to connect with the next generation.”Mrs Boyd says that when families start to understand

Benefits to researching family history for young ones

they come from a long line of people who have struggled through adversity, it gives them confidence to take chances and move forward. “Most people find that at some point their ancestors have escaped famine or war,” she says. “Those people who don’t want to be risk takers learn through their family history that failure is not the worst thing, missed opportunities are.”The biggest surprise for the Mackenzie family was the discovery that Roger had Turkish ancestry.“I knew I had Scottish blood,” Roger says. “But

to find out I have a Turkish side changed my perspective, especially around ANZAC day.” Mrs Boyd delivers a pedigree chart to birthing centres and coffee groups. Family members fill out the chart with as much detail about their family history as possible and the search begins from there.She says there are volunteers nationwide and a number of websites. The best place to start is the National Libraries website or the Government’s historical records. Both are available free of charge online. Alternatively, you can go along to the next meeting of your local genealogy society.

Julie Boyd (left) helps three generations of Mackenzies.

Homebased childcare is the natural childcare alternative,

where children can learn and explore in an

environment where they feel secure and loved.

Small ratios • 20 hours free Winz subsidies available

To start your child’s learning journey call

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Wellsford KindergartenHazelmere Street, 09 423 8281

Snells Beach Kindergarten15 Hamatana Road, 09 425 6330

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Right on your doorstep is a special place called Kindergarten. A place where...• Your children learn independence and social skills through play

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Contact JoPhone 021 889 912 Email aucklandnz@babysensory.com www.babysensory.co.nz

babyfeature26 Mahurangimatters June 1, 2016

youtube.com/LocalMattersNZ

Subscribe to the LMLive YouTube channel to be the first to see local video coverage of news and sport

After decades of change, it appears the average age that women have a baby has reached an equilibrium at 30 years old.Figures from StatisticsNZ show that since 1981 the median age of mothers when they give birth has steadily increased, rising from 25.7 years old to 30.2 in 2003. But since then, for the first time, the average age has levelled off and remained at about 30.Professor Lesley McCowan from the University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Science says there are number of factors which have contributed to the change.She says the trend was always going to stop at some point, but greater education on the complications of having children at older ages may have contributed to the age stabilising at 30 years old, rather than rising even higher.“There is also a lot more awareness of the difficulties with fertility at older ages.”But, she says further research is needed to discover exactly what has been driving the change in the figures.The number of children born to married and unmarried mothers has also changed significantly. Today, children are almost equally likely to be born to married or unmarried parents. In 1952, 96 per cent of children were born to married parents, but that has declined to 53.5 per cent, with 46.5 per cent of children born to unmarried parents.

The changing demographics of mumsAverage age of mother at childbirth

Marital status of mother at childbirth

Figures are the year to March, from StatsNZ.

Married parents

Median age

Unmarried parents

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Contact us - P: 09 425 7096 E: mahurangi@naka.co.nz13 Albert Road, Warkworth

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27June 1, 2016babyfeature Mahurangimatters

Two new coordinators have started at the Rodney Women’s Centre to help mothers with the challenges of raising a child.Ashlee Prictor is the new Young Mums Educational Programme coordinator. The free course is for mothers under 25 and meets at the Women’s Centre, 10 Morpeth Street, Warkworth, every Thursday from 10am to 12.30pm during the school term.“The focus is on increasing the confidence of parents,” Ashlee says. “There is a lot of stigma attached to young mums and they need support. They can also face different challenges and find it difficult to access resources in the community.”The course includes regular speakers from the community on topics aimed at removing some of the barriers young mums face.Ashlee grew up in Wellsford and has been working at Starship Children’s Hospital for the past three years. She recently moved back to Wellsford. “I was supporting families of unwell children, dealing with a lot of grief, loss and trauma issues.”Sharmilla Sookdeo has started running the free Post-Natal Support Group. She says the group is to help reduce the anxiety of being a new mum and to learn and share advice on raising a baby.“It’s a huge transition in your life and it all changes overnight,” Sharmilla says. “It’s normal to feel anxious, but it can become crippling and overwhelming if

Ashlee Prictor and Sharmilla Sookdeo.

Courses help new mums

it gets out of control. The group can help you to alleviate some of those stresses, rather than holding on to it all. “It’s a social group, but hopefully every one leaves feeling like they’ve learned something.”Sharmilla grew up in Trinidad in the Caribbean and moved to London, where she studied to become a mental health nurse. She later became a cognitive behaviour therapist and moved to Warkworth last year, after coming to New Zealand with her Kiwi husband.Meanwhile, the Women’s Centre is getting a new playground installed after raising $10,000 over the past two years.The centre is also looking for volunteers to help install a fence and is looking for donations of firewood to keep the centre warm over winter.Info: Rodney Women’s Centre 09 425 7261 or womenscentrerodney.org.nz

Tours at 10am & 7.30pm followed by,"How to prepare your child for school"

Looking at schooling optionsfor your soon-to-be 5 year old?• Individual attention • Caring school community• Individual attention • Caring school community

READY FOR SCHOOL? How do we prepare our children for school?Is it reading their name, writing letters, sitting still, knowing their alphabet?

Research tells us that social and emotional areas of development are the most important for a positive start to your childs schooling.

Being willing to try new things, listening to instruction, care for self and managing feelings like separation anxiety or frustration are all a huge help for transitioning to school well.

Horizon School, in Snells Beach, will welcome all parents of preschoolers to an Open Day on Tuesday 7 June to see the school in action and join a guided tour.

Following this there will be opportunity to discuss over coffee, with the school’s junior teacher and principal, some great tips for surviving and thriving these challenging and exciting years as the preschoolers play.

“We look forward to meeting families who would like to find out more about our delightful learning environment and warm school community,” says Horizon’s principal, Helen Pearson.

PARENTS OF PRESCHOOLERS OPEN DAYTUESDAY 7 JUNE 2016

� 09 425 6878� admin@horizon.school.nz� fb.com/horizon.school.nz

410 Mahurangi East RoadSnells Beach

www.horizon.school.nz

Proud stockists of:Proud stockists of:

09 425 0302info@tastethekitchenshop.co.nzwww.tastethekitchenshop.co.nz

16 Mill Lane, WarkworthMon to Fri 10am to 5pm. Sat & Sun 10am to 3pm.

Nursery ThymeFOR THE NEWBORN BABY IN YOUR LIFE

CHECK OUT OUR LATEST DEPARTMENT

09 423 7333 or 0800 367 222 | wellsford@cab.org.nz | www.cab.org.nz

Citizens Advice Bureau WellsfordWellsford Community Centre,1 Matheson Rd, Wellsford 0900Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am-3pm

A hive of information

NOT SURE? ASK USFor free confi dential and impartial information, advice, advocacy and support, come in and talk to us. Our services cover from Puhoi to the

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babyfeature28 Mahurangimatters June 1, 2016

Early Learning Centre

425 0511 • 33 Glenmore Drive, Warkworthwww.natures-nest.co.nz

Where learning and discovery are nurtured by nature

100% NZ family owned & operated

Mahurangi yoga teacher Melanie Eade is encouraging mums to bring along their babies and toddlers to get fit and flexible at her Ashtanga Yoga classes. Melanie has a nanny on hand so that mums can focus on the classes at Point Wells Bowls Club.Melanie practised yoga after having her two sons.“For new mums it’s the ideal exercise to get back in shape,” Melanie says. “When you’re pregnant, your ligaments become stretchy, which is good for yoga. But you need to build up your strength otherwise you can get injured.”Local mums approached Melanie after discovering she had a yoga teaching qualification.

The biggest draw card for Alescia Fleming is being able to bring nine-month-old Madison with her.“I started a few months ago. I was feeling a bit stiff and sore and now I’m much more toned. It’s like a coffee group with exercise instead of cake.”Talia Crombie has a baby on board, and her two-year-old daughter Alice. “Yoga is one of the few things you can do whilst pregnant, in fact it’s recommended,” says Talia. “You can do as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. It’s good for keeping your body flexible, and it’s good for your mind.” The yoga classes are held at the Point Wells Bowls Club on Wednesdays at 10am.

Bring your baby to yogaMadison Fleming encourages mum Aliscia to stretch.

To learn more about the evening and to confirm your attendance, please contact our Enrolment Manager Marg Cross on (09) 414 0960 ext 614, or email: enrolment@pinehurst.school.nz.

Find out why schools in more than 170 countries choose the Cambridge international curriculum.

With an emphasis on individual attention and a total school roll of only 850, Pinehurst School ensures every student is exposed to a wide range of opportunities. With passionate teachers, a nurturing learning environment and the internationally recognised Cambridge curriculum – your child is set to leave Pinehurst as a confident, well-equipped adult.

A global leader in Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), Pinehurst offers an EXTENSIVE ACADEMIC, SPORTS AND ARTS CURRICULUM, taught by experienced teachers who are focused on achievement and results. We are proud to have achieved Top in the World and in New Zealand in a range of Cambridge subjects, including Design & Technology, Physical Education, Art & Design, Information Technology, Geography, Spanish and Environmental Management.

PRIMARY • JUNIOR COLLEGE • SENIOR COLLEGE

75 Bush Road, Albany phone (09) 414 0960 www.pinehurst.school.nz

Rodney Information

Evening:

WED, 15 JUNE 6:30-7:30pm

Chocolate Brown Café, 6 Mill Lane,

Warkworth

29June 1, 2016babyfeature Mahurangimatters

Matakana Village

@wearelittlecollectivelittlecollectivenz

littlecollective.co.nz

localmattersnz@gmail.com

Let’s getDigitalwith Cathy Aronson, Digital Editor

When it comes to babies and toddlers, ‘let’s get digital’ can be harder to say than ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’. It makes me wonder how atrocious or precocious the infamous super nanny Mary Poppins would find our modern digital world. Too scared of the parentati on social media to have my own opinion, I asked a family member and experienced nanny. Understandably, as the rise of tablets and mobile phones continues, so do the growing concerns, research and debate on how much ‘screen time’ toddlers should have. According to the Ministry of Health, children under two should steer clear of the screen altogether and two to five year olds should have a maximum of one hour a day. It was part of guidelines promoting physical activity for motor skills and communication, with evidence suggesting TV or tablets were associated with poor sleep. The nanny agrees, and says toddlers learn basic skills through movement and play. “Have you ever tried to get a one-year-old to sit still? They naturally want to pull themselves up and look at things.”On the other hand, children’s shows, books, puzzles and education apps can be great learning tools for toddlers, especially if the caregiver is interacting, too. Getting The Wonky Donky to fart on the app is one way to develop repetitive fine motor skills! And bilingual app (English and Māori) Peekaboo helps with ‘object permanence’ and facial recognition. Most importantly, the nanny says babies to toddlers are growing and developing at a rapid rate, so if you can teach them to learn, you’ve opened them up to their future.But, of course, digital devices aren’t babysitters and children shouldn’t be left to their own devices, literally. You can find some tips to keep your kids safe at netsafe.org.nz. Meanwhile, there are lots of great tools to make life easier for parents and caregivers. A new baby mumma friend recommended baby-connect.com which tracks daily information about children from feeding to activities and can be shared between caregivers and parents. And there are apps for everything from a Baby Shusher to soothe babies, to Meditation to soothe parents.

Left to their own devices

See more digital tips and tools with this column at localmatters.co.nz/opinion/Columns