Sleep, Love and Your Baby's Brain
New evidence shows that some approaches to 'teaching babies to sleep' may cause long term, adverse changes to a baby's developing brain.

Pinky McKay (author, Sleeping Like a Baby, 100 Ways to Calm the Crying, Internationally Certified Lactation Consultant and infant massage instructor), examines this evidence and offers gentle options to encourage infant sleep and settling that also promote optimum brain and emotional development, along with a secure parent-infant bond.


Pinky is a best-selling author and sought-after public speaker.   She also regularly appears on major network TV stations.  

A REPORT in the local newspaper this week revealing an Australian Breastfeeding Association counsellor told expectant parents at a Brisbane education class "formula is a bit like AIDS" has sparked strong criticism from the medical fraternity and prompted a retraction and investigation from the ABA.

The counsellor also said "every 30 seconds a baby dies from infection due to a lack of breastfeeding" and breast milk was fundamentally responsible for higher IQs and preventing other diseases.

The whole affair has reignited the often-virulent breast versus bottle debate or, as it's becoming known, the Milk Wars. Forums, online commentary, newspapers, TV and water-cooler gossip have women (and men) sharing their feeding experiences as well as the encounters they've both endured and enjoyed with the ABA, similar organisations, hospital nurses and other mothers.

Mums told: Baby formula 'like AIDS'

For such a private issue, it's one that receives a great deal of public attention. Breast versus bottle is, like many parenting matters, an area that generates judgment, guilt, frustration, stigmatisation, fear and a very strange and aggressive pro-breastfeeding-at-all-costs attitude that's often disguised as "support" and "best for the mother and baby". No one is denying that, in an ideal world, breastfeeding a newborn is the optimal arrangement for mother and child. The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life.
But so many women don't have the ability or desire to breastfeed. The reasons are many, from milk drying up, repulsion at the notion, a recalcitrant or sick baby, mastitis, abscesses, time, preference, etc.
While unequivocal support for a choice may be too much to hope for, there's a female-centric and powerful, almost politicised, culture upheld by associations and, above all, women, that advances breastfeeding no matter what sometimes at the risk of a mother and child's wellbeing.

By Janice Waters
Loving Mum

I’m starting to get the hang of cloth diapers and after much research the added benefits just keep adding up. I started out comparing the cost of disposable vs cloth diapers and now I’m finding there is a lot more to using cloth diapers than cost.

I’ve had a chance to review another cloth nappy by FuzziBunz a pocket style cloth reusable diaper. My initial attraction to FuzziBunz was the women, mom of three, inspiringentrepreneur and inventor behind this cute little pocket diaper, Tereson Dupuy .

Tereson’s baby suffered from diaper rash, and since her baby was in pain she wanted to find a solution to help her child. She was not only successful in finding the solution to her child’s needs, she is also the founder of FuzziBunz and has received numerous recognitions for her invention.

Tereson was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, an organization referred to as the business world’s Oscars.

Today Babyland nappies are found in hundreds of online and in-store boutiques and have been used by millions of babies around the world!

Now more about her famous invention the Babyland cloth nappy and what I like most:

I love the size of the diaper. It is small and compact not big and bulky like a lot of cloth diapers. This helps with storage as well as packing them into the diaper bag. It is also more comfortable for the baby to have a slim fitting diaper. The diaper provides a snug fit with stretchy elastic around the legs. I can use the diaper from when the baby is born to when the baby becomes a toddler because of the adjustable snaps and the stretchy elastic around the legs. This will also save me money in the long run of having to go out and purchase larger diapers down the road as the baby grows. The FuzziBunz is clean and has a slick look with the advanced fastening system. There is no velcro straps which also meant the diaper will not fray when washed.

FuzziBunz is also PTPA meaning parent tested, parent approved. It’s a community of parents across North America sharing valuable feedback about the products we bring into our homes and to our families. To sign up and become one of the parent testers, receive free products and make a difference, please visit PTPA by clicking here.

Enrol your child with C&K

C&K is Queensland’s leading community based early childhood education and care provider.  C&K has been around for over 100 years and has been part of the lives of more than one million children and their families.

C&K services offer C&K Building waterfalls teaching and learning guidelines for kindergarten and birth to three years of age. The kindergarten guidelines promote the importance of the early year’s education in laying the foundation for preparing your child’s transition to school.

Each C&K service and team of early childhood teaching professionals are dedicated to your child’s care and education.  All C&K educators’ record how each child learns, interacts and participates, so that parents and families can share and contribute to their child’s ongoing learning journey.

By enrolling your child or putting their name on a waiting list you too can be a part of the C&K family.

For more information about our early childhood services or to find a C&K service near you, go to www.candk.asn.au.

NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner has referred claims that a Nestle product is making babies sick to the health department, as the company offers refunds to hundreds of angry parents.

Ms Skinner said she has referred the matter to the state’s Chief Health Officer and Chief Paediatrician after receiving complaints from parents frustrated with the official response so far.
The NSW Food Authority this month cleared Nestle NAN H.A. Gold baby formula despite parents reporting it gave their babies rashes, dark green diarrhoea and caused them to cry constantly.
Ms Skinner said "Correspondence that I have received on this issue has been referred to NSW Health.
"The NSW Food Authority is looking into this issue and NSW Health will be advised of their findings."

Between carting kids around to soccer practice and piano lessons, to managing work, PTA meetings, and running the household, moms can seem like superheroes. We've come up with the top 10 essentials that every mom-on-the-go should have on hand to make that transformation into Supermom just a little easier.

Tissues
From wiping little noses to a quick solution for mopping up spilled juice, tissues can be a life saver when you're in a tight spot. Throw a pack in your purse to ensure you're never caught off-guard.

Baby wipes
Baby wipes aren't just for baby's bottom--they're also perfect for quick clean-ups in the car, wiping off germy shopping cart handles, or for freshening up during a long day. Their many uses make them an essential item to always have on hand.

Hand SanitizerWhen soap and water isn't an option, hand sanitizer is the perfect substitute for cleaning little hands in a pinch. A quick drop can kill most germs, and works great for eating on the go or cleaning up after the playground.

Daily Calendar
Keeping track of your child's busy schedule, not to mention your own, can be a job in itself. A daily calendar where you can jot appointments, practices, and important memos will help keep you sane and organized. Purchase a pocket-sized one to fit in your purse so your schedule is always at your fingertips.

Smartphone Apps
Running errands all day with your kids in tow can be taxing on everyone. Download a few age-appropriate smartphone apps to keep your little ones entertained in the car, at the grocery store, or in waiting rooms.

Portable Snacks and Juice Boxes
If your child turns into a monster when he is hungry, you know the importance of having some snacks always at the ready. Portable foods like fruit and granola bars, juice boxes, and extra sippy cups are just right for when you're on the run and your child is ravenous.

Digital Camera
A picture-perfect moment can crop up at any time, and having a digital camera in your purse will ensure you never miss the opportunity to snap a picture. You'll never regret having too many pictures of your children and the memories that come with them.

Bandages
Boo-boos and bang-ups are bound to happen, but they're usually nothing a little bandage and a kiss can't fix. Keep a couple packages of different sized bandages in your purse so you can fix-up any scrapes your child manages to get during his day.

Stain Remover Wipes
No matter how careful you try to be, kids always manage to stain their clothes. Keep some stain remover wipes on hand to quickly remove any spills, messes, or marks from your child's clothing.

A Cute Bag for Mom
Just because you have to lug around a bag of mom essentials doesn't mean you can't look good while doing it. Toting a fashionable bag you love will help you feel chic and put together, even when life can feel a little hectic.

You don't need a huge patch of land to grow a garden. A small square of backyard or a flowerpot on a balcony or sunny windowsill will do just fine! With a little bit of care, you and your family can enjoy tomatoes or flowers that you grew together. 

Tater Pots

Tater Pots. These adorable little potato-shaped pots with friendly faces and funny little feet come equipped with all the essentials your child needs to grow her own oregano, basil or mint—all hardy, low-maintenance plants that can take a licking and keep on ticking. In a few weeks, your boy or girl will be overjoyed by the spectacle of nature—and you just might be enjoying a mojito made from home-grown mint.

Generations of Wiggles fans will have their chance to farewell Murray, Greg and Jeff at the end of the year when the trio perform their last Australian concerts.

The Wiggles confirmed on Monday that their Celebration Tour will head home in November and December.

Having spent 2012 travelling through Asia, the US, Canada, Ireland, the UK and New Zealand, The Wiggles will return to Australia to send off three of the original four Wiggles.

For Murray Cook, Greg Page and Jeff Fatt the Australian leg of the world tour will be the last time the trio will don their coloured skivvies and perform on stage.
The Red, Yellow and Purple Wiggles announced in May that 2012 would be their final year of touring together.

They are passing on their famous skivvies to a new generation of performers and will work behind the scenes in creative roles for the Wiggles franchise.

Blue Wiggle Anthony (Field) will continue driving in the Big Red Car alongside newcomers Emma Watkins, Lachlan Gillespie and Simon Pryce.

"We've been entertaining children around the world for 21 years and it's important that we plan for the future so that The Wiggles can keep wiggling in the years to come," Murray said in a statement.

Tickets for The Wiggles Celebration Tour will go on sale on Monday, August 27!

A Queensland-based clinical psychologist has just returned from the Big Apple where she taught local professionals how to develop ‘secret agent’ skills in children.

    But far from having anything to do with the CIA, the skills being taught enabled educators, therapists and other professionals to help children with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Conditions develop much-needed social and emotional skills.
    Brisbane-based Dr Renae Beaumont traveled to the United States as well as Canada and the United Kingdom to train local service providers to deliver the espionage-themed Secret Agent Society (SAS) program.
    International interest in SAS has been on the increase since a University of Queensland randomised, controlled trial found 76 per cent of participating children improved from having clinically significant delays in their social skills to displaying skills within the range of most children.
    This is currently the most clinically significant change published in the world for a social skills program for children with high-functioning autism.
    SAS is a computer-based intervention program for children aged between 8 and 12 who have been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a condition characterised by difficulties in recognising and managing emotions and socialising with others.  Asperger’s can have an enormous impact on every aspect of a person’s life, particularly the ability to manage relationships and employment.
    Creator and UQ graduate Dr Beaumont has spent the past 10 years developing and fine-tuning SAS to a point where it is now ready for worldwide dissemination.  Dr Beaumont and colleague Kathleen Davey will host a total of 16 training sessions around the world in 2012.
    Dr Beaumont’s trip to New York will be followed by sessions in Florida, Chicago, Toronto, London, Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne between May and October.
    SAS features a four-level animated computer game, weekly child group meetings, home ‘missions’, parent sessions, teacher resources and a home and school monitoring and rewards system.  It uses unique resources and activities specifically designed to engage children - including the Helpful Thought Missile action game, Challenger Board Game and Secret Message Transmission Device walkie-talkie game – to help them understand emotions, express feelings appropriately, talk and play with others and make friends and keep them.

For more information on SAS go to www.sst-institute.net

The Gillard government has announced it will increase the number of subsidised in-home childcare places by 17 per cent, but says providing rebates for nannies is a long way off.

At a press conference in Melbourne this morning, Childcare Minister Kate Ellis also announced that the federal government will add an additional 300 occasional-care places across the country.

We recognise that centre-based care isn't the answer for every family and from today, more Australian families who struggle to access care they need will be supported to have their child cared for in their home. 

Ms Ellis, who met with key stakeholders from the childcare industry yesterday to discuss future childcare reforms, said the announcements reflected the government's commitment to supporting families for whom traditional childcare is not an option.

"We recognise that centre-based care isn't the answer for every family and from today, more Australian families who struggle to access care they need will be supported to have their child cared for in their home." 

She said an additional 790 families who have special needs would now have access to in-home care, which is subsidised by the means-tested Child Care Benefit and non-means-tested Child Care Rebate.
Subsidised in-home care is available to families who meet specific criteria — including families with three children under five, those who live in remote areas and cannot access approved childcare, shift workers, and families who have children with disabilities.

Currently the number of families applying for in-home care far outweighs the number of government-subsidised places available. Ms Ellis says the increase in places across the country will ease some of the demand.

"As well as boosting the flexible childcare options available to parents, these places will enable valuable study and workforce participation... This is great news for both families and the childcare sector."

However, Ms Ellis, who met with the Australian Nanny Association earlier in the day, said she did not support extending the childcare rebate to all families who use nannies — particularly while the industry lacks uniform regulation.

The Coalition, on the other hand, has promised it will ask the Productivity Commission to look at extending the childcare rebate to nannies if it wins the next election.

"I want to make it very clear that this is an existing regulated program with minimum standards of care in place," Ms Ellis said. "It is fully funded and it stands in contrast to the underdeveloped thought-bubble which Tony Abbott has put forward to look at subsidising nannies out of existing childcare funding."

She said she supported the nanny industry to work with the states and territories to develop a set of agreed regulations but said it would be a "very, very long road".

"When we have a look at nannies, there is no common regulation across Australia. There is no common standard across Australia. In fact, we see that in places there isn't even a common requirement for a police check in order to go into the profession and call yourself a nanny."