Yesterday I had my first day off in years.  I sent my kids off to my mum’s house, and I didn’t go straight to the office.  Instead, I had a day to myself.  It was luxurious.  And I didn’t feel at all guilty.  Well - only slightly!

Mum came and picked up the kids at 9am.  I then spent the next hour and a quarter sitting on the couch in the springtime sun writing in my children’s memory books.  I’ll write more about these memory books next week.  So stay tuned.

I then went to yoga.  I used to be a regular twice a week yoga goer before having kids. But for the last five years yoga hasn’t featured in my daily life.  And my body and mind have suffered.  So now I’ve bought a 10 week pass, negotiated with my husband to be home in time for classes on Wednesday night, and I’ve committed to going.

After yoga, I went to the pub for lunch.  All by myself.  I had a delicious ceasar salad and a virgin mary, and I wrote in my diary about everything that’s been going on in my life.  It was indulgent and highly therapeutic.

After lunch, I had a massage.  It was painful but again highly therapeutic.  My body had harboured so much stress it was overworked. The massage was only the beginning of what needs to be an ongoing commitment to my health and wellbeing.

After the massage it was time to pick the kids up from my mum and dads. 

The day was short. The day was sweet.  And like the massage, it is only the beginning.

I’m thinking that a mid week ‘me’ day should happen once a quarter.  If not, at least twice a year.

It is not the total answer.  Because the minute I picked up the kids, Jet started grizzling, and Wirra started whinging and I had to take a deep breath and deal with it - rather than react.

But it did help.  It said to me that ‘I’ matter.  I matter enough to spend time on me.

I didn’t think I had the time for a mid week ‘me’ day.  I thought I had too much to do.

But I realised that the consequences of not caring for myself were much more catastrophic than putting off today what could be done tomorrow.

Is it time for you to have a midweek ‘me’ day?

Jodie Benveniste, director Parent Wellbeing

With spring comes boisterous children and boisterous children sometimes need entertaining!
In a previous blog I covered all things energetic and outdoors but what about activities that can keep the children occupied in the backyard or on the verandah?There are so many free and simple ideas to get little imaginations going.

Remember building cubby houses? No, I don’t mean wooden ones (although that’s a great project if you are feeling handy!). I mean cubby houses made out of sheets, pegs, ropes, chairs, clotheslines and trees!

Little ones may need help tying the sheets up but let them go wild.

I have memories of the whole of mum’s linen closet on the back lawn…so many sheets and blankets meant a cubby house of many rooms! We spent days out there, eating our lunch picnic style under our self made canopy, playing games, being pirates… Cubby houses ignite imaginations!

Artistic endeavors are always fun…and they don’t need to be messy.

Show your children how to ‘rub’ leaves. All you need is a piece of white paper, a crayon and a few leaves with good veins. Pop the leaves on a flat surface, place the paper over them holding the whole lot firmly and rub the crayon over the top to reveal the outlines of the leaves underneath. Use different coloured crayons to create layers of intricate patterns.

For an easy art activity for smaller children try using a paint brush with water on the pavement or a brick wall. Sure it may disappear but it can be repainted over and over again!

Flower pressing is always interesting although it does take some patience.
You don’t need a special flower press, just a heavy phone book and some tissue paper.
It works best if you chose flowers that are not too ‘chunky’.
Place a piece of tissue paper on a flat surface, lay your flowers down as you’d like them to be pressed, top with another piece of tissue paper and squash with a phone book.
They need about a week to make sure they are squashed and then they need to dry for a little bit longer. Once they are dry, they need to be handled very carefully but can be used to make beautiful cards.

Any scraps of wood and nails lying around? It may be worth investing in a hammer and saw that smaller hands can control. Woodwork is a hugely popular past time for children 4 and up. You can now even buy small hot glue guns that used with proper adult supervision can keep your kids occupied for days.
A great woodworking idea can be creating a project together. This doesn’t mean what is made at the end needs to be functional, but looking at the wood together, thinking up an idea, drawing up a plan and then building it can be a wonderful bonding experience and hugely educational for children.

There are so many wonderful things you can do with your children around the home! Use your imaginations and it’s highly unlikely you’ll be hearing ‘I’m bored!’

Emma Anderson
Childcare professional and mum to Jasper

A new magazine has been launched in Australia called Wonder time - loving your life with little ones.

I have always been somewhat dubious about the glut of magazines on the market aimed at parents. There are just so many! Magazines about pregnancy, shopping for your baby, kids clothing magazines that look like toddler editions of Vogue… So how refreshing it was to be shown a copy of Wonder time.

This is the parenting magazine I was looking for. It has smart articles about important things that I need to know about. Articles on nurturing a shy child, getting out of the house on time and how to ‘put a lid on toilet humour without creating a big stink’.

It has a regular page called ‘please explain’ which helps you answer children’s tricky questions such as ‘How do boats float?’ I also enjoyed the page on ‘Fascinations - Why kids love….’. This edition explores and celebrates the humble cardboard box.

Wonder time has practical information on growing vegetables with your children, cycling as a family and guinea pigs as pets. And a very funny article on Star Wars - and the role it plays in one family (’but I am your faaather….’).

My personal favourite article has to be ’Teach your kids how to swing’.  When I worked as an early childhood professional the calls of ‘Push me!’ were by far the most common and most tiresome in the playground.
 I have always wondered if there was a practical way to teach children how to do it themselves.
As my son becomes more and more obsessed with the swings at our local playground and my partner draws his plans for our backyard tree swing, I can see the article coming in handy. Very handy.

It is definitely a magazine for parents. Wonder time is not just about what is best for kids but what is best for parents and families. It is heavy on content, humour and good advice without ever feeling ‘preachy’. It’s not a quick flick through magazine but more a sit down with a cup of coffee and enjoy type read.

I should mention that Wonder time has an impressive Editorial Advisory Board. As well as Parent Wellbeing creator and director Jodie Benveniste, Wonder time is overseen by the CEO of The Australian Childhood Foundation Dr Joe Tucci, Dr Gillian Deakin and Dr Victoria Whitington, Program Director of the Early Childhood School of Education at the University of South Australia. It’s nice to know there is a strong knowledge base behind the content.

I’d suggest you have a browse at your local newagents. Wonder time may just brighten your day.

Emma Anderson,

Early childhood professional and mum to Jasper

Recipe courtesy of www.thefoodcoach.com.au

Low carbohydrate, Low fat, Wheat Free

This unsung hero is easier to make than a flan without the step of pastry making and contains less kilojoules. If you’re trying to get your kids to eat more vegetables burying them through a frittata is a great way to do it and, for the wheat intolerant, it makes a perfect packed lunch. Served with a fresh green salad and balsamic vinaigrette it also makes a delicious light, yet completely satisfying dinner.

Ingredients:
6 free range eggs
1 onion finely sliced
1 bunch silverbeet, stalks removed and cut into small pieces
2 capsicum
250 grams low fat ricotta
¼ cup pickled cornichons, chopped finely
1 tsp olive oil
seasoning

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 25 mins
Ready in: 40 mins

Suitable for: Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Roast the capsicum in the oven until the skin is burnt and blistered. Set aside in a plastic bag until its cool enough to remove the skin and seeds.
While the capsicum is roasting fry the onion in the olive oil until golden and slightly crispy (approx 10 minutes).
Blanch the silverbeet in boiling water for 2 minutes then drain and set aside.

Method:
Combine the silverbeet with the ricotta and cornichons and season with black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Separate the egg whites and beat until they form stiff peaks. Beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl then fold them into the egg white mixture. Lightly grease a 22cm round cake tin. Pour ½ the egg mixture into the bottom of the dish then layer the onions and capsicum over the surface. Spread the spinach and ricotta mixture and then top with the remaining egg.
Cook in the centre of the oven for 20 - 25 minutes.
Serve with fresh asparagus or a green salad.

TIP: Egg shell is porous and will absorb smells and flavour from other refrigerated foods. Always store them in a covered section of the fridge or in their cardboard boxes.

Makes 4 servings

For more delicious recipes from Judy Davie, The Food Coach please visit www.thefoodcoach.com.au