Being unable to be a part of the outside world has created a new trend #learnsomethingnew among adults and children, with most of these new skills being learned through technology. Technology has recently become many things in a household: an educator, a baby-sitter, a news source and quite simply, a view to the outside world.
COVID-19 has profoundly disrupted every aspect of daily life across the globe. We are united in a struggle to make sense of the drastic changes, adapt as best we can and cope with a future that has never felt so completely uncertain. Of course, no one has it easy, but the young people in their final year of school will be feeling the challenges of the global pandemic in a unique way. On the cusp of putting their school days behind them and entering into a new world where they carve out their futures as adults, they now find themselves in a potentially long-lasting limbo, hanging between two vastly different worlds.
The South African calendar is littered with events and days of commemoration with a safety or human rights theme – such as Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, Women’s Day, and the 16 Days of Activism Campaign to name but a few. Safety and security is a topic that deserves regular discussions and focus, and parents should keep this conversation going throughout the year.
The world is reeling! Panic buying due to the lockdown on Thursday has left most people feeling overwhelmed, helpless and a little frightened. It is unprecedented and we are all trying to cope with the uncertainties of our current reality as best as we can. Cindy Glass, Owner and Founder of Step Up Education Centres explains, “We are all in the same boat and it is essential to understand that, at this time, there are things that are out of our control – the virus itself, other people’s reactions and government’s decision to lock down institutions, borders and other activities. The GOOD news is that there are many things that we CAN control – our own attitudes and reactions, personal hygiene, social distancing and of course, homeschooling!”
Some elephants are better at social distancing than others, prides of lions are useless, especially at mealtimes, and giraffes are fickle, moving from one group to another.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, South Africans enter Week 2 of the national lockdown. Ford South Africa, like all other major players in the local auto industry, has temporarily suspended production at its vehicle assembly plant in Pretoria, and its engine assembly plant in Port Elizabeth.
Are you worried that your house needs a thorough disinfecting, but you don’t want to overdo it on harsh chemical-filled cleaning products especially with the kids around?
As parents, our greatest wish is to protect our children from anything that will cause them pain, be it physically or emotionally. But in reality, tragic things happen. That is life and unfortunately there is just no getting around it; it’s tough and it’s going to be hard. However, there is a way we can be there for our children when this does enter their lives. Every event that is considered “tragic” has to be dealt with as its own individual event, so the way one would break the news of a death of a loved one would be different to the way one would break the news of a person getting divorced. There are some things one must consider though when breaking sad news to children…
As a pre-school child, I was always eager to be outside, “helping” my parents wherever I could. I would watch as my mum and dad used to potter in the garden for hours at a time. Always having plenty decisions to make. Where in the garden should they place the newly bought plants? How deep should my dad dig the hole? The list is endless. Looking back, I now realize the patience they had, allowing me to “help”, the accommodations they would make so I would feel like a big girl with responsibilities for our garden to look beautiful.
From generation to generation, PURITY has been an integral part of South African families and continues to bring essential nutrition, care, quality and support needed for raising happy and healthy children.
They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit – the exact time we have been told to stay at home in order to flatten the curve. Memes all over social media have suggested that most of us have one fear being at home – the refrigerator! And, our fears are not unfounded according to Catherine Clark, Owner and Founder of the Harvest Table. She says that a study conducted by Dr Sandi Mann from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) showed that people who are bored crave fatty and sugary foods.
The kids are at home, and the family is following government advice: staying indoors and only venture outside when necessary.
Welcoming a baby is a life-changing experience, bringing major changes to every aspect of your life. As a new parent, you can never predict exactly what is to come, but there are a few things you can do to make sure you are as stress-free and organised as possible in the hours before and after your newborn enters the world.
“Looking at the year from the vantage point of January, Matric finals seem a long way down the road, and eight months feels like ample time to get to grips with your work before you have to sit for your finals,” says Natasha Madhav, Senior Head of Programme: Faculty of ICT at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest private higher education provider.
Here are 21 activities that you can plan with your children and the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time together.
When you’re preparing for the arrival of a newborn to the family, the amount of things to consider is innumerable. You thought moving house was a big deal until you’re confronted with preparing for the birth of your first child and a whole new level of responsibility dawns on you.
Every day with your child is an adventure, and now simplifying your routine just got easier. Enjoy each moment with Thule Spring, a lightweight, compact stroller that lets you and your family discover the world with ease.
For parents-to-be and their loved ones, pregnancy is a wonderful, almost magical time, filled with joy and anticipation. For expecting women with chronic conditions though, it can also bring anxiety and discomfort.
Having been a pre-school teacher for twenty-five years and a mother for eleven, I am convinced that in the end, communication and God’s love are the keys to a successful relationship with your children. The catch is – how do we successfully communicate this love to our children?
With all eyes directed at 2020’s first-year students as they start their journeys at various tertiary and higher education institutions across South Africa, it is also important to remember those tens of thousands of students who are starting out on a learning journey of another kind — studying from home via distance learning, an education expert says.
As parents we always want the best for our children and so we strive to do the right thing to ensure our children grow and develop into well rounded little humans. Experts say toys are one thing parents could use to improve brain development, but do we really know what kind toys to use for this purpose?
Sugar Bay is a luxury holiday camp in Kwa-Zulu Natal, for children between the ages of 7 and 17 years old. We offer over 100 activities, including surfing, skate boarding and ropes courses. Our newest activities are airsoft (which is similar to paintball) and tie dye. None of our activities are compulsory and children are given the freedom to choose what they would like to do. We have qualified staff known as camp counselors, who look after the children 24/7. No child is ever left alone and we have a strict supervision ratio of one counselor to every three children.
“You strike the women, you strike the rock” – inspiring words from the famous resistance song have come to symbolise
Instead of going into a decline about load shedding and feeling unable to cope, show your teenager how to manage load shedding to her advantage. Our load shedding can be used as a practical and hands-on way to teach our kids to plan ahead and be prepared for any eventuality. Instead of moaning about it and considering emigrating, embrace load shedding to demonstrate valuable life lessons.
An amazing study done by Loewy J et al. [1] in 2013 showed that soothing music may encourage premature babies to feed better, as well as improve their vital signs (like their O2 saturation levels as well as heart rate). It is speculated that this is one of the reasons why singing lullabies to babies comes so naturally to parents and carers.
It’s no exposé that the breakup of your marriage is tough on your kids. It can be stressful, sad, and confusing. At any age, kids may feel uncertain or angry at the prospect of mom and dad splitting up. Yet as a parent, you can make the process and its effects less painful for your children. Helping your kids cope with divorce means providing stability in your home and attending to your children’s needs with a reassuring, positive attitude. It won’t be a seamless process, but let us show you how to lend comfort — not confusion — to an already difficult situation.
Most parents will agree that teaching children about money is important, but there’s more to it than telling them that saving is good or to be careful of debt.
TikTok is taking over the world, or so it seems! It’s an app that allows users to share short videos. It enables the user to be incredibly creative with the use of stickers, music tracks, filters and augmented reality. As a result, so people find the creative side really enjoyable and because videos are only 15 – 60 seconds long, they’re incredibly consumable from a viewers perspective. This is why it rocketed to being the most downloaded app worldwide at the end of 2019.
The human baby is born with an innate curiosity and a seemingly insatiable need to learn. Toddlers and young children seem to find anything and everything interesting and they never run out of questions! Why is that…? How does…? Where is the…? What is…..? They are also determined to ‘do- it-by-myself!’ In fact, they insist on it!
When my beautiful baby girl arrived, I was determined to breast feed, but, as many new moms will agree, it was far more complicated than I expected.
