Leading Expert Advice from Curro Online
Advice from the experts
RediscoverDairy

Value of flavoured milk for children – choose smartly!

Think about the role of your milk children’s diet. Are they getting enough of the essential nutrients needed to grow and stay healthy? When choosing a drink for your child, you should consider both hydration and nutrient content. A sweetened drink that provides nine essential nutrients, like flavoured milk, is a wiser option than a high sugar, low nutrient beverage. Flavoured milk is a tasty, nutrient­ rich choice for a growing child! Did you know?  Flavoured milk contains the same essential nutrients as unflavoured milk, including calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins A and B12, riboflavin and niacin. Flavoured milk is liked by children and helps them achieve the requirement of three dairy servings daily.  Studies have shown that consuming low-fat or fat-free flavoured milk can boost adolescents’ intake of nutrients without adding unnecessary energy to their diets. Flavoured milk helps meet nutrient needs: Maretha Vermaak, registered dietitian at Rediscover Dairy, says: “During adolescence, children often decrease their milk consumption while increasing their intake of soft drinks. Scientific evidence shows that bone fracture risk is three times higher in girls who drink carbonated beverages and seven times greater in physically active girls who consume both carbonated and non­carbonated drinks.”  Some parents are reluctant to offer children flavoured milk because it is sweetened.  However, according to the American Dietetic Association increasing the palatability of nutrient­dense foods and beverages by sweetening can promote diet healthfulness. Flavouring and sweetening milk does not take away its nutrients.  When you compare a glass of low-fat milk to that of flavoured milk, the nutrients are still present and the differences between the two are not significant: Comparison of low-fat flavoured and unflavoured milk Facts Flavoured milk is rich in nutrients, meaning it contains many nutrients in relation to its energy content. Although it is sweetened, it does not add empty kilojoules to the diet. Milk – flavoured or unflavoured, full-cream, low-fat or fat-free, provides three of the five nutrients that fall short in children’s diets, namely calcium, potassium and magnesium. Studies showed people who drank flavoured milk had higher calcium and nutrient intakes compared with those who did not drink flavoured milk. Flavoured milk can increase children’s overall milk consumption. The protein in flavoured milk increases satiety, contributing to the feeling of fullness. Research has shown flavoured milk to be a good rehydration and recovery drink after sport. For more information visit www.rediscoverdairy.co.za or follow Rediscover Dairy on Instagram (rediscoverdairy) or Facebook (RediscoverDAIRY)

July 13, 2022
Good Night Baby

When the ENT comes to the rescue

Sleep is so essential for our children’s overall development and health, but we cannot address sleep habits if there are medical reasons for a child’s restless nights.  There are a few ear, nose and throat (ENT) related conditions that can contribute to poor sleeping – let’s look at the two most common causes amongst infants and toddlers: Adenoid hypertrophy or enlargement Any form of a blocked nose causes difficult, uncomfortable and noisy breathing while sleeping.  The most common cause for a chronically blocked nose that an ENT specialist diagnoses are enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Adenoids are lymphoid glands that form part of your immune system.  They are located behind the nasal cavity where they trap viruses and bacteria or allergens that try to enter and infect the upper respiratory tract.  When they are constantly exposed to viruses or bacteria (for example at creche or school) or even to allergies, they enlarge and block the passage where air needs to pass from the nose to the airway.   Adenoids are often enlarged in children, but shrink as we grow older and our immunity improves.  Adenoid hypertrophy causes snoring, a blocked and runny nose, nasal voice, mouth breathing and postnasal drip with night-time wet coughs. Severe cases can even lead to obstructive sleep apnoea where your child stops breathing for a few seconds at a time.  Your child will snore loudly and wake sporadically during the night due to these pauses in breathing and will not be able to enter the deeper part of sleep. In the long run this is detrimental to their sleep and overall health as essentially, they are not getting enough oxygen to their bodies and their hearts and lungs must work extra hard.  It can lead to failure to thrive and poor growth, behavioral problems, poor school performance due to lack of concentration, enuresis (bed wetting) and even heart failure.   Middle ear infection or effusion The middle ear has a natural drainage pathway to the back of the nose called the eustachian tube.  Any fluid build-up in the ear from inflammation or an ear infection is supposed to drain naturally via the eustachian tube.  When the adenoids are enlarged and block the eustachian tube’s opening, this cannot occur and fluid builds up and becomes stagnant in the middle ear.  This leads to recurrent infections or chronic fluid build-up called an effusion.   You know the feeling you get when your ears need to pop when landing in an aeroplane?  That is the pain a child has almost constantly when there is pressure build up in their middle ear, especially when lying down and there is increased blood flow to the head.  That is enough to keep anyone awake at night.  Not only is it painful for children, but it can cause difficulty in hearing and eventually delay their speech development because of the muffled sounds.  In severe cases it can even affect their balance.  Some mothers notice how their infants walk differently when their ears are acting up. These conditions are very common in infants from around 6-8months of age into toddlerhood and if the above symptoms are present, it’s best you visit an ENT specialist.  There are certain medications that can be prescribed if caught early to try and reverse the inflammatory process and essentially shrink the adenoids, but often it requires surgery.  The surgery is a low-risk, quick procedure where the adenoids are removed through the mouth (often combined with a tonsillectomy) and grommets can be inserted into the eardrums to drain the fluid. Once these medical conditions have been resolved there will be a marked improvement in their sleep and a child that already had well-stablished sleep habits, will often return to sleeping well once they are feeling better. What can you expect from their sleep once they have been treated? Waking early: Suffering from any of these conditions affect both the quality and quantity of your child’s sleep. Some children become so accustomed to poor quality sleep that once they finally get helped, they find themselves waking up at the crack of dawn refreshed and ready for the day. They’ve never slept so soundly before, and it can take your child a while to adjust to sleeping more appropriate hours. White noise: Once ears are cleared of fluid, some children become hyper-sensitive to the white noise in their room. You can temporarily reduce the volume and remember to never exceed 50 dB once you turn the volume back to normal. Discomfort: This will need to be addressed and you should offer your child comfort and reassurance. Once they are feeling better go back to your plan and ensure that they don’t become reliant again on any unsustainable sleep associations. Short term-use is often not the problem, it is allowing the bad habits to creep back in permanently that becomes an issue. Once your child is feeling better and has recovered, go back to their normal routine. Often sleep concerns after a procedure are easily resolvable and your sleep-trained child will undoubtedly surprise you with how well they bounce back. If your child slept poorly prior to the procedure, look at contacting a sleep consultant for some assistance. Quality sleep is vital to your child’s health and well-being and they certainly deserve a good night’s rest after what they’ve been through. By Dr Nina du Toit – ENT and Tammy Buitendach – Good Night Consultant www.drninadutoit.co.za

July 11, 2022
The Papery

Dreaming big is the first step towards achieving your goals

All successful people men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” —Brian Tracy. Here are 10 good reasons why it is important to Dream BIG It allows the mental freedom to think about what you really want out of life. Helps you forget all the reasons why you can’t make it a reality. Motivates you to see the big picture. Gives you a renewed feeling of purpose. Opens up a world of possibilities. It doesn’t cost anything to dream. Dreaming gives us hope. The more you dream big, the more likely you are to succeed. People who dream big are generally happier than people who settle for less. Dreaming helps us determine what our goals should be. “Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”—Harriet Tubman What is the difference between a dream and a goal? Dreams are something you create in your mind that can take any shape or form and can be quite abstract, while goals are based on taking action. With goals, a lot of focus and attention is needed. Dreams, on the other hand, don’t need that kind of focus. What does dreaming big involve? Dreaming is not necessarily only about the actual dream, it is also about setting the tone & having the tools to help make those dreams become a reality, which is why we have created the “DREAM BIG” journal to help with actualizing your dreams. During this process, we help create goals out of your dreams, by writing them down, although the action taking part, is far more fun and much more about creating the right headspace to turn them into a reality. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”—Eleanor Roosevelt. What kind of big dreams do people have? Dreams can be anything from things you want, things you want to do, a way of being, your health, holidays to beautiful destinations, a specific lifestyle, happiness! There is no limit to what we can dream possible for ourselves. So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.”—Christopher Reeves How can the Dream Big Journal help you get started? It’s all about bringing emotion into the dreams – when we add emotion & feeing to our dreams, they are far more likely to become a reality. Having a special place to write your dreams. Writing down your dreams, putting pen to paper, is like a writing a birthday wish list to the universe. Going back and reading through them often, helps keep those dreams top of mind. Remember when you read through those lists, feel the emotions you would feel if you had those things in your life. Pictures often stir up different emotions to what words do. Creating a vision board gives us a different way of feeling our dreams. We encourage you to use all your senses by doing the exercises that are included in the journal. Some of the exercises are there to help you to be more mindful and present. Doing what lights up your soul is one of the most important ways of actualizing your dreams because it conjures up the same feelings and emotions that your dreams would make you feel – Alison shares a personal story about this below. Giving attention to your dreams daily will also bring you closer to your dreams. A personal story from Alison! At the beginning of February this year, I decided to set myself a goal to swim every day that month. Most days this was really easy, although some days were harder as it rained or the wind was howling (and freezing), or the water was really cold. But I was determined to stick to what I had set out to do. When I got to the end of the month, I realised how much it was benefiting me. It felt like everything in my life was going along with ease.  Swimming in the sea and the beautiful views are really my happy place, which left me feeling in a constant state of happiness and gratitude. I had got myself into a very good routine of waking up early, working for a couple of hours and then taking this amazing break to go and swim and have a wonderful cup of coffee, before continuing with my day. It felt like my time was limitless, I got through so much more work, and especially focused work. I decided to carry on for another month and eventually kept going all through April as well.  For now I have had to stop due to a small op that needs recovery time out of the sea water. I am still going to the beach and walking (dipping my toes in the water) and will be back full body in the water as soon as I am allowed to! It has become about so much more than the swimming, my kids have been joining me, such special time with them, my little dog absolutely loves our morning outing – there is so much connection & benefit in this daily ritual! The reason I am sharing this story, is that doing things that light up our soul and connects us to our hearts, is very much part of making our dreams come true in the nicest possible way. While I am out there swimming and drinking coffee, I feel like I am filling up my happiness cup, and this is spilling over to all areas of my life, making me feel joyful and abundant and allowing me to realise many of my dreams at the same time.

July 11, 2022
Wingu Academy

How do you build a safe and positive environment for learning at home?

Safety can take many forms – from physical and emotional to psychological. Your child’s perception of safety, or the lack thereof, can greatly affect how and what your child learns. Therefor it’s pivotal to create a safe and positive environment for learning at home, especially in a home-based learning setting. According to a recent paper published by the American Institute for Research it starts by understanding what physical and emotional safety entails: Physical safety—which includes preventing injury, protecting against violence from others or self-harm, and safeguarding against weapons and threats—is one of the most basic human needs. When someone does not feel safe, they will seek out ways to feel safe in their environment before they can attempt to meet any higher level of survival, like connecting with others or learning new skills. Emotions trigger responses in our brain that affect how we feel and behave, and these emotions have a powerful effect on learning. For example, it is harder for us to learn when we are worried, angry, anxious, grieving, or humiliated because these emotions limit attention and concentration. When we feel emotionally safe—that is, when we feel calm, happy, and supported—our brains are better at taking in information, learning new things, and being productive. It is also important to remember that children’s needs will be different based on their developmental age, gender, their strengths and needs, family expectations, and previous experiences with school. Your family’s culture and community norms will also influence your child’s needs. These differences will affect how children express themselves and how you respond to them. For example, younger children and children who have experienced trauma (for example abuse, divorce, or the loss of a loved one) may express anxiety by physically acting out or becoming more “clingy.” Adolescents, on the other hand, have great needs for respect, autonomy, and how they maintain their newly developing senses of their identity. As a result, they may react by working harder to protect their freedoms during this time of limitations, or by acting out with belligerence or withdrawal. How do you proactively create the social and emotional conditions for learning? Make sure that YOU are ready to provide the physical and emotional safety your child needs. Seek help to prevent conflict or violence in your home. Make sure your child has their own physical space to learn where they are safe from fear, humiliation, or high levels of stress. Too many distractions can add to our stress, especially when we are trying to learn something new. Try to set aside a specific space—either a separate room or in a shared room—for your child’s learning time and work. If you have multiple children in the home, this may mean alternating space and resources like computers or other devices, so having a plan can help to minimize conflict. Accept your child for who they are and build on their strengths. Although all children will vary in their academic strengths and sense of who they are, it is essential that they develop a positive self-image. You play a critical role in helping them to develop that. Establish predictable routines at home. Doing so can prevent emotions like stress and can help your child’s brain to work better because they’ll know what to expect. Involving your child in creating the routine or schedule can not only teach them about time management, but also will help them to feel a sense of control. When responding to emotions, behaviours, or challenges: Make sure your child knows that they can express their feelings and share emotions with you. Let your child know that it is OK to make mistakes, especially when they are trying to learn new things in new ways. (This applies to you, too!) It’s important to remember that mistakes are how we learn. If your child makes a mistake, it can be helpful to talk through what might have gone wrong and what they could do differently next time. Encourage and reward persistence over perfection. Avoid punishing failure Listen, acknowledge, and affirm your child’s feelings. Help them identify what they or you can do to help them feel better. Discuss what is outside of your control and identify ways to deal with frustration. You can help your child to understand what they can and cannot control while acknowledging how they feel. Soothe children in ways that work for them. If you don’t know what works for them, have a conversation to learn more about what would work for both of you. Ask them about what helps them to calm down. If they don’t know, try different strategies together (like hugs, taking deep breaths, colouring a picture, or taking a walk) and talk about what was helpful. Monitor your child’s time online, in developmentally appropriate ways. Whereas younger children may need more support from an adult – thus making it easier to check on them – older youth and teenagers may want more privacy. What to look out for While children may tell you how they feel in words, they may also show signs in other ways. Please note that these signs won’t necessarily mean there is a problem. Knowing what to look for can help you to decide if you need to explore this more deeply or seek additional support. These signs will be different based on age, culture, and your individual experience. Here are a few examples: Primary school children may show new or more irritability, aggressiveness, clinginess, nightmares, school avoidance, poor concentration, and withdrawal from activities and friends. Adolescents may reveal they are having problems by new or increased sleeping and eating disturbances, becoming more irritable and getting into more conflicts, physical complaints (for example, having a stomach-ache or headaches), delinquent behaviour, and poor concentration. If you notice any of these signs or other new behaviours, it will be important to respond in a supportive way. Make sure your child knows that you are there to help them and that you will help them in a way that

July 8, 2022
Advtech Group

EXPANDED OPTIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS: FIND THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOUR CHILD

A mere cursory glance at social media and parent groups shows the anxieties and frustrations of parents with school going children today regarding access to an excellent education. Lack of access at public schools is a major challenge, with parents whose children qualify on all counts not gaining admission – through no fault on their part, but because of capacity constraints. Another observed challenge is that of children already at school, but where the environment is simply not preparing them for the modern world because of outdated pedagogies and ways of working, non-productive homework requirements, or a system that no longer serves the needs of students.  An education expert says while the above and other issues related to schools may feel like an impossible hill to climb for parents, the reality is that there are many options in the private sector of which parents may not be aware. Additionally, parents sometimes discard the idea of private education out of hand because of the perception that it might not be within their reach financially, when that is not necessarily the case. “Over the past weeks, many parents have had to tell their children that they were not accepted at any of the schools to which they applied, despite them qualifying for access,” says Kassandra Strydom, Academic Advisor: ADvTECH Schools Division Central Academic Team. “We’ve also noticed parents highlighting the struggles their children are facing because of personal challenges or circumstances, being just a number at school, being required to take subjects that are of no interest to them and being subjected to teaching methods and approaches that are out of touch regarding what is required in today’s world and what will be required of them in future. “Parental concerns are becoming evident. We urge these parents to investigate the options open to them in the private sector, because it can make a world of difference in a child’s educational journey, their self-actualisation and future prospects, and their general wellbeing,” says Strydom. Strydom says a key consideration for parents when investigating options in the private sector, is to consider WHAT KIND of school is right for their child, because unlike in the public sector, different private schools have very different offerings designed to cater to the specific needs of students and their families. She says top-level considerations when assessing any private school, will include the following: Class size Teacher qualifications, experience and expertise Commitment to continued professional teacher development on the part of the school Teaching styles, methodology and environments The selection of curriculum and whether qualifications will be internationally recognised Fee structures Sport and extra-curricular offerings as well as facilities Additional academic support as well as programmes such as core skill development and EdTech integration The kinds of private school offerings include the following: MODERN AND PROGRESSIVE SCHOOLS Emphasis on learning by doing – hands-on projects, expeditionary learning, experiential learning Integrated curriculum focused on thematic units Strong emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking Group work and development of social skills Understanding and action as the goals of learning as opposed to rote knowledge Collaborative and cooperative learning projects Education for social responsibility and democracy Integration of community service and service-learning projects into the daily curriculum Selection of subject content by looking forward to ask what skills will be needed in future society De-emphasis on textbooks in favour of varied learning resources Emphasis on lifelong learning and social skills Assessment by evaluation of child’s projects and production Ed tech enabled learning opportunities These schools prepare students for responsible adulthood and potential leadership by laying an excellent academic foundation supported by future-focused skills that will ensure students have lifelong success TRADITIONAL HOLISTIC SCHOOLS/ RELIGIOUS TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS In addition to the above elements, traditional schools offer a strong academic focus with excellence in sport and culture opportunities for students. They seek to retain traditional values while preparing students for an ever-changing world. The recipe of following time-honoured traditions has been very successful and recognised for the excellent contributions it makes in every sphere of education and to the social and emotional development of each student. SPECIALISED ACADEMIC SUPPORT AND ASSISTED LEARNING  These schools offer a non-traditional approach to education to support neurodiversity. The unique strategy creates opportunities for the academic support and nurturing of all students on their journey to achieving academic success. All students are included, catered for, and receive the additional support they require. The school believes that when a student joins the school, they are taking the first step toward their best future. creating opportunities for self-fulfilment and self-actualisation for all students, to develop their potential regardless of differences. Each student is taught according to their unique needs and in accordance with an individualised development plan by a multi-dimensional specialist team who follow a neurodiverse approach. School types as above can be broken down into top tier and mid-tier schools. The variety of school fee options can be aligned to the school’s offering. It is important to highlight that investigation into the academic success of students is important as this is possible at all fee levels, but the offering of additional subjects and activities vary. ONLINE HOME SCHOOLING Parents may consider investigating online/ homeschool options, but are urged to ensure that their chosen school focuses on ‘cognitive’ screentime – where students are able to engage during lessons – rather than opt for a ‘paper behind glass’ approach, which may impact successful study. “Very importantly, parents should feel comfortable that whichever school they choose, it has academic excellence at the core of its offering. Once that has been established, and the basic top-level considerations have been satisfied, parents can settle on the perfect environment for their child which fits with their budget, which will not only impact on the wellbeing and future preparedness of the child, but also on the family’s wellbeing as a whole,” says Strydom.

July 8, 2022
Parenting Hub

Essential makeup brushes everyone should have in their kit

Whether you’re a professional or a novice, makeup brushes are an important tool for every makeup lover. It’s been said that we reach peak adulthood when we own a full set of makeup brushes (and actually know how to use them!).  But why use makeup brushes as opposed to your fingers, sponges or other applicators? Good quality makeup brushes make the process of applying makeup easier, they are the hygienic option (when washed regularly) and they help you achieve professional-looking results thanks to their blending and blurring abilities.  However, with so many different makeup brushes on the market, choosing a select few can be quite overwhelming. Knowing exactly which ones to use with which products can be confusing. The truth is, that you don’t need every single brush available. You need a select few to cover the basics, such as foundation, blush and eyeshadow, and then a few others depending on the type of makeup you like to wear, such as an eyeliner brush, concealer brush or highlighter brush.   Because it can be hard to narrow down, we’ve compiled a list of the top ten makeup brushes every makeup lover should have in their arsenal. 1. Foundation brush Perfect for buffing foundation onto your skin, a good quality foundation brush will be filled with densely packed bristles that allow you to build coverage and blend seamlessly. Try: wet n wild Foundation Brush(R99.99). It has a flat, dense head for expertly applying and blending cream and liquid foundations onto the skin in a streak-free, flawless finish. 2. Blush brush There are several different types of blush brushes available. We recommend a dome-shape with long, soft bristles. This shape allows for light sweeping motions across the apples of the cheeks, resulting in natural-looking pop of colour. Try: Real Techniques Tapered Cheek Brush (R250.00) which has small, tapered bristles that precisely apply a pop of colour for a natural flush. Its precision brush head allows for buildable coverage and it can also be used for applying highlighter.  3. All-in-one face brush Cover all your bases with an all-in-one face brush that can be used with liquid and powder formulas of foundation, bronzer and face powder. Perfect for travel (when your luggage is limited) or when you’re starting out (or building up) your collection, an all-in-one offers convenience and affordability.  Try: Real Techniques Everything Face Brush (R320.00) is a multi-purpose tool designed to seamlessly blend your makeup for a flawless glow. The oversized head and fluffy bristles provide light to medium coverage and a smooth finish. 4. Concealer brush Concealer brushes are usually small with soft bristles, and are designed to apply concealer with precision, especially around hard-to-reach areas such as the inner corners of the nose and underneath the eyes. Try: wet n wild Small Concealer Brush (R64.99). It allows you to precisely apply concealer where you need it, without streaking, to highlight your features and counteract the unevenness caused by blemishes and dark circles. 5. Powder brush While you might not wear powder formulas every day, a powder brush is an essential part of your toolkit as you can’t use other larger brushes as a substitute (the bristles are usually packed too tightly, resulting in compacted powder application). To apply powder, you’ll need a brush that’s fluffy, soft and flexible, allowing you to sweep product on lightly and avoid a cakey look. Try: wet n wild Powder Brush (R99.99) It lightly dusts setting powders, blushes and bronzers into the skin for an airbrushed look that is light, even and natural. 6. Angled / contour brush You no longer need to do full-on contouring to achieve more defined cheekbones. Strategic placement of highlighter, blush or a little bit of contouring product will sculpt, heighten and define.   Try: wet n wild Contour Brush (R99.99), which is perfectly angled to emphasise your cheekbones and enhance your bone structure in a few sweeps. 7. Eyeshadow brush One of the most important things to do when it comes to applying eyeshadow, is to blend, blend, and blend some more. And the best way to do that, is with a good quality eyeshadow brush. The Real Techniques Tapered Eyeshadow Brush (which forms part of the new Real Techniques Naturally Beautiful Eye Makeup Brush Kit (R480.00) can be used to apply both cream and powder eyeshadows. It has long, fluffy bristles to ensure a light and precise application of shadow. 8. Crease brush If you already have an eyeshadow brush, why would you need a crease brush too? While it’s not an absolute necessity, it certainly does make eyeshadow application easier and helps you achieve the enviable cut crease. Try: Real Techniques Instapop Crease Brush, which has dense bristles for seamless, precision blending from the crease of the eye to the lid – perfect to diffuse multiple colours flawlessly. This new brush forms part of the Real Techniques Eye Love Drama Brush Kit (R480.00). 9. Liner brush If you’re a gel or liquid eyeliner fan, you’ll need a good quality liner brush to achieve your desired look. Depending on the type of eyeliner look you’re going for, you’ll need either a winged liner brush or a small, tight brush. The Real Techniques Wing Liner Brush creates a defined wing with ease using liquid or gel liner for a buildable, natural eye look. Alternatively, the Real Techniques Tight Liner Brush features an innovative design that provides the perfect angle to apply eyeliner to the lash and water line. Both of these brushes form part of the new Real Techniques Eye Love Drama Brush Kit (R480.00). 10. Eyebrow brush We spend a lot of time grooming our eyebrows, so it’s only natural that we’d need a brush dedicated to our brows. A brow spoolie or brow comb work wonders in taming unruly brows and  The newly-launched Real Techniques Naturally Beautiful Eye Makeup Brush Kit (R480.00) features a Brow Duo brush, with a spoolie on one end and brow comb on the other.  The new Real Techniques brushes and brush kits, as well as the wet n wild makeup brushes, are available at Clicks.

July 8, 2022
Parenting Hub

How to keep your skin glowing this winter

While we love the thought of cozy jerseys, cups of hot chocolate and snuggling up in bed with a good book after a long, warm summer, we don’t love the way winter affects our skin. Dryness, dehydration, chapped lips and tightness are just a few of the most common skincare concerns that pop up when the temperature drops. During winter, humidity is lower both indoors and outdoors, meaning there is less moisture in the air. The water content of the top or outermost layer of our skin (known as the epidermis) tends to reflect the humidity around it, and this is why our skin is more prone to dryness during winter. While we focus a lot of our attention on dryness and dehydration during winter, there is another common skincare concern that does the rounds this time of year. If you’ve ever thought your complexion looks tired or dull during the colder months, you wouldn’t be alone. A lackluster skin with a lack of radiance is a common winter concern. Some of the most common causes of dull skin include: Dehydration Luminosity is closely related to the moisture levels in your skin. One of the leading causes of dullness is dehydration. When the skin is dehydrated, the volume of blood flow to the skin is less than if it is hydrated, which could make the skin look paler and dull. When the skin is dehydrated, fine lines and wrinkles may also appear more noticeable. Dead skin cells Our skin sheds dead skin cells every day, and if these cells are not removed from the skin, they can leave the complexion looking dull and tired, and if a build-up occurs, it can even lead to breakouts. Weekly or bi-weekly exfoliation removes dry and dead skin cells, allowing the ingredients in your skincare products to be absorbed more easily, and preventing clogged pores and blackheads. Exfoliation also smoothes the skin’s surface, so that it reflects light and appears brighter.  Dryness Whilst dehydration refers to a lack of water in the skin, dryness refers to a lack of oil in the skin. Dry skin is typically textured, may have fine cracks and a build-up of cells on the outer most layer of the epidermis.  Lifestyle While skincare plays a major role in the skin’s luminosity, there are plenty of lifestyle factors that also play a role. Stress results in an increase in the hormone cortisol, which may have a negative effect on the way in blood flow to the skin. Smoking may lead to collagen breakdown, which results in sallow skin. Not sleeping enough also plays a role. Our skin regenerates while we sleep, and if that time is cut short, skin cells will not function optimally. Then there’s the environment to consider. Living in an urban environment with a lot of pollution may affect the skin’s texture, as may exposure to harmful UV rays.  What can be done to increase radiance and glow? One of the single most important things you can do to improve dullness and increase radiance is to include vitamin C in your skincare regime. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that has the ability to brighten, firm, nourish and smooth skin. More than any other ingredient, it makes the skin glow, often with immediate effect, and offers continued improved radiance the longer you use it.  Not only does it help the skin build collagen, but it can also lighten pigmentation and dark marks.  Vitamin C is mildly exfoliating, which makes it a great ingredient to add to facial scrubs and exfoliants. We recommend exfoliating at least once a week with an illuminating scrub, like NIP+FAB’s Vitamin C Scrub Fix(R250.00). This energizing formula is infused with vitamin C, coffee seed extract and coconut oil to effectively cleanse, nourish and renew the skin. Because of its exfoliating properties, vitamin C found in facial cleansers may offer gentle daily exfoliation to prevent a build-up of dry or dead skin cells. NIP+FAB Vitamin C Fix Cleanser (R250.00) helps to protect skin from everyday environmental pollutants whilst revealing clearer, brighter skin.  Antioxidants like vitamin C protect the skin from free radicals caused by the sun and pollution, allowing the skin to retain its youthfulness for longer. When used regularly, it may also help soften fine lines and wrinkles. Applying a vitamin C serum and moisturizer twice a day will not only ensure that the skin stays moisturized and hydrated, but it will also improve the skin’s general appearance.  Try Creightons 2% Vitamin C Face Serum (R139.95) and Creightons Vitamin C Moisturiser (R89.95) Vitamin C is also a popular ingredient used to treat dark circles and under-eye bags. Apply a vitamin C-rich eye cream to brighten the eye area. Try Creightons Vitamin C Eye Serum (R115.95). With 2% vitamin C, this lightweight formula rejuvenates and replenishes the under-eye area and minimises the appearance of dark circles. In addition to using a good quality vitamin C skincare range, it’s also important to make heathy lifestyle choices. Avoiding smoking and processed foods, getting sufficient sleep and finding healthy ways to manage stress all contribute to a healthy and radiant complexion. 

July 8, 2022
Parenting Hub

Finding solutions to baby and toddler sleep woes


Few issues vex the parents of babies and toddlers more than their child’s struggles to sleep well.  It’s debilitating for the whole family, and tightly stretches the emotional resources of parents, who are battling the consequences of their own sleep deprivation.  Sleep time is the body’s time not just for much-needed rest, but also healing and regeneration.  Not getting enough of it, depletes moms, dads and kids – physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s not surprising then that there are reams and reams of sources of advice for how parents can get their babies to sleep better.  It’s hard to know where to turn, and whose advice to trust.  Michele Carelse, a Clinical Psychologist and the Director of online health store, Feelgood Health says, “A baby’s sleep patterns go through various changes as they grow and develop, which can leave parents feeling at a loss, because what seemed to be working over the past week is suddenly upended.  It can feel like a rough rollercoaster ride.  What’s important is to understand the basics of baby sleep and have strategies in place to help you manage family sleep time as best as possible.  Fortunately, there are options, so if something is not working for you and your baby, you can try alternatives.  It’s important for parents to prioritise good sleeping patterns for the whole family and feel determined to find solutions so that they persevere when times are tough.” On Wednesday, 27 July 2022, from 8:15pm to 9pm, Feelgood Health, one of South Africa’s pioneering online healthy lifestyle stores, will be hosting a free parent’s webinar on how to get your baby or toddler sleeping peacefully.  The session will include a Q&A chat so that parents can talk through their concerns with Michele and also learn from other parents’ experiences. Michele says, “All babies are unique and develop at their own pace.  It’s better to know the general expectations of how babies’ sleep patterns develop, than to consider these ‘milestones’ that your child must reach by a certain time.  Just like us, all sorts of things can disrupt a baby’s sleep.  For instance, teething often brings discomfort, and this is commonly a time when a baby or toddler may struggle to fall asleep, or get back to sleep on their own if they have woken up because they are uncomfortable or sore.” For a new-born baby, up to around 2 months, feeding takes priority over sleeping.  There’s no getting around that you will be waking every two hours or so for feeding over these first precious weeks of life.  Around 3 to 6 months, your baby may be able to sleep for up to 6-hour stretches, much to the relief and delight of their new parents.  However, it is a common experience that between 6 to 9 months of age, things can go seemingly awry.  Michele says, “There is major brain development going on at this stage, as well as physical developments such as teething which can disrupt the sleep pattern.  Your baby may well begin to realise that sleeping means being left alone, and they may start crying at bedtime in the hope of keeping you close to them.  This is when you need strategies to manage the situation, to both soothe them when they need it, such as using a natural remedy to ease teething discomfort – and also to give them gentle opportunities to learn to self-soothe.” There can be many reasons why a baby is struggling to fall asleep or fall back to sleep if they have woken up, including hunger, illness, pain, the need for comfort and bad dreams.  It’s important to go through a process of elimination so that you have some understanding of what is causing the sleep disruption.  Many parents expect that at around 1 years old their baby would have established a healthy sleeping pattern that better suits the whole family’s sleep routine.  However, this is not a rule or a set milestone, and it’s perfectly natural for some children to need ongoing parental structure and intervention in order for them to sleep easily and peacefully. Helpful strategies to enable your baby to sleep more peacefully, include: Facilitating plenty of stimulating day-time activity  Setting up a sleep-conducive bedroom environment for your baby or toddler Establishing and maintaining a relaxing, consistent night-time routine Making sure your child’s hunger is sufficiently satiated before bedtime Winding down to bedtime Using natural remedies for calming, relaxing and relief of discomforts Implementing gentle sleep training To learn more about why these strategies are important, and how to implement them, join this parenting conversation with Clinical Psychologist, Michele Carelse at the Feelgood Health How to get your baby or toddler sleeping peacefully webinar. Date: Wednesday, 27 July 2022Time: 8:15pm to 9pm Registration is free here.  Parents who register will receive the webinar Zoom link.  

July 8, 2022
Bonitas – innovation, life stages and quality care

Dealing with Postpartum Depression – plus ways to deal with mental health after pregnancy

As a new mom, the birth of your baby is a beautiful and exciting time, but there is a darker side to childbirth. Postpartum depression affects about 15% of moms after delivery, and while it is a serious disorder it can be overcome through treatment. What is Postpartum depression? Feelings of anxiety, sadness and fatigue are common after birth and are often referred to as the ‘baby blues’ and should subside within the first two weeks. However, if these feelings stick around for longer, you could be experiencing postpartum depression. Restlessness, mood swings, insomnia, irritability, disconnection from your baby and feeling of worthlessness are all red flags for postpartum depression. Some moms feel guilty or ashamed to be feeling this way, however PPD can affect any woman. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help, as PDD is treatable through both medicated and unmedicated options. What should I do if I have the symptoms of Postpartum Depression? The good news is that PPD is treatable. There are a variety of common types of treatment, which depend on the type and severity of symptoms. Treatment can include counselling, therapy groups, antidepressants and hormone therapy. Self-help groups can be helpful, as it allows you to connect with others who have experienced similar problems and stop feelings of isolation. Recovery time will also vary from mother to mother, but untreated the disorder will last much longer and can interrupt mother-child bonding. Getting help does not mean you are a bad mother, it is important to reach out if you are feeling depressed. Postpartum Psychosis In rare cases moms can develop postpartum psychosis. This should be treated as a medical emergency, and it is essential that you receive help right away.  Symptoms include paranoia, delusion and erratic/disorganised behaviour.        How to deal with mental health after pregnancy  Your mental health is critical to you and your child’s well-being. If you are worried about PPD it is important to get professional help. However, you can help your mood by slowly getting back into exercise, setting aside time for yourself and leaning on those around you for support. It is important to stay connected to family and friends so that you don’t feel alone.

July 8, 2022
Bonitas – innovation, life stages and quality care

A partnership to bring help to those who need it most

When you’re looking for positive, purposeful, swift action in a time of crisis there’s one organisation you know you can rely on. The Gift of the Givers Foundation is always ready to step in when needed, getting on with the job at hand with the minimum of fuss but with maximum results.  ‘The Gift of the Givers needs no introduction,’ says Lee Callakoppen, Principal Officer of Bonitas Medical Fund.  ‘The organisation continues to go beyond the call of duty to bring humanitarian aid where needed.  It has built its reputation on the principles we, as a corporate citizen, also value: Respect, care, professionalism and dedication. Their swift and problem solving response in the face of any disaster – be it a pandemic, fire, flood, earthquake, tsunami or war – is to be highly commended.  And we are proud to announce that Bonitas will be partnering with them for the year ahead.’  For 30 years this extraordinary, non-governmental disaster response organisation has been responding to global challenges, in an effort to bring hope, life and restore dignity to the most vulnerable of people. Gift of the Givers primary focus is disaster response but other key areas of assistance include hunger alleviation, water provision, healthcare, education and social upliftment. Headed up by medical doctor, turned humanitarian, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, Gift of the Givers has repaired and restocked hospitals, run clinics, sunk boreholes, dug wells, provided food and shelter to millions … and so much more. And, more recently, during the Covid-19 pandemic, KZN riots and water shortages in the Eastern Cape, the NGO brought relief to those who needed it most.  ‘Our association with Gift of the Givers goes back a few years when we supported various projects on an ad hoc basis.  However, recently we reassessed and realigned our CSI strategy to be in sync with our mantra: ‘A Medical Aid for South Africa’,’ says Callakoppen. ’This means us investing in the social upliftment of South Africans. And who better to partner with than this leading philanthropic organisation. The Bonitas values align with that of the Gift of the Givers and we look forward to working with them to provide relief to the most vulnerable and marginalised communities, specifically in the field of healthcare interventions.’ ‘We joined Bonitas as our medical scheme in 2019,’ says Dr Sooliman. ‘We worked with our financial advisors to find the most appropriate scheme and plan for our staff and have been impressed with their service, professionalism and how the member always comes first. As a paypoint for the Fund, we interact with the team regularly and, through these interactions, have realised there is synergy in our ethos. This led to us working alongside them on selected projects but we are thrilled they are formalising a partnership with us.’  Sooliman says the private sector plays a vital role in helping the organisation fulfil its humanitarian vision. ‘By working in partnership with like-minded and committed corporate partners, we have the ability to make a real difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable people across South Africa, throughout Africa and the world.’ ‘We have handed over an initial R500 000k that will be used for healthcare related disasters,’ says Callakoppen, ‘However, additional funding has been set aside for specific healthcare related projects, such as hospital revamps, that are close to the hearts of both the Fund and Gift of the Givers.’  ‘I have been fortunate to meet Dr Sooliman on a few occasions and he has engaged with our Bonitas Board,’ says Callakoppen. ’It was humbling to learn more about the healthcare interventions they have put in place, the impact these have had and also just how much they can achieve in a day. He is passionate about the work they do and has a solid belief in the common humanity that unites us. This resonates throughout the organisation, leading with integrity and honesty. We look forward to the lessons we will learn while working alongside them on future projects.’

July 7, 2022
Catrobatkidz

JUMPING

Anyone who’s ever seen a child jumping knows what the face of true joy looks like. Jumping is one of the simplest, cost effective workouts that combine fun and fitness together, providing physical, health and educational benefits to children, young or old. Best of all is that jumping is enjoyable and can be done any time of the day, anywhere. The Benefits of Jumping For children who are averse to taking part in sports, jumping works really well by getting a workout without realizing it! Healthy Heart Cardiovascular health has become one of the primary concerns in children. Jumping is an important cardiovascular exercise that gives the heart a healthy and organic workout. It helps the blood to circulate properly throughout the body ensuring that oxygen is pumped more efficiently. So, you can encourage your child to do this fun exercise and ensure the proper functioning of their heart, making them feel healthier and more alert. Plus, it is a great way to keep weight down! Stronger Core Muscles When children jump, they learn to control the movement of their bodies, which involves virtually all major muscle groups in the body. The core muscles are used to jump and land alike. This is how the core is strengthened. Jumping motions, with simultaneous impact and flex to keep the body going up and landing, allow the joints and muscles to move, strengthening both muscle and bones and increases endurance. Strong legs can take us very far in life, and children who jump can get the benefits of muscular limbs early on. No more getting tired and begging you to carry them after only half an hour of walking! Improved Learning Jumping increases a child’s metabolic rate, helping the child’s body to process nutrients faster and more efficiently. This helps to keep their weight down, leading to a fitter, leaner toned body, which boost self-esteem. In addition, while jumping, the body produces mood-enhancing substances, that is why children are happy and joyous and find it a fun exercise. Jumping creates a balance in the child’s mind. With happiness comes an ease of learning. Children who jump regularly tend to be better at study, grasp things easier, and have a sharper memory, improving their learning abilities. Jumping strengthens both the mind and the body! Motor Planning & Sequencing Jumping requires continuous motor planning and sequencing – skills that allows us to plan and execute our movements in order to safely navigate our environment. When jumping, the child uses motor planning to judge distance, evaluate how much power is required to jump and land, plan movements, and then execute the jump in the proper sequence. Strong Lymphatic System Jumping activates and stimulates the lymphatic system which manages the levels of toxins in the body. When toxins are managed well, it helps keep diseases away and improves the immune system. Better Co-ordination Jumping helps children understand their bodies better. They have to concentrate on a number of skills at the same time: bouncing, balancing, maintaining the body’s position, and anticipating the next action. Both sides of the brain and body have to work together while controlling different muscles and limbs at the same time as one another. This greatly improves, and has a positive impact, on bilateral motor skills and overall coordination. Weight Loss Jumping is great to help tackle weight issues and is very helpful with weight loss. Children can do this easy workout and burn a lot of calories on a daily basis. Jumping means a leaner body and more flexibility. Jumping can burn around 100 calories in only ten minutes – You can do it too!

July 7, 2022
CambriLearn Online Education

Education: Nature vs. Nurture

As a parent, how often have you questioned whether your parenting techniques have made fundamental impacts on your child’s development or are they inherently “who they are” based on their genetic build-up? The nature vs. nurture debate is a longstanding question and popular parenting discussion that has fascinated phycologists for decades.  Nature refers to genetic and hereditary influences passed down from our parents and grandparents, from physical appearance to our personality characteristics. Nurture refers to environmental influences such as early childhood experiences, parenting styles, social relationships and community.   In the past, this debate commonly took a very one-sided approach with contributors drawing a line in the sand and arguing that it was either nature or nurture that had the most significant impact. Today, most parents will agree (through first-hand experience) that both factors play a critical role in a child’s development.  Have you ever considered this question in relation to your child’s education and the way in which you approach their schooling? In this article will take a closer look at this question and unpack some ideas on how a child’s learning environment and schooling model impacts their ability to retain information and how this affects their willingness to learn.  Teaching styles In a recent interview, CambriLearn student and Mensa member Christopher Oosthuizen says; “I like to be taught how to think and not what to think”. From this 8-year-old’s brilliant mind, we can see how important it is for our teaching methods to reflect the child’s preferred style of learning. With such a profound and analytical mind, Christopher thrives on self-empowerment, learning through experimentation and being provided with the right tools to discover learning concepts. For Christopher, homeschooling provides an optimal learning zone​​™.  Natural abilities No two children are the same and therefore they will not learn in the same way or at the same pace. There is simply no one size fits all solution to education and creating a personalised learning journey based on a child’s natural abilities is the best chance to ensure educational success.  As a parent, you might prefer to read a manual whilst your child might prefer to see instructions in a diagram format. Parents should celebrate and strategically approach each student’s preferred learning style in order to promote optimal learning and knowledge retention. According to the VARK system, there are four types of learning styles – visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinaesthetic. This short quiz can help you better understand your child’s preferred learning style Learning environments  One of the key factors when instilling a child’s love for learning is to consider their learning environment. One child may enjoy online learning through interactive online materials and gamified learning platforms whereas another child may learn better through one-on-one tutor support.  A child’s learning environment has a direct and lasting impact on the way in which they absorb and retain information. Parents need to consider which learning environment best suits their child’s unique needs in order to harness their love for learning. This liberates them to pursue their own interests and teaches them how to manage themselves throughout their education journey.  Understanding your child’s preferred learning style can be a difficult task, consider taking this online quiz to help shed some valuable insights on your child’s optimal learning environment. 

July 7, 2022
Parenting Hub

Mattel unveils the first-ever toy line available at mass retail to be certified CarbonNeutral® with new MEGA BLOKS Green Town

The new Mega Bloks Green Town line is certified CarbonNeutral® by Natural Capital Partners, the leading experts on carbon neutrality and climate finance Green Town building bloks is designed to help teach green behaviours through play patterns, like waste sorting, using electric transport, protecting honey bees and choosing renewable energy sources. New MEGA BLOKS Green Town™ Line MEGA, the global leader in preschool construction toys, is helping to create a brighter, more sustainable future with MEGA BLOKS Green Town, the first-ever toy line available at mass retail to be certified CarbonNeutral. Just in time for Earth Month, four new MEGA BLOKS Green Town building sets support a greener way to play for little builders ages 1 and up in the following ways: Each playset, like the Build & Learn Eco House™ and the Grow & Protect Farm, is made from specifically a minimum of 56% plant-based materials – and a minimum of 26% International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC*) certified bio-circular plastics (mass balance approach). Each product is certified CarbonNeutral by Natural Capital Partners, the leading experts on carbon neutrality and climate finance. To achieve the CarbonNeutral®product certification, MEGA purchased carbon offsets (less than 500 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents) from the Darkwood Forests Conservation project in Canada. Packaging is created with 100% Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC)-certified paper or paperboard, plus soy-based inks and water-based varnishes to enhance recyclability. Each set is designed to help teach green behaviours through play patterns, like waste sorting, using electric transport, protecting honey bees and choosing renewable energy sources. Products available at leading toy stores

July 6, 2022
Paper Video

Effective Study Techniques and Methods

Yes, there are in fact effective study techniques that can help learners retain information better and they’re not based on fiction or chance, but years of scientific research. Study smarter not harder. We’ve all heard or read the saying at some point in our lives, but what does “studying smart” actually look and is there, in fact, a science to prepping for your exams. Studying comes naturally for some while others find it challenging. Regardless of your love or hate for the books, effective techniques that help absorb info is a different concept entirely, and it’s one that educators and psychologists have researched for years. Studying “right” starts with understanding There’s a small obsession amongst educators, phycologist and physicists to understand the concept of absorbing information quickly and keeping it locked away for as long as possible. While there has been an endless debate, one thing they can all agree on is that the work should be understood first and foremost. If learners aren’t understating the material, they’ll find it difficult to retain it which is why tutoring platforms have been becoming increasingly popular, helping learners understand over and above simply studying the material. Paper Video’s is one such platform where learners from grade 8 to 12 can unpack challenging subjects like Maths, Physical Science, Life Science and Accounting through video lessons, past exam papers and teachers that help explain the work. Studying effectively is not just about getting information into our brains to pass an exam, it about saving time and effort, and remembering the work well-beyond that final paper. Plus, once you understand what you’re learning studying will feel like a breeze. Find study techniques that work for you. There are no one-size-fits-all approaches when it comes to a study technique that works, and “Learning Styles” is a concept that is slowly but surely being taken off the table. For those who don’t know, “Learning Styles” is a theory that indicates whether or not people are Visual, Auditory, Read & Write or Kinaesthetic learners. New research published by the American Psychological Association stated that there is no scientific evidence to support this concept. In an article published by the Atlantic in 2018, Daniel Willingham, a psychologist at the University of Virginia made a compelling case whereby he stated: “People have different abilities, not styles. Some people read better than others; some people hear worse than others. You can’t visualize a perfect French accent, for example.” He went on to say that people should not think of themselves as visual, verbal or some kind of learner, “Everyone is able to think in words; everyone is able to think in mental images. It’s much better to think of everyone having a toolbox of ways to think, and think to yourself, which tool is best?” So, how do you know what study technique works? With no clear recipe to success amid all the mind maps, rhymes, notes and re-reading, and if not for a “learning style” how can we tell what works and what doesn’t?  Luckily there is science and proven research that tells us what techniques should do and how they should affect learners. Ask yourself: Does the technique help me engage with the material (not just reading)? Does the technique help me track my progress, (a test of some sort)? Does it involve repetition? Does it make me more efficient? Am I retaining/remembering information?  Scientifically backed Study Techniques Remembering or retaining information is a challenge that can be traced back to when German Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus first identified the “the forgetting curve” in 1885. It was and still is, a hypothesis that highlights how information or knowledge that gets stored in the brain is lost over time if the individual does not attempt to retain it. Now, to us in the 21st Century, it might not sound so ground-breaking, people forget things. But back then, Ebbinghaus identified a problem and gave it a name and scientists love nothing more than to solve a good problem. That’s why they dedicated their careers to finding ways that can help humans study better and retain information successfully and here are a few of our favourites. 1. Interval studying Call it what you may: the spacing effect, distributed practice, spaced repetition or interval studying, it’s a method that was identified by Hermann Ebbinghaus in his book: Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology. While Ebbinghaus identified the forgetting curve he also gave us a snapshot on how to overcome it: Spaced out repetition. A study by the American Psychological Association showed that the method was 96% more effective than massed repetition, otherwise known as cramming (Cepeda 2006). Conclusion? Spacing out your studies over several short periods helps you remember better, so stick to short bursts, but keep them focussed. It’s not about how much time you have, but what you do with your time that counts. 2. The Leitner technique The technique was created by German science journalist Sebastian Leitner and is a learning technique based on flashcards. The technique also adopts interval studying as part of the method, so learners will be studying in short spaced-out bursts. The technique uses several boxes to help track the flashcards you need to study, and each box represents the amount of time and effort learners would need to spend on certain cards. Here’s how: Every card starts in Box 1 If you get a card right it moves to the next If you get a card wrong, you move it down a box How many boxes you have is up to you, but most educators vouch for three or four.  3. Pomodoro study technique If you’re prone to distractions or if you lose focus easily, the Pomodoro method is used universally not just as a study hack, but as a way to help people increase their productivity. It’s a time management system that encourages short, intense bursts of work for about 25 – 30 minutes. Once the time is up, you stop working and take a 5- or 10-minute break. The technique

July 6, 2022
Junior Colleges

Factors for behaviour regression in young children

When a young child returns to an earlier stage of development and behaves accordingly, this is known as regression. You won’t always have a huge infant on your hands; this is simply your child’s way of informing you that they require more attention and sympathy from you. It is particularly prevalent among young children, and the factors for this will be discussed. The first factor is physical lack of sleep. When children are deprived of sleep for several days or more, fatigue sets, resulting in a grumpy, disagreeable, and unhappy child who begins to regress behaviourally. A second physical stressor is the onset of an illness. For example, your child may be infected with a virus or flu before you realise it, and regressive behaviour is the first indicator. A third physical stressor is a change in diet or a poor diet. For example, you may see regressive, irritable behaviour if there has been an increase in junk food, sugar, or a lack of good nutrition. The second factor is social stressors such as fighting with other kids, being bullied, or being isolated can all lead to regressive behaviour. Younger children are unable to process their experiences in a way that enables them to maintain their self-esteem in the face of social rejection. When a child suffers a social setback, they may become depressed, angry, clingy, overly sensitive, argumentative, hyperactive, or distracted.  Change of routine is the third factor to consider. Although some children are more adaptable and less reactive to change than others, most children react to significant changes such as moving to a new home, changing schools, or the arrival of a new child, to mention a few. Reactions can be visible quickly but can also appear later and become more intense. The reactions will undoubtedly be behavioural, which means they will not appear direct. For example, instead of genuine sadness, you may see clinginess or crying when it’s time to leave for school, as well as regressive behaviours like forgetfulness, unwillingness to perform things that are regularly done without difficulty, or baby language. Some children react to hyperactivity more negatively. The birth of a new kid is a significant change for any child and should be considered, as it frequently leads to the most regressive behaviours. It can be determined by several factors: The child’s age, the transition preparations ahead of time, and the parent’s ability to notice and work with emotions as they occur. The fourth factor is marital tension. When parents have marital issues, it s practically impossible to keep it hidden from their children. Even if there is no visible evidence of anxiety or emotional stress in the air, such as arguing or fighting in front of the children, they may sense the tension and emotional stress. This is because children are sponges and acutely aware of changes in their parents’ moods. They may not understand the issue or be mature enough to consider it, but they will sense the tension, internalise it, and react to it. The last factor is basic stress. This arises when there is too much going on and too many demands, resulting in an overwhelmed child. Factors include:  There are too many extracurricular activities and not enough downtime. Holidays. Weekends are jam-packed. Seasons of sports are jam-packed with practices and games. Any kind of performance. In general, an overload of activity and responsibility combined with insufficient breaks and periods of rest or downtime can lead to regressive behaviour.

July 5, 2022
RediscoverDairy

Add “Cheesy Breakfast Cups with Amasi” to your weekly meal plan

Planning ahead for the week’s breakfast meals and school lunchboxes helps to keep healthy eating on track and is much easier on the grocery budget than daily tuck shop money or those last-minute runs to the local store for emergency lunchbox items. Planning also helps to ensure that these meals include nutrient-rich whole foods and fresh, seasonal produce. This Rediscover Dairy “Cheesy Breakfast Cups with Amasi” recipe, created by food stylist and busy mom Leila Saffarian, can be a healthy, nutrient-rich breakfast (or breakfast-on-the-run) or a great addition to the school lunchbox, together with a yoghurt, some biltong and fresh fruit.  They are a popular because: They are easy to make They can be made on a Sunday for the week ahead The kids can get involved in choosing their favourite ingredients  The recipe can be adapted to include veggies They are a great protein boost including egg and dairy Amasi, milk or yoghurt can be used They are great for portion control – two of them are perfect for a fast-growing tween and contribute towards the daily protein and calcium requirements. They are versatile and can be used as a post-sport snack or for those ‘I’m hungry’ before supper is done moments. See here how to make the “Cheesy Breakfast Cups with Amasi”: Ingredients 3 Tbsp (45 ml) softened butter 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil 1 small onion finely chopped 1 small red pepper deseeded and diced 100 g baby/ cocktail / Rosa tomatoes halved 200 g sliced button mushrooms Salt and pepper to taste 4 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh basil For the egg custard: 8 large eggs ¼ cup (60 ml) Milk or amasi or double cream yoghurt Salt and pepper to taste ½ cup (125 ml) grated cheddar cheese Instructions Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a silicone or 12-hole muffin tin with 3 Tbsp (45 ml) softened butter, place on a baking tray and set aside. Add 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil to a medium, non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the onion and fry for 1-2 minutes to soften. Add the red pepper and tomato halves and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes until softened, stirring every few minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. For the egg custard, in a medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk / or Maas/ or yoghurt, season with salt and pepper and add the grated cheddar cheese. Whisk well to combine. Add the cooked vegetables to the egg custard, whisk well and divide the egg mixture between the muffin tin. Place the muffin tin into the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the egg mixture is set and golden on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin before unmoulding. Nutrition Facts Per Cheesy Breakfast Cup Serving Size: 150 g Amount per Serving Energy:  1009 kJ Fat: 19.4g Protein: 11.5g Calcium: 118 mg Visit https://www.rediscoverdairy.co.za/resources-and-tools-2/recipes/

July 4, 2022
Squish

Veggie-loaded lunchbox fillers

On busy mornings the last thing you want to be stressing about is what you’re going to put in your little one’s lunchbox. These simple recipes can be prepped ahead so that you always have snacks packed with natural goodness ready to go.  CHEESY VEG BALLS These little balls of deliciousness are filled with veggies, including baby marrows, carrots, and Squish 100% Veg Puree – you can choose whichever flavour you like or use up your leftover Squish pouches. Our pouches come with resealable screw-on lids, making them super-convenient and cutting back on waste. You can just use what you need, then pop the leftovers back in the fridge to use later. These veggie balls freeze well, so you can make ahead and freeze then just grab what you need each day for your child’s lunchbox. Ingredients 1 cup cheese  1 x 110ml Squish 100% Veg Puree of your choice  ¼ small onion, finely grated 2 cups breadcrumbs (simply put 3 or 4 slices of bread into your processor and blitz) ½ cup wholewheat flour 2-3 large baby marrows, finely grated 2 large carrots, finely grated ½ clove garlic, finely grated 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil 1 teaspoon dried herbs Method Combine all the ingredients and let the mixture rest for 20 minutes. Roll into small balls. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20-25 minutes. (If you have an Air-fryer, 10 minutes tops.) For a dipping sauce, mix some full-cream plain yoghurt with a little Squish Veg Puree. TIP: Double the recipe. If you have older children, they’ll love these in their lunchbox too. Just roll up in a wrap or pita. BEANY DIP Beans are an excellent source of protein and are packed with calcium, potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, and zinc. In other words, they’re an excellent addition to your child’s diet. We used Squish 100% Pear + Sweet Potato Puree in this recipe, but you can switch up the flavour by picking a different Squish Puree flavour, like Apple, Beetroot + Guava or Butternut + Carrot.  Remember, Squish 100% Fruit and Veg Purees are completely free of added nasties like flavourants, colourants and preservatives – and there is no added cane sugar or starch. Pack along with mini pitas or fresh veggie sticks. Little ones always enjoy dipping!  Ingredients 1 x 410g can of Rhodes Quality Butter Beans  ½ clove of garlic  1 x 110ml Squish 100% Pear + Sweet Potato Puree  1 tbsp fresh herbs of your choice and a pinch of salt Method Drain butter beans and place into a food processor – or you can use a stick blender.  Add garlic and Squish Puree. Add fresh herbs and a little salt. Puree until well blended. TIP: Keep leftover dip in a well-sealed container in the fridge and use within 3-4 days. FRUIT AND SPICE LOAF It is always nice to include a ‘treat’ in your toddler’s lunchbox, but that doesn’t mean you need to rely on shop bought snacks which are often full of preservatives and other additives. This home-baked loaf is bulked up with grated carrots – which are high in fibre, Vitamin A, and beta-carotene – and Squish 100% Pear, Butternut Yoghurt + Mango with Cinnamon Puree. It also contains a box of Squish 100% Apple Juice. Squish juices come in four flavours and are made from top quality 100% pressed fruit and vegetables and are preservative free. Remember to put one in your child’s lunchbox too, to keep them hydrated during their school day. Ingredients 1 x 110 ml Squish 100% Pear, Butternut, Yoghurt + Mango with Cinnamon Puree  125 ml (½ C) Squish 100% Apple Juice 440 ml (1¾ C) cake flour 250 ml (1 C) sugar 5 ml (1 tsp) cinnamon 2.5 ml (½ tsp) baking powder 5 ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda 125 ml (½ C) grated carrot 2 eggs 125 ml (½ C) sunflower oil Method Sift the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Add the grated carrots. Mix together the eggs, oil, Squish Juice, and the Squish Puree. Add to the dry ingredients and beat well to mix. Pour the batter into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 35 minutes or until the loaf is well risen and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Turn out and leave to cool. TIP: This loaf cake is lovely and moist and stores well in the fridge so you can simply slice off as you need.

July 4, 2022
Boston Online High School

Bringing Social Emotional Aspects to Learning

Before the pandemic, online teaching was a choice, but never an essential component of teaching and learning. Certainly, online teaching has its advantages. Among these, online teaching provides students and staff with a choice of location. While there is no substitute for face-to-face instruction, online teaching does offer the advantage of a level of flexibility that provides students with access to both synchronous and asynchronous learning. Online learning provides technical solutions such as artificial intelligence, automatic triggers, red flags to highlight required knowledge improvement, and data analytics. All these support the teaching and learning process. Now that we are starting to return to brick and mortar schools, we have the unique opportunity to rethink how we intentionally engage students online, and monitor academic learning. In my opinion, online teaching, and the innovation of educational technology places new interactive tools at the fingertips of our educators and students that cannot be ignored. These tools mentioned help educators to engage different types of learners and their different personalities.  Online engagement tools provide students with a safe way to interact, and this is especially true if the student is shy, introverted, or prefers not to be in the spotlight. As a result, there is great potential to evolve our communication skills with the wider school community. If we embrace these advantages it is my hope that we, as educators, may provide all students, regardless of personality, background, or dominant language, with access to the best education, while developing their individual strengths and potential to engage from a pace of confidence. While we look to take advantage of these great new opportunities, we should also recognise that traditional online teaching has presented challenges that have led to disadvantages. In some cases, online teaching limits student interactions with teachers and other students. These limitations can negatively impact the ability of students to access and process information, and it hinders student acquisition of social skills, collaborative skills, and critical thinking skills, as well as affecting wellbeing. Thus an online platform must address these issues by, for example, monitoring individuals academics as well as personal interactions, having available tutors for academic and social support, and providing modules for true social and emotional learning.  The online learning environment also highlights the significance and need for teachers to observe body language that accompanies learning and thinking, and teachers should be able to use those cues to redirect as needed or adjust pedagogical strategies. This is especially true when students are acquiring language or need additional services and accommodations. Teachers must be aware of  these challenges and must engage online and ‘face-to-face’ with their learners regularly, to avoid the challenges being  compounded by the isolation of students from classroom participation. Teachers must engage in in-person social and emotional learning. A fluid approach to education will serve students best, increase knowledge retention and provide an environment for optimal mental well-being. 

July 4, 2022
Parenting Hub

Demystifying pregnancy optimises health outcomes for mum and baby

Pregnancy is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming given the vast amount of information available to expectant mothers. Fortunately, with advances in personalised medicine and a holistic approach involving the use of the individual’s genetic and epigenetic information (how your behaviours and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work) to tailor therapy or preventative care, expectant mothers can make smarter choices and discover more effective solutions to optimise their health and the health of their baby during pregnancy. Personalised medicine allows for targeted therapies and preventative treatments that take advantage of a variety of observations relating to a pregnancy. It’s about providing precise care and proactive intervention for each individual pregnancy. By understanding the health disposition of a pregnant woman using her unique genotype, the right diet, lifestyle, supplementation and medication can be prescribed, increasing the chances of a healthy pregnancy and optimal birth outcome.  The GrowBaby genetic test for mums-to-be from South African genetic testing company, DNAlysis Biotechnology, is designed to help them better understand the functioning of key biological pathways that influence maternal and foetal health, and how these relate to the major birth phenotypes. “The report provides valuable insights into how to optimise health outcomes for mum and baby using gene-based personalised diet, supplement, and lifestyle interventions. It provides mums-to-be with more information than ever before about their babies before they are born — and even before they become pregnant. This is through the knowledge that mum’s health has a significant effect on the health of the fetal environment and thus eventually the child as well.” says Helen Gautschi, research and education manager at DNAlysis. “With a precision medicine approach to pregnancy management, we can empower today’s expectant parents on their pregnancy journey and give physicians the tools to provide optimum care,” says Gautschi.  By improving the health of mum and baby through these interventions, it becomes possible to increase chances of optimal birth weight of the baby, avoid early term delivery, and ensure that delivery is as stress free as possible. “Having a heathy pregnancy with optimal birth outcomes is a miracle every time because there are so many factors involved,” says Claire Julsing Strydom, dietitian and co-founder of Nutritional Solutions.  “The GrowBaby test gives you insight as to where you can manage or negate risks, even before pregnancy. If a woman struggles with vitamin D metabolism, for example, we know there is a higher chance of miscarriage. The test gives us an in-depth blueprint of how the mother will potentially carry the pregnancy and how we can prevent adverse birth events. In terms of chronic disease, we know that those first thousand days from conception to age two are critical, that’s why it is beneficial for women who are planning to have a baby to do the test, so they can see what their risk profile looks like, and manage it accordingly,” says Julsing Strydom. For the mother, it becomes possible to ensure optimal weight gain, and stabilise blood glucose levels to decrease gestational diabetes risk, prevent or decrease the risk for preeclampsia and gestational or pregnancy-induced hypertension, decrease the risk for miscarriage or pregnancy loss, balance biological pathways to decrease risk for developmental conditions, and carry to full term. Together, all these factors play a vital role in ensuring lifelong health for the child. “The GrowBaby test can be done before pregnancy, to ensure that the mother’s health is optimised before she falls pregnant, or it can be taken during pregnancy to help provide the best outcomes,” says Gautschi. “It’s also advisable for women who have experienced a stressful pregnancy in the past, including a miscarriage, and are seeking to enhance their chances of having a healthy pregnancy with optimal birth outcomes.” Visit https://dnalysis.co.za to find an accredited practitioner or buy a DNA test online. A practitioner from the DNAlysis accredited network will guide you through the process.

July 1, 2022
Parenting Hub

Shopping showdown: which retailer wins at the tills?

The high cost of food is a subject on everyone’s lips. Reasons for the increases range from the war in Ukraine to the weaker rand, and natural disasters such as the floods in KwaZulu-Natal – a province in which many South African factories are situated. JustMoney, which helps South Africans to educate themselves about managing their personal finances, has compared the costs of 13 basic goods at three leading supermarket outlets. The personal finance portal also provides some handy tips on how to thrive in the supermarket aisles during these tough economic times. Last year, JustMoney examined the cost of 12 basic food items at three major retailers – Checkers, Pick n Pay, and Woolworths. This year, the survey included a 13th item – cooking oil – the cost of which has risen due to the factors noted above, in addition to a mismatch between supply and demand, and unnecessary stockpiling. Pick n Pay ranks as most affordable While the cheapest shopping experience last year could be found at Checkers, this year the position goes – only just – to Pick n Pay.  By way of example, their 16-piece uncooked chicken packs cost R83.82 on the day that JustMoney shopped, versus R124.18 for a similar item at Checkers and R186.28 at Woolworths. A 2.25 litre bottle of Coca-Cola at Pick n Pay cost R13, compared with R17.99 at Checkers and R20.99 at Woolworths. The 2022 items included one of each of the following: A loaf of white bread, a small pack of bananas, a 2.5kg bag of sugar, 80 Freshpak rooibos teabags, one litre of long-life milk, two litres of cooking oil, a 410g tin of baked beans, nine rolls of toilet paper, a 2.25 litre bottle of Coca-Cola, 16 pieces of uncooked chicken, a 2kg bag of potatoes, a 2kg bag of white rice and 2kg Sunlight 2-in-1 washing powder. Last year, the cost of these household baskets came in at R368.71 at Checkers, R411.99 at Pick n Pay, and R442.34 at Woolworths. This year, including the addition of cooking oil, the totals wereR519.71 at Pick n Pay, R521.06 at Checkers, and R624.16 at Woolworths. “Our advice to consumers is to roam the aisles across supermarket chains, or make comparisons on the shopping apps, as there are plenty of discounts and specials to be found,” says Shafeeka Anthony, marketing manager of JustMoney. Checkers scoops best loyalty benefits While Pick n Pay Smart Shopper offered the best benefits in 2021, this year the accolade went to Checkers. Major savings were available immediately when swiping an Xtra Savings card.  A nine-roll Rose Collection toilet paper pack was thus reduced from R69.99 to R59.99, two bottles of 2.25 litres of Coca-Cola went for R30.99 (usually R17.99 each or R36 overall), and a 2kg bag of Spekko white rice came in at R24.99 versus R32.99 without an Xtra Savings card. Woolworths ranks first for best shopping experience Once again, Woolworths ranked highest in terms of shopping experience. The stores are designed for comfort as much as convenience, and products are visually appealing.  It also helps that café-quality coffee can be had in-store – and for only R23 when using a WRewards card, versus up to R40 for a similar coffee elsewhere.  How loyalty cards boost affordability JustMoney’s tips for scoring extra cash are as follows: Checkers: Save on more than 1,000 products each month by swiping your Xtra Savings card. These discounts are clearly marked in store, and you save straight away at the till. Pick n Pay: Swipe your Smart Shopper card on anything you buy and earn a point per R2 spent. The more you swipe, including at partners such as BP, the more points you accumulate, which you can spend in any Pick n Pay store. Woolworths: Voted Best Loyalty Programme of the Year at the International Loyalty Awards, this programme provides up to 10% instant savings on over 1,000 specially marked food, fashion and homeware items. The more you spend, the higher your tier and the greater your rewards. Additional Green Rewards apply on eco-friendly products. These findings show that all is not lost for local grocery shoppers. The main supermarkets are reaching out to consumers with store-card specials, combo deals, in-house items, and low-cost brands that are new to market. JustMoney has also searched out special deals on items ranging from restaurant meals to fun activities for children. Check out the JustMoney deals section for value-for-money offers. “It makes such financial sense to become a savvier shopper, comparing costs on similar (if not exactly the same) items, adding up rewards on loyalty cards, and calculating how much it costs to buy in bulk. These calculations, and the result of the latest JustMoney survey, reveal where the best savings can be found,” says Anthony. “You can also save money by purchasing food and beverages online or via an app. Benefits include fuel savings, parking cost avoidance, fewer distractions to tempt you, and the convenience of using a digital platform. Look out for website specials and discounts on items that you won’t find in physical stores.” Read a JustMoney article on costs and advantages of online shopping.

July 1, 2022
Parenting Hub

Must-have products for new moms

The arrival of a new baby – especially your first baby – is a monumental time in every parent’s life. And while it’s a time filled with joy and excitement, it can also be nerve-wracking, especially as you begin to navigate a new routine and new responsibilities.  While a woman is pregnant, she’s likely to see countless lists of must-have essentials for a baby’s first weeks and months. While many of these items do come in handy, the reality is that you’ll likely need far fewer products than what’s commonly recommended. If you stock up on good-quality basics, chances are you’ll need very little else.  That said, there’s more to the basics than just getting the job done – first-time moms will appreciate that some products are specifically designed to make caring for their baby more comfortable and more practical. Here’s a round-up of the real must-have products you’ll need for yourself, and your baby, in those first weeks, months, and beyond.  Skin-saviour Everyone loves a multi-tasking product, and the versatile Sudocrem Skin and Baby Care Cream (60g from R68.99) has been a trusted ally of moms for over 90 years. Sudocrem is clinically proven to soothe and protect your baby’s delicate skin and works in three simple ways: First, it contains an emollient that soothes sore skin, second, its cooling properties help ease pain and irritation, and finally, its water-repellent base forms a protective barrier, helping to stop any irritants coming into contact with the skin. This multi-tasker can be used to effectively treat and heal nappy rash, cuts and grazes, minor burns, acne, eczema, and more. Gentle yet effective on baby, mom, and kids’ skin, this is a must-have for the whole family. Breast Pump For moms who choose to bottle-feed with breastmilk, a good quality breast pump is vital. For moms who are able, and choose to, breastfeed, a breast pump offers a multitude of benefits, such as the ability for family and friends to feed baby and for mom to take on work and other responsibilities whilst knowing that her baby can still enjoy the health benefits of breastmilk even when she is away.  Medela’s breast pumps are trusted across the globe for covering all the potential needs of breastfeeding moms. Known for high quality, durable breast pumps that are easy and practical to use, Medela recently launched two new electric breast pumps: The Medela Swing Maxi Double Electric Breast Pump (R5999.99) is a compact and easy-to-use double electric breast pump with improved mobility to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle. Key features include: 2-Phase Expression™ technology mimics your baby’s natural sucking rhythm. Improved mobility: built-in rechargeable battery for up to 6 pumping sessions on one full charge. Faster charging with USB type C port, compared to micro-USB port. Easy to use: 4-button intuitive interface and 9 pre-programmed settings. Easy to assemble and clean thanks to fewer parts. Noticeably quieter compared to the previous generation, only 45 dB at the Maximum Vacuum Level. Closed system prevents breast milk from entering the tubing. The Medela Solo Single Electric Breast Pump (R4099.99) is a compact, effective and easy-to-use single electric breast pump with a rechargeable built-in battery, 2-phase Expression technology, and PersonalFit Flex breast shield. Key features include: Easy to use: 4-button intuitive interface and 9 pre-programmed settings.   Easy to assemble and clean thanks to fewer parts. Lightweight and compact design. Improved mobility: built-in rechargeable battery for up to 6 pumping sessions on one full charge. Faster charging with USB type C port, compared to micro-USB port. 2-Phase Expression technology mimics your baby’s natural sucking rhythm. Noticeably quieter compared to the previous generation, with less than 45 dB at the Maximum Expression Level. A closed system prevents breast milk from entering the tubing. Breastfeeding accessories In addition to a good breast pump, there are a handful of breastfeeding accessories that’ll help make the breastfeeding journey a little easier.  It’s normal to experience sore and dry nipples, especially when breastfeeding for the first time.  Medela Purelan Lanolin Cream (from R119.95) provides fast relief for sore nipples and dry skin. It is 100% natural and safe for the baby, meaning you don’t need to remove it before feeding.  Another normal and common occurrence in breastfeeding is leaking. Wearing nursing pads (also known as breast pads) can soak up any excess milk. Medela Ultra-Thin Disposable Nursing Pads (R199.95) are made of a soft, honeycomb non-woven material and feel comfortable against sensitive skin. Each breast pad is individually wrapped, ready to pop into your bag for use wherever you are. Baby struggling to latch? Medela’s Contact Nipple Shields (R319.99) are designed to help mums breastfeed babies with latch-on difficulties by providing a larger, firmer target for latching. They can also be used to help mums with flat, inverted, sore nipples or an overactive let-down to breastfeed. The Contact Nipple Shields are specially designed and constructed to provide close contact for the baby. Once breastmilk has been pumped, it needs to be stored safely and hygienically. Medela Breast Milk Storage Bags (from R219,99) are convenient, easy to use, and hygienic. Constructed from durable, double-layer material with a built-in double zipper seal, they keep your breast milk safely stored in the fridge or freezer, until you need it. And lastly, if you’re a breast-pumping mommy, you’ll need bottles that complement your breastfeeding journey. Medela bottles are shatterproof and available in two different sizes: 150ml in packs of three and 250ml in packs of two. They can be used with all Medela breast pumps and the Calma teat, making it easy to pump, store and feed using the same container.

July 1, 2022
Parenting Hub

HOME CARE TIPS TO MANAGE YOUR CHILD’S FEVER…

Loving our kids is easy… keeping pain and fever at bay? That’s harder. But here’s the secret: It doesn’t have to be!When your baby or infant has a fever, turn to conveniently packaged Panado® Paediatric Syrup, Peppermint 5 ml Sachets. Parenting is a rollercoaster. One minute you’re pacing from room to room in the wee hours with a crying baby – the next, you’re at their bedside, waiting anxiously for them to wake up. Your concern level can rise when you add a fever to the mix. Feeling your child’s forehead, looking for a thermometer, and seeking advice from relatives and friends can be daunting. Fever and pain occur together frequently in childhood conditions.1 If you’re a new parent, it can be scary when your child is burning up with a fever. Even if you’re not a rookie parent, fevers can still cause worry for parents of older kids.  Pain can be hard for a child to describe, especially for children under two whose vocab is limited to “mama”, “dada”, “woof”, and “nana”. It’s often up to parents to watch their child for signs of distress, such as behaviour changes, facial expressions, and body movements.1 The good news is that Panado® Paediatric Syrup, Peppermint 5 ml Sachets, contain paracetamol, which is an effective option for treatment of pain and fever in children.2 How do you know your child has a fever? Fever is one of the most frequently cited reasons parents or caregivers seek medical help for their children. It is often a source of concern for parents and healthcare practitioners, who believe it may be linked to a greater risk of morbidity.3 Additionally, there is often uncertainty regarding how to manage fever. A fever is defined as a body temperature of more than 38 degrees Celsius.3 A child’s temperature should be taken using an infrared thermometer placed in the ear or with a standard thermometer placed under the arm (in the armpit or axilla). A child’s temperature should not be taken in their mouth with a thermometer.3 Home Care Tips To Manage A Fever.  Just like adults, babies, toddlers, and children can suffer fever or pain associated with a common cold and symptoms can include a sore throat, running nose, body aches and headaches.4 Here are a few easy-to-digest tips for treating your child’s pain and fever at home.3 Panado® Paediatric Syrup, Peppermint  5 ml Sachets, which are conveniently packaged,  can be safely administered to infants and children to relieve pain and fever. Always administer using a medicine measure or a syringe Do not over-dress or underdress your child or wrap your child in heavy blankets Check your child during the night, but do not wake your child up just to administer medication for a fever Encourage your child to drink fluids regularly (breast milk is best for breastfeeding children) Seek medical advice if the fever does not get better within 48 hours or if your child’s condition worsens Alwaysgive the dose written on the bottle or sachet according to your child’s weight to ensure that you are using the correct medication at the right dose. If you’re unsure, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before administering medicines for fever. Other Panado® Products Suitable For Your Child   In addition to Panado® Paediatric Syrup, Peppermint 5 ml Sachets, Panado’s range for children includes Panado® Paediatric Syrup, Strawberry (50 ml | 100 ml),5 Panado® Paediatric Syrup, Peppermint Alcohol and Sugar-Free (50 ml | 100 ml),6 and Panado® Infant Drops 20 ml.7 Make pain and fever care easy by shopping for Panado products from independent pharmacies and selected Clicks, Dis-Chem, and Pick ‘n Pay stores. For more information, visit https://panado.co.za/and join the conversations onFacebook. #Panado #ADoseOfCare 2022042510198726 References: 1. Clinch J, Dale S. Managing childhood fever and pain – the comfort loop. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2007; 1:7. [Internet]. 2015 [Cited 2022 March 29]; Available from : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1971248/ 2. Acharya B, Thapa K. Indoor staying during winter season makes people more susceptible to fu. J Nepal Health Res Counc. 2016 Jan; 14(32):69-70. PMID: 27426715. [Cited 2022 March 29]; Available from : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27426715/   3. Green R, Jeena P, Kotze S, Lewis H. Webb D, Wells M. Management of acute fever in children: Guideline for community healthcare providers and pharmacists. S Afr Med J.  2013;103(12):948-954. DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.7207 4. CDC Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Common Colds: Protect Yourself and Others [Internet]. 2021 [Cited 2022 March 29]; Available from : https://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/index.html 5. Panado® Paediatric Syrup Strawberry (Syrup). Approved package insert, March 2002. 6. Panado® Paediatric Syrup Alcohol and Sugar-Free / Panado® Paediatric Syrup. Approved package insert, April 2010. 7. Panado® Infant Drops (Drops). Approved package insert, August 1990.

July 1, 2022
Parenting Hub

Their little hearts are at risk too

All parents want their children to be healthy and well, and to have long and successful lives. A healthy heart is vital for living life to the full, no matter the age.  We often do not take stock of the fact that our children are vulnerable to heart disease too. In fact, the risk for heart disease can begin even before a child is born – during foetal development, and increases further during childhood with exposure to unhealthy diets, lack of exercise and smoking. Children can be affected by heart disease in various ways, so let’s take a look at some of the most common causes. Congenital heart disease Some children may suffer from a heart problem they are born with, which is known as congenital heart disease. This is where a child is born with a defect, or abnormality, of the heart or blood vessels near the heart. For most cases the cause of these abnormalities are not known, and so unfortunately cannot be prevented. The majority of children born today with congenital heart disease will survive and with proper treatment be able to lead a normal or near-normal life. Early detection, awareness and treatment are critical. Rheumatic heart disease Many of us aren’t aware of the link between a sore throat and heart disease, and yet rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children and young adults in South Africa, with the poor being particularly vulnerable. RHD is a chronic heart condition caused by rheumatic fever, where damage to the heart valves occurs. RHD ultimately stems from an untreated streptococcal infection, commonly known as ‘strep throat’. If this infection goes untreated, rheumatic fever can occur between 2 and 4 weeks after a strep throat infection, where the child may have symptoms of tiredness, joint pain, fever and a rash, often visible on the chest. With repeated attacks of untreated rheumatic fever, damage to the heart valves occurs and this is known as RHD.  The ironic tragedy is that RHD is very easily preventable. A simple course of antibiotics can treat a strep throat infection, and regular antibiotic injections can prevent rheumatic fever from causing further damage to heart valves. But the sad situation is that in many children strep throat is not detected and they do not receive adequate treatment. It is important for parents and caregivers to be vigilant of a sore throat, and to take their child to a doctor or clinic immediately if they suspect their child has strep throat or rheumatic fever. The symptoms of strep throat parents should watch out for include a sore throat, pain when swallowing and swollen glands, but without other typical flu-like symptoms, such as a runny nose or cough. Lifestyle influences Child malnutrition remains a problem in South Africa, which can affect the growth and development of the baby before birth, resulting in a child born with a low birth weight and poor growth in the early years of life, where a quarter of our children 1 – 3 years old do not reach their full potential height for their age. Poor growth is linked to an increased risk of obesity in adolescence and adulthood, and these children are at a greater risk for developing high blood pressure and insulin resistance at an early age, putting them at a greater risk for heart disease as adults. While some of our children are affected by heart disease through factors that are out of their control, many more are adopting unhealthy habits that place them at risk at an earlier age for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Our children are particularly vulnerable and are easily influenced by our unhealthy environment. The picture is concerning. More and more children and youth are taking up smoking, and many are exposed to harmful second-hand smoke. South African children are not moving enough, with a quarter watching more than three hours of TV a day. One in three adolescents eat fast food two to three times a week, and more than half of children don’t take a lunchbox to school, meaning that many are often eating unhealthy foods from the tuck shop or vendors, typically high in unhealthy fats, added sugar and salt. The result is shocking, with up to 23% of children in South Africa being overweight or obese. These children are likely to become obese adults, and are putting their hearts at risk from a younger age. It’s important to be aware that heart disease can affect anyone, at any age. Adopting heart healthy behaviours early in life is the best preparation for preventing heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer later in life. It’s crucial for parents and caregivers to be positive role models which can set their children with healthy habits for life. A healthy lifestyle plays an important role in preventing heart disease and strokes, no matter your age.

June 30, 2022
Parenting Hub

A guide to making blended families work

Do you fear that you’ve become the evil step-monster? It’s so easy to feel like that, especially with blended families becoming the societal norm. Telling a child what to do, especially when they are not your own, can be tricky business. Yes, children are the gifts that keep giving, but let’s not joke: they can also be crafty little critters and can sometimes put serious strain on a marriage. When two families come together, things don’t often run smoothly. Between children resisting change, the parents trying to accommodate different personalities and rotating between two different households at any given time, things can become extremely rough. Some things you may consider when trying to blend families: Planning for your blended family: Everything needs planning – absolutely everything. When you and your partner decide to merge your two families, keep in mind that things don’t always go smoothly. Respect is earned, not demanded. Step-sibling relationships can be particularly sticky, especially when alliances are formed. Plan for bonding sessions and make your new family get to know each other. Lay foundations and set boundaries: Children do best when routine is not disrupted. To this end, one should strive to keep life as normal as possible, and this is done by laying foundations and setting boundaries. Remember that too much change at once can unsettle children. Find ways that all of you can maintain your routines. Don’t allow ultimatums or manipulation to happen, as this is a dangerous foundation to lay. Conversely, don’t be too harsh – after all, the “you’re not my real mom” argument is infamous for a reason. Also try to limit expectations – you shouldn’t expect to fall in love with other children instantly (and vice versa). These things take time. Keep all parents involved at all times: So as not to “step on anyone’s toes” you should strive to maintain a good relationship with your ex, and encourage your new partner to do the same. Ex spouses respect being kept in the loop when it comes to their children, and the kids benefit when there is no animosity between the various parents. In some cases, this can certainly be a very difficult thing to maintain, but civility is free. Court battles, on the other hand, are not. According to helpguide.org, the following should be observed: Listen respectfully to one another Address conflict positively Establish an open and non-judgmental atmosphere Do things together – games, sports, activities Show affection to one another comfortably If you are struggling to keep the family together, it may be a good idea to consult with a professional and get some advice on a way forward. It’s not always easy to keep everyone happy, and sometimes you just need a bit of assistance. If a child is expressing particularly excessive anger towards a parent or step parent, if favouring starts to happen and alliances get formed, or members of the family openly avoid each other, seek advice from a psychologist dealing with family matters.

June 30, 2022
Bonitas – innovation, life stages and quality care

Stretching your medical aid benefits

Everyone is feeling the pinch and looking for ways to stretch their budget. This is true of healthcare too, especially when it comes to medical cover.  It’s important to manage your medical expenses if you want your benefits to last. The smart move is to know what your plan offers and what you can do to avoid unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses.  That way you can save money while managing your health. Lee Callakoppen, Principal Officer of Bonitas Medical Fund, give us some tips on how you stretch your medical aid benefits. Understand your plan and what it offers  Knowledge is power and when it comes to medical aid this is especially true. Firstly, it’s important to make sure you have chosen the right plan for your healthcare needs.  If you’re battling to make a decision, consult an independent broker. Brokers are accredited by the Council of Medical Schemes so are qualified to offer advice and support and there’s no extra charge for this service. Then, read through the plan you’ve selected and understand all the benefits, limits as well as any additional rules, regulations or added value benefits.  Use DSPs or networks Using network doctors, specialists, hospitals or Designated Service Providers (DSPs) is essential if you want to make your medical aid last longer. It means you won’t be charged more than the negotiated preferential rates. Remember this includes knowing your scheme’s key providers, such as which ambulance to call in an emergency.  Not using a DSP can result in a co-payment or non-payment for the service. Ask your pharmacist Consult your pharmacist for advice on over-the-counter medicine and/or switching to generic medicines.  Using generic medicine, which has the same active ingredient, strength and dosage as the original brand but is less expensive, helps save costs.  In addition, consider using a clinic or nurse practitioner to get your blood pressure screened, for your flu vaccination and other primary healthcare concerns – this saves on the consultation fee charged by your GP. Managed Care benefits Most schemes offer programmes to help you manage chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and back and neck problems.  These programmes are usually covered from the risk portion of your medical contribution and are not funded from your savings account. They help you use your benefits to maximum advantage while ensuring you receive quality care by using specific providers. Other benefits – such as maternity consultations, wellness benefits, preventative care and dentistry – are also paid from risk by some schemes. Again giving you more value for money and are in addition to your savings and day-to-day benefits.  Boosting your benefits  Carefully read through what your plan offers – especially when it comes to enhanced benefits – and choose wisely.  Remember, not all additional benefits are equal. For example does your plan cover childhood vaccines from risk?  If so, this is a saving of thousands of Rands, especially in the first 18 months of life  This year, Bonitas invested R446 million in additional benefits through a benefit booster which is available on all plans, including the hospital plan (but excluding BonCap). Members tap in by completing a wellness assessment (which can be done online) and then have access to additional benefits which range from R940 and R2 730 (depending on the plan) to cover expenses such as: GP and specialist consultations Acute and over-the-counter medicine Biokineticist and physiotherapist consultations and treatment  Paramedical services  Alternative healthcare  X-rays Blood tests Go virtual Look out for telemedicine or virtual consultation options which are around 60% cheaper than an average consult.  A doctor will engage with you in a virtual video consultation on a medical issue and advise you on the most clinically appropriate steps for further care.  Be inquisitive, ask questions Ahead of any procedure, in or out of hospital, ask the right questions. Check that your healthcare provider is on your scheme’s network in order to secure a better rate. Unless the procedure is an emergency, you will need to get pre-authorisation. At the same time, request a quote so you know, upfront, what the costs will be and whether you will be covered or if you are being expected to make a co-payment. If so, negotiate.  Stay healthy With Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) or lifestyle disease fast becoming a pandemic in South Africa, it’s important to take care of your health by eating correctly, getting enough sleep, exercising and reducing your stress levels.   ‘Health is the new wealth,’ says Callakoppen. ‘Your health is important, as are your finances, don’t take either for granted.  When it comes to healthcare cover, invest time in researching and understanding the medical aid plan you’ve selected.  Read the information sent to you, including the fine print to understand the Scheme Rules. If in doubt, phone the call centre, your broker or financial advisor. This will go a long way in helping you know your rights and making the most of your benefits.’

June 30, 2022
Parenting Hub

My son wants to quit an activity…. Should I force him to play?

This was the question I received from a mother who told me that her son suddenly wanted to quit the sports team he was on, right in the middle of the season.  She asked me if she should allow him to quit or force him to continue.  I suggested that she have him finish out the season by attending the games to support his team, but not force him to play.  After sitting on the bench for a few games, he suddenly wanted back on the team. Understanding why your child’s sudden decision is important but is not always easy to figure out.  Asking him why may only result in the response “I don’t Know.”  A child’s or teen’s sudden desire to quit a team can be a result of a number of things; a peer relationship issue, bullying, a fear of failing, competition, a lack of confidence or sights set on another activity that he or she likes better.  It can even be a result of a change in the family dynamics, such as the loss of a parent or other family member, or even divorce. It’s not always best to force a child to participate, but instead, find out what he or she is willing to do within the activity for the remainder of the season.  Take notice of when your child is in a great mood and ask open ended questions about the situation to get him or her to open up and talk about it.  Give them some space and time to mull it over and avoid drilling them to find out why. One day my tween-age son announced that he wanted to quit the school marching band (he had been playing since third grade and had held first chair for the past few years).  He came in, tossed his trumpet in the case into the closet, and declared that he didn’t want to play in the band anymore and marched off.  I was not happy about this since we had recently upgraded his trumpet to a much more expensive SILVER trumpet, at his request. I did not respond to his declaration but later that day tried to engage him in conversation about why he had made that decision.  His response with full disdain was that the trumpet was a stupid instrument.  He then asked if he could get a set of drums.  I told him that I was into the silver trumpet for quite a bit of money and because of what I paid out for it, I might be willing to consider buying a different instrument in about two years. That response got him mad.  So for the next few days he left for school without taking his trumpet to school.  I said nothing about it, but on a few occasions I again tried to engage him in conversation about why he was no longer playing his trumpet.  On each of those occasions he offered up a different excuse; the teacher was stupid, the trumpet was dumb, etc.  Then, on the last day that he could not bring his trumpet to school without being removed from the band, he took the trumpet to school. I was relieved that he was back playing the trumpet in the school band.  What I later found out as the reason for this sudden dislike for an instrument he loved so much, was that he become careless and lost first chair.  If I had forced him to bring the trumpet to school, he might have retaliated in other ways and may have never owned up to the real problem.  If I had been one of those parents that did go out and buy him the drums, again, he may have been unable to learn what he needed to learn about himself and the consequences of not working hard.  Giving children space and time to learn from experiences is key to their emotional development.

June 28, 2022
Lamelle Pharmaceuticals

Beat hot flashes naturally with Lady Prelox

When you hear about hot flashes, most women immediately think “menopause” and reckon it’s something they’d only have to worry about in their mid to late 40s. Thing is, this annoying, make-up ruining, life-interrupting symptom can affect you as early as your late 30s during perimenopause, the lead up to your final period. Even more annoying? While, on average, perimenopause lasts around 4 to 6 years, it can bother you for as long as 10. That’s a long time to want to walk around with a fan in your handbag but, happily, you don’t have to. Lady Prelox, an all-natural supplement developed especially for women, has been proven to help alleviate hot flashes. But before we get into why it’s a brilliant solution to an age-old problem, let’s first chat about why your body’s thermostat feels like it’s running wild and what you can do to temper it.  Hormones and hot flashes   When you enter perimenopause, a time when your ovaries start to run low on eggs, you can expect hormonal fluctuations that trigger a laundry list of symptoms. These include mood changes, a loss of libido, vaginal dryness, trouble concentrating, exhaustion, migraines, insomnia, night sweats and the aforementioned “super fun” hot flashes.  Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to improve your experience as you transition into the period-free part of your life. For starters, don’t underestimate the importance of a healthy diet and getting enough exercise. You also definitely don’t want to smoke. While the increased risk of cancer should be enough to put anyone off, studies have shown that female smokers are more likely to go into menopause earlier than non-smokers. They’re also more likely to experience more frequent as well as more intense symptoms, particularly hot flashes. So what’s a woman to do?   Lifestyle changes aside, you have several treatment options that include taking hormone therapy and medications like low-dose antidepressants. Still, many women prefer to go the natural route and this is where things can get murky. For example, black cohosh is a herb commonly used with the intention of improving the symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes. However, there’s not enough evidence to suggest it’s effective and there’s no guarantee you’re ever buying a product containing the very particular variant of herb proposed to suppress the flash. Fortunately, not every natural option is a gamble and this is where Lady Prelox fits in – a million miles ahead of the competition.  Patented and proven  A patented estrogen-free health supplement, Lady Prelox contains premium plant-based ingredients that include Pycnogenol® (a derivative of French maritime pine bark extract), Rosvita® (rosehip extract) and two amino acids – L-Arginine and L-Citrulline. Together, they’ve been clinically proven to significantly improve hot flashes and night sweats in peri-menopausal women in as little as four weeks! Better yet, it wasn’t just the study’s participants’ ability to beat the heat that improved. Lady Prelox also enhanced their ability to focus and reduced their feelings of anxiety.  But wait – there’s more!  As if these weren’t all the reasons you’d need to consider Lady Prelox a must for any woman entering the next phase of life, there’s another big benefit you’ll want to know about: Lady Prelox is also clinically proven to boost sexual function and satisfaction in women between 37 and 45 by a whopping 88%. It’s also proven to boost sexual satisfaction in menopausal and even post-menopausal women by 60% and more. Again, these improvements were all evident within just 30 days. Talk about a brilliant bonus! If you’re struggling with hot flashes and other menopause-related symptoms – or simply want to enhance your sex life – Lady Prelox really is the obvious all-natural solution.  Visit: https://www.preloxrange.co.za/ for more information

June 28, 2022
Fundamentals Skincare

SKIN BARRIER PROTECTION AND WHAT THIS MEANS

Plump, glowing, youthful, clear, healthy and the list goes on of words we want to use to describe our skin. How many of these words can actually be used to describe the current state of your skin? We’re guessing no more than two, maybe three. The reason why you might not be able to tick all these boxes is because our skin is imperfect, and that is how it is supposed to be  – but also, because too many of us don’t pay enough attention to protecting our barrier.  Tumi Lehutso from Fundamentals Skincare breaks down the skin barrier for us:  What is our skin barrier?  Here is the tea – your skin is made up of layers, each of which performs important functions in protecting your body. The outermost layer, called the stratum corneum consists of tough skin cells called corneocytes that are bound together by mortar-like lipids. This is your skin barrier. Functions of the skin barrier  Think of your skin barrier as your skin’s built in warrior. Its function is to defend and protect the body from excessive trans epidermal water loss (TEWL), as well as to prevent the penetration of compounds into the body via the epidermis. It regulates water loss from the inside out, retains moisture, and keeps you hydrated. Second, it helps protect your skin from harsh elements like UV rays, pollutants, microbes, and chemicals or those you put on your skin. If your skin barrier is damaged, it could lead to skin problems like dry, ired, inflamed, tchy, or flaky skin. What damages your skin barrier?  Protecting your skin can sometimes seem like a scene out of Thor and this is because the environment, our stress levels and products all can contribute to damaging our skin’s barrier. The main culprits are:  an environment that’s either too humid or too dry allergens, irritants, and pollutants too much sun exposure alkaline detergents and soaps exposure to harsh chemicals over-exfoliation or over-washing steroids genetic factors that may make you more prone to certain skin conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis When your skin barrier isn’t functioning properly, you may be more prone to developing the following skin symptoms and conditions: dry, scaly skin, itchiness, rough or discolored patches, acne, sensitive or inflamed areas, bacterial, viral, or fungal skin infections.  How can we protect our skin’s barrier?  The absolute first step for anyone with a compromised skin barrier is to simplify your skin care routine. Use fewer products and more of the actives you need. Reduce exfoliation to once or twice a week and when exfoliating do so gently using light chemical exfoliators.  Another very important thing to consider is your pH. Your skin’s delicate acid mantle hovers around a pH of 5.7. But the pH of some skin products can range from 3.7, all the way up to 8.2. Professionals and research recommend  cleansing with a product that’s close to your skin’s natural pH. Incorporate some plant oils into your routine: jojoba oil, coconut oil, almond oil, argan oil, borage oil, rosehip oil, soybean oil. Alongside this, look for formulations that includes Ceramides. Ceramides are waxy lipids found in especially high concentrations in the stratum corneum. They are crucial for the healthy functioning of your skin barrier. For more information:  Shop: https://fundamentals-skincare.co.za  Instagram: @fundamentals_skincare Tik Tok: @fundamentals_skincare Facebook: @FundamentalsSkincare

June 28, 2022
Parenting Hub

Clicks helps local kids’ shoe brand find its feet

It’s hard to believe that Tsepiso Monamodi, local entrepreneur and founder of Oratile Kids – the colourful, one-hundred-per-cent South African children’s shoe brand now stocked at Clicks – started her business with just one sewing machine. Perhaps more surprising: she didn’t even know how to sew! “The lady who sold me the machine said, ‘I can’t sell you this machine if you can’t sew.’ So I would go to her shop every Friday afternoon for lessons,” Tsepiso recounts. Oratile Kids was born from Tsepiso’s quest to find shoes for her toddler. Her aunt had told her about soft shoes for toddlers that were available when Tsepiso was a child, insisting that Tsepiso buy them for her own little one. Tsepiso searched high and low but could only find one very overpriced supplier. The more she researched, the more she fell in love with the concept of comfortable, durable shoes that actually aided baby’s development. “I thought, maybe I could offer them, but they could have more of an African feel. I wanted them to be unique. I taught myself how to make the shoes – it took me about six months.”  The word oratile means love, and was chosen because the shoes are made with love. Tsepiso sold her products at markets for about three years, and describes this as her “biggest learning experience” because engaging with customers in this setting allowed her to hone her craft. When the pandemic hit and markets were forced to close, Tsepiso started using social media to sell her products. This was when her business started to flourish and she caught Clicks’ eye.  She recalls that when she received a direct message on social media from the Clicks team, she thought it was a hoax. “I thought, ‘No man, these people are lying!’” she says with a laugh. But the interest was real, and Oratile Kids became a Clicks supplier when the first stand-alone Clicks Baby Store opened at Gateway Theatre of Shopping in KwaZulu-Natal last year. You can find her products as well as many other South African brands by looking out for the locally sourced logo in-store and on the Clicks website.  Building a healthier economy by supporting local businesses “We currently stock close to 780 locally produced products in our stores and we plan to continue growing this number,” says Clicks Brand Executive Phathiswa Sefatsa. “Sourcing locally is an important part of building healthier futures for South Africa’s small and medium-sized enterprises and is what will create stable jobs and a healthier economy for our country.” The leading health and beauty retailer’s commitment to sourcing South African products saw the launch of a supplier development programme in 2021. In addition to actively seeking out brands such as Oratile Kids, Clicks also launched a user-friendly portal on clicks.co.za, via which local entrepreneurs can apply to become a supplier. The Clicks Group plans to target over R4.5 billion sourced through black women-owned suppliers over the next three years. “Our sales have increased by 34% since we started selling at Clicks. They have really held my hand through this,” Tsepiso shares. “Remember, I knew nothing about retail. They’ve helped us to be more consistent in terms of the products that we’re delivering. They also want to help us enhance our offering. We’ve started engaging about an enterprise development plan, where they are going to be helping us to get factory space, more machinery and also to increase the number of stores that we are in. It’s really exciting – good things are coming!” The Oratile Kids range is available from R190 at Clicks Baby stores and countrywide via clicks.co.za

June 27, 2022
Baby and I Melrose

Introducing Baby to Solids and a Sippy Cup

First Foods As baby grows, the time will come when you need to introduce him or her to solid foods.  Usually this is around age 4 months.  Solid foods can be introduced in any order. It is recommended that puréed meats, poultry, beans and iron-fortified cereals are introduced as first foods, particularly when your baby has been primarily breastfed. Introduce only one single new food at a time, to enable baby to become familiar with the different textures and flavours.  This will also help to identify any food that appears to not agree with baby’s young and fragile digestive system, which can then easily be eliminated and introduced again at a later stage. Banana purée is rich in potassium and fibre and can be introduced with rice cereal which is one of the most common first foods recommended for baby.  Rice cereals are the least allergenic and can be very easily digested.  Other great suggestions are : Pea purée Avocado purée Sweet potato purée Butternut purée Baby carrots purée Sippy Cups How do you know when your baby is ready to start using a sippy cup?  Experts say that around 6 months is the ideal time.  By now baby is sitting confidently in a high-chair, can keep their balance and is able to firmly grip objects between both hands.  By six months baby will also be well into eating solid foods.  Babies have been known to start to reject their bottle around six months, which makes it the perfect time to introduce a sippy cup.  Children stop drinking formula altogether by the time they are 18 months old and by this time, will be enjoying more interesting liquids in their sippy cup such as diluted fruit juice or rooibos tea. Initially offer small amounts of cooled boiled tap water to encourage baby to become familiar with the feeling of a different way of drinking.  At first, you may place baby formula in the sippy cup as well, however, it’s important to know that you should not substitute a sippy cup for baby’s normal bottle.   The idea is to simply introduce baby to the sippy cup, so that over time they become more comfortable with it.  Weaning baby from the bottle is a big step and no matter your approach, it’s interesting to note that parents who decide to stick with the bottle longer without introducing a sippy cup, have found that baby tends to drink more milk.  This causes baby to fill up making the introduction of solid food a little more challenging. When first introduced to baby, the sippy cup is not meant to replace a bottle feed, bearing in mind that initially your baby may not drink too much from the sippy cup, until he or she grasps the concept and understands how sucking will bring the liquid up through the straw. If you introduce a sippy cup at around age six months, your baby should be comfortable with it by the time you begin to wean them from the bottle at around 12 months.  From a nutritional aspect, your baby by age 12 months, should not require a midday bottle anymore, making it a good first bottle to eliminate.  Make the process of switching from bottle to sippy cup a gradual one – every few days – to ensure that baby doesn’t become distressed which could result in a refusal to take the sippy cup.  Do this every few days until only the evening bottle is left. The gradual switching from bottle to sippy cup over time, may not work for everyone and this is completely okay.  You need to do what works best for you and your baby! There is no hard and fast rule that says baby must be completely weaned from their bottle by their first birthday or by 18 months.  Please remember that these are merely guidelines. Using sippy cups promotes good oral hygiene and prevents speech and dental issues that could develop.  If your baby has been solely formula-fed, you may have already had to try several different brands of teats before finding the perfect fit.  However, finding the perfect sippy cup for baby is just one click away.  Baby and I have that perfect sippy cup!   The Gravity Learning Sippy Cup is dynamic with a practical design which makes baby’s drinking experience more interesting.  With a V-shaped drinking straw, the cup is completely leak-proof and most importantly, choke-proof.  The Gravity Learning Sippy Cup will train baby’s hand eye coordination with special features such as  :  360 Gravity Ball Leakproof Eco-friendly Easy to Clean Durable BPA free Preferred Tritan Material Clean as Glass Cleaning The Gravity Learning Sippy Cup is simple It is recommended to use warm water and a mild detergent to clean. If high temperature disinfectant is required, do not exceed 30 seconds as this can cause deformation of the cup. The Gravity Learning Sippy Cup is available on Baby and I website . Please note certain products take 2-3 weeks for shipping, but Baby and I will stay in touch through this time. Baby & I Melrose offers a unique experience as a Baby Boutique in South Africa. We hold a niche in the baby and children’s industry by providing the world’s premier shopping experience for expectant and new parents. From cots to travel systems to educational toys to nursery décor, we have an exclusive range to help you welcome your bundle into your life. As a Premier Baby Boutique in South Africa, we focus on offering exceptional essential baby products and brands with attention to detail and providing quality items all delivered to your door.  We offer premium brands and products available at your fingertips 24 hours a day. 

June 27, 2022
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