In the old days when I was growing up – way back in the sixties and the seventies – school and home seemed like two different and separate…
As the school year ends, parents tend to breath a sigh of relief that the morning school rush is over, tired children will catch up on sleep, there’s…
Hey it’s Vanessa here, I decided to jump on the recycling band wagon and upcycled some used milk formula tins simply by painting them, and planting herbs in…
Combining games night with a family meal is one way to have a lot of fun. You can get dressed up, divide family members into who is responsible…
This time of year typically means rather changeable weather and often clear windy days where I live, so what better thing to make than a kite? And what…
What better reason could there be to celebrate the wonderful dads in our families than Father’s Day? Dads come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes it’s someone…
Most teachers, when asked what parents can do to support their children at school, would suggest parents spend more time with their children, encouraging active learning. They’d ask for televisions,…
My little boy loves getting out and exploring. It’s never a fast walk when you have a toddler setting the pace as there are so many things he…
As I am writing this, outside my window it is a beautiful crisp clear Wellington morning – the perfect day for an outdoor adventure with the family. If…
If Huck Finn could float down the Mississippi on a couple of logs lashed together to resemble a raft, then I reckon two adults and a preschooler can…
It’s probably fair to say that family is where most people lay down the foundations for all later interactions in their lives – one of those interactions being…
This post looks at how to make family fitness fun and why it’s a worthwhile investment. We all know that physical activity is good for our bodies, inside…
It’s winter again – cold, dark, and occasionally wet and/or snowing, depending which bit of New Zealand you live in. So how can you keep the family active…
A vegetable garden is a fabulous way for a family to work together to achieve something amazing. As luck would have it, the time is right to get…
Why is it that some children love to write and draw and for others it’s a struggle to get them to even pick up a pencil? Encouraging your…
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” I read this and I can relate. No,…
We often think of change as something scary; something to be avoided at all costs in some cases! Whether you are adjusting your child’s daily routine, testing a…
I was contacted recently by a parent who is concerned about how his 4 children access the internet. He told me that his kids are growing up and…
Children are constantly grappling with increasingly new amounts of information, environments, activities, expectations, people and so much more. Helping children to adapt to change, and to become more…
When a new baby comes into the home it can be a trying time for everyone – including siblings. Sometimes any uncertainty or uneasiness on the sibling’s part…
Changes within the family come in almost any conceivable way. It could be as joyous as the addition of a new baby all the way through to the…
Pets are often a part of the family, and for children they can be their best and most unconditional friend. As a home-based early childhood teacher/kaiako for Footsteps…
On long, wet days – especially during the school holidays – getting together around the table can be a lot of fun and games provide a welcome pastime.…
Combining craft with making lasting, visual memories is a fantastic way to bond together with your children. If you’ve never tried scrapbooking before, it doesn’t have to be…
School holidays require a little bit of extra effort on the part of parents of school aged children. Generally speaking all extra activities are off for the school…
Kids love music! Whether you’ve got young children or older school children in your house, making music can be a great way to spend some time together. If…
Sometimes it can be pretty difficult getting everyone into an activity when they’re at different ages and/or stages of development. So today we look at spending some school…
When the weather forecast features some sun in the holidays, it’s a nice opportunity to get out and about with the kids. It’s also a great opportunity for…
It’s the weekend between two long weeks of school holidays. It might be time for dad to take the kids for a day (or part day) if mum…
April 25th is a day of great significance. Here are some ANZAC Day activities to do together as a family, so you can mark this day in a memorable…
Autumn is an awesome time to explore the garden with your kids! It’s a bit cooler and there’s lots happening. My 4 year old is currently obsessed with…
Awesome treasure hunts do not have to be difficult to organise or especially time consuming… but they can be if you want them to be!
Welcome to the school holidays! Whether you dread the thought of filling those long school-less days or you love the chance to hang with your crew, we’ve got…
It’s easy for us to forget that events in our (fairly recent) past – things that we were involved in or might be able to remember – count…
Monitoring software is available for mobile devices, just like it’s been available for laptops and desktops for some time. The software is simple. Parents create an online account…
We parents can feel consumed by our role to care for our children, and feeding is a big part of that responsibility. Try these 9 ways to avoid picky…
Cupcakes: what better way to get all the kids involved in not only creating a masterpiece using their imaginations but also learning about baking, measuring, decorating and so…
Gluten is a protein and is found in foods made from wheat, barley and rye. It is what makes food such as pasta and bread elastic and chewy in texture. A…
The occasional drought notwithstanding, New Zealand is a pretty good place for a backyard garden; for growing a few fruit and vege plants that you can feel proud…
Making meal times easy for kids shouldn’t be so hard! This easy meals for kids article is packed full of tips for introducing kids to new foods, without…
There are some alarming reports on childhood obesity and the long-term impact it’s going to have on our kids’ lifespan, health and the nation’s wallet. It’s easy to…
Ever wonder what to do for your child’s birthday party? Do you feel pressured to keep up with the latest party trend? Maybe your children expect bigger and…
After the sad death of Margaret Mahy last year, the title of greatest living children’s author in New Zealand must go to Joy Cowley, author of literally hundreds…
I get lots of questions about toilet training children and with some children, it can be a really challenging business. Recently, I received this email from a desperate…
Get out of the Rut Putting your kid’s lunchbox together can be boring. It involves ticking off a mundane checklist as you quickly fling items in: sandwich -…
I saw this on a craft blog and LOVED it so I had to share it! This would be great for in mum’s handbag, in the car or…
Hi everyone, Cecilia Robinson here with a few more tips on easing the transition back to school. I hope you have all had a fantastic summer break. Funny…
Combining exercise with family activities has many benefits, and not just to our waistlines and fitness levels. Active kids eat better, sleep better and think better and so…
We love getting creative in our family and I believe it is extremely important for children to be able to use their minds and imagination to explore different…
How well do you know stories of your ancestors? I go back five generations in this land, on each side of my family, but what came before that…
A new rule increasing the age of mandatory child restraint use is a positive step in the safety of kiwi kids, says Kelly Good, car safety technician based…
My girls are quite creative, I guess they take after their mum in that respect. They both love to colour, but my youngest has recently taken a real…
I don’t know about you, but we’re in the middle of Games fever here at the moment! If your kids are keen on the Games too, here are some…
Almost every day parents write to FamilyLab and say: “My children never listen to what I say!” What they sometimes mean is that the children do not obey…
My daughter Sophie turns 11 next week. She’s also in her last year of primary school. I am struggling with all of this to be honest. My girls…
Over 2000 years ago, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, said ‘All disease begins in the gut’. This is as true today as it was then. When our digestion…
Auckland Museum presents for the first time CAMERA Season of Photography, a major showcase of some of the most remarkable wildlife and documentary photography from New Zealand and…
Capital E National Theatre for Children presents: The Dominion Post season of MAGNOLIA STREET On this street you’ll discover that magnolia trees have hearts, unexpected friendships are the best…
Visa Inc. and Marvel Comics have teamed up to promote financial literacy in New Zealand and around the world through a new action-packed comic book Avengers: Saving the…
Here’s a great event at the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival- just for kids (big and small ;):
“Score a goal and I will give you 5 dollars” – I recently heard these words shouted out by a parent on the sideline of a 5 year-olds soccer game.…
Every parent wants their child to do well at school, so and finding out your child is gifted should be a positive and rewarding experience. However, being gifted…
As a nutritionist who is passionate about food, I believe the joy of food, and a healthy relationship with food, is something all children should experience. Teaching kids…
It’s almost Easter and the smell of chocolate is in the air! I thought it would be good to have some Easter crafts for kids that you can…
Angelina Ballerina, the star of some twenty popular children’s books and an animated TV series, will soon be appearing in towns throughout the country in Royal New Zealand…
The All New Coca-Cola Easter Show is just around the corner – taking place in Auckland from Thursday April 5th to Monday April 9th at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds.
There’s nothing nicer than cuddling up with your kids and a book and sharing a great story together. I’m sure that all of you have had the experience…
As the first day of February dawned, I realised with horror that my youngest daughter Emily turned 9 in less than a month and I had done absolutely…
Over the next few weeks there will be a myriad of emotions at the school gate. Tears glistening in the eyes struggling to be held back, excitement with…
It’s that time again when parents are reminded by relentless advertising on TV that its is time to get their children ready to return to school. I meet…
Back to school is a busy time of year and there are always thousands of pieces of paper! I got this idea from a craft website and not only…
“Ding ding ding” School’s in. Sigh. Back to grind for many of us. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday with loads of fun, laughter, food and…
Do you know what your children want to be when they grow up? Maybe a doctor? A pop star? Or perhaps captain of the All Blacks? ChildFund, through…
It’s a new year; time for focusing on new challenges. For parents, this year will see an increase in SMART phone usage and schools moving on implementing BYOD…
I saw a version of these rainbow biscuits in Pinterest and I couldn’t resist having a go at some myself… they looked so pretty! But my three year…
Are you a parent or a caregiver of a child, interested in his or her health and wellbeing? If our children are to enjoy optimal health, they must…
Making a packed lunch for children every day can be quite a test of parents’ ingenuity. It’s all too easy to fall into a boring routine or a…
Holidays can become stressful times of the year very quickly. Work stress can flow over into holiday stress, and mess up a good holiday. But taking holidays with your teen doesn’t…
Summer is almost upon us, and that means holidays and Christmas too… I do take a little comfort here in New Zealand that we don’t break out the…
One of the most important factors in preventing learning difficulties from developing in children is to ensure that from the moment of birth each child is free when…
It is generally accepted that a balance between food (input) and activity (output) is imperative for maintaining a healthy weight and good overall health. From newborn – and…
I was teaching a parenting seminar a few weeks ago and showing parents how to insist that their children do as they are told. A parent asked, “But isn’t…
I started my cake decorating career back with Bananas in Pyjamas for a little guy called Tom for his first birthday. Tom has now just celebrated his 15th…
The importance of family traditions. Family rituals and traditions bring us together; they connect us and become part of each family’s identity. Birthday celebrations are amongst the most…
If colouring books and pencils aren’t enough to keep the kids busy during the holidays, then these website ideas might do the trick. We’ve pulled together the top 10 educational…
Parent often ask me what they can do at home to help their children with learning difficulties. Because we are engaged in a process of remediating the underlying…
A vegetarian diet can be very healthy, but care needs to be taken to achieve a well balanced diet to ensure an adequate intake of nutrients. In a…
Many studies have supported the evidence that vegetarians have a lower risk for developing health issues such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and diet related cancers. Overall vegetarians…
In a recent workshop for RTLBs I discussed all of the different diagnosis which are given to children today with learning or behaviours difficulties. We now have ADHD,…
BALANCE is a Key to Successful Learning Vision and hearing, good fuel and hydration are obvious to most of us. However, many parents and teachers do not realise…
Getting ready to go back to school holds excitement and anticipation for some students and pure dread for others. Those children who have all of their “learning equipment”…
As a parent your first steps are to ensure that your child’s most obvious learning equipment is in good order and functioning well. Parents should submit their children…
Every parent who has ever delivered their child to school on their very first day at the tender age of 5 years will recall the myriad of emotions…
How bad has this winter been for colds and flus? I have seen countless cases of families suffering with the nasty viruses that have been circulating around the…
Are there more children today with Learning Difficulties? If you ask any senior teacher they will invariably tell you that there are more children today with learning and…
School lunches may be something that we all hate having to prepare each morning. However school holidays can often bring different challenges.
Often, the first sign that you have osteoporosis is that you break a bone. Osteoporosis has no symptoms and the disease offers its victims no warning until it is…
There is a programme I try not to miss during the week at 4.00 p.m. on Radio New Zealand National called “The Panel.” The host has two guest…
The Christchurch mosque shootings have shaken most of us to the core. There is just a general disbelief that anything like this could have happened in New Zealand……
Thank you to all the lovely people who have sent me “real” questions about their daily lives as parents. I will answer them in the order they arrived.