When heavily pregnant with your first baby, you can often begin to feel rather swamped with peoples’ remarks regarding the pending sleep deprivation which is going to beset…
Do you often think that others can manage their weight without having to put in half the effort that you do? Sometimes it seems like some people never…
One essential aspect of lovingly nurturing and respecting yourself, is the intrinsic need to pay significant caring attention to your own intuition. As author Jeanne Elizabeth Blum writes…
It seems that one minute none of us had heard of swine flu and the next minute it was a significant world wide issue. As I write this…
There is usually an exhausting, painful grief a new mother goes through – no matter how good her pregnancy turned out to be, or how thrilling the birth…
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……
If you are a mother with young children at home then chances are you will feel that often your day revolves around meal times and food. No sooner…
Many occupations require people to carry out shift work. You may work in a hospital, police or ambulance service, transport industry or a factory.
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.
If you are a mother with young children at home then chances are you will feel that often your day revolves around meal times and food. No sooner…
These days, when we take on the role of motherhood, the majority of us sacrifice ‘fulfilling our own full potential’ in almost every other avenue of our lives.…
Unpaid word, or paid work: that is the motherhood question … but if you psychoanalysed the ‘answer’, its personality could be described as a deranged, confused, bewildered lost…
As parents, we often find ourselves with two competing parenting “ethics” and these are the source of a parenting dilemma that means we are uncertain of “which way to…
Last month I talked about the idea that, to quote Margaret Nelson-Agee, “Until you have two competing ethics, you don’t have an ethical dilemma.” As parents, we often…
Many of us set New Year resolutions. You will not be alone if one of your resolutions focuses on weight loss. A search on Google confirms that weight…
Happy New Year! Once again the media abounds with articles about sun and safety. A recent one began: “Parents warned about sun’s danger.” It began with a reminder…
Recently I attended yet another parenting seminar, in the ongoing quest, I suppose, for anything that may assist with the challenging role we face as parents. This seminar…
Fathers… It is fifteen years since my father passed away, just six weeks after our first son was born. My husband John’s father passed way before he was…
Vernon and I have had a special privilege these holidays. It is to spend a length of time in our one-roomed beach-house in sometimes less-than-summer weather with our…
Today I am going to sound like a “Grumpy Grandma.” I am going to tell you all about 4 common labels that disempower parents. These really annoy me because…
Are you seeking effective parenting methods for raising your kids? Family therapist and renowned author Diane Levy provides 5 key strategies to improve child attitude and behaviour —…
It never ceases to amaze me how often a certain wisdom has been known for a long time and then, Hey Presto!, along comes a scientific discovery that…
With our growing obesity problem in New Zealand we have seen the introduction of a number of food guidelines being issued to schools. This has included advising parents…
Much has been said lately about wrapping your kids up in cotton wool. I have been as guilty as most about being over protective, however the more kids…
I spoke at a function the other night to raise money for a wonderful woman who has Her2 breast cancer. I don’t know the woman or her friends…
We are all becoming more aware of where our money goes. Trying to reduce food costs is a goal for everyone. Although everyone is trying to shop smarter and…
People often ask can toddlers help in the kitchen and the answer is a resounding Yes! As we know toddlers and preschoolers often want to be with you…
Midwife Kathy Fray overviews the Breastfeeding vs. Infant Formula debate, including the costs & benefits of each for NZ Mums.
With rising food costs many people are looking at what and how they eat. Even popping into the supermarket for a small shop seems to hit the wallet…
This month our eldest son turned 15. Everyone I know has an opinion on whether he should or shouldn’t get his learners drivers license; everyone that is apart…
Press Release Business is blooming for two Tauranga women who developed the idea of saucy lingerie for pregnant women. Lisa Ebbing and Ange Crosbie and their maternity lingerie…
Until recently I had thought that a “day of rest” was only for families who followed a particular faith, and who therefore took a complete day off from…
We don’t need the media to alert us to the fact that the cost of living is going up, we can all see that our money does not…
It appears that the topic of the moment is the ever increasing “cost of living “ particularly the basic necessities such as food. You can imagine that with…
With all of the activity surrounding Real Nappy Week, it has caused me to think back to our “nappy days”, and all of the trauma and expense they…
I think my 14 year old son is very lucky. Lucky because he has just spent the first week of his school holidays with his Grandparents. Now, I…
For the second time in recent years my children have unwittingly lead me on a journey back in time. And what a very pleasant and fun filled journey…
We’ve been a lucky family when it comes to grief and dealing with death in the family. My children have both sets of grandparents to provide all the…
Over the school holidays our girls spent a lovely week in Dunedin with Donal’s sister and her family. While they did many fun things (such as visiting the…
Only 3 more weeks left of Term 1. I seem to have just recovered from the last holidays. As much as I enjoy the break from routine, the…
On Easter Monday at 1 p.m., I went to one of the hardest funerals I have ever been to. It was to celebrate the life of Alison (Aly)…
Our 9 year old daughter had a sobering message on the drive home from school the other day. It went something like this, “we have to start doing…
The school term is about to get under way, and we are about to get back into the school lunch box routine. It is a well known fact that what…
Every so often the age range of our children creates little dilemmas – and Christmas is one of those times! Remember we’re the ones with a teenager, a…
So what does a Super Dad write about for his first parenting article? Having just assumed this mantle I find that the pressure is now on. Out of…
If you worry about whether your child is eating enough and whether the amount they eat is normal, you are not alone. Many parents feel uncertain about what…
Life with children is always busy and planning meals, preparing food, and then getting the little darlings to eat it can take up big chunks of your precious…
Christmas has always been a family time for me and it certainly holds many special memories. As a child it never seemed to come around quickly enough, now…
The issues of chores and pocket money and whether there should be linkage between the two have always vexed parents. Vernon and I tried many and varied ways…
I am interested in your knowing that, if the law continues to inform you that you may not smack your child (or, at the very least, ought not to…
Super Granny Diane Levy talks to Kerry Burridge about her books and her work with families.
The last three months have been exceptionally busy for the Kiwi Families team, as they included three Parent and Child Shows across the country. We started in Christchurch…
It’s been an adventurous couple of months in the Leishman household as we reached the culmination of a number of years of planning to take off on a…
October the 18th was Love Your Body Day — it was a chance to celebrate the fact that all women are beautiful. It is a celebration of women and…
Sometimes, when I give a seminar that involves teaching our children to do as they are told, a question comes up early on. I have just got as far…
Mark Leishman’s had a long and varied career as a New Zealand radio and TV broadcaster. Here’s his ten top tips for developing respect and assertiveness in our…
Dietary iron is something we all need but women, children and teenagers commonly eat less iron than they need. In New Zealand it is estimated that about 42%…
Earlier this year I was invited to be the nutrition judge for a competition for our local restaurants. Our local paper (the Bay of Plenty Times) along with…
I live in a world surrounded by males. With six brothers and no sisters, four sons and no daughters and a husband, you could say that I have…
I always remember a pop song of the early 60s. I would have been about six years old but the song was called My Dad by Paul Peterson…
Unfortunately, when it comes to our teeth, we’re not like sharks – we don’t have 3 rows of teeth and we can’t grow a new one if we lose…
I was deeply disturbed when I heard that another child had been abused and was in a serious condition in Starship hospital. I can’t bear to think of…
About seventeen years ago, I read a book which impressed me greatly and turned upside down my thinking about how to raise children. The book was called “The…
I’m sure many of you reading this column are working mums (or working dads, for that matter). It’s hard, isn’t it? You try to keep everyone happy, and…
It’s the age old parent’s fear and dilemma. When to tell your child the facts of life? My tuppence worth. Do it earlier than you think advisable, and…
One of our many important roles as a parent or caregiver is to help our children foster and develop good eating habits and attitudes to food from a…
I was trying to recall how and when I learnt about the birds and the bees. I know for sure there was never any mother-daughter, or for that…
I often get calls from parents worried about their children’s self-esteem. They may have seen their teen drop out of situations, which they can usually cope with, or heard…
Now for those of you whose minds have immediately plunged into the gutter, let me drag you back up by explaining my view on reproduction. I believe that…
When parents are faced with the prospect of homework for the first time, it can be a little daunting. And it’s not always that obvious how you can…
It is a generalisation, but it can be very hard to get a man to address any health concerns early on. The attitude of ‘she’ll be right’ seems…
In September our family is taking the trip of a lifetime or at least I am hoping it will be. When we talked about the possibility last year…
By now our children are well entrenched into their new school year. Having coped with the anxiety of the first few days, the tiredness of the first few…
Barbara Coloroso in her delightful and insightful book, “Kids are Worth It” talks about three styles of parenting: Jellyfish parenting, Brick-wall parenting and Backbone parenting. Another version of…
I sit here writing to you on a grey, chilly wintery afternoon feeling a bit sorry for myself. I’m full of the snuffles, having been sick for 3…
Isn’t it fantastic the way schools these days are placing so much emphasis on Anzac Day and New Zealand’s involvement in the World Wars. It seems to me…
We all know that teenagers can be difficult to feed – one day they’re starving and nearly eat you out of house and home, and the next they…
Often I wonder if I’m a good Mum? Perhaps the only real measure is reflected in what sort of young men and women our children become, and whether…
When I had my first baby, thirty-five years ago, there were two questions that about-to-be mothers were asking themselves and each other. (Yes. I know that I said…
Have you noticed that boys and girls are different? (and no, I don’t mean the obvious anatomical differences!). For those of us parenting both boys and girls, this…
Wow – what an amazing month October has been. We formally launched the site on Monday 16 October and we’ve been in a whirlwind of activity ever since!
Thank you for visiting the Kiwi Families website – we hope to become your ongoing parenting buddy; with information and support available to you 24-7 whenever you might…
The nightly ritual when I get home from work is probably mirrored by many Dads around the country. In the door, take a breath and then it’s the…
Here’s a reality check and it’s courtesy of my good friend Jim Mora (he was the warm, witty voice of Wonder Dogs)- Jim’s afternoon radio show on National Radio…
Mark Leishman share his thoughts on being an older parent.
Family food gatherings may be a time for giving, but there’s one thing you don’t want to give your family or your guests – and that’s food poisoning.…
Do you frequently look for new recipes or do you stick with the same recipes you always use? Could some of your favourite recipes do with a makeover?…
Having four children contributes to a heavy workload and I often say that I have too many children and not enough husbands. Or, as someone corrected me recently,…
I enjoy the holidays but with 4 boys at home I have definitely run out of ideas to keep them busy and active without depleting all our financial…
I sense my 8 and 10 year old sons are struggling to believe that Santa Claus is really real. This year there have been no requests for Santa’s…
I have succumbed to the “but everybody else has” argument in allowing my two eldest sons to have mobile phones. According to them, every child eleven years and…
I am not a perfect parent and as much as I adore my four sons they aren’t perfect either; come to think of it neither is my husband…
One of the questions we are often asked as parents is “What after school activities do your children do?” Maybe it is just the “mother thing”. Since the…
February has been a funny month in our house – and that’s funny peculiar, not funny ha-ha! Ian and I have gone on a health kick. I will…
Childhood obesity is becoming a big problem in New Zealand, as it is in most Western countries. The National Children’s Nutrition Survey, carried out in 2002, showed that…
Many of us hark back to a distant memory. It may be of our family, it may be of someone else’s family, it may be of a mythical…
I know that many of us dread the kindy and school holidays. Weeks without a break from the kids. For me, I always see it from a different…
Years ago I went to a business seminar by Andrew Smith of APT (Accelerated Planning Technique). He based his planning method on the idea that every large project…
Ian and I have recently had time to sit down together, enjoy an entire cup of (hot) coffee and talk to each other without interruption. This is weird.…
The return to the school term routine presents a good time to reflect on how meal times in your household work. Here’s some of my key tips to…