Tag: news.com.au

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News

No Rorters Here

I must say that all this talk of double dipping and new mums supposedly rorting the system is hypocritical if you ask me.

New Parents - Hopefully will be still able to claim the parental leave.
New Parents – Hopefully will be still able to claim the parental leave.

The government voted for this paid parental scheme. It was structured with part coming from the employer and part from the government. Government minister wives have even made use of this scheme. It was all above board and if you were entitled to the parental leave payments why not let this help you if you are a new parent. It all helps.

Why is it that we are now having conversations about who works and who doesn’t. I for one would like to challenge any person to say that a mum that is a stay at home parent does not work. The only difference is that they are not in paid employment. This mother might be racing everywhere and going above and beyond for her family but this is not listed as work, due to no payment for said tasks.

Working mothers do it tough too. They drop their kids off at care or have family to come and help. Without care these mums would not be able to work and to contribute to society, their household and progress their careers.

It does not matter if you are in paid work or not. Looking after kids, family and a house is a big job as well. Doing this with a full time job is hard too. It is all a balancing act. No one is better or worse, it is just different.

It now seems like mothers are under attack. I know that is not actually true but that is the way it appears. Joe Hockey was asked if “Double Dipping” was fraud and he eventually said yes. Now he is back peddling. So I suppose in his mind all women/men that took advantage of this paid parental scheme, which is legal and was voted in by him and the current government are breaking the law.

 

“Social Services Minister Scott Morrison has said accessing both schemes is “double dipping” and “a rort”.

“Asked last week if it was “fraud” for mothers to collect both schemes, Mr Hockey said: “Well, it is”, but stopped short of using the word himself.”

 

You do have to qualify first to be eligible to get the paid parental leave.  Below is what you need to be eligible to claim. Taken from the Human Resources Government website:

  • be the primary carer of a newborn or recently adopted child
  • meet the Paid Parental Leave work test
  • meet the Paid Parental Leave income test
  • be on leave or not working from the time you become your child’s primary carer until the end of your Paid Parental Leave period

Just in case you are worried that paid parental leave might not be available for you, there is a note on the website that says:

“The current Paid Parental Leave scheme has not changed. It will continue to be available to eligible customers.”

Let’s just hope that it does not get changed at all, or very little if at all.

What are your thoughts? The government is now claiming that it is the parents fault for taking advantage of a legal scheme to help them spend more time with their new baby.

 

If there is a way for new parents to spend more time with their new addition why not take that up and give yourself more time to bond, and get to know your new little baby. It could be a mother or father that wishes to do this, and does not always have to be the mum that is claiming the paid parental leave.

Are you a new parent? Have you been lucky enough to get the paid parental leave? When I went on maternity leave with the twins I did not have this option and plus I was on a contract.

If paid parental leave was available when I had the twins and I was in full time employment I would have taken advantage, as it would have given us help when we really needed it. Caring for two new little people and not earning a wage was a shock to the system.

Let us know how this talk of double dipping is affecting you. What are your thoughts of all the back flipping?

 

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News

Breastfed to Get Ahead

A study in the UK shows that breastfed babies have a 24 percent better chance of climbing the social ladder. Yes an odd thing to study, climbing the social ladder.  Basically the study shows that the babies who were breastfed had better outcomes, better education, and that led to of course a better social standing.

In the article from news.com.au, it mentions the following:

“In the 1958 group, 68 percent had been breastfed compared with only 36 percent in the 1970 group, said the study”

It amazes me that in 1958 only 68% were breastfed and then in the 1970’s only 36% were breastfed, that is a massive drop. I wonder what it would be like today. As you will see below it is obviously due to the convenience and popularity of formula that this happened, and also if you had issues with breastfeeding then formula would be the way to go and that is perfectly fine. I breastfed my twins for 95% of their food for five months and did formula in the evening due to trying to keep up and make more breast milk, it was hard, but I needed the break so took to using the formula in the evening. I was very pleased I could do it for so long and managed to have a little bit for their breakfast until a week before they were eight months, after that it dried up. No more breast milk, to my upset, but it was also to good as I was expressing so it was good to not be linked to the machine anymore.

If you are interested this baby food timeline is a great list of history and very informative. Formula and other ways to feed your child was happening long before the 1950’s and of course the 1970’s.  One reason baby formula became more popular is possibly the fact that it was cheaper to purchase in the 1950’s so that allowed more mothers to feed their babies formula. In the 1970’s more improvements and the fact that hospitals gave free samples made more mothers want to use the product so it gained in popularity. If you would like to know more read more on the history of infant formula.

I know that many people cannot breastfeed, have issues, have had surgery and are just unable. The study is looking at if skin to skin contact all the time when you give the bottle to the baby does the same thing as feeding from the breast. I gave my girls mostly all breast milk and had to do it from bottles so I wonder if that is classed as bottle feeding or breast. I would say breast but you might get someone saying the baby is not having direct contact with its mother so it is not. At the end of the day I gave what I thought was the best start for my little girls. I also think that formula now days has gotten much better and if you are a parent who is doing it the formula way I think there is no need to judge or upset their decision even more.  There are reasons why you do what you do and that is your role as a parent and not mine to judge you.

I do agree though that breast is best if you can, it has all the right things in it to give your little person the best start in life, even if you cannot do it for long, everything helps.

Do you think breast milk helps you climb the social ladder? Not sure if it has helped me, I was breast fed and I don’t believe that I have moved up from my station in life, although I have continued my education, creating and doing things to build things for me and the family. Maybe that is a part of it. Who knows? Or it just could be my DNA, or personality?  Let us know what your thoughts are.

Send in your comments.

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Guest Post

Working Mom? How to Reduce Stress and Start Your Day off Right!

Relaxing before work
Up early and relaxing before work

What you do in the morning can set the tone for how successful the rest of your day is. This fact is emphasised by a number of axioms like ‘the early bird catches the worm’, ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ and ‘early to bed, early to rise, makes a (wo)man healthy wealthy and wise’. Phrases like these and others underscore the importance of having a good morning. By following just a few of these guidelines, you will be able to inspire your kids and loved ones as well as yourself, and start the day off right.

Creating a Successful Morning

A recent study by Fastcompany.com looked at what successful people do in the mornings to ensure that their days were productive and successful. The answers submitted included not wasting time by checking emails right away, avoiding procrastination by checking the worst things off the to-do list first, and taking advantage of commute time.

Workers can waste up to an hour or more when they check their email right away. By saving this task until later in the day, workers can be more focused and effective in the morning. Dreading a task takes more time than actually completing it, and to avoid this eventuality, many workers tackle their worst tasks first. Finally, when workers take the train or bus to work, they give themselves a few extra minutes of time to themselves. This time can be used for mediation, goal setting, or even phone calls. As a bonus, workers who commute may be eligible for lower insurance rates with Budget Direct comprehensive car insurance.

That Mommy Stuff— Don’t Rush It!

It can be extremely tempting to admit defeat to the pressures of daily requirements — and feel like a slave to family and work tasks. However, when you rush to “get things out of the way,” you zoom through important needs and cannot invest the proper time into your own needs and expectations of your loved ones. For example, as a mom, of course you can expect to get your kids neat and tidy for school, feed them, make your coffee, give advice on your husband’s tie and scramble to staple together those last minute reports you prepared the night before. Make time for these things — don’t wing them! Start the day extra early, so that you can put quality time and thought into each of your morning tasks, and accomplish them with focus and grace. It will put a smile on your face and will save you so much time in the long run.

Doing the Worst First and Creating Momentum

Workplace expert Michael Kerr, quoted in Forbes magazine, claims that people create good habits by integrating cues into their day. When done consistently, these cues can help set the scene for a positive day. He advises people who want to be successful to set themselves up for success before they go to bed each night. By making a list of their goals for the following day, workers will be able to clear their heads and sleep better. When they wake up in the morning, they can immediately get to work on their list. Ideally, they should tackle the hardest points first, and this will give them the momentum they need for the rest of their day.

When workers start their day by checking their email or doing other tasks that waste time, they set the scene for a day that will feel slow or sluggish. Instead, workers should arrive on time, take a deep breath, and devote five minutes to reflecting on their to-do list. By starting the day like this, Kerr explains, workers set themselves up for success.

Re-evaluating Your Morning Commute

One of four Sydney commuters, according to NRMA as referenced in a News.com.au article, spend up to an hour and a half driving to and from work each day. When compiled, this driving time equates to twenty two days per year which is far greater than the time that most of these commuters spend on holiday each year. Sitting in gridlock can be disastrous when it comes to stress reduction, and if you are one of the thousands of Sydney residents who are in this situation, you should re-evaluate how you travel to work.

Trading in your car keys for a bus or train pass can do wonders for your mental health. The time on the train can be invaluable for relaxation or organisation. While sitting on a train, commuters give themselves the opportunity to relax in ways that they simply cannot while behind the wheel of a car. In addition to these benefits, a commute also reduces the total number of kilometres that you drive your car each day, and reducing your time driving can have a positive impact on car insurance rates when you contact an insurance provider like Budget Direct.

By integrating just a few of these ideas into your morning routine, you can make your day (and ultimately your life) more successful.

This is a guest post By Daniel Brown. Danny comes from a family of educators: Mom was an English teacher, and Dad sits on the school board in his hometown. While he finishes up his master’s in education, Danny writes for several education blogs.

 

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News

All Kids Need to Swim

Swimming with the girls
Swimming with the girls, when they were younger.

More young people are drowning due to not being taught to swim, according to an article on news.com.au. I for one believe it is the high cost of swimming lessons that are causing this. Parents cannot afford to pay for school, other activities and of course swimming lessons.

Quotes from the news.com.au article:

“Royal Life Saving believes that the rapid increase in drowning in young adults … is undeniably linked to a fall in the swimming and water safety skills of children in Australia over the past 10 years,” the organisation said.

“The RLSS believes many families simply can’t afford swimming lessons and having them as part of the curriculum would be one way to ensure all children receive training.”

“It acknowledged that some schools do offer swimming training but said it was often only a few lessons every year.”

We have been fortunate to have the girls have some swimming lessons but cannot afford to do so this year. This is due to the girls going to pre-school and the costs of everything else in between.  In my post “The extreme cost of activities for kids” I mention that it will cost for both kids to do a 10 week term for swimming lessons it will cost us, $280.00. There are four terms per year, so you will need to times $280.00 by four to find out the real cost per year to put kids in swimming lessons. The amount comes to: $1,120.00, so as you can imagine it is a lot of money to find that is extra on top of what you are already paying.

I also touched on the idea to have the schools have swimming lessons as part of the curriculum in my post, ‘Swimming for all, not just for the lucky 10,000’ as I believe this would be beneficial. It would give every child the chance to learn how to swim.   Swimming is a life skill that will save lives.  Money should not be an issue, everyone has the right to know how to swim and it should be part of the school system.

Kids who are around water, or who come into contact with water need to know how to be safe. If they fall in they know how to get out of trouble. What happens if they go to a mates place, they have a pool and this kid cannot swim? Will other kids pick on this child? Will they throw him/her in the pool as a joke due to not believing the child? If this happens and the kid cannot swim, then this is dangerous and of course a possible drowning. However it is preventable and learning how to swim is vital to being safe and of course having fun and participation in water sports.

Being around water and swimming is fun for health and relaxation. Living in Australia we are surrounded by water so one day your child will come into contact with a pool, the sea at the beach or a creek at a farm. It is not only safety with water outside the house; it helps kids know how to get out of trouble even in the bath. My girls have fallen over while playing in the bath and managed to get up unassisted. I do believe that this is due to the training at the pool and the fact that we as parents take them swimming and try and teach them.

Also on The Sydney Morning Heralds article about the rise in drownings, “Mr Bradley (From the RLSS) says about one in five Australian teenagers are entering high school unable to swim 50 metres or even float for two minutes.”  I for one find this shocking, not being able to swim that distance and also not able to float for 2 minutes, my kids are four and they can swim, well dog paddle mostly the length of a pool and also to float for more than 2 minutes.

I agree with the RLSS and would like to see the school system take on board swimming lessons for all children. What are your thoughts? Do you find it tough to pay for swimming lessons? Do your kids swim? If all kids could swim, it would making a safer world for kids.  Send in your comments

Why not continue the discussion on our twitter (when on twitter use #kidsafety) or facebook pages.

Disclaimer:  ‘I am participating in the National Kidsafe Day Blogger Competition to support and promote child safety, along with the added bonus of chances to win prizes. All opinions are my own and not those of Kidsafe. To find out more or to enter the competition, please visit www.kidsafe.com.au

 

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News

Is Technology Making Us Smarter?

According to a story on news.com.au by Jackie Sinnerton, technology is making us smarter. This is apparently due to being exposed to more information and a wider vocabulary. I do agree the more things you are exposed to the greater chance you have of learning more and absorbing the information, this is especially so for little kids who have been described as sponges due to the fact that they soak up everything around them.

I do question the person or family that cannot afford all the gadgets and technology and doing things the old fashioned way. Reading books, exposing their child/children to the same things but not via a computer tablet, or an iPhone (note, I have the series 4). I do agree if you can afford the technology all the better, however it is expensive to make sure that you have what your kid needs in this technology age. We would love to give the kids an iPad each, but we are not made of money. It does not need to be an iPad, it could be a Google Nexus each or something similar. Maybe the Microsoft Surface (release date for 26th Oct 2012 – not sure what the cost of this product is as yet, waiting to see) when it comes out. We are not picky but it really all does come down to money. We cannot purchase one we will need to get two, so every cost is doubled.

In this age of technology it is a must to expose your child/children to computers and any technology that will help them with their future and of course school work. No computer skills will be a negative in the future, everything is computer driven and related. I must say that the iPhone that I was lucky to get for my birthday this year was very easy to use and with no lessons the twins are using it like masters.

My girls have done most things early, but not sure if that is a sign of genius or just smart little girls. I do know they have been told they are advanced in some areas, but also in some areas they need to do more. So in regards to advancement who knows really. In the news.com.au article there is a link to a Mensa Test. I never do well at intelligence tests, not that I am dumb but my brain does not do well with these type of questions. I like more creative things, I tend to find that I lean towards to the arts more than the maths and sciences. Maybe this is why I don’t do well with an intelligence test.

Why not test your smarts and take the Mensa Mini Quiz, answers are listed as well just in case you want to know if you are getting it right. Not everyone can be geniuses or have a high IQ. I do think my kids are smart but it does not bother me as long as they are happy. When they are older the girls find something they like to do, and manage to make a living out. You can only wish for happiness and that they do well. If they are clever at some subjects or certain areas, I do hope the school sees this and pushes them to do more, although hard to know until they are in school as they are still in pre-school. Why is it everyone has to have advanced clever kids, why can’t they just be average? I know it is more interesting if they are smart and excel and everything, however many successful people were average and have done very well.

Many kids that are very smart give up trying as they think it all comes naturally to them. When they go to a selective school with all smart kids they find it hard to keep up as they are now not the smartest person in the room.  This is a big shock to some kids. The average student tends to try harder and achieves while some over achievers and high IQ kids don’t want to pursue a career as a doctor, lawyer or politician and some decide the pressure is too much. I have seen this happen.  While this is just some things that I have witnessed and is not indication for all, so don’t think that average is bad, it sometimes can make you try harder and do very well at life.

Do you think we are getting smarter? Is it due to more information or that parents are teaching more things to their children and in turn the kids are learning more? As a stay at home mother I find that the kids benefit by me being here and teaching them, but vice versa, if I was working they would be learning things at care and also to pre-school so maybe it is much of a muchness. Send in your comments, and why not continue the discussion on our twitter or facebook pages.

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News

No Pram = Angry customers

You and the family are off to breakfast on the weekend. You have the pram with you, due to the fact that you have young kids. You are about to sit down to then be told, prams are not allowed in the cafe or restaurant on weekends.

This happened to a Port Melbourne man, George Hitchens. His story was documented in the following article, “Dad furious as cafe says ‘no prams allowed'”.  According to the article, there was plenty of room to accommodate the pram. Mr Hitchens asked if prams were being discriminated against but was told no, Mr Hitchens also asked the cafe owner if the same rule would be made for people in wheelchairs and the answer was no. The cafe in question has a regular customer that is in a wheelchair and they accommodate this person easily.

The response was that prams are getting too big and the weekends the cafe is very busy. I do understand the remark that prams are getting bigger and bigger. I have seen ones that are very similar to a 4wd’s/SUV’s. However I feel that if you, as a customer see that there is room in the cafe to accommodate you and the family, why not be seated?

I agree with George Hitchens that if this is the treament that they got, why would you frequent the cafe and would probalby tell others not to, but that is just me.  I am not speaking from the perspective of the business and I can imagine it is difficult to find room for prams and patrons. However if there is room, why not?  Just my input.

Have you had this happen to you? If so what did you do about it? Did you manage to work on a resolution, and go back to the cafe/restaurant in question? Send in your comments.

Categories
3 years and beyond

Costs of childcare

I don’t know about you but it is expensive to put kids into care.  Having two kids at once does make it more expensive, you have to double everything. In the news today there was a lady saying that she pays over $100 a day for child care (I would say for the cost she is in the city), I am assuming that is for one child. I would say that would need to be doubled for two kids.

Her theory of going back to work is a good one; she is trying to keep current in her chosen field. The more years you are out of the workforce the harder it is to get the next job.  I do agree with her, although I don’t want to go through all the stress and headache of putting kids into care to do a job that I do love, to not earn any money for it. With the rate of say $100 per day for one child it would not be a viable choice for me at all.

Here are some articles about childcare:

I know child care workers are underpaid and not appreciated enough. My girls bloomed with the two years they went to child care; however we could only manage to send them for one day a week. This one day cost us nearly $100 for just the day for both the girls. I think the workers need to get paid more; however I don’t see how this increase won’t flow onto parents.  The issue I have with child care and parents especially mothers returning to the workforce is the cost and the issues around it. The government is losing out on a great number of skilled workers who are in the same boat as myself, would like to do a part time role or say part time in the office and the rest from home. However due to non-flexible arrangements, no family support, high child care costs, and probably other things I have not listed, working is out of the question while kids are young.

Is it practical for you to go back to work?  I for one would love the change and chance to shine again in the corporate world; however it is not possible for the major reason of childcare costs, family support, and also the fact that I would like to stay home until the kids are at least at school. Even when they are at school, as the primary care giver you only have the window of school hours barring any sickness, and of course you have to drop tools when school holidays roll around.

Now the kids are in pre-school that is a cost and it is as stated times two, adding child care into the mix is not possible for us at the moment. I for one don’t understand how women and some fathers do it.  How do you work for the sole purpose of paying the child care centre? What do you do if the money you make is not enough for the bills for the centre? How does factoring in the travel , clothes, food and all the extras for the job help with the fact that child care costs are deducted from your salary?  If I got a job in the city, I would have to hire a nanny or carer to mind kids before school and after, to drop and pick up from school and to also to wait until I got home after work. This would add to our costs, especially with pre-school and commuting to the city.

I do think it is great women are doing work as well, and would like to know how you do it all.  I find it difficult with two kids and not working in a paid job.  Tonight, on the news there was some talk that the government  will help with the costs for child care workers, I do agree this would help, although if and when it will happen is another thing entirely. It is sad that we cannot pay them more and have reasonable fees that will allow parents to go to work and to have kids in care. Send in your comments on how you manage to find the cash for child care and manage with a part time/full time job.

Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

Categories
3 years and beyond Pre-School

First day at Pre-School

Julia and Lillian - First Day of Pre-School
Julia and Lillian - First Day of Pre-School

The first day at pre-school went really well, although the girls were  bit shy when we got there, hearing about the slippery dip made the girls skip and run out to play without a thought to us.  We then made our leave quickly.  I was a bit sad but also happy that they are at this stage to go to school to learn more. I am also to even happier to getting some time off without the kids, it is a god sent.

This morning it was blue skies, sun and wonderful summer heat. This nice weather was a false alarm and was about to change to our big surprise. We ended up having a huge thunder storm that drenched us in so much water and hail. It was just so intense. The storm lasted over an hour and it seemed to be getting heavier and harder throughout the storm. James was home as he wanted to be here for the girls first day of pre-school was helping me run around the house to see if we were really water tight, and all was o.k. We seemed o.k, but we just watched in amazement at how the hail was failing and how quickly the water was flowing down the street and our driveway.

People here have put out their junk for council clean up and a chair opposite was floating down the street. We cringed as we both thought that it was going to slide into on coming traffic. This was not something we could witness, however it was what we imagined might happen. Also would the driver or the onlooker think, where did the person of the chair go?

Just to give you an idea of how intense the storm was, here are some articles of what happened today. The sports centre in Katoomba has had roof damage and water damage, other stores and houses have damage as well, “Patrons evacuated after roof collapse“, “Thunderstorms hit Blue Mountains“,  and “Blue Mountains lashed by heavy hail“.

I was thinking of how the girls were doing all day, and also thinking of what I could get done in the time I had to myself. I must say. Not much got done. I tidied the kitchen but now it is a mess again, so will do it again tomorrow. I managed to put fresh sheets on all beds, so that is a good thing and nice. However there are a lot more things to do. The plan is to get the place in order to allow myself to do what I want to do with the days the girls are at pre-school. This running around like a mad woman all days that I have off is not going to happen this year. I promise myself I will try and get organised to get things done. I know easier said than done. It will get better once I get some time to get rooms done and sorted. This way it will feel like things are actually happening and there is actual action. Although I do, do things, after cleaning, tidying, playing with kids and then looking at the house, you think it is in the same or worse state than before. I am sure you have all been there.

Daddy's necklace by Lillian
Daddy's necklace by Lillian

Oh well, after the storm and the darkness went more sunshine came out. Cruel weather, just after I had taken all the clothes off the line, yet again. This change was most welcome as we had to go and collect the girls. We made it and were in fact early, which was nice. We waited with the other parents for the doors to open at the end of class. Once the doors opened, the girls saw daddy and I waiting for them. They yelled,”Daddy” and raced over to hug him. He was then told by Lillian that she had made a necklace for him and he must wear it. She was trying to find it in the cardboard folder that had her name on it. All the kids have one and they are stored at the front of the school so that parents can see what the child has been doing and take artwork home but leave the folder at the school. I opened the folder to find that the teacher had put the necklace in her folder. Julia told me that she did not make one. Lillian then put it on daddy. He wore it for the rest of the day.

The girls told us that they painted, played on the slippery dip and slid down on their bellies, met a girl called Mia, and had a great day, and of course Lillian made daddy a necklace, it is a pasta necklace with the end being a pasta whistle. All very clever, and all her design she told me.

Both girls are looking forward to going back tomorrow and I am pleased that they had such a great time and want to go back. Now tomorrow will be action day for me and so will Wednesday. At least it will be well spent organising. I did want to go to aqua aerobics on Wednesday but that is at the aquatic centre that has roof damage from today’s storm, so I guess that is off limits until fixed.  Now off to organise the girls lunch boxes for tomorrow.

How do you manage the time when you child is in care/school do you run around like a mad person trying to get all things done? Is it something that you cherish and the hell with housework? Do you make a comprise and do one room and then give yourself a break? Any ideas or techniques please send my way. This way we can all learn and help each other.