Taking the frustration out of parenting.

The Chickens should come first, not the Blog

Guest Blog courtesy of Jo Schutt from  jellyfishconnection.com

But when I get excited (or angry, frustrated, happy, sad) about something, as well as telling everyone about it, I write about it! So finally, after much reading, day dreaming, longing, and more reading, I’ve chosen my chicken coop! (yes I bet you thought I was going to say something much more interesting than that didn’t you!) And I found ONE place that sells the coop, hay, feed, waterer and feeder (perhaps not exactly what they are called?), but most importantly….THE CHICKENS too!.......

  The eggs are definitely appealing and one of the original draw cards! As I get more into the veggie garden I am excited by the prospect of being able to use the chook poo/hay combo as an organic fertiliser and I am also very keen on the idea of having another disposal for our food scraps, as the worms don’t have the appetite I had first anticipated so I’m still putting a lot of waste into the green bin!

I’ve been known to jump in head first without researching things but there are a few reasons why I haven’t been able to do that in this situation, therefore I’ve been able to really find out what I’m getting myself in for and there seems to be nothing anyone can say that is going to put me off. I’m fixed!!

Today I learnt that you can't put the chook manure straight onto your garden, it has to sit separate or in the compost for about a month before being introduced (unless the plants are quite mature), so I'm going to have to hijack another small section of the garden for 'manure management'! Slowly but surely I will get rid of those pompous box hedges!

There are a few considerations and things that may make being a chook owner a little more challenging (yes other than 'manure management'). Firstly we have to secure the veggie patch or apparently the chooks will ravage it. Secondly we have to secure an area of the backyard so they don’t go places they shouldn’t (like in the house) when they are left to roam & forage. People have told me and I've read, that they poo all over everything, dig up everything, they attract rodents (they want their food) and foxes (the chooks are their food). I'm also concerned that our dog may not think the chooks are welcome in his yard so there will definitely be some kind of timetable drawn up so everybody gets their fair share of 'outside time'. I also read an article today that recommended chatting to your neighbours before going down the chook road to see how they feel about the situation. I'm definitely all for avoiding a run-in with those we share a fence with, they are lovely people, but this chat is not going to happen because no one is going to stand between me and my chooks (just kidding, I'm not that crazy, I'm just not going to ask my neighbours permission!). 

 
On my chickenless drive home from the farm that we're buying them from I ask my son.... "are you going to help me look after the chooks?" and he replies "yes...and we're not allowed to chase them"!! I think he'll be a great help!

So anyway, there's all the hype about my next adventure. Feels a bit empty and lonely, but I'm sure my next instalment will be full of life!!
 
Happy Living!

Posted by Carole Disseldorp on
tags: children, chickens, chooks, hens, pets, eggs, organic fertiliser, food scraps, manure management, predators, neighbours, caring for pets, chook pen, birds

The Worm has Turned

Guest Blog post courtesy Joe Bloggs at blogger.com

22.01.12

The Worm has Turned

My kids have made some new friends during these Summer School Holidays.

I'm not sure I like them very much.

Now I want to make it clear here that I am not one of those 'Helicopter Parents' always watching over their kids watching every little thing they do. I like to think I give my children enough space to make their own decisions, which are hopefully the right ones.....

Posted by Carole Disseldorp on
tags: worms, scratching, itchy bottom, irritable, sleep difficulty

Non-automated parenting - Our parents' influence on child raising

Have you ever caught yourself saying something to your child that you swore you never would, because your parent said it. Eg. "Just do it because I said so!" or "You're so lazy/hopeless/mean!"

If we don't think about the parenting methods that our parents used with us, we are fairly likely to repeat a lot of the words and actions that they used, when we are raising our own children. This could be good or bad or somewhere in between.

It's really sensible to think carefully about the positive and negative aspects of the efforts made by our parents or carers. By doing this, we can parent in a more conscious, effective and conscientious manner.

Did your parents help you to feel better about yourself most of the time?

Did they encourage you to do as much as you could on your own, so that you felt empowered and capable?

Did they give you what you wanted most of the time, or did they give you what you truly needed?

I am not suggesting this reflection, in order to put our parents down or in their place, but rather to operate on a more considered and educated basis with our own children.

My own parents valued honesty, reliability and punctuality. They also wanted us to learn as much as we could about a great number of subjects.

Our parents and carers most probably loved us and wanted what was best for us. Some parents, however, used a style of parenting that focused on obedience, rather than respect, equality, co-operation, self-discipline and so on. Some parents weren't sure what to do, or became overwhelmed with the task of bringing up youngsters, and did what was easiest for them, without necessarily being aware of their children's needs and level of development.

Most parents, in my opinion, do a lot of things well, and have a few traits which could be improved on, for the sake of the child.

Remembering how we felt at certain pivotal moments, can help us to decide how we will treat our own offspring. Eg. If we were punished severely, or conversely, if we were made to feel unique and special.

Comparing our parents to other parents or carers, can give us some insight into what is worth keeping in our repertoire, and what is worth discarding.

Keeping up to date by learning more about parenting styles, methods and the changes that have occurred in history, will help us to refine our own child-rearing. Child developmental stages can similarly be understood with some education from books, media or talking with parenting experts.

It's wise to think about the type of adults we want to raise, and the skills we will need in order to do the best by our children.

If you react or feel strongly about something your child is doing or not doing, it may be related to your own experience growing up. You may wish to modify, or completely change your expectations or attitude to his or her behaviour. Eg. If you were made to finish your main course before you could have dessert, you may find yourself expecting the same from your children. Your spouse or partner may have been raised to eat as much as he wanted on the dinner plate, and then have dessert. If the two opposing views are discussed and negotiated by the parents, a better, more conscious child rearing plan can develop, which is likely to greatly benefit the children.

It is worth thinking about the style and methods of our own, and other, parents and carers so that we can parent from awareness and learning, rather than having a casual attitude based on automated parenting. It is important for us to decide on the values we will teach our youngsters, the kind of adults we wish to raise, and the experiences we had that were detrimental or valuable to us. Conscious positive change can be challenging, but is definitely favourable.

Posted by Carole Disseldorp on
tags: education, child raising, values, parenting style, child rearing, parent influence, conscious parenting, obedience, passive parenting, parenting methods, parenting skills, triggers, childhood memories, awareness, past experiences, change

Pokemon = Aw-mum

Guest Blog courtesy Joe Bloggs at blogger.com

by Jo | 22.12.2011

Pokemon = Aw-mum

Posted by Carole Disseldorp on
tags: pokemon, saving money, teaching financial responsibility, parenting experiences, negotiating with children, compromising with children, Best Mum

Are you confused about what's good for you and what's not?

Guest Blog by Jo Schutt from Jellyfish Connection

Are you confused about what's good for you and what's not?
There is so much information out there, so many books, websites & 'experts' that it can become very overwhelming and confusing. If you would like to some simplified advice on how to improve your eating habits for general health, increased mood & energy, weight management, reduced digestive symptoms like bloating, flatulence or constipation, or any other reason for that matter, here's a few SIMPLE ways you can make it easy on yourelf and start eating well today.....
 
Go Back to Basics! - Look at a food and ask yourself how close to nature is it? How much processing has this food had to go through to get to the supermarket shelf? Eating foods in their most natural form means making choices that might go against what we have been told for years, for example, butter, full cream milk & cheese or cream are all better than their more processed options, they are more natural and more healthy. Instead of grabbing something in a box or packet for a meal or side dish, make it yourself! For a snack, eat something that was picked from a tree or grew in the ground!
 
Avoid sugary sweet foods (muffins, cakes etc.), softdrinks, cordials, most sports drinks, white bread and alcohol. These are high on the Glycaemic Index (GI) & leave you feeling lethargic after consuming them due to the rapid rise and fall in blood sugar levels, they will also be stored as body fat if you are not active enough to burn them off. These foods contain absolutely NO nutrients, so they offer you nothing except instant gratification! But it's all over in a few minutes and you're left to deal with the consequences. Prolonged or regular intake of these foods can lead to 'Insulin Resistance' which is a pre-diabetic state.
 
Forget Low Fat. Yes tha'ts right! The majority of fats sourced from animal and plant foods have health benefits and are indeed essential for life. Fats that come from hydrogenated vegetable oils contain trans fats which are harmful to your cell membranes, these are the important fats to avoid, the rest should make up at least 20% of your diet. See the PCF article for sources of 'good fats'.
 
Eat small regular meals (5-6 a day) or have snacks between meals. Protein shakes with flaxseed oil, fruit with nuts & seeds, natural yoghurt & cottage cheese mixed with berries, carrot & celery sticks with Hummus, tuna on crackers. Each meal should consist of good quality protein, some good fats & oils (they don’t store as fat in the body) and a source of Low GI carbohydrates (low sugar & high fibre).
Eating regular meals will keep your metabolism running efficiently, keep your blood sugar levels stable and ensure you are feeding your body a constant supply of energy.
 
Moderation is the key. Don’t make one particular food group (no matter how good) the main thing you consume (e.g if going dairy free don't just swap to soy products, try oat, rice or almond milks and goat milk/cheese or yoghurt as well).
Include lots of different coloured fruits and vegetables to ensure you get a range of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants from your foods. Dark greens, orange, bright & deep red, purple - nature makes itself look appealing with bright fresh colours so we consume a wide range of nutrients.
 
Plan & prepare your meals in advance and ensure you have enough food with you to last the whole day. This way you won’t get tempted to stray from your healthy eating plan (and it saves you money). Allocate a few hours of the week to prepare your meals for the next few days. Have your meals planned before you make the trip to the grocery store and only buy the things required to prepare your healthy meals. If you don’t have chocolate staring at you each time you open the cupboard door, you won’t eat it!! Have enough containers to store all your meals in and a lunch box & freezer packs that will keep your food cold if you do not have access to a fridge.
 
Know your PCF - Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats. Be aware of where your Calories are coming from during the day. It is important not to generally over consume calories, but it's also important to make sure all your calories are not coming from the one type of macronutrient, for example, don't just eat carbohydrates! A balanced PCF ratio will help you get all the nutrients you need and avoid a nutritional deficiency.
 
Read Labels. The Nutrition Panel gives you the amounts of each macronutrient (PCF) and is generally broken down into sugars and types of fats along with some minerals. The ingredients list - Look for hidden sugars, hydrogenated vegetable oils, food colours & preservatives to name a few.
Don't rely on the front of the packaging to give you accurate information about the contents. Always read the nutritional panel & ingredients list instead of relying on the marketing on the front of the package.
To know how much you are eating - Each label will have 'per serve' quantities so be sure to look at how many serves the company claims are in the packet. e.g. if a serving size is 130g but the whole packet is 260g net, there is two serves. Therefore if you consume the whole packet you actually had two serves and need to double the quantities stated on the nutritional panel, this is usually not so bad because one tub of yoghurt is not going overboard, it just may be more sugar than you originally thought.
To compare one product to another look at the column on the far right that gives values per 100g, this is the best way to compare two similar items.
Be aware that anything “Lite”, “Fat-free” or “Diet” is usually low in fat but very high in sugar. Read the label thoroughly rather than believe the marketing gimicks.
 
Discipline deserves Reward: It is important not to deprive yourself of life’s pleasures, which for some may be a slice of chocolate cake or a glass of wine. Those who try to “be good” 100% of the time often end up with an 'all or nothing' attitude which means when they are in the undisciplined phase there’s no holds barred and anything and everything will be on the menu (sound familiar?). In order to prevent this it is important to reward your hard work with the occasional treat, as long as you get back on track the very next meal or the very next day at the least. Eating well 80% of the time is an excellent way to go.
 
At 5 to 6 meals a day, you should be consuming 36 to 42 meals & snacks each week. Consider how many of these meals are currently healthy (following the above guidelines). Now consider how much better you will feel when only 20% of your food is of lesser quality than ideal. Not only will you feel the mental and physical benefits of eating well, but the mental and emotional satisfaction gained from being kind to yourself with a healthy eating plan makes it all worth while.
 
Enjoy!

Jo Schutt is a Mum & Naturopath who has combined her love of the two to create www.jellyfishconnection.com – a resource to help families find their way through the wealth of information on Natural Therapies, Health & Fitness, Pregnancy & Parenting and share her family’s journey to a more sustainable lifestyle.
Jo’s passion for sharing knowledge and ability to inspire and motivate has also led to the conception of the annual ‘Peninsula Family Health Expo’ and ‘Food for Families’ (bi-monthly) seminars for parents to increase the health of their family by making informed decisions about nutrition. 
For more information visit www.jellyfishconnection.com or contact Jo – jo@jellyfishconnection.com or phone 0425785161

Posted by Carole Disseldorp on
tags: snacks, nature, processing, sugar, GI index, trans fats, good fats, meals, moderation, food groups, variety of coloured fruits and vegetable, healthy