Avocado, coconut cream and cucumber goodness!

You know how sometimes you stumble across a recipe and love it so much that you automatically make it over and over until you know it off by heart and then it becomes one of your go-to dishes?  You very nearly run the risk of overdosing yourself and your family on it. Well this is one such recipe but to date, none of us are sick of it.  My Mum found this delicious chilled soup in a recent issue of NZ House & Garden magazine which is always an inspirational read.  It is very, very simple so go ahead and give it a try. In fact why not encourage your children to make it?

What’s your go-to recipe at the moment?

Until next time…

Image courtesy junkee.com

No one is perfect. Infidelity, separation and divorce happen every single day worldwide – across all communities, religions and cultures for a multitude of reasons.

And so to Barnaby Joyce. Apparently his marriage was finished well before he took up with his new partner. Perhaps he and his wife had fallen out of love over a long period of time. Only they know. Of course it doesn’t make infidelity something to cheer about but it is very often the symptom of a failing marriage/relationship rather than the cause (for both men and women). Barnaby has now said that the failure of his marriage is his greatest regret. Personally, I believe him, which to my mind makes it even more torturous for them all.

However, I do think we need to keep his views (and ours) on marriage (and Marriage Equality) separate from the situation he now finds himself in.

For those bleating about hypocrisy consider this. Barnaby, as many have implied (both in mainstream and especially social media), wasn’t spouting forth continually about family values. The breakdown of his marriage just happened to collide with the debate on Marriage Equality. So his stance on marriage was asked of him in the context of the Marriage Equality debate. It was asked of all our elected representatives. Barnaby wasn’t walking around the streets proselytising about the sanctity of marriage. He had no choice but to comment. Given what he was going through at the time he (don’t forget he DID publicly announce his separation in early December) would probably have preferred to stick pins in his eyes than make comment, but of course he had to. And despite knowing the turmoil going on in his personal life, he struck true to his beliefs even though they were failing him at the very same time. In an odd way I kind of admire him for that, so have sympathy for him.

Conversely though, I will find it hard to ever forgive him for abstaining on the Marriage Equality vote ~ but that’s not the issue here.

For those who complain that he should have told his electorate about his separation and subsequent affair before the by-election, he didn’t need to and personally I don’t believe he was required to do so. It was already very well known around the water coolers of the electorate. Indeed rumours had abounded for months and months that his wife had thrown him (and his belongings) out on the street and he was living with his sister. A woman (supposedly one of his daughters) had apparently driven one of the National Party campaign Utes around town exhorting people not to vote for him. Whether the last two are true or not, or despite them, the people of Tamworth still chose to elect him.

Our elected representatives are a reflection of us. Throughout communities across Australia, each and every day, mistakes are made, and failures are common, but on the whole we support each other through tough times. When relationships split or crumble, again, on the whole, we do our best not to take sides. Why should politicians (or any person in the public eye) be treated any differently? They are not Gods and have very real human foibles just like the rest of us. And just like us, some have a good moral compass whilst some appear not to have one at all. To expect them to be somehow greater than us is not only wishful thinking but also somewhat naïve. This is not to say that we can’t continue to set the bar high but it needs to be realistic and set at the same level for everyone.

Which is why I believe Cathy McGowan and Richard di Natale’s proposed politician/staffer sex ban is quite possibly the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard come out of a politician’s mouth. How on earth would that be policed? What would the penalty be? Would it only apply to those discovered to be having an extramarital affair or also for a bit of nooky in the wee hours after a long parliamentary session between two consenting single adults or those in a relationship but not married? I wonder how the myriads of politicians who have come before Barnaby (who have had affairs or whose relationships have failed ~ some with higher profiles than others) feel about all this? Oh, and those currently in a similar situation.

Don’t forget the hypocrisy of the media too. Those who have known about this should have (if they were true to their ‘sacred’ journalistic principles) reported it over 6-12 months ago. I find it truly incongruous that they are hiding behind those very principles to defend their decision to only now hit publish. Maybe they stayed silent because they actually realised that it wasn’t newsworthy or in anyone’s interest to know the detail. Certainly many of Barnaby’s colleagues on both sides of the Chamber have said as much. But of course now that it’s become salacious (thanks to the ambulance-chasing journalists at the Daily Mail Telegraph) everyone’s pursuing the ratings or clicks and they’re splashing it all over their front pages and the airwaves, camping outside the wife’s home and taking photos of a pregnant woman. Such nauseating inconsistency.

Whilst his appearance on a recent 7.30 Report probably did Barnaby zero favours, there are no winners anywhere here and I think as a community we do ourselves a great disservice by being so hateful and judgemental. Further, making nasty comments about Barnaby’s appearance, the differences in age and how it would have been assessed and reported differently if the roles were reversed are also not helpful – to anyone or any cause.

It’s my view that everyone should just cease and desist and focus on making a more positive and balanced contribution to the Australian political narrative. With the current political climate, it would appear it is very much needed.

Until next time…

A necessity?

Way back in 2001 when I had my son, I considered it an essential bit of kit. How could I not be able to listen to him 24/7? The thought of him stuck all the way down the back of the house was anathema to me. It was definitely more of a security blanket for me than a necessity given his room was actually only three from ours but what the hey, it meant I slept soundly when I could and gave me peace of mind.

And so it came to pass that I managed to catch two amorous teens bonking themselves stupid in my back garden.

One night, as we’d gone to bed we’d heard a party up the road. The duff-duff music was horrendous but being an overtired new Mum, it could have been an armed robbery and I wouldn’t have much cared. The party lasted until about 1am and then I could hear people walking down the road, car doors slamming, drunken “good nights,” and eventual silence.

Just as I was drifting back to sleep, the baby monitor bleeped. “Oh my God, the baby’s awake!” I listened, and rather than an infant cry I heard a deep male voice whisper, “It’s OK, just stay still.” I made it to Angus’ room within a nanosecond, fully expecting to find some horrible creature stealing my baby. Nothing. Angus was dead to the world and everything else was in order.

Never underestimate the joy a sleeping baby will bring you.

Then the silhouette of two bodies appeared (with their backs to the window) grinding up and down in the moonlight. Now, I’m no prude and I’m sure the poor buggers had nowhere else to experiment with the delights of coitus, but I was determined to add “interruptus” to the scenario, such was my desire for Angus to “sleep through”. For any Mum-to-be reading, this will become your single most important objective given you’ll probably only experience 50 hours sleep over a three month period.

I snuck as close to the window as I dared and boomed, “Oi, you two, bugger off!” I genuinely hope that the poor fella’s penis remained intact such was the speed and ferocity with which they tried to disentangle themselves as they fled into the night.

Gently tucking my son in, kissing his forehead I returned to my bed and laughed myself back off into the Land of Nod.

Oh, and of course, my husband slept through the entire thing.

I could also tell you the story of a girlfriend who was having a lunch and offered to show her friend’s husband the new baby.  20 seconds later, broadcast over the baby monitor into the dining room, came the sounds of furtive snogging and whispered conversations about how much they loved each other and their promise to leave their partners within the month ~ but I wouldn’t do that because it would be blabbing.  Sprung indeed.

When were you last sprung? How, what for and what was your excuse?

Until next time…

Snagglepuss

Just like Snagglepuss (the whimsical pink mountain lion in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon of the early 60s), my teenage daughter has suddenly decided to “Exit, stage left!”

Packed with her are the chatty conversations we used to have about her day, struggling together over a science assignment at the kitchen table or throwing a ball around the back garden. No more walking the dogs together, planning sleepovers with friends or watching Harry Potter or Twilight for the 70-bazillionth time. Shopping with me now fills her with crushing boredom, so it appears I’ve lost my willing helper. And forget snuggling together in bed early on a Sunday morning.

Instead I find myself being dragged into a vortex of super skinny jeans, low-fat everything, Victoria’s Secret potions, Boost juices, hideous high-rotation radio stations, push-up bras, endless discussions about boys and their habits, inconsistency, and the deep mystery that is Snapchat.

Homework is done in the privacy of her room rather than at the kitchen table. I hate this.

There are requests for leg-waxing, suggestions that she now be allowed to go to parties with boys, endless wardrobe changes and rare outbursts of temper so fierce they scare our cat.

The eye roll has made an unwelcome appearance, along with expressions of incredulity should I dare to offer advice on what she might wear to watch her older brother play rugby on a Saturday morning (another new-found passion).

Gotta love a gaggle of teens right?

I appear to have been superseded as a credible source of information. Instead, a boy, whom my daughter is actually yet to meet, but ‘chats’ to via text (for hours on end) is now of far more interest and educational opportunity than anything I might have to offer.

When similar shifts began to happen with my son I felt inexorably sad and wrote about it for Sunday Life magazine.  You can find that article here.

But none of this bewilders me with my daughter. In fact it makes me very happy. Because I remember it so well of myself. You see, I’ve been to this gig, I’ve read the book, seen the movie and came out of the theatre in one piece. So will my daughter.

Such treasures within!

She has reached the stage in a young girl’s life when everything is so full of promise and opportunity that they will often find themselves spontaneously wriggling with excitement. Everything seems wondrous, new and shiny again. It’s like going to the local milk bar to find that it has been restocked, not with more boring staples, but rather with row after row of exotic baubles, lollies, treasures and a few new tantalising foreign objects. Although, at the moment, the last person she wants to share these with is me.

I am happy too, because despite sometimes feeling that she hates me with a passion, when we have them, our conversations are more adult and engaged. With that comes the exciting opportunity to deepen our bond and expand our relationship.

I am reassured, because on the whole, she is still happy and helpful around the home. There are now lots more secrets but she isn’t secretive. She willingly gives me hugs and kisses and continues to ask questions on issues about which she is unsure. She is yet to believe that she can manage by herself. She’s not aggressively testing limits or pushing back on everything. School continues to inspire and engage her. (Too much) makeup and midriff tops only make sporadic appearances and she still appears to have a healthy level of self-worth and sense of place. These last two make my heart sing.

Of course, every girl is different and with some, the rush to get to (and through) the teenage years, can bring with it some risky and bewildering behaviours. I asked Dr Briony Scott, Principal of Wenona, a K-12 girls school in Sydney, to offer some advice on how to help you and your daughter navigate the teenage journey safely…

Briony Scott with some of her younger students

• Be confident in who you are as a parent. Despite your daughter growing up faster than you may have predicted, you know them better than anyone. Be their greatest fan and their strongest advocate. You won’t spoil your daughter by believing in her and supporting her through tough times.

• Go slow on the judgement. No girl wakes up in the morning and thinks to herself, how can I make everyone mad at me today? Everyone wants to do well, wants to be loved, wants to get things right. And your daughter is no different. Adults are not critiqued with anywhere near the level of scrutiny children are, on a regular, even daily basis. To shrug your shoulders and go ‘oh well’, and to offer support and kindness when things don’t go as planned will let them know that you’re there for them.

• Deliberately create memories. This window of time is fleeting and before you know it, your daughter will be leaving home and getting on with their life. While they’re at home, do things that you know they’ll love, and experience these good times with them. Don’t outsource the memories, the adventures, the parenting. Take photos and see life through the eyes of your daughter as she sees and experiences things for the first time.

• Keep your own loves and interests bubbling along.  You are a crucial role model and essential in showing your daughter how to do life well. Rather than being overly invested in her life, or developing a martyr complex as you sacrifice everything for others, invest in you and your relationships. Be happy and enjoy life. Keep being interesting and doing what you love!

Wise words. So, despite knowing there will continue to be frustration, mistakes and occasional emotional outbursts to rival the Real Housewives of Melbourne, I’ll carry on as my daughter’s silent wingman ~ ready to step up or fall back when required and I’ll do everything I can to ensure the self-worth bucket is kept full to overflowing.

Do you have a teen daughter?  Any advice you can give me to keep things on an even keel?

Until next time…

Caro and Co

For ideas and tips on finding wonder in the everyday and getting your kids to unplug, consider buying my new book. You can purchase it via the link in my sidebar above, or at all good bookstores and online and as an e-book. For interview opportunities please contact Jackie Evans on 0407 776 222 or jep.pub@bigpond.net.au

Read on if you have a Harry Potter-mad tween or teen because a funky (and stylish) Potter-themed clothing range has just been released and I have two full sets to give away.

Way back in 1997 (in my early 30s and pre-children) I randomly picked up a copy of JK Rowling’s first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. From that moment I was totally hooked on Harry Potter and remain so. I struggle to think of a more gifted writer of children’s books of this century. I went on to devour each of the books as they were released and as my children were born, did everything I could to inculcate them with all things Potter. It worked with one, not so much the other. My daughter, now 14 has read each of the books at least four times and I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve watched the movies together.

One happy witch!

Such was my fan girl crush on JK Rowling, I remember dressing my kids as a witch and wizard (what else?) and dragging them in 2005, way too early in the morning, to a bookstore in anticipation of the release of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Grace, despite a cranky face at being woken so early went on to win the title of The Best Witch of Beecroft. It was a proud mama moment.

A Gryffindor through and through

So I was thrilled when Warner Bros. Consumer Products asked me if they could send me the exclusive Harry Potter apparel range to review. Grace happily played model. What I like about the range is that it is funky without being too commercial looking. Additionally, even if your child isn’t a Harry Potter fan, the clothes can easily be incorporated into their street or sports clothing.

The hoodie was a big hit

My only personal negative is that I wish Rowling hadn’t chosen maroon and yellow for Gryffindor (blurgh) but as a friend said she was probably remembering her own school uniform when the colours were chosen as most school uniforms leave much to be desired, even it would appear, in the wizarding world. I might add my daughter loves the maroon hoodie ~ go figure.

Potter street wear!

The Harry Potter Tween’s apparel range is available exclusively from Big W stores across Australia. They are incredibly reasonably priced. The Harry Potter track pants are $19, the two tees just $15 each and the hoodie only $25.

So, if you have a Potter-mad tween or teen and want the chance to win a full set of this clothing range, simply leave a comment here on my blog telling me which Potter character your kid loves most and why.

Oh and one other thing, the sizing appears small to me. Grace is normally a size 10-12 and the 14 was snug, so head up a couple of sizes when selecting.

Until next time my wizarding friends…

This post is brought to you in partnership with Caro & Co and Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

Terms and Conditions:

Please indicate your preferred size and Warner Bros. Consumer Products will do their best to meet your request.

The competition closes on Friday 17 February, 2017. Comments submitted after this time will not be considered for the giveaway.

This is a game of skill and creativity. Each valid entry will be judged on creativity and originality, not by chance.

The prize will be posted to the winner by Porter Novelli after they have been notified of the address, preferably by email.

The Harry Potter Tween apparel set from Big W has an RRP of $74; prizes are not redeemable for cash and are non-transferable.

Competition is open to Australian residents only. Sorry to my international buddies…

Learning to unplug

Last week I wrote a list of suggested activities you could introduce into your son’s life that might encourage him to more readily unplug. Today I thought I’d do a list for the girls. Only the merest hint of pink I promise.  Many on this list will also be of interest to boys but I know some will more readily resonate with your girls.

It can be almost impossible to tear a teen girl away from her mobile device and social media clan.  Used as the digital form of the local milk bar, shopping centre or school playground, it is now where they choose to define themselves; both emotionally, physically and sometimes spiritually. I encourage you to take some time to read the article by Ethan Rosenberg (a teen himself when written) in Forbes magazine on why kids feel an overwhelming, sometimes compulsive need to stay connected and how he kicked the habit.  A link to the article is below.

Meantime, here are some ideas:

1. Suggest she think of her favourite fragrance and then have a go at making some soy candles using that scent. It’s easier and cheaper than you think. There are some great instructional videos on the Internet like this one.  The video is a bit of a waffle for the first minute but then they get stuck into it.
2. Invest in a basic science kit and let her at it.  Starter kits will cost you around the $40 mark.
3. Suggest she pull something apart and put it back together again. At my daughter’s school, in Year 11, they pull a car apart and put it back together again.  All the girls LOVE this form of learning.  Obviously it doesn’t need to be on such a grand scale in your own home.  Old toasters, cameras or radios will do and are generally easy to find at garage sales or kerbside during council clean ups.
   

   Happy after a walk

4. At least 3-4 times a week, have your daughter take the dog for a walk. Not just around the block. Instead, give her a few poop bags and tell her you don’t want to see her for at least 40 minutes. If you don’t have a dog, have one of her mates come over and together they can head out.  Sadly, I still have to subscribe to the view that it’s safer if girls travel in packs. Hopefully that will change one day.
   

   Time to produce a masterpiece

5. Suggest that she write a book or short story.  If she enjoys drawing, she could also illustrate it.
6. Encourage her to join the local touch footy team.  Not only is it great exercise, she’ll get to meet new people outside her normal social circle or cohort which can be a positive thing.  And if she joins a mixed team, it’s a nice way to meet some boys
7. If she is starting to get into makeup she could have a go at making her own.  Doing so is like a mini lesson in chemistry.  She’ll also learn about some of the nasties that go into most commercial makeups and how to avoid them.  Again, there are many simple instructional videos available on the internet.
8. Invite a friend over, build a fort in the back garden or up small tree.  Then together they could make a pizza and eat it out in the fort which they could also sleep in overnight.
9. Together, set a reading challenge for her that is achievable. It might be one book a week, or a month, or every few days if your daughter is a bookworm. If not, a reward chart might be handy here.  Slowly, slowly will win this race if she’s not a natural reader.
   

   Plating up

10. Encourage her to invite five friends to dinner. She could send out formal invites including a dress code, devise a menu and then cook the meal herself or with her friends, which can be great fun. Suggest that she pay you or your partner to be waiter for the night for the full effect.
11. Pick a craft and master it. I hear knitting is all the rage. Or you could suggest she has a go at something old-fashioned like making an upside down doll. Again, there are instructions on the Internet and also kits you can buy rather than sourcing the individual components of the doll.
    

    So cute!

12. If they have access to a body of water encourage them to spend an afternoon fishing or kayaking.
13. She could start a business venture. Babysitting, a regular lemonade stand, car-washing, dog walking, watering the garden of a neighbour when they go on holidays, selling their soy candles (see No. 1) at a garage sale or flea market are all good options.
    

    Potting up

14. Start a veggie patch.  Research and then design the patch (which doesn’t have to be on a grand scale), choose the seeds or seedlings, plant and tend them and then make something for dinner from the first bounty.
15. Insist that once a month she cleans her room from top to toe.  This includes going through her school bag and her wardrobe.  Have her bag any clothes or shoes that no longer fit and take them to your local charity bin.
    

    An early artwork

16. Start a found collection from nature or simply spend an afternoon indulging in some nature art.

Here’s the Forbes article mentioned above.

What’s your go-to activity to get girls to unplug?

Until next time…

Caro and Co

For more ideas and tips on finding wonder in the everyday and getting your kids to unplug, consider buying my new book. You can purchase it via the link in my sidebar above, or at all good bookstores and online and as an e-book. For interview opportunities please contact Jackie Evans on 0407 776 222 or jep.pub@bigpond.net.au

There’s a quiet revolution going on in the suburban back gardens of Australia.

Rather than sitting back and admiring our perfectly manicured ‘outside rooms’, gazing lovingly at our Mondo Grass, perfectly coiffed hedges of Gardenias and Buxus or newly acquired Agaves perched in copper pots on our Cotswold Collection Outdoor Setting, we are instead choosing to head outside armed with buckets of kitchen scraps, water collected from baths & showers whilst we attempt to figure out where we should build a chicken coop, locate the veggie patch and compost heap.

Where are the chooks?

Suffering a slow death (and not for lack of water) is the passive, over-structured garden.  Instead we are rediscovering how much fun it is to actually interact with Mother Nature and the vital lessons she has to impart about nourishing our environment and ourselves.  Despite our hectic lives, we are taking time to get down and dirty and, somewhat surprisingly, we are finding that we love it.

So what’s behind this shift in the suburban landscape?  I’d suggest a few things. Everyday we are bombarded with messages about climate change and the potential impact it will have on our lives.  No longer an obscure issue, we have an understanding of some of the associated issues and their ability to directly affect what we do and how we do it, now and into the future.  It unsettles us.

Fundraising Koala

Gone are the days when we could drop a coin into a bucket held by a man dressed in a koala suit and feel that we were doing our bit for the environment.  So it comforts us on many levels to get out into our back gardens, plant shrubs, grow our own veg, participate in community gardens and work towards providing a happy and productive environment for our family and the future.

The economy is doing nothing to provide peace of mind.  Food, fuel, water, medicines and shelter are all more expensive.  And with the global economy constantly uncertain, the ability to provide basic fruit and veg for ourselves at greatly reduced cost is very appealing and for many of us, more necessary.

The continued rise of global terrorism is beginning to guide our lifestyle choices.  Terrorism is no longer a remote event, occurring in a far-off country.  There is unspoken fear in many communities that some day soon, ‘something’ may happen closer by.  So our homes become haven again; we are bunkering down, cocooning and trying to figure out what we should do to protect ourselves and maintain the relatively peaceful lifestyle Australia affords us.

This unease reminds us of the staples of life – we hanker for a return to the simplicity and wonder of our childhoods, which was, on the whole, a time spent outside whiling away the day with lots of unstructured play (not a device in sight) and very little to worry about except what mum was cooking for dinner.  We long to provide this for our own children. It’s my view that this is very likely the reason Trump is now President-elect and Britain will be exiting the EU at the first opportunity. We desire to return to what we knew and what we feel we can control.

Here chook, chook, chook

Or maybe it’s none of these.  Perhaps we are simply sick to death of gardens that offer nothing but a vacant green room, with little to engage or educate our children and no place for their beautiful imaginations to flourish.

Whatever the reason, I’m thrilled with our new-found involvement and am longing to hear, once again, the 3.00am call of a lovelorn rooster and hoping that I will soon find an unwieldy Choko vine spilling over the back fence.

What’s happening in your back garden nowadays?

Until next time…

For more ideas and tips on finding wonder in the everyday, consider buying my new book. You can purchase it via the link in my sidebar above, or at all good bookstores and online and as an e-book. For interview opportunities please contact Jackie Evans on 0407 776 222 or jep.pub@bigpond.net.au

Caro and Co

Pencils sharpened for the school year…

With my children now charging through adolescence, heading towards the pointy end of their schooling and with extra-curricular and social commitments coming out their ears, it can sometimes be tricky to find time to have “those conversations” with them; well any kind of conversation really.

Sure, we have dinner together each night sans technology (and it’s a time I treasure), but the rest of the day finds us racing about frantically from one thing to another, like a bumblebee dancing from flower to flower. Our lives are full and happy but I need to work hard to make sure my family team stays strong, engaged and connected. To my mind communication plays a vital role in ensuring this.

So I look for the little quiet places where we can connect as a team without distraction, even just for ten minutes. They are more plentiful than you think.

Early morning walks…

We find them when we set off on our early morning walks with the pups. Whilst the kids would rather stick pins in their eyes than get up at sunrise; once forced to do so, the grumbling disappears and they happily chat about the week that has been or simply wonder at the things they are seeing around them.

We experience them on Sunday mornings. With the chance of a sleep in, I’ll often find two children, two designer dogs and a bewildered cat at the end of the bed eager to simply snuggle with us and listen to our city coming to life. It’s always a time of contemplation and love ~ for all of us.

Long drives in the car…

Sometimes I’ll use the car as a prison. Driving, whilst tedious, offers the perfect place to ask tricky questions or pose curly conundrums. Once, at the beginning of a 10-hour car journey I told my children that I believed our entire universe was a speck of dirt under a giant’s toenail and that every other speck under said toenail was also a whole other world. After digesting this possibility, the kid’s easily slipped into a fantastic discussion about the many forms faith, spirituality and religion can take.

Conversation can be found in those small moments curled up on a chair together, watching a movie while the torrential rain of a summer storm pounds on the roof.

Baking a cake from scratch

Cooking something together often engenders talk about food, food sources and sustainability. In our home, this has also led to chats about those less fortunate than us.

Conversation, of any kind, even just a quick chat at the end of the day, keeps my family team tight, engaged and connected and I will continue to champion it.

The team at Bupa knows that family matters and that we are stronger when we make time to nourish our relationships and support our family team. For ideas and tips on how you can keep your family team tight, visit their Team Family initiative here.

Where are your quiet places and how do you keep the chats flowing?

Until next time…

Caro and Co

For more ideas and tips on finding wonder in the everyday consider buying my new book. You can purchase it via the link in my sidebar above, or at all good bookstores and online and as an e-book. For interview opportunities please contact Jackie Evans on 0407 776 222 or jep.pub@bigpond.net.au

This post is brought to you in partnership with Caro & Co and Bupa

Image found at scarymommy.com

Teenage boys can turn into slugs over the holidays. And I get that. They are exhausted after the end of a long year at school and, thanks to puberty, many are swarming with hormones which means most of the time they just want to chill out and sleep for inordinate periods of time. They are generally also happy eating nothing other than cheese toasties, pizza and Nutrigrain for eight weeks straight. However, the holidays also means that many will spend way too much time on their devices, playing computer games either solo or tapped into a group session. Of course teen girls can be exactly the same, but in my experience it seems to be more prevalent with boys.  I’m not suggesting technology be ditched completely, but many child development experts now agree that for optimal health ~ both physical, emotional and spiritual, teenagers should have no more than one hour of screen time (outside of formal learning) per day.

So, if you want to get your son off the couch and engaged with some unplugged activities, here are some ideas that might help. Your teen girls are just as likely to enjoy most of these as well.

Playing ball games in the back garden…

1. At least three times a week send him out to walk the dog. Not just around the block. Do not take no for an answer, instead arm him with several poop bags and tell him you don’t want to see him for at least an hour. If you don’t have a dog, a long walk to a park to kick a footy with a friend will do.
2. Remember Meccano? Far more sophisticated and mentally challenging than Lego, it can perplex and delight in equal measure. Consider buying your boy a starter’s kit and let them at it. A basic kit will set you back around $30-40. I was quite addicted to this as a young teenager.
   

   Vintage Meccano

3. Build a board game from scratch. All he’ll need is a large square piece of cardboard, some colouring in pens/pencils, a ruler, a die and something to use as counters. The board game might be inspired by Snakes and Ladders or a treasure hunt, or a simple numbered board game. Themes could include reaching the end of a rainbow, their favourite adventure movie, following a trail to find treasure, a bushland adventure (over mountains, through rivers, avoiding snakes, etc.). The scope of the game is limited only by your child’s imagination.
   

   Holiday board games

4. Encourage your son to have a mate over for the afternoon, build a makeshift tent, cook a pizza from scratch and sleep out overnight in the garden.
   

   Homemade pizza tart…

5. Have him pull something apart and put it back together again. It could be an old radio, a toaster or an old computer. Watch out for kerbside clean ups as all sorts of gadgets are likely to be on offer.
   

   Kerbside treasure

6. Give (or let him choose) a regular task and have him stick to it. Mowing the lawn, watering the garden or washing the car are all good options.  Use a reward chart if necessary.
7. Read a book for half an hour each day.  This is an easy one if your son is a natural reader.  If not, try and make the time to sit with him and read a book yourself.  Slowly, slowly will win this race.
8. After Christmas, suggest he make something out of the wood of the Christmas tree (if you have a real one).  Rather than tossing it onto the nature strip awaiting council collection, your son could strip the leaves from the branches and set up a wood-working area in the back garden.  Needing nothing other than sturdy gloves, secateurs, a saw, a hammer, some nails and a dose of common sense, he is likely to create the most unique piece of craft from the wood.  Safety rules are required here. This doesn’t have to be restricted to a Christmas tree; any pieces of old wood can be used.
   

   Image found at popularmechanic.com

9. Together visit your local nursery and buy the ingredients needed to make a terrarium.  There are a myriad of instructions available on the internet.  They can be as simple or as complicated as your son desires and shouldn’t cost more than around $20 for the entire thing.  The upside is they are very easy to look after and should last for years.
10. Ask him to cook something from scratch. He could try making some bread, a simple chocolate cake or even a whole meal for the family.
11. Have him spend an afternoon cleaning his room from top to bottom, including his school bag and wardrobe. This will do him no harm and bring you great satisfaction as it means that you won’t have to put your hand into the bottom of his school bag ~ a truly frightening prospect.
12. Encourage him to start a photography project.  Suggest a different subject each day and then send him out to capture some funky images based on that topic.  Subjects could include; ‘something red’, ‘water’, ‘movement’, ‘summer’ etc.  He could print out the images and make a collage of those that he likes the best or start a perpetual journal and make this an ongoing project.
13. Suggest some craft using found objects.  It could be making beetles using gumnuts or shells, leaf printing or stencilling.  It doesn’t have to be overly complicated. The options are endless here.
    

    Beetle nuts…

14. Buy him a simple chemistry kit and let him at it.  Again, a basic set shouldn’t set you back much more than about $40, but if his interest is piqued he may never pick up an iPhone again.
15. Candle-making can be a great rainy day activity.  It is not at all difficult, the ingredients are relatively cheap and there are many, many tutorials available on the internet.

How do you get your kids off technology and do you think it’s important?

Until next time…

For more ideas and tips on finding wonder in the everyday and getting your kids to unplug, consider buying my new book. You can purchase it via the link in my sidebar above, or at all good bookstores and online and as an e-book. For interview opportunities please contact Jackie Evans on 0407 776 222 or jep.pub@bigpond.net.au

Caro and Co

A memory waiting to happen

Food is such a great memory-maker, don’t you think? Whether it’s the first time you crunch into a freshly-picked apple from your Grandma’s orchard, eat vegemite toast with the butter running down your fingers, grill prawns on a BBQ on a late summer’s day, bake a cake from scratch with your toddler (or grandchild) or prepare something on a grand scale for a gathering with friends ~ all have the ability to create memories of times well spent. Indeed, some of my fondest life memories revolve around meals I’ve shared with my family, both immediate and extended.

A Granny from a Granny

More importantly to me though is the conviviality and connection it affords. With the rush and busyness of everyday life, spending a good slab of time with my team at least once a day is something I treasure. Do this over a meal and that connection somehow amplifies itself. And this is especially so if each family member is involved in the preparation of the meal. I call it Team Chez Union in my home. Everyone has a role. My daughter is the baker; I am the cook. My son is the collector of condiments and the official setter of the table ~ he has become expert at folding serviettes into silly shapes. My husband has the not so great job of cleaning up but the dogs help him by eagerly hoovering up any crumbs that might fall to the floor. The cat? Well he just sits and eyes us all suspiciously. Strange creature.

BBQ prawns with soba noodles and Asian herbs

I made the decision a long time ago that dinner would be the one meal that we would always share. When my children were little, this was somewhat problematic, as their Dad often didn’t arrive home until after 7pm by which time they were hungry enough to seriously consider eating the dogs’ biscuits. But it was important to me, so after a few (human) snacks and a little time watching TV, they were happy to wait. The upside of this is that their father adores the greeting he receives when he walks through the door. I still don’t have the heart to tell him it’s because his children are hungry enough to eat a horse. Now that they are teens and the waiting is a little less unbearable, they too relish Team Chez Union.

Grace’s Summer Pavlova

The team at Bupa knows that family matters and that we are stronger when we make time to nourish our family relationships and support each other. For ideas and tips on how you can keep your family team tight, head over to find out more about Bupa’s Team Family initiative.

How do you stay connected to your family?  What’s your go-to activity and do you think it’s important?

Until next time…

For more ideas and tips on finding wonder in the everyday consider buying my new book.  You can purchase it via the link in my sidebar above, or at all good bookstores and online and as an e-book. For interview opportunities please contact Jackie Evans on 0407 776 222 or jep.pub@bigpond.net.au

Caro and Co

This post is brought to you in partnership with Caro & Co and Bupa.