KIDSCARE 2022 VOL 27

Edition 27 2022
Co-sleeping
is there such
a thing as
too old?
ENDING
VIOLENCE
AGAINST
WOMEN IN ONE
GENERATION
TIPS FOR
HELPING KIDS
WITH ADHD
LEARN
talking to your teen
highschool & other big issues

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Health & Wellbeing
Co-sleeping - is there such a thing as too old?
Newborns and skin to skin contact
What is the deal with kids and worms?
Family Matters
Parents and screen time
Talking with your teen about high school
Ending violence against women in one
generation
Parents with an intellectual disability
Education
Is selective school right for your child
Helping your child write a speech
Tips for helping kids with ADHD
Food
So your child wants to be a vegetarian - How to
help make good healthy choices
Curious Kids
Motherhood Bites
“A humorous account of motherhood”
Would you like your writing to be featured in our magazine,
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Submit your piece to the editor for consideration.
Articles should be approximately 1000 words and be
relevant to caring for kids and supporting families!
Email: editor@kidscaremag.com.au

“Children are the world’s
most valuable resource
and its best hope for the
future.”
John F Kennedy
“It is not attention that the
child is seeking, but love”
Sigmund Freud
“I don’t know what’s more
exhausting about parenting:
the getting up early, or acting
like you know what you’re
doing.”
Jim Gaffigan

Health & Well-Being
Is there such a thing as ‘too old’ to co-sleep with
your child? The research might surprise you

Clueless actor Alicia Silverstone recently told a podcast she cosleeps
with her 11-year-old son, explaining she is “just following
nature”.
“Bear and I still sleep together,” she told The Ellen Fisher
Podcast last month. “I’ll be in trouble for saying that, but I really
don’t care.”
As Silverstone predicted, a backlash followed. Fans accused
her of “ruining” her child, while others called it “creepy”. One
psychologist said it would create “boundary issues”.
I am a psychologist who directs a clinic specialising in sleep
difficulties in children from birth to 18 years. I am also a
researcher in paediatric sleep. I have seen first-hand the strong
opinions people have about parents co-sleeping (or not) with their
children.
While we need to be mindful of safety and SIDS when cosleeping
with infants, there is no problem with co-sleeping with
older children in and of itself.

How common is co-sleeping?
Co-sleeping, like many aspects of parenting, is often the
subject of vehement disagreements.
While proponents argue it nurtures the parent-child
attachment, reduces children’s anxiety and helps children
sleep, critics say it stunts a child’s independence and
disrupts parents’ sleep and intimacy.
But it is more common than people may realise and is
under-reported. I have found in my work that before their
child is born, parents often say they don’t want to co-sleep,
but often end up doing it over time.
Data of rates of co-sleeping in school-age children in
western countries are scarce. But recent studies show in
China, 25% of pre-adolescents co-sleep. In Brazil up to
47% of school-aged children sleep in their parents’ bed at
least sometimes, while 30% of school-aged children cosleep
in Italy.
Why do western countries frown on co-sleeping?
In western societies, the idea that children should sleep on
their own only emerged during the 19th century.
Before this, the communal house and communal bedroom,
shared by siblings and parents, was the norm (and still is in
many societies).
But with the emergence of nuclear families in Victorian
times came the need for increased discipline with children
who were independent from their parents. Bedrooms were
“privatised” and sleeping alone was thought to instil selfregulation
in children.
Co-sleeping was also seen as something “poor people” did,
as wealthier families could afford a bed for each child.
By the early 20th century, there were fears over-indulgent
parenting styles would spoil children and co-sleeping
became synonymous with raising lazy, difficult children.
What does the research say?
As social animals, children are not biologically primed to
sleep alone. This is something they often need to learn with
support from a parent or other trusted adult. Gaining the
confidence and resilience to sleep alone is not a given and
some children, especially sensitive or anxious children,
need more time and assistance.
There is no scientific time frame in which this needs
to occur, only societal expectations. Indeed, research
confirms supporting and nurturing a sensitive child while
learning to sleep alone (if necessary or desired) is more
effective than forcing them to sleep alone.
One of the key arguments against co-sleeping is that,
children who co-sleep become more dependent on their
parents both at sleep time and also in general. It is viewed
as a bad habit that will be difficult to break.
In fact, research shows that while co-sleeping may result
in a temporary dependence on a parent, in the longer term
it results in a child who is more resilient, gaining the skill of
solo sleeping when they are more able to cope.
A child who co-sleeps also does not necessarily continue
to co-sleep. As they get older, sleeping alone is often
simultaneous with increasing independence. Similar to all
other learned habits in older children such as dressing
and tidying their rooms, children will not always need
their parents to do it for them, and when parents deem
this appropriate they can be taught and guided to do it
themselves.
There is no guideline for an age when co-sleeping should
be stopped or started, just as there is no guideline for when
comfort toys should be kept or discarded.
These factors are largely driven by societal expectations
and parents’ own choice (which is of course, is influenced
by society).
Worried your kids are ‘too old’ for co-sleeping?
If parents are enjoying co-sleeping with their children but
think they “should” stop, keep these points in mind:
• co-sleeping has a bad reputation. There are social
myths that co-sleeping is “bad” and it develops
inappropriate daytime or night-time behaviours,
dependency on parents and bad habits for life. But
co-sleeping does not have negative outcomes in and
of itself
• if your child is co-sleeping consider the reasons they
doing this. Is it due to anxiety, sensitivity or sleep
disturbance? If so, these can be effectively treated by
a professional
• maybe you just like co-sleeping. As long as there are
no obligations – both parties are doing it because they
want to – there is no issue
• both parent and child can stop co-sleeping when they
want. Co-sleeping is a learned behaviour, and can
be unlearned at any time. Child psychologists and
some GPs are increasingly offering interventions to get
children used to sleeping alone, and offer parenting
strategies to help this happen in a child friendly and
supportive way.
Author:
Sarah Blunden
Associate Professor and Head of Paediatric Sleep
Research,
CQUniversity Australia
This article was first published on The Conversation
Parents may be warned “once a co-sleeper always a cosleeper”.
The research does not support this claim.

TODAY
7
aUstraLian women
wiLL die of
breast cancer
90 % oF WoMen WHo deVeLoP
BReasT CanCeR HaVe
no
FaMiLY
HisToRY
Age BREAST
IS THE STRONGEST
RISK FACTOR
FOR DEVELOPING
CANCER
600
wiLL PotentiaLLY detect
an additionaL 600
breast cancers
a Year
extending the invitation bY 5 Years
diagnosed
ONE IN EIGHT WOMEN WILL BE DIAGNOSED
WITH BREAST CANCER IN THEIR LIFETIME
the invitation for
free breast screening
now covers women
aged 50–74
74
a breast
screen
aPPointment
TAKES
30
MINUTeS
everY
2 Years
AND coULd
SAVE
YoUr Life
IT’S AN INVITATION THAT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE
australia.gov.au/breastscreen
www.kidscaremag.com.au
Call
13 20 50
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02/15 DOH0008/UC

Author:
Mary Steen
Adjunct professor of
Maternal and Family
Health,
University of South
Australia
10 www.kidscaremag.com.au

Health & Well-Being
Why is newborn baby skin-to-skin contact with dads and
non-birthing parents important?
Here’s what the science says
Soon after a baby is born, it’s getting more common these
days for the father or non-birthing parent to be encouraged
to put the newborn directly on their chest. This skin-to-skin
contact is often termed “kangaroo care”, as it mimics the
way kangaroos provide warmth and security to babies.
Mothers have been encouraged to give kangaroo care for
decades now and many do so instinctively after giving birth;
it has been shown to help mum and baby connect and with
breastfeeding.
So what does the evidence say about kangaroo care for
other parents?
A growing body of research
A growing body of research shows kangaroo care brings
benefits for both baby and parent.
One study that measured cortisol (a stress hormone) levels
and blood pressure in new fathers found:
Fathers who held their baby in skin-to-skin contact for the
first time showed a significant reduction in physiological
stress responses.
Another study in Taiwan involving fathers and neonates
(newborn babies) found benefits to bonding and
attachment:
These study results confirm the positive effects of skin-toskin
contact interventions on the infant care behaviour of
fathers in terms of exploring, talking, touching, and caring
and on the enhancing of the father-neonate attachment.
A paper I co-authored with the University of South
Australia’s Qiuxia Dong found:
Studies reported several positive kangaroo care benefits for
fathers such as reduced stress, promotion of paternal role
and enhanced father–infant bond.
Qiuxia Dong also led a study (on which I was a co-author)
exploring the experiences of fathers who had a baby in the
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Women’s and Children’s
Hospital in Adelaide.
This study found kangaroo care helps fathers connect and
bond with their baby in an intensive care environment. This
had a positive impact on fathers’ confidence and selfesteem.
As one father told us:
I think after all the stress, when I have skin-to-skin I can
actually calm down a little bit. I sit down and relax, I can
cuddle my child and it’s just a little bit of a happy place
for me as well as him to calm down, not to do any work all
the time, not to be stressed out. There’s other things on my
mind all the time but it’s time to relax and turn off a little bit.
Another told us:
She nuzzled around a bit, kind of got my smell I guess and
then literally fell asleep. It was great. It was very comforting
for both I guess for her and myself.
As one father put it:
Of course, they can hear your heartbeat and all that kind of
stuff, of course warmth […] it’s being close with your baby,
I think that would be the best way of building a relationship
early.
However, this study also reported that some dads
found giving kangaroo care challenging as it can be
time-consuming. It is not always easy to juggle with
commitments such as caring for other children and work.
Involving both parents
One study noted dads can sometimes feel like a bystander
on the periphery when a newborn arrives.
Encouraging and educating all non-birthing parents,
including fathers, to give kangaroo care is a valuable way to
get them involved. And if a caesarean birth makes it difficult
for the mother to give kangaroo care while still in theatre,
the father or non-birthing parent is the next best person to
do it while the mother or birthing parent is not able.
More research needed
There is a need for broader research on these issues,
especially around the experiences of fathers from culturally
diverse backgrounds and other non-birthing parents.
But the research literature on kangaroo care shows there is
good reason for dads and non-birthing parents to do some
kangaroo care when a baby is born. As we concluded in
our study, in the challenging neonatal intensive care unit
environment, kangaroo care can serve: as a silent language
of love.

Health & Well-Being
Why do my kids keep getting worms?
And is that what is making them so cranky?
As a parent, it might feel like you are constantly giving
your children worm treatments – usually in the form of
chocolate or sweetened chewable tablets.
In fact, most kids in Australia (or any other rich
country) get very few worms compared to kids in
places where poor hygiene practices make all sorts of
worms common. But there is one species of worm so
common and so tied to humanity, it can defeat even
our most comprehensive hygiene standards.
Young children are really good at transmitting infection
with these tiny pests. And they can get really cranky in
the process.
An ancient species
Pinworms are an ancient species and have been
found in fossilised 230-million-year-old proto
mammalian poo. The closest relatives of the pinworm
humans get are found in our closest cousins, the apes.
Our pinworms are thought to have evolved with us.
The oldest pinworm eggs from a human host were
found in some 10,000-year-old dried human stools
discovered in a Colorado cave. So, pinworms are very
well adapted to living in and with humans.
Pinworm infection is present in between 5% and up to
50% of primary school children, though easy access to
good treatments and school education programs have
reduced levels over the last 20 to 30 years.
These worms are white and thread-like with females
measuring up to 13 milimetres long. Males are less
than half that size. They live in humans worldwide,
mostly in children between four and 11 years old. They
can also infect adults though usually with less negative
effects.
Pinworms have been associated with some other
conditions including types of appendicitis, vaginitis and
urethral infections but these are not common outcomes.
The egg problem
The problem isn’t usually the adult worms, which live
in the caecum (a pouch where the small and large
intestines meet) for up to two months.
When the female wriggles out of the gut to lay her eggs
around the anus – usually early in the morning – it can
cause irritation. But the biggest issue is caused by eggs
that are stuck onto the perianal skin with an irritating
glue. This is what causes even more irritation and
itching.
The worm’s life cycle actually depends on the child
or adult scratching their bum. When the eggs are
scratched off onto the hands or under the nails they can
be transferred to other children at home or at school, or
to adults. Most often they go to the scratching child’s
mouth where they can be swallowed and start another
infection, known as an “auto infection”.
The eggs are so light they can infest pyjamas, bed
clothes, the bedroom and in long term infections they
are found in house dust (though studies suggest these
eggs are not viable beyond one week).
12 www.kidscaremag.com.au

Pinworm eggs are literally a pain. They can
make a child scratch so much they cause skin
inflammation called puritis. This becomes very
painful and can result in lost sleep and a very
tired and cranky child.
So that’s what’s up with them …
There are many reasons for a child to be tired
and cranky. But if your primary school age
child is behaving this way and has an itchy
bum, pinworm may be the culprit.
Pinworm eggs are so small they can’t be seen
individually but the females lay more than
10,000 in creamy coloured clumps, which
may be visible around the anus. The female is
also visible when laying eggs, which means
a check of your child’s bottom when they are
itching intensely may be revealing. Otherwise
a sticky tape swab of the skin next to the anus
can be analysed for eggs under a microscope.
Your doctor can organise such a test.
Treatment is simple and easily obtained from
the chemist. Most worming brands use the
same drug, called mebendazole. Medication
should be taken by each member of the family
and the dose should be repeated two weeks
later to ensure control of pinworm in the home.
Contaminated clothing and bedding should be
washed in hot water.
Other methods of preventing infection include
regularly washing hands and scrubbing finger
nails. A shower with a good bum wash is also
a good idea, especially in the morning. Trying
to stop children sucking their fingers and
thumbs, sucking toys or other items that might
carry eggs is also suggested, though not
easily achieved.
Although we have better control of pinworms in
the 21st century, they are still with us and we
are very unlikely to be able to eradicate such a
well-adapted and intimately entwined parasite.
www.kidscaremag.com.au
13

Family Matters
Parents and screen time: are you a ‘contract
maker’ or an ‘access denier’ with your child?

Screen time was a battle for parents
before COVID and it continues to be
a battle, long after lockdowns have
ended.
The Royal Children’s Hospital March
2021 child health poll found too much
screen time was parents’ number-one
health concern about their kids, with
more than 90% of surveyed parents
saying it’s a problem.
We are researchers in digital
childhoods. Our new research
identified four main ways parents try
to deal with their children’s use of
screens. And all have their benefits and
drawbacks.
Our research
For our latest study, we interviewed
140 parents in seven different
countries – Australia, China, United
Kingdom, United States, South Korea,
Canada and Colombia – with children
ranging from ages four to 11. Twenty
interviewees were from Australia.
We wanted to find out how children’s
screen media routines changed during
COVID and how parents dealt with this.
Unsurprisingly, “screen time” came up
a lot in our conversations with parents.
Underpinning this was parents’ desire
for more control of their children’s
everyday use of screen media and
devices.
How do parents control their children’s
screen time?
1. Denying access
Many parents tried denying access to
certain screen-related activities with
varying degrees of success. They
limited children’s access to tablets,
computers and phones, TVs and
gaming consoles, disconnected them
from WiFi when not required for school,
or deleted certain apps.
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15

This reduced children’s time on screens, yet often at the
expense of family relationships as screen time became a
battleground.
Dana* used to block WiFi to the PlayStation at home until
2.30pm every day during the pandemic. It did help her
son complete all his school work, but[…] he was really
disgruntled and you know, saying to his friend, ‘it’s not fair’
or whatever.
Children also miss out on opportunities to learn critical
digital literacy when simply denied access to certain types
of screen activities. Not only do they miss out on learning
how to identify credible online sources of information and
services but they also miss out on parental support when
faced with unknown situations.
2. Real-time monitoring
Other parents allowed access to screen media under
supervision.
This took various forms, including requiring children to use
screen media only in “public” home spaces, setting up
password-controlled accounts for children using parents’
contact information, and using parental control apps or
settings.
All these measures helped calm parental worries over
children’s safety online and gave some sense of control
about their use of screens during the pandemic. However,
this required a lot more time and energy. As Joanne* said:
I couldn’t possibly just police it, it was too much […] I just
couldn’t be sitting there watching her do work. It would
send me around the bend.
And while parents felt calmer, it didn’t mean they were
successful. Children have a knack, believe it or not, of
working around parental controls. So it may create a false
sense of security.
3. Contract making
Parents in our study found making contracts with young
children remarkably successful in the short-term. They set
up verbal or written rules with their children about who, how,
when and why different devices could be used.
Some families agreed on a “one for one rule” (for example,
an hour of non-screen activity for every hour “on screens”),
others allocated certain devices for certain activities at
certain times of day (for example, gaming on a computer
after school until dinner then only TV until the bedtime
routine).
While effective in the beginning, parents experienced a
slow creep away from the terms of agreement – as longterm
habits were not being set up. The creep started
with small “negotiations” and sometimes escalated to
arguments. Kathy (a mother of two in Melbourne) told us her
son “pushed the boundaries so much”.
And sometimes you were busy. And you didn’t notice that
he pushed that boundary. So then it became quite a battle.

The solution? A screen-free day (or days) to reset the
contract.
4. Teaching self-regulation and digital literacy
Self-regulation, as we saw in the study, involves children
learning strategies to moderate how and how much they
use screens.
While many parents did not start out with this approach,
as lockdowns and the pandemic drew on, the demands of
work and family life meant they ended up here – almost out
of necessity. As Dana told us:
I kind of feel like the bar shifted massively in lockdown.
Teaching a child self-regulation and digital literacy is a
long game, and requires patience and trust on the part of
parents. With parental support, children learn to connect
how they feel and behave with the type and duration of
technology they just used. They also learn how to regulate
feelings and behaviours by modifying their technology use.
Parents can offer simple strategies to help children selfregulate.
These may be similar to the ones used when
making a contract but here, the child is in control. For
example, the child chooses to set a timer to remind them it’s
time to change activities. Or the child pre-plans their digital
technology use, in conversation with a parent. The child’s
plans should include what they intend to do afterwards too
– mealtimes can be used to support a calm transition from
one activity to another.
If children come across something online they don’t
understand or don’t like, they know they can ask their
parents.
In the meantime, parents can teach children how to be
safe online, largely by letting their kids see how they
navigate the online world. One Melbourne mother Maree,
involved her eight-year-old in everyday online tasks, such
as shopping. This allowed her to talk about spotting scams,
verifying seller information and comparing products.
What next?
No matter which approach you choose, it won’t be a perfect
one. It is likely you will find a combination of strategies most
effective.
Perhaps the most useful question is not about how to stop
“screen time”, but how to find ways to talk with your children
about using screens safely and in a way that is good for
them – that helps their learning and leisure. In a world
where screens are all around us, this is going to be an
ongoing and constantly changing conversation.
*names have been changed.
Xinyu (Andy) Zhao
Research Fellow, Australian Research Council Centre of
Excellence for the Digital Child, Deakin University
Sarah Healy
Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Melbourne
First pubished on The Conversation

Family Matters
Talking with your teen about high
school helps them open up about big
(and little) things in their lives
Lindsey Jaber
Assistant Professor of Educational
Psychology, Faculty of Education,
University of Windsor
For many teens, starting high school is an exciting time.
They will make new friends, discover various interests
and participate in diverse activities. But, for some teens
starting high school is a time of stress and anxiety,
especially in the wake of the school disruption and
uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transitioning to high school can be a time of mixed
emotions. Teens are moving away from an often wellknown
environment toward the unfamiliar, which can
be thrilling. But newness and change can also fuel
worry and anxiety, especially if walking into a new and
unpredictable situation.
As a researcher in educational psychology and a
psychologist in the areas of school, clinical and
counselling psychology — and drawing on my own
parenting experience — I know that while it might not
always be obvious, teens need to know they have a safe
place to discuss their concerns.
Taking the time to talk with your teen about starting high
school as their experiences unfold will set the stage
for ongoing, open communication, which can help
throughout their high school experience and beyond.
New world of high school
For some teens, the thought of starting at a different school
where there will be new teachers, school staff and peers
can feel overwhelming. Not only do new high schoolers
have to find their way through a strange and sometimes
much larger building, but they must also navigate the new
academic and social and emotional world of high school.
This transition amidst the educational impacts of COVID-19
can be compounded for youth who are racialized,
marginalized, 2SLGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, who recently
arrived in Canada or are experiencing mental health
challenges — and others who may face added barriers,
discrimination and bullying.
Teens may also be surprised and unprepared for the shift
in the amount of homework, and changes in classroom
rules and expectations. They may also find it hard juggling
school, friends, extracurriculars and other responsibilities
while getting a good night’s sleep.
Parental wisdom?
While teens are heading off to high school, their parents
18 www.kidscaremag.com.au

www.kidscaremag.com.au
19

may also be experiencing feelings they have not felt since
they sent their child to kindergarten. Letting your child go
somewhere you cannot follow can be challenging as a
parent.
The wisdom we had hoped to share with our teens based
on our experiences that we believed would protect and help
them succeed may, unfortunately, be obsolete.
So how do you prepare your teen (and yourself) for the
transition to high school?
1. Keep the lines of communication open
Trying to talk with your teen can sometimes be a source of
exasperation and frustration. Some parents and caregivers
find that the child they used to communicate with so easily
now responds in one-word utterances or even nonverbal
gestures.
Luckily, there are many strategies that you can use to
encourage more open, reciprocal dialogue with your teen,
such as using texts, writing notes or talking in the car.
However you engage with your teen, they must know that
you care and are listening to what they say. When talking in
person, put down your phone and be present with them.
2. Remind them it takes time to adjust to big changes
Sometimes just acknowledging that the transition to high
school is a significant change can be comforting for your
teen. Pointing out and talking about examples where they
have handled change well in the past can be helpful.
Also, sharing your experiences can be another great way
to connect with your teen. When deciding what to share,
parents should be honest while considering what is ageappropriate
for their child.
3. Talk with them about school-life wellness
This is a great time to talk about how you manage your
many roles and responsibilities (if you do it well as a model
or if you struggle with it as a cautionary tale). You can
talk with them about time management, organization and
prioritizing tasks and help walk them through how to plan
for school and other commitments. Also, talk about the
importance of sleep and engaging in activities, events and
relationships that help them feel well.
4. Identify coping strategies
It can be helpful to review past successful strategies with
your teen. Ask them how they will know when they need to
use a strategy and how they will use it, especially at school.
It can also be useful to talk about new strategies they
haven’t tried that may be helpful.
5. If your teen is struggling, help them find the right help.
Talking with your teen about their mental health and
wellness is important. However, sometimes the help that our
teen needs may be more than we can give.
Knowing when your teen could benefit from talking with a
mental health practitioner or needs additional academic
support at school and how to access those supports is
essential. During these times, it is important to work with
your teen to reach out to supports and resources at school
or in your community.
Taking the time to connect with your teen, whenever and
however you can, will help them know that there is a caring
and supportive space for them to talk about the big (and
little) things going on in their lives.
20 www.kidscaremag.com.au

Guidelines for physical
activity during pregnancy
Being active during pregnancy is safe and has health benefits for you and
your baby. It can reduce the risk of some pregnancy-related problems,
and supports a healthy pregnancy.
DO
REMEMBER
Aerobic activities
10
MIN
Muscle strengthening
activities
Drink plenty
of water
Short bursts of
activity work
Pelvic floor exercises
Any physical activity
is better than none
Avoid heat stress/
hyperthermia
If you have a healthy pregnancy, and you were active before pregnancy,
you can continue exercising.
If you were inactive before pregnancy, start slowly and build up your activity.
During your pregnancy aim to:
Be active on most, if not all, days of the week.
Do 30 to 60 minutes of moderate intensity activity
or 15 to 30 minutes of vigorous intensity activity.
Do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days
each week.
Break up long periods of sitting and standing still.
Do pelvic floor exercises.
If you have complications, seek advice from a health professional before being active.
For more information go to health.gov.au

Family Matters
A new national plan aims to end violence against women
and children ‘in one generation’.
Can it succeed?
The federal Labor government made delivering on its promises a core platform of
the 2022 election campaign. On Monday, one key national policy was delivered –
with the official launch of the next ten-year National Plan to End Violence Against
Women and Children (2022 to 2032).

The national plan is an important policy that sets the
priorities for continued action and investment to address
gender-based violence. It represents a shared commitment
across all levels of government to issues such as
prevention, early intervention, responses to victim-survivors
and perpetrators, as well as recovery and healing.
IMPORTANT STRENGTHS
There are several important areas of improvement in this
second ten-year national plan.
Among its key principles are “advancing gender
equality” and “closing the gap”. There is a welcome
acknowledgement of the role that deeply embedded
problems – such as women’s inequality and the ongoing
impacts of colonisation – have in shaping violence in our
society. There is also a commitment to a specific set of
actions addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
women’s experiences of violence under a separate action
plan.
A further key principle is “centring victim-survivors”, and
ensuring responses are “trauma informed”. This is a
significant development for national policy addressing
gender-based violence. Listening to the experiences of
victim-survivors is vital – as is ensuring our laws, institutions
and support services do not add to the harm already done.
Both prevention, and the important role of working with
men and boys, receive a much needed greater emphasis
in the new plan. It takes clear direction from our national
framework for preventing violence against women,
and highlights the role we all have – including men – in
addressing gender inequality and gender-based violence.
This plan also includes much greater emphasis on
intersectionality. This refers to recognising and addressing
the multiple inequalities that individuals face such as by
gender, race, Aboriginality, sexuality, gender diversity,
and ability. There is an important and welcome inclusion of
trans women in the national plan, and an acknowledgement
that both cisgenderism and heteronormativity are related
to sexism, and reinforce violence against people of all
genders and sexualities.
There is a vital emphasis on multi-sector approaches and
workforce development to support the work of the national
plan. These include engaging across government and
the community with business, sporting organisations,
educational institutions media and others over the next ten
years. Building capacity across the community to better
respond to, and prevent, violence against women is key to
the success of the plan.
KEY WEAKNESSES
While the national plan aims for an Australia free of
“gender-based violence” – much of the plan actually
focuses on domestic, family and sexual violence. Other
forms of violence that are disproportionately directed at
women and girls receive little attention – such as online
forms of harassment and abuse, labour exploitation, sexual
exploitation, and abuse of children.
The plan makes little mention of the challenges faced in the
Federal Court and family law in responding to domestic,
family and sexual violence in the context of deciding on
parenting matters. There are well documented injustices
occurring in this setting – and it would be a lost opportunity
if the national plan did not seek to correct these.
There are commitments made under the new plan to
evaluate and measure its outcomes. But the details are
vague, including the scope given to the incoming family,
domestic and sexual violence commissioner to report on
these measures.
There is a lot of work for governments to do under this plan
– it will be important to ensure a rigorous, transparent and
independent approach to monitoring progress.
Funding is always a key issue in policy – it remains unclear
whether funding commitments made during the election
campaign and under the previous government will be
confirmed in the forthcoming federal budget. The plan will
also need to be backed by proper funding if it is to end
violence against women “in one generation”.
The plan commits to three more specific “action” plans.
Two of these are separate five-year action plans that will
outline specific activities under the national plan. The first of
these is due to be released in 2023. A third is a dedicated
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan. It is in
the implementation of these action plans that there will be
opportunity to ensure some of the potential gaps are filled
in.
WHERE TO NEXT?
Our national statistics show that since the age of 15,
• 1 in 2 Australian women have experienced sexual
harassment
• 1 in 4 women have experienced emotional abuse from
a partner
• 1 in 6 have experienced physical partner abuse
• 1 in 5 have experienced sexual violence.
The next National Plan to End Violence Against Women and
Children is vital for setting the stage. But its real impact will
be seen through its implementation across the three action
plans that are yet to lay out the details of activity under the
plan.
Addressing and ultimately preventing violence against
women and children must continue to be a national policy
priority. We have to ensure all Australian governments are
held to account for funding and delivery of actions under
the national plan if we are truly to see this violence end in
one generation.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re
concerned about someone you know, call 1800RESPECT
on 1800 737 732. In immediate danger, call 000.
Correction: this article originally said the national plan was
2022-2023. It has been corrected to 2022-2032.
Anastasia Powell
Associate Professor, Criminology and Justice Studies,
RMIT University
Article first published on The Converssation
24 www.kidscaremag.com.au

#movements matter
Your baby’s
movements matter.
Why are my baby’s movements important?
What should I do?
If your baby’s movement pattern
changes, it may be a sign that
they are unwell.
Around half of all women who had a stillbirth
noticed their baby’s movements had slowed down
or stopped.
In any instance, if you are
concerned about a change in your
baby’s movements, contact your
midwife or doctor immediately.
You are not wasting their time.
How often should my baby move?
What may happen next?
There is no set number of normal
movements.
You should get to know your baby’s
own unique pattern of movements.
Babies movements can be described as anything
from a kick or a flutter, to a swish or a roll.
You will start to feel your baby move between
weeks 16 and 24 of pregnancy, regardless of
where your placenta lies.
Your midwife or doctor should ask you to
come into your maternity unit (staff are
available 24 hours, 7 days a week).
Investigations may include:
• Checking your baby’s heartbeat
• Measuring your baby’s growth
• Ultrasound scan
• Blood test
Common myths about baby movements
It is not true that babies move less towards the end of pregnancy.
You should continue to feel your baby move right up to the time you go into
labour and whilst you are in labour too.
If you are concerned about your baby’s movements, having something
to eat or drink to stimulate your baby DOES NOT WORK.
FIND OUT MORE: movementsmatter.org.au
Endorsed by: Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RANZCOG), Bears of Hope and Sands and organisations
below. We thank Tommy’s UK for allowing us to adapt their campaign for our purpose. Contact us at stillbirthcre@mater.uq.edu.au
www.kidscaremag.com.au
25

Family Matters
People with intellectual disability can be parents and
caregivers too – but the NDIS doesn’t support them

The Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare last month released its report
on people with disability. It shows two in
three people with disability aged 35 to 44
years have parenting responsibilities and
over one in five people with intellectual
disability aged 15 to 44 years have
children.
While it is estimated 0.41% of Australian
parents have intellectual disability,
international evidence shows most
people with intellectual disability who
become parents are classified in
the “low” to “borderline” intellectual
functioning range. So they may not
identify with a label of intellectual
disability. The real percentage of parents
in this category is likely to be higher.
Child protection statistics are a sober
reminder of the vulnerability these
families face if they fall between
the cracks of the National Disability
Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and
mainstream support services. Up to
three in every five children with a parent
or parents with intellectual disability
are likely to be removed from their care
according to research from around the
world.
Parenting should be treated as an
activity of daily living for people with
disability and then supported – rather
than ignored – to ensure the best
outcomes for parents and children.
The situation for parents with disability
With the right help, parents with
intellectual disability can and do learn
what it takes to be a good parent. But
their efforts to keep their family together
can be undermined by disjointed
services and the separation of parenting
responsibility from disability needs.
The NDIS is a key plank of Australia’s
efforts to meet our obligations under the
United Nations Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities. This includes
the right to participate fully in society,
live independently, and have a family. In
reality, families living with disability face
perilous service gaps that undermine
these rights.

The NDIS does not fund general family support. Despite
inclusion as a priority group in the latest National
Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children, families with
disability are only mentioned in passing in mainstream
family support programs such as in New South Wales.
We have noted in our previous research that, if a mother
with intellectual disability is assessed as requiring support
with living skills, an NDIS funded support worker may teach
her to buy and prepare her own meals and do the laundry.
But the same worker is often not permitted to teach her how
to sterilise her baby’s bottles or wash nappies.
If the first support a mother with intellectual disability
receives follows a mandatory report to child protection, it is
likely to be too little and too late.
As one parent we spoke to explained:
I […] couldn’t keep up with the housework. So, community
services removed them for that. And they took the youngest
at three days old from the hospital, simply for the fact that
the other kids were in care.
Parenting is part of life
Disability Minister Bill Shorten has reiterated that the NDIS
was never intended to replace mainstream services.
Proper investment to ensure Australians with disability
can access mainstream supports in their community is
critical, but parents with intellectual disability need more
intensive support to manage the varied, complex and
dynamic tasks that come with parenting.
If we recognise parenting as a fundamental occupation
of daily living, NDIS funding can be used by parents with
intellectual disability to learn parenting skills.
Where NDIS supports are in place prior to parenthood,
we should adjust plans for expectant parents with
intellectual disability.
The NDIS could fund assistance for personal and
household activities to help parents learn what it takes to
make a safe home for their child. Parents could also get
NDIS help to access their community: to find out about
local playgroups and new parents groups, and then help
to join in so they can connect with other parents and
services.
For parents we spoke to, even knowing what services
they could use their NDIS funding for was a mystery. One
found out too late NDIS funds could have helped her get
to contact visits with her children in care. As she told us:
28 www.kidscaremag.com.au

if they come into contact with these families due to child
safety concerns. In the three years since the report was
released, there is no evidence the NDIS or state and
territory child protection agencies have taken up these
recommendations.
Promises to improve the way NDIA communicates with the
disability community are welcome. Governments need a
clearer picture of how many families are headed by parents
with intellectual disability, and how they can tailor support
early to prevent these families reaching crisis point.
Susan Collings
Senior Research Fellow, Research Centre for Children and Families,
University of Sydney
Gabrielle Hindmarsh
Research Fellow, Youth Mental Health and Technology Team (Mental Health,
Culture, and Global Child Development Research Stream), University of
Sydney
Margaret Spencer
Lecturer & Director of Field Education in the Social Work Program, University
of Sydney
Nikki Wedgwood
Senior Lecturer, Sydney School of Health Sciences, University of Sydney
First published on The Conversation
We didn’t really know the ins and outs
of what NDIS does for you, and no-one
explained to me, ‘Oh, the NDIS package
can help you with a lot of different things’,
like helping with my parenting capacity,
helping me with getting to and back from
visits, or catching up with meetings that I
need to go to.
Family-centred supports
Our review of support models showed
what works is ensuring families are
connected to supports early and not when
they are in crisis. And that services work
together and are family – not person –
centred.
In practical terms, the NDIS should have
a special provision parents can use to
supplement state-funded services. This
is consistent with 2019 recommendations
of the Independent Advisory Council to
the NDIS. These suggested the NDIS
negotiate with mainstream services on
behalf of parents with intellectual disability
and that child protection agencies lodge
an urgent referral for an NDIS plan review

Education
Is selective school right for your child?
Here are 7 questions to help you decide
Parents and students are currently
making big decisions about next year.
Some will have just received or be
about to receive offers of a selective
school place for 2023. Other parents
need to decide soon if they will apply
for their children to sit selective schools
tests next year for entry in 2024. Or if
they should be looking at other high
school options.
These decisions can seem
overwhelming for families. What are
some of the issues to consider?
What is selective school?
Selective schools are public high
schools where students sit a
competitive test to be accepted the year
before entry.
They are mostly found in New South
Wales, where there are about 50
schools. But there are small number
in other states, including Queensland
(years 7 to 12), Victoria (years 9 to 12)
and Western Australia (7 to 12).
The success rate varies, but is is very
competitive. For example, in NSW this.
year, there were 15,660 applications for
4,248 places.
The pros and cons
Selective school places are highly
sought-after – these schools feature
prominently in the top schools for year
12 results. But they don’t have the fees
of elite private schools.
Some students feel energised by
the “best of the best” atmosphere in
which they can focus and find similarly
capable peers.
But there is an ongoing debate about
whether they should exist in the first
place. There is also an obvious focus
on test performance, rather than the
modern skills students need to learn
such as collaboration, tech literacy and
creativity.
And while academic streaming does
seem to improve the performance
of high achievers, it can harm the
confidence of those who get in (as
well as those who don’t). As Australian
Catholic University education scholar
Associate Professor Philip Parker
has explained, selective schools can
create a “big fish little pond” effect
where students lose a realistic sense
of where they fall within the full student
achievement spectrum.
Even if students gain a place at
selective school, they can find the
competition counter-productive.
Australian selective school students
are increasingly speaking out about the
mental health impacts of studying in a
stressful, competitive environment.
Don’t forget tutoring
The Australian tutoring industry is huge,
not just for parents seeking to improve
their child’s performance in class, but in
preparation for selective entry exams.
While the entry tests measure general
literacy, maths and logic skills – and
do not require study – many students
undergo months or even years of
expensive and often stressful tutoring to
prepare.
A 2010 US study suggested tutoring
and coaching for selective entry exams
only had a moderate effect on student’s
results, but this is far from conclusive.
Given the competition to gain entry
to these schools, students and their
parents may be more confident knowing
they’ve had tutoring. That confidence
alone may improve their performance.

WHAT SHOULD PARENTS THINK ABOUT?
It’s understandable that parents might be confused. How do you know if the
selective school is right for your child? Here are some issues to consider:
• school culture: are the schools you are considering particularly competitive?
Do they have an emphasis on other activities, away from exam marks?
Do they encourage sport, music or creative arts? Do they emphasise
mental health? Do they have programs to support students from diverse
backgrounds and with diverse identities?
• location: if your child is successful, will it mean a very long commute for
them?
• your child’s strengths: does your child enjoy school work and sitting tests?
Or do their strengths lie in other, less traditionally academic areas?
• your child’s temperament: does your child become anxious in testing
situations, or do they enjoy the “performance” aspect of them?
• your child’s opinion: is your child self-motivated to go to a selective school,
or are you trying to convince them it’s “good” for them? If they are keen,
giving them a chance - with the appropriate support - might help them
decide.
• tutoring: does your child want to do tutoring or exam preparation? Can you
afford the fees and time if they do?
• your child’s teacher: have you had conversations with your child’s teachers?
Do they believe your child has the academic aptitude and emotional capacity
to thrive in a selective school environment?
Author:
Daniel X. Harris
Professor and Associate
Dean, Research &
Innovation, RMIT University

Education
How to help your child write a speech
(without doing it for them)
It’s hard for parents to help kids with homework without
doing it for them. It can be especially difficult to work out
where to start when your child is preparing a speech for
school.
You might find your child is procrastinating more about
getting started with a speech than about other homework.
This could be because they are anxious about it.
Having something that they want to say to their class can
help to increase your child’s confidence and motivation
when they deliver the speech. A positive speechmaking
experience can increase confidence for next time, which is
why some schools teach public speaking in a systematic
way.
It’s important to keep in mind that public speaking has two
parts to it: writing the speech, and delivering it.
Here are some tips for how to help your kid with both
aspects of preparation.
WRITING THE SPEECH
First, help your child find something they want to say to their
audience.
When a child is delivering a speech to the class, they are
being listened to, observed, and watched by their peers.
Most other classwork is only read by the teacher. In a
speech, they are sharing their ideas with the whole class.
That’s why it is really important they own what they are
saying, and say it in their own words.
It’s key they own the topic (if it is a free choice of topic) or
that they own the stance they are taking (if the topic is set
by the teacher).
As a parent, it’s tricky to support your child to find their own
words to say – but it’s very important you don’t write the
speech for them.
Help them to think about what they care about and what
they think is important to share with their class.
Apart from the fact the teacher
will spot a parent-written
speech a mile away, if your
child has no ownership of their
speech, they will not care
about communicating the
ideas to the class.
Next, help your child to think
about organising their ideas.
It’s good to have a hook or a
catchy introduction into the
main idea of the speech.
That could be a rhetorical
question, an anecdote or
an amazing fact. They can
then think of around three
main points about the
topic.
Ask your child questions
that help them to think
about some examples or
evidence that support their ideas.
Finally, help them to finish their speech. Often, the ending
might return to the beginning to round off the point being
made – a kind of “I told you so”!
DELIVERING THE SPEECH – 4 TIPS FOR PARENTS
1. Encourage your child to focus on communicating their
idea to their audience.
If they focus on sharing their ideas, rather than worrying
about themselves, everything will come together.
Encourage them to think about looking at the audience and
making sure everyone can hear them.
32 www.kidscaremag.com.au

2. Practise the speed of delivery and time their speech.
One of the easiest things to practise that makes a big
difference to the delivery of the speech is the pacing.
The big tip is to slow down. When speakers feel nervous
they tend to speed up, sometimes just a little — but often
students will deliver their speeches at breakneck speed,
racing to just get it done so they can go and sit down.
I’ve listened to thousands of student speeches and have
never heard one delivered too slowly. But I have heard
many that sound like a horse-race call.
3. Be an affirmative audience to their speech.
Listen to your child practise when they feel ready to share
with you, but don’t push them if they are resistant.
Focus on building their confidence by talking to them about
the moments you felt they were connecting with you as an
audience member. Be appreciative of their jokes or show
you share their feelings about ideas they care about.
Your children seek your approval – don’t be stingy with it.
4. If they are feeling confident, suggest they work on
nuancing their delivery.
Once they are feeling confident about delivering the
speech, the child can add variety and texture.
For instance, they might slow down for emphasis on certain
words, add a pause after asking a question, or think about
some moments where they might speak more softly or
loudly.
Variation will add interest to the delivery of the speech and
help to grab and keep the audience’s attention. It also
helps further convey your child’s ideas.
Good support takes time
It’s hard to get the balance right when supporting your child
to prepare their speech. The trick is to understand that it will
take more than one sitting.
So, plan for a few chunks of time, and work on building their
ideas and enthusiasm.
Author:
Joanne O’Mara
Associate Professor in Education, Deakin University
First published on The Conversation
www.kidscaremag.com.au
33

Education
How can you support kids with ADHD to learn?
Parents said these 3 things help
COVID lockdowns and
home schooling seemed
never-ending for a lot of
families. But there were
some silver linings.
Our new research published
in two papers looked at
children with attentiondeficit/hyperactivity
disorder
(ADHD) during lockdowns
to understand what home
learning was like for them.
We surveyed more than
100 Australian parents of
children with ADHD, asking
them about the benefits,
challenges and strategies
they used.
While this provided
insights into into pandemic
schooling, there are lessons
here for learning beyond
lockdowns.
As COVID cases remain
high, so too does the
potential for more home
learning. But parents can
also use our findings to
help with homework and
teachers can apply them
in their primary and high
school classrooms.
This comes amid calls from
parents to better support
children with ADHD at
school.
Remind me, what is ADHD?
ADHD begins in childhood
and occurs in about 5% of
children and adolescents
worldwide.
Symptoms can include
difficulty maintaining
concentration, controlling
impulses (including being
able to pause and think),
planning and organising
tasks, and managing time
and belongings.
Children with ADHD
experience greater school
and learning difficulties,
compared to their peers
without ADHD.
Medication can help with
reducing inattention and
hyperactivity/impulsivity
difficulties. But to succeed
at school, children with
ADHD also require other
supports.
Our findings
Our research found
Australian parents
experienced challenges
during lockdowns.
Of those surveyed, 25%
reported difficulty keeping
children on task during
home learning. Similar
numbers also reported
children lacking motivation
(22%) and difficulty with
the format, structure, and
delivery of online learning
(19%). If a child had
trouble paying attention
and anxiety symptoms,
these were most likely
to make home learning
difficult.
But there were also
benefits.
34 www.kidscaremag.com.au

Of those surveyed, 20%
of parents reported their
child had lower anxiety and
stress. Similar numbers also
reported they got a better
understanding of their
child’s learning style and
needs (20%) and greater
flexibility around how and
when their child did school
work (19%).
These benefits may be
due to children receiving
more one-on-one
support and more
ability to personalise
learning for their child.
What strategies
helped?
According to our
study, the most
common helpful
strategies used
during home
learning for Australian
children with ADHD were:
• having routines/
organisation and time
management, including
waking up at a set time
each day and then
following a schedule
• parents being actively
involved in their child’s
work – keeping track of
what work needed to
be done and what work
had been done
• having a suitable space
for children to work,
that was quiet and free
from distractions.
Tips for parents of children
with ADHD
Our suggestions can be
used during any future
home learning or for parents
helping their children with
homework. They can also
be easily adapted by
classroom teachers.
The key thing to remember
is children with ADHD are
not intentionally trying to
be naughty, impulsive or
distracted. For that reason,
discipline will not be
effective but the following
strategies may help:
• focus on your child’s
strengths and positive
attributes – this is
essential for them to
build and maintain selfesteem
• give plenty of praise
and encouragement
social connections.
• provide gentle
redirection if your child
gets distracted – you
could say, “Wow! What
a great job you’ve done
so far. Keep going!”,
instead of “Back to
work!”
• limit distractions – turn
off TVs, silence phones
and have siblings work
or play elsewhere
• work with your child
from the start of an
activity to ensure they
understand it and to
help them plan the next
steps
• give your child one to
two instructions at a
time
• provide time
management
assistance – this
could include a visual
schedule of the steps/
tasks required
• enable your child
to expend energy
whilst listening – this
could include fidgets,
doodling or bouncing
on a Pilates ball –
to assist with their
concentration
• ensure your child takes
regular learning breaks.
The frequency of these
will depend on your
child, it could be helpful
to start with more
frequent breaks, then
adjust as needed.
www.kidscaremag.com.au
• ask your child about
their struggles
and then listen to
their responses,
acknowledge their
feelings and don’t
judge or just leap
to give advice. You
could say, “I can
see that you’re really
upset. Do you feel
like talking about it?”
Recent research shows
children with ADHD
want to have positive
Emma Sciberras
Associate Professor, Deakin
University
Anna Jackson
Doctor of Psychology candidate,
Deakin University
Glenn Melvin
Associate Professor, Deakin
University
Louise Brown
PhD candidate, Curtin University
First published on The Conversation
35

Food

My kid has gone vegetarian. What do I need to know
(especially if they’re a picky eater)?
So your child has just announced they’ve gone vegetarian, on top of already
being a picky eater. What now?
Generally, a well balanced vegetarian diet is low in saturated fat and rich in the
vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fibre.
Here are some evidence-based tips to ensure your growing child gets the
nutrients they need, and how to help broaden their tastes.

What kind of vegetarian are they?
A vegetarian diet usually excludes all
animal products except for dairy (milk,
cheese, yoghurt) and eggs. However,
there can be variations.
You might start by asking your child
what’s in and what’s out according to
their new diet. Will they still eat eggs,
dairy, seafood or chicken? Don’t
assume – your child’s interpretation of
“vegetarian” may be slightly different
to yours.
Careful planning required
Meat provides some critical nutrients,
so some careful planning will be
required. Children are still growing and
need more nutrients (relative to their
bodyweight) than adults, even though
they may consume less food overall.
Let’s start with protein. In children
aged 4-8yrs, the estimated average
requirement (sometimes shortened
to EAR) is 0.73 grams of protein per
kilogram of body weight per day.
Boys aged between 9 and 13 years
need about 0.78g of protein per
kilogram of bodyweight, while boys
aged between 14 and 18 years need
about 0.76g of protein per kilogram of
bodyweight per day.
Girls need about 0.61g of protein per
kilogram of bodyweight between the
age of 9 and 13 years and 0.62g of
protein per kilogram of bodyweight
between the ages of 14 and 18 years.
By contrast, men need about 0.68g
of protein per kilogram of bodyweight
and women need about 0.60g of
protein per kilogram of bodyweight.
There are still many good sources of
protein for vegetarians. Each of these
contain about 10g of protein:
two small eggs
30g cheese
250ml dairy milk
three-quarters of a cup of lentils
120g tofu
60g nuts
300ml soy milk.
Meat is a good source of iron and
zinc, so careful planning is needed
to ensure vegetarians don’t miss out
on these. Iron is of particular concern
for menstruating girls, while zinc is of
particular concern for boys for sexual
maturation.
To maximise the intake of iron and
zinc, try to ensure your child is eating
wholegrain foods over refined grains.
For example 100g of a multigrain
bread roll contains 4.7mg of iron and
1.7mg of zinc. By contrast, 100g of a
white bread roll contains 1.26mg of
iron and 0.82mg of zinc.
Lentils, beans, nuts and fortified
cereals like Weet-Bix are good
sources of iron and zinc.
Ask your child why they’ve gone
vegetarian
It is important to explore your child’s
reason for going vegetarian; it may
allow for some compromises.
For example, if animal welfare is the
top concern, see if your child might
agree to a compromise whereby only
one (large) animal is butchered and
frozen, to be consumed as required.
The rationale here is that only one
animal has been killed rather than
many if you buy meat from smaller
animals weekly at the butcher or
supermarket.

If your child is concerned about
environmental impact and emissions,
see if the whole family could cut back
on meat so more emissions are saved
and your child still consumes some
meat occasionally.
Beef and lamb in particular are big
contributors to greenhouse gas
emissions, so swapping to fish and
chicken may be another strategy.
You can replace meat with beans,
lentils and nuts. As well as containing
protein, these are also high in fibre
and anti-oxidants.
Or, you might consider getting
backyard chickens so food scraps
are used rather than going to land fill,
which will further reduce emissions
and provide the family with eggs (a
good source of protein).
Reducing consumption of some
processed and ultra-processed
foods is another way to reduce
environmental impact; the production,
processing and transport of these
foods requires a lot of energy. Cutting
back on processed foods is also a
healthier choice for the whole family.
If the reason is taste preferences, keep
trialling various meats and different
cuts. Your child’s tastes will fluctuate
with time. You might try new cooking
techniques, different flavours, or new
herbs and spices.
Get the kids involved
Involving your child in grocery
purchasing, recipe selection and
cooking may help broaden their tastes
and ensure they’re hitting the right
food groups.
Depending on their age, you may
also encourage your child to research
evidence-backed and reliable
websites to find ideal replacement
foods.
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating
has good information on food groups
and non-meat protein sources such as
beans, lentils, nuts and tofu.
For more detailed information, try
the Australian Food Composition
Database (formerly known as
NUTTAB), an Australian government
site that outlines nutrient levels in
food. The National Health and Medical
Research Council website may also be
helpful.
Other tips for picky eaters?
There are some good, research based
strategies to help with picky eating.
You might need to offer your child
new and unfamiliar foods many times
before they try it. Don’t pressure them
to eat it, but do make sure it appears
on the plate again in future.
Model eating new or unfamiliar foods
yourself and make sure your family’s
diet is balanced.
However, a vegetarian diet with too
much processed and ultra-processed
foods is still going to be unhealthy.
If you are still concerned about your
child’s eating, consult an accredited
practising dietitian for personalised
advice.
Author:
Evangeline Mantzioris
Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences,
Accredited Practising Dietitian, University of
South Australia
First published on The Conversation

Curious
Kids
Did humans hunt and eat woolly
mammoths or dinosaurs?
Jasmine, age 10, Central Coast NSW
Hi Jasmine,
Thanks for this great
question!
Humans can be
blamed for a lot of
things: chopping down
rainforests, worsening climate
change, and driving precious
species like the Tasmanian
Tiger to extinction. But can we
add hunting and eating woolly
mammoths and dinosaurs to
the list?
Well, we can safely assume
dinosaurs never fell prey to
humans – mainly because the
two never even met (despite
what the Jurassic Park films
suggest). Dinosaurs had
already been extinct for
about 62 million years by the
time modern humans started
roaming the planet!
But what about woolly
mammoths? In this case, the
movie Ice Age was actually
correct. Humans and woolly
mammoths lived side by side
for at least 15,000 years.
Mammoth findings in the fossil
record
So did humans hunt woolly
mammoths to extinction?
To answer this question we
must look at clues in the fossil
record, which is made up
of the preserved remains of
ancient life.
In the case of the dodo, a
large flightless bird that went
extinct, documents from 1690
make it clear that over-hunting
by humans was the cause.
But woolly mammoths were
around long before we had
paper to write on. They existed
from about 300,000 years ago
– a time when ice covered the
northern parts of the world.
As for when they went
extinct, a small number of
dwarf mammmoths survived
on a little isolated island in
the Arctic until about 4,000
years ago. But the full-sized
species disappeared from an
area called Beringia (located
between Siberia and Alaska)
some 12,000 years ago – after
living alongside humans for at
least 15,000 years.
Did humans kill them off?
Hunting for clues
When early humans hunted,
they tended to kill many
animals at the same time. This
created “kill sites”, which are
literally huge piles of animal
bones. And when they pulled
the meat off the bones to eat,
they used stone tools that
created cut marks or small
notches in the bones.
These marks now provide vital
clues. In Beringia, there is
fossil evidence for mammoth
kill sites, and cut marks on
mammoth bones – so all the
clues point to humans having
hunted woolly mammoths.
But the strongest evidence
was found in southern Poland
in 2019. A small part of a stone
tool, made into a spear blade
by a human, was found in the
rib bone of a woolly mammoth.
If this was evidence presented
in a murder trial, that human
would be locked up straight
away!
Even so, does that mean
humans alone were
responsible for wiping out
all the full-sized woolly
mammoths?
Some scientists suggest the
climate also played a role.
It could be that climate
conditions at the time shifted
away from what woolly
mammoths preferred and
caused a large drop in
their numbers. This may
have made the remaining
mammoths more vulnerable
to increasing hunting as the
human population grew.
Australia’s own
‘mammoths’
Australia didn’t have woolly
mammoths. They would have
gotten very hot in those thick
coats! But we did have giant
animals known as megafauna,
which went extinct between
5,000 and 17,000 years
(depending on the species)
after the First Peoples arrived.
Interestingly, we don’t find
any reliable fossil evidence
of these people hunting
Australia’s ancient megafauna.
There are no known kill sites,
no cut marks on the animal
bones, and no evidence of
spear blades being lodged
in ribs.
Was the megafauna’s
disappearance related to
human activity? Or did climate
change play a part here as
well?
The jury is still out on this
one! But the more fossils we
find, and the better we get at
studying them, the closer we’ll
come to understanding what
happened all those years ago.
Kira Westaway
Associate Professor, School of Natural
Sciences, Macquarie University
40 www.kidscaremag.com.au

Motherhood
Bites!
Brooke Turnbull
Aspiring author, blogger, part time studier of the criminal brain, fulltime
consumer of baked goods, wife and now mother. Welcome to an honest
account of pregnancy and motherhood.....well my honest account anyway!
You can follow Brooke on Instagram @thebrookeshelves
It is a truth universally
acknowledged that when a
parent is in want of daycare for
their child, there are certain…
ahh provisions that one must
endure. Namely, the daycare
germs that are trekked through
your front door at the end of
each week. Ensuring that you
remain sick each weekend but
perfectly fine again to return to
work on Monday.
Or, you find yourself frantically
having a whispered fight with
your partner on a Tuesday
lunchtime about who’s turn it
is to pick up the children when
daycare has called with the
news that your wee babe has
found themselves vomiting all
over the play mat in front of 20
of their peers and educators.
This was the tricky situation
my husband and I found
ourselves in on a Friday. I was
snowed under, so was he. We
did a quick ring around to all
the family members we dared
expose our toddler’s leurgy to
(it wasn’t many and the phone
calls petered out quickly and
forcefully). In the end, I made
the decision to take the fall.
Work was understanding, if a
little eye-rolly…because you
can’t be a woman without
experiencing at least one eyeroll
when you tell someone you
have to leave to tend for your
sick child.
I got myself into my car
and mentally prepped for a
weekend of flat lemonade
and the knowledge that I was
definitely going to be next on
the sickness line up. I picked
up the poor kid, looking worse
for wear and in vastly different
clothes than the ones I sent
him in, and took
him home for some
tender, loving care.
It was a long two
days of gastro, it
wore him out and
it wore me out.
And then he gave
it to his brother.
Who had never
been this sick
before and kept looking
at me accusingly in between
vomits, as if I had been the
one to give him the plague.
By Sunday night, the kids
were done. My husband and
I were staring at each other
in the same way I imagine
people who have experienced
some inescapable trauma
do. Shellshocked and
silent. We had hot washed
everything in the house and
had managed to avoid it
ourselves. If we had had the
energy to give each other a
high five (before ensuring we
promptly sanitised our hands
afterward), I’m sure we would
have. In the end, we just went
to bed.
I woke the next day feeling
fresh, if a little gurgly. It was
expected, I thought. I had,
after all, nursed two children
through a gastro storm so
profound that I was sure we
would never be the same
again. We would wear our
gastro scars forever more.
And I hadn’t eaten much since
Sunday morning, because
the sound of gagging had
haunted every bite of my food
I had taken. I was definitely
hungry. I had a coffee, I had
a breakfast bar and I got
the kids ready for daycare.
Wondering what was to befall
www.kidscaremag.com.au
us the weekend coming and
if, after our recent experience,
the daycare gods could
perhaps just look kindly upon
us this one time. I piled them
in to the stairwell, as I was
leaving my husband started
to look a little green. “I think
I’ll work from home, actually”
he muttered, rubbing his belly
and clearly already uttering
a prayer. I agreed this was
probably the best course of
action for him. I would not. I
had an urgent case load to
get done and I was feeling
A-OK since eating. I was
celebrating. I had WON! I had
defeated the gastro demons! I
was a miracle of health!
We pulled out of our
apartment block and I felt
the tell tale build up of a mild
fart. I felt guilty releasing it
into the closed car, but after
a weekend of dealing with
all manner of bodily fluids I
thought it wouldn’t hurt my
kids to be exposed to a small
smell.
What happened next was
the sort of thing I had only
previously fever dreamed
about. A literal damn of
poo exploded from me,
immediately leaking onto
my work pants and pooling
on the car seat. I screamed.
The kids both screamed.
They didn’t know what they
were screaming at. I went
on screaming. I screamed
as I pulled an illegal, clearly
emergent, u-turn back into
the car park. I screamed as I
desperately attempted to get
the remote to work and open
the garage door as quickly
as possible. I screamed
as I called my husband, I
screamed while I told him
what had happened. He
couldn’t help. The same thing
had happened to him, he’d
only just made it to the toilet in
time. We hadn’t won. We had
been defeated. I was actively
defecating in the car. The
children were still screaming,
not knowing why. We live up a
3 story walk up. I John Wayne
walked to the top, feeling as if
my organs were escaping out
my back entrance.
In the end, gastro taught
us one thing and one thing
only. Thank god we have an
apartment with two bathrooms.
41

WHEN HE’S
UP TO DATE,
HE’S PROTECTED.
YOUR CHILDREN AREN’T
FULLY PROTECTED IF THEIR
VACCINATIONS ARE OVERDUE
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developed with your GP or immunisation provider
TRACK THEIR VACCINATIONS
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22-30 October 2022
2022 Children’s Week Theme:
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wellbeing and healthy development.
Visit the Children’s Rights Queensland website to find or register
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