Children Teaching

Thứ Năm, 11 tháng 8, 2016

How can we justify drinking so much?

CHRONIC disease and injury caused by alcohol causes 15 deaths and 430 hospitalisations each day in Australia.

This alone should give us pause for thought about our much celebrated drinking culture. But apparently it’s not.

I remember very clearly a night many, many years ago when I went to meet a friend for dinner. I had just come out of a clinic where I had been dealing with a certain fondness for barbiturates. An over anxious personality coupled with a very rocky adolescence and some deep seated “issues” had led me to rely on the oblivion that only swallowing a pill (or two) could provide. But now I was drug free and out in the real world using the coping skills that therapy had provided.

The waiter came over and asked if I would like a glass of wine while I was waiting for my friend to arrive. It struck me how easy that seemed. No doctor shopping, no sneaking, no begging the doctor to see how badly you needed a repeat of that script — you could just order wine in full view of everybody and maybe you could even get some of the effects the valium had delivered. Clearly while I was drug free I wasn’t quite cured of my desire to escape.

Why is it that wine is socially acceptable, but pharmaceuticals are not?Source:Supplied

But I have never been a drinker, not even after that night. Sure I sometimes have a glass of wine or a cocktail if I go out for dinner, but not every time. If I cared to count the numbers of drinks I consume in a year I don’t think I would need to take off my shoes to use my toes.

Even though my husband drinks a “normal” amount — a whiskey after a bad day at work, a beer or two with his mates and the very common social drink, it still amazes me that this kind of drinking is accepted as such a normal part of life.

Imagine I just got to pop a pill every time I came home from work, or went out, or wanted to relax or de-stress. Imagine I popped an extra one to celebrate or even to commiserate.

Even though I would be far more sedate (and some would argue, amiable) I’m told that altering my state of mind via pharmaceuticals is not OK.

But drinking in accepted part of our culture that we don’t question because hey, it’s normal — everyone drinks, it’s just who we are.

Perhaps it is only now that my child is a teenager and the talk of alcohol is bubbling from a whisper to a huge roaring shout that I’m more aware of how entrenched this drinking culture is. And it’s not just the stereotypical rowdy teens at a party, or the fans watching sport. Not just the after work drinks to delineate the cut off between work and play or the social get-togethers.

Last week five recent cases of mothers caught driving under the influence with their children in the car were reported. Indeed last year one mum confessed to drinking seven glasses of wine before getting in the car to pick up her kids from school. And while I am horrified at the thought of her driving anywhere near my son’s school I am not that surprised.

There is a growing trend on social media through the use of viral memes, to laugh at how much mothers drink. We use motherhood as an excuse to drink, giving the message that it’s normal — it’s just what mums do.

There are so many mum wine memes out there.Source:Supplied

The 5pm glass of wine is the Holy Grail, it’s what we are all meant to hang on to during the day as we trudge through the banality of raising small children, as we mediate fights and tantrums and pick up tossed items of clothing. Soon it will be over and we can drink.

Wine memes.Source:Supplied

Somewhere it is 5pm and surely that means it’s time to self medicate. We’ve survived the day — now we get to celebrate with a drink.

But I am raising a teen and I want to challenge that.

Wine memes.Source:Supplied

I can try my best to keep him away from underage drinking, I can explain what happens to his young brain when it is affected by alcohol and I can keep him away from the pub. But, just as importantly, I want to keep him away from the constant messages that alcohol is the way to unwind, that alcohol decreases stress and that any small win, even just getting to the end of the day, means being rewarded with a drink.

Drinking means that 15 deaths and 430 hospitalisations occur each day in Australia. That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun to me.

Resource: news.com.au

Former Adelaide entrepreneur Andre Pech talks about his children’s party business, Superheroes Inc

THERE is something about putting on a cape and a mask that is transformative: turning the normal into super. The human into hero.

And that’s what former Adelaide entrepreneur Andre Pech always loved about turning himself into a superhero.

“I grew up loving (superhero) characters,” the now Sydney-based businessman said. “In 2002 I realised that I could link my business degree — which I was studying at the time — with my intense love of superheroes.”

And his flourishing children’s party business, Superheroes Inc, was born. Today, his company offers 200 characters and does on average 2000 events each year.

And more than half of those parties are superhero-themed. Why? Because kids love superheroes: They’ve loved the crime-fighting, folkloric, secret-identity characters since they first started appearing in popular fiction in the early 20th century. Masked avengers then surged in popularity in the late 1930s when the so-called “Golden Age” of comic books was born.

Next Saturday, The Advertiser and Sunday Mail is launching the Marvel Ultimate Super Hero Comic Collection — a 14-day series featuring Marvel favourites such as Thor, the Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow and Spider-Man.

Dr Justin Coulson, above, author of the best-selling book 21 Days to a Happier Family, said superheroes were exciting, spontaneous and full of action, which is what made them ultra-appealing to children.

“(Superheroes) do amazing things, they have superpowers — I mean, who doesn’t want superpowers?,” he said. “Kids love the fact that these characters can only do things from their dreams and they create a sense of fantasy and creativity and imagination.”

However, Dr Coulson warned that children needed moderation in all things, including superhero culture.

“Children need to have balance,” he said, adding research was beginning to find that too much exposure to ultra-masculine characters could have a negative impact.

Mr Pech, 36, said when he jumped into a party dressed as his company’s own “Super Trev” the kids look on in awe.

“I love how the kids react to you and how, through our show, we empower,” he said.

“But we also talk about how superheroes don’t just fight bad guys.

“We regularly get calls from grateful parents weeks later saying their child is now eating their vegies because Super Trev said it would help them discover their superpowers.”

Meet your superheroes in real life and pick up your secret Marvel reward today, Rundle Mall, and tomorrow, Moseley Square, Glenelg 10am-4.30pm.

Resource: news.com.au

Meet the ‘off-grid’ parents who don’t believe in doctors or conventional schooling

PARENTS Adele and Matt Allen believe in an all-natural approach to bringing up their children — so much so they refuse modern medicine, traditional schooling and still give their five-year-old son the option to breastfeed.

Adele, 32, and Matt, 33, from Brighton, call their parenting style ‘Off-Grid Parenting’ and their children Ulysses, five, and Ostara, one, are therefore both still breastfed, have never visited a doctor and will not attend a mainstream school.

When Adele, a writer, fell pregnant with her son, the couple’s controversial methods felt completely natural to them.

“Off-grid is moving towards self sustainability and being a bit more free range and less institutionalised,” Adele said.

Matt added: “We did collect a lot of information but essentially it was just this feeling.”

Adele gave birth to both her children completely unassisted and with no medical intervention with only her husband Matt by her side.

“The thought of giving birth in a hospital just didn’t appeal to me because of many reasons, mostly the observer effect,” she said.

“Also, the interventions I think can be gently nudged on you when you are in a very vulnerable state.”

Adele believes her son Ulysses should be able to breastfeed if he feels like it. Picture: Barcroft MediaSource:Getty Images

Adele and Matt also decided to have ‘lotus births’ meaning the placenta and umbilical cords were not surgically removed at birth.

Instead, Adele carried the attached placenta in a cooler bag — scattered with salt and rose petals to disguise the smell — around with her until it fell off naturally.

“With both my births it took six days for the umbilical chord to fall away naturally.

“You wrap it up and keep it clean and it falls away and forms a perfect belly button.

“In my knowledge, it’s perfectly safe and it worked beautifully for us. I don’t know of any known cases where it’s gone wrong.

“I very much honour the postpartum-period and I didn’t go out at all during that first week. So it was just a matter of transporting it to the toilet or to the kitchen.”

Adele feels very strongly about full-term breastfeeding and her five-year-old son still regularly feeds from Adele for comfort.

“Ulysses does still nurse from time to time. Since the baby came along it has decreased rapidly and we had to come to a mutual understanding that it needed to graduate down a bit, but then I wasn’t willing to say ‘no, you need to stop now.

’I think it’s up to him to decide when he wants to move on from it

“It’s something that’s just as natural as a hug is, it’s a connection.”

Adele kept her placenta. Picture: Barcroft MediaSource:Getty Images

Both children were born at home. Picture: Barcroft MediaSource:Getty Images

Aside from a hospital trip with Ulysses following an asthma attack, the Allen children have never seen a doctor or received vaccinations.

“I don’t really see that there’s any need other than using breastfeeding to supplement them,” said the mother.

“I don’t see any need to inject any foreign substance directly into the blood stream. That’s not how children will come into the contact with a germ naturally anyway, be it in the mouth or another way.”

Distrusting of modern medicine, Adele prefers to treat her youngsters’ ailments naturally, squirting breast milk in their eyes to cure eye infections and serving them lemon juice when they have a cold.

Adele believes: “If you use plants and herbs you target the bad without attacking the good bacteria as well.

“If I had something serious like cancer, I would definitely take the natural path. I whole-heartedly have faith in it now and I’ve experienced enough of it to know that is the way forward.

“The kids’ health is just as important as mine if not more so, and so again I would go with what I trust and for me, that is the natural path.”

Adele and Matt also believe in attachment parenting methods, such as co-sleeping and the family of four all sleep in the same room.

The family all sleep in the one room. Picture: Barcorft MediaSource:Getty Images

“It works quite nice for us. Normally we put the baby down to sleep first. Uly pretty much picks up his own bed time, but as we don’t have a school routine in morning he is then able to wake up when it suits him.”

Ostara and Ulysses do not attend mainstream school and instead spend their days outside among nature, learning about plants.

The mum-of-two said: “We basically spend lots of time in nature. It’s more important to us for them to interact with animals and plants and learn about the environment than it is for them to have big sets of plastic toys.

“Ostara really likes to play with woodlice and in the mud. In the park, there’s a big herb patch and she likes to pick and eat the mint leaves. Already at this young age she is thinking about what she can pick from nature and eat.”

Everything is ‘au naturale’ for the Allens. Picture: Barcroft MediaSource:Getty Images

The parents accept that reading and writing are imperative life skills but do not want learning to be forced upon their children and Ulysses can only recognise basic letters and numbers.

“I don’t have an issue with that. There is no need for him to be able to read and write at this age anyway!” Adele said.

Instead, the couple believe that their children are becoming curious about letters and numbers from seeing them out and about.

“They see letters on drain covers and numbers on signs and then learning happens as a consequence of just being out in the world, rather than it being forced upon them in a classroom that is not particularly inspiring.”

Educational pictures of plants in Adele and Matt's home in Brighton. Picture: Barcroft MediaSource:Getty Images

Natural medicines only in this household. Picture: Barcroft MediaSource:Getty Images

And the parents don’t worry that their untraditional schooling will affect the children’s future, Adele believes it will give the kids an edge in later life.

“I think home schooled kids are very successful entrepreneurs normally because they have been educated in that way that they do want to build their own business and not to be a slave to someone else.”

Despite spending most of their time outdoors, Adele and Matt have decided not to smother their children in suncream the way parents are usually inclined to do.

“We don’t use sun cream. Not at all on the kids. We don’t believe it protects you from cancer.”

Adele writes a blog on natural parenting and she and Matt are adamant, despite some negative comments, they would not raise their children any other way.

Matt and Adele with son Ulysses and daughter Ostara. Picture: Barcroft MediaSource:Getty Images

Matt said: “The whole process of doing it in a completely different way has been an amazing journey and a learning curve for all parties involved.

“I have got such a fantastic connection and bond with both of them and they know who we are — more than just being Mum and Dada — it’s a much deeper connection than that.”

The family are currently saving to migrate to Costa Rica, to life an eco-lifestyle.

Adele said: “Our ultimate ambition is to move towards self-sustainability. We’re looking at Central America; somewhere we can get a big plot of land and grow food. Have the space for freedom and access to wildlife in it’s natural state.”

Resource: news.com.au

Child models in bikinis spark controversy at fashion show

AN ANNUAL swimwear event has sparked controversy after allowing child models to walk the catwalk in tiny bikinis.

Miami Swim Week — a three-day event held in South Beach, Florida — was the setting for the launch of new fashion collection Hot as Hell, a range of swimwear for both children and adults.

The label sent primary school children down the catwalk in an array of different bikinis and swimming costumes.

The Hot as Hell collection launch at Miami Swim Week.Source:Getty Images

Since photos and videos from the event have emerged online, some commenters have hit out at the parents of the young models.

One internet user remarked that using kids in fashion shows is “child abuse”, while another begged: “Please look after your daughters”.

The Hot as Hell collection launch at Miami Swim Week.Source:Getty Images

Some concerned social media users have slammed the brands use of young models for being “wrong”, with many worrying that it leaves the child models at risk from online predators.

On the Hot As Hell official Instagram page, which has more than 30,000 followers, the brand have been posting a snaps from the runway show.

The Hot as Hell collection launch at Miami Swim Week.Source:Getty Images

One of the pictures, which shows three young girls in yellow swimsuits, racked up more than 3000 likes.

Dozens of commenters remarked the kids were “cute”, while one Instagram user said that the girl will “be a hotty in a decade or so”.

Despite the controversial decision to include child models, some internet users have defended the brand.

One Instagram user remarked: “My little sister would love to hang out with these girls on the runway!”

Another simply said: “Amazing!!! Gorgeous girls!!”

Resource: news.com.au

The child of the ‘off-grid’ parents peed on the floor on live TV

ADELE and Matt Allen were in the news earlier this week after they spoke about their “off-grid” parenting style.

The couple, who live in Brighton in the UK, don’t believe in doctors or conventional schooling and Adele still breastfeeds their five-year-old-son.

Adele and son Ulysees.Source:Getty Images

The family made headlines again today, after they appeared on British TV show This Morning.

The couple were invited to speak about their alternative lifestyle, and explain why they have opted to raise their two kids outside of the mainstream education system.

But viewers were left shocked when their youngest child tottered off to wee on the studio floor — live on air.

Things got out of hand during the live broadcast.Source:YouTube

Adele, 32, told hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford that son Ulysses, 5, was still breastfeeding, and would stop only when he was ready.

She said: “We prefer to go the more free-range, natural route.”

And it seems they have a similar approach to toilet training, as their flaxen-haired toddler sauntered off for a cheeky wee as her parents were quizzed.

Ostara makes a run for it.Source:YouTube

As one-year-old Ostara stood and stared defiantly in to the camera, a small puddle of urine began to form around her feet.

“Urgh!” yelled Ulysees, as his dad told him to quieten down.

The deed is done.Source:Supplied

As the restless child, and his baby sister continued to clamber over the sofa, Ruth asked if there were any rules or discipline at home.

Adele said: “We do have rules, he would do as we ask.

The children aren’t vaccinated, and instead are left to battle diseases and ‘self-fast’ until their bodies have healed.Source:YouTube

“We speak to him respectfully knowing he’s an equal human being to us.

“He is a highly sensitive child in nature and gets overwhelmed very easily.

“It’s important to him to not have strong, authoritative discipline as he doesn’t react well to that.”

She grinned that the children don’t go to school.

The family at home.Source:Getty Images

“We do unschooling. It’s home education away from the curriculum.

“Whatever he’s interested in, we provide the opportunities for him to learn about it at that time.”

Ulysees can use an iPad, but can’t read or write, although Adele was proud to announce he can count up to 20.

They explained that their children usually run about barefoot.

“It makes the feet stronger. It’s actually the shoes that make them softer.”

Ulysees and Ostara aren’t vaccinated, and instead are left to battle diseases and “self-fast” until their little bodies have healed.

Ulysees — who like his sister is not vaccinated — had scarlet fever and chickenpox, but was aided through medicinal foods and herbs rather than taken to see a doctor.

Viewers were quick to slam the children as badly behaved and in need of some discipline.

One commented: “These children are already proving they need boundaries #offgridparenting seems dangerous to me.”

Another said: “#OffGridParenting clearly isn’t all that. They’re the worst behaved kids I’ve seen on the show in a while.”

Following their appearance on the show, the couple asked strangers to donate £100,000 ($177,000) to help fund their sustainable lifestyle.

They want the money to buy plane tickets to Costa Rica and a patch of land in the Central American country so they can live their ideal lifestyle.

A plea made on website Fund My Travel see the couple, who share a one bedroom flat with their kids, plead with the public to make their dreams of living sustainably in Central America come true.

Their manifesto for strangers’ funds reads: “We firmly believe that there are alternative parenting ways and you don’t have to conform to what’s expected.

“We have an all natural approach to parenting and are reaping the benefits.

“Our ultimate goal is to become self-sufficient, the way of making that happen is by moving to Costa Rica and buying a big plot of land where we can grow food, and have access to wildlife and nature in it’s natural state.

“That’s where we need YOUR help, we would love if you could donate any amount and help us achieve our dreams.

The couple’s crowd-funding page.Source:Supplied

“We hope by doing so we not just give our kids the best possible start in life but we will inspire others to do the same and we’ll share the knowledge we have gained over the course of our journey and help others who want to follow our alternative parenting path.”

So far the couple has raised just five pounds, which was donated by Adele herself.

With The Sun.

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Off grid parents Adele and Matt Allen

Resource: news.com.au