Protecting Our Children From Mosquitoes

How many times have you been lying in bed, turn off the light and then suddenly you hear that dreadful noise, buzzing sound zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.


Mosquito flying above your head, dive bombing at you waiting to suck up your blood. You turn on the light, nothing, cannot see the mosquito anywhere, can’t find it, so off goes the light and there it is again that terrible sound, annoying sound that will send you into a frenzy until you can destroy it.



This year has been exceptional for breeding, conditions have been perfect, mainly temperature. Taking up to two weeks to reach adulthood and if not controlled, there can be millions within weeks.

Carrying many diseases, Dengue Fever, Ross River Fever, Murray Valley Encephalitis Virus, Barmah Forest Virus and Malaria.



Mosquitoes can ruin an outdoor event, like the backyard barbeque which is a big part of every family’s way of life and make this occasion very unpleasant. Keeping ourselves and our children safe from any disease can be a nightmare. Here are some tips to help survive the mosquito season:



Breeding areas for mosquitoes-clean up or spray.

Bases of pot plants

Old tyres, tins and any rubbish that will hold water.

Stagnant water- children’s wading pools, bird baths and pools of water from heavy rain.

Boats

Swimming Pools need to be salted or chlorinated. Otherwise they should be totally drained from water if not in use for long periods of time.

Dog bowls should be changed every week.

Protecting ourselves and our children-

Wearing loose fitting clothes with long sleeves and pants, not tight clothing because mosquitoes will bite straight through the material.

Choose light coloured clothes, tend to like dark colours.

Try not to be outside early morning or just on dusk.

Use repellent containing at least 20% Deet or Picaridin(not on Children). For children spray inside of prams with a mixture of baby oil and a few drops of tea tree oil. Ask your chemist what is best for using on children.

Use screens when camping or place nets over beds for extra protection.

Knockdown sprays should be used inside the home.

I have also heard that using dettol, water and glycerine can be effective. (use eucalyptus oil if no dettol

Protecting our family is very important. By keeping mosquito numbers down, life as we know it, can still be enjoyed.

Happy Easter

"HAPPY EASTER" everybody.

What does Easter mean to me?
I am not a very religious person but I still think that children should learn the significance of  Easter. What Good Friday is all about and why Easter Sunday is special. I like to spend the time with family, it is also the only day, perhaps, that I truly do think about Jesus and what happened to him.

Good Friday is when Jesus was crucified, placed on a cross along with two other men. He lasted six hours before giving up his spirit. After his passing there were earthquakes and tombs crashing open, a centurion who was standing guard beside Jesus was heard to say "Truly this was God's Son." (Wikipedia)
This day, a day of fasting, is now a day for only eating fish.

Easter Sunday is a day of celebration. The resurrection of Christ, when he rose from the dead. This day is also referred to as Resurrection Sunday.

This time is also the only time that we can get away with eating lots of chocolate and give chocolate to the kids without feeling guillty.

LOVE CHOCOLATE..........

Kids and Bad Sports

The Games have come and gone and it wasn't quite as bad as I thought. I totally nailed him in the basketball shooting range, 3 point thingy. He totally cleaned me up with 3-on-3 doing slam dunks all the time. I did not have a hope in hell of getting near him.
Wakeboarding was my specialty. I totally whipped his butt and man did he get angry. Now my nephew does not like to loose, if he is losing he will reset the game.
He did this once when I was beating him and I snapped, I clipped him across the ears and said "don't cheat."
He didn't do it again. But I totally think it is a bad thing for kids not to realise that losing is not a part of sport or playing in general. (Did you understand that, you know what I mean.)

Some times you win, sometimes you lose, that is part of life. You can't go through life and expect to be the winner all the time, it would be nice, but not always possible.
Children begin to dislike others who are cheats and finally will not play with that child.
This carries into adulthood and people who cheat don't get very far at all.

So all in all the games went well but he still reckons he is going to practise his basketball so he can beat me.
(Fair and square, I hope).

The Old Kid Has Mastered The WII

Well, I wouldn't really say that.
I think I have worked this basketball action out. I'm up to 21 shots in the free shooting game. That's probably not that good to some but for me I thought that was pretty sharp. I have won a few 3-on-3 games buy 10 points (little more practise needed there).
Now I have no idea how good my little nephew is, he plays a lot so am guessing 'GOOD' and he hates to loose. Bad loser.

The wakeboarding I totally rock at that. Got some great moves happening there.
I practise all this at night and I have large windows, so anybody watching will get a good laugh. Arms flying everywhere. Not the greatest thing anybody would want to see before dinner.

I have one more night to totally destroy any mistakes that I can make in these games and then it will be
"LET THE GAMES BEGIN"

At The Movies With The Kids

The day was absolutely freezing, first week of the school holidays. So what do you usually do, go to the cinema.

Myself, my mother and my daughter took all four children (ages 4-10) to see 'HOP'. Appropriate as easter is only two weeks away. Would not have said it was the best kids movie I have ever seen, but not bad.
It started slow and I feel it lost most of the audience about half hour into it.
Children all through the cinema were starting to fidget and start talking amongst themselves, not a good sign.

The kids wanted to sit on their own, so they sat in front of us eating popcorn, as you do at the movies, best part of it.
No matter how many times you ask before the movie starts "Do you need to go to the toilet?" sure enough, half way through they need to go.

Children get on very well, being cousins. The two older boys just talk none stop and the two little girls, well I can see them being great mates when in their teens, both looking out for one another. One is a little shy, where as the other is right out there, no shyness in her at all. She is four and told her mother to stay home, she wasn't allowed to come to the cinema. Very independent.

A great day had by all. Pity it was so cold.

children

A Functional Family Is A Healthy Family

Do you think you have a functioanl family?
Most of us believe that our family is running along quite nicely but perhaps if you really look into it, probably not.

Tips for a functional family-
1/  How often do you sit down as a family for a meal? Set the table together, prepare the meal, or do most just grab and run in different directions. Eat dinner in front of the television.
Try to organise to sit and the table to eat meals, this is quality time that can be spent together, sharing each others journeys throughout the day.

2/ Communication, this is a must for any family. Listening to others problems and helping to solve them together.

3/ Privacy, everybody is entitled to their own space. People need time out from one another. Knowing the telephone coversation they are having with a good friend is not being listened to, not having correspondence opened.

4/  Spend time together as a family. This could be having a film night with popcorn, letting the kids choose the movies. Going camping or fishing, cooking, day to the beach, sporting event, a picnic at the park, all this is quality time. Life can be busy and sometimes we just get caught up in the ride and forget to step back and smell the roses.

5/ Let others have opinions. Openly putting an opinion out there without feeling as though they will be critised.

6/ Knowing what is right and wrong. Explaining about right and wrong, stealing is not acceptable and hitting another is frowned upon. Treating people with respect in a family helps it to run smoothly.

A family is a working system and when all the cogs don't work together it can fall apart.

parenting

WII in The Household

That's right I just got a WII for my birthday, I know, your all thinking "oh my god, she's old and has a WII.
My brother said "what the hell, your not fifteen you know."
But truly I bought it for exercise and entertainment for when my nieces and nephews come and stay. The Michael Jackson game came with it and I haven't stopped dancing since I received it. Has to be good for you.

My little nephew, who is seven, heard that I had a WII. The first thing he said was "I bet I can beat you."
So I told him I was going to practise all week. (He and his sisiter are coming to stay on Saturday night.)
So here I am madly practising wakeboarding and basketball. What a sight, the old jump shot is not how I remembered it to be.

Bring It On I Say.

children