provided by Marinda Vivier, busy mom of 2, passing on passion for healthy living in body, mind & spirit. Owner of Meals 4 Zeal

I chose this recipe because it’s so quick and super easy to prepare. A curry in winter is always a winner, to warm you up from the inside out and this one is mild enough for the whole family to enjoy.

Ingredients

4 or 5 large potatoes, cubed

1.5 cups of frozen vegetables of your choice

2 spring onions finely chopped

1.5 cups of warm, filtered water

2 Tbs of vegetable oil

1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

1 Tsp Ground Coriander

1 Tsp Ground Turmeric

½ Tsp Ground Ginger

1 Tsp Garam Masala

3 Tbs finely chopped, fresh Coriander (as garnish)

By Angie Adam, mother of the 2 most beautiful children and founder of Tots n Pots, a franchised cooking concept for kids. Marketing background and very passionate about food. Visit  Tots n Pots website or follow them on Facebook.

This is one of my all -time favourite winter comfort foods with a creamy cranberry twist! A dish to take to the couch with a good glass of red! One that the kids will love too.

This fabulous Swedish classic is made with juicy meatballs flavoured with smoked bacon and dill and simmered in a cream and cranberry sauce. It’s also super simple to make.

Ingredients; (serves 4)

100gms of bacon

1 small onion

450gms of extra lean minced meat (beef or pork)

50gms of fresh white bread crumbs

½ tsp of mixed spices

Salt and black pepper to season

15gms of butter

1tbsp of vegetable oil

1 lemon

3 tbsp of cranberry sauce

4 tbsp chopped fresh dill

150mls chicken stock

140mls of sour cream

Fresh dill sprigs to garnish

Here’s how:

1.       Remove the rind from the bacon. Finely chop the onion and bacon and place in a large bowl. Add the mince, breadcrumbs, all spice and salt and pepper. Mix well. Divide into 24 walnut-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.

2.       Melt the butter and oil together in a large frying pan. Add the meatballs and fry over a high heat for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown all over.

3.       Grate the rind and squeeze the juice from the lemon. Add to the pan with the cranberry sauce, 2 tablespoons of dill and stock. Bring to the boil, stirring. Cover then simmer over a medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer for a further minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated.

4.       Gradually stir in the sour cream and add the remaining chopped dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently reheat until the sauce is hot. Serve hot, garnished with fresh dill.

Serve with spaghetti or an apple, beetroot and red cabbage salad.

Enjoy!

If you haven’t discovered it yet, Jozikids.co.za is the most up to date and detailed resource for parents in the Gauteng region to find what you need including events, activities, venues, parties and lessons. You’ll also find us on your cell phone.

KIDS THEATRE

The Gingerbread Man 2, Peoples Theatre, Braamfontein, Jun 4-Aug 5. This wonderful, interactive production takes place in the kitchen on the kitchen dresser, and will not only educate young minds into greater understanding, but, inspire empathy and commitment to problem solving in parallel real life situations.

Aladdin Jnr National Childrens Theatre, Parktown Jun 4-Jul 16/ A fun family musical filled with magic, mayhem, flying carpet ride, exquisite costumes and all your favourite characters.

The Swan Princess, Barnyard Cresta, Jun 2, 11 am only R50 ppIn this enchanting adaptation by On Cue Theatre, a beautiful young princess has a spell cast over her and her sisters by an evil wizard, and they are transformed into swans during daytime, and at night they all change back into humans.

SETWORK BOOK

Boesman & Lena, Old Mutual Square, Sandton, May 29-Jun 30, Tues to Sat.To celebrate the 80th birthday of South Africa’s leading playwright, Athol Fugard, It is for many a matric setwork book and a great way to revise

FAMILY SHOW

Gauteng Motor Show, Zwartkops Raceway, Centurion, Jun 2-3. Showcasing all aspects of the motoring industry, also offering an entertainmentline-up, drifting, aerobatic airplays, bike stunts, advance driving experiences, track experiences, beauty pageants, go-kart rides, simulators, helicopter rides, competitions, a wide range of kiddies entertainment and music.

PARENTING HELP

Marvellous Maids Training, Joburg and Pretoria, Jun 5-Aug 19. We are starting our own training facility here in Gauteng! And we are kicking off with a Laundry course for your domestic in June and July! The course comprises of theory in handling washing, reading labels etc., then the practical side of sorting the laundry as well as proper ironing skills (how to press, to fold etc.)

Beyond the Digital Divide, Bright Ideas Outfit, Douglasdale, May 28. Everything is changing and our tweens and teens are at the centre of it all. We need to take conscious, positive steps to understand this new look world, and our children, so that we remain connected and relevant.

by Stacey Vee, parenting journalist and the writer of an award-winning blog about raising what she calls ‘a whole family with special needs’.  Mom to Travis the Lionheart (5 yrs) who has a rare brain malformation called Septo Optic Dysplasia and baby Ryan, affectionately called the Squishy Gorilla (7 mnths). Read about the Lionhearts here .

“Travis will never go to a normal school.”

It hurt, hearing those words coming from our first-born’s paediatric neurologist, but we needed to hear them. Up until that point my husband and I had been clinging to the belief that if we put in the hard work while our son was a toddler – hours of intense sessions occupational, physio and speech therapy – we could ‘fix’ Travis in time for him to go to ‘big school’. We couldn’t be more wrong.

The thing is: educating a child with special needs is a no-man’s land. The Department of Education doesn’t support nor recognise curriculums that have been adapted for students who are intellectually challenged. Don’t get me wrong, there are schools that focus on children with autism, and remedial schools for children with various learning challenges.

But schools for children like Travis, whose disabilities means that he’ll likely never achieve any kind of independence, never mind make any contribution to the economy…

In the year that Travis would begin Grade 1, which is 2014, we’ll have to apply to the Department of Education for exemption for him to attend mainstream schooling as provided by our government. And that’s it – the only, brief and final contact Travis will ever have with South Africa’s education system.

Unlike in developed countries such as the United States, where state authorities go out of their way to accommodate children like Travis, even pairing him with a carer who’d accompany him to school each day and assist him in class, in our country it’s left up to the parents.

So what were we to do? For families like ours, your options are:

Find a school that caters for children with disabilities and special needs.

We went for option three.

You might wonder, why bother educating a mentally disabled boy? At the risk of sounding like a Hallmark card, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. When you look back on your school days, do you remember the time you learnt how to do algebra, or do you remember making your first friend and sharing sandwiches on the playground?

We found a school for Travis, the Wiggles and Squiggles Special Needs Academy in Boskruin, where the principal has adapted the Montessorri curriculum for children like Travis. He has an IEP, or an independent education programme, where each term we work towards simple goals. This year one of his goals is to master his pencil-grip. Last year another of his goals was: learn to blow your nose!

Travis gets a report, and we attend regular parent-teacher sessions. We don’t feel like we’re just going through the motions or wasting our money. Instead of being side-lined by the education system, we’ve re-worked the system to suit us. Travis is in the school of life, and his life has value, no matter

P.S. The photos in this article of my family and I were taken by Noleen Foster Photography

by Nazmeera Moonda, mom to 4 beautiful children, Arabic teacher, loves travelling and cooking, endlessly curious about the world and invaluable Jozikids staff member.

As a mother of four amazingly different children, I have often thought of homeschooling them myself.. My reasons being twofold: financial affordability and to inculcate my value systems .

I felt that my kids would be able to learn at their own pace and cover more subject matter in less time. I wanted to incorporate religious and secular studies under one value system.

I tried homeschooling my five year old when I returned from the Middle East in 2011.  For a while she was happy to learn with me and she picked up very quickly. However, after a few months she wanted to have friends and got bored at home. I noticed too that she became withdrawn even with family members that she was familiar with.

Eventually after 3 months I enrolled her in a preschool and she enjoyed being with kids her age rather than spending time with her 3 year old sister. She has also became more confident.

My husband and I have considered re-introducing homeschooling again. In my experience, the only down side is the lack of social interaction with peers where the children can be too sheltered and isolated. The ideal would be to have a network of homeschooling parents with kids of similar ages and to meet regularly or to even have a classroom of kids where parents involve themselves collectively in the teaching process

The advantages of going to a school are the discipline and routine.  Children are more aware of and integrate into our multiracial society which equips them better for the real world. It also exposes them to the harsh realities and existence of bullies and they learn to participate in healthy competition and team activities.

In the end I believe that parents are their children’s most important role models.  If you lead by example the child will adopt those values.  Even if they learn bad habits it can be undone by practically reiterating your principles and values until they are old enough to distinguish between right and wrong.

If you haven’t discovered it yet, Jozikids.co.za is the most up to date and detailed resource for parents in the Gauteng region to find what you need including events, activities, venues, parties and lessons. You’ll also find us on your cell phone.

MIDTERM EXAM HELP

Mid year exams are approaching. Some kids may need a little help to boost their marks. Find a list of tuition and other supportive services that can help.

SHOWS

The 7 Wonders Barnyard Menlyn, May 15-Jun 24 A Tribute to Elvis Presley, Carlos Santana, Bryan Adams, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Bob Marley and Chris de Burgh

PARENTING HELP

Cake Baking Demo, Ludwigs Rose Farm, Pta, May 26. 9.30am-1pm. Join Maggie Richter who will be hosting a cake baking demonstration on the main rose farm in Pretoria. Session 1: Maggie will demonstrate how to create a light-textured cake with a rose-flavoured filling.
Session 2: Bring your own apron! Participants are instructed how to create an attractive assembly, perfect as dessert after a special meal or ashighlight at a children’s party.

Financial Planning, One 10 Kids Club, Blairgowrie, May 26, 9am-3pm, 14-18yr olds.An interactive and practical workshop for teenage girls. Learn how to make money work for you so you can always be financially independent.

ADHASA Parents Seminar, Blairgowrie, May 26-27. In one weekend you will learn to recognise signs and symptoms of ADHD, understand the condition and learn how to effectively cope and help your child. All day Sat and Sunday until 1pm

Open Day at Ladybird Corner To celebrate the official launch of this centre in Orange Grove, May 25-26, 8am-5pm. Family centre for pregnancy, parents & kids. They offer Ante-Natal Classes, 4 D scans, preggi yoga, vaccinations, breastfeeding advice, nanny courses, baby food, physiotherapist, psychologist, baby massage, HIV/AIDS counselling, Dietician, Speech Therapist, homeopathy, yoga, aromotherapy, life coach, parenting workshops, parenting and child workshops, play therapy, coffee shop.

by Fiona Ingram, a  South African writer who loves books, travel, animals, antiques, and adventures of all kinds! Read Fiona’s author site and find out about her recently published children’s adventure novel

Length: 240 pages

Rating: 4 stars

Suitable For: Ages 10+

When fifteen-year-old British teen Luke Sheldon wins a place at an American summer camp for smart kids, he thinks he’s in for the trip of a lifetime. He’s also glad to get away from his snarky older brother for the holidays. It sounds like a dream vacation, with courses in cool stuff like archery, fire building, horse riding, and survival techniques. Surrounded by forests and built above a labyrinth of underground tunnels, there is more to Camp Hope than meets the eye. Why do some of the kids suggest the place should be called Camp No Hope? Is it true that three campers disappeared a few years earlier? And why does camp leader Captain Budd as well as the course trainers refuse to talk about it? When Luke starts to find coded messages in his dorm, he thinks it is a silly game until disaster strikes. Too late, he discovers he has been lured into a terrifying trap that could cost him his life.

The adrenalin starts pumping on page one as we find Luke running down an underground tunnel, running for his life! Flashback to when it all begins at camp where Luke meets up with a bunch of teens just like him. There is the usual gaggle of types: the bully, the sidekick, the nerd, the good friend, the joker, and of course, the GIRLS! In an amazing coincidence, Luke bumps into Natalie, his best friend in junior school. At the time, they were inseparable, until Natalie’s parents died and she moved away. Luke is happy to renew his connection with Natalie and even imagines thingscould go further until…the beautiful Kathryn (aka Star) arrives. She’s totally gorgeous, confident, popular, and she chooses Luke as her campboyfriend. Although he’s no slouch, Luke hasn’t much confidence when it comes to girls. Star’s friendship with him is like a dream come true, except that it seems to alienate Natalie. His friendship with Natalie also causes tension between Luke and his best camp buddy, Matt. Added to this swirling mix of emotional pressure and excitement at decoding each new clue is Luke’s weird dorm leader (adult) Drew, who has all the characteristics of someone who could kill and not bat an eyelid. Drew also likes knives… Things are never quite what they seem, and it’s up to Luke to solve this mystery without ending up dead!

This is an action-packed teen adventure certain to keep young readers glued to the pages. The characters are well rounded, and Luke is a very likable teen. The events unfold through his eyes, and in the process, Luke makes discoveries about himself and his relationships with others around him. By the end of this riveting read he has matured, and come to an understanding about life. The message of the book is one of forgiveness and hope, and the meaning of friendship.

ISBN-10: 0571239218

ISBN-13: 978-0571239214

Publisher: Faber Childrens

by Nazmeera Moonda, mom to 4 beautiful children, Arabic teacher, loves travelling and cooking, endlessly curious about the world and invaluable Jozikids staff member.

I was able to spend quality time with my children for the first 5 years of their lives. I only worked a few hours twice a week allowing me the independence and experience of the workforce.  Simultaneously I was able to spend quality time with my kids on the days I didnt work.

Being at home was very fulfilling making sure that my kids had eaten well, and enjoyed their playtime. There is nothing to compare with the joy of feeling their tiny heads falling asleep on my shoulder, the butterfly kisses that they showered me with and the confidence with which they talked to me. These moments cannot be reinvented because they need you the most at these tender ages before starting school.

Now that my kids are all in school, I work half day. They run to the car each day excited to see me and eager to tell me the days happenings. They know the drill, lunch, homework, prayer, and playtime. We learn together every moment of the day, instilling values that I wish my child to grow up with.

If my kids stay over at granny’s place and return I feel as if I missed a chapter in their lives because the bonding we encounter on a daily basis.

In Islam for a woman ‘what is hers is hers and what is her husbands is hers as well. This simply means she need not contribute to the household essentials as the husband should be the breadwinner.
 When we exercise this right then we have the choice to be stay at home moms without having to suffer the financial burden.

I feel fortunate that with my husband’s help I was able to find the perfect balance for me and my family.  I do understand that this is not always possible and many women do not have the choices I had due to economic and other circumstances.

I believe that finding a way to spend quality time with your kids is a priority, especially during the tender ages. It is trying a lot of the times but the reward and satisfaction is invaluable.

by Michele Mistry, mother of 3 children aged 5,4 and 2; a Communications & Marketing specialist, fashion designer, runs Chrysalis Kindergarten and Homeschool, Glenvista Jhb

I am a mum.  Humbly, I request to not be labelled a ‘stay home mum’ or a ‘working mum’. Too often we create labels that pen us in. We then find ourselves attempting to escape or live up to that label. It is soul defeating.

Dear mums,

We are all at different places on our journey, knowing this, sometimes the view from a different perspective can change the entire dynamic of everyone’s trip. I’d like to share mine with you.

My husband and I decided that one of us would stay home with our children until age 5.  This was based on sage advice from our Guru (spiritual guide). We had only a vague awareness of its impact.

I struggled with this decision at first. It seemed a lot to ‘give up’. I felt like my life was disrupted and I was continuously waiting to get back to it. But now I see the true value in being home with my kids, for them and me.

This decision has a high cost if measured in western standards. Two come to mind:

There is no greater spiritual opportunity then becoming a parent. Children put a spotlight on everything you need to change personally to grow. Perhaps this difficulty is what used to prompt me to return to my career.

My culture is historically a maternal one, wherein children were given priority. They were often termed little ‘gods’. Mothers were dearly respected, for the Love in all its forms, needed to raise children well. We are ‘The hands that rock the cradle and rule the world’.

Unfortunately these values are diluted by more material ones and mums suffer as a result. The value of earning an income is given greater value then raising our own young. Hence our inner conflict.

5 Years after our decision, there is increasing scientific evidence supporting it. Research into different negative social phenomenon point to 3 root causes:

We can once again become a whipping pole and add to each other’s guilt, or we can acknowledge our role in children’s lives, our own children and the broader community’s. Let’s take responsibility for what we can, when we can.

Much love

Michele Mistry

by Tiffany Markman, who is mom to a delicious one-year-old, a book reviewer and a freelance copywriter, editor and writing trainer who tries to balance her workaholic tendencies with addictions to smooching her toddler, salacious non-fiction, caffeine, her iPhone and more. Follow Tiffany’s tongue-in-cheekery on twitter.

There’s a lot of contention in the mommy community. Breast-feeders vs bottle-feeders. C-sectioners vs natural-birthers. But perhaps the biggest chasm, and the one we tend to get tense about, is: working mommies vs stay-at-home mommies.

This is a letter to a stay-at-home mom, from me, a working mom. And I’m going to say something that isn’t said often enough – certainly not in public:

Dear Home Mommy,

I couldn’t do what you do.

You have my respect. I know people say, tritely, that motherhood is the hardest job of all. Blah blah. It’s always people who a) don’t have kids and are trying to make you feel better about the Jungle Oats on your sunglasses or b) were parents so long ago that their sanctimony isn’t helpful. I’m neither of those. I’m a mommy who loves her kid to distraction – and values our precious two hours together morning and evening during the week – but I still couldn’t be an 8am-5pm largely-solo mommy.

Because:

1. Motherhood can be BORING

The repetitiveness of it. Wake, change, feed, dress, change, feed, nap, change, feed, nap, change, feed, bath, sleep. Yes, there’s playing, cuddling, fun and activities in between, but yikes. It’s the same every day. Even on Sundays. At work, I do different stuff every day. Different people irritate me. And on weekends, there’s a different, kiddie-led routine. The only constant is the coffee.

2. Motherhood can be LONELY

I have a friend who spends all day with her daughter. The little girl is clever, pretty and full of personality. But she’s ONE. There are limits to the conversations you can have with a one-year-old. Especially when you need advice. Or change for parking. Or someone to take a flipping message. At work, I talk to (mostly) interesting and intelligent grown-ups. Yes, there’s social media for support if you’re at home, but at work you don’t even have to try.

3. Motherhood is NON-STOP

The relentlessness of it. There are no breaks. Nap-time doesn’t count. (Because that’s when you wee. Answer emails. Brush your teeth.) At work, even when I’m heading for a deadline and you can’t see my pretty nail-polish for the blur, I’ll stop every few hours for a snack, a coffee, a chat, or a trawl through Pinterest. When I feel like it.

4. Motherhood is MISUNDERSTOOD

South African stay-at-home moms have (at least some) help. It’s not like Europe or the States – I don’t know how those brave souls have any kids at all – so you’re seldom obliged to become passionately intimate with the vacuum cleaner.

But that doesn’t make full-time mothering less demanding, especially when people treat you like you’re constantly ‘on holiday’/‘free all day’, like you’re too stupid or lazy to work, or like your husband’s so obscenely wealthy that you don’t have to.

Bottom line? I work because I love it, because very few families can live comfortably on one salary these days, and because I simply don’t have what it takes to be a stay-at-home mom. In that order. My hat’s off to you.

Love,

Working Mommy

P.S. This letter requires a Part II. Look out for the next installment: a letter of congratulation from me, a work-from-home mommy, to a corporate mommy.