Archive for December, 2009

by Philippa Cross who would rather be outdoors than in, alone than in a crowd. She prefers dogs to cats, with a major leaning towards bulldogs. She hopes to win the Pulitzer prize for her yet unpublished novel. She started Thumb Media with a partner in June 2009

Whatever you do these school holidays, if you are in Joburg, do not miss Cinderella on Ice. It is utterly breathtaking. Brought to you by The Imperial Ice Stars and showing at the Teatro at Montecasino, this show will most certainly give you goosebumps.

I was lucky enough to go along for a sneak preview on behalf of Jozikids. I was excited, but not certain what to expect. I was completely blown away.  The show is magical in every way.

It is an opportunity to let your imagination, and more importantly, that of your child’s, go wild. There is extraordinarily beautiful music, wonderful choreography, and awe-inspiring acrobatics – all on ice. The costumes are beautiful, and the cast glide over the ice with such grace, it is surreal. Before you know it you have been transported into the fairytale world of Cinderella, where magic abounds and anything can happen. And it does.

As if elegance on the ice were not enough, the dancers fly through the air with as much exquisite style as they display on land. One can’t help but gasp. It is most certainly breathtaking.

The show is advertised as suitable for teens upwards, but I think children as young as 8 would thoroughly enjoy themselves. There are afternoon and evening shows, which is always a bonus.

Cinderella on Ice is the third production from The Imperial Ice Stars, who brought us Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. It is their most magnificent production yet, as they really do push the boundaries in the genre of ice dancing and acrobatics.

The performance is almost 2 hours long, with a 20 minute interval. It is on until Sunday 10th January, so make a point of taking your children to see it. And remember to take a jacket.

For more information visit the Montecasino  website

by Barrie Bramley , a father, a husband and an eager student in the art of loving life. His passion is to create and see the world differently. From time to time he writes for ‘‘Jozikids’. Visit Barrie on his  web or twitter page.

I can feel it coming in the air,
decorations everywhere,
little children start to smile,
it wont be long, just a little while.

Let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter who you are, or what your philosophies might be, when Christmas starts making it’s entrance, all of us, every last one, begins to feel a flutter somewhere deep down in our tummies. And yes, Christmas is over-the-top commercial, and we probably don’t really understand it’s origins, and it is all make believe. But those are exactly the three elements needed to create tummy fluttering stuff. Money, Mystery and a monster dose of Imagination.

In our home we have 2 believers and 2 non-believers. Let me explain. Last Christmas, Jordan (our 9 year old daughter), worked it all out. I don’t know exactly what it was, but when a 9 year old corners you with the ‘is it all really true?’ you have to come clean. Fudging it is simply not an option. I’ve watched too many other parents crash and burn, spectacularly, in an attempt to keep it all alive for ‘just one more year’. Cognitively everything is starting to fall into place when you turn 9 years old, and the mystery and imagination are being challenged. Of course nobody ever challenges the money. I’ve never heard anyone, no matter how cynical, say anything like, ‘I don’t believe in this gumpf, so please don’t give me a present this year.’ Not gonna happen. Ever!

My wife, Leisha, is also over the mystery and imagination, and she’s almost as convinced as Jordan that Father Christmas is not the real deal.

And then there’s Carli (our 6 year old) and me. We’re the believers. Since these two beautiful little girls joined our family, I’ve found myself slipping back into the mystery and imagination. Last year I think I might have even seen Santa, Rudolph, Prancer and the gang fly over the Drakensberg. I can’t say for sure, and I don’t have any photographic evidence, but somewhere deep down inside I just knew. Like Wendy knew Peter Pan. That kind of knowing.

My life has been richer for letting go of my ‘smartness’ and embracing some ‘make believe’. If you’re a parent you know there’s nothing more satisfying in the world than escaping with one of your kids into ‘their world’. It’s exciting, because you’ve never been there, and they know it intimately. It’s welcoming, because the king or queen of the land you’re visiting also happens to be the creator of it. It’s satisfying, because you get to do the most amazing things. Things you’d probably never attempt in your world.

Christmas for Carli and I is one massive adventure. Carli begins to enter Christmas-land when the shops kick into tinsel and decoration over-drive. The earlier they start, the earlier Carli enters in. And I can’t help myself. Her energy for a Christmas adventure is infectious.

So where am I going in this short little Christmas meander? It’s this. I often think we’ve missed what Christmas is all about. It’s become one of those happenings in which the fringe and the crazies use it to take pot-shots at each other. Because when you strip it all away and get down to what’s common…..it’s this: Money, Mystery and Imagination.

Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to enter into Christmas-land and to discover all the wonder that exists within. I’ve learned that the young and the old are the true believers. Everyone in between plays along, but they’re still too proud of their discovery that it probably wasn’t all true. But as they get older, if there is still some warm blood flowing through their veins, perhaps it’s a law of life that we begin to re-challenge our thinking and let a little make-believe sneak in?

A wonderful Christmas to you. Make sure you surround yourself with the young and the old. Without them Christmas degenerates into academic debate about who’s smarter than you. But the real magic sits in the imagination and the mystery. Jump in. Boots and all. Get lost. Don’t worry if you do, because if there are any children around, they know Christmas-land intimately. They’ll guide you through. They always do. They always do.

by Philippa Cross who would rather be outdoors than in, alone than in a crowd. She prefers dogs to cats, with a major leaning towards bulldogs. She hopes to win the Pulitzer prize for her yet unpublished novel. She started Thumb Media with a partner in June 2009

December the 25th is known and celebrated throughout the world as Christmas Day. While it may be essentially a Christian Holy day, the message that it represents to the world is one that every religion can relate to, and one that you can use to talk to your children about what Christmas teaches us about God.

I believe that Christmas is a Holy day to be celebrated. For you, that may not necessarily be the story of the virgin birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. But it is still an opportunity for you to talk to your children about God and his role on Earth.

Christmas is a day when we can acknowledge a God of one description or another, and we can acknowledge his intervention on earth, and in our lives. We celebrate our creator, our creation and our faith, whatever that may be, and we share it with our children.  But most importantly, on Christmas day, we celebrate our humanity.

This year, why not use Christmas day to tell your children that there’s more to this gaudy shopping celebration than meets the eye. There’s something beyond the fat man in the completely impractical red outfit. Talk to them about the symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas which we now observe.

Your Christmas tree, if you have one, may have a star or an Angel right at the top. The star is a heavenly sign of promise. In the Christmas story it had a practical use. Because they believed it was a sign from God, the wise men followed it for months and months, and it lead them from the east all the way to Bethlehem. Today it is a reminder that God keeps his promises.

The Angel reminds us of the role the Angels played in the Christmas story. It was Angels who almost scared the shepherds half to death when they appeared in the middle of the night to tell them to hurry to Bethlehem. Today, we celebrate that Angels are here still, keeping watch over us.

Christmas day is a chance for us to be more than just people in our own home in our own street in our own country. It’s a chance for us to join together and celebrate being human, and share the vision of every human being. Christmas day is a chance for us to share with our children the message the Angels brought to the shepherds in the fields of Israel:

“Glory to God in the highest, Peace on Earth, and Goodwill to all men.”

By Sholain Govender-Bateman - an experienced news reporter, magazine editor,  freelancer,  loving wife to Barry,  mum of one beautiful girl, Isobel and someone with a passion for life and everything fun.

Christmas is my favourite time of the year but when Barry, my husband, and I celebrated together for the first time four years ago it took quite a lot of convincing to get him into the Christmas spirit. He’s English South African who had spent his childhood exchanging gifts on Christmas Day and having a casual lunch of cold meats and salads with extended family.

“Is that it?” I remember thinking that first year. It would be my first Christmas ever away from my family(formerly Hindu now Baptist) with all of our traditions – a Christmas Eve braai and swimming, then awoken at the crack of dawn and sitting around the decorated Christmas tree adorned with flashing lights, glittering decorations and overflowing with Christmas gifts lovingly chosen and wrapped. After the flurry of gifts, hugs, thanks, oohs and aahs – everyone sits around the dining room table – still dressed in pjs, and has tea and minced fruit pies. All the church-goers get ready for the morning service and in between, my mum prepares all the traditional side dishes as the turkey roasts. This must include the potato salad, three bean salad, beetroot, gherkins, steamed broccoli, baby carrots, green beans and corn with garlic butter, fresh rolls, honey glazed gammon, roast potatoes, roasted chicken for the non turkey eaters, baby onions covered in bacon(my personal favourite) and of course the turkey roast to perfection and stuffing. Lunch is followed by an afternoon of dozing or admiring gifts, and just old-fashioned family bonding. Boxing Day is usually a seafood feast with curried prawns, crab, savoury rice and salads. Yummy.

So it was with sadness that I contemplated a Christmas that was not too Christmassy with my husband’s family until I realised that I didnt have to miss out on all my favourite traditions! That year I organised a Christmas Eve dinner with all the Govender family Christmas lunch menu items.

Now hubby, who was very against decorations and Christmas trees, helps untangle the Christmas tree lights on December 1st and this year I may try to convince him to play Santa to our one-year daughter, Isobel ! We alternate between in-laws so we get the best of both family traditions and we’ve got our very own Christmas traditions for the three of us – a Christmas Eve turkey dinner complete with crackers and silly paper hats and champagne, early morning gift opening, then visiting family and of course dozing the rest of the day whilst snacking on left over turkey for the rest of the month!

One thing that I do know is that regardless of the food or gifts at Christmas-time, the most special part is seeing your family (even if you have to put up with a few annoying relatives – yes, everyone has at least one), having a good laugh with them and just caring for those close to you.

Contact Sholain Govender-Bateman on +27 72 867 3474 if you have freelance writing, editing or sub-editing that you want done.

By Gina Jacobson,  a mom, a leo.  She works for a  non-profit organisation, is a procrastinator, loves sci-fi, sushi, good books and scrabble.Her blog is made up of A Bit of This a Bit of That.

 Before Aaron’s 2nd birthday he didn’t really know what presents were or why you received them.  Now, all that has changed and he routinely asks for a ‘pwessssent’.

 Today we were watching one of his favourite TV shows, Peppa Pig, it was Peppa’s birthday and she got a present from her family.  Well, Aaron turned to me and said, “mama, pwessssent, pleeeeeease!”

 My heart just broke.  You see he doesn’t understand why he cant have a present whenever he asks for it and he cries like you are sending him to the gallows.

 I certainly do not believe in giving gifts to children (or adults) just willy nilly, he needs to learn that he cant have everything he wants when he wants it.  

 I try and explain that you only get a present on your birthday or on a special day and its not your birthday or a special day today, but he doesn’t buy that for a second.  Mama is obviously denying him his constitutional right to a pwessssent!

 How do you explain to a 2 year old about special days and gifts?  Is it something that he will just grow out of and understand about as he gets older?  

 I really hate breaking his little heart like that. 

Kerry Haggard is a writer, editor, wife and mother to the two most gorgeous boys that ever there were. One day when she grows up she hopes to be a real geek, but for now, she’s happy to sit and watch her husband excel at that…

 Our home is blessed with more technology than most, thanks to my husband’s job as publisher of a consumer magazine (www.connect.co.za), and this has opened a Pandora’s box of sorts in our home. We are probably more exposed than most to different gaming consoles (yes, we have a PS3, a Wii and an Xbox 360), not to mention more computers per capita than most multinational corporations. And we have two boys (Daniel aged 4 and a half and Matthew, 20 months)  whose eyes have lit up at the sight of anything with a whirring noise and a flashing light since they were old enough to sit up and take notice.

There are many who would say that there is time enough for technology when my boys are older – but then there’s that age-old thing of little boys wanting to do what their daddies do.  Some people play sport, others read – my husband ‘does’ computers, whether that’s building them, rebuilding them, or playing various games on them.  Daniel’s playschool offers computer classes, which are mostly around co-ordination and mouse-skills, and his reports from these have always come back with a string of ‘excellents’.

So, is there a difference between learning computer skills (which we all need – were you also one of those that mocked the boys that took typing lessons in the 80s?) and playing console games, which some may see as technology baby-sitters for the lazy parent?

I would say it depends on the console and the game. Matthew is too little to play still, but watches his brother’s every move when he plays on the Wii or on his PC – and Daniel is a sensitive soul who takes everything to heart. This is why we have no ‘first-person shooter’ games, or any game that has violence of any sort in it – apart from the fencing game in Wii Sports Island.

On the Wii, Daniel plays table tennis (and wins nearly every time, using strategic placement of the ball when he ‘hits’ it), 100 pin bowling (where he lines up the ball with the pins, and scores a strike nearly every time), and archery  (which requires careful co-ordination, using both hands). He cannot read, but he can navigate his way around a set of Wii games better than I can – he has responded to its intuitiveness and has figured things out for himself.

On his PC, he plays a variety of games that teach him cognitive and recognition skills, and that throw in a bit of history and geography as well.

Yes, my child does have a lot of ‘screen’ time, but he also does (old fashioned ) puzzles quickly and accurately. His hand-eye co-ordination is such that he seldom misses a ball with his cricket bat, and he has a general knowledge that is well beyond his age.

Are computers and consoles a substitute for good parenting? No, they’re definitely not. But they’re a part of our (admittedly privileged) life, and will continue to be so, more and more, as our children grow up. Making them comfortable with technology, and giving them the confidence to navigate their way around it, is equipping them with skills our parents hadn’t even thought of when we were kids.

It is about striking a balance though – Daniel can only play one session of Wii in a day, and he can only play every second day. I think we’re getting the balance right. At bed time the other night, my heart melted when I was told, “Mom, I love you more than everything. I even love you more than Wii.”

by Philippa Cross who would rather be outdoors than in, alone than in a crowd. She prefers dogs to cats, with a major leaning towards bulldogs. She hopes to win the Pulitzer prize for her yet unpublished novel. She started Thumb Media with a partner in June 2009

You’ve probably heard all about the shows on at the People’s Theatre at the Civic from time to time. If what you need is a push to just book the tickets and make the effort to go along these school holidays– I hope this will do it. It’s the perfect underwater adventure for land-based moms and dads who slave away all day.

It’s perfect for littlies (6 and under). I am just so delighted I discovered it. I feel like the best mom on earth (which I am).

Actually, I’m not. I’m usually too busy to even look into these things, let alone find a weekend that suits, and then book. If your family is anything like mine, trying to get it all together to attend a show is almost impossible, especially at this time of year. This is one experience that deserves the effort. The fact that there are two shows on a Sunday, a morning and an afternoon one, appeals tremendously.

We navigated our way through the road-works (a subject for a whole other day) in Joburg city centre, and arrived at the People’s Theatre to see The Little Mermaid.

An unforgettable experience awaited us. The theatre is special not only because of the magnificent shows it produces, but because of the world it introduces to children. It’s a delightful alternative to TV, to play station. It’s a wonderful opportunity to appreciate talent, and a chance to be transported.

Our precious little people can enjoy the entire theatrical experience from beginning to end. It’s all about them. But the joy I saw in them made my cup runneth over.

They get dressed up for the occasion (we had a number of mermaids in the audience), and have to wait in the foyer before the show starts. This involves excited mingling among friends and strangers, and buying and sharing of refreshments. Our party of 3 year olds made friends with some other littlies, and they all shared their jelly tots. (Except the pink ones. My son refused to share the pink ones.)

The bell rings, and the doors open, at which point they (with mom and dad’s help of course) have to find their own, pre-booked little chair.

The curtain is down, the lights dim, the theatre goes quiet. The excitement is tangible. The music starts, the curtain is raised, and an entire world is revealed.

I was so impressed with the quality of the production – something I’m sure didn’t occur to my 3 year old. But I noticed. Not an expense was spared. The costumes were so beautifully designed and made. The stage design and décor was world class. The performances were world class. I enjoyed The Little Mermaid at the People’s Theatre as much as I enjoyed the Phantom of the Opera at the State Theatre a few years ago. I even cried.

For the dads – I have to tell you, my husband (who is very manly, and not obsessed with pink jelly tots) enjoyed it thoroughly. I have no doubt he’ll come with us next time we go, which will be in March 2010 to see The Jungle Book.

Join the Kids Club.

Among other great benefits, For R70 a year, you can enjoy a free ticket on your birthday, and get called up onto stage.

For more information visit The Peoples Theatre on Jozikids.