Archive for September, 2010

Jayshree Sita, mom to 2 gorgeous, lively kids, Amishka 9yrs and Vishen  5yrs.  She traded the glamorous life of a chartered accountant to become a teacher. She’s also an aspiring writer and artist who is passionate about self-development and keeping her family happy.

If I die today, I ask myself

Have I given my children enough love ?

Have I laughed with them and cuddled them?

Have I shared some of my life’s lessons?

Have I given them strength

To face the world with courage?

Have I shared my values

so that they know what is important to me?

Have I taught them to question

and make sense of the world in their own way?

Have I introduced them

to the wonders of nature

that so inspire me

and bring joy to my heart

and to all the other things that make my spirit soar?

Have I encouraged them to be true to themselves

and follow their own path in life?

Have I allowed them the freedom

to explore and have adventures

to taste the juice and passion of life?

Have I given them the space to fall

and pick themselves up?

Have I been there

to nurture them, comfort them,

sing with them, dance with them?

Have I been true to myself

So that they learn not from what I say, but what I do?

Have I been a good mother

on my own terms?

Jayshree Sita   10 Sep 2010

by Barbara Lombard – wife, mother to 2, co-owner of Earth Babies , occasional doula.

What does spring mean to you? For some it is all philosophical and filled with the 3R’s – rebirth, renewal and regrowth.

Being a mom I don’t really have time or energy for philosophical so it is all so much simpler.

Spring means the end of winter. It is the scent of jasmine in the air, the smell of coming rain to settle the dust and wash away the grime. The glimpse of bright green new leaves and tiny tight closed flower buds. It is waking the kids up for school and opening the curtains to light outside – being able to tell them it is time to get up without arguing why the sun still gets to sleep.

Even more exciting is being able to pack away jerseys that caused fights about whether they were needed. To no longer worry about them looking like orphans in tracksuits that were long enough when winter began (children look less neglected in shorts than pants that no longer meet their ankles). It is little arms and legs without goosebumps and best of all acceptable grubby little bare feet – no more well meaning people moaning in shops because my kids – who don’t want shoes on – are going to get sick from cold feet.

Spring is more time outdoors.

We do a lift club in with another family and on the mornings they fetch my 2 we finish up and go out into the garden to wait where they jump on the trampoline or we play eye spy – spring gives us so many more options and colours to practice our ‘word sounds’ with – being in preschool we are still on the ‘something beginning with guh instead of g’ approach, there is only so many times guh-rey can be chosen before it becomes monotonous.

Currently at school for season awareness, they are doing the very exciting process of growing a bean. The little sprout is being very lovingly tended and over watered – which made me remember it is spring and as such time to take part again in Planting Season – there are 21 days to go!

It is once more a perfect time to plant some veggie seeds, watch them grow and if we look after them nicely we will be able to pick the leaves and vegetables and eat them which is always very exciting for the kids and a great way to get them to eat those veggies they would normally turn their noses up at. I am not a big lover of gardening but I do love to see the new growth, greenness and most of all the colours that spring brings.

by Sally-Ann Chalmers , mom to  two gardening angels Rowan (7) and Shannon(4)  who enjoy eating the vegetables they grow in their veggie patch.  She offers Little Green Fingers as an extra mural at nursery/primary schools,call her for a free demo or visit her website

Its finally here…….SPRING YIPEE!!!!!!!!!!

Get those sun hats and that suntan lotion on, grab the kids and head outside into the garden for some good wholesome fun in the sun!

Why not try out a few of our Little Green Fingers activities. Get the kids outdoors exploring and discovering nature away from the television. Gardening is an exciting and engaging activity for children which teaches them patience, responsibility and self confidence.  It also involves the whole family and doesn’t cost a lot either.

Dinosaur or Fairy Worlds

You will need:

1. Start by placing a layer of small stones in the base of your tray .
2. The kids fill up their trays with potting soil, using their hands, the dirtier the better.
3. They place the 3 different sized plants in the tray to create their foliage, using their peter pointer finger to make the holes to place the roots in.
4. Get them to use their imaginations to create a little scene in their trays. They can add toys, create a pond with a shallow lid filled with water plus rocks to make it look real.

Mr Grass Head

The kids love this and its really easy to make. It teaches them responsibility because they have to give it water, sun and loads of love. As a reward they can give him a “haircut” or put a“ribbon or bows in her hair”

You will need:

1. Take stocking and tie a  knot at one end.
2. Turn the stocking inside out and fill it with  2 teaspoonfuls of seeds and sawdust.
3. Knot the open end of the stocking.
4. Make sure the seeds are the top of his head where you will create a face.
5. Use elastics & bunches of sawdust to create the nose and ears and stick on wobbly eyes.
6. Place in a tray of water to soak and wait 2 weeks for  the “hair” to grow.

And finally, how about taking the kids to the nursery, have fun picking out vegetable seedlings and planting them together as a family.