by Joy Dembo, married, with an 18 year old son and a 25 year old daughter.  Addicted to the www, particularly Twitter. Recruitment Response Handling Consultant and Freelance Copywriter, vegetarian and animal lover. Visit her blog.

The Lorax is quite possibly one of the sweetest movies I have seen in a long time!  In typical Dr Seuss fashion, it is total escapism.. a chance to just smile and laugh,  and get lost in the absurdity.

The kids will go nuts for this movie, but I am not ashamed to say that I enjoyed every minute of the movie,  and I am an old lady with grown up kids!

The movie is a computer animated  3D extravaganza, based on the children’s book of the same name, written by Dr Seuss. The movie was released by Universal Pictures on 02 March 2012, which would have been Dr Seuss’ 108th birthday, and also marks the debut of Universal’s centennial logo.

The film centres around Ted (Voiced by Zack Efron), a 12-year-old boy, who lives in “Thneed-Ville”.  Thneed-Ville is a totally enclosed manmade city, and for the most part, the citizens are perfectly happy in their little artificial world.

Ted is head over heels in love with Audrey (Voiced by Taylor Swift), and in his quest to win her favour, he discovers that the one thing Audrey yearns for is to see a REAL tree, so he sets out to find one!  Ted’s extremely funny grandma (voiced by Betty White of The Golden Girls fame) suggests he speak with the Once-ler.

The search for the Once-ler (Voiced by Ed Helms) leads Ted to venture out of Thneed-Ville for the first time,  and he soon discovers that the outside world is a vast, scary wasteland and the Once-ler is a grumpy and bitter old man.  Never-the-less the Once-ler agrees to tell Ted why there are no trees in Thneed-Ville and how to find one, if Ted agrees to return and listen to HIS story!

Ted agrees, even though the arrogant, mean, and  greedy mayor of Thneed-Ville, Aloysius O’Hare, puts pressure on him not to leave town, as he is afraid that if Ted discovers the truth, his bottled oxygen business might be in danger of going bankrupt.

The Once-ler  tells Ted how he met the Lorax, (Voiced by Danny de Vito) a cute, charming, but grumpy little creature, who is the guardian of the land.  He also recounts how he had invented the “thneed”, made from tree tufts!  His thriving business leads to way too many trees being chopped down and so the demise of the precious tree began! Eventually, the forests are completely depleted, and even the Lorax and all the wildlife leave, and the Once-ler is left alone and broken to deal with the disaster he has created.

The Once-Ler sees a chance to rectify the situation through Ted, and Ted sets out on a mission to restore the trees and the wonders of nature to Thneed-Ville, which makes for a comical, musical adventure that you can’t help but enjoy!

The film releases throughout South Africa on 23 March, and will put a smile on your kids’ faces this Easter.

There is also an important environmental message in this movie, in keeping with this age of environmental awareness, following years of destructive behaviour by mankind.

By Sholain Govender-Bateman, Pretoria based journalism lecturer who worked for The Star, Pretoria & other  publications. She is mum to two gorgeous girls, Isobel and Aishwari, and wife to Barry. Visit her on twitter @sholain.

With Human Rights Day being celebrated in SA, I asked myself which human right is most important in my daughter Isobel’s(3 turning four in May) life right now?

My husband and I are big believers in freedom of expression. Our journalism backgrounds make this even more important to us so it’s no surprise that we encourage Isobel(and in due course Aishwari(1) ) to express herself freely.

This doesn’t mean that we allow rudeness or that she is allowed to swear or insult people. It does mean that she can tell us what she is feeling without fear of being scolded or told to ‘hush!’. I am often in awe of the words that come out of her mouth – not because they’re nasty words, or shocking – but because of the emotion and often thought that has gone into what she decides to say.

From the innocent “I love you” to the angry “I’m not your friend!” when she doesn’t get her way to the apologetic “I’m sorry” and the adorable “Mum, I am happy” – all of her words are truly her way of expressing herslf. There’s also the feisty yet quite mature,“Mum, if you shout at me, then I will shout at you, so you must not shout at me, okay?”.

We also try not to restrict her non-verbal expression. Last week I posted a picture on Facebook of Isobel dressed in two skirts – yes, one skirt used as a top and one as a skirt! A friend asked: “Just wondering..when you make Isobel pose there for a pic does she realize she has made a fashion faux pas?”. I replied, “What fashion faux pas? She believes it’s a great fashion choice and I prefer to call it avant-garde. Lol We only persuade her to change outfits if it isn’t practical for the day.”. And why not? It’s her way of showing her creativity and I’m pretty sure that there are some designers who design skirts that can be used as tops!

The formative years of a child’s life are filled with a million new things that they learn on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. They are then orientated into the structure of the school systems, societal norms and numerous other unwritten rules of life imposed on children. So, I believe that it’s pretty important to allow any child space to realise that they have the right to express themselves in any way they want.

Isobel, as is the case with most children, also tests the boundaries but my husband, Barry and I agree on the ground rules and make her aware of them, so it is clear that we are the parents and she is the child and this, hopefully, will help us avoid have a tantramic teen on our hands in ten years time who believes that she can say and do whatever she wants.

Each family has their own set of morals, religious values, traditions and hierachy but if your child is expected to only be “seen and not heard”, how will this impact your child’s adult life, personality and potential for future success?

If we don’t encourage our children to vocalise their fears, wants, opinions and joys – how will they learn to speak out against any injustice done against them or even others?

by Kirsty Marais,  a fulltime mom to daughters Keira (3.5) & Gabby (2), devoted wife to husband Etienne, a true gaming addict. Read her everyday challenges raising daughters only 18 months apart, & the often frustrating but always rewarding journey of being a mom.

Now, before every mom starts bombarding me asking why I took the girls to the mall in the first place, we were supposed to meet my husband there, so it wasn’t supposed to be a 1 to 2 ratio, but a 1 to 1. Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Etienne needs to have his pants made shorter but obviously this is an impossible task for a man to do by himself. Hence, the girls & I meeting him there. But, as usual, Etienne’s 10 minutes & my 10 minutes vary by about 20 minutes! So I get to the mall already frustrated that he is only now leaving the office. Ok, fine, let me go to Woolies first & buy the few groceries I need.
Keira, “I need to make a poo.”
Me, “Seriously?! You just had a poo, do you have to make another poo?”
Ok, into Woolies to get a trolley to put the girls in cause there’s no way I’m running after the two of them. Off to the loo on the other side of the mall. And, as expected, Keira didn’t have to poo after all *angry face*. There is some sort of novelty about using different toilets for my dear Keira.

Ok, back to Woolies to grab those groceries. Gabby refuses to climb into the trolley so now I’m pushing an empty trolley and running after the kids *angrier face*. Gabby runs flat bang into a display at Woolies & immediately there’s a bump the size of an egg on her head *fuming face*. If you had just listened to me in the first place, you wouldn’t have hit your head! Ok, eventually console Gabby enough to finish my shopping.

Finally Etienne arrives, off we go to Edgars to get his pants shortened. All of 5 minutes later we’ve finished the undoable task… Etienne goes to check out the Xbox games & considering both girls are relatively quiet in the trolley I decide to pop into Ackermans to look for a baby shower gift for myfriend. While I’m trying to find something suitable, the girls manage to tip the trolley over sideways and pull the entire rack with all the bottles & teats & dummies etc over on top of them.

Besides dying of embarrassment at what my children have managed to accomplish, I have to try to console 2 crying children, pick up the trolley & the groceries, and clean up the bottles etc lying everywhere. One word: MORTIFIED! Needless to say, all I want to do is join my kids in their crying & flee. Moral of the story: I will never take both my children to the mall at the same time ever again.

If you haven’t discovered it yet, www.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

Charlotte’s Web National Children’s Theatre, Parktown,  until Apr 14.

Charming tale about a little girl named Fern, who with the help of a friendly spider, saves her pig Wilbur from the usual fate of nice fat little pigs, Great music, superb sets, Striking costumes, exuberant cast and very interactive
Mon-Sat (school holidays): 10.30am; 14.30pm
Mon-Fri (school days): 9-11am
Cost : kids R80,adults R100

The Jungle Book Peoples Theatre, Braamfontein, until Apr 15.
Mon-Fri: 9am & 11am , Sat,School; Public Holidays: 10.30am & 2.30pm
Cost Kids club members R65, non members R99

PARENTING HELP

Parenting on the Run, Bright Ideas Outfit, Bryanston, Mar 19.
How time spent in the car; doing household chores and activities or waiting for appointments, can be so valuable to both you and your child – it is never a waste of time This insightful talk is peppered with personal anecdotes and you will leave armed with over 100 creative and practical ideas for converted wasted time with your children into quality time. Another workshop planned for June if you don’t make it.

123 Magic! Effective Discipline Workshop, Randburg, Mar 24
This workshop gives parents and professionals a “how-to” simple and effective discipline strategy that just WORKS. Spend less time disciplining and more time having fun!

The Equal Zeal Challenge Wkshp for Teens, Faerie Glen, Mar 21. Learn how to set meaningful goals to help tackle the areas in adolescents life that need improvement, will start seeing without a doubt that they are a capable of anything. This workshop provides the foundation for use of a Zeal Challenge journal which includes 21 days of daily activities, and 50 weeks of motivational activities intended to lay the basis for a healthy self esteem. Each week the learner will be supported by a motivational sms intended to reinforce journal content.

ANIMAL SHOW

Mobile Zoo, at JHB Exotic reptile & pet expo Mar 24 & 5
Come & see some of our exotic non venomous reptiles and pets which your child can experience & learn about. We will also be selling these creatures with their accessories, food etc if you’re planning to enlarge your family. We will have corn snakes, boa’s, pythons and over 50 species of tarantulas, cincilla’s, albino hedgehogs and much  more weekend. Next to big Virgin Gym  it’s the Randburg Sports Centre Cnr Hans Schoeman Str, Malibonge Dr, Randburg

By Sholain Govender-Bateman, Pretoria based journalism lecturer who worked for The Star, Pretoria & other  publications. She is mum to two gorgeous girls, Isobel and Aishwari, and wife to Barry. Visit her on twitter @sholain.

Like any mum I worry about my kids. And after the year that I’ve been through with my little one, I’ve learnt that parent’s should always trust their instincts!

My hubby and I were typical first-time parents and devout worriers with our first-born. Isobel, who turns four in May, only got her first tooth when she was 13-months-old. I called her the ‘toothless wonder’ as she munched her way through any shape or form of food including carrots and uncooked pasta, using just her super-strong gums!

Doctors were consulted, books read, family histories researched so that we could solve the mystery of the missing teeth. We often heard: “Every child is different”, “Aaaaah, you’re first time parents right?”, “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine”, “Is she drinking enough milk?” and all the other well-intentioned comments you tend to get when you voice concern about your baby.

And then out popped that little tooth soon after her first birthday and off she toddled and before we knew  it, we had our very own walking, talking little monster princess.

So when baby number two arrived, we were calm. We had the books and some experience, we’d heard the comments and we just knew that Aishwari(16months) would do everything she needed to do in her own time and we were going to relax and enjoy it.

By 6 months, when she wasn’t rolling over or even trying to sit up and her sleep hours still far outweighed her awake time, I was worried but one doc assured me that her muscle tone was fine: “Let’s see what happens between now and her next check-up”, “No need for concern”.  Another specialist said that her muscle tone was weak but we shouldn’t worry.

She’s still sleeping so much was met with “You’re so lucky!”.

She isn’t moving at all: “At least you don’t have to run after her yet.”

Once again the well-intentioned cliches emerged: “Every child is different”, “She’ll be fine”, “You’re worried about nothing”, “I know of lots babies who only started rolling/sitting/crawling after they turned one”…

It was frustrating and scary, trying desperately to ignore my motherly instinct which was shouting: “Get her checked!” because everyone around me was saying: “Don’t worry.”

When she still wasn’t rolling/sitting/crawling close to her first birthday – I finally reached a point where I was not willing to ignore my instincts and took her to a physio, less than a week after her first session, she finally began rolling over.

She is yet to walk but her development over the last few months has been amazing. Within the space of a month she went from sitting sturdily, to pulling herself up, to cruising, to literally climbing onto everything within reach and to standing on her own for a few seconds at a time.

Every new milestone reached is a celebration and we are now waiting with anticipation for that thrilling moment when she takes her first steps.

Yes, every baby is different and they generally do things in their own time, but if you, as a parent have any worries – don’t hesitate to have it checked out so that you can be worry-free and enjoy your little one.

By Natalie Lazarus – mother of 3  gorgeous boys. Self-confessed shoe addict. Owner of Beautiful Babies – striving to make every baby shower or baby gift unique

I’ve assisted with many baby showers and know that each group is different. Some prefer not to go the traditional route of
playing games while others look forward to them. There are a variety of games to choose from but it is important that the
mother to be feels comfortable with the games you choose. She is the guest of honour and shouldn’t feel self conscious at
the shower. It’s up to you if you want to give little inexpensive prizes to the winners

WORD SEARCH GAME

Personalilsed word search is becoming more and more popular. Go to the site www.wordsearchfun.com where you can create a personalised word search specific to the mommy to be. You can use their surname, baby’s name, siblings, names etc.

BABY SCRAMBLER

Another fun baby shower game is to choose around 25 baby related items and scramble the spelling. For instance, dummy can be changed to mydmu. Have the women unscramble the words. The one who gets the most right in 5 min receives a baby shower prize.

GUESS HOW MANY SAFETY PINS

(Materials- Safety Pins and Jar). Pass around a jar full of baby safety pins. The one who guesses the closest wins a baby shower prize. You could fill the container with any baby related item – nappies etc

COMPLETE THE NURSERY RHYME

(Material: pens and papers) The host reads out a nursery rhyme which the ladies need to complete. The lady with the most correct nursery rhymes wins a prize. The host should have the correct answers printed out beforehand!E.g. Jack and Jill went up the ….Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her … and …

BABY ALPHABET GAME

Give each woman at the baby shower a pen and a piece of paper that has the alphabet written vertically down the left side of the page. The object of the game is for the woman to write one word that has to do with babies next to each letter of thealphabet. Set a timer for two minutes and whoever has the most baby words wins. (For example: B=bottle, D=dummy)

BABY SOCK MATCH GAME

(Materials – different colour brand new baby socks and stopwatch) – Have two people at a time race to see who can match the most baby socks. Take 10 pairs of baby socks for each baby shower participant and givethem 30 sec to match as many as they can. Make sure to separate the baby’s socks before playing. A great way to have fun and also stock the mommy-to-be with new socks.

PIN THE DUMMY

Pin up a poster size picture of a baby and make copies of a dummy.  As in Pin the Tail on the Donkey, you blindfold each guest and tell them to tape their dummy to the baby’s mouth. The closest one to the mouth wins.

DON’T SAY BABY

Give each guest a nappy pin to pin on her shirt when she arrives at the shower. When you’re ready to begin the game,tell everyone they aren’t allowed to say the word “baby” or else they forfeit their pin to the person who catches the mistake. The winner is the person with the greatest number of pins at the end of the party

Have fun!

If you haven’t discovered it yet, www.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.

HOLIDAY CAMPS

With school holidays just weeks away, its time to enrol your kids in a sleepover camp to avoid dissapointment.

Action/Adventure
FlipFlop Gymnastics Hartebeespoort
Kambi Kids Camp Muldersdrift
Sugar Bay Camp Zinkwazi
Happy Acres Magaliesburg

Horse riding
Shepherd’s Fold Honeydew
Immaculate Pony Camp Vaal
Jod’s Riding School Eikenhof

Fishing
Kidz Fishing Camp Vaal

ACTION

The Ski Deck Ferndale North Randburg- Venue where you can take your family bumboarding or skiing. They are  offering a 10% discount for 3 or more skiing or bumboarding lessons booked in the months of March and April.

Cedar Junction Zwavelpoort Pretoria East- Open 8am-5pm Wednesday to Sunday, no cover fee at the moment. Train rides, pedal boats, mountain bike track, jumping castle, jungle gyms, push bikes etc.. tea garden overlooking the lake – big 8 hectare park . Great family outing.

SHOWS

Ballet of Korea Performances, Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein, Mar 16-18

The acclaimed 60-member ballet company will perform the most beloved of all classical ballets, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake,

by Merle Dieterich, passionate mom and businesswoman whose 2 beautiful children, Lerato and Marvin never cease to amaze and teach her about what counts. You’ll find her at  jozikids.co.za

It took me a while to allow my nail polish and lipstick obsessed turning 10 year old to have a pamper party, but once I relaxed about it and let it happen, I had no regrets. She had an absolute ball, thanks to Pamper Girlz – an extremely reasonably priced ( R85 per child) and professional little outfit.

On the day in question they arrived early to prepare, fully equipped with foot baths, lip gloss, nail polish, hair spray, gift bags and the works.

First up was the crowning of the princess for the day.

Then the treatment began with a soothing foot spa, followed by a  massage /scrub

and a gentle facial.

Then it was time to choose colours for nail polish and lip gloss.

A manicure then a pedicure  on the red couch …

some make up

some hair colour

and finally each party girl got to take home a beauty organza goodie bag filled with nail polish, lip gloss & hair goodies.

You spoilt them rotten Pamper Girlz. Thank you for a memorable day!

by Pauline Mulkerrins,a Chicago Original living right here in Johannesburg. She’s been living and working with children for the past 15 years, specializing in behavior issues. Currently, she runs a centre for children with language and cognitive delays and in her spare time, does as many crafts as humanly possible.

ADHD, ADD, diet, lack of stimulation and sometimes, well, just plain old personality are all ways to describe someone who is hyper active. Parents everywhere struggle with this behavior, not only to discipline but to understand it. A person with hyper activity means they have problems paying attention, sitting still, and keeping quiet. In most cases children with hyper active tendencies are also very clever, bright, emotional children who are very empathetic (have the ability to read emotions and feel them) and caring.

Parents, siblings, teachers and professionals may have issues with getting through daily activities, as they expect all children to “get with the program.” We have very busy lives, and it is important for everyone to get through the day with minimum stress. To help our children with hyper activity, here are a few tips to “set up for success!”

Anxiety is the biggest issue when it comes to hyper activity, as this lends to a feeling of loss of control for our clever children, and can cause issues with the most mundane day to day activities. Saying “DON’T DO THAT!” isn’t productive, and raises everyone’s stress levels, whereas saying “this is what I need you to do…” is much better BEFORE the fact. Routines take away any “guess work” children have to do and often makes them feel safer. Although they may be resistant at first, sticking with it not only teaches your child that you have control, but also teaches them what is next, and removes a lot of anxiety. In the morning, homework time, bed time, after school time, etc. are instances of when we can set up “routines.”

Visual schedules work very well for 3-5 year olds. Take a picture of each step of the morning routine, but make sure it’s only 4-5 steps long and create a visual “to do” list. Brushing teeth, getting dressed, eating breakfast, putting shoes and school bag on is a good example. When the child has finished an activity, give them a chance to see they are “done.” This not only lets them know what is expected and how to keep on track, but it also gives them a sense of accomplishment.

Sensory toys are good to keep busy hands going. Stress balls, or little maze or puzzle games can give kids something to “do.” In the car, in the shops, waiting for appointments or at restaurants. A lot of children can focus and calm themselves better when their hands are busy.

Children with hyper activity can benefit greatly from routines, goals, systems, etc. Parents who put these into place will find they have a happier child who feels safer and more in control. As with any family, discipline is going to be an issue, and 123 Magic! can help with that. Please feel free to contact me if you need any assistance, and our workshops will appear on the Jozikids calendar and newsletter. I’m here if you need me

If you haven’t discovered it yet, www.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.

FAMILY FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS

Papachinos Continental Cafes

Crowthorne Midrand; Silver Lakes Pretoria East; Pineslopes Fourways- Radiokop near Clearwater Mall branches Child friendly, family restaurants with kids pizza making, baking and play area.

Ludwig’s Rose Farm, Spiced Coffee Restaurant & Butterfly Garden
Pretoria North Gauteng

The roses are in their autumn splendour of colour and size. Feast on the eye candy of arrangements of roses, relax on the tractor train ride  or visit the Butterfly Garden. Join the Lizette Jonker and the Ludwig’s Team for a day of children’s fun

Irene Dairy Farm Centurion Pretoria. Dairy farm for day outings, dairy shop, family picnics. Your kids can watch the cows being milked at 2pm daily.  Enjoy a lovely picnic on the lawns while the kids play on the jungle gym – To  order a picnic basket, please order in advance.

Primi Piatti has branches across Joburg and Pretoria in Irene, Menlyn and Centurion. They offer kids pizza making, fun activities, kids menu, baby high chairs

INDOOR PLAYGROUND

Free entry for kids under 12mnths, Orango Tangos in Ferndale, Randburg, Open 7 days a week from 9- 5 or 6pm
New entrance fees – fixed rates (stay as long as you wish). Kids over 18 months – R60 weekdays and R70 weekends/ hols. Kids 12-18 months – R40. They have Jungle gyms for toddlers and older kids, bumper cars, indoor soccer field, soft toy areas for little ones, Playstation 3 consoles, pool table, table tennis…

PLAN FOR HOLIDAY SITTING

Free pet sitting day for advance holiday bookings by an organization that organizes  house, pet sitting, au pairs and tutors for private or group tuition depending on your needs at reasonable rates in Johannesburg and Pretoria

Next week we will be back with ideas for holiday activities and camps for the Easter Holidays.

Anyone interested to find out more about Jozikids as a company can tune into Big Small Business Show on DSTV channel 412 from Monday 5 March at 21:10, with repeats on Tuesday at 09:10, Wednesday at 16:30 and Friday at 18:10.