Click here to forward this newsletter to a friend Click here to view this email in your browser

Dear Readers...

This morning I prepared breakfast for the children. After I set the table, I served them fruit salad, yogurt, mixed nuts, sultanas and wholemeal toast, all of which they gobbled up and washed down with a ‘fish pill' and a glass of milk. They usually eat well in the morning while I rush around packing lunch boxes, feeding animals (yes contracts have been broken and if I don't feed them they will simply starve!) and repeat questions about various chores and assignments. This morning was different because I took the time to sit and have breakfast with them. It was like being on holiday - I was not droning on like a broken record about the chores, I simply had a lovely half an hour with my children at the start of our day. We talked about what the day might bring and reminisced about our last holiday - when Emily put a croissant in a hotel toaster which got stuck and caught fire. A lovely elderly Scottish lady took the blame and said it was her as staff extinguished the flames! Although I would prefer to forget that episode, breakfast was so good this morning that I have decided to make eating breakfast together as much of a priority as dining together.

If you are a busy mum like me and buzz around in the morning whilst your children eat breakfast, I urge you to down tools for half and hour and breakfast together.

From now on we are going to start everyday as if we are on holiday... together.

Jane King
Mother to Emily 8, Cristian 14
Founder of Parenting Australia

Bloggers
Once upon a time there was a teacher called Mrs O. Every morning Mrs O hit the snooze button twice before getting up to face the day... By Catherine Oehlman. Read more.

One of my earliest and most vivid childhood memories is sitting at a round table bathed in a pool of morning sunshine with my parents and brother, all of us eating Weetbix... By Johanna Baker-Dowdell. Read more.

Healthy breakfast cereals?

These days we are bombarded with advertising claiming certain breakfast cereals are good for us, but are they really?

The Parents Jury food detectives and Rosemary Stanton have identified Nutrigrain, Milo and Cocoa Bombs as cereal offenders heavy on marketing and light on nutrition. Click here to read more
They also awarded Weet-Bix Kids a badge of honour for being healthy and living up to it's marketing claims. Click here to read more

Parenting Australia Competition
The most magical, fun-filled show ever! With four favourite songs: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and Sleeping Beauty's song, Princess Perfect, plus loads of well-loved Nursery Rhymes and some of The Fairies hits like Jump Jump Star, Fairy Ballet, The Silly Song ... the best show of the year (well, the fairies think so!)

Parenting Australia Competition
Milli, a solitary shoemaker, has a special gift, fixing things. She can take a thing that is a nothing and make it… a something. But people in the town only want ordinary, practical things...

Get Big Discounts on Kids Stuff - The Easy Way.
Australia's premier online directory of discount coupons for parents. Genuine discounts from genuine suppliers. 50% Off membership until 31/10/09 . Normally $36, now pay $18. Use promo-code PA89 .

Most important meal of the day?

Breakfast is often termed ‘the most important meal of the day', yet studies have shown 1 in 4 children in Australia skip it and as a result have lower than average nutrition with poorer intakes of some key nutrients including calcium, iron and fibre. Skipping breakfast has been associated with poorer memory and ability to concentrate. Taking time to eat a healthy breakfast can help boost your day by:

• Kickstarting your metabolism and giving you that feeling of ‘get up and go'

• Stopping the ‘craving' for high fat, high sugar calorie-rich snacks mid morning and afternoon

• Improving your ability to concentrate, think and learn.


Hooray - Spring Holiday Drama Workshops are here!
This season sees a varied and engaging program that delves into all areas of performance from circus to musicals and beyond. Participants will have the opportunity to try out their ideas and put themselves centre stage as they learn new skills and most importantly have fun.

ATYP's emphasis is on encouraging creativity and allowing young people the opportunity to realise their ideas on stage. All week long workshops will culminate in a short performance for family and friends. They have a fabulous line up of tutors these holidays. All ATYP tutors are industry professionals with a great deal of experience in facilitating theatre workshops for young people.

Tips for Healthier Breakfasts!
One of the common reasons that people don't eat breakfast is that they don't have enough time before heading out to school or work. Healthy eating does take a bit of forward planning, so here are some tips that might get you and your family eating breakfast.
 

Plan ahead, when doing your weekly shop give breakfast the same amount of thought as you give dinner.
Get up 20 minutes earlier.
Make the preparation of breakfast into quality family time.
When time allows enjoy breakfast with your family.
To help out with time poor mornings try preparing some of your breakfast routine the night before, set the table etc, have lunch boxes packed, so you are able to sit at the breakfast table with your children in the morning.
 
Use yoghurt in a squeeze bottle so kids can add it on fresh fruit, cereal or pancakes.
Some kids don't want to drink milk so to combat this and to help kids meet their daily intake of calcium give them a fruit packed smoothie with yogurt.
When pushed for time have an ‘on-the-go' quick breakfast idea eg fruit smoothie and always keep breakfast foods at work.
Have a social breakfast once a month and invite another family over to join you.
Encouraging kids to eat breakfast while in a calm environment will promote good eating habits that they can use throughout life.
Share your healthy breakfast tips with our readers here!



Top 10 healthiest choices

According results from a recent survey of more than 150 breakfast cereals conducted by Choice the following, listed in alphabetical order, stand out as the healthiest for everyday eating – even if they're not the most exciting. These cereals are high in fibre and comparatively low in saturated fat, sugar or salt.

  • Abundant Earth Organic Puffed Corn
  • Abundant Earth Organic Puffed Rice
  • Abundant Earth Puffed Millet
  • Freedom Foods Free from Gluten Rice Puffs with Psyllium
  • Generic wheat biscuits
  • Kellogg's Wholegrain Mini-Wheats 5 Grains
  • Sanitarium Puffed Wheat
  • Sanitarium Weet-Bix
  • Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids
  • Uncle Tobys Shredded Wheat

Make healthy cereals more exciting for the family by adding fresh fruits and nuts and yoghurt.


Pledge to try Veg!
Support the third annual National Vegetarian Week by making a 'Pledge to Try Veg' to boost awareness of the effect of meat consumption on our health and the environment. As well as helping them, you'll also be helping save the Great Barrier Reef from coral bleaching as Sanitarium is donating $1 for every pledge received... and it only takes 2 seconds!

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE PRESENTS:
BABIES PROMS: THE ROYAL SEED
19 - 27 SEPTEMBER
Join special guest musical performers Ali and the Thieves on an inspiring journey that follows a King on his quest for an heir.

Smart eating ideas for breakfast
 

A bowl of wholegrain cereal and sliced fresh fruit.

A delicious smoothie made from milk, fresh fruit, yoghurt and honey.
Fresh fruit and yoghurt with some wholegrain toast.
Pancakes topped with fruit and yoghurt.
Poached or boiled eggs on wholegrain toast with a glass of fruit juice.
An omelette made with added vegetables such as, mushrooms, spinach and tomato.
Wholemeal muffins topped with asparagus, tomato and low fat melted cheese.
Raisin toast spread with ricotta cheese, and a piece of fruit.
Wholemeal or wholegrain toast with a variety of toppings such as avocado, baked beans, tomatoes, peanut butter(or other nut spread) and a piece of fruit.
Share your healthy breakfast tips with our readers here!

Milli, Jack and the Dancing Cat

30 Sept - 10 Oct
10am & 12pm Tue-Sat, 6.30pm Sat 10 October (only)
Seymour Centre

Milli, a solitary shoemaker, has a special gift, fixing things. She can take a thing that is a nothing and make it… a something. But people in the town only want ordinary, practical things. Milli spends her days making plain ordinary shoes. Night after night Milli dreams that she is brave enough to show everyone what she can really do. But each day is the same, until one morning she meets a couple of free spirits, Jack and the Dancing Cat. Aimed at 3 to 8 year olds
Special Offer
All tickets $16. Book and pay by Friday 25 September. Use promotion code PARENT.
Bookings phone (02) 9351 7940 or online at www.seymourcentre.com.au
Special editions of Parenting Australia’s eNews to look forward to

22nd September
29th September
6th October

Pregnancy
Toilet Training
Get Your Body Back!

Please click here if this email was sent to you by a friend and you'd like to subscribe.
Click here to forward this newsletter to a friend.
The content of this article is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Any questions regarding a medical diagnosis or treatment should be directed to a medical practitioner.