The latest Parenting Ideas newsletters are attached here for your information.

10 Research-backed tips for Raising Happy Kids

Boyfriends, Girlfriends or Just Friends?

Coffee & Conversation - Friday 21st November

Just a reminder to all parents and carers of children in our Early Learning Centre, the next Coffee & Conversation morning will be next Friday 21st November in the College Cafe, immediately after Gospel.  Hope to see you there!
Jo Betti
HCC Social Worker

Parenting Ideas Newsletters and a Thank You!

Thank you to all those who attended last Friday's first "Coffee & Conversation".  It was so lovely to meet you, get to know one other a little and to share a hot drink and a piece of (homemade!) cake.  I'm looking forward to offering another morning along the same lines on Friday 21st November and seeing some more parents and carers there.  Thanks to Melissa Crosswell for taking time out of her busy schedule to come along too!

It was the final day for our Yr. 12 students last Thursday and some of you may have been at the Whole School Assembly for their farewell.  Many of the parents who attended "Coffee & Conversation" actually spoke about how wonderful it was that their children were able to participate in the celebration and that they got to share this special senior school experience.  We also spoke about how this can really benefit in terms of their transition from primary in to secondary school.  How gorgeous were the little ones in reading Dr. Seuss?!

Please find attached the latest two interesting articles from our Parenting Ideas school subscription.  .

Oh So Serious
Sexual Behaviours in Children and Young People

Warm regards,
Jo Betti - HCC Social Worker

Parentingideas Newsletter

As mentioned last term, HCC has recently become a Parentingideas "Helping Parents" member and as such now has access to a wealth of great parenting resources.
Fortunately, Parentingideas has also just changed the format of their resources to PDF which means I will now be able to post them directly into my Wellbeing Blog, right here for your convenience.  Today's two articles are all about the secret of raising happy, confident kids and the dangers of online gaming which can turn into an addiction.
I hope you enjoy the insights offered in these two articles.
Jo Betti, HCC Social Worker

Raising happy, confident kids

When does fun flip into addiction?

Coffee & Conversation - take two!!

My apologies for having to cancel last term's introductory "Coffee & Conversation" at HCC.  We'll try again this Friday 24th October 2014.  
For any interested parents and friends of the Early Learning Centre students, this is your chance to enjoy a cup of tea/coffee (and cake!) whilst you network with other HCC parents, make some new friends and share some of your parenting experiences and challenges.   From 9:15am (after Gospel) in the HCC Cafe.  Hope to see you there!  Joanne Betti, HCC Social Worker

Coffee & Conversation - this Friday!

Please join me this Friday 19th September for our first "Coffee & Conversation" at HCC.  For any interested parents and friends of the Early Learning Centre students, this is your chance to enjoy a cup of tea/coffee (and cake!) whilst you network with other HCC parents, make some new friends and share some of your parenting experiences and challenges.   From 9:15am (after Gospel) in the HCC Cafe.  Hope to see you there!  Joanne Betti, HCC Social Worker

RUOK?

Today is RUOK? Day, a national campaign that encourages and equips people to regularly and meaningfully ask each other “are you ok?”

As you would appreciate, suicide prevention is an enormously complex and sensitive challenge, however we do know there is power in that simplest of questions - “Are you ok?”.  By inspiring people to take the time to ask and to really listen, to have regular, face-to-face conversations with people, we can help those struggling with life feel connected long before they even think about suicide.
Asking “are you ok?” is a great place to start to help - if you think life is getting a bit tough or stressful for someone you know, if a friend or family member is really struggling, then please remember to ask RUOK?

At school today the message of RUOK? Day was shared with HCC students to raise awareness of the campaign.  Students watched a short video during HTG specifically aimed at young people, and participated in a short activity to help them realise strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats of using social media for communicating and also about the dangers of mixed meanings when we use text messages to ensure we are helping and not hurting.  Around the campus I also positioned strategic ‘Conversation corners’ to encourage them to start a conversation with someone today.

I really hope that the students gained some insight today into the importance of staying connected.

Being a great Dad

To coincide with Father's Day, Parentingideas  has produced two insightful articles on Fatherhood - I have posted both of these on Parent Conneqt for your perusal.

"Being a Great Dad" highlights seven ideas to help you form close relationships with your kids, and maximise your effectiveness as a parent and partner, namely:
1) Find something in common with your kids;
2) Spend time with your sons;
3) Don't whimp out on discipline;
4) Treat your daughters well;
5) Say good bye to Superman, hello Clarke Kent;
6) Support your partner; and
7) Change as your child changes. 

"Beyond their Years" looks at the vital role parents play in monitoring and controlling the TV content children are exposed to.  This article is aimed at parents of primary aged children.

Read the full articles on Parent Conneqt!

Father's Day Quotes

Here are twenty quotes about fathers from Parentingideas ... just in time for Father's Day!

1. “I know what a good man is because I saw it in my father.” Raimond Gaita

2. "A father is someone who will play with you, even though he has friends his own age to play with.” Unknown

3.“If you can give your son or daughter only one gift, let it be enthusiasm.” Bruce Barton

4."Just do what we say, Dad, and no one will get hurt." Two daughters.

5."Your children need your presence more than your presents." Jesse Jackson

6."The fundamental defect of fathers is that they want their children to be a credit to them." Bertrand Russell

7.“One of the unseen benefits of having children is that they deliver you from your own selfishness. There’s no going back.” Martin Amis

8."What a father says to his children is not heard by the world: but it will be heard by posterity." Jean Paul Richter

9.“When you have kids, there’s no such thing as quality time. There’s just time. There’s no, ‘Ooh, his graduation’s better than going to the mall.’ It’s all kind of equal. Changing her diaper and her winning a contest — it’s all good.” Chris Rock

10.“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.”  Jim Valvano

11“Having a kid is like falling in love for the first time when you’re 12, but every day.”  Mike Myers

12.“A man knows he is growing old because he begins to look like his father.” Gabriel Garcia Marquez

13.”When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years." Mark Twain

14.“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.” Harry S. Truman

15.“My sisters and I can still recite Dad’s grilling rules: Rule No. 1: Dad is in charge. Rule No. 2: Repeat Rule No. 1.” Connie Schultz

16. “My father taught me that the only way you can make good at anything is to practice, and then practice some more.” Pete Rose

17.“Before I got married I had six theories about raising children; now, I have six children and no theories.” John Wilmot

18.“He has always provided me a safe place to land and a hard place from which to launch.” Chelsea Clinton

19. “I just sit there and make up songs and sing to [my son] in gibberish. I’m very good at gibberish now.”  Elton John

20. " A (rad) dad is someone who carries a picture where his money used to be." Rad for a Dad

Parenting Ideas - School Membership

Holy Cross College has recently signed up to become a Parenting Ideas school member, giving us access to valuable articles and resources to help parents better deal with the challenges of raising kids.  I will be posting the PDF-format newsletters on Parent Conneqt, so do keep an eye open for regular articles on a range of topics!

Some Food for Thought - Growing Good Corn

Some Food for Thought!

Growing Good Corn

There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the Royal Show where it won a blue ribbon.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn."



As a farmer, he knew the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbour’s corn also improves.

So it is with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbours to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbours grow good corn.

It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the generous man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself. - From the Bible, Proverbs 11:24-25

Source: Principals’ Digest, Vol. 16 No. 39

Mr P Collins

Vice Principal

6 August 2014

Welcome to Term 3

Welcome back to Term 3!

Two upcoming workshops presented by Relationships Australia in August:

Making Stepfamilies Work – Tuesday 5^th August 

6 weeks @ $75 per person or $120 per couple.

Couples with children from previous relationships may need strategies. Strategies on communication, agreement on discipline – who spells out the rules and what the rules are – and on handling competing demands. It is just as important for couples to ensure that in a busy week there is time just for each other.

For further information Click here and to enrol please ring 9489 6322.

Virtues Parenting Programme – Wednesday 6^th August 

6 weeks @ $110 per person.

This six-week course is for parents, teachers and anyone else with responsibility for children. The five strategies highlighted in this course are designed to enhance moral growth. Part of the Living Values Program, it has already been introduced in schools in Australia and overseas.

For further information click here and to enrol please ring 9489 6322.

I will post information regarding other valuable workshops run by Relationships Australia throughout Term 3 for your consideration.    

School Holiday Fun

A small selection of school holiday activities for you to consider in and around Perth these school holidays. 

The Shops @ Ellenbrook will have free arcade games these school holidays ... "The Zone" is back!

The Kids Big Carnival is to be held this coming weekend at Woodlake Oval Ellenbrook on 5th/6th July.

Visit http://www.kidsbigcarnival.com.au/where#/home/ for tickets and all the info.

Winterland Iceskating in the City - transforming the urban surrounds into a magical winter wonderland.

For tickets and info: http://www.starsonice.com.au/winterland.html

Fitness First initiative for teenagers - a holiday program where teens aged 14 - 18 can have free access to Fitness First clubs everyday of the school holidays to use gym equipment and participate in group classes.

For further info:

http://www.fitnessfirst.com.au/experience-fitness-first/FFIT2/FFIT-Holidays/

Fremantle Arts Centre have a HUGE variety of workshops for young and older children, including: Cut, Paste & Animate; Funky Fimo Jewellery; Make Your Own Monster; musical instrument making and much, much more.

For further info and to book: http://www.fac.org.au/

Circus WA is offering activities and workshops in Fremantle for kids aged 5 - 12 to try out diablo, uniclycling, acrobatic tumbling, trapeze.

Further info at: http://www.circuswa.com/

The Stringart Co in Mnt Claremont is running creative school holiday workshops for kids.  Visit: http://www.stringartco.com.au/ for more information and to book.

Perth City Snowland (as part of the Perth Winter Arts Festival) is on in Forrest Chase these school holidays.

If your child is into cartooning, then the Perth Cartoon Camp might be right up their street!  Visit https://www.illustrating-man.com/camp/perth-wa-14-july-18-july-2014/ for more details and to book.

Get your City Playground Pass to join in the fun and free activities around the City of Perth.  Go to www.visitperthcity.com for all the details!

Sibling conflicts

It's almost the school holidays and as parents you are probably all too aware of sibling conflict that can come from your children being at home together for longer periods of time.

I recently came across this advice from Parenting Ideas (published last year) and thought these tricks may be helpful to you as you work towards coaching your children in the art of resolving sibling conflict peacefully, or at least with a minimum of noise and disruption!! 

1. Encourage them to read their siblings so they can avoid negative situations. This is all about avoidance and stopping fights before they start.
2. Teach children how to set boundaries. “You can come into my room but you have to stay out of my toy cupboard. Ok?”
3. Praise problem-solving. Make a fuss when they work things out peacefully whether it’s compromising, taking turns or one child just giving way.
4. Help children identify the triggers for getting upset themselves and also when their sibling is likely to lose their cool. We all have hot buttons that when pressed will trigger and over-reaction. Help kids work out their hot buttons.
5. Reinforce with kids that they need to regulate their responses when a sibling presses their hot buttons. Kids don’t have to fight, argue, yell or whatever when a sibling gets up their nose. Give kids alternatives to their war-like responses. “Go to your room if he continues to annoy you.”
6. Teach respect. Respectful treatment is at the heart of civil relationships. Keep reminding kids to treat each other with respect; stick to dignified behaviours and also to stay within the rules of fair play.
7. Ensure restitution. Perhaps the biggest lesson kids can learn is to restore a relationship after conflict. “How can you fix this?” is question many kids need to hear. 

Parenting should reflect real life as much as possible. In the world outside families, people don’t always like each other but they do need to get on with each other. These lessons about getting on are best learned in your family as a child.

Happy holidays everyone.

Warm regards

Jo Betti, HCC Social Worker