Day 2776 - The post where I confess to knowing very little about geography

Day 2776 - The post where I confess to knowing very little about geography

school Travel

Confession:  I suck at geography

When it comes to geography I only ever did the minimum requirements at school.  I never chose it as an elective and can't even remember if/when I may have studied it as a subject on its own. Which means I'm not very good at knowing where places are in our world.

I've always been an avid reader but even reading doesn't help me piece together where each country sits on our planet.  Which is probably why I steer clear of books about spies, espionage and wars. The moment characters start hopping from country to country I'm completely lost and overwhelmed.  My brain shuts down. The book gets put back on the shelf never to be opened again.




It wasn't until I first travelled to the USA at the age of 21 that I realised geography for me is better experienced in real life.  Catching the Greyhound bus up and down the east coast of America meant I got to fully understand where each state sat.  When I headed back at the age of 26 with Derek and my parents driving west to east, I again got to live the jigsaw by embedding each piece into my brain forever.

When it comes to some things, if I'm going to learn it, I need to live it.

Don't ask me to explain how one would get from Italy, to Greece, to Spain to France.  Never been there, therefore I have no idea of their size or proximity.

As I sit and write this post I stare at the globe on our coffee table and try to absorb some of the information staring back at me.  I'm focusing on Poland, Germany, Belarus and the Ukraine and my eyes have glazed over.  Belarus? What the hell is Belarus? Never heard of it ...

I would make a great travel agent if I could just send everyone to the USA. But beyond that if you asked me to take you from China to India I'd probably make you circumnavigate the globe to get there (when apparently they're right next door to each other - who knew?)

When my daughter first started talking about possibly accepting a contract to Seoul I was picturing Korea to be an island all on its own split in two (north and south) much like New Zealand. I know Korea is in Asia but only just this minute did I find it way up high near Japan and attached to China. I thought the whole North Korea thing was scary enough when Korea was an island all to itself and north and south were separated, but now that I can see that it is nestled in between Japan and China and actually attached to South Korea I'm not feeling too good about any of it.

So yeah, I suck at geography.

I think I should start doing something about that. Perhaps the only way to fix it is to live it!

I'd better start saving, hey?

Did you do geography at school?

What sort of travel agent would you make?

How do you learn best?

Day 2770 - It's time for a catch up

Day 2770 - It's time for a catch up

an update Cheer Chick Charlie Cheer Kids Magazine Chelsea family modelling Ponderings school Tahlia

Let's have a cuppa ...

As I sit here wondering what the hell to blog about, I figured it might be time for a bit of a Deep Fried catch up.

So grab your cuppa - we might be here for a while.

Fibromyalgia and Me

So, without giving it too much energy the fibro is starting to rear its ugly head in a big way.  Body pain is par for the course but it seems that I can now add facial pain to the mix.  I started to notice it a year or so ago when I went for frosty morning walks and my face would complain, but then on the weekend I woke up with quite intense pain in my jaw that went up my cheek bones.  This was the first time it wasn't triggered by the cold. So I googled it and as luck would have it 25% of all fibromyalgia sufferers experience face pain.  Isn't that nice? It's called myofascial pain syndrome and it sucks.

Cheer Chick Charlie

Other than releasing my latest book a couple of months ago it's been pretty quiet on the Cheer Chick Charlie front.  I have some decisions to make because it seems my distributor is not doing as well as they once were which means it must be time for me to take it up a notch and find some new direction.  I am doing a lot of staring into space about this one as my brain ticks over.

Oh, but in other news I did have a Producer contact me last week to see if I might be interested in animating Charlie.  I'm trying not to get too excited just yet as it's very early days but of course I screamed a big HELL YEAH! Her daughter is a fan of the books and her company is looking for a new animation project.  The stars may well be aligning. Watch this space.

Cheer Kids Magazine

Issue (2) of my new children's magazine was released 10 days ago without much fan fare.  I mean, it has been well received and I am super proud of the Best Friends Issue but there's still a lot I could be doing to get the mag "out there".   Again, lots of staring into space right now. Click here to read your free copy. 

Our Boy

Our boy has been struggling a tad this year with school, soccer and being a teenager in general.  We're still working closely with the school in regards to this dyslexia but the older he gets, the more difficult school becomes and the easier it will be for us to "lose him".  So he and I are working extra hard around the edges to ensure he is able to stay on track.  As for soccer, he has yet to go through his big growth spurt and given he's playing up an age (at the club's suggestion) he is feeling very small out there with all the boys who are becoming men.  His dad and I were both late developers so it will take him a while to catch up, but we're assuring him that when he does he'll be towering over them in no time.

The Model Daughter

It's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week this week which has meant we've been driving to and from Sydney a lot in the last month for castings.  I think about 2 or 3 trips a week.  It's exhausting but it's all worth it when you see her on the catwalk making her dreams come true.  She'll be walking tomorrow which is very cool.  It's tricky being with a boutique agency during MBFWA as most casting agents prefer to work with the big agencies and IMG dominates the event. So to get a show at all is a win.  Once this week is over she will need to take stock of where things are up to.  Like me, she may be doing a bit of staring into space.  She's been offered the opportunity to go overseas on a modelling contract, or she can move to Sydney and see how she fares there.  Either way she has set herself up to finish her year 12 studies in four weeks in readiness for the next steps.

The Hubster

He's doing well.  He's tired a lot having to deal with the likes of us, but all in all he's having a great year.  The 50s are being kind to him with his focus on health and fitness and his recent silver medal at the Worlds Master's Games (basketball) has given him something solid to feel proud of.  As for work, he's having a great year despite the frustrations and stress that comes with it. 

The big grown up daughter

 Cancer is a prick and there is nothing suckier than watching a young woman go through her fourth tumor in four years.  Her radiation is finished and the trial is also finished and she will have surgery to remove what is left of the tumor next week.  In the meantime she is having to deal with all the bits and pieces around the edges. The radiation burns on her leg, the anxiety and stress cancer can cause, the paperwork and extra bills, the general feeling of feeling constantly tired and unwell, the uncertainty over surgery, the fact that she's off work and life gets put on hold.  Having said all that, she is handling this fourth scarcoma round with grace, dignity, style and even a bit of laughter.  

The grand daughter

Well, really, what's there to be said here? She's a delight! I mean, she's four which also means she can be a handful at times, but as a grandparent anything she does is delightful.  That's the best thing about grand kids.  They can do no wrong. 

The Parents

My folks are always doing something fabulous with their time.  Their energy astounds us all.  If they are not renovating their home with their own bare hands, they are trekking through a jungle or donating their time to charity.  But once again cancer has reared its extremely ugly head and handed Dad with a new health challenge.  He's handling it with positivity, strength and courage.  There is no "woe is me" coming from him at all.  I, on the other hand, did not cope with the news at all. It is the straw that broke Leanne's back.  So yeah, I am doing some more of that staring into space thing.

So that's the Deep Fried update.

Thanks for having a cuppa with me. 

Tell me, what's going on with you?   

Day 2763 - Jay Laga'aia and the It Makes You Think initiative #startstrong

Day 2763 - Jay Laga'aia and the It Makes You Think initiative #startstrong

celebrities Children family kids NSW school

Every child deserves the chance to #startstrong

I'm really passionate about helping children to feel confident and good about themselves from a young age.  My books and my volunteer work are testament to my passion in this regard.

Which means I am often drawn to others with a similar passion.  Anh Do's interview with Anthony the blue Wiggle is by far my favourite "Brush With Fame" episode. Understanding the WHY behind how the Wiggles got started really resonated with me.

Watching Playschool and seeing the commitment the hosts make to early childhood education also speaks to me.  Especially Jay Laga'aia who has taken his passion for teaching young children beyond Playschool to include his own early childhood programs, writing books, teaming with scholastic to bring music to reading and more recently partnering with the NSW State Government to create the "It Makes You Think" component of the #StartStrong initiative.

No doubt you'll recognise Jay.  He has appeared in movies (Star Wars), Aussie TV shows (Water Rats) and as the host of Playschool.  He is also a singer, early childhood educator and the father of eight.  As one of Australian television's most recognisable faces he is championing the NSW Government’s mission to inspire every family to enroll their children in an early education program.

The interactive platform startstrong.nsw.edu.au is designed to help parents understand their child’s early development by demonstrating how the brain develops before the age of five.  The #StartStrong virtual experience allows users to follow the journey of a child’s brain at work. Like a real brain, each synapse on the platform is unique and there are 10 node hotspots, each with a unique animation that can be tapped for more information and eye opening insights. 

I was invited to chat to Jay about the "It Makes You Think" component and about his views on early childhood education in general.  Of course I jumped at the opportunity and rather than conduct the interview by phone I made the trip to Sydney to personally shake this man's hand.

Jay Laga'aia and the "It Makes You Think" initiative #StartStrong

"It Makes You Think" is a great initiative by the NSW State Government.  Tell me how you got to become spokesperson for the campaign?

I am passionate about early education so was excited to be part of this program.  My time on Playschool over the last 17 years and the creation of Jay's Jungle mean I have a good background. 

Over the years I have travelled around Australia exploring early education and I realised that we all want the same things for our kids.  We all want them to grow up to be successful.  

Preschool is great because that's the most honest age which creates a great base in which to start. Preschool allows children to learn through art, dance and music so that they're learning without even knowing they are learning. 

Preschool helps build solid foundations in which to create great adults. It also helps us to  become better parents.  

As a parent of a large family, what types of things did you and your wife do to get your children educated early?

What we tried to do was give our children a head start.  Preparing them for "big school" by giving them social skills and some knowledge of games and songs via early education. 

We started planning early for our kids schooling simply through the necessity of needing to enroll.  But the big message for parents is that you know your child better than anyone else does, so you'll know whether or not they are ready for pre-school.  If they are not yet ready then you can still work with them through play and music at home.  

We don't know how our children are going to cope in a situation but preschool allows us to explore the possibilities in a safe and nurturing environment. 

That's what "It Makes You Think" is all about.  About understanding how the brain works and when the best time to start educating is. 

What role do you think early education plays in helping our kids believe in themselves?

There's always that positive influence. It's not just about the end result with any given activity, but about the fact that our children are trying different things. Confidence comes from that journey.  I'm big on measuring progress in inches.  With children their confidence grows from celebrating the little things.  It's about highlighting their successes.  

Something I have noticed having done this for a very long time is that the benefits for parents are just as important as the benefits for the child.  I moved my family to Australia to do Water Rats. Preschool helped my wife to meet other people and believe in the possibilities. The life long friendships that are built for the parents, especially those new to the country or new to the area. are worth their weight in gold.  

What advice would you give parents who are keen to work with teachers in educating their children? How can teachers and parents work together for the benefit of the child?

An educator is coming from a place of expertise and is able to communicate from that base.  If parents go into discussions with an open mind then the parent and teacher can find the areas of commonality and start from there.  As a parent it's important to try and remove the emotion and work out the goal prior to any discussions.  

The great thing about preschool is you can also volunteer to be a parent helper so that you can not only help out in the classroom but observe.  You get to see the different interactions, different personalities etc which gives you a better understanding of how the classroom environment works which helps you to better understand it from the educator's point of view. 


Do you have any tips for parents who may have children who are anxious about preschool?

Take them out on the weekend, stand outside the preschool, point out the paintings on the windows, show them the doors, see the playground and get them used to seeing where they will be going.  Get them excited about going there.

You can also take them to the preschool in advance when it's in full swing.  It might be the year before, just to observe. You can then talk to them afterwards about what they saw and the activities the children were doing.

You can also chat to the preschool beforehand and ask what type of craft they do (for example) and you can start to do similar things at home which gives them little snippets of what's going to happen when they get there so that it's not information overload when they turn up for their first day.

Surround them with positive adults who say things like "We're so excited that you're going to preschool", or "Can you take a photo at preschool so we can see how fun it is".

If you lay those synaptic memory foundations the children start to take ownership.

There are quite a few children with learning challenges which don't get diagnosed until well into their primary school years.  Do you think that "It Makes You Think" may help people identify issues earlier?

You know your child better than anyone.  If you take the emotional aspect out of that and recognise that something is wrong you can then discuss that with a preschool teacher.   A mother's intuition is an amazing thing.

The "It Makes You Think" campaign is all about recognising these steps. You can mention your concerns to an early educator and because they spend time with your child in the day they can better assess and recommend next steps.

Don't listen to professionals and nod if you don't actually understand.  It's not a reflection on your IQ. If you don't know, you don't know ... until you know.  Ask the questions until you get it which will not only help you understand and better communicate it forward, but will also teach your children that it's OK to ask questions if you don't actually understand the answer.


Any last words about the campaign?  

The "It Makes You Think" campaign is about empowering parents. It's about taking ownership of the situation and most importantly it's about the child.  It's about building them up so they are ready to explode into school. If we can get our children to feel strong and confident and eager to start big school, can you imagine what they'll be like when they leave school?

Any last words for parents?

Kids don't want much from their parents other than their time.  Real focussed attention.  One-on-one time and an interest in who they are and what they are doing.  Kick a football with them. Sit on the floor and do craft (even if you're crap at craft ... watch Playschool and we'll show you). Read to them. Ask them about their day. Be interested and show them that you value them by giving them your time.

Have you heard of the #StartStrong "It Makes You Think" initiative? 

Did/do your children go to preschool?

What do you think are some of the benefits of early education?

For more information about #StartStrong you can head to the Start Strong interactive website at www.startstrong.nsw.edu.au  

For more from Jay you can check out the TV Show Jay's Jungle, buy some of his books and CD's  and you can also find out about his favourite children's books via my interview with him for Cheer Kids Magazine. 

Some interesting facts:

The Child Brain Explained – other findings from the NSW Department of Education’s research:

• 5 year old children use 60% of their energy to build their brain
• Children who have participated in early childhood education are more likely to have an IQ higher than 90 at the age of 5
• A child’s language skills and vocabulary often quadruple between ages two and four
• The emotional centre of the brain benefits greatly from preschool. This includes social bonding, processing of emotions, empathising with others and understanding how to deal with stress
• At three, a child has around 3000 trillion brain connections or synapses which in later development are selectively prune. When adolescence is reached, brain synapses will number around 500 trillion, and this number remains relatively stable into adulthood.
• Before the age of 5, the brain forms as many as 700 neural connections per second.