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Over the years, stress has become synonymous with modern hurried lifestyles. Though required in small doses to help us push our bodies to their full potential and accomplish tasks more efficiently, when experienced on a daily basis it can become a problem. As it turns chronic, it starts affecting general health, sleep, skin, as well as relationships.

As of last year, marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been another pandemic because of the constant coping with fear and uncertainty – that of stress and anxiety. Considering the pandemic doesn’t seem to be going anywhere for the time being, nor the measures in the likes of social distancing, lockdowns and quarantines, besides seeking professional help, establishing the right coping strategies in daily life proves to be important. Aromatherapy is one of them.

Aromatherapy as Your Pick-Me-Up

Known for its psychological and physical benefits, alternative medicine enthusiasts are slowly but surely turning aromatherapy mainstream because it’s a drug-free solution that’s been used by many civilisations for centuries. You too can easily incorporate it, given that it’s not difficult nowadays to come across certified 100% pure organic essential oils for stress and anxiety that can truly make a difference in your life.

The reason aromatherapy is so effective with changing one’s mood, promoting balance, relieving tension, and reducing stress in a short matter of time has to do with the fact the incredible aromas of the oils trigger an emotional response by stimulating the central nervous system. Moreover, when inhaled the aromas reach the lungs, and their beneficial natural occurring substances further offer therapeutic effects for one’s health and well-being.

organic essential oils

Oils Known to Tame Stress

The minute you decide to get on board with the aromatherapy trend, and start searching for oils, you’d come to realise just how extensive the range can be. While there are various options you can give a try, the following are some of the best-known choices for relaxation and stress relief:

  • Lavender is famous for its anxiolytic properties and the calming effect on the spirits;
  • Chamomile helps reduce the production of stress hormones;
  • Clary Sage promotes relaxation with its woody aroma, relieving stress and mild depression;
  • Geranium has muscle relaxing properties and assists with reducing fatigue;
  • Jasmine uplifts moods and brings comfort;
  • Bergamot invigorates your spirits, and improves negative emotions;
  • Marjoram soothes and eases the muscle tension;
  • Patchouli offers calming effects and increases energy;
  • Neroli helps put a halt to excessive worrying.

Ways to Use These Oils to Tame Stress

Great news is not only do you have a wide range of essential oils for stress and anxiety to choose from, depending on the aroma and the side benefits you’re after (e.g. antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties), but you’ve also got the flexibility with how you want to adopt aromatherapy.

bathroom oils

In the Bathroom

For instance, if you enjoy soaking in a nice warm bath relaxing your body and mind with great ingredients such as manuka honey, you could try another recipe consisting of your favourite essential oil. To make your skin absorbent, as well as reap utmost relaxing benefits, it’s recommended to add Epsom salts with three to five drops of your favourite essential oil.

Baking soda is another ingredient that comes in handy with this, so it’s not only useful for cleaning appliances at home. Speaking of which, it’s just as great for creating your own shower melts – simply mix one cup with 1/3 cup of water, add 20 drops of your chosen oils, and leave to set overnight in silicone moulds.

Now, if you’re more of a shower fan, along with investing in a better experience with the right shower head, you can enhance your shampoo or body wash with a few drops of organic certified essential oils for anxiety and stress. In case you’d like to get your DIY mode on, you can create your own DIY body wash

Same as when applying them topically with relaxing massages on different parts of your body, your main ingredient should be a carrier oil to prevent allergic skin reactions. Another way is to “carry” the oils to the shower, adding a few drops on cotton pads and placing them on the shower floor nearby, away from the direct flow, so you smell the aromas as they evaporate.

bedroom essential oils

In the Bedroom

When there’s stress, sleep is among the first aspects of your life to be impacted. As anxiety keeps your mind busy with problems, pumping cortisol in your body, it’s difficult to catch the z’s. Not being able to get shut-eye then leads to a vicious cycle of being worried of not being able to fall asleep, consequently resulting in insomnia.

You’d be able to tackle this issue effectively and get the quality sleep you crave using the help of aromatherapy. Besides applying some of the aforementioned techniques, you can bring the lovely relaxing scent of stress essential oil into your bedroom by creating your own mist.

The simple mixture of distilled water with drops of your favourite oils would prove to be perfect for refreshing the room as you prepare it for slumber, as well as for adding the soothing aromas to your bedding. Once you start applying this, your brain would create an association between a specific scent and sleep, so breathing in from the mist would immediately put you in a sleepy mode.

diffuser

In the Home in General

When using them as air fresheners, vaporisers and diffusers would assist you with dispersing the particles of the essential oils for stress and anxiety in the room. Don’t be surprised if all of a sudden you find yourself feeling like your home became your personal spa as the aromas create a calming and healing environment!

Inhalation isn’t only perfect for when you’re congested or fighting colds and the flu – it can work wonders on a day-to-day basis if you use it as a two-minute method to unwind. All you’d have to do is pick a heatproof bowl, fill it up with boiling water, add up to seven drops of your chosen oil, cover your head with a soft towel, and breathe through the nose. Lastly, the simple old-fashioned way to reap the incredible aromatherapy benefits is to just take a few deep breaths smelling directly from the bottles.

 

It isn’t easy to keep an organised and productive work space in your home. There’s chores to do, meals to prepare, and adorable children to look after. Whether you have a full study or a corner of the living room, clutter always seems to pile up. The mess affects our productivity — and not for the better. Maybe you get the help of local cleaners to keep your home tidy. But how do you organise a productive workspace?

Fixing up your home office is a matter of smart storage and sticking to an organised system. It takes some work (pun intended!), but it’s worth the effort to remember where to put which file and to keep your pens in one place. There are different solutions, from label systems to categorised stations to containers for keeping your work space neat and efficient.

Here are 7 tips for organising a productive home office so you can work smart and hard.

1. Create organisation stations

Ever have your mail end up with your printables? Solve your mix-ups by creating separate stations for different purposes. Set up a mail station on one end of your desk, or hang one on a nearby wall. Have one folder or file holder per category — bills, correspondence, files. Then have another station for printing, another for your kids’ artwork, and so on and so forth. It’ll keep you systematised!

2. Declutter your tabletop

Nothing says a mess quite like papers, receipts, and other detritus cluttering up the surface of your work station. Take the time to sort through everything and toss out whatever isn’t necessary (but shred the important stuff first!). File the rest away in different binders or envelopes, with clear labels for the contents.

3. Code and label

It’ll help to have things colour-coded and labeled, from drawers to bins to folders. It’ll keep things neat, tidy, and efficient, allowing you to find exactly what you need with ease. Have different coloured folders for bills, office files, and deliverables. Clearly label binders and drawers with their contents. It’ll help you file things away, too.

organised home office

4. Store on shelves

Use your wall to your advantage and keep things off your desk surface by installing a few shelves! You can get a standing shelf by your desk, or install a few floating shelves over your tabletop. Open shelves also have the advantage of keeping anything you need in plain sight. You can even use them as an accent by choosing decorative shelves or adding display pieces!

Choose which type works best for your work tools and setup — then keep only what you frequently use within arm’s reach. After that, it’s just a matter of keeping curious, chubby hands out of your shelves.

5. Categorise in containers

If you have cubbies or drawers, organisers and containers will help keep your things sorted and tidy instead of scattered around. There’s nothing more frustrating than digging around for just one paper clip. Keep supplies stored in appropriate containers so you can easily access what you need, and don’t waste five minutes looking for one pen.

6. Systematise your space

Make a wall calendar out of picture frames. Install a wire rack to hold notes and photos. Create a productivity board out of chalk tape and marker. There are plenty of ways to turn the space and surfaces available to you into creative organisation systems! All it takes is some innovation and DIY work, and you can have setups that help you work efficiently — and look good, too.

7. Find your aesthetic

All work and no play makes you unproductive! There’s no harm in adding a touch of colour or aesthetic to your work space, especially since it’ll help perk you up. So display your kid’s new animal sculpture, or hang up their artwork on your wall. Put family photos on your shelves alongside your books. Let your kids doodle on your chalkboard, or add little cheer-up notes to your calendars. Mix in your favourite books with ones for work. Even add a plant or two. Not only is it better for your mental well-being, it could give you the extra motivation to get through that report — a pretty workspace is a productive one!

While the scientific community has long discarded astrology as pseudoscience, scientific research suggests that your birth month has a lot more to do with your health than you might think.

The month a person is born can determine their likelihood to develop health conditions like heart failure or depression. A person’s zodiac sign can influence their health, not because their destiny is written in the stars, but because the time of year they were born influences their vulnerability to environmental factors, such as exposure to ultraviolet rays, vitamin D, temperature and seasonal viruses or allergies.

A study from the Columbia University Department of Medicine examined 1,688 different diseases and found 55 correlated with birth month, including asthma, ADHD, cardiac diseases, depression and bone diseases.

Findings showed that being born in certain months increased the risk of developing particular diseases. It isn’t all bad news, the study also found that certain months have a significant protective effect on health. For example, men born in June are 34 per cent less likely to suffer from depression and 22 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with lower back pain.

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Researchers emphasise that genetics and environmental factors such as diet, medical care and exercise are more likely to influence an individual’s chance of developing a disease. They also highlight that your exposure to seasonal factors during each month will vary depending on your location.

While your birth month will not solely determine your risk of developing a disease, examining trends will maximise the chances of protecting your health.

Gymnastics is a pretty great sport. It combines athleticism with beauty and grace and develops the basic building blocks for everyday movement.

KinderGym is Gymnastics Australia’s fun and exciting fundamental movement-based learning program for children aged 0 to 5 years.

A toddler learning how to balance at KinderGym

The program is founded on child development principles and is specifically designed to assist children with their development throughout the different stages of early childhood.

So, what are the benefits?

1. KinderGym stimulates cognitive growth

Did you know the brain has two parts? The left side of the brain is responsible for analytical thinking, while the right side is for creativity and visualisation. To put it simply, your left brain would be the scientist and your right brain, the artist!

Like reading is for verbal literacy, gymnastics is for physical literacy.  Through cross patterning actions like crawling along a foam mat; both sides of the brain are engaged. When toddlers are exposed to activities in gymnastics, the whole brain is exercised, encouraging rounded thinking.

2. KinderGym develops strong and healthy bones

With so many fun, soft things to crawl and walk on, gymnastics enables a safe environment for weight bearing.  Placing normal pressure on the bones increases and stimulates bone density for a strong and healthy skeletal system!

A child climbing at KinderGym

3. KinderGym increases coordination and encourages proprioceptive awareness

Young children should be exposed to different kinds of learning. In gymnastics vocal cues, music, activities and visual aids are all used to engage and teach. Learning and problem solving though diverse ways encourages both gross and fine motor skills, building coordination and awareness of the body.

4. KinderGym instils an understanding of discipline

When a parent and child commits to attending training as part of their weekly activity, it instils an understanding of schedule and commitment. Gymnastics further cements the respect for discipline in the kinds of regulations it employs for safe and effective practice.

A boy playing at KinderGym

5. KinderGym assists in developing Physical Literacy

When a parent and child commits to attending training as part of their weekly activity, it instils an understanding of schedule and commitment. Gymnastics further cements the respect for discipline in the kinds of regulations it employs for safe and effective practice.

6. KinderGym increases social awareness

Gymnastics classes encourages participation from all within the class, and while focusing on the individual, allows children to be surrounded by other children. This is important in creating a social environment which is fun, new and challenging for all. Encouraging social interactions which are well monitored from the onset is crucial to social behaviour and inclusivity as children get older.

Children playing together at KinderGym

7. KinderGym is FUN!

KinderGym classes are designed to be fun and exciting for children. Many clubs pick specific themes for their lessons that keep the classes entertaining.

It’s also a great way for new mums and dads to meet local families at a similar family stage. You will become fast friends with someone after they have rescued you from a foam pit!

Keen to try out KinderGym but not sure where to start?

Head to www.starthere.org.au to find a KinderGym club near you!

 

Since the conflict broke out in 2015, life for children in Yemen, has been a living hell. Around 2 million children under the age of 5 are suffering from acute malnutrition. To put these numbers into perspective, that is the entirety of Perth’s population.

10.3 million brittle boys and girls don’t have enough food to eat, and half of Yemeni children under the age of 5 are chronically malnourished. Chronic malnutrition has an incredibly important impact on a child’s development. So, the 50 per cent of Yemeni children who are chronically malnourished, will never develop their full intellectual potential.

Whilst these statistics are disturbing to us readers, you can only imagine how frightful, how soul-crushing, how helpless, it must feel to be the mother of a Yemeni child.

These kids have been deprived of their childhoods and a hopeful future. And, the dark reality is, this has worsened due to COVID-19 as they are confined to remnants of their war-torn homes.

The damage and closure of schools has disrupted the children’s access to education. Before COVID-19, 2 million children were out of school. Now, because of the pandemic, the latest statistics from UNICEF have found an additional 5 million children are out of school.

Sadly, the education of these children is the smallest of their problems. Five years of war has exhausted the country’s health system. Many of Yemen’s medical facilities have been destroyed and the country is inadequate to cope with a pandemic.

Alongside a lack of medicine, equipment, and medics, coronavirus has essentially caused Yemen’s health system to collapse.

As the pandemic ravages through the country, the Yemeni people have reached breaking point.

Poverty levels are deepening and putting financial strain on families. The United Nations (U.N) have reported that parents of these fragile children are now resorting to “harmful coping mechanisms,” like begging, child labor, and marrying off their young daughters to survive.

Young Yemeni girls, if weren’t already, are now the most vulnerable, frail, and helpless they’ve ever been.

Worldwide, around 12 million girls under the age of 18 are estimated to be married off every year. That works out to be nearly one girl every three seconds.

Already seen to be happening in Yemen, a recent U.N report predicts the pandemic has put an additional 4 million girls at risk of child marriage.

And, when you think the horrendous conditions for these innocent girls couldn’t get any worse, they do.

86% of mothers in Yemen believe that female gentile mutilation is a purifying and cleansing practice and is closely tied with their religious and cultural beliefs. With almost every health care facility closing and the ones that are still open being overpopulated by coronavirus and war-stricken victims, the infection rate, as a direct result of this practice, on these baby girls, is expected to sky-rocket.

The U.N appealed to the international community $2.4 billion to help the suffering of the Yemen people who are being hit harder than any other civilians in the world by the pandemic. On June 2, manly Arab and Western countries pledged $1.35 billion toward aid. This is far less than what is needed to give these people a chance at survival.

Yemen is in the middle of a war, suffering the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, and the coronavirus is sucking the breath and freedom out of the life of malnourished children who don’t have the choice or immune system to fight it.

These conditions are gut-wrenching.

The suffering of these girls and boys is nothing short of devastating.

And, it is worsening with every minute that passes.

If you would like to donate directly to help save the lives of these kids, please do so here https://support.savethechildren.org/site/Donation2?df_id=2521&2521.donation=form1

You know that what you put into your body affects how you look, but do you know how the foods you eat can benefit or hinder your overall health? With modern nutritional science, dieticians and other experts know precisely how and why different foods cause changes in the human body and what an optimal diet looks like.

However, just because science has discovered the facts about healthy eating doesn’t mean everyone is going to adopt the best possible diet necessarily. As humans, we tend to poison ourselves with things that give us short-term happiness but contribute to long-term health issues (such as smoking cigarettes or drinking too much alcohol), but healthy eating will have a long-term positive impact on your happiness.

If you want to live as long as possible and avoid chronic health conditions later in life, you should switch to a healthy diet. The following will examine some common dietary lifestyle behaviours and how they affect your health.

Leaning on takeaway meals

One trend that’s becoming more noticeable with younger generations is a lack of ability and will to cook at home. Even people who rent apartments or buy houses with lovely kitchens will never touch them other than to use the microwave or prepare something simple like scrambled eggs.

This is because spending a little extra money to avoid cooking and have a pizza delivered or go through a drive-thru is more convenient than learning to cook. This is especially true for people who may be overworked and find it too difficult to prepare food from scratch every evening when they feel exhausted.

If you want to cook healthier recipes at home and still enjoy the convenience of home delivery, then a meal-kit delivery service could be the perfect answer. This involves having fresh ingredients delivered to your front door along with easy instructions that remove a lot of the often frustrating and dull parts of cooking that might have preciously dissuaded you from giving it a go.

Consuming too much sugar

Too much of a good thing never turns out well, and our relationship with sugar over the decades has become one of the leading causes of issues like obesity in modern society. In our quest to make food taste better we have become accustomed to seasoning all our food, even savoury dishes that you wouldn’t typically classify as being sweet.

It can be hard to avoid the consumption of sugar when it seems to be everywhere that we go and prevalent in so many social activities. For example, going to the cinemas with friends often mean stopping by the snack bar and buying sweets to snack on while you enjoy the film together, and you might feel like you are missing out on the full experience if you refrain.

You should try to make a commitment to consume less sugar and let your friends and loved ones know about it, so they don’t pressure you or put you in situations where consuming sugar is encouraged. Doing this won’t just help you, but it will also inspire others to follow suit and enjoy the health benefits of reducing sugar from their diets by making the switch to low sugar alternatives or simply not consuming as many sweetened products.

Eating too much red meat

Over the last few years, the vegan movement has caused millions to swear off the consumption of animal products to promote a more sustainable and ethical relationship between humans and animals. While the choice to become vegan or not is still a personal one for many people, you should be aware of the net negative effect that overconsumption of red meat can have.

While there is still a lot of debate around red meat, with biases that inform opinions on both sides, there’s no doubt that it is possible to consume too much of it. Studies have shown that many types of red meat are high in saturated fats that can contribute towards issues like cholesterol, which is notorious for clogging arteries and stressing the heart, potentially leading to heart failure. Also, the cooking of red meat (especially on smoky grills), can produce carcinogens in the meat, which are known to contribute to the development of some cancers.

Summary

After your genetics, your diet is the primary determining factor in your health and well-being. Proper nutrition is the basis from which healthy and long-lived people operate, so if you want to enjoy the benefits then you might need to think about changing some of your eating habits.

Stuck at home with the kids and struggling on how to best use your time together? Drama teacher, Thomasin McCuaig, has created a list of drama activities for you to play with your kids that will educate them, boost their confidence and fuel creativity in this uncertain period.

The spread of COVID-19 is the topic of nearly every conversation. No matter where you go or who you talk to, it is bound to be brought up and add a new layer of uncertainty to your everyday life. With new self-isolation regulations and social distancing precautions, people are going to be feeling more removed from society as the months roll by. Even though the world may seem dire, it is important that we seek human connection during our time at home. Regardless of whether schools close or not, a lot of fun, creative and challenging extracurricular activities are being cancelled, causing kids to be stuck at home and wanting to retreat to their screens. A little screen time is fine, yet it is beneficial to add some balance to the mix by introducing your kids to these fun, challenging and educational drama activities that are sure to spark your kids’ imagination, creativity and lead to new thought processes.

Activities with one kid

Made up Monologue:

Give your kid a pen and a paper and tell them to write a monologue. Monologue is a big word for young ones so remember to let them know what a monologue is! Tell them that ‘mono’ means ‘one,’ so a monologue is a performance where one person expresses their thoughts about a certain topic aloud to an audience. You can tell them that they can be any character they want, e.g. an evil witch, a famous artist, a school student or an inventor. Once they have written their monologue, get them to memorise as much as they can and perform it to the family. Make sure to tell them to demonstrate all the actions in the script so as to make an engaging performance. After this exercise, your kids will feel a sense of accomplishment over what they produced and performed, as they were able to combine literacy skills with drama.

Sell the Product:

Similar to the fun game, ‘Snake Oil,’ get your kid to sell a product to the whole family. They can either find an object at home or create an imaginary product in their head that they have to sell to you. Before they begin, let them know that they have to know the price of the product, the purpose of the product, why it is valuable and where to buy it. If the seller has convinced the buyer, yell at the end of the performance, ‘SOLD!’ This activity is important, as it encourages kids to think practically, whilst using their imagination.

Movement to Music:

Go on your preferred music streaming app and look up a gentle movie soundtrack. The song ‘I’m Forrest… Forrest Gump’ from the Original Motion Picture Score album is the perfect track if you want your kids to create a scene that is magical, sentimental or fantastical. Get your kid to lie down and close their eyes as you play the music for the first time. Tell them to imagine a story that fits the mood of the music, where they are the main character. Then, play the music for a second time and get them to move around the lounge room to the music, telling the same story through movement. This activity is the ultimate creativity stimulator, as it allows kids to truly immerse themselves in their own imaginative world.

Activities with 2 or more kids

Elevator:

This activity is the perfect guessing game for the audience and character-building exercise for the kids. Pick a stage/audience space, most preferably the lounge room. Get your kids to whisper to one another what occupation their character should have e.g. fashion model, police officer, yoga instructor, teacher. The audience cannot know this. Once decided, the kids will move one by one to the centre of the space and pretend to stand in an elevator. When everyone is in the elevator and quiet, an audience member yells, “Elevator is broken!” Those within the elevator have to try and think of ways to fix the elevator and communicate with each other, while giving subtle hints to the audience as to what they do for a living. They cannot overtly say, “I am a mechanic so I can fix this.” They have to be subtle, e.g. a teacher could say, “Oh no, I’m going to be late for class!” An audience member can wrap up the activity by saying “Elevator is fixed!” The actors then step forward so that the audience can guess what each character’s job was.

Make Em’ Laugh:

Test your kids’ focus skills by setting up two chairs in the stage space. The person on the right chair (audience’s right) has to make the person on the left chair laugh. However, they cannot get off the chair or touch the other person. Add a bit of character to the activity by giving them a scenario or situation, e.g. two people stuck on a plane or two people eating at a restaurant. The person on the left has to try their hardest to keep a straight face and not laugh, while still engaging with and responding to the other person. As soon as the person on the left laughs, the actors switch chairs and perform another scene. This game is incredibly enjoyable to watch and perform.

Podcast Play:

Back in the day, radio plays were extremely popular. People sat at home and listened to fictional stories told purely through voice and sound effects. This form of entertainment has shifted into the popular medium of podcasts. Get your kids to create a story where they are only allowed to use voice and sound, as the audience closes their eyes and listens. A fun theme or prompt to give your kids is ‘Haunted House,’ as it allows for various sounds, voices and characters. Your kids can play multiple characters throughout the story and test the different ways in which they can use their voice. For example, one kid could be an evil witch, an owl and scared intruder at different times. Tell the kids to include sound effects and use either their voice or objects around them, e.g. if someone opens a door, they can make the sound of a slow creaking door with their voice or if they are making footsteps, they can create the sound with their feet on the floor. This activity is perfect for developing your child’s creativity and imagination. To make it more fun, record the audio on your phone and play it back to them so that they can hear what they created!

This is intellectual property of Thomasin McCuaig.

Lisa lets it out, “I hate kids Birthday Parties”. With mounting pressure to keep up with escalating extravagance for children’s birthday parties.

She decides to make a bold stand and opt out of Birthday parties in favour of mum-daughter holidays. I’m going to share a fact with you right now that might result in you spitting out whatever hot beverage you’re consuming or cause you to want to throw a heavy object at a picture of my head, so my advice would be to stop drinking immediately and move away from all objects not connected to the floor or plugged into an electrical socket.

This fact is humiliating to admit and it’s a game changer in terms of parenting. Good, loving, decent mothers shouldn’t feel this way. But I do. And I want to get it off my chest because I’ve kept it inside for too long. The fact is, I hate children’s birthday parties. Yes. You read correctly. I hate them. Including the birthday parties of my own child. I don’t want to have them and I get absolutely no joy out of attending them.

 

“I am a busy working mum who still loathes the thought of organising a child’s birthday party.”

Let me go so far as to say that I cringe at the thought of year, after year, after bloody year, having to come up with a plethora of brilliant, new, innovative ideas so that my child can have a better party than Sally up the road, because hers was a circus theme with proper clown machines where you can stick balls into their mouths and all the kids ate fairy floss and toffee apples and would you believe that her mother hired ponies for the kids to ride on the front lawn and it gets better because Tinkerbell herself flew all the way from Pixie Hollow just to say hello as she is great friends with Sally’s mum. Oh please. Give me a break. Without a party planner I cannot afford and a thousand helpers I can’t pay on the day, I’m not going to be able to top Sally’s party EVER.

But I’m not ignorant to the pressures on kids these days to fit in with their peer groups and to be able to talk about awesome experiences their parents have bestowed upon them.

So I’ve worked out my modus operandi to explain to my precious child for years to come why this is the case and why she is never, ever, going to have a fantastic birthday party like Sally. I’m going to lie. Well ok. If that sounds too harsh let’s say I’ll stretch the truth.

I’m going to tell Bells (my three year old) that mummies only have a certain amount of money for one special thing every year, and Sally’s mummy uses her money to hire ponies that hate being ridden by annoying children who grab them by the hair and kick them in the ribs so they go home and cry. Hopefully she will see the error of Sally’s mother’s ways and ask what special thing we will do for the year. Which will be my cue to explain that we do a much more special thing than Sally’s diabetes-enabling, pony-abusing, mother because I take us both to Bali where we swim for hours in the pool and Mummy drinks Daiquiris which make her relaxed and fun and, really Bells, if you had to choose would you prefer a happy mummy or diabetes in later life?

Yep. I reckon I’m on a winner with that one. Sally’s mum is probably having a nervous breakdown from the stresses of organising a small child’s birthday party of epic proportions while I am sitting on my couch googling Bali Villas and thinking about how many Christmas presents I can buy in one Balinese DVD store. What can I say? I’m super practical.

But I’m not ignorant to the pressures on kids these days to fit in with their peer groups and to be able to talk about awesome experiences their parents have bestowed upon them.

I’m sharing all of this with you because my daughter turned three in October. I can recall like it was yesterday being asked to feature on the cover of the inaugural Offspring magazine when she was only a few months old. But I can honestly say that back then, I wasn’t sure I should do it.

I was just easing into my breakfast show on 92.9 and by easing I mean struggling. Being up from 3.30am whilst breastfeeding and thinking of strategies to get inside Lady Gaga’s hotel room are a lot to deal with, and I felt quite alone as I’m not the type of person to let on that I was finding circumstances tough or that I wasn’t getting enough sleep. Unfortunately both were the case but I kept those emotions locked away and I pushed on because I had no other option. I had to work to earn money, I’d made a commitment to my co-hosts and I’d said I was ready to come back. Also, I was not a typical role model parent (I was a single mum working full-time and living with my Dad), and these facts only served to lower my self-esteem and I absolutely doubted my capabilities as a parent. So to be approached by a parenting magazine to talk about parenting was completely out of my realm. But I hesitantly said yes.

I was met at my house a few days later by a young girl who looked about 18 years old. It turns out she was Offspring’s founder and editor, Kate, and after chatting with her for a few hours I realised there were others out there juggling being mothers and wives, while taking on jobs and careers that are, to be brutally honest, really bloody challenging. That day was, as they say, a game changer. My meeting with Kate opened my eyes to the fact that there are lots of women doing more challenging jobs than me and doing them well.

Since then I have become less hard on myself about the parenting decisions I have made and will continue to make. I am a busy working mum who still loathes the thought of organising a child’s birthday party. So when my workplace offered to do just that for Isabella, I jumped at the opportunity and it was an absolute blast. The very first ‘Baby Rave’ in Perth on the rooftop of my station. There were 30 kids dressed up as little Ravers, 30 parents who were thrilled they didn’t have to do anything at all, a kiddy dance floor, Wiggles music blasting through a loudspeaker, kids dancing while shoving handfuls of lollies into their mouths, bubble machines, balloon animals and a Miss Maud’s Dora Backpack cake. Brilliant. Because I organised nothing. I wonder what Sally’s mum would’ve thought? But then again, should I really care if my kid had fun on her birthday?

More and more women are going under the knife each year for breast augmentation surgery, for most it is about improving appearance and boosting self-confidence or getting back those pre-baby boobs. Offspring examined why these bags of silicone (or saline) are proving so popular and what is involved when you take the step to enhance your chest.

Despite the recent French-made PIP-implant scare, the popularity of breast augmentation around the world continues its steady incline. No longer confined to celebrities and strip clubs, our suburban neighbourhoods and play groups are filling with these new perks, pardon the pun. And they are becoming harder and harder to spot with advancements in procedures and implants able to give a more natural appearance than ever before.

Specialist cosmetic breast nurse at the recently opened Assure Breast Centre in Subiaco, Jill Brady, says the centre has seen the number of breast augmentation procedures at least doubled in the past 18 months with mums making up the largest increase in breast surgery.

“There is definitely increasing social acceptance of breast surgery,” she says. “Surgery is more accessible and surgical techniques have improved, costs are more affordable and the quality of implants has improved. All of these things contribute to society’s support and acceptance of this type of surgery – just as society is more accepting of other cosmetic procedures now than it was 10 or 15 years ago.”

“The pressures of pregnancy, labour and breastfeeding can all contribute to unwanted changes in the body. Breasts can become overstretched and saggy-looking. Other problems like enlarged areolas, unevenly shaped or ‘empty’ looking breasts and stretch marks are all common complaints from mums.”

Ms Brady, who conducts the centre’s initial client consults, says breast surgery can be as much a functional operation as it is an aesthetic one. That aside, Jill said she was always careful to remind patients that surgery was not a solution to psychological or emotional issues and not right for everyone.

“Breast surgery should be a personal choice and is only appropriate for women seeking to improve their own self image. A woman who is depressed or trying to please a partner should not have the surgery,” she says.

The three common types of breast surgery are enlargement, reduction or lift, sometimes a combination of two options.

Some reasons women consider breast enlargement:

  • The breasts have reduced in size following pregnancy, breastfeeding or weight loss.
  • The breasts are smaller than normal, uneven in size or out of proportion to body size.
  • To boost self esteem and improve overall appearance.

Some reasons women consider a breast reduction:

  • The size of the breasts is uncomfortable.
  • Pain in the lower neck, shoulders or back, or the breasts themselves.
  • Discomfort during physical activity.

Breast lift surgery can help to:

  • Reshape sagging breasts and improve contour.
  • Increase the firmness of soft breasts by removing excess skin.
  • Raise the position of downward-pointing nipples and areolas.
  • Reduce the size of the areolas.
  • Balance the size and shape of unequal breasts.
  • Increase the volume of breasts, in combination with a breast implant.

The decision to have breast surgery, whether to increase or reduce current size, like any surgery can be daunting. Many women contemplate the idea but don’t pursue because of the cost, the recovery, the perceived vanity, the permanence and the confusion about where to even begin. The decision is made even more complex, because breasts are a functional and symbolic icon of femininity and motherhood and the end results are designed to be noticed.

Dr. Brigid Corrigan, specialist Plastic Surgeon at Assure Breast Centre says no matter the breast surgery under consideration, the choice of surgeon is the most important factor.

“If you are thinking about surgery, the first step would be lots of research and then book a consultation with a medical expert who will sit down with you and discuss your expectations and the options that are right for you. If you decide to go ahead, an initial appointment with a plastic surgeon would then be scheduled,” she says.

“Having the surgery involves at least two consultations with your surgeon, plus time for in-depth thought about whether to proceed.

“The process cannot be short-circuited over the internet, with photography and email as a substitute for face-to-face appointments with a qualified surgeon because techniques and options will differ for each patient.”

Dr.Corrigan elaborates that depending on the type of surgery, a patient can expect to stay in the hospital a few hours, up to a few days, and explained there are a number of surgery methods available depending on the patient and the procedure.

“The implant insertion, for example, can be done with a small incision under the breast, around the nipple or in the armpit,” she explains. “The plastic surgeon will determine the most suitable approach depending on the patient and overall look to be achieved.”

And an inevitable result of any surgery is scarring, generally a few centimeters long and often positioned below the breast, with fading expected over time.

Dr. Corrigan says while the chance of post-operative problems is relatively low, some of the worst complications have occurred in patients who have traveled overseas for surgery.

“There is no regulation of the industry in places like Asia, so consequentially the risk of post-operative problems is much higher,” she says. “People have told us cost is the main reason for choosing to travel overseas for cosmetic surgery, termed ‘medical tourism’ but if there are complications and revisions required, that initial cost can blow-out.

“While some bruising and swelling can be expected for a few weeks following any breast surgery, patients can usually resume normal routine around two to three weeks after surgery, but we do not recommend people travel by plane for at least two weeks (ideally six weeks) after surgery and returning to strenuous exercise may take a little longer.

“The post-operative period is crucial to recovery, making it a poor combination with an overseas holiday. Recovery is a time best spent at home with close family to help out.”

And the cost?

While the cost will vary depending on the surgeon, anesthetist, implants, and hospital, the procedure usually ranges between $10,000 and $15,000. Some private health insurers will help with a hospital bed and theatre fees, especially for reconstruction or reductions so having a GP referral will enable you to claim some of the cost.

Note to readers: The information presented is not an endorsement of breast surgery. Readers must evaluate the options for themselves under medical guidance.

“I recently moved to WA from the Gold Coast and breast implants are fairly common over there. I heard advertisements on the radio for different clinics and friends who have already had the procedure gave me recommendations of reputable surgeons. I did some research and find a surgeon that offered 100 percent finance, sealed the deal for me. I wanted them to look natural, it was important to me that they didn’t look bolted on, so I opted for Brazilian teardrop implants inserted through the nipples, which were also reshaped. I am a small person and went for a large C-cup, small D-cup, depending on the bra, from my current A-cup.

All up it cost me $11,500, which I pay off fortnightly, but I felt safer and more comfortable having it done in Australia than going overseas and being able to go home to my own bed afterward. I know I could have got them for around $4,000 if I went somewhere like Thailand but I have heard the horror stories.

Prior to the surgery I had about four consults and had to start taking a Vitamin C and mineral powder drink every day to boost my immune system.

I stayed in hospital four hours in total and was sent home with Endone and Arnica. I wasn’t allowed to shower for two days after surgery, had to sleep sitting up for about two weeks because it was too painful to lie down, and was required to wear a sports bra 24 hours a day for six weeks. I was still on Endone for the pain a week later and took two weeks off work. The recovery was very hard and very emotional for me.

I am concerned about what will happen if I have subsequent children and try to breastfeed but the surgeon assured me after the first year it would be safe to fall pregnant and if I wanted to breastfeed, it all still should work as normal.

I have heard from friends that in order to keep the implants looking ‘perky’, the surgery should be redone in about 10 years, and while the end result is worth it, the pain of the recovery means I doubt I will go through it again.

It has been almost a year since surgery and they are looking and feeling very natural now. I am very pleased with the results.

For me, the surgery has given me back what I had before pregnancy, breastfeeding and weight loss and renewed my confidence after separating from my husband.

In light of the recent surge of mums heading for the operating table, many plastic surgeons now offer ‘mummy makeover’ packages combining breast enlargements, lifts or reductions with a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), liposuction or other skin rejuvenation techniques. Mother of two young boys, Kelly, says combining an enlargement with a tummy tuck not only reduced costs but also meant there would be no need for multiple surgeries.

“The recovery was really easy compared to what I expected. I was back at work a week out of surgery,” she said. “It was the best thing I have ever done. My confidence has drastically increased. I would highly recommend anyone considering getting it done, to do it.”