Let’s be honest, no one copes with lack of sleep. Children have tantrums and so do parents and, of course, sleep deprivation makes everyone feel out of control,…
How bad has this winter been for colds and flus? I have seen countless cases of families suffering with the nasty viruses that have been circulating around the…
As a naturopath and herbalist I often get pregnant Mums asking me desperately what homeopathic remedies are safe to take. Especially now that some big-pharma brands have moved into the…
As a new mum everything can seem overwhelming and strange. Your life pattern changes and you may adapt very quickly to these new and exciting challenges or for…
As with every change of season, our family’s health needs to be maintained to ward off those nasty bugs.
When summer approaches it’s time to get into the garden, drag out those tools, get on the gumboots and do something productive. Kids absolutely love planting their own…
Summer is a wonderful time of year — lots of sun, fun, sand and barbeques. But we can definitely enjoy fun in the sun the natural way. There…
You will hear the term “detox” frequently and what does this actually mean? Well in simple terms it a process in which you promote your body’s tissues to…
Christmas comes at the time of year when we are moving into lovely warm weather which tends to mean most of us will get into shorts, tee shirts…
Often, the first sign that you have osteoporosis is that you break a bone. Osteoporosis has no symptoms and the disease offers its victims no warning until it is…
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” — Paleontologist, philosopher and Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955)…
Kiwi women are commencing menstruation earlier and developing larger breasts. Kiwi men sperm-counts have halved. We have to ask ourselves why?! Of course, nutrition is a huge part…
Recently the Cancer Society held its annual ‘Daffodil Day’. Cancer affects 1 in 3 New Zealanders. While we can never guarantee that a certain lifestyle will prevent cancer…
Do you often think that others can manage their weight without having to put in half the effort that you do? Sometimes it seems like some people never…
One essential aspect of lovingly nurturing and respecting yourself, is the intrinsic need to pay significant caring attention to your own intuition. As author Jeanne Elizabeth Blum writes…
It seems that one minute none of us had heard of swine flu and the next minute it was a significant world wide issue. As I write this…
There is usually an exhausting, painful grief a new mother goes through – no matter how good her pregnancy turned out to be, or how thrilling the birth…
If you are a mother with young children at home then chances are you will feel that often your day revolves around meal times and food. No sooner…
Many occupations require people to carry out shift work. You may work in a hospital, police or ambulance service, transport industry or a factory.
If you are a mother with young children at home then chances are you will feel that often your day revolves around meal times and food. No sooner…
These days, when we take on the role of motherhood, the majority of us sacrifice ‘fulfilling our own full potential’ in almost every other avenue of our lives.…
Unpaid word, or paid work: that is the motherhood question … but if you psychoanalysed the ‘answer’, its personality could be described as a deranged, confused, bewildered lost…
Many of us set New Year resolutions. You will not be alone if one of your resolutions focuses on weight loss. A search on Google confirms that weight…
Recently I attended yet another parenting seminar, in the ongoing quest, I suppose, for anything that may assist with the challenging role we face as parents. This seminar…
Fathers… It is fifteen years since my father passed away, just six weeks after our first son was born. My husband John’s father passed way before he was…
I spoke at a function the other night to raise money for a wonderful woman who has Her2 breast cancer. I don’t know the woman or her friends…
We are all becoming more aware of where our money goes. Trying to reduce food costs is a goal for everyone. Although everyone is trying to shop smarter and…
People often ask can toddlers help in the kitchen and the answer is a resounding Yes! As we know toddlers and preschoolers often want to be with you…
Midwife Kathy Fray overviews the Breastfeeding vs. Infant Formula debate, including the costs & benefits of each for NZ Mums.
With rising food costs many people are looking at what and how they eat. Even popping into the supermarket for a small shop seems to hit the wallet…
This month our eldest son turned 15. Everyone I know has an opinion on whether he should or shouldn’t get his learners drivers license; everyone that is apart…
Press Release Business is blooming for two Tauranga women who developed the idea of saucy lingerie for pregnant women. Lisa Ebbing and Ange Crosbie and their maternity lingerie…
Until recently I had thought that a “day of rest” was only for families who followed a particular faith, and who therefore took a complete day off from…
We don’t need the media to alert us to the fact that the cost of living is going up, we can all see that our money does not…
It appears that the topic of the moment is the ever increasing “cost of living “ particularly the basic necessities such as food. You can imagine that with…
I think my 14 year old son is very lucky. Lucky because he has just spent the first week of his school holidays with his Grandparents. Now, I…
For the second time in recent years my children have unwittingly lead me on a journey back in time. And what a very pleasant and fun filled journey…
Over the school holidays our girls spent a lovely week in Dunedin with Donal’s sister and her family. While they did many fun things (such as visiting the…
On Easter Monday at 1 p.m., I went to one of the hardest funerals I have ever been to. It was to celebrate the life of Alison (Aly)…
Our 9 year old daughter had a sobering message on the drive home from school the other day. It went something like this, “we have to start doing…
The school term is about to get under way, and we are about to get back into the school lunch box routine. It is a well known fact that what…
Christmas has always been a family time for me and it certainly holds many special memories. As a child it never seemed to come around quickly enough, now…
The last three months have been exceptionally busy for the Kiwi Families team, as they included three Parent and Child Shows across the country. We started in Christchurch…
October the 18th was Love Your Body Day — it was a chance to celebrate the fact that all women are beautiful. It is a celebration of women and…
Dietary iron is something we all need but women, children and teenagers commonly eat less iron than they need. In New Zealand it is estimated that about 42%…
Earlier this year I was invited to be the nutrition judge for a competition for our local restaurants. Our local paper (the Bay of Plenty Times) along with…
I live in a world surrounded by males. With six brothers and no sisters, four sons and no daughters and a husband, you could say that I have…
I always remember a pop song of the early 60s. I would have been about six years old but the song was called My Dad by Paul Peterson…
Unfortunately, when it comes to our teeth, we’re not like sharks – we don’t have 3 rows of teeth and we can’t grow a new one if we lose…
I was deeply disturbed when I heard that another child had been abused and was in a serious condition in Starship hospital. I can’t bear to think of…
I’m sure many of you reading this column are working mums (or working dads, for that matter). It’s hard, isn’t it? You try to keep everyone happy, and…
Now for those of you whose minds have immediately plunged into the gutter, let me drag you back up by explaining my view on reproduction. I believe that…
It is a generalisation, but it can be very hard to get a man to address any health concerns early on. The attitude of ‘she’ll be right’ seems…
In September our family is taking the trip of a lifetime or at least I am hoping it will be. When we talked about the possibility last year…
I sit here writing to you on a grey, chilly wintery afternoon feeling a bit sorry for myself. I’m full of the snuffles, having been sick for 3…
Isn’t it fantastic the way schools these days are placing so much emphasis on Anzac Day and New Zealand’s involvement in the World Wars. It seems to me…
Often I wonder if I’m a good Mum? Perhaps the only real measure is reflected in what sort of young men and women our children become, and whether…
Have you noticed that boys and girls are different? (and no, I don’t mean the obvious anatomical differences!). For those of us parenting both boys and girls, this…
Wow – what an amazing month October has been. We formally launched the site on Monday 16 October and we’ve been in a whirlwind of activity ever since!
Thank you for visiting the Kiwi Families website – we hope to become your ongoing parenting buddy; with information and support available to you 24-7 whenever you might…
The nightly ritual when I get home from work is probably mirrored by many Dads around the country. In the door, take a breath and then it’s the…
Here’s a reality check and it’s courtesy of my good friend Jim Mora (he was the warm, witty voice of Wonder Dogs)- Jim’s afternoon radio show on National Radio…
Mark Leishman share his thoughts on being an older parent.
Family food gatherings may be a time for giving, but there’s one thing you don’t want to give your family or your guests – and that’s food poisoning.…
Do you frequently look for new recipes or do you stick with the same recipes you always use? Could some of your favourite recipes do with a makeover?…
February has been a funny month in our house – and that’s funny peculiar, not funny ha-ha! Ian and I have gone on a health kick. I will…
Ian and I have recently had time to sit down together, enjoy an entire cup of (hot) coffee and talk to each other without interruption. This is weird.…
As I write to you this month I have to admit to feeling more than a little off-colour; I’m unlucky to be suffering from a particularly nasty stomach…
At some time after the hazing ritual of childbirth, our “fight & flight” adrenalised womanly minds (muddy and bloody as they are), begin to fathom the irreversible depth…
Without a doubt Christmas is getting closer. No one needs to be reminded that during the lead up to Christmas it is often a time when we can…