Estate planning – it sounds like something only the super-rich need to worry about. Many people take for granted what will happen to their property and money once…
“Sleep baby, sleep!” You may find yourself saying this twenty times a day if your baby is prone to cat napping for ten minutes here and there, or…
As gift ideas go for a baby shower, a native forest isn’t usually at the top of your go-to list – but if one charity gets its way,…
Hannah Blumhardt and Liam Prince from The Rubbish Trip continue their zero waste series with everything you need to know about zero waste grocery shopping in New Zealand.
Hannah Blumhardt and Liam Prince from The Rubbish Trip stop by with some timely advice about feeding your family snacks with less waste. Snacks that are cheaper, healthier…
Having a new baby is exciting, exhausting and time consuming. It can also be a frustrating time for your older child or children.
Families face many changes over the years, but one of the biggest has to be going from being a couple to becoming parents! If you know someone soon…
We just love Easter at Kiwi Families HQ. We like to include a bunch of activities, and story-telling, in the lead up to Easter weekend. And we try to make it…
Most children can learn self-control if they’re given the right help. In this article we dive into learning self-control in the field of life.
Ah, the toddler… a fully mobile being with virtually no common sense! With the exception of their afternoon siesta, toddlers can be active all day long! Toddlers are…
When I think of ‘blended’ families, I remember what one of my counselling students said years ago. I was teaching a course on working with blended families, and she thought…
Learning about a new culture through hosting an international homestay can be a very rewarding experience, helping to enable people to understand other languages, food and customs. Find out…
Kiwi Families resident midwife expert, Kathy Fray, breaks down the textbook version of the birthing process. But she adds in a fundamental process that all expecting Mothers need…
The Department of Conservation and Toyota have teamed up to make getting into nature easy and fun with a series of Adventure and Action challenges for your kids.…
For a lot of people, the Christmas holidays actually aren’t much fun. There are lots of reasons why, but many of them relate to stress.
Sleep! We all love it, we all need it and we all thrive from it. But it’s not always easy to get when you’re a parent! I know this first…
Can you imagine, in this day and age, a kid at school getting bullied because they were blind, or deaf. Surely not right? What about a kid getting…
‘Why does the moon change’, ‘why do clouds float’, ‘why does wind blow’, ‘Why? Why? Why?!’ is repeated incessantly by children between approximately 3-5 years old, sometimes to…
Learning comes pretty naturally to small children. Which is just as well: if learning things in infancy was treated the way learning in later life often is, they’d…
As parents one of our key tasks is to help our children sleep so they can grow and flourish. In the early years, to this end we sacrifice…
I had the pleasure of being invited along to a Seminar on Nutrition Nuts & Bolts run by Robin Piggot, Active Families Preschool Coordinator. The seminar included healthy…
In response to a reader comment on our Nightmares and night terrors article, Kiwi Families reached out to our Facebook community for advice. As always, we got some amazing…
Getting your insurance sorted can feel a bit like decluttering your home; you don’t usually feel like it, but once you’ve done it, you feel a calm sense of…
We know that all Dad really wants for Father’s Day, is a lie in with a newspaper and a cuppa. It’s always nice to get Dad a little…
With real estate prices absolutely soaring, and the average house price crashing through the $600k mark, the dream of our kids one day owning their own homes is…
We were lucky enough to get some time with Dorothy Waide, sleep consultant to the stars, AKA the Baby Whisperer. Dorothy provides newborn advice for parents on everything from…
Running a family household is hard enough without having to worry about what chemicals are leaching out of your cleaning products and into your kids. Did you know…
There’s a number of physical complications that pregnancy can cause. One of these is pelvic organ prolapse. This can cause swelling, bulging, lower-back, abdomen or pelvic pain, as…
Let’s talk about SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder. This commonly-recurring mental illness rears its ugly head seasonally, and affects 10% of the New Zealand population.
I’ve been meaning to make a DIY blackboard cloud and lightening bolt for a kid’s room for months now. I finally found the time to make this project happen.
Kiwi Families asked me to contribute reflections on wellness, coming from both my professional and personal viewpoints. I’m a family counsellor and solo Mother. Some of you may…
I’m sure you’ve heard of the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why at this point, so I won’t get into details of the show’s content. The show certainly has…
There are so many things you can do with empty toilet rolls and paper towel rolls, it’s just a case of choosing something that your kids will find…
Separation of the abdominal muscles is a common condition after pregnancy. It’s a natural part of pregnancy to allow for your growing uterus and baby. But in 2…
Why is it after a few weeks into the school term the kid’s lunch boxes seem to end up the same every day? If you’re looking to add…
If you know me, then you’ll know that I am a huge fan of epsom salts! The addition of epsom salts to a bath creates a really luxurious,…
Does the government owe you $479? We know you love paying taxes about as much as changing your 2 year old’s diaper, after a massive poonami! Or, about…
Panicking about what to do with the kids these holidays? You’re not alone. While the kids get excited because school’s out, childcare can become a parent’s nightmare. That’s…
It’s common knowledge that as a baby grows, they become more interested in their surroundings and slightly more adventurous too. As parents it can be both exciting and…
We love nothing better than a good old family road trip. Getting out on the road with a purpose makes the experience even better. Especially if we can make…
I’ll remember this conversation for the rest of my life. Some conversations are just like that. It was exactly a week after I made the brave decision to…
Mindfulness and meditation has in recent years gained popularity; so much so that a school in the US replaced detention, with a mindfulness meditation programme; they’ve had remarkable…
Christmas is a now a distant memory, you’ve rung in the New Year and relaxed yourself silly beside the beach. And now you’re home again with a month…
African savannah Home to giraffe, zebra, ostrich, meerkats, leopard tortoises and African masked lovebirds, the new African savannah brings Auckland Zoo visitors closer than ever to wildlife, in an…
The Kiwi Families team got the opportunity to interview Mister Maker for his upcoming tour. Read on to find out what he’s looking forward to when he gets…
I read an article a few weeks ago in New Zealand’s Canvas magazine, in which writer Megan Nicol Reed penned: “there is something inherently nauseating about talk of…
Common colds are something hard to avoid during the winter months. Young children may get between six to ten colds per year and once one family member has a…
Brassicas. These are all the good green favourites that as a kid you were made to eat because they were good for you, and if you were lucky…
Easter is coming early this year and there are so many ways to get crafty over Easter! It’s a great way to get your kids (and you!) in…
Many of us will have set out resolutions and goals for big new changes for the New Year. However, for our family to run smoothly, and to keep…
I look at my 3 year old lying on the couch with his iPad and have mixed thoughts. First the Mummy Guilt, that he shouldn’t spend so much time…
Getting kids outside is an uphill struggle in this technologically wired world. In their desire to build and create in Minecraft they are losing ‘Life-craft’ knowledge. Food doesn’t…
My daughter turned ONE recently and one of the dishes I created for my guests were rice paper rolls filled with prawns. This dish is beautiful to prepare…
As a young mother way back in 1969 I simply could not have done without my mum to help me in so many ways. From a baby that…
Winter is often considered the off season for fair weather gardeners, who enjoy the simple pleasures of sun warmed tomatoes and crisp salads on a hot day and…
What is play? Play is learning. Play is children’s life. Play is loving learning about life!
According to statistics from the Health Funds Association of New Zealand (HFANZ), the health insurance industry funded close to a billion dollars in health claims in 2014.
Let’s grow our concept of what ‘Growing Families’ means – I mean expand the orbit of the current paradigm of the nuclear family to include significant, influential others, such as grandmas,…
One of the keys to growing great families is primarily to keep them healthy, fit and well and as a parent I care about what my kids eat. There…
While young people these days may be experiencing F.O.B.O. (fear of being offline) and F.O.M.O. (fear of missing out), many parents experience only F – fear. How do…
Do you keep hearing the kids and teens talking about “Geocaching,” but don’t really know what it’s about? Or wonder why they think it’s so cool?
Beloved New Zealand writer and illustrator Gavin Bishop has recently published his latest book – Teddy One-Eye. Scary, funny, heart-warming and magical, this is a story of love…
Children feel pain in much the same way as adults, but are usually a lot more vocal about it! As you’ve no doubt experienced, it can sometimes be…
The impact of rapidly advancing digital technologies on our families and children is something that is beginning to be analysed and questioned more and more as technology creeps…
Having a child with behavioural issues can be extremely challenging for families. It can affect all areas of a child’s life and also the family’s as a whole. Stuart…
Healthy families can mean many things, physical health, mental/emotional health or spiritual health, all equally important to the over-all wellbeing of the human species.
Somewhere along the line, recently, my son started liking carrots again. After what seems a couple years of unhealthy eating, he’s returned to form and can’t get enough…
The typical story goes… you meet the love of your life, you get married, and you have kids. You work hard, and raise your children to be strong…
When your child has a raised temperature, it can also raise your levels of concerns. Should you take them to the doctor? Should you give them medicine? At…
For many New Zealand home owners, paying the mortgage is the single largest household expense each month. Any increase in mortgage rates will naturally have a major impact…
Got a fidgit? A wiggler? A busy bee who cannot sit still? I am sure you have tried every which way to tire them out…But have you tried…
Here’s an easy and cheap idea for a Piñata using any sort of cereal box. I made a robot but you could make just about anything, an animal, a…
Would you like to know your neighbours better? When I was a little girl, our elderly neighbours had spare keys to our house. We fed each other’s pets during…
This year our family vacation was spent camping at the Ruakaka Beach Holiday Park. What a beautiful spot, with the Waipu Caves to explore, the Mangawhai cliff top…
With Christmas fast approaching, we thought it would be a good time to have a look at some apps for Christmas. We’ve got some for the kids and…
The Sky Tower is running a competition for kids to ‘create the best Christmas tree ever’. Kids can let their imaginations go wild and design a Christmas tree…
Snowplanet has just redesigned their snow tubing track and “The Twister” is faster, bumpier, bendier and more fun than ever before! Kids and adult alike can enjoy the…
As a first time parent I was overloaded with pamphlets telling me all the dos and don’ts for keeping my baby healthy and safe. It can be quite…
Single parent-families may find they can sometimes become active by default, but the wrong kind of active. The active that is rushing around from A to B, trying…
This month, we are going birthday crazy at Footsteps to celebrate the launch of ‘Footsteps Birthday Celebrations.’ We are holding a birthday celebration every day of the year…
Life as we know it has a beginning, middle and end. In between, of course, we go through various stages. For example, we grow into young adults, generally…
Performance that’s eco friendly…. Long lasting, high performing … and eco friendly Available NOW in Countdown Stores Nationwide Do you care about the environment? Then Eco Alkalines needs your…
Sometimes it can be pretty difficult getting everyone into an activity when they’re at different ages and/or stages of development. So today we look at spending some school…
Many of you will recall seeing the video a while ago of an incredibly elaborate marble run that rolled all over the creator’s lounge (sadly, I couldn’t find it to…
In New Zealand, most children are fully immunised by the time they are five. This means it is very unusual to see children with illnesses like measles, polio,…
In Hi-5’s first ever cinema release, Hi-5 will take you behind the scenes on a roller coaster ride where you’ll join your Hi-5 friends Stevie and Lauren, and…
With Children’s Day just around the corner on in New Zealand, we thought you might appreciate some awesome ideas on how to celebrate this special day with your…
It’s sometimes a big shock to find your moody, irritable teenager, who’s behind in all their assignment work is, in fact, depressed. I’ve found depressed students in a…
Having trouble with your hair? As a certified trichologist (a hair and scalp specialist ) Nigel Russell is an expert at knowing what’s causing our hair problems.
We know that organising your child’s birthday can be tough and here’s a great new idea: Snowplanet’s brand NEW ‘Snow Cave’ party room is now available for exclusive hire!…
As a mum to be I had dreams about what my children could and may be, well before they was born. As parents, we all dream about the…
The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s much-loved production of Cinderella is back! Renowned British choreographer Christopher Hampson’s ravishing interpretation of the timeless rags-to-riches romance is everything you could wish…
Memory games are great for preschoolers as they help to develop with image recognition and generally develop your child’s recall skills. They’re also great fun and can be…
July holidays can be cold and wet and it can be tough to keep the kids entertained. Here’s a great activity that’s fun to make and will also…
At 4 years, my youngest child William would draw the most elaborate pictures. He would draw cars with steering wheels, wing mirrors, and indicators. I admired William’s confidence to…
Fisher-Price® knows that learning starts with play, which is why they’re giving you the chance to WIN a $10,000 scholarship fund for when your little one starts school, plus there…
To me, growing families is all about work together and creating memories while learning. As my partner works full time it’s hard sometimes and I know a lot…
When I was young, no volcano explosion would be complete without some baking soda and vinegar. No matter what age your children are this is a fun, experimental,…
More than 40,000 Kiwis need donated blood to help save their life each year – an even more powerful statistic when we consider the likelihood of knowing one…
Want to learn how to build a rocket? make your very own cuddly bacteria or meet a NASA astronaut at Scifest 2012! From the strange to the serious…