Korean/Asian Motherhood

14 March - Waitemata DHB meeting.  This time we listened to a lecture by Dr Aram Kim, Psychiatry registrar, talking about Korean and Asian way of pregnancy, childbirth and childrearing.

Until this lecture I only knew about the tradition of co-sleeping of parents and their children. I am a big fan of it but westernised Asian families avoid it. There is a law in China that children age 3 must attend fulltime Childcare. I have seen often in Auckland‘s parks, elderly Asians beautifully caring for their grandchildren. I have also been asking myself why young pregnant woman come back home to give birth. After this lecture, the puzzle was solved. Asian people respect and support the Universal Law of Attachment.  It was a very uplifting lecture.

PORSE HELO

10 March - meeting with PORSE team          
Similar to our Child Connection Trust, PORSE In Home Childcare and Training (NZ) primary value is to respect and fulfil the needs of children for secure attachment.
It can be easily achieved in small home based settlements
Home-based ECE currently represents 9% of the ECE sector but has been marginalised by the bigger players, at the expense of not having our babies and young children educated in home and community learning environments,
The Home Education Learning Organisation (HELO) l represents and advocate for home-based early childhood education (ECE) in the teacher-led sector. Child Connection Trust  supports HELO

Key Assets Fostering

07/08 March. Anna was given the opportunity to participate in training at Key Assets. It’s a leading independent fostering agency in NZ that provides training for foster parents.
Amongst other values, Key Assets want children to have a sense of belonging and security within a family environment.

 Their vision for children is:
•    Engagement – We encourage and enable children to have their voices heard.
•    Strengths Based – We use a strengths based approach to our work.
•    Achievement – We work with children to help them achieve.
•    Protection – We protect children.
It was a very valuable experience for our Swedish internship student Anna who works with foster care in Europe.  Child Connection Trust will work to expand our cooperation with Key Assets.

Bruce Lipton talk

05 March. An evening at NZ Chiropractic College.  It’s a full house!  Every time Bruce Lipton comes to talk in Auckland you need to come early to find a place. It’s good to be reminded that we live in a world born from an expansion of evolutionary consciousness, revealing itself right down to our DNA.  It is a world infused with the heart’s intelligence, a new understanding of love and an energy connection between all living systems. So let’s keep our “vibes” positive not only for ourselves but for everyone we know. Now is a critical period in planetary history.

Pasifica Festival

During Pasifica Western Springs Park was transformed into 11 Pacific Islands villages where we could experience the sights, sounds, tastes and colours of the Pacific. Each village had its own stage, market area, fale - the traditional meeting area where we could see demonstration of crafts or drumming lessons. This year Hawai joined first time to the Pacifica Festival family. It was amusing event!

Toddlers Day Out continued

Science has shown that children who have early contact with art are more creative as adults, and less prone to violence The benefits of early life exposure to classical art confirmed by 75% lower crime rate. 
It was with great pleasure to observe children in national costume presenting on stage, dances from their cultural heritage. Every year Toddlers Day Out brings the opportunity to share the best aspects of parenting skills in front of a big audience 

Toddlers Day Out

On Saturday March 1st, we went to Toddlers Day Out.   It was the eleventh time that they have arranged the day. Violence Free Waitakere creates free, fun family focused events and projects to promote effective alternatives to violence, while at the same time promoting resilience targeted at communities where they can make the greatest change. This day was for all kids under 5 years and their families.

McDonald’s Farm was a place to be with animals. When the children touched the animals, you could see that there was so much love in their eyes, and so much happiness. It gave them pride and boldness to have touched and petted an animal.  

Maybe it was the first time for some of the children that they have touched an animal. Isn’t it a wonderful picture, they say so much as to how touch can spread so much joy.

Touch is equally important between children, and the Child Connection Trust promotes touch as the ideal way to provide secure attachment, bonding, simple anti-violence method, and many other benefits for children.