August 2008

Dear Clients & Colleagues

“Because they have such a difficult time seeing any purpose for play in their own lives, adults also discount play as unimportant in children’s lives. Play is often subverted to meet teacher-parent needs for productivity.” Fred O Donaldson, Playing By Heart (1993)

The Big Kid Fun workshops have been a hit with parents of older children (8+) and we have had to lay on a few extras to cope with demand. We played up a storm and it was been a good reminder of the opportunity play provides for parents to press the pause or stop button. Taking time out to play a game with your kids is a good excuse to take a break from whatever you are doing. Play can be such a grounding experience, bringing us into the present moment and enabling us to forget about past and present for a while. This is what Parenting on the Run and Big Kid Fun delegates discover at the workshops.

The first of my new games for big kids, Indahoo and Sketch-a-Story were delivered over this period, and by the end of August you should be able to find them in most toy shops and chain stores nationally. We have stock so if you have difficulty finding them, just email us at . For more info about these fabulously fun games, click here.

In addition, much time has been spent wrapping up my book (co-authored with Dr Graeme Codrington) called Future-proof Your Child. It goes to print this week and will be launched by Penguin later this year in October!

I am looking forward to spending the last week of August running a series of workshops for schools and corporates in KZN. For info on these and the new Gauteng workshop dates, read further down this email.

Suffice to say that this has been a hectic few weeks and balancing deadlines and motherhood has had its challenges. We have had one or two emotional wobblies, especially the day my children missed their bus home from school! Thank goodness for friends who step into the breach! These busy times are actually the ones where a little play goes a long way, which was the lesson I got loudly and clearly. Fifteen minutes of bowling to my youngest son in the driveway before running a workshop one evening was proof of the profound effect of play. In just 15 minutes of having my full attention, Matthew’s emotional cup was full. For my eldest it was an hour in the shopping mall that filled his cup. Even though I really didn’t have the time for it, it was time well spent. And, in the middle of a frenetic day handling dozens of last minute details for my book, can you believe that I decided to bake a cake with Matthew and his friend Josh!? Insane or what? It was because it was exactly what they needed to anchor them (and me!) for the day. (Yes, you guessed it – I bake to ground myself and de-stress – my form of play.)

THE LESSON: when your children’s cups are full and not wanting, they are able to merrily go on their way and amuse and entertain themselves without constantly pestering, nagging or interrupting you. A little play does indeed go a long way! Even if you are really busy it may be just the perfect time to press that pause button and go and play with your kids.

FORTHCOMING TALKS & WORKSHOPS – GAUTENG

Bookings :

19 August 2008, Tuesday, 7.30pm Douglasdale, Parenting on the Run© talk

R120.00 per person. Suitable for parents of children from 2 – 7 years. Minimum of 20 people required for this workshop.

Come and learn how to cheat time in this interactive 1 hour workshop. Leave armed with over 50 creative and practical ideas for converting what you would normally consider wasted time with your children, into quality time. If you want the full 2 ½ hour version of this workshop, read further down.

4 September 2008 Thursday, 9 – 11.30am Douglasdale, Big Kid Fun© Workshop

R300 per person.  Suitable for parents of children from 8 years and up. Minimum of 7 people required for this workshop.

Big Kid Fun© is for all those parents (and grandparents) who have been asking “What next? What do we do with our children over the age of seven?” Big Kid Fun© is a workshop designed for families with 8 – 99 year olds who love to have fun. It is a very interactive workshop that will consist of a small amount of theory – the importance of play and staying connected with your children – and a lot of Big Kid Fun©. Yes, you will play a lot including some hilarious games you have never heard of! For more info click here.

6 September 2008 Saturday, 9.30am – 12.30pm Douglasdale, Big Kid Fun© Workshop R300 per person As above.

12 September 2008 Friday, 9am – 11.30pm Miele Gallery of Fine Living Peter Place, Bryanston, Parenting on the Run© Workshop

R250.00 per person. Suitable for parents of children from 2 – 7 years primarily, but all activities will still be of benefit in the later years too. Minimum of 25 people required for this workshop.

Come and learn how to cheat time in this interactive 2 ½ hour workshop. Leave armed with over 100 creative and practical ideas for converting what you would normally consider wasted time with your children, into quality time. Far more detailed than the one hour talk, and includes my ever-popular suggestions for what to pack when travelling. For more info click here.

27 September 2008 Saturday, 9.30am – 12pm Douglasdale/Bryanston TBC, Nuts & Bolts© Workshop

R250.00 per person. Suitable for parents of children from 2 – 5 years. Minimum of 9 people required for this workshop.

A fun, interactive workshop covering the specific perceptual skills your child needs to acquire within the first 6 years of life in order to be ready for school. Learn how to be creative with your classic educational toys such as: shape sorters and stackers, threading and pegging games, matching and association games, puzzles, gross motor equipment, construction toys, etc.

This workshop takes parents well beyond what’s in the instruction leaflets. Put your own stamp on your child’s play experiences by using your imagination, adding love letters, breaking the rules and combining games in order to create more games! Come prepared to play. For more info, click here.

TALKS AT SCHOOLS: Please do not leave bookings until the last minute. You need to contact me well ahead of time. From October 2007 I will have a new presentation available for schools called Future-proof Your Child. It is a one hour multimedia presentations that all 21st century parents need to experience. Click here for the full synopsis.

MY VISIT TO KWAZULU-NATAL

My Parenting on the Run© presentations at the National Bioproducts Institute and The Wykeham Collegiate are private functions, however, Cowie’s Hill Pre-Primary will be hosting two of my presentations on Wednesday, 27 August and visitors are welcome. Should you wish to attend please call (031) 702 3753 or email chpps@webstorm.co.za as soon as possible.

27 August 2008 Wednesday 2 – 3.30pm, Connect the Tots© Workshop

R80 per person Suitable for parents of 1 – 7 year olds.

A fun and interactive workshop about the importance of constructions toys. You will never look at a packet of Jelly Tots or a bag of building blocks in the same way again! Click here for more info.

27 August 2008 Wednesday 7 – 8.30pm Noise & Clutter© talk followed by discussion R80 per person Suitable for parents of children from birth to 12.

Today your children are literally born with a mouse in one hand and your wallet in the other! An eye-opening multimedia presentation for all parents about the backdrop to parenting and child development today – the noise of technology and the clutter of consumerism. Click here for more info.

GREAT FIND – FABULOUS LEGO TABLE!

Now here’s a find! If you have ever been looking for a perfectly sized table to permanently house your child’s Lego, train set, Scalectrix or any other toys that require a hard surface to build on, that is big enough, and one that they can leave their creative constructions on without cluttering up the floor surface in your home (oh, and then you can store all the pieces in the drawer underneath too, and the whole thing is on castors), then this is for you! Click here for a picture, dimensions and options. Contact Michelle at shimuweni@hotmail.com.

Keep on playing and connecting with your precious children!

NIKKI BUSH

The Bright Ideas Outfit

www.brightideasoutfit.com

Dear Clients & Colleagues

“Play is the foundation of creative intelligence, but like any intelligence it must be developed, in keeping with nature’s model imperative. The child who is played with will learn to play. The child who is not played with will be unable to play and be at risk on every level.” Joseph Chilton Pearce, Evolution’s End (1993)

Since my last newsletter I have become the mother of a teenager! My son Ryan turned 13 this month and now towers well over an inch above me and has a size 11 shoe (yes, his dad is 6ft5” tall!). My wired son now sms’s the landline to tell me when he is in bed and ready to be tucked in. I got the giggles the other night when this American voicemail voice came down the line saying: “Are you coming any time soon?” Cheeky boy!

We are loving watching all Ryan’s friends turn into teens and what a great group of kids they are. We organised a Mad Food Party for 17 thirteen year olds the other day and they had a ball trying to decode their menus and ordering the strangest of concoctions. For first course one child ordered a knife, fork, spoon, salt and pepper (Neptune’s Trident, Mugger’s Delight, Medium Shovel, Savoury Rock and Hot Sneeze)! Many received ice cream with mayonnaise on the side and a sosatie for mains (Eskimo Milk, Tangy Dipper and Pierced Hen) with no utensils at all, and still others found themselves eating salad with chocolate sauce and yellow rice for dessert (Bunny’s Brunch, Solid Cocoa and Lello Lice), with a toothpick. In between we played some hilarious games and then the boys kept asking for more. It just goes to show that big kids stilll wanna play and have fun! Just because they are growing up and are part of the wired generation doesn’t mean they have outgrown the need or desire to play. And this is why I have developed the Big Kid Fun© Workshop for parents of children from eight years to teens (yes, I will teach you the hilarious games we played at the party too!).

I was relieved of all mothering duties last weekend as my husband took our boys off to the Desert Rally in Botswana with a couple of mates and their sons. They camped out in the middle of nowhere, not showering on cleaning their teeth for two days and nights. They watched the cars, bikes and quads come racing by, got absolutely filthy from playing one, two, three block in the bush and returned with a patchwork quilt of thorn scratches on their legs. The dads say it is amazing how the boys never whinge and are so brave when mum isn’t around! It was really good ‘boy fun’ for Father’s Day, that has become an annual tradition for these lads and dads, proving the point that there’s nothing as rewarding as making fun out of nothing. When there are no toys, nature provides all the inspiration for wholesome fun. Space and nature is something children, and boys in particular, yearn for. It is a rare commodity in our world of high density living and the limitations placed on our children’s freedom to explore the outdoors due to security issues.

What family traditions are you creating that your children will be able to reminisce about around a campfire one day? Are you making the time to get your children ‘out’ and away from the lure of the multimedia home entertainment centre that has become more than just the babysitter but a perceived bodyguard? And if you can’t get out, get playing. Here is something you can start with………………………..

BIG KID FUN© WORKSHOPS

Big Kid Fun© is for all those parents (and grandparents) who have been asking “What next? What do we do with our children over the age of seven?” Big Kid Fun© is a workshop designed for families with 8 – 99 year olds who love to have fun. It is a very interactive workshop that will consist of a small amount of theory – the importance of play and staying connected with your children – and a lot of Big Kid Fun©. Yes, you will play a lot including some hilarious games you have never heard of! You will be reminded of all the fun to be had with a simple deck of cards, then you will tantalise your tastebuds with some heavenly winter desserts, tea and coffee, afterwhich I will take you through my top family games (classics and those that are hot right now). Big kids of all ages still wanna play and have fun. Join us for an entertaining and inspiring 3 hour workshop.

DATE & TIME (choose one date): Wednesday, 16 July, 7 – 10pm, Thursday, 17 July, 9am – 12pm Wednesday, 23 July, 7 – 10pm Wednesday, 30 July, 7 – 10pm Thursday, 31 July, 7 – 10pm

VENUE : 6 Lombardi Lane, Douglasdale

COST : R300.00 per person including workshop, notes, refreshments and lucky draws)

BOOKINGS : brightideas@powerpt.co.za

PARENTING ON THE RUN© WORKSHOP

Come and learn how to cheat time in this interactive 2 ½ hour workshop. Leave armed with over 100 creative and practical ideas for converting what you would normally consider wasted time with your children, into quality time. I will show you how to maximize time spent in the car; doing everyday household activities, or even waiting for appointments with your child.

I will also include my ever-popular suggestions on toys to pack for travelling, or for when you are simply on the run. Your child need never be bored and you can always connect no matter where you are or what you are doing. Connecting and communicating your child can be so easy. Join the quest to become a more creative and effective parent. Suitable for parents with children from 2 – 8 (although all ideas are relevant right up to teens!).

DATE & TIME: Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 9 – 11.30am

VENUE : 6 Lombardi Lane, Douglasdale

COST : R250.00 per person including notes, refreshments and lucky draws

BOOKINGS : brightideas@powerpt.co.za

Keep on playing and connecting with your precious children!

NIKKI BUSH

The Bright Ideas Outfit

Dear Parents and Teachers 

My apologies to many of my clients who did not receive my April newsletter entitled, You Are An Everyday Hero. It would seem that gremlins associated with loadshedding over that period were at work. You can download it here from my website here to read about why you are an everyday hero, the news that Metz Press will be publishing my sex education book for 9 – 13 year olds in January 2009 and dates for my Winter Series of workshops between May and August.

I recently returned from two weeks holiday at the coast. It was fascinating how it took the children a good few days to disengage from their perceived need for on screen media (and these were four children who do not spend a lot of time on screen!). Of course I had withdrawal symptoms from lack of email from day one and when I got home to hundreds of emails in my inbox I vowed that I will not be going away again without a 3G card so that I don’t have to catch up such a big backlog on my return! But here is an observation about kids and technology that crept up on me:

Playing with on-screen media (Playstation, computer games, cellphone, the internet etc) gets kids involved, engrossed, excited, worked up and having fun, BUT it does not seem to grow their HAPPINESS QUOTIENT! Yet play a real game with children – cards, a board game, rugby in the garden, cook with them or just watch them pottering on the beach – and you will observe genuine happiness. Watch your kids and let me know if you think I am right. I would love to hear from you.

Real play, not virtual play, it would seem, opens up a pathway to happiness and happiness is a state of being. When we play (note this does not mean compete) we tend to be having fun, and Mind Power expert John Kehoe says in his book The Practice of Happiness, that having fun daily, even if it’s only for a few minutes, is a life-affirming practice. “It’s also a powerful symbol to our subconscious. It is saying I am worthy. Life is good. Even small amounts of fun every day can have a profound effect.”

On the positive side of on-screen gaming (yes, in moderation there are some excellent benefits) click here for a comprehensive article from www.GamerKids.com.au on how to help your children develop healthy gaming habits and what to look for when choosing games. It is very much along the lines of the recommendations in my presentation Connecting With Children Through the Noise & Clutter.

TODDLERSENSE SEMINARS 2008

If you have a toddler why not join me at the Toddersense Seminars at The Wanderers on Saturday 24 May 2008? The tickets are selling like hotcakes but if you book quickly you might just get yourself a seat. Ann Richardson, author of bestsellers Babysense (with Meg Faure) and Toddlersense (both Metz Press) will be speaking on Sleep, Health and Nutrition, I am presenting Parenting on the Run and Anne Cawood is discussing why children need boundaries. The cost is R225.00 per person. Netcare’s Stork’s Nest is the primary sponsor and you will be spoilt with a fabulous goodie bag in the form of a backpack filled with exciting giveaways and a three month subscription to Your Baby, Your Child or Baba en Kleuter. There is a morning seminar and an afternoon one. To book visit: www.toddlersense.co.za or phone 082 708 3231.

MY WINTER SERIES OF WORKSHOPS

From May to July I am running a number of different workshops including: Parenting on the Run©, Connecting with Children through the Noise & Clutter©, Connect the Tots© and a brand new workshop for parents of 8 year olds and above called Big Kid Fun©. For details see the various attachments to this email or click on the DIARY section of this website. Booking is essential. Email bookings to brightideas@powerpt.co.za.

THE BABY EXPO & THE INNOVATION AWARDS

This super expo (previously the Your Baby Show) takes place at The Northgate Dome from 15 – 18 May. I will be judging the product Innovation Awards there on Thursday. From the preliminary judging there are some really clever ideas out there to help parents save time, money and angst. For more info visit www.thebabyexpo.co.za.

Remember to play and be happy.

Kind regards

NIKKI BUSH

The Bright Ideas Outfit

www.brightideasoutfit.com

Dear Parents and Colleagues

Big heroes – famous names and famous people – are dead! Today it’s everyday heroes like you and me who will create change and make a positive difference in our world. This was the topic of a talk given by Buhle Dlamini (one of the founders of Heartlines) at the National Speaker’s Association conference I attended in Durban last weekend. It was in line with something I share with all my audiences – that it’s vitally important for parents to choose to be heroes in their children’s life stories and that they actively need to protect that space, for there are many people and brands just waiting for us to vacate the hero space so that they can step in and get a share of our children’s hearts and minds (and our wallets!). Read Buhle’s definition of an Everyday Hero below and you will see how perfectly parents and teachers fit the bill:

Everyday Heroes are ordinary people whose names are not on the covers of magazines or in the pages of history books. They are not heroes to everybody, just to a few. But to those few they are heroes like no other because they live their values in tangible ways.

Heroes create awareness, give vision for the future and provide motivation for the journey ahead. Isn’t that just what we mentors do for our precious children? Just a word of caution: If we want to maintain this hero status we must remember that this is a very visual generation who believe what they see more than what they hear. This means that our actions speak louder than our words. How we live our values, through our everyday actions, is of paramount importance in positioning ourselves as heroes in our children’s lives. They are looking for authentic relationships and real heroes who won’t let them down. They do not demand perfection – just genuine human beings who are prepared to step up to the plate and who are committed to lifelong learning and growing. Here’s to the Hero’s Journey. Here’s to you!

ANOTHER BOOK TO BE PUBLISHED!

I am very excited to announce that Answers to Questions You’ve Been Dying to Ask is going to be published in January 2009 by Metz Press (other best selling titles include Babysense and Toddlersense etc). I wrote this sex education book for 9 – 13 year olds together with educational psychologist, Ilze van der Merwe who is well known for her talk “How and when to tell your children about the birds and the bees.” Our book, while written for children in early adolescence, will also become a handbook for parents of children in this age band. Children are naturally curious about their sexuality and parents are notorious, the world over, for avoiding the issue altogether or doing a pretty poor job at explaining it. Educating your child about his or her sexuality is an opportunity to have meaningful conversation and to create an authentic connection. Don’t miss it!

TALKS IN DURBAN, BLOEMFONTEIN, CAPE TOWN AND JOHANNESBURG

I have definitely been a parent on the run over the past few weeks as I have travelled around the country giving talks at various functions in Durban, Bloemfontein and Cape Town. If you still want a seat at the Cape Town Living & Loving/Standard Bank Mompreneur event, make your booking now on rsvp@caxton.co.za. The month of May sees the kick-off of my Winter Series of talks and workshops. See details for bookings below. There has also been a call for more talks and workshops in KZN. Please let me know if you have a group of parents interested in a talk or workshop in KZN between 13 and 20 August and I will consider making the trip.

I was interviewed by the Natal Witness while in Durban last month. Click here to read How to have fun as well as peace in the home.

TODDLERSENSE SEMINARS

The Toddlersense Seminars will take place in the morning and afternoon on Saturday, 24 May 2008 at The Wanderers in Johannesburg. Ann Richardson, the author of Toddlersense will speak on Sleep, Health and Nutrition, Anne Cawood will discuss why Children Need Boundaries and I will present a 45 minute version of Parenting on the Run. The cost is R225.00 for the seminar and there is a wonderful goodie bag including a 3 month subscription either Your Baby, Baba en Kleuter or Your Child. They’re being sponsored by The Stork’s Nest (Netcare). To book phone 082 708 3231 or go to www.toddlersense.co.za.

LAUNCHING A NEW WORKSHOP – BIG KID FUN!

Big Kid Fun is for all those parents who have been asking “What next? What do we do with our children over the age of 7?” Big Kid Fun is a workshop designed for families with 8 – 99 year olds who love to have fun. It is a very interactive parenting workshop that will consist of a small amount of theory – the importance of play and staying connected with your children – and a lot of Big Kid Fun. Yes, you will play a lot including some hilarious games you have never heard of! You will be reminded of all the fun to be had with a simple deck of cards, then you will tantalise your tastebuds with some heavenly winter desserts, tea and coffee, afterwhich I will take you through my top family games (some classics and those that are hot right now). Big kids of all ages still wanna play and have fun. Join us for an entertaining and inspiring workshop. See dates below.

TALKS & WORKSHOPS: WINTER SERIES

There’s lots on offer. Take your pick and BOOK NOW. Don’t delay. All workshop fees include the workshop, notes, lucky draws and refreshments. Email your bookings to brightideas@powerpt.co.za unless otherwise indicated. You will be sent confirmation and banking details. Payment secures your seat.

Parenting on the Run Talk

19 April 2008, Saturday 8.30am – 1.30pm, The Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town

Living & Loving/Standard Bank Mompreneur event R150.00 per person

To book contact rsvp@caxton.co.za

 24 May 2008, Saturday 8.30 – 12.30 OR 1 – 5pm, The Wanderers, Illovo, Jhb

Toddlersense Seminars, R225.00 per person

To book: www.toddlersense.co.za or 082 708 3231

Come and learn how to cheat time in this inspiring and interactive one hour talk. Leave armed with over 50 creative and practical ideas for converting what you would normally consider wasted time with your children, into quality time. We can be good parents even if we are busy and often on the run. Suitable for parents of 2 – 8 year olds.

Parenting on the Run Workshop

27 May 2008, Wednesday 9 – 11.30am,Douglasdale/ Bryanston TBC  R250.00 per person

22 July 2008, Tuesday 9 – 11.30am, Douglasdale/Bryanston TBC R250.00 per person

Come and learn how to cheat time in this interactive 2 ½ hour workshop. Leave armed with over 100 creative and practical ideas for converting what you would normally consider wasted time with your children, into quality time. I will show you how to maximize time spent in the car (both short distances or holidays); doing everyday household activities, or even waiting for appointments with your child. You can stimulate your child’s brain and connect emotionally even when you are on the run. Connecting and communicating your child can be so easy. Suitable for parents of 2 – 8 year olds.

Connect the Tots Workshop 

29 May 2008, Thursday 7.30 – 9pm Douglasdale/ Bryanston TBC  R150.00 per person

24 June 2008, Tuesday 7.30 – 9pm Netcare Unitas Hospital, Pta R150.00 per person

In a modern world where the winking, blinking, noisy varieties of toys get much of the attention, real active learning can be found in construction toys, from wooden building blocks, to toys with nuts and bolts, the click together variety or even magnetic ones. Construction toys are a cornerstone of most toy stores just as they should be in every family home. They lay wonderful foundations for problem solving and the development of pre-maths, -writing and –reading skills, in addition to stimulating fine motor skills and eye-hand co-ordination. After this fascinating 1 ½ hour workshop, which explains the importance of “putting together and taking apart”, you will never look at a packet of Jelly Tots or a bag of wooden building blocks in the same way again! Suitable for parents of 2 – 8 year olds.

Nuts & Bolts Workshop

6 June 2008, Friday 9 – 11.30am, Douglasdale/ Bryanston TBC  R250.00 per person

7 June 2008, Saturday 9.30am – 12pm, Douglasdale/Bryanston TBC  R250.00 per person

An informative, fun and interactive 2 ½ hour workshop covering the specific perceptual skills your child needs to acquire within the first 6 years of life in order to be ready for school. It will show you how to be really creative with your classic toys such as: shape sorters and stackers, threading and pegging games, matching and association games, puzzles, gross motor equipment, construction toys, etc. This workshop takes parents well beyond what’s in the instruction leaflets. Parents are encouraged to put their own stamp on their child’s play experiences by using their imagination, adding love letters, breaking the rules and combining games in order to create more games! Come prepared to play. Suitable for parents of 18 months – 5 year olds.

Big Kid Fun R250.00 per person

19 June 2008, Thursday, 7 – 10pm, Douglasdale/Bryanston TBC  R300.00 per person 

25 June 2008, Wednesday 9am – 12pm, Douglasdale/Bryanston TBC R300pp

16 July 2008, Wednesday 7 – 10pm, Douglasdale/Bryanston TBC R300pp

17 July 2008, Thursday, 9am – 12pm, Douglasdale/Bryanston TBC R300pp

23 July 2008, Wednesday 7 – 10pm, Douglasdale/Bryanston TBC R300pp

30 July 2008, Wednesday 7 – 10pm, Douglasdale/Bryanston TBC R300pp

31 July 2008, Thursday 7 – 10pm, Douglasdale/Bryanston TBC R300pp

Big Kid Fun is for all those parents who have been asking “What next? What do we do with our children over the age of 7?” Big Kid Fun is a workshop designed for families with 8 – 99 year olds who love to have fun. It is a very interactive parenting workshop that will consist of a small amount of theory – the importance of play and staying connected with your children – and a lot of Big Kid Fun. Yes, you will play a lot including some hilarious games you have never heard of! You will be reminded of all the fun to be had with a simple deck of cards, then you will tantalise your tastebuds with some heavenly winter desserts, tea and coffee, afterwhich I will take you through my top family games (classics and those that are hot right now). Big kids of all ages still wanna play and have fun. Join us for an entertaining and inspiring 3 hour workshop. 

 For testimonials open the attached invitation or visit www.brightideasoutfit.com and click on FEEDBACK.

May you continue to have fun with your children, with or without electricity. Have you noticed how wonderfully quiet everything becomes when all the whirrs, buzzes, vibrations and sirens cease? Even dogs and children quieten down. My children, Ryan (12) and Matthew (8), think that the outages caused by loadshedding are very exciting (I think it’s because they cause such an abrupt change in routine and atmosphere). I’m not so sure they will enjoy getting up in the winter term without heaters mind you!

Kind regards

NIKKI BUSH

Dear Parents & Colleagues

Today was a big day – Graeme Codrington and I signed our publishing contract with Penguin! Our long awaited book on 21st century parenting will be published in October this year (final title as yet unknown). It takes a look at what parents need to know about tomorrow today, why they need to know this and what they need to do to prepare their children for the world of the future – a world that doesn’t yet exist. It introduces a parenting framework around conversation, connection and choice that will provide our children with some form of stability in a constantly changing world. We are really excited about this project. Our talks touch on many aspects contained within the book and we can’t wait to share this information with you in expanded form. I will, of course, have a new multimedia presentation available later in the year focussing on core issues within the book.

On this celebratory note, and better late than never, may I wish you an exciting year ahead with the children you parent or those you care for or teach. As children constantly change and grow we need to make creative adjustments to the way we parent, lead and guide them. What worked last year won’t necessarily work this year – and you thought you had it all waxed! We also need to keep up with the changing times and technology. Today, my 12 year old son Ryan was studying for his Economics & Management Sciences test. We were doing multi-coloured mind maps on my flipchart and then ran out of time for him to reproduce smaller versions in an A4 format. No problem, Ryan whipped out newly acquired very first cellphone (of which he is extremely proud) and proceeded to photograph the mind maps so that he can go through them again on the way to school tomorrow! Pretty nifty thinking there I thought. Good use of technology.

I look forward to continuing to share experiences and swop ideas with you in my talks and workshops this year. To all you busy parents, don’t miss the next Parenting on the Run workshops……………..

PARENTING ON THE RUN

Come and learn how to cheat time in this interactive workshop. Leave armed with over 100 creative and practical ideas for converting what you would normally consider wasted time with your children, into quality time.

Nikki Bush will show you how to maximize time spent in the car; doing everyday household activities, or even waiting for appointments with your child. You can stimulate your child’s brain and connect emotionally even when you are on the run. Nikki will also include her ever-popular suggestions on toys to pack for travelling, or for when you are simply on the run.

Connecting and communicating your child can be so easy.

DATE & TIMES:  29 February 2008 or 1 March 2008, both 9 – 11.30am

VENUE           :  Miele Lifestyle Gallery, Peter Place, Bryanston

COST             : R200.00 per person

Bookings for all the above workshops is essential. Email your bookings to brightideas@powerpt.co.za.

“I can’t believe that I don’t have to feel guilty about being busy anymore!” Audrey Stanley

“Many thanks for the fantastic Parenting on the Run workshop. Your practical suggestions have worked brilliantly for us. I have two very busy little boys (4 and 2) who are easily bored and distracted, but they are putty in my hands with my newfound “box of tricks”! “ Kathleen Bartels

For testimonials open the attached invitation or visit www.brightideasoutfit.com and click on FEEDBACK.

LIVING & LOVING/STANDARD BANK MOMPRENEUR FUNCTIONS

I will be speaking in Johannesburg, Durban, Bloemfontein and Cape Town at the Living & Loving/Standard Bank Mompreneur functions over the next month or so, presenting a mini one hour version of Parenting on the Run. These seminars are aimed at mums who are also entrepreneurs. There will be two other speakers: Iona Minton on Financial Fitness for Women and Helen Nicholson on Learning to Master the Art of Networking. If you are interested in attending, call 0860 105 945 to book your seat now.

Keep having fun connecting with your children.

Kind regards

NIKKI BUSH www.brightideasoutfit.com