“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.”

I knew I always wanted to be a mother.  I just never anticipated how it would change me or that I really would enjoy it quite as much as I do.  Mothering is not just something I do – and there is lots to do – it is part of the very fabric that makes me who I am.  I am ‘bigger’ than I was before I became a mother.  There are more dimensions to me – greater depth, insight, compassion, empathy, humility (and more, I hope).

Yes, there are also more lines on my face – frown lines from worry as well as smile lines from all the joy that motherhood brings.  And I have earned every one of them!  There is a sense of joy and pride in my heart that threatens to overwhelm me at times and then there is the adrenal overload that hits from time-to-time as the demands and concerns of a mother threaten to overwhelm and drown me.  If you are a mother, you will experience extremes of demand for your time and attention, and emotional input.  It comes with the turf.

Motherhood provides women with the opportunity to redefine who they are.  You have been irrevocably changed – a chemical reaction called LOVE occurred in your heart and your world was turned upside down with the birth of your first child.  And so you need to grow and change into the new you.  To expect life to stay the same is insanity.  While getting through the practical demands of daily life, you also need to be constantly building your relationship with your child and stimulating their development at every age and stage. You can cheat time and do both these two things at the same time in so many fun and different ways.

I have a few workshops coming up in the next few weeks that specifically address these issues.  Come and honour the mother in you. Be inspired at Beyond the Nappy Bag (parents of 2 – 5 year olds), Parenting on the Run (parents of 2 – 10 year olds) on how to stimulate your child and really connect deeply, building emotional bridges, despite your busyness. And for those with tweens and teens there’s Bridging the Digital Divide. I promise you lots of insight, fun and creative, doable ideas.  You will also discover more about yourself at the same time. See details below.

And for all the mothers this Mothers’ Day, a quote from Winnie the Pooh:

PIGLET:  How do you spell LOVE?

POOH:    You don’t spell it, you feel it.

We chose, instead, to spend Easter with my sisters and their families, picnicking and playing soccer and volleyball in the park.  It cost us some sausages, a potato salad, a few drinks and a whole lot of laughter and fun.  Everyone had an absolute blast.  Children just adore playing team sports with their parents and other adults. Most importantly, all the adults took a break from their normal daily pursuits for an entire day, pressing the pause button to stop and play awhile.   It was more invigorating than going to gym, more refreshing than a walk, far cheaper than Sun City and more memorable than a meal in a fancy restaurant.

With this in mind, I thought I would leave you with four new Making Fun Out of Nothing activities to lift your rating as holiday magician.

Wishing you hours of fun and new memories with your children.

I often talk about being a source of magic, wonder and surprise for your children — not every day, but from time-to-time, and when you are wearing your homework motivator hat, this is the time to pull a cat out of a hat. Now here the trick to keep up your sleeve for those desperate moments — change the medium!

By this I mean, if the homework doesn’t have to be done in a specific book and handed in to the teacher the next day (such as times tables, number bonds and spelling), then ditch the pen and paper and use something else. I can guarantee you will have your child’s attention on the job in an instant and they will also think you are a hero (not a bad position to seek every now and then).  So here are some ideas on changing the medium:

• Sprinkle flour on a tray or on the kitchen table and get your child to write their spelling or sums in the flour.
• Window Crayons are my latest find – yes, twistable crayons specially designed for use on glass and are easy to wipe off.  They give a wonderful sensory experience.
• Use pavement chalk on the driveway, which also give lots of sensory feedback due the roughness of the surface.
• Use bath crayons on the tiles or side of the bath.  My son has even written his spelling words on the bottom of the bath while sitting in the water.
• Make a fan with a piece of paper and get your child to write a different spelling word on each space.
• Use whiteboard markers on mirrors, windows or sliding patio doors.
• Use a flipchart or whiteboard with coloured pens.
• Even writing spelling words with a ballpoint pen down legs and arms will be a memorable experience.

Rather than having a meltdown over homework, why not choose to have some fun by changing the medium and perhaps reaching superhero status at the same time!

If you are looking for many more fun ways of connecting with your children and maximising whatever time you do have with them, don’t forget to book for my Parenting on the Run workshop in June.

AGES 2 -4

Magnetic Towing game R115

Call the tow truck! This magnetic wooden puzzle game features fun, automotive artwork. Use the magnetic truck to “tow” the ten numbered cars from the game board. Enjoy challenging fun returning the cars to their correct spots! A creative way to encourage hand-eye and fine motor development.

Magnetic Fishing GameR115

The ultimate catch and release fishing program, this magnetic wooden puzzle game features aquatic animal artwork. Use the magnetic fishing pole to “catch” the ten, colorful sea friends from the game board. Enjoy the challenge of returning them to the depths! A creative way to encourage hand-eye and fine motor development.

Magnetic Bug Catching Game R115

This magnetic wooden puzzle game features bugs and insects in a garden. Use the magnetic butterfly net to “capture” the ten, bug buddies from the game board. Then, enjoy the challenge of returning them to their preferred perch! A creative way to encourage hand-eye and fine motor development.

Habitats Reusable Sticker Pad R80

Visit a farm, a prehistoric landscape, a desert oasis, a jungle, or the deep blue sea, all in this interactive sticker book! The glossy, full-color backgrounds are ready to be filled with over 150 stickers: Stick a dinosaur by the prehistoric pond and a shark in the ocean – or mix them up and make silly scenes! The easy-to-peel vinyl stickers can be lifted off and repositioned again and again, so kids can follow their imaginations fearlessly.

Monster Muddle R150

Learn about numbers and colours as you race to build your friendly monster. Improve colour recognition and personal and social skills in a fun way Race to build a friendly monster by matching numbers and then colour match your monster, using the spinner to swap body parts.  Age 3-6 Players 2-4.

Ladybirds R125

This first counting game is such fun. Take turns to roll the dice and find the card with the matching number of spots. When all the cards have been won, turn them over and count the number of ladybirds hiding on the leaves. The player with the most ladybirds is the winner. 2 – 4 players.

AGES 4 – 6

Sweet Heart or Butterfly Friends Bead Set R95

Make necklaces, bracelets and more! Design beautiful wooden jewellery to your heart’s content, featuring lovely, heart OR butterfly-shaped beads. A variety of accent beads, all in coordinating colours, will encourage young jewellery makers to create jewelry for every occasion. Five colourful cords and over 150 hand-crafted wooden beads allow for endless combinations.

Skipping Pals – Fairy or Pirate R90

Skipping Pals are a new and unique concept combining soft toy handles with adorable character faces and delicious candy striped ropes, bringing a new level of fun and enjoyment to skipping rope games.

Build a Fun Dough House R99

Junior Tradesman provides your child with the means to build a fun toy house and other designs. Make bricks with fun dough, follow the plans and build a house. All the parts in the Junior Tradesman are re-usable and non-toxic.

Fuzzoodles R159

Crazy Critters (for boys) or Fluffy Friends (for girls). Combine these fuzzy noodles with mix and match, interchangable toy pieces to construct a figure of your imagination. Contains 1 idea booklet to inspire great designs, 22 fuzzoodles (10 short & 12 long), and 26 fuzzoodle parts.

Flip-a-Longs R110

The Matching Memory Game with a TwisT – Flip-A-Longs cleverly combines puzzle play and memory matching to create an engaging new game that children and adults alike will flip for! Simply flip over cards, if you find a match, add it. Available in two versions:  “The Long Long Locomotive” or “Knights of the Long Table”.

Sticker Collection Fashion R80

The fashion runway awaits the stylish design sense of your young designer with this collection of over 600 stickers featuring 80 young models and lots of clothing and accessory stickers for every occasion! From swimwear, to party dresses to sleepwear-your fashionista will be ready to set the next fashion trends!

AGES 6 – 8

Astrojax R130

Astrojax is more than a toy, it’s a culture in and of itself!! A cross between juggling, lasso and yo-yo. The tricks you can do with this thing are TOTALLY awesome!  Check out Astrojax on the internet.  Click here for a demonstration.

100 Paper Planes R105

Packed with brilliantly designed paper planes to make and fly. Printed on special tear-out pages, each plane features a unique design, ranging from fighter planes to space rockets and creepy flying bugs. Includes clear and concise instructions on how to fold and fly the planes. A brilliant present for any child – or adult! The perfect stocking filler, or great to use as party favours.

Sticker Dressing Books R80 (assorted)

Assorted high quality delightful sticker books containing scenes and over 400 stickers to dress the fairies or princesses and knights for different occasions. Stickers include trendy items of clothing and bags, shoes, hats and jewellery to get the ladies looking their best.

Animal Doodle Cards R80

A pack of fifty wipe-clean cards with over a hundred opportunities for doodling.Doodles include adding the patterns to a butterfly’s wings and filling a park scene with playful dogs.Includes a special pen to write on the wipe-clean cards so they can be doodled on again and again.

UNO H2O R120

All the fun of UNO, wherever you go! Durable plastic cards resist water and dirt so you can enjoy UNO in the outdoors. Race to get rid of all of your cards by matching color or number, or use an action card to really turn up the heat. When you are down to one card, don’t forget to yell “UNO!” The first player to discard all cards wins.

KooKoo Puzzles R125

Crazy overlapping card puzzles. No given angle. No two puzzles alike. Learn to think out of the box. Expand your visual skills as you overlap the cards to form a continuous image. Develop hand-eye coordination as you’ll need the help of a delicate hand to keep the cards in place. Start with 6 cards for character puzzles and build up to the 24 cards for a giant scene puzzle. Sounds simple? try one! Available in three versions: Classic Fairytales, Funny Fliers and Movin’ & Groovin`

The Easter holidays are round the corner.  While away the time in the car or aeroplane with the following fun games and activities selected by Nikki Bush:

AGES 2 – 4

Habitats Reusable Sticker Pad R80

Visit a farm, a prehistoric landscape, a desert oasis, a jungle, or the deep blue sea, all in this interactive sticker book! The glossy, full-color backgrounds are ready to be filled with over 150 stickers: Stick a dinosaur by the prehistoric pond and a shark in the ocean – or mix them up and make silly scenes! The easy-to-peel vinyl stickers can be lifted off and repositioned again and again, so kids can follow their imaginations fearlessly.

Garden Knob Puzzles R69

Ideal as a first puzzle, this beautifully illustrated wooden puzzle has 6 chunky lift out pieces with knobs on, making it easy for young children to pick up and position correctly. Assorted designs.

Magnetic Towing game R115

Call the tow truck! This magnetic wooden puzzle game features fun, automotive artwork. Use the magnetic truck to “tow” the ten numbered cars from the game board. Enjoy challenging fun returning the cars to their correct spots! A creative way to encourage hand-eye and fine motor development.

Magnetic Fishing GameR115

The ultimate catch and release fishing program, this magnetic wooden puzzle game features aquatic animal artwork. Use the magnetic fishing pole to “catch” the ten, colorful sea friends from the game board. Enjoy the challenge of returning them to the depths! A creative way to encourage hand-eye and fine motor development.

Magnetic Bug Catching Game R115

This magnetic wooden puzzle game features bugs and insects in a garden. Use the magnetic butterfly net to “capture” the ten, bug buddies from the game board. Then, enjoy the challenge of returning them to their preferred perch! A creative way to encourage hand-eye and fine motor development.

AGES 4 – 6

Fuzzoodles R159

Crazy Critters (for boys) or Fluffy Friends (for girls). Combine these fuzzy noodles with mix and match, interchangable toy pieces to construct a figure of your imagination. Contains 1 idea booklet to inspire great designs, 22 fuzzoodles (10 short & 12 long), and 26 fuzzoodle parts.

Flip-to-win Memory Game R150

A fabulous travel version of the memory game. Flip the elasticated windows open to see the picture underneath. 14 reversible game cards that slot into the back of the game for safe-keeping. Elasticated scoreboards at the bottom of the game board so you can’t forget who is winning. 10 – 15 minutes a game.

Fairytale Puzzles: Little Red Riding Hood (35 pc) /  Pinocchio (25 pc) R69

A new artistic interpretation of the fairy tale classics, illustrated by the renowned Australian artist Inna Semadar. Presented in a compact and funky tin box. Outstanding quality puzzle.

Travel Tins: Ludo R59

Designed in an ultra-slim tin case, printed both sides. Includes magnetic pawns and pieces.  Fun and affordable for all ages whilst travelling.

Fashion Press R140

Show off your design skills with an amazing tri-fold playboard featuring two models. Create fashions you and your friends might wear on the model in the neighborhood setting. Imagine the glamour when designing for the princess in her fairytale setting! 12 fabric swatches can create hundreds of designs! …feel free to add your own!

AGES 6 – 8

Sticker Dressing Books R80 (assorted)

Assorted high quality delightful sticker books containing scenes and over 400 stickers to dress the fairies or princesses and knights for different occasions. Stickers include trendy items of clothing and bags, shoes, hats and jewellery to get the ladies looking their best.

Usborne Activity Books Boys OR Girls R105

An engaging write-in activity book packed full of things to make and do. Brightly and stylishly illustrated with a diverse variety of lively activities and over 200 stickers.

BOYS: Activities include codes to crack, things to spot, pictures and stories to complete, easy-to-follow instructions for making balloon rockets, green slime and a bubbling potion, faking cuts, dusting for fingerprints and lots, lots more.

GIRLS: Activities include codes to crack, things to spot, pictures to complete, and instructions for everything from making an ice cream sundae, to being a spy girl or a ballet dancer.

Holiday Doodle Cards R80

A pack of fifty wipe-clean cards with over a hundred irresistible opportunities for holiday doodling. Doodles include decorating a sun hat, filling a chest with treasure and drawing palm trees on a desert island. Includes a special pen to write on the cards.

Flip-to-win Hangman R150

Superb for travel.  All letters and parts of the hangman are on elastics so nothing can get lost!  A4 size x 2cm thick.

Magnetic Picture Maker by Melissa & Doug R240

Another brilliant game from the Melissa & Doug range.  It is perfect for travel as there is a permanent perspex cover  sealing in all the pieces.  Use the magnetic wand on top of the perspex cover to ‘pick up’ the coloured discs, drag them to the corresponding spot on the board and ‘drop’ them in place until all the colour spaces are covered and the picture is complete.  There are 14 pictures which slip neatly into the back of the board.  Fantastic for stimulating fine motor control and eye-hand co-ordination required for handwriting.

Travel Tins: Backgammon / Checkers / Chess R59

Designed in a slim tin case, printed both sides. Includes magnetic pawns and pieces.  Fun and affordable for all ages whilst travelling.

Waterworld R120 (age 5+)

A magnetic travel game that comes in a flip-book format with spiral binding. It is a reveal and conceal game.  By placing all 4 covering pieces in the correct square, you need to cover up certain water creatures and reveal others depending on the challenge being set.  Test those problem solving skills with the 48 challenges which go from easy to difficult.

Fun & games for the whole family

Whether you are at home or away these holidays, have some family fun with these games and activities that will get your laughing and connecting:

Crayola Window Crayons R70 (ages 3+)

Turn mirrors, windows and other glass surfaces into instant decorations. These bright, bold colors go on smoothly and dry quickly without smudging. They wash off easily too!

Shapes Snap R68 (ages 2 – 4)

A pack of 48 cards with six colourful shapes to match in a fun version of every child’s favourite first card game. Large, colourful, sturdy cards with rounded corners and the name of the shape printed at the bottom. A great way for young children to learn to recognize shapes and develop matching and reading skills.  Use these cards with an older sibling to play the memory game.

Smelly Gelli Baff R79 (ages 2 – 6+)

Gelli Baff is a magic powder that turns a bowl of water into a bowl of jelly goo that kids just love to play with. Sprinkle the first powder over the water and watch as it magically turns to thick, brightly coloured goo. When the fun is done, sprinkle the second powder over the goo, it will begin to dissolve and turn back to water. Gelli Baff does not block the drains, is biodegradable and is kind on the skin. Ideal for messy play days. Easy to clean & leaves no stains or marks. It is non-toxic and has won many international toy awards.  Use the entire contents for one big jelly bath, or split into four for more fun.  Alway remember to scoop out a bowl or bucketful of goo before turning the jelly back into water.  Your children can then enjoy playing with it for days afterwards.

Ten Green Bottles R195 (ages 4 – 6)

Be the first to match your ten green bottle cards with ten dotty numbered cards to win this fun bottle recycling game from Orchard Toys.  A nice quick game with few rules.  Players: 2 – 4.

Three Little Pigs R195 (ages 4 -6)

Build your houses made of sticks, straw or bricks before the big bad wolf tries to blow them down, or before another player takes one of your pieces! A lovely first boardgame. Players: 2 – 4.

Say Uncle R90 (ages 6-8)

The Game of NOT Giving In! Squirm, pout and kick all you want…at some point you’re just going to have to give in and say “uncle!” This cunning, strategic and downright fun-to-play card game, gets everyone in on the rushing riot of action! Players push letter cards away -fast, faster, faster yet- to force their opponents to have the word “U-N-C-L-E” spelled out in front of them. Stay alert, stay on your toes, and keep moving those letter cards in the direction of your opponents! Be careful, if you have “U-N-C-L-E” in front of YOU at the end of your turn, you’re out!

UNO H2O R120

All the fun of UNO, wherever you go! Durable plastic cards resist water and dirt so you can enjoy UNO in the outdoors. Race to get rid of all of your cards by matching color or number, or use an action card to really turn up the heat. When you are down to one card, don’t forget to yell “UNO!” The first player to discard all cards wins.

Box of Questions: Family Dinner R125 (Age 6+)

Want to hear more at dinner than “Pass the peas”? Wrap your “noodle” around the questions on these circular cards and dinner will never be dull again. The set contains 82 conversation-starters, such as: “What is your earliest memory?” “Who do you think has it easier, girls or boys?” and “What do you like most about the person to your right?”

Box of Questions: Truth or Dare R125 (Age 12+)

Get the party started and keep the laughter rolling with this tween-friendly version of the classic game. Tell the truth or face the challenge of a dare . . . Or a double dare! Take a “spin” and take a chance. For example:  “Do a one minute ballet performance while reciting the alphabet”, “Pretend you are a flight attendant and demonstrate the safety features of the room”, “What current fad would you not be caught dead wearing?”, “Go have a conversation with the house pet”.

Indahoo R150

This simple game gets people really laughing and communicating. It is a three-round addictive game using category cards (general knowledge) such as movie stars, movie titles, celebrities, famous places, famous authors, cartoon characters, book titles etc. The three rounds in the game consist of:
* a describing round
* a two-word description round
* a charades /miming round
The same cards are used in each round so it pays players to really listen to each other and take note (even to the opposition!). Once all cards have been used up the game moves into the next round. Each member of the team will have a chance to play each round. In a fast team a member or two may play the same round a second time.

Download the BIRTHDAY AND TRAVEL order form MARCH 2012 or send us an email to info@brightideasoutfit.co.za.

There are always many things on the go and her children love to show you what they are up to.  They are particularly creative in terms of mixing games together or adding waste materials to extend their games.  They have the privilege of uninterrupted creative time as their games, constructions and works of art can spill over from one day to the next without having to be tidied up and packed away at the end of a day, unlike their bedrooms. The advantage is that every day they can continue to develop the ideas they started on, the day before.

In a way, this is much like the opportunity we have as adults when we are developing our ideas in various programmes on our computers.  We can start something, save it and come back to it anytime we like. We can revisit our creative ideas constantly, and yet our children do not have this luxury! They are hamstrung in the area of creativity due to a number of factors (and this is not an exhaustive list):

• With smaller living spaces becoming more popular (and more economically viable) there are fewer opportunities for creative spaces for children at home.
• Busy parents do not want “mess” in their homes – they don’t have time for it.
• Mess and style do not go together – we sacrifice creative spaces for our children at the altar of tasteful interior décor.
• Children have less time for free play as they are enrolled in more and more extra-mural activities which keep them ultra-busy.
• Children are doing more and more supervised activities so they are becoming reliant on an adult telling them what to do and using the adult’s ideas as opposed to discovering their own fountain of creativity.
• Children who are allowed to play at home generally have to pack up and tidy up at a certain time, trashing their creative ideas in their formative stages, most of them never really reaching creative maturity.  The sense of accomplishment is fleeting at best and disappointing most of the time.

Now please don’t get me wrong.  I’m all for packing up and tidying up — it’s all part of the game and is a life skill that is essential to learn.  It also teaches children to respect their possessions and stops pieces from getting lost and broken.  However, what I am lobbying for here is TIME and SPACE.

It is up to parents to create spaces for creativity to develop and to provide ample time for its uninterrupted development. And as much as I harp on about the importance of developing creativity in our children I am guilty as charged on a number of the points listed above.

Creativity needs to flow. Children need to try things this way and that. They need to get stuck and be able to come back to revisit the problem/challenge another time — an hour or even a day later.  In that time they will have shifted and grown in some way as they allow their brains to work it out for them (while they are at school or even sleeping) and the next time they work on their project, something new will be possible.

“The Wright brothers invented the airplane because they were willing to fly off a cliff hundreds of times.  Edison invented the light bulb because he played around with all those different filaments. The truly creative person has an insane devotion to an idea, banging away at it from all sorts of angles in all sorts of ways….”

(Colouring Outside the Lines by Roger Schank, 2001)

We need to give our children time and space to bang away at their ideas. For my 12 year old son, right now, that means chucking out half the contents of one of our garages which is crammed full of “stuff”, to create a permanent play space for his various constructions and other creative projects.  He needs a place where he can continue with his creative thought process on a daily basis. Not only will it unleash his creativity and imagination, but it will be a fantastic stress reliever too.

Do you have an unused corner somewhere that can become a creative space where your child can experience their imagination, uninterrupted? It could be on a patio, in a garage or in an unused formal lounge.  And if this is impossible on a permanent basis perhaps, just during the school holidays, you could sacrifice some space for a week to allow your child’s creativity to “flow”.

Wed 8 Feb        Homework Hurdles
Wed 15 Feb      What do our children really want from us
Wed 22 Feb      Why your child should become a puzzler
Wed 29 Feb      Learning to be discerning within a group

The year has started with a bang.  I spent four wonderful days in Tzaneen at Unicorn School where I presented four talks to their enthusiastic staff and two to the parents.  This included a new workshop for teachers called Brand Teacher? designed to help teachers to discover and become more conscious of their own unique brands and how to manage and develop them in a fast changing and demanding world.  Click here for the full synopsis and feel free to connect with me if you would like to host Brand Teacher? for your staff.

In between a number of TV interviews and various school and corporate talks I am off to Harare in Zimbabwe to give 6 talks to groups of parents, teachers, school heads, government officials and various aid organisations.  If you have any friends or family in Harare, feel free to let them know.  Click here for the invitation.

There was one goal I didn’t achieve in 2011 and it was that I didn’t get to write another book – just not enough hours in a day and now my head is positively spinning with ideas.  I am committing this goal to paper this year to ensure that it actually happens. That’s the wonderful thing about keeping records.  The other day I found a thick file of ideas and goals that I have been jotting down for years and it is amazing how many of them have become a reality.  So, if you think it, ink it, as they say.  Apart from writing a number of my own books, Dr Graeme Codrington (expert on the future world of work) and I are working on the synopsis for our second book together. The provisional working title is Beyond Imagination.  Watch this space.

The next event on the calendar is for those of you who have layers of party invitations stuck on your fridge door, parties of your own to plan and execute and dozens of gifts to buy for all those party girls and boys.  Look no further, help is at hand in the form of Birthday Talk™ which takes place in early March.  See the next section of this newsletter for details and don’t delay with your bookings as seats are limited.

I have just taken a break for dinner and game of Blokus Duo with my 12 year old son, Matthew.  I used to beat him, and now he is beating me.  And so life turns and continues to move and change.  By the end of this year, my blonde boy will be as tall as me and then he will start telling me I have a dose of ‘the shrinks’!  We are on a closing cycle in our family as our youngest is in his final year of primary school.  It happens so fast.

“To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.” Anonymous

You can also see Nikki discussing how to Future-Proof Your Child on Good Morning Africa on Africa Magic channel 114 Dstv at 07h00 and a repeat at 12h30.