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A Splashing Good Time
With the warmer days approaching, it won’t be long until we’re all heading down the local waterhole, river, creek, swimming pool or beach to cool off and unwind. The water can be loads of fun, no doubt about it! But it can also be dangerous. We need to be aware of the dangers and take […]
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Being a mum is fun
Name: Suzanne Parsons With four kids and another on the way, you would think Suzanne Parsons from Kempsey would be craving a bit of adult time. However, when it comes to kids and supporting Indigenous families, Suzanne just can’t get enough. As a family support worker at the Durri Aboriginal Medical Service, Suzanne believes it’s […]
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If In Doubt, Just Chill Out
The end of the year can send people into a spin! There always seems so much to do around the end of the year, including Christmas celebrations, school holidays and the New Year. It is the holiday season, a time when we get together with family and friends to enjoy each other’s company and have […]
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Chipping In to help
Name: Dawn Likouresis Dawn Likouresis first came to the remote South Australian town of Coober Pedy when she was just 20. After what was originally meant to be only a three-day visit, Dawn decided to stay in Coober Pedy and is now an integral member of the community where she has lived for the past […]
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Ever heard of Ugly Parent Syndrome? No, it’s not something that turns a parent into a hideously ugly beast – it relates to the way a parent acts when watching their child play sport. We’ve all seem them – parents who stand on the sidelines and scream abuse at other players, referees, fellow spectators and […]
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Number One Mum
Name: Maryanne Malbunka Maryanne Malbunka received an extra special gift for Mother’s Day this year when she was named the national winner of the 2004 Barnardos Australia’s Mother of the Year Award. The award was announced last month at the Avillion Hotel in Sydney, where Maryanne was presented with a brand-new car as her prize […]
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Talk Tactics
It’s important that children feel comfortable discussing things with their parents. Sometimes a parent may feel awkward or unsure about discussing drugs with their children; however there are ways to make it easier. Here are some tips from the Department of Health and Ageing. Make time for your kids. Take an interest in their lives […]
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Keep ‘Em Active
Name: Charlie Wilson When it comes to kids, Charlie Wilson should know what he’s talking about. After all, he’s got five of them! Charlie and his partner Barbara are the proud parents of Charlie, 11; Lachlan, 9; Andrew, 8; Ottalie, 3; and Nazareth, 1½. “Sure, it’s hard work, but I love it,” Charlie says with […]
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A Growing Concern
Drinking alcohol can damage your unborn baby. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is brain damage and other disorders that can be caused to children through women drinking during their pregnancy. This is because alcohol interferes with the normal development of a foetus (the baby growing in the womb). FASD includes: Foetal alcohol syndrome Growth retardation; […]
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Flying Solo
Name: Catherine Pross Being a single parent is never easy, but becoming a single mother at just 20 years of age is a tough situation. Catherine Pross was only 20 when her relationship with the father of her son, Tindah, broke down. “She was absolutely shattered by it,” says Catherine’s mother Christine. “She was so, […]
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Hot Cars Kill
If you’re going to leave your car, take your kids with you. Children can die in hot cars. According to Kidsafe (the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia), on a typical summer’s day the temperature inside a parked car can rise to as much as 30 to 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature. That […]
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Super Mum
Name: Kerrie Patterson Motherhood is about as challenging and demanding a responsibility as you could find. No matter what you have on your plate in terms of work or other commitments, no one can deny that raising a family is a full-time job in itself. Many mothers, however, raise their children while juggling other responsibilities. […]
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Life Lines
Suicide is not the way out. Don’t be shame to ask for help. Suicide used to be rare among traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Sadly, it has become a lot more common in recent years. In fact, suicide now occurs more frequently in Aboriginal communities than among non-Indigenous people. Suicide is more common […]
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Practiced Parents
The program, called Strong Families, is being run through the Apunipima Health Council, who recently received a three-year grant from the government to fund the project. Apunipima is an Indigenous health organisation that has mainly focussed on addressing chronic disease in Indigenous Cape York communities. However, through their work, health workers identified gaps in services […]
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Mentor For Young And Old
Name: Aunty Honor Cleary In traditional language, ‘yelangi’ means ‘meeting place’. At the Yelangi Pre-school at Indooroopilly in Brisbane, Aboriginal kids have been meeting Aunty Honor Cleary for more than 25 years. Not only does Honor help the “little people”, as she likes to call them, the centre is also a major resource for the […]
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Chris Sarra
Story: Chris Sarra The people of Cherbourg in Queensland have witnessed a remarkable transformation at their primary school over the past five years. Cherbourg State School principal Chris Sarra doesn’t like to say it’s all down to him – he credits much of the radical change to his excellent teachers and to the students themselves […]
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