Remember when you were in school and you had to sit for IQ and aptitude tests to see what career direction you would be best suited for? Well my tests always revealed “Natalie can be anything that she wants to be”. GREAT! So much for direction and guidance. This didn’t help me at all because I wanted to be so many things:

• Horticulturalist
• Lawyer
• Food Critic
• Doctor
• Physiotherapist
• Psychologist
• Graphic Designer
• Writer
• Accountant (this thought only lasted for about an hour)
• Massage Therapist
• IT Consultant
• Work with Children (at the time I didn’t know in what capacity)
• Beach Bum

All of the career choices had to fit within my life scope –being that I had to own my business, it would be profitable, I wanted to do the hiring and firing, it needed to involve travel to worldwide destinations and above all else it had to be flexible so that I could have kids (note I did not want a husband when I was younger but that’s another story)

I would say that I have achieved most of my goals even if they don’t exactly fit into the typical “business” mould. I’ve applied my horticultural skills in creating a vegetable garden (we’re enjoying the broccolini)

My lawyer skills were used in a family court case (dreadful story which I do not wish to recount, let’s just say I spoke better than the lawyer I hired but I should’ve added “JUDGE” to my career aspirations).

I can criticise food although I don’t get paid to do so – my verdict: NOTHING beats my Mom’s cooking (well maybe some of my dishes).

I can apply bandaids really well (great doctoring skills )

My work with children has incorporated the physio, psychologist, massage therapist and writer goals.

Oh and the kids will attest to my great graphic skills as only I can demonstrate various emotions and topics through stick figured men!

I did the IT stint which has also helped me in my writing skills.

Mmmm accountant – yikes! Eish! Failed! But I’ve hired a great one to do the work for me

So my next goal: BEACH BUM! Sounds really GOOD!

Ok seriously, the BEACH part will be playing a huge role in my next adventure as I am moving to the beach (HOORAY!!) and my office will be outside on the white beach sand next to the beautiful ocean (unless it’s raining and then I’ll be inside in bed cuddling my laptop!)

See, I have decided to focus on my writing career at the moment. Some of you may not know it but I actually do copywriting, ghost writing and children’s book writing in my spare time (that would be when I am not running around at a 100km’s per hour doing everything else that a single mom does) and although my Holistic Kids business has really started to pick up the pace I have found that I am at a crossroads and being torn between two great loves.

THEREFORE I am putting Holistic Kids aside for the next six months, but not entirely, you’ll still hear from me as I am redesigning the whole PIES Wellbeing program and researching a different healing method which I will be introducing once I have fit all the pieces together. Yes, I know it is very sad news and I have shed some tears as I am truly going to miss the kids that I have been working with, each one has touched my heart very deeply!

I am however going to be focusing on my children’s book range (and of course the freelance copywriting and ghost writing!) as I feel now is the time for me to start preparing my work in order to reach a worldwide audience (it’s so exciting) I am also going to be travelling during this time and spend as much quality time with my daughter as possible because she starts BIG SCHOOL next year and I am going to miss her while she’s away carving her own path in this life.

I do however have one request from my loyal clientele – Please keep in contact with me! I have formed so many great friendships over the past two years and I would like for that to continue. You can follow my updates via Twitter by clicking here or emailing me at info@nataliecrabb.com or skyping me at natalie.crabb

Right, before the tears start to well up again I will say adieus and thank you for all of your support, it has been greatly appreciated!

May God bless you all!

P.S. I will be sending out some more newsletters so don’t unsubscribe from the website and you’ll need to stay in touch so you can be the first to hear about my books.

P.P.S. If you need any website copy, writing jobs or editing done, give me a shout!

Here’s my article on holistic sports for kids that was published in the Active Education Magazine Aug/Sep issue:

Imagine entering a classroom and finding your students calm, alert and eager to learn with no signs of any hyperactivity, fear or anxiety; wouldn’t you feel more positive, relaxed and happier to teach them?

Impossible dream you might think, but this can be achieved through incorporating holistic games and sports like yoga, Pilates and tai chi into your classroom or PE curriculum. No, this is not hocus-pocus or a new age gimmick but an achievable goal that eastern countries have been using for thousands of years with amazing results.

As children learn best in a multi-sensory environment through kinaesthetic, visual and aural senses, a holistic approach to sports will incorporate all areas of a child’s development and learning, and the following aspects can all be covered in a holistic sport session: creativity, physical fitness and movement, problem solving, reasoning and numeracy skills, knowledge and understanding of the world and communication, language and literacy as well as emotional and social skills.

Take one step further and you will notice that through regular practice of a holistic sport children not only develop an outer focus of the world surrounding them but also an inner focus of their own being. Children learn to listen to their bodies and develop respect and honour for themselves and this overspills into respecting others and the environment.

A holistic movement class would include storytelling, games, and music and language skills. The program is designed to equip all children with the techniques to help them grow, learn and develop and at the same time the routine leaves children feeling safe and secure lowering anxiety and stress levels whilst helping children to become more self-confident.

Holistic sports are non-competitive so there is no last place like in running or conventional sporting games, this boosts class morale. Teamwork is encouraged through partner poses which in turn helps to build communication skills between peers and teachers. A sport session can take between 10 and 60 minutes to perform and it can be done in the classroom if you do not have a sporting field or room as most of the exercises have a seated or standing alternative.

If a quick wind down is needed students need not get changed into sports clothes as a 10 minute breathing and meditation session is all that it will take to calm the whole class. Try this trick; get a box of tissues, hand out a tissue to each child and get them to place the tissue over their nose and mouth and then ask them to blow the tissues up into the air. This will bring about lots of giggles but if you ask the students to feel where inside their body they can feel the breath coming from before they blow out they will soon quieten down to listen to and feel for their inner breath. Anyone can teach a holistic sports class as no experience is necessary; there are many resources available on the internet showing one exact sequences and movements that can be performed. Just type in “kids yoga”, “kids tai chi” or “kids pilates” into Google and you would be amazed at the amount of information that comes up. Another bonus is that little or no props are needed so you won’t break the school budget.

Practice sessions can be incorporated into academic lesson plans; for example one could do a story themed yoga class based on “Outer Space” and the poses used would stimulate a child’s imagination to become an astronaut who would have to train very hard by running on the spot and doing a few sit-ups before they can fly the spaceship. Using aeroplane pose children can be asked to calculate the wingspan of their wings in centimetres or meters, then count backwards to blast off and let the space ship fly past the different planets calling them out as they zoom past them but watch out as meteorites are aiming straight for the spaceship, so how can partners work together as a team to dodge them before landing safely on the moon? The session would end with a short meditation or deep breathing exercises. Wow! In just one session the children have covered all aspects essential to their well-being in a holistic approach and to top it all off they would be rested and calm at the end of the practice.

Some of the benefits that the children will experience from a holistic approach to sport are:
• Develop strong, limber and healthy bodies.
• Set a lifelong foundation for well-being.
• Increase focus, concentration, and attention span.
• Cultivate self-esteem, setting patterns of success and achievement.
• Learn to relax, sleep better, and make healthy food choices.
• Cope with stress more effectively.
• Improve balance and co-ordination.
• Teach children about rhythm and body awareness.
• Helps with brain balancing, number learning and geometry

Studies and reports have displayed numerous benefits to children practicing various holistic sports; a 2003 study by the University of California of children in a Los Angeles school found that children who had frequent yoga instruction saw significant increases in children’s self esteem, as well as overall fitness, academic performance, and even a decrease in discipline problems as students felt more relaxed and were more respectful of their peers!

The American Journal of Medicine and Sports, (Vol III, Number II, March/April 2001) lists a series of studies showing that tai chi can improve concentration, focus, performance, physical and emotional balance, can reduce blood pressure, anxiety and depression, can improve reactions to stressful situations and can improve our overall health by enhancing our immune system. (www.taichiforkids.com)
Children’s yoga has even been on CNN with reporter Ashley Fantz stating that yoga is being used to treat hyperactivity with a reduction of prescription medication being given to children as their energy levels start to lower and children’s self-esteem are being boosted as they have an outlet for their emotions. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/13/kids.yoga/. A great book helping children to learn and release their emotions through yoga is Yoga Calm written by Lynea Gillen and Jim Gillen.

The number one benefit of a holistic sport is that it is FUN! Children get to engage in imagery and young children between 3 and 6 years love to act out the poses with accompanying sounds like barking when doing the down dog pose or meowing in cat pose. The older children start to enjoy the challenge of holding poses for longer periods of time and learning about new ways to move their bodies and test their physical and mental limits. Five year old Isabelle stated that she enjoys using yoga when retelling her favourite stories to her parents and four year old Oliver loves to see how low his aeroplane pose can get to the ground before it crashes.

Teachers also receive the same amazing benefits from practicing yoga, pilates or tai chi with their students; as Mrs. Finn Adams in Perth has stated; “I feel so much calmer yet energised after a yoga session” and Miss Fleyfel from Success said that “It is much more enjoyable to teach the children now as there are no more screaming and shouting kids bouncing off the walls and I feel much calmer too.”

Holistic sports bestows its benefits on every participant regardless of physical capabilities and is thus also well suited for children with ADHD, Autism, Down syndrome and Cerebral Palsy to name just a few. Schools catering to children with special needs are embracing this approach to help their students with special needs release pent-up anger and frustrations, receive right-brain stimulation, enhance self-control and relaxation, refine creativity, increase cognitive and motor skills whilst still helping young bodies to become stronger and healthier.

Again, if you are looking for ways to help calm your students, improve communication, develop a safe school community and have fun at the same time then consider introducing holistic sports, you only have peace and tranquillity to look forward too.

Wow! Can you believe that my couple of seedlings have turned into a full grown vegetable garden! We have 6 nearly fully grown broccolis, cauliflower, tomatoes on the vines, spinach and lots of lettuce growing. We had broccoli in our curry last night and for the first time in months I didn’t have to coax Shayla to eat all of it up! I nearly fell off my chair when she proudly showed me her bowl and said that was the best broccoli she’s ever eaten!
We’re even composting now and I don’t know who’s prouder of the garden Shayla or me? Anyone can start up their own vegie patch, it’s really quite easy and very rewarding!

Kids Yoga 3-8 years

Upcoming Events

On the 17th of August I will be teaching a yoga class at the Claremont Kids Club at the Claremont Quarter at 9:30am, if you are in the area come and join us! My books will also be on sale that morning.

I will also be teaching two courses at Challenger Institute of Technology Centre for Adult Education in August. Please contact the institute if you wish to book in for either of the courses or click here.

YOGA & MASSAGE FOR SPECIAL NEEDS
Heathcote Campus 58-60 Duncraig Road, APPLECROSS

Sun 8/08/10 – 8/08/10 11:00AM – 3:00PM
Room: Rottnest

CHILD DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PLAY
Heathcote Campus 58-60 Duncraig Road, APPLECROSS

Sun 22/08/10 – 22/08/10 11:00AM – 3:00PM Room: Rottnest

Cold or Allergy?

I read an interesting article in Alive Australia where allergies can be mistaken for a cold during the winter months. A cold can be identified if you have a fever, sore or scratchy throat, a congested or purulent nasal discharge and watery eyes. An allergy can cause sneezing, sniffing and a runny nose.

If your child has a cold closely moderate his temperature, if your child runs a fever for more than three days make an appointment with your doctor to make sure it’s nothing more serious. Only give medicine that your doctor prescribes – unfortunately a cold is a virus and antibiotics won’t clear it up, you just need to let it run its course but during this time make sure that you get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids (avoid soda’s and too much fruit juice, water is best) and stay home to avoid spreading the germs.

Allergies are exaggerated reactions of the immune system to substances that don’t cause symptoms in most people. Those reactions can come in the form of:
Skin rashes (typically from chemicals)
Runny and stuffy noses (from dust, pollen, etc.)
Itchy eyes (from dust, pollen, etc.)
Upset stomach or intestines (from food allergies)
Coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing or any distress to the respiratory system (from any kind of allergen)

http://ask.doctoroz.com/question/whats-an-allergy

Winter allergies are aggravated by spending too much time indoors where there are plenty of allergens lurking around. Dust contains mites, mould and pollen which can aggravate the immune system so regular vacuuming and dusting of the home is recommended. Also clean shower curtains and ceilings where mould can accumulate.

Cigarette smoke and perfumes can also cause reactions and so too can pets so make sure that they are clean, limit cuddling times and make sure they don’t sleep in the bedroom with you at night.

To stave off allergens make sure that you eat a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C, consider taking Bush Flower Essences specifically formulated to boost your immune system and get outdoors for fresh air and exercise.

Read Winter 2010 Issue No 4 of the Alive Australia Magazine for the full article.

Friday night I babysat a 14 year old autistic boy and four young girls. It was a real eye opener to me as although I work with a lot of children who have special needs with most being diagnosed as autistic for a few hours at a time I forgot that it’s a full-time “job” for the parents/carers who look after these children.

His mom can be described as a fast-paced CEO who never misses a beat; I was in awe at how she managed to run the home, look after three children and still kept her cool having 5 visitors and then another 5 uni students running around getting ready for a party night. Routines are set in place to make sure that her son feels safe and secure in his home. She places a lot of trust into people who help look after her son and I was humbled by her opening her home and placing her son’s life in my hands.

I have often said to parents and teachers who care for special needs children that they deserve a medal for what they go through each day but after just a few hours I realised that a medal is not enough; these amazing carers need a lot more than that; they need support and they need understanding by the community.

My challenge to you is to do at least one good deed for a family who has to take care of a child with special needs; this could be cooking a meal for them, helping out with the washing or ironing or even offering to babysit for a few hours so that the parents can have some time out.

Went to a great marketing conference today held by The Woo. I am just sorry that I missed Sarah’s talk on copywriting as I am really interested in this (I had to get back to my PIES Wellbeing class). I’ve been to a few marketing presentations now and have read a few books on the subject and so today was good to confirm that I am on the right track but that I still need to tweak a few things.

I really need some client input here please? I need your thoughts and opinions:

1) How do you feel when you leave after a session with me?
2) What feelings does my website evoke in you when you look at it?
3) What information do you want to get from my website?
4) What needs of yours and your children are not being met?

There are still some other changes that I need to make but I want to hold a focus group with a select amount of clients to find the right solution to your needs, wants and desires. I’ll be posting out an invite to you soon.

Thank you to everyone who emailed me stating that they felt inspired to start their own vegie patch and wanting to know how our vegetables are doing?

Shayla’s enjoyed picking fresh herbs to use in our cooking and is even eating spinach now! Yipee! The first flowers on the tomato and chilli plants showed their beautiful white petals this week which was cause for a big celebration and the lettuce tastes great in our salads.

If you can recall I divided the seedlings up and planted some into pots with half of the pots going into the plastic greenhouse, some into a trough and some in the garden. The plants in the greenhouse have grown the fastest and look great, the plants in the big pots are also doing well. Unfortunately half of the plants in the trough have died and the plants in the garden are no bigger than when I planted them two months ago!

The sage hasn’t survived and the rocket seems to be getting smaller instead of bigger. So there’s been some hits and misses which I’ll keep in mind for when I transplant these vegies into bigger pots and for my future vegetable garden (when I have my own house) All in all it has been quite an enjoyable process and I can’t believe that after two months Shayla still runs outside every morning to check how much her vegies have grown!

I look after my daughter Mondays and Wednesdays and have Fridays free; I want to look after children during this time at my home. I am caring, energetic, calm and am passionate about helping children reach their full potential. I have 15 years experience of looking after and working with children. I use a Montessori –type setting in raising my own child and each day incorporates a yoga session, arts ‘n crafts, right brain training and explorative activities in local parks or we go on outings to the zoo, museums, farms and Scitech.

A fixed daily rate can be agreed upon should you want your child/ren to be looked after for a full-day at my home. I am available from 8am to 5:30pm on the above mentioned days until the 15th of December. Please feel free to contact me should you require more information or would like to meet with me.

Contact Natalie on 0401 544 493 or natalie.crabb@holistickids.com.au

I need your help; Zumba has taken Australia by storm and I have the opportunity to start an adults class in Term 3 and as you know I have an adults yoga class starting as well. So I need to know what you would prefer to do and when:

1. Zumba only class
2. Yoga only class
3. Zumba and yoga class combined – 25 minutes Zumba, 25 minutes yoga and 10 minutes meditation/relaxation

Days and Times:

1. Tuesday mornings 9am
2. Wednesday evenings 7pm
3. Thursday mornings 9am
4. Thursday evenings 7pm

Please send me an email with your response and as a thank you for taking the time to let me know your preferences I will send you a 20% discount voucher off the class term fees.

I was at a party last week and a friend was telling us about this 5 year old boy in her daughter’s class that has been causing havoc in the school and has now earned the title of “The naughty boy”. He comes from a dysfunctional family where drugs and alcohol are involved. His grandparents are now looking after him but they seem to be uninterested and burdened by this responsibility.

One particular afternoon the grandmother was shouting at the boy in the school carpark stating that if he didn’t get into the car right away she was going to leave him behind, well she left him behind! So this 5 year old boy walked home by himself!

My friend was horrified to watch him walk by himself so she proceeded to follow him to make sure that he hot home safely but she was scared to offer him a lift in her car as she had first-hand witness of the behaviour from the adults in his life and she was just not going to risk her and her children’s lives. Thus the same question arises; when do you get involved in other people’s lives and how do you help these children without making the situation worse?

We were at the park the other afternoon and there was a group of 6 children ranging from about 4 years to ten years old. They were swearing and spitting at each other, curses flew past just as quickly as the sand aimed at each other’s eyes did and the eldest child of the group decided to test out his Spiderman skills by climbing onto the shade sails through a torn hole (that wasn’t there the day before).

There were no parents or carers in sight and within 5 minutes of arriving at the park two families left the play park with crying in kids in tow screaming; “But we just got here” and the parents trying to explain; “It’s just too dangerous.” A father with his two young daughters and four other girls arrived and as he walked past me he said; “I see the ferrals have invaded the park”. It was interesting to watch as the “good” kids instinctively moved to the furthest side of the play park well away from the “bad” kids. Even Shayla made a comment that these kids scared her but she was adamant on not leaving as this was her playtime.

Along came the man’s wife and did what I was too scared to do- she quickly gave the unruly kids a very stern warning! I must admit that she put the fear of God into me too and I definitely would not like to come up against her in a fight. Only after she spoke up did her husband add his two cents worth. Well the kids thought that it would be funny to test the boundaries and the mother told them off again and thereafter her husband and another father that arrived also gave stern warnings and eventually the ball that the kids were kicking and aiming at the younger children got confiscated by one of the dads. It took four adults to get the unruly kids out of the play park area.

I’m not one for confrontation, I’m a peacekeeper but if my daughter’s life was in danger I’d be a tiger and go in for the kill (this situation luckily didn’t warrant that). I however felt very sorry for these children as they also wanted to play but it was obvious that they had never been taught basic manners and social etiquette; it was not their fault but their parent’s. One thing that I found interesting about this situation was that there needed to be a fearless leader to stand up to the unruly kids before the others would follow suit and two questions arose: “When is it ok to discipline other people’s children?” And “What is going to happen to these children if their parents aren’t providing the support they need?”

Please leave your thoughts and comments on the blog.

From the 12th to the 16th July enjoy creating dream catchers, crystal healing kits, aromatherapy monster cuddly toys, herbal soaps and canvas painting.

Times: 10am-12pm
Cost: $35 per child per session or discounted to $150 for the week includes food and art materials
Ages: 3-10 years
RSVP: 1 July with full payment

Club Penguin

For the past year I have had two students talk excitedly about Club Penguin, each week our sessions end in a 5 minute discussion of puffle pets, snowball fights, new friends and exciting challenges that they have encountered that week. All of their enthusiasm and awe-inspiring attitude towards responsibility and compassion for looking after a pet and their maturity in making and maintaining good friendships with others led them to create a Club Penguin account for myself!

Now I am definitely an advocate of getting children outside and in fresh air and let them have fun and limit their TV and computer time but I am now a Club Penguin convert (with a time limit) This snow-covered virtual world aimed at children from 6 years old provides a safe and monitored environment for children to chat to others, develop their imagination through playing roles in stage plays, attend parties and events and introduces children to responsibility, social and online etiquette.

You won’t find bullies, bad language or private details being exchanged on Club Penguin as it is closely moderated with access to a moderator at all times , has a virtual neighbourhood watch where children can become secret agents and with chat filters and only pre-approved words and phrases being allowed through. Best of all parents are able to set time limits and thus monitor their child’s computer usage.

For more information or to join your child up as a Club Penguin member click here: http://www.clubpenguin.com/

Term 2 Timetable

Hello All!

The March Newsletter contains an article on the learning curves experienced by autistic children and there will be a more in depth article on the blog as well.

Don’t forget that there will be free entertainment at the expo being held at the George Burnett Leisure Centre in Manning this Saturday. I will be having two yoga demonstrations at 11am and 12:20pm and will be giving away spot prizes to those that join in during the session. There’ll also be a raffle! So please come along as your support will be greatly appreciated.

The upcoming workshops for March are the Kids Crystal Workshop being held on the 13th at 1:30pm, a PIES Wellbeing Personal Development Workshop on the 20th at 1:30pm and a Parent’s Crystal and Herb Workshop on the 27th at 1:30pm. For more information please view the newsletter or feel free to contact me.

I’m already taking bookings for the April Holiday Workshops which are running from the 12th – 16th of April, these sessions are strictly limited to 12 children so book in early to avoid disappointment.

On a final note I am looking for three families to partake in an eight week yoga and massage program delivered to help children with special needs. This will be a FREE program! If you would like more information please contact me on 0401 544 493.

Enjoy your March!!

Term 1 Timetable