Merry Christmas!! 2003 has been a banner year for the Bub Hub and we would like to thank those of you who are referring us to
your family and friends. We are now being visited by more than 10,000 parents and receiving 240,000+ hits per week.
In 2004, we intend to continue the sites' development into regional Australia - not to mention the addition of a sixth and final
section for the ACT, NT and Tasmania later this month.
The quality of the site is a reflection of the hard work put in by the team at the Bub Hub, the support of all the listed businesses,
our advertisers and the constant feedback from BubHubbers. To repay your support, we have put together a
Christmas Hamper and invite you all to enter for your chance to win one of the
50+ great prizes (see below for details).
This month our features are:
 Family Day Care from Methyr Family Day Care;
The Bub Hub Xmas Hamper bought to you by over 50 business and the Bub Hub Team;
Music Makes the Difference by Kindermusik
Our friends at Huggies are once again offering parents a chance to win a six month supply of nappies -
click here
for more details. Congratulations to the winners of last months Milton Baby Care and Parentbytes prize draws (see box to the right) and good
luck to those entering the Christmas Hamper.
Holiday time can often mean travelling and a change in routine. The ‘Going Out’ section has information on travelling safely with
baby as well as details of things to do including local parks, play centres, book readings, child friendly
restaurants and more (see quick page links for your state in box to the right).
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Competition Winners
November Newsletter
Milton Survey
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Milton would like to thank everyone who completed the survey in the Nov 03 newsletter. The feedback is valuable in
assisting Milton to better understand the level of awareness of the benefits of using Milton. Baby's are extremely vulnerable to
dangerous germs, especially during the first 12 months before they build there own immunity.
Congratulations goes to Ian Merrett from Pialba
who wins $250 worth of Woolworth's shopping vouchers. These will come in handy with the Xmas food shopping bill.
Parentbytes Giveaway
Disney Interactive Learning Packs
• Narita Perrotta
• Christine Lodge
• Lynda Merrick
• Amanda Hack
• Mandii Parkinson
Congratulations! Your prizes will in the post shortly. For those of you who missed out,
enter our Christmas Hamper Draw for your chance to win!
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View the going out - funtime page for your state:
NSW
QLD
SA
VIC
WA
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If any of our pregnant readers are about to go on maternity leave and would like to receive future copies of the newsletter at a
different email address (particularly if you currently receive your copy at work), please email us the details of both your old
and new address so that we can update our mailing list.
Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2004!
The Bub Hub Team
www.bubhub.com.au
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As we've seen from this month's survey, child care can sometimes be very difficult to find. Family Day Care is a great option for
parents and to give us more information about this form of care, Methyr Family Day Care in Brisbane, have kindly co-ordinated the
following articles and images for us.
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What is Family Day Care?
Family Day Care is a childcare service that provides care for children in a home environment through approved family day care
carers.
Carers are experienced, skilled individuals who earn an income by providing care within their own homes for small groups of
children – only four or five children, depending on state legislation.
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Professional staff from a local coordination unit work in partnership with carers in supporting children’s learning and
development while offering support to both carers and families. Coordination unit staff develop supportive relationships with
families and are experts about home based child care standards, fostering the highest possible quality care environment for
children.
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What makes Family Day Care a quality choice for families?
Family Day Care offers individual attention to children in a small group setting and combines the benefits of other child care
options with the warmth and intimacy of growing up at home.
It is governed by regulations and standards and operates under the guidelines of a national accreditation system.
At the centre of quality family day care are the direct providers of the care – Family Day Care Carers.
Carers ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of children in their care while working with families to provide excellent care
experiences for children. They often develop long term relationships with families and provide a link with community, care and
education services.
Their role not only encompasses providing quality care to children but also support to families – effective modelling of child care
skills: information and advice about children’s health and development; links to the community; a bridge between families.
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"I tend to think that if babies can be in a secure environment – if not the home, family based, family day care, grandma – somewhere where they’re secure and cosy, I think, is better for them”
Dr John Irvine, Channel 7 Sunrise program, March 2003
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"Family Day Care carers play a very important role in helping families meet their child care needs by providing flexible, high
quality care”
Prime Minister John Howard - Launch of Family Day Care Quality Assurance System
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What about safety?
Coordinators regularly visit to advise care providers and check that health and safety standards are being met. Care providers
are required to use appropriate car restraints for children, have first aid training, provide adequate sleeping arrangements,
have a safe home.
Carers and all adult members of their household undergo a criminal history check.
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Who uses Family Day Care?
Families who use Family Day Care could be described in many ways and fit many profiles. They are all kinds of families, with all
kinds of needs – simple through to complex. Parents could be in the workforce or at home. Children could have a disability or
come from a family where English is not their first language.
Family Day Care’s flexibility means it can meet the needs of a wide variety of families.
With its warm, home-like environment, individual attention to children in a small group setting and ability to provide care for
children from a very young age, Family Day Care is often the choice of many women returning to or entering the workforce
after childbirth.
Family Day Care also supports families that work in industries requiring a high degree of flexibility, such as nursing or
hospitality, or families located in remote or rural areas of Australia, where often Family Day Care is the only child care option
available.
Family Day Care is a service that can cater for a family’s needs for care for children under school age as well as before and
after school care for school age children all in the same home.
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Want to EARN AN INCOME FROM HOME as a Family Day Care Provider?
Quality family day care providers are always in demand.
ph: 1800 670 305
for more information
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National Family Day Care Council of Australia
ph: 1800 670 305
For contact details of individual Family Day Care Associations in your state, go to the Child Care page in your state (quick
links in the box to the right)
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What a fantastic hamper we've been able to put together - thanks to generous donations from many of the companies whose services
we detail on the Bub Hub. We have over 50 prizes worth
over $4,500 in total value!
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Prizes range from parenting workshops, exercise classes, baby carriers and babysitting services to food hampers, clothing, nursery accessories,
pregnancy massages, cds, dvds, toys, books, store vouchers...plus much, much more.
Because there are so many great prizes, we don't have the space to include details here and have just given you a taster with a small selection
of photos only. Click on your state Bub Hub using the links in the box above to the right to read more
about the fantastic array of prizes available! (You'll need to visit your state page to find the answer to the competition question!)
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The ‘Learning & Development Section’ of the Bub Hub is one of the most popular on the site as many parents are keen to
investigate ways to give their children needed skills. The ‘Learning Through Play, Music, Movement & Craft’
page in particular combines learning with fun and we have asked one of the Bub Hub’s major Sponsors, Kindermusik,
for an overview of their programme.
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View the learning through play, music, movement & craft page for your state:
NSW
QLD
SA
VIC
WA
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Every child has musical aptitude
Every child is born with musical aptitude, but if it’s not nurtured early, it can fail to develop. Being “unmusical” is more an outcome of poor training or lack of opportunity than from lack of ability.
Research published in early 2001 indicates that babies are born with perfect pitch - it’s how they are able to recognise their mother’s voice and learn language. But if they don’t learn to use it, then they lose it. Early childhood music classes help a child to retain and enhance that fundamental musical skill.
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Music increases memory and reasoning capacity, and eloquence
Experiments in Hungary in the 1950s explored why children studying at special music kindergartens and primary schools had
higher academic scores than those at mainstream schools. The studies concluded that learning and playing music improved not
just academic performance, but also memory, reasoning and cooperation.
Music improves concentration, memory and self-expression
A two year study in Switzerland run with 1200 children in more than 50 classes scientifically showed how playing music
improved children’s reading and verbal skills through improving concentration, memory and self expression. The study also
showed that children learned to like each other more, enjoyed school more (as did their teachers) and were less stressed.
Music improves the ability to think
Ongoing studies have shown that learning and playing music builds and modifies neural pathways. We are born with all our
brain cells but neural pathway connections are made after we are born. Music helps improve these neural pathways in every
area of brain development.
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Why should my child learn Music?
Society has believed for many years that children should learn music as part of a well rounded, balanced education. Today,
children are expected to learn much more and parents often have to decide which subjects their child must drop. The answer
is: Not music!! There is too much research to show that music is what helps all the other subjects they have to do.
When should my child start to learn Music?
Any time is a good time, but the earlier the better. The important thing is to match your child’s musical experiences with their
developmental stage and to establish music as an ongoing part of their life.
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Kindermusik; a good beginning never ends.
For over 20 years Kindermusik has been and still is the world’s most respected name in musical learning for young children.
Every aspect of the Kindermusik program is based on these beliefs:
• every child is musical
• the parent is the child's most important teacher
• the home is the most important place for learning to take root and grow
• based on research, music nurtures a child's cognitive, emotional, social,
language and physical development
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From birth through seven years of age, with the caring guidance of a trained and licensed Kindermusik educator, your child can
grow with Kindermusik without pressure to perform, only encouragement to explore, express and discover. You'll see a
developmental evolution in language skills, literacy, listening, problem solving, social skills, self-esteem and musicality!
You’ll be involved in every stage of your child’s Kindermusik experience with the At Home materials. These include music,
literature and activities, which extend the fun and discovery of our classes into the home to foster special times of connecting
between parent and child.
Begin your child’s special musical journey today – and from the classroom to your home, you can make everyday a
Kindermusik day!
Call us today for your introductory $10 gift voucher and give your child a gift that will last a lifetime, the gift of music.
Kindermusik
locations: classes throughout Australia
ph: 1300 721 722
website: national website
If you enjoyed this newsletter and you have friends or family who you think would enjoy it too, please
forward it on. Remember to ask them to sign up for their own copy for future months. Subscribing also makes you eligible for many of our Prize Draws!
If you wish to unsubscribe from this newsletter, please click here.
Website address: www.bubhub.com.au
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