If you have a young child , you may be already thinking about the transition to school, or maybe you are not at this stage yet.  Having a 4 years old son, this topic it is very much on the agenda in my house - with Kindy next year and then the Big School.

How to know when your child is ready for that transition? Some parents decide to send their kids a year before they must be enrolled, others wait. Parents have their own reasoning for deciding one way or another. What I find is the parents who sent their kids earlier, will usually try to tell you why you should do the same and opposite. It is important that you make the decision based around your child, not other people's opinion. You know your child best.

‘School readiness’ is a measure of the knowledge, skills and behaviours that enable children to participate and succeed in school. Sometimes we think that school readiness means reading, writing, and doing basic maths before starting school. But this isn’t the case! School readiness is about the development of the whole child, their social and emotional skills, physical skills, communication skills and cognitive skills. Children cannot thrive at school if they haven’t developed the skills to manage things like getting along with other children, following instructions, and communicating their needs. Research shows that children who start school when developmentally ready to learn tend to do better in school, setting them up for further success later in life. Children will demonstrate a range of skills, capabilities, behaviours and strengths to indicate their ‘School readiness’. These more include:

• Social skills: Being able to get along with other children, demonstrate basic manners, assert themselves, and being able to play independently as well as with other children.
• Emotional maturity: Being able to manage their emotions, cope with minimal adult contact in large groups, focus on tasks, follow directions and instructions from teachers, cope with the stress of the new school environment, and understand the rules.
• Language skills: Being able to talk and listen to adults and other children, speak clearly, communicate needs, understand stories, and begin to identify some letters and sounds.
• Cognitive Skills: Basic number sense, basic thinking skills, being able to wait and take turns.
• Physical health and coordination: Basic health, fine motor skills (such as being able to grip a pencil and turn pages in a book) and physical coordination (being able to run, jump, climb, and play ball).
• Independence: Basic skills to manage their needs without adult supervision, such as going to the toilet, dressing, unwrapping their lunch and managing their belongings.  

Knowledge is power - if we know what to look for and what we need to check, we will make better choices for our children.
My close friend, who sent both of her Sons to school a year earlier shared a very interesting point (that it would never crossed my mind) She said " My 14 years old son, who is a year younger that most of his friends at School, refused to celebrate his birthdays, because he wants to be just like them -15, not only 14. He is already devastated about waiting a year longer than his friends to get his L." If only I knew how much trouble this would caused in the future, I would never sent my kids earlier".

In saying that, what if your child gets bored at Kindy and it is ticking all the boxes for readiness? No other choice than send him/her earlier.

Remember that whether you choose a small or large school it also should be decided upon your child's need. If you have a shy child, maybe a small school would be better than a large one, and opposite - a child, who loves people, is extravert may love a big school and have no problem to adapt there. 

My son, who has been at the childcare since he was 16 months old, will start Kindy next year, and then Reception. That's the plan for now. I feel that he is not school ready and will benefit from being at Kindy first. Future will show if that was the right decision.

Good luck - do your own research.  I hope this post makes the decision a little bit easier.

Thank you for reading

Iwona

This is a good question and there isn't one answer for it... It depends on a number of things : mainly the size of your wallet (or maybe a size of your phone as no one carries a wallet any more :) How much $ you have in your budget will determine what product/products you are going to buy for your child/children. Of course the more children you have the budget shrinks,and that is totally understandable and pretty normal. Also your spending habits - are you Kmart shopper that goes to get $5 basket and come home with $200 worth of stuff that you don't need but it was so pretty OR Are you a Shopper that buys what you need and doesn't buy things just because they were on sale or this art was so pretty you couldn't resist it...
Well.. I used to be the type 1 (Tkmaxx shopper though). Did not see anything wrong with buying often and usually a lot, mainly things I didn't need it - ended up having way too much of everything: clothes, kitchen items, Manchester, decorations, you name it...  

March 2019 is the time when my transformation started (not overnight), it was a process (I guess it still is) -First I watched the documentary on Netlix called: Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things. I really liked it but didn't think straight away it would be the path I choose later on to learn and absorb into my every day life. I then read and look for some other information on the internet.  As you can imagine ,there is heaps.  What got me interested in this concept is that those people, who call themselves 'Minimalists" have been all saying the same things - that their life was in order, they found more time, they had more money, less is more, more meaningful life, and overall they were much happier. I definitely wanted to try and see if this was going to work for me. Slowly, I started de-cluttering my home, and my life. I let go of so many things I didn't want it anymore  (they didn't add any value to my life).  I must admit ,the process itself is quite amazing. 

1.5 years later I can confirm to you-  IT WORKS - I feel happier, I own less stuff, I have more money and my life is so much more fullfed than before.

So, what that has to do with how much money you should spend on Kids shoes? Well it does. If you an average person spending $100 -$150 on kids shoes isn't cheap. It is not cheap for me as well and it is an expense that I would need to think about . Now, if you stop buying all those things you don't need, you will end up with so much money in your bank account that you can't even imagine (everything adds up really quickly, even when you shop at Kmart and everything is so cheap). You can then allocate this money into something that is worth spending on, like good quality shoes for your children. Because you buy less, you tend to think more about every purchase and then usually buy better quality (it is funny but it works this way). I hope you get where I was going with this 'minimalism'.

Another aspect, which is worth considering - have a look at your toddler shoes. How many pairs do  they own, and how much money did you spend on them? What quality are they and does your child wear it all? For example if you have 5 pairs of cheap to average shoes ($30*5 =$150). I don't know about you but I would rather 2 pairs of good shoes than 5 or 6 that are synthetic, don't support my child's walking and posture, poorly designed etc. Correct me if I'm wrong but I did my research and was not able to find shoes for kids that tick the healthy requirements here in Australia. Yes, I did find soft leather shoes, but they either don't have flexible sole, too narrow at the front, too hard etc. It still amazes me that in such a developed country it is so hard to find HEALTHY Kids shoes.  What shocks me even more is the comments I hear from other mums : "I would NEVER spend $100 on shoes ' , They grow out of them so quickly" etc... Yes it is true, children grow out of the shoes very quickly but PROPER shoes are extremely important to their overall health.  Don't compromise on your children's shoes. I would rather have my kids wear cheaper clothes but would buy footwear that I know I can trust. This is my job as a mother - to look after my children's wellbeing! 

My 4 years old son Oscar, who 95% of his walking life wears Gucio,  went through some phases : at some stage he wanted to wear Paw Petrol $30 shoes from BIG W... After a month, he said ' Mummy I don't like them, they smell and my socks are wet, I want to wear Gucio". To me it is the best proof, and best spent money.  Even though I have access to the shoes, he only has 2 pairs at one time - one for everyday wear and one pair for going out, plus gumboots and thongs. That's it. We never needed more shoes and apart from those Paw Petrol shoes I never bought any other shoes for him. 

My message to you today is spend your heard earning money wise. I also try to support small, local businesses because I know how hard it is out there and they can only survive if people like you and I buy it from them. If not, we will end up with massive corporation only, with everything made in China.  I don't like that idea, hence trying to make change.  I put a lot of work to educate other parents on the importance of good not only first shoes, but shoes in general.  I hope you take something away from reading my post,

Thank you for reading it!

Iwona
Gucio Shoes 
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You don't need to buy your baby her first shoes until he/she is confidently walking around outside. While your baby is learning to walk around the house, let her go barefoot. She will be able to balance and coordinate her steps better if she can feel the ground beneath her feet.
Most children begin walking between 8 and 18 months of age. Some are physically and emotionally ready for that first step well before others, but don’t rush it — legs and feet develop best when babies learn to walk at their own pace.
When your child first starts to walk, they may have a tendency to walk up on their toes, or with their toes pointing inwards or outwards. This is quite common.
You should seek advice from your doctor or community health nurse if your child displays any of the following:

• Toes turn in or out a lot.
• One foot turns in or out much more than the other.
• Your child’s feet are turning in or out more than they were before.
• Walking independently doesn’t start by 18 months.
• Your child constantly trips or falls.
• Your child won’t put weight on one leg, or their walk does not look symmetrical.
• Your child has hip or knee pain, especially after running around.
• Your child is still walking on their toes by age 3.
• Your child’s shoes wear unevenly.
• There are skin rashes, bumps or lumps on your child’s feet.

You should also seek medical advice if your child has been walking well, but then begins to limp, waddle, or refuse to walk.
Most children are naturally active. Let your child walk at their own pace, and only for distances that they can cover without becoming too tired. If your child complains of pains in their legs and feet, it may be that they have done enough for the day. However, if they complain of pain every time they walk, it may be a good idea to have their feet examined.

Choosing the right shoes is extremely important. 
Once your child starts walking outside the home, they will need shoes to protect their feet. Poor fitting shoes can lead to foot deformities, so it’s important that you get shoes that fit properly right from the very start.
Here are some pointers for making sure your child has the right shoes:

• Shoes need to be the right length, breadth and depth. To make sure the dimensions are right, it’s a good idea to have your child’s feet measured each time you are buying shoes.
• The shoe should fit the foot’s natural shape, especially around the toes. The toes should be able to move freely and not be squashed.
• There should be about 1cm room to grow between the longest toe and the end of the shoe.
• Shoes should not be too loose or too tight around the heel.

Avoid shoes made from synthetic materials, as children’s feet perspire and need to be able to breathe.
Children don’t always complain when shoes start feeling tight, so it’s important you check regularly that your child’s shoes still fit properly.

Our shoes are podiatrist endorsed & tick all the boxes and requirements for healthy shoes and postures in accordance with Victorian Paediatric Orthopaedic Network. Shop Gucio Range

The main purpose of shoes is to protect your feet from the surface that you walk on. A baby that is not yet walking doesn’t need shoes. Even toddlers usually don't need shoes while they are moving about within the home.
Once your child starts walking outside the protected environment of the home, they will need shoes to protect their feet. Poor fitting shoes can lead to foot deformities, so it’s important that you get shoes that fit properly right from the very start.
Here are some pointers for making sure your child has the right shoes:

• Shoes need to be the right length, breadth and depth. To make sure the dimension are right, it’s a good idea to have your child’s feet measured each time you are buying shoes.
• The shoe should fit the foot’s natural shape. The toes should be able to move freely and not be squashed.
• Shoes should be lightweight, flexible, and fit securely onto feet. They should be comfortable around the heel and not be too loose or too tight.

Avoid shoes made from synthetic materials, as children’s feet perspire and need to be able to breathe.
Children don’t always complain when shoes start feeling tight, so it’s important you check regularly that your child’s shoes still fit properly. Make sure there is a 1cm space between their longest toe and the end of the shoe. If there’s not, it’s time to get a new pair of shoes.

All our shoes tick all the boxes and requirements for healthy shoes and posture in accordance with Victorian Paediatric Orthopaedic Network. Shop www.gucioshoes.com.au/shop.html#/
​Iwona

I'm always on the hunt to get some  good information about what to look for when buying good quality shoes. 

One of my customers from Melbourne recently sent me the fact sheet published by Victorian Paediatric Orthopedic Network (VPON). VPON fosters collaboration among paediatric orthopaedic care providers in Victoria. It is supported by the four specialist providers: Barwon Health, Monash Children’s at Southern Health, the Royal Children’s Hospital and Western Health.

I would love to share this with you as one of the reasons to have this blog is to raise awareness about importance of 'good" shoes for young children. I would love all moms  to learn how to choose a footwear that is a child's friend, not an enemy, and the shoes which will shape their feet properly, not damage it. I feel like there isn't enough information out there, and the topic about shoes is very much missed. 

Here are some valuable information straight from that fact sheet and then at the bottom, you see the link to the website and the full facts sheet. 

Most children begin to walk from around 12 to 18 months of age. For babies learning to walk, bare foot are best, so babies  can feet what they touch with their feet. Soft-soled, non-slip bootees are good way to keep them warm in cold weather and for protection if walking or crawling on rough surfaces.

Young children do not need to wear shoes until they have been walking on their own for about six weeks, and will need shoes to protect their feet outside. Shoes should fit well, and allow a little room for growth.

What to look for when buying shoes?

it is helpful to take your child to an experienced shoe fitter (never heard of one but will do more research on it)

• The sole of the shoe should be firm but lightweight and flexible. Check that the sole can bend near the toe (see figure 2 on the bottom of the post).​
• The front part of the shoes should be wider than the heel. This matches the natural shape of the foot  (see figure 3 on the bottom of the post).
• Shoes should have a firm heel cup. This means that the shoe or sandal should have a solid back. You should not be able to squeeze the sides of the back of the shoe together.
• Buckles and laces may provide more support than Velcro and elastic fasteners, especially for children with very narrow feet.

I'm very pleased and proud to say that our shoes tick all the boxes. We are 100% meeting the criteria of the paediatric association.   

I hope this post helped you at least a  bit to make an informative decision about  good shoes for your son, daughter, grandchild, nice, nephew, etc.

If you have read it, please leave a comment. It will mean a lot to me and encourage me to write more.

Thank you for sharing your valuable time to read my post.
​
Iwona (Vonnie)

Here is the link to view the factsheet (scroll all the way down to see the pdf) 
https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/about/publications/policiesandguidelines/Shoes

​Today Gucio celebrates his first Birthday in Australia... how exciting.. The brand itself has been on the market for much longer (23 years) and hopefully it will continue...

Looking back it feels like Gucio has been part of my life for much longer, not only for over a year. I have fallen in love with those cute, handmade leather shoes and I'm very pleased that the brand had found its fans here on the other side of the world.

A bit of a history today... How this all started... the owner and founder, Slawomir Piwowarczyk couldn't find good shoes for his children over 23 years ago, and  decided to make them from scratch..  The original idea was only for the pure purpose of getting good quality shoes for his kids, but then his friends asked Slawek to make shoes for their children, and so on..  There was a demand for a product, that was never made for a commercial scale..  What I love about Gucio is that there is no big marketing campaign behind, it's word of mouth as the shoes are so good, there is no need to advertise it. They are 100% hand made out of the best quality material, Slawek buys the leather from the best tanneries in Poland and does everything from the scratch.   In today's world, when a lot of things are done by the machines,the handcraft is something I really appreciate. that's one of the biggest points  as why I decided to work with Slawek and promote Gucio shoes here in Australia.

Once people try it, they love it and recommend it to their friends... The time will only shows if Gucio can stay here, but i strongly believe there is a gap for this type of a product in Australia.

Gucio are hand made, Here you can see how they are made. I find it quite fascinating 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXq5jBfNCR8&feature=emb_title 

Thank you for supporting my small business, it is because of  you that I'm still here and I hope i can continue throughout the harder times ahead of us


Iwona



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I like to start by looking at the definition of the topic that I'm writing about :

comfortable in one's own skin
(idiomatic) Relaxed and confident in one's manner of presenting oneself and interacting with others; conveying the impression that one has a clear, satisfying understanding of one's own abilities and situation.

We all have that one friend who is so clearly comfortable with herself. She's friendly, she shares her thoughts, stands with confidence, and doesn't seem to have a self-conscious bone in her body. And while that's great for her, if you don't feel comfortable in you own skin, it can be difficult to relate. 

It all comes down to self-worth — feeling that you are truly of value, no matter how you look or act or think or what others think of you. Not feeling comfortable in one’s own skin means not accepting who you truly are—seeing your strengths and weaknesses and learning to embrace them and work on personal growth as needed. Too many of us think 'If I just looked better, were skinnier, were more successful, then I’d feel comfortable in my own skin,' but it’s not about that at all.

Thinking that most women have complexes (including the most beautiful women), who also aren't happy about some parts of their body is kind of comforting. It also shows that we all have our own little struggles and things we don't like about ourselves, which is completely fine.  I think what's important is to accept the things we cannot change and change things we can..  We are way too hard on ourselves and put too much pressure on ourselves.. That big nose, disgusting skins, bags under eyes, fat, huge legs, etc..are mostly ONLY in our heads. Other people don't see it - they probably don't care about it too...

We are trying to be like the influences we see on Instagram, in the movies, on Facebook, etc. They look perfect - skinny with beautiful make up and amazing clothes on.. Look again and put in your head that these are unrealistic images,,, those women have their own personal trainers, dietitians, make up artist, wardrobe advises, and much more time that an average woman has..  and of course money money... 

If you are average women in Australia (size 14-16) you should consider yourself pretty happy. You have an amazing body, legs that take you from A to B ,arms that allow to hug your close ones, and do many other things, and brains which allow you to think...  Maybe your body doesn't appear perfect but if you are a mother, that body gave birth to a life. Isn't that incredible and something to cherish and be proud of? 

Accept yourself and love yourself, there is so many women out there who would give everything to be in your skin.  I know it can be hard to digest but that's true.

I'm very hard on myself too, and I know that it takes a lot to accept yourself but I did,, ,I even like myself too, because you can love someone but not necessary like them.. I love and like myself... 

Make it your new resolution for tomorrow - accept, love and like yourself - you are amazing and unique.

​Iwona
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If you look in the dictionary it will tell you that the definition of friendship is a state of being friends; friendly relation, or attachment, to a person, or between persons; affection arising from mutual esteem and good will; friendliness; amity; good will. That all sounds nice, but it doesn’t cover the fact that a true friendship is a relationship that can survive the test of time and remain unconditional.

Friendship can mean different things to different people. Fro some people it is simply the trust that someone will not hurt you. For others it might be unconditional love or just normal companionship. Whatever your own definition is, friendship is often considered as a mutual and agreeable relationship between two individuals, and that’s a good thing, as it has been said that a person who finds a true friend has found a priceless treasure.
 
Friendship is rarely one-sided though, as it takes two individuals to negotiate the boundaries in a relationship and a friendship will not survive very long if only one person is making the effort to sustain the relationship without any help or recognition from other person. Because it takes both positive and negative experiences to define a personality, it is essential to build your friendships with people who are compatible with you on both an emotional and psychological basis.

The reason for this post today is my recent struggles with people, some I thought were my friends and some possible friends...  We all know the relationships are hard, and it seems a bit like that with friendships too.  I have experienced a number of 'friendships", where I was the only one maintaining and making contact.  I organised bbqs, dinners, coffee catch ups, camping, movies etc... .  After a while I felt used, and  not important to my 'friends'.  It seemed all fine but I missed that input from another person.  What kind of true friends don't make any attempt to contact me? I'm not talking about every day, we are all busy and have our lives and responsibilities (I get that) but how come can you share and post 10 times a day on Facebook but you have no 5 minutes  to message and ask how am I going? Is it too much to ask? I don't think so...

So i decided to stop messaging my 'friends' and see what happens... Guess what? Majority just left it and no contact was made for months .. As long as I kept it going it was all sweet,, but unfortunately one sided friendships don't last very long...  It takes two to tango.. I felt so disappointed , and really gutted. People, who I thought cared about me really cared about themselves only. It hurts, and it hurts a lot.. But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...  I built resilience, and learn to keep the people, for whom I am important, and who care for me as much as I care for them. My circle of friends shrank significantly in the last year, but  I feel so much happier to have around true friends.... 

I say NO to people, who only message or call me when they need something, I say NO to people who don't give anything back, I say NO to energy eaters.

We can't choose our family but luckily we can choose our friends... Look around your circle to see who are the people you socialize with? Are they worth being in your life? Or maybe you are the one neglecting the friendships...  maybe it's time to give a little bit more to people you care about?

I'm not saying I"m a perfect friend.. I'm not.. But I try my best to be active in my friend's life as much as I can. 

I compare the friendship to a relationship - if you are not working on it, it will die. It is a commitment and it takes a lot to maintain a good friendships but the rewards are so worth it!!!  

'In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips'.

'Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart - Eleanor Roosevelt

'A good friend is like a four-leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have' -  Irish Proverb

'Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm & constant '- Socrates

Iwona

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Another year, and new's years resolutions, it's like a new beginning..  We find this new motivation to achieve things we failed last year or maybe there is new goals...  1 January comes and it feel like we can move the mountains...

Let's look at some stats.. And a bummer.. they don't look great... About 60% of us admit that we make New Year's resolutions but only 8% are successful in achieving them (pretty sad, don't you think).  Regardless of whether we achieved our previous resolutions, most of us go right ahead and make a new sets- hoping they will succeed this time...

Here are some interesting facts about the New Year's resolutions

• Saving money is one of the top five New Year's resolutions and also in the top five for most commonly failed.
• More than half of people  fail their resolution before the end of January.
• Women make health-focused resolutions while men pledge to find a new job and lay off the alcohol.

It's pretty depressing so far hey.. looks like we don't have much chances looking at those stats above...

In 2019 on the top of the list was diet or eat healthier, exercise more, lose weight, save more and spend less, learn a new hobby, quit smoking, drink less, find another job and spend more time with friends and family.. Sounds familiar? 

Why is is so hard to keep the new year's resolutions then? I believe there is a number of things contributing to the end result.

First you have to realize that 1 January is only symbolic and won't make ANYTHING happen unless you are determined to achieve your goals.  It really does not matter if set your goals on 11 November or 1 January...
The goals itself must be SMART (Specific, measurable, achievable,  and timely). 

If you plan to put aside $500 a week, but after paying all your bills you have $300 left it is already a failure before you start... If you want to lose 10kg and planning to do within a month because you need be size 8 for your next holiday- well another failure ...Remember to plan it well and stick to it.

I don't usually make new year's resolutions,. I try to work on myself all year round and my decision to change something come when I need it,.. I feel I don't need to wait until the new year to start losing weight or save more money, or whatever else it may be...

Whatever your resolutions are I wish you win this race, just remember to plan well!

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. 

Iwona

As of now 6 January 2020  at 6am there is 136 fires, which continue to burn across NSW and more across the country.

It is so devastating and upsetting.. I don't even know what to say, and if anything I say would make any difference. However I feel it's important to talk about it..
People have lost everything in these horrendous fires - their homes, their loved ones and most importantly their souls.. It will take years to recover from this national tragedy. 

We are so lucky to have an amazing Fire Fighters who have been HEROES , LIFESAVERS and MENTORS.  Again, no words to describe these wonderful individuals, who put their life at risk to defend our communities. It is a modern war, war with the nature that we have lost... We must fight to the end and make changes in our environment as the climate change is the real thing, and we have a proof now.. The Government must act, and our Prime Minster better do something about it.

As much as the stories are disturbing, it is wonderful to see  people uniting and fighting together as ONE. There is so many up lifting stories about survival, the crisis not only brings us closer but opens up the areas in our hearts we never knew we had. 

If you have a home to go to, and your family is alive you are richer than you think, and you MUST give back.,,, to those who were less fortunate than us... I am the lucky one for now too. ..
Please open your hearts and wallets, donate- if you can't help with cash, volunteer whenever you can, I'm sure there is plenty of work to be help with. 

We are on the mission to re-build our beautiful country, that will never ever be the same. 

I believe only people's generosity can bring back the faith, and hope to those who lost it together with those burning fires.

Be safe this fire season

Iwona