
Family
Survival tips & Advice

Surviving Parenting can be likened to walking into a mine field when it comes to certain topics. Remember, as a parent to always trust your instincts – when you think that something is wrong with your child, you are probably right.
Be informed; go to appointments armed with questions that are bothering you – whether it be parent-teacher evenings or when consulting with medical specialists. Ask questions regarding situations or procedures and investigate when you are not comfortable with the answers you have been given.
Latest Articles
Are your children contributing?
A key issue in developing stable, interactive, confident, happy children is that of CONTRIBUTION! This is very important! It creates a sense of belonging, of involvement and of ownership.
A Ladies' Guide to Better Boating!
by Outdoor Guy
Follow this simple advice, and your boating experience might get a whole lot better, and you as a women, might take a liking to boating, which is predominantly a male world. Because in the end, Men are from Mars and women are from…wait a minute…there’s no water on Mars, right?
Parent-Friendly Holiday Tips
So finally, the silly season is upon us, it’s time to put your feet up and relax in the sun with a good book and a cool drink. But ...
Learning To Live And Love With Addictions
No one can really describe what love is. It is in itself, hard enough to grasp being clean and sober! - Now being in active addiction for most of your life, the concept of love is something of a disastrous mystery!
Positive Discipline And Guidance For Parents
One of our biggest concerns in raising well-balanced, confident children that can make good decisions for themselves is Discipline.
Every Parent Is In Marketing
With this generation, authority does work (sometimes), particularly in the early years when “because I am your parent and I said so” still has some magical power to it, or if you have actively positioned yourself as a hero in your child’s life story.
Sensory Intelligence For 21st Century Parents
The Sensory Tree™ - a unique and easy way to understand sensory profiles: Annemarie Lombard designed the Sensory Tree to describe and demystify people’s sensory profiles.
Top Tips For Mommies
Ten articles from the Spice4life archives aimed at helping moms (and dads!)
ADHD Children With Heart Disease
National ADHD day is celebrated on the 14th September, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA would like to raise awareness about the need for cardiac monitoring of ADHD children and adolescents with heart disease who are being treated with stimulant medication.
Organising Tips For Working Parents
Where there is a lot of advise that we can cover on this extensive topic I would just like to highlight these tips to help you create some normality in your currently chaotic life:
You've Been Poxed
“Hey Chicken, you’ve been POXed!” “What?” - is my immediate response when my beloved friend calls to say her four year old has chicken pox – the day after a “snot-infested playdate” at our home.
Protecting Our Precious Possessions
Sadly and totally shockingly, not a day goes by that we don’t open up the newspaper or magazine, listen to the radio or watch the news or even surf the web without seeing or hearing about another young child that has gone missing.
Protect Our Children
What you are going to read might shock you, but it is a reality that is happening in our society today which we should not ignore.
I Am Crystal Meth
This was written by a young girl who was in jail for drug charges, and was addicted to crystal meth. She wrote this while in jail. As you will soon read, she fully grasped the horrors of the drug, as she tells in this simple, yet profound poem.
Help Find Our Country's Missing Children
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to not know where their child is and whether s/he is safe. The website, www.missingchildren.co.za bears witness to many such sad stories.
Mom's Matter
I am a mother of 3 young children who has discovered that being a mom is not as glamorous as Posh Spice makes it look.
Don't Be A Party Pooper
How to plan health party food for kids. No fuss, no (or very little) tartrazine!
Conflict and Resolution
Every child will at some point in their lives have to deal with conflict and resolution. As a teacher and character edutainer, I realize that the best I can do is to help children become experts of their own process. What does that mean?
In Defence of the Parent
November is the month set aside for observing children’s rights; my heart goes out to every parent in South Africa. Our constitution is celebrated as one of the most liberal globally but lately maybe too liberal.
Cerebral Palsy
Disorders, syndromes and diseases that are congenital, or acquired with in the first few years of a child’s life, often present with symptoms that could be caused by any number of possible diseases.
Drug Rape
If there is one thing I can say with certainty about rape in any country it is this: the rape survivor is not in control of what happens. The rapist is. If the survivor were in control then the rape wouldn’t happen. It is not up to women to prevent rape.
Breathing In Nothingness
I remember the day that I first experienced an asthma attack. I had never suffered from asthma. I had never felt that moment where you feel as if you are grasping at your final breath.
What I Have Learned From Load Shedding
This article is an attempt to get into the Guinness book of records for the world’s fastest article ever written with load shedding. I have just seen that we are without electricity for the next 4 hours and I have limited time available on my notebook battery, so here goes.
Wet AMD: A Family Affair
Wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (wet AMD) is a degenerative eye disease. If left untreated, eyesight will worsen or be lost permanently, according to leading South African ophthalmologist, Dr. Louis Kruger.
Inclusion Of People Living With Epilepsy
When a person is first diagnosed with epilepsy they are likely to feel rather shocked and confused. However, an epilepsy diagnosis is not a disaster.
Be Careful Of Competition
Competition. Good thing to teach kids. Critical to a successful free market economy. Essential business strategy. No question. Cast in concrete. No argument.
Supporting Problem Solving - Not Solving Their Problems
Johan came to me really upset. His four year old body looking strong and energetic but his face bore the sadness of a friendship in conflict. He sadly said, “Justin said he doesn't want to be my friend anymore.”
Mental Health in Primary Care
Primary care starts with people. And, integrating mental health services into primary care is the most viable way of ensuring that people have access to the mental health care they need.
Stressed Out In SA
Do you find yourself feeling like you could literally be ill with the stress you carry around every day? Here are some tips on minimising stress in your life.
Shining a Light on Autism Spectrum Disorder
On December 18th 2007 the United Nations declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day. On this day, a large group of people around the world have committed to do their best to create awareness for this increasingly recognised spectrum disorder.
Autism and Asperger Syndrome
Autism is characterised by a “triad of impairments” which include difficulties with language and communication, difficulties with social interactions; and behaviours which are repetitive and stereotyped in nature.
Snake decline prompts City to request assistance from Capetonians
The City of Cape Town’s Biodiversity Management Branch is currently undertaking research on a unique and interesting snake species.
The Breakthrough Experience
Are you seeking a more inspiring way to live your life? Do you want to learn how to transform your challenges? Are you ready to awaken your true potential?
There's no wiggling out of this one!
Worms are not something we like to discuss openly, especially not when they are present in our children. It is a topic that makes us feel uncomfortable and maybe even a little bit dirty. The fact of the matter is that it can happen to almost anyone.
Small Changes For Big Savings At Home
Have you ever observed your surroundings and noticed small changes you can make to suit your pocket as well as the environment? We all know that with the economy being as it is, we have to tighten the purse strings.
How to remove Bleach from clothing
As a dye specialist, this is the most common question that I am asked by people. I do not have a simple answer for this challenge.
Little Angels
Little Angels is a home for children with special needs, situated in Somerset West in the Western Cape.
Community Intervention Centre
Community Intervention Centre
What is the Community Intervention Centre? "Empowering people in crisis"
Neat Freak
My philosophy is simple. I want to help my clients tidy up their homes or offices and establish systems so that they don't revert to the insanity of clutter and frustration that preceded it. In addition, it is important to me that my clients feel empowered and inspired by their experience so that they can emulate it in other aspects of their life.
















