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Prince George's bold warning to classmates

<p>A new book has claimed that Prince George delivered a sassy comeback to a fellow classmate during a tussle on the playground, flouting his royal status. </p> <p>According to journalist and author Katie Nicholl, who wrote <em>The New Royals – Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown</em> biography, the second in line for the throne called out a student during a scuffle at the young royal’s former school Thomas’ Battersea in south London. </p> <p>Katie wrote that the Prince replied to his peers with the line, “My dad will be king so you better watch out,” when they were messing about on the playground one day.</p> <p>In her book, she wrote, "They [Prince William and Princess Kate] are raising their children, particularly Prince George, with an awareness of who he is and the role he will inherit, but they are keen not to weigh them down with a sense of duty."</p> <p>“George understands he will one day be king and as a little boy sparred with friends at school, outdoing his peers with the killer line, ‘My dad will be king so you better watch out.’”</p> <p>The royal children now attend the elite Lambrook School in Berkshire, west London, as Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were pictured with their parents for orientation day earlier this year. </p> <p>The young royals were welcomed by headmaster Jonathan Perry at the front gate, as they all said they were excited for their first day. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Books

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Liberal MP accused of using his daughter for a political stunt

<p>Liberal MP Matt Bach has come under fire for posting a controversial photo of his three-year-old daughter.</p> <p>The Victorian minister has been accused of using his daughter Phoebe in what is being described as a "cheap political stunt" following a statement from Premier Dan Andrews. </p> <p>In the wake of growing COVID-19 cases in Victoria, the premier announced a ban on playgrounds among other measures to curb increasing cases form the Delta variant. </p> <p><span>Bach is one of a fierce critic of the playground decision, describing it as “utterly unwarranted” and an example of overreach.</span></p> <p><span>Last night, Bach took to social media to share a photo of his three-year-old daughter Phoebe a</span>t his local playground, gripping red-and-white caution tape that cordoned off equipment.</p> <p>He simply captioned the image with three sad face emojis, which he shared on Twitter and Facebook.</p> <p><img style="width: 397.8102189781022px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843283/screen-shot-2021-08-19-at-123827-pm.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b4374de0c87e4db587f8a86394592303" /></p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter @bach_mp</em></p> <p>The image caused a near instant reaction from his followers, many claiming what they saw was a political stunt. </p> <p><span>“So you deliberately took your child to the playground you knew was closed so that you could try to point score, wow, what a great human you are,” one Twitter user wrote.</span></p> <p><span>Another commenter said, “Did you explain to her that they’re closed in case she gets infected with a potentially deadly virus while she’s there?”</span></p> <p><span>Labor MP Nick Staikos joined the flood of criticism, retweeting the image and saying: “Who would take a child to a playground knowing that it is closed? For a photo?”</span></p> <p><span>Mr Bach quickly shot back at the opposition by tweeting, “You’re a flog. My wife took Phoebe to central gardens (where the Rocket Park is) for a run around on the grass after she spent all day inside. Quit being a SM troll and try fixing the mental health crisis you’ve created.”</span></p> <p><span>Mr Bach expressed his concerns in an opinion piece in The Herald Sun saying his daughter was “a tough little bugger” but claiming “the Andrews government might have finally broken her”.</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Twitter @bach_mp</em></p>

Family & Pets

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The sentence this stranger uses to lure seven-year-old girl from playground

<p>Parents, family members and carers have been warned to educate their children about stranger danger after an experiment on <em><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/stranger-danger-experiment-today-show-alerts-parents-difference-in-age-group-relations/b7e49c16-38fc-4e45-8297-f97385651c33">Today</a> </em>showed how easily young people can be lured.</p> <p>Seven-year-old Georgia Cooke was at the playground where a strange man approached her.</p> <p>“Excuse me. Have you seen my puppy? Can you come have a look with me?” said Brett Lee, a former Queensland Police officer who posed as a stranger.</p> <p>“Just come give me a hand. Good on you.”</p> <p>According to <em>Today </em>reporter Sarah Stewart, Georgia agreed to follow the man because she did not understand that he might have an ulterior motive.</p> <p>“All she focused on was that lost puppy,” Stewart said.</p> <p>“She wanted to find the dog. She had no concept that Brett was a stranger, someone she didn’t know that could be leading her away from her parents.”</p> <p>While Georgia could be coaxed into leaving the park, her older brother Mitchell gave a different reaction.</p> <p>“No, leave me alone!” the 8-year-old screamed before running away from Lee.</p> <p>Bruce Morcombe, whose son Daniel was abducted from the Sunshine Coast in 2003, said parents need to have a discussion on personal safety with their children and look out for any signs of danger.</p> <p>“The parents need to be observant, they need to trust their instincts and they need to report any time they feel something is a little suspicious or something is not quite right,” Morcombe told <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/crime/the-20minute-video-saving-kids-from-stranger-danger/news-story/58bf5568135eb199dfd44bbfb9b87b08">Sunrise</a></em>.</p> <p>“So recognising personal danger, knowing how to react – so get to a safe place or scream or yell, ‘I need help’, but most importantly and the interesting thing about this particular case is, that child did the right thing.”</p> <p>Last week, security guard Mohammad Hassan Al Bayati was sentenced to two years in jail for kidnapping and indecently assaulting a three-year-old girl at DFO Homebush in Sydney.</p> <p>Al Bayati took the young child from the shopping centre’s playground to the stairwell, where he exposed himself and touched her underwear.</p>

Family & Pets

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Parents outraged at local council after snakes invade children's playground

<p>A popular Sydney children’s playground has become ground zero for a deadly snake infestation, and it’s ruining many parents’ school holiday plans for their little ones.</p> <p>According to the <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/manly-daily/snakes-invade-childrens-playground-on-northern-beaches/news-story/ecdea6af2aeec5926d8884cea0b9e23c" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Manly Daily</span></strong></em></a>, parents are avoiding Warriewood Valley Rocket Park out of fear their kids will be bitten by the snakes that have recently taken over the area, including diamond pythons, eastern browns and red-bellied black snakes.</p> <p>“You don’t mind seeing one in their natural habitat but when you start seeing more and more ... you start to get worried,” local mum Stacey Mitchell told the paper, revealing she’s been made aware of up to 20 snakes slithering around the popular spot, and that several sightings have been shared to Facebook.</p> <p>Now, she’s calling on the Northern Beaches Council to take action. “What will it take? A young child to be hospitalised before the council says, ‘We’d better do something’?”</p> <p>Another local mother said her dog was killed by a snake lurking in the overgrown grass surrounding the park, urging the council to put up more signage and clear the grass.</p> <p>The Council’s general manager of environment and infrastructure, Ben Taylor, said his staff had visited the park and are currently reviewing maintenance practices and researching new ways to discourage snakes in the area.</p> <p>“While snakes are a natural part of our environment, we urge residents to exercise caution and stay safe outdoors this summer," he said.</p> <p>According to Taronga Zoo reptile expert Josh Hatton, however, there’s not much that can be done. He says the park’s location next to wetlands, the hot weather and the recent snake breeding season was responsible for the influx.</p> <p>Have you ever spotted a snake or other dangerous animal in a children's playground? Tell us in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Manly Daily.</em></p>

Home & Garden

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Playgrounds for seniors are the next big thing

<p>If you’ve ever eyed of the swing set while spending time with your grandkids at the park, we’ve got good news. Adult playgrounds are the next big things in the fight against an increasingly isolated and unwell ageing population. Popular in Asia and Europe, these “family fun zones” are making their way to Australia.</p> <p><strong>So why playgrounds?</strong> Not only packed with physical benefits thanks to the specially designed, low-impact fitness equipment, adult playgrounds are being designed with the idea of creating community, a central gathering spot for locals who may be bordering on or already in retirement. These structures serve a dual purpose of creating a purpose built space for exercise alongside encouraging interaction and minimising isolation and loneliness.</p> <p><strong>What will I find there?</strong> Your typical seniors playground will have low impact fitness equipment like elliptical machines, static bikes and stretching stations alongside equipment designed to help promote balance and flexibility, critical in helping prevent slips and falls. In the USA the concept has been broadened even further with the creation of park for the whole family. This multigenerational approach aims to connect children and seniors though a shared love and enjoyment of play.</p> <p><strong>What are the benefits?</strong> Apart from the obvious, an adult playground opens up plenty of opportunities for meeting new people and the formation of new community groups. There’s also a fiscal benefit. Spending money on structures that help keep our ageing population healthy and alert could well save a considerable amount in health care costs in the future.</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/health/wellbeing/2015/08/ballet-workout/">Why ballet workouts are good for you (and easy for anyone to try)</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/health/wellbeing/2015/07/pilates-keeps-you-young/">5 ways pilates can keep you young</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/health/wellbeing/2015/06/burn-more-calories-by-walking/">5 ways to burn more calories by walking</a></span></em></strong></p>

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Does fencing playgrounds make them safer or does it encourage lazy parenting?

<p>Kids of all ages love going to the park. But often the choice of park is dictated by the parents or grandparents – they want one with easy parking, near a coffee shop, with a toilet nearby, and many prefer to choose one that is fenced.</p> <p>For Newcastle mum Louise Carey, hearing so many mums discuss the stress of visiting unfenced parks has sparked her into action. She is petitioning the local council to place more fences around playgrounds.</p> <p>“Some kids have more of an exploring nature, or are what you’d call ‘runners.’ And when some of the mothers are heavily pregnant or breastfeeding, you start to notice the issue where we are really struggling to find outdoor play areas where we could supervise that number of children without danger,” says Mrs Carey.</p> <p>With over 260 signatures so far, the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.change.org/p/fence-our-playgrounds-engage-parents-in-the-planning-process?recruiter=78429170&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=facebook&amp;utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&amp;utm_term=mob-xs-share_petition-custom_msg&amp;fb_ref=Default" target="_blank">petition</a></strong></span> asks the council to fence priority playgrounds such as those near busy roads or near water.</p> <p>Her work seems to have started a fence or no-fence debate. Some say that fencing a playground would lead to an increase in lazy parenting, as parents might feel that they don’t need to supervise their kids.</p> <p>On the pro-fence side, mothers of more than one child who visit busy parks say that they don’t have a hope of keeping up with their little ones who try to make a break for freedom.</p> <p>For grandparents, who are often regulars at the park these days, having to try and catch "a runner" in an unfenced playground could be difficult to impossible.</p> <p>“We do have a growing demographic of grandparents who are becoming significant carers while parents are being forced back into the work force — a situation Tony Abbot is pushing harder for — so we’re going to see a lot of grandparents taking up a greater role,” says Mrs Carey.</p> <p>Fenced or not, the responsibility of parents and carers at the park is great. There are flying legs from swings to avoid, slippery slides to navigate, and of course there is always the management of toddler arguments to look after. Having a fence might make the park slightly less stressful, but it’s still going to require a careful eye on the little people who are in it.</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/07/pack-size-causing-resistance-to-antibiotics/">Large pack sizes could be causing resistance to antibiotics</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/07/phone-and-internet-bills-to-drop/">Your phone and internet bills could be set to drop</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2015/07/older-ladies-donnalou-stevens/"><strong>We love this hysterical anthem for older ladies</strong></a></em></span></p>

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