Your Family – September 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 81

COMPILED BY NOLWAZI DHLAMINI PHOTOS: STOCK.ADOBE.COM AND SUPPLIED
THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT.

ALWAYS

CONSULT

YOUR

GP

OR

ADOCTOR

FOR

SPECIFIC

INFORMATION

REGARDING

YOUR

CHILDREN’S

HEALTH.

TheSantaShoeboxProjectwasstarted 13

yearsagoandhastouchedthelivesof 858673

underprivilegedchildrenthroughoutSouthAfrica

andNamibia.

Eachyeartheinitiativecollectsanddistributes

giftsforneedykids.Helpitmakeevenmoreof

themhappythisChristmasbypledgingaSanta

Shoeboxwithyourfamily.Eachofyoucanpick

eightrequireditemstofillyourdecoratedboxes.

Thelistincludesessentialslikeatoothbrush,soap,

afacecloth,schoolsupplies,atoy,sweetsandan

itemofclothing.

Don’tworryaboutsize–everyboxis

packedforaspecificrecipient,soyou’llknow

themeasurementsandshoesizeofthechild

beforehand.Youcaneitherpackyourownboxor

arrangetohaveitpackedforyouifyou’repressed

fortimeorlivetoofarawayfromdrop-offpoints.

Thisyeartheprojectaimstotakeanother

massiveleaptowardsthemagicmillionmarkand

hopestodistribute 115000 shoeboxes.Support

thiswonderfulcauseandhelpitreachitstarget.

Pledgingopensfrom 1 September.

Visit:Santashoebox.org.za

STOCKISTSONPAGE 108

GIVING BACK WITH YOUR KIDS

DID YOU KNOW?

In case of emergency

Small children are always exploring the house

and playing with whatever they come across –

including dangerous items like chemicals. A bottle

of household cleaner, for example, may look edible

to a young child. If your little one ingests a toxic

substance, call the Poisons Information Helpline

immediately on 0861 555 777, which operates

24/7. Alternatively, take your child to the nearest

emergency clinic and take the container of the

substance with you, so they can see exactly what

toxins were ingested.

PUSH TILL THE END

With matric finals just around the corner, pupils need to stay

focused and push through the last few months before the

exams. Every hour of work counts and the marks scored in that

final exam greatly influence your child’s study options after

school – and, in turn, their future career. Nola Payne, of the

Independent Institute of Education, offers these tips:

1 

DON’T PANIC OR DWELL ON BAD MARKS

‘If you didn’t do as well as planned in subjects you’ve

already written, let it go,’ she says. Don’t dwell on what

you can’t change – rather channel that energy towards

doing better in the other subjects. ‘Double your efforts for

remaining papers because you may be able to make up

points that will improve your overall marks. There may also

be the option of rewriting a paper, so focus on what you can

still change.’

2 

DON’T BANK ON GOOD MARKS

Conversely, if you’ve performed excellently in certain

papers, it doesn’t mean you should relax. ‘Gaining better

marks in all your subjects will open up opportunities you

weren’t even aware of.’ You also can’t risk ruining your great

performance thus far by bringing your overall result down

in other papers.

3 

BEAT FATIGUE

Long afternoons and late nights of studying can be

exhausting. Avoid burnout by ensuring you get enough

sleep, eat nutritious food that will give you energy and

drink plenty of water.

Energy drinks may help

mental and physical

stimulation, but they’re

high in sugar and the

vigour they provide

is usually short-lived.

Healthier alternatives

are multivitamins, which

provide a good amount

of energy spread

throughout the day.

Exercise and being

outdoors also helps.

Take regular breaks

to ease the strain

and limit screen

time, as too

much TV and

social media

can cause

information

overload.