13 Points on Australian Children
I like finding out statistics about various topics. And, recently I've watched a couple of interesting documentaries on Australian children and their health/well being. It started me Googling for some statistics so here are 13 courtesy of the Department of Health and Ageing and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Its not pretty!
1) 20% of Australia's population is under 15. (For some perspective: US 20%, Malaysia 33%, Indonesia 28%, China 20%, India 33%)
2) 17% of boys and girls were classified as overweight; 6% were obese; and 5% were found to be underweight.
3) 61% of 4–8 year olds consumed adequate fruit (excluding juice), compared to only 1% of 14–16 year old boys and girls.
4) 22% of 4–8 year old children and 5% of 14–16 year olds met the dietary guidelines for vegetable intake
5) Saturated fat intake contributed approximately 13–14% of the children’s energy intake. Recommended guidelines are for 10% or less of total energy intake.
6) Sugar contributed to 23–24% of total energy intake. Recommended guidelines are for no more than 20%.
7) 69% of children aged 9–16 surveyed accumulated at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most of the days surveyed.
8) 309,000 reports of suspected child abuse recorded during 2006-07. These figures have increased by over 50% in the last five years. Of the initial reports, 58000 were substantiated.
9) 13.2% of children live in households where they are at risk of exposure to binge drinking by at least one adult.
10) 25% of children aged 14-19 years drank alcohol on a daily or weekly basis in the last 12 months. (I can't remember actual figure but one documentary mentioned something like 50% of under aged drinkers being supplied the alcohol by their parents.)
11) 14% of children and adolescents aged 4-17 years have mental health problems.
12) 10 % of children family to meet minimum literary standards while 5% fail to meet minimum standards in maths.
13) ~25% of 13 yr olds are reading at the level of the brightest 20% of 7 yr olds. Not surprisingly, these students were usually from indigenous or low-income families. The story of the indigenous children in Australia is a sad one. I'll save it for another blogging day.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
A Typical Day In Brisbane
Our lives in Palembang were so routine that I could let you know exactly what I would be doing, at any time of your choosing, weeks ahead of time. Wake up, play with Aaron, nap for Aaron, play, lunch, nap, gym, play, dinner, bedtime. Its the same every day of the week.
Things are much more interesting here. There is no typical day. I haven't even been able to keep all my "appointments" with Richard because there are so many things that you can suddenly decide to do here.
Take today for instance. I thought we were going to have a quiet day at home but my father announced at around 11.30am that there was a free concert in the city hall at 12.30. OK. Lets go. My mother helped to mind Aaron while we got onto our bikes and peddled to the city.
While riding there, my father says that later in the afternoon, we should all go to the other side of Brisbane to check on one of their friend's houses (the lady is away on holidays). And of course, to make sure that her Nintendo Wii is still fully functioning. So, that was a whole afternoon of playing Wii Fit games - more exhausting than you can imagine!
With the quiet day I thought I was going to have, I planned to make Moussaka for dinner. No, I've never made it before. I had all the ingredients but didn't read the instructions thoroughly enough to realize that there is a lot to do in it. Anyway, 2 hrs later, we had a very late dinner.
And now, all I can think of is bed....bed..........bed......
p/s The Moussaka was a little flooded but tasted great :)
Things are much more interesting here. There is no typical day. I haven't even been able to keep all my "appointments" with Richard because there are so many things that you can suddenly decide to do here.
Take today for instance. I thought we were going to have a quiet day at home but my father announced at around 11.30am that there was a free concert in the city hall at 12.30. OK. Lets go. My mother helped to mind Aaron while we got onto our bikes and peddled to the city.
While riding there, my father says that later in the afternoon, we should all go to the other side of Brisbane to check on one of their friend's houses (the lady is away on holidays). And of course, to make sure that her Nintendo Wii is still fully functioning. So, that was a whole afternoon of playing Wii Fit games - more exhausting than you can imagine!
With the quiet day I thought I was going to have, I planned to make Moussaka for dinner. No, I've never made it before. I had all the ingredients but didn't read the instructions thoroughly enough to realize that there is a lot to do in it. Anyway, 2 hrs later, we had a very late dinner.
And now, all I can think of is bed....bed..........bed......
p/s The Moussaka was a little flooded but tasted great :)
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
He's going to be a ...
People just love guessing at what a young child is going to become later in life.
If they show an interest in numbers, they wonder if he'll be an accountant or some sort of scientist. Or, maybe if he likes taking things apart to see how it works, he'll be an engineer.
The problem I have with all this is that the projections into the future are always some sort of "professional" occupation, and the mainstream ones at that. You never hear anybody say things like "Yup! He's definitely going to be a baker/plumber/excavator driver."
I don't come from a very traditional Chinese family but still, it was a Chinese family. My parents didn't push it as hard as some other families but education was still sold as the key to everything in life. It was study hard or else...
My point today is that, studying hard (and smart) is no longer the only way in this world. And, it probably never was anyway. Its also important to have passion, drive and determination. That's what I want for Aaron. I'm still Chinese though, so I also what him to have something to fall back on so....he's definitely going to school! But I'm not going to present life's prospects the same way my parents did and hopefully, I'll be able to open his eyes to "all" the things that people work at in the world.
The trigger for today's post is Aaron's current passion for music. He immerses himself totally into it. If he hears the guitar, he'll be strumming and tapping his feet. If its the drums, he's going crazy with his arms. I've taken this opportunity to teach him other instruments like the tuba or cello so he also "plays" those. This passion that he has at the moment has made him very receptive to learning about all instruments and it also allows me to teach him some musical terms like forte or pianissimo. It sure beats learning about them in Theory Class later on!
So anyway, back to what happened today. My parents have been enjoying every minute of Aaron's performances but at the same time, my mother keeps cautioning me. "Its better not to encourage this too much. He might join a band later and he won't want to study" or "You need to stress the piano more or he'll just play the guitar, and that will lead to joining a band". *sigh*
What if he wants music to be his life? Bands are only one aspect of music. There are all sorts of jobs to do with music. For example, the person who puts the fingerings on music sheets, or sets the layout so that you don't have to turn the page at awkward moments.
I'm not taking any heed. I'll give equal exposure to all types of music and instruments. I'm using it to teach Italian musical terms, counting, timing, rhythm, musical styles and instrumental families.
He's only two and there is probably two week or less remaining for me to use his interest for some good here. I'm not going to spend that time worrying that he'll join a band in his teenage years!
If they show an interest in numbers, they wonder if he'll be an accountant or some sort of scientist. Or, maybe if he likes taking things apart to see how it works, he'll be an engineer.
The problem I have with all this is that the projections into the future are always some sort of "professional" occupation, and the mainstream ones at that. You never hear anybody say things like "Yup! He's definitely going to be a baker/plumber/excavator driver."
I don't come from a very traditional Chinese family but still, it was a Chinese family. My parents didn't push it as hard as some other families but education was still sold as the key to everything in life. It was study hard or else...
My point today is that, studying hard (and smart) is no longer the only way in this world. And, it probably never was anyway. Its also important to have passion, drive and determination. That's what I want for Aaron. I'm still Chinese though, so I also what him to have something to fall back on so....he's definitely going to school! But I'm not going to present life's prospects the same way my parents did and hopefully, I'll be able to open his eyes to "all" the things that people work at in the world.
The trigger for today's post is Aaron's current passion for music. He immerses himself totally into it. If he hears the guitar, he'll be strumming and tapping his feet. If its the drums, he's going crazy with his arms. I've taken this opportunity to teach him other instruments like the tuba or cello so he also "plays" those. This passion that he has at the moment has made him very receptive to learning about all instruments and it also allows me to teach him some musical terms like forte or pianissimo. It sure beats learning about them in Theory Class later on!
So anyway, back to what happened today. My parents have been enjoying every minute of Aaron's performances but at the same time, my mother keeps cautioning me. "Its better not to encourage this too much. He might join a band later and he won't want to study" or "You need to stress the piano more or he'll just play the guitar, and that will lead to joining a band". *sigh*
What if he wants music to be his life? Bands are only one aspect of music. There are all sorts of jobs to do with music. For example, the person who puts the fingerings on music sheets, or sets the layout so that you don't have to turn the page at awkward moments.
I'm not taking any heed. I'll give equal exposure to all types of music and instruments. I'm using it to teach Italian musical terms, counting, timing, rhythm, musical styles and instrumental families.
He's only two and there is probably two week or less remaining for me to use his interest for some good here. I'm not going to spend that time worrying that he'll join a band in his teenage years!
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Terrific Two Year Old
Its been a trying morning but I'm not going to bitch about it. I know he has to go through this as part of the development of who he will become. There is nothing I can do about the number of times he tests his boundaries or the volume and duration that he whines for Every. Single. Day.
So, here's how terrific he is:
1. There are only one or two really trying days a week.
2. He has learned to look through a book or play completely alone, without even a word from me, for nearly 30 mins.
3. He knows to be quiet in church and has succeeded for 4 straight weeks.
4. He is not a fussy eater. In fact, he is an extremely adventurous one.
5. He still wants to be like his mama:
So, here's how terrific he is:
1. There are only one or two really trying days a week.
2. He has learned to look through a book or play completely alone, without even a word from me, for nearly 30 mins.
3. He knows to be quiet in church and has succeeded for 4 straight weeks.
4. He is not a fussy eater. In fact, he is an extremely adventurous one.
5. He still wants to be like his mama:
Friday, October 3, 2008
Photostory Friday - Ta Da!
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
After my banana bread disaster earlier this week, I was determined to get things right fast.
Its difficult to make any sorts of snacks in Palembang because we don't have an oven and its hard to get the ingredients so I want to fully utilize the time here in Brisbane.
So, when he work up at 5.30am this morning, we both got out of bed and headed to the kitchen. I was very organized this time and did everything as instructed by the recipe. By 7am, the aroma in the house was fantastic and we had 12 delicious Blueberry and Lemon Muffins.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Thursday Thirteen
13 Points of Randomness
1) I've finally worked out what Aaron means by having rocks in his nose.
2) Aaron's favourite music for car trips now is Jive Bunny. Anyone who is not driving has to play an instrument the whole way. Its actually quite fun.
3) I've fallen into a habit of not having a "real" lunch. Aaron's naps have moved to lunch time, 12-2pm, so we usually have a light snack before this and another one when he wakes up.
4) I've started following my parents to their Thursday clogging class. And, I like it!
5) Aaron is very manageable in one-on-one situations but as soon as a third person is around, he starts acting up. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.
6) Aaron is a little "roasted" from going to all the park's here. I put sunscreen on him and he has his cap on but I think we need to avoid the parks between 9.30am and 4pm.
7) I've been doing a lot of cooking here and am enjoying it. I mostly cook on the non-rice nights but even for those, I've introduced my parents to a couple of my favorite Indonesian dishes.
8) I don't like the way my hair is behaving here. It seems to get tangled very easily and then when I brush it out, its all frizzed out.
9) I enjoy driving here. Its orderly and stress-less. I especially like driving Aaron around when there is only the two of us in the car.
10) In Palembang, I have rolled oats for breakfast every single day. I really don't like it at all but its whats good for you. Over here, its Special K every single day. Not that good for you but its my absolute favorite breakfast.
11) I chat with Richard each day and occasionally, when the timing is right, Aaron and him have a video call. We don't really miss him because there are two of us and our days are packed but I think Richard does miss us.
12) I miss the Indomie from Indonesia. The unhealthy instant noodles that I sometimes allow myself over there.
13) My latest favorite vegetable is curly kale. The first time I saw it was at the organic market a couple of weeks ago. Prior to that, I've never had any sort of kale. I cook it in an Indonesian style broth with tumeric, ginger, garlic and onions.
1) I've finally worked out what Aaron means by having rocks in his nose.
2) Aaron's favourite music for car trips now is Jive Bunny. Anyone who is not driving has to play an instrument the whole way. Its actually quite fun.
3) I've fallen into a habit of not having a "real" lunch. Aaron's naps have moved to lunch time, 12-2pm, so we usually have a light snack before this and another one when he wakes up.
4) I've started following my parents to their Thursday clogging class. And, I like it!
5) Aaron is very manageable in one-on-one situations but as soon as a third person is around, he starts acting up. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.
6) Aaron is a little "roasted" from going to all the park's here. I put sunscreen on him and he has his cap on but I think we need to avoid the parks between 9.30am and 4pm.
7) I've been doing a lot of cooking here and am enjoying it. I mostly cook on the non-rice nights but even for those, I've introduced my parents to a couple of my favorite Indonesian dishes.
8) I don't like the way my hair is behaving here. It seems to get tangled very easily and then when I brush it out, its all frizzed out.
9) I enjoy driving here. Its orderly and stress-less. I especially like driving Aaron around when there is only the two of us in the car.
10) In Palembang, I have rolled oats for breakfast every single day. I really don't like it at all but its whats good for you. Over here, its Special K every single day. Not that good for you but its my absolute favorite breakfast.
11) I chat with Richard each day and occasionally, when the timing is right, Aaron and him have a video call. We don't really miss him because there are two of us and our days are packed but I think Richard does miss us.
12) I miss the Indomie from Indonesia. The unhealthy instant noodles that I sometimes allow myself over there.
13) My latest favorite vegetable is curly kale. The first time I saw it was at the organic market a couple of weeks ago. Prior to that, I've never had any sort of kale. I cook it in an Indonesian style broth with tumeric, ginger, garlic and onions.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Relative Wealth
In Palembang, we often feel "wealthy" and find ourselves so much luckier than the people around us. The gap between the rich and poor in Indonesia is huge and we're definitely not part of the rich crowd. The people we mix with are "everyday" people and many don't earn enough for their monthly expenses. I don't like calling them "poor" because even they feel luckier than some other people. So anyway, over there, we don't worry about rent or mortgages, our groceries are cheap and there is really nowhere for us to spend any money. So, that's why so we end up feeling "wealthy".
The story here in Brisbane is something else. We have places to go every day and that means temptations to spend money. A snack here, a drink there, something on sale...y'know what I mean? I've put myself on a strict budget and have stuck to it so far. The problems is that I find myself constantly tallying up how much I have spent so far to see if there is any room left to be frivolous. I'm also always looking for the best price to get the most out of my money. (In Palembang, I usually just pay whatever is asked for even if its a little "over priced". Its my way of doing some charity for that vendor without obviously doing it.)
Its just a very different feeling and today, I actually felt a little disappointed because I had to hold off buying somethings until Friday (start of the financial week for me). I must add that I felt relatively poor.
Living here is definitely costly and I worry about the future when I will eventually have to move here. At least I know that for fruits and vegetables, there is the bulk buy market.
On top of all that, there is of course the worry of how safe my money is in the bank. Here I am, budgeting away so that I don't over spend but WHAT IF the Australian banks go the way of the US? Oh where, oh where, do I put the money that I am stopping myself from spending?
The story here in Brisbane is something else. We have places to go every day and that means temptations to spend money. A snack here, a drink there, something on sale...y'know what I mean? I've put myself on a strict budget and have stuck to it so far. The problems is that I find myself constantly tallying up how much I have spent so far to see if there is any room left to be frivolous. I'm also always looking for the best price to get the most out of my money. (In Palembang, I usually just pay whatever is asked for even if its a little "over priced". Its my way of doing some charity for that vendor without obviously doing it.)
Its just a very different feeling and today, I actually felt a little disappointed because I had to hold off buying somethings until Friday (start of the financial week for me). I must add that I felt relatively poor.
Living here is definitely costly and I worry about the future when I will eventually have to move here. At least I know that for fruits and vegetables, there is the bulk buy market.
On top of all that, there is of course the worry of how safe my money is in the bank. Here I am, budgeting away so that I don't over spend but WHAT IF the Australian banks go the way of the US? Oh where, oh where, do I put the money that I am stopping myself from spending?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)