What to do in a disaster…

With the number of disasters happening around the world these days, you will have noticed an increase in publicity on being prepared.  We felt it is important to inform Waiuku of what we need to do in a disaster.

Earthquake

• 

  Earthquakes

  If you are inside a building, move no more than a few steps, drop, cover and hold. Stay indoors till the shaking stops and you are sure it is safe to exit. In most buildings in New Zealand you are safer if you stay where you are until the shaking stops.

• If you are in an elevator, drop, cover and hold. When the shaking stops, try and get out at the nearest floor if you can safely do so.
• If you are outdoors when the shaking starts, move no more than a few steps away from buildings, trees, streetlights, and power lines, then Drop, Cover and Hold.
• If you are at the beach or near the coast, drop, cover and hold then move to higher ground immediately in case a tsunami follows the quake.
• If you are driving, pull over to a clear location, stop and stay there with your seatbelt fastened until the shaking stops. Once the shaking stops, proceed with caution and avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged.
• If you are in a mountainous area or near unstable slopes or cliffs, be alert for falling debris or landslides.
• Stay informed on weather updates. Listen to your local radio stations as civil defence authorities will be broadcasting the most appropriate advice for your community and situation.
• Put your household emergency plan into action and check your getaway kit in case you have to leave in a hurry.
• Secure, or move indoors, all items that could get blown about and cause harm in strong winds.
• Close windows, external and internal doors. Pull curtains and drapes over unprotected glass areas to prevent injury from shattered or flying glass.
• If the wind becomes destructive, stay away from doors and windows and shelter further inside the house.
• Water supplies can be affected so it is a good idea to store drinking water in containers and fill bathtubs and sinks with water.
• Don’t walk around outside and avoid driving unless absolutely necessary.
• Power cuts are possible in severe weather. Unplug small appliances which may be affected by electrical power surges. If power is lost unplug major appliances to reduce the power surge and possible damage when power is restored.
• Bring pets inside. Move stock to shelter. If you have to evacuate, take your pets with you.

Storms & Hurricanes

• 

  Storms

  Alert others if you can.

• Take shelter immediately. A basement offers the greatest safety. If underground shelter is not available, move to an interior room without windows on the lowest floor.
• Get under sturdy furniture and cover yourself with a mattress or blanket.
• If caught outside, get away from trees if you can. Lie down flat in a nearby gully, ditch or low spot and protect your head.
• If in a car, get out immediately and look for a safe place to shelter. Do not try to outrun a tornado or get under the vehicle for shelter.

Floods

• 

  Flood

  Listen to your local radio stations as emergency management officials will be broadcasting the most appropriate advice for your community and situation.

• If you have a disability or need support, make contact with your support network.
• Put your household emergency plan into action and check your getaway kit. Be prepared to evacuate quickly if it becomes necessary.
• Where possible, move pets inside or to a safe place, and move stock to higher ground.
• Consider using sandbags to keep water away from your home.
• Lift valuable household items and chemicals as high above the floor as possible.
• Fill bathtubs, sinks and storage containers with clean water in case water becomes contaminated.
• Turn off utilities if told to do so by authorities as it can help prevent damage to your home or community. Unplug small appliances to avoid damage from power surges.
• Do not attempt to drive or walk through floodwaters unless it is absolutely essential.

Tsunami

• 

  Tsunami

  Take your getaway kit with you if possible. Do not travel into the areas at risk to get your kit or belongings.

• Take your pets with you if you can do so safely.
• Move immediately to the nearest higher ground, or as far inland as you can. If evacuation maps are present, follow the routes shown.
• Walk or bike if possible and drive only if essential. If driving, keep going once you are well outside the evacuation zone to allow room for others behind you.
• If you cannot escape the tsunami, go to an upper storey of a sturdy building or climb onto a roof or up a tree, or grab a floating object and hang on until help arrives.
• Boats are usually safer in water deeper than 20 metres than if they are on the shore. Move boats out to sea only if there is time and it is safe to do so.
• Never go to the shore to watch for a tsunami. Stay away from at-risk areas until the official all-clear is given.
• Listen to your local radio stations as emergency management officials will be broadcasting the most appropriate advice for your community and situation.

Volcanic Eruption

• 

  Volcano

  Listen to your local radio stations as emergency management officials will be broadcasting the most appropriate advice for your community and situation.

• Put your emergency plan into action.
• If you have a disability or need assistance, make contact with your support network and keep informed of civil defence advice.
• Put all machinery inside a garage or shed, or cover with large tarpaulins to protect them from volcanic ash.
• Bring animals and livestock into closed shelters to protect them from volcanic ash.
• Protect sensitive electronics and do not uncover until the environment is totally ash-free.
• Check on friends and neighbours who may require special assistance.

Landslide

If you think a landslide is about to happen – Act quickly. Getting out of the path of a landslide is your best protection.

• 

  Land slide

  Evacuate and take your Getaway Kit with you. Take your pets with you and move livestock to safe paddocks if you can safely do so.

• Warn neighbours who might be affected and help those who may need assistance to evacuate.
• Contact emergency services and your local council to inform them of the hazard.

http://www.waiukufamilies.co.nz
http://www.facebook.com/Waiuku.Families

Some helpful suggestions for what to do during various disasters – taken from http://www.getthru.govt.nz
Images from: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net and kozzi.com

Synthetic Drugs available in Waiuku

There’s been a lot of publicity about synthetic drugs in the last few months, and now, here in Waiuku we are feeling the effects of it.

Frightening enough are the stories of the effects of the drugs and the horrors of withdrawal, but to know that it has entrenched itself in our town and is destroying the lives of people in our community… is a down right horror. We have had reports of local people losing their livelihood, family break ups, violence and suicidal tendencies.

Information readily available on the internet outlines the effects of these synthetic drugs. Where, older style drugs like heroin and cocaine could cause a deterioration in your quality of life or lead to overdose, the new drugs can destroy you by triggering psychotic episodes of hallucinations, aggression, paranoia, suicidal thoughts or homicidal tendencies – some resulting in assaults, murders and suicides. The effects of synthetic drugs can be so violent that it not only takes out the drug user but those adults and children in the vicinity. Physical effects of these drugs include higher blood pressure, possible heart attack or stroke, rapid heart rate, seizures, vomiting and confusion. High users of these drugs are our youths.

Chemists change the formula slightly as soon as one product becomes illegal. Move a few molecules and you have a new product on the market. This rebranding effort is their loophole around the law. New Zealand banned Spice, a synthetic cannabis, and yet now we have K2.

Would not an all-out ban on synthetic drugs be the answer? Other countries have made these synthetic drugs illegal, so why are we selling them in New Zealand? Perhaps difficult in the short term but how can we make a moral stand in our community?

New World Waiuku, Store Owner, Lex Mills has personally seen the effects of synthetic drugs on his staff and feels compelled to do something about it. Waiuku Sergeant Simon Palmer and his staff have had reports of violence, suicidal tendencies and the breakup of family units all linked to the use of synthetic drugs.

Despite its legal status we can do something about synthetic drugs taking a foothold in our town. As a town we need to stand up and say NO… So Waiuku… what can we do about it?

How can we affect the moral issue surrounding the purchase of synthetic drugs in our community?

In the Tuesday 18th June edition of The Post Newspaper, Lex Mills took a full page requesting feedback from the community. We at Waiuku Families, would like to help his efforts by making this feedback available in an online form. Key questions for our community are:

Should we PROMOTE those retailers who REFUSE to stock it in our region?
Should we NAME the retailers who make it available to our young people and others?

To send your feedback via email simply go to the WAIUKU FAMILIES WEBSITE SURVEY and fill in the form.

– Let your opinion count –
– Help our community say NO –
– Be part of the moral solution –

Our police are checking out who is stocking it in town and Nigel Ward at The Post Newspaper is speaking with Waitemata Health – Alcohol and Drug department about sending a rep to speak to families about the effects of synthetic drugs. We will keep you in the loop with progress on this event.

www.waiukufamilies.co.nz

Tips for Building a Good Relationship with your Kids

Happy Family Hugging Each Other

If you are like most parents, you probably want to raise healthy, smart kids. You may already have some ideas on how to achieve this. Here are some parenting tips that will help parents ensure their children develop to their full potential.

One of the parenting tips that work best is giving your children quantity and quality time. When you spend time with your kids, try to engage them in meaningful conversations. Try to build fun and healthy communications and relationships while the kids are young.

In many homes, parents do not really talk to their kids when they are young. But when the kids become teens, these parents desperately want to talk to their teens. But the opportunity is not there anymore. Try not to be an average parents. According to statistics, an average parent spends less than fifteen minutes a week in serious discussion with their children and start when they’re young.

Practice and develop good habits. It is important that you push your kids to exercise their faith or beliefs and put into action the lessons that they have received. For example, it is one thing to learn about charity and caring, but it is another thing to volunteer some time to visit nursing homes and serve the elderly.

Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher, said that virtues are acquired by the development of habits. At first it may feel like a duty to maintain good habits but it will become easier as time goes by, and soon they will exercise good habits effortlessly.

Involved Parents at a soccer game

Be a good role model. It is hard trying to teach children something when we do not do it ourselves. When they hear you lying about something, what kind of message are you sending to your children? Because action speaks louder than words, your kids will probably imitate our good and bad habits more than listening to our words.

Be involved parents. Involved parents are parents who monitor their kids’ media consumption, know whether the teachings in school are in line with their values and are acquainted with their friends. You should have a good rapport with your kids. Nobody is perfect but the more you become involved in your children’s lives, the better your chances of raising them to be good citizens.

Have a strong and healthy relationship. Having a strong and healthy marriage or relationship is not only good for you but also for your children. A thriving family unit is a good deterrent for anti-social behavior.

mom-talking-teen

One thing for sure: it is hard enough to raise a child with two parents, let alone a single parent. Research shows that two years after a divorce, many boys have trouble concentrating, do poorly on intelligence tests, and have difficulty with math. Should your relationship break down, where possible try to ensure that your children continue to have full support from both parents.

Get connected with other parents. We need support and encouragement from other parents and you’ll no doubt learn new parenting tips from them. It is good to know that you are not the only ones who may be struggling. You can encourage one another to hang in there and continue to do the right thing. We have a large selection of activities for kids in Waiuku. Take a look at our website for information on what you can do with PreSchoolers and Youths.

http://www.waiukufamilies.co.nz
admin@waiukufamilies.co.nz

How to deal with Cyber-Bullying

There have always been bullies, but the Internet has opened a whole new realm – cyber-bullying.

Cyber-bullies are children who verbally harass other children online. While this is not officially considered an online crime, it can be detrimental to your child’s self esteem.

Cyber-bullying can include cursing your child, spreading rumors about them and posing as your child in chat rooms. Sometimes a child may know exactly who their harasser is, but some cyber-bullies hide behind aliases while threatening online children. This might not seem as large a concern as adults who send pornography online to children, but we are all too aware here in New Zealand of several cases where children who had been cyber-bullied ended up taking their own lives because of it.

This video shows the methods cyber-bullies use and gives some practical tips on how your child can cope with the bullying. The biggest thing that stood out to me while watching it was that, the ‘true friends’ of the victim supported them online. They stand up to the bullies on social media platforms. This not only shows kindness to their friend but shows bravery. Great values that we can teach our kids. Lets teach our kids from a young age about supporting our friends and help change the way cyber-bullying can affect our community. Monitor your child’s cyber activity… protect your child from bullies… ensure your child is not part of a bullying culture.

Parents need to talk openly to their children about online protection against cyber-bullies. First and foremost, encourage your children to talk with you about any problems they may have with online harassment. Encourage them to confide in you or another trusted adult, such as a teacher, if they are being cyber-bullied. The Internet often gives users the illusion of anonymity and therefore, many think they write and say whatever they want without much thought. Teach your child how to block the email addresses in an attempt to stop abusive emails. Because it is easy to get additional email addresses, you may need to block additional addresses obtained by the cyber-bully. Instruct your children to save any messages that are mean or intimidating.

Remind your child that cyber-bullying is just like regular bullying. They are doing it to get a reaction out of them. If you can convince your child to ignore the bully’s emails and comments, chances are the bully will get bored and give up. Point out to your child that real online friends won’t believe lies the cyber-bully may be spreading.

If the person bullying your child online goes to his or her school, for your child’s safety, you may need to seek the advice of a teacher or principal. Online activity like this can lead to a diminished self esteem, cause learning problems and prolonged exposure to abuse and demeaning treatment.

Some parents view monitoring your child’s cyber communication as a breach of your child’s privacy rights. Perhaps a different way of looking at it is as a protection for your child. If your child starts getting bullied online, you’ll know about it early.  Better yet, if your child’s friends find out that you part of the ‘online community’ they are less likely to attack them in social media platforms.

Alternatively, what if your child is participating in group cyber-bullying?  Just liking the original post thinking it is funny or carrying on the anger by sharing is being part of the problem. How can we stop our kids from inadvertently continuing the bullying if we can’t see what’s going on? If you can see what they are saying, you have more opportunity to correct the behaviour and help them understand why it is harmful.

For a New Zealand perspective on cyber bullying check out these great sites.

Keeping Your Kids Safe Online
Information for parents on creating a safe online learning and social environment for your children at home.
http://www.cyberbullying.co.nz/

Netsafe Cyberbullying
Information and advice about cyberbullying for young people, parents and teachers.
http://www.cyberbullying.org.nz/

Children’s Learning Personality

We all learn in different ways and it can be hard to come up with ideas on how to help your children learn best. Take a look at this video to understand the different styles of learning and a couple of ideas you can do with your visual, audio or kinaesthetic learners…

Consider Foster Care

Foster care is an amazing thing to be a part of. If you are looking for a way to help someone and you have a love for children then you might want to consider foster care.

The benefits and blessings of foster care far outweigh the sacrifices. Be sure, however, that you are well aware of the sacrifices that investing in foster care will mean for you and your family. It will require time, money, energy, love, and commitment. And don’t be fooled – foster care (as with becoming a parent for the first time) will likely require much more than you could even calculate now.

A local Waiuku Foster Carer (who can not be named) says

“when a child receives love from someone that has never known them, they can begin to feel that it is okay to love again and that not everyone is out to get them.
The feelings of being wanted, for some children, can be the hardest thing to find. They may have been repeatedly rejected and hurt by their biological families, and may never be able to express their feelings appropriately. But by caring for a young child, it is less likely to be a problem for them later on… if only they experienced the love of someone who chose to care for them.”

Allow yourself to think about all of the great things that come from foster care. First and foremost, think about the lives of the children that are in need of loving and solid homes to spend time in. Can you imagine being a child without a safe place to call home? There is perhaps nothing greater than giving up part of your home and your energy to help a child or children who are in need. What a blessing for a child to be in foster care and placed in a home filled with fun and encouragement.

Carers have a diverse range of experience and background but one thing they all have in common is a passion for providing a safe and loving home for the children and young people who need them.

You could make a great foster or adoptive parent if you:
• Can commit wholeheartedly to caring for a child who needs you
• Have a stable home life
• Are willing to accept the child and help them develop their potential
• Can persevere and be patient
• Can work with the child’s family

Participating in foster care can also be a huge blessing to you and your family. Taking in a child or children in need can fill your life with a great sense of purpose and love like you may have never experienced. What a special thing to make your life bigger than yourself by caring for a child. You and your family can learn and grow closer together because of foster care. While it is never easy to include someone new in your family, foster care can be a great way to strengthen relationships and learn to appreciate the blessings you have been given.

For couples who have ever considered adopting a child or children into their family, foster care can be a great trial run to see how your family will adjust the addition of a new member in a less permanent way. Consider trying foster care for a few months or a year as you try to decide about adoption. One of the hardest but best things about foster care is that it does not require a long term commitment. Many foster care parents enjoy it so much that they take in child after child into their family.

In New Zealand there are four types of foster care:
Foster care: generally, is for a period of time with the goal that the child will return to their own family.
Emergency care: a child may come to you for a few days or a longer period, depending on the family circumstances.
Respite care: is looking after a child for short periods as a support for their main carers.
Home for life: is when a child is not able to return home and you become their lifelong carers, as part of your family.

If you are interested in determining if you and your family would do well at foster care, take some time to research the options in your area. Explore the possibilities and see if foster care might be the perfect way to reach out to your community, help a needy child, and strengthen your own family all at once.

Want to know more? Contact Child, Youth and Family at 0508 CARERS (0508 227 377) or www.cyf.govt.nz

An average day at Child, Youth and Family will include:
• Around 300 calls from people concerned about the safety of a child
• Support extended family and foster carers to look after around 4000 children and young people in care
• Hold around 60 family group conferences, where families meet to find ways to keep their children safe and well cared for, or help young people deal with their offending
• Be in touch with more than 100 families to make a positive difference for their children
• Be responsible for around 100 young people in youth justice residences.

http://www.waiukufamilies.co.nz
admin@waiukufamilies.co.nz