As the ticker above shows, I'm getting married in three days time. The house is chaotic and manic. I am running around like a mad woman in an attempt to finish all the fiddly things that make wedding ceremonies memorable for guests.For the next two weeks I may not be on-line at all. I will be back from my honeymoon on Easter Monday and I look forward to seeing you all then.Take care and stay safe....

Do you know what to teach your children to help keep them safe?Can you name any protective behaviour programs?If you were sitting an exam could you write a paragraph on what to include in lessons on Protective Behaviours? These questions motivated me to design an easy to remember model of what to teach about protective behaviours: all the BITSS you need to know to help keep kids safe.The BITSS model...

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney is one of our family favorites. I gave a copy to my oldest daughter on her 16th birthday (she's now 24) and we consistently say to each other, "I love you stars and moons." This phrase is a direct link to how much we have all appreciated the potency of love expressions in Guess How Much I Love You.It is fitting then, that this story becomes a reading at our...

Unlike the Seekers famous song, The Carnival is Over, the Carnival of Australia is beginning. After positive discussions with several Aussie bloggers, we are now seeking submissions from Aussie bloggers (and bloggers who have visited and blogged on their Australian experience) for our fortnightly Carnival of Australia.Come on Aussie, come on. If you are an Aussie blogger, or you have blogged about...

If you are feeling brave and looking for a new Carnival to submit your blogs to, why not consider the Carnival of Courage. This fortnightly Carnival features courage related posts: whether your own act of bravery, big or small or that of someone who has inspired you. Share your tales from the trenches as you wrestle with those things that are stretching and challenging you.The most recent Carnival...

Only seven sleeps to go until our wedding in the rainforest underneath the spectacular Mungalli Falls. Both ceremony and reception are focused on children and we have several adventure based activities organised for the children. Last night, partner and I were going through music choices. Many songs were discarded because of the foul language and suggestive sexual adult content.Discarding obscenities...

Child sexual abuse is still not a topic discussed enough in family homes. Just as the dynamics of sexual abuse are shrouded in secrecy and manipulation, so too are many family conversations: particularly conversations around sexual abuse prevention. Parents often state they are scared of spoiling their children's innocence, scarring their kids or they don't see why they should talk about it because...

Emotional Intelligence includes teaching about and providing a range of feeling words to match to emotions and learning how to use them at the appropriate time. Our English language has over 2000 words to describe our feelings. Typically though, any of us will only ever use six words (three sets of opposites, i.e., hot/cold, happy/sad) in our feeling description repertoire.Knowing what you are feeling...

Competition: Win two copies of Bitss of Caramel Marmalade on Toast: one for you and one for your local library of choice.Bitss of Caramel Marmalade on Toast by Megan Bayliss is a tall tell-tale and endearingly stirring children’s read. The 109 page, paperback, children’s book sensitively addresses important protective behaviour strategies aimed at protecting children from hidden harms. The story gives...

Purse for a Curse is a fundraiser that Imaginif is this year holding for the Abused Child Trust. My partner and his business colleagues have been approaching many high profile Australians – politicians, sporting heroes, singers and actors. Not one person approached has yet refused to donate a used wallet or purse to be sold at an on-line auction. Congratulations and thank you to those people: busy...

Is it okay to have consensual sex with an adult step-child? Ohio (U.S.A) man, Paul Lowe, has gone to jail for engaging in consensual sex with the 22-year-old daughter of Lowe's wife: his stepdaughter. Lowe argued that the relationship was consensual and that because she was an adult, the “incest statute […] to protect children against adults in positions of authority over them” did not apply to his...

Thumbs up to my youngest child. Emotionally intelligent (sometimes!) and full of empathy for others, he today Shaved for a Cure. He raised $170.00 for the Leukaemia Foundation, simply by being brave and getting shaved. Well done darling. I am very proud of you.I wasn't too keen on his choice of haircut immediately before our wedding (13 sleeps to go) but at least he has followed his beliefs about...

Social Workers do it with international relations. No, I'm not talking about incest. International Social Work day falls on March 27th. A day to celebrate the amazing advances Social Work has contributed globally in areas of equality, social justice, community development, research and policy, improving the lives of individuals, rights and education, International Social Work day celebrates each social...

Shannon could hear the footsteps behind her as she walked toward home.The thought of being followed made her heart beat faster."You're being silly," she told herself, "No one is following you."To be safe, she began to walk faster, but as the footsteps kept pace with her she was afraid to look back and was glad that she was almost home. Shannon said a quick prayer "God please get me home safe."She...

Thumbs up to Seventh Generation. Their corporate social responsibility extends beyond caring for the environment to caring for homeless women’s sanitary needs.A simple donation program on their site encourages a click for a box of FREE environmentally safe sanitary products delivered to a shelter in the state of your choice (U.S.A).Seventh Generations click for feminine products program is currently...

My greatest award and reward is my partners decision to marry me/us (six kids and me last of all). As I'm sure most people know, I'm getting married in 16 sleeps time. Our wedding is focused on the comfort of our guests, 30% of which are children. We think it's quite acceptable to have children at weddings and judging from article response, so do you.Somebody has nominated my post, Children at Weddings:...

Do you give a blog about sexual violence? Marcella Chester from Abyss2hope does and she is coordinating a Blog Against Sexual Violence event. The goal is to get as many bloggers as possible to participate. If you're a blogger and you give a blog, then that means you.This is the perfect opportunity for bloggers to come together as a united community: to have a single voice in saying that sexual violence...

Do you know a young person who may like to enter a short film competition? I have just recieved some information about an exciting free short film competition available for young people aged from 12 - 18 years.The Police Citizen Youth Club Short Film Competition is a state wide (Queensland, Australia) competition aimed at young people between the ages of 12 and 18 years. The competition is designed to help make our youth of today aware of the current social issues many young people face on a daily...

Megan: You grew up without a Mum and Dad to care for you. You had to live with several other families over the years. What was it like being a foster child?Georgie: It was the only thing I really knew. I knew from a small age that my Mum and Dad couldn't care for me. They wanted the best for me so they put me somewhere they knew I would be looked after and get the things they knew they wouldn't be...

Carnival of Family Life organiser, Kailani over at An Island Life, is running a photo competition around "What inspires you?" Always interested in market research around what inspires individuals and businesses interested in preventing child sexual abuse, I spent a moment reflecting on why I am inspired to give my career, my life, my passion to working against child abuse.I am inspired by the sun...

Individual fiscal increases are not the only motivating factor for investors. Many people give because they want to make the world a better place, because they have received assistance and are now prepared to give back to community, or because they just give a damn about the plight of people. This is socially responsible investing.Even though my area of giving continues to be child sexual abuse, I...

WINNER of the GNMParentsHot Stuff Award 16.3.07Our home is a full on wedding planner battle zone. We are getting married this month in destination Rainforest, below a magnificent waterfall (pictured).The wedding is a child-focused event (I have four children plus two now out of care, foster children). My eleven year old is best man and in charge of the Laser Tag Buck’s party. He is also responsible...

Predators are everywhere; in the ocean, in the air and on our streets. Sexual Predators are often in our homes or in places our children frequent.Protect your children by teaching them about predators. When talking about predators of the ocean or air let your children know that some humans are also predators, sexual predators, and that they prey on children.The aim of protective behaviours is not...