Note: this interview was done prior to the announcement that the Therapeutic Goods Administration provisionally approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11. 

Now that the TGA has given a provisional green light to vaccinating our under 12s, what do we know about the way the vaccine was tested? Dr Asha Bowen is an Infectious disease paediatrician at Perth Children’s Hospital and the Telethon Kids Institute. Asha talks about how we know a vaccine is safe for children, why it's important to vaccinate kids against COVID-19 and how it will protect our kids.

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How many toys do your children have that they never play with? Imagine how great if those toys could have another life, with another child this Christmas? Julie Mathers, Founder and CEO of Flora and Fauna wants you to donate your toys to them. Once donated the toys make their way to The Peninsular Senior Citizens Toy Repair Group where they're made up to scratch before traveling on to We Care Connect and into the arms of a child who will love them. Julie talks about how many toys get binned after Christmas and the difference this kind of recycling can make.

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When Belinda Jeffery cooks, she cooks with her heart, using memories from her childhood. Belinda watched her mother and Aunt cook, and those moments spent watching and engaging with food has led to a lifelong love of simple, tasty food. When she joined Instagram she decided to post about cooking once a week, and the results became A Year of Sundays, a cookbook, a conversation, and reflections on the world around me. Belinda talks about the aromas that bring back her childhood and the benefit of eating well, and simply.

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The following is a Feed Play Love highlight episode, back due to popular demand.

When your baby starts solids it’s exciting to watch them explore different tastes and textures. But sometimes our children will decide they don’t like a certain food.

What then? Will your child become one of those dreadful “fussy eaters”?

Dr Jen Cohen, AKA The Fussy Eating Doctor, tells us how to define a fussy eater, and whether or not we can avoid them altogether.

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The following is a Feed Play Love highlight episode, back due to popular demand.

Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue has been working with families for over 30 years, and can help you get some perspective when dealing with a tricky or challenging situation.

On this episode of Helpline she helps with:

• A 13-month-old who gags himself for attention
• Getting an eight-month-old to sleep in his cot
• A milk-chucking four-week-old
• A three-year-old who refuses to eat (and has low iron) – Chris refers to Dr Jen Cohen in her response
• How to wean a 21-month-old when you’re eight months pregnant
• Slowing down a three-year-old runner
• How to help a toddler transition to a new room when baby number three is on its way

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Australia is a great place to bring up children. The weather is great and we have an abundance of beautiful beaches and bushland. It's also home to some rather nasty creepy crawlies like spiders, mozzies and bees. Sarah Hunstead is the CEO of CPR Kids, and organisation that aims to empower parents with first aid knowledge. Sarah identifies the main creepy crawlies we need to look out for in Australia and what to do if our child is bitten (or stung).

In this interview Sarah mentions: Health Direct, the RCH Fact sheets on insect repellant and the website Tiara for tick removal.

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Most rational women know that a post-baby body is not going to look the same as it did pre-pregnancy. But rationality doesn't always help when you're looking at yourself in the mirror. As much as you might appreciate your body for what it's done (grown a whole mini-human) it can still be challenging to get your head around how different you may look. Sallyanne Hartnell is a women's relationship coach at Reflect Coaching. Sallyanne talks about how we can learn to accept our new shape, even when we are at our most exhausted and sleep-deprived.

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It's been a while since anyone has been globe trotting. Whether it was the lockdown that scuppered your plans or having babies - living in a romantic town in Italy probably feels like not just another cultural experience, but one that is totally alien. Yet this is the life that Kate Langbroek lived before, and during the Coronavirus pandemic.Kate Langbroek was hosting a breakfast show and kicking all her career goals when she decided to move to Bologna in Italy with her family. Kate has written about her time in Italy in her book called Ciao Bella! Six Take Italy. Kate talks about what inspired them to throw caution to the wind, and Italian way of living they're holding on to now they're back home.

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The following is a Feed Play Love highlight episode, back due to popular demand.Having a baby can be the most special thing you will ever share with your partner. But it can also put pressure on your relationship as the demands of caring for an infant can highlight disparities in who shoulders the domestic labour. Throw in a significant loss of sleep and the love and connection you had with your partner can feel like a distant memory. Elisabeth Shaw is the CEO of Relationships Australia NSW. She explains how we can keep our relationships strong after we bring our baby home.

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• A 2.5-year-old night wanderer
• The usual number of milk-feeds for an 11-month-old
• A 6-month-old who wakes regularly through the night for her dummy or twice for a feed
• A 4-month-old who is pooing infrequently
• A 6-week-old who is cat-napping through the day
• Tips for leaving young children with their grandparents for three nights
• A 7-month-old with separation anxiety
• Advice on preventing mastitis

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