• MyFirstGym kids are confident kids.
    March 28, 2024
    WORDS BY ERICA NEWTON, MYFIRSTGYM CO-FOUNDER It’s true: MyFirstGym kids are confident kids. It’s like our coaches sprinkle some kind of sparkly-blue fairy dust on them as they walk into each class. But they don’t. Sorry to say: you can’t build self-esteem nor develop confidence with magic or a spell. If there was such a […]
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  • Connecting the ‘umms’ and ‘aahs’: The Art of Conversing With Your Kids.
    February 29, 2024
    WORDS BY ERICA NEWTON, MYFIRSTGYM CO-FOUNDER I found myself deep in conversation with some school mums the other day on a topic which,  ironically, revolved around conversation. We had been comparing notes on how the school year had begun for each of our children. Apart from the superficial topics like which teachers, friendships and tuckshop items […]
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  • 7 Alternatives to Throwing a Kids’ Birthday Party at Home.
    February 5, 2024
    WORDS BY ERICA NEWTON, MYFIRSTGYM CO-FOUNDER   What’s Worse: Labour Pains or Children Birthday Parties? Throwing a birthday party at home for your child is a lot like giving birth. There’s lots of lead up time and preparation, the event is eye-wateringly painful and completely exhausting with a rush of complete joy once it’s over. […]
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  • Parenting AND Keeping Up With the Jones’s
    January 1, 2024
    WORDS BY ERICA NEWTON, MYFIRSTGYM CO-FOUNDER As the dust settles and the long second half of the school holidays stretches out into January, I find myself questioning whether I’m doing it all wrong. In the effort to keep up with the Jones’s and the idea of a perfect summer holiday, I often feel exhausted (and […]
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  • Hardwiring health into your children.
    November 30, 2023
    WORDS BY ERICA NEWTON, MYFIRSTGYM CO-FOUNDER We put our Christmas tree up this week in a tradition that involves me sweating buckets as I dust off and drag out boxes of decorations from the garage. Frankly, it feels pretty weird. For this Seattle USA born and bred girl, watching Santa turn up in boardshorts on […]
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  • The Key to Our Children’s Health and Wellbeing: Confidence
    October 30, 2023
    WORDS BY ERICA NEWTON, MYFIRSTGYM CO-FOUNDER Building confidence in our children was so easy at first, wasn’t it? When they’re babies and toddlers, we can dish out smiles and praise for anything from holding a fork to waving hello. But as they develop and begin to interact with others (not just doting parents) that self-esteem […]
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  • Why is exercise important for neurodivergent children.
    August 30, 2023
    WORDS BY ERICA NEWTON, MYFIRSTGYM CO-FOUNDER   MyFirstGym on any given day can be a busy, loud and dare I say, even chaotic place to be. There’s music playing, excited shouting and laughter, kids jumping, balls flying and coaches exercising control and encouragement over it all. For parents of neurodivergent children, the very thought of […]
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  • How much exercise should your child do?
    June 25, 2023
    WORDS BY ERICA NEWTON, MYFIRSTGYM CO-FOUNDER 180 minutes.  That’s the amount of time children under five years of age are supposed to be engaged in physical activity each day. Three hours. Not even the first Avatar went that long! For children under 17 years of age, the Australian Government Department of Health recommends a more achievable benchmark […]
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