KIDS ON HOLIDAY? Here are some ideas to keep that boredom at bay

Your kids might be on Easter vacay, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t entitled to a little bit of downtime this week. From supervised kids’ crafts to bookish entertainment for your little word nerds, The Great Equalizer has you covered. And if you’re looking to make some memories, we’ve spotted an old-school drive-in that makes family time fun and easy-peasy.

It’s been a year since the last season of Workin’ Moms aired to save us from lockdown despair and our internal binge-clocks are ticking. For any readers who may be die-hard fans of the Netflix hit, here is what we know about Workin’ Moms Season 5…

TGE WatchlistSamantha HerbstMarch 24, 2021motherhood unplugged, real motherhood, bingewatch, Netflix, entertainment, mental healthComment

TGE REVIEWS… Tali’s Baby Diary

Everyone’s favourite Cape Town-dwelling Joburger Tali ‘Tali Babes’ Shapiro is back. And this time, she’s having a baby. Were it not for the dogged creatives hitting the writers’ room during lockdown, South Africa may just have lost its funny bone.

TGE WatchlistSamantha HerbstMarch 10, 2021bingewatch, television, watchlist, entertainmentComment

MY PANDEMIC PREGNANCY

After a traumatic first birth experience, Sam Herbst had high hopes for her second. She assumed that she’d be a lot more prepared, armed with knowledge and fully aware of what she was heading into. Until Covid-19 hit. Here is her story about being pregnant in a pandemic.

Motherhood UnpluggedSamantha HerbstFebruary 18, 2021pregnancy, pandemic, Covid19, baby loss, motherhoodComment

International Mother Language Day (21 February) is around the corner! Here’s why you should care:

“Reading at home with children – from the age of zero upwards – is critical to their educational, language and social development,” says Kaathima Ebrahim, director of the Cape Town-based NPO. Here’s why…

Children's Literature, EducationSamantha HerbstFebruary 16, 2021children's books, kid lit, raising readers, educationComment

CALLING BS ON 'BALANCE' IN MOTHERHOOD

Like many mothers juggling work, home and the motherload, Charlene Armstrong came head to head with a version of herself she didn’t quite recognise. Once Covid19 hit local shores, she was formally diagnosed with depression. Here is her story, and why she’s calling BS on “balance”.

Motherhood UnpluggedSamantha HerbstFebruary 8, 2021mental health, Covid19, the juggle, self-care, depressionComment

BOOK REVIEW: The Push by Ashley Audrain

Joining a new genre of ‘mum noir’ is Audrey Audain’s The Push, which tells the story of Blythe Connor – a mother with a harrowing past of emotional abuse handed down over three generations of mother/daughter units.

TGE Book ClubSamantha HerbstJanuary 29, 2021motherhood, parenting, parenthood, children, television, author, weekend readComment

BE THERE! South Africa’s largest children’s book fair is coming to Joburg

Brought to you by the Schools Reading Road Show and St Benedict’s Preparatory School, the Bennies Book Fayre will showcase 50 South African kidlit and YA authors who have published books in a variety of local languages.

Samantha HerbstMarch 9, 2020Comment

The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards nominees are OUT

Our very own Sho Madjozi is standing head-to-head with Tayler Swift and we are Here. For. It

Here’s why we’re keen on the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.

Kids' EntertainmentSamantha HerbstFebruary 18, 2020kids' entertainment, television, celebrities, local celebrities, musicComment

THE JUNGLE BOOK HITS JOBURG! Here's why it's the perfect Easter outing with the kids

The People’s Theatre is once again bringing the magic of the jungle back to Johannesburg this Easter, with its special anniversary edition of Disney’s The Jungle Book.

Kids' EntertainmentSamantha HerbstFebruary 10, 2020 Comment

5 local children’s books your kids will love

Because local is always lekker (and sharing is always caring), we’re showcasing some South African children’s book authors whose work has made it onto The Great Equalizer’s bedtime bookshelf, lovingly listed in no particular order...

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG JR! And other children's theatre must-sees this festive season

Looking for some child-friendly things to do in Joburg these holidays? Look no further than the People’s Theatre production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr for affordable and guilt-free family entertainment.

And for more child-friendly theatre recommendations, we’ve got your back!

MADAGASCAR – A MUSICAL ADVENTURE

Join The Great Equalizer this winter for some family fun at the theatre! Jill Girard and Keith Smith are bringing to life (for the very first time on stage at The Peoples Theatre) the popular Madagascar – A Musical Adventure, providing parents and children with some fun family-friendly entertainment to take us into spring. It’s basically guilt-free screen time, guys! #bliss

Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and, of course, those hilarious plotting penguins as they bound onto your stage in the musical adventure of a lifetime.

5 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT... the Johannesburg Children's Home

Early last month, we were privileged enough to attend the Johannesburg Children’s Home Christmas party, where we interviewed the home’s managing director, Annette Brokensha. There were a few big takeaways from the day’s experience, but something that stood out for us was the realisation that many charity organisations and nonprofits like the children’s home mostly see an influx of donations around the festive season and in Madiba month. It makes sense that that’s when people would be feeling generous and charitable.

DISCIPLINE! How to ensure your kid does not end up in jail

It needs to be reiterated that we at The Great Equalizer do not know what the fuck we’re doing. So when we decided to chat about discipline in our latest episode, we did not go into it with the illusion that our kids aren’t assholes. Quite the opposite, actually. In the back of our minds, we’re sussing out their little personalities to figure out what kind of felony they might commit in future and how best to prevent that from happening. In terms of discipline, we are fully aware of the cold, cold winter that lies before us. And so, in fearing for our general wellbeing, we brought in a heavyweight to show us the way.

Ask An Expert, GiveawaySamantha HerbstDecember 7, 2018parenting, parenthood, disciplineComment

KID LIT WEEK: Kids Book Club

Today we’re all about Kids Book Club – an awesome monthly subscription service that brings age-appropriate books to your doorstep. You can subscribe to the tribe for as little as R159 a month and you’ll not only get some awesome new books, but also an activity pack including stickers, crayons and colouring-in pages as well as a wooden collectors tribe item that you add to your tribe mountain as your book collection grows.Why are we fans? Kids Book Club is managed by three moms (our favourite type of people). Mandie, Nadine and Tracy are dead-set on getting families reading, creating and educating and we are so on board!

Awesome People, Doing Awesome Things, CompetitionSamantha HerbstNovember 30, 2018kid lit, children's books, raising readers, readingComment

KID LIT WEEK: The Dear Human Series by Chris Bee

Our fourth and final Author Avenger is none other than Christine Bernard, otherwise known as Chris Bee (for the kiddos). Christine is a graphic and layout designer who illustrates on the side, but she's happiest when writing. She enjoys writing mystery/suspense and contemporary fiction (hello, holiday mom reads!) and this year published her first children’s books – a series of letters from pets to their humans.

Awesome People, Doing Awesome ThingsSamantha HerbstNovember 28, 2018kid lit, children's books, local author, picture flats, self-publishedComment

KID LIT WEEK: A Frog and a Whale in a Princess Tale by Tina Scotford

Today we’re featuring KwaZulu-Natal-based author Tina Scotford, another mom warrior who wrote ‘A Frog and a Whale in a Princess Tale. Written in what is now know as Tina’s signature rhyming style, this beautifully illustrated story features a quirky, comical frog on a quest to find a princess whose magical kiss will transform him into a man. He meets dangerous sea creatures along his journey and cleverly outwits them at every turn.

KID LIT WEEK: Henry by Megan Andrews

Our next Author Avenger is illustrator, designer, self-proclaimed wannabee hipster and mom of two Megan Andrews. Megan is a Cape Town-based creative with an epically diverse portfolio. This year, Megan dove headfirst into the world of children’s literature and, among other kid lit endeavours, self-published her very own picture flat.

Awesome People, Doing Awesome ThingsSamantha HerbstNovember 25, 2018children's books, kid lit, illustrator, graphic design, reading, authorComment

KID LIT WEEK: My Feeling Friends by Phillippa Morassi

Today we’re going into a bit more detail about our first Author Avenger: the indomitable Phillippa Morassi. Phillippa is an expert friend, registered counsellor, power mom to sunshine child Aurelia and author of the My Feeling Friends series of picture books, which guides children through emotional development and teaches them the appropriate coping skills for some heavy feelings that even we, as adults, might struggle with.