Dogs on the beach

Porirua City Council certainly follows its own strange logic.

Summer hours for dogs on Titahi Bay beach begin on November 1, which is spring.

With all the gales and rain of spring, dogs must be off the beach by 10am and can return only after 7pm.

That is in spite of the fact that the dog walkers pick up most of the rubbish in lieu of the beach wardens, who do, in fact, start work in summer, on December 1.

Rules and regulations regarding drinking, litter, horses and vehicles travelling the length of the beach are ignored.

Only the dog laws are rigidly enforced.

Did someone on the council have a problem with their pet pooch as a child? holidays, but my youngest is not so lucky.

She turns 5 in July 2016, so we have a year and a half left of early childhood education.

I have struggled to find somewhere that meets Beanstalk’s exceptionally high standards.

My children are always well cared for, taught school readiness basics, independence and, most of all, are nurtured.

I am happy to send them there because I know they are not just a number.

The staff are all excellent and work great as a team.

Also the fact that it is sessional has been great for my younger child – six hours is a long time when they are so young. and offering longer hours for the benefit of parents and not of preschoolers.

Playcentres run morning and occasionally afternoon sessions.

Our birth to school age children are so engaged during the time they are interacting with other preschoolers or their community’s whanau, who run the centres, that they are exhausted enough for a sleep when they get home – regardless of their age.

We need to get back to putting our children first, and that means running sessional services that involve parents/whanau.

In my mind love equals time, not money.

If you choose to have children then they should be your No 1 priority.

This may require major sacrifices in some areas of your life.

But in hindsight I believe the joy your children give you and the time and love you give them will make those sacrifices an easy choice.