Win a copy of the new junior fiction book “Tilly & Billy Travel the World”

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Win 1 of 3 copies of the brand new junior fiction travel adventure story “Tilly & Billy Travel the World” by Dawn McKenzie!

McSlimey is mean, green and nasty. He’s stolen the ‘D’ from the Hollywood sign and it’s a race to restore it before the Academy Awards.  Luckily, the Goodies Against Baddies (GAB) know exactly what to do. Secret agents Tilly and Billy along with their meerkat, Meeka, land in Los Angeles with just five hours, five minutes and fifty-five seconds to get the ‘D’ back. With the help of bang belts and solar powered backpacks, as well as Meeka’s awesome binocular vision, they chase McSlimey across the city. Can good overcome evil? The first book in the new series by Melbourne writer Dawn MacKenzie, Tilly & Billy Travel the World, is an exciting adventure-packed travel tale for young readers.

Get to know Dawn MacKenzie

Competition details:

Who can enter? Members only
How often? Once a day
Promotion starts: 06/01/2014
Promotion ends: 24/01/2014

Not yet a member? Our competitions are only open to Parenthub members who are Australian residents. If you aren’t a member yet please sign up first. Membership is free and there are great offers and benefits! Your competition entry won’t be eligible to win a prize if you are not a member.

How to enter

Provided you are a Parenthub member (sign up here) simply fill in the form below and answer this question:

Tell us what you do to make your child feel loved (in 25 words or less)

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Participation in the Parenthub Book Competition (Competition) indicates your acceptance of the terms and conditions of entry set out below.

1. The Promoter is Virtual Medical Centre.com of Level 1, 414 Scarborough Beach Road, Osborne Park, Western Australia. Postal address is PO Box 1173, Osborne Park 6916, Australia. ABN 12097593587.  Phone: +61 (08) 9388 0344. Fax: +61 (08) 9388 0611. The prize is sponsored by Quikmark Media, Preston South VIC 3072 Australia.
2. Promotional Period. The Promotion will be open from 3pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on Monday 06 January 2014 until 5pm AEST on Friday 24 Jan 2014.
3. Eligible Entrants. Entry is open to all Australian residents, aged 15 years and over, who are new or existing members of Parenthub, except employees or contractors of the Promoter or prize sponsor, and members of their immediate families. Entrants under the age of 18 must obtain the prior permission of a parent or guardian to enter.
4. To enter you must: a) be a new or current Parenthub member
   b) submit an answer to the question asked, and
   c) submit all required contact details
5. Prizes. There are 3 (three) prizes.Each consists of one book “Tilly & Billy Travel the World” by Dawn McKenzie RRP $12.95. Total prize pool RRP $38.85
6. Winners: The winners of the competition will be the people who submit an entry that the judges regard as the best in terms of creativity and originality. Chance plays no part in determining the winners. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding their decision.
   Incomplete, illegible or incorrect entries or entries containing offensive or defamatory comments, or which breach any law or infringe any third party rights,  including intellectual property rights, are not eligible to win.
7. Notification: Winners will be notified by email and asked for their postal address to send the prize to. The prizes will then be sent to the winners by Australia Post. The winners may also be posted on parenthub.wpengine.com (including their name, suburb and state).
8. Change of address: It is the entrants’ responsibility to inform the Promoter if their residential address, email address or phone number changes during the Competition Period.  Prizes will only be delivered in Australia.
9. Unclaimed prizes: In the event that the Prize has not been claimed by 12 noon AEST 10 Feb 2014, subject to any directions given by State and Territory gaming departments the prize will be awarded to the next best eligible entrant as chosen by the judges.
   General Conditions
10. Prizes are not transferable or exchangeable and are not redeemable for cash. All other costs associated with a Prize are the responsibility of the winner. The Promoter shall not be liable for any Prize that may be lost, stolen, forged, damaged or tampered with in any way before it reaches the winner.
11. If the Promoter is unable to provide a winner with the nominated Prize, the Promoter reserves the right to supply an alternative prize of the equal or greater value, subject to any written directions given by State or Territory gaming departments.
12. Entries will be deemed to be accepted at the time of receipt by the  Promoter. No responsibility will be taken for lost, late or misdirected  entries. The Promoter is not responsible for technical difficulties with the entry mechanism and does not warrant that the entry mechanism will  be available at all times.
13. If, for any reason, the Promotion is not capable of running as  planned, including due to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering,  unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failure or any other causes  beyond the control of the Promoter, which corrupt or affect the  administration security, fairness or integrity or proper conduct of this Promotion, the Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion to  take any action that may be available, subject to State and Territory  regulations.
14. The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify entries in the event of non-compliance with these terms and conditions of entry. In the event there is a dispute concerning the conduct of the Promotion, the decision of the Promoter is final and binding on each entrant and no correspondence will be entered into.
15. The Promoter reserves the right to request winners to provide proof of identity, proof of residency at the nominated prize delivery address and/or proof of entry validity in order to claim a prize. Proof of identification,  residency and entry considered suitable for verification is at the discretion of the Promoter. In the event that a winner cannot provide suitable proof, the winner will forfeit the prize in whole and no substitute will be offered.
16. The Promoter makes no representations or warranties as to the  quality/suitability/merchantability of any of the goods/services offered as prizes. The Promoter or prize sponsor shall not be liable for any damage or loss whatsoever which is suffered (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or any personal injury suffered or sustained in connection with this promotion, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law.
17. By entering the competition, each entrant agrees to the use of their 25 word statement for printing, broadcast, publicity and promotional purposes, without compensation, and agrees that the Promoter will own all intellectual property rights, in any such material.
18. The personal information provided by participants to the Promoter  may be used by the Promoter for the purpose of conducting the Competition. The Promoter is bound by the provisions of the Privacy Act 1988.

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Dawn MacKenzie

The unique bond between grandparent and grandchild by Dawn MacKenzie

As a child I didn’t have the opportunity to bond with my grandparents and I missed that special gift in my life. Now as a grandparent, this magical relationship is like no other. In fact my heart swells with pride and happiness when I hold a grandchild for the very first time. I would give my life for this tiny bundle of joy.

The role of a parent is paramount for the child, however the grandparent offers another perspective and provides a different role model for the grandchild.

Coming from a generation that didn’t have guidebooks, parental experts or psychologists to give us parental advise, we stumbled along with trial and error and lots of love. Having raised three loving daughters, (with my husband), in the best way we knew, now there is the opportunity to offer a different contribution to a grandchild to that of the parent(s).

My investment in a grandchild is physical, emotional, financial and of course with unconditional love. The connection with a grandchild is social, loving and comforting. This healthy relationship stems from a genetic connection that knows no boundaries.

A grandchild seeks approval, cuddles, love, time, security and fun. My favourite words for a grandchild are ‘please,’ ‘thank you,’ ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I love you.’ I play games, read books, go to the park and pretend to think like a child and know their world. Experts indicate that grandparents bonding with grandchildren can provide them with love, safety, and cultural and family history. This relationship with dedicated attention can improve a child’s developmental and learning skills.

I listen to the words of a grandchild and validate the communication even if it is a bit slow and disjointed; after all, I now have time on my side. For the older grandchild I provide on-going love, time, a listening ear and

advice when required. Encouragement with communication and building self-esteem for the grandchild is important for their development in their world of ‘time-poor parents’ and the changing world of high-speed technology.

There are after school activities, weekend sport, sleep-overs and numerous birthday parties to attend.  Life is so busy and so structured that  time with a grandparent is just that, ‘time.’

How wonderful is it to have 1:1 time and talk about what life was like when I was a child. No computers, mobile phones, ipads, apps or DVDs. Birthday parties were simple gatherings of children playing games, not the expensive competitive affairs of jumping castles, dance parties, clowns and celebrity guests.

I give a grandchild my love, companionship, praise, advice and education.  Grand-parenting is a life enriching experience for the grandparent and the grandchild.  A bond with a grandchild is unique unlike anything else, especially when it comes wrapped with love and time.