1505 days ago

Pre-loved teddies helping children cope with Covid induced anxiety

Jake Kenny Reporter from Community News

Happy Wednesday neighbours,

They were once forlorn teddy bear orphans, discarded to a charity shop – until a mother and daughter realised they could be the key to helping children cope with anxiety.

Nicky Buist​ and daughter Jaz​ Lotz​ have been re-purposing pre-loved soft toys by weighting them with sand and lacing them with lavender as a calming strategy for overwhelmed children.

Passionate about helping young people, the pair wanted to help combat what they see as an increasing need to help parents find ways of dealing with their child’s feelings of anxiety and sadness.

A month ago they formed Weighty Warriors after trials with weighted teddy bears proved successful with the children they worked with.

They have since begun selling the soft toys around New Zealand, including to schools in Auckland and Rolleston.

Read the full story by clicking 'Read more' below.

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1 hour ago

Neighbourhood Challenge: Who Can Crack This One? ⛓️‍💥❔

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

What has a head but no brain?

Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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15 hours ago

Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Ministry of Social Development is reporting that fake information is circulating about new ‘December bonuses’ or ‘benefit increases’

If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.

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1 day ago

Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”

We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?

Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.

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Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
  • 40.4% Yes
    40.4% Complete
  • 33.9% Maybe?
    33.9% Complete
  • 25.7% No
    25.7% Complete
460 votes