Baby & ToddlersBlogChildcareParenting SkillsSchoolingSpecial Kids

Let me play (Trust me ... I'm learning)

A picture speaks a thousand words and this is one of my favourites. A shame it wasn’t around in 1999 when my 4 year old son was being constantly scolded, chastised and persecuted by his teachers. I’ve felt for a long time that children in the UK start school far too early and when this is compounded by being an August born child – the odds for a smooth ride in the early years, dwindle to…
Read more
Baby & ToddlersBlogParenting Skills

Retained Infant Reflexes - their impact on success or failure in education

When a child is born, he leaves the protection and cushioning of the womb to enter an environment where he will be instantly bombarded by a multitude of sensory stimuli ranging from touch, sight, sounds, smells and tastes. If they are too strong or too sudden, he will react to them but this reaction is completely automatic – a reflex, and he will not understand the reaction. In order to…
Read more
BlogParenting SkillsSpecial Kids

“I wish you’d never been born!” - Living with a disabled sibling

How often have you heard one of your children say to their brother or sister ‘I wish you’d never been born !’ For the most part, you will choose to ignore it, knowing in the grand scheme of things, this is just a sibling spat which will resolve itself eventually. How does the significance change when a child says the same thing to a disabled sibling? Understanding how disability can affect…
Read more
BlogFitness & HealthParenting Skills

In the eponymous words of Cher ... If I could turn back time

How to manage your partner’s mid-life crisis. You’ve been married for double digit years, had your kids, finally reached financial stability and are looking forward to the next stage of the relationship life-cycle – enjoying life as a couple without the stress and distraction of bringing up ankle biters. Seemingly, your life is comfortable and you feel secure and content. Then you…
Read more