Parenting Skills

Why you shouldn't stop your toddler from writing on your walls

Introducing cursive handwriting in the first years of schooling is a daunting task for parent and child alike. Yet, more and more primary schools are insisting that a child entering school should embark on writing at this seemingly complicated level. As a mother and a therapist I completely agree with this line of thought. In fact, I made sure that this was a pre-requisite when…
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BlogParenting SkillsSchooling

Fairtrade: is it really fair to ask us to look for this label?

I used to view with suspicion all type of marketing around Fairtrade simply because I wasn’t really aware of what Fairtrade really was until my 5 year old son one day came home from school saying that we needed to buy only Fairtrade goods in order not to exploit the farmers … Let me tell you that at first I was a bit upset as I thought the school was trying to brainwash my child on…
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BlogFeeding the FamilyFitness & HealthParenting SkillsSchooling

Top tips for children hydration

Expert tool launched to encourage children to develop healthy hydration habits. A new child-friendly, educational tool providing important hydration advice has been launched today, coinciding with research showing that schoolchildren may improve their cognitive performance by hydrating with water. The ‘Children’s Hydration Glass’ developed by the Natural Hydration Council (NHC) in…
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BlogParenting Skills

Why first aid is important

What if? What could I do? How would I cope? These are the questions that a First Aid Course can give you the answers to. By attending a first aid course for as little as two hours you could gain the knowledge and practice the skills required to make a real difference in the event of an accident. And according to the statistics, being prepared is vital: Childhood accidents cost the NHS over £275…
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Parenting Skills

No prams at London 2012! Are you are a sling or pram mummy or daddy?

At the Olympic Games this summer people are advised not to go with prams but use slings instead. Baby Slings appear to be mandatory for The Olympics “Babes in Arms” Tickets. And what a great opportunity for those strong daddies to bond with their babies while watching their favourite sport. In all the initial excitement of a new baby, dads often feel they need to step back and let mum take…
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Baby & ToddlersBlogGet CreativeParenting Skills

British families urged to swap a sedentary summer for a Playcation

New research recently revealed that British families are stuck to the sofa, with two thirds (68 per cent) of family time being sedentary. The survey conducted by UK retailer Argos, shows British families spend an average of twelve hours together a week yet eight hours of this time are spent sat down. Television is the biggest family entertainer, with a quarter of parents defaulting to the box…
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BlogParenting SkillsSchooling

42% OF CHILDREN LOSE INTEREST IN READING BY 11

Teachers are increasingly worried as children prefer internet over reading. ‘Twilight effect’ is attributed to two thirds of girls reading fantasy novels. More than a third of children (42%) are likely to have turned off reading for pleasure before they reach secondary school age (11), according to new teacher research recently released. The research was carried out to mark the release of a…
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Baby & ToddlersBlogParenting Skills

Mums’ Friendships Going Down The Toilet With Potty Training

One in three mums has fallen out with someone over how to raise their children, a study has revealed. The study of 2,000 mums found that they’ve argued with close relatives, other mothers and even complete strangers following a comment or remark on how they should bring up their children. But mums are most likely to fall out with their own mother followed by their partner, mother-in-law and…
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BlogParenting Skills

Parent pack for child body confidence launched

A new guide for parents to help them educate children about how the media alter images and the impact this can have on self esteem has been backed by Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone today. The body image parent pack, developed for 6-11-year-olds by not-for-profit organisation Media Smart, marks the latest contribution to the government’s Body Confidence campaign. The pack encourages…
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BlogParenting Skills

The REAL cost of divorce

Divorce in many cases is becoming a fast route to poverty. Not only does divorce often bring a severe heartbreak that can take a vast time to heal.  Research shows that people are not healingfrom divorce. > The 2nd marriage divorce rate is 53% > 3rd marriage divorce rate is 72% and > 4th marriage divorce rate is 84% Each year about 1.2 million couples get divorced in the US vs 120,000…
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