Cooking with children is an activity that I have done with both my own children, and the ones I used to child mind. You can simply let the children help with baking, my own children used to like to stand on a chair beside me so that they could reach the kitchen worktop and help…
Most children’s first experience of death is the loss of a beloved pet. I lost my pet rabbit when I was about 5 years old and was so upset that my mum let me have a few days off of school to get over my loss. My son’s were understandably upset when their pets passed…
50% of parents have said that they feel their children are lonely during the lockdown. Therefore it is paramount that we keep an eye on our children. Talk to them about their feelings and persuade them to get out and go for a walk to get some fresh air, exercise and a change of scenery…
Being a step parent , whether a mother or father can be hard work. My husband and I are both step parents and so are 2 of my sons ( I brought 2 children into the equation from my first marriage and my husband had a son from his). My advice is to not expect…
Healthy Cooking for a Family: Quick and Delicious Ideas Busy lives can make it tricky to ensure that your family is eating healthily, but with some handy hints and a little planning it becomes a lot easier. And once you’ve found a routine that works, the whole process gets quicker and quicker. So, let’s take…
When I was working as a resisted child minder, like most other child minders I looked after a variety of children of different ages, stages of development and some with special needs (often all at once). My favourite activities which can be enjoyed by everyone, with maybe a few adjustments to suit special needs are:-…
Another instalment of my pets for children, this time it’s fish. When I was a child my father kept a tank of tropical fish in the living room . We were delighted when the guppies had babies, we gathered around the tank to watch them being born which was magical to begin with, the baby…
As most of us are trying avoiding going into shops. unless for essential food activities for children using things that we already have is a good idea:- Toddlers will enjoy having a saucepan and wooden spoon to use as a drum ( not so great if you have a headache though!). Make your own shakers…
My sister told me about this easy to make playdough recipe and as I have only one working hand, since stroke, I decided to have a go at making it from my wheelchair. Ingredients: 2 cups of flour ( any will do, even the cheap value one) half a cup of salt 3 tablespoons cooking…
A friend has suggested this post, after we were chatting about after school activities, she has a daughter who likes to do cooking with her mother in the evening and as I have only got boys ( who are now grown) she asked what boys like to do after school apart from getting muddy and…
With yet another lockdown in force, it doesn’t look as though the children will be going back to school for a while yet: These are my home school hacks to help:- Be prepared: just as if children were in school get them to have their pencil case ready before you start; they won’t then have…
Many modern mums are both bringing up a family and working just to make ends meet. The key to a successful work life balance, to me, is to have a routine and try to stick to it. Other tips that come to mind are:- Be realistic; you are only human and therefore can only achieve…
5 Tips for Surviving Family Vacation I remember the chaotic days of our family’s seasonal vacations just like they were yesterday. Between my parents arguing over directions, my siblings crying and bickering over not sharing the electronic devices enough, or my granddad bringing up uncomfortable, and often times inappropriate, conversations about a distant relative…
Bullying is horrible and there is no excuse for it in my opinion. Thankfully I have never been bullied and neither have any of my children. A friend once told me that she was picked on at school by another girl ( it was over a boy which my friend said she didn’t even like…
Child care “or also known as “daycare”, a type of service which involves supervision activity of a child or a group of children by persons who have no personal relation to the child’s family. This is a very important and responsible service particularly for the parents of a modern nuclear family when both the parents…
As a parent and grandparent I feel that it is important that children are fed good wholesome food which is free of additives that can affect behaviour. This is one of the reasons that I am writing this review. Besshill farm shop is in Arlington approximately 10 miles from Barnstaple, the farm is easy to…
You don’t need to spend a fortune to keep children amused doing art and craft activities. When I was childminding; I used to use the back of junk mail (which is often blank on the reverse) as drawing paper. The inside cardboard of cereal boxes is great to use for painting. Put an old adult…