A friend has just told me about this, it is something that I was not aware of:- Geocaching is an outdoor activity that the whole family can get involved in; all you need is a pen and a smart phone or similar device. Download the free app and get treasure hunting. There are hundreds of…
Category: Parenting
When my children came home from school with a list of spellings to learn for a test, I started by getting them to write out each word 3 times to get some recognition. I also made sure that they knew what the words meant ( there’s no point in being able to spell a word…
This is a question that I have been asked:- When I was a child minder I did allow the children to bring their own toys occasionally, but they and often their parents had to understand that they would need to share them with the other children. ( my own children were told that if they…
Health and safety seems to have gone mad recently, but is this the best for our children, should they be able to take risks? My feelings are that yes, children should be able to take some risks. Have you ever tried to cut anything with safe plastic scissors? It’s impossible, give children real child size…
I recently saw a parent asking about this on social media. I, like most parents, I suspect,would encourage my children to say “Ta” when I gave them something as babies, as they grew older and their vocabulary improved the “Ta” became “Thank you” When I was a child minder I liked the children to say…
This is a suggestion from Sarah. I was speaking to my 11 year old granddaughter on the phone when she told me that she wants to go back to school because she is missing her friends. She also mentioned that she had managed to have a quick conversation with a friend who lives in the…
ichild have a variety of crafts for children to celebrate father’s day:- FATHER’S DAY ROSETTE; This can be made using ribbon, or a simpler version can be made from the paper template. FATHER’S DAY OWL CRAFT; This is a fun craft providing a space on the owl’s front to write a message or stick a…
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…
There seems to be as many step-parents as biological now, so should step-parents be hands off when it comes to disapline? When I moved in with my now second husband I had 2 sons and he had one living with him. At first, my new partner said that he didn’t think that it was his…
Now that some schools and child minders are able to open again after the lock down, practitioners will be looking at providing distancing activities which keep children safe. As the virus is thought to be less of a risk when outside. having the children in the great outdoors whenever possible seems to be the best…
Siblings arguing or fighting is nothing new, it is part of a healthy, normal relationship, in my experience. However, now that we are in lock down and having to spend more time together than usual this has become a problem for some parents. My 2 sisters and I would sometimes fall out; I can remember…
I was recently asked by a parent what her child will be expected to do before starting school. My answer was as all children are individuals and therefore different there are no set rules, as such. I suggest that a child should be toilet trained ( could be difficult for a child with special needs)…
During this lockdown period of time we are permitted to take a daily walk in our neighbourhood. Some people have been fined because they are driving for many miles to take a walk; this is not allowed because it creates more traffic on our roads, increasing the chance of an accident or breakdown and having…
I have been asked on more than one occasion what is the correct age to move a baby from a cot into a bed. As all children are individuals, I would say that there is no set age. This is how I made the transition with my own children:- My boys were moved when I…
I discovered adult colouring after suffering a stroke which left me disabled. My sister brought me a book as a gift:- This particular book The Menagerie, animal portraits is great for me as each individual page can be torn out (via perforations) as I only have one working hand being able to remove the page…
Our families have been settling into this new ‘normal’ as we turned to the safety of staying in our homes. There are definite growing pains for many of our children.They are adjusting to the complete disruption to their routines and long pauses to their usual safe places of school and other social activities. On top…
Again this was something that I saw a parent asking about on social media. I would start by sharing books with children; as many as possible. My favourite children’s books here. Next have a game with children were you hold up an everyday object and ask what letter it begins with, for example, hold up…
This is a small selection of activities that ichild offer:- EASTER COLOUR AND COUNT: This is exactly what it says; an Easter picture to colour and related images to discover and count, great for helping children with learning about counting and numbers. Number recognition here. EASTER CROSSWORD: 10 clues with the answers at the bottom…
Current events have meant that due to schools having to close parents are needing to home school their children’ My children are grown now, so I don’t have personal experience of this, but this is how I would have dealt with it:- Ensure that children get up at a reasonable time ( this is not…
Due to the recent events, today’s post is a bit of fun to hopefully cheer everyone up. I like most parents, I would think, have told my children a few white lies over the years; other than Santa and the tooth fairy, we came up with several more:- My youngest son always wanted to be…
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…
As the schools have been forced to close and most children will need to stay at home,without attending usual group activities they will quite rightly start to ask questions about why. Because I have NO medical training this is not based on medical facts; these are just my thoughts and advice to parents and carers:-…
When my children were young and when I was working as a registered child minder, I was always looking for simple, cheap activity ideas that the children could do. Now that the corona virus is forcing some people to self isolate having things to entertain children is even more important:- One of the most popular…
This is a small selection of crafts available from ichild:- HANDPRINT FLOWER CRAFT; In my experience most children will jump at the chance of having their hand painted and printed onto paper, so this craft is perfect. There is a flower pot image to download and colour as you wish, even the youngest of children…
I recently came across an article saying that father’s should be allowed to sleep over on maternity wards. I know from watching documentaries on television that some private hospitals, such as The Portman, permit this ( for a large cost, I would think) but should N.H.S. hospitals also let new dad’s stay overnight? My feeling…
Recent reports have said that 1 in 3 children are obese before they leave primary school. To help prevent this it is important to make sure that children get enough exercise and eat a healthy diet. Set a good example by exercising with your children; anything that raises the heart beat and makes you a…
This is a request from a Facebook friend who has a ‘terrible 2’ to deal with. I have always advised parents to reward any good wanted behaviour and ignore the unwanted. I used a reward chart for my son for both managing his behaviour and for helping with potty training. Potty training tips here. There…
When I was working as a registered child minder, I did a topic on the theme of people who help us. We went on a visit to the local fire station, with some other child minders and their children; this was arranged by the leader of our child minding network. We were all given a…
There is no law in Britain, currently, saying when a child can be left at home alone; but the N.S.P.C.C. recommends that they shouldn’t be left alone if under 12 years of age. This got me thinking: Although I believe that there should be some kind of law to safeguard children, I know that some…
This is a selection of Valentine crafts from ichild>- HAND ON HEART VALENTINES CARD; A great craft foe early years, as most children are happy to have their hand drawn around. Simply draw a heart shape ( or use the downloadable template) in the centre of the hand and ask the child what message they…
A head teacher has been reported, this week, as saying that helping children with their homework can have a negative effect on development: Children need to learn to deal with failure, she says and by helping with homework a child may not fail, this got me thinking:- Parents can sometimes confuse a child by trying…
Once again this is a topic that was brought up on a daytime television program. A working mother said that as well as working full time, her husband still expected her to do everything concerning the children in the evenings and weekends. Another woman said that when she came home from work, her husband told…
Schools around the country have been seeing boys falling behind girls by the age of 7. The gap is widest in English; reading and writing , but also presents a significant difference in maths and science. In my experience as both a parent and a registered child minder girls tend to have a longer concentration…
My husband would say that I am the most qualified person on the planet to help and encourage children to talk; as in spite of suffering a massive stroke and an unrelated brain tumour, I am still able to talk extremely well!( he is disappointed about this). I believe that you should talk to your…
This was the topic brought up on a daytime television programme just before Christmas. I have never been a smoker, but must point out that I am NOT having a go at anyone who does. I am not against smoking; it is a personal choice: I am against smoking in front of children, though. As…
Busy parents will find it helpful if their children go to sleep early on Christmas eve. giving them time to prepare for the following big day. When I was a girl, my mother always told my sisters and I that if we went to bed early on Christmas eve Christmas day would come quicker, I…
When I was a registered child minder I was always on the lookout for activities for the children; Christmas was my favourite time for providing crafts for them to do:- There are some new downloads available from ichild: The star gives children a chance to practice their cutting skills. It is beautiful as it is…
Thankfully, I have only had experience of this a couple of times. Once a new parent didn’t come to collect her child at the contracted time. I had another child due to arrive soon, which would mean that I was over the number of children that I was registered to have. I tried phoning her…
One of my favourite times of year is Christmas and the school nativity play was something that myself and my husband looked forward to. My youngest son attended a small village school where almost everyone felt like family. One year we took along an 18 month old child who I was child minding, she sat…
Elizabeth, who is new to child minding, has asked for some ideas for teaching children about size. I have always had a height chart on my kitchen wall, it was a family tradition to measure my children the day before a birthday and see how much they grew that year. I remember once when my…
“You must share your toys!” is something that I often hear parents tell their children. But how does a child learn to share? The key is to encourage children to share from as early an age as possible; by sharing with siblings, having children over for play dates, or taking children along to groups such…
With Christmas virtually just around the corner, I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences of children with Santa. I used taking my second son to see Santa as a chance to get him to give up his dummy, I told him that Santa would give it to ‘baby Rudolph’ so that he could settle…
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…
Anyone who knows me or is a reader of my blog will know that I am passionate about children’s literature. When I was a girl I loved to read Enid Blyton: especially The Famous Five books and when I spent some time in hospital, aged 10. having my appendix removed these books helped me get…
In a world that seems to be dominated by plastic products, in contrast, treasure baskets are a collection of household items made from natural materials which are given to babies and young children to explore. A baby starts to explore using her hands and fingers well before birth, while still in the womb. Treasure basket…
Today’s post is a suggestion from an Instagram follower. Sensory play is what it says on the tin: Play that stimulates a child’s senses: touch, smell,taste, sight and hearing. Messy play is just a small part of sensory play. When I was a registered child minder one of the games I would play with the children…
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…
All of these crafts from ichild can be made cheaply from store cupboard essentials:- MAKE A WITCH Using the blank or ready coloured template assemble the pieces to create your very own witch . PAPER PLATE GHOST;; This is a simple, but effective way of creating a ghost, it will help children to learn to…
This was a topic being discussed on a daytime television programme this week. Personally, I think that too much tech can have a negative effect on children. My eldest son loved his play station and would become moody when told to turn it off. A friend has told me that her son would trash his…
A recent programme on television showed parents who have 3 children and believe that their children don’t need any rules: they do what they want, when they want. The mother sleeps with the youngest child in her bed. The children don’t have set bedtimes; they go to bed when they feel that they are tired…
A friend has suggested this week’s post. She said that she has noticed that many parents seem to want to keep their children in a buggy or pushchair for their convenience and wonders at what age a child should be expected or encouraged to walk rather than ride. My answer is that as all children…
Earlier this week I went into a well known High street store; the first aisle that I came across was full of Halloween costumes, the next one was overflowing with Christmas decorations, cards and paper. It is only the middle of September! This got me thinking about any children who were taken into the store;…
After watching a child have a major temper tantrum in a supermarket, a customer ( who was not the parent) told him to “Shut up!” Is it okay to discipline someone else’s child? I used to work as a registered child minder and therefore I had to manage the behaviour of the children in my…
It has been reported that parents are too scared to let their children play outside; are they over-reacting? The children have gone back to school now after the long summer break, but we still have a good month’s worth of light evenings were children could play outside if they are allowed. When I was a…
When I was working as a registered child minder I was always on the lookout for ideas for cheap activities and places to take the children. We often went to the local soft play facility at the leisure centre where several child minders would meet up with the children, we even managed to get a…
A recent television programme shows Jo-Rosie Haffenden who believes that we should train our babies like dogs. Although I would never suggest putting a collar and lead on your baby:I have been saying for years that animals, children (and husbands!) can be ‘trained’ in a similar way: which is to reward any good wanted behaviour…
It has been reported recently that parents have been paying an average of £7.70 in extra pocket money in an attempt to stop their children having too much screen time. Addicted to screens here After some research I discovered that friends give their children the following amounts of pocket money:- Megan, 9, is given £2…
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…
This is a selection of back to school and starting school activities available to download form ichild. There are several school related pictures for children to colour; including a colour and count lunch box picture which promotes healthy eating. There are fun school badges to make, with the option of colouring your own badge or…
Parents sometimes get confused about the different types of daycare available for their children and I was recently asked to explain the differences by a friend:- CHILDMINDERS: As I used to be a registered child minder, this is my favourite type of daycare, Child minders maybe the best option for working parents because they can…
Should I Get a Pet For My Kids? We are a family of five: Me, my husband, Cassie, 3, Vivi, 1, and Elliot, 2 months. Right now our lives are pretty busy (as you can imagine) and a pet is the last thing we are considering in these early years. But as the kids…
A friend recently received a letter from school informing her that her daughter would be having a lesson explaining growing up and changing bodies, so she suggested that I should write about this topic. I remember my mum ( who like most people of her generation found it difficult to talk about this subject) giving…
The endless days of summer—sitting by the pool, soaking up the sun, catching up with friends and family. The cook outs, summer trips and summertime projects. There are many activities to fill the longer days of summer, but what do you do when you get to the midpoint of summer vacation and the kids start…
The Second Baby’s on Its Way – What’s the Firstborn Going to Say? You’ve made up your mind and realised that it’s the right time to get the second baby. Now you need to prepare yourself and the rest of your family for the arrival of this new little being. You and your partner…
I have always been horse mad and wanted my own horse for as long as I can remember; I used to say that I wanted to marry a rich farmer, as a way of getting my own equine. Sadly that never happened, however, I spent many happy hours riding various horses belonging to others (…
It has recently been mentioned that maybe parents should be banned from school sports day; this is because some parents have behaved badly and embarrassed their children. Some parents are annoyed when their children don’t win.One parent even went so far as to take along her own sports day medal to give to her (and…
Katie, a child minder has requested today’s post. I am a fan of getting children out and about whenever possible; so forest schools are right up my street. I often took the children in my care to the woods when I was a registered child minder- read about it here …
A book has recently been published in which it states that a baby should be left to cry and that there is no evidence that this will harm a child. This got me thinking:- I believe that a baby cries for a reason and therefore should not be left to ‘cry it out’. I also…
As we are approaching the end of another school year and most schools will be hosting a parents evening; I decided to share my thoughts and experiences;:- A recent episode of a daytime television programme shared that a father fell asleep during a parents evening and a child asked her dad not to tell his…
Dear parents-to-be What I wish I had known as a first time parent! This is such an exciting time but I, like so many others had not prepared myself to teach my baby to sleep when she arrived and I quickly found myself being woken every hour of the night – I spent…
When I first applied to become a registered child minder, many years ago now, we were all advised, at a compulsory foundation course ( designed as an introduction to child minding)not to child mind for friends or neighbours, I wasn’t sure, then, why this was so and when I received my child minders certificate, I…
I recently watched a program on television were a pregnant woman was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to love this baby as much as her first and would she have enough love to go around? In my experience you absolutely will love every child as much, as all babies are individuals with different personalities …
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:-…
I heard on the radio that Romeo Beckham feels that he is letting his dad down because he isn’t very good at football. This got me thinking; should we expect our children to follow in our footsteps and if so are we putting too much pressure on them? Regular readers will be aware that I …
When I was a registered child minder I would often sing with the children in my care; I will admit to being the world’s worst singer, but the children seemed to like it, recently a parent whose son I used to look after when he was 4 ( he is in his 30’s now) told…
I can clearly remember driving in my car in the 1990’s on the way to collect my children from school, the news reporter on the radio said that by the year 2010 more school age children would have mobile phones than wrist watches; what a load of rubbish I thought to myself, why would school…
Most parents have a busy schedule—making lunches, attending school events, trying to juggle work and a social life. Where does the time go? More often than not, it’s spent playing catch up. Maybe you missed an appointment or forgot to do a few things around the house. To help you get back on track, and…
Another fun post inspired by the innocent things that children say. When my middle son was due to start school, he was very excited.He went with me to meet his teacher. When we returned home and his dad asked what the teacher was like, he told him, “She has hair here and hair here,” while…
When I was working as a registered child minder I looked after a little girl who wore calipers on her legs to walk, she could only wear them for short periods as otherwise they made her skin sore. Her mother asked me to put them on and remove them throughout her time with me. …
Are your children out of control, rude, or displaying behaviorsand values that do not support the goals you have for your family? Often these behaviors are mimics of observed behavior. It’s a tough pill to swallow to think that the poor behaviors demonstrated by your children are sometimes a direct reflection of your own behavior….
First I must point out that I am bias towards registered child minders because I was one for many years. Child minders are quite different from other providers, such as nannies, nurseries and pre-schools. To start child minders work in their own homes; offering a home-from-home to the children in their care. This in my…
I have always been a believer of getting out and about whenever possible, especially with children. When I was growing up, my family often went for a countryside walk at the weekends. My sisters and I were all horse mad so when we went for a walk we would find a stick each and then…
Deciding on the right name for a child can be difficult. Some parents decide on a family name. or name a baby after a sporting hero or even a pop star. When I was pregnant with my first child we chose names for both sexes: a boy would be Leigh Stephen: Leigh ( my husband…
Regular readers will know that I am a fan of ichild: this is a selection of their activities for Easter and spring:- INTO THE WOODS: Is a printout of a woodland scene, then another download produces woodland characters for children to cut out and stick onto their woodland picture. THE BLUEBELL; Not only introduces a…
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…
Being a parent is a full-time job. For lots of people, this job comes in addition to a demanding career. With that being a said, maintaining a household can easily start to get overwhelming as parents’ schedules continue to get busier and busier. The key to keeping things running smoothly while also keeping your…
When I was working as a registered child minder I was told at several training courses that I should work in partnership with parents. This is great in theory but some parents work in partnership more than others. One parent had the idea that because she was paying me to care for her child, I…
Celebrate St. P Patrick’s day with this challenging crossword puzzle. This year St. Patrick’s day is on Sunday 17th March. Education.com asked me to write about this download, as I have previously written successful posts for them. The crossword puzzle is suitable for children aged 7-8 years (roughly year 3 of school). To download these…
Usually I tell parents to try to ignore unwanted bad behaviour in children, but biting is a different matter that can’t be ignored. I would suggest going down to the children’s level, looking them in the eye and say in a firm voice, “No, that hurts.” Also remember to reward children when they are playing…
Dawn has suggested this weeks post. When I was a girl, I didn’t have an imaginary friend. I had an imaginary German shepherd dog . I always wanted to have a dog and got my love of this particular breed from my dad, who never managed to own one as we eventually had a Labrador…
After watching a programme on the television where children were asked what they wanted to be when they grow up,I decided to share what myself and others inspired to be as adults when we were children: My cousin always wanted to be a dance teacher, she now teaches dance part time as a way of…
Is watching television good for children, or something not to be encouraged? These are my thoughts and experiences:- In my opinion children watching television can be good providing an adult monitors what they are watching. There are some quality educational programmes aimed at children. When I was working as a registered child minder I…
In my experience as both a parent and a registered child minder from time to time children will swear, cuss and use unpleasant language. The best way to manage this is to ignore it. if children don’t get a response the chances are they won’t repeat this behaviour. I recall my youngest coming in…
Homework, whether you agree with it or not (I have heard of parents who believe that because children are at school all day they shouldn’t have to have homework too) is a part of the school years. My youngest son was so excited when his speech therapist gave him some sounds to practice at home,…
I was a registered child minder for 14 years and I can honestly say that I loved every single moment of it. I only gave up because ill health forced me to. Being a child minder has lots of advantages: I started this particular career because it meant that I was able to earn some…
Most of the tantrums that a 2 year old has can be dealt with quite simply: Basically don’t give in to bad behaviour. Unwanted behaviour is often a form of attention seeking, ignore unwanted behaviour wherever possible and reward the good, wanted behaviour. A reward can be as simple as verbal praise, don’t get into…
A light earthed post for today! From time to time children like to make things up or exaggerate things to make them sound more exciting. This is not the same as telling lies, just having a healthy imagination. Some examples of children’s tales that I have heard are:- When I was working as a child…
I would recommend talking to your baby as often as you can from the moment he is born; talk about anything and everything, sing to him, teach him nursery rhymes and read him books. a child is never too young to listen to a story or share a picture book, in my opinion. Experts say…
As a child minder I was always looking for ways of entertaining the children that would be fun and educational at the same time. Sometimes, these activities meant that the children in my care would get a bit messy. One of these children would always arrive looking like she was wearing her ‘Sunday best’ and…