Category: School Days

1. Becoming a Super Mum

   Posted on 9:00am Friday 5th May 2017

   People who do not have children think it is easy. Before we had children, I envisioned being dressed in a flowing white gown, rocking a perfect, rosy-cheeked baby as she slept soundly in my arms (or something along those lines anyway).

   This fantasy was intact for about 20 minutes after I became a mum. Soon I realized the flowing white gown was impractle and gave it up for t-shirts that could easily double for a burp cloth and sometimes a tissue.

   The rosy-cheeked little bundle of joy could break the sound barrier when teething, and the rocking chair was exchanged for a battery operated swing that you hope keeps the baby quiet long enough for mum to grab a shower at least every couple of days.

   Now that I am an experienced parent, I have learned the meaning of the word multitasking. I will share a couple of ideas with you.

   

   Celebrations

   Birthday parties, sleepovers, and holidays are not always easy to manage. But I have learned the easy way to handle a celebration is to set up a candy buffet. This takes the place of snacks and pastries. You simply need a table, table covering, clear vases or jars, and a theme. You order your candy based on your color scheme from an online supplier like Sweet Services.  

   This makes a beautiful setting for any celebration. And everything is reusable. For your next celebration, you simply change the theme and colours of the candy. The candy is shipped directly to you just in time and there is little set up. Perfect for busy mums with little time to spare!

   Keeping your child active

   There is nothing more important to you than the health of your child. This means you watch what they eat and you give them planned activities that keep them moving.

   Having been a dancer growing up, I love the idea of dance class. This is great exercise and it gets the kids out of the house for a while.

   To make the most of your child’s dance class experience, be sure to provide them with proper dance clothes. This is as much a mental exercise as a physical one. It signals your child to know it is time to get busy, and they look really cool at the same time.

   Balancing home repairs

   Being a family that includes children puts a strain on the household. Though we may want to live in a perfectly clean, well maintained and modern home, achieving that goal is not always easy.  Put major remodeling jobs on hold until the children are old enough to be expected to take care of their space. Until that time, repair that which is broken as needed and keep things as clean as you can and hope for the best.

   One way to keep your property value is to keep the basics up to date. It is safe to do smaller remodeling jobs such as replacing floors, updating cabinets, and replacing the sinks with modern sinks and vessels. These type of repairs allow you to maintain a better standard of home and protect your resale value.

   Final Thoughts

   It is not easy being a mum, but no matter how exhausted we are, we know that it is a job worth every effort. The key is to keep your sense of humor and roll with it. Soon enough, there will come a time when the kids are out creating their own world. Until that time. Enjoy every moment with your kids. That is all that matters.

   
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2. 5 Ideas For Keeping A Pre-Teen Girl Happy Over Half Term

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 3rd Apr 2017

   Half term has already started for many schools but how do you keep a pre-teen occupied when all they really want to do is sit on YouTube and watch videos of people making slime! (I kid you not).

    

   So having consulted our resident pre-teen, here are the top things that are on this holiday's to do list.

   1. Sleepover

   Grab 2-3 friends, get some popcorn, snacks and non alcoholic cocktails and it can be a relatively cheap way to entertain a group of girls. Even better if you have Netflix or Now TV and you can let them watch a movie or their favourite box set.

   2. Get active.

   There are so many trampoline parks or climbing walls, that this is a great alternative to sitting in front of a computer and great exercise too. It is a lovely way to bond ..... because who said that climbing walls had to be for the kids.

   3. Go shopping.

   Both of my girls love to shop (neither of them inherited my nose thankfully but they do seem to have developed my love of shopping). My pre-teen daughter is becoming more and more conscious of brand names, such as Converse, Nike and Adidas but I always find it is best to check out sites such as Lovethesales for the best deals. 

   

   4. Let them lie in

   After relentlessly dragging them out of bed every morning of the school term, there will be nothing that gives you brownie points more than allowing them to lie in till whatever time they want.

   5. Give in to the power of YouTube

   If all else fails, you could buy all the relevant "ingredients", pop on YouTube and make a batch of slime!

   Do you have any other tips? 

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3. How to deal with Asthma in the changing weather temperatures

   Posted on 6:17pm Monday 27th Mar 2017

   Asthma can be hard work at any time of the year for sufferers but the changing weather of late can make it all the more difficult. We have had some really cold snaps and the cold, dry air can be painful on the lungs and make doing the simplest task outside more arduous. Aside from the cold, dry air is the other big problem for asthma sufferers at this time of year as is the high number of respiratory and sinus infections that hang around.  Nearly every child in my daughters school has a cold at the moment, meaning avoiding those bugs can be hard work. 

   Most asthma sufferers, are eligible for a flu shot and this is another good measure to reduce the risk of getting those cold and flu bugs.  It also helps that if you do get the flu, the conditions won’t be quite as severe as they would be without the jab.

    

   Combatting the cold

   It would be nice to say don’t go out in the cold during winter but this doesn’t always solve all the problems.  However, when you are outside, try to avoid opening your mouth.  This is because when you open your mouth, the cold air is sucked straight into your lungs and causes the asthma to flare up.  If you are going to be chatting while outside, wear a scarf or a muffler over your nose and mouth to reduce the impact of the cold.

   How to manage your asthma on warmer days

   The weather has been beautiful in the UK for the past few days but with increased temperatures there is also an increased risk of having an asthma attack for the 1 in 11 people in the UK who have asthma. There is a theory that warm weather can increase the amount of pollutants and mould in the air - both of which can trigger asthma symptoms

   It is great to encourage children to play in the fresh air, if a child wants to play outside, it is good to let them but try to plan any outdoor activities for earlier in the day when the air quality tends to be better.

   Have an asthma plan

   All asthma sufferers should have a plan to deal with an asthma attack and for children, this plan should be discussed with teachers and child-minders.  It involves knowing what to do if there is an attack, what medication is needed and at what point help must be sought.  Medication should also be taken any time before you go outside to help the change in air temperature – around 30 minutes beforehand is ideal if possible.

   Conclusion

   The cold, damp weather, thunderstorms, really hot weather and a sudden change in temperature can trigger symptoms for some people so while we welcome the sunshine at the moment, we need to ensure that it is not triggering asthma symptoms for the little one.

   In the meantime, we are continuing to show our support for Asthma UK which has been an invaluable resource to us and we are planning on trying to organise an Big Asthma Bake Sale for World Asthma Day on the 2nd May 2017. So, anyone for cake??

   

   
   

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4. Ebookadabra review

   Posted on 10:01pm Tuesday 21st Mar 2017

   We first heard about the Ebookadabra app after reading a review on the blog from Emmaand3.com and with my youngest daughter in reception (and also always wanting to play on my phone), that this was something that definitely sparked some interest with me.

   Story time has always been bedtime in our house but since the youngest member of the family has gone to school, she is too tired at bedtime to read and would seemingly prefer to watch a YouTube video on the iPad than concentrate on her reading. This doesn't sit well with me, both from a learning perspective and as someone who loves nothing more than a good book. 

   

   Ebookadabra is designed for a new generation, the generation of children who have been born into a technological age where everything is available at the touch or swipe of a screen. Even I have converted to reading books on a tablet as it is so accessible (and I can now read in the dark - who knew!), so having a wide range of books on the Ebookadabra app means that reading becomes more accessible to a technology loving child too. 

   Although Ebookadabra is only just launching, the platform already has a wide variety of features on it such as:

   - The ability for parents to record themselves reading the stories that their children are looking at

   - A safe and secure messaging system that allows a child to talk to their parents about the progress they are making in app.

   - An innovative visual search engine designed for kids that lets the use visual search terms to explore our library of books.

   - The ability to save stories to your in-app library so you can enjoy them on the go. 

   - All of this is available for less than the price of a book a month £2.99 (introductory offer) along with a 30 day free trial.

   The team at Ebookadabra tell us that it is a reading experience aimed at young families with kids aged from three to seven years old. It is a world where kids will discover books for themselves, be rewarded for their reading and be able to share the experience with their family. 

   

   My youngest daughter is five so she is perfectly placed to trial to app and everytime she picks up my phone or the iPad now to play a game, she goes to the Ebookadabra app first to read through a book. She can navigate her way around the app much quicker than I can (which I suppose is the point) and I feel like we have only just seen the tip of the iceberg with what we can do on it. 

   She loves getting a little reward at the end of each book and the game challenges once you had completed every book are a fun way to help with some of her fine motor skills, which can only be beneficial from a learning perspective too.

   We are presently having the books "read to us" but the app has difficulty levels so as each child's educational needs change and their reading improves, the books become more age appropriate. 

   The monthly cost is the same as you would pay for a single paperback book and as more titles are added, or siblings share the app, so it really becomes a very affordable and cost effective way to read new books with your children.

   I am enjoying seeing her reading more avidly and she is enjoying "reading like mommy" on the iPad. I honestly feel like we haven't explored everything that the app can do and am excited to see how it develops but more so how my daughters love of reading develops too!

   Ebookadabra offer a free trial to all new sign ups, so with a mix of good old fashioned story books blended with modern technology, what have you got to lose?

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