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"It's garey mummy"

When does the "garey" stage end?


Charles declares everything "garey" (that's "scarey", for those of you pre-"garey" stage) right now. He can't sleep as it's "too garey",


"What's scary?"


"The dark"


"But it's light in here, you've got the landing light on".


"The dark outside dough". Oh Lord.


It's not just the dark that's "garey". Oh no. It's dressed-up people (George at Peppa Pig World being the most terrifying of all), it's the sound of bins being brought out - then in the next day, it's certain teddies, most music and - bizarrely - the crumpet I offered him for supper!


I remember this with Rosie. Back then I was unaware of this "garey" stage of development. At one point I was sure she could see dead people; the look of sheer terror in her beautiful eyes as she stared into the ever-so-slightly darkness of her room.


With Charles I'm assuming he's no such skill. It's simply the "garey" stage that he'll grow out of, but until then I'll keep the landing light on and be weary of late afternoon toasted treats.

Writing at Home

I wrote this for TheSchooRun view it on their site here

 

Stories aren’t just for reading – teachers regularly use a story as a starting point to engage children in many writing activities that cover a wide range of objectives. Here, education writer Phoebe Doyle gives you a few suggestions for doing the same at home.

 

These activities are all designed with fun in mind, but by working through them your child will learn a crucial part of the national literacy strategy – writing for purpose. Through writing in these various formats your child will be thinking about characterisation, plot development and story components, as well as practising their phonics and handwriting skills.

1. What would the bubble be?

Draw and cut out some speech and thought bubbles. Go through one of your child’s favourite stories with them. At various key moments in the story, ask them to suggest what the characters might be thinking, or what they might like to say. Encourage them to write in the thought and speech bubbles, and stick them temporarily onto the page (using Blu-Tack or similar).

2. Write a letter to a character

Having your child write to their favourite story character is a great way teach them how to set out a letter properly. How about the tiger in The Tiger Who Came to Tea? What would they like to say to him? Or suggest they try writing a letter of apology from Goldilocks to the three bears.

3. Make a WANTED poster

Does your child have a favourite story where a toy or a character gets lost (Dogger in Dogger by Shirley Hughes or Courtney in John Burningham’s Courtney are two examples)? Help them design a LOST poster, and then discuss how they’ll need to describe the character or toy in detail; encourage them to think of size, colour, defining characteristics, etc. If they wish to write these as a list they can format it with bullet points or numbers, which will give you the chance to talk about how this can make a list easier to read.

4. Create alternative endings

Take one of your child’s favourite books and ask them to retell it – verbally, pictorially or by writing down what happens. Discuss what happens at the end of the story. Do they like the ending? Work together on what could be a different ending – ask if they want it to be happy/sad/funny/shocking, etc. Help them write it out, then tell or read the entire story with their new ending.

5. Character shopping list

If a character went on a shopping trip, what would they need? Younger children can write out some items a characters needs in a story (what does the Little Red Hen need to make her cakes, for instance). For older children, it could get more creative –making up new plots for their favourite character, and then suggesting some items they might need to purchase.

6. Become a journalist

Invite your child to write a newspaper article about some of the events in a favourite story. This will really get them thinking about the needs of the reader as they’ll have to explain the facts clearly and succinctly and in order, pretending that the reader knows nothing of the events that have occurred. Try "The Three Little Pigs" or another tale they know really well. Have a look at some articles together to help your child become familiar with the format.

7. Plan a party

Children typically love writing invitations – perhaps because they love parties! They also tend to like sticking to such a rigid and seemingly grown-up format.  Discuss with them what they will need to include on the invitation: time, cause for celebration, place, dress code, food, entertainment. They can have huge fun decorating, too. For example, they could write an invitation to Cinderella’s wedding, or to the Hungry Caterpillar’s birthday party – imagine the food at that do!

8. Write reminder notes

Provide your child with some Post-it notes, and explain how sometimes we might use these to write memos to remind us of tasks we need to carry out. Ask them what certain characters might need to remember. Think Elmer, for instance – perhaps he needs to remember that it’s fantastic to be different. Or Baby Owl in Martin Wadell’s Owl Babies needs to be reminded that his Mummy has only gone for a short while.

9. Make a birthday card

What if one of your child’s favourite characters had a birthday? Discuss what they could draw on the front of their birthday card – what would the character like to see pictures of? How old do you think the character might be? Inside, your child can even write a little rhyme or special message. Have them look at some of their own birthday cards for inspiration.

Green Giant Event

As some of my regular readers will already know I'm helping to support Green Giant on their latest of campaigns. Their aim is to get kids to eat more vegetables and they're encouraging parents to share ideas and get involved.

As part of the campaign I recently asked readers to share some of their ideas on how they get their children to try new vegetables and to eat more healthily. We had some inventive suggestions and the winning suggestion will be revealed very soon.

It was a fantastic day for The Green Giant last half term when they went  to Manchester on the 29th and 30th October to encourage families to get make sure they get their 5-a-day.

In total an impressive 193 families gave the Giant a High-5.

Colin Jackson was there meeting the audience, High 5-ing the Giant and hurdling a Giant sweet corn!

Visit their facebook page and see their You Tube    video.

This is a sponsored post.

x

Silent Sunday

Never a silent Sunday spent with these four, but always a beautiful one...

Be My Guest: Sue Atkins, Parenting Expert, on coping with Christmas Stress

Christmas, although a time of great joy and celebration, can also be the most stressful of times for even the best of parents, with the family home chaotic and often besieged by visitors. Throw into the mix over excited children who have weeks to sit around at home and the situation can quickly spiral out of control.

Keeping your children calm and entertained will be the key to helping keep the peace and getting through the Christmas holiday period with as few hiccups as possible. But before you begin to think about your children make sure you give yourself some time each day to relax and unwind.

It is important with so much going on around you that you make time for yourself, keep your energy levels up and remain positive in order to keep on top of everything - successful parents will look after themselves as well as their kids, setting an example of behaviour that their children can look up to and imitate.

Here are a few practical tips to help you and your children have the happiest Christmas ever:

• Make time for both you and your kids: - provide times of the day where you will be together and uninterrupted (don't even answer the phone!). Similarly make sure that at least once a week you give yourself enough time to do things you want without distractions.

• Organise group and family activities to keep your children as active as possible, such as making Christmas cards, decorations or wrapping presents.

• Homework: - provide your children with some options as to when they should do their homework. If possible try to get them to complete this early in the holidays as the later they leave it the less motivated they will be.

• Give your children a sense of routine, keeping to weekly events. You could also provide them with some added responsibilities such as some regular housework. They could then complete this in return for being allowed to watch the TV for a little while extra etc. This will give you a little respite and reminds your children that holidays are not simply an excuse to do nothing at all.

• When disputes break out between siblings try to remain calm as this helps to prevent their squabbles escalating. Take them both to one side and explain the behaviour that you do want to see very clearly and specifically. Focus on the positive things you see and hear and give praise when your child does something you want to see - no matter how small this may be.

• Find some good quality 'me' time where you go and relax in a hot foamy bath with aromatherapy candles, or sit down and read a gossipy magazine or good book. Take time for you to re-charge your batteries so you come back refreshed and relaxed ready to start a new day.

• Write a 'to do' list and then put people's names, including your children's names, next to that job. Learning to delegate teaches everyone responsibility and it takes away your sense of feeling overwhelmed, keeping the spring in your step at a busy time of year.
Coping with festive stress

Bringing up children isn't always easy.  Many challenges, frustrations, and changes are involved in raising happy, confident, well-balanced children - tomorrow's adults.

Eliminating stress takes time. You just have to experiment with lots of different ways until you find something that works for you or a combination of methods that suits you - acupuncture, aromatherapy massage, working out, having a candlelit bath, watching TV, enjoying a cup of herbal tea, or chatting to a friend are just some ways to help you feel in control of your life.

Stress management has now become a routine part of large businesses as they have realised that handling stress positively increases efficiency and well being. So start this week to take notice of where you are becoming overwhelmed or feeling stressed and write down the things that make you feel out of control and anxious. This will help you to notice a pattern and will help you to make some small changes that will make a big difference in your life.

Overwhelmed and stressed are two words many parents use to describe their situations when they come to me for coaching and although feeling slightly stressed is often described as normal, you must tackle your parenting challenges head on if you want to feel generally more in control of your life- don't let stress take control of you.

Take some time here to think of the benefits that taking control of your stress will give you and write them all down as this gives you clarity and motivation to make a positive change. Remember that stress drains your energy and always has a huge negative impact on you and your family. If you run on empty for too long, you run out - your family needs you to be energised, upbeat and happy.

Start to manage your stress by taking energy breaks and making dates with yourself. Write down a list of all the little things you can do to replenish your batteries, put back a spring in your step, which makes your eyes shine and has you singing in the shower again!  Is it enjoying a cup of green tea, sitting down quietly for 15 minutes in the kitchen, or taking a long, hot bath?

Just become more aware of taking time out for yourself each day, each week and each month. And make a promise to yourself to do these little things on a regular basis. Put some dates in your diary so you get into the habit of making these treats an everyday occurrence.

And finally...

A simple physical change you can make is to just start smiling. This may sound crazy, but merely smiling actually sends a message to your brain that makes you feel better straight away as it releases endorphins which make you feel good. Try it for yourself and see the difference!

So the next time you feel everything is getting on top of you don't panic or get angry, simply start by pressing your own internal pause button, taking three deep slow breaths in and out and feel yourself getting grounded and centred. And remember to be patient with yourself, learning new ways to cope and breaking old habits takes time.

Always keep the big picture in mind, parenting is not always easy but the rewards and happiness you get in the long run always make it all worth while and remember you are creating the memories that last a lifetime.

www.TheSueAtkins.com follow Sue on twitter @SueAtkins

My blog post for The Guardian - out today

http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/2011/nov/23/targets-children-anxious?CMP=twt_gu

Over the Christmas hols we're going on a day trip down to London. We'll be boarding an East Coast train and making it well in time for the performance of The Gruffalo at The Lyric Theatre at midday. This musical adaptation of the much-loved, award-winning book is brought to us by critically acclaimed theatre company Tall Stories.

Needless to say my kids love The Gruffalo, which has amongst it's claims to fame being voted the most loved bedtime story, winning the Nestle Smarties Gold Award and, of course, being written by our new Children's Laureatte!

I think this performance will be just right for our two - not too long for Charles (just 55 minutes) and with drama and music that I'm sure they'll both enjoy.

The run is starting today (23rd November) and going right through until 15th January, get dates and times on their site:  www.gruffalolive.com

Be My Guest: Hazel, an adoptive parent.

Today on the blog we hear from Hazel, an adoptive mother who reflects back on meeting her son and daughter for the first time and explains why she feels pets play an important part adoption.

As we approach the 5th anniversary of our adopted son and daughter moving in with us, it feels like a good time to reflect on how far we’ve come as a family. When we first heard about them their names were not their real ones, to protect them, and all we had was a little photo and a few lines of text –apparently our son was into motor racing (at the age of 3!) and our daughter was into Disney princesses (at the age of 6 – aren’t they all!?); later a short video where our future daughter was clearly building up to a tantrum but quickly got cut off by the social worker filming her!

So, onto meeting the foster carer, eventually going to matching panel (one panel was cancelled due to incomplete paperwork – a complete nightmare) and finally onto introductions. One of the criteria my son had put for his new family was that we should have ‘a big cat’. Well, we don’t have any lions or tigers, but we do have two wonderful cats who really didn’t know what hit them when our son & daughter arrived that summer…! Our son was a tiny, angry whirlwind, all cats and people were in danger if they got in his way. Our fat (ish) ginger tom was used to a quiet life and spent the first 6 weeks in total shock & disbelief, whereas our sociable tabby (his brother) was delighted to have two new friends to play with and loved it from day one! The cats have just been the most amazing pets for our little ones to help them settle in.

It’s a little bit like Noah’s Ark here (not on a grand scale) but we have 2 adults, 2 children, 2 cats and now 2 guinea pigs – I relented after a few months of badgering from our daughter and yes I do most of the feeding and cleaning out but they are surprisingly good fun – we all know cats have amazing personalities (don’t we!?) but I never expected guinea pigs to as well! So, I write this whilst my children are asleep upstairs, now aged 11 and 8, I could never have imagined that I’d have a son and daughter who are the most amazing and beautiful children in the world (of course). There’s a cat on each of their beds, having helped them settle down for the night, helped them settle into our home and family and been the most wonderful pets a child could wish for. The guinea pigs rattle away in their cage next to me – I’m too soft to put them out in the cold so they are indoor pets too! For anyone thinking of getting a pet for a child I’d say just go & do it, they will give the child so much love and affection, there’s nothing like it.

To find out more about adoption, please visit www.nationaladoptionweek.org.uk

It's the hard knock life

I asked Rosie to do something for me earlier, it went like this:


Me: Could you pass me a wipe? (Rosie was approximately 10cm from said wipes)
Rosie: Why do I have to always be your slave? [reluctant, bottom-lip-protruding, Orphan Annie 'Hard Knock Life' as background music. Rosie passes the wipes]
Me: [Raucous laughter]




"Oh perleese", I want to yell, "is it not I that am the slave? The rubbish bin when you have litter to dispose of? (and I quote, "Mummy, I've finished it, can you hold this?") The reader of a trillion bedtime stories? The deliverer of sleep-inducing head rubs? The thank you letter scribe? The washer of clothes? The chef of food that gets relentlessly snubbed? The nurse of wounds? The under-appreciated regularly verbally-assaulted snack-providing/throwing cab driver? And AND the wiper of bums?"


But instead this:


Me: You're not my slave honey, but it's nice to help eachother out.
Rosie: But how do you ever help me?


At least all my hard work hasn't gone un-noticed. Geeese - is it bedtime yet?

3 for 2 on gifts at Joules Click here

Silent Sunday

OK, so I know this is meant to be silent and everything but this one needs a little explanation for those who don't know...

This time one week ago Charles broke a bone in his foot by simply dancing in the front room with his big sis', just like he has every single day for the last couple of years. He fell oddly and we assumed he'd twisted his ankle but the x-ray showed otherwise.

On Friday we went and got a rubber pot thing fitted and yesterday he had an allergic reaction to it - loads of spots, all very worrying, had to have lots of tests as unsure about what the spots were, but it soon cleared up once they'd sawed it off at our local A&E. So it's back to Fracture Clinic tomorrow but until then he's got this huge pot thing, the likes of which I haven't seen since the 80s! He's being wonderful about the whole thing, his positive demeanour doesn't come from me but it's just about seeing us through.

Be My Guest: Elizabeth Tofaris from SOS Children’s Villages

SOS Children …. Who?

Even if you haven’t heard of SOS Children’s Villages before now; you’ll no doubt empathise with our mission: to give children who have absolutely no-one, the chance to have a happy childhood and grow up within a loving family environment.

Since our founding in 1949, we have pioneered family-based child care which is designed to provide a child with everything he or she might need, right up until independence. In our 520 specially built Children’s Villages worldwide, 80,000 children are provided with a mother, brothers and sisters, and a family home. A typical Children’s Village has 10-15 homes and includes a nursery school, a primary and secondary school, a medical centre and a social centre – all of which are open to the local community.

Children join our Villages for a variety of reasons. Some have been orphaned by disease or disaster; and many more have been abandoned due to chronic poverty. The majority of children who come to live with us have emotional issues, including feelings of loss and fear. These feelings can sometimes manifest themselves in difficult behaviour so the role of their SOS mother is vital.

A mother’s love

The SOS mother has always been at the heart of our work. These incredible women must dedicate their lives to raising a generation of children as their own and must be able to meet their physical and emotional needs from infancy right up until adulthood. They are carefully chosen, undertake lengthy training, are paid a salary and run their own household with a family budget. It’s crucial that SOS mothers can provide special care for each child, and learn how to help them overcome their difficulties.

Today, in 125 countries worldwide, nearly 6,000 SOS mothers are actively caring children and young people and every day we see children completely transformed thanks to the love and care of their new ‘mum’

A unique care system

I recently came across the story of Nural. When he was three, he lost his mother, father, sister and grandparents in a disastrous cyclone which hit the coastal region of Chittagong in Bangladesh. He was understandably shocked and traumatised following the loss of his family and, with a distant aunt his only remaining relative, was brought to live in the nearby SOS Children’s Village. His SOS mother Jorina recalled how he was extremely insecure and for many weeks refused to talk to anyone. But slowly and surely, Nurul began responding to Jorina’s love and gentleness and bit by bit, started to overcome his immense grief. Today, Nurul is a confident 18-year old. He is studying at secondary school and plans to study politics at University. And whilst nothing can replace his family that he lost, it’s wonderful to know that he was given a second chance to enjoy family life.

Sadly, many children are not so lucky. There are nearly 100 million orphaned and abandoned children worldwide – and in many countries, care options are limited and many fail to meet a child’s basic needs.

Having come from a happy family myself, I find it inconceivable that any child should grow up without the knowledge of a parent’s love for them. SOS Children might not have big advertising budgets; but that’s because every penny we raise goes towards enabling a child to have a family for life in our Children’s Villages. I can think of no greater gift and applaud the work undertaken by our amazing SOS mothers.

If you’d like to find out more, visit our website: www.soschildren.org or contact me via email, elizabeth@soschildren.org

Learning to Write for The School Run

Ever wondered how your child really learns to write? Phoebe Doyle gets expert advice on the best ways to promote good handwriting techniques with your child.

 

Educationalists generally agree that before a child is ready to hold a pencil and form letters correctly, they need to have developed fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This means that the brain has to become accustomed to working in conjunction with the muscles in the hand. Activities that encourage this include:

• Threading
• Picking up beads with tweezers
• Sticking
• Building with Duplo or wooden blocks
• Using ‘easy to hold’ crayons and chalks

Angela Webb of the National Handwriting Association stresses the importance of fine motor experience at an early age. “Fine motor experience is essential as using a pincer grip between thumb and fore-finger is a pre-cursor for using the tripod grasp for holding a pencil later,” she says.
There is a concern that some fine motor tasks that were once an inherent part of day-to-day tasks for children, such as tying shoe laces, are now a thing of the past thanks to more contemporary trends to make life ‘easier’. But when should you begin teaching ‘correct’ pencil grip? “Children develop the ability to make and maintain the tripod pencil grasp between 3-6 years of age,” Angela advises. “Forcing them before that is counter-productive. Once they are ready, one way of making sure they use the correct fingers is to give them stubs of wax crayon or pencil for colouring and writing. This way, the full-finger grasp cannot be used.”

Whenever, wherever

As your child enters school, and especially in the Foundation Stage or Year 1, their classroom environment should be designed so that writing can occur in any of the learning zones. This means writing materials may be supplied at the art table, near the numeracy area, in the home corner, etc., so that the activity can be child-initiated wherever and whenever deemed appropriate by them.
You can mirror this at home by providing fun paper and pencils, dotted around the house. Key to this approach, which promotes independence, is instilling in the children the confidence that they can write. They may not be able to spell words perfectly it may be that they can perhaps write the first sound of each word, or just all the sounds they can hear. Perhaps they just use pictures and some lines. All of this is still writing. If they can read back what they have written, and if it serves their purpose, this is writing; positive praise and confidence-boosting encouragement should be offered in return.

Resources to inspire writing

If an HB pencil and a plain notebook are failing to do the trick, then it’s time to go shopping. Indulge them and follow their interests. It may be that where a plain pad never got opened, one with a favourite story or TV character on it is the bee’s knees. Go wild with sparkly pencils and pens, rubbers, pencil sharpeners, pencil cases, coloured papers – the works!
Your children also may like stuff that looks grown-up and ‘proper’. Using ring files, diaries and standard pens can make little ones feel super-smart, and can all be found at fairly low prices.

View on The School Run site http://www.theschoolrun.com/how-your-child-learns-write

A Good Night's Sleep

Men's PJ Pants from John Lewis

Heart Print Nightie from People Tree



Beds from Roomes



Mattresses From BigBrandBeds



Fairies Duvet set from GLTC



Sophia Bed from GLTC



Sofa beds from ScS Sofas

Yoga Practical Pre-School

Little Ones find their Inner Peace

Yoga is being increasingly used in schools and early years settings with the hope of bringing a time for calm and focus. Phoebe Doyle speaks to the founder of The Special Yoga Centre who believes passionately that Yoga can make a huge difference.

If you’re the owner of a small child you may have noticed an increasing amount of Yoga aimed at small children. One such class is Yoga Bugs – a now fairly huge franchise founded Fenella Lindsell who tells us; “Parents are enthusiastic about their children doing yoga as they enjoy knowing that they are exercising whilst being made aware of the importance of a healthy diet, and taking part in fun, creative story style adventures”. Fenella’s business really took off following an appearance on Dragon’s Den in 2006 and her techniques now reach a much wider audience than ever before as she has been appointed as the yoga consultant on the fabulous Waybuloo on cBeebies. Fenella explains; “Waybuloo has really encouraged young children to enjoy basic yoga poses and has increased interest from the pre-school market”.

Yoga is also finding it’s way into early years settings. A growing number of schools have recently made the decision to include yoga in their curriculum. “Schools, nurseries and councils have been really enthusiastic about the benefits of yoga for children as an activity for them to enjoy during and after the school day, and as part of the Family Learning Programmes” says Fenella.  “We teach YogaBugs for 2 ½ to 7 year olds through creative adventures which weave yoga postures, breathing and relaxation techniques into stories where the children are always the hero”. 

Yoga in Special Education

The Special Yoga Centre (SYC) is a registered charity supporting children with special needs through one-to-one yoga therapy; they do outreach work in schools, group classes and parent support groups. Founder and CEO Jo Manuel says; “We are also a Centre of Excellence for children's yoga teacher trainings, including courses specifically tailored for working with children with special needs.” Her attitude on special education and inclusivity? "We believe that all children are special, and that no label can define or limit a child's potential for positive change."

At the Special Yoga Centre they are passionate about helping each and every child to reach their fullest potential in relation to their physical, mental and emotional well-being. “At the heart of the Special Yoga Centre is the work that we do through our yoga therapy programmes in support of children, teens and families living with special needs”, says Jo. It’s the holistic nature of Yoga  which Jo believes makes it so powerful; “The practice of yoga strengthens the body, balances the mind and nurtures the spirit - improving the whole being, the whole child.”

In one-to-one and group classes they teach the children basic breathing & eye exercises, they go through traditional and adapted Yoga poses and postures and encourage and teach deep relaxation.

A time for Parents and Carers

The children’s carers/parents can accompany them and enjoy the peaceful and nurturing environment that the centre provides and the support that the staff offer; “furthermore”, says Jo,  “they have a place to meet other carers/parents who are in similar situations, which can be hugely theraputic. When they take part in sessions, they will learn techniques to support their children's development and can experience the positive effects of yoga for themselves.”

 

Far-reaching benefits

At the Yoga centre they help children with many varied, and sometimes complex, special needs. Jo says; “physically the children benefit from exercises (postures) which help them to become stronger, more aligned, balanced and flexible. Practising the yoga postures on a regular basis helps children to develop a good relationship with their bodies, something which is very important for all children and especially those who may have physical/developmental challenges”. We also see improvements in motor planning, motor coordination, and one of the best things of all for the families, the children sleep better. The breathing exercises help children to improve their breathing patterns and supports their respiratory system (thereby supporting all the physical systems in their bodies). The deep relaxation is hugely important for reducing stress and anxiety and allowing the whole body to rest and recoup.

“In addition to all of this,they benefit from working in a group in a non-competitive environment, exploring their bodies and breath with their peers and teachers rather than being isolated.”

To the future…

The charity is launching a new programme in special schools called Get Ready to Learn: Yoga therapy in the classroom. This consists of a daily yoga practice carried out by both staff and children in order to create a calm environment and prepare the children to learn. Jo explains; “The programme was launched 2 years ago in the USA and has had remarkable results including vast improvements in self-regulation, concentration, ability to transition, communication and level of assistance needed.”

In addition, the charity is planning to run more teacher trainings in order to enable more yoga therapists to facilitate their work. In conjunction with this, we are setting up a new Yoga Therapist CPD and mentoring programme for all those who have taken the training in order to support their progress. “We intend to grow our base of teachers/therapist nationwide in order to cover more areas throughout the UK”, says Jo.

Furthermore, the SYC is preparing a research document on benefits of yoga therapy to children with special needs in conjunction with Harvard, UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital. The monitoring and evaluation necessary for such a study will be run on the Get Ready to Learn programme. It is our intention to launch this in approx. 10 schools over the next year. “Once this has been successfully delivered we will be creating a Get Ready to Learn programme for mainstream schools in support of children and school staff” enthuses Jo.

Final Thoughts…

Yoga is wholly holistic and completely inclusive making it the perfect addition to any setting. Children can be given a time to stretch their bodies and calm their minds. Many children enter our settings in the morning with their little minds full of home-life, the walk to school, anxieties about all kinds of things. Yoga can offer a break for their body and their minds and help them get ready for learning.

BOX OUT

Want to give Yoga a go in your setting?

Easy Yoga for kids By Yoga Teacher Mollie McClelland

DEEP BREATHING­

Deep breathing is the most important aspect of yoga; it relaxes and helps concentration. Ask them to sit up straight, either cross legged on the floor, or on the edge of a chair.  As they breathe in, the sides of the ribs expand. The breath expands the entire chest, under the collarbones and between the shoulder blades, without forcing.  For posture, ask them to imagine they have a beautiful sparkly necklace that you want to show off.

This is a great practice to teach your kids, and they can practice it before carpet work or during PE.

HIP OPENERS

Ask them to put their legs out in front of them, but then lean back and support their weight on their elbows or pillows.  Bring the Right leg in towards them and then make 5 Circles to the outside (knee up, out, down), 5 circles to the inside (out to side, up, to the middle and down).  Then they can repeat other leg.    

CAT/ COW

On hands and knees, they INHALE and look up towards the ceiling, letting their belly stretch towards the floor.  EXHALE curve the spine (“like someone is poking you in the tummy and look towards belly button”).  Ask them to repeat 2-3 minutes at a comfortable pace. 

NB: cat/cow is a very adaptable form, which you can explore. Focus on initiating from different parts of the body – shoulders, tailbone, mid-back.  Also interesting is to play with pace and intensity.  Start slow and steady and as you feel comfortable, experiment with speeding up to get blood moving or slowing down to deeply stretch into tight places.  

CAT/COW with Balance

From the neutral position on hands and knees, with the back flat like a table, ask them to extend the right leg behind them so that the leg is parallel to the floor and the knee is facing the floor.  Hold 5-10 slow counts (or breaths). Try for 2 times each leg. 

PUPPY STRETCH

On the hands and knees, they are to walk the hands further in front of them.  The hips go up in the air, so the back is arching, making a ski slope shape with the spine, neck and arms.. 

DOWNWARD FACING DOG VARIATION

Get them to stand up and put their hands on a shelf or table (preferably waist height). Ask them to put their hands flat on the edge of the shelf, pushing down.  Arms should be straight, get them to bend down at a 90 degree angle. Open the chest towards the floor making the back as flat as possible. All the time breathing deeply.

DOWNWARD FACING DOG

Ask them to come on to hands and knees, back flat; wrists under shoulders, knees under hips. Shoulders should be taken down away from the ears. Keep the tummy in the whole time so as not to sag.  Tuck the toes and then straighten both legs.  Hips go up in the air to make a triangle shape. Make sure their heads and necks are relaxed; tell them to look towards their knees. Hold downward facing dog for 5 breaths at a time. 

Kids can find Downward Dog both challenging and fun.  You can practice this together just as the pose, or use the position for a game of “London Bridge is Falling Down.” 

Saddle Up!

I may have mentioned, just once or (ahem) twice that I cleverly arranged my children's birthdays so that they both fall within the week running up to Christmas day. Some, come Boxing Day, our house looks like a toy shop (a very messy one) and the children look like over-excited munchkins (which they are!)

So, anyway, you'll gather I've a lot of toys to buy between now and then. And horse-mad Rosie will be thrilled no-doubt to see this equistrian range of  Moxie Girlz™.

Moxie Girlz™ Horse Riding Club dolls are donning contemporary riding gear, including a  hat and boots.  They are around £14.99 each and the Horse assortment is suitable for ages three years plus and is priced at around £29.99. Each set comprises of a doll with a stunning walking horse that even has special sound effects.

Moxie Girlz™ are available at all good toy retailers nationwide. For more info see www.moxiegirlz.com

Oz Schmoz

By the time I'd returned from dropping Charles at playgroup this morning, I'd heard...

"COLD, effing, effing COLD!!!" (OK, that first one was me)

"Oooh it's a cold one today" said my lovely neighbour as we took in the bins.

"Cold in't it ducky?" (school run Parent 1)

"Oooo you're wrapped up well, cold in't it?" (school run Parent 2)

"Cold one this morning" (school run Parent 3)

"Come on in children, it's cold out there" (teacher)

"COLD" "COLD" "COLD" "COLD" (parents 4,5,6 and 7) walking home from school run.

"Cold one m' love!" (window cleaner)

"Hello, come in it's cold out there" (Charles' playgroup worker)

Yes it is cold out there. That's why I'm blue with white finger tips. That's why I've got a hat that exposes as little of my freezing face to the elements, whilst still letting me see enough for safety purposes, as is possible. That's why I've succumbed to the Uggliest boots in existence that I may well be wearing in bed if it gets any colder. That's why, that's why, that's why. Oh bugger, I'm too cold to think....

We do talk about the weather a lot don't we? As a nation, we're obsessed. I'm as bad as everyone else and a couple of years ago I developed that white finger thing - I could google the medical name but I'm far too cold for googling. So anyway, White Finger Thing has given me another reason to moan, moan, moan.

Around this time of year, as an annual welcoming to the winter, my OH will enquire as to why we moved back from Australia (where we met). I'll mention family, culture, history erm, family and and  history and er culture?  And it's true; I love this country. I love it's culture, the history evident in architecture everywhere, my family are alright too. It's just that I'm not so keen on the pain in my face when I get out the car, or the Uggly Uggs that were ironically made in Australia, some sort of sick joke, typical of their rubbish humour; "look how gross these boots are mate, the poms'll love 'em". Oh yeah, that's another reason to spend 6 months of the year with blue toes - the humour there is shit. Seriously. Furthermore the beaches are vile. The food is disgusting, all that mouthwatering fresh seafood and thai green curries served as casually and cheaply as fish and chips - yuk. Watching surfers as you walk home from work is just annoying, catching the commuter ferry to Circular Quay did my head in, frankly. We like misery here dear husband. They can keep their crisp white wine on the beach come Christmas day, we'll be scraping ice off the car and crossing our fingers that children can't actually, literally freeze. It's character building. Promise.

GLTC Storage Life-Savers!

We live in a mini-house; a two bed terrace. What's more we've (un-)cleverly had 2 children both born late December. So around this time of year I get a little anxious, "where will we put everything?" "Where will it go?"

When friends and family ask what to get the kids my uniform answer is, "Something small, they just LOVE small things!"

I'm more than a little grateful to GLTC for their fab storage options, from proper modular storage to soft bucket-type solutions. I've just got this super-cool drawer and am planning on Lego on the likes to go in during the post birthday/Christmas/mayhem tidy-up.



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