Easter Presents

This year I'm, sorry, the Easter Bunny, is bringing my two these fab watches
from Watchshop.com . Rosie has wanted a proper Big Girl's Watch for
some time and Charles just has to have everything that Rosie has to prevent
migraine-inducing upsets! These should keep everyone happy, they're priced £14.99 each.

The Gruffalo indoor croquet set from amara

The Gruffalo Magnetic Adventures from Universal Games, available on Amazon  or from John Lewis RRP £9.99

Little Green Radicals Nautical Pocket Dress £18.00

London Tableware Set from Milly Green £20.00

 Girl's Board Angels  Hoodie from M and M direct £9.99  (RRP £22.99)

Egg hunt eggs from Thorntons £6.50

Down on the farm...

Peppa Pig Live

We're slightly over excited about seeing Peppa Pig Live next week. We're going on Wednesday to Nottingham Playhouse.

There's still tickets left I think, see if they're going near you here.

But Murrrrm I HATE Parties!!!

Preface: Please note it we’ve ever had the pleasure of attending your child’s party this is not about you. Or your child’s party. We had enormous fun at your party. 

Rosie is not a party girl. Her own parties are OK but other than that she’d rather not bother.

At the end of term there was a school disco, she told me decisively; “I don’t want to go. I do want to go to school but not to the disco”.

I mean, for crying out loud, it’s supposed to be the other way round!

We’re now getting to the stage where many parents of normal party-loving children are dropping their offspring off. Quick kiss, see you later, and off they trot, for 2 hours of well-deserved peace whilst their child charges around gleefully only stopping momentarily for a speedy sarnie and a chocolate-laden cake.

You can’t miss us on these occasions. We’re the ones stood as a three – seemingly conjoined. Charles is usually taking it all in from his favourite chair – my hip. Regrettably and rather awkwardly Charles’ ‘taking it all in’ face is remarkably sullen and sees others enquiring; “is Charles OK?” “Oh yes” says I, “this is his happy face, he’s fine”.

Rosie is holding my hand and asking at full volume,“when will we be eating?” then following the food, “can we go now?” If there’s a bouncy castle she may venture on but on two conditions; firstly there has to be nobody else on and secondly I have to hold her hands. And as you’ll recollect - I’ve got Charles on my hip.

So when we get a party invite there’s a sense of relief if we’re away, but a sense of duty if we’re not. We can’t side-step all parties. We can’t lie and we certainly can’t tell the “we just don’t like parties” truth. I couldn’t give a reconstituted party-sausage if I never had to eat runny jelly and bounce un-convincingly again but deep down I know we’ve got to conform and say “yes, we’d love to come, thanks so much for inviting us.”

Toddler feature for Maternity and Infant

Toddler Taming Tactics

React to toddler tantrums with a little understanding, consistency and patience and the ‘terrible twos’ could become the ‘tremendous twos’ before you know it! Phoebe Doyle gets some expert advice.

The word ‘tantrum’ can strike fear into the hearts of even the hardiest parents. Toddlers are well-known, make that notorious, for their mood swings, their temperaments, their tantrums – hence the ‘terrible twos’ phenomena. Parenting and relationship coach and Mother of 3 Ali McCloskey explains how she’s been there for parents to help with advice and encouragement; “As a coach, I’m often approached for advice from parents and carers who are desperately trying to cope with the dreaded toddler tantrums.”

Most people think these fits of temper automatically kick-in around the age of two but Ali warns; “in reality, they can begin any time from one onwards, depending on the maturity, personality and temperament of the child.”

Tiny Tempers

So what causes even the sweetest of babies to transform, however briefly, into a tantrum throwing tot? Ali tells us; “Many experts agree that there are four major triggers for toddler tantrums. By far the biggest is attention-seeking - which can happen anytime and anywhere. The second major cause is the sheer frustration that many small children feel at not being able to ‘do’ or communicate what they want or how they feel.” This certainly could be the case with those children who are just on the cusp of learning to talk; desperately wanting to get their point across without quite having the linguistic skill to do so.

Ali also has seen how the ‘green eyed monster’ aspect can play it’s part; “Jealously can also make a toddler lose his or her temper. This could be related to sibling or playmate envy, or the simple fact that a parent or carer is giving their attention to something or someone else. This can seem insane given the amount of attention you probably give them - but it helps to remember that, unlike older children, a small child is not rational at this age.

“The final major cause of toddler outbursts is a reaction to basic physical complaints such as hunger, tiredness or illness. Again, the child has not yet developed the necessary maturity needed to understand why they feel the way that they do and so they simply react - loudly!”

Avoid falling into the toddler-trap

Ali says that one of the most common mistakes that’s made in dealing with a toddler tantrum is over-reaction on the part of the parent; “in effect, some parents end up almost having their own tantrum or meltdown. Trying to reason with a small child logically can also back-fire; remember that they don’t have the ability yet to be rational and act purely on the emotions they’re feeling at the time.”

Experts agree that all behavior should be dealt with in the moment, not at a later time, Ali says; “A very common reaction is to threaten to do something but not actually doing it there and then. A toddler will have no recollection of something that happened four or even two hours previously, so if you punish or attempt to deal with the situation later the lesson will fall on deaf ears. That said, simply giving in should also be avoided at all costs as, essentially, it teaches the child that what they did worked.”

BOX

Don’t get mad – get better!

No matter how frustrating, the key to preventing toddler tantrums is to have clear and consistent ways of dealing with them.

Hear are Ali’s simple 5 tantrum-management rules….

1.      Stay calm: How your child behaves as they grow and mature is largely based on the behaviour they witness in their parents. If you’re at home and have reached the end of your tether, make sure they are safe and walk away until you calm down. Tell yourself that the calmer you stay, the quicker you will guide them out of these tantrums. The benefit of this is enormous. If you stay calm you teach them what you want, if you react you teach them what you don’t want. By watching you get irrational they learn that it’s okay to behave this way because Mammy or Daddy are doing it!

2.      Say what you do want - and not what you don’t: Language is so important in dealing with toddlers. Instead of “Don’t touch that!” say “Leave that where it is and move your hands away,” or rather than “Stop eating with your mouth open” try “Eat with your mouth closed.” Similarly, rather than “Stop rolling around on the floor, you’ll get filthy!” say “Stand up and play here”. This sounds simple enough, but many of us are conditioned by our own upbringing when a parent would automatically communicate using negative commands.

3.      Punish and praise in the moment: Develop a habit of praising your child for good behaviour - and do it often. Tell them how well they behaved and that they should be proud of themselves. You could even offer to do something with them occasionally by way of a reward. The more you encourage good behaviour and ignore or deal quickly and effectively with unwanted behaviour, the quicker the toddler will move out of this stage.

4.      Enter your child’s world (also known as ‘building rapport’). Before you try prizing them away from something they’re really enjoying, whether it’s a favourite TV show or time with their friends, make time for a little conversation. If they’re watching TV, try asking them what they’re watching, who’s in it, what’s it about and then tell them their tea is ready. The rapport you have created will make them much more open to hearing and doing what you’re saying.

5.      Use distraction tactics: Toddlers can very easily have their attention moved from one thing to another. When you’re in a crowded supermarket and they’re kicking off because you haven’t given them what they want or they’re tired, talk enthusiastically about where you’re going next - or better still something already planned that you know they are looking forward to. Even simple things like pointing to something else in a very animated way will distract them. Getting out a favorite toy can also do the trick. At this age they’re simple creatures that move from one emotion to another in a millisecond; just be creative and have fun with it!

Mum of 3, Katie Gunn from Co. Wicklow says…

For me there’s no one solution – and I’ve found that what works for one of my children might not work for another. The bottom line is that whatever method you choose you have to be consistent. So whether it’s rewarding a 2 year old for good behaviour, making a 3 year old have time out, or taking a favourite toy away from a 4 year old – my advice is to choose your method and stick to it.

Furniture

So many more people are renting these days. If you’re renting a flat or a house from a lettings agent such as KIS Lettings Newcastle it may come with or without furniture. In case it doesn’t here are some top shops for making your house a home!

Raised mid-sleeper from GLTC

Traditional Rugs from Mail Order Rugs

Leather Sofas from Oldrids

Artemide Table Lamp from John Lewis

Donna Wilson Fox Cushions from John Lewis

Table Lamps from Lighting Direct

Architecture print cushion from M&S

Cable Covers from D-Line

Real Life for Prima Baby - current issue

My latest Real Life for Prima Baby...

When Jenni and Ross McGill ‘s longed for baby was born 12 weeks early, all they could do is live in hope that this tiny baby would make it...

We’d been trying for a baby for a very long three years and were devastated that it just didn’t seem to be happening for us. We opted for IVF and after one expensive attempt failed, we decided to try detox; no caffeine, no alcohol and general healthy living. Ross, my husband, was hugely supportive with this and we were utterly delighted when we conceived naturally in November 2010.

I had some spotting early on in the pregnancy so I’d been really anxious but when it came to my 12 week scan all seemed perfect; we were overwhelmingly excited about starting a family. 

The complications start

It was at the 20-week scan that things changed. We were told that Freddie was smaller than he should be for his gestation. Nobody was sure exactly why, although it was thought it could be something to do with blood flow from the placenta, but his growth would need to be very closely monitored via regular scans. Despite this news, Ross and I were still thrilled basking in the thrilling prospect of the new addition we’d be welcoming into our lives and tried to remain optimistic.

The scans over the following month continued to show our baby was measuring very small; he was in the bottom 5% percentile for foetus growth. When I was 25 weeks pregnant the doctor insisted that from that point on I had to be scanned meticulously twice a week. We were genuinely pleased that we were being given such thorough attention but by now getting increasingly concerned. We were given our first warning that it was likely our baby would be born early. His growth rate was so slow it was felt he may actually have a better chance outside the womb, where he could receive medical intervention directly.   At this point I felt helpless, I was advised to eat more protein and rest more, but little other information was given about how I could help our baby.

Time to come out

At a scan three weeks later came the shattering news our baby needed to be delivered by C-section immediately as his blood-flow was now severely restricted and both him and myself were in danger. I called Ross at work in tears and he rushed to the hospital – he’s a teacher and he literally had to just leave the classroom.

Our emotions were all over the place. We were filled with anxiety about our baby of course, but also about the logistics of the situation, about work and getting prepared at home. Yet all this concern  was coupled with a sense of joy at the thought of meeting our baby, despite the complications. I was given a bed in the hospital but there weren’t any incubators available;  we were told after a seven hour wait they’d found a bed and incubator in a hospital in Kent. This was the nearest hospital with an incubator and the correctly trained staff available. We live in North London and our minds were racing with worries. How would we commute? Pick up clothes from home? Get to work? Costs? Our minds were racing.

On Saturday 21st May 2011 at 17.42pm, our newborn premature baby boy Freddie was born. He was 28‐weeks +2 days gestation, weighing just 730 grams (1lb 9ozs), smaller than a bag of sugar and about 15cm long. The doctors plucked him out by one leg!  We were able to see him for just 30 seconds before he had to be taken away.

Nobody really explains what prematurity means and what lies ahead. We weren’t prepared at all. After a 2‐hour wait in recovery Ross was finally allowed to go and see Freddie – I was still too poorly. He found this really hard, it was an incredibly powerful experience, he was happy but overwhelmed by all that lay ahead – it was hard to be alone. Along with Ross there was a team of 5 or 6 doctors standing next to Freddie. He said it was hard to hold back the tears.  It was terribly difficult for him with the medical professionals discussing his newborn son’s care – he felt so alone and uncertain of what the future held. He also says he felt enormously proud of me and, even amongst the uncertainty, delighted to be a Dad.

Around 9pm the same evening, Ross wheel‐chaired me through the delivery ward, past other Mums and babies, the sight of which made me cry instantly. It was enormously emotional seeing the ‘normal’ families, when our journey looked to be much more complicated. ?) We pushed through the doors of NICU, (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)    which unbeknown to us at this point, was to be a daily occurrence for the next 12 weeks. This first time I saw him he was surrounded by doctors and covered in wires. Ross had to hold me up as I was in shock and in pain from the Caesarean. He was so tiny and fragile – his hand was a mere 3cm in length and we held and stroked it – just about all the contact we were allowed at this stage.

It was a very moving experience and utterly heart-wrenching. We felt so much that we wanted to help him and to make everything OK, but in reality we knew his care was in the hands of the doctors and nurses. We were so lucky that bonding happened at this early stage; the second we could stroke his tiny hand.

Hospital life

The 12 weeks in hospital was tough but the staff were brilliant, they answered questions and showed great empathy and all thismade life manageable. Only grandparents were allowed for the first three months, but as Freddie only has one Grandma who did come to see us but who lives 200 miles away, we pretty much faced every single day on our own. The staff were kind enough to allow us to nominate Godparents to visit, so our closest friends came to see us when they could, providing much needed encouragement and love.

Freddie was so premature and had such a low-birthweight, that he was open to all sorts of viruses. We had to wear gloves when touching him, use alcohol gel – everything we could to keep our tiny baby germ-free. When we were told he had suspected meningitis we felt totally distraught – he received a 3 week course of antibiotics and thankfully all was well. As well as that he was born with chronic lung disease (CLD, a condition that happens to some babies who are born very early and means they need oxygen and rigorous protection against chest infections (Bliss 2007). Freddie also had jaundice and needed a total of 4 blood transfusions due to low blood sugar and low red-blood cells. One of Freddie’s other problems was hernias which is often an issue associated with small, early baby boys as their muscle walls can be too thin. He’s now had two operations for this at Great Ormand Street Hospital. [I’ve added about expressing below] 

We didn’t get to see Freddie's face for weeks, as his eyes were protected from the lamps with tiny glasses and his face was covered with tape holding the oxygen tubes to his nose and mouth.

Holding Freddie for the first time, when he was 16 days old,was very traumatic, not the romantic cuddle every new mother dreams of, I had to be so careful with him as he just felt so precious and delicate and of course he was still attached to oxygen and wires so I had to be careful from that point of view. But as the wires became less and the oxygen tubes were removed, the cuddles got better and better. So much so that Ross and I would hardly let him go when visiting him in hospital.

At home

After a total of 82 days in hospital we were dying to bring him home and start being ‘proper’ parents – the day we came home was actually his due date – we called this his “0^th birthday”! In hospital we’d had some traumatic times; all the equipment and scares about illness, and I’d been expressing milk the whole time. He was too small and week, to breast feed, but desperately needed the nutrients from my milk to help him grow. I also desperately needed to help him, in the little way I could so I continued to express for a whole 7 months.

 Since leaving hospital life has been great. We didn't sleep a wink on the first night due to the sheer excitement of having Freddie all to ourselves and sleeping in his own Moses basket at home.. It was incredible to have unlimited cuddles and to not be surrounded by beeping alarms on machines.

Of course, the first few days were exhausting; there was night time feeds and we’d had the oxygen he still needed for breathing installed and so we had to check that was all working  but actually although he was technically a newborn he did sleep a good 3 hours at a time.sufficiently. There was always the small seed of doubt at the back of our minds, that everything might not be alright. It’s only been since getting into a more normal routine, that we’ve realized how stressful it all been, from carrying Freddie to seeing him in an incubator. Looking at an empty cot at home and not feeling his kick any more – it was all so heart-wrenching.

We still need many visits to the hospital for eye and development tests just to check there’s nothing wrong. But Freddie is doing really well. He’s 9 months old now and has been doing really well at all his checks. In early December, Freddie returned to Barnet hospital for his Neurological Development Assessment. This is a series of tests performed to record cognitive ability and fine and gross motor skills. We were delighted to receive the report one month later; it said that Freddie is developing normally for his corrected age (the age from his due date).

 I’m loving being a Mummy – and Ross, a dad. We’ve got into our stride now and have established a routine. We just love being at home together and doing activities that we’ve always wanted to do with our child and we’ve wanted a child for so long.we can’t stop smiling most of the time and life is amazing. His character and body are growing and developing by the minute- he is a real smiler! I cuddle Freddie every minute of every day now, every cuddle feels like a gift. We’ve been through so much together but I'm much stronger now, the tears come less and the smiles and laughter more and more every day.

The furture…

We now feel enormously positive about the future for Freddie. We had a fabulous Christmas with family and since the New Year Freddie has continued to come on in leaps and bounds. He is now almost rolling over un-aided, he is grasping objects with both hands and starting to eat larger quantities of solids. He even nibbles on a rusk! It’s amazing to see him do the things ‘normal’ babies do and to reflect on how far he’s come.

Hot Cross Bun Pudding!

This recipe was given to the blog by Rachel's Organic

Ingredients:

4 hot cross buns

15g unsalted butter

320ml double cream

100ml whole milk

2 eggs & 1 egg yolk

100g Rachel’s Greek Style Natural Bio Live Yogurt

1 tsp demerara sugar

Serves 4              


Preparation time  15 minutes plus 30 minutes cooking time

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/Gas 3 and grease a 1 litre ovenproof dish.
2. Cut the hot cross buns in half  and spread with butter both sides. Arrange the buns in an ovenproof dish layering the cross sides face up on top.
3. In a small pan add the cream and milk and heat until just warm.
4. In a small bowl add the eggs and egg yolk, pour over the heated cream and milk and whisk thoroughly.  Add the yogurt, whisk again.
5. Pour the mixture over the buns a little at a time, ensuring it has time to soak in.
6. Sprinkle the pudding with demerara sugar and place on a baking sheet.
7. Bake for approx 30 minutes the resulting pudding should be puffed up, set and golden brown

Try: serving with lashings of custard or cream

Equipment needed:

Ovenproof dish                Knife                     Small pan            Whisk

PER SERVING:  481kcal, Protein 8.4g, Carbs 41.5g, Fat 31.0g, Sat Fat 17.1g, Fibre 1.2g, Sugar 28.0g, Salt 0.1g

COST PER SERVING: £0.84p

Easter Gifts - for the kids and grown-ups!

British Tea from VictoryTea.co.uk

LINDT Easter products are available at Clintons

Mini-bunnies £2.49.

Skype Buddy Packs £44.88

Easter biscuits from Fudges available at most supermarkets 99p

Cadbury's Easter Egg Trail Pack RRP £4.09 from major retailers

LINDT Easter products are available in all leading supermarkets, and at www.lindt-shop.co.uk. 

Priced from £0.49.

Skipping Rope Early Learning Centre £5

Chocolate Sauce from Mercers of Yorkshire £1.99

House of Dorchester Chocolates in a Tin from John Lewis £5

Hotel Chocolat Chocolate Eggs and Soldiers from John Lewis £7.50

PC, PS3, Wii and Xbox games from Grainger Games

Divine Large Dark Chocolate Egg £6.00

Easter Eggs £1 each of 4 for £3 from Poundworld

Boden girl's top £17

Toy Eggs from GLTC £6

Antiques valuation gift vouchers from Value My Stuff

Chicks from www.planetorganic.com £8.99

Creative Writing Feature for The School Run...

The way literacy is taught in primary schools has changed radically in the last couple of decades; when I was at school in the 80s we copied from blackboards, had whole hours of handwriting practice and sweated over spellings without any formal teaching of phonics whatsoever. While I think the more structured approach to literacy teaching we see in classrooms today makes learning more fun and accessible, my one worry is that there’s little time left for writing creatively.

When I was at school I adored writing stories – even stories with chapters and illustrations. I know my author brother did too – we found some of his old stories a few years back, and I felt so pleased he’d had the time to write these endless pages of action, adventure, characterisation and twisting plotlines.

As a primary teacher I ensured I would have a week each term when, during literacy sessions, we would focus solely on creating stories. I wasn’t deviating from the curriculum – far from it. During this week children would be consolidating their learning of phonics and  be ‘writing for purpose’, considering carefully the aspects of story and who their audience might be.

It may very well be that your children write stories at home regardless of whether they’re required to for school, because most children have a seemingly natural urge to want to do so from time to time. This is just a little guidance on how you can support them and encourage a more structured approach to their story writing.

Plot planning

Firstly, ask your child where the story is going to take place. It could be somewhere fictional or real, it could be a planet, a country, a town or a house – anywhere! Then, ask when the story is taking place – now? In the future? In the past? Finally ask what they think is going to happen. Remember that this doesn’t have to be accurate and they don’t have to stick to what they say; many of the best writers say that their plots develop organically as they write. If they do have a firm idea of where they want to go with the plot, though, they can create an outline by completing a story planner, which could look something like this:

• First….
• Then…
• Next…
• And finally….

Story starters

All writers know that you’ve got to capture the attention of your readers right from the start; you want to make them desperate to read on. Ask your child to think of some good story openers that’ll entice people to find out more. Here are a few examples:

First sentences that are mysterious…
Molly had no idea of the day that lay ahead.
Story starters that use language tricks like alliteration…
It was damp, dark and dreadfully dusty when Molly entered the house.
Story openers that create tension…
Molly could hear her heart beating faster than ever before. Could this really be happening?
Stories that go straight into dialogue…
“But I don’t want to go to school, Mummy”, groaned Molly.
Encourage your child to look at some of the books they like to read and see how they begin in order to offer inspiration.

Read the rest of this feature on The School Run website...

http://www.theschoolrun.com/creative-writing-for-children

My latest blog post for GLTC

As a former primary teacher and someone who writes predominantly about education I’m well aware that children need the outdoors; that it’s where they can best learn about nature, their environment, the world around them. Last year I wrote an article on an Outdoor Nursery in Scotland where the children are outside every day, rain or shine, playing in the woods. They learn to use tools, work together, build dens, experiment and have enormous, exuberant fun. The owner told me that ‘bad weather’ is very much an adult manifestation and that children can learn that there’s weather for wellies and weather for sunhats but weather is just, well, weather.


I loved the sound of this place, and it’s owner. I would love my children to have gone there, Scotland would be quite a commute, but if a similar setting had been closer by, there’d have been there in a shot. I also love talking to one of my favourite play experts Sue Palmer who wrote the book Toxic Childhood where she argues, amongst other things, that children need to take risks, climb trees, be dangerous and certainly not have staring at a screen as their default position.


So, you see I get it. I know it in my brain. But then as I look out of my window right now, at this small 3 year old of mine, filling and emptying a plastic bottle with mud over and over, there’s still a part of me thinking, “what is this thing with mud?”


Truth is, much as I’d happily have my kids outside all day, whilst I’m happy in the sunshine I’m a pathetic moaning, whinging, drip in the wind or rain. In fact I dare say without children I’d be riddled with rickets through shortage of Vitamin D. So thank heavens for my kids who kick me out in all weathers, who’ve seen me buy my first pair of wellies in years, who have me searching for worms (worms for godsakes!!) and have me growing our own vegetables in pots in our tiny teeny garden – vegetables that are inferior in every way from those I’d happily pick up at the supermarket except for the fact they somehow taste of the scrumptiousness oozing from their dimply hands. Thank heavens for them and I guess, if I must, thank heavens for mud!!


Read on the GLTC blog site... http://blog.gltc.co.uk/ 

Disney on Ice 2012

I'm so excited to be taking the children to see Disney on Ice again this year; the eldest has literally not stopped talking about last year's tour and with this one being Princesses and Heroes it's sure to be as Disney as Disney can be!

Touring the UK from March 2012, Disney On Ice  are set to recreate the defining moments from classic Disney films where eight Princesses’ wishes are fulfilled with help from their devoted Princes.

Apparently Tinker Bell will be introducing each scene and we will enter a world of imagination, daring acrobatics, breathtaking skating, and stunning moments from the inspiring stories of Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Tiana, Jasmine, Aurora and Snow White.

This year's show promises to be as jaw-dropping and exciting to previous ones, and for the owner of a child who's jaw literally dropped last year, this is a promise they'll keep.

London Dates:

Wembley

7th March - 6:30pm

8th March – 6:30pm

9th March – 6:30pm

10th March – 11am, 2:45pm, 6:30pm

11th March – 11pm, 2:45pm

Also playing The NIA Birmingham, Motorpoint Arena Sheffield, and the Liverpool Echo Arena. For tickets please visit www.disneyonice.co.uk or (0844 847 2255/ www.ticketmaster.co.uk)

This disclaimer bit... We've been kindly given tickets to go and see Disney on Ice in return for this preview. All views expressed are (obviously!) my own.