In a report commissioned by the Children’s Society, it was revealed that half a million British children are unhappy with their lives.

Upon reading news of The Good Childhood Report, my initial reaction was ‘it’s the lack of sun’. And I am not being facetious.

I didn’t realise how the gloomy grey sky affected my toddler until there was a sunny day – she was like a different child; the sun and the outdoors did wonders for her general attitude and her psyche.

Maybe it’s not the sun’s fault (entirely) but Wendy Ellyat, director of the Save Childhood Movement (SCM), said that children are living increasingly sedentary, media driven lives and their lack of contact with the natural world is having a negative effect on their health, both emotional and physical.

Modern living, although convenient, is also restrictive in many ways.

Another reason offered for the unhappiness of Britain’s youth is that children are under too much pressure at school. The SCM says that British school children are the most tested in the world.

I find it really sad and disturbing that there are so many unhappy children in Britain. As parents, the most important thing in our lives is the happiness of our children and the preservation of family.

Continue reading →

Christmas is just about on the horizon and I am already stocking up! My daughter’s birthday is in December – double whammy!

And I am not the only one. Maybe it is time to get ready for Christmas….

ASDA’s latest ‘Mumdex’ research says that nearly half of British mums are worried about how the costs of Christmas will affect already tight incomes – a third of mums have started saving for Christmas, almost a quarter have already reserved space in their kitchen cupboards to store Christmas food and more than half had bought gifts, some as early as January.

ASDA also said that over a third of mums have bought cards, and 13 per cent have their eye on something to decorate the tree.

Of the 4,000 mums who responded to the survey, most were worried they would not be able to buy everything they wanted for their children – who remained their top priority.

Continue reading →

What is babysign? Well, remember this scene in Meet The Fockers?

(Little Jack uses baby sign and Greg fails to understand)

Jack Byrnes: That’s not the sign for poop, that’s the sign for milk! This is the sign for poop! [Does "poop" gesture]

Greg: Well, what’s the sign for sour milk, because this, uh, tastes a little funky.

Jack Byrnes: That’s because that’s from Debbie’s left breast, Greg.

(Greg spits it out. Little Jack giggles.)

That pretty much sums up baby sign: the use of gestures to communicate – which is what babies do before they learn to speak. They clap, wave, shake their heads, hold their arms up. The theory is that mums and dads can teach their wee ones a whole vocabulary of sign including concepts like ‘hungry’, ‘more’ and ‘nappy change’.

I never really got into the whole baby sign thing. I taught my small daughter to sign ‘please’, which worked brilliantly. But that’s it. I do have friends, however, who swear by baby sign.

It might sound like a whole lot of work to you – I don’t think it is; babies catch on quickly. They’re usually a great deal smarter than we give the credit for.

Continue reading →

Childcare costs… yes, that is a collective sigh I hear – emanating from the belly of British parents.

In a new childcare affordability report commissioned by children’s savings provider Family Investments, it was revealed that parents paying for 25 hours of care a week can expect to pay £4,993 a year, a sum which is equivalent to 18.9% of average earnings (26k). The sigh just got louder.

The report listed the British towns that have the most affordable childcare in relation to annual earnings. Local authorities were surveyed and official earnings data compiled to establish affordability within every county. So – here’s where we’re all moving to:

Stoke is the most affordable location in Great Britain for childcare. The West Midlands is an affordability hotspot, with four of the ten most cost effective urban areas located in the region. The North West of England also featured prominently with three of the most affordable locations in the top ten with Bolton ranked third overall.

Childcare costs relative to earnings were found to be least affordable in Ebbw Vale, South Wales.

Continue reading →

My first-born is due to move from Reception to Year 1 this September, so it will be all change – new teacher, new classroom, new morning routine (parents are no longer allowed to help distribute snacks and water bottles – eek!).

But at least we know the basic drill this year.

Last year was a totally different story. As a small school, it seems it is generally assumed that parents will somehow absorb the knowledge they need just by being in the vicinity, such that when we arrive on Day 1, we will instinctively know to bring water, snack and the exact milk money, and where to put them all when we get there.

I equate it to the first day in a new job, when you know what to wear and where to go, but the rest is a mystery until you get there.

After panicking for most of the summer because we had not been organised enough to buy school-branded water bottles, book bags and pump bags in July (on the assumption that we would be able to buy them online or from the local School Uniform Shop during the holidays – no such luck!), I was relieved to finally make it to Day 1 and find that those parents with older children (the ‘been-there-done-that’ crew) rocked up with non-regulation water bottles and no pump bag at all on the first day, and that the queue to purchase forgotten book bags was longer than the queue to buy last-minute lunch vouchers!

Continue reading →