Getting kids to develop healthy habits is an age-old battle. We all want our children to lead a healthy lifestyle, but getting them to do it on a daily basis is seemingly impossible.

We can suggest that they read a book instead of watching more TV, go outside to the park instead of playing on the computer, eat an apple instead of asking for sweets, or opt for water instead of fruit drinks, but getting them to make those choices on their own is a constant battle, and one that more often than not, we lose.

We all try our best to lead healthy lives ourselves – going to the gym, drinking our eight glasses a day, eating our five fruit and veg, and turning the TV off in favour of reading the latest literary recommendations (or at least a magazine!) on occasion.

But often we do it out of sight of our children. Maybe we go to the gym on the way to work or in the evening, eat veg with our evening meal after they are in bed, drink water all day at work but not at home, or read in bed instead of in the living room.

But I have found that to encourage kids healthy habits leading by example seems – so far – to be working. If I offer my daughter a glass of water instead of orange juice, she turns it down. But if I bring a glass of water to the dinner table for myself, my daughter will take it from me a drink the lot! If her brother sees her, he then wants water, too – double whammy!

Similarly, if my daughter doesn’t want to read her school reading book, telling her she needs to will achieve nothing, but picking up the book myself and making interested noises as I flick through the pages has her almost running over to read it with me.

Usually, I exercise after my children are in bed, but recently, I did an exercise DVD in front of my daughter when she couldn’t sleep because of an eye infection. Within about three minutes, she was up and joining me, and since then she has asked several times for me to put it on, and will do the workout from start to finish all by herself!

And finally, on that delicate subject of eating vegetables, I finally admitted to my daughter recently that I didn’t really like vegetables all that much, but that I eat them because I know how good they are for my body.

Then I proceeded to shovel down a plateful of green beans and sweetcorn before rewarding myself with a small slice of cake, and she promptly followed suit!

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In my child’s class, there are at least 4 children with a birthday in the same month. Potentially, this could mean one party every weekend, or two or three parties in one weekend. Add to that any that crop up from her brother’s friends, and we could be in for a busy (and expensive!) month!

One solution to the ‘problem’ of multiple birthday parties (more of a problem for the parents than the kids – I think they could do three in a day and still have room for more cake!) is joining forces and having a joint birthday bash.

If you are considering this, here are a few pros and cons of joint birthday parties that we have encountered and are considering for this year:

Pros

* A joint party costs less – you can hire a large hall and club together for food, and if all the children are from the same class, the majority of the guests will overlap, so you won’t double up on headcount simply by doubling up on birthday people.

* A joint party means less work for you – paying for a catered event means you only have to worry about the cake, and even if you host a joint event at your home, the other parents will chip in with the preparations and clearing up, so there’s less for you to do on your own.

* Combining parties means fewer events for other parents, freeing up their time, which they will most likely appreciate!

* Having a joint party is exciting for the children – being ‘birthday buddies’ is great for kids, and means they get to share their special day with a friend, which can make it all the more special. Equally, if one of the children is a little shy, a shared party can take some of the emphasis off them, leaving them free to enjoy themselves.

Cons

* A joint party can mean a large party – if your child only wants to celebrate with their close friends, a large joint party including guests that your child doesn’t know might take some of the shine off the event.

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With spring and the Easter holidays on the horizon, here are some ideas on how to get your kids outside at this time of year:

* Easter egg hunt: look in your local newspaper to see if there is an egg hunt happening near you. If not, make up your own: you can buy buckets with several small, hollow eggs, or buy a selection of caramel, chocolate or cream-filled eggs that are always around at this time of year, then simply hide them outside, invite some friends around and let the kids go hunting!

It’s a good idea to let younger ones hunt first, and keep some eggs back to replace found ones so that everyone gets a turn. If you don’t want them to have too much chocolate, set up a series of questions and clues for the hunt part, and reward everyone with a single egg at the end.

* A lovely way to help children appreciate nature in all its glory is to go flower spotting in early spring. Take a book with you so you can identify all the new leaves and flowers you see beginning to emerge.

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What happens when you cross a pillow with a pet? You get… hugapet!

Perhaps your child is begging for a pet (and you’re not so keen) and also, per chance, needs a pillow. If so, the best kids bedtime accessory, hugapet is the answer!

The cuddly, ‘soft toy’ pets are held together by a Velcro tab that when undone converts into a pillow. Hugapet is a fun, daytime pet but also a cuddly sleep time accessory.

My daughter is two, sleeps in a ‘big girl bed’ but doesn’t use a pillow. Instead, she uses her teddies as a resting place for her weary head. I can’t imagine that Tigger’s leg, monkey’s face or Care Bear’s arm are particularly comfortable. But comfort is not my little girl’s objective. She sleeps on her teddies because she loves them.

I imagine that she’d love a hugapet (preferably a kitty), and at least it’d provide a comfier head rest. And the best kids bedtime accessory is also a great for travelling companion.

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Theodor Seuss Geisel – American writer, poet and cartoonist – also known as Dr. Seuss: the man’s works are genius! He was a satirist, a comedian… and just knew how to relate to kids.

His rhymes are hilarious and beautifully catchy. I adore his stories and am in the process of making sure that my two-year-old daughter develops the same ‘love of Seuss’ – a euphemism for indoctrination. Don’t judge! Dr Seuss is totally worthy of a little brain-washing. Big brother says yes.

Gurgle magazine (Feb/March edition) has published a list of ten Seussisms. I had to share these because they are so clever and reveal Seuss to be quite the philosopher. Behind the simple words and witty humour are life lessons that are both poignant and true!

Here’s the Top ten Dr Seuss quotes…Enjoy!

1. “It is fun to have fun but you have to know how.” – The Cat in the Hat

2. “From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere.” – One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

3. “Shout loud, ‘I am what I am! Thank goodness I’m not just a clam or a ham.’” – Happy Birthday to You!

4. “Some days are yellow, some are blue. On different days I’m different too.” – My Many Coloured Days

5. “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself any direction you choose.” – Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

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