Smoking in cars harms children

That is the claim from the British Medical Association. A recent study in Ireland showed that secondary smoke, despite a window being open was still harmful for a child.

Smoking is such an emotive subject. It polarises the views of both Camp and those view are aired almost vociferously. Just read the 600 and rising, views on the BBC website.

On one side the smokers feel that their civil rights are being infringed and that as a responsible adult they should be free to conduct their business how they choose.

On the other campaign groups like ASH are keen to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco.
Before writing such an article I suppose it’s important for me to declare my position. I am no
t a smoker and don’t much like the smell and affects on others.

It’s very interesting to read the view on the BBC website. No one doubts the validity of the medical claim the main argument is one of “just leave us alone”.

But if the secondary smoke affects those, people is close proximately, which happen to include your children. Wouldn’t you want processes in place to stop this harm taking place?

Think of the children.

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Nativity Stickers for children

Despite it being November I know that my children have been practising their roles in the Nativity play this year. Already the songs are being rehearsed key roles are being handed out and performances are being honed for the big day.

On the run up to Christmas regular readers will know that I am super keen on preparing the home and turning it into a Wonderland that get all the family into festive cheer.

Nativity Games

Part of the warm up routine is to get the children’s activities out.

These nativity stickers really do help Our kids will build there own nativity scene. As each year progress the scene turns from a picture of chaos to something a little more tranquil and serene.

The pack includes; Mary, Joseph, baby jesus, 3 kings, 3 shepherds, 1 camel, 3 angels, 2 sheep, 1 stable.

These are removable and can be repositioned.

Stable approx 28cm high
average figure height 16cm

The Nativity Stickers costs – £25.54

Peelable Nativity Scene Sticke

Nativity Scene Stickers

For our complete range of Christmas Stickers follow the link.

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Snowflake window stickers for your home

I really love Christmas. It is without doubt my most favourite time of year. But I do need a little help getting into the Christmas spirit. This usually comes in the form of Christmas Decorations.

I get really get excited when it comes to Christmas decorations. The whole process of retrieving the tree and decorations from the loft and then untangling the mess that was the hastily packed lights help me start to realise that Christmas will be happening soon.

In particular I really love Snowflake Stickers

I know it’s a bit of a cheat. But on wet, dank afternoon, seeing an oversized snowflake on the window help cheer things up.

Also, in the evenings when the candle light, from another decoration, with twinkle against the snowflake and reflect back into the room. It might not be ‘truly magical’ but it is the closest it gets in our house.

If you are looking for Christmas Sticker ideas continue using the link.

Merry Christmas

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6 top tips when visiting a bonfire display with children

I love a good bonfire display.

I remember as a child my parents taking me to a display ever year. I used to love the way the multi-coloured spectrums would explode across the night sky. With a cold air, which never seemed to bother me, the parading streams of read, green and blue would feel as though it lasted forever.

Today, my little ones enjoy a good display from the confines of our back garden they are not quite ready for a public display.

6 things to remember before attending a bonfire display with your children

• Check the weather. Some displays with still progress through wet weather – dress accordingly.
• Bus or Train? Big displays will be a parking nightmare. Plan in advance.
• Timing. Double check when the fireworks will actually be lit.
• Snacks and refreshments. Obvious one.
• Loo trips. We always encourage extra loo trips before going out.
• Pack some child ID Bracelets, or SafetyTATs with your mobile number on them.

These might come across as being a little basic. But, it’s always worthwhile planning ahead so as to avoid any little stresses.

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Halloween Safety For Kids

Halloween Party Games

Very shortly little people across the land shall be adorning their most gruesome clothes and knocking or strangers doors demanding a ransom of sweets and treats for their efforts.

Halloween – 31 October

Our children have never really embraced the whole Halloween traditional.

Picture the scene a 4 year old come to the door to be greated by a ghost with a familiar voice that goes to our pre-school. It is a heady mix of excited, confusion and terror.   So, I’m afraid this year we shall not be participating.

However, I do have a friend who’s children love it. They spend huge amounts of time on getting their costumes just right. Where they magic up  the time from for such endeavours I really don’t know.

Nonetheless she can always be seen, every 31 October walking the streets with a merry band of Ghoules, Goblins, Ghost and the occasional spiderman. Not only was she happy to take her children, she took her friends children too – 6 children in all.

Despite her roping in a friend to help, that number of children together always makes me nervous. You just never can tell what will happen.

Always make sure you have some SafetyTats or Children’s ID bracelets. They are really easy and just help reassure you that if one of your little cherubs gets separated from the group they are only a telephone number away.

Safe Trick or Treating to you all.

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Healthy kids lunch-boxes to help prevent cancer

Back in August we talked about Lunch-box’s V’s School dinners.  Well it seems that kids lunches are back on the health agenda.  This time the World Cancer Trust is re-enforcing the message that your child’s lunch box needs to be healthier with more fruit and veg.

With roughly 15 million lunch-boxes being packed in the UK every day it’s obviously a lucrative market for the food industry.   This ultimately means lots of advertising and marketing being thrust towards us time-strapped parents.

The main messages coming through time and time again, is convenience.  There are lots of “Just pop ‘em in the lunch-box…” or full of “all the things that kids….”.

So with 190 school days in the year – which translates to 380 lunches in our house, it’ not difficult to assume that convenience is the name of the game.  So for lots of parents the pre-packed cheese, drinks, snacks, tubs and pots are easy.

But stop for a minute.  Convenience doesn’t need to be processed.  This isn’t just about shoving something quick and easy into a plastic container and sending our nearest and dearest out with something which might be called food but most probably lacks the nutrients our little ones need.

If you take a step back and look at the eating habits or your children would your honest appraisal be a good one or a bad?

I know what it’s like though.  Trying to get my youngest to eat greens is really, really tough.  At the sight of the tiniest floret of broccoli on the dinner plate there is a incredulous spasm that washes over my son.  But I will not stop.

I once read that you need to plate up and try a vegetable 27 times with a child.  At the end of that time if they still don’t like it after all your encouragement then move onto something else.  This might mean a lot of wastage, but, I think it is worth the effort.

I firmly believe that you need to encourage your child at an early age to adopt healthier options.  This way they will, hopefully, carry those attitudes later into life.

For more information visit the World Cancer Research Fund website.  Or the Diet Cancer Report

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The family budget and school Lost Property

So it has been three weeks since the children starting back at I am reliably informed by the School Admin team that the lost property box is overflowing.

I myself have paid one visit to the lost property bin already this term.  It is astonishing how much stuff you find.  There’s one School shoe, several single plimsols, fleeces of all age groups.

Despite the indian summer we are experiencing Autumn and the colder whether will soon be upon us.  Which means, more layers.

Furthermore, many of us need to keep a close hold of the family budget.  So this means that we need to not waste money on items you have already bought so spending a few pounds on making sure their clothes come home is well worth it.

Here is a selection of the most popular items of personalised name labels.

• Iron On Labels
• Woven Labels
• Shoe Labels

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Back to school checklist

As my partner keeps telling me we all need lists.  It just help us remember those little or big things that need doing.

Here is our back to school checklist for reception classes.  Hope it helps.

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Consumerism and your child

I think we would all agree that the UK is a consumer orientated society.

On the day that Europe opened its doors to its largest shopping centre, the Westfield in Stratford.  UNICEF also launched its latest Report Card on ”An overview of child well-being in rich countries“.  It also happen to be the day I turned 40 – as a result my conscious pricked me a couple of times.

It’s not difficult to notice that at the weekends, 100′s of thousands of people march off to their local hyper-fantastic-ultra-gigantic-super-enormous shopping centre to spend their hard earned cash on stuff for the children [and themselves].  These concrete steel and glass monoliths rising like a giant piped piper acts like a beacon to the unwary.  Where once they were developed as for the purpose of  convenience they have now turned into a necessity.

Some people make the leap that “it was like this in my day”.  That is true.  But only because these places had previously not existed.

I really do not subscribe to the view that it was better in the old days.  It was just different.  Modern marketing techniques and the profusion of the internet helps support spending.  Where once the shops closed at 6.00 o’clock, they are now open 24 hours a day 7 days a week online – it’s all a little too easy now to over compensate and adorn gifts to our nearest and dearest. .

This coupled with financing option, technology advances and social mores, means we all too readily find ourselves spending.

The Political dimension

Regrettably, despite Mr Cameron Big Society ethos, I’m afraid, I just don’t see a will to change the Consumerism – it’s just not good for UK Ltd.    Unfortunately the UK relies heavily on Consumer Spending to support the economy.  This means that any hope for a recovery for our ailing economy requires us all to buy that latest iPhone or shoes or digital something or other.

So who is to blame?

My feeling is that, whilst it would be easy to blame large companies, Apple, Sony, Microsoft, or the Government – that’s is easy way out.  You simply have to look in the mirror.  You might not like what you see, but it’s the truth.

Everyone has a choice.  You can choose not to have the latest fashions, the next, up-to-the-second mobile phone, or bigger house or car.  Ask yourself will it really make me or my children happier.  The shallow, immediate answer may be yes.  But ask yourself the same question, one or two months later – I wonder if you would have the same response.

It’s been my experience that children respond to boundaries and whilst children can be particularly resourceful in getting their own way a parent needs to be strong and say no.

I do sympathies though.  It’s easier to give in to the easy child care that is television, or succumb to peer pressure. The playground can be a harsh place for a child with the wrong gadget, toys or clothes.

As parents we need to acknowledge that Consumerism is all around us and we need to develop techniques that help defend the family unit.

It’s interesting that LV, a British Insurer estimated that it costs £210,00 to raise a child to 21.  With this financial burden it’s hardly surprising that parents are feeling pressure. That said, there is no imperative to spend this vast sum of money.

But how do we protect our children

As a parent of two I obviously want the best for my child.  Now I want to be clear here.  This philosophy is not about material objects – it’s about their well being, pastoral or otherwise.

But protecting our children from these consumerism pulls will be a real challenge and I don’t think I have the answer.  For me;

• I try and limit the amount of television my children are exposed to.
• I discourage adverts
• I make a point of being active with my children
• We try, sometimes unsuccessfully, to have as many meal times as possible together.

Be well.

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“In an age where some fathers have so little to do with their children”

GUEST BLOGGER: Father of 2, James Hart

Shocking, absolutely shocking.

The Guardian newspaper on 2nd September published an article [A male teacher can never replace a missing father] talking about the how male teachers are so poorly represented in schools.  Super subject, I thought.  Worthy of the Guardians’ keen eye for detail.

However, the line in the first paragraph that got the hairs on the back of my neck tingling was the one quoted in the title.

Innocuous at first.  But to me the wild generalisation that takes a stab at ‘some’ fathers, in my mind attacks them all.  I admit that ‘some’ fathers probably deserve it – as they stay late in the office to avoid, the sometimes chaotic bath-time, bed-time routine.

However, and I’m sure Katharine Birbalsingh would agree that there are many fathers who really enjoy family life, who take an active part in the education, emotional and physical well being of their child’s upbringing .

So where exactly is my argument you might say.  My concern overall  is that this throw-away line is  unqualified.  It makes the “some” too general and as a consequence it feels as though it could land on the head of any father.

Am I being overly critical?  Have  I micro analysed the text too much trying to find a meaning that just simply isn’t there.   Or am I feeling a little defensive at not doing as much as my hard working wife.  Maybe.

When I became a father, worry became second nature.   Whether it was for the children, the family’s well being or my own self-esteem.  And as much as possible I try and preserve these tenets and whilst attrition is inevitable, it’s not welcome and wherever it might occur it must challenged.

“In an age where some commentators have so little to do with representing a balanced truth…”.

Or is it just me?

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