Currently Browsing : Childhood

On the whole I'm quite a fan of Will Smith and it's hard not to like the guy but recently I've certainly had some questions about his parenting style.  In the process of promoting his current film, which he stars in alongside his 14 year old son Jaden, Will has done a number of interviews recently where he has been ...

Amidst the cheery news today that the UK has failed to rank among the top 20 places to be a mother, I remembered an article I read last week that made me smile and warmed my heart which is probably just as well as it was about the ‘top smile triggers’ for children and parents according to a study by ...

I love going to art galleries; I love looking at paintings and I love the peace of an art gallery. Can you manage to experience this with a 4 year old and a 5 week old? Well, last Monday that is what I attempted to do. Munchkin, B2 and I spent several hours in the National Gallery and had a ...

Before I was a mum I had all sorts of grand ideas about what I would and wouldn't do or allow my children to do when I was a parent.  One was watching TV.  Now that I am a mum my standards and expectations have somewhat changed.  I recognise that TV is not altogether a bad thing and sometimes a ...

There was no way I could not blog about the proposed childcare changes which were all over the news yesterday.  The government is announcing that nurseries and childminders in England are to be allowed to look after more children per adult to help cut costs. The costs of childcare are extortionate for parents and something needs to be done but, 'quality' ...

Magazines; Munchkin loves reading magazines. She loves choosing them; will happily sit and 'read' them in the shops as if it's a lending library; covets a new magazine whenever she sees one. She will sit in the back of a car leafing through a magazine on a long journey and not complain once about the distance travelled. She loves the ...

Last September my ultra-organised friend joked with me as to whether I had submitted Bear-Cub’s school application yet – I of course hadn’t - it was only a few days after you could apply but she also knows me well and is great and reminding/prompting me about things!  She by contrast had submitted her application and I did promise her ...

This week the Mothers' Union urged parents to ditch the Christmas list as we approach the most commercialised time of year.  With growing financial pressures on families, Mother's Union have launched their 'Labelled for Life' guide which aims to help parents deal with the commercial influences on family life. To mark the launch, Mothers’ Union commissioned a survey into Christmas pressures ...

I am aware that since my fantastic holiday to Coombemill I have been quiet (Finally got round to posting the final part of the diary here).  Luckily Loretta kept you in reading last week with her post about the affordable art fair, but truth be told, the pregnancy and having a three year old, plus the post holiday come-down and ...

We’ve been talking a lot recently about getting the kids outside; about the risks, and perceived risks of allowing your children freedom and about encouraging children’s relationship with nature.  Today I want to point you all in the direction of a brilliant website to get kids outdoors and in touch with nature – and also to give you a wealth ...