Bea's First Father Christmas Visit

Just before Bea became poorly, Jon and I took her along to Thursford Santa's Magical Journey 

Last year she joined the boys on the north Norfolk railway but she was too little to really know what was going on, so we wanted to make this one special for her, even though we know she won’t really remember this one either.

We picked Thursford as we had heard great things about it and it wasn’t too far from us, as Bea still isn’t too keen on long journeys in the car we didn’t want to venture too far.

As soon as we parked up it was magical, lights everywhere and staff all dressed up in smart costumes.

We headed straight inside, we were a little early but it was no bother.

Bea loved saying hello to the life-sized teddy at the door, and I’m pretty sure she would have been happy to stay with him for the day.

Once inside we went on a magical walk past giant teddies, Santa elves, penguins and Santas slay.

Bea loved all the elves and waved at pretty much every single one.

I loved watching her face light up every time she saw a new one.

It truly was magical.

As we got close to Santa’s grotto, Jon and I were getting excited. We were hoping Bea would love him just as much as the life-sized teddy at the start of the journey, but unfortunately, she wasn’t too taken on the big man and didn’t want to go anywhere near him.

Thankfully he was lovely and didn’t mind one bit.

We had a group photo and collected Bea’s present from him and then headed off to finish our magical journey.

Once outside we went through the Lantern Light Extravaganza, it was fantastic, Bea loved seeing all the different animals and trees lit up.

It was super foggy and frosty which gave it an extra magical feel, next year we'll definitely be returning to see them in the dark with all the kids, as I know they'll love them.

                          

Bea's favourite was the tiger and she stood roaring at him for a good five minutes. 

We had a lovely day, even though she wasn't too keen on the big man and we cannot wait to return next year to do it all again.

                            

 

Bea's outfit

Hat - Tea & Crochet

Coat, Dress & tights - Next

Boots - Next.

*Not sponsored*

Why Parents Should Attend School Open Days

 

Open days are a really helpful way for you and your child to get to know their potential future schools, make their first friends and discover what it means to attend a prestigious school. There’s a lot to handle when it comes to your child’s studies, so getting to go to different private school open days will help you find the right place for your child to develop their skills.

 Here are some reasons why open days are really important.

Helps your child understand what they will be studying

Your child might be joining a new school to pick up new subjects, or your child has moved to a new area. Whichever route your child is going down there are ways your child can develop their skills at different schools or colleges. This International Sixth Form, for example, holds open days across the year to help students discover the many different subjects out there to help your child pick out the right subjects for their future studies.

Parents get to meet staff members

Teachers are a great resource for all parents to take advantage of on open days. There will be a lot of opportunities for you to talk with staff about how students manage their time at their school. There is a lot you can chat with teachers about that help your child settle in better and get used to their surroundings.

Gives you and your child a lot more reassurance

You’re able to get used to the bus route, you get to see all of the school facilities and you also have that chance to get used to your child’s new learning environment. These all help you and your child feel a lot more at ease when it comes to their studies, and it will give your child a lot more freedom with their enjoyment in school.

*sponsored post*

Teaching Your Child to Respect Other Cultures

 

 

With the many different cultures in the world out there to explore there’s a great opportunity for your child to develop their skills. They have the chance to broaden their horizons and guide children in making friendships easily with other people of different ethnicities and backgrounds. In many schools and nurseries, like this Gerrards Cross nursery, different cultures have a big impact on our relationship with food, history, and many other elements.

 

In this guide, we take a look at the ways you can teach your child to offer respect to people of all different cultures and ethnicities, which allows your child to really understand the world they live in.

Explore different cuisines

A good and easy way of exploring lots of different cultures is going to be by making lots of different foods and trying them all out with your child. There’s a lot your child can try out in the many different meals that are both accessible and exciting for everyone in the home to try. While spaghetti is a classic with your child, you could expand this further to other, lesser-known Italian dishes to keep them on their toes for example.

Get involved in different cultural celebrations

There are so many cultural traditions from each country in the world that there are plenty of ways you can incorporate them into your child’s learning. Look at the calendar and see what pops up in the next few weeks and plan ahead. Your child could get involved in New Year celebrations from China, Thailand, and lots of other countries, or they could try something closer to home, like Burns Night in Scotland.

Get your child’s friends involved

Your child is going to meet a lot of new people in school, many of which will have their own unique backgrounds. This is your child’s opportunity to explore these different cultures and ask open questions about what they could learn about different countries. Let your child become aware of the wider world and build their skills in exciting ways through their friends.

*sponsored post*

How to Raise a Hardworking Child

 

Hard work makes a lot of things move forward, but it can take a lot of time for children to understand how these skills are picked up. But trying out lots of different activities will give your child a heap of different experiences, as well as new ways to develop a good work ethic. 

Here are some tips from pre prep school in London.

Give them a range of responsibilities

If your child isn’t used to the number of different activities they could be picking up to help you around the house then it can make for a lazier, less motivated person. Try to incorporate a number of chores and responsibilities they should be picking up when you need that extra help. The more chances your child has at understanding what you need from them, through helping around the house and other chores, the better they’ll be able to pick up new activities they haven’t tried before.

Role model are good examples of being a hard worker

As adults, we often have to pick up lots of things we have to do in order to keep things clean, tidy and maintained. Show your child what that means by giving them ways for them to help around the house, and in all the little things you do in the home to keep things moving. They could help you clean the car, or help pair up socks after they’ve been washed and dried. The little things can really help provide your child with a lot of skills and experience.

Allow your child to explore different hobbies

Hobbies will help your child pick up a lot of different skills. They also provide your child with experience in handling lots of different responsibilities and being able to work well in teams. Allowing your child to pick up different interests will give your child a lot more development in picking up responsibilities.

*sponsored post*

 

Why Are History Lessons Important for Children?

 

Of the many compulsory subjects in UK schools, one of them will be History. It seeks to teach children about the many key moments from the past that have ultimately changed the way the world works in modern day society. Like a lot of schools, it’s often a very popular subject taught even from a young age. This nursery in South West London has some key reasons why history is important to teach your kids about.

Teach children about the hardships of the past

If there is one thing history will always teach us, it’s the impact it has brought to many of us throughout our lifetimes. There’s a lot to consider when you have experienced something that has changed the way we work and operate in life today, and it’s often due to what has happened in the past. Big moments in history have defined how we approach a lot of things in modern day, and it will help children understand what others had to go through to get to where they are now.

Helps your children develop complex arguments

Oftentimes history lessons are a time for reflection. They can be seen as ways to help children learn to handle complex theories and issues that ultimately brought about the biggest changes. For example, a lot of reasons why war unfolds can be quite complicated to understand on it's own; history lessons seek to make things easier to understand for children so that they can go forward with their knowledge.

Gives your child a better understanding of the world

A lot of history stems from cultural shifts, developments in technology, and much more. This is the opportunity for your child to really attain plenty of new knowledge and skills that will help them in their understanding of the world. It broadens their horizons as well as helps children see what others hope to learn from regular history lessons.

*sponsored post

Malteser Rocky Road

I thought id share the boy's current obsession.

I found this recipe when scrolling through the internet one evening when Bea was feeding.

    It takes about 10 minutes to whip up and it's literally pure joy in your mouth.

The boys go mad for it!

Ingredients 

500g chopped milk chocolate (I find Cadburys gives the best taste) 

200g golden syrup 

200g unsalted butter 

125g cornflakes 

2x103g bag of maltesers 

125g mini marshmallows 

Method 

Melt the butter in a pan with the syrup,

Turn the heat off and add the chocolate and stir until all the chocolate is melted in,

Add the cornflakes, Maltesers, and marshmallows.

Pour into a 9x9 lined baking tray.

Pop in the fridge to set for 3-4 hours.

Once set remove it from the fridge and cut it into squares.

Enjoy.

x

 

The benefits of school uniform for children

Many times during your child's school life, you will hear the question ‘why do I need to wear a uniform? Why can’t I just wear my own clothes?’.

 Usually, the answer would just be because ‘you have too!', but there are actually many impressive benefits as to why school uniforms have been put into place. 

Not only do they help to develop equality among students from a young age, but they are there for safety reasons too. 

Here are some unique benefits of school uniforms for children as advised by an independent school in Devon. 

School uniforms teaches equality to young children. 

When children have to wear the same clothes, instantly this levels out the playing field. Not only does this remove any prior ideas about what to wear, but this allows students to be part of one big team. Uniforms display a clear message of equality to all. Many schools have introduced trousers for girls which shows that there is equality between gender as well as socioeconomic backgrounds. Shot and come from the same place.

 Seeing friends in the same uniform also encourages children to develop a stronger sense of identity. It allows individuals to feel part of something much bigger and recognise the value of working towards the same goal.

It increases safety. School uniforms are a great way for teachers to identify who was part of the school and who isn't. 

This makes it easier to keep students safe and away from areas that are unauthorised. It is also a great way for staff as well as students to identify someone on school grounds who is not part of the school and may possibly be an intruder. It also comes in handy when students go on school trips as it is much easier to spot a student from a distance and keeps track of them when they are wearing their school uniform.

 

*sponsored post

Ten reasons I love the Nestera chicken lodge

Just after I got the girls I was asked by Nestera if I wanted to try out their Nestera medium lodge, as they were 100% certain I would love it more than my wooden coop.

 

I loved my pink wooden coop, but it was a pain to clean, and wooden coops are more prone to get red mites in the summer seasons.

So I was very keen to try out the medium chicken lodge.

Nestera is the UK's leading manufacturer of sustainable, maintenance-free chicken coops with an industry-beating 25-year warranty.

Nestera was founded in 2020 when two UK family-run companies, Green Frog Designs, and Garde nature, merged for one eggstraordinary result.

The coops all come flatpack and take roughly an hour to build, could probably build it quicker if you're a bit of a whizz.

Everything slots together nicely and the instructions are easy to follow.

   

        

The medium chicken lodge can home 5 - 9 birds (depending on size)

I have six hybrids in mine and they are all rather happy with enough space to either huddle up in the cold or to space out when it's hot.

 

So here are my top ten reasons to love the Nestera chicken coops

1. They are Red Mite resistant.
2. They are made from 100% recycled plastics.
3. They are super easy to clean out.
4. They have adjustable ventilation
5. Having the lodge means it's raised off the ground, giving my girls another shaded place to hang out when it's super sunny.
6. The poop trays are a godsend, just slide them out and pop the dropping into the compost pile.
7. Fits into the run without taking up too much space, meaning the girls have more roaming room, which is super helpful when they're in flockdown.
8. The removable roof means I'm able to collect eggs easily.
9. The perches are rounded, giving 100% comfort to the ladies when they're perched up for the night.
10. Last but not least, I love it because the girls love it! They are definitely much happier in their Nestera coop!

So to anyone on the hunt for a new chicken coop or anyone who is looking into starting their own flock, I highly recommend checking out Nestera coops.

They have three sizes to suit everyone's flock needs, as well as handy accessories such as coop cams.

If you use the code HANNAH at the checkout you'll receive a 5% discount.

*Post contains affiliate links and gifted products.

 

Helping your child develop their vocabulary

There are many things that you can do at home to help your child become a master of words. Vocabulary matters in children's lives for many different reasons. 

In a world full of high expectations, your child needs to be able to communicate well with a strong set of vocabulary in order to be successful in the future. The key thing to remember is it is not just the classroom that will teach strong vocabulary to your child. 

You as a parent have a very big role in how well your child's vocabulary develops as up to 95% of it comes from you. So, what can be done to equip young ones? Here is some advice from a private school in Belgravia on helping your child develop their vocabulary.

Read together as often as possible. The key to a wide vocabulary is a long-term love for reading. Make it part of your daily routine, spending at least half an hour a day together doing so. Make sure not to just stick to schoolbooks as your child will find more interest in books that they relate to. Find a genre that they enjoy the most and go from there. ensure to read out loud to your child as listening alone can help them build a vocabulary. Mix it up occasionally and ask your child to talk about what you're reading as this will help them with their comprehension.

Use words in sentences. There is no point in expecting your child to pick up new words just by listening to them once or twice. In order for them to gain the confidence to use the words themselves, they need to know how to use the words in the right context. 

If your child receives weekly spellings from school, get them to write them down in a sentence and encourage them to look up the definition in a dictionary to ensure they understand the meaning well.

Make a fuss if your child learns a new word. If the process of developing the vocabulary becomes enjoyable, the more your child will be motivated to keep going.

*sponsored post

Is my child old enough to be left at home alone?

The question of leaving your child home alone and what age is acceptable to do so has been an argument that has been ongoing for a very long time. As children get older and calmer there are many decisions that have to be made about how much independence to give them. One of these is deciding when they are mature enough to be left at home alone for the first time on their own. 

It is important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all answer in this situation and that each child will develop and gain maturity at different rates.

 Here are some top tips from an independent school in London on if your child is ready to be left at home alone. 

Question how mature your child is. When it comes to this situation age is much less important than maturity. You should question certain things such as, do you trust your child to do anything potentially dangerous whilst you leave them alone? 

• Do they know what to do in case of an emergency? 
• Are there any hazards in the house that could put them at potential risk? 

It is sensible to show your child how to be independent before you leave them home alone. 
Once you notice that your child is confident enough to be home alone and be safe, then take this chance to leave them at home in short bursts, to begin with.

Ensure that they have ground rules set in place before you leave them alone. 

This will depend on your child, but you might discuss what they will do while you are out, what they will do if someone knocks on the door, where they would go in case of an emergency, who and how they will contact an adult and what they know to stay away from whilst you are gone.

Remember, this is not set in stone, so if you find that your child struggles the first time you leave them on their own, take a step back and wait until they are a little bit older.

*sponsored post

I'm Back

Life has been crazy and I just haven't had the time to factor in blogging, but I'm hoping I can give it some time now things are settling down and Bea isn't as demanding as she was a couple of months ago.

We've all settled into the new house and the boys are loving their schools and are all doing well.

(though I'm pretty sure I've already said that in my last personal post.)

Noah had a bit of a blip in Easter and we had to deal with that, which took up a lot of time and emotions.

Thankfully we had a lot of help and in September he was ready to start back full-time, and it's like nothing ever happened. I don't really want to go into too much detail about it as I know Noah wouldn't want me sharing it.

Over the summer holidays, we went to stay with my parents, whilst Jon stayed home and fitted our new kitchen.

It was lovely coming home to a brand-new kitchen, the old one was rotten and just didn't work for us.

It was so nice that it gave me the push to spruce up the dining area.

It's now a lot lighter and goes nicely with the kitchen.

Along with doing the house up slowly, the garden also came up trumps and I grew some beautiful dahlias that kept the house in cut flowers right up until this month.

I really can't wait for the next growing season as I really enjoyed it this year.

I have been trying my hand at bread making, and to say it's become a bit of an obsession would be an understatement.

I'm loving it, I try to make a white loaf or tiger loaf a day, as the boys love them, and quite easily eat a whole loaf as soon as it's baked. I've also started my very own sourdough starter and have made a few sourdough loaves. The whole process takes a while but it's definitely worth it.

The chickens are doing well, though now flockdown (avian flu has struck the UK) has started they are getting a little grumpy being stuck in the run, so I am on the look out for handy tips to keep them entertained whilst they are locked up.

The younger three boys have all taken up music lessons at school, and they are all doing really well with them. It's not even an earache listening to them practice.

Oscar even has a solo at the Christmas carol concert next week. 

Bea is a proper little explorer these days and loves being out and about.

We go to a baby group once a week which she loves, she loves helping out with the chickens and bossing the boys about. Her character is really shining through now, she's so funny, and everyone she meets instantly falls in love with her.

She still isn't in her own room yet and would rather co-sleep with me but I know once she is finally ready to sleep in her room she will love it as I'm pretty sure it's the nicest room in the house.

I will be trying to add more posts weekly and get this up and running again and get myself back into the swing of blogging.

The benefits of journalling for children

Remember that journal that you used to keep when you were younger? 

The one that was buried deep under your pillow or in the back of your sock's drawer, filled with all of your deepest secrets? 

This book that you kept actually had a lot more benefits to you than you may have perceived. Not only is journaling enjoyable and reflective for children, but it has multiple benefits that help with social growth and academics as well. 

Here are some of the greatest benefits of journaling for children as advised by this private school in Leatherhead.

Journaling helps children deal with their big feelings. As the tween years can be filled with lots of emotions that your child is not used to or hasn't experienced, it can be difficult for them to handle them as well as express them. A journal that is private, can be a safe place for them that is non-judgmental and a space to record these new feelings. 

This can be a great way to help your child process their feelings. A great tip is to allow your child to pick out their own journal. If the journal feels special and unique to them, it may motivate them to write in it more often.

It improves writing skills. In the same way, many other skills such as painting need a lot of practice, and writing is the same. The more we practice the better we get. 

Spelling, vocabulary, and grammar can all be enhanced just by regularly writing in this journal. Given that your child is in control of what they right on the length of it, this will make writing more appealing to them.

It enhances communication skills. Some children struggle to orally communicate their feelings to others. Developing written communication skills will be something that will build confidence in your child and help them understand and be more vocal about their feelings.

*sponsored post

Supporting your child with their communication skills

Most children have the ability to respond to others when they are communicated with. As a parent, it is important to understand the different developmental stages your child will go through and the things they will need along the way to support their growth in communication. Adults communicate with young ones to show their love and support and to help develop their self-esteem and confidence. 

Supporting their social and emotional development with love is important above all. Both infants and toddlers need help from loved ones to learn how to talk and communicate their feelings. 

Here is some advice from a private nursery in Southgate on supporting your child with their communication skills. 

Respond to their movements, noises and looks. When infants don't know how to communicate with the right words, they will communicate in different ways using their facial expressions, gestures, sounds, and body movements. 

An example of this is when your child wants to be picked up, they usually will come up to you with their arms up. Once you have embraced them and given them a cuddle, they will usually gaze at you or make eye contact whilst you talk to them. Your instant response tells them that they have communicated effectively and that you value the way they feel. this helps children to continue developing their communication skills.

Talk to your child regularly and listen to what they have to say. You can start communicating with a child from as early as birth. this will help your child develop a special bond with you. This can be done by giving them lots of love and time and creating an environment where communication is open. Start by initiating the conversation and encourage them to open up and share their own feelings with you. 

Help them build on their language skills by completing daily activities and routines with them. You can do this by describing what you and your child see or do in your daily life and repeating unfamiliar words in different situations. Over time, these activities will become mundane and help your child effectively develop their communication skills.

*sponsored post*