Looking for good childcare in London
Thankfully I’m now past the stage where I need to worry about childcare. But Seventeen years ago it was pretty much all I could think about. I had a 7mth old baby at home – I had used up my three months maternity leave, I’d had a month off sick with post natal depression (caused by going back to work too soon) and now I was back at work full time. And i hated it. Oh, I didn’t hate my job – I...
Pencils Down, It’s Time To Play…
Our school-aged children spend approximately 7 hours a day at school (I know that seems a very long time to a Home Edder like me, but it’s also long by European standards); and that’s before extra commitments like Breakfast Club for working parents, plus after-school tuition and clubs are factored in. As a result, 92% of parents fundamentally believe teachers share the responsibility of nurturing a child’s emotional wellbeing....
Win A Bumper Ladybird & Penguin Bundle | Back To School #ByBook
To celebrate a summer spent #ByBook we’ve been excited to offer you the chance to win not one but FOUR different Penguin Summer Reading #ByBook bumper bundles this August. Sadly it’s the last week this week – but we’re finishing on a good one! Week Four is an acknowledgement that summer is gradually coming to an end, and in households up and down the land thoughts are turning to school. In some houses...
Our Favourite Ways For A Summer Of Play from Dr Amanda Gummer
Leading child development and play expert, Dr Amanda Gummer advocates the introduction of play to areas outside of the playground, thanks to its proven impact on cognitive development. She comments ‘by disguising a lesson in play, children have fun as well as learn. They relax and become more open to talking about what they think and how they feel. This trick can be a useful tool for parents and teachers as it’s easier to properly...
Win Blue Kangaroo – and Come To School Too!
We LOVE Blue Kangaroo! The sweet and gentle books for pre-schoolers are just the perfect reassuring reads for story time; Lily and Blue Kangaroo are inseparable. Whatever Lily does, Blue Kangaroo does too – and when lily is worried (or gets something wrong) Blue Kangaroo is always there to make things right again. The warmth and love between Lily and Blue Kangaroo are familiar to every child (and every parent), and you...
Life Is Messy – 7 Steps to stay sane with Messy Play.
I’m raising four children, and in my (*counts quickly* *recounts as surely it can’t be THAT much* *sighs*…) 17 years of experience at this parenting malarky, I’ve learned the odd nugget or two of wisdom along the way. And one of the first things that pops up with traumatised parents of suddenly-active toddlers is messy play.That once calm and well-ordered house (let’s face it, babies aren’t capable...