May 19, 2012

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Blue Peter: has the BBC made the right decision to drop it from BBC1?

May 16, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
Janet-Ellis-makes-Christm-blue peter axed 7

Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Blue Peter: has the BBC made the right decision to drop it from BBC1?” was written by Julia Raeside, for guardian.co.uk on Wednesday 16th May 2012 12.22 UTC

Children’s programmes are to be entirely expunged from the BBC1 and BBC2 schedules as soon as digital switchover is complete – to roars of knee-jerk disapproval from many. In particular, the news that Blue Peter will be shipped off to the CBBC channel has infuriated several generations of adults who have grown up with the show since its launch in 1958.

It was bad enough when they moved Blue Peter out of Television Centre to its new home in Salford and uprooted Percy Thrower’s lovely sunken garden – but now executives have decided the flagship brand is no longer suitable for broadcast on the channel that launched it. That’s bound to provoke an emotional reaction from an audience brought up on sticky-back plastic and erroneously incontinent elephants.

There’s no doubt Blue Peter is a national institution but is this nostalgia-driven fury all a bit pointless if you don’t actually watch the show any more? And does it matter which channel the children’s shows are on if, post-switchover, we all share the same free access to them?

CBeebies for the under-threes and the CBBC channel for school-age children both broadcast their fair share of original, good quality material – and there’s no obvious signs of a dip in standards for these digital-only shows. As digital television becomes the norm, we’ll presumably stop seeing the formerly niche channels as somehow second-rate and the broadcasting landscape will take on a new shape.

And arguably it’s sensible to put all children’s output in one place when viewing figures suggest most kids have been watching their favourite shows on the channels dedicated to them, with fewer and fewer tuning in to the ring-fenced children’s segments on BBC1 and 2.

Children’s programming remains in rude health at the BBC with original comedy and drama such as Russell T Davies’s forthcoming Wizards vs Aliens and the hugely successful Horrible Histories being produced this year. That level of investment is not set to drop once output switches purely to the digital channels, according to the corporation’s Delivering Quality First statement.

But will ghettoising children’s TV bring about the end of family viewing? Horrible Histories in particular became a cross-over hit with adults as well as children – but what person aged over 16 will specifically tune in to the CBBC channel if they don’t have offspring? Surely the viewing habits of parents and their kids will naturally become separated, somewhat destroying the Watch with Mother concept the BBC so used to pride itself on. It seems unlikely that a family would settle down to watch the CBBC channel in the hope of finding something they could all enjoy together.

And will younger viewers still make the progression into BBC1 or BBC2 viewers when they outgrow the CBBC offerings? My viewing habits were formed by staying with BBC1 after Blue Peter to catch the latest episode of Neighbours. Before you knew it I was sticking around for Wogan and EastEnders.

So what do you make of the decision to scrap children’s programming from BBC1 and BBC2. Are you fuming at this latest decision or do you think, in the modern TV landscape, it makes perfect sense?


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Budding young Authors asked to put Pen to Paper in major story-writing competition

May 16, 2012 By sonia Leave a Comment
silent nigh2

Aspiring young authors are being given the chance to see their work produced as part of a prestigious story-writing competition.

Aspiring young authors are being given the chance to see their work produced as part of a prestigious story-writing competition.

Back by popular demand, the Silentnight Book At Bedtime initiative is now in its sixth year and launches at 2pm, Thursday 17th May 2012.

Designed to celebrate shared bed-time reading and imaginative writing, it is open to children aged between six and eleven across the UK. They’re being asked to submit an original story featuring the company’s much-loved Hippo and Duck characters and be in with a chance of bagging a highly original prize.

Ten finalists will see their work broadcast to the nation, narrated by award-winning author, Jeremy Strong and the public will be able to listen to the stories and vote for their favourite.  The bedtime story with the most votes will be made into a unique, illustrated printed book for them to keep, and made available as an exclusive, downloadable e-book too.

The winner and their family will also enjoy a stay at the Pyjama Suite at The Alton Towers Hotel and all ten finalists will also receive a Silentnight Healthy Growth bed.

As Jeremy Strong explains: “I know from previous years that this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of our amazing, young creative talents – and the entries are always of a very high standard.  Last year we received more than 1,400 stories so we’re hoping to see even more this time.

“As well as highlighting how much young people enjoy imaginative writing, the competition is a great chance to talk about the importance of bed-time reading and sharing that very special time with your children.  I can’t wait to start reading them all!”

Entries can be submitted at www.silentnight.co.uk/bookatbedtime or by post and must be received by 2pm, 5th July 2012.  Voting for the ten selected finalists will begin on the 26th July 2012 and will close midnight 24th August 2012.

For full entry information please visit: www.silentnight.co.uk/bookatbedtime

Filed Under: Competitions, Family Matters, Featured, Flying Start News, Learning & Development

Government to end dual ratings system for games

May 10, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
Carmageddon

Do your children play video games? Do you worry about unknown content when purchasing games for children? Watch out for the launch of a stronger, simpler age-rating system

Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Government to end dual ratings system for games” was written by Keith Stuart, for guardian.co.uk on Thursday 10th May 2012 13.34 UTC

The video game age ratings system is to be simplified, after proposals put forward by the UK government on Thursday.

Currently all games are regulated under the Europe-wide PEGI scheme, which provides age ratings as well as guides on game content.

However, titles with mature content are also rated by the British Board of Film Classification, and are required to display a BBFC “15″ or “18″ certificate. Under the proposals going through parliament, PEGI will be solely responsible for all game classification.

Additionally, the “12+” PEGI rating will become legally enforceable for the first time, meaning that anyone who sells a designated 12+ title to younger children will face fines of up to £5,000 and a jail sentance.

The age-rating will be conducted in the UK by the Video Standards Council. The organisation will have the power to deny a rating to any title that contains “extreme content”, making it unavailable for sale in Britain.

The BBFC rarely made outright “bans” on video games. The violent driving title Carmageddon was initially denied an age rating in 1997, but publisher SCI made changes to the content and later appealed against the board’s decision.

In 2007, the BBFC refused to grant Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 a rating, but after an eight month court battle, an edited version was released.

“The new system will benefit both parents and industry by creating a stronger, simpler age-rating system,” said creative industries minister Ed Vaizey.

“It will give parents greater confidence that their children can only get suitable games while we are creating a simpler system for industry having their games age rated.”

Although PEGI has been in operation since 2003, it has always shared ratings responsibilities with the BBFC, which has been providing age certaification for games since the mid-eighties.

A single rating system was proposed as part of the exhaustive Digital Britain report, published by the government in 2009, but the process of organisation the switch has been slow.

“This news is very welcome and finally gives us the mandate to undertake the role of statutory video games regulator in the UK,” said VSC chairwoman Baroness Shephard.

“The VSC is fully prepared and ready to carry out the vital role of providing consumers with a single, straightforward games rating system whilst ensuring that child-safety remains our first priority.”

The parliamentary process for designating the Video Standards Council is expected to be completed in time for the system to come into effect in July.


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Girlhood explained online

April 26, 2012 By admin 1 Comment
Young women gossiping

Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Girlhood explained online” was written by Eva Wiseman, for The Observer on Saturday 21st April 2012 23.04 UTC

What must it be like growing up female now? What must it feel like to be 14 today, growing up in a world where, rather than being limited to reading Judy Blume novels and More magazine’s “position of the fortnight”, slyly devoured in the WH Smith by the 260 bus stop, things like Rookie exist? Rookiemag.com is a site edited by Tavi Gevinson, the 15-year-old blogger who Lady Gaga called “the future of journalism”, and, as per, she was right.

They publish three times a day (after school, at dinnertime and before bed), things like “A guide to navigating the end of a friendship”, “Literally the best thing ever: Glitter”, and, my favourite, “How to look like you weren’t just crying in less than five minutes”. This speaks to me at 31 – I can only imagine its impact had I read this in my teens. At the recent TedxTeen event, Gevinson talked why she launched the site last year. “One thing that can be very alienating,” she said of current “empowering” female role models, “is that girls then think that to be feminists they have to live up to being perfectly consistent in their beliefs, never being insecure, never having doubts, having all the answers… And this is not true. And actually recognising all the contradictions I was feeling became easier once I realised that feminism was not a rulebook but a discussion, a conversation, a process.”

I am not nostalgic for those years when it felt like the braces on your teeth were an aching physical metaphor for life. A time when you couldn’t talk about feeling awkward and oily and different, because that would’ve meant admitting that, before then, you were faking normality, and fakery was the worst crime of all. Those normal girls who weren’t like us, who were in perfect control, their bodies contained. Who could talk to adults, and boys, and who didn’t pull their jumpers over their knuckles or hide behind their fringes. The girls in magazines, gambolling white-teethed along a beach. Gambolling wasn’t for us. We would definitely trip over our feet and someone would definitely laugh.

The world worries for teenage girls today. All the porny influences, the sexting, the surgery – all the saturated pink. But counteracting these pressures to conform are the voices like those on Rookie, ones that are non-prescriptive, enthusiastic, embarrassing, funny. Ones that, by unpicking the awkwardness of female adolescence and providing a place to talk about it, have helped feminism become almost fashionable. Today you don’t have to go searching for “your people” at libraries and record shops. They’re all there in your Wi-Fi, screaming about hair dye. The internet is the indie-club toilet of the universe. This is where young women can talk really noisily about who they fancy, compare tights’ deniers and learn that they don’t have to dress like strippers unless they really, really want to. That there are other people just like them who are also feeling angry and weird and like everything’s awful, and that, even alone in front of a computer, they can feel part of something. This is the other side of the internet’s menace, that bit that parents and the papers see. These are the ribbony networks of girldom that tie the web together – they are well-lit roads through the intimidating, dark bits.

Mine was the last generation to grow up without the internet at home – I wonder what we would be like if we’d had the whole web to play with. Instead of wandering through our teenage years with only Just 17 to teach us how to be, would we have stormed into adulthood with our eyes open, leading with our personalities? And what does it mean that for us our adolescence is still so present, that Rookie resonates so strongly, that a schoolgirl is one of the sanest, most articulate voices in the media today? Rather than having grown up, she makes me feel like I’ve just got really good at being 16.


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Easter attractions: tips to beat the rush and save money

April 4, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
easter attractions

It’s school holiday time again!
So have you thought about what you are going to do with the kids this Easter break?
Here’s some tips and ideas….

Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Easter attractions: tips to beat the rush and save money” was written by Lisa Bachelor, for guardian.co.uk on Wednesday 4th April 2012 14.33 UTC

Legoland and the London Dungeons … places that seem like paradise for children, but hell on earth for parents having to travel to them during the Easter break. Nevertheless, there will be many brave souls doing just that, so are there ways to avoid the lengthy queues (and tantrums) to help you get in and on the best rides? And what is the best way to avoid being stuck in traffic on the motorway before you even reach the gates?

We asked Thorpe Park, Legoland, Alton Towers, the Eden Project, the London Dungeon and the AA for some tips.

Book online in advance

The main piece of advice from all the attractions that could save you money, as well as time. Discounts for booking more than seven days ahead range from 10% (Legoland) to 25% (Thorpe Park and Alton Towers). Most places also let you print off the tickets in advance and avoid having to queue when you get there. Thorpe Park gives those who choose this option early ride time to get into the park an hour before the general public at 9am.

Know your ticket options

Lots of attractions sell fast-track/premier tickets to get you in and on to rides more quickly.

Thorpe Park Fastrack tickets start from £3 for a single ride (on top of the entrance price), or you can buy Fastrack packages from £7.50. Be warned, though, some readers who have bought priority tickets to attractions in the past have told us they didn’t get in any quicker.

Consider staying in the hotel at the attraction

You might pay more than for other hotels in the area, but this could be a small price for getting your offspring on the rides early. Antony Garley from Hertfordshire has booked into the hotel at Chessington World of Adventures this year having lost hours queueing last year. “We booked into a hotel outside the theme park last year but ended up queueing for ages just to get into the park. This year we decided to stay on site so we can start early and hopefully avoid any other queues for the rides themselves. We’ve also booked fast-track tickets.”

Legoland has a new resort hotel with guests allowed access the rides at 9.30am, half an hour before the park opens.

Know the peak visiting times – and avoid like the plague

The busiest time of day at the Eden Project is between 10:30am and 1pm, according to a spokeswoman. Thorpe Park and Alton Towers suggest the best time to get on the rides is the last hour of opening or lunchtime when most people are eating. London Dungeons, notorious for its queues, advises arriving before 10.30am or after 6pm to get a cheaper entry price and a shorter wait time.

Plan your visit and target your rides

All the big attractions with multiple rides reckon you can make huge time savings by planning your visit in advance using the park maps, rather than winging it when you arrive, and suggest you visit the most popular rides/ experiences off-peak.

At Eden Project, for example, this is the Rainforest Biome, which gets busy from around 11am until 2pm. “We would suggest that people either arrive early and make a beeline for it, or wait until after 2:30pm when it will be less busy,” a spokeswoman says.

Thorpe Park’s main attraction is The Swarm, Europe’s tallest winged rollercoaster, which opened in March, while Legoland’s must-sees are Atlantis and the Star Wars mini land experience. At Alton Towers its newest attraction, Nemesis Sub-Terra, is proving extremely popular, while other other sought-after rides include Nemesis, Oblivion, Rita, Air and TH13TEEN.

Attraction specific tips

Alton Towers has a Parent Q Share pass. This allows one adult to stand in the queue for a ride (lucky them) while freeing the other to wander around with smaller children. Once one adult has ridden, they swap parent care duties, hand over the pass and the other can ride without having to queue. You can get the pass from guest services.

Alton Towers also has Single rider queues. if you don’t mind splitting up from your group use the single rider queues which are available on many of the more popular thrill rides

Legoland has Q-Bots, handheld devices that allow you to reserve a place in a virtual queue for your favourite rides without having to actually stand in line. Prices for a Q-Bot range from £15 up to £70 a person.

Which roads are likely to be most congested over Easter?

According to TrafficMaster these include the M25 western sector between junctions 12 (M3) and 21 (M1), especially around 14/15 (Heathrow Airport and M4); and the M25 eastern sector between junctions 27 (M11) and 2 (A2), especially around the Dartford crossing.

The M1 between junctions 6A (M25) and 13 (Milton Keynes) is expected to be busy, especially through the section of major roadworks between junctions 10 (Luton) and 13 (Milton Keynes).

In the south-west, the A30 between Exeter and Cornwall and the A38 between Exeter and Bodmin are always congested during holiday periods, and in south Wales the M4 between Severn Crossing, Newport and Cardiff is expected to be busy.

In Yorkshire and the north-east traffic is expected to be busy on the A1/A1M between the M1 at Aberford and A66 at Scotch Corner, and on the A64 between Leeds, York and Scarborough.

York is also the venue of the 2012 Royal Maundy service – there will be restrictions and road closures within the city, especially around York Minster, throughout the day on Maundy Thursday.

What can people do to avoid traffic jams?

The AA said it is expecting this Easter to be quieter on the roads, largely because most schools broke up last Friday. It expects getaway traffic to peak on Maundy Thursday.

However, it says the key getaway routes and other “pinch points” in the network will still be busy at peak times. To avoid traffic, either travel earlier or later and check the traffic and weather reports before departing.

While on the move local radio is a good source of updates, but it’s also a good idea to use the TA or TP traffic function fitted as standard on many car radios. This is when the radio automatically switches to traffic bulletins (a useful but often overlooked feature).

Also take a road atlas and satnav if you have one, to help you take a detour around any major incidents.

As a general rule of thumb, the AA advises switching off your engine if you’re likely to be stationary for more than three minutes. Typically, an engine uses fuel costing 2p-3p per minute of idling.


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Pupils going hungry as school meals shrink, teachers warn

April 3, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
School meals

Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Pupils going hungry as school meals shrink, teachers warn” was written by Jessica Shepherd, education correspondent, for guardian.co.uk on Monday 2nd April 2012 23.05 UTC

School lunch portions are now so small that many children in England are hungry during afternoon lessons, teachers have warned.

Canteens are cutting costs by reducing portion sizes, the annual conference of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) heard. Some run out of food before all children have been served.

At the same time, teachers said, the number of children eligible for free school meals was on the increase because of rising unemployment. Pupils are entitled to a free lunch if their parents’ joint income is less than £16,000 a year. For many of these children their only daily hot meal is eaten at school.

An ATL poll of 503 school staff found that more than a third had noticed a rise in the number of children eligible for free school meals. Just over three-fifths (62%) said the cost of school meals had risen by up to £95 a year per child. But many warned that portion sizes had been reduced and the choice of healthy options had become more limited.

School food experts said this could have a damaging effect on children’s concentration and behaviour.

One teacher, who did not want to be named, said children at her primary school were served “very small portions and very limited choice. Children who come with packed lunches eat a lot more at lunchtime.”

Another said the portions at her school were very poor. “There seems to be no regular inspection of the food, the kitchens or portion sizes,” she said. A secondary school teacher said schools offered chips, pasta and rice rather than vegetables and salad because that was what cooks could prepare in bulk quantities.

Many schools outsource the running of their canteens to private firms. Mary Bousted, general secretary of ATL, said: “Private market forces risk taking over what we are feeding the nation’s children. The size of a portion will, to some extent, affect the size of the profits of an outsourced firm … it is absolutely the case that children are going hungry.”

The Jamie Oliver Foundation, a charity that helps the public to make better-informed choices about food, said a nutritious lunch increased children’s concentration, improved their behaviour and made it more likely that they would achieve top grades.


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Kellogg’s takes the plunge into Britain’s Olympic year with free kids swim.

January 30, 2012 By sonia 1 Comment
kelloggs web post

A champion breakfast and 60 minutes of exercise a day for children is the best start towards a healthier lifestyle. So to mark the start of an Olympic year, Kellogg’s is splashing out by offering free kids swim vouchers on special promotional packs, to encourage families to take the plunge and get fit in 2012. It has secured the partnership of over 700 pools across the UK to get as many children swimming and having fun in their local baths as possible.

These vouchers are set to create waves with families and are redeemable with every full paying adult. This “flipping” good offer is available from January to March 2012 on 30 million cereal boxes across the Kellogg’s kids and family range, including Corn Flakes, Coco Pops and Rice Krispies.

World Silver medallist and top British swimmer Hannah Miley, one of six athletes that form Team Kellogg’s, is fronting this campaign and will be encouraging families to get active as the nation gears itself up for the summer. Kellogg’s is the official breakfast cereal of British Swimming and has been helping children to learn to swim in the UK for over 15 years.

For more information, visit www.kelloggs.co.uk/freeswim to find your nearest participation pool for your free kids swim.

Ten Top Swimtastic Facts

• Kellogg’s has supported swimming in the UK since 1996, with its sponsorship of the ASA’s Awards Scheme.

• 30 minutes of steady paced lane swimming burns over 200 calories.

• Swimming is great for your heart, because you are using your whole body.

• The ASA Awards Scheme is the most successful scheme in British sport with over 18 million awards since 1996.

• Elephants are capable of swimming twenty miles a day, using their trunks as natural snorkles.

• Benjamin Franklin invented flippers.

• Throughout the UK, almost 12 million people of all ages and abilities enjoy swimming regularly.

• Due to the water resistance, 30 minutes of activity in the water is worth 45 minutes of the same activity on land.

• Kellogg’s recently funded 250 swim coaches around the UK.

• The fastest fish is the sailfish – it can swim up to 68 miles per hour.

Notes to editors

One voucher admits one child (under 16 years) to one free swim session when accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

The offer is available from January 2012 to March 2012 but vouchers are redeemable until 31st December 2012. Please visitwww.kelloggs.co.uk/freeswim for full terms and conditions and a list of participating pools

Filed Under: Featured, Flying Start News, Parenting, Voucher Codes/Special Offers

Taking care of your families problem skin and more…

January 18, 2012 By sonia Leave a Comment
Untitled-1

Over the last 20 years there has been a significant increase in skin related problems ranging from eczema to sensitivities. Pure and Gentle have developed an all round approach to dealing with the causes and symptoms of skin conditions and Flying Start spoke to co-founder Lisa Clunie, about the rise of Pure and Gentle and their approach to the numerous problems that customers contact them with.

Personal experience within her own family and her own sensitive skin gave her the knowledge of what skin problems are like to live with and how it affects your life. Lisa became very frustrated at not being able to find information and naturally based products or creams designed for specific skin conditions easily. After a number of conversations with friends it became obvious that she wasn’t alone and that there were a large number of people of all ages who suffered from a variety of skin problems which ranged from allergies to cancer, psoriasis to eczema and many more. Knowledge of the problems was only the first cog in the wheel, and after a lot of research she discovered the availability of numerous natural products to treat these conditions that had never made it to the High Street shelves.

In 2007 Pure and Gentle was launched and now concentrates on providing products for the relief of skin conditions and also on a number of other related areas backed up with research and information. Firstly, Pure and Gentle listen to their customers. Lisa believes this to be one of the most important aspects of the business. As a result they are in the process of constructing a directory of skin diseases for customers to access that will give information on each disease in plain English.

Pure and Gentle have developed the business to include a team of professionals who undertake research on skin problems and produce informative articles and information. They are looking to provide knowledge on how looking after your general health can help skin care in terms of nutrition and environment and they now have a large number of tips and advice for anyone, whatever condition their skin is in. Their research has led into a number of alternative areas that benefit from natural products, which include ranges for skin, hair and personal care for people with sensitivities. These are products known to be free from toxins and skin irritants that have been sourced from around the world and many have clinical trials and research behind them.

Pure and Gentle tests all of its products, not in some laboratory or by relying on manufacturer’s results but with family, friends and ordinary members of the public, many with skin complaints, and getting first hand feedback on each product before it appears on the site.

Lisa stated,  “Our customers are our future and because we want to give them the best products and information we list all of the ingredients so you know what you are buying. We also list whether the products are vegan friendly, fair trade and soil association registered. As a result of customer feedback we are now providing product samples for them to try as we know this is so important for people with skin problems. We have also started a new party plan based business, PureandGentle@Home, where consultants can take products into homes to demonstrate them – another exciting development that we will progress in 2012. We have plans to grow the business but still ensure we continue to find the best products out there whilst providing up-to-the-minute information and articles.

You can find out more about Pure and Gentle and access more information at www.pureandgentle.com or email marketing@pureandgentleskincare.com or call  0870 042 2302 Monday to Friday 9.00am – 5.30pm

Filed Under: Featured, Flying Start News, Parenting

The Smurfs™ Just Got Bigger!

December 8, 2011 By sonia Leave a Comment
Smurfs 2nd post

The world’s largest inflatable Smurf landed at Tower Bridge…

Fans of the franchise got to meet Papa Smurf and Smurfette whilst having their picture taken next to the giant, 40 foot structure.

Sony Pictures Animation’s live-action animated feature, which stars Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Sofia Vergara, Jayma Mays and the voices of Katy Perry, George Lopez and Jonathan Winters, is  available on Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™ Double Play, DVD and digital on 5th December 2011.

To enter our competition to win a copy of the DVD  please click on the link: http://www.flyingstartparenting.co.uk/2011/12/win-a-copy-of-the-smurfs-dvd/

Filed Under: Flying Start News

Sue Atkins Top Tips for a Stress Free Christmas

November 30, 2011 By sonia Leave a Comment
Untitled-2

Christmas, although a time of great joy and celebration, can also be the most stressful of times for even the best of parents, with the family home chaotic and often besieged by visitors. Throw into the mix over excited children who have weeks to sit around at home and the situation can quickly spiral out of control.


Keeping your children calm and entertained will be the key to helping keep the peace and getting through the Christmas holiday period with as few hiccups as possible. But before you begin to think about your children make sure you give yourself some time each day to relax and unwind.
It is important with so much going on around you that you make time for yourself, keep your energy levels up and remain positive in order to keep on top of everything – successful parents will look after themselves as well as their kids, setting an example of behaviour that their children can look up to and imitate.

Here are a few practical tips to help you and your children have the happiest Christmas ever:

• Make time for both you and your kids: – provide times of the day where you will be together and uninterrupted (don’t even answer the phone!). Similarly make sure that at least once a week you give yourself enough time to do things you want without distractions.

• Organise group and family activities to keep your children as active as possible, such as making Christmas cards, decorations or wrapping presents.

• Homework: – provide your children with some options as to when they should do their homework. If possible try to get them to complete this early in the holidays as the later they leave it the less motivated they will be.

• Give your children a sense of routine, keeping to weekly events. You could also provide them with some added responsibilities such as some regular housework. They could then complete this in return for being allowed to watch the TV for a little while extra etc. This will give you a little respite and reminds your children that holidays are not simply an excuse to do nothing at all.

• When disputes break out between siblings try to remain calm as this helps to prevent their squabbles escalating. Take them both to one side and explain the behaviour that you do want to see very clearly and specifically. Focus on the positive things you see and hear and give praise when your child does something you want to see – no matter how small this may be.

• Find some good quality ‘me’ time where you go and relax in a hot foamy bath with aromatherapy candles, or sit down and read a gossipy magazine or good book. Take time for you to re-charge your batteries so you come back refreshed and relaxed ready to start a new day.


• Write a ‘to do’ list and then put people’s names, including your children’s names, next to that job. Learning to delegate teaches everyone responsibility and it takes away your sense of feeling overwhelmed, keeping the spring in your step at a busy time of year.

Filed Under: Family Matters, Featured, Flying Start News, Parenting
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