‘Dad can I play with your shaving foam?’
Yes of course
*mum goes to fetch a tray.
Can we have some toys in it?
Yes of course, go and see what you can find.
My idea of the perfect family Christmas is a little clichéd but involves mince pies, mulled wine, a roaring fire and singing around the piano. This is becoming a reality in our house. With an array of instruments including piano, guitar, clarinet and saxophone and a whole family who enjoy singing and music, we are loving making and recording music together. When I was asked if I would like to review Jingle Bells, from music-for-kids, I thought it would be a good chance to add Christmas songs to our repertoire.
The Jingle Bells book and CD features 18 well-known Christmas carols and songs. The book is nicely presented with each song displaying the notes of the melody plus chords written along the top. There is also a handy chord chart at the back of the book for both guitar and ukulele. Being a beginner, I photocopied the chord sheet to make it easier to reference while I was playing guitar. With my basic guitar skill, I found that there were a few too many chord changes to play many of the tunes with confidence but with most songs you could leave some of the chords out.
The piano music is basic (right hand melody and chords) and was great for my 8-year-old to practice sight-reading and play a simple tune . The chords could be added by a more experienced pianist to play accompaniment, I even managed to sing along to my own rudimentary playing during silent night.
The CD contains all the songs in the song book and is a nicely sung collection of Christmas carols. Younger children may find the keys too high.
My little ones enjoyed filling out the sticker pages and singing along to Jingle Bells while their sister played the recorder. I was disappointed that there weren’t more songs for the little ones like ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’, ‘When Santa got Stuck up the Chimney’ or ‘Away in a Manger’. They joined in with Jingle bells and We Wish you a Merry Christmas and there are a few other simple melodies that they could learn but I would have liked to have seen more simple songs that weren’t carols.
If you are looking for a simple book and CD of traditional Christmas Carols, at £7.95 this is excellent value.
No payment was a received for this review, a copy of the material was received for review purposes.
This week a BBC article Ministers’ Plan Childcare Change outlined the UK governments proposals for reducing the cost of childcare.
Alongside making some provision tax deductible, other proposals include
It seems however, that there are a number of flaws in their thinking.
‘Ms Truss has pushed for reform to regulations imposed on child minders to
increase the number of child minding places. If more places can be provided for
parents, then the Conservatives believe prices might start to come down.’
Yet in a later paragraph:
‘Downing Street sources said Liberal Democrat and Conservative figures alike were
now convinced that looser ratios mean nurseries can take more children on which
could see staff paid more, and so greater quality staff attracted.’
I’m not sure that increased wages for early years workers and a lower cost to parents can be achieved without a significant investment of government funds.
It seems to me that the government believe that by increasing the number of children childminders can care for, they will attract more people to the profession, as they will be able to earn more. However they are also proposing changes to the qualifications needed to become a childminder in a bid to maintain quality.
In my experience of working with childminders, this is what I think will happen. A proportion of very good childminders will be scared off by the thought of having to achieve yet another qualification, losing many of our oldest and most experienced childminders. Those that stay may take on extra children but once they are better qualified and have factored in the added expense of having more children (e.g. equipment, larger car) and the additional challenges of caring for a large number of children under 5, they are likely to quite rightly increase rather than decrease their hourly rate. Some childminders will decide that their quality depends on taking fewer children, therefore not achieving the desired increase in childcare places. Some will be attracted to the industry I’m sure but how attractive really is looking after 5 children under the age of 5 on your own?
In my opinion these proposals reduce parental choice. I like many women chose to send my children, in their first years, to a childminder. I chose this for my children because I felt a home environment where my children could experience many of the things they did with mummy, would be the easiest transition. I also chose a childminder because they could play with a few other children but have the individual, loving attention they needed from one adult. My children love their childminder in the way they would an aunt or a close friend of the family. I’m worried that this would be lost once the number of children is raised significantly above the size of the average family.
My mother was a childminder when I was growing up. The children she cared for (never more than 2 at a time) became an extension to our family, they called her ‘aunty’. Childminders these days take on far more children in a bid to fulfil demand for places and to earn a decent wage, if the ratio is increased again will there be any ‘aunties’ left? Please UK government don’t take away parental choice.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Sign the petition to avoid changes to childcare ratios.
As I lifted my 2-year-old out of her cot to embark on the school run and she nuzzled sleepily into my neck, I held her firmly and asked myself ‘what would I do without my kids?’
When she greets me with an enthusiastic ‘mummy’ or smiles at me and laughs at the things I do that nobody else deems funny.
When I share stories with my girls and the 2 little ones curl up, one under each arm.
When I watch my eldest growing up into a wonderful young lady with a mind of her own, a caring nature and an amazing bond with her dad.
When I’m having a rest and my 4-year-old says ‘I’ll close the door mummy so no-one disturbs you’.
When I say to my 2-year-old ‘it’s time for nap now’ and she replies ‘ok mummy’
Each time I watch them growing into bright, funny, confident, beautiful girls I am proud and thankful. At those times what would I do without them?
On the other hand
When I’m rushing to get out the door and my 2-year-old decides she must put on her shoes herself.
When orders are being barked from all directions at the breakfast table but I haven’t yet even managed my first cup of coffee.
When I’m struggling around the supermarket with my 4-year-old clinging to the side of the trolley, blocking up the aisles and my 2-year-old crying because she can’t have a chocolate bar.
When my 4-year-old wets herself for the 4th time that day .
When all hell breaks loose in the car because my 8-year-old wants to sing along to ‘Don’t Like Mondays’ but my 4-year-old wants to be the only one who is allowed to sing.
When the chaos of mess and noise is just too much…. I ask myself again, ‘What would I do without my kids?’
But…..
What would I really do without my kids?
Some days I’d struggle to get out of bed or venture out of the house and I’d cry every time I saw a family enjoying themselves.
They’ve pulled me through the toughest times, giving me purpose, hope and unconditional love.
Without them life would be grey.
I’d never be without them.
A few weeks ago I responded to a request to contribute to a children’s story book entitled ‘Once Upon a Time’ to raise money for Save the Children.
I have always wanted to write for children but have struggled with the inspiration. This was my perfect chance to have a go and raise money for a fabulous cause. Myself and 16 other bloggers have written short stories for young children. The only rules were that the story should begin with ‘Once Upon a Time’ and should be written in 350 words. I was lucky to already have an idea in mind. This was based on a story I told to my 7 year old when she was afraid of going to bed because she thought she might have bad dreams. It was incredibly difficult to condense this into 350 words . After multiple edits I got it down to under 400 but not quite to the 350 . It made me realise that writing for young children isn’t as easy as it looks.
The illustrations in the book are all provided by our own children – this is my 7 year olds picture that appears with my story.
All the writers have given their services for free so that we can raise as much money as possible. The book looks really beautiful and would be a very special present for a child who loves stories.
I hope this won’t be my last attempt at writing for children, I have ideas for a few more projects so watch this space.
To order a copy and view a preview click on the picture on the top right hand sidebar or here .
My 7 Year old is steadily working her way through the Harry Potter books, so this game has arrived at an opportune moment. Lego Harry Potter 5-7 years covers the last 3 books of the series and as my daughter is currently reading the 6th book she was able to explain some of the characters to me (I only ever read to book 4). We have a Star Wars Lego game for the Nintendo DS which is a firm favourite so my expectations for this game were high.
My daughter played it alone and with a friend. They took it in turns to complete and solve different problems, helping each other out along the way. You can play the game with 2 controllers each player taking the part of a different character. This feature works really well and stimulates lots of discussion. It also makes me realise how much better children are at these things than me.
It is a very long time since I spent any time playing video games. This weekend I had a cold and decided to sit for 3 hours and play Harrry Potter 5-7 Years snuggled up in my quilt. It was compelling and addictive and suitably challenging to keep me engaged. I could have used my daughters help at some points as I wandered aimlessly in the dark trying to find a tap. We discovered the following day that she had turned the brightness down and it wasn’t supposed to be a night-time game at all! I managed to complete the first level and played a little of the next level with my daughter the next day. I am suitably hooked.
The animations that tell the story in between each level are compelling and new characters appear as the game unfolds. Each character has a special skill such as rebuilding blue Lego structures or using an invisibility cloak.
What was my 7 year olds opinion?
It is excellent because some characters can do some things which other characters can’t do and you can perform different spells just by pressing the spell-wheel button.
She has even drawn an image of how the controls work for the XBox 360 version.
The game lived up to my high expectations, my daughter is coming home from school and asking if she can switch it on and I am looking forward to playing it with her and on my own. Good credit all round.
This review is based on the XBox 360 game, it is also available on other consoles.
A preview copy of the game was received for the purpose of the review. No payment was received for writing this review.
My competition to win 6 Picture Books has prompted some wonderful comments about reading with young children. Lots of the comments suggested that parents were always keen to find new books to share with their children. I have already written a post sharing my top books for under 5’s so I thought this time I would ask my children.
The Elephant and the Bad Baby by Elfrida Vipont and Raymond Briggs.
This was my 7 Year olds favourite book when she was 2. We read it again and again and the repetitive text almost drove my husband bonkers. When my middle child was 2 she latched onto it also and it became a firm favourite. The first part of the book is repetitive and it is easy for the children to learn it by heart and join in with the story, especially the ‘rumpeta,rumpeta rumpeta as they go down the road. The message behind the story is the importance of saying please and it does this in a charming and humourous manner. Both my children have loved the page with the baker’s shop, looking at the cakes and deciding which one they like best. I’m sure it is a book you will find your young children ‘reading’ by themselves before long even if they are unable to read.
Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
This was my 3 year olds choice. Her dad read it to her recently and said ‘What a lovely book, why haven’t I read this one before?’ (his other favourite is The Snail and the Whale by the same authors).
Written by the authors of the Gruffalo , this rhyming book is about a Stickman who gets himself into situations because he keeps getting mistaken for a stick. He is desperate to get back to his family and is losing hope when he meets Father Christmas who lends a helping hand.
You Choose by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt
This was one of the books from my 7 year olds Bookstart Treasure Chest. This soon became the one book we read every evening until I became so sick of it and I would plead with her to choose something else. She is still very fond of it and it is one of the few picture books she refuses to pass down to her younger sister.
Each page asks a question such as if you could have any house what sort of house would you choose? Then you choose the one you like best from the illustrations. Nick Sharratt’s illustrations are lovely and it is a great book to stimulate discussion but in our house it was a little over read!
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
This is not strictly for under 5’s, my 7 year old chose it and I’ve allowed it in the list because we first read it together when she was 4. Pippi Longstocking is a very witty and insightful book and you will get a lot out of it as an adult too (in a similar way to Winnie the Pooh). There are a few books that stand the test of time and this is one of them. My daughter’s copy has been so well read it is falling apart but when I offered to replace it with a new copy she declined my offer.
Sharing a Shell by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
There is a Charlie and Lola story about a library book that Lola is fixated with and takes home every time she visits. This was the book that my 7 year old borrowed from the library time and again until finally the library sold it off because it had become too shabby. We bought it for 30p.
It is a beautiful rhyming story about sharing and friendship and helping others. We lost our copy a few years back after I used it at work . My 3 year old found a copy at our doctors surgery, we read it together and I explained that it had been her sister’s favourite. She loved it too. When my 7 year old suggested this one she beamed and said’Oh I love that one’ running to her bookcase to get it. I explained that we didn’t have it anymore. Writing this has prompted me to buy a replacement copy and I will enjoy reading it to my 2 younger daughters.
When I worked in a nursery we displayed a Hallowe’en Pumpkin in our entrance hall. It was placed on a table covered with a table-cloth. Under the table-cloth we put a tape recording of the pumpkin’s voice that we would play when it was lit. The children would be mesmerised.
I taught a wonderfully imaginative little boy who particularly loved the pumpkin. He went on to school and told his teacher all about the talking pumpkin, his belief that it really talked was genuine. Rather than stimulating his natural imagination she told him, ‘ Of course it doesn’t talk , it was just the teachers making the voice’. I was so sad when I heard this story, talk about shattering a child’s illusions .
I was fortunate to attend TEDx London this weekend. This event was born from issues raised in Sir Ken Robinson’s 2010 TED talk and was designed to raise the question ‘ How can we bring on the Education Revolution?’
What can all those involved ACTUALLY DO to ensure that the old and irrelevant in education is thrown out and that we can build a new model of constant reinvention to ensure that education provides what industry requires and more importantly what young people need to flourish in today’s world.
I returned from TEDx London, my head buzzing with ideas, questions and things to explore. Many of the underlying concepts were not new but were reiterated by passionate individuals and illustrated by exciting examples from the world of education. These were some of my highlights:-
The talks were split into 3 sections
The first session began with a live feed from Sir Ken Robinson. He discussed his views on the purpose of education
Economic – Education underpins the modern economy and for a modern economy there is a need for creativity and innovation.
Cultural – Helping to understand each others cultures and relieve the problems of cultural mistrust.
Personal – Education is about individuals, it cannot be mechanistic and should encourage students to become engaged. For this reason education should be personalised.
Sir Ken Robinson’s vision for change includes
A number of these points were a common thread throughout the talks. The importance of recognising children as individuals and encouraging, rather than stifling their talents and interests, came time and again. The need to motivate children and encourage them to think for themselves and the many possibilities that technology offers also kept reappearing.
I consider myself fortunate to work in Early Education. Active learning, teaching that stems from children’s interests and strengths and listening to the child’s voice are fairly widespread. Learning is fun in the early years and it would be unusual to find a pre-school child who grumbled that school was boring. I hope that all education can take lessons from early education at its best.
Adam Roberts an 18 year old human rights campaigner talked about critical thinking and how his mother’s encouragement to ask questions set him up for life. As young children we instinctively ask questions, but as we grow older children are often discouraged from questioning. This point was made even more strongly in Ewan McIntosh’s talk. Ewan explained the need for children to be problem finders rather than problem solvers. He showed a group of 7 and 8 year olds who were asked to put on their own TEDx event. The children were inspired to come up with their own questions, prompted by ‘have you ever wondered?’ The children came up with wonderful philosophical questions and the excitement and animation shown by the children was truly infectious
Another common thread was the potential for embracing social media and technology in the classroom. By doing this we are bringing the real world into the classroom rather than viewing education and school as separate to other aspects of life. Dan Roberts believes strongly in education through technology and demonstrated some of the things his students at Saltash.net Community School are doing.
The What’s Right sessions showed a number of inspirational projects including:
History pin – building a history of real people and places using photographs and video footage.
A workshop from Seeper with a school for children on the autistic spectrum, showing how technology can motivate and engage children Dr Matt Whitby showing how awe-inspiring science can be, through his off the wall science experiments.
Tim Exile – a musician who has invented a machine to create spontaneous electronic music using a variety of sounds.
The Final session involved speakers who are thinking in a new way and their pleas for like-minded individuals to join them in this journey.
Dougald Hine was inspirational. He talked about change with determination and self belief, a firm believer in making things happen.
Emily Cummings the 24 year old inventor has been named Barclays woman of the year in 2009 and one of the top ten outstanding young people in the world in 2010. She explained how her passion for designing began when her grandfather taught her to make things in his workshop. Teachers recognised her talent and entered her for competitions, harnessing her enthusiasm and giving her new goals.
Sir Ken Robinson closed the day with a plea to make alternatives a part of the mainstream. A new vision for education including personalised learning, group activity, the closeness of the community and using and sharing talents. Many of the case studies from young people at the conference showed that talents were often discovered and utilised outside of school.The community then has an important role to play in educating children The closing lines resonated with me
New technologies will make change possible.
Technology alone doesn’t do much, it’s what we do with it that matters.
There were some wonderful examples of what we do with technology and creative thinking. I came away with lots of ideas and things that I wanted to share but also a feeling of uncertainty about what I can do to make a difference. I want to share inspirational ideas and inspire others to try new ways of teaching. Why? I believe that we need to be able to use the tools that children are used to at home and that will form a large part of their future rather than sweeping them under the carpet . Technology will not replace traditional play but will enhance it if we use it creatively. It gives opportunities for awe and wonder, for raising questions, self discovery and creative expression. My endeavour is to show this in practice and inspire others to do the same.
Have you ever wondered where would be a good place to take your children to play, eat, spend a day out or meet friends for coffee? Are you a new mum who is finding it difficult to meet other mums?
According to a recent survey a growing number of new mothers feel isolated and find it difficult to meet other mums. Toddler groups are often very busy and noisy, this is not always the ideal place to meet other parents. I was lucky to find a small friendly NCT group where I made some good friends, but these are not always available. Even with friends I remember as a new mum trawling my local town looking for venues big enough to accomodate a number of prams and with good baby changing facilities. This new app could be very useful to mums in a similar situation.
Meet Mums Now is a new app available free from app stores which takes the mystery out of choosing kid-friendly venues and offers social networking for mums who want to meet others.
With over 400 locations in London already listed, users can find child-friendly cafes, restaurants, pubs and attractions near them which have been endorsed by other mums. I notice that the app has also recently updated to include venues in and around my local area of Bristol and Bath.
The app not only identifies locations, but also allows registered users to contact other mums who have recommended a local venue. It’s a great way to share information and meet other mums, especially for those without the luxury of a group of NCT friends in the area.
It’s an idea that was born out of necessity when Nik Dewar, the man behind the app was on holiday with his wife and two young children. Searching for an app which would show them child-friendly locations for lunch in an unfamiliar area, they were surprised to see that what they were looking for didn’t exist, and set out to fill the gap in the market.
At the moment, most venues in Meet Mums Now app are in London, but it’s an idea designed to grow as more destinations in the UK are added. Future versions will allow users to add location of their own, but if you know a great kid-friendly locations now you can email meetmumsnow@gmail.comor send your tip off to twitter @meetmumsnow.com.
* this is not a sponsored post
Right from the Start 