Going on holiday is an exciting time for everyone, especially if the sun is shining and the pool is warm and inviting. The pool can be fun and a great way to enjoy some family fun.

There are some things to think about when you are around the pool with children. It is so easy to think that because you are holiday nothing bad can happen but it’s when we relax and loosen up that accidents can occur.

·        Never let your children go swimming alone. Even if they are a confident swimmer, if they get into difficulty and they are alone in the water, there is no-one there to help them. Keep younger children within an arms reach of you so if they get tired or panic you are nearby.

·        Get your children to understand that they shouldn’t run around the pool area. It can become really slippery and painful if they fall!

·        Talk over the depths of the pool with them so they know which is the shallow end and deep end. Remind them not to jump or dive in the shallow end. Head injuries and spinal injuries are often the cause from unsafe diving.

·        Remind them not to jump on each other or hold each other under the water. It can be frightening and dangerous.

·        Never leave your child unattended near water.  Enjoy your family holiday by the pool and let your children enjoy playing and having fun in the water but remember the safety rules so you all return home happy and healthy!

The thought of a family holiday may have you dreaming of sitting beside a turquoise marine pool with clear blue skies and the children all playing happily. If only our dreams could come true, the reality is almost always a little different and the stress free holiday can turn into a nightmare!By the time we get to holiday time, we’re normally exhausted and the children are over excited. Planning in advance is always a good idea.

·         As tempting as booking a cheaper last minute holiday may be, it is always a good idea to know the name of your hotel and which resort you will be staying in. Many last minute deals tell you your destination airport but may not give you your hotel or resort until you arrive, which can be great but if you have children, ending up in a resort without any family entertainment, family friendly restaurants and miles away from anywhere may not be the recipe for a good holiday.

·         When you are packing, fill up your case and hand luggage with plenty of crayons, games and books. They can entertain them on the plane and also help out for quieter moments in restaurants and in the hotel room.

·         Don’t forget their favourite teddy, dolly or rag. When you are running out the door it can be easy to forget their treasured friend or comforter.

·         Look up the resort and find out what facilities and local attractions are available. Talk about the holiday as a family and find out what everyone would like to do so that everyone gets to choose an activity. Even if it is as simple as a day at the beach, it will mean that it becomes everyone’s holiday. 

Check out your hotel for a children’s club. Many run some great activities and thy can help your child make friends and also give you some free time. Also check out if the hotel have early dining for the children or entertainment where the children are encouraged to join in.

Choose your destination, resort and hotel wisely and carefully and you could get a stress free relaxing holiday!

 If you having been trying for a baby for at least a year, you know your monthly cycle inside out and you dread those stomach cramps at that time of the month as yet again you know you are not pregnant, remember you are not alone!  As condescending as it may seem when you are trying for a baby and having intercourse at all the right times yet still can’t seem to conceive, you are not alone! Everyone around you will either be announcing their joys of being pregnant after only one month of ‘trying’ and your family members may delight in telling you of every birth of everyone they know and those who you’ve never heard of but don’t despair.  What can you do?

• Make sure you know exactly when you are ovulating and have intercourse at the right times.

• Don’t drink too heavily, that applies to both you and your partner.

• Try to quit smoking, which yet again applies to both of you as sperm is affected by smoking 

If you’ve read all this advice a hundred times over and still can’t conceive then seek help! Go to see your doctor who can assess you both and find out if you have any fertility issues.  It’s not always easy to get a man to face up to having a fertility issue but it is a fact that many men suffer from poor sperm mobility or low sperm count. Once you know what the problem is, you can face it head on and decide which route to take. Just remember that the pregnant lady who you have just passed in the street may have had several miscarriages or 5 attempts at IVF to conceive and although it may seem like everyone is pregnant except you, it is not true and many of us are in the same situation of wondering…..why me?

by: Lynn Powers 

by: Elizabeth Pantley

Are your mornings rushed, chaotic and disorganized? Then it’s time to get control and make morning a good start to a wonderful day! When your morning activities run smoothly, and you’re out the door on time it can make your whole day feel better. To create a peaceful morning routine, follow these steps:

Start your morning - at night!

A real key to smoothing out your morning is to prepare as much as you can the night before. This means choosing the day’s clothing, packing lunches, gathering homework, signing permission slips and setting the table for breakfast.

Post a calendar.

Buy the biggest wall calendar you can find and hang it in a central location. Write down events and appointments for everyone. Use different colours marking pens to code items for easy reading. Keep the calendar up to date and you’ll be more organized!

Use a morning list.

Sit down and analyze a typical morning. Make a list of everything that needs to be done. Create a poster-sized list of the standard morning activities listed in the order to be done:If you have a child who gets easily distracted and ignores the morning chart - don’t give up! Just make a small mini-size chart, laminate it, put it on a chain and let your child wear it as his “morning necklace”! Your part is to make a few gentle reminders, “How are you doing on your chart this morning?”

Check out sleep time.

If your child has trouble getting up in the morning and sticking to his schedule take a look at what time he or she goes to bed. Without adequate sleep a child won’t be able to follow a morning routine successfully.

Fix problems with a family meeting.

If problems persist take the time to sit down with your children and talk about it. Let everyone have a turn talking, and then work to arrive at solutions that will benefit everyone.

Praise successes.

Remember, your words of praise will encourage your children to continue to meet their goals!

Author: Dionna Sanchez 

A mother has a lot of responsibility. We want to do our jobs right and take care of our families right. But somehow we lost our sense of laughter along the way. 

I realized this a few weeks ago.  Let’s take a little quiz…. see how you rate. 

1) Do you get upset with your children when they’ve had a massive pillow fight in their bedroom and left a huge mess?  Or do you jump in and join them? 

2) Do you send your children outside on the quest to “find someone to play with?” — or do you go in the backyard and swing with them? 

3) Do you sigh in exasperation as you find your child has not done something you’ve asked them to do for the umpteenth time instead of telling them you will tickle the stuffing’s out of them if they don’t take care of it within 5 minutes?? 

Children love when we find the time to abandon our agenda and spend time laughing and enjoying life with them. It shows that we value them above our projects and “to-do’s.” Finding the fun in life is also very good for us, it reminds us to “lighten up.” And face it - we need to do that sometimes!. 

Valuable lessons can be taught in the fun moments as well as the serious moments in life. Remind your self to look at the positive side of life.  

We need to have more fun.  Let that be your challenge for this week.

Having two children is harder than having one, your work load is increased and your time will have to be divided between your children. 

It can be hard to cope with the different emotions you are bound to be feeling. Being protective over the new baby is normal and even feeling like you are not loving your first born enough is normal too. 

There will be big adjustments for everyone and this can take time so be patient and don’t worry about feeling like you haven’t got the love, time or energy to go around, eventually your new enlarged family will settle into normality. 

There are a few things to consider in helping your first born to accept the new baby. 

• Try as hard as you possibly can to keep up your normal routine, it may seem like hard work but your eldest child will cope better if they are still seeing their friends at playgroup, playing in the park with you and still having their bedtime story.

• Your eldest child (depending on their age) may go back to behaving like a baby themselves. They may want you to feed them, dig out their old dummy or cry for attention. Try not to get angry and this stage will soon pass.

• Get other family members to help you by looking after the new baby while you engage in a fun activity with your older child or simply enjoy a bath and cuddle together.

• To try and avoid jealousy from your older child by talking to them about how they were as a baby, get out old photos and ask your older child to help you look after the new baby. Let them feel involved by choosing their clothes or helping change a nappy or give a bottle.

• When the going gets tough remember it will get easier. If you really are struggling to fulfil the demands of both children ask a relation or friend if they could mind them for a while and take a much deserved rest.