Do you remember your favourite childhood books. I remember reading my favourite books over and over again and getting my parents to read the same bedtime story every night.  I knew every page, every word and if whoever was reading to me tried to skip a line or two I was always quick to set them straight.With so many other means of entertainment now it is easy to forget about reading. Television programmes, game consoles and portable music-video systems mean that sometimes books get forgotten! The choice of reading material for children is endless but the classic stories always seem to prove a hit. Fairytales of princesses meeting their prince may be a little dated but little girls still love these magical romance stories. Boys seem to enjoy some of the old tales too where the hero saves the day and gets rid of all the bad guys.If you want to get your children’s imaginations running wild and spend a little quality time with them, forget a new game for their console and take a trip to the library or local book store. The choice is over whelming but it’s great to take your time and let your children choose with you.If you fancy trying out an old but popular favourite here is the list of the best selling children’s books……..1.      The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey (HC) 2.     

We’ve been on a couple of very expensive days out (despite taking a picnic and telling ourselves we won’t spend too much). Themes parks are great to entertain the children, although far too expensive and exhausting to do everyday, so what do we do for the rest of the school holidays?

• Having their friends over to play can relieve you for a few hours although the tidying up after will more than keep you busy as they play with each and every toy within grabbing distance.
• A trip outdoors is always good to relieve them of their endless energy and it keeps your house tidy.
• The swimming pool is good for everyone and can be stretched out with the promise of cake in the café afterwards.
• Baking, arts and crafts will keep them occupied for an hour or possibly two.
• Board games are fun and great for counting and learning the art of not always winning!!!

Then what?

The favourite play of my daughter is ‘let’s pretend’.

First of all I have to point out that I find this play particularly difficult as she expects me to play as a fellow 5 year old. I try, I really do but I do find that after an hour of looking after her numerous babies, changing their nappies, feeding them and walking them, I generally feel like I’m loosing the plot!

My husband actually does have his concerns as he came home early the other day to find me sitting in her plastic play house in the garden looking after her ‘babies’ whilst she was sitting indoors on the comfy sofa. Do you know I actually enjoyed sitting out there in the playhouse as I had sneakily taken a magazine and was enjoying my ten minutes of peace and quiet!

How far will you go? Am I alone in the fact that sometimes it all seems a bit much and I feel guilty if I am not making their summer holidays fun?

The school holidays are here and the time where we think about taking the children off for a day trip or maybe even a holiday. 

If you are travelling with children can mean a fraught journey full of shouts of ‘are we there yet?’, fighting with their siblings or needing toilet stops every 10 miles, however, it doesn’t have to be like this or at least there are a few things we can do to make it easier! 

• Be prepared – fill a bag up with plenty of wet wipes, snacks (preferably without lots of E numbers) and lots of refreshments.
• Take a change of clothes so it won’t matter if they spill their drink or squash a nice big piece of chocolate into their shorts.
• If they have a machine to play games on make sure it has plenty of batteries and they have all their favourite games. You could even swap with a friend for a few days so both your children get to try a new game.

Don’t forget all the old favourite journey games! 

• Eye-spy is one we all probably remember and if your children are too young to play using letters than try eye-spy using colours.
• Another great one, all choose a colour and get a point for every car in your colour.
• The ‘YES/NO’ game is a quick fun one.
• Older children may like playing the game where you name celebrities throughout the alphabet. Start with A and work your way throughout the alphabet until a player can’t go. You don’t have to use celebrities, you could choose animals, places etc.

There are plenty of games to try, and don’t forget it’s also a great time to talk to your children about where you are going and what sort of things they will find when they get there. Chat to them about what things they want to do when they arrive and let them take a photo of each other on the journey so they feel their journey is the start of their day out or their holiday and part of the excitement.  

You may feel guilty that your son’s best friend has the best of everything. Designer clothes, games consoles and all the latest trends but don’t feel guilty if you can’t do the same for your child.

Giving you child everything they want and never saying ‘NO’ may seem like you are doing your best for them but what they need more than anything is our love. Material possessions are not the same as spending quality time with your child which is invaluable.

·        Let them choose an activity which you can do together. It can be as simple as baking a gooey chocolate cake, or making something with some messy arts and crafts.

·        Read with your children, let them read to you and take it in turns. Make a little time every night before bed to tell them a story. They will remember the fairytales or stories you tell them and will enjoy the undivided attention.

·        Go to the park, take a ball, a kite or simply go on a nature trail. Just enjoy being out in the fresh air with them.

·        Make meal times a chance where the whole family can sit together and talk. Let it be a time where they can talk to you about places they would like to visit, find out who their latest best friend is and show interest in them. It’s good if they can share their fears, excitement and worries with you without it becoming a ‘big deal’.

·        Start up a new family hobby, such as bike riding, playing skittles or even starting a vegetable garden and letting everyone choose what they would like to try and grow.

Sometimes it can be hard to find time to dedicate it just to your children, with piles of ironing, washing, hovering and meals to cook. If this is the case ask them to help. Pop on some funky music and get busy in the kitchen. Let them help you cook, make sauces or lay the table whilst doing a boogie. Show them your best disco moves whilst dusting and get them to join in. It may not be as perfect as you’d like but as least you had fun!

In many years ahead your child will remember the funny stories you told at bedtime or the crazy dances you used to do together. These make much better memories than a child who had everything he wanted except his parent’s time!

Children have constipation just like adults and perhaps more often since they don’t like to eat food that has a lot of fibres. Children with constipation can use the same natural remedies as adults, but in lesser amounts.You can use these guidelines for children 3 and older. Children should have a bowel movement everyday. If your child is having three or less bowel movement per week, it is time to get worried and take action.

1. Drink more water - children are very active and will perspire more than an adult during the day and lose water. If the body needs water it will take from the stools and make them hard and difficult to expel.

2. Eat more fibre - fruits and vegetables is where the fibre is. Using artificial fibre and laxative products is not a good idea. The body can become dependent on these products and lose its bowel sensitive and colon wall tone.

3. Having a bowel movement when it is time - teach your children to go to the bathroom when they get the urge. A lot of times they will put it off if they are playing or doing something they like. Putting it off will de-sensitize the colon and it will stop giving the bowel movement signal after a time. This will lead to constipation.

4. Use natural products that promote bowel movements - there are many fruits and vegetables that promote bowel movements. Use these as snacks. In cases where you use a natural remedy that is bitter, remind your child that it is medicine to help them go to the bathroom more frequently.

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!

Is it time to wean?  The recommended age to start weaning your baby is from six months, up until this time they will have been getting all their nutrients from breastfeeding or formula milk. They will still need milk as part of their diet until they reach at least 18 months old, or maybe even older.  From around six months old  

• You may find your baby starts to take an interest in what you are eating.
• They may start to demand more feeds.
• They may also start waking more throughout the night or earlier in the morning due to hunger.
• They could start to be putting things in their mouths.

What should their first meal be? Baby rice mixed with a little breast milk or their normal formula milk is a good food to start with as it is fairly bland. You could always give a mouthful or two of food to start and then top it up with their normal milk feed. You may find they ‘play’ with the food by pushing it around their mouths using their tongues and actually look as though they are not eating anything. Don’t worry, it takes time for them to get used to the texture and taste. 

• Mix a small amount of pear puree or other fruit puree to get them used to different tastes.
• Introduce some vegetable puree. Many babies prefer the sweeter vegetables such as carrot, sweet potato, squash.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment, if they don’t eat vast amounts don’t panic, they will be getting their nutrients from their milk.

Don’t panic, just make meal times fun. If you’re feeling relaxed, your baby will relax too!

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!