Setting Boundaries: How to Enjoy Family Time and Switch Off From Work During Christmas
Posted inParenting tips Relationships tips and advice Things to do with the kids

Setting Boundaries: How to Enjoy Family Time and Switch Off From Work During Christmas

The school Christmas holidays are perfect for creating cherished memories with your family and it’s always a real blessing to be fortunate enough to give that to our children. However, for working mums, it can be challenging to switch off from work and fully engage with the kids during family time when there are deadlines, work pressures and money to make. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to have the best of both worlds. Here are some unconventional tips to help you set boundaries and make the most of the festive period with your loved ones.

Juggling Remote Work and Summer Holidays with the Kids
Posted inParenting tips Things to do with the kids

Summer Survival Guide: Juggling Remote Work and Summer Holidays with the Kids

As the school summer holidays fast approach, many of us working mums who are working from home will have the yearly challenge of ensuring our children have a fantastic break while we balance the pressures of remote working.

If you are looking for some inspiration, here are some tips to help get the balance right so this summer is one to remember (for all the right reasons):

1. Create a “Yes Day“

Designate one day a week as a “Yes Day,” inspired by the popular book and movie, where within reason, you say yes to most of your children’s requests. It adds an element of surprise and excitement to their week and gives them something to look forward to. Plan your work around this day to ensure it doesn’t affect your productivity.

summer reading loss
Posted inParenting tips Things to do with the kids

Should Children Be Given Summer Homework?

School’s almost out, and the summer holidays are just around the corner. Already (I hear you scream). Yes….sorry!

Your child is probably looking forward to the weeks of freedom from learning (and homework!). It’s as if the lockdowns didn’t even happen this year. We all need a break and some fun, but summer learning loss in children is a reality!

Online Creative Writing Crash Course
Posted inChildren & Relationships Things to do with the kids

Online Creative Writing Course for Children

  • Are you worried about the quality of your child’s writing?
  • Is it a battle to get your child to read?
  • Does your child love everything to do with gadgets but won’t do any book work without a battle?

The Geek School Online Creative Writing Crash Course has been developed for these reasons and more. 

4 Simple and Super Cheap Ways to Keep the Kids Entertained This Summer
Posted inChildren & Relationships Family life Things to do with the kids

4 Simple and Super Cheap Ways to Keep the Kids Entertained This Summer


“Mum!! Can we go swimming? Mum!! Can we go to the theme park? Farm Park? Cinema? Zoo? Can I have another ice cream? Can we get another bucket and spade for the beach?“

Sound familiar? 

The summer holidays are ideal for spending time with your family. You get to make so many memories and not have to worry about getting up on time for school, making sure the kids haven’t forgotten their lunches or P.E kits…but if you’re on a budget this summer then the idea of spending six weeks trying to find activities that don’t cost the earth can be a little daunting!

How to use the half term to help your child improve their writing
Posted inParenting tips Things to do with the kids

How to use the half term to help your child improve their writing

Story writing is a key part of the skills required at the primary school level, however, schools have so much to cover in the curriculum that some children just don’t get as much practice of writing as they should.

 

Like anything school related, if you want your child to do well, you have to put some work into it outside of the classroom. Here are some tips to help you get your child writing sparkling stories before school’s back in!

8 reasons why it’s so important for children to be taught the value of energy saving
Posted inChildren & Relationships Things to do with the kids

8 reasons why it’s so important for children to be taught the value of energy saving

If you’re anything like us this May Half Term will have you singing the same tune – “turn the lights off, turn the telly off, if you’re not watching it.” Young people and electricity usage awareness go together like water and oil, but you’ve got a week to get them thinking the right thoughts.

Affordable Christmas present ideas for class teachers
Posted inFamily life Things to do with the kids

Affordable Christmas present ideas for class teachers

Love them or loathe them, teachers spend hours with your child and sometimes showing little gratitude can go a long way.

If you’re feeling the Christmas cheer and want to give a gift to your child’s class teacher, here are some ideas for male and female teachers alike.

Four places to get free childcare during the summer
Posted inChildren & Relationships Get organised Parenting tips Things to do with the kids

Four places to get free childcare during the summer

With just a handful of weeks left before children break up for the longest school holiday of the year, parents around the country are looking for ways to not only keep children busy, but to cover childcare while they work…you are not alone!

So, what have you got planned? Here are some ideas that start at zero cost to less than £100 per week.

Looking for some fun (free or cheap) activities for the holidays? Go back to your childhood
Posted inFamily life Things to do with the kids

Looking for some fun (free or cheap) activities for the holidays? Go back to your childhood

It’s not uncommon that parents and grandparents bemoan the generational change in activities. These days, many children spend endless on gadgets of some sort and they just don’t have the same experiences of yesteryear.

Surviving the school holidays: the cheat sheet for parents
Posted inChildren & Relationships Parenting tips Things to do with the kids

Surviving the school holidays: the cheat sheet for parents

With the school Easter holidays now here, many of us are full of mixed emotions. On the one hand, it’s always great to spend some (more) quality time with the children. But on the other, keeping them busy and happy for almost three weeks can be a task…an expensive one, at that.

So here are few things to remember while you get through the holidays:

Online tutoring: a convenient and fun way for children to learn
Posted inChildren & Relationships Parenting tips Things to do with the kids

Online tutoring: a convenient and fun way for children to learn

We all share a desire to give our children the best possible opportunities to succeed and to reach their full potential – it’s just that juggling the commitments of our own work and of current after-school activities can make this hard to achieve.

Adding more activities to your child’s schedule can mean losing out on something in your life, or your child may miss out on some much needed downtime.

Can’t read, won’t read? Three ways to get your child into books
Posted inChildren & Relationships Things to do with the kids

Can’t read, won’t read? Three ways to get your child into books

Having good reading ability helps children in all their subjects, according to teaching professionals. And it makes sense – if your literacy is poor, how will you learn other subjects?

If your child is showing little interest in reading, there is – here are three ‘tricks’ you can use to spark their enthusiasm and love of reading without them even knowing it:

Swimming: why it’s important to teach young children
Posted inChildren & Relationships Things to do with the kids

Swimming: why it’s important to teach young children

Teaching your child to swim has many benefits. Not only is it a great way to improve their fitness, it is lots of fun and a great way to make new friends.

On a more serious note, it could one day save their life. Alarmingly, drowning is the 3rd highest cause of accidental death in children in the UK, according to the 2010 UK drowning statistics.

How to make skiing work as an activity holiday for your family
Posted inChildren & Relationships Family life Things to do with the kids

How to make skiing work as an activity holiday for your family

It doesn’t seem that long ago since the school summer holidays, but it’s still not too early to start looking at holiday deals for the family.

If you’re looking for an activity break, there are some limitations to what you can do, but skiing can be a great way to stay fit and active, and children as young as three can take to the slopes.

Here are some tips on preparing for a skiing holiday: