Tag: family

Home made party traditions

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Your baby may not remember being a part of these traditions, but the photographic evidence is something you coo over for decades to come. Nothing is more adorable than a baby’s first time doing just about anything, and what better occasion to start new traditions than a children’s first birthday party? Unfortunately, with all of the charm and attention being poured into decorations, food, party favours and phone calls, we often forget to relax and enjoy a few firsts with our little ones.  Here are a few traditions new and old to help you make this day special for years to come.

Birthday Outfit

Parents dressing their little ones in the same (or similar) outfits every year for a single photograph has been going on longer than we may realize. Of course we take photos of our children nearly every day with our phones and personal cameras, but having an annual photo of your child wearing the same ensemble or pretty cotton dress is something special. It’s something they can look forward to each year (until their teens) and you can look forward to seeing how much they’ve grown and developed their personality. This may be the time to have a Photographer take over; they have a knack for capturing those adorable poses.

Sharing Stories

The first year of your child’s life has undoubtedly been filled with very sweet and not so sweet stories. One tradition you may consider starting would be to share a few of your favourite stories from the past year. In the beginning, this may just mean you reminiscing with fellow parents, but as your little boy or girl gets older you can share these stories with their friends.

Memory Boxes

A memory box is a great way to collect the most sentimental pieces from your child’s birthdays and safely store them until you’re ready to share the memories. You could collect photos, cards, their first outfit, their special book and anything that brings back memories.

Remember, the most beautiful moments in your child’s life are the ones they spend with friends and family, and the experiences you share together. So take the time to relive old traditions or create new ones, they make for the best memories.

Inspirational children’s party venues

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Are you looking for venues for your special children’s party in the coming weeks? Looking for the right location is almost always problematic, unless you know who to ask! Thankfully, we have some of the answers when it comes to organising an amazing kids birthday party and we’re here to help.

Looking for a Top Venue

There are many reasons why you wouldn’t want to host a children’s party in your own house. Either you don’t have enough room in your house for a whole classroom of children, or you don’t want your house to get damaged. Perhaps you don’t have the time to clean up after a party.

Getting your party organised in the right location is of great importance. Organising a party that is too far from anywhere is not a good idea, as other parents have to consider the cost of transport. Other considerations for your setting may include disabled access, the size of the hall itself and the cost.

Where:

Consider church halls, or community centres that have their own kitchens so you can cater too. Decide how much space you will need. Do you want outside space too? Some of these venues mentioned are quite reasonably priced.

How much?

If you would like to find out how much a centre costs, you should ask the centre first if they charge by the hour or by child. Some centres do charge per person and this can become very expensive if you are looking to host a large number of friends.

If you have found the best location for your children’s party, then why not look on our blogs for amazing ideas. We’ve plenty of knowledge and experience in giving inspiration to your little one’s party.

Great memories

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Although kids’ parties can be stressful and slightly challenging to plan; your child is sure to get so much out of it and have such a good time as they celebrate their special day.  Kid’s parties are all about having fun but there are real benefits that go with having a party too, that parents probably don’t’ even think about like.

Most people can look back on their childhood and recall a few magical memories from a children’s party that was either thrown in their honour or that they attended in order to celebrate someone else. These occasions often live long in the memory and as a parent, it can be just as exciting to throw your own child a party and give them tonnes of wonderful memories to look back on.

The interaction that children experience with other kids of a similar age is vital in their early development. Their interaction and social skills will be developed as they have heaps of fun, constantly interacting with their friends.

Most of the interacting kids do with their friends is at school, so it’s really nice for them to be able to do this in an environment that is completely different. Not to mention the fact that they gain new experiences like seeing an exciting magic show and puppet shows, etc. Children’s parties can give kids real benefits as it opens up a world of imagination and excitement. Getting to help with the magic tricks can really help your child build their confidence too, especially for those children that tend to be quite shy. Children are always more likely to build confidence whilst doing something fun, new and exciting.

One of the most important parts of any kids’ party is the entertainer and not just because they hold the focus of the children whilst you can take a break. A great children’s party entertainer will be able to really amaze the children and open their eyes to host of really exciting activities, invigorate their imaginations. The first time a child sees a seemingly impossible magic trick, or their made to feel really special will provide an unforgettable memory and teach them something really new and intriguing.

As a child, there’s nothing more exciting than your birthday party. But as a parent, one of the best parts of throwing a party for your child is the priceless look on their face as they enjoy their special day and the delightful way in which they tell you all things they loved about it.

What makes our children happy?

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We all want the same things for our kids. We want them to grow up to love and be loved, to follow their dreams, to find success. Mostly, though, we want them to be happy. But just how much control do we have over our children’s happiness? Research clearly shows that happy, optimistic children are the product of happy, optimistic homes, regardless of genetic makeup.” What can you do to create a home where your child’s happiness will flourish?

The easiest way to promote your child’s lifelong emotional well-being is to help him feel connected — to you, other family members, friends, neighbours, teachers, even to pets. “A connected childhood is the key to happiness,” a feeling of being loved, understood, wanted, acknowledged. If a child has just one person who loves him unconditionally, that’s the closest thing he’ll ever get to an inoculation against misery. It’s not enough, however, simply to possess that deep love; your child must feel it, too. Hold your baby as much as possible; respond with empathy to his cries; read aloud to him; eat, snuggle, and laugh together.

It’s not just the quality, but also the quantity of the bonds: the more connections your child makes, the better.

Be a happy parent

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We love parenthood, and we love our kids, but let’s face it: Parenthood is hard.

While recent studies about parents’ happiness levels have produced mixed results, one thing’s certain: It takes some work to be able to say, “I enjoy parenting, I really do!” without crossing your fingers.

So, what are the secrets of happy parents? Regardless of whether you have a screaming toddler or an eye-rolling teen, scientists and researchers in the field of positive psychology have found strategies that can help you appreciate your role as a parent, and improve your relationships with your children—starting now:

As parents, we think there’s always more we could do, more time we should devote, more love we are capable of giving—and so we feel we’re constantly coming up short. But this kind of thinking is unhelpful, at best. Come up with some of your children’s main needs and think about what you have done to satisfy them. Or reflect on decisions you’ve made that have resulted in better outcomes for your kids. Whenever you’re feeling like you’re not doing enough, think back to these achievements.

We’re at our happiest when we’re engaged in leisure activities. Remember, your emotions will rub off on your kids—not to mention everyone else around you, so if you’re tired and overstressed, think of how that will affect the way you interact with your family. It’s key to schedule some “me” time each day (or at least most days!), where you can devote time to something that makes you happy, whether that’s reading a suspense novel, jogging, or gardening. If we spent even half the time scheduling our own play time as we do our child’s, we’d all be happier.

Should I shout?

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Shouting does not make a someone a terrible parent.  I bet that most people shout because they are GOOD parents.

You see good parents try. They want to do better. They have expectations for their children.  They get frustrated when their children don’t live up to those expectations.

They are worn down because they work all day to take care of their families.  They try hard to make sure that their children have everything that they need.

They feel bad that they can’t do enough, or that they just aren’t enough for their children.

So it’s not surprising that we lose it every once in a while.

Bad parents don’t feel those things.  Bad parents don’t try.  Bad parents don’t feel the guilt.  They don’t get run down trying to do it all.

Because we are good parents, we work so hard and feel so much guilt and frustration that we get overwhelmed frustrated and angry.

Good parents feel so many emotions, including anger, and bad parents don’t.

I Am Permanently Damaging My Children?

FALSE

Oh the guilt of shouting can be so heavy.

We know it’s not good for our kids, and there are articles after articles online telling us so.

But let me tell you, shouting may not be permanently damaging to children.

In every healthy relationship there’s a balance between positive moments and negative moments.  There have been studies and they show that for every negative moment, we need five positive interactions to keep the relationship healthy and in balance. These studies were done with couples, but have been applied to the parent/child relationship as well.

Positive interactions can be small, a smile, a touch, small gestures.  I bet you do a lot of those small gestures with your children throughout the day.

We are all going to get angry and do things that we aren’t so proud of, it’s how we make up for those things that count.

The trick is to keep things in balance.  If you feel like you need help with this, check out myth #5 below.

  • Don’t believe these myths about shouting.
  • You ARE a good parent.
  • You are NOT permanently damaging your children.
  • You are NOT the only one who shouts.
  • You CAN stop shouting.
  • But you might shout again, and that’s okay.

The best books for happy kids

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Experts say that there are three very important times of day to connect with your children, when they first wake up, when they get home from school, and at bedtime.

Because bedtime is usually a chore, we’ve picked out the best books that make both you and your children laugh-out-loud.  After all, there’s no better medicine than laughter…

I Broke My Trunk; by Mo Willems

These books are amazing!  They are seriously funny for both kids and adults. The series is about two friends, Elephant and Piggy, and their hilariously funny conversations.  These books are witty, a bit quirky and always end in hilarious, unexpected ways.

Stuck; by Oliver Jeffers

The authors books are quirky and funny for both parents and kids.  Stuck , is a story of a boy whose kite gets stuck in a tree, so he throws up his shoe to get it down, but that gets stuck too.  Oh but he’s not deterred, this boy is determined to get down his kite…no matter what.  Things spiral a bit out of control in this book, and the boy’s antics will leave any kid rolling on the floor with laughter.

The book with no pictures; by B.J. Novak

The premise of this children’s book is that whoever reads the book, the storyteller has to read every word….no matter how silly the word is.  So parents are stuck yelling words like “Blork!” and sentences. Is there any better way to get kids to laugh, than by making the adults in their lives look silly?  

A Perfectly Messed-Up Story; by Patrick McDonnell

It’s a story about a boy named Louie, who just wants to tell you a story, but keeps getting interrupted by…you.  How dare you drop peanut butter and jelly on him when he’s telling his story?!  These little instructions send little Louie over the edge a bit, and he has to learn to persevere and be okay with a little bit of a mess.  

Why children get grumpy after school

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When things get hard, we fall apart on the people we feel safest with. Think about it.  After a hearing terrible news or during a hard day at work you’re able to keep it all together and not cry. But as soon as you see your safe person (husband, Mum, best friend) you end up a blubbering mess.

Kids do the same thing.

It takes a great deal of emotional and mental work to follow the rules throughout the day, especially for little kids.

Each time your child refrains from hitting that boy who took his toy, holds up her hand and covers her mouth so she doesn’t speak out of turn, or stops himself from running down the hall to break time, they have to restrain themselves.  This restraint builds and builds, almost like a bubble.

Then they walk into their safe place, and POP!  They can finally let loose and stop having to restrain themselves. They get to let it all go.

Honestly, it’s a good thing that your child feels safe enough to fall apart at home.

But, as a parent, that’s hard to deal with.  It’s frustrating when you have a child who hasn’t had a tantrum in months come home from school and cry and whine about every single thing.

How can you help your child with the transition from home to school so they don’t have to struggle, and you don’t get so frustrated?

Greet Without the Questions

When you see your child after a long day of school, you want to know about their day.  So you ask questions like “How was your day?”, “Do you have homework?”, “Did you get into trouble?”, “What did you do?”, “Did you make friends?”

No one likes to be bombarded with questions or grilled about their day as soon as they walk in the door.

By asking lots of questions, you could stress out your child, especially if they had a hard day.

Instead of asking them a million and a half questions as soon as you see them, greet them with statements like: “It’s good to see you again.” and “Welcome home”.  Then ask, “Do you want to tell me about your day now or at dinner?”  This gives him the power to decide when to talk.

When you ask about their day, keep the questions open-ended:

  • “What was your favourite part of the day?”
  • “What kinds of things did you do at school today?”
  • “Who did you play with today?”
  • “What new thing did you learn today?”

Ask questions that can’t be answered with yes or no.

These prevent one worded answers like “fine” and open up a conversation about school.

Please connect and ask, but do it at a time when your child is ready to talk.

Feed Them. When our blood sugar gets low and our tummies grumble it’s understandable that we get snippy and short tempered.

  • When your child’s stomach is full, they are less likely to be frustrated and angry.
  • Allow for Downtime
  • Give kids time to be kids.  Allow them to have time to play and let loose.

Children need to play, it’s how they process their world and handle their stress.  So, on particularly stressful days, it’s important that they get time for kids entertainment and play.

Clamping with the kids

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So what is glamping?  It is a term that means glamorous camping and has become synonymous with luxury camping – no more leaky tents or sites where you wake up with no tent because the wind is so high!  Glamping is all about having a unique experience that allows people to see things they would otherwise miss but no sacrificing comfort and amenities to do this. 

Glamping is also an eco-friendly option because many of the venues offering this type of break are made with environmentally friendly concerns foremost to the mind.  It takes a lot of resources to build and run even a small hotel but nowhere near as much to build a luxury treehouse or to convert and upgrade a caravan.

Glamping is a worldwide trend that allows people to stay somewhere unique.  Here in the UK we already have a wide range of exciting glamping spots.  One such example is the yurt at Springhill Farm campsite in East Sussex.  Complete with a double bed and inflatable furniture, the yurt is built in the style once used by Genghis Khan with a few modern touches and cooking is done in a fire pit outside.  The site is near Ashdown Forest, so perfect for a walk the next morning.

If you loved treehouses as a kid, then staying in one will be a perfect escape as an adult.  There are a number of treehouse glamping providers spread around the country and these are treehouses in the lap of luxury.  Enjoy a session in the hot tub before turning in for the night or take the whole family along in a treehouse that can house up to eight people.

Champing

Champing is perhaps the newest addition to the camping idea and involved staying in a historic church and using it as a base for a range of activities for children and sightseeing in the area.  The Churches Conservation Trust say there are currently 347 churches spread around the UK that are no longer places of worship and so are being made available for people to spend the night. 

Why is it good?

Camping, glamping and champing all offer different facilities and styles for holidaymakers but there is a hidden benefit to it all.  In a study conducted by the Institute of Education at Plymouth University, in collaboration with the Camping and Caravanning Club, it was shown that kids who spend at least one holiday each year camping outdoors do better in school than those that don’t.

The study involved asking parents across the country a series of question studying the educational, social and psychological benefits of camping to children of all ages.  The study discovered that four out of five parents thought that camping had a positive effect on school education of their children.

It also showed that 98% of parents believed their kids were more connected with nature due to their camping experience and appreciated the outdoors more while 95% thought the kids were happier.  93% thought that children learned skills that would be beneficial later in life because of their camping holidays.

Conclusion

So the evidence is clear from the study – camping is good for you and your children.  But with the range of options such as glamping in a treehouse or champing in a historic church, camping no longer needs to be something only done in the very best weather.  For people who aren’t so keen on putting up the tent in the middle of a field, there are now plenty of other options that allow all the benefits of camping with a little luxury included as well.  And after the holiday is over, the children will go back to school invigorated and filled with exciting stories to tell their teachers and friends that will continue to benefit them for some time afterwards.

October half term

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The school summer holidays have nearly come to an and end and the October half term is nearly upon us.

The October half term is often the last chance that the family get to take a break together in the year before the preparations for Christmas begin and the weather takes a serious decline.  Autumn can be a beautiful time to have a short holiday in the UK and there are plenty of places offering deals for the October half term break as well as special events taking place.

Visiting the countryside

One of the best places to head in autumn is to the forest – with the wealth of colours on show, the forest is a spectacular scene.  Add to that the wildlife can be a little easier to spot after their breeding season is finished while seasonal plants such as mushrooms and berries appear, there is plenty to see.

One of the top places to get close to wildlife is to stay at one of the Centre Parcs resorts around the country.  There are five notable forest locations on offer from the chain – Whinfell Forest, Sherwood Forest, Elvenden Forest, Woburn Forest and Longleat Forest.

Whinfell Forest is within the Lake District area and sits on the side of the lake so can offer a range of water sports as well as wildlife spotting opportunities.  The centre is at the heart of a 400-acre woodland site while indoor features include a subtropical swimming pool with a daredevil ride called the Canyon Ride for the bravest.

Sherwood Forest is one of the most well-known forests in the country with its connections to the story of Robin Hood.  The Centre Parcs venue in the forest offers the chance to explore the famous woodland as well as enjoy a number of activities that are best in the woods such as quad biking or owl encounters.

Elvenden Forest is a 400-acre site in Suffolk, offering a great range of outdoor activities as well as the calming effect of the forest itself for walks.  There is even a unique experience called cable water skiing to try as well as kayaking, canoeing and even raft building.

Woburn Forest is just over an hour from London and is one of the newest sites, covering some 365 acres of woodland as well as lakes and beautiful views across the countryside.  There are aerial trekking routes, abseiling and climbing opportunities as well as the indoor facilities such as the subtropical swimming pool.

Longleat Forest is close to the famous Longleat Estate and its Safari Park so is a great place to use as a base to visit both.  The Wiltshire park allows the chance to see the century old Giant Redwoods as well as tour the forest with the land train or join in water activities on the lake.

Haven are another big name in the holiday business that offer a range of special deals for the October half term.  These include special deals for the whole family as well as touring and camping offers that are ideal for those who prefer something a little less formal for their breaks.

Bluestone are also offering a range of competitive deals for the October break that combine the chance to get up close to nature with the indoor facilities of the centre such as the climbing wall and the swimming pool.  Close by is an impressive outdoor activity centre with a challenging zip wire course some 60 feet in the air as well as tree top walks and the chance to watch the sun go down from a campfire among the trees.