As a parent, you’re probably familiar with the “attention span” problem. The average adult can only pay attention to a couple of things at once before being forced to switch gears. And that’s before we even get into the challenges of teaching children to focus. It’s no wonder that kids have so many problems focusing in school. They’ve got so much else to do! But, there is hope. Research has shown that it’s possible to teach children to focus better and retain information longer. In this post, I’ll share a few simple ways to help your children learn to focus better and have better attention sp ..read more

For many of us, handwriting is a lost art. Our generation has been raised on the keyboard and we’ve been taught writing with pen and paper is a thing of the past. But, there are many benefits to handwriting you might not be aware of. 1. Handwriting is Important for Learning Unknown to many, our brains respond differently when we write something by hand as opposed to typing it on a keyboard or by touching a screen. Studies show that writing improves memory and that the unique, complex, spatial and tactile information associated with writing by hand on physical paper is likely what le ..read more

When it comes to getting kids motivated to study, there is no single method that works for every child. There are many reasons why your child might be reluctant to study, such as: low self-esteem, a lack of confidence, poor concentration, a lack of interest, and procrastination. Thus it’s very important to find out why your child is not motivated to study. This can be done by understanding his or her personality type, learning the right kind of study habits, and finding a way to motivate your child to study. Here are our 10 top tips to get your child motivated and studying again! 1. Give Chil ..read more

Whoosh! A tiny boy scooted coolly past my three year old daughter, showing off his gleaming wheels and colourful handle bar on his micro scooter. My daughter eyed up the scooter wishfully. Coincidentally, not long after, my daughter was gifted several second hand scooters from some very kind older cousins and friends. They consisted of a variety of brands which she used and played with for months and years. However, her most loved scooter was a royal blue micro scooter. Since she has had the micro scooter, our lives have been easier. Not only does she love using it but it cuts our journey tim ..read more

For those of you who are thinking about the arrival of your new baby, you may be ciphering through the rather overwhelming amount of baby bed options available. I know I certainly did when I had my first child. Which is why with my second child due in just one month, I have some experience in this newborn baby world… but I can honestly admit, the sheer number of options is still quite overwhelming. At the moment, we are a little short on space as our house-moving has been slowed down and interrupted by COVID-19 restrictions. So SPACE is currently an issue! What to do when space is an issue? I ..read more

1. Take everyone’s advice with a pinch of salt. Parental instincts are 99% right.  Never go with what others tell you worked for them.  Do what you feel is right. Close the books and listen to your baby.  Your Mummy instincts are rarely wrong; you just have to listen to them. 2. Breast is best but don’t beat yourself up over it! Breastfeeding can really really hurt and most new mums are unprepared for days and maybe weeks of tortuous pain before the baby can latch on properly. 3. Sleep when you can. Instead of trying to catch up on housework, catch up on sleep instead. You will ..read more

The Oprah Winfrey interview with Meghan Markle brought not just a whirlwind of discussion on racism, but a much needed focus on perinatal depression. Perinatal depression is depression which exists during and after pregnancy. Most people have only heard of postnatal depression which only occurs after birth, but depression during pregnancy (also known as prenatal depression) is very real and should not be overlooked. Why Markle’s suicidal thoughts resonate with me and millions of others suffering from perinatal depression Meghan’s suicidal thoughts during pregnancy has been hotly debated on Tw ..read more

On my journey to eating healthy, I switched to buying all organic produce to avoid pesticides and in the hope of reducing health risks commonly blamed on chemicals. Unfortunately, my weekly supermarket bill has doubled since buying organic! My poor bank balance has depleted horribly which has made me seriously question: Is it really worth buying organic? Or is it just a waste of money? Can we avoid pesticides by eating organic? This is the confusing part as there are differing opinions! Upon research, I found earlier studies proving organic food was better for our health and they were the bes ..read more

Parenting can be tough, so sometimes we may need a little reminding why being a parent is a blessing. These short inspirational parenting quotes will inspire you to enjoy every moment and become a better parent. 1. “A baby fills a place in your heart that you never knew was empty” – Anonymous 2. “Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry they are always watching you” – Robert Fulghum 3. “We never know the love of a parent till we become parent ourselves” – Henry Ward Beechers 4. “The problem with being a parent is that by the time you are experienced, you are usually unemployed ..read more

Whether your child is preparing for entrance into independent schools or grammar schools, and whether you are in London or Manchester, the 11 Plus entrance exams are designed to stretch and challenge the depth of children’s understanding particularly in Maths. It can be extremely overwhelming when you have no idea how and what to prepare your child for! What kind of questions will they test them on? How hard will the exams be? How quickly will they have to work? Do not fear, as the answer is here: we have constructed a list of the top 7 maths topics every child should master in order to ..read more