UK TV Watch: 1st-7th May 2009

Welcome to the Family Relationships Magazine weekly roundup of family/relationships TV highlights for the coming week.

Please be aware that these are generally programmes about families and relationships, and are not necessarily suitable for all-age/family viewing.

Friday 1st May

If spying on celebrity couples is your thing, and you’re not sick of them yet, then Katie & Peter: Stateside (ITV2, 10pm) is for you. This week, Katie meets her new horse which has just come out of quarantine after being flown over to America.

Alternatively, there’s sure to be some cringeworthy material in Celebrity Wife Swap (10.05pm, E4) as eighties pop star Sinitta trades places with Sandra, the wife of actor Bruce Jones.

Saturday 2nd May

Take on the Takeaway (11.30am, BBC1) sees Ken Hom trying to convince a busy couple that it is possible to cook quick and healthy food instead of relying on the local Chinese takeaway.

Family quizzes your thing? Try the new series of All Star Mr & Mrs (6.20pm ITV1) which sees Boyzone’s Keith Duffy and his wife Lisa, Brigitte Nielsen and Mattia, and Peter Shilton and Sue battle it out to see who knows the most about their other half.

Tuesday 5th May

The second part of the fourth series of Born to be Different (9pm, Channel 4) follows six disabled children who have features in the series since birth. This time, we see them aged nine. Each child has their own particular battle to fight; some face major operations, some require constant support and medication; and for one it’s a battle just to stay alive.

More celebrity following in Claire Richards: My Big Fat Wedding (9pm, BBC3). The former Steps singer sets out to shed some pounds from her size 20 frame in time for her wedding, a task which sees her face off with the paparazzi.

Wednesday 6th May

The World’s Strictest Parents (8pm, BBC3) continues as teenagers Lizzie Pol and Stefan Alvarez travel to Ghana to live with a middle-class Christian couple who prioritise chores and ban the pair from romantic relationships.

Thursday 7th May

A new four-part documentary series, Keep it in the Family (9pm, BBC2), follows the family of Gary Don, who has dedicated his career to the family auction house and has persuaded his 28-year-old son Jamie to pick up the mantle.

On Channel 4 at 9pm, Madeleine Was Here looks at how parents Kate and Gerry are dealing with the lack of knowledge about their daughter’s whereabouts, two years on from her disappearance.

Real-life wedding preps, under the camera of course, in Don’t Tell the Bride (8pm, BBC3).

Gadget Watch: B(l)aby belt, Memoir digital photo frame

Welcome to Family Relationships Magazine’s weekly roundup of family-friendly gadgets.

B(l)aby belt

Though currently only a prototype, the B(l)aby belt is like a hi-fi system for the womb.

It’s a wide, contoured belt equipped with a touch-sensitive digital music player and three vibration-based speakers that effectively transmit music directly into the womb.

Based on research which suggests that music (particularly classical) may help boost children’s intelligence, Canadian design student Geof Ramsay built the device.

It’s not commercially available yet but Ramsay is looking for developers.

Read more

Memoir digital photo frame

Digital photo frames are pretty popular these days. They allow you to view the photos taken on your digital camera or stored on your PC and have all sorts of fancy features.

However, getting the images on to the frame has potentially been a stumbling block for those not so au fait with technology, particularly if the photos are prints.

Here’s a solution from Skyla. The Memoir FS80 digital photo frame is also a scanner, so you can add those printed pictures that you haven’t got round (or been able) to get onto your computer.

It has a decent eight-inch colour screen and a slot at the bottom for feeding in photographs. It can even be used as the “go-between” for getting photos onto a computer thanks to its standard USB port – the same as you find on most modern PCs and digital cameras.

It costs around £178 and will be available from the end of this month.

Product page

Celebrity Watch: Jennifer Lopez with March of Dimes, Van Outen marries Lee Mead, Salma Hayek renews vows

Welcome to Family Relationships Magazine’s weekly roundup of celebrity family news.

Jennifer Lopez tackles whooping cough

Jennifer Lopez has teamed up with March of Dimes in a US national awareness campaign about pertussis (whooping cough).

The new initiative focuses on educating new parents and their families about pertussis, a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease for infants. The campaign’s centerpiece is a series of television and radio public service announcements (PSAs) featuring Ms Lopez that are available in both English and Spanish. The PSAs, scheduled to begin airing nationally this month, encourage new and expectant parents to help protect their babies by making sure that anyone who is, or will be, in close contact with a young infant has been vaccinated against pertussis.

Van Outen and Lee Mead marry

Denise Van Outen has married Lee Mead, the star of West End hit musical “Joseph”. They first met when Van Outen judged the show to find the next star of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s stage show.

Denise was previously engaged to Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay.

Read more

Salma Hayek renews marriage vows

Actress Salma Hayek has renewed her marriage vows to Francois-Henri Pinault, just two months after they wed.

The couple had previously been engaged in 2007 but called it off in 2008.

Read more

Internet Watch: adult games sold to kids, Internet addiction, Twitter challenge benefits UNICEF

Welcome to Family Relationships Magazine’s weekly roundup of news about the Internet, particularly as it relates to children and families

Adult games sold to British kids

Trading Standards recently discovered that a number of online retailers are selling “mature” video games to children.

“The teenage volunteer visited 16 separate outlets and found that a dozen of them sold games. Only U.K stores Gamestation, Game, PC World and WH Smith refused to sell the titles.”

Read more

Children dependent on Internet

A new survey has discovered that Taiwanese children are more dependent on the Internet than ever before.

“Cartoon Network, from Feb 24 to March 23, interviewed a total of 1,001 children (aged between 7 and 14 years old) and 1,001 parents in Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung in order to find out more about the local children’s lifestyle habits. It released its survey results yesterday and found that more than 90 percent of child respondents use the Internet frequently, with nearly 50 percent of children whose age falls between 13 and 14 years old using the Internet to play online games, download music, write blogs, send e-mail or use instant message services on a daily basis.”

It’s inevitable and a trend that’s likely to be reflected in other industrialised countries across the world.

It reinforces the need for parents to remain vigilant when it comes to their children’s Internet usage, including setting rules and boundaries.

Read more

Twitter challenge raises money for UNICEF

Whether you’d heard of the “Twitter challenge” between Ashton Kutcher and CNN, or even cared, the real winners appear to have been children, as UNICEF announced on Friday that it has received $100,000 from CNN designated for the provision of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) meant to stem the spread of malaria.

Family Relationships Magazine Podcast #3

Welcome to this week’s Family Relationships Magazine podcast.

Here’s what’s covered in today’s podcast.

Contents

1. “Baby Shake” iPhone game withdrawn Link
2. CBBC Newsround survey: children generally happy Link
3. UK kids Green Think Tank to be set up

[DOWNLOAD]

Live web chat: Get Your Kids Eating Good Food Without the Fuss

Tomorrow (Friday 24th April) at 1.30pm (BST) there’s a live web chat entitled Get Your Kids Eating Good Food… Without The Fuss!.

Parent Coach Lorraine Thomas joins us live online to answer questions about encouraging your children to eat more healthily.

When you ask your little ones what they’d like for dinner, it’s usually a resounding chorus of chicken nuggets and chips! Most of us would fall off our chair if our kids asked for anything that was good for them. Instead mums are often forced to resort to ‘stealth tactics’ to get our kids to eat good food and therefore get the nutrients they need.

Research by Hovis Best of Both shows that crucial fibrous foods such as vegetables, brown or wholemeal bread and fruit are among the top things that mums struggle to get their kids eating – the very foods that help make up part of a balanced diet for growing bodies. Some of us have smuggled vegetables into foods they will eat, while others will play fun games at the dinner table or bribe them with pudding just to finish their plate. As a result, breakfast time, preparing lunchboxes and actually getting the kids of the door in the morning prove the most stressful times of day for mums.

The study shows many of us are so fed up with the constant dinner table battles that we’ve given up trying to feed our kids food they don’t like altogether. Whilst letting them pick and choose what they eat might lead to a quieter life, this often means foods like vegetables and brown bread are left to one side, in favour of unhealthy and nutritionally poor food.

Whether you’re at your wits end, or just after some tips on giving your family the best of both worlds at mealtimes, help is at hand! Chief Executive of The Parent Coaching Academy, Lorraine Thomas will be joining us in the studio to talk about giving your family a healthy diet without the fuss… Send your questions in now!

You can watch the show and send in your questions by visiting the webchats portal.

Toy Watch: Hexbugs, Fruit Factory, Roary Racing Car, Lazy Town

A selection of the latest children’s toys and games to catch our eye.

Hexbugs

For your teenager (aged 14+) these colourful little robot insects could provide some amusement. They scuttle around, detecting and avoiding obstacles and shying away from loud noises.

Available in five colours for £9.99 each from I Want One of Those.

Let’s Cook 3-in-1 Fruit Factory

With the Let’s Cook Fruit Factory there are 3 ways to get your 5-a-day portions of fruit! Safe to use, the blender allows you to turn fruit into delicious juice and smoothies or you can pour into the special lolly cases, pop into the freezer and enjoy healthy, yummy lolly pops!

Try an apple lolly or a banana smoothie! What ever your choice you’ll have fun making them with the Lets Cook Fruit Factory

Suitable for ages 5+. £19.98. Available from Kiddimax

Roary the Racing Car Light ‘em up Roary Torch

It’s time to shine with Roary’s Light ‘em up Torch!

In the daytime you can play with Roary as a car and at night you can switch him on, pull up the handle and you will be able to see in the dark. His cap and eyes glow too.

Suitable for ages 3+. £9.89. Available from Kiddimax

Lazy Town Talking & Singing Stephanie Stylin Moves

Clip on the backpack to hear phrases & on the go music, You can also dress Stephanie for a sleepover party!

Includes:

• 2 Outfits
• Comb
• Hairclip
• Sleeping bag
• Pom poms
• Charm for you to wear!

Suitable for ages 3+. £19.89. Available from Kiddimax

Family Relationships Magazine posting calendar

We’ve been a little quiet here of late, so apologies for that, but this post is to let you know that a new calendar for posts is about to go live.

This means that if you’re interested in certain subjects, you’ll have a better idea of when the latest news on that area will be published.

On Monday we’ll roundup the latest celebrity family news and take a look at what’s going on with the Internet, including security, software and new web sites.

On Tuesday we’ll take a look at technology and gadgets designed for families or that will make their lives easier, as well as reporting on the latest charity news.

On Wednesday we’ll highlight TV programmes about families coming up in the next week, as well as any notable events happening around the UK.

On Thursday there’ll be topical opinion piece plus a look at some of the latest toys and games coming onto the market.

On Friday the weekly podcast will go live (apologies for missing last week’s episode).

On Saturday there’ll be a general news roundup and on Sunday we’ll take a look at some of the highlights from family and parenting blogs.

As always, you can follow us on Twitter or get email/RSS feed updates by signing up (top right of any web page).

We’ll also publish any major / breaking news as it happens.

Empty Arms: Beautiful video shares the anguish of infertility

Empty Arms is a beautiful video created by Susan Robinson. In a simple way using music, images and words it tries to share some of the pain that couples with fertility issues face every day.

It’s a poignant video, not judgmental or accusatory, but of encouragement to friends and family to stand alongside and simply love.

Not fully understanding, not always having words, not trying to problem solve … these are all things that are just fine. Being there as a shoulder to cry on, a friendly face, someone who says “I’ll stand by you and support you as you journey through this” – that’s what’s really needed.

Take a look at TearsAndHope.com to play the video.

Guide for families coping with the death of a loved one

New book helps parents help kids deal with the grieving process

Phyllis Silverman, Harvard Professor, and Madelyn Kelly, a CBS producer and writer, have written a guide for parents who are dealing with the loss of a loved one and are trying to help their children through the process of grieving. A Parent’s Guide to Raising Grieving Children: Rebuilding Your Family after the Death of a Loved One was just published by Oxford University Press.

Silverman and Kelly both have the wisdom and experience to compassionately discuss these sensitive issues.

Silverman has spent decades researching and interviewing hundreds of bereaved families at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Children’s Room. She has received many awards for her work and is recognized internationally as a leader in the field of bereavement. The co-principal investigator of the pioneering Harvard Child Bereavement Study, her books include Widow to Widow: How the Bereaved Help Each Other and Never Too Young to Know: Death in Children’s Lives.

Kelly is a writer and television news producer, and the mother of two sons. Her husband, the writer/columnist/editor Michael Kelly, was the first American journalist to be killed in the Iraq war, in 2003. She edited a compilation of his work, Things Worth Fighting For: Collected Writing.

A PARENT’S GUIDE to RAISING GRIEVING CHILDREN offers parents wise guidance on virtually every aspect of childhood loss. Besides advice, though, parents will also find solace – and perhaps a measure of hope from this book. Drawing on groundbreaking research into what bereaved children are really experiencing, and quoting real conversations with parents and children who have walked that road, the book will allow readers to see what others have learned from mourning and surviving the death of a loved one.

As Silverman and Kelly explain, “We aren’t going to tell you how you should be feeling, what you should be doing, or how to behave. We know that no two people grieve in the same way or deal with their grief in the same way. We will give you advice, though, and try to point you in directions that might help.”

A PARENT’S GUIDE to RAISING GRIEVING CHILDREN has been praised by Dr. Phil McGraw who said, “Silverman and Kelly have written a definitive yet readable book to help parents of children who are lost in an intimidating new world of loss. At a time when the pain of loss can paralyze both thought and feeling, this guide will be a road map to coping and moving to better days. A must book in every parent’s library.”

Family Relationships Magazine Podcast #2

Welcome to the Good Friday edition of the Family Relationships Magazine Podcast.

Each week I’ll be sharing some of the week’s news stories, press releases and web sites with you.

Here’s what’s covered in today’s podcast.

Contents

1. Working parents right to ask employers for more flexible hours:
   More parents to get flexible work
   New flexible work law ‘is toothless’
2. In relationships, women set higher standards than men
3. Women irritated by celebrity baby names
4. Teachers and parents to boycott SATs in 2010
5. Marital unhappiness increases after birth of first child: Link

[DOWNLOAD]

Most British families eating at home, survey finds

Feeding a growing family can be expensive enough without dining out on a regular basis, so it’s perhaps little surprise that a new survey has found that nearly three-quarters of British families are choosing to eat home-cooked meals rather than in restaurants.

Almost three-quarters (73%) of those families asked said that they would opt for home-cooked food over takeaways.

Respondents were also less likely to spend time in the pub, with 40% of family respondents saying that they would spend more time drinking at home, while 11% were more likely to venture out to the pub in the next 12 months than they had done previously.

Families with children were shown to be more cost-conscious across these activities than single people and couples. 57% of couples and 54% of singles agreed that they would be more likely to eat at home rather than dining out.

Roughly the same percentages – 57% of couples and 55% of singles – said they would opt for home-cooked food over a takeaway. Only 31% of couples and 22% of singles said they were more likely to drink alcohol at home rather than going out, while 13% of couples and 24% of single people said they were now more likely to head out to the pub.

Other statistics included:

• 75% of families intend to spend less of their household expenditure on going out to the pub or restaurants, compared to 58% of both couples and single people
• 73% of families said they would spend less on going out to the cinema or theatre, compared to 56% of couples and 57% of singles
• 69% of families intend to cut back on sporting events, compared to 56% of couples and 51% of singles
• 63% of families will cut back on their holidays and travel, compared to 45% of couples and 46% of singles
• 56% of families intend to spend less on in-home entertainment, compared to 47% of couples and 43% of singles

So that’s the figures, but what do you think? Have you altered your food spending patterns in the current economic climate?

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