3 in 5 parents couldn’t save their child’s life, survey finds
A survey of 2,500 mothers by UK supermarket Tesco suggests that 60% of new parents wouldn’t know what to do in an emergency where their child’s life was in danger.
Less than 10% of new parents have had child first aid training in the past 12 months, and 24% said that they badly needed a refresher course.
Vote for best kids’ activities in Britain, raise money for Children in Need
October 16, 2007 by andy · Leave a Comment
From 1st November, Britain’s parents (and indeed, anyone else) can vote for the best kids’ activities in the UK.
Every vote cast in November will see 5p donated to the BBC’s Children in Need appeal.
The What’s On 4 Little Ones 2008 awards, sponsored by pioneering food company Organix, are now in their second year.
This year, the awards are bigger than ever, covering 20 different categories ranging from Best Antenatal Class to Best Messy Play Class.
The awards are divided into three categories: national, for activities that are available in more than one area of the UK; local, for activities that are based in one area of the UK, and a set of special awards.
Parents can vote online for the national awards. The other awards are being judged by an independent panel, which includes broadcaster, author and mother-of-two Alice Beer. All the winners will be announced in March 2008.
The awards also include the Organix Make A Difference Food Award, which
will go to any class or activity that has made a difference by introducing
healthy food choices.
What’s On 4 Little Ones co-founder Sam Willoughby said, “We wanted to give parents a chance to say thank you to the many class teachers and activity organisers across the UK. We’ve gained such enjoyment from reading the nominations - so often activities provide a lifeline to parents.”
There have already been more than 300 nominations for the awards, and
theres still time to nominate your favourite local activity before the
closing date of October 31 2007.
Visit www.whatson4littleones.co.uk for more info.
Toddlers’ TV favourites to feature on new interactive web site for preschoolers
September 17, 2007 by andy · Leave a Comment
A new website — ClickAndPlay.com — has launched to encourage computer literacy amongst preschoolers, helping to boost their self-confidence at increasingly IT-centric schools.
To add to the fun, various hit TV characters, including Bob the Builder, feature on the site.
Users can sign up for a free subscription to the site, though it does require a PC-only piece of software to be downloaded and installed.
According to British Education Communication and Technology Agency (BECTA), the UK is ranked fourth in Europe for the highest number of internet connected computers in schools.
Alastair Gregory, MD of ClickandPlay, said that children shouldn’t spend hours in front of a computer, at the detriment of physical exercise and social skills, but that it’s as vital for preschoolers to learn how to use a computer mouse as it is how to hold a pencil.
“Parents can help prepare their child for school by adding computer time into their day-to-day play,” he said.
ClickandPlay features a range of interactive games that teach a child how to move a mouse around a screen, how to move forward and back to new pages, how to use a keyboard and how to send emails. Children love the email application as they can send a letter, with their parents help, to their favourite character, and then receive a personalised e-mail in return, written in the character’s tone of voice.
Other features include an art package that allows children to draw and paint in ClickandPlay. They receive backgrounds, stamps and animated stickers at the beginning of their subscription and can earn more as they do the activities and win stars. These can be used to make art that can be printed out or sent to the characters.
It’s good to talk: 30,000 words a day from 0 to 3 will bring academic success
August 14, 2007 by andy · Leave a Comment
Children under the age of 3 need to hear 30,000 words from their parents and caregivers to ensure optimal language development and academic success.
The Power of Talk research study has found that, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic factors, kids who converse regularly with their parents do much better educationally.
Parents warned on dangers of sun damage to children’s eyes
August 10, 2007 by andy · Leave a Comment
The sight charity Eyecare Trust is warning parents that they should protect their children’s eyes from the sun, or put them at risk of permanent damage to their sight.
A child’s eyes are at greater risk of damage from ultraviolet light because the pupils are larger and lenses clearer, which means up to 70% more UV light reaches the retina than in an adult’s eye. As it is, eyes are ten times more sensitive to UV light that skin.
Study suggests educational DVDs and TV may not be so good for baby after all
This article was first published at Tech Digest:
A new study from researchers at the University of Washington suggests that using educational TV and DVD, such as the “Baby Einstein” and “Brainy Baby” series, or “Sesame Street”, may not be as beneficial for babies and young children as many hoped.
It’s hardly a crime for parents to let their children watch some TV, and if it’s teaching them something too, so much the better (at least, better than letting them watch Big Brother). Even so, the study suggests that for every hour per day that babies watch these DVDs and videos, they learn six to eight fewer new vocabulary words than babies who hadn’t watched them.
Now, parents being told what’s best for their kids by University boffins often leads to emotions running high. While these studies suggest that children who sit passively in front of TV shows don’t do as well educationally, child-raising is a helluva lot more complicated than that.
D&D video game couple neglects children
July 16, 2007 by andy · Leave a Comment
A 22-month-old boy and 11-month-old girl were found severely malnourished and near death in the home of a Nevada couple who were so engrossed in a Dungeons and Dragons video game that they neglected to feed and care for them.
Doctors treated the boy for starvation and a genital infection. He lacked muscle development, causing him difficulty walking.
Hospital staff had to shave the girl’s head because her hair had been matted with cat urine. The 10-pound girl also had a mouth infection, dry skin and severe dehydration.
The prosecutor says the couple had food, but just chose not to give it to their kids.
Twins, Triplets & More Week: Top tips for the first year with twins or more
July 2, 2007 by linda · Leave a Comment
This week is Tamba’s Twins, Triplets & More Week - which sees parenting groups across the country celebrate the special bond that multiple birth children enjoy.
It also helps raise awareness of some of the unique challenges that families who find themselves blessed in this way can face.
Like any family, the first year, and those chaotic first months can be the toughest.
Here’s my list of top tips for how to survive the first year with twins, triplets or more:
1. Accept all offers of help from friends and family.
2. Prioritise as much as you can - don’t feel your house has to be like a show home - keep things clean but please don’t beat yourself up if they’re not tidy!
3. Learn what your telephone answer machine is for - don’t feel bad if you don’t have the energy to talk to anyone who calls in the evening.
4. Find out about any local groups for families with twins, triplets or more. (More details through Tamba or Twinsclub)
5. Try your best to establish a routine and stick to it. But please don’t stress if it all seems too much. All babies are different, even if they were born minutes or seconds apart.
6. Recognise that caring for babies takes up a lot of energy. Regardless of who leaves the house and gets paid for it, if you are with a partner, you are both working!
7. Get as much rest as you can - if the kids are napping - you can too.
8. Don’t let crying get to you - take time out if needs be.
9. Ring Tamba’s Twinline on 0800 138 0509 if it all gets too much.
10. Find friendship and support online: As well as Tamba and Twinsclub, Twinlets also has a very friendly forum.
Linda Jones is mum to Emily and Melissa, aged eight. She is a former editor of Twins, Triplets & More magazine and has written for a wide variety of publications on multiple birth issues. Catch up with Linda’s blog at Got Your Hands Full.
Little Helper Fun Pod: food, fun, and safety for toddlers in the kitchen
April 16, 2007 by andy · Leave a Comment
There are over 42,500 toddlers under the age of 5 who are taken to UK hospitals because of kitchen related accidents every year, and that number doesnt take into account the thousands of minor accidents that are remedied by a cuddle and a bit of TLC.
The Little Helper Fun Pod is an innovative new product that not only keeps toddlers out of harm’s way but also encourages them to get involved in the kitchen.The Fun Pod provides the toddler with a safely constructed platform, enabling them to see what’s happening in the kitchen, being able to interact with their parents, but without any danger of toppling over. Read more
Early learning of good eating habits requires good parental role model
February 24, 2007 by andy · 3 Comments
Though it’s not groundbreaking news, the preschool years are the most important time for parents to teach about a healthy diet, by offering a variety of food choices, having regular meal and snack times, and modelling good health themselves.
“Parents face many feeding obstacles as their children reach 2 years old,” said Judith Levine, R.D., M.S. “A child’s appetite may decrease as growth slows, outside influences from television or other children start to impact a child’s food choices, and some children start to decline foods and beverages they once enjoyed as they start using utensils or switch from bottle to sippy cup.”
TinyBigs launches in UK: keeping toddlers’ trousers up!
February 20, 2007 by andy · Leave a Comment
The trouble with toddlers’ falling trousers could be a thing of the past, thanks to the launch of TinyBigs in the UK.
Already a hit in the US after just a year, they’re a fashionable and comfortable clip and cotton-backed magnet that attaches to the trousers and top, thus solving the problem of gravitational trousers.
