• Family Life

    Why the school may not react well if your child is being bullied

    November 12, 2019 - By 

    Disclosure – this is a guest post by the UK’s first Children’s Happiness Coach, Simon Benn. (image credit) I was once called into a school to do some happiness workshops but they didn’t really want to tell me why. When I pressed them for a brief, I was told: “to encourage the Year 4s to be nicer to one another in the playground, especially the girls.” Bullying was not mentioned. On the day they’d booked me I was sitting in reception waiting for the teacher to collect me before the first session. A mother who’d just dropped off her daughter…

  • How to make Graduation Cap Oreo Cookies
    Crafts for adults - food crafts

    How to make Graduation Cap Oreo Cookies

    June 20, 2019 - By 

    As much as we’re looking forward to the Summer, a part of me is feeling a little sad that my youngest is soon to graduate from Infant School. She’s been busy practising her lines for her Leavers Assembly as she has a few lines to say. We’ve been shopping for her outfit too and I’ve finally managed to get her in a dress, albeit a shirt dress. We’ve been planning our Teacher gifts but I thought it would be fun to make some Graduation Cap Oreo Cookies to celebrate her last day of school. Graduation Cap Oreo Cookies ingredients: Ghirardelli…

  • How to decorate simple Graduation Pretzel Rods
    Crafts for kids - food crafts

    How to decorate simple Graduation Pretzel Rods

    June 5, 2019 - By 

    After a great half term we are looking forward to the end of term and our summer holiday adventures. There’s no doubt this will be a long term with 7 weeks until the start of the summer holidays but it will be a good term. We’ve already started to think about our end of year teacher gifts as well as graduation gifts for my daughter who will be finishing at Infant School. We’ve been playing around with our Graduation Pretzel Rods and can’t wait to show you how to make them and celebrate graduation! Graduation Pretzel Rods basic ingredients: Pretzel…

  • Keeping in touch with the classroom via ClassDojo
    Family Life

    Keeping in touch with the classroom via ClassDojo

    March 11, 2019 - By 

    My favourite part of the day is rushing home from work to pick my children up. I really miss them during the day, and working in a school has made me realise just how much goes on at school. My 8 year old will tell me exactly what he got up to, who he talked to, the person he sat next to at lunch and what arguments happened in the class room. My 7 year old is the complete opposite. When I ask her what she has got up to she will say she can’t remember! She might eventually remember…

  • Treads indestructible school shoes for girls
    Family Life

    Treads indestructible school shoes for girls

    February 28, 2019 - By 

    Can you believe we’re already half way through the school year? This scares me a little as the year is going so quickly. It means I have survived a term and a half working in a secondary school, and that my children are halfway through Year 4 and Year 2. I’ve had both their Parents Evenings in the past few weeks and am so proud of the great reports they received. They both enjoy school and I love how involved they are in school life. I like to think they both get a lot and give a lot. One thing…

  • Family Life

    Keeping kids safe online

    September 16, 2018 - By 

    Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash When I went to school back in the 1990s I remember my computer lessons being very limited. The computer room was basically a cupboard which wasn’t even big enough to take a whole class. Everything was very basic and didn’t really pique my interest. Fast forward to my Uni years and I was given an email address but I barely used a computer, except for typing up my coursework. My experiences put me off computers and if it wasn’t for my husband, I really doubt I would be a blogger and enjoy social media so much. He…

  • Life isn’t Uniform
    Family Life - school

    M&S Back to School – Life isn’t Uniform

    June 7, 2018 - By 

    I don’t know about you but I’m both excited and sad about the count down until the Summer holidays. The Summer term is my favourite as there are so many lovely events going on. But it’s bittersweet as life with children goes so quickly and my children seem to be growing up far too soon. Recently M&S got in touch to invite me to participate in their latest campaign around school uniform. Love it or loathe, school uniform is a huge part of my childhood memories, and will be a big part of my children’s too. I have quite fond…

  • A healthy packed lunch for school with GoGo squeeZ
    parenting - school

    A healthy packed lunch for school with GoGo squeeZ

    September 26, 2017 - By 

    With my son starting a new school and going into Year 3 I’ve been tasked with providing a healthy packed lunch for him very day. Free school meals were an amazing bonus and I was sad when he was no longer eligible to receive them. He asked to try packed lunches, partly I think he was fed up of queuing for lunch, so I’ve been trying to make healthy packed lunches for him. As well as a packed lunch my son is able to take a healthy snack for break time. I’m fortunate that he enjoys fruit and enjoys a…

  • Getting ready for September {ECCO shoes review}
    parenting - school

    Getting ready for back to school {ECCO shoes review}

    August 6, 2017 - By 

    Our class WhatsApp group has been surprisingly busy during the first two weeks of the school holidays. There has been lots of chatter about school uniform, a subject close to my heart. My children seem to grow quicker during the holidays than they do at any other time of the year. We have already been clothes shopping as my daughter has gone through the knees of all her trousers so I couldn’t help but pick up some school uniform items too. Every year the list of things needed for school seems to get longer. My son starts in a new…