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Mamma Fairy

Mamma Musings

Is My Child Ready for a Phone?

Mobile phones are a great way for us to keep in touch with our family anytime and anywhere. However, when is the right time to let your child have a phone? Read on for some helpful advice from an independent day school in Abingdon…

The Law

You may be surprised to learn that there is no legal age to own a mobile phone. Therefore, the right age to allow your child to have their first phone is really up to you as parents. To help you decide if your child is ready to own their first phone, ask yourself these two questions:

  • Do you trust your child to use a phone sensibly?
  • And are they mature enough to look after one?

Secondary School

It is common for parents to wait until their child starts secondary school, before they let them have a phone. At this age, children begin to make their own journeys to and from school, and socialise with friends in their spare time.

Which Phone?

social media icons

Pic Credit: Pixabay

If you are considering purchasing your child’s first phone, a basic ‘feature’ phone might be a good option. This type of phone will allow your child to call or text you, without the risk of browsing the web unsupervised. Feature phones are also a cheaper alternative to smart phones, which may lessen the worry of the phone becoming lost or damaged. Alternatively, a smart phone does offer the added advantage of GPS technology. This allows parents to track their child’s location and can even help you to locate your child’s phone if it is lost or stolen.

Phone Safety

If you decide that your child is ready to have a mobile phone, it is essential to discuss the importance of using it safely and responsibly. You should also help your child to set up their phone and add important contacts in case of an emergency. If your child will have internet access on their new phone, be sure to add any necessary parental controls and discuss online safety.

Hopefully this advice will help you to decide when your child is ready for a phone and will also help to ensure they use one safely.

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Mamma Musings

Affordable Hobbies To Try With Your Kids

Doing hobbies as a family is a great way to strengthen family bonds and spend quality time together. Hobbies will also allow you to have fun new experiences, learn new skills and make lots of exciting memories. There is an endless choice of low-cost or free activities that you can do as a family. Here are some affordable hobbies to try with your kids.

Cooking

Cooking and baking as a family will teach your kids valuable skills that will benefit them in later life. It is also a fun way to spend time together and educate your kids on the importance of a healthy diet and good nutrition. You can make cooking more enjoyable by giving your kids the freedom to pick new recipes that they would like to cook. You could also try ordering a cooking subscription box from Compass Cooks. These boxes are specially designed to get kids interested in cooking by delivering a monthly food box containing exciting easy-to-follow recipes from around the world.

Gardening

Gardening will encourage your kids to get outdoors and enjoy some fresh air. It is also a good workout that will help your family get the recommended exercise and increase their overall fitness levels. Along with the physical benefits, gardening also has therapeutic properties and can be a great way to relax and unwind. According to advice on minigarden, you can encourage your kids to try gardening by planting interesting plants and flowers, giving them a dedicated plot in your backyard, and starting a family gardening journal. You can also try growing fruit and vegetables in your garden such as tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and beets. Once harvested, you can cook tasty family meals using fresh home-grown ingredients.

Hiking

hiking

Pic Credit: Pixabay

Hiking is a cheap hobby that offers fantastic health benefits. Not only is hiking an excellent source of physical exercise, but it can also boost your mental health and wellbeing. This is because exercise releases chemicals that increase feelings of happiness and reduce stress. Going for regular hikes as a family will help you stay fit and allow you to enjoy time outdoors in natural surroundings. You can look for hikes in your local area by searching for recommendations online. Make sure that you choose a route that will suit the fitness levels and abilities of your family and remember to pack plenty of water and energy-rich snacks. Another fun way to enjoy hiking is by visiting a national park. There is a good selection of national parks across the UK and you can take part in many exciting outdoor activities including hiking, kayaking or cycling. You can find nearby parks by visiting the National Parks UK website.

Final thoughts

Having new experiences doesn’t have to break the bank. Trying new hobbies is a fun pastime that has plenty of benefits including learning new skills and improving your lifestyle. There are dozens of fun and low-cost activities that you can enjoy with your family. Try doing the above hobbies with your kids to reconnect and bring your family closer.

Doing hobbies as a family is a great way to strengthen family bonds and spend quality time together. Hobbies will also allow you to have fun new experiences, learn new skills and make lots of exciting memories. There is an endless choice of low-cost or free activities that you can do as a family. Here are some affordable hobbies to try with your kids.

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Teaching Your Kids to Respect Other Cultures

Teaching your children about the many cultures of the world is a great way for them to learn how to respect and celebrate diversity. It will also give your kids a deeper understanding of the traditions and customs their school friends may follow. The ability to respect other cultures is a skill that will benefit your child throughout their lifetime.

Here are some great tips from an independent girls’ school in Surrey, on how you can teach your kids to respect other cultures…

Make a calendar

kids globe classroom

Pic Credit: Pixabay

A really fun way to teach your kids about other cultures is to make a calendar of holidays and traditions celebrated around the world. For example, Chinese New Year, Diwali, Hanukkah and Ramadan. Add these events to your calendar and use each one as an opportunity to teach your child about the celebrations that are taking place across the globe. Discuss the people, the religion, the music, the food and any other interesting facts about the special occasion.

Get cooking

Expand your child’s cultural awareness through food. By cooking together you can introduce your child to many different foods from around the world. In addition, your child will learn about various ingredients, utensils and dining etiquettes shared by other cultures.

Watch and learn

Reading books and watching documentaries is an ideal way for your child to learn about different cultures and traditions. Books and media can help to transport us to anywhere in the world and experience new lifestyles. Spend time with your child exploring various cultures online and by reading books together.

Be a good role model

It is important for parents to be good role models and demonstrate cultural empathy and sensitivity. Parents must lead by example and always embrace diversity. If you are not open-minded about other people, you can’t expect your child to be. When your child asks questions, use them as an opportunity to help your child understand and respect cultural and ethnic differences.

 

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Mamma Musings

Why is Reading so Important for Children?

Reading offers so many benefits to children. Reading not only helps learning, but it can also be used for entertainment and relaxation. Whether your child has already developed a passion for reading or they are just starting out, here are some great reasons why parents should encourage reading at home…

Vocabulary

Regular reading of books, websites, magazines or other written materials has been proven to increase your vocabulary. When your child discovers new words, ask them to use a dictionary, or the internet to learn their meaning. This will help to enhance their vocabulary and will also benefit their writing skills.

Knowledge

kids reading

Pic Credit: Pixabay

The more you read, the more you learn! New Beacon School believes that by encouraging your child to read regularly, you can help to expand their knowledge and spark their imagination. This will not only benefit them academically, but it will also benefit their social skills too.

Writing

Reading often will help your child to learn good sentence structure and the rhythm of words. They will also learn how to write well and how to effectively tell a story. If your child has a favourite story, you could set them a challenge to re-write their own ending to it.

Relaxation

If your child struggles with anxiety or has trouble sleeping, reading could be the answer! Following a good story can help your child to forget about their worries for a while. Next time your
child feels stressed, introduce them to a new book and let their imagination take them away to
somewhere new.

How can parents encourage reading?

Parents can encourage reading by incorporating it into everyday activities. Even something as simple as asking your child to read a recipe or a menu can be great practice. It is also important to show an interest in your child’s reading and ask questions about what they are reading at school. Reading together at bedtime is a nice way to show your interest and keep up a good routine.

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Features

What are the Benefits of School Trips?

School trips are an ideal way to extend learning outside of the classroom. There are many benefits associated with school trips. They not only provide fun learning opportunities, but they also help to develop a number of academic and personal skills.

Educational trips usually begin at nursery, with something like a bug hunt in a local park. However, as children get older, school trips can take students to many exciting destinations around the world!

These trips are arranged by nurseries, schools and colleges to support all kinds of subjects, such as geography, history and science, as well as languages.

St Hilda’s School in Harpenden believes that school trips are an important part of children’s education and here are some of their reasons why…

  • Educational trips allow children to immerse themselves in what they are learning. This is not only more fun, but it is also more memorable. For example, it is one thing to read about a historic event in a textbook, but to actually stand in the exact spot where the event happened is quite a different learning experience!

    child reading

    Pic Credit: Pixabay

  • For older students there may be opportunities to travel abroad with their school. This experience can help to support personal development, as well as enhance a number of academic skills. For example, a trip to Spain can be very beneficial to children learning Spanish at school. This is because it allows children to fully immerse in the language, food and culture.
    Educational trips allow children to become more independent. They also encourage the development of personal skills, which can help students to build up their confidence. Furthermore, travelling with classmates on a school trip is not only fun and exciting, but it can help children to form new friendships.
  • School trips can be used to motivate students. Teachers and parents can use the prospect of a school trip to encourage good behaviour and hard work.
  • Finally, relationships between teachers and students often strengthen during school trips. This is due to spending more social time together. This can help students to show more respect for their teachers and improve the overall behaviour of a class.

 

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Features

Building a Relationship with Your Child’s Teachers

A good parent and teacher relationship is essential to a student’s academic success. The more information shared between parents and teachers, the more your child will benefit.

Here is some great advice from an independent school in Letchworth Garden City, on how to build a successful teacher and parent relationship…

Attendance

Good attendance and punctuality will help to give a good impression to your child’s teacher.  Time management is not only an important life-skill for your child, but it can also help to build good relationships with teachers. This is because good attendance shows that you value your child’s education and appreciate the teacher’s hard work.

Parents Evenings

kids at school

Pic Credit: Pixabay

‘Parent Evenings’ are an ideal opportunity for parents and teachers to communicate. Parents can find out how well their children are progressing at school and teachers can give advice to support learning at home. These events are vital to your child’s development and should not be missed. Use this valuable time with your child’s teacher to discuss any concerns you may have about your child.

After School

If you need to discuss an important issue and cannot wait until parents evening, it is important to find a suitable time. Parents often try to speak to teachers in the morning, when they drop their child into class. However, this isn’t always the best time for teachers. They will be busy getting their class organised for the day ahead. Instead it is best to wait until the end of the day, when the children have left, or arrange an appointment with the school office.

Thank you

A simple ‘thank you’ can go a very long way. Parents can establish a good relationship with a teacher by providing positive feedback. If your child has enjoyed a particular lesson, let the teacher know or encourage your child to tell them. You could also arrange a thank you gift at the end of term to show just how much their hard work is appreciated.

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Features

Cycling: How will things change post-lockdown?

Cycling: How will things change post-lockdown?

By Catherine Bedford, Dashel

Cycling has become more popular than ever during lockdown, as people dusted off their old bikes to enjoy the outdoors when they are taking their daily exercise. Now, with people returning to work, increasing numbers of are planning to commute by bike. This is great to avoid using public transport and spares using the car. 

But how is cycling likely to change as we enter this new normal?

Will it stay popular? 

cycling

Pic Credit: Pixabay

Yes, I think that once people realise the benefits of cycling, they’ll be happy to continue. Firstly, if you’re cycling to work, you’re getting your daily exercise in the time when you’d previously have been sat on a bus or a train. This, in turn, saves you time going to the gym in the evening, freeing up time for you to spend with loved ones. 

Secondly, people are happier in their locality when cycling. As they move more slowly through their commute; they can learn more about the local area, spy shops and cafes that they might like to visit or find a green spot that they might like to go to with family at the weekend. You can also get some good old-fashioned fresh air.

Staying safe 

It’s vital to be safe and being as visible as possible to other road users is essential. But this doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Cyclists should ensure they’re legal and as safe as they can be while sticking within their budgets. For example, you don’t have to be clad head-to-foot in day-glow to be seen – a high-visibility sash that you can wear over your coat, and costs as little as around £8.00, will still ensure you’re seen.

Helmets are extremely important for safety. If you aren’t a fan of the traditional helmet shapes, there are some nice stylish ones out there these days!

New cyclists may not have realised that there are more routes than they’d have imagined where they can cycle away from cars. These cycle lanes really help keep you safe!

Will cycling fashion change?

I think that as people cycle more there will be a move towards more natural fibres. This will help ensure that they don’t arrive at their destination hot and sweaty. People will be far keener to wear cotton than polyester, for example. 

Already popular is wicking fabrics, which are breathable and help to wick away sweat. You may be surprised how much wicking fabric you already own. The chances are your trendy yoga gear is fine for getting on a bike with.  

I’d always go for comfort over fashion but, if you want to be a fashionable cyclist, there’s plenty of great, stylish fashion-wear out there and I think as people get more used to cycling as a way of life, they’ll find their own cycling style. Also, when new cyclists realise how much money they’re saving on travel expenses, they might start to invest those savings in specialist or stylish kit. 

I have one thing to say to all of you new and returning cyclists: Enjoy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Catherine Bedford is Founder of Dashel. Dashel offers a range of slim, ventilated, lightweight cycle helmets manufactured in the UK. With a distinctive urban feel Dashel Helmets are made from recyclable materials – ensuring that they are low impact at the point of manufacture and produce very little waste at the end of life. The new Re-Cycle helmet will be ground down into new helmets at the UK factory when it is finished with. The helmets are portable, sold packaged in a handy rucksack that means there is no superfluous packaging. They come in an array of classic colours. Choose from black, blue, sage green and red. Dashel helmets are £79 and available from all good cycle shops and online at Dashel.co.uk

Mamma Reviews

Smoothie Recipes we love

My kids aren’t always great for eating sufficient fruit and veg however one thing I can get them to eat/ drink with no complaints are smoothies. With Winter not far away and the added pressure of Covid I have been making a huge effort to up their fruit and veg nutrient content.  For me anyway I find smoothies a huge help to get the little people in our house to eat vegetables.  Surprisingly one of the big hits is a beetroot smoothie.

Beetroot-berry-kale-and-banana-smoothieI’m not particular about the quantities so roughly to make two children’s portions of the Mamma Fairy beetroot smoothie I use:

  • 2 cooked beets
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 apple
  • 3 small celery stalk
  • cup of water to give it a lighter consistency
  • some ice

There are so many variants of this smoothie based around beetroots for example substitute the apple and carrot for banana and kale. For us that’s half the fun trying out what works.

 

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Features

Travel Upgrades That Make Family Vacations Easier

Traveling as a family is such an enjoyable experience, but it can be quite challenging as well. To make things easier for your family, take into consideration these travel upgrades that help lighten the load for your trip. 

All-Inclusive Deals

Planning a trip for your whole family can take a really long time. There are so many variables to consider, which is why opting for an all-inclusive deal can save you a ton of worries. These types of deals are made with families in mind, and have the top three necessities:

  1. Hotel or accommodations
  2. Food 
  3. Entertainment 
aircraft

Pic Credit: Pixabay

If you want to get away, don’t have time to plan, or just prefer to have someone else handle it, then go for all-inclusive packages. Remember to read reviews on deals and hotels before choosing; they are usually the best indication of whether the deal is good or not.

Private Transportation

Getting to and from places with a family can be a real hassle. You’ve got luggage, kids, strollers, and more to think about. What are some of the advantages you get with private transportation?

  • You can reserve the transport for yourself 
  • Get where you need to go in time
  • Make sure you have enough space for all your luggage 
  • Comfortable seating for the whole family
  • More safety 

Having a private transportation option like Premiermini Cabs is truly one of the best ways to start and end a trip. 

Fast Passes 

Having a PSA Precheck, Global entry, or other fast check-in options shaves of hours of waiting, a great bonus for families with little kids, since waiting can really take a toll on them and their parents. 

Fast Passes are also an excellent tool to have at theme parks or other vents, basically anywhere where you don’t get caught waiting for an extended period. It can be a significant investment, but it pays off in fewer tantrums and more fun!  

Upgrade Your Travel

Getting upgraded to the better class in your transport choice can change the whole trip. Just consider that having a little more can turn an experience from uncomfortable to enjoyable.

That’s not the only perk; you’ll also get better food, board before other passengers, and have preferential treatment. 

Get Ready for Flying 

aircraft interior

Pic Credit: Pixabay

One of the best things to do is to prepare kids for flying is to make sure that they have plenty to keep themselves occupied for the flight including entertainment, snacks, and a travel pillow for just in case they want to take a nap.

Bigger Rooms

One of the best upgrades you can splurge on to make your family vacation go smoothly is a bigger room or accommodations. This is one becomes more important as kids get older and need their own space; it also benefits parents that can take advantage of having their own space. 

Don’t forget, with both kids and grown-ups, one of the keys to a great vacation is being well-rested and comfortable. 

At the end of the day, these upgrades are an investment that you’re not likely going to regret. They enhance your holidays, so you can truly enjoy time with your family in the best way possible.

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Features

Green Living Tips for Families

Creating a greener household can bring about countless rewards. In particular, adopting eco-friendly habits will reduce your carbon footprint and teach your family the importance of protecting the environment. Becoming more sustainable can also reduce your household expenses and boost your family’s savings. Luckily, there are countless simple ways for your family to become more eco-friendly. Here are some of the best green living tips for families:

Switch to renewable energy 

ipad

Pic Credit: Pixabay

Switching to renewable energy can have a significant impact on your carbon footprint and significantly lower carbon emissions. Unlike traditional fossil fuels, renewable energy is generated from natural sources and releases no harmful pollution into the atmosphere. Renewable energy can also save families money on their utility bills as it is typically much cheaper than electricity from the main grid. If you are considering switching to renewable energy, then one of the most popular options is to have solar panels installed on the roof of your home. Your solar system should provide you with a reliable source of electricity year-round and could result in annual savings of £160-£430, according to Green Match. You also have the option to switch to a green energy provider that generates electricity from renewable sources such as solar or wind. 

Reduce food waste 

The average family creates large volumes of household food waste each day. Much of this waste ends up in landfills, where it slowly decomposes and releases carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions. You can easily reduce your food waste by adopting sustainable habits in your household. Here are some of the best ways to cut your food waste: 

  • Plan meals in advance and only buy items that you need for the week. 
  • Check expiry dates and make sure that you eat food before it goes off. You should also store food correctly to extend its shelf life. 
  • Grow fruit and vegetables in your garden. 
  • Eat leftovers the next day rather than throwing them out. 
  • Choose food items and products with the least amount of packaging. 

Buy sustainable clothing

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Pic Credit: Pixabay

The clothing industry produces huge amounts of waste, and surveys show that the average person throws away 70 pounds of clothing each year. Fast fashion is contributing large volumes of pollution and having a detrimental impact on our environment. With that in mind, families should make an effort to become more sustainable when it comes to their clothing. One of the easiest ways to make your clothing greener is by purchasing quality items from ethical brands such as yuniont.com. Purchasing high-quality clothing items will reduce the need to buy new clothing as frequently, thus helping to minimize waste. Buying second-hand clothing from charity stores is another great way to recycle clothing and reduce the amount of waste associated with the clothing industry. 

Conclusion

There are endless ways to make your household greener. Teaching your family about the importance of sustainability is crucial, particularly when we are in an age of environmental decline. Try implementing the above tips to reduce carbon emissions, create a healthier living environment, and save money.

 

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