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Halloween is an exciting time of year. To help ensure you and your children can enjoy it safely, FBD Insurance has prepared some handy tips for you.

Keep “trick-or-treaters” safe

• If you let your older children go alone, make sure they stay in groups.
• Plan your trick-or-treating route before you leave and make sure the kids coming with you know where they’re going.
• Only visit places in familiar neighbourhoods.
• Avoid shortcuts and stay in well-lit areas.
• Only visits houses with lights on and avoid isolated or dark houses.
• Walk on paths and always follow the safe cross code.
• Make sure your kids know not to enter a stranger’s home under any circumstances
• Carry torches or glow sticks.
• Check all sweets and treats before eating and remember to take home some healthy options like apples and nuts as well.
• Be fire safe. Avoid bonfires and keep children away from candles, bangers, fireworks, sparklers etc. Call 112 or 999 in an emergency

Get your home trick-or-treater ready

• Remove items such as toys, bikes, garden hoses and decorations, etc. that could cause trick-or-treaters to slip or trip.
• Turn on outdoor lights and replace burnt-out bulbs.
• Sweep wet leaves from your steps, pavements and driveway.
• Restrain pets so they don’t scare or harm trick-or-treaters.
• Give trick-or-treaters treats and snacks or they’ll play a trick on you.

 Costume Safety

• Test your costumes before trick-or-treating. Ensure there’s no risk of tripping in your outfits or having allergic reactions to make-up and fabrics. Check that your child’s costume meets fire safety standards.
• Add reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.
• Avoid masks or accessories that can obstruct your kid’s vision.
• Wear comfortable shoes and stay warm.

 Tips for motorists

• Drive slowly, especially in residential areas that may have trick-or-treaters.
• Don’t overtake stopped cars that might be dropping off children.
• Make your vehicle more visible by turning on your lights, even during daylight.
• Stay alert and don’t get distracted. Keep your eyes and mind on the road.
• Pay extra attention at junctions, corners and intersections. Children might cross from anywhere and may have costumes making them less visible or obscuring their vision!
• Be very careful when starting the car, parking, or backing up – make sure there are no children behind or around your car.

Have fun and keep safe this Halloween with these tips from FBD Insurance! If your car breaks down, FBD Insurance offers 24-hour roadside and doorstep breakdown assistance coverage. Additionally, if you need help with covering your home, take a look at their home insurance options.

Note: This is a collaborative post

Moving can be one of the most stressful processes in any person’s life, even if it is being done for a positive reason. It can be hard enough for adults who truly understand the ramifications on the move, but it is generally even harder for children. For children, moving away from the familiar surroundings of a tradition home against their will can make them feel powerless and incredibly upset. It is immensely important that the children’s feelings be considered and handled properly so as to avoid any type of lingering feelings of anger and resentment. Here are some tips to make their ransition as easy as possible:

Let them know the move is coming ASAP

While you may need to shield your child from some of the details for a variety of reasons, it is best to be as honest about the process as much as possible when moving to a new home. Sharing the fact that the move is coming with the child may add stress, but it also gives the child the maximum amount of time to come to grips with inevitable. If time allows, you may want to prepare a written timeline for the move and allow the child to make a list of concerns he has so that you can address them and alleviate problems before they arise.

Allow them to be upset  if necessary

The child may go through the usual stages of grief including denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance when he is made aware of the news of the move. If the child has trouble making it to the acceptance stage, there is no shame involved in taking him to a professional who has the tools to properly intervene and help. This could be done before the move to help the child cope ahead of time, after the move if the child has trouble dealing with the situation, or both if necessary. Sometimes an outsider’s perspective is the best one to share light on what can be a difficult situation.

Try to permit them the ability to make choices

The choice to move is never within the child’s control, so giving them the task of making certain choices can help them overcome the emotion of complete powerlessness he may otherwise feel. You can let the child choose things like the color of his new bedroom in your New Tradition Home, the location of certain electronic items, or even let the child pick a nickname for your new abode. If you have the ability to spoil your child here – perhaps by promising a new toy, a television set, a computer  – you can do so if you like. However, if money is an issue, try your best to work within an affordable framework as far as what you are willing to allow the child to choose. You want them to see the move as a positive experience and sometimes a new gift, pending their cooperation and understanding, will enhance the experience further.

Don’t just talk about it; write about it

Some children may need to talk to you or – in more extreme cases – speak with a counselor when he finds out a move is coming. However, it may also be beneficial to encourage the child to write his feelings out in a diary or draw a picture if the child is young. Make sure the child knows the diary is completely private and that his thoughts will only be shared with others if he decides he wants that. Being able to freely express himself in long written passages can often make the child feel better about the move and help him deal with any stress he is experiencing.

Assure them the friends they are moving away from will not disappear

If you aren’t moving that far away, this is an easy fix as you will be able to easily assure the child that you will still be able to take him to visit his current friends. If you are moving far away, this may be a little bit more difficult, but with today’s technology, it is easier than ever to stay connected from long distances.

Whereas in the past long distance phone calls were incredibly expensive, today you can talk to anybody anywhere in the country via cellphone and do it at an affordable rate. There is also texting and all kinds of social media apps like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat which can keep kids who move stay connected to their old friends.

Even better, with the advent of video chatting, services like Skype and Tango allow you to see the face of the person you are chatting with during the conversation, making it feel as if that person is in the room with you. That kind of video technology can be especially helpful in keeping your child connected to his existing friends and allowing him to feel like his entire life is not being thrown into a frenzy.

Make them a part of the moving process

There are few things a child likes more than getting to feel like he is an adult doing grownup things, so do your best to include him or her in many of the projects related to the move. I found this great packing tips guide which should help too. Have the child label and help pack boxes, assist with cleanup and organisation in the house, and if old enough, you can even let him help you decide on which moving company you are going to use to carry out the move.  Once you get to the new house, you can have them help you there as well. Allow the child to help you unpack boxes and organise at the new house as though it is a family adventure that you can do together as a bonding exercise. What should be in each room? What colour should the walls and floors be? Should the house have carpeting and wallpaper or would it look better with bare floors and walls?

Obviously, depending on how old the child is, you will not want to leave all of the important decorating and style decisions to his/her judgement, but there is nothing wrong with using her as a sounding board for ideas. By doing that, you will make your child feel included in the moving-in process while allowing a sense of ownership as well.

Note: This is a collaborative post

David Hevey – Associate Professor, at the School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin recently researched the health behaviours of 1,280 school children, parents and teachers across Ireland. One of the findings revealed that children were spending more time on their devices than outdoors. Forensic Psychologist Dr Maureen Griffin gives some advice on screen time for children.

How much screen time is too much?

Pic Credit: Pixabay

Many parents are concerned about how much time their children will spend in front of screens. So how much is too much? How can we control it?

The American Paediatric Association (APA, 2016), recommends unplugged playtime for infants and toddlers (i.e. no screens) and a limit of 1-hour high quality programming for 2-5 year olds, with active parental involvement. For children aged 6 and older, they recommend limiting the amount of screen time so as to allow for adequate physical activity, sleep, play etc. As not all screen time is equal, it is important that we pay attention to what our children are doing online; instead of solely focusing on a specific amount of time (e.g. are they passively watching shows; playing interactive games with friends; video chatting with family/friends/strangers; creating videos/music). To support the APA’s new recommendations, they have published an online tool that allows families to create their own personalised Family Media Use Plan. Devising such a plan as a family, can greatly help in getting an appropriate balance between screen time and other activities, especially during the summer months.

The APA also provide a Media Time Calculator which helps families determine the most appropriate amount of screen time for children in different age brackets – from 18 months to 18 years. Each age bracket is set with the recommended amount of time for sleep and physical activity, allowing the user to add time in for additional categories such as school, homework, family time, meals, reading, free time etc. 

How can we control screen time?

As parents, we play a crucial role in setting good examples for our children when it comes to social media usage and screen time. By creating a Family Media Use Plan, we can set clear expectations and boundaries for everyone in the family, unique to the specific requirements of each individual family member.

In addition to modelling good practices and creating a family plan, here are three things to be mindful of:

1. Maintain good habits

Don’t undo good habits. For instance, letting devices creep into bedrooms while children are off school. The World Health Organisation, Safe Foods, and the National Sleep Foundation, have consistently demonstrated the negative health effects of having technology in bedrooms and/or using technology as a sleep aid (i.e. increased likelihood of developing childhood obesity/diabetes in later life; reduction in the amount of sleep, quality of sleep and day time alertness). Recent research has also indicated that increased night-time mobile phone use is directly associated with increased externalizing behaviour, and decreased self-esteem and coping. Despite this, the vast majority of students I speak with, who have devices in their rooms at night; admit they receive messages after midnight. It is therefore vital that we maintain bedrooms as screen free zones, all year round.

2. Be with the ones you are with  

Children, and adults alike, often admit that when they visit a friends’ house, one of the first things they do is ask for the WIFI password. While acknowledging all the amazing benefits of technology and the role social media plays in our children’s lives, we need to remind our children to be present, to be with the people they are with.  Although our children are connected 24/7 and in constant contact with their friends, they often maintain such contact in a very disconnected way -without making eye contact, without speaking, without picking up on behavioural cues/emotions.

Talk to your child about the importance of true meaningful connections with friends. Friendship is more than maintaining a ‘streak’ on Snapchat and more than someone who will ‘like’ your pictures. When their friends call over, remind your child to be present. Set aside time to be connected in real life, instead of constantly multitasking with devices. Identify ‘device-free times’ that work for you as a family (e.g. when eating, driving, walking, visiting grandparents)

Some parents control screen time during the school breaks, by changing WIFI passwords on a daily basis and only handing it over when children have earned their screen time by completing tasks in other important areas (e.g. physical activity, chores, reading). The Screen Time App may also be of use to parents who wish to limit the amount of time their children spends online. This App allows you to set time limits for your child’s device from your own phone (or browser); enable restrictions for specific Apps; pause your child’s online activity and assign tasks that must be completed to gain screen time. It also sends parents daily summaries outlining which websites and Apps their child used and for how long.

Some families engage in Tech free days during the week –Tech free Tuesdays or Tech free Thursdays. Others opt for a digital detox –disconnecting to reconnect. If attempting either, make sure to set attractive alternatives to screen time for each family member (e.g.  camps, walking/hiking, art, swimming, reading, joining a new club/sport/class)

3. Holidays and sharing

If you are going away on holiday, either here in Ireland or abroad, wait until you are home again to share all your adventures. Burglars have been known to use social media to identify empty houses, especially during holiday seasons. Talk to your children about their location settings, which can be enabled/disabled for individual apps they are using. Although children tell me “it’s not safe to share your home address”, a lot admit they have location setting enabled for a chatting App or social networking site. As most of their messages are sent from home, they can be inadvertently sharing their home address.

Also talk to children about what is okay/not okay to share while away on holidays. It is much easier to have a discussion on ‘why NOT to take a picture of mammy/daddy in their bikini/Speedos’ in advance, instead of having to claw back that image when it has been shared online.  

Explore the Laya Healthcare site for more information on family health insurance cover options or to get a health insurance quote online today.

Note: This is a collaborative post

Already looking for the Christmas deals this year? Well, look no further. Supermarkets just across the border are already on the lookout to release new Christmas ranges in their grocery and home aisles. So far, some of the major chains have announced some of their new Christmas lines. Take a look below. Disclaimer: Some of the items below, such as preorder items, may not include VAT. To find out more about VAT in the UK on your purchases, call the VAT Contact Telephone Number.

Tesco

Although Tesco has officially closed their Homeware/Clothing website, their grocery website still remains. In order to find out the latest Christmas deal in the clothing and homeware departments, call the Tesco telephone number and speak with a member of the team. Elsewhere in the store, you can expect to find some amazing food offers, such as:

• Oreo Christmas Tin – £2.50
• Tesco Finest Christmas Pudding – £6
• Bailey Original – £12 (Beginning in November)
• Nivea Kiss Ready Gift Set – £7

Asda

ASDA are always on top of their homeware game, and this Christmas will be no exception. As well as some amazing Christmas homeware, ASDA also has some great pre-order Christmas food on their website.

• Family Christmas Pjs – from £5
• Early Christmas Selection Viewing and Preorder
• Santa Teapot – £8

Morrisons

Morissons, although not heavy on deals, mostly offer voucher codes, However, they do already have some great Christmas items on their website!

• Christmas Dinner Preorder
• Beer Pong – £4
• Kids Novelty Jumper – £10 (Available November)

Aldi

No Christmas shop is complete without an Aldi feast. Their Christmas range is currently available to preview on Grocer magazine.

Thanks to  Gina Kay Daniel for kindly guest posting for us this week. Some great tips above. I just love Christmas myself and love being prepared well in advance.

My pair love Halloween, maybe its all kids but mine literally start counting the days until Halloween from September once the school starts.  Selecting costume is no easy task, who knew kids took this so serious.  They are allowed to wear them into school so you can imagine this is big decision in the calendar of a 6 year old!!

Credit: Prop Shopper

The very lovely people at Prop Shopper allowed the boys to select a costume each from the very vast selection on their website.  The selection is fantastic so trust me this was quite the mammoth task.  The youngest went for the spider web costume and the oldest went for Ghostly Ghoul costume.  There is a huge selection of options available and even better the price point is fantastic, definitely budget friendly.

Prop Shopper also do a large range of adults costumes, again naturally more expensive than the kids but still good and budget friendly. I really do begrudge spending huge amount of money on a costume that will literally be worn for a couple of hours.

For the more adventurous amongst us Prop Shopper sell a range of make up, wigs and accessories. I’m just not creative, the costume needs to be complete with little intervention for me!!

Do check them out, loads of choice and dare I say it my kids loved that they were that little bit different than in the supermarkets.

Sneaky pic of the oldest in his Ghostly Ghoul costume. My camera shy spider web point blank refused a pic!

For some reasonably prices costumes do check out Prop Shopper you wont be disappointed.

Note:  Prop Shopper kindly sent us to costumes for Halloween, however I retain full editorial control

Pic Credit: Pixabay

The Mamma Fairy house has been gripped by wedding fever lately. We have just hit 7 years married, my wonderful parents 40 years married and the Dada Fairy’s grandparents the remarkable achievement of 60 years married.  With my own brother about to tie the know himself, naturally the conversation has been drifting to the differences in weddings over the years form the ceremonial differences to the cost differences. Even in the 7 years since we have been married I can see a lot of differences in perceptions of weddings, certainly amongst my own friends its a lot more realistic with smaller numbers and less about the pomp and extras.

My mum and my husbands grandparents rented their wedding and bridesmaid dresses, they borrowed cars. Certainly lavish honeymoons weren’t the done thing. Its funny we got married in the height of boom time so in hindsight there was certainly some unnecessary spending on extras.

I don’t regret it one bit the day was so special. With the benefit of hindsight I have been telling my brother not to stress about the small details.

Purely for some shock value I sent him an info-graphic produced by Chill Money which looked at the cost of some of the most well know fairy tale weddings!

• In the style of Pearse Brosnan and Keely Shay Smith I did let him know that I expected to be transported to (incidentally the same venue) in one of a fleet of 15 helicopters and round off the night watching a €34 k fire works display!
• He knows the brides dress is bought and thats about all, im sure he almost fainted when he saw the cost of Kate Middletons stunning gown coming in at a whopping €360k.
• He is also under no illusion ill be expecting the Kim K “glam squad” to turn me out for the day at a cool €320 per person!!! For my me ill be turning to high street wedding dresses for good value and style.
• We saved hard to fund our honeymoon which cost more than the wedding itself, we toured Australia, Singapore and Thailand and of anything spent on our wedding I don’t regret one penny  of that. I love travel and will probably always will. They have decided to wait until the summer for their honeymoon and do some nights in nice properties around Ireland immediately afterwards. I gently pointed out somewhere like Ballyfin costing €25k a night needless to say he doesn’t agree!!!

I think they key message he is do what makes you, as in the couple happy when spending on your wedding, it is after all your day. My husbands grandparents who have just turned 60 years married who wed in a borrowed dress are no less “married” than Kim K or Kate Middleton in the eye wateringly expensive gowns.

Pic Credit: Chill Money

Note: This is a collaborative post however I retain full editorial control

A couple waiting to welcome their first child has inexplicable levels of excitement. While you are happily waiting for the birth of your little one, there also exists an anxious feeling. Will my baby be born healthy? There is constant thought about the health and well-being of the little one. 40

There are certain genetic disorders that a minute proportion of children globally are diagnosed with right at birth. Although, the odds are on the lower side. However, it is essential for you to know about them and be prepared. 

Here, we mention prevalent inherited syndromes in newborns. Read on to learn about each in detail

• Down syndrome 

It is a disorder caused due to anomalous cell division. Children with down syndrome have an extra full or partial chromosome. It causes physical and cognitive developmental changes in children.

Babies with down syndrome may exhibit the following symptoms: 

• Flattened face
• Protruding tongue
• Upward slanting eyelids
• Short neck
• Excessive flexibility 
• Poor muscle tone

Infants with down syndrome may have typical size at the time of birth but show a slow growth later. Diagnosis can be before or at birth. Earlier, such people had a little life expectancy. However, it has dramatically increased in recent years. 

There is no one treatment for every down-syndrome patient around the world. All of them have different needs; some may need more cognitive help, while others may need treatment for heart illnesses. 

Craniofacial syndrome

It is a rare genetic defect found in 16 children per 1 million. The babies inherit genetic mutations from their parents. It is mainly caused due to alteration in FGFR2 and FGFR 3 proteins.

Doctors diagnose crouzon syndrome at birth based on distinctive physical signs. 

In this, children may have: 

• Bone deformities in the face
• Jaw deformities (protruding lower jaw, receding upper jaw)
• Difficulty in breathing 
• Wide-set eyes
• Misshapen head and more. 

There are several surgeries and procedures available for this disease, depending on the severity of the condition. The pediatrics and syndrome specialists sit together to discuss the case of the affected baby. Some procedures are surgical, while others are not. 

• Carpenter disorder 

It is a rare congenital condition wherein babies have abnormal growth in their skulls, toes, and fingers. The primary cause of the diseases is the passing of mutated genes from parents during the fetus’s development.

The children affected with this syndrome often experience the following symptoms: 

• Webbed, fused, or unusually short fingers 
• Misshapen, low-set ears
• Crooked teeth
• Hearing loss
• Bone deformities in the spine, knees, hips, and more. 

The syndrome is typically diagnosed at or shortly after birth. The misshapen skull is also a symptom of many other syndromes. Therefore, the specialists run x-rays and more to check the deformities in other body parts such as fingers, toes, and spine. 

The treatment options include surgery on the skull to relieve pressure. Other treatment options include procedures to improve facial and dental deformities. 

Bottom line

Genetic diseases are rare, but the probability still exists. So, it is better to know the situation well in advance. It helps to tackle the problem in a much more positive and better way. In addition, each condition now has a medical treatment available. 

Note: This is a collaborative post

Pic Credit: Pixabay

As the summer draws to a close and the autumn appears, there are a whole host of activities to do with your family. Yes, you might not be able to go to the beach or enjoy other sunny day activities, but you can enjoy some of those that still work well in autumn. In this article, we are going to discuss some of the autumn activities that can do with your family. Make sure to keep reading if you’d like to find out more.

Host A Bonfire

If you truly want to get your family into the autumn mood you should try to host a bonfire. You can get small firepits online or in most hardware stores. Get some blankets, marshmallows and take the whole family outside. Your kids will love this as it is just like going camping but in the back garden.

Go Kayaking

Although kayaking is often preferred around summer because of the weather, you’ll find that kayaking can be fun in the autumn too. You won’t need to worry about lakes being too busy as most people tend to go in the summer. This way, you know that your kids are safe, and you can spend some time together out in nature. You can get more information from bestkayaks.reviews if you think that this could be an option for your family. They have a great guide on tandem kayaks which will help you figure out which one you and your family need.

Try Baking

Pic Credit: Pixabay

Baking is a fun activity at any time of the year but when it comes around to autumn, there are loads of treats that you can make. Think about getting your family together and baking a nice apple pie. Or you could make some pastries or even Halloween treats to give trick or treaters. Take a look at some Halloween baking ideas online for inspiration. 

Go For A Walk

Some of the most beautiful sights can be seen in the autumn as the leaves change and forests become prettier. Why not take your family out for a long walk and enjoy some of these views? You could even turn it into a leaf collecting activity or collect some pine cones that you can use for crafts. Make sure that you get out and experience nature during this season as it can be very beautiful.

When a walk is impossible to reach that dream destination, you can use great-quality motorized bikes, which have been gaining attention for quite some time now. With these bikes, taking the group to different destinations will be a new and different experience. Also, they can cover long distances in a short amount of time. Surely, the family can visit and explore more places this autumn with this vehicle.

Visit A Haunted House

Our final idea is for those who want to be scared so you might want to avoid taking young children on this activity. Visiting a haunted house can be very fun and your kids will love telling their friends about what they got up to over the break. You should be able to find local haunted houses online which will let you go on tours.

Final Verdict

Just because the summer is over doesn’t mean that you need to stop going outdoors. There are so many different autumn activities that you can enjoy with your family so make sure to try some of the ideas that we have suggested out. Go for a long walk in a forest, try some Halloween baking or try out kayaking!

Note: This is a collaborative post