No I’m not kidding I actually found this in the library today!
Yes the Haynes Teenager Manual!! So I couldn’t leave it on the shelf. I have 2 boys aged 12 and 14yrs and dealing with them is a complete minefield. They are both VERY different in character and also deal with similar situations in different ways. It is true that they cannot breathe the same air and DO NOT get on in any way!
I don’t want them to grow into delinquents or become estranged in any way and yet I do believe that it comes down to us as parents to do something about it.WEmust be doing something wrong if that were to actually happen and to be fair I would be distraught.
So, in true fashion of ‘prevention rather than cure’ I saw this and thought………………well it worked out OK for cars didn’t it.
So what do you think? A good or bad idea? Unfortunately we are in a technical age where this is becoming second nature! In fact I have to ask my boys how to do some bits on the laptop occasionally. But it doesn’t all have to be Play stations and Xbox’s and kids zoning out to mindless shoot ’em up games. With I phones, tablets and I pads children from a very early age can get in on the act for educational stuff and learn to be comfortable with technology at the same time.
Check out the web show below for tomorrow:
Log onto our live and interactive show where Jon Bentley discusses how to make sure your children are getting the most educational benefits from technology
Show date: Tuesday 29th January 2013
Show time: 12.30pm
There’s no denying that smart phones and tablets have become an essential part of life for millions of us, changing the way we work, socialise and communicate. Whilst they use to be solely the domain of businesspeople and the most technologically advanced, now they’re popular throughout the generations and even amongst pre-schooles.
Research from Vodafone shows that savvy toddlers first start using smart phones or tablets at a tender 2 years 4 months and that many parents are using Apps to help their children learn to read, write and count.
But how can parents make sure their little ones are benefitting from the technology and aren’t accessing inappropriate material?
Log onto our live and interactive show with Jon Bentley, former Gadget Show presenter and Libby Pritchard from Vodafone, who will discuss how children can benefit from smart phones and tablets and how parents can make sure their children are using these devices safely.
Jon Bentley and Libby Pritchard join us live online at www.studiotalk.tv on Tuesday 29th January at 12.30pm
Yes, Yes I know I’m sooooooooo behind everyone on this but just got the last book as one of my Christmas pressies.
To be honest I jumped on the bandwagon initially to see what all the fuss was about. Now I couldn’t say that these were the best books I have ever read, but I will admit I did enjoy them as a trashy, no brainer, quick read!
However, by the time I got to the 3rd book I had to constantly remind myself that they still had only been together a few months and therefore they would have been ‘at it’ like rabbits.
But it did start to get on my nerves (jealous, me?…….NAH!) I found it was wasting my time a little to get to Mr Grey’s back story of his mother and adoption etc.
I did actually enjoy the last bit telling the story from his point of view and would have liked a little more of that as you would have been able to understand him a bit better.
Anyway, my point is, in the 3rd book I was really asking myself………….AGAIN……..REALLY?? 2nd or 3rd time now in one day……………I THINK I WOULD BE SAYING ‘LOVELY AS THE OFFER IS ANY CHANCE OF A CUPPA AND A CHUNKY KITKAT INSTEAD!!!
So what I want to know is am I on my own with this and therefore my long suffering OH is just deprived……….or would you be in the cuppa and Kit Kat club?
Now I only have to spend 15 minutes on Twitter to know that anyone from there that reads this will be an A, you just have to take a look at the links to blogs and pictures of what your kids (and you ) are up to.
However, I bet if you were completely honest you could name a few parents that you know that are a B, right?
My friend and I have had experience of this over many years, and after taking the kids down to the local park sledging on Sunday we started talking about it on the way home. Yes we had an extra with us then ( i would never begrudge the child ever) which is what started the chat.
That said parent had contacted my friend to say she would call when she needed him back!!!!! ER excuse me……..we will not be gone for the rest of the day, maybe an hour or two!!
So then we started thinking about all the stuff we do even though our eldest’s (who will be 15 this year)are probably getting way too old:
*Halloween, we still have a get together and do the Trick or Treat thing and want to progress on to an ‘older ‘style party to include the adults dressing up too.
*Easter, although family and friends drop the Easter eggs into the boys we keep them aside and still hide them around the house so they have to ‘hunt’ for them in the morning.
*Christmas, my two are old enough to know that ‘Santa’ is not real *cough* however, they do play the game even though they roll their eyes when I go onto the NORAD site LOL
*Pancake day, we still love to have home made pancakes for breakfast before they go to school and after our tea on the same day.
*Summer beach days, in the hols we still love a day at the beach and we still make our sand angels before the tide comes in to cover them.
*Snow, as this is often a very rare sight we make the most of it, they still make a snowman and love to go sledging AND even though they are both old enough to go on their own we like to go with them!! How else do you get those pictures???
*New Year, we had friends around and celebrated with fireworks and we all set off lanterns with our hopes for 2013 written on them ( we wont mention the fact that we almost set our neighbors fence alight! *cough*)
We came to the conclusion that if we don’t as adults make the effort to enjoy these events with the kids they will grow up and never pass on that enthusiasm to their children. I cannot believe there are parents who just cannot be bothered or for whatever reason just don’t do these things. Or is it that they are happy for the kids to go off with others to do it so they don’t have to?
What do you think?
So tell me, what do you do with your kids that you hope they will pass on?
I survived the first week back at school…….did you?
YES I survived the 1st week back to school.
Oh. My. God. (actually OMFG!!)
How hard was that. Really was it just me, I truly doubt it.
Now my boys are 12 and 14yrs old so granted I don’t have the school run to do, but I would VERY gladly swap the school run for teenage moodiness and tantrums. Yep TANTRUMS. Oh and deciding to get them to make their own packed lunches went down like a lead balloon *cough* HELLO we have been making them since you went to Reception! So perhaps I will leave it a while before I introduce my eldest to ironing his own school shirts.
Ok, I know they are tired too, and I must admit it’s hard seeing them leave for school in the dark. I detested that when I was young, although I was in Belfast so it was dark AND RAINING!
So here’s to a mammoth lay in for all concerned tomorrow.
For some people Christmas begins when the decorations go up or when they have all their presents wrapped or even their cards written and sent.
My decorations went up at the beginning of December, my family presents are all wrapped and have been farmed out to the appropriate people, my Christmas food shop has been done and it has all been a last minute chuck together as usual (story of my life really).
However, I have one thing that makes me sit back and think that’s it Christmas can start. I hasten to add it is none of the above. My Christmas starts when I watch Love Actually!!
Not exactly the most Christmassy film as such but it has a great feel good factor to start me feeling the Christmas spirit. We did actually watch this film last Sunday evening with a little glass of wine when the kids had gone to bed…………….just lovely.
It doesn’t mean I’m totally ‘ready’ for the holidays, no that’s generally when my panic sets in. You know the OH MY GOD HOW MANY DAYS LEFT AND I HAVENT EVEN GOT………..
Although everything gets left last minute I always have faith it will be done. Today alone I have made 2 chocolate dipping hampers for neighbours and friends:
Not a great picture but gives you an idea of what was in it!
Included was chocolate chunks to melt, Christmas tree shaped marshmallows, strawberries, fudge and honeycomb, napkins and the skewers to dip in the bits!!
Complete with wapping!
I have wrapped in-laws, god daughters, a nan’s present, delivered them and popped in on friends for a mince pie and a cuppa. I have sorted all the family presents for the boys under the tree, cleared my table and decorated it with the Christmas stuff……….Oh and sorted the boys with thier presents for dad!! Then I made dinner and attended a Christmas carol service down at the local church.
However, we STILL have to wrap the kids stuff!! Should be getting done tonight but I think the OH will be getting instructions for that.
Tomorrow I have booked the cinema to see Nativity 2 in the afternoon and when I get home it will be dinner, then preparing the veg and stuffing for Christmas Day, sort the rest of boys presents under the tree, we still have to colour in our place mats ( don’t laugh my boys are 12+14 but if their Nan and Grandad can do it then so can we!! LOL)
But still my Christmas hols started OFFICIALLY last Sunday evening with a lovely glass of wine and Love Actually…………..
Are you a mum who can pop up the tree and hand your kids a box of decorations to do as they wish, killing 2 birds with 1 stone as they say- kids happy to do it and one less job for mum?
I confess I am DEFINITELY not one of those mums! I wish I could be but for some reason I get all OCD when it comes to my Christmas decorations and tree. It has to be ‘just so’ and even when it is done I constantly adjust for a day or two until I’m happy with it.
However, this as you can imagine takes forever. I am not OCD with anything else ( I don’t think) so why Christmas decs?
I’m still not happy with the lights……….400 on there and not bright enough yet!
I’m also very nosey and love to look at other people’s Chritmas trees………….
If your anything like me you literally want to save everything from your child’s childhood!
However, this would only be possible if you had a huge mansion or paid storage space LOL
But I do keep a treasure box ( or should I say several boxes now) with the significant memories.
Photos however, are a different thing altogether, I have unbelievable amounts looking back at all their different stages. One of my favourite memories is when my youngest ( now 12) decided to colour himself in with red and orange felt tip pens just before we went to a toddler club!!!! HONESTLY I WAS ONLY ON THE PHONE FOR A MINUTE
Anyway check out this video below put together by Startrite for some of peoples memories of their children’s firsts:
Something for the memory box…
First smiles, first teeth, first steps…all monumental milestones in your baby’s development. As parents, we treasure these occasions and watch with pride and elation as our babies grow.
To help celebrate these special moments and everything it is to be a parent, Start-rite Shoes, with the help of the mums and dads, has created a touching video collection of special ‘first’ memories. It forms part of a wider Start-rite campaign, which helps mums and dads treasure the precious memory of their child’s first steps and their first pair of shoes.
Parents who buy a pair of Start-rite first walking shoes will be invited to enter the online magical world of Mr Smith the shoe maker, where they can create a personalised video (set in Mr Smith’s shoe workshop) which stars their child and features photos of them experiencing special milestones in their development.
From first cuddles and smiles, to those tentative first steps and beyond.
The videos are easily sharable, either by email, or through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter and provide parents with a digital keepsake to help preserve priceless memories.
That’s the title of a newly released (this weekend) film that I had the chance of going to see.
It stars the legendary Clint Eastwood, Justin Timberlake and Amy Adams, and follows the estranged relationship between a father and daughter and loosely based around the sport of baseball.
Have a look at the down loadable link below:
Trouble with the Curve
This is a character based story and is a slow burner that simmers throughout enticing you to want to know what has made these characters how they are!
I like these sorts of films, you are not detracted from the story by loud, unnecessary stunts and noise. Clint Eastwood plays a fantastic ‘grumpy old man’ and actually you can almost feel his frustration as his general demeanor has changed so much from the ‘Dirty Harry’ suave days. Although he is cranky you want to slap and cuddle him at the same time. Amy Adams is a great counterpart to the dad. Successful but lonely striving for success in other parts of her life in order not to deal with the ‘father’ issue. Justin Timberlake, an acceptable eye candy, was a great fun, forward but like able character.
I’ve got to say the dads ‘old cronies’ club that seem to be at every game to are a fab bunch, showing that your sense of humour does not diminish as you get older.
Like I say, sometimes these stories are my favourites. The father/ daughter relationship keeps you captivated and it was nice that when the truth was out the relationship did not magically fix itself, but still kept you guessing if they would ever see ‘eye to eye’.
This is a heartwarming, enjoyable film great for a lovely quiet Sunday afternoon.
Here are some pics from the movie to get you wondering:
I have spent the last 3 weeks swanning around lookingfeeling pretending to be a yummy mummy in my brand new Volvo XC60 ( on loan only).
I have enjoyed my bum being warmed by the heated seats, the fantastic CD/DVD/Digital TV, the cruise control, the comfortable leather interior the genius Blindspot indicators and even the reversing camera. I have driven safely across over 400 miles both on longer journeys and lots of urban shorts, with the standard safety that Volvo insists on (as most of the safety features, Blis, side impact, extra airbags etc coming as standard).
Yet as I look out of my window today I see this…….
YES it’s the empty space where it used to sit!! They came yesterday and took it from me………my time with it was up *weeps into my coffee*!!
As you can see I will be back to driving my regular family ‘cab’ car again, with a very cold bum and no fancy extras.
Hey, who was I kidding anyway…………..me- a yummy mummy?…………dream on!
THANK YOU VOLVO FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY DRIVING IN STYLE AND SAFETY…………………IT’S BEEN FUN!
Yes the Haynes Teenager Manual!! So I couldn’t leave it on the shelf. I have 2 boys aged 12 and 14yrs and dealing with them is a complete minefield. They are both VERY different in character and also deal with similar situations in different ways. It is true that they cannot breathe the same air and DO NOT get on in any way!
