Having been a qualified driving instructor ( until my illness took over) I know how difficult it can be for anyone to transition from a provisional to a full driving licence, the driving test itself can often be a very daunting prospect. Both the theory test and practical test are actually very straightforward, but the pressure often makes these tests more difficult than they should be. My son has recently passed his theory test and hopefully will do his practical test quite soon ( when he gets a break from uni).
So, If you’re taking a driving test soon, these next five tips will help you prepare better in no time.
With the summer season now well and truly here, (although no sign of any summer weather yet) there is no better time to refresh the bedroom and it makes sense to ensure ultimate comfort for those nights when it is too humid and nothing but the window and fan will let you get some sleep. My bedroom is up two storey’s in a Dorma loft conversion so when the weather does heat up it can get rather humid and uncomfortable.
Clearly, the main attraction of the bedroom is the bed itself, so this should be at the forefront of any update ideas. It is the type of purchase that only needs to be undertaken every few years, so getting it right is everything, although in all fairness once you have invested in a good bed frame it would normally be only the mattress you change unless you are having a decorative overhaul.
Now if you asked me this a few years ago my answer would have definitely have been yes, that would have been because I was then working as a qualified Driving Instructor as a job and obviously had a suitable car which had duel controls. In fact it was something I was really looking forward too. I no longer work as a driving instructor due to my long term illness and so I am now looking at it purely from a parent’s point of view.
Therefore,if you ask me that question today, the answer is a resounding NO! In fact, just today I have booked him to start his lessons with a reputable company and instructor. Many of you will think this is madness to throw all that money away on lessons even though I feel I could teach him no problem but I would only do so in a suitable car with duel controls, believe me I speak from experience that learner drivers try to kill you on a daily basis when they are only starting.
This is what we have been going through recently, my teen gets an ASD diagnosis at 17. My eldest has always shown Asperger traits throughout his growing up, but appeared very high functioning. It has never been a major issue to him or us as parents to major degree but now looking back we both feel a lot more makes sense.
He noticed himself after being at secondary school for a year or so that he ‘seemed’ different to his friends. That’s also when his lack of management skills came into play big time and and we had a discussion with him then to see if he wanted to pursue it further and get a diagnosis. At that time he said no, he didn’t want to be labelled different or have any spotlight put on him and so we helped him alongside the school to help him with organisation.
It has also not hindered him in any way with friends, he has some great friends in the last few years that just accept him and his sometimes ‘odd’ ways and in fact it was one of those friends who encouraged him to go to his GP for help.
However, as he got older and then headed through the pressure of his GCSE’s it started to take it’s toll resulting in high levels of anxiety. We were totally unaware about it as he hid it very well under a laid back exterior. But this led to a period of very low mood. This happened when he as a 16 years old. Encouraged by one of his friends he then made an appointment with his GP and went off to discuss his possible ‘depression’ before telling us that he had gone. He informed us that they were going to follow it up with a referral to our Children’s and Young Adults Mental Health clinic.
We have supported him in his decision fully and have found out from our consultations that this high anxiety and low mood is very common in undiagnosed, high functioning, ASD cases in teens. They get to a certain age and then start to feel socially awkward and uncomfortable in a time that is turbulent for most teens anyway. Therefore, this can lead to the high anxiety resulting in a secondary ‘depression’.
I have been meaning to try one of these machines for ages especially for my youngest teens room as his carpet is in a pretty grim state, but it has ended up being a job I just procrastinated about rather than got on with.
So a few weeks ago I sent Rug Doctor a very cheeky tweet with a picture of my son’s excuse for a carpet to see if they would be up for a challenge! Unbelievably they responded immediately and emailed me with an offer to try one of their machines. So, I could procrastinate no more and it forced us into a complete clear out in my son’s room which was well overdue.
Disgusting I know!
So the Rug Doctor carpet cleaner was delivered to my house complete with all sorts of cleaning sprays and the detergent to get started immediately. The very next day my husband was off work he went straight to work with the machine, which had clear instructions on how to use it actually on the machine itself and seemed fairly self explanatory. We just started with a patch in the room to see if we could see a ‘before’ and ‘after’ shot which I think you will agree shows an unbelievable improvement literally within minutes.
I have certainly noticed this recently as I have a son who turned 16 in April. A trend seems to have appeared where the parents throw their little 16yr old cherubs a party at home, complete with alcohol. So when did 16 become the new 18?
First of all I didn’t do this and my son was very happy to get a load of his mates together for a boys day out paint balling. However, he has recently been to one or two of these parties although one was for a 17yr old. Second of all I don’t really think it’s appropriate to be encouraging your 16 or 17yr old son or daughter to drink excessively in your house. You may be able to trust your own child but really is it a good idea to let all their mates loose in your house with alcohol at the ready.
This has made me think back to when I was 16, which is many, many moons ago now. I remember going out with my friends acquiring a bottle of cider that we would all share and then make my way home. I would scuttle up to my room before I had to face my parents hoping they didn’t realise I had been drinking. We used to sneak a drink is what I’m getting at. I was never allowed to have a drink at that age at home regardless until I was actually 18. I was certainly never brave enough to ever get blatantly drunk at that age either. When you turned 18 that was when you would maybe have had a party and obviously the big thing was that you could actually go up to the bar and order your own drink!
As most of you will know by now I have to teenage boys. Just because they are teens does not make car journeys any less stressful than with a journey with toddlers. I remember when they were little they always took books, colouring stuff, small toys. Then as they got older it was Gameboys, audio books and DVD’s and now that they are teens they automatically lift their headphones for their phones or Ipods etc.
One thing that is easier to deal with is the fact they have a concept of time so they know on a long journey not to ask ‘Are we there yet?’ They also know and understand they have to wait until the next service station to go for a pee rather than having to stop on the hard shoulder to pee in the bushes!! We also do our game of Yellow Car on long motorway journeys although I do tend to become a bit competitive with this one.But they have learned from an early age to bring stuff to amuse themselves.
I am at home all of the time, sure I go out and about, meet friends for coffee, get my shopping in etc during the day while the boys are at school but because I’m unable to work I am generally at home most of the time.
Also because of my condition (ME/CFS) I feel the cold ALL of the time, but during the winter I refuse to heat a whole house by putting the central heating on when there is only me in the house. My OH always tells me off for this and will always tell me to put the heating on if I feel cold, which I do as soon as the boys are home from school.
When it is just me though I do think it’s a total waste. So I have over time found very thrifty ways to keep myself warm when I’m here on my own. Hopefully some of you who work and blog from home will find some of them helpful.
1. Wheat heat pads! These are fab and I was introduced to these by my mum as I struggle with muscular pain anyway. Literally you stick it in the microwave for 1min 30 secs and voila – instant heat. I use these to ease my neck pain and also helps to keep me warm.
2. Fingerless gloves! These may sound a bit Steptoe and Son but trust me when you are sitting at the laptop and your hands/ wrists get cold then you are going to feel cold generally. I’m a knitter so these are easy enough for me to make and I have several pairs. But really you could pick up a pair of cheap gloves from a pound store and cut the tips off so you can still type etc. It’s amazing how much heat they hold.
2. Good old fashioned water bottles! Either the full size ones or the little half size ones are fab. I have a full size one with a fleece cover on which will stay hot for ages. If I’m sitting on the sofa using the laptop then I rest my feet on it- once my feet are warm then I’m warm. I also have a little half size one which I use for my hands or rest against my back while I’m sitting.
3. Electric shoulder and neck pad. I was given this from my mum and use it all the time. It works the same as an electric blanket. If I’m sitting for any length of time then I plug this in pop it on a low heat and it has 90 minute cut off. I keep the heat minimal but wear it for the full time if I’m on the computer or sitting knitting/ crocheting/ reading/ watching telly etc. You can pick these up in places like Aldi or Lidl’s for around £15- a great investment rather than forking out for a days heating.
4. Thermals! I know soooo attractive- NOT. But these are great I have several pairs of ‘Heat’ knee length socks, normal thermal socks and some thermal vest style tops that go under what your wearing. Like I said not the most attractive things but they do work and can be picked up quite cheaply from sports shops to Primarni!
5. Hot drinks.! This is obviously a no brainer and there is a chance you may get a bit waterlogged throughout the day but they do help. For this I recommend a flask- as sometimes when having a bad day I will be in bed or on the sofa most of the day. My OH and kids know to always leave me a flask of hot green tea! But for those lucky enough to have a little home office a hot drink from a flask is a godsend as it saves you interrupting your work or the flow of your writing all the time for a cuppa- so when you make your 1st cuppa fill a flask at the same time and that way you have your next warm drink at your fingertips. I have several single size flasks that keep a hot drink hot for ages.
So if your like me and are at home during the day but don’t want the expense of a huge heating bill over the winter try some of these tips and let me know how you get on.
I remember many years ago when my good friend told me she was pregnant, not just with one baby but two! I had already had my eldest and knew how much work one baby could create let alone having double that. I admire anyone who has twins, just the total lack of sleep, the constant changing of nappies and never ending feeding would be enough to grind even the best of us down.
I remember feeling like a whale when I was pregnant and then noticing just how much bigger my friend was when she was expecting her twins. This was her first experience of pregnancy and I could understand the worry, I could only relate to my singleton pregnancy so had very little idea how different it was for her.
It’s hard not to panic in any pregnancy about the birth itself or whether you are actually going to be any good at motherhood. But when expecting twins it must be difficult for anyone not to worry/panic about what is going to happen.
Why not take a look at the video below for some advice and support for your twin pregnancy…..
Expecting Twins?
Jane Denton from The Multiple Births Foundation shares her advice on how to prepare for having twins alleviating concerns with delivery and how the pregnancy is monitored
Twins are very special but on hearing the news that they are expecting two babies most parents will experience a range of very mixed emotions ranging from great excitement to apprehension and concerns about the pregnancy, delivery and the practical and emotional aspects of caring for two babies at the same time.
Jane Denton director of The Multiple Births Foundation, a national and international authority on multiple births knows all too well the issues surrounding multiple births. In this special preview to her book (co-authored with Professor Mark Kilby) Expecting Twins, in associationwith BAFTA award winning television programme One Born Every Minute, she is joined by Lisa Wildgoose, mother of 4 year old identical twins and blogger twinstiarasandtantrums.com They share their advice on how to alleviate concerns with delivery, discussing caesareans and what to expect from neonatal units as the different environment can be a shock to parents.
Lisa’s twins were placed in neonatal unit immediately after birth, so together with Jane she shares her personal experience on how to be prepared for unexpected. While Jane shares her advice on special antenatal classes for multiple births and practical advice for how to cope once home from hospital to make sure you don’t feel isolated.
Watch our video advice to make sure you have the emotional and practical guide to help you have the most enjoyable pregnancy possible.
Yes me! Miss Law Abiding Citizen, ex- driving instructor and wife to a……………POLICEMAN!!!
It happened just before Christmas. I had been visiting a friend and had stayed most of the day and had dinner there. A festive fab time had been had by all- although I stayed completely T-Total as I was driving home.
It’s a journey I have done hundreds of time and to be honest on those sorts of journeys it’s almost driven on auto pilot. It wasn’t busy on the roads and I was tired from the noise and activity of the day. To be honest i couldn’t wait to get back and get my pj’s on and have a good ol’ lug of mulled wine ( it was Christmas you know).
Anyway, I had gone through a junction when I noticed the flashing blue lights in my mirror. The car was typically steamed up from the cold and wet so when I noticed the flashing I just indicated, slowed down and pulled over towards the side so it could pass. when I checked again the flashing lights had gone so I indicated back out and started to drive off again. Suddenly the flashing lights where there again and my 13 year old suggested they may want me!!! Me??? Me??? Why would an ambulance want me.
So reluctantly I stopped and rolled down my driver side window to find A POLICE CAR next to me also with their window rolled down.
‘What colour was that red light you just went through then?’ said the officer in the passenger seat.
Well this sentence took a few seconds to sink in………red light……went through…….OMFG!!
So uncontrollably I went into a full ‘Tracy moment’ as my friends and family know it- that is me in full shock mode including very loud and sharp intake of breath and my hands both coming up to my face ( really I should have been an actress you no- so natural!) At this point the officer in the passenger seat started to laugh after a slight startle. I went fluently into auto babble saying how sorry I was, how I had been past there hundreds of time, how sorry I was, how I thought they were an ambulance so didn’t mean to drive off, how sorry I was………..
Now the driving officer had started to laugh and explained that obviously they had to stop me as I went through a red light but he could see it was unintentional and that I should take care on the drive home. Thank God for nice people eh- no ticket, no points on license, no arrest for failing to stop ( on the first occasion) and I even got a ‘Merry Christmas’ from them.
I was still babbling at this rate, how sorry I was, how it wouldn’t happen again, how sorry I was………
Talk about being reduced to a complete wreck. I should be hardened to a police stop, my husband tells me stories of what goes on all the time, I should have known it wasn’t crime of the century, no one was hurt, there was no near miss, I did (eventually) pull over.
But I tell you one thing. I could NOT be a professional criminal. I couldn’t take the pressure! I was guilty before I had even known I was guilty. Those poor officers must have thought I was a complete nutter, worryingly in charge of a car and children!
Still, I provided them with their entertainment for the evening, I’m sure the rest of their stops that evening where no were near as apologetic as myself.
Oh and my OH thought it was hilarious, no chance of keeping it secret with a 13 and 15 year old in the car.
