How much TV do the children watch?

Like many parents I vowed that my children would watch no TV. Or, all right, just a little bit now and again. OK well just after school when they are tired. Or when I'm cooking dinner. And perhaps when they wake up early in the morning. Also on rainy days. And when I'm doing housework / getting work done / checking my emails...

Hopefully you are all much better at managing this than I am! At the moment I'm trying to regulate TV to short bursts at certain times of the day. I don't usually let them have any TV if there are guests in the house and I try to provide activities for weekends and rainy days to keep them occupied. My daughter who is 4 gets some TV in the morning when she wakes up, and around half an hour when she gets back from school.

I usually get them to watch shows which I have pre-recorded to try and prevent them watching adverts. The amount of products pushed at them at such a tender age is scary. I remember when my daughter was 2 years old I asked her not to touch the toilet as it was full of germs. "And limescale" was her reply!! So I learned my lesson about keeping them away from adverts!

Please do let me know your tips, your successes and failures...

First day at pre-school

My middle child (Sutherland) started at Whimple Pre-School today! He has been going to another pre-school and has in the past been to nursery so it is not totally new for him. But, this is his first morning going to the pre-school he will hopefully attend for the next 2 years meeting all of the children he will go to school with.

Here he is all dressed up ready to go in the pre-school jumper and t-shirt. I stayed with him for the first couple of hours whilst he did free play followed by book time and then snack time. I left whilst he was enjoying a tasty snack and preparing to go outside to play in the garden.

I love pre-school because it is more structured than the nurseries that we have been to. The children make friends with those who will be their classmates and they have a sense of identity in belonging to the village community. I hope he enjoys it and I'll be off to collect him soon!

Crealy Theme Park

We have gotten winter passes for Crealy theme park in Devon and so are here for our third day in a row!
The children have had a brilliant time on rides, rollercoasters and indoor play centres. Us parents are relaxed because the children are happy, so all in all great value for money.

Back to school tomorrow so need to get uniforms sorted, bags packed and children to bed early.

Surviving half-term!

Are you able to get outdoors this week? We're trying our best even if it is for muddy walks and a quick go on the swings. So far we've been to the local park twice (as shown here), Bicton Park, Haldon Forest, and today we somehow found our main trip out was to Tesco's. I need inspiration!!

To work or not to work, that is the question

To all my fellow Mummy readers this will be a familiar question. It is such a prevalent topic in our Mummy conversations and often sparks passionate views. While some people long to be able to stay at home with their children, others crave to use a bit of their creativity in the workplace.

Many of us would like a little bit of both. A part-time job which feeds the soul but allows us to be there for our children. Many of us don't have the luxury of choice: necessity decides for us.

I've been in a few different situations throughout the five years so far of child-rearing. With my first child I had to put her in nursery aged 10 months and return to work in a job I didn't love. Whilst it was nice to do something other than be with my precious baby 24/7 it did affect our relationship and I came to resent having to go to work. Luckily I got into a better situation and landed a job which I loved and felt valued in, and was able to work from home part-time. That really was the best of both worlds, and during that time I had my second child. Shortly afterwards the job came to an end and I was forced to face the question of what next. I had been so spoiled with working from home that I couldn't imagine having to step into an office or shop environment again.

Ever since my first child was born I had also been working on a side project to run my own business selling maternity and baby clothes (www.serenity-baby.co.uk). Fortunately I was able to turn my attention to that and attempt to make a living being self-employed. It is a bumpy ride, and I do periodically go through the cycle of other possible options. Should I go and get a 'proper' job? If I did, the cost of childcare would probably not make it worthwhile... What would the impact on the children be? What better paid job can I convince my husband to take so that I can stay at home?

So for the time being I'm clinging to the dream of having my cake and eating it. I'm at home with the children 24/7, but I also run my own business. There is a strong possibility that I'm not doing well at either being a parent or being a business-woman, but one has to have hope. There is also just a slim chance that I can show them that Mummies can succeed in the workplace and also that Mummy is (sometimes) there for them. I'm choosing to dwell on the positives of tasking my brain to economic challenges rather than pondering the reality of shouting "Mummy's busy - go and play" :-)

So for all the Mummies out there who are facing tough decisions, remember there is no right or wrong. Every scenario has its positives and its shortcomings. Good luck with making those decisions!

Cute sleeping baby

I'm working on some longer meatier blog posts, but today here is another self indulgent proud mummy photo!

My eldest two are having swimming lessons and thanks to a sleepy Harrison I have a few minutes peace and quiet sitting in the car with my coffee. Gotta love the naps!

What are your plans for half term? It would be great to have some inspiration...

Babies' first steps!

My youngest child, Harrison, turned one year old last weekend. That year seemed to whoosh past before I noticed, and I did feel a little tinge of sadness that my last baby is now growing up! The day after his birthday he took his first steps and there has been no stopping him since.

The last few days he has stood firmly on his two feet and then gingerly stepped forward until reaching the safety of a wall / chair / mummy. Cue much applause and cuddles!

Here is Harrison enjoying a birthday outing to the Science Museum in London. Thanks to a tip from old friends we discovered the somewhat hidden 'garden' area in the basement with loads of sensory activities for curious little people. This wall has different textures for the children to touch - including the feel of wellies!

Apparently letting your child be barefoot helps them to steady themselves ready for standing and walking, which is a good thing as Harrison has a tendency to shed socks given half a chance.

How did your baby surprise you when he or she turned one?