The two young girls were having a wonderful time whirling around in their chairs as the lights twinkled and glittered above their heads. Music was playing for them to whirl in time to and no-one was getting in the way of their chairs. They were obviously engrossed in a game of their [...]

My first feelings were those of pity for the poor Mother or Father on the receiving end of the pile of wet clothes that were currently being worn by the teenage boy at the bus stop. How were they going to feel when they arrived home from work to find this pile of clothes unceremoniously dumped on [...]

              I always knew the time would come when a decision had to be made about the fate of the toys currently residing in the loft.   We are doing the job of sorting through them slowly. It is not one to be rushed as each box holds a [...]

As I watch the sunset, a particularly magnificent one this evening, I marvel at the wonder of nature and all it provides us with.   Tonight I have the purple, orange, red and yellow sunset across the whole of the horizon with a birdsong serenade. I count myself lucky to live in an area with [...]

Having children who are approaching, or in the middle of their ‘teenage’ years can be a daunting experience leaving you unsure whether or not you will all emerge unscathed. With a large dose of preparation, patience and understanding you should.   How each child reacts to their changing bodies, hormones, emotions and the pressures from [...]

These recipes are just a reminder, in case you have forgetten. Much cheaper than buying dough, and fun to make with the children.   CORNFLOUR DOUGH      Add enough cold water (and colouring if you want) to cornflour to give a sticky consistency when mixed.   Add more water if it is too thick or more [...]

I have just read an article about a school in Sheffield where they expect the children to speak ‘correctly’ during the school day, rather than in slang or text talk, in the hope that this will help them to be more employable. I am not going down the route of the rightness or wrongness of [...]

        The kids are getting bored with the journey by the time you have travelled for 15 minutes of the 2 hours it is going to take, providing there are no traffic queues.   The first book comes whistling past your ear as you are trying to negotiate a right hand turn, [...]

So many parents become their children’s unpaid cleaners, personal assistants, taxi drivers, cooks, chambermaids and skivvies.   Sound familiar to you?   Fear not, you can take steps to change this.   If children are involved in deciding what jobs need doing around the house, and how, when and by who they are done, it [...]

  Have you ever had one of those days when you never seem to quite catch yourself up? I have had one today and am still trying to make sense of what has happened during it’s course.   You see, I am one of those people who has more than one job and a volunteering [...]