11 changes on Monday that families can enjoy!

 Hey readers,

It is lovely to see things slowly reopen, and with more restrictions relaxed from Monday (17th May), there are so many good things to look forward to for the family.

1. Eat indoors.

The good news is you can eat indoors on Monday, which is a relief with this awful weather we are experiencing.

 You can enjoy a meal in the warm...bliss.

 However, you will have to remain at your table as it is only table service allowed, although you are allowed to go to the bathroom. 

2. Soft play areas.

Finally, the good news for parents with young children has been waiting for is that soft play areas are opening, which is great for doing something different than just going to the park. 

You will have to book in advance, and adults have to wear a mask. 

3. Cinemas. 

If you like watching films on the big screen, the good news is that cinemas are being reopened. 

You do have to wear a face mask whilst watching a film unless you are eating or drinking. 

4. Indoor entertainment.

Places like theatres, indoor aquariums, bowling alleys, ice rinks, model villages, and amusement centres will all open on Monday, meaning more things to look forward to doing with the family.  

5. Hugging is allowed.

If you have missed hugging a friend or family member, then this news is for you, as from Monday you will get some physical contact and give hugs again. 

6. Sleepovers. 

Sleepovers can happen now, and if you want your child to stay over at your grandparents it is now doable. 

Also, your child can have friends over for a sleepover. 

7. Gatherings of up to 30 people. 

You can meet friends and family at the park, gardens, or other outdoor locations, and the limit of people is 30.

 You can have a family party or go on a day out as a family of four, and go with other groups that make up 30 people. 

8. Indoor play dates.

What this means is that you can gather inside someone else's home with a limit of 6 people or groups of people from a maximum of 2 households. 

This means you can have your child's friend visit or have a meal with the family in your own home without knowing that it doesn't matter if it is pouring down with rain, but know that your safety is ensured as you are in the dry with no worries. 

9. Kids' parties.

As mentioned before, with the rule of gatherings of 30 people, this too can apply to children's parties.

 So you can have that party outdoors or have people over to a maximum of 6 people to celebrate at home. 

10. School masks.

If you have a secondary school child on Monday, they do not need to wear a mask in the classroom or communal areas as they are ditched. 

11. Holidays.

Indoor hospitality will reopen on Monday, which means you can take your family on holiday if you so wish. 

You can book hotels, cottages, self-catering, caravan or lodge on Monday can be done. 

Holiday abroad is also allowed on Monday, though it will have to be on the green list. These countries include:

- Portugal. 

- Israel.

- Singapore.

-Australia. 

- New Zealand.

- Brunei.

- Iceland.

- Gibraltar. 

- Falkland Islands.

- Faroe Islands. 

- |South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

- St Helena, Tristan da Cunha, Ascension Island. 

Although the countries above have been approved, some countries still have their borders closed, so make sure you research before booking a place. 

What are you looking forward to on Monday that is being opened up?

 Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

   

How to make a stress ball

 Hey readers,

A fun to do at home with kids to make a homemade stress ball. It is perfect for kids to use when they are feeling angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is great relief putting your frustrated squishing a stress ball for some relief. Plus it is easy to make and fun sensory activity to do with kids. 

What you will need. 

* A balloon. 

* Funnel.

* flour. 

* Pen/pencil. 

How to make the stress ball. 

1. blow up the ballon then deflate it, this helps stretch the ballon. 

2. put the ballon end on the funnel. 

3. pour the flour into the funnel which will trickle down into the ballon. 

4. If a problem occurs with the flour not moving from the funnel into the balloon simply use a pen or pencil and gently push it through. 

5. Pour the flour into the ballon until you feel happy with the amount that is there. 

6. Take the funnel out and tie in a knot to the top of the ballon. 

7. There you have a stress ball. 

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday Photo 09/05/2021

why you should never read a parenting book

Hey readers,

As a parent in the earlier days especially when I was a first-time parent I read parenting books because it was all new and scary.

  I hadn't ever experienced what it was like to be a parent before I turned to information that was available for me.

 Of course, the most places a parent turns to is so-called parenting books who think they are helping you provide this available information to help you understand how to parent.

 But do you know what after 9 years of being a parent I can confirm that parenting books are a waste of time and if you are considering checking out parenting books I would suggest ditch them books? 

Why do I dislike parenting books? well, there are a few reasons. For one there always seems a rigid formula that you have to follow for all children even though let's face it all children are different. 

One box does not fit all and sadly that is one major reason why parenting books fail. Children and parents have different personalities and they may not work well with one formula. 

I think with parenting books there is so much pressure to be a certain type of parent and if you do fail then that then it could potentially impact your mental health negatively. 

It could be more detrimental with reading books because you sink into feeling not good enough, This is not good for a parent when it should be focused on forming a bond.

 If the parent is not fully in the zone because they feel not good enough how much damage will that do to the parenting that they try to do? 

Not only can reading parent books make you feel inadequate that can put on stress to try to be something that you may not reach because you work differently from what the book tells.

 I for one have felt absolutely rubbish when reading parenting books because I can't meet that standard that they try to portray in the words of the book.

 I felt at times feeling of despair and anger at everyone around me because I couldn't reach this ideal parenting model. It impacted my relationship with my husband as I was feeling bitter and angry with the world. 

I as an autistic person struggle with communication so it caused some rifts between my relationships. It then after a period of time affected me and the way I viewed myself as being a bad mother causing me to have suicidal thoughts.  

I think there is so much pressure with parenting books and the number of different types of parenting books can feel really overwhelming.

 Which one is supported to work? Bear in mind that parenting books will be focused on the zeitgeist at the time on what is trendy. For example, one time it was acceptable to follow weaning with purees the next it was all about baby-led weaning.

The problem with both these ideas is they are extreme ends and that middle is best and mixing it up to suit you and your child's needs. Again it chisels at your self-esteem especially if you are a first-time parent you don't have the confidence to go with the flow.

 I think because it is a new experience you're trying your best to succeed out what is right so you become vulnerable to the parenting guides feeling like that the information they give is gossip and if you don't follow it you're a bad parent. 

As you can see there is that pattern that your mental health is fragile and reading parenting books can contribute to worsening it when you need to grow to help give you the confidence to be the best parent that you can be. 

What are your views on parenting books? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

 

50 kid friendly snack ideas for the beach

Hey readers,

As we are getting more warm weather and staycations are still very much popular this year a picnic to the beach makes a perfect family day out.

 Sometimes it can be hard to know what to bring along to a picnic so below I have 50 ideas of a perfect food for kids and adults that would make the day amazing. 

Before I go into the food list I am just going to mention a few things to bear in mind when you go for a picnic at the beach.

Now obviously the changes of it being hot are high and you may have a day out at the beach. It is important to use ice packs to keep your food safe and fresh. It is something to make sure you pack.

Another item to remember when you go to the beach for a picnic is a blanket so as to make it comfy and separates the food away from the sand.

You may want to consider having a picnic box as they are a good size and shape to keep hold of your food.

When you do pack it might be good to back a spare bag for rubbish so you can keep it all together and check it in the bin at the end of the day.

With kids, one of the most important items to remember to take with you if your eating out is wet wipes as they are a godsend to keeping kids clean. There is nothing worse than sticky fingers smearing food everywhere.

Don't forget to pack cutlery and cups as so handy to make eating and drinking a lot easier forever.

Now, let's crack on with the ultimate kid-friendly picnic food for the beach.

1. Bread rolls.

2. Wraps.

3. Carrots/peppers/cucumbers/tomatoes plus hummus.

4. Sausage rolls.

5. Pork pies.

6. Cheese pre-cut cubes.

7. Fruit - strawberries, apples, raspberries, watermelon slices.

8. Breadsticks. 

9. Scotch egg.

10. Coleslaw.

11. Potatoes salad.

12. Crisps.

13. Crackers.

14. Ryvita's. 

15. Cheese strings.

16. Flapjacks.

17. Brownies.

18. Lemon drizzle cake. 

19. Quiche.

20. Chicken Satay.

21. Chicken drum sticks. 

22. Salmon slices. 

23. Salami.

24. Chicken tikka skewers.

25. Tail mix.

26. Nuts.

27. Granola bars. 

28. Boiled eggs. 

29. Samosas.

30. Falafel.

31. Koftas

32. Olives.

33. Shredded chicken. 

34. Prawns.

35. Couscous. 

36. Salad.

37. Corn on the cob.

38. Seafood sticks.

39. Cheese and onion rolls.

40. Feta and spinach parcels.

41. Ham and Edam rolls.

42. Chorizo and gouda rolls.

43. Mozzarella balls and tomatoes.

44. Fruit salad.

45. Hot dogs.

46. Pasta salad.

47. Tortilla chips and salsa.

48. Pitta bread and hummus.

49. Pizza. 

50. Sushi.

Have I missed anything off the list of picnic food that you nothing is a good item to bring along to the beach? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday Photo 02/05/2021

My cheeky little monkey 😝 

guilt over every moment.

Hey readers, 

 I have a kind of confession to make and that is when someone says, time goes fast embrace every moment of your child or similar times of things. 

But the whole idea was that I should embrace that moment. Maybe I find it difficult because I am autistic and I take every word literally. I feel stressed or guilty because I don't embrace every moment.

 I might be selfish may be preoccupied. I just feel suffocated with this feeling of trying to encapsulate and treasure every moment.

 This is the side of social media that I found not helpful for parents and truth be told adds more pressure/guilt. It really can drag your mood right down and feel not good enough.

 I bet if I weren't around in the social media time it would be a lot less stressful and less pressure to be perfect and enjoy every moment of my child. 

 The thing is life gets in the way, and sometimes I really can't wait for my kids to go to bed, does this make me a bad mother? Of course, I love my children dearly but life isn't always peachy.

 I just get so bogged down with the guilt about not enjoying every moment or not fully occupying my time with my child. 

But when I reflect I don't miss it. I don't miss the times I had. There are fun times, sad times, anxious times. 

It is an experience and something I am glad that I have experienced but would I seriously want to encapsulate that if I had the magic powers to make time stop? 

Honestly no I wouldn't. I am trying to let go of the guilt, I make mistakes and coming to terms with that and accept I am only human. 

I can't stop time or my children growing up that is just the nature of the beast. I do weirdly actually like seeing the change and growth in my child's development. 

Seeing them grow and become their own person in their own right. 

 Motherhood is tiring and challenging and all the other emotions are attached to it. 

I am trying not to be hard on myself and just take each day as it comes. 

As long as my children are happy, healthy, and achieving the best they can that is the goal for me. I need to accept my best is enough. 

 Cheers for reading X