First things first, Happy New Year. I hope 2021 will be a vast improvement on its predecessor for all of us. This time last year, I wrote a post explaining why I wasn’t making any new year’s resolutions. This year, I am making one, albeit with a caveat. More on that shortly. Looking back 12 …
I know I speak for us all when I say we’re all glad to see the back of 2020. It has been a truly awful year for everyone, so I’m not going to dwell on that. Even so, I think it’s always important to look back at the end of each year before looking forward …
Christmas will be really different for many of us this year. To say that 2020 has been horrible would be a massive understatement. I feel particularly sorry for kids. While we’ve never known anything like it either, it’s harder for them to comprehend and they’ve missed out on so much too. So it’s vital that …
December is almost upon us so there’s no getting away from the countdown to Christmas. Like many people, I have really mixed feelings about it this year. 2020 has been truly awful so I want to give the kids a lovely Christmas. But, at the same time, I’m feeling so down about the threat of …
Today marks the publication of 5 Big Insights – the largest ever study on the early years of childhood. Earlier this year, I shared my thoughts on its predecessor, 5 Big Questions. Backed by The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, it encouraged parents and carers to think about the early years …
Disclosure: I received the following items to feature in my Christmas Gift Guide 2020 and keep. We’re into the last few weeks of the year so it’s time to think about the festive season. There’s no getting away from the fact that Christmas will be different this year. With Covid-induced uncertainty and job losses – …
Disclosure: We received a year’s subscription to The Phoenix. My kids absolutely love comics. More often than not, they spend their pocket money on them. They’re forever drawing and writing their own too. So, when we were offered the opportunity to review The Phoenix, they were delighted! Aimed at boys and girls aged 7-14, The …
The other day, we were listening to Electric Light Orchestra while preparing dinner in the kitchen. This in itself isn’t news. We listen to Jeff Lynne et al whenever we need cheering up so, given the year everyone has been experiencing, we listen to them a lot. The song Telephone Line started playing. If you’re …
Youngest has been at primary school for just over a month and has settled in really well. It seems like an age ago that we last had a child in reception – four years ago, for the record. This is making me feel old, which isn’t surprising as I’m at least a decade older than …
I don’t mind admitting that I’ve been feeling down lately. We have the prospect of another six months of restrictions with coronavirus cases on the rise again. Added to that, my job is coming to a premature end. It was originally supposed to last until the end of next year. That changed to the end …