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  • Do Not Steal This Illustration-Wellington Boot Family

    I have seen on so many parenting sites and social media groups across Facebook and Instagram promoting an image of the Wellington Boot families, this is a beautiful picture of a family of wellington boots, mummy boot, daddy boot and the children’s boots, names can be added to the image.

    Many of my personal friends and all across Facebook I have seen this as peoples profile picture or cover photo.

    Members of these groups are asking if anyone would like one done and are happy to create one for members.

    But beware you are breaking copyright law.

    This beautiful illustration belongs to https://www.facebook.com/luciroseillustrations/ 

    copyright wellington boot family

    Luci Rose Illustrations has been in contact with the app creators who have been using her image and is in talks to have the image removed or credit given to her.

    Do not use or alter this image without permission you may be in breach of copyright law.

     

  • Keep Your Loved Ones Tattoo After They Die

    Keep your loved ones tattoo after they die.

    A company called National Association for the Preservation of Skin Art (NAPSA) helps keep your tattoos preserved and framed just like other property and can be passed down to loved ones after your death.

    If you don’t want your tattoos to die with you, a new association will preserve them, skin and all. After you’re gone, family can frame them and always have a piece of you to treasure and hanging on the wall for all to see.

    “Bequeath your tattoo just like a family heirloom such as a piece of jewellery or a piece of art or any other cherished possession, so that your loved ones can experience your legacy,” explains the National Association for the Preservation of Skin Art (NAPSA) in a promotional video.

    Since it inevitably touches on both vanity and mortality, tattoo preservation can be a touchy and awkward topic to discuss, but serious tattoo artists and collectors are starting to ask the question, “Is there any way we can preserve this work that means so much to us?”


    This is where NAPSA comes in, NAPSA is a non-profit membership association, with the goal of providing certain services to members, which include “preserving skin art on a wide scale with the ability to pass it on to loved ones.” To join NAPSA, the initiation fee is $115, plus yearly dues of $60 (dues cover preservation of one tattoo (about the size of a chest piece), and each additional tattoo is an additional $100 one time initiation fee depending on size). 

    This is yet to roll over into the United Kingdom but as the popularity grows in America I’m sure it won’t be long until it comes to us.

    Would you be happy to have your loved ones tattoo hanging on the wall? Would you consider having your own tattoo passed down to loved ones?

  • Science Has Proven Your Meanest Friend Is The Best

    Do you have a mate you love to bits, but on occasions can’t stand or you’re embarrassed by their harsh (though true) words – you can’t help but think that they are just being mean and sarcastic . However, science says this is not the case when it comes to your closest friends. 
    Recent findings have shown that your meanest friend is the one who truly loves you and wants the best for you all the time.

    According to a research published in Psychological Science, people who tend to make others experience negative emotions believe that the impact of those emotions will be beneficial for them in the long run.
    The research was conducted at the University of Plymouth and it included 140 adult participants. The scientists behind the study observed their behavior during hypothetical situations: for instance, by generating the fear of failure to a friend who instead of learning for exams – is procrastinating his studying.
    The researchers claimed that asking participants to take another person’s point of view has increased the likelihood of them choosing negative experiences and emotions for the other person if they thought that that experience would be helpful to them.

    The findings of the study confirmed what scientists believed – that people indeed may be “cruel to be kind”.
    “What was surprising was that affect worsening was not random but emotion-specific,” says López-Pérez, the lead author of the study. “In line with previous research, our results have shown that people hold very specific expectations about the effects that certain emotions may have and about which emotions may be better for achieving different goals.”
    In other words, people can sometimes be “mean” to you not because they hate you, or they want to hurt you – but because they care for you and their “meanness” comes out of selflessness and empathy.
    So, go ahead! Share this web post and tag your “mean” friends and tell them how much you love them for their honesty!

     

  • I Wish Mummy Didn’t Kill me 

    I wish mummy didn’t kill me!

    This is a story about a young boy with a huge heart. And it’s a story that everyone should read and share.
    The story is about James, but ultimately, it isn’t about him. It is, about millions of other children like James, living the same nightmare across the entire world today.

    This story of James is fictional, its message hit me right in the heart . We must not ignore this issue or message.

    We must not forget James.
    My name is James and I am  6-years-old. I love my mummy and daddy, but I’m also very scared of them. They often hit me and I don’t understand or know why.


    This morning I woke up and went to school. I am good learning and do as I’m told and my teacher likes me.


    I like all my classmates, too, but I have no friends. That’s why I usually stay indoors during breaks. Nobody wants to play with me. I tried to make friends with the other children, but they said No and also said I was disgusting.


    They laugh at me because I wear the same worn-out jeans, t-shirt and torn shoes every day.


    One day after school I went into the coat room and stole a jacket that was hanging there for a long time, nobody seemed to be missing it. Then I went home alone through the snowstorm. I was shivering with cold and it was hard to walk against the strong wind. Suddenly someone pushed me forward, I fell down in the snow and someone pressed my face into it. Then they said:


    “No one likes you. Idiot!”


    They kicked me in my back and in my stomach, then they ran away and left me in the cold snow.

    I cried. Not because I was cold or injured, I cried because I did not have a single friend, even though I liked everyone else.


    As soon as I got home, my mummy ran over and grabbed me by the hair.


    “Where have you been? Why are you so wet and dirty? Bloody kid, no dinner for you, go to your room and stay there.”


    I did as my mummy told me, I went into my room and did not get out until the next day, although I was very hungry and freezing cold.


    My school work got worse and worse, and every time daddy was informed, he hit me hard. Once he hit me so hard that I could not move my index finger, I never got back the movement in my index finger and all the children laughed at me for it.

    Time went by and one day I got a lot of pain in my chest.


    Mummy and daddy did not care I was hurt. In the evening I lay in my bed and I only wanted one thing. I wish I would not hurt more, because I did not want to annoy Mummy and Daddy. I love them so much, I really do.


    The next day at school we were told to paint our biggest dream. The other children painted cars, rockets and nice dolls. I did not.


    Not because I don’t like those things, but because what I wished for most of all was a loving mummy and daddy. So I painted a family. One mummy, one daddy and their son. They played games and everyone was happy. As I painted, I cried silently. I would love to have a mummy and daddy who loved me.


    When it was my turn to show  my painting for the class, everyone laughed at me.

    I stood in front of the class and explained:


    “My biggest dream is a loving family”.


    The laughs got louder. I began to cry and said,

    “Please don’t laugh at me, this is my biggest dream! You can hit me, you can hate me, but I beg you, please don’t laugh at me.

    I want parents like you have, that hug and laugh with me, who pick me up after school and are happy to see me. I know I’m ugly and weak, I know I have a crooked finger, but please don’t laugh at me.”


    The teacher tried to wipe my tears, I think some children understood me, but many continued to laugh.


    One day when I got a test back, I immediately saw that I had a bad result. I knew my mummy would be very upset.


    I was afraid to go home, but I did not know where else I would go. I slowly walked home, but I did not want to arrive. My mummy became furious.


    She grabbed me and threw me on the floor, I hit my leg hard on a chair.


    Then she hit me in my head twice. I just lay there, I could not get up. It really hurt. But mummy just left me there on the floor.


    When she came back she told me to clean up the mess, otherwise when Daddy came home he would really beat me.


    I begged Mummy not to say anything to him, but when I looked up, I saw that he was already in the doorway.


    When Mummy told him about the test, he pulled me up from the floor, he shook me and hit my face.

    I don’t remember anything after this. I woke up in the hospital. I looked at my hand, I could not touch any of my five fingers. I looked out the window and cried.


    Outside, I saw parents playing with their children, throwing balls together and hugging.


    Do you know why I cried?

    I don’t know how a hug from my mom feels like. My parents just beat me, but I love them anyway. I’ve always done my best, I’ve been good at school, but they do not like me still.


    One day I spilled some of my water, then they hit me again.


    Suddenly I got pain in my chest again. I told my mummy – but she did not care. After a while, I had to go to the hospital again, no one came and saw me.


    The doctor said that mum and dad would probably come the next day, but they did not. I waited and waited, but nobody came. I love my parents anyway.

    Two days later, James died of his injuries. In his hand the doctors found a letter that he had not written clearly.

    “Dear mummy and daddy, I’m terrified because I’m ugly, disgusting and stupid. I’m sorry because you can not love me.


    I never wanted to annoy you. All I wanted was to get a hug and hug from mummy, and hear that you loved me once. Daddy I just wanted you to play with me, hold my hand for a walk or sing for me.


    I know I’m a shame for you. I will never be those things.“


    Then James’s little heart stopped.


    This story was originally written in Russian. I’m not sure if it’s been true, but I think that matters little. It’s incredibly important anyway!


    All children are entitled to be loved. Still child abuse happens every second, every minute, every hour and every day. In all countries, all cities and all schools.


    A child’s home should be free from violence and a safe place. Children need love, tenderness and closeness, and a hug can sometimes be worth a lot more than you could ever imagine.


    Please share this story with all your friends on Facebook to remind everyone that no child should ever feel hurt or unloved.

    If you suspect a child is being abuse don’t hesitate in reporting it: https://www.gov.uk/report-child-abuse

  • Teeth Whitening – When to Stop – Don’t be Ross!

    So you want to get your teeth whitened, but you don’t know what shade of white you want; we understand! It can often be a troublesome question with an equally elusive answer. On the one hand you obviously want to go whiter, but how white is too white? Should you be subtle or should you go all out and get the “dazzle your friends in the dark” look? Our answer is a simple one: DON’T BE ROSS.

    We have all seen that episode (and if you haven’t seen that episode and are feeling confused as you don’t know who Ross is, get out from under your rock travel back in time and watch Friends!) where Ross gets his teeth whitened to impress a date. In this episode, aptly named “The One With Ross’ Teeth”, he leaves the gel on for a little bit longer than is instructed and ends up with teeth so white they would blind Jesus.


    Now of course going very white can suit some people but you must take into account a variety of factors and no, wanting to impress a date is NOT one of these factors! 

    Your skin tone and complexion, your hair colour and your eye colour should all play a very large and important part in choosing a new shade for your soon-to-be pearly whites. If you have to don makeup to negate the glare from your gums then you my friend, have gone too far.


    A general rule of thumb is to first start with your skin tone and complexion, as these aspects of your face are of course dominant in setting the rules of colour (as is the case with foundation et al). If you are light of skin then you can go with a whiter shade for your teeth, this is because your teeth will blend in with the rest of your face and will assume a natural position without looking out of place, garish or otherwise ridiculous.

    If you have a darker complexion then we would advise you to avoid the very white end of the spectrum, VITA shade B1 for example. This is because when you have your teeth whitened half of the art is to have them not look like they have been whitened, you want to maintain a natural balance! If you engineer it so that your teeth look unnaturally white, then you will draw too much of the wrong type of attention!

    This being said, we want you to do you. So if you want to get the whitest shade of white then goddamn it you get the whitest shade of white! If you are unsure as to what shade will suit your face and your complex best, your dentist will be more than happy to make a recommendation; they will have whitened a lot of teeth, so they’ll know what looks good and what looks scary! Though of course, the choice is entirely yours.



    That all being said, this is not a good look people!!

     

  • I’m Not Even Sorry You Miss Your Child

    Here we go again.

    It’s 09:26am and I’m sat here once again with a coffee in hand, admiring my daughter playing with her toys, fighting back the tears, wondering what my child did so badly to deserve to be put second by her ‘father’.

    He was supposed to be here at 08:00am.
    After two weeks working away and missing his daughter, he couldn’t make it last night because he was stuck at the barbers; a BARBERS.
    No awful road accident, nobody had died, he hadn’t lost a limb and he was still very much alive.
    These should be the only things stopping a parent from seeing their child, the only things.
    I did my usual and offered him a time slot for this morning; I compromised, because that’s what co-parenting is about, right?
    So, yeah, he’s not turned up at the agreed time.
    Why?

    Because he’s in bed after going on a drink and drugs binge last night, so he’s not fit to even care for my child.
    This isn’t the first time it’s happened, but it’s the last; I’ll make damn sure of that.

    Nearly two years of inconsistency and excuses – how long am I supposed to wait for someone to change? If they don’t want to change for their child, who will they change for?
    I’d have agreed to a later time, but he’s in a hurry to visit his new girlfriend at 12pm and she’s a 5 hour drive away – now tell me, who comes first?
    Call me a bitch, whatever – I’m out of f***s now.

    Why are people so quick to call a mother names for stopping contact between a father and their child?
    “Don’t stop contact, she’ll find out for herself when she’s older.”
    I would usually apologise but I’m past giving a rats arse – why do I want to give my daughter a childhood that she has to recover from?
    Why should I place her in to the firing line of an emotionally abusive, lying, manipulative and drug abusing, lousy excuse for a human being?
    She won’t thank me when she’s on medication or in therapy, when she goes through endless toxic relationships because she thinks this behaviour is normal.
    Why would any parent allow this?!

    In actual fact, I’m a bad parent for allowing contact if anything.
    Children aside, do you have any idea how much damage this also does to the mother? The person actually taking full responsibility of the child takes an emotional beating too, because all she wants to do is protect their child from hurt, pain or sufferance and she has to constantly pick up the pieces all the time.

    How can a mother be happy if her children are hurting?
    It’s a mother’s instinct to prevent unnecessary injury to their child; physically and emotionally.
    You wouldn’t allow another child to bully your child and you wouldn’t encourage them to be in their life, that’s for sure; so why is this different?

    In fact, it’s worse.

    It’s worse because a parent is supposed to be a role model; they’re the people who set examples for how we’re supposed to be treated – how can we do that if our own parents have no respect for us?
    Do I wait until she’s old enough to understand or do I shield her from years of disappointment, lies, hurt and wondering why she’s not good enough?
    You’ve already answered that yourself.
    No child should ever feel like they’re not worth it and I’ll fight until my last breath if it means them never having to feel like they’re not good enough.
    Today was the day I fell to pieces in front of my child and I will never forgive you.

    This picture was taken whilst writing this:

    I'm Not Even Sorry You Miss Your Child
    I’m Not Even Sorry You Miss Your Child

    Credit: https://theunicorninblack.com/

  • What’s The Time Mr.Wolf Should Not Be Played

    This is what I was witness to this week whilst taking my own children to school.

    An elderly childminder is looking after four children aged five to seven years of age and is standing in the school playground holding multiple bags and chatting away to her friend.

    Whilst the childminder awaits the school doors opening the children are getting bored so they begin to play a childhood favourite, What’s the time Mr.Wolf.

    Sounds harmless doesn’t it, as the children play one becomes the wolf and roars, close by a child of Four whom is unknown to the childminder begins to cry.

    The mother of said child comes over to comfort the girl, hugging her and telling her everything is okay and to stay away from “them mean children”

    After sometime the mother turns from a comforting mum to an enraged woman, demanding that the childminder stops the children from playing a game which is clearly scaring her small child who is now sat on the playground floor sucking her thumb and whimpering.

    Childminder pleads her case and explains that the children are playing a harmless game and maybe her child should try to join in or alternatively move away from them and play on some of the play equipment.

    The mother doesn’t like this and says if the childminder does not do anything to stop them she will take further action and ensure everyone who is willing to listen knows that the childminder is a bully and unfit to care for small children.

    Childminder looks defeated  and equally shocked and gives in and asks the children to cease playing this seemingly harmless game.

    The mother then returns to her friends to bad mouth the childminder and says that What the time Mr.Wolf is too scary for small children and she thinks it should be banned.

    The mother then picks her whimpering child up telling her everything is okay now and she is safe, the mother has to carry her child through the school door as she is still so upset.

    Who is in the right here?

    Should a game be stopped for one child?

    The little girl is scared but does that warrant other children from playing?

    Is this child extra sensitive due to her up bringing?

  • You’re A Bad Parent If You’ve Shamed A Bottle Feeding Mum

    You’re a bad parent if you’ve shamed a bottle feeding mum.

    If you think pushing a baby out of your vagina or being cut in two was all the insulting you’d endure whilst bringing your baby in to the world… you’ve got a shock coming.

    It gets worse.

    As a bottle feeding and bottle fed mum, I think I can speak for all bottle feeding parents out there when I say that pushy, breastfeeding mums are like the antichrist of all motherhood.

    We hate them. Loathe them. We avoid them like the plague. 

    They can’t sit with us. 
    We don’t hate breastfeeders, not a single bit (you rock) – we just hate the breastfeeders that dislike bottle feeders because they think they’re a cut above the rest.

     
    I’ll let you in on a little secret; if you’re already bashing another parent this early on in to motherhood, you’re already failing faster than the bottle feeder you’re already bashing. 
    I’m all for the “a fed baby is best” – because that’s the truth.

    As an adult, honestly, can you really tell who was bottle fed or breastfed as a child?
    Absolutely not.
    Don’t be daft.

    I was bottle fed from day one; I have no major health issues, I don’t lack intelligence, I rarely ever get poorly and I have an immune system built of iron.

     
    We get really sick of hearing about it and your sodding boobs and how wonderful they are.
    Bashy breastfeeders, this is what a bottle feeding mum thinks to every shitty thing you say to her;

    “If you bottle feed, your child is likely to be prone to more allergies.”
    So is a breastfed baby.
    “You’ll bond better.”
    Please, don’t go there.
    “Maybe you should have just tried for a bit longer.”
    Maybe you should f*** off.
    “I can give you some advice.”
    No thanks, f*** off. 
    “It gets easier.”
    Ever had a baby with colic? Clearly not. F*** off. 
    Come on. Weigh it up, guys. 

    Anybody would think we were actually poisoning our children with formula (that’s what the breastfeeders say anyway.)
    It’s actually perfectly safe and gives our babies all they need, without worrying if we can do that ourselves – because some of us actually can’t.
    Do you know how difficult it is to bottle feed?
    If we could just pop a boob out as and when we felt like it, produced a load of milk or “liquid gold” like you guys, got to get our babies back off to sleep just by resting them on our boob in the middle of the night, then we would, wouldn’t we?!

    Imagine washing, sterilizing, prepping, remembering to prep and all the other hassle that goes with it… I wouldn’t really say that was an easy way out at all, would you? (Let’s not forget those mad dashes for the kitchen in the middle of the night, because you forgot to take a bottle up to bed with you – they’re the worst.)

    Breastfeeding your baby doesn’t make you a bad parent, bottle feeding your baby doesn’t make you a bad parent – judging mothers on their decisions if different to yours makes you a bad parent. 
    We’re all trying to do what’s right for our children and your opinion or approval isn’t needed, but thank you.
    Keep your thoughts and judgmental views to yourself and we’ll do the same.

     https://theunicorninblack.com/

     

  • Button Battery Know The Dangers

     

    Button battery know the dangers.

    Eric Boggess has shared the effects of button batteries, do you know the dangers of button batteries?

    I for one will most certainly be making sure one are locked away.

    “So, I saw this idea at an Emergency Medicine Conference this weekend. Thought I would try it out and share the results. This is what happens to a hot dog when a button battery is placed inside for only two hours. Now, imagine this being the inside of your child/infant/toddler’s stomach or intestine. Within only a few hours it can cause a perforation (hole) within the stomach lining. So here’s the PSA, if you have a child that has swallowed one or you are concerned may have swallowed one, go immediately to the ER. Please, keep out of the reach of children, along with toys and electronic devices which use these batteries. Please share”.

    Button battery damage
    Before
    Button battery damage
    Two hours in
    Button battery damage
    Taken out
    Button battery damage
    Hotog cut in half, see the damage?

     

  • Top 10 baby boy names inspired by modern television

    Naming a child can be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do.  So many people are taking to television and movies to find a great name for their baby.  Here are some of the best baby boy names inspired by modern television.

    The Big Band Theory

    Sheldon – inspired by Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory.

    Dexter

    Dexter – inspired by Dexter Morgan from Dexter.

    Game of Thrones

    Jaime – inspired by Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones.

    The Middle

    Axl – inspired by Axl Heck from The Middle.

    The Walking Dead

    Dixon – inspired by Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead.

    Pretty Little Liars

    Ezra – inspired by Ezra Fitz from Pretty Little Liars.

    Breaking Bad

    Jesse – inspired by Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad.

    Modern Family

    Cameron – inspired by Cameron from Modern Family.

    The Vampire Diaries

    Damon – inspired by Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries.

    How I Met Your Mother

    Marshall – inspired by Marshall Eriksen from How I Met Your Mother.

     

    What are your favourite TV inspired names?

    Would you take inspiration from a TV show or movie to name a child?

    Let us know in the comments.