Welcome to Mums Advice

Category: Our stories

  • Things To Ask Your Child Other Than How Was Your Day

    50 things to ask your child other than how was your day

    1. What made you smile today?
    2. Can you tell me an example of kindness you saw/showed? 
    3. Was there an example of unkindness? How did you respond?
    4. Does everyone have a friend at playtime?
    5. What was the book about that your teacher read?
    6. What’s the word of the week?
    7. Did anyone do anything silly to make you laugh?
    8. Did anyone cry?
    9. What did you do that was creative?
    10. What is the most popular game at lunchtime ?
    11. What was the best thing that happened today?
    12. Did you help anyone today?
    13. Did you tell anyone “thank you?”
    14. Who did you sit with at lunch?
    15. What made you laugh?
    16. Did you learn something you didn’t understand?
    17. Who inspired you today?
    18. What was the peak and the pit?
    19. What was your least favorite part of the day?
    20. Was anyone in your class today?
    21. Did you ever feel unsafe?
    22. What is something you heard that surprised you?
    23. What is something you saw that made you think?
    24. Who did you play with today?
    25. Tell me something you know today that you didn’t know yesterday.
    26. What is something that challenged you?
    27. Who can run the fastest?
    28. Did you like your lunch?
    29. Rate your day on a scale from 1-10.
    30. Did anyone get in trouble today?
    31. How were you brave today?
    32. What questions did you ask at school today?
    33. Tell us your top two things from the day (before you can be excused from the dinner table!). 
    34. What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
    35. What are you reading?
    36. What was the hardest rule to follow today?
    37. Teach me something I don’t know.
    38. If you could change one thing about your day, what would it be?
    39. (For older kids): Do you feel prepared for your history test?” or, “Is there anything on your mind that you’d like to talk about?” (In my opinion, the key is not only the way a question is phrased, but responding in a supportive way.)
    40. Who did you share your snacks with at lunch?
    41. What made your teacher smile? What made her frown?
    42. What kind of person were you today?
    43. What made you feel happy? 
    44. What made you feel proud?
    45. What made you feel loved?
    46. Did you learn any new words today?
    47. What do you hope to do before school is out for the year?
    48. If you could switch seats with anyone in class, who would it be? And why?
    49. What is your least favorite part of the school building? And why?
    50. If you switched places with your teacher tomorrow, what would you teach the class?

  • The Party Trend Dividing Parents 

    Tiered birthday parties are the latest trend to sweep school years across the globe.

    Seen by some as a way of being inclusive to all kids whilst still allowing children to celebrate their birthday with their closest group of friends, other parents are criticising the trend as ‘mean’ and ‘hurtful’.

    What are tiered birthday parties?

    Known also as two-tiered birthday parties, the idea is essentially that a child will invite all of his or her class to their main birthday party, but then at the end of the main event, a much smaller, more select group of children will be invited on for a second celebration too. 

    Normally a sleepover, or something held at the child’s home, the idea is that where most parents can’t host a whole class in their house, they can still let their child have a birthday event with just their closest friends

    So, what’s the problem with tiered birthday parties?

    Children’s birthday parties can be controversial enough already. How much do you spend on a child’s birthday gift? Should siblings be invited to the party? Should other parents stay to provide moral support instead of leaving? And the idea of two tiered parties seem to be no exception.

    While some parents have defended their decision to throw one, arguing that they wanted to include the whole class in the party but could only safely let their child invite four or five children to stay the night, others have branded the idea as ‘mean-spirited.’

    Some mums have expressed that their child would feel they were left out or not as popular if they discovered they were not invited to the VIP after party.

    So, what do you think? Do you think tiered birthday parties are cruel? Or just practical for the parents, not personal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

  • Mum Ordered To Allow Formula Feeding

    Mum Ordered To Allow Formula For Her Exclusively Breastfed Infant

    An American judge in Maryland  has ordered a mum to allow her six-month-old son to have formula when he is with his father and so rages the debate between the rights of a mother, father, and child. 


    Amber Brown and Corey Lewis separated not long after their now 6-month-old son was born. Brown’s plan was to follow World Health Organization guidelines that cite recommendations for babies to be fed breast milk exclusively for the first six months, but the baby’s father took her to court, asking a judge to order that the baby be given formula. It seems Brown, like many mothers, had a hard enough time supplying milk as she nursed, and she simply couldn’t pump enough to supply Lewis with milk for night-time feedings. 

    Lewis argued in front of two magistrates in Charles County, Maryland, that he should be able to give the baby formula overnight, because Brown’s desire to exclusively breast feed prevents him from his rights of overnight visitation as the baby’s father. Magistrate Monise Brown agreed with Lewis in July, saying that the mother’s insistence to breastfeed was not a valid reason to withhold visitation, and in fact, could be purposed alienation toward Lewis. 


    Brown filed for an exception, based on her pediatrician’s recommendation that the baby remains nursed, as he could not tolerate formula. The follow-up hearing was just held and Magistrate Mitsy Metzgar concurred with the first ruling that if formula was what was needed for dad to have overnight visits, it should be done.


    And so…this is where it gets so, so sticky.


    While WHO recommends nursing for the first six months, the fact is that the baby has been nursed for six months, with Lewis saying he allowed that to happen. He says that he should now have the overnight visits with his son he is entitled to. Yet, a licensed pediatrician has gone on record saying the baby cannot tolerate formula, and no one seems to be taking that into account. Do judges have the medical experience that licensed clinicians do? Is it normal for them to turn away the advice of certified medical professionals?


    Interestingly, Maryland is one of the states with strong legal wording when it comes to breastfeeding. The law (MD 20-801) states that no person can restrict or limit the right of a mother to breastfeed her child. It would seem that we now are looking at the issue of whose rights trump whose — the right of the mom to breastfeed, or the right of the dad to overnight visitation?

    What about the baby’s rights? If his mother is not able to protect him from possible gastrointestinal issues due to formula intolerance because judges deem that an excuse for her keeping him from his father, who can? Who will?

    What’s your thoughts?

  • REVEALED: the secret codes children are using to hide the true meanings of messages

    Most parents check their children’s phones, read text messages, WhatsApp messages, Facebook messages and posts.

    But how much of it do we truly understand?

    The police have revealed a list of secret texting codes that referred to drugs, sex and suicide.

    We urge all parents to familiarise yourself with these codes as to better understand what your children may really be talking about.

    These codes have also been used by pedophiles when attempting to groom teenagers and children into sexual relationships and activities.

    Photo credit: Facebook

    The Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Newry and Mourne division published an extensive list of the codes earlier this year.

    Please share this far and wide to warn other parents so our children aren’t at risk.

  • A woman was told to stop speaking ‘foreign muck’ but was actually speaking Welsh… in Wales

    A mum said was shocked when she was told to stop speaking “foreign muck” to her one-year-old daughter but was actually speaking Welsh… in Wales.

    Elin Jones, who lives in Lampeter , was speaking to daughter Elena while out shopping on Saturday, explaining to her about the food that was on the shelves.

    To her shock, a customer at the local store in Ceredigion confronted her, and mother-of-three Elin tweeted:


    Speaking to WalesOnline, Elin explained how she corrected the woman.

    “I think I was pretty calm about the situation to be honest.

    “I said to her ‘I think you are misunderstood – I am speaking Welsh to my children’.

    “But she turned on her heels and walked away. She didn’t even try and justify what she had said.

    “Wales and the UK is a multicultural country and I love that about it in general and we should be far more accepting.”

    Elin, 32, works in a local pub and added: “Most people usually recognise that it’s Welsh, particularly when I’m in Wales.

    “But maybe because I don’t sound Welsh when I am speaking it I have had comments from people saying ‘go back to your own country’, which is very funny because I am from Aberystwyth.”

    Elin, a Plaid Cymru town councillor, and whose husband does not speak Welsh, is bringing up her children in a bilingual household.

    She added: “Our home is bilingual and the children learn it in school too. I’m a first-generation Welsh speaker as my grandparents are from the London area.

    “I have always been in Welsh education and they are always really proud that I speak Welsh. I wanted to follow that through in my children too.”

    Since her post on Saturday, Elin’s comment has had almost 2,000 retweets and over 3,500 likes.

    “It’s gone a bit ridiculous to be honest. I put it on Twitter last night and I checked my account this morning and was a bit shocked!

    “It’s in a good way though, we should be promoting tolerance towards all.”

  • This Womens Supermarket Complaint Has People Divided!

    One Tesco customer is very unhappy with them and the reason has the public divided.

    When Mandy H Woodroffe checked her Tesco receipt on September 9th she saw something very unexpected.

    Tesco have a charity donation were customers can round up their bill with the money being given to charity.

    Woodroffe however was unaware of this and very surprised to discover 1p has been added to her bill without her knowledge or permission.

    She shared her thoughts on Facebook as can be seen below.

    When has it become legal to take money from a customer without their knowledge or permission, charity round up? We were not informed, not asked or notified so am horrified money has been added to my bill without my permission. This is illegal and i am not happy. Some may say its only 1p? But the amount is not the issue here, it’s fraud

    Credit: Facebook

     

    The comments on this topic have been mixed with some people sympathising while others don’t seem to mind the donation, stating it’s ‘only a penny’.

    What are your thoughts on this?

    Let us know in the comments.

  • I Do Not Help My Wife And Neither Should You

    I do not help my wife!!!

    A friend came to my house for coffee, we sat and talked about life. At some point in the conversation, I said, “I’m going to wash the dishes and I’ll be right back.”

    He looked at me as if I had told him I was going to build a space rocket. Then he said to me with admiration but a little perplexed: “I’m glad you help your wife, I do not help because when I do, my wife does not praise me. Last week I washed the floor and no thanks.”

    I went back to sit with him and explained that I did not “help” my wife. Actually, my wife does not need help, she needs a partner. I am a partner at home and through that society are divided functions, but it is not a “help” to do household chores.

    I do not help my wife clean the house because I live here too and I need to clean it too.


    I I do not help my wife.


    A friend came to my house for coffee, we sat and talked about life. At some point in the conversation, I said, “I’m going to wash the dishes and I’ll be right back.”



     

    He looked at me as if I had told him I was going to build a space rocket. Then he said to me with admiration but a little perplexed: “I’m glad you help your wife, I do not help because when I do, my wife does not praise me. Last week I washed the floor and no thanks.”



     

    I went back to sit with him and explained that I did not “help” my wife. Actually, my wife does not need help, she needs a partner. I am a partner at home and through that society are divided functions, but it is not a “help” to do household chores.


    I do not help my wife clean the house because I live here too and I need to clean it too.


    I do not help my wife to cook because I also want to eat and I need to cook too.


    I do not help my wife wash the dishes after eating because I also use those dishes.


    I do not help my wife with her children because they are also my children and my job is to be a father.


    I do not help my wife to wash, spread or fold clothes, because the clothes are also mine and my children.


    I am not a help at home, I am part of the house. And as for praising, I asked my friend when it was the last time after his wife finished cleaning the house, washing clothes, changing bed sheets, bathing her children, cooking, organizing, etc. You said thank you


    But a thank you of the type: Wow, sweetheart !!! You are fantastic!!!


    Does that seem absurd to you? Are you looking strange? When you, once in a lifetime, cleaned the floor, you expected in the least, a prize of excellence with great glory … why? You never thought about that, my friend?


    Maybe because for you, the macho culture has shown that everything is her job.


    Perhaps you have been taught that all this must be done without having to move a finger? Then praise her as you wanted to be praised, in the same way, with the same intensity. Give her a hand, behave like a true companion, not as a guest who only comes to eat, sleep, bathe and satisfy needs … Feel at home. In his house.


    The real change of our society begins in our homes, let us teach our sons and daughters the real sense of fellowship! “



     

    Author unknown but truly awesome…

    I do  not help my wife to cook because I also want to eat and I need to cook too.

    I do not help my wife wash the dishes after eating because I also use those dishes.

    I do not help my wife with her children because they are also my children and my job is to be a father.

    I do not help my wife to wash, spread or fold clothes, because the clothes are also mine and my children.

    I am not a help at home, I am part of the house. And as for praising, I asked my friend when it was the last time after his wife finished cleaning the house, washing clothes, changing bed sheets, bathing her children, cooking, organizing, etc. You said thank you

    But a thank you of the type: Wow, sweetheart !!! You are fantastic!!!

    Does that seem absurd to you? Are you looking strange? When you, once in a lifetime, cleaned the floor, you expected in the least, a prize of excellence with great glory … why? You never thought about that, my friend?

    Maybe because for you, the macho culture has shown that everything is her job.

    Perhaps you have been taught that all this must be done without having to move a finger? Then praise her as you wanted to be praised, in the same way, with the same intensity. Give her a hand, behave like a true companion, not as a guest who only comes to eat, sleep, bathe and satisfy needs … Feel at home. In his house.

    The real change of our society begins in our homes, let us teach our sons and daughters the real sense of fellowship! “

    If you agree share x


     

  • Mum Puts Child Down For A Nap And Then This Happens

    Amber Boone was having a completely normal day when she decided to put her three-year-old daughter, Aubrey, down for a nap.


    She didn’t do anything differently than she normally did, and she assumed her daughter was sound asleep in her bedroom. But Amber quickly realized she hadn’t taken account of one of the most important safety features in her home.
    Amber’s daughter was in her bedroom on the second floor while Amber went downstairs to work in the house, a few minutes later, she heard a loud banging on her door.
    She said, “Next thing I knew my neighbour was banging on my door, and I started to get a little frustrated … I was like ‘who is banging on my door that hard,’ but by the time I even got halfway there, because I was in the kitchen, she stormed in and she said, ‘I think your daughter fell, I think she fell.’”
    It was every parent’s worst nightmare. Amber said, I saw her laying on top of the screen in the driveway … My first thing was like running to her and making sure she doesn’t fall asleep, seeing if there’s anything else, making sure she doesn’t move.

    Little Aubrey was rushed to the hospital where the doctors discovered she had a fractured skull, lacerated spleen and a swollen-shut bowel. She has mostly recovered from the fall, but Amber said, “Everything has healed other than the skull, that’s going to take time. It’s a bone. They said four to six months that it will heal.”
    The overlooked security

    Aubrey, like any other child at that age, loves to climb and explore, so it makes sense that she wanted to open the window and look out to see more. Plus, little kids don’t have great balance at that age, so it’s easy for them to fall.
    I was visiting a friend recently who has many children and when we were standing outside the house, I saw one of her kids lean out of a second-floor window — even his torso was out.

    Children like to explore

    Once children learn to walk, it takes time to perfect their skills and they eventually learn to climb, kick, jump and run. These abilities make the little munchkins perfect explorers.

    When children learn these skills, they often like to feel independent. They like to do things all by themselves — without help from mum and dad. Because of this, these children need constant supervision by a responsible adult.

    It’s important to make sure your home is a safe space for your children to explore. Put locks on the cleaning cupboard , cover plugs, put up stair gates and lock your windows. You can never be too careful when it comes to making your house safe. Accidents always happen when things are overlooked.
    The idea of danger in babies

    Just as their motor skills have to develop, their cognitive skills have to go through that process as well.
    Small children’s brains take a while to develop, and babies and some toddlers don’t have the concept of danger. This is why they often have accidents, so it’s important to keep them safe.

    Reduce the chances of accidents

    Helping your child have a concept of the word “no” will help you prevent accidents. It takes time, patience and intervention, but it’s so worth it. Sometimes, you have to say it over and over until your children understand.

    Some handy tips:

    Visual contact: When talking to the child, crouch down to their height and make eye contact.

    Don’t shout: When your children are in danger or doing something they’re not supposed to, your first reaction is to shout. This will only frighten them.

    Baby-proof your house: We already talked about this earlier, but make sure all accessible areas in your home are safe for children to explore.

    Use your words: You might want to hit your child, but refrain from the temptation. Just take a deep breath and say “NO.”

    Your kids will have accidents — it’s inevitable. Make sure you follow these guidelines to teach your kids and lower the risk of something terrible happening.

  • Dogs Dumped When Children Return To School

    As children across the UK go back to school, Dogs Trust has identified an alarming trend which sees some families hand their dogs into rescue centres as soon as their children go back to school. Last year, on September 5th, the start of the new school year, we recorded one of the highest number of calls on any one day of the year. We were asked to take in 220 dogs; double the number of calls we usually receive from struggling dog owners on an average day. 

    With some owners giving up their dogs due to the return to the working routine and juggling the school run after the summer holidays, Dogs Trust is encouraging owners to bring their dogs to training classes, such as Dogs Trust Dog School to help overcome any issues. Sadly, the welfare charity is also seeing instances of dogs being given up because they have been bought to entertain the children over the summer and are no longer needed when the new school year begins .  


    Maria Wickes, Head of Dogs Trust Dog School, explains:


    “Sadly it does seem to be a recurring trend that we see more dogs handed into us as soon as children go back to school. In many cases dogs are not equipped to deal with this change in routine and may start displaying undesirable behaviour. We hope that anyone struggling to control their dog’s behaviour after the summer holidays will consider giving them up a last resort and instead send them “ Bark to School” and sign up for training classes.”


    Maria adds: “In extreme cases we are finding people even buy dogs simply to keep their children occupied during the holidays . Gus, a nine-month-old Cockapoo, was handed into us because his owners bought him to entertain the children during the summer holidays and then passed him to us for rehoming when the kids weren’t around during the day anymore. Whilst the majority of dog owners regard their dogs as valued family members, it appears some may be using dogs as four-legged nannies over the holidays and disregarding them come September. We hope people will remember that a dog is for life and carefully consider this lifetime commitment before purchasing a dog.”


    Dogs Trust Dog School classes operate nationwide and are available throughout the year.


    Dogs Trust hope this will not become a long term trend and educating children about responsible dog ownership and safety is an important part of what we do at Dogs Trust.

    Credit: The Dogs Trust

  • Nostalgia filled toys every 90s kid will remember!

    Join us now for a trip down memory lane!

    We’re going to be taking a nostalgia filled look back at 20 of our favourite toys that every 90s kid will “hopefully” remember.

    1.  Everyone that has seen Home Alone was eager to get a talkboy or talkgirl of their own!  2.  The original Trolls!  Not the cute musical ones kids like these days!  Ours were often found on pencils!3.  These epic game was all about skill and patience… and a bit of luck!4.  Learning to skate?  These were the only things you could acceptably learn from! 5. So much fun and so many injuries inflicted because of this a brilliant bouncy toy.6.  Dream Phone!  It was kinda like Blind Date… expect not. 7.  If you don’t recognise this, you’re too young for this list!  8.  Who needs a real dog when you could have a robot one that pretty much did nothing?!9.  We’ve seen a few new generations of Furby’s but I think we can all agree that else was the best and probably the most annoying.10.  My Little Pony skinny and bony… we all sang that you know it’s true!11.  Polly Pocket when they were still tiny enough to actually fit in your pocket!  These were amazing, the new ones don’t hold a candle to them 12.  Every 90s kid got one of these in their Christmas stocking! 13.  Who wanted normal diary that you could write in when you could have an electric one that you could easily forget the password and get locked out of… oops!14.  The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, we all had our favourites and let’s be honest we all loved the green ranger!15.  A teapot that was also a house the 90s was an amazing time to be alive!16.  Every self-respecting Beauty and the Beast fan was desperate for their own magic mirror!17.  Sky dancers; what a beautiful way to lose an eye or get tangled in your hair or fall and break the wing so it never works ever again… still a great toy though! 18.  The younger generation may recognise this chatty little phone from Toy Story 3 but we know it because it was our first mobile phone!19.  We all knew someone who had a house full of Beanie Babies and was sure they were going to be the richest people in the world one day! 20.  Tamagotchi! These needy electrical pets which our parents had to look after while we were at school!  They were brilliant and I only wish it was still socially acceptable to play with these now!

    What are some of your favourite childhood toys?

    Let us know in the comments!