Family Natters

When a baby can walk with one hand held, there are several ways you can help him or her further:

• put toys and food on the sofa so baby has to stand up
• put toys and food slightly out of reach so baby has to cruise to get them
• encourage baby to stand balanced against a toy you are both playing with
• play a game whereby baby walks one or two steps or dives between two people he or she knows well; give lots of praise
• instead of letting baby hold your hand to balance, let him or her hold a toy that you are also holding

Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check is a tried and tested method many teachers use in schools to help children learn spellings. You can easily do it at home too.

All you need to do is write the spellings at the left hand side of a grid like in the photo. Ask your child to look at the first spelling and read it (say it) aloud. Then cover it up and ask your child to write it from memory before comparing (checking) what he or she has written to the real spelling. Then repeat the whole thing a couple of times to fix it in the child’s memory.

think it works because it engages childen on so many levels. If you wish, you could laminate the blank grid so you could use it again and again with a dry-wipe pen.

Last year when Tom was 5, I put him in charge of giving out sweets to the trick-or-treaters who knocked on our door. He seemed to enjoy it and I liked not having to answer the door every 5 minutes, so we were both happy. Until I happened to catch sight of what he was doing, that is.

I had put a pile of twixes, flakes, aeros and chewits in an old Roses tin, with the idea that the children would select one a piece. What I hadn’t foreseen was that Tom would take out the twixes, flakes and aeros because they were his favourites, then just give each child who came by one chewit each. And he’d been doing it all night, to everyone who had knocked on the door!

I think this year I’ll have to be in charge of the sweet tin myself, don’t you.

If you are anaemic, want to be healthy or lose weight, this is the recipe for you. It’s so tasty that James and I have been known to fight over the final helping.

Ingredients

2 bags or bunches of watercress

1 medium onion

2 chicken stock cubes

2 oz butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 pint milk

optional cream to garnish

Method

Chop the onion and sweat with 1 oz butter for 10 minutes

Roughly chop the watercress, then add it to the pan and sweat for 5 minutes

Turn the heat up a little and add the flour and remaining butter. Stir constantly.

Make up and add 1 pint of hot chicken stock up using the 2 stock cubes. Continue to stir.

Boil the milk and add slowly.

Simmer for 20 – 25 minutes.

Allow to cool then liquidize.

If you wish, add a swirl of cream to serve.

This Christingle lesson plan is suitable for both KS1 and KS2 children and provides a natural link to RE and our local community. It includes how to make a Christingle and the Christingle story.

Aim: to know the meaning of Christingle

• Tell the story of Christingle, that in 1747 the German Pastor John was one evening trying to think how to explain to children what Christmas means. Ask the children for their ideas, perhap using response partners.
• Then explain Pastor John hit on the idea of giving each child a lighted candle wrapped in a red ribbon, and then saying the prayer:”Lord Jesus, kindle a flame in these dear children’s hearts”. This custom was so successful that it has spread to more and more churches each year.
• Demonstrate how to make a Christingle while at the same time asking the children what they think the various parts might symbolise. You will need an orange and candle for each child, a reel of narrow, plain red ribbon, cocktail sticks and a bag of dolly mixtures.
• Explain the red ribbon represents the blood of Jesus and his sacrifice, the orange and dolly mixtures) symbolise the fruits of the earth and the four seasons while the lighted candle is Christ, the light of the world.
  in pairs have the children make their own Christingle. Obviously smaller children will need help and cautions regarding not eating the sweets and the dangers of the cocktail sticks.
• ask for volunteers to show their Christingles and explain what the parts mean
  if possible attend a candlelit service in the local community, or alternatively turn the lights off and recite the above prayer, making sure the children are first aware of the rules with regard lighted candles and the behaviour you expect during a service

We haven’t heard anything about James lately,’ Amelia’s mummy said to me in an email today.  ‘Does that mean he’s been on his best behaviour?’

Sundown Adventure Land is located six miles from the A1 Markham Moor and sign posted three miles from Dunham on the A57. Admission is £8 per person with under 2’s free of charge. Best suited for families with children under 10, it offers the following:

• numerous parks with slides, cargo nets, bridges, round-abouts and climbing apparatus
• go-karts
• automated rides on rails (tractor, train and Robin Hood)
• boat ride (you get wet!)
• small-scale buildings to investigate
• indoor ball pool/ slide area
• 2 x indoor eating places (includes healthy food such as jacket potatoes and sandwiches)

I really recommend it. Tom calls it “Fun Down.”

Guy Fawkes Night is always great fun, but it can be dangerous tpp.  Every year there are injuries and sometimes even deaths.  Therefore take a moment to think about safety.