Wednesday 27 June 2012

TOTS 100 - UK Parent Blogs
familyholidays.co.uk

Sunday 24 June 2012

Summer Holidays

Well the summer holidays are nearly here, Where we have 6 weeks of trying to entertain the kids and stop them from feeling board.
I was hoping to take the kids to haven on holiday for a long weekend but have started doing the house up, So far I have done my daughters room in pink and white with hello kitty, My son's room is blue and white and he wants me to do it up in angry birds. So now I want matching toy boxes etc for both rooms and a few extra bits then I can start on my room, Because of this a holiday is out of the question :(
So we are going to have a nice few days out and will also do some other activites with them, hopefully we will get some nice weather.
My son also has his 7th birthday in august so have started planing that already and buying little bits.
I thought I would write what I have planned and hope to do with the kids.

1) Day out to llandudno, where we will have a walk along the pier and visit the arcades and have a shop around and some dinner.

2)Day out to rhyl, where we will go and visit the sea aqaurium there and go to the suncentre where we will go swiming and have dinner

3)Day to chester zoo, My son loves going here so hoping Ruby will also enjoy this as last time we went she was a baby.

4)Bangor fun centre where the kids can play and climb and also have some dinner

5)Hoping that we have nice weather a few visits to the beach, which is free and take our buckets and spades and a home-made picnic

6)Again if the weather is nice I will get out our sandpit and paddling pool so we can have a few hours fun in the garden, and hopefully have a few bbq's

7)Dvd days, were we will sit in the house, watch what-ever dvds the kids want and have some cuddles

8)DJ'S birthday we are having a small party in the house with a few friends, so that will take up a few hours, he has asked for a mario party, so have got some bits ready, and some presents,

Can anyone else recomend anything to keep the kids busy? if so let me no, includes free days and days out xx


Thursday 14 June 2012

britmums

KIDS AND NUTRITION


I am blogging for the pineapple lounge regarding food, nutrition and kids so thought I would also put a photo of my children on.

****HOW DO I SHOP FOR MY KIDS FOOD?****

I don't go out and do a special shop for my kids, I do the family food shopping all together and buy foods that we all like, I'm quite lucky as the kids will eat most foods that I eat, but I do buy extras for them such as certain fruits and veg that I don't eat myself and puddings and jucies.

****WHAT ARE MY PRIORITES?****

My priorites are that my kids get to eat a wide range of foods, making sure that they try different things, I do like them to try healthy foods but to also have pizza and burgers sometimes, As long as they get some fruit and veg each day and are generally healthy then i'm happy.

****WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT****

I do worry that they don't always gets enough vitamins and eat all there food, especially with my son as he has school dinners so I can't control how much and what he eats, I do know that they prepare and serve healthy food and puddings but I don't know how well he eats.
I also worry that both my children will pick up my eating habbits as I don't eat much fruit, veg or salad as I don't like it. Because of this I am constantly tierd and lack vitamins and iron and have to take iron tablets are have vitamin b injections and I would hate for my kids to end up the same.

****WHAT DO I LOOK FOR****

I look for foods that I believe and know that my kids like, but also for foods that are fun, healthy and colour full as I find these seem to appeal to my kids.
I also look for foods my kids have said they don't like or won't eat but that is packaged and prepared differently.

****WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTENT THINGS TO ME WHEN IT COMES TO MY KIDS AND NUTRITION?****

To me it is importent that my kids get a variety of nutritions from a variety of foods, it is important to me that they get all of these as nutrition as by getting all of these it helps them grow and develop, I also believe that it is important to teach my children about nutrition as by doing this they will learn what is good and what is bad for them and why these things are good and bad for them, I believe that it is important to teach them this from as young age as possible so they learn early enough and by doing this they can also helping their younger brother and sisters and also there cousins and friends.

****WHICH BRANDS GET IT RIGHT****

To me their is no set brand that gets it right or gets it wrong, each brand does their own thing, Some may get a higher salt content than others and have a lower sugar content but then another brand will have a higher suger content and lower salt content.

****WHAT DO BRANDS SAY/DO THAT ANNOY ME****

I hate when brands say they are better than other brands, I don't no how they can say this as everyone has different taste buds, and it annoys me that some brands charge ridiculous prices for their products when you can by a shops own brand that often tastes just as nice, if not nicer for a lot less.

****WHERE DO TREATS AND PUDDINGS FIT IN? AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THERE FOR ME?****

I do buy treats and puddings for both my children, but have rules as and when they can have them, I have done this with both my children from the age they started having solid foods.
I like my kids to eat all their food before I allow them to have a pudding, I don't go out and buy proper puddings, I get custard and yogurts, and occasionally doughnuts and cakes. I do also buy crisps, biscuits and chocolate bars as I believe every child deserves to have these.
At the moment I only have a problem with my eldest as he is 6 years old so will often moan for a pudding even when he hasn't finished his dinner.
What I have now started to do is when he say's he is full and can't eat all his food I now put it to one side for 5 minutes and tell him that if he can eat it then he can have a pudding/treat and he does.
I do treat both the kids to mcdonalds and kfc, once a month we go to the play center and for food afterwards as it is nice for them to go out and have something different and they don't expect this all the time which is good.
At the weekend we also have a few hours where the 3 of us will sit and watch a few films whilst having tea and cuddles before bed and on this day we have sandwiches, sausage rolls, crisps and cakes which they enjoy more because it's not something they get every day.

****WHAT DO MY KIDS SAY/THINK? DO THEY COMMENT ON THEIR DIET? DO THEY ASK ME FOR CERTAIN THINGS? AND NO ABOUT NUTRITION?

I have spoke to my eldest about this before writing this part of the blog, I believe that he is old enough to have his say as he is 6 years old, 7 in a few months, My youngest is 19months old and can only say a few words so I can't really ask her.

DJ- I like my the food that I get to eat,at home and in school, in school we have something different every day, the only thing I don't like that they give me in school is cabbage, its urghhh.
I do sometimes wish that I could have more sweeties like my friends and sometimes I ask my mummy but she say's no. But because I don't have sweets all the time and get them as treats mummy buy's me a comic instead which I like getting.
I no mummy does this because she wants me to grow up big and strong so i can look after her when she's old and because if I eat lots of good things like fish, fruit and vegetables I will be clever and have a good job when i'm older and it will make me not get lots of nasty colds and tummy aches.
I no that by eating healthy food I will have lots of energy, big strong bones and learn lots of things at school.

So that is exactly what DJ has said to me, so I have found that he does no a little but I do think he should no more, and will try and teach him a little more than he know's now.

Please guys if you have any comments I would really like to hear your opinion on kids, nutrition and their eating habbits

ADD ON- I have had a conversation with friends mentioning that I have done this post and have asked them what there opinions are on kids and nutrition and what they believe is the next new thing to come with nutrition, we spoke about this in are regular monthly meet up without are kids.

A friend who has no children stated that she thought it was ok for kids to eat what they wanted that she would be happy for her kids to eat burgers, crisps and junk every day, not actually realizing how important nutrition are to our children and was actually quite shocked when we told her that they are important and help the kids grow, stay healthy and help them learn.
My other friends all with children of their own also have the same views as myself and have said that they think in the near future that they will have nutritious chocolate and crisps, sweets so that kids can have them more often and enjoy them whilst at the same time getting energy and vitamins from them.
They have also said that they believe that health visitors and doctors will soon have more contact with kids to keep and eye on them and if they believe that their diets are not good enough that they will speak to parents offering advice on how to change these diets and offer vitamins.
I agree with them that in the near future that sweets, chocolates and crisps may be healthy and nutritious but I don't think the doctor/health visitor will get involved unless a child is morbidly obese.