Nov/Dec 2018

FW125 November-December 2018 _FW124 October 2018 05/11/2018 16:42 Page 1 Issue 125 November-December 2018 familiesonline.co.uk FW125 November-December 2018 _FW124 October 2018 05/11/2018 16:42 Page 2 In this issue... There is a tingle in the air in West London, the excitement of the holiday season is here and we are back with our issue full of ideas - from great gifts to buy for your little ones to where to go and what to do with your family over the holidays. Start your planning with us! 2 News & Views 12 Indoor winter fun 4 Supporting your 14 Where’s Santa this child with friendship Christmas? 5 Play OR structured learning 16 What’s On in West London 6 Equipping our children for a digital 19 Beneficial activities After School Nannies for the kids future - Franchise Opportunities 8 20 Classified ads and Weaning your baby Party listings At After School Nannies, not surprisingly, they’re passionate about after school care. Managed well there’s no limit to what 10 Those MUST HAVE Christmas toys! adults can help children achieve in those hours out of school! “We all want the best for our children - particularly when we can’t be there to give it to them ourselves. It’s no secret that after school nannies don’t grow on trees but we’ve spent over fifteen years sourcing excellent candidates for thousands of families across West London. We know where to look and what qualities make the best candidates. Our world may have changed considerably since 2003 when we were founded, but the needs of children at the end of the school day remain the same as they have been for longer than we’ve been in business. Our challenge now is to expand our provision. To enable more families to try our particular brand of after school care - because it works. Time and again, tried and tested.” That is why they’re launching their long-awaited Franchise programme, initially reaching out to Front cover image credit: the rest of London and the Home Counties and then, well, Skate School and Polar Bear Club at Somerset House. “Watch this space”… Or better still, join them! www.somersethouse.org.uk For more information email: [email protected] A daily mile improves children’s health... An initiative to get schoolchildren to walk or run a mile every day leads to significant improvements in their health, according to a study. The Daily Mile scheme was originally the brainchild of a Scottish head teacher who started it in 2012. Researchers at Stirling University compared the health of children at a primary school taking part in the scheme with those at a school that wasn’t participating. The children wore accelerometers which recorded how much moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) they were undertaking every day, and for how long they were sedentary. Children who were doing the Daily Mile were significantly healthier than those who were not. According to the Daily Mile Foundation, more than 3,600 schools worldwide have introduced the initiative, including about 1,200 in England, 770 in Scotland, 210 in Wales, 85 in Northern Ireland and more than 100 in the Republic of Ireland. More info at: www.stir.ac.uk and: www.thedailymile.co.uk 2 Families west London November-December 2018 familiesonline.co.uk FW125 November-December 2018 _FW124 October 2018 05/11/2018 16:42 Page 3 News & Views New reception test criticised Children who start Reception in September 2020 will be the first group to take the new Reception test, a baseline measure to track pupils’ progress during primary school. It is proposed that it will take place during the first 6 weeks of the autumn term. Guidelines recently released by the Government say the new reception baseline assessment will be short (about 20 minutes), interactive and practical. It will cover language and communication, early mathematics and social and behavioural skills. However, the proposed test has been Christmas really isn’t criticised in a report written by an expert panel and published by the British Education Christmas until you've Research Association. chosen your REAL tree! The report’s authors say that the assessment is highly likely to produce unreliable and invalid results, as it fails to recognise that young children develop at different paces and The experts at Pines and Needles doesn't adjust for key factors, such as differences in ages and family background. (wearing kilts!) will be on hand to give Add to this the fact that teachers and practitioners are likely to become more pressured to advice at their stores in Ealing, Fulham 'teach to the test', and it is difficult to see how baseline results will have any real value. Broadway, Maida Vale and Notting Hill More info available at: www.bera.ac.uk from the 19th of November. Pay them a visit and let them get the festivities well Beat head lice and nits with the Bug Buster Kit and truly underway. It’s a great family If your children have had head lice before, then you may have been put off using day out and they even have a delivery expensive neuro-toxic pesticides on their heads. Bug Busting is a head louse service from their stores to local detection and eradication method, which works by combining specially designed postcodes for an extra cost-enquire in bevel-edged combs with your own family shampoo and conditioner. store for more details. The Bug Busting method detects and clears lice completely without special treatments, It couldn’t be easier! Their stores are removes lice systematically, breaking the re-stocked every morning with dozens life-cycle in four sessions spaced over two Arabic for Women of trees, freshly cut and delivered weeks and eliminates unsightly eggshells and Children straight from their plantations. “You comfortably. won't get fresher, fuller or more The Bug Buster Kit is NHS approved and Families welcome – fabulous trees anywhere else!” safe for babies, children, pregnant women, Goal Oriented USE CODE: FESTIVE18 to get your nursing mothers and those with allergies. free gift with purchase. It costs £6.40 plus p&p but is reusable - • Dynamic • Innovative For more details of opening dates and only one kit is required per family. • Eective • Native Female times go to: To order a kit or for further information Teacher (& mother of 3!) www.pinesandneedles.com/pages/ and advice, visit Community Hygiene real-christmas-tree-stores-london Concern (CHC) at: www.chc.org Call Reem on or call: 01908 561928. Stores are located at: 07956 845 053 • Christ The Saviour Church, Ealing Broadway, W5 2XA • St John's Church, North End Road, SW6 1PB • 123 Shirland Road, Maida Vale, W9 2EW • St John's Notting Hill, Landsdowne Crescent, W11 2PD familiesonline.co.uk November-December 2018 Families west London 3 FW125 November-December 2018 _FW124 October 2018 05/11/2018 16:42 Page 4 Supporting your child with friendship challenges By Lianna Champ Life and relationships are not always easy and we learn our skills as children, watching the interactions of our parents and other adults in our lives. What we learn as children then sets our patterns of relating in adulthood. Falling out with friends is normal during childhood and it is through struggling with friendship challenges that our children learn about themselves, relationships and how best to interact with others. Through experience, children also learn how to set boundaries - what they will or will not accept in a friendship. We cannot make these decisions for our children but we can guide them gently and encourage them to use their instinct, intuition and intellect. friendships. friends - and that new people them robs them of the chance As we grow up, it is healthy that are constantly coming into our to learn valuable life lessons. The most important thing we our friendship groups grow and lives. As we navigate life we Equally, do not make them feel can do when our children are diversify. Our needs change and can’t expect to get everything like victim in a relationship as struggling with friendship issues different people provide different we need from one friendship, this can prevent them from is to listen. Falling out with their things. Learning how to be a which is why we need quite a taking responsibility in relation- friends can feel like the worse friend is like learning anything few to fulfil our needs. ships later in life. Encouraging thing in the world. Saying else. Sharing your own stories new activities and providing anything negative about their of your own friendship Children have a tendency to arenas for new friendships can friends at this point will only experiences can be helpful, think about things over and over give your child confidence in cause your child to withdraw and showing your children that again. Gently reflect back to their ability to make new friends can create further emotional friendships can hit a rocky patch them using clear language how and be a good friend. confusion for them. Gently which has to be worked through. they are feeling and what encouraging your child to talk happened. Try a bit of role play Studies show that children who about their feelings can help to Help your children to understand around a friendship challenge have healthy relationships with identify areas of conflict, the importance of sharing, taking which can help your child see the adults in their lives are more disagreement or unfairness someone else’s feelings into what is happening more objec- likely to make sound decisions which may have led to the fall account and listening to each tively.

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