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FREE TAKE ME HOME Hereford & Worcester IN THIS ISSUE Education Being Happy At Nursery Learning To Read Alone New Year, New You Fitness Ideas For Parents Tips For Good Mental Health Issue 49 January/February 2018 familiesonline.co.uk Editor’s Letter Dear readers Big Garden Birdwatch New year – new you! Parenthood keeps you busy but does it always keep you fit? Temptation to eat naughty treats is all around when you have kids while finding reasons to put off doing exercise is all too easy when you are tired. Check out our fitness ideas to inspire busy parents. It is just as important to look after our mental well being as well as our physical health. Maintaining good mental health is important for the whole family. In this issue we share the five-a- day tips for good mental health. You and your family can take part in this year's We also discuss how to keep your children active and how to garden bird survey being organised by the Royal encourage them to enjoy reading alone. And you will find news Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). All you on open days for the leading independent schools in our area. need to do is to count the different birds you spot in your garden over three days and record what Diane Clifford. you see. The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch takes Editor, Families Hereford & Worcester place between 27-29 January. 01684 770566 ww2.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch [email protected] Lack Of Sleep Is Damaging More than a third of primary school children are failing to get Advertise with us and reach over 44,000 sufficient sleep, according to new research. The study has linked Next issue March/April (Easter). poor sleep with difficulties in paying attention in class, keeping Booking deadline is Friday 9 February. up with school work, forgetfulness and absenteeism. The research, carried out by the University of Leeds has shown Families Hereford & Worcester is part of Families Print Ltd, a franchise company. All franchised that despite the NHS recommendation of 10 hours, 36 per cent magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence. Families is a registered trademark of LCMB Ltd, Remenham House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, of primary age children get eight hours of sleep or less per Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of Families Hereford & Worcester are fully protected by copyright night. Even more worryingly, 15 per cent get less than seven and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of Families Hereford & Worcester. Every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, hours. Other factors contributing to poor sleep were poor but the franchise company, Families Print Ltd and Lifecycle Marketing cannot be held responsible parental sleep patterns and lack of routine. More information for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents, or any consequence thereof. on the study can be found at www.leeds.ac.uk Register for Wear A Hat Day And Start Planning Your Event Wear A Hat Day is the UK’s premier brain tumour research fundraising event. It takes place on Thursday 29 March. UK Brain Tumour Awareness Month is also in March. Schools and families across the country get involved to help raise funds for research into brain tumors. Brain tumors kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer… yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. Families are being left devastated by this dreadful disease. Taking part can be as simple as putting on a hat and donating on the day, but most families like to create entertaining fundraising events. Many schools for example have inventive hat competitions, parades and fashion shows and raise hundreds if not thousands of pounds. Register now on www.wearahatday.org and start planning your hattastic fundraising event. 2 Families Hereford & Worcester Magazine To advertise call: 01684 770566 familiesonline.co.uk News & Views Don’t Forget Applications for local authority Primary Schools must be submitted by 15 January if your child is due to start school in September 2018. Fun and interactive educational classes for www.worcestershire.gov.uk/schooladmissions babies, toddlers and preschools in Bromsgrove, Redditch and beyond. www.herefordshire.gov.uk/info/200144/schools_and_education New! SEN - Adults & Children! Music & Sensory Classes 58 Willow Close | Bromsgrove | B61 8RF More Flexible Working Opportunities 07518 287 598 [email protected] According to a survey by workingmums. additional costs or challenges this might co.uk, almost three quarters of working involve and discuss them honestly. mums identify flexible work as being crucial to getting more women into Give examples of the ways in which your senior roles. work can be successfully carried out under any new proposed working The survey shows that mums feel flexible pattern, and show that it will not harm working is vital for them to manage work the business. Point out any business and family life and that 60% of those who advantages. work flexibly would like even more flexibility. So what can individuals do to Research some case studies, ideally in help persuade their employers to agree your sector that shows how the to them working flexibly? suggested work pattern can be mutually beneficial. Here are some tips: Think through what the job requires and If managers are dubious, suggest a trial whether the tasks you have to perform period. And have a compromise solution Call 01684 770566 can be done at a different location ie as a back-up. to put your business in from home, or at times outside of the front of 44,000 parents standard working day. Take account of any For more info www.workingmums.co.uk Maths Tops Popularity Poll for Children New research has shown that when it comes to children’s favourite subject it’s a numbers game as maths comes out on top. A survey carried by the extra tuition provider, Explore Learning has found that maths was the most enjoyed subject of four to 14 year olds (26%) followed by PE (20%) and art (16%). This was despite the fact that maths is also the subject that children admit to finding the most challenging, followed by English and geography. More highlights of the survey include: • The next generation may signal the end of the gender divide as seven in ten (69%) of children think boys and girls are equally good at maths • Nearly two thirds (61%) think a job in maths would be exciting! • 90% think being good at maths will help you get a better paid job in the future Registered charity number 1153487 (England and Wales) SC046840 (Scotland). Company limited by guarantee 08570737. To inspire your aspiring mathematician there are great on how to make maths fun and engage young maths mind ideas at www.murderousmaths.co.uk familiesonline.co.uk To advertise call: 01684 770566 or email: [email protected] 3 Ed’s Reading Room Hi kids, parents, grandparents, teachers – and book lovers everywhere! I’m Ed and here is my New Year book selection. Ed’s Reading Room is an exciting free book review website. Download the specially written reading activities for these books and buy the books online at www.EdontheWeb.com. Have fun reading! FOR AGES 5-7 YEARS FOR AGES 7 YEARS PLUS Safari Pug: The Dog Who Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape by Dermot O’Leary Walked on the Wild Side by (Hodder £6.99) (Bloomsbury £5.99) Laura James ED SAYS: “Toto the ninja cat and her ED SAYS: “Pug is rather frightened when brother Silver live in a town house in Lady Miranda wakes him with a very loud London but they were born in an olive scream and tells him there is a lion in the grove in southern Italy where Toto learned bedroom. Lady Miranda’s housekeeper to rely on her senses from a ninja cat hurries into the room and searches master. During the day they appear to be everywhere. She assures them there is no ordinary cats but at night they love having adventures, lion – just a lot of crumbs under the bed! starting with a tour of London by animal Tube. However things The next day the friends set off for the safari park in order to become more serious when a king cobra escapes from London meet a real lion and overcome their fears. But what if lions, or Zoo. Toto has to draw on all of her skills to investigate and find any other wild animals for that matter, liked pugs for lunch?” the deadly snake before it’s too late.” Marge and the Great Train Rescue The Hippo at the End of the Hall by Isla Fisher (Piccadilly Press £5.99) by Helen Cooper ED SAYS: “Have you met Marge who is arguably the best babysitter in the whole (David Fickling Books £10.99) universe? Jemima’s little brother Jakey has ED SAYS: “Come now or come never! a wobbly tooth that won’t quite come These are the words on the invitation out but the children, with Marge’s help, delivered by bee-mail to Ben’s home. find a rather unusual way of dealing There was no name on the envelope but with it. When the threesome set off on Ben knew it was for him. It was strangely a journey by train, they are hopeful enticing to be invited to the Gee Museum that Jakey will be able to drive the but his Mum seemed very wary about it.