A study by Skyscanner.net has revealed that parents flying with some airlines may be spending more on infant fees than the cost of a full adult fare.

 Although children under two are able to travel without having to purchase a separate seat, research carried out by flight comparison site Skyscanner has found that in some cases it is actually cheaper to purchase an additional seat for an infant than to pay the fixed infant fee charge.

 Many of those travelling with children under the age of two may be unaware that they can purchase a seat for their tot, providing they travel in a car seat and are over six months of age*.  This means that parents get more room, often additional baggage allowance and may even save money too.

While many airlines charge a percentage of the full seat price for infants to fly on their parent’s knees, most carriers charge a set infant fee of between £30 and £50, often a similar cost to the price of paying for a seat on a low cost airline.  

 Skyscanner’s Mary Porter, mother of one, said: “Many parents may not know that it is even an option to purchase a seat for under 2’s, but this could be a very appealing option for parents who don’t want a wriggling toddler on their knee for the duration of the flight, especially those booking longer journeys and if they can get this benefit without having to pay a huge amount extra then it’s the perfect situation!”.

Notes:
*Restrictions may differ between airlines and booking a seat for an infant may involve calling the airline directly.  Please check with the airline before booking.

Please note, Ryanair have not be included in this study as it is not possible to book a separate seat for a child under 2.

Shopping for schools is no easy matter. School websites and league tables only reveal part of the story. If you'd like to do some initital research of the market without necessarily traipsing all over London, the Independent Schools Show is the place to go.

‘For me, it was about providing as much information as possible to help consumers make the right choice,’ says David Wellesley Wesley, founder of the event.

This year more of the country’s leading schools than ever before (new participants include Eton and Rugby) will be involved in the event. The schools now view the show as the ideal setting to meet potential parents and tell them their news, and parents, of course, are grateful for the chance to talk to a range of schools in a relaxed atmosphere.

‘The show provides the opportunity for two groups of people to meet on neutral ground,’ says David Wellesley Wesley. ‘It allows parents, in particular, to ask fairly probing questions and not feel they’re sitting in the head’s office being judged.’

‘The show, of course, is not the end of the process,’ says David Wellesley Wesley. ‘Parents will combine it with talking to friends and researching via useful websites such as the GSA’s My Daughter, but a visit to the show is an extremely helpful part of drawing up a shortlist.’

One of the highlights of the show, as always, is the Education Theatre, where this year’s guest speakers include Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, talking about the school’s wide range of bursaries and scholarships, and Ben Thomas, head of the successful Thomas’s group of prep schools, who will offer helpful insights into choosing the right secondary school. Parents will also have the opportunity to question a team of experts on a range of issues from nursery education to the International Baccalaureate.

The show is based in a convenient location at the Battersea Evolution Centre in Battersea Park, and every effort has been made to ensure visitors have as enjoyable an experience as possible. The venue has free on-site parking for 200 cars, a popular organic café and champagne bar, and a children’s play area, for children aged three to six. 

This year, too, for the first time, families in north London will be able to visit a show specifically tailored to their local schools. The North London Schools Show will be held at The Nursery Pavilion, Lord’s Cricket Ground, on 23^rd September.

Both shows are free to visit to those who register in advance.

DETAILS

THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS SHOW  

BATTERSEA EVOLUTION,

Chelsea Bridge Entrance, 

Battersea Park, London SW11 4NJ

 5^th November (10am-5pm) , 6^th November (11am-4.30pm)

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS SHOW NORTH LONDON, 

Friday 23^rd September, 10-5

The Nursery Pavilion, Lord’s Cricket Ground, St John’s Wood,

London NW8 8QN

Children called Aaron, Callum, Abbie and Courtney strike fear into the nation’s teachers, it has been revealed. Researchers found kids bearing these monikers are thought to be the naughtiest in class by over 1,000 British tutors.

 In fact, one in five teachers polled claim they think they can tell how a child will behave just by looking at the new class register in September. And if names such as Connor, Aimee, Brandon and Chloe are on the list, school teachers think they are in for a difficult year.

 Lisa Penney, spokesmum for www.bounty.com who compiled the report said: “Rightly or wrongly, it’s only natural to make some assumptions about what children may be like from hearing their names – whether you mean to or not – and teachers aren’t any different.

 Whether it’s from previous experience with pupils, or people they’ve known from their own past, certain names seem to strike a nerve with teachers - although I’m sure they are all more than happy to be proved wrong!”

 Other boys who are likely to be troublesome in the classroom are called Adam, Aiden and Jack.

Lads with the names Joshua, Kyle and Reece also command more of their teacher’s attention, as they fail to abide by the rules.

 While lasses called Abigail, Bethany and Amy have been identified as some of the hardest to manage by tutors. And Alice, Amber and Charlotte are amongst other names which teachers dread seeing on the class register.

 But as the survey suggests, the class register isn’t the only way teachers judge how a child is likely to behave. A third of those polled admitted they often form an opinion on which children will be more difficult when meeting their parents.

 And once the school year has started teachers go on to judge their pupils behaviour by how rude they are to both them and other children. More than half of those questioned can’t stand it if a child bullies their peers, while 36 per cent reprimand children who shout in class.

 Teachers are also more likely to label a child as naughty if they refuse to do what they are asked, ignore requests to sit down quietly, and fail to listen.

 And when asked why they think their more troublesome pupils play up in class, two out of three teachers said they’re looking for attention and three out of five believe it’s because they aren’t disciplined at home.

 Making naughty children sit separately from others to think about what they’ve done was found to be the most effective method used to deal with naughty children.

 But incredibly, more than a third of teachers say that it is often the naughty children who have the most friends at school. And two thirds say that while a child might appear naughty, they are just behaving that way to get attention from their peers.

 Lisa Penney from Bounty continues: “We were really interested to find that some of the children who have been labelled as the naughtiest in the class have also been identified as the brightest in our poll – with Aaron, Adam, Abigail and Charlotte appearing on both lists.

 These names also appear on the list of the most popular children in school, suggesting that whilst they’re disruptive in class the ‘naughtier’ children are actually better at learning with other members of the class looking up to them.”

 Students named Jack, Ben, Emma and Emily are also highlighted as the children everyone wants to play with.

TOP 10 NAUGHTY BOYS

1.       Aaron

2.       Callum

3.       Connor

4.       Brandon

5.       Adam

6.       Aidan

7.       Jack

8.       Joshua

9.       Kyle

10.   Reece

TOP 10 NAUGHTY GIRLS

1.       Abbie

2.       Courtney

3.       Aimee

4.       Chloe

5.       Abigail

6.       Bethany

7.       Amy

8.       Alice

9.       Amber

10.   Charlotte

TOP 10 BRIGHTEST BOYS

1.       Aaron

2.       Adam

3.       Alexander

4.       William

5.       Christopher

6.       Thomas

7.       Matthew

8.       Ben

9.       Alex

10.   Edward

TOP 10 BRIGHTEST GIRLS

1.       Abigail

2.       Charlotte

3.       Alice

4.       Elizabeth

5.       Abbie

6.       Hannah

7.       Amelia

8.       Grace

9.       Emily

10.   Bethany

TOP 10 MOST POPULAR BOYS

1.       Jack

2.       Ben

3.       Aaron

4.       Adam

5.       Alex

6.       Callum

7.       Daniel

8.       Thomas

9.       Alfie

10.   Sam

TOP 10 MOST POPULAR GIRLS

1.       Abbie

2.       Charlotte

3.       Alice

4.       Aimee

5.       Amy

6.       Abigail

7.       Chloe

8.       Emily

9.       Sophie

10.   Emma

WOW! The response to our One Week Villaparade Holiday’ competition has been fantastic; so on behalf of Mums Like You (@MumsLikeYou), and Villa Parade – a big thank you!

 Unfortunately, there can only be one lucky winner  - this time! But we have also picked 20 runners-up who will each receive a £50, voucher to use against a Villa Parade holiday during 2012. If you haven’t already ordered your free Villa Parade 2012 brochure then click here – it’s stuffed with villas, beachfront apartments and farmhouses!

  Please note, th e winner and all the runner-ups will be contacted separately in order to claim their prize.

 Well then, who won the ‘One  Week Villaparade Holiday’ prize, and who are the runner-ups?

  Drum role please...

Congratulations to the following runner-ups:

 @SharonStepinski

@SlovenlyJimmy

@grumpyishmum

@suej1601

@innocentcharmer

@welshmumwales

@MrsSlummyMummy

@jumblyMummy

@SuperAmazingMum

@HelenGreenie

@louisesims

@Daisybeebee

@CelebratingMums

@fivegoblogging

@jessies_online

@susaneardley

@peaface01

@sarah__preston

@hannahmdy

@JUSTJUGGLING

  And the winner of the One Week Villaparade holiday is…

 @alysonsblog  - Congratulations!

 We will be in contact very soon explaining how each of you can claim your prize, and we are really sorry to everyone who didn’t win – this time!

A very special invite ….

With the summer coming to an end, we want to cheer you up with an invite for Pink Lining’s Twitter party dedicated to Fashion for Mums. We’d love to hear your tips on looking good and keeping fashionable, while looking after the kids.

It’ll be a fun-packed event with quizzes and giveaways of fabulous Pink Lining products, so keep the 8^th September (and your lunch break) free!

Date: 8^th September, 2011

Time: 13-14pm GMT
Location on Twitter: #Pinklining

Organized By: Mad Mums
Hosted by Ivet Nikolov @madmums

Follow our sponsor on Twitter at @PinkLiningUK

Here are the things you MUST do to make the event work:

1. To view discussions and comments you must go here – this is where the event is taking place: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23PinkLining

2. To make comments and/or replies you must include #PinkLining somewhere in your update on Twitter. This is the only way your comment can be seen by the group at the event.

3. Click to tweet an invite to your followers.
 

Firebox.com, the inimitable online e-tail store, is evolving two of its major categories – Toys & Games and Kids.

To celebrate we’re offering one lucky Mums Like You reader the chance to win £150 worth of fabulous Firebox kit, from its fresh new ranges.

Prizes include Christmas must have toys, games and kit including a Crayola iMarker from Griffin, a Wow Stuff Air Swimmer, a Trunki, a The Wean Machine, a Raggy-Tag and a Makeado Robot

To enter the competition sign up to Mums Like You between 5^th and 19^th of September and invite all your friends to join as well.

  The two new-look categories will offer the same Firebox feel-good fun products as before but cater for a wider audience with a greater range. Kids will be divided into age groups from nought to 12 covering Playtime, Feeding, Clothing, Nursery, Travel, Electronics and Bathing. And, the Toys and Games category will be packed to the gills with the same playful collection, providing amusement for any light-hearted funster.

 Click here to visit Firebox’s new Kids range and here to visit the Toys & Games category.