by Chris Davidson, Home Guard Products

Summer is finally here, and with it the need to keep your child cool indoors by keeping the bedroom in particular ventilated, during the day and night.  The obvious way is to open the window but as any parent will know, this raises safety worries.

 There have been several recent stories children under the age of 5 suffering falls out of the windows.  The question is, how can you keep the window open and ensure my child doesn’t fancy climbing out?

 The reality is there are not many solutions available.  Many go for the cost effective window restrictor, but they are quite easy to break and restrict how far the window can be opened.  There is another alternative…the Child Safety Window Barrier.

 A unique product in the UK, this vertical bar barrier fits across the window to protect the window opening, allowing you to fully open the window but protect your child from being able to climb up and out.

 What is even more unque is the child resistant keyless locking system.  A ‘push and twist’ lock allows the barrier to be lifted out and remove in 2-3 seconds, in the event it needs to be removed quickly.

 To find out more, click on the link below:

 http://www.home-guard.co.uk/protecting_children.php?

 By Sarah Ebner

It’s not long before the end of this school year, and the beginning of the next! For those children who are about to start school for the first time, this means a mixture of excitement, and perhaps a little bit of nerves. Here are some tips to help you, and your child, get ready for the big day.

Encourage independence

IT'S HARD FOR TEACHERS WHEN A CHILD constantly wets herself, can’t wipe her own bottom and never remembers to wash her hands! So, hold back on teaching your child to read (what’s school for, after all?) and help her keep on the teacher’s good side in other ways. Work hard on making sure your little one is properly toilet trained and other aspects of “growing up”. It would be great, for example, if she could take her shoes and socks on and off, as this is really helpful for PE. 

You can also help make life easier by buying shoes with Velcro (rather than laces), coats with toggles and skirts or trousers with elasticated waists.

Cut down on snacks
Once at school, children aren’t able to just eat on demand, so make sure they’re not used to constant snacking. State schools provide their youngest pupils with a piece of fruit for snack time, so you should try this at home too, swapping biscuits and sweets for fruit.

Learn a little
I wouldn’t go crazy about trying to teach your child before he or she starts school. We send our children to school at a much earlier age than many of our European counterparts. However, there’s no harm in helping them pick up letters from the alphabet (start with their name), or count the number of stairs or cars in the street. All this is rudimentary literacy and numeracy and can only be positive.

Read some books

There are some lovely starting school books, which I’d recommend reading together. My favourites include "I am Too Absolutely Small For School" by Lauren Child, "Topsy and Tim Start School" by Jean and Gareth Adamson, and “Kevin Goes to School” by Liesbet Slegers.

Talk about school whenever there's an opportunity
For example, if you’re reading, why not say "I wonder what kinds of books they'll have for you at school, I think they've got a lot of different ones to choose from". This can really help to embed the concept of school as a reality in a child’s mind. You can also go and visit, even if it’s just to take a look over the wall!

Eat Together
It can be overwhelming for children to sit and eat in a large, busy canteen. So, to help your child get used to 'eating in groups', you should try to sit down and eat meals as a family at least occasionally. Otherwise your child might find a school canteen really hard work. It would also help if she could use a knife and fork…

Practice the school run
That way it won't be so brutal on any of you on the day. Find out roughly how long it will take and, if you are going to be driving, where you might be able to park!

 Good luck!

 Sarah Ebner is the author of The Starting School Survival Guide: everything you need to know when your child starts primary school, published by White Ladder, available on Amazon or Crimson Books for £ 10.99

 Shiva Rea, yoga trainer and innovator is back with another Gaiam collaboration - Mother & Baby Yoga. Mums Like You are giving you the chance to take a free sneak peek at the DVD with a free downloadable workout on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?=NZxUs8W1M3g&feature=youtu.be

Mother & Baby Yoga is the next chapter in the trilogy of Shiva and Gaiam DVD’s. A woman’s body goes through major changes in childbirth and although bonding time with a new baby is important, so is looking after your body. The four routines, aimed at mothers with infants that are 3-6 months old, focus on the body parts that have changed during pregnancy and the easy to follow, gentle workouts enable new Mum’s to get back into shape at their own pace. The baby can even be incorporated in some of the routines providing calm bonding time.  

The ten minute workout, available to download is a combination of gentle arm movements and breathing which help to bring about a mood of complete relaxation. You can even place the baby on your lap or in front of you and pass on your relaxed mood while bonding.

 Mother & Baby Yoga follows on from the previous Shiva/Gaiam release Pre and Post-Natal Yoga. This double DVD contains routines that help expectant mothers to feel relaxed and comfortable during childbirth as well as exercises that enable the muscles stressed during childbirth to regain strength and flexibility.

The DVD, Shiva Rea’s Mother & Baby is available now from www.amazon.co.uk for £12.99. 

For the latest on Gaiam visit the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/GaiamInTheUK

The moto of the online retailer Tippitoes is ‘Affordable Quality’ and true to it, the company recently brought to the market its new Fuse pushchair.

For the past few weeks, I was on a mission to test drive it with my kids (boy 1 ½ and a girl 4 ½ yrs old).  We went on short trips in the city but also took it when travelling abroad. We rode it on easy terrains but also on dirt tracks in the park.

We gave it a really good run and were overall very impressed by its resilience, ease of use and manoeuvrability. I’ll be more specific later, but first here are the facts about the Fuse pushchair:

forward facing pushchair, suitable from birth (due to its muliti-position recline with the lowest position at 20 degrees)

Lightweight at 8.2 kg

Multi back position recline adjustable manually with a harness (allows for more positions than standard 3-4) 

Soft and comfortable seat with adjustable calf support

Front swivel wheels with all round suspension

Compact umbrella fold for storage and carry handle for easy transportation

Detachable bumper bar with gate opening for easy access

Viewing window on the hood

Bottle holder

Storage pockets on the hood

Five point safety harness with chest pads for added comfort, height adjustable to accommodate a growing child

Footrest for added support

Max child weight: 15kg

 What comes in the box

Fuse pushchair

Cup holder

Canopy

Front wheels (detached)

Bumper bar

The RRP of the Tippitoes Fuse is £129 and you can get it at:http://www.tippitoes.com/shop-by-product/out-about/pushchairs-strollers/fuse-pushchair-black-standard.html

 The Tippitoes Fuse is a good looking stroller with a square-edged aluminium frame, which is sturdy and stable even when sued by older/heavier kids. The seat is well padded and surprisingly spacious for an umbrella pushchair. I am saying this because we’ve tried other umbrella strollers which were quite narrow and uncomfortable for my son (approx. 13 kg. ½ yrs old). Again if you are using it for short trips to the shop only, it does not really matter. But if you spend more time outdoors and want your kid to nap, then the Fuse is really good for that. 

The canopy is also quite large and has a neat ‘peek-in’ window. There is also an in-built net bag and large pocket to hold essentials. I managed to squeeze in snacks, bottle of milk, keys, phone and wallet - in other words all you need for a walk with the kids. The cup holder which comes with the stroller fits easily and is a really nice touch for mums on the go.

The shopping basket of the Fuse is probably not going to take all your day’s shopping but this is a small price to pay for a lightweight buggy.

I found the plastic (vertical) handles comfortable contrary to other what some other people report. Bear in mind that they are not extendable though and not a ‘one-hand’ job on most terrains.

Otherwise the Fuse is very easy to push; swivels quickly and due to its size can manoeuvre easily in narrow spaces (read shopping isles).

The fact it can be used from birth makes it a great buy especially for parents that do not want to spend hundreds of pounds on expensive ‘all-singing’ travel systems.

The Mums Like You verdict: It’s a high-quality, excellent performer in its class and one of the best priced pushchairs on the market.

Speedo® - the world’s leading swimwear brand - which parents can play with their children to help teach them how to swim and to feel confident and happy in the water.

1. Skittles

Parents, you’re the target in this task. As the ‘skittle’, stand five metres from your child in the water and cheer them on as they take it in turns to walk, skip, hop, jump or paddle through the water to ‘bowl’ you over (drop to your knees if it’s shallow!) Encourage them to use their arms to propel through the water, using floating aids to help with buoyancy. For the ‘big strike’ they must kick their legs to paddle through the water to hit the target. As their confidence grows try the game again, but travelling backwards, or even sideways through the water. To vary the game, use a waterball as a different type of target.

2. Starry Sky

This is a safe technique, which teaches children how to float on water. Support your child with floating aids as they stretch out horizontally on the water, like a big star in the nightsky. Once floating, encourage them to lift their head and chest, and using their arms, change to a standing position. When they feel confident, help them to float on their front with their face submerged, before rotating to a standing position once again.

3. Frog Hopping

Teach your child to jump like a frog into the water - knees bent, back straight and with confidence. For the first few tries, use floating aids and hold their hand as they learn the technique. The ‘frog’ starts with toes gripping the edge of the pool looking forward; then jumps away from the side, landing on their feet with bent knees. Kids love this activity, so always remember to check the pool depth first.

4. Surfboards

Surf’s up! This technique is important to learn as the ‘push and glide’ is the foundation of all swimming strokes. Staying straight like a surfboard, your little ‘dude’ pushes off from the side of the pool, gliding on their back through the water. Try to keep hips and head close to the surface and stretch the arms ahead or to the sides. Until your child feels confident going it alone, use floating aids to help with buoyancy.

5. Treasure Island

It’s time to get their feet off the floor! In this task you’re a treasure island. Stand five metres away from your child in the water and encourage them to paddle towards you, using their arms and feet to kick and push through the water. Using goggles to help them keep their face partly submerged as they paddle, and help them to dodge floating treasure (e.g. waterballs). Use floating aids to give extra support while they develop their technique.

 Working Families’ new web tool guides parents through all the options and helps them find the balance which works for them

 It can be difficult to know what working hours to do when you have a child, especially if you are returning to work after a period of leave. You will need to weigh up factors such as childcare costs, travel to work, earnings, and any other help you might get, for example, from tax credits.

That is why work-life balance charity Working Families has launched a new web tool which will steer you through all the options on tax credits and childcare vouchers, and give you additional information to help you choose your best work pattern. 

The new web tool will guide you by:

 <!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->helping you to weigh up all the options and consider all the factors when you’re deciding how many hours to work

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->giving you an insight into how childcare vouchers work, the interaction between income and tax credits, and how the help you are entitled to is likely to change from one tax year to the next

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->asking you about your specific circumstances, so you will get different advice depending on whether you’re single or live with a partner, and whether you’ve recently returned from maternity leave, or need to change your hours for other reasons

The new guide sits alongside the Working Families popular Flexible Working Webguide which helps you consider what hours you will be able to negotiate with your employer. You can find both guides on the charity’s website here. 

Those in need of further help or unable to access the web can still call the Working Families Helpline on 0800 013 0313 for one-to-one advice