Hollywood golden child Suri Cruise has topped a poll of the best dressed celebrity children.
The five year old daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who is famed for her stylish attire, picked up the top style spot in a poll by baby gift company My1stYears.com.
Thirty four per cent of mums and dads voted her as the best dressed tot thanks to her designer wardrobe which is said to be worth over £1 million.
The mini fashionista is regularly snapped with her famous mum in top labels and is rarely seen in the same outfit twice.
She was followed closely by newcomer Harper Seven Beckham, Harper’s older brother Brooklyn and the ever stylish eldest daughter of Madonna, Lourdes Leon.
Harper Beckham picked up 25% of the vote. The six month old tot, daughter to fashion designer Victoria and footballer David has been a regular on the fashion scene since she was born six months ago.
As well as being the talk of the town at New York fashion week, the little one has visited Prada and has been snapped in labels including Chloe, Stella McCartney and French label Bonpoint.
Her brother Brooklyn has been well dressed since the day he was born and polled 14% of the vote. The trend setting 12 year old often mirrors his famous dad’s style.
Pop icon Madonna’s eldest Lourdes came in at fourth place with 12%. The stylish teen has inherited her mum’s love of unusual fashion and has recently launched a clothing range with the Queen of Pop.
Other stylish tots include Ava Klass the daughter of Mylene, Kingston Rossdale son of Gwen Steffani and Gavin Rossdale and Zahara Jolie Pitt.
A spokesperson for My1stYears.com, said: “Suri Cruise has an amazing wardrobe and for a five year old wears some gorgeous outfits. She certainly has terrific taste for one so young.
“Fellow fashionista Harper Seven has been snapped in designer outfits since she was just weeks old, and with a fashion designer for a mum, I imagine she’ll be wearing the very best for years to come. All three of her brothers have very individual taste – the Beckham’s are one very fashionable family!
“Madonna’s daughter Lourdes has polled a respectable fourth place. The outspoken teen is already setting trends. She’s certainly one to watch over the coming years. No doubt she has inherited some of her mum’s very individual taste.”
The spokesperson concluded: “There are some very stylish tots out there and with the cash their parents have, it’s no surprise they wear the very best. While it’s nice to be able to treat your kids now and again, designer clothes aren’t a must have.”
THE POTTY LIST...
Or 36 Things To Do Before You’re Three
Never mind the Bucket List, here’s the Potty List – a tongue in cheek guide to 36 things toddlers should have crayoned off a must-do list....by the time they are toilet trained.
The list was inspired by suggestions from parents nationwide and endorsed by experts, including nutritionist Amanda Ursell, psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson and trends forecaster Sean Pillot de Chenecey. The list comprises 36 activities for your ‘Little One-der’ – one for each month of their toddler years.
It forms part of the Little One-ders’ Toddler Census, commissioned by Growingupmilkinfo.com, and has been designed to celebrate the extraordinary growth and development Little One-ders go through from one to three years.
By no means exhaustive, it does however pinpoint some wonderful experiences for toddlers, from the fun to the fundamental.
Child psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson says: “As your toddler turns one and becomes a Little One-der their extraordinary growth over the next couple of years will amaze you. Toddlerhood is about learning, about development and about progress – it's also about pushing the boundaries a little.
“A growing child needs to be loved and to be happy, but fun activities play an essential part during the toddler years too, as now is the time they will master many of the skills that will set them up for life. Making a mud pie or jumping in a puddle has never been so important!"
The 36 must-do activities that make up ‘The Potty List’ are:
1.Made a mud pie
2.Baked a cake
3.Finger painted
4.Sung loudly in public
5.Climbed a big hill
6.Picked fruit
7.Danced with no inhibitions
8.Made sandcastles on the beach
9.Been chased by a monster
10.Jumped in a puddle so hard the water went in mummy’s shoe too
11.Belly-flopped
12.Fed the ducks
13.Blown bubbles
14.Had a teddy bear’s picnic
15.Chosen a favourite book
16.Ridden on the top of double-decker bus
17.Visited a museum
18.Been on a train ride
19.Fed an animal
20.Grown cress in the shape of your name
21.Worn pants on your head
22.Ridden the tea-cups at the fair
23.Flown a paper aeroplane
24.Poo’ed in the bath
25.Stayed the night away from home
26.Ridden on daddy’s shoulders
27.Scribbled somewhere you shouldn’t
28.Cleaned your own teeth
29.Answered the phone
30.Mastered a party piece
31.Had a ‘first love’
32.Bought something in a shop
33.Set your sights on a future career (pirate, fairy or builder, perhaps?)
34.Told a fib
35.Made up an inappropriate nickname for someone
36.Broken something valuable
However, in order to achieve the demands of The Potty List, toddlers require lots of energy.
Growingupmilkinfo.com nutritionist, Leanne Olivier, adds: “During this phase of amazing growth and development, relative to their size, toddlers’ energy needs are nearly three times greater than an adult’s. They require more than four times the amount of iron and vitamin C, plus about three times the calcium, zinc and vitamin A.
“Their stomachs are a lot smaller than ours, so they need to eat small amounts of foods often to give them energy and nutrients throughout the day, so they can make mud pies and climb hills.
“This means that they need three small meals with regular snacks in between to meet their very specific energy needs and each meal and snack needs to be balanced and nutrient-packed.”
It’s also why the UK Departments of Health recommend that children are given a supplement of vitamins A, C and D from the age of one-to-five2, to help support even a healthy balanced diet. Research by Growingupmilkinfo.comsurprisingly found eight out of 10 parents were not aware of this advice.
Growing Up Milk is made from cows' milk but it is enriched with key nutrients that toddlers need like vitamins A, C and D, iron and calcium. Giving your Little One-der two 150ml beakers of Growing Up Milk each day is an easy way to help provide them with the extra nutrients they need, as part of a healthy balanced diet.
UK TODDLER ‘CENSUS’ RELEASED
The first-ever ‘Census’ of the UK’s toddlers is released Tuesday 9 August 2011
A snapshot of what it’s like to be aged one to three in Britain today, the ‘Census’ reveals our pre-schoolers are an impressively sociable and cultured lot. 85% own designer clothes, they average ten friends (rivalling mum) and enjoy nearly £1,000 of activities a year, including ‘soft play’, swimming and even yoga classes!
However, the wide ranging survey also reveals the impact busier lifestyles and a lack of consistent information for parents are having on the nation’s toddlers when it comes to the ‘state of their plates’. This comes in the wake of long-standing concerns about toddler nutrition.
Junk, fast and convenience food play a worryingly big role – 86% of toddlers surveyed had tried chips, 80% had tried pizza and chips, 68% had tried chicken nuggets and 40% had tried Chinese takeaway. 1 in 100 parents say they’ve never cooked a meal for their child and those who do only rotate an average of ten recipes across lunch and dinner.
Our toddlers are more likely to eat burgers than broccoli, spend longer watching TV or playing on a computer than they spend on their meals (just 46 mins a day) and six in ten have already visited a fast-food restaurant.
Meanwhile, the inconsistent information available on toddler diets means it’s perhaps unsurprising eight out of ten parents don’t realise that toddlers’ nutritional needs are not met if they eat the same meals as adults. Historically, vitamins A, C and D, omega 3 and iron are lacking in many UK toddlers’ diets. In fact, the UK Departments of Health even recommend all children be given vitamin A, C and D supplements from the age of one to five – but three quarters of toddlers are not given these.
And toddlers’ typical fussy or faddy eating proves a serious stress to parents trying to encourage good eating habits, with 44% even feeling they have to stretch the truth to other parents about their toddler’s diet.
The ‘Census’ highlights that the crucial and unique toddler years have often been overlooked when it comes to nutrition, development and advice; suggesting we think of our one to three year olds as not just toddlers but ‘Little One-ders’, in a bid to address this.
As nurseries across the country continue to close at an alarming rate, an independent initiative has been launched to help those remaining manage the logistics of putting together fun and engaging sessions with pre-school pupils in addition allowing those who sign up to the initiative the opportunity to apply for a grant of up to £20,000.
Designed to encourage pre-schoolers to use their imaginations, solve and develop their sense of physical adventure, the free pack contains six activity session plans including an ‘at home’ element, a practitioner’s guide and a number of other teaching aides.
Help Dora Help, developed by Nick Jr. and supported by The Princes Foundation for Children and Arts is an educational, pro-social and charitable programme which has already seen a phenomenal 4,000+ registrations from nurseries and pre-school learning centres throughout the UK. However that equates to just over 18% of those eligible signing up, leaving literally thousands as yet unsigned.
Pre-schools and nurseries in the UK work to a specific curriculum from the DoE, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), designed to expand communication and language, problem solving, reasoning and numeracy, knowledge and understanding of the world in addition to physical, personal and creative development. HDH supports and enforces all of these elements.
To find out how your nursery or pre-school can get involved we are joined by Jacqueline Harding, education expert alongside Helena Dowling, Nick Jr. presenter.
Nurseries and pre-schools can apply for the free Help Dora Help activity pack and award fund at www.nickjr.co.uk
Learning Toys and Early Years Development
It is a well known fact that children learn through play. This principle applies to babies as well as older children. But what forms of play and what types of toys and games are suitable for which age groups? The department for children, schools and families (in the UK) have produced what is described as 'A framework to support children in their early years' which is entitled 'Birth to three matters'. It is aimed at practitioners, by which I think they mean those involved in looking after very young children, which must mean every parent of young children. Young kids are naturally curious. Initially they may be content to simply feel things and stare at them but they quickly move on to find out what they can do with them, what they taste like, what they sound like when bashed etc. Household objects, packaging and boxes are often found to occupy and interest a child far more than the expensive toys that were contained within. They will often happily gather items and put them in a box only to tip them out and do it over again. This activity strengthens cognitive development as well as psychomotor skills development through their own investigation of the objects and their own physical attributes. The term 'Heuristic Play' was coined by Elinor Goldshmied and Sonia Jackson in their book 'People Under Three' to describe how to provide a structured learning experience that engages children in these types of activities. Heuristic play is intended to give the young child the opportunity to experiment and learn through doing. Adults don't get involved in heuristic play sessions. They allow the children to make their own decisions and discoveries. Interestingly heuristic play can be a very social experience for young children. Although each may be engaged in their own activities they are often very aware of what their peers are up to and this can help them develop their social skills. So what sorts of toys are right for young children? Many toy manufacturers make grand claims about how beneficial their fancy plastic toys will be to your child’s development but many of these toys are very limited and don't provide much scope for imaginative, creative play. A plentiful supply of stationery and markers, paints, crayons, chalk and blackboards is always good, as well as the space in which to play messily with these things. Facilities that allow and encourage kids to climb and balance are also an excellent way to help develop physical confidence and psychomotor skills. Pretend play is particularly good for older toddlers and some suitable props such as safe kitchen utensils, dress up clothes etc. can be very beneficial. Dolls, model animals, teddy bears and other related props can also be useful in this context. Games are also a great way to encourage children to interact. The game may be something simple like passing a ball or playing skittles. Bathtime can be a great learning opportunity for little children, enabling them to gain confidence in water through bathtime play and a few well chosen toys can help enhance their bathtime experience and make it less of a chore for the parent. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that their child has access to well resourced indoor and outdoor learning environments. But this doesn’t necessarily mean spending lots of money. The play resources need to be adequately versatile and safe. They may include household objects, found objects, fir cones, plant pots, pebbles and the like. There are, of course, many reputable toyshops that sell genuine learning toys that will benefit toddler’s development. These include the well know Early Learning Centre, the less well know but excellent Anara Toys and my personal favourite and highly recommended Mulberry Bush have an excellent selection of traditional wooden Toys which are far more appealing than many of todays plastic imitations. They also have some excellent toys which will encourage creative, imaginative play and enable parents to provide the learning environments that their young children need. But it is worth remembering that you don’t need to spend lots of money to ensure that your young child has access to stimulating props and playthings that will encourage investigative, creative play. Things that have interesting and varied textures, things that make a noise, things that can be stacked, knocked down and rebuilt don’t have to be bought from expensive toy shops.
Author: Tony Gee
Leading expert says a child’s creativity and imagination can be influenced by parents
If you’ve always thought that children were either born with imagination and creativity or not, then it might be time for us all to rethink, as experts believe that what and how children learn as pre-schoolers can determine how creative or imaginative they become later in life.
So how can you encourage imagination and creativity in your children and how much will it benefit them to be able to think and solve problems in their own unique way as they move through life?
In our podcast, child development, psychology and education consultant Jacqueline Harding talks about the importance of imagination and creativity to a child’s development., discussing how parents can help foster in their children a greater sense of adventure and a desire for creative play.
Jacqueline, who is also a former BBC Education Editor talks about a new children’s show on Nick Jr. which hopes to encourage more children to use their creativity and sense of adventure to explore the world. Poppy Cat is an animated series full of adventure and fantasy which will encourage preschoolers to use their imagination to create adventures of their own.
Stressed and busy parents putting
their children’s dental health at risk
With a third of parents letting their children skip
brushing, experts are calling for more vigilance
Millions of British parents are letting their children off brushing their teeth simply because they’re too rushed or stressed.
That’s one of the findings from a new study of parents with young children which found nearly a third of parents let their children skip brushing if they’re in too much of a rush, while one in five say they let their kids off what should surely be a part of everyone’s morning routine simply to avoid the hassle.
In addition, a quarter of those polled in the survey by Sonicare claim their youngsters’ constant arguing about having to brush their teeth causes anxiety. A further 6% let their children off because they don’t want to cause an argument.
Furthermore it seems many parents are also are not following clear health guidelines when it comes to the daily routine.
NHS dental guidelines state children should brush their teeth twice a day; however 18% of parents admitted their child only brushes once a day, if at all.
So what can you as a parent do to make sure your children maintain strong healthy teeth?
Well celebrity nanny, Fin Doherty believes adding an element of fun is the key to success. Check out her tips below.
Fin Doherty’s top tips
How to Get Your Child to Brush his/her Teeth
Brushing your child’s teeth should start as soon as the first tooth appears, as a baby 6 – 12 months is the norm.
Use the right size toothbrush is important to begin with use one with soft bristles and a soft handle.
-Use the right toothpaste for the right age group.
-Encourage your baby/child to brush their teeth twice a day.
-Children under the age of seven will need help to achieve this.
Having Fun Whilst Brushing Your Child’s Teeth
Let’s make a Game out of it
“Let’s brush our teeth and make them squeaky-clean”.
Draw Up a Star Chart.
If your child brushes his/her teeth then reward them using the free downloadable wall chart on the Sonicare website. At the end of the week. You could reward your child with new toothpaste, toothbrush, stickers etc.
Stick to a Routine. “Tooth Brushing Routine”
-Do this twice a day
-After Breakfast
-Before going to bed
Go Tooth Brush Shopping
-Let your child choose their own toothbrush handle – children love colours and characters, so let them personalise the toothbrush you choose and it will make the process more enjoyable for them and you as a parent.
Go Toothpaste Shopping
-Let your child choose their toothpaste. All toothpaste now comes in a variety of flavours. Buy several types of flavours and let your child decide which one he/she likes the best and stick with that brand.
Check the plaque
-Buy some disclosing tablets and let your children see how much plaque they have left behind. Challenge them to remove the most plaque from their teeth.
Books
-Go to your local Library.
Pretend Play/Social Development
-Buy a dentist kit. Role-play is an excellent way to help your child to learn how to brush their teeth.
-Let your child visit the dentist and talk about the experience.
Sing About Brushing Your Teeth
-“If you’re happy Brush your teeth” etc
-Here we go round the Mulberry bush early in the morning. This is the way we brush our teeth. Remember to do the actions as well.
Children, especially babies, toddlers and young kids, get a lot out of their toys. Toys to children are not just something to have fun with (although the fun element is extremely important!) but they also help them learn about the world and help them reach their developmental milestones. So, if you are choosing a toy for a child of any age, then you need to think about whether they`ll enjoy playing with it and what it can do for them. Do bear in mind here that any educational or developmental value will be lost if you don`t find a toy that a child actively wants to play with!
Safety and age considerations
The key thing to remember -- especially when buying toys for younger children -- is that the toys must be safe and age appropriate. These two things often go hand in hand. For example, a toy designed for the ages of 3+ may not be safe for a baby. To make sure that the toys that you buy are safe, look for safety marks such as the BSI Kite Marks or the CE rating.
Buying age appropriate toys is also important at it means that the child will get maximum play and educational value from them. Toys that are too young for a child may not get played with as the child may find them too boring and toys that are too old for them may frustrate them as they are too challenging.
If, for example, you are looking for toys for a baby and want to maximise their educational value then look for age appropriate toys that stimulate their senses. Bright colours can help them learn how to focus and give them the building blocks of colours. Toys that make a noise such as rattles and mobiles will help stimulate their hearing and toys with a lot of different textures on them such as play mats, play gyms and shape sorters will help them learn about touch and will help with their motor skills.
Conclusion
Even children as young as babies will have their own specific likes and dislikes so it`s always a good idea to buy toys that you think will appeal to them. Try not to have a load of toys, however, that all do the same thing from a developmental and play point of view. It`s far better to give a child a few toys that will help them develop different skills and that do different things. And, this way, they are less likely to get bored which is always a good thing. Remember, you can save money on the toys that you buy for children by using online discount codes!
we provide yoga in Pregnancy, yoga for children, Family yoga. yoga for the elderly. My husband Alan also teaches and we both have lots of men in our classes, so something for the dads also. we have regular Hatha classes and beginners classes and classes for those who are experienced to develop their practice.we also provide 1-2-1 lessons at home and in the two studios. we are Qualified and insured to teach. we have an active child protection policy. we are a small family business offering a personalised service to the community.
CaringMeals.com provides online tools to coordinate meals for your friends and family after a birth, illness, or any challenging circumstance. Mothers and their support groups love to use this site to bring each other meals during the first few weeks after the birth of a new baby. It is free and very easy to use.
NHS Direct.National Health service advice freely available online for all your health concerns.
Toys / Nursery Guide. A Guide to the best toys for babies, toddlers and young children. information and advice about choosing toys that are suitable to your childs age and development.
JustParents fun community of mums offers parenting and pregnancy advice, help and support in looking after your baby or toddler, and a great place to get information if you've recently become pregnant. Just Parents have the friendliest parenting forums around.
Child Care DirectoryChild Care First is a comprehensive directory of childcare providers featuring nursery schools, nurseries and crèches, play groups & pre-school, after school care, childminders and many more... Our goal is to help parents make informed decisions about the types of child care available in their area.
Parents in Touch is an educational information site for people with children of all ages. It explains all the schooling terminology, gives information on teaching methods, subject matter and advice on how YOU can help.
Raising Kids.Parenting advice.parenting news, advice, forums, competitions and more - at raising kids
5 A Day NHS , Help your kids to eat 5 fruit and veg a day. Fruit and vegetables can help keep your body fitter, healthier and happier.
Think Road Safety.On this site you'll find plenty of tips on how to keep your children safe on and near roads - no matter how old they are.
Hedgehogs. Road safety advice aimed at children. Stop, look, listen, live at the official home of the Hedgehogs.
Toddler parenting advice.In the years before school, children are working out where they fit in the world and how much control they have over it. This section is designed to help you cope with the consequences.
Caring for a toddler is one of the greatest parenting challenges of all. One minute they're willfully assertive, the next clingy and whining... It takes patience and perseverance to help your little one make the transition from a dependent baby to an independent child. We'll be with you all the way.
Potty Training tips, advice, support for parents looking to teach their childern potty training.
Net Doctor There's something about hitting toddler age that transforms your once gurgling, contented little bundle into a foot-stamping, head-banging creature from the Planet Tantrum. Here we look at coping strategies for some of the major events in your toddlers life.
Sites For Teachers. Listing early learning sites.Sites For Teachers rates educational Websites by popularity with teachers.
Child Care DirectoryChild Care First is a comprehensive directory of childcare providers featuring nursery schools, nurseries and crèches, play groups & pre-school, after school care, childminders and many more... Our goal is to help parents make informed decisions about the types of child care available in their area.
Rainbow Au Pairs Rainbow Au Pairs both find and place au pairs within the UK
"How do I keep my children happy and and occupied on car journeys?’ is one of the strange parenting mysteries of life, alongside ‘who teaches toddlers to arch their backs to delay getting in the stroller?’, and ‘who teaches a child the infamous words “Are we nearly there yet?”’ And why are they never spoken 5 mins from your destination? The addition of Sat Nav to our cars has an added bonus of enabling our fellow passengers to be even more knowledgeable and irritating back seat drivers – resulting in “you’ve gone the wrong way”, “that’s added 3 minutes onto our arrival time” and “I’ve chosen an alternative route!”. 101 MILES-WORTH OF MUSICAL IDEAS TO KEEP EVERYONE HAPPY ON LONG CAR JOURNEYS!
Adapt them according to the variety of ages and abilities in the car
Use a huge variety of songs of every style and genre
Oh, and remember to have some times of quiet too – let the world go by and give your voices, ears and minds a rest!
Warning - Singing can seriously improve your childs life!
