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Source: Healthier Generation

Worldwide Play Day celebrates play across the globe and emphasises the need for traditional play and exercise (no TV watching). As an acknowledgement of Worldwide Play Day Nickelodeon will not be broadcasting between 12 to 3. Hopefully this will encourage families to go out and have some fun. There are activities happening all over, so look out for what’s on near you.

You can find out more about how to take part here

That is over 7 weeks. Ouch!

According to a survey carried out by Colief Infant Drops babies cry for approximately five hours a day for the first three months, although this falls to three hours a day at three months.

As you would expect, the usual response from parents is generally cuddles and attention, but parents will resort to other methods. For example, vacuuming the house or running the washing-machine or hairdryer. If only it was that simple.

The Week reports that you are

more likely to be hyperactive, bad tempered bullies

if your ring fingers are significantly longer than your index fingers, according to a pyschologist at the University of Central Lancashire. Apparently the length of your fingers is affected by the level of testosterone when you are in the womb.

I am alright, but I will now be examining my children’s hands!

My eldest is off to a fancy dress superhero party next weekend so I thought I might give this batman costume made out of an old umbrella a go. It is certainly a good way of recycling and my son could even use the costume again on Halloween.

Thanks to Evil Mad Scientist for this great idea.

I recently read this tongue-in-cheek Daddy Dialectic article about two very different styles of parenting. The Liberal method and the Conservative method.

The Liberal method involves giving your child the freedom to make choices and often involves the parents worshipping their child and everything he/she does.

The Conservative method involves dictating to the child what they can/cannot do and involves regular disciplining. Conservatives often hold the traditional view that children should do what they are told without question.

Parents usually hold strong views on parenting and so the style in which you care for your child is very controversial. No doubt most parents have been surprised at times by the methods or lack of methods used by friends in rearing their kids.

Overall, I agree with Mistyforeverlost that most parents are partly liberal and partly conservative. They set rules and boundaries within which they are flexible.

A recent example of this clash in parenting/childcare styles has been the case of the nursery owner who was reported to police by two council workers for the way in which she had disciplined a two year old girl. The nursery owner in question used one of the more conservative methods of discipline – the naughty step – made famous by the TV show Supernanny . However, the nursery owner had the parent’s full support and was subsequently cleared of assault.

Unsurprisingly, most posts I have read about the “naughty step” incident, such as this one from Relaxed Parents overwhelmingly support the nursery owner and her methods.

And so the battle of the parenting syle continues …

Thanks to Exquisite Flower I have just found out about the Nickjr Bedtime Story Competition.

So, for all those budding writers out there start putting pen to paper! The closing date is Friday 10th November. Not only might you see your story turned into an animation that will be screened on Nickjr but also you will win a creative writing weekend break and £250 book vouchers for your children.

I have to say, this post is particularly aimed at my Dad who used to tell me the best bed time stories. Try as I might, I have been unable to persuade him to write them down. Maybe now is my chance.

It is that time of year when it is time to give thanks for a good harvest. Although this seems far from every day life these days, people still decorate their schools, churches and halls with food, which is later distributed amongst the needy.

Often corn dollies are made. (Traditionally it would be made from the last sheaf of corn harvested according to this Wikipedia entry). TurtleHeart has put this detailed post up on her blog to explain how to make one.

Ashford Rare Breeds Centre are holding a Creative Harvest Festival Activity week and you can find out more about this on their blog

The Science Museum has just awarded prizes for the top educational toys that do not need batteries or computers.

The winners of the toys of the year were:

1. Overall Winner – Polarity: A game of strategy and skill where players balance their magnetic playing pieces in the magnetic fields of pieces already in play. Magnetism forms part of the foundation of many aspects of science and is part of Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum. Target age 10+, RRP £19.99 (Esdevium Games Ltd)

2. Puzzle Winner – Kaleidoscope: Invented by a mathematician and psychologist over 20 years, Kaleidoscope Classic was originally intended to build self esteem and aid concentration and spatial awareness, encouraging children to apply memory, logic, patience and persistence. The aim of the game is to recreate one of the 101 challenges using all 18 unique pieces. Some puzzles have over 20 billion solutions! Target age 6+, RRP £19.99 (Brain-ed Ltd)

3. Kit Winner – Horrible Science – Space, Stars and Slimy Aliens: A well-priced science kit which includes a make-your-own planetarium, slimy alien and other simple experiments. It also includes a booklet with facts and figures about space. Target age 8+, RRP £9.99 (James Galt Ltd)

4. Play Winner – Tumba: A strategy game where players must stack and carefully balance coloured blocks on a plinth. Target age 8+, RRP £9.99 (Flair Leisure)

5. Product Winner – Science Museum Erupting Volcano Kit: Kids can make and erupt their own volcano, while the accompanying fact sheet explains the science behind volcanic eruptions in a clear and concise way. Target age 10+, RRP £14.99 (David Halsall International) (NB: This category was not eligible to win the overall award)

Why not try one and see if you can keep your kids off the games console for a few hours?

The Daily Telegraph today reported how a 3 year old from Lincolnson was clever enough to be able to buy a pink Nissan Figaro on his parents’ computer. Apparently his mother had left the password on the computer. Luckily the seller had a sense of humour and did not insist that the parents follow through with the purchase.

It just goes to show how IT literate even little people are these days. So, be careful what information you leave on your computer!

There have been lots of discussions on Mumsnet recently about the “Pasta Jar”. This is a method used by regular poster Soupdragon to encourage her children to behave.

It works as follows:

1. Put five pieces of pasta in a jar
2. If your child is good then an extra piece of pasta is put in the jar
3. If your child misbehaves then a piece of pasta is taken away
4. At the end of the week, 10p (or other amount) is given to the child for each piece of pasta in the jar
5. The parents now ensure that there are five pieces of pasta in the jar to start the next week

From reading some of the other posts, the parents have been very impressed at the results.

Maybe this method should be suggested to those parents who are looking for an alternative to smacking