Articles

02.09.10

Bringing a new baby into the family should be a cause for celebration. However, despite both mum and dad being elated at a new addition to the family, their existing child/children may not be. Sometimes the birth of a sibling can be stressful for a child. An only child who has not yet had to share their parents may feel shoved out by the arrival of a new baby which demands a lot of time and attention and a child who already has a sibling will have to share mum and dad ‘again’ and will have less time with them.

01.09.10

After a very successful 12 months, special care baby charity Bliss has revised and updated it’s Going Home Pack for families of premature and sick babies and has secured funding to continue its distribution to neonatal units . Funded by Pampers, Abbott Ltd and Foresters Friendly Society, the new packs have been delivered to units around the UK.

31.08.10

In a child’s formative years play is a vital part of communication and learning. Making the most out of this important time for your child encourages the development of core physical, intellectual and social skills from as early as possible which gives them the best start in life. This developmental stage is defined as the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and is a recognised structure of learning from birth to five years of age. There is now an easy way to ensure your child is learning the EYFS way: by shopping for educational toys from DiscoverMe at http://www.discovermetoys.co.uk/.

24.08.10

Here you will find an adorable collection of beautifully handmade quality dressing up tutus, capes and accessories created for little people with big imagination. So whether you are looking to capture the imagination of a little one or want something custom made for a birthday gifts or special occasion, Tutus and Capes is the right place. Read on to find out how to enter their latest competition!

20.08.10

Boost Your Wash is the latest stain busting cleaner to hit supermarket shelves. It is anti-bacterial and claims to remove stubborn stains, eliminate odours and kill germs if used alongside your normal washing detergent.

18.08.10

Hi, I’m Helen Pritchard, mum of two young girls and owner of New Stork Times, which is the online extension of my successful private therapy practice. I specialise in maternity reflexology for fertility, pregnancy, labour and birth, and baby massage.

17.08.10

Because babies are learning from the moment they are born, it’s important to ensure that play is both fun and educational. The DiscoverMe website (http://www.discovermetoys.co.uk/) stocks a vast range of top quality developmental and educational toys for pre-schoolers, most of which you can’t find on the high street. Through a wide network of the best pre-school toy manufacturers from around the world, DiscoverMe has brought together one of the finest selections of toys for 0-5 year olds available anywhere, and for some of the best prices possible.

16.08.10

Doing your best to breastfeed your baby but getting fed up with a bad back, strained shoulders, and a sore tummy? Dreamgenii®, makers of the unique dreamgenii® pregnancy pillow have now launched a special new breastfeeding pillow & baby nest designed to give you and your baby the comfort and support you need whilst feeding, as well as helping your baby learn to sit upright as they develop.

11.08.10

Leading online retailer of childrens toys DiscoverMe categorises its educational toys to complement the recognised structure of learning known as the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Over the coming months the DiscoverMe website (http://www.discovermetoys.co.uk/) will feature exclusive articles from Sarah Parry, Director of the not for profit organisation L.I.F.E. Each article will look at how parents can help their child develop in all of these vital areas. The first article looks at the Early Learning Goal: Communication, Language and Literacy.

09.08.10

“Find it” is quite simply a game that you never need to put away, because you’ll never want to put it down! Play against yourself or as a team; whichever you choose it’s guaranteed fun for all ages, is totally addictive and launches in mid-July!

All you have to do is twist, shake or spin, find an item in the capsule, tick it off your sheet and then pass the game onto the next person (or have another go yourself if playing alone!)

The great advantage of “Find it” is that there are no rules - so you can create your own or have none at all! ”Find it”, which launches in the UK under license to University Games UK, can be a test of time or patience, or both!

It’s simple, highly addictive and there are three versions to choose from – Glitz & Glamour, Sports or Kids. It’s a perfect game for rainy days, fun-filled holidays and journey time. Another bonus: no batteries required! Simply grab it, go and then play!

Find It 'Kids' has been reviewed for Family and Parenting by Thomas Webb aged 11.

02.08.10

Hypnobirthing: mumbo jumbo or not? Hackney Doula discusses her experience.

30.07.10

My biggest and only problem with this CD is the title. When I first saw it, I had visions of being transformed into a fabulously calm parent of “children” – aged about 6-8. I have changed the title in my own mind to “How to cope with those first few weeks of motherhood”. With this new
title, I can relax and enjoy the journey that Eleanor takes us on.

30.07.10

If you want to be calm and relaxed, focused and prepared for the birth of your baby, buy this CD. Listening to it soothes away the anxiety you may feel, leaving you feeling content, nourished and ready to meet your baby - Reviewed by Kim Hilditch, 34 weeks pregnant.

29.07.10

Sue runs Prem2Pram a business specialising in handmade premature baby clothing. I came across Sue's business after she began following family and parenting on Twitter. I found her range of products - all of which are suitable for use in SCBU and her advice to parents enduring uncertain times with a baby in SCBU really inspirational. I drew strength from this site following my own experiences and I hope other parents find similar strength. The premature baby sizes start from a tiny 0-1lb and each article is carefully thought out and made with the thought and kindness that you would wish for at a difficult time

28.07.10

Most people purchase a playmat for their baby before any other toy, but many may not realize the important roles that these playmats play in their baby’s development. These humble objects have some vital benefits, including enhancing motor skills, developing head and neck control, providing a safe, soft and clean play area for your baby, developing intelligence and a sense of play and discovery. That’s why educational toys website DiscoverMe (http://www.discovermetoys.co.uk/) has a comprehensive range of playmats as part of its online collection.

27.07.10

After reviewing Duncan's latest publication Baby's Here Who Does What? Family and Parenting magazine were intrigued to find out more about Duncan and his thoughts behind his work and whether the parenting world really is dominated by Mums....

23.07.10

Waiting for a loved one can be a deeply anxious time for a forces child. Two mums, Anna Matthews and Lorraine Bilton have established a new family friendly website.

22.07.10

Introducing the new dreamgenii® Billy Winky children’s bed-time sleep pillow

From the makers of the award winning dreamgenii® pregnancy support & feeding pillow comes a fantastic new children’s bed-time pillow designed to help your little one enjoy a magical night’s sleep – meaning a magical, uninterrupted night’s sleep for mum and dad too.

20.07.10

Hard wearing and easy-to-clean rugs are the perfect solution for children’s rooms. They will cushion hard floors, provide interest and are easier to clean, or replace if necessary, than carpets.

19.07.10

Line Rothman is the founder of Glamourmom, the home of the revolutionary built-in bra tank top, a stylish all-in-one bra and feeding top for nursing Mums, which is also suitable to wear through pregnancy and offers amazing value.

Glamourmom was founded in 2000 in the US and has recently expanded into the UK, Family & Parenting caught up with Line as she was about to start a weekend of celebrations in the US!

Line had some amazing things to tell me about her company and her passion for her products is enormous, her motivation as a Mum was to develop a product that was stylish and offered the features that other nursing bras lacked. Following months of research and design, her result is the Glamourmom® built-in bra concept, now an award winning wardrobe staple for so many US Mums.

Her success has been founded by talking to other Mums, finding out their needs and wants for pregnancy and nursing products – a value that forms the basis of what Glamourmom is all about.

As Glamourmom® enters the UK market family & parenting magazine wanted to find out what is so special about their products and why UK Mums should be interested......

16.07.10

Cake Lingerie and Mamma La Rocca are searching for 3 ‘real’ UK and Ireland mums to be the face of Cake Lingerie'’s ‘Real Mums, Real Fit’ global campaign that celebrates motherhood and their new found curves.

The essence of the search is simple, ‘real’ women that are pregnant or nursing and women that are different shapes, sizes and ethnicity.' “Pregnant and breastfeeding women are beautiful and should be celebrated and applauded'” says Tracey Montford, founder of Cake Lingerie.

The 3 lucky winners will receive a generous Cake Lingerie prize pack, Mamma La Rocca £150 gift certificate, a day of pampering and memories to last them a lifetime.

15.07.10

As the editor of family and parenting magazine I was delighted to be asked to review the latest Postman Pat DVD, so myself and my 2 year old son Charley spent a quiet afternoon watching a sneak preview of Postman Pat's escapades in his new position of 'special delivery service!' which will hit the shelves from August 9th 2010.

13.07.10

Launched this National Breastfeeding Awareness Week was an offer to support more women to breastfeed. The owners of Lifft™ Baby Slings and bras4mums, have both breastfed and set their businesses up to support other women to do the same.

Launching during National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, Lifft™ baby slings, the only sling believed to be scientifically proven to improve posture, and bras4mums, the maternity and nursing bra specialists, are offering £10 off when you buy a Lifft™ sling and any bra from the Royce range together.

09.07.10

From being a follower of ours on Twitter the well known commentator on family issues Duncan Fisher OBE asked F&P to review his latest book, Baby's Here! Who Does What! Which of course we were very happy to do. We will be catching up very soon with Duncan in an exclusive interview on family & parenting but for now, here is a taster of his latest works...