PRETTY YOUNG THING

Your child’s social experiences will play a crucial role in their life, aiding their growth and development in various ways. For instance, the interactions they have when they’re young will help them when making friends at school and build healthy relationships in general. With that said, it’s important for parents to find ways to help their children develop strong social skills from as early as possible. Here are some tips from an independent school in London.

Start by trying to teach and show your child some appropriate and inappropriate ways to behave. A lot of this will be learnt through observation of you and other influential people in your child’s life, so you should always try to be a good role model around your child. Talk to your child about the importance of being polite and well-mannered when talking to someone. Teach them that when someone is talking, it is rude to interrupt. Essentially, you should explore the different elements of a healthy conversation.

You will also need to explain to your child that sometimes body language can be just as powerful as words. For instance, if a person is crying, then you know that they are sad. With that said, your child will need to learn how to determine how another person is feeling based on their actions, so that they can respond appropriately. To help, you might be able to find some flash cards of different facial expressions that you can show your child and ask them what each one means, giving examples of suitable ways to react.

Make sure that your child is given plenty of opportunities to socialise with both adults and children from a young age so that they are comfortable with it. Arrange lots of play dates and when your child is old enough, encourage them to join some extra-curricular activities so that they have a chance to meet new people and interact in different environments. Their social interactions shouldn’t always occur within the comforts of their own home, so try and mix it up as much as possible.

If you are worried about your child’s social development in any way, don’t be afraid to seek professional advice and support. You could even speak to your child’s teacher, as they may have some suggestions and will be able to help your child to their best of their abilities.

Curiosity is an important component in a child’s learning journey, and life in general. It’s what drives us to uncover new information and figure out how the world works. With that said, it’s important for parents to encourage their children to become inquisitive and ask lots of questions from a young age, to help them learn and grow continually. An independent day and boarding school in Hitchin have some tips.

Start by making sure you answer your child’s questions, even if you’re busy. It’s easy sometimes to shrug them off when you’re in the middle of something, but this will only discourage them from asking more questions in the future, thus stunting their curiosity. If you don’t know the answer, it’s a good idea for the two of you to try and figure it out together, by researching online or looking through a few books.


Try and help your child experience new things on a regular basis, by visiting various places or pursuing new hobbies. This will stimulate their inquisitive side because they will likely have lots of thoughts and questions. If they become used to something, they will cease to be curious about it. This might mean breaking away from your usual routine from time to time but it will be worth it if it’s stimulates your child’s learning and creativity.


Another way to encourage your child to be inquisitive, is to be inquisitive yourself. As you go about the day’s activities with your child, ask lots of questions. For instance, if it starts to rain you could say “do you know where rain comes from?” and then you can discuss the answer together. When reading a story to your child, ask them “how do you think this story will end?” and see if their predictions come true. Try and create an environment where asking questions, talking openly and exploring different things is normal.

The question of what age is the most appropriate for sending your child to nursery has no easy answer. There isn’t a universal option that caters to all children and all parents, as it really depends on the unique circumstances of each family. Perhaps you’d like to encourage your child to meet and interact with other children their age, in a structured learning environment. Maybe you’d like to get them ready for school so it doesn’t seem as daunting when they move into a Reception class. You might just need some form of childcare so that you can focus on your work commitments during the day. There are clearly many different reasons why a parent may choose nursery as an option. Here are some tips from an independent nursery school in Somerset.

For those of you who are concerned that your child is not ready for nursery, you should know that whatever age you choose to send them will bring you a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. While you might feel that you’re missing out on a lot of time with your baby if you send them to nursery when they’re just a few months old, it allows them to become accustomed to being separated from you. On the other hand, if you wait until they’re two or three years old, they might find it a lot harder to be away from you. Of course, all children are different, and many toddlers settle in well as they are just starting to become independent and figure out ways to keep themselves busy.

Most nurseries don’t tend to accept babies under the age of three months, but you might be able to find one or two exceptions. Younger children have additional needs, so make sure you do plenty of research around your local nurseries so that you are 100% happy with your decision and your child is receiving the appropriate level of care. You know your child better than anyone so only you can decide what’s truly best for them. Don’t succumb to pressure from other parents or feel like other people are judging you, because their circumstances will be completely different to yours. 

I thought i'd do a little update about how we are getting on during lockdown. I did a post right at the start even before lockdown with a little update. In my last update Clint had been laid off temporarily, he's now been furloughed so will be getting 80% of his wage which is good, i've since then also been furloughed, I was working from home but it's difficult to do that as a receptionist and my company has now been forced to make cuts where they can. I have been trying to be more productive and positive but it can be really difficult to self motivate yourself during times like these. I have been making more effort to get up and get dressed, i've also been having a daily power walk by myself and i'm finding having a little time to myself is really helping. We live in an apartment so we don't have a garden so we was taking Amelia for a walk around our building but this wasn't enough excercise for me and I haven't felt great so going for a walk alone has really helped. We have been doing loads of crafts and  baking but this is getting abit boring now. I want to try and find some more things that we can do to stimulate Amelia. We have also been potty training during lockdown and Amelia has taken to it really well, we've only had a couple of accidents, usually when she's playing and gets distracted. She's been using a potty but we've bought her a toilet seat too now and she's been using it really well.

That's everything really, not much to report over the last few weeks. I want to get back into blogging so hopefully there will be some more posts coming soon... I ordered a few bits from The Ordinary so I will review them soon and i'm expecting a few bits for product reviews so I should be back up and running soon...

Here's my thoughts on the This Works Morning Expert range. I have a few items from the range and couldn't believe I hadn't reviewed them already. I've been using these for a little while now. I think this is a great range and have been loving the products. I wanted to share my thoughts and how i've been getting on with them.

My favourite product from the collection is the Hyaluronic serum, it's so light and sinks into the skin really fast to hydrate and brighten skin. You can use daily on the skin to maximise the pumping effect. I really like this product is smells lovely and isn't greasy it just goes on without any effort. It's gentle and I really notice that my skin appears firmer when I use this.

Next is the Morning Expert Open Eyes, eye cream. I love the applicator for this product, it makes it super easy to apply and the metal applicator leaves the eye area feeling cool. This leaves the eye area appearing more awake and reduces the appearance of dark circles.

Finally the Morning Expert Multi Acid Pads, I really like these and they are super easy to use. Again can be used daily to exfoliate and enhance skin resurfacing, unclog pores and minimize morning shine. They are really nice and gentle and I think they are an easy way to add acids into regime.

Make sure you check out the bundles on the This Works website for some super amazing savings!