Families Birmingham Jan-Feb 2023 PRINT

Welcome

HappyNewYearfromallofushereatFamilies!Wewishyouthe verybestforthemonthsahead.

Ifyou’veabandonedNewYearresolutionsalready,thenletFamilies re-inspireyou!Thisreallyisagreattimeofyeartofocusonhowto gethealthier–butit’sdifficulttodoitonyourown.Sohowabout takingonahealthchallengeasafamilyinsteadsoyoucanmotivate eachother?Whetherit’sanewchallenge,adoptingstrategiesto alleviateanxietyortryinganewlifehack,thisissueoffersyoulotsof foodforthought.

WearaHatDayisbackon31stMarchthisyear!Seepage11forhow togetinvolved.

And,asthekidsheadbacktoschoolornurseryforthenewterm,we alsohaveagreatarticleondealingwithseparationanxiety,a commonissuefacedbyparentsofchildrenintheearlyyears,aswell asafocusoneducationmattersincludingadviceonsafelychoosing anonlinetutorandhowlogicalthinkingcanhelpchildrenachieve theirgoals.

Finally,inthisissue,wehave BritannicaMagazinesubscriptions to giveaway!ApplyforsixmonthsubscriptionsplusaBritannicaAll NewChildren’sEncyclopaediainside.Bydoingso,you’llalsoensure youreceiveourdigitalmagazinewithlotsmorecontentandgoodies onoffer.

Clubs, Classes & Activities

PYJAMADRAMAERDINGTON,CASTLEBROMWICHANDSOLIHULL

S4SWIMSCHOOL

S4SwimIntensive-Schoolholidayswim coursesdesignedtogiveyourchildareal boostwiththeirswimmingdevelopment!

AtypicalSwimIntensivecoursewould involvefourexperiencedswiminstructors andfourdifferentlevelgroups.These coursesareonofferforNon-Swimmers, Beginners,ImproversandAdvanced children.

•Maxof5swimmerspergroup

•On-goingswimmerassessment

•TaughttheS4way,producingswimmers withahighdegreeofskill&technical ability

•Aconsistentprofessionalapproachatall venues(groupstructure,teaching standards)

Findswimminglessonsnearyouat s4swimschool.uk

SOLIHULLYOUNGDANCERS

Balletclassesfromage2½andTapclasses fromtheageof4.OnSaturdaymorningsfrom 09:00amatStHelensChurch. Formoredetails,pleasecallKateon 07722732678. www.solihullyoungdancers.co.uk

PyjamaDramahavebeendeliveringdramaandimaginativeplayclasses andinteractiveshowsforchildrenaged0to7yearssince2005.Wecan visityournurseryorschoolorfindusatpublicsessionslocally.Weharness thepoweroftheimaginationtodevelopkeyskillssuchascommunication, confidence,co-operationandproblemsolving.Ourincrediblytalented teachersdeliverchild-ledsessionsthattakechildrenonmagical adventureswheretheymakenewfriends,explorenewworldsand‘trial’ situationsbeforetheyhappen.Whetherit’sswimmingwithmermaidsor goingtothedentist–PyjamaDramanurtureshappy,confidentandcuriouschildren. carolinef@pyjamadrama.com

THEATRETRAIN,HARBORNE

AtTheatretrainwe:empoweryoungpeople;encourageselfexpression,individuality,andcreativethinkingalongside professionaltuitionin•SINGING•ACTING•DANCING

AtTheatretrainwebelieveperformingartsshouldbe accessibletoeveryone,that’swhyweneverauditionnew studentsoraskforanypreviousexperience.It’sourpolicythatfeesarekeptatalevelaffordableto mostfamilies.TheatretrainLOVESTOPERFORMbothlocallyandnationally,givingourstudentsvast opportunitiesinawidevarietyofshows. Joinnowtobepartofourfun-packed,high-energy,creativeclassesandseeyourchild’sconfidence soar!ClassesinHarborneandBromsgrove

ContactMelanieDykeson07766724834;harborne@theatretrain.co.uk; theatretrain.co.uk/harborne

BILINGUASINGBIRMINGHAMSOUTH

LearnaLanguagewithyourLittleOne!

LEARNIRISHDANCINGWITH GRANARINCE

Fun,fitnessandfriendship-Irishdancing classesforgirlsandboysaged4+availablein SellyOakandRedditch.Firstclassfreeof charge!Alllevelscateredto. ContactLouiseon07790876345or louise-stanley@hotmail.co.uk granarince.co.uk

FOOTBALLFUNATICS

Introduceyourchildrentofootballinthemostfun waypossibledevelopingconfidenceandfootball skillsinanopressureenvironment. Qualifiedcoachesrunfunfootballsessionsfor childrenofallabilitiestolearnfootball&lifeskills. Aged4–13 footballfunatics.co.uk|07931455093

SOFTPLAYTAKEAWAY

Song-filledSpanish&FrenchClassesinHarborne, BearwoodandBournville.Helpdevelopyourlittleone’s earlycommunicationskills,buildtheirconfidence,andenhancetheir physicalandemotionaldevelopmentwithourmulti-award-winningmusic, languageandsensoryclasses.Earlyexposuretoasecondlanguageis fantasticforyourlittleone’sbraindevelopmentandlearningskills. Classesforbabies(from4weeks),crawlersandtoddlerstopreschoolers!Youdon'tneedtoknowanylanguagestojoinin-you’llbe singingalonginnotime!

Findoutmoreat:bilinguasing.com/find-a-class/birmingham-south Tel:07539863024,Email:lucy@bilinguasing.com

RUGBYTOTSEASTSTAFFORDSHIRE

ANDSUTTONCOLDFIELD

Ourfun,structuredplaysessionstakechildrenona journeyofsportingimaginationwithengaging coachesteachingthemhowtocatch,pass,kickandrunwiththeball,and playaspartofateam.Ourmottoissimple;"makeitmorefun".Wedothis bydeliveringourspecificallydesignedprogrammeforeachagegroupwith energy,enthusiasmandexcitementcreatinganatmospherethatis engagingforparentsandchildrenalike.Classesaresplitinto3age groups;2-3.5yrs,3.5-5yrsand5-7yrs.

15%DISCOUNTCODE:FAMILIES

Contactmatthew@rugbytots.co.uk,03453130803 Findyournearestvenueathttps://www.rugbytots.co.uk/Class/Find

THECHOCOLATESHED

Themedchocolatemakingpartiesand workshopsforchocoholicsofallages.Allofour holidayworkshopsandchildren'spartiesare runbyourfabulousteamoflocalchocolatierswhoarelookingforwardto guidingyouthroughtheprocessofcraftingyourchocolateycreations. Everyworkshopisuniqueandweofferarangeofdifferentoptionswhich willbetailoredtotheneedsofyouandyourparty.Yourchocolate masterpieceswillbemadeusingreal,sustainableandlocallysourced ingredientswherepossibleandeveryworkshopinvolvesalotofstickyfingeredfunandtasting!

W:www.thechocolateshed.comE:info@thechocolateshed.com

Theimportanceof mentoring

ByJemmaZoeSmith

Therearemanydifferentstrategieswhichenablesomeoneto ‘bethebesttheycanbe.’Intheadultworld,thetwocommonly debatedmethodsarecoachingandmentoring.Whilstthey areoftendiscussedtogether,theyareinfacttwodifferent concepts.Asamentortoteensandtweens,Ihaveoftenfound myselfwonderingifmentoringwouldworkforprimaryaged children?

Someinthefieldofeducationmayfeelthatmentoringisnot appropriateforchildrenofthisage.Howcanyoumentor someonewhoisjustgettingtogripswithlearning,formulating theirideasandtheiropinions?

However,mentoringcanbeveryeffectiveininstillingalove oflearning,enablingopendiscussionandpromotingself awarenessatanearlyage.Atitsmostsimple,amentoris‘an experiencedpersonwhoadvisesandhelpssomebodywithless experienceoveraperiodoftime’1.Thisperiodcouldbewhilsta youngchildgetsusedtoanewclassroomorachangeinfamily circumstances.

Amentoroffersadvice,usingthebenefitoftheirexperiencebut alwaystakingintoaccountthefactthatthechildisanindividual andthattheirbackgroundandexperiencesinlifemaybevery differenttothatofthementor’s.

Mentorsdonothavetobeadults -instead,mentoringcan beapeer-to-peersetup,withvolunteeropportunitiesgalore forschoolstotrialpeertopeerencouragementandsupport techniques.Mentoringisabouthelpingachildtorecognise theirtruequalitiesandabilities,ratherthanmouldingtheminto somethingthatisnottruetothemselves.

Ifachildisinterestedinsports,agoodmentorwillconnectwith them,usingthisinterest,evenifitisn’tnecessarilyashared interestbetweenthem.Amentorguidesbutalsoallowsa menteetodiscoverwhotheyare.

Havingamentororstudyinginanenvironmentsuchasa classroomwithamentoringethoscan helpchildrentogetto knowthemselves andmakesenseoftheworldinwhichthey findthemselves.

Intheageofsocialmedia,withanever-increasingnumberof platformstellingchildrenwhotheyshouldbe,Ithinkmentoring ismoreimportantthanevertohelpchildrenpeelbackthe curtainandfeelasiftheyhavethepermissiontobetheirown person.

JemmaZoeSmithisDirectorofTheEducationHotel (www.educationhotel.co.uk).

1 OxfordLearner’sDictionariesdefinition

Howlogicalthinking helpschildren achievegoals

ByUshaPatel

My6-year-oldnephewcamearoundtheotherdayforteaand cake.Inthemiddleofaconversation,heloudlydeclaredhe wasonhiseighth‘mini-cake.’Thesewerebite-sizedmorsels madefortinyhands.Itmademechucklethatachildofjust6 yearswouldthinktomeasuretheincreasingjoythateating cakecouldbring!Ilookeddownatmyplateandwondered howmanyIhadgobbledup….

However, manychildrendon’tseepatterns,numbersorthe needformeasuring.

A10-year-oldstudentIrecentlyworkedwithreallywantedto playfootballbutwasreluctantbecauseshehadgreatdifficulty tyinghershoelaces.Itaughtherhowtodoitinfiveeasysteps, explainingthatshewouldachievehergoalbutthatsomesteps mightbetrickierthanothers.

Beforeourworktogether,shehadthoughtoftyinglacesasone task.By breakingdownthetaskintoaseriesoflogicalsteps, shecouldseewhichpartsweremorecomplexandwhichwere manageable.Shequicklygotthehangofitbypayingcloser attentiontothosebitsshethoughtwerefiddlyandnotfeelingas frustratedasshehadbefore.

Withmyinstruction,shepractisedregularlyathomeandeach timeshewouldgetfasteratthebitsshefoundtricky.Whenshe returnedacoupleofweekslater,sheboastedshecouldnow tieherlacesveryquicklyandinsistedonshowingmewithher brand-newtrainers.

Sowhatdoesthisteachus?Thatwhentasksarebrokendown intologicalsteps,successispossible.

Whenachilddoesnotapplylogicandreasoningtoadifficult task,howtheyfeelaboutthetaskdominatestheirapproach. Butwecan’tmeasurefeelingsinthesamewaywecanmeasure steps-orevencake!Theyarenotobjectiveandsothecycleof frustrationcontinuesandachildreinforcesanunfairbiasagainst theirownability.

Measuringprogressallowsachildtoseeforthemselveswhatis goingwrong.Theythencan problem-solve,achievesuccess andmeettheirintendedgoal.

Logicalthinkingtakestimetonurturebutoncesuccessis achieved,parentsshouldcelebrate.Decideonanothergoaland repeatasimilarlogicalprocess.

UshaPatelisaneurocognitivetherapistwhorunsRaviv PracticeLondon(www.ravivpracticelondon.co.uk).

S4SwimSchool

S4SwimSchoolhavebeenprovidingswimminglessonsto thousandsofchildrenforoveradecade.HundredsofS4 swimmershaveprogressedtoCounty,RegionalandNational levelcompetitionsandbeyond,thankstotheexcellent pathwaysbetweenS4andotheraquaticorganisations.

Memberreviews:

“Mydaughterstookpartintheintensivecourseandabsolutely lovedit.Wasreallypleasedattheprogresstheymadeinsucha shorttime,wehavenowsigneduptoregularclassesandcan't waittoseetheprogresstheywillmake”. (Facebook)

“Fantasticswimmingschool,theinstructorsarebrilliantwith youngchildren,verypositiveandencouraging.Woulddefinitely recommend”. (Facebook)

“BothofmychildrencompletedthiscourseinEaster.Theyhave returnedtoswimmingweeklyafterEasterandhaveboth improvedsomuchandhavenowprogressedintoanew swimminggroup”. ThanksS4(Facebook) www.s4swimschool.uk

Gettingthebestfromonlinetutoring

ByLisaWanderandCatherineLoble

WithCovidandthemovetoonlineplatforms,tutoringhas becomemoreaccessible,withmoreoptionsandopportunities availablefortutorsandstudents.Asaresult,overfifteen percentofchildrenacrossthecountryarenowreceivingprivate tuition.

AnInstituteofEducationstudyshowsthatwelldeliveredtuitionhas apositiveimpactonattainmentacrosstheboard.Certainly,inthe highlycompetitiveworldsofselectiveschoolsandpublicexams, tutoringhasbecomethenorminensuringthatchildrenare preparedandsupported.

Todaymanyparentsturntotheinternettofindasuitabletutorasit offerswiderandoftenlessexpensiveaccesstomoreoptions.But withitcomesthe concernaroundfindingqualityteachinginan unregulatedworld.

Onlinetutoringoptionsareprolificonsocialmedia-you’lllikelyget moreoffersthanyoucouldsiftthroughinoneevening!Thereare alsomanyspecialistonlineagenciesofferingarangeoftutoring options,aswellasA-levelorundergraduatestudenttutorsoffering theirservices.

EmployinganA-levelorundergraduatestudenttutormaybe advantageousinofferingyourchildapositiverolemodel. Equally,yourchildmayfeelmorecomfortablewithsomebody closertotheirownageandmaythereforebemorelikelyto challengethemselvesandgrowintheirlearning.Thisoptioncan alsoofferalessexpensivetuitionroute.However,itisreally importanttobearinmindthatstudenttutorsareunqualifiedand inexperiencedanddon’thavetheexperienceorunderstandingof childdevelopment.

Inthisexploding worldofonline tutoring,togiveyour childthebestchance tosucceed,youwill needto doyour researchAND practisedue diligence. Payingfor atutorisanimportant investmentand cuttingcornersmay doyourchildmore harmthangood. Mosteducators recommendarobust academicassessment priortohiringany tutor.Formost children,an experiencedtutorwill beessential.Parents shouldbeinvolvedin whatandhowatutor isplanningfortheir childandhavesomedegreeofcontrolandunderstandingofwhich topicswillbecovered.

LisaandCatherineareco-foundersofEmparenting (www.emparenting.co.uk),supportingchildren,parentsand familieswithinsights,skillsandtoolstonurturethedevelopment andwell-beingofthenextgeneration.

Safetutorselection

Meetyouronlinetutor inavideocallpriortoengagingthemand checktheirreferencesthoroughly.

Considertheirprofessionaltraining aswellastheirgeneral characterandattitude.

Requestqualificationcertificatesandbackgroundchecks.

Askhowtheymeasureprogress. Requestregularfeedbackand thatanyhomeworkissentviayou.

Askforplanninginformation. Aprofessionaltutorwillnever mindsharingthiswithyou.

Sessionsshouldonlybearrangedviaparents; tutorsshould nevercontactyourchilddirectly.

Whichplatformwilltheyuse? Makesurethatyourchildknows therulesaroundsafetytoo.

Monitoronlinelessons bysettingupinanopenspaceinyour homeorleavingadooropenifyouarenotinthesameroom.

Trustyourinstinctsasaparent; ifsomethingdoesn’tfeelright, stopsessions andchangetutors.

Anacademicassessment

Arecommendedelementofthetutoringprocessisan academicassessmentpriortobeginningsessions.Thisisthe processofgatheringdatatounderstandthestrengthsand weaknessesofastudent’slearning.Itshouldbetailoredto theindividualstudentanddeliveredbyanexperteducator.An academicassessmentwill:

Testachild’sabilityagainstthenationalcohort.

Helpparentsunderstandtheacademicleveltheirchildis currentlyreaching.

Identifygapsinlearning,allowingtutorstocreateprogrammes tailoredtoyourchild’sneeds.

Revealpotentialanddetermineifit’sbeingreached. Recommendsuitabilityforfutureschools.

Arobustassessmentinadvanceofusingtheunregulatedonline worldoftutoringwillgiveyousomedegreeofcontrolandenable youtobemoreinvolvedandawareofwhatyourchildneeds inadvanceofhiringatutor.Itwillprovideabaselineforyouto ensurethatyourchildisbeingtaughttoahighstandard.

ByDrJamieLingwood

Earlylanguagedevelopmentisincrediblyimportantand sittingdowntoreadwithyourchildgivesthemabig advantage.Herearemythoughtsonthehow’sandwhy’sof sharedreading.

Makeitaconversation

Sharedreadingissomuchmorethansimplyreadingbooks aloudfromstarttofinish.It’spowerfulasaninteractive experience,creatingaconversationalongtheway.Evidence suggeststhataskingchildrenlotsofopenquestionsabout bookscanreallyboostlanguageskills.Exposuretonewwords buildstheirvocabularyandthemoretheyhearspokenlanguage, themoreeasilytheycanuseitthemselves.Theearlieryou start,thebettertheirreadingageswillbeatschool.Research hasdemonstratedhowsharedreadingprotectsagainstalot oflanguagedifficultiesanddelays.Itcanevenpredicthow successfulchildrencouldbeasadultsintermsofincome!

Doingityourownway

Parents,grandparents,carersorsiblingwilleachhavetheirown readingstyles;andthat’sagoodthing.Findtheflowthatcomes mostnaturallytoyou,makingtheexperiencemoreinteractiveas yougoalong.

Picturebooksareagoodstart

Picturebookswithfewornowordsaregreatstartingpoints.A goodexampleis Hug byJezAlborough,whichsimplyrepeatsthe word‘hug’oneachpage.It’sthendowntotheadulttocreatea storyaroundthis,startingaconversationwiththechild.Talking withthemaboutwhattheyseeandwhattheythinkaboutthe storynaturallyinvolvesusingamixofwordsandgrammatically structuredsentences.Thebookbecomesapromptforchildren toexpressthemselves.

Readingthesamebookoverandover...

Ihearthisalotfromparents:‘Mychildwantstoreadthesame bookoverandoveragain.’Asanadult,whatdoyoudo?Doyou readthebookforthethirtyfifthtimethisweekorencourage

themtoreadsomethingelse?Arecentstudysuggeststhat readingthesamebookrepeatedlycanhelpwithachild’s memory,intermsofbuildingfamiliaritywithparticularwords. Thebiggestchallengeisyourstamina-knowingit’sallinagood causemighthelphere!

Whenandwhere?

Whenitcomestosharedreading,littleandoftenistheway forward.Youdon’thavetositdownandrigidlyreadwithyour childforasethouratatime.Fiveminuteshereandthereisjust asuseful,particularlywhenitcomestokeepingthemmotivated.

Fitreadingaroundwhatworksforyouandthestructureofyour ownlives.Youmaywellchooseatimetowardstheendofthe daywhenyou’resettlingthemdownforbed.Butforalotof people,thatisn’tsuccessfulbecause,bythatpoint,theirchild istootiredtoengageproperly.Rememberitdoesn’thavetobe bedtime.Pickadifferentpointintheday.Orgrabfiveminutes whenyou’retravellingonthebustogether,forexample.

Andfinally…

Doityourself!Whenyourchildseesyoureadingandclearly enjoyingit,theywillwanttocopyyou.Thiswillhelpthem developahabitthatwillopenupalifelongworldofadventures andlearning.

DrJamieLingwoodisaLecturerinPsychologyatLiverpool HopeUniversity(www.hope.ac.uk/psychology)andbelongs totheChildLabresearchgroup,agroupofpsychologistsand educatorswhoareinterestedinresearchinghowchildren developandgrow.

Celebrating ChineseNewYear

By@girlaboutbirmingham

ChineseNewYear2023beginsSunday22ndJanuary.Itis theyearoftheRabbit.Characteristicsofpeoplebornin theRabbitzodiacyearsarequietness,eleganceand kindness.Theyalsolikeafewsurprisestokeeplife interesting!

Howcanwecelebrateit?

TherearemanywaystogetthefamilyinvolvedwithChinese NewYear.Oneofthemainwaysistoputupdecorationsin yourhomewhichyoucanmakewithyourchildrenorprepare aspecialdinnerforfamilyandfriends.

Itiscommonplaceforchildrentogiveandreceivesmallgifts, especiallyinredenvelopes!Populargiftsaretea,fruitand sweets.

AnotherwaytocelebratetheNewYearistowatchlionor dragondances.Readontofindoutwhereyoucancatchthe award-winningChoyLeeFutLionandDragonDanceTeamin Birmingham!Instagram: @clflion_dragon

Paradearound

InBirminghamthereareover12,000Chineseresidents. Therefore,welovetocelebrateinabigway!Thecentrepoint ofthesecelebrationsisattheArcadianinChinatown.

Themainweekendofcelebrationswilltakeplacefrom20th–22ndJanuary2023.Manyoftheshopsandrestaurantswillbe

d t d Chi l t ill b h d th

decorated,Chineselanternswillbehungupandtherewillbe specialmenus,offersandplentyofothergreatreasonsto visit.

ThepopularChineseNewYearFestivalshowwilltakeplace onSunday22ndJanuaryintheArcadiancentrefrommidday. Thereisalwaysanamazingatmosphereasmanypeople cometowitnesstheshow.Therewillbeanexcitingspectacle ofliondance,drummingandkungfuweapon demonstrations. thearcadian.co.uk

Liondancing

Thereareseveralotherplacesaroundtownthatyoucan witnesstheincredibleCLFliondanceteam.20thJanuarywill markthestartoftheirperformancesonColmoreRow.The buzzingbusinessdistrictwillseetheliondancingalongpast thecompaniesliningColmoreRowtoblessthemwithagood andsuccessful2023!

YouwillthenfindtheteamintheBullringandGrandCentral onSaturday21stJanuarywhereahugecelebrationisplanned inassociationwithBirminghamHippodrome.

KeepaneyeonalloftheirInstagrampagesforfulldetails. Instagram: @bullring@brumhippodrome

Onthesamedayafter3pm,theprocessionwillmakeitsway totheGreatWesternArcade.Thelionwilldanceitsway alongthisbeautifulVictorianshoppingarcade,blessingeach shopwithgoodluckandprosperity! greatwesternarcade.co.uk

FeastyoureyesonChinatown

BirminghamishometomanyfabulousChineserestaurants. Chinesebuffetsareagreatoptionforfamiliesbecausethey caterforeveryone–smallerplatesandpickyeaters!Hereare mytopoptionsforafamilyfeast:

ChungYing–Thisrestaurantissituatedontheedgeof ChinatownandisprobablythemostpopularinBirmingham! chungying.co.uk

MingMoon–Abuffetstylerestaurantagainfoundinthe heartoftheaction. mingmoon.co.uk/birmingham

CaféSoya–Anotherbuzzinglittlevenueamongstpeoplein theknow!Abusyandfunplacetodine,thisfamilyrun businessisworthavisitforavariedmenuthatcatersforall preferences. cafesoya.co.uk

Minminnoodlebar-Aston.Thisisaveryauthenticplaceto visitforChineseNewYearasyouwillbegreetedbythe impressivearchwaythatannouncesthislittlepieceofChina. Instagram: @minminnoodlebar

Goodluckgifts

Finally,whynotbuysomeuniquegiftstocelebrateChinese NewYear!Shoparoundfororigamicards,art,handcrafted accessoriesorjewelleryintheYearoftheRabbittheme. LocalsellerIrisandPolly,foundintheRedBrickMarketin Digbeth,oftenhasbeautifullythemedtrinketsavailable. Instagram: @irisandpolly

Moreinfoatchinesenewyear.net

CreditCLFLionandDragonDanceTeam

HomefromHomewith ChillyPowder

DoyoupreferwinterorsummerintheAlps…orboth?

Francesca,PaulandtheirthreechildrenliveinMorzinein FranceallyearroundandhaveagoodknowledgeofAlpine traditionsandtheMorzinepeople.Havingadaptedtheirchalet holidaystyleovertheyearstosuitthetastesoftheirregular guests,theyoffertheperfectskiandsummerholidaysforeither families,couplesormixedgroupsinrelaxingluxury,with fantasticfoodandoutstandingfacilities,withunrivalledinhousechildcarefacilities.FormanyreturningguestsChilly Powderisconsideredarealhomefromhome. FormoreaboutChillyPowderchaletsforsummerandwinter visit www.chillypowder.com

AchievetopGCSEresults withEdgbastonTuitionCentre

EdgbastonTuitionCentrerunsaGCSEMasterclassandHoliday IntensiveProgramme.WehelpambitiousGCSEstudentsearntop gradesinPhysics,Chemistry,Biology,MathsandEnglishsothey cangetintothetopuniversitiesusingourGCSEMastery Programme.Studentswhowanttoachievetopgradescanstruggle withlackofdirection,notknowinghowtostudyandultimately,they mayevengetdemotivatedorgiveup!

AtEdgbastonTuitionCentrewehelpyourchildby: •Creatingasuccessplantoachieveagrade9

•Developingeffectivelearningstrategies,routinesandexcellent examtechniques.

•Coachingstudentstodevelopawinningmindset,boosting confidence,self-motivation,driveandahungertosucceed Contactusnowtobookasuccesscall edgbastontuitioncentre@gmail.com,01214559211. edgbastontuition.com

future!

WearAHatDay,aniconicandfunannualevent,isoneofthe UK’smostpopularandfamily-friendlycharitablefundraisers andit’shappeningagainonFriday31stMarch!

Runningformorethantenyears,thiseventraisesmillionsfor vitalresearchintobraintumours– thebiggestcancerkillerof childrenandadultsundertheageof40. WearAHatDay eventshelpchildrenexploretheirindividualityandcreativity, whilstlearningtoworktogetherandthinkofothers–inafun way.

Participationfostersfriendships,createsbetterlocalandschool communitiesandoffersuniquelearningopportunities,allwhile givinghopetobraintumourpatientsandtheirlovedones. Jointhisevent,asafamilyorbypersuadingyourlocalschoolto takepart.RegisternowformoreinformationandyourFREE fundraisingpack.Justusethequickandeasywebformat www.wearahatday.org

2023lifehacksforparents

ByEllieMalt

Honestly,crackingopenthefrozenspudsonChristmasmorningwasNOTcheating.Itwasefficient,itwaseasyand I’maddicted.So,for2023I’vedecidedtopulltheemergencycordanddeploysomenewlifehacks.Accordingto mydarlingdaughters,YouTubehassolutionstoeveryproblemsoI’vegoneonlinetolook.Happyhacking!

Speedydeclutter

I’mskippingthepartwhereIsiftthrough everythingIown.Instead,I’mtargeting threebigticketitems;apileofwood whichhasbeenpatientlyawaitingaDIY project,clothesputasideformending twoyearsagoandsomeelectricalsI intendedtoselloneBaylastyear.It’stime tobagthemupandgettotherecycling centre.

Food

Ineedabreakfromcooking,I’mhunting downalternatives.Eatingoutisa cheerfullyobviouswayoutbutthecostof-livingcrisismakesthisbackfire.So, I’mswitchingmealsoutfortake-aways ormealdeals.I’vealsofoundtwonew veggieoptionstobatchcookforthe freezertogivemeacheapnightoff.

Paperwork

Everytimetheadminneedstobetackled, itreallydoescreateageneralfuzzof panic.Justwhereisthatimportantemail fromschool?Scoutingaroundonthe internetIfoundanexcellenttwentyminute-highspeedsolutioninspiredby MarieKondoonYouTubeat https://bit.ly/youtube20mins

Planners

Megaplaydates

Ifbatchcookingcanworkforfood,canit workforoursociallivestoo?Organising andhostinglotsofindividualplaydates istime-consumingsoI’minvitinglotsof friendsaroundforonemegaplaydate.It’s short-termpainforlong-termgain.Maybe we’llgetlotsofinvitesinreturn?

I’veswitchedtoGooglecalendarfromthe Appleversion.IfinditclearerplusIcan setareminderforeachtaskIdon’thave timeforonaparticularday.Ifthatdoesn’t work,I’mgoingbacktoagoodpaperbasedplanner.I’vegotmyeyeonthe perpetualplannerfromMoo (www.moo.com).

Gamification

Whynotinjectthefunprinciplesof avideogameintoanyactivity?Set tonnesoflevelsorgoalsandthenlots oftinyrewardsforreachingthem.Mind stillwandering?HowabouttheApollo wearableclip(www.apolloneuro.com)that providesagentlebuzzofappreciation afterachievingaflowstate?Wehave rewardchartsforthekidssoI’llhaveone too.Goldstarforme!

Prioritise

Accepthelp

Whyisthissohard?Ironically,whenit comestoacceptinghelp,Ifinditeasier whenI’malreadyfeelingcapable.Next timeI’mbeinganobstinatehermitwho wantstogoitalone,I’mgoingtokickthat habitormaybeevenreachoutbefore arrivingatthepointofoverwhelm.

Thisiswherethenumberonelifehack on www.lifehack.org canhelp.The ‘prioritisationmatrix’meansplacing allyourtasksintooneoffourzones: do,schedule,delegate,eliminate. Eisenhowercameupwiththisstrategy fortheAlliedInvasionofEurope.Isthatso differentfromrunningafamily?Anyway, Europewassuccessfullyliberatedso perhapsitwillworkforme.Freetemplate at https://bit.ly/prmatrix

NewYearchallenges

ByClaireWinter

EveryNewYearweareinundatedwithhealth,fitnessandself-improvement messages.Often,ifwedodecidetochallengeourselvesandmakeachange,we don’tfeeladequatelysupportedandquicklylosemotivation.Onewayofaddressing thisistotakeonanewchallengeasafamily.Notonlydoyouallhavetogetupoff thesofabutyougettospendqualitytimewitheachothertoo!

Doesyourfamilythriveonabitofcompetition?Youcouldmakeyourchallengeagoalorientatedone.Orperhapsyouhavefamilymemberswhowanttonailscreentime, healthyeatingorexercise?Callafamilymeetinganddecidewhichchallengewillsuit youall.Ifyoucan’tdecide,holdavote!Herearesomechallengeideas.

Getwild

Weknowthatspendingtimeinnatureisgoodforyouand sciencebacksitup.Challengeeachothertonamedifferenttrees oneverywalkyougoon,seeshapesinclouds,identifybirdsong; whateverittakestodrawthefamilyintothefreshair.

The RSPB hassomegreatwildchallengesuggestionsfor families;checkout funandlearning atwww.rspb.org.uk.

Reducescreentime

Ifyoudecideasafamilytospendlesstimeondevices,there aresomegreatappslike AppDetox or AntiSocial whichcan help.Planfamilyfunasahealthierandmoreinclusiveuseof yourtime.

Catchmeifyoucan

CoachMartinSharp (www.martinsharp.com) suggestsafamilyrunning challenge.‘Youcouldkeepit simpleandseehowmanylaps oftheparkyoucanalldo.But ifyouwanttomakeitmore excitingyoucouldentera Color Run (www.colorrun.co.uk)ora ToughMudder (www.toughmudder.co.uk)saysMartin.‘Exercise doesn’thavetobethesamethingday-in,day-out;withabitof imaginationitcanturnintoagrandadventure.’

Makeafamilychartandlogeveryone’sgoalsandachievements.

Eataroundtheworld

Boredwithyournormal meals?Inspireyourselves byresearchinghealthy ingredientsyou’venevertried before.Thenplanafamily challengetocookmealsfrom aroundtheworld.Everyone getstotrysomethingthey’ve noteatenbefore.

Bemindful

Inthisstressfulworld,takingtimeto‘justbe’issoimportant.Try somerelaxingyogaandmeditationeveryeveningforjustfive totenminutes,foramonth. InsightTimer (www.insighttimer. com)isafreemeditationapp,packedwithdifferenttracksand exercises.

Useworkoutcards

FitnessexpertLaurenAllen (www.strongasamum.co.uk) suggestsusingplayingcardstomixupworkoutchallenges. Allocateamovementoranexercisetoeachsuit.Forexample, clubsissquats,spadesispush-ups,diamondsisstarjumps andheartsishighknees.Shuffleyourdeckanddealoutthe wholepacktoeveryone.Thenumberonthecardrepresents howmanyrepetitionsoftheexerciseyouneedtocomplete. Setatimerandwhoeverclearstheirhandinthequickesttime winstheround.

Bebrave

Tryanewactivitythat stretchesthefamily’scomfort zone,suchasiceskating, wildswimming,rockclimbing orpaddleboarding.Set yourselfanachievablegoal andgetstarted!

Ready,steady,cook!

Cookupyourownversion of ComeDinewithMe, with theaimofmakingyour mealshealthier.Socialmedia platformsarefullofinspiring chefswhippingupfeastsyou cancopyathome.

Survivingseparation anxiety

ByDorothyLepkowska

It’sacommonscenario;thetoddlerwhoactivelyresistsbeing leftwithanyoneelse,strugglingtoseparatefromparentsor lovedones.Sowhatcanyoudotomakeseparatingfromyour toddlereasier?

Mostchildrengothroughaphaseofbeingoverlyattachedto oneorbothparentsatsomepointintheirearlyyears.Thetears canmakeleavingthematnurseryorwithachildminderheart breaking.

KateHarding’stoddlerwouldclingtohereverymorningwhen theyarrivedatnursery.‘Shewasn’tupsetwhenshewokeupin themorningoreveninthecaraswedrovetoherearlyyears settingbutonceitwastimeformetoleaveitwasthesame everyday’Katesays.‘Shewouldclingtomylegandliterally havetobepeeledoffbyoneofthestaff.OftenI’dleaveupset andintearsmyself.Onthosedays,noamountofreassurance fromherkeypersonthatshewaswellandthrivingwouldmake mefeelbetter.’

Importantforresilience

Expertssaythatit’scompletelynormalforyoungchildrentogo throughwhatcouldbedescribedasaclingyphaseandit’san importantpartoftheirdevelopment.

Formany,anxietyatbeingseparatedfromaparentbeginsat sixtoninemonths.It’saroundthistimethatbabiesbecome consciousthattheyareseparatelittlebeingsandarenotthe samepersonastheirparent.

Forsome,thisclinginesscanlastforacoupleofyearsormore andcangetworsewhentheygotonurseryorachildminder.

Asdifficultasitistobeseparatedfromacrying,anxiouschild, it’sbestnottoavoidleavingthem. Explainingwhyyouneedto beapart,sayinggoodbye,tellingthemwhenyouwillbeback andreinforcingthepositivesofthis,isallpartofteachingyour childhowtoberesilient.

Takeadeepbreathandwalkaway.Yourchildisinsafehands andwillthrive,astheywilldiscoverforthemselvesovertime.

Katesays:‘IwouldtellmydaughterthatIhadtogotoworkso wehadmoneyandremindherhowmuchfunitwouldbetoplay withherfriends.Oftenthisdidthetrick.’

DorothyLepkowskaisanaward-winningjournalist,author andfreelancewriterfortheEarlyYearsAlliance(www. eyalliance.org.uk).Youcanreadmoreofherparenting featuresatwww.familycorner.co.uk

Earlyyearsexpertssaythatwhileparentsmightbetempted toseekreassurancethattheirchildisokaybyreturningtothe setting,thiscanbedisruptiveandunsettletheirchildallover again.Allthatisachievedisthetransferenceoftheparent’s anxietytothechild.

Instead, aquickphonecalltothestaffisusuallyenoughto reassureyou thateverythingisgoingwell.

However,ifatoddlerremainsundulyupsetbyseparationfor aprolongedperioditmightbeworthinvestigatingifthereare otherreasonsforthemfeelingunsettled.Talktoyourchild’s keypersonorchildminderaboutyourconcerns.Theyarebest placedtoadviseyouwhatisbestforyourchild,evenifthis meansdelayingtheirstartatthesettingforafewweeksor extendingtheirsettlinginperiod.

Kateadds:‘MyownexperienceandthoseofotherparentsI know,isthatthisseparationanxietyisatemporarything.There willcomeadaytheyruninwithoutevenakissgoodbye.’

WHAT’SON Out&About

AckersAdventure, Birmingham

Opendaily Activitiesincludearchery, climbing,orienteering,zipwire andmore. ackers-adventure.co.uk

AdventureMiniGolf,StarCity Opendaily Twofamily-friendlybrilliantly themed18-hole‘crazy’golf courses. adventureminigolf.co.uk

BaddesleyClinton,Solihull Opendaily Explorethegreatoutdoorsat Baddesley,creatingmemories tolastalifetime. nationaltrust.org.uk /baddesley-clinton

BarberInstituteofFineArt, Birmingham OpenTuestoSun SeeBarber’scollection throughdifferentthemeswith funfamily-friendlyactivities. barber.org.uk

BirminghamBotanical Gardens

Opendaily HireaFamilyBackpackand visittheplants,birdsandminibeasts. birminghambotanicalgardens .org.uk

BirminghamWildlife ConservationPark Opendaily

Hometoauniquecollectionof animalsfromacrosstheworld. birmingham.gov.uk /conservationpark

BurntwoodAlpaca&Animal Experience

Openterm-timeThurs–Sun, opendailyschoolholidays VIPanimalexperiences,and handleandfeedsomefurry friends. burntwoodalpacas.co.uk

CastleBromwichHall Gardens

Openmostoftheyear: Weds–Sun Aplacetoconnectwithnature onafamilyadventure. castlebromwichhallgardens .org.uk

CoventryTransportMuseum Opendaily GetinvolvedintheFamily ProgrammearoundScience, Technology,Engineeringand Maths. transport-museum.com

DraytonManorZoo,nr Tamworth OpenThur-Mon 500animalsfromaroundthe worldtosee,including endangeredspecies. draytonmanor.co.uk

DudleyCanal&Caverns Seewebsiteforopeninghours Boattripsonofferforall interestsandages,including toddlerboats. dudleycanaltrust.org.uk

DudleyZooandCastle Opendaily Hundredsofexoticanimals and11thcenturycastleruins. dudleyzoo.org.uk

HattonAdventureWorld, Warwick 18-26Feb

Staywarmanddrywith Hatton’shalftermindoor activities. adventure.hattonworld.com

HoleFarmTrekkingCentre, Birmingham Bookingrequired Hacks,ridinglessonsandpony morningsintheschool holidays. holefarmridingcentre.com

InflataNationBirmingham Seewebsiteforopeninghours Inflatableactivitiesincluding dropslide,climbingwalland under-4sarena. inflatanation.com

LapworthMuseumof Geology,Edgbaston

Opendaily

Familyactivities,educational talks,toursandarts&crafts activities. birmingham.ac.uk/facilities /lapworth-museum LaserQuest,nrSolihull Opendaily Theultimatesci-fiaction adventureforall.Age7+ lqbirmingham.co.uk

LegolandDiscoveryCentre, Birmingham Opendaily Activitiesincludeplaysessions, Legoplayground,creative workshopsandmore. legolanddiscoverycentre.co m/birmingham

MartineauGardens, Edgbaston,Birmingham OpenMon-Sat Naturetrail,wildflower meadows,birdhide,ponds, andbeehives. martineau-gardens.org.uk

PackwoodHouseNT,Solihull Opendaily Theperfectplaceforafamily dayoutwhatevertheweather. nationaltrust.org.uk /packwood-house

RushUK,Stirchley Opendaily Trampolineparkwithover 35,000sqftofexciting activitiesforallages. rushuk.com

SandwellMuseumService Openinghoursonwebsite Arangeofdifferentsites acrossSandwell.Mostlyfreeto visit.Activitiesonoffer. sandwell.gov.uk/museums

SealifeCentre,Birmingham Opendaily VisittheAquariumZonesand seethemanymarvellous creatures. visitsealife.com/Birmingham

SellyManorMuseum, Bournville

OpenTues-Fri Learnthefascinatinghistoryof SellyManor.Familyactivities available. sellymanormuseum.org.uk

ShakespeareExpress Sun12Feb Relivetheromanceofthe steamtrainerawitha Valentinestrip. vintagetrains.co.uk

TamworthCastle OpenTues–Sun(from1stFeb) Historybroughttolifewith activitiesforthefamily. tamworthcastle.co.uk

ThinkTank,Birmingham ScienceMuseum OpenWeds–Sun Award-winningscience museumforfun,interactive

learningexperiences. birminghammuseums.org.uk /thinktank

WestMidlandsSafariPark, Bewdley Seewebsiteforopeninghours Safaridrive-through,adventure themepark,discoverytrailand more. wmsp.co.uk

WHAT’SON Entertainment

BirminghamHippodrome Theatre

Motionhouse:Starchitects, 3-4Feb MatthewBourne:Sleeping Beauty, 7–11Feb birminghamhippodrome.com

BirminghamRepertory Theatre

TortoiseandtheHare, 23–25Feb birmingham-rep.co.uk

TheCoreTheatre,Solihull Vinland, Sat11Feb Pinocchio, Fri24Feb TheRailwayChildren(film), Sat25Feb thecoretheatresolihull.co.uk

CrescentTheatre, Birmingham Cinderella, 13–15Jan crescent-theatre.co.uk

TheDovehouseTheatre, Solihull Cinderella, 20–22Jan dovehousetheatre.co.uk

LichfieldGarrickTheatre FiremanSamLive!, Tue21Feb lichfieldgarrick.com

MidlandsArtsCentre, Birmingham OldSkoolFamilyDisco, Sun19Feb TheBubbleShow, Tues21Feb WiFiWars, Sat25Feb macbirmingham.co.uk

ResortsWorldArena, Birmingham BirminghamInternational Tattoo, 11-12Feb resortsworldarena.co.uk

SuttonColdfieldTownHall Rapunzel&theRascalPrince, 6–31Dec suttoncoldfieldtownhall.com

SymphonyHall:Jennifer BlackwellPerformance Space,Birmingham FamilyJam, 18Feb&4Mar bmusic.co.uk

TownHall,Birmingham HeyDuggeeLive, 10-12Apr bmusic.co.uk

UtilitaArena,Birmingham StrictlyComeDancingLive Tour, 20–22Jan utilitaarenabham.co.uk

Alleventsaresubjecttochangesocheck onlinebeforevisiting.Pre-bookingoften necessary.

EdgbastonTuitionCentre|360MoseleyRoad,Birmingham,B129AZ Tel:01214559211|Email:edgbastontuitioncentre@gmail.com Facebook:/EdgbastonTuitionCentre|www.edgbastontuition.com