Families North London issue 100 Jan - Feb 2013 by Families Magazine

Issue 100 Jan/Feb 2013

www.familiesnorth.co.uk

North London

Health and Happiness issue

Annabel Karmel Recipes Dyslexia Nursery and Childcare Family Finance Sleep Training Out and About

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Contents

This Issue 16 Separation and Divorce

Issue 100 | Jan/Feb 2013 | Families North London

20 Nursery and Childcare 23 Child Benefit Changes 24 Education

Families North London Ltd cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken, details are subject to change and Families North London take no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any material. All rights reserved.

24 Jolly Phonics 25 New Year New Academy

26 Nutrition 26 Annabel Karmel 29 Secrets of happy eating

30 Travel 32 Life Training 34 Special Needs:

34 Dyslexia 35 Newlife Foundation

36 Gardening 37 Baby Massage 38 Sleep Training

Regular Features 4 6

News Health and Happiness 6 The Wonder Weeks 8 Breastfeeding 10 Bikram Yoga 11 Personal Training 12 New Year’s Resolutions 14 Sickness at School 15 The Royal Free Hospital

40 Ed’s Reading Room 41 Out and About Families North London Magazine 120 Brent Street, Hendon NW4 2DT For all advertising enquiries contact Tel 020 8202 2034 / editor@familiesnorth.co.uk Web manager: melanie@familiesnorth.co.uk Listings: Contact Kathy Brown on listings@familiesnorth.co.uk Next Issue: Spring Issue Focusing on: Pregnancy and Childbirth

Welcome Welcome to our New Year Health and Happiness issue. This month’s magazine is filled to bursting with great features and competitions to get 2013 off to a flying start. We welcome several new contributory writers to our pages and hope their advice and expertise inspires and enriches you. Families North wishes you all a happy, healthy and successful 2013. Sharon Editor

Free Drama Class Watch your child’s self-esteem soar with Perform’s unique drama, dance and singing classes. Our weekly workshops will do wonders for their social, linguistic and physical development as well as being the best fun they’ll have all week.

perform.org.uk www.familiesnorth.co.uk

Classes for 4 –12 year o ld perform.org s .uk

0845 400 1274 3

news

who why where

News COLOURSTRINGS – FOR LONGTERM MUSICAL SUCCESS! Since 1995 North London Colourstrings (NLCC) has been helping babies to teenagers develop long-term musical skills. An intelligent early foundation (from 6 months) means lasting success later on

Got some news for us? If you are a North London based group or organisation whose services or products are for families of young children, we’d love to hear from you. Send press releases and pictures to: editor@familiesnorth.co.uk

when tackling an instrument, along with attention to excellent technique. ‘Children learn how to listen and how to manipulate the building blocks of music for themselves,’ says Deborah Harris, Principal. ‘If children start under three, the benefits are greatly increased. There are no quick-fixes to building something of lasting value, especially for a young child.’ Colourstrings allows acquisition of ‘inner hearing’ – the ability to hear internally a tune that is written down and to write down a tune that is heard. Games, songs and dances develop pitch, pulse/rhythm, dynamics, character and form – all part of the weekly classes.‘ Our child-centred approach domesticates the music to the child and gives them many complex skills for a real head start,’ says Deborah. Call the NLCC for a trial on 020 8444 9435 or visit www.nlcolourstrings.co.uk. Entry to instrumental programme only from the kindergarten.

FLEXIBLE WORKING: THE HOLY GRAIL FOR MUMS! By John Bolton If you are looking for flexible working opportunities in the pre-school education market, the Music and Dance Academy, better known as MAD Academy is looking to expand into Greater London! Already established in the home counties, MAD Academy provides high energy music and dance classes for pre-schoolers, which encourage them to enjoy music and dance in a relaxed and free-spirited way, combined with carefully structured learning. To find out more about the many benefits of joining the MAD Academy team go to www.madacademy.com

Rugbytots, the UK’s first rugby based play classes are commencing in Muswell Hill and Crouch End in the New Year, with further classes throughout North London to follow soon. Rugbytots offers classes to boys and girls in different age groups across the 2 – 7 year old range. Children not only enjoy the benefits of physical activity, but are gently introduced to rugby and rugby specific skills (running with the ball, finding space, kicking, catching, scoring a try and much more) in a safe, inclusive and, most importantly, fun environment. All classes are held indoors throughout the winter. With classes due to commence in Crouch End (Saturday mornings) and in Muswell Hill (Sunday mornings) in early January 2013 and with new classes to follow throughout the North London area, there will soon be a class near you. For more information you can contact Keith Miskelly on keith@rugbytots. co.uk or by calling him on 0845 313 6703.

New Opportunity for the New Year

CHATTERBOX CHALLENGE Chatterbox Challenge Week is the 1st-8th March 2013 and children’s communication charity I CAN is inviting thousands of little chatterboxes to take part in the annual event for nurseries, pre-schools, childminders and community groups. The 2013 Chatterbox Challenge Mad

RUGBYTOTS HAS FINALLY ARRIVED IN NORTH LONDON

Chatters Tea Party with Humf asks groups to sponsor tea parties where children can join in with popular songs and rhymes to develop their communication skills in a simple and enjoyable way. Groups can register now for their free fundraising pack at www.chatterboxchallenge.org.uk

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news

Families North Love!!

encouraging all areas of the community to take part in creating and enjoying storytelling, this most ancient of communicative arts. National Storytelling week has an audience of around 17,000 people, so get involved in workshops, performances and events across the country. www.sfs.org.uk/national-storytelling-week

COOKIE CRUMBLES Cookie Crumbles was founded in the early nineties offering children’s cooking parties and classes by mother of two Carola Weymouth. Her belief is that children should be encouraged to develop a better understanding of food and nutrition by actively getting involved in the kitchen. She believes that children become better eaters, develop their motoric skills and best of all have great fun cooking and baking. That’s why we’ve developed baking mixes as natural as possible on the principles of great nutrition for all the family. Our products are bursting with fantastic ingredients like wholegrain, seeds and dried fruit, essential to your daily diet. There’s a lot happening at Cookie Crumbles in the new year. We’re just launching our first range of healthy baking mixes for children and the products have a truly home baked taste. The range comprises a morish ‘Awesome wholesome Brownie Mix’, an utterly delicious ‘Vanilla and Blueberry Muffin Mix’, a seriously addictive ‘Sunny Sunflower Cookie Mix’ as well as a yummy ‘Granola Energy Bar’. All mixes are super easy to make and contain all natural ingredients as well as wholemeal flour and are hand packed in the U.K. Prices start from £4.99 and the mixes are currently available from Cookie Crumbles at www.cookiecrumbles.co.uk as well as selected delis. Call 020 8876 9912 for stockists.

NATIONAL STORYTELLING WEEK Storytelling can be found enriching lives everywhere: from nurseries and schools to support groups and theatrical performances. The 13th Annual National Storytelling Week takes place 26th January – 2nd February 2013,

ON YOUR BIKE! SIMPLE PROMISES Families North love the launch of the family orientated ‘Simple Promises’ campaign by Dettol supporting Save the Children. Dettol is asking the public to make a simple promise to their family to keep them happy and healthy. Promises can be anything from getting outdoors with your children more often, to setting one night a week aside to sit down for a family meal together. With every promise made via the Simple Promises Facebook page, Dettol will donate 20p to Save the Children, with funds raised helping the poorest families in the UK and abroad. To further show their support for UK family time, Dettol will reward one promise maker a week with a prize to help them fulfil their promise. Start making your promises today by going to Dettol’s Mission for Health facebook page.

NEW SPANISH NURSERY IN NW5 The Spanish Nursery will have places for children aged from 2 to 4 years old and an Out of School Hours Programme (after school) for school-aged children up to 8 years old. Classes in Spanish Grammar, Music, Art and Manners will be open to children in the community. The Centre will be open from 8.30am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday and will also offer holiday and half term programs. Ingestre Road Community Centre is just

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Little Wonders A lovely new class can be found at Little Wonders where a book provides the framework for each session. The sessions are led by Sarah Creek, an experienced early Years Teacher and mother of two. It is the first group of its kind to offer an enriched learning environment focusing on the prime areas of learning: personal, social and emotional development, communication and language and physical development. For further information call Sarah on 07930 345181 or Emma on 07710 774531. Email: littlewondersuk@gmail.com

The London Bike Show (UK’s largest bike exhibition) – returns to ExCeL London from 17th-20th January, 2013, along with the Outdoors Show and Active Travel Show. It’s a fantastic day out for all ages and bike, sport, travel, outside enthusiasts and there’s something for all the family too. It’s set to be even more of a hit this time around not only because of the Team GB success at London 2012 but also due to some great National Geographic Kids activity. What’s more buying a ticket to one show allows entrance to all three shows (and under 15s go for free!). For a chance to win a family ticket to the bike show go to www.familiesnorth. co.uk. Good luck!

minutes from Tufnell Park and Gospel Oak stations making it a very good location for commuters into the City. Parents can read about the curriculum, norms of operation and/or express an interest in a place for their children by visiting the Centre’s website at www. thespanishnursery.com. Centre address: Ingestre Road Community Centre, Ingestre Road, LondonNW5 1UX Tel: +44 (0)207 482 3622

health

The Wonder Weeks By Dr. Frans Plooij PhD

We use our hands throughout the day. Actually, we can see our hands as a tool that we learn to use better each day. When your baby is born he doesn’t know and realise that he’s got hands and yet just a couple of years later he makes the most beautiful drawings with it. Here we explain the development of the hands throughout the early years 2 MONTHS: HEY! A HAND! When your baby makes the leap at 8 weeks (after the due date), he discovers his hands and feet. He looks at those ‘things’ attached to his body and you can see how fascinated he is by these ‘things’. He finds it very interesting. Not only his hands and feet, but also your hands are very interesting to him. Some babies may already have the ability to hold a little toy in their hand(s). He will need your help with that of course. 3 MONTHS: THE BEGINNING OF GRABBING When your baby made the leap at 12 weeks (after the due date), he is able to grab something if you get his attention, hold it in the right position in front of him. To fully and properly grab something, he must first make the next leap! Always help your baby with learning how to ‘grab’ something. Hand him something which is not too difficult but also not too easy to grab. And if he succeeds, you must shower him with praise! 4½ MONTHS: WILD GRABBING? Many babies don’t have mastered the grabbing to the maximum yet, but they are really getting the hang of it. They are rummaging around at every object around them. Many mothers have had enough of this and start by saying ‘No, don’t!’ when the baby is rummaging around. Sometimes that works! Always remember that ‘wild’ has nothing to do with wild behaviour later in life. The ‘wild’ grabbing is just a way for your baby to discover the world as he is unable to grab things very precisely. 6 MONTHS: OWN REAL THINGS Your baby mastered the grabbing part and the ‘doing something with my hands’ part really well. He can open and close a book and uses his hands to rediscover his passion of ‘in’, ‘on’, ‘under’ and ‘atop of’. Because he has made the leap of Relationships he is now very interested in spaces between objects and in the relative distances between objects. He uses his

The development of your little one’s hands

hands to put objects on top of other objects, next to other objects, in to other objects, between other object etc. He now uses his hands actually with the same purpose as you do: to do something with them. His hands now have a real function. 11 MONTHS: FROM FUN TO DANGER! When your baby is 11 months old and made the leap of ‘Sequences’, he will be particularly interested in singing and movement games. Nursery rhymes like ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’ will therefore definitely give a lot of fun! But your baby can’t only have fun with his hands, he may also encounter danger! He is curious about everything around him and is getting more mobile every day. Also, he doesn’t understand the dangers and risks yet. He grabs everything, but does not know what the consequences are. For now, socket protectors will protect his little fingers! 1½ YEARS: NO MORE SPILLING AND BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK Around this age, let your baby ‘make’ and ‘do’ more to practice his hand movements. You will find that he is really able to take a bite and drink out of his cup without spilling. Now he can also turn the pages in a book by himself. Your little one enjoys making a beautiful drawing. Give him some markers and paint brushes. Choose to buy markers that are made specifically for children because they are slightly thicker than normal. These he can easily hold and are washable if he accidentally draws on his clothes. 2 YEARS: THE SMALL HAND MUSCLES AND BIG TOWERS Your baby is busy practicing his small hand muscles. Building blocks such as Lego encourage him in this because with Lego you must place the blocks right on top of each other and then press to make them fit. Especially in the latter he exercises his smaller hand muscles. He also masters the skills of his gross motor skills much better now. With a little practice he can build a tower up to eight blocks. However, he will mostly (still) enjoy the block falling down and of course the tons of compliments you will give him when he is building.

Compliments really are food for his self-confidence! 3 YEARS: KNOTS AND CUT! Your child uses his hands more and more like we do and uses them for the same things that we do. With a little practice he can even button and unbutton his own clothes. Always encourage him to do as much as possible by himself. Hereby his confidence will grow! He now makes a huge leap in his hand muscle/brain development. Give him a pair of scissors and let him cut things. This is not only fun to do, but stimulates the hand muscle/ brain development even further. LEFT OR RIGHT HANDED? People used to think that it was better to be right-handed than left-handed. Therefore, at school writing with the right hand was mandatory. Fortunately today we know better. As a parent you can not influence the dominant hand of your little one. In fact, if you force a left-handed child to be right-handed you increase the chance of stuttering and psychological problems. The chances that your little one will be left-handed is increased in triplicate if you and your partner are both left-handed. You will also notice that your baby at a young age, will often switch between his left and right hand. Sometimes he seems to be left-handed, sometimes righthanded. At some point you will notice that your child has a preferred hand. And that hand will continue to be his preferred hand throughout his life. Dr. Frans Plooij PhD is a leading expert on infant mental development and the author of the bestseller The Wonder Weeks. The Wonder Weeks describes your baby’s mental development and help him turn his 10 predictable, great, fussy phases into magical leaps forward. It describes in easy-to-understand terms the incredible developmental changes and regression periods that all babies go through during the first 20 months of their lives. The Wonder Weeks is available online in hard copy as well as in eBook. www.thewonderweeks.com

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health and happiness

How does breastfeeding induce health and happiness? By Geraldine Miskin

Breastfeeding your little one is the nicest way to boost your and your baby’s health and immunity, whilst providing nutritionally balanced meals at every stage of your baby’s development. It can also leave you both feeling happy and content, which fosters a strong and loving bond between you and baby. Here are some ways you will both benefit: Enjoy the effect of ‘happy hormones’ released during the feed Not only does your amazing milk provide everything baby needs nutritionally, it also provides your little one with lovely uninterrupted periods of skin to skin contact, wrapped in the arms of the person who means the world to him or her. This close contact encourages the release of endorphins which leads to both you and baby feeling happy and in love with each other. The oxytocin hormone responsible for milk let-downs, also helps both you and baby to feel relaxed and happy, often resulting in a milk drunk baby and a calmer happier you. Get a chance to put your feet up Breastfeeding also provides opportunities to create relaxing, calm and quiet ‘mum and baby’ times during the day when you can shut a door to the world, turn off your phone and enjoy your baby. This is nature’s way of ensuring that you have frequent periods of rest during the day so that you feel refreshed and able to get on with your daily activities. Be the perfect cook There is nothing like breast milk on the market because every mum produces milk specifically tailored to her baby’s needs. Without even knowing it, you are producing perfect custom made meals

for your little one. Did you know that your milk is so perfectly tailored to your baby’s body there is only a small amount of waste, which is why your baby’s poops are runny and fluid. Protect and support your baby’s immune system Your breast milk contains antibodies that your immune system has built up over time, in order to fight and kill infections. As your baby’s immune system is very new and immature, he needs to get these from you, so that he can begin to fight infections himself. Your breast milk will help protect him from many childhood illnesses such colds, ear infections, chest infections and tummy bugs too. Did you know that your body begins producing antibodies to new infections as soon as you and baby are exposed to them? This allows your body to quickly create the right solution to help your baby fight the infection and can often be within a couple of hours of exposure. Support your baby’s digestive system As your breast milk paints a protective lining on your baby’s gut wall, you can be sure that baby is less at risk of developing conditions such as eczema, asthma and other allergies or sensitivities. This is why breastfeeding is particularly recommended in families where sensitivities and allergies are present. Invest in your baby’s future Studies have shown that some of the benefits of breastfeeding extend for many

years, long after the baby has weaned from the breast. The time you spend breastfeeding in the early days and weeks will continue to protect your baby from diseases such as gastroenteritis, ear infections, respiratory infections for years. Take care of yourself Breastfeeding is not only beneficial for baby though, it can reduce the chance of you developing serious illnesses later on in life too. Mums who are able to breastfeed for longer periods will be less at risk of developing certain breast cancers, ovarian cancers or suffer from brittle bones later on in life. It will also reduce the amount of time you need to spend at doctors surgeries when you would much rather be meeting up with friends, enjoying fresh air or even a spot of shopping. Give breastfeeding a chance. You will feel a real sense of achievement as you see your little one grow bigger and rounder and happier, happy knowing that you have provided everything baby needed along the way.

Studies have shown that some of the benefits of breastfeeding extend for many years, long after the baby has weaned from the breast. Geraldine Miskin Founder of The Miskin Method and Breastfeeding Experience app. If you wish to contact me in the future please do on: M: 07934 823 321 E: geraldine@breastfeedingexperience.com W: www.breastfeedingexperience.com

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CHILDCARE FROM

THE NEW AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE OPTION FOR PARENTS DURING THE HOLIDAYS

Ever wanted to run your own business...

…but felt unsure how to get started? MAD Academy has been providing music and dance classes for preschool children since 2004. However, there are some key locations where children do not currently have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of our high energy, yet educational classes. So we are looking for enthusiastic business minded people to join our team of franchisees to help us close the gaps. Experience with children and a love of music and dance is an advantage but a desire to build a flexible business based on term time working, is more important. For a no obligation chat and a presentation on what’s involved, come along to our next Open Day on 3rd March 2013 in London.

All attendees will receive a

£500 discount voucher PLUS free gift!

For details email franchise@madacademy.com or call Laura on 07732 322540 or 0118 926 1384

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health and happiness

What is Bikram Yoga? Bikram Yoga is a unique series of 26 Hatha Yoga postures and 2 breathing exercises performed in a heated room. The series of postures has been scientifically designed to work every part of the body in the correct order. Each pose prepares the body for the next pose, and the sequence maximises oxygenation and detoxification of the entire body. Strength and flexibility are worked together to create harmony in the body. This series is unsurpassed as a way of bringing vitality, health and an incredible sense of wellbeing. The heat facilitates stretching, prevents injury and promotes sweating which aids detoxification. Bikram Yoga classes are suitable for all levels (athletes to exercise virgins) and ages (from 8 to 80) as everyone just works to their own personal capacity. It is also great fun. You will laugh, sweat and groan, and do more for your mind, body and health than you ever imagined possible. The heated room eases muscles and joints, prevents injury and aids the healing of existing injuries, as well as promoting detoxification through sweating. Bikram Choudhury scientifically designed this 90 minute program to deliver total health through the balancing and strengthening of every system in the body in order to prevent illness, injury and the limiting effects of ageing. Bikram specifically tailored this series to systematically move fresh oxygenated blood to 100% of the body – to every

organ, bone, joint, muscle, ligament, tendon, tissue, fibre, blood vessel, nerve and gland. Each posture is followed by a brief relaxation during which the body can process the benefits of the preceding pose. There are 4 Bikram Studios in London run by Michele Pernetta who is the most experienced teacher in the UK. One of Bikram’s first teachers, Michele Pernetta began studying with Bikram Choudhury in LA in 1990. Under Bikram’s direct instruction for 4 years, she healed her injured knees and prevented knee surgery. When she moved to the UK from LA in 1994, it was Bikram who encouraged her to become a yoga teacher. She began teaching Bikram Yoga from her living room, and then from rented premises 3 nights a week after work (dragging the portable heaters around in her car). She opened the first Bikram studio in the UK in 1999. Michele is a Yoga Alliance Accredited Senior Yoga Teacher; a Certified Bikram Teacher, with 17 years’ Bikram Yoga teaching experience; a Certified Ashtanga Vinyasa Teacher; a Black Belt Martial Artist with 8 years’ experience in Hapkido and Tae Kwon Do; and an ITEC Certified Massage Therapist, giving her nearly 25 years’ experience in working with and understanding the body. Michele has been managing her popular yoga retreats abroad for ten years and has taught seminars on in-depth yoga technique both here and abroad. She has a keen interest in Alternative Medicine and has been practising meditation and spirituality since she was 18. She has also been a formal disciple of the Spiritual Master

Adi Da Samraj for 25 years. Michele is known for her humorous, relaxed teaching style, her no-nonsense approach to teaching and her love of working with people of all ages and body types, especially those with injuries or physical problems. ‘I find working with people’s physical and emotional difficulties so inspiring, challenging and interesting. People’s bravery, application, and patience always lifts my spirits and communicates to me the power yoga has to unleash the body’s own healing mechanisms. These people are my teachers, and through them I am continually learning about how the body works, what it needs, and how yoga can be used as a tool for healing’. Michele is the owner of 4 London studios: Bikram Yoga North, West, City and Primrose Hill. She teaches several times a week and can be found at all 4 centres. For further information and details of class times and studio addresses go to www.bikramyoga.co.uk

Bikram Yoga are offering one lucky reader the chance to win 10 free sessions at their North London classes. To enter please go to www. familiesnorth.co.uk/competitions. Good Luck!

Come and see our nurseries in Crouch End, West Hampstead, Finchley & Southgate

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health and happiness

Joan Steel – Personal Training Joan Steel is a fully qualified mobile personal trainer based in North London specialising in weight loss, body sculpting, postural correction, sport specific training and pre- and postnatal training. Having worked in corporate law in the past and being a mother herself, Joan understands very well how environment can affect your physical health and how important it is to get back into shape after baby. First hand experience has made it possible to be very much in touch with her clients and understanding their needs. Joan’s specialist training systems developed for the pregnant and post-natal female are guaranteed to get you back into shape and looked after. During pregnancy the body goes through many changes and challenges and it is important to maintain a healthy level of fitness throughout. Whether you are trying to fall pregnant, or at any stage of your pregnancy, Joan can

provide you with a tailored-to-you program. Each trimester is dealt with carefully combining light exercises in the cautious first trimester, training throughout the more energetic second trimester, and focusing on relaxation in the third trimester in preparation for the birth. Having a baby can leave one very exhausted, worn out, emotional and not feeling too good about oneself. With Joan’s expert knowledge and empathy expectant, new mothers and women who have been mothers for years are sure to get the specialist care they deserve. Training with Joan has no limitations. You will always find her sessions exciting, fresh and challenging. Each session is carefully tailored to each and every individual and guaranteed to be fun and rewarding, ensuring you walk away satisfied and hungry for more. You are guaranteed results on a physical level, but also mentally feeling better and more focused. Joan always encourages her clients to engage in the process of becoming fitter and stronger, resulting in a lifestyle change indefinitely. Changing your lifestyle is a decision and a commitment to invest in a healthier, stronger and fitter you. For further information, visit www.joansteel.co.uk.

Competition! Kick-start your New Year’s fitness resolutions by winning five personal training sessions with Joan. To be in with a chance, just answer the following; Name three of the disciplines that Joan specialises in. To enter go to www.familiesnorth.co.uk/ competitions. Good Luck!

To advertise in Families North Magazine please call us on 0208 202 2034

LOOKING AFTER YOU WHILE YOU LOOK AFTER BABY

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T R A I N I N G

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Invest in a healthier, stronger and ﬁtter you with Joan Steel Personal Training. To learn more, visit:

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ED TE ! AN LTS AR SU GU RE

The results are mind blowing! 10 months after having my ﬁrst baby, I have now lost 5 stone and I am ﬁtting into my pre-pregnancy clothes.’

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health and happiness

Remove the roadblocks and achieve those New Year’s resolutions

HEALTH & HAPPINESS

By Lyndon Littlefair

Yes, it’s that time of the year again. It is January! Christmas is over, all of the silly season parties are finished, and yes those New Year’s resolutions that seemed so good at 2am in the morning on 1st January have to start now. If you are like most people, the reality is always the hardest thing to put into practice. Of course then there are all the excuses. And believe me, in 20 years working in this industry, I have heard some great ones. • No Time. This is always the classic. The thing is, there is always time you just have to look at how much time you do have available and then break down what you need to do. For example, try breaking your workout down into 10 minutes per day. Choose two or three exercises per day and make up three different mini programmes. If you did this six days per week, then you have done the programme twice each week. I’m sure that you could find 10 minutes a day. • No Motivation. If this is the case, then sit down and be honest with yourself. How much do you want to achieve your goals? Is the desire for change bigger than the current situation. Be honest with yourself and write down

why you want to achieve your specific goals. Then start! The hardest thing about starting any is that first step. But you can do it!

with yourself and say ‘this is my time to exercise’ and just work around everything else. Otherwise you will never find the time.

• None of my friends exercise. Then start to surround yourself with likeminded people who do. Join a running club. Do an exercise class. Dare to be different and work out why you want to achieve your goals.

• I will ‘try’ to start next week. There is an old saying ‘there is no trying just doing’. Actually Yoda says this one. But it is true. Don’t just try to do something next week. Put a date in the diary and ‘just do it’ as Nike says.

• I don’t know where to start. The thing is, you wouldn’t try to fix your car yourself if it broke down. Or take apart your computer if you didn’t have the skills. Find someone who is an expert to help you. Look at the skills that you would need to help you along your way and seek out and find someone with those specific skills.

Now if you are reading this and any of these sound familiar, then you are not alone. Many people make New Year resolutions, especially after one too many. Don’t be one of these people. Make and plan, stick to it and this time next year you can pat yourself on the back and say well done.

• Work always gets in my way. Then prioritise your goals. No, I’m not saying quit work, but learn to say no when the boss wants everything finished yesterday. Also, be strict

Lyndon Littlefair runs a home personal training company. Contact him on 07957 152245 or homept@ londonwellness.co.uk

1 Holders Hill Parade, Holders Hill Road, London NW7 1LZ We are directly opposite Hendon crematorium, free parking on street. Bus 240 stops outside.

Quality private practice – we offer longer appointment times within a calm and secure environment. All are welcome and children are seen by our Principal, Dr. Mehta, who has a Masters degree in paediatric dentistry. We can deliver most treatments, including cosmetic, implant and endodontic, in-house. Excellent location as just off the M1, A1 and very close to the A406.

Tel: 020 8346 7747 Email: jwdp@smilematters.co.uk 12

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competition

Competition! FANTASIA: LIVE IN CONCERT RETURNS TO THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL Following 2012’s hugely successful and popular shows and described as ‘a magical treat for the eyes and the ears’, Disney’s Fantasia: Live in Concert returns to the Royal Albert Hall for the whole family to enjoy on Saturday 16th November 2013 due to phenomenal demand and with some brand new content! Disney shares one of its crown jewels of feature animation showcasing selections from Walt Disney’s original 1940 Fantasia and Disney’s Fantasia 2000 featuring a

selection of the magnificent repertoire from both films including Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite and, performed and screened simultaneously for the first time in the UK, Ponchielli’s Dance of the Hours, the great ballet of hippos, elephants, ostriches, and alligators. Other iconic moments from Disney’s stunning footage, such as Mickey Mouse as he dabbles in magic in Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and the mythical unicorns and winged horses that accompany Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony, will also be shown in HD on the big screen. With live underscore by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, and conducted by Ludwig Wicki, this is another chance to relive this timeless classic for a unique cinematic experience in the majestic setting of the Royal Albert Hall.

For further information and to book tickets call 020 7589 8212 or visit www. royalalberthall.com Families North have one family ticket to win for the 7pm performance. To enter please go to www.familiesnorth.co.uk/ competitions. Good luck!

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health and happiness

Sickness at school By Jaderberg Krais

We often hear about how illness affects adult productivity in the workforce but we very rarely see statistics about the impact of illness on learning. How should we as parents handle our children’s illnesses and what role should schools play? If your child has a medical reason for missing schools regularly, you can expect the school to make provision and help you. Arrange a meeting with the Head to discuss the situation and your concerns about your daughter missing too much school and work. Ask the Head to explain what school can do to help – perhaps send home additional work with notes for you to help your child if necessary? What else would they recommend? It depends if your child is in primary or secondary school, as often work is posted on the school’s website, intranet or emailed to students. You need to find out what is possible and work from there. Doing nothing is not an option, most schools will help but be prepared to take the initiative and manage the situation. Your Headteacher may be able to recommend a good local tutor to work with your daughter on a regular or periodic basis, to help with areas of concern as needed; this is effective, though may be costly. A common dilemma is encouraging your child to go to school when others in the class, who appear to be less ill, are taking time off – sometimes for only Drama

Street Dance

sneezing! This is always difficult, you can try explaining that in your house, ‘we only stay off school when...’ and set your rules, that should be coupled with the suggestion that we don’t compare children and illness because everyone’s different and we don’t know the reasons why someone is off school who may not seem very ill. Your child should be encouraged to focus on himself and not compare himself with others. Go on to say that it is never good to miss school for the slightest health problem, however we don’t know other people’s circumstances and we shouldn’t judge them without the facts. It is really important that parents take a measured view of when to keep their child away from school, to avoid all unnecessary absences – trying to keep dentist and doctor appointments out of school time, for example. Children vary hugely in their reactions to feeling ill but most clearly respond to positive parental expectation or over anxiety. Schools do not want children in school who are infectious or contagious beyond a cold; those with vomiting and diarrhoea should stay off school for 48 hours after symptoms stop. However, parents should encourage children to cope with every day illness and not be absent, or at least be absent for the least possible time – for minor problems. Children are not the only people to get sick at school. What about the teachers? Whilst there is no ‘good’ time for teachers to be ill, sometimes are worse than others... particularly when children’s exams are looming! What should you do if your child’s teacher has just become sick and they have exams in the next few days/weeks? I suggest you make an appointment

to see the Headteacher to express your concerns and ask the Head what the school’s plans are should the illness continue and what you can do to help your child. Ask if there’s any chance that the school could try and organise some continuity of supply teachers so the children aren’t having a different teacher each time, possibly a teacher already in the school who could cover. Schools try very hard to communicate fully with parents when teachers are absent, particularly at key times or at times when parents are most anxious. Schools do think carefully and have the progress and well being of the children uppermost when making any interim arrangements. As a local Head pointed out recently, ‘It constantly surprises me that some parents think we don’t!’. There isn’t a lot more a school can do in this situation other than provide a suitably qualified teacher to cover the class and try and provide continuity if possible, however you can help by doing supplementary work at home – buying additional workbooks for home practice and to help with any areas of weakness. These are readily available online and in leading bookstores.

Schools do not want children in school who are infectious or contagious beyond a cold.

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health and happiness

The Royal Free Hospital The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest acute teaching trusts in London. It is one of only a few across the country rated excellent for the quality of its services by the Care Quality Commission – for the third year running. The Royal Free London is a founding member of UCL Partners – an academic health science partnership – a collaboration between five of Britain’s world-renowned medical research centres and hospitals. Its focus is on preventing and treating major diseases that affect populations in London, the UK and worldwide. As well as providing all branches of surgery and medicine, the Royal Free London is renowned for its highly specialised services; plastic surgery, ENT and paediatric gastroenterology. So children coming to the Royal Free benefit from the expertise of a number of different specialists.

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Why choose The Royal Free London Private Patients Children’s Services? The Royal Free London is currently the only trust in North London providing an on-site NHS paediatric consultant delivered service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We think that having a paediatric consultant resident on-site at all times makes for a safer and better service both on the NHS and privately. Designed with children in mind Hospitals can be daunting places for children and their families. Our newlydesigned and refurbished children’s clinic on the first floor provides a friendly environment to help put children at ease when they come to hospital. The clinic area has an impressive lifesize animal and natural world theme, turning a visit to hospital into a fun event, reducing anxiety and keeping children occupied. Whilst waiting to be seen, the children are given their own take home activity pack to keep them occupied and entertained. Royal Free London Private Paediatric Clinic A dedicated Private General Paediatric Outpatient Clinic is available every weekday from Monday to Friday from 5:30pm to 8:00pm.

We accept GP referrals and self referrals. Please contact our dedicated private patients referrals team via any of the methods listed below to book your child’s consultation today. Our consultants are able to see children with common childhood illnesses, e.g: • Troublesome cough • Diarrhea and vomiting • Viral illnesses • Wheezing /asthma • Constipation • Feeding difficulties • Unsettled baby • Allergies • Gastroesophageal reflux

WHERE TO FIND US? Royal Free London, Private Patients Unit, First Floor – (Arrival Registration at the Lyndhurst Rooms), Pond Street, London NW3 2QG Contact the RFL PPU Referrals Team to book an appointment: Direct Dial No: +44(0)2073177751 E-mail: rfh.privateenquiries@nhs.net Fax: 02078302089 www.royalfreeprivatepatients.com

legal

Was Christmas the last straw? Lizzie Iron of Oxfordshire Family Mediation says that Mediation offers a constructive way forward after family break-down.

We all know that Christmas can be devastating if life isn’t going too well – poverty and loneliness feel all the more acute when we think that everyone else is surrounded by loving families and seasonal good cheer. Yet for some families, that image of togetherness and jollity hides the pain of broken relationships. Getting through Christmas just postpones the day when they must face the difficult reality that divorce is on the cards. Between 30 and 40 per cent of marriages now end in divorce, and there are no accurate figures for how many unmarried couples split up, but demographics show that 25 per cent of families are headed by single parents, and figures suggest that up to 50 per cent of children in the UK may experience parental separation by the age of 16. Children are too often the innocent victims of family break-down, and the impact of separation can affect the rest of their lives. Research suggests some frightening statistics, such as: children who have experienced family breakdown are 75% more likely to fail at school, 70% more likely to have problems with drug abuse and 50% more likely to have alcohol problems. Other studies show, however, that the most detrimental element of separation is not separation itself, but conflict. The way separation is

LEGAL AID CUTS FOR DIVORCE, COHABITEES & CHILDREN MATTERS ARE JUST ROUND THE CORNER The introduction of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 which comes into force on the 1st April 2013 means the end of legal aid for all divorce and children cases relating to Residence, Contact, Prohibited Steps Orders and Specific Issues that may arise in respect of children. Legal aid will also cease for financial cases relating to matrimonial assets and assets owned by cohabitees. Legal aid will continue on these types of

handled is therefore critical in finding a positive way forward after break-down. This is where mediation can really help: mediated solutions are usually quicker, cheaper and last longer than orders imposed by the Courts – simply because couples agree the solutions together. The aim of mediation is to find practical solutions to the problems of separation: how to split the money; what to do about the house; and how to provide for the children. Even if expartners are angry and hurt, a skilled mediator will help them communicate constructively, so they can discuss their needs and wants, and explore a range of solutions, eventually leading to a mutual agreement, which can be turned into a legal document by a solicitor. It is still a common instinct to turn to a lawyer from the outset, but the traditional route of lawyers fighting things out is much more likely to escalate the conflict between partners, and increase the costs. Many more lawyers now work in collaboration with mediators in the interests of achieving the best outcomes for the family as a whole. Judges in a family court will give the highest priority to any children in the family, and will frequently advise couples to explore mediation. In fact, it is now compulsory for at least one partner to have been to a ‘MIAM’ – a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting – before they can bring a case to court. Mediation is strongly encouraged by the Government and the Courts system and if a client is eligible for legal aid, mediation will be provided free of charge. You will be

cases if the person is a victim of ‘domestic abuse’ The definition for ‘domestic abuse’ has been widened to include emotional and psychological abuse, financial abuse, coercion or control. However for victims to fall within the exemption of the domestic violence, they will have to show a conviction or a caution or evidence either from a doctor, a health professional or domestic violence support organisation. However, there is a huge concern for those who do not fall within this exemption but have limited means. There will simply be no legal aid available to deal with applications in respect of

means-tested for eligibility at a MIAM, but you can go online to estimate whether you might be eligible for legal aid: http://legalaidcalculator.justice.gov.uk/ calculators/eligiCalc?execution=e2s1

Oxfordshire Family Mediation is a notfor-profit mediation service, and is a member of National Family Mediation (NFM). NFM is an umbrella body for not-for-profit services and has over 40 member services throughout the country, all with fully-accredited professional mediators. Go to the NFM website – www.nfm.org.uk – to discover more about the benefits of mediation, and to find your nearest Mediation service. Many of our services offer additional help, such as counselling, or childcentred services designed to help children and young people deal with the impact of family separation.

If you or someone you know is facing the devastation of divorce or separation, try mediation first, for a positive and constructive way forward, which could make all the difference for the future. NFM information: Phone: (0300) 4000 636 Fax: (01392) 271945 Email: enquiries@nfm.org.uk Opening Hours: Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm

children and financial applications after April 2013. We at Duncan Lewis have always maintained that legal services should be available to everyone in society. We are avid supporters of Legal Aid and proactively helped many clients. Our Family Department has 85 staff with most of them being accredited Panel members and spread over 7 sites across London. We have the expertise to help those considering or in the process of separation. We can offer speedy advice and if required secure legal aid before the 31st March 2013. You can contact us 24 hours on 020 7275 2010.

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legal

When the love is gone – how to tell the children By Soila Sindoyo MBPsSS

One of the hardest issues that will need to be addressed is that of telling the children.

Some questions to anticipate: 1 Why? 2. Do you not love mummy/daddy any more? 3. Where are we going to live? 4. Am I changing schools? 5. Will I still see daddy/mummy?

No matter how this is done it will carry some degree of hurt and confusion. Your job is to lessen the load and to make it as easy on them as possible. Depending on the age of the child, realise that this moment might be something that they will always remember – the time you told them that you, mummy and daddy, were going to live separately. It is therefore critical that the news is conveyed with caution and this is what we look at here. Here is what you will need to keep in mind and to have in place when and while you are breaking the news.

• Most importantly reassure them that it is not their fault in any way. Really make sure that they get this. Contrary to popular belief, not all children blame themselves but it does happen. You might have to revisit this with them again and again.

• Chose the right time. You know your children best so you will know when the right time is. However, before bed is not really a good idea as this means that they are left with their own thoughts through the night, not the best time to digest such news. You want them to be able to come to you through the day with any questions they may have. Of course they will still think about it when the lights are out and for a long time coming but let’s reduce the pain and stress as much as possible. • Tell them together wherever possible. This may sound obvious but I have heard of cases where one parent takes it upon him/herself to talk to the children without the knowledge of the other. If you cannot tell them together for whatever reason, do let the other parent know what, when and how you are intending to tell the children and as you tell the children, do let them know, from the start that their father/mother knows that you are talking to them. • Agree on what you will be telling them and how you will be saying it. As we all know, words carry a lot of power and prepare yourselves for questions.

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• Be honest. If it’s a trial separation then let them know, if it’s definitely going to end in a divorce then let them know that too. Do not, under any circumstances, give them false hope. It is not fair on them to have to relive the whole thing again, once they realise that you will not be getting back together ever again. Do not promise them ANYTHING. If you don’t have an answer then let them know. • Tell them when you are both calm and have the time to sit through any questions or concerns that they might have. Please don’t rush through it. • Tell them when you are somewhere safe, somewhere calm and preferably somewhere familiar to them. This way there are neither new nor noisy distractions. They can concentrate on what is going on here and now. Don’t make it a ‘special’ occasion i.e. take them to the cinema, get them whatever they want and then out to lunch in their favourite restaurant and break the news in there. They don’t need any associations with the news i.e. they don’t need to always see a Pizza Express or a Zizzi restaurant and ‘remember the time when…’ • This is one of the times that you will need to be totally present with your child. Watch them as you speak. Watch their body language and their facial expressions. They can tell you a lot about what is going on within them.

Are they fidgety, avoiding eye contact, fighting back tears, curled up? Sometimes these and other behaviours will give you a cue on when to reach out to them physically. ‘Come here Tom, you look like you could do with a hug right now.’ There are some children who might feel that they suddenly need to look after you – ‘Are you alright mummy/daddy?’ Don’t let them parent you – this could just be their way of avoiding hearing, processing and dealing with their own anxieties, fears and worries and displacing/ transferring them onto you. • Whatever you tell them make sure it’s age appropriate and use age appropriate words and language. Little ones might not understand a whole account of what is going on while teenagers may need more information. • Be prepared to have them come to speak with you at the most inconvenient time... yes, children have a way of finding the strangest time to want to discuss the most difficult things; when you’re running late for instance. Bear with them. The timing may not be the best for you but it is for your little one. Do not, under any circumstances, tell the children to keep what is happening at home to themselves. This is very heavy news for a child to carry. You have off-loaded onto them, they should be able to do it too, to whomever they chose. They need care, attention and support from you and others around as opposed to them looking after you and your secrets. Anyway divorce and separation is like pregnancy, you can only keep it a secret for so long.

Soila Sindiyo is a seasoned therapist who helps families and children get through the challenges of divorce. A twice-divorced parent, she deeply understands the challenges faced by families going through divorce.

www.soila.co.uk, email: soila@soila.co.uk 07850 85 60 66

legal Families North are delighted to welcome Deborah Jeff to our pages.

Shared parenting, postseparation: A subtle but powerful change in the Law Deborah Jeff, the Founding Partner and Head of Family at Seddons Solicitors in London gives her take on government plans to address problems in the process of where children should live after the separation of their parents..

Back in June, the government announced a consultation to change the law regarding the amount of time children spend with both parents post-separation... In recent history, many children have made their main home with their mother after their parents’ separation. This reflected society’s views that a woman’s place was at home raising the family whilst her husband (now ‘partner’) worked to financially support the family. After separation, these primary roles often remain largely unchanged save for mother’s often needing to work to support themselves and the children. But like any system, it was open to being abused. Mothers could use their role as ‘main carer’ to manipulate the children’s views of their father, and fathers could be sure of causing untold hurt to their children and inconvenience to their former wives and partners by changing plans to see the children or not showing up at all. Society’s views of which of the sexes should be homemaker or breadwinner are now very blurred. Anything goes. It’s now not unthinkable for a man to be a ‘house-husband’ whilst women are the major earner in the family. And family law is gradually catching up with those changing views. With more fathers than ever now being very ‘hands-on’ in their children’s upbringing when the couple are together, why should it be any different if the couple separates? In June, the government began a consultation, ‘... inviting views on the Government’s plans to introduce

legislation to reinforce the principle that most children benefit from the ongoing involvement of both parents after separation’. Respondents were asked to consider the potential of four different approaches to promote post-separation shared parenting, and sought views on the impact of this legislation. Overall, opinion was that a legal ‘presumption’ of shared parenting was the solution rather than a general ‘principle’ of shared parenting or ‘involvement’ of both parents. As a London divorce lawyer, I have been supportive of the presumption of shared parenting since this was raised in the consultation announcement. There have been concerns by some that it will lead to children’s welfare being impacted by the rights of parents ranking above the best interests of children but there is no foundation for such concern. The new law will explain that the purpose of the change is ‘... to reinforce the importance of children having an ongoing relationship with both parents after family separation, where that is safe (my emphasis), and in the child’s best interests’. The change in the law is so very subtle, and the general ‘checklist’ of factors the court must apply when deciding any issue regarding a child will remain the same. It is the starting point of a presumption of shared parenting that has a massive psychological impact on the parents; for the parent with whom the child spends greater time, it is a constant reminder that the other parent has an equal say in their upbringing. And for the parent with whom the child spends less time, it reassures them that their rights and responsibilities remain in place and are honoured. It will also address the bias that is felt by one parent towards the other in disputes regarding children.

There have also been concerns that the ‘shared parenting’ presumption will mean children spending equal time with both parents but this is another legal myth. Shared parenting can often mean two days a week with one parent and five with the other, but the description of this arrangement is where the advantage is to be found. Calling it ‘shared care’ is a constant reminder that these children are the product of both parents, not to be used to score points against an ex, not to be ‘claimed’ as belonging to one parent and not the other, and most definitely not to alienate the other parent. This change has been a long time coming. I believe it will mean fewer children disputes as parents recognise and accept the new presumption, or disputes settled quickly and with fewer costs. Time will tell... We now just await the date of when these legislative changes will be made.

Deborah is a keen legal commentator of high-profile divorces and marriages in the media and has specialised in Family Law throughout her career, with the majority of her work being complex financial disputes within divorce. She acts for clients from many different backgrounds, including those in the media and entertainment world and is known for handling the most intricate of financial disputes, often with offshore trust structures and difficult tax issues. http://www.seddons.co.uk

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nursery and childcare

Is a nursery right for your child (and you)? By Joanna Moorhead

Studies show, though, that attending nursery can increase a child’s confidence, because it involves mixing with adults, and other children, from outside the family group. It gives children social skills, and experience from an early age of an environment outside the home. The nursery ‘key worker’ scheme, under which each child is allocated a special member of staff with whom they can bond, helps provide security. Healthy food and menus are another big plus of nursery provision: staff work hard to ensure children are given a balanced diet. And as your child gets older, play and learning opportunities will be targeted appropriately: staff are trained in what young children can do when, and will be conscious of a child’s likely interests and potential. Nurseries work best for parents who have regular working hours, because it’s difficult or impossible for staff to deal

with erratic patterns of collection and drop-off: nurseries often open early in the morning and some close late in the evening, but they are not as flexible as, say, a nanny or a childminder. On the other hand, they have the big advantage that only very, very rarely will they be closed at short notice – so they’re more reliable than one carer who may be ill or have to cope with a sudden family emergency. They may be prohibitively expensive if you have more than one child, although many nurseries do offer a sibling reduction. But if you can fit around its opening hours, if your budget stretches to the fees, and if you like the idea of a social environment and a place with plenty of activities and trained carers, a nursery could be the place for your child and for you. HOW TO REDUCE NURSERY COSTS The government is currently considering cutting staff-to-child ratios in nurseries as a way of reducing what many see as unsustainable prices – but the move is controversial, and organisations such as the Preschool Learning Alliance is warning such a change could risk children’s safety and well-being. Under current regulations, there must be one staff member for every three undertwos, and one for every four children aged two and three. Most nurseries provide funded places for three to five year olds under the government free nursery education scheme. If your child is younger, check whether your employer can offer help towards your nursery costs through the childcare voucher scheme. Under this, money is taken out of your pay packet before deductions, giving you savings on tax and National Insurance – in return, you are given a voucher or e-voucher that you forward to your

nursery, and the amount is deducted from your bill. So it’s a way of getting more childcare for your money – though it requires your employer’s co-operation. HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT NURSERY Start your nursery search well ahead of the time when you’re actually going to need to leave your child: the more confident you are of the choices you make, the happier you’ll be when it comes to the day you have to head back to the office. Ask around so you get other parents’ views on what nurseries are like in your area. Make a shortlist of ones that might work for you (remember to take geography into account: how easy will it be for you and/or your partner to do the drop off/collect?) and don’t hesitate to ask to visit a second time. Make sure you read the most recent Ofsted inspection report for the nurseries you are considering, and ask whether they have any awards of excellence. Be guided by your instincts when looking at a nursery: it may seem a cliché to say do the children look happy, but it is an important barometer of whether a nursery is good. Be aware of the quality of both indoor and outdoor play areas: are the spaces pleasant, bright, welcoming, and do they seem safe? Ask about meals, how the food is prepared, and what time meals are served. Are you able to provide input for your child’s food – suggestions for what s/he would like to eat, or recipes? What kinds of snacks are provided and how often are they available? Watch the children while they’re playing, and pay attention to how much they’re interacting with the staff. How

If your child is younger, check whether your employer can offer help towards your nursery costs through the childcare voucher scheme. www.familiesnorth.co.uk

nursery and childcare Watch the children while they’re playing, and pay attention to how much they’re interacting with the staff. How do the staff come across – do they seem happy, relaxed, fun to be around? money and provide a better standard of living; to ensure you have an interesting life, and income, in the longer term) and how much your child will benefit from a wider social network.

do the staff come across – do they seem happy, relaxed, fun to be around? Do you feel comfortable talking to them? Do they seem interested in your child and his/her likes/dislikes and interests? Ask about organised play sessions – weekly music groups, perhaps, or storytelling. Are there trips to the library, and to the park? How are these organised, and how often do they take place? Make sure you understand what the nursery charges, how payment is made, and exactly what the fees include (for example, do they cover meals, nappies, outings). How many weeks a year is the nursery open? How are parents involved in the nursery, and are there opportunities for parents to meet up? IS ALL WELL WHEN I’M NOT THERE? Some nurseries have webcams which allow parents to see live images of their child at play from their desk at work. But while some parents welcome this idea, others are sceptical – they say they want their child’s nursery to know they trust

its workers, and worry that they’ll be seen as a way of spying on care workers. Others say they like the idea of watching their child at play so much that they’d spend too much time doing it – and wouldn’t ever get any work done! As your child is settling into nursery, trust your instincts about how well it’s going. You know your child better than anyone else, so if your hunch is that your child is happy and contented, that’s almost certainly the case. Remember that in the early days, he or she will probably get more tired than usual – nursery is a big change, emotionally as well as physically. Both your child and you need time to adjust to the new set-up. Try not to drag out your goodbyes: leaving your child will be difficult, especially at first, but keeping it brief will help you both. Remember that your child may cry every day when you drop them off (and so might you!) for quite a while; this is a normal part of getting used to this big change in your lives. Cope with it by emphasising the positives: think about why you’re working (to make

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TROUBLESHOOTING Fingers crossed, you’ll never have a problem with a nursery your child attends. But what happens when there IS an issue? As every working parent knows, nothing undermines your ability to work more than a nagging suspicion that your child isn’t happy, or isn’t being looked after as well as possible or even – worst scenario of all – isn’t safe. If you have any worries at all about your child’s nursery you must resolve them, and as quickly as possible. So as soon as something strikes you as ‘not right’, talk to the nursery manager or your allocated member of staff – many niggles are simply down to a lack of communication. Explain what’s up, and the chances are you’ll never have to mention it again, and things will all be smoothed over. But if you’re not satisfied that all is well, put your concern in writing to the nursery manager. All nurseries should have a protocol for dealing with complaints – ask to see this if it’s not spelled out in the nursery handbook.

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nursery and childcare

Paying for childcare by MoneyVista www.moneyvista.com/families

Childcare is a major expense for many parents. But financial assistance is available. The main sources of help are: • • • • • •

Child Benefit Early years education Child Tax Credit Working Tax Credit Employer-supported childcare Job Grant

Child Benefit Anyone responsible for bringing up a child is eligible for Child Benefit regardless of their income. However, new rules being introduced in April 2013 mean high income earners (that’s people with adjusted net incomes of more than £50,000) may have to pay extra tax if they or their partner receive Child Benefit. The payments are £20.30 a week for your eldest child and £13.40 for each subsequent child. The benefit is for children up to the age of 16 or up to 20 if they are in education or training that qualifies for Child Benefit. Early years education All three and four year olds are entitled to 15 hours of free education for 38 weeks a year. Children are eligible from the term after their third birthday until they reach compulsory school age which is the term after their fifth birthday. Early years education is available at

nurseries, playgroups and schools as well as from accredited childminders. Tax credits Child Tax Credit is available regardless of whether you work or not and is paid if you are responsible for a child or young person who normally lives with you. The amount you receive depends on your income, how many children you have and if any of them is disabled. If you do paid work of at least 16 hours but are on a low income, you may qualify for Working Tax Credits. You may also be entitled to extra tax credits to help with up to 70% of your childcare costs. The maximum help you can get for your childcare through tax credits is £122.50 a week for one child and £210 a week for two or more children. Employer-supported childcare Your employer may provide a workplace nursery, pay a childcare provider or offer childcare vouchers in exchange for part of your salary. The good news is that these benefits are often free from income tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs). You can receive up to £243 a month in childcare vouchers free of income tax and NICs. The actual amount depends on when you joined your employer’s scheme and what type of taxpayer you are. The same limit applies to payments your employer makes to a childcare provider on your behalf. If your employer runs a workplace nursery you won’t pay any income tax or NICs on this benefit. But be aware that employersupported childcare can have an adverse effect

on your entitlement to Working Tax Credit, Statutory Sick Pay and maternity pay. Job Grant If you’re returning to work (at least 16 hours a week), you can apply for a £250 Job Grant. To qualify you must have received Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance for at least 26 weeks before you start work. Where to find out more For advice on tax credits contact the Tax Credit Helpline on 0345 300 3900. HMRC also has a calculator to help you work out if you’d be better off with childcare vouchers or tax credits. For more on employer-supported childcare see HMRC’s leaflet on Paying for Childcare.

London Symphony Orchestra LSO Discovery Family Concerts Barbican Centre The Mighty Sea Sunday 24 February 2.30pm All aboard for a high-seas adventure!

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ﬁnance

Five things you need to know about the changes to Child Beneﬁt

Changes anges in Child hild Benefi Bene t

by MoneyVista www.moneyvista.com/families

Child Benefit is not being stopped for high earners. Anyone receiving Child Benefit, regardless of their income, is entitled to carry on receiving it. But from 7 January 2013, high earners may have to pay a tax charge on any Child Benefit payments they or their partner receive. This applies whether they’re married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting. For example, a divorced mother who receives Child Benefit for her children may co-habit with someone who is not the children’s father. If her partner is the higher earner and has income of £50,000 or more, he will pay tax on the Child Benefit the mother receives.

The tax charge increases in line with your income For every £100 of income you or your partner has between £50,000 and £60,000, there is a tax charge of 1% of your total Child Benefit. For example, if one of you has income of £54,000 (£4,000 over the £50,000 threshold), the tax charge is 40% (4,000/100 = 40 x 1%= 40%) of your Child Benefit. A family with two children receives £1,753 a year in Child Benefit and a 40% tax charge equates to £701. Once you or your partner has an annual income of £60,000 or more, the tax charge is 100% of your Child Benefit. In other words,

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the tax charge equals the full amount of Child Benefit you receive. It’s the higher earner who pays it.

Your income is based on your adjusted net income. Even if you or your partner has an income of £50,000 a year or more, you may find that the tax charge doesn’t apply. This is because the tax charge is based on your adjusted net income. This is your income less any payments you make to a pension scheme, donations to charity through Gift Aid and reductions due to membership of salary sacrifice schemes (such as childcare vouchers and the cycle to work scheme). You could even consider increasing payments to your pension, for example, to bring your annual adjusted net income down.

You can choose to keep or stop receiving Child Benefit. If you or your partner’s adjusted net income is over £60,000, it could make sense to stop receiving Child Benefit as the tax charge will wipe out any financial gain to you and you won’t have to complete a tax return. But if you don’t know exactly how much your income will be, or you’re under the £60,000 threshold, it’s best to carry on getting it.

If you decide to keep Child Benefit, you’ll have to do a tax return. If either you or your partner has an adjusted net income of £50,000 or more then the highest earner must complete a tax return, declaring the Child Benefit as income. It’s that person’s responsibility to make sure they’re registered for self-assessment by 6 October 2013 or they’ll face a penalty. They then have until 31 October 2013 to file their return with HMRC (or 31 January 2014 if filing online).

MoneyVista helps you take control of your money now and into the future. Building a MoneyVista plan shows you the shape of your finances today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life. Better still you’ll see ways you can improve them. Not only that, but by answering your big financial questions we’ll give you the confidence that you’re making the right decisions for you and your family. To find out more about MoneyVista [link to www.moneyvista.com/families] visit our website at www.moneyvista.com/ families.

education Nurturing reading and writing at home

Reading and writing are two of the most important skills that any child will learn, and many parents want to support their child at home. It has been hard to miss the recent discussions and debates surrounding phonics and the new primary national curriculum, but very little of this coverage answers the questions on every parents lips – what is phonics and how can I help my child at home? The philosophy of synthetic phonics is simple: words are made up of sounds. The first step for teaching children to read and write is to teach them the letter sounds and how to form them. One of the leading phonics schemes is Jolly Phonics, first published 20 years ago, which teaches 42 letter sounds to start with: 1. s, a , t, i, p, n 2. c/k, e, h, r, m, d 3. g, o, u, l, f, b 4. ai, j, oa, ie, ee, or 5. z, w, ng, v, oo, oo 6. y, x, ch, sh, th, th 7. qu, ou, oi, ue, er, ar It is important to teach the children the sound that the letter makes rather than the name that we give the letters within the alphabet. For example, /s/ is pronounced ‘ssss’ as at the beginning of ‘snake’ and not ‘ess’. As there are only 26 letters in the alphabet and 42 letter sounds, some of the letter sounds are represented by two letters together; for example /sh/ as in ‘sheep’ or /ai/ as in ‘rain’. The names of the 26 letters of the alphabet are taught later, after the children have learned the letter sounds securely.

One of the most important ways in which parents can help at home is to read to your children from an early age. 24

Once the children have learnt the letter sounds, they can sound the letters out and blend them together to work out unknown words. For example. ‘s-a-t’ can be blended to make ‘sat’ and this even words with longer words such as ‘cobweb’ and ‘trumpet’. The letter sounds are taught in a specific order which encourages children to start blending short words straight away and also keeps letters which are often mixed up separate, such as ‘b’ and ‘d’ and ‘m’ and ‘n’. Children also need to learn how to form the letters so that they can write them down. Learning letter formation can be incorporated into plenty of different activities around the house – children can have lots of fun making letters out of plasticine, finger-tracing in paint or baking letter-shaped biscuits. Once the children have learned the main 42 letter sounds, they are then taught tricky words, which cannot be blended, and alternative spellings of the sounds, gradually building from the simple to complex until they are able to read and write fluently. Along with being able to remember the letter sounds, one of the most important skills for children being able to learn to read and write is the ability to hear the sounds within words. Parents can help their children at home by sounding out words and helping tune them in: ‘Can you see the d-o-g?’, ‘What colour are the sh-ee-p?’. Once children can blend fluently they have sufficient knowledge to cope with reading books that are suitable for their age. It is important to choose books carefully for your children to read as confidence is quickly lost if you ask children to work out words that contain unknown letter sounds. It is better to read unknown words to them than to encourage guessing. For writing the essential skill is segmenting, which involves hearing the sounds that make up a word and then writing down the letters that represent them. Once they have mastered both of these skills they are then able to read and write independently, empowering them to

read or write anything they want. While the spelling may not be accurate to start with, it will be easy to understand and accurate spelling will come with time as they read more and are taught tricky words and alternative letter sounds. One of the most important ways in which parents can help at home is to read to your children from an early age, and to continue even after they start to read by themselves. Children enjoy more complex books, which helps to develop their vocabulary and comprehension as well as giving them a reason to want to learn to read. Not to mention, of course, that it provides precious bonding time that is just as essential for parents as it is for children. Jolly Learning publish an extensive set of materials for helping children learning to read and write. You can find out more, and listen to all 42 letter sounds at www. jollylearning.co.uk

COMPETITION/GIVEAWAY: Win a My Jolly Phonics kit, giving everything you need to support your children in their first years of learning to read and write. Worth £99.99, My Jolly Phonics contains a the Jolly Stories, Jolly Songs, Letter Sound Poster, Activity Books 1-7, Jolly Phonics DVD, Jolly Phonics Games CD, all packed into a bright canvas carry case with free triangular-grip pencils and an eraser. To enter go to www.familiesnorth.co.uk/ competitions. Good Luck!

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education

New Year, New Academy By Claudia Thomas MacCurvin

With the festive season already a distant memory, some of us are turning our post-season optimism and great expectations to the pending opening of the new UCL Academy. The academy officially opened, albeit in a temporary location, in the autumn term of 2012 and is sponsored by the powerhouse that is University College London. Several setbacks to the construction of the permanent site are now rectified and the grand opening of the academy is set for Monday the 14th of January. In the meantime, the staff and 180 students in Year 7 (Foundation) are seemingly enjoying the adequate facilities provided by BAM construction in nearby Brondesbury Park, while the 125 students in Year 12 are making use of the UCL campus in Bloomsbury. Despite delays, the state of the art building is already a prominent landmark on the Swiss Cottage horizon, with several of its Superstudios (large teaching areas) already taking shape. The academy’s vision in creating the building is that it supports their emphasis on ‘interdisciplinary and problem-based learning and on ‘stage not age’ progression.’ Its promising potential is evident in its plans for stateof-the-art equipment, highly equipped purpose built spaces and an academic mentoring system provided by UCL professionals. In addition, the academy has made a bold choice to adopt the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC), which links core subjects to a themed topic over a six-week period. As I understand it, the IMYC is effectively the same as the national curriculum in as much as it covers the core subjects of History, Geography, English and Maths etc. Where it differs, is in its organisation and delivery of these core subjects, which are taught and linked to the exploration of an overall theme (The Big Idea). Like UCL itself, the

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I for one hope that it develops a legacy that reflects outstanding academic teaching and achievements. academy has a global vision and strong aspirations that endeavour to inspire a student population in the specialisms of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), but also develop skills and personal qualities through a broad curriculum. Their aim to create an ‘inspiring school which supports young people to develop as individuals and to set and achieve high targets for themselves’ is further supported by their use of self-directed learning as a way of encouraging Year 7 students to pursue interests that broaden their knowledge in other areas. Year 12 (sixth form) students are supported to develop leadership skills by mentoring younger students at the school. When you add to this, a sound pastoral care/ support programme and a wide range of enriching after school activities you have all the makings of a school of excellence that educates nurtures and supports a diverse student population. While the word-class reputation of its sponsor together with a purposeful vision and exemplary aspirations are admirable, I personally believe that the true reflection of a school’s achievements are determined, in part, by the success of its students. On the other hand, perhaps that should that be the other way around? As a parent of one of the academy’s foundation students, I for one will be closely

watching their development over the coming years and look forward to reviewing their first Ofsted report. Whilst this may be off putting for some parents, I anticipate that Camden Admissions Team may see a significant increase to the 1100 applications that they have received to date. UCL Academy is clear that it is a nonselective and inclusive school, which I personally believe is reflected in its student population thus far. There is therefore still some way to go before there is any tangible evidence of the capabilities of the academy that is set to reach its full capacity of 1150 students by the autumn term of 2016. However, it will need to drive home its vision if it intends to set itself apart from the controversial reputation of academies for being a waste of money, selective and, among other things, a move towards the privatisation of education. I for one hope that it develops a legacy that reflects outstanding academic teaching and achievements and I look forward to it being a highly regarded educational asset to the local community.

It will need to drive home its vision if it intends to set itself apart from the controversial reputation of academies for being a waste of money, selective and, among other things, a move towards the privatisation of education. 25

nutrition

Annabel Karmel Families North are delighted to welcome our new contributory expert Annabel Karmel to our pages. Annabel Karmel was bought up in Central London and attended St Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School. A gifted harpist, Annabel studied first at the Royal College of Music, then, at 18, she went to Holland to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Music at The Hague. Having never learnt to cook before, it was in Holland that Annabel started to cook for herself, with her mother sending recipes from home.â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Cooking became a way for me to relax, as a musician you have to spend all your time practising, so cooking for myself became a real comfort while I was away from home.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; After The Hague Annabel did a cordon bleu cookery course, but cooking was put on hold while she pursued her career as a musician. While she was still a teenager she played concertos at the Festival Hall and played many concerts around the world. She even played Cinderella in pantomime with Dennis Waterman and filmed a video with Boy George. Annabel took a break from music to have children after she married, but tragically, her first daughter Natasha, became ill with encephalitis, a viral infection, and died. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I simply couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t face playing music after Natasha died. It seemed so trivial

! Hola!

and unnecessary to be sitting and playing when my baby was dead. I was 24 years old, and within months I had lost everything I treasured in life.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Not long after the loss of Natasha, Annabel discovered she was pregnant again, and Nicholas was born in August 1988 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; delivered by his father on the stairway of the family home in London. Annabel moved to North London after the birth of her first son, Nicholas, and it was where she bought up her three children Nicholas, Lara and Scarlett. Feeling isolated as a new mother in a new place, Annabel decided to meet other mothers by forming a play group. It was called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Babes in the Woodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, being based in St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wood and what started as 60 mums, doubled in the next year. Annabelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son Nicholas was a terrible eater, and feeling very vulnerable about Nicholasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; health, she tried all sorts of food combinations and flavours to entice him to eat. Annabel was surprised to find out she wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only one that had a fussy child, so Annabel started to bring in recipes she had made up, to see if other children would be interested. They proved to be very popular with the other children in the play group, and the parents encouraged Annabel

to write a book with the recipes. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I decided to write a recipe book, aimed at first-time mothers cooking for their children. My friends thought that I was mad, and everyone tried to dissuade me. Nobody thought that anyone would buy a book with just recipes for babies and toddlers. But I was still grieving for my daughter, and I thought that writing a book that would help parents feed their children healthy food would be a wonderful legacy to Natasha to make some sense of her short life and would also be a therapy for me to help me come to terms with her death. After two years of recipe writing and testing on all the children as well as speaking to experts on childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s allergies, child health and nutrition; Annabel wrote her first book. Trying to get published, all the main publishing houses turned her down, saying a book like that would not be commercially successful. Finally a friend took the book to the Frankfurt book fair, where Simon and Schuster wanted to publish it. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Plannerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was first published in 1991, by Random House. The book had little advertising, instead, it sold by word-of-mouth. Today, it is the number one bestselling book on feeding children, and has sold around 4 million copies worldwide. Over twenty years later and having written over 26 books, Annabel is still writing and has developed a range of healthy foods for children in supermarkets.

The book had little advertising, instead, it sold by word-ofmouth. Today, it is the number one bestselling book on feeding children, and has sold around 4 million copies worldwide.

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nutrition

Pasta Fusilli with Salmon

Corn and Chicken Laksa

This is a favourite pasta recipe of mine. A delicious combination of spring vegetables and salmon with pasta fusilli in a light cheese sauce – perfect for kids as well as adults!

From 2 years Prep time 10 mins Cooking time 15 mins Serves 4 Suitable for freezing

200 g (7 oz) fusilli 2 tbsp. light olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 100 g (31/2 oz) orange pepper, cut into strips 100 g (31/2 oz) broccoli florets 1 medium courgette, sliced and cut into semi-circles 250 g (9 oz) salmon fillets 250 ml (7 fl oz) fish stock 150 g (51/2 oz) crème fraîche 200 ml (7 fl oz) vegetable stock 150 g (51/2 oz) tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and cut into chunks 75 g (3 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chicken, corn and noodle soups are popular in many parts of the world. Laksa comes from Singapore and Malaysia where ‘slurping’ your noodles is considered essential!

Method Cook the fusilli according to the instructions on the packet. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the orange pepper, broccoli and courgette and sauté for 6–7 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cut the salmon into chunks, put in a saucepan, cover with fish stock and poach over a gentle heat for 3–4 minutes until cooked. Remove from the pan, strain and set aside. Stir the crème fraîche and vegetable stock into the cooked vegetables and bring to a simmer. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and chunks of salmon and simmer for 2 minutes, then stir in the Parmesan and season to taste. Toss the drained fusilli with the sauce, taking care not to break up the chunks of salmon. Information Suitable from one year Serves 4

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110g/4oz pad Thai ricenoodles 2 tsp sunflower oil 1 small onion, finely chopped (90g) 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tbsp mild curry paste, I used Patak’s 1tbsp soft light brown sugar 400ml/14 fl oz tin coconut milk 250ml/9fl oz chicken stock 2 tsp soy sauce 1 x 198g tin sweetcorn or 185g frozen corn kernels 60g frozen peas 110g/4oz cooked chicken, shredded into small pieces 4 spring onions, thinly sliced, plus 2 extra (optional) to serve 2 tsp lime juice Handful coriander leaves (optional), to serve Thinly sliced red chilli (optional), to serve Extra lime quarters (optional) to serve Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Drain and divide between 4 bowls. Sauté the onion in the sunflower oil for 5-6 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, curry paste and sugar and cook for a further minute then add the coconut milk, chicken stock and soy sauce. Bring up to the boil then drop in the corn (tinned or frozen corn) kernels, frozen peas, chicken and spring onions. Simmer for 3 minutes, until everything is hot, then remove from the heat and add the lime juice. Ladle the soup over the noodles and eat straightaway. You can put out bowls of coriander leaves, extra spring onions, sliced chillis and lime quarters so that everyone can help themselves to their favourites.

Apple and Carrot Mufﬁns From ‘Lunchboxes’ Ebury Press £9.99 These deliciously moist muffins are very easy to make and will keep well for up to five days.

75g plain wholemeal flour 75g plain flour 50g (2 oz) caster sugar 25g (1 oz) dried skimmed milk powder 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt Half teaspoon powdered ginger 125ml (4 fl oz) vegetable oil 60ml (2 fl oz) honey 60ml (2 fl oz) maple syrup 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla essence 1 large apple, peeled and grated 75g (3 oz) carrots, peeled and grated 65g (2 ½ oz) raisins Method: Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Combine the flour, skimmed milk powder, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and ginger in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the honey, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla essence. Beat lightly with a wire whisk until blended. Add the grated apple, carrots and raisins to the liquid mixture and stir until just combined. Line a muffin tray with paper cups and fill until two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You can also make mini muffins which are ideal for children they will take 15 to 20 minutes to bake. Information: Suitable for freezing From 1 year Makes 12 muffins

the no.1 parenting author

NO added salt NO added sugar NO added nasties suitable from 1 year

“My new range of ready meals are a convenient and d healthy option that taste just like homemade – they ey are based on some of my favourite recipes.” “There are nine varieties to choose from so your little one will be heir spoilt for choice and many of the recipes contain one portion of their five a day so that’s a few less to think about! We all struggle to get e our children to eat the right foods but my range focuses on the en important nutrients that children need. All the recipes have been sty extensively tested by children and because my recipes are so tasty even the fussiest eater will love them.”

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nutrition

Secrets of Happy Eating There is so much contradictory information in the media about nutrition that it is no wonder we are all a little stressed and confused about what to feed our families. It seems almost each week we are told something else we should be eating more of, or should cut down on. Obviously some of these reports are valuable in the correct context, especially when related to disease prevention or treating medical conditions. However it does, in my opinion, mean we sometimes get ‘bogged down’ with irrelevant advice and can neglect other more basic food related issues. I strongly believe food and mealtimes are about so much more than nutrition, especially as your children are growing up. Yes, we want our children to eat healthily, and we want to make sure we are doing the best to ensure a healthy future for them by feeding them well. But it is equally important to encourage them to have a positive outlook towards food from an early age. Food is fuel for our bodies but it is also something we have to regulate ourselves in order for our bodies to be optimum health and weight. These are skills we need to learn as a child and will stay with us throughout life. Obviously, we cannot forget that food is also delicious and eating should be an enjoyable, social experience. This requires a balanced attitude towards food. Eating disorders and obesity in young children have never been more prevalent. The range of foods which are processed and high in fat and sugar have never been more readily available. Food choice is a complex issue and often an emotional one!

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So how can we help our children be ‘happy eaters’? Eat together as a family where possible. We all have busy lives and it is often hard to find the time to eat together. Most of us are rushing around dropping children at various after school activities in the evening and have children needing food at different times, Combine this with the family’s multitude of likes and dislikes, and eating together regularly can seem an impossible task! Remember you are your child’s role model. It is not rocket science – if they see you eating a healthy balanced diet, they will be more likely to do so themselves. Try not to let your own food preferences influence theirs so that they are open to trying new things. Mealtimes are also a great social experience and sitting together means that meals are likely to be less rushed, which is beneficial for our digestion. Let your children help you plan meals, shop, prepare and cook Most of us encourage our children to help us make fairy cakes and biscuits, but it is vital they learn how to cook meals too. Let them wash and chop vegetables, crack eggs, coat chicken in breadcrumbs – get them involved in whatever you are doing to prepare food. Why not let everybody plan a meal that you will share once a week? Explain that they need to chose foods from different food groups though or you may end up with bizarre combinations! They will feel involved, but at the same time you are teaching them an important life skill. After all, you want them to cook for you in your old age, don’t you? Explain why everyone needs a good balance of food We often tell children they must eat their vegetables, but do we tell them why? Explain that we get different nutrients our body needs from each group of

foods. We cannot do without any group of foods for our body to work properly. Try to avoid talking about food as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ as this instantly creates a two-tiered system and makes the ‘bad’ foods more desirable. It is worth mentioning that even though we want them to eat carrots and peas, eating only vegetables would not be healthy at all! I will write more about explaining nutrition to children in the next issue of Families North. Encourage your children to recognise when they are full Babies who are breast-fed are very good at regulating their own intake. They stop feeding when they are full. With the variety of food available and outside influences, we lose this as we get older. We frequently want a second helping before the first has had time to reach our stomach, and then feel very full when it eventually lands there! So, try to make children aware of this and it will be something that helps throughout their life – a good skill for us all too! In summary – be positive about food. Eating should be something we enjoy as a family but all too often it is the cause of stress and anxiety, especially for the person doing the cooking!

SAM PERKINS, NUTRITIONIST www.happyeaters.co.uk email: sam.perkins@happyeaters.co.uk Bio: I have a degree in Nutrition and previously worked as a Dietician in the NHS. Since having my 3 children, I have become increasingly interested in family nutrition.‘Happy Eaters’ offers 1-2-1 appointments, menu planning, and group sessions focusing on fussy eating in children and weaning babies. I also run cooking workshops for nannies and au pairs, as well as for groups of children.

travel

How to have your best family holiday ever: our top ten secrets Joanna Moorhead, who has been planning her family’s holidays for the last 20 years, shares her insider tips to help you plan for a summer to remember in 2013

Fantastic family holidays don’t just happen. They’re crafted, often by hours of work from one or both parents, who spend endless amounts of time planning, plotting, budgeting and making sure safety nets are in place to stop hiccups becoming disasters. Of course everyone loves spontaneity – but for spontaneous decision to be possible, especially where a family with children are concerned, a framework has to be in place... and getting that framework right is the backbone of every holiday. So how do you do it? Here are our top ten secrets.

Don’t cut corners. To get the right holiday, you may have to spend a long time on research. Don’t begrudge this time, and don’t expect the perfect holiday to fall into your lap without it: after your mortgage, your car and (if you’re paying them) your child’s school or university costs, the money you spend on your holiday is your biggest outlay. So doing the homework matters. Start with a list of what sort of holiday you’re looking for – the location you’re after, what facilities you need close by, what sort of accommodation you need, how far it needs to be from the airport, and so on. Give yourself parameters, and then get googling. Keep a list of possible resorts/villas/ hotels; whittle it down to a shortlist; and then make a decision.

Don’t expect a bargain. After two decades of planning holidays for my family (my children are aged between ten and 20), I’m sure of one thing: where school holidays are concerned, bargains are as rare as hen’s teeth. Far better to start from the premise that you’ll get what you pay for. Look for the best deal, the best quality that you can possibly afford: but if somewhere seems a lot cheaper than other places, scrutinise it very carefully indeed.

Space is crucial. You know those places that say ‘sleep 4/6’ and turn out, on closer inspection, to have a pull-down bed in the sitting room? Avoid them (at full capacity) like the plague. Squeezing as many people as possible in is fine for students, less good for grown-ups. You want a bit of luxury on holiday – and space is luxurious.

Location, location, location. Just as when you’re buying a house, this is your number one priority. Some of the villas I’ve looked at for my family’s holiday this year are twice the price of others, simply because of where they are. And guess what: I can understand why. On holiday I want a great view and shops and restaurants we can walk to. If you’ve got younger children, a beach within walking distance may be your number one location priority. Know what you need, and don’t settle for less.

Friends matter, so think very carefully about who to holiday with. However close you are, nothing scratches away at a friendship’s weakest points as much as sharing two weeks together. You think you know that couple, and you think you like their kids? Take it from me, you’re going to know a lot about them, and you may have totally reassessed their kids, by the flight home.

Be honest about the sort of experience you want. Holidays aren’t times to be aspirational, or eyeing up the Joneses, or following the in-crowd. They’re about being honest about how you’d really love to spend a fortnight with your family – and who cares what anyone else might think. You don’t need anyone else’s approval, or envy, for the holiday you choose: what this is about is working out what’s right for your family, and making it happen.

Once you’re there, alternate busy days with quiet ones. Even if you’re a busy, boisterous, action-packed family, everyone needs some downtime. The easiest, simplest way to make sure you get both busy days

and more relaxed ones is simply to alternate them. If you went to a water park yesterday, relax by the pool today. If you went fell-walking yesterday, read a book and have a cream tea today. Overloading is the enemy of a good holiday.

Don’t over-plan: have ideas, but leave space to be open to what you find when you get there. It’s well worth doing some research about the area you’ll be staying in – essential, in fact – but it’s a mistake to plan every jot and comma of your stay before you even touch down. You want to explore, to discover, to be surprised, to make friends – and all these things will only happen if you’ve left the space for them to unfold. So, for as much knowledge as you’ve learned beforehand, always be flexible about what you’re going to find out, and want to do, when you actually get there.

Embrace change: as your family grows up, be ready to move on to new destinations and new experiences. For three years running my family had wonderful holidays in a hilltop villa in inland, northern Mallorca. It was perfect for us: but by the third year it was obvious my older daughters needed something more: shops, places to hang out, a beach they could walk to. I was desperately unhappy about giving up the villa: but guess what? The following year I found somewhere even better.

Set boundaries. It might be a holiday, but rules ensure everyone – especially the parents – get a break. If your children are younger, those rules might be about bedtime (you need some time with your partner, so letting your kids stay up all evening might not be the best move), or about time for the children to go to the crèche; if your children are older, the rules might be about sharing the washing up, or about how much contact you need to have with them through the day. But put your rules in place, because then everyone can relax and have what they came to do: have a wonderful fortnight away.

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life coaching for children Families North is delighted to welcome Naomi Richards to our pages.

Motivate to Cooperate By Naomi Richards

Many parents think that their children do not cooperate enough with them. This is mainly because they don’t do something straightaway when their parents ask them to. Parents like their children to listen to their instructions and act on them fairly quickly. But it’s not easy. Not all children listen and not all children want to be told what to do. So how can we motivate them to cooperate more with us? What children don’t realise is that when we ask them to cooperate with us we are asking because it benefits them and us e.g. laying the table. Most of the time they won’t want to because it is going to take their attention away from something else, yet if they see that by cooperating dinner will be out on the table much quicker then they will be more likely to do it. Perhaps say to them, ‘When you get to an appropriate place, please stop and you will be able to come back to it later’ or why not give them a warning of what they need to finish and when, ‘When that game has finished, please come and lay the table’. Children are fairly responsive to this method. You can negotiate with them too, ‘If you put your dirty washing in the washing machine then you will be able to have your favourite t-shirt to wear tomorrow’ (win-win), you can use humour or you can play a game to get Local venues

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them to do what you would like them to do. A great game is to time the action that is needed or try and beat the clock. For instance getting out of the house in the morning, why not time who can be ready first. If you are stuck with ideas of how to motivate your child you could always ask them. Do they want stickers or time with you, do they want to choose what they have for dinner, get a magazine or do they want to watch their favourite TV programme that day? Whatever they say, within reason, go with it. The way you ask can also be a good motivator. Children don’t cooperate well when they are being ordered about or rushed by their parents. If you order your child about they may stick their heels in and take longer to do the thing you asked or not do it at all. Speak to them the way you would like to be spoken to and think about what you are going to say. How are you going to say it? Think about their response to the way you are going to ask them to do something. Is the way you are going to ask them make them agreeable to your request? Finally express your appreciation to your child for not only complying with your request but for doing it in a cooperative manner. This will make them feel good about themselves and they will be inspired to continue in a cooperative manner. Say thank you and be specific about their behaviour, ‘The way you did that was amazing. Helping out has made life easier for me and we have saved time so thank you for your help.’

Children’s Centres

Naomi Richards, The Kids Coach, is a life coach for children and provides coaching for them on any behavioural and emotional issue that they have. She works face to face with children and runs workshops. Naomi is part of the 3 Counties Radio parenting and families show and writes for parenting, teenage and women’s magazines. Her first book, ‘The Parents Toolkit’ was published by Vermilion Feb 2012. The book helps to give children the confidence and skills so they can be the best they can at school, home and play. In ‘The Parent’s Toolkit’ Naomi shares the key life tools she uses and teaches so that you can help your child successfully navigate childhood problems and grow up into happy, confident and resilient young adults. It is packed with real-life examples, useful hints to help you in conversations with your child and creative ideas to help solve problems. The book can be bought from Amazon or through her website www.thekidscoach.org.uk

What children don’t realise is that when we ask them to cooperate with us we are asking because it benefits them and us e.g. laying the table. Music classes for babies and young children!

Parties

Baby Story Play

Imagination takes you everywhere...

story

drama

play

6 months – 7 years

www.debutots.co.uk

Dipping their tiny toes into the world of stories, words and sounds, babies and toddlers delight in a multi-sensory blend of storytelling, puppets, bubbles and music. Early Years Drama Growing in age and poise, children are inspired by each week’s magical tale to share their own ideas and feelings as they creatively explore the characters, scenery and sounds together. Family Story Play An engaging blend of our two class formats – perfect for siblings, childminders and children’s centres.

keeley@debutots.co.uk, 020 8211 3389 – Islington, Camden, St John’s Wood ennifer@debutots.co.uk, 020 8442 2380 – Finchley, Hampstead, Muswell Hill

® d no blues ! all r hythm an Hampstead & Notting Hill 020 8451 7626 Muswell Hill, Crouch End & Highgate 020 8889 0114 High Barnet, Mill Hill & Whetstone 020 8449 4025 Southgate, Winchmore Hill & East Barnet 020 8360 2730

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Action songs and rhymes Music and movement Fun with percussion Musical games

Since 1993 thousands of children across the UK have grown up with Monkey Music. Our unique teaching curriculum was written by classically trained musicians, and introduces music to very young children in a way they can easily understand and enjoy.

Rock ‘n’ roll - from 3 months Heigh ho – from 12 months Jiggety jig – 2 & 3 year olds Ding dong – 3 & 4 year olds It’s fun, formative and a great way of making friends!

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life coaching • competition

The ‘Get Happy’ Gym: Can you think yourself happy? By Rebecca Hardy, wellbeing coach and writer, The Tangerine Life Club

We may work-out our bodies at the gym, but how many of us think about working-out our minds – or working-out our emotions? Here at The Tangerine Life Club we love to find out about the latest and most intriguing psychological research and this particular gem had us jumping with excitement. It seems, that rather than us being happy through circumstance, each of us is born with a predisposition to happiness (or unhappiness). Psychologists call this our ‘genetic set point’, and it’s the reason why some lottery-winners, after an understandably blissed-up honeymoon period, splashing the cash, ditching the day job and dong all those wonderful things they have longed for all their lives, eventually settle back to the level of happiness they had before their winnings. They are simply reverting to their ‘genetic set point’. The good news, for those of us who suspect we may have been born with a slightly gloomier bent, is that, in the same way that someone who is genetically determined to be overweight has to watch their diet and exercise, we can work at our happiness levels in the same way that we work our bodies at the gym: by slow, painstaking exercises. Sounds far-fetched? Not according to Sonja Lyubomirsky, psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside, whose research has shown that there are certain exercises (or ‘happiness strategies’) that can help lift our spirits, reaching beyond our genetic set point. Basically, what we are doing in practising these exercises, she says, is mimicking what a naturally perky person does automatically – looking on the

WIN MEMBERSHIP TO ARSENAL YOUNG SUPPORTERS’ SCHEME Families North have teamed up with Arsenal Football Club to give away membership to the ‘Junior Gunners’ to two lucky readers this edition. The Club’s young membership scheme

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bright side of life, for example, or making an extra effort to keep up relationships, things which have been proven to stave off the grumps. So what are these exercises? At The Tangerine Life Club, we use them regularly in our classes and one-to-one sessions, and here they are for your perusal – five exercises to help lift your mood – why not try them for yourself? FIVE HAPPINESS-BOOSTING EXERCISES

Make a note of three things that went well today, and why A classic among the Positive Psychology Movement and devised by former president of the American Psychological Association, Martin Seligman, this exercise, above all others, has been shown to be the mother of all happinessboosters, found to have a significant effect on treating depression, comparing favourably to anti-depressants and psychotherapy. It has also been shown to improve physical health, energy levels and, amazingly, for patients with neuromuscular disease, relieve pain and fatigue.

Identify your strengths and every week, aim to use them in new, creative ways. We all have hidden (and unhidden) strengths but how many of us use them? Apparently we should – according to positive psychologists it increases your wellbeing and makes you feel more engaged at work. One study showed that the average person uses their strengths only 37% of the time, while ‘highly engaged individuals’ use them for more than 70%. You can identify your strengths by taking a free test (tryviastrengths.

is open to children from 0-16 years old and offers up special access to discounted match tickets, free stadium tours, Arsenal TV and the chance to go to loads of exclusive events at Emirates Stadium. Its 20,000 members have the chance to enter regular competitions, with match tickets, the chance to shadow Arsenal’s media team, and visits to the club’s training ground up for grabs as prizes. And one ‘JG’ is selected to be mascot for every first team game, getting to meet the whole squad and lead them out onto the pitch for kick-off. Check out more details here: www.alwaysaheadofthegame.com/junior.

org) or asking friends.

Imagine and write about your best possible self in 10 years’ time. This gets the optimism juices flowing, puts you in touch with those big life dreams you may have buried under the demands of everyday life, and points you in the direction of where you really want to go.

Write someone a thank-you letter. Cringey, I know, but his exercise involves writing a 300-word letter to someone you are grateful to and, even better, delivering it personally. It may sound odd, but studies shows that people who do this have been found to be less depressed and happier a month later.

Commit five acts of kindness a week. Kindness has its own reward, the saying goes, and it seems research backs this up. Doing a good turn has been shown to leave the giver lifted too, whether it is taking the time to listen to somebody who has a problem at work, volunteering your services or offering your seat someone on the tube. For more wellbeing tips and self-help strategies contact The Tangerine Life Club, www. TangerineLifeClub.wordpress.com, 0208 360 0670 for one-to-one sessions or to find out more about its programme of wellbeing and self-development classes based in North London. Bookings are now being taken for a six-week ‘be-your-own-life-coach course’ and six-week meditation course starting in February in Palmers Green.

Membership to the scheme starts at £20, but for your chance to bag one for free, just answer this question: Which two Arsenal players are pictured with this young Junior Gunner: • Per Mertesacker and Thomas Vermaelen • Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere • Kieran Gibbs and Olivier Giroud To answer the question go to www.familiesnorth.co.uk/competitions. Good luck!

Special Needs

Dyslexia By Jaderberg Krais Tutoring

Have you ever heard the word ‘dyslexia’ mentioned and wondered what it is? There are many misconceptions around this condition and this can be quite worrying for parents. Ten percent (10%) of the British population are dyslexic and 4% are severely so. Dyslexia is identified as a disability as defined in the Equality Act 2010. Many of the dyslexic people across the UK, whether adults or children, are unable to fulfill their potential as a large percentage of the population still do not understand what dyslexia is, the difficulties which the condition presents and do not know how best to support them. Dyslexia is not an obvious difficulty; it is hidden. As a result, dyslexic people have to overcome numerous barriers to make a full contribution to society. Dyslexia in children becomes noticeable when accurate and fluent word reading, and/or spelling, develops incompletely or with varying degrees of difficulty. It is the severity and persistent difficulties with learning to read and spell, that should sound an alarm. Dyslexia may be present despite a child’s high level intellectual ability and the use of conventional teaching methods. In 2005 the British Psychological Society defined dyslexia as: ‘a difficulty of phonological processing’. The key characteristics of dyslexia are: • A significant difference between performance when speaking and

Parents often realise there is something different about their child. They may be alerted by a delay in acquiring skills that their siblings mastered easily. 34

• •

• • •

• •

writing. Strong verbal skills compared to written work. A delay in the development of automatic word identification Poor phonological awareness – poor recognition of sounds in words, mistaking sounds and writing them down incorrectly Slow and continual inaccurate reading Poor spelling Messy handwriting, slow and disorganised writing, often a preference for printing rather than cursive handwriting A difference between oral and written expression Poor short-term memory and efficiency of the working memory

Dyslexia is best described as a combination of abilities and difficulties that affect the learning process. The condition impacts on progress in reading, spelling, writing, language and memory skills. Some co-existing conditions may further add to or delay the development of underpinning skills. The term Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) often accompanies the term dyslexia, because it is part of a range of conditions that may co-exist and often overlap. Sometimes children with processing problems also display additional disorders such as: dyspraxia, language impairment, dyscalculia and attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder. WHAT CAN BE DONE? It is well documented that one in five 11 year olds, currently move from primary to secondary education with below expected levels of literacy. Some children have outstanding creative skills; others have strong oral skills, however, the difficulties associated with literacy impacts across all areas of the curriculum. Children may experience unhappiness as the processing of information takes longer, homework and independent study is frustrating and they have to rely on others for help. The key to addressing dyslexia is as

early intervention as possible for children with literacy or dyslexic difficulties. Parents need to make sure their child has high quality support in school and at home, including specialist skills to address and improve their child’s learning. In schools, the move towards becoming ‘dyslexia friendly’ has helped to create a more inclusive environment. Good practice requires schools to have access to expertise and consistent procedures for identifying pupils who are falling behind, including those with dyslexia. The screening of ‘at risk’ pupils is the first step in deciding which pupils require additional support and specialist provision. This should begin as early as Year 3 and only after the child has had experience of traditional Key Stage 1 (infant school) teaching and can be assessed effectively. This does not prevent testing at any transitional stage of education. Parents often realise there is something different about their child. They may be alerted by a delay in acquiring skills that their siblings mastered easily. The signs are particularly significant if there is a family history of dyslexia. HOW CAN PARENTS HELP THEIR CHILDREN? Parents should make an appointment at school to find out how you can help your child at home. Arrange to meet the Senco and class teacher to discuss your concerns and ask for their help. Try to describe the behaviour that is causing you concern. Discuss your anxieties about your child’s attainment in literacy and your worries about their failure to make progress. Ask for the school to advise on arranging an assessment of your child’s difficulties. There are many persisting factors with dyslexia, which can appear from an early age and still be noticeable when the child leaves school. It is important to recognise dyslexia as a learning

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special needs • competition difference, a combination of strengths and weaknesses, which affect the learning process. Children benefit from having their work differentiated in such a way that they can access their work easily and focus on the learning. Multi-sensory learning (using visual, auditory and kinaesthetic approaches) together with appropriate self-help strategies enables children with dyslexia to concentrate on learning and achieve their true potential. Information technology (ICT) is helping many children with dyslexia, to manage their work in school, and later at university. ICT helps to maintain motivation and self-esteem and is an accepted life skill for all pupils. By reducing the level of error and improving the quality and presentation of work, it is rapidly becoming the established and normal way of producing work. If you have any concerns about your child’s literacy progress, contact your school, make an appointment with the class teacher. Should you have further concerns, arrange to see the head teacher and discuss what help is available in school and what you can do to support your child. There are excellent organisations and websites to help you, at whatever stage you are in your understanding of dyslexia and the support that is available.

ORGANISATIONS AND WEBSITES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION TheWay British Dyslexia Association Crafty To Support Disabled Children In North (BDA) campaigns for a dyslexia friendly London society where barriers to dyslexic people do not exist. The BDA works to ensure that ALL people with dyslexia fulfill their potential. www.bdadyslexia.org.uk The mission of the Dyslexia Research Trust (DRT) is to help people with learning difficulties, especially young children, to achieve their full potential in life. Professor John Stein: ‘Often dyslexic children are very talented. It’s just that their talents don’t include reading and spelling.’ www.dyslexic.org.uk Dyslexia Action is a national charity that improves lives through education. Their vision is a world where barriers to learning, employment and fulfilment have been removed for people with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties. www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk Jaderberg Krais can be contacted at www.jaiderbergkrais.co.uk.

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Crafty way to support disabled children in North London Leading UK children’s disability charity Newlife Foundation is calling on local crafters to help support disabled and terminally ill children in the North London area. Whatever your craft, getting involved is simple. You can make something and sell it at local sales, giving the proceeds to Newlife. Or donate your handcrafted goods and the charity will sell them for you. Alternatively, spread the word to friends and family or simply donate cash. Whether you prefer to knit, crochet, sew, embroider, bake, make cards or jewellery – or anything else that comes to mind – Newlife guarantees that 100 per cent of all funds received will directly support babies, children and young people through its national Nurse Helpline – freephone 0800 902 0095 – equipment grants and emergency loan services and investment in medical research. Newlife nurses provide information and support for thousands of families across the UK and are the ‘gateway’ to the charity’s range of practical services. For instance, Newlife has funded £8.2million of disability aids for more than 5,400 under-19s across the UK – £513,766 of this for 334 grants in the London area – and supports end-of-life children by prompt provision

of specialist equipment, where possible within 72 hours. This year (2012), the charity invested £1.5million into the opening of the Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital. The unit will target the understanding, treatment and – ultimately – the prevention of syndromes, diseases and malformations that affect babies and cause miscarriages and stillbirths. With your help, Newlife can say ‘yes’ to families having hope through research, ‘yes’ to carers getting support from its nurses, ‘yes’ to children who need equipment to overcome life’s obstacles. To join Newlife in saying ‘yes’ to supporting disabled and terminally ill children, please contact Vicky Jones or Anna Szymczak on 01543 468 888 or go to: getcrafty@newlifecharity.co.uk Here are some examples of what your support can help buy: • £100 – Sensory equipment for children with autism or visual impairment • £250 – A day’s research at the Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre • £500 – Specialist car seat to ensure safe travel for those with learning and behavioural difficulties • £1,000 – Lightweight wheelchair to enable youngsters to self-propel, not rely on others to push them • £1,500 – Specialist buggy for children with complex conditions • £2,000 – Specialist bed to ease pain and ensure the safety of a terminally ill child • £5,000 – Communication aid to enable young people to tell their parents they love them.

NETGEAR ROUTER NETGEAR is giving away its latest high speed router which not only allows the family to make the most of the Internet – from the speediest video streaming to seamless multi-player online gaming – but also ensures the whole family is protected. In-built into the router is the NETGEAR Genie, an easy-to-use dashboard that not only puts you back in control of your Internet connection, but also puts parental control software in place. This can prevent access to certain sites, while restricting others at certain times. For a chance to win go to www. familiesnorth.co.uk/competitions. Good luck!

gardening Consultant access 24/7 – 365 At the Royal Free London we think that having a paediatric consultant resident on-site at all times makes for a safer and better service both on the NHS and privately.

A relaxing environment Our newly-designed and refurbished children’s clinic has an impressive life-size animal and natural world theme, turning a visit to hospital into a fun event, putting children and parents at ease.

Same-day appointments for: • • • • •

Troublesome cough Diarrhea and vomiting Viral illnesses Wheezing / asthma Constipation

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Feeding difﬁculties Unsettled baby Allergies Gastroesophageal reﬂux

The Private Clinic is open weekdays from 5:30pm – 8:30pm Call 020 7317 7751 to make a same-day appointment.

Royal Free Private Patients also runs the following specialist clinics – call now for an appointment. • Allergy • Asthma • Cardiology

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Chilli isn’t it? In the dark days of a British Winter, when everything outside seems to be grey, and Spring seems like an impossible dream, I find even the thought of my own home grown chillies is enough to warm me up a bit. Here’s how to make a cute little mini-greenhouse and start them early on the windowsill : yes, even in January! You will need: • A transparent plastic drink bottle: A mini size juice or squash bottle from a lunchbox is perfect,. • Compost or soil: Enough to half fill the bottle. • Chilli Seeds: You can buy these in packets, but I find the ones you scrape out of chillies when you are cooking work just as well. 1. Cut the bottle in half just below the ‘shoulders’: I use a sharp knife, as scissors are a

• Ear, nose and throat • Gastroenterology

t: +44 (0)20 7317 7751

• Ophthalmology • Plastic surgery

w: royalfreeprivatepatients.com

bit awkward, but if you are doing this with your children, just start with the knife and let them carry it on with scissors. 2. Make a few drainage holes in the bottom ‘pot’ section, about 1cm above the base : this leaves a little reserve at the bottom to help it stay moist. 3. Fill the pot with soil or peat-free compost to 2cm below the top. 4. Plant three seeds and lightly cover them with soil. Three seeds is for insurance : if they all germinate, you’ve got some spares! 5. Water them lightly or spray the compost thoroughly with a mister. 6. Take the top section of the bottle, and bend it in slightly, so that it will fit inside the pot section and form the top of your own little mini greenhouse. 7. Find a warm place for it: a sunny windowsill with a radiator below it would be perfect,. Check it every couple of days for germination, keep it moist, but not soaking, and by the time the weather gets warmer, it’ll be ready for a bigger pot! Spare a thought for the birds at this time of year, even if it’s too cold for you to feel like lingering round the balcony or garden, and try and make sure there’s unfrozen water for them to drink, and plenty of food to keep them going through

the cold months. You can make a fat ball from a half an orange or coconut shell filled with a mixture of lard and seeds you might have in the cupboard (hulled sunflower seeds, millet, onion seed, raisins, wheat, sesame etc.) String it up somewhere cats can’t get to, and if you think the squirrels might get there first, mix in a good load of chili, fresh or dried, which will put them off without bothering our feathered friends. Rachel Frances is a sustainable gardener and landscape architect working with schools, community groups and private gardens: info@rfld.co.uk

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baby massage

Baby & U – the wonder of baby massage! By Ruth Kay of ‘Baby & U’

Whether your baby is your first child, and you are wrapped up in seemingly endless feeding, nappy changes and washing, or your baby is a new addition to a growing family. Having a special part of your daily routine where your baby gets your undivided attention can be a wonderfully relaxing experience for both parents and baby. This one to one bonding time can be uplifting and remind you that it is not all about the daily chores and sleep deprivation! Massage has many physical benefits. You, as a parent literally have the tools at your fingertips to alleviate many of your baby’s minor ailments that cause them discomfort! Through your touch, you can potentially reduce your baby’s experience of pain of teething, colic, trapped wind, constipation, as well as promoting sleep! In addition, as a result of regular use of massage and gentle movements used in the classes, your baby will develop increased body awareness and coordination. Practicing Baby Massage from when they are very young has a number of long-term physiological

and emotional benefits for your kids. Regular infant massage can help build a baby’s immune system, boost his or her respiratory system, stimulate the circulatory system and balance the baby’s nervous system. The love hormone (Oxytocin), which kicks in during massage, lowers blood pressure and reduces stress and is so strong that can even have a positive effect on mums who are experiencing post-natal depression. Baby massage can also stimulate the hormone prolactin in mothers, which helps with producing breast milk. The latest government-backed NICE guidance on social and emotional development for children under five, issued in Oct 2012, unsurprisingly recommends baby massage as one of its early interventions. ‘Benefits are reported to include improvements in parent and/ or child sleep patterns, their interaction and relationship.’ Although the massage can be used at any time of the day, often it is used as part of a bedtime routine, Baby Massage can also offer a structure along with bath and a feed to start to differentiate between night and day for babies. This can assist in moving into a better night time sleep pattern, as the babies go to bed very relaxed and comforted from lots of physical contact with a parent and it is clearly unlike the other times they go to sleep. If your baby is breast fed this can also be a wonderful opportunity for Dads to have a unique role and their own special baby time! Many mothers have reported increased ability to read their babies cues and generally felt they got to know their babies better by the end of the massage courses. By the 4th week of her courses Ruth has noticed there is increasing eye contact and a conversation between parents and their babies and by end of the courses the massage can be a bit noisy due to all the lovely baby chatter!!

Ruth is a mother of two lovely little boys of 5 and 3, who to this day still enjoy relaxing massages and the one to one time. Ruth has previously worked extensively as a Children’s Occupational Therapist and was inspired by a colleague to attend Baby Massage training at St Thomas Teaching Hospital in 2005 and is now a Baby Massage Instructor. Ruth teaches fun and friendly Baby Massage courses from the relaxing environment of her home to mostly local North London mums. There is an opportunity every week for a chat and drink and by the end of the 5 weeks participants are familiar with an easy to follow baby massage routine. This is a great activity that gets you out of the house and meeting people at the same stage as you for mutual support and lots of fun!

Please visit www.facebook.com/ babyandubabymassage or telephone Ruth on 07951 741736 for further information.

Olé Kids Boo you k clas r s

Spanish classes for children and parents

Join us for fun, energy packed and culturally rich Spanish classes where children from 6 months - 10 years old come to speak and learn Spanish in a friendly environment. Primrose Hill Library Tuesdays 4 pm St Luke’s Community centre (Islington) Thursdays 4pm Quote: ‘Families N’ for a FREE TRIAL 6 MONTHS TO 5 YEAR OLDS Enquire for other age groups or private classes. Telephone : 020 7386 0376 Mobile: 07734900221 Email : info@olekids.com www.olekids.com

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We offer a calm and inviting environment to relax and reassure our patients, with both NHS and Private options. We welcome new patients and are excellent with children and nervous patients. Our team delivers general dentistry as well as clear brace orthodontics, implants, root canal treatment, removing impacted or late erupting wisdom teeth and, of course, cosmetic dentistry. Est. over 35 years.

Tel: 020 8883 1356 Email: info@smilematters.co.uk

212 Muswell Hill Broadway London N10 3SH We are on the first floor above estate agents Kinleigh, Folkhard & Hayward, and Foxtons, overlooking the bus-stop roundabout.

sleep training

Sleeping like a baby By: Maryanne Taylor, Child Sleep Works, www.childsleepworks.co.uk

What is the first question a new parent gets asked? After ‘what’s the name?’, it’s often ‘does he/she sleep well?’. To the rare few lucky ones who can say in total honesty that their child ‘sleeps like a baby’ and sleeps through the night at 6 weeks, I say enjoy, and revel in it while you can. But perhaps hold the smugness, as it is not unusual that when these wonderful sleepers hit the 4 month mark, which is notorious for sleep changes, it suddenly all goes haywire. For the majority of the masses, sleep deprivation comes with the territory of being a parent of a baby. Many of us have read the endless array of sleep books available (or at least bought them and have them sitting on the shelf looking pristine and unread), spent every spare minute doing Google searches on ‘how to get your child sleeping through the night’, ‘how to stop your child screaming in the cot’, or simply ‘how to stop tearing your hair out because you

To the rare few lucky ones who can say in total honesty that their child ‘sleeps like a baby’ and sleeps through the night at 6 weeks, I say enjoy, and revel in it while you can. Families North are delighted to welcome Maryanne Taylor to its pages as our sleep expert. Originally from Dublin, Ireland, I now live in North London with my husband and three young children. Having had a baby with severe reflux which caused significant sleep problems for some time, I understand first-hand how a lack of sleep can impact on the whole family! From this point, I started to develop a keen interest in sleep issues in children, and eventually

just need an extra half hour’s sleep’, or perhaps have joined the wonderful world of Facebook, looking for advice from other exhausted parents going through the same highs and lows. As comforting as it is to know that so many babies are also up through the night, unfortunately this comfort doesn’t extend to 3am when we’re awake, endlessly shushing and patting a crying child. Many parents blame themselves for their child’s sleep problems, and in some cases, it is possible that a child has got used to being fed or rocked or patted to sleep, however on the other hand, this same parenting tool may not necessarily lead to sleep problems in other children. Since having my own children, I have come to the realisation, albeit a slow realisation, that each element in a child’s development is a phase. Some phases last longer than others, some we would actually want to last longer than others, but ultimately, children are growing and developing at an exceedingly fast pace. So, what seems like an everlasting saga of night feeds, and call-outs in the middle of the night, is merely a temporary arrangement (of varying lengths, depending how lucky you are…). It is easy to lose sight of this when we drag ourselves out of a deep sleep to fall into

decided my career path definitely lay in helping other tired families get the sleep they need. I became a certified Gentle Sleep Coach,training under Kim West LCSW-C (The Sleep Lady®) in the US. This programme involves over 50 hours of training, an exam and participation in on-going advanced training. I chose this training programme as I found it was the most extensive, and the ethos of gentle sleep techniques appealed to me. I believe that teaching a child the skill of falling asleep independently and the ability to resettle themselves to sleep is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give their child (and themselves!). I am a member of the British Sleep Society, the

our child’s room at 3am, but it truly does not last forever. While sleep is a natural process, good sleep habits usually need to be developed, and falling asleep independently is actually a learned skill, one which parents can teach their child at any age. But how do we go about trying to survive this wonderful yet challenging period of our lives? Working on filling your child’s ‘sleep tank’ during the day can have a positive impact on how they settle at bedtime and then sleep during the night. There are many differing theories about daytime sleep and how it impacts on the night sleep, but it is widely accepted that it is a myth that if you cut their sleep during the day, a child will be more tired at bedtime and will settle better and sleep longer at night. In fact, the opposite is true – ‘sleep breeds sleep’ and sleeping during the day will actually go a long way to setting them up for a good night’s sleep. One of two things will happen with a child who reaches bedtime already overtired – they will either turn into the Energizer bunny, fighting bedtime with every strength in their little body, or they will fall asleep within 3 minutes of being fed and put into the cot. While the latter gives you instant relief and a feeling that

International Association for Sleep Consultants and am a regular contributor on various social media sites. I believe that each family’s requirements are different when it comes to sleep coaching, not least because all children are different and sleep problems can be caused by any number of issues at any stage of childhood. Through care, love and gentle methods, I work with parents to help their child – and indeed themselves – get the sleep they need.

Child Sleep Works Tel: 07760 252750 Email: info@childsleepworks.co.uk Web: www.childsleepworks.co.uk

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sleep training • competitions Many of us have read the endless array of sleep books available (or at least bought them and have them sitting on the shelf looking pristine and unread) at the very least you’ve cracked bedtime, unfortunately it’s more than likely that this is not the last you’ll hear from your little bundle of joy before the morning. I like to call it being lulled into a false sense of security. Literally! An overtired child at bedtime often wakes up frequently in the night or too early in the morning, and anything pre 6-6:30am is definitely ‘too early’. On a side note, isn’t it interesting how our perception of what is an acceptable wake up time in the morning has changed since having children?? Furthermore, the added advantage of your child sleeping decent stretches during the day is that you get some time to re-group, re-fuel and re-energise before the always-testing afternoon shift, leading up to the ultimate goal of a successful bedtime, culminating, one hopes, in an evening to yourself and the holy grail of new parenting…. a good night’s sleep. So just remember, when you’re the parent of a sulky teenager and you’re lying in bed waiting for them to come home from a night out, you may just think back to this time in your life, and the extra ‘bonding time’ you had with your baby in the quiet of the night. It’s all about perception.

This Valentine’s Day give a little love to your little one with one of these adorable Love Bug T-shirts by TotsBots and a heart bib by Skibz. Families North have teamed up with Skibz and TotsBots to give you a chance to win a T-shirt or bib. To enter go to www. familiesnorth.co.uk/competitions, Good luck!

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Captain Calamity I guess I’ve always been in touch with my theatrical side. Even in childhood I was keen to get on the stage at the slightest provocation. Instead of football practice I always went to drama classes and in my teens and 20’s instead of travelling I joined Summer Youth projects at both the Beck Theatre in Hayes and the Palace Theatre in Watford and then the National Youth Theatre. At University I studied Theatre (Acting) and again lead my colleagues in shows at the Edinburgh Festival and National Student Drama Festival. It was no wonder then that in adult life I always sought to use that passion in order to make a living. Initially I worked for the Holiday Industry. Firstly as an entertainer and then training entertainer’s to deliver event programs in resort. I also dabbled with a more conventional acting career but my true vocation found me and I’m so glad it did. It was whilst watching a children’s party entertainer at my nephew’s party that it suddenly dawned on me that maybe I could do this and if I did I could probably do it pretty well! Some time later whilst out for a meal with my wife and friends it became apparent that this might be a really good idea. So we all thought up various character names. Many were suggested but only one stuck and that is how Captain Calamity – Children’s Entertainer was born. My first party was a lot harder than I expected and I realised that the most important skill an entertainer could bring to a party wasn’t magic or balloons but a understanding of the psychology of the children being entertained. I had to know what excited them and what bored them, what they watched on TV and read about. What they talked about in the playground at school and how they talked. Captain Calamity needed to be a big child enjoying the party as much as the children not an adult performing for the benefit of the children. As soon as I got that right, everything else fell into place! When my children came along; they too enjoyed my entertainment and they have also been a great source of inspiration for my parties. Because of them; I

am surrounded by kids culture all the time. My parties are current with a great mix of the traditional and with a few fantastic surprises like my now award-winning bubble show which features bubbles inside bubbles, smoke inside bubbles, bouncing bubbles, bubble chains, towers of foam and the birthday child inside a giant bubble. As word has spread about what I do and happy parents have sent me great testimonials from parties; I have been asked to entertain for many famous people’s children including Madonna and Guy Ritchie, Michael Macintyre, Ringo Starr, The Sultan of Brunei, Alistair Darling at 11 Downing Street and lots more. But my favourite parties are definitely the ones I do for local children in my area many of which I see on the school run with my children every day. I still wake up at the weekend with a buzz about going out and delivering a fantastic party or two or three or four. In fact; I’m so booked up now that I have taken the decision; guided by some great friends to put on a stage show at Wyllyotts Theatre in Potters Bar on 28th April 2013. The 11am show has already sold out but there is a 2pm show available and who knows; by the time this goes to print; there may be a 4pm show as well! We have also been confirmed for the Harrow Arts Centre on October 31st, 2013. Captain Calamity’s Adventures in Story Land is a three-man show featuring a great story, fabulous magic, new songs, interactive entertainment and of course my famous bubble show! In every show I promise to make one child’s wish come true, just like all mine have come true in the story of my life so far. For more information please visit www.madhousekids.com

Families North are delighted to have teamed up with Captain Calamity to offer one family ticket to the Adventures in Story Land Show. For a chance to win this great prize go to www.familiesnorth.co.uk/competitions. Good luck!

book corner

Hi kids, parents, grandparents, teachers – and book lovers everywhere! I’m Ed and here is my New Year book selection for you to enjoy. The books are all available online from Ed’s Reading Room at www. edontheweb.com.

ROOM

Reading

Ed’s Ed’s Reading Room is an exciting free online book and story club for primary children in homes and schools. Each month, recently published books are selected as Ed’s Books of the Month for Owlets (age 5-7) and Owls (over 7s). On the website, there are fun literacy activities to accompany each book, including wordsearches, quizzes, poetry and reviews, and there are new original stories in Edtime Stories. There are also lots of other fun online activities, complementary to the curriculum. Check out Ed’s Archive for Ed’s Books of the Month from previous months. FOR AGES 5-7 YEARS

5-7

My Great Big Birthday Bash! by Betty G Birney (Faber £3.99)

Ed Says: ‘Humphrey loves being the classroom hamster with such a wonderful crowd of children. In this story he learns about the hd importance off b birthdays to humans and enjoys the unsqueakable excitement that surrounds birthday parties. When he hears about plans for a surprise party, he doesn’t realise how much of a surprise it really is going to be. ‘This is another super book in the Humphrey’s Tiny Tales series. The life

of this adorable character provides a lot of FUN-FUN-FUN for young readers on their own or reading together.’

Feathers in the Wind

spelling test any day! ‘This is a hilarious and wacky story by this very funny writer. It is entertaining and full of energy. If you enjoy this book, look out for the other titles in the series.’

by Sally Grindley (Bloomsbury £4.99)

Ed Says: ‘Joe and Aesha are thrilled to be going to the Indian city of Ahmedabad with their parents – a vet and a photographer. They will be there kite festival which h ffor the h annuall k is very exciting but which can be devastating for some of the birds. The children are eager to be involved but are they really putting themselves at risk when they try to help an injured bird on their own? ‘This is a fantastic adventure in the International Rescue series. It is a fastmoving story that will entertain boys and girls alike.’ FOR AGE 7 PLUS

Genie in Trouble by Ciaran Murtagh (Piccadilly Press £5.99)

Granny Grabbers’ Whizz Bang World by Charlotte Haptie (Hodder £5.99)

Ed Says: ‘Delilah Smart’s parents are determined their daughter will excel in everything she does and to help them they send off for a childcare robot. Although at first Delilah isn’t sure what to make of the metal contraption with several long arms, soon Delilah and Granny Grabbers form a close bond. But when Delilah’s parents send off for the replacement Nanny Deluxe, is it time for Granny Grabbers to go to the scrapheap? Not without a lot of resistance! This is a very funny and warmhearted story. The madcap adventures and characters make for a real pageturner of a book.’

Ed Says: ‘Jamie is starting another tricky spelling test at school when suddenly his genie friend Balthazar appears. There is trouble back in Lampville and Balthazar needs Jamie to return to the Genie Academy with him to help sort things out. Jamie knows he is in for a dangerous challenge but secret plots in the genie world and magic carpet races are better than a

Ed’s Reading Room is part of www.edontheweb.com, a DTI awardwinning website. It was created by Maggie Humphreys, a teacher of more than 25 years, and Les Snowdon, who together are authors of several books on fitness walking and healthy eating. You are very welcome to contact Maggie on 01753 730019 or by email at mgh@edontheweb.com about the website or about Ed on the Web Spelling Bees in schools.

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cinema • museums • exhibitions out & about

Out & About Your guide to North London family entertainment

Cinema INSTITUT FRANÇAIS – CINÉ LUMIÈRE 17 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DT ( South Kensington) 020 7073 1350 institut-francais.org.uk Baby Tales January 19 Under 3 years. Kids Tales January 12, 19 3 – 5 years. Ciné Kids January 26 3+ years.

PHOENIX CINEMA 52 High Road, N2 9PJ ( East Finchley) 020 8444 6789 phoenixcinema.co.uk Kids Club screenings on Saturdays, also check special holiday workshops. Frankenweenie 3D (PG) January 5 Cost £2 Ratatouille January 12 Cost £2 Race to Witch Mountain January 19 Cost £2

Madagascar 3 (PG) January 26 Cost £3/£2.

WATERMANS 40 High Street, Brentford, TW8 ODS 020 8232 1010 watermans.org.uk Dr Seuss’ The Lorax (U) January 26 Animated film where everything is made out of plastic. 1 free adult per child ticket. The Hobbit (12A) January 1 – 17 Life of Pi (PG) January 18 – 24

Museums & Exhibitions BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM Bartholomew Lane, London EC2R 8AH ( Bank) 020 7601 5545 bankofengland.co.uk Gold and the Bank of England Until January 31 Exhibition examining the part gold has played during the Bank’s history. Free.

Amazing Animations January 26 Cost £2

FOUNDLING MUSEUM 40 Brunswick Square, WC1N 1AZ ( Russell Square) 020 7841 3600 foundlingmuseum.org.uk

RIO CINEMA 107 Kingsland High Street, E8 6LJ (Dalston Kingsland ) 020 7241 9410 riocinema.org.uk

Fate, Hope and Charity From January 25 Exhibition of everyday objects such as buttons, poems, coins and jewellery, left by mothers with their babies as a means of identification.

Play Centre Matinees January 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Cost £3/£2. Hotel Transylvania 3D (U) January 5 Cost £3/£2. Paranorman 3D (PG) January 12 Cost £3/£2. Frankenweenie 3D (PG) January 19 Cost £3/£2.

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Badges and Buttons February 16 Drop-in activities based on the exhibition.

Festive workshop. 5 – 11 years. Light up 2013! January 6 Creating glass lighting. 11+ years. Free. Chinese Lanterns February 2 Decorate a lantern to celebrate Chinese New Year. 5 – 11 years.

HANDEL HOUSE MUSEUM 25 Brook Street, W1K 4HB ( Bond Street) 020 7495 1685 handelhouse.org Handel & the Foundling Hospital January 19 Short talk on Handel’s musical contribution to the Hospital. Limited places on first come basis. Cost £6/ children free. Baroque Star! February 24 Create a mini-opera with costumes, composition and performance. Accompanied children 7+ years. Limited places bookable. Cost £5/ children free. Family Trails For younger musical visitors to explore the museum. MUSEUM OF LONDON – DOCKLANDS West India Quay, London E14 4AL (DLR West India Quay) 020 7001 9844 Mini Mudlarks Babies Group January 7, 14, 28, February 4, 11, 18 Play based activities. Book in advance. 6mths to walking. Ticketed events. Storytime January 10, 17, 24, 31

February 7, 14, 28 Puppets and music. Under 5 years.

NATIONAL GALLERY Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN ( Charing Cross) 020 7747 2885 nationalgallery.org.uk Magic Carpet Storytelling January 6, 13, 20, 27 Interactive story sessions inspired by paintings. 2 – 5 years. Free limited places on arrival. Art Workshops January 6, 13, 20, 27 Drawing sessions. 5 – 11 years. Free limited places on arrival. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY St Martin’s Place, London WC2H OHE ( Leicester Square) 020 7306 0055 npg.org.uk Drop-in Drawing January 4, 18, 25, February 1, 8, 15, Sketching classes for adults. Family Storytelling January 19, February 16 Stories and art activities. 3+ years. Free. Family Art Workshops January 19, February 9, 16, 5+ years. Free. Year of the Snake February 3 Chinese New Year art activities. Booking required. 14+ years. Free.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD ( South Kensington) 020 7942 5000 nhm.ac.uk

‘The Golden Cowpat’ at the Pleasance Theatre.

GEFFRYE MUSEUM Kingsland Road, E2 8EA ( Old Street) 020 7739 9893 geffrye-museum.org.uk Farewell to Christmas January 6

out and about museums • exhibitions • theatres • concerts Family Workshops January 5, 19 Handle real specimens. Animal Vision January 12, 26 Show with live animals. Dino Snores for Grownups January 19 Stay overnight in the museum. Adults only. Cost £175. Extinction: Not the End of the World? From February 8 Exhibition on the role extinction plays in the evolution of life. Cost £8/£4/ family £21. Images of Nature From February 27 Indian botanical and zoological watercolours. Free.

OCTOBER GALLERY 24 Old Gloucester Street, WC1N 3AL ( Holborn) 020 7242 7367 octobergalleryeducation.co.uk Family Art Days January 12, February 16 Explore the current exhibition and create an artwork. Limited places, so come early. Free. Art Days February 12 Art sessions. Also at 1a Children’s Centre, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4SR.

ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS Burlington House, W1J OBD ( Green Park) 020 7300 8000 royalacademy.org.uk Manet: Portraying Life January 26 – April 14 Exhibition on portraiture. Entrance £15/£4/£3/under 7s free. Out of Space January 13 ‘How to catch a Star’ at the Lyric Theatre.

Build a stellar mobile and see it glow. Free activities in the Learning Studio.

BARBICAN CENTRE Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS ( Barbican) 020 7638 4141 barbican.org.uk Yeung Fai Hand Stories January 15 – 19 Modern multimedia effects and traditional Chinese puppetry. 11+ years. Cost £16. Savanna, A Possible Landscape January 22 – 26 Exotic landscape and robotic animals. 7+ years. Cost £16.

Head in the Clouds February 17 Activities inspired by John Constable’s cloud studies. Free. Manet Family Workshop February 19, 21 Activities based on the exhibition. Early booking required. 6+ years. Cost £3 + cost of entrance to the exhibition.

SOMERSET HOUSE Strand, WC2R 1LA ( Temple) 020 7845 4600 somersethouse.org.uk Valentino: Master of Couture Until March 3 Exhibition with over 130 haute couture designs. Cost £12.50. V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9PA ( Bethnal Green) 020 8983 5200 museumofchildhood.org.uk Wondertots: Animal Safari January 11, 18, 25, February 1, 8 Learn about a different animal every week. Activity sessions for under 5 years. Bookable 2 weeks before start of sessions. Free. Expedition to the Exhibition February 9 Interactive sessions on Victorian life. Booking required. 5+ years. Cost £3.

THE WALLACE COLLECTION Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN ( Bond Street) 020 7563 9500 wallacecollection.org Trading Times January 4

‘Dogs don’t do Ballet’ at the Arts Depot.

Create a calendar. Booking required. 7+ years. Cost £7. The Little Draw January 6, February 3 Drop-in drawing workshop. All ages.

WHITECHAPEL GALLERY 77 – 82 Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX ( Aldgate East) 020 7522 7888 whitechapelgallery.org Saturday Drawing Workshops January 19, 26, February 2, 9, 26, 23 Drawing classes. 10 – 15 years. Cost £100 for 10 sessions. Crib Notes February 13 Tour of the exhibition for parents/ carers with infants. Refreshments included. Cost £3. Family Day: Talking Pictures February 16 Playful interactive performances. Booking recommended. Free.

Theatres & Concerts ARTS DEPOT Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, N12 ( West Finchley & Woodside Park) 020 8369 5454 artsdepot.co.uk The Mumblars January 27 The Pigeon Post Office is due to close. 4+ years. Cost £7. The Tinderbox February 3 Classic tale with puppets and animation. 4+ years. Cost £7. Dogs Don’t Do Ballet February 10 Biff thinks he’s a ballerina. 2 – 6 years. Cost £7. Rubbish February 15, 16, 17 Recycling fun. Craft workshops at extra cost. 6+ years. Show tickets £8. The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr Benn February 16 Mr Benn’s incredible adventures. 4+ years. Cost £10.

BLOOMSBURY THEATRE 15 Gordon Street, WC1H OAH ( Euston) 020 7388 8822 thebloomsbury.com Tom’s Midnight Garden January 7 – 19 Tom is transported back in time to a secret garden. Cost £19.50/£14.50/ family(4) £64. CHICKENSHED THEATRE Chase Side, Southgate, N14 4PE ( Cockfosters/Oakwood) 020 8292 9222 chickenshed.org.uk Tales from the Shed January 25, 26. February 1, 2, 8, 9,15, 16, 21, 22, 23 Interactive show for young children. Under 7 years. Cost £5.50. GARDEN SUBURB THEATRE gardensuburbtheatre.org.uk Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass February 22, 23, 24, March 1, 2 Family show with music, held at Henrietta Barnett School, NW11 7BN. HALFMOON YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATRE 43 White Horse Road, E1 OND (Stepney Green/Limehouse ) 020 7709 8900 halfmoon.org.uk Small Worlds January 12 Digital animation and puppetry. 5 – 11 years. Cost £6. Curious January 19 Explore everyday objects in a theatre experience for the very young. Under 3 years. Cost £6. Rumpelstiltskin & the Wheel of Fortune January 26 Polly Buckwheat is in a pickle until an eccentric dwarf comes to help. 3 – 7 years. Cost £6. Sally and the Sunflower February 2 Sally swaps a cabbage for a handful of seeds. 3 – 7 years. Cost £6.

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theatres • concerts out & about Pinocchio Until January 27 6+ years. Cost £14/£10. Dogs Don’t Do Ballet Until January 27 2 – 6 years. Cost £10/£8.

LION & UNICORN THEATRE 42 – 44 Gaisford Street, NW5 2ED ( Kentish Town) 08444 999999 (bookings) giantolive.com The Tempest Until January 5 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Until January 5 Twelfth Night January 29 – February 23

‘Rubbish’ at the Arts Depot.

Stuck February 9 Floyd gets his kite stuck in a tree. 3+ years. Cost £6. Dreamtime February 16 Slither the snake is afraid of the jungle. Puppet workshop after the show. 3 – 6 years. Cost £6.

INTIMATE THEATRE 521 Green Lanes, N13 4DH (Palmers Green ) 0844 414 2731 smptheatre.co.uk Beauty and the Beast January 17 – 20 Pantomime by Saint Monica’s Players – amateur dramatics.

KING’S HEAD THEATRE 115 Upper Street, Islington, N1 1QN ( Angel) 020 7478 0160 kingsheadtheatre.com The Secret Garden February 10 – March 17 Musical. 8+ years.

LAUDERDALE HOUSE Highgate Hill, Waterlow Park, N6 ( Archway) 020 8348 8716 lauderdalehouse.co.uk Goldilocks & The Grumpy Bears January 19 Songs, action and participation 3 – 6 years. Cost £4.50 Hansel, Gretal and You... Who? January 26 Interactive puppet show. 3 – 8 years. Cost £4.50 Carnival Child February 2 Carnival music and lots of puppets. 3 – 8 years. Cost £4.50

LONDON COLISEUM St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4ES ( Charing Cross) eno.org The Sleeping Beauty January 9 – 19 English National Ballet.

LONDON INTERNATIONAL MIME FESTIVAL mimelondon.com January 10 – 27 Selection of shows at the Barbican, Royal Opera House, Roundhouse, Soho Theatre and Southbank Centre.

LYRIC THEATRE HAMMERSMITH King Street, W6 OQL ( Hammersmith) 020 8741 6850 lyric.co.uk Saturday shows with messy play activities. Mazymeg and the Honey Bees January 12

‘Mavis Sparkle ’at the Lyric Theatre.

Mazymeg helps Albert and his honey bees. 4 – 7 years. My Big Little Sister January 19 Ruby wishes she was a grown-up. 4 – 8 years. The Selfish Crocodile January 26, 27 A brave little mouse helps a crocodile with a toothache. 3 – 7 years. Arthur’s Dreamboat February 2 A little boy and a big dream. 2 – 7 years. Mavis Sparkle February 9 Illusion and animation. 5 – 10 years. Jack at the Beanstalk Café February 16 Puppets and live music. 4 – 8 years.

PLEASANCE THEATRE Carpenters Mews, North Road, N7 9EF ( Caledonian Road) 020 7609 1800 pleasance.co.uk The Golden Cowpat Until January 6 Hector the farmer finds a mysterious golden cowpat. 4 – 9 years. Cost £8.50.

Chinese New Year Workshops February 3 Stories and activity workshops. Bookable. 3 – 8 years. Cost £6.50.

Tom Thumb at Jacksons Lane.

JACKSONS LANE 269A Archway Road, N6 5AA ( Highgate) 020 8341 4421 jacksonslane.org.uk Tom Thumb January 27 Performed on a kitchen table! 3+ years. Arthur’s Dream Boat February 3 No one is interested in Arthur’s dream. 2+ years.

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Magical Mayhem February 9 Magic, bubbles, balloons and games. 3 – 8 years. Cost £4.50 Shadow Tails February 16 Shadow puppetry and sing-a-longs. 3 – 8 years. Cost £4.50 Family Friendly Concert February 17 Cost £7/£5/£1.

LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE 14 Dagmar Passage, N1 2DN ( Angel or Highbury Islington) 020 7226 1787 littleangeltheatre.com

‘Arthur’s Dreamboat’ at the Lyric Theatre.

out and about theatres • concerts • workshops The pleasure of wrapping, receiving and giving. 4 – 6 years. Cost £16/£10. Family discounts.

Half Term Activities and Workshops ARTS DEPOT Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, N12 ( West Finchley & Woodside Park) 020 8369 5454 artsdepot.co.uk The Enormous Turnip February 21 – 24 The turnip that wouldn’t stop growing. Craft workshops at extra cost. 3+ years. Cost £10. The Puppet Theatre Barge.

PUPPET THEATRE BARGE Blomfield Road, Little Venice, W9 2PF ( Warwick Avenue) 020 7249 6876 puppetbarge.com Joey’s Fireworks January 19, 20, 26, 27, February 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 18 – 22, 23, 24 The arrival of the New Year with Burglar Bill, Dog Toby and Joey the Clown. 3+ years. Cost £10/£8.50.

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE Covent Garden, WC2E 9DD ( Covent Garden) 020 7304 4000 roh.org.uk balletblack.co.uk Ballet Black February 27 – March 6 Linbury Studio Theatre.

SADLER’S WELLS & LILIAN BAYLIS STUDIO Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN ( Angel) 0844 412 4300 sadlerswells.com Questions & Dancers February 9 Pirate Castle.

Double bill (Duck Man and OMG!) performed by students of London Contemporary Dance School with questions and answers session at the end. 8+ years. Cost £6.

UNICORN THEATRE 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ ( London Bridge) 020 7645 0560 unicorntheatre.com A Thousand Slimy Things January 30 – February 7 Live music, songs and comedy. 10+ years. Cost £16/£10. Liar, Liar January 31 – March 6 The truth can be dangerous. 13 – 16 years. Cost £16/£10. 1001 Nights February 5 – March 17 A world of imagination. 6 – 9 years. Cost £16/£10. Family discounts. Little Red... You Know Who! February 8 – 10 Follow a magical path through the woods. 3 – 6 years. Cost £16/£10. Family discounts. The Present February 13 – 17

BARBICAN CENTRE Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS ( Barbican) 020 7638 4141 barbican.org.uk There’s a Rabbit in the Moon February 15 – 17, 19 – 21 Magical workshop to put your fears of the dark to bed. 4 – 9 years. Cost £8.50. LSO – The Mighty Sea February 24 Family Concert with pre-concert workshops. 7 – 12 years. Cost £10/£5.

BRITISH LIBRARY 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB ( Kings Cross) bl.uk Half Term Family Workshops February 19 – 21 Creative workshops based around patterns and shapes. Limited places. Free.

BRUCE CASTLE MUSEUM Lordship Lane, N17 8NU ( Seven Sisters) 020 8808 8772 haringey.gov.uk Family Activities Check website for special Sunday events and half term activities.

BURGH HOUSE & HAMPSTEAD MUSEUM New End Square, NW3 1LT ( Hampstead) 020 7431 0144 burghhouse.org.uk Half Term Event February 22 Crafts and story afternoon. 5 – 9 years. Booking required. Cost £3.

CIRCUS GLORY Primrose Hill Community Centre, NW1 8TN

0797 345 1603 Half Term Workshops February 20 Trapeze, rope, juggling, plate spinning and more..3+ years. Cost £30.

CREATION STATION 0844 854 9085 thecreationstation.co.uk nina@thecreationstation.co.uk February Half Term Holiday art and craft classes. 2 – 11 years. Classes at £7.50 and £4 for siblings. Baby Discovery Sessions Hands-on learning at InterChange Studios, NW3 and St Peter-le-Poer Church Hall, N10. 4 – 16 months. Littler Explorers Art and crafts sessions in NW3, N10, N3, Brent Cross, Hendon. 1 – 5 years. Cost £7.50 and £4 for siblings. CREATIVE WIZ KIDS 020 7794 6797 creativewizkids.com Mother/Toddler Group From January 9 Once or twice weekly sessions at St Peters, NW3 and St Judes, NW11. 1 – 3 years. Half Term Club February 18 – 22 At St Peters, Belsize Square, NW3 4HT. Early bird discounts available. 3 – 9 years. DANNY GRANT SOCCER SCHOOL 020 8446 0891 dgsoccer.co.uk Football Courses February Half Term 3 – 12 years.

DRAMARAMA STAGE SCHOOL 020 8446 0891 dramarama.co.uk Performing Arts Courses February Half Term 3+ years.

DUGDALE CENTRE Thomas Hardy House, 39 London Road, Enfield EN2 6DS (Enfield Town ) 020 8807 6680 dugdalecentre.co.uk Three Little Pigs February 21 Re-telling of the classic tale. 4+ years. Cost £6/£5 online. EFDSS Cecil Sharp House 2 Regent’s Park Road, NW1 7AY ( Camden Town)

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half term activities • workshops out & about 020 7485 2206 efdss.org Fun with Folk Dance February 18, 19 Dance and music course. 6 – 9 years. Cost £30 Get Your Folk On! February 20 – 22 Folk musical experience for players of any instrument. 12+ years. Cost £30.

GEFFRYE MUSEUM Kingsland Road, E2 8EA ( Old Street) 020 7739 9893 geffrye-museum.org.uk Design Through the Decades February 19 – 22 Creative activities based on homes through the ages. Places allocated 30 minutes before start of workshop. 5 – 16 years. Free.

Half Term Workshops February 18 – 22 Dance and art sessions.

JACKSONS LANE 269A Archway Road, N6 5AA ( Highgate) 020 8341 4421 jacksonslane.org.uk Bringing Down The Moon February 17 Mole sees the moon for the very first time and wants to play with it. 3+ years. Dogs Don’t Do Ballet February 20 – 23 Biff thinks he’s a ballerina.. 2 – 6 years.

Half Term Courses February 18 – 22 Sewing and design workshops. 8+ years. Cost £225 for full days and £120 for half days.

HALFMOON YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATRE 43 White Horse Road, E1 OND (Stepney Green/Limehouse ) 020 7709 8900 halfmoon.org.uk

Adult Courses Dressmaking skills held on Tuesdays. Cost £100 for 5 week course.

HOLIDAY ACADEMY holidayacademy.co.uk Holiday Courses February 11 – 15, 18 – 22 At Cavendish School, NW1 and Primrose Hill School, NW1.

ISLINGTON ARTS FACTORY 2 Parkhurst Road, N7 OSF 020 7607 0561 islingtonartsfactory.org Haringey Shed.

ENTERTAINMENT for kids, WHATEVER THE WEATHER

LITTLE HANDS DESIGN 020 7431 0573 littlehandsdesign.co.uk

Creative Workshops February 20, 22 Free admission on first come first served basis. 11+ years.

Misunderstood Monsters February 23 A dangerous mission for a professional monster catcher. 4 – 9 years. Cost £6.

The Ultimate Indoor Adventure Park

LAUDERDALE HOUSE Highgate Hill, Waterlow Park, London N6 ( Archway) 020 8348 8716 lauderdalehouse.co.uk The Rubberface Rub-ba-dub Stew February 23 Clowning, song and dance. 1 – 7 years. Cost £4.50

LYRIC THEATRE HAMMERSMITH King Street, W6 OQL ( Hammersmith) 020 8741 6850 lyric.co.uk How to Catch a Star February 19 – 23

Come and Play!

Laser Ta g and o Parties ther at reaso nable p rices Don't forget to "like" us on Facebook for more exclusive offers, deals and competitions - www.facebook.com/kidspaceromford

for more information call 01708 768 003 www.kidspaceadventures.com The Brewery, Waterloo Road, Romford, Essex RM1 1AU

A little boy decides to try and catch a star. Craft sessions after the Saturday show. 3 – 7 years. Cost £8/£11 including messy play activity.

MUSEUM OF LONDON 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN ( St Paul’s) 020 7001 9844 museumoflondon.org.uk The Musical Park February 20 Musical session. 1 – 5 years. Tickets on arrival. Come and Play in the Park February 22, 23 Have a go at popular Victorian games. 5+ years. Ticketed event on arrival. Mask Making February 22, 23 Art drop-in sessions. 5+ years. Free. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY St Martin’s Place, WC2H OHE ( Leicester Square) 020 7306 0055 npg.org.uk

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Three day photography workshop. Booking required. 14+ years. Free.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD ( South Kensington) 020 7942 5000 nhm.ac.uk What on Earth is That? February 19 Look at various objects found by the public or bring in your own. Cockroaches: From the Beginning February 18 All about cockroaches!

PIRATE CASTLE Oval Road, NW1 7EA ( Camden Town) 020 7267 6605 thepiratecastle.org Half Term Holiday Scheme February 18 – 22 Canoeing and land based activities, plus trips. 8 – 13 years. Cost per day £8 / concessions available.

Half Term Family Activities February 18, 19, 20 Various activities with ticketed events and drop-in sessions. Free.

ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM Grahame Park Way, NW9 5LL ( Colindale) 020 8205 2266 rafmuseum.org.uk

Don’t Put my name on it February 20 – 22

Half Term Helicopters February 18 – 22

out and about workshops • special events • further aﬁeld Fun workshops on the Museum’s Helicopter collection. Free.

SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2A 3BP ( Holborn) 020 7440 4263 soane.org Prints, Patterns and Paints February 20 Half-day workshop. Booking required. 7+ years. Cost £12. Reflective Rooms February 21 Design workshop. Booking required. 7+ years. Cost £12.

SOUTH BANK CENTRE Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX. ( Waterloo) 0844 847 9910 southbankcentre.co.uk Imagine Children’s Festival February 11 – 24 Theatre, music, film and comedy for children with leading children’s authors. Also discussions for adults on children’s issues. Free and ticketed events for all ages.

SUTTON HOUSE – NATIONAL TRUST 2 & 4 Homerton High St, Hackney E9 6JQ ( Bethnal Green) 020 8986 2264 nationaltrust.org.uk Family Fun February 21 Fun art activities making gifts.

UNICORN THEATRE 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ ( London Bridge) 020 7645 0560 unicorntheatre.com Sensacional February 19 – 24 Sound and light show. 18 months – 4 years. Cost £10 includes 2 free adults. Great Spitalfields Pancake Race.

V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9PA ( Bethnal Green) 020 8983 5200 museumofchildhood.org.uk Half Term: New Wave Kids February 18 – 22 Creative activities based on items from the 1980s. Free drop in sessions. Half Term: The Paper Bag Princess February 18 – 22 Create costumes and perform. Messy activities. Booking from early February. 5 – 11 years. Free.

THE WALLACE COLLECTION Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN ( Bond Street) 020 7563 9500 wallacecollection.org Terrific T-Shirts February 18 Silk-screen printing. Booking required. 13+ years. Cost £14. Build a Boat February 19 Free drop-in sessions to create a 3D boat. 5+ years. Piece of Cake February 20 Design a cake stand. 7+ years. Booking required. Cost £7. WHITECHAPEL GALLERY 77 – 82 Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX ( Aldgate East) 020 7522 7888 whitechapelgallery.org Telling Stories February 19/20 & 21/22 Film and performances. 5 – 8 years & 9 – 12 years. Cost £45 for 2-day course. Big Ideas on Technology February 23 Visuals and sound sculptures using software. 14+ years. Free.

Special Events ALEXANDRA PALACE Alexandra Palace Way, N22 7AY ( Wood Green) 020 8365 2121 alexandrapalace.com London Model Engineering Exhibition January 18 – 20 Demonstrations, remote controlled trucks and tanks and passenger rides – steam locomotives. Cost £10/£5.50.

BARNET WALKS Paul Baker 020 8440 6805

barnetwalks.talktalk.net Battle of Barnet Guided Walk January 13 Learn about the famous battle of 1471. Start from Great North Road/ Hadley Green Road. Suitable for adults and accompanying children. Cost £8/£4 under 12 years.

CAMDEN ARTS CENTRE Arkwright Road, NW3 6DG ( Finchley Road) 020 7472 5500 camdenartscentre.org Taking Root Family Day January 26 Family activities in the garden. Free. CHINESE NEW YEAR February 10 Year of the Snake Weekend celebrations around Chinatown, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square. Chinese lion and dragon dances, food, music and stage performances. HARINGEY FAMILIES haringeyfamilies.co.uk Nearly New Sales February 9 Held at St George’s Hall, Park Road/ Cranley Gardens, N10 3AH. Monthly sales to include second-hand clothes, toys, books and equipment. 10.30am – 11.45am. HARINGEY SHED Haringey Irish Centre, Pretoria Road, Tottenham, N17 8DX 020 8801 7209 haringeyshed.org Shed Fest 2013 February 16 Held at Haringey Sixth Form Centre, White Hart Lane, N17 8HR. Family entertainment with bands, choir and dance. All ages. Free entry – donations welcome. LEE VALLEY Myddlelton House, Bulls Cross, Enfield EN2 9HG 08456 770 600 (M25/J25) visitleevalley.org.uk London Indoor Games January 26 – February 2 At Lee Valley Athletics Centre, N9 Opening Weekend at the Farms February 16, 17 At Lee Valley Park Farms, EN9 2EF. ST LUKE’S CHURCH Phipps Hatch Lane, Enfield, EN2 OHL Craft Fair February 9 Art and craft, face painting and children’s activities.

ST MARTIN-IN-THE-FIELDS Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4JJ ( Charing Cross) 020 7766 1100 smitf.org Mini Maestro Family Concert January 26, February 23 A musical experience. Cost £8.50/£6.50.

WIGMORE HALL 36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP ( Bond Street) 020 7935 2141 wigmore-hall.org.uk For Crying Out Loud! January 11 Concerts for new parents. Under 1 year. Cost £6. Music Factory February 2 Family concert ideal for children learning the recorder. 5+ years. Cost £7/£5.

Further Aﬁeld DESIGN MUSEUM 28 Shad Thames,SE1 2YD ( London Bridge) 020 7403 6933 designmuseum.org Get into Jewellery Design February 18 – 20 Paper engineering. Booking required. 12 – 16 years. Cost £125.

FASHION & TEXTILE MUSEUM 83 Bermondsey Street SE1 3XF ( London Bridge) 020 7407 8664ftmlondon.org Hartnell to Amies Until February 23 Exhibition of London couture fashion. Cost £7/£5. Half Term Courses February 18 – 23 Fashion course. Registration required. First course free. 16 – 18 years. Draw like a Designer February 20 Create illustrations using a variety of media. Check website for suitable age range.

GREAT SPITALFIELDS PANCAKE RACE Dray Walk, Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, E1 alternativearts.co.uk info@alternativearts.co.uk Pancake Race February 12 Shrove Tuesday charity event. Enter teams of four and bring a frying pan – pancakes provided.

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further aﬁeld • subscriptions • classiﬁed out and about NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HT ( Sloane Square) 020 7730 0717 nam.ac.uk

ROYAL ALBERT HALL Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP ( South Kensington) 0845 401 5045 royalalberthall.com

Captain Clean February 16 – 24 Hunt for clues and solve puzzles. Drop-in event. Free.

Cirque Du Soleil – Kooza January 5 – February 14 Acrobatics and clowning in style.

RIVER AND ROWING MUSEUM Mill Meadows, Henley on Thames, RG9 1BF (Henley-on-Thames ) 01491 415600 rrm.co.uk

Junior Classical Coffee Mornings January 20 Royal College of Music recitals in the Elgar Room. Cost £11 includes hot drink and a pastry.

Winter Wonderland Until January 25 Explore and enjoy a walk through an icy wild wood.

Discover Circus February 19 Explore the history of circus with hands-on workshops. Held in the Education Room. 5 – 11 years. Cost £3.50.

Half Term Workshops February 19, 20, 21 Various activities during the school holidays. Charges apply.

Family Ignite – The Animal Kingdom February 19 Family musical concert in the Elgar

SUBSCRIPTIONS

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Room. Children sit up close in front. Cost £3.50 – £5. Ricardo Garcia’s Flamenco Flow for Kids February 20 Flamenco for children – costumes provided. Held in the Elgar Room. Cost £9/£7.

ROYAL MUSEUMS GREENWICH Cutty Sark SE10 9NF (DLR Cutty Sark) 020 8312 6608 rmg.co.uk/cuttysark Entry £12/£6.50/£20 family (3)/£29 family (4). Lantern Lights February 18, 19 Make a colourful lantern. New Year Fans February 20, 21 Make a fan and learn about their history.

Animal Masks February 22, 23 Make an animal mask related to the year you were born in. Chinese New Year February 23 Celebrate the Year of the Snake aboard the Cutty Sark with music, workshops performances and tea tasting.

WADDESDON MANOR Waddesdon, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP18 OJH (M40/J7) 01296 653226 nationaltrust.org.uk Half Term Fun February 18 – 24 Gardens, Woodland playground, café and shop will be open. Entrance £8/£4/family £20.

www.pippinpuppets.com Tiptop puppet shows Kate - 020 8348 4055

SALLY SUNSHINE FACE PAINTING FUN !

07837 713 699

‘Bewitching!’ Daily Telegraph ‘Highly Recommended’ Time Out

Magical parties with Laurie Temple and his Company

Name

Themed parties & complete party organisation available

Address

magic juggling puppets guitar & songs storytelling mini disco face painting

www.thepartywizard.co.uk

020 8951 9469 07951 596240

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DISTRIBUTORS WANTED in the boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Westminster. Contact: 020 8202 2034 www.familiesnorth.co.uk

25% off* next term’s fees at Fiorentini Weenies & North London Branch *Limited places. Applies to new students only

The Anna Fiorentini Theatre & Film School for 4-18 years The North London branch of the Saturday Anna Fiorentini Theatre & Film School is currently taking applications for the next term and its forthcoming Taster Days. The school originally opened in Hackney in 2001 and now has over 250 students aged 7-18, many of whom have gone on to secure professional work on TV, Film and in theatre. Examples include Charlie Jones and Belinda Owusu, who played Ben Mitchell and Libby Fox in EastEnders and Tahj Miles who currently plays Simba in the West End’s The Lion King. As well as providing professional training, the aim of the school is to also provide a safe and supportive environment for

all children to explore their creativity regardless of what career path they eventually choose to follow. Every week students follow a timetable of drama/ﬁlm, dance and singing under the guidance of top industry professionals. As well as weekly classes, students are given the opportunity to take part in Voice Idol, Drama and Stars in their Eyes competitions, culminating in a yearly Oscar Night. The school has recruited some excellent teaching staff including: Mike Burnside (actor in The Bill, Bergerac, the RSC), Mark Short (choreograhper to Tina Turner, Peter Andre, Liberty X), Michael Buffong (director of EastEnders, Holby City, Casualty and Coronation Street), Jacob Murray (former associate artisitc director of the Royal

Exchange Manchester and teacher for National Theatre’s educational Department) and Jay Henry (X-Factor coach and voice coach having worked with Craig David, Mariah Carey and George Michael to name but a few). Celebrities such as Joseph Marcell (Jeffery in Fresh Prince of Bel Air) and Dani Harmer (Tracey Beaker), have also been amongst special guests to give master classes at this prestigious school. Students get to work with a variety of casting directors, producers and TV directors. They also get the opportunity to be considered for the agency to audition for professional work.

Lamda Qualiﬁcations in Drama which carry UCAS points also available.

www.ANNAFIORENTINI.com Tel: 020 7682 1403

Drama, Singing, Dance, Film, Set & Costume Design for ages 4-18 Saturdays in North London & Hackney Tuesdays in Bethnal Green Wednesdays in Docklands

ANNA FIORENTINI

THEATRE

FILM SCHOOL

Maths & English tuition

As members, children work with tutors who are great role models, enthusiastic about learning and fantastic motivators. The individual focus allows children to work at their own pace – whether they are finding school tricky or are top of the class! www.explorelearning.co.uk

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