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Education Family Health New Year Resolutions
Issue 96 January/February 2021
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MARCH 2021
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CONTENTS
Contact Us Tel: 07958284983 Email: editor@familiesherts.co.uk Web: www.familiesonline.co.uk Editor: Dale Harry /FamiliesHerts /FamiliesHerts
In This Issue
4 News 10 Activities: Craft 12 Early Years 16 Health 21 Activities: Cooking 22 Family Life 24 Online Classes
Welcome We have the dark, chilly days of winter to get through and, despite the Christmas break, many of us are feeling battle-weary and fatigued. So let’s make the most of these quiet weeks to come. While we hibernate, it’s a great time to make some New Year’s resolutions that will get the family’s health back on track, mentally and physically. We’ve got some great tips and ideas in the area of health as well as some tips from parenting guru Lynda Ince-Greenaway in The Four Cs of an Incredible Parent article on page 12. As we continue our 30th anniversary celebrations, why not sign up to receive our digital magazine, where you’ll find additional interactive content and more freebies? Just visit familiesmag.co.uk/go Hang in there everyone – better times are coming!
Dale Families is a registered trademark of LCMB Ltd, Remenham House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of this magazine are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of Families Print Ltd. Every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine but Families Print Ltd, its distributors, franchisees and LCMB Ltd cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents, or any consequences thereof.
Boost Your Child’s Confidence in 2021 with a FREE Perform Class After such a disrupted and unsettling year, Perform is looking forward to getting 2021 off to a brilliant start with weekly classes packed with high energy confidence-boosting fun. Classes are designed around developing the 4 Cs – confidence, communication, coordination and concentration – and use a mix of drama, dance and singing to bring out every child’s potential. The curriculum ensures plenty of fun, with drama, games, catchy songs and funky dances. All class materials are written by Perform, with apps, downloads and videos for the children to play at home. The small class sizes – run by two professional actors – ensure plenty of individual attention, plus each child receives a progress report every 10 weeks. Classes are available for ages 4-7 and 7-12 with a new creative theme each term. To book a no-obligation FREE trial at St Albans, Harpenden, Welwyn Garden City, Bishops Stortford, Broxbourne, Hitchin, Radlett visit website, call 020 7255 9120 or email enquiries@perform.org.uk Familiesonline.co.uk
Body THERAPY
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Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment which enhances the body’s natural healing process by inhalation of 100% oxygen in a total body chamber, where atmospheric pressure is increased and controlled. Positive effects of application: Helps boost immune system - Helps reduce inflammation - Positive impact to mental & physical wellbeing - Supports the body to detoxify - Enhances sport performance. Some conditions supported are: ADD/ADHD, Alzheimer/Dementia, Anxiety/Depression, Helps healing process, Injury recovery, Pre/post-surgery recovery, Eczema/Psoriasis, Eye sight, Stroke, Heart attack, boost immune system, Lung conditions, Support cancer therapy and many more..... TEMPLE Clinic Ellen House, 63 London Road, St. Albans Hertfordshire. AL1 1L J Phone No. 07889 759677 Email. bdytherapyhbot@hotmail.com
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Market your business with Families Herts • Print and digital options • Tailored and bespoke packages • Ad design service • We have a high repeat booking rate, so advertising with us works
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NEWS
A Need for Local Foster Carers Local foster carers are joining forces with Hertfordshire County Council in a new campaign to highlight the desperate need for more carers. The new #RecruitingNow campaign which features real life foster carers from across Hertfordshire, is appealing to residents who may have been affected by a change in circumstances owing to coronavirus. It may be that they are now working from home and have more flexibility, or just be reassessing what they want to do in life.
Wear A Hat Day 2021!
There are over 900 children and young people in care and many live with Hertfordshire’s foster carers. Each month, Hertfordshire County Council receives an average of 55 requests for new foster placements.
Wear A Hat Day is back for 2021! Taking place on Friday 26 March, this is one of the UK’s biggest and most important brain tumour research fundraising and awareness-raising days.
Helen and Dave are foster carers of teenagers and are from Stevenage. They have seen the joys that fostering bring.
After the very challenging year of coronavirus pandemic, Wear A Hat Day 2021 is perfectly timed to become a huge event, bringing hope and inspiring the nation like never before.
‘It’s a completely new way of life, having a house full of lovely young people who keep us young! We are a fostering family; our children have embraced fostering too, and they’ve been amazing,’ says Helen. Fostering offers the flexibility of working from home, perhaps while caring for your own children, or to combine fostering and other work, depending on the age and needs of the children in your care. Many people do not realise that foster carers receive a weekly payment for their skills plus a weekly allowance for each child they look after. Anyone fostering with Hertfordshire County Council can expect full training and unrivalled support To become a foster carer in Hertfordshire, you must be over 21 years old, and have at least one spare room at home. Visit website for more information.
Thanks to the brilliant charity partnership with Venture Studios, Wear A Hat Day organisers have been gifted with inspirational and uplifting portraits of key worker families who, despite having their own devastating brain tumour stories, are determined to show the joy and positivity that being involved in Wear A Hat Day brings. Join thousands of families across the country and create entertaining hat-themed fundraising events in support of the Brain Tumour Research charity. Whether your event will take place virtually or in person, there are plenty of ideas, resources and a FREE digital fundraising pack available online. To take part, register at www.wearahatday.org Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer. Wear A Hat Day offers hope for patients as well as their families and friends.
Stay healthy this year with BeeZee Bodies
An award-winning family healthy lifestyle programme in Hertfordshire is offering free online sessions. Each week the team of nutritionists at BeeZee Bodies cover topics such as healthy snacking, balanced meals, portion size and physical activity. Families can log on to weekly webinars that are fun and interactive, with games and quizzes, and prizes to be won! All of BeeZee Bodies programmes are free for children aged 5-15, and their families, living in Hertfordshire (eligibility criteria applies). New courses start in January. For more information go to website or call 01707248648
Familiesonline.co.uk
January/February 5
NEWS & VIEWS
Wedding delayed? More time to consider a prenup… The current Covid pandemic has caused numerous weddings to be postponed. With more time before the big day, engaged couples are using it to consider and discuss the benefits of entering into a prenuptial agreement What is a prenup? prenuptial agreement is a contract that A a couple signs before getting married to confirm how they will deal with their financial arrangements in case of a divorce. Prenups set out what assets there are at the date of the agreement, who owns them and what will happen to them. The prenup should also deal with the division of any future assets acquired over the course of their marriage. In England and Wales prenuptial agreements are not strictly binding in the event of a later divorce, but the agreement is likely to be upheld if certain criteria is met unless the effect of the agreement would be unfair.
It is important that a prenup is signed in good time before the wedding day to ensure you are each given the chance to consider the agreement and take independent legal advice.
Why would I need a prenup? Financial problems can often cause rifts in relationships causing them to breakdown. A prenup can be useful in encouraging couples to discuss their finances openly before tying the knot. It can help to resolve any issues before the marriage has started to avoid it creating further disputes later in life. Other reasons for a prenup can include providing financial security for children from a previous relationship or to protect assets or
Books to Process Feelings Leafing through the pages of a book affords the space and time to think and to process emotions. It can provide a safe space to acknowledge worries, anxiety or sadness, creating opportunities to open wider conversations. When reading with your child, make connections between the pictures and story and things happening in your child’s life, as well as emotions they might be feeling. Ask simple questions: “How do you think he’s feeling? Have you ever felt that way? I wonder if she’s nervous. When was the last time you felt like that?” This is can be a tactful and unobtrusive way to approach a tender subject, especially if you are concerned that your child is bothered by something. Be gentle and allow time for your child to respond in their own way, without pressure. Gently turning the pages of a book can be a wonderful opportunity to emotionally connect with your child at a deep level, a chance for them to open up and for them to feel your love and reassurance. By Smriti Halls 6 January/February
property you may have acquired before the marriage. If you would like further information in relation to prenups or family law generally, please contact one of our family solicitors at Debenhams Ottaway.
Helen Young Family Partner
To contact Debenhams Ottaway email hy@debenhamsottaway.co.uk, call 01727 738212 or visit debenhamsottaway.co.uk
Equipment for Those Living with a Disability Remap Hertfordshire South is the local branch of a national charity dedicated to designing and producing custom-made equipment to cater to all ages and mobility needs. If you are living with disability, Remap is there to make life easier. The charity uses experienced mechanical, electrical, woodworkers and computing engineers to build hundreds of high-quality aids every year – absolutely free of charge! One such project was building a set of parallel bars for a young boy with cerebral palsy. The equipment allowed him to take huge strides in learning how to walk and gain confidence in his own ability. Remap also cater to people’s interests and recently adapted a guitar tuner for a keen player with visual impairment, converting the visual display into an audio signal to indicate if the note is too high or low. If you have a family member or friend who Remap can help, call 01727 613177 or email herts.s@remapgroups.org.uk. If you have metal, woodworking, electronic or computer skills and are interested in volunteering get in touch with the team too. Familiesonline.co.uk
EDUCATION
Learning Challenges for Kids From Bella Learning, these are open-ended, purposeful tasks, differentiated by age, that your child can do as part of home-schooling or at the weekend.
Challenge 1
Challenge 2
Challenge 3
Create a poster.
Create a rainbow collage.
Audit your toys.
Challenge 4
Challenge 5
Challenge 6
Celebrate a story.
Make a family tree.
Make a sunshine picture.
Challenge 7
Challenge 8
Challenge 9
Create an observation chart. Familiesonline.co.uk
Interview a relative.
Make a treasure hunt.
January/February 7
FAMILY LIFE
The Four Cs of an Incredible Parent By Dr Lynda Ince-Greenaway
There is no rule book to teach us how to parent, but following the Four Cs is a good foundation for raising a well-rounded child Lynda has over thirty years’ experience of leading, teaching, mentoring and coaching individuals and families. She has lived in Hertfordshire for most of her life and is author of Hard Truth. Have you ever heard a radio programme where the presenter asked listeners to call in and say why their mums and dads were incredible parents? I know that I have often wanted to respond to invitations like this and tell the world about what a phenomenal parent my mother was. I haven’t called into radio programmes, but I wrote about it in my memoir Hard Truth, as a tribute to my mother’s dedication and love for her children. Today, I look back at her parenting style and I know that she did an incredible job of raising her children simply because she was wise and trained her children well. I can reflect with pride and say that I have not forgotten the lessons and the values she taught me. It is true that there are no books that tell us how to parent, but in the 18 years that are allotted to parents to raise a child, the best book is the model that children see and later copy. Today, parents are doing a really incredible job in a hostile environment and against a backdrop of social problems that impact children’s learning. As Covid-19 takes its toll on family life, we have yet to see the outcome it will have in the distant future. As bad as things might seem, the family is still the strongest unit because it is where children can be offered love, acceptance, emotional warmth, encouragement, discipline and self-confidence. Training children in the early years provides a strong foundation for future growth and success. Children are our most valuable gift and the most important investment we will ever make. In my book I show how I made my son the best investment I could make without spoiling 8 January/February
him, but by applying consistent training and discipline to prepare him for life. Incredible parents help their children to achieve important milestones at every stage of their development.
platforms. Help your child to learn how to build positive human relationships. Develop an environment where your child can communicate with you rather than strangers on the Internet.
Wherever you are in your parenting journey, the results will only become evident as you see the outcome of your training, and as your children achieve incredible things of which you will be proud. Here are four Cs to include in your tool kit:
Cooperating
Caring
Parents lead busy lives, and before they know it, their children have grown up. Allocate special times to interact with your child. Your child will learn in an unconscious way that you truly care and it will pay great dividends in the years to come.
Connecting
Help your child to feel connected to the family. Each child must know that they have a special place in your heart and that you value them for their uniqueness. Home is the place where a child must feel safe, develop a sense of belonging, and know that they can depend on you to meet their needs. Keeping children connected stops them looking for comfort from others who might exploit and abuse them.
Communicating
The principle of cooperation is that the whole is greater than its individual parts. Cooperation within the family supports the notion that everyone has a role to play in contributing to the family’s success. United we stand, divided we fall is a value I was taught during my childhood. Teaching this principle will eventually lead children to take responsibility and see their part in contributing to their personal success and the success of their family. No doubt about it! Incredible parents stand a good chance of raising incredible children. Hard Truth is a memoir from author Lynda Ince-Greenaway. Lynda emigrated to England from Barbados with her mother and siblings. As a young girl she had no idea how her life would drastically change. This is a book about parenting, loss and overcoming adversity. Hard Truth is available via this website. For more information on Lynda visit this website
Remember that you are preparing your child for a world where old patterns of communication are fast disappearing, and one where there is more interaction with social media and a variety of other Familiesonline.co.uk
NEW YEAR
New Year’s Resolution Ideas for Children Pre-School
Ages 5 to 8
I need to brush my teeth every morning and before going to bed.
I need to go to bed on time every night. I need to wash my hands before every meal. I will start eating at least three fruits and vegetables every day. I will start doing my chores every day. I will stop fighting with my brother/sister/others. I will stop interrupting when someone is talking. I will learn how to tell an adult if I see anyone being bullied.
I need to wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before I eat anything. I am going to start tasting a new food every week. I am going to start listening to my mum/dad. I will learn a new word every day. I will learn how to help clear the table when I have finished eating. I will stop hitting my brother/ sister/others.
Ages 9 to 11
I will learn to make a simple meal. I will learn how to tidy my room properly. I want to choose one author and read every book they have written. I will start having one screen free day every week. I want to save ÂŁ20 in my piggy bank. I need to eat fruit or vegetables with every meal. I need to do my homework before anything else after school. I will stop leaving my clothes on the floor.
Familiesonline.co.uk
January/February 9
ACTIVITIES
Fabulous Crafts to Celebrate Chinese New Year 11-26 February
Easy Chinese Lantern
Egg Carton Dragon Dancing Puppet
Paper Dragon Slinkie
Dragon Mask
Chinese Lantern Suncatcher
Chinese Fan
Panda Paper Bag Puppet
Year of Ox Headband
Year of Ox Paper Plate
10 January/February
Familiesonline.co.uk
ACTIVITIES
Get Moving with our Family Dance Party Playlist!
A-B-C, Easy as 1-2-3! ABCmouse.com
Happy Pharrell Williams (feat. Minions)
Can’t Stop the Feeling! Justin Timberlake
Gangnam Style PSY
Twist & Shout The Beatles
YMCA Village People
Dancing Queen ABBA
Who Let the Dogs Out Baha Men
Roar! Katy Perry
Familiesonline.co.uk
January/February 11
EARLY YEARS
Best Nursery Rhymes & Action Songs for Pre-Schoolers
Little Peter Rabbit Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush
Baby Shark
Finger Family Song
Little Bo Peep
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Little Miss Muffet
The Ants Go Marching
Itsy Bitsy Spider
12 January/February
Familiesonline.co.uk
EARLY YEARS
The Benefits of Nursery and Things to Consider
The Lowdown on Potty Training
By Gabrielle Nash
By Andrew Campbell
Choosing good quality childcare is one of the most important decisions parents make. So whether you are assessing options for returning to work or considering part time childcare for your toddler, a nursery may be what you need. So what factors should you consider? READ MORE
There are various potty training methods and none of them are right or wrong! Each comes with advantages and disadvantages. So it’s important to consider what style is the best fit for your family. Slow and gentle, get it over quick or somewhere in between…. READ MORE
Working with Little Ones at Home
By Dr Sarah Mundy
Like me, you may be thinking that your multi-tasking skills were pushed to the limit before Covid! Working from home whilst looking after a preschooler isn’t easy so here are my tips on maximising your work time whilst still meeting your little one’s needs. READ MORE Familiesonline.co.uk
January/February 13
OUTDOORS
RSPB Bird-Related Garden Activities
Celebrate the Big Garden Birdwatch from 29 to 31 January!
Build a Bird Bath
Make a String Bird Go Bird Watching
Make a Flock of Fingers
Build a Bird Box
Go on an Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Play ‘Hungry birds’ Online
Make a Recycled Bird Feeder
Make a Speedy Bird Cake
14 January/February
Familiesonline.co.uk
OUTDOORS
Outside Activities Whatever the Winter Weather Rain
Wind
Float your boat. Make a boat and float it in a puddle or stream. Wet chalk art. Rain intensifies and blurs the colours of chalk for a spectacular effect. Make mud pies. Use old aluminium or plastic containers and have a bake off! Gauge the rain. Make a rain gauge with a plastic bottle and keep a log. Puddle jumping. Try jumping over, rather than in – who can jump the biggest? Collectathon. Gather some different sized containers outside and guess which will fill first.
Fly a kite. Make one from different materials and see which works best. Blow bubbles. Let the wind do the blowing and watch them swirl. Parachute play. Make a toy parachute using a handkerchief and toy figurine and throw up. Make wind chimes. Hang spoons, keys and beads from a coat hanger. Play Frisbee. Go somewhere with lots of space and let it rip! Make a wind sock. Attach streamers or ribbons to one end of a toilet roll holder and string to the other.
Cold
Break out the binoculars. Since leaves have fallen from trees, it’s a lot easier to spot birds and other creatures. Take a night hike. Using torches explore your neighbourhood during these dark early evenings. Build a campfire. Bring out hot chocolate and roast marshmallows and cook jacket potatoes in the embers. Go stargazing. Cold nights generally mean clear skies, perfect for watching stars. Hunt for treasure. Look for holly leaves, lichen, leaf skeletons, sticks, pinecones and acorns. Frost art. On a frosty morning, draw or write in the frost on the pavement
Familiesonline.co.uk
January/February 15
HEALTH
Kids’ Wellbeing Books All books can be purchased via Bookshop.org, an online bookshop with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.
First Emotions: How am I feeling?
Don’t Worry, Little Crab
The Worrysaurus
Mindful Kids
A gentle and simple A picture book working introduction to strong through anxiety and emotions for little ones. building courage.
A fun, reassuring tale about dealing with worries, by a bestselling author.
16 January/February
Ollie uses superpowers to overcome school bullies.
No Worries
50 creative mindfulness Interactive self-care games/exercises to activities for children help children find calm to find happiness, calm and relaxation. and confidence.
Mind Hug: The First Ruby’s Worry: A Story Big Bright Feelings A picture book Book adventure into mindfulness.
Ollie and His Superpowers
A perceptive and poignant story.
Worry Angels
Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers. Ages 8+. Familiesonline.co.uk
HEALTH
New Year Family Mental Health Resolutions
Five Tips for Feeling Fab in 2021
By Helen Spiers
By Karlin Sloan
On 1 January 2020, many of us made resolutions with no idea that a global catastrophe was imminent. The impact of the pandemic on our wellbeing is huge. So let’s use our 2021 resolutions to be kinder to ourselves and prioritise our family’s mental health. READ MORE
From the Covid-19 pandemic to the wave of economic loss, personal loneliness, isolation, and deep uncertainty about what’s in store, this is a time when even the toughest of us can find ourselves struggling. Here are some ideas to get you get back on track. READ MORE
Eating for Immunity By Claire Winter
Maintaining a balanced diet can be difficult in a world where unhealthy and processed foods are advertised frequently and are convenient. But during the pandemic, it is more important than ever to eat well and stay hydrated. How do you start off on the right foot? READ MORE Familiesonline.co.uk
January/February 17
HEALTH
Support Your Child’s Mental Health Help your child to understand how they are feeling and why with these free downloadable resources from PlanBee.
Feelings and Emotions Cards
These cards will get your child thinking and talking about feelings.
Design your Own Emotion Emojis
Your child can draw emojis that represent their feelings.
Worry Monster Activity Sheets
Help your child deal with their emotions. 18 January/February
Mood Tracker
Children can express emotions they are experiencing by colouring in an object.
Synonym Emotions Booklet
Identify words that are similar to emotions like angry, sad and happy.
Draw the Emotion
Feeling Check-in Cards
Emoji Emotion Faces Cards
Mindfulness Colouring Sheets
Challenge your children Check in with your to think about how different emotions are child and see what they are feeling. expressed facially.
Ask your child to talk about when they’ve felt these feelings.
Perfect to help young minds relax. Familiesonline.co.uk
HEALTH
Six Steps to Good Mental Health Help support your child’s mental health with these steps from PlanBee. Name emotions and feelings This helps your child develop a vocabulary to explain their feelings. Explain the physical sensations Help your child recognise how different emotions feel physically. Understand when/why Once your child can spot/name their emotions, help them understand the triggers. Help regulate Once they understand the source of an emotion, help them regulate. Keep everyone safe When feeling a big emotion, your
child’s brain doesn’t work in the same way as when they are calm. Help them stay safe and maintain boundaries. Once your child is calm, relate Listen, empathise and share similar experiences to help them understand their feelings and know you care.
Example of Steps 1-3
Example of Steps 4-6
Name/Explain/Understand
Regulate/Keep Everyone Safe/ Relate
Name “I can see you are really angry.”
Regulate “Take a deep breath with me.”
Explain “Your face is scrunched up and your fists are clenched.
Keep Everyone Safe “I cannot let you hit me. If you need to get your anger out, try hitting this cushion.”
Understand “I am wondering if you are angry because someone didn’t let you play.”
Relate “Once I was so angry I wanted to throw things. Your grandad helped me calm down by giving me playdough to squeeze.”
Familiesonline.co.uk
January/February 19
FAMILY LIFE
Find ‘Me-Time’ and Achieve your Goals
Vegan Food for the Family – By Stealth!
By Carina Lawson
By Louise Palmer-Masterton
The pandemic arrived like a whirlwind, changing the way we live. Whilst it is still here, we have to make sure we and our families are motivated to stay on top of things and enjoy life as best we can. Here are some tips.
In my view, the way to win hearts and minds to veganism is by serving ridiculously delicious vegan food! But children can be notoriously difficult nuts to crack food wise and it helps to master the art of getting healthy food in by ‘stealth!’ READ MORE
READ MORE
Family Fitness By Claire Winter
It’s easy to use excuses like ‘too tired’ or ‘too busy’ to exercise. Exercising through the pandemic, with gyms and sports clubs often closed, is challenging. But regular exercise promotes physical and mental health in many ways. How can your family get fit this year? READ MORE 20 January/February
Familiesonline.co.uk
ACTIVITIES
9 Best Pancake Recipes for Shrove Tuesday Experiment with some pancake-making on and around 16 February!
Banana Pancakes
Fluffy Black Forest Pancakes
Vegan Pancakes
Flourless Rainbow Pancakes
Upside-Down Pineapple Pancakes
Teddy Bear Pancakes
Mary Berry’s Easy Drop Scones
Easy Pancakes
Baby’s First Pancakes
Familiesonline.co.uk
January/February 21
FAMILY LIFE
Handling Co-Parenting Differences
The Guilty Parent Syndrome
By Rebecca Giraud and Bob Greig
By Dr Jan MacGregor Hepburn
Co-parenting is not easy, mistakes can and will be made but it’s the effort that we as parents put in that will really be of long-term benefit to our children. After all, loving our children is what we have in common with our ex-partner. READ MORE
As a parent, do you feel constantly guilty? About what you’ve said/done or not said/ done? If so, you’d be forgiven for thinking that guilt and parenting must be inextricably linked. And you would be right! BUT they don’t have to be….... READ MORE
Embracing your Inner Child
Special 15% Discount!
By Ed James, Mark and Nicky Taylor
Despite your intentions to parent your kids differently to the way you were parented, they probably view your parenting style in much the same way. But imagine the difference if you could combine the essential parts of adulthood and still be in touch with your inner child.... READ MORE 22 January/February
101 Questions Answered About Separating with Children has become an indispensable guide to divorce/ separation for parents. To mark the publication of the second edition, enjoy an exclusive 15% discount for Families readers from Only Mums and Only Dads. Use code FM10121 here. With legal help, tips and insights from professionals and parents, this book will save you time and money. Familiesonline.co.uk
FAMILY LIFE
The Impact of Covid-19 on Working Mums By Mandy Garner The Covid-19 pandemic has been hard for many individuals and groups, with working mums, particularly single working mums, being one of them. But the picture is complex. Women dominate in many of the most risky frontline sectors such as health, social care and education and in some of the hardest hit sectors such as hospitality and retail. Parttime jobs, traditionally done by women, have seen a precipitous fall, BUT women are less likely to be unemployed than men and many have gone into full-time roles. Then there is self-employment which has seen a big decline. A recent report from IPSE and Starling Bank showed women freelancers have been hardest hit financially by late payments of money owed to them and the associated mental impact and women-led businesses have suffered disproportionately. What is clear is that the impact of childcare problems during the pandemic has been most keenly felt by women, with countless studies, including our own surveys, showing women have been carrying most of the childcare/home schooling burden, despite dads increasing their input generally.
Our latest survey shows lockdown restrictions and school or year group closures are still causing huge challenges. READ MORE
Bella Learning Games
Fun educational games to download, print and play.
Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 Packs
Available Now!
For examples, tips and advice, find Bella Learning Games on Facebook and Instagram.
www.bellalearning.co.uk Familiesonline.co.uk
January/February 23
ONLINE CLASSES
Live and Pre-Recorded Online Classes for Kids
Singing Hands
Live online baby/ toddler signing sessions.
Kidslingo LIVE
Mother Nature Little Gym at Home Science Online Club Online pre-recorded Live online science activity classes. Ages 4-12.
gymnastics based activities. Ages 4mths-12yrs.
Tots Play
SA Dance
Live online language classes. Ages 0-11.
Live online baby and toddler play classes.
Live online dance classes. Ages 2½+.
Teddies Online Music Club
La Jolie Ronde
Parrot Street Book Club
Pre-recorded online musical fun and arty ideas for under 5s. 24 January/February
Live online French and Spanish classes. Ages 5-11.
Monthly subscription book club. Ages 5-11. Familiesonline.co.uk
ONLINE CLASSES
Live and Pre-Recorded Online Classes for Kids
Lingotot
The Place
Funky Moves
Live online language classes. Ages 0-12.
Live online dance classes. Ages 4-18.
Live online yoga and ballet classes. Ages 4-11.
Tiger Crane Kung Fu
Music Monsters
Smart Raspberry Cookery School
Live online martial arts classes. Ages 5+.
Go Sketch Club
Live online and prerecorded drawing and painting classes. Ages 7-12. Familiesonline.co.uk
Live online piano lessons. Ages 3-18.
Funky Monkeys Keyboard Classes Online pre-recorded tutorial programme. Ages 4-12.
Live online cookery classes. Ages 2+.
Bright Light Creative Writing Live online creative writing courses. Ages 6-11.
January/February 25