9 minute read
Family Life
Having incredible conversations with your child
By Jane Gilmour and Bettina Hohnen
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Truly communicating with your child is a great privilege for a parent. More than that, building a strong relationship with them improves their quality of life by protecting their mental and physical health.
You: How was your day? Your Child: Fine.
Want something a bit more?
Timing. Try not to pounce on your child with questions straight after school or nursery. Kids often need time to decompress. Wait and read the room. Start conversations when they are rested and well fed.
Setting. Many kids find face-to-face talking a bit intense. Weave your conversations into another activity eg when they are drawing.
Get real. Pre-teen children find abstract concepts difficult and often don’t have the vocabulary to reflect their experiences. If you want to find out how your child is, draw a mountain. Ask your child to use the mountain to show how they are feeling today, how they feel usually and so on - the top of the mountain is the best, the bottom is the worst.
Expectations. Learning to communicate meaningfully together is a skill that takes time to build. Not all conversations will go smoothly but, in time, if your bids are gentle and genuine, your relationship will thrive.
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How to Have Incredible Conversations With Your Child by clinical psychologists Jane Gilmour and Bettina Hohnen can help you further with this.
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Reducing the cost of family living
Get a grip of finances
Take back control of family spending with free apps like Money Dashboard or Emma. Monitor and set limits on your kids spending with apps like gohenry or the free Revolut Junior. Don’t spend more than you earn. MoneySavingExpert’s free The Budget Planner will help. Don’t get caught short. Try Piggybanking. Divide money into separate pots for essential bills. Struggling with missed bills and payments? Try prioritising and consolidating. More info at debt help tips. Get organised with family meal planning. Save money, time and waste.
Make savings
Slash £1,000+ off your yearly grocery bill by taking the Downshift Challenge. Save on big brand disposable nappies by using comparison site BumDeal. Get free second-hand stuff from giveaway websites Freecycle and Freegle. Buy second-hand and get great quality for less. Try eBay, Gumtree and Facebook Market Place. Save £££ each year (and reduce your carbon footprint) by following simple energy saving
tips.
Try the Energy Efficiency Calculator for personalised advice on use and solutions.
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Unique UK animal encounters
Create lasting memories with a UK animal encounter. Compiled by Yonder, a new travel brand offering nature-rich stays and experiences.
Spot badgers in Dorset Go whale watching in Scotland See wild boar in the Forest of Dean
Stay: Shepherd’s Hut, Blandford Forum Stay: Tirlaggan Studio, Oban Stay: Danby Lodge, Coleford
Watch beavers in Cornwall Walk alpacas in East Sussex
Stay: 2 Pencoose Barns, Truro Stay: Gun Hill Cottage, Heathfield
Kayak with seals in Pembrokeshire
Stay: Maerdy Lodge, Haverfordwest
Herd sheep in the Lake District
Stay: Winster Fields, Windermere
Spy red squirrels in the Yorkshire Dales
Stay: Mary’s Cottage, Hawes
Spot African animals in Kent
Stay: Shore, Hythe
Lesser-visited UK staycation spots
Lundy Island, Devon
The journey to this showstopping island is an adventure! The kids will love taking the ferry over from Ilfracombe. The name Lundy means puffin, the island’s most famous resident. Enjoy a back to nature holiday with just a handful of other inhabitants, staying in one of the historical properties. There’s even a lighthouse you can stay in!
Tenby, Wales
Tenby is the perfect location for a family holiday but so often overlooked in favour of more traditional spots. Stunning sandy beaches are the major draw card but the town has a vibrant atmosphere, colourful cottages and an array of family-friendly eateries. There are also plenty of family attractions nearby.
Dungeness, Kent
Dungeness is a quiet settlement on Britain’s largest shingle beach. The well-known power station makes a great rainy-day activity and opportunity for kids to find out how electricity is generated. Surrounding it lies a beautiful nature reserve. Stay in a seaside property and take the narrow-gauge steam train out to Dymchurch and Hythe.
Aberdeen, Scotland
Perched on the east coast of Scotland, Aberdeen has a beautiful sandy beach to one side and the striking mountains, the Cairngorms to the other. Take the trail of seventeen castles - you can even stay the night in one! For activities, check out the busy harbour for boat-loving kids and don’t miss the Science Centre.
Lesser-visited UK staycation spots
County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland’s lake district in the south-west of Northern Ireland, you’ll find beautiful accommodation options from a lodge on a private island to luxury camping. Kids will love the walk through the Marble Arch caves or enjoy taking a trip on the waterbus. A must-see is the medieval Enniskillen Castle.
Bamburgh, Northumberland
Situated on a vast stretch of golden sand on the Northumberland coast, Bamburgh is a family holiday dream. The stunning Bamburgh castle sits imposingly above the beach in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Try surfing or windsurfing, or head to a local cafe for some freshly caught fish.
The Wye Valley
The Wye Valley is an area of outstanding natural beauty with the River Wye running through it. The area offers a great family holiday with opportunities to try wild swimming, fishing or canoeing. Whether you fancy a log cabin with a hot tub or glamping with the kids, you’ll find plenty of choice.
Cheshire
With some great family-friendly attractions, enjoy Cheshire’s beautiful countryside or opt for a city break in Chester. For space lovers, there’s a new visitor centre at the observatory Jodrell Bank, kids will love Chester Zoo and everyone will enjoy the Ice Cream Farm, a theme park dedicated to ice cream!
Spring make n’dos
Enjoy nature and garden-themed activities with the kids - perfect to while away some hours at the weekend or during the school holidays!
Weave a nature loom Make a spring sensory bin Make a garden gnome
Spot early signs of spring Grow potatoes in a tub Make a butterfly feeder
Make easy pine cone hedgehog Grow microgreens Make simple garden wind chimes
Outdoor adventures
Enjoy the great outdoors this spring and get the kids to try some of these great activities.
Try the string walk Plant a tree Join a fossil hunt
Take a family walk Try orienteering Make a stone cairn
Go pond dipping Play Poohsticks Go canoeing
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