Families Solent East Issue 56 Jan/Feb

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Issue 56

January/February 2015 www.familiessolenteast.co.uk

Fun family fitness ideas!

A guide to Internet safety

What to expect from your Nursery

Helping your child deal with stress and anxiety

Confidence Building Fun

Call 0845 400 1317 or visit perform.org.uk to find your nearest venue.

Try a Free Drama Class The essential local magazine for families with children aged 0 - 12

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Childcare experience Spare room Commitment

Drop in to find out more about adoption and fostering Merchistoun Hall | Murray Road | Horndean PO8 9LJ Saturday 31 January, 10am – 2pm

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XXXXXXX Welcome from the

Editor January can be such a gloomy month with the festive season well and truly behind us, summer nowhere in sight and the lingering financial hangover from all that over spending. To top it off, now is the time we decide to put ourselves through a gruelling detox, so we don’t even have our usual comforts to fall back on!

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So in this issue we have some great ideas to boost the whole family’s fitness levels and some simple ways to help beat the January blues! We also look at helping children deal with stress and anxiety, internet safety and what you can expect from a nursery education.

Mandy Earle | Editor

Editor: Mandy Earle 02392 362737 editor@familiessolenteast.co.uk On the cover: Alfie

with thanks to Moira Lizzie Photography 07974 177445 www.moiralizzie.co.uk

Advertising: Claire Clarricoates claire.clarricoates@ familiespublishing.co.uk Website and Social Media: Gemma Sills events@familiessolenteast.co.uk Distribution enquiries: 02392 362 737

Join us online for more news and competitions!

facebook.com/FSEmagazine twitter.com/FamiliesSolentE

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In this issue...

4 6 10 11 12 13 14 15

Opening times and www.wealddown.co Dogs on leads welcome

News and views What to expect from your Nursery A quick guide to internet safety Family fitness, for free!

Overcoming stress and depression What’s on guide February half term camps & workshops Is it time for a change?

Call us on 02392 362 737 23,000 copies delivered straight to parents & carers Covering Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport, Waterlooville, Havant, Chichester, Midhurst, Petersfield & Isle of Wight

Copyright: Families Solent East 2015.

We take care preparing this magazine but the publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of the advertisers, nor for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence. Families Group: Families Solent East is part of a group established in 1990 and headed by Families South West. All magazines in the Group are independently owned and operated under licence.

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Families Solent East | January/February 2015 | 3

News & Views Homes for Hampshire children Hampshire County Council are looking for people who live in the county or surrounding areas to provide homes for Hampshire children who are unable to live with their birth families.

We are particularly looking for homes for older children, teenagers, siblings and children with disabilities or special needs. This could be through adoption, long or short term fostering, emergency placements, or providing regular respite breaks through the Family Link scheme.

Perform drama, dance and singing workshops The only drama, dance and singing READ ER OF workshops FER Book a free for 4-8 year sessio t n befo rial olds to focus Janua re 31s r y t on helping will be 2015 and y o e u n develop discou titled to a £ 3 n 0 t .

Ju children’s FAML st quote confidence, 10021 5 co-ordination, communication and concentration skills.

Perform is not a stage school but will help give your child amazing social skills and the best fun of their week.

Go along to find out more at their next drop in event between 10am – 2pm on Saturday 31 January at Merchistoun Hall in Horndean. There will be an opportunity to speak to other foster Please find below This a proof of to your for the January April,advertisement 4-7 year old carers and adopters asSeptember/October well as finding Perform children will be exploring new 2014 issue (No. 74) of Families TVE. out more about the children who need lands on a colourful Jungle adventure. homes, the assessment process and They’ll meet the Cheetah with Ryvita, Please CHECK ALL INFORMATION IS CORRECT the support and training offered by teach Boo the baby monkey to eat Hampshire County Council.

Banana Pie and learn to and danceaddresses.

The especially dates, telephone numbers Jungle Jive.

If you can’t make it to this event then you can call them instead 0845 need to Perform's yearstage. olds will be having Anyonchanges be made7-12 at this 6035620 or visit www.hants.gov.uk/ fun with 'Hercules Beat' which is a Any further amendments will be charged for. adoptionandfostering modern adaptation of the Classic Greek andeither explore 12 labours of Pleasein contact us byMyth return tothe amend or approve your Merchistoun Hall is located Horndean just a few minutes from Junction 2 of the Hercules and his super strength. advertisement.

A3(M). The entrance is in Murray Road Best of all, the children won't notice how next to Napier Road. PO8 9LJ. much they are improving their social skills along the way.

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Longdown Activity Farm open from February Half-Term Longdown Activity Farm opens the farm gate for the 2015 season, welcoming visitors for February half-term. The Farm will be open from Saturday 14th February, every day, until 1st November, including weekends and Bank Holidays.

Whatever the weather, there will be lots of family farmyard fun. The daily timetable is packed with activities, which run throughout the day, giving ample opportunity to see and feed the animals.

Have a go at bottle-feeding a kid goat or a calf. Maybe hold a duckling or baby rabbit in their animal handling barn. The pigs are waiting to meet you – and you may even see some piglets.

There are lots of animals to meet including Pearl the Shire horse, Abbie the cow, Samuel the donkey, goats galore, ponies, sheep, rabbits, ducks, geese….and lots of new babies! Their popular pony riding will also run throughout the half-term holiday, and at weekends.

If the weather is bad, there are plenty of undercover play areas for the children to let off steam. The Farm has a fabulous soft play area, lots of trampolines, a huge straw barn, or the quieter infant play area and sand pit.

The Longdown Farm shop, situated at the entrance to the Farm, is stocked with a wide range of local produce.

Longdown Activity Farm and Longdown Farm Shop are just off the A35 between Lyndhurst and Southampton.

Telephone: 023 8029 2837 www.longdownfarm.co.uk

4 January/February 2015 | Families Solent East

Classes are held on Tuesdays from 4pm at Titchfield Community Centre, Mill St, Titchfield. PO14 4AB.

Hampshire West Sussex Isle of Wight

Would your school or nursery like FREE copies of Families magazine?

Hampshire based on location photographer specialising in relaxed & natural family photography.

Just call us to arrange!

02392 362 737

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07974 177445

Basement Jaxx bring the party to Victorious festival 2015!

Massive tunes, crazy light shows, singers dressed in silver star & gorilla costumes, trumpet players dressed as crows & drumsticks that glow red in the dark……. The live extravaganza that is Basement Jaxx roles in to town for Victorious festival 2015!!!!

Picture perfect memories waiting to be discovered…

Nestled in the breath-taking New Forest, Sandy Balls Holiday Village is perfect for families looking for a relaxing break or action packed adventure in the beautiful surroundings.

Set in a 120-acre estate, the awardwinning, five star holiday village offers accommodation to suit all budgets.

Open all year, there are opulent woodland lodges, cosy caravans, camping pods and fully-serviced touring pitches available for weekend, mid-week or a longer stays.

The village is a safe, friendly haven offering an idyllic setting to explore the outdoors with amazing walks, bike trails and great onsite facilities including indoor and outdoor pools, activities programme featuring crafts, bug hunts and archery, entertainment, restaurant and pub.

Sandy Balls, Hampshire SP6 2JZ

After 20 years of making party starting music, Basement Jaxx are back with new music and a string of huge live shows! The energetic, feel good dance duo will be taking to the Castle stage at Victorious Festival Portsmouth on Sunday night.

Organisers of the hugely popular South coast family festival are extremely excited to bring the event back after the success of last year, adding more bands, acts, stages, entertainment and facilities!

Victorious Festival will see a continuation of the relaxed ethos of last year’s family event with festival goers treated to a huge children’s area, street entertainers, boutique and creative markets and plenty of local produce food stalls to choose from.

This year the children’s arena welcomes the addition of a main stage. The stage will showcase local and national talent from schools, clubs and a few well known house hold names

such as the Octonauts!!!

The Victorious Festival team are keen to keep ticket prices low again this year with Early bird standard day tickets £18 £6 for 15 years and under, and £1 for under 5s!!! Book now at www.victoriousfestival.co.uk Anyone keen to be involved in this year’s event from trading to volunteering please contact info@victoriousfestival.co.uk

0844 249 1193 www.sandyballs.co.uk SPONSORED ARTICLE

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WIN!! A family ticket to The Sooty Show!

1st February - 11.00am and 2.30pm Izzy Wizzy Lets get busy – It’s The Sooty Show! Direct from Citv, Sooty heads into town in a fabulous new show to delight the whole family. Joining the nations favourite bear will be Sweep, Soo and Sooty's TV Partner Richard Cadell - who will be attempting to keep Sooty from getting up to mischief!

It's Sooty's Birthday party and things aren't going to plan. Sooty and Sweep get messy baking the Birthday cake and will Soo ever decide which dress to wear? Special party guests include legendary Sooty favourites Butch the bulldog and Ramsbottom the snake. There's also a chance to meet Richard and Sooty after the show.

We have a family ticket to give away for the afternoon show, log on and enter online at

www.familiessolenteast.co.uk/ competitions (Competition closes 23rd January 2015)

What to expect from your child’s nursery education We’ve all heard about the importance of early years education.

According to new research undertaken by academics at the Institute of Education, a child who has gone to pre-school has more chance of getting better exam results and ultimately earning higher wages.

So you send your child to nursery, in the hope that it will improve their education prospects. But what are they actually going to do there all day? It’s unlikely your 3-year-old is going to tell you!

To give you some idea of what will happen, you can look at the legal requirements for nurseries in the UK. The Early Years Foundation Stage framework is a document that sets out the statutory welfare and developmental goals for children 5 years and under.

It gives guidelines for safety and learning and development for all early years providers - all nurseries, child minders, playgroups, preschools and reception classes.

The EYFS explained

The EYFS framework document can seem daunting, but it’s there to ensure that all children receive a suitable level of care.

It sets out the legal requirements that keep your child safe and promote their welfare. This includes:

• Basic checks, such as staff security checks • Setting the number of children each member of staff can look after • Ensuring the facilities and equipment are safe and suitable • Checking the quality of the environment, e.g. recommending access to outdoor space.

6 January/February 2015 | Families Solent East

It also covers the seven areas of learning and development. These are:

• communication and language • physical development • personal, social and emotional development • literacy • mathematics • understanding the world • expressive arts and design The activities they will do at nursery, to support their learning and development will be unique to your child’s needs.

They will learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside. There is a requirement for ‘continuous provision’, which in layman’s terms means that there needs to be high quality resources and activities available all of the time, so your child can learn through play in lots of different ways.

Assessment

The EYFS also lays out guidelines for assessment of your child’s progress.

Soon after your child turns 2, you will get a written summary of how your child is progressing in communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. Any areas where they need extra help or support will be highlighted at this stage.

The next written assessment will come when your child is 5, usually at the end of their reception year, which is the last year they are classed as being in early years education. This will include assessment of skills such as writing their name, reading and talking about a favourite book, speaking to people your child is not so familiar with or their understanding of numbers. The school will give you a progress report including some of this information.

How will I know how my child is doing?

Your child will have a ‘key person’ at nursery, pre-school or reception class, who is responsible for putting together information on how they are developing.

This person will be your main point of contact, and it’s important that you work together and communicate well.

Any worries about your child should be discussed with their key worker, and they will be able to build on what your child is learning at home.

Look at the full document here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/ early-years-foundation-stageframework--2 For a detailed parent’s guide to the EYFS go to: www.foundationyears.org. uk/files/2014/08/EYFS_Parents_Guideamended.pdf For more general advice for parents: www.ndna.org.uk/parents

Portsmouth High School

Nursery

Come and visit us to help you make the right choice for your daughter

An independent school for girls from Nursery to Sixth Form delivering outstanding results...

www.portsmouthhigh.co.uk 023 9282 6714 admissions@por.gdst.net Part of the Girls’ Day School Trust network of schools

Join us for our Parent & Toddler group every Friday morning 9:30 - 11am.

Boundary Oak School is a leading coeducational day and boarding school for 2 - 13 years.

• • •

Nursery ‘Taster Day’ Tuesday 20th January Set in 23 acres with Woodland Classrooms Excellent transition to Reception and Pre-Prep

To arrange a visit or join us on our whole school OPEN DAY on Saturday 7th March please contact: Jo Ekin at registrar@boundaryoak.co.uk

Roche Court, Wickham Road, Fareham, Hampshire PO17 5BL

www.boundaryoakschool.co.uk • 01329 280955 QUO VADIS

Boundary Oak School

A Quo Vadis Education school

Families Solent East | January/February 2015 | 7

Education

Exploring the outdoors at Boundary Oak ‘Outstanding’ early years at St Johns the start of a brilliant journey Little St John’s, the Early Years Department of St John’s College, is celebrating after receiving an ‘outstanding’ inspection report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate – just one month after the new setting opened in September.

The provision for boys and girls aged 2 to 5 was graded as ‘outstanding’ in every category – the highest possible rating.

The report acknowledges the high-quality teaching which ensures all children make ‘excellent progress’ in both the Nursery and Reception Classes. Little St John’s is now registering for the 2015 Reception Class – go along and see their outstanding provision on Tuesday 13 January, or contact them to arrange a visit.

St John’s College, Grove Road South, Southsea, PO5 3QW 0845 2698804

Boundary Oak School is a coeducational day and boarding school for pupils aged 2 – 13 years. The Nursery is housed in a secure and purpose-built oak-framed building offering a homely feel with plenty of safe playing space, both inside and out. Set in 23 acres of beautiful Hampshire countryside, Children here are treated as an individual within a family community. School life is a happy learning journey, which is achieved thanks to the friendly atmosphere and beautiful rural surroundings.

To support their core curriculum learning, Boundary Oak Nursery near Fareham ensures that what the children learn indoors is enhanced and built upon outside. A short walk across to their own Woodland Classroom takes them on many adventures. It’s great for young explorers who love to recall what they have learnt while out and about, what they have found, and discuss what they have achieved. This outdoor learning environment is used throughout the week, come rain or shine. Forest Fridays are a big favourite among the children each week, where the children put on their wellies and head off to the woods for a variety of activities.

A seamless transition at Brookham Nursery

Boundary Oak School, Wickham Road, Fareham PO17 5BL

The Nursery at Brookham Pre-Prep School in Liphook is an integral part of the School. Nursery children are included in many Reception and whole school activities, helping to make the transition from Nursery to Reception almost seamless as the children are already familiar with the school building, its teachers and many of the daily routines. Nursery children begin learning to read the same way they will continue to do in Reception, just at a gentler pace. Each letter is learnt over the course of a week in a multitude of different ways.

This morning the children were making jelly as this week they are learning the letter ‘J’. Then during their weekly visit to Forest School, among the other woodland learning activities, they will make toast over the camp fire to eat with jam. We believe the importance of breadth in the curriculum, especially in the early years, cannot be underestimated.

A diverse range of activities and teaching methods are often essential to find the keys to develop the potential in each individual child, and to develop the child’s self-esteem for learning, by playing to their strengths.

01329 280955

Highfield and Brookham Schools, Liphook, GU30 7LQ

Portsmouth High School, 25 Kent Road, Southsea, PO5 3EQ

Tel: 01428 728000

023 9282 6714

8 January/February 2015 | Families Solent East

Added extras at Portsmouth High Nursery The Nursery at Portsmouth High School is a very special place where children are welcomed into a warm and inclusive environment.

Our Early Years building is light and modern with access to a large wooded garden offering plenty of space for girls to play and explore. Curiosity and creativity are encouraged and a whole new world of discovery is opened up for enquiring young minds.

Portsmouth High Nursery follows an Early Years Foundation Stage PLUS curriculum which uses as its base the national curriculum with significant Portsmouth High School additions.

For example, girls are taught French in Nursery and have lessons by other specialist teachers in music, physical education and Forest Schools. They have access to all the junior school facilities with many opportunities to mix with the older girls supporting a seamless transition to Reception Class and beyond.

Visit Portsmouth High Nursery at one of their Open Doors events or make an individual appointment at any time. You can contact the Admissions Registrar Louise Nunan on 023 9282 6714 or via admissions@por.gdst.net

Ryde School

with Upper Chine

Independent Day & Boarding 3 - 18 years

An Island School with a Global Outlook

Education and exploration at Ryde School Situated in acres of beautiful grounds overlooking the Solent, a short distance from the Hovercraft terminal and with their Hover Nanny service, Ryde School offers the perfect environment to learn through adventure and exploration.

Teaching Nursery to 18 years of age, they believe in mixing traditional and innovative approaches to learning. Latin, Mandarin and the junior level of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award are now available in the Junior School, underscoring their commitment to combine academic excellence with an holistic approach to learning. Their pupils become confident, engaging and polite individuals.

10% of last year’s Sixth Form are now at Oxbridge and 90% at their first choice of higher or further education. With a raft of awards for drama and music and a very wide choice of extracurricular opportunities, the ethos of lifelong and independent learning is continued, building resilient, accomplished, confident individuals of the future.

OPEN MORNING Saturday 7th February 10.00am ~ 12.00pm

Come along to see what we have to offer A short 10 minute ride on the hovercraft, please call us and we will be happy to collect you.

Queen’s Road Tel: (01983) 617970

Ryde

Isle of Wight PO33 3BE

Email: admissions@rydeschool .net

www.rydeschool.org.uk

See for yourselves at their next Open Morning on Saturday 7 February between 10am and 12pm. Ring 01983 617970 and they will even pick you up at the Hover.

Ryde School, 7 Queen’s Road, Ryde PO33 3BE 01983 562229

www.rydeschool.org.uk

“Your publication is an intelligent medium and really relevant to the local area - a useful resource for all things family orientated.”

Darren Slydell - Commercial Operations Manager, Kenwood DeLonghi.

“We continue to get an excellent response issue after issue.’’

Reaching 23,000 families every two months

Samantha Holly - Marketing Manager, Staunton County Park

Available for FREE at over 200 locations

Call us

02392 362 737

sales@familiessolenteast.co.uk

Highfield Open Day

Saturday 7th February 9.30am – 12 noon

Brookham Open Day

Monday 9th February 9.30am – 11.30am

Stay & Play!

“A First-Rate Education” ISI Report 2014

For more information please call Mrs Caroline Lukic on Tel: 01428 728000 www.highfieldandbrookham.co.uk | Liphook, Hampshire GU30 7LQ

Families Solent East | January/February 2015 | 9

A Quick Guide to: Internet Safety If your child is the family tech whizzkid that's pretty useful, but just what are they getting up to online when they log onto your PC, tablet or their own smartphone?

Many of us rely on built-in, traditional or free software which doesn't have social networking and parental controls.

Without these additional features, parents are leaving their children open to all that is bad about the internet.

MD Allen Scott, MD of security experts F-Secure said: "We understand that many people are a bit lost when it comes to online protection, which is why we've compiled advice to give some guidance."

Set up user accounts for each member of the family This will allow you to tweak the parental controls for each of your children. For example, blocking chat rooms and forums for young children, but allowing them for your teenagers. You can also use these controls to set 'homework time' for older children, which will block them from visiting any sites which are not deemed educational during your specified hours.

Whitelist favourite sites for younger children Many young children enjoy using the internet, but they only want to view the same few sites over and over, such as CBeebies. Using the whitelist function, add in all the websites you are happy for them to view and block the rest.

This way, they won't stumble upon something which is not appropriate for their age.

Have 'the talk' before letting your teenagers join social networking sites You need to set rules before letting your children enjoy social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram. Every child is different, so this must come from you. Some parents want access to their child's account, so they can check up on them at any time. Be warned, this can lead to your child setting up a second account in a different name. It is a good idea to only allow them to be

10 January/February 2015 | Families Solent East

'friends' with people they know in real life though.

Whatever your approach, help them set up their account with privacy restrictions, so their profile is not public. Go to www.facebook.com/ FSecureSafeProfile, click 'use now', then log in to test their Facebook profile. It will show what is public and explain how to change the settings accordingly.

Don't forget their smartphones and tablets Many children have access to these devices now and the way they use them is no different from a computer, so they need to be protected too. Mobile security software is downloaded as an app or will come as part of the security software package you buy for your computer. Set up parental controls on these devices, just as you would for your computer.

Password protection It is wise to set up a password for your children's devices, so that they must come to you before downloading any app or in-app purchase. This will also mean you'll avoid a nasty shock when the bill arrives!

Remember, the internet is amazing!

Your children just need a guiding hand to ensure they enjoy it safely.

More information For more advice on family protection, visit www.safeandsavvy.f-secure.com

Social media sites & chat rooms People can easily hide behind a fake identity online – make sure your children know this and are aware of the dangers of befriending strangers online and why they should never meet up with anyone they meet on the internet.

It’s important that they do not give out personal information such as address, date of birth, full name or name of their school. Try to also avoid using this sort of information to form usernames.

Social Media has become another platform for bullying – think carefully about posting personal images and details online, I.e. about where they are going or who they are with. Advise them to avoid ‘tagging’ themselves at specific locations. Show them how to block someone if they are causing problems or upsetting them.

Family health

Set goals and rewards for you and your family: e.g. ‘if we can increase our walking by 30 minutes this week we’ll use the money we saved on petrol to borrow a DVD from the library and have a family movie night.’

New Year

fitness

By Julia Wilmott

Post-Christmas we may have more round our waistline but a lot less in the bank account. But what can you do which doesn't cost a bundle?

Local fitness expert Julia Willmott gives us some ideas.

Arrange play dates with other families which involve activity – dog walks in the park, cycling to a picnic spot, ‘mountain expeditions’ involving a local hill walk where each team races to ‘plant’ their flag at the top etc.

Work it out!

A quick and effective workout which you can do at home with your little ones! Do each exercise for 30 seconds with a 15 second rest in between a set of 5 exercises, do 2-3 sets:

Jumping Jacks: feet together, jump the feet outwards and back in again

Make the Solent area your fitness playground - jogging in QE Park, walking along our beaches, or cycling through our lanes and villages.

Ditch the car when doing family chores: cycle to the post office, do small shops on foot taking back packs to carry the shopping home. Award points to who can spot a 'chance for action': i.e. using the stairs instead of the escalator, choosing the manual doors instead of the automatic ones.

If the weather is really awful, prise the kids off their play stations and have a game of Twister, hide and seek, musical chairs, musical statues, What’s the Time Mr Wolf, charades – anything which gets everyone moving and having fun!

whilst lifting arms up and down

Squats: feet hip width apart bend knees and lower bottom behind as if

'sitting' down to where thighs are parallel with ground and weight through heels. Knees above ankles, not 'falling' forward. Power back up to standing squeezing buttocks. Add a jump to increase intensity.

Jogging on the Spot: jog on the spot kicking the heels towards the bottom.

Row the Boat: holding hands, take turns to tuck pelvis under and lower

shoulders towards floor behind you as your partner leans towards you - as your partner pulls you back up use your tummy muscles to bring yourself back up to seated.

Tuck Jumps: squat to power through the legs and jump high in the air

bending your knees up towards your chest, keeping abs in and landing with feet hip width apart and knees soft.

(NB Always seek medical advice before starting any new form of exercise)

Run a fitness lucky dip: every weekend a member of the family picks a card out of the hat to find a fun activity for all the family: ‘have a disco dance off’; ‘play ‘It’s a Knockout’ in the garden’, ‘go on a nature treasure hunt’.

Julia is a mum and fitness expert living in Petersfield. For details of her fitness retreats, exercise classes including pre and post natal fitness & Pilates visit her website www.juliawillmott.co.uk, Or call her on 07593 828503

Families Solent East | January/February 2015 | 11

Health

‘

As a parent, it hurts to see your child unhappy or stressed, but resist the urge to fix every problem for them and instead, focus on helping your child grow into a problem-solver.

Helping your child overcome stress, anxiety and depression You probably won’t be surprised to hear that stress, anxiety and depression in children is worryingly getting more prevalent. The Office of National Statistics has found that one in ten children now suffer from mental health problems, with children as young as five being treated for depression.

With these worrying statistics, experts say it is going to become a major health problem in the future unless something is done now to tackle stress in children.

Although stress is not the same as depression, prolonged periods of stress can lead to depression, and about half of people diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

The earlier we can reach the children showing signs of stress the better we can help them.

Stressful lives?

Considering our own increasingly stressful lives, it is no surprise to learn that our children are suffering from rising stress. Parents under pressure and overwhelmed with their jobs, affects the way they parent. Rising unemployment and financial problems associated with the economic downturn increases

tension that children pick up on. Heavily orchestrated schedules of extra activities can also leave little free time for children to be children, and to relax.

School and social life also create pressures that can feel overwhelming for children.

NSPCC research recently found that academic worries were the biggest cause of stress for nearly 50% of children.

Other common sources of childhood stress such as bullying, sibling rivalry, peer pressure are all fairly normal parts of growing up, but because children now have less free time to relax these ordinary problems can become magnified and less easy for them to deal with.

Spotting the signs Stress or anxiety in children can be difficult to spot. Signs to look out for would include a low mood, unhappiness, tearfulness or irritability not

12 January/February 2015 | Families Solent East

related to anything specific.

Sleeping problems, clingy behaviour, stomach aches and headaches are also signals.

The main thing to look for is a change in behaviour. Trust your instinct. Erika Brodnock, one of the UK’s leading experts on the subject of raising happy, successful children says, “Don’t mistake your child’s behaviour for being naughty, when they may be feeling stressed and anxious.”

As a parent, you can't protect your kids from the stresses of our modern world, but you can help them develop healthy ways to cope.

Notice out loud. Tell your child when you notice that something's bothering them and name it, “Do you feel angry with what happened?” or “You must have felt worried about that.” Erika Brodnock explains this as “Notice, it, own it, tame it,” she continues, “once you can identify the emotion you can then manage it. Without this, things are significantly more difficult.”

Explore and empower. Once they understand the feeling they have, explore together what to do. Simple techniques can make a world of difference and have a profound effect on the way they feel. When they start to feel stressed, encourage them to ask for help for example.

Be you!

Look at your own moods, behaviours and energy levels.

“We can all put a smile on our face at the end of a bad day but when the energy isn’t there your child will notice” says Erika Brodnock, “parents need to learn to manage their moods too!” This is backed up by statistics that show 60-90% of what we learn is through nonverbal communication. If we want our children to manage their emotions effectively, we

must model the behaviour we want them to embrace.

’

Building stress-free kids

Exercise, a nature walk, dancing to music will all naturally release those ‘feel-good’ endorphins that help reduce stress. Eating well, drinking lots of water, a bedtime routine and set schedules so your child can rely on daily patterns, are all ways in which you can help.

Erika Brodnock recommends a 15 minute ‘Golden Moment’ every day with your child, “this is an opportunity for the child to speak privately and confidentially with their parent, knowing they can say anything without criticism or complaint, which builds trust and strengthens bonds.” This goes a long way towards protecting a young person against developing depression.

As a parent, it hurts to see your child unhappy or stressed, but resist the urge to fix every problem for them and instead, focus on helping your child grow into a problem-solver — who knows how to roll with life's ups and downs, put feelings into words, calm down when needed, and bounce back to try again. By teaching healthy coping strategies, you'll prepare your kids to manage the stresses that come in the future.

Many thanks to Erika Brodnock who offered many insights and information in compiling this article. Erika Brodnock is one of the UK’s leading experts on the subject of raising happy, confident children. She offers a wealth of knowledge and practical advice and has even produced an eBook which she is happy to offer free of charge for parents looking for useful and practical information and techniques. For more information go to www.karismakidz.co.uk

XXXXXXX To see your event listed on the se pages call 02392 362 7 37

What’s On Your guide to all the best family events this January & February

One Child

Fr ee with One

Although we aim to be as accurate as possible, the events listed in our What’s On section are compiled several weeks beforehand and may be subject to change. Please contact venues in advance to check full details.

Spot the dot for free events!

17 January

Messy Cathedral

St Thomas’ Cathedral, St Thomas’s Street, Old Portsmouth, PO1 2HA 023 9282 3300

All families are welcome to join in the fun, food and fellowship.

An hour of craft and worship followed by afternoon tea.

2 - 4pm

24 January

Bear Snores On story time

Gosport Discovery Centre, High Street, Gosport, PO12 1BT 0845 603 5631

Listen to a story and make a collage to take home. FREE, just come along. 11am to 12 noon

25 January

Chicken Little (2005)

Kings Theatre, Albert Road, Portsmouth, PO5 2QJ 023 9282 8282

A showing of the film Chicken Little. Suspense, chaos and laughs ensue as Chicken Little and his band of misfit friends attempt to save the world. 2pm

30 January

Children’s Concert

Chichester Festival Theatre, Oaklands Park, PO19 6AP

Southern Pro Musica returns to Chichester with their hugely popular concert for children aged 5 to 11. A perfect introduction to live classical music, the concert includes musical classics and lots of audience participation packed into one hour of musical mayhem, compered by magician extraordinaire Neil Henry.

31 January

Robin’s Winter Adventure

Spring Arts & Heritage Centre, 56 East St,Havant, PO9 1BS 023 9247 2700

A young boy’s incredible journey with a feathered friend.

But will facing his fears turn out to be the greatest adventure of all? An uplifting tale of change, bravery and friendship told with puppetry, poetry, music and magical design.

For children age 4+ and their family and friends. 2:30pm / Adults £8.00 per ticket/ Children £5.00 per ticket

Paying Adult* th 15 Opens 14 Feb 20

*ON PRODUCTION OF THIS ADVERT. CANNOT BE USED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER. VALID UNTIL 31.03.15

Get hands-on with our full schedule of fun activities which run throughout the day.

Meet friendly farm animals.

Plenty of indoor and outdoor play areas.

Farm produce shop and gift shop.

Off A35 • Ashurst • New Forest Tel. 023 8029 2837

f Lots o ly

f r i e n da l s a n i mm e e T to

For event details & much more click onto: www.longdownfarm.co.uk

FSE

1 February Sid’s Show

Kings Theatre, Albert Road, Portsmouth, PO5 2QJ 023 9282 8282

Join Sid from CBeebies live on stage in a fantastic fun-filled adventure that’ll knock your socks off! Sid is setting out on a heroic quest to find out where in the world his favourite socks and shoes have got to - share in the adventure at the bottom of the sea, deep in the jungle or floating in outer space, you’ll meet some funny characters along the way.

In an interactive experience crammed with games, songs, poems and magic, Sid’s Show will leave you with a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Perfect for families with children aged 3+ 1pm

Kids go FREE* Hand in this voucher when you visit Name:....................................................................................

Address:................................................................................ * One child FREE with a full paying adult (up to 2 adults & 2 children per voucher) Children must be accompanied by an adult. Offer ends 31st March FF01 31st March 2013 2015

Families Solent East | January/February 2015 | 13

What’s On

Winter Half Term Family Activities Monday 16 - Friday 20 February

Wear your winter woollies and pop on your wellies for a week of creative activities, countryside skills and ideas to inspire all the family.

Make a bird pudding Weaving Rag rugging Badge making Lino printing Winter scavenger hunt Victorian household chores Activities are under cover if wet.

Opening times and admission charges can be found at www.wealddown.co.uk or Tel: 01243 811348 Dogs on leads welcome

1 February

The Sooty Show!

Ferneham Hall, Osborn Road, Fareham, PO16 7DB 01329 824864

Izzy Wizzy Lets get busy – It’s The Sooty Show! Direct from Citv, Sooty heads into town in a fabulous new show to delight the whole family. 11.00am and 2.30pm

5 February

The Dark Arts Show

Gosport Discovery Centre, High Street, Gosport, PO12 1BT 0845 603 5631

The Travelling Talesman presents tales of witches, wizards and spells. Tickets £5.

Booking line 023 9252 3463.

7 February

Shark in the Park Story time Gosport Discovery Centre, High Street, Gosport, PO12 1BT 0845 603 5631

Listen to a story and enjoy a treasure hunt! FREE, just come 11am to 12 noon

10 - 14 February

There was an old woman Chichester Festival Theatre, Oaklands Park, PO19 6AP

There’s a problem with shoes.

They keep getting mixed up.

That man has a welly on one foot, and a fluffy slipper on the other. The woman over there is wearing a flip-flop and a football boot. Some people don’t have any shoes at all!

What’s going on? Has that woman who lives in a shoe got anything to do with this?

Join us on a journey through

16 February Take Art Gosport Discovery Centre, High Street, Gosport, PO12 1BT 0845 603 5631

A circus of five different art activities. Tickets £3 per child.

Booking line 023 9252 3463 11am to 12.30 or 1.30 to 3pm / Tickets £3 per child

16 - 20 February

Half term activities

Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, Town Lane, Singleton, Chichester, PO18 OEU Wrap up warm for a week of creative activities and countryside skills – outdoor trails, arts and crafts. Under cover if wet.

16 - 22 February the sights, scents, textures and sounds of this multi-sensory Oily Cart wonderland in the company of a live musician, and all sorts of shoes. Join in with craft and colouring-in activities 30 minutes before these family shows in the Minerva Lounge.

14 February

Love Monster and the last Chocolate Story time Special Gosport Discovery Centre, High Street, Gosport, PO12 1BT 0845 603 5631

Listen to a story and make your own love monster. FREE, just come along. 11am to 12 noon

14 - 22 February Build a Tower!

The Spinnaker Tower, Gunwharf Quays, PO1 3TT 02392 857520

February half term will see families taking part in tower building activities 100 metres above Portsmouth Harbour, surrounded by the breathtaking views. Recreate the Spinnaker Tower design or build your very own inspired creation, plus learn more about the Tower’s unique construction process 10.00am to 6.00pm

15 February

The Jungle Book

Kings Theatre, Albert Road, Portsmouth, PO5 2QJ 023 9282 8282

Visit the Kings Theatre for a showing of Disney Classic, The Jungle Book. 2pm / £3 adult/£1 child

14 January/February 2015 | Families Solent East

Half term camps and worshops

Electric Woods ‘Spirit of the Orient’

Robin Hill Adventure Park, Downend, Nr Arreton, Newport, PO30 2NU A stunning spectacle of Oriental themed light, sound and colour will mark the coming of the Chinese New Year at Robin Hill during next February’s school half term holiday. 5pm until 9pm

20 - 21 February

Arthur’s Dream Boat

Chichester Festival Theatre, Oaklands Park, PO19 6AP

One night, Arthur has an amazing dream about a beautiful pink and green boat with a stripy mast. He can’t wait to tell everyone about it but no-one (not even his dog!) is interested. Soon, Arthur is bouncing along the waves in his very own dream boat.

Maybe now his family will listen! A magical story with enchanting puppets. Join in with craft and colouring-in activities 30 minutes before these family shows in the Minerva Lounge.

16 - 20 February Camp Adventure Ages 7 +

Portsmouth Watersports Centre, Eastern Road, PO3 5LY Tel: 023 9266 3873 9:30am – 4:30pm. Kayaking, the climbing wall with high ropes, den building, beach safari, crate stacking, outdoor sports, raft building, competitions, bushcraft skills, and much more. £25 per day.

18 - 20 February

Themed workshops Ages 5 - 12

The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre, East Street, Havant Hampshire PO9 1BS Tel: 023 9247 2700 10am – 3pm. What kind of weird and wonderful creatures ruled the world before people?

Various themed workshops about prehistoric times. £16.50 for the day. A packed lunch is available for £4.

19 – 20 February Magic School Ages 7 - 12

Gosport Discovery Centre, High Street, Gosport, PO12 1BT Tel: 023 9252 3463

1 March

9.30 am - 3.30pm. 2 day workshop. Matt Blossom again reveals the secrets of magic.

Tickets £27.50. Booking line.

Tickets £27.50

The Square Tower, Broad Street, Portsmouth PO1 2ND 07519 505785

Super Camps Ages 6 +

Ickle Bambino Baby Raves

A fun, family afternoon out with top local DJs playing a range of great music, anything with a good beat. Parties feature a host of engaging activity areas. Dancefloor, tea rooms and craft area. / Adults £4.00 / Children £3.00 1 - 7 years of age / under 1’s free

16 - 20 February

West Hill Park School Titchfield, PO14 4BS and Kingscourt School, Catherington, PO8 9NJ Tel: 01235 467300

9am – 5pm (drop off from 8am – 6pm available) Weekly during the holidays

Activities include sports, arts & crafts.

Some small resolutions

with BIG effects!

Smile

As the song says ‘Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag, and smile, smile, smile’.

Make it your mission to smile even when you don’t feel like it. Research suggests the act of smiling alone can help lift spirits.

Gratitude and attitude

Just before sleep each night, think of three things you are grateful for that day.

Anything that warms the cockles of your heart will do. Going to sleep with a smile on your face will put you in a better mood in the morning.

Be kind to yourself

Children respond better to understanding and compassion for their mistakes than to being berated – and so do we! So this month give up beating yourself up (even if you eat a cream cake!).

Share a laugh with the kids

Put aside one ‘treat time’ each week to play a game with the children; snuggle up on the sofa with popcorn to watch a movie, or play chasing in the park.

Warning: never work with children or animals.

by Helena Clarke Before having children, I never gave much thought to the range of skills required to do the job of a health care professional. Sure I knew they were difficult, challenging jobs that required significant training, but the one thing I had never factored in was how their job must be ten times harder when they were treating children. Have to do a tricky tooth extraction? Practise enough and this may well become second nature. Have to do the same extraction on a 5 year old and it becomes a whole other ball game. No training, no practise, no careful planning can possible prepare you for the unexpected curve balls children can throw at you, particularly when they are anxious or in pain.

Take my children. They have systematically worked their way through every available health professional and attempted to crush their spirit through a combination of incessant chatter; irrational fear; and complete and utter inability to keep still.

Is it time for a change?

The New Year is not just about detoxing our bodies – it can also be a time to detox our lives. In fact, January is a fantastic time for those of us with children in nursery or full time education for the first time to go back to work, start a new venture, set up our own business or to re-train in something that will get us leaping out of bed every morning!

From a new job or a whole new career, the world is your oyster as a working parent.

If your hours are limited by the school run, setting up your own business or taking up a franchise can offer you the opportunity to do something you love while working flexible hours, and the options are limitless.

You can choose anything from running a yoga franchise to teaching Spanish!

1) At the dentist If my children can be taken as representative of their generation then this being a dentist requires a hefty amount of patience. Whenever we visit, the first 5 minutes is taken up with a lengthy argument over who has to go first and when I finally intervene and insist that one or other child sits in the chair, they invariably refuse to open their mouths without promises of stickers at the end. When it is finally my turn in the chair, they make up for their previous taciturn state by screeching at each other whilst I am left helpless, feebly attempting to issue reprimands with a mouth full of metal instruments. With potential daily re-runs of this scene, I am in no hurry to swap places with our lovely dentist.

2) At the optician On our first visit to the opticians recently, we started as we meant to go on when Ana required reinforcements to be brought in when she found it impossible to keep still whilst having her eye examined on the impressive looking ‘big eye machine’. Faith, on the other hand, grew restless after a lengthy spell in the chair and resorted to scratching her nose at frequent intervals, causing

Take a course, start a marketing business, design websites, set up a blog, open a café – it’s up to you. There are plenty of websites out there to help you get started and find a new job, re-train, choose the right business, give you ideas, advise you on tax and even help you design your logo, so there’s no excuse not to get stuck in this New Year. Take a look at these sites (Ed. Although the sites seem very female centric, most of the information is very relevant to dads too!)

www.gov.uk/starting-up-a-business www.workingmums.co.uk www.mumandcareer.co.uk www.mumandworking.co.uk www.mumpreneuruk.com

the delicately balanced glasses frame to tilt repeatedly, spewing its cargo of breakable lenses across the examination room floor. Twice. Children + delicate machinery + complex calculations = potential disaster. Opticians, I salute you.

3) At the clinic Now nurses probably anticipate dealing with children, but I do feel for them when their job involves doling out vaccinations to unsuspecting preschoolers. With tiny babies, you can rely on their goldfish memory to wipe the incident from their minds, but the preschool jabs must be a constant strain.

Faith, for one, has never forgiven the very kind nurse who spoke so gently, made her laugh and then stabbed her in the arm. Her treachery has never been forgotten. And for shouldering the burden of being the pain-bringing enemy in the pursuit of preserving our children’s health, I praise nurses across the land!

Helena is our weekly online columnist.

You can read more of her articles at: www.familiessolenteast.co.uk or check out her blog at: www.motherinferiorblog.com

Families Solent East | January/February 2015 | 15

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AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND

SAT 29th / SUN 30th AUGUST 2015

We would like to welcome you to our bar/bistro here in Southsea A truly continental cafe bar offering a wide selection of home made cakes, along with our extensive menu of light bites, main meals and daily special.

Open monday to saturday from 8am and Sunday from 9am, Serving our imported Italian coffee, Tea Pigs teas and a selection of wines & beers in a relaxed atmosphere.

So whether it’s a slice of cake and coffee with friends, a business meeting over lunch or light bite with the kids

we look forward to welcoming you soon.

02392 819722 info@thecornercafesouthsea.com

We are here

@the-corner-cafe-southsea

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18 January/February 2015 | Families Solent East

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