Country Child Winter 2022/23

Welcome to Winter

Repeated the frazzled parent running from shop to shop, last minute, to get the unexpected gift she forgot to get for her husbands cousin twice removed who is coming back from their gap year early - they got home sick! Familiar?

However once the big day arrives, all is forgotten, a bit like child birth come to think of it. But we do it again and again and again. The gift of giving is just too great. Seeing the faces of a loved on open their presents is all the repayment we need and perhaps the odd glass of wine throughout the day.

This year many homes are looking to cut costs and think smart by opting into a Family Secret Santa! We have our pick on page 9 in various budgets to get that idea flowing. It's a keeper for sure.

Another idea would be to consider giving gifts on a 'need' basis rather than a 'want' theory. It's perhaps a good opportunity to get items for the home, school and hobbies. On pages 15 and 29 we mix up the essentials with the more precious unique items to give this year.

For some this time of year is less about celebrating and more about surviving. That's why we have

supported two local charities in their plea for you to give to the more in need amongst us. Turn to page 33 to find out how you can offer your help and support too.

As we look to benefit others, we also take a look at how the benefits of time away as a family can help develop our children. Perhaps for a family present this year, book a 2023 holiday, pages 19 to 21 can tell you why this is a no brainer.

There's more helpful advice on pages 22 and 23 in regards to fussy eating, so if your christmas dinner's can be stressful, learn how to keep a calmer mealtime here.

Perhaps the most important article for parents this season could be our Parental Controls peice that helps you stay on top of the digital dangers to our children. So if you've gifted a phone this christmas turn to page 30.

Remember as ever we have our winter days out covered on page 17, so whatever and whereever you go this year, we hope you are warm, well and with loved ones. Here's to 2023!

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

Bespoke

Marc Johnson creates stunning jewellery pieces, tailor made to customer requirements, using a variety of precious metals and coloured gemstones at his studio in Andover, Hampshire UK

Supporting the commission work, he also undertakes remodelling of customers gemstones into distinctive jewellery pieces, as well as creating his own jewellery collections

www.marcjohnsonjeweller.com marcjohnsonjeweller@gmail.com

Ring for the King

Trisha Shannon sub-editor at the historic Ringing World magazine, is urging our children to get into bellringing now to be ready to Ring for the King!

“

Irock at maths!” said Ben, as we sat watching his mum have her turn on a rope at a ringing practice on a Tuesday evening. It isn’t necessary to “rock at maths” to be a good bellringer, but you do need to be able to count, at least up to six for a typical village ring of bells. If you can do that, and ride a bicycle, you will be fine.

Ben had his first go at ringing a church bell on Saturday 10th September 2022 when bells around the country rang out in celebration of the Proclamation of our new King. It was a historic moment, and Ben will remember it. He has had a couple more goes since then, accompanying his mum to practice sessions. He’s a little on the young side –but the best ringers in the country are the ones who came to it young and kept it up.

Ben’s mum, Anna, grew up near a church that only had one bell, chimed by the verger. When she moved to Kingsworthy, she was introduced to Jonathan, the local tower captain.

“He was kind enough to give me the opportunity to have a go and it was love at first ding,” says Anna. “I've thoroughly enjoyed becoming part of the local bell ringing community. I feel so lucky to have been given the chance to learn. People have been very patient and it's been brilliant for my seven-year-old son Ben to have had the chance to try too. Hopefully he is a future bell ringer in the making.”

As with any musical instrument, learning the technical skill takes time, and after that there is a lifetime of progress and enjoyment. For me, learning as an adult (the wrong side of 40, never mind 16)

bellringing was the perfect antidote to the physical stress of bashing a keyboard as fast as I could all day editing news stories. I came to the belltower, took off my reading glasses, reached for my rope and gave it a strong pull, stretching my stiff shoulders and resulting in a very satisfying loud noise. I was hooked from the first attempt!

There is now a national campaign to recruit new ringers to join the celebrations for the Coronation in May 2023. If you would like to have a go, contact your local association or tower and they will put you in touch with someone who can recommend where to start.

Here are some useful links. Hampshire: wpbells. org or Wiltshire and Dorset: sdgr.org.uk

“ It was love at rst ding! “

Seven-year-old Ben ringing for the Proclamation of the Accession of the King at Holy Trinity Church in Wonston.

Sibling Secrets

From how to avoid clingy behaviour, to what to do if your older child starts showing resentment towards a new baby’s arrival, Munchkin’s official parenting expert, Sophie Pickles, reveals all her new sibling secrets.

Dealing with a new sibling can be a tricky time for toddlers and young children as a newborn baby receives lots of attention from family and friends. From having feelings of resentment as the little one is getting all the attention, to being hostile towards the baby, it’s a big emotional shift, and it can be difficult for the whole family.

To help parents of newborns create household harmony in those early days, Sophie Pickles, Munchkin’s official parenting expert, has revealed her new sibling secrets:

Talking and Listening

Communication is key when it comes to helping a new sibling slot into the family. It doesn’t matter how young your child is, it’s essential to talk to them as much as possible about their new brother or sister’s arrival. Speak to them about what may change, how it might feel and, importantly, listen to any worries they may have. It seems so simple, yet parents or caregivers often hold back on communication for fear that it will worry or upset their children. Rest assured, it’s best to talk, and listen, as much as possible.

Gentle Hands

Toddlers can often react in a hostile way towards their new sibling. Sometimes, this can spill over into physical reactions, such as pinching, pulling or even hitting. A good way to try and nip this in the bud, is to role play with dolls before and after the baby comes along. Practise using gentle touch, caring for the doll baby and involving your little toddler as much as possible. They will enjoy looking after their 'baby' alongside you when the real thing arrives - remember to praise them and acknowledge when they use gentle hands too.

A Nurturing Approach To Regression

It’s common for a toddler to suddenly want to be a baby again, they may ask you to rock them, give them milk, or interact with them the same way you do the baby. This is completely normal and it’s ok that they feel this way. Support them through these feelings, and let them mourn the loss of babyhood. Avoid saying things such as “You’re not a baby anymore” or “You’re a big boy/ girl now” Remember, their world has turned upside down overnight, and pushing them to suddenly grow up can be jarring and unhelpful.

Don’t Blame the Baby

There’ll often be times during pregnancy or after having a new baby, when you can’t do things for your toddler as you usually would. This idea of having to wait or do things differently will be new to them, especially if they are your first-born. With this in mind, instead of saying "I can't play on the floor, I have a baby in my tummy" try "It hurts my legs to sit on the floor for a long time. Let’s move your toys onto the table and play together there". Of course, it’s ok to be honest, but you don’t want your child to start associating the fact that they can't do things with their new sibling.

Making Time For Quality Time

It can be difficult to dedicate one-on-one time to your toddler, especially when you have a new baby in tow. However, building in quality time for your toddler, where nothing is about the new brother or sister, will make them feel important, secure and loved. It’s important to find a safe space for your baby, such as Munchkin's swing, a moses basket or play mat, then turn all your attention to your older child. Perhaps read a book or play a game that you know they love. Getting out and about works too, be it on a little walk or visiting a toddler class, just put your baby in a sling or carrier ensuring that you have both your hands free to play and explore with your older child.

Sharing Stories

There are plenty of books out there that are geared towards having a new brother or sister. Research, and find some that you’d like to share with your toddler. Reading books will help you to talk about some of the things that babies do,

such as crying, needing milk and napping. This doesn’t just have to be done pre-baby, you can use books afterwards too to tackle some new feelings, emotions or behaviours that you have noticed in your child. It’s also a lovely opportunity to enjoy some quiet time together.

My Little Helper

There’s a lot to be done before a new baby arrives, which is the perfect excuse to involve a little helper. Getting your older child to support you can really help them to feel comfortable with the change that is about to happen. Whether it's washing baby clothes, building the cot or setting up a new pushchair, this preparation stage will create an understanding that they are an important part of the family and alleviate any worries.

You could also let your little one buy a gift for when the baby arrives. Munchkin has a range of nursery items that are helpful for newborns and small babies, the perfect gifts for a toddler to give a new sibling. Visit: munchkin.co.uk

Over the Rainbow

Girlguiding – the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK has announcesd on International Day of The Girl, that they are officially opening the doors to four-year-old girls nationwide.

Rainbows, the charity’s youngest section, will now welcome girls from the age of four up to seven years old, providing more opportunities for more girls to experience the fun, friendship and adventure of Girlguiding. Rainbows has been running for 35 years and to celebrate this achievement, Girlguiding has collaborated with award-winning portrait photographer Emily Stein on a photo series entitled ‘Girls Are Made Of…’, celebrating the true face of four-year-old girls, challenging the dated stereotype that little girls should be ‘sugar and spice and all things nice’.

Launched to coincide with the annual International Day of the Girl, selected images from the series will be on display at Girlguiding’s London headquarters on Buckingham Palace Road, both in the windows and a gallery open to the public. The bold images perfectly capture what girls are made

of, from strength and joy, to mischief, courage, and curiosity.

For the photo series, Girlguiding invited existing Rainbows and girls keen to start their own Girlguiding journey to a photoshoot, designed to showcase their individuality — representing the many faces, qualities and quirks embraced by the organisation

Photographer Emily Stein is known for her bold aesthetic and documentary approach to shooting children and young people; capturing authentic emotions and real ‘moments’ that bring a sense of intimacy and honesty to her subjects.

Emma Guthrie, Assistant Chief Guide, said: “Four-year-old girls have spent a huge portion of their lives in a pandemic, missing out on essential play, exploration, confidence building and friendships, and parents are keen for them to make up for lost time.

“Too often girls are still expected to be sugar and spice and all things nice, but working with girls and young women for over 100 years, we know they are made of so much more. We’re extremely happy to

To mark International Day of the Girl, Girlguiding collaborated with award-winning photographer Emily Stein, to celebrate girls now being able to join Rainbows from four.

welcome four-year-olds to the organisation and start them on their Girlguiding journey – opening up a community where girls can always be free to be themselves. Free to be four.”

Rainbows focuses on developing self-confidence, building friendships, learning new things and having fun through games and activities. When asked what they enjoyed about Rainbows, four-year-old MiaBelle, said, “We get to play, play, play!” - a sentiment echoed by Neylah, also four, who added that she “loves going to Rainbows” because “we play fun games”. Adah-Rose added that she “can’t wait” to be a Rainbow and is “really excited” that she can now join her local unit.

Girls can work towards badges throughout their Girlguiding journey, with Rainbows and the other sections following a diverse and engaging programme built around six themes1 offering girls a broad range of experiences. In Rainbows, girls are encouraged to gain skills in areas such as exploration, story-telling, construction and nature, and even explore at a young age what it means to have a healthy mind.

Rainbows is all about developing self-confidence,

building friendships, learning new things, and having fun. Members get their hands dirty with arts and crafts, get in touch with nature and play games. It's all about learning by doing.

Emily Stein, Photographer, states: “For this special collection of images, I really wanted to capture all the behaviours, contradictions, energy, purity, beauty and emotions of being four. It’s a really significant time in a girl’s life; sitting between the ‘toddler’ years and just before the structure of school begins, with the world opening up a little more every day, in all of its exciting glory. It’s a magical year in time, that was truly a joy to document.”

You can follow the #GirlsAreMadeOf… campaign, view the online gallery or share a picture of yourself at four by visiting Girlguiding on Instagram.com/girlguiding, and at facebook.com/ girlguidinguk.

For more information, and to register your daughter’s interest in joining, please visit: girlguiding.org.uk/joinus/

Bedroom Basics

Experts reveal eight essential items for your child's bedroom

Having kids and starting a family is both a happy and stressful tasks, as there are countless things to keep into consideration. While many of these factors cannot be thought and vary from person to person, there’s some other things that you can seek advice for. When it comes to your children’s bedroom, interior design expert Unbeatable Blinds has you covered as they’ve listed some items that are essential to a kid’s bedroom, and will both make your child feel at home and will make you feel more at ease.

Coloured Walls

Being a child is all about having fun, learning new things and overall, just being carefree. White walls are often too boring and plain and while not all kids might like bright colours, it is easy to say that they might prefer a different option to a neutral tone. Have them choose their wall’s colour and maybe even include them in the process of painting them!

A bed they can grow into This one is both practical for you and important for them, as changing the bed each time your child becomes too big for it isn’t ideal as will probably cost you a lot of money. Instead, get a bigger bed they can grow into and look at your kids reclaim their space and have something that belongs only to them.

Lots of Storage

Even though they’re small, children can own tons of things, and that’s why it’s essential to have as much storage space as possible in their room. This can not only help both of you keep the space tidy but will also teach them that everything they own has a place and that each item needs to be put back in their place once they’re done using it.

A Rug

Both for comfort and aesthetic, a rug is another must in a kids’ bedroom, as it will

give them a comfortable place to play and carry out a lot of their activities but will also give the room a pop of colour and a sense of completeness.

Safe but fun blinds

Just like adults, children need their privacy and shade, but what’s even more important is their safety. While curtains are surely pretty, they can be a hazard for your child, that’s why roller blinds are way safer. Also, they can absolutely be as pretty, as they come in a multitude of patterns and colors which you can choose with your kid to customize their room exactly like they want to!

Bookshelves

Hands down one of the most important features in any room, bookshelves are not only a must, they’re a need. Reading to your kids, as well as teaching them to read is a great way to not only bond with them and give them core memories, but also to initiate a journey of discovering and passion, which often will develop until they’re adults.

Laundry basket

While it’s only right for your kids to have fun, teaching them how to take care of their clothes is also important so they can become fully functional adults. Placing a laundry basket in their room can not only help you separate your child’s delicate clothing from your own but can give them a routine which entails realizing a piece of clothing is dirty, putting it away for laundry and change into something clean that they need to take better care of.

A trash can

Another way to teach your kids about tidiness and cleanliness is to place a trash can into their room that they can use at their convenience. Afterall, everybody has one in their room, and since it’s a must to then teach them about differentiating waste and recycling, this might a great way to introduce them to how important it is.

Eco Ice

One of the UK’s most famous Christmas ice rink powered by renewable energy at Brighton’s Royal Pavilion is back now on until 8th January 2023. Tickets can be booked online at royalpavilionicerink.co.uk

What's On Winter

Entertainment

Peachy Keen

James and the Giant Peach’ runs from 7th – 10th December at The Merlin, in Frome with six performances including a ‘relaxed’ show too! Saturday 10th. Full times and prices via merlintheatre.co.uk

Free Fun!

Marvellous Medicine

This winter, The Festival of Light at Longleat will bring Roald Dahl’s most iconic characters to life. Wiith some lanterns more than 15-metres tall it's set to be marvellous!. Booking advised. longleat.co.uk

Wonderland

The iconic Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, is returning this year for its 15th anniversary. Families can experience a magical day out, with a host of new attractions. Free entry tickets during off-peak hours too! Visit : hydeparkwinterwonderland.com

This year Avebury Manor is decorated to tell the story of The Nutcracker. Travel to magical realms as Clara and the Prince journey from an enchanted forest, along the lemonade canal and to the Sugar Plum Fairy's castle of sweets. There will also be family rooms dedicated to children's crafts and Christmas stories as well as Christmas activities across the site. Why not end your visit with a delicious mince pie in the cafe or a trip to the gift shop where you can finish your Christmas shopping in style?

Price free although normal admission applies. No booking required and is on until New Years Day! nationaltrust.org.uk/ avebury

Trust Time

Christmas is the time for festive days out with the historic National Trust. Such an array of places to visit with activities included. Check out nationaltrust.org.uk

Hey Duggee

Hey Duggee is touring for the first time ever in February 23 and here’s your chance to see this interactive show! Tickets from lighthousepoole.co.uk

Family Travel Guide

This guide from Love Holidays is a must-read for any parent looking to understand the impact of travel on childhood development.

Why do families decide to travel together?

Travel can boost family relationships as you experience new things together and create cherished memories. Plus, we all need a break from our regular routine. Being away from everyday stresses can help families connect on a deeper level.

Why do you want to go?

We’ve already mentioned some of the reasons why families decide to travel together, but there may be others which apply to you. It helps to have a discussion about what you're most interested in doing. This makes the planning process easier as everyone’s preferences will be taken into account. It also means you’ll have similar expectations. Sure, there are always going to be unexpected hiccups and spontaneous moments, but it’ll be more peaceful if you all know the purpose of your trip.

Where do you want to go?

The world is a big place. And chances are, everyone will have a destination (or three) in mind that they’d love to explore. But when you have a family, there’s more to travel planning than sticking a pin in a map. Here are some things you need to think about.

How much are you able to spend?

This is a big factor in travel planning. Your budget will determine where you can stay, how you get there, how long you can stay there, and the activities you can do.

To follow is how to create (and stick to) a budget for family travel.

Research the cost of transport and accommodation in your destination. These often take up the biggest proportion of a budget.

Factor in the cost of food

Will you be catering for yourselves or eating out most of the time? Maybe a mix of the two? Research the cost of any attractions you want to visit Most historical sites and museums have an entry fee or ask for a donation. Look for family tickets or free entry for children under a certain age. Add a buffer

You may encounter some unexpected costs, so it helps to be prepared. Even if you don’t end up using the extra money, you’ll have peace of mind. Research the transport available

Is there an off-peak time to travel that knocks the price down? Flight comparison sites are a great way to find this out. And use public transport instead of getting taxis if it’s possible to do so.

Money-saving tips

Plan your days carefully

If several of the attractions you want to visit are within close proximity to each other, you can plan a day or two around that area. Some companies even offer tickets that give you access to multiple attractions for one price, which is often cheaper than buying tickets for each separately.

Travel during off-peak times

Prices can skyrocket during peak seasons like summer, and the crowds are much bigger, too. If the weather’s not too bad and accommodation and attractions are still open, then avoiding these times of year and visiting during the off-season can cost a lot less. You’ll have more space to explore, too.

How long do you want to travel for?

The length of your trip is connected to logistical constraints, such as the aforementioned budget, schooling for children, and work commitments for adults. Availability of accommodation and transport will also affect how long you go away for. So how does all this help develop our children?

Although our brains start developing before birth and continue to change into adulthood, children’s brains are built rapidly in their early years. There are periods of time in early childhood and adolescence when they are more sensitive to the things they experience, both positive and negative. Positive experiences can help kids develop healthy brains. As the NSPCC points out, it’s never too late to give a child or adolescent positive experiences, such as loving familial relationships, access to support services, and learning opportunities through travel.

Here are some of the key moments in children’s development.

Three weeks after conception, the brain begins to produce neurons. Neurons transmit information between different parts of the brain and the nervous system.

At birth, they have generated almost all the neurons they’ll ever have. The auditory system (all parts of the ear and some parts of the brain) matures.

At five weeks, learning and memory formation begins.

At nine months, they start demonstrating gross motor skills like crawling, cruising, and walking while having both hands held.

At one year and three months, speech develops.

At one year and six months, they start demonstrating fine motor skills like clapping, waving, and turning pages.

Explaining brain development

Researchers have come up with a number of metaphors to explain children’s brain development and how parents and other caregivers can encourage it. Let’s take a look at what they are.

Air traffic control

Everyone’s brain must manage different tasks every day. As children grow, they learn how to organise and prioritise these tasks and control impulses and emotions when necessary. Researchers compare this to being an air traffic controller. Parents and caregivers can demonstrate how to manage tasks through their own actions and behaviour. In the context of family travel, this could mean planning a day out, staying calm, and managing emotions if the

day doesn’t go to plan. You can also help children by asking them what’s on their mind, helping them to find a solution for any tricky tasks, and encouraging them to make choices, like selecting something from the menu at a restaurant.

Brain architecture

Brains are built step-by-step, much like a house. Positive experiences during childhood, such as family travel, lay the foundations for a healthy brain.

Serve and return

Researchers compare interactions between adults and children to a game of tennis. Children ‘serve’ and adults ‘return’ with a positive response, creating a ‘rally’ which helps to develop the child’s language, plus cognitive and social skills. This can begin at a very young age, as soon as children start babbling, gesturing, and using facial expressions. Parents and caregivers can encourage interactions by joining children in face-to-face activities, responding to babbling, gestures, and facial expressions, maintaining eye contact, and praising any vocal sounds. Children repeat behaviours they’re praised for, and over time these sounds will turn into words.

Stress

Stress is a normal part of life. Part of brain development is learning how to cope with it in a healthy way. For example, older children might get ready to take an exam and draw from the experience in the future. Parents and caregivers can help children cope with stress by listening to their concerns without being dismissive, soothing them, and seeking extra support for any larger challenges.

Tipping the scales

Researchers compare children’s brain development to a set of scales, with positive experiences on one side and negative experiences on the other. Tipping the scales towards positive experiences leads to healthier brain development long-term.

While you don’t need to overthink every interaction you have with your child, it helps to keep these metaphors in the back of your mind.

When you’re a kid, it’s easy to think that your little corner of the Earth is the whole world—it’s certainly your whole world. Travelling elsewhere helps children to realise that there’s much more out there.

There’s plenty to discover, from new cultures and cuisines to languages, landmarks and experiences, as well as meeting new people. They’ll see that something different to what they’re used to is a good thing, and become more accepting as a result.

Introducing children to other cultures helps them to become better at solving problems and promotes a

sense of curiosity and a willingness to learn.

Yes, travel is fun. But it’s also a huge educational opportunity for kids, so it’s important to include some learning in your plans in addition to leisure. Learning through immersion offers extra invaluable context only real-life experiences can bring. This can help older kids understand concepts from their classes, which improves their results overall.

While school is certainly important for socialisation, travel also has benefits in this regard, offering opportunities not found in a classroom. It exposes children to people of different ages, nationalities, and backgrounds which create empathy, improves communication skills and self confident.

New situations requires us all to adapt, and children are no different. The ability to adapt is an important skill that adults and children alike will call upon throughout their lives in order to cope with change. Travel involves getting used to different environments and different cultural norms, so it’s a great way to teach children how to adjust. Travel can also teach children to be patient—after all, even the most well-organised plans can be hit by the unexpected. You may have to wait in long queues or spend a lot of time on transport, and kids will have to find ways to occupy this time. They’ll learn how to keep themselves entertained.

Being away from the usual daily routines can be a lot at first. But everyone will still have tasks to carry out. For example, a child may be involved with packing their suitcase for the trip, which can teach them skills such as organisation, making decisions, and looking after their things. They can also get involved with travel admin, like navigating a new city or finding a nice place to eat. All of this can help them to become more responsible, which translates well to everyday life (and future adult life).

It’s easy for daily stresses to take over. And while travel does involve its fair share of admin, ideally it will also give you plenty of uninterrupted time to spend with your children. With many parents’ time split between caregiving and their career, it can be hard to find time for everything. A survey of 2,000 adults found that families spend just four hours of quality time together each week, but travel can fill the gap because it involves separation from everyday life.

Sharing the experiences of travel together will strengthen existing bonds and create wonderful memories you’ll all enjoy looking back on for years to come. And as we’ve seen, positive interactions contribute towards healthy brain development, especially when they come from important figures like parents and caregivers.

GLORIOUS Food

Fussy Eating Week

Fussy Eating Awareness Week was created to turn the tables on traditional approaches to parenting at mealtimes, to tackle generational bad habits and reduce stress of mealtimes. Research shows that if they could wave a magic wand, (95%) of stressed parents would use it to have their child eat a wider variety of food.

As well as parents and family members, Sarah Almond Bushell from Eastbourne, Founder of The Children’s Nutritionis used this awareness week as an opportunity

to reach out to the professionals whom parents turn to for helpthe frontline health professionals and education providers, who are not specifically trained in this area, yet are expected to support parents who are struggling. She is working to share her specialist knowledge with them too via accredited courses so that they can create a positive ripple effect with families in their communities.

Access to Sarah’s expertise will be free but as an extension of her impact, Sarah is hoping to make a difference and is

asking that people who join her make a voluntary donation to The Trussell Trust justgiving. com/fundraising/the-childrensnutritionist who support a nationwide network of food banks, providing emergency food and support to people locked in poverty.

Last month saw the launch of the inaugural Fussy Eating Awareness Week, (21st-27th November, 2022) as an awardwinning Registered Dietitian with over 20 years of NHS and private practice experience of working

GLORIOUSFood

Fussy Eating Awareness Week launched on the (21st-27th November, 2022), we find out what it was all about.

with families, Sarah has taken matters into her own hands, to try and help tackle the challenge that makes so many households unhappy.

Mum of 2, Sarah, who also consults for brands such as; Heinz, Holland & Barrett, Burger King and Hovis, is on a mission to open up more conversations about fussy eating, providing free expert advice to parents, education and healthcare providers on subjects that are often ignored and offer free solutions to help overcome stressful mealtimes with fussy eaters, in a bid to support the thousands of children and families who suffer ongoing stress from this problem.

Sarah is also working to try and help distinguish when fussy eating is ‘just a fad’, a normal part of child development, and when it is something more serious and she wants to help provide more support for education and healthcare providers to enable them to identify this.

Driven by her own story of struggling to feed her son, despite her many years of clinical experience, Sarah, a frustrated healthcare professional and parent, personally sought out the best advice from across the globe to help her understand what was at play with her son’s fussy eating. Learning from the most highly qualified specialists in America, who Sarah then trained with, she has delved into the Psychology of child development and eating

Psychology and feeding therapy to help initiate breakthroughs, both in her own situation and with her clients. Sarah is currently reaching around 130K people each month with her expertise and knowledge via her online platforms and hopes that this dedicated Fussy Eating Awareness Week will enable her to reach many more.

With her years of experience, Sarah is also in the process of creating an accredited course for healthcare providers, such as; Health Visitors, GP's, Dietitians and Nutritionists… and education providers; such as; nursery and pre-school staff… to ensure that fussy eating is recognised as an area that they are required to be trained on, to ensure more frontline health workers and education providers are prepared to deal with these challenges in the best manner.

Sarah is also passionate about helping to cut the ties of generational eating habits, having seen that often the children’s behaviour is fuelled by our own ingrained unconscious beliefs and habits from our childhoods around what mealtimes should look like. She believes that sayings like - ‘if you don’t clear your plate there’ll be no pudding’ and ‘if you don’t eat your tea you’ll be having it for breakfast’ and ‘we’re not leaving the table until you’ve eaten that broccoli’ are all stress evoking, creating dangerous negative emotions around food and potentially fuelling later in life

mental health challenges around food and weight management.

Instead, Sarah is on a mission to share with us what science shows is the best way to parent around food and she hopes this will go some way to combat the misinformation that exists around how to deal with fussy eating and the desperation tactics that some parents resort to. Sarah said; “Making back up meals, bribing them to eat a vegetable, and tricking them with hidden ingredients only further fuels the fire and these approaches can cause further problems for the children as they grow up, and their relationship with food into adulthood can be affected”.

To review some of the work parents can visit: childrensnutrition.co.uk/fussyeating-awareness-week/ and for any healthcare providers interested in receiving Sarah’s free resources email info@childrensnutrition.co.uk

Outdoors The Great

A focus on lifting mind body and spririt in the New Year with Knoll Gardens in Dorset

Knoll Gardens launched a varied array of events in 2022 offering all ages the opportunity to enjoy, learn from and be inspired by the beautiful gardens, whilst participating in one of the many fun activities and classes available.

After two years of disruption and restrictions the value of fresh air, green spaces and social interaction had never been more evident. What a better place to enjoy being among friends, meeting new people and learning a new skill, or taking up a hobby, than in these stunning gardens.

The best plants are nurtured as seedlings and Knoll’s monthly hands-on Bugs and Buds sessions are designed to introduce young children to the joys of gardens and wildlife, with a different activity each month helping them to explore the gardens and wildlife around them whilst having great fun!

New camera for Christmas? Or perhaps you would like to get more from your existing camera; then join one of their friendly, informal photography workshops, led by a respected professional photographer, that make the most of the wonderful garden setting and photogenic tall perennials and

ornamental grasses.

Celebrate native wildlife and explore the gardens in the company of one of Knoll’s volunteer experts and discover colourful butterflies, bees and other fascinating pollinators.

Known for their stunning ornamental grasses that provide shape, colour and texture throughout the seasons, the gardens are bound to inspire both budding, and more established, gardeners. To learn more about naturalistic planting and designing with grasses join Neil Lucas, owner of Knoll Gardens on one of his informative masterclasses.

And for some 'me time' remember to pencil in their summer yoga sessions with a backdrop of trees, shrubs and bird song, and one-off garden and wildlife days complete the programme, to find out more about 2023's offering go to: knollgardens.co.uk/ events/

Places on events are restricted so book early to avoid disappointment. Knoll Gardens will reopen late Winter from February 10am till 4pm and later in summer. Namaste!

WINDOW SHOPPING

Morwenstow, Cornwall

£4,250,000

Uckfield, East Sussex

£5,000,000

Braceborough, Lincolnshire

drkivell.co.uk

£3,500,00

The Farm lies with excellent views particularly to the east and has been in the same family´s ownership since 1955. It comprises of a significant stone-built house which has been extended in more recent times, very pleasant private gardens, traditional farm yard with stone buildings and approximately 103.27 hectares (255.16 acres) of arable land, spinneys and plantations.

Most impressive 200-acre (80.93 ha) coastal estate with direct access to a secluded beach. Significant 16th century Grade II* listed manor house. Traditional and modern buildings and an interesting mix of quality arable and pasture land as well as amenity and cliff land in an enviable position in this unspoilt part of the North Cornish landscape. longstaff.com

Hexham, Northumberland

€2,600,000

A superb upland stock farm with four bedroom principle farmhouse, two bedroom detached cottage and range of traditional and modern agricultural buildings with potential for conversion subject to obtaining necessary consents. Permanent grass and rough grazing in all extending to 186.45 Hectares (460.72 Acres)

Constantia Manor is an impressive and practical country house which has been finished to a high standard by the current owners. The farm, a specifically designed environmental and conservation management project, is very much the heart and soul of the estate, creating a diverse natural habitat and private wildlife reserve. savills.co.uk georgefwhite.co.uk

Country Child plough the market for farmland from afar.

Parental Control

At what age should I give my child a phone?

Psycotherapist Cathy Press shares some lessons in how to keep children safe on mobiles.

Getting a phone has become a rite of passage for children and teenagers. With Christmas just around the corner, a phone will be on many childs wishlist. But what is the best age to give them one?

When you decide to give your child a phone is completely up to you and will be dependent on their maturity and how responsible they can be with it. Typically, children are given a phone at about the time they start secondary school, which in itself isn’t a problem, but the type they pester you for might be. Most children experience considerable peer pressure around getting a smart phone and will convey this to you until you give into the pressure.

As adults the concerns we have about our children using smart phones is ironically not about the actual ability to make phone calls but as phones being the gateway to children being exposed to a view of the world they are not mature enough to see.

Phones pose risks such as cyber bullying, exposure to all sorts of explicit and inappropriate

content, making in-app purchases, sharing their personal data and potentially the parents data too and the inevitable addiction to tech due to excessive screen time.

Setting up parental controls are a useful way forward and may ease your concerns. You can find several really useful guides at parentsafe.lgfl.net. There is also useful information to be found at these sites: saferinternet.org.uk and childnet.com.

Do keep an open conversation with your child about the use of their phone and the potential risks. They are more likely to come to you for assistance if they do have a problem or something unexpected happens. Make sure they know that there are conditions attached to them having a phone.

Don’t forget that you can give your child a simple mobile which can only make calls and texts and if you consider your child will be safer all together with this option then try this for starts and see how responsible they can be with this in the first instance.

Tips for keeping youR

kids safe:

→ Make sure the phone has a secure password you both know

→ Check the age limits of all the apps they might have access to

→ Make sure their accounts are turned to private to ensure as much safety as is possible

→ Create content filters to block inappropriate content

→ Set limits on screen time

→ Encourage them not to answer any calls or texts from unknown numbers

→ Don’t post any personal information that can identity you, where you live or the school you go to (including photos with logos on school uniform)

→ Don’t befriend people you don’t know

→ Never send or do anything sexual online

→ Don’t meet up with anyone face-to-face if you have only met them online

→ Gran Alert- if you don’t want gran to see it, don’t post it

→ Tell them if they see something online that makes them feel uncomfortable, unsafe or worried, turn it off and tell an adultremember you can mute or block people on social media

ParentShield is a special mobile network for children and has been designed to make life easier for schools as it gives parents the ability to completely disable mobile phone usage on their children's devices during school hours.

With schools working together with their parents it enables the start of a constructive partnership regarding mobile phones and helps prevent confrontational situations that arise from confiscations.

Confiscation or removal of mobile phones becomes unnecessary if the phone is set in ParentShield's "SchoolBlock" mode which completely disables all calls, SMS messages and ( most importantly! ) mobile data during School Hours. Returning the phone back to normal state after home time and allowing it to be used to call parents for lifts home etc.

While in SchoolBlock mode the phone can still contact emergency services or the child's parents in emergency situations so relieves stress for children and increases peace of mind for parents yet removes the possibility of unwanted notifications in the classroom or access to social media and other distractions, improving classroom behaviour.

Cathy Press has been working as working as a psychotherapist and clinical supervisor for over 25 years, specialising in domestic and sexual violence and abuse related issues with children, young people and adults. Her book When Love Bites: A young person’s guide to escaping harmful, toxic and hurtful relationships is out now priced £14.99. Visit cathypress.co.uk

ParentShield is the UK’s only Mobile Network designed specifically with children in mind, incorporating a wide range of tools - from call recording to keyword alerts - that allow parents to oversee their child’s phone usage without invading their privacy. It can work with any unlocked feature-phone, smartphone or smartwatch and does not require any app or parental controls to be set on the device. Its features are handled remotely, allowing for optimal convenience while kids retain their independence. The SIMs work across the UK and beyond.

For more information visit for terms and tiers an packages: parentshield.co.uk

"We recommend that all parents install ParentShield on the device used by their child in order to safeguard and protect them”

Seema Solani, Principal at Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College, London

OPEN for Business

Bridgwater Cricket Club in Somerset provides organised cricket for disabled players has been handed a major boost thanks to a leading housebuilder. A £1,000 grant from Persimmon Homes Severn Valley as part of its Community Champions scheme was gifted to continue the clubs good work.

Families in Need YHA Festive Raffle

Purple Elephant were a non-profit CIC, supporting Frome and area families, however they can now announce their new charity status and name will be Purple Elephant Family Support.

With Christmas, for many children, meaning a cold house and certainly no endless tables of overflowing, hearty or hot food, the directors of this newly-confirmed charity are facing the media-made sparkling picture with a head-on reality check by launching their first Families-in-Need Christmas public donation Campaign.

Founded in 2015, Purple Elephant’s tiny but dedicated team already run an ultra low-cost Toy Library, Stay-and-Play pre-school sessions, the Small Steps Parenting Support Service, an adult-to-child Befriending Service, projects to support the mental health of young people, school Holiday Activities for children in challenging circumstances and, of course, the famous annual free summer Frome Children’s Festival, open to everyone!

With families facing a very tough winter ahead,

Purple Elephant Family Support needs your support, please, in donating to their Localgiving Families-in-Need Christmas campaign. To ensure they work in partnership with other local organisations to help share support as far as they can, they are asking local people as well as local businesses to please help by donating even a small amount. £10 pays for a hot meal for two children in a cold winter; £20 allows families to stay longer, together in the warm, after a Purple Elephant event. Alternatively, a regular donation of just £5 per month allows these lovely purple people to plan more services, into the future, with confidence.

Contact Sue Willis on suewillis@ purpleelephant.org. uk to discuss all the options to help families-in-need this Christmas.

Aleading youth charity is appealing to people to part with a pound to make a difference to the lives of local young people who need it the most.

Proceeds from the 2022 YHA’s Christmas Raffle, has a first prize of £3000, which will go towards ensuring that no child misses out on the transformative power of a residential school trip. With the cost of living rising, more and more families and schools are being forced to cancel school trips away. For many children, particularly those from low-

income families, that means they miss out on the chance for their first night away from home to bond with their peers and make lasting memories.

Raffle tickets cost just £1.00 each and, as well as the first prize is £3,000, there are also a number of runner-up cash and voucher prizes available. The raffle closes on Friday 9 December with all winners receiving their cash and prizes in time for Christmas.

Previous raffles by YHA (England & Wales) have successfully fundraised to provide life-changing adventures and crucial breaks for 1,800 vulnerable young people and NHS and frontline workers and their families, as well as respite breaks for young carers and the installation of life-saving defibrillators in youth hostels. For tickers pleasevist: getinvolved.yha.org.uk/fundraising/raffle

TOP Marks

DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER?

An astonishing 1,000 parents have failed a recent GCSE maths question, with 92% left unable to answer it and 8% failing to get the correct answer.

Despite this 100% fail rate, an average of 75% of these parents still believe they could pass their children’s exams even though one in two (52%) admit they often don’t understand the homework questions their children ask them about.

The test question and research were commissioned by Save My Exams as part of the launch of “Save My Kids’ Exams”, a series of free resources to help parents support their kids through exam season.

It turns out parents don’t hide their confusion very well either, with almost half of children (44%)

saying they’ve caught their parents looking perplexed when looking through their textbooks.

Despite this, it is clear that parents are still determined to help their children study, with the majority spending seven hours studying textbooks and revising. To help parents out, the “Save My Kids’ Exams” resources have been designed specifically for parents to help them navigate their way through their children’s exam period. Created by leading experts, the resources cover diet, sleep, support, tactics and environment.

As well as providing answers to mock questions and papers, the Save My Exams experts have also busted a series of revision myths. The report examines the most common misconceptions parents and students face when preparing for exams.

For more information visit savemyexams.co.uk

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Village, primary, pre prep, private or state we want to know your school news, email: info@countrychild.co.uk

NEWS IN BRIEF

A special ground-breaking ceremony has marked the start of construction of the Vale Academy Trust’s new primary school at Persimmon’s Wellington Gate development in Grove, Oxfordshire.

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High eld Highreach Holidays, run through High eld and Brookham Schools in Liphook - which is now in its fth year - received outstanding after a visit by Ofsted inspectors.

Voices Inspire

Over 350 children from six Salisbury schools came together in the Cathedral, on Wednesday 16 November 2022 at 11.30am, for a shared concert led by Susie Lamb, Salisbury Cathedral School Director of Music, and her colleague Sarah Budd. The concert was the grand finale of this term’s Voices Inspire project.

Children in school years 3 and 4 from St Martin's, Sarum St Paul's, Coombe Bissett, St Nicholas Porton, Woodford Valley and Harnham Junior Schools took part in this term’s Voices InSpire project. The children have enjoyed regular visits from Susie and Sarah, as well as practising hard with their own teachers in school, learning a range of songs loosely based on the theme of Weather. On the morning all the schools joined together to rehearse for the first time, before performing a short concert to show the culmination of their magnificent efforts.

Voices InSpire is a collaborative project run jointly by Salisbury Cathedral School and Salisbury Cathedral for primary schools in the local area. If you are interested in joining the Voices InSpire contact Salisbury Cathedral School to learn more and see about a space on the 2023-24 programme.

right decisions can be stressful at the best of times, but we are here to help. Whatever’s on your mind, just ask.