Competition: Bullying – A Parents' Guide

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As a teacher, I try to be vigilant for any tell-tale signs of bullying in school. Nowadays we have training on how to handle any situations that arise, and have a ledger to record any offenses. Bullying is taken very seriously in schools nowadays with whole lessons given over to it and assemblies regularly centred around why it's not ok. The difficulty arises when a child says something once as a mean, flippant comment, and a child grasps the 'B' word out of the air. Teaching children why bullying is wrong also involves teaching them what it is.

Bullying is intentional, directed and repeated behaviour. It is not ok!

Obviously for teachers, we get training on how to handle it and have a wealth of tools and procedures at our disposal to help our pupils. But for parents, it can be just as desperate time as for their children. They can feel just as trapped and helpless.

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'App-y Talking Talking, 'App-y Talk

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A contrived title I know, but you'll soon see why.

When The Boy was about 16 months old I gave him the iPod Touch to play with one day. Just a simple bubble-popping app (see? Makes sense now doesn't it?) but he soon understood what he had to do and from then on in I was finding apps ever couple of days for him to play. I always loaded these for him. Invariably I would get frustrated as hell when he would then press the 'home' button, thereby cancelling the game and resulting in him grunting at me and calling 'Mummy, help!'

Less than two months later, I was sitting at the dining table fussing with something (probably twitter) while The Boy played at my feet. I glanced down to check he was ok and found him pressing the 'home' button yet again. I sighed and went to reach down before I stopped sharply. He was switching between screens to find 'his' apps and loading the games that he wanted to play. Completely independently.

Since then he's gone from strength to strength, through the apps on the iPod he's learnt various shapes that I wouldn't have thought to have taught him yet (diamond and hexagon!), colours, recognition of (some) numbers, let alone the matching skills and logical development. It now means that I'm constantly on the look-out for new and engaging apps to further his understanding and development.

We've been asked to review two, and I was only too pleased to accept the offer.

My First JCB

This is a lovely little app, perfect for most boys. There are a number of different games that can be played:

The vast majority of the games are easy enough and The Boy barely needed any input aside from with the 'sorting' and 'memory'. The 'racing' and 'action' games are too hard for him at present. However, The Boy liked playing the jigsaws, matching, dot-dot, painting, etc.

It helps though if your little ones know what a JCB or a digger is because various games within the app focus on things like a bucket, mixer, scoop etc. This app is suitable for 2year olds+, definitely pre-schoolers.

My First JCB is available from iTunes for £1.49 (limited offer)

Postman Pat SDS

This is a little more complicated than the JCB app and would be more suitable for children aged four or over. There are a variety of different games that can be played, with each game having three different levels: easy, medium and hard.

The Boy struggled with most of these games, as they require a little bit more manual dexterity than he has, with quicker reflexes. Out of the eight, he could do two: Thompson Farm and Pencaster Trains.

While the images are bright and attractive, the animation mostly slick and clever, it can't disguise from the fact that it's too hard for it's target market. With an introductory screen for each game that has a paragraph of small writing on it, not many pre-schoolers would be able to play this without assistance. Definitely for the older child.

Postman Pat SDS is available from iTunes for £1.99

I was provided with free download codes for these apps for the purpose of this review. My opinion, and that of The Boy, are honest and unbiased.

Competition: Fatherhood (The Essential Guide)

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A book about being a dad? Well, seeing as though I'm a mum, I've drafted in help.

"When the Boy's Mummy was expecting the Boy, my first stop in any bookshop was the parenting section. Row after row of books about how to be an ideal mother, what mothers should be doing, the truth about motherhood and then squeezed into the end… a couple of books on what being a father is like.

Invariably, those books would also be of the humourous type, full of amusing stories. That's all well and good, but often new dads (and potential dads) do also need more practical advice: how to support the new mother, what your employment and leave rights are, even details on claiming tax credits.

It's into that niche that Tim Atkinson's "Fatherhood: The Essential Guide" fits. The book is broken up into eight chapters that cover individual stages from planning a family up to the baby's third year, including the initial important bits like how to change a nappy (Mrs. TheBoyandMe didn't have the willpower to show me for two weeks which meant she did every change) and registering the birth (or you incur a fine!). There is a wealth of other important practical information on financial help and legal entitlements.

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LeapFrog: Count & Draw

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When tidying up the toys recently, I've realised that I'm a bit of a fan of LeapFrog products. We have the LeapTop, the Tag Junior reading system, Lettersaurus, Musical Movers, Cook and Play Potsy, and the Fridge Farm Magnet Set. See what I mean? Therefore when LeapFrog asked me if I'd like to review the Count & Draw learning console, I thought about it for about one second before replying with an emphatic affirmation!The LeapFrog Count & Draw is a handheld console designed to encourage mathematical skills. Through tracing over the blinking red light with the 'pen' (attached and stores in a hole on the back), children can develop their ability to correctly draw shapes and form numbers. Scout is one of the guides, as always, along with a friendly, male British voice. Both Scout and the narrator are encouraging in their interaction with the child, praising when the child has finished the shape or number and has pressed the paw button to signal they've finished.

There are three modes to the Count & Draw:

  • numbers – press a number button and follow the blinking light to draw the number. The Boy can manage 1, 4 and 7 at the moment, and has attempted 2.
  • shapes – varied shapes: circle, triangle, zig-zag line and square are within The Boy's reach, hexagon etc. is a little too advanced at the moment,
  • games – the games consist of following the red dot, and it's quite fast-moving so is above The Boy at the moment.

I'm very impressed with this new game from LeapFrog; I think it's fun, educational and helps to develop pre-writing skills. The 'pen' fits well inside the hand of a pre-schooler and the console is light-weight enough to be easily carried in one hand. It is aimed at children 3years+ and I would agree with this. While The Boy enjoys doodling on it, he isn't managing the tasks set (he's 2years 4 months) because his fine-motor skills aren't as developed as an older child. I am confident that he is learning (number recognition apart from anything else) and he's definitely enjoying it.

My only 'wish' for the Count & Draw (and it's a small one) is the fact that the console praises regardless of whether the shape drawn is correct or not. However, for the incredibly reasonable price of £14.99, I'm ok with that.

The LeapFrog Count & Draw is available from a number of outlets with an RRP of £14.99.

We were provided with this for the purpose of this review. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

Get Building With Thomas

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The Boy discovered the wonders of Mega Bloks last Christmas when Nana bought him their 3in1 Play and Go table. It was a great success from the word go, with him taking the lid off and sitting in the table to watch Christmas Day television. Soon after he learnt how to use it to its full potential, building walls and towers.

When the lovely Tired Mummy of Two asked me to help her out by reviewing a product for her very clever Christmas Tombola, I of course agreed. She's managed an amazing accomplishment in collecting the promise of 150 prizes for her fabulous competition, and I am in awe of her achievement. One of these has been donated by Mega Bloks, and I have the pleasure of reviewing one of the sets.

The Mega Bloks Diesel Bucket is an incredibly nifty playset which is part of the Mega Bloks Thomas & Friends Collection for pre-schoolers aged 3years +.

Take a look more closely at the ramp that Diesel has just sped down. You'll notice that it's a two-part ramp. That's because the green section is the box that all the Mega Bloks pieces are stored in, while the orange part of the ramp is the hinged lid. How clever is that? Nothing can get lost and it is easily tidied away afterwards. It also makes the set incredibly portable, the perfect toy to take to a relatives house for an afternoon trip or family meal.

When it arrived, The Boy was eager to break into it and he played with nothing else for a further hour and a half. Nothing! He sat pushing Diesel down the ramp, building the side-buildings, experimenting with the gates etc. He was completely and utterly captivated. That was over a week ago now, and of all the toys that he has (and he has a fair few) it is the one that he has repeatedly played with for a sustained period of time. He loves it so much that I have added one of the other sets which works in the same way (also a box that transforms into a playset) to The Boy's Christmas list.

At £9.99 this is a perfect toy for any pre-school aged child and will provide hours of entertainment.

For the opportunity to win one of these sets, please pop over to Tired Mummy of Two's Christmas Tombola.

We were sent this items for the purpose of review. Our opinions are honest and unbiased.

TRU Review: Rainbow Scraper Fun

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When I was a child I used to love those scratchy pictures. You know the ones, they were all the rage at the time: a black board and you scratch off the coating to reveal a copper or silver base making a pretty picture. They had a scraper in the shape of an old-style fountain pen with a metal nib. If you were a klutz like me, then you may have cut yourself on it.

However, twenty years later, they've been improved and are far more user-friendly, mainly because they've got a plastic scraper now which is far more safe. We received some Rainbow Scraper Fun sets to review from Toys R Us, and quite frankly while The Boy was busy with his Sing-a-ma-jigs, I got busy making a pretty picture!

What do you think so far? I haven't finished of course, the rest of the silver areas need scratching off.

The Reeves Rainbow Scraper Fun setscome with a practise board and a picture to uncover, along with the safe scraper (no accidents for me this time!). It really is as simple as it seems and does what it says on the packet. The colours are vibrant and pretty, although possibly a little random. For example the rainbow effect looks brilliant for the parrot but odd for the cloud. But then I'm 34 and not 6 or 7!

The kits are aimed at 4yrs+, and I'll be honest that I think this is too young. I can't honestly see a child younger than 6 years being able to manage to scrape the foil covering off. It requires quite precise movements, and even I (with my tender years) managed to veer off the track.

Generally a great buy for a little girl, especially at Christmas. It would definitely make a change from the chaos to sit down and enjoy this for an hour or two.

For more reviews by the Toys R Us Toyologists, click on the image below.

We were provided this free of charge to review. My opinion is, as always, honest.

TRU Review: Sing-a-ma-jigs

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The Boy is currently playing Hide and Seek. He usually plays it with Mr. TheBoyandMe, but he's found some new friends to play it with. Thing is, they're almost as rubbish as him at it, because just when he's looking for them, one of them chirrups "bye-bye!" and gives the game away.

Trust inanimate objects to not know how to play properly!

Before I introduce his new friends to you, let me explain that I hate noisy toys. Hate and detest. And so when I heard that TRU were sending me three such toys, I almost wept. And then I reached for a very strong coffee.

What are they?

They are The Sing-a-ma-jigs.

Weird looking things aren't they?

However, they are one of the hottest toys for Christmas and within thirty seconds of getting them out of the box I completely understood why, and all three of us have fallen in love with them. Yes, even Mr. TheBoyandMe. And I don't know if it was some coincidence that TRU sent us three, but it's just as well because we have one each. Mine's the one on the right.

The Sing-a-ma-jigs are soft toys about eight inches high. When you press their tummies, they change the shape of their mouths and 'sing'. And they really do appear to sing a range of musical notes, each Sing-a-ma-jig is at a different pitch. There are three functions (which are changeable by pressing their left hand); singing a song, chatter (jibber-jabber) and harmonising with each other. I don't know how that one works, but it does appear to!

We love them and even though I hate noisy toys, I love these. After all, they're not noisy; they're musical!

For more reviews by the Toys R Us Toyologists, click on the image below.

We were provided this free of charge to review. My opinion is, as always, honest.

Competition: NIP+FAB Sheer Make-up Fix

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I will not leave the house without my make-up on. There are only two occasions when I have gone anywhere public in the past five years without my foundation, mascara and a smear of lipstick on (at the minimum). One was when I fell down the stairs a week after having The Boy and ripped my episiotomy stitches out (oh, did you wince?), the second was when an unconscious The Boy was blue-lighted into hospital at 1am.

I am pale, and therefore various scars from teenage acne, post-partum acne and chickenpox when I was 19, are quite visible. I'm also knackered all the time and have shadows that even the darkest of alleys would be proud of. A light foundation with translucent powder and a brushing of bronzer is always the magic potion for making me look halfway alive.

But don't you just hate it when you start to look shiny after an hour, or when the foundation seems to just disappear from your face?

NIP+FAB has come to the rescue of beauty addicts who cannot get enough of their ‘best selling’, wonder treatments with the launch of yet another ‘hero product’….the NIP + FAB Sheer Makeup Fix.

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TRU Review: Cars Aquadoodle

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A few months ago, I reviewed a Rainbow Aquadoodle as a part of the Toyologist programme. When it arrived, I thought, "We've already got Aquadoodle mats, we don't need another one!" I quickly realised that not all aquadraw mats are the same, they have different features which make them an entirely different toy.

Therefore when I looked at the box for this Cars Aquadoodle I was interested to see what its 'special feature' was. And it is a special feature indeed. With this one, the mat is surrounded by the usual associated pictures (this time it's obviously characters from the Disney film Cars) and the colour that comes through on the mat is red. The special feature is a Lightning McQueen car that drives along a 'road' drawn by the special roller.

I've had experience of these types of 'follow the line' cars before and that one was rubbish. This one is excellent, it works really well and can pick up either the rollered road or a drawn line using the spare Aquadoodle pen.

If it loses the road or line that it should be following then it meanders around a little bit until it picks up another one, which I thought was rather clever of it. It's very quick to respond and can detect the faintest of lines, which is just as well because the roller works well but creates a bolder line when over a hard surface (not carpet).

My only negative of this, and it's a minor thing and depends on your noise threshold (mine's very low), is that it's quite noisy. Obviously, Lightning makes excited noises as he drives along and that is part of the appeal. The bit that I found gave me a headache (literally) is the whirr of the back wheels. However, like I said I have a low noise threshold; just ask one of my ex-pupils!

Aquadoodle sets can be a little bit pricey,and at £29.99 this set falls into that category. However, for a Cars fanatic (like my nephew; wait until he sees it), it's probably a must. How does it compare to the Rainbow Aquadoodle? It is more expensive but in this set you're getting a car that is responsive and interactive to your child's play, whereas the other set is more artistic. Different areas for entertainment, both worthwhile.

For more reviews by the Toys R Us Toyologists, click on the image below.

We were provided this free of charge to review. My opinion is, as always, honest.

Review: Pure Beginnings Toiletries

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I'm quite fussy about the toiletries that I use on The Boy. With both of his parents having various skin sensitivies and eczema, it was almost guaranteed that he would have sensitive skin and as a result I tend to try and use natural or organic products on him, especially formulated for baby's delicate dermis.

When I was asked if I'd like to try a range of products that fit my criteria, I was more than happy to give them a go. Pure Beginnings are South Africa’s most trusted organic personal care brands. The range of eco and vegan friendly skincare pH-balanced products are manufactured to organic standards without the use of petrochemicals, parabens, synthetic fragrances, colourants and sulphated surfactants to care for little ones sensitive skin.

Which is good because I spent too long growing something close to perfection to have it marred by nasties!

Pure Beginnings products combine certified organic and native fair trade African ingredients that have been ethically sourced from Fair Trade Initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa, with traditional herb botanicals. They are also endorsed by Beauty Without Cruelty (South Africa). More on the ethical note is that they are also accredited by Phytotrade Africa, a non-profit trade association whose purpose is to alleviate poverty and protect biodiversity in the region by developing an industry that is not only economically successful but also ethical and sustainable.

We were sent two products from the range to review:

Baby Bum Cream with Baobab (£10.15) and the Baby Wash & Shampoo with Baobab (£8.15)

Even though The Boy is now nappy-free during the day, he still wears a pull-up nappy for bedtime. I have recently discovered that he can be a little bit sore and have needed to apply a cream to soothe him. The Baby Bum Cream is not only an effective daily barrier cream made with baobab fruit extract and tea tree leaf oil, but can also be used to relieve sores, stings and bites, as it has natural anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. The shampoo and bodywash not only smells scrummy (I think it smells a little bit like rose Turkish Delight because of the rosemary and geranium) but is also effective on cradle cap, which is something that he can still be susceptible to from time to time.

There are three other products in the range: Baby Body Lotion with Baobab (£10.15), Bubble Bath (£7.50), and Berry Toothpaste (£3.60). Pure Beginnings can be found in most John Lewis department stores and online at johnlewis.com.

We were sent these samples for the purpose of the review. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

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