10 Tips For Positive Parenting

1. When your child wants to show you something, stop what you are doing and pay attention to your child. It is important to spend frequent, small amounts of time with your child doing things that you both enjoy.

2. Give your child lots of physical affection – children often like hugs, cuddles, and holding hands.

3. Talk to your child about things he/she is interested in and share aspects of your day with your child. 

4. Give your child lots of descriptive praise when they do something that you would like to see more of, e.g., “Thank you for doing what I asked straight away”.

5. Children are more likely to misbehave when they are bored so provide lots of engaging indoor and outdoor activities for your child, e.g., playdough, colouring in, cardboard boxes, dress ups, den making, etc.

6. Teach your child new skills by first showing the skill yourself, then giving your child opportunities to learn the new skill. For example, speak politely to each other in the home. Then, prompt your child to speak politely (e.g., say “please” or “thank you”), and praise your child for their efforts.

7. Set clear limits on your child’s behaviour. Sit down and have a family discussion on the rules in the home. Let your child know what the consequences will be if they break the rules.

8. If your child misbehaves, stay calm and give them a clear instruction to stop misbehaving and tell them what you would like them to do instead (e.g., “Stop fighting; play nicely with each other.” Praise your child if they stop. If they do not stop, follow through with an appropriate consequence.

9. Have realistic expectations. All children misbehave at times and it is inevitable that you will have some discipline hassles. Trying to be the perfect parent can set you up for frustration and disappointment.

10. Look after yourself. It is difficult to be a calm, relaxed parent if you are stressed, anxious, or depressed. Try to find time every week to let yourself unwind or do something that you enjoy.

Mookie Scuttlebug Review

Note: Watch the cute video at the end of this post!
Jack was sent a Scuttlebug to test and review. When it arrived I expected loads of bits of put together. The box it arrived in was small and lightweight, I thought bits may have been missing! I opened the box to find the Scuttlebug neatly folded up.

I removed it from the box and read the instructions which were included; all you needed to do was unclip the front wheel, lock it into place and do the same with the two rear wheels and the bike was ready to use! It literately took seconds to put up and put down (obviously you reverse the technique)!

The bike itself is sturdy and very light weight. Jack is able to control the bike with the handle bars. The height of the bike is perfect for Jack. He loves wizzing around the yard and house on it! The Scuttlebug has specially designed wheels which make it suitable for inside and outside. The wheels provide a smooth and noise free ride.

The Scuttlebug helps develop balance and steering skills. This is a big plus as Jack is learning to control the bike while he is having fun. I have already noticed him steering the bike in the direction he wants to go. The manufacture recommends this bike is suitable for children aged 18 months to 3 years (maximum weight is 20kg) I wish Jack had one of these bikes when he was younger! We have a big bulky bike stored in the garden; I can't fold it or put it away so it just sits there getting wet and slimy! Jack has never really seemed interested in it. The Scuttlebug folds down flat which means I can store it easy.

Jack loves the eyes on the Scuttlebug and he always wants to ride it whenever we go anywhere; because it's lightweight I don't mind him riding it out and about. If he gets tired it's not to heavy to carry. The colours are very bright and the design is a Bumble Bee. There are different colours and designs.
I would defiantly recommend this to my friends and I hope Jack doesn't grow out of it too quickly.

My tips on how to carve a pumpkin!

Hi everyone. Halloween isn't far away and I thought I would share with you something I enjoy doing at Halloween. I love carving pumpkins! Over the years I have created some wonderful designs (someone thought it was so amazing last year they stole the pumpkin!)

This is my pumpkin from Halloween 2009

What you will need:

• A medium sized pumpkin
• A Tee-light
• Printer and paper
• A tablespoon or pumpkin scoop
• A small nail, push pin or a pumpkin poker
• Tape
• Flour
• Serrated knife or craft knife

Instructions

First you need to prepare your pumpkin by cutting a hole in the top to make a lid. When doing this make sure you angle the knife inwards so your lid sits on top of the pumpkin and doesn't just fall through! Once you have made a lid you will need to scoop out the seeds and strings using the spoon. Scrap some of the flesh from the inside of the pumpkin until it's about an inch thick all the way around (or just where you are going to carve!)

Cat carving pattern

Choose a pattern which you want to carve onto your pumpkin. The Internet is full of templates if your search; I have included a few which I like carving! You will need to save and print out the pattern you wish to carve. Once you have done this trim off the excess paper and tape it onto your pumpkin. If your pumpkin is quite lumpy you can dip the paper into vegetable oil (but this can make the project quite slippery!) You can also make small cuts into the paper where it bunches so it lies flat onto the pumpkin.

Jack O'Lantern carving pattern

Once you have attached your pattern to your pumpkin you will need to poke holes through the pattern with a nail, push pin or pumpkin poker. Make the holes about a cm apart. This step can take quite a while depending on the pattern you choose, so be patient! Place the pumpkin on your lap and work away at it; the end result will be well worth it! Once you have copied the pattern onto the pumpkin you can remove the paper. You can rub flour all over the  area where you poked the holes. This will make it easier to see them when you come to carve.

Next you need to push a nail through the pumpkin skin where you want to start carving. Turn and push until it's all the way into the pumpkin, then remove. Repeat anywhere you're going to need to start carving (eyes, nose and mouth) You want to do all the pushing before you start carving as the pumpkin is stronger at this point. Once you start carving the pumpkin it becomes weaker and applying pressure may cause it to break.

Pumpkin face carving pattern

Using your nail hole as a starting point, cut the design with your serrated knife. Start somewhere in the centre of the design to avoid putting too much pressure on areas already carved. Using a sawing motion cut out your design, using very light pressure; take your time and allow the sawing to do the work rather than applying pressure and forcing it. When making curves, just slightly turn the knife. When making sharp corners, remove the knife and re-insert it at an angle.

To remove pieces, push them out from the inside. For larger pieces, you may want to cut them into smaller bits and remove them in sections. Wipe over your pumpkin using a damp cloth to remove any remaining flour or oil.

Once your pumpkin is all carved, use a Tee-light or pumpkin light to light it up. Light the candle and place it on a piece of tinfoil inside the pumpkin. Put the lid on and let it sit for a minute. Remove the lid and there should be a smoke mark on it. You will need to cut a vent in the lid where the smoke mark shows.

I hope you enjoy carving your pumpkins as much as I do!

Keep checking back to see my pumpkin this year!
If you carve a pumpkin this year; please e-mail me your pictures and I will feature them in a special Halloween pumpkin post!