Internet Safety and Children; Can we Keep them Safe?

It seems everywhere you look these days, digital tech is getting the blame for the demise of family life. In a lot of cases, it's hard not to agree with the findings. There are definite security issues for children using the internet and it has led to parents having to be more vigilant and find new ways to protect their children online. It takes a lot of time and effort to unpick the parts of the internet that young people are interested in and, without spending that time, the mysteries of Social Media can leave parents feeling nervous of the unknown. The big question is; are we trying hard enough and is it possible to protect children completely online, or will there always be a risk? 

The Importance of Inclusion in Mainstream Schools

I have supported inclusion my whole adult life. I went to a small, remote, underfunded secondary school and I realised from an early age how important it was to support those who needed it, to ensure their development, not just educationally, but also socially. As a young person at school, you don't see what awareness there is or what support is being provided for individuals, you just notice who is bored, or embarrassed, or struggling. That’s why I decided, there and then, that I wanted to be a Learning Support Assistant. There wasn’t even a name for the role then, it was unkindly referred to in the press as the ‘Mum’s Army’ and was viewed as the Government trying to cut costs in teaching.

Which School Mum Are You?

The first term of the school year is already half over and it has given us all six long weeks of making small talk at the school gates. During this time, it is likely we will have established who's who in this year's line up of mums. Who do we envy, who has us rolling our eyes and, most importantly, who is the one who makes us all look a little bit more together than we feel? If you are new to drop off and pick up time, you may already have come to recognise some of the stereotypes that crop up year after year. Here's a few to jog your memory.

Saving Money with Back to School

All your back to school shopping should be done by now, unless you are really disorganised, like me! It seems like a never ending list of 'essentials' are required for even the smallest of eager pupils, embarking on the new term of their school life. The good new is, though, the list doesn't change much from one year to the next, so here are my top tips for what to buy now, to save you money in the coming months on your essential school purchases. Summer is coming to a close, and there are lots of bargains to be had on items that you will be getting letters home about before you know it! Stock up now, and save your pennies, with our saving money with back to school guide. 

Finding a Great Dentist for Nervous Children

L, who is 9, has been struggling with severe dental phobia for most of his life and I made it my mission this year to finally tackle it, before his adult teeth started to suffer. It is actually really hard to take your little boy somewhere that you know fills him with fear and dread, to the point where even the word 'dentist' causes physical distress and tears, so I hadn't been as strict as I should have been with his six monthly check ups. I did take him, but not as often as I should. No one knows where the phobia came from, I had never expressed fear of the dentist and had taken him since he was a toddler, but it gradually got worse over time.

Encouraging Children to Read

Some children love to read, but some need a bit more encouragement. It is definitely worth persevering with, as they will certainly thank you when they are older and will hopefully develop a love of reading in their own time. It can be concerning when your child shows little or no interest in reading, particularly as they approach school age and years of formal education, including test scores and peer pressure, stretch before them. It is worth remembering though, that children develop at their own rate and there is absolutely no need to panic if they just don't care about reading. 

Making Teaching Times Tables Fun!

Multiplication is very, very dull. If you are of a certain age, you will remember those endless, repetitive lessons at school, chanting times tables over and over again. Thankfully, lessons have improved somewhat since then and these days all good schools move mountains to make learning a bit more interesting. How can we help at home, though? I know that, at my son's Parent's Evenings, the two most recommended areas to work on at home are reading and times tables. Reading is relatively easy, but I have always found tables difficult to teach. It's just... so... boring! Ok, I'll admit, Maths isn't really my thing, but it has to be done. So, I did the only thing I could do, in the face of an apathy uprising from my son, introduced chocolate!

School Governors. Seriously, what do they do?!

This is a question I get asked a lot, so I thought I would write about my experience as a School Governor and perhaps lift the lid on the mystery. It all began a couple of years ago, when two posts became available at my son's school. My daughter had already been through the same school and I had often considered how I could make myself useful. I always lacked the confidence to take on a role such as this, though, and didn't think I had enough to offer. However, since then I had completed a Level 3 NVQ as a Teaching Assistant, which I felt might give me a useful skill to contribute. Also, as a mother myself, and with my experience working in various schools in the area, I felt the time was right to put myself forward. 

Depression, Postnatal and Beyond.

A new study, conducted by researchers in Australia, has really got me thinking. It was about depression, and how new research shows that mothers are more likely to suffer depression when their child is four, than when they are newborn. You can read more about it here. The focus for many years has always been on the post-natal, first few months after giving birth and, in my experience, access to the right services to deal with mental health issues falls away dramatically after this time. In the very early months, Health Visitors and other professionals are trained to look out for the signs that you might not be coping. They know what questions to ask and can arrange help fairly quickly, should things go wrong.