Category Archives: Featured

Stone Age Boy

Books and Magazines, Children's books, Children's fiction, Featured, History Books, , , ,

***HIGHLY RECOMMENDED***

Stone Age Boy

This historical fiction picture book is a great introduction to archaeology and stone age people for younger children – for us it is the one essential book on the subject.

When a boy falls down a hole he finds himself back in the stone age. His new friend introduces him to stone age life.

This is a great children’s picture book – well written and beautifully illustrated and unusual in bringing historical fiction to younger children. Stone Age Boy is a great introduction to a very different way of life, showing how stone age people made tools, hunted, and cooked. A particularly nice touch is the beautiful pictures of stone age animals on the inside covers.

Whilst the simple text and story make it suitable for reading to younger children the detail in the central spread make for an useful introduction and discussion point for older children.

Buy on Amazon

Stone Age Boy

Buy on Amazon

Inspirational books

Babycare, Featured, Parenting, , ,

Inspirational and indispensible books on pregnancy, birth and parenting

The right book can be a real source of support and help you feel confident in your choices, but reading the wrong ones can make you feel frustrated and a bit of a failure. As every parent and baby is different you need to take what works for you, and supports you. Here are books that have inspired other parents.

Advice I was once given was that if you buy Gina Ford, also try reading Sears, or Liedloff too. That way you can find an approach that you like, that suits you and your family. What works for some will not work for others. Helen

No book is a suitable substitute for meeting with other Mums of children of a similar age and just chatting about your children. Even if this chat sometimes happens online after children are in bed rather than face to face… Edwina

Early days

The Continuum Concept, Jean Liedloff ‡

This book is 100% down the other end of the parenting scale to Ford. Very much about looking within to yourself for ways to nurture your newborn based upon natural instincts. Helen

Your Baby And Child by Penelope Leach

I like Leach’s non-judgemental, non-threatening, non-lecturing approach to childcare. Her style is very descriptive and is a real celebration of babyhood and the early years. It’s quite an old-fashioned approach, but with an ‘older voice’ comes wisdom! Reading her takes away all your guilt and is the literary equivalent of a pat on the back! Nicola

Inspirational because she doesn’t try to give you all the answers and encourages you to trust your own instincts Sharon

Baby Wisdom by Deborah Jackson

Main message I picked up from it was that as long as they are fed and clothed, all you really need is a safe and loving environment for your child. There are many other things covered and I just love the style but then it suits my style of parenting. Louise

It covers all sorts of cultural and historical baby care and I found it a great way to see sift through and see what appealed to MY instincts and to see what ‘normal’ baby care across different times and places looks like. Katherine

What Mothers Do: Especially When it Looks Like Nothing by Naomi Stadlen ‡

Inspirational because it showed me that whatever I’m thinking/feeling/doing,
at least some other mothers experience it as well. Sharon

This book really reveals what it is that PARENTS do, not just the obvious things like changing nappies, feeding children, etc., but this is about the little things that no-one ever seems to notice. It is an eye opener as well as a confirmation of your feelings as a parent. Nicolette

Absolutely amazing for dealing with so many of my first time mum questions and feelings. It is a rich collection of examples of others mums experiences, again I found it a reassuring and very informative read. Alexis

The Attachment Parenting Book, by William and Martha Sears

Lots of advice on baby wearing, bonding and breastfeeding, but nothing is prescriptive and there is a lot of ‘wiggle’ room to do things your own way. Helen

The Science of Parenting (retitled What Every Parent Needs to Know) by Margot Sunderland ‡

Explainssome of the science behind the guidance given by people like Sears but in simple, easy to follow language with lots of pictures – perfect for a sleep-deprived mum like me.Yazmin

Our Babies, Ourselves, How biology & culture shape the way we parent, by Meredith Small

Babies all over the world are raised differently according to the values of the society in which they are born. This made me think a bit more about the values that our society puts on adults/children/babies and which of these values I wanted our family to keep. Interesting and thought provoking. Susan

Older children

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber

Helped me realise that my job as a parent isn’t to do things for my kids, but to enable them to do them themselves. Sharon

Raising Happy Children by Jan Parker and Jan Stimpson  ‡

Reinforced my own ’embryonic’ feelings that my new baby child was in fact a person in their own right, not someone who I had to tame or train but someone I could begin to relate to and understand. It does give concrete advice and help but it is not preachy, to me, and it deals with lots of different situations. Helen

Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph

I have found this a book that I refer back to again and again as my little boy is growing up. Zoe

Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

This book has provided me with a more positive way of looking at my daughter’s difficult behaviour. She is just MORE! The behaviours we find so draining in our children are actually strong positive traits in the adult and are to be admired! Zoe

Pregnancy & Birth

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
Spiritual Midwifery ‡ both by Ina May Gaskin

I love these for instilling confidence in a woman’s ability to have a baby. Since reading her books I strongly believe in the idea that having a baby need not be a traumatic, medical procedure, but a happy, almost enjoyable and amazing event. Helen

A collection of stories of birth, usual and unusual, but all of them seeing birth as something positive that women are designed beautifully to do. I don’t often cry when I read books but I did at this one, in awe of the power of our bodies.  Carol

Pre childbirth, I found Ina May Gaskin’s “Ina May’s guide to childbirth” to be very informative, as I was pondering over whether or not to book in for an ABC birth at Watford. She is an advocate of gentle natural birthing, and reading about her experiences as a midwife on “the farm” in the US, where mums-to-be come to be nurtured and guided through the birthing process, made me empowered to believe I should give it a go. When I arrived at the ABC, my own midwife had actually met Ina May and we spoke a lot about trying to achieve an intervention free birth as much as possible. Things did not quite work out that way (far from in fact it !!) but I was so glad I had read her book and was confident enough to at least try to have a natural birth. Alexis

Childbirth Without Fear by Dick Grantly Read ‡( Inspired the founding of the NCT)

Started me on the road to my fantastic home birth. It can be a bit of a slog to get through (but maybe that was just my pregnant brain not taking it in!) but it was a refreshing change to the commonly held and perpetuated view that childbirth is always a traumatic, agonising experience. After reading it, I KNEW I could have a happy, positive birth experience and then went on to do just that. I’m so happy I found it and would recommend it to all first time mums as something to read as an antidote to all the scare stories they will, inevitably, get bombarded with. Kelly

The New Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger ‡

Kitzinger is an inspirational writer who deals with all aspects of pregnancy and childbirth (including emotional and psychological) – reading her book gave me confidence in my own ability to give birth and rereading her book brings back all kinds of emotions.  She captures birth beautifully in her words and pictures, as well as giving practical suggestions. Nicola

Series

The Best Friends’ Guide to …

Human, comical, down to earth, and above all it (Best Friends’ guide to pregnancy) reminds you to enjoy this incredible moment… all the things you’d hope to hear from a friend. Carmen

I also loved ‘The Best Friends’ guides for their humour, something that so many baby books seem to forget and leave out. Helen

What to Expect books

Well set out and liked the format of “should be able to”, “will probably be able to” and “may be able to” for each month. I did feel it could have given a better “normal” range.
This is one of the best series of books I have found, very matter of fact, and not too opinionated (so didn’t push particular parenting ideas too much). Edwina

I’m expecting another baby in February and the only book I want back from the various friends I lent them to is ‘What to Expect: The First Year’. This book put my mind at rest as to what baby should or shouldn’t be doing at each stage – and stopped me from being a competitive mum. I liked it so much I went on to buy the ‘toddler years’. Claire

Love it or loathe it?

Contented Little Baby Book, Gina Ford

This one just goes to show that one person’s indispensible book, may well be another’s most hated! With over 700 reviews on Amazon.co.uk this one really divides opinion, and stirs emotions!

Yes

It has been my bible and i think is a must for all those who live isolated away from family and friends, which seems to be most modern lifestyles now! Gina has replaced the info and support you possibly got from grandmothers, aunties, and other friends as parents which in our situation are a minimum of 2-4 hour drives and a 24 flight away! It gives you permission, reassurance and structure if you are a routine person already! Sarah

This book saved my patience and any endless guessing I would have had. I watch my sister in law flying by the seat of her pants and I admire her as she does not “get” routines but her children respond so well to my children’s routines whilst in my home, so it is true, this book is not for everyone but it is definitely for my family! Both my girls are on the routine from an early age and now it is not a routine, it is how it is done, we all conform and we are all so happy with it. It made life so much easier with baby number 2, she fitted in perfectly with the routines of number 1 and we too got sleep all night from a young age, what bliss! Sarah

No

Some women will find that breastfeeding goes haywire if they follow Gina’s advice in the early days. In breastfeeding classes, if people are planning to impose a feeding schedule, I suggest not being rigid in the early days – to ensure that the baby gets enough time at the breast, enough milk, and that milk supply isn’t reduced by restricting feeds. Elaine (Breastfeeding Counsellor)

I can only speak from personal experience but after reading Gina Fords book I put an incredible amount of (unnecessary) pressure on myself, and my new baby. I was in a foreign country without any support network and had been told her book should become my “bible”. Thank goodness I had enough common sense to know when enough was enough and it went in the bin. I am now very, very wary when recommended those types of books. Carmen.

Maybe?

I also used Gina with my first baby as I had no clue about babies and no family around and found her a useful starting point.  With DD2 Gina didn’t work and this time I’m trusting my own instincts… having said that, DD3 is still waking loads in the night but how much is nature/nurture I don’t know!  Nicola

Where to get hold of these books

‡ Available to buy from NCT nctshop.co.uk

Written with contributions from members of the NCT

World Book Day 2011

Children's books, Featured

Nearly time for World Book Day. Most of the world celebrates this UNESCO desingated day on 23rd April, St George’s Day. But in the UK and Ireland it takes place in March (this year on the 3rd).

A main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own.

Children receive a World Book Day £1 Book Token (or equivalent €1.50 Book Token in Ireland), which can be exchanged for one of the six specially published World Book Day books or can be used as a £1 book token. These are obtained through schools, home education charities or direct from World Book Day Helpline on 01634 729810.

World Book Day, unlike BookStart is an independent charity, financed by contributions from publishers, National Book Tokens Ltd and others.

The website also has a nice selection of book character related games which we enjoy throughout the year.

History music videos

Featured, History, Websites, , , , ,

History music videos are very popular in our house.

History Teachers create entertaining, enlightening, well-crafted history music videos.

Full chronological list.

The French Revolution to Lady GaGa! From the History for Music Lovers, historyteachers’s YouTube Channel

 

BAFTA award winning Horrible Histories does them too.

Born to Rule – by the Georgian kings is a particular favourite. (Despite the implied inaccuracy that George III was George II’s son, actually grandson).

 

BookStart – a waste of Government money?

Books and Magazines, Children's books, Featured, Learning

In recent weeks the Government announced that it would cut its grant to BookTrust for England, then did a u-turn under public pressure.

Although loved by parents as the outcry over cuts shows BookStart, surely a much smaller scheme focused on less active reading families would be better value for money, rather than blanketing the country in baby books. Shouldn’t tax payers be paying for targeted services for those that need them, rather than doing things what most parents will do on their own anyway.
BookTrust should go back to being an independent charity – funded by donations and small grants, rather than the Government guango it has become.
I searched out every pack for my girls, usually by going and getting it from the local library as in our area health visitor checks have vanished and the girls don’t do nursery. They are a mostly a nice add on – providing the odd book – most of which are good, although one was truly appalling.
But like most people I don’t need tax payers to be buying the odd book for my children.
The public library service is far more important in my view. At a time when local libraries are determining which hours to close to deal with budget cuts I’d rather money went to the public library service. It provides so much more than a book every year or two, a couple of nice bags, a pretty cardboard box and a few booklets. It provides thousands of fantastic books in the preschool age group, baby rhyme times, and story telling sessions etc.
I do believe there should be a scheme encouraging Parents and Babies into public libraries, and health visitors should be encouraged to promote books but I don’t think Government funded books are the best way to do this.
And there are even more vital services that just don’t exist in my area – like health visitor checks. My youngest has only had one health visitor check – the newborn one. They are so stretched in our area that her one year check was by post, received the week before her second birthday (and this was before Coalition cut backs). When vital frontline services are so stretched, can it really be right to be spending tax payers money on providing a handful of books to every child.

The other side – a Mum supports the BookStart programme.

EOS – Christmas issue

Featured, Headline, Home education, Magazines and blogs, ,

The latest issue of the home education magazine EOS is now out.

The latest big question is “how will they do their GCSEs?”

There is an article looking at an alternative vision for schools, unschooling and Shakespeare. Plus make a gingerbread house, story books to read together at Christmas and making Christmas memories.

Possibly my favourite article this issue is Paula Cleary’s joyful piece on the importance and joy of music.

Okido

Children's magazines, Featured, Headline, Magazines and blogs,

DD2 has just received her first issue of Okido, the arts and science magazine for kids.

She is 3 and has enjoyed reading through it together. Her 7 year old sister is jealous and keeps walking off with it.
The illustrations are beautiful and very varied. The writing has them both engaged. Each themed issue, our first is biodiversity, includes stories, facts, puzzles, comic strips, things to make, games and puzzles. It is quirky and very different to mainstream mags.
Thoroughly recommend it.