Capable Child

When children begin school, parents want them to settle and make friends. In my job as deputy head teacher, from time to time, I speak to parents who are concerned that their child is not making friends easily or are struggling to find other children to play with at lunchtimes. I often ask whether the child has other children over to play. The answer is often no, but arranging some play dates can be a positive step forward. Going on your first play date without your mum or dad is a rite of passage in the first years of primary school. These shared experiences cement friendships and build social skills. As a parent, you get an afternoon off the school run and time to get some jobs done. However, you are expected to return the favour… Play dates can be great fun but they can also include tears and cross voices. I have a few tricks that, hopefully, encourage things to go smoothly. 1.Sharing is a tricky business. It’s usually easier for children to share at school or nu...

Starting school is a huge event in a child’s (and parent’s) life. There are new routines, new clothes and other new children. Having seen this transition as a Deputy Head Teacher, and more recently as a parent, I believe that there are some things that parents can do to make this move as smooth as possible. Here are my top four thoughts. Firstly, there are some brilliant books about starting school. My all-time favourite is Starting School by the Alhbergs. It’s obviously dated in parts. For instance, most schools won’t have a mum who comes into school to play the piano! However, it is beautifully illustrated and shows the different parts of the school day and  events during the first term at school which provide lots to talk about. Other great titles are ‘Bella Starts School’ and ‘Harry and the Dinosaurs go to School’, both by Ian Whybrow. It’s well worth investing in a book or two, as they can be revisited lots of times during the school year. Secondly, ...

Whoever says potty training is easy, is not sharing   the whole picture. Potty training is a learning process and there will be challenges along the way. Here are some of the challenges that I faced and how I survived them.  Going Out and About I really struggled with hanging around the house with just the potty for company in the first week of potty training. But going out felt impossible. The first couple of times that we went out it was a team approach with a sympathetic family member. I knew the worst thing that could happen was a wet patch and on the scale of things it really wasn’t a big deal. But just when my bag was getting lighter, it filled up with changes of clothes. The first couple of outings were to the park or understanding relatives and really it was fine. I’d built it up to be more daunting than it actually was. They weren't completely puddle free trips but we all survived. It took a while before I returned to the supermarket with Little...

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea In a beautiful pea-green boat: They took some honey, and plenty of money Wrapped up in a five-pound note. This well know Edward Lear poem is quintessentially English, outrageously silly and also, so it turns out, brilliant for a family theatre show. The Old Rep Theatre 45 Station Street Birmingham http://www.oldreptheatre.co.uk As soon as we entered the theatre, we had the opportunity to meet Owly-cat who was greeting the children as they waited for the show to begin. She remained our favourite character and the story revolved around her trying to find out why she was part-owl and part-cat. We all laughed a lot as we watched the show. The funniest character was the pig who wanted his nose-ring back, which, according to the poem, one of his ancestors had sold for a shilling. The pig was, in fact, a clever puppet operated by one of the actors on stage. The show took us into the weird and wonderful world of Edward Lear...

What is The Phonics Screening Check? Year One children in state schools are tested on their phonics knowledge by being asked to read forty words out loud. Half of the words are real words and the other half are ‘alien words.’ All of the words can be sounded out using phonics sounds. Children are told when they are reading real words or ‘alien words’ such as vay or quish. When does it happen? Children will be tested at some point between Monday 11 th June and Friday 15 th June. Any children absent during that week can be tested the week after. Will my child be aware of the check? Schools try their best to keep the check very low key. Most children will be unaware that they are being tested. They are likely to be asked to go to a quiet area with a teacher that they know and read some words. Year One children all over the country will already have been doing this for the last few months as part of preparations for the check. What’s the pass mark? For t...

The Ice Cream Farm is one of our favourite places to visit as a family. It combines our love of ice cream with lots of family fun. There is so much to do and nowhere else quite like it. The Ice Cream Farm Newton Lane Tattenhall Chester Cheshire CH3 9NE www.theicecreamfarm.co.uk There is no charge to enter The Ice Cream Farm. The excellent playground inside, called Daisy’s Garden, is also free. There are other activities to take part in, but how many or how little of those you choose is up to you. Take a look at the website for details of all the activities. Here are our top two: Honeycomb Canyon This is a large indoor sand and water play area. There are things to climb on, things to operate and plenty of places to splash. The water is very shallow but children get wet. It’s pretty obvious who didn’t know about the water play, because their children are wearing pants and soggy clothes! I recommend taking swim wear or a complete change of clothes an...

Heading into Birmingham’s Chinatown for food is a real treat for me because I love freshly made Chinese food- especially satay. Until now, I haven’t had a favourite restaurant. But, since I found Minmin, that’s all changed. My rookie error when looking for Chinese restaurants had been to head to those under the nose of the Hippodrome. Minmin is a little more tucked away (opposite the entrance to the Arcadian carpark) but that didn’t stop it being almost full. MinMin Latitude Building, 155 Bromsgrove Street, B5 6AB 0121 622 5955 From the moment that we walked in and received a genuine warm and friendly welcome, I knew we had made a good choice. The restaurant is very clean and first impressions were great. The menu is extensive and a little overwhelming for a first timer but help was at hand and the owner gave us good advice. All of the staff were very attentive and friendly. My daughter commented: “That lady was really nice to me.” And she absolutely was. As a ...