Glamumous: March 2013

Being a caregiver for your child is part of the job description of being a mammal.

- Maiyim Bialik

I chanced upon this quote while researching for my article about attachment parenting, and it really stuck with me. It's from an interview with the Big Bang Theory star for Time Magazine (source).

Do you have any favourite quotes about motherhood that you'd like to see appear as a "Sunday Quote"? Please feel free to make any suggestions by leaving a comment below.

Photo credit: Y, via Flickr. Modified by Glamumous.

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This post features 25 of my favourite fairytale films to watch when the children are in bed. Far from pleasant bedtime stories, these films present adult themes, grim situations and a healthy dose of horror more akin to the gruesome tales of the original Brothers Grimm.

From contemporary re-workings of "Red Riding Hood" and "Beauty and the Beast" through to suggestions of Pied Pipers and a futuristic Pinocchio, these films speak of a darker side to the fairytale genre we grew to love as children.

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Learning times tables at primary school age provides a sound foundation upon which more advanced maths skills can be built. Both teachers and parents agree that by the time a child is ready to start secondary school, it is useful to know multiplication facts to at least 10x10.

Many parents feel increasing pressure to teach their children times table facts at home to supplement their formal maths education and ensure they are well-prepared for SATs and other points of examination. Unfortunately the rote learning method by which most of us were taught lost credence during the nineties. These days chanting times tables out loud is increasingly frowned upon; we need to discover interesting - and ultimately, more successful - methods of helping out children learn.

All children learn differently, so in this post I've suggested lots of different ways you could help your child learn their times tables. Some techniques I've used with my own children, while others have been recommended by friends and family whose children respond better with alternative learning styles.

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Photo credit: jk***, via Flickr

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Many of us feel the need to cut down on our daily living costs in order to make ends meet. Cutting down on the amount we spend on food is one of the first ways we reduce our spending, though often we find that cheaper foods are less appetising or nutritious than the (more expensive) choices we may prefer to buy.

For much of my adult life I have found myself having to budget well in order to make ends meet. Making sure I can prepare and cook meals within my budget has always been top priority, and I'm proud of the fact that my children have always been well-fed and enjoyed their food, no matter how little money I may have in my purse.

In this post I'd like to share some of the tips and tricks I've learnt over the years to make cheap food more appetising to help you prepare meals for your own family which look and taste great, no matter how little you have spent in making them!

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“When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.”

A beautiful quote on motherhood by Sophia Loren.

Original photograph by Victor Bezrukov (via Flickr), quote added by Amanda Kennedy.

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Having grown up reading Hans Christian Anderson while discovering the allure of Disney, I'm quite the fan of the fairytale genre. I particularly love watching modern fairy-tale films with my children and (thus far) have not experienced a poor reception of the movies I suggest we watch together.

Here are 25 of our favourite modern day fairy tales to share with your family in which I hope to suggest a few movies you may have yet to enjoy.

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As a child, I learned several mnemonics to help me remember facts about the subjects taught at school. Roy G. Biv helped me remember the colours of the rainbow, for example, and 5678 told me that 56=7x8.

My classmates and I found rhyming mnemonics to be the most interesting and memorable learning aids, and since my children have attended school I've found reason to learn new rhymes too!

In this post I present our favourite rhymes to remember things which I hope you and your children may find useful in your educational journey.

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A few years ago we found ourselves in a very dire situation and in desperate need of some essential furnishings for our home. Luckily for us, I was already aware of the wonderful sites, Freecycle and Freegle. These are community-led sites where you can offer (and ask for) unwanted goods to help keep them out of landfill.

As the old adage goes: one man's junk is another man's treasure, and I'm happy to say we were thrilled with those items we were able to recycle.

In the years since, we've virtually furnished our entire home using these sites, and have received everything from a set of drawers to a washing machine; picture frames and even a large television set!

There are certain rules and guidance which you should be aware of to use sites like Freecycle and Freegle successfully, so in this post I'll explain the tips and techniques we have used to have the best experience of these sites.

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Nursery rhymes and lullabies to sing with kids

Babies and young children love their parents to sing to them. Nursery rhymes are a wonderful means of helping our little ones learn through play, while lullabies soothe them off to sleep at night.

Most of us know the songs for Twinkle Star and Hush a Bye Baby, though in this age of media and technology it seems many traditional rhymes are being phased out in favour of pop songs or the lyrics to children's television programmes.

It seems such a shame to allow these classic rhymes to fade into extinction, so with the aid of modern technology (namely YouTube videos!) I've collected some of our favourite nursery songs for you and your children to enjoy.

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Room tells the story of five-year-old Jack, who lives with his Ma in an eleven foot square room and has never been Outside. Narrated entirely n Jack's voice, the book begins on Jack's fifth birthday when he begins to ask questions and Ma reveals that there is an entire world outside their walls which he has yet to explore.

Truly, this is one of the most captivating and memorable books I have ever read and I cannot recommend it enough. Though many reviews have remarked on the underlying political and sociological themes, I was most smitten by those surrounding parenting and the lessons we can learn as mothers from the harrowing tale of this mother and child.

Rather than simply write a book review for Room (of which there are already plenty), I decided instead to use this as an opportunity to reflect on what we can learn from this fictional mother and child in relation to parenting in the real world.

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As children we're all taught not to run with scissors and look both ways before crossing the road. Like these examples, most of what we learn about safety and accident prevention seems like common sense.

Since becoming a parent, learning about accident prevention and teaching my children to stay safe has become even more important. There is no single resource covering every aspect of safety we may encounter, and a great many tips which we may not immediately consider.

In this post I've collected 85 useful tips which may not immediately spring to mind in a situation which demands them. I hope you will find this resource useful, and perhaps learn something new which could one day help save a life.

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...on the lips and hearts of little children.

I first heard this quote (originally by Wiliam Makepeace Thackeray) while watching The Crow (1994) during the scene where Eric utters these special words to Darla to make her understand the precious gift of being a mother.

For me, it is a very special quote since its meaning is so true: mothers are indeed the centre of the world to a small child!

Original photograph by Darren-Johnson, via Flickr and edited by Amanda Kennedy to include the quote

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We could all use a little inspiration from time to time: perhaps to brighten our thoughts on a dull day, to affirm uncertain actions or get ourselves out of a rut.

So I've collected 100 inspirational quotes from great women through history: females who have shaped our world, who have helped advance society or achieved great things.

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I'm a firm believer that investing time and energy into a considered gift produces far more pleasure in the recipient than anything shop-bought! This holds true for Mother's Day in particular: I love to receive the handmade cards and gifts bestowed by my own children, and as an adult I like to create something special with my own hands to gift for Mum.

Since there's a good chance Mum reads my blog, I don't want to spoil the surprise of what I'm making this week, but instead will share a selection of beautiful and thoughtful gift ideas you and your children could create as gifts for Mothering Sunday.

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This Thursday (7th of March) marks the international celebration of World Book Day. Now in its 16th year, World Book Day aims to ensure as many children as possible explore the pleasures of books and reading!

With events happening all over the country, competitions to encourage literary participation, and of course a selection of books published specially for the event, there are many ways you and your children can celebrate the occasion.

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I love to discover tips which make housework easier! From time-saving tricks to finding new and ingenious uses for old things, the Internet provides a wealth of information and advice.

In this post I've collected 101 visual tips from all over the web to help you save time and money in every room of your home.

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I love this quote by J. D. Salinger from Catcher in the Rye. Not because I think all mothers should be confined to asylums, but because motherhood rewires the brain enabling us to rise above and beyond the call of duty in order to protect and nurture our precious children.

Original photo by Pink Sherbert Photography, via Flickr (edited by Amanda Kennedy to include the quote)

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