Making and creating, cutting and gluing are all great fun and part of every child's creative journey - it is important to encourage them to have the confident to use the tools we have available rather than teaching them to be afraid of the tools.  Scissors are an important tool to master, but should be used with caution. So, by teaching them how to use the scissors from early on, they will be able to cut and create safely without being fearful of accidents due to misuse.

Here are a few tips!

• Explain that scissors are useful but need to be used carefully.  If not, they will be taken away.
• Scissors are sharp and are used for paper only (and not their hair or skirts or reading books!)
• No one must ever run with scissors or even walk about when using them.  Cut when sitting at a table.
• Always use children's scissors with them.
• Store scissors downwards in a safe place out of reach.
• Remind children of the rules each time you get the scissors out.  See if they can prompt you!
• Don't ever play with scissors - they are a craft tool and not for playing.
• Discourage children from walking with scissors in their hands, but when they must, make sure they hold them correctly: grasp them by the closed blades with the blades towards the floor.
• Always supervise.
• Always cut at a table so you can see that they are doing and they are encouraged to sit down.

Have fun - and be safe!

If women eat low fat yoghurt during pregnancy they could be putting their unborn child at risk. Recent reports have suggested that babies born of women who ate low fat yoghurt during pregnancy are more likely to develop asthma and hayfever (allergic rhinitis).

The findings were presented at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress. They were looking at whether fatty acids found in some dairy products could protect against the development of allergic diseases in children.

70,000 Danish women and their eating habits were analysed and then they were followed and tested until the children were seven years old. The researchers assessed milk and dairy intake during pregnancy and monitored the occurance of asthma and hayfever in the children.

Results demonstrated that milk intake during pregnancy was not associated with increased risk of developing asthma. In fact, it actively protected against asthma development.

What did show up was the fact that women who ate low-fat yoghurt with fruit once a day were 1.6-times more likely to have children who developed asthma by age 7. These findings are compared to those women who reported no intake during their pregnancy.

The reasoning behind the findings suggest that non-fat related nutrients in yoghurt could in fact contribute to increasing the risk.

Research has shown that parents are not providing enough fruit and vegetable in their children's packed lunches; 3,500 children had their lunches examined and the findings showed that nearly half did not contain any fruit or vegetables at all. The School Food Trust said that at least 2 portions of fruit and veg should be included in everyone's lunch box in order to get the children towards their '5 a day' requirement.

Jamie Oliver did great work improving school dinners, and now school dinners are better than ever at helping to provide children with a balanced and healthy diet. But nutritionists fear that lunch boxes have been ignored and are very not nutritionally sound. Healthy packed lunches are a great way to help children reach their five a day requirement, they claimed it was a "missed opportunity".

The trust carried out their research two years ago, in 2009, so hopefully things are better now, but still of the 135 schools researched, so many children did not have a healthy, balanced meal to eat. Only 58% had a single item that could be counted towards their five a day - many had nothing fresh at all.

The World Cancer Research Fund has pointed out the value in eating fruit and veg from an early age and that not including fresh items in a lunch box is a missed opportunity. Healthy eating at school promotes a healthy living and parents should be provided with information helping them provide a healthy lunch for their children.

Here are some ideas to add fruit and vegetable to your children's packed lunches:-

• Put fresh salad inside sandwiches
• Add finger fruit and veg such as grapes, cherry tomatoes, celery, carrot sticks etc.
• Give them a little pot of processed fruit, available from supermarkets
• Add easy to manage fruit such as satsumas and bananas
• Prepare a pot of fork salad rather than sandwiches with grated carrot, coleslaw, potatoe salad etc.

According to recent research it has been discovered that babies who are still drinking from a bottle by the age of 2 are more likely to become obese. Researchers at Temple University in Pennsylvania studied the habits of nearly 7,000 children from the area and found that 22% were still using a bottle to drink at the age of two.

By the age of five, nearly a quarter of these children were obese. The researchers suggest the infants who are used to drinking a lot of high-calorie milk from bottles are more likely to grow up to eat a lot more fattening foods.

Other things that seems to contribute included:

• mother's weight
• child's birth weight
• feeding practices during infancy

People who are overweight are at greater risk of developing

• diabetes
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• other health problems

General advice is that bottles should be given up by age one.

When children are ill it can be so draining and sad for both you and them too, especially if its lovely sunny weather outside.   They need even more attention and support.  They need medicine and drinks delivered to their beds.  They need special, soft foods and snacks.  And other children in the family unit often start misbehaving because all the attention seems to be on the sick child - which is exactly what you don't want.

Here are a few tips to help get through the longs days of a child's illness.

• Read books in bed or on the sofa.
• Have lots of cuddles and rock them slightly to comfort them.
• Look through old photos.
• Tell stories of when you were a child.
• Encourage short naps even if they don't want to which will give you a little time to do jobs that need doing. And, you may find they actually go to sleep!
• Try playing dip the ball. Take some cotton wool balls, scrunched up newspaper or anything to hand and throw them into a linen basket or bin. You could even try it with small teddies if the teddies are brave enough!
• Don't forget to eat and drink properly yourself to avoid getting ill yourself.  And, accept offers of help... even if its just someone to babysit while you do other things.
• Take a gentle, warm bubbly bath to ease their aches. This can be done any time of day not just at night.
• Do puzzles together. You could even try to have a tray on their bed and they could do the puzzle while sitting up in bed.
• If you have another sibling you could dress them up in a nurses or doctor's uniform and announce they are going to help look after the patient. Give them a doctor's set and encourage them to do some tests. This may entertain the poorly child as well as the healthy one!
• Hand over a tambourine to the sick child and say they can jingle it when they need anything... get your other sibling to answer this call to save your legs.

Good luck!

"Line up please, tallest children at the back and shortest at the front."  Even when they are in nursery, for some extra tall or extra short children the idea of a teacher calling out these words can be daunting.  "Aren't you tiny!" or "You are so tall!" are phrases they hear again and again.

If your child is being teased about their height or have been made to feel too short or too small, then there are sme things you can say to reassure them.

• everyone grows at different times and at different rates
• no one can do anything about their height so there is nothing they can do
• height has nothing to do with being fast at running (when you're small!), being clever, or good or kind or pretty so they need not worry!

How tall will your children be? It really just depends on genes.  Most children should look to their parents height for a rough idea of how tall they will be.

Remember - do make sure children are in the right car seat for their height and not just their age.  It will effect the suitability and safety of the car seat.

Normal growth - Ensure normal growth by making sure the children eat well and take physical exercise.  While this will not make them taller, it will enable their bodies to develop properly.  Plenty of sleep too will help too but basically if the child has genes which dictates they will be shorter than average there is nothing much you can do to change this.  Do not get them to eat more or give them lots of extra vitamins to get them taller.  It just won't work.

Can being short ever point to a medical problem?
If you are worried go along to your doctor or health visitor to get reassurance.

Real medical issues can be caused by:

• chronic illness (such as liver, lung, kidney problems)
• Malnutrition
• Hormone problems
• Genetic issues

Going for walks is an ideal way to spend time with the family - it's free, it's healthy, it's outdoors, it's fun and educational and it's something you can all share together no matter your age or ability.  You can do it with other families, on your own or with other family members.  It can be a long, all day affair or just an hour trek. It can be in all sorts of different terrain: woodland, seashore, farm land or country paths.  Most of all, it's something to enjoy!

• Getting the children out of the door: older children may have opinions on going for walks so do make sure you describe the walk as an adventure; an excursion or something exciting rather than just a walk.
• Think of activities to do while on your adventure: collect things (feathers, pebbles, leaves) or spot things (acorns, birds, animal tracks).
• Play "follow the arrow": take 3 sticks and arrange them in an arrow.  Send the children ahead and get them to make the arrow shape that will guide you all home.
• Follow My Leader: get the children to decide on the route.  Ask them which paths to take or which way to turn.
• Make a map: draw a map of the route as you go, marking on special land marks.
• Snacks: take snacks to keep energy high and moral positive!  Offer snacks when they find things or spot something fun.
• Play camouflage: send the children ahead and get them to hide.  When you are near get them to jump out and surprise you!
• Do other things along the way: if you see logs, try and climb them, if you spot a brook try and cross it and any good climbing trees must be conquered!  Help the little ones to climb up - they will love it!
• Be prepared for weather changes: take waterproofs as you don't want to be caught in a shower!
• Take the right equipment: make sure everyone has wellies or walking shoes to avoid hearing moaning children (and adults!) if their feet get wet.
• Listen to the children: if they get tired, try not to force them to go on... it may put them off for ever!

So many mum's to be subscribe to the idea of "eating for two" - 'Yes, another slice of cake is okay and make it a hot chocolate with cream and chocolate sprinkles, if you please!'   However, research has shown that mums who eat too much during pregnancy can increase the risk of their babies being born with low IQ, eating disorders and psychosis. Sounds dreadful!

The researchers state that the average IQ of children of obese mothers was five points lower than the babies who had mothers of a healthy weight. The research (carried out at McMaster University, in Ontario Canada) was published in the international journal entitled Obesity Reviews and it looked at the impact of weight gain during pregnancy on child development.

The findings suggested there were country differentials:

Sweden - The children born of overweight mothers in Sweden were more likely to suffer from attention deficit problems

Japan - Japanese children born to overweight mothers increased the baby's chance of developing schizophrenia in adulthood by 24 per cent.

Australia - The chances of teenagers have an eating disorder increased by 11 per cent for those who has overweight mothers during pregnancy.

Why?

It might be linked to changes in the hormonal, cardiovascular and immune systems during pregnancy as a result of excess weight.

Obesity in pregnancy can impact on the mother's health too.

It can increase the risk of:-

• diabetes
• high blood pressure
• blood clots
• miscarriages
• still-births and foetal death

So, dispense with the old wives tales of eating for two, shape up before planning a family and eat sensibly!

As with any illness that your children might suffer, if you can recognise the symptoms of tonsillitis then you can act quickly should your children go down with it. Tonsillitis is a disease which involves the inflammation of the tonsils at the back of the throat.  It is usually associated with children but adults can get it too.  It can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Viruses that cause common colds are also responsible for tonsillitis.

Where are the tonsils?
Tonsils are the red, fleshy part of the back of the throat.  They normally look red and clear.  When you have tonsillitis, they become bigger, more vibrant red and can be covered in a white/grey substance or yellow spots.  The tonsils actually form part of the body's immune system.

Symptoms of Tonsillitis:
Sore throat or neck
Swollen glands
Fever
Tiredness
Painful swallowing
Nausea and being sick
Headache

Is it contagious?
Yes.

Precautions:
Wash plates cups and cutlery in very hot water and do not share.
Throw away toothbrush as it may carry the infection.
Wash hands frequently.

Treatment:
Take the patient to the doctor for diagnosis, and to have a course of antibiotics prescribed.  Things usually return to normal after a week or so but tonsillitis can recur.  Encourage children to rest and to sip warm or room temperature drinks.

None of us like too much change in our lives, but when changes are afoot in a children's life it can really affect them in a big way. It is really important to try and handle any changes in a sensitive and thoughtful way, to manage it proactively and to deal with it as if you were a child, not like an adult. Here are some thoughts about helping children cope with changes in their life.

• Chat to them about the change. Choose a time when they are calm and happy and speak easily and in a supportive manner.
• Talk about what your child enjoys at school and in clubs and then talk about what they don't like. This will help them feel confident enough to chat and may unearth some interesting facts you didn't know about.
• Talk about friends and people your children play with.
• Talk to their carers in private and discuss the issues.
• Try to keep to a routine and keep things the same.
• Give plenty of reassurance.

If a child is not coping with change you may spot some of the following:

• They become clingy and fearful to leave you
• They may become panicky and breathless
• They may complain of illness and headaches
• They may become less inclined to talk and communicate
• They may loose interest in activities
• They may become bad tempered and angry

There is a constant public health message that we must protect ourselves from the harmful damage that the sun can cause, but more importantly, we must look after our children in the sun!  We still have a limited understanding of long term damage that can be caused short term exposure to the sun, but increasingly it is believed that a single episode of sunburn during childhood could lead to skin cancer in later life.  It is essential, therefore, that you look after children when they play out in the sun, especially when on holiday to hotter parts of the world.  You must also ensure that anyone else looking after your children, at nursery, with a childminder, or at school, also looks after their health.

What precautions should you take to protect your children in the sun?

• Apply sun screen with a sun protection factor of at least 50
• Re-apply sun cream throughout the day at two hourly intervals
• Re-apply sun cream after being in water, even if the cream states that it is water resistant
• Make sure your child's body is clean before applying sun cream, rub off any sand particularly before applying lotion
• Have the children wear sun hats, make sure that the backs of necks are covered too
• Avoid being in the sun altogether during the hottest parts of the day
• Create your own shade to sit in on the beach or in other exposed places
• Wear clothes with a stated sun protection factor
• In really hot places, keep t-shirts and hats on when swimming or playing in water

Be aware that sun cream is NOT recommended for babies under 6 months because their skin is delicate and very thin.  Chemicals in sun block may actually harm the skin of a baby.  Instead, make sure that they are protected by clothing and keep them in a shaded place, out of the sun.

So many people claim that children's unruly behaviour is down to them having 'ADHD' but can bad behaviour in a child be simply explained away by labeling them with such a tag?  For some children the diagnosis of 'Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder' is accurate, but for so many it's just not the case.

What is it? ADHD is a medical term which originally comes from the North American Psychiatric Association.

• ADD means Attention Deficit Disorder.
• ADHD means Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.

It is said that ADHD effects up to three percent of the population. It is usually associated with boys rather than girls.

A child has ADHD if:

• they have difficulty concentrating and can't ignore distracting sounds or they get lost in their own daydream and its hard to get them to listen.
• they do not have their own ideas to begin games or activities alone
• they forget or lose things often or can't remember instructions
• they continue to fiddle or fidget when everyone else sits still
• they shout out answers and talk a lot and they act without thinking - so do things without caring about the consequences
• they have trouble waiting their turn or sharing
• they won't follow rules

But even children who demonstrate all or some of these things are not necessarily suffering from ADHD.  It needs to be repeated, unintentional behaviour and diagnosed by a professional.  If you think your child might be suffering have a chat to the teacher, doctor or health professional for advice and help.

When it feels like we can't cope, we begin to worry and get stressed and exactly the same is true of children. There are certain times when children might not not be calm: at times of great change such as moving house, parents separating or divorcing, when changing class or school, or making new friends.

Signs that your child might be stressed:

• They become aggressive
• They become withdrawn and very quiet
• They burst into tears easily
• They gain a reputation for being 'a worrier'.

Ways to help keep your child stress free:

• Keep a routine: children feel secure when they are in a good routine. They know what's going to happen next and how things work. If there is going to be a change then tell them and explain to them.
• Be organised: Help your child to be organised too by preparing for school the night before. Make sure everything is ready such as their bag, dinner money, PE kit, letters. Try and develop a system together to make sure things are ready. Hang book bags in a special place, keep shoes near the front door.
• Be on time: It's never a good feeling to be late, so try to make yourself on time or early for school or clubs etc. even if it means getting up early or leaving the house before normal!
• Be a role model: Try and be calm and organised yourself and show how to run a calm house and lifestyle.
• Have a chat: Make sure you speak to your children and listen to any worries or concerns. Take their worries seriously and be positive, supportive and encourage calm discussion rather than brush it off as unimportant.
• Try to imagine how they feel: put yourself in their shoes.
• Tell stories: Share stories in which people overcome fears or worries and succeed. Go to the library to find some books and share your own experiences or make up stories to show how to deal with concerns.
• Praise: Give plenty of encouragement and praise.
• Focus on the positive and their self esteem will grow. Congratulate them when they do well and tell them how good they have been etc.
• Bedtime: Make sure you have a calm and happy bed time. Read stories, have a bubbly bath, keep it calm and positive leaving all worries outside the bedroom.
• Be kind: Try to remember they are only little and in order for the children to grown in confidence and learn they need to feel supported and loved.

All parents and childminders worry about what they feed to their children, and yet it can be surprisingly difficult to get a real idea of how healthy food products are.  That's all set to change as the EU has agreed to enforce food labeling standards.  There has been demand for the EU to enforce the 'traffic light' schemes helping consumers see at a glance how foods fare, but that isn't the route they are going.  Instead the EU will require the breakdown of Calories, carbohydrates, sugars and fats.

Most foods already have these breakdowns, so what's new?

To date there hasn't been a standard in the way that labels are displayed.  This has lead to various 'tricks' used by food manufacturers to hide certain facts about their food when they aren't entirely complimentary.  For example:-

• Sugars are carbohydrates but many sugar-laden products only display a carbohydrate count, masking the sugar content.
• Many foods high in saturated fats (the more dangerous type of fat) don't display that, simply showing the amount of total fats. For some products, saturated fat can account for almost all of the fat content.
• Values are often broken down by 'portion', but a portion is often unrepresentative. For example, 500ml bottles of fizzy drinks are usually broken down and displayed as 2 portions, whereas many consumers will drink a whole bottle at once.  Some 'portions' of soft drinks can contain 30% of the adult recommended daily amount of sugar, but by consuming the whole bottle, you are consuming 60% of your recommended sugar limit.  The EU regulations will ensure values are presented in a uniform way making it easier to compare foods directly.
• High salt levels are often masked as 'Sodium' values.  For actual salt levels, multiply sodium by 2.5 and you're just about there!

The new rules will also cover ALL packaged foods so you will start to see labels on products that you haven't seen them on before, such as prepackaged fruit and meat.

The more information we are given as consumers, the more informed are our choices.  Of course we can have the odd treat, or we can choose to ignore healthy foods altogether, but at least we can make that choice. When it comes to feeding our children, we often go that little bit further, buying more organic produce or foods with established provenance.  The more we know about our food, the easier it is to feed our children the way we choose to!

The new EU regulations have been established this month and large food manufacturers have 3 years to comply, smaller food producers have 5 years to comply.  We won't see a massive change overnight, more a gentle evolution of current practices over the next few years.

Paddling pools are incredibly reasonable at the moment and for a small amount of money you can pick up an inflatable pool that is great fun!  Here are a few important tips to keep the children safe in and around the pool.

• Never leave a baby toddler or child in a paddling pool even for the shortest time. It takes a moment for them to slip under the water which can be fatal. Children can drown in the smallest depth of water.
• If you need to leave them to get something, or to answer the front door or the phone, take them out of the pool while you are away. Make it clear they are not allowed to get into the pool without you there.  Take small children who may not understand or be able to follow instructions with you, keep them out of the garden while you are absent.
• Check the temperature of the water to make sure it is not too cold (if you've just filled it) or too warm if it's the end of a hot day. With enough sun, the water can get very warm.
• The grass may get wet and slippery around a paddling pool so be aware of the potential for accidents when the children climb out.
• Suncream is essential in the summer so keep the children covered up even when playing in the paddling pool. Keep them in loose clothes (T-shirt and light trousers or leggings) if there is a lot of sun.
• Make sure the children are aware that inside the pool is very slippery. Suggest they kneel rather than stand if unsteady on their feet.
• Keep an eye on any bees or wasps that might find themselves in the pool. Remove them with a slotted spoon to ensure they don't harm or sting the children.
• Make sure the children walk and don't run round the pool so they don't trip and accidentally fall in.
• Remove all toys at the end of the day so no one is tempted to reach in and get something from the pool and accidentally fall in.
• Keep an eye on the dept.  After rainfall it could be more full than when you last looked.

Enjoy your pool!