How do you play in the rain

Claim to fame: it's the biggest walnut tree in the UK - measured by arm stretches in April rain.

This blog post is by Nicola Baird sharing ideas about thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise children. Any ideas to share about playing out in the rain?  For more info about parenting see my book Homemade Kids, or for my website click here.  

It’s raining hard. Nell and I are walking slowly up a London hill. She’s wheeling my heavily-loaded bike on the pavement, and I’m staggering under her vast cello which needs to be sheltered by my umbrella.

At the brow of the hill our way is blocked by a little boy just out of nursery. He’s dressed in a yellow sou’wester and blue wellies. He’s also just seen a puddle which he runs towards, despite his mum yelling stop. Nell and I are too weighed down to move, so that when he  leaps two-legged into the puddle a tsunami rears up soaking us both.

Thankfully we both roar with laughter – seeing the little boy so delighted by the adventures that April showers can bring even in this big city where we live. And because we’re happy, his mum calms down too.

Seven things to do when it’s raining

1. Jump in puddles
2. Jump over puddles
3. Make the dog walk through puddles
4. Try sailing reed boats (or floating matches) on a puddle
5. Go to the playground and enjoy zero queues
6. Make a mud slide
7. Hide in a den (or shed) and listen to the rain. Squeezing under a buggy raincover or just making use of your brolly are good alternatives.

If you’re getting flustered by the low pressure (ie, rain) then dress as if you are going to get wet, in case you meet a toddler puddle seeking.

Child-sized brollies are a genius invention – they fit into backpacks, don’t blow away in squalls and dry out faster than bigger versions.

Purpose to being indoors
During one big rain storm Nell and I offered to do an hour’s campaigning for the Green party and the Mayoral election, not much, but something. You may only be allowed to vote when you are 18, but there’s plenty of campaigning skills to learn about whatever your age. Whatever your politics I’m sure there will be a time when you have to stuff envelopes and want another pair of hands to help you... If so try telling an adventure story that gives everyone a chance to develop the plot, and kill off the characters. Nell has been reading Little Women, and is really good at making crazy stories – she reckons you need a hero (our special lady was Rosemary Caroll) plus walk-on parts from evil trolls, fireworks in the hair, cruel tutors, no sense of gravity etc.

The madder the story the more laughter you’ll get.  And the faster time will go…

We enjoyed ourselves, but I was touched to see this note on Facebook later on from the woman we were helping to campaign for saying: “Special thanks to Nicola who invented a wonderful story telling game with Nell, 11, and Eliza, 12, using names from the mail-merged letters. Added a gloriously, creative and somewhat surreal soundtrack to the afternoon.”

More to the point it got two more people helping out.

Over to you
What do you do to encourage children to join in or help you with life tasks? Believe me, I could do with some more ideas – the election campaigning work isn’t over until 3 May!

Done the 50things to do before you’re 12 list?

On top, behind and going over a waterfall. Parents just look away.

This blog post is by Nicola Baird sharing ideas about thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise children. What do children make of the National Trust’s 50 things to do before you’re 11 and three quarters challenge?  For more info about parenting see my book Homemade Kids, or for my website click here.  

“I’ve hunted for treasure on a beach so many times!” I’m listening to Lola, 13, running through the National Trust’s 50 things to do before you are 11 and three quarters. She looks so happy remembering some of those activities as she shouts out – “I’ve made a mud pie! I’ve done wild swimming in the Lake District! I’ve built dens! I’ve danced in the rain; did that just a couple of days ago in the hail. My friend Freya taught me how to call like an owl. I’ve never caught a butterfly in a net, but that’s because I didn’t want to do, I know it can hurt their wings.”

Turns out she’d done 47 out of 50. Looks like our summer family challenge will be lighting a fire without matches (baffling though you tube is your friend, along with wirewool and a 9v battery!), going geo-caching (which is an organised form of treasure hunt) and get over our butterfly worries – possibly by raising caterpillars.

The list suggests so many fun ideas including damming streams, camping and looking into a pond. You might want to try it (with or without children):

Climb a tree Roll down a really big hill Camp out in the wild Build a den Skim a stone Run around in the rain Fly a kite Catch a fish with a net Eat an apple straight from a tree Play conkers Throw some snow Hunt for treasure on the beach Make a mud pie Dam a stream Go sledging Bury someone in the sand Set up a snail race Balance on a fallen tree Swing on a rope swing Make a mud slide Eat blackberries growing in the wild Take a look inside a tree Visit an island Feel like you’re flying in the wind Make a grass trumpet

Hunt for fossils and bones Watch the sun wake up Climb a huge hill Get behind a waterfall Feed a bird from your hand Hunt for bugs Find some frogspawn Catch a butterfly in a net Track wild animals Discover what’s in a pond Call an owl Check out the crazy creatures in a rock pool Bring up a butterfly Catch a crab Go on a nature walk at night Plant it, grow it, eat it Go wild swimming Go rafting Light a fire without matches Find your way with a map and compass Try bouldering Cook on a campfire Try abseiling Find a geocache Canoe down a river

To tick off your own list and info about the National Trust’s campaign see here.

Over to you
Makes me half want to imagine a list of 50 things you should have played with from a toy manufacturer – no doubt all linked to buying something. What about you – how did your children get on with this list?

Are you running a taxi for your kids?

How many hours a month will you and the babe be together in the car?

This blog post is by Nicola Baird sharing ideas about thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise children. Here are some thoughts about driving them around… For more info about parenting see my book Homemade Kids, or for my website click here.  

The chatter of the moment is all about how many hours parents drive their children around each month. Turns out that a third of parents spend between 10 and 49 hours a month driving their kids to and from school, or to other child-friendly activities.

The survey, from the AA Driving School (whose website has been down this morning, but seems to be linked with the AA) claims that “ this was equivalent to many people’s annual leave of 25 days a year.” What???

Mark Peacock, head of AA Driving School, said: “Mum and dad’s taxi is still very much in operation.”

Clearly some people drive their kids around because they like it, some because they want to, and some because they have to. I know I wouldn’t drive this much for my children, it’s one of the many reasons that I live in a big city and buy my kids shoes that are easy to walk in!

You’re not alone
If you feel you are running a taxi service for your kids, chances are your friends are too. Is there a way you could share some journeys, or can you organise for a group of children to do some cycle training? Is there a need for a school bus? Are the children eligible for free travel (eg, 11 year olds may need ID)? Or do you need to campaign to get a safer crossing on a route that could otherwise be easily walkable?

Solving problems for yourself (by driving) is only making the problem worse for all of us, see info here from my then 10-year-old Nell about air pollution and asthma. So, unless you absolutely love being in the car (often in snarled up traffic) then finding other ways to spend your time should perhaps be higher up your priority list?

For a more thoughtful look at who’s driving car culture have a look at the book I wrote in 1998 The Estate We’re In.

Over to you
What have you done – or can imagine doing, or are working on – to help cut down on the amount of hours you ferry your kids around in a car?  More importantly, why have you done it?

Fun things kids do without us

Found charcoal then made themselves into Hermione, a warrior and the easter bunny. Ah!

This blog post is by Nicola Baird sharing ideas about thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise children. Here are some ideas to make contact with the outside a little more fun – via a treasure hunt. For more info about parenting see my book Homemade Kids, or for my website click here.  

My daughters are at the age when they are fun to be around, but I know that I should really be letting them do ever more stuff on their own. It’s so tempting to interfere (you’ll recognise this feeling if you are either competitive or just a tiny bit clingy – otherwise you will think this idea is a little mad).

Bring the phone
A treasure hunt can be fun for kids, but it also makes use of phones, videos and any other new technology they (sometimes?) find hard to put down.

Or just do it the old way with clues to find and a reward at the end.

For a modern treasure hunt twist think of a list of tasks, read it out  (have a discussion about any rules of where to go or what’s out of bounds if you like, and maybe also agree the time to be back). We tried this approach with a 15 year old, 13 year old and 11 year old. They took half an hour. And the moment they’d finished they set two dads and me their own set of challenges. It was such a nice way to spend time outside! Some of the ideas below were borrowed from those nice people at the Geography Collective, (which publishes the brilliant Mission Explore books). You’ll soon see why this kind of treasure hunt works just as well for the grown ups.

• Find (collect, draw or photograph) : a bird feather, flowers starting with A, B, C and D.
• Make up then video your own African dance (featuring a lion, oryx,crocodile and President Mugabe)
• Convince a dog walker to change their dog’s name (capture on video)
• Photo or video a person down a rabbit hole
• Make a 3-d model of a fish and an arrow of sticks
• Decorate yourself as Hermione, a warrior and the Easter Bunny (see pic above)

Over to you
What do you do to avoid taking over your children’s games?

Let them play – outdoors

OK, a picnic isn't roaming free - but it surely seeds the idea of a free range childhood.

This blog post is by Nicola Baird sharing ideas about thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise children. All ideas that tend to encourage an outdoor childhood. For more info about parenting see my book Homemade Kids, or for my website click here.  

There’s a new shocking report asking us to reflect on how we bring up kids. It’s picking up the concerns first identified by the US’s Richard Louv, who coined the term “Nature Defecit Disorder”. See here or his provocative books Last Child in the Woods or Nature Principle which uses the first book’s theme – nature defecit disorder – and applies it to unhappy adulthoods.

Now in the UK, the National Trust report finds that in just one generation:

• Fewer than ten per cent of kids play in wild places; down from 50 per cent a generation ago
• The roaming radius for kids has declined by 90 per cent in one generation (thirty years)
• Three times as many children are taken to hospital each year after falling out of bed, as from falling out of trees
• A 2008 study showed that half of all kids had been stopped from climbing trees, 20 per cent had been banned from playing conkers or games of tag

Seems that children are consequently losing the sort of skills everyone used to have:

• One in three could not identify a magpie
• Half could not tell the difference between a bee and a wasp
• But nine out of 10 could recognise a Dalek.

It’s horrible to think how little our children and their friends know about the natural world. Obviously it’s not every child – today my 10 year old and I identified the first flowering cowslip in a flowerbed on the way to Crouch End. Not long after we saw the first suggestion of bloom on the hawthorn tree (loads of people confuse this with blackthorn although once you know, they really are very different). Apparently you can teach nature ID skills so long as you get the child before they’re 12. Rubbish really, I learnt to identify native British tree species only after going on a BTCV course as a 30something.

A dog walking friend told me last week she often asks in writers’ workshops “what’s the most dangerous thing you’ve done?” If my mum was playing this game she could tell the times she and her elder brother flattened themselves against the gale to edge around the lighthouse light, 15m or so up, right over the rocks and terrible tides of Strangford Lough. I cringe thinking about the danger my mum put herself in. But it meant she had no worries about letting me go out riding on a pony (who wasn’t great in traffic, had no brakes and was far too strong for me!)  from eight-years-old onwards. In contrast my workshop writer friend says some of the children accompanying parents in her sessions say they left the top off a pen overnight… Silly? Perhaps. Dangerous? No!

Without understanding risk and danger it is hard to make good judgement calls about what’s safe for either you, or your friends – or your (their) children. Or your career, say, or what level of undress you should post yourself in on Facebook

Getting back to nature. It could be resolved says report author TV’s Stephen Moss:

Let them be free-range kids
“We have all seen the headlines about the decline in children’s play in the outdoors.

“We all know the benefits being outdoors can bring, and as parents we want our children to spend more time outdoors than they do.

“But despite this overwhelming evidence and the different initiatives and schemes run by organisations across the UK, our kids are spending less and less time in the outdoors.

“The time to act is now, whilst we still have a generation of parents and grandparents who grew up outdoors and can pass on their experience and whilst there remains a determination to do something positive in this area.

“Organisations that have an interest in this area, whether working in our towns and cities or in the countryside, have to connect what they are doing and commit to a long-term approach that really makes a difference.”

What next?
The National Trust is planning a two month inquiry – so you can provide ideas, suggestions, or just follow what’s happening as a conversation. See:

More information about the inquiry, including details of how to contribute

There will also be a twitter feed @outdoor_nation, where the National Trust will be using the hashtag #naturalchildhood to keep the debate and ideas flowing, or email: outdoor.nation@nationaltrust.org.uk.  The inquiry will close on 25 May 2012.

More ideas
Try looking at the link if you want practical help letting kids Love Outdoor Play, here  - all sorts of ideas and organisations are linked to this fab group.

7 easy ways to survive holidays

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This blog post is by Nicola Baird sharing ideas about thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise children. Here are seven easy to adapt principles to make juggling work, cashflow and your children’s demands happier over the holidays. For more info about parenting see my book Homemade Kids, or for my website click here.  

I remember school holidays lasting forever – but state school breaks don’t just seem much shorter, they are shorter. There are only two weeks at Christmas, and two weeks at Easter. Two weeks whizzes past even when you spend all that time at your home. I’m sure my family will make some day trips, but here are also some stay-at-home ideas – inspired by a visit with Nell, Lola and their friends Anna and Orla as we looked around Kew gardens in the most perfect spring sunshine.

1) Don’t rush – the school term is endless clock watching. So in the holidays let them spend longer doing things. Tell yourself they need to do things mindfully. Instead or running around the park and getting hot and sweaty (or if you have children in infants, them getting knackered and throwing a tantrum), suggest taking off shoes and exploring the world with bare feet.

2) Do the same things, differently – how about an easter egg hunt by torch light?

3) Break routines – could the kids create a BBQ breakfast? Or try a picnic instead of lunch at home.

4) Enjoy what’s near to you – well near me is a reservoir where they offer sailing and kayaking. I’m not that keen on water, but seeing as it’s just a short walk from my house, I’d be crazy not to make use of it. A year’s membership is £75 but the first taster session is free. Seems like a good deal.  Mind you if you do take a long trip (eg, for us to Southend or even to Kew Gardens (see photos), stay for as long as you can.

5) Be generous – offer to feed a neighbour’s cat, or other pet, if that helps other people. Yes it ties you to your neighbourhood, but it’s a new lifeskill and something for everyone’s c/v.  If you haven’t already made an achievement book of your child’s swim certificates and golden certificates and evidence of small triumphs then start one now. When your adorable five year old turns into a grumpy, anxious teen this will allow you to show them just how much they’ve learnt over the years. (In contrast I still burn pasta, and speak French even worse than I did when my eldest was born).

6) Experiment with food – if you love ice cream, then learn to make it. Borrow the machine or go round to a friend’s house and do it with them.

7) Be sure everyone has their moment – instead of dictating what’s going on in the holidays, or being tied to your child’s hectic schedule grab a large piece of paper and get everyone to write down (or say) the three things they’d love to do during the Easter holidays. And then see if some of it’s possible – or can be done over the next year. That way you can mix reorganising wardrobes, trips to the dentist/optician with the fun stuff. This is the reason I have recently eaten a burger in McDonalds (thanks Nell). I think if David Cameron tried this tip he’d have already eaten enough Greggs pies to know his favourite. And the price. And would have avoided Pastygate.  At Kew Gardens (see pix) I asked the two 11 year olds, one 10 year old and a 13 year old what they wanted to see (once they’d looked at the map) and then tried to guide them towards it inbetween games on logs and snacks. That way everyone feels they’ve had an adventure (i think!). They were unanimous about trying out Climbers & Creepers (meant for 9 years and under) and also having an ice cream. I was there because I wanted to see magnolias at their best. And Lola choose the trip over shopping (an easy choice if you have no cash!).

Over to you
Do share any simple ideas you have that make time spent together more fun. Thanks – enjoy the holidays.

Does spring makes you creative?

This blog post is by Nicola Baird sharing ideas about thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise children. Here are two tried and tested ideas to welcome that spring feeling. For more info about parenting see my book Homemade Kids, or for my website click here.  

Two things I’ve noticed during this late March 2012 spell of amazing sunny weather and blue skies. (Note I’m trying to avoid thinking about the high smog levels, see previous post/quiz here, and the unseasonal dry).

1)  If you can find a way to prise people (adults, children) off a computer you may be surprised by what’s created. The pic is of Nell’s nest. It’s made from grass cuttings collected from a Hertfordshire cafe (actually a wonderful farm shop on the A10 near Puckeridge) and five of her favourite brown stones. She couldn’t get it to balance in a tree, so it’s been moved to a sunny spot. Not sure what will hatch out – dragons? yellow yetis? West Ham footballers? Chocolate? But it’s fun to imagine our stone age “chicks” before they hatch.

2) If you fill your house with animals, and then give those animals (eg, ducklings) away your house starts looking huge. A very clever trick for anyone who can’t afford to move... or for appeasing partners who aren’t so keen on indoor pets. The other pic shows Berry and Walden being introduced to their new deluxe home in Hertfordshire. Cross fingers they avoid predators and learn to use their wings, big webbed feet etc soon. Then they’ll have the run of a massive pond and dare I say it (seeing as it wasn’t bought on a political expense account) a floating duck house.

Over to you
What creative things do you plan to do on Wednesday when the school teachers strike to balance work, childcare and spring sunshine?

Quiz on mums, sport and air pollution

One out of 11 children have asthma. Here are two.

This blog post is by Nicola Baird sharing ideas about thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise children. One out of 11 UK children have asthma. So what can a mum do to tackle air pollution indoors and out? Try this QUIZ and see how you do. For more info about parenting see my book Homemade Kids, or for my website click here.  

If you need a reminder of what asthma does to kids, and how air quality effects children’s health see this older blog post and 10-year-old Nell’s video here.

Try this QUIZ – only 13 questions…
1 Indoor air pollution is increased by chemical fumes released from carpets, wallpaper, paint, fire-resistant materials and gas cookers. All build up in a well-insulated house. TIP: When you redecorate choose VOC-free (or low VOC) paints and glues which are easy to find in DIY stores (just look on the tin’s label).

[ ] a My house is drafty so I guess the pollution can drift off outside

[ ] b I rent and can’t redecorate – not my problem

[ ] c You mean volatile organic compounds? They’re on the naughty step.

2 Avoid anything made from MDF. TIP: Don’t put MDF shelves (or any glue mix material including plywood) above a radiator.

[ ] a Easier said than done. The kitchen’s MDF duh.

[ ] b Didn’t I tell you that I rent and can’t organise a kitchen refit?

[ ] c Does it tell me this at Ikea?

3 If you live and drive in a town or city use a petrol-fuelled car (or car club vehicle). TIP: Diesel isn’t as clean a fuel choice because the particulates released as you drive can trigger asthma attacks.

[ ] a Look I’ve got a diesel car and I’m not changing it. For anyone.

[ ] b I don’t remember this conversation at Car Supermarket.

[ ] c OMG what do paticulates do?

4 Obviously don’t drive as much – because all traffic pollutes. TIP: Aim to walk your children to school as many days as you can.

[ ] a You are one crazy lady. The roads aren’t safe enough for me to let my kids walk or cycle to school.

[ ] b Not got the time, sorry.

[ ] c Oh no, not blaming the school run again?

5 Teach your children road safety and look out for cycle training courses run for children, see http://www.dft.gov.uk/bikeability/

[ ] a You really are one crazy lady. See above.

[ ] b Don’t they teach this stuff at school?

[ ] c Not a bad plan.

6 Have a boy. TIP: Girls are more likely than boys to develop asthma by the time they are 18.

[ ] a Do you know how much IVF costs?

[ ] b What would Caitlin Moran say if I told her this?

[ ] c I’ve got daughters already, thank you very much.

7 Don’t live in the UK. Out of 56 countries the UK has more 13-14 year olds with asthma. TIP: You can get help from your GP and at http://www.asthma.org.uk

[ ] a How I long for the old days when mums just worried about OFSTED and SATs.

 [ ] b Great, just the excuse I need to move again.

[ ] c How will I cope with a mardy teen miserable about getting asthma?

8 Everyone with asthma is at risk of a wheeze attack when there is a spike in air quality. TIP: This isn’t just a western world problem – New Delhi is notoriously polluted and 16 out of 20 of the world’s worst polluted cities are said to be in China.

[ ] a This is just another reason to hate fog.

[ ] b Get it. Will cancel the trip to the Great Wall of China.

[ ] c I’m going to bookmark an air pollution app. Is there such a thing?

9 Get to know when air pollution is bad. Get 24-hour warning of pollution alerts at http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/ or if you live in London try http://www.airtext.info/

[ ] a Why is purple the danger sign? Shouldn’t it be red?

[ ] b At last I can use my screen grab to good purpose

[ ] c I’ve looked at the map, and it’s pretty bad everywhere.

10 Playing sport in the afternoon isn’t always wise – it can be a wheezy time if there’s high air pollution. It’s also the time when ozone levels are highest (which reduce lung function). Add to that pollen and it’s a recipe for those with dodgy chests (eg, asthma sufferers) to start wheezing. TIP: Avoid strenuous activity then, and learn to keep your medication close.

[ ] a Isn’t the Olympics held in the afternoon?

[ ] b Just the excuse I needed to avoid it, thank you.

[ ] c Is that why I keep hearing about sports people collapsing?

11 Good air quality is a right. Children competing in areas with poor air quality are much more likely to develop asthma than non-athletic children. http://www.sirc.ca/newsletters/june09/documents/S-967310.pdf

[ ] a What a load of lefty bananas.

[ ] b So tell me, are the London Youth Games at Crystal Palace in an area with poor air quality or good air quality?

[ ] c I’m starting to feel extremely worried.

12. When you’re not in a car use quieter, less congested roads and paths – even if it means a bit of a detour.

[ ] a Haha.

[ ] b Great excuse to wear my new blue suede trainers

[ ] c Do it already. Yes!

13 Don’t do what London Mayor Boris Johnson has done on super-polluted Marylebone Road and spray glue around in the hope that air pollution will be stuck together then disappear. It doesn’t work.

[ ] a Actually Spandex pants aren’t that great either.

[ ] b That’s a joke isn’t it?

[ ] c That’s it, I’m telling my councillors to do something in my local area.

Over to you – add what you got to the comment box. And thanks for joining in. Lots more info at http://www.cleanairinlondon.org/

YOUR ANSWERS
Mostly As – I know what I’m getting you for your birthday, personalised number plates

Mostly Bs -  Perhaps you’ve got your head a little bit in the inhaler? Works better than sand though.

Mostly Cs – well done, you could help tackle this.

Babies and school: your row?

Teamwork - down to how these girls were fed as babies, or a teachable skill?

This blog post is by Nicola Baird sharing ideas about thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise children.Where are you in the new baby war battle – demand feeding so your baby thrives or scheduling meals so you can handle being a mum? For more info about parenting see my book Homemade Kids, or for my website click here. 

You probably knew whose side you were on in the latest baby war battle even before you read the front page Observer story((cleverly timed for mother’s day 2012) about “Babies fed on demand ‘do better at school’” by Lucy Rock, see here.

So wedded am I to my view-point that I even managed to misread the first para, so saw: “It is a debate that has raged for years pitying mothers who follow Gina Ford and her routine-based approach…”

(Oops, it actually said pitted, not pitying!)

“Pitted mothers… against those who prefer the more laid back ways… and fed on demand.”

I think if you ‘ve ever watched a mother animal dealing with her very young progeny, then you’d be pretty certain that demand feeding is an instinct. It also suits any woman who isn’t being forced back to work or having to rely on other people to handle their childcare.

This massive study from the Institute for Social and Economic Research based at the University of Essex (see report PR here) of babies from eight weeks to 33 months claims its sample of 10,000 children in the Bristol area, born in the early 1990s shows that demand-fed children (both in breast-fed and formula-fed children) have a four or five point higher IQ.

In other words demand-fed babies go on to do better at school.

It’s an important study because it takes into account all sorts of background factors including family income, parental educational levels, the baby’s sex and age plus maternal health and parenting styles (smacking/responding).

The link to the European Journal of Public Health where this article was first posted on 14 March is here.

The study also found that mums who demand feed their babies score less highly on the wellbeing chart. In other words the mums are worn out, a little bit grumpy, even irritable. Some might say for the sake of four or five IQ points who cares? But if this finally nails the hideous habit of an older woman leaning over to your hungry baby and saying “you are spoiling that child,” “he/she’s got you wrapped around your finger,” then that’s good. The only hiccup in this is that now  proud grannies may start tutting at scheduled baby feeding claiming this mummy-centric approach is going to cost a fortune in the long run if it means the child will need tutors and still loose scholarships.

As is ever the case with the mummy wars, it is hard to have a baby and be on the winning side: whether you demand feed, or not. As I tried very hard to convey in Homemade Kids, my book about thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise your child, “all babies need is love, food and a safe place to live.”

The real business of knowing how well you’ve raised your children is not going to be school results, but how well you’ve managed to raise them to adapt to the challenges of peak oil and climate change. I still think this means kids who grow up to be cooperative, really good at solving problems and a dab hand at skills like cooking, mending and knowing where to find what’s needed without breaking the bank. What I’m finding with a 13 and 11 year old is often the demands of school hours and school work get in the way of these essential skills.

Over to you
What’s your take on this latest round in the mummy wars?

What’s so bad about “nothing to do”?

Nell sweeping the ground with a stick. For fun!

This blog post is by Nicola Baird sharing ideas about thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise children. I want to stay in bed all day as a mother’s day treat, so what’s so bad about having absolutely nothing for kids to do?  For more info about parenting see my book Homemade Kids, or for my website click here. 

Just overheard a mum vetoing a trip to a very rural spot as “there’s nothing for the kids to do”. As a rather poor joke I suggested they could watch the TV. “It’s in another language,” was her reply. She’s really not keen to go. But…

I still think she should go – and take the kids. Once they’ve got over the shock of nothing to do, they’ll soon find there are a million things to do. They could play (they’re not too old yet), invent stories, make a den, paddle in a stream, pretend to go on a wild goose hunt, stalk an animal, lie down on the grass, cut the grass, watch the clouds, grow things, pick things, get muddy…

Even if they love the indoors they could try making some real food for breakfast or dinner and have the fun of experimenting with pastry, breads, jams and main courses. There are board games to make up, and play. Pictures to paint. Even washing up – done when there’s nothing else to do – can be an OK game. Though I’d definitely prefer to sit down at that stage with a fat, gripping book (plus possibly a bar of chocolate or a glass of wine).

Nothing to do is an absolute gift for your imagination, stress levels and your child. If only we could offer it more often.

For a trailer and my review of the great film We Bought A Zoo, (out this week) – in which a single dad moves his kids out of the city to live at a private zoo where there’s nothing much for the kids to do except avoid getting eaten…  please see this link

Over to you
Are you excited or repelled by the idea of going somewhere with the kids “where there is nothing to do”?