March 31, 2017 / Ben / 0 Comments
Audio books have been around for some time now, but recently more and more famous titles have been released. Stories such as The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom have been bought to life in audio and can make beds a pleasant time for your child. Although audio books should not replace bedtime story reading, it can be a perfect way to sooth your little one off to sleep.
When choosing an audio book for your child you may want to listen to it yourself first, some stories which they may enjoy when you read them to them may become a little scary or get them too excited when in audio version.
Audio books range in price, you can get a CD of famous fairy tales for about five pounds but if you want to pick up some of the more modern stories in audio form you may have to pay between ten and twenty pounds. Always have a look at the running time as you don’t want to be up there every ten minutes changing the CD over. You can get audio books from places such as W H Smiths or online.
February 25, 2017 / Ben / 0 Comments
Some of us love to go shopping, it can be a bit of retail therapy and can give many people a confidence boost finding new clothes. When it comes to shopping, it can be very easy to get a bit carried away in the moment and more often than not, many of us end up buying items that when we get home, we don’t actually need or want. You may well see clothes in a charity shop still with tags on, which often have been bought but never taken out of the wardrobe.
When you come back from a shopping trip, get everything out of your bags and go through them again. If you have bought outfits, check to see if you have shoes, handbags or jewellery to match and if you don’t, consider how much more you will have to spend before opting to wear the outfit. Over the next few days, do not remove any of the tags and try the clothes on again in front of your own mirror. Sometimes changing rooms have a way of improving the lighting to make you flawless but often when we try things on elsewhere we are not as happy with the end result.
If you have bought something, not worn it, still have the tags on (or at least still have the tags) then why not return it. You can often get a full refund with very little quibble or at least store credit to go towards your next purchase.
January 31, 2017 / Ben / 0 Comments
Many of us now do much of our shopping online. This is especially true at Christmas, where it can e all too much to have to face the busy supermarkets or high street stores to get wat we need.
When shopping online you need to be a little bit savvy in terms of secure and also to get a bargain. Firstly never do any online shopping without using a secured connection. If you do online shopping and input card details on a unsecured network you risk your details being compromised and sued for online fraud.
When looking for an item, for example a vacuum cleaner, you may already know what make and model you want but don’t know where the best place is to get it from. Performing a quick search online will often list a number of retails selling the item and the price they are selling it for. This allows you to quickly compare and see where you will get the best price.
With online shopping you may also be able to read reviews on a product before you buy it. This can be extremely helpful and can give you an insight in to how good the product is in the eyes of the public.
October 31, 2016 / Ben / 0 Comments
Many parents find it difficult to know how to help their child with their school work. As methods of teaching change, it is worrying to know whether or not you are helping or hindering your child by trying to explain how to solve a mathematics problem, which grammar to use in an essay or how to research a particular topic. This is when educational workbooks can be very useful.
Publishers make sure that the books they produce are up to date with current Government guidelines and so parents can be assured that the content is relevant to the age and development of their child. When choosing a book, look at the recommended age and key stage. Books with reward stickers and certificates can give your child the incentive to complete the workbook.
If you are still unsure whether a particular book is going to be helpful, it is always a good idea to ask your child’s teacher who may be able to view the book online and advise you further.
September 30, 2016 / Ben / 0 Comments
With many young children starting school in September, there are parents all over the country worrying about how they can help their child in their education. Teachers have a huge task of teaching each and every pupil how to read and write as well as other skills such as social skills.
As a parent there is still plenty you can do to help your child in their learning journey. More or less as soon as your child starts school, they will be given books to bring home. Taking 5 or 10 mins every day to hear them read and discuss the book with them can make a huge difference to how they progress at school and the early stages are often very important.
If your child enjoys reading and writing or maths or science then you could get them a fun activity book to complete at home with you.