School is out for the summer and the relief of the end of term is felt by both parents and children (and I am sure a few teachers too!) This year has been especially emotional as the Year 6 children are not only leaving the comfort of their junior schools but have had to deal with the new SATS grading. The children and teachers put in a lot of effort when it comes to their SATs, and not achieving the scores they’d hoped for can be heart-breaking. Fortunately, there are a number of steps parents can take that ensure SATs result don’t spell the end of your child’s goals.

Ensure SATs Are Kept in Perspective

It’s easy for children to base their entire future on the SATs results, but it’s up to us as parents to ensure our children are able to have a realistic viewpoint on their results. Reassure your child that there is no such thing as a pass or fail, and the pressure that children sometimes feel can also make an impact. Helping your child realise what they’ve accomplished in preparation for their SATs can do wonders for their confidence moving forward.

Don’t Compare Children’s SATs Results with That of Others

It’s not only children who can be disappointed with SAT results, as parents can also worry that SAT results that fall below expectations will have a huge impact on their child’s life. Children have many different strengths, just like adults, so it’s important to focus on where improvement is needed, rather than try an assess why one child achieved something another didn’t.

Similarly, those who attained a high SATs result should understand that on-one is inferior to them, and that everyone learns in a different way. Many children who were unsure of the impacts SATs results would have in high school have gone to become a success, simply by working on their weaker areas.

Focus on The Benefits

Like many adults, a lot of children have become a success simply be learning from their mistakes. As such, not reaching the desired SAT level shouldn’t be all doom-and-gloom. Of course, it’s natural to feel disappointed, but the reality is that a lot can be done to ensure your child’s future is a bright one. Working harder moving forward also ensures that school life is rarely passive, meaning that not only are they gaining vital knowledge, but actually enjoying doing so.

Ensure Your Children Are Prepared for Senior School

While SAT results can mean that a school will streamline a pupil, many don’t base a child’s ability on this alone. Some schools may place children based on cognitive ability tests and SAT results, whereas others may have a different internal system altogether. If you do have any questions, it can be useful to contact the school in question and ask them what measures they have in place.

It’s also important for children to understand that there’s no reason as to why they can’t progress, even if they didn’t get the results they wanted. How a child is placed within a school will allow them to work on areas that need improvement. This in turn will instil confidence, meaning that a more solid foundation is in place when it comes to a child succeeding.

Many children may fear falling behind as a result of their SATs, but all that will occur is that extra support will be put in place to help your child prosper moving forward. Sure, it may take longer to reach the destination, but everyone ends up at the same place. 

And finally ...... let them enjoy the summer, free of timetables (and times tables).

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Childbirth is like the Land of Oz. You leave in black and white and arrive in a world saturated with glorious Technicolour. Being a parent has made me feel more vividly than I ever imagined could be possible, colouring my days with an emotional rainbow so bright I can’t remember what it was like to live without.

Red

My kids make me see red far more often than I am comfortable admitting. Sometimes it is because they are pushing all my buttons, other times it is because I don’t have the patience I need to deal with things calmly. I hate getting angry with them even if they have misbehaved, because the guilt which follows is terrible.

Orange

School mornings are frequently a simmering pot of anxiety we will be late because small people move at their own tempo and have a timetable that is completely unpredictable.

Yellow

Thankfully for my  sanity, yellow flashes through my days with delightful frequency. The spontaneous displays of love and affection, the joy when my girls develop a new skill or sleep through the night, and the fits of laughter over nothing in particular shine brightly to dilute the darker hues.

Green

Adults can be jaded. We forget the excitement and wonder that comes from exploring and discovering something new. Green represents how I have learned to see their surroundings through the eyes of my child, and the warm happiness I feel when I see how excited they are about things I have taken for granted.

Blue

Calm, serene days when there is no arguing, bickering, or nagging, and everyone is happy in each other’s company, are an oasis. I can never predict when it will happen but find myself taking quiet pleasure in the fact that, for now anyway, everything is perfect.

Indigo

When my  children are sad it is as if the umbilical cord was never cut. Their experience helps me remember with clarity how much life can hurt. One of the hardest tasks I have found as a parent helping my children to develop the resilience to deal with disappointments, friendship rifts, or the simple fact that not everyone you like will like you back.

Violet

Hormones, exhaustion, and guilt can throw a shadow over my life, sucking the colour from my days and leaving me feeling bruised and vulnerable. These are the times  when I question my ability to be a parent, a partner, or a valuable member society, and when I rely on my family and close friends to help me through until the spectrum begins to lighten.

Every parent - every parent - runs this spectrum of emotion - often several times a day! Just like a real rainbow it is something I am happy to witness without questioning basking in its beauty with open-mouthed wonder that something so indescribably amazing happened in my life.

I have a preschooler and a preteen and they are both technology mad. They are admitedly more tech savvy than my parents and can often be found showing their grandparents how to work an app on the phone or streaming something on Youtube but being comfortable online can mean that defences are down. As a parent (and an extremely tech savvy one at that) I am acutely aware that children think that "everyone is their friend" but we hear all the time that those online are not always what they seem.

I have seen my daughters friends become obsessed with taking photos of themselves (and their food), not to mention the number of followers they have on Instagram, whereas my daughter thinks I am the popularity police by wanting to verify everyone that she connects with online. Instagram is seemingly the social media of choice for many teenagers now but it is worth noting some important points:

• Profile photos, usernames and the bio screen will always be public.
• Users are able to block and remove followers on Instagram. The person who is blocked won’t be informed about this.
• Shared private Instagram posts sent to social networks (e.g. Twitter) can be seen by the public unless you have set up your privacy settings on those social networks too.
• Be aware that anybody is able to send photos and videos directly to an account without being a follower.
• Remember to look out for location-sharing which users can enable with the ‘Add to your Photo Map’ feature. It is set ‘off’ by default, and it is strongly recommend that young users do not change the setting to ‘on’. This is because when it is on, this feature publishes the location in which a photo or video was taken, which is risky information for a young person to share publically.

My children having online presence, even in such a strongly monitored way seems a million miles from my own childhood but while the world changes, children don't and protecting their innocence has always been my priority. We are all grown up for a really long time!! It is worthwhile taking look at this short film to see how young people are not necessarily changing but the world around them is changing.

So what can we do? There are parental controls that we can use which are are designed to help parents and carers manage their child’s online activities.  There are various types, some of which are free but others which can be bought.  However, nothing is totally fool proof so as parents we need to be conscious that they don’t replace the need for adults to support and advise children using the internet.

With new applications and games launching all the time (I suppose I can't not write this post without mentioning the current obsession with Pokemon Go) it is our responsibility to make sure that we keep up to date with what our children are using and who they are talking to online. Utilising online resources like Think U Know provides parents with sensible and up to date information about staying one step ahead. 

So right now, I am off to check how many PokeBalls I have and see if I can catch a Pokemon or two! 

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Holiday season is almost upon us and packing to go on holiday is one of my least favourite tasks, especially when you are trying to squeeze every outfit possibility into a case with no flexibility. So I have been on the hunt for new packing solutions this year and I am therefore delighted to share the Tresspass Holibag 85 litre printed suitcase and give our readers the chance to win one!

Let's be honest, if you are travelling with the kids this summer, you need a suitcase that can meet your every need and the Holibag 85 litre printed suitcase is excellent for long trips to exotic locales or simply a relaxed city break. With an 85 litre capacity, you won’t need to cram everything in.

The suitcase is designed to open into two halves; one has a single large compartment while the other has two zipped compartments for separating up.

Other features include a name tag, a carry handle with comfortable padding, a pull out handle for the wheels and clip straps to keep the case securely shut. This lightweight suitcase is ideal for organised travelers (are mums anything but organsed??) and it avoids the hassle of overstuffed, luggage that you have to root through to find anything.

 Main Features:

• 85 litre printed trolley suitcase
• 1 x main zip compartment
• Zipped side access
• Zipped top pocket
• Adjustable pull handle
• Padded carry handle
• Name tag
• Internal organiser
• 66 x 40 x 40

So if you want to be in with a chance to win one, just enter below! Good luck!! 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions:

The Prize: 1 x Trespass Holibag Printed Suitcase
The winners will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 7 working days by email
Trespass will make every effort to provide the product detailed here but this cannot be guaranteed

By entering this competition, you understand that your details may be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.

There is no monetary equivalent.
Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
End Date 01/08/2016 at 12am

Open to UK residents aged 18 and over only. No cash alternative is available to the prize.

The final prize is dependent on the stock, sizing and colours available once the winner has been drawn (an equivalent prize may be offered in the unlikely scenario that the size is not in stock"