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Today we went to a snow play party, which is essentially a group of children running around in the snow, squealing, laughing and throwing snow at each other but they had a fabulous time! It was a beautiful day today and it seemed bonkers to be wrapping the girls up in snow suits and gloves, especially when it was so warm outside. 

Being in the snow got me thinking, I never understand the whole skiing holiday philosophy, to me a holiday is all about the sea and sunshine but some of our very best friends love going skiing each year and have repeatedly tried to convince me to go. I clearly still need some convincing as snow is fun but it is no holiday.

Whereas another of our good friends cannot say enough about cruising. For the purpose of this post, I asked Lynette why she loved it so much (disclaimer; she loves cruising and loves to talk) "Everything you need, all in one place, where do I start? From the many bars to enjoy a pint, or a cocktail or two, to the restaurants where 5 star dining is a way of life every evening. From day wear, to beach wear, casual nights, to formal nights if you enjoy the finer things in life and waking up in different country each day is your idea of heaven, then cruising is the perfect holiday for you". (I think she should maybe be a sales rep for them!)

Once upon a time I would have been all about the night life and decent sun bed spot, whereas as I have got older I am more interested in stunning scenary, delicious food, quality accomodation and good entertainment for the children. (I just uttered the words "as I have got older" ..... shudder) It seems I am probably more suited to a norwegian fjords cruise than a raucous booze cruise these days but that suits me just fine.

I have spent the afternoon running around and playing in the snow so while my choices may have changed as I mature in years, my heart remains as young as my children throwing snowballs today.

Someone once told me,

"It is not the years in your life but the life in your years".

That sounds a perfect description to me!

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A little while ago, a former Apprentice contestant caused an immense amount of controversy by stating that it is okay to judge a person based on their name. This in itself is ludicrous. I choose not to write about Katie Hopkins in any length as I am quite convinced that she says things to simply be controversial and keep her name in the media, so that is the end of that.

However, this week I received a report that has found the naughtiest children, based on name! In a poll for The Schoolwear Association, teachers put Jack at the top of their list of badly behaved children followed by William, James, Josh and Kyle. 

At the other end of the scale, teachers said their best-behaved student was most likely to be named Sarah.

In the survey, teachers told pollsters children were less likely to behave badly in a proper school uniform with a badge, and a third said children were worse behaved on non-uniform days.

Matthew Easter, Chairman of the Schoolwear Association, whose members clothe two thirds of UK children, said: “Behaviour is a huge issue in schools, and this survey shows a proper uniform is part of the solution with 83 per cent of teachers preferring their class to wear it. A uniform that is specific to a school creates a sense of belonging, looks smart and makes the child feel ready to work hard.” (I wouldn't disagree with this)

Apparently other parents agree too. Last year, in another survey by YouGov for the Schoolwear Association, more than 90 per cent of parents said school uniform was good for maintaining discipline with 78 per cent saying it encouraged better behaviour.

The latest survey builds on previous studies showing that badged school uniform significantly reduces concerns about absenteeism, vandalism, bullying and other behaviour problems in and out of school. Two thirds of teachers told pollsters they found themselves telling off boys more than girls. All five of the naughtiest names are boys while four out of five of the names in the well-behaved list are girls. (should I be thankful that I have girls at this point??)

 Worst behaved

• Jack
• William
• James
• Josh
•  Kyle

Best behaved

• Sarah
• Lucy
• Hannah
• Harry
• Jessica

So if you have a Jack or a William is he naughty just because of his name? Is he naughty at all?

I think the findings of an actual survey are quite interesting (and are certainly more researched than the aforementioned Ms Hopkins), however I question why we are so keen to categorise children and objects in the press? You would think they had appropriate media planning?

Why are boys always given blue and girls pink?

Why is Skoda still seen as the butt of most jokes, when its engineering is far superior to most?

Who would have thought a gentleman named Barack would be President of the United States?

Do YOU judge someone / something based solely on their name?

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For as long as I can remember, I have read stories with my girls, (I am not sure whether this is linked to my eldest being the biggest story teller around) but reading is a big part of our every day routine. My youngest daughter is at the stage of loving stories that rhyme while my eldest loves stories that she can read by herself. So when we were introduced to the Reading Eggs Great Literacy Challenge, we were a little intrigued as to what it was all about.

We found that your child can join thousands of children across the UK taking part in the Reading Eggs Great Literacy Challenge – which is a nationwide effort to inspire children to read! This FREE event will give your child 5 weeks FREE access to Reading Eggs – the online reading programme that teaches children aged 3-13 the literacy skills needed for lifetime reading success.

We have supported Tommy's and raised money through the Water Babies splashathon, so are thrilled to be able to continue this support through Reading Eggs.

We also love that there are games, songs, golden eggs and other rewards which, along with feeling proud of their reading, can motivate children to keep exploring and learning. We were also interested to find that over 90% of parents found a noticeable improvement in their childrens reading after using Reading Eggs. So we are delighted to be able to share a FREE trial for Lilypad readers!

Click here to sign up for your free trial and see for yourself how your child’s reading improves by using Reading Eggs!

Happy Reading!!

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Today I did something that is usually reserved for Nanny and my youngest daughter.

Today I went to a Water Babies swimming lesson.

Today I got very wet!

Mum is on holiday and although the swimming lessons are their "thing", I didn't want the little one to miss out on her lessons, so I donned my swimming costume and took the plunge.

We were one of the first ones there so had the pool to ourselves and the little fish was keen to show me how she puts her face in the water and kick kick kicks. I loved how interactive the class was and I knew some of the things that we were doing as they get repeated over and over again in our bath tub. I wasn't however prepared for Lindsey, our swimming teacher getting the little one to wash my face and wash my hair before we got started. Thankfully I wasn't going for the glamorous yummy mummy look!

Mom had said only a few weeks ago how the little one was refusing to put her face in the water but this week she was happily blowing bubbles and swimming under water. Yes, actually swimming under the water. I was astounded.

She didn't like lying on her back with a plastic duck on her tummy, she much preferred to throw the duck across the water, much to her amusement but her favourite thing is launching herself into the water. Firstly, she literally ran off a huge float and jumped into the water but again, I was astounded at her diving into the water from a sitting position on the side. I have seen her pretend to dive in the bath at home but seeing her dive into the water with no fear is a true testament to the Water Babies process.

I am now even more envious of their weekly swimming lessons and am so pleased that I could take her today, despite being a little nervous that she would be upset that Nanny wasn't taking her. But in the end, just like the little one, sometimes you just have to dive in.