Category: Views & Ramblings

1. Preparing your child for KS2 SATs

   Posted on 10:02pm Monday 2nd May 2016

   The KS2 SATs are coming up, and for 10 and 11 year olds it can be quite a stressful time! It’s a worry amongst parents and guardians at the moment. My Facebook feed is currently filled with people talking about the ‘Let Our Kids Be Kids’ campaign that is urging parents to boycott the upcoming SATs for primary school children in Year 2 with over 30,000 signatures on a petition.

   For the children preparing to take their KS2 SATs exams, they’re also facing the big change from junior school to secondary school. This means a whole new environment, and perhaps saying goodbye to close friends which is understandably difficult. During this time of emotional upheaval (although hopefully the prospect of a fun summer holiday break will help!) the are constantly and subconsciously reminded that they must also concentrate on their tests. Whilst the exams can be seen as stressful they are apparently designed to be beneficial in preparing them for future testing. (Who knew?!)

   I know that there are many that are completely against this testing but they are happening regardless of our parental objections, so I have made a plan to prepare my daughter the best way I can, so here are a few ways to help prepare your children for the KS2 SATs, making sure they remain happy, relaxed and confident.

   

   Talk to your child about them

   Keep your tone cheery and upbeat, after all the Year Six SATs aren’t the be all and end all of your child’s life! Encourage them to do their best, but let them know that they are nothing to worry about. Try to keep life flowing along as normal, so not to make the SATs seem like a scary, looming monster.

   Don’t put too much pressure on extra revision

   The school will be preparing your child for the tests, but they may have extra work or be invited to attend extra preparation sessions. Whilst these can be a good idea, try not to push them too much. Perhaps create fun games that help your children learn in order to make it seem less like ‘extra work’.

   Speak to the teacher

   If you want to know exactly what work your children are undertaking during school time to prepare for the SATs, just ask! This way you can have a clear understanding of what your child is currently going through, which can help you plan how best to support them.
   
   Plan something fun as a reward
   
   Giving your child something to look forward to after their exams can help them to stay motivated and positive. It also reinforces the idea that they only need to try their best, and they will be rewarded just for their effort. Maybe a trip out with friends to the cinema or even something as simple as a takeaway for dinner!
   
   Remember that they can be a good thing
   
   The SATs are a great way to show your children that hard work can pay off. Some children can even enjoy taking the tests! As long as your kids don’t feel an overwhelming amount of pressure from home or their school, they can be a positive experience.

    

   This year, our children are being measured against higher standards and despite parents objections and petitioning, they will still go ahead. It is amusing that in the the Governments reply to a teachers' petition about exams they got their grammar wrong! So let's be really honest, if they find it difficult to follow their own guidelines what chance do the pupils who are supposed to be learning them have?

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2. Asthma linked to an increased time to pregnancy

   Posted on 9:47am Friday 12th Feb 2016

   We regularly talk about the affects of childhood asthma but I didn't know that asthma has been associated with a prolonged time to pregnancy and a decreased birth rate. 

   A new clinical observation study published today (12 February, 2016) in the European Respiratory Journal adds to previous studies that have identified a link between asthma and fertility. The evidence so far has been conflicting and many of the studies have either relied on data from questionnaires or small sample sizes. The current study investigated 245 women with unexplained fertility problems aged between 23 and 45 years. They underwent asthma and allergy testing and questionnaires during their fertility treatment. 96 women in the study had either an existing doctor’s diagnosis of asthma or were diagnosed with asthma when they entered the study. That is a whopping 39% of women, which is a huge number. 

    

   The researchers monitored the women during their fertility treatment for a minimum of 12 months, until they had a successful pregnancy, stopped treatment or the observation ended. The results found that the median total time to pregnancy was 32.2 months in non-asthmatic women and 55.6 months in those with asthma. Women with asthma also had fewer successful conceptions: 39.6% achieved pregnancy in the asthmatic women compared with 60.4% in the women without asthma. The results also found this trend was more apparent as the women got older. 

   Lead author Dr Elisabeth Juul Gade, commented: “This finding in a clinical trial setting adds new weight to the epidemiological evidence suggesting a link between asthma and fertility. We have seen here that asthma seems to have a negative influence on fertility as it increases time to pregnancy and even more so with age. 

   “We do not yet know the causal relationship; it may be complex with different types of asthma, psychological well-being, asthma medication and hormones all play a role.  Given this new evidence, we believe that clinicians should encourage women with asthma to become pregnant at an earlier age and optimise their treatment for asthma pre-conception. Patient education is also of paramount importance as adherence to treatment may be enhanced if patients are informed of this link.”

   Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Policy at Asthma UK, says: “These findings will be frustrating for many women who are trying to conceive as they do not offer any solution, other than planning a family earlier in life which is not a viable option for everyone. There is a wealth of existing research linking asthma and hormones so this adds to our knowledge on the subject but we need much more investment into asthma research to be able to understand exactly how asthma could impact on fertility. If you have asthma and you are trying to conceive then you should have an open discussion with your GP about your health to ensure you are managing your asthma, understand how your medicines work and are taking them correctly. If you have any concerns you can also call our expert nurses on the Asthma UK Helpline on 0300 222 5800.” 

   I loved being pregnant and fortunately have never suffered the torment of struggling with conception but I can only imagine how difficult this must be. On the flip side, I now worry that my youngest daughter will endure these difficulties as she grows older and wants children of her own. I am a huge supporter of Asthma UK and their helpline has been so useful for me and my family, I just hope that they continue to get the support and investment that they need to continue their important work and research.

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3. Playing the School Places Waiting Game

   Posted on 4:02pm Wednesday 3rd Feb 2016

   It could be argued that there are many “most” nerve-wracking times in a parent’s family life, from your child being born, to their first steps, leaving them with someone else and now, waiting to hear about school places for both infant and senior school (I didn't plan that very well did I?)

   

   Aside from having two new lots of uniforms to buy, the stress of actually getting the school place we want hasn’t exactly made us go grey overnight, but it has certainly added to my husband's silver stripes, as my youngest calls them (thanks, princess!) So. Much. Pressure. Will we get our first choice, or even our second or third? Are the horror stories from parents of previous years about massive oversubscription true? Is that red rated school really as bad as Ofsted say and, if so, can we afford private school, because I am quite certain my sanity can’t afford home schooling.

   

   Fed up with the stomach-churning sensation that surely means an ulcer forming, I have come up with a variety of distractions.

   1. Play School Brag Bingo. Score points for every time you hear a nursery parent confidently name drop a governor they know. Score double points if they know a head teacher.
   2. Look into the cost of private education. Sit down. Debate whether avoiding a poor school is worth paying off a re-mortgaged house for the rest of your life.
   3. Investigate the process of home schooling.
   4. Investigate the cost of hiring a tutor to home school.
   5. Give evil looks to every old person you see living in catchment area.
   6. Consider moving.
   7. Write a list of reasons that “bad” school may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise. At least you won’t have to fork out hundreds of pounds for school trips each year.
   8. Eat cake. Not a new distraction, but a good one all the same.
   9. Start running. The endorphins exercise release feel almost as good as the smug satisfaction you get from arriving at the school gates in running shoes that have actually seen some action. And it will help negate the effects of that cake
   10. Try to avoid turning too much to wine for solace. Actually, do what you like - I’m not going to judge (though I bet you a bottle of Prosecco that there will be a parent at the school gates who will. It’s ok, you don’t want your child to play with theirs anyway).

   Keep things in perspective. Your child’s life won’t be over if they don’t get into your first choice of school. Life is all about rolling with the punches. Who knows, your child could turn out to be the next Muhammed Ali.

   Speaking of keeping things in perspective, I love this letter Harmony Hill Primary School sent pupils recently, reminding them that they are worth more than a grade. Whether or not your child is accepted does not come down to how good a parent you are, but factors largely outside your control.

   And in the end, while education IS a serious matter, don't take this blog post too seriously .... well except the bit about cake, I am very serious about that!

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4. How healthy is your family's diet?

   Posted on 10:54am Wednesday 20th Jan 2016

   Last week I read a blog post over at Emmaand3.com about turning resolutions into lifestyle changes, as many of us fail at New Years resolutions by the middle of January. It was interesting to learn about the Change4Life app that Emma talked about which allows you to scan a barcode and it will tell you how many sugar cubes are in the product. We do love a good app in our house, so my daughter was keen to download it and no sooner did she have it on her iPad, did everything start being snapped for sugar content. The results were really surprising!

   My husband is extremely disciplined in his diet and is rarely swayed from his healthy eating lifestyle and I have been trying to improve on this, especially as I am getting older and so I made a resolve to cut down on the amount of sugar intake I have (two sugars in a cup of tea IS particularly naughty). I have been swapping to herbal cleansing teas and fruit squash, to increase my water intake too, so I was therefore HORRIFIED to learn the amount of sugar that is in my favourite cranberry juice ..... I may aswell have eaten a huge chocolate bar on a daily basis since Christmas!! 

   

   Change4Life, is the government's biggest obesity-tackling initiative and this new campaign encourages parents to get ‘Sugar Smart’, following revelations that four to ten year olds consume over 5,500 sugar cubes each year – which is the average weight of a five year old. The campaign will educate both parents and children in avoiding lots of the ‘hidden sugars’ found in foods that are commonly available and enjoyed by children, so that they can make healthier choices as a family.

   My daughter has loved going round the kitchen and checking the sugar content of all our favourite foods, on the plus side there are now foods that she won't eat (and she quotes the sugar content to me confidently) but on the flip side, it has meant that I have had to look at a whole new range of alternative breakfast options!

   The Change4Life Sugar Smart app is a free download and it has really got us thinking as a family about what we are eating every single day. No matter how many times we have tried to tell the 10 year old that she needs a more balanced diet, she hasn't listened so it is amazing to see her reaction to the results on the app. 

   I can't promise that we are going to cut sugar out completely but the app has certainly changed how we think about the food and drink we are consuming! 

   How much sugar do you think is in your favourite food and drink?

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