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It is no secret that we are a fan of Water Babies swimming classes but it has been reported in the Daily Mail today that Water babies 'have better balance and grasping skills' than non-swimmers. You can read the article here. 

It sounds like a sweeping statement but it is based on a university study that found baby swimmers balance better and grasped objects more easily than non-swimmers. I think we are all guilty of secretly thinking (or hoping) that our child maybe a little more advanced or brighter than others their age but giving them life skills that help other elements of their development is even more reason to love baby swimming in my view.

My Nan comments on my youngest daughter saying "she has been here before" as she is so quick to pick up new words and actions but maybe it is simply having weekly swimming lessons that is helping to improve her development and co-ordination. So if you are getting your ducks in a row (we have a co-ordinated little one that can help), and are planning activities for you and your baby, baby swimming has to be high on the list. 

 

There will unquestionably be those that doubt the research and those that dismiss the benefits of baby swimming but I can only go on our own experience and with the little one smiling every time she goes in the pool, her happiness is undeniable .... balance and co-ordination is a bonus!!

 

Image courtesy of artur84 on Freedgitialphotos.net

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Does the thought of a family day out fill you with excitement or dread? I love planning activities for the family and usually the most stressful part of it is actually getting out of the front door with the right number of children, car games, phones, bags, nappies, wipes, snacks .... you name it, if I haven't got it, the children want it!

As parents, finding the perfect day out that suits everyone is sometimes no mean feat, especially if like our family you have varying ages with the children, so what suits one child may not be suitable for another. We love a picnic in the park (weather permitting of course) and we can take activities that are age appropriate for everyone .... including the grown ups! Bike rides, a game of rounders, frisbee and football are fabulous entertainment for all the family but I have to admit that we are all slight adrenalin junkies in our house, so are huge fans of theme parks. Now I have to say that after an incident, circa 1991, I shall never ever set foot on a waltzer or any other ride that spins round but I love the thrill of a roller coaster. My girls take a little bit of convincing but the cost of a day out at a theme park can be expensive for a family of four ... or more!

So as ever, I am always on the hunt for a good deal or a bargain, it is a running joke with my family that I never want to pay full price for anything. It isn't because I begrudge paying it but if I can save money on that, it means more money to spend on other things *insert shoes here*. Regular readers will know that I am a fan of the MyFamilyClub website and its money savings tips for parents and I found some great ideas for saving money on tickets for Thorpe Park and Legoland.

My only fear of theme parks is the vast size of them, in comparison to my tiny children, so when I went to BritmumsLive last weekend, I was super impressed to receive a sample of a Kattoo in my goody bag. They are a fabulous little invention for children who are old enough to walk (and walk off) but not old enough to remember their parents phone number. So you can pop a Kattoo (a temporary tattoo) on their arms, write your phone number with the special pen and voila!

So I am now armed with excitement, great discounts for entry and kattoo's (just incase) .... I just need to convince the children now!

Photo credit to foto76 from Freedigitalphoto

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I jokingly spent a large part of last weekend telling everyone that I wasn't a "real" blogger, that I kind of fell into blogging by accident. When the Lilypad first started, I was told by an SEO expert that I needed to write a blog as Google would like the fresh content and it would help my SEO but what I didn't realise was that it would also help the frustrated writer inside me and give me a forum to diarise part of my children's memories.

So going to BritmumsLive was a massive step outside of my comfort zone (let alone actually wearing a top that wasn't black ... my mother was so proud), so I took a deep breath and some of those imaginary brave pills and I got on the train to London. I am not sure really what I expected about the conference, I was looking forward to learning some new skills, meeting new people and finding some reassurance about whether I was doing it "right".

I put my best (heeled) foot forward and actually found that I didn't need to be brave. There were a collection of amazing women, without agenda or hierachy, that were willing to say hello, have a chat and in some cases, envelope me in a bear hug. (Emma this is you - but you probably knew that already).

I could relive the seminars I attended, or the brands that I met and chatted with but for me, BritmumsLive was about the people. The real, honest, open and friendly people that squealed when they realised that I wasn't actually a frog (like my twitter avatar) and those that wanted to share a cheeky vino or two with me till after midnight (yes Laura and Rebecca, that is you).

There were absolutely things I learnt about other people such as, I never knew that one person could be so enthused about Mooncups (go and google it, I dare you) and Pink Oddy is an amazing ambassador for them! I didn't realise how openly emotional and supportive a room full of people can be about a strangers story (Katie Piper is a true inspiration) and I still cannot comprehend why Soda Stream have never thought to put gin in a Cherry drink before! (Alice you should definately try and patent this!)

So at the end of the weekend, when my high heeled feet could simply walk no more, I asked myself the question as to whether I am a fraud. I write about the things that matter to me, whether that is one of my daughters achievements, a charity campaign or simply my love of shopping and shoes. If being honest, being part of a community and enjoying writing makes me a fraudulent blogger then I hold my hands up. I tell my girls every day that they can be whatever they want to be and a weekend fuelled by inspirational women has made sure that I remember that too!

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I love the internet. There I said it. There is no doubting the internet has opened up a whole new world to an enormous number of people (including my Nan), made communicating with friends and strangers far easier and simplifying the exchange of information. When Virgin Media asked us to look at how our family uses the internet, we had to agree that there is no denying the advantages of easy internet access, there are also a number of associated dangers, particularly for increasingly computer literate young children, especially my two daughters.

My eldest daughter loves to Face time her friends and the speed that my youngest daughter can swipe through the icons on the screen is alarming but it is important not to become too worried about the dangers of the internet, although safety should never be overlooked. With this in mind, we decided to take a look at the different ways in which you can help make sure your child remains safe while making full use of the internet. 

The first and probably most important safety measure to take with children is to talk about the internet with them and set boundaries of use. Though this may difficult with very young children but it is important that you begin to have conversations with your child about internet usage and what they should, and shouldn’t, be doing.

It is also important to remember that children will often take a lead from their parents, so make sure you don’t break your own rules in front of them or that there’s unsuitable material on the system.

While such preventative measures are important, it is also a good idea to have practical, software-based safeguards in use as well. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) including Virgin Media will utilise features that allow parents to block certain pages or types of content and it’s important that you make the most of these. Blocking pages should prevent your children from viewing any dangerous or inappropriate websites. 

It is worth reading up on what you can control as a parent and a good resource for Virgin Media’s services, including their parental control facilities, you can go straight to their website.

Sometimes, children can be at risk from anonymous users elsewhere in the world. Children should understand that they are never to give out personal information online or contact or reply to strangers. This is a worry for me with my nieces, godchildren and as they get older, my own daughters too and they are constantly reminded not to talk to strangers on or offline!

With Facebook, Twitter apps and instant messaging available on our phones and on the move, it can be difficult to keep an eye on what is going on but talking to your children and being “in the know” can keep you one step ahead in protecting your children electronically, emotionally and practically.

Photo courtesy of Clairee Bloomfield through http://www.freedigitalphotos.net Disclaimer: We have received compensation for this post, however we never knowingly provide any recommendations or links that we haven't used personally and would naturally recommend.