Learning and Understanding your kids

Life as a parent comes with learning things you never thought you would, like learning how to get fit whilst looking after your kids. This is playing football and rugby and dancing. It is all about making time for fun with an element of education as it good that Henry learns about taking turns and making their bones stronger.

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I get that Henry doesn’t want to do any homework after having a week of learning all week, so we do little bits so he doesn’t get overwhelmed, and if he does it we then is rewarded by playing some more. It is finding a good balance between doing some time outdoors or if it rains play indoors, and then school work.

Understanding our kids helps with having a better communication and today when Henry came home from school he was upset, so instead of saying “Don’t be silly” which I catch myself saying a lot, we had a cuddle and chatted about what is was upset about, and then we played some rugby, then watched a bit of TV and all was good again. Kids just want reassurance at times that there is a logical reason, and it was that his bestfriend wasn’t in the taxi today and he didn’t kick off or lash out, because we had a good “Mother and son chat”.

Often we can get stuck on situations, like Henry really wants to have his new friend sing Justin’s house theme tune, and he really couldn’t get the grips with why he couldn’t, and makes me understand that he needs to have friend he can have a playdate with, but of course speaking to his friend’s parents, but because Henry travels to school by taxi each day we don’t get to see them and so had to explain to my son that he has his own house, but perhaps write a note to Jason and ask if he’d like to join Henry one day and perhaps we could do something so his friend can help celebrate his birthday that is coming up.

There are ways around things and it is a lot of trial and error.

When it comes to understanding our kids, it can be hard to workout how to solve the issues your children are having and supporting their worries and when we can’t get to grips with what they want it can be frustrating for both parties.

There is away, and that is to sit and have a chat with your kids to work around it and remember they are in the room, and often when talking as parents we forget they are there and so important for them the be involved and “Where there is a will, there is a way”.

I do write books on being a parent on amazon in Kindle and paperback on Amazon, under my names, Carrie Challoner, Carrie Lee Holmes and Carrie Holmes, so please check them out.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Typical London Gal

Talking to Your Kids about the Monarchy

First of all, thank you so much for following me, you mean the world to me and so happy you are liking my blogs.

Today the Queen is at rest at Westminster Hall in London, where I am from and would be there but I am on a course this week so couldn’t but we took, my mum and step dad, took my son up to London to Buckingham Palace last Sunday to pay our respects, and feel so good by doing so.

I am a Royalist and have been since a kid, but like many went against them for the while, the Royal Family because of Princess Diana. Then later on having to digest this have been able to forgive and forget.

So talking to your kids about the monarchy is important to me, because they are head of state and are here to support us in our country and play important part in the world, not just in Britain, and do so much for different communities, like raising awareness of mental health, which a subject very close to my heart, Princes trust helping young people have a better future if they have had a difficult upbringing and need specialised support. Then there is he Duke of Edinburgh award which is for young people to help to learning to be resilient and development of young people, going on trips and doing many life skills, that helps support their future.

I understand that this also about choice, and is up to you to believe in the Monarchy or not. Everyone has their own views and both I believe should be respected.

However I want my son to know about the Monarchy and I have been following all of the events taken place, and want my son to learn about it. If he chooses that he is not a Royalist that I would respect, but will still teach him about the Royal Family and the part they play for us being British and the world.

RIP Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and long live the King.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie Challoner

Typical London Gal

Wife, Mum and Monarch

Yes, she has gone, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has passed away and it is slowly sinking in, and for me I want to see it as, “She’s putting her feet up at last” as she worked up until yesterday, when she died.

She was a doting wife, a mum and monarch, and I wonder how many sleepless nights she must have had, having four children and if she when she gave birth needed gas and air. She was still human after all and often i feel because she was head of state, it is hard to imagine, but she was.

She was a daughter herself and a sister and loved her sibling and worked together and wonder if they ever argued playing monopoly like me and my brother and who would get to be the banker, or connect 4. Or played card games as a family eating a meal together talking about the day’s events and she was strong in that she connected to the nation during the war and thought nothing of, but as her duty being a royal with her sister to give comfort to others and never worried how it would effect them.

There were tragedies, having a fire at Windsor Castle and divorces, but still did so much for others, travelling the world and enjoying the arts and meeting so many Prime Ministers and other heads of states, like Presidents of the United States and doing her job supporting the Commonwealth.

With all that though, she still had children to take care of and yes she may have had nannies, but she still was hands on and training them to be the next monarchs of the country and do good. She had to look presentable and she always dressed for the occasion and made the effort, and I do find that inspiring because I bet there were days she may have wanted to stay in bed, but was a Queen who and mum and wife, her duty and the forget she worked being 96 shows how important her role was to her.

RIP your Majesty and God Save the King.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Typical London Girl

Birthday Ideas for kids

Hello we are in September and for me is the time I have to plan for some birthdays coming up and so need to be very sensible about where my money is going. I am in no way blaming the birthdays effecting my spending on myself as I like planning what to buy for the birthdays coming up, its just I have to really get to grips of making sure I save for the birthdays coming up. On Sunday it is my nieces birthday and because she is older than her sisters and is a teenager now, I buy going on the age of each child, and get to grips with their current loves.

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The price of a present should never be the factor, it is what the present means that is important. Get your kids involved and see what they’d like to give to that other child, and have them fill in the birthday cards, and if you have craft paper and tools, why not make a card, or gift.

Why not make paper flowers and The Works has materials for crafting and often used them to invest in crafting and so we will be making Christmas cards with Henry, and have him make some gifts, like photo book of images that you have saved, or give a DIY gift like craft tools as a present.

If they like books you can give a book token so they can choose the books from the store, or if they have a tablet why not buy them a Kindle Book as you can download the app and they use it take advantage. You can get books for free via Amazon Kindle.

Make a collage of you kids and write to a kids TV show where they show a child’s birthday, they say that everyone always have 5 minutes of fame, so why not if they love CBeebies for example you can send in birthday cards and will really put a smile on your kids faces, as that is the aim and will always have that to remember.

Get tickets to go and see a local football team. On my sons first birthday I saved and took him to a football match and even though it was raining we still had a good time. If you go to see a lower league team, often kids go free and pay on the day of the match. I know I may have mentioned this before in a previous blog, but is one of my favourite ideas, because it helps support the smaller clubs, or to a rugby match any sport is really good fun go to. This Sunday I am taking my son to watch a local rugby league game and he loved it last time.

Then there are local parks, and the gardens I have close to where I live, South park Gardens, and often there are kid birthdays, and as the days are still humid can still do and then there are places like Bocketts Farm and they host kids birthday’s as my youngest niece had her birthday there. Check out my Day in a life videos on Youtube as I have done a video showing me and my son at Bocketts Farm: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUDFIqjVKLy7NhtcR6Hy0Tg

It is my birthday in September and so if you do too you can still have a birthday party and make it a family occasion.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Typical London Gal