Spending the weekend with your kids

I love the weekends spending time with my son because we have such fun and plan each weekend like we did whilst in the park on Sunday of what he would like to do, and so I took note and discussed about doing those things next weekend.

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It is so good to do different things and this weekend, my son after he went to his Swimming lesson, did some painting of some wooden houses I bought from The Works and then on Sunday Henry went to the park on his scooter whilst I walked and got some steps in, and next week I am taking him on a train, Saturday will be spent going to a coffee shop, because he was asking if we can go to one again, and so said we’d do that on Saturday and go and watch the trains, and use his vouchers he received for his birthday.

The weekend for me is doing things that you wouldn’t do in the week like going to the park or watching the trains or playing football or rugby. We often go the local park where there is a pond and buy some duck feed in the cafe in there, where I take him on occasions to have lunch and feed the ducks.

Fresh air does wonders to your wellbeing for you and your kids. having a craft afternoon, and making the weekend full of fun even if it playing with a cardboard box, you can still make it fun, painting and help use their imagination, like building a fort. Henry was pretending to be a Police officer and arresting me, and was using the downstairs bathroom as a jail. It is good for their imaginations to do pretend play and helps take them away from their devices, as my son could spend ages watching his tablet which is not good all of the time.

The weekends is great for having a nice meal together that they don’t always get to do in the week as they are tired and just want to chill, and even if you don’t get a chance to have a meal together in the week, the weekends are the best times. As a kid we would always have a meal together, and I love a Sunday roast, such a meal that is fulfilling and often on a Sunday I would cook a casserole or a stew using the slow cooker and your kids help you is a great way tho encourage them to eat their vegetables if they don’t eat a huge amount in the week.

As a kid we would often go to my Nans at the weekends and seeing other families and all go for a meal, and in the summer time we’d go somewhere by the river where we wouldn’t always get to do especially in the week, and often my dad would take us near the river to ride our bikes and as a kid not many shops were open unlike now so you’d make the weekends different to the week and so I love the weekend and love not having to set an alarm, and watching some weekend TV that I don’t always do in the week and watch a film and making the most of this time together, so my son can have good memories of the weekends aswell.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Typicallondongal

Kids and Social skills

Today it was my sons annual review that he has each year at his current school about his learning and one is social skills, and that is what inspired me now as I was in bed and so had to get up and write it.

Kids need to learn to socialise and have interaction with other children and adults. My son has ADHD and is on the Autism Spectrum in Social Communication, but he is a social boy. He will often when we are in the park want to play with other kids, but it is teaching about asking first, introducing himself and not invading another person’s space and taking turns, that for me is key and a starting point of helping with Socialising.

He does get upset about winning and sharing, and has lashed out, because of that, and it is hard not to get cross, because of it upsetting that child and the implication it has when playing with other kids and being fair. And he has begun now to when he gets upset, says “We have to make it fair” and so I say “That’s right” and so is slowly understanding.

Never avoid social interaction, because the more they do it the more they get used to it and learn to play without getting upset and frustrated. The more they interact the more they will make friends and build good relationships, and set an example too, by socialising and being kind and friendly and I will chat with a stranger at a bus stop and I haven’t always been a good friend, but I have learned from that, because I don’t want my son to be isolated, and have friends and socialise, respecting other children and adults boundaries.

Creating a good atmosphere where people are happy and smiling and laughing, makes a difference and when he does get upset about somebody else using his stuff, like he got upset because of his cousin was using his scooter at the weekend, I sat him down to explain, and then he was fine and it is good to offer your toys to other children, it is all part of learning good people skills.

Arrange playdates and remind them on what you can do and what they are not allowed to do, and install be kind and if a child minds your child hugging them. to respect that and just say hello and shake hands or high five instead.

It is all part of learning and helping their development, and if they see you talk and chat with someone the more they will do the same, in a friendly manner. It is all about forming good socialising habits and prepping them for when they get older, and installing common courtesy and the one thing he does do, is cheer on other children, when playing sports and when he goes swimming.

Once they start to understand the way of the world, other skills and learning how to be with other people, will come but reminding them and showing makes a huge difference.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Typical London Gal

Life Skills For Kids

It is important as a parent that I have my son learn Life Skills to help build my son’s independence and become a person in his own right. I do find I talk for him and so I have to remind myself that it’s Henry who needs to speak, not me and so making conversation is a life skill that my son needs to do for himself and have him use his voice and not mine.

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Learning how to dress themselves can be tricky because they get used to you, the parent do it and not them, so now I will lay out his clothes, but he puts them on. He is not always happy about it, but he has to do it and so I will give him extra time to do this, so there is no rushing. My son gets easily distracted by what is going around him and so I will turn down the TV and make him turn off his tablet, until he is dressed and ready for the day. It is important for me and his dad do this, and be consistent with it.

If they want to do things for themselves then let them and step away, but still supervising with some distance, if it is something like cooking and making sure that your child has buckled up his seat belt if you drive, or crossing a road. The way to do this, is by going through it step by step, as they become more aware of what they are doing.

Being street wise especially living in a city in essential as it is important that our kids, to stop accidents happening, know about road safety and when to cross a road and when not.

Teaching kids to swim is good to help with the fear of water. Henry at one point wouldn’t sit down in a bath and would stand the whole time, but then one day he sat down and so what ever was affecting his confidence with a bath, he on his own, overcame it.

Give kids time and they will learn skills by themselves and if you make it fun, it can really help conquer their fears.

So swimming can help with that and Henry loves Swimming and has begun lessons at school and has lessons on Saturday’s too, and has no fear what so ever, and he even loves showers and has one once a week aswell as a bath when he is with his dad.

It is all about their growth and understanding and knowing when to step in and went not.

The more independent they are the more they won’t be reliant on mum and dad helping, and if they find something difficult then make sure you work together as parents to support them and practice different skills taking it step by step.

They are going to need to cook and run their own baths and showers and washing up and washing their clothes, and cook, so if you keep teaching these skills whilst they are still kids the more they will be knowledgeable when they get older and can be fully independent.

Let’s help each other and thank you to you for following me, if you do and liking blogs it really is mind blowing and so if you want to keep updated on my blogs then you can by following me.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Typical London Gal

Setting a Routine with your kids Now they are going back to school

First of all I hope you all had a good Christmas and a Happy New year. I have a new book out on amazon, called Mum&Me and is in my name, Carrie Holmes and is available on Kindle and paperback.

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So setting a routine with your kids. First lets all make sure your children are prepared and ready and looking forward to going back to school by talking about it and what they are looking forward to.

• Have them write i down what they did during the holidays so they can show their teacher and their friends.

I like to create a photobook for Henry to show and you can do this via google photos and not expensive at all.

• Have a uniform station

So where they eat their breakfast and so once they finished they can then begin to get dressed.

• Put what they are wearing laid out, along with their school bags that is near the front door ready to pack and for when you need to leave to get your child to school or is picked up.

With my son it his dad that gets him ready for school now, but he still does a routine and his dad has Henry do a bit of reading to help prepare Henry and Henry loves school and thankfully doesn’t get upset with going.

I remember when I would take him to school, there was a young girl crying her heart out as she didn’t want to go in and it can be so distressing and so do feel blessed that Henry is not like that. Kids can fear school, so to help,

it so prepping them before hand can help and having a routine, even if it is listening to a song, if it helps them then use it.

• Do some dancing,

I have done this with Henry before school and when he comes home and it helps him to unwind and it is mainly spinning around, but it is such fun and you want to get to your kids endorphins and bring a smile to their face.

• As soon as the come home go through their bag and take anything out and if they can do this themselves then have them clear their bags out themselves.

Have them put anything out from their bags that needs washing into the laundry basket or in the washing machine and find out what they did during their first day back a school.

This is can be hard because Henry doesn’t always say, so the school teacher will write a note in his book to tell us but what I did yesterday, that I am going to continue to do is have him write something about the day, even if it is one or two sentences and a bit of reading.

So, I hope that the first week back goes well and help get us back to the school routine.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Typical London Gal