Enjoying the Autumn with your kids

I got this idea for this blog because lastnight and today when we, my son and mum, spent time looking for conkers and picking them up for the Autumn and it is a great thing to do with your kids. Now I know many may say it doesn’t stop spiders coming in, but in my experience it has and was a tip my Aunty gave me.

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Autumn is a great time to have fun with your kids and you can still have fun, and that is going on walks and playing in the autumn leaves. Teaching kids about harvesting and picking fruit and vegetables that have grown, in the garden, and collecting leaves for arts and crafts.

Have a sleepover and camp out with hot chocolates and the other day we with our son had a picky bits night with Pizza, Chicken goujons and carrots sticks and dip and why not make some nachos if you kids like them, with sour cream, Guacamole and chilli if they eat that and be in some comfy matching pyjamas, and just relax and get cosy.

Have your kids cooking and teach them how to make a casserole for example and do a menu that they can choose what they’d like now the weather is changing and set a budget, for them and choose a autumnal food to eat. I love meals like pie and mash potato, with green vegetables and as a dessert, like apple crumble with custard.

Play board games or a card game.

As a kid I loved card games and games like Pictionary, where you have to draw or describe for your team to guess what it is, and give us a clue and often when spending time with family they will play Shut the box. I love playing games like drafts and Chess, connect 4 and even a computer games night.

Do a Autumn shop and have your kids finding decor and decorate their room and why, again can do arts and crafts for that and help decorate the home.

It is a great time to declutter to and have your kids change their wardrobe from summer to autumn, or revamp their wardrobe where they have clothes to wear all year round, I have a fashion blog for Women talking about Versatile Fashion and at the moment I am doing an Autumn reset, please check out my blog site: https://everyonecanbuildacastle.com In this I am completely tasks like sorting out my bedroom and a great season to do it.

I plan my year by following the academic year, so from August to July, but doesn’t mean you have to, but is a great time to complete tasks and get your kids involved to make it fun, and put a movie on or some of their favourite music and have a good sort out of what tasks need to get done and preparing for the colder season, with your kids and then reward them and yourself by going to the cinema and why not if you have a garden camp out in blankets and read ghost stories or play games.

I know it gets dark early, but you can still get so much more out of the days in Autumn and not hop on the underground if you can, in London or if you drive go to a National Trust park and park in London and see the sights. I love the Southbank and good for a stroll along the river and Battersea has been built up, with Battersea Power station having shops in side and there are buses you can get there, and soon the Christmas lights will be on, and planning for the next half term.

So I hope that you like these types of blogs and if you’d like to be kept up to date then subscribe and you will be alerted everytime time I publish a blog on this site.

I have written a book called Mum&Me for parents to have a good fun read. It is fiction but will make you laugh out loud. It is available on amazon, so go and check it out now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mum-Me-Gucci-Tits-Virtue/dp/B0BGNF4LNF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ZS3FRRZB5YHR&keywords=Mum%26Me+by+Carrie+Holmes&qid=1695633136&sprefix=mum%26me+by+carrie+holmes%2Caps%2C363&sr=8-1

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Visiting Public Places with your kids

It can be tricky waiting for a bus and your child gets bored waiting, or they want to sit in specific seat on the bus, and seen parents fight with their kids on the bus like me and it when someone helps it can be like “We need more people like you” but you can also get those who can see that you are trying your best to keep your child entertained and not kick off, but give you dirty looks and at the moment I want to say “I want compassion not a dirty look, and help”, but you are always gonna get people like that, so what do you do?

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At first it can be overwhelming and you just want the ground to swallow you up, when our kids kick off, so for me I will stop and crouch down and make sure he is looking at me and I will give him an ultimatum and that is not threatening in anyway but just explain if they get on the bus and show you how to behave when in public, he will be rewarded when my son does something good, and this can be watching a film they like and use their tablet or play football.

My son this weekend nearly knocked a woman in the street on his scooter so I took it from him and apologised to the lady and if he wants his scooter then he needs to learn about respect and that pavements and parks are for all, not just for my son to ride on his scooter, and look where he is going.

You do have to be tough with children at times for them to learn what is the correct way to behave, all of the time especially when it comes to visiting public places and not to run around shops and give them responsibilities. Like carrying the basket, finding items and pay.

Before you go out explain to them how you want them to behave and be in charge of looking after another child with you, or find where we have to go. I want my son to have good manners and practice common courtesy.

Kids do have the right to say they are not happy, and their needs are met, but not to take life for granted and be thankful, and if they want to go on trips then they need to learn what is acceptable behaviour and what is not.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Under estimating parenting, it is joy but also a job

I know I chose to have my son and wanting children so we shouldn’t be complaining, but it is tough. Yes it is a joy, and love the time I share playing and keeping my son occupied, but when your child refuses to get dressed and running from you, boy oh boy can it be like, we have no where to turn, and you end up wanting to suck your thumb and dive on the floor too.

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I love my son and our time together playing rugby whilst putting his dinner on is joyous, and I am always the one who has to crouch down on the floor pretending to be doing a scrum, if you are not sure that that is it when you put arm around each other and have to push the ball along with the players by using body strength, and the floor boards in the living room and playground really hurt my knees.

I know we shouldn’t be playing rugby indoors but would do it in the garden but my son has the tendency in kicking the ball over into a neighbours garden and be covered in muck and needs tidying up , but we basically do running and tackling and most of the time I let him get a try, to have a bit of a rest. I think it was a real game we would both be in the sin bin, because we both bend the rules. I often will run in the corridor to the kitchen back, into the living room to try and get a try, or in the playground I will wait until he is distracted by a train going passed and he won’t start the game unless when he kicks the ball I catch it.

It is good to make time to play and my son bosses me about and will physically take me to the part of the pitch of where he wants me to stand to try and tackle him. Yet when it is time to finish he can kick off so I have to warn him of when we will finish, and at the moment getting him to get ready for school becoming a hard task.

This morning he was dancing which was great but not concentrating in eating his breakfast and was reluctant to get dressed and wouldn’t give up his tablet until it is time for him to be taken to school.

You have to limit the amount of screen time and we do, but when it comes to getting ready it can help them to concentrate on something, and not worry about what they’re doing and just gives us a break, which as a parent we don’t always get.

When I want to do some computer work it has to be often when he is being looked after by my mum and step dad, but then he will come up to come back downstairs so has to be when he is at school or in the holidays, be at a holiday club and wants my full attention.

It does help me in that I will monitor my own time I spend on devices like my phone and has helped me to be more present but when it comes to managing my life I use my phone to remind myself of things, like making sure I top up money on my Oyster card for travelling in the week, taking my bits I need for the week and get ready for the weekends and so I do need that time.

Never under estimate parenting because it is a job aswell as a joy and shouldn’t be forgotten and as a parenting, we do our best and we need to regenerate for the world to continue on, and feel good in what our bodies can do, in order to have kids, because it is a life changing event and changes you forever.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Kids and hot days

Hello and welcome to another blog. What an Autumn so far. It is the first week of the new season and it is warm here in the UK, and means being practical when your kids are off to school or nursery or if you have babies then keep them safe.

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If they are off to school and they are allowed to wear a school summer dress or shorts for girls and boys, then put these on. Try dressing them in light colours, and avoid black if you can. My son has to wear black tracksuit bottoms and a while Polo Shirt, and when it comes home he will change into something lighter, like shorts and a cool cotton t-shirt.

If they get too hot then if they can take their clothes off into something cooler then do so and in the shade hydrating with water and use a cold towel on their forehead. In hot days do a cooling bath, wash or shower and light bed clothes for when it is hot in the evenings too.

Remember sun cream and make sure you pack some sun cream in their bags, and if they get bitten then make sure you have a insect repellent that is safe for them to use and keep a eye on it, as if the bite gets bigger get medical support, as they can get infected and cause blood poisoning and swelling. I got bitten on my foot and because I picked it, sorry for the TMI, but it swelled up really badly and had to take antibiotics.

If they pick up a Tick, then, they don’t pull it out if you not experienced and take them to the doctors or the hospital for them to remove it. Some children can be allergic to bites and stings, and so make sure they have their EpiPen and know how to use it and that it is in date to be used.

If they wear a hat then make sure this in in their bag, but my son doesn’t like hats and is impossible so I just make sure he keeps cool and has cold water and nothing that can causes dehydration.

So yes it is the beginning of the school year and so more blogs to come.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X