back to top BEST STARTS FOR KIDS We Can Be Heroes Day Dress Ups and Creative Play Ideas Super heroes: Often all a super hero needs is a cape (Although you need to be aware that anything that ties around the neck can pose a safety hazard.) ​ But tights, swimmers over the top and a logo can make all the difference. It's amazing how old adult clothes can be repurposed (especially the gaudy ones.) ​ Even a few props to highlight their super powers (made out of paper or cardboard) can add a greater level of fun e.g. utility belts or cuffs. ​ Let your child decide what their superpowers will be. If inside it could be being invisible or silent but outside the play is less restrictive as the level of noise matters less. ​ And let your child design their logo which they can paint onto their shirt ​ Some Social Skills Linked to Creative Play turn taking sharing space and resources experimenting with style self-esteem and confidence building social skills: cooperating to play a game enjoyment an opportunity to act in different roles and explore different perspectives an opportunity to make sense of the world exploring fears in a safe environment learning to accept differences Share this page with a friend Regardless of age, dressing up allows for all of us to act in a different role to the one we usually have. ​ Even as adults costume parties provide a great way to break the ice between people who may not know one another. ​ But as children, we loved it. And although there are many ready made costumes available improvisation can also be just as readily accepted by children. ​ Extension Prompts Locate Super Hero Music: It could be the sound track from Superman or Dragonfly Theme e.g.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkj_SDQaW54 Go to the following link for a great range of dramatic classical music suitable for superheroes. Discuss how music adds drama to a super hero show. The children can then choose their own theme music for their character https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF7UDLhZx5w Watch a video on orchestras playing classical music and discuss Go to computer and type in orchestral music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0oyWj2F5WM Discuss the many types of instruments used to create a piece of music suitable for a sound track Watch a super hero movie and discuss Create your own super hero play and use music to add drama ​ ​ For more dress up ideas go to the following link: More Dress Up Ideas To return to Activities For Kids go to the following link: Go Back to Activities Gallery Back to Top Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. It highlights what successful parents do differently to those who struggle. Best Parenting advice.com provides free online resources for busy parents who want the best practical advice on: how to give kids a best start in life, better tips for parenting toddlers, effective child rearing strategies, behaviour management tips, successful goal setting and organizational strategies for successful families, easy family dinner recipes, self-care tips for time-poor parents and free kids learning games. The aim of Best Parenting Advice.com is to provide quality practical parenting tips and advice to best help children and families succeed, using the convenience of a website. ​ This website provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. Best Parenting Advice.com does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or with every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this website to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Similarly users of this website are advised to follow any recommendations for seeking professional advice as all information on this site is generic. Best Parenting Advice.com is an independent website and is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems. Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.

Back to Top SELF CARE FOR PARENTS Stage 1 Time Savers for Healthy Meals This page contains the following information: Why plan a repeating menu? How to work out the amounts of food you will need How do you easily prepare daily healthy meals within minutes of walking through the door? ​ 1. Automate meal preparation where possible: Work out a repeating menu (Repeating fornightly or monthly) ​ Link your shopping list to the menu ​ Work out the amounts required to make meals from your menu ​ 2. Display the menu so whoever gets home first can commence meal preparation ​ Anchor 1 Making Family Life Easy 1 ​ In addition to the health benefits of creating a 'healthy' repeating menu, the changes had significant unexpected roll on effects for our finances. ​ One wet day when soccer plans were cancelled I did some serious planning and turned things around for us. That day I created a fortnightly repeating menu, (which I later expanded to cover a month because it worked so well.) ​ Out of everything I did towards organizing our household, changing how I did meal preparation, achieved the biggest difference. I achieved astounding results over years because I automated as much of it as possible. Do you ever come home late and feel like you're already tired? But you've got to start all over again, in your most important job... as a parent. ​ Over time, I found with organization in place, providing healthy meals on a daily basis, was not only easy, but it became easier than takeaway... Seriously. ​ ​THE VALUE OF CREATING A REPEATING MENU ​ If you're creating a menu of healthy meals, to begin, think about your working week. You may have some working days that are longer, children may have sport after school on specific days, you may have appointments after work or you may have to do grocery shopping. ​ You know your routine better than anyone else and which days meals need to be quick and easy. ​I went through my newly created menu and worked out the quantities of food that I needed for each person. And while this may seem an arduous task, you're already doing it, on at least some scale (if you're preparing healthy meals.) All I did differently was, I did it properly once, instead of over and over again... over years. ​ Then I extended what I did, so I wasted even less time planning. Then I got to spend more time on what I wanted to do. ​ *** ​ When I planned my menu: I put the most challenging days in first. On the days when I knew I'd walk in the door late, I planned for my quickest and easiest meals. If I knew I got home earlier on a particular day of the week that would be the day that I'd put a baked dinner, or a stew that needed longer to cook; although needed little attention once it was on. Or I put a meal in the slow cooker in the morning so it was ready to eat as soon as the accompanying pasta, rice or fresh steamed vegetables were cooked. Menu Planning WORKING OUT AMOUNTS ​ To follow what I did, you'll first need to work out what you want to eat; and how much you need of each item for each meal. These are the amounts I allowed, based on a family of 4 healthy eaters, two of whom were teenage boys who liked to eat meat at meal times. If you want to use this as is you will need to adjust to what is more appropriate to you. Carbohydrate serves: Per person I generally allow: one potato, one eighth of a butternut pumpkin, one quarter of a sweet potato, one quarter of a bag of pasta or ½ cup of uncooked rice person as a serve of carbohydrates. You can determine how many serves of each you will need. Meat serves: For a serve of meat I allowed: 500 grams of minced beef (or a pound) for four people, 2-3 thin sausages per person, 1-2 small BBQ chops per adult person, (1 BBQ chop per child or for some women who eat less,) one and a half forequarter chops per person (for stews and the like,) 1 small leg of lamb for 4 people (I usually buy a large one unless slow cooking it and use it for leftovers), one half of a piece of chuck steak per person, 1-2 lamb shanks per person, etc.] ​ Chicken serves: For a serve of chicken I allowed: 1-2 chicken thigh fillets per person, 4 chicken wings per person, 2-3 drumsticks per person, 2 kebabs per person, etc... I highlighted the items that were non-perishable so I knew which non-perishable items I also had to purchase for the fortnight. I took both children with me and sometimes used two trolleys (as the children got older and ate more food,) especially when I did my big monthly shop for non-perishables. ​ And as they got older I trained them to be more involved in locating items from shelves, or reading from the shopping list. Even as young teenagers it worked really well because, they loved to eat. ​ And as a testimonial, when both of our adult sons moved out, they used the same system I created . Vegetable serves: For a family of 4 I allowed: 1-2 carrots, 2 ears of corn, one fifth of a large bag of beans, 1-2 zucchini, one half to one floret of broccoli, one fifth to one quarter of a cauliflower, one fifth to a sixth of a bag of snow peas. (The bags I am describing are the plastic bags provided by the supermarkets to put your vegetables in, not carry bags.) ​ Salad serves: For a serve of salad I allowed: one pre-packaged bag of salad for a meal for four. If it is for my salad for lunch I allow one bag for three days to provide a healthy light meal for lunch. To easily link your menu to your shopping list go to the following link: Making Family Life Easy 2: Next Providing regular healthy meals can be really easy if you plan ahead. Share this page with a friend Click on the following links to learn more: Stage 2 Setting Up a Repeating Menu Stage 3: Planning Meals Ahead The Real Costs of Take Away Meals on the Table in Minutes More Meals on the Table in Minutes More Meals on the Table in Minutes Corned Beef and Corn Fritters Easy Healthy Recipes Back to Top Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. It highlights what successful parents do differently to those who struggle. Best Parenting advice.com provides free online resources for busy parents who want the best practical advice on: how to give kids a best start in life, better tips for parenting toddlers, effective child rearing strategies, behaviour management tips, successful goal setting and organizational strategies for successful families, easy family dinner recipes, self-care tips for time-poor parents and free kids learning games. The aim of Best Parenting Advice.com is to provide quality practical parenting tips and advice to best help children and families succeed, using the convenience of a website. ​ This website provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. Best Parenting Advice.com does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or with every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this website to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Similarly users of this website are advised to follow any recommendations for seeking professional advice as all information on this site is generic. Best Parenting Advice.com is an independent website and is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems. Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.

back to top BEST STARTS FOR KIDS Keep Supplying Opposites Challenge Using opposites can be a great way of exposing your child to new descriptive language and also the use of prepositions ​ Some of the skills they will likely develop are: ​ increased awareness of the world we live in increased vocabulary linked to placement, prepositions and adjectives increased comprehension The object of the game is to take turns saying two things that are opposite to each other. ​ It's important that the things are considered actual opposites: e.g. hot/ cold, hard/soft, big/ little, rough/smooth, up/ down, in front/ behind, before/ after, etc It may be appropriate with young children to have a run through before the game commences The game progresses and each person supplies one pair of opposites until one of the players can't think of another pair. the game continues in this fashion until there is only one player left. ​ ​ Go Back to Activities Gallery Share this page with a friend Back to Top Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. It highlights what successful parents do differently to those who struggle. Best Parenting advice.com provides free online resources for busy parents who want the best practical advice on: how to give kids a best start in life, better tips for parenting toddlers, effective child rearing strategies, behaviour management tips, successful goal setting and organizational strategies for successful families, easy family dinner recipes, self-care tips for time-poor parents and free kids learning games. The aim of Best Parenting Advice.com is to provide quality practical parenting tips and advice to best help children and families succeed, using the convenience of a website. ​ This website provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. Best Parenting Advice.com does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or with every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this website to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Similarly users of this website are advised to follow any recommendations for seeking professional advice as all information on this site is generic. Best Parenting Advice.com is an independent website and is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems. Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.

Back to Top BEST STARTS FOR KIDS The Importance of Proximal Development Step by Step Parenting Tips 5 It's important to note that to successfully link new knowledge and skills, the chances of success are much higher, if they're in the zone of proximal development... Close to what the learner already knows Vygotsky's theory of Proximal Development underpins the link between socially supported development and skill development. His theory, (along with practical applications devised by Bruner, Wood and Ross,) is based upon a three stage learning process. They are: ​ Foundational or Independent Zone: The things your child can do or understand independently. New knowledge, or skills, link to existing knowledge and skills. ​ Proximal Development Zone: The things someone can do, or understand, with assistance. This new skill, or information, requires some form of scaffolding from a knowledgeable other (parent, teacher, mentor,) to help the individual learn and retain new information and skills. ​ ​ Too Difficult Zone: The things someone cannot do, or understand at this time. This means that the person does not as yet, have the necessary skills, or information, for the task to be completed or the information to be retained. ​ INDEPENDENT I can do these skills and can recall this knowledge on my own. PROXIMAL LEVEL: I can do this next level of skills, and link this new knowledge to my existing knowledge with your help and support. TOO DIFFICULT ZONE Regardless of whether I'm helped, or not, this level of knowledge, or skill, is beyond my ability to understand and retain. Working in the Proximal Zone of Development encourages children while positively challenging them. They gain a sense of satisfaction as they learn new skills and knowledge. ​ Good teachers know Proximal Development zones because they pretest knowledge and skills prior to introducing new learning. Working in the Too Difficult Zone causes children stress. It's more than likely to create a negative attitude towards learning over time. ​ Step 6: How to Create Strength Based Kids. ​ Step By Step 6: Next Share this page with a friend And this theory explains why some children learn much more quickly than others. Their zone of proximal development is greater because their independent knowledge is more advanced. Basically, the more they already know the more they can learn... ​ 'A child's greatest achievements are possible in play, achievements that tomorrow will become her basic level of real action. What a child can do in cooperation today, he can do alone tomorrow.' Lev Vygotsky For more information on strength based learning go to the links below on developing independent learners: Developing Independent Learners Developing Independent learners. Boy reading a book on his own Learning Maths Incidentally Fun Maths Games for 3-5 Year Olds Developing Appropriate Behaviour Diffusing difficult situations Fostering Gratitude Not Entitlement Fostering Gratitude Not Entitlement 4 Ways to Develop Cooperative Kids 4 ways to develop cooperative children Back to Top Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. It highlights what successful parents do differently to those who struggle. Best Parenting advice.com provides free online resources for busy parents who want the best practical advice on: how to give kids a best start in life, better tips for parenting toddlers, effective child rearing strategies, behaviour management tips, successful goal setting and organizational strategies for successful families, easy family dinner recipes, self-care tips for time-poor parents and free kids learning games. The aim of Best Parenting Advice.com is to provide quality practical parenting tips and advice to best help children and families succeed, using the convenience of a website. ​ This website provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. Best Parenting Advice.com does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or with every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this website to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Similarly users of this website are advised to follow any recommendations for seeking professional advice as all information on this site is generic. Best Parenting Advice.com is an independent website and is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems. Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.

Language Behaviour Learning Tips Doing What No One Tells You If someone asked you, would you tell them? Because when I was going through it I know I couldn't. How do you tell them, you sometimes mourn the loss of you... The loss of you that existed, before you had a baby. That you miss the person who could lay in bed on weekends (after a full night's sleep.) Or leave the house with nothing in your hands but a phone? Or even eat a meal that wasn't already cold. But then guilt stabs you for being so selfish, when you know you should be grateful. You'd die trying to save their life. Right! If you're anything like me, sleep deprivation drove a truck straight over me. Then reversed. And to inflict total damage it went after my husband as well. ​ But what I couldn't understand was the difference in me... ​ Before I had a baby I was at work by 7:30. Yet as a parent, I couldn't even make a baby health clinic appointment, at 10:00... Why was going out, poo time? And I looked at the travel brochure lifestyle that everyone else seemed to have and I felt so inadequate in comparison. Their babies slept. Some right through the night at six weeks. My son's didn't. My life was hour on, hour off, day and night for months. ​ I remember when I first went back to work someone complaining they only got five hours sleep, and I was thinking: Five hours sleep.... in a row. What I'd give for five hours sleep. I couldn't understand why parenting seemed so easy for others, while I struggled? "It wasn't that I was really unhappy. It was the constancy of my load, the awesome importance of it, and it was my isolation." Elizabeth Berg: The Pull of the Moon 'My world became very serious, very fast... Some days I was so exhausted, I just wanted to cry. And even though I was trying really hard to get it right, I didn't know if I was mucking it up or not. I felt guilty all the time because I know I should be loving this but some days I wasn't. ​ Why did others give advice when what I needed most was a bit of practical help. And I felt ashamed that I wasn't a good enough mother...' My son was ten months of age, the first time he slept from 11:00 till 4:00. I woke up and felt the best I'd felt for almost a year. But then a thought ripped through me... Maybe he's dead? And I flew into his room to check. But over time what I found was, it doesn't matter how clever someone is, how rich they are, how important they are; parenthood is difficult for most of us at times. And if it's been a snack for you, be gracious. Your turn off the pedestal might be a lot closer than you think. ​ Over time I learned sometimes those who seem to have it all together... Don't have it any better together than we do. If you can relate even a little to what I'm saying, this website was written for you... because I was you. ​ Sometimes parenting can be hard. And listening to others tell you how easy it is, (or was for them,) can make it seem so much harder. Nothing will likely ever make you feel more vulnerable than parenting. Nothing will make you question yourself more. Or make you feel so powerless. Yet nothing will likely ever bring you greater joy... ​ "Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." Ellen Cantarow At times parenting can be frightening. When our babies catch a cold we pray that it'll all turn out okay. We kiss our toddler's hurts better when they fall down. But we love them so much we'd likely give up our own lives if it would save them. And that never changes, no matter how old our children get. ​ "I don't remember who said this but there are really places in the heart you don't even know exist, until you love a child..." Anne Lamott ​And it's the love that we share for our children that has motivated the writing of Best Parenting Advice.com. I would really like you to find it easier at the start than I did. And I'd like you to know successfully raising children is possible from the shakiest of beginnings. I know because I did it. Parenting has to be one of life's greatest absurdities... ​because even though it's one of the toughest things we'll ever do, so many of us are incredibly grateful for the privilege of doing it over and over again. It remains the greatest blessing of my life... ​ "You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back." William D Tammeus No One Tells You... Because The Love of a Parent is Too Great to Express in Words. Spaghetti Fingers Spaghetti Fingers. An eight month old eating spaghetti As You Age Life Gets Funnier As You Get Older Life Gets Funnier: How Old Are You 5 Funny Stories: Kids and Teachers 5 funny stories about kids and teachers. Happy male teacher Back to Parent Stories Back to Top Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. It highlights what successful parents do differently to those who struggle. Best Parenting advice.com provides free resources for busy parents who want the best practical advice on: how to give kids a best start in life, better tips for parenting toddlers, effective child rearing strategies, behaviour management tips, successful goal setting and organizational strategies for successful families, easy family dinner recipes, self-care tips for time-poor parents and free kids learning games. The aim of Best Parenting Advice.com is to provide quality practical parenting tips and advice to best help children and families succeed. This site provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. Best Parenting Advice.com does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or with every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this site to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Similarly users of this site are advised to follow any recommendations for seeking professional advice as all information on this site is generic. Best Parenting Advice.com is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems. Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.

back to top BEST STARTS FOR KIDS Making Conceptual Learning Fun WHY IS MAKING LEARNING FUN SO IMPORTANT? ​ If your child has a positive attitude to learning they will increase their likelihood of the following happening: increased comprehension (both verbal and written) wanting to learn independently (homework, school projects, research for pleasure) having a more extensive base knowledge & successfully linking new knowledge to it confidence in learning new things building resilience living in a more interesting world and being happy as a result ability to be understood being interesting to be around leadership potential better class placements (e.g. GATS classes) ​ And Longer Term it affects: general well being school results tertiary training opportunities job prospects social status income potential acceptance of innovations and change Share this page with a friend Your child's attitude to learning as a teenager will largely be determined by how positive learning was for them when they were young. For example: did they achieve early learning success was new learning pitched within your child's zone of proximal development did the child feel supported while learning (both emotionally and intellectually) did they have the necessary vocabulary to understand new concepts (Go to Language Section ) was new mathematical knowledge presented sequentially was learning meaningful for them are they willing to fail (and develop resilience as a result) are they independent learners 'A person who never made a mistake never tried something new.' Albert Einstein ​ 'I failed my way to success.' Walt Disney Step By Step 5: Next For some best advice on how to develop engaged learners, go to the following links: Beginning Mathematics Colour sorting chalks The Importance of Counting Counting puzzles Learning Concepts Learning Concepts Learning Maths Incidentally Learning maths through play Creating Strength Based Kids How to create strength based kids Developing a Love of Learning Developing a love of learning; boy reading a book Proximal Development is Important The importance of proximal development when teaching children is very high Developing Independent Learners Developing independent learners Fun Maths Games Fishing Numeral Game Back to Top Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. It highlights what successful parents do differently to those who struggle. Best Parenting advice.com provides free online resources for busy parents who want the best practical advice on: how to give kids a best start in life, better tips for parenting toddlers, effective child rearing strategies, behaviour management tips, successful goal setting and organizational strategies for successful families, easy family dinner recipes, self-care tips for time-poor parents and free kids learning games. The aim of Best Parenting Advice.com is to provide quality practical parenting tips and advice to best help children and families succeed, using the convenience of a website. ​ This website provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. Best Parenting Advice.com does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or with every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this website to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Similarly users of this website are advised to follow any recommendations for seeking professional advice as all information on this site is generic. Best Parenting Advice.com is an independent website and is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems. Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.

Back to Top MONEY SAVERS The Real Value of a Herb Garden It doesn’t matter how little space you have available; you can have a fresh supply of herbs all year round. And if you don't want the expense of an automated drip system self-watering are a good compromise for the time challenged. Putting in a drip system linked to a timer, will help ensure herbs survive during dry weather. When I did this it really improved my results. In hindsight, I'd set this system up earlier than later, as now my herbs basically look after themselves. And if you have a patio area such a system would be ideal. If you have limited space, pots or vertical walls, may work for you. Or you might have a sunny, well-drained spot in the garden where herbs suitable for Mediterranean foods grow well. Fresh Italian parsley, mint, basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, coriander, thyme, sage and chilli are staples and are used in a large number of recipes. I also regularly use leaves from a bay tree in soups and stews. ​ Sweet Basil likes morning sun and moderate amounts of water. (Snails seem to love it so you may need to use a safe snail repellent.) I regularly use large amounts of Basil in Italian cooking so I try to have multiple plants. It's relatively easy to grow from cuttings in warm weather but it's almost impossible to keep alive during winter except during early winter in really sheltered positions. I often buy a sweet basil at the beginning of spring to get some basil in again, then use it for cuttings. ​ Oregano does best with morning sun and moderate amounts of water. I again use large amounts of oregano in stews, casseroles and a variety of Italian cuisine. ​ Coriander can be fickle and you need to continually plant more slow bolting seeds to keep up a ready supply. I find giving seeds a rub between two sheets of sandpaper, then soaking them for an hour or two before planting helps with germination. Or if ever I buy coriander from the store in a sleeve, I cut the bottom 2-3 inches of the stalk and replant it. Coriander likes morning sun, moderate watering but hates drafts. I use coriander in many different types of cuisine from Asian through to Mexican. It's wonderful in fresh salads, Asian style soups, corn fritters, risottos and salsas. ​ Sage seems to like well drained soils, but a reasonable amount of water and morning sun. It is terrific with chicken. When I began growing herbs convenience was the most important factor for me. Prior to having my own herb garden I was often frustrated if I planned to make a meal and then couldn't access the fresh herbs I needed. I began with one parsley plant over ten years ago (which I grew in the dirt.) And because I let it self sow I still get parsley, every year, at not cost. The same with a selection of chillies. I planted a small rosemary hedge in the dirt in a dry area against a north facing wall which flourished in the Mediterranean like conditions. And I've since struck many, many plants and given them away to friends and family from the original two. I put a mass of spring onions in right near the back door. I put oregano, sage and thyme into 12 inch (30 cm) pots and other than watering them, they pretty much look after themselves. Although I do feed them at the beginning of spring with an organic pelleted fertiliser. Basil is seasonal and I've grown it successfully in the dirt for years. But every spring I need to put new basil seeds into seed raising mix, then transplant seedlings into the dirt, or 30 cm (12 inch) pots, as basil will not live the whole way through winter. To keep a good supply of coriander, you need to keep planting new lots of seeds into seed raising mix, every couple of months as coriander is inclined to bolt (goes to seed.) Keeping it trimmed can extend its life. Make sure you choose slow bolting varieties of coriander seed to reduce this annoying tendency. To keep a ready supply of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables all year round you can: Collect seeds from your own herbs, fruits and vegetables, Swap seeds and plants with friends Succession plant (e.g. coriander) Take cuttings and Replant according to seasons ​ And if you do all of these things, you'll likely be like me. Fresh herbs will cost you very little, or nothing at all. On a dollar per gram basis, one of the most expensive fresh foods are herbs ​ Accessing fresh herbs at home is convenient and foods will likely taste better ​ Once established, herbs can be free, often self sowing (e.g. chillies, parsley, coriander) or you can grow them from cuttings (e.g. rosemary, mint) ​ The quality of the softer herbs like basil, mint or coriander is better if picked fresh ​ An automated self-watering system is worth the investment, as it will greatly increase your chances of success ​ While I grow lots of herbs in the dirt in the garden, I grow most in potting mix in 30 cm (12 inch) round pots, or in large self-watering troughs (if not linked to an automatic watering system.) I keep them close to the back door so it's convenient. And I position herbs next to a wall to protect them from the most common winds. This is what I've learnt about the herbs I use most. ​ Mint likes moist, semi-shady areas and needs to be kept in a contained garden or pot to prevent it spreading throughout your garden. Mint grows well from cuttings. It is wonderful for adding a freshness to foods. E.g. rice paper rolls, fruit punch, tabbouleh. ​ Rosemary loves dry conditions in full sun up against a north facing wall and flourishes on neglect. I use it for lamb, stews, soups and for roast vegetables. It also grows well from cuttings. ​ Parsley also likes good sun but needs plenty of water to flourish. I use it mostly for risottos, stews and casseroles. I let some of it go to seed as it self sows easily. Dill is a herb snails and slugs seem to love. I found it does best in morning sun, in a reasonably well-drained soil with moderate amounts of water. It is wonderful with fish and in mayonnaise. ​ Thyme does well in a well drained pot in morning sun and is useful to give a freshness to stews, pastas, risottos and lamb dishes. ​ We also have a Bay tree and I use its leaves to give a sweetness to soups and stews. It does well with morning sun and I keep it in a pot near the back door. ​ And I have a number of Chilli plants ranging in levels of hotness which I use to give a kick to meals ranging across a range of cuisines. I grow many herbs in pots especially mint, as it is very invasive. And for mint I have two different pots as I use a lot of it. And I have a variety of spring onions growing just outside my back door because I use them all the time. ​ ​ ​ Below you can see the thin black tubing which supplies water. The drip end put near the centre of the pot is held into position with an inverted U shaped piece of wire clamped over it pegging it into the dirt. (An old wire coat hanger corner bent into position would work, if you don't have wire.) ​ The reason you keep drippers held in position is, they can fall out, and you don't realise until your plant starts to die that it's happened. Below is the garden we planted during the pandemic. And regardless of initial food shortages, we always had access to fresh vegetables. ​ I love to grow vegetables you can't buy at the shop. Below is a picture of what our garden was producing every two days during summer 2021. If you want to see more of what we've been doing in the garden check out: #jamieanddebsgarden ​ Or if you're looking for great ways to make your life simpler, less expensive and time efficient the following link shows you my free system for saving heaps of time and money. Share this page with a friend Making Family Life Easy 1: Next For ways to use fresh herbs in cooking you may find the following links useful: Easy Healthy Recipes Easy Healthy Recipes. Quick & easy family dinners and breakfasts Timesavers for Healthy Meals Meals on the Table in Minutes Back to Top Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. It highlights what successful parents do differently to those who struggle. Best Parenting advice.com provides free online resources for busy parents who want the best practical advice on: how to give kids a best start in life, better tips for parenting toddlers, effective child rearing strategies, behaviour management tips, successful goal setting and organizational strategies for successful families, easy family dinner recipes, self-care tips for time-poor parents and free kids learning games. The aim of Best Parenting Advice.com is to provide quality practical parenting tips and advice to best help children and families succeed, using the convenience of a website. ​ This website provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. Best Parenting Advice.com does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or with every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this website to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Similarly users of this website are advised to follow any recommendations for seeking professional advice as all information on this site is generic. Best Parenting Advice.com is an independent website and is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems. Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.

back to top BEST STARTS FOR KIDS Finding Everything Inside a Hoop Extension Ideas: Using the computer see if you can find any larger images of the things you have discovered, especially insects Children can observe the detail and draw conclusions about: antennae, the numbers of legs, wings (if any), segmented legs, compound eyes, proboscis for a mouth, grasping feet, etc Are there are adaptations to suit its environment? e.g. camouflage You may also like to identify the way the insect's body functions e.g. breathing, digestion, They may like to draw a more detailed image and discuss some of the features Share this page with a friend ​1. Lay a hoop down somewhere in the garden: in an area that is interesting, but free from spiders, bees, wasps, scorpions, etc Explain: Inside the hoop is the only area we are going to examine in detail Explain we need to find every single thing that is inside the hoop Children will try to locate as many things as they can and count them N.B. You will need to have a safety lesson on the use of magnifying glasses for this part of the activity, explaining magnifying glasses can start fires or burn things, including children so they need to be careful not to have the sun shining through them. Children can use magnifying glasses to examine the detail of the found items and discuss them. If they like they can record the things they saw either through drawing them or writing the words if they know them. ​ Go Back to Activities Gallery Back to Top Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. It highlights what successful parents do differently to those who struggle. Best Parenting advice.com provides free online resources for busy parents who want the best practical advice on: how to give kids a best start in life, better tips for parenting toddlers, effective child rearing strategies, behaviour management tips, successful goal setting and organizational strategies for successful families, easy family dinner recipes, self-care tips for time-poor parents and free kids learning games. The aim of Best Parenting Advice.com is to provide quality practical parenting tips and advice to best help children and families succeed, using the convenience of a website. ​ This website provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. Best Parenting Advice.com does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or with every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this website to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Similarly users of this website are advised to follow any recommendations for seeking professional advice as all information on this site is generic. Best Parenting Advice.com is an independent website and is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems. Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.

back to top EASY HEALTHY RECIPES QUICK AND EASY DINNER RECIPES: PORK Easy Pulled Pork by Renae Ingredients 3 onions 1 pork butt 8 cloves 1 bottle HP Smoky BBQ sauce 8 hamburger buns Method 1. Slice two onions and dice the remaining onion 2.Add half the sliced onions to the bottom of the slow cooker 3. Place the pork butt on the top 4. Insert 8 cloves into the top and cover with remaining sliced onion 5. Cook for 12 hours on high 6. Remove pork from slow cooker 7. Remove cloves and discard 8. Shred pork 9. Wash out slow cooker and add shredded pork, diced onion and HP BBQ sauce Cook for two hours Serve with coleslaw on hamburger buns HINT: Put the pork on overnight and put in fridge in the morning. Complete last two hours when you get home Share this recipe with a friend For more Easy Healthy Recipes go to the following links: Easy Healthy Chicken Recipes easy healthy chicken recipe yummy drummy made by mummy Easy Pasta and Pizza Recipes 10 Tips to Make Meals Kid Friendly Easy Healthy Breakfasts Easy Healthy Soups Easy Healthy Fish Recipes Easy Healthy Lamb Recipes Easy Healthy Beef Recipes Easy Healthy Rice Recipes Back to Top Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. This site provides free resources for busy parents who want best practical advice on: effective child rearing strategies, easy healthy family meals, self-care tips for time-poor parents and fun learning games to help best educate children while also encouraging positive relationships within the family. One of the best pieces of parenting advice to help support healthy cooperative families, is to provide regular nutritious meals, eaten together as a family as often as possible. Best parenting advice provides a range of quick and easy family dinner recipes supplied by busy working parents. These are the recipes asked for: because they taste great, they're quick and easy they're family friendly and they're foolproof. ​ This site provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. This site does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this site to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Best Parenting Advice.com is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems. Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.

back to top EASY HEALTHY RECIPES QUICK & EASY CHICKEN DINNERS Chicken Salad and Rice by Wendy ​Ingredients For Chicken 8 chicken thigh fillets 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon ginger ½ cup soy sauce For Rice 2 cups rice 4 cups boiling water ​ For Salad 1/2 packet feta cheese, 1 sliced Lebanese cucumber 1 packet mixed green salad ½ punnet Perino tomatoes Approximately 20 olives Around 30 sultana grapes ​ For Dressing: 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar ½ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard 2 tablespoons honey ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cracked pepper 1 teaspoon minced garlic Method Cook rice in microwave by adding boiling water and cooking for five minutes, stirring and then cooking for a further five minutes and fluffing with a fork. Cover Meanwhile mix garlic, ginger and soy sauce together Put chicken fillets under griller and pour ½ soy sauce mixture over the top of chicken Cook chicken on one side and turn Pour remaining soy sauce over chicken and cook until brown Remove chicken fillets from grill and slice them crosswise thinly Meanwhile: Prepare salad by washing and draining salad, chopping tomatoes in half, slicing Lebanese cucumber and tossing together. Dice Feta cheese into small pieces and along with grapes and olives lightly toss into salad Pour dressing ingredients into a jar and shake well until mixed. Place in serving jug Serve placing salad on a plate with a cup full of cooked rice in the middle. Place slices of chicken fillets over the top ​ Serve immediately. Add salad dressing according to your own individual taste. Share this recipe with a friend For more Easy Healthy Recipes check out the following links: More Easy Healthy Chicken Recipes Honey Soy Chicken Wings 10 Tips to Make Meals Kid Friendly 10 Tips to make meals kid friendly Easy Healthy Beef Recipes Easy Healthy Breakfasts Easy Healthy Soups Easy Healthy Fish Recipes Easy Healthy Lamb Recipes Easy Pasta and Pizza Recipes Easy Healthy Rice Recipes Back to Top Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. This site provides free resources for busy parents who want best practical advice on: effective child rearing strategies, easy healthy family meals, self-care tips for time-poor parents and fun learning games to help best educate children while also encouraging positive relationships within the family. One of the best pieces of parenting advice to help support healthy cooperative families, is to provide regular nutritious meals, eaten together as a family as often as possible. Best parenting advice provides a range of quick and easy family dinner recipes supplied by busy working parents. These are the recipes asked for: because they taste great, they're quick and easy they're family friendly and they're foolproof. ​ This site provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. This site does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this site to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Best Parenting Advice.com is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems. Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.

back to top BEST STARTS FOR KIDS Things To Do With Kids At Home Self Isolating During a Pandemic: List 2 If you could make a wish, how would you like self-isolation to be remembered by your kids. During self-isolation your kids need you, as parents, to be the leader of the house... and they need you to lead by calm example. ​ If you aim to make 'Iso' as positive an experience as possible, you're more likely to achieve it than if you expect it to occur all by itself. ​ To avoid kids getting white wall fever providing a variety of activities will help : Some active, some passive. Some challenging, some relaxing (or easy.) Some creative, some chores. Set up some common sense rules for 'Iso' To Make Your Home a More Pleasant Place To Be 1. Explain the importance of cooperation and everyone needs to do their part. Use the analogy about how everyone is staying home for the greater good. Well cooperation is for your family's greater good and explain why it is important. ​ 2. Maintain clear boundaries for behaviour and explain what is expected ahead of time. Manners are free and help oil the machinery of happily interacting families. This is an opportunity to follow up on some behaviours that may have slipped due to busy lifestyles. And model manners yourself. 3. M aintain some normality getting dressed, teeth cleaning, hair brushing, regular showering, etc. Kids will live up to or down to your expectations. Make a Pyjama Day the exception, not the rule. ​ 4. Consistently acknowledging cooperative behaviour, where ever possible, and rewarding it is likely to increase it. What you notice you'll get more of. ​ 5. Relax and have a bit of fun with your kids. There are heaps of activities you could do. Check out the galleries and links. *Threading or Sewing Threading an assortment of beads, pasta, leaves, etc Making Numerical Amounts Making numerical amounts using an abacus *Playing Fun Maths Games Lots of free fun maths games Making Your Own Story Book Making Your Own Story Book Playing Family Board Games *Playing Fun Reading Games Fun Reading Games designed for practicing high frequency words Constructing Using Recyclables Using recycled materials for construction Creating a Puppet Show You can create your own puppet show from scratch Gardening Together Growing your own food with your kids help during a pandemic is an excellent way to show your kids how food goes from plant to plate Painting Concrete With Water Children love to paint concrete with water and it can keep them occupied for a long time Making Animals From Cardboard You can create a variety of animals from paper plates or egg cartons Simply Playing Chasies Playing Chasies is a great way for kids cooped up inside to let off steam Matching Games: Bingo or Memory Playing Hospitals Creating Roads To Follow Locating Hidden Treasure Using Maps Building With Electronics Reading Challenges Share This Page With a Friend Things To Do With Kids List 3 Back to Top Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. It highlights what successful parents do differently to those who struggle. Best Parenting advice.com provides free online resources for busy parents who want the best practical advice on: how to give kids a best start in life, better tips for parenting toddlers, effective child rearing strategies, behaviour management tips, successful goal setting and organizational strategies for successful families, easy family dinner recipes, self-care tips for time-poor parents and free kids learning games. The aim of Best Parenting Advice.com is to provide quality practical parenting tips and advice to best help children and families succeed, using the convenience of a website. ​ This website provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. Best Parenting Advice.com does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or with every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this website to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Similarly users of this website are advised to follow any recommendations for seeking professional advice as all information on this site is generic. Best Parenting Advice.com is an independent website and is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems. Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.

back to top EASY HEALTHY RECIPES QUICK & EASY DINNER RECIPES: RICE Lorraine's Easy Fried Rice Ingredients 1 cup Basmati or long grain rice 5 rashers bacon diced in 2.5 cm pieces 1 onion diced 1 cup frozen vegetables (peas, corn, carrots work well) 3 eggs beaten 3 cups boiling water ½ tablespoon Soy sauce 1 tablespoon Olive Oil Additional Olive Oil Spray ​ Method 1. Pour rice into the bottom of a microwave dish. Add three cups boiling water and boil rice in the microwave for 10 minutes. Cover for five minutes and fluff with a fork. 2. Heat 1 tablespoon Olive Oil in a large frying pan 3. Add onion and bacon to large frying pan 4. Cook on medium heat for five minutes or until onion has become transparent 5. Move bacon and onion to the edges of the frying pan and spray the centre with Olive Oil spray 6. Reduce frying pan heat to low 7. Cook beaten eggs in the microwave for 1 ½ minutes – 2 minutes 8. Chop egg into pieces with an egg flip and mix together with onion and bacon 9. Add frozen peas and ½ tablespoon soy sauce and cook on low heat for 1 minute 10.Add previously cooked rice ​ Serve with honey soy chicken wings and steamed Asian style vegetables ​ HINT: Boil the rice the evening before in the microwave for 10 minutes. Cover for five minutes and fluff with a fork. Put in refrigerator overnight. Ideally remove at least half an hour prior to cooking. ​ Share this recipe with a friend For more Easy Tasty Recipes go to the following links: Easy Pasta and Pizza Recipes 10 Tips to Make Meals Kid Friendly 10 Tips to make meals kid friendly More Easy Healthy Chicken Recipes Honey Soy Chicken Wings Easy Healthy Breakfasts Easy Healthy Soups Easy Healthy Fish Recipes Easy Healthy Lamb Recipes Easy Healthy Beef Recipes More Easy Healthy Rice Recipes Back to Top Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. This site provides free resources for busy parents who want best practical advice on: effective child rearing strategies, easy healthy family meals, self-care tips for time-poor parents and fun learning games to help best educate children while also encouraging positive relationships within the family. One of the best pieces of parenting advice to help support healthy cooperative families, is to provide regular nutritious meals, eaten together as a family as often as possible. Best parenting advice provides a range of quick and easy family dinner recipes supplied by busy working parents. These are the recipes asked for: because they taste great, they're quick and easy they're family friendly and they're foolproof. ​ This site provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. This site does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this site to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Best Parenting Advice.com is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems. Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.