Tears, tantrums and joy

Involving you child in cooking is a great way to get them to eat healthily:

>Choose a time that you can give them your undivided attention so that it is a positive experience for them - obviously if you are too busy it is not a good idea to involve them as it could be dangerous with hot cookers and sharp knifes

>You could begin by getting them to cook once a week with you that way you could set aside extra time for them to help.  Begin making the meal earlier than you normally would so that you are not rushing and can spend time helping your child with the tasks

>If there is a food they don’t like in dish this is a great way to encourage them to eat it - mushrooms in spaghetti bolognese for example

>If you have more than one child it may be an idea to allocate them different cooking days.  It can be quite tricky to find enough jobs to keep  two or more children occupied at one time

>Remember to praise them when your eating your meal and remind them that they made it - this will raise their self-esteem as well as encouraging them to eat up

This is obviously a great life skill for your child to learn and something they can build on as they get older.

Please visit my website at:

http://www.tearstantrumsandjoy.com

All children love to bake - it exciting and creative and you get something yummy to eat at the end.   Here are my top tips for successful baking:

>If you are new to baking or a bit rusty it may be an idea to bake something with your child which is just for fun.  We often nowadays tend only to bake when there is an occasions such as a school fair or some one’s birthday.  - The problem with introducing your child to baking at these times is that if you are an inexperienced baker you are already under pressure.  Add a child into this equation and it will put you of doing it again for life!!

>Make the first experience just for the fun of  it - that way you will be more relaxed - if your efforts turn out good you can give them to people if not who cares. You will learn from the experience and know how to do it better next time

>Obviously choose something simple to begin with - this will be more fun for both of you as your child can join in more

>Try some of the packet mix bakes that you can get from your local supermarket.  You may feel this is cheating but it is a great way to get you into baking and build up your confidence.  There are ones that are designed for children the great thing about these is that your child can help you with everything as they are made so simple.  The other benefit to packet mix is that you can keep it in your cupboard and use it the next rainy day as you don’t need to worry about having the right ingredients in the house.  I think the ideal scenario is to do baking from scratch and use packet mix as you can plan to bake somedays and at other times when the mood takes you then you have the flexibility of the packet mix.

Please visit my website at:

http://www.tearstantrumsandjoy.com

I think most of us are at the moment feeling the pinch of the credit crunch.  At times like these the first thing that goes out the window for parents are nights out.  We see them as luxury items and way down on our list of priorities.  Sometimes even when you do get out you find it difficult to enjoy it as you are so aware how much it is costing you.  I do believe it is very important for couple to continue having nights out together as it reminds you of why you fell in love with one another in the first place and gives you a chance to be you again and not just mum and dad.  You can however try substituting some of the nights you used to go out with a night in:

>Get someone to babysit the kids at their house

>Arrange a time for your night to begin and both go and get dressed up as you would for a night out

>Cook a meal in or get a take-away - splash out a little on a nice bottle of wine

>Sit around the table and catch up with one another’s news - play some music to keep the night upbeat

>Then you can watch a movie, do a bit of dancing, whatever takes your fancy

>Remember you are young and free tonight and you can stay up late and have a lie in tomorrow morning

This is a great way to get that together and in love feeling without having to spend a fortune.  I think these kind of nights are a must if you want to keep your relationship alive

Please visit my website at :

http://www.tearstantrumsandjoy.com