4 things to do and enjoy with the family in the last days of the 2012 London Olympics

The Olympics has been an amazing event so far from the fantastic opening ceremony to the host country Team GB winning more medals than they have ever won since the creation of the games. Everything has gone according to plan well almost and there hasn't been any security threat which is even marvellous. 

If you are thinking of enjoying the last four days of the event, by yourself or with family. Here is a list of four things you could do. 

• Visit the Olympic park

Take a self guided tour around the waterways of the park giving you a chance to see wildlife, beautiful green land scape and discover the intriguing facts on its transformation and development. Please note you will need to buy ticket to gain access to the park.

Check for ticket prices on the official site here

• Visit Stratford East London:

This is the area most of the games take place, the Olympic park, village, aquatic centre are located around the area. There is also a big shopping centre there. Even if you don't have a game ticket, Stratford is still a lovely place to visit for the festive atmosphere, big screens in the area to watch the games or you can just treat yourself to some retail therapy by popping to the Stratford Westfield shopping centre. All you need is transportation money

Adult day travel card: Over £8

Children under 5 travel free

Children over 5 need a zip oyster photocard check TFL for more info

• Visit Hyde Park

They is always an event on in Hyde park some are paid and some are free to access. Hyde park will host two Olympics games competition. Triathlon and the 10KM Marathon swimming competition.

If you weren't lucky enough to get Olympics ticket, you can watch the men's 10km swimming marathon final on Friday 10th of August at 12noon. This way you get to feel like you are part of it all. Its free to the public. I will be there.

In addition you may also get the opportunity to access a range of free and ticketed attractions like

1. BT Live Event
2. London Hyde Park 2012 Shop for souvenirs
3. National Olympic Committee Houses: Africa Village and Sochi Park around Kensington Gardens

• Lastly Organise or attend an Olympic closing ceremony party: Make the 2012 London Olympics one to remember by having a house party or a lovely barbecue if the weather permits. Since the games finishes on Sunday why not invite family and friends around, decorate your house in what ever country you support to make it more patriotic and Enjoy the end of the games and the closing ceremony together. I am attending one and I will definitely be ending the games with a BIG BANG. Make sure you do the same. Enjoy the rest of the games and have a good one.

Watch out for me in Rio 2016. I might be competing under the Olympics independent flag in the women's 100m. I hope my life long dream comes true.  Wink* wink*

Buy, Sell and Give-Away Kid's Products on Mumscentre

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 A place to buy, sell and give-away children's used and new products. Have a good weekend

Bling the Dummy or Choke the child!

"There is a new trend amongst fashion-conscious parents" reports daily mail. The report states that some parents have been blingingfing (If that’s even a word) their children’s feeding equipment with stick-on diamantes all in the name of fashion.

Blinged out feeding bottle

Apparently the diamante pieces are glued or stuck-on to cover children’s feeding bottles, pacifiers and other feeding related items to make it look really sparkling and expensive.


When I read the article, my first thought was Woooow really, what right thinking parent will want to bling out pacifiers and why a child needs stick on sparkling diamond or diamante feeding bottle is beyond me. Even my soon-to-be mum friend loves it, I guess she doesn't see the danger yet until her baby pops out lol.  


I can comprehend the occasional designer outfit but a blinged-out pacifier is just over the top, dangerous and unnecessary.


Trading officers in the UK seized a stash of pacifiers from operating retailers in Rutherglen shopping centre near Glasgow because similar products failed safety test performed by watchdog nationwide. 


Trading standard have now released a statement warning parents of the potential choking hazard these accessories pose to children, urging them to think of their children’s safety before fashion.

Blinged out pacifiers

TS also states that once the diamante stick-ons comes in contact with water, it gradually chips off as parents try to clean the equipment; the loose bits may then accidently drop into the baby’s mouth while feeding.


As an adult and a parent I think whatever we do to ourselves in the name of fashion is cool, as long as we are happy and not hurting anyone; but a baby hasn’t asked for a blingified feeding bottle, which also poses a threat to his/her life.


My advice to the fashion-conscious yummy mummies is please ditch the bling to save your child’s life. Trust me they don’t need it and neither do they appreciate it.



Before you buy this item ask yourself this “Do I want to bling the dummy or choke the child”  My answer Neither.

Birthday Cupcakes

Enjoy the rest of your day and oh I forgot to mention, happy birthday to me. 


Read more on the article on Dailymail

Stay-at-home mums lack ambition says Cherie Blair

I couldn't stop laughing when I read this on yahoo news. Cherie Blair was quite firm with her statement. She spoke at the fortune magazine most powerful women event. 

She said and I quote “Women who give up their career when they have children are unambitious and their decision impacts their kids negatively”

To the women who give up their careers to look after their amazing kids, making sure they support them in their early year development stage, which only happens once in a life time, they provide them with love, affection, security and so many other valuable life lessons and as most mums know, nobody can take care of your own child as much as you. A survey by Netmums confirmed 7 out of 10 mums would love to stay at home if they can make it work financially.

She also said every woman should be self-sufficient which I completely agree with. Whatever her view are as we all know are hers and she has every right to express them and so do I.

Here are mine.

Regarding her opinion on women giving up their career to take care of their kids full time, well that’s up to them and for all I know most of these women never really give up their careers anyway; especially with the new breed of Mumprenuers, mummy bloggers, interpreneurs etc. like myself.  The fact that we were not sitting in the audience at the fortune magazine most powerful women event now doesn’t mean we haven’t got a career and that we’re just at home chilling and we won’t be sitting there in months or years to come.

Take JK Rowling for example she became an unemployed stay at home mum not by choice and later tapped into her writing skills. She is now one of the best-selling authors of this generation who would have probably been invited to the event, so Mrs. Blair I suppose you’re talking to her too.

Please understand that I admire and respect working and stay at home mums alike. I just strongly believe everyone’s situation is different and we need to respect that and not judge or generalise.

A woman and her husband/partner may decide he or she stays at home with the kids because it would be financially smarter than going to work especially in the current economic climate. Another like me through staying at home during maternity leave, may have discovered her entrepreneurial spirit by finding a niche in the children's on-line market and tapping into it or another woman who may have to work to financially maintain the survival of her family and the list goes on.

I would call myself many things: stay at home working mum, entrepreneur, interprenuer, mumprenuer, mumblogger etc. but unambitious! I doubt that very much. 

As for my son he is 21months and I would say he is intellectually and socially more developed than most children his age I know.  He learnt over forty words before he was one, he interacts with people easily, he learnt his alphabets using phonetics, he can count to ten, he adores reading, loves puzzles, numbers and he learnt all these before he started nursery. 

Mrs Bliar this wasn’t down to any teacher or nanny it was all mummy’s job well done. You know the stay at home one you mentioned. 

This is to all good mums; working or stay at homes, trying to raise the best model citizens that will probably be the next prime minister, greatest artist, footballers, lawyers, marketer, doctors, accountants, nurses etc. Here’s to the sleepless nights, rushing for the early train after work to catch them before bedtime, supporting them with their homework, endless music/dance classes, football practice and so on. Keep being the best mum you can be, do what you love to do best and never give up your passion because it will be one day appreciated just like in the P&G advert. 

By the way I love the advert, view yahoo article here and P&G Video below to inspire you.

So Visitors, parents, mums leave your thoughts in the comment box below on Mrs. Blair’s statement

Oh No!!! Where’s My Baby : 6 ways not to forget or lose your child

I’m sure you’ve heard the news about the "UK Prime Minister"- David Cameroon and his wife Samantha who forgot their eight year old daughter in a Pub.  In case you haven’t here's the quick gist. The Prime minister and his family had a day out to their family Pub; When it was time to leave their daughter had popped to the toilet and no one noticed.  They all left the pub thinking the 8 year old was with either of them as the prime minister and his wife left in separate cars. The mix-up was only realised when they got home and couldn’t find her. Thank GOD they found her afterwards; as she could have strayed out looking for them or even worse kidnapped. From what I know, in some countries the first daughter is a kidnappers gold. Anyway reports say she was returned home within fifteen minutes.


Since this is a trending topic I thought I'd contribute and make a light of the occasional mistake made by parents: “Losing/forgetting your child on an outing and give tips on how not to”.  If it helps anyone.

Before I had my son I was always freaking out talking about how likely I am to forget my baby on the roof of the car or at the supermarket. (This is because I can be quite clumsy when I'm stressed so I think I may forget my baby).  Although I have never forgotten my son anywhere (well not yet and I definitely don’t intent to) Nevertheless, I think I speak for some parents when I say it can happen to anyone but I can’t vouch for the pub part though . Lol

I have heard and read many hilarious mistakes about how parents forgot their children in the most awkward of places. Below are some of these stories.

1. My friend told me a story the other day about how a friend left her new born in the shopping cart only for her mother to then remind her if she was forgetting something and how being a mum hasn't kicked into her brain yet.
2. Another one I heard was the mum that left her baby on top on her car roof and drove away (You know the scenario I have been dreading all my life) I’m not sure how authentic it is though.
3. I read an article recently about a dad in Kentucky who left his 6 months old in the shopping cart and drove away but later realised it and came back for him thankfully he was still there.  
4. I read on baby centre about a mum who thought she lost her new born and got into a panic but her poor little one was snoring on her shoulder lol ( I guess that's just the stress of being a new mum). Also on babycenter parents that left their child at the children Sunday school after church.
5. A writer for the guardian newspaper wrote about how she left her daughter at the fish monger.
6. Finally I read the most ridiculous of stories on forgetting your child, a mother of 10 forgot her 5 year old child at a children's play centre where she had her birthday party and didn't notice until the next morning. See video below for full story.

Thank GOD all of these stories ended up well as it could have easily gone horribly wrong and I’m sure there have been horror stories around the world about tragic cases. As parents I know our brains are overloaded with information and we always have a million things to do at the same time; nonetheless we should always take caution when out with the kids.

   
Below are six things parents could do when leaving home or heading back from an outing to ensure their kids are with them. I know it might seem obvious and straight forward but it is always good to put it into practice, make a mental and a written note of it as well.

6 ways not to forget your baby

1. Have a check list of things to take out and back after and before an outing,  tick them off before heading and the kids should be number one
2. Keep them close or keep a hawk eye view on them at all times
3. Remember to call them back if they start to stray
4. Have one other adult watch over them if possible
5. Have a reminder on your phone to pick them up from school, minder, playgroup etc. That way you won't forget 
6. If you are more concerned about their safety and well-being you can get the child locator gadget, to be extra safe. I stumbled on a video of the gadget on Youtube. See video below for more information. 

I will definitely be doing most of the things on the list to take extra care and I hope it helps other parents too.
      

Below is a video of the ultimate forgetful story I have ever heard and quite frankly it isn't funny. Thankfully the child was in safe hands. Have a lovely weekend and Happy Father's Day in advance.

      
5 Year Old's Girl left at Chuck E. Cheese on her Birthday

child Locator

Looking to buy a used car seat? Five things to watch out for!!

It was recently announced that the UK is now officially back in another recession and I know what is on every parent’s mind is how to save money and tighten budget, which brings me to the topic of buying a used car seat.
  
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents says a child’s car seat suffers wear and tear especially if it is being used and taken out of the car constantly. RSPA recommends storing it away from direct sunlight and where it isn't likely to suffer accidental damage when not being used and also to replace it every five year or as manufacturer specifies.

As the law states, the following compulsory things must be in place when buying a car seat whether old or new and anyone looking to sell a car seat on MumsCentre will have to adhere to the list as well.

• It must be in good and safe condition.
• It must conform to the UN ECE R44.03 or a later R44.04 regulation.
• It must conform to the British Standard 7409:1996: Which is the specification for safety requirements for wheeled child conveyance.
• It must display an “E” mark, ECE R44.03 or R44.04 with a group number and the weight range of the child it is designed for.
• For American and Canadian car seat, it must have an expiry date.

ECE R44/04 Sticker

It is now illegal to sell or use any child restraint that doesn't meet these standards. Regardless of the hard times, as a parent my child’s safety is the paramount thing I will considered before price and budget, which is why I have drafted the list below.

A Child's Car Seat

Five things you should watch out for when buying a used car seat       

1. It conforms to the right regulation and it is fit for its purpose.
2. Check expiry date( If it is an American specification).
3. Make sure it’s in good, clean working condition.
4. It has not been in an accident:If it has this poses a potential danger to your child.
5. Finally it fits in your car properly as some manufacturers will tell you to check this first.

If you ask me, I would say avoid buying a used car seat all together as it poses some form of risk to your child since it has been previously used and people might not be completely honest about its history especially because they want to sell it.

For more information on buying good quality second hand children’s products visit Mumscentre

See video below for more Child car seat safety tips.

Parenting In Tough Economic Times

Parenting In Tough Economic Times

I came across the above article on a website called Gearingup and I thought I should share the link of the site as it might be helpful to parents. Written by Dr Sylvia Scott Gearing a psychologist and author. She wrote about parenting in tough economic times and gives tips on how you can cope with it. Below are challenges she states parents face. To read the full article click the topic link above.

Tough Times

What are the top challenges for parents during these difficult economic times?

• Anger

• Emotional neglect is the biggest risk factor

• Behavioural changes

• Financial adversity offers a mother lode of teachable moments. 

She also gives the secrets to keeping families strong during these times

Here's doing our bit to help parents through these hard times. Making disposable income by selling your children's good quality unwanted items like clothes, shoes,toys,etc.on our website for FREE. No posting or insertion fee. Just post your item and start making the much needed disposable income to enjoy with your family today. Visit Mumscentre for more information. We look forward to seeing you. Have a lovely day.