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.

A No No Guide To Parenting!!!!!  6 Things Not To Do With Or To Your Child

Ever saw a mum or a dad with their kids and said to yourself how on earth are they allowed to raise a child. I’m not talking about the odd telling off or light smacking. I’m talking about the mum smoking with her 11 year old daughter or the dad sharing a beer with his 14year old son. I have seen the smoking one myself and heard about the drinking. 

There are even worse parenting out there and these people are just getting away with it. There was a story about a wannabe WAG mum Laura Palmer in the dailmaily this week who allegedly spends most of her money doing herself up rather than taking care of her children. While she was out partying her neighbours found her children outside running around naked covered in faeces but yet she was spared jail when she went to court. 

All these must make you wonder why people decide to have kids when clearly they are not ready to raise them. Unfortunately there are still some parents out there up to no good. If only the poor little ones or someone can say or do something about their situation, that will make such a huge difference. I know most people including myself have had their fair share of parenting guilt trip but some parents her just horrible.

I came across a few images on dailymail which just speaks volume about the adults trusted to look after theses poor kids. I hope by showing these pictures, they get caught and punished. Some of the pictures were intended as jokes but clearly a cringe worthy one that isn’t even funny.


To the innocent parents: Please be watchful of the people looking after your kids.



To the horrible parents: You brought your children to this world, take care of them because they didn't ask to be here,so do your job and do it well!!!!

See below in picture the 6 things not to do with or to your child. Talk about stating the obvious; please share your views below. All I have to say is May GOD help and protect these kids. 

• Do not practice pole dancing in front of your kids 

• Do not put your child in the microwave, it is very dangerous

• Do not give your child cigarettes to smoke, smoking causes cancer

• Do not buy a pet lion for your child, it could eat her

• Do not practice gun shooting with your child,she could easily turn around and kill you, reading to her will do the trick instead

• Do not start your baby on alcohol that will just mess her up 

See more picture on Dailymail

Got a talent???????!!!!! Why not be a Star Mum

Have you ever thought to yourself Damn I’m really good at this! And this could be anything, I mean anything at all. You could be a super mum with special skills in dealing with your children or a pediatrician, teacher or even an astronaut (ok maybe not an astronaut)

Guess what? There is a place you can finally show it off.  It’s called Mumscentre, an online marketplace for parents to buy, sell and give away their children’s second hand, unwanted and unused items like clothes, toys, shoes and do much more.  Although this is the core purpose of the website, it has been proven that mums don’t just want to buy and sell. They want advice, make friends and share experiences with like minded inspiring mums, which brought about “StarMums”. This can be any mum from different works of life, with special talent or skills

When I say talent I means any special skills be it in your personal or professional life. Say for example you’re a fantastic cook and you would like to share your wonderful skill with other amateurs e.g. a mouthwatering recipe or some cooking tips. Even better you could be a child behavioral expert, super nanny or a stay at home mum with expertise on child discipline and wish to guide and share your knowledge with other struggling parents. Any expertise is welcome as long as you’re ready to be the star of the show.

Come on, go on be our star mum “This is your time to shine, stand on the podium and bask in the glory of fame and good deed. Let’s celebrate you because you deserve it”.   It’s a WIN!! WIN!! situation for you. You will be saving lives (ok maybe not in a brain surgeon way but still) and shining like a star that you are.  You could have your section through a video blog or a question and answer session with your picture at the top of the page for a week or two and if we like you so much, we will run the discussion for a whole month. 

If you will like to be our fabulous star mum or nominate someone that will be willing to be a star mum contact us at info@mumscentre.com

We look forward to making you our fabulous star mums

Happy Mother’s Day

My gifts from Daddy and Kamil

Here’s a poem I wrote earlier

I never knew being a mum was so amazing

Although there are ups and downs but it’s all about the ups today

The most fulfilling time of my life was when I held you for the first time

After 9 months of pain and the weight gain, that all quickly disappeared

Even though you’re screaming while I’m writing this, I still love you all the same

All the sleepless night as soon fade away. O my boy, you are growing up so fast

Even though you are showing signs of terrible 2, you’re still the cutest boy I have ever seen

Sometimes you do things that makes me want to scream but when you smile my heart quickly melts

They say you don’t know what true love is until you have a child of your own, now I can say I feel true love every day.

I love you Kamil

xoxo 

Mum

Happy Mother’s day to all the amazing mums out there. Have fun and enjoy your day