Have you seen any caterpillars in your garden yet this year? Young children can make excellent bug spotters as they’re just the right height for investigating plants in the garden and their natural curiosity makes them slow down and observe things adults have a habit of rushing passed.

Investigating caterpillars is a fun activity for little children and there are so many different elements of learning you can mix in. Here are some ideas to try with your kids to explore a caterpillar project.

Track down some caterpillars

Head off around the garden on the hunt for some caterpillars. The underside of nasturtium leaves and cabbage plants are good places to look. If you’re lucky enough to find a cluster of tiny white eggs leave them where they are and come back every couple of days to watch them develop and hatch. If you find a caterpillar, take a minute to watch how it crawls along and see if your little one can move their body in the same way.

If you can’t find any caterpillars in your garden you could buy a caterpillar kit. Available online and in some supermarkets the kit contains a pop-up mesh container to house your creatures and a voucher so you can send off for some live caterpillars. Once they arrive in the post you can watch them spin their cocoons and then hatch out into butterflies, before releasing them out into the garden – an amazing, close-up science lesson for your children to see.

Read all about it

The most well-known book to go with your project is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, which as well as telling the story of a caterpillar life cycle through beautiful illustrations introduces the days of the week, the numbers one to five and lots of different foods to young readers. Ten Wriggly Wiggly Caterpillars by Debbie Tarbett is a touchy feely book that includes lots of counting. Toddlers and pre-schoolers aren’t too young to be looking at information books along with stories – try the Usbourne Caterpillars and Butterflies or Sally Hewitt’s Life Cycles: From Caterpillar to Butterfly which is designed especially for toddlers and pre-schoolers. You can talk about how the caterpillars change into butterflies and ask your child what will happen to them when they grow up – will they change too?

Make your own caterpillars

It’s lots of fun to make your own caterpillar too and then take it out to play in the garden. To make this zigzag caterpillar, start with a long thin strip of green card. Your child can decorate it however they like, painting, colouring or adding stickers all along the card.

To make the caterpillar’s body fold the strip of card in half to form a right angle and then alternatively fold the two ends of the card back on themselves, repeating the folds until you have used the whole length of card. Fasten the ends in place with glue or sticky tape to stop the zigzag unfolding.

Use pipe cleaners or bendy drinking straws to make antennae and add a happy smiley face. You could take your caterpillar out in to the garden to play or fill a box with leaves to make a garden sensory tub for your caterpillar to live in.

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My wife is expecting our third child in August. You’d think I would be a pro at helping out during pregnancy by now – but nothing could be further from the truth. Quite often I’ll see my wife shuffling across the lounge carpet, backache and pelvic pain meaning that she does what can only be described as a forward moonwalk when moving around to try and ease the pain.

Many dads feel like spare parts during pregnancy. Some particularly soft blokes may even feel a bit guilty that their five minutes of fame (on a good day) verses his partner’s nine months of discomfort seems a bit disproportionate to say the least. Truth is, there are many ways in which a dad can get involved; and here, in no particular order, are five of them.

Rub Her Feet

Pregnancy inevitably involves weight gain, which will take its toll on mum’s feet; and, after a day of walking (or shuffling) around, they can swell to epic proportions. Having her lie down with her feet on your lap whilst you give them a good rub will help relieve any discomfort and earn you a massive number of brownie points. Just don’t complain that her feet smell!

Compliment Her

The weight gain we just mentioned can damage your partner’s self-esteem, especially when it is coupled with morning sickness, backache and swollen limbs. She may often complain that she looks frumpy, or fat, or unattractive; and whilst it’s always been your role to compliment your partner, it’s more important now than ever. Lavishing her with genuine and heartfelt compliments will make her feel fantastic about herself and her pregnancy.

Get Your Marigolds On

Now is the time to throw away your masculinity and start donning your rubber gloves, grabbing your feather duster and reaching for the bleach. Doing more than your fair share of household chores will place you firmly in mum’s good books – and plus, when she does throw up, she’ll be honking into a wonderfully clean toilet. Who wouldn’t like that?

Go to Dinner

This might be your last days of pure freedom, especially if you’re expecting your first child – so why not make the most of it? Take your partner out for a nice meal, safe in the knowledge that – for now – you won’t have to content with a screaming toddler throwing his food at the next table.

Show Interest

Whilst fifty years ago fathers were aloof and distant, nowadays we’re much more involved. Show your partner that you are interested and excited about the prospect of being a dad – read a book, attend appointments, and spend a great deal of time feeling your partner’s baby bump. An involved dad is great for mum and baby.

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As much as we enjoy the winter, with Christmas, baking and plenty of indoor fun, by the time the first daffodils are out we are all itching to get outside and enjoy some proper fresh air!

Both boys (Kieran 5yrs and Taylor 17m) love spending time outdoors and our long list of things to do outside includes…

Running off excess energy!

At last the park looks more like grass than a swamp. We love a good Peppa-pig style splash in a muddy puddle but the novelty soon wears off when the weather is cold and windy. At the first sign of decent spring weather, both boys thoroughly enjoy running around the park, playing on the equipment, kicking a ball around the garden and picking daisies for Mummy!

There are so many wide open spaces near us in the form of common fields, parks and areas of interest and when all that is needed is a ball and some imagination, running off that excess energy is a cheap, enjoyable and insanely noisy outdoor activity.

Sorting out the garden

Kieran (5yrs) loves the garden and is fascinated about plants and how things can grow from a mere seed. Kieran is our chief gardener this year, being in charge of planting sunflowers, violets, herbs and more. Once the last of the frosts subsided it was time to move our plants outside and the Head Gardener tends his plants carefully. Not one to be left out, Taylor has his own little shovel and piece of ground to “work” in. So far he has planted one of Kieran’s cars, flowers and his own foot.

Working outside can be a great way to enjoy the changing season and learn a thing or two. The beauty of being a miniature gardener is that there is a job for everyone come spring time, as long as no-one minds the mess!

Free play

There is nothing nicer than watching children play together unhindered by organised activities. Over the winter we had many planned activities, art and craft, baking, construction (Lego for one and Duplo for another), den making and much more. Now that spring has arrived the boys are let loose outside with no prompts, no rules and no adult interference.

Despite there being a gap in their ages, Kieran and Taylor have been enjoying making their own outdoor fun. They have raced, rolled, chased, hidden and screamed with laughter. As a parent it has been great watching them play together and just enjoy being out in the fresh spring air.

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I still remember clearly the day I took the twins to the ‘weigh in clinic’ and I have to admit I was not looking my best. The twins were 3 months old and obviously keeping me very busy, so I was make-up free and in jeans and a jumper. Two SureStart workers started talking to me about how much help I could get as a Young Mum and my ears pricked up. ‘Help? Oh yes!’ That sounded good. I went on to explain that Noah was in nursery and only 18 months and that obviously having 3 under two was a challenge. Their faces could not hide their shock and I thought it was because of the quantity of children I had at such young ages, but oh no! They then informed me there was support for Mums under 20. Ok, I looked youngish at 27 but I did not look like a teenager! Then I realised that I had thrown my school’s (I am a teacher) Sixth Form sweatshirt on to keep warm on the way down and of course they had assumed I was 18 and possibly still in school. I was kind of flattered really, but once I had confessed my true age they clearly felt very embarrassed!

Strangely though, I always did feel a little out of the loop at New Mums group when Noah was a baby. I was the youngest by at least six years, but you see I never saw myself as a young mum. In fact I thought I had done things about right. I had gone to university, got a job, married and then had children, maybe slightly sooner than I would have planned but my husband is 10 years older and we had to compromise and meet in the middle as to when to start a family.

However, apart from one other, everyone else in the group was 34 plus. Clearly it seems that the 30’s is the decade to have children; both my sisters-in-law proved this by starting their families at 37!

So are there benefits to having children older or younger? I think the only people who can answer this truthfully are those that have done both and can make a comparison; because really, my sisters-in-law and I know no different.

I think it could be argued that in terms of their career they were more established and more financially stable. This made things like having a year’s maternity leave an easier option. However, it did mean that they had to return to work, not for financial benefits necessarily but to maintain their positions. Also, being further up the ladder, and subsequently a higher wage earner, your outgoings are often higher which can increase the pressure.

I however, not having worked my way up the ladder, will have to return to work at the bottom! My hands were slightly tied, as three kids in childcare costs more than my salary and I didn’t really have any choice but to be a stay at home mum.

It also could be argued that the younger you are the more energy you have, but I think this is dependent on so many factors like diet, health, and exercise. Saying that, if you were not fit before children, you will be after them, they certainly keep you on your toes!

I suppose for me the most important consideration is that by being slightly younger when starting a family, I do have more options. I can return to work when the little ones are at school and then start again at 37 or 38! (I am not saying I am going to, just mentioning this is a possibility!) I could retire earlier as my children will all be at Uni or working by the time I am 50! Or I could be travelling the world by then!

I am not sure there is a right or wrong age to have children, I think the point is that it just has to be one that is right for you and your family, but it is food for thought don’t you think?

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“Die Hemmung” is a great German noun. It describes, in one word, all the inhibitions experienced by many of us when attempting to communicate in a foreign language in which we are far from proficient. Often embarrassed and possibly concerned we will be belittled for our incompetences, we are scrabbling outside our comfort zone. Worse still, if you do give it your best shot and they actually understand, there’s always the danger they’ll then presume fluency and gabble back at the speed of light fully expecting you to comprehend.

At least that was my problem.

A confident Manager in the UK, I was able to conduct presentations to hundreds of medical professionals without breaking a sweat. On arrival in Hamburg, just about able to count to ten in German, I crumbled under the pressure and spluttered out sentences only under duress and when absolutely necessary. It took me quite some time to lose my Hemmung but one particular event aided progress towards shaking it off completely.

When my daughter was born I’d only been in Germany for a couple of years. Granted, I had got past the panic stage regarding chatting with the Germans, but nevertheless I was far from confident. A friend of mine, a mother too, Iraqi and also struggling with the complexities of the language, had asked me to accompany her to a meeting about child nutrition. I really didn’t fancy it but she pleaded with me and in the spirit of solidarity, I agreed.

On the basis of forewarned is forearmed, I swotted for that meeting with a fervour that would have stood me in excellent stead had I applied it to my O’levels back in the day. Deciding, should I be forced to contribute, I would speak about preservatives in children’s food and how best to avoid them, I practiced intensively if not enthusiastically.

Cometh the hour cometh the (wo)man, I was indeed asked for my input on the day of the meeting. Channelling my inner Northern grit and wishing my pride hadn’t stood in the way of me using a crib sheet, I did my best to champion preservative free food.

Half way through my speech (preservative this preservative that), I thought I was doing well until I plucked up the courage to try a little eye contact. Could it be that these women were smirking! I believe one was even openly laughing! How dare they, I was doing my best and child nutrition is a serious business is it not? Sensing my well rehearsed dialogue was somehow unintelligible, my oratory faltered. It was only then, that a very kind German lady named Anya, took me gently to one side and explained the reason behind the hilarity.

“It is, what you say in English, a False Friend” she told me. “Damn right” I huffed, interrupting “these women are certainly no friends of mine!”

“Nein nein, she chuckled, you see “Präservativ” is the German word for condom!”

So I had been extolling the virtues of condom free food for children.

So soon after giving birth the laughing fit that followed soon had me sprinting for the Ladies! After which we all had a good giggle. From that day on, my Hemmung left me.

How much worse can it get than announcing to a room full of women that, although not always practical, wherever possible, you do your very best to avoid feeding your child condoms?

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If you’ve got a faddy eater on your hands, at least you’re not alone. When toddlerdom strikes and children learn to say no, fussy eating is at its height. Your compliant little baby who opened his mouth obediently like a bird when offered milk or mushed up food may one day morph into the toddler who clamps his mouth shut and refuses to try anything he doesn’t recognise.

Why do toddlers refuse food?

The calorie needs of a toddler are very different to that of a baby. If you think about how much a baby grows in the first year of its life, from freshly hatched newborn to strong and sturdy nearly-toddler, you can see that it’s inevitably going to take a lot of fuel to make that happen. But their rate of growth then slows down and is less consistent from around 12 months onwards. On the other hand, a toddler is much more mobile than a baby, and is going to need to power all that fizziness and moving about.

So you may find that your child’s appetite goes in fits and spurts just like their growth and activity pattern. Some toddlers seem to go for days existing on only fresh air and dried up crisps off the floor, then launch into three course meals with abandon.

Don’t panic if it looks like your toddler isn’t eating much. Look at the overall picture to get a sense of whether your child is getting the nutrition they need.

• Do they have enough energy for play?

• Do they sleep well, or at least as well as they ever have? If they wake up in the night, are they hungry?

• Does their skin look healthy and bright?

• Are their bowel movements regular and normal (no loose stools or constipation)?

• Are they prone to illness?

A toddler’s appetite may also be affected by teething – a sore, gummy mouth would put anyone off their dinner.

What’s the recipe for a fuss pot

There’s no real rhyme or reason as to why some children get fussier about food than others, and it certainly doesn’t make you a bad parent if you find you have a food avoider on your hands.

Neither does it make you a better parent if your child’s an omnivore who’s always happy to try new things. Two children brought up in the same household by the same parents could have entirely different approaches to food.

That said, if, deep down, you know that your own approach to food and trying new things is less than positive, then don’t be surprised if your child picks up on this. And if that’s the case, then the place to start making improvements is within your own attitudes rather than your child’s. Be honest – does your child see you eating a varied, balanced diet? Are you up for new food experiences, even if it’s something you don’t expect to like? Does all the family regularly share meals together? Sometimes the solution to fussy eating lies not with the child but with the parent.

Extracted from Toddlers: An Instruction Manual by Joanne Mallon (Nell James Publishers £7.99) Joanne Mallon is a freelance parenting journalist, a life and career coach and a parent to two. Part of the royalties  from the book will be donated to Home-Start, one of the UK’s leading family support charities.

Toddlers: An Instruction Manual is available to buy as a paperback or for Kindle from Amazon.

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I have to admit that whilst I know some people are not Supernanny fans I did think the Naughty Step idea was a good one. When Noah started his testing times it worked a dream, he understood, he did not want to go there and threat enough worked. I was so high on my pedestal with the ease of this discipline lark.

Then I had the twins and I fell to the ground with an almighty bump. And the bruise still hurts, let me tell you!

My three could not be more different in personality if they tried. Noah does not want to be told off. He will occasionally be naughty but is always very sorry and regretful. Chilled out boy is a cheeky chappie – he often gets away with more based on his cuteness, which I know is not fair but it’s true. He is very relaxed and in truth fairly good. His naughty things often revolve around food and any opportunity to snake it – he is like a Labrador puppy!

Little Madam on the other hand will cut her nose off to spite her face. She will not cry or make a fuss at the Naughty Step. She sits there with perfection, and she will say sorry to get off, but it is water off a ducks back with her. One time she was given a warning and she did it anyway and took herself to the step – as if to say “well, it was worth it!”

The Naughty Step with Little Madam is not working and I am at a loss as to what to do. She shows little attachment to anything, so taking things away won’t work. The only thing that she is bothered about is if I don’t give her attention, but then she is a sulker and this is tiresome when it lasts all afternoon!

Interestingly enough the Montessori movement has recently said that they don’t believe the Naughty Step to be the most appropriate course of action when it comes to discipline.

In fact it is going to the other extreme and saying that Maria Montessori, the Italian doctor who founded the movement in the early 1900s, believed rewards or punishments interfered with “children’s own natural desire to learn and to socialise”.

It is advocating letting children make decisions for themselves: when they misbehave they are not to be punished. This approach is supposed to encourage independence and parents should give children the freedom to find out for themselves.

On a basic level, I can understand this. When he was a baby, if I told Noah once I told him a thousand times: the radiator is hot, not to touch, and then I would move him away. Then on one occasion I didn’t get there in time and he touched it. After that never again, and I can understand the idea that he didn’t know what hot meant, and as soon as he touched it, I could say ‘’hot’ and now he has learned.

However, how does a child learn appropriate behaviour for themselves without being told what is and isn’t acceptable? If you do tell them and they then repeat the behaviour anyway and they are not punished, what does that teach them? They can do as they please? That rules don’t matter? How will they cope at school and in life when there are rules to follow?

I know that if I did not even attempt to punish Little Madam when she was naughty, she would think she could rule the roost. To be fair, I am clinging on by a thread, but I’m determined not to be beaten by her!

I love the idea of children learning for themselves in principle – it all seems very holistic and child-centered, but in practice is it realistic? When they are climbing all over the furniture in a friend’s house and you don’t tell them off, how would your friend feel? When they have drawn all over the walls, what do you do? If they have hurt another child, do you let them think that is ok?

I really want to read the book when it comes out as I do need more answers but what are your thoughts?

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I’m at work, eavesdropping on a conversation between two elderly colleagues. (I say ‘eavesdropping’, but they’re the kind of people who talk so loudly that everyone within a mile radius can hear what they have to say.)

“I remember when I was young,” says one of them. “We always used to play games, as a family.”

“It doesn’t happen any more,” bemoans the other; and the two start talking endlessly about the youth of today.

But what they said made me think: and I reckon they might have a point. I have very fond memories of being a young boy and playing board games on the lounge floor with my sisters and parents. There was Inspector Higgins, and Free Parking – and the occasional round of Downfall, of course. If we were feeling especially adventurous we ventured into Monopoly Junior.

But I’ve got to be honest – since I’ve been a parent, games nights come few and far between. It’s easy to blame the rise in computer gaming – after all, far more interesting games than Scrabble can be found online at the touch of a button. People are generally busier, working harder to make a bit of money in today’s tight times.

Whenever I tell myself these excuses, I get that little sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach which only happens when I lie. Fact is, it doesn’t take much to instigate a games evening, especially when your children are still young, as mine are.

The fact that some of my most treasured childhood memories involve playing games with my family demonstrates just how important it is for households to switch off the TV, unplug the laptop, set the mobiles to silent and sit down as a family.

The first thing to do in order to make Games Night a success is to find a game which the whole family enjoys and is appropriate to the age of the children playing. My youngest son is two, and probably a little too young to participate – but the eldest, being four, is in dire need of weaning off CBeebies and onto a fun game like Kerplunk! or Twister. And then, when he’s older, we can move on to board games and help him realise that he can have fun without playing on his Nintendo DS.

At the very least, my wife and I will go to bed nurturing the fuzzy glow that comes with knowing you’ve spent your time well instead of watching car-crash TV all evening. Which is why, right now, I’m going to finish this article, turn off the laptop, and retrieve the dusty Articulate box from the spare room.

What’s your family’s favourite board game?

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I hear it all the time:

“Are you bringing her up bilingually? That’s wonderful! Such a gift for a child, I wish we could do that.”

I nod in agreement, smile and add some perfunctory comment about wishing I too had benefited from such an opportunity as a child and how much easier that would have made my move abroad ten years ago.

They do have a point of course. On my arrival in Germany, I found my usual confident self, breaking out into a nervous sweat when faced with the “simple” task of asking for a bread roll in the bakery. Surely, the leverage of a bi-lingual upbringing would have had me swanning into the shop and chatting fluently and effortlessly about the weather and the current state of the economy! The shopkeeper, wowed by my linguistic prowess would bow in deference to my proficiency and I would exit the establishment, head held high and no doubt feeling somewhat superior to my mono-lingual compatriots.

Except it’s not quite like that and nor should it be. Whilst in the UK the ability to speak more than one language fluently is looked upon as something rather special, in many regions of the world it is quite commonplace for children to be exposed to two or more languages from birth. The reality of this form of upbringing however is not quite the idealistic gift-giving dream one would like to think. It can be as complicated, frustrating and confusing as a thousand other parenting conundrums.

My daughter Finje is almost six years old. Since the day she was born here in Germany, I have spoken to her exclusively in English and my (German) husband in German. Whilst she listens attentively to everything I say (obviously!) and understands perfectly, she answers, consistently, in German. Despite consolation that this is quite typical, my concerns that we may not have approached her bilingual upbringing correctly remain unappeased. When she does concede to speak English, usually when she has no other choice, her accent, somewhat reminiscent of Herr Flick from “Allo Allo”, does little to lessen my doubts!

There are numerous and varied theories on the best ways to deal with children exposed to two languages. As with most parental decisions we are forced to make, whichever one you eventually plump for, you will, of course, convince yourself it was wrong. In another parallel with everyday parenting, you find yourself, disappointingly, falling into the comparison trap and fretting over “research” done on the internet; Will they be “late developers” when it comes to speaking? How will they cope in school when they mix/confuse their languages? Will the other kids find them weird?

Of course the immeasurable advantages easily compensate for the occasional moments of apprehension, plus a child learning two languages can be a constant source of amusement for her parents.

As Finje was just beginning to grapple with numbers, counting everything possible, she decided to have an English moment in the middle of a busy Manchester Airport and yell, “Mama what comes after sechs (six, read:sex)?” As the chap sitting behind us muttered something about a cigarette, I was in stitches and struggled to splutter out the word “seven” to my very serious looking daughter.

We battle on in our pursuit to encourage her to speak English and cracks are appearing in her armour. The Gruffalo is a favourite of hers and ours and since we watched the film together she insists on correcting my Northern pronunciation of “snow” with her now well practiced Coltrane-Scottish twang.

Like most stages of parenting, the panic and concerns pass and, over time, fade into a kind of pleasant relaxation, supported by the feeling that, somehow, everything will work out fine. Five years ago, fretting over such huge decisions like, do I start her on pureed vegetables or pureed fruit I should have known that, in actual fact, it was all completely irrelevant.

I suspect the same applies now with her bilingualism. Whichever way we approach it, she will, of course, be able to understand and speak both English and German. And frankly, should her English accent not improve from Herr Flick-esque, it may, nevertheless be preferable to certain British dialects!

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It’s not like my son is a loner. He has friends, who he runs around with, and he’s quite popular. It’s just that he’s incredibly shy.

When someone he doesn’t know talks to him, he withdraws, often giving a wry smile and a little snigger before hurriedly walking on. Sometimes, even when he’s surrounded by people he knows he’ll do the same, if he feels a little overwhelmed by the occasion. And now and again he will work at school alone, reading books or painting without anyone around.

As a parent it’s a heartbreaking sight. Everyone wants their child to be popular and confident, but now and again Isaac (4) just doesn’t seem like he knows how to talk to people. I wonder whether he’s got it from me: I’m not shy, per se, but I don’t particularly like going out of my comfort zone and meeting new people.

But how do I help him? I don’t want him to turn into some kind of introvert, even if it is a paranoid thought. In order to make a mark in today’s society you need to be confident and outspoken, especially if The Apprentice is to be believed.

Here are five ways in which you can help your child overcome shyness:

1. Empathise with your child. Don’t give him the impression that there’s anything wrong, and never judge him negatively – all it will do is increase his shyness and insecurity. Empathise with him, and build his confidence slowly.

2. Be confident. You are your child’s example, and a lot of what he does he learns from you. So, when you’re with him, be confident, friendly and relaxed in social interactions.

3. Try role playing. This is especially important if you suspect your child may be the victim of bullying. Coach him to deal with teasing and conflict by playing relaxed role-playing games.

4. Give him practice. He will never learn to show confidence unless he is exposed to social situations regularly. Attend playgroups, school events and so on; invite some of his friends over for meals. Eventually, he will learn how to interact with others.

5. Notice and respond to his needs. He will be looking to you for reaction and advice, so look after him if you see him feeling insecure and calm him. He will learn how to react to his emotions, and as such be able to respond to the emotions of others.

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It is all very well to feed your children healthy snacks if they are a lover of fruits and raw vegetables but when they are not what do you opt for? I have three children who will not willingly eat anything that actually looks like a vegetable or a fruit and I have to spend my time disguising them.

I cannot wholly blame them; I am not a fruit or vegetable person myself and really have to force myself to eat them. I can now cope with broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus but that is about it. Additionally, all my sauces have to be smooth as I can’t stand lumps, so when you have a mother that has to eat like a baby it does not leave much hope for the children.

In a way I think it has made me more determined for them not to be like me. However, I remember as a child being forced to eat lumpy sauces and picking at my food. When my mum finally made my spaghetti bolognaise with the mince and smooth sauce and I wolfed it down she decided something was better than nothing. I have the same approach; in the view that as long as the ingredients are all in there what does it matter if I blitz it?

I had been really worrying about what my children eat for some time. Then a support work with Home-Start said to me that she had taken her son to the doctor about his diet and the doctor had told her not to worry and that he grew up on mostly chocolate and look how he turned out (a slightly arrogant approach in my opinion but then it kind of has a point!). Interestingly this support worker also said that when at friends her kids would eat what was given to them. Now as adults their taste has developed and of course they want a proper meal.

When I told her about the kind of meals my children eat, she was amazed and said she would never have got her boys to eat those. However as I say I- blitz!

So …

Spaghetti Bolognaise– I cook the mince and the sauce (containing onions, tomatoes, courgettes, broccoli, a tin of sweet corn and carrots – plus garlic, Italian seasoning and stock) separately and then I blitz the sauce and add it to the mince. They love it and eat it in bowls full and I can’t fault it really. If I made it lumpy it would be a battle of wills and I would be negotiating each mouthful. I don’t want meal times to be a battle; I want them to enjoy their food.

Shepherd’s Pie – done in much the same way, with a tin of baked beans added to the mince and sage instead of Italian seasoning, plus lamb mince.

Fish Pie – they will eat broccoli but only on the side! Yes my children are weirdos!

Roast Dinner – veg has to be mashed into the mashed potato – I can sneak in carrot, suede and broccoli – all disguised with gravy!

Pasta, broccoli and Cheese! – So easy and quick!

Apple Puree and Custard!

Fruit Smoothies! An essential in our house; but only the twins will eat bananas; Noah would run a mile from them (just like his Daddy!)

Quiche – for some strange reason they love quiche. Again broccoli on the side! Good old broccoli, thank goodness for you.

Soup – blitzed!

Clearly fish fingers and nuggets go down a storm!

The only thing is that our meals have become very repetitive in order to get the goodness in, so if you have any other ideas for meals (where sauces can be blitzed) then please do let me know!

You probably think I am crazy and am creating more work for myself, but actually I would rather the children ate all their dinner and were full, satisfied and healthy, than be squabbling about eating a carrot. Being forced to eat them as a child has not changed my opinion of them now – I still don’t like them, but now I get to choose, and I can blitz for myself!

Do you think your children have a healthy diet and have you managed to keep it varied? Share your tips in a comment; I’d love to hear them.

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Spring is here and it’s such a lovely time to have a toddler around. There’s lots of fun to be had celebrating the new season with lots of spring-like arts, crafts, games and play. The warmer weather means it’s easier to spend more time outdoors, enjoying the fresh air and playing in the garden.

Here’s a fiesta of fun-filled spring ideas just right for little kids.

Spring activities for toddlers

Bake some flower cookies. Use this easy cookie recipe, stamp out some flower shapes and let the children use icing pens and sprinkles to add lots of colour and make a batch of spring blooms they can eat.

Use left-over plastic Easter eggs to play this fun colour-sorting game.

Invite your toddler to join in with the spring cleaning. Use these ideas for a child-sized cleaning kit and let your toddler join in with some grown up work.

Use a flower as a paint brush. Choose a fairly robust flower such as a chrysanthemum, set out some saucers of paint and print yourself a spring picture.

Update your sand pit by adding in lots of spring materials to make a pretend potting shed. Add in plant pots, trowels and artificial flowers and your kids can dig and plant their own garden.

And why not grow some real flowers too? Choose large seeds such as sunflowers or pumpkins so they are easy for toddlers to handle and plant them in pots of compost.

Peas and beans are great to start off in a clear plastic glass as your children can watch the roots and shoots appear.

You can make a beautiful flower garden inside too by using sticky-backed plastic and paper cake cases to create a sticky wall garden. The sticky-backed plastic is a great material for kids’ art and they can remove and change bits of the picture when they like, and add in other flowers and animals all through the spring.

Scrunchy tissue paper is a great touchy-feely material for toddler to use too. Choose some spring colours and combine it with a paper plate to make a spring wreath for your front door.

You could talk about all the baby animals being born at this time of year and then make your own lamb or bunny craft – easy designs that very young children can make.

These are some of our favourite spring activities for toddlers. What have you got planned for your children?

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“You don’t have a car? And you’ve got three children?” Most people look horrified when we tell them. “How on earth do you manage?”

It was an easy decision for us, getting rid of our car. Last year we upsticked and went travelling for nine months. Before we left, we got rid of as many belongings as we could, both to raise money and also to have less to store. So our rusty old car paid for a week in Maui: a fair exchange.

When we came home, we decided to see whether we could manage without getting a new one. Partly because I’d rather have a shiny new iMac than a second hand car, and partly to do our bit in the fight against climate change. We’ve been back home now for eight months, and I can honestly say that we’re managing well.

There’s no doubt that living in London helps. We have mainline and tube stations within walking distance and we can get buses to all kinds of useful places. We decided when we took the decision that we weren’t going to be hairshirtish; so we don’t feel guilty about taking taxis when necessary. Often we’ll take public transport one way and a taxi the other.

We have also joined a car club. Another advantage of living in a big city is that the club has excellent coverage, there’s even one parked on our street! Like taxis, they’re not cheap, but sometimes they’re the only way to get where we want to go with relative ease.

While living in a heavily built up area may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it does mean that everything we need is within walking distance. Our children go to school round the corner, the GP is nearby, as is the vet. We have a local high street with a weekly market, a good selection of shops and a library. Thanks to the magic of veg boxes and supermarket deliveries, I rarely used my car even when I had one.

Of course it’s not all easy and there are times when I wish we still had a car. I’m loathe to use the car club to take my children to the endless parties they’re invited to, which means I have to grovel unattractively for lifts. And I hate dragging them out after tea to pick up a sibling who’s been to visit a friend, particularly if it’s wet or cold. Sometimes I would love to be able to bundle them into a warm, dry car.

And we learnt too late that people are organised about booking car club cars at popular times, so we missed out on our planned Boxing Day walk in Richmond Park. But these are minor teething troubles, and we’re learning as we go along. Cars for Easter were booked a month in advance.

There’s no doubt that not owning a car shapes our lives. For instance I only allow the children to do after school activities that are actually at school, because I can’t ferry them all around to different places. And our weekend and holiday plans take into account whether the destination is near a railway station. But in the grand scheme of things, these really aren’t huge sacrifices.

I’m not saying we’ll never own a car again, I actually have a secret hankering for a campervan, but for now, it suits us. We’re saving money, getting more exercise and doing our small bit for our planet. It’s all good.

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We’re absolutely delighted to be welcoming two new members to our Parent Panel team this Spring.

Victoria Wallop is a freelance writer and social media consultant who lives in London with her three children, husband and dog.

She’s recently returned from backpacking around the world with her family, dog not included, recording every gory detail on her blog ‘It’s a small world after all’. It was an amazing nine months, but she’s glad to be home and leech free.

She also blogs about subjects other than mossies at words and pictures.

 

Born and bred in the UK, Suze Nowak decided to change her life and emigrate to Germany in order to tick “learn another language” off her bucket list! A decade later, she is married to a German and has a six year old daughter who employs her bilingualism only when it plays to her advantage.

Following a successful two year column “Achtung Baby” with www.parentdish.co.uk she is combining motherhood and the betterment of her German with the pursuit of a career as a freelance writer.

Suze is a committed advocate of cross-culture relationships and believes the emergence of a second language as a consequence has a myriad of benefits. That said, the absence of clotted cream, Heinz Tomato Soup and decent English Tea Bags (amongst others) in the land of Currywürst does, just occasionally, have her pining for the homeland.

Look out for new posts from Victoria and Suze coming soon on BornFree Mum & Dad!

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It’s Easter holidays time again, two whole weeks of no school runs, no after-school clubs and no toddler groups. We can’t wait!

This Easter looks set to be a fun one for us because this year my two boys can play together, with Taylor being 16 months old now and walking (so soon!) and Kieran being 5yrs old. Finding activities for them both to enjoy together, which won’t cost the earth but which they both get something out of has meant having to put my thinking cap on.

The garden

Assuming the Easter sun makes an appearance we plan to spend a lot of time outside. The garden is an endless source of fun and entertainment for both boys. Water is always great cheap fun and this year we are being more creative.

With the risk of droughts hitting the news we are ditching the paddling pools and water guns for less wasteful fun. Both boys enjoy painting our garden fence with water. All that is need is a bucket of water and a suitable brush each. Kieran does a professional job of “painting” everything and Taylor thoroughly enjoys splashing the water around and showering us all. A cheap, fun and clean activity which of course has to be finished off with blowing and catching bubbles!

Exploring the local area

We are lucky enough to have some fantastic green areas and lots of things to see and do locally. We will be enjoying outdoor picnics, the local play parks, feeding the ducks, and kicking a ball around our green spaces. There are many museums and attractions we could visit but they involve Taylor being strapped into the pushchair all day, watching rather than doing.

We’ve arranged for Kieran and I to go off on our own for a few days to enjoy these things whilst Taylor has his own fun, but really we’ve been looking for fun activities they can do together.

There is no end to the fun we can enjoy outside together which is suitable for both boys and their ages. Whatever we do enjoy when outside we will be doing under sun hats, with sun are cream on and will be taking regular breaks for a cool drink and a rest.

However, British weather being what it is, we are prepared for spending at least some of our time indoors.

Arts and crafts

Kieran adores arts and crafts; Taylor adores anything that Kieran has! Homemade play dough which can be safely nibbled on provides a creative outlet for the 5yr old to enjoy and is great for a toddler to enjoy rolling about, poking and exploring the texture.

Dens

Never underestimate the power of a blanket and some cushions. It is easy to turn a playroom or living room into a magical world for everyone to enjoy with just a few adjustments. By making the den more secure (so the 1yr old can’t pull everything down very easily and spoil the fun!) the boys can enjoy hours of fun together.

Whatever you do, have fun!

This Easter we will be playing together, not separately and so it is important we can find activities that suit everyone’s abilities and levels of interest and enjoyment. No-one wants a bored child during school holidays! These low budget, fun activities are just a few examples of things that will be great for my toddler and five year old, and can be adapted to suit any aged family.

Whatever you are doing this Easter, have a great time!

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