“My daughter has about 100 friends. And just the thought of that many children in one venue brings me out in hives.” Annie Ridout is struggling with kids’ party etiquette: invites, games, numbers. So she’s making up her own rules…
kids
Family
Rainy autumn weather can make leaving the house hard when you have young kids. So here are seven inspiring and creative rainy day activities from early years teacher Laura Moore that don’t involve screens…
Family
If your child is particular about what they eat – or a ‘fussy eater’ – you’ll know that getting from breakfast through to dinner can be a challenge. Emma Sheppard speaks to parents and experts about fussy eating and how to overcome it…
Family
Parenthood is synonymous with decision-making and one of the biggies is schools. Next year’s application deadline – for the UK – is 15 January, so primary school teacher Eleanor Sapienza tells us what to look for in a school…
Mornings
“If the girls have nursery we get them scrubbed up and ready to leave the house. It’s a chaotic process that rarely goes to plan and usually results in Nathan being late for work.” Lulu Watts, founder of Lulu & Nat, on juggling a homewares business with raising two kids…
Mornings
“The greatest challenge is not being able to fix everything; a child can take great steps in the play therapy room, but if their environment outside does not facilitate and welcome these changes; it can hold them in patterns which restrict this growth.” Carly Tennant on working as a play therapist…
Family
“When all else fails we like to take a breather by having a coffee and – without sounding like a complete hippie – meditating, even if it’s for just three minutes.” Katie Watts (@bet_agna) talks mornings, creativity and downtime with The Early Hour…
Family
“As a nursing mother it is beyond crucial I stay hydrated because she sucks it all right outta me and I’m left with hardcore desert mouth ALL THE TIME.” Rachel Zacharias, or @dear_franny, on breastfeeding, armpits and listening to female folk singers in the bath…
Work Life
Frustrated by the lack of creative, smart, engaging toys on the market for kids, Sahar Meghani decided to create her own. And Trunkaroo – a monthly subscription service for kids’ STEM and art projects – was born…
Mornings
Some toddlers are angels and give their parents no grief but the majority play up from time to time – and it’s often around the daily routine. If you’re finding it hard to get a toddler to clean their teeth, here are 8 clever tricks, shared by readers of The Early Hour…