Prioritising Children: Time Management Tips For Busy Mums

Time management is a common issue for busy mums. There always seems to be something to do whether it be running around after the children, cooking the dinner or ironing your husband's shirts. There is so much to do that sometimes it can become overwhelming. More tasks creep onto the never-ending pile of jobs and you wonder how any of them will ever get done. Do you sit there at the end of the day thinking about where the day has gone? It went by a in a flash and you have not got half the things done that you wanted to.

How Your Presence Boosts Early Language Skills

Language is arguably the most important skill your child must acquire. Language is the basis of everything. It is not only our means of communicating with others, but also, it is due to language that we are able to think, learn and remember. Without it we would not be the intelligent beings we are, for language and intelligence go hand in hand. 

Is Screen Time the Biggest Cause of Speech and Language Delay?

Early language skills are so important and research studies have shown how language ability at two years of age predicts later life outcomes. You may wonder how this is possible but we know that the first two years of a child's life is extremely important. Over the course of the first two years, the brain grows rapidly, more rapidly than at any other stage of life. In the first year it doubles in size and by the age of two, it is 85% of adult size. During this time, a child's brain is building structural and functional connections, wiring up the neural networks as the child experiences new things and gains new skills and abilities. Screens can impact on this early development, often in a negative way. In this article I describe the ways screen time can affect speech and language development.

How Husbands Can Support Breastfeeding

I am a huge advocate of breastfeeding. I breastfed all four of my babies; the eldest for about a year and the other three for about 2 years. I loved it. I loved the bond it created between my babies and I, I loved how convenient it was and I loved how it gave my babies the best nutrition that was just right for them at each stage of their early development. According to WHO, "Breastfeeding provides every child with the best possible start in life. It delivers health, nutritional and emotional benefits to both children and mothers. And it forms part of a sustainable food system. But while breastfeeding is a natural process, it is not always easy. Mothers need support – both to get started and to sustain breastfeeding." Now that isn't to say that it will be right for every family. I know that it is not possible for every baby to be breastfed, but if you are able to, it is wonderful.