How to Handle Motion Sickness

The holidays are nearly over, and you've had a great time. You'll be glad to get home and back into your normal routine.

But the one thing standing between you and the place you call home is that long car journey. And for so many parents, that can mean only one thing - car sick kids.

Motion sickness can be common in children. It's basically caused when your inner ear tells your brain you are moving, but your eyes tell your brain you body is still. The problem can be worsened by things like reading books or tablets whilst travelling (bang goes YOUR plans to keep them occupied on the return trip home!)

So here are our tips for getting home in one piece this coming weekend:-

1. Eat before you leave - and avoid heavy, greasy, fast food. It's an excuse to be healthy.
2. Take frequent rest stops so everyone can get out of the car and walk around a bit.
3. Encourage kids to look out the window - remember the car games we suggested at the beginning of the hols? "I spy" anyone.....?
4. Fresh air can really help, so switch off the aircon and open the windows instead. The whole family can benefit from this one, not just the car sick ones.
5. Why not use the time in the car to interact with one another, instead of everyone switching off and doing their own thing? Talk about what you enjoyed most about the holidays, or set some family goals for the next school term.

If all else fails, then medication may be the answer. But it's worth exploring the alternatives first.

Welcome home!

Problems in Parentsville : Sibling Rivalry

Do your kids seem to battle with one another from the moment they wake until they go to sleep again in the evening? Is the little voice inside your head screaming "Why can’t they just get along?!!!!"

Here are our top 5 tips for keeping sibling rivalry in check:-

1. Ditch the labels – the smart one, the wild one, the quiet one – you’re creating competition between siblings by using these labels. So stop.

2. Make time for each of them – kids fight to get attention, so give them each 10 minutes of positive one-on-one every day.

3. Stay out of it – when conflict kicks off, give them a chance to work it out on their own. If this doesn’t work, see tip 4!

4. Guide them in the right direction – demonstrate positive ways to resolve conflict, like taking time out, or letting the other person make their point. Make it clear everyone gets a turn to speak in this house

5. Step in – if things are escalating, it might be time to help them reach an agreement. Make it clear that actions have consequences –for example, you’re going to take the game away if they can’t take it in turns to play. Remember to follow through, otherwise they won’t learn for next time.

Look out for more "Problems in Parentsville"  - and how to solve them - on the blog all of this week. 

Who you gonna call? Stress-busters!

Modern life gets busy. Infact it can often seem like it gets busier day by day, with more and more to cram into one 24 hour period. Pressures of work, running a home, looking after kids, household chores, commuting to work – the list goes on. All of these things can lead to stress.

Stress can be detrimental to your health because negative feelings create physiological changes in your body, which often you don’t even know about. Stress plays a big part in things like blood pressure, heart rate, immune system, blood sugar levels and hormonal balance.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Try making stress management part of your daily routine, and see the benefits. Follow our 5 minute stress-busting tips all of this week, and you’ll be reaping  the benefits by the weekend.

Stress-busters Tip 1 : Get outdoors. Research shows that spending even as little as five minutes in nature can help reduce stress and boost your mind. So get outdoors at lunchtime and eat that sandwich in the park, or spend some time in the garden with a cuppa when you get in from work. It only takes 5 minutes, your stress will be redcuded and your mood boosted.

Stress-busters Tip 2 : Breathe. Teaching yourself to breathe mindfully can have great restorative effects. Concentrate on inhaling through your nose and out through your mouth, and you’ll be oxygenating your body properly as well as correcting your energetic balance.

Stress-busters Tip 3: Do something you enjoy. Take time to play! Doing a hobby or something you enjoy can take your mind off stress and add some much needed fun to your day.