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Pregnancy Yoga event at Seraphine Kensington

By
The Well Clinic
-

Thank you to the lovely group of mums and bumps who joined us, two weeks ago for some pregnancy yoga at the Seraphine store in Kensington.

We were joined by Libby Stevenson, who is a Certified Pregnancy and Post Natal Yoga Teacher and is Yoga Alliance Registered.

The Pregnancy Yoga Event combined yoga with the creative process allowing participants to explore feelings and emotions surrounding pregnancy and impending motherhood.  

During the session, participants were able to take a closer look at their pregnancy journey so far by engaging in mindfulness, visualizations, hand gestures and yoga. The mindfulness and the visualizations engaged the right side of the brain where emotions are stored and, thereby, allowed their expression.  The yoga connected the participants to their bodies with movements (1) they can use to help relieve common pregnancy symptoms and (2) that can be used to help them give birth. Participants learned a breathing technique to help them manage the pain and stress that can occur when giving birth.

There was also an introduction on how the first three months after the birth is a critical time for the mother’s health and wellbeing.  Participants were provided with a list of resources they could refer to if they needed more information.

All the participants took home a goody bag graciously provided by Seraphine.

This event was more than just a yoga class.  During this event, all mothers engaged in group discussions and experiential activities that  allowed everyone to explore our feelings and our emotions surrounding different stages of pregnancy. This was also a great opportunity to meet and mingle with mums-to-be in the area of Kensington. What Kensington Mums is so passionate about.

Enjoy browsing through some images from the day.

We look forwards in seeing you at our upcoming event on 25th of October at our Half term Party with Trotters in Kensington.

When to take your child to see an orthodontist?

By
The Well Clinic
-

With the new generation of early orthodontic treatments at Happy Kids Dental, today’s
children can reduce or avoid the need for braces as teenagers.

Playground politics is the bane of the modern mother – so if you hear a parent mentioning
they’re taking their little one to an orthodontist at age 7, you’d be forgiven for thinking
they’re just being competitive. But modern teeth straightening, or early orthodontics, is one subject that actually has substance – meaning that bulky metal braces are no longer an inevitable fate for our kids.

Staging an intervention

Taking advantage of the latest dental technologies, early orthodontic treatment is a holistic
approach that takes advantage of a child’s jaw while it is still soft and pliable. With an
orthodontic assessment at around the age of 7, any developmental issues can be flagged
and a plan can be put in place immediately, rather than waiting until the optimum age for
fixed braces. This approach reduces or eliminates the need for heavy-duty metal braces in
later years. Logical and gentle, it’s the future of orthodontics!

Finding the right dentist

Early orthodontic treatment is not widely available at general dental practices, but at Happy
Kids Dental[link: www.happykidsdental.co.uk] in London, it comes as standard from a team
that includes consultants and specialists in orthodontics and paediatric dentistry. Treatment
can range from help with habits such as thumb-sucking to devices that correct the position
of the tongue, or create or maintain space for adult teeth to emerge in the right place. The
practice is also one of the first in the UK to offer Invisalign First. Designed expressly for
children with a mixture of baby and adult teeth, the US-pioneered system of removable
clear aligners doesn’t impact on children’s ability to eat or clean their teeth. Convenient and
barely visible in the mouth, Invisalign First is a great confidence-booster, too.

Creating positive experiences

The great thing about Happy Kids Dental is that whatever treatment your family needs, you
can guarantee it will actually be a fun and positive experience. The owners have built their
practice to appeal to young minds, with jungle-themed, interactive play areas, a highly
qualified team who welcome nervous and special needs patients, and a raft of technologies
that make treatment comfortable and fast – even for parents! The broad range of specialist
treatments under one roof means that the practice can support families as they grow,
creating healthy, happy smiles for life.

Want to take your child to the orthodontist? Get an early orthodontic assessment for just
£50 (usual price £100) at Happy Kids Dental when you book a new patient consultation.
Call 020 7078 0822 and quote EARLYORTHO50%.
Happy Kids Dental | 74-78 Seymour Place | London W1 2EH | 020 7078 0822 |
www.happykidsdental.co.uk

This is a sponsored post.

Chocolate and Cherry Sourdough

By
The Well Clinic
-

By adding cherries, we have taken the beloved combination of bread and chocolate in a new direction. This dough is only moderately sweet; the natural sourness of the dough tempers the sweet character of the inclusions. Given how many taste testers were waiting when these loaves came out of the oven, it’s a captivating combination. As a bonus, the bake-proof chocolate chips remain melted for a good while (while still holding their shape), adding to the indulgence of each bite.

 

Total Time: Active 27 min / Inactive 20 h 26 min

DDT: 24–26°C / 75–78°F

Difficulty: Moderate: mixing

Ovens: Home

Yield/Shapes: 1 lg boule (1.00 kg)

Ingredients for 1 lg boule (1.00 kg)

* 230 g mature liquid levain

* 185 g water

* 0.16 g instant dry osmotolerant yeast

* 225 g bread flour

* 30 g cocoa powder

* 15 g brewed espresso

* 7 g fine salt

* 160 g bake-proof dark chocolate chips

* 160 g dried cherries

General Directions

MIX combine the levain, water, and yeast in a bowl; add the flour, cocoa powder, and espresso, and mix to a shaggy mass; autolyse 30 min; add the salt, and mix until homogeneous; transfer to a lightly oiled tub or bowl, and cover well with a lid or plastic wrap

BULK FERMENT bulk ferment, covered, for 4 h at 21°C / 70°F; perform 6 four-edge folds (1 fold every 30 min after the first hour); after the first fold, add the chocolate chips and cherries; mix with your hands using a squeeze, pull, and fold-over motion; rest the dough, covered, for 30 min after the final fold; check for full gluten development using the windowpane test

PRESHAPE boule

REST 20 min, well covered

SHAPE boule

FINAL PROOF proof for 12–16 h in the refrigerator, well covered

SCORE score with a cross across the top; be mindful that the blade can catch on the inclusions; transfer to the base of a preheated cast-iron combination cooker, and cover with the preheated lid

BAKE place the pan into a 260°C / 500°F oven; drop the temperature to 245°C / 470°F, and bake for 45 min with the lid on; remove the lid, and bake for an additional 10 min

Notes

Multiply the recipe by two for a miche.

Consume within 2–3 d, or freeze for up to 2 mo.

Be sure to flour baskets / couches well because this dough tends to be a bit wet and sticky.

If you don’t want to cold-proof your dough, you can proof it at 27°C / 80°F (65% RH) for 5–7 h or at 21°C / 70°F for 6–8 h.

When mixing, the cherries tend to cluster. Break them apart prior to adding them to the dough.

You can measure 1/16 tsp by measuring 1/8 tsp and dividing it in half.

If you can’t find osmotolerant yeast, you can use instant dry yeast and increase the final proofing time by 20–30 min.

The recipe is from Modernist Bread.  Image credited to The Cooking Lab, LLC.

Top 17 activities to do this October Half term

By
The Well Clinic
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Halloween at Gambado

Book now for our Halloween spooktacular parties!
Halloween disco. Fun in our enormous play frame
Have a go on our dodgems and carousel. Fancy dress competition – the best outfit wins an Annual Pass. Tasty kids meal – choose from hot dog & chips or veggie nuggets & chips. Party Bag with every child ticket. Earlybird tickets are now on sale. Book now to guarantee the lowest price tickets for this event! Click here for dates, prices & to book your tickets! –

Stagecoach Kensington  

Little Witches and Wizards – 4 to 6 years – 9.30 to 12.30pm daily. 4 day workshops 22 – 25 October 2018. Join us for spooky and scary songs, dances and drama. Book now to have lots of spine tingling and ghoulish fun! No experience needed.Witches and Wizardry – 6 to 16 years – 10am to 4.30pm daily. We will be working on songs, dances and drama from a spooky array of musicals and movies. From Harry Potter to Wicked, and Ghost Busters to Little Shop of Horrors, we will help you develop your performance skills and have lots of spine tingling and ghoulish fun too! Email – kensington@stagecoach.co.uk tel – 028 8398 8106.

The Kensington Kindergarten

Our two nursery schools are located in Kensington and are ideally located for families living in Kensington, Knightsbridge, Holland Park and Notting Hill. Our classrooms are bright and airy and provide ample room for all the fun and exciting activities our nursery offers. In addition to our broad curriculum, we focus on outdoor learning by holding a weekly Forest School class, football and tennis lessons. Our goal is to provide a safe and caring environment where children can gain a positive approach to school and learning. Children learn through play and structured lessons with a balance of free choice. Our children are well prepared for the next step in their education.

National Army Museum

Craft a communications tool and practise sending secret signals, make a paper poppy or join an Early Years session of story and song with free workshops this half term at the National Army Museum. It’s also the last chance to see Special Forces; in the Shadows, this major interactive exhibition is closing 28 October and it’s the perfect chance as kids go free this half term! Ts and Cs apply.

Cavendish Milton

Cavendish Milton have helped hundreds of young pupils apply to London’s most competitive schools at 11+ and 13+, including St Paul’s (Boys and Girls), Westminster, Latymer Upper and many more. This half-terms, we’re running another 11+ preparation week. Our tutors will be teaching pupils with our bespoke materials, designed for the most difficult exams including the ISEB Pre-Test and new Consortium entrance paper. Mock Exams, Interview Practice and 15 hours of teaching in small groups with expert tutors, plus a final report.
Mon 22nd–Fri 26th October, 9am-12.30pm at St Marylebone CE School. £395 exclusively for Kensington Mums (typically £595). Email us direct at hello@cavendishmilton.com or call anytime on 020 7637 8865.

Spooktacular Science Day Camps

Spooktacular Science Day Camps – Join our Spooky Science Lab, 22-26 Oct 2018 and explore the dark side of science with Halloween-themed tricks and treats hands-on experiments!  Children will learn about toads, jellyfish, spiders and bats, make flying eyeballs, design thunder cans and transform liquids into solids! Discover the creepy The Little and Young Scientists will create foaming pumpkins, fake blood and of course super slime!  We will learn about heat, energy, forces, properties  of materials, and the most daring experiments in the history of science. Shocking digestion, creepy skeletons, squishy brains and much more! Ages 4-8 yrs at Baden Powell House and 9-13 yrs at Imperial College, (early drop off, individual days, siblings/friends discounts available). Call to register on 0800 092 1062.

Lets act in Chelsea

AWARD WINNING STAGE SCHOOL LETS ACT IN CHELSEA!
CLASSES ARE HELD AT THE HUT, SW3 At Lets Act Drama School we improve children’s confidence and communication through professionally written musicals provided by MTI (Musical Theatre International) and regulated qualifications through LAMDA examinations. Our aim is to train children to the highest levels in performing arts. This includes preparing children for school interviews and gaining drama scholarships.  Strictly limited to 10 students. Our classes are held on the following schedule: Tuesday fro 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm and Friday from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. This program is designed for children ages 4 – 8. EMAIL- info@letsactdramaclasses.co.uk

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert

 

Based on the third instalment of J.K. Rowling’s classic saga, fans of all ages can now experience the thrilling tale accompanied by the music of a live symphony orchestra as Harry soars across the big screen. In their third year at Hogwarts™, Harry, Ron and Hermione meet escaped prisoner Sirius Black™ and learn to handle a half-horse/half-eagle Hippogriff, repel shape-shifting Boggarts and master the art of Divination. Harry must also withstand soul-sucking Dementors ™, outsmart a dangerous werewolf and deal with the truth about Sirius and his relationship to Harry and his parents.

Swimming Rocks

Swimming Rocks are a well-respected swimming tuition provider offering a fantastic learn to swim programme to babies, children and adults.This October Half Term, they will be operating their super popular intensive crash courses for children across their 6 locations. Recognised locally as the leading swimming tuition company delivering progressive lessons with a strong reputation based on effortless service, Swimming Rocks continues to be the go-to provider for many London families. Term Time lessons also available. Tel: 07557 051 904 Email: info@swimmingrocks.co.uk

Blue{shift} creative coding camps

Want a fun, engaging and educational half-term for your child, where they can gain essential skills for the future? Come along to our creative coding camps, from 22nd-26th October at Eaton Square Kensington, for a week full of engineering robots, 3D printing and Minecraft modding! At blue{shift} we champion creativity, teaching children aged 5-14 how to make creations with code they will enjoy and ultimately encouraging a real love for the subject. Whether your child is a complete beginner, or they’re experienced programmers looking to be challenged, there are many opportunities for your child at our creative coding camps.

Maggie & Rose 

Maggie and Rose in Kensington is the best most brilliant family members club and nursery. We provide a creative environment for your little ones to learn through play! We’re all about inspiring creativity, ranging from art, music and even cooking. Our legendary big kids camps will run from Monday 15th October – 26th October. Designed for 4-8 year olds, our camps will run at both our Chiswick and Kensington clubs. All classes will have an awesome halloween theme, including our signature splat class with a spooky twist.And for those on the hunt for a nursery offering for little ones, round up your half term holidays popping by our Chiswick nursery open day on the 24th. We can’t wait to welcome you there! Email marketing@maggieandrose.com or check out our website for more info!

Holland Park Ecology Centre

The next Holiday Activity programme is planned for the week beginning Monday 22 October. For any information please phone 020 7938 8186 or email (ecology.centre@rbkc.gov.uk) as the online booking form is currently unavailable.

 

 

 

Pumpkin patch

Pumpkin patch at Crockford Bridge Farm. Pre-harvested Pumpkins are available for sale in Crockford’s Corner and also in their Farm Shop. Do not miss this: Pumpkins will be available to pick directly from their fields on the following weekends only; Sat 6th/Sun 7th October and Sat 13th/Sun 14th October 2018.

 

Horniman Halloween Fair

Enjoy fiendish fun at our Halloween Fair. FREE event. 27 and 28th October 10.30am- 4.30pm. Meet creepy crawlies, hear spooky storytelling, and browse for gifts and treats at our arts and crafts markets and food stalls. Come dressed in your best costume!

 

Autumn Pop Up Performance

On Saturdays take part in exciting and unique performances suitable for all the family at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington.From 6th October – 24th November 2018. 11:00- 15:30pm. FREE.

 

 Family Festival

This free family festival is celebrating the exciting and diverse ways in which engineers change the world. Taking place at the Science Museum from 20-28th October 2018. FREE, FROM 11:00-17:00, suitable for over 5 years old.

 

Movie Night at the Museum

After the last visitors have left the Museum for the day, it’s time to settle in for a Movie Nights Halloween Special in the Hintze Hall. Each ticket includes complimentary popcorn and free entry to the Life in the Dark exhibition. This event is hosted in collaboration with The Luna Cinema. Showing 28th and 29th October 2018 at various times.

 

Win family tickets to Tap Dogs

By
The Well Clinic
-

About Tap Dogs

This not just tap. Experience high voltage, rugged, raw talent in the dance phenomenon which has taken the world by storm.

Dein Perry’s TAP DOGS returns to The London stage with its trademark blend of live music and tap dance as you’ve never seen before. The New York Observer called it “Positively electrifying”.

Part theatre, part dance, part rock concert and part construction site, the show is crammed with high-energy dance, theatrical performance and music performed by the cast and live musicians in this unstoppable spectacular. Whether in water, upside-down or jumping through scaffolding, the TAP DOGS have been performing to the beat of their own drum for over 20 years.

Winners of over 15 international awards including an Olivier Award (UK), an Obie Award (New York) and a Pegasus Award (Spoleto Festival in Italy), the global smash hit has appeared in over 330 cities on six continents and has been seen live by over 12 million people. A worldwide television audience of over 3.4 billion saw 1,000 Tap Dogs performing in the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics.

This October, TAP DOGS storms back into London and lands at The Peacock for a strictly limited run. This will sell out so get your ticket today.

Winning Prize

Win a family ticket to Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs. Family ticket (2 adults and 2 under 16s) of top price (Valued at £45 each) tickets to Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs at Peacock Theatre, London.

How to enter

To be in with a chance to WIN this competition simply,

  • Fill in the Rafflecopter widget below to verify your entries
  • Please read full terms & conditions below
  • All entries must be registered with www.kensingtonmums.co.uk via Rafflecopter widget

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Terms and Conditions

Competition opens 1st October 2018 and ends on 15th October 2018 • Family ticket (2 adults and 2 under 16s) of top price (Valued at £45 each) tickets to Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs at Peacock Theatre, London•  Valid any one evening performance between Tues 23 Oct and Thurs 25 Oct 2018 • Subject to availability • Closing date: midnight 15th October 2018 •  Winner will be chosen after the competition has closed and they will be notified by email no more days after the closing date • The winner has 3 days to accept the prize and respond to the promoter via phone or email, otherwise a new winner will be chosen at random •The prize is non transferable, non-refundable and there is no cash alternative and cannot be exchanged  • Competition open to UK residents Only • All entries MUST BE subscribed with www.kensingtonmums.co.uk • Not available in conjunction with any other offer • Competition promoter is Boom Ents Ltd, 17a Newman Street, London, W1T 1PB.

 

Would you Sleep Out to help a homeless charity?

By
The Well Clinic
-

6th Annual Sleep Out – Hundreds expected to raise awareness and funds for homeless shelters in London

On Friday 5th October 2018, at least 350 people are expected to brave the elements and join Sleep Out in the Square, Glass Door’s annual mass sleep out in Duke of York Square, Chelsea, London. Every year since the homeless charity’s first Sleep Out in 2013, more people take part, helping raise awareness of homelessness and raising funds for emergency shelters which help give individuals a route out of homelessness. This year Glass Door is hoping to raise £200,000 from the Sleep Out.

Eddie, pictured left, was a guest of the charity’s shelters seven years ago and credits Glass Door with turning his life around. “Workers and volunteers of the charity showed me kindness, a kindness I had never seen before. I started to believe that a different kind of future was possible,” says Eddie. After 26 years of sleeping rough, he is now off the street and works for Glass Door as an overnight project worker. Previous guests often return to volunteer at the Sleep Out and in the shelters.

[Eddie pictured above (left), with participants at the event in 2017]

The charity relies on the funds raised from this event to sustain and expand their network of church-based shelters, now operating in four London boroughs (Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth and Richmond). Last year, thanks mainly to the success of the Sleep Out and the funds it raised, Glass Door was able to shelter an average of 120 individuals a night, up from 35 just six years ago.

page2image3904352

The need for emergency shelter shows no sign of slowing down, as a chronic lack of affordable homes and welfare cuts continue to take their toll. The number of people sleeping rough in London has risen each year since 2010 and is about three times higher than it was a decade ago, according to statistics released by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

“The rise in homelessness is a scandal, and we will continue to do all we can to get people off the streets and into shelters. But we can’t do it alone. Taking part in events like the Sleep Out, showing solidarity and raising funds, is a great way to do something tangible to make our communities stronger and help those in need,” says Rev Brian Leathard, Glass Door’s chair of trustees, who is also the rector of St Luke’s and Christ Church, Chelsea.

Twenty-nine churches of different denominations worked with Glass Door last year to provide homeless men and women with a safe and dry place to sleep in the winter, whilst many other institutions provide financial support and volunteer teams.

Background on the Sleep Out

Since the inception in 2013 of the Sleep Out in the Square, almost 1,000 individuals have spent at least one night sleeping outside on the pavements in the Duke of York Square in support of the charity. In total, the event has raised £817,000 since 2013. This year, the charity hopes to raise over £200,000 and break £1 million in total.

Glass Door says the annual event also raises awareness of homelessness. Participants experience a small taste of some of the difficulties that many rough sleepers have to deal with: the freezing cold, the vulnerability, and the difficulty of carrying on your day with little sleep. This gives people a better understanding of the importance of readily available emergency accommodation and support.

Sign up to Join the Sleep Out

Glass Door is looking to recruit fund raisers who will give up their beds on the night of 5th October 2018. Pre-registration is essential, although there is no registration fee. The charity encourages participants to aim to raise around £500 in sponsorship, although there is no fundraising minimum.

More individuals look to access Glass Door’s shelters and support services every year. The funds and support raised through the Sleep Out have helped the charity grow to meet these demands. Registration is now open at www.glassdoor.org.uk

page2image3678752

Alternatively email sleepout@glassdoor.org.uk or call 0207 351 4948.

www.glassdoor.org.uk

facebook.com/glassdoorlondon | twitter/glassdoorlondon | instagram.com/glassdoorlondon

Supporters

The Cadogan Estate is the main sponsor of the event and will once again provide use of Duke of York Square and security. Round Hill Capital have sponsored banners publicising the event and Partridges Food Market will sponsor a hot breakfast in the morning.

About Glass Door

As London’s largest emergency winter night shelter, Glass Door provides a safe, warm place to sleep for up to 120 men and women a night in partnership with churches across Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth and Richmond. Year-round, men and women with nowhere else to turn can find drop-in centres during the day and the support they need to end their homelessness. The night shelters save lives, and the support services help change lives.

Although churches and church volunteers make their services possible, the charity does not proselytise, and people of all faiths or of no faith are welcome.

It’s mama time! Thousands of magazines at the tips of your fingers

By
The Well Clinic
-

We all like a bit of me time. So we are happy to announce that Readly is kindly giving Kensington Mums a special 3 for 1 offer: sign up and only pay £7.99 for 3 months (save £15.98). Now thats a good deal.

Long gone are the days when holidays meant chilling on a sun lounger with a magazine. With two active kids on the go I barely get the time to sit down, never mind opening the only magazine I grabbed at the airport. But once the name tags are all sew and kids are ushered out of the door, oh yes! This feels more like a holiday! And the better part is, this September I didn’t even need to bring back that magazine copy after all as I just discovered Readly.

I wasn’t really sure I got it right when one of the mums at the gate mentioned it ‘3200 magazines all on your phone/tablet’. And so I downloaded the app on my phone and for only £7.99 a month, not only I have 3,200 magazines, but the back issues as well. I almost don’t know where to start (of course, the celebrity gossip, we all know that!).

My morning coffee and commute to work have never been better. From a spot of gossip – Hello! – to my favourite fashion reads – can’t even remember the last time I manage to flick through Vogue! – I even managed to bookmark a recipe I want to try at the weekend. Oh yes, no more ripped magazine’s pages in my cookbooks, now they are all nitely saved in my bookmarks list on my tablet.

I definitely can’t get through 3200 magazines on my own, but one (of the many) good part is that I can create up to 5 profiles for family members. So the husband can check the latest issue of Esquire while the kids can read their favourite comic or I might even temp them to the Kids edition of National Geographic. And the kids profiles can have parental control set up – took me literally seconds!

This September I can honestly say that I rediscovered the pleasure of reading a magazine and getting excited about old and new hobbies. There are so many publications on Readly that it’s impossible not to find something you are interested too. Including all back issues, it’s like having the biggest library in an app, fully accessible under your monthly subscription fee. And the library is multilingual too. Currently Readly has magazines in English, Swedish and German, but other countries are quickly joining in and – YES! – your membership is not limited to one country so you can enjoy reading in all these languages too, Bitte schön 🙂

I just wish Readly existed when I was stuck on the sofa feeding a baby when my eldest was born!

To find out more about Readly and claim your special Kensington Mums offer go to: readly.gb/kensingtonmums
(For new customers only, after 3 months, a £7.99 monthly subscription applies.)

New launch of Healthy Baby Food

By
The Well Clinic
-

Healthy baby food company ‘for aisha’ and national charity Heart Research UK join forces to help babies with heart conditions.

Heart Research UK and ‘for aisha’ are launching a new and exciting partnership to fund pioneering medical research for children with heart conditions.

Both organisations share a common goal of ensuring babies have the best start in life with a healthy and nutritionally balanced diet. They are working together to not only raise money, but to support families to make well informed choices at a time when the spotlight on childhood obesity is at its most prominent.

‘for aisha’ meals are packed with vitamins and nutrients to give babies and toddlers the best start in life. They introduce young palates to new exotic flavours and ingredients such as pulses, herbs and gentle spices and their meals are also dairy free.

‘for aisha’ believe that broadening little ones’ taste repertoires at the infant weaning stage promotes healthy eating habits as children grow.

The partnership will raise funds through the sale of ‘for aisha’s’ 100% natural baby and toddler food, committing to a 10% donation of their annual profits to Heart Research UK’s ‘Helping Little Hearts’ programme to spend on ground-breaking medical research for children with heart conditions.

Current ‘Helping Little Hearts’ projects being funded by Heart Research UK include:

  • developing a new 5-minute MRI scan for imaging the hearts of children with congenital heart disease to reduce cost and patient discomfort, and help doctors decide on the best treatments
  • growing life-like blood vessels to treat congenital heart disease which would grow with the child and remove the need for multiple traumatic operations as they get older.

Thanks to medical research, eight out of 10 babies born with a heart defect in the UK survive to adulthood. When Heart Research UK began over 50 years ago, most of these babies did not reach their first birthday.

Mark Salter, owner of ‘for aisha’, said: “We’re thrilled to support Heart Research UK. Our partnership is based on our shared values to help little ones and their hearts by giving them the very best start in life. Together we can work towards a healthier future for the next generation.”

Alexandra Preston, Head of Lifestyle at Heart Research UK, said: “We believe our partnerships with businesses need to offer impact and make a positive change to society. With the government’s commitment to halve childhood obesity by 2030, it made perfect sense for us to join forces with ‘for aisha’. We are both committed to providing babies with a healthy and nutritional start to their lives. This partnership will enable us to fund ground-breaking research while giving babies a great healthy introduction into the world of food.”

‘for aisha’ products are available in major retailers such as Asda, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. ‘for Aisha’s’ baby food packaging will now feature Heart Research UK’s logo and messaging as part of this partnership, informing customers how their purchase can help raise money for Heart Research UK’s ‘Helping Little Hearts’ programme.

For more information, check their website.

Stage Story’s top 5 creative writing tips for children

By
The Well Clinic
-

Stage Story shares with us their top 5 Creative Writing Tips for your child, and how to get them crafting a winning story!

  1. Encourage your child to consider plot (what happens in the story) and description in equal measure – creating a balanced and well rounded story. To illustrate this, take a past story of say 3-4 paragraphs and colour code the descriptive sentences. Then, colour the *‘plot’ sentences with a contrasting colour. If the story is balanced you’re aiming to see a relatively equal disruption of the two colours. By using colours it helps your child fully visualise what a balanced story looks like. And if the distribution of colour isn’t balanced – too much plot, for instance – the visual cue will help them understand that more ‘descriptive colour’ is needed. *An example may be: The pirate could see the island ahead. This sentence is moving the story along and is considered part of the plot.
  2. If your child is asked to write a timed story, help them to condense their ideas into chunked paragraphs. Remind them they’re not writing a book, and as such, characters and complex events should be kept to a minimum. If they find this difficult, remind them that description offers the opportunity to expand on any idea, and as such, they can craft an interesting tale from limited ingredients.
  3. Encourage your child to place emphasis on a character’s physical appearance and behaviour. Often, children resort to describing the physical (a skill developed at a young age) thus neglecting the character’s behaviour. It’s important to note that the character’s behaviour provides your child with more scope to develop their character in various situations and as such, prevents premature writer’s block and the story’s collapse.
  4. When reading with your child, point out the way punctuation is used in a functional way, for example, a full stop ending a sentence, compared to a stylistic way, an exclamation mark displaying surprise. By engaging them with the stylistic part punctuation plays in writing it helps your child to associate punctuation with emotion and excitement – making them less likely to neglect it in a piece of writing.
  5. Figurative language can be a complex concept to introduce to young children, so try to use the analogy of a ‘writer’s tool box’ to help children get to grips with devices such as a simile, metaphor, personification and onomatopoeia. So, as a writer, what tool would they use to compare an object to something else? A simile. What might they use to give human features to an object? Personification. Different tools do different jobs, much like a hammer compared to a screwdriver!

If you want to encourage and support your child’s creative writing skills, StageStory is inspiring children to tell better tales. By using theatre and actors to impart essential writing skills whilst giving students the opportunity to witness their work being brought to life by professional actors on stage.

This is a Sponsored post by http://stagestory.co.uk/. Check their website for more information.

 

When to take your baby to the dentist – and why?

By
The Well Clinic
-

Why should you take your new baby to the dentist – and when?

Standfirst: You can be forgiven for thinking that, because baby teeth will fall out eventually anyway, you don’t need to worry about them. Not true! Roksolana Mykhalus, owner of family dental surgery Happy Kids Dental, tells us why your baby’s oral health is so important.
Baby teeth may give your little one a cute, cheeky smile, but they also play a key role in your child’s early development. When baby teeth fall out too early because they are decayed, it can impact on several areas of your child’s well-being, including:
• Speaking. You may need to consult a speech therapist at a later stage if your child’s missing baby teeth are causing a problem.
• Eating. If your child is unable to chew properly due to missing teeth, they may not get their fair share of nutrients or a healthy diet.
• Alignment of adult teeth. Milk teeth support the jaw and are guides for the adult teeth to come through in the right place. Gaps due to missing baby teeth can lead to the need for orthodontic treatment in the future, and can even affect the development of your child’s facial features.
• Self-esteem. Your child’s permanent adult teeth won’t appear until they’re well into their school years – so if baby teeth are missing, it could affect their confidence, from the way they look to the way they sound. And school years are tough enough as it is!

How to get your baby’s dental health off to a great start

Just like your little one’s first smile and first steps, their first dental visit should be at the top of your list of memorable milestones. We encourage parents to bring their children to the dentist as soon as the first tooth appears – or by the age of 1 at the latest, even if no teeth are showing yet.
Early dental visits have multiple benefits, starting with making sure that parents understand their baby’s dental development and know how to take care of their baby’s mouth. We go over issues such as bottle feeding and breastfeeding, when to take the dummy away and how to prevent thumb sucking. We also make sure new parents are aware of the fact that cavities are contagious and you and other caregivers can unwittingly spread cary-causing bacteria to children, for example by cleaning a dummy in your mouth instead of with running water, sharing eating utensils and even with kisses!
Another reason to bring them in from an early age is to familiarise them with the idea of the dentist, so if they experience a dental trauma later on – for example from a tumble while learning to walk – they won’t be alarmed by the sight of the surgery or instruments. Since your child will already have developed trust in the dental team, you’ll reduce the opportunity for dental phobia to take hold.
If you’re worried your little one won’t let the dentist look in their mouth when they first come in, that’s absolutely fine! It’s important to just start getting them used to the sights, sounds and smells of being in a dental surgery from before they can remember, making the experience something to feel confident about, not something to fear. And that positive attitude towards their oral health will set them up with a healthy, happy smile for life. What could be better than that?

This article is sponsored by Happy Kids Dental. If you’re interested in finding out more, call 020 7078 0822 or visit www.happykidsdental.co.uk. Roksolana Mykhalus is the founder of Happy Kids Dental, a paediatric and family dental practice in central London.

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