Giveaway | Get Out And Grow Goodie Bag

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Disclosure - I did not receive anything in return for this giveaway.

Little J loves being outdoors and would rather spend time exploring the woods or looking for bugs than playing with toys inside. We are always going on outdoor adventures no matter what the weather. It's proven that a childhood spent outdoors helps children grow up healthier and happier, however this is proving harder in recent times due to children choosing screen time over playing outside.

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Are Your Children Staying Safe Online?

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Everyone has heard of Fortnite, the online multiplayer shooter phenomenon that even allows players to play across different consoles in the same game. Maybe your child is playing Fortnite right now, do you know who they are playing with, what they are hearing or being told, the ages of the people they are playing with?  Probably not - in fact I would say definitely not. After all the Battle Royale game is based on 100 people online together on one map, playing in teams or alone - and these 100 people could be from anywhere in the world.

Fortnite is very popular here. Both big and little J love the game, and I also play from time to time. We have spent plenty of money on the games virtual currency V-Bucks, which allows the purchase of visual upgrades to your characters skin, glider, pickaxe and of course allows you to buy the famous dances which are fast taking over the world. So although we are fully aware of the online risk, we are prepared to manage that risk, because we understand it, and know which options and settings are safest for little ones.

However, this morning we found that Little J was in a game, on a team with two other small children and one Eighteen year old man who seemed quite happy chatting away to three five or six year olds. I am not saying there was anything wrong with that as it stands, however the risk is always there. We dont know who he is, where he is from or why he wants to chat to young children, but we decided to end the game there and move to another setting.  What would you have done?

So below is a guide to the 'safest' settings on Fortnite for your children, and whilst there will still always be online risk, you can help to eliminate that risk by using the guide.

Options Within Battle Royale

Battle Royale has a constantly changing set of modes, with different game objectives and ways to play, however they all share some fundamental underlying online options that are customisable within the mode.

Solo Mode 

This is as it sounds, you play alone within the game and are playing against 99 other players.  Here, you can choose whether your gamertag is displayed or not, and you can choose to be in a 'party' with other gamers or not. The 'party' connects gamers using mic's connected to a headset or the controller so that they can talk about the game.

Here, the safest online options are to hide your gamertag and not connect to any party. This will increase the chance of remaining anonymous within the game.

Other Game Modes 

Here you can see some of the other available game modes at the time of writing. Food Fight and Disco Domination are new game modes, with the same idea of having a number of players online together. Within these modes players can join a squad of other players to make up a team, usually either teams of four or fifty.

The important thing to notice about the options within both modes is just above the accept box when you start the game. There are options that say either Fill, or Don't Fill.

The Fill option will put you in a team and connect you directly to those players in the team. So whether you have a mic connected or not, you can hear what the other players are saying though the TV or your headphones.  In addition if you are mic connected then they can hear and talk to you.

The Safest option here is to make sure that Don't Fill is selected - this will reduce the chance of being connected to other gamers and should mean you can remain anonymous online.

We have always been careful to monitor who both Little J and Big J are connected to when playing online, whether they are playing Fortnite or any other game. Online safety is becoming more and more topical by the day as more people have access to devices, and more people are choosing to spend time online rather than go out.

Do your little ones play Fortnite? If you have any other online safety tips, please let us know.

John

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Collaboration | The Perfect Mums Night In

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Christmas can be a stressful time for everyone but I personally find it so tiring. I don't know whether it's a Mum thing but I like to take charge and make sure everything is perfect for the big day. If like me you need to have a relaxing evening before the festivities begin then check out my recommendations for the perfect Mums night in.

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Review | InfaCare Bath Time Products

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When we had a bathroom makeover I thought little J would prefer the new walk in shower instead of the bath. He loves showers when we stay in hotels or after going the pool but I was wrong. He still loves his bath and it's a big part of his bedtime routine. We have been using Infacare Bath Products now for well over a year and little J loves them.

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Parenting | Preparing For Year One

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It only seems like yesterday that little J was starting Reception but fast forward a year and we are almost at the beginning of his second half term of year one. For me this is when school really starts. I think it's been a big shock for him as in Reception it is mostly learning through play, however his classroom is very different now. There are almost no toys but lots of desks. He still seems so young and although he has lots of energy he does get tired quite easily as I've mentioned before. He's usually in bed before 7pm and needs his 12/13 hours sleep. John and I have discussed whether he may need to take a multivitamin as he is quite fussy when it comes to eating foods that are good for him. We were delighted when Bassetts vitamins sent over their Omega-3 + Multivitamins Orange Pastilles. They were just what we needed.

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Parenting | Portion Sizes For Children

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I've spoken a lot about mealtimes with the kids recently and I did a little research about portion sizes for children. Portions sizes obviously differ from child to child and as a parent you know best what your child needs and what they don't, however this is just a guideline and may help those who need it. 

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Parenting | Venue Ideas For Kids Parties

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Little J hasn't had a proper birthday party yet but we will definitely be planning something for his 6th birthday next year. He received another birthday invitation last week to a play centre that we haven't been to before so he is looking forward to that. It got me thinking that over the years we have had so many different types of birthday parties for big J and I'm looking forward to planning lots of parties for little J as he grows. I have had a think about our top venue ideas for kids parties.

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Our Favourites | Bedtime Stories - Autumn 2018

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Ever since I can remember little J has had a story before bed. It's part of his bedtime routine and no matter how tired he is or how late he's gone to bed he has to choose a book for us to read.At the moment he does have quite a few favourites so I thought I would share with you what we have been reading as it is Libraries Week.

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Parenting | When Your Child Doesn't Want To Eat

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It's okay to let children eat with their hands

I recently went on a course all about children and their eating habits or lack of them. It really did open my eyes to just how many children out there either refuse to eat or will only eat certain things. I suppose we have been lucky that both our children are good eaters, I can't imagine what it must be like for parents whose children don't. Hopefully the tips below will help you deal with 'when your child doesn't want to eat'.

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Parenting | When I Grow Up I Want To Be . . .

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Little J has now graduated from reception and is ready to move on to year one in September. Time certainly has flown this year and it doesn't feel like a year ago that we were preparing for the start of his school journey. The last term was all about their ambitions and encouraging the children to 'Reach for The Stars'. They were told to never give up on their dreams and that anything is possible if you believe it. It was a lovely way to end the year and in their graduation ceremony we got to see what each child wants to be when they are older.

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How To Educate Your Child Through Gardening?

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I have to admit that I never been been a huge fan of the garden. Although my mum and dad love gardening, planting flowers or just sitting out it's never been my thing. I've always said they could have been professional gardeners because they definitely have an eye for garden design. When I became a nursery nurse I found that a huge part of my job is outdoor play and how important it is especially with children spending more time indoors now on consoles and tablets, it’s important for them to know that enjoyment can be found outdoors, too.

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Learning To Love My Body

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I wrote a post recently about when we take little J to the swimming pool it is mostly dad's in the water with the kids. Whenever I look around it is mainly women watching from the viewing area, me included.  I know how much little J enjoys swimming and going to our local pool so I have promised to make more of an effort and visit the pool with him.

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How To Deal With Bullying

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Being a parent (especially to a teenager) the words 'bully' and 'bullied' frighten the life out of me. I'd like to think that we have brought big J up well and I know him enough to know he would never be capable of being a bully. However no matter how well you have brought your child up there is always the chance they could be bullied.

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Is Taking The Kids To The Pool A Dad Thing To Do?

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Both boys absolutely love the water and we try to take them swimming as often as we can. I probably shouldn't say we, I actually mean John takes them swimming whenever he can. I'm not fond of swimming or water if I'm honest. I don't feel confident at all and if something were to happen I don't think I would react well. I'm not quite sure where this fear has come from but I would hate the boys to pick up on it so I tend to take a step back. Don't get me wrong I will go in from time to time but if I can get out of it I will. 

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Keeping The Boys Active This Summer

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At the beginning of the Summer I spoke to the boys about keeping active over the school holidays. I know that the Summer is time to relax and enjoy yourself without the pressure of having to get up early but I wanted to make sure that we didn't just laze around for 6 weeks. Not so much little J but big J would sit online on his Xbox all day if you let him so I had to have a plan. I asked the boys to go in the shed and choose all the things they could find that could help us stay active this Summer. Typical boys just dumped everything on the grass but then they did make a nice arrangement in the end.

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How Natural Playgrounds Help Children’s Development

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Both boys have visited our local parks and playgrounds since they were very young. They both really enjoy being outdoors and whilst I wasn't one for swings or slides when I was younger I wanted to make sure the boys were comfortable using outdoor equipment from a early age. Playgrounds aren’t just about entertainment – they’re a key part of a child’s development. From confronting danger with climbing structures to social skills garnered by interaction in a play environment, playing outside helps children grow. I think the 'confronting danger' part for me was why I didn't like playgrounds as I never felt confident. Fortunately both boys love climbing and it's nice to see them taking risks because it is all part of development. 

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When Breastfeeding Just Doesn't Happen

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I usually don't get involved with conversations regarding breastfeeding as it's a personal choice whether you do it or don't. I would never like to judge anyone who didn't breastfeed because their reasons have nothing to do with me. I was somehow roped in to a conversation recently between two Mums talking about feeding their babies. One had breastfed and one had tried but couldn't. They both looked at me to share my feeding story however I felt slightly embarrassed and I'm not sure why.

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A False Pregnancy

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A few months ago I was convinced I was pregnant. I think I knew in my heart I wasn't but my head convinced me otherwise. We are not trying for another baby in fact another pregnancy is definitely not something we want to go through again after everything that's happened in the past. We are completely happy and blessed to be a family of four, not forgetting our two angels in the sky.

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Annabel Karmel Frozen Meals Review

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When it comes to mealtimes I have mentioned before that I do like to cook from scratch but realistically there are days when this does not happen. Being a parent it's busy, busy, busy and there are days when I just have to throw something together quickly if we are running late and I haven't had time to prepare something. Having said that I still make sure what we eat isn't junk and that it is something that is nutritious and healthy. When we were asked to try out Annabel Karmel Frozen Meals I took a look at the website and the products and I was impressed. Annabel Karmel has turned her best-loved children’s recipes into nutritionally balanced freezer fillers for parents like me that have days when we are just too busy to cook.

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Pampers-UNICEF #1Photo1Vaccine Campaign

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All babies are amazing and they bring their own special form of magical happiness to everyone around them, and they always know how to somehow put a smile on your face or make you laugh. But did you know – babies can even help save lives by doing nothing more than wearing Pampers. Pampers donates 1 vaccine against maternal and newborn tetanus for every pack of Pampers nappies and wipes sold through the “1 Pack = 1 Vaccine” Pampers-UNICEF campaign.

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