NEWS & VIEWS In this issue: 3 4- 5 6
RSPB's The Big Garden Birdwatch News 2020 Play Predictions and Kids Activities 8 The Truth about Eating Disorders 9 Clubs and Classes 10 Eco Resolutions for 2020 11 The Importance of Imagination 12 Family Travel 13 Shows & Competitions 14-15 What's on Contact no. 07824 377175 Email: editor@familiesbedfordshire.co.uk www.familiesonline.co.uk
Editor: Michéllin Store. Design: Sarah Harmer. Published six times a year.
UPCOMING ISSUE: March/April – Celebrating Motherhood & Easter Due out: Early March Advertising and editorial deadline: Friday 7th February 2020 Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/FamiliesBeds Follow us @FamiliesBeds
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Thank you to everyone who entered into our Nov/Dec 2019 Competitions and to our local theatres for running these wonderful competitions! Congratulations to all of our winners! ✹ Lisa – Family Ticket to see Peter Pan at The Grove Theatre ✹ Fabio & Marie – Family Ticket to see My Scarecrow’s Wedding at The Stables MK ✹ Rebecca – Family Ticket to see Rapunzel with the Bedford Pantomime Company at The Bedford Corn Exchange ✹ Chloe & Milly – Family Ticket to see Hansel & Gretel at The Quarry Theatre
A Must Read - The Fred and Woody Series The first two books in the Fred & Woody series (written by Alex Waldron, published by Ruby Tuesday Books) are perfect for all parents, carers and pre- and primary school educators who wish to initiate honest, realistic and age-appropriate conversations with young children about their private parts and the important issues of consent and staying safe. That’s My Willy! and What’s Down There? are illustrated books written by father of two boys, Fred and Woody, to help boost body confidence, improve awareness and bolster understanding of health and hygiene, safeguarding and consent, from an early age.
They show children that are all different and perfect in their own way, in all shapes and sizes, and that their body is just that – theirs! There’s also an incredibly useful section at the back of each book packed with tips and ideas for grown-ups to get the most from the book for their little ones, written by a highly-trained Relationships and Sex Education Trainer (Relationships Education is compulsory in UK primary and secondary schools: http://bit.ly/ GovGuidelines). The books are available as paperback and hardback online and in all good bookshops in the UK.
To stand a chance of winning a set of these books, see page 13 and enter. 4
Calling all families - Wear A Hat Day needs you! The annual fundraising extravaganza Wear A Hat Day is coming back in 2020 – Families Magazine and Brain Tumour Research are calling on you to get involved! Wear A Hat Day 2020 takes place on Friday 27th March, at the end of Brain Tumour Awareness Month. Over the last decade, this hattastic event has raised more than £1 million in support of the charity Brain Tumour Research. It has become a must-do event for many children and parents and their communities. Taking part is really easy and the charity has some great ideas on their website to help you plan and host wonderful hat-themed fundraising events. Register today to ensure you get your FREE fundraising pack in time: www.wearahatday.org
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer. No family should be devasted by a brain tumour. Wear A Hat Day is a really important campaign to be involved with – not only is it great fun but with your participation, it becomes a powerful symbol of hope for all affected by this disease. Funds raised will continue to help the charity build a network of experts in sustainable research at dedicated Centres of Excellence whilst influencing the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more nationally.
Together we will find a cure.
Air Quality is Worse Indoors A new report into the state of air pollution in UK households has found that our homes are experiencing dangerous levels of indoor air pollution. The report commissioned by Clean Air Day found that nearly half of UK homes have high indoor air pollution as a result of dangerous levels of formaldehyde and other pollutants. Data also shows that outdoor air pollution adds to indoor air pollution; it builds up in the home, taking longer to disperse inside than outside. According to the British
Lung Foundation children are particularly sensitive to poor indoor air quality as their lungs are proportionally larger in relation to their body weight than adults and immature immune systems mean they are less able to fight off any problems that arise from polluted indoor air. Sources of indoor air pollution include smoking, faulty boilers, open fires, gas cookers and heaters, as well as irritant chemicals from new furniture, air fresheners and household cleaning products.
For more info visit: www.cleanairday.org.uk and www.blf.org.uk
Would You Rent Baby Clothes? Babies can get through an alarming number of outfits in a day, so there’s no getting away from the fact that you will need plenty of sleepsuits in different sizes, each of which will only fit for a matter of months or weeks. So how do you avoid ending up with piles of clothes your baby has outgrown? For more and more new parents, the answer is simple: rent. Two UK companies have introduced an alternative which they believe solves this problem
as well as being affordable and environmentally sustainable by reducing waste. The alternative also reduces time spent by parents constantly re-selling and purchasing clothes. Families pay a monthly subscription, return outgrown clothes and then receive the next size up, in line with their baby’s growth and the changing seasons. Clothes are professionally cleaned and must pass quality control before being sent to the next renting family.
For more info visit: bundlee.co.uk or www.bellesandbabes.co.uk
Families Bedfordshire January/February 2020
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