Do your children eat their greens?

I have been blessed with a 'good eater' Tabitha loves her food she always has, except for the first three weeks of breastfeeding actually but thats a whole other blog post. She will eat every last scrap on her plate then ask for more and loves vegetables and fruit with a passion.

Over the years working in childcare I have however come up against many children who aren't, and many parents who are desperate to get their children eating healthier food.

I have come up with several techniques and tools for parents in my time.

One we made for all our children was a  5 a day tracker; a laminated picture of a plate with 5 white circles on it. Along with the plate each child was given a set of laminated fruit and vegetable images which they could stick into the plate after they had eaten each daily portion, we left it to the parents to decide the reward scheme that ran alongside it.

This post is a chance for parents to share their own ideas when meeting the challenge of ensuring our children get their 5 a day, do you hide the vegetables? Do you have mealtimes battles everyday?

The challenge of raising children who hopefully grow up understanding the importance of having fruit and vegetables in their diet, and having them enjoy the flavours and diversity of a healthy diet is one most parents will agree on.

Even if we pop to the kebab house occasionally, Ssssssh.

For your chance to win an Abel & Cole vegetable box , write your best tips/hints/advice in the blogger comment box before the  14/11/2011. Entrants must be over 18 and residents of the UK or ROI - Prize is one Abel & Cole vegetable box (no cash alternative) -There will be 1 winner. The winning post will be decided based on the following criteria: uniqueness/creativity/originality. By entering the competition, you agree that your hint/tip may be shared on Green Giant’s Facebook page and used by Green Giant in any other media.  

Click the image below to visit Green Giants Facebook page for more tints and tips.

This is a sponsored post.

Silent Sunday

Tabitha-Lo has new friends.

Its been quiet on Mumra recently, I'll admit it. I have been working hard and Tabitha has been busy as well.

Nursery is now a huge part of her life and she is frankly a bit gutted when the weekend comes and she doesn't get to see her friends or the staff.

I am so happy to see her so engaged by the girls who look after her on a daily basis and the way she talks of them with such affection it makes going to work everyday almost worthwhile on its own.

Tabithas reaction to nursery has made me realise the flipside of working as a nursery nurse for so many years and I hope that other parents have felt the same way about my care of their children over the years. I feel really strongly that Tabitha will be a more rounded individual for her developing relationships with her peers and her teachers, there is no doubt in my mind that she is learning more from their daily interactions than I could have offered her as a stay at home mum.

I know lots of mums will read this and think what a shame I feel that way; seeing these comments as some kind of confession that I think I am a crap mum. It is not the case, I rock as a mum but I cannot fault the love the staff show for my daughter and seeing her love them in return is a beautiful thing.

I reckon all us working mums have a member of staff at our child's' nursery who make our lives a whole lot easier and it doesn't seem enough to give them a box of chocolates at christmas in thanks.

I could gush for ages about what they really have given Tabitha and us as a family but I won't. I don't really think anyone who hasn't experienced it would quite understand.

The parents out there who do are the ones reading this, thinking of their childs favourite nursery worker with a big smile on their face, nodding your head along with my words.

Nursery Nurses of the world you do an amazing job and for that millions of parents and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

News Update....

I haven't blogged in ages. I have hit the so called blogging wall.

So until it passes rather than fill the screen with twaddle and waffle I'm being honest, giving you all the heads up.

I have nothing to say.

The Gallery - Colours.

I haven't taken part in The Gallery for what seems like ages. This week however I am off work and thought I'd get involved, the theme is colours and I have a perfect shot.

I spent a few days at my parents house in Selsey Bill and I think you will agree, that is a whole lot of blue right there. ( October? Really?)

Get over to Sticky Fingers to see what other colours people have come up with.