Parenting a child or young person with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (“SEND”) comes with many challenges, and one of the most stressful is undoubtedly navigating the system of educational support. Parents and carers with no previous experience frequently find themselves thrown into the deep end of meetings, applications and appeals; effectively expected to become experts in SEND law, policy and practice so that they can secure the support that their child or young person needs.

Navigating the complex interlocking structures that make up the SEND system is often emotionally, financially and practically draining, and at times it can be completely overwhelming. This is something that I understand only too well from my own experience advocating for my eldest son, who is autistic and has ADHD. And I speak as someone with two law degrees and almost a decade working as a barrister.

It’s because I know just how challenging it can be to obtain the right support for SEND children and young people as well as just how transformational it can be; for families as well as the children and young people themselves, that I now work supporting parents and carers to navigate the SEND system with confidence, as a SEND advocate through my company SEND Advocacy. 

What is a SEND Advocate?

A SEND Advocate is a professional who works with and on behalf of families to obtain educational support for children and young people with SEND. There is no specific training or qualifications required to be a SEND Advocate, and not all are legally trained. 

A good SEND Advocate will possess substantial knowledge and understanding of the legal and practical aspects of the SEND system, meaning that you can confidently rely on their advice. If you are unsure of their experience, simply ask them. Of course, as a parent or carer, you know your child or young person best, and a good SEND Advocate will draw on your unparalleled expertise to work collaboratively with you, centring your voice and that of your child or young person.

Identifying your child’s needs: How a SEND Advocate can help

Many parents and carers struggle with knowing that something is not quite right, but are uncertain about where to begin. Often, attempts to get support have been rebuffed because a child or young person is considered to be doing fine at school or has difficulties that are not as bad as others. If this is you, don’t be dissuaded from continuing to seek out help.

I work with many families who were initially told that their child or young person didn’t require additional support, when this was patently not the case. I was told this about my own son, who, following my successful advocacy, has now been at an independent specialist school for the past 5 years.

What does a SEND Advocate do?

All SEND Advocates are different, and the services they provide will differ too, so it’s worth checking that they can offer exactly what you need. My company, SEND Advocacy, offers a wide range of personalised services, regardless of whether you are just starting your SEND journey or have been on it for some time. Common areas I support include:

• EHCNA Request. Requesting an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (“EHCNA”) is the first step to obtaining an Education and Health Care Plan (“EHC Plan”). An EHC Plan is a legally binding document which outlines a student’s unique support needs, and, done properly, it can provide highly effective support. SEND Advocacy can help you draft a compelling request for you to send to your local authority, or draft one for you.

• EHCNA Refusal to Assess Appeal. If the local authority does not agree to conduct an EHCNA, this does not mean a student doesn’t require additional support. Many children and young people (my own included) are initially refused assessments but then go on to successfully appeal against that refusal.  SEND Advocacy can prepare all of the documents required for an appeal and provide legal, tactical and evidentiary advice.

• EHCP Content Appeal. If, having obtained an EHC Plan, the content does not accurately reflect your child or young person’s needs or the provision required to meet those needs or names an unsuitable placement (or even no placement at all), SEND Advocacy can support you in an appeal. This might include providing advice, preparing documents, liaising with the tribunal and local authority on your behalf and representing you at the Final Hearing.

SEND Advocacy: Learning to do it yourself

I set up SEND Advocacy Academy – online courses for parents and carers in SEND law and practice – to equip parents and carers with the knowledge, skills, strategies, and confidence to become successful advocates in their own right. Find out more about SEND Advocacy Academy and sign up for the free SEND Advocacy newsletter (which regularly shares news, information and resources about all things SEND). SEND Advocacy is also on Facebook and Instagram.

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I don’t know about you, but I find autumn is a good time to plan for next summer. As the days start to get shorter, the weather turns and nature shows us its true glory with beautiful colours, I love reflecting on what worked well over the summer, what didn’t, and the things that I’d like to buy for next year so that, hopefully, things are easier.

Going to the beach is one of the things we spend a lot of time doing over the spring and summer. This is the first year both kids have been old enough to play with each other with much less input from us. So, I’ve had time to look around and see what bits of kit other parents take to the beach to make their lives easier, think about what we need and make a list of things to save for and buy for next summer.

This post looks at six beach essentials that make trips to the beach in the UK easier, more comfortable and lots of fun. It includes affiliate links to Amazon products and two Wicked Uncle products we were kindly gifted.

Foldable chairs

I know part of the fun of a day at the beach is getting sand everywhere, but if you’re like me and crave a bit of comfort as well as the chance to keep relatively sand-free, a foldable chair is a must. Light-weight camping chairs that come with a carry case are perfect. They’re easy to carry, don’t take up much room in your boot and are relatively comfortable, letting you relax and enjoy some rays while the kids are covering themselves with sand.

Prices start at around £10 from Asda, £15 from Amazon, and up to as much as you want to pay.

Beach essentials for parents: Changing robe

These are a game changer and make transporting the kids back to your accommodation so much easier when they’ve been in the sea. Changing robes are a coat on the outside and a towel on the inside. You can either put the robe on top of your wet swimwear and keep it on until you get home, or they’re big enough so you can get changed wearing it.

The cost of kids changing robes varies massively, starting from under £40 from Amazon, up to over £140 for one from Dry Robe. I’ve got my eye on the Regetta ones for next summer as we saw so many kids wearing them this year and they looked nice and cosy and perfect for wrapping our two up for the walk back to the caravan.

Water toys

Everyone is going to get at least their feet wet at the beach, so it’s the ideal place to let the kids use their water toys. Anything from buckets and spades to water pistols and spray guns are great, as long as they’re lightweight and easy to carry.

We like this Fire Fighter Henry water sprayer as it’s easy for young kids to carry and is the perfect beach toy. Water pistols can be as cheap as a couple of pounds, or more sophisticated options up to around £20.

Easy-to-use sunscreen

Sun cream, sand and kids are often not the best combination, but keeping everyone protected from the sun’s rays is a must for a safe and happy day on the beach. After a lot of trial and error, we’ve found roll-on to be the easiest way of getting the kids protected. Our girls are six and ten and they can both apply the cream themselves using a roll-on (we still supervise to make sure they’ve covered everywhere).

I found buying in bulk the best option as they’re also great for having in their schoolbags and even if the sun isn’t out every day, we still get through quite a lot of them over the spring and summer. We’ve found the Nivea Factor 50 roll-on suits us best as it’s nice and thick and it’s easy for them to see where it’s been applied and where they still need to do. You can get similar ones from supermarkets such as Asda and Sainsbury’s.

Card Games

Sand sandwiches are a Great British tradition and one we try and do at least once every summer. But if you’re kids are anything like ours, they will like going to a beach cafe or pub for lunch or tea on the way home.

Colouring tends not to keep our girls occupied for long so I’ve been looking for something that’s easy to carry and simple to do and this Polar Panic card game fits the bill perfectly. It’s simple enough that our six-year-old can join in and is engaging enough for the 10-year-old. The game comes with rules, but when we’ve played it, we’ve tended to make up our own (or rather our youngest does!). It comes in a lovely metal tin so it’s quick and easy to clear away when your food arrives!

Physical games

If you’re looking for an easy activity for the beach that’s lightweight and easy to carry, these Air Squares flying discs from Wicked Uncle are brilliant. They can be used just like a Frisbee; the sleek, square aerodynamic design enables impressive distances with a range of 100m and features a soft, cushioned rubber rim for easy, safe catching. Perfect for burning off energy and keeping the kids occupied.

What are your go-to beach and holiday essentials? Leave a comment and let me know.

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As a busy working mum in my 40s, I know just how unpredictable perimenopause can be. The emotional outbursts over things I once took in my stride. The anxiety and panic triggered by everyday situations – the school run, driving a new route, a work meeting. Add in the weight gain, 3 am wake-ups and constant hunger, and it can feel relentless.

I’m Becki, a Nutritional Therapist and busy mom to two little ones. I’ve experienced firsthand how simple nutrition and lifestyle changes are supporting me through perimenopause, not only easing my symptoms but helping me navigate this stage with greater clarity and confidence.

The Chaos

Having said that, as busy mums, we often put everyone else’s needs above our own, and that includes nutrition. Take breakfast on a school morning. How often do we find ourselves preparing everyone else’s breakfast exactly how they like it, while in the rush to get out the door, we forget ourselves and end up just grabbing a coffee to keep us going?

We skip lunch, eat on the go, and suddenly, at 9 pm, the hunger hits. Often uncontrollable hunger that leads us to rummage in the cupboards for emergency chocolate and crisps. This isn’t a lack of willpower. It’s the result of a busy mum trying to hold up the family while her own body is going through hormonal chaos.

Understanding Perimenopause

Understanding perimenopause has helped me enormously. Recognising what is going on in my body has answered so many questions.

Why am I feeling fantastic one day and crying at my desk the next?

Why could I do my usual workout on Monday, and today I can barely climb the stairs?

Why am I snapping at everyone and forgetting why I came downstairs?

Why do I suddenly feel like I can’t do my job after being highly successful for the last few decades?

The Perfect Storm

The reason is erratic hormones.

Put simply, during perimenopause, oestrogen starts to behave unpredictably, spiking at times and plummeting at others without warning. Meanwhile, progesterone, our calming hormone, steadily declines, often leaving us more vulnerable to anxiety and low mood. Our hectic lives add more fuel to the fire, creating the perfect storm for hormonal chaos and for women feeling like they no longer recognise themselves.

So here are my personal top 5 tips to help you feel more nourished and energised through this challenging phase, without adding more overwhelm to an already hectic life.

Breakfast before coffee

In my practice, I’ve seen this simple shift change everything. If your mornings involve grabbing a black coffee and rushing out the door without breakfast, it may be worth experimenting with switching it around. Try eating breakfast slightly earlier and having your coffee afterwards instead. For many women I work with, this simple shift can make a real difference to headaches, energy dips and late morning cravings.

Protein, fibre and healthy fats at every meal

Energy dips are a common experience in perimenopause and often leave women reaching for quick pick-me-ups like coffee or sugary snacks. The culprit? Often fluctuating hormones, with oestrogen once again behaving unpredictably and affecting blood sugar regulation.

A simple way to support more stable energy is to include protein, fibre and healthy fats at every meal. This combination helps to keep blood sugar steadier, keeps you fuller for longer and can reduce the energy crashes that send you hunting for snacks an hour later.

My go-to budget-friendly options include:
Protein: Greek yoghurt, hemp seeds, eggs, chicken, turkey, tofu, tempeh, quinoa
Fibre: colourful vegetables, cooled pasta, potatoes and rice, beans and lentils
Healthy fats: oily fish, extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds, chia seeds, avocado

Hydration

It sounds simple, but our ability to hold on to water declines during perimenopause because of hormonal fluctuations. Add in night sweats and increased urination, and dehydration becomes much more likely. Staying well hydrated can support mental clarity, focus, energy and general wellbeing, which is exactly why it makes it into my top five.

Simple ways to drink more include swapping one regular tea or coffee for a herbal tea, adding fresh lemon, orange or mint to your water bottle, or swapping a fizzy drink for sparkling water.

Prioritise sleep

We all know this, don’t we? Yet a consistent and calming bedtime routine often ends up at the bottom of the list in perimenopause, just when we need it most. Sleep disruption can affect everything from blood sugar regulation to anxiety levels, so it’s worth doing what you can to support it.

Simple ways to improve sleep include:

• keeping caffeine to earlier in the day
• limiting screens in the evening, especially work emails or anything likely to trigger anxiety
• doing a 5-minute brain dump before bed instead of scrolling
• trying a body scan in bed to help your body switch into rest mode

Joy and connection

Joy and social connection are non-negotiables during perimenopause. When life feels heavy with symptoms, stress and the mental load of holding everything together, making space for things that lift your mood matters more than ever.

Maybe now is the time to join that choir, book club or Pilates class you’ve been thinking about. If you are time-poor, even a post-work chat with a close friend on the commute home can boost your mood. Small moments of joy and connection can make this transition feel far less isolating.

Perimenopause can feel challenging, unpredictable and, at times, overwhelming. But simple nutrition and lifestyle tweaks can make a real difference to how you feel day to day.

If your symptoms feel unmanageable, it’s important to speak to a healthcare professional and get the support you need. And if you’d like more support with your own perimenopause journey, I also work with women 1:1 and through my perimenopause group programme. Come and say hello on Instagram to find out more about how I can help, or book a free breakfast audit and let’s get your day off to a great start.

FAQs About Perimenopause Nutrition

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She learned English for me.

Not because she needed it. Not because her life required it. But because I was a child born in England, and she wanted to make sure that the country where I had begun my life would never feel entirely foreign to me.

My adoptive mother was a beautiful woman. Elegant, always. Even on ordinary days, even in a small Sicilian town where elegance was not especially required. She had a way of walking into a room that made people feel that something important was about to happen. And she had a generosity that was not performance: she helped people quietly, consistently, without keeping score.

I was nine months old when they adopted me. In Italy, at that time, adoption could take years — the waiting lists were endless, the bureaucracy overwhelming. Someone advised them to consider an international adoption. And so they came to England. To Epping, Essex. And they brought me home.

But home, for them, meant making sure I never lost the country where I had started. And so they moved to Watford. They bought a house. They built a life in England – in a country that was not theirs – so that I could grow up knowing where I came from. And while they were there, they learned English together, sitting at a kitchen table, working through grammar books and phrases, laughing at their mistakes.

For me.

Moving back to Sicily

I was nine years old when we moved back to Sicily. And Sicily became my home. Italy became my language. And England became the country where I was born, which is not the same thing as the country where I grew up, but which has never entirely left me.

My mother died when I was sixteen. Both my parents did, within a short time of each other. And the questions that I had not known I was carrying – about love, about belonging, about what it means to be chosen – became suddenly very loud.

Years later, I searched for my biological origins. I found them.

I remember it was raining. I was wet. I stood outside the door for a few minutes before I rang the bell – I don’t know why. Perhaps I needed a moment. Perhaps I already knew.

The door opened. She hugged me.

And I felt a cold embrace.

Not because I was wet from the rain. But because I had already known a warm one. Because the real embrace – the one that had held me through childhood and loss and everything in between – had already been given to me, years before, by someone who had learned English at a kitchen table in Watford, just to make me feel at home.

That is the moment I understood what my book is about.

Love Isn’t born. It’s Built

Love Isn’t Born. It’s Built. – Children Beyond Blood is not a story about searching. It is not a reunion memoir. It is the story of what I already had – and what it took me a lifetime to recognise.

Chosen love is not a consolation prize. It is not second best. It is, sometimes, the warmest embrace you will ever know.

I write under the pen name The Hidden Voice – a name I first chose for privacy, when I published my debut book, Two Lines, One Life. It has since become something more: a description of what I believe many adopted people carry. A voice that is real, and full, and true – but that does not always find the space to speak.

This book is my voice speaking.

And it feels right that it is written in English. I was born in England. My parents came to England for me. And now, decades later, I am sending this book back to where everything began.

My mother did not give birth to me.

But she built me.

And that, I have learned, is the most powerful thing love can do.

Love isn’t born. It’s built.

The Hidden Voice is the author of Love Isn’t Born. It’s Built. – Children Beyond Blood, available as a Kindle ebook and paperback on Amazon UK. She is also the author of Two Lines, One Life. Born in Epping, Essex. Living in Sicily, Italy.

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I can still remember the feeling of trapping my arm in a car door as a child.

I remember the excitement of opening a bike and a mini keyboard on Christmas morning.

I remember the embarrassment, anxiety and sadness of being bullied at secondary school after dyeing my hair, with children singing the Fraggle Rock theme song at me for days.

The events themselves happened decades ago, yet I can still recall them vividly.

Why?

Because I remember how they made me feel.

Why feelings matter

Feelings give experiences meaning. They help shape how we see ourselves, others and the world around us. They can influence the choices we make, the risks we take and the stories we carry about who we are.

Yet growing up in the 1980s, I’m not sure anyone ever really explored my feelings with me. At times, they felt muddled, overwhelming and messy. Looking back, I often had to make sense of them on my own.

Perhaps that’s why I grew into an adult who felt things deeply.

Like many people, I’ve experienced panic attacks, comfort eating and periods where worry has made it difficult to switch off. I’ve watched friends, family members and colleagues struggle with their mental health. I’ve seen first-hand the impact emotional distress can have on children, young people and adults alike.

One experience that has never left me involved a young child who had taken an overdose and required urgent medical treatment. Watching a room full of professionals trying desperately to keep that child safe was heartbreaking.

It reinforced something I now believe strongly:

Feelings matter.

Not because they are always comfortable, but because they are always communicating something.

As an Early Childhood Studies graduate, childcare practitioner, lecturer and assessor, I spent years supporting children and families. Yet it wasn’t until I became an adoptive parent that my understanding of feelings was challenged in entirely new ways.

Feelings in adoption

When my daughter came home, I expected big emotions.

What I didn’t expect was the intensity.

The anger.

The anxiety.

The sleepless nights.

The school struggles.

The behaviours that often appeared bigger than the feelings underneath them.

Like many adoptive parents, I immersed myself in therapeutic parenting approaches and attachment-based support. These were invaluable, but there were times when I still felt stuck.

I wasn’t looking for a quick fix.

I was looking for ways to help my daughter understand herself.

To help her make sense of what was happening inside her body and mind.

To help her feel heard.

Helping adopted children to feel heard

Whilst waiting for specialist support, I discovered parent-led approaches that encouraged children to explore and process their emotions. At first, I felt frustrated that the responsibility seemed to return to me as the parent yet again.

But over time, I realised something important.

My role was never to fix my daughter’s feelings.

My role was to hold space for them.

That realisation changed everything.

It led me to create My Story, My Way, a resource designed specifically for adopted children.

I wanted my daughter to physically hold messages that reminded her she was safe, loved and that all feelings were welcome.

Not just the happy ones.

The complicated ones, too.

The confused ones.

The angry ones.

The sad ones.

Because feelings do not become less important simply because we ignore them.

Creative expression

Many adults struggle to identify what they are feeling. We go quiet when we’re overwhelmed. We snap when we’re stressed. We avoid things that make us anxious. We comfort ourselves with food, scrolling or distraction.

Children are no different.

Often, they simply communicate their feelings in different ways.

This is where creative expression became so important in our family.

Not every child can sit down and explain exactly how they feel.

In fact, many adults can’t either.

But children can draw.

They can paint.

They can create.

They can tell stories.

They can show us things they cannot yet put into words.

Some of the most powerful conversations I’ve had with my daughter have happened whilst drawing, painting or creating together.

Creativity creates safety.

It removes pressure.

It allows feelings to emerge naturally.

And when that happens, something remarkable occurs.

Helping children feel understood

Children begin to feel understood.

What started with one resource for one little girl has now grown into Wild Hearts Creative.

Today, our resources support children navigating anxiety, family separation, grief, confidence challenges, school transitions, adoption, hospital stays, friendship difficulties and many of life’s other big moments.

Not because we have all the answers.

But because every child deserves opportunities to express themselves, explore their experiences and feel heard.

The truth is that we cannot protect children from every difficult feeling.

Nor should we.

Sadness, disappointment, fear, frustration and uncertainty are all part of being human.

What we can do is help children understand that feelings are not something to fear.

They are something to notice.

Something to explore.

Something to move through.

And perhaps if we can help children do that, we give them something far more valuable than happiness.

We give them the confidence to trust themselves, whatever life brings.

Because feelings felt in childhood can last a lifetime.

But so can the experience of being understood.

About Wild Hearts Creative

Gem Mullings is the creator of Wild Hearts Creative, which was born from a deep belief that children deserve gentle, meaningful ways to express what is happening inside them, especially when words feel hard to find.

With a degree in Early Childhood Studies and years of experience supporting children and families through childcare, education and family support, she has always been drawn to the emotional world of children and how feelings often show themselves through play, behaviour, movement, creativity and connection long before a child can fully explain them.

As an adoptive parent, she knows how important emotional safety, belonging and creative expression can be for children navigating big feelings, identity and life experiences.

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As Mary Poppins once said, “Let’s start at the very beginning.”

School!

The signs were there, I just didn’t know it.

I hated school. There are well-told stories in our family of me being an “anxious child”, crying in the mornings before school, even as early as nursery school, and my mum getting a heads-up from the teacher as I came out of school that all was not well.

The thing is, in school, I was compliant, desperate to do the right thing, and worked really, really hard. But I felt anxious all the time. I was described as anxious by family and teachers, and I grew up thinking I was the problem. I needed to be less anxious somehow. But I had no idea how. I just thought I needed to try harder.

It wasn’t until I was well into my 30s that a counsellor told me, “You aren’t an anxious person; something is making you anxious.” That really clicked for me. It somehow externalised the issue, stopped the self-blame and negative self-talk, and started something in me that wanted to look into why.

My learning journey

Learning at school was tough. My friends from school days will probably read this and think, “What?”, thinking I had it all together and was doing OK with my learning. In fact, I passed all my GCSEs, got two A-levels and went to university.

But if you look at how that all happened, you’ll begin to see a picture, reinforcing that well-known saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

I had two parents who were teachers. I was being coached in the background. The hours my dad spent with me learning my spellings, only for the teacher to test them out of order, for me to get them wrong, and then have to stand on my chair. I was almost sick before spelling tests.

I hated reading and reading aloud in class, which had me literally shaking.

When it was my turn to ask a question in class, I would have to repeat it over and over in my head so I wouldn’t forget, and even then, I would still misunderstand it.

I developed the most creative masking and avoidance skills.

Making lists

Even as young as seven years old, I can remember making lists. These weren’t just any old lists; they were intricate, step-by-step plans of the day and all the things I needed to do. I now know that was more to do with my working memory than anything else. I still make lists; I forget to look at them a lot of the time, but they reduce my anxiety.

And I learnt to disappear in the classroom. I kept my head down, did my homework and tried my hardest to stay under the radar.

GCSEs I did OK in, a combination of working really hard, help at home, and having a great English and maths teacher. Funnily enough, other kids didn’t like their style, but they described things in a way that just made sense to me.

For A-levels, I took Biology, PE and Art. Nothing required a lot of essay writing. And I still failed one of them.

I then completed a degree in Occupational Therapy, where a big chunk of the marks came from practical placements.

Learning to play to my strengths

I’d adapted and played to my strengths in order to get through an education system that didn’t see me, without even knowing that was what I was doing.

The academic challenges were only part of the story; carrying the belief that I wasn’t quite good enough was the part that stayed with me.

But the cost? That was something different.

Anxiety. Self-doubt. Low self-confidence. A fear of putting myself out there. Looking back, I feel I missed opportunities.

That all sounds deep and depressing and, given the choice, would I like to have known I was dyslexic when I was younger?

Yes, I would.

Do I think it would have made a difference?

Yes, I do.

However, I know now.

Dyslexia diagnosis: Knowledge, confidence and strength

I am more confident than I have ever been. Sure, the anxiety still creeps in, but I would never have believed you if you’d told me that one day I would have my own podcast and be speaking on stages.

My diagnosis brought me knowledge, and with that knowledge came strengths, confidence and realisation. It didn’t make me feel less or create a label for me that was somehow negative.

It gave me a better understanding of who I am, why I find some things difficult, why I am great at other things, and then gave me permission to lean wholeheartedly into my strengths.

Work became easier. Life became easier.

Because if we don’t have a name for our needs, we either create one for ourselves or others do it for us, and nine times out of ten, those labels aren’t positive.

For years, my label was “anxious”.

The reality was that I was a dyslexic child trying to navigate a world that didn’t yet understand me, and more importantly, I didn’t understand myself.

Liz Evans is an award-winning, dyslexic occupational therapist, speaker and podcast host behind The Untypical OT. Her work centres around burnout protection through a neuroaffirming, trauma-aware and sensory-responsive lens, supporting parents, professionals, solopreneurs and event organisers to find more sustainable ways of living and working.

Both professionally and through lived experience as a mum in an additional needs family, she’s seen how burnout often grows when people are constantly adapting to environments that weren’t designed with them in mind. Occupational therapy helps us understand what’s really driving exhaustion and overwhelm, and make practical changes that support real rest, recovery and ease, not just more coping.

You can find out more about Liz from her website or follow her on Instagram, or on LinkedIn.

FAQs about Dyslexia: The cost of not knowing

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If you’ve been struggling to find the perfect gift for the dad in your life, look no further. This gift guide brings together a range of gifts to help you find the ideal present for Father’s Day.

This is a collaborative post which means I’ve been sent samples of some of the products to try.

Hinoki – Forest Face & Beard Oil

Hinoki – Forest Face & Beard Oil is inspired by Japanese forest bathing and has a calm, woodsy aroma. Handmade to order in small batches in St Margarets, Twickenham and wrapped in traditional Japanese chiyogami paper, it makes a thoughtful Father’s Day gift for anyone who enjoys simple, natural self-care.

Silky and fast-absorbing, it leaves the skin calm, supple and comfortably nourished, without heaviness or greasiness.

Gourmet Popcorn from Popcorn Shed

Looking for a gift that’s a bit more exciting than the usual socks and last-minute gifts… something that really pops?

Popcorn Shed has put together the ultimate match-day line-up of gourmet popcorn, perfect for dads getting into World Cup mode with a lighter snack option that’s leagues above the rest.

From bold, indulgent flavours to easy snack packs for half-time nibbling, and even a build-your-own bundle so he can pick his ultimate line-up, it’s a fun way to treat dad to something he’ll actually enjoy. Whether it’s a full family watch or a well-earned sofa session, this is snacking worth kicking off for. 

Because when it comes to Father’s Day… the best gifts are the ones that disappear before full-time!

Norse Organics Muscle and Joint Balm

Norse Organics, is the Norwegian skincare brand pioneering the use of wild-harvested Arctic botanicals to treat the body naturally.

The Muscle & Joint Builder Balm is a perfect Father’s Day gift for a dad with aches and pains, whether from sport, an old injury or just the wear and tear of everyday life. The balm is a 100% natural alternative to conventional pain relief; it’s free from parabens, synthetic ingredients and hormone disruptors, it harnesses some of the world’s most potent plant ingredients, including arnica, comfrey, ginger and sea buckthorn. All of which help to soothe sore muscles, ease joint pain and support recovery without the side effects of chemical alternatives.

Norwegian Arctic plants must survive -30°C winters and brief ripening windows, forcing every bloom to develop highly concentrated nutrients, which is what makes these wild-harvested botanicals so potent.

Popular uses include:

• Joint pain: shoulders, elbows, knees and ankles
• Muscle strains, soreness and injuries
• Neck and back pain
• Headaches and sinus discomfort

Gift Note Biscuits from Enchanting Bakes

Delicious, fun and creative. The perfect biscuit gift for someone you love.

These large hand baked and iced vanilla sugar cookies, decorated to look like a notepad, and an edible ink felt pen let you write your personal message to someone you love making them perfect for personalised notes that will delight the recipient.

The biscuits are packaged in compostable cello bags, and then posted securely in cardboard postal boxes. The edible ink felt pen can be reused on biscuits, icing etc. Pen may differ to the one shown.

Choose between a set of 4 or 8 biscuits.

Enchanting Bakes is a small business based in Twickenham. They see every biscuit that leaves their bakery and prides themselves on delivering high-quality, delicious biscuits every time.

The shop was created to combine owner Griselda’s love of baking, biscuits and making people feel happy. After leaving the corporate world behind, she wanted to work in a business that makes people feel special and happy – and who doesn’t feel better when they are eating a delicious custom biscuit!

Tropics Protect & Reset Strengthening Skin Kit

Tropics have a great range of men’s products, including this limited edition Protect & Reset gift set containing the freshly made essentials the dad in your life needs to cleanse away daily impurities, soften facial hair, enjoy a smooth shave, and shield skin with lightweight SPF hydration.  

Plus, it’s all neatly packaged in a ready-to-gift box, so there’s no wrapping required.  

Includes: 

Full-size Skin Shield Daily SPF Moisturiser 

Mini Hydrating Cleanser Refreshing Facial Gelée 

Full-size Look Sharp Sensitive Shave

Pepe and Tete Spanish lessons voucher

Learning a new language is a great skill for kids and adults alike. If the dad in your life would like to learn Spanish, or is already learning and wants to enhance their skills, a voucher to learn with Pepe and Tete is a great option.

With more than 400 million people speaking Spanish globally, Pepe and Tete offer a variety of learning methods to connect you to a diverse culture. From private to group lessons, they ensure the learning experience is tailored to all ages and levels from toddlers to adults and from beginners to advanced students.

To find out more and buy a voucher for 10 Spanish lessons, contact Pepe and Tete.

Poppyloop Studio Mr Chilli Bag Charm

Fiery, opinionated, cheeky. The smallest one with the biggest personality.

Mr Chilli bag charm is a playful little accessory with plenty of character making it the perfect gift for young kids to buy with their pocket money. This felt chilli bag charm, complete with a moustache, brings instant cheer to your bag, keys, or everyday essentials.

Carefully handmade from wool felt using traditional needle felting techniques, each piece has its own unique personality.

The Hunger Hub Kitchen in a Bucket

The Hunger Hub’s kitchen in a bucket is an easy-to-assemble kitchen perfect for outdoor cooking. Perfect for dads that love to cook outside, making it a great Father’s Day gift if the family club together.

As well as being a fantastic picnic/festival/camping friend, The Hunger Hub is all about promoting positive masculinity and encouraging families to get together around a campfire or in a lovely space to reconnect and switch off. Plus, some of the profits go to the Phoenix charity that supports veterans. What’s not to love?

Personalised Wooden Adventure Journal

Celebrate adventures and favourite experiences together with this fun and unique adventure journal for Dad and child.

Each journal contains pages for scribbling down all the wonderful memories and moments from your adventures together.

Personalise it with your chosen names.

Each journal is bound in solid plywood, with the pages made from made from 100gsm FSC® and EU EcoLabel certified paper, giving it a lovely Scandi feel.

All the notebooks are designed, printed, and bound in Oakdene Design’s studio in Surrey.

Contains 40 double-sided printed pages in full colour. Packaged in plastic-free cardboard packaging.

Smarter card game 

If the mum in your life loves games and testing their brain power, Smarter card game is a great choice. It’s fast, funny, and fiercely competitive in the best way. Consider it an entertaining way to discover who’s always right – and who just thinks they are.

It’s not enough to be good at trivia. Or charades. Or brain teasers. To win Smarter, your team needs to master them all – fast.

In this high-energy team challenge, you’ll rip through a shuffled deck of colour coded cards in 45 second rounds, switching on the fly between four skills: acting it out, describing, making the sound, and answering trivia. The categories keep changing, so only the smartest people – the ones who can think, adapt, and perform under pressure – will come out on top.

The goal? Collect cards that spell SMARTER before the other team does. It’s part Articulate, part Trivial Pursuit, part Charades, and all-out fun. With every round, every brain type gets a moment to shine – and every card brings you closer to proving, once and for all, who’s the smartest in the room.

Head to the homepage to read the latest articles about adoption, parenting and wellbeing.

The post Father’s Day gifts for all the dads in your life appeared first on We Made a Wish.

I’ve been delighted to see that over the last few years, there have been a number of great adoption books written by adoptive parents as well as practitioners. They help children gain a deeper understanding of what is a complex and difficult subject in a child-friendly way.

Here’s a list of our seven favourite books that help younger children, whether they’re adopted or not, understand the concept of adoption a bit more. The books have really helped our children understand their adoption journey and the process of how they came to live with us.

This article includes affiliate links for the books. That means if you click on the link to the book and then buy it, I get paid a fee from Amazon.

The Blanket Bears written by Samuel Langley Swain

The Blanket Bears is our favourite book about adoption. Our eldest daughter went through a stage where she wanted this as her bedtime story every night for weeks. The book is written by Samuel Langley-Swain, an adoptive dad, and beautifully illustrated by Ashlee Spink.

It’s a story about two little bears who had no one to look after them. It explores big issues like foster care and adoption in a lovely, gentle way. The bears are very frightened at the start of the book and the story explores why that is and how their social worker found them a safe place to live.

The story then looks at how their foster parents and adoptive family help the little bears to feel safe and loved. It’s a great book to explain the basics of adoption to all children.

You can buy the book from Amazon.

Olly & Lilly written by Matt Flukes, illustrated by Lucie Cooke

Olly and Lilly, written by Matt Fluke, an adoptive dad, is another brilliant book which explains to children why sometimes families can’t live together. Matt explains his motivation for writing the book:

“I wanted to encapsulate the fear, loss and concerns that adopted children face but also harness their sheer positivity and hope for the future for all children. The book is aimed at children aged 4-7, to help them understand their situation. It is valid for all children not just adopted children, as it discusses families, love, goals, challenges, hopes and wishes that all children have, whilst also acting as a key PHSE resource for schools. The parent bikes are non-gender specific, making the story applicable to all types of families.”

The story is about Olly and Lilly who are two bikes looking for a new forever racing team as their mummy has stopped working properly and can’t look after them. The first garage they move to doesn’t feel quite right, even though everyone was really nice to them. This shows why children sometimes have to move to different foster carers until they find the right care to suit their needs.

It’s an engaging and fun book which deals with big issues sensitively, to gently explain why sometimes parents can’t look after their children. It deals with some of the emotions children experience when they’re moved into foster care and then adoption such as separation and loss.

You can buy the book from Amazon.

The Family Fairies written by Rosemary Lucas

The Family Fairies was written by adoptive mum Rosemary Lucas to help explain the adoption process to children. It’s a rhyming storybook following the journey of a couple on their search to find their forever family. 

It’s a lovely children’s book and is written in an age-appropriate way, to help adopted children understand the different roles of the people involved in finding their forever family. Social workers and foster carers are referred to as “Family Fairies” which is a great way of engaging young children to help them understand what the different roles are.

My children love the fairies. We use the book as a tool to talk about the story of their adoption giving the fairies the names of their social workers and foster families. It’s also a great book to help children who aren’t adopted, understand the process.

You can buy the book from Amazon.

Eddy Finds a Family written by Sarah McGeough, illustrated by Stephanie Lidbetter

Eddy Finds a Family is written by adoptive mum Sarah McGeough, and beautifully illustrated by Stephanie Lidbetter. The first thing my kids loved about the book was the gorgeous, vibrant illustrations. They both love flamingos so Flossy and Frank were a big hit with them straight away.

The story follows Flossy and Frank as they learn about adoption and decide it’s the way they want to create their family. The focus then moves to Eddy, a little Emu who was living with a foster frog. Eddy’s parents weren’t able to look after him and Stella Stork is looking for a family for him. She decides Flossy and Frank would be great parents for Eddy and the story then explores how they all get ready to meet each other.

The book helps to explain some of the feelings older children may feel about adoption as the story doesn’t just cover how Flossy and Frank are feeling before they meet Eddy. It also explores his feelings and thoughts about meeting his new family.

He has worries about what it’s going to be like and what if they don’t like each other. This helps older children see that their feelings are normal and also helps their friends and family understand what they’ve been through.

You can buy the book from Amazon.

Tippy Moffles Mirror written by Mikenda Plant

Tippy Moffle’s Mirror is one of my favourite adoption books for children. It’s written by Mikenda Plant and I love the way she uses colour to represent different emotions.

Tippy’s tummy mummy, Poppy, has bright blue fur which reflects the deep sadness she’s experienced in her life. The story starts with Tippy’s early life with her mum. She tried her best to make her mum happy, but because Poppy was so full of sadness, that was hard to do. The harder Tippy tried, the more her fur turned flat, grey and dusty.

The story explores what happens when a parent can’t look after their child and the kind of help and support they might be given to improve things. And then why children sometimes struggle to settle with a new family in case they think they’re not good enough.

The book covers some really big issues like neglect, in a gentle way. It helps children understand that not everyone knows how to look after a baby or a child. And that it’s normal to experience a whole range of different emotions.

I first read this book with my eldest at a time when she was really struggling with her emotions. It helped her understand that we all experience a wide range of feelings, some good, some not so nice.

You can buy the book from Amazon.

Billy Moffles Straight Lines written by Mikenda Plant

There are a lot of children’s adoption books on the market which explain the adoption process. They use engaging characters to explain the adoption process and also the role of adoption professionals such as social workers.

Finding a book that explains to young children what domestic violence and neglect are, isn’t so easy. And let’s face it, in an ideal world, it’s not a topic we’d want our children to have to learn about. But the sad reality is many adopted children experience trauma because of violence between their birth parents, and neglect as a result of that.

Mikenda’s second book looks at the impact feeling scared of who you live with, can have on children and adults. And also how that feeling can affect how you manage other things. In this story, Billy’s birth mother, Daisy, isn’t able to give him the care and love he needs, because all her focus is on making her boyfriend happy so that she doesn’t feel so afraid.

The story looks at why this behaviour doesn’t keep Billy safe. And what happens when a child has to leave that situation and live with a new family. When he’s with his new family, it takes Billy a long time to realise that he’s safe and that his new mummy and daddy won’t leave him to look after himself, like Daisy did. He spent a lot of time tidying and keeping everything straight as he worried if he didn’t, his new daddy would get angry with him.

This is such a good book to have in your toolkit. It’s started some really good conversations with our eldest daughter about feeling scared.

You can buy the book from Amazon.

Adopting a Little Brother or Sister written by Holly Marlow

This is a lovely book to help explain the process to children who are going to become a brother or sister through adoption.

The story is about a little boy whose family are adopting a little brother or sister. It explains the stages in an age-appropriate way, introducing people like social workers and the role they have.

This is another book I wish had been around for our eldest daughter. I think she struggled to understand what our social worker did during the assessment for our youngest. She remembered our original social worker from when we adopted her because she’d seen photos of her in her life storybook. Meeting a new social worker was confusing for her. Being able to read a book like this would’ve really helped.

The book looks at what the social worker’s job is and the types of questions they might ask. This part really resonated with me because I can remember our daughter being asked how she would feel about sharing her toys with her little sister. She said she’d be happy to share them, as long as her little sister looked after them and gave them back.

The story then moves on to look at what happens when a child finds out about their little brother or sister and the mechanics of bringing them home. There are some great questions at the end of the book to use to start conversations with your child about becoming a brother or sister through adoption.

The book is perfect for biological and adopted children to read to help them understand the process of becoming a sibling through adoption. It’s also a great read for their friends, so they can understand it too.

You can buy the book from Amazon.

Bridie’s New Family, written by Flo Jackman

Bridie’s New Family is a charming rhyming story written by Flo Jackman to help children understand their birth history and journey to their family. The story was written to help Flo’s daughter make sense of her early life and understand why she couldn’t live with her first family.

The book guides a child through the adoption process, addressing the significant issues of why they couldn’t live with their first family, the court process, and family finding in an age-appropriate manner.

The story is about a child who is two, but you can easily adapt the story as you tell it to the age of your child, helping them to understand their unique story. You could also change the details about the character’s hair and other characteristics and memories to tailor it exactly to your child.

Bridie’s New Family gently introduces the big concepts of adoption, helping your child understand how their birth history brought them to where they are now, which is key in developing a sense of belonging. It’s a brilliant resource to use from an early age as part of their life story work and as a tool to start conversations at your child’s pace to talk about their first family, as well as things like introductions and early memories from them coming home.

Young children can struggle to understand the often complex issues around why their first family couldn’t care for them, and this story is a great way of introducing the concepts around adoption from an early age, in a way that helps them feel loved and heard.

Bridie’s New Family is suitable for children up to around the age of eight. You can buy the book from Amazon.

The Day My Heart Grew written by Emma Perkins

Adoption is complex, which makes it difficult for children to understand why or how things happened and why they no longer live with their birth families.

That’s why books like “The Day My Heart Grew” are so important, particularly for younger children, so they can read and learn about adoption in a simple way, helping them understand the basics that they can build on as they grow.

“The Day My Heart Grew” is a rhyming storybook written by Emma Perkins and beautifully illustrated by Hannah Steele, whose stunning penguin illustrations bring the words to life.

The rhyming story centres around a penguin who wants to grow their family through adption and gently explains how adoptive families come together. It makes a great resource to introduce adoption to younger children, and as a tool for starting conversations about life story work as they grow older, encouraging them to ask questions about their journey from foster care to coming home, and talk about their feelings.

The book is suitable for children of all ages and can be adapted when it’s read to a child, to suit their circumstances. Head to the Emma’s website to find out more details about the book and buy your copy.

Head to the book review section to find out about other wonderful adoption books for kids.

The post Nine Adoption books for kids appeared first on We Made a Wish.

Teenagers today spend more time looking at screens than any generation before them. Phones, tablets, laptops, gaming consoles, and televisions are now part of daily life from morning until bedtime. Some of that screen time comes from school and homework, but a large part of it also comes from social media, streaming, gaming, and constant messaging.

That has naturally led many parents to wonder what all this screen exposure is doing to their children’s eyes. Stories about screens “ruining eyesight” are everywhere online, but the reality is usually more nuanced than that.

Screens are not automatically damaging a teenager’s vision overnight. However, long hours of close-up screen use can contribute to eye strain, discomfort, and unhealthy visual habits that may affect eye health over time.

How Much Screen Time Are Teens Really Getting?

The Digital Reality of Modern Adolescence

Most teenagers now use screens throughout the day without even thinking about it. A typical day may involve online schoolwork, messaging friends, scrolling social media, watching videos, and gaming in the evening.

The modern teenage routine is heavily built around digital devices. For many families, screens are now tied to education, communication, entertainment, and even hobbies.

Why Screen Exposure Has Increased in Recent Years

Several factors have pushed screen use higher.

Online learning has increased significantly in recent years and changed how students interact with schoolwork. Social media platforms also continue to demand constant attention, while streaming services and online gaming make it easier than ever to spend hours indoors looking at screens.

According to guidance from the NHS on screen time and children, balance and healthy routines matter more than trying to eliminate screens completely, which is unrealistic for most families today.

How Screens Affect Teen Eyes

Digital Eye Strain

One of the most common problems linked to heavy screen use is digital eye strain.

This happens when the eyes work too hard for too long without enough breaks. Teenagers often focus intensely on screens while blinking less, especially during gaming, studying, or scrolling sessions that last several hours.

Digital eye strain is usually temporary, but repeated discomfort can affect concentration, mood, and daily comfort.

Common Symptoms to Watch For

Parents should pay attention to symptoms such as:

• tired or sore eyes
• blurred vision
• dry eyes
• headaches
• difficulty focusing after screen use

Some teenagers may not mention these symptoms directly because they assume they are normal.

Warning Signs Your Teen May Need an Eye Exam

Changes in Behaviour

Sometimes the first clues are behavioural rather than medical.

A teenager may start squinting at screens or distant objects, sitting unusually close to devices, or complaining about headaches after school or gaming sessions. Frequent eye rubbing can also be a sign that their eyes are feeling strained or uncomfortable.

Academic and Daily-Life Indicators

Vision problems can also show up in less obvious ways.

A teen struggling to focus visually may find it harder to concentrate during homework or lessons. Reading can become tiring, and screen-heavy tasks may feel frustrating rather than manageable.

Declining school performance does not automatically mean an eyesight issue, but visual discomfort can definitely make learning harder.

The College of Optometrists also notes growing concern around increasing rates of myopia in children and teenagers, especially with prolonged near-work activities and reduced outdoor time.

How Should You Protect Your Teen’s Eyes?

Are Blue Light Glasses Worth Buying?

Blue light glasses are heavily marketed to parents and students, but they are not a magic fix.

Some teenagers may find them more comfortable during long screen sessions, especially in the evening, but good screen habits usually matter far more than relying entirely on special glasses.

Regular breaks, proper lighting, and limiting excessive late-night screen use are often more effective than buying expensive accessories alone.

Are Contact Lenses a Good Option for Screen-Using Teens?

For some teenagers, contact lenses can be a practical option, especially for sports, outdoor activities, or active school routines.

However, screen-heavy days can sometimes make lenses feel drier or less comfortable because people naturally blink less while using devices. This is why some parents and teens prefer daily contact lenses, since they provide a fresh pair each day without the extra maintenance of reusable lenses.

Daily disposables can also be convenient for busy teenagers who may not always be consistent with lens cleaning routines.

Healthy Screen Habits That Support Better Vision

Encourage Proper Screen Positioning

Screen position makes a bigger difference than many people realize.

Devices should not be held extremely close to the eyes for long periods, and screens should generally sit slightly below eye level rather than forcing the neck and eyes into awkward positions.

Even small adjustments can reduce strain significantly.

Improve Lighting Conditions

Glare and poor lighting force the eyes to work harder.

Natural lighting is often best during daytime study sessions, while harsh reflections from windows or overly bright screens should be reduced when possible.

A dark room with a bright screen is especially tiring for the eyes during long evening use.

Prioritise Regular Breaks

Teenagers often lose track of time when using devices.

Encouraging short breaks helps the eyes relax and reduces continuous close-up focus. Outdoor activity also matters because spending time outside gives the eyes a break from constant near-distance work.

Create a Family Plan for Healthy Screen Use

Setting Realistic Screen Boundaries

Strict bans rarely work long-term, especially with teenagers. Instead, families usually have more success with realistic boundaries around bedtime use, meal times, homework routines, and daily breaks.

Encouraging Device-Free Periods

Simple habits like device-free dinners, evening walks, or screen-free mornings can help reduce overall exposure without making screens feel forbidden.

Leading by Example as a Parent

Teenagers notice adult habits too. Parents constantly looking at phones during conversations or evenings may unintentionally reinforce the same behaviour they are trying to limit.

Healthy screen habits work better when they feel shared rather than imposed.

Balancing Technology With Overall Wellbeing

Screens are now part of normal life, so the goal is not complete avoidance. The real focus should be balance: enough movement, outdoor time, sleep, social interaction, and visual breaks alongside digital use.

Is Your Teen’s Screen Habit Affecting Their Eyesight? Final Points

Screens are not disappearing from teenage life anytime soon. School, entertainment, friendships, and hobbies are now deeply connected to technology, and that reality is unlikely to change.

What matters most is helping teenagers use screens more responsibly and paying attention to the signs that their eyes may need support. Eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, and visual fatigue should not simply be ignored as “part of growing up.”

Regular eye exams, healthier screen habits, outdoor activity, and small daily adjustments can go a long way toward keeping teen eyes more comfortable and better protected over time.

FAQs About teen’s screen habit affecting eyesight

Head to the homepage to read the latest articles about adoption, parenting and wellbeing.

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For adopted children, separation anxiety often stems from circumstances far beyond their control. Being removed from their biological family, and then foster carers, leaves children feeling anxious when they are separated from their new caregivers.

New experiences and situations can be particularly difficult to manage for adopted children, such as starting school or moving into a new class. We can do a lot to help with this before the start of a new term, such as visiting the new school/classroom/teacher. We found regular walks to her new school in the couple of weeks before she started, and helped our youngest familiarise herself with the route and routine.

Separation anxiety is difficult for a child, but it’s also distressing for parents. There’s nothing worse than leaving your child in tears at nursery or school. Even if they settle quickly after that, it’s something I struggled with when our youngest daughter was unsettled at nursery.

Managing new situations is something all children have to experience. As parents, although we’d love to be able to take away any anxiety about a new situation, we can’t. But we can use techniques and props to help our children manage their feelings.

Here are five tips recommended by parents to help manage separation anxiety:

Talking

As our daughter gets older, we’ve all learned how to manage separation better. A big part of this has been talking. We talk through what’s going to happen in advance of the new situation, and if she’s got questions I can’t answer, I’ll find out and tell her.

Knowing which door to use, where to hang her coat, and where the loos are, are all things that help her manage her anxiety. We try not to force conversations and talk about things when she wants to. Like a lot of children though, she tends to bottle it up and her anxiety comes out in anger. So we often talk things through once she’s calmer and is able to express what she’s worried about.

We’ve found the school website a great starting point for conversations. There are some photos of classrooms and we talk about where hers is going to be and how she’ll get there.

Smells

We’ve found familiar smells work really well for our eldest. She has a spray of my favourite perfume on her wrist and on her clothing. This helps her to feel safe and know that I’m with her, even when I’m not there physically.

We use this technique not just for school, but any situation where she’s nervous about something new. It’s a discrete way of helping her feel safe as no-one else knows what the smell means to her.

Physical things

We used this technique for the first time last year. Covid meant there were no physical visits to her new classroom. This was particularly hard for our daughter as she was moving up into juniors. It’s a completely separate school which she wasn’t familiar with at all.

I bought her this lovely badge from Clara and Macy which I ironed on the inside of her school cardigan. It worked a treat. It gave her a little boost whenever she needed it. And she also used it to help her friends. One of her friend’s mum stopped me in the yard and said our daughter had let her daughter hug her badge when she was missing her mum in the first few days of the new term which I thought was lovely.

You can also buy the design as a pin or with different versions of mum and dad. Click here to see all of their designs. They’re such a simple idea, and a brilliant way of helping your child remember you’re always close.

Wrist drawing

A lot of parents find drawing a heart of something similar on their child’s wrist and their wrist, helps with separation anxiety. Depending on your child’s age, they could draw something on your hand or wrist, and then you do the same on theirs. It’s a simple and effective reminder for them throughout the day, that you’re with them.

The drawing on their wrist could also be used as a hug button. When you’re child is feeling anxious or worried when they’re apart from you, they can touch the drawing and imagine a hug from you. A lot of parents say this works well for their child.

Books

I’m a huge lover of using books to help my kids understand something new. There are some great picture storybooks available about starting school and managing separation anxiety.

Without a doubt, our favourite is “The Invisible String” written by Patrice Karst. It’s a beautiful story about two children who were worried about sleeping on their own. Their mum told them about the invisible string which always connects them.

We went through a stage where this was the only book our eldest wanted to read at bedtime. She absolutely loved it, and we still talk about the concept of our invisible string that connects us, even when we’re apart.

Read my review of the book and The Invisible String is available to buy from a range of outlets such as like Amazon.

Transition box

Creating a transition box is a great way of helping your child feel safe and secure, and understanding they’re still connected to you and home when they’re at school. The box doesn’t need to be big, just something you can put in things you’ve made together at home. You could make things specifically for it, or use things you made together that you’re child has kept.

Your child can then add in things to the box that they’ve made at school for you.

Make sure you speak to the school or nursery first to agree that your child can bring a box in. Some schools don’t allow children to bring things in from home so if that’s the case at your child’s school, you’ll need to get permission beforehand.

If you’d like some more tips and advice about managing school year transitions, read Emma Spillane’s article, which is packed full of tips and advice.

Head to the homepage to read the latest parenting articles.

Please note that this article contains affiliate links to Etsy and Amazon. That means if you click on the link and go on to buy the products, I get paid a fee from the store.

The post Five tips to help manage separation anxiety for school-aged children appeared first on We Made a Wish.