Blog List

Experts have claimed children who were born premature should start school a year late to give their brains more time to develop. Researcher Dr David Odd says: ‘It is easy to look at a premature child’s date of birth and think that is how old they are but they are not that old. ‘These children are going to school in some cases a year earlier than they would have done. ‘Development doesn’t...

Late or irregular bedtimes have been found to cause problems for children. The study, which excluded children with ADHD, Asperger syndrome and autism, found kids with late or irregular bedtimes displayed hyperactivity, behavioural problems, emotional difficulties and problems with peers as they got older. However, the research conducted at University College London also found that children who...

US researchers have found midday naps can help pre-school children remember what they learned that morning. Children who went without a midday sleep did worse on memory tests than those who napped. Those who napped saw no change in their morning score of 75%, but the ones who stayed awake fared worse, with an average score of 65%. Researchers are warning carers and nurseries that phase out midday...

We all spend so much money on presents for our kids but they still get the best entertainment value out of a free, empty, cardboard box – perhaps this should tell us something! Our current, resident cardboard box has spent most of the week being a train or a bus with Monkey as the driver and his teddies as the passengers. Even Brewster kitten was allowed to be a passenger at one point, he...

I can't imagine a life without books; I've been surrounded by them for as long as I can remember. When my brother and I were small we regularly visited our local library with my Mum and I have been a bookworm ever since. Long before I ever dreamt of having Monkey I can remember working with a lady, the same age as me, who had 2 small boys. She told me that she didn't have time to read...