CathyMum's Blog

A headteacher who asked parents not to smoke at the gates of their children’s primary school has become the victim of a hate campaign. Susan Papas was brought in to improve standards in the ailing South London school in September and after introducing a number of new measures, has already reduced the number of children turning up late by half. However, despite positive results, a group of...

A new study by the British Heart Foundation has found supermarket portion sizes have doubled in the last two decades. While some products such as cheddar cheese have remained the same. a significant number of products have increased. An average chicken curry and rice ready meal is now 53% larger than in 1993, while a frozen meat lasagne has increased by 39%. A study of baked goods found that...

Do you count the hours you spend doing housework as exercise time? The World Health Organisation’s official claim that household chores kept people active has been quashed by new research. A study carried out at the University of Ulster found that people who listed “domestic physical activity” as a significant portion of the physical activity were also the largest of the participants...

Facebook has eased privacy rules for teen users, allowing 13 to 17-year-olds to post updates that can be seen by anyone. Currently, posts by users in this age range can only be seen by friends or ‘friends of friends’. The move comes at a time when cyber bullying and its horrific consequences are making headlines, resulting in calls for more protection for children and adolescents online...

An exercise-loving mum has received criticism for posting a picture of her toned body on Facebook, with the caption: 'What's your excuse?' Mum-of-three Maria Kang (32) from Los Angeles, California, runs a non-profit business called Fitness without Borders, which promotes physical education in schools and local communities. In the picture posted to her followers, Kang appears with her...

New figures show one in five babies in the UK are born to mums over 40. The average age of mothers is also on the rise, moving from 26.4 in 1973 to 29.8 in 2012. The figures come from the Office of National Statistics who say there are a number of reasons for the new trend, including an increase in the number of women going to university and prioritising a career, as well as the cost of raising a...

A 30-minute walk five times a week could prevent depression during your pregnancy. A new study from University College Dublin has found that only 20% of women achieve the recommended walks during pregnancy and these mums-to-be reported better health and emotional wellbeing. There is a significant trend of depression both during and after pregnancy, which has been linked to hormonal changes caused...

A new survey has found one-third of consumers have abandoned their grocery shopping in supermarkets due to a push towards self-service tills. Major supermarkets have cut back on traditional checkouts in favour of self-service machines, claiming they’re faster and more convenient. However, with more than half of consumers saying it takes longer to get through the self-scan till than it does a...

TV cook and Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry is calling for all children to be taught how to cook in schools. The baking legend says pupils should be shown 'what's good for them, how to buy it and how to make a few dishes that they enjoy and don't cost too much'. She says schools need to step away from the science side of cooking and that every child should leave school with...

These are the suspects detectives are currently looking for in connection with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007. These images, based on descriptions given of one man, will be featured on tonight’s episode of Crimewatch on the BBC. Detectives have now narrowed down the times when Madeleine’s abduction could have taken place and statements given by two witnesses identifying this man...