MumtoAbby's Blog

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...

A pregnant woman has received heavy criticism after she posted pictures of herself lifting weights just two weeks before her due date. US bodybuilder Lea-Ann Ellison was determined to stay in shape during her pregnancy and continued her exercise regime. The 35-year-old said: ‘After the birth of my second child, I knew I needed to step it up big time. ‘I loved being a Mom but I wanted to be a...

A new study has revealed that parents will chauffeur their kids over a distance of 125,817 miles before they turn 18. To put that figure in perspective, that’s about half the distance you would travel to get to the moon. Over one third of parents now have a car each and those with children in primary school make an average of 134 trips each month. For the average family, children’s trips...

Have the tissues ready...

Is the traditional bedtime story dying out? A new study has revealed that one third of parents never read their children a story at night and only 64% of those with children under seven read to them at all. Despite 91% of parents saying they were regularly read stories as a child, 13% of parents blamed a lack of time for not reading to their children, while 9% claimed they were 'too...

A new poll has found that the chocolate digestive is Britain’s favourite biscuit. The plain digestive came in second, followed by chocolate chip cookies, bourbons and custard creams. The humble rich tea biscuit only received 1% of the votes. What do you think? What’s your must-have biscuit with your cup of tea?

Alec Baldwin: Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria introduced their baby daughter Carmen to the world this week. The couple announced the pregnancy back in February, eight months after they were married in New York. At two weeks old, little Carmen is a great sleeper – she just has bad timing. "From 7am to 7pm she's great sleeper," says Alec."At night she says, ‘Let's have a conference...

Jack Osbourne’s wife Lisa Stelly has had a late-term miscarriage. The couple, who were expecting a son, lost their baby last week. The mother of 16-month-old Pearl announced the news on her blog, saying she needed some time to deal with the loss before letting people know. 'Jack and I lost our baby boy last week. Having a late-term miscarriage is by far the hardest thing either of us have...

It’s been revealed that the Duchess of Cambridge had her hairdresser on standby for the entire month of July while she waited to give birth. Amanda Cook Tucker was also responsible for bringing a selection of dresses for Kate to wear when she appeared on the steps of the hospital with William and little George. She chose the now-famous blue polka dot dress by Jenny Packham after deciding there...

Gwen Stefani is pregnant with her third child. The 43-year-old No Doubt singer, who is already mother to sons Kingston (seven) and Zuma (five), previously said she was trying for a third child back in 2010. Pregnancy speculation began when Gwen, who is usually seen displaying her toned stomach, was spotted in long, baggy tops. Reports say she's delighted with the news and is just trying to...