Calling all mums! – it’s time to get nominating to vote for the UK’s top mums in business at MumsClub’s 4th annual Business Mum Awards – with headline sponsors MyFamilyClub.

The new year has started with a great deal of headlines and one of the most notable is David Cameron’s announcement that he wants to make Britain a more entrepreneurial place. He has said that recognising people who have achieved in business is a good way to inspire a new generation and because of this he has announced that the founder of the Business Mum Awards is going to receive an MBE.

This year is particularly significant to the UK with the hosting of the Olympic Games and also the Queen’s Jubilee taking place. People are seeing it as an excellent opportunity to recognise women who juggle being mothers while being able to create their own income.

The award-winning support network, mumsclub, plays a nationwide role in encouraging and supporting women who may be seeking post-maternity options or alternatives to being a career, or a stay at home mum. 

The Business Mum Awards have recognised and rewarded those women who have started businesses and achieved success in a short space of time since 2008. Winners have gone on to great success including the ultimate goal for many of them having their products stocked in high street stores and even more exciting in overseas. 

Jane Hopkins MBE who created both mumsclub and the Business Mum Awards says 
Recognising such high achievers helps create more role models that inspire the next generation of women juggling business with motherhood.

This year, previous award winners have been delighted to offer sponsorship, with many category winners sponsoring individual awards. Mum of two and entrepreneur Gemma Johnson, won an award for adversity last year and her new businessMyFamilyClub is the headline sponsor for the event. 

Gemma says “I am a huge supporter of mumsclub and The Business Mum Awards. The support that I have received from other mums in business has been an enormous help, so I am delighted to be able to give back and support this year’s awards, giving a boost to the next generation of mums starting out in business.”

Further sponsors include Cara Sayer who with her business SnoozeShade won Business mum of the year 2010, Mumpreneur Shop, the business owned by Erica Douglas and Antonia Chitty who won best start up 2010 and Business Mum of the Year 2009 respectively, and Alison Pinney of Your Little Monkey and Mum’s Business Club Cambridge who won the Mumpreneur Advocate 2010 and Gill Hayward and Kellie Forbes of YUU World who won the high growth award 2010.
Nominations will close on February 15th.

Award Categories

• The Resilience Award: Sponsored by MyFamilyClub
• The Impact Award: Sponsored by The Mumpreneur Shop
• The Innovator Award: Sponsored by Sponsored by YUU World
• The Advocate Award: Sponsored by Your Little Monkey
• Business Mum of the Year: Sponsored by SnoozeShade
• The annual MumsClub PR Challenge
• Plus the top secret wildcard award, awarded to the business owner who may not always fit the above category criteria but the judges agree require recognition for specific effort, achievement or experiences.

Nominations are invited now to ensure all entrepreneurial mums are in with a chance of entering. The winners will be announced on the 8th March in recognition of International Women’s Day. The ceremony will be an exclusive event for the winners to enjoy an afternoon of pamper and relaxation after a sumptuous winners lunch.
Limited sponsorship opportunities are still available.

Related posts:

1. What’s On 4 School Kids awards – Voting has Begun Online voting is now open for a new award scheme...
2. Second annual branch contest for kids from Northern Rock Northern Rock is hoping to make sure that kids stay...
3. The Kellogg’s Swimtastic Awards 2009 Whether you are learning to swim for the first time,...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This is because they spend the other days commuting to work and when combined with the intense work schedule they don’t have much time to spend with their children during the week. In the worlds view it is generally accepted that work comes before being a father for men.

It might not be the quite the same in the UK as men generally don’t work the same intense schedule but it can still be a struggle to fit your children in when you have to spend a lot of time working. This is a flawed structure and people should focus on having a job that allows them the free time they need to spend with their family and build a quality relationship with their children.

Consumerism is a misdirected lifestyle and the poor food choices that people are making in the modern world, especially in the United States, is leading to an increased amount of obesity and diabetes in both adults and children. Religion is something that is on the decline and while it is flawed in many ways, a general positive message that can be taken away from it is can be the roots of family values.

Matthew Kelly, who is an author writing about how to build a better family, has said that it is very important to think outside the box when you are trying to build a stronger family unit. He says that people should look outside their normal behaviour and see how they could bring a focus back to building bonds with their family.

He also says that some of the best ways to do this is to start working from home more if possible and start questioning a traditional lifestyle and find a way to live a healthier and happier life.

Working from home can be something that is challenging but it is also way that many people find happiness. Not having to work typical office hours means that you can choose when you work and make the hours better suited to your family life. This is likely to improve your happiness significantly as you’re going to be able to forget about the stresses of work more easily and spend more time with your family.

Many people also find working from home gives them more time to eat healthier and exercise more. This in turn leads to a happier state of being, not just for the person who’s working from home but also for their family who are going to benefit from more nutritious and healthy meals that the person can prepare.

Related posts:

1. Family half term holiday ideas New research reveals that three quarters of people strongly agree...
2. Role Play for Children – The Benefits Babies and children learn the vast majority of what they...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Children are a very expensive part of life as they need feeding as well as clothing. It is not just this which costs parents money as they often want to treat their children to special things. Unemployment in the UK has risen to a very high level and for those who have not lost their jobs the chances are they are going to be earning less money,  as the amount of money they are earning has not risen in line with inflation.

Supporting children when you have suddenly lost your income can be very challenging and it can be very hard to find new work once you’ve lost it. Those who have been working in the manufacturing sector have suffered particularly badly and those with manufacturing skills have found it very hard to find equivalent work in the industry.

The number of outgoings that the average household faces can become extraordinary and as soon as you lose your income you realise how unaffordable they are. The recession has caused more people to miss their mortgage payments and many others have lost their homes. Losing a home can be a particularly challenging process for children as moves are unsettling, especially when they are unexpected.

Single parents can suffer particularly badly as not only do they not have the benefit of two incomes coming in, which can also reduce hardship if one party loses their job, but they also have to consider the cost of childcare while they are working.

The law dictates that a parent has a financial responsibility to their children, even if there has been a divorce. However, with the economy in the state that it is, even the absent party might be struggling to make full maintenance payments.This can have a serious effect on the parents who spends the majority of time with the children.

The sad fact of the situation is that many parents do want to pay the other party in order to take care of their children but sometimes they simply do not have the money to do this.

The lack of money that many households have encourages people to take on more debt and this can increase the problem further. Taking on debt, especially irresponsible debt, such as a credit card, can mean that the amount you are having to spend on repayments is very high and this can make your financial situation even worse.

Many people have found themselves in a spiral of debt that they cannot control and they are still having to take on more debt in order to meet their basic living needs.

Related posts:

1. Family meal times are important Spending quality time together as a family without distractions can...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

One of the hardest questions a parent is likely to be confronted with is when your child asks for a taste of your wine or beer. All their lives you have led by example, eating or drinking things first to show them its okay, now, to them, you are committing the ultimate act of hypocrisy, in their eyes at least, for sitting supping this fascinating liquid without letting them have a taste.

For obvious reasons, kids and alcohol don’t go together, their bodies are still developing to start with, and their tolerance will be a lot lower than an adults. This means nothing to them however; they just see you as mean for not letting them drink ‘like all their friends do’. A do as I say and not as I do attitude can cause a lot of problems, and result in quite a  stand off if you don’t keep the conversation flowing.

A clever and unique video has been released by drinkaware.co.uk to highlight the importance of keeping the conversation going with a child when they ask about alcohol. It begins with a young girl sitting eating her dinner at the table, there is a bottle of wine clearly visible, and the girl is fidgeting and keeps looking at the wine as she pushes he food around the player.

She finally asks is she can have some, and the scene pauses, and three options appear along the bottom of the screen. What you select determines how the next bit of the video plays out, and how she reacts to your answers. Every set of options includes an end of conversation box, click this, and a warning appears that tells you the worst thing a parent can say about alcohol is nothing at all, the issue needs addressing not ignoring.

By clicking on the all the no options, the girls invariable storms off in a huff, if you answer yes to the first question she asks how much she can have. This is effectively a conversation carried out through interaction that could be happening in thousands of homes around the country.

This video leads you down various avenues according to your responses, such as how much will it take her to get drunk, and her friends say hangovers aren’t that bad. No parent will ever stop their kids from experimenting, it’s all part of growing up, but by treating them as adults and taking to them reasonably, you can avoid any serious incidents.

Related posts:

1. Jo Brand talks about perils of teenage drinking We are pleased to be able to publicise this video...
2. Bill Bailey shows the not-so-funny-side of drinking This is the fourth film in this series to raise...
3. Children’s brains and video games Ever had the urge to try a video game either...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

They need to get used to the idea well in advance and prepare themselves to accept a new member to the family. Secondly, communication is vital, for a while you will be lost in a strange world where you, the fostered children, social workers and birth families co-exist. Don’t be hard on yourself and try to rush things, just take it easy and go with the flow.

Raising a foster child is both a huge challenge and responsibility, this child may have faced numerous problems that are known only to them and this may reflect in their behaviour. The first thing you need to do is let the child understand that they are now in a safe place, just don’t push it and try and get them to open up to you straight away. Trust has to be earned and can take a long time.

If you aren’t a patient person forget fostering. That may sound harsh but foster children, through no fault of their own, can be very difficult to handle. You don’t know these children like you do your own, and you need to have boatloads of patience if the child is difficult to understand. When it comes to discipline, any kind of physical punishment is a no-no, many come from violent backgrounds and this will have a negative impact.

The child may arrive in your home suffering from trauma and you must be both patient and loving during their time of mourning. This could come from a number of issues; such as the death of their birth parents or being taken away from foster parents they had grown to love. Being a foster parent is one of the most rewarding things you can do, and as long as you are prepared you can make a massive difference to a child’s life.

Related posts:

1. Where’s Your Mama Gone? – Play addressing foster care issues Photo Copyright: Francis Loney A London theatre is widening its...
2. Child Proofing Tips for the New Parent When raising your baby, there are chances that you are...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Children are a group who are at particular risk when using the internet and it is very important that precautions are taken by parents and people responsible for their care to make sure that they are safe from harmful influences online.

It is important that people understand the need for protecting passwords. If possible, it is best that you never write your passwords down and focus on just remembering them. If you do need to write your password down it is very important that you do not carry it around with you or keep it in a folder near the computer. Folders that are sitting next to a computer the first place the thieves will look if they want to steal your information.

If you are using a public computer and you have any doubts about its security do not do anything online requires you to enter a password as someone might be recording the information you enter.

It is also important that children are made aware of the risks associated with social networking. Facebook is something that has become universally popular and this includes among children. It is important that you tell your children that they must only be friends with people they know not to give out any information that could reveal where they are in the real world.

It is also important that your children know that they should never go to meet anyone they have met online. Parents should also highlight the risks of sharing photographs on social networks as they can often give away information to potential predators, such as physical address and which school the child goes to.

Blogging is an activity that has taken off in recent years and many children keep a journal online. Parents should make sure that they are never revealing personal information that could compromise their real-world identity. If you know your child is keeping a blog make sure that you know the address of it that you read it regularly to make sure that they are not giving away any information they should not be. The same caution that is exercised with social networks also applies and anyone who is trying to contact your child through their blog should not be responded to unless the child knows them beforehand.

Filtering is a very effective way of limiting was a child can explore on the Internet and there is a lot of material out there that is very inappropriate for children. Make sure that your computer has software in place to block websites that would have inappropriate content.

Related posts:

1. Safe4Kidz – Keeping Children Safe on the Internet So Protect Me Limited (www.soprotectme.com) has annoucned Safe4Kidz, an innovative,...
2. Keeping Your Child Safe on the Internet This been provided by BullGuard Internet Security who provide an...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It is important to understand that there are many different ways for treating children of different ages. The way you handle a 16-year-old boy is going to be very different from the way you handle a four-year-old. For example if you tell a 16-year-old to sit in a chair and think about their actions they will probably mock you but then for a four-year-old this seems like a serious punishment. It is a good idea to be aware of the different punishments and rewards that are effective for different age groups.

Single parents should not worry about how to implement this as there is a great deal of literature in print as well as online about how to handle the parenting situation when you are alone. One of the major problems that single mothers find is that too much of the parenting documentation is about families with two parents however,and not enough of experts out there are offering advice for those going it alone.

There are several support groups however and many of these have a strong online presence. Parents without Partners is one such group and it provides a lot of information for single mothers. In some cases, for eligible parents, there is often financial support available or services available at a smaller cost then they might normally be. For single mothers it is well worth becoming involved in one of these groups as they can be a great place for support.

Of course there are a great many other resources on the Internet and a Google search will quickly reveal a huge base of articles about how to handle life as a single parent. There are many forums on the Internet where you can ask questions and there is bound to be someone who has faced the same situation before it will be up to help you out.

There are also several websites with parenting experts and behavioural scientists who can help you solve a problem. It is well worth becoming an active member of these groups, not only does it offer you great advice but it can also make you feel less as if you are going it alone knowing there are other people out there in your situation.

One of the most important tips that can be given to any single parent is to always remain emotionally in control. This is something the children typically can’t do and it is important that you set a good example by not losing your temper.

If you become irritable and angry this will probably only serve to scare your child and this will make the situation worse. There is a a great deal of advice available online about how to teach children lessons without scaring them.

Related posts:

1. Advice for Single Dads at Christmas For almost every child Christmas Day is the most important...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Parents who make these resolutions but can’t keep up with them shouldn’t feel like failures. The very fact that they want to make such commitments to their children is a sign that they are dedicated to them and are good parents. Everyone makes mistakes when dealing with their children and no one is perfect but there are many skills and techniques that parents can practice to improve their parenting. Every child is an individual so you will need to practice and learn which parenting techniques work best for your children.

One piece of advice that most parents would do well to heed is to encourage a quiet time where children can just think. Turning off music, computers, and the television is a good way for children to rely on their imagination for entertainment and this will be very beneficial to their creativity. Studies have shown that parents who let their children watch a lot of television are harming their creativity and their attention spans in schools drop.

A common parenting mistake is that parents do not always listen to what the children have to say. Everyone deserves to be heard and you know how frustrating it is when people shut you up. It would also be a good idea to use more positive language with your kids, instead of telling them not to do things, praise them when they do it right. Being polite with your children is also very important as it instills in them good manners. Implementing a rule that there should be no shouting in the house is a good idea; just remember you have to obey it as well.

A great New Year’s resolution that is not hard to stick to is encouraging the family to get together one night a week were they will spend time playing games and telling stories. The computer and television often make it too easy for families to not spend time together and it can be a good idea to have an evening where the technology is put away and families can really bond.

The best advice that could be given to any parents who is dedicated to improving their parenting is to stop trying to be perfect. No one has the perfect family and no one can be the perfect parent, so don’t try to be it will only set you up for disappointment. Instead, do the little things to improve your family life such as spending more time with them and less time in front of the television or computer. Also remember that it is important to spend time with your partner to keep your romantic relationship alive.

Related posts:

1. Prevention-Smart Parents e-learning course Prevention-Smart Parents is an e-learning course that is free and...
2. British parents just seem to work but not play New research has shown that one in five  parents can’t...
3. Shocking statistics on use of sun cream by UK parents New research from NIVEA SUN has shown a surprisingly lax...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This new research comes courtesy of  Thomson Holidays and it makes depressing reading that nearly half of UK workers didn’t use their holiday allowances in the past 12 months, 10% already know they will not use their holiday allowance  and that as many as 1/5 can’t take the time off to have a holiday.

Thomson have created the first Family Charter to try and make families spend quality time together. Commissioned by Thomson and released to coincide with the all new report from the Party Parliamentary Group, called “Giving Britain A Break”.

The Research shows that every member of a typical British household, be it an adult or a child, truly values quality time spent on holiday and think that it creates the kind of precious memories that last a lifetime. When parents were asked what they would most like to do with their children if they had the time off, over half said they would take them on holiday.

Work is taking its toll so much these days, that over two thirds are home late so they can’t spend time with their kids and for those that do get home, more than 1 in 8 (16%) are working on their Blackberry’s, mobiles or laptops. Over a quarter (27%) of parents stated that in an average week they spend less than an hour a day together with their children – despite almost half saying they wanted to spend more time together.

Dads are missing out more than mums – with an hour less time with their children each day – adding up to almost a year by the time they leave school. But with parents working longer and harder than ever before, true quality time together is becoming alarmingly rare.

In response to the new findings, Thomson is creating a first ever Family Charter to put quality time back at the heart of the family – both at home and on holiday. It is calling on parents and kids to identify the promises they should make to each other about spending time together. A national vote will then create the top five rules for the official Family Charter. The Charter will be developed with leading children’s champion Nicky Cox MBE, editor of award winning children’s newspaper First News, which is read by more than a million UK children every week and their families.

Nicky Cox, MBE said: “Forget ‘me time’ and ‘you time’, what we need now is ‘our time’, together as a family. We are inviting every reader of First News – children, teenagers and parents alike – to identify the top promises they should make to create quality time together. The Thomson Family Charter will help us all ditch the distractions and dedicate more time to our families. We know it’s tough, but let’s find a way of working together as families. It’s not just about parents offering more time, but kids making time too.”

The creation of the Charter comes alongside news that families are healthier and happier when they holiday together. Giving Britain a Break, a parliamentary report published today, supported by the Family Holiday Association, reveals that when it comes to the overall wellbeing of British families, quality time spent on holiday makes all the difference and could have a positive impact on Britain’s economy. As stated in the report, if social tourism initiatives in the UK could ultimately mirror the success of schemes in neighbouring Europe they could deliver up to £5 billion to the tourism sector.

Related posts:

1. Gatwick airport is top choice for families according to British Airways British Airways has revealed that more families than ever are...
2. UNICEF says parents under too much pressure to buy things for children A new report from UNICEF UK has claimed that British...
3. Prevention-Smart Parents e-learning course Prevention-Smart Parents is an e-learning course that is free and...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Cake Making Dad going Gluten Free for his daughter in touching story

Top baker Tim Slatter has told the story which brought into being his determination to supply birthday cakes for children’s parties that were Gluten free. His family business, The Brilliant Bakers will be supplying wheat free options on their entire range of great new party cakes from October.

As the son of one of the greatest cake makers in the world, Tom was ready to jump straight into family business and had bags of enthusiasm and fresh idea to expand the sales of their celebration cakes across the UK. At just 13 months old however, his baby daughter Daisy was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and he realised that the sweet history of his family has taken a cruel twist.

When Daisy’s second birthday came around, she was the first child in the Slatter family for generations who was denied one of the spectacular birthday cakes, as even a tiny bit would have sent her blood sugar levels raging out if control.

For such a tiny child, Type 1 Diabetes is a cruel and unforgiving disease, and little Daisy’s blood sugars were frighteningly erratic, despite the relentless daily regime of doing up to 20 blood glucose tests a day and administering 5 insulin injections. It strikes children randomly and for apparent reason but thankfully for Daisy, technology was at hand and when just 2 years old she became the first child in Ayrshire to get an insulin pump.

These ingenious lit allowed Daisy to eat any sweet treats, within reason, as long as the carbohydrate content had been calculated correctly. The pump would then administer the exact dose of insulin that Daisy needed via thin tubing and directly deliver it beneath her skin.
We were back on course and Daisy would be able to celebrate her third birthday with a special party and birthday cake.

Sadly, Daisy soon became unwell again with a pale complexion, bloated tummy, and bouts of irritable behaviour and was soon diagnosed with coeliac disease. Coeliac disease was another random blow to our family and we suddenly found ourselves scrupulously monitoring everything Daisy ate to ensure nothing contained wheat or gluten.

At 3 years old children are only just beginning to experiment and expand their food repertoire, a task difficult enough, without having to examine every food label for the slightest molecule of wheat gluten. Our family kitchen had to be re-organised into separate food cupboards for Daisy and even a new dedicated toaster was purchased to avoid cross contamination. As a family we had always taken pride in being non-fussy with food and now we found ourselves unavoidably having to check not only what was in anything Daisy ate but also how it had been cooked. Each time we arrived at a children’s party there would be a sea of sandwiches, sausage rolls and of course a birthday cake, all being out of bounds for Daisy.

My way of coping was to begin a crusade, thinking it was within my powers to provide coeliac kids throughout the country with exciting Gluten Free personalised birthday cakes. No more tears, something for all the children at the party to enjoy with no exclusions.
Well the pinnacle of our effort at The Brilliant Bakers is approaching its day of reckoning just in time for Daisy’s 5th birthday in October. She will proudly choose her very own birthday cake from any of the range on the website knowing that they are all safe to eat. Happy Birthday my sweet Daisy, Love Daddy x”

Related posts:

1. Dark Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe Here is an easy recipe that children can make as...
2. Making school packed lunches interesting The subject of school lunches has been much in the...
3. Hovis know that great baking is all about getting the basics right Advertising Feature for Hovis Of all the many wonderful...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.