Tell Stories
We had my parents over for lunch a few weeks ago. My dad was telling jokes, the kind of “Dad” jokes that made me laugh as a kid. My six-year-old son was…
What little boys love to read (4-7 years)
(Disclaimer: I do realise that much of this applies to girls. I was one once. I was also a tomboy and read “boy” books. I started my working life as…
Why bed-time stories are so important
It's 7.15pm on a weeknight. Mr Ueckerman is out at a dinner. The boys and I have eaten and I'm cleaning up. I ask Mr 6 to help Mr almost-4…
Competition Win
As an unpublished author, one of the best ways for me to receive feedback on my work is by entering competitions for aspiring authors. This year I have faired pretty…
Building your children’s library: 6 places to buy books
Young children love hearing their favourite stories over and over (and over) again. However, as they grow older and want to hear longer books, they prefer novelty. Which means more…
Books around the house: normalising reading
When I was ten years old, we lived with my grandfather for seven months. He lived in an old stone house surrounded by lush farmland in Cornwall, in the south…
Sparking the joy of reading
My eldest son is nearly six (how on earth did that happen?) and he recently brought home a reader from school called Rough and Smooth. He has been trending towards…
Why Dance is Great For Boys
As a lover of dance and a dance teacher, it's natural for me to want to put my children into dance classes. However, people become a bit skeptical about this…
Make reading time fun!
I knew before my children were born that I would read to them every night - hey, I'm a bookworm! But when my eldest was born, I wasn't sure when…
Parenting a child with Sensory Processing Disorder
When my eldest son, now five, was born, I had very few expectations when it came to baby sleep, behaviour and developmental milestones. He was a very alert baby, so…