We've always loved parties at our place and for years we put on THE BEST SHOW for the kids. Over many years we hosted over 25 BIG parties and each was wonderful for its own reason. Lottie's 8th birthday was a 'Fashion Palooza' and we invented what I think is the...
We love it when our kids want to hang out and be social. We don't love it when they have to spend ridiculous amounts of money to have fun with friends. Every now and then it's great to go to a water park, shopping, laser tag, eating fast food or seeing a movie, but...
Getting my tween and teens off screens and into other things is a well-known preoccupation of mine. I don't hate screens, I just don't love the amount of time my kids want to spend on them. Finding a bunch of card games kids love is my latest approach. I'm happy to...
Are you like me - a discarded parent looking for ideas on how to bond with your teen? Sometimes we can go a full week without so much as a good morning from our self-absorbed teenagers. When I asked Mumlyfe readers what they most needed advice on when raising older...
We recently did a survey of our Mumlyfers and one thing was immediately clear: we are all looking for ways to build our relationship with teens and tweens. Adolescents are not the easiest creatures to feel close to. Actually, they are sensitive, prickly,...
Most kids and teens love listening to stories and as they get older the urge to tell their own stories grows too. For some kids (often those we call ‘born writers’) this is an easy thing to do - no list of creative writing ideas for kids needed. They grab a piece of...
Like many people in their 40s I love returning to the era of my teenage years, enjoying 80s movies, music and TV shows. I grew up in NYC and live in Australia, but nothing can take me back in time and place like returning to my favourite 80s movies. My...
My kids spend a lot of time outside, even now that they are older. Sending them out for a play is something I've done since they were small and we just never really stopped. But I get that coming up with outdoor activities for older kids can be problematic. My girls...
It can be super-hard coming up with free things to do in the school holidays. The thing is: there are plenty of things, really. Our kids have just brainwashed us into believing that only a theme park will do. Not true! Not everything on this list is free, but there...
We've played these wonderful Minute to Win It games at parties for years. They are a riotous, screeching good time. In fact, these Minute to Win It games are loved by quiet kids and rowdy kids, both boys and girls, and in ages ranging at least from 7 to 13. Wait, make...
Many of us are (rightfully) focused on taking care of our health, eating nourishing whole foods and trying to be active … while meditating and flossing and taking some time of disconnection, away from devices. These are each a wonderful act of self-care, and they...
My middle child is a shy one. She's full of beans and very outgoing when she is comfortable, but struggles when she doesn't know people well. In fact, I'd go so far to say that being asked to be more assertive with people she doesn't know is the very, very worst thing...
Here’s a treat – the Mars Bar slice. Take a Mars Bar and add butter to it then stir in some puffed rice and then coat the lot in chocolate. Oh lordy, it’s like taking a murmur and turning it into a heart attack, but in a totally fine way. This is quite simply the...
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