The MADs 2010 Results


The first ever Mum and Dad (MAD) Blog Awards reached its culmination tonight.  The award ceremony, organised by Sally Whittle from Who's The Mummy, was sponsored by Butlins and held at the Butlins Bognor Regis resort. Thousands of bloggers were nominated and whittled down to a list of finalists in ten categories, including a number of our team of authors here at Mumable.  We're very proud to … [Read more...]

Childrens Manners


Manners Maketh Man... So Says William of Wykeham. I have expected my children to have good manners since they were old enough to demand something. A biscuit was not given up until a grunt that sounded something like "Ta" or "Pees" had been uttered, no matter how much of a tantrum ensued.  Good manners are now second nature to my children.  They say "please" and "thank you" without a second … [Read more...]

The Wits – A New Park


Hello, I am Jake and I am 11 years old.  I want to tell you about the new park that has just opened near my house.  A man called Mohammed (from Blackburn Council) came to my school and asked all the children what they would like to build on a park if they were allowed to do anything. We had to draw things and Mohammed picked the best ones.  My design was chosen as one of the best so Mohammed … [Read more...]

I Used To Be Your Age. I Know How It Feels…


How many times have you said to your teen, "I used to be your age.  I know how it feels"?  If that's the case then why do we bawl out at them all the time? You find out that your 14-year-old has been smoking, or your 15-year-old has been drinking, and launch into "The Speech" about the effects of tobacco or alcohol, mentioning the laws about the legal age for buying cigarettes or the dangers of … [Read more...]

The Knicker Lady Review


Tonight, with some trepidation, I went to see what was billed as "a hilarious romp through the history of the humble knicker" at the Thwaites Empire Theatre in Blackburn. The stage was set with suitcases, wooden mannequins dressed in historical attire and a traditional coat hanger adorned with various hats.  The vicar's wife (Rosemary Hawthorne) entered stage left, introduced herself and immediately … [Read more...]

Social Networking For Children


How many of you have children who have social networking accounts? Many young children start with Club Penguin - a two tiered interactive website, predominately for children aged 9 to 14 where they can chat, play games, adopt and care for a pet and earn virtual coins to build and develop an igloo or buy clothes for their character penguin.  The emphasis is on the interaction between the players … [Read more...]

Are You Wearing £1000 Worth Of Attire Today?


A recent report suggests that women wear, on average, £1000-worth of clothing a day and that men are coming in at just £100 less wearing approximately £900-worth of clothing a day. Erm, hello! No-one asked me... Mrs Cheapskate over here in the corner.  I am either very frugal and at the lower end of the "average" or I don't believe in buying designer products to express my style. Today, I … [Read more...]

What Is Next To The Comics?


My (then) 8 year old was choosing a comic at the local newsagent.  He stared at the magazines on the shelf, and he continued to stare, even taking a step nearer to get a better view. He wanted to know why there are magazines with pictures of ladies with no clothes on and wanted a closer look *gulp*.  A number of reasons for the availability of these pictures of scantily-clad, nubile young ladies … [Read more...]

Living With A.D.H.D.


ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) has been a big part of our family life for almost 11 years. I don't know of what "help" this can be to my readers because we tend to muddle along in our own little way, whether that's right or "acceptable"  or what.  It's our life and we'll do what suits us.  I hate the fact that I sometimes feel as though I've got to "excuse" Jake's behaviour but, … [Read more...]

From Young Mum To Young Grandparent In 17 Years


Finding out I was pregnant at 18 years old was a shock! It wasn’t planned and it certainly scuppered my plans for my much-desired career in the RAF. However, sometimes in life you just have to get on with it. I was lucky that I had a steady boyfriend and my parents gave me as much support as they could. I’d already left home and the disappointment was clear. They’d wanted so much more for me … [Read more...]