The BritMums Blog

Guest post: Considering private school?

In the final post of her series on choosing and applying to primary school, Sarah Ebner, author of the Starting School Survival Guide who also writes for The Times' school gate blog looks at the other side of the coin – private school. The different types, the fees and the routes in... 

You may decide that you want to send your child to a private – or fee-paying – school. These have their own vocabulary, starting with 'pre-prep' schools, which run from ages two to seven (many prep schools also have pre-prep sections).

Become a Mum Blogger Video Series Part 4: RSS and comments

The lovely Erica Douglas continues her Become a Mum Blogger video series. This installation, the fourth in the series, explain how to use RSS and make the most of comments. If you are new or beginning blogger, this series is a MUST. You can see the complete How to Become a Mum Blogger Video Series here.

 

 

BritMums Good Reads

This week on our BritMums Good Reads, we are looking for candidates from the BritMums Blog Buzz section of the BritMums network. What is Blog Buzz? Well, let us enlighten you!

Blog Buzz is the feature on the BritMums network where, by entering your blog url/RSS feed on your personal profile, every single post you write will appear in an RSS-like feed on the BritMums network. You no longer have to submit your own posts for everyone to see. They will automatically appear on both the Blog Buzz page AND on your personal page feed. Now members will have the opportunity to find your great writing by just simply entering your URL/RSS feed on your profile page. Simple, easy and effective!

If you are looking for Good Reads on a daily basis, the Blog Buzz page is your first port of call. Constantly refreshing and available in post view or blog view you should never be short of reading material. If you find a post really resonating with you, leave a comment on the blog post and on the wall of the blogger on their personal page. They'll really appreciate it! Here are a few choices for you this morning. Enjoy!

Guest post: Scrutinising school options...

In the third of her series on choosing and applying to primary school, Sarah Ebner, author of the Starting School Survival Guide who also writes for The Times' school gate blog shows us how to really get under the skin of potential primary schools...

Make sure you visit

You should really visit local schools and see what’s on offer. Something which looks terrific on paper may not actually feel right to you in reality. What others call the ‘best’ school may be too authoritarian for you (or your child), too big or too small. You can’t find that out without going to the school itself.

Newbie Tuesday!

Howdy! I’m Annie aka Mammasaurus and every week I’m going to be highlighting great posts by newer bloggers and dishing out some tips and advice. I only have limited space so I’ll ask you to excuse my brief explanations and trust my judgement as I cram in as much fantastic reading for you as I can. So whack on the kettle and pop your feet up as I take you through the best bits of the last week in my ...

Highlights of the Week! 

10 talented food bloggers to watch – they’re mums too!

At BritMums we’re bursting at the seams with brilliant foodie bloggers who share recipes, reviews, ideas and mouth-watering pictures day in, day out. Recently our friend Nick Coffer, aka My Daddy Cooks, has received a flurry of coverage both online and off. It seemed like high time to shine the light on some of our favourite parent food bloggers. Check out this handful diet-wrecking divas (in no particular order). 

The ‘B’ word: Where is the line between bully and boisterous?

In our latest collection of videos from BritMum video bloggers, we hear several sides to the ever-challenging question of child-on-child aggression.

With the recent furore and strangely flat response from the authorities over child cage fighting the debate comes at a time we’re raw and ever-concerned about the experiences our own children are going to have.

BritMums Video Blog Challenge

Video blogging. It's a challenge isn't it? BritMums wants to help you feel better about that challenge and get your feet wet. We find that the more you do video blogging (and all that comes with it), the easier it becomes, the more comfortable you are in front of the camera and the faster you get videos edited, uploaded and published.

You do not have to be a technological genius to get a video blog done.

• If you have a digital recorder (like a Flip or a Sony Bloggie or whatever), simply set it up, press record and talk.
• If you have a smartphone you can do the same!
•  If you have a webcam, sit in front of your computer and press record. Simple! Yes, it can be intimidating at first. If it helps you, write down a few notes on a post-it, stick it beneath your camera and it will help to keep you on track.
• If you have a few things to talk about, address one at a time and then edit the video to put them all together so you don't lose your train of thought.
• You can do as many or as few takes as you want. Outtakes can be quite entertaining as well and show your HUMAN side!
• Keep it simple to start. Don't worry about animation, captions, whizz-bang features, etc. Just TALK, record, edit and upload. Once you conquer the fear you'll find you feel much more comfortable about EVERYTHING that goes with video blogging.

BritMums Blog Prompt of the Week

Well, we am pleased to report that our little BritMums Blogging Prompt of the Week seems to be gaining in popularity! This makes us very happy at BritMums HQ. So happy that we might need to break out the cake! Want some?

On the first blogging prompt of the week we had a "blogging" theme (If I could start my blog over, what would I do differently?) and last week we tackled "I cannot live without..." which was a personal prompt. We thought we would push the boat out this week and give you TWO options for the Blogging Prompt of the Week. A "blogging" prompt and a "personal" prompt. You're welcome to do one or the other or BOTH if you're really an over-achiever! I hope this will inspire you and get you writing from the heart. Drum roll please...

• Blogging Prompt: The best blog advice I have ever received is__________.
• Personal Prompt: If I wouldn't be judged harshly, I would say ________ out loud.

There you have it! Now let your imagination take over, have a good think and let your words flow through your fingers onto the keyboard. Link up your post below to share it with the blogosphere and be sure to Tweet us (@BritMums) so we can support you as well. We'll be visiting all of the posts throughout the week as well so tidy up and have some tea ready for us!

Ready, steady, blog...

 

What do super skinny models teach our girls?

Deborah aka Metropolitan Mum is a regular attendee to London Fashion Week shows and while she loves the clothes and adores the shows, there is one aspect that has increasingly upset her: half the models look half dead.

She says: “I know for a fact that a lot of girls in the industry – not only models but also designers, editors – keep their weight down by very unhealthy measures.”

BritMums Blogger of the Week

Another week brings us that much closer to darker nights, colder temperatures and half-term (What? I can dream, can't I?). We're seeing some brilliant things happening on the BritMums network these days which makes us very happy indeed. Newbies are coming out of the woodwork, bloggers are joining groups, starting discussions and finding new blogs to read and become involved with. Everything we've hoped for really...sigh!

One of the best parts of delving into the BritMums network is the wealth of talented writers who are joining our fair community. Many of them are new to blogging but are such lovely writers that we're a bit taken aback. And it's not all about nappies and the school run, you know. Our BritMums are blogging about EVERYTHING! Genius!

Child cage fighting is A OK say police. We say, er, no

It’s a story that has sent shockwaves through parents across the UK, and the biggest shock of all is that police have said there are no issues for them to pursue.

Two boys – without padding or head gear – took part in a cage fighting match at the Greenlands Labour Club in Preston, Lancashire in front of 250 paying adults on 10 September. A video of 10-minute bout, which appeared on YouTube and has since been removed, showed the young boys rolling on the floor, flailing at each other and one putting his head down and pushing into the other’s chest.

School admissions: When should you panic?

In the second of her series on choosing and applying to primary school, Sarah Ebner, author of the Starting School Survival Guide who also writes for The Times' school gate blog looks at the timescales and panic decisions that kick in around now...

Some say it’s never too early to start stressing about school! If you are the kind of parent who plans well in advance, you may have moved into a particular area because you knew the local state schools were good, or put your child’s name down for a very over-subscribed private school (from birth in some instances).

Guest post: Parents, teachers are not childminders

Julia Skinner, retired-headteacher and vociferous blogger lifts the lid on an unpleasant phenomenon creeping into some parents’ attitudes to schools… So, do you or anyone you know think of the school as somewhere to ‘put’ the children rather than a source of enriching education? 

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s recent speech caught my eye especially with his list of things schools and teachers are not:

“We already expect our teachers to be social workers; child psychologists; nutritionists; child protection officers. We expect them to police the classroom, take care of our children’s health; counsel our sons and daughters. Guide them, worry about them. And, on top of that, educate them too. 

“When you consider that list, it is phenomenal that so many rise to the challenge. But it is too much to ask. Teachers are not surrogate mothers and fathers; they cannot do it all.”

BritMums Good Reads

The new BritMums network has been up and running for about a month now. We've had tons of bloggers joining and taking part in all features on the network and we are also welcoming loads of "newbie" bloggers who are lighting up the blogosphere with their energy and amazing writing. It's so encouraging to see new talent coming thick and fast and we want to recognise that as much as possible.

This week in BritMums Good Reads we're turning the spotlight onto some of the newest BritMums members. We all remember those days when we were just starting out, waiting for a comment or two (from someone other than our Mum) and hoping to figure out this blogging thing one day. So let's give a bit of attention to our newest bloggers on the block. Add them to your reading rota and give them a bit of support!

Linkys: What's it all for?

Linkys. What the heck is a Linky? And why would I want to join one? And how in the heck do I actually join one? Are you confused about this blogging phenomenon? BritMums is here for you with a simple explanation of what linkys are and some input from BritMums members themselves. You see, we are here to hold your hand and get you involved in one of the big blogging trends at the moment.

A "linky" is simply a method of linking up your blog url or a specific post url through a third-party programme which, when clicked on by a reader, will take that reader to your blog and/or post. A linky within a post and/or blog can be in the form of a "blog hop", a meme, a weekly challenge, a blog carnival or your everyday one-off post. It's a way of putting posts together (generally centered around one theme) which then gives readers one platform to come to and visit a variety of blogs. Examples of some popular and current linkys are: The Gallery, Blow Your Own Blog Horn and the BritMums Blogging Prompt of the Week.

#BritMumsSTC: BritMums are blogging for a better world

Blogger Christine Mosler’s trip to Mozambique with Save the Children opened her eyes to the grave situation facing millions of people around the world who have no access to healthcare. 

Determined to make a difference, Christine and Save the Children's Liz Scarff are currently at the UN General Assembly in New York to try to persuade governments to provide healthcare to help save lives in East Africa and they have been asking fellow bloggers to help. 

On Saturday, Save the Children held a bloggers’ conference to reach out to the thousands of bloggers and encourage them to send people to sign the No Child Born To Die petition which will be sent to David Cameron. 

To inspire other bloggers to share Save the Children’s message and highlight good causes through their blogs, Christine joined BritMums for a Twitter party this lunchtime.

Win two tickets to see The Help

Fancy a night out at the flicks for free? We have 10 pairs of tickets to see The Help at a special screening to under 50 people at the Covent Garden Hotel on 7 October. 

You and a friend can enjoy drinks and nibbles before settling into the plush leather seats and enjoying the story set at the heart of the 1960s civil rights movement in America. 

#BritMumsSTC Twitter party: How to use your blog for good

Mozambique opened my eyes in a way that nothing on TV, radio, internet or newspapers can. The realisation that millions of people worldwide have no access to healthcare and what that means in reality, on the ground, won’t leave me.

These are the words of Christine Mosler, a blogger who visited Mozambique with Save the Children to raise awareness for the work the charity is doing there. Now Christine and Save the Children's Liz Scarff are in New York City, along with other bloggers, putting pressure on governments to provide air to that will help save lives in East Africa. (Sign the petition now!)

BritMums’s Jennifer Howze spent Saturday at Save the Children’s blogging conference which focused not only on how to be a better blogger but also how we can help with Save the Children’s campaign.

For anyone who’s interested in highlighting a charity or a good cause on their blog, we’re hosting a special Twitter party on Tuesday. Christine will be tweeting from New York, sharing her tips and the work she’s been doing. Join us to hear how you can get involved in this and other campaigns.

#BritMumsSTC

When: Tuesday 20 September

Time: 13:00 – 14:00

Come join us for a Twitter discussion that could change not only your life but the lives of others as well!

Picture: courtesy of Christine Mosler, Thinly Spread

Guest post: Living with Postnatal Depression

Angeline Brunel  has only been blogging for a few months, but her honest accounts of living with Postnatal Depression have provided a refreshingly supportive mirror to other sufferers – and their loved ones. 

Here, she recounts those darkest days and how much lighter her life is now. 

I was delighted that I was given the opportunity to talk about Postnatal Depression (PND) becauseI have experienced this and know it like a mole on my skin. Ever present, big and dark.