This day I love.......: guide

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Becoming a parent is hard work. Kids don't come with a manual and as a parent we come with no training only drawing upon our own experiences. My husband and my parenting styles differ and we do disagree on several points with our children, although our goal is the same our path to achieve it varies.

Parenting becomes a balancing act and I often wonder if we are doing the best. I don't think I am alone and think that most parents at some point feel like 'a bad parent' or the 'worst parent in the world'. I do sometimes think we shout too much as parents, and worry about the judgement from others particularly when we are out and about.

Most parents will know the situation all too well, everything can be going perfectly fine and then you turn your back for a split second and this happens

The pressure we feel as parents to be able to work and look after the children is also immense. Financial needs means we often work longer hours and as a result the 'electronic babysitter' appears, just so we can finish off this last little bit, I hate doing this but feel I have no other choice.

We worry about everything, are they watching too much TV?

Are they not getting enough exercise?

How do I handle the 'Can I have a horse/dog/cat/plane/boat/shoes ?' question without it turning into a full melt down?

Are they eating enough? Eating too much? Eating the right things or the wrong things?

Then comes the next stages in their development. Which you no doubt compare to all your friends babies. You start to feel inadequate because baby A walked at 9 months, baby B at 10, and yours hasn't started crawling yet. Then comes potty training, baby A took 1 day, baby B took 2 weeks and yours just wants to stand in it

Don't even get me started on sleep training. Baby A slept though from 2 weeks, and Baby B slept through at 6 months and yours at 4 years old is still getting up several times and won't fall asleep until 10pm. You get offered the usual advise and just nod your head in a sleep deprived state, before the whole stressful night time routine comes around all too quick

As children become older they start to develop the selective deafness, 'Don't jump in that puddle' which they promptly ignore and jump in. The whole atmosphere changes and often tantrums erupt or tempers fray. How do you stop this? Keep children calm, open to listen and diffuse a toddler tantrum?

Should you reward the good behaviour and punish the bad? Let children help with what you are doing? Ignore the bad behaviour and reinforce the good? There are so many options available as parents.

I don't think any parent wants their children to loose that spark of imagination and for them to grow up too quickly, but likewise we want them to be well behaved and well mannered. It is this fine balancing act I think most parents struggle with.

How then can we ensure we remain good parents whilst looking after our little Prince and Princess?

Kids don't come with a manual that is for certain but there are certainly many out there to help. One which seems to understand all of the above and a lot more is the rather cleverly named 'Kids Don't come with a manual' by Carole and Nadim Saad.

Kids don't come with a manual takes a fresh approach to parenting, giving an eye opening account of a particular situation from a child's perspective. Each situation is then followed by the point of view from two parents, one with an empathetic parenting style and the other more strict. Finally this is followed by a real life example.

This helpful guide gives us parents options without being told what to do. Real life examples help to illustrate the point and the different parenting perspectives allows you to see things clearly from another point of view. In most instances there are a number of different options so you can choose what is most suitable for you and your parenting style. The key things I like are the age appropriateness of the solutions and the time needed to solve the situation.

Kids don't come with a manual is a helpful book which you can dip in and out of to find a solution to a particular problem. Kids don't come with a manual has a common goal with my parenting aims and that is to have happy, healthy and well behaved children

I was sent the book Kids Don't come with a manual in exchange for a post.

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Ever since watching Frozen, my girls and many other children [as well as some adults] have been dreaming about rocking Elsa’s classy and loose braid. With a little practise, the braid can be completed in just 10 minutes and all you need is a fine-tooth comb, a hair tie, a curling iron and hair spray. Here is a step by step guide to help you get the look and keep it looking cool all day long. This guide has kindly been put together for me by Rock, Pamper scissors.

Before You Start

This style works if your hair has not been recently washed, as freshly washed hair will be a little too smooth and silky. It is also possible to buy hair extensions from your hairdresser.

Volumise

Elsa’s hair looks larger than life, so you will need plenty of volume to achieve the right look. Divide the hair into three sections and starting with the top section use a fine-tooth comb to tease the hair back towards your head then lightly comb the front section so that it becomes slightly frizzy. Repeat this with the other two sections.

Braid

Use the three volumised sections to create a French braid. Elsa’s braid begins at the upper back of her head, so this is a good starting point. Make sure the sections are big and chunky and the braid is nice and loose. As you get to the nape of your neck, braid to one side so that the braid drapes over your shoulder, then secure the braid with a clear hair tie. Pull at the sides of the braid to make even looser and more cartoon-like.

Wisps

To mimic Elsa’s wispy bangs, pull out shorter pieces of hair from the braid so that they frame your face. This will give the impression of bangs without having to go to a hairstylist.

Curl

These wispy pieces now have to be curled to create a bouncing look. Use a curling iron to loosely curl the ends of your wispy pieces and then wisp them back again.

Style

Now use your hands to style the wispy pieces back into place, laying them on the upper sides and top of the head. When they are perfectly positioned, secure them with hairspray to complete the look. Because this braid is very loose, you may well find that it falls out during the day, especially if your hair has recently been washed. In this case, you can secure your braid with strategically placed hair grips to keep everything in place. If you really want to look like Elsa, add a tiny blue bow to the end of your braid and you are good to go.

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