The Food Dye Spies - a new fun game for kids!

I am always thinking of ways to encourage my children to make smart food choices and trying to keep them as informed as possible on why certain foods are good for you and not so good. They get it for the most part but are presented with so many temptations it must be difficult to say no.

For example, this morning following swim practice they were immediately presented with a Popsicle. After eating them, one of the boys looked at me and said "Mom, oh no! I just ate red 40!!". I had to laugh - its not something you hear many 7 year old boys say.

The reason he knows about red 40 is because of the new game I invented called "FADDS - The Food and Drink Dye Spies". My three boys love pretending to be spies and going on secret missions and so in this game, their task is to find hidden food dyes in food and report back to headquarters with their findings. They are allowed to go through cupboards and put foods into categories. Any foods containing dyes will be carefully investigated and banned if they are found to be particularly unhealthy - they will be labeled quite simply, 'the baddies'.

Before I go any further, let me just say that I am no expert on Food dyes but I do know that foods containing them are generally less healthy than their more natural counterparts. In 2006 Nestle, manufacturers of the popular candy called Smarties (I call them the UK equivalent to M&M's) removed all artificial colorings from this particular candy due to consumer concerns over the effects of food dyes on children's behavioral health.

Unfortunately, others have been slow to follow but I think, at least I hope that as more parents become aware of the connection between food color and their children's behaviour they will begin to put pressure on our food Manufacturers and just like trans fats, bad food dyes will become a thing of the past.

How you know you've found the perfect nanny

Today was a great day for me because one of my clients found their perfect nanny. I received a phone call from the candidate excited about the family she interviewed with, saying how much she loved the children, the parents, the house, the deck, the walk to the beach and so on and expressed her sincere hope that the family hired her. Two minutes later, I received a phone call from the client saying how much they loved the nanny, how the children warmed to her, how she fed the baby and was just right and they wanted to hire her immediately.

Of course, by the time they met hours of preparation, research, phone calls and emails had passed to ensure a good match but you can never be 100% certain that a family and nanny will hit it off. When it does happen, its a wonderful feeling, for them and me!

Searching for the right nanny for a family is a lengthy and exhausting process....if you do it properly. There are so many factors to consider to ensure the right match. Sometimes the nanny will have exactly the skills, qualifications, even personality traits that a family is looking for but they meet for an interview and somethings just not right.

My advice to families looking for a nanny is to do your homework of course, and then be aware of your feelings when you meet them. Trust your first instincts - they are just as important as background checks and drug screens. You will know when you find the right person but don't rush in to making hasty decisions because the nanny meets all the points on your checklist.

How to get children to do what you ask

Being the mother of seven year old triplet boys, I've learnt a few things about getting children to cooperate. Before I start, let me be clear that my children are not angels, far from it! When I need them to follow the rules however, they are generally very good.

I don't pride myself on being an exemplary mother, don't have any special discipline styles and I'm not Super Nanny but I do apply a skill I learned in my business days when I managed teams of sales people. I'd never heard the expression used in England but its regularly thrown around here.

Its quite simply "Managing expectations".

Children crave a certain amount of structure in their lives. Knowing what's coming next makes them feel secure and better prepared to practice the appropriate behavior required for any situation. As a parent, or caregiver we have a mental picture of the day ahead but unless we communicate that to our charges, they are running in the dark.

Take today for example. Over breakfast, the boys, my mother and I had a chat about the day to come. We took into consideration tasks that had to be performed (tidying the playroom), walking the dog, the fact that I had to work in my office for several hours (free playtime for them) and fun time this afternoon. We discussed the possibility of rain which would mean indoor activities and a small reward for good behavior (a rare trip to the candy shop in this case).

Including them in the conversation helps them to feel in control of their time and paints an overall picture of the day ahead. Knowing we are doing something fun this afternoon ensures some quiet time for me to work.

This simple method of setting expectations can be used with all ages of children and for all occasions. Next time you go shopping with your child, give it a try. a simple "please don't ask me to buy anything for you because we are only getting items from the shopping list" surprisingly works!

As children get older and they understand how they are expected to behave, it won't be necessary to keep telling them, although a quiet reminder every now and then can go a long way towards a peaceful day!

The best kids parties are the homemade ones!

I spent a large part of today researching locations for my triplet's upcoming 8th birthday, trying to find an original way for them to celebrate their special day. In the past year they have collectively attended fifteen bouncy inflatable parties and I'm not planning to subject parents to another two hour stand-around listening to loud music and screaming children.

I considered hiring ponies for our backyard and inviting some children to ride them but my husband is rather attached to his lawn and didn't like that idea. Then I pondered taking twelve boys to the movies followed by a visit to our favorite ice-cream shop. I pictured myself herding said boys through the popcorn line and caved immediately.

Thinking back to my childhood in England I remembered a very different kind of party. For a start, it would always be at the birthday girl or boy's home. We would start with party games including 'pass the parcel', 'musical chairs' and 'pin the tail on the donkey' followed by the sumptuous birthday tea. Tiny crust-less ham sandwiches, cheese and pineapple squares on a stick, cocktail sausages, chocolate rice crispy cakes and the best part of all - jelly (jello for my American friends) and ice cream!

All this, followed by a loud chorus of 'Happy Birthday' (without the cha-cha-cha) and time to go home with a slice of home made novelty, sometimes unusual birthday cake wrapped in paper and a balloon.

They were so much fun and always slightly different. Much more enjoyable and interesting than today's $275 one hour and forty five minutes affair, so rigid and structured that by the time the children are starting to relax and have fun, its time to go home. A slice of pizza and grocery store cake. So predictable. Dare I say it, boring.

So this year, my children are going to have their birthday party at home. We are having a water party in the backyard (good for the grass), with lots of fun games and activities for the twelve boys. I am making a 'swimming pool' cake in honor of all the hard work they've put into swim team this year and we are NOT having pizza! Still debating with my husband over the pony but either way we are, at home.