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| Newsletter Archive |
| Newsletter publish date 20th January
2007 |
Welcome to the
winter issue of the Eden Newsletter! Thank
you to all those who have been in touch over the
course of the last year and for your continued support.
This years newsletter should have something for
everyone, from New Years resolutions, the shoe box
gift scheme, Kumon, Phonics, Suduko and much much
more. If we’ve missed anything please tell
us and we will include it in the next one! Have an
Excellent 2007!!! |
In
this issue:
- New Years Resolutions With A Difference
- Girl Guides & Boy Scouts
- Operation Christmas Child
- Learning and Using Our Brains
- Winter Fun
- Recycling Seasonal Cards
- Calling All New Mums
- Childcare Approval Scheme
- Things To Do With Little People At Home
- Eden News & Contact details
- Bellamy of Mayfair
- Useful Information – Courses and Reading
|
 New
Years Resolutions With A Difference
Every New Year, the world over, people make resolutions
they intend to keep. However, sadly most fall by the
wayside very quickly. Why not try something a bit different
this year and make a family resolution instead of a personal
one, so you have each other to keep the momentum going.
Together, you could agree to grow a garden, take a weekly
nature walk or do a clear out of clothes/toys and household
items which you could donate to charity and make it a
yearly family event. Alternatively you could work together
on conserving energy in your home/s, recycling or going
for regular bike rides. Whatever you decide, doing it
as part of a team might see it lasting until the next
New Year and could be great for your health or the environment. |
Girl
Guides
& Boy Scouts
Were you ever a Brownie, Girl Guide, Beaver, Cub or Scout?
Well you will be pleased to hear that these organisations
are still helping children and young adults of all ages
get involved in an enormous range of exciting activities
from outdoor challenges including climbing, abseiling
and canoeing to learning new skills such as first aid,
becoming a circus performer, toy making and much more.
Alongside all this fun, they can develop team working
skills, personal and social development and life skills
that can take you through life. These organisations are
still extremely popular and have extensive waiting lists
of children hoping for the opportunity to join and enjoy
the experience. As they rely heavily on the help of volunteers
to run the activities, camps and clubs, they are always
looking for new volunteers. This is a rewarding experience
for anyone who has time to devote to such worthwhile
organisations and a great way to keep busy and meet new
people too!!! For further information on how your child/charges
can join or on volunteering visit the following websites: www.girlguiding.org.uk or www.scoutbase.org.uk |
Operation
Christmas Child
 Although
it might be too late for this year’s collection,
donating to Operation Christmas Child is definitely
worth remembering for 2007. There are various schemes
which send donated wrapped shoeboxes with little gifts
and toiletries to children in Eastern Europe and Africa
at Christmas time. You will need to select the age
group and gender you are doing the box/es for and will
find information on suggested things to put into the
box for the child who will receive it and also information
on what you cannot include due to import regulations.
Sadly for many children this may be the only gift they
will receive all year and unfortunately there is always
a shortage of boxes for boys aged 10-14 years. To get
involved, you can do an internet search for an organisation
in your area which collects and sends the boxes to
children in need. One organisation which runs such
a scheme is the Samaritans Purse. Please visit their
website for further information regarding their objectives
and for details of local drop off and collection points: www.samaritanspurse.uk.com/occ/ |
Learning
and Using Our Brains
It could be the Sudoku craze or the number of code breaking
thrillers on the bookshelves lately, but whatever the
reason maths based games and learning methods seem to
be all the rage. From young to old there is something
for everyone and you’re never too old to have a
go! One of the latest learning approaches many families
are getting their children involved with is Kumon and
many schools are also adopting the Phonics method of
teaching reading and spelling.
 Kumon
is a method of teaching maths (and other subjects)
through repetition of key skills until mastery is achieved.
The underlying belief is that given the right materials
and support, all children are capable of learning anything.
There are 4 million children currently studying under
the Kumon method in 43 different countries, with numbers
growing all the time. Students work autonomously and
progress at their own pace, only moving on to the next
level once they have mastered the previous level. For
more information visit: www.kumon.co.uk
Phonics is a method of teaching reading and spelling
using symbol-sound relationships and is widely used
with children to encourage connections between sound
and letters or groups of letters. Children begin learning
Phonics around the age of 5 or 6 years old and it requires
the child to learn the connection between letter patterns
and the sound they represent. Being able to break down
a word in letters, or groups of letters, and sound
out each letter is a crucial element in it’s
success. For more information on Phonics, please visit: www.focusonphonics.co.uk
|
Winter
Fun
Pantomime - It’s that time of
year again…”oh no it’s not!…oh
yes it is!”…Pantomime time! There are a
wide range of Pantomime and Christmas Shows on offer
this Christmas and New Year from Aladdin and Jack and
the Beanstalk to CBeebies Live! and Peter Pan on Ice.
For a full list of Pantos across the UK visit www.whatsonstage.com
 Ice
Skating - Ice skating is another much loved activity
that is great family fun over the Winter period. Book early and
experience skating near where ever you live. If you’re
lucky enough to be based in London you could be doing it alongside
some of the most famous landmarks in London. From The Tower of
London to the Natural History Museum there are venues everywhere.
Most offer night sessions to skate beneath the stars and family
tickets are available making them great value for money. To find
out where you can go ice skating in your area, you can simply
do an internet search or if you are based in London visit: www.viewlondon.co.uk
|
Recycling
Seasonal Cards
 What
do you do once New Year has arrived with all the Seasonal cards you’ve
received? Try recycling! The staff at Eden have come up with some
fun, creative and imaginative ideas for those unwanted cards. Try
turning them into tree decorations for next year’s tree, create
your own unique cards, transform them into gift tags for next year’s
gifts or make a collage to laminate and create a fun tablemat! There
are also schemes in place with national supermarkets and stores to
recycle your unwanted cards on your behalf or why don’t you
send an e-card this year and save on paper altogether. |
 Calling
All New Mums
We all know about blood donation, but did you know that
breast milk can also be donated to help babies in the
neonatal intensive care units. Giving these babies breast
milk increases their chances of survival and helps their
long-term development. Sometimes their mothers cannot
feed them because they are sick or under too much stress
to produce enough milk.
It’s easy to do and there is no minimum amount
of milk to donate, in fact little and often is more
useful. And there is no need for you to take the milk
anywhere as it will be collected from you.
For further information please go to www.ukamb.org and
click on donor information.
|
Childcare
Approval Scheme
Many families are now asking for Approved Nannies. Registering
with the Childcare Approval Scheme costs approx £96.
It verifies that nannies have a suitable childcare qualification
and that they have undergone appropriate First Aid training
within the previous 3 years prior to your application.
The scheme carries out an Enhanced Disclosure with the
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and assesses whether any
information would render them unsuitable to work with
children. At this stage the scheme is voluntary and applies
only to childcare providers in England.
For full information please visit: www.childcareapprovalscheme.co.uk or
call the national help line on 0845 767 8111
|
Things
To Do With Little People At Home
 Cooking
- Including children of all ages in meal preparation and
cooking at home not only teaches them a basic life skill and helps
with learning some basic maths skills (great for the younger ones)
but also encourages them to eat the food they are involved with preparing
so a win all round and much better than ready meals!
Washing - Have you noticed that children
often watch and try and help you load the washing machine?
Well... how about letting them help you to sort the
clothes out into different colours with your help and
then let them put them into the washing machine or
let them transfer the clothes from the washing machine
to the dryer (supervised at all times). Younger babies
can also be allowed to join in by being given something
warm and snug from the dryer to feel and touch whilst
you sort the washing. Duvet covers and sheets also
make fantastic flying parachutes to float down onto
them and yourself - brilliant fun!
 Toys! -
The same old toys day in day out... bored?? There is
a simple solution, freshen up children's toys and make
them new again but simply re-arranging them in a different
way or move them to another corner. Moving a child's
toys helps them to see them again in a whole new light.
Toys that have gotten buried are now on top ready for
use and seen as new!
Making Some Noise - Plastic containers
with lids on filled with beans, rice, pasta, stones,
water, in fact anything that makes a noise make great
shakers! Just ensure that the lids are tight and securely
fastened and used under your supervision.
 Make
Baths Fun - Encourage little ones to have
a blast in the bath with a few drops of food colouring
in the water (very diluted). Give the bath a Blue,
Green or Pink tinge and see how difficult it is to
get them out!
Indoor Picnic - Cold and wet outside.
Don’t let it stop you having a picnic which is
always fun. Get a blanket and have an indoor picnic
and you could even invite a few teddy bears! |
Eden
News
We are pleased to welcome Sarah Turner to
the team. Sarah has very recently joined our Somerset
Office as the Town and Country Consultant and is busy
placing Nannies in their ideal positions outside London.
Big congratulations go to Michaela, who had her second
daughter, Megan Phoebe on 20th September, 2006. Louise
English has returned to Eden Nannies, stepping
into Michaela’s shoes to reference check all our
candidates. The Eden team now consists of Julie
Weir, Kerry Thompson, Vanessa Willimott, Jan De Caux,
Sarah Turner, Emma Cave and Louise English,
all of whom are very happy to offer professional advice
and support in any way they can. All can be contacted
on 0845 128 4279 or at the following
e-mail addresses:
Julie Weir –
Daily Consultant Julie.weir@eden-nannies.co.uk
Kerry Thompson – Live In and Overseas Consultant Kerry.Thompsen@eden-nannies.co.uk
Louise English – Temporary and Weekend Consultant Louise@eden-nannies.co.uk
Vanessa Willimott – Maternity Consultant Vanessa@eden-nannies.co.uk
Jan De Caux – Maternity Consultant Jan@eden-nannies.co.uk
Sarah Turner – Town and Country Consultant Sarah.Turner@eden-nannies.co.uk
Emma Cave – Administrator teamsupport@eden-nannies.co.uk
|
Bellamy
of Mayfair
Our sister agency, Bellamy of Mayfair, has had yet another
successful year placing Domestic Staff both inside and
outside London. We would like to extend a warm welcome
to Nikki Ehrenboth, who has joined Bellamy
of Mayfair, as the administrator.
Please contact Kathy Thistlethwaite on 0207 569
6734 or at the following e-mail address to discuss
your domestic needs.
Kathy Thistlethwaite – Kathy@bellamyofmayfair.com
Nikki Ehrenboth – support@bellamyofmayfair.com
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Useful
Information
– Courses and Reading
For all those nannies who are looking to develop
their knowledge further, www.mynannynetwork.co.uk provide
details or useful courses for both nannies and maternity
nurses. My Nanny Network also organise introduction course
for those nannies wishing to become childcare approved.
To see a full list of all courses that are recognised
by the Childcare Approval Scheme, please see details
on their website http://www.childcareapprovalscheme.co.uk
For all those nannies who are looking to branch out
into Maternity Nursing or for those nannies who have
recently had new additions to their charges, we found
reading The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg and The Contented
Little Baby Book by Gina Ford give useful insights
into two very different routines for babies.
Need your First Aid qualifications updating? Safe
and Sound are still providing First Aid
Courses specifically geared towards child carers.
Remember, if you mention you have come through Eden
Nannies, you are entitled to a 10% discount. |
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