Fatboy Slim gets kids excited about sushi
Japanese food has seen a huge rise in popularity in the past few years thanks to all the sushi and teppanyaki restaurants popping up nationwide. Known for its healthy properties (sushi in particular is low in fact and packed full of goodness) it's also quick and easy to eat on the go.However, sushi and Japanese food in general can be daunting for those who haven't tried it, and many parents are nervous about offering it to their children due to the uncooked fish element. However, it's a great way of getting children interested in a healthy well-rounded diet.
Now one restaurant in Brighton is offering children the chance to make their very own sushi during the Easter holidays.
5 high safety child gates
OK, I'll warn you now: This is not going to be an exciting round up. It falls into the category of 'essential safety purchases', which means they're rarely attractive but they do the job.That's not to say you have to plump for an eyesore in order to secure the safety of your mobile toddler. This IKEA Patrull Fast child gate (£32.99) on the right is a good example of a traditional style that will hopefully blend in somewhat with the rest of your decor.
Doesn't quite go with your decorating scheme? Here are four alternatives.
Court allows parents to have 11-year-old sterilised
Kids+, Medical conditions, Latest news
An Australian court has given a couple permission to go ahead with a hysterectomy for their 11-year-old daughter.
The decision has proved controversial in Australia, sparking a debate about the rights of children with disabilities.
The girl apparently has a medical condition which causes her to have epileptic seizures when she menstruates.
She has Rett Syndrome, which is also profoundly disabling and means she cannot communicate, feed herself or walk without help.
The girl, known as Angela, has her seizures controlled by medication but they get worse when she has a period.
Experts told her parents she should have a hysterectomy, but doctors refused to carry out the surgery without a court order because it is an irreversible sterilisation.
The court has ruled in favour of Angela's parents but there has been outrage by some campaigners who say the girl's basic human rights are being violated.
D: What is a dummy?
A dummy is a small plastic disc with a rubber teat attached which a baby will suck on to settle, soothe and calm itself.Sucking is known to be a very calming sensation for a baby. For this reason, many advocate the use of a dummy to help a baby cope with tension, as well as learning to self-soothe.
There are many advantages to using a dummy. As well as helping a baby to remain calm and content, using a dummy is recommended in the prevention of Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDS).
The exact reason for helping to prevent SIDS is not fully understood, although it is believed to prevent a baby from lying flat on its face if it turns onto its front during sleep, thus minimising the risk of suffocation.
10 spring maternity must-haves
21 weeks pregnant: The name game
Baby names, Weekly pregnancy diary
It was with great relish and glee that I purchased a baby name book from a large high street bookshop this week (after browsing what seemed like hundreds). My uncle has also just given me a second hand first name Oxford dictionary that he had unearthed from somewhere – it's about 25 years old and it's quite incredible just how different the definitions of names are put between the two texts.Anyway, for fear of sounding like a geek, I shall move on. P and I had already been bandying about different names and weren't getting anywhere with agreeing – our (shared) opinion being that just because we can both agree that we "don't mind" a name, it doesn't make it the right one. We've currently got a shortlist of about seven to ten names (and finding out the sex of the baby has certainly helped). Some names we both like on a particular day, then the next, one of us may wake up and loathe it and insist it comes off the list. Some very close friends of ours who had their baby a few months ago told us that the name they chose was on and off their list a dozen times. In fact, it was actually off the list when she was born and suddenly they both realized that it was the right one.
Does your family celebrate St Patrick's Day?
I was recently on the phone to a colleague arranging a work appointment. We talked about meeting on 17 March, but then my colleague said, "Of course, you won't want to do anything then will you?" Because, you see, I have an Irish accent, and the seventeenth is St Patrick's Day, when we traditionally celebrate all things Irish. For some reason people associate this festival with large consumption of alcohol, so I had to reassure my colleague that I would still be fairly sober for our meeting at 10am.
People outside Ireland seem to embrace St Patrick's Day with much more enthusiasm than those on the homeland do. There are worldwide celebrations, which people cheerfully embrace, whether they have a genuine Irish connection or not.
There's due to be a big St Patrick's Day parade in London on Sunday 14th – this is also Mother's Day, so if you're an Irish mother you really need to be there.
Seven-year-old boy saves his parents from armed robbery
Kids+, Weird stories, Latest news
A seven-year-old boy from California has been hailed a hero after he called 911 and saved his parents from being shot by armed robbers.
Three armed men had broken into the boy's home in Los Angeles and threatened to shoot his parents.
The terrified boy hid in the bathroom and dialled 911. He told Los Angeles County sheriff's dispatchers to send "cops ... and soldiers, too".
He can be heard saying: "There's some guys, they're going to kill my mom and dad.
"Can you come, please? Bring cops...a lot of them! ... And soldiers, too.
"Can you come really fast? Please! Please! ... They have guns. They shoot my mom and dad."
You can listen to the 911 call here - but I warn you, it's pretty terrifying.
Alternative gifts to Easter eggs
Toddlers, Kids+, Fun & activities, Teens
If you have a large or particularly generous family you can find yourself, come Easter Sunday, trying to calm down a sugar overloaded child.And, at the risk of sounding like a bit of a party pooper, there feels something particularly wasteful about Easter eggs. All that packaging! All that money and they're hollow!
Instead, buck the trend and give a present this Easter that is different from the rest. Here's our list of alternative gifts.
C: What is colostrum?
Colostrum is the substance produced by a woman's breasts in the late stages of pregnancy. Once her baby is born, the woman will have a supply of colostrum for her newborn that will last for around 48 hours, after which time she will start to produce milk for her baby. Colostrum is a thick and highly concentrated substance that is high in protein and low in fat. It is a creamy looking fluid that is easily digestible despite its rich appearance. Alongside being packed full of nutrition, colostrum is full of vitally important antibodies.
These antibodies, known as immunoglobulins, strengthen and boost the baby's immune system, and provide robust protection against a range of diseases, viruses and bacteria. Colostrum also acts as a natural laxative and will help the newborn expel meconium from its digestive system. It also helps with the removal of the dead blood cells that are responsible for causing jaundice.
