Lockdown activity ideas for the whole family

So I’ve been researching into things to do with my kids at home if another lockdown is put into place.

Thought I’d share my ideas, hopefully give someone some inspiration and motivation if we are stuck back indoors.

  1. Get busy in the kitchen

I’ve found that my kids love getting involved in the kitchen, whether its baking cakes, making dinner or just helping make a salad. There’s many things that can be made with limited mess or clean up after. Heres a few of the easiest ideas….


*blend up the leftover fruits into a smoothie and pour into lolly moulds and freeze…or simply enjoy as a smoothie
*choco rice krispie cakes. All kids (and adults) love these…win win all around.
*tuna pasta lunch….nice as easy and involves little use of the hob so I let the kids mix the tuna and mayo whilst I put the pasta on
*make designs like their favourite characters using fruit and veg for snacks. They will love designing and then eating!
*homemade individual pizzas with kids own choice of toppings. If u don’t want to make the base use a naan bread for ease!

  1. Painting!

Cover the table with a messy mat and get your aprons ready….time for some messy fun!
We often go on a walk and then paint the objects we find, ie rocks, leafs, sticks etc. Alternatively get a range of different brushes and sponges and see what your young artists produce!

  1. Have a small family party.

Get the party food out and music blasting….why not celebrate this precious time with our kids! The best part is you arent even breaking the rule of 6!

  1. Make a den

We had hours of fun making dens as kids. With the weather getting chilly why not get den building in the living room. We love to use the sofa cushions as walls and drape blankets over the top. Let your imagination run wild and see what you can create! I’ve found its also a fun place for them to do their homework or read a book!

  1. Do a nature walk

The initial lockdown me appreciate my local area so much more than ever before. Have a search on trip advisor and see whats the great outdoors holds for you in your area! Might be an idea to pack a picnic for lunch to save having to rush home.

  1. Have fun with playdough

Grab the playdough and see who can make the best looking playdough cakes! If you want to be even more creative make the playdough yourself.

  1. Get reading with ebooks

With the libraries being shut during the initial lockdown, I found loads of resources that offers free ebooks. These included amazon, Google play books, the Oxford books website. My local libraries was always able to offer ebooks so might be an idea to see whats on offer at your library.

Have fun!

By Mandeep Rai Kent

The dreaded half term… during a tiered lockdown system

Half term – words of joy for a teacher but, as much as I love my children, these are words of torture for me at the moment! My DS and DD get a whole 2 weeks off school, that is two weeks of me trying to work, whilst trying to entertain the children!

Take them out, let them burn their energy -that’s the constant advice from my mother. As much as I appreciate this advice, where exactly am I meant to take four children, during a worldwide pandemic where one keeps trying to run off, another eats anything in sight, one is always bored and the fourth thinks she’s too old to do baby outings with her siblings! The local park was always a haven for me, however this was closed to a long time due to covid and since reopening has been taken over by, what can only be described as yobs. They use the park to smoke and drink. In the daytime when I have ventured there, I worry about the colourful language that my children are being subjected to!

My other haven was soft play, something for everyone at good old soft play but alas they remain closed in my area! So I have two weeks to fill now. I think about when I was new to parenting and I chuckle when I remember how I used to make a weekly planner for activities, the good old days when I was too naive to know what was coming haha.

Here is what I have done (other than reach for the wine), I have stocked up on arts and crafts materials, I have bought new activity books for my DD who loves maths and I have bought garden starter kits for the children to plant their own seeds in the garden. Thats day one sorted then(!).

In reality I will do what us parents do best, I will wing it. I will pray that my beloved children magically want to watch a Disney movie on the same day, and even better agree on a movie to watch… I will pray that the sun shines on my days off rather than only when I have to work from home and I will focus each day on 9pm, when all four are tucked up in bed and I can relieve myself of my anxiety of where I am going wrong as a parent.

My words of wisdom to myself and you are – you are doing great, ask your children what did you love about today, their answer will always surprise you. Hug them tight, let go of your worries that their day isn’t full of activities and you’ll be amazed at how much your love means to them.

By Mandeep Rai Kent

Coronavirus has made my baby socially inept

Stay home, save lives.. that was the motto. With 4 children, including a young baby at home, I took this advice very seriously.

Watching the news in 2020 gave me such anxiety, was it safe to go for a walk? Could I do a food shop without catching a virus, having to queue or being trodden over for a pack of toilet paper?!

As a family we made the decision to stay in and as the government said, this will save lives.. however in some ways, the virus has taken away my sons early years. Pre COVID-19 I took my DS to baby groups such as baby massage, story time and stay and play. However, with the COVID outbreak, this all stopped, the childrens centres remain shut and even a local group started by parents had to close. I tried meeting other parents in a public area but as coronavirus got worse, the meetings died down.

I know I’m lucky as I have 3 other children who can play with my youngest, however because the youngest is at the stage of learning to crawl, walk and exploring their environment eating anything in sight, my elder children have little interest in entertaining him – they are too busy hiding their toys from the baby!

What I have noticed is this, in the home my baby is sociable and playful, however when we leave the house he is shy, reserved and almost frightened. If anyone smiles at him he clings to me for dear life. My parents came to see the children, just at the front door – no breaking the rule of 6 – and my youngest just cried and clung to me anytime he was spoken to.

This fills my heart with dread, I now have a million questions in my head, how will this impact my babys social relationships in the future, will he ever be relaxed outside the house or will be become a hermit?! Others have told me not to worry, once he starts to socialise he will be fine. But, socialise with who? There is a new tier system in place , COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere by the sounds of it and play groups remain closed. I cant even allow my baby to engage with my neighbours children because I can see that the parents don’t social distance, and call me paranoid but I AM worried about the coronavirus.

My saving grace may be that as my baby grows, my older children will engage with him more. I am also trying to facetime my family more to ensure that my youngest knows everyone. But facetime with four children is no easy task, there are sure to be tears (mine) and tantrums (maybe also mine haha).

So for all the socially anxious babies and parents out there, I pray you all find a balance, we cannot let covid shape our future.

By Mandeep Rai Kent

COVID, parenting and anxiety…

So as you know from previous blogs…I have 4 kids. I don’t let that stop me going out and about. I take them all with me (pre-covid). Whether it’s to do the grocery shopping or buying them clothes or running an errand, I take them with me. 

I have a small problem and it’s people. I’ll explain…

It all starts from when I get ready to leave the house. One day my father in law came round to fix the handle on my bathroom door. I told him I was heading out and he said, “Are you taking ALL of them? How will you manage”.  To which I replied, “Yes, we are all going and they are my kids. I will manage”.

His comment made me feel sad. I have 4 kids, not 10 and they are good kids. If a mother cannot manage her own kids then what chance has she got? I don’t spoil my kids and I don’t buy their love with material things. I believe in hard work and determination, therefore if they want to buy something they need to use their own money.

Back to my story, so I left the house slightly annoyed and headed to the supermarket. The kids were a little rowdy and not adhering to social distancing rules because they were playing tig. I could feel people staring. A woman even tutted at me. I know I’m not perfect and everyone has their off days but as I was already annoyed it didn’t take a lot to tip me over the edge. The kids were not being naughty, but they were loud. I asked them to keep their voices down but that didn’t work. I didn’t know what else to do so we finished the grocery shopping and headed off to run the first errand; return library books. 

As we entered the library I could see that the library looked different. There was an A-board outside and arrows to direct you to the entrance. My children ran into the library so I did not have time to read what was written on the A-board. They tried to get around the barrier that the staff had created as part of their Covid 19 social distancing measures. As I spoke to one staff member about the changes to the library due to lockdown, another staff member shouted at my kids to tell them to get back behind the barrier. They immediately shifted towards me and stood still, almost scared at what just happened. Surely it would have been nicer if the librarian explained to the kids that the barrier was in place for a reason. They would have listened. Now I felt like this was a place I no longer wanted to be in. I picked up some books and we left the library. As I walked past the A-board, I noticed that it had instructions on it about entry into the library. Now I felt stupid as well. I should have read that before we went in.

As I strapped the kids into the car, I felt anxious. I could feel myself getting worked up and I couldn’t breathe.  I couldn’t stop thinking about the people judging me at the supermarket and then at the library. I do get panic attacks. I’m not ashamed of it. I have learned to deal with them. When I feel one coming on, i encourage the kids to breathe in and out with me and we get through it together. I feel that’s its important that my kids understand that it’s ok to want to let go of your troubles and press the reset button.

I decided not to finish off the rest of my errands that day and headed home. At home, my father in law was quick to point out that I looked beaten and maybe I should have left the eldest 2 kids with him.

So you see, it’s people that are my problem. I feel that they are quick to judge. They seem to forget that they were kids once and they too had young kids of similar ages at one point. Kids will be kids! I know when I see a mum struggling I always try and help if I can or send a smile their way to show that I understand. People don’t realise that their stares and tutting can have a negative impact on someone’s health. Especially someone like me who has had postnatal depression and struggled to cope when I first my first child. 

Please be kind or just walk away!!! 

By Mandeep Rai Kent

Sainsbury TU 25% off sale!

As school uniforms are beginning to look worn or we are starting to head out more, the question we are all thinking is when is tu next offering 25% off?!

The sale normally includes all clothing, shoes, accessories, underwear, school uniform and includes fancy dress costumes as well.

The previous sale, which was due to be held in August would have been ideal for purchases such as school uniform. However due to shortage of stock, Sainsburys cancelled the event and instead offered 25% off selected items.

After researching online i can confirm the next TU 25% sale event will be from Tuesday 20th October – Monday 26th October 2020….ideal timing to get those fancy dress costumes in time for what will be a very different Halloween this year.

Remember to keep your Halloween costumes covid friendly. Whether you choose to go down the Sainsbury’s Tu route, or you prefer the old fashioned DIY methods, it’s important that we keep our loved ones safe.

Remember to be careful when trick or treating, if you chose to do so, and respect the wishes of those who are choosing not to answer their doors this year.

Black Friday is fast approaching, and there’s just over 8 weeks to go until the end of the year, meaning it won’t be long until Boxing Day and end of year sales. Make sure to check back for more discounts and advice. I’ll keep you posted!

Stay safe!!

By Mandeep Rai Kent

What I felt as a new mum – the first few days 

Everytime one of my kids were born you would think it would become easier…right? Nope!! Every one of my rascals bought their own challenges.

Whilst dealing with a new born baby at the hospital your mind wanders to the other kids you have at home. You start worrying about how they will cope without you and whether you left out everything your partner might need to ensure that your kids don’t want for anything. Did I leave out extra baby wipes? Will he be able to find the spare clothes in case there is a poo explosion?Will he remember to feed them? I’m not kidding about that last one!

So while you are having those thoughts, you constantly have medical professionals hovering over you asking you lots of questions and poking and prodding you. They want to check the baby over, they want to bath the baby, they want to make sure the baby can hear properly and that you are feeding the baby. Whilst all of that is essential and I want a healthy baby, at what time in the day do you think i just wanted to scream and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! GIVE ME SOME PRIVACY,  I’VE JUST HAD A BABY AND I AM AN EMOTIONAL WRECK. 

But you can’t say that.. right?? So you plod on and have a sleepless night because you feel uncomfortable with the stitches and pain. The baby is restless and constantly hungry and you are annoyed at the girl across the ward who is snoring away whilst her baby is tucked up nicely in the hospital cot. So what are you doing wrong?

The answer is NOTHING!

Every baby is different so you shouldn’t beat yourself up about it or compare your baby to others. 

I remember after one of my deliveries, my partner came to collect me from the hospital ward and I as so pleased to see him. I was itching to get home. I looked for the car seat to tuck the baby into but I couldn’t see it. Turns out there was no car seat. It was at home. So the emotional wreck that is me, started to blubber as I removed my baby’s jacket and hat and sunk into the chair beside my hospital bed. It would be a long time before I got home that night. 

When I eventually got home the house was a tip. How long had I been away for? Just over 24 hours and the place looked like it had been ransacked. A sink full of dishes and dirty clothes all over the floor. I decided to take a deep breath and see the positive. Looking down at my 3 darling children put a smile on my face and they ran to hug me. They welcomed the new addition and that was that. They didnt care after that. We were all so tired. We fell asleep almost straightaway. 

In the morning, I remember dealing with the baby and then trying to sort out the other kids when the doorbell rang. Who could that be? When I heard my partner open the door and say, “Just head on upstairs. They are up there” I panicked. I wasn’t dressed and the place was a tip. 

It was the midwife. She came round to check me over. I had to apologise for the mess. I was so embarrassed. In order to do her checks she had to wake baby up. All that effort trying to put him down and she swoops in and asks me to undo all of that. Then of course we have an audience. My 3 kids decide to watch what the midwife is doing and prolong the visit by asking her a million questions. I was glad once that was over. 

My mother in law helped me out for the first few days. She came round and helped out by cooking and cleaning, but it came with a side of moaning and complaining. Apparently the kids were noisy and messy. WELCOME TO MY WORLD!

By Mandeep Rai, Canterbury

Help! My baby won’t sleep.. sound familiar?

We have all had those days, where we count down to bedtime, just so we can have a few hours of silence. But we also all know the bedtime sense of dread… you know whats coming, the bedtime battle.

Children are clever little beings, from a young age they learn what they want and how to get their own way. As parents, we often give in, we often think, oh just this one time they can stay up, it can’t hurt…. but gosh yes it can!

I have never been a stickler for a strict bedtime routine BUT what I have always instilled in my home is the notion that once the clock hits 7pm my children have to be in their bedrooms and are not allowed back downstairs.

Now you’re probably thinking that would never work..BUT… if that rule is applied from day 1, it becomes a routine and a habit. Now my youngest DS is just 1 years old and he is my best sleeper, he goes down at 7 and wakes at 8AM. That’s right no waking for night feeds and no needing night comfort! I have done this by always putting him in his cot, from 6 months old, at 7pm. Every night without fail. And now 7pm is his natural body clocks cue for bed!

My older DSs however are not so easy, they will stay in their room but very often do they fall asleep until past 8… but thats not too bad. I limit the toys in their room and use reward schemes as incentives, sometimes it even works to use the old “whoever sleeps first gets…”. Now again, they have always had a bedtime of 7pm, but hey I am realistic, as they get older 7pm is too early so I allow them wind down time before bed..in their rooms.

Lastly my DD, my little angel, now she is aged 6, the eldest of the bunch and also the wisest. She knows all the tricks in the book, reasons why she needs to come downstairs, reasons why my or my DH need to go and check on her etc etc. Now here is what works with her – being the only girl she lives to be in charge – a bit of female empowerment never hurt anyone! So we tell her that she is to set the example for her brothers and show them what a good bedtime routine is… would you believe it works like a charm. She’s always the second to fall asleep (my baby being the first).

Always remember YOU are in charge, if your children try to take over your bed or your free evenings, your me time, then take that control back. Put them back in their beds, set their routine… this doesn’t make you a bad parent, it makes you human!

By Mandeep Rai Canterbury

Breakfast at my House

During the week we’re often walking out the door with a coffee in one hand and slice of toast in the other, but on weekends breakfast is never rushed. It’s a late affair, sometimes spilling over to lunch, with lots of reading and chatter in between courses of fruits, poached eggs, honey and toast. One of our favorite things we like to serve when friends are visiting are buckwheat blueberry pancakes.

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