Electronic force fields

A couple of evenings ago we went to help our son with dinner and putting kids to bed because Cheryl was away. My husband wanted to take a look at his (son's) new website, so opened the laptop, only to find there was no connection to the web.

Turned out our son had been doing some research into the effects of wifi emanations and had decided to limit these. He switches off completely overnight, and he intends to get a timer for the days so they can keep the wifi on for as short a time as possible.

Something of the disturbances that electronic force fields create we already know. For e.g., they interfere with the birds' migrations, and it's becoming clear that this applies to butterflies as well. Many people believe this is why our bee population is under threat.

So I would recommend caution. Dial-up connection was okay, cable not too bad, but broadband/wifi affects us in ways we cannot yet tell or measure. For our tender, tiny ones, it's a good idea to switch off as often as you can.

Two more points to make re flying

Actually, the first point I'd like to make is that it's best if you don't fly with babies. After 18 months is not so bad, but just imagine how you'd feel in that noisy, shaky machine if you were one sixth or seventh of the size you are now! (yeah, I tried to calculate that against my body. Not so easy.)

The second thing has to do with those back-of-the-seat screens. I advise simply turning them off to avoid the glare and the rays. Sometimes you have to do this on the handset controls, and sometimes on the screen itself. The latter is not always so easy to find, so ask a flight attendant if you need to.

Think 'protection'.

Flying with little ones

I've flown no less than seven times over the past five weeks. Too many and yes, I'm very happy to be home. But I'm also grateful that travels went smoothly. I was distressed on only one flight, and that was when the plane was descending. A baby started crying and I knew why. The little one's ears were hurting.

So, dear parents, think ahead before you fly. It's good to have something for baby to suck, a bottle rather than a soother, I think, because the swallowing helps. In the 'old' days, really many years ago, the flight attendants would hand out sweets and also cotton wool to put in the ears. Now, I'm not sure the latter really helps. It can't harm, though, so have a little on hand.

This is the one situation in my life when I chew gum, or at least, have it in my purse in case my ears start hurting. So I guess for older children that would be an option.

In any case, when it comes to kids, thinking ahead is always a good thing to do!

More from the Norland nannie

Another thing that struck me... This woman commented about how many children today are picky eaters. This she put down to us giving small kids options. She said children should have their food put in front of them without discussion, but if there was something they didn't like, they should only be given a small amount of that. Adults should set a good example by eating everything on their plate.

This made me remember an incident. When my eldest grandson was small, I asked him if he wanted carrots (or whatever). Busy with his play (no, I shouldn't have interrupted him) he didn't respond. I insisted, "Josh, do you want carrots? Say 'yes or no'."

He looked up at me and sweetly said, "Yes or no".

That, dear readers, surely sums it up.

A Norland Nannie's advice

Recently the Guardian newspaper published an article/memoir by a woman who'd been a Norland nannie all her life. This British nannie training was instituted a bit before the middle of last century and she told of how the first thing they learned to do was to polish those coach-built high perambulators until they shone spotless!

A couple of things were interesting to me. Firstly, that the training insisted a child should never be spanked... certainly a concept way ahead of its time. Then she wrote about how a child could be disciplined. Inappropriate behaviour could be met by sending the child to his or her room (not merely to sit on the stairs) to think about what had happened. Then, when they were ready, they'd come downstairs to apologize. The apology given, they were then given a kiss and a hug to express approval and to show that they were loved.

It was this last step that brought an 'aha' for me, so I wanted to share it with you.

Warmth and Cold

This will be my last post for a while. I need to concentrate on preparing 'Magical Motherhood'  to make it instantly available as an ebook. (Paperback copies are still available and you can order by emailing; magicalmotherhood@rogers.com ) Then I'm planning a new book to incorporate, add to and enlarge some of the subjects I've touched upon in this blog.

So, you've probably heard about the latest diet craze, where you drink black coffee and take cold showers. Both of these to stimulate the metabolism, I presume.

Years ago I used to finish my shower with cold water, more to aid my immune system than to lose weight. That long ago winter I had no colds, which is unusual for me. So, when our youngest began to suffer from repeated colds I thought maybe he might benefit from cold baths. (!) Fortunately, this only happened a couple of times before I got a 'night message' which told me very firmly 'he needs warmth'.

Yes, as I wrote in one of the first posts, small children need warmth, and even not-so-small children, as our son was at that time. Physical and emotional warmth have a nourishing, encouraging and nurturing effect that will create a life-long, beneficial, well of strength for your child.

Blessings till you see me on your screen again.

Fairy tales: too grim?

In the world of young adult literature which I sometimes inhabit (see my "fascinating" novel 'Cape Town') there's a trend towards the rewriting of popular fairy tales such as Cinderella or Little Red Riding Hood. The idea is that the female protagonist has to be more empowered so that she can win through. Around this floats a kind of opposite idea, that many of Grimm's folk tales are more like horror stories.

The thing is, these old stories are not meant to be taken literally. Many of them depict, metaphorically, the journey of the soul. Just think how often they begin with a young girl exiled having lost her true mother, or a young princess having to leave her home.

This is why they speak in a figurative way to young children. It's not so long since they left their true homes, to come to earth and find their way through the forest, to reach the castle and/or discover treasure.

No, they're not for the very young, although I suppose you could read 'The Sweet Porridge' to a three and a half year old, say. In any case, whenever you read or, better still, tell the story yourself, this should be done without dramatization or using your normal reading-out-loud skills. A quiet, matter-of-fact voice is best because actually you don't want to stir up emotion. You simply want the imaginative pictures to speak for themselves.

Use your discretion though. Some of the stories are better suited to six and seven year olds. For instance, Sleeping Beauty, which is really a resurrection story isn't it? The marriage with the prince signifies the soul's union with the spirit. And that's why 'happily ever after' can be so satisfying and soul-nourishing for children.