Keeping Boys Active In Winter

With winter upon us, the cold wet miserable days can make it easy for boys to sit around watching the television or playing video games.  There is no reason why they can’t be just as active during these colder months and here are some ideas:

·       Encourage them to clean up their room by getting them to rearrange their layout.  You could provide a small incentive that you will buy a new piece of furniture or if they have a desk, some desktop items.

·       If you have an exercise routine then get them to join in.  They can try and follow what you do or you can do the exercise at the same time.  Simple exercises such as skipping, jogging on the spot, star jumps and push ups can get the heart pumping and can be fun when done together.

·       Visit an indoor play centre.  These are great places to burn off excess energy and lots of fun to visit with their friends. 

·       Play some indoor games such as charades, hopscotch or Twister.  To get the creative juices going, ask them to create a simple play that they can act out.

·       Even if they continually insist on playing video games, try and allocate an amount of time per day, maybe 60 minutes, where they play games that require physical activity with the need to actively move around.

There are so many more ways to get them active during winter so use your imagination and get them moving.

Don’t Forget Your Girls

Just a big reminder that we also stock a huge range of clothes for girls - so make sure you don't forget about them.  Plus we currently have a Super Sale where everything is 50% off.  Here is a small selection of what we have on offer.

• Dollcake Dollface Cardy:  This cardy is a beautiful pink knit with cotton lining so it won't irritate soft skin.  The pink lace ruffles on the bodice and sleeves as well as the little pinwheel feature complete the top.  With 50% off the retail price, at $32.50 this cute cardy suited for ages 2 to 8 will not last long.
• Dollcake Living Doll Frock:  This is a beautiful duck green frock trimmed with tulle and lace.  Suited for girls up to 6 years, this is sure to be popular.
• Dollcake Ruffled Feather Headband:  This headband is made from a cluster of feathers and adorned with jewels and beads that are attached to an elastic headband.  At only $15, you had better place your order now. 
• Love Henry All In One Teapot Suit:  This baby pink all in one suit comes with contrasting floral sleeves and a sweet peach pink contrast on the neckline.  The feature is a cute teapot that is set upon white lace and finished with a little ribbon bow.  With 50% off the price down to $15, this is sure to sell quickly.
• Mini Treasure Kids Hailey Stripe Dress In Red:  This divine dress has a slight puffed sleeve, a cotton/silk blend lining and quality zippered back.  It comes with a matching belt sash and detachable brooch flower.  It has different hues of red and a very slight hue of blue with a black stripe running through the dress.  This dress is now selling for $55.50 and is suited for ages 3 to 7.
• Mini Vanilla Woven Printed Floral Spot Short Sleeve PJ:  These woven PJs made from 100% cotton are very girly and super cute.  The floral print is gorgeously soft with contrasting pink polka dot print hems finished with blue velvet trim and ruffles on the front.  They have a button up front and elastic waisted pants.  Place your order now.

These are just a small sample from our current range for girls.  Click on our Super Sale link to check out our other bargains.

Helping Boys Learn

Have you ever noticed the ways in which boys react to school?  Generally girls will pay attention to the learning and the social side of schooling; boys tend to focus on play and physical work while struggling with the learning side. 

I found a really interesting video of an interview with Michael Grose from Parenting Ideas about the way boys learn.  It is full of really useful insights into the learning behaviour of boys and tips on how to help them.

Benefits Of Sport

As your child grows and develops, the benefits of participating in sports and physical activity can be significant.  Research and studies have shown that participating in sports can have a significant and positive impact on the development of your child that includes physical health, social, fitness and mental health benefits. 

Learning to be part of team, helping others achieve common outcomes, getting a sense and understanding of fair play as well as learning new skills associated with the actual sport can build up a child’s confidence and self- esteem.   Many sports also help develop communication and leadership skills as well as self-discipline and goal setting.

Clearly there are health and fitness benefits that are not only immediate but help in later life as active children are more likely to develop into active adults.  These include reducing blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight, lowering cholesterol and building bone density that helps prevent osteoporosis later in life.  Regular activity associated with organised sports can also reduce the risk of depression, assist with better sleep patterns and build up self-confidence.

It is also important as a parent or a coach that you are mindful of the safety implications of the sport.  Many sports, whether they are contact or non-contact can result in injuries and these can be more prevalent as your child is growing.  As such, it is important to ensure that safety equipment is used in training as well as during the competition, proper warm ups occur and that your child doesn’t over train.

Getting the balance right between studies, playing computer games and sport can be a challenge but the benefits of getting your child to participate in sport are significant and can have a major influence throughout their lives.