What Do Boys Want In Fashion

If it itches, they won’t wear it. If the tag rubs and scratches, they won’t wear it either. Boys love fashion, but only if it feels as good as it looks! None of this suffering for the sake of looking good that girls do.

Clothes for boys have to be functional, practical and comfortable first and foremost, while at the same time being cool and showing their individual taste.

Shoes are not just about how they look. Boys choose shoes with ankle support and cushioning as well as style so they can be safe and less likely to injure themselves whilst they hang and skate with their mates.

Boys are not afraid to accessorise, with wrist bands and neck wear becoming more popular, as long as it doesn’t get in the way or make too much noise. It has to feel good as well as look good. Boys who love fashion also love a good hat, which is a fantastic thing. Fedoras are not just for old men anymore, and caps with big peaks are popular too.

Boys know they need to be sun safe if they want to hang outside. Sunburn is definitely not a fashion statement.

You won’t see a boy going cold or struggling in shoes that hurt for the sake of fashion. Nope. Boys have got this looking cool whilst feeling comfortable thing all sussed out, and girls could sure learn a thing or two from them!

Marble Runs

It’s raining outside and the kids (and you) are going crazy.

Got some marbles? Why not make something before you lose yours altogether?

Grab some painter’s masking tape - the kind that won’t damage the walls, empty toilet or paper towel rolls or some tubing, some cardboard or heavy paper, some imagination, a sprinkle of nostalgia and make a marble run.

Choose a blank piece of wall or even the back of a door to begin. Start at the bottom with a marble catcher. This can be any shape you like, as long as it is big enough to catch the glass cannonballs as they hurtle down the dark channel. Make sure it is not too big as it won’t attach to the wall.

Work your way up from the bottom using tape to attach the tubing of plastic or cardboard, attaching it to the wall in any shape you like, with twists and turns and funnels and tunnels. Be sure to test each section as you go so you can make any adjustments along the way. Roll up pieces of heavy duty paper or cardboard into cones for even more action and variety.

You are limited only by your imagination and your wall space. Girls and boys of all ages will love this activity rain, hail or shine, and I suspect you might enjoy it too. Don’t leave the tape up too long or you might damage the paint, and anyway, you’ll want to make a faster and more exciting version next time you need an indoor activity. Even if the kids are not home to help.....

Playing Skittles

Wooden toys such as skittles hark back to good old fashioned childhood fun. They are a firm family favourite perfect for both adults and children of any age. Skittles are great for coordination and promote physical activity whether playing outdoors or inside the house on a rainy spring day. They also teach important life lesson skills such as turn taking and learning to lose with grace.

The concept of skittles is extremely simple – to try and knock over as many skittles as possible with the wooden balls. You can set them up like a traditional bowling game or you can vary it and have them set in a straight line either horizontally or vertically.

The thing I love most about skittles is their ability to be taken anywhere. They are perfect for a day at the park or the beach and can be easily packed up for a quick trip to grandma’s house. They can also be brought out a child’s birthday and can be played in teams rather than individually to increase the entertainment value.

Our Pirate Skittles Set is reminiscent of the painted bollards often seen at seaside resorts. They are vibrant and colourful featuring swash buckling attire and retail for $55. The set also includes five pirates, one sailing ship and three balls with skull and crossbone images, all packed neatly in a wooden storage system. It is beautifully hand painted and would make a perfect Christmas or birthday gift for the little boy in your life.

The Right Backpack For Your Child

From the time your child first enters childcare or preschool, a backpack to hold their belongings for the day becomes an essential item.

Most preschools and public schools are pretty flexible when it comes to what type of bag your child carries, but some schools are now introducing a school backpack that is of appropriate size and offers adequate support for your child’s back.

Most children are carrying too much around in their backpacks, and up to seventy percent of school age children complain of back pain from carrying their school bags. In the long term carrying any significant weight without proper balance and support is likely to cause chronic back problems and the risks of muscle strain, curvature of the spine and rounding of the shoulders are very real concerns.

In order to prevent injury and damage to your child’s spine, it is important to ensure that you have a backpack for them that will reduce the strain of load bearing and by making sure that they don’t carry too much.

Professional physiotherapy and chiropractic associations will often endorse school backpacks that they find meet the support requirements for a healthy spine.

Ideally the shoulder straps on your child’s bag should sit half way between the side of your child’s neck and the edge of their shoulder. Adjust the shoulder straps so that the base of the bag sits at the top of their hips, and adjust the waist strap so that it holds the bag in position. If a backpack is too big or too small your child’s spine will not be properly supported.

Young children should not be carrying more than ten percent of their body weight in their backpacks and if your child’s required daily items are too big or too heavy for them to carry from home to classroom and back again you will need to consult with their teacher and the school about appropriate load limits, especially for young children.

Think about other ways that you can reduce the weight of their load by using lightweight plastic lunchboxes instead of heavier metal boxes or smaller water bottles if they are able to refill them at school. Pack the heaviest items closest to your child’s back to help them retain their centre of gravity, otherwise they can feel they are being pulled backwards and will overcompensate, causing unnecessary strain on their back.

Explain to your child the importance of wearing their backpack properly, as wearing it only on one shoulder or carrying it in one hand will cause strain and possible damage to their growing spine. Most importantly, if your child does complain of back pain, consult your family doctor, physiotherapist or chiropractor.

Nutrition And The Development Of Boys

We recently came across an interesting article published last year in the Scientific American “Man-Made: A Baby Boy's Development May Predict a Young Man's Success”. Based on a study started in 1983 it suggests there is a definite link between nutrition of boys in early childhood and the masculinity of young men.

The study followed 770 Filipino men and their growth levels (such as height, weight, muscle mass, strength, testosterone levels and even sexual history) starting with the boys’ first two years of life, then again when they were 8, 11, 14 and then when they reached their early 20s.

In a nutshell, how fast a baby boy grows in the first six months of his life can predict the extent of his masculine characteristics as a young man. Those boys who grew the fastest were mostly breastfed and from wealthier families, therefore with more access to good quality, nutritious food.

And the reason the first 6 months are the most crucial? Well you may not know this, but during this stage in a little boy’s life his testosterone levels are roughly the same as adult levels.

"Men who as babies gained weight rapidly during the period of this testosterone surge matured earlier, were taller, had more muscle, were stronger and had higher testosterone levels,” said Christopher Kuzawa, who led the study.

So that saying “feed the man meat” probably needs to be changed to “feed the baby boy meat” (just make it organic and fat free!)

The Sneaky Eye Backpack

If you think fashion is just limited to the adult world, then you'd be wrong. Kids today know what's cool and what's not. And just like the rest of us fashion-conscious peeps, children also like to be the hippest kid in class sporting the latest gear.

Sometimes it can be frustrating to find the right school bag for our kids. As parents, we need to find something that uniquely expresses our child's style and individuality, as well as something that's durable and efficient. The practical parent in us looks for something inexpensive, but sturdy enough to stand the abuse that our children will put the bags through.

For such a need, Minti offers us the Sneaky Eye Backpack. This bag is perfect for your little boy or girl because it is available in 3 colours - black, lime, and orange. It also features two compartments, so your kids can separate their big and small stuff and find them easily. The sneaky eye print makes it a stylish accessory to carry around in school, at the beach, and even during sleepovers.

This ultra cool and durable bag is the perfect bag for our kids. With its bright colour and unique design, no one will mistake it for theirs or someone else's. It is available for a very affordable price of $49 at www.aboutaboy.com.au.

The Boon Flair Highchair

For mothers with growing toddlers, mealtimes can sometimes become a daunting endeavour. With all the preparation that needs to be done – because we all know little kids are picky eaters – and the mess that needs to be cleaned up, finding a way to make our work easier and quicker is something we all want.

Enter Boon Flair’s Cherry Seat and Coconut Pad Highchair. This highchair is made from durable materials that are easy and safe to clean. The stool itself has no cracks and crevices so there are no hard-to-reach areas where crumbs could get stuck for eternity. The removable seat pad is waterproof so you can wipe it clean in just minutes.

Included with the chair are two removable trays, which are dishwasher safe and can easily fit in the dishwasher. What makes this a must-have item for parents out there is the pneumatic lift feature which adjusts the height of the chair according to their needs. This means being able to use the chair for a long time.

Not only that, it keeps your little ones secure and in place with a five-point harness and safety post, as well as a single-step braking system. Meanwhile, six urethane casters under the foot of the chair protect your floors and make it glides smoothly for easy positioning.

Mealtime will never be the same again!