The Family Grapevine Franchise reduced to £1,000!

Do you dream of being your own boss and running your own publication? The Family Grapevine makes it easy to fit your working life around your family commitments, and makes it possible to have a really great career that will give you pride and enjoyment, reward your hard work, and satisfy your ambitions. We have been looking at ways to make our franchising operation leaner so that during these difficult times we can keep franchisee expenses to a minimum. As of March 8th 2010 – International Women’s day – our franchise fee is reduced to only £1,000!

‘Take Up Top Up’ Paternity Leave Campaign

The charity Working Families has launched a new campaign to raise fathers’ awareness of their rights to paternity leave and to encourage employers to ‘top up’ statutory pay to full pay for the two weeks of leave. The campaign in being launched to raise awareness about fathers’ rights. But we also need adequate levels of pay if fathers are to be encouraged to take leave. That’s where employers can come in.

Videos to dance to with your kids!

After trying the Wii-Fit Plus in Argos just before Christmas we started to think about getting a Wii. But I could see that it might not be a sensible investment – after a while we would lose interest. What we needed was something we could access on our laptop, so we could get moving in any room in the house, something with infinite variation so we would never get bored, and preferably, something which would make us laugh. This week I hit upon the perfect solution. Our latest family hobby is dancing along with Youtube videos!

Grab a free Brollysheet here!

Are you taking your child through toilet training, or do you have a child who wets the bed? We recently ran an article on Brollysheets which looks really useful for parents strugling with wet beds. We are really excited to hear that Brolly Sheets want Family Grapevine readers to test their sheets. If you would like to have a free Brolly Sheet all you need to do is email Ruth at Brolly Sheets.

The most popular Baby names of 2009

Jack and Olivia were the most popular baby names of 2009 in the Top 100 list compiled from a national survey of 580,000 babies born in 2009 by parenting club Bounty. Jack, the moniker of Messrs Tweed, Nicholson and Straw, retained its title for the 15th year on the trot. Olivia secured a second successive stint as the girls’ favourite having taken over from Grace in 2008. The highest climbers this year were Lucas, which raced 24 places up the charts to make number 15, and Maisie, which rocketed up a staggering 29 places to 41st.

What Kids Think About Britain Today

A fascinating survey of 1,200 five to thirteen year olds has been commissioned by National Geographic Kids magazine. The survey, entitled ‘What Kids Think About Britain Today’ revealed that 99% of children counted themselves lucky to live in the British Isles. The majority believed that the best thing about being a child living in Britain was the great variety of things to do. This was followed by the wildlife and countryside. The weather topped the list of worst things about Britain.

What’s the 2009 family car of the year?

Having looked at my Christmas budget (we’ve overspent already and we haven’t bought the food yet!) I thought I would torture myself further by looking at cars I can’t afford! I was particularly curious to know what family cars were being touted as the best in 2009. Top Gear, being one of the industry’s most recognised and respected publications, seemed a good place to start. They have named the Skoda Yeti as their ‘Family Car of the Year’.

Wee problem has stylish new solution

As a mum who has dealt with long-term bedwetting I really know what it’s like. I found that most of the waterproof fitted sheets on the market degenerated quicky and needed to be replaced within a year at best. Worse still, their lack of absorbency and huge surface area allowed the wee to ‘travel’. I frequently had to wash the pillow, pillowcase, duvet and duvet cover as well as the waterproof sheet itself. Trying to stay calm and patient is not always easy in the middle of the night, especially when your child’s sheets are soaked through.

Seventy Five ‘Free-From’ Christmas Treats For Food Allergics And Intolerants!

As a mother of a child who was anaphylactic from 5 days old to 15 years old, I remember well struggling with foods for special occasions, especially at Christmas. I also know plenty of mums having a culinary crisis over a diabetic auntie or a coeliac brother-in-law. If you are dealing with a last minute panic over gluten-free Christmas pudding or a dairy-free turkey stuffing, don’t panic! Whether you want to buy or to cook for your self, Foods Matter has 75 freefrom Christmas dishes for you to choose from.

Don’t let dangerous gifts spoil your Christmas

Consumers are being warned to check they haven’t bought any dangerous toys or other products in the run-up to the busy festive period. Children’s toys account for more than a quarter of the 1,000 items recalled in the EU in the past six months according to the Consumer Focus Labs’ Recalled Products website. This includes a batch of Be My Baby dolls, which were last month voluntarily recalled in the UK by the company which sells them because they contain a dangerous level of toxic chemicals, and therefore pose a risk to young children.