Throughout their lives, children pass milestones every day as they grow and develop into responsible, independent adults. Learning to walk, losing their first tooth, and starting school are all exciting times for both the parent and child, but it’s when they head into adolescence that celebrating their milestones becomes a tricky, daunting task.

Eventually, the time will come when you find yourself in the passenger seat of your car, with your teenager at the wheel for the first time. Teaching them to drive is inevitable, so it is important to encourage them to learn the skills they need in a safe and comfortable environment. It’s a hard task that only gets better with time, so here are five things to remember when teaching your child to drive.

1. Patience

First and foremost, you need to be patient while teaching your child to drive. Whether it’s when you’re explaining a task to them or providing constructive commentary, you need to remember to be patient. This is especially important if your child is taking longer than you anticipated to learn a particular skill, function or movement.

2. Remember Accidents Happen

While it is easy to be hard on them, especially when your vehicle and safety is in their hands, you have to understand that accidents can happen and it is all part of the learning process. When teaching your child to drive, it is a good idea to confirm that they are covered by your insurance provider as part of your policy. It is also important to ensure your child knows that accidents can happen quickly and easily on the road, often resulting in huge financial, mental and physical consequences. Despite your best efforts, they may find themselves in a bad situation on the road, so make sure they are aware that they can contact legal professionals such as GC Traffic Lawyers to obtain advice and a work licence in suspension periods if necessary.

Not this badly (most of the time)

3. They Are Probably Stressed Too

As uncomfortable and stressed as you may seem, it is almost certain that your teenage driver will feel the same – perhaps worse. Learning to drive is a stressful experience, often prolonged by frustration on behalf of both parties. If you can make the experience as comfortable as possible, the learner driver will get more out of each lesson and will become a better driver in time.

4. Encourage Safe Driving

Whether we like it or not, our children tend to mimic our behaviour – the good, the bad, and the ugly. When teaching your child to drive, make sure you are not passing on the bad habits you have developed over time. Make sure your child not only knows the road rules before taking the wheel, but ensure they understand why they are important when operating a vehicle too. As a parent, it is often a good idea to take a refresher test of the road rules in addition to reading the drivers’ handbook with your child.

5. Take a Deep Breath

When you feel like yelling at your child or another car on the road, stop and take a deep breath and consider moving on. Remember that it is an important learning curve for everyone involved, so you’ll need to take a deep breath, relax a little, and continue with the lesson.

At the end of the day, learning to drive a car is a scary, but equally exhilarating experience for teenagers, so make the experience as educational as possible to prepare them for driving.

What are your tips on teaching children to drive?

Feel free to post them in the comments below.

This is an S2 POST.

The post 5 Things to Consider When Teaching Your Child to Drive appeared first on All Mum Said.

Growing up in a house full of girls my brother and step-dad were outnumbered. There was 4 of us and only two of them. This of course meant whether they liked it or not they had to endure conversations about boys, periods, shaving and bras. Just what every boy and man wants to talk about. Back then it didn’t really occur to me that girls don’t often talk to their fathers about this type of thing because my dad welcomed us to talk to him about anything. Well anything until the day we asked for a boy to be in our room, then the ball game changed.

I’m sure there are many dads out there who also have an open door policy when it comes to their daughters but there will always be the ones that are a little shyer and may feel uncomfortable talking about female issues or offering advice in these areas. While mothers obviously have more expertise with these subjects, it is nice for daughters to feel they can talk to their dads about this stuff too.

At some point in a girl’s life she is going to want to shave and of course the questions start. Is she old enough? Is shaving, waxing or hair removal cream better? How high up their legs should they go or should they stop just above/below the knee? Veet have created a ‘Hairy Questions Kit’ which has everything girls and even women could need to find out what option works best for them. The Hairy Questions Kit includes four great products that RRP $50 but can be purchased in the kit for only $25 with FREE delivery. That’s a bargain if ever I’ve heard one! You can purchase the Hairy Questions Kit here.

Veet have put together a short video where daughters ask their dads some of life’s ‘Hairy Questions’ and see if they can answer them. Some of the questions are about boys, fashion, how to get boys attention, PMS, etc. and their dads answers are well worth watching. (See video above)

Would your husband or father have answered them differently?

This is an S1 POST.

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Like so many Australians, over the years we have accumulated a mountain of goods that we will ‘one day’ use or only needed for a specific period of time and have just not gotten rid of them. When it’s in the way or the space becomes full, you move it to another room to store until you have a chance to sell it. Which probably won’t happen in the near future. You then move into a larger home and accrue further items because the more space you have the more room you have to store it.

Did you know that the average person has 5 different storage places? 67% store goods in the garage, 63% in cupboards, 43% in the spare room and 21% under beds! There is no benefit to living like this and the occasional bulk clear-out can do wonders for both your home, sense of calm by living less cluttered and increasing your bank balance.

We have recently moved our daughter from a cot to a bed and for some reason we haven’t yet sold the baby furniture that is filling her room. She is 18 months old, we have 3 children and have no plans to have any more children. There is no purpose for us to keep this stuff. I know a lot of women like to hold onto baby items because it holds sentimental meaning or because they may want to have another baby at some point down the track but this is not the case for me. I don’t want to store things when I know I will not need them again.

My daughters’ cot, change table, heaps of clothes, baby toys, etc. will be sold. I plan to clean out and de-clutter everything we don’t use or will not use, one room at a time and sell it. It is a WIN-WIN for both me and the buyer. I get rid of some things, clear some space and make some money while doing it and they get themselves a bargain.

While I would not consider myself a hoarder, I definitely have stuff I do not need or would even miss if it disappeared tomorrow. You may have seen ads on TV about selling your unwanted home and garden goods on Gumtree, I have and they have always got me thinking about the treasures I have just packed away waiting for someone to love them. Now is the time to take those photos and join the other thousands of Australians selling their unwanted stuff.

This is an S1 POST.

The post Don’t Be A Hoarder, Turn That Junk into Cash! appeared first on All Mum Said.

This camping checklist will take out all the uncertainty and provide you with an  inventory of all the items you need to enjoy a comfortable night away from home with your family. We have young children – ages 7, 5 & 1 so we want to make exploring the outdoors and nature as relaxed as possible.

 Camping Checklist

**You can find a printer friendly version at the bottom of the post.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

1. Tent
Consider the size and height when purchasing as some are quite low inside.

2. Air bed / self inflating mattress – or some form of bedding.
You can go as cheap or as expensive as you like. You can purchase air mattresses from stores like Kmart for $10 or a $200 self inflating mattress from a camping store.

3. Sleeping bags / blankets & pillows

4. Camping Chairs

5. Flooring
This can be anything from shade cloth to foam pads so when you walk in and out of the tent you don’t take dirt/sand with you.

6. Awning / gazebo
This can be as lavish or as simple as you like. A pop up gazebo, framed awning or even tarp with 4 poles.

COOKING

1. Barbeque plate
If you are new to camping it might be a good idea to camp somewhere with amenities, tables, showers and barbeques. There are a lot of great options available for beginners. I have shared our experience on the blog previously about camping at Lake St Clair, it is one of our favourite places to camp with the kids.

2. Single butane gas burner
A 4x pack of butane gas cartridge costs less than $5 from Bunnings.

3. Pan

4. Plates & cups

5. Cutlery

6. Utensils

7. Chopping board

8. Folding table
Not essential but once you have one you will never go without it.

9. Welding gloves
These are great if you are cooking over an open fire because they protect your hands from burns.

FIRE

1. Fire wood

2. Kindling

3. Paper

4. Matches/lighter

FOOD

1. No one is too good for a snag wrapped in bread and sauce but it is ultimately up to you what you eat.

2. Marshmallows

3. Oil

4. Condiments – sauces

5. Salt and pepper

6. Snacks

7. Drinks – including lots of water

8. Ice

9. Esky

TOOLS

1. Mallet
To hit tent pegs in.

2. Shovel
To stoke fire (turn coals/roll logs in the fire)

3. Axe
If purchasing pre-packaged wood and kindling this is not as essential. Use for wood preparation.

4. Torches / Lanterns

5. Marshmallow sticks

CLEANING UP

1. Bucket

2. Tea towels

3. Wetwipes

4. Paper towel

5. Spray & Wipe

6. Dishwashing Liquid
This is depending on your camping duration. If we only camp for 1 night we give everything a good rinse and wash it when we get home.

FOR THE KIDS

1. Frisbees

2. Bikes

3. Ball

4. Fishing gear

5. Cricket equipment

6. UNO cards

ESSENTIALS

1. Sunscreen

2. Aeroguard

3. ParaKito

4. First Aid Kit

5. Cash for camping fees

If you haven’t been camping before and are just starting to look into it – look for sales and research prior to making any purchases. You will be amazed at how much you can save.

I hope this camping checklist has helped you get organised and ready for your 1st or next trip away. You can print out a tick and flick version of my camping checklist (without the notes under items or images) so you can ensure you leave nothing behind.

Do you think there should be something else in my checklist?

Have you forgotten something when you went camping? 

PRINT >>  Camping Checklist.

The post The Essential Camping Checklist for Families appeared first on All Mum Said.

The warm weather is rolling in, the skies are blue and the picture-perfect great outdoors look fit for a banquet. It’s time to put the winter blues well behind you, drag out the barbecue and get your friends together for an afternoon of festivities, fun, and fine food. The first and most obvious order of the day is your barbecue, which will need to be cleaned up and made ready for action.

If you don’t have one already, you’re going to have to look for a grill that suits your needs. Whether your priority is size, fuel or portability, barbecue specialists like Barbeques Galore can determine the perfect grill for you – perhaps something from the new Ziegler & Brown range? Now that you’ve got the cooking equipment and utensils sorted, here are a few other tips to help you host the perfect summer barbecue.

Tips for hosting the perfect Summer barbecue

Look to the forecast

As beautiful as summer normally is, it can also be a bit volatile when it comes to changing weather conditions. Depending on where you are, the day can start bright and sunny, only to end with a menacing and violent summer storm. Before picking a date, check out the long term forecasts for an idea of the weather patterns on your preferred day. Admittedly, the sunshine won’t be guaranteed but at least you’ll have an idea and won’t be completely taken by surprise when the thunderheads roll in.

Hone the guest list

Most of us have friends from many different backgrounds and interests. Some will know each other and get on well; some will know each other but won’t be as close as buddies; others will not be familiar with your friends but mix well with strangers; and others still will be comfortable only with people they know. Carefully organise your guest list so you only have people of similar tastes and backgrounds to better help your fellow barbecue enthusiasts meet and mix. The best part of this strategy is it gives you an excuse to hold more barbecues for all your friends!

Simple and light food

You are not going to want to laden your guests with heavy food so they fall about like sand bags after they’ve eaten. The ideal barbecue is in the early to mid-afternoon. You want people to have a few drinks, eat and then socialise or even take part in a few sporting activities. Keep the food light and healthy, with chicken dishes and lean cuts of meat. Also have plenty of summer salads on hand.

Think beyond the food

If the plan is to feed your friends and send them on their way, the food is most likely the pinnacle of your barbecue. But if your intention is to host a wonderful afternoon that keeps your friends together for some fun and frivolity, you’re going to have to look beyond the food. What entertainment you provide will, of course, depend on the personalities of those who attend, but you might consider backyard games such as cricket or touch football. If you have a pool, use it for the afternoon’s activities.

The host of the perfect summer barbecue must be a Jack of all trades – part weather forecaster, part chef and part cruise director. It’s about making sure your guests are well fed and have a good time – this will ensure that everyone will want to return next time you send out invitations.

What other tips would you recommend for hosting the perfect Summer barbecue?

This is an S2 POST.

The post Tips for hosting the perfect Summer barbecue appeared first on All Mum Said.

I think over the past year maybe more we have established that Pillow Pets are loved by children. Whether they are really young, primary age or tweens there is one to suit their tastes which is made easy when the Pillow Pet range is constantly being extended. We have seen lady bugs, unicorns, ninja turtles, monsters, Scooby Doo and now you can even find your favourite football team in a NRL Pillow Pet. I love the new collection mainly because I am an NRL fan but I also know that these 18″ Mascots would make a great gift for those man-childs out there.

There are currently a selection of NRL pillow pet available: Brisbane Broncos (Buck the Bronco), Canterbury Bulldogs (Brutus the Bulldog), South Sydney Rabbitohs (Reggie the Rabbit), Parramatta Eels (Sparky the Eel), Melbourne Storm (Storm Man), Sydney Roosters (Rocky the Rooster), Gold Coast Titans (Blade the Titan), Penrith Panthers (Claws the Tiger) with more to come so if you can’t find your favourite team I’m sure it’s on it’s way!! They are made with same great quality we have come to expect from Pillow Pet and retail at $24.95.

NRL pillow pet

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Giveaway ~ I have 4x NRL Mascot Pillow Pets to giveaway to 4x deserving Mad Mummas readers!  RRP $24.95ea (Total Prize pool RRP $124.75) *1 of each of the following available – Brisbane Broncos (Buck the Bronco), Canterbury Bulldogs (Brutus the Bulldog), Parramatta Eels (Sparky the Eel), Melbourne Storm (Storm Man)

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**As the winners are chosen based on skill and not chance; you will be sharing for 0 extra entries. It’s good karma though and I’d love you to share the giveaway with friends and family**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!!

Disclosure: I was gifted a NRL pillow pet for the purpose of this review. As always all opinions are my own.

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