To my Jonah Sammy – happy 7th birthday, Jonah! Happy birthday, my lovely boy. How has your 7th birthday crept around so fast? Here I am again, writing a letter to you about how much you’ve changed in only a year. As you transition from a little kid to a big kid, we’ve learned so much more about you, and who you are. Curious, studious, quiet, detailed – dare I say verging on nerdy? Sometimes daft, and yet totally loveable are just some of the ways I can describe you. It must be part of growing up, but as you get older, you like to spend much more time on your own. I guess it’s also a big part of your personality. I still struggle with not seeing you all day because you’re at school. Family love You’re still in love with your sisters, although sometimes you play a little…

If you have kids who like to play video games, then you’ve probably heard of Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF). This popular series of games thrills and delights kids with its jump-scares and creepy animatronic characters. But is Five Nights at Freddy’s safe for kids? My eldest son, 6, is absolutely obsessed with Five Nights at Freddy’s. I wrote previously how much he loves Huggy Wuggy and Poppy Playtime – well, this is the new obsession. And the obsession goes way beyond the game play too – which I’m actually really pleased about. He has the character book, stickers, and endlessly draws his favourite FNAF characters. When my son first became interested in Five Night’s at Freddy’s through Minecraft, Roblox, and YouTube, I admittedly felt overwhelmed by the meaning of the game and all its characters. Five Nights at Freddy’s has been around for almost 10 years. The game, its…

To my dear Jonah, Happy birthday to you, my eldest son. Many people would say that you are quiet and sensitive – and that’s certainly true. But you also have a silly and funny side that cracks me up. You’re quite unique, a little bit alternative. I love that! You definitely stand out amongst your friends. At 6 years old, you are so inquisitive. You want the answers to everything and you ask lots of questions about the world around us. It’s so humbling and rekindles my interest in the world, too. I definitely learn something new! Every year, around the time of your birthday, I write a letter to you. I talk all about you at 6 years old – your loves, likes, and what you spend your time doing. Of course, I share the proud mummy milestones too. The day you were born was one of the most…

You’re probably reading this article because your kids like Huggy Wuggy. The plush blue monster is the latest craze amongst young kids. But you might be asking – why is Huggy Wuggy so popular? And what do parents need to know? But first, who – or what, is Huggy Wuggy? Huggy Wuggy is the antagonist in Chapter 1 of the horror video game Poppy Playtime, designed by MOB games. Poppy Playtime is available on Windows PCs, so kids install it on their home computer. A bit about the game from games download platform Steam: You must stay alive in this horror/puzzle adventure. Try to survive the vengeful toys waiting for you in the abandoned toy factory. Explore the mysterious facility… and don’t get caught. Starting off as a blue plush cuddly toy who just wants to hug, Huggy Wuggy first appears to children as a static character stood still on…

Happy 5th birthday Jonah! All parents say something similar when their child hits another birthday, but I can’t believe you’re turning 5 years old. Where did time go? This time of year is so special to me. The light of the longest days reminds me of that amazing time in my life around the time you were born. Every year I write to you on your birthday. I talk about the emotions, but also about the little things that are so easy to forget with the passage of time. I hope one day you’ll look back on my letters and smile! I’ll level with you – being the eldest child can be hard. I’m the eldest too, so I really know it. I feel like I didn’t fully experience part of your childhood while caught up in Cara’s newborn years, and the mum guilt was real. But now that Cara…

Is your toddler or child scared of vacuum cleaners? My son, now 4, was absolutely terrified of vacuum cleaners for a couple of years. This fear of such an innocuous household item can seem irrational to adults, but it’s actually very common! Most children will outgrow their fear of vacuum cleaners, but there’s a lot you can do along the way to help them overcome their fears. Small children are not very rational, so telling them to stop being afraid isn’t going to help them. So before you swear off cleaning for the next few years, have a read of my post. I share tips on how to gently help your child and hopefully use your vacuum cleaner without scaring your little one. How Jonah’s fear began I remember the first time we realised Jonah was scared of vacuum cleaners. He was about 6 months old and his daddy was…

To my dear Jonah, Happy birthday, my little son. You’re not so little anymore, because now you are 4! I hope that one day you can enjoy reading our letters to you – it’s funny how the small things slip from our memories. We want to treasure it all. You have come so far in just a year, and we’ve learned more about you than any other year. Your personality and quirks are really showing, our wonderfully different Jonah! Because of the coronavirus epidemic, we spend our days in a little bubble at home – we play, go for long walks, have slow lunches, and watch too much telly. And we won’t be spending your fourth birthday as we imagined we would – a big party with a bouncy castle and all of your nursery friends. Instead we’re having a humble get together at your grandma Heather’s house, with just…