Keep packed lunch food chilled easily

Keeping packed lunch food at the right temperature when it's going to be kept all day in a hot school is not always easy. The last thing you want is your child to get ill because they've eaten something that's become too warm. You can put an ice pack in their packed lunch box but I find the easiest thing to do is freeze the food you want to be chilled or place it next to something frozen to keep it cool until it's time to eat. I do this for sandwiches and fromage frais. Check on the packaging if things are suitable for freezing before trying this. I freeze the fromage frais that come in tubes and place them in the lunch box on the morning of the day they will be eaten. I also freeze bread and rolls. If I'm making a sandwich which needs to be kept cool, I take the roll or bread out of the freezer the night before to butter it, then place it back in the freezer overnight. In the morning I simply add the cheese or other filling, then place the sandwich in the lunch box ready for school. It stays suitably cold until it's time to be eaten but also has enough time to thaw properly.

Pets help to get your child to eat!

This is something I've just found to work in the last few days, but it works really well! My daughter has become a fussy eater recently and often pushes her food away from her before even trying it. One time when she did this, our dog (Hardy) was sitting beside her chair (hoping to eat anything she dropped), so I asked her to show Hardy how she ate the food. Her face lit up (she dotes on our dog), she grabbed the food and started eating really happily! Each time she got a bit bored I said again, can you show Hardy how you eat that? and sure enough, she would tuck in again! It worked fantastically! I guess this would also work if you had other pets too - any animal (or toy!) that could 'watch' and be impressed at the eating. The great thing about a dog is that he wants the food too, so he naturally watches each mouthful just in case it drops on to the floor and he can eat it!

NEW BOOK 'Faithfully Parenting Autism' NOW AVAILABLE!!! with 20% off!

Just to let you know that my book is now published and available to buy from Lulu.com. The book is called Faithfully Parenting Autism and is aimed at Christian parents of children with autism, or for parents who suspect their child may have autism. The information in the book would also be suitable for non-Christian parents as long as they don't mind the Bible references. If you'd like to buy a copy, please use the link below:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/faithfully-parenting-autism/18954719

Boost your energy levels (great for busy mums!)

Boots do a fantastic range of vitamins aimed at boosting energy! I discovered these a number of years ago while constantly feeling tired and zapped of all energy while trying to look after my children. They do a Vitamin B complex which currently has a green label and they also do a Vitamin B6 10mg (currently a yellow label) specifically for women. These can be taken in addition to a normal multivitamin and should really help boost your energy levels. I take the vitamin B complex every day and take the B6 at one particular time of the month when I can be more stressed than normal! Recently I've also discovered Evening Primrose Oil which comes in a capsule and is meant to help keep hormones more balanced. I've also found this to be great, and again take it daily. The added benefit of using Boots for all of these is that vitamins are always on 3 for 2, so you save money too! Hope they help you mums out there to feel a little more energised and able to cope with the day!