Advertisement Promotion

Let’s go

outside

When you’re a child, there’s nothing like feeling the wind in your hair and the sun on your face while you play. But there are so many things that keep kids indoors these days – from TV’s to DVD’s to games consoles. Recent research showed that over a third of parents surveyed admitted that their kids spend less than two hours playing outside on an average weekend day. A generation of couch potatoes is growing on the sofas of the nation, when there is a whole world of fresh air and fun out there to be explored. TP Toys believe in the benefits of playing outside and already have a solid reputation as the experts in outdoor play equipment. They can also add “environmentally friendly” to their list of benefits to parents who want the best for their children, because their wooden ranges are now FSC certified. TP have been designing and manufacturing exhilarating and educational outdoor play equipment for toddlers to pre-teens for nearly 50 years, including swings and climbing frames, trampolines and

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slides. At the core of their business is their passionate belief in the benefits for children of play in the great outdoors. Whether it be improving co-ordination, balance and spatial awareness, building confidence, or simply boosting fitness levels, TP Toys have a product to keep your kids active and entertained outdoors, with a minimal impact on the environment. Imaginative, active play is all about creating a world where anything is possible. A wooden tower becomes a fairy castle... a football goal becomes the place where a wannabe champion

“Imaginative, active play is all about creating a world where anything is possible”

England striker scores the winning goal in the World Cup. TP Toys are great fun alone or with friends, and open up a whole new world of imagination for kids. The majority of their products are made in the UK, carry extensive guarantees, and are available at stockists nationwide including TP Centres of Excellence and John Lewis. For a full stockist listing and to see the full range, visit tptoys.com and let that games console gather dust while your children discover a whole new world of fun and adventure outside. n

The TP Toys Fresh Face of 2009

TP is looking for The Fresh Face of 2009 and is searching for a certain somebody to front their 2009 brochure. They are not looking for a professional modelling image – all you have to do is capture TP’s mission - ‘Freedom to play’ in one simple shot of your child, taken outdoors. Upload it on to the website at tptoys.com and write in no more than 100 words why you think it is important

for children to play outside. You can also choose which toy your child would like to win on the entry form. The photos will be uploaded onto the website and will be voted on, and the photo with the most amount of votes will win. Eight regional winners will take away their ideal toy, and the overall winner will take away £1000 worth of TP products of their choice, will be invited along to a professional

photo shoot to have their picture taken for the catalogue, and will receive a framed copy of their cover shot. The deadline for entries is Friday 20th June, so if your little monkey is between 18 months and seven years old, get going and start having some playtime fun!
You’re the daddy! Sarah Daly looks at how fathers can take an active role in their child’s life

When I was pregnant my partner encountered a few glib comments suggesting that his part in events was pretty much over. He guessed that this was far from the case, but was unsure what was expected of him in the months and years to come. There’s an abundance of guidance and advice for mums-to-be, but it’s often assumed that fathers will just get on with what is considered a supporting role. So what exactly are fathers for? Can and should they be expected to be as hands on as a mother and what is best for your child?

“Your relationship will teach your child how people treat each other and what to expect in their own relationships.”

Get involved An involved father is: “A father who reads to his child, takes outings with his child, is interested in his child’s education and takes a role equal to [the] mother’s in managing his child. He may or may not live with the child’s mother, and he may or may not be the biological father to the child.” This is according to the Economic and Social Research Council and it makes it crystal clear that being a father is all about what you do and not who you are. According to Chartered Clinical Psychologist Dr Rachel Andrew, a father’s role needn’t be different from a mother’s. “It’s tempting to revert to the stereotype of the father as breadwinner but caregiving can be done equally by both parents. Society is geared to parenting as primarily a woman’s role but it need

not and should not be.” In fact having an emotionally distant father can, in turn, affect a child’s emotional health. Andrews cites evidence that eating disorders in young women have been strongly linked to negative issues around their fathers. She says dads also have an important role in supporting mums and vice versa. Your relationship will teach your child how people treat each other and what to expect in their own relationships. And children, she claims, learn about their place in the world from the adults around them. A father who steps back can unintentionally be teaching a child that she isn’t important or valued. If you, and your baby’s father, want him to get more involved, the key may be to step back a bit yourself. Mothers usually respond more quickly to a baby’s cries of discomfort, and tune in to their meaning more easily, but fathers can also learn to do so, given the chance. And it’s worth remembering that studies have shown that mothers and fathers react equally quickly to cries of actual distress. If the mother always responds the father may just stop trying. He may decide that women are just better at childcare when in fact there are plenty of fathers who, out of choice or necessity, are raising children alone or acting as primary carer. And they do it every bit as well as a woman – better in some cases.

Share and share alike Deborah and James, from Stroud, have shared the care of their sons, Noah, three, and Jack, one, since the boys were babies. Deborah says; “We wanted an equal partnership and felt the only way to achieve this was to ensure that we had equal responsibility for our children. We both experience the frustrations of each role and that ensures we can support each other better.” James, who now cares for his sons almost full-time, agrees. He says; “When the boys were babies we decided that whoever was at work the next day would get up with them in the night. We both knew that being at >

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