Fit or Flop Shoes

I understand the quest to avoid exercise and the gym (though I have to confess to being a gym junkie at heart) but the great surge of companies making shape up-get fit shoes are a bit of a rip off. New research shows they can improve ankle stability and maybe even improve posture but tone your legs and bum and sculpt your lower body - I THINK NOT!

Read here for more information from the real experts:

http://bit.ly/WtD8b

Teen Pregnancies

OMG how sick am I of hearing how single teen mums should be vilified by society! If it's not the Tories suggesting these underage girls have committed a criminal offence by getting pregnant (which they haven't by the way as it's not actually breaking any law to get pregnant, the age of consent is about having sex with a minor, not pregnancy)it's the Tories getting their decimal points mixed up in their teen pregnancy statistics.

Now the blog posts at a well known newspaper are suggesting we cut off all benefits to teen mums and let them be homeless with their babies as - 'That will teach them!' Or teach abstinence only in schools because that's worked so well in the States (NOT!).

Here's an idea why don't we all get involved and help improve the way we talk about sex in society and to our kids and teens in general. That way we can give younger people the tools to delay sex until they are ready and make safer decisions around sex when they do decide to go for it?

That's more talk about negotiating relationships, peer pressure, and contraception instead of slapping down those who need our help and making out we're all so much better than them.

Sex Worth Talking About

I've been working on the NHS _ Sex Worth Talking About Campaign and met with a group of great competition winners who had plenty to say on the subjects of sex, sex education and respec. See video of our chat http://bit.ly/dZ5tD www.bebo.com/bigthink

Good to have it reaffirmed that teens aren't stupid when it comes to sex and most have bright ideas about how to lower teen pregnancy rates and improve sex education in the UK. Now if only the papers would stop sensationalizing the topic.

Anita

Britain Voted Worst Place for Kids

According to a new report Britain has been voted the worst place in the developed world to bring up children. Rated the lowest of the six countries examined. The list, from best to worst, reads Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, the U.S. and the UK.

I find that hard to believe, considering in the United Arab Emirates freedom of speech and freedom of the press is restricted. As for the US,about 15 million children - one out of every four -live below the official poverty line and 25% of children under age 12 -- are hungry or at the risk of being hungry every day!

Yes the UK has its problems, but health care and education is free. Freedom of the press is taken for granted and while kids may watch more TV and get less exercise a quarter don't go hungry every day.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1257165/Britain-voted-worst-place-world-bring-children-Australia-best.html#ixzz0hxMKlPUM

Too much information folks!

It's a strange state of affairs, whenever I ask friends how they are, I usually get a one word answer. However, if there is a revolting, inappropriate or downright disgusting story to tell about an injury/illness or gaping wound, then I get the full director's cut. Maybe it's because I am an agony aunt, people think I want to know these things.

Which is why my favourite refrain is often -'Do not tell me if it's revolting' - not that this ever sinks in. So far today I know way too much about a relative's illness, feel sickened thinking about the infected 'spider' bite a friend showed me in Starbucks and want to hurl at the thought of someone's depiction of labour (the birthing kind, not the political kind).

Too much information everyone. Stop it right now!

Fan Mail

If you want to write for a living you have to have a sense of humour thanks to all the 'critical' feedback. My latest fan mail states:
"They published your article on an italian website about how a woman can manipulate a man to merry her.. after reading it i think youre a sad sad woman with very severe mental troubles.. go cure yourself!

I wouldn't mind but I haven't even written a piece on how to manipulate a man in marriage, however, good to know even my non articles elicit a passionate response from readers.

Mum's Behaving Badly

I witnessed a good old playground spat this morning on the nursery drop off, not between the 3 and 4 year olds I might add but the mothers!

Fueled by a disagreement over parking -'Why can't I park right in front on the gates and block off the entrance so everyone has to climb over my BMW?' - was the crux of the argument. It spiraled into a spat as the said offender indulged in some vile name calling at the complaining mothers and an eventual descent into racial slurs. All in front of 20 wide eyed children.

Another friend tells me of a mum in her playground who takes it upon herself to be rude to all the other mums as they wait for school to start, 'So why don't you wear make up/get your hair done/dress nicely?' she's been heard to say.

My question is why doesn't anyone challenge these mum-bullies? After all what hope is there for our kids to behave if the mum's won't!

Lazy Girl's View on Pregnancy

Yes I am pregnant, so yes I look like I have gained weight because that's what happens when you are pregnant. And yes, my bump is big because there is an 8 month old baby in there and yes, I get out of breath walking upstairs because my body is working for two. And yes your boobs do grow to larger proportions (yes perhaps bigger than Jordan's) and yes I am bad tempered and not 'glowing' because of all the above and partly because of all the annoying comments people keep saying.

And no, I am not giving birth without pain relief, because it's painful. And no I don't want to change what I am calling my child just because you went to school with an X who was vile and keep thinking of a celebrity with that name. And finally no, I am not making a DVD of the birth because I am pregnant, not insane!

More sleep zzzzz...

Our kids need more sleep or so says a new study but let's face it it's not only the rugrats that need more zzz time, but us adults too. Apparently we're all getting one hour less sleep a day, that's a 7 hour deficit by the end of the week and a 48 hours by the end of the month (and I won't even tell you how much that is by the end of the year because it's too depressing by far).

Aside from being a slow form of torture, lack of sleep makes you gain weight (probably because you're having a snack when you should be sleeping), ages you (skin needing down time to rejuvenate) and makes you viciously cranky with loved ones and colleagues. The lazy answer is simple but not so easy - go to bed earlier, don't watch TV in bed and wind down for 20 minutes before bed so you're relaxed enough to sleep.

Ridiculous study alert

Ridiculous study of the day says middle- class mothers have turned the countryside into a no-go zone for their children because they are worried about them getting dirty. Apparently they are scared that day trips into the great outdoors could end with their children getting lost, hurt or muddy.

Mmm.. having a three year old who can find a way to get dirty in her bedroom, lost at the supermarket and hurt just walking across the room, I think this study is a load of old guff. If most mums don't want to go to the countryside it's not because they are worried about their precious darlings but because it's a disaster in the making to bundle kids into the car and take them further than 20 minutes without world war three breaking out in the back.

It's not the great outdoors that worry us but being trapped in traffic with raging under 5's!

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1252703/Middle-class-mothers-make-countryside-zone-fear-children-getting-dirty.html#ixzz0gG6Y4nQw