comes the shouting and door slamming. "I am not going to school!" Pause for door slam. "Ever!" When he calms down, he's cool and detached in his determination. He won't be able to go to Big School because he doesn't have the right jumper. He's just turned four

Maddens directs the school’s nativity play. Badly. And every year, the local independent school outshines them with an ever-more ambitious and brilliant show. This year, Maddens bumps into his smug rival from the posh school and he tells a big fat lie

DO YOU REMEMBER how you felt on the very first day of the new term at school? Impeccably turned out in a pristine new outfit, butterflies in your stomach, feeling full of nervous energy and excited anticipation. What big adventures lay ahead of you

exam time is embarrassing and won’t make any difference to your child’s results.When I worked in a school in North London, I was lucky enough to meet some fantastic parents. They were part of a big Polish family and had enormous respect for the school

Copyright©Ladybird Books Ltd., 2010 1. Get organisedEverything that is needed for the following day should be prepared the night before and everyone, including partners and children, can be involved.Encourage your children to write (or draw

, they tend to book a variety of ‘types’ of children, not deciding until the day who they will use,” she explains.Being the parent of a child model is a big commitment in itself. You have to be prepared to be available at short notice, usually the next day

the child to quieten down because the mother didn’t. But generally, we never have problems. We cook real food for children. As far as the school is concerned, I felt that children were treated so badly, a big problem in our society which is going to get

roast followed by a board game to a grand gesture annual event involving loads of special preparation and planning. Here are 15 ideas to get you started:1. Eat breakfast for dinner Children love the idea of breaking the rules, and you can tailor

charming chalet-only villages. Le Grand Bornand is particularly family-friendly with a range of crèches, ski schools and non-ski activities, like ice skating, sledging, farm visits and walks in the stunning forests of the region. La Tania, also in France

and need a big chunk of après-ski each day, that hotels that only open their dining room doors at 7pm for dinner are a killer, and that a friendly, English-speaking instructor makes all the difference to your child’s experience.  But wouldn’t it be great