'You've got your hands full'

August Multiples Mayhem carnival is live, fancy hosting a future one?

   

Hurrah!

Not only does Heather have baby twins, she has also carried on the Multiples Mayhem carnival over on her fantastic blog, Young and Younger.

This is the second instalment of said carnival and I'm impressed beyond words that Heather has managed to pull the entries together and get it published -- as a similar effort on my part on our mental health blog has stalled.

Topics covered in this carnival include potty training, vegetable aversion, the naughty step and first year essentials.

If you've an idea for another post to add, please do add a link to Heather's post and if you would be interested in hosting a future carnival then please shout too!

 

On bloggers, bullying and Bangladesh

TRY saying that without your teeth in.

AN anonymous poster has explained how being targeted by an online bully has made her feel.

Sadly, for me it is an all too familiar tale.

Blogging used to be fun, It wasn't about feeling compelled to post when if honest you knew you should be doing something else for fear of losing out in some rush for an imagined trophy of mass readership, a trip away or a book deal.

It wasn't about trying to outdo each other on how many comments you could get to power your way up the latest chart of "influence" or how many freebies you could grab.

It wasn't about slating PR people who had the temerity to contact you to highlight their wares when you had been included in one of the said lists, showing off said influence.

Twins and secondary school

IN a few weeks' time, my daughters will start secondary school.

They are definitely in different classes and there's a chance they won't be in the same groups for subjects where pupils are streamed.

I like it that way.

At the introductory parents' evening, my girls' new teachers made encouraging noises about recognising that every child is an individual.

Did you know that according to experts, twins -- and triplets, quads and any "higher multiples" you care to mention for that matter -- are deserving of special consideration in the classroom?

Media request: Parents and teenager to talk about alcohol

LIZ Jarvis says:

For a glossy monthly family magazine, I'm looking for a mum and possibly her partner if she has one and their 16/17 year old  to talk about teenagers and alcohol.

There's no fee, but there will be a photo shoot (and they can have a copy of the pictures) - expenses to the shoot, which is likely to be in September, will be covered.
 
Email Liz on lizjarvis1[at]yahoo.co.uk if you can help.

Death knocks and me

RESPECTED journalist and trainer Chris Wheal recently found himself on the other side of media interest in the most heartbreaking of circumstances.

His nine-year-old nephew died in an accident while playing on a rope swing.

Chris has written that helping liaise with journalists amid the blaze of publicity which followed the tragedy has made him feel useful and that he could actually do something at this bleakest of times.

But he has also spoken up about how his family have been treated by the media and how he would like to see things changed.