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Your Family Out Now – Money-Saving Tips and Weaning Advice

Your Family, the NSPCC online parenting magazine, kicks off the New Year with a bumper issue featuring topics such as money-saving tips, weaning advice and how to entertain the kids on a rainy day.

Money saving tips

Many of us are feeling the pinch after the festive season and with January pay day seemingly further away than ever, here are some top tips sent in by readers of Your Family to help you make every penny count.

Buy energy-saving bulbs: “We keep lights on all night outside the children’s rooms and the bulbs kept blowing. So we bought energy-saving bulbs, which were more expensive but are supposed to last longer and use less electricity. Three years later, they’re still going strong!”

Freeze leftovers: “If I have food left over after a meal, I always put it straight in the freezer. I used to leave it in the fridge and then forget about it until it had gone off! Now everything gets eaten.”

Turn off and unplug: “Turn televisions, DVD players, stereos, computers and other electrical equipment off when you’re not using them. If you leave them on ‘standby’, they’ll continue to use power and add to your electricity bill. Likewise, unplug your mobile phone charger after use.”

Weaning advice

If you have a baby approaching six months, you will probably be familiar with the anxiety and turmoil that surrounds getting your baby to start eating solids. An article in this issue of Your Family talks about baby-led weaning, which involves encouraging a six month old to join in eating healthy family meals by feeding themself with their fingers. The point of this is to allow baby to play with their food and eat as much or as little as they like — as it’s more about them learning the taste and texture of foods. Baby should still be offered her usual milk feeds.

Rainy day play

With the recent bad weather parents might be tempted to submit to their littles ones demands to watch television all day! Help is at hand, Your Family has put together a a few fun activities to keep children and parents occupied no matter what the weather is like outside. Take advantage of detailed instructions on how to make a fort, decorate your wellies or make a flower card.

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