Articles written by Carol Bloomfield

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About me - Carol Bloomfield

Freelance writer and full time Mum, living in Gloucestershire with my husband and our daughter. We have a small house, a big garden, a few chickens, a canoe and all three of us love the outdoors.

I spent twenty years working in retail management before leaving

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Parenting & Pregnancy > Toddlers Increasing your toddler's vocabulary in everyday life: 1 of 13

To increase your toddler's vocabulary there are a few simple things you can incorporate into your daily life. Many of these come naturally, the rest are easy habits to develop. Conversation Fill your home with conversation, talk to each other, talk to your toddler and when you are tired of talking, sing. The more a bab...
Food & Drink > Baking How to make homemade bread: 12 of 36

The smell of freshly baked bread is a wonderful addition to any home. It takes a surprisingly short time to make a loaf, but you do need to think ahead to allow time for the dough to rise. It's so easy anyone can do it, and if you have children even young toddlers can join in the fun. Start by making one loaf a week, you wil...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Baby Developmental Stages Bookworm babies: Tips to create a life-long love of reading in your child: 5 of 12

Books are filled with facts, stories, pictures, information and inspiration and it is never too early to introduce your baby to the delights contained within their pages. Introducing books to your baby from their first few days at home will open up a whole world of additional fun for them. Think of books as toys. The key to ...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Baby Developmental Stages How to get your disinterested toddler into reading: 5 of 10

Best efforts to encourage a disinterested toddler to read need not be time-consuming or hard work. Opportunities lie in the everyday. One of the simplest ways to inspire a love of reading is by doing it yourself. All children love to imitate adults, so if they see you reading they will want to do it too. Even if a parent isn...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Babies (Other) Photographing your baby: 2 of 4

Photographing Your Baby Everyone gets out the camera more often when there is a new baby around, so how do you make sure you take the best possible pictures? I think there are two ways to go about it. If you are hoping to get a portrait of your baby you'll need to prepare and think about the location, what the baby is wearin...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Feeding & Breastfeeding Baby-led weaning: Basics and baby cues: 1 of 1

Breast milk or formula will be enough to sustain your baby for about the first six months, providing all the nutrients they need during that time. Health professionals generally recommend weaning starts at around six months, the point at which most babies are able to sit unsupported and grasp things in their hands. All babie...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Pregnancy Physical and mental benefits of prenatal yoga: 1 of 1

Prenatal yoga can be a wonderful experience, whether the woman has practices yoga before or not. Prenatal yoga can prepare a woman both physically and mentally for giving birth. There are physical benefits but the mental benefits are often even greater. The benefits are as follows: Relaxation. An hour of yoga can facilitate ...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Feeding & Breastfeeding Why public breastfeeding should not be a controversial issue: 3 of 5

Public breastfeeding need not be controversial; controversy arises when people do not listen to each other's point of view or act responsibly and respectfully. Unlike adults babies require frequent meals throughout the day and are unable to ignore the hunger pangs in the knowledge that a meal is coming soon. To a baby...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Children's Activities (Other) Focus for your child's first birthday: 3 of 4

Baby's first birthday is a great event, a wonderful opportunity for a family to celebrate one year on. Keeping focussed on how you would like to mark the special day will help you ensure you have a day to remember. Your child won't remember the celebrations whatever you choose to do, but marking the occasion in the way that ...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenting (Other) Tips for effective communication with your children: 3 of 4

The key to family harmony is good, honest, open communication and if a few simple rules for effective communication are used from the start the amount of misunderstanding between parents and children can be minimised. Listening Effective communication is not just about talking, equally important is the listening part.&...