4 years on

Superman is still flying but this time zooming around the Nurburgring circuit. Whilst our baby girls have become little princesses in every sense!

I miss Poddy!

Just got back from a weekend of camping with our friends. In our case glamping, as we opted for the luxury version of hiring a pod - a wooden wigwam style hut with carpets, heating and TV. Not exactly camping, as we were well sheltered from the elements, much to our relief when the heavens opened in the early hours of Sunday, but we did get into the spirit of camping - barbecues, toasted marshmallows and sitting around the open fire in our assortment of folding camp chairs!

For most of our group this was a new experience and despite our reservations it appears that the great outdoors still has its appeal. The kids had a fantastic iPad-free time, feeding the ducks and geese, dancing with Olaf, running around the well-equipped playground and my little girl has even asked if  she can stay in poddy and go crayfishing again!!!

The onsite entertainment and facilities were great, a vast improvement on those I remember having to endure as a teenager when I went on a school camping trip.

Looks like this group of happy campers and glampers will be coming to a campsite near you very soon!

You mustn't say Win!

"Mummy the man said win.... We don't say win!"

Feeling a bit bleary eyed today having got out of bed at 530am as I was curious to see what had happened to our political landscape.

Without getting into that topic I am struggling to explain to Jo San why the people on the TV are saying win and lose a lot today.

As adults we all know about losing and winning but children these days are constantly told that it's the participation that counts and the result is not important. Try telling that to Ed Miliband and David Cameron!

When exactly did 'win' become a bad word?

It certainly was not the case when I was growing up. I clearly remember trying to beat my fellow classmates in the annual sports day and setting my sights for first place in the Chinese school exams every year. Surely healthy competition is good for us. After all they can only be setup for disappointment if they are led to believe they can never fail.

I strongly believe that kids should be taught to compete and, just like learning to share their toys, children should also know they can't always get what they want. Just like real life, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Sometimes the choices you make might lose you the game but if you aim to win and achieve you will have more fun and gain more than those that are just there for the ride.