New Driver? 6 Reasons Car Service in Dundee Deserves Priority

Our 17 year old has recently passed his driving test, and now that we live rurally, being able to drive himself around is a huge bonus. We are also in the Scottish education system, so he has finished school and is off to Higher Education in September. A couple of weeks ago it was time for him to buy a car. Here is a guest post from a Dundee driver, reminding you that buying is just the beginning, to be safe and keep running smoothly, you should also regularly service your car...

There is a particular kind of excitement that comes with a teenager passing their test and driving home in their very first car. It is a milestone that sticks in the memory long after the L plates come down, and for parents, it often marks the start of a slightly different kind of worry. Where once the concern was learning to parallel park, it quickly shifts to something more practical: is the car ready for whatever the road throws at it?

Best Ways to Help Your Teen Recover from a TBI After a Car Accident (Collaborative Post)

 Best Ways to Help Your Teen Recover from a TBI After a Car Accident

My family have experience of helping someone recover from a brain injury, as my partner developed meningitis back in 2013. Recovery was very slow, but rewarding at each step, and aside from minor memory problems he is now 'himself'. Recovering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) presents unique challenges for teenagers and this post, written by a US author and hosted here on The Brick Castle, looks at ways to support recovery.

The journey extends far beyond physical healing, requiring a comprehensive approach that addresses emotional well-being, cognitive rehabilitation, and educational adjustments.

Mölkky Outdoor Finnish Pin And Skittle Game Review (Sent for review by Tactic Games).

The Summer holidays are on their way, and once your children get older the opportunities for playing outdoors together become more limited. Tactic Games have sent us the Finnish skittle game Mölkky to review, and it is perfect for the whole family or group to play together - pretty much wherever you are. 

Suitable for 2 or more players aged 6 or over, Mölkky involves throwing a large wooden skittle at a group of pins on the ground. Your game comes in a very neat crate for carrying, transport and storage, and is 100% wood (except for rope handles), plastic-free and solidly made. 

You'll need some outdoor space and fairly level ground to stand the pins, but it can be played on grass, sand or any hard surface. Because the skittle is thrown, not rolled, you don't need a very large flat area as you would for bowling. Brilliant for home, visiting, days out or holidays, Mölkky is so easy and quick to play that it's also a great way to entertain everyone at a barbeque or other outdoor get together with friends or family. 

We Are Family: Six Kids and a Super-Dad - a poetry adventure by Oliver Sykes (sent for review)

We Are Family: Six Kids And A Super Dad is a poetry adventure written by Oliver Sykes. Intended for independent readers aged around 7 - 99 or over, the anthology introduces us to Oliver, his 5 siblings and his Super Dad. It gives us an insight into how a big family can work really well as a team, sharing chores and responsibilities, and being there to annoy and frustrate, support and love each other. 

Author Oliver Sykes grew up not far from where I grew up, and was one of 6 children. When he was aged 8 his Mum left the household by choice and never returned. In We Are Family we get a glimpse into that time, and just how hard it was for his Dad to ensure his family survived and thrived.

The Ghost In The Attic Mystery Agency Puzzle Game Review Age 14+ (sent for review)

The Ghost In The Attic is an absolutely fantastic 'The Mystery Agency' escape-room type puzzle-solving game for as many players as you like, aged around 14 or over. Play is co-operative, and you'll need all of those different brains with different skills in order to beat the game. I'm proud to say we did, in around 2 hours - all of which we enjoyed immensely. 

The Ghost In The Attic is an 'escape room' type game, where you follow clues and solve puzzles in order to discover the solution. Sent to us for review by The Happy Puzzle Company, this is without any doubt THE BEST mystery/puzzle/escape type game I've ever played (including in-person escape rooms). It is incredibly well written and beautifully put together.

Engenius Contraptions Motorised Bounce Marble Run Review (age 10+) Sent by Cheatwell Games for review

I love a clever toy, and even better if it has minimal plastic, smart and unusual design, and it makes your children think. Cheatwell Games have a range of truly 'Engenius Contraptions' - marble run sets with working motors, which you build yourself before you get down to the serious business of playing with them. We have been sent the Bounce Marble Run, which is just what it says - marble track with trampolines! 

Newton's Lab Physics Experiment Kits Review (Age 10+) Sent for review.

We've been sent 2 of the brilliant build-it-yourself cardboard science kits from Newton's Lab to review. Made by Kikkerland, they are very carefully designed build-it-yourself physics-based engineering and science kits suitable for older children aged around 10 or over. 

I'm really keen that toys should last for decades, or be made with the Earth in mind (or both if possible). Children's science kits often include throwaway items, or tons of plastic bags, and you end up feeling like you might well be a part of the problem. The Newton's Lab kits are very much recycled cardboard with a couple of other pieces for stability or durability, packaged in a recycled cardboard box.

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update August 19th 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update August 19th 2022

UK COVID Statistics:

England:

In the 7 days until 12th August 744 COVID-related deaths were reported. This 189 less than the week before (-20.3%). 

In the 7 days to 15th August, 6,005 people were admitted to hospital with COVID. 

Scotland:

In the 7 days to 14th August 66 COVID-related deaths were reported. 

In the 7 days to 14th August, 448 people were admitted to hospital with COVID.

Northern Ireland:

In the 7 days to 12th August 16 COVID-related deaths were reported. 

In the 7 days to 12th August, 60 people were admitted to hospital with COVID.

Wales:

In the 7 days to 13th August 17 COVID-related deaths were reported. 

In the 7 days to 12th August, 278 people were admitted to hospital with COVID.

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,653,576 cases and 7,742 losses of life reported in total as of yesterday.

World: 599,293,153 reported cases and 6,467,625 losses of life.

The UK has become the first country to approve Moderna's new "bivalent" Omicron-specific COVID vaccine as a booster jab. Bivalent refers to the number '2', and it targets boring old COVID, as well as specifically targeting Omicron variants (by having especially shaped attachment points). Omicron variants now account for almost all cases on the globe, including most of those with the more disturbing collections of mutations. 

In tests people given the new vaccine were found to increase their protection against Omicron by 8 times, and protection against older strains of COVID was actually very slightly higher too. This is exactly what you would hope from a tweaked and upgraded vaccine. 

At the moment the UK MHRA have approved the jab as a booster for adults over age 18. 

The UK's Autumn COVID booster will begin rollout on 5th September with care home residents and housebound people among the first in line. Wider rollout will begin a week later. Eligible people are basically anyone in a special jab group or aged 50 or over. You will be invited to attend when it's your turn, and you will be offered the new Moderna Omicron-specific jab.

July AND August #TBCSmiles...

In all the time I've collected the #tbcsmiles I haven't missed a month until last month. I have already apologised, and I really was very much grieving my Mum, and dealing with her funeral and all of the other things that need to be sorted when someone dies. My head was far too full, I didn't want to have to turn on my laptop and I just wanted to be left in peace. I guess it happens to all of us at times, and I'm glad I was able to tell myself to stop, and rest. 

I've spent a lot of time sitting in the garden staring at insects, and it's allowed me to think, and wonder, and remember a time when all of those around me now weren't there, and a cheekily-grinning and innocent little girl was.

For anyone who didn't know why I collect my smiles, it is because they are incredibly precious, but so often we let them slip by unnoticed, or forgotten. It's easy to count how many times you cried last month, but how many times did you laugh? We need to remember these times equally. They remind us we can be a success, we can make people's day a bit brighter, we can make other people laugh too. They are the reason we are here. When you strip everything back, all any of us ever really want is to be happy. Start counting the happy times, and revel in your own success with an extra grin. 

The Silent Brother by Simon Van Der Velde Fiction Book Review

The Silent Brother is a brand new release from author Simon Van Der Velde, who sent me a copy for review. I'm glad he did, because it's been an excellent read, and actually a book which has stayed with me, as it has a depth and relevance I couldn't have seen coming, and actually a lighter ending which doesn't leave you feeling demoralised. 

Subtitled as a Literary Thriller, The Silent Brother is a life story for one fictional person, Tommy, and by the end of the book we've grown up with him, and really do know him incredibly well. 

We begin with 5 year old Tommy living with his alcohol-loving Mum and her boyfriend, Daryl. Daryl is a hard man for any child to live with, aggressive, jealous, violent and a heavy drinker. I feel that he's possibly very young to be raising children and it's not where he wants to be. 

Simon absolutely nails my childhood in the 70's. Looking back now, it really was rough, so I was surprised to discover that actually The Silent Brother was set in the late 80's/early 90's. His account hit so many buttons, I'd never be able to explain it in a book review. I'm a 50 year old woman who has spent the last 3 weeks revisiting my childhood and teenage years, and the relationships I had with the people around me. 
The scene with his brother Benjy hiding at the back of a cupboard, in the space between the back board and the wall, I've been there. The fear of your adults, and the crap TV. The acceptance of physical punishment being "a good hiding", as if any "good" could ever come of it. I was hurled back 40 years to places I'd forgotten existed, and I closed the book being grateful I'd always chosen the less destructive path, glad for what I have and also a little sad, as I remember the not-so-great times. It's a sad jolt back to Earth to think that 20 years later time had stood still, and to realise that for some now, it's still just the same. Anyway, I digress...

Tommy becomes involved in crime early on in life, and in the book, and you can clearly see that he is a product of the events that occurred in his life, the people around him, and chance timing. What you realise is just how easily someone's life path can change. A single brief exchange can alter everything. 

MOC-82591 Medieval Church Brick Set Review (sent for review by Let Bricks)

I was recently sent the Let Bricks Medieval Church set MOC-82591 for review. This has been designed by Peter Keith, and I was sent a hand-picked set - so I do have some errors which are unlikely to appear in the final store product. 

This is a 516 piece set, which is a nice build and creates a really attractive little chapel... 

As it's only a 516 piece set it doesn't need to have numbered bags, and the instructions are on a USB key, so although you don't have a paper copy, you can access them on any device - and enlarge them at will.  

Home: My Life in the Universe by Mark Ballabon. Teenage / Young Adult Book Review (sent for review)

Home: My Life In The Universe is written by Mark Ballabon, with illustrations by Grant Macdonald. It is suitable for teenage and young adult readers aged around 12+, and is a book which really does make you think about what home is, and where it is...?

The story focusses on Leah, a teenage girl who is growing into the adult she'll become. It is a coming-of-age tale, with the climate crisis and our place in the universe right at its heart. 

Leah is an 'ordinary' teenager, and she's unique, just like every teenager. She feels she is weird and different, yet really plain, and she's okay with individuality to a point, but she wants to fit in, and she wants to be liked, but she doesn’t enjoy the feeling of being plain. She also wants to try new experiences and push herself out of her comfort zone, which she does when, together with her younger brother, she goes away to spend 3 weeks at an international camp over Summer. It's there that she meets people who test her patience and her mood, and others who encourage her to understand that we all have a backstory - reasons why we act as we do. 

Being You: Body Image Book For Boys Review (Teenage and Young Adult Readers)~ Sent for review.

Cambridge University Press has published possibly the world's first body image book for older boys age 12+, and I've been sent a copy to review. We are becoming very used to the idea that teenage girls struggle with their body image, but in our media obsessed world, boys do too. In fact around 1/4 of young people with eating disorders are male. Being You looks at how the male body and mental image changes, and restores the confidence which the modern world can very quickly erase. 

The authors of Being You are Dr Charlotte Markey, a pioneer on body image research and author of bestselling The Body Image Book for Girls: Love Yourself and Grow Up Fearless (2020), and Daniel Hart, a psychologist and father of boys. I am a mother of 5 boys myself.

Being You: Body Image Book For Boys is bright, bold and has illustrations throughout by Douglas N. Zacher. Text is broken into chunks, and you can dip in and out, it's not intended as a 'sit down and read through' book. The language is very accessible, and as you might imagine, very blunt at times, covering topics such as masturbation, sexuality, eating disorders, 'bulking up', plastic surgery, depression, alcohol and substance abuse. 

At the back is a huge glossary of terms used, and frankly that alone is a very useful tool for helping young people have the language to explain themselves and their worries.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 30th / 31st March / 1st April 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 30th / 31st March / 1st April 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 527,550 (average 75,364 per day)
In hospital yesterday 31st March: 19,575 (up from 17,440 a week earlier)
Using a ventilator yesterday 31st March: 356 (up from 302 a week earlier)
Losses of life last 7 days: 1,116 (average 159 per day)
Tests: 4,671,510 (average 667,358 per day)
Vaccinations 1st dose: 52,803,065 (91.8% of UK age 12+)
Vaccinations 2nd dose: 49,439,759 (86%)
Boosted / 3rd dose: 38,823,674 (67.5%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,465,150 (+5,725) cases and 6,786 (+33) losses of life.

World: 489,186,080 reported cases and 6,168,935 losses of life.

"For the NHS, Covid is far from over. Hospital admissions now higher than the January peak. Staff sickness high. New variants emerging. But reflecting on conversations with staff today in the hospital, they aren't giving in just yet. Too much to fight for"
Luke O'Shea, Director of Innovation, University College London Hospitals, with a reminder that COVID is doing pretty much the same thing that it has been for the last 2 years. 

People's History Museum, Manchester (Review Visit)

Last October we were invited over to take a good look around People's History Museum in Manchester, but then my 11 and 13 year old boys caught COVID and our plan was put on pause. This February half term we jumped on the tram into Manchester for a day looking at the history of the people who helped make our world what it is today. 

People's History Museum is really easy to get to, just a short walk from a couple of different tram stops, right in the centre of Manchester. 

It is a challenging museum. It asks you to think about what you see. I like that, and my children have been raised to question, so I'm stunned I haven't ever taken them before. I think life just got in the way for us, so this visit was definitely overdue... 

Ad | Tips For Teaching Your Children Resilience

Though we all wish that we could always protect our children and shelter them from the world, the truth is that they will need to go out on their own at some point. Though all parents worry as their children gain independence, you will have little to worry about if you teach them resilience.

Resilience is crucial for your child’s ability to overcome adversity and work hard until they see success. Read on to learn more about resilience and what you can do to build it up in your children, in this post from Maria Miguel, author and researcher for the library of FREE advice and support at Better Health. 

 

What is Resilience and What Does It Look Like? 

Resilience is the ability to bounce back during or after challenging times. It is what helps us keep going after a failure or major setback. Without resilience, we give up as soon as things become tough, making it impossible to achieve our goals or keep moving forward.

Ad | How to Support Teenagers With A Mental Health Condition

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing some posts from Marie Miguel at Better Help, which has a huge FREE resource library of health advice. Marie has been writing and researching health-related topics for nearly a decade, and she has a focus on subjects related to anxiety and depression.

How to Support Teenagers With A Mental Health Condition

Life as a teenager can be quite difficult. This is the period of time where both their minds and bodies are changing rapidly. They are starting to figure out who they are and have to navigate a complex web of school, social lives, and extracurricular activities, all while planning for their future.

However, life can become even more challenging if your teenager lives with a mental health condition. Until recently, the mental wellness of teenagers was a subject that wasn’t dealt with seriously. Even though times are changing, many adults still dismiss mental health conditions in teenagers as hormones or moodiness. However, about 49.5% of adolescents experience some sort of mental health condition, so this stigma needs to be challenged.

Sent By Gibsons Games For Review: Out Of Order - The Trivia Game With A Twist (age 14+)

Out Of Order is a brand new game release from Gibsons Games, and we've been sent a copy for review. Described very succinctly as the trivia game with a twist, this is an hilariously funny fast-paced general knowledge for 2-6 players aged 14 or over. Anyone can pick it up and play straightaway, but even though the questions are easy, it's not at all straightforward and can be really hard! 

This is a plastic-free game, made in the UK from FSC paper. Gibsons Games products are often plastic-free. All of the hardwoods used in their games are reforested, and the jigsaws made from 100% recycled board. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 11th / 12th October 2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 11th / 12th October 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 8,231,437 (+38,520)
In Hospital yesterday 11th: 7,003
Using A Ventilator yesterday: 747
Losses of Life: 137,944 (+181)
Tests: 936,288
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 49,216,092 (85.6% of UK age 12+)
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 45,212,813 (78.6%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 405,970 (+1,456) cases and 5,280 losses of life.

World: 239,261,170 reported cases and 4,876,704 losses of life.

6,000 people a week in the UK are being referred to Long COVID clinics, and papers are reporting that even Sajid Javid has finally noticed it might be a bit of a "huge" issue.
The ONS figures released last week show 1.1m people in the UK self-report symptoms lasting over 3 months, (including over 125,000 NHS staff). 405,000 people say symptoms have lasted over a year, and 211,000 people say it significantly reduces their ability to carry out daily activities. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 6th - 8th October 2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 6th - 8th October 2021

There's no data for Wales today, so numbers are lower than they should be. Different data was missing last week, so I can't do a comparison.

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 8,081,300 (+36,060)
In Hospital yesterday 7th October: 6,765
Using A Ventilator yesterday 7th October: 808
Losses of Life: 137,541 (+127)
Tests: 962,225 (a fairly low level of tests, but higher number of new cases means we are catching less of the cases that are really out there)
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 49,101,734 (85.4% of population aged 12+)
Vaccinations 2 Doses: 45,107,185 (78.4%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 399,833 (2,002) cases and 5,280 losses of life

World: 237,771,320 reported cases and 4,852,690 losses of life.

“As some of you may know, I started my career as a malaria researcher, and I longed for the day that we would have an effective vaccine against this ancient and terrible disease. Today is that day, an historic day.”
Dr Tedros, Head of WHO.
Not COVID-related, but the World Health Organisation has recommended the world's first ever malaria vaccine for a broad rollout in Africa.
Malaria kills around 400,000 people each year, and half are children under 5. Hospitalisation doesn't bode well for survival, but vaccination reduces admissions by 1/3. This is huge news, and as climate change will affect temperatures, humidity and malaria-carrying mosquitos, it could be of even greater use in the future.