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Hair wars…
I have what you’d call a love/hate relationship with my daughter’s hair. I love it when it looks neat and tidy, I hate it when I have to plait, wash or comb it – and so does she.
When she was younger I could almost get away with doing it while she slept, but as she’s got older we’ve gone from me chasing her around the house with a comb in my hand, to her sitting down for half of the ordeal before deciding she’s had enough. Oh, and did I mention how she hates to have water or shampoo touch her hair?
With her kinky afro hair I’m always on the lookout for any brands claiming to have an ‘easy comb’ or ‘detangling’ effect to make at least one aspect of the hair-dressing procedure less harrowing.
I’ve recently been trying Mini Naked De-tangler Shampoo and while it wasn’t an obvious choice – ie not aimed at afro-haired children – I was surprised (and glad) to see it did the job. Part of the Naked range, but specially for little ones, it’s almost completely (97%) made from natural ingredients.
Admittedly I wasn’t too keen on the smell when I first started to use it, but I think that may have been the combination of lavender oil in the ingredients alongside aloe vera – I’ve never been a fan of lavender and it always takes me a while to get used to the aroma!
It retails at about £3 which isn’t too bad, especially as afro hair doesn’t need to be washed every day – which is quite lucky really as I don’t think I, or my daughter, could cope with the trauma!
Never take Mummy for granted…
It’s back to reality for me after a few weeks holidaying in the motherland, but despite having spent such a ‘concentrated’ amount of time with my parents, I’m here in London tapping my fingers and waiting in anticipation for the return of my mother.
Obviously in general I love my mum and all that, but I, like so many working parents out there, rely on the help of my own mother when it comes to extra childcare and all round support.
It got me thinking about some parenting advice I was given by none other than TV presenter Jeff Brazier – Jade Goody’s ex and father to their two sons, Bobby, nine, and Freddie, eight.
Chatting to Jeff at last month’s Gala Bingo launch party at London’s Delfina, where Peter Andre’s latest ad for the company was celebrated, I asked how he managed to combine his work schedule with looking about two young boys.
He was quick to respond, ‘My number one tip is not to take your mum for granted. My mum helps me out a lot, so I have a deal with her where I pay half her rent for which she gives me a certain amount of her time each week.
‘It sounds quite formal and regimented, but it’s not! It just means we each know where we stand and she doesn’t feel that I’m taking her for granted. But it doesn’t count if the boys just fancy spending Saturday night with their Nan – that’s separate from the deal! Each week I let her know my schedule and when I’ll need her, so she can also make her own plans’.
Sounds like good advice all round to me…
PS – Hurry home Mummy! x
Review: Zootropolis
What’s that you say? A Disney animation exploring racism while being both witty and hilarious?
Well, surprisingly Zootropolis manages to do exactly that with characters voiced by the likes of Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, Idris Elba, J K Simmons and Octavia Spencer.
In short, the film is about the determined Judy Hopp (Goodwin) who battles to become the first ever rabbit police academy graduate before teaming up with Nick Wilde (Bateman) to investigate a series of incidents that threaten the city of Zootropolis, where creatures of all types have – up until now – lived together in harmony.
My little one loved the way the two main characters bounced off each other and laughed out loud on several occasions during the film. Even a slight scare, which made half the cinema jump, wasn’t enough to mar her enjoyment.
We watched a special preview screening of the animation in Leicester Square, joined by VIPs – David Haye, Vanessa Feltz, Linda Robson, Sinitta and Jenni Falconer – and their children.
Judging from the round of applause as the film ended, Zootropolis is set to be a hit with both adults and children alike – as the content was covered with the seriousness needed for the themes explored, but at the same time, the relationship between the characters ensured it was a fun watch.
The Croods gala screening – film review
It takes a lot to get me up and out of the house before 9am on a Sunday morning – luckily enough my early hour traipse into the West End with a toddler to attend The Croods gala screening was well worth it.
Joined by the likes of Elen Rivas, Olympic athlete Steve Backley, Gaby Roslin and their broods, we all had the chance to enjoy ‘fun in the foyer’ – face-painting, balloons etc – before heading into the 3D screening.
If you’re looking for a film to take your little ones to I would highly recommend this offering from DreamWorks, the makers of How To Train Your Dragon and Madagascar. The ‘pre-historic’ animated comedy follows a stone age family as they finally venture out from the cave that has always been their safe haven. In my mind it was the perfect mix, appealing to both adults and children – I mean I laughed so many times I lost count and hell, I even almost shed a tear at one point (yeah, I said it).
Admittedly 3D screenings with toddlers who lose quickly lose interest in wearing 3D glasses is a challenge, but mine managed at least 40 minutes before deciding to discard them…
With characters voiced by Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone and Catherine Keener, each of them had something about them to draw you in, but when it came to my three year old, the star of the show was definitely the sloth and his catchphrase ‘dun, dun, daaah!’
So basically, I loved it, my daughter loved it – watch it.