Is social media good for the soul? #WorldMentalHealthDay

DID you know that more than half of parents would stop their child from playing with another child displaying an obvious skin condition because they fear it’s contagious?

Sounds shocking, but as parents we do our best to protect our children from harm, not always thinking things through before we act.

The research by Aveeno Baby came as the skincare brand launched their latest product, Dermexa Moisturing Wash.

A self-confessed fan of Aveeno Baby I was delighted to be invited to join celebrity mum Izzy Judd and dermatologist Dr Stefanie Williams to learn more over breakfast.

Not only was it a refreshing change from the school run, it was a chance to quiz the pair on how mums like me and my children could benefit from using the new product.

The launch coincided with National Eczema Week and Izzy – former member of Escala, married to McFly drummer Harry and mum to Kit and Lola – explained how her daughter Lola suffered an outbreak of eczema last year.

An Aveeno Baby ambassador she has now been using the products for three years – and hasn’t looked back.

She acknowledged the pressure felt by parents when it came to taking care of their kids’ skin – over a third surveyed admitted they would be embarrassed about their little one’s appearance during any flare up.

I’ve been using the new Moisturising Wash for a couple of weeks now and have no complaints.

Dr Stefanie also gave a few tips on the day which included applying moisturising cream to damp skin to help lock the moisture in.

Also a warning not to use skin-friendly products like Aveeno, only to go and give your child a bubble bath, which will undo all your hard work!

IT was interesting to read details of a new survey which discovered only 10% of children are getting their five-a-day and that 1 in 10 parents think chips count as one of their children’s five-a-day.

Look, I’m the last to sit here to shame anyone on their parenting skills – particularly as my response to reading that was ‘aren’t potatoes vegetables?!?’ (FYI, they are classed as a starchy food, LOL.)

The research helpfully carried out by children’s fruit snack supermarket brand Fruit Bowl, also noted that 1/3 of parents think fruit yogurts count, while 1/5 parents mistakenly believe a strawberry milkshake contributes – I mean #desperatetimes, right?

I personally battle to get my kids to eat most vegetables, so its interesting that less than half of parents know that tinned veg, frozen fruit and sweet potatoes count towards the recommended daily amount.

Additionally 4 in 10 parents think their child gets only 2-3 portions each day.

FIVE unexpected foods that DO count towards our five-a-day:
Baked Beans
Guacamole
Onions
Hummus
Spaghetti Hoops

FIVE foods that DON’T count towards our five-a-day:
Onion rings
Ketchup
Potatoes
Vegetable Crisps
Pickled Gherkins

Nutritional Therapist, Filomena Komodromou has shared her tips to get children eating fruits and vegetables;

1. Think colour – chop up some crunchy crudités such as carrots, pepper, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, radish, celery and serve with hummus or cream cheese for a healthy filling snack
2. Get them to help in the kitchen – even toddlers can help too. Peeling, chopping or grating can be done quite safely by children supervised by an adult.
3. Blend it up! Homemade smoothies are a great way of getting their five-a-day and sneaking in some veg too.
4. Add mashed banana or grated apple/pear to porridge
5. Make frozen fruit lollies or banana pancakes

Susanne Fraser, Marketing Manager of Fruit Bowl, added: “Here at Fruit Bowl we are a team of parents and know firsthand how difficult it can be to make sure our children get their five-a-day, every day, and we know it’s a struggle that lots of other parents have. By conducting this survey, we aim to highlight this and also show busy parents that there are easy solutions, tips and tricks they can use to give their children five-a-day.”

Fruit Bowl create everyday fruit snacks and treats – many of which contribute towards your 5 a day. #bonus

Available at Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, The Co-Op, Asda, Waitrose and on Ocado.

THIS week me and the boy have been testing out the Aveeno Baby Dermexa range, in particular the Good Night Emollient Balm and the Daily Emollient Cream.

And I’m not going to lie, the good night balm has been an absolute lifesaver for my little boy as the cold winter nights start to creep in, causing his skin to get drier than usual.

I’ve found the slightly thicker night balm perfect for helping to ease his itchy skin as he sleeps.

I’ve always been a fan of Aveeno for my little one’s skin, and talking to lots of other parents they too are full of praise for the brand – I mean it’s just one less thing to worry about right?

Parenting is hard enough, so it’s something to tick off the list and, the good news is there’s 1/3 off at Boots until November 6. #winning

IF you follow my posts, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of Aveeno Baby, it works fantastically on my son’s skin and I have no complaints!

Now the brand has teamed up with baby food expert Miriam Cooper, aka Mimi’s Bowl, to mark Allergy Awareness Week with two yummy recipes suitable for even the most sensitive of tiny tummies.

A perfect partnership, Aveeno Baby’s range of skincare products are specially designed using oats to be gentle on your little one’s skin – the latest Dermexa range has been created for eczema-prone skin.

While Miriam works to show how you can create healthy and simple meals for the family at home, especially when introducing your baby to solids for the first time during weaning.

Weaning is when you may start to notice your child’s skin becoming irritated due to allergens, so these two recipes from Mimi’s Bowl are allergen-free #winning.

For more information visit www.mimisbowl.com. Aveeno Baby products are available to buy at all major retailers.