Most schools have a uniform policy that includes suitable school shoes. The requirements are usually smart black or brown leather shoes with a low heel. It is possible to spend a large amount of money on these by going to a special uniform shop. My parents´ generation often had to wear shoes passed down from older siblings, which resulted in foot problems in later life. No modern parent would want to risk this. 
Children often grow at a phenomenal rate – seemingly overnight – and feet are no exception. With older …

 
Which are better for children, closed walking shoes or open hiking sandals? I do not think that there is a clear and defined answer for this question. Either option has its own disadvantages and will be better in certain scenarios.
Take the closed walking shoes for example, these provide more protection for your children’s feet and are more sturdy then open hiking sandals, which is obvious! The closed hiking shoes are perfect for a winter hike when wanting to keep your children’s feet dry and warm and to protect your children’s …

I recently read in the paper that with rising fuel costs that many families would cross the fuel poverty line this winter. The fuel poverty line is the point at which over 10% of the household income is spent on heating bills. Some people have said that with rising pressures like this many families will struggle to keep their children in smart uniform and this raises the question as to whether buying shoes just for school is justified.

I believe strongly that it is. Children wear their school shoes every single …

Photograph by Syma Sees
What is a perfect day? That’s different for each of us, but at a guess and based on my experience, a housewife’s perfect day might be one where nobody pees all over the bathroom floor, the cat isn’t sick on the rug in the living room, the housework is done and the children are delightful all day.
Whether or not your days come up to scratch is not always within your control. But there are some things that you can do to give yourself a …

Not all children take to chores the way we’d like them to, especially if they’re doing something they prefer, like playing video games. If you have trouble getting your children to help around the house and do their chores, you may just like this idea from parent hacks.
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My kids were addicted to their video games and would give us attitudes when we asked them to do chores. So we fixed that right away: we put the kids on a point system where when they do chores, they earn points …

Photo by euart
Soyen Shaku was the Buddhist monk who brought Zen to America, and the rules that he lived by can bring a little Zen into the life of a housewife too.
1. Upon awakening, quit your bed at once, like discarding a useless pair of shoes.
Getting up first in the morning, before your husband and children, gives you a head start so that you’re centred and ready for them when they start asking where their socks are.
2. In the morning, before dressing, light incense and meditate.
If you’re up before …