The Butlins Future Report: What is a 3D Dad?

How have things changed?

In years gone by, the man was the bread winner and the woman was the bread maker (the loaf variety of course) but with the shift in family dynamics and more complex family structures means that as long as the "bread" is on the table, it doesnt necessarily "knead" to come from one direction.

I was fortunate to read a report commissioned by Butlins on the future of family holidays and the one aspect that really caught my eye was the element regarding men and women and the shift from the traditional roles I mentioned above. Here is an extract:

3D Dads


More women entering the workplace has already driven the shift away from traditional gender roles, with women gaining greater financial independence. More responsibility for helping with housework and childcare will fall with fathers, and by 2037 we can expect to see an army of 3D Dads (Domesticated, Dynamic and Devoted).

According to the research, one in three (35%) dads currently shun housework, and one in six (16%) do little to no childcare. But it’s a far more optimistic outlook for 25 years time with 60% expected to split chores evenly, and 40% pulling their weight with childcare.

These figures seem incredulous but the report is really interesting. From supersized 14-strong Relation Vacations, to the rise of Super-Gs and 3D dads - The Butlins Future Report uncovers how changing family structures will redefine the way millions of Britons holiday in the future. The full report is available upon request or can be downloaded at www.butlins.com/future

Is your family traditional or do you have a 3D Dad??

Bloggers for #Shareniger

  

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Other pages you might find useful.



http://www.shareniger.com/


http://www.worldvision.org.uk/child-sponsorship/


http://www.mummy-tips.com/2012/06/help-us-to-sponsor-child.html

Frankie and Bennys : Review of the new menu 2012

When we heard that Frankie and Bennys were launching new menu's, we were more than a little excited to be invited along to check them out. They launched their new menus at the end of March and in particular their dessert, lunch and specials menus were set for a change, so we were all set for a an eating challenge. (The challenge was set by my gorgeous other half who loves food *almost* as much as he loves us I think).

As we never like to do things by half, we went in force, so there were 10 of us to contend with and whilst our table wasnt quite ready when we arrived, this was somewhat compensated by the balloon decorations when we sat down (did i mention that it was the 7 year olds birthday?).

Frankie and Bennys has an old time diner feel and whilst its certainly not spacious, I think they are going for the more cozy, atmospheric feel to the restaurant. Our waitress for the evening was Jenny and she was friendly, helpful and genuinely lovely with the children. After some deliberation (and salivation) over the menu, we all decided and here is the round up of what we ate:

Cajun Chicken Burger - doubled up (of course)

OH says: Delightful 10/10

Steak & Fries with side salad

My Dad says: Not hot enough but tasty 9/10 (its worth pointing out that my dad puts EVERYTHING in the microwave before eating it so that it is scalding hot!!)

Salmon Fishcakes

My Mum says: Lovely 10/10

Spinach Ricotta

My Aunt says: Really nice 8/10

Full rack of BBQ Ribs

My Brother says: Excellent ribs - best tasted in a long while 10/10

Cajun Chicken Burger

My sister in law says: I have left nothing on the plate!!! 9/10

 

Chicken and Prawn Alfredo

I said: It was a little spicier than I anticipated but the prawns were delicious 9/10

Childs Chicken Pasta with cucumber and tomato 10/10

The birthday girl said: It was yummy

Now anyone who has been to Frankie and Benny's will know that if you have a birthday, the Frankie and Benny's staff will sing Happy Birthday to you. Now I have to be honest and say that this wouldnt be my choice of birthday celebration but for my daughter, she thinks its the best. so everytime the music started up, she would look around to see if it was for her! Needless to say, she was grinning from ear to ear when they did sing Happy Birthday to her.

So overall it was a big thumbs up from us all.

There was a little confusion when it came to pay as we were part paying with a voucher but Jenny, the helpful waitress, managed to sort it out with the Manager and we left happy, full and happy to recommend F&B's. There are always offers and updates on their website, so check it out before you go.

http://www.frankieandbennys.com/ 

Warwick Castle : The Review : No Damsels in Distress here!

Those that know me well enough, will know that I have a penchant for castles, so you can therefore imagine my delight to be invited to Warwick Castle for the day!

Warwick Castle is seeped in history, here is a little extract from their website:

"Attacked in 1264, besieged in 1642 and damage by fire in 1871, the Castle has nevertheless survived the ever-changing fortunes of history. Warwick Castle remained under the stewardship of the Earls of Warwick as a private home until 1978. After being handed over to the National Trust, the property was taken over by the Merlin Entertainments Group in 2007 and remains under their guardianship".

So off we traipsed, the 7 year old (who seems to share my love of castles) was excitedly talking about princesses and knights as we parked easily in the surrounding car park. Although I am not sure if she wanted to be the princess or the knight!

We had the pushchair with us and whilst most locations were fairly accessible, you couldnt take the pushchair into many of the rooms so I was glad that I had also brought the baby carrier with me to climb some of the staircases. We were fortunate that it was a nice day, so were able to park the pushchair up outside the rooms.

My other half has always considered he was born in the wrong century and is convinced he was destined to be a knight, so it was really interesting to be able to look into his family's coat of arms and see that the name dates back as far as the Doomsday book! Who knew!

There was always something going on from rat catching (much fun ensued here), to jousting on the lawn. I suspect that had it been raining, we would possibly not have enjoyed so many of the outside activities but despite the lack of sunshine, it was great to enjoy the fresh air and entertainment outside as well as inside.

We were advised that if our little princess wanted to get into the princess tower, we had better get a ticket in advance so we made sure that we did this on our arrival. The princess tower has alot of steep steps (I am quite convinced people had smaller feet in ye olde times), but when you reach the top, your little princess (or prince) can write a wish in the wish book. Unfortunately the "want to be" knight in our party also wrote in the wish book, saying, "I wish for chicken fajitas tonight" ..... I suspect that this is not what the wish book is for, as it sat amongst wishes for ponies and crowns!

Once she had finished being a princess, she then decided she wanted to be a knight (I hope we dont go through this many career choices as she gets older), so we purchased her a sword ..... our ribs and knuckles havent been the same since!

The whole day was simply great fun and hugely interesting too. Its a fantastic day out for children over half term or even on a weekend. I would suggest getting there early so you get chance to get round to see everything. Unfortunately as our children were under 10, we didnt get to see the Dungeons (although I suspect that the 7 year old was worried that we would leave her there if she wasnt good) so if you want a day out packed with history, fun and entertainment, Warwick Castle really does have it all.

It hasnt helped my penchant for a historical building and much to the chagrin of my gorgeous man, I would quite like to live in one ..... one day maybe!

http://www.warwick-castle.com/

Tip: If you buy tickets online and in advance, you can save up to 40% on the ticket price.

Information correct at time of release. 12/06/2012

Photos taken by me and should not be copied without permission,

Maternity Pillow Reviews : Let the pillow fight commence

I was very lucky to be offered a variety of maternity pillows whilst I was pregnant, some recommending benefits for the dreaded SPD, others talking about ease of breastfeeding, so we (and I mean the whole family) have put them to the test. So let the pillow fight commence ...

Theraline Maternity Pillow

 

The key points noted from Theraline is that this maternity and nursing pillow gives you stable support during your pregnancy, relief for legs, belly and a stressed back, easy to change sleeping positions, safely molds to baby’s body and it gives you amazing back support. I was genuinely surprised at how big this pillow is, it is definately the "daddy" of the nursing pillows and I really wanted to use it in bed at night whilst I was pregnant but dissapointingly my SPD meant that I couldnt get comfortable with anything, including this pillow, it was simply too big. This is not to say that the pillow hasnt been used, my eldest daughter has adopted it in her bedroom and it is great to sit her baby sister in, when we are all reading in the bedroom. It wraps around her easily, leaving her safe and comfortable. Verdict: Big Sisters favourite!

For more details go to http://www.theraline.co.uk/  

 

Floppeze Support Pillow

The Floppeze is a uniquely designed pillow that has multiple uses throughout the developing years from pregnancy support, feeding, sitting, travel and more. I was extremely excited that the Floppeze claims to be an especially good support for women who suffer with SPD, so I was ready and raring to try this out! My pelvis however had other ideas and decided that it was going to be a complete pain (!!) and not be eased by anything. I have concluded that this is more a reflection on my body rather than the design or abilities of any of the pillows tested. We all absolutely LOVE the design of this pillow, it appeals to children (young and old) with its "cow" design and has been a godsend as the little one has got bigger as it has been used to support her development through tummy time and learning to sit unaided. I think out of all of the pillows, this is the one that will last after the baby stage, it will be a neck support on long journeys and with its cheeky face, its like having a new pet! Verdict : Daddy's favourite.

For more details go to http://www.bibsandstuff.co.uk/

 

Boppy Pillow

The press release tells us that the award-winning Boppy feeding pillow creates an ergonomic ‘nest’ shape, which embraces and cuddles baby making them feel safe and protected and helps to aid the feeding process. A “Miracle Middle” which adapts to the shape of each and every mum guarantees a snug and secure fit and the exclusive fibre padding used in each pillow means it keeps its shape and is incredibly supportive and comfortable. This was the pillow that I used in the early days of breastfeeding, it wrapped round me snugly and supported my baby girl well. It was fantastic for my eldest daughter to, as she could sit with her little sister comfortably, without worrying about her sliding out of her arms. This is definately the "toughest" of the nursing pillows, so maybe this is actually the "mummy" of this group. Verdict : Mummy's Favourite!

For more details visit http://www.boppyworld.co.uk/

The use of a maternity or nursing pillow isnt all about asthetics and whether it looks nice in your lounge or your nursery, there is medial research that we have been supplied, courtesy of Boppy Pillow, which explains how the pillow helps with correct positioning for feeding.

Professor Guido Moro, Director at the Neonatology Operating unit and Neonatal Intensive Care unit at the Macedonio Melloni Hospital in Milan, explains: “At the beginning, it’s normal for the strong sucking of the baby to elongate the nipple and the areola tissues, which causes a certain amount of discomfort. When the baby is not positioned correctly, this will cause harsh tugging at the nipples which can lead to severe discomfort and pain to both the nipples and the breasts; over time this can even cause painful cracks and chaps,which take time to heal.”

The use of a feeding pillow makes it much easier to find a variety of comfortable feeding positions, whatever the circumstance or environment. Prof. Guido Moro says: “A feeding pillow can be a great help for mother and baby during nursing. Without a pillow, the mother’s arm muscles tire more easily and the baby can slowly slide downwards, which changes the way he suckles on the breast, something that can be rather painful for the nipples.”

So in the end, I think it comes down to personal choice. I have been lucky enough to try 3 different pillows and each have their own merits - it really depends on what you need from your nursing pillow as to which one suits your needs best!