We have become increasingly aware of how quickly and easily germs can spread. With that in mind, westarted to think about what exactly our children do that could be putting them at risk, and sharing items is at the top of the list. Stationery items children bring to school and use day in day out: pens, colouring pencils, rulers, calculators are amongst the most commonly shared items between children. Labelling each and every item is more important than ever before. Not only will labels help your children identify their belongings but, to give you a little extra peace of mind, My Nametags labels arealso antibacterial.
Our labels are tested to be antibacterial by Industrial Microbiological Services and have been awarded a certificate under ISO 22196 (Measurement of antibacterial activity on plastics and other non-porous surfaces). We cover all of our labels with a silver-based antibacterial coating which will kill any bacteria or microbes that may be on the surface of the labels. As well as being antibacterial, our labels are wear-resistant, washing machine and dishwasher safe and can withstand the rigors of school life which means they are perfect to use on just about anything. Stationary, lunchboxes, school uniforms, face masks – everything is identified!
It’s been a hard year… but it has also been a year of growing, helping and appreciating not only what we normally take for granted but one another. One of the things you may have been reminded of is just how important teachers are – sometimes it takes walking in someone else’s shoes to understand how things really are. So if you are wanting to say a special ‘thank you’ to your children’s teacher this Christmas you’re in the right place. We have gathered some suggestions that you and your children can do together (or your child can do with some supervision) to show their teacher you appreciate them.
1 – Homemade Biscuits
Even teachers have a sweet tooth and some homemade biscuits is a lovely way to cure it. It’s also no secret that baking is a great way to keep children entertained. Look for recipes that seem not only delicious but fun to make! You can find so many options online, such as CupcakeJemma on Youtube.
2 – Christmas Tree Ornament
Help your child’s teacher decorate their Christmas tree! You can of course buy one or you can make it with your child. They can be quick and easy to make with things you have at home.
3 – A Sculpture
It is so easy and fun to get some clay and make something unique. Who knows… maybe your children is a gifted sculptor!
4- Homemade Jam or Chutney
Jam and Chutney are always great to have at home and while the store brought ones are fine there is definitely something to be said for homemade. It’s also a great little gift because it’s one of those things everyone likes to have but very few can be bothered to make!
5 – A Postcard
Sometimes it’s as simple as that. Write a few words to show them you see and value the work they are doing – maybe tell them the story about your little one coming home from school enthusiastically chatting about something the teacher did in class. It’ll make their day.
6- A Set of Labels!
Teacher, like children, are prone to losing their stationery or getting it mixed for someone else’s so some labels may come in handy. Head to our site and you’ll be able to find a combination that fits your child’s teacher!
And if you are not the type to give a gift, sometimes a smile and a genuine ‘thank you’ can come a long way. Whatever you decided, just make sure you don’t forget to show your appreciation. They do put up with your children after all!
When the Christmas lights start being put up, the trees start being decorated, the carols start being heard you know it is time for our metallic ministickers to come out again. Everything looks better when it’s shinny and our stickers are no exception! Our range of Metallic Ministickers will add an extra layer of class and sophistication to your items.
Frosted
Active
Aurora
Christmas
We have four sets for you to pick from. Christmas in christmassy colours like red, green, gold and silver. Active, our set in cooler colours in a range of greens and blues. Our warmer, rosier set Aurora in pink, purple, blue and green. And, of course, the shiniest of them all: Frosted in pinks, silver, purple and light blue with a silvery tint throughout.
Show us how good your Metallic Ministickers look – tag us in your pictures on Instagram and Facebook!
This blog post is a shorter version of an article written by Cristin Howard on the blog Smart Parent Advice, find the full article here
Playing games is one of the best parts of being a child. Here are some easy to play ones that you can teach your kids. If you’re lucky, they might even let you join in with the fun. Otherwise, you can sit back and listen to the happy giggles.
Marco Polo
It’s an oldie but a goody. This game has probably been played since the 1700s. Just in case you need a refresher, here’re the rules.
One person is ‘it’ and has to try and tag another player. However, they have to do this with their eyes shut. They, instead, must rely on hearing where the other players have gone. To help, they can shout ‘Marco.’ On hearing this, all the other players must respond with ‘Polo.’ Once they tag someone, that player becomes ‘it.’
We use an extra rule to keep things moving. It’s the 5-minute rule. If no one has been tagged after 5 minutes, whoever is closest to the hunter is now ‘it.’ If you’ve got younger kids, you might want to get them a pool float so they can be involved in the game too.
Capture The Flag
If you’ve got ample open space to play in and enough kids to form two teams, then capture the flag is a great game. It gets kids running around and encourages them to think strategically.
All you need is two items to act as your flags. You really can use anything at all as the flag, so get creative.
To play, you divide the space into two territories. When a player is in ‘enemy’ territory, they can be tagged. If so, they must perform a penalty before returning to their base. The winning team is the first to get the enemy flag into their territory.
If you want to spice things up, why not bring along some walkie talkies. This can let the kids roam over a larger area and encourage them to work as a team. With walkie talkies in play, the strategies can get even more intricate.
What’s Missing?
For a bit of mental exercise, why not give this memory game a try. All you need is a tray, a cloth, and a random selection of small items.
You arrange your selection of items on the tray and give the kids one minute to look. Then you cover the tray. Without the kids seeing you, take something away. The winner is the first kid to identify what’s missing.
You can make it as hard or as easy as you need to. The more objects, the harder it is. The bigger the items, the easier it is.
If you want to make it extra challenging, you can rearrange the objects on the tray after you take one away. This means they need to actually remember everything on the tray, not just look for the gap.
Charades
Games that encourage kids to be silly are always great fun. Charades is a good one to play with kids because if you’re good at it, you feel good about yourself. If you’re bad at it, it can be even more fun. It also encourages turn-taking, which is skill kids always need to be practising.
Here’s a quick rules refresher:
1. Pick a song, movie, or book title
2. Mime which option you’ve chosen
3. Indicate the number of words in the title
4. Start miming
Once the title is guessed, someone else has a go at miming. It’s good fun, with plenty of opportunities for silliness. It is worth having some suggested titles on hand for any kids who can’t think of anything. Try and pick easy to mime titles like Up, Jaws, Cars, or Little Women.
Board Games
There are so many great board games out there for kids to play that we’d be here all day if I started listing them. Board games are great for encouraging kids to get thinking. They develop logic and problem-solving skills. Also, they’re fun! So, here are a few to consider for different situations.
Dixit is an excellent game for any number of kids, it’s pretty and creative. It gets kids thinking.
Ticket to Ride is a board game that makes kids fall in love with board games. It’s easy to learn even for young kids. There’s a nice mix of luck and strategy, plus you get to build a train empire across Europe.
Finally, Spaceteam is a fun, frantic five-minute game that gets kids working together and shouting at each other at the same time.
All that’s left is to wish you fun.
Author Bio: Cristin Howard runs Smart Parent Advice, a site that provides parenting advice for moms and dads. Cristin writes about all of the different ups and downs of parenting, provides solutions to common challenges, and reviews products that parents need to purchase.
Going back to school this year will be different – but that doesn’t mean we can’t make the best of it.
Have a look at the different ways in which classrooms around the world are innovating and making an unconventional situation fun!
By making social distancing fun with cool hats:
By transforming the scary looking desks with protections shields into trucks:
By reminding the children how nice it is to see them and each other again. And each pupil getting their own materials means no more fight over who gets to use what first!
We all want to go back to normality: going out as we please, hugging, breathing without worry. But seeing as this might take a little longer than expected the next best thing is to be prepared for the new circumstances.
People have an amazing ability to adapt – children in particular excel at this. So on this back to school don’t panic and don’t worry about what you can’t control, simply adapt and make the best of an odd, unexpected, unpredictable situation.
Do you have any ideas to make the start of school this year easier and more fun for children? Let us know!
This year’s back to school, while long awaited, may also be the cause of some concern. How many measures against covid-19 will schools realistically be able to implement – will children respect social distancing? Will they bother sanitising when you know at times you struggle to make them wash their hands?
Going back to school this year will most certainly be a whole new experience for both you and your children. People have become increasingly aware of how quickly and easily germs can spread. With that in mind, we start to think about what exactly our children do that could be putting them at risk, and sharing items is at the top of the list. Stationery items children bring to school: pens, colouring pencils, rulers, calculators are amongst the most commonly shared items between children. But sharing is no longer caring, now it means circulating more germs.
Back to School- Labelling all of your children’s school supplies is vital
Labelling your children’s things has always been useful to help reduce lost property, but now using name tags can help in another, more important way. Being easily able to identify one’s items will encourage children to keep to their own things and help reduce the spread of germs. They can be fun and colourful while also helping your children be safe.
This pandemic has bought with it a new perspective on things, it has made us aware of the places we really cannot go without visiting, the people we really need around us. Shown us how nice slowing down can be and how resourceful we are coming up with alternatives to make sure we can continue. Chances are that as a parent, you cannot wait for your children to go back to school but we cannot forget that we still need to be prudent and do the best we can to care for our parents, siblings, children, friends, neighbours and everyone around us. If something as simple as labelling things can help, do it!
Staycations are currently rising in popularity for reasons beyond our control… We mean that quite literally, it does not seem to be something one is actively opting for but the default option this year. But do not panic, holidaying at home rather than going abroad can be just as good! We want to share with you the top reasons why we love Staycations – and why you should too!
ECO Friendly
With lockdown people were able to see how much what we do affects the environment which may have got you thinking about being more eco conscious. Staycations are a great way to be more eco friendly. Travelling by train, bus or car will have a much lower impact on the environment. You’ll be able to walk around your city and take comfort in knowing that you are helping the air become a little less polluted.
Supporting Local Businesses
Covid-19 has surprised us all and while for some people this meant working from home, some businesses were not able to continue operating and have been greatly affected. Supporting small and local businesses is a small, simple way for you to help those struggling to keep their businesses afloat. Go to that restaurant just round the corner you always said looked nice, treat yourself to that beautiful dress displayed in the boutique’s window you’d been eyeing. Make sure that bakery you love to get breakfast from is able to stay open by continuing to enjoy their baked goods – now you’ll actually have an excuse – ‘I’m helping the business, they need it!’
Less Stress
Packing for the entire family can be a nightmare. Airline restrictions such as luggage size and liquids you’re allowed to take make the thought of travelling, even for a holiday, a lot less exciting and relaxing. Not to mention getting everyone to the airport, getting everyone through Airport Security, entertaining everyone while you wait to board, entertaining everyone while you’re on the plane, getting to the hotel, unpacking… The list is endless. Having a Staycation means none of this, you won’t even have to worry about all that for a second time on the return!
Cost Effective
No expensive airline tickets, Visas or taxes means you end up saving more than a few pennies! You can also search for some great family deals and packages that are available at the moment and discover the beauty in the place you live in.
Pets can come too
Nobody likes saying goodbye to their beloved pet when they go away, or leaving them in the care of someone you don’t know that well. With a Staycation this won’t be a problem! Many campsites, holiday homes and hotels are pet friendly so they can come along on the family holiday…they deserve a treat too! It’s nice when the whole family gets to be there.
Have we convinced you family Staycation can be amazing too? Let us know if we have and what other perks you can think of!
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My Nametags is coming back in full force! And yet, slowly, cautiously, adapting and learning on how to deal with these new circumstances. After a few uncertain months of almost everyone in the office working from home people are coming back.
While glad to be back we are also a little nervous, trying to be more conscious of the things we should be doing to make sure the office is a safe place. This, of course, means a copious amount of hand sanitiser, hand washing and social distancing as much as possible. There is no sharing, made easy by the use of our Ministickers – no one stealing anyone else’s pens anymore!
We are incredibly fortunate to have a big office that allows people their own space and a little readjusting has meant that we have been able to establish this in what feels like a fairly natural manner. Boxes have been moved and stacked in between different workstations and everyone has been divided into four teams and making sure there isn’t contact between teams.
Summer is our busiest period, people are always on the move, working hard to make sure we deliver your name labels as efficiently and as promptly as possible. This summer will be no different. We may be more cautious with how we conduct ourselves in the office, but our main priority is still the same: ensure you get the best service and the best name labels.
Things are easier to keep when there is no doubt who they belong to, with our new Maxistickers it’ll be hard not to know!
They come in different sizes, different shapes, different themes. Each set containing 21 incredibly versatile labels that will make your child’s books and school bag stand out.
No more monsters under the bed, they now live in your child’s lunchbox! Unicorns look at the stars and your child finds their drinking bottle. The Maxistickers are easily visible from a distance and super easy to apply. Make sure your child’s belonging return home!
New themes, never seen before, are available and each labels has a different combination – so much variety! You get circles, squares and rectangles all on one set.
Tells us how you are using our new Maxistickers!
Tag us in your pictures on Instagram or tell us what you think on Facebook.
New research has revealed that three quarters of parents in Ireland experience guilt when it comes to raising their children, with parents feeling guilty almost twice a day on average. This equates to an astonishing 55 times per month or 656 times per year.
The study, which was conducted amongst parents in Ireland, Portugal, the UK, the Netherlands, France, and Italy by leading name label manufacturer My Nametags, found that Irish parents are more likely to be afflicted by parental guilt than any other parents across Europe, with the exception of the UK.
Interestingly, Irish mums are more likely to suffer from guilt than dads, with women feeling guilt 27 times more per month than men on average. The most common cause of parental guilt in Ireland is allowing children to have too much screen time, with nearly half of parents feeling guilty for letting their youngsters spend too much time on their iPads or in front of the TV. This is followed by not spending enough quality time with their children (42%), losing their temper with their children (39%), not playing with them enough (37%), and not seeing them enough due to working long hours (31%).
This contrasts with attitudes towards parenting elsewhere in Europe, with Portuguese parents more likely to feel guilty about not picking their children up from school and British parents prone to feeling guilty about not doing homework with their children.
Irish parents also sweat the small stuff, with some parents reporting feeling guilty about not mending their children’s clothes when they get damaged, writing their name in their clothing instead of using sew-in name labels, and not making their costumes for the school play from scratch. Over one in 10 Irish parents also feel guilty about relying on other people, including grandparents, to look after their children.
It is mums who are more likely to worry about small details, with women regularly feeling guilty about giving their children quick and easy food instead of cooking from scratch, not ironing all of their children’s clothing, and being caught on their phone when they should be concentrating on their children. Dads, on the other hand, are more likely to fret over disciplining their children and not recording their key milestones.
However, the study found that this guilt is often disproportionate. While nearly one third of parents feel guilty about being caught using their phones, only 27% believe this negatively impacts their children. Similarly, while 16% of parents feel guilty about not buying their children the latest clothes, only 9% think this genuinely affects their children’s wellbeing, demonstrating that parents even feel guilty about things that they don’t believe have an impact on their children.
Parents across Europe agreed that the number one factor that influences the pressures they place on themselves is their own perception of what makes the perfect parent. Irish parents are also heavily influenced by society’s expectations, how their parents raised them, and how their partners perceive them. By contrast, Italian and Dutch parents are more likely to be influenced by the wider community’s opinions, while Brits are conscious of what other parents think of them.
Commenting on the findings, Parenting Expert Bea Marshall says: “Guilt is common among all parents and yet it actually makes it harder for us to parent in the ways we aspire. Guilt stems from our fears that how we raise our children may impact their futures. These may be fears about physical and mental health, relationships and social success or financial independence. Our worries may also be related to what others think of us and our children.
“There is no such thing as a perfect parent and fears that we are falling short lead to guilt. The differences we see between males and females are likely due to multiple factors such as differences in parenting responsibilities and professional commitments, but also due to the different ways men and women navigate parenting. Women often carry a full mental load leading to constant thinking and emotional responses, whereas men are more likely to think about, and act on, one thing at a time leading to a smaller emotional response.”
With current COVID-19 restrictions placing families under new and unique pressures, these levels of guilt are at an all-time high. In fact, almost three quarters of Irish parents are feeling additional guilt due to the lockdown measures, despite having no control over the situation. The most common reasons are having to keeping their children indoors (33%), that their children are bored (30%), that they aren’t able to spend time with other relatives (30%), and that they aren’t home-schooling them properly (20%). Interestingly, 20% of Irish parents also admitted to feeling guilty that they are not enjoying the extra time they are getting to spend with their children, with men more likely to feel guilty about this than women.
Lars B Andersen, Managing Director at My Nametags comments: “At My Nametags, we speak to hundreds of thousands of parents across Europe every year. With the current global situation putting parents under more pressure than ever before, we were interested in exploring the concept of parental guilt and how it varies across the world.
“We were intrigued to find that parents from all countries feel guilty about a huge number of things, from not spending enough time with their children, to not ironing their clothes. We hope that our research highlights that there is no need for parents to be so hard on themselves, and that opting for convenience, such as using stick-on name labels or cooking using pre-prepared ingredients, will not have a negative impact on their children, and may save them an awful lot of stress.”
