How To Teach Kids A New Hobby And Sports

Guest post by Jordan Fuller

So your kid wants to learn something new! Figuring out your role in how to teach kids a new hobby and sports can be tricky. 

Most kids will learn best from a coach who specialises in their chosen sport or hobby. But some kids (especially the shy ones) may want to learn at home before they are placed in a group learning situation. 

Or maybe they’ll choose arts and crafts instead, which means they’ll most likely be learning from home. 

Whatever your child’s temperament or chosen activity, your role is important. They value your opinion, your input, and your praise, so how you get involved can make or break your child’s success. 

Here’s our advice! 

Ask Their Opinion 

Just because you were a champion baseball player in your youth, it doesn’t mean your kid is going to have the same skill or passion. 

Your first step should be to find out what they want to do! Maybe their friend plays tennis and they like the look of it. Perhaps they love kicking the soccer ball around the backyard. Or maybe they’re a little shy and would prefer an individual sport like running. 

It’s essential to make sure that you don’t accidentally push your child into a sport that you love, or used to love as a kid. Ask their opinion and find out what they would really like to do. They’ll be much happier for it! 

Do It With Them 

Once your child has decided what sport or hobby they want to do, the best way you can show support is to do it with them! Obviously, we don’t mean joining them on the field or taking part in their team practice. 

But a huge part of support is to practice with your kid at home. Ask them to show you what they learned, throw or kick a ball for a bit, or work on something specific together. Remember to check that your kid wants to do it first, don’t make them feel obligated. 

Here are two ways you can get involved in your child’s sports training. 

Share Your Passion 

If your kid happens to choose the same sport as the one you love or one you did as a kid, share your excitement with them! 

Chances are they’ll feel more excited about it when they know you’re excited too, and this can be an excellent time for parent and child to bond over a mutual interest. 

If you’ve got an old bat, glove, basketball, or whatever piece of equipment you still have from your childhood, pass it on to them. 

Tell them about your favourite players and ask about theirs. Watch the sport on the television together! Sharing excitement for a sport is a great way to keep your child interested and make sure they have fun with it. 

Lead By Example 

Most kids learn by doing, not by being told what to do. You can get involved (at home, not during a team practice) by helping your kid practice. 

If they’re struggling with something specific, set aside an hour or so to work on it with them. Teach them how, but also show them the movements. Get them to copy your movement, and gently correct them where they need help. 

If they play a sport you aren’t totally familiar with, YouTube is your friend! You can watch a couple of videos online and learn how to do the thing they’re working on. From there, it’s easy to show them and work on it together. 

Have a Reward System 

It’s no secret that kids (okay, humans) are motivated by the idea of a reward. When it comes to sport, the reward is often winning a game or scoring points. In terms of hobbies, the reward is the outcome, which may be a physical thing or learning a skill. 

You can up the excitement a little by adding your own rewards system. However, make sure you’re doing this to add to the excitement your kid already has for their sport or hobby, not to try and drum up excitement where there isn’t any. If that’s the case, your kid needs to be doing something else! 

For example, you can set up your own points system where you allocate points every time your kid scores a goal/points, has an excellent catch or shot, or shows great sportsmanship. 

Set rewards for reaching a certain amount of points, and your kid will have an extra incentive to do better in the sport or hobby they love! 

Get Excited 

Go to the games! Take them to practice. Ask them about it. Get excited about your kid’s chosen sport. If they feel supported, they’ll enjoy it that much more. 

Remember to check in with them, though. Ask if they’re still enjoying it. Find out what they like most about it. Check if there’s anything they don’t like. 

Remember, this is about them, not you. Your little slugger may be a highly talented kid with a bat in their hand, but if they don’t want to be there, it’s your job to make sure they never feel forced into it. 

So get excited for what they’re excited about and show them support through your cheering, questioning, and praise. But don’t get so overly excited that they feel like they have no choice but to be doing it so you’re happy! 

Conclusion 

Remember, even though your kid is likely going to be learning sports from a coach or working with a team. But that doesn’t mean you should just stay out of it. 

Getting involved in the process to teach kids a new hobby and sports can be extremely fulfilling, and it’s also a wonderful opportunity for parents and children to bond over something fun and interesting. 

Above all, remember this is about the kids. While we’re advocates of support and excitement, there’s nothing more uncomfortable (for spectators and kids) than an overly “coachy” parent yelling at their kid from the sidelines! 

Give them space to do their thing. Whether it’s on the sports field or an indoor hobby, and whether they’re super talented or just another face in the crowd, allow them to have fun and learn and grow through the experience. 

About the Author

Jordan Fuller has been playing golf for decades, and he shares his passion for the game by mentoring young golfers. When he’s not on the range or the course, he can be found researching or writing for his website, Golf Influence. 

5 Ways to Refresh Your Wardrobe This Year

Guest post by Hannah Boothe

Fashion, like the seasons, is always in flux. And the majority of us want to appear well, which includes periodically changing our wardrobes. With the start of Spring and the weather getting warmer, you might be inspired to do some spring cleaning. If you have now reached your closet we have some ideas that might help not only organize your clothing but also your children’s clothing. Maintaining a stylish and current style is an expensive pastime, but appearing put together and current does not have to be. From upcycling vintage clothes to injecting personality with fresh accessories. Here are some of the most effective methods to update your clothing.

1. Conduct A Closet Audit

Purge, and cleanse, whatever you like to call it. Turn on the light, pry open the closet door, and remove everything one category at a time. If you cannot hire an expert, rely on your instincts, intuition, and common sense.

If the attire is out of date, out of style, the incorrect size, or even the incorrect character for your new function, remove it immediately! Perhaps the only item you grab for is your black jeans, often in the dry cleaners. If that is the case, you may need to go shopping for a few items!

2. Make An Inventory

Comfortably rehang everything for you; ensure that knitwear is kept flat and folded to avoid stretching. Consider any gaps that may have developed as well; sometimes, the addition of only a few new items may significantly improve the functionality of your existing wardrobe.

Decide what goods you need to acquire to improve your appearance. It might be as simple as a well-fitting black skirt or black pants. You may add a new pair of heels, a pristine white shirt, a well-tailored tweed jacket or sweater jacket, a piece of striking jewellery, or a new purse and two vests. It will provide you with a greater variety of options for styling your old items.

3. Neutrals are Your Best Friends

As you go through your extensive collection, consider collecting all of the neutral things in your wardrobe and storing them in one location; they’ll come in handy when freshly styling an outfit. These are the ‘foundation’ colours of your style, and they’re ideal for amplifying an all-black ensemble. Layer with that vintage red jacket you’ve been hoarding or those cowboy boots you’ve been unsure how to wear.

4. Organize A Clothing Swap

Probably the most enjoyable method on our list, a clothes exchange is an excellent way to purge the old and make room for the new. Additionally, it’s the ideal reason to spend an afternoon with your buddies. You may go bare-bones and spend an hour sifting through the communal pile, or you can make a night of it with drinks, nibbles, and a thrift-store fashion show. After everything has been claimed, you may box up any items that remain unclaimed for donation.

5. Accessorize

Often, all that is required to breathe fresh life into worn-out garments is a change in setting. With a fresh pair of flats and a light wrap in the season’s colour, that LBD that’s wonderful for a classy night out may look equally at home at a summer garden party.

Bags, shoes, scarves, and jewellery are essential for spicing up and broadening your outfit, even more so for individuals who already own a capsule wardrobe. With a more simple wardrobe, you won’t have to worry about whether your accessories look good or match your outfit.

This simple method helps my female personal style customers regain their enthusiasm for dressing. Choose a single standout item for each ensemble. Perhaps a beloved set of colourful earrings or a striking purse could revitalize your outfit and keep you from being tired of your unique style.

You Can Also Experiment with Consignment Shopping

While this is not a new trend, it has gained traction in recent years as consumers gravitate toward second-hand shopping. It’s economical and ecologically friendly and may inspire a wardrobe to revamp.

The key to consignment shopping with a purpose is to remain focused and deliberate on what you want to purchase, rather than becoming distracted by other products just because they’re there. Constructing a capsule wardrobe is a process that prioritizes utility, comfort, and thoughtfulness.

Rather than depending on a single huge purge every year, segment your wardrobe and give it smaller, more regular refreshes. You will seem more polished as a consequence, but it will also result in better educated and sustainable clothing decisions over time.

4 Ideas to Inspire Your Kids to Read in the Digital Age

Guest post by Tracie Johnson

If you’re worried your kids would rather play video games or browse social media than pick up a book, then it’s time to take action. After all, reading has plenty of benefits including boosting imagination, improving concentration, and exercising the brain, among others. Here are a few ways to get your kids to read in the digital age.

1. Reading Can Be Fun

While making children understand that reading can be fun may not always be easy, it can be accomplished. For instance, you can use colourful puppets to inspire play and engagement. Another idea is to have kids draw pictures with crayons, paint, or pencil of the stories and display these on a wall for everyone to admire. Further, purchase or make costumes for your children to wear of favourite book characters for Halloween.

Alternatively, have a storybook party where friends are invited and everyone dresses up as a book character. Moreover, you can create a reading space, especially for kids. You can decorate it with favoured storybook characters, brightly coloured paint, whimsical furniture, and more. On the other hand, keep it simple by putting a comfy reading chair in your child’s bedroom or somewhere else.

2. Find Exciting Books

You can find many exciting children’s books at libraries, bookstores, or online. For example, there are books about anatomy for kids. Kids can learn about the human body, science, and more. Developing a love for anatomy at an early age may even inspire youth to dream of becoming doctors, nurses, or something else. Dragons, unicorns, real-life heroes like firefighters, fairies, and much more also populate the most exceptional reads. As well as this, you can pick out humorous reads that tickle the funny bone.

Of course, almost nothing can be more satisfying than having a good laugh at the expense of a character. A few funny reads to try are The Monster at the End of This Book, Captain Underpants series, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Be sure to pay attention to what youngsters like so you can choose these types of books next time. Some of the best children’s books are The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Corduroy, The Snowy Day, The Engine That Could, and various others. You can discover a realm of budget-friendly or free reads by searching online, at charity shops, or at numerous other places.

3. Read One Book a Day

Committing to reading one children’s book each day can help make books more memorable to youth. If your child doesn’t feel like reading during the day, try reading a book aloud before bedtime. Doing so means your son or daughter won’t have any other activities to choose from. Furthermore, reading aloud to youngsters promotes healthy brain development, encourages stronger emotional connections, motivates a love of reading, improves listening and language skills, and creates stronger parent-child bonds. You and your child can gain comfort in doing a family-friendly activity every day. This can help you both forget about your problems for a while and focus on a great story.

4. Make Books Accessible

If your child doesn’t have any books handy, it can be difficult to find one to read in the first place. You can make things easier by having a bookshelf nearby in your home at all times. Try setting this in your kid’s bedroom or in the living room. Children’s bookshelves can be extremely aesthetically pleasing and come in varied colours, designs, and shapes.

Additionally, you can place a book on top of a nightstand as a reminder to read before bedtime. You may even find that your children open the book in the morning to read before breakfast. Another option is to give youth a laptop or tablet for downloading digital books. Waterstones and Amazon have apps available for reading when on the go or even at home. In addition, apps make reading more accessible than ever. You can even give gift cards for kids to buy e-books for holidays or anytime.

Closing Thoughts

Although using technology can be a lot of fun, this isn’t the healthiest activity for kids. Instead, it’s important to teach youth the value of doing meaningful activities that add value to one’s life. Indeed, children who read can be happier and healthier now and in the future than those who don’t.

Welcome, Door Stickers!

As a child, having a room that feels like your space is important. Personalising their room however, can sound like a torturous, time consuming, expensive task. Well lucky for you, it can actually be incredibly simple and quick! If you have been with us for a while you know this already: with our wall stickers you are able to give your child’s bedroom an instant and tidy uplift. Now you can transform the entrance to the room as well!

Just like our wall stickers, our door stickers are self-adhesive and so, easy to apply, reposition and remove. In minutes, an old, dull or slightly worn door can take on a new life.

The door sticker sets consist of between 7 and 15 stickers (depending on theme). They come with a banner with a personalised text, a main icon and several small decorative elements within the theme you pick.

Your children will love making an entrance into their room with our brand new door stickers!

We have the cutest themes for your child to pick from. They may want a door that reminds you to have your safety helmets on before entering their room. Or maybe they will want their door to be an invitation to go on an adventure, take a peaceful walk through the forest or the passageway into an enchanted magic land.   

Whatever they pick, whether an entrance to infinity (and beyond!), a door to a castle or a corridor into a basketball court, one thing is for certain – it’ll be an exciting entrance to their room! If you aren’t quite sure how best to apply your door or wall stickers click here.

And you will soon have another exciting new product to add to your child’s bedroom – here’s a clue: it’s very tall… 

Parenting in 2021 through images

My Nametags wishes you a happy new year! Not just another year has passed, but another year of parenting – not just another year of parenting, another year parenting during a pandemic! Living life on hard mode is challenging but it is also filled with funny and happy moments. So to put a new, funnier spin on the hard times we thought we’d share with you our favourite 2021 parenting memes. The images that perfectly describe the joy, fear, happiness and chaos that being a parent brings…

2021 started and ended in the same way:

There were warnings that were ignored!

Requests almost ignored…

Lots of unsolicited advise

Moments of freedom enjoyed

As well as moments of suffocation…

Decluttering attempts

Makeover attempts

Attempts to have alone moments

But at least you are able to enjoy the small things at the end of the day

And the kids are pretty cute

Here’s to doing it all again this year – focus on the smiles and laughs more than the tantrums and messes and you’ll be just fine!

Ideas to connect remotely this Christmas

Christmas is here! And with it all the light, smiles and food that this season brings. However, one thing that may be missing this year might be the big gatherings, the full house with aunts and uncles you don’t see at any other time and all the hugs… This does not have to necessarily mean that you do not get to enjoy the company of the people you are not able to see in person, even if you do have to find different ways to make that happen. Here are a few ideas on how to connect with friends and family you might not be able to see face-to-face:

Have a Clay Night

Zoom can be very awkward, especially with family members you may not talk to very often so why not make it more of an activity? Buy some clay turn on zoom and get creating. This will not only be a fun, creative thing to do but will also allow for silences and pauses in conversation that would otherwise be a tad awkward. And, if you are particularly gifted, you may even end up with a new plant pot or napkin ring by the end of it!

Watch a film together

Nowadays just because you are not in the same room does not mean you are not able to watch the same film, at exactly the same time! Have you heard of teleparty? It synchronises video playback with various different devices and it even has a group chat for those people that love talking during a film! If you really wanted to you could even be on the phone with the person you are watching the film with, although we do recommend muting yourself when you are not talking so you can’t hear the second device as well as your own. It’ll feel just like they are there, you might even faintly be able to smell the popcorn coming from their house!

Have a tasting party

Get yourself one of those assorted cheese boards, assorted chocolates boxes or whatever else you crave. You do not even have to have the same thing as the other person – as long as you both have something to eat or drink! Then you can talk about the flavours you are experiencing and look up facts about what you are having. It may not sound like much but it can be incredibly educational as well as a nice way of having a chat without feeling like you’ll run out of things to say. You can even end it with a quiz about all the things you have learned.

Send a postcard

Have you ever received one of your child’s/niece’s/grandchild’s drawings over the post? It can make anyone’s day! Writing a small message telling people what you have been up to, how you are and just letting them know that you think of them can be very meaningful. Sometimes we forget how nice it can feel to get a card or a letter because we get use to being able to text something and having the person read it straight away but there is something to be said for things that have been handwritten and carefully handled.

Have a chat over the phone

Sometimes it does not need to be something elaborate, you simply have to set the time aside to have a chat. Just like you would if you were meeting for coffee, catching up over the phone sometimes requires the same planning. You may even want to schedule it into your day. And, if you really do not have the time to spare you can always call while you are doing something that does not require a lot of focus. It can be great to have some’s company while you are folding the laundry, cooking or even while you are doing a puzzle. Sometimes people just want your company and to hear your voice, it can be that simple to connect with someone!

5 Benefits of Decluttering Your Mind and Home

Guest post by Becca Myers

Are you ready to unclutter your life? This is an ace move to make if you want to feel, think, and act better. The amount of clutter that is weighing you down may be so much you don’t even realize it. Here are 5 top benefits of getting rid of clutter in your mind, home, and life. Now is the time to gain access to them.

1. Decluttering Can Help You Deal with Depression

According to many experts in the industry, it’s a good idea to take the clutter in your home seriously. One of the best things you can do is follow the advice of a leading lifestyle company to make a very welcome series of changes. Cleaning up your act can help give you a sense of accomplishing a goal that brightens up your mood as well as your home.

Sitting there staring at purchases you have made that haven’t been put away can be stressful. You may have birthday cards, reminders of past family events, or other clutter that is causing you issues without you even being aware of it. Give your mind a chance to heal by taking out the clutter and giving it peace.

2. Uncluttering Can Help You Sleep Much Better

Another major benefit that can come courtesy of uncluttering your space can be a much-improved sleep cycle. You may well be going through a great deal of anxiety and other issues. Staring at the clutter messing up your space isn’t doing you any favors. Getting rid of it is a great way to get peace of mind to sleep on.

3. Decluttering Helps You Get Rid of Allergens

Decluttering your home is a task that deserves to be taken very seriously. One of the most important things it can help you with is get rid of allergens in your home. These may be causing you to sniff, sneeze, and wheeze, thus adding to your low feelings.

Getting rid of places where dust, mites, bacteria, pollen, and other allergens can build up is always a good idea. This is your chance to do something positive for your mental as well as physical health. You’ll get a bit of exercise by moving around to clean up the agents that are taking advantage of your apathy.

4. Decluttering Can Help Create a Positive Environment

All that you own should be safely in its place. And that place should be well organized, peaceful, and easy to access. You should never be in a state of anxiety wondering where you last left your car keys or comb. These are things you should not have to think twice about when it comes to making use of them.

There is no reason why excess clutter should hang out. You don’t want to give these animate objects the power to permanently lower your mood. You owe it to your basic sense of cleanliness, decency, and self-esteem to clean up your act. The sooner you do so, the sooner you can create and sustain a happy environment.

5. Uncluttering Gives You Plenty of Needed Exercise

When was the last time you gave your home a good spring cleaning? Isn’t now the perfect time to get up and active? Part of the low feeling you may be suffering from at the moment may come right from your inactivity. The room is full of clutter and you need to stretch a bit. Why not kill two birds with one stone?

Getting up and being active is a great way to get your lazy endorphins flowing once more. The charge you get from this natural rush as you pick up the clutter and properly dispose of it is bound to do you good. This is a pick-me-up that you are well overdue for.

Unclutter Your Life to Regain Your Perspective

Getting rid of the clutter in your mind and home will have many more benefits than you may be aware of. It’s a chance to spring clean your mental as well as your physical landscape. The exercise will keep you active and the effort will do your body good. Now is the time to get started on draining the clutter away.

Why personalised labels are a school must-have

Labelling your children’s things for school has always been important. A previous study we did found that the average child permanently loses nine things per school year. If we think about 10 million school-aged children, this adds up to an eye-watering 90 million lost items every single year. This not only has a negative environmental impact but also a financial worry to parents having to buy replacement items for stuff they’ve already bought once! If you are one of these parents you will certainly want to read on. We are exploring the reasons why personalised labels are a must-have for school.

Cost

Lost property is a big problem in schools, and has been for a very long time, kids always lose stuff, it’s natural but what if those lost items were returned to the children? Wouldn’t that be great? On average parents spend £2000 replacing items that are lost throughout a child’s life at school. That’s a huge expense on top of the existing school costs. A personalised label will help ensure the kids stuff makes it home, our labels have room for 3 lines of text so a child’s name, class and parents phone number can all be added to the name tag, greatly increasing the chances of that item being returned to its owner

Safety

Now more than ever we are conscious of how easily germs spread from one item to the next and when we think of everything a child touches at school, it shows us just how easily it can happen. Adding a personalised label to all your child’s school supplies means that they will easily be able to identify their own things, and hopefully help them not touch other people’s things. 

Waste

Items that are left unclaimed in a school’s lost property box end up going to landfill which we know has a severe impact on the environment over time. Not only that, when you buy two or more of a certain item that also translates to resources being used to produce each of these things. We can help to reduce the amount of lost property going to waste by adding a personalised name label to our children’s school uniform and other equipment. When items are labelled, they are much more likely to be returned to their owners.  

Kids can design their own

Children have the freedom to design a label that is unique to them. We are proud to have thousands of design combinations to choose from with all kinds of icons from unicorns and cupcakes to tractors and footballs, as well as different backgrounds, fonts and font colours, the choice is endless. You will surely be able to create a label that your child will not only love but will help make sure their items make it back home. 

To design your own personalised labels for your child for school, visit our website. 

Don’t forget to follow My Nametags on social media, for the latest news, competitions and more

What type of school label is right for me?

With children going back to school you may have started compiling a list of all the things they need for the new year. If labels are in that list (and it should!) you may be finding it hard to decide what kind you makes more sense to get so we have broken it down for you. 

Colour Stickers

Our most versatile name tags. Colour sticker name tags are a good option if you are looking for a label that can stick on everything. They can be used on clothing (on the care label) and all stationery, books, and even lunchboxes and drinking bottles. You can personalise them with your chosen background, icon, font and font colour so you can create the perfect label for your child. Each set comes with 56 labels each 30 x 13mm in size. 

Iron on Labels

Iron on labels will be the best option for clothing. You can label school uniforms, jumpers, blazers, shirts, PE Kits, anything your child is likely to take off and lose. Our Iron on labels can also be used on socks, coats, scarves and gloves. You can personalise them with your chosen background, icon, font and font colour so you can create a label that suits your child. The labels can be applied directly onto the fabric and will last even after being repeatedly washed. 

Maxistickers

Our Maxistickers make personalising your child’s items even more fun. Perfect for bigger items such as lunchboxes, notebooks, water bottles, shoes. A set has 21 maxistickers in several shapes and sizes – circles, squares and rectangles all on one set! Each label also comes in a slightly different design (within a theme) so it’s a great option if you are looking for a bit more variety.

Ministickers

The more stylish and discreet option, our ministickers are perfect to label smaller objects that are even easier to lose. They are ideal to label lots of items quickly – all the pens, pencils, markers, rulers. Because they are smaller they are also a great option for older kids as they don’t come with an icon and have a solid background. We’ve got 4 different colour themes to choose from and you are able to add a first name or a surname (as it’s smaller you are only able to add one line of text). A set has 175 ministickers and each is 16 x 6mm.

Labelling your child’s things is incredibly important, it helps them easily identify what is theirs, helps reduce lost property in schools and nurseries and helps avoid you having to rebuy things. They also encourage your children not to share things with other children, leading to a reduction in the spread of germs which, at the moment, is very important.

Visit our website to find out more about My Nametags and our personalised name tags. 

What is the real cost of our children’s lost property?

We all know children lose stuff…toys, socks, stationery, cuddly toys, books, shoes… in fact children in Ireland permanently lose 13 possessions every year on average, that equates to a staggering 13 million items lost per year in total! This can add up to quite a considerable amount of money, but have you ever stopped to think about the environmental impact of these losses….

The Real Cost of Lost Property 

We recently discovered, through research undertaken on our behalf by Censuswide, that 500 tonnes of plastic waste is generated by children’s lost toys in Ireland every year. That is the equivalent of over 30 million plastic bottles ending up in landfill* which really is a staggering figure. 

Some other interesting findings revealed by the research in relation to the items lost by Irish children each year included:

1. Toys were identified as the most commonly lost item by children in Ireland (47%), closely followed by socks (36%), stationery (30%) and cuddly toys (23%) – all of these items have quite a high proportion of unsustainable materials, including plastic. 
2. ¼ of Irish parents admitted that their child most commonly lost reusable plastic water bottles

Where do our lost items go? 

The research also revealed exactly what it is we think happens to our lost items and of course what actually happens. 1/5 of Irish parents surveyed stated that they felt that lost items would always be returned to them, while just 9% recognised that their lost property would probably end up in landfill. However, those surveyed also revealed that over 66% of the time their lost items are never found which would suggest that as many as 2/3’s of lost items could end up in landfill, which is not good news for our environment. 

So, what do we do when items are lost? 

Well, research found that over 1 in 10 of those surveyed admitted to replacing the lost items as soon as possible using online shopping platforms. This approach adds to the environmental impact of lost property, particularly when considering the additional emissions generated by delivery. Interestingly, only 24% of parents said they currently take certain measures to help reduce future lost property, such as using name labels. 

Commenting on the research findings, Lars B. Andersen, Managing Director at My Nametags, comments: “Children’s lost property is a significant problem, not just for parents who have to replace the lost items, but for the environment too. We all know there is a climate crisis, and everyone is doing their bit to reduce their impact on the planet, whether that is eating less meat, reducing use of single-use plastics, or installing energy-efficient light bulbs. However, there remains a gap in our knowledge about the impact that lost property could be having on the environment. Clothing is a key example of this. Many fabrics used to create children’s clothes and accessories include synthetic fibres made from plastic. As a result, when these items are unnecessarily lost, it can have a big impact on the planet.” 

So, what can we do to help reduce our lost property & make our clothing last longer? 

To help parents reduce the environmental impact of lost items, we have put together a list of top tips for preventing lost property and ingenious hacks to make clothing last longer! 

Create designated places in your children’s bag for each item

Create a certain spot for their lunchbox / water bottle / stationery / copy books – this will make it easier for your child to notice if any items are missing . Keep small objects in a pocket or purse with a zip rather than using your pockets 

Use name labels

Especially for items that are regularly taken out of the home to school or nursery, labelling items makes it easier for people to return them if they become lost. Also consider adding a phone number as well as a name to more valuable items 

Do a double check

Do a double check before leaving your house, school or anywhere else and get your child in the habit of double-checking that they have everything too!  It’s easier to find lost items when they first go missing than later down the line 

Attach a smart finder

For more valuable possessions, consider attaching a smart finder which will track your item wherever it goes – this is particularly useful for phones or even keys! 

If you or your child does lose something, try not to worry

Stay calm and think back together where you were when you were last using the item 

Be more organised

Designate particular boxes or folders for certain items by labelling them (i.e.: box for jigsaws / soft toys / homework / important documents) and then get in the habit of using these boxes and folders daily 

Top tips for making clothing last longer & reducing your clothing waste

Quality over quantity

Where possible, opt for a few quality pieces over lots of low-cost items. Cheaper garments tend to be made from synthetic fabrics which will wear much quicker and have a negative impact on the environment 

Don’t overfill the washing machine

Overfilling a washing machine not only means clothes won’t wash properly but they will also rub against each other more which can cause damage and fading

Reduce the amount of fabric detergent

Using large amounts of detergent can increase the fragility of some fabrics, such as Lycra, and can cause them to become stiff

Wash dark clothing inside out

To avoid dark clothing fading, wash them inside out to preserve the colour. This also works for graphic t-shirts to prevent the print from cracking and fading

Fold instead of hang

Hanging heavy items like woollen jumpers can cause the fabric to stretch and create misshapen clothing 

Donate

Instead of throwing out clothing you no longer wear why not donate them to your favourite charity shop .

Recycle unwanted clothing

Many stores are now accepting clothing for recycling so bring instead of binning your clothing bring it to your local store recycling outlet instead 

By making simple and small changes, such as the tips and hacks mentioned above, we can all play our part in helping to reduce the amount of waste that is created and in making a very real difference to our environment, not just for ourselves but for future generations too!