Not sure if all schools do this but my grandchildren's school have "stay and" sessions on all different topics. Where they invite the parents, grandparents etc to participate in the lessons with your child/grandchild. The kids love it and get an awful lot from it as do we.

Today we were invited to year 4's stay and DT.  My son couldn’t make this session so I offered to participate in his place. How hard can DT be?

It turns out it was quite a challenge but great fun. The class were asked to design a chocolate bar & then design the packaging & making the said packaging from the card supplied (no simple task I have you know) His teacher knows he is very creative and LOVES his designing but when she approached our table she said oh you two will do great as you're very creative aren’t you Grandma? No pressure then!

It turns out I'm not that creative when it comes to making boxes! However, with the help of a prit stick, we managed to assemble a box. High five to us (well high five to my grandson)!

Becoming involved with your child or grandchild’s school is a really great opportunity to see how they're doing, and how they interact with their friends and other adults. Sitting at a table with other students’ family members can seem quite daunting to a young child but it's a great way for your child to experience all different types of people and learn to interact even if they don't have the same outlook on life as you do. 

We get a coffee and a biscuit at the end too, what is there not to love!!

Being creative doesn’t necessarily mean being good at all types of art. I can't draw at all, I truly can't. However, my son can and so can my mum. So, it does run in the family. My creative mind has limitations but generally, I dabble in a lot of creative arts. 

I started my craft journey by making cards & selling them in our local village post office & at the local market. They sold quite well too! I taught myself to crochet during our first lockdown and enjoyed it immensely. So now everyone has a blanket or two. However, the strange thing is I can't knit. People think as I did if you knit you can crochet and if you can crochet you can knit. No, it doesn’t seem to work out like that for me anyway. I just can't coordinate my hands when knitting!

I find being creative soothes the mind too. Two of my grandchildren came to live with us a few years ago, and as their dad still lived in the family home, that meant my house and life were never the same again (in a wonderful way). When life gets tough for them the eldest sits at his desk and writes and draws. Art therapy is perfect for him as when he can't find the words to express his thoughts and feelings his art often tells how he is feeling. My other grandson is a non-stop whirlwind of energy and he’s calm when he has focus. We've found a sport he loves & channels his energy by playing football, learning new tricks. We even let him kick a ball inside (well it’s a foam ball) something I didn’t allow when my children were growing up (maybe I’m mellowing with age)

Right! I guess I should get back to my paid job. I am working I am I am...

I'd love to know if you're crafty & do you use that to keep your mind healthy?

Whoever you are, wherever you are I hope you're living your best life. Just as important, if you’re feeling a bit fragile today be kind to yourself. Reach out to family and friends. Don't suffer in silence, there is no need to be or feel alone. Take care of yourselves.

Nicole xx