Rock Up and Play

07/10/2023

📢 Big changes are happening! 📢

Starting from now this account will no longer be active.

I’ve embarked on a new chapter, specialising in holistic infant sleep coaching, while continuing to provide my personalised nanny service - my first love!

Moving forward, all my content and updates will now be shared on - your new hub for all things childcare, holistic sleep coaching and life in general with babies and toddlers! 🌙

I want to assure you that while Rock Up and Play won't be active here anymore, my personalised nanny service is still very much available.

The same passion, care, and dedication you've known from Rock Up and Play will now flourish under the welcoming umbrella of The Parent Rock. 🚀

Same great service, just a new home!

I’m immensely grateful for the support you’ve shown Rock Up and Play over the past ten years.

See you at

10/06/2023

Feeling like a flowery bag rather than the usual spotty suitcase kinda day!

Wedding nanny gig this afternoon, right through until carriages at midnight.

It's going to be a scorcher so being inside a cool castle will be the best place to be!

27/05/2023

No weddings, peachy weather.....can this really be a Bank Holiday weekend?!

26/05/2023

25/05/2023

Travelling with children takes on a whole different dimension compared to life before your cherubs came along. Yes, the days of throwing a few bits and bobs into a bag, grabbing your passport and shades before heading off to the airport are long gone, but it doesn't mean you have to put trips on the back burner until your children are much older.

Holidaying with small children is daunting but it can have some benefits. Locals seem more friendly and willing to chat, quite often resulting in being told about some hidden gems. Great excuse to do some 'childish' daft things! No-one will bat an eyelid when you go down all the slides - in fact they'll be thinking what a great parent you are!

Read my latest blog, Jetting off on a family holiday, over on The Parent Rock website, for all the essentials.

https://www.theparentrock.com/.../jetting-off-on-a-family...

19/05/2023

Hello lovely people, I need your help!

As you probably know I've recently started a new business The Parent Rock. I'm struggling to reach parents of young children through social media so I'd be very grateful for your assistance.

I appreciate that for many of you those challenging days of having ankle biters are long gone but if you could please like my page The Parent Rock and then like/share my posts it would make a massive difference to my content reaching those parents who need it.

I've set myself the challenge of reaching 100 followers by the end of the weekend.

And for those of you on Instagram you can find me on there too as theparentrock.

Many many thanks xx

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086756507429

Parent coach helping parents to raise babies and toddlers with simple straightforward techniques.

17/05/2023

Hands up if you love a freebie!

We all know life with babies and toddlers is hard, really hard at times.

As The Parent Rock I am putting together some essential guides to make that hard not quite so hard!

If you're about to embark on potty training, or know someone who is, then this little guide will tick all the boxes.

Download it for free here,

https://www.theparentrock.com/free-resources

15/05/2023

My oh my, a beaut of a wedding, a beaut of a day and a beaut of castle!

On cue the sun magically appeared as the bride walked down the aisle.

The most wonderful time on Saturday looking after some gorgeous little pickles along with my wing woman Nicola!

12/05/2023

12/05/2023

Packed spotty suitcases can only mean one thing.....nanny booking!

Nicola and I will be rocking up to Berkeley Castle Exclusive Weddings tomorrow afternoon.

And the really good news is that we won't have just the one baby but two! 😍 So there will be no need for is to squabble over baby cuddles! Perfect!

10/05/2023

Did you know that I have over 30 years experience of working with children and their families?

I have had the pleasure of caring for hundreds of children - actually most likely thousands but I’ve lost count!

From working as a healthcare professional to an early years educator to running my own event childcare business there's not much I don't know about child development and learning!

Plus as a mum of four children I fully understand the challenges of juggling a career and family and know first hand parenting is hard work.

I am passionate about supporting parents in growing kind, resilient and courageous children and always have the best outcomes for children at the heart of my work.

09/05/2023

With a coffee in one hand, and a croissant in the other, I'm gearing up for a return to my desk!

How was your weekend? I think we should start a petition calling for a permanent three day weekend!

Last week over on my other business The Parent Rock I was beavering away on my new website, doing all the finishing touches, and I am delighted to say it's ready!

https://www.theparentrock.com/

Please do check it out, and spread the word to parents with little ones.

I'm planning on adding regular blogs and downloads to help young families with free content in addition to options for working with me personally.

Have a good week - may your coffee be strong and your croissant warm!

08/05/2023

Six months ago I was introduced to Canva and now I have no idea how I managed without it! The more I use it, the more features I am discovering. As well as customising templates to create perfect social media images, I can also produce professional looking freebies.

For someone like me who has pretty much zero design skill Canva is a godsend. It is an invaluable tool and one I wish I had come across much earlier!

Are you a fellow Canva lover?!

07/05/2023

Always a delight to receive a message of appreciation after a wedding.

Here are some very kind words from the bride and the mother of the bride.

06/05/2023

Over recent years there's an ever growing expectation that parents should choose a particular parenting style.

Now for some parents settling on one approach may well give them confidence as to how tackle challenges of raising children. For others it can be stressful, worrying about what they should or should not be doing in every circumstance.

I am of the opinion that your parenting style not only evolves over the years along with your experience but you'll also adapt with each of your children. What works for one of your cherubs might well not work for another I'm afraid!

There is no one size fits all approach to parenting so don't feel pressured in settling on one style. You'll end up picking techniques from differing approaches. Techniques which resonate with your values, suit your child's temperament and fit in with your family's needs.

05/05/2023

So as a bit of a fun I thought I'd share five facts about me that you may not already know. Here goes!

1. I come from a musical family (my dad was an accomplished piano and organ player) so learning to play an instrument was a given! I chose the trumpet. Even though I have a good musical ear I am tone deaf when it comes to singing! Spare a thought for my poor children being subjected to my grating renditions of nursery rhymes!

2. I was engaged at 20, married at 21, divorced at 23. I think that's enough on that fact!

3. I love travelling. Even when I was a baby my mum recalls I squealed with delight when my carry cot skidded up and down the backseat of the car! The days before car seats - yes, I am really THAT old!!
I am very fortunate to have travelled round the world twice - once backpacking in my twenties and the second time with our four children - not quite so easy-osey that time!
Unluckily I suffer with travel sickness which isn't great but I pop the anti-sickness pills and hope for the best!

4. Our fourth baby was born when I was 43, my husband 52, so yes, we are officially the oldest parents in the school playground! Talking about school, my son finishes year 6 this summer, marking the end of 20 years of the preschool/school run!

5. At school I was always the last one to be picked for a netball team and always made a detour to my friend's house for choccy biccies during cross country practise! Physical exercise was not on my radar in any shape or form! I didn't start running until 6 years ago and now I can call myself a marathoner!

Tell me something about you which may surprise others!

04/05/2023

My least favourite daily habit is putting on a load of washing (quite often more than one!), followed by drying it, folding it and finally putting it away! The world's most boring chore!

But by far my most favourite daily habit is getting outdoors. Whether it be a run, a dog walk or the school run I have to get outside. Even when it's chucking down with rain I still make the effort. As Alfred Wainwright wrote “There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing."

Building in this daily habit doesn't need to be difficult and the benefits are immeasurable. Both your physical and mental health will improve and it's free! Even having your first cuppa of the day outside will have an impact on your well being.

I'd love to hear what your daily habit is.