Cord Blood, Childcare and What's For Lunch?

As some of our children trundle off to school some for the first time, the subject of how nutrition supports their learning and development comes once again to mind. Our little girl has from the off decided that school dinners are the way forward for her. Her first topic of conversation at the end of the school day has been what she had for lunch. During her transition visits before the end of last term she and I had a chance to sample the food and we were both impressed. Healthy, home cooked food, plenty of salad and vegetables, and in good amounts. Plenty enough to get you through a long cold day in January. In contrast, and partly out of necessity, she did have a packed lunch to take to pre-school each day, and so as a family we’ve sat on both sides of this particular fence.

This piece on the BBC news website caught my eye, chockfull as it is, with alarming tales of children’s ignorance. At the time there was a kerfuffle in the media about whether the government could ban parents from providing their children with pack lunches, thus forcing them to take up school lunches, as one way of ensuring the nutritional quality of what our children are eating. But the cries of ‘nanny state’ went up loud and clear and I’m not sure whether the policy suggestion made any more progress through parliament. At the heart of this issue is the degree of control parents have over making positive dietary choices for their children. Keeping it simple, as parents, there’s merit in taking the time to ensure that the contents of your child’s lunchbox are healthy, if packed lunches are your preference, and in seeing school-prepared lunches for yourself before agreeing to your child eating them, if this is the route you take.

Cord Blood Donation?

While pregnant with my first child, I really wanted to find a way to have my placenta stored. I know it sounds a little odd, but I did have my reasons. Placentas contain a huge amount of stem cells, the building blocks of human existence, and there is evidence that, should your child develop a life threatening condition, that these stem cells could hold the key to a cure. There were companies who specialised in placenta storage, but as it turned out, I couldn’t afford the fees. Things have moved on and there is now an NHS Cord Blood Bank, and women giving birth are being invited to donate placental blood in much the same way as others in society give blood or donate bone marrow. On the official website you can read stories of how cord blood has worked to save the lives of a number of young people. If this service had been running when I delivered either of my children I would have been happily to donate – could you?

Childcare Costs Debate Continues

And just last week the knotty issue of childcare and education raised its head yet again against the backdrop of our struggling economy. George Osborne calculates that there are a million women missing from the UK economy; by this, he is referring to women who, if the cost of childcare was not so prohibitive, would choose to return to work following their maternity leave. Nick Clegg, at this week’s Liberal Democrat Party conference, is advocating extending the funded provision of nursery places down to children as young as one (it is currently universal for children after three and open to some qualifying two year olds). Debate will of course rage on this topic; the uncomfortable truth that there may be some developmental consequences for our children if they are subjected to excessive amounts of childcare tends to be glossed over by the current government, as they struggle to get our economy moving. Here on Mum Network we have given you some handy advice about choosing a childminder, day nursery or nanny for your child, and we’ll let you be the best judge of what works best for you, your children and your family life!

This article is a feature from the MUM.com Trusted Bloggers Club.

About the author

Leoarna Mathias

A writer who's beginning to write, claims my twitter bio. My specialist subjects include the parenting 'juggle', the 'help' we get from the policy makers, and what it means to be a mum in the 21st century. Nothing too adventurous then... Proud to lead the Trusted Blogger Club!

Click here to read my full biography.

share this page with friends and family

Tweet