27th July 2010
Magazine Amendment
Apologies from the Family Time Editors. An error on our Out and About section has been brought to our attention. Admission to the West Midland Safari for the Summer Nights is incorrect.
Motherly love 'does breed confidence'
Being lavished with affection by your mum as a young child makes you better able to cope with the stresses and strains of adult life, say researchers.
Link between inactivity and obesity queried
Researchers have challenged the assumption that a lack of exercise causes children to put on weight. An 11-year study of more than 200 children in Plymouth suggests the effect is the other way around - that getting fatter makes them inactive.
City Centre Cycle Race
Get on your bike and compete in a series of bicycle races on Sunday 29 August 2010In partnership with Cycling Development West Midlands, and Born to Bike, we are holding a day of cycle racing in Lichfield on Sunday 29 August 2010.
Budget: Osborne's 'tough' package puts VAT up to 20%
Chancellor George Osborne increased VAT from 17. 5% to 20% and cut welfare spending as he moved "decisively" to tackle Britain's record debts.
George Osborne outlines detail of £6.2bn spending cuts
Chancellor George Osborne has outlined plans to cut £6. 2bn of what he calls "wasteful spending" to start to reduce the budget deficit.
MMR doctor struck from register
The doctor who first suggested a link between MMR vaccinations and autism is to be struck off the medical register.
Chance for Lichfield and Burntwood youngsters to join photography competition
Budding photographers across Lichfield and Burntwood are being given the chance to take part in a county-wide competition. Staffordshire County Council is calling on young people to catch on camera any images on the theme of transport.
Toddlers who lie 'will do better'
Toddlers who tell lies early on are more likely to do well later, researchers claim. The complex brain processes involved in formulating a lie are an indicator of a child's early intelligence, they add.
Step2 toy buggies removed in safety risk
Two types of ride-on toy buggies have been withdrawn from sale in UK stores after their manufacturer said they posed a risk of injury to children.
Sats boycott hits tens of thousands of pupils
Tens of thousands of children in England are missing their Sats tests as head teachers in hundreds of schools stage a boycott.
Meningitis C vaccine 'wears off in early teens'
Three-quarters of children vaccinated against meningitis C lose their protection against the disease by their early teens, research suggests. The Oxford team which did the work says its findings fuel calls for a booster jab to be offered to adolescents.
Pushchair maker Maclaren agrees compensation
UK pushchair manufacturer Maclaren has agreed to compensate children who have been injured in their buggies. It is thought the move will affect more than 40 children who lost their fingertips in the hinge mechanism of some models of collapsible buggies.
'Best Children's Books' list revealed by Puffin
A list of 70 children's books said to be the best of all-time has been compiled by publisher Puffin. Fantasy classics Peter Pan and Alice and Wonderland make the line-up for babies to teens, compiled for the publisher's 70th anniversary.
'Long-term harm' of too much TV for toddlers
The more TV a toddler watches, the higher the likelihood they will do badly at school and have poor health at the age of 10, researchers warn.
Peppa Pig withdrawn from Labour party election event.
The company which licenses children's TV character Peppa Pig has withdrawn her from a Labour party election event. The pre-school character was due to visit a children's centre later as part of Labour's launch of their manifesto for families.
'Pick the right veg' for health
Obvious choices of fruit and vegetables are not necessarily the healthiest, say researchers. According to US experts, making simple swaps like eating sweet potatoes instead of carrots and papaya rather than oranges could make a difference.
Chocolate lovers 'are more depressive'
People who regularly eat chocolate are more depressive, experts have found. Research in Archives of Internal Medicine shows those who eat at least a bar every week are more glum than those who only eat chocolate now and again.
Princess & Pirates Day at Wonderland Telford.
Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May 10. 30 - 4pm Park Closes at 6pm Come dressed as a Princess or Pirate. Go on an adventure trial and with the help from Wonderland Princesses and Pirates discover your very own hidden treasure.
Primark to stop selling children's padded bikini tops
High street goliath Primark has today announced that it is to stop selling it's range of padded bikini tops for girls as young as seven after it was accused they sexualised young girls.
First aid 'could save thousands' - St John Ambulance
A wider knowledge of simple first aid techniques could save thousands of lives each year, the St John Ambulance charity has said.
Facebook resists installing on-site 'panic button'
Facebook is continuing to resist placing a "panic button" on its pages despite calls to do so by the head of a British child protection agency.
What's your child spending online?
A 12 year old has spent more than £900 on the online Facebook game, FarmVille (£625 of it was on his mother's credit card).
Childrens' Secretary says teachers can use force
Unruly pupils who seriously disrupt lessons and school activities or refuse to leave class should be controlled by force, new Government guidance for teachers suggests.
