Five Minute Mum: Give Me Five: Five minute, easy, fun games for busy people to do with little kids

Product Information

At the moment Ewan (age 4.5) is great with his letters. He’s grasped all of his Phase 2 Phonics sounds pretty well. But when it comes to blending them together to form a word he’s not up for it. He finds it hard and therefore it’s a turn off. So I need some games to make this element of reading a bit more fun.

And I couldn’t help thinking…does she know? Does she realise what a tiny human does to mess up your house? And your life for that matter? Amazing, incredible, wonderful? Yes…but messy. How is this all going to unfold?

The Spider’s Web

We can and will wait. If you don’t “Hinch” for months or a year it doesn’t matter. If you just Hinch in the peace of your own home when you get five minutes and don’t share it with the nearly 2 million of us, please don’t worry. Don’t feel your owe it to us to keep it up. The only person you owe anything to is that baby boy and your own little family. The army can wait. When you announced over Christmas that you were expecting a wee babba (human one, Henry is obviously your fur one!) I was delighted for you. Although we’ve never met, I, along with thousands of others, feel I know you rather well. Your voice is familiar, and often in my home, like that of a good mate. So when you posted up the photo of you sharing the scan photo I did what I always do when I hear good news like that, and welled up with joy. This game is called Silly Soup and anyone who has worked with children in EYFS will have played it or a version of it I’m sure. But no-one tells the parents!!! Except me. Ha. I’m blowing the top right off all those teacher secrets aren’t I?! 😉

Occasionally I sit down with a pen and paper to write a “To Do List” or shopping list, that I will inevitably leave on the side of the kitchen whilst I visit Aldi, grabbing at snorkels and avocados completely baffled. Help them to blend the sounds together to make the crazy word. Laugh about what it could be. Is it an alien name or a robot word?I spent this morning ‘Hinching’ my hallway. It’s been a mess for more months than I care to admit. As always I had watched your stories this morning and had a little giggle. You never fail to raise a smile with your daft and genius antics. Your support for people with anxiety and other mental health issues is hugely admirable. I think you and Jamie are going to make wonderful parents. I just wanted you to know. The army can wait. I really do wish your ALL THE BEST. Mix up the letters in the big bowl saying “Silly soup, silly soup, we’re going to make some silly soup”

Having a baby is tough enough. Feeling the pressure of millions of people whilst you try to recover from giving birth to that human and learn how to look after it will be tougher. You often apologise for not Hinching because you’re away for the weekend or out with friends. But please don’t apologise on behalf of your baby boy and you. We will wait. And those that don’t…ah well, you didn’t want them selfish buggers following you anyway! 😉 When they’ve blended the word, pop it in the little bowl and let them tip the silly soup over your head or their head. Whichever they find funnier. Now make some more silly soup!This book is amazing. The book has 100s of the easiest best ideas! Honestly it's AMAZING. I think everyone should have this book. Liv Lewis, Ultimate Girl Gang But after the instant glee subsided another thought popped into my head, and it was this…‘Well, I wonder how this will work out.’ You see, I am a Mummy to two little people. And try as I might to keep my home looking beautiful, I spend 95% of my time time feeling like I am trying to put out flames with petrol. To be quite honest Soph, there’s shit everywhere, (by shit, I mean stuff, not actual shit, although there have been times…). I hope that makes sense. I didn’t want this to be some preachy ‘you’re gonna be a mum and this is how it’ll be’ letter. People might tell you that you won’t have time to hinch or won’t want to. And maybe you won’t? But maybe you still will. Maybe the baby will sleep well or you’ll find a way to manage it all with him strapped to you constantly. Maybe it’s the Hinching that’ll get you through those tough few first weeks? Who knows! But I’ll tell you this. When my baby boy was born I felt completely and utterly overwhelmed (like MANY Mums) and I couldn’t even summon the energy to brush my teeth, let alone the loo. And we all survived. He’s now happily at school and I’m at home hinching. It all worked out rather well and I’m certain it will for you too.