toddler

As a parent I have had to take drastic measures and ban Peppa Pig for good after my daughter continued to repeat and awful word

Those of you who have tuned in previously for my Peppa Pig opinion pieces will already know that I am not the show’s biggest supporter.

I have outlined in the past that I would be switching over to Disney’s family fun show Bluey, instead of allowing my two-year-old to follow the likes of Peppa, George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig.

However, there was one occasion since my original statement when we accidentally watched the CBeebies programme. In fairness, it was not intentional, we’d tried desperately hard to find other shows that we felt were more suitable for our toddler. We’d just been watching Justin Fletcher’s Something Special show and before we’d realised, the infamous pigs were next to follow on the channel.

Of course, as Peppa and her family began to chime their snorts in the opening introduction, we were met with a roar of excitement from a toddler – who had not seen the show for sometime now.

I shot a look at my partner, both of us providing a nod of approval that we would make one small allowance – and that she could watch it “just this once”.

What we didn’t realise is that we would pay massively for “just this once,” a mistake that would live with us for weeks to come.

I think it’s worth noting for the record that our daughter, apart from when she’s unwell, is generally a good eater and will chow down most food with minimal fuss. Any way, back to the show and how this all ties together.

We happened to allow our two-year-old to tune into episode 34, of season one, titled ‘lunch”. I would go out on a limb here and say this was probably the worst instalment I’d ever seen and regret deeply ever putting it on now.

In this episode, George, Peppa Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig are visiting Granny and Grandpa Pig, who have collected fresh vegetables from their garden and invited everyone over to sample the goods with them at their table.

As they all dig in, sampling the delicious homegrown produce, George is left looking perplexed. Granny, Grandad, Mummy and Daddy Pig prompt him to try various varieties of salad to which he rudely replies: “Yuck,” and pokes his tongue out, moving his body away from his plate and turning his nose up.

Refusing to try anything put in front of him, he simply tells them: “Yuck,” each time before finally bursting into tears.

Grandad intervene with a clever tactic, turning the salad into a dinosaur, with T-Rex obsessed George eventually lapping up the healthy goods in no time at all.

I can see where the shows creators were going with narrative, that a little bit of creativity goes a long way but to use the word “yuck” in a food environment with impressionable toddlers watching, I simply do not agree with.

As soon as we heard the word “yuck” leave George’s lips, we knew we were in store for trouble. We’re at that age where anything you say aloud will be consumed much like a sponge absorbing water.

Sure enough, even after the episode had concluded, our two-year-old continued to repeat the word “yuck,” finding it utterly hilarious. We’d hoped this would pass but it didn’t.

The next day, we presented our daughter with a homemade lasagne for dinner, a meal I had personally prepared totally from scratch and had probably taken the best part of five hours to cook – over the course of various parts of the day.

As I placed her plate on the table, I was met with the word “yuck,” yet again. I tried to encourage her to eat with playful aeroplane notions and was further shunned as she told me: “Yuck, yuck and yuck,” much like George had done previously during the episode.

It wasn’t just happening in our home and we weren’t the only ones to witness her blatant rudeness. We are fortunate enough that we have parents who help us out with childcare once or twice per week. On a visit, they’d dished up a lunchtime staple, peanut butter sandwiches, but were also met with the exact same response.

On collection, we were left embarrassed as we summarised that George was to blame for her ill-mannered behaviour at meal times. We all mutually agreed that Peppa Pig would now be firmly banned across both households.

Even if Peppa Pig happens to roll onto our screens by accident again, I’ll be lunging for the remote as quicker than Usain Bolt to turn it off because in all honesty, from one parent to another, it’s really not worth the additional stress or red faced apologies.

Peppa Pig currently airs on CBeebies and Netflix.

Aug. 4 (UPI) — Authorities in New Zealand have arrested a 27-year-old woman after a 2-year-old girl was found stuffed into a suitcase on a bus.

The unidentified woman has been charged with ill-treatment or neglect of a child and was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

She was arrested on Sunday after police were called at about 12:50 a.m. local time when a passenger bus arrived at a planned stop in Kaiwaka, about 60 miles north of Auckland, and the driver noticed a bag moving in the luggage compartment.

“When the driver opened the suitcase, they discovered the 2-year-old girl,” Detective Inspector Simon Harrison said in a statement.

“The little girl was reported to be very hot, but otherwise appeared physically unharmed.”

The child has since been transported to a hospital where she remains, undergoing what authorities called an extensive medical assessment.

Authorities did not state the relationship between the woman and the child.

“We would like to acknowledge and commend the bus driver, who noticed something wasn’t right and took immediate action, preventing what could have been a far worse outcome,” Harrison said.

Oranga Tamariki, New Zealand’s Ministry for Children, has been notified.

Karen Pirie is back and she’s set for a whirlwind – but off-screen, things were just as intense for series creator Emer Kenny, who couldn’t rely on her famous (and busy) husband.

Karen Pirie’s second season is packed with intense drama and explosive bombshells – but things were just as intense behind the scenes. Series creator Emer Kenny juggled triple duties as writer, executive producer and cast member as Karen’s best friend River… while also being a new mum.

“Filming was hectic,” she says, “My baby was 12 weeks old when I started writing the season and he was 18 months old when we were shooting. He came to Glasgow with me for three months.”

Emer had a secret weapon, but it wasn’t her husband, presenter Rick Edwards. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my mum,” she says. “My husband was away working in Germany at the Euros because he’s a presenter, so I had my mum with me at all times.”

Kylie Minogue helped too, making a daunting experience a delight: “Kylie has her own brand of rose that we drank the whole way through. It was absolutely crazy but I never feel more alive than when we’re making stuff. It just feels thrilling.”

Lauren Lyle returns to the ITV crime drama as the sharp, scrappy Scottish detective in the second season of Karen Pirie, and DI Karen’s ready to ruffle a few feathers.

Freshly promoted – albeit reluctantly – she’s still got everything to prove. “She’s determined to prove herself,” Lauren says. “Even though she’s been promoted, she’s still doubted.

It’s a reluctant promotion. Where her boss says, ‘You’re difficult but you’re great so you deserve it.’ That’s what drives her. There’s a general frustration with men being in her way and having to listen to them.”

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The TV adaptation of Val McDermid’s best-selling novel series was a hit during its first season. So it’s no surprise that Emer also felt the pressure.

“It was a little daunting,” she says, “Season one was my first time writing a show. Coming back, you really hope you can match the energy and bring another good story. So I was a little daunted but the book has a really exciting story.”

Based on A Darker Domain, the second novel in the Karen Pirie series, the new season dives into a case that’s haunted the nation for decades: the 1984 disappearance of heiress Catriona Grant and her toddler son, Adam.

“She’s kidnapped at gunpoint, and then a ransom note arrives at her family home with a polaroid of her, and she is never seen again,” teases Emer. “There’s never a handover. No other ransom note was received.” Until now.

When a body is found in a remote quarry, it blows the case wide open. But it’s not Catriona. “It’s a man,” says Emer, “But her car key is in his pocket.”

As the investigation unfolds, so do the secrets – including Catriona’s steamy, hidden affair with Mick, played by The Last Kingdom’s Mark Rowley.

“Julia (Brown) and Mark were amazing together,” Emer says, “When I got their auditions in, I knew it would work. It was really important that their love story felt romantic and real.”

But Catriona isn’t the only one getting her heart tangled this season. Karen’s own love life heats up with DS Phil Parhatka, played by Zach Wyatt, but she’s keeping it strictly under wraps.

“Karen’s under the impression a woman can only have one of the other – a career or a home life,” Lauren says. “Phil’s a good, smart man who’s willing to support her, but Karen thinks she has to choose her career to keep getting ahead. Her career gives her a sense of worth, but it can damage her love life.”

But the cold case earns her more attention and Karen struggles to keep the balance. “No one at work knows they’re together and she wants to keep it that way,” Emer says. “But there’s a whole new level of public interest. This is an even bigger case than the first one so she has a lot of eyes on her.”

If the stakes are higher, the humour’s sharper too – something inspired by Miss Congeniality. “Lauren and I always talk about Sandra Bullock’s character in that film as a big touchstone. We love her humour and her no-nonsense personality,” Emer says.

Other icons helped shape Karen’s DNA: Helen Mirren’s steely Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect, Kate Winslet’s bruised brilliance in Mare of Easttown and Toni Collette’s grit in Unbelievable.

Season two took the cast from gritty Glasgow streets to the sun-drenched chaos of Malta. “We had to move the shoot to September because it was too hot in Malta to shoot,” Emer remembers.

“We had tons of running scenes through the streets of Malta in 40 degree heat. But I think they loved it. I think they loved having their inner James Bond moments.”

Audiences clearly love it too and with eight novels in the series (and counting), there’s no shortage of source material. “There is potential for another season and ITV are really supportive,” Emer says. “It just depends on whether the audience wants more.” But for now, Karen is here to stay – and she’s fiercer than ever.

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Three-year-old Amr al-Hams lies immobile in his southern Gaza hospital bed with shrapnel embedded in his brain from an Israeli air strike.

Unable to walk or speak, his eyes dart around, searching for his mother, his aunt Nour believes.

Amr’s mother, Inas, was nine months pregnant when she took the family to visit her parents in northern Gaza. That night, their tent was struck. The attack killed his mother, her unborn baby, two of Amr’s siblings and his grandfather.

Amr survived after being rushed to intensive care with a breathing tube. His grief-stricken father is nearly speechless.

Now at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Amr has left intensive care but suffers from severe malnutrition. The fortified milk he requires vanished during Israel’s months-long blockade.

Nour feeds him mashed lentils through a syringe. She sleeps beside him, changes his nappies and comforts him during seizures.

“I tell him his mother will be back soon,” she says. “Other times, I give him a toy. But he cries. I think he misses her.”

Doctors say Amr needs immediate evacuation from the conflict zone. Without specialised care and therapy, his brain injuries will likely cause permanent damage.

“His brain is still developing,” Nour says. “Will he walk again? Speak again? So long as he is in Gaza, there is no recovery.”

A shocked mum faced the wrath of an entitled plane passenger who called her a vicious name when he realised she’d booked her three-year-old child a first-class seat

An entitled plane passenger erupted into a sweary rant at a mum who booked her toddler a first class seat.

The foul-mouthed tirade came as a shock to the parent, who insisted her little girl was well behaved throughout the flight.

Every summer, a fierce debate ramps up online over the ‘correct’ flying etiquette with children – with some less tolerant passengers insisting that kid-free flights should exist.

The mum was confident that her three-year-old tot could handle the flight easily, having travelled many times before, but one passenger fumed at the concept of a toddler having a first class ticket, as they hated the thought of sitting next to a child.

Taking to Reddit to share her flight ordeal, the mum wrote anonymously: “My husband, toddler (almost 3) and I were flying across the country for Thanksgiving. Since we could afford it due to a nice pay raise my husband recently got, we decided to splurge on 1st class tickets for the trip.

“My toddler has always been a good flyer and has flown a lot throughout her short life. She’s never been disruptive or cried on an airplane, this flight included.

“She’s good at staying in her seat and tells us when she a needs to go potty, food, a toy, etc. She stayed seated and quietly playing throughout the flight, only getting up when she had to go potty.”

Despite the little one being on her best behaviour and not disrupting other travellers, one passenger was seething at the mum for sitting her child in first class – as he complained to the cabin crew on board.

The mum explained: “The issue was with another 1st class passenger. We boarded early since my husband is disabled and when another 1st class passenger saw us he started glaring.

“We take off and all is good. My kid fell asleep in the middle of coloring [sic], husband is snoozing. I’m listening to music when I get a tap on my shoulder.

“It was the guy that glared at us as he boarded and before I could even get a word out he told me that children weren’t allowed in 1st class and that we needed to move to our ‘real’ seats”.

In a bid to avoid confrontation, the parent asked the flight attendant to deal with the man’s complaint, as she felt ‘uncomfortable’. Things seemed to get cleared up, but the man was still hot with rage.

“The flight attendant came and explained to him that we were in the correct seats that we paid for and asked that he sit back down and not bother us again. He did go back to his seat but as we were getting off the plane he whispered to me that I was a ‘fat c***’ and that he pays too much money for first class to be surrounded by children.”

Desperate for advice, the mum concluded: “My kid was the only kid in 1st class and she didn’t misbehave or even cry so at first I felt like I was in the right, but after talking to family at Thanksgiving many of them told me that we should book economy next time because people pay extra to relax in 1st class. Are we really a******s for flying 1st class with our toddler?”

Many people flocked to the comments section to defend the mum’s decision, as one wrote: “Even if your child did cry, it wouldn’t have mattered because you paid and are entitled to the seats you paid for… if they don’t want to be around children/other people that bad – they should fly private”.

Another added: “I can understand why he would initially be wary and upset, but he frankly should have calmed the f down once it became apparent that your toddler was just sleeping peacefully like anyone else.

“And since you know that your kid is a good flyer, there’s no reason not to sit first class if you can”.

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EXPERTS have issued an urgent warning over popular slushy drinks that could leave children unconscious.

Parents giving the icy shakes to kids as a cooling summer treat were told they may contain high amounts of a sweet syrup that’s dangerous to young children.

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Brightly coloured slushies are a mainstay at cinemas, corner shops and theme parks – especially as temperatures ramp up.

But the sweet icy drinks often contain glycerol, a sugar substitute that gives slushies their signature, semi-frozen texture.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has now updated its guidance to state that slush ice drinks containing glycerol are not suitable for children under seven.

It follows several incidents involving slushy drinks in recent months.

A two-year-old girl was left listless and grey and “20 minutes from death” after having a slushy drink at a neighbour’s birthday party, according to her gran.

And two young boys became violently ill after slurping on slushies as a half term treat.

Earlier this year, the brightly-coloured drinks — which are designed to appeal to children — were linked to the hospitalisation of 21 children aged two to seven.

Members of the food watchdog’s board called for the change after reviewing evidence on the risk of glycerol to young children’s health.

UK guidance previously stated that that slush ice drinks with glycerol are not recommended for children under four due to the risk of glycerol intoxication, and that those under 11 should have no more than one.

Now, the FSA warned parents not to give the drinks to children under seven.

FSA chair Professor Susan Jebb: “In the warm weather, children may be more likely to consume slush ice drinks containing glycerol, so it’s important that parents and carers are aware of the risks.

“As a precaution, the FSA is recommending that children under seven do not consume slush ice drinks containing glycerol.”

Slush ice drinks can contain glycerol –  also called E422 or glycerine on some labels – as a substitute for sugar to prevent them from freezing solid.

The sugar substitute is also found in some other foods, but at much lower quantities than in slush ice drinks. 

Consumed at high levels, glycerol can cause very low blood sugar levels and unconsciousness in young children – also known as glycerol intoxication syndrome.

Dr Duane Mellor, registered dietitian and senior lecturer at Aston Medical School in Birmingham, previously told Sun Health why children – who are smaller than adults – are more at risk of drinking dangerous amounts.

“If too much glycerol is consumed too quickly and in too large a volume, it can potentially change the blood concentration,” Dr Mellor said.

“This can then affect the amount of fluid around the brain, leading to symptoms including confusion, dizziness, nausea and even, on occasion, loss of consciousness.”

Pharmacist Abbas Kanani, from Chemist Click, told Sun Health: “Glycerol may cause side effects such as nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort, dizziness, and headaches.

“In the case of slush-ice drinks, the dangers are typically associated with very high levels of exposure and may lead to glycerol intoxication, which could cause hypoglycaemia, shock and loss of consciousness.

“The Food Standards Agency state that there are concerns about its acute effects on young children when consumed in large amounts over a short period, leaving them vulnerable to the symptoms listed above.

“Whilst symptoms are usually mild, young children may suffer from headaches and sickness caused by exposure to glycerol.”

According to the FSA, just one 350ml drink with the highest levels of glycerol could potentially cause a problem for a four-year-old.

In youngsters aged five to ten, one and a half of these drinks can have dangerous effects, if consumed quickly.

‘Protect children’

FSA board members previously conducted a risk assessment of slushy ice drinks in 2023, “which was based on average body weight” estimates for children.

This time, the food watchdog took a more cautious approach, taking into account that some children might have a lower than average body weight for their age.

“The assessment incorporated information from recent glycerol intoxication incidents and assessed the impact of one serving of slush ice drink (350ml with 50,000mg/L glycerol) on children with a lower-than-average body weight for their age,” the FSA wrote.

“As children’s weights vary, body weight has been converted to age to provide more practical advice for parents and businesses.”

The updated advice applies to ready-to-drink slush ice drinks with glycerol in pouches and home kits containing glycerol slush concentrates.

The FSA advised businesses selling slushies to add the minimum amount of glycerol needed to achieve the desired texture.

It also called on businesses to share how much glycerol was being added to drinks and foods.

Prof Jebb said: “We expect industry to share data on the quantity of glycerol in their products to inform our future work.

“Meanwhile, there are immediate actions they can take that can help protect children and reduce the risk from these products.

“For example, retailers should limit cup sizes and should not offer free refill promotions to children under 10.”

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Arla Agnew, two, was left falling in and out of consciousness after enjoying the popular frozen treat at a neighbour’s birthday party.

Arla’s gran, Stacey, 39, told The Scottish Sun that they youngster became “limp and lifeless” in the hours after consuming the drink and was rushed to hospital, where it was found her blood sugar levels were dangerously low.

“The doctor said to us if we had been another 20 minutes it could have been so different. We were absolutely devastated,” the gran added.

Meanwhile, mum Roxy Wallis, 36, said her two sons fell violently ill minutes after drinking slushies.

“My middle child felt sick, dizzy, and incredibly pale. By the time we reached the ticket machine, he had vomited everywhere.

“At this point, my oldest son looked pale and felt sick but wasn’t as bad – he was a bit bigger than his brother.”

Abbas shared advice for parents in the event that their child suffers a reaction after drinking a slushy.

“If you suspect intoxication from a slushie drink and your child is experiencing any symptoms, even if they are mild, seek immediate medical attention.

“This is important so that your child can be assessed and any serious reactions can be ruled out.”