Dining Out With Teens - Thaikhun Metrocentre

AD - Complimentary meal. 

My eldest daughter is 16 and I always try and spend time alone with her, just the two of us at least once a month. It gives us a chance to catch up and I think when you have more than one child, spending one-on-one time with each child is important. Normally when I spend time with my teen we go shopping and for food somewhere that she likes, as she is getting older she is enjoying trying new places as her tastes are a lot different than her younger siblings. So when I was recently invited along to try out the new menu at Thaikhun in the Metrocentre I knew she would enjoy trying out some Thai food and getting her mam to her self for a few hours. 

I have visited Thaikhun in the Metrocentre a few times, we have dined there as a family, as a couple and we also attended a cooking class there. It is somewhere that I always enjoy visiting as the setting is fab (it is decorated to represent the streets of Thailand with interesting things everywhere you look), it has a lovely laid back atmosphere, the staff are so friendly and most importantly of all the food is delicious. 

National Citizen Service For 16-17 Year Old's This Autumn

My eldest daughter is turning sixteen in two weeks time, she is in her final year of secondary school (year 11) and will be taking her GCSE exams in the summer. After school she is still not entirely sure what she wants to do, she wants to head off to college to continue her education but every week she changes her mind on which subject she wants to take. One minute she wants to do A Levels in Art and History, the next she wants to do a digital marketing course and last week she wanted to be a physiotherapist. She honestly has no idea what she wants to do and I often worry she feels a bit overwhelmed and lost by it all. 

This is where National Citizen Service comes in, you may remember I wrote about NCS back in the spring, if you missed it you can read it here. NCS is a government back programme for 16-17 years olds to take part in that helps prepare teens for life after school, with team building exercises, a residential trip that will help teach life skills and a community action based project to help the teens of today become better citizens.

Teen Talk With Gabby Logan

 My eldest turns 16 in just a few short weeks, she is entering her final year at school and will be sitting her GCSEs in the summer. Parenting a teen over the last few years has been a lot different from parenting a younger child, it is something that I am still learning about as we are constantly faced with new challenges. The latest challenge is to get her to spend some time at home (she is always out) and concentrate on her school work ready for her exams in the summer. Parenting a teen, like any kind of parenting has its good and bad days, luckily mostly good in our house.

I may not mention my teenager much on my blog, mainly because she is older and is always out with her friends so rarely comes on days out with us. However last year you may remember I wrote about Teen Talk with Gabby Logan, well Teen Talk is back again this year with #TheTeenTalk Guide. This includes tips and advice to help parents and children feel confident as they journey through puberty. The guide is free to download from the Boots website and is sponsored by well know P&G brands such as Gillette, Aussie, always, Tampax, head & shoulders and Oral B.

Gabby Logan is taking part in this campaign once again as she is Mum to teenage twins, Lois and Reuben. I was asked if I would like to interview Gabby as part of the campaign and here is what she had to say.

National Citizen Service For Teenagers

My eldest daughter is turning 16 in a few months, she is studying for her GCSE's and is seriously thinking about what she wants to do when she leaves school, she is currently torn between two options. She will soon be venturing into the world of college and work and I often wonder if she is ready for it. So when I heard of National Citizen Service (NCS) I thought that this sounded like a brilliant programme to help equip and ready our teens for life after school. 

Gifts For Teen Girls

I love shopping for my teenage daughter, but as she is getting older I am finding it harder to buy for her as she is asking for less. This year she has asked for new clothes and trainers and an HP Sprokitt printer for photos off her phone. In my latest gift guide, I have a list of some gift ideas that teenage girls are sure to like this Christmas.

1.) Chip Mug 

You can never be too old for Disney and Beauty and the Beast is such a classic that teens will adore, especially after the release of the live action version of the film earlier this year. This Chip mug is perfect for any Beauty and the Beast fan as he is adorable. Priced at £12.99 he is available to buy from Find Me A Gift.

Teen Talk With Gabby Logan & Her Daughter Lois

Being a mum to a teen is tricky, it really is and being mam to a 14-year-old teenage daughter myself I know first hand what it is actually like. Every day is a learning curve. Boots and P&G understand this too which is why they are back for the second year with their #TeenTalk campaign along with trusted brands such as Tampax, Venus and Always. This year they have teamed up with TV presenter Gabby Logan and her 12-year-old daughter Lois to help give parents the confidence to have the dreaded #TeenTalk with their own children.

#TeenTalk Helping Parent's With Those All Important Growing Up Chat's

As a parent to a teenage daughter I have already gone through the whole growing up / puberty talk with her and I have to admit I found it a little bit awkward. Growing up in this digital age is totally different from my own childhood many years ago and I honestly did not know how to broach the whole subject with her. I had no idea what I should and shouldn't say, in the end, I brought a book and left it in her bedroom before chatting with her a few days later.

So I found it no surprise that 68% of UK parents with a teenager have said they feel uncomfortable talking about puberty with their children, and one-quarter of parents have actually avoided the talk completely. Thankfully Nadia Sawalha along with her teenage daughter Maddie has launched a new campaign today (11th May) called #TeenTalk with high street store Boots and teen expert Sarah Newton. A free #TeenTalk guide will be available in Boots stores nationwide which will offer tips, advice and tools for parents about to embark on one of these important talks with their teen, through puberty and beyond.