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Tag: kids

A folded school jumper, a drink bottle, a lunchbox and black school shoes on a timber table beside a sheet of blank white stickers and a marker.
School Gear

Name labels that survive the dishwasher and the wash

Labels fail in predictable ways: iron-ons peel off polyester, stickers lift in…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A folded pile of children's clothes on a timber table beside worn sports shoes, three books standing with their page edges to the camera, and a small wooden toy car.
Before You Buy

What to buy secondhand for kids, and what not to

Children outgrow things faster than they wear them out, which makes most…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A stack of plain paper squares, a row of wooden pencils, a ball of pale clay, a paper bag and brown string arranged on a timber table.
Gift Guides

Gifts for kids that do not end up in the bin

Most gift guilt is about volume rather than material. The gifts that…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
Blue child-sized over-ear headphones resting on a school desk beside a closed exercise book and a coiled audio cable.
Kids Tech

Kids headphones: what volume limiting actually means

Volume limiting caps output at the headphone. It does not cap the…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A partly assembled construction toy on a timber table surrounded by loose coloured building pieces, a small screwdriver and a folded paper sheet.
Toys & Learning

STEM toys by age: what a child can actually do alone

Most STEM kits are abandoned halfway, and it is almost always a…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A part-completed jigsaw puzzle of coloured abstract shapes on a timber table, with loose pieces sorted into two small piles beside it.
Toys & Learning

Jigsaw puzzles for kids: piece count is not the age

Piece count is the number on the box and about half the…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A fridge shelf at child height stocked with clear glass containers of cut vegetables, cheese, boiled eggs, fruit and yoghurt.
Snacks & Baking

After-school snacks that hold until dinner

The 3.30 snack has one job: bridge two hours without cancelling dinner.…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
An open compartment lunchbox filled with cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, crackers, egg and grapes, with a freezer brick beside it.
School Lunches & Lunchbox Ideas

A week of lunchboxes that are not sandwiches

The trick is formats rather than recipes. Five shapes of lunch that…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
Worn child-sized football boots on a concrete step beside a canvas sports bag and a scuffed drink bottle, with a strip of grass alongside.
Cost of Raising Kids

What kids sport and activities actually cost

Registration is the advertised price and almost never the real one. The…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A blank ruled notebook open on a kitchen table with a pen, a mug of tea and a stack of face-down envelopes.
Cost of Raising Kids

What a school-age child costs across a year

The published national averages are almost useless for planning, because the range…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A folded stack of plain school uniform on a bed with a wide brim hat resting on top.
School Shoes & Uniform

School uniforms: what a year costs and how to spend less

Most families buy too many of the cheap items and not enough…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A stack of plates on a low table beside a folded cloth and a basket of unmatched socks.
Routines & Organisation

Age-appropriate chores from 2 to 16

Children are capable of far more than most households ask, and the…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A child's bedroom at dusk with a block-out blind drawn against bright evening light, a lamp on low and two books on the bed.
Routines & Organisation

Getting kids to bed without the two-hour battle

Most bedtime battles are caused by something that happened earlier in the…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A mixed stack of library books including comics and fact books on a bedside table beside a lamp.
Reading & Literacy

Getting a reluctant reader reading

There are two completely different problems here and they need opposite responses.…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A kitchen table with an open exercise book, a pencil, a half-eaten snack and a small timer, one chair empty.
Learning & Homework

Homework battles: what to change first

Almost every homework battle is caused by timing, length or the adult's…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team