Learning made fun

My best tips for mumpreneurs - what are yours?

THIS was the first post on our Musical Minis blog, but as the rise of the 'mumpreneur' continues to gather pace, I thought now would be a good time to share them again - I'd love to know what you think. If you're a mum in business, what would you add? And if you want to make that leap into self employment, what's holding you back?

WHEN I established my business, Musical Minis, over 21 years ago I was keen to fit my business around my family. As a Mum of 3 being a Mum is still really important to me. In fact, I set Musical Minis up for my son, Matthew, when I couldn't find a suitable group to take him to.

Before having Matthew I had studied psychology at University and then became a Play Specialist at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. When Matthew was one year old, I was beginning to miss being surrounded by a ward full of children and being at home with just one. This mixed in with my inability to find a suitable music group to attend (and knowing some of my friends were also interested in finding a music group) led to the launch of Musical Minis.

With time, I decided to franchise the business and now have a number of franchisees throughout the UK. Expansion with Musical Minis was purposely kept small, on a level I could manage, as I still wanted to be a full time Mum. 

Where do nursery rhymes come from? London's Burning

By Linda Jones

LONDON'S Burning is a hugely popular song, often sung in rounds.  Unless you have lived under a rock for most of your life, you're bound to know the words:

London's burning, London's burning
Fetch the engine, fetch the engine
Fire, fire! Fire, fire!
Pour on water, pour on water

I can well remember belting it out in school music lessons. But these days, it's still loved and can prove great fun for children to sing. I have a friend, who when asked if her daughters sing it, tells me: "Yes they do -- all the time, in the bath and when they wake up!"

What happens during a Musical Minis class?

MUSICAL Minis isn't aiming to teach children to be young musicians, but aims to help children’s development and social skills through music, music being something that most children will respond to.

Our programme has been designed to help parents and carers to join in activities with their children, to encourage the child’s natural attraction to music and to learn good speech with the repetition of nursery rhymes and stories.

Each section is structured to include:

• Action songs – for co-ordination
• Musical stops – to develop listening skills
• Musical instruments – to explore sounds and effects
• Stories – to teach rhythm and introduce early teamwork
• Nursery rhymes and songs – to encourage speech

The music has been especially recorded so it may be followed at a pace suitable for the very young.

Sometimes people get the impression we are all about teaching young children to learn instruments. But we are most certainly not as you can see from the video above.

But what this fun can help a child do, includes:

• Develop language and co-ordination to communicate well 
• Share stories and songs
• Meet new friends
• Grow in confidence by joining in activities in a relaxed group atmosphere
• Get creative exploring instruments, sounds, rhythm and movement

Calling all Musical Minis franchisees - tell us your stories!

HERE on the Learning Made Fun blog, we're really keen to help spread the word about what we get up to at Musical Minis and how much our customers enjoy what we do.

It's heartening when commenters share with us their positive feedback for our activities and help show our readers how much we care about our sessions. Like in this post from Hazel.

If you're a Musical Minis franchisee and have some good news you'd like to share, or details of an event coming up, or perhaps you'd like to submit an account of your day to add to our profiles and stories, then we'd love to hear from you.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

If you're a fan of festivals with children, check out Just So

 

Run for your life, there's a Gruffalo coming...last year's Just So festival was a roaring success.

THEATRE, art, music, stories, nature and more are on the menu for a wonderful feast of family fun.

Staffordshire’s yearly Just So festival returns to Barnswood, near Leek, for a weekend of family festivities from August 19-21.

You can see lots of breathtaking pictures of the 2010 shenanigans here:

Just So 2010 gallery on Flickr.

Here's what the organisers say on their website:

The festival provides a magical experience where art, music and literature are embedded and entwined in a beautiful and wondrous landscape. We provide a broad range of musical, theatrical, visual and aural performances, workshops and installations within a safe, natural and magical setting. Every clearing and glade holds a new way to unleash creativity. Families discover and delight in the spectacular within the woodland environment during this spectacular weekend event.

Musical Minis isn’t just for the toddlers and babies…

Guest Blog Post from Hazel Archer - class leader in Chilterns

US mums need the fun and socialising aspect of the Musical Minis sessions just as much as the children do!

My daughter was born in June 2008; by the following February I was back at work as a Wedding and Conference Co-ordinator. I thought returning back to work to be a good way to try and regain the ‘old’ me, but I quickly found that the pressures of work and parenthood were very difficult to juggle. I had elected to go back to work for 3 days a week, but I felt as though the work load was exactly the same as my full-time job of 5-6 days a week! Leaving my daughter behind every day was also a lot harder than I thought it would be, but luckily the child-minder was absolutely fantastic and my daughter really enjoyed herself there.

That April we moved house and I suddenly realised that due to going back to work and not knowing the area very well, I had no ‘mummy friends’ and started to feel quite isolated. I tried hard to go to various playgroups and play centres on my days off, but is was very difficult going on my own and trying not to look as though I was desperate to meet and make friends with the other mums (who were already attending these places with friends of their own). This situation gradually became worse and combined with difficulties at my place of work my husband and I were considering moving away to start a fresh. I eventually handed in my notice at work and my last day there was December 31st 2009. At the beginning of 2010 I vowed to really put in a last big effort to join as many groups as possible with my 18 month old, before throwing in the towel and moving away.

From Musical Minis to the Royal Festival Hall

WE have always stated that at Musical Minis we don't aim to teach children music but if a child is musical our programme will encourage them to progress. This is what has happened with Jack Ollier, son of Jo Weaving our South Wales franchisee. Jo is one of our few franchisees who has a musical background and in addition to running Musical Minis sessions, teaches music to older children. Jack attended Musical Minis from the age of one and for many years accompanied Jo, turning into a really useful helper.

Jack, who is now 8, has been selected as one of one hundred young pianists to play in a 'mass piano concert' on stage at the Royal Festival Hall alongside international pianist Lang Lang.

The project forms part of the Lang Lang Inspires series of concerts and celebrates the 60th anniversary of rhe Royal Festival Hall on London Southbank. 100 pianists between the ages of 5 and 24 years will take to the stage, this Sunday 22nd May, playing on 50 Grand Pianos between them, sharing 1 piano between 2 creating a 4 hands at a piano effect. The works being performed are March Militaire by Schubert and the 4th movement of Beethovens 5th Symphony, with an encore of Wagners Ride of the Valkyries if required. Jack will spend the weekend in rehearsals before taking part in the concert on the Sunday night.

Jack said he was ‘very excited’ to be part of the project. His mother, Jo Weaving, said ‘It is an amazing opportunity for any young musician. I am very proud that Jack has been chosen and can’t wait to see him on stage.

Why you should sing to your baby

THERE was a hugely positive article in The Guardian recently which said that singing to your baby could help them develop their language skills.

After a humorous piece on Parentdish poking fun at music groups and their apparently 'barmy' ways, this was a very welcome read!

Too much focus is  on reading, writing and numeracy, while there's not enough on the benefits of singing, said Sally Goddard Blythe, a consultant and director of the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology.

She adds: "Singing traditional lullabies and nursery rhymes to babies and infants before they learn to speak, is "an essential precursor to later educational success and emotional wellbeing", argues Blythe in a book. "Song is a special type of speech. Lullabies, songs and rhymes of every culture carry the 'signature' melodies and inflections of a mother tongue, preparing a child's ear, voice and brain for language."

Musical Minis - a permanent solution to flexible working?

IS there ever a time when flexible working is out of the news?

Mums are leaving the workforce in droves as the delicate balancing act between caring for a family and advancing a career seems an impossible dream. Partners and husbands can range from the incredibly supportive to the chocolate tea pot variety, so work outside of 'work' may also add stress levels. And for lone mums, the pressures are even greater.

Congratulations Amanda! Young Woman Franchisee of the Year

The Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWIF) 2010 Awards Ceremony was held yesterday at the NatWest offices in Bishopsgate, London.

The EWIF Awards were sponsored by NatWest and recognised the success of women franchisees, women franchisors and women franchise service providers during 2010. There were 4 categories of Awards:
- The NatWest Award for Woman Franchisee of the Year 2010
- The Recognition Express Award for Young Woman Franchisee of the Year 2010
- The Stevens & Bolton Award for Woman Franchisor of the Year 2010
- The Business Options Award for Woman Franchise Service Provider of the Year 2010

It was great to see a packed turnout and everyone waited anxiously to hear the finalists and winner in each category.