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Parenting tips from a traditional British ‘Mary Poppins’ nanny

xnftcrypto — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:01:16 +0000

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A Norland trainee nanny in formal uniform. Graduates are not expected to wear their uniform once they start working for a family, unless requested for a special occasion.

Norland College

A small college in the historic city of Bath, U.K., is the place Britain’s royal family calls when they need child care.

Norland, which was founded more than 130 years ago, puts candidates through a four-year academic and practical training program where they spend around 1,300 hours caring for young children and newborns.

At the christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge in 2015 — the second child of the Prince and Princess of Wales — nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo was photographed in a formal Norland uniform, speaking to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Norland nannies — who earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in early childhood education and care, plus a diploma when they complete a year as a probationary nanny — are highly sought after and well paid. For every nanny who graduates, there are around 8 to 10 permanent jobs available via the Norland Agency.

Nannies are known as ‘Norlanders’

Norlanders, as they are known after graduating, usually prefer to be known publicly by only their first names to protect the identities of the children in their care, as well as their employers.

But while training, they’re noticeable to residents of Bath thanks to their formal, brown uniforms — which have been likened to what Mary Poppins wore — a dress and hat for women, a suit for men, and a gender neutral option of trousers or a dress with a tweed jacket.

Alice, a Norland nanny who was raised in Bath, used to see the uniformed students on the bus when she was in high school, but at the time had “no idea” who they were, she told CNBC by phone. Knowing that she wanted to work with children, Alice explored teaching via a school internship, but felt a less structured setting would better suit her.

Students at Norland College, whose uniform has been likened to Mary Poppins’ outfit.

Norland College

“I just felt like I could give those children so much one-on-one time to develop … to find their excitement for life [and] follow their interests,” she told CNBC.

Norland was established in 1892 by educator Emily Ward, who leaned on the teachings of Friedrich Fröbel, a pioneer in early childhood education who introduced the concept of the kindergarten and focused on the idea of the child as an individual with unique needs and abilities.

“You are learning everything there possibly is to know about childcare,” Alice said. “The degree is focusing heavily on the psychology of children and their learning, and the diploma is everything practical that you could experience in the family home,” she added. The program also includes practical learning outside a home, such as how to control a car in poor or dangerous conditions.

After graduation, a live-in Norland nanny working around 60 hours a week with one to two years of experience can expect to earn up to £41,500 (around $50,000) in London, according to Norland’s website, while a nanny with eight or more years’ experience working outside the U.K. can earn up to £124,000.

Top tips

Alice has more than a decade’s experience as a nanny, starting her a career with a military family in the U.K., where the father was deployed in Afghanistan.

Her longest role was in New York City, where she looked after a girl and her twin siblings for nine years, starting her job when the twins were 18 months old and the girl was three. Their parents worked in real estate, and Alice was in sole charge of the children from 7 a.m to 7 p.m.

“One really, really important tip for any … parent is every child is different and grows and learns at different speeds,” Alice told CNBC.

Norland nannies complete more than 1,300 hours of child care during their training.

Norland College

“It’s very easy, especially for a first-time parent with a baby to think oh, well, my baby isn’t crawling yet. Why are all of these other mums telling me that their baby is crawling?” she said.

“But one child who isn’t crawling might be able to build a tower of blocks sitting up,” she added.

“Don’t compare other babies, just go with what works for you to keep the child happy and healthy,” she said.

Comforting a crying baby

Sleep is an obvious concern for carers of small children, who nap at various times of day. Alice is currently looking after a 10-month-old girl, an age where sleep regression — when a child has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep — is common, she said.

“If they’re not getting enough sleep in the day, they’re probably not going to be sleeping at night.”

Every child will have a different sleep routine, and Alice recommends a consistent approach to comforting a crying baby. “What I would always say is, go in, ‘shhh’ them, put your hand on their tummy to let them know you’re there, but try not to speak to them,” she said.

Prince George’s nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, in a formal Norland uniform, talks to Queen Elizabeth II at the Christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on July 5, 2015.

Chris Jackson | Getty Images

“Babies are like adults who wake up in the night. Most of the time we go straight back to sleep. But sometimes, you just can’t get back to sleep. And that’s so frustrating for us as adults, let alone as babies [for whom] the only communication … is crying,” she said.

Dealing with tantrums

Alice described her role for a child having a tantrum as a “safe space.” “I’m on the floor around them … to give them some comfort while they’re going through it,” she said.

“With a child who has started to communicate verbally, they don’t want to listen to what you have to say, that’s not the right time to be talking about it,” she said. Instead, she suggested, speak to them afterward, when they’re in a better frame of mind.

Instead of saying ‘no’ — do this

If a child is doing something you don’t want them to do, consider “redirecting behaviors,” Alice said.

“If they are throwing a ball at the wall, and you really don’t want them to be marking the wall … [you can say], ‘why don’t we play a game of who can get this ball in the saucepan?'” she said.

“Redirecting the same behaviors instead of a constant ‘no, don’t do that,’ I have found in my experience, children will respond much better to,” Alice said.

Making sure you respond to children regardless of their behavior is also important.

If you’re cooking dinner and a child wants to play, “You can say, ‘give me five minutes and let’s throw the ball in the saucepan.’ … That might not necessarily work the first time, but they will know that you will always come back to them,” Alice said.

“If you’re not giving them the attention elsewhere, but you are giving it when you don’t like them doing something, they’re going to really focus on those behaviors,” she added.

Give children a choice

Norland students have a practical uniform for child-care activities.

Norland College

If you have a child who refuses to get dressed, let them choose their outfits.

“That gives them the feeling of control,” Alice said. “But really, you’re you’re saying [these are] the warm weather outfits that you can wear, so you’re keeping them safe, while so allowing them to be in control,” she added.

Dealing with bad behavior

If a child’s behavior is dangerous or harmful, such as if a toddler attempts to bite another child, try to understand that this comes from “frustration, or it’s curiosity,” Alice said. Ask “How do you think that made this other child feel when you bit him?”

“They don’t necessarily have the words to say how that made them feel. But then you say … I think that probably made him really sad, that probably really hurt him, I don’t think you would like it,” she said.

Also suggest that if they feel like biting again, say, “Maybe let’s get an apple that you can bite into or a pillow or a block.”

Avoid the ‘naughty step’

“I don’t really like to label a child as ‘naughty’,” Alice said, and she doesn’t use the “naughty step” as a punishment for little children or send an older child to their room.

“If they are in that moment where they just cannot regulate their emotions, you say, right, I understand you’re upset. I’m going to do something else. When you’ve had time to calm yourself down … we can talk,” she said.

Tablet time

Other tips include being consistent and as good as your word.

Time on devices such as iPads can be negotiated by setting limits or allowing only educational games, Alice said.

To limit screen time, say “Sorry, we can’t do that today. Let me plan some time for tomorrow,” Alice suggested, or “Why don’t you play that game for five minutes and then we will turn it off.”

School days

Settling a child into school is often done gradually, with shorter days to start with. Reassure them that they will make friends there, and try to have playdates with classmates before school starts, Alice said.

“Maybe find out what they’re doing on the first day, so you can say [for example]: ‘Let me know how the painting goes when I pick you up. I can’t wait to hear about this.'”

Alice also said to do something fun after their first day or week at school, like going to a favorite playground or to a movie they’d like to see.

Alice acknowledged that being a nanny is different from being a working parent. “You have much more patience because it’s your job,” she said of her role.

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How Thailand’s military old guard could respond to election results

xnftcrypto — Tue, 23 May 2023 02:57:58 +0000

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Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party (center), at a rally in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 18 2023.

Valeria Mongelli | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Thailand’s preliminary election results was a triumph for the progressive Move Forward party but its reforms are set to threaten conservative forces that may move to prevent the pro-democracy party from governing.

Move Forward’s leader and chosen prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat has announced a six-party coalition that includes Pheu Thai, a populist, pro-democracy party that came second in the election.

This gives the coalition 310 seats in parliament’s 500-seat lower house. Whoever the coalition appoints as prime minister must win 376 parliamentary votes — a combined number from the 250-seat, military-appointed Senate and the lower house. The vote for PM is expected in August after the Election Commission certifies election results.

Analysts say Move Forward faces a daunting task to shore up the remaining 66 vote due to its controversial proposed policies — a new constitution, ending military dominance in politics, abolishing mandatory military conscription, abolishing business monopolies and revising the lese-majeste law that punishes insults to the king with jail time.

Move Forward’s agenda is an affront and a frontal challenge to the established centers of power.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak

professor, Chulalongkorn University

The Move Forward party recently said potential coalition partners don’t need to support its stance on lese-majeste as it plans to table it in parliament independently — its refusal to compromise could also isolate prospective allies and most of the junta-led Senate.

Ahead of the prime ministerial vote, political watchers anticipate a variety of outcomes, including the possibility of forced intervention by the country’s powerful military-monarchy alliance.

“Move Forward’s agenda is an affront and a frontal challenge to the established centers of power,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science and a senior fellow at its Institute of Security and International Studies.

“It is likely a matter of when and how — not whether — they will strike back.”

Establishment-led escalation

Given Move Forward’s dogmatic stance, experts expect some kind of power play that would tailor outcomes to establishment preferences.

Arch-royalists could go as far as to ban Move Forward, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) warned in a report.

It’s a plausible scenario since royalist-conservative elites have sway over official bodies like the Constitutional Court, National Anti-Corruption Commission and Electoral Commission. Opposition party Future Forward, for instance, was dissolved by the Constitutional Court in 2020 for violating election laws in the 2019 election — a charge that Human Rights Watch called “politically motivated.”

“The courts could find ways to nullify enough Move Forward and Pheu Thai victories to alter the balance of power,” echoed analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in a separate report.

There’s also a chance Pita himself could be targeted.

He was recently charged with a constitutional violation for being a small shareholder of a now-defunct media company while serving as an member of parliament, which he denies. This could be potential grounds for his disqualification and enable the less-radical Pheu Thai to lead the coalition, according to Pongsudhirak.

There is a precedent for Pita’s case to be cleared, noted Napisa Waitoolkiat, a political scientist at Naresuan University.

Conservative forces have all the necessary tools at their disposal to prevent Move Forward from taking government.

Susannah Patton

Lowy Institute

In 2001, the Constitutional Court acquitted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra of concealing assets even after he was indicted for corruption charges, she said. “If the elites choose to respect the votes of Thai people, they can certainly do the same this time as they did towards Thaksin in 2001.”

There are other ways for the Senate to block Move Forward. Senators could abstain from voting and refuse to confirm Pita, leading to a stalemate, according to CSIS. T

he Senate could also countermand lower house MPs’ choice of prime minister, unless the hard-to-reach super majority of 376 votes is secured, Susannah Patton, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, said in a report. She pointed to statements from senators who hinted they won’t automatically endorse the winning party’s nominee.

“Conservative forces have all the necessary tools at their disposal to prevent Move Forward from taking government,” Patton concluded.

A Pheu Thai betrayal

Led by the daughter of ex-prime minister Thaksin, Pheu Thai is an opposition party that is more careful about its messaging on the monarchy. Analysts say there’s a chance it could break ranks with Move Forward to work with pro-military parties in order to negotiate strategic gains.

“Given Pheu Thai’s desire for power, the party leadership may see Move Forward’s progressive stances and its threat to the monarchy as a political liability,” CFR stated in its report. “If Pheu Thai abandons its pro-democracy peers in pursuit of power, the Bhumjaithai party will likely play a significant role as kingmaker in forming a coalition.”

Bhumjaithai, known for its strong support of marijuana legalization, is considered ideologically flexible as they are pro-establishment but open to working with pro-democracy outfits.

There’s one key reason Pheu Thai might abandon Move Forward, said Pongsudhirak — and that’s to “eke out a coalition deal that would include Thaksin’s return to Thailand from exile on softened conditions related to his conviction and jail term.”

Doing so, however, means long-lasting repercussions for Pheu Thai’s image.

“Pheu Thai will run the risk of being punished electorally by the pro-democracy voters, who are the key supporters of Pheu Thai in the future,” warned Waitoolkiat.

Playing the wait-and-see game

Move Forward’s clear lead in preliminary election results gives it a clear mandate to lead in the eyes of the public. Any attempts to thwart that could result in widespread protests, as history shows.

When the Future Forward Party was dissolved in 2020, it set off mass youth-led protests.

“If a prime minister is selected that is not a representative of a Move Forward-Pheu Thai alliance and instead is from pro-military parties and their allies and senators, expect major street protests,” CFR said.

In that scenario, there’s a chance the military could stage yet another coup, CSIS added. Thailand is no stranger to coups — and has experienced at least 19 coups since 1932, according to the think tank.

Having just recovered from a pandemic-triggered slump, officials may also not want street demonstrations that risk derailing investor confidence and economic growth.

“While the Thai military has been prepared to wear the risk of protest from Thailand’s rural northeast in the past, Move Forward’s commanding wins in Bangkok and other urban centers may make the military think twice,” said Patton. She referred to comments from the Thai Chamber of Commerce that indicated a desire among business groups for a stable government rather than another period of political tumult.

“The establishment may therefore judge that allowing Move Forward to take office is a smarter tactical move,” she continued. “In previous periods of instability, such as the 2014 coup, the establishment acted when it felt that all options had been exhausted.”

“This time, decision-makers may calculate that they can allow events to run their course and use legal options to act later if red lines are crossed,” Patton added.

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Queen Elizabeth II’s doctors are concerned for her health, Buckingham Palace says

xnftcrypto — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 16:22:06 +0000

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Queen Elizabeth II waits before receiving newly elected leader of the Conservative party Liz Truss at Balmoral Castle on September 6, 2022 in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Wpa Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images

LONDON — Doctors are concerned for the health of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and have advised that she remain under medical supervision, Buckingham Palace said Thursday.

Immediate family members have been informed and are currently traveling to Balmoral Castle, the queen’s royal residence in Scotland.

“Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

It added that the queen, 96, remains comfortable and at Balmoral.

The heir to the throne, Prince Charles, the Duke of Cornwall, and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, have now arrived at Balmoral.

The queen’s other three children, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, as well as her grandson Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, have also arrived.

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is on his way. His wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is not traveling with him but potentially could join Harry in Scotland at a later date, according to a spokesperson.

Princess Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, has remained in Windsor as Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are on their first full day at their new school, Kensington Palace said.

Britain’s longest-serving monarch

The queen, who is Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, has reportedly been suffering from deteriorating health for the past several months, with doctors citing ongoing “episodic mobility problems.”

She spent a night in the hospital last October and has been forced to cut back on her public engagements since then. She has been on vacation at her Scottish estate since late July.

On Tuesday, the queen broke with tradition and appointed her 15th prime minister from Balmoral rather than traveling to Buckingham Palace, as is typical. She was also forced to cancel a planned virtual meeting with senior ministers after being advised to rest by her doctors.

Britain’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, who met with the queen Tuesday, said her thoughts were with her and her family.

“My thoughts — and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom — are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time,” she said.

The BBC, the U.K.’s national broadcaster, suspended all regular programming until 6 p.m., local time, following the news.

Keir Starmer, leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, said he was deeply concerned about the news.

“Along with the rest of the country, I am deeply worried by the news from Buckingham Palace this afternoon,” he said in a statement.

Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said she was “profoundly concerned” and Wales’ first minister, Mark Drakeford, sent his best wishes on behalf of the people of Wales.

The news of the queen’s ill health came as members of Parliament were gathered in the House of Commons to hear details of the government’s plan to help households and businesses with rising energy costs.

Cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi was seen entering the chamber during the meeting and speaking urgently to Truss. Notes about the developing situation were also passed to the Commons speaker and the Labour leader.

Elizabeth has been queen of Britain and more than a dozen other countries since 1952, when she acceded to the throne at aged 25.

Her reign has seen 15 prime ministers, from Sir Winston Churchill to Liz Truss, and 14 U.S. presidents.

Earlier this year, she marked her 70th year on the throne with a series of Platinum Jubilee celebrations spanning four days. The queen only traveled to Buckingham Palace twice during that time, first for her Trooping the Colour balcony appearance and then for a finale after the pageant.

Her husband Philip, the longest-serving royal consort in history, died last year at aged 99.

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