p.s. I tried to do a Christmas pangram but it’s impossible. Partly because it’s 24 days not 26. If you think of one let me know!!! Help them to blend the sounds together to make the crazy word. Laugh about what it could be. Is it an alien name or a robot word? And, of course, this book includes lots of five-minute games and activities designed by Daisy to help your child feel confident and excited about taking the big step to big school. gallery ids=“eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==” type=“columns”] But after the instant glee subsided another thought popped into my head, and it was this…‘Well, I wonder how this will work out.’ You see, I am a Mummy to two little people. And try as I might to keep my home looking beautiful, I spend 95% of my time time feeling like I am trying to put out flames with petrol. To be quite honest Soph, there’s shit everywhere, (by shit, I mean stuff, not actual shit, although there have been times…).

Now obviously if you LOVE to get creative and messy with your elf, then brilliant. Love it. Go for it and throw the letters into the mix too. But if like me, you don’t want to clear up flour at 9:30pm on a Tuesday night then come join. I hope you don’t mind me writing so openly to you. I doubt very much you’ll actually see this. It’s just, you see I’m a Mum and a devoted member of the Hinch army and I felt compelled to say this. I very much hope you’ll understand why. So the elf is here to deliver a message. That is all. I have prepped all the letters already - which took me five minutes. He just has to be somewhere else with the next letter in his hand. That’s all. No cereal boxes or toilet roll or writing on fruit. Easy.I spent this morning ‘Hinching’ my hallway. It’s been a mess for more months than I care to admit. As always I had watched your stories this morning and had a little giggle. You never fail to raise a smile with your daft and genius antics. Your support for people with anxiety and other mental health issues is hugely admirable. I think you and Jamie are going to make wonderful parents. I just wanted you to know. The army can wait. I really do wish your ALL THE BEST. When they’ve blended the word, pop it in the little bowl and let them tip the silly soup over your head or their head. Whichever they find funnier. Now make some more silly soup! If you have an older one, jumble up the letters so it is an anagram they have to solve on Christmas Eve or as they go along. On each day when the letter is revealed think about what it could be. What christmassy things start with that letter sound? Have fun with the letter, and guessing what the message could be. What words can you make out of the letters you have got already? People will comment, and try to tell you you’re doing it wrong. Parenting wrong. Feeding them wrong. Putting them down to sleep wrong. Carrying them wrong. They just will. They can’t bloody help themselves. But ignore them all. Do it your way, the Hinch way. Because Mummy knows best. Write the words ‘Father Christmas is coming’ as individual letters, and the word TONIGHT as a full word. As per the photo.

So we have an elf. Oh yes, I added YET ANOTHER thing to think about. Because I just love anything that makes it feel a bit more magical. However last year I spent many a December evening, at 10:45pm on the way up to bed remembering I hadn’t moved the damn elf. I know I’m not alone in this, and so this year I have decided to get ahead of the game with a simple, easy idea. We can and will wait. If you don’t “Hinch” for months or a year it doesn’t matter. If you just Hinch in the peace of your own home when you get five minutes and don’t share it with the nearly 2 million of us, please don’t worry. Don’t feel your owe it to us to keep it up. The only person you owe anything to is that baby boy and your own little family. The army can wait. Starting School gives you and your little one glimpses of all the learning they will do and all the fun they will have. Bestselling author and social media superstar, Daisy Upton, is here to help, and she has finally written a book for children! Daisy has two children in primary school, and used to be a teaching assistant, so she knows her stuff. In her first book, she has collected 150+ games that take 5 minutes to set up & 5 minutes to tidy up.At the moment Ewan (age 4.5) is great with his letters. He’s grasped all of his Phase 2 Phonics sounds pretty well. But when it comes to blending them together to form a word he’s not up for it. He finds it hard and therefore it’s a turn off. So I need some games to make this element of reading a bit more fun.

And I couldn’t help thinking…does she know? Does she realise what a tiny human does to mess up your house? And your life for that matter? Amazing, incredible, wonderful? Yes…but messy. How is this all going to unfold? Each night give the elf a new letter. Move it if you can be bothered. On Christmas Eve it will spell out the sentence. A message for them. He’s coming tonight. Watch them all lose their tiny minds with excitement![gallery ids=“eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==,eyJ1cmwiOmZhbHNlLCJ0aXRsZSI6bnVsbCwiY2FwdGlvbiI6ZmFsc2UsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjpudWxsfQ==” type=“rectangular”] Tell your child to close their eyes because the naughty *insert character name here* is going to steal a number.

Having a baby is tough enough. Feeling the pressure of millions of people whilst you try to recover from giving birth to that human and learn how to look after it will be tougher. You often apologise for not Hinching because you’re away for the weekend or out with friends. But please don’t apologise on behalf of your baby boy and you. We will wait. And those that don’t…ah well, you didn’t want them selfish buggers following you anyway! 😉