Lucy's blog

There’s been a lot of discussion in the press recently about Pamela Druckman’s intriguingly named book,  French Children Don’t Throw Food, which promises "parenting secrets from Paris". I’m always a bit sceptical about...

Yes, I know I'm always harping on about confidence and its importance, but I just don't think that there is enough emphasis on this vital contributor to lifelong success in our children's Early Years education. Drama, which is a proven way of helping children...

I have to admit that I’m a bit of a Christmas fan. And if I’m really honest, I start getting excited about Christmas around August! It's not so much that I put my decorations up in November, but I’m definitely with Andy Williams when he says that...

I took my 4 year old son to a birthday party last week. Just before we got there, he fell over and so was a bit tearful and clingy when we arrived. He didn't want to join in with the rest of his friends who were being entertained by a well-known local clown. Tom's a...

When I was a teenager, if I wanted to arrange to meet a friend at the weekend, I'd call my friend's home phone (having asked permission to use my home phone first, of course). In most cases, the friend's Mum or Dad would answer the phone and I'd politely...

I was chatting with a friend of mine today about her new job. She's now a "Play Specialist" at a Central London Hospital. The role has many different responsibilities but her major focus is on using "play" to prepare children for treatment, distract...

Having set up Perform almost 12 years ago now, I often get asked questions by other Mums who are looking to set up something of their own like ?How did you get the idea to set up the business?? and ?What was your business background?? This type of question always makes me...

One of the team at Perform - let's call her Jane - is dyslexic. I've been aware of this for a long time but I didn't realise until yesterday that she wasn't diagnosed with dyslexia until she was 21 years old and at drama school. It was discovered when she...

Darling, look at Jane when she says hello to you! Does that sound familiar to you? Have you ever said it to your own child? I know I have! I've always been passionate about helping children make eye contact, especially when they meet new people or talk to adults. I...

Because of my background as an actress, I've always mixed with people who are pretty confident speaking on their own in front of large groups of people. It wasn't until I started Perform and attended courses in Child Protection, First Aid and various other...