The great thing about football is that it’s a global sport played in pretty much every country around the world. Some countries may call it something different like soccer, and the popularity of the sport in each country might differ massively, but the fundamental game remains the same. That means that there’s often a game being played around the world every day of the week. That being said, there will always be quiet times out of season and it’s highly likely you won’t be as interested in a lower league game being played in a different continent. So what do you do when there are no games to watch? Here are three different games you can play to pass the time until your favourite team is back on the pitch.

Among Us

Among Us has been one of the most popular games of 2020. If you haven’t played it yet, it’s highly likely that you will have seen someone share a video of the gameplay online on their social media feed. The rules are very simple, you work as a team of aliens to carry out jobs to prepare your spaceship for take-off. The only problem is at least one of your team isn’t on your side and is instead working to secretly kill off the rest of your team one by one. The great thing about this game is that it can be played on pretty much any platform. You can even play it for free by downloading the app onto your phone. It’ll probably be very easy to spot as it’s been high up the most downloaded chart for a lot of 2020.

Bingo

You might think that this game is only popular with pensioners visiting their local village hall for something to do, but you’d be massively wrong. Bingo is one of the most popular games around the world with people young and old. If you haven’t played before or if you haven’t played since you were a child, you’ve been missing out on a really exciting game. Whilst the rules might be very simple, the excitement of getting a full house is anything but dull. You don’t even have to leave your home to play the game. There are so many versions of the game available online, and some of the top bingo sites even let you play for big prizes.

FIFA

Of course, just because football isn’t being played, that doesn’t mean you can’t play football. This  game is so popular it really needs no introduction. Whether you’re playing on Xbox or Playstation, make sure you’ve got the latest copy of this game so you can play as part of the latest squads in the most up-to-date stadiums around the world.

You can even challenge your friends to a game wherever they are in the world via the internet. If you don’t feel like playing a full game, you could even try and build the ultimate team in the very popular card collecting mini-game.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.

Your child’s emotional wellbeing is just as important as their physical health. With increasing numbers of young people experiencing mental health difficulties, it’s important to do everything we can to help children develop the tools they’ll need in later life.

By taking a proactive approach to your child’s emotional development, you can help them to deal with challenging situations, access support when they need it, and process their feelings in a healthy way. To learn more, take a look at these top tips for optimizing your child’s emotional wellbeing:

1. Encourage Self-Reflection

Children are capable of self-reflection from a relatively young age and this is a good way for them to help identify their thoughts and feelings. Encouraging your child to vocalize their feelings and helping them to establish the cause of these emotions is a great way to start.

2. Recognize Accomplishments

Whenever your child achieves something – whether it’s big or small – be sure to recognize it. It’s easy to overlook things when you’re dealing with the pressures of work and family life, but taking a few seconds to congratulate your child can have an enormous impact on them.

3. Know the Challenges They’re Facing

Your child will experience different issues as they get older and it’s important to have an understanding of the challenges that they’re likely to face. You may want to learn more about internet safety before your child starts high school, for example. Alternatively, take a look at this article on the college students mental health crisis to get a deeper insight into issues older teens are experiencing. No matter what age your kids are, you’ll always play a role in their emotional wellbeing, so staying up to date with the issues facing tweens and teens can be extremely helpful.

4. See Things from Their Perspective

When you take the time to see things from your child’s perspective, you’re showing that you value their thoughts, feelings and opinions. What’s more – you’re teaching them how important it is to listen to other people and take their feelings on board. Children need to feel valued, and actively listening to them is just one way you can reinforce this.

5. Be Available

You can’t always drop everything to take your kid to the park or play video games with them, but being as accessible as possible is always beneficial. When your child knows they can talk to you about anything, you can ensure they feel comfortable reaching out for support when it’s needed. Remember – kids will often approach major topics when you’re partially distracted, so don’t let this prevent you from hearing what they have to say.

Prioritizing Good Mental Health

Although awareness of mental health issues is growing, it’s still difficult for many people to find the help and support they need. By prioritizing your child’s emotional development, you can help to ensure that they have the tools and resources they need throughout their life. Additionally, making mental health a topic of conversion in your home will help to teach your kids to nurture their own emotional wellbeing.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.

I’ve previously written about Quiz Clothing as I wore one of their gorgeous dresses when I was a judge at The Blogging Awards back in April and again for my Mother’s 60th Birthday celebrations in May. Their ability to replicate great seasonal trends at a fraction of the price makes them a firm favourite here in the UK.

Along with great dresses another passion of mine as we know is holidays and travelling; and it seems Quiz Clothing knows me all too well as they’ve launched in Spain. I’ve been visiting Spain since I was five as we have lots of family friends who are Spanish, meaning a year doesn’t go by without a trip either to Bilbao, Barcelona or Alicante.

My determined hand luggage only mantra – Boo and I famously only had one hand luggage for a ten day trip to Spain between us – it does mean that I pack light on anything that can’t be rolled and/or worn lots of different ways. This means that if a fiesta or occasion crops up while we’re there that I’m them out of outfits; as much as I love Spanish high street shops, who wants to sacrifice precious time on the beach with Boo or brushing up on my Spanish with friends wandering round all the shops. And now I don’t have to with Quiz Clothing in Spain – being it a Vestido De Fiesta or a killer pair of Zapatos, I now know that I can rely on Quiz Clothing while I get back to the serious business of sharing a sandía with Boo on the playa.

Because no matter how much I love shopping, this view of the beach can’t be beaten…

Disclosure: A fee was received for this post.

Winter is well and truly here and for us that means ramping up our love affair with roast dinners; Aunt Bessie’s set us a challenge this month – they wanted to see what I came up with for a meat free roast. Neither me or Boo are vegetarians but I immediately knew what to cook. You see our family takes roasts rather seriously – this is a snapshot of what a casual Sunday lunch looks like at my Mum’s. I know everybody claims their mother is the best cook but mine really is.

Macaroni Cheese and aubergine parmigiana might not sound like obvious stars of a meat free roast but trust me when I say they are right at home on the dinner table alongside, roast potatoes, parsnips and Yorkshire puddings. Both dishes are cooked from scratch with the aubergine parmigiana being the most labour intensive as you have to cooke the aubergines beforehand with prep time nudging an hour but totally worth it.

Meat, aubergines, a deliciously disgraceful amount of cheese; these may come and go but one component of a family roast that remains constant is the mighty potato. With all my attention on prepping the aubergine parmigiana I knew I could count on Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle Crispy Roast potatoes.

Aunt Bessie’s Roasties are rated by Mumsnet (check out the Mumsnet badge on the packet) with over 75% saying they would recommend them. They’re super convenient, no more part boiling; 25 minutes in the oven and they’re done! I’ve learnt that Aunt Bessie’s Roasties are also vegetarian and gluten free – perfect for families with differing dietary needs.

The result was a decadent meat free feast that was a sure fire hit and left us with enough for at least two days… proving it pays to put in a few hours in the kitchen on a Sunday as it means you can rely on the wonder that is leftovers.

Meat doens’t need to take centre stage for your roast to be a hit with the family – move over meat sweats, there’s a new kid on the block: cheese sweats! What’s your family favourite when it comes to quirky roast dinner twists?

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity. A fee has been received for this post.