This day I love.......: tips

My eldest daughter got her first tooth on Mothers day when she was almost 8 months old. I remember how much pain teething caused her, the red cheeks, dribbling and endless crying. Teething really was an uncomfortable experience for her. My youngest, on the other hand, started teething at 4 months old and they never really bothered her. She would chew everything she could get hold of, and loved cold things to chew. I am hoping Baby takes after my youngest daughter. I thought I would put together a few things I found worked well in the past.

Something for baby

Nuby have a fantastic range of baby teething toys, and even have a teething bundle. My girls both used the teething keys. These can be put in the fridge to keep cold and babies like the cold against their teething gums. We have the teething bundle ready for when thing 3 starts teething.

Food

I found that washed and peeled carrots but in the freezer worked well for teething babies. The hard cold surface is great for them to chew and bite their teething gums on. You do need to watch babies though to make sure they don't choke. Also make sure the carrots are not too cold so as to cause bruising on little gums.

Something natural

I always wanted an amber necklace for the girls but could never find one. I have had friends that have use them and said they worked for them. The theory behind them is that a babies body heat heats up the amber beads. This then triggers the release of a minute amount of oil that contains succinic acid, a naturally-occurring substance in the body. The oil is then absorbed which is what causes the pain relief.

The idea is to have the amber beads as close to the point where the pain is. Which is why it is a necklace for teething. I would not leave my baby to sleep in the necklace, as I would be too wary of the possible strangulation risks, however during the day whilst watching them I may give it a try.

The beads on any necklace also have to be such as to not cause a chocking hazard, just in case baby does accidentally swallow one. I have found a beautiful range of necklaces with different amber patterns which I want to try on Thing3.

Medicine to try

My eldest daughter would find comfort in Nelsons Teething granules. The granules are poured into the mouth and seem to provide almost an instantaneous relief. For my youngest daughter she seemed to find relief with Anbesol.

Something for Mum

I found that whilst my daughters were teething they would look to find anything for comfort. Anything that they could grab and bite they wanted. They also wanted to be picked up for comfort. Num Num teething jewellery is perfect for Mums [or Dads] to wear. Num Num are hand made jewellery and each bead is made from food grade silicone, same as bottle teats and pacifiers. This means that the silicon is odourless, tasteless and does not support the growth of bacteria or mould. The beads are also non toxic and are BPA, PVC, phthalate, latex and lead free.

Num Num jewellery are designed for an adult to wear and are not a toy for baby to play with. However when worn by an adult babies can play, and teethe on them. The clasp on the Num Num will also break away if tugged too hard for safety.

There is a wide range of patterns and colours to choose from and something to suit all tastes. I have the Hannah Num Num in grey, turquoise, purple. I love that the necklace is named after Jen's daughter, Jen is the Mum behind Num Num. This gives everything a real personalised touch.

The colours on Num Num are really eye catching, and grab the attention of Baby. When he is a little bigger I hope he will be more drawn to the Num Num necklace to pull, rather than my hair. The beads have a textured hard feel to them and I can see them being really soothing to a teething baby. Unlike other teething necklaces I have seen for adults to wear, the beads on the Num Num look high quality and not like costume jewellery.

One of the great features about Num Num is that not only can they be washed in a mild detergent but they are also suitable for sterilisation. This is perfect for an item that is put into their mouths.

If you would like to own your very own Num Num necklace, you could be in with a chance of winning one. One lucky reader will win a Num Num necklace, to enter follow the instructions on the widget which contains the full terms and conditions.

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Both of my girls are very independent and strong minded. They know what they want and what they like. This can often make meal times tricky. Putting a plate of food in front of them is often met with a refusal to eat, yet there are tips and tricks around this.

I was delighted when Wren Kitchens contacted me with their Little Kitchens project. Wren Kitchens are creating a downloadable ‘Little Kitchen’ e-book which will contain a series of recipes, fun activities and presentation ideas for involving kids in the kitchen. Like Wren Kitchens we believe the kitchen is the heart of the home, and over the years have come across a few tips and tricks to get the girls interested in their food.

1. Involvement

The girls are involved in every process. When we go food shopping they have their own lists, which is a part of my main list, of food they have to find and put in the trolley. This keeps them entertained in the supermarket and also involves them in the buying process.

They are then involved in food preparation. This can often be as simple as helping to get the food out of the fridge, to chopping up vegetables

2. Have a theme

If it is possible we have a theme for our meals. This works really well at lunch time, as it can help make a simple sandwich much more fun and appealing. All you really need are a variety of biscuit cutters. We recently had a woodland theme lunch and the girls used cutters they associated with a woodland.

By allowing them to not only choose the theme and the cutters, but to cut out the shapes give them a great sense of achievement and they feel much more involved in the process.

3. Visual

Children are visual eaters. If it looks appealing they want to eat it. If they have decided they want a rabbit shaped sandwich and have taken great care in making the rabbit shape, they are much more likely to eat it.

4. Portion size

I have found that if I put a plate of food in front of them they say no, but if I put food into small bowls and make it seem like a picnic or a party then they eat a lot more. They then have a choice has to how much to eat and what to eat but have much more fun in doing so. They feel much more in control and eat more.

Do you have any tips to encourage children to generate an interest in the food they eat?

Whilst this is a collaborative post I have not received any financial payment.

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Your kitchen is probably the most used room in your house. It’s a place where you can entertain, cook and bond with your family. Yet one of the most overlooked aspects of a kitchen design is the lighting. Not only can the right lighting create a pleasant tone and ambience in your kitchen space, but it can also make it a safer environment. The key is utilising your available space and getting creative with your placements.

Use adjustable lights over task areas

The task areas in your kitchen are the sink, the cooker and your work top areas. These are where your food preparation and cleaning are carried out and where you need the most light, why not try some adjustable pendant fittings. These counterweighted lights can be positioned above your task areas to provide additional light. The counterweight feature means you can pull the fitting closer as and when you need to. They can also create some interesting lighting effects when you’re entertaining and come in a variety of styles to choose from. For a dramatic effect, line identical pendants in a row above your island top or sink.

Under cabinet lighting

Under cabinet lighting is fantastic as it is versatile enough to be placed anywhere. You can use it under one of your cabinets or all of them, depending on the vibe you want to create. You can use a G4 LED bulb or an LED light bar to create this effect successfully. Positioning is key so always place the bulb at the front edge of the cabinet. This will give you the most even and thorough distribution of light onto your work surfaces or floor. If you want to create that professional look, you also need to make sure that you cannot see the bulb from standing height. Try not to choose a colour that is too artificial as it can make your food and your décor look harsh and unnatural. Accent lights could also be another option you try to bring some interest and intrigue to your kitchen cabinets.

Bring in some colour and interest

Your light fixtures are essential for brightening up your kitchen, but they can also bring some much-needed colour into the room. You could use oversized, bold lampshades or antique chandeliers for some splashes of personality within the space. You could also use patterns and clashing colours which can also create a unique feel. Kitchen remodels can be expensive. Instead of changing your worktops and cabinets, you can just alter the colour of your light fittings when you feel like a change.

These lighting tips will change the entire mood of your kitchen and could even add some value onto your home, what tips do you have?

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Travelling with children can present many problems. There needs to be careful planning put into place, as well as trying to prepare for the unexpected. Children however learn so much from these experiences that the benefits far outweigh any negative. Expanding their horizons and giving them unforgettable experiences. There are however some ways to try and reduce the stress.

Get the Right Papers

The first thing you will need to do is make sure that you have all their documentation. Children need to have their own passports and many parents don’t realise. As a concerned parent, you will probably also want to think about their health. Visit ukehic.com to find out more about health cover for the family. It will help you to put your mind at ease.

Plan the Emergency Entertainment

Entertainment is an essential weapon for all parents who are looking to travel with their young children. You can always pack a tablet with their favourite film pre loaded onto it, which will of course provide a good hours entertainment. Take books and colouring pencils, even a blank piece of paper to draw pictures. You can also pack some other kinds of games to keep them calm on the plane ride. This is especially vital for long flights.

Get them Involved in Planning

If you want your children to really enjoy the trip you’re taking them on, you should do everything you can to get them involved in the planning. This can mean getting them involved from the very start. You could let them research the destination with you, for example. Planning the holiday can be a lot of fun when the whole family get involved in it. You can also choose some places to visit and things to see when you get there that will appeal to you all. This will give them something to look forward to.

Focus on Comfort

You need to keep your kids comfortable when you’re trying to navigate public transport. It doesn't matter whether it’s a plane or a train or a taxi. It’s always made a lot easier for the whole family if the kids are comfortable and content. You can help to keep them as comfortable as possible by buying one of those handy travel cushions that you can wrap around the back of your neck. You can use them no matter where you are; that’s why they’re so popular with parents who like to travel.

There’s No Such Thing as Too Many Snacks

This is perhaps the most important thing that you need to learn when it comes to travelling with young children. You need to have plenty of snacks at hand. There’s nothing worse than being on a plane or in a remote place without enough snacks. This is a great way to calm them down when nothing else will.

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Let’s face it, none of us love doing housework - but it needs to be done. However, recently, I’ve been looking at a few ways of speeding up the process. The quicker you can get things clean, the more time you can spend with your family, it’s as simple as that. So, take a look at these tips that I have learnt from experience or picked up on my travels around the web. Of course, feel free to offer your own in the comments.

Get the kids to lend a hand

Now I have one basic rule when it comes to cleaning - I never do it at the weekend. It’s the only time we get to spend together as a family, so everything needs doing before Friday night comes around. The problem is that during the week, there will be times when the cleaning needs to take priority.

Obviously, this means less time spent engaging with the kids, so why not just ask them to help? They love getting involved and acting grown up, so don’t feel guilty about setting them tasks. Even if they don’t really help, it will help you keep them out from under your feet, which speeds up your cleaning anyway.

Invest in the right equipment

Kitchen equipment tends to cause the biggest pain of all when it comes to cleaning, and two of the worst culprits are the fridge and the oven. Refrigerators and freezers should never be filled to capacity. It encourages spillages, and they won’t work as efficiently either. Plus, when it comes to wiping them down, you will need to take everything out rather than move things around quickly. So, if you’re cramped for space, try buying a bigger fridge and never fill it more than 75%.

Now, the oven. We have all probably cursed ourselves for leaving the burnt sauce on the oven rings for too long. And, make no mistake about it, those stains can take serious elbow grease to shift. So, make things easy on yourself by looking for easy-clean electric hobs instead. You’ll never look back once you have one!

It’s the little things that count

Get into the habit of doing a little cleaning as often as possible. Breaking down big tasks into smaller chunks can make it seem a lot more manageable, and you will find that things don’t mount up as much. Nothing is worse than leaving things until they reach epically messy proportions. Once that happens, then you don’t just have to clean up, but you also have to make a plan for tackling it. Cleaning up as you go is a lot more instinctive, and once you get into the habit, you will be surprised how tidy the place starts to look.

Also, you should make a mental note of the activities that create the mess. Maybe it’s the fact that you don’t have a doormat, and debris from the outside is always coming in. Perhaps you allow the kids to have their breakfast on the sofa, but it causes a tremendous amount of crumbs, butter and jam to stain your carpet. Little changes in behaviour can often lead to the most noticeable results.

Happy cleaning!

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Child-proofing your home is one way to help keep your children safe but often it is confused with making your home more child-friendly. Child or baby-proofing is all about preventing dangerous situations from occurring whereas being more child-friendly is about providing children with a still safe environment in which they can discover things for themselves and exercise their curiosity.

All parents know, or eventually find out, that children are usually far more interested in mundane household items than the expensive flashing musical toys that seemingly litter every surface in your house. Giving children a way to explore these, to them, exciting and wondrous items is a key part of their development.

Kitchens are hazardous environments but children seem attracted to danger and as the kitchen is the heart of the home it’s no surprise children absolutely love being in there. Instead of locking all your cupboards how about arranging some pots, wooden utensils and Tupperware on low shelves for children to pull, prod and bang to their hearts’ desire? Large plastic fridge magnets are always great fun and an excellent way to introduce your child to letters and numbers.

Store your child’s DVDs and videos in sight to attract their attention away from the things you don’t want them to touch. If you have a display cabinet take them out to pick something to go in it that can be theirs. If they know it’s not out of bounds but there are some things they can’t touch they’ll be less interested in playing with the forbidden objects.

We all want to give our children a warm environment to play in but with the cost of utilities these days few people can afford to keep the heating on all day and are turning to portable heaters which pose many dangers themselves. Supplementary heating systems like the electric Verismart Heating ones are a safe way to keep your house warm. They can be installed anywhere with a plug socket so are perfect for your conservatory or playroom and can be secured to a wall so there is no chance of your child accidentally pulling it onto themselves or attempting to push a hot oil-heated radiator around the room. As it’s not gas-powered you don’t have to worry about harmful emissions or leaks and it can be easily programmed to any temperature and schedule you like so there’s no chance of overheating.

Wall-mounted electric radiators are safe, economical and keeping warm will help ward off the winter nasties.Put deadbolts on external doors to keep adventurous fingers from discovering a path to the magical world of outside.

Keep small boxes of toys dotted around the house. You’d be surprised at how much it promotes tidiness and means your child is free to roam the house and play at whim.Make a pretend oven in one corner of the kitchen and give your child some real food to ‘cook’ when you are preparing dinner at the hob. It gets your children interested in food early and helps keep them occupied, away from the oven and feeling involved.

Pick up an old PC keyboard from a charity shop to let your child ‘help’ you when you’re working from home or doing the household budget. They’ll probably get bored and find something else to do but at least they won’t be accidentally erasing your work as they attempt to bash your own keyboard (I found out about that one the hard way).

Try to keep as many areas of your home freely accessible to your child – the more restricted areas you have the less they’ll respect them and the more they’ll want to play with whatever is there.

Homes aren’t meant to be museums so the more you can let your child discover and learn at home, the better.

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Decorating a child's room is never easy. Their tastes change as they grow and you don't want to end up with something they'll hate in two weeks. When you move into a new home, it's important to give them a room that they'll love. Settling in somewhere new can be difficult, and a bedroom decorated to their wishes can help them. The difficulty is knowing where to start and how can you make choices that you won't have to change for at least a couple of years? Follow these tips to create a bedroom your child will love, and that you'll enjoy too.

Character Rooms

When choosing to decorate a bedroom with a character theme it is important to think about the longevity of the room. Your child may currently love Disney Princess but in two years time or even less their taste may change and you have to go through the whole expense of redecorating. The best way to design a character room is to paint the walls a colour which will last, but incorporate their favourite TV, book or movie character and then use lots of accessories such as bedding and picture frames. This way they can be easily changed if your little one changes their mind.

Make It Colourful

Adding plenty of a colour is a must for any child's bedroom. You don't want it to be drab and boring. Many new homes will come in neutral colours, but it isn't always a good idea to paint straight away. You may need to wait a year or two for the walls in new build houses to dry out properly. If this is the case, you can add colour in lots of other ways, focusing on the furniture and accessories.

Choose a Theme

Instead of using fictional characters, you can select a theme for the bedroom that won't go out of style. It could be based on something that your child is interested in, or it could be something a little more generic. You might pick a nature or animal theme, which could include motifs of plants, insects and mammals. Or perhaps it could be a fairy tale theme, with fantasy scenes.

Focus on Accessories

Painting the room so it's colourful is a good start, but it's the accessories that make all the difference. Not only are they easier to change when your child gets bored, but you can put in so many fun details. You can use the curtains, bedding, lamps and lots of other items to add extra colour and texture.

Turn Storage Into Decoration

Children have a lot of stuff. There's no getting around it. So you need somewhere to store all their things. It's a good idea to choose storage that doubles up as decoration. Try not to get a plain toy bin when you could get something that goes with your theme. There are all kinds of ways to add patterns and motifs to the room using different types of storage.

You have to think carefully about decorating a child's room. You may have to do it again in a couple of years, but hopefully will be able to avoid as long as possible.

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Planning to go on a holiday can be stressful, so you need to be organised and disciplined. It’s important that you remember to cover the essential areas of preparation before you go. This means planning for your trip in depth. Have a look at the following tips and use them to get the best out of your holiday.

Decide What Type Of Holiday You Want to Take

The first and most important decision you’ll need to make is the type of holiday you want to take. You might plan on driving around Sweden, camping in Southern France, or even a luxury holiday to New York. Whatever you want to do you need to set a budget. It’s got to be a holiday that’s affordable otherwise you’re not going to enjoy it.

Make Sure Your Passport is in Date

You’d be amazed at how many people forget about this aspect of their holiday. You've got to make sure you know exactly where your passport is, and that it’s in date. If it’s not in date, you need to get it renewed as soon as possible. Make sure this is one of the first things you do. If you leave it too late, it’s going to end up being a mad rush when the time comes. Make your passport a priority as soon as you've booked your holiday.

Spending Money

One thing you will need to sort out carefully is your spending money. Of course, you’ll need to have budgeted for your trip, so you’ll probably already have a figure in mind. Have a look at the sort of prices you can expect to pay in the area you’re going to. Then try to work out a daily budget, and that will give you your figure for the holiday. You also need to think about changing money up as well. This is something you might want to get out of the way before you go or you may wish to do it out there as you can sometimes get a better rate.

Get the Packing Out the Way

Most people hate packing, but it’s a necessary part of the travel process. The best thing to do is to try to get the packing out of the way as soon as you can. This will be a huge load off your mind and will greatly reduce the stress in the build up to the trip. Try to tackle the packing as soon as you decide on your destination. If you can come up with an organised system, you’re going to find that the process is much more straightforward.

Write a To-Do List

You need to compile a to-do list of things you’d like to do when you’re on your vacation. Research the area and have a look at any tourist activities and places of interest. This may well be a once in a lifetime opportunity for you, so it’s important you make the most of it and really go all out to have the full experience. If you plan out all the things you want to do while you’re there, you won’t miss out on anything.

Wherever you’re planning on going for your next holiday, you need to be sure you’re prepared for it. Going on holiday is an exciting, exhilarating experience, but it can also be stressful. There’s a lot you need to take into account to make sure it’s as enjoyable as possible. Hope the travel tips from this post help.

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Unlike when swotting up for certain academic exams, youngsters often feel motivated by the benefits of being able to drive; the independence, fun and the perceived glamour of riding around in a car are powerful forces. Therefore, it may not be too difficult to get your pre teen interested in doing some preparatory work in readiness for when they start driving for real and take driving lessons.

Whilst my two are still a little young for driving time seems to be going by very quickly and it won't be long before they are asking to learn to drive. They are both already showing an interest in the car and asking what everything does, as well as what the different road signs mean.

As they get older what other driving preparation is possible?

The basics

The bible for learner drivers and other road users, the Highway Code is a great way of getting your pre-teen used to the idea of being safe on the road. Your pre-teen may already have had basic dealings with Highway Code related topics such as when learning to cross the road properly and safely, or maybe they took cycling proficiency lessons and a test. If so, basic road use would have been taught.If not, enrolling them on a cycling proficiency course (known as the National Standards for Cycle Training and branded Bikeability) will serve them well in learning and putting into practice the rules of the road. Learning how to use roads safely, recognising road signs and anticipating and responding to other road users’ actions will all help develop the natural instincts they’ll need when behind the wheel later in life.

Perhaps when you’re out and about with them in the car, ask them questions such as “what’s the speed limit on this road?” or “what’s that road sign we just passed?” and get them to look them up in their Highway Code. If another driver does something incorrect such as fail to indicate when turning, ask your pre-teen what was wrong with that other driver’s action. Getting the basic building blocks of good practice laid out need not wait until your son or daughter is old enough for lessons.

Driving theory test

As you’re likely aware, there is a driving theory test as part of the overall driving test. Using online resources, your pre-teen could start having a look at the type of questions they’ll be answering when the time comes. The freely available nature of the material online means there’s no reason why an eager would-be driver cannot be ready to take their theory test straight away – saving time when it comes to try to pass and get on the roads.

Practical - basic car operation

Get your pre-teen used to the layout of the car and its controls. Things like indicators, lights and using dipped and main beam can be shown. You can back this up by explaining when and why you’re using certain controls when you’re out in the car with them.Explain when you change gear - get them involved by asking them to tell you when you should change gear based on the engine note.

The basic learning steps can be fun and will certainly give your pre-teen a good grounding for when they drive a car themselves. A worthwhile exercise. Any driving related activities you can undertake with your pre-teen will help when the time comes for them to learn to drive. Not only that, but it can be fun and interesting for them, too. Whisper it quietly but it might also help you to ensure you don’t slip into any poor habits while they’re watching…

This is a featured post

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One day in your children’s life, they may have to move house. This upheaval can be a big issue in families, especially when your kids don’t understand. It’s even more difficult if you’ve lived in the family home for some time. Getting them to accept you’re moving house (without tantrums) is tricky. However, it’s not altogether impossible. Here’s how to help your little one accept a house move.

Start Early

Before you even start looking for a home, it’s a good idea to let them know that you will be moving house in the future. Explain to them that this means you’ll no longer be living in this house, but you’ll be in a brand new home! By getting the ball rolling early, you’re less likely to have tantrums later on. It will also help when you get them involved - see the next point. If your children are really little, then they may not understand. However, there’s no harm in trying to explain what will be happening.

Get Them Involved

Let your little one feel as though they play a big part in the house move. Let them have a look through the rental homes listed with Hamptons and on other estate agents websites. Ask them which houses they like the look of and which they don’t. Of course, your children can’t dictate where you’re going to move to but, it will get them excited at the prospect of moving somewhere new. You’ll want to keep them involved every step of the way, where possible.

Viewings

It’s not worth taking your child to every single house viewing, seeing as there are going to be many you don’t like the look of. You should, however, take them to see the properties you are interested in. This is another way of keeping them involved in the whole process. You will also be able to see any anti-child flaws in a potential house. Things such as counter heights and stairs are a good indicator of how child-friendly a house is. Your estate agent shouldn’t mind arranging second viewings for your whole family to have a look around. Treat it like a fun family day out!

Packing Up

When it comes to packing things up, some children may worry that they won’t see their toys again. You need to turn this into a game and keep referring back to the house move. Another good reason to start explaining early! Ask for them to put everything in boxes, as if this is the most fun in the world. You may also want to colour coordinate the boxes or get them to draw pictures on the side. This will help them feel more at ease about packing up their stuff.

The Move

Finally, it’s time to move house. Ideally, you should ask for a friend or family member to look after your little ones when moving. It’s stressful enough without children under your feet! You will also be able to get some things in order before they see their new home. This will enable them to feel more comfortable in their surroundings. Especially if you take some of their toys out to play with.

By the time the move comes, your children should have accepted what is going to happen. That’s why it’s important to start early and keep them involved. You’ll find that they’re a lot more keen on the idea if they feel as though they had an input!

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