Baby sensory classes !Β 

Baby sensory is one class that I would recommend everyone attend with their babies. It’s the most incredible class which combines music classes, sing and sign classes, massage and SO MUCH MORE. It provide ideas for play, massage, tummy time, movement, visual development, hand-eye coordination and music in simple practical ways that can easily be repeated at home. 


Each class is different and very exciting with themed weeks. You and your little one can enjoy everything from a beach party, going on a animal adventure, exploring the sea, having fun in the snow and much more. There are also special additional classes to help you celebrate the special days like Father’s Day, Mother’s Day Or Babies First Christmas.  


 It is designed to stimulate, educate and help you bond with your baby. It also helps you meet new mums and make friends. 


I have done it with my first baby since she was 6 weeks old and I am doing it now with my second. I love it and so does my daughter. If you want to find out more just go to the baby sensory website http://www.babysensory.com 

TANTRUM TANTRUM TANTRUM !!!!!!

 We had had 2 very difficult weeks with Chloe. From nowhere she started having the most horrible tantrums. Never in my life have I seen something like that! She was like a child possessed screaming, crying, throwing herself on the floor …. this would last for almost an hour at a time!!!!!! What made the whole experience very upsetting is that there was nothing that me or my husband could do to help Chloe. Seeing your child, who is normally as good as an angel (and the naughtiest things she does is not to come straight away when you call her) change in to such a mess is very distressing.  I have spent hours researching what it is and what can trigger it and decided to share my knowledge. 


WHAT IS A TANTRUM / MELTDOWN 

 β€œTantrum” is commonly used to describe milder outbursts, during which a child still retains some measure of control over his or her behaviour. Tantrums are part of normal developmental behaviour for children aged 1-3 and over. They are not “naughty” or used deliberately to wind you up.  

“Meltdown” This is opposed to a meltdown, during which a child loses control so completely that the behavior only stops when he wears himself out and/or the parent is able to calm him down.

 

WHY DO THEY HAPPEN ?

Emotions and inability to deal with them are behind it. 

ANGER – If the child feels angry because : You don’t want to give them chocolate which they need, don’t want to buy them new toy which they have to have, don’t let them watch more tv. 

ANXIETY – is a big trigger; it causes kids to freak out, overriding the logic that would enable her to see that her anxiety is out of proportion to the situation. 

FRUSTRATION – very often due to limited language, or lacking the skills to complete tasks for example: getting stuck with a jumper half-way on, or a piece of puzzle that won’t fit.

INDEPENDENCE – they want to be independent and do things themselves : walking, choosing theirs clothes, eating etc. 

TIREDNESS AND HUNGER 

CHANGE TO THE ROUTINE – this can unsettle your child and make them feel unsafe. Any new routine, changes in the family like an arrival of a sibling. 

Or any of the reasons that Chloe has had them : 

Offer them a cup of milk.

Ask them if they want to get up. 

Ask if they want to eat something. 

Change them out of a dirty nappy. 

Ask if they are ok. 

Because I looked at her. 

πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

At that would sometimes happen ….


HOW TO STOP TANTRUMS 

To stop tantrums you need to help the child gain control over their emotions. Some of the most common issues that cause children to act out in negative ways are hunger, tiredness, frustration, boredom or over-stimulation.

Once you identify the real reason behind your child’s actions, you can often solve this at the first sign of negative behaviour, before your child dissolves into a full-blown tantrum.

DISTRACTION – one of the ways to stop the tantrum is to take attention away of what has triggered it. Show them something, ask them to help you etc. Get them to focus on something else.

IGNORE – if the tantrum has started then ignoring it is very often the best thing to do. Leave the room and the child very often stops the tantrum because there is no audience and they get no reaction.  

HUG – sometimes they just need to be cuddled and told that it’s all ok and that you are there for them. 

GIVE THEM SPACE – if it is a full blown tantrum or meltdown sometimes the only thing you can do is to leave them until they calm down. 

TALK TO YOUR CHILD – if there are some changes coming to their life talk about it and explain them to your child in advance. Kids understand much more than we as parents think they do. Ask them why have they behaved like that and tell them that next time if they feel like that they can do “something” else like talk to you, come for a hug etc. With time they will learn how to deal with it. 

  Most important of all is to remember that you are the grown up. It can be very hard and very frustrating for the parent. I went through every single emotion I can think of when Chloe was having those terrible tantrums : sad, worried, annoyed, frustrated, angry, tearfull, heartbroken ….. when it was getting to me I raised my voice at her, told her that I would take her toys away or once when I couldn’t handle it I even compared her to “good and nice Skylar” (something I promised myself I will never do). When the situation is getting to you just take a very deep breaths and remember you are the grown up who understands what is happening or leave the room until you are composed. 

 Our tantrums lasted just over 2 weeks and hopefully will never come back again. 

 What worked for us is: 

– Giving Chloe space. When the tantrum started I would take her to her room, explain that I will leave her and come back when she calms down. 

– Once calm I would give her lots of cuddles and ask why she has behaved like that. Most of the time she wouldn’t know, I would try and help her identify the feelings. 

– Explain to her that she cannot behave like that, that this is a very naughty behaviour and that there are consequences. Most of the time I would take away her dessert for a day or she wouldn’t have story time, wouldn’t be allowed to watch her favourite Peppa pig or go out to the playground. Also what didn’t work is taking toys away. She has lots of different toys so taking one didn’t make any difference, she would just play with something else. It has to be a real treat that you take away. 

– Tell her to stamp her feet when she gets angry and tell us when she feels it coming. She would tell us now that she is getting very sad. 

 Good luck to anyone who is going through it. Share any good ideas that you have on hot to deal with it. 

SELFISH REASONS FOR BREASTFEEDING!Β 

We all know about the huge benefits of breastfeeding your baby. I would like to highlight the selfish reasons why breastfeeding is great:


1. Big boobs !!! Ok so if you are already gifted by big boobs (lucky cow) then you might not be that pleased about it. But if you the owner of a small bust this gives you a chance to have a pair of nice boobs ! You can see if it suits you and if it will be worth investing in Implants in the future.

2. When baby wakes up at night to be fed you don’t need to get up, get out of bed and go and make a bottle , you just get your boob out πŸ˜‚

3. Reduces risk of you developing breast cancer !!!!!!!

4. You burn 500 calories a day by doing so !!!!! But if you want to use it as a weight loss tool then you need to make sure that you don’t consume more than your daily calorie allowance, you eat healthy …. and yes you will have to start exercising 😁 But an extra 500 calories are always welcomed ! Or you can just use it to eat extra cakes and not put on weight πŸ˜‚

5. Helps your uterus to contract back to its original size much quicker … that has to be a good thing ? 

6. Prevents you baby getting ill ! breast milk is packed with disease-fighting substances that protect your baby from illness. How is it selfish? If you want to get any sleep at all at night you don’t want your little precious baby to get a cold or anything else. Also it’s heartbreaking seeing your tiny love unwell! 

7. You save a fortune on formula, and you can spend this money on shoes πŸ‘ !!!

8. Because your boobs are bigger and they have to be easily accessible you have to buy lots of new clothes !!!! Which one of us doesn’t like to shop…especially with a big pair of boobs πŸ˜€

9. The most important one NO PERIOD!!! It gives you few extra months without blood !!!!!!

Oh and the saggy boobs ….

…. the damage has been done when you are pregnant as that’s when your skin has been stretched. 

So if you are unlucky to have those it’s not because you were breastfeeding. 

APPLES IN PANCAKE BUTTERΒ 

APPLES IN PANCAKE BUTTER  This is another great idea for a healthy snack/dessert. It’s very tasty and so quick to make. You can also make lots of them and keep in the freezer! 


INGREDIENTS:

– 1 glass of flour 

– 1/2 glass of milk 

– 1 egg

– 2 big apples 

– 1 tsp vanilla extract 

– 1/2 tsp baking powder 

– 1/4 tsp cynamon

– A little bit coconut oil 
COOKING METHOD 

  Mix all ingredients together until you have nice and creamy mixture. You want it to be quite thick so it sticks to the apples easily. Peal apples and remove the middle of it. Slice them in to 1/2 cm rings. Deep in to the mixture and fry in coconut oil until golden (around 1 minute). 

CARROT BISCUITS !Β 

CARROT BISCUITS ! 

 Those are soft, low in sugar and have hidden vegetable ! Perfect combination !!! 


INGREDIENTS: 

– 350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting your hands

– Β½ tsp baking powder

– 1 tsp ground cinnamon

– 1 tsp mixed spice

– 140g butter, softened

– 50g soft light brown sugar

– 1 egg beaten

– 200g carrot, finely grated
COOKING METHOD: 

 Combine the flour, baking powder and spices in a bowl. In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in the egg, followed by the carrot. 

Tip in the dry ingredients and mix to form a dough.

 Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Dust your hands with a little flour, then divide the dough into 2cm balls. Use the palm of your hand to flatten each one to a thin circle. You can bake them like that or cut shapes out of the dough. 



 Bake for around 20min at 180C.

WEEK 5 😳

WEEK 5 from a life with a newborn baby and 2 years old toddler. What have I accomplished ? 

1 – I have mastered the very tricky act of leaving the house by 9am. 

2 – Have had the best evening of my life when Chloe has had a meltdown for over an hour … without a reason. 

3 – Shopping trip to Westfield and I actually managed to buy something for myself not just the kids; Kids 2 big shopping bags full of clothes, Mum 1 dress and one jumper … shouldn’t that be the other way around ??!! (Oh and Dad got one thing πŸ˜‚) 

4 – Biggest achievement of all was 2 days without doing washing !!! Yuppie !!! 

5 – Discovered that Skylar is now 5kg !!! 😳This child is massive !!! It must be all of this tiramisu in my milk (I am addicted to it) πŸ˜€. 

6 – Managed to see lots of friends in hope that I can talk about something different than babies and nappies… that didn’t happen, but it was still nice to see all of you! 

7 – A 45 min nap on one occasion !!!!!! Rest of the days she is still awake when Chloe naps. 

8 – Have been on time on half of the occasions πŸ˜€. We are getting there πŸ˜€

9 – Oh and let’s don’t forget about mastering how to take off my denims with one hand while holding baby and folding washing one handed !!!! 

HOW/CAN ? You prepare for your second child :-)Β 

How to prepare for your second child.I don’t think that there is anything you can do to prepare yourself for second child; but there are quite a few things you can do to make it easier for your first born.

BOOKS

As soon as your bump becomes visible start reading your child stories about “baby in mummy’s tommy” and them becoming big sister/brother .My favourite books were :


And “Princess Poly I am new big sister”. 

 . When/if you find out what you are having you can start reading books about them getting baby sister / brother. This will help them to understand what is happening and what is to come. 

GET THEM INVOLVE 

It’s very important that you get them involved in baby related things. We got Chloe involved in preparing for the new arrival: 

– helping to fold baby clothes (or shall I say unfold? πŸ˜‚) which she loved, she would pick up every single garment and say: mummy look it’s so small ! 

– taking her to midwife appointments to check that “baby is ok”. 

– help decorate her sisters nursery (choosing where to put toys, what photos to put in to frames)

– going shopping to buy things for the baby and asking for her help with it. 



PRESENT FROM THE BABY

What makes the inconvenience of the arrival of the sibling more bearable is a nice present. Your Firstborn is more likely to “like” someone who gave him present (especially when it is something that they really wanted). 

VISITING RULES

Make sure that your guest give your child as much attention as they will give to the baby. It is a very good idea to get your toddler to show quests where the baby is and ask him questions about the baby. It will make them feel very important. 
LITTLE HELPER

 Get your toddler to help with the baby. Getting involved in everyday tasks will stop your toddler feeling excluded. Giving nappy and wipes, bringing blanket etc all of those little things will make them feel as a very important big sister/brother. 
UNDIVIDED ATTENTION

 The hardest thing for your child to deal with will be lack of attention. They live gets thrown up side down; one day they are the only person who gets your attention the next day there is someone who gets much more of your attention than they do. Make sure that each day you do spend quality time with your toddler. Put aside an hour a day when your baby is sleeping when you can have lots of fun with your toddler; it will be hard when you are sleep deprived but it will make a huge difference to your child. 

NEW ROUTINE

 You won’t be able to follow all of your old routines of bathing, feeding, reading stories, tucking in to bed. Make sure that you make new ones which involve the baby and work with having two kids. My husband does Chloe’s batch time and bed time routine but I make sure to take Skylar to Chloe’s room for her bed time story. This now has become our new family routine and Chloe loves it. 

 Those things has worked for us. Chloe has adapted very quickly to the new family dynamics and is in love with her baby sister . 

Cosmetics for your baby and toddler.Β 

 I have been using Childs Farm cosmetics on Chloe for a long time now so I was very pleased to see that they have just launched range for Babies.  Childs Farm is an award winning British brand that uses natural β€˜free-from’ ingredients and essential oils to produce mild, kind and delicious smelling toiletries that care for the skin and hair of newborns, babies and children. 

The gorgeous smells of the cosmetics comes from organic sweet orange, mint, tangerine, grapefruit and tea tree oil.

They use only natural detergents which come from beets, corn and coconut. 

Use of natural moisturisers like vegetable glycerine and honey.

 Highly recommend theirs baby and toddler range. We love it ! 

Guilt !!! Bad mom !!!Β 

This week was my first week of maternity leave. Yes it is already that time!!! I have only 2 weeks left to my due date (hopefully it will be less than that!).

 As you can imagine, I am crazy busy. Because I was working full time and have a toddler I haven’t managed to do a lot inpreparation  for my new arrival. What we have managed to accomplish is to order/buy everything and dump it in the spare bedroom 😁. 


 Now that I am on maternity leave I could start getting things done …. once toddler is out of the way. I decided to keep Chloe in the nursery for 2 full days so I could get on with things …. what I didn’t expect is the guilt !!! I have been feeling so guilty for leaving her at the nursery and going home!!!! This is crazy !!! How can I feel so guilty about it??!! I am a good mum who does everything and anything for her girl, so why do I feel so bad that I feel like crying when I leave her there? (I can’t only blame it on my hormones). 

 Monday I was feeling bad but I was so busy with painting, unpacking etc that I just keep pushing it out of my mind.    Today though I decided that I need to get my hair done (in between sorting out the nursery) and trust me I desperately needed it done. I was prepared to feel as bad as on Monday … but this is much worst ! How dare I take some time to myself and leave my girl at the nursery??!!! Bad monther, bad mother !!! Why do we feel so guilty??!! This is irrational! We already give most of our life to our kids, we should be able to take a little brake to treat ourselfs without this horrible guilt feeling hanging over our heads !