Little J's Toddler Days - September

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It's been a few months since I updated Little J's Toddler Days so I have put both August and September together.

This was taken on a day out to Thomas Land - Drayton Manor. These two just love spending time together. It's so lovely to watch

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Pampers Wonder Week

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The 1st October 2015 at 10am marks the launch of Pampers Wonder Week and I am really excited. You all know I like looking for deals and bargains and I am always happy to 'stock up' if the price is right. So when I heard about Pampers Wonder Week I was keen to find out more. Pampers are offering amazing savings for a whole seven days, with wonderful deals that shouldn't be missed.

 I buy jumbo packs which can help save some pennies

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How To Make Sure Your Children Are Healthy And Happy

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Disclosure - this is a collaborative post

When you’re raising children, regardless of how old they are their health remains a top priority. A child’s health encompasses many things: their diet, exercise as well as their emotional wellbeing. It can be tough to juggle these concerns simultaneously and yet by managing to do so can only mean that you are doing the best for your child. Like anything else, practice makes perfect and parenting offers lots of chances for practice!

Here are some tips for ensuring your little ones stay fighting fit.

Encourage them to eat their vegetables from a young age

It can be tough getting your children to take an interest in healthy eating if you don’t start early. A fun way to ensure that your little ones enjoy their food is to make sure that you yourself don’t see healthy eating as a chore, but rather something that can be fun and enjoyable. Cutting their vegetables into funny shapes can help when they’re reluctant to try something new. Similarly, appreciating the various colours and textures of vegetables can help – if your children don’t like peas, try something else! There’s no point trying to force them to love something but with so much variety of vegetables available, there’s bound to be something that they will enjoy!

Keep an active lifestyle 

Whether it’s walking to school instead of driving or treating yourself to a quick swim in the evening it is vital that your children learn the importance of keeping active from a young age. If they show an interest in a sport or hobby, encourage them to practice it and take an active interest in it yourself. This will not only help them develop confidence but will also help your relationship as parent and child.

Have their own mind

Unfortunately as our children get older they can become involved with smoking, vaping and other things. However schools are taking this seriously installing vape detector to try and minimise this. 

Follow your own advice

Like any of the ideas I’ve listed, the key to making sure your children realise the wisdom behind them is to employ them yourself. There’s no point asking your children to be active and conscientious of other people’s feelings if at the end of the day you ignore your own advice!

*collaboration*

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Thomas The Tank Engine Potty Training Books

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Last week we made the first step at potty training little J - we bought a potty. We have left it in the corner of the room just so he can get used to it being there. He knows what it is and what it's for and I think he genuinely wants to use 'a big toilet' as he calls it and he is showing signs.

 He knows when he has done a wee or a poo because he will touch the front of his nappy if he has done a wee and he will come to me with a fresh nappy in his hand. If he does a poo he tells you straight away. He doesn't really like his nappy being wet or soiled so he is always keen to have a nappy change. I know it doesn't bother some children and they will sit with a dirty nappy without letting you know but he's the total opposite. I've took this as a sign that its time to potty train. He has had a few accidents during nappy free time but again when he's wet he won't sit in it he will come straight to me and let me know.

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Letting Your Child Choose New Toys

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I decided to take little J for some new toys recently. He loves toys and he hasn't really had any new ones since his birthday in March. When we arrived at Smyths I told him that he could buy some new toys and he could pick them himself. He was really excited and kept saying 'new toys for me'

Just outside the store was a huge Lego figure so he climbed on and posed for a photo.

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Toddler Tantrum In Public

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Although little J is a toddler this post isn't about him as he hasn't hit the terrible two's yet although I am waiting for the day that my little cheeky monkey turns into a little monster. No, this is a post about another child that I just so happened to see outside a supermarket recently.

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What's In Our Caboodle Everyday Changing Bag

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I know once our babies reach the toddler stage some Mummy's change their changing bag to maybe a character rucksack or something smaller. I prefer to still have a changing bag because I still need enough space to fit all his essentials. This week we have been trying out Caboodle Everyday Changing Bag and we love it. Firstly its not too big because some changing bags are so huge that they become impractical for a Mum on the go, but you can fit so much inside.

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What To Pack In A Teenager's Suitcase

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Big J has just arrived home from his third trip abroad without us. Its so weird to think he has experienced parts of the world without us. He has been to Rue in France for 5 days, Skiing for a whole week and last week he went to Spain for 5 days.

When it came to packing his suitcase he really wasn't interested at all. I think thats a boy thing because Daddy doesn't like packing either. They both are just happy to watch me do it. I did make a list of things he needed to make it easier for him but I still ended up doing it.

First I packed his hand luggage. He didn't have much in it as the school already had his Passport, EHIC and Euros. His hand luggage just had his phone, earphones, wallet containing some english money for the airport and plane and a book.

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The Puberty Talk

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I may have already mentioned it a few hundred times already but I still can't believe I have a teenager. Its crazy as I still think I am a teenager at times and especially with my obsession with Disney I'm like a big kid. I know we will have to tweak our parenting skills a little over the next few years because being a teenager is hard work and I know big J will say and do things he won't mean. We will have to remember that his body is going through massive changes and this will effect him emotional, mentally and physically.

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The Transition From Cot To Bed

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I'm not quite sure how it happened but Daddy and I were just talking about little J's room and the next minute we were building his toddler bed. We have had his toddler bed for a little while. We saw it online, liked it and it was on offer so we bought it. To be honest I had no idea when we were going to move little J from his cot to his bed but I wanted to buy it anyway.

I had googled a few weeks ago about looking out for signs to show when your child is ready. One major sign is them being able to get out of the cot or having a pretty good go at getting their leg over the bars. Little J hasn't done this but he is very tall and this was my main concern. When he stands he does tower over the top. Another sign is not being able to settle in the cot. Up until very recently little J has always slept in a sleeping bag but he has started to look uncomfortable and restricted. We decided to stop putting him in the sleeping bag and he did seem more settled. He obviously wouldn't be able to wear the sleeping bag once he was in the bed anyway so it was time to lose it.

So despite him not showing any sure signs of being ready for the transition we decided to give it a go anyway. We built the bed together, he stayed in the room and watched as it was put together. It didn't take very long and I am really pleased we chose the Disney Cars Toddler Bed

I had read some reviews of toddler beds where parents had said they are a waste of money and eventually they need a bigger bed anyway but I think it is perfect. Its just the right height off the floor so he can climb in and out easily.

We weren't sure what to expect on the first night of him in his own bed. Obviously we knew he would be excited and having the freedom to get in and out of the bed was going to be a novelty, but hopefully that would wear off.

We kept his usually bedtime routine and when it was time to go up to bed we tucked him in, kissed him goodnight and walked towards the door. He seemed fine at first but when we shut his new toddler gate he screamed. He was really upset and was trying to get out. This lasted minutes before he went off and played in his room. We left him for five minutes at a time and then went back in, walking him to his bed, tucking him in, kissing goodnight then leaving. Before we had even closed the gate he was out the bed and playing again.

I did a google search looking for the best way to deal with this but there are so many ideas, tips and advice and to be honest I think you just have to do whats right for you. We did let this continue for longer than I had hoped but on one of the times Daddy went in he didn't get out the bed, he just snuggled in to his teddies and started to drift off to sleep. Phew. He was asleep but for how long?

I actually thought we would hear footsteps during the night or him playing with his toys but he didn't actually get out the bed till morning. I was quite shocked. He did wake a few times during the night but he has been doing that anyway as he is cutting his second molars.

Night two was a little different, we did his bedtime routine as usual but instantly after putting him to bed he was up and out playing. I am not sure whether its right to just let him play so I popped him back in straight away. Infact every time he tried to get out I put him back in. He found this funny at first then he got a little frustrated. I thought eventually he would give up and he did but he gave it a good go. I think this lasted over a hour of me just putting him back in to bed.

I think we will just have to see how this goes. We will keep this going for a few weeks. and we have kept the cot accessible just incase we have to set it up again. If he does have to go back to his cot I won't see it as a step back just he wasn't ready and we will try again when he is a little older. The age range for moving in to a bed is huge. 18-42 months is the average age, little J is only 24 months so we may have gone to early or he may be fine. Only time will tell.

Michelle

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Why So Clingy?

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This week I have noticed that little J has become very clingy. I thought if he was ever going to have a clingy phase then I thought it would be towards me, but its not its actually Daddy. When there is just the two of us, we play, sing, dance and have lots of fun but when Daddy comes home or enters the room he changes. He becomes upset, whiny and wants Daddy to pick him up all the time. Once Daddy picks him up he stops but then if I try to talk to Daddy or come close little J pushes me away. Its like he wants Daddy all to himself.

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What Does Your Toddler Eat?

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Little J will be 2 years old soon and I am not really looking forward to toddler tantrums and fussy eating. Up till now we have had the perfect child. He pleasant, funny, a good sleeper and a really good eater, I don't want it to change.

I am going to keep a note of all, if any changes and blog about them over the next months but just something playing on my mind at the moment is food. I am not 100% sure how much little J should be eating and how often. I have googled but their is so much difference between one toddler to the next.

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Baby Tips - Sleep

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Last month I became an Aunty for the very first time, its so exciting. Baby A is absolutely gorgeous and I knew as soon as I saw my little nephew I would become all broody and want another baby. I love babies and I would have lots if I could but for now I am going to concentrate on being the best Aunty ever. When you hold a new baby you can never remember your own being 'that small'. Little J looked huge compared to Baby A and it made me smile because it really wasn't that long ago that he was just a baby.   I started thinking back to the first few days we brought little J home. He was such a good baby and was never any trouble at all really. He was such a routined baby right from the start, he loved his sleep. Thinking back I know that made the first few months so much easier than we could ever of hoped for.   When we had big J almost 13 years ago now we didn't really have a clue what we were doing. He had no routine really and because we were working, trying to save for a house we used to try and squeeze in as much time as possible so we didn't miss out seeing him.  Looking back now it was a tough time with very little sleep but we did okay and he did grow out of it eventually.  I think being a parent for the second time you do learn from your mistakes and we made sure with little J that we were well prepared. Here are a few things we used. Although he was a perfect little sleeper I'm sure these helped get him in to a routine and have full nights sleep .

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"I Want It And I Want It Now"

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Little J is approaching 22 months and although I know it's another 2 months yet till we hit the terrible twos, I'm starting to see a little sneak preview of what's to come. Recently he has wanted everything that everyone else has and when he doesn't get it he will cry or scream and it's hard not to give in but I have to be strong and start to teach him to share. 

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Energy Drinks - Do our kids really need them?

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I remember when I was little, me and my mum walked to the chemist to buy a bottle of lucozade for a relative who was sick in hospital. When we got to the hospital I remember seeing the brown cabinets next to the hospital beds on the ward and pretty much every one of them all had a bottle of Lucozade on top.  How did it go from being available in just chemists and giving to loved ones when sick to being available for our kids to buy in every shop. I am not a fan of energy drinks at all. Whenever we are in a shop and big J asks for a lucozade or something similar I say no. I don't like them and although this causes quite a lot of arguments between me and big J I am sticking to my opinion on this one and I won't be budged. Big J does some sporting activities in school and he does play football on our local astro turf pitches but for me that is not enough for him to need a full bottle of an energy drink. He tells me that the footballers drink it, but the footballers train or play football probably 7 days a week, he doesn't An average bottle or can of energy drinks can have up to 14 times more caffeine than a can of cola. That's like drinking over 7 cups of coffee in one go. I wouldn't drink that much in one go so why would I let me child? It isn't just Lucozade that bothers me. Actually Lucozade isn't the worst one it's drinks like Monster and a Relentless. They do display warning saying high caffeine, but shops still sell them to youngsters? Why? Like everything it's down to choice. You are either happy to let your child drink an energy drink because it's cool and their peers do or like me you put up with the arguments and sulking knowing that you have done the right thing. Do you agree with youngsters drinking energy drinks? 

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Cheeky Chompers Chewy Dribble Bib Review

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our ow unless stated. This post contains affiliate links. 

My mum and dad were watching a repeat of Dragons Den a few months ago and told me about an idea they had seen, a bib with a teether attached. What a simple for great idea. Little J is now cutting his molars so we are once again full of drool but he is also wanting to bite anything he can get his hands on. Cheeky Chompers, the company seen on Dragons Den kindly sent us a neckerchew for little J to try.

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Water Fun In The Garden

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own unless stated. This post contains affiliate links. 

The sun shone down on us all a few weeks ago and we finally got all our garden toys out and we have been spending most of our time outside. Big J has been getting up and heading straight in the garden, even before he gets dressed. Little J enjoys playing outside and we take a few of his toys out but its very rare he sits still playing he usually just crawls around chasing after the ball and trying to get a goal.

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Why Does My Child Stare At The Washing Machine?

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This post contain Affiliate Links. 

Have you noticed that your little one is fascinated with the washing machine? When my son started staring at the machine I started to worry. As a parent you watch your children a lot and wonder if little behaviours are normal or if it's something to be concerned about. My son loves it and if I let him I think he would happily sit there for hours watching it while it spins and I often wondered why does my child stare at the washing machine?

The first time I really noticed it was when he was having his dinner in his high chair. He completely  moved himself around in the chair so he had the washing machine in his view. If something was in the way he would stretch so he could see it. I didn't really think about it at first but when it continued to happen I did start to wonder, why? 

Now he is able to move across the floor he takes himself into the kitchen, crawls to the washing machine, sits up and stares. When I try to move him away he can become quite grumpy and even if I pick him up and put him in another room he manages to scramble his way back to the kitchen. Most of the time the washing machine doesn't even have to be on for him to enjoy looking at it.

Like most I instantly headed to google. Should I be worried? Is this typical? I did a lot of research and the answer is yes it is a typical thing for babies and toddlers to be interested in washing machines and other household appliances and is actually very common.  Google also likes to tell us that if your child likes things that spin such as the washing machine then this could be a sign of autism or aspergers.

There is such a wide spectrum for autism and whilst watching spinning items can be one of the signs please don't read in to it this too much unless you have other concerns about your child. I don't have any concerns about little J at all so staring at the washing machine wouldn't make me think he has Autism or Aspergers. I would be looking for other signs and behaviours.

When babies become unsettled one of the ways to try and soothe them is to play white noise. Maybe they find watching the machine and hearing it spin relaxing. They did as baby, why shouldn't they as a toddler too?

Most of the time we have no idea why children they do the things they do. They are curious, they are constantly learning and exploring and I think watching the machine is just little J's way of trying to work out what it actually is. Why does it spin? Why does it make a noise?

Why not use their love of the washing machine to your advantage. I know my son would sit there for as long as he could so enjoy the peace, have a cup of coffee. It's better than giving them an iPad for 15 minutes. 

If your child does enjoy watching the washing machine and you have other concerns about the behaviours, you can always speak to your health visitor or GP for more advice or guidance.

If you found this post useful there are a few ways that you could say thanks and support Playdays and Runways.

Comments - I love reading your opinions and thoughts - Does your child stare at the washing machine? How do you feel about it.

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Michelle

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Funky Giraffe Playsuit and Bandana Bibs Review

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. This post contains affiliate links.

Recently I stumbled upon a website called Funky Giraffe Bibs. I was searching for dribble bibs for little J who is teething at the moment and a good quality dribble bib is hard to find so I thought I would look online.

There is a HUGE selection of bibs to choose from Bandana Bibs, Cotton Bibs, XL Bibs and XXL Bibs. After browsing through the amazing selection I noticed they also stocked other baby items. I fell in love with the playsuits available they are so cute.

Little J was sent a gorgeous funky giraffe playsuit and a selection of bibs to try. We received a red rocket bib, an aeroplane bib and my favourite the racing car. The colours are lovely, really bold.

I turned the bibs over and they had a layer of fleece on the back to help soak up the dribble which will protect your child's clothes and chest from getting wet.

When I saw the playsuit it was gorgeous. The soft feel and bold colours made it even better than I expected.

I couldn't wait to try it on little J and when I did I have to admit he looked adorable in it :)

Little J was having a drool day as usual so I put the dribble bib on straight away. While he was playing I noticed the bib was getting wet as the yellow had changed colour in parts.

So it was time for a change of bib but after taking it off I noticed I didn't really need too. His playsuit underneath was dry.

The fleece backing had protected him. I was really impressed and little J was happy.

Why choose a Funky Giraffe Bandana Bib?

Our Funky Giraffe Bandana bibs (also know as dribble bibs) are the perfect accessory for the fashion savvy baby and toddler. Fronts are made from 100% cotton using all natural fibres they feel soft to the touch while adding a unique panache to any outfit, with a fleece backing to keep dribble from soaking through.

We have a range of styles to suit all tastes and each one has been designed in house with you in mind, listening to our customer’s feedback and wishes we have brought more bandanna bibs to our store so you and your baby can benefit from the Funky Giraffe quality.

Each bib has double poppers so you can adjust the fit to suit your little one, this ensures baby hardly notices the bib is there and so keeps it on for longer

Funky Giraffe offer free UK shipping and amazing discounts. The more you buy the move you save. 

To check out the lovely products available visit www.funkygiraffebibs.co.uk


Michelle

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Nom Nom Kids Reusable Pouch Review

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own. 

Little J loves his fruit and yoghurts but when you're out and about it can be a pain if he doesn't finish one and wants the rest later. I usually throw half pots away because they cant be stored in my changing bag. This means more expense because I end up buying another later on. When little J was given the chance to try out Nom Nom Kids reusable pouches I was excited and eager to try them out.

When they arrived I knew instantly little J would love them. They are so colourful with animals design. They looked just the right size too for little hands :)

 

I decided to fill little J's with yoghurt and I am glad to say its really easy. There is a zip lock seal along the side which I opened and spooned in the yoghurt. I closed the zip seal and gave it to little J. You can either give it to your child to use direct or you could squeeze into a bowl or on a spoon.

He instantly put it to his mouth and began to suck. The yoghurt flowed easily and there was no mess at all.

 When it got towards the end of the yoghurt I did help him squeeze some towards the top. Once he had finished I washed it out, it looked brand new again.

On the back is a place for you to write your child's name, date, what's inside and also tick boxes which would be perfect if in nursery or school.

The pouches have been to the park with us this week and have been squashed and squeezed but bounce back to like new.

Each Nom Nom Kids Resuable Pouch is...

Easy to fill and clean

Dishwasher Safe

Freezer Safe

BPA, phthalate and PVC free

To heat just stand in hot water

You can purchase Nom Nom Kids reusable pouches by visiting Amazon

Pouches are currently priced at £2.95 each or 3 for £6.95

Michelle

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