Category: The Toddler Years

1. Slumbersac Giveaway

   Posted on 9:07pm Monday 23rd Mar 2015

   We love finding things our children love and this week we are loving the Slumbersac.

   We know many parents and children love baby sleeping bags but what about when the get old enough to walk and get out of bed, the sleeping bag isn't always so practical then for older children, so we loved the idea of the Slumbersac. As children grow and start to take their first steps, they need all the help they can get. Slumbersac sleeping bags with feet are great for helping your child as they learn to walk and explore their world for the first time! Toddlers can enjoy the comfort and security of their sleeping bag while still being able to move about freely.

   

   Slumbersac’s sleeping bags with feet are just like their normal sleep bags but with openings for feet so children can walk around while staying cosy in their bag! The innovative sleeping bags are designed so that your child's feet fit inside the sleeping bag when sleeping and when they wake up they can pop their feet through the openings and walk or crawl around in it!

    

   We love the idea that you can get your little one into their bag and ready for bed nice and early but they will still have the freedom to play until you’re ready to put them down! Likewise in the morning, they can run around happily in their bag until it’s time to get ready for the day.

   
   We received our first Slumbersac for the toddler this week and we can vouch for the exceptional high quality, they are made from soft 100% jersey cotton, lined with 100% cotton and are padded with soft quick-dry polyester fleece. The sleeping bag with feet comes in two prints and the option of name embroidery enables you to personalize the sleeping bag with your little one’s name.
   
   Sleeping bags with feet are available in four sizes from 12 months – 4 years. (The tween is disappointed that they don't make them for older children too).

    

   12 – 18 months / 80cm (measured from shoulder to the feet)
   18 – 24 months / 90cm (measured from shoulder to the feet)
   24 – 36  months / 110cm (measured from shoulder to the feet)
   3-4 years / 120 cm (measured from shoulder to the feet)

    

   

    

   Sleeping bags with feet are available in two weights:

   • Summer weight / approx. 1.0 tog. These bags are slightly padded and suitable for use in warmer rooms with temperatures between 19 and 24 degrees.
   • Standard weight / approx. 2.5 tog.These bags are padded and suitable for general year-round use in room temperatures between 15 and 21 degrees.

   Priced from £18.99 - £22.99

    

   You can view the full range at www.slumbersac.co.uk

    

   With a winning combination of quality, value, safety and comfort, Slumbersac is your number one choice for sleeping bags for babies and children! So on the subject of winning, we are thrilled to be able to give our Lilypad readers the chance to win one and all you need to do in enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

    

   Good luck.

    

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

   UK Entrants Only.
   The winner will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 5 working days by email
   Slumbersac will be responsible for the despatch of the prize.
   Slumbersac will make every effort to provide the gift set requested but this cannot be guaranteed
   By entering this competition, you understand that your details will be retained by Slumbersac for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
   There is no monetary equivalent.
   Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
   If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
   End Date 04/04/2015 at 12am

    

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2. Can you take your baby swimming after having their injections?

   Posted on 9:19am Sunday 8th Mar 2015

   Is it safe to take a baby or toddler swimming after having their injections?

   This is a conversation starter that I have had numerous times at playgroups and with fellow mums and as a parent, I am not sure that there is a definitive answer. The Water Babies website tells us that NHS guidelines say you can take your baby swimming at any time, regardless of whether they’ve had their injections. The high quality of the water required in public pools makes the likelihood of transmitting infections very unlikely; plus, the diseases against which your baby is inoculated can’t be carried in chlorinated water anyway. 

   The toddler had her second round of MMR injections recently and I was unsure how she was going to react to them. 

   

   She was giving her instructions to me from the side, so I think it is fair to say she was fine.

   

   She has mastered getting in and out of the water safely and loves being able to jump in and swim to me now. She will swim independently around me too, her confidence growing week on week.

   

   Swimming every week has made a noticeable difference in her own confidence and ability. Typically with children, we don't make it every week because little ones get poorly, that's life. The Water Babies team understand if you have a bit of a cold but if either you have any significant illness, including ear infections, (the dreaded) chicken pox, or vomiting/diarrhoea, it is not fair on you, your child, the other families, your teacher, or indeed the pool. We have been there when the pool has had to be emptied as a result of a "poo" incident and it only leads to disappointment for lots of people.

   

   So going back to the debate of whether children should go swimming after having their injections, should you or should you not go swimming? The Water Babies team tell us that they have had lots of little ones who’ve been for their jabs in the morning, come swimming in the afternoon, and had no problems at all. In fact in some ways it may even help them a little, since the warm water can soothe grizzly nerves or stiff little arms or legs.

   Ultimately, you know your baby or toddler best, so if you think they are okay to swim then do as our little one does and just take the plunge!

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3. Country Kids : First signs of spring

   Posted on 8:26pm Saturday 7th Mar 2015

   I have to admit, I have been in hibernation. I love winter time (mainly for the excuse to wrap up in lots of layers and snuggle on the sofa) but over the past few weeks, I have been itching to get outside and blow away the cobwebs of winter so when I saw the first snowdrops, I was already putting away my winter boots.

   

   We woke this morning and had a play date arranged with one of the toddlers friends and rather than go to soft play, I suggested an early morning trip to the park. 

   

   Getting up early is not usually my favourite thing but the girls loved having the park to themselves, which is much more preferable for them (and ensures there is somewhere for us mums to sit!).

   

   Sadly both girls suffer from asthma, so running around too much has to be cut short by us "mean" mums, to allow them to catch their breath, so we retired to the coffee shop (and gave us a chance to catch up!).

   The fresh air this morning started my day off so differently to mooching around the house, cleaning and insisting the tween did her homework, it was refreshing to just get outside and enjoy the beautiful morning.

   The toddler wanted to get back outside this afternoon, so I was chasing her around at home on her scooter.......

   

   Unfortunately for them, the chickens were soon the focus of her chase. I was kind of hoping they maybe laying me an egg here but the toddler put paid to that.

   

   Despite no eggs, it was so good to be outside. This week has been a tough one for a multitude of reasons but being outside really does clear the head. Happy children makes for happy mums too.

   

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4. Put down the technology, pick up a book this half term.

   Posted on 7:35am Thursday 19th Feb 2015

   Put down the technology and pick up a book this half term. Sounds easy doesn't it? Well it should be, unless you have technology crazy children who love watching You Tube clips, playing on their apps and messaging their friends. A technology curfew has had to be instigated and I have dragged them (not quite kicking and screaming) back to books.

   

   I love that my girls are tech savvy but I also think that with so many devices available to help you with your every whim, there is the possibility to lose the ability to imagine, dream and use their brain. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge advocate of technology (I am never far away from it) but there is something special about holding a book and getting lost in the story.

   This is why I love The Works because there is something for everyone. They have shops all over the UK and (despite what I said about the technology curfew) you can also order online from a massive selection. They stock thousands of books at up to 90% off RRP, which definitely appeals to our money saving pockets, or in the words of the tween "means we can just buy more then Mom". I think I have her buy in here!

   

   The girls have a love of shopping (I wonder where they get that from) so once we have chosen from the books, stationary, arts and crafts at The Works, the next part is actually getting them to read the books once they have finished with the attractions of the sticking glueing and painting.

   Let them choose

   This may sound trivial but a child needs to "want" to hear or read a story. If they are not interested, they will switch off. Let your child's own interests guide his or her reading choices. It's okay to make suggestions, just don't force your conceptions of what your child should be reading onto your child. And, keep an eye on the reading level of the books your children choose, my eldest daughter will sometimes go for the easy option or pick something simply because she likes the cover picture.

   Reading aloud

   Encourage your child to read aloud to you an exciting passage in a book, or even a joke from a joke book. When children read aloud, don't feel they have to get every word right. Even great readers tend to skip or mispronounce words now and then. 

   Find time to read

   Whether it is before bed or after school, find a time where you can sit together and read. Make it part of your daily routine and this enforces that it is an important activity, not just something that you need to fit in between swimming or gymnastics or their favourite TV programme.

   As for me, I never seem to find time to read these days, so maybe if we get into this routine, I can have a browse through the books online at The Works and find some reading material and a little time just for me.

   

    

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   This is a collaborative post.