The little fish was returning to the water this week, after half term, so Nanny was excited that she was finally going to get to use her goggles and see the little one swim under water. Unfortunately the little fish has had her MMR injections and has not been amused ever since. As most parents know, the MMR is three separate vaccines, and each one can exhibit different side effects which can then occur at different times. We are always reassured that side effects are mild and from a parents perspective, I am always mindful that the side effects are milder than the potential complications of measles, mumps and rubella. The side effect in our house however has been general grouchiness!!

So did we go swimming ....? Of course we did!

We checked with Water Babies and they say that as long as the doctor is fine with it, so are they. They tell us that they "have had many babies who’ve done doctors in the morning, swimming in the afternoon, with no problems whatsoever. In fact it could even be a bonus, with the warm water acting as a tonic should their arm or leg be feeling a little stiff by then".

Unfortunately the only worry that Nanny had with regards to arms or legs was them being wrapped around her so tightly that there was more clinging than swimming this week. As usual the Water Babies instructor was fabulous but in the end agreed that the little fish was too fractious to swim underwater during this session (much to Nanny's dismay).

So with all the crying and drama, due to injections rather than swimming this week, I think Nanny needed ear plugs rather than goggles!! Maybe next week Mum!!

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I am not a fan of a dummy or a soother. There, I said it.

Opinion is genuinely divided over the use of dummies, as a breast feeding advocate I was always worried about creating confusion with the soother and I personally feel that you get to learn the different cries if you dont instantly use a dummy. This is not to say that I dont totally understand why parents use them and why some health professionals recommend the use of them. A friend of mine asked me why I didnt use one as her health visitor encouraged her to think about it as a "soother" and why wouldnt she want to use one to soothe her baby? (insert onslaught of mummy guilt here)

I genuinely believe that babies react to the cues and comforts that we provide, whatever they maybe, whether that is a dummy, a special toy or a comfort blanket.

We all need and take comfort in different ways and me choosing not to give my children a dummy or a soother doesnt make me harsh, it just makes me a mum with an opinion.

They can take comfort with me.

What comforts you?

 

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When I started writing the Little Lilypad blog, I tried to write for everyone else. I tried to be witty. I tried to be engaging but really all I should have been doing is try to write a blog with halfway decent grammer and spelling! When I started to blog for myself by just letting myself write freely and not to be worried about who was reading and what they thought, I began to enjoy it so much more and kind of forgot that anyone was reading it. I was therefore genuinely shocked when my best friend told me yesterday that she reads every one of them. It always surprises me when my friends and family tell me that they not only read the blog but enjoy it too. I dont mean that in a self deprecating kind of way, it just simply surprises me.

There are literally hundreds and thousands of people blogging their way through their lives and there are some amazing blogs to be found on the internet, so I love that anyone, even one person reads mine.

Half the time I am not sure my own children listen to what I am saying (something to do with childrens selected hearing I suspect) so its nice to know someone somewhere is listening.

If that is you today, thank you x

 

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You know that we are fans of Fisher Price on the Lilypad and since being founded back in 1930, Fisher Price has been providing quality toys for children for nearly a century. Join us in taking a look at just part of the toy manufacturer’s rich history. 

Fisher Price has always successfully combined education and enjoyment, ensuring that children have fun while they learn. In their early years, their toys were made with pine and heavy steel parts. They would resist splintering and hold up well to constant use. The first toy the company ever sold was Mr Doodle in 1931. It wasn’t long until they discovered that they could have better designs and brighter colours on toys by using plastic, with Buzzy Bee being their first toy to make full use of plastic. By the end of the 1950s, 39 Fisher Price toys were made that incorporated plastics. 

One of Fisher Price’s oldest, but still much loved, products is the Rock-A-Stack. First introduced in 1960, the Rock-A-Stack is an interactive toy in which different coloured rings have to be placed onto a pole in order of size. It is ideal for helping children develop their hand eye coordination, as well as being a great way for them to learn about different colours.

Little People for little hands

Little People, Fisher Price’s most popular toy range, was brought in during the 1960s. Argos sell Fisher Price Little People, maintaining the high standards the company has always been recognised for. The Little People line includes figures of people and animals, and various play sets to interact with. The figures were originally wooden, but are now moulded from plastic, which allows for more detailed features. 

By including electronics in the range, Little People toys can now talk and sing for the first time. This provides the most interactive and realistic collection Little People has ever had. You can even get poseable figures, making the Little People experience all the more fun. Since their creation over 50 years ago, Fisher Price’s Little People have entertained children all over the world. With the collection being as popular now as it ever was, you can expect Little People to stick around for a while yet.

Fun on wheels

In 1970 the Chatter Telephone was introduced, and it has been one of their best selling products. The toy is a phone with a smiley face set on four wheels. When pulled along it makes a fun chattering sound. The Chatter Telephone has always been popular amongst children, and when the company tried to replace the classic rotary dial with buttons and lights in 2000, consumers complained and the rotary device was returned the following year. 

The Power Wheels range was established in the 1980s and is a set of battery powered ride-on toy cars for children aged between 1 and 7. The brand was purchased by Mattel in 1994 and immediately became a part of Fisher Price’s range. 

In the late 1990s Fisher Price launched their Rescue Heroes range. The toys depict various recue personnel and the equipment they would use. The range was so popular that in 1999 an animated series was released. There have since been various Rescue Heroes cartoons on a number of channels, and in 2003 there was even a movie. 

These days, consumers have access to a range of Fisher Price toys, from classic originals to new, modern creations. The Fisher Price collections available today are just as fun and educational as they have ever been. The high standards and quality that the company is recognised for are maintained in every product, and it is still a joy to watch children play with them.