Parenting Archives - A Baby on Board blog

The bottom of the washing basket, Narnia, and other mythical places

Gillian — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 16:15:49 +0000

One of the – many – things people gloss over about life with two children is the amount of washing there is. Seriously, so much washing. It seems to breed and breed too, like a Gremlin plus water after midnight. Does the bottom of the washing basket even exist? I suspect not… It’s a job I can’t imagine anyone enjoys doing. Despite an equal share of labour in this house I seem to have been stuck with most of the clothes cleaning, mainly because I’m physically at home more. And whereas pre-children I used to sort it all our properly, lack of time means everything just goes in either on a ‘clothes’ or a ‘bedding and towels’ wash (which would explain a couple of shrunken jumper incidents – oops). How many people really do understand – or pay attention to – washing symbols in clothes? Me and my biggest mini-me were given the task of coming up with a brand new washing symbol, to hopefully make people’s lives easier – and more interesting – when doing the washing. We had a look the various different symbols that already exist and thought about the meanings, then talked about what our symbol could look like. We briefly thought of designing a heart (to show we love our clothes) or a star (to show how important it is to get clothes on the right wash) before finally deciding on a giant letter E which stands for ‘everything in’, meaning anything marked with it can go in any wash at any temperature. This will hopefully make the lives of the chief clothes washer a lot easier. We also wanted to make it as patterned and colourful as possible, to brighten up people’s lives when they do the washing. (It’s also someone’s initial – and follows our recent preoccupation with letter hunts). To bring our symbol to life we got to work with a giant canvas and lots of paint: We traced a big E. and then filled it in with lots of colour, patterns and pictures. And tada… What would your new washing symbol look like? Ours turned out to be very apt, because both of us got paint all over our clothes. More posts…milestone cards for mums and brilliant Christmas jumpers for children. This is a collaborative post.

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Five signs maternity leave is over

Gillian — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 13:48:37 +0000

1) I’m on cup of tea number three that I made and drank while *still hot.* Just for the novelty factor, of course, not because everyone in my house was up all night coughing and I need all the caffeine… 2) This morning I ate a piece of toast and didn’t have to share it. I’m going to have some chocolate biscuits shortly, in plain sight, with absolutely no hiding behind the fridge door 3) The house was eerily quiet until I put on a Spotify playlist (that didn’t include a) Let it Go b) any Disney songs c) Star Wars music) 4) My boobs feel like they might explode shortly 5) I miss my baby! It’s all change in our household today, as our littlest family member and random selfie-taker starts nursery and I’m starting work again editing TalkMum. Maternity leave is incredibly different second-time-round, isn’t it? And my circumstances are very different this time (as freelance I work from home and it’s only two nursery days a week) but even so I feel a million different things about everything at the moment, from the inevitable nursery guilt and rising mum-anxiety through to looking forward to concentrating on something for longer than thirty seconds. (If anyone’s ever interested in writing anything for TalkMum then just let me know). But first, tea, anyone? x

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I want my Miffy TV

Gillian — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 09:43:48 +0000

Hands up who loves Miffy? I’ve written before about our love for the little white rabbit who celebrated a big birthday this year. The Miffy books and iconic Dick Bruna illustrations were a childhood favourite of mine and it’s a love I’m passing down to both children (we even used a Miffy book to explain to Eliza that baby Florence was on the way). As fitting for a thoroughly modern rabbit, Miffy now has her very own TV series. Miffy’s Adventures; Big and Small launched on Tiny Pop TV this week with new episodes every Friday at 7pm. Each one is seven minutes, so perfect timing for parents to make a cup of tea / nip off to the loo alone / secretly check Facebook. The dream. To celebrate the launch of Miffy on TV, I’m giving away five (yes five) talking Miffy plush rabbits. To enter: Leave a blog comment below letting me know who the Miffy fan in your house is. For additional entries, follow A Baby on Board on Instagram or Twitter, tweet a message and visit my Facebook page. The prize draw giveaway will open on Sunday 4th October and close on Monday 26th October at 12am. Tiny Pop TV is available on Freeview 126, Sky Guide 617, Virgin 737 and Freesat 605. The photos are of the new, customisable range of Miffy wall art which you can buy from here. a Rafflecopter giveaway More posts: what if milestone cards were made…for mums? A mini toddler room tour and 32 things you’ll obsess about in baby’s first year.

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Autumnal reds and nursery blues

Gillian — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 05:00:04 +0000

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness? Although I love the idea of autumn, in practice it’s never quite as nice as you were expecting. Less warm cosy woollens and more cold and damp coats. Leaves on the line rather than crunching through them underfoot. But the past couple of days have been glorious. Blue skies framed with a tiny hint of frost, no coats at all and proper park weather. This is the type of seasonal change I can happily get on board with. And dry my washing in *cough*. Although the big school start for us is next year, this year Eliza went up to the pre-school room at nursery, head-first and happily excited, coming home full of confidence and chat at what she’s learned that day and a million pictures she’s drawn. And her sister? This time last year I was two weeks away from giving birth. And now… This week we went to her first settling in session at nursery. While I’m excited about work and it’s only two days, nursery is the big wrench for my littlest baby and it seems like it’s come round so quickly. Although I hope and hope and hope she won’t, I know she’ll really hate it at first because she’s so attached and exactly the same as Eliza was. I look back at that time and look at Eliza now and know now it’ll be fine quickly, it’s just….hard. “So what else does Florence like?” they asked me. How do you encapsulate your child, 11 and a half months of pure flesh and love, down to a few sentences? She is more, like every child, than the sum of her nap time schedule. She’s the second sun I orbit around, half of each beat of my heart. She’s the shiniest conker that’s just fallen from the tree. And so little; while we amble warmly into winter, she’s still the earliest of spring. More posts…32 things you’ll obsess about in baby’s first year, baby milestone cards for mums and great things about being the second baby.

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10 unexpectedly brilliant benefits of being the second baby

Gillian — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 05:00:45 +0000

Coming second gets a bad press, doesn’t it? Everybody wants to come first, win, be the one in charge and in control. But is it really so bad being a second baby? OK, so if you’re second you’ll probably never get to ride on the buggy board (which is a lot of fun for your sister when she learns how to use her foot as a break, not so much for your mum). And you won’t get to watch Peppa Pig (banned long ago in our household for the sheer repetitive annoyance factor). But there’s so many positives, not least the honed skills your parents have from doing the trial run with your older sibling. Neglected Second Child Syndrome? It’s more like you should be counting your amazing subsequent baby blessings. So for Florence, me, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana and all the other second born babies, here’s what’s brilliant about it: 1) Pre-loved is SO hot right now. People pay through the nose for vintage, distressed-look clothes. But second babies have all this in hand-me-down outfits and baby gros, barely worn but bound to be slightly faded. And no rifling through rack after rack in charity shops to get them. It’s at their disposal just as soon as someone locates them in the wasteland of the loft. 2) Wrestling’s a valuable life skill it’s never too early to learn. The second timer gets a ready-made playmate who loves to play…possibly a bit too over-enthusiastically. 3) So the first sentence is likely to be the super-sophisticated ‘Careful, mind my head’ As they’ve heard it so often (see above). 4) Because mummy’s too knackered to be neurotic. First time round I obsessed about everything, all 32 of these. Which lead to a lot of trips to baby clinic for another weight check and quiet chat through my long list of questions. This time? Not so much, think we’ve been twice. Which also means… 5) Less time wasted in waiting rooms. 6) A much wider weaning menu. First time weaning = organic, purely healthy produce for a long, long while. Second time? “Mummy, Florence is eating a crisp!” Eliza shouts. No guesses as to how she got that. 7) There’s less of the stress, more of the love. You get all the benefits of relaxed parents and an instant and willing swing pusher. 8) They get lucky in the toy lottery. It stands to reason that with your first baby, all the toys they have are age appropriate. Second baby? Instantly has access to things meant for much older children, and a couple of years of pre-accumulated plastic party bag tat and things from magazines. 9) Freeing up all the spare cash for FUN stuff: Everyone talks about babies being expensive, but are they really? Second babies can just use everything again. And think of all the money saved on NOT going to every baby class going. No monthly Gymboree subscription, no baby yoga, no pricey massage session the mums basically spend chatting. That £1.50 a week for their older sibling’s playgroup session is really good value for money in comparison. P.S. fun stuff = wine, obviously. 10) Because what child doesn’t love screen time? While most parents I know have strict limits on their first child even looking in the vague direction of the iPad, show me a second child who hasn’t accidentally seen Frozen a zillion times, over their sibling’s shoulder and I’ll show you…oh wait, I’m too tired to argue. P.S. Baby milestone cards for mums, warning: parental judgement and taking my baby to the dentist (and other disasters).

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TotsBots PeeNut Review: New Reusable Nappies For Babies

Gillian — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 07:18:23 +0000

We Try Out The TotsBots PeeNut Reusable Nappies We’ve been testing out the brand new reusable cloth nappy system from TotsBots, so here’s our Tots Bots PeeNut review… What Do You Think Of Reusable Nappies? Do you use reusable nappies or stick to disposables? Although it’s fair to say the newer wave of cloth nappies have come on a long way since the very basic ones from when I was a baby, we’ve never actually tried them with either of our girls. First time round I thought the washing and drying would be an issue in our small flat, and second time they’ve just been on the wrong end of a neverending to-do list. So we’re complete newcomers to cloth nappies. However, TotsBots have a huge heritage with cloth nappies, and a glittery award cabinet to prove it. So when we were offered a sneak preview trial of the PeaNut before it was released I thought this sounded like a perfect opportunity. Here’s how we got on. Here’s our TotsBots PeeNut review: What is the PeeNut nappy it and how does it differ from other re-usable nappies? The PeaNut is a day-night, birth-potty nappy system that consists of a waterproof wrap and a bamboo insert. The insert attaches to the wrap with poppers and instead of having to change the entire nappy each time, you just change the insert and liner (you can also double up on the liner for extra absorbency, at night for example). Obviously reusable nappies mean more washing, but there’s less of it with these particular ones. With an adjustable fit, the PeaNut is designed to last up until potty training so you don’t need to buy lots of different sizes as your baby grows. The design is less bulky than other cloth nappies and it’s a simple system with no folding or stuffing. As with all cloth nappies, the PeaNut offers cost and environmental benefits (but more on this later). How To Use The TotsBots PeaNut Reusable Nappies We were sent four PeaNut nappy wrappers (plain and patterned) along with the double inserts, disposable liners and fleece liners. First off, I really liked the prints; they’re bold and fun. We washed the inserts a couple of times before use as recommended and then were good to go. It’s a really simple system; you attach the inserts with two poppers that sit at the front of the nappy, add a liner, then use as you would a a disposable nappy. I do think the overall instructions on the packaging could be more comprehensive – I still had a lot of questions – but the guys at TotsBots were really helpful and I imagine there will be a lot more info on the website when they go on general sale. Eliza was intrigued by the nappies, especially the bright patterns and colours, and before long her toys were wearing them. It’s been an unexpected way of getting her involved. How Do You Wash The TotsBots PeeNut Washable Nappies? The extra washing (and the drying) was my main concern first time round when we lived in a flat and it’s always one of the negatives I’ve heard about using reusable nappies. But from my TotsBots PeeNut review I found that there’s not a huge amount of washing with this design of nappy as the wrap is a single layer of thin fabric, and the insert isn’t huge either. And when you have children you already have so much washing anyway – if you have two children and don’t have the washing machine on most days, tell me your secret – so it’s not really a big thing to do one occasionally at 60 degrees. How Eco-Friendly Are Reusable Nappies Like TotsBots PeeNuts? Like most people with are concerned with our environmental footprint, especially with all the added stuff that comes with children – so we recycle obsessively, try to minimise waste (I’m a big fan of reusable breastpads, for example) and as a positive London-living side effect we don’t drive either. Cloth nappies mean less rubbish being sent to landfill and a 40% reduction of your carbon footprint (more info here). You do use energy to wash them, obviously, but the design of these means there’s not a whole lot more. How Much Do TotsBots PeeNut Nappies Cost? There’s an estimated saving of £500 with cloth over disposable nappies. But you need to make the initial outlay on buying the cloth nappies though. With the PeeNut an entire kit (8 wraps, 2 of each element print & 2 white), 16 pads, a nappy bucket and mesh, wet bag, washing potion and liners) is £195, which is obviously quite a big outlay if you’ve not tried them. However, you can buy them individually – a single pack of one nappy and one day-to-night pad (which is two inserts) starts from £15.99 and a mini pack (two wraps and four inserts) is £42.99. The PeeNut – what’s the verdict? On an efficiency level the fit was absolutely fine with minimal leaks and they worked a lot better than I was expecting. You do change the liner more than you would with a disposable nappy, but not a whole lot more. The biggest issue we found with the PeaNut is that as the insert isn’t attached at the back, the liner and insert would often get bunched up when you’re faced with my active, wriggly baby. And for any kind of vaguely up the back solid incident – parents, you know what I mean – we have to change the whole thing every time, and not just the liner. But it’s nothing too hideous, bodily fluid-wise – although the bamboo insert is absorbent they’re never going to be as efficient as a disposable – but if you’re a parent you’ll be used to it already. Has Our TotsBots PeeNut Review Converted Us To Cloth Nappies? So from our Tots Bots PeeNut review, has the cloth nappy system completely converted us to cloth? We […]

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Save Syria’s children – it could have been us

Gillian — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 23:05:30 +0000

Because, as so many people have said, if you think what drives parents into the sea with their children is greed and not need, that says everything about you and nothing about them. Because of this. Because it could have been and could be us, my family, if not for geography. Because it could have been and could be us, any one of us mothers and parents, being forced to make those decisions. Today I’m joining forces with a group of other bloggers to raise awareness and money for Save the Children’s emergency appeal for Syrian children and the refugee crisis. People will be posting across blogs, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, using the #SaveSyriasChildren hashtag. To donate £5 to Save the Children text the word SYRIA to 70008 (T&Cs here). You can also donate online. And you can read my last post that contains links to resources and other things you can do to help. x.

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Toys, toys, toys

Gillian — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 12:39:32 +0000

Me, pre-children: I’ll never let my house become overrun with children’s toys Me, post-children: Arghhhh! *drowing under an avalanche of toys* Toys do have a habit of taking over your house, don’t they? Eliza’s favourite is currently her Bing play house. Florence’s is either other people’s Sophies‘ or the iPad cable (oh dear). To celebrate everyone’s love of toys, House of Fraser have given me a £30 voucher to giveaway for you to spend in the children’s toys section (or anywhere else on the site). To enter: Let me your favourite child’s favourite toy…anything from Lego to Barbie via Action Man. The prize draw will close at 12am on Monday 21st September. The winner will be picked at random from all valid entries. a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Huggies Style On The Go Review: Three Ways We’re Using New Wipes Pouches

Gillian — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 06:48:24 +0000

Here’s Our Huggies Style On The Go Review Have you heard of Huggies Style On The Go? We review the brand new baby wipe pouch product from Huggies, and look at three different ways you can use them. Plus, a handy hack at the end. Introducing Huggies Style On The Go Last month as part of our role as Huggies Wipes ambassadors we got to meet Fearne Cotton and take part in a photoshoot for a new product for Huggies, the Style on the Go wipes pouches. What Are The Style On The Go Wipe Pouches? Huggies Style on the Go wipes are a set of patterned pouches that give a useful – and colourful – twist to something that’s usually pretty functional,the humble baby wipe. Each pack of Huggies Style and go wipes one holds a portable-sized pack of wipes, are refillable and have a strap so you can keep them really close to hand (or hang them on your pram). Available in three different designs – stripes, florals, and leopard print – the wipe pouches are bright enough that it’s difficult to lose them in even the deepest and most packed baby change bag. Why We Love The Wipes The wipes themselves are made from naturally absorbent fibres – one of the things we prefer about Huggies wipes is the way they feel soft and not squeakily synthetic – and are free from all types of nasties including perfume, alcohol, parabens and phenoxyethanol. Three Ways We’re Using The Wipe Packs 1) For picnics (or anywhere food and children are involved) 2) When we’re out and about (the strap means you can handily hang them from your pram) 3) And a handy trick for when you have to leave the house really quickly… How Big Are The Huggies Style On The Go Pouches? Each pouch is big enough to also fit a nappy and nappy bag in, so it’s all your need really on those occasions when you want to run out of the house but not take your entire change bag, Sling this into the pram and you’re ready to go. Which is your favourite pattern? I’m pretty partial to the leopard print..or the stripes… How Much Do The Style On The Go Pouches Cost And Where Can I Buy Them? Huggies Style on the Go wipes pouches and refills are available from ASDA and other supermarkets and cost around £3.50. Thanks to Huggies for working with us this year. Once You’ve Read Our Huggies Style On The Go Review, Read These Posts: Post-natal depletion – do you have it? Our Bugaboo Bee 5 review and review of our Snuzpod bedside crib Follow me on Pinterest, I’m Gill_Crawshaw

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The G word

Gillian — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 04:45:45 +0000

This weekend we went to a lovely, lovely christening. As we arrived I realised it would be Eliza’s first time in a church when it was actually being used for a religious service (and not a Christmas tree festival or playgroup, as per previous experiences). How would this go? I wondered. Thirty seconds later I found out. E: Why are these people here? Me: *whispering* People come to church because they’re religious… E: *loudly* Because they’re witches? Me: No, religious…that means… E: Do witches steal children? Me: NO! Why do you think that? Oh god…oh god, sorry! Probably shouldn’t say that here E: Say what? Me: Erm… E: Can I have a Babybel? I hand one over in blessed relief. Questions that followed shortly after included: Can I blow the candles out? (“I don’t think you should.”) Why not? (“It’s not your birthday”). Is that a boy or a girl? (“It’s a boy”) Why is he on a cross? (“…”) So we are still in question everything mode – don’t think we’re going to get away from this one quickly, are we, parents? – and religion is clearly one of the big ones. It’s right up there with where babies come from (already dealt with that, thanks Florence) death (not looking forward to that, in many senses) and why you can’t have two ice lollies before your dinner. But it’s not something I’d started to think we’d be talking about yet. I grew up going to Sunday School but swapped it for lie-ins as a teenager, so it’s something I know a lot about but isn’t really part of our lives now. But it’s something she’s bound to encounter more and more outside of the home. I never want to fob her off with a ridiculous answer. But how do you explain tricky, complicated and abstract religious concepts to children when even adults struggle with them? Is it easier or less easy when you’re a believer or a non-believer yourself? With hindsight we got away fairly easily on the question front at the christening, and I guess you have to take it on a question-by-question basis. Is there an app for this? Because there’s definitely no Miffy book, I’ve checked… P.S. we found more letters on our letter hunt this weekend, check them out over on Instagram…

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