Having children can really test your knowledge of the world around you. Suddenly, previously ‘friendly’ places such as the local playground are fraught with potential death-traps, and you find hidden dangers in places you thought you had under your complete control.

A surprisingly dangerous place for your little ones can be your own home. Here’s 5 child home safety tips for you to consider.

You can feel a false sense of security in your own environment, which in itself can lead to complacency. While most of us spent time fixing squashy corners to all of our furniture, shoving fake plastic plugs into sockets and fitting gates to every step and doorway as soon as our little ones could so much as roll over, how many of us thought of moving the bathroom lock up out of reach until after they had locked themselves in?

Even more potentially dangerous is the upstairs windows – kids can climb onto windowsills before you can say Peter Pan, and a small window with only one handle can be opened in a flash if it’s not kept locked. Do you leave your bathroom window open most days?

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If you’re a parent who (like me) is worried about the potential mind-numbing effect of the technology that bombards our children on a daily basis – but you also understand that it is part of life and thus unavoidable – you’ll be interested in a nifty little app called SquiggleFish.

It involves actual, practical creativity (drawing) in a techno-savvy way (clicking).

What you do is, get your little one to draw a picture of a fish and colour it in – then you hold your iPad (or whatever) over the picture and it will come to live. How cool is that!?

The art app for kids is designed for children aged 3 to 7 and aims to use technology as a tool to inspire imagination and creativity.

Here are some tips for achieving best results with SquiggleFish: Continue reading →

Okay, so I have to admit; when I read about “Learn To Tie A Tie With The Rabbit And The Fox: Story With Instructional Song” I did laugh just a bit – I mean, why can’t mum or dad just do the parent thing and dish the dirt on how to tie a tie.

Then it dawned on me; Sybrina Durant’s book uses both song and humour to teach boys and girls about tying ties – to be honest, I don’t think I know a tie-tying song off the top of my head.

I also don’t see the humour in the whole business so perhaps a book is not such a bad idea? And anyone who can write 24 pages on how to teach children to tie a tie deserves attention.

The story’s about a little rabbit that races through the forest mimicking the motions of tying a tie in an effort to escape the snapping jaws of the very hungry fox.

It could be kind of a cool gift for a son, grandson or nephew who is about to start school, or is old enough to engage in the very grownup task of wearing a tie.

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Little Binks is a new online clothing store for kids…with a difference. All the clothing is handmade, using vintage fabrics and recycled materials.

Eco friendly and unique….we like!

Little Binks is owned by Francis Binks who creates all the products in Cornwall. She says she started her handmade childrens clothing business from a love of vintage style, recycling and children’s clothes.

As well as being one-off’s (perfect for your fashion savvy little one), we love the fact that each item was once something else, be it a pair of jeans, t shirt or even a pair of curtains.

We love it for the ‘magic’ your kids will appreciate, as well as the obvious eco benefits.

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Both my daughters are big eaters and took to the whole food thing easily; they happily fed themselves from a young age and I didn’t have to engage in trickery to get them to chow down heartily. Lucky me, right!?

That’s not to say that they didn’t have their moments – children love to play with food and my girls are no different. It’s all part of the fun!

One of the worst habits my eldest daughter worked herself into was biting down on her spoon, and banging it against her teeth when she put it into her mouth. She was out of baby cutlery at this point and I had vision of her precious teeth shattering into pieces leaving her with a snaggle smile and a horrible trip to the dentist.

So I think silicone cutlery is brilliant!

Oogaa does a fabulous range of silicone feeding products that do not support the growth of fungus, mould or bacteria; are odourless and tasteless, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, heat resistant and freezer safe. Silicone doesn’t corrode and stains are easily removed with hot soapy water.

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