This is what my mummy friend said to me this week (re: ditching her three-year-old’s dummy): “Poor Asa is going cold turkey on his birthday, but he just doesn’t know it yet…” – verbatim. I laughed.

Of my mummy friends whose kids have dummies, it seems that going cold turkey is the most common approach to giving it up. I’ve heard funny stories attached to the sudden disappearance of dummies; my mum-in-law told me that she told her daughter that bees carried her dummy away.

There are lots of amazing things you could tell your child when you’ve decided that it’s time for his/her little plastic friend to make an exit; Bambi made you do it (although your child will never like poor Bambi again), Santa took it to the North Pole, uh…it got lost (lame) or, just like homework, the dog ate it.

Just joking.

Here are some (real) tips to help your child give up dummy:

1) Limit dummy usage – like, only at sleepy time etc.

2) Talk to your child about giving dummy up. Even if you think your child will freak out, it’s worth trying to explain that dummy is no longer needed.

3) Set up a ‘give up dummy day’ – so that your child has time to prepare, even if the knowledge is hidden somewhere in the unconscious. Continue reading →

In a recent article in “The Telegraph”, it was revealed that working mums have to work a full-time job for 4 months to break even on childcare costs.

A study conducted by Mutual Family Investments  found that on average, a mum will pay £7,127 a year to a child minder or nursery and would need to work for 17 weeks a year in order to make back these costs.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to take advantage of the free early education offered by the government. So, what’s the deal?

Basically, 3 and 4-year olds are entitled to 15 hours of free early education each week for 38 weeks of the year. Children become eligible from 1 September, 1 January or 1 April following their 3rd birthday.

The free early education can be at: nursery schools, children’s centres, day nurseries, playgroups and pre-school, childminders or Sure Start Children’s Centres.

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The other day I was out with a mummy friend and we both had our babies with us; both of us sat our children on the floor dumped our handbags in front of them, and the party took three seconds to start.

Before five minutes was up, handbag paraphernalia including hand cream, mascara, lip gloss, concealer, nail polish, hair ties, an oyster card and a small hairbrush were littered all over the floor – little hands were grabbing, chewing and investigating with great glee.

Handbags are every baby’s dream toy. Forget teddies, teething rings and rattles – handbags are where it’s at!

There is however a downside to allowing your handbag to be used as a digging fest for an eager baby:

Firstly, your bag has to be baby friendly; meaning nothing small or indigestible – no half eaten packs of chewing gum, small butterfly clips (I love these), throat lozenges, headache pills… you’ll be amazed at the tiny bits of junk that accumulate in your bag.

And don’t think that hiding your ‘unfriendlies’ in a zipped pocket will keep them out of baby’s reach. The little critters are most adept at opening and shutting anything that they are not supposed to, especially when you aren’t looking! It’s a skill.

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My family is mad about Dr Seuss. I love the man, so does my husband, and my children have followed suit – perhaps without much option (let’s just say that there has been a great deal of ‘cat in hat’ indoctrination going down in my home).

“Green Eggs and Ham” goes down a treat and nothing beats “There’s a Wocket in my Pocket”.

And there’s a cool iPad app for children to further my (children’s) fanaticism re the almighty Seuss…A Dr Seuss app!

Named one of the TOP 25 iPAD APPS FOR KIDS by Time Magazine (September 2012), “Dr Seuss’s Cat in the Hat Colour & Create” app is a must have for not only enthusiasts but children who like to… well, colour and create.

The iPad app for children features include:

• nine tools for little hands to get creative with, including a Confetti Cannon, Magic Hat animated effects, crayons, chalk, paint brushes, tap-to-fill paint bucket, stickers, and patterns.
• two colouring packs, and a total of 16 pages to colour.

• 32 colours, 16 stickers, 11 Seuss patterns, 6 Magic Hat effects, and 3 types of confetti.
• a sharing tool enabling parents to send their child’s masterpieces to friends and family.
• a Design Shop within the app offers additional colouring packs and bonus art supplies for sale.

A new version of the iPad app for children contains a new art tool (chalk) as well as improved social media effort.

The app costs £2.49 on iTunes – CLICK HERE to download.

If you’re looking for a fun family trip in 2013, Legoland is an easy answer. And now with a brand new play zone due to launch in May, there is more incentive to get your family down there for a weekend.

Duplo Valley is the new themed land and it has been designed especially for pre-schoolers.

It’s a water play area with all the fan fair that has come to characterise Legoland. Duplo Valley is to be a cacophony of Duplo’s most popular characters, animals and vehicles as well as toddler friendly rides, creative wet play areas and spectacular water features. To whet your appetites, here are some of the features that you can expect:

• a menagerie of DUPLO animal friends – from lions and giraffes, to zebras and elephants.
• the largest water structure in the UK especially designed for maximum soaking aka the Duplo Drench Towers (WOO HOO!).
• a ‘dodge ‘em type outsized tipping brick.
• River Rapids water slides.

Continue reading →