Candyfloss & Dreams

Tag: parenting

A Year of Nursery for Felix

For the first time since Felix has been in nursery we were able to go and look around the setting and find out in person how he’s been getting on. This time last year we enrolled him in nursery willing to pay for two sessions a week because we were worried about what the long term impact of covid would have on his social skills. When the pandemic hit Felix was 18 months old and no longer allowed to see family and friends. It was such a crucial age for him. It was heart-breaking when we would go out for our walks and see him try to interact with other people and have to keep him away. We made the decision that preschool would be a good option for him even if we could only afford the minimum of a couple of sessions a week. I followed a recommendation for a preschool in my town because it had a great outside area and forest school aspect which I felt would really benefit Felix.

Now Felix has been in the setting for a year, he’s changed rooms from the baby room up to Hedgehogs and is finally beginning to talk about friendships he’s made. I’m really proud of how much he’s developed with the assistance of preschool and it’s something he absolutely loves attending. We now are able to qualify for the 15 hours of funding which has really helped our childcare costs as it was becoming quite expensive however it really helped him which made it worth it. During our chat with his keyworker last night they told us when Felix started he mostly only played alongside other children but for the last few months he has gradually been interacting with other children and has made some friends which is all I really wanted for him.

His language has really improved too in the last year and you can have an interesting conversation with him. He is very chatty most of the time and still talks with a bit of a made up language which no one seems to understand but him. I think at times he can get a little frustrated because he can’t quite get his point across but he is becoming more and more coherent. I love watching him play as he creates his own imaginary world with his toys and is becoming more and more expressive. His next step at nursery is to listen to instructions better because there are times when he is very defiant. A lot of this is working out his own frustrations and not wanting to do what he is told because he is already doing what he wants to do. I have seen him turn on the fake crying to get what he wants which I can often deter with distractions. I think this is all typical toddler/preschooler behaviour of testing his boundaries and becoming his own person and I have to admit I am finding it a lot easier to deal with than I did with his older sister. Maybe it’s because I’m older now.

I love Evie’s face in this one like “Why is he making me do this?”

We have another 18 months of Felix at home before he will be starting school full time so I want to make the most of this time. I love seeing him develop into his own person. Having spent half his life in a strange position with the pandemic I am glad we are able to give him some normality with nursery and I’m pleased he’s getting on so well. The next thing to tackle soon would be potty training which I’m apprehensive about but I think he’s ready for it and having the support of nursery I think it’s the right time for him.

May 18, 2022
Making Bath Time Fun with Kids Stuff Crazy Bathtime Range

Ad – Gifted Products – I received some products in exchange for this feature. All opinions are my own.

I recently read that if kids are getting a bit bored there are two things you can do to help them – get them outside or get them in water. There are of course times when getting outside just isn’t feasible, especially close to bed time and a bath is something my two-year old absolutely loves. Bath times are fun! I was sent some products from Kids Stuff Crazy Bathtime range to try out and have a bit of fun in water. You can view the full range of products at Crazy for Kids.

Testing Out Kids Stuff Crazy Bathtime Range

He looks so happy! Honestly, it’s been a lot of fun trying these products out with my toddler, Felix. He loves water, he loves a bubble bath and I really think it’s important to encourage young boys to have little moments of self care like this. I know he’s only young but I hope baths continue to make him feel happy and a way to relax. He might not want to always play with foamable soap – although my eldest has had a go too and she still loves fun bath products – an early encouragement with sensory play will help show him that a little bit of pampering and some funky products can sometimes make you feel good.

Felix loves a good bath and having some fun bathtime products from the Kids Stuff Crazy Bathtime Range makes him happy!

We have used similar products in the past to encourage fun water play with him so we were really happy to try the Kids Stuff Crazy Bathtime range. This included the Colour Changing Bubble bath and two bottles of squirty foam soap which you can shape and dissolves in the water. We received a bottle of blue foam soap and a bottle of pink foam soap. This can be used in the bath or for supervised sensory play out of the water. We opt for in the bath to keep it all contained and it still provides some sensory fun. The soaps are described as Hypoallergenic and Dermatologically tested, PH balanced formula to gently cleanse and moisturise delicate skin. SLES and Paraben free. Felix has had no reaction at all to using these products which is brilliant. We had fun with these by squirting them into little plastic pots and making them look like ice cream cones.

Felix was fasicnated by the Kids Stuff Crazy Bathtime range foamable soap.

We haven’t tried the colour changing bubble bath yet from the Kids Stuff Crazy Bathtime range but it looks like another fun product that I’m sure Felix will love. Changing water colour is another fun sensory experience for toddlers. Obviously one of us is always in the bathroom with him to supervise and make sure he’s clean but it’s so much fun watching him explore the foam soap whilst getting himself clean. One of his favourite things to do is shape the foam and then clap his hands so it goes all over the water. The foam is a really soft consistency and just has a sort of soapy/sublte shaving foam scent. It is squishy and dissolves in the water.

Mostly I just love seeing my little boy happy and having fun. He really does love a good bath and having his own products just for him from the Kids Stuff Crazy Bathtime range gives him a chance to be creative and be a little independent by washing his own body. I think sensory play is really important for babies and toddlers and having a fun convinient product that is safe for my babies skin whilst helping to get him clean is a win for me!

Kids Stuff Crazy Bathtime range is available to purchase at Boots and Superdrug. There is currently a promotion running until 6th April for the Colour Changing Bubble Bath. You can also purchase online at Amazon and there is an affiliate link below if you would like to purchase.

March 24, 2021
6 Tips to Encourage Your Kids to Eat Healthier Foods

This is a collaborative post.

Getting children to eat healthy seems to be one of the most difficult parenting challenges. Some kids seem to only want to eat mac and cheese, fries, cookies, and chicken nuggets; ask them to eat some fruits and vegetables and they ignore it at best, or throw tantrums at worst.

So how do you overcome this hurdle? Here are a few helpful tips.

Use Healthier Ingredients

Pick something your child loves to eat, say a cupcake, and learn how to make it with healthier ingredients. For example, replace regular dairy milk with equally creamy and delicious plant-based milks instead. For toppings, do away with the candy sprinkles and use chopped nuts or toasted oats with honey. Show your child that this food that they love is made with a healthy ingredient to help convince them that healthy food doesn’t have to taste bad.

Include Them in the Process

Most children don’t see how the food is made; they arrive at the dinner table with the food already there. They don’t know what you put in, but they are expected to eat it anyway. By bringing your children into the process — from picking the ingredients in the grocery or farmer’s market, down to the preparation and actual cooking — they can get more excited, interested, and invested in what they are eating. What’s more, shopping and cooking together is also an opportunity to have fun and bond. It may even be more helpful if you can grow your own vegetables and fruits. There’s a certain sense of satisfaction in harvesting and eating something you cultivated on your own.

Give Them a Choice

Don’t serve them one dish and expect them to eat just that. Giving them more freedom makes them more receptive to the idea of eating healthy. If you’re serving tacos (lean meat, of course), prepare an array of toppings like cabbage, cheese, lettuce, onions, parsley, sliced tomatoes, and tomato salsa. If you’re serving pasta, don’t mix in the sauce immediately. Let them pick from two or three healthy sauces. Getting into a power-struggle with your children will make them even more rebellious when it comes to eating healthy. You’ll be surprised at how even a little bit of leeway can help encourage kids to eat better.

Try Some Dips

Even the most unpleasant-tasting foods can become palatable with the right dip. Prepare vegetable sticks and a variety (remember: give them choices!) of healthy dips, like hummus, Greek yogurt ranch dressing, salsa, and honey mustard. Your children might even end up requesting for more!

Don’t Shock Them

Once they reach a certain age, children will become naturally wary of trying new foods, especially if they’ve already chosen their favorites. Don’t shock them into eating a huge variety of vegetables all of a sudden. Introduce them slowly; you can even include them in soups or omelettes to ease them in gently. Tell them that eating vegetables and other healthy foods takes a little bit of adjustment, but they will eventually get used to the taste.

Do as You Say

When your kids see you order something unhealthy at a restaurant, they’re likely to copy you and order the same thing. When they see that you dislike eating broccolis but you are asking them to eat it, they won’t be convinced that it tastes good and that it’s good for them. You may also have improper habits, like eating late at night or eating too much at times, which your children may think is normal. So gird it up for the sake of healthy eating, in both your habits and the kind of food you eat — eat better and your children will get into the habit, too.

Final Tips

One more helpful tip is to not keep junk food in the house, and instead keep healthy snack items like nuts, dried and fresh fruits, or even frozen fruit popsicles. You may not have control over what they eat when they’re away from home, but when they are, make sure that there are wholesome options available to them.

Finally, don’t give up. It may be really challenging, but eating healthy — even for adults — is a constant process. Remind yourself that it’s okay to give in sometimes as long as you try again the next day. Good luck!

July 5, 2018
My Breastfeeding Story – I Could Not Cope

I wouldn’t say I’m an advocate for breastfeeding. In fact I have hardly talked about my early day parenting struggles on the blog because I didn’t really think anyone would care but I’ve read countless amount of stories about breastfeeding recently with it being National Breastfeeding Week. I’m not really sure why there needs to be a national breastfeeding week to be honest. I’m not entirely sure why I’m even bothering to write this. So many will disagree, some will agree, a lot of people really wont care but hey, why not share my thoughts and failures too. If it helps. Late to the party, as usual.

I’ve already written about how I feel like I’ve failed my daughter and all the parenting mistakes and mishaps I’ve had. Well, not all but still. I know that breastfeeding is natural and anyone who wants to and can should and should be free to do it wherever they want. I get that people want to defend the right to feed. I don’t agree that mothers should be ushered into a public bathroom to feed their baby. I think that’s appalling actually. I also don’t understand why it’s a common debate between other parents. How does the way another mother feed their baby affect you? Mothers that bottle feed feel judged, mothers that breastfeed feel judged. Surely, as mothers, we feel judged all the time about every single parenting decision we make, can we not just cool off on this one choice? I once spoke to a midwife who said I couldn’t care less how you feed your baby, as long as the baby is fed what does it matter? I wish more people had this attitude.

I breastfeed in total for 16 weeks, the majority of it was combination fed and it was awful. It wasn’t beautiful, it was exhausting. I didn’t enjoy it. I didn’t have support. I didn’t want to feed in public because I didn’t want to get my boobs out in all there massive glory. I also needed about eight cushion to support Evie around my flat tyre belly and I was so scared to move properly because I was terrified I’d rip a stitch from my c-section. I don’t think breastfeeding is beautiful in the same way I don’t think child birth is beautiful. It’s just something that happens…I don’t understand comments that say it’s oh so beautiful and glorious and wonderful. I don’t think I’ll ever see it like that.

My breastfeeding journey was rubbish. When Evie was three weeks old I was told by a nursery nurse I had never met before who came to my house that I was doing a rubbish job, that Evie wasn’t gaining enough weight, that I should give up, that I was a failure. She was absolutely vile to me and I reported her to my health visitor for her attitude. I was 21, I was vulnerable, I was in a horrible relationship, a new mother, recovering from major abominable surgery and I had to face that. So not only was I dealing with the horrible cluster feeds, bleeding nipples, overwhelming tiredness that made me cry, the inability to sleep in my own bed because it was too high for me but to be told I was failing was too much. I gave in, I went to formula and I got a decent night sleep. Evie also started putting on weight. She slept through the night at seven weeks and has done ever since. I don’t feel guilty about my decision to change.

Having another baby has been a very real topic in our household for the last few months although we haven’t decided when it’s brought back a lot of feelings and questions. Do I really want to breastfeed again? Yes, because I do believe that those first 16 weeks gave Evie some goodness which stopped her being so sickly. I’m going to be less fat which will make movement easier (post birth I mean, because I am losing weight!). I’m going to have a supportive partner who actually loves me. However, I do not want to exclusively breastfeed. I don’t want to attempt to do it in public and that is a totally personal choice. I don’t care if other people want to do it, I don’t want to. I don’t want to be the only one that gets up in the night. I want to be able to go out and see family without being dictated by the boob feeds. I want to express and if that doesn’t work I will formula feed.

But I worry. I worry if I start breastfeeding that my baby will not take a bottle and then I’ll be stuck doing something that I understand is good and healthy and natural but something I don’t enjoy. Something that makes me feel trapped and scared because I might not do it right. Something that means it will completely be down to me and I don’t want to be the only feeding parent. The thought of it makes me anxious and makes me want to not even try. I don’t care that this makes me selfish, my body is mine. I know people will probably be thinking oh you might feel different next time around, it gets easier, you might enjoy it. I won’t. I know I won’t because I know that I will get those thoughts of NO in my mind so strongly that out of sheer stubborness I won’t feel happy about it if I can’t express, combination feed or use a bottle. I need options in my life.

So my message is to those that feel like you’re failing for whatever reason you’re not. Don’t let anyone judge your right to choose how you parent, how you feed. Do what works absolutely best for you. Get yourself informed, seek support from and don’t judge yourself. There is a story behind every successful breast and bottle fed baby. Seek them out.

August 14, 2017
An Open Letter from a C-Section Mother

Have you seen that screenshot making the rounds on social media? A photographer refusing to take photos of a baby because the mother had a caesarean section. Each to their own, whatever, but saying a c-section isn’t birth? Really? It made me angry, as a mother that birthed my daughter through c-section. This is my response.

Originally posted on Facebook.

Dear Photographer,

I recently read how you view a c-section mother. I’m sure you’re just another one of those internet trolls begging for viral fame and attention (congratulations, by the way) but I couldn’t let what you said slide.

I couldn’t just say nothing.

Birth is birth. It doesn’t matter how that baby comes out, vaginal, Caesarian, ventouse, forceps, natural, epidural, surrogate whatever. Birth is birth.

Birth is the shortest stage of pregnancy, and the day that you finally, hopefully get to hold someone that you have grown to absolutely worship for nine long, hard months. Birth is the hardest part of pregnancy, it’s also absolutely terrifying. It’s hard work. It doesn’t matter if you’re breathing through the contractions or being prepped for major abdominal surgery.

You do realise that’s what a Caesarian is don’t you? It’s not just a quick nip, it is major. It is a twelve week recovery process. It is a blade that cuts through stomach, muscle, womb…it takes around forty odd minutes to stitch each of those layers back up. 40 minutes before you can really hold your baby.

My c-section was terrifying. Because my c-section was life dependant. My c-section saved my daughters life. I’ve already felt like I failed because I didn’t push her out but oh gosh I tried. I pushed and pushed for two hours despite not having slept for three days and not feeling the contractions probably from my epidural. And I had a fever. I remember then saying I was burning to the touch but I couldn’t stop shaking and I was so so cold. I felt freezing. And I couldn’t push. And I didn’t know what to do. And then many, many faces ran in my room. Forms were pushed in my face, signing away my consent for a c-section that I desperately didn’t want. I didn’t ask for surgery. I didn’t ask to cut the corners you believe us section mothers have. I was frightened for my life, my babies and I was oh so tired.

Then my daughter was born. And eventually I got to hold her. After the stitches. After insisting I felt like I was going to throw up and being given an egg carton to do it in.

When I came home I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even get on my bed because it pulled. I couldn’t properly step into my bath for a shower because it pulled. I couldn’t walk for long miles because it pulled. I couldn’t sit in the car for long because it pulled.

Then after I thought everything was okay. I got a wound infection. I was terrified my scar would split open, that I would actually die. Possibly because of over exaggerated hormones and sleep deprivation but I still felt that fear.

Even now my scar twinges, still pulls. It’s there as a reminder of the day I safely brought my daughter into this world. It’s a reminder that I am and will always be a mother. It is how my daughter was born.

It was not easy. Birth is not easy, birth is trauma on the body. However it happens, no one takes the easy way out. No one cuts corners. No one gets a medal. Well, we get our beautiful babies. And that is worth more to me than any medal.

Sincerely,

A C-Section Mother

February 28, 2017