by: Rony Pollock

Associating fun and play with learning is a fundamental aspect of every child’s growth. It All Starts at Home. The home front is crucial to a child’s development. This is where a child learns about colours, shapes, and sounds, what Yes and No mean, and that asking “why” can almost always generate an explanation. Playing is every child’s first priority. Playtime may only seem to provide pure entertainment, but it is also an integral part of your child’s mental and emotional growth and it provides the provide the following benefits

·         Personality development

·         Awareness of their potentials

·         Promote independent thinking

·         An avenue for creative thinking and problem solving

 ·         Improvement their motor skills

·         Enhance their ability to think and communicate

Toys that Fit Infants – The keywords are soft, safe, and colourful. Vividly colures rattles and squeaky toys will stimulate their sense of touch, sight, and hearing.

1 to 2 years – This is a stage where children start learning how to manoeuvre the things in their hands. They are also beginning to discover that some things are paired together. Toddlers will enjoy building blocks and toys that will allow them to identify and match shapes.

2 to 3 years – Children are beginning to get more creative at this age. They like role playing with other kids or by themselves. Puzzles, Play Cubes, and educational toys that stir their imagination are the best options.

4 to 5 years – Kids are into creative thinking and decision-making by this age. Educational toys that can help enhance these developments include puzzle games and constructions toys.

As children grow older, they become more independent in their choices of what toys to play with. They usually forego free play for games that involve rules and friends. They learn to be competitive. This is the time where parents’ guidance is most crucial. But if you’ve established the foundation by providing your child with educational toys early on, then you may have a child who’s well-developed emotionally and smart to boot.

We’ve all been told how important it is to wear a properly fitted maternity bra to prevent drooping and sagging but just how to you decide which size to buy? The easiest way is to get properly fitted but you can work out your size for yourself which can be helpful, especially if you are purchasing one from the internet or ordering from a catalogue and can’t try them on! 

• Firstly work out what your band size is. Take a tape measure and put in around your body, just under your bust. You should take the measurement in inches and simply round it up to the nearest even number, i.e if you measure 37, then round it up to 38.
• Next you need to work out your cup size. Whilst wearing a non- padded, well fitting bra, measure around the widest part of your bust. This will need to be measured in inches. You will then work out the difference between this measurement and your band size to get your cup size. Every inch of difference between the two measurements is an increase of cup size. i.e if your band size is 36 and your bust measurement is 39, the difference will be 3 inches. As you can see from below this would make you a c cup, so you would be 36C!

When you think of re-usable nappies images of the good old fashioned towelling nappies may spring to mind where you need hours of tuition to just get them folded into a nappy sized shape before you secure them with the biggest safety pin imaginable! Thank goodness those days are over and in their place are easier to use, more modern nappies that are eco- friendly! There are more pro’s too

• Your baby’s poo is now collected in bio-degradle liners which you can simply flush away and then store the nappy in a nappy bucket until you have enough washing to put on a whole load! Easy! Unfortunately it still doesn’t alter the fact that if you haven’t got the convenience of a tumble drier it could mean you house will turn into Madame twanky’s wash room, with lots of nappies drying all over the place!
• It can save you money, you will need around 20 nappies if you are using them full time and half this if you use them part-time with disposables. Give them a few washes before hand and this will help with absorbency. They are actually best after their 3^rd wash.
• There are lots of different types of eco-friendly nappies to chose from, all with funky designs and different shapes and all around the same price. Check them all out as you can find the one that suits you and your baby best.

If you’re still not convinced, there are a few other points to mull over 

• Disposable nappies can take hundreds of years to decompose and most of the nappies we throw away end up in a landfill.
• Some councils are finding it a huge problem and many are so desperate they are offering incentives for parents to use reusable nappies. Get in touch with your local council, as some offer money back if you buy reusable and some even have starter packs.
• If it’s the thought of washing the nappies or having them left drying all over the house or you simply can’t imagine coping with a baby and all the extra time washing then check out  nappy laundering services and let them do the hard work.

You could always use disposables for holidays or times when you need the added convenience and re-useable the rest of the time It’s worth a thought and may make you feel virtuous that you’re doing your bit for the environment?

Choosing a pram or buggy can be more confusing than buying a new car, with so many different styles and features to pick from where do you start? 

You could ask other mums you know for their advice but really choosing the right buggy is as personal as getting the right fit of jeans.

 Think about where you live as this will be a big factor when you make your choice. 

• If you live in a flat or your can’t get to your front door without going up lots of steps then a lightweight buggy/pram would make your life easier.
•  If you live in an area where you will be taking lots of walks on rough pathways or plan on jogging with your buggy than maybe you should look into a buggy or 3- wheeler designed especially for rough terrain.
• If you will be using your car a lot then size is important, it will have to fit into your boot with ease. You could even think about getting a travel system as you could then put your car seat straight onto the buggy without disturbing your sleeping baby.
• If you will be using public transport, choose something that you can easily put up and down with one hand.

Check out as many shops as you can and practice folding them up and down, see how heavy they are to lift and practice pushing them. There will be guidelines and information for most buggy’s and prams so take it all home, read it through and work out the pros and cons. Don’t rush your choice or be influenced by the latest trends. 

It can be easy to choose one just because you like the colour or the look of it but remember that if it doesn’t fit in with your lifestyle you could end up buying another buggy just for an easy life. 

Choosing the correct material, size and getting the right support for your breast is so important when buying a maternity bra. You will be amazed by how much heavier your breasts will become, sometimes they increase by as much as 500g each! This is why it is important to get the correct support for them so they don’t loose their pre pregnancy perky shape! 

What should you choose? 

• Don’t wear your normal underwired bras, not only can they become uncomfortable, they will cause restriction and may even cut into you as your rib cage expands during pregnancy. If you really can’t bear the thought of giving them up, there are some special underwired bras which have been especially designed for pregnancy with soft wires which will accommodate your changing shape.
• Choose bras with wider straps, this will ease any strain on your back or neck.
• Choose the right fabric, an elastane bra in will add support, while a cotton one will be cool.
• Buy a nursing bra that has simple fastening, remember you will probably have to open and close it with one hand! Some mums prefer zips, hook and eye or clips……try before you buy to see what’s easiest for you.
• Last of all but by no means least, make sure you find a bra that still makes you feel feminine and makes you feel good about yourself. Sporty, fun and trendy or sexy, just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t look good in your undies!

It can come as a shock when you suddenly realise that your normal pre-pregnancy clothes no longer fit……it’s the time when you have to go in search of maternity clothes! It can be a little daunting….where do you start looking and what to buy! 

We’ve all seen photos of ladies wearing shapeless tracksuits or skimpy t-shirts with their belly on full show but if this look isn’t for you, there are plenty alternatives. 

• Lots of high street shops have a maternity range, check them out first before the specialist shops, they normally have a good range to choose from and are fairly inexpensive.

• If you only want to buy a couple of items, get some good quality maternity trousers or jeans. They will accommodate your bump as it grows, and you will be able to wear them with lots of different tops.

• Always buy maternity clothes in your normal dress size, they will have made the clothes larger in certain areas without you having to go up a size!

• Really make the most of the fashion at the moment. High street shops are full of flowing smock tops which will have plenty of room to accommodate your bump and you’ll look fashionable too!

• Don’t forget to accessorise with jewellery, ear-rings, scarves and hand-bags!

• Forget your sky scraper heels and get some comfortable shoes. Your pregnancy hormones will loosen your joints, this can make it more difficult to keep your balance. You may not want to have to add to the mix a pair of stilettos!

• Your ankles and calves will expand too, so your lovely snug knee length boots may no longer zip up or if you manage to get them on you could be throwing them away after birth due to them being too stretched!

• If you really want a bargain, check out what people are selling on-line. Some of the items people may never have worn and you could get a whole wardrobe of clothes if they are selling them as a package.

Don’t worry if you feel you are wearing the same clothes all the time. Maternity clothes are not forever, soon you’ll be wearing all your old clothes again. Many of your pre-pregnancy clothes will have been out of circulation for a few months, so it’ll be like getting a brand new wardrobe of clothes and there will probably be a few items you forgot you had.

Christmas is a fun, exciting and stressful time of year, with food to organise, keeping your family happy and so many presents to buy!  No Christmas would be complete without the presents placed under the Christmas tree, but shopping for toys is tricky, if you don’t have a clue what to buy. Searching the shops for the ultimate gift is hard especially if you have left it to last minute! Why is it that everyone else seems to have their basket full and they know exactly what they are looking for!   Need some last minute ideas and inspiration? Here are the ‘Top Ten’ Best-selling Predicted toys for Christmas 2007 

1. Are you smarter than a 10 year old? – Board Game £19.95

2. Baby Annabell version 4-  £39.99

3. Barbie Roller girl,

   Madison-  £12.99

4. Doctor Who-Dalek Sec Hybrid Voice Mask-  £28.99

5. Flytech Dragonfly- £37.99

6. Golden Balls- Board Game £19.99

7. GR8 art Bindeez Super Deluxe Studio Centre- £19.95

8. In The

   Night
   Garden Blanket Time Igglepiggle -£54.99

9. Puppy Grows and Knows Your Name-£ 44.99

10. Roary the Racing Car -£14.99

11. Say What? –Board Game £24.99

12. Transformers Movie Leader: Optimus Prime -£39.99

Good luck, happy shopping and Merry Christmas!

Christmas shopping can be a real headache for us mums, especially if we’ve put it off until last minute and don’t have anyone to look after our baby or toddler while we hit the shops.