When your children start getting their milk teeth it is a good idea to get them into a regime of caring for them. 

·         Brushing their teeth can be a fun exercise that they enjoy and make part of their daily routine. Buy some tooth paste especially formulated for children which come in all sorts of yummy flavours. Let them see you brushing your teeth and make it fun rather than a chore. 

Avoid sugar! Sometimes this is easier to start from an early age but even then sugar is hidden in lots of foods that perhaps you may not realise. 

·         Risks, baby drinks and even some tinned baby food can contain too much sugar. ·         Avoid giving your child juice or sugary drinks in a bottle. The teeth end up being bathed in sugar for a long time and can rot your child’s teeth.

·         Don’t give sweets as a treat or as a reward, it gives sweets a high importance. Why not give other things like stickers, bubbles or agree to go on family bike ride!

·         Avoid having lolly pops, fizzy drinks and squash as part of their normal diet and just give them occasionally, maybe at children’s parties. You may even find that they’re not really that bothered by them.

·         Get them to help you make smoothies with lots of different fruits; they will enjoy making them and tasting them. 

Children who eat sweets every day have almost double the decay than those children who eat sweets occasionally.

The age that babies get their milk teeth varies. Some babies are born with a few a teeth while others don’t get a single

tooth until after their first birthday!  Most babies will generally get their first tooth around six months old. They normally appear at the bottom in the front first and you may find that their first tooth may appear without you even realising. Although for others not so fortunate, you may be aware of it coming for a long time before it actually makes an appearance. 

What are the signs of teething? 

·         Dribbling, you may find you will need to pop on a bib to avoid their clothes getting wet!

·         Gnawing on anything and everything they can get near their mouths

·         You may find they are fretful and hard to settle. How to ease their discomfort?  ·         Try giving your baby something to chew on such as a cold teething ring, a bread stick or peeled carrot (stay with them though to avoid choking!)

·         Sugar free teething gel may help if you rub it on their gums.

·         Sugar free paracetamol can also offer relief for them. Avoid giving them anything sugary to gnaw on as this can cause tooth decay even with only one or two teeth. Many parents put all sorts of upsets down to teething such as diahorrea, nappy rash, crying more than usual, coughs and colds. Be careful not to put all the blame onto teething as it could be something else!

Recording your baby’s first smile, laugh, wave and teeth is something that I think many of us forget to do.  

We think we will remember, how could we ever forget……but 5 years later if someone asked me how old my daughter was when she said her first word I doubt if I could answer accurately. Some moments are etched forever in my memory, like her first steps and her first smile and I know roughly when she finally used the potty and no longer needed nappies, the rest is a memory but one I probably couldn’t answer to a specific time or date. 

So if someone buys you one of those lovely books to write down all your baby’s precious moments, take time to fill in the blanks. 

A few years later you will be thankful you did. It will be a great book for your child to keep and read about themselves. Pop in plenty of photos along will all the time and dates so that when your little one has grown up you can look back and remember with clarity and not the foggy haze that those of us have, who never took the time to fill in the blanks!

Going away for a holiday in the sun can be fun for everyone, especially the children. They can really enjoy the outdoors and make the most of the beach or pool.  

We’ve all seen plenty of advice about sun safety and we should all be aware of using plenty of high factor sun creams and staying out of the mid-day sun.  

What other things can we do to enable them to make the most of their holiday without spoiling it or constantly nagging them to come back to have their sun cream reapplied. 

• Get your child a ‘legionnaire’s hat or big floppy hat that covers their neck. The neck is one of the worst places for sunburn and can cause sunstroke. You can even get legionnaire’s hats that are made of swimsuit material so they are protected in and out of the water.
• We all know children should wear a high factor cream but it can be a pain getting them to keep still whilst applying it. Why not get a coloured sun cream? Maybe get a green one and play the monster game where they have to cover themselves in monster camouflage. You will be able to see any areas missed and they will enjoy putting it on. You can get some really funky coloured sun blocks for their nose and cheeks.
• Cover them up in long sleeve t-shirts over their swimsuits. If you are out and about away from the beach or pool, you will find that a thin long sleeve cotton top is just as cool as a t-shirt and will protect their arms.

Have fun, take some after sun just in case and pop it in the fridge. Enjoy your holiday but just remember how powerful the sun can be, you don’t want to put your children at risk of skin cancer later in their life!

Many parents probably enjoy a week-end away without the children. It enables you to enjoy yourselves as a couple and do all the things that normally prove impossible when the children are around demanding your attention. Talking, enjoying a meal together or simply reading the paper. 

I had heard countless stories from friends about their romantic breaks and thought that we could probably benefit from a nice break away too.  So with my parents installed in our house and endless lists that I’d written on how to use every electrical appliance and all the phone numbers of anyone they may need from the plumber to the neighbour at the end of the road, we set off for

I couldn’t believe we were going and although my friends told me I’d feel free as soon as we were on the tarmac ready to fly to freedom all I felt was worry that they wouldn’t be able to cope without me!  

On arrival my husband assured me a quick phone call would calm my nerves but after hearing how the dog had wandered from room to room looking for me, how both my mum and daughter had to be comforted by my dad with him consoling their tears telling them that I would be back soon, left me feeling like blubbering too. 

So could I relax……well frankly no! I counted the hours and tried to relax but the worry was there. Was it worry about my parents not coping? Our daughter missing us? Maybe both but I think mostly it was guilt, I always feel that I need to look after everyone and do everything.  

Maybe next year I’ll try again but right now I’m just glad to be back in the chaos of home………..for those of you who do manage a week-end of pure relaxation please tell me how do you manage to switch off and enjoy it?

Children’s parties are a time of great excitement for your offspring, do they want a bouncy castle, children’s entertainer, face painting or a trip for all their friends at a local play centre?   It can prove to be an expensive time and the pressure can really be on to fulfil your child’s expectations and keep up with their peers! 

What do you go for?

 ·         The easy on the nerves but hard on the pocket choice and have a party at a local attraction? You can let the organisers do all the work whilst you sit back and relax. ·         Do you attempt to have a party at home, inviting all the family and good old fashion party games? 

For me there is now no choice….after 5 years of entertaining children at home I have finally admitted defeat!  Home parties are exhausting! Everyone will want a little piece of you, questions will be ringing in your ears, children will be hanging off your skirt tails, tears will be flowing over you not letting them win the games. Not forgetting the children that go awol from the designated party area and you find them in your bedroom trying on your brand new and very expensive new lip gloss with blobs spread nicely across the floor! Adults will enjoy the free flowing wine and beer whilst you pop corks, wash glasses and mop up spills. 

Shall I rant on?  Glasses will be broken, face painted children will manage to smear their beautiful works of art onto your beige sofa and chocolate fingers will be on your expensive curtains. Your fridge will be empty, you will be the only one who doesn’t eat, drink or get to sit and chat and at the end of the day you will ask yourself has it been worth it? What do you think? For me next year we’ll be heading off to Euro Disney and it will still probably cost less than the party at home!  

What will you be planning at party time?

The children can’t wait…yippee….no school but just how do you entertain them for not only a day but weeks! 

School holidays can be a time that some parents dread, keeping your little ones occupied can be a full time job and not to mention expensive. If the weather is not on your side it can prove to be costly and exhausting. Theme parks, ball parks and other specially designed play areas are great and the kids will love them but it can really pull on the purse strings. 

• Swimming is always a good way to get rid of some of their endless energy and you can have fun too. Stretch it out by stopping in the pool café for a hot chocolate and a bun.
• Parks can be a great way of getting out of the house. If it’s sunny take a picnic, ball, kite anything that will keep them out and enjoying the fresh air. Arrange to meet up with friends and get them to enjoy a game of rounders. It will keep you fit and you may even find yourself really enjoying the exhilaration of getting back to home base!
• Bake a cake, make fairy cakes or even something as simple as chocolate crispy cakes.
• Make a book where you have to find things such as certain flowers, trees or insects and leave a space to write in the time and date of where you spotted them. You can make this book together by cutting out pictures from magazines, drawing things or simply writing lists of things you could spot. If you live in the city you could look out for cats, cars anything that you think your children will have fun looking out for.

Talk to your friends and meet up as much as possible, get them to share their ideas of the fun things they do to fill the holidays and before you know it they will be back to school!!

Sometimes there is no doubt that your child is unwell, however there may be times when you can’t tell! One minute they seem really sick and then the next they are running around the lounge playing with their toys. 

Things to check for if you are unsure: 

• Running a temperature

• Vomiting

• Crying more than usual

• Not eating or drinking

• Listlessness

Sometimes just sitting back and observing them will give you a good idea on how sick they really are. Some children like a lot of fuss and will appear worse than they really are if they see you are worrying about them.  

You know your child more than anyone else and you should trust your own instinct, if you are worried then you should consult your doctor.  After visiting the doctor if your child isn’t getting any better or even seems to be getting worse then contact your doctor again. Sometimes we may feel like we are being over protective but it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

If you can’t get to see you doctor again and feel like you need to get your child seen then you can call the NHS direct number where they will give you advice over the phone. They may suggest you taking your baby straight to the nearest hospital for an examination or you may just decide to take them directly there yourself.

It can be infuriating, you’re trying to get them ready for school but you seem to be the only one rushing around whilst they are finding amusement in teasing the cat or getting out their paints on the new lounge carpet. 

Children know when you’re getting cross but still push you to the limit watching you get more and more upset with them. What can you do? 

• It’s easy to say but don’t expect perfect behaviour, we’re not perfect and don’t behave perfectly all the time. They can have ‘off’ days too! They don’t have the pressures of life that we do, if only we could be carefree children again for a day or two!

• When your child does things you have asked them to do, give plenty of praise. They will enjoy having a happy parent and will learn that good behaviour results in a happy parent.

• Stop nagging, ask them once and then tell them you will only ask one more time. Make it final. Nagging can become a habit and they will start to get used to you begging them to do as you have asked. Does it really matter that they are still in their pyjamas? Who will be more embarrassed, you or them? If you have asked them to get dressed, given them one warning and they are still not dressed then take them out in what they have on. They may decide to listen to your request next time!

• If  you shout when you are tired or feeling angry because you’ve had a bad day, say sorry and explain to them why you got cross.

• Try and do things in a different order. If you know your child will take ages getting their shoes on just before you are ready to leave for school, then do it together as soon as they get dressed.

• If your child takes ages cleaning their teeth, do it together, get a timer and make a game of it. Try to put some fun in the boring everyday chores.

• If they make a fuss getting dressed, try having a race. Lie all your clothes out together and make it a challenge to see who is ready first. For younger children you can do the same thing but with a much simpler challenge.

We all dream whilst sleeping, some of us experience vivid dreams for others we never remember a thing. Most children however will experience nightmares at some stage between the ages of 18 months and around 3 years.  What causes them?It could be something that has upset them, they have heard a scary story from their friends or seen something frightening on the television or maybe they are feeling nervous about something. Upon waking they may not even remember their nightmare but they will need lots of cuddles and comfort. Night terrors

These are when your child may be screaming, crying out and thrashing about in their bed. Sometimes they may even get up and talk. Although you want to help them escape their night terror it is best not to wake them in the middle of one. If your child is experiencing a night terror at the same time every night you could try to gently wake them up at least 10 minutes before to break the pattern. It will mean you will have to set your alarm clock but could solve the problem. Keep them awake for a few minutes before letting them drift off back to sleep. They may not even remember you waking them in the morning even if you are feeling the effects of broken sleep! Most children grow out of these and they are not normally caused by anything upsetting.