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!

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!!

Reports have shown that 25% of children at some stage of their schooling years will get bullied.  As parents the thought of your child being bullied is horrifying but if we remember back to our school days we most likely knew of at least one bully and were lucky if we weren’t one of their victims.  What signs should you look out for if you think your child is being bullied? 

• It’s likely they will want to avoid going to school and will come up with plenty of excuses even if they previously enjoyed school
• They may ask you for money, new gadgets or things that they would never normally ask for.
• They may continually lose their things if the bully is taking things from them.
• Bruises, ripped clothing and sullen behaviour.
• They may suddenly become less academic and lose interest in the things they used to enjoy.
• They may be too scared to use the toilets at school so will be desperate to use the bathroom when you pick them up.
• Sleep problems, bad dreams and maybe even wanting to sleep near you.

Growing up as a victim of bullying can give the child low self esteem and depression so you need to spot the signs and give all the help and support possible.

1. Install confidence in your child. Confident children are much less likely to become a victim but what if your child is not confident by nature? There are some things that you can do.  Get them to stand up straight and with their head held high.

2. Encourage your child to invite their friends back to the house to play out of school hours. Bullies generally like children who don’t have a big social network to back them up. If a bully approaches your child tell them to go and stand next to a group of children even if they are not best friends. This can be off putting for a bully as they much prefer a child on their own, as it is easier to intimidate a lone child.

3. Practice role play at home. As stupid as it might seem, you can give the child ideas on how to deal with different situations, so if a similar scenario does occur they may feel more confident in how to act.

4. Don’t encourage them to hit back. Your parents may have taught you to fight back but bullies are usually stronger and may have allies under their control so it could result in your child getting hurt and their pride damaged,

5. Inform the school of your fears for your child’s safety. Speak to the head teacher and check with them daily so it is not overlooked. Bullying is a serious matter and should be taken seriously.

Research has proven that bullies are usually very unhappy children themselves with poor adult guidance. Most bullies fail to hold down a job, maintain personal relationships and a high percentage are convicted of crimes before the age of 24.

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.

Your child is dry all day and out of nappies yet, seems to be struggling with staying dry at night. It can be irritating, with lots more washing and interrupted sleep, however, bedwetting up to the age of five is considered normal.

1. Try not to get upset with your child even if it is happening in the middle of the night and you are desperate for a decent sleep.

2. Your child may be afraid to get up to go to the toilet in the dark, maybe a night light could help or simply putting a potty in their room.

3. Get a good mattress cover if it is happening regularly.

4. Although cutting back on the amount of fluids they drink may seem like a good solution, the bladder will adjust to the amount of fluid drunk, so in the long term it will adjust to holding less and could cause you more problems.

5. Avoid fizzy drinks and drinks with caffeine before bedtime as these can stimulate the kidneys to produce more fluid.

6. Check to see if something is upsetting your child.

Relax, and try not to get too stressed as this will only make matters worse. Most children simply grow out of wetting. If this does not happening by the time your child starts school, talk to your GP or health visitor who will enable you to get expert help.

You think your child is showing all signs that they are ready for the potty……what now? It can be a really nerve racking time, finally removing the nappy. It can make you anxious but try as hard as you can to remain calm or you will just make your child anxious too! Relax, be prepared for a few accidents and try to spend time at home where you have the potty within easy reach and a spare change of clothes.  

• Leave the potty around where your child can see it and get to know what it is for.

• It’s a great example if you let your child see you using the toilet and explain what you are doing.

• If your child regularly opens his or her bowels at the same time each day, take off the nappy and suggest they use the potty instead.

• As soon as you see your child knows when he or she is going to pee, try the same thing.

• If your child does manage to use the potty successfully, give them praise, but don’t try to make it a big deal.

You will probably be brimming with excitement if they do use the potty but try to be calm and save the celebrations until they are in bed! If your child gets upset at the idea of having to use the potty, pop their nappy back on and try again in a few weeks time, they may need a little more time. 

Your child will know when their time is right for using the potty, just offer plenty of support and encouragement!

No more nappies to change, may be a great thought but it’s also a little daunting….just when is it the right time to put them in pants and get out the potty? Children get bladder control when they are physically ready for it and want to be dry and clean. The age varies greatly so don’t compare your child with others.

·         By the age of around two children are dry during the day.

·         Most children can control their bowels before their bladdersThe good news is that .

·         By the age of three, nine out of ten children will be dry most days All child have the odd accident, it can happen when they are busy and simply forget because they are too engrossed in whatever they doing! Excitement or being upset can also bring on the odd accident.  Just remember that when your mother-in-law keeps telling you that all her children were in pants by 18 months of age, don’t feel like you are failing! It was a long time ago that her children were small and time distorts our memories and don’t forget all children are different. You shouldn’t force your child to use a potty, just give plenty of encouragement when you feel the time is right and you can see that they want to use it.  Some signs of being ready for the potty are.

·         They are aware that their nappy is wet or dirty

·         They tell you when they are doing a wee!

·         They may even  tell you they are about to do a wee