Tag: kids

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Family

Six More Mondays Till Xmas!

This time last year I was super organised. I had presents all sorted, some purchased and even some wrapped up ready for Christmas Day. I was a planning and organising machine.  I was all over it and made sure no one got forgotten. (One other mum asked me in September last year if I had sorted the kids Christmas presents. I gasped with shock at this comment. Why would I get their Christmas gifts sorted when they just had their birthday? She said that she had kids in December and since I was due to have Alexander in January and we had no idea if he would come in Dec/Jan it might be best to get things sorted just in case I ended up in hospital. Geez I had not thought about this. At first I thought I had plenty of time and how silly to be doing it in September. Although I looked at the calendar and due to being very pregnant thought I best get organised.)

Now the same time this year I am not in a super organised state. I have a few gifts purchased and none for immediate family only a gift here and there for my husbands family so far.

Nothing has been purchased for the kids so far.

I hear you gasp in the disbelief of this comment. However it is very true

So why am I not on the ball this year? Well I have not been motivated due to the kids being very naughty and horrible. Every time I do something lovely for them they act like terrors straight after and make me wish I shouldn’t have bothered. Does this happen to you?

Today is the 11th of November and that means that there is only 6 more Mondays to go before it is Christmas! Yes you read that right! Not long to go now.

I have even added the friendly text “DON’T PANIC” so it might calm you down. Yes very Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

DON'T PANIC - There are only 6 more Mondays until Christmas Day! Yes you read that right. Not long to go at all!
DON’T PANIC – There are only 6 more Mondays until Christmas Day! Yes you read that right. Not long to go at all!

 

Are you the type of person who purchases Christmas presents all year?

I sometimes do this. I see something that is perfect for someone and buy it and squirrel it away. One issue with this technique is that you need to remember where you have hidden the presents. You don’t want to be in a panic and have to race out and get a few new gifts due to not being able to find your clever organised gifts that you of course cannot find.

Or do you do all the shopping in the few weeks before Christmas Day?

Maybe you like to race around the shops on Christmas Eve and get the last minute specials. I for one would hate fighting the traffic and the people if shopping on Christmas Eve, that would be annoying.

I have seen some items for the kids but they are so expensive and of course we would need to get two of them so I dismiss them, then of course they turn evil and then my nice thoughts of going Christmas gift shopping has been sidelined to annoyance and why was I bothering at all.

This has been uttered more than twice from me to the kids, “If you don’t start listening and behaving Christmas is going to be cancelled!” Yes bad mother alert here. Have you threatened to cancel Christmas? Let me know if you did and how that worked out?

Don’t get me wrong I am not a scrooge. I love this time of year, the holidays and giving to others. The one thing that is driving me mental is that I race around doing for everyone and don’t seem to get much in return. Yes I have my cranky pants on today, maybe the cranky pants have been cleaned and worn again due to the constant drama in our house at the moment. Don’t think that I never clean my pants due to being cranky a lot! (I just had to put that in here)

Kermit helping decorate the tree for Christmas. He has done a great job don't you think?
Kermit helping decorate the tree for Christmas. He has done a great job don’t you think?

Is it the age that the kids just ignore you? Don’t listen? Race off and never come back when they are called? Hurt each other and more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you can see I am not a happy camper with the idea of rushing off to reward little peoples bad behaviour. I do think that it is the fact that they are so tired due to it being the end of the year, they are super excited about holidays, being in a new grade next year and of course Christmas. Do you find that your kids go a bit silly at the end of the year?

There is still time to get a few gifts for the kids before the actual day. I am just wondering what to give my darling girls this year. I don’t want little toys that will get lost and also cost a fortune. I don’t want more stuffed teddies as they have so many already, they don’t need more dolls although they have asked for some. I could get them more LEGO but they might get annoyed it is not something different. I do like to get them a set of LEGO to add to their collection (due to the fact they both love to create LEGO I like to make sure they have enough to share, hence adding to the collection).

I have been asked to get horse or a kitten, we will not be getting a horse due to space and costs but the kitten will have to wait until we are in our new house.

Are you organised for this Christmas?

Have you had to deal with kids being naughty and not behaving? Do you tell them to act nicer or else they might not get pressies on Christmas Day?

Let us know what you do to make things easier this time of year.

Categories
Family

What will he be like?

I have been thinking back to this time last year. This time last year I was very pregnant and over it. Anytime after 34 weeks was overdue for me. Yes sounds crazy but when you have twins at 34 weeks and 2 days you start to think that anything over is just horrible. Who would have known that I would have gone full term and had my third child exactly on the 40 week mark.

So what have I been thinking about?

During our pregnancy we did not find out the sex of our baby. We like the surprise. I found myself while at the twins school during home reading wondering if I had a boy will they be like this little boy or the other little boy. Will he be particular about certain things? Will he want to tell me about his favourite thing to do like some of these kids do? What will the child look like if it is a boy?

If the child was going to be girl, would it be like the twins with looks? The twins are blonde, although I was hoping that at some point we might have a red head (my mum has red hair..maybe the third child will be a red head?)

Our little boy actually seems to be getting auburn hair or at least that is what it sometimes looks like. Some days it looks like it is going red or lighter and some days it just looks like brown hair.

My cute little boy asleep... I just love his cute pouty lips and kissable cheeks.
My cute little boy asleep… I just love his cute pouty lips and kissable cheeks.

I had all sorts of thoughts about how the baby will look, will it be a boy/girl, what will this new little person be like and I hope that the girls love their new sibling too. I suppose these are valid concerns while pregnant.

While at the school yesterday and again this morning I caught myself thinking the same type of thoughts about what our little boy Alexander might like when he gets older. I read with the girls classes so each day I take a different group of kids. One kid has long lanky legs with knobbly knees, just like my little girls. I am sure our little boy will look similar but hard to see it when he is getting more plump due to being a cute and cuddly baby.

I even time traveled a bit seeing what my little boy might be like at Kindy. He would be wearing shorts although they would be too big and look more like pants. His hat would also be too big so it would need to be made tighter to accommodate a little head, and his school bag would look enormous next to a small little boy. I would be doing the same for him as I did with the twins, helping him learn to read and also volunteer in his classroom to hear him and other kids read.

School for Alexander will not start until the year 2021 if I have calculated right. By this stage the twins will be in high school. At least when the twins are in high school they can make their own way home (I can hope).

Have you caught yourself daydreaming about what your child would be like? Did you do it when pregnant and now when they are a baby?

I catch myself all the time thinking about the future:

  • What will they be like when older?
  • What type of jobs will they be doing?
  • Will they travel?
  • Will they be happy?
  • Will they find lovely partners that they are happy with?
  • Will they have children?
  • Will they be successful regardless of what type of job they do… as long as they are happy that is the most important thing.

So as you can see I think about a lot of things when I daydream about the kids.  Do you do this as well? Send me a comment to make me feel that I am not the only one.

Categories
Family

A Pox On Our House

What a start to the school holidays we have had. Baby was sick, one of the girls was sick, I was sick and finally hubby was sick. Only one kid escaped the germs due to her getting it a week before and starting this whole mess. Yes, I am blaming her, well if it was not her it is possibly something we picked up from school or who knows where. So maybe I shouldn’t blame anyone really.

We have been hit with the horrible gastro bug. I am pleased to state that I am much better and happier than I was a few days ago. If you did see me I am sure you would claim that I looked like the undead and although afflicted with the need to throw up and not leave the bathroom I had to care for kids as well. Not a great mix if you ask me.

This horrible germ that made all our life hell for days has been vanished! No more. You are not welcome in my house!
This horrible germ that made all our life hell for days has been vanished! No more. You are not welcome in my house!

At one point I finally put the baby to bed and then was able to go to bed myself for a little rest. However, this rest was interrupted by one of the girls who was very ill herself and she made a mess in the bathroom and needed help. I must say that this one part that I loathe, helping clean up mess when others have been ill…It just makes me sick also. I took a while to gather myself and then finally tided up the bathroom and as you can imagine my time with a baby sleeping had ended so I had to get him up and sort him out too.

I am not sure what type of bug we picked up but it was not good. It made all my joints hurt and have headaches for days. I have been washing, scrubbing and making sure we don’t spread the germs. Yes, as you might imagine I have like everyone in the house is constantly washing their hands to just make sure; to the extent that I have realised that some of the soap that I have been using is irritating my skin.

I got better, then my little girl got better, the baby got a little better, and then the one person who did not get the bug was struck down. Hubby finally got ill. It was terrible as he was very sick and sad to say that he now has a full appreciation of how bad this germ really was. I do think he knew it was not good, but once you have had it you have a different understanding.

Do you end up really ill with sick kids and have to mind them? I did this and it was not fun. Sad situation is that being a mum means that when you are sick no one comes to help you out.

No sick days, no days off, and rarely any help. I was lucky that I got some help but in the peak of the storm (Yes I am comparing it to a storm due to the fact that I was harassed by three children, I was ill, the baby was ill, and one kid was also ill. I was not able to just go and have a sleep and let someone else help. Or have baby be minded. If I needed to be sick I had to do that while the baby screamed. I needed to try and sort myself out before I tended to him or else it might have been even messier) I had no help. Hubby had arranged to do some work for a mate and he was in the middle of it when I needed him to come home.

You don’t plan to be sick. You don’t know where you are going to be when you might need to come home and help a loved one. It might be that easy to suddenly leave work. I do understand that. However, I got annoyed. Why was I so annoyed? Well it seems that every time I am really ill, I have to soldier on. I have to go it alone and that means that I have to care for kids while being unwell.

I was grateful that hubby came home as quickly as he could but it got me thinking…. if I was at work or a function and the same happened to him, would he be annoyed at me if I delayed my return? Would he accept the fact it is work or would he just want the support and help in his time of need?

When the twins were babies they got really sick. I was in the same predicament. I got ill caring for the kids and then all three of us were throwing up, and I was the only one caring and cleaning up for all of us. It was tough. What I wouldn’t have given for someone to just come and look after us all. I just wanted to go to bed and to sleep.

Have you been in this situation? Sick kids, then you are ill and you have to manage to care for it all? Do you have family or friends that lend a hand? Or are they frightened to enter the house of germs?

Categories
Family

Tired or Just Acting Up?

What is it with the kids lately? Every morning they get up and argue. Not only are they arguing they are yelling, screaming and just being horrible.

On top of the yelling, screaming and arguing, they are ignoring anything I say and not doing what they are told. Also when I have asked them to come and sort something out, they race off in the opposite direction to play or hide in the backyard.

Are your kids being mischievous and naughty lately? Is it due to the end of school or something else?
Are your kids being mischievous and naughty lately? Is it due to the end of school or something else?

Is this just kids being out of sorts due to the end of term?

Holidays start next week and this Friday is the last day of school.  If this is what they are doing now I am fearful of the holidays.
I have told the kids that if they continue this terrible behaviour their holidays are going to be very sad and boring. I said that they can stay in their room and tidy it up and if all tidy they can play in there. This you can imagine was met with more yelling and crying!

My reaction to all of this is, what the hell is happening? What is the problem and when can I go on holiday? Why can’t I curl up and ignore people too?

I did take myself to the corner of the house and just have a big yell and scream to let out some annoyance at the stupid and silly behaviour. Aside from this a nice spa retreat alone would do me just fine!

Since this happened all again this morning I need some nice quiet alone time. I still have the noise in my head and I find that time relaxing helps me feel better. I’m telling the kids that they just need to speak nicely to each other and to calm down. I don’t want the yelling and horrible behaviour as it impacts your stress levels, how you feel and it is not good for any of us.

It is also draining to have to deal with this daily and sort it all out. I’m having the same conversations with the kids each and every day…. I am so exhausted I could go right to bed now.

  • Are you having the same things happen in your house?
  • Are your kids acting up? What do you think the issue is?
  • Could it be the end of term? Are they just over tired and need a break?
  • Could it be a full moon or something else mystical (you never know right?)

Send in your ideas so that I might know why we are having crazy days lately.

 

Categories
Family

Happy Eight Years Girls + Sharing with Roald Dahl

Today my lovely twins, Julia and Lillian are eight! Yes they are eight years old already! How it has flown by so quickly. I remember when they were little babies and we had just got back from hospital. Although I think back to how small and little the girls were the same is happening with our little baby boy, Alexander. He is now eight months old and in the blink of an eye he will be one! Yes one….. well maybe not the blink of an eye but very soon. It is already September and will very soon be Christmas and then January will be here and also Alexander’s first birthday.

 

The girls are eight years old today! Yes they were super excited to be turning eight and also up extremely early to open their presents. Mummy was also up very late baking and decorating cupcakes for the kids to celebrate at school on their actual day.
The girls are eight years old today! Yes they were super excited to be turning eight and also up extremely early to open their presents. Mummy was also up very late baking and decorating cupcakes for the kids to celebrate at school on their actual day.

One thing that the girls are happy about is the fact that they share a birthday with the wonderful and talented author Roald Dahl. He would have been celebrating his 100th birthday today. My girls love Dahl’s stories and I loved them as a kid and still do. He has brought joy and laughter to so many. I think my girls feel rather special to have been born on the same day.

So if you are wanting to celebrate Roald Dahl’s birthday here are some events from around the world that you might be able to get to. I must admit that this is not a full list. It might be well worth checking out the local bookshop or library in case they are having an event this weekend or today.

Events to celebrate Roald Dahl’s 100th Birthday:

NSW

VIC

WA

 

NEW ZEALAND

  • Roald Dahl 100th Birthday Celebrations – Tuesday 13th of Sept, 3.30pm – 4.30pm. Shirley Public Library, 36 Marshland Rd, Shirley, Christchurch

 

UK/USA

 

Happy Birthday to everyone that has a birthday today. The kids had a great time opening their presents and were super excited about the fact that they got a new scooter and cannot wait for it to be put together, oh and some of the other pressies were hits also.

More baking for me this week as the girls have a party in the park with their mates from school this Saturday. Let’s just hope that I will be able to get the cake done without staying up till midnight.

Oh and Happy Birthday to my wonderful and amazing little girls! They are such lovely little people and having a twins has been such a joy. I cannot believe you are both eight years old today and cannot wait for more adventures to come. Love and hugs mummy!

Why not try your hand at this celebration snack or treat?

Wonka’s Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight!
Shared from Roald Dahl.com

 

Categories
Review

Little Nation Balance Bike Helps With Confidence

Disclaimer: Little Nation sent me a Balance Bike to review. However, due to the twin’s ages, they were too old. I asked a friend to review the bike for me and to write a review. Max’s Dad wrote the following about their experience with the Little Nation Balance Bike. Thanks so much to Max’s dad for the lovely review and fab pictures of Max enjoying his new Balance Bike from Little Nation.

Little Max loves his Little Nation Balance Bike. I got it for him when he was about 20 months after he ripped the front wheel of his trike off in an over-ambitious downhill incident. I also got him a helmet.

Max having fun riding his Little Nation Balance Bike.
Max having fun riding his Little Nation Balance Bike.

Learning to ride was a lot easier than I thought it would be. He fell off a few times trying to get on at first but could easily pick the bike up himself and try again. After a couple of days, he was walking along quite comfortably and after a couple of months, he put his feet up to glide along using his momentum. After four months I was jogging to keep up with him and now I just ride my own bike alongside and we zoom around town together. Our longest ride so far has been 3.5 kilometres without a single fall.

The seat height is adjusted with a 4mm hex key and I found putting it very low at the beginning helped with confidence, but putting it higher and higher as he gets more confident and taller helps him keep his legs up easily. At two and a half Max is nowhere near the top of the seat adjustment and he’s a pretty tall kid. The Little Nation people have left a lot of room for kids to grow into their bikes. Although we’re not nearly there yet, I think the wheels are replaceable with bigger 12 inches and possibly even 14 inches when he gets to that height.

The seat position can also be adjusted with a hex key and moving the seat forward in the beginning and back as he grew in confidence and arm length helped make the bike more stable, but meant there was more weight on the handlebars. It’s something worth playing with and I’m glad I’ve got the option.

Soon Max will be zipping around on his balance bike. Did your kids first learn to ride on a balance bike?
Soon Max will be zipping around on his balance bike. Did your kids first learn to ride a balance bike?

The Little Nation Balance Bike is a very sturdy little bike. The headset is easy to tighten, and the handlebar is a single piece of tube steel and unbreakable. The wheels are moulded true and I’m very impressed with the ultra-strong cone and bearing hubs – just like Daddy’s bike! Little Nation has over-engineered its balance bike in all the places where failure tends to be catastrophic and I’m confident it can handle anything a person under 27 kg can throw at it.

All in all, I’m extremely pleased with the Little Nation. Max has already spent many, many hours on it, and has many years before he outgrows it. It exhausts the poop out of him and we’re guaranteed a nap, 12 hours of night sleep and grateful gobbling if we go for a morning ride for an hour or so.

I’m sure the Little Nation is the first step on a lifetime journey of riding bikes.

Did your kids gain confidence with a balance bike?

If they are learning to ride maybe a balance bike might be great to help your child/children to help their confidence with bike riding.

Let us know if you have given a balance bike a go?

I would just like to say a BIG thank you to Little Nation for providing the Balance Bike for review. Max and his daddy love it, and now Max is a confident young rider of bikes. Yes, how cool is that!

Note: This post has affiliate links

Categories
Review

LUSH FUN Soap For Bath-stronauts & Earthlings

LUSH sent me a box of goodies. Check out what I received.

As you saw in the video above I received three tubs of LUSH’s New FUN soap. The kids and I call it play dough soap due to the fact that you can create creatures/creations out of it before it melts away in the bath or the shower.

  • Monsters and Aliens FUN – scented with spicy black pepper oil and comforting Fair Trade vanilla absolute.
  • Rainbow FUN – lime and grapefruit oils will help cleanse skin, while fair trade vanilla soothes and softens.
  • Sea Monster FUN – relaxing lavender oil and bright, citrusy lime oil.

LUSH FUN Soap - All new and so much fun! Create monsters, aliens, and even rainbows. Your kids will be begging you for a bath with this soap.
LUSH FUN Soap – All new and so much fun! Create monsters, aliens, and even rainbows. Your kids will be begging you for a bath with this soap.

Did You Know….

“2.5% of sales from every bar of FUN is contributed to the FUNd, a LUSH initiative which supports charities in Fukushima, Japan that create safe places for children to play outside.”

This version of FUN soap lets kids create monsters, aliens and even rainbows! Yes anything is possible with this brilliantly coloured and of course amazing smelling soap.

You can use this soap in a bath or the shower. Yes how brilliant to not have to have a bath. I have used it in the shower and I love the fact that it leaves my body smelling so wonderful. It is like I have put on an exotic perfume that also manages to perfume my clothes and the baby… I have noticed that when I have picked him up afterwards he now smells like FUN soap too!

LUSHFUNmonsters_web LUSHFUNmonsters1_web

FUN Soap is a 4-in-1 bubbler

  • Use as a soap
  • Shampoo
  • Bubble bar
  • Or malleable toy

The kids had a ball and made aliens in the bath. The FUN soap even creates so many bubbles, no need to add bubble bath mixture as well. Just use FUN soap.

Taking FUN Soap away with you is hassle free. It is not going to leak from the container as it is solid. After you use a little bit of it you can put the remainder back in the tub to use later. It is perfect for that trip away.

Have you seen the new FUN soap from LUSH? We loved it before but this has gone the extra mile.   The girls love the bright colours, the fact that you can make weird creatures with the soap and also that they end up smelling amazing BUT the real fabulous thing that the twins loved was the fact that the bath turned a great purple colour.

On the side of the pots you have suggestions for what you can make. This is a great visual tool for kids and to help the creative process.

The new tubs are great and if you return 5 clean full sized LUSH pots or tubes you get one fresh mask free. What a great way to recycle and also get a freebie as well.

An alien created by one of the girls. Spooky looking and surrounded by bubbles!
An alien created by one of the girls. Spooky looking and surrounded by bubbles!

LUSH is one of my favourite stores and the one thing that appeals is their imagination. Making things fun for all not just kids is what makes you go back again and again.

I do have my much cherished soaps which is the Honey I Washed The Kids Soap. It is a soap that just oozes of honey, it is so creamy and I’m sure is great for my skin. I also adore Sea Vegetable Soap as it reminds me of being on the beach. It is just like you have had a dip in the ocean as it captures all the nice smells of the seaside and leaves you invigorated.

The girls are now trying to organise their next bath. They want to use the next tub of LUSH FUN so they can create more creatures and weird colours in the water. OH and I suppose get clean at the same time.

Have your kids tried LUSH’s FUN soap? What do you think of the new improved version of FUN soap? Do they love it?  Or do you use it too? Let us know.

 

Disclaimer: LUSH sent me some goodies to try. I loved them so much that I had to tell you all about them, I love sharing great products and new things with my readers.

Categories
Family

Panadol’s Online Resources for Parents

As a mother to twin girls and a little boy I want to ensure that all my kids are healthy and well. I’m sure if you are a parent or help care for kids that would be what you would like too. However there are times when everyone gets sick. One child might have a cold, a fever, the flu or if it was like our ongoing saga with tonsillitis it effected both kids until they were removed (the girls have been well aside from the common cold and illness since the removal of their tonsils.)

Shelley Craft, Buddy Bear, myself (Suzanne), the girls and our little boy. What fun the kids had, although the baby was teething and still is. (He cheered up once he got some Children's Panadol to make him feel better)
Shelley Craft, Buddy Bear, myself (Suzanne), the girls and our little boy. What fun the kids had, although the baby was teething and still is. (He cheered up once he got some Children’s Panadol to make him feel better)

When your little ones get sick you do your best to make them feel better. It could be cuddles, songs, yummy food, and favourite shows and of course some medicine to help your kids feel more like themselves and allow the body to get better, rest is best so that you can be well.

No matter how simple or common the sickness is you cannot help but worry about your children. When my kids are sick I am worried about them all the time.

Last Thursday the kids and I went to learn about Children’s Panadol (The kids were excited to meet Shelley Craft. Yes I watch The Block and therefore so do the kids) great new online resources to help parents care for sick kids and to also alleviate the anxiety that can go with sickness.

Shelley Craft from the Block and Dr Kimberley O’Brien who is the founder of Quirky Kid Clinic and also an expert in child development and mental health. Both Shelley Craft and Dr O’Brien spoke about how to have planning strategies to help parents deal with stress and anxiety when children get ill as it can be HUGE help for parents and children as well.

This talk was in response to a “new global survey of parents, including Australians, suggests that parents manage day to day mishaps and mistakes calmly, but still get stressed about the important things like helping their children through illness”

“71% of Australian parents fell anxious about fever/temperature and 66% feel anxious about their child’s pain”

Children’s Panadol have created the following tools to help support parents in managing their child’s health:

  1. Buddy Bear is an interactive animated website that allows parents to entertain children when they are sick. It is a good idea to create the different files before you need them as you can save them to your device. Once you are on the site you are asked if your child is a boy/girl. Then fill in age, email and add photo and your video will be emailed to you when it is ready. Get organised and download a few so you have them ready.
    While your child is watching Buddy Bear you can get the dosage of Children’s Panadol correct and not be so flustered and anxious.

    Buddy Bear - The great new interactive way to keep your little one entertained while you get the medicine sorted to help your child get better. Developed and created by Children's Panadol.
    Buddy Bear – The great new interactive way to keep your little one entertained while you get the medicine sorted to help your child get better. Developed and created by Children’s Panadol.
  1. The First Five Years Book – This fabulous resource is written by child health nurses to help parents with practical tips and tricks to help them understand the ups and downs from birth to 5 years old, help you enjoy being a parent, learn about major milestones, understand activities that your baby might be doing. You can read it online or download it.
  2. Bub Tracker App – This is a FREE App that helps new parents with advice on dosage for medicines, feeding tracker, feeding log and much more.“Parents do not sweat the small stuff, but worry more about the illness cause, recovery and prevention – especially mothers”

Children's Panadol Bub Tracker App - Great guide for parents
Children’s Panadol Bub Tracker App – Great guide for parents

I hate it when kids are sick. I wish I could make it all go away.  I also hate when I get sick, yes if kids get ill, I end up sick too! Perils of motherhood.

 

The tools from Panadol are a HUGE help to make it a little easier on parents and also kids. I have downloaded some of buddy bear’s interactive videos in preparation for Alexander.

Dr Kimberley O’Brien has 5 tips to help manage anxiety and soothe your sick child/children:

  1. Make a Plan. Having a plan removes second guessing yourself and the worry. Make sure that you include distraction and calming tools if medication is required.
  2. Know your tools. Have a favourite toy/book/game to help comfort your child. A personalised DVD that the child will be happy to watch would be of great help.
  3. Empathise. Try and see the situation from your child’s point of view and this can give you some insight into their behaviour.
  4. Do familiar things. If you can make sure you stick to your regular family routine. This will create a sense of normality at home and allow everyone to be more relaxed.
  5. Manage your anxiety. Call on your support network for help. You need a break if you are the only one caring for a sick child, a break will allow you to increase your quality of care and not get burnt out in the process.

 

“They are less concerned with diet, medication usage or what they are doing wrong – though parents of younger children worry more.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly parents of children aged 6-12 are not as ‘extremely ’anxious”

Teething and very upset. Mummy cuddles are very helpful. Photo taken in a darken room due to sleeping baby. Yes did not want to wake him.
Teething and very upset. Mummy cuddles are very helpful. Photo taken in a darken room due to sleeping baby. Yes did not want to wake him.

What are your thoughts on making a plan to be ready for sick kids? Well you are not planning on having sick kids, just how to deal with it.

I love the Buddy Bear videos and the bear is so magical to watch. You could sit for hours just being amazed at how cute and wonderful the bear is. Kids will love this as much as adults do. Give it a go, download and save some videos just in case you need them. Also check out the other online resources from Children’s Panadol.

Disclaimer: I went along to the media briefing about Children’s Panadol to learn ways parents can be less anxious and to hear about techniques that can help children when sick. I have had many times when the twins were ill, they then got me ill and now with a baby it will all happen again (Currently Alexander has a cold and is also teething. Joyousness it is not!). I think that the online resources that Children’s Panadol showcased are excellent, not only are they FREE, they are highly informative as well. Thanks to Children’s Panadol for the invite and allowing the kids and I to learn more about your online tools.

 

Categories
Family

Naming Rights

Do you have a baby? Do they have a teddy or a special toy? Did your child eventually name it? Or did you give it a name?

Alexander with Barry the Bear. Named by Daddy.
Alexander with Barry the Bear. Named by Daddy.

Hubby has named one of Alexander’s favourite teddies. Yes how terrible I thought!

It is not hubby’s teddy. Why would he want to name it.

I told the husband my thoughts on the matter and that it is really up to the child to name his teddy.

Hubby told me that if we kept on calling it “Teddy” he will grow up and still call the toy, “Teddy”.

So the name that has been chosen for Alexander’s teddy is: Barry the Bear! Yes the teddy is now called Barry.

The twins even race around to make sure Alexander has Barry.

The other week when Alexander went for his six month shots I made sure we had Barry with us.  After the nurses gave the baby his needles he cried a little bit and was a little out of sorts. Barry the Bear fell on the floor and the girls told the nurses he needed Barry. They had no idea who Barry was, then the girls told them…. “Barry the Bear!” like they should know.

The name has been adopted by hubby, the girls and now I have been calling the teddy Barry.

Did you name your kids teddy? Or did you wait for them to name their own toy themselves? Let us know.

 

 

Categories
Family

Just Like Me

The other day one of the girls walked into the kitchen bawling her eyes out. She was so upset she could hardly tell me what the issue was. Once she calmed down a bit I finally learnt what the problem was.

I did initially think that she or her sister had hurt themselves and we might need to take a trip to the hospital. Thank goodness it wasn’t the case.

The kid who was extremely upset told me that she was very sad that Amy Pond and Rory had died. For those that are not aware of these names or characters, they are in Doctor Who. Yes my girls take after hubby and I with their love for the Doctor.

Amy Pond and Rory Williams, from Doctor Who. Image found on Pinterest.
Amy Pond and Rory Williams, from Doctor Who. Image found on Pinterest.

I tired so hard to make her feel better but she kept on saying things about Amy and Rory like they were real people…… OH gosh… what do I do now???? She is a sensitive little bunny and these things upset her. I was like her as a child.

Yes there are moments that I get frustrated at behaviour and then realise that I am exactly the same. Do you do this too?
Yes there are moments that I get frustrated at behaviour and then realise that I am exactly the same. Do you do this too?

One thing that I did say was how about we watch the next episode to see what happens….So I will do that with her to see what happens next. From memory all works out well….but she does not know that.

Although I was shocked at her attachment and upset for the characters of Doctor Who, I had to think back to what I did when I saw this episode for the first time.

I did the same thing. Yes I cry and get very upset. I do the same thing when one doctor dies and he morphs into a new person…. I get to love and like the doctor and I don’t want them to change at all…However it does change and therefore it means more upset from me and now from one of my girls.

It got me thinking about that saying “That awkward moment when you find yourself being frustrated with your child…For behaving just like you.”

I am getting annoyed that she gets upset easily…however I have completely forgotten that I do the same thing. It is major to a child if their favourite characters die in a show or a book. It is very upsetting as an adult too.

I made sure that we had cuddles and kisses and talked about it, she felt a bit better after some nice mummy cuddles.

Have you had moments that your little ones have pushed your buttons to then realise that their behaviour is exactly like yours? Let us know what happened.

 

Categories
Family

Are Early Milestones A Sign Of Intelligence?

Are hitting milestones early related to intelligence?

When I meet some mums or people out and about they ask about my little boy. I tell them what he has been up to and give them a quick update on things.

Our little boy who is six months old tomorrow seems to be hitting most milestones early.

When I mention this to others I get one thing said back to me….

“He is going to be intelligent”

Geez I hope so but I’m not sure if laughing before the doctors tell me the baby should be or trying to stand when you cannot crawl or doing things before the allotted time-frame means you are going to be genius or at the very least a smart bunny or smarter than the average bear.

Since he was born he has wanted to stand up. I picked him up and he put his legs down on me to stand up. He was just born…. why is he wanting to stand? I had no concept of this due to having preemie twins for my first children. Having a baby born exactly on his due date changes things.

It has not just been one person who has told me that due to Alexander hitting his milestones early he is going to be super smart, there have been many, actually too many to remember.

Resting after having some floor time
Resting after having some floor time

I do think that he is in a hurry to do things. Maybe he has places to be, worlds to conquer or a business meeting to attend? I don’t know but he is keen to be racing around like the other kids.

Is it due to him being the youngest child? He sees the older kids do everything? The twins did not have this, although they had the constant company and help of having someone with them at all times.

What can my little boy do now?

  • Roll everywhere (Travels everywhere)
  • Crawl a little bit
  • Grabs everything even with a pincer grip
  • Laughs at his own jokes and others
  • Follows instruction to roll over to an area or part of the room
  • Has to get to his toys even if they are out of reach. Likes to play with toys that are not his…. yes the twins need to keep their toys and room tidy.
  • Getting more hungry
  • Has increased his solids intake to more and more each day. Sometimes it depends on the day and how hungry he is…. seems to be increasing.
  • Makes eye contact with people – He has done this for a long time now. I think from about 2 months he did this or before.
  • He likes to give you cuddles
  • He LOVES cuddles from mummy especially and also his sisters, oh and daddy.
  • Loves mummies singing… YES I know this will change but he thinks it is wonderful at the moment!
  • Has a funny sense of humour….. He laughs at things that you think babies would not find funny. It is like he has a quirky offbeat understanding of comedy and humour already.
  • Sits up in his rocker chair
  • Loves to see everything when we are out and about…. if he is in his pram he must be sitting up. This started months ago and I was hesitant to have him sitting up as I thought he was too young…however he would fret and freak out if he could not see what was going on and also be included.
  • He loves to be with his big sisters in their room. The girls tuck him in their bed and fuss over him. He has smiles and giggles, and of course looks so happy to be there it is lovely to watch.

I personally think that it does not matter when your child does anything. As long as all is well with development and they are happy, healthy and loved it will all work itself out. Of course if you are worried about something it is always best to check. Having checkups and making sure that development is on track, if there are any issues you can hopefully get to see the right people earlier rather than later and things will be resolved or better than they could have been without the help.

I always had the twins checked at certain ages for milestone development when they were babies and I’m doing the same for Alexander. My kids don’t do what others do and vice versa. When things happen is up to the individual and of course if it is like when the twins lose their baby teeth we are not keeping up with the other kids at all. My girls have only lost 3 teeth in total, mind you I was slow on that front too as a kid, so maybe it genetic.

From my reading online I found that if your child is an early reader, it is likely that they are smarter. Yes you read that right.

“We also know something about early reading. While it’s not necessarily a sign of genius, early readers are usually “smarter than the average bear.” Nancy Ewald Jackson, a developmental psychologist and reading acquisition expert at the University of Iowa, says one review of the literature found the average IQ of early readers was 130. “That’s clearly above average, but half the group would not qualify as gifted in terms of IQ,” she points out. One of her studies showed that precocious kindergarten readers tended still to be reading above grade level by grades five and six. But it isn’t clear whether that’s because they were bright, and therefore read early, as opposed to because they read early, and thereby became smarter.” ( Hoffman, John, Today’s Parent: “Earlier, faster, better: precocious kids”, Oct 4, 2006)

The twins and now our little boy have done things earlier than expected. The girls did things way before it was thought things would happen and maybe that was mainly due to the fact that they were six weeks early. Well could have been seven weeks early if one twin had her way!  They spoke, sat up, crawled and rolled over way before they were supposed to. Maybe they were in a hurry like our new little boy is as well. Or could it just be genetics again?

I wish I had a crystal ball to tell me if these comments are right about intelligence and smarts.  I am just pleased that he is a happy, healthy, we think he is smart, and active little person.

Did your baby hit milestones early? Were you told that your little boy/girl was going to be intelligent due to reaching these development milestones before they are supposed to?

 

If you are a parent to older children has this idea panned out? Have they blitzed their grade? Or the top of the year at uni? Or how about launch a million/billion dollar idea as a startup company? Let us know.

 

Categories
Nuffnang

Review: Crayola Color Alive

Brought to you by Nuffnang and Crayola

Do your kids love to colour? Do they love to draw and do art? Mine do and they create copious amounts of art it is not funny. The girls just love to be creative and any opportunity to be imaginative and push the boundaries.

Have you heard of Crayola’s ‘Color Alive’ books?

They are so cool! It is a fabulous way for kids to have their favourite characters come to life

  • The characters can be scanned so they are seen in 4D.
  • You can take selfies with your favourite character, tickle them, even have pretend fights with them (how amazing would this be. Not just your average colouring book!)
  • The Color Alive books come with their very own crayons and some crayons give the pictures virtual color effects. Some effects that you can create are: comic symbols for Marvel Avengers, ice sparkles for Disney Frozen, fire for Mythical Creatures and pixie dust for Enchanted Fairies.

The crayons and look a special one that is just for pixie dust.
The crayons and look a special one that is just for pixie dust.

Enchanted Forest Crayola 'Color Alive'
Enchanted Forest Crayola ‘Color Alive’

The twins just loved these new colouring books. They just loved the idea that the page comes to life. Yes you read that right…All you need is an iPhone, iPad, or Android/Windows Device.  Also after you have finished colouring the whole book you can download new pages from the app. Yes how great is that. Your little ones will be so happy to have more to do, it will be a win all round.

Color Alive app is compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows devices. It is available on the iTunes App Store, Google play, and the Windows Store. For specific device compatibility, visit Crayola.com/AppCheck.

Mythical Creatures Crayola 'Color Alive'
Mythical Creatures Crayola ‘Color Alive’

See how one of my girls scanned in the dragon from the Mythical Creatures Crayola ‘Color Alive’ Book

 

I was sent the following to review:

  • Crayola Color Alive – Disney Frozen
  • Crayola Color Alive – Marvel Avengers
  • Crayola Color Alive – Mythical Creatures
  • Crayola Color Alive – Enchanted Forest

Avengers Crayola 'Color Alive'
Avengers Crayola ‘Color Alive’

The above books are are priced at $7.99 each. So that is great value. My kids have had a blast with just the few that we have been sent so I can imagine the many more hours of entertainment that is left to be had. Each pack includes six Crayola Crayons, one Special Effect Crayon, 16 Action Colouring Pages and FREE app download.

See the special effects on the dragon from the Mythical Creatures Crayola ‘Color Alive’ Book

It has been cold and bad weather lately… yes we have had snow and it has been freezing. Why not be warm inside and have your favourite characters come to life. The twins loved this and cannot wait to do more and of course get more books. One of them on the must buy list is Monster High, the girls are imagining what the characters will do

Creative shot of a fairy in one of the girls hands.
Creative shot of a fairy in one of the girls hands.

Yes even I had a picture with the fairy.
Yes even I had a picture with the fairy.

I have named this picture, "Mother of Dragons" It was this girl that created the dragon so it is an apt title.
I have named this picture, “Mother of Dragons” It was this girl that created the dragon so it is an apt title.

One of the Avengers
One of the Avengers

How cool does this avenger look!
How cool does this avenger look!

Even the baby had to have a selfie with the dragon.
Even the baby had to have a selfie with the dragon.

Geez this fairy was in everyone's photo.
Geez this fairy was in everyone’s photo.

As you can see we all got in on the fun
with the Crayola ‘Color Alive’ books.

Our overview and opinion of the Crayola ‘Color Alive’ products was 100% favourable. They are a cheap, fun and a clever way for kids to spend some time. Also due to our wet and cold weather it is something for the kids to do where you know they will be okay, have a great time and have a unique experience.

It is a great gift idea and a quick item to have on hand for your child’s next play date.

For more information please visit the Crayola Website

 

Categories
Family

Our Vivid Experience

This was our Vivid experience in 2016.

We went to Vivid last Saturday night. Hubby and I had never been, either had the kids. I must say that we were rather excited about our impending adventures.

However they were dashed quite quickly. The crowds and very rude people made the night not as fun as it was meant to be.

I know we chose to go on the long weekend, we chose a weekend and you have to expect it to be busy and crowded. BUT I did not expect to be pushed at every chance anybody got. I like others were on top of others just trying to walk to the Opera House to see the lights. During this horrible walk I had many people try to walk on top of my kids, one lady in particular try and push me away from my family and I lost touch of the twins. I had to have a word with this terrible person. I told her that I don’t know where she was going but pushing people and making me lose my kids and family was not on, not in a crowd like that.

The kids and I at Vivid last Saturday. This picture was taken when we could finally move around freely and not be on top of others. It was nice to be able to walk and to sit on our own. One thing that was lovely was the amazing view and the lights.
The kids and I at Vivid last Saturday. This picture was taken when we could finally move around freely and not be on top of others. It was nice to be able to walk and to sit on our own. One thing that was lovely was the amazing view and the lights. Please forgive the graininess of the photo. It was dark and hard to get a good image with the phone.

I also chatted with a lovely man who was helping his mate in a wheelchair walk back from the Opera House. He said that it was feral. People were not seeing the wheel chair and trying to walk on them also. Just chaos!

At one point hubby had to yell at a woman to watch what she was doing. Her bag just narrowly missed the babies head. Yes no one seemed to see the pram either. I think we all turned invisible that night as many people decided they could not see us. Maybe we were wearing Eric the Viking’s Cloak of Invisibility? If so it finally works!

The walkways were a free for all. I would have thought that one side would be for getting to the Opera House and the other for going back to George Street and the trains. It was not to be. Due to all this chaos the kids only experienced two hands on lightening installations at the Quay. There was no way to make it to other installations and get there in one piece. From our perspective it was very dangerous. If there was a disaster or say fire happened I’m sure we would have been trampled as the crowed would have stampeded to safety.

I do understand that this is a popular event. Sydney has many visitors and therefore this means crowds. However we picked late afternoon to early evening to make sure that we were not in the way.

Maybe in the future there could be more family friendly events and times? I know that they said it was family friendly but we did not experience this last weekend.

How about having more control over the crowds. Having people police the crowds and monitor lines: having one side for one direction and the other for the opposite. Just common sense actually.

I’m not sure if they are doing this currently but maybe having free shuttle buses to other destinations around the city would encourage more movement of people (they did close many streets to help with access and this was a good thing to do. It was a good help and one of the only pluses of the night) This way the crowds are always moving and not staying in one spot all the time. I know this would cause other issues such as waiting for buses and other connections but maybe with frequent buses or trains this could be avoided. Or the wait would be very small compared to the possibility of being pushed and shoved to see the pretty lights.

One thing that I could not understand. Vivid closed a section of the walk way to go towards the Opera House. They then made you go back onto the road to then walk around this closed section of walk way, this meant that we were again on top of many if not hundreds of people. Once we then turned the corner we noticed that the walkway was all open once you got around the bend. Why would they close this small section to have you in human traffic chaos! Just a disaster all round if you ask me. Why not have all the walk way open to encourage people to go everywhere and to of course to not have an angry mob happen.

Once we did get out of the bumper to bumper human traffic it was rather pleasant. Due to us having the baby and a pram we were able to access the bottom walk way at the Opera House. This allowed the kids to run around, me to sit down with the baby and to marvel at the lights of the Opera House and the rest of the harbour.

 

 

 

It was a HUGE pity that we did not see and do more. We were expecting so much more.

Did you go to Vivid? Were you at Circular Quay? Or did you go to Taronga Zoo? How about Darling Harbour or The Botanical Gardens?

 

 

What were your thoughts? Did you have a great time or were you stuck in human traffic with extremely rude and horrible people like us. Let us know.

 

Categories
Family

Embrace Your Wrinkles

This last week I have been down in the dumps. I should have been really happy and really there is not a lot wrong in my world, well winning the lotto would help, but aside from that all is well really.

I think I was a little out of sorts due to my impending birthday, this birthday was yesterday if you did not see my updates on Instagram and Facebook.

The twins did not want me to leave the house without these badges on.... Yes I walked around for the whole day wearing them. What a good mummy I am!
The twins did not want me to leave the house without these badges on…. Yes I walked around for the whole day wearing them. What a good mummy I am!

I have had moments that I have looked in the mirror and thought I was seeing more wrinkles and this of course made me upset. However I was thinking about my good friend that I lost last year, he lost his battle with cancer. He was the same age I was before yesterday when he passed.

My good mate did not get the chance to have more wrinkles or to turn another year older. I spent this week in the lead up to my birthday missing him and getting reminders of him that made me laugh and of course smile. However there were times when I was just in tears due to the fact that he was gone all too soon.

He would not want me to be crying or unhappy. I tried to be happier and to focus on what was great and good about life at the moment. My new baby, my lovely girls, my husband and of course that we are happy and healthy.

While I was trying to solider on and to sort out my feelings about the fact that my good mate was my age when he passed. I felt guilty turning a year older and having a good time about it. I logged into my personal Facebook account to then have an old memory pop up in my news feed. It was of my good friend and me outside our house in the Mountains when we first purchased it.

I know it sounds odd but I think it was the universe telling me he was wishing me Happy Birthday. It could be, you never know…. Well it made me feel better thinking this.

I have decided that although I don’t like getting older I should embrace my wrinkles and the years ahead. I am lucky that I can get wrinkles as my mate would have enjoyed every new one that he was allowed to have if he was still here. He would have enjoyed getting older and loved the fact that he was able to share his life with his mates and family.

So what did I do on my birthday? Well it was a little sad that I had to wait to open presents until the evening but I did keep myself busy. I read with one kid in her classroom, then I went off to a Mother’s Group with the baby, after the Mother’s Group I took myself off to lunch with Alexander and then I got a nice treat – a free cup of coffee. After my coffee I picked up the twins from school and then off home to have them change and pick up a snack and then I dropped them off at art class. While they were at art class I picked up a nice bottle of red wine for dinner plus a birthday cake for me. Hubby picked up Chinese takeaway and all was good aside from being super tired after a big day out.

Do you sometimes feel a little down when you should be happy? Did you have a moment when you remembered something a friend did that made you smile or laugh? Was it a friend or a family member that you have lost or that has moved away that has made you sad?

 

Categories
Family

You’ve Kept Well

During the last week of the school holidays I bumped into one of the twins teachers. The girls were off at vacation care and Alexander and I decided a nice take away cup of coffee would be a lovely idea. The teacher from the kid’s school was in line ahead of me for the same thing. While we were waiting we got chatting.

During our chat we were remembering playing with LEGO when we were younger as I mentioned that the kids and I saw the LEGO movie again (It was mainly to show their nana, my mum the movie. I love it as it is so funny. Especially Batman’s death metal song). We seemed to share some of the same experiences as kids. She then said she was old and I said, “No! You are not that old!” She then told me her age. I replied saying that I was only a year younger than she was.

This admission from myself about my age seemed to shock this woman. She must not have thought I was in her age range. Oh well many people don’t pick my age and that is fine with me. My mum and nana went for years having people think they were much younger than they actually were. Maybe it is in the genes.

Alexander and I at the park
Alexander and I at the park

This lovely lady then told me this, “You’ve kept well”

I was very grateful to hear this and it is nice to have this said to you.

However it got me thinking about the phrase “You’ve kept well”, it made me think I have been enclosed in a Tupperware container and not had air get to me to retain my freshness.

I have also been told lately that I look like I was getting younger by another mum from the school. She mentioned that the baby has worked its magic and made me look young. WOW who knew this would be the case (Wouldn’t this be nice. Every child you have you get magically younger…. like a youth elixir. If only this was a thing).

I wish my hair would get with the program and stop falling out since the birth of our little boy and that my body would instantly look as good as it did pre-pregnancy. It has only been four months since I had my little boy so I will not put too much pressure to look fabulous body wise. If I get a walk or some exercise, or even time to just relax it is a good day.

Like everyone, I feel old some days and others I feel great and younger than I should be, I suppose it is dependent on my mood. Exercise makes me feel much better and more relaxed, however with kids it is hard to fit in. I do try though and have been taking walks with the baby in the pram. I just hope that the weather continues to be nice for a bit longer to allow me to do this.

Have you had some lovely compliments from friends, family or just strangers about how you look or something else? People saying nice things regardless of who they are is always welcome. It makes me feel wonderful and puts a big smile on my face. What about you? I also love to do the same for others as well. It is nice to make someones day.

Do people get surprised when they learn your age? Do you find that it changes things when they find out? I have friends of all ages and find that age is not an issue. Let us know.

 

Categories
News

Maternity Leave Perks?

Picture this. I am up at 3am or so. I’m feeding my baby boy.

While I do this I like to have the television on with the volume on low to maybe muted so that I can have some light in a very darken room, plus it does help while I get the baby back to bed as this can sometimes take hours.

You can imagine my shock when I saw a story on Good Morning America about a woman called, “Meghann Foye” and her book about “meternity leave”

Meghann wants all the perks of maternity leave but without having any kids!

I had not heard of this person and also about her idea of meternity leave…. I have obviously been having too much fun on my magical holiday with my new born baby.  

Mummy cuddling her baby.
Mummy cuddling her baby.

One point Meghann made was that parents left work on time to go home to their kids. Well she can do this too. Meghann can make a point of leaving on time to go home or to meet with mates after work. She does not have to have kids to do this.

I know that putting in extra hours at the office shows that you are keen and want to do more. However this can also not be helpful to you as you will be stressed out and might burn out due to the extra hours. Maybe the extra hours are the issue… if Meghann left on time she might not want meternity leave?

I was so intrigued and amazed I increased the volume on the television but was very conscious this might delay getting the baby back to sleep. I had to learn more about this weird idea.

Well I have a nasty shock for you Meghann, maternity leave is not an exotic holiday.

It is not a time that you can just do whatever you want, although it would be nice. You are caring for a new little person that relies on you for everything.

The reality is that you are on call 24 hours a day and also 7 days a week. No sick leave, no pay, and no help really. It is just you.

When you bring home your bundle of joy you are most likely still exhausted from childbirth, you are sore and just feeling like shit actually. Although you feel horrible you still love the fact that you had the baby and think it is amazing and also a fabulous experience.

However all the lovely fuzzy feel good stuff cannot erase the whole thought and feeling that you would really like to be left alone and have a HUGE SLEEP ALL ALONE!  This to date has not happened yet….I’m still waiting. Maybe I need some meternity leave now to have some time for me. This way I will get this long anticipated and wanted sleep.

I am not sure what Meghann means by perks of maternity leave?

Is it getting up at all hours to feed a baby?

Is it being extremely sleep deprived that you mix up dates and times. In reality you are really like a zombie…. I’m sure you know what I mean.

Maybe getting thrown up on when the kids are sick? I have had this times two.

Oh….. Wait maybe it is the fact that as the mother you are now the primary caregiver and you cannot get anything done without a little person or people following you around.

I do think it is wonderful that I have had three lovely little people and I feel blessed that we could do that. I also do understand that some women don’t want kids and that is fine too.

However to make out that maternity leave is like a glamourous vacation is just not so. How about you try and spend a day or even a week with me and that idea will be crushed in seconds.

  • Housework
  • Never getting to finish tasks
  • Being constantly interrupted
  • Cleaning
  • Washing and sorting clothes
  • Getting kids to school
  • Caring, feeding and all things baby. I do love my cuddles with our new little person and of course his lovely giggles and smiles.
  • Dropping kids and picking kids up from school
  • Taking kids to after school activities all with the baby…. Yes waking him up for everything is annoying but I have no choice
  • Getting the kids to do their reading, homework and other things for school. Now this is such a drama as they really don’t want to do this. I try and do this all while trying to settle and get a baby to bed, while the older two are having arguments and being loud and annoying

Do you think it sounds like there are fabulous perks yet? The only perk that I can come up with is that I have three little people that make me feel great when sometimes I don’t. They love me and I love them to bits.

I agree that everyone needs me time.

Everyone needs to be able to recharge their battery so to speak. Some downtime, a chance to chill and to refocus and maybe get the creative juices flowing again.

I don’t think that asking for time out to help with study, work or just to have a break is a bad thing. However trying to say that maternity leave is a perk is just wrong.

One place I worked for factored in some time to just be creative in the workday. This creative time allowed the staff member to explore other areas of interest, maybe learn something that would help them in their role or allow them to work on a pet project.

Me time is something that everyone should get. It is hard though when you take care of young children. It also might be hard if you are the carer of a family member. Time out is good for everyone, and also allows you to be a better mummy or carer since you had some time out. Not being able to do something for you and not having the time to do it can get very frustrating.

What do you think of Meghann Foye’s idea of meternity leave?  Do you agree that it should be a thing? I personally think that you can have this option it is just called holidays or say study leave. Or maybe it is called something else at your workplace.

I personally think that if you don’t have kids or other pressures you can have as much me time as you want.  I do understand people have to work and other commitments, but once you have done that, you can have your time.

Also if you figure out any other perks of maternity leave please send them my way!

 

Categories
Work

Invest in You

Do you blog?

Do you have a hobby?

Have a small business that you are passionate about?

Would you love to get better and be inspired by others? I know my answer would be big YES!

I love being surrounded by like-minded people that just make you feel energetic, inspired, and think about things in such different ways.

Investing in you is important. Learning from others that have been there and had some of the same experiences is helpful. You can learn what worked for them and what didn’t and of course how to improve things for the better. Maybe they will give you their procedures and techniques, or at least give you some idea how they manage to do it all and do it so well.

This is why I love going to conferences like Problogger. It is a chance to focus on me, my work, and I believe it is an investment. It is corporate training, corporate development but for me, I am the corporation. I am the BIG business although on a much smaller scale. It is nice to think BIG even when you are not.

Me and Barry Du Bois. Yes I did say I know you from TV! @cancercouncil ‪#‎TheLivingRoom‬ @kids_business
Me and Barry Du Bois. Yes I did say I know you from TV! @cancercouncil ‪#‎TheLivingRoom‬ @kids_business

Even if you have been blogging for years and might know a bit already, there might be that one thing that you had no idea about. That one thing might be the difference on how you run your blog/business and it could be the thing that allows you to stand out from the crowd.

Attending conferences like these is also good for networking with other bloggers and creating friendships. As a blogger that is a stay at home mum to three kids now, it is nice to be taken seriously as a blogger rather than just a mum. I know I’m not earning the big bucks but you never know my time will come and that might be the case. Everyone had to start somewhere.

Investing in you as a person is always a good idea. I see that a couple of days away and the costs associated with this trip as minimal in the scheme of things. I don’t get time off as a mum. I don’t get sick leave, I have been going non-stop and think that this is a nice break that will also allow me to focus on my fourth or maybe other baby (my blog)… not sure where it would place in the scheme of things. Maybe it really was third?

It is so easy as a mother not to do things for you. If you don’t do anything for yourself you will get frustrated and annoyed. Taking the time, even if it is a day here or there is much needed.

Do you have a partner or maybe friends that don’t see the value in what you are doing? “Oh that blog, why are you doing it, it is not like you are getting paid”. Well I think they are wrong…it does not matter if you are getting paid for your efforts now. Although heaps of money would be nice and bring it on! You just don’t know where things might lead. You could be blogging away and someone might love your writing and offer you a book deal. The book might become a film and now you are famous and worth a small fortune. Yes I have used some wonderful positive daydreams about how blogging could lead you to a fab job and yes being very wealthy.

It does not have to be sudden fame and wealth, you could just be offered a wonderful job for a magazine or a website. If you were not blogging this job would never have happened, so keep going everyone out there in blogging world. Don’t give up. If it is important to you, then that is the only thing that you need to worry about. Forget about the haters and people that have no idea. Just keep on keeping on and invest in you and things will happen.

I am very lucky this year that I can attend Problogger. The reason is my wonderful mother is able to come and mind the kids. I was hoping that hubby and the kids might make it a family holiday again but that was not to be. Hubby cannot take time off work, so it is just me going again. I am just grateful that I get to go.

Only yesterday I was able to attend Kids Business’ Bloggers Brunch. They were kind enough to offer babysitting and I was very happy and appreciative of this. The babysitting allowed me to walk around and talk without a baby on my hip and to have adult conversations. It was a delightful change from my daily goings ons.

Yesterday I was up at 4am due to baby wanting to be fed. I was going to be up at 5am so thought no point going back to bed. After feeding the baby I gave him a bath (I have never bathed him so early and that was amazing I fitted it all in), changed his clothes and put him to bed until we were all ready to leave. I changed his nappy and then all kids were in the car ready to drop the twins at before school care.

Learning more about the fab brands at the Bloggers Brunch yesterday. Thanks Kids Business it was a great day out.
Learning more about the fab brands at the Bloggers Brunch yesterday. Thanks Kids Business it was a great day out.

I had to get the twins ready for before school care and drop them off as close to 7am as I could. I managed to get the girls to care at about 7.20am. So I thought that was pretty good.

So now kids were at care, the baby and I were in the car for our huge journey to Centennial Park. I enjoyed the journey aside from the couple of times that Alex decided to scream the car out! Yes that was not fun at all. Thank goodness he fell asleep soon after his screaming moments.

I had to be at the Bloggers Brunch for 10am and managed to get there with 30mins to spare. I found a place to park the car. Fed and changed the baby and then got the pram and nappy bag organised and was off to the venue.

It was great to bump into old blogging mates and to meet new ones. I also bumped into a mate’s niece… what a small world.

I must say that yesterday was a HUGE day. I ended up being up for over 14 hours, and oh did I sleep when my head hit the pillow. I am still tired from yesterday as I write this.  A BIG thank you to Steph and the team from Kids Business for a fabulous day and all the lovely brands that made it along to showcase their products.

No matter if you are earning money or not, take every opportunity that comes your way. You never know where it might lead and what you might learn. The people that might be not valuing your time you spend on your hobby/blog or passion will value it when it comes to affect them, for example when it starts earning some money. I am sure they would want to be supportive then. Or if you become famous or well known.

Do it for you.

Do what makes you feel good.

I have heard it all. “Oh that is not a job! You are not earning any money. Oh ….. You are a mother”. Yes but I do much more than just being a mummy.

Invest in you and the Rest will come. This sounds a little zen or spiritual but it is true. It is like dressing for the job that you want rather than the one you have.

Let me know what you have done as an investment in yourself? Is it a course? A conference? Or just a weekend away to have some time out? Or maybe it is a course that you have been desperate to do, learning to paint or say photography.

Whatever it is, it is your time.

Have time to yourself.

Have your space.

Do something that helps you grow that allows you to be you rather than someone’s mum during this period.

You are still you even if you have kids.

 

 

Mummy cuddles before our HUGE drive home. #bluemountains #mums #blogging @kids_business #bloogersbrunch
Mummy cuddles before our HUGE drive home. #bluemountains #mums #blogging @kids_business #bloogersbrunch

Categories
Family

Close The Immunisation Gap

Alexander is soon to be four months old. Four months means that he will also get his immunisations to keep him safe.

From the 24th to the 30th of April it is World Immunisation Week.

Vaccines don't overwhelm a child's immune system
Vaccines don’t overwhelm a child’s immune system

Did you know…..

“Immunization averts 2 to 3 million deaths annually; however, an additional 1.5 million deaths could be avoided if global vaccination coverage improves. Today, an estimated 18.7 million infants – nearly 1 in 5 children – worldwide are still missing routine immunizations for preventable diseases, such as diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus.” WHO: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/world-immunization-week/en/ 

I believe in vaccinations.

Vaccinations keep the child/you/family and others safe.

We have the technology and ability to prevent illness from some horrible diseases. Why would you not want to protect your family from this? I caught chicken pox and I think mumps as a kid. My children will never have this happen to them due to vaccinations. Some or nearly all of the childhood illness that I contracted as well did my friends you can now prevent.

In the video below this new mum took her little baby to a family function. She did not know that there were children there that weren’t immunised. Melissa’s family were very lucky that their little girl who ended up contracting chicken pox overcame the illness and is happy and healthy. Some don’t have this outcome.

Many people get vaccinated for different reasons. One major reason is if you have kids or look after children for your work. Making sure you are up to date with your immunisations will prevent you from getting sick as well as the kids in your care. To find out more check out this great poster by Better Health Victoria to learn more.

When enough people are immunised it protects the herd (majority of the population). Since immunisations have lessened the herd immunity is in danger. We need to aim for everyone to be immunised worldwide.
When enough people are immunised it protects the herd (majority of the population). Since immunisations have lessened the herd immunity is in danger. We need to aim for everyone to be immunised worldwide.

Below is a video of Dr Margaret Cooper, she is a polio survivor and talks about her struggle with the disease.

Immunisations protect people who have their immune system comprised, for example cancer patients. Another group are the elderly that might not be able to get the shots so quickly as others, or how about the new baby that has just been born and is not old enough to get their vaccinations yet. It is a nice thing to ensure the health of yourself but it benefits everyone.

I made sure that the twins were vaccinated on time and I’m doing the same for my new little boy. He is all booked in for his four month shots and I make sure that I book this in ahead of time. I like to make sure that the dates work for the doctors appointment, if I cannot get in at one centre I go elsewhere.

Keeping the vaccinations up to date means that the child or you are covered if you come into contact with someone who has chicken pox or say pertussis.

And now for something controversial and hopefully will get you thinking…with a bit of help from Jimmy Kimmel, he sums up my thoughts on immunisations.

Get yourself, your kids, family and friends immunised.
Immunise your children/you on time, every time.

Close the immunisation gap

#immunityforcommunity

#vaccineswork

#endpolionow

@BetterHealthGov

The WHO poster for World Immunisation Week
The WHO poster for World Immunisation Week

Note: This is not a sponsored or paid post in any way, although Better Health Victoria approached me for my support. I believe strongly with immunisations and making sure we all stay healthy and well. Immunisations are not just to help you and your immediate family, they help everyone in the community.