This year is the eighth year of my blog. Yes I have been blogging for eight years. It sometimes does not feel like it has been that long at all.
To celebrate I have a really amazing giveaway. This giveaway will give you a present as well as something for your little baby or if you don’t have a baby it could be a lovely gift for someone.
The next few months is going to be exciting in regards to giveaways. I have something for the Christmas and New Year holidays, some surprises in the lead up to Christmas and of course this giveaway that will help celebrate the blog’s eighth birthday. All will be revealed soon. Make sure you follow the blog and all our social media sites so you don’t miss out on any announcements.
I would like to take the time to thank all my lovely readers for following the blog, the comments and emails of support that I have had over the last eight years. It has been greatly apprecaitted.
Bigger and greater things are in store, my aim is to make the next eight years great too.
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!
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?
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.
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 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!
I was lucky to go to The LEGO® DUPLO Creative Play workshop. We as a family love LEGO. Yes, rather a strong word to use for a toy but it is true. I played with LEGO when I was little, so did my sister, so did hubby and now so do our girls, and of course, our little boy will do as well.
The LEGO DUPLO Workshop was led by play expert Hanne Boutrup. Hanne was an inspiration, she made you want to play with LEGO bricks, get involved and just have fun. A perfect person to showcase the reasons that LEGO DUPLO(is for younger children to help with development and learning) is ideal for kids.
Hanne Boutrup was brilliant and really had everyone energised about LEGO DUPLO and how it helps children worldwide.
Did You Know?
The LEGO Group began in 1932, with Ole Kirk Christiansen who was a carpenter from Billund, Denmark who made wooden toys.
“LEGO is named after two Danish words LEG GODT (meaning Play Well) to produce the LEGO® name. The name is intended to reflect quality and the child’s right to enjoyable play.”
Alexander having fun with LEGO DUPLO
LEGO is a great toy but it is so much more. So what can LEGO DUPLO do?
Help children with storytelling and communication. Using the LEGO DUPLO bricks and characters allows children to create their own world. When you are spending time with your child playing with LEGO DUPLO you can use the different creations as launch pads to tell stories. These creative stories help your child understand how stories are told, for example, stories have a beginning, a middle and an ending and the story needs to be told in this sequence or the person listening will get lost. This is a good skill to have as this leads to good communication that will help your child in the future.
You can teach fractions, shapes, patterns, colours, lengths and basic maths with LEGO DUPLO. Your kids will not even know they are learning, they will think they are just having a great time playing.
Being creative. Building cities, aeroplanes, birds, dinosaurs and really anything that you can think of. Don’t be confined to just the instructions that are included in the pack. LEGO DUPLO allows kids to create whatever their heart desires. There are no restrictions.
Alexander loved playing with LEGO DUPLO. When he is older I’m sure he will build amazing worlds.
This workshop was hands-on. We all had to open a pack of LEGO DUPLO bricks and get building.
Our first taskwas to build a bridge that would allow two LEGO DUPLO characters to get across the river that had huge fish in them and who knows if they were vicious! Yes, you had no idea so best to be careful.
My group came up with a great creation that allowed the characters to cross the river. We carefully engineered a bridge with side rails and steps to access it. We were safety conscious hence the safety rails.
The Bridge our table built to get the LEGO DUPLO characters over the river safely.
“Did you know that your brain is making use of the most critical skills for learning when playing with LEGO® bricks? Even when you build and rebuild with just a few bricks you stimulate more than 20 skills, supporting competencies such as problem-solving, creativity, empathy, communication and collaboration. “
Our second task was that we had to sit back to back to our partner and one person built with the LEGO DUPLO and the other person directed what to build. It was a very interesting lesson on communication and how to direct others when you cannot ask questions.
The second attempt at LEGO DUPLO at the Creative Workshop. It was very close but not exact. The better and more precise direction might have been better. This was a good way to showcase how if you have really good communication your team can benefit.
As you can see it was close but if the communication was more directional that would have been better. It would have hopefully led to an exact match with each creation of LEGO DUPLO.
We were also asked to take seven bricks and create a structure. It could be anything as long as it used seven bricks. This is an interesting exercise that you can use with your children. See what they create. Let them tell you the stories about the structure and why they built it the way they did.
Having a blast exploring all the blocks and new things that LEGO DUPLO offer.
“Did you know that LEGO® bricks produced since 1958 are fully compatible with LEGO bricks produced today”
The workshop showcased ways that I as a parent can help my children learn more with LEGO and also LEGO DUPLO.
Asking questions about the story, the building, the reason why something was done and finding fun ways to incorporate maths and other school learning into play is an amazing tool. Learning about patterns, counting and just having fun means that your kids will not even realise they are learning.
With the whole focus on innovation and creativity in the workplace the skills that LEGO DUPLO gives you are essential. It will help children in the workplace. If they are creative they have great ideas, solve problems and are innovative. There is a leaning now towards STEM subjects and LEGO DUPLO can help with these subjects for younger children, well at least introduce the ideas in a creative, fun and age-appropriate way.
It was lovely to meet Hanne Boutrup at the LEGO DUPLO Creative Workshop. I thought she was such an amazing speaker and so inspiring about children, learning and creativity. Alexander is also pleased to have been there as well.
Do your kids love LEGO DUPLO? Do you have older kids that love LEGO too?
My helper had to put his feet up. Too much building with LEGO DUPLO. He had a well-earned rest.
Have you used LEGO to teach your children without them even knowing? What is your favourite thing to do with the kids and LEGO?
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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)
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:
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.
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.
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
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:
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.
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.
Empathise. Try and see the situation from your child’s point of view and this can give you some insight into their behaviour.
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.
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.
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 Bearvideos 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.
Do you think it was an instantaneous thing? Well for some that happens, but for others it can take a while.
According to anational survey that interviewed 500 women,“seven out of ten mums think they are going to bond at birth with their bubs, but more than half find it takes much longer than that.
Pinky McKay a Lactation consultant has said, ‘baby bonding was “a bit like falling in love” Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it takes ages for the magic to develop. “(Herald Sun, July 24, 2016)
The national survey was commissioned by WOTBabywhich is an app that acts like a midwife in your pocket. It is a good tool for parents to consult and it goes up to six months of age.
The WOTBaby app was developed by Jen Hamilton who is a mothercraft nurse.
“In my experience, I generally find on average, mums truly bond with their child at four to five months,” Ms Hamilton said. (Herald Sun, July 24, 2016)
If you are not one of the mums that had the instant bonding moment then you might feel like it is a problem with you. Well you are fine! Trust me. Being pregnant, labor, birth, and now suddenly you have a new little person to care for. It is a BIG SHOCK to the system, and more so if you have twins or more.
The girls love their baby brother.
Depending on what happened during the birth and afterwards you could have very different reactions to your little bundle of joy.
Here are some things that could delay or not help with bonding:
New mum and overwhelmed. Tired or actually more like exhausted. (I was like the walking dead when I first had the twins. Up all the time to feed, change nappies and to also express breast milk. It was a big blur of feeling like I had no sleep)
Problems breast feeding. If your baby does not take to it or if you have difficulties it cannot help with the bonding process. (I had to express both times with the twins and now my little boy. We did try breast feeds but it did not work out well for us)
Getting Mastitis/ill. I got very ill with mastitis after having Alexander and ended up in hospital for about 3-4 days. I needed antibiotics intravenously and it was not fun. I had the baby with me but it was tough.
Premature babies/baby. In my case the twins were born 6 weeks early so they were taken to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) It was hard to bond with babies that were not with me all the time and the fact that they were confined to a humicrib made things difficult.
Still recovering from the birth. Depending on what type of birth you had you might still need to rest. This can make caring for a new baby more difficult and can impact on bonding.
Support network. Having a good support network is ideal. I know it is hard with everyone being so busy these days, plus living further and further away from each other. If your partner can allow you to have some down time, this can help you to recharge your batteries. It might be harder if you have older children and now a newborn. If people offer help accept it!Don’t put pressure on yourself. Everyone is not perfect. Although you look outside at others and they might appear to have it all together I’m sure they are worrying or annoyed about something. Things take time. Unreal expectations is not healthy and we have all done this, judging ourselves by what we think we should be like or doing. I say take your time. Do your thing and just keep going. You will learn the cues of your little baby, you will figure out what the grunts and gurgles mean. In time you will feel more confident about everything. Learning a new person takes time.
I took a while to bond with my darling twins. I loved them to bits but due to them being in the NICU, being super tired, first time mum, recovering from a very long birth (over 30 hours) as you can imagine things were hectic and I was just doing what I thought I was supposed to do.
After I had the twins the nurses at the NICU were ringing my room to ask me for breast milk. As I just had them and these were my first children the breast milk had not come in yet. Great more pressure. One baby was okay on formula until I got my breastmilk but the other little girl was on strike. She hated the formula and was listed as nil by mouth! Oh gosh….. More phone calls to my room asking for breast milk. More visits by nurses trying to play with my boobs to help me get breast milk and all while I struggled to keep my eyes open.
Since I was in a room on my own and the twins were in the NICU I was told to have pictures of them to help me with the breast milk situation. I did think at times it was all a dream. Did I have kids? Oh yes, I’m in a hospital. Yes I did. Where are they??? Oh that’s right they are in intensive care. It was a very surreal moment and one that I did not feel I could discuss with anyone else. I felt that I would be judged.
Mummy and the girls on the 27th of Sept, 2008. Katoomba Hosp. Julia on left, Lillian on right.
So as you can see my first experience was unique due to having twins as my first children. Now looking back to the birth with our little boy in January this year it was completely different. The birth and care was so much nicer and calmer… maybe that was due to one baby this time or the fact that he was born on his due date? Maybe it was also due to not having a full room of student doctors, nurses, and two doctors for each baby, extra support people and two humidicribs for the twins. Having one baby that was on time meant that I had one midwife, one nurse, hubby and me in the delivery room. It was so nice to not have a full gallery of people there.
Due to having one baby this time, also being a good weight and being born on his due date he was put on me after birth. This was a nice experience as it did not happen when the twins were born. It allowed me to have some time cuddling our new little person and to help bond.
I did find that due to some issues with our little boy not latching on the breast properly, and having silent reflux, being fussy about things it made the first three months rather difficult. He screamed the place down due to having air in his belly and it was hard to remove! I think with age he got better and therefore after about three months he was much calmer, and this made feeding and the bedtime routine easier.
Alexander and I on the day he was born. It was nice to have the first cuddles. Look at all that hair!
Another concern was how the twins would bond with the baby. We did not know if it was a boy/girl, although Julia wanted the baby to be a girl. She wanted to be the three sisters and have a picture taken at the Three Sisters at Katoomba. As you know we had a boy and the twins are so in love with their little baby brother. They help out and dote on him all the time, he is going to be a very spoilt little boy. My worries were for nothing. Did you do this when you had the second or third child? Stress about how the other kids would go with the new baby?
Our family is complete with our little baby boy and our twin girls. We love our kids to bits, and would not change anything. It took a while to get into the swing of things and that helped us learn everything about our three cheeky monkeys.
3 tips to remember!
Bonding is a personal experience. Don’t measure or judge yourself on what others are doing.
Don’t put pressure on yourself if bonding with baby is not instant. It can take up to six months or maybe more.
Don’t confuse not bonding with not loving your baby. You’re a mum, of course, you love your baby and the bonding will happen, so just relax and it will happen when it happens.
If you are experiencing postnatal depression/postnatal anxiety or having issues bonding with their baby contact PANDA on 1300 726 306. The hotline is open from 10am to 5pm.
Due to the launch of WOTbaby the topic of bonding with babies has been in the media. I was on Today Extra with Jen Hamilton discussing the issue.
I was also featured in an article by Smooth FM called, “When you don’t bond with your baby instantly”.
Let us know how you went with your first or second or third babies? Was it the same or different? How did you go?
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.
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?
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.
Have you got a baby or toddler that has digestive issues? Reflux, allergies or an intolerance to cow’s milk maybe? Are you finding it difficult if you are not breastfeeding anymore?
I could only breastfeed my third child for the first three months (I also got mastitis and was very ill. It came back about three times and complicated the issue with breastfeeding) and we did supplement with formula.
Learning how common toddler digestive issues are from Melanie McGrice Accredited Practising Dietitian.
We had issues with Alexander who had silent reflux when he was born and it lasted up until three months of age. He is still rather particular about being upright and of course cannot drink too much as he will then bring it straight back up. He was a very fussy baby and I think he had issues with his belly not handling things in the early days. You can read more about what happened with our little boy here.
After trying to settle the baby and to help him to relieve the wind and the pain in his belly it would all start again. Yes the 3-4 hours it took to settle him then meant that I had to feed him all over again and therefore this horrible issue would come back. I would dread feeding him the bottle due to what would happen afterwards…yes another 4 plus hours with a screaming baby.
Did you know?
“The vast majority (84%) of children 13-24 months have experienced some form of digestive problem with diarrhoea (33%), constipation (30%) and reflux (27%) being among the most common.”
I was wondering what to do. How can I help my little boy feel better and not be in pain? I of course wanted the screaming to stop. Peace and quiet was needed as it would hopefully lead to sleep. Yes the much needed sleep that every new parent needs and wants, but does not get.
I did not know there was goat formula. I also did not know that it could have helped our little baby’s issues. I wish we had tried it earlier.
Oil6 Dairy Goat Formula invited me to learn more about their products for toddlers. I was intrigued and interested due to the difficulties that we had with our son in the early days. I was keen to see if it would help him now as well.
While hearing about the Oli6 Goat Milk I was lucky to be able to drink some lovely coffee and nibble on some yummy snacks. It felt rather calming to be in such relaxing surroundings at The Grounds of the Alexandria and to just sit and be for a bit. Thanks so much for this yummy morning tea it was a great treat.
The lovely flowers plus the nibbles on the table at the Oli6 Goat Formula Morning Tea.
“Toddlers show their digestive distress by struggling to get to sleep (57%), crying (53%) and just being cranky (36%)
Calcium for teeth and bones (10% more than cows milk)
Vitamin A for vision and sight (46% more than cow’s milk)
Magnesium for development and growth (33% more than cow’s milk)
Vitamin C (37% more than cow’s milk)
Naturally occurring prebiotic oligos may assist digestion. Prebiotic oligosaccharides that naturally occur in goat’s milk may aid beneficial bacteria to help stimulate digestive health and help with the growth of the good gut bacteria (these are the ones we want). Studies have shown that goat’s milk contains up to 250-300mg/l which is six times the concentration than found in cow’s milk.
Higher amount of lipids to aid brain development and function
Higher proportion of medium chain fatty acids for colonic health and other benefits; more than normal cow’s milk.
Gentle on tummies – Has easier to digest fatty acids. The size of the fat globules in goat’s milk are smaller to cow’s milk and therefore has been suggested that this makes it easier to digest.
Oli6 is made in Victoria, Australia and adheres to strict Australian guidelines.
The girls and I at the morning tea for Oli6 Goat Formula. We are at the Atrium at The Grounds in Alexandria.
Why should you have a formula high in Oligosaccharides?
Protect against germs or illness
Promote colonic health
Help with the maturation of gut and immune system
Promote and help with healthy gut microflora ( Prebiotic)
Good for brain development
Helps with nutrient absorption
Did you know?
“To date, over 37 oligosaccharides have been identified in goat’s milk. Several of these oligosaccharides are structurally similar to those found in human milk and suggested to have similar beneficial effects.”
I had no idea that goat’s milk might be more similar to breast milk, maybe this is why it is easier to digest for babies? It is more like what mum would be giving the baby.
I only thought that goat’s milk might be a solution if you had an allergy or intolerance, not digestive issues. How wrong was I?
Having experienced a baby with digestive issues and being so unhappy I can see how this would be a good thing to try. Anything for a happy baby and happy parents.
Alexander and I at the Oli6 Goat Formula Morning Tea.
Just in case you wish to give the Oli6 Goat Formula a try you can purchase it from the Oli6 website, Pharmacy Warehouse, Cincotta Discount Chemist, Optimal Pharmacy Plus, Pharmacy 4 Less Discount Chemist, Direct Chemist Outlet – Discount Chemist and You Save Chemist. Oh and if you purchase at any of these pharmacies you get a $10.00 cashback.
Stage 3 – 12 months to 36 months (Toddler Formula) – Oli6 Dairy Goat Formula
“Almost half (46%) of mums changed formula type to try to address their child’s digestive issues and of these, almost half (46%) say it mostly solved the problem and a further 13% saying it somewhat reduced the problem.”
Need a unique gift for a family member? Don’t have heaps of money? Well, this great project will give you a cheap gift and your family member will cherish the present for years to come.
This gift can be for birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Celebrating being a new mum/dad, or even Christmas. So don’t worry it will be perfect for any occasion.
Create your own hand and feet print canvas, great gift idea. Be prepared for a mess. It was a bunch of fun though, but the baby got the messiest. Enjoy!
Gather Your Materials
Washable Paint. If you have more than 1 child you will need different colours for each child. I purchased red, blue and white paint. I made purple paint and also pink out of these colours. I ended up having purple, pink and blue for the 3 kids to use.
Canvas (You can small sizes, large ones or enormous size canvas. It is up to you and the project you are making) I chose small square ones so that they would easily fit in the post and also on a wall.
Newspaper to cover the floor or outside area. This makes sure you don’t get too messy.
Towels – You might want to have towels set up on the floor to protect the path to the bathroom so that your very messy kids can not mess things up too much once they get in there to get clean. I do find that if my kids are head to toe covered in paint, the walls and doors get covered in it too. Therefore having a washable paint is ideal as all you have to do is to give the wall and floor a quick wipe and all is good.
Paintbrushes – We used paintbrushes to put the paint on hands and feet. You can just put your hands and feet in the paint but using the paintbrush made it a bit easier.
How To Create the Prints
Step 1: Have your paint ready to go. If you need to mix colours have it all organised before the kids get near it.
Step 2: Put the newspaper down and then lay the canvas on top.
Step 3:Make sure kids are in clothes that can get dirty and then paint a foot or a hand and press on the canvas. (You might want to figure out where each hand and foot is going to go on the canvas. You don’t want to figure it out with excited kids who are ready to paint everything and anything. Before we put anything on a canvas I spoke to the girls about where each person’s hand was going to go and we were going to save space for the baby as well.)
Step 4: Since I was making more than one canvas at the same time I did this 3 times for each person. I made one for my Mother in Law, one for my mum and also one for me!
Step 5:Once you have all the hands and prints on the canvas, it now needs to dry. It should dry well overnight and be ready to post the next day. I picked one up for my Mother in Law. It just needed some bubble wrap to protect it and it sat in the box with the other goodies for her birthday.
This is a good rainy day activity. I am sure it will keep the kids happy and having fun. Afterward, they can have a bubble bath and you get some peace and quiet after they are relaxed and tired.
Maybe after the bath put on a film for them to watch or read them a story…… I do live in hope that the kids will be super tired after activities.
Oh well, whatever you do enjoy. I hope this gives you some great ideas and a cheap gift idea to create.
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Need a unique gift for a family member? Don’t have heaps of money? Well this great project will give you a cheap gift and your family member will cherish the present for years to come.
This gift can be for birthday’s, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Celebrating being a new mum/dad, or even Christmas. So don’t worry it will be perfect for any occasion.
Create your own hand and feet print canvas, great gift idea. Be prepared for mess. It was a bunch of fun though, but the baby got the messiest. Enjoy!
Gather Your Materials
Washable Paint. If you have more than 1 child you will need different colours for each child. I purchased red, blue and white paint. I made purple paint and also pink out of these colours. I ended up having purple, pink and blue for the 3 kids to use.
Canvas (You can small sizes, large ones or enormous size canvas. It is up to you and the project you are making) I chose small square ones so that they would easily fit in the post and also on a wall.
Newspaper to cover the floor or outside area. This makes sure you don’t get too messy.
Towels – You might want to have towels set up on the floor to protect the path to the bathroom so that your very messy kids can not mess things up too much once they get in there to get clean. I do find that if my kids are head to toe covered in paint, the walls and doors get covered in it too. Therefore having a washable paint is ideal as all you have to do is to give the wall and floor a quick wipe and all is good.
Paint brushes – We used the paint brushes to put the paint on hands and feet. You can just put your hands and feet in the paint but using the paint brush made it a bit easier.
How To Create the Prints
Step 1: Have your paint ready to go. If you need to mix colours have it all organised before the kids get near it.
Step 2: Put the newspaper down and then lay the canvas on top.
Step 3:Make sure kids are in clothes that can get dirty and then paint a foot or a hand and press on the canvas. (You might want to figure out where each hand and foot is going to go on the canvas. You don’t want to figure it out with excited kids who are ready to paint everything and anything. Before we put anything on a canvas I spoke to the girls about where each persons hand was going to go and we were going to save space for the baby as well.)
Step 4: Since I was making more than one canvas at the same time I did this 3 times for each person. I made one for my Mother in Law, one for my mum and also one for me!
Step 5:Once you have all the hands and prints on the canvas, it now needs to dry. It should dry well overnight and be ready to post the next day. I packed one up for my Mother in Law. It just needed some bubble wrap to protect it and it sat in the box with the other goodies for her birthday.
This is a good rainy day activity. I am sure it will keep the kids happy and having fun. Afterwards they can have a bubble bath and you get some peace and quiet after they are relaxed and tried. Maybe after the bath put on a film for them to watch or read them a story…… I do live in hope that the kids will be super tired after activities.
Oh well, whatever you do enjoy. I hope this gives you some great ideas and a cheap gift idea to create.
Note: This post is not sponsored in anyway, just wanting to share. I thought that some information might be helpful for other mums and dads out there.
The last week Alexander has started some solid food, well not really solid. More mash to be exact. We noticed that he is getting more and more interested in what we are eating and thought he might be ready.
When did you start your little person on real food?
The twins started about this time as well. I remember when the twins were babies I was eating a banana. One girl reached over and nearly took it off me. I thought this little girl was telling me that she wanted to start solids.
What did your little baby do to show you they were ready?
So what has the baby been eating? We chose the 4 months + range from Heinz (I did not realise that on the Heinz website they have recipes for all age groups, fact sheets and so much more. I had no idea. If you need some inspiration on meals this site looks like a great resource.)
Heinz Pumpkin Potato & Beef for 4 months +. Image from the Heinz website.
So far Alexander has had some food for lunch and dinners and has sampled:
Pumpkin, Potato and Beef
Pear and Banana
Golden Sweet Corn and Chicken
When the twins were babies I bought all kinds of vegetables and fruit and pureed my own baby food. I spent hours shopping and organising it all, I wanted to expose the girls to all different tastes and textures. My aim was for them to eat a variety of everything and of course not to be fussy. This however backfired on me as the twins are very fussy eaters. Maybe this baby will be the person who eats whatever he is given. I can live in hope and dream…. maybe…Well it would be nice.
Did you make your own baby food for the first kid? Did you do it for the others as well or did not have the time?
I plan on making some things at home to expand Alexander’s tastes and expose him to other foods.
I do find that I am extremely busy with the twins, their school, reading at the school, plus after school activities and that is not even listing homework or helping the kids read once home.
What did you make and freeze for your kids when they started solids?
When the twins got used to solids I made them a spaghetti bolognese but it had huge amount of vegetables in it, the vegetables were pureed and added to the tomato sauce. The pasta was the coloured pasta that was infused with vegetables as well, so the girls got a good helping of vegetables in this meal. The twins used to love this meal but they don’t eat this type of thing any more.
It is so cute to watch Alexander eat the new food. His face lights up with the new tastes and feelings that it creates in his mouth. He moves his tongue around and it appears like he is chewing, however he has no teeth so it is just moving the mash around his mouth. I am pleased that he is liking the new food and experience.
It is exciting our little person will soon be eating like the rest of the family, although I hope that he will not be fussy like his big sisters.
Did your little one like the experience of starting solids? Did they love all the food that you gave them or was there one that they hated? Let us know.
I was invited to an intimate ladies lunch. It sounded nice and lovely. In the city for a lunch all by myself, well with a baby so that was not that bad. However I was at the lunch to talk and to learn about the vagina. Or as some people might refer to as the front bottom, the vajayjay or their bits. I’m sure there is more slang to refer to this amazing body part.
The event was hosted by the charming and delightful Dr Ginni Mansberg and the great team from Vagisil, and also the darling Claire from Birds of Prey in Melbourne. The lunch was to learn about a topic that not many people discuss and to bring real world examples by having a frank discussion with other ladies over brilliantly yummy catered lunch.
I of course thought the lunch sounded fab, but I was rather hesitant in talking about the vagina. Why I thought? I am grown woman. I have now had three kids and of course as anyone can attest that during childbirth everyone seems to want to take a look at your vagina, and it is not something that you wince at like you once did before kids. I still don’t like all the doctors interest but you can understand it as the baby has to get out, and of course it is lovely vagina that gives it a helping hand – See an amazing body part!
My bubbles and lovely flowers at the lunch thanks to Vagisil.
I wondered how intimate this lunch would get? Would there be mirrors passed around so that I and others can look at our own vaginas? Would there be puppets of vaginas so that we can learn about where it all lives and how to care for this brilliant part of the body. I know that sounds very strange but I had no idea what the lunch would be and knew the topic was vaginas so it did get my brain racing.
Look how pretty the table was for our amazing lunch and great company. Thanks to Vagisil for the great event.
As I mentioned I was hesitant to attend, I thought for a long time. Why am I so worried? The vagina is not a bad thing. It is a marvel. Men and boys seem to be super proud of their penis so why shouldn’t girls and women be proud of their vaginas (Maybe there should be a proud vagina movement. If there is one already I had no idea). The more women talk to other women about what is normal and happening to them, the more they will understand it is okay.
In the end the lunch was nice. I met some lovely ladies, had amazing food in a fabulous location (It was at The Grounds in Alexandria, Sydney. If you have never been you will love the place. It was HUGE, a hidden little Mediterranean like farm in the middle of the city. They had farm animals for kids to look at and such an amazing amount of greenery.) All my concern over the topic of the lunch was not to be. It ended up with interesting conversation from Dr Ginni and then others joined in so we all learnt more. Very enjoyable!
Did you know?
“An astonishing 1.8 million Australian women suffer with vaginal dryness. That’s close to 1 in 4 of us.”
Take the quiz to learn more.
I too had to answer these questions while at my lovely lunch. I also learnt that I knew more about the vagina than I thought. Amaze yourself and see how much you already know.
How well do you know the vagina?
Take this quick quiz to learn more about the vagina. Questions are the same ones that I had on my ladies lunch with the lovely Dr Ginni Mansberg and the fabulous team from Vagisil.
The vagina should be acidic?
Yes
No
It’s normal to have a discharge from the vagina?
Yes
No
A smelly vaginal discharge means a STI
Yes
No
Nasty bugs thrive in a moist vagina
Yes
No
Douching is the best way to combat a stinky vagina
Yes
No
The best treatment for a dry vagina is washing with soap
Yes
No
You shouldn’t use hand or body lotion to moisturise the vagina
True
False
Only older women suffer with vaginal dryness
Yes
No
Vaginal dryness can be caused by performance anxiety, stress, menopause, hormonal imbalances, exercise, using perfumed soaps and body wash, wearing certain underwear can cause vaginal dryness.
Yes
No
Have you ever had a dry vagina?
Yes or No – This is a personal question that depends on you.
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For those who said yes, what do you think was the cause? (performance anxiety, stress, menopause, hormonal imbalances including breastfeeding, exercise, using perfumed soaps and body wash, wearing certain underwear)
It could be anyone one or a combination of all of the above.
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Have you ever had bad vaginal discharge?
Yes or No – This is your own personal answer again.
undefined
Australians are having as much sex as they would like.
Yes
No
Half of vaginal dryness sufferers don’t use any products to relieve their dryness
True
False
“A study found that of the 1.8 million women who suffer from dryness…
31% experience it more than once a week
17% experience it every 2 or 3 weeks
51% don’t use any product to treat it”
If you are one of these women that do get vaginal dryness then Vagisil has a solution for you. They have created a new product called Vagisil ProHydrate Plus Internal Hydrating Gel, this new product mimics a woman’s natural moisture and offers relief for up to three days. As you will see from the quiz, vaginal dryness does not have anything to do with age. It affects all ages. It could be as simple as stress, medicines that you are taking that throw off your internal pH levels, soaps, body washes, tight clothing, hormonal imbalances and menopause.
Vagisil have created some fabulous health videos which is a brilliant free resource. They feature Dr Adelaide Nardone who answers your questions about why pH matters, causes and also gives you helpful remedies.
This lunch really made me realise that I too was afraid of talking about the vagina. How do girls and women learn what is supposed to be normal if we never discuss it with our daughters, mums and friends. You can see from the statistics that there is a lot of women out there that are not talking about this issue.
A close up of the pretty flowers at the lunch.
Dr Ginni Mansberg, Kimba from Kimba Likes and of course me at the lunch.
Be kind to you.
Make sure you talk to your friends, your doctor about any changes that you notice.
Don’t suffer in silence.
Don’t be in pain.
Live life well and if you need help get it.
Shelly Horton and Dr Ginni talk about all the things you are worried about.
“Additionally, research shows that vaginal dryness is most likely to affect women during sexual activity. Among the women studied …
76% experienced dryness during sexual activity
69% found dryness most bothersome during intimacy”
The yummy desserts at the lunch. I had to have all 3…. Yes naughty I know.
Do you discuss things with mates? Or family? If not are you more comfortable talking with your local doctor?
Have you noticed that there is a generational change with this topic? Maybe your older relatives will avoid any topic that has vagina in it and the younger ones are not bothered?
Let us know what has happened to you.
Thanks so much to Claire and Vagisil for the invite to this great event. I had a great time and learnt a lot. I hope you have as well.
Do you feel that you are racing around just to get everything done? Does it always seem like a mad rush?
Well if you can say YES to this I hear you.
I have felt like this for a while now that I am running around trying to get everything done and not really get much done at all.
Taking time for you and to enjoy your own company is great. I love the silence and peace that this gives me. When I get to do it. Image found on Pinterest.
Things that have been done:
Kids cared for
Kids taken and picked up from school
After school activities organised, paid for and driven kids to and from them
Cared for baby
Shopped for food and essentials at supermarket
Got birthday present for my mother in law
Washed clothes and now trying to fold and put them away
Cleaned kids room about million times. No point with this one as in seconds it is back to the destruction it was in before it was tidied up
Cook dinners for everyone
Pack lunches for kids
Check the mailbox for important mail (mainly checking for birthday presents to arrive, oh and a wedding anniversary gift)
Make sure that all excursions have been paid for and notes signed
I know there is more to add to this list but some things are a blur so I might have forgotten something important.
Just relax and breathe in good vibes….. and breathe out bad vibes! Image found on Pinterest
Racing around in the window of time that I have to myself never seems to get everything done. I did try and tidy up the bathroom in-between hanging clothes on the line. However I had to have the baby in the garden with me so was keeping an eye on him while doing some jobs.
When I get some time for me to just sit in silence and not race around I feel a little on edge. I think this is due to being on the go all the time and the constant activity and noise of now three kids. Sometimes it takes a while to just chill out, relax and just be.
I currently have a very sore neck and shoulders; It is rather painful. I tend to hold all my annoyance and stress in my shoulders, jaw and neck. I have tried massage, hot showers and the chiropractor. Maybe I need all three? Or a nice Queensland holiday that allows me to be on the beach, sleep in and rest might be just what is needed.
How do you try and relax?
I try and watch some of my favourtie television shows or go for a walk on my own. Yes walking all by myself without kids is great (I need to wait till a weekend to do this as hubby needs to mind the kids). I also like to take myself off to a cafe for brunch or maybe to the movies to watch a film that I have wanted to see.
The Child Development Institute has a great list to help parents manage their stress. Why not check out some ideas that might help you next time or now if you are needing some relaxation time.
Taking the time to relax is very important. It is good for your health and of course relationships.
Do you find it takes more time to relax than it used to? I truly believe due to being constantly on the go it takes the body more time to rest and de-stress. What about you?
I know it is hard but I do think we need to cut back on things and activities. I would just love to come home after school pick up and just be. I have also tried to make things a bit easier for me by doing some organising the night before. This means less stress in the morning and an easier start to the day. How do you make things easier for you when you are extremely busy?
Yep although I have my worries and annoyances, I have so many blessings that I am very grateful for. Image found on Pinterest.
Watching early morning infomercials is dangerous. Due to being up at odd hours with the baby I ended up having the television stuck on a channel with non stop infomercials.
Since he was screaming his head off I immediately put bottle in mouth and then realised that the telly was stuck on a channel I did not want.
I could not fix it.
I ended up watching two long commercials.
I thought how silly it was that I was watching this type of television while feeding the baby.
What has the world come to? A housewife, feeding the baby and now watching infomercials. Yes I have succumbed.
I thought I was winning and doubted the stories and information. I did tried to not be swayed by the propaganda.
However…… I was turned and suddenly started to think that these two products were okay and maybe we could seriously use them in our house. Oh NO! What was happening? Geez early morning telly is dangerous. I’m glad that I was too sleepy and of course I was out of reach of a credit card.
My new mop….. I wonder if it will work like the one I saw on the infomercial?
The sales job had even worked in the early morning hours all between cuddles, burps and spitting up from a baby and not me…. Yes I know you might wonder after this sudden announcement that I have been swayed after just watching two commercials in the early morning hours.
You might wonder what products that I thought were so amazing. Below are the two products that wowed me:
One was this brilliant mop that has a swivel head and the head of the mop can detach to be cleaned in the washing machine. Just brilliant I thought. No need to buy replacements you need to just wash it. Also some areas are hard to reach with the mop that we currently have and if the head or parts move around then it would work so much better. The mop also had a spinner thingy bob in the bucket that allows you to spin out the yucky water and magically be left with clean water for your next go at mopping the floor.
The other product was the painter rollers. The roller actually has the paint in it so every time you roll the paint on the wall or whatever you are painting you don’t need to keep on topping it up. It works well and the paint lasts for a while, well the infomercial told me it did. I know you have to add paint to the body of the paint roller but it looked like a brilliant idea.
Watching this type of telly is very bad when you are sleep deprived and also cannot change the channel. I could not stop thinking about the mop and thought it would be a good thing to have. While I was shopping for something completely different at BigW I saw the same type of mop for sale. I’m sure it was called something different on the infomercial and was more expensive but could be wrong. It was early morning and I have found that I have not remembered much other than the baby is fed and going back to bed (I do love my sleep).
Since I saw this great product for sale I had to give it a go. I have meant to use it but due to the baby being up and down all week, I have not had a chance. I plan to do it this week. Take the new mop out of the box and see if it is indeed the bees knees of mops.
Have you been sucked into infomercials and thought what they were selling looked fabulous? Please let me know I’m not the only one.
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
Lately the house has been a mess. Things have been half done and never gotten back to. Why do you ask?
Well a crying baby that is the reason. He is needing cuddles, attention and of course for mummy to try and take the pain of teething away.
When the rare moment that he has slept during the day happens I try and do something, but he wakes and then the screaming and upset begins again. This now means that I have to stop what I am doing and be with the baby.
I have decided to just give up for now. If I get the washing folded and put away that will be a miracle.
Also if the vacuuming and maybe other areas of the house get a good scrub and clean that also will be amazing indeed.
Sometimes having a shower without the baby waking up is winning. Yes small things make me feel like I have achieved greatly.
I feel like I should get some toothpicks and try and prize my eyes open. I am getting sleep and the baby is sleeping better at night and for longer, but I am on edge. I keep on thinking I hear the baby cry and of course don’t have that deep lovely sleep as I am always on call for the baby in the night. I also have showers and believe that the baby is screaming the house down when of course the place is dead quiet. I’m sure I am not the only one that does this.
Toothpicks that might be helpful in keeping my eyes open.
My body is out of whack. My neck hurts and a good massage and hot bath is something that would be most welcome. Bring on the day spa experience….well I can dream can’t I.
Although he has been in pain and is out of sorts, he is still a very smiley and giggly little boy. Sometimes he does not know if he should laugh or cry when I am trying to help him with the pain of new teeth coming in.
I don’t know if it is a personality difference but the twins were not that bad when they were teething. They were in a bit of pain and discomfort but after taking the edge off with some painkillers they were right. Some cuddles, kisses and then they were off to bed and all was right. Our little boy seems to be upset all the time regardless of medication or sometimes cuddles. Is there a difference between how the sexes handle this? If you had a boy and then a girl were they different or the same when they got their first teeth?
I do really feel for him and how horribly painful it is. I am just very glad that he will not remember this experience. All I can do is to try and make him feel the pain less and to give him cuddles throughout the process. I’m not sure when he will get his first tooth but I hope it happens soon. The twins got theirs at about 4-5 months and some at 6 months.
It feels like there are few teeth wanting to make an appearance and it will be interesting to see what one happens first. I know the bottom teeth and the top ones are the teeth that generally happen first.
Have you had a week or two that whatever you plan or wish to do in the window of time you have to yourself you cannot get done? If so I feel your annoyance and I also understand that the little person is really needing you and me giving them hugs and attention at this upsetting time for them right now.
How did you get through your baby teething? Did you just give up on things around the house like I am doing? Did you have some help to get all the things done that need doing? Let us know.
Note: I am hoping that in the next few days he will settle down a bit so that will allow me to get stuck into the housework. You know when you get over it all and you clean angry. I find I get a lot done when I have this happen, especially when I need to throw out things, give items charity or just give things away.
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
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.
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.
when I was little, so did my sister, so did hubby and now so do our girls, and of course, our little boy will do as well.
