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You can also check out all of our practical videos on our YouTube Channel here - these include nappy changing, making up a bottle, topping and tailing and so much more!
Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. In the last year, while we have been in lockdown, we haven’t been travelling long distances or using transport as much as we might have previously. This means that a lot of our babies and children are not used to travelling in a vehicle and we have recently had lots more parents asking us about motion sickness. As this is a situation lots of families are dealing with at the moment we thought that we would put a blog together all about it!
Read MoreWritten by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. Tummy time is something that you have probably read about or seen mentioned when it comes to your newborn. In this blog I hope to give you some ideas on how to do this and discuss the benefits of tummy time for your little one.
Read MoreWritten by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. Our children can be very set on things at times and this can even be in relation to wanting one parent to do everything for them and to be with them all the time. We can often find in these situations that we have one parent who seems to be favoured over the other.
This behaviour can be extremely draining for the ‘preferred’ parent at the time and can be very difficult (and upsetting at times) for the other parent (the ‘rejected’ one) who feels that they are not wanted or, sometimes, not even liked or loved.
We must remember that this is not about who your child does or doesn’t like, it is all about your child learning and developing, which includes learning what relationships feel like and how to manage them. They are practicing something that they will have to deal with for years to come through friendships, relationships and also with work colleagues. It is all about making sense of how and why we feel what we do!
Read MoreWritten by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. The important thing to remember is that under the age of 5 it is completely normal for some children to not be dry through the night. Try not to worry about this as for most children this will develop by the time they are 5.
Read MoreWritten by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. This has to be one of the main questions I get asked a couple of weeks after a parent feels that their little one has mastered potty training. There is a quiet confidence that you get when you have had several days or weeks without any accidents, but then suddenly it is like you have gone back to when you first started potty/toilet training; your little one is having accidents and in some cases they don’t seem to be worried or upset by it, if anything some can seem to find it funny.
Read MoreWritten by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. The last 12 months have been such a strange time and we are all adjusting after spending so much time at home with our family members (possibly more than ever before). We have had to make changes so that we have been able to manage the situation and by doing this we have got into new routines and hopefully made home a place where we can feel safe and secure.
Read MoreIn conversation with Dani King from Wellingborough Wills. Why, as a parent, should I make a will? When you have children, it is vital that you consider who you would want to take care of them if you were to no longer be around. There is a common misconception that children will automatically be placed with relatives, or the people that you would choose. In reality, it is up to the courts to decide. Your relatives may apply to become the legal guardian, which the courts may grant if they feel they are a fit person for the role, but they may decide that they are not suitable and your children could be placed into foster care until a suitable home is found. It is best practice to write a will and nominate chosen guardians instead. These can be friends, relatives, whoever you choose. Choosing the right guardians can be a challenge for many parents, some key things to consider is their existing relationship with your children, their location, their beliefs and if they align with yours, their age, health status and finances.
Read MoreWritten by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. It has been a long 12 months, but we are just starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel (keeping everything crossed) and the thought of being able to do things and see people again is a really exciting one. However, for our babies and children (and even some adults) this new phase is something that we need to adjust to, and this might not just be a case of ‘getting back to normal…’ in some cases we will need a plan to gradually re-introduce other people back into our lives.
Read MoreWritten by Emily Darwell. Becoming a mother, entering lockdown and getting to know the new norm, 2020 was quite the year for our new family! When thinking about writing this, it has made me think a lot about other families and how this past year has effected everyone individually. I want to make it clear I am aware we are all on our own journey, the saying ‘we are all in the same boat’ got thrown around a lot in 2020 and I very much disagree with it, yes we have all had challenges and it is of course affecting us all, however, our ‘boats’ are all very different!! I know I am very lucky, having a garden and living in the Yorkshire Dales which suddenly became a huge benefit of 2020 life, I think the new mum in a small flat, home schooling two older children, with zero outside space living in a city would very much agree, we are not in the same boat! Though saying this and recognising I am lucky to live where I am doesn’t mean emotionally it hasn’t taken its toll, but it has enabled me on harder days to always see that silver lining, knowing I am lucky to have what I have! As mothers we should always try to remember we are on our own parental journey, completely individual to us and our wee ones, pandemic or no pandemic - just trying to do our best with what we have and somedays just finding the energy to get to bedtime is more than enough!
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