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Cute as a Cupcake Clothing
- Fairy Cupcake Lunch Bag & Flash £14.50 (www.giftsatbliss.co.uk)
- Hatley Girls Raincoat (Blue Cupcake Print) 2-7 Years £25 (Amazon)
- Little Cupcake Rose Pink/Pastel Green Leather Shoes £18 (Inch Blue)
- Hatley Cupcake Wellies £17.96 (MyLittleShoeBox)
- Cupcake Pyjama 2 Pack £16-£18 (Mothercare)
- Merry Berries Knitted Pink & Blue Cupcake Hat £13.99 (www.littlesunflowers.com)
Car Crazy Clothing
- Car Printed Fleece £4 (George, Asda)
- Boys Cars & Campers Wellies £9.99 (www.funky-wellington-boots.co.uk)
- Car Blue/ Russet Soft Leather Shoes £18 (Inch Blue)
- Racing Car Pyjamas 2 Pack £14- £16 (Mothercare)
- Yellow Transport Print Cagoule £13- £14 (Next)
- Blue Car Pattern Hat & Mittens Set £4.50 (Debenhams)
The Do’s and Don’ts of Infant Dental Care
Here at Mums Baby Magazine we know how hard it can be being a parent, suddenly there are a great number of roles which you suddenly seem to be landed with: cleaner, carer, nurse, teacher, DIY expert, cook, waiter/ waitress, hairdresser, fashion consultant, dentist… any many more as the years go by. It can be difficult trying to keep track of the many things that we are expected to do, let alone be an expert at when and how we should be carrying out these chores. To make things a little easier, we have put together a quick guide upon infant dental health to help you along the way…
- Parents should begin cleaning their children’s teeth from the moment that a tooth comes through (breaks through the skin), it is therefore important that as parents we regularly check our babies mouths for impending teeth.
- Make an appointment for your child with the Dentist once their teeth have started to come through (this can be as soon as they acquire their first tooth).
- Most dentists ask that appointments are made for your child every six months.
- Infants/ children’s teeth should be cleaned at least twice a day (usually once in the morning and once before bed time).
- Toothpaste and brushes appropriate for your child’s age group should be purchased beforehand, these are widely available from supermarket stores UK wide.
- Avoid purchasing fruity based toothpaste as these may be widely available for infants and toddlers but are not featured on the market for children, teens and adults. Therefore if your child took a liking to a fruity based toothpaste, there is a possibility that they could take a disliking to popular minty based toothpastes later in life. Try to stick to a minty option from the start, this way you can avoid any preferences for flavour later in life.
- Change your child’s toothbrush every month or so.
- Most children acquire their first tooth between the age of six to twelve months. However, many children are born with teeth or acquire them shortly after.
- Your child will most likely have their full set of milk teeth by the time that they reach three years of age, this usually consists of ten teeth on the top and ten teeth on the bottom.
- If your child uses a pacifier then you should aim to stop this habit by the time that they are three years old to avoid any dental damage.
- In order to make cleaning your child’s teeth easier, face your child away from you and tip their head back into your arms. From this angle you should have both easy access and a good view for cleaning their teeth.
- If your child becomes anxious whilst having their teeth cleaned and you find it difficult keeping their mouth open, try using a story based upon a house with an upstairs and a downstairs (top and bottom sets of teeth) where someone/ something is being chased around the house or needs to be found, ask them to open their mouth a little wider so that you can see where this fictional character may be… By making teeth cleaning a fun activity, you will avoid any future anxiety problems and provide your child with a positive association towards cleaning their teeth.
We hope that our twelve teeth cleaning tips are helpful and enable you to really ‘get your teeth’ into your parental dental duties!
Languages for Little Learners from Icklelingo
According to research, children should be introduced to foreign languages as early as possible. There are many advantages for children who learn multiple languages from an early age, these benefits are lifelong and can be hugely valuable in the future.
- Introducing your child to foreign languages can help to develop their awareness and appreciation for diversity.
- Whilst your child is learning foreign languages they will also increase their ability within English.
- It is far easier to absorb new information at an early age, young children also seem to be able to compartmentalise each separate language correctly and tend not to confuse separate languages which they may be learning.
- If children learn a second or third language at an early age they will achieve a more native grasp of the grammar and pronunciation included within the language.
- Children who learn a foreign language statistically tend to score higher within future examinations, therefore it could be suggested that learning a second/ third language could improve your child academically.
- Learning a foreign language can boost your child’s confidence and can be great fun.
Icklelingo has produced a range of books and cards aimed at children aged twenty four months plus to help develop early language skills. The Icklelingo books and cards are designed to introduce first words in a range of languages through engaging artwork. The Icklelingo books have been specifically designed to meet the needs of bilingual households and parents who are keen to introduce new languages to their children from an early age.
The Icklelingo books are available in six differing key languages including:
- French
- German
- Greek
- Polish
- Italian
- Spanish
Mums Baby Magazine put three of the Icklelingo books to the test with a talkative toddler who enjoys dabbling with new sounds. We were impressed with the quality and durability of the Icklelingo books, designed specifically for little fingers, the Icklelingo books are board books (hard, thick card pages to prevent ripping or damage) and therefore are ideal for small children.
Each Icklelingo
features twelve pages covering a range of subjects introducing children to a range of language basics including:
- Numbers
- Colours
- Clothing
- Family
- Outside
- Fruit and Vegetables
- Sea Life
- Animals
Each page features bright, colourful and bold images which will capture children’s attention. We spent an afternoon with our toddler tester and the French version of the Icklelingo book browsing through the pages, pointing out and saying words out loud together, our toddler seemed to find the books interesting and enjoyed pointing at the pictures and repeating the words learnt both in French and English.
Later in the week we once again spent time pointing to the images and were impressed to find that our toddler seemed to remember the words taught and showed great pride in being able to say the words in another language.
We have continued to make regular use of the Icklelingo books with our toddler tester, these books would be ideal to take along on a foreign holiday to enable children to access alternative languages and try out their new found skills abroad. Whilst toddlers and young children have an exceptional ability for learning, we suggest that it best to stick to one additional language to aid focus and avoid confusion.
Icklelingo products are printed using environmentally friendly ink (soya ink), the full range of Icklelingo books are available for £6.00 GBP from www.icklelingo.com
Icklelingo also produce a range of celebration cards (available in six languages and five differing designs similar to those featured within the books). Both bold and beautiful, the Icklelingo card range is ideal for sending to ‘little learners’ to celebrate achievements and occasions. The Icklelingo cards are available from www.icklelingo.com for £2.50 each.
Mums Baby Magazine were greatly impressed with the content and quality of the Icklelingo books, our toddler tester also seemed fairly impressed and therefore we give the Icklelingo book range a terrific ten out of ten!
10 Tips for Surviving Labour
Labour is an incredibly daunting and difficult journey for many Mums, We asked our readers to offer us their tips and suggestions for ‘Surviving Labour’, we then narrowed these down to our five favourites to help guide Mums through the most incredible moment of their lives.
Listen to your midwife and don’t rule anything out! – Sue Thompson- Stay active in labour, gently bounce or rock your hips while sitting on a birthing ball and visualise the baby moving down the birth canal with each contraction. Deep controlled breaths with each contraction will help you get through each one. Try not to lay down on the bed.- Rebecca McKay
- Reading lots (and watching a certain reality show) as well as talking to friends and relatives who have been through it helped me feel prepared. – Cheryl Jane Losty
- I would say the best tip is to keep an open mind and just go with it. Both of my labours were completely different and so even the first experience couldn’t prepare me for the next. – Karen Scotts
- Try not to panic as much as it is so painful try and stay focused and remember it will end soon and it will all be worth it. – Shelley Marie Kent
We would like to thank our wonderful readers for their positive contributions and look forward to sharing more of your ‘top tips’ in future. If you would like to be involved with some of our articles then be sure to ‘like’ us on facebook (www.facebook.com/mumsbabymag) and follow us on twitter (www.twitter.com/mumsbabymag). Alternatively why not join our forum www.mumsbabymagazine.com/forum and discuss your ideas and experiences, you never know we may just use your ideas in our magazine!
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