Five Mums

The idea behind Five Mums is simple: to share our experience as new mums in a way that helps other parents make informed decisions about how best to serve their children’s needs. var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-21735532-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();

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Some great Christmas ideas for a 17 month old

posted by Thandi

Wow! It really has been forever since I last posted anything, but with Christmas around the corner, I figured it might be a good chance for me to jot down a couple ideas for anyone struggling to find gifts for their 17 month olds out there!

Noam has become even more curious and has resorted to trying to take most objects apart using his super-human strength little digits - but I managed to find a couple of things that can challenge this young man and here they are:

Walter Toys - another awesome German brand of toys

Walter - Schrauben und Muttern (aka Nuts and Bolts)

The website above is for Walter, yet another German brand that makes wonderful wooden toys for kids, this time the Nuts and Bolts toy we got Noam is keeping him well and truly entertained. He is trying to figure out how to unscrew the bolts from each other and trust me, this can offer you up to a good 10 minutes of respite - if needed. (Approx €10)

Tomy - Aquadoodle

Tomy - Aquadoodle (Classic)

This is a definite must have, I think, for when you go to the childless friend's house, as this has helped to keep Noam calm and even made our friends believe he is a very silent and well behaved boy (!). Awesome!

It is so easy to pack and the pen, never runs out of ink, because it is filled with water. The best thing about this (for me) is that if your kid feels like picking up the pen and drawing on your carpet (ours is white!!), it is all ok - there is simply NO MESS! (Approx £20)

I have no doubt that I will be posting more here as the days leading up to Christmas get closer, but I hope these help to give you some ideas - if you are stuck!

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Barefoot or Not? This is my dilemma!

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Ladybird Touch and Feel Fairy Tales - awesome!

posted by Thandi

I don't know if you have struggled with this, but Noam is in an 'in-between' phase with reading right now. He is just about to turn 14 months old, and I can't get him to focus for very long on any story that is longer than 5 or 6 pages.

We were at the O2 Centre's Waterstone's over the weekend and I came across some of my favourite Ladybird classic fairy tales, but told for ages 1+. I must say, these are awesome!

They are the 'Touch and Feel Fairy Tales' collection by Ladybird and they are just the right length to keep Noam entertained before bedtime and during the day, when his energy is burning low and you can grab his attention. He has the Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

He seems to love them, well at least he loves helping me turn the pages. So, fingers crossed he will learn these by heart, just as I did as a kid, and surprise my grandparents before too long with his new found skill of 'knowing how to read'. :)

If you are searching for something to read your little ones, these are it! Enjoy visiting that magical land of fairy tales all!

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posted by Thandi

Baa Baa Black Sheep, sample song from Baby TV (available on Virgin Media) 

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Baby TV - acceptable or evil?

posted by Thandi   Since going back to work, I truly feel like there isn’t a moment to step back and breathe. I mean, I felt that way when I was on maternity leave as well, but now I feel like I am rushing at work, then rushing home to be with Noam and then rushing to get everything ready for the next day and then kicking it all off again each morning. I keep thinking that at some point, this new routine will get easier, but I see no sign of that on the horizon yet. Amidst all this rush, there never seems to be a moment to sit back and have a coffee for instance or to relax and watch some news or other mindless TV. So, I don’t know about you, but I am finding it incredibly easy to plop my little one in front of the television to watch a bit of Baby Einstein, which instantly chills him out for around 15 minutes. Perfect, or is it? In the not so distant past, I have been so worried about the length of time I let him watch TV, but I have to say I have become a lot more lenient on that lately. Perhaps, it is because I have found some more baby-targeted TV, which I feel he is enjoying watching and learning something in the process, even if it is how to jump.

Enough of the intro, I am talking about BABY TV.

If you haven’t heard of it, look into it. That is, only if you don’t mind having your under 2 year old watch a bit of TV. It is, in my view, great for letting your baby chill out and not scream solidly for half an hour. Gives me a break to make a quick dinner or to sort out some laundry and it really makes Noam laugh. I would recommend it too, as it doesn’t contain any commercials and is simply drawn using everyday objects - such as vegetables - to tell great stories and sing nursery rhyme favourites. Very clever and very good. Great option if you too need a short break!

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Is it odd that my kid LOVES to sort things?

posted by Thandi

At first, I just thought it was a quirky thing Noam was getting up to, then I started to get worried about it being an obsession and now finally, after reading up on it, I realise it is perfectly normal. If you are wondering what I am talking about it is Noam's new desire to do nothing but sort stuff out. 

It really is incredibly fascinating to watch and I was on the verge of thinking he was developing a sort of OCD-type thing. However, much to my delight, and thanks to the guys at Baby Center, I am totally relieved as I know it is perfectly normal.

If your baby is doing this A LOT, apparently they are trying to figure out the similarities and differences between objects. The grouping, sorting and arranging actions are apparently all necessary tasks for these little ones to undertake with their hands before they can begin to do so with their brains. Fascinating! I can really watch him for hours while he cracks on with laundry, muslin cloths or playing cards. Funny thing really, but boy am I glad this is a PERFECTLY NORMAL activity.

I am neurotic to the bone.:)

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Yes, I am back on teething :)

posted by Thandi

Back from another fantastic trip to Germany, this time to visit friends in Berlin, and I have found yet another fabulous teething product. This time it is by Nuk, a German company of course, and it is called the "Nuk Training Toothbrush Set". 

Noam now (at 13 months) has 7 teeth, and his gums seem to be driving him nuts, again. So, I thought I would give this brush a chance. Though, I must add that the Mam Training Brush is still very much in use. 

What is unique about this set? (I hear you ask :))

Well, this training brush set helps massage the gums, and I think this is perfect for those in between moments when the brush can be too harsh along the gum. 

I am totally sold, and I hope you will be too. Who would have thought, another brand which I love...Nuk!

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What on Earth is going on?

posted by Thandi

This wave of rioting that has hit London since Saturday is ridiculous. I cannot believe that we live in one of the largest metropolises in the world and that people within it can behave in this manner!

As a parent, I am worried about the extent to which all this will spread. I mean it started in Tottenham, in North London, and it has since spread to Enfield, Wood Green, Oxford Circus, Pekham, Hackney and Brixton. Where next? 

And what about our children, are we likely to experience something like this every twenty-five years when we next reach recession? This is pure madness. What do these kids find exciting in destroying property and burning their community members' homes?

Where are all the parents? What are they doing to keep their kids indoors? I know it is the summer holidays, but parents have to exert some authority over their kids. Or at least over their blackberries, take those away at least so they can't keep organising more meet ups.

This is totally off the normal fivemums topics, but that is simply because I am sitting here in disbelief, wondering just what on Earth is going on? 

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Pots and pans, what next?

posted by Thandi

Noam, as you know, recently had his first birthday. And though he received a range of exciting, engaging toys, it just seems as though more and more, he wants to play with 'real' objects. 

This was highlighted to me most recently when I was cooking (yes, I do cook - surprisingly, occasionally) and Noam was walking over to the hot gas stove, tugging at my legs for me to either pick him up or give him a pan to play with. So, for a while, I entertained the lad. I passed him our pots and pans to play with until of course an incident occurred where he got a bit hurt (nothing awful, trust me, just knocked himself with a colander and cried a bit). That was the end of the passing of pots and pans to him. Or, so I thought, until he cried and cried and made me cave so I had to give 'em to him to play with; essentially I needed a solution. 

I relayed this incident to my parents and they decided to get down to Toys R Us and find him a wonderful set of colourful, plastic "Just like home" pots and pans (baby sized, of course), which he loved. He played with this set for about a week, before he was back at my pots and pans again. I guess the plastic ones just weren't a convincing replacement. We then had to search for something else, so one afternoon when we were shopping in Ikea, my mom found these incredibly 'real' looking play pots and pans (DUKTIG), in a set and she virtually ran to the tills to get them rung up.

We got home and finally, Noam is happy. :) He can now stir fry those tiny rubber duckies to his heart's content, scrape the lids across the floor, bang the pan and wok together and best of all MY pots and pans remain firmly in their cupboards, where they belong. Phew, success!

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Jonathan Adler Nightlights.

posted by Kimberly

EM doesn’t have a fear of the dark (yet) but if she did I would love to put one of these adorable nightlights by Jonathan Adler in her room. The shapes (elephant, lion and giraffe) are fun enough for a kids room but the matte white porcelain is sophisticated enough for use in any bedroom.  I am not sure if the nightlights would work in the UK, due to plug socket differences, but if we lived in the US, EM would most certainly have one of these! The description online “guaranteed to banish monsters” is great! I wonder how they honour that guarantee?

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Which one is the best baby carrier? Front, Back, hip...

posted by Fede

We received the Babybijorn active baby carrier as a present just before Aron was born and I always thought this was the best baby carrier. We used it all the time, but the truth is that it’s only good when your baby is small and he doesn’t weight much (less than 8kg.) I have recently attempted to take my baby with me in the Babybijorn active carrier and I really struggled. My back was killing me and I ended up taking him out of the carrier and just holding him in my arms.

So the search for the best baby carrier started and after a short trial - thanks to a nice mum at the playground - I ended up buying The Ergo baby carrier.

The design of the Ergo distributes most of the weight to the wearer's hips, reducing the back and shoulder strain common among baby carriers. I can carry Aron for hours as he feels so light and trust me he is not (12kg!). He loves to be carried in his new sling.

I bought the Ergo Performance made of durable, lightweight, and breathable fabric with a breathable mesh lining, keeping Aron and me cooler and more comfortable. I love this carrier!

The carrier is designed to having the baby on the front, back or hip. It has an attached sleeping hood that stores easily and the side pocket is just perfect for your wallet, keys and phone.

Love it, love it, love it! This is the best baby carrier by far.

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Cow’s milk - why? what? when? how?

posted by Thandi Noam is now 12 months old and all the books, magazines and websites are saying to start introducing cow’s milk into your child’s diet at 12 months. We have been moving up through the SMA formula milks from stage 1 to stage 2 and now onto stage 3, which is meant for toddlers between the ages of 1 and 3, but somehow I feel as though I really ought to be getting Noam to drink cow’s milk instead. I am so confused, because it still seems like the formula is fortified with so much more than ordinary cow’s milk, that I don’t really know which is better right now.                                           I mean, I had no idea that if you start with organic, whole-milk, and give your kid the calcium he needs early enough, they will have a lower risk of high blood pressure, stroke, colon cancer and hip fractures later in life. Crazy to think that people have studied that, eh? And that this is just another thing for me to panic over, trying to ensure that I reduce the risk of yet more diseases for my kid. He has already had some exposure to cows milk through yogurts etc, but never pure cow’s milk - until this week! I tried a little milk on Noam and he doesn’t really like it. Mind you, he never likes anything at first, so I guess the key is persistence. Though apparently he needs a minimum of 450ml of cow’s milk (16 oz) a day and at the moment I just can’t see how I will ever get him to drink that! Anyone out there with ideas on how to get them to like cow's milk, please send them my way!!

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Mila's Daydreams @ Adele Enersen

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Which are the best baby spoons?

posted by Fede

Since the first day of weaning my baby, I have been a big fan of the Tommee Tippee Heat Sensing Weaning Spoons. These spoons are soft so you don't have to worry about your baby hurting his gums when he chews. I also like the colour changing heat feature. I know it's a bit of a gimmick but with your first child you stress so much about everything that it's a nice one to have.

Saying that, a few months ago, I received some long stainless steel dessert spoons from my mum and I have been using them ever since to feed my baby. I love the extra long handle so I usually give Aron a soft spoon and a bowl with the tiniest amount of food to eat/play with while I feed him. He still struggles to put food on the spoon and then direct the spoon into his mouth, but recently he has been hitting the target quite often thanks to Boon's spoons: The Benders! 

These spoons are genius, with soft, easy-grip handles, the tips of the utensils are flexible allowing you to adjust them to the perfect angle allowing your baby to put food into his mouth.

Eating is still a mess and a learning experience for Aron but I can see how excited he gets when he manages to put food into his mouth with the Boon's fork and spoon. I would recommend The Benders to anyone with a child learning to feed himself. A fantastic buy!

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Going back to work - ouch

posted by Thandi

Wow! And I thought being a mom was hard enough, but life just throws you a curve ball when you return to work. It's like suddenly you don't just have your baby to look after but this whole other realm of responsibilities with deadlines and pressures of achievement to contend with. I can honestly say, despite the many moms (including Adele) who have told me what it was like, I wasn't prepared for this.

It's not like all the things you were doing for the baby just fall by the wayside and you can focus on just work, like before. Your mind is constantly split between worrying about the health and general welfare of the baby while you are trying to stay interested in what is happening at work.

Yesterday was my first day back, and though finding out that not much has progressed in the year that I have been away (which would have annoyed me to no end before), I found it to not bother me at all. I kept thinking about the nanny, how she was coping - whether my mom was witnessing everything she was doing, if Noam was screaming, whether he ate, how he was coping with the teething pain, if the nanny knows what to give him in that instance and the list goes on and on. I am sure I will be calmer about all this in a couple of weeks, but for now I am wondering whether this was the right choice for me.

Anyway, millions of moms do this every day, so I should be able to handle this - but the saying that it is 'bloody awful in the beginning' is also true. So, now I give up! I promise to believe all baby cliches from here on out, ok?!

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Custom Name Book from The Wishing Elephant

posted by Kimberly

Browsing on Etsy the other day I found a great shop called The Wishing Elephant. Carolyn makes some adorable and hilarious baby onesies but the thing that I was really drawn to was her Personalized Soft Book. Basically, it is a handmade, soft book made out of eco felt that is made to a specific name. Each letter of the name can be customized with pictures of your choice. The book is extremely tactile and is perfect for little hands to hold and explore. It’s also a great way to teach your child their name! I love how you can be so creative with this book and imagine you could come up some really fun ideas! Carolyn charges $10 per page which can get a little pricey if your child has a longer name, but the quality looks amazing and she includes gift wrapping and a gift box . I think this custom book would make an amazing and special gift for a little one. I know I would be over the moon if someone gifted me one with EM’s name and custom pictures to match it! Maybe I should send the link to Grandma and Grandpa... So, check out Carolyn’s etsy shop, I guarantee the onesies will bring a smile to your face and the custom book might be just what you are looking for for that new baby in your life!

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Sunglasses coolness

Source: blog.rebeccahansenweddings.com