Do you remember that phrase? The one Badman, Balls, Brown and the NSPCC tried to use to describe the poor home ed kids stuck at home, forced to do menial chores and tasks while their lucky school friends had a meaningful, perfect education in school? Look at this poor toddler, forced to clean his daddy’s […]
Let Down.
When there are a lot of the children in the house, a lot of needs to be met, meals to cook, places to be, abilities to nurture and worries to ease, there is normally something that gives at each stage. Sometimes a hobby goes, or a chink of time together, or a relationship falters a […]
Lax Toddler Parenting #8: Messy Play
I’ll let you into a secret. I hate messy play. I hate sticking stuff with little kids who get bored quickly. I hate painting that is mostly gloop and soggy paper. I HATE setting up stuff that they do for a while, chuck everywhere and then I have to clear up. It may be partly […]
Lax Toddler Parenting #7: late nights and rubbish routines.
Fran and Maddy used to have a bedtime. Once we got Fran past the ‘I can stay awake all night’ toddler phase, the two of them used to conk out at 7pm every night. It was a short period of bliss. Them we did a few house moves, had a baby, got a bit slack […]
Lax Toddler Parenting #6: Scissors Equals Felt Fun
Bene has very, very nearly mastered the word scissors, an odd one to acquire before some of the more basic ones. Or biscuit, which in my experience is usually right up there. I think it is probably due to his sisters leaving them around a lot, resulting in someone suddenly shrieking ‘scissors!!!!’ A short wrestling […]
Fran starts competing again.
After a year off competing since joining their new gymnastics club, Fran had her first comp this weekend. The club didn’t get regional accreditation until after the level she would have liked to do had gone past, so she revisited a Level she has done before to get back into the swing of things. It’s […]
Lax Toddler Parenting #4: The Cardboard Box Edition
Now, obviously I’m a big advocate of toys, what with making my living selling them, but I’m the first to admit that a REALLY good cardboard box can hardly be beaten for sheer value. There are masses of post on this blog, I’m sure, of pictures of the girls in the olden days when stock […]
Lax Toddler Parenting #4: the big sister music edition
When possible, get someone else to entertain them would be one way of describing it. Or, harness the skills of other people in the household to offer stimulating and exciting opportunities to explore. Take your pick 😆 Bene loves Fran’s cello. It’s not a cheap cello either and also rather a precious one, for a […]
Lax Toddler Parenting #3: good toys, tidy cupboards
The lazy edition. Find incredibly good toys, like these ones (I’ll find the link tomorrow), introduce them and then pick up your crochet and sit back. I’m never going to spend hours in messy play and all that stuff; when it comes to toddlers I’m all for the least emotionally painful approach. Spend money 😉 […]
Lax Toddler Parenting #2: drawing on walls
There is a particular type of silence which all parents learn about; the sound of silence that can be created by a toddler doing something they ABSO. LUTELY. SHOULD. NOT. BE. DOING. Been there? I only made a cup of tea; he was in the room next door and I stirred the tea and mused […]
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