A “Must Haves” blog for all parents from baby to now a 9 year old

Watching video by Zoe Sugg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnJjc0q9Chs who is due to have another baby, was sharing items that she is going to use for her next baby that she used with her first child.

Photo by Aditi Sharma on Pexels.com

As a new mum I had no idea of what was good to use and what wasn’t. We bought bottles and a pump that was a pain in the arse because when Henry, my son was born, found the teats of the bottles we bought, Tommy Tippee, too soft and so was recommended Avent Bottles, with a variable teat, and I bought a manual pump, but I could have chucked it out of the window, It was a Complete waste of money, so used an electric pump to express milk and never looked back, and there are portable ones and so is a must to have, along with a good steriliser. We had a microwave steriliser and an electrical travel steriliser. There are other ones that you might find better, but the Microwave one for us worked, along with the travel steriliser.

Henry never breast fed, because it seemed that he couldn’t latch on, and wished I had kept on trying but he still had my milk by expressing, and if I were to have another child would try breastfeeding for a lot longer to see, and all babies are different. I never took a bottle I was breastfed and then went straight onto using a cup, and with Henry he didn’t take to a cup at first either. I would recommend Hipp Formula milk.

For skincare I would recommend Boots Baby range. My son for a while suffered with eczema, and why we change his formula milk to Organic, which I recommend above, and used Boots Baby wash and cream and I still use it on him when he has a bath or shower, or even when he has a wash.

I still use Sterimar for his nose, that Zoe talked about in her video, and great for clearing children noses, along with Vicks, as when ever the weather changes he gets a cold and Oabis oil.

There are a few Apps for kids that I think are good and there is Youtube kids App which has good videos to watch tailored for young children and CBeebies App, and so if your child has tablet, those are the two I’d recommend. Henry does watch actual Youtube, but be careful with that, because there are fun videos for kids on there but some can still, if not careful encourage bad language, and what I have done is cleared them, and there is a parental lock you can use, and that blocks certain apps and videos on Youtube from your children watching them.

I would recommend in opening up a child’s bank account. Henry has a savings account for when he is older, 18 years and I add to this each month, and worth it, as you do have to think about your children’s future. I did a video talking about this along giving gifts for kids: https://youtu.be/i–zbKpxuos

Audio books. These were a good alternative to reading a book, when tired and sleep deprived, these made a difference and would recommend the Disney ones, and the songs too. Henry still likes a story before bed and loves the Tiger who came to tea, and Billy Goats Gruff. He can read books himself and we use Biff and Chip books. He has development delay, but they are becoming easier and on Youtube you can watch Blippi, which my son loves and went to see his show today, and was really good fun, and have also seen, the show The Tiger Who Came To Tea, The Gingerbread man and Zog. Check out the Polka Theatres, The Rose where we went to today, and saw Zog there too, and the Theatre in Woking.

We are going to see the Shrek Musical at the end of September at the Wimbledon Theatre, and very in expensive.

Sheet protectors for children’s beds, especially if you are toilet training and bed pads too for any accidents at night, along with a portable toilet seat. Henry didn’t take to the potty and went straight to using the big toilet. Every child is different and there are potties that play songs and says if they actually went.

A travel cot. We had one that was super convenient and you have to buy the mattress separately, which I had no idea until we went to buy one, but was a great investment and there are bedding too that you can buy to fit the mattress, and as long as it is in good decision can be passed on to someone else or for another baby.

When it comes to school uniform, you can get good sales on Polo shirts from stores like ASDA, Pepco Poundland, TU Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer, or you can buy second hand, check out my last blog: Going back to school, and bought Henry a string rucksack from Amazon, to store his PE Kit, and PE Shorts. His school rucksack he will be using daily, was Smiggle. Their prices can be quiet high, but was a good investment, because we were using it for his Swimming lessons on Saturday and dries really quickly and easy to carry.

I hope you like these recommendations and find them helpful, and if you’d like to read more of my blogs then you can, by following me and if you have any items you’d recommend of Must haves, then you can, by leaving a comment below.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Setting Good Intentions for your kids

Being a mum of a 8 year old boy I want to make sure I give my son the best example of who to be to be the reason why I love being a mum. I talk on this blog site about struggling as a parent, but for me that is part of getting to know my son, as he is forever changing and that is the same for all of us.

With motherhood I am learning everyday, and that it is learning what my son wants and what he needs to help him be happy to be alive and to thrive with each milestone.

I want to make sure I am there when he falls over and make mistakes and both me and him learn from those moments, and support him with a fully opened door.

With each step he takes I want him to be okay with the change and if not we work on why to help him as a unit and give him space to grow and to learn from life too.

I came about this blog of another succesful woman, Mel Robbins and watching MuchelleB on Youtube.

I have written some good intentions for myself to follow and wanted to share them with you on how to set intentiions for myself and as a mum.

my-new-year-intentionsDownload

I talked about goal setting, and Intentions can help you reach them by practicing them and what you want the outcome to be.

I want to make sure that my son has a life of happiness and deal with sad times too. I want him to be able to say how he feels and doesn’t get shot down.

For me I want him to be proud of me, like I am proud of him and be the rock he needs in his life.

My son came into my world unexpectendly but I don’t regret a thing with my son and love the fun we have and I proud of the little boy he his and continues to be.

So if you want to change the people and things in your life then setting intentions helps do that.

Thank you for all the feedback you have given about my blogs, it really makes me smile and enjoy sharing blogs about being a mum and helps me to help you in way I never thought.

I also do videcos on Youtube called The Truth About Parenting so check then out if you would like to see them.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUDFIqjVKLy7NhtcR6Hy0Tg

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

When kids are pleased to see you

So I am helping with the School run again and it feels refreshing to be doing this again and it has been good Henry has been pleased to see me. I wrote a similar blog like this some time I think last http://when kids are pleased to see you year possibly and it often has been when I have picked him up he has asking for his dad and when I haven’t he has asked for me.

Kids change all of the time yet two days ago when I took him into school he was so pleased to see me that he sat at the dining table of my old home, I now live elsewhere, that I see we have a bond now like none other and its good to have this routine in my life again, but it was good to have a break from it too.

When it comes to school pick up the things I always take with me, is a snack as my son gets super hungry after he finishes and goes to the morning club on a Friday and so he will be ready to go home with me today and I will spending rest of Friday and Saturday with him and I make sure that he has a jumper or a fleece should the weather get cold and he always takes a healthy snack at school along with a bottle with cold water.

In the hot days we have been having I make sure Henry has sun cream on him and wears a hat to keep the sun away from his face. When doing the school run make sure you do a rehearse one to workout how long it will realistic take to get to school.

Reasure then if they get upset first as it can be a transition and you can’t underestimate it, by telling them you will be coming to pick them up or if not you who and when they will see you next.

So have good few weeks left of school and more posts to come. If you would like to see my new Truth about Parenting video then you can here: Truth About Parenting/Dream Feed and Dream Wee.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Truth about parenting video talking about/Having a child with ADHD

Hello and welcome! So I have been doing a series of videos on Youtube called Truth About Parenting and this weeks was about Having a child with ADHD and this was inspired by a video I watched of someone talking about their son with disability.

Thank you for liking my blogs on this site and following me it really means the world.

Check out my new Truth About Parenting video below:

It can have its challenges but its good side to as Henry will decide when to finish a game to play a new one and he is structured in the fact cause he knows without being told tidying things away. He can be definate if you get on his case so I don’t say it and often when I don’t he will tidy away when allowed to make that decision be his choice.

Henry can be very effecitonate, but sometimes would invade personal space, so I have had to tell him to “Give personal space” but not to the point of telling him off as such but to say if a child or adult says to him “Don’t” I will move him away and say “Too much not so close please just say hello and talk but not so close”.

He will often look at me with confusion as we hug all the time, which I would not give up for the world, and I see it, its that look to say “Well we cuddle why is it different?” and that is hard one to answer so I will say “will hug but lets have some space too and if it is me and you okay but other adults and children find it uncomfortable”.

Its being suttle but not restricting them. It is good for them to be sociable and caring so I never want to take that away, but still imply other peoples wants and learning about boundaries.

Kids with ADHD can be overly energized and I am like “It’s 4am in the morning how come he isn’t got his eyes on the floor” as I get out of bed and tread on a kids toy to the bathroom. Yet, I like having that time too, and he will watch his tablet, okay I hear the judging, but you do what you have to do, as us parents we can feel extra tired sometimes when they buzzing around the house causing havoc at 5am.

So its managing their ADHD in a way that it doesn’t excuse their behaviour when they get over stimulated with a lot of energy but keeping it down so we can spend ten minutes of reading for example, watching TV or playing magnetic darts, and keeping then from being bored as that is a trait of ADHD when they are bored they will become disruptive.

Many thanks for reading and watching my Youtube video, and there will be more to come

Carrie X

10 Parent Hacks and good habits

If you didn’t know I do have other WordPress sites where I talk alot about productivity and good habits, mainly on my WordPress site: https://everyonecanbuildacastle.com

I thought I would share some parent hacks and good habits:

1. With COVID guidlines alway make sure you have antibacteria wipes on you or pocket tissues and they wash their hands when they get to school and have hand gel on you too
2. Have a getting ready for school section. So use a room that you use all of the time to hang their school uniform with bags and coats near the front door
3. Go through their book bags, after school has finished and before they set off for school the next day
4. Buy snacks you can pack without being refridgerated like Veggie Crisps, a packet of raisins or if it is a piece of fruit you have it in the fridge with their lunch boxes if they have packed lunch
5. Have a regular clear out of their toys and clothes and what can be handed down or donated to other Children who may need the items the most. Check out my blog I did about this: Decluttering your kids rooms/Good ways to play outdoors
6. Have your kids do chores and teach them how to have a good daily routine and they help with tasks like Laundry, emptying bins or dust
7. Have them set up breakfast whilst you get yourself ready and have a functional dining table that can be used as a working from home table to breakfast to having meetings, to do homeschooling
8. Make sure you look after their teeth and check them regularly and teach them to brush twice day, the morning before school and after
9. Have them have sleepover so when they celebrate their birthday without us going home on our own. I used to do this a lot with friends. We’d go to a theme park in the day and then go back to one of the kids houses watch horror films and stay overnight. Sometimes my friends mum’s would order a Chinese takeaway or a pizza. Social interaction is important more since having two Lockdowns
10. Teach kids how to recycle and make jars as storage to keep baking or crafting activities and use containers from chinese takeaway shops to help keep bits in. Anytime you recycle it stops landfill.

So I hope you find these helpful and to let you know I have a new book out called Mum&Me available from Amazon.com in Kindle and Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Mum-Me-Gucci-Tits-Queens-ebook/dp/B096ZPLGR9/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1623602499&sr=1-1

I also have some online courses available so check these out too: https://carrieseducationnetwork.thinkific.com/

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Truth about Parenting/Having a hobby

Hello and check out my new Truth about parenting video, talking about how good it is for your kids to have a hobby.

I always had a hobby as a kid and so did my brother, and I would encourage swimming lessons, as this is a good way for them to be confident about water and learn how to swim.

If it is a sports club then why not learn to do sports coaching yourself. I am FA Qualified and ready to do my other badges, as you can set up a sports club for your child.

So I hope you enjoy this video thank you for your time,

Carrie X

Parenting Schedule/Life can be such a mess

Hello!Yes time for another parenting blog, and today as i write this post I put together a new Parenting video about the mistakes I have made as a parent, as being a first time mum, this can often be the case so please checkout my Youtube channel to watch this new video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUDFIqjVKLy7NhtcR6Hy0Tg

This blog post is about Parenting Schedule when it often ends up being changed, ignored or in the bin, so your day ends up being a mess and then you just wished you stayed in bed for the day. Yet with kids screaming it can feel like a duration from when you got up to when you finally go to bed.

I thought when Henry was the age to go to school, I would have loads of freetimes, but how wrong was I, as that time from dropping him off at school to picking him up would fly by. I often would feel I accomplished nothing and by the time I got free time in the evening it was already 9 O’clock.

At the moment I do have more free time as I don’t see my son at the moment as often, and I have started to feel the anxiety of our separation, and really looking forward to being in his life more and I love the hugs I get, but I miss watching TV in bed after a long day and taking him to a coffee shop so he can enjoy his chocolate muffin and taking him to many parks in London.

When do see him I now no longer worry about mess as I know it won’t be like that forever but will be done, and hugs and laughter playing magnetic darts for example is much more important than mess, so yes living in chaos can cause cleaning and home anxiety, but I would never choose tidying up over a big hug with my little dude.

Have a wonderful week and Stay safe, Stay Strong and #behappy I am all about the Easy Flexible parenting now and that is how I roll.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

10 Tips on Productive Parenting/Teaching Independents in kids

Hello as always when I write my weekly Parenting blog post please see my recent Truth About Parenting video: #BeSmart Campaign Online.

So this blog post is about Productive Parenting and no it isn’t about 25 to do lists, but making time for everything that surrounds parenthood aswell as getting stuff done.

There is a Youtube Content Creator who has a channel called Get Shit done, and it is really good in giving tips on decluttering and having a more organized life but not being a chore.

So lets think about getting out of the Lockdown because I bet you were praying for it to lift, not because you don’t love being with your kids but Homeschooling can take its toll.

1# Plan the night before of what you want to get done. This is where you can get your life together when you choose tasks that you like to do, which can then release the endorphins to do more. I find it gives you a head start and why not give your kids a list of 5 things to do, to help you

2# Teach classes in two hour blocks througyh the day. This way your children don’t get burn out and neither do you

3# Prep meals if they are back at school and you work from home, in the morning after you have dropped then off and saves you a lot of time after school has finished.

4# If you work from home then why not have a cleaning breaks throughout the day. The one thing I am looking forward to when I have my own home again is to have a declutter and buy new homewares decor items, and have your kids involved by having them write down what they would like their bedrooms to look like

5# When it comes to doing homework, rather than doing it after school why not in the mornings when they are fresh faced and there was one mum I saw who’s daughter was in Henry’s class, have her daughter reading in the car before it was time to go into school for the day.

6# Do some physical activity with your kids, like me and my son would have a dance in the morning. it is great way for you and your kids to wake up, and why not have everyone brush their teeth at the same time rather than one at a tinme.

7# Put together and create a Working from home mum Capsule wardrobe that you can grab rather at short notice rather than searching through your closet and feel like you can’t find anything to wear

8# Buy groceries online and you can buy many items from Amazon, and set programmes into your planner, so you can enjoy the food you bought and then can watch some TV without searching through and thenn it is all there ready for to have.

9# Delegate duties to your kids, like for example having them run their own bath and clean it after each use, and then it saves a job and it is always kept clean. I would put a little message to your kids, that once used please clean me afterwards, and have a hanging toiletry holder with a cloth and spray. If it is younger then put wipes for them to use for cleaning and then disposed of and in the bin

10# Have kids get rid of their plates and utensils, by having a pick up table, so a table where they pick up their plate of food take it to the table to eat, and have them help set the table and then have a waste and dirty plate and utensils station, and once cleaned and you have a dishwasher have them help empty it. This is great for their independence and it can bring smiles to their faces because you are allowing them free space and responsbility.

Being Productive doesn’t have to be things set in stone, but flexiblity helps wonders and helping them to be independent will help you get things done and teaches them life skills about looking after their home when they grow up

Many thanks for reading

Carrie X

5 Tips# in Preparing kids for school without too much hassle

Hello and welcome! So each week I do a video as part of my Youtube series Truth about parenting, and this week the video I did was talking about Parenting Mental Health.

So now your kids should have returned to school and being Friday it is time for them to be off again until next week. Five Tips in Preparing kid for school without a hassle, is the topic of this blog post.

Tip1# If they have a weekend first before they return to school get all uniform, bags and snacks packed in plenty of time, so I do this the night before, so there is no rushing around.

I find kids respond better too when things are set out, and Henry will often grab his bag himself and I put all bags and coats by the front door.

So the next tip,

Tip2# Always have a Get Ready with me place for you and your kids where you usually spend time in the morning. This saves so much time and even have breakfast ready the night before.

This means having cereal already in a individual plastic container so they can just pour in the milk, or even in a bowl.

Tip3# Write a diary to prepare your childs mindset, as some kids might be a bit anxious about going back and this will help prepare them mentally so its not a drastic shock to get back into the routine of school.

This is a great pack for kids for you and a child to use and they are just fun and beautiful and found this on amazon.com

Going back to school for me was an adjustment at times and often will have the fear of school because I work better on flexibility rather than a set structure and I think is one of the factors why I struggled at school.

Tip4# Good hack, put in their bags if they are in the early years and toilet training and you can even do this when they return to nursery, and that is use reusable clothes bags, that new clothes ordered online come in now, and put in for wet and dirty clothes, so if they do have an accident or get their uniform dirty by painting for example so it keeps rest of the items in your bag dry and clean. Let the teacher know that you have done that so they know and can use it.

This one is from Amazon and they have other colours and styles of these bags

The bags I go for is one that have the pocket at the front and ones at the side, as they are good to carry water bottles and putting sun cream in and other bits.

See these which are great to put snacks in and use as laundry bags for your kids to take to school and thesre are from amazon and do different sizes.

Tip5# Have a check list on the wall by the front door or in the place where you spend your mornings so you can go through whilst they eat their breakfast that they have everything.

I find using a White board to tick a check list is great as you can wipe it away and then do one at the beginning of each week.

So I hope you have had a good week and yes I am too looking forward to the weekend and soon I will be moving and so lots more blogs on this site and and my others.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

P.S: If you would like to see more of my blogs and video content please visit my blog network site:

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World Book Day/Teaching kids to write books

Hello and welcome! Here is a new Parenting blog paying homeage to World Book day and Teaching kids to write books.

I wrote stories as a kid all the time and I worry that this soon will go out of fashion, yet it is a wonderful skill to have and even my nieces all love to write, and one of them, even had a poem she wrote like me and this is not to steal her thunder, but it has lived on in the family, published and I would love to show you a lovely story that my niece Ava wrote in school about her seeing my son Henry for the first time, her cousin and it was lovely.

To help them find them a book they love and create their own story like it, not too copy but to help inspire them with ideas to get them started.

Have them create a vision board to help them write notes and allow them to be as imaginitive as possible and bring the stories to life.

This could be a good Homeschooling activity, and I think this should be part of the National Criccilum, as the world is calling out for more writers and it was one activity knowing I hated school, that I actually liked.

I used card stock to make Henry a homemade book about buses, and you can do the same with your kids to help with their writing skills. Find pictures from a kids magazine they can use to include in it, or print pictures online and there are personalised books you can make, which Henry has many of, and have them write a story about a happy memory they had and have them read it to each other.

Me and a girl named Helen, at Primary school, would often do this and it a good way to help then be confident with writing, as you can be very self conscious at first about writing as being a writer I often doubted myself over it, and it is practice makes perfect.

I do feel handwriting is still important even with digitial services available, and if they want to type it up, let them. This will help with their IT skills which are important now and have them share it with their friends, and I have just had a Brain wave, and that is Creating a Kids World book club, and I want to with a very cuddly friend have different people read children’s book with him.

Another good way is to make story worksheets and I am going to make some printables to help my children and your kids to help them write stories, and to help them create a vision board for them and write notes and what resources they could use also to help them.

So I hope this is helpful, not long now for our kids to return to school and have a wonderful weekend.

If you would like to see my recent Truth about parenting videos then please click on this link below:

Parent Mental Health

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie L.M X

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