Packing for a School Trip

My son is off today on his first overnight stay with his school and I am pretty apprehensive. I wrote about it in my daily blog: https://mydailythougthsandfeelings.blogspot.com/2024/05/my-son-first-trip-away.html

I did almost pack the kitchen sink but had to remember he has to be able to carry it so downsized my originally idea of what to pack and what he’ll actually wear as he can be fussy when it comes to clothes.

He doesn’t like hoods so I found this waterproof tracksuit which comes in its own bag which is handy.

This is from Amazon by a company called Regatta Outdoors.

I have showed him and tried them on him and is a good purchase and bought him some wellies and showed a hack on Instagram and TikTok Putting his socks and pants into his welly boots and his toiletries in the other:

@typicallondongal

Packing for school trip and did this hack to pack toiletries, pants and socks #travelhack

♬ original sound – typicallondongal

Because he won’t wear a hood I am going to pack a baseball cap and have labelled all that he is taking as kids will leave things behind. So the more you can do to prevent this from happening the better they will remember to pick their belongings up.

I bought some miniature toiletries from Boots. There are Shower Gel, toothbrush, Flannel and sun cream, and labelled these aswell.

Depending on the weather make sure you apply sunscreen, and wear light cool clothing and a jacket and a sweater should the weather turn cold.

I bought him some thick socks from TU Sainsbury’s when I bought him knew wellies and have put in a pair of sunglasses and then there is water and snacks.

The school are providing lunch and then will have dinner at the place they are going to and so going to be a great adventure for him.

It is going to be hard and was getting a little upset as I am worried about it, but will be so good for his independence and is overnight so going to not show my emotions, as I want him to enjoy it and often it is best to keep your feelings and fears to yourself because, you don’t want your fears to pass on to them, but ask if they are okay and if they have fears and go through it their emotions, so they get as much out of the experience as much as possible.

I have prepared him for it as the school did a little leaflet about it to go through of the itinerary with my son and won’t be on his own when it comes to bed time so feel good in that, and so its just getting him dressed and ready.

If you have any advice or a comment about this blog, then please leave a comment below.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Cheat Sheet: Getting back from the holidays

Hello and welcome back to normality! It is the start of a new term and means all systems go and so check out this Cheat she giving tips on Getting back from the holidays.

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It is completely free and can keep and pass on if you wish and hope you are finding them helpful.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Cheat sheet: Getting a good nights sleep

Check out my new Cheat Sheet about getting a good nights sleep. If you have children you may find these tips helpful.

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It is completely free to download.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

New Weekly Cheat Sheet: Get away from it all

At the weekend my husband I went away for the weekend for a friends birthday party and it felt good to get away. I of course love my son, but it is important for them and you to have a break.

I hope this free cheat sheet helps you. It is can be tricky when away from your kids, because we don’t often do it so, when we do then we make the most of it.

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Tomorrow it is back to normal. Seeing my son off to school, doing some shopping and working on my many projects.

There are more to come, and so if you’d like to be alerted then subscriber.

I also create videos on Youtube too and on Instagram, so check out these links below:

https://www.youtube.com/@typicallondongal

https://www.youtube.com/@mywayofliving1602

https://www.youtube.com/@carrieseducationyoutubecha4891

https://www.instagram.com/typicallondongal

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Getting kids to eat their food and enjoy it

As a kid myself I was super fussy and couldn’t have food touching each other on a plate and there were lots I didn’t eat. This changed as I got older but could be hard work as I liked plain food and wouldn’t eat a lot of chocolate which is good but would eat crisps.

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When I would go round to a friends houses I would feel anxious about having a meal and felt this inner dread in case it was something I didn’t like, but didn’t want to appear ungrateful. Thankfully my son likes many foods. He did go off vegetables and when it came to a sandwich like, Ham he would take it out and just eat the bread. Yet he has tasted curries, not the shop but the food, and Chinese, and wasn’t overly keen but gave it a try.

Cooking a meal together can help, and I showed a cookery book on Youtube and got a lot of views and so check it out: https://youtu.be/zMu_MGX5uBc

Now he will eat vegetables, but he is obsessed with chocolate and so had to limit his in take and really trying to not allow too much snacking, but still make nice meals and a variety.

Teaching kids to cook can be so beneficial and he likes to get involved and we do have weekly favourites, but no longer restricted and just put it on their plate even if they don’t touch it, as their taste buds can change, and along as they are drinking and eating something is important. I think it can stress us up when they are fussy and you feel mean when to persuade its good and they point blank push it away.

I had times I’d have to take 5 minutes to leave the room, when my son would cry and refuse. So would use meals like sausage and mash and blend it down and same with roast dinners and then he was fine, and making your own food can save you a lot of money.

Porridge with banana or Weetabix, or baby yogurts can be great for breakfasts and keep it simple as they begin to wean.

Take note of the meals they like and didn’t, along with allergies and if out and you are worried about then bring some food with you and if eating out check prior to going of the food they serve and if they do a kids menu.

Thank you for reading,

Carrie X

When children get sick

Today my son if off from school due to having a tummy bug and had to collect him from school yesterday, normally he gets the taxi due to distance, and you never know sometimes of what to expect. Today he does seem to be a lot better and kids will get sick.

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I am going to start having my son take a multi vitamin which we did before but it was medicine type bottle and didn’t like it, so going to try a different type, as an adult I take supplements and they really do help, and took one as a kid.

Check of course with the pharmacist or doctor, and to know what is okay for your child to take, as some children may have allergies and there is so many on the market so can be hard to know what to buy.

My son can be reluctant to wash his hands so making it a must so he does it without a fuss as it is important and working in nursery I never known a child not have a runny nose and so have tissue to hand and make sure your hands are washed too. I remember when working in a call center and one of other agents after going to the toilet never washed her hands. If we want to have children follow good hygiene practices, then we as adults if you have kids or not, should set an example so it becomes a natural positive habit as germs can be spread easily if we don’t keep ourselves clean.

When going out for the day or going on holiday have a pack like a first aid kit in your hand luggage in case you child has travel sickness, and prescribed medication is packed in their too with the prescription and check with the Airline before you travel, if you are going abroad.

It is often a dilemma when our children get sick because kids do, but knowing how serious it is. Check their temperature, what their pooh looks like and if they have gone to the toilet, have a lack of energy, the colouring of the skin and if you see a rash then test it with a glass and if it doesn’t disappear contact your doctor straight away, or call 111 or go to A&E, which I hate saying because they do get overloaded with many people and children, and was told that by the receptionist of my sons doctors surgery and had to push for an appointment and managed to get one late in the evening. He had tonsilitis, so make that call or visit and tell the A&E staff that you were referred by your GP.

Be careful with food and check with the restaurant if they have food that can cause an allergy, and when I was a young child I became very ill, when I travelled abroad for the first time and missed a lot of days and there are some days of that holiday I can’t remember after being so unwell.

I wasn’t sure if this was heat stroke or something I consumed in terms of water or food, and when I went camping I was sick, so have a travel bag with medicines that can help and use bottle water if you are unsure if it is safe or not to use in a different place or country.

When at home have a cupboard or a box kept away from kids, with medicines your children are okay with and going through the food they’ve eaten. The doctor will ask what they last ate, if they have had diarrhea or vomited. Keep a record or mental note and what you have tried to use to help. Make sure they are away from others for 48 hours.

I found also keeping away from dairy and drink plenty of safe water to help with recovery from sickness if it is a tummy bug and with chicken pox when they start to scab and taken medication it is usually okay to have social interaction, so back to school for example but check with your child’s childcare setting.

Things with measles it is 5 days but check, and if it the flu that they are getting treatment like antibiotics and let the childcare setting of the medication and when it has to be administrated to your child.

So I hope this helps you and please if you have tips then please share.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

My weekly Cheat Sheet: Ten Minute Habits

Welcome to my blog where I share tips as a parent to help you too. Each week I am posting Cheat Sheets to help you get ready for each day and week, and this one is ten minute habits:

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Many thanks for reading, and do pass these on if you wish and to keep up to date with my blogs subscribe.

Carrie X

Cheat Sheet: take time out for yourself

Please check out this weeks cheat sheet, to help you Take time out for yourself. It is so important to have me time, especially as parents, because sometimes we forget to, so make it a must that you schedule this time.

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Many thanks for reading

Carrie X

Keeping kids safe in the winter

Hello and happy new year! So it is really cold now, and my son hates wearing a jacket or coat. He detests anything that has a hood, so a bit tricky when going out, and never feels the cold.

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My son, since he was a baby has always had a good body temperature, but I know when it is super cold because he will, like last weekend, we went to play some football, wanted his jacket done up, and kids will let you know how they are feeling. He naturally been wearing a hat, usually mine, but has decided on his own to wear a hat, and you can’t force kids, So never fear, your child will see it for themselves of if they should wear their coat and jacket on. Not saying you shouldn’t care but stop feeling like a bad parent when they won’t put on a jacket when it is cold, and allow them to realise why they need to layer up, rather than nagging as from experience this will makes then resist even more.

The other thing is not to put the heating on too high, because they can overheat, and to help that is to invest in a room thermometer, which tell you what temperature of the room, and not near any radiators, or windows if possible because of the draft, and not to cover them too much when going to bed, or they take naps still, and when in their push chair.

Kids can get clammy, and sweat so if they are getting too hot then take a layer off, but if they are running around and not cold, once they stop play their body heat will drop, so then have them covered up and that they are non slip shoes on, when walking on icy pavements and paths.

Thank you for subscribing, and if you new that welcome. I hope my blogs help you and please give me feedback, as this helps my blog grow, and check out my Youtube channels and I share a lot on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Please see links below:

https://www.youtube.com/@typicallondongal

https://www.youtube.com/@mywayofliving1602

https://www.youtube.com/@carrieseducationyoutubecha4891

Link for my Pinterest:

Social media:

https://www.instagram.com/typicallondongal/

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https://www.facebook.com/typicallondongal/

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

When kids just want to have fun

Lastnight, Sunday evening as I start this blog and winding down time, my son poured a bag of toys, because he wants to play with dinosaurs, all on the floor. He asks me about them and being honest, not my specialist subject. He knows them better than I do and I want my son to have fun, because it is good for him to play with his toys, and different ones, and this morning he had done the same.

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He was a bit reluctant in tidy up as he went to play with something else after pouring his dinosaurs all over the floor and made sure he tidied up, and before he went to play with something else and in learning as a parent, it is good practice because they are more prone to look after their toys when it comes to tidying up.

Having a child with ADHD and on the Autism Spectrum, it can be challenging for them to concentrate and so in between playing at home, I take him out to burn off some energy and we go on regular walks and playing sports and it helps me help him. For the first in ages my son yesterday after walking he played in a the park on the swings and and then he wanted to go back home and then part of the day had him do some reading, which he can be again reluctant to do, and then had some screen time. This I eliminate as being on his tablet all day is not good and want him to do different things and so in the morning we played some darts, which is fun but won’t put it away when finished, so an area we need to work on and do some more learning, but not easy, as he will pretend he doesn’t know when we know he does and recently when he does his swimming class he will hold himself back, and not show his full potential, and this, as a parent can be frustrating.

We don’t have a strict regime, and seems to be doing a lot more better learning at his new school, which is a Land school for children who have learning difficulties and I feel I could do more in terms of help with his learning too, because I and thinking of ideas that will gain his focus and to want to do more learning that is fun. I think when it comes to learning, and I can be the same, it can feel like a chore, and so need to break that up, but do learning games and do different activities as he said on Sunday that he’d like to paint things.

When Henry was a baby he had real sensory issues with paints and sand, and wouldn’t play with using these, to create things and to help with that he had Occupation Therapy which I highly recommend, and wish it lasted a lot longer before he went to school, as it taught me to understand about how to help him concentrate and not run around all of the time.

He when he first began walking would want to walk in the opposite direction and whenever we’d go shopping would want to run around and couldn’t browse and it would be tough putting him back into the pushchair. I know I will get nods whoever reads this bit, as I know it wasn’t just my child and their a parents having that issue now. Let me tell you, it does pass, even though it can feel it won’t.

Giving a time limit helps and stick by it as I wouldn’t and think “He won’t know what is ten minutes is” and let them know ahead of time what time playtime in the park will end and can play in the park for how long, as long as they don’t run around or scream blue murder, when shopping or my son would sit down and go all limp when trying to pick him up.

So I hope these blogs help and thank you for following this blog site and if you’d like a good read, I have written a book called Mum&Me on amazon and hope it makes you laugh out loud.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X