Child Safety Week!

Well this week is Child Safety Week! The week when every parent sits up in horror to hear about how many accidents there are in the home and how easily they can happen!

It really is amazing just what little children can actually manage to do that can cause serious accidents at home. Quite often as parents (I am including myself here) do not actually realise how easy it is for a child to reach a cup of tea or coffee from a table or a kitchen bench. It is so easy for them to do so even when they are toddlers. Also, how often do we run a bath with just the hot water in before putting the cold water in? How many of us do that? I must admit I have been guilty of that on occasion but do try to remember not to in case my little boy gets to the bath before me and scalds himself. I do know of an accident my uncle had as a young child when there was a toy on the other side of the bath which only had hot water in. He reached over and fell straight in the scalding hot water and was scarred for most of his life. It was a terrible shock to my grandmother from what I have been told. Television programmes often show toys on the other side of the bath which does often happen so it shows how easily the accidents can happen.

The kitchen is so dangerous that they can touch cooker knobs quite easily. Once a child is toddling around it is best to have cooker knob covers which can be quite inexpensive to buy, ours are only £3.99 at the moment. We also have Child Safety packs of fridge locks, corner cushions, cupboard and drawer catches as well as plug socket covers and finger protecters for only £4.20 with free delivery (delivery price will be taken off after checkout). We also have Baby on Board signs and panda sun shades which are a must when we get hot weather (I say when we get the weather)! They are great for the strong UV rays! 

My absolute safety favourite is the animal back pack safety harnesses which come in different animals, from the puppy, to the unicorn to the monkey. Children love them as they do not think of them as being reins so do not mind the cute little animals. They also have a little pocket at the back for little toys and for boys toy cars! They fasten in 2 places accross the chest and can be easily adjusted with a tail that can be removed by the parent and has a little strap handle for easy holding! Brilliant!
To see our range of safety equipment see http://www.welcomebabyhome.net/category/2016380

Your little one is definately worth it!

Review of Animal Buddy Harness

At Welcome Baby Home we love the Goldbug Animal Buddy Harness! We love the different types of animals as there are so many choices. There are puppies, unicorns, teddy bears, chimps, horses, poodles as well as koalas and so many that children really do love them and do not always realise they are wearing reins. Traditional reins are brilliant and I used them for my own little boy for a long time. However, on one occasion I had to pull him back and somehow I managed to lift him off his feet which, I did not like at all. I have also looked at the wrist strap safety reins and examined them as well as speaking to customers and friends who have used them for their own children.

Most of the mum's agreed with me that children can easily loosen the wrist strap and some children have even done so. It is therefore, not the safest type of reins where the harness buddy is great as they fasten in two places accross the chest which is very safe and can be easily adjusted to fit the child as he or she grows as well as depending upon the type of clothing worn underneath it. I also love the cute little animals which the children really do love. They also have a little pocket at the back where children can put little toys in to carry with them, my little boy used to put his toy cars in and take his but he does not need the detachable tail. The tail is brilliant as it also has a little strap handle for a parent to hold onto and when your child is at home or a little older they do not need the tail.

They are great for safety and have even saved my little boy's life when he tried to run on to the road in front of a car but thankfully he was wearing this.

I really think it is one of the best buy's for child safety and your child can also cuddle the little animal.
See it now at http://www.welcomebabyhome.co.uk

Baby & Toddler Dental Health

As our business is affiliated with the Nursery Industry we receive updates and information from them. I have taken this from information I have received this afternoon from them and thought it might be important to new parents and those of toddlers. I find this quite worrying but I do know it can be difficult to ensure a young child's teeth are cleaned properly. My own little boy is 5 and still misses a lot of areas on his teeth so sometimes I have to try to help him but I do feel that these are worrying statistics.

 

The information shows to me that the factsheet is an extremely good idea and may help parents. However, as parents we do not like to be told how to look after our children but nor do we want longterm problems with their teeth even when they are young.  

 

Dental charity supports new push to protect toddlers from dental decay.

The UK’s leading dental health charity has given its full backing to the Infant and Toddler Forum to help achieve a major improvement in the dental health of children under the age of five.

Around one third of children under the age of five in the UK continue to suffer from dental decay. The British Dental Health Foundation is now working closely with the Infant and Toddler Forum to help raise awareness of the issue with health care professionals, parents, carers and guardians.

With diet being an important factor for healthy teeth, the Foundation has already endorsed the Forum’s ‘Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers’, which covers advice in areas such as eating, drinking and exercise. Both organisations have now combined, during National Smile Month, to produce a new Factsheet called ‘Protecting Toddlers from Tooth Decay’, which provides comprehensive advice on how to care for children’s teeth – including fluoride, medicines, diet, snacking, tooth brushing and bottle-feeding.

Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, said: “It is really important children develop a good oral health routine from a very early age. It’s also important that the people who care for them have the knowledge and information to help nurture children. Our relationship with the Infant and Toddler Forum creates an excellent opportunity for us to share our experience and advice directly with the people and organisations that have the most influence on children in their formative years.”

Judy More, paediatric dietician and Forum member explains: “Parents often think that tooth decay in children’s first teeth is not important as they will grow their adult set in any case. However, the first teeth are just as important as adult teeth as early loss of the first teeth can lead to overcrowding when adult teeth appear. The Infant & Toddler Forum has produced some simple guidance and tips for parents to help avoid tooth decay in their little ones.”

I would like to hear what your thoughts and opinions on what they are planning. Do you think it is a good idea? Is it necessary? Would you take any interest and follow these "instructions"?

Too young to dress old?

I was just listening to Paul O'Grady and Joan Collins mentioned that children dress too old for their age. She mentioned about Tom Cruise's daughter Suri wears high heels. I think that when little girls are young they should be dressed as little girls. Are we dressing our children too old for their ages? Should they wear little bra tops, make up, high heels and provocative t-shirts?

I know I sound old fashioned but I believe children should be allowed to be children while they can as when they grow up they certainly will want to be children again to change a lot of their decisions. Often little girls of around 7 or 9 like to wear make up but should they be doing this. When you are young you often have beautiful, perfect and soft skin so why want to change that.

These days with the Internet and all of the media around you here so much about Paedophiles as years ago it was no doubt hidden behind closed doors but with the Internet it is more commonly known and an easier way of them passing images to each other. If they see a little girl with what looks like a bra top, short skirt and tight t-shirt with a message like porn star on as well as high heels and make up on will this encourage a paedophile? Will they take more interest in the child or will they just ignore it?

I really think that mum's should not be pushed into allowing their daughter's to wear clothing that could give them unwanted attention from the wrong type of people or even unknowingly put them in danger.

What might seem innocent to a child and even to a mum night not be to someone else that could be a danger. I would love to hear everyone's thoughts and comments on this as it is a debate that should maybe be out in the open!

Children Say & Do Funny Things

It is true what they say 'Children do say and do the funniest things'!

My little boy has been doing some funny things lately and sometimes you could just cringe when he does other things you wish he would not! This morning we were writing birthday cards for my cousin who was 40 recently. He has been on holiday so we are waiting for him to get home to send his cards. I asked Louis Adam if he wanted to put a kiss on the card expecting him to put a little x on the bottom but instead he took it literally and kissed the actual card! We could not help but laugh but we did try to explain that a kiss is an x on a card or a letter.

On the way to school today he said "Mummy" and said nothing else so I asked him what he wanted to say so he said "I love you"! This was so cute how he just came out with it those are the best times aren't they?

When I saw his teacher at school today I asked her if he had been good the day before and she told me yes he had been great but there had been one incident. Apparently he had sat next to a little boy, a friend whom did not like salad cream and asked Louis Adam what he had for lunch in his sandwiches. Louis opened his sandwich to show him and he held it up but when his friend turned round it went straight in his friend's face! He then told the dinner lady that Louis's sandwich had gone in his face and it was "WET"! That was the worst bit he did not like the wet part with the salad cream. Apparently he does not like it, it was all really did not like!

I just put my head in my hands and thought oh no! However, they are still friends and there are no hard feelings as it was seen that it had been an accident but on the way home from dropping him off school today I could not stop giggling for solme reason. I think it was funny but a little bit of shame and embaressment made it worse!

So it is true they do say and do funny things but he is only 5 as well though. So what sort of funny things do your children do or say? Love to hear comments!

Bad Nights!

It has been quite a long time since I last wrote on here but it has been quite a busy time. You see my uncle was very ill so we had to travel to Manchester and after he died came home for a week. We then had to go back for the funeral but thankfully my little boy did not seem to understand any of what was happening.

At the hospice they gave him jelly and ice cream and were great with him and the weather was so hot he was able to go into the garden to play. But he would not look at his uncle until he was leaving the hospice the following day. He seemed to know he was so ill and he had trouble recognising him as the man he knew. He always called him Grandad.

One the Sunday morning after he had died he was given jelly and ice cream and a cream egg as it was Easter sunday. He seemed to know there was something really wrong that day and did everything he was told straight away (for a change)!

The following week we did not want to take him to the funeral so thankfully a nursery took him for the day where his younger cousin goes. So this meant he could play all day with him and had a great time.

Thing is how do you explain to a child that the person has died and is not coming back? It is not so easy to do so to a 5 year old. He seemed to understand that his uncle was very poorly and was not going to get any better but last week he took the order of service with his uncle's photograph on from his funeral. He was so proud of his Uncle Colin he had wanted to show his teacher at school! We had looked for it all day and had a feeling he had taken it to school.

The other day he told me that his uncle is better and living next door to his aunty. We have tried to tell him about the angels but he is still struggling with the concept. The problem is that he has been sleeping badly and having nightmares. How much should you really tell children? Should you say that they have gone to the angels or should you say they are on holiday which they could then ask when they will be back? It seems to come down a lot to personal parental choice and the child as to what they can understand and cope with being told. It is not easy to decide as children are so different and unfortunately death is not a thing you can really hide from them totally when a close relation dies.

So we just have to struggle on and see how it goes and hopefully he will realise that his uncle will not be coming back any time soon.

After all children should be allowed to be children and be protected as much as possible from the harsh realities of life!

Ice Skating!

The other night I was watching Dancing on Ice and noticed that many of the jumps and spins have been changed from when I used to ice skate. I skated from the age of 9 until I was 17. Now since Dancing on Ice has been on I have noticed they have been using a lot of American names for jumps and spins as well as part of the ice boots themselves. The sharp points at the front of the blade was called a toe rake but now I see they are calling them toe picks! Waltz jump used to be a cherry flip! What on earth is happening? We are always adopting new names for things which many people who have known the names for yars have to change.

A little while ago during the last school holidays I took my 5 year old little boy to ice skate for the first time. I did not like the ice rink as it was seriously hopeless and the ice boots were more like speed skates which are not suitable for little ones as the ones with toe rakes are safer!

Why can't some things keep to what they used to be when they were better! They always have to change things for the worse!

New to School!

I was on twitter tonight and read about someone wanting to prepare her little boy or girl for school. It made me think about little boy whom is now 5 year old. His birthday was on the 24th August and he had to school only 3 weeks later. He really was still just a baby and definately not read to start school, Reception. I don't believe that children should start Reception until they are 5 years of age and nursery at 4.

When he started school they had been in the yard for playtime and asked to go into lines of girls and boys. My little boy Louis Adam did not know where to go and stood in the middle. The teacher asked him whether he was a boy or a girl and he said that he was a Louis Adam! This made the teachers and classroom assistants laugh and told him that he was a boy and put him in the line for boys.

Later in the afternoon when it was time to collect him the teacher told me about it and all I could do was laugh. Since he was born I have always called him my little baby boy and as he got older I called him my little boy. It was funny really as I had always called him a boy and he did not seem to understand which line he should go in.

Since then he has constantly called himself a boy, boy, boy! That is exactly how he says it. He insists he is a boy and makes sure he tells us at every opportunity. When we talk to someone who knows Louis Adam for example a relation and he tells them he is a boy, boy, boy. We then tell them what he did on his first day at school.

When he is older we will tell him the story and see what he thinks of it. No doubt he will then be very embaressed by it.

These days he loves to rock and roll or as he puts it wock and woll as since he fell at school last year he finds it hard to say his r's! He has an electric style guitar that works by batteries. He knows how to rock and I am sure he has not seen it on television so I really have no idea where he got it from! Kids really do some funny things and they are so innocent!

I love to hear what things other kids do and how funny they are. I am sure every parent has lots of stories of their kids antics!

At the moment though he is building cars and vans with his lego even though they are not the types that meant to make vans etc but he always seems to manage to build the most amazing things! Maybe he will be an architect or an engineer. Just have to wait and see won't we!

Japan!

I can't believe there have been even more earthquakes in Japan!

It seems to be never ending, they must all be in a terrible state and really worried about what might Now it has been announced that there is higher than normal radiation in the food and tap water. this in inself is very worrying. Especially, as if the levels are higher than normal what is the normal level? Is there radiation in the food usually? What are the people of Japan eating? Are there going to be birth defects due to the radiation like Chernobyl? So many tragedies occurred after that and in some areas are still happening. Is there going to be a repeat?  I sincerely hope there will not be as birth defects can be terrible things. It can also cause miscarriage and premature labour and birth. Also, it can also cause babies to be stillborn.

There are enough problems as it is without things getting even worse. What sort of lives would those children lead? Would they be fulfilling and be able to live to an old age? I certainly hope that they are not dangerous levels and are safe enough for the population as they are going through enough as it is without things becoming even worse for them.

All we can do is pray that there are no more earthquakes and the radiation settles down.

Birthdays and non-birthdays!

It was my birthday on Monday and Louis Adam was so excited. On Sunday he said to me "Mammy, your birthday is not until August, mine is tomorrow"! August is when it is his birthday of course!

So on Sunday night we only had 2 hours sleep as he must have been so excited about the next day what I call his non-birthday! We were so exhausted on Monday morning and had our breakfast before I went upstairs to wake him but he was so tired I could not wake him up at all! In the end I did not have the heart to try much more so we telephoned the school and told them what had happened and they agreed to keep him off school for the day (of course I did not mention it was my birthday in case they thought that was why I kept him off school)! We decided to go back to bed so we could go back to sleep as we could not keep our eyes open!

So, at around 10.30am we woke up and Louis Adam was still fast asleep so I had to wake him up. He did not want to get up either until I reminded him about my birthday!

When Louis Adam had eaten his breakfast his grandma reminded him about my birthday and he started to sing Happy Birthday! However, it was very grudging and he started to cry near the end as he thought he was not getting a present. I then gave him his present of a toy helicopter and a card which he absolutely loves. He then gave me the other cards and presents rather less grudgingly.

I then had to go shopping for birthday tea food as I knew he would want a birthday cake. On the afternoon I decided that he was not going to get out of his education altogether that day. I took him to the Ski Slope to the lake with the ducks. On the way there we did a Springwatch like on the Green Balloon Club on Cbeebies. We looked at the buds on the trees, the flowers, and the birds as well as hoof prints and much more! He had a great time and it was a great way of him enjoying his learning. He did not mind that he did not have any bread to feed the ducks as I had forgotton it!

The birthday tea was what I used to have when I was little and Louis Adam loved it! Of course he blew the candles our but he really enjoyed it! He thinks he should have all 4 birthdays and he loves it!

So next time you need to think of something for children to do try a spring watch and look for all of the signs of spring it may just keep them busy!

Meningitus Alert Packs

We are waiting for our first delivery of the Meningitus early alert packs which, should arrive on Monday. We are willing to ship worldwide as it is such a devestating disease!

Please let me know if you would like one as I currently have a waiting list!

Early detection may be able to save a child and I have kept one for my own little boy. If it helps even one child then it is worth buying. Quite often symptoms of meningitus and septecaemia can be missed by GP's and doctors at the hospital but this pack may help to give a more definitive result for faster treatment!

No Added VAT

Well I had not realised it had been so long since I had posted anything new! Things have been quite hectic lately.

I wanted to make sure that you all knew that we NEVER charge VAT on any of our products! This includes every item on our website and in our shop. We believe that we need to keep our prices competitive but also feel that prices are too high for customers. It is so expensive to bring a child up and we try to accomodate for that by ensuring that we do not charge extra to our customers!

Some Day Off!

Well, what is supposed to happen on a day off? Any ideas?

It is not that you can rest and relax, oh no! I tried to have a day off work today and spent much of the day with the phone glued to my ear! I feel as if sometimes I might as well be at work and not try to take a day off. I have been almost as busy, at least it is a slight change of scenery. Well the supermarket again it seems that we never escape there no matter how hard we try.

I am going to have to collect my little boy from school, sort out the tea, go through any homework, then play with him and then before I know it bathtime and finally bedtime! What a day, always a routine to follow day in day out!

Time Flies When Having Fun!

Wow, has it really been so long since my last blog? I really can't believe it! Does not seem more than a few weeks, must be my age catching up!

So much has happened in that time what with Christmas, New Year and Sales!

Even the VAT has changed for the worse! I can't believe the government now has it as 20%, seems so silly when wages and benefits have not gone up, especially pensions. How are we all supposed to pay higher taxes, fuel bills, food etc and not receive anymore money that we already are? Seems to me that the government is jumping too fast on the wrong people. Small businesses are really struggling and finding it harder to get through day to day. So many are closing and yet babies are still being born. Will we be falling over cliffs into the sea when the population explosion happens? We may have to live on ships when the country collapses of weight issues! But the banks still get away with the problems they caused in the beginning. They are still to continue paying a new tax but they will take it out of the public in one way or another! Isn't that always the way it goes where we end up paying for other peoples mistakes?

We are still needing people to sign our petition to reduce the VAT on babies cots and cribs!

We are almost finished our new website (What finally I hear you say)! I am putting a few more of our lovely products on and need to change a few photographs etc and then we hope to go live by the end of next week! We will still be adding products on as we work however and be http://www.welcomebabyhome.co.uk/!