Before rushing off to splurge on the best Kids Bedding money can buy, you will undoubtedly be thinking 'when is the best time to make the switch from a crib (or Cot) to a Toddler Bed' or even contemplate jumping straight into the bigger Twin Bed (sometimes called Single).
‘Swaddling’ is something that all new mothers are familiar with but it might surprise you to learn that swaddling is a very old technique. Some of the earliest depictions of swaddling date back as far as a 3rd century to the Voltive statuette of a swaddled infant.
As most parents are painfully aware, kids love to consume sugary desserts. Although intuitively it may seem like a poor decision to allow little ones to gorge on chocolate, cakes or ice cream before reading their bedtime stories , kids with a sweet tooth are often experts at getting their own way.
As a parent of a young child, you no doubt want the best for them in every way possible especially when it comes to their health.
Have you ever considered the impact of your child’s sitting position on their growth and development?
Walk into any preschool room and you’ll see some children sitting in what is referred to as a W-Sitting position; but what is W-sitting and is it good or bad?
This type of question is more common than you think and there is plenty of advice out there regarding this issue, both positive and negative. So, where do you begin? Let’s start with a general understanding of what exactly W-sitting is.
You may have seen those phenomenal ads that boast about teaching your baby to read. There’s a smiling mother and a bubbly infant cuddled together in front of a pile of cards. The mother holds up a card and, amazingly, this tiny genius reads the word aloud.
As this scenario plays over and over again, you are soon convinced that these miracle cards are a must-have for your own child. Now before you pull out your wallet, let’s stop and think about a few things.
Is there really a product that can teach your baby how to instantly read like a pro? Should there be such a product? The quick answer is: no. Like the old saying goes, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is. The truth is that early literacy skills develop over time. There really isn’t an effective way to turn your baby into a child prodigy overnight.
The fact that kids should eat their veggies is as old as time. Even the government-based website, ChooseMyPlate.gov , agrees with that, advising parents to fill half of their children's plates with produce. Why? Because they simply need them to get enough nutrients, grow strong, develop their brain function, and build a robust immune system that'll tackle any disease, from obesity to cancer.
As adults, our relationship with tea is pretty straightforward. The cozy brew is a surefire way to warm up when the weather is just too cold, and it even puts an end to sniffles and fever when we're down with the flu.
Let's be honest: There's nothing more relaxing than a warm bath after a long day. That's why most kids hop into the tub with a smile on their face when bath time rolls around. FYI, for most parents, that's pretty much every day.
Every parent knows that from the moment you bring your little one home, convenience wins over everything. That's why disposable diapers (someties called nappies) are the go-to for many parents who want to keep their babies (or non-potty-trained toddlers) clean.
But, fun fact: Disposable diapers (or single use diapers) aren't the only convenient choice in the book. Cloth diapers (or re-usable diapers) are also a viable option, especially for eco-conscious parents wanting to be more sustainable, and those looking for more skin-friendly baby products.
Probiotics certainly have the tick of approval for use by adults. In fact, you may have tried them yourself to remedy anything from gastrointestinal symptoms, to try to reduce the number of colds you get or to rebalance your good bacteria once it has taken a hit from antibiotic use.
But, should kids take probiotics too? The few studies into the use of probiotics in kids show mixed results so it can be difficult to know. And there are also a few caveats on who can and can’t take probiotics safely.
I’d be surprised if there’s a question asked more by new parents than “when do babies sleep through the night?”
Some are blessed with babies that sleep well from very early on - and stay that way.
But, for plenty of parents out there, a full-night’s sleep seems like a far-off dream. In fact, parents report night waking and crying as a problem with 20-30% of infants.
Babies spend a lot of their time asleep, so it’s important you’re confident dressing them appropriately for sleep.
But, when it comes to babywear, it’s difficult to know where to start. After all, there’s just so much choice!
The most tempting items to buy as a new parent are often the most impractical. Once you’ve had bub for a few weeks, you’ll quickly realise what works and what doesn’t for easy nappy changes, a comfortable baby and no-fuss washing.
With smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and gaming consoles in most Australian households, our kids are certainly growing up in a digital age.
Show any child a screen and they are mesmerised (much like we are). That’s what makes it so easy to flick on ABC Kids when you need to get dinner in the oven, or pass them your phone at a cafe so you can enjoy some adult conversation.
Naps are an important part of infancy, extending into toddlerhood, preschool age, and in some cultures, into the schooling years too.
If you have a toddler, you might be wondering if they really still need their naps - especially if they are becoming difficult to put down. And you might want to know when naps stop being beneficial?
Often thought of as the perfect way to soothe a newborn, swaddling has been used to calm and comfort babies for centuries. Swaddling involves wrapping baby loosely in a breathable blanket. With the shoulder and head left free, babies allegedly feel calmed by the feeling of warm, gentle enclosure which swaddling can give.
With the benefit of modern knowledge regarding the practice, we take a look at whether it's of benefit, as well as consider how best to swaddle baby for optimal comfort and safety. Our team also tell you when to stop swaddling, making sure baby has the freedom to develop their motor skills when the time is right. If you are considering swaddling, this could help you make the decision that works for you and your little one.
The typical image that comes to mind when thinking of Gatorade, is that of a sweaty adult completing their half marathon in desperate need of replenishing their lost liquids. So why would you consider giving Gatorade or Powerade to a toddler.
Gatorade, like any other drink labeled a 'Sports Drink', is considered a rehydration therapy intended to to replace lost water as a result of physical activity formulated especially for adults.
Whether you intended to bottle feed your baby from the start or you had planned to breastfeed but had to supplement with or switch to formula feeding, you're not alone. A huge proportion of babies in the United States and around the world are formula-fed. The World Health Organisation found that 60% of babies are bottle-fed within four months of birth.
If your baby is formula-fed, you would know just how time-consuming it can be to prepare, heat, and clean all the bottles your baby needs on a daily basis. When you're stressed, low on sleep, looking after other children, and juggling all your other commitments, you're probably looking for any time-saving tips you can find to prepare your baby's bottles.
Pregnancy wreaks havoc on a woman's body. And while most pregnancy books will tell you that most of the changes don't start happening until you're at least a few weeks along, anecdotally many women know that’s just not the case.
While a missed period is the first official sign of a possible pregnancy, there are plenty of strange pregnancy symptoms that can be experienced even before a period is due and before it's time to take a home pregnancy test.
From bodily changes to food intolerance, strange happenings in your mouth, and a whole host of things going on in the bathroom, a lot can happen to a newly pregnant woman.
Finding the right combination of sleep sack and clothing can be challenging especially when in the last minutes of your bedtime routine and you're deliriously scrambling to make the right decision.
Making matters worse, is knowing that the body temperature of your newborn is a contributing factor to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) .
Baby formula is a relatively convenient way to feed your baby, it offers dad a way to step in and allow mum to skip a feed, and is a good substitute for breast feeding.
However there are moments when at some un-godly hour in the night you are staring at a hungry, tired and lets just say 'communicative' baby on one side and a bottle of formula on the other.
You've safely navigated those often worrying baby years, and you now have a confident toddler, full of imagination and increasingly ready to explore the world.
While common infant concerns like sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are no longer a worry, toddlerhood brings new questions and considerations to mind. It is widely accepted that babies should sleep without a pillow due to the risk of suffocation, but now that your baby has transitioned into toddlerhood, you're probably wondering when to give a toddler a pillow.
While many mums will still opt to breastfeed as a first preference, this isn't always an option, and there are many reasons why formula feeding might be a necessity. Some mums aren't able to produce enough breast milk to meet the nutritional needs of their infants, and maybe for some breastfeeding isn't an option at all.
There are so many factors that come into play: time constraints, stress levels, returning to work, training regimes, travel, and more.
Fatherhood is a social construct - one that has changed throughout history. In the 17th and 18th centuries fathers played a very active role in their children's upbringing, as any problems with a child were blamed directly on the father.
Industrialisation in the 19th century saw fathers move from a childrearing role to that of the family breadwinner and created the more familiar dynamic of the mother staying home to care for the children while the father worked long hours away from the home.
The first few years of a child's life are full of exciting milestones. The first smile, the first time they roll over, the first time they sleep through the night – sometimes it seems like your little baby is doing something new almost every week. Perhaps one of the biggest and most important milestones in every child's life is when they take their first steps and officially become a toddler.
For more than 8000 years, cow's milk has been a staple part of the human diet. Espoused by the dairy industry as a vital source of calcium and other essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins, parents are routinely encouraged to ensure that cow's milk is an important part of their child's diet.
Should a toddler sleep with socks? As with so many other parenting questions, the answer lies somewhere between "Maybe" and "It depends." Much comes down to the weather, the climactic conditions in your toddler's bedroom, and your toddler’s sleeping preferences.
Remember the good old days when your baby was happy having milk for every meal? Now your baby has turned into an active toddler with a much more varied diet. While some toddlers love trying new foods and others are already showing signs of being a picky eater, most toddlers agree that bananas are particularly delicious.
This comes as good news to parents, with bananas typically being easy to source, easy to serve, and highly versatile. But what happens when your toddler takes the love of bananas to the next level?
People are spending more time at home than ever before. While some people are using this rare opportunity to get fit, try a new interest, or pursue a home-based business opportunity, others are tackling home improvement projects they otherwise would have struggled to find the time to complete.
If your home improvement project includes applying a fresh coat of paint to some of the rooms of your home, you may be wondering can a toddler sleep in a freshly painted room? The answer to this question depends a great deal on several factors including the type of paint you have chosen and the availability of ventilation in the room.
Have you ever crept into your child's room during the night, expecting to find them curled up in their cot or toddler bed, only to find your toddler sleep on floor?
As strange as it may sound, it's completely normal and relatively common for your toddler to suddenly express an interest in sleeping on the floor rather than in their lovely, comfy bed.
If your baby is partly or solely formula-fed, you may have had to try several different brands and types of teats before you found the perfect bottle that your baby could feed from. Then during the whirlwind of your baby's first year, it seems that everyone is talking about sippy cups. Is it really time to transition from bottles to formula in sippy cup?
Everything changes once your baby starts moving around on their own. Not only is your once-stationary child now busy exploring the world (and keeping you on your toes!), they're also entering their toddler years. If you thought your baby grew a lot during their first year, be prepared for toddlerhood and the rapid growth spurts that come with it.
Are you apprehensive about flying with a toddler? Many parents are. And not without cause because this is an entirely different experience than jetting off by yourself or with your significant other on a romantic holiday.
There’s no more packing at the last minute. No more relying on in-flight snacks to get you through. And certainly no chance you’ll be enjoying leisurely drinks at an airport bar before you board the plane.
Doing your toddler girl’s hair can be tricky. Their hair might still be quite short, which means you often can’t get it all into a single ponytail or braid. And you might need to get that hairstyle done quickly - not only do you have a thousand things on your to-do list, but they don’t like to sit still for long either!
We’ve all been there: It’s five minutes before lunch time and you realise you haven’t planned a meal. Then your toddler appears, seemingly out of nowhere, to sit whining at your feet because they're hungry and need lunch NOW. It’s no wonder we tend to throw together an unbalanced meal for our toddler at the last minute, or end up feeding them the same lunch three days in a row.
“Oh, your toddler’s cranky? Hungry more often? They must be going through a growth spurt!” Have you heard this before?
It had me wondering … Are growth spurts and everything we associate with them scientifically proven? Or are they just an old wives’ tale?
You've finally decided it's time to splurge on some brand new clothes, and finally get around to washing them for the first time and you notice the 'care label' says that you can tumble dry, but you must "tumble dry low".
Just like almost every other aspect of parenting, choosing a child's mattress isn't as simple as it might appear to be. In addition to asking yourself how thick should a child's mattress be, you also need to consider the mattress size, firmness, type, and other factors.
One of the hardest aspects of being vegan is realising that many of the lollies and sweets you once innocently enjoyed contain animal products. While it is certainly possible to find vegan lollies, the sad truth is that most lollies are not vegan.
It's a chilly night, and your baby is all zipped up in their one-piece footie pyjamas. You lay them in their cot and they look back at you expectantly. You think of your own cosy warm bed, complete with sheets, blankets, and a bedspread or doona and you start to feel a little guilty. Why do you get to curl up and sleep with pillows and bedding while your baby has to lie alone in a cot with just a fitted sheet?
It’s easy to walk down a supermarket aisle and pluck a bottle of children’s vitamins off the shelf. Maybe you’re concerned your toddler isn’t eating enough fruits and vegetables . Maybe you’re tired of the endless bouts of sniffles that cold and flu season brings every year.
These are common reasons for supplementing toddlers’ diets with vitamins. But, are they medically valid reasons?
Stuffed animals. Don’t our kids just love them!?
Relatives love to give them as gifts. We all love to win them as prizes at the local show. Cruise along the toy aisle and there’s bound to be another stuffed animal our little one just has to have.
But, of course, just about every kid has far too many stuffed animals!
There’s so much to learn when you’re a new parent. And feeding is certainly high on the agenda in those early years.
For parents who aren’t breastfeeding or are mixed feeding, understanding infant formula is a must. Finding formula (and bottles for that matter) that work for your baby doesn’t always happen overnight. And before you know it, you’re looking at the tins of toddler formula on the supermarket shelf, wondering if you need to buy it.
How can you best care for your toddler’s teeth? How do you know which toothpaste and how much of it you should use? We break down all there is to know about brushing routines and toothpaste for toddlers, so you can keep enjoying those cheeky grins!
Safe sun practices are a must - no matter how old you are. In fact, sun exposure during childhood is one of the risk factors for developing skin cancer later in life.
Specifically, it’s the UV radiation in sunlight that causes the majority of skin cancers. Scarily, by 70 years of age, two out of three Australians will have been diagnosed with skin cancer.
Water is one of the most, if not the most, crucial elements for maintaining a healthy toddler or person of any age for that matter.
Even beyond the obvious health needs, maintaining a healthy level of hydration as has been linked to increased cognitive abilities in children aged 7-9 .
Toddler weight can be a cause for concern to some parents, but if your Toddler is eating healthy and active, then there is likely no cause for concern.
Even so, Keeping an eye on their weight is always going to be a good idea, to make sure they are their development progress is on track and to make sure there are no concerns about weight.
Onesies are great for babies : stretchy, comfortable, safe (no chance of them covering the head during sleep) and pretty cute. But, wearing onesies doesn’t last forever.
From walking the dog, to going on holiday - much of life becomes a test of your logistical abilities once you have a baby - shopping included. No longer can you just “pop” to the shops for five minutes, or aimlessly browse the aisles at your leisure.
Wondering when to switch to pull ups? After all, they seem so much easier than traditional tab nappies. The good news is, there’s not really a “wrong” time to make the switch.
With increasingly sedentary lifestyles, it’s important to encourage our kids to take part in as much physical activity as possible. It’s critical for their ongoing mental and physical wellbeing, but also to develop essential motor skills.
So, what are the best types of physical activity? Should you be aiming for more unstructured play, or enrolling in organised sports for toddlers?
Are you here because you’re exploring your options for your toddler once it’s time to move on from their cot?
Maybe they are climbing out of their cot . Maybe they’re insisting it’s time for a “big kid” bed and flat-out refusing to sleep in their cot anymore. Maybe they just seem too big for it and are forever bumping into the rails in the night.
Cotton is everywhere, from t-shirts, jeans, socks, to underwear, without doubt cotton would have to be one of the most common fibers used in the textile industry today.
Part of the success is that cotton has some remarkable qualities that make it a great 'fit' for apparel and highly versatile.
Polyester is a very common fabric and has grown popularity in popularity due to some of its superior qualities over cotton such as wrinkle resistance, ability to fade less and durability.
Cotton is a natural fiber affording it better breathability and other interesting properties which is sometimes why polyester and cotton are blended together to compliment eachother.
Having a set bedtime is just one aspect of a consistent bedtime routine. But, it’s an important one.
After all, if you get the bed time wrong, you don’t just end up with bedtime battles that impact on your evening, but you might end up with unreasonably early wake times, and a cranky toddler throwing more tantrums, whining and making life a bit more difficult that next day.
Toileting is such a big part of parenting in those early years. From their very first day of life, we’re asked to monitor our little ones’ poo and wee output to ensure they are taking enough breastmilk or formula.
And the monitoring continues from infancy into toddlerhood. You’ve probably wondered: did my child have a bowel movement today or was that yesterday? When should I start toilet training them?
And lately, you might be wondering: how often should a toddler poop?
By now, you’re no stranger to a sleep regression. And while they can feel like they last forever, the goods news is they don’t. They are normal and temporary.
There are two sleep regressions in the toddler years. Both last a few weeks - at around 18 months of age and 2 years of age.
Children play in all different ways. Although it seems like just fun, it’s also how they learn a host of important skills - for now, but also to serve them well in adulthood.
To begin with, play consists of repetitive, gross motor movements in infancy (rhythmic stereotypies), and then develops into exercise play and rough and tumble play.
That first time your little one hits their head hard, it’s terrifying. It may have happened when they were just a baby, and learning to sit, crawl or walk.
Has your toddler been hitting, scratching, pinching or kicking?
It can be worrying, frustrating and sometimes downright embarrassing. And you might have been given a host of advice from those around you, like “just pinch them back” or “don’t worry, they all do it.”
Does your toddler repeatedly clench or grind their teeth in their sleep?
You might be concerned about this behaviour and have some questions like:
“Is it harming my toddler’s teeth?”
“Why is it happening?”
“Is it disturbing their sleep?”
And
“What can I do about it?”
Are you wondering how often a toddler should pee? You might want to know the answer to this for two reasons:
If your child is approaching school-age, you might be wondering when they will start to lose their teeth.
It’s probably not far away, with most children starting to lose their baby teeth around six years of age.
Breastfeeding is the preferred method of feeding , affording nutrition, as well as benefits to the immune system and emotional security of infants and toddlers.
If you have continued to breastfeed your child past infancy and into toddlerhood, you've given them a great start in the all-important early developmental period.
Santa is an integral part of the magic of Christmas, for kids, but for parents too. Unfortunately, there comes a time when a child stops believing in Santa.
Has your child been showing signs of doubt that Santa exists? Or are you wondering how many Christmases you have left before your kids cotton on to the truth?
Has your child been asking to drink coffee? Maybe one of their friends is allowed to, or they are just desperate to have what you’re having.
If you’re someone who drinks several cups a day, you may be thinking, “what’s the harm?” But, because caffeine is a stimulant to the nervous system, it’s important to look at the very real effects it can have on the body before deciding if you’re ok with your kids drinking coffee.
Trampolines have long been a mainstay in family backyards. They’re so much fun, after all! But at what age is it appropriate to really introduce your child to a trampoline.
If you’re reading this article, you are probably attending a funeral soon.
We’re sorry for your loss.
You must be wondering whether your toddler should attend the funeral with you? This is an important question. And, there’s no right or wrong answer. It’s more about how the decision is reached as to whether your toddler should attend a funeral.
When your toddler was a little baby, you were told they should sleep in the dark. After all, the womb is dark, so it’s what they are used to.
But once your baby enters toddlerhood, you might be wondering whether toddlers should continue to sleep in the dark? Or, is it ok for toddlers to have a nightlight?
Diet is a prevalent topic for women in general, and even more so when breastfeeding. When you eat a healthy, balanced diet, it doesn’t just give your baby an excellent start to life, but you look after your own health too.
Whether you should drink milk while breastfeeding is a commonly asked question. Let’s firstly address a myth: “you need to drink milk in order to make milk”. That is simply not the case, breast milk is produced by the mammary glands in your breasts and has a dynamic (ever-changing) composition.
There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence that toddlers can sense your pregnancy. But, can that really be true?
Despite many people sharing their own stories online, there doesn’t appear to be a scientific basis that toddlers can sense pregnancy as such. However, it’s true that your toddler can sense change and stress.
If you’re trying to expand the variety of foods you feed your toddler, fish is certainly a good place to start. And, it’s a great protein alternative if you’re trying to spice up the dinners you currently have on rotation - don’t worry, getting stuck in a meal planning rut happens to the best of us!
If you are vegan yourself, you might be wondering if your toddler can eat a vegan diet too?
Or, even if you aren’t vegan, you may have heard about the reported health benefits of a vegan diet and are curious if your toddler could benefit?
It’s exciting to see our little ones learning new things. And one of the things we’re often eager for them to learn is colors. Colors might seem like they should be easy to grasp - after all, we see them everywhere in everything. But, when do kids actually learn colors?
Everyone makes mistakes. When your child makes a mistake that hurts a sibling, friend, or even yourself, you encourage them to apologize for it.
But what about when your words or actions as a parent have hurt your own child. Do you tend to push the issue aside, unsure whether to apologize or not?
Have you ever stood outside your child’s bedroom door and wondered if it’s time you started knocking? Perhaps you’ve never even considered it, as your usual style is just to barge right on in.
In this article, we will explore the idea that parents should knock before entering, and what needs children have for privacy as they grow physically, but also develop their own sense of self.
When you’re having a family movie night it seems perfectly natural to pop some popcorn and share it around with the kids.
Popcorn is a food we tend to eat when we’re having fun, that’s for sure. But, is it actually safe for kids to eat popcorn? When can kids safely have popcorn?
Has your toddler spotted you chewing gum and asked for a piece?
If you’re here reading this article, you might already have a hunch that chewing gum isn’t appropriate for toddlers. And your hunch is correct.
It’s so helpful when toddlers are able to eat what the rest of the family is eating. After all, no one wants to cook multiple dinners each night.
But what about if you’re cooking Coq Au Vin or Beef Bourguignon? These are traditionally cooked in wine, so can toddlers eat this food too?
