Blogs: The Baby Listener

As this month’s feature is a festival of food, I am going to offer you suggestions to add some fun and insight to kid’s mealtimes!

Where to start?  I believe that starting the relationship to food as you mean to continue with your kids is the way forward.  After the initial weaning stage of only fruits and veggies, transition them to modified versions of what you eat (modified = no salt and less spice).  Of course this is providing that what you eat is actually healthy, I do know of families that eat rubbish themselves – in this case, cook healthier options for the kids.

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In line with my holistic approach to babies, I am a firm believer in being led by the baby rather than a current way of thinking by any given institution. So, if a baby is showing all the signs of needing food at 4 months, I would start solids and if there weren’t any signs until 7 months I would wait. I am not sure where it comes from, but somehow it makes sense to me that having their needs met as and when required around food helps to set them up with a healthy relationship to it. At least I hope so. Continue reading »

In my opinion growing great families essentially comes down to communication and giving the small people space. From that comes trust, respect, a sense of being heard, being important and of being loved. There is no one who would doubt that fresh air, clean water, and healthy food are all essential. However, I believe that effective communication is the key to health and well being – creating the space for a great family to grow. Continue reading »

How did I get here?  My journey to physical health transformed me from a firm believer that the only way for babies was the rigid way of the Gina Ford routine – to now sitting somewhere around gentle routine, RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) and Attachment Parenting.  Now, I understand that this is not for everyone, but for me this came from a huge shift of beliefs about what health was, and now is, to me.  So, it begs the question.  What does health look like to you? And, are you and your family in that place? Or do you have DIS-EASE in your home? (A feeling of being not at ease in one or more area, mentally, physically, emotionally or spiritually). Continue reading »

So the kids are heading back to school- what about the under fives?

The “right” childcare option would have to be one of the most difficult choices for a parent. You are always looking for what is best for your child. Sometimes it is easy in the sense that cost dictates what is available to your family, but still, I would hazard a guess that a lot (but not all) parents would rather have the option of staying at home with their little ones. Continue reading »

Summer is almost upon us, and that means holidays and Christmas too… I do take a little comfort here in New Zealand that we don’t break out the decorations and paraphernalia at the end of August like they do in the supermarkets in the UK, but all the same, it all starts so early, doesn’t it?

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For this month’s topic of Getting Active, I have decided to write about Getting Out and About… for those new parents who are anywhere from concerned to down right panicked at the thought of taking your baby out for athe first time…

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You might not know that I spent 15 years living in London, but I did. London has amazing shopping and two big sales a year, July sales and Boxing Day sales (there is the odd one thrown in, but nothing to write home about). This has got me thinking lately that New Zealand should be renamed Land of the Long Endless Sale… It never seems to stop. Not that it really seems to help us to save – in fact I think it is probably the polar opposite- but it does mean that you are unlikely to have to pay for full priced items very often. So this month I thought I would talk a little about lists to help with managing your money.

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This month’s topic of ‘Living Green’ has come at just the right time for me to share some awesome things I have come across in the last month that enable you to donate or receive items you may need for your baby by contacting these wonderful organisations.

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I started my cake decorating career back with Bananas in Pyjamas for a little guy called Tom for his first birthday. Tom has now just celebrated his 15th birthday! Wow, how time flies. I have always enjoyed being creative aaand this is one of many outlets for that. It just so happens that as a nanny in London, it turned out to be a sought after skill – and much used I might add!

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