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23Nov
Make Video Games a Positive Part of Family Life

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Video games are woven into the fabric of contemporary culture, serving not just as entertainment but often as social hubs. To make the most of this modern pastime, it’s crucial to foster a healthy, balanced, and engaging gaming environment for the entire family. This article shared courtesy of the Daddy and Munchkin Blog will lay down practical guidelines to help you strike that perfect balance between immersive gaming and overall well-being.

Set Boundaries, Not Just High Scores

While achieving high scores or conquering formidable bosses is thrilling, the Child Mind Institute notes that it’s equally crucial to set and adhere to time limits for gaming sessions. These limits ensure that real-world responsibilities like homework, chores, and family time are not neglected. And remember, taking breaks for your eyes and posture is essential for a healthy gaming experience! So, game responsibly and enjoy the best of both worlds.

Family Pow-Wow

Communication shouldn’t stop at the game’s chat function. Parents should engage in open conversations with their kids about the games they play and the people they meet online. These discussions are essential opportunities to share insights about online safety, cyberbullying, and appropriate in-game social behaviour.

Spice Up Your Virtual Worlds

Playing the same type of game can become monotonous and limiting. Encourage your family to explore diverse genres—from role-playing games to trivia. This varied experience can broaden skill sets and promote family bonding. Cooperative multiplayer games are a great way to promote teamwork and mutual respect.

Level Up Your Thinking Cap

Certain video games go beyond mere entertainment, offering brain-tickling puzzles and scenarios that require critical thinking. Introduce these games into family playtime to elevate your problem-solving skills collectively. These types of games are not just fun but also mentally enriching. They provide a fantastic opportunity for families to bond and challenge each other.

The Carrot on the Stick

Consider using video game time as a treat for accomplishing real-world tasks. This can work like a charm in motivating children to complete homework or household chores. It’s a win-win situation where tasks get completed, and the gaming time becomes more rewarding. Plus, it encourages a healthy balance between responsibilities and leisure activities.

Your Family’s Entertainment Haven

The benefit of having a designated gaming and entertainment space extends beyond mere organization. Curating this space with comfortable seating, immersive audio, and optimal lighting can elevate the gaming experience. Plus, a specialized gaming room can add a unique charm and value to your home. Ultimately, having a dedicated space for gaming allows for uninterrupted enjoyment and immersion in your favourite games.

More than Just Fun and Games

While your primary reason to invest in a gaming setup may be to enhance your gaming experience, it’s worth noting that such investments can add to your home’s resale value. Just remember to log all the changes you’ve made and keep receipts for purchases. Features like high-quality surround sound, ergonomic furniture, and modular storage can be appealing to future buyers. So, not only will you enjoy your gaming sessions, but you may also see a return on your investment when it’s time to sell your home.

Beyond Joysticks and Scoreboards

Video games are not solely about hand-eye coordination and fast reflexes. Studies cited by Effectiviology have shown that regular, moderated gaming can improve cognitive abilities such as decision-making and strategic planning. Far from being a mindless activity, gaming can be both engaging and educational when approached responsibly. So why not embrace the benefits of gaming and unlock your full potential?

Gaming doesn’t have to be a solitary or mind-numbing activity. When approached with a balanced perspective, it can offer an array of benefits ranging from cognitive development to family bonding. The key to a fulfilling family gaming experience lies in responsible gaming habits, open conversations, and judicious choices. Implementing these customized tips can help families game together in a way that’s both fun and enriching.


The Daddy and Munchkin Blog promotes shared parental leave, documents the smiles, and shares some honest product reviews. Contact us today to learn more!

About the Author

Lydia Chan understands the life of caregiving for another. After her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and she found herself struggling to balance the responsibilities of caregiving and her own life. She is the co-creator of Alzheimer’s Caregiver, a website that aims to provide tips and resources to help caregivers.

My opinion

As an avid gamer myself I see the benefits of gaming when used with time limits.

Munchkin is yet to step into the world of console gaming, however I am eager to get him his first Nintendo Switch to start him off next year. My approach would be to keep any consoles downstairs to avoid my kids spending too many hours away from the rest of the family, keep time limits and use as a reward and make sure we have many multiplayer options so we can play together so one day beat me too????.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy, Munchkin and Sprout

daddymunchkinandsprout.blog

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8Apr
When 3 become 4 – the tough and rewarding adjustments of a second child

When you buy something using the retail links in our blog posts, we may earn a small commission. This money goes towards fuelling further content. If you want to support us, you can also kindly buy us a coffee ☕

With three becoming four it’s seems to be an unbelievable unequal adjustment as two to three.

With our first, Munchkin, yes everything changed but we had time to recover at weekends. With our second, Sprout, we don’t have that luxury.

Here are all our unforeseen adjustments of a second child.

It’s worth it though….right?

adjustments of a second child
The little sleep stealer

Keeping time

Or rather not keeping time at all. Late is the new early right?

Let me give you some examples of this disaster:

  • 1: Swimming week 1: 5 minutes late, week 2: 20 minutes early.
  • 2: One morning we got Munchkin up and got as far as getting in the car. Only to realise we would miss breakfast at nursery so had to come back inside and try again an hour later!

Its been a mess!

Appreciating time

With the first child it’s a blur, mainly comprising of lack of sleep, sick and nappy changes.

You can find yourself wishing for development stages to speed up, that the child grows out of them and for progression to happen. It’s a feeling many parents are aware of and one we inevitably later regret.

With the second you want to stop time. Enjoy every moment. Have every snuggle and every sniff of that lovely baby smell. Because you know well now that it doesn’t last and soon they will crawl, walk and then run to school and beyond.

Less ‘us’ time

You’d think I’d be talking about partner time, but that’s a given with parenting!!

This one is for less time for Munchkin with all of us; Mummy, Daddy and both sets of Grandparents. He’s had solo play time for the first time of his life and less time with all his favourite people as they share their time with Sprout.

It’s a tough adjustment and one that invokes a feeling of guilt in me. I feel bad that I can’t give him all my time. Luckily Munchkin has adjusted well though and continues to be an excellent big brother.

Morning cuddles

Excellent 90% of the time that is with just the occasional ‘when does he go back inside Mummy’s tummy?’ in the first few weeks.

More responsibility

With just Munchkin I didn’t realise how much me and Natalie did together. For example, at bath time, when I would play with Munchkin, Mummy would sort out the clothes for the next day, she would then get him dry and changed while I cleaned up.

Add a sprout and I’ve realised how much extra responsibility there is with only one set of hands. Its more exhausting but, well, what did we expect?

Everything takes longer

If you thought getting one small preschooler dressed and into a car before 7:30 AM was tough imagine adding a hungry pooping crying little baby too.

It can take forever. It’s no wonder we can’t keep time.

Everything is harder

This one is no surprise. Everything is harder. You’ve really got to have all your eggs in a row and even then only sometimes it all goes to plan.

The trick is to leave time for everything to go wrong. A classic risk based analysis….

There is no catching up

With just Munchkin we could easily catch up from the tough nights of little sleep. With two there’s no catching up. And so many nights of 4 to 5 hours of sleep really add up to some exhausted parents.

you can’t blame me ?

You get all the snuggles again

There are positives too of this adjustment of a second child of course! You get baby snuggles again!

Baby snuggles make all the sleepless nights, the exhausting, the balancing act, the lateness and the mess worth it.

It is clear the adjustment to a second child has and can be a challenge. A challenge I did not really anticipate. It is such a major change in the family dynamic on a whole, and it can take time for everyone to get used to it.

So here it what I wish I had: some tips for adjusting to a second child:

Be prepared

Before baby 2 arrives, talk to your first child about what to expect and what may change. Explain that the baby will need a whole lot of attention, but that nothing changes in the way you love and care for them.

Be patient

It may take some time for your first child to adjust to the new arrival. It may invoke feelings of jealousy or anger, and in turn they may act out in different ways. So you have to be super patient with them and help them through this huge adjustment.

Make time for each child individually

Even though you’ll be spending 98% of your time keeping the new baby happy, it is important to make time for each of your children on their own. Let them know its their time with you so they appreciate that you are putting them first. This reassures them they have not been replaced even if they have lost a lot of time with you.

Encourage your children to play together

It’s no surprise that getting your first child to play with your second can help your children bond and learn to get along. But equally importantly, It can also give you some time to relax and catch your breath. Because multiple children are exhausting!

Get help when you need it.

If you are struggling with the adjustment don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s so important to keep talking to your partner, as well as seeking help from family, friends, or a professional. We didn’t seek help until we were completely shattered and I regret that.

So there are all my adjustments of a second child my exhausted, running solely on caffeine, brain could fathom with a few tips I wish Id read before Sprout arrived.

But I’ll say it again, it is worth it. Every single second.

If you have two, what’s the biggest thing you learned in that transition? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy, Munchkin and Sprout

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nursery - worth the cost
19Oct
Nursery – Worth the cost?

Whilst pregnant with Munchkin, Natalie and me made the decision to tour the local nurseries and decided nursery care is for us. We both wanted to continue working but wanted to give Munchkin the best start in life. Nursery can cost a pretty penny, but is it worth that cost?

Even before Munchkin was born

We discussed, toured the local nursery options and decided nursery was for us months before Munchkin was born. We want to give him the best start and the best balance of different inputs to his education and development.

We knew we would have to return to work after maximizing and stretching out our funding benefit by using shared parental leave. See our post on that here. With Mummy, being a teacher and having the summer off, she could hand her leave to me to start in September and keep the government payments up to 12 months of age. One year old still felt young to take to nursery, but he settled in fast and immediately loved each day.

Shared Parental Leave Gov.uk
A tiny poppet when he started nursery

Balance

We decided nursery, albeit expensive, nursery gave Munchkin the best balance. Both my and Natalie’s parents each wanted a day with Munchkin so he would have 2.75 days at nursery a week. This would give four different inputs, with nursery, us as parents and both sets of Grandparents which I believe gave him the best benefit with different.

Cost and Support

Parents with low income, or claiming certain benefits can get help with childcare from 2 years old. For working parents, the government knocks tax off the cost deducting 20%. That said, our 2.75 days would vary month to month, depending on the number of weeks and holidays. However, this would range from £350 to £550 (£280 to £440 using tax free childcare) making some months tight at times.

Childcare for two year olds Gov.uk
Tax Free Childcare Gov.uk

From 3 years old, working parents get up to 30 hours free childcare in term time. It was a long time coming but we finally made it.

Want the best child product for your home? See our favourite product review ➡️

The Benefit

Each day he is at nursery he comes back full of energy with new stories to tell, ideas and games to play. They nurture and develop his love to learn letters and numbers, read and sing, give him time to pursue his own enjoyments whilst giving him new opportunities and teaching new skills. He comes back and talk about the friends he’s made and who he plays with each day.

Nursery document his development and update us at the end of the day, and with development reviews on Tapestry, so we feel very much in the loop. They hold events to meet parents too, so local parents can say more than just the ‘Hey, how are you’ in the mornings.

I am thankful to them for the amazing little man Munchkin has become. It’s expensive but I think when you take in the benefits to their development, its worth every penny.

What are your thoughts on Nursery childcare?

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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7Jul
Seriously, Take Kids Camping in 2023!

When you buy something using the retail links in our blog posts, we may earn a small commission. This money goes towards fueling further content.

Some of my best childhood memories came from the camping trips I had with my Grandparents and Mum. We would find a good site, pitch up, get the croquet and games out, play endless garden games and relax. It was childhood at its best.

Ready or not, I’m coming to find you! – Hide and seek camping style!

It’s something I always wanted to pass to Munchkin. This year, Nanny and Grandad were already planning to go to a local site so we joined them for a one-night trail run. The short, it was fantastic, so seriously, take kids camping!

The sky’s awake so I’m awake!

As a parent, we often worry about our child sleeping well. So the thought of camping in the summer with an early sunrise and sharply rising tent temperatures was enough to add a bit of fear with taking Munchkin camping.

Going to a local site eased the fear a little. If worst came to the worse we could escape home in the middle of the night and return the next morning.

So, we put our fears aside. Bought him his own character airbed and a new Paw patrol nightlight and took familiar things like his pillow, duvet and favourite bed toy from home. We made sure we had long walks, lots of activity and a little bit of a later night after a late takeaway dinner.

The result: he slept through undisturbed until morning.

kids camping
Phew. Out light a light switch.

Home away from home

To make him feel at home and included, we made sure whatever we had, he had. He had his own little camping chair so he could sit around the firepit with us, and his own personal airbed. We let him help with activities such as pumping up his bed, helping with the washing up and building the tent – he especially loved the mallet, offering to help hammer in the pegs. We took a good selection of toys which could be used outside and garden games. Ensuring he never got bored.

Playing like at home

We also take his tablet with Amazon kids+ (I’ve review that here). This was good whilst we pottered around getting food ready and for his usual bedtime routine with a few stories.

For great days out with young children see our reviews of Hobbledown and National Trust properties ➡️

Affordable holidaying

The most important thing, especially with the current cost of living crisis, is that camping can be affordable. You can pick up a good sized tent for a family of 3 or 4 for under £50 and pay a quarter of what is it for a low budget hotel room for the pitch. There’s a bit of prepayment for things like chairs and airbeds, but at this time of the year you can find cheap camping stuff everywhere, for example, we picked up our foldable chairs for a little over a tenner and borrowed other bits from my parents. It was obviously more pricey this time, but will make an affordable getaway next time and the next…

A reasonably priced tent for us three. Oh and a car to store everything else

The trial run

As it was Munchkin’s first time a we opted for this as a trial run for future camping.

The reason for a short trial run of camping was two-fold. Firstly we needed to see if Munchkin would sleep. Second, we needed to see what items we needed and inevitably you will forget something the first few times! Like any holiday, imagine going away and forgetting the baby milk, or a favourite cuddly toy!

Prepare for all weather

In the UK we all know we can experience all four seasons in one day. We went in June.

Summer is probably the hardest as you never know what you are going to get. So pack the sun cream and shorts, the coat for the cooler evenings and the wellies and waterproofs if it rains. Plus, plenty of spares if they get muddy or wet. Be overprepared.

Given this was just our trial run I imagine ill update it over the trips to come.

Do you have any advice on camping with kids?

Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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29Jun
Mutable Review – The ultimate multi-activity table.

When you buy something using the retail links in our blog posts, we may earn a small commission. This money goes towards fuelling further content. If you want to support us, you can also buy us a coffee ☕

From the moment we started trying for a Munchkin, I had created a list of products I wanted for him or her when they were old enough. At the top of that list, a Mutable by Stokke (previously Mukako) (Visit Stokke.com). Its been a favourite product for years now, and it hasn’t disappointed, so here is our Mutable review.

Since being brought out by Stokke, the product line seems to have decreased. So while this review doesn’t match all the products sold by Stokke they are still stocked elsewhere. I will include links where possible for other UK stockists where appropriate.

Mutable Review
The Mutable

What is a Mutable?

The Mutable is an Italian designed multi activity table for kids up to the age of 8 as it grows with them. The table is made of a beautiful wooden design, with a modern shape and a splash of colour. It has screw on legs, with additional pieces to enable it to grow in height as your child grows. This gives the chairs two heights and the table four heights to grow with your child.

There is an insert in the top which houses the ‘multi activity’ components. These are wooden or cardboard discs which change the table from a simple table, to a lego or duplo table, a chalk board or white board, a round puzzle board or a city or world landscape. There is also further options such as multi level lego towers, playdough moulds and adaptable scenarios.

For older children, there are app enabled toys and games, such as numbers and letters and ‘around the world’ and ‘ring o stories’ . So what can be a snack table, is an art space, a pay space and also a learning space.

Daddy and Munchkin’s Mutable review.

As I said in my introduction, the Mutable does not disappoint. From the morning it was delivered and constructed, which was a simple process with hand screw legs. Munchkin was eager to play with his cars on the town landscape, scribble with giant chalk on the white board and take his wooden train or cuddly toys for a ride up high.

Daddy loves it as its self contained. Every activity is stored within the table. There’s an attached pen/chalk pot which is useful for easy storage and access to (you guessed it) pens and chalk, and a storage bag for tidying up, which is filled by simply removing the centre and pushing the toys through the hole. We used this from when Munchkin was just one to teach about tidying up, and it worked a charm.

Overall I cannot fault it, and can’t wait to buy extra toys and games and use it as a learning tool for numbers/letters and humanities in the future. The only drawback is the price, but when you consider the amount of time it can be used with its variety of uses, its was an easy equation for us and its been worth every penny since.

What Else is Available?

We originally opted for the moderately supplied Essential Plus bundle. In 2022 this includes two chairs, 7 inserts, extra puzzles, storage bag and pen holder, but there are many more options to add. It currently retails at Stokke for £434.90 but can be found cheaper elsewhere in the UK such as pram world who stock it for £345.90.

In terms of accessories and toys, there are extension sets to allow space for 6 children and silicone covers to protect the table.

In the toy department, there are 3-dimensional playhouses, wooden playhouses, and lego towers, play dough moulds and educational games. I already have my eye on a playhouse, playdough mould, and more games for Munchkin.

Interested in a tablet for your little one? Check out my Fire HD Kids tablet review ➡️

One year on…

It is still the best product we have invested in. It is a favourite place for a painting and drawing or scribbling on the chalk board. Munchkin has started to use the Mutable for imaginative play taking his dinosaurs to the town landscape and therefore we have expanded our Mutable collection.

We now have the two, two sided games, one teaches about fruit and vegetables and the other is a space themed game. These both come with multiple levels, allowing the game to change as your child grows, for example changing from counting to doing sums and multiplication.

The second is a superhero house. A multi-level wooden playhouse that sits it is own disc holder on top of the Mutable. It has multiple rooms, from fictional superhero to real life such as police and firemen. We spend many an hour playing with this now. Unfortunately this product is not sold by Stokke since their take over however even if they still sell the furniture and the heroes but can be found elsewhere on third party sellers like Pramworld.

Mutable Review – Those all important stars

Quality

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Price

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Useability

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Instructions

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Daddy reviewed, Munchkin approved.

Thanks for reading our Mutable Review,

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6Jun
The Potty Training Journey so far.

Potty training is probably the first major hurdle since moving Munchkin to his new his new room all those many moons ago – see the next 2 me to nursery transition. It was feared by us as it is by many parents, yet on reflection (so far that is!) it hasn’t been that much of a rocky transition. Here’s how we’ve succeeded so far in five steps.

Ignore the pressure

I remember the first mention of potty training from an online development check. A development check where the nurse didn’t even need to see Munchkin, so didn’t know he was alive let alone could walk, talk or use the potty (But that’s a moan for another day).

What I remember is feeling judged for not starting things already, even though we hadn’t seen any of the typical signs. He didn’t tell us anything about doing his business, didn’t walk to a private space nor show any emotion about it. So, we did the first steps when we were ready, and it turns out the parent is usually, and was, right.

Keep it visible

One thing we did start early was to keep a potty visible, right in the lounge, next to his play space. This meant he got used to it being there before we even mentioned what it was for. As it progressed we also got a separate travel potty for journeys out the house, letting Munchkin choose his own my carry potty.

Dedicate some time

Even though Munchkin didn’t show any signs, we honestly thought he never would. It was April half term so we dedicated the two weeks to ‘pants days!’ – a phrase he used in the morning when he would ask ‘Is it a pants day today?!

We went to the shop and let him choose his pants, we got some pants themed books (amazon link) and then just went for it.

Prepare for the clean up

The first few days were a mess, going through all 12 pairs of pants in one morning. But we persisted, bought more pants and carried on. It was stressful but we made sure we reassured Munchkin ever step of the way.

By day five he was starting to smash it, but we were using a lot of regular reminders and checks.

By week two we had no accidents and then by week 4, we returned to our normal work week completely dry, autonomously going himself without any reminders. We have had the odd little accident since but otherwise he’s smashed it.

The transition to the big toilet

The transition to toilet was even more simple. We bought a stool and seat for him which he was excited to use. We then just reminded him he could use either when he said he needed to go. Within a month the potty was gone and we only used the toilet.

The future

Who knew potty training was such a multi faceted coin? The future holds and night time training (we are not at all ready for this one!). But at least the pressure is off with that one.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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4Dec
Count with Peppa

Whilst this product was kindly gifted. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.

From the second I said, ‘look, a package for you’ Munchkins eyes lit up. When he saw it was Peppa, the excitement was unreal, he could not wait for me to wrestle and free it from the packaging.

Peppa pig count with peppa
One happy poppet

Peppa Pig Count with Peppa is a number and colour recognition toy all styled in the design and with the voice of every parents favourite pig.

It uses 10 coloured number discs, with different colours and the numbers from 1 – 10. On the other side is the corresponding number of items i.e. 5 planes. Peppa can recognise which discs are inserted and therefore know if the correct disc is posted.

‘Where’s the number 5?’

There are multiple games, from find the number, to find the coin which has a certain number of an item. It also plays three songs, from the series, which Munchkin was instantly joining in with. This will further solidify Munchkins colour and counting skills and improve his ability to follow instructions.

We admit we had a little issue pushing the coins through at first. But two days later it seems to have improved for us both.

Available at Argos. £20

Thanks for reading,

Daddy reviewed, munchkin approved.

Daddy and Munchkin

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12Sep
Get Toddlers Involved

Raising good little humans can start very young. From as little as 1 year old, Munchkin wanted to help around the house and by letting him help, we feel we are raising a well rounded human and giving him the skills to succeed from an early age. Its very simple to include them in little tasks to get toddlers involved and build their life skills.

Grub’s up

Giving Munchkin access to snack choices and letting him select from breakfast options supports developing his independence with free choice, which aligns with our Montessori style of parenting. Similarly, by letting him help with dinner preparation, whether that be cutting up some vegetables with a child safe knife, or letting him mix on the hob, we feel we are building those skills he will need in the future and his interest in what he’s eating and where it comes from.

Shop shop away

Another simple way to get toddler involved is at the shops, or when the delivery arrives. Let them select a snack, or what vegetable to have with a meal to include them, then get them to help put it all away too. This is good for language too as Munchkin will ask when he doesn’t know what something is, learning along the way.

Wash, splosh and scrub.

Adults generally hate doing the washing and unloading the dishwasher, but toddlers seem to love it. Let them sort through the clean washing, and pass it to be hung out to dry, or give them the ultimate trust of unloading the dishwasher, passing cultery and plates to you to put away. Similarly, toddlers love to get involved in a little cleaning, as much as they do a poor job, but it helps them feel part of the family team.

Out and about

For me, teaching life skills out and about, is just about telling them everything to understand the world. From what a wind turbine is, to how a shop operates, to why we need petrol for the car, I just tell him everything, all the time.

The most important of these being crossing the road. I would tell Munchkin to stop, and look left and right even when he was just a little 6 month old on the way to rhyme time and I’ve never stopped since in the hope it’ll be drilled in for when he one day ventures out alone (eek!).

Cash talk

With less physical cash out there, due to easy contactless payments and of course, Covid-19, its useful to talk about money when its spent as otherwise he doesn’t really see it. We do this by showing him money when we do come across it, and explaining what it means when we beep our cards. When Munchkin is old enough we will also set up his own pocket money bank account such as a Starling kids account (available from age 6) or prepaid card so he can learn to spend or save his own pocket money.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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2Jul
‘Water’ Way to Light Up Your Day with Sensory Play at Home

Sensory play is a fantastic thing for babies and toddler development. There are classes available, but its easy to do sensory play at home. Here is a few things we have done with Munchkin during lockdown of 2020. All of these used every day items we already possessed.

Bubble Float, Bubble Pop

Its a known fact that every child loves bubbles, and Munchkin was no different. The look of awe and amazement as he reached for the bubbles around him was worth every second of the clean up operation which followed!

Bottle Shaker Sounds

If there is one thing Munchkin loves, its making a lot of noise. He loves drumsticks and banging everything, his drums and setting off all his musical toys at once, and even using his utensils at meal times for impromptu musical routines.

Collecting stones for his shaker

So this one was simple. Take equal sized bottles and fill with different every day items to illustrate the different sounds they make. We used lentils, stones Munchkin collected from the garden and rice. You could see the interest of the different sounds and the joy of shaking and dropping them.

Splish Splash Water Play

With swimming on hold, it was important to give our Munchkin some time to splash about at home. So we filled the blow up duck he used to have his baths in, gave him some toys and away he went splashing about.

Wibble Wobble Jelly Play

Exactly what it says in the title. Jelly on a plate, wibbly and wobbly, with a few utensils, feeling it, bouncing it and tasting it. Good orange flavoured fun.

Make a Lentil Mess

We put some lentils in a bowl and let him go crazy. From the first unsure touch, to throwing them everywhere, it was a fun explosion of sensory fun.

Disco lights and lightning bolts

We set up a disco ball, a lightning plate, a rope light and a colouring changing stars on the ceiling toy and popped Munchkin in the middle. He loved touching the plate and making the lightning move, grasping onto the disco ball and wafting around the rope light.

Cook up a storm

Finally, not fully a sensory exploration, but we gave Munchkin kitchen bits and some balls for a cooking experience. He’s had a saucepan ever since as his eyes immediately lit up and a smile filled his little face. He loved to play peek-a-boo with the colander!

It was easy to create sensory and discovery experiences from items already in our household. Hopefully this gives some inspiration for what sensory play at home you can do with your little ones.

Thanks for reading,

sensory play at home
22Feb
10 things I’ve Lately Learnt as a parent.

Last time I wrote one of these posts things were different (find it here). We were allowed out of the house for non essential reasons, Munchkin was a tiny 8 month old, and our biggest fears were feeding Munchkin the right things. So at two years old, here’s the latest things we have learnt.

1. Even as they sleep through the night the tiredness continues

You fool yourself that tiredness will improve as they master sleeping through the night. But no, the days become more demanding, and as a result you are equally sleepy.

2. They grow up too fast

It’s a line you’ve heard before and its true. One minute they stay still, the next they are running from room to room. One minute they giggle and ‘ga ga’ and the next they sing full lullabys and demand what they want, when they want it. Time flies when you are a parent.

3. Parenting (at this age) improves lockdown

I think we are lucky we have Munchkin in lockdown. We haven’t lost our minds with boredom or completed Netflix. Entertaining him keeps us entertained and consequently improves our lockdown.

4. They copy every thing you do

This thought always takes me back to that old smoking advert showing toddlers smoking crayons as they copy their parents. But its apparent daily how munchkin picks up little mannerisms or turn of phrase. Often surprisingly quickly.

5. If they like to climb, every household object is a climbing frame

We’ve got a climber in Munchkin. Every time he’s quiet he’s either mounting a dining chair or jumping on the sofa. The world is his playground, which means we need eyes in the back of our heads.

6. Nursery is amazing for development, albeit blooming expensive

We can’t fault our decision to use nursery, although it costs a bomb. He learns something everyday, grows in confidence and it gives him the opportunity to see and bond with others his age (especially important right now!)

7. You will eventually get bored of certain programmes

Don’t worry Dugee, there’s always room for you, but move over Teletubbies and In the Night Garden, if I never see a Ninky Nonk or Tubby custard again it will be too soon.

8. The last stage always seems easier

When they progress through the developmental stages, you are always eager for the next stage. But when they come, you always miss the ease of the last. The important note here is to live in the moment, moving on from the past and not looking into the future. Just enjoy the here and now.

9. You shouldn’t feel offended when they don’t choose you

As they find their voice, they start to make choices, and this includes which parent should do what. Munchkin went through a 100% Mummy phase, to a 100% Daddy phase and now its mostly 50:50 again. It is believed that when your child begins to choose, its because they feel safe and secure, so it should never offend as saddening as it may be.

10. There is no parenting manual

This needs no explanation. All our children are different and therefore there’s no manual or rule book that dictates when things should happen. If there was, Munchkin would have been late for all the gross motor targets. But now hes running about like an Olympic runner so all is good.

learnt as a parent

Thanks for reading,

If you want to see what we learnt at Eight months, check it out here.

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