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1Mar
Cultivate Deeper Family Ties Through Creative Home Projects

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In a world where the buzz of technology often drowns out real-life interaction, finding genuine ways to connect with family members is increasingly essential. Tackling do-it-yourself home improvement projects presents a unique opportunity to beautify your living space and strengthen familial bonds. These endeavours encourage collaboration, creativity, and communication, laying the foundation for lasting memories, a stronger family unit and cultivating deeper family ties.

Transform a Space with a Chalkboard

Transform a plain wall or door into a dynamic chalkboard, creating a space where family members can jot down messages, sketch, or exchange ideas. This becomes a creative outlet for daily interaction, fostering fun and imagination. Your home transforms into a center for creativity and closer connections. Through this project, you actively encourage everyone in the family to contribute and collaborate, enhancing the sense of togetherness.

Crafting a Memory Lane

Creating a dedicated space to showcase family photos and memories transforms a part of your home into a living story of your shared experiences. This activity brings everyone together to select and arrange these memories, fostering a sense of unity and nostalgia. It’s a heartfelt way to personalize your living space and celebrate the journey you’ve taken together as a family.

Launching a Family Enterprise

A family embarking on home improvement projects and deciding to document their journey through a blog or Instagram account not only shares their progress but also connects with a wider community interested in DIY ventures. Creating a cool logo for their online presence helps to make their project more recognizable and memorable to followers. It helps to use a text logo that resonates with the essence of the overall project, making it stand out. Free online logo generators offer an accessible way to design this logo, providing the flexibility to tailor the logo’s design to match the family’s unique story and aesthetic.

Constructing a Personalized Library

Building a bookshelf tailored to your family’s needs and space is a project that embodies teamwork and creativity. From planning to execution, this task encourages collaboration, offering a practical solution to storage needs while adding a style touch to your home. The finished product is a testament to your collective effort and creativity, enhancing your living space and familial bonds

The Art of Candle Crafting

Embark on candle-making together to explore creativity and sensory delights, experimenting with scents, colors, and shapes to craft candles that mirror your family’s tastes. This activity offers a calming and engaging way to bond, creating unique, homemade candles. These candles illuminate your space and add a personal touch to your home. Through this shared endeavor, you deepen your connection, making lasting memories.

Green Thumbs Indoor

Setting up an indoor herb garden offers a delightful introduction to gardening and the joy of growing your own herbs. This project adds a splash of greenery to your home and promotes teamwork as each family member cares for the plants. The result is an aesthetically pleasing space and a functional one that enriches your cooking and brings a sense of accomplishment and pride.

Revitalizing Old Furniture

Embarking on a furniture upcycling project allows your family to express its creative side while working together to breathe new life into an old piece. This collaborative effort involves making and applying design choices, culminating in a unique piece that enhances your home decor. The process is as rewarding as the outcome, symbolizing teamwork’s power and transformation’s beauty.

DIY home improvement projects offer a rich avenue for families to connect, create, and collaborate. These activities result in tangible improvements to your living environment and foster stronger, more meaningful relationships within the family. By investing time and creativity into these projects, families can build a foundation of shared experiences and memories that enrich their lives and strengthen their bonds.

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.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy, Munchkin and Sprout

DEEPER TIES

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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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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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24May
The Constant Lessons with a Little One.

Everyone knows that parents either learn a lot or just constantly wing it. So now Munchkin is now a toddling, more communicative, more hilarious, ever lovable ball of pure joy, there’s a few more lesson’s I have learnt on the journey called parenting.

1. Weaning them = changes in mealtime expectations for you.

If you are a big fan of eating your toast hot and your Weetabix crunchy, you may have to adapt how you make food for yourself. By the time I have breakfast ready for the Munchkin, then for me and my wife, Munchkin in the highchair and styling in his Bibado then there’s no chance everything is in that perfect condition or temperature. Luckily, I’m not too fussy so all is good.

lessons with a little one
A little smiley one at breakfast

2. There isn’t a word in our language for how tired you are.

Its true, you can get to places beyond tired, but it doesn’t stop you developing that little human into whatever big human they one day will be. Role playing with his kitchen, singing and dancing to the Wiggles, or in sensory exploration through bubble time, splashing fun or painting with those little hands, tiredness stops nothing.

3. Welcome to repetition, repetition, repetition…

Munchkin initiated reading time in the mornings after his milk by passing a book to me. What a lovely idea I thought. We read five books, one by one. Well, when I say read, I more mean something like:

‘That’s not my fox its tail is too….that’s not my….The End’. As he rapidly skips through the pages.

By day three on that selection of books we had chosen a favourite. And that book needed to be read over and over and over and over. Again and again and again.

4. With increasing development comes increasing hilarity.

With ever developing language come ever funnier moments. Whether it be a perfectly timed giggle or squeak or a slightly imperfect pronunciation when copying us, there are daily moments Munchkin has me in absolute stitches. And, of course, he laughs along with me.

5. You learn a new meaning for the word Love.

We all think we know what love means. I love my family and I love my wife. But every day you experience a different type of love for your little Munchkin. It’s the same squishy mushy feeling you have for your partner, but at the same time, something different. Its inexplainable but perfect.

So with every new day we learn something new which only just adds to the marvellous job of being a Daddy.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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3Dec
Munchkin’s firsts from the first first he conquered.

From birth to 9 months, this post is there to celebrate all the firsts our Munchkin has conquered so far with lots of piccies. But by no means make any comparisons as every baby develops at their own rate 😊.

Month one

After five long days in the post-natal ward following the arrival of our Munchkin was the first trip home.

munchkin's firsts
Home time!

Then only a mere two days later he attended his first party, my cousins 30th!

To top off the month and athough against the advice, he went on his first shopping trip at week 2.

Month two

March was time for Munchkins first photo shoot.

Month Three

Then attended his first wedding.

Which was such a lovely wedding we did our first smile (though not necessarily the cause).

and had our first swim or rather our first float…. Two years on, we love swimming.

Month Four

We visited our first National Trust property. Something we hope our Munchkin will love in the future. Update: he has!

We went to meet the Wifey’s extended family and had our first trip to a very windy beach!

We had our first family holiday at Center Parcs in which we had our first swimming lesson. Munchkin slept a lot in the subtropical swimming paradise!

Month Five

Month five had my first daddy thing, my first fathers day 😍

Month Six

We gawped and gasped at our first Sea Life Centre visit, as a turtle swam above us.

The first day of Daddy looking after Munchkin on shared parental leave happened. There was no time for photos on that day unsurpisingly!

Month Seven

We had our first taste of solid food with our first teeth! The journey of weaning began.

Month Eight

We celebrate our eight months by becoming the first UK rep place for The Trendy Tyke. See our latest here.

And to finish it all off he has his second photo shoot. Mummy and Daddy then compare this to the first shoot and marvel at how fast time has passed.

Phew!

Thats all the firsts with first photos. We now look forward to the future firsts! (I thought I’d keep the alliteration).

Thanks for reading,

Daddy and Munchkin

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19Oct
A Solid Six to an Experimental Eight Months – The development jump.

The biggest changes in the smallest amount of time.

At the start of month 6, Mummy was looking after the Munchkin, the Munchkin who lived solely off breast feeding, who played on his back, didn’t know he had feet, lived in single use plastic nappies 😔, still looked like a baby and barely knew the moves. Then the development jump began, amongst some other changes around.

Then everything changed…

Daddy took charge.
Poor Munchkin. It was time to say bye to Mummy every morning as she returned to work and it became full time Daddy time all thanks to shared parental leave.

SPL? What’s that? You can read all about SPL here.

We found our feet.
What’s those little things attached to me that I can move? What are they and what can I do with them? That little look of amazement at something so unexpected for us. Closely followed by the ‘Oh! they are good for teething if I chew my own foot’. Oh the flexibility! The flexibility we all wish we still had…



We started saving the planet.
It was time to start reusable nappies and reduce that huge plastic footprint we had created. I’ve written a post about this journey. Hereeeee.

We found our look.
In month 5 the munchkin still had a cute round face and large eyes and a general baby look. Now he’s grown into what could be how he looks as a little toddler and we can see what a cute little toddler he will be. In this, he lost what was primarily daddy’s looks and is now a lovely mix of both Mummy and Daddy.

We found our look and some moves!


We went from laying to sitting and discovered the world.
Bang on 6 months marked Munchkin’s massive upgrade from lying in his Cosatto in pram mode to sitting up a little more in the pushchair mode, his mode of transport for the coming years. This felt like a huge milestone for me and the wifey. He was no longer our little dot and instead a much rather heavier cutiepie. My Cosatto review is here.

We started reppin’.
We became a baby representative for three companies with those cute looks starting to get noticed. One request grew to five and we chose three companies to start with. These are the still the only three companies we rep for today. Click here to see who they are and get a discount code.

We started the solids. Both in the eating and the pooping.
We started the purées and then the finger foods and the crisps and now we are three meals a day. In turn the poop went from the almost pleasant runny yellow to the smelly sticky adult-like poop. Why isn’t mummy here for these?

We started rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling.
Gone are the relaxed nappy change times as now it’s a game of which side shall I try and lay on and what is the furthest thing I can grab. This is where Mummy and Daddy regret painting part of his woodland tree directly above his changing station…

We found our voice and our scream.
The letter sounds we cheered for quickly were followed by the highest pitched screams and shouts and always at the most opportune moments like echoey changing rooms. We’ve taken to watching TV with subtitles.

We got our first chompers.
Two bottom front and three top front milk teeth. Useful for eating a whole strawberry which Daddy gave you to suck on. You like to panic us don’t you Munchkin?

We found the joy of helium
One that can only be described by a video. Find this on my Instagram below.

Thanks for reading. What were your baby’s recent developments? Comment below.

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