Toddlers and advent calendars

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Emma Tustian

Bizarrely, N seems to be going in reverse in terms of his interest in Christmas.

A month or so ago he was pulling out his Christmas books with Father Christmas in and enjoying reading them, but now it’s December it’s like he’s forgotten about those.

Even his advent calendar isn’t as exciting to him as I thought it might have been.

A couple of years ago I managed to pick up a bargain Lakeland fabric calendar in the sale.  I had seen lots on Pinterest that I fancied making (especially loving the little socks idea!), but of course time ran away with me, so I thought this would be a good interim.  Last year I put in little tasks as well as chocolate, but this year it’s too manic with visiting my mum daily to actually spend time with N in the evening after work.

So this year it’s just chocolate.

I thought N would get excited about this especially as he doesn’t have chocolate very often, but 3 days in and I’m still having to ask him whether he wants to open his advent calendar for the day.  Day 1 was more like I expected, with him trying to reach the bottom pockets while I wasn’t looking.  I suppose I was too stern in telling him not to steal any of the other chocolates otherwise I’d hang the calendar higher where he couldn’t get it!  Oops.

We also have a Father Christmas where you turn round the number blocks to countdown to Christmas.  N hates this for some reason.  No idea why, but he keep removing the blocks and saying ‘no, don’t want them’.  Next thing I turn round and he’s trying to cram in his own letter blocks which don’t fit.

Maybe I need to get the nativity set out, and possibly put up the tree this weekend so he might get a bit more excited.

Do you have children who aren’t interested in advent calendars?

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Review: Katsuma Moshi Monster trunki ride on suitcase

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Emma Tustian

N loves his limited edition 5th anniversary trunki.  We rarely go on holiday, but we tend to go on road trips at least once or twice a year, so his trunki comes in useful for those.  When we were offered the chance to review one of the Moshi Monster trunki, we weren’t going to turn it down, especially when I realised there were some production changes to check out.

Trunki often collaborate on their character trunkis, so there’s currently a Lotus design, Gruffalo, and now the 2 new Moshi Monsters designs.  The one we received was the orange Katsuma design…definitely not one to miss in a crowd with the bright colour.

Katsuma trunki

N was definitely excited when we opening the box (although I’m not convinced he’s associated it with his older version).  He was asking what it was, told me it was orange and that he wanted to open it up.  N’s a bit young to understand about Moshi Monsters and I can’t say I know a lot more either, but for children who love Moshi Monsters, Katsuma and the pink Poppet version would definitely be a great gift idea.

trunki suitcase

Breakfast with a trunki

What do we like about this trunki?

I think the designs are fun, and the faces on the sides really attract children to them.  As well as the range of standard colours, there are limited editions and then the collaborations so lots to choose from.

The mechanism for opening the trunki’s been improved.  Previously it was quite hard although after some practice I didn’t have too many problems.  Now, you simply press the buttons on the openings.  I have to admit, it took some trying the first time, but hopefully this will loosen in time.  N still wouldn’t be able to open them though as I feel there’s still a knack to it.  It does make it safer keeping the trunki shut when riding it or carrying lots of luggage inside.  There’s also a small key on the strap for extra security.

Obviously the trunki is made to be a suitcase. They never look that large although the capacity is a decent 18 litres.  There’re elastic straps inside (perfect to keep soft toys in place), the usual fabric holder for smaller bits like crayons, and the main compartment.  In the past when we’ve packed for going away, I’ve managed to get in books, nappies, some small to medium sized vehicles, a ball, a puzzle and other bits and bobs.  I think it’s deceptive how much you can fit in, although the shape does mean that you can be a little restricted on awkward shaped toys.  I always pack for N, and he always gets excited to see what’s in ‘his’ suitcase as it’s a surprise.

inside a trunki

More room in the other side as well

The usual ‘horns’ are in place giving easy hand holds for children sitting and riding their trunki.  N does enjoy riding on his trunki – he spent some time lining all his ride on toys up, and trying to strap himself to the trunki with the pull along strap.  He seemed to think it was a tractor, but each to their own.

trunki

Line them up!

ride on suitcase

He also enjoyed using the strap as a telephone…nothing like creative, my son!

I'm on the phone

The shape fits nicely behind the car seat in our car, and the dimensions are such that most flights should accept it as hand luggage.  If you want to use a trunki for all of your child’s clothes and toys when travelling abroad, it’s going to be a challenge, but if you want to use it so the child can bring ‘whatever can fit in it’, then I would say you can’t really go wrong.

Prices range from around £33 to £50 depending on the design chosen.  My tip is to look out for trunki at the big Baby Shows though, as we got quite a good deal on our first one when we went to one.

Do your children have a trunki ride on suitcase?  What do you use to take toys away with you on holiday?

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Disclosure: We were sent a Katsuma Moshi Monster trunki to try out and review.  All opinions are our own.

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Guest Post: I Wrote a Book for Kids I Don’t Like

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Emma Tustian

People quite often read my blog and tell me they’re not baby people either.  I’d been chatting to Chris Eastvedt on twitter and she approached me about writing a guest post.  Why not, I thought.  Then I heard what the topic was planned to be.  I guess having a parenting blog (and children) without loving kids is strange, but you’d expect a children’s book author to be interested in children too…wouldn’t you?  Here’s Chris’ take on writing for children.

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This may be an outrageous thing for a children’s author to admit, but I don’t enjoy spending time with kids. I’m not saying I hate them, or want them all to disappear, but inviting me to a children’s birthday party, play date, or, God forbid, asking me to babysit, would be bad for all involved. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big supporter of the ideals of childhood: creativity, imagination, adventure and discovery, and practice them myself as often as possible, but some days it takes everything I have to just to deal with adults; the prospect of throwing a needy kid into the mix is cringeworthy to say the least.

Now, I’m not an ogre: I love animals. The moment I see one: whale, chicken, bearded dragon, whatever, I immediately want to say hi, and would be happy to spend the day hanging out with them. But put me in a room with a kid and I immediately start looking for an exit. You see, animals are logical; they don’t scream when they’re tired, they go to sleep. Animals manage to eat their food, as opposed to wearing it, or using it to decorate the house. Animals also don’t go into full-on tantrums when you don’t let them hold something. This is behaviour I can understand and appreciate. Human children, on the other hand, are a different animal entirely.

Someone reading this right now, possibly even you, might be offended that their precious snowflake has just been ranked lower on the likeability scale than a chicken. To that I must respectfully say, don’t take things so personally. Yes, my not liking children probably extends to yours, but big deal. I’m sure plenty of people already love your children so they don’t need a stranger’s validation, and neither do you. Moving on…

It’s not that I dislike kids on a personal level (with a few exceptions), they just don’t have much to offer me. Kids and I have different interests: I don’t waste time pretending to like people who bore me at a party, so why would I do it for someone’s kid? The thing is, I don’t know what to do with children. I talk fast, gesture wildly and have a brain that moves a mile a minute. Kids move slowly, and they miss subtle things like wit, nuance and sarcasm. Most adults think I’m funny, but surprisingly kids, not so much. I’m uncomfortable when a child greets some of my best lines with a straight face or furrowed brow, but telling myself “it’s not me, it’s them,” seems a little petty. And of course trying to relate to them on their level is nearly impossible. I have zero interest in Thomas the Tank Engine, couldn’t sing a Wiggles song to save my life and have always found Sesame Street characters highly annoying. As they say in the movies, it appears children and I are at an impasse.

So that brings me back to my fervent need to write a children’s book, which is basically an act of self-preservation. Instead of complaining about all the things I don’t like in kids, I’m trying to coach the little darlings into becoming as interesting and reasonable as possible on their way to adulthood. My favorite word growing up was always “why?” It annoyed the hell out of adults, but it taught me how to think and develop into an effective communicator. Everyone has opinions, but surprisingly few know not only why they believe what they do, but are able to defend their beliefs in a clear and convincing manner. This needs to change, and I’m hoping to help.

Clearly I’m not Mary Poppins, and I don’t want to be, but I am an entertainer with a mission to try to make the world a better place. If I can amuse children, from a distance, while empowering them to be more appealing in the process, I will have succeeded.

Chris Eastvedt is a novelist and author of the children’s eBook, Free Toes!. Visit her at www.ChrisEastvedt.com 

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Trusting the swimming teacher

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Emma Tustian

Thankfully this week saw N quite keen to go swimming (think it might have helped that he had a Paddlepak to try out.  We’ll be reviewing this in another post)

Sometimes I think me being in the pool for swimming lessons with N lulls him into a sense of full security.  Obviously he’s too small to be in the pool on his own without armbands or shark fins etc, and I’d much rather he learn without floatation aids (given the safety aspect – no point learning to swim only with a float if you fall in without one), but I think sometimes it does make him lazy.

Maybe, I’m too lax and too willing to not force him into something he really doesn’t want to do.  Some activities he really hates.  He’ll no longer cry when they come up, but now he obviously talks well enough, instead we get commentary and verbal moaning.

‘No mummy, enough’

‘No more mummy’

Largely the moaning is when it’s underwater or something requiring him to go on his back.  Although sometimes the element of surprise works at least the first time, a second attempt receives protest.

Generally he’ll do the activities in his own time, for example last time when the lesson was all about back swimming, he was quite happily swimming away, holding the woggle and float, where previous attempts have been a total fail.

He’ll also now try turning in the water which he used to refuse to do as well as swimming under a mat.  So he just likes to do things in his own time.

But lessons are also about trusting the swimming teacher.  When it comes to activities that N doesn’t like doing, it’s crucial that he trusts our teacher Lynsey.

This week they were practicing star floats on their backs.  Some of the children can star float on their own, others with support.  N hates even trying, and wriggles so much there’s not much chance of me even supporting him, it’s more like trying to stop him from sinking as he tries to wrench away and flip over to his front.  But this week, he gave it a go.  Head back fine, arms vaguely out to the side, and legs straight.  Not quite a star shape, but he was trying it with only a bit of support underneath.

Once he’d tried it once, that was it.  He wanted to do something else.  But as soon as Lynsey comes over he’s quite happy to give it a go again.  It’s like he craves the teacher telling him he’s done a good job rather than his mum!

Mind you, it was only a short attempt and only the once, but that’s what he’s like with most activities.  Anything he’s not keen on, or won’t do for me, he’s usually quite happy to give it a go and show off to the teacher.

I suppose I should be pleased that he’s learnt at an early age that it could be good to do what the teacher says!  Long may that continue into school in a few years.

paddlepak

Looking less keen than he really was about going swimming!

How do your children react to the teacher coming round?

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Disclosure: We blog for Water Babies, but all words and opinions are my own.  We received a Trunki Paddlepak for review.

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Born in a Barn? Not in our house

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Emma Tustian

My mum used to ask us all the time if we were ‘born in a barn?’ when we left doors open.  We have the opposite with N and it drives me mad.

We generally leave doors open, especially when it gets to winter because we have the Aga on at one end of the house attempting to warm that end, and the wood burner in the living room, heating up the other end.  Obviously if you close the doors in between, then the heat doesn’t flow (and it makes the living room like a sauna once the fire’s burning well).

I’m also not a fan of closing doors internally because it’s just feels so enclosed, and dark when you walk through the house and all the doors are shut.

But it doesn’t seem to bother N.  He goes round shutting doors behind him left, right and centre.  Even if I tell him to ‘leave the door open’, he’ll still shut it.

I think he particularly likes slamming doors (hope he grows out of that by the time he’s a teenager) which I can kind of understand.  But I’m also never sure what he’s up to the other side of a closed door.  It’s never sensible to fully trust a toddler.

Night times are the funniest.  I say night time, but it’s really morning.  We pull his door to once he’s gone to bed so we don’t disturb him, but also so we can hear if he wakes in the night.  But in the morning when he wakes up (or even on the rare occasion he gets out of bed at night), he’ll creep out of bed, open his door, then pull it quietly to again behind him before coming in to see me.  It’s as though he thinks there’s still someone sleeping in his room or he wants to keep that room dark.

Strange child!

What are you and your children like with doors?

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