Conecta on Facebook

Check out our little guy's claim to fame starring in a flashmob made in a shopping centre close to our home as part of the launch of a new Facebook game called CONECTA which helps to promote social change. 

Check out the video here and the game here 

A Balanced Diet - Food 6-10 months - recipes too!

At 6 months we increased food intake. 

Our little man already had two teeth by this time and was beginning to bite at milk time!!! 

We began giving him porridge with stewed apple for breakfast making it up with water as he refused to take anything mixed with his normal milk. Breakfast was a huge success. From 6-8 months we have gradually added milk so he now has half water and half cows milk with two large desert spoons of oats. As breakfast went down so well we moved on to increasing lunch. He was now able to start with some meat and grains so he was having small meals of mince and veg with rice or lentils or chicken, veg and pasta and loving it all. Gradually over the next two months we introduced egg and fish and began to give him the recipes we would eat minus spices, salt or two many flavours. After each meal he had a small portion of fruit (which I’m told helps to absorb iron).

At almost 7 months old he was having breakfast, lunch and tea and 5 milk feeds in 24 hours. He reduced his milk intake substantially and continued to increase his food portions weekly.

By 8 months he was down to just 3 milk feeds with food portions and variety increasing substantially. He adored food and we never needed to convince him to eat. He had days where he would eat more than others and we kept a relaxed attitude about this knowing that he would eat when he was hungry. We never offered him an alternative to the meal that we had prepared or topped him up with milk but we never let him go hungry. It has been easy to tell with him as he will eat almost anything but I imagine this has to be a delicate balance for those who are more particular about their food. We kept a strict routine on his milk so once we had reduced a feed it stayed that way slowly reducing it ounce by ounce until it was not part of his food intake anymore. This way we were able to monitor how he was eating and be sure he was getting a balanced and healthy diet as he continued to develop healthily.

Now at 10 months he is having a night feed and we have slowly weaned him off the morning milk so that he has some water when he wakes up then a cosy cuddle before going down for breakfast. The plan is to leave his night milk until he is older and able to eat a snack before getting ready for bed but we are aiming to wean him from the bottle by one year and give him cows milk in a sippy cup.

So far he’s doing fantastic and really enjoys sitting up at the table with us for meals. We’re proud to take him out with us for lunch as he eats very nicely and enjoys socialising in restaurants.

Below are a few of the recipes we have tried with our little guy. Please leave us one of your best bites so we can give it a go too!

Chicken, veg and rice mash

Dice a small piece of chicken breast and lightly fry it with some onion and parsley, add some water and bring to the boil, add a tablespoon of rice and some vegetables (we use broccoli, carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes). Leave to simmer until the ingredients are soft then drain off any excess water, mash and serve – this dish is great to make in bulk and freeze and you can substitute rice for other grains

Spanishy omelette with broccoli and carrot

Peel and chop several potatoes then boil until soft. Fry a small onion and add the potatoes to give flavour. Remove from the heat and place in an oven dish. In a separate bowl mix 4 eggs (more depending on the quantity you are making) with a little milk. Poor the egg mixture over the potatoes and oven bake on a low heat until the egg is cooked throughout. Cook some broccoli and carrots and mash then serve as a side dish.

Vegetable bake

Chop carrots, potatoes, spinach, broccoli, green pepper and cauliflower into small pieces and boil until soft. Put 4 large tomatoes into boiling water for 5 minutes until the skins are splitting, remove from the water and take off the skins and chop into small pieces or blend. Fry an onion with some parsley and garlic, add the tomatoes then the vegetables. Mix together and remove from the heat. Place in an oven dish and sprinkle with cheese then bake until the cheese is lightly melted. Mash and serve.

COMPETITION - your chance to win

WIN WIN WIN

It's competition time here at Baby Steps to Independence.

As this weeks post looked at our success story of sleeping through the night we want to help one lucky reader to get the sleep they and their baby deserve.

We are giving away a copy of Tracy Hogg's (aka: The Baby Whisperer) top tips to SLEEP

Here at Baby Steps to Independence our top tip is consistency. Whatever you do to help your baby sleep do the same thing every time so they can become familiar with what is expected at sleeptime.

For your chance to win simply write your top sleep tip in the comment section below (in any language), once you have done this you can get a second entry by liking us on facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/BabyStepsToIndependenceBlog

Entries must be in by Wednesday 12th December and the winner will be announced on Friday 15th December. Good Luck!!!

Sleep at 9 months

We are here.... we have had our first (and since then several more) full nights sleep. 

We managed to wean him off his 3.30 bottle with ease and a colleague suggested I used the next size up in nappies and most nights this has done the trick (either that or his bladder has grown)!

The clocks went forward here a few weeks ago and we decided to try and keep him on his old routine so he would be going to bed an hour later and hopefully get up an hour later too! It worked for a few days and we managed to keep all feeding times an hour later so he is on a slightly better food routine but it was clear he was getting so tired by the evening we decided to put him to bed just 15 minutes earlier and this worked amazingly. He now goes to bed around 7.30/7.45 and gets up around 6. He still has some milk when he wakes up but we have started weaning him off it and so he has around 50mls in a sippy cup. He’s doing really well on his new routine and we are getting a good night’s sleep. Even the nights he doesn’t go all night we only have to change him or lay him down and he goes back to sleep straight away so we don’t feel like we have  very disturbed nights.

Naps have gotten even more flexible but he is so well rested from his night sleep and getting much more active during the day that it is hard to get a good nap routine going. As he seems quite adaptable during the day we haven’t worried too much about this. If he seems tired we put him in his room for a nap. He is napping very little in the morning now and having a longer kip in the afternoon so I assume he is preparing to drop the morning sleep and go for just one nap a day but I will wait and see what happens. If we go out in the car in the morning he normally has a cat nap and this is usually enough to get him through until he has had his lunch. If we’re at home he can nap at any time so we just watch for the signs and pop him in bed when he shows us he’s tired.

This routine has worked really well for us and we hope it continues throughout the holidays (where he will be travelling to different time zones and climates) and into the New Year. 

Mummy's birthday treats

Today we celebrated my first birthday as a mummy. It has been the most amazing day and we have found there are so many things to teach our son about the special days of others.

He has been part of the planning and preparations and making special things for mummy. I had a beautiful handmade card which he and daddy had spent a morning making. We decided to risk the crowds and have lunch at the beach. With lunchtime and nap times in mind we executed our trip so that our little guy was full and well rested and he was an angel at the restaurant. He sat calmly and played with the few toys we had brought with us and we were able to enjoy a really nice family meal. After lunch we let him have a good play on the beach. He has no fear of the sea and happily crawls towards it and enjoys a splash in the shallow water. He ends up covered in sand and quite damp but its so worth it to hear his squeals of joy and see his big smiles.

Today we also had the great pleasure of seeing a marine turtle being release back into the sea. She had been injured and taken care of at the local turtle sanctuary and now fully recovered was being released back to her home. There was a large crowd gathered on the beach but we managed to find a nice space and our little guy even got to touch the turtle before she was released.

It has been a marvelous day and i’m looking forward to the many celebrations that the next few months will bring.

For more information on the turtle sanctuary visit 

http://www.tamar.org.br/centros_visitantes.php?cod=8

Short attention span – a learnt skill?

I have just sat and watched my 9 month old son play with a small toy car for 20 minutes. And we say children have no concentration. Let me share with you how we as parents teach our children that they should be breaking their concentration.

It all starts when they are a few weeks old and begin to fix their gaze on something – usually a light or bright object. We watch for a short time then go in front of them breaking the connection to get their attention and see them focus on us. Every parent does this, why? Because we want our child to look into our eyes. We want to see them respond to us. We want to be part of their small world as soon as we can. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s good to be aware and to choose the moments when we can be present in their world and when we can step back and enjoy observing their new interest.

So, I watch as my son takes his small car and pulls himself up on the sofa and proceeds to run the car up and down the arm of the sofa whilst ‘brumming’. The car falls on the carpet so he gets down, picks it up and pulls himself up again. The car falls again this time onto the sofa; he cruises round but can’t reach it so he pulls on the throw until he can reach the car. He then returns to the arm of the sofa and continues ‘brumming’. He looks at me a couple of times throughout this process and I just smile but don’t say anything and he continues playing. After around 15 minutes of this continued cycle he drops the car but it goes under the sofa. He gives a frustrated squeak but tries to reach it. After a couple of attempts he really can’t get it so he looks up and cries and says ‘mama’. This is my cue to help him. I ask him if he would like me to get the car, retrieve it and give it to him then tell him to say thank you and return to where I was sitting. He looks over at me then resumes his game. Only after a full 20 minutes does he come over to me and leave his car.

First let’s look at the skills he was using and practicing in this time. He used gross motor skills to pull himself up, small motor skills to hold the car, he was practicing his pincer grip to move the car, he problem solved to reach the car when it was out of reach and he asked for help when he really couldn’t get the car from under the sofa. That is a lot to contend with without somebody speaking to you or playing along with you.

If I had spoken to him when he looked over at me I would have broken his train of thought and therefore his concentration. If I had moved to where he was playing or taken a car and joined his game I would have interfered in his stream of thought and therefore broken his concentration. When he asked for help if I had continued to be with him or started to ask him other things I would have broken his concentration. By stepping back and just observing I was able to give him the chance to complete his task and remain concentrated on what he was achieving.

Of course I am not saying we never play with our children or stop them if we need to. Life happens and they have to be adaptable especially in such a demanding world as it is today. I am merely pointing out how it is very easy to teach your child to break their concentration by interrupting them when they are so engrossed in an activity. I have done it on many occasions. Often my son is startled when I speak to him and it is only when I see this reaction do I realise how deeply embedded he was in what he was doing.

As a parent all I can do is try to let him experience things for himself whenever I see he is concentrating hard on something, giving him the opportunity to use the time he needs to complete his task and hope that he has good concentration skills as he grows. Then, enjoy every moment that he chooses to interact with me.

Children learn what they live...

At the Social Good Brazil seminar

As the Social Good Brazil seminar is taking place this week, I thought it appropriate to remind us all that we are role models for our children. 

He is a little poem to inspire us to raise happy children for the world.

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.

If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy.

If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.

If children live with tolerance, they learn to be patient.

If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.

If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate.

If children live with fairness, they learn justice.

If children live with security, they learn to have trust.

If children approval, they learn to like themselves.

If children live with acceptance and friendship, they learn to find love in the world.  

Why celebrating is important

Celebrations are a great way to give culture and education to your children. 

Where do you start?

With bonfire night happening back in the UK I was sitting here in Brazil (where nobody knows the name Guy Fawkes) thinking how nice it would have been to wrap my little guy up in his snowsuit and show him a bonfire and soak up the atmosphere. It is one night I do miss a lot not living in England now. It also made me think how important these outings are for our small people. I remember the smell of the air, the excitement at being out in the dark and meeting up with school friends. I want my boy to have memories like this too, maybe not for 5^th November but there are so many other things to celebrate and it all begins at home.

I’m sure we have all thought about the first birthday and how we would like the day to go. I will be planning and executing my boys first birthday very soon and I have had to take a step back and see what he can get from the experience and plan it for him too not just for me and my expectations. I want him to have a calm day but with surprises and the people who love him around. I know I will have to be careful that he gets good naps the day before and try to organise some quiet time on the day so that he doesn’t become overtired or over-stimulated. I want him to have a fun day and play with his favourite people – me and his daddy!

So far in his short life we have had several celebrations to contend with. With each event I am learning with him and seeing how he seems to enjoy social events more and more. As Halloween has just passed I think it’s a good example to use. I like to make things with my boy so we got out the paper and crayons and began designing simple costumes and scribbling away in dark Halloween colours. I have always found that the preparation of these events can be as exciting as the actual thing and I plan to have a lot of fun with my guy while we prepare for parties. It’s also a great way for him to acquire new language and learn more about his world (and I am learning too)! We made a little robot costume but he really didn’t seem comfortable in it so I decided to let him wear normal clothes and he went as a Harley Davidson biker (but as he had a broom he was Harley Broomerson). He helped to colour a big box and I made a simple withes hat and we spent a day or two playing with it before the party so that he could see how fun it was when mummy wore a weird hat. I think it’s important to prepare this way as it can be quite daunting for someone so small to see his close people looking very different. The day of the party I made sure we were home all morning so he had time to crawl about and nap well. The party was in the afternoon so I organised the food he would need and made sure I knew what time I would leave to get him home with time to spare so he could play and relax before having to go to bed. All the planning made for a wonderful afternoon. He was a little apprehensive about the other children all dressed up to begin with but when he saw everybody smiling and laughing he soon relaxed and enjoyed being the centre of attention.

I try to celebrate many events with my son so he can see there are different cultures and ways of life. He already has two different cultures and I want him to know as much as possible about his world. There are always printables available online. My favourite site is http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/ where they always have fun colouring pages or activities for young children.

What is your favourite celebration and how are you making it special for your children?

Um mundo melhor para nossos filhos e melhores filhos para nosso mundo

Falamos sempre sobre um mundo melhor para nossos filhos. E sobre filhos melhores para nosso mundo?

Hoje em dia é mais difícil para as crianças terem uma vida de brincadeiras nas ruas e férias longas com toda a família. Isso por uma questão de segurança e também porque as exigências do trabalho de nós pais são muitas. Assim, muitas vezes caímos no risco de nossos filhos acabarem muito tempo na frente da TV ou do computador.

O que estamos fazendo aqui em casa então?

Tentamos manter um equilíbrio entre o trabalho e o tempo de ficar em casa. Temos a sorte de eu poder trabalhar em casa, mais ativamente nas horas em que nosso filho está dormindo. temos procurado levar nosso filho para parques e lugares interessantes e diferentes para que ele possa aprender sobre a natureza e como lidar na sociedade. Queremos que ele cresça sabendo como cuidar de si próprio, mas também do mundo em volta dele.

Um exemplo de como procuramos ajudá-lo a compreender nossa responsabilidade na sociedade  começou esse ano, no dia das crianças. No Brasil esse dia é marcado para as crianças como um dia de receber presentes e passear com a família, o que acaba tendo um tom até muito comercial. Em vez de fazer o dia típico com nosso pequeno, organizamos com ele seus brinquedos, vendo aqueles que estavam em boa condição e que ele poderia doar para crianças menos favorecidas. Escolhemos vários deles e levamos para uma ONG, que nos agradeceu muito o gesto e se certificará que os brinquedos serão muito bem aproveitados. Depois o levamos para um parque e fizemos um ótimo piquenique. Nosso filho é ainda bem pequeno, mas esperamos que fazendo coisas assim ele vai crescer entendendo como ajudar na sociedade.

Comentei acima sobre as crianças ficarem assistindo TV ou no computador. Isso não é necessariamente ruim e com supervisão esses recursos podem aumentar o conhecimento e a capacidade cognitiva das crianças. Nosso filho pode assistir um pouco de TV por dia (15-20 minutos), mas ficamos juntos com ele para usar o tempo explicando e ensinando. Também usamos juntos o computador e recursos tecnológicos para falar com os parentes na Inglaterra e em outras partes do mundo.

Com as facilidades que a tecnologia nos proporciona, estamos bem a vontade com o movimento global “Social Good”, que chegou no Brasil recentemente por iniciativa de organizações de nossa cidade, o ICom e o VOL. Estamos envolvidos com o “Social Good Brasil” e acreditamos muito (e vivemos isso com nosso filho) de que a tecnologia, a mídia social e o pensamento inovador estão transformando nossas vidas. E queremos estar seguros de que estamos contribuindo como pais para que nosso filho esteja preparado para ajudar a construir essa sociedade. 

Saiba mais sobre o Social Good Brasil em:

www.facebook.com/SocialGoodBrasil

www.sgb.org.br

www.sgb.org.br/english

This post is also available in English at:

http://babystepsindependence.blogspot.com.br/2012/10/a-better-world-for-our-children-and.html

A better world for our children and better children for our world

We’re always talking about making a better world for our children so I thought it would be nice to post about raising better children for our world. 

Nowadays it is even harder for children to grow up playing in the street and enjoying endless days of summer holidays. Society calls for both parents to work and it is no longer safe to leave your child alone in the street to play which means they are usually in front of a TV or computer in the hours after school or crèche. 

So how do we deal with this? 

To begin we make sure we have a happy work/home balance. We are lucky to have this option as I am able to work from home and in the hours that fit around our son and this isn’t always possible for parents. We try to take our son to parks and different environments so he can learn about nature and how to behave in society. We want him to grow up to be responsible not only for himself but also for the world around him and this begins with his attitude in the world.

To get him started on a road to compassion we began on children’s day. Here in Brazil it is a very commercial day where children receive gifts and are thoroughly spoilt. I love to spoil my son too but we decided that children’s day should be about all the children in the world. We sat with him and went through his toys to see which ones were in good condition and that he didn’t mind donating to other children who don’t have so many toys. We took him to an organisation and he was able to give his toys in. We then took him to a park to play and have a picnic as his treat for thinking of others. He is still very young and doesn’t understand yet but we will continue to educate him in this way and hopefully he will be a caring member of society.

I mentioned how children are often in front of the TV or computer after school/crèche. This is an important part of the 21^st century and must be considered so. We allow our son to watch a small amount of TV each day (15/20 mins) but we always stay with him and use it as a time to explain things. He is already keen on technology and has video calls with his family in England and enjoys pressing the keys on the computer again fully under supervision. Technology can also play an important role in how we can change society, as I have been learning a lot over the past month. The global Social Good movement has come to Brazil and as a family we are really involved (I’m busy translating websites and posts everyday). There will be a seminar here next week talking about how technology, social media and innovative thinking can be used to make social changes. It is great to see that new means of communication can really make a difference to the world that my son is living in and I hope I am able to raise him to be a great person for this world.

For more information about the Social Good Brazil seminar visit:  

http://socialgoodbrasil.org.br/english/ (English)

http://socialgoodbrasil.org.br (Portuguese)


Este post está disponível também em Português: http://babystepsindependence.blogspot.com.br/2012/10/um-mundo-melhor-para-nossos-filhos-e.html

Sleep at 8 months

We have had a huge breakthrough with sleep. 

As our little man was getting off the mattress so often I decided to speak to my good friend and colleague. She suggested we use a bigger mattress. We had a double mattress in the spare room and bingo it works! Our little guy is sleeping 8 hours straight every night.

To go to bed he has a large bottle (around 200ml) and falls asleep around 7.30. He wakes around 3.30am and is usually really wet including his pyjamas and sometimes his sleepy bag. I have tried so many brands of nappy but all seem to have the same effect so I guess I will have to change him during the night until he is well established with the toilet training. At 3.30 he also has a small feed (about 50mls) but I am slowly weaning him off this as I would like him to go 10 hours at night (although this may not happen until he is over a year old). He goes back to sleep quickly after his milk and usually stays asleep until around 6am then he has a small bottle (around 100ml) before getting up for breakfast.

We are much more relaxed about naps now as he usually sleeps for over an hour at a time. If he sleeps in the car we don’t worry too much but we also try to give him at least one nap in his bed so that he keeps a nice routine (but as life happens this isn’t always possible).

Sleep has been one of our major issues from the start as it is so important for everyone and getting to this point has been totally worth all the work we have put in over the last few months. We are all feeling much more rested and able to enjoy family life even more as we are not missing anything by yawning so much!

How has your sleep journey been? Are you out the other end of the sleepless nights tunnel or have you had a super breakthrough at a certain point? Let us know... 

Being Bilingual

For me and my husband it’s been a tough journey to acquire a new language. When deciding on how to introduce our son to both our languages we had a great many conversations, read plenty and spoke to other families in similar situations.

We finally decided that we would both speak to him in English. There are several reasons for this. 

First when deciding to speak any other language with your child it is important to be consistent. There have been studies that revealed a link to dyslexia in children who had a parent who spoke more than one language with them when they were small. Second, we want him to speak both languages well and for this we believe he needs a relaxed environment where he can speak English as everywhere else he will have to speak Portuguese. We also want him to feel supported in his language learning and if we both use English with him he will be able to ask either of us for help. I also read some blogs from people where one parent speaks a different language. In many cases their child understands both languages but responds only in the dominant language. Also when they have their clingy phase with one of the parents the language is a key factor in this too, distancing or isolating the parent who speaks another language.

So these are our reasons for deciding to go forward with English at home. It was not a choice we took lightly and it has been a huge decision for my husband to make as it is not his first language. It was entirely his choice as to which language he would speak with his son as communication is a very intimate and important part of being a parent.

Our language journey began when I was pregnant. Our boy moved more when I spoke English and we both spoke, read and sang to him in English throughout the pregnancy. When he was several weeks old he would cry when I spoke Portuguese and was quiet and content when he could hear English being spoken. Now he is bigger he is very interested when people speak to him in Portuguese or when I speak it when we are out. He pays close attention to people’s mouth when they speak. When we are at home he looks to us for language. We tell him the names of his toys and the animals and he has begun to try sounds for certain things such as the dog’s name.

We now wait excitedly to see how his language development will progress and how he will dominate the two languages.

Any tips, ideas or stories from your own experiences would be great so do leave a comment below.

Art - food or paint?

Today I read the below on a website which I frequent and usually enjoy very much. It has inspired me to write today’s post:

Make some brightly coloured "paints" from puréed vegetables and let your baby get creative with them on her highchair tray. As your baby uses her hands to mix and swirl the various goos, tell her the names of the colours and show her how they combine to form secondary shades. (Of course, don't expect her to repeat or remember the names of the colours at this age!)

So what do you think?

I am of the opinion that food is precious and we should not be encouraging our children to play with it. Our son does put his hands in his food but we encourage him to eat well and to use a spoon. We do not let him play with his food as we think this is unacceptable behaviour. It would be pretty difficult to go to a restaurant and have him smear food over the tray or up the walls.

I understand that for some people this activity would be fine but my argument would be why can’t you get the paints out and let your little one have this fun? Nowadays the paints are child friendly and they can learn the difference between the colours mixing and playing in the same way.

We got the paints out at the weekend and our little guy had a fantastic time. We stripped him down to his nappy and had a bath ready for when he was done then we spread a huge piece of paper on the floor and let him go for it. We showed him how to use a paintbrush and he loved putting his hands and feet in the different colours. After a while he was crawling over the paper and squealing with delight.

The three of us had a good laugh and have hung his art on his bedroom wall and continue to talk about it and the colours we made.

 http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/development/letsplay/8months4thweek/#ixzz28uBTb4GI

Sleep at 7 months

Things have changed. 

My boy is now having his teeth brushed before going to sleep and this has been a little tricky to get into his routine as it wakes him from his drowsy milk slumber and he is pretty unhappy about it all. However we are persisting and once brushed we put him into bed and leave him to fall asleep alone. As he is now on the go he often gets off his mattress a couple of times but we silently go back in and put him back on then leave the room again. Usually this is repeated once or twice and he falls off to sleep within five minutes or so. I no longer have to sit beside him or pick him up to get him off to sleep. 

During the night he still wakes a few times but he no longer cries. We just put him back on his mattress if he comes off or cover him and leave the room and he goes back to sleep. He was waking 3 or 4 times and having one feed but is now waking once or twice still having one feed. We are feeling more positive about his sleep patterns and getting a little more sleep ourselves.

Naps have changed too! 

He has lengthened his naps to anywhere from 1 hour to 1 ½ hours and goes to sleep quickly alone. I often have to go in once or twice to put him back on his mattress but he is usually asleep within 10 minutes of putting him in his room. I now read a quick story to him before putting him in bed and this settles him although I am careful to watch for irritable signs and cut the story short if I see he’s too tired. He has 2 naps now and sometimes a catnap when we are in the car or out for our walk. These longer naps leave him much more rested and he is able to stay awake for up to 3 hours between naps and goes to bed 10 to 15 minutes later and is getting up in the morning any time after 6. 

We feel that great progress is being made and we have hope for a full night’s sleep in the near future!

Discipline

Society revolves around rules and so does life at home. Rules help a child to feel secure and know what is expected of them. Implementing the rules helps the child to define boundaries and become self secure.

Is it too young to start disciplining? 

We believe that our son needs limits and there are things we are not comfortable with him doing. One big example is him pulling our hair or pinching our faces. This is unacceptable to us and even though he doesn’t mean to hurt us we believe we should be teaching him that this is not acceptable for us. We tell him not to do that and then show him how to be gentle and give lots of praise. He has taken this on board very well and is now good at touching our faces gently and we make up a game where we say ‘beeb’ when he touches our noses and he has a giggle. It’s a very relaxed way of giving him the limits of how to touch us.

When he continues to be too rough we tell him that if he does it again we will put him on the floor. He usually repeats the roughness so we place him on the floor. Almost every time he cries immediately so we pick him up and tell him he must say sorry then show him how to be gentle again. He has responded quickly to this method and is improving every day. There is a pattern to his behavior and we find he is particularly rough when he is tired so we try to avoid the situation happening as it is always difficult to implement discipline when he is too tired. That said, if he does hurt us we carry out our discipline method as consistency is key to helping him know that the boundaries are firm.

We always discuss what method we will take with him before a situation arises so we can both implement discipline smoothly and so that he isn’t confused by us setting two different sets of limits. It is very important to discuss these things away from him so that we always present a united front otherwise he will know when one of us doesn’t really mind something and try to push this boundary further.

Travel-short haul

The first holiday.

On-board and ready to go

It’s so exciting but then you think, how am I going to cope with a baby on a plane, taxi, bus with the heat, sleeping in a new place, feeding and changing and activity time. You start to feel that perhaps it’s just not worth it but you deserve a break or will it just be more work. Here’s how we planned and executed our first holiday.

We took a trip to the North-East of Brazil to visit our boy’s uncle. It is a long trip including 2 flights one lasting just over an hour the second over 2 hours. To fly out I was on my own as hubby was already there on a business trip which is why we decided to use the opportunity to visit. I must admit it was quite daunting thinking I would have to do the first flights alone. I've heard how babies scream through a whole flight or start getting travel sick and dread started to seep in. However I decided I needed to be super organised so that I could evict any mishaps and have the smoothest trip I possibly could.

First I had to work out the logistics of getting the boy up at 4.30am to get to the airport and decided the best thing was to pack his clothes in my hand luggage and take him in his pyjamas and sleepy bag. It’s good to remember that planes can be cold but airports hot so I had vests and long sleeved t-shirts and trousers and socks and then if he was very cold I still had his sleepy bag which meant I could avoid taking a blanket on-board as they can be very bulky and take up precious hand-luggage space. The next thing was his food. I wouldn't arrive at my destination until after 2pm so I would need a morning milk, breakfast, snack milk, lunch and water to hand. That’s a lot of food and liquid and I was concerned about the weight of my hand luggage as my guy is a bit of a gannet when it comes to food. I made up two bottles (I suggest having bottles ready even if you are breast feeding as it is really tricky to feed while taking off in the plane and often this is when baby needs his milk!) then decided that instead of his regular breakfast of porridge with stewed apple and toast he would have to make do with bread and butter and a banana. I made him a fresh lunch of vegetables and tinned tuna as I was concerned that it may be difficult to heat the food and if it was frozen or meat it would need to be piping hot. My concerns were correct so I was really glad I had something that he could eat cold. I also packed a bottle of water but wasn't sure if I would be allowed to take this on-board (I was but not sure if every airline allows this). I packed milk powder too in case I was really delayed and needed his next milk feed (I didn't but you can bet if I hadn't packed it I’d have needed it!). I also packed a couple of small books and some plastic light toys the wipes and nappies and some alcohol gel. I also brought a t-shirt for myself as I imagined that if he did get travel sick it would probably be all over me so at least I could change my t-shirt if this happened (again I was in luck and didn't need it).

So, I woke him at 4.30 after I had everything ready by the door so that I could lift him straight into the taxi and not have to wake him too much. I had hoped he might drift off to sleep again on the way but he was far too interested in being up in the middle of the night.  With a baby in arms you have full priority and if travelling alone get plenty of help from airport staff and I actually began to feel quite important! We boarded and I let my boy stand up a bit and play on the floor in front of my seat to use a bit of his energy. He was very interested in everything that was happening and was shooting smiles at every person who got on the plane. For take-off I gave him his milk which I had put off giving him before as I was concerned he would need to suck to help him to unblock his ears. He fell asleep drinking and woke up just before we landed and didn’t seem affected by the pressure on the way down.  What a star! So into the airport and 3 hours to kill... I had already decided that today was not the day to worry about him being dirty so I let him crawl around on the floor in a space where he wouldn’t get in anyone’s way. The gel came in very handy to clean him after as his hands were pretty grubby. People were very kind and he made lots of friends! The second flight began as the first and he slept for half of it. Once he was up I let him play by my feet and fed him by putting the seat-belt around him and sitting on the floor in front of him. He was very excited by his new surroundings and we were fortunate to have the full front 3 seats to ourselves so plenty of space to play and look out the window. All in all I was very impressed that it had gone so smoothly.

Snoozing in the hammock

Playing in the tent in the airport

When it comes to sleep outside the house it can be very tricky setting the same scene and getting the baby to sleep and to stay asleep. A few months ago we decided we would need to have a bed to travel with as we will be doing plenty of travelling in the next few years and with this in mind we purchased a travel tent. It has been one of the best baby items we have bought and he is happy to sleep and play there and as we use it at home often it is very familiar and smells like home. We were also able to put it up in the airport when we had a 3 hour stop -over so he could play and sleep in comfort. As soon as we got to the place we were staying I set up the tent (which is so fast and very mummy friendly) and let him play inside. When it was time for a nap I kept the simple routine of a cuddle, quick story and into bed and he went off to sleep fine. At night the same thing but he did wake more often than he would have at home but I did expect that as the climate was very different and there were different sounds to those he was used to.

Touching the fish at the aquarium

We managed to borrow a pushchair which was fantastic and we took off in the morning to explore the city. We found an aquarium and as the temperature was rising we decided it would be the perfect place to visit to keep cool and entertain our little guy. He really enjoyed seeing all the fish and they even had an interactive pool where he could touch some sea creatures.

It was a fantastic holiday and all my apprehensions have lessened as it was such a success.

Buy the tent on amazon at 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/NS-Associates-Large-Travel-Centre/dp/B000HK8DDE/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby&ie=UTF8&qid=1348852693&sr=1-2

Aquarium in Aracaju http://www.tamar.org.br/interna.php?cod=185

Sleep at 6 months

Mums and dads need sleep but so does baby. Promoting good sleep habits from a young age can reduce problems in toddlerhood and beyond. Sleep is an issue that we all go through as first (second, third ...) time parents. My guy is no different, he likes to be awake!

The big question is when should a baby sleep through the night? I have many friends who have had an easy ride with their little ones sleeping through the night from an early age. My little man is not one of these babies. We accept he may have to feed in the night and also wake up (we do so why shouldn’t he?) but we also want him to sleep for long periods of time and have restful sleep. So how do we get a balance that we feel happy with?

I have gone through many thought processes when it comes to sleep and concluded that leaving him to cry is against my concept of parenting. He should be able to call for me when he needs something and I have a duty to respond. That said, he does cry... I’ve read a good many books and seen endless web sites but it’s hard to find a ‘how’ when looking for information on self-soothing and putting back to sleep when he’s screaming at the top of his lungs waking up the neighbourhood at 4 in the morning. So here’s what we do...

He has a lovely bedtime routine which I enjoy very much. It’s not for everyone but as I always say, you have to find a way that fits you, your baby and your family. So my guy has tea around 5pm then we watch something quiet like peter rabbit and have quiet play time. I don’t cook or clean in this time as he seems to get clingy and cries if I go out of the room which he doesn’t do at other times of the day, so this is his time. Around 6 we go up for a nice warm bath. He is sitting steady now so enjoys having a splash with the bubbles. This is a great time to sing some songs and he is really cheerful, regardless of his previous mood. After his bath he has a quick massage most nights as he has quite dry skin then it’s into pj’s and his sleepy bag at which point he is usually very tired and starting to complain. He then has his milk while I read him a story then either falls asleep while drinking or is almost asleep when I pop him in bed. He has a dummy at night so pop that in and kiss him goodnight then leave the room. Most of the time he will go off to sleep alone but when he doesn’t, I go back in and kiss him again and then leave again. If he gets himself in a tiz I go and pick him up just very briefly then pop him back down with a kiss and sit near him. If he continues to cry I repeat this until he goes off to sleep. When he wakes in the night and it’s not time for milk I do the same. It is by no means easy but definitely reduces the amount of crying and the length of time he cries for. The fact that I am right there with him helps me to know he is ok and knowing his routine I can be sure he’s not hungry.

For naps he was having 40 minutes three times a day and sometimes 20-30 minutes in the pushchair late afternoon. He had been on a three hour routine but recently after his naps were decreasing in time and he was getting in a state I did some research found Tracy Hogg and discovered that he could manage a four hour routine at this age. Tracy Hogg aka the baby whisperer has some really good ideas about routines and methods for increasing naps and putting back down to sleep. I have used several of her ideas and adapted them for our situation such as the picking up briefly explained above. Since I changed his routine I have been making a conscious effort to lengthen his naps using the same technique as I do at night. He is getting more sleep and has condensed the 3/4 naps into 2/3 naps and is starting to wake less at night. It has taken a few weeks but there is definite progress and light at the end of a long long tunnel of wakeful nights. 

Buy Tracy Hogg's complete guide at

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whisperer-Solves-Problems-Teaching-Questions/dp/0091902517/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348068938&sr=8-1

Play time - Toys and activities

What do you play with someone so small?

We have found our guy loves anything. We haven’t really bought him many toys yet as he is just as intrigued by a cardboard tube as he is with an expensive interactive toy. I have made him many small toys out of felt which he can take everywhere and are great in the car. He is fascinated by them and enjoys the different colours. When he was tiny I hung them from a mobile and now he’s older he can hold them in his hands. I have also knitted him a couple of sheep and rabbits which are safe for him to put in his mouth and also give different textures.

He enjoys any made up games which make him laugh. I made finger puppets and invent stories and songs. This is fun for our boy but for us too and wet Saturday afternoons can turn into long theatre sessions! We have found he loves anything where we use different sounds and animal noises. Sometimes we imitate the dog barking or the birds tweeting and then show him the animals when we’re out playing.

The mobile is brilliant as you can put almost anything on it while they are tiny and not able to pull the things down. I put leaves up for him one day and another day feathers and seeds we had found when out for a walk. I’m looking forward to collecting things with him when he’s bigger and having a nature box or something for his new found treasures!

Food - fruit and recipes

So here are our thoughts on food.

The first big question is WHEN?

I believe that there is a window of interest for all things in a baby’s life and so when my boy started to seem interested in what we were eating or how we were eating I decided it was time to try food. That said it was a very slow and gentle process. Not once did I force food on him and if he didn’t seem to like something (no mum, cauliflower is not for me) I have put it to one side until he is older and able to try it in a different way.

As a family we feel that food is very important and not a toy. There is a lot of information out there saying it’s a good idea to let the child play with food to get an idea of textures and temperatures. We do not agree with this method and teach our boy to eat properly and not put his hands in the bowl of tip food on the floor. He always has a spoon and is fully encouraged to help himself. Yep, it’s messy but we feel it’s the best way for him to become an independent eater.

I was told by the doctor to mash his food and never liquidise it as this helps him to get used to different textures and consistencies. I have never followed this to the Tee. I prefer to do what I feel comfortable with. For example, I give him mango and was very concerned about how stringy it can be so I liquidised it AND put it through a sieve. It made me calm and he was able to eat it very well. Now he’s older I liquidise it but he is able to cope with small strands so the sieve has become redundant. My advice would be to do what feels comfortable and natural. Sometimes we are not ready to give it all mashed and I think its fine to go slowly. There’s no point mashing it and feeling uptight as you feed your child and this will only make them feel nervous and perhaps give a negative vibe to meal times.

So, how did we start?

When he was around 4 months old there seemed to be an interest from him around the food we were eating both the utensils and the food itself. I began letting him suck on pieces of fruit when I was having them so I would cut a finger of apple removing the skin and hold tight as he enjoyed a new flavour. As he got more and more interested in the fruit and when he was able to sit up I gave him a few spoons of liquidised apple. He loved it! From then on I gave him a couple of teaspoons of fruit once each day and then began introducing vegetables. Once I was confident he was using a more chewing like action I gave him the fruit mashed. I found he loved cooked and mashed pear and apple and was beginning to eat larger quantities as the weeks went on. By the time he was 6 months he was having small portions (a few teaspoons) of fruit and veg twice a day. He still had his full quota of milk and only began to reduce this himself much later after he was well established on solids.

Below are a few of the recipes I have tried. Please share your own recipes or things you have tried and your thoughts and experiences on starting food.

Fruit recipes:

Stewed apple and/or pear

slice the apple and/or pear, put it in a pan with water and boil until the fruit is soft. Drain excess water then mash or liquidise. I usually freeze the fruit in ice cube trays so that I have quick snacks handy. 

Mango sorbet

Liquidise a couple of mangos then depending on the age of your baby sieve it or leave it as it is, freeze it in ice cube trays. To serve, take it out of the freezer about 30minutes before eating so it is icy but not too frozen.

Banana mash

Exactly that! Mash a banana and serve! (I gave him banana after 7 months when I was sure he could cope with the thick texture).

Strawberry milk

Liquidise and strain a few strawberries and add to milk (either babies normal milk or if over 6months cows milk).